"Have nothing to do with this so called Brother- not to even eat with one such as I."
One of the worst things ever said to me was when Rice Broocks told me "I was full of demons and needed John Roar to cast them out of my wife and I." He went on to state, " You have a bitter and rebellious spirit and everything you do will come to ruin because of your bitter and rebellious spirit." He then added, "Go on and try to start up a church in Orange County.... I will tell you the end of it; it will split in bitterness and rebellion. Your marriage will end in divorce because you’re bitter and rebellious. Your children will die in bitterness and rebellion, Tommy please don't do this to yourself." I was torn to shreds by the man who led me to Jesus, performed my wedding and whom we named our child after. Just when I figured it could not get any lower, Rice declared....."If Dr. Cole were alive today, (Dr Cole was like a grandpa to me & had died just one week earlier) he would implore you to not do this thing, repent and submit to your authority." That deeply hurt. Even more so due to the fact that Dr. Cole said a year earlier after witnessing how people he knew were treated, that guys like Phil Bonasso (my Pastor) were "control freaks".
To HaigLaw I close with this from a well known appologist Edward Dalcour the founder of The Dept. of Christian Defense who answers the question, “Is MSI a cult?”
I am the director of the Department of Christian Defense, an international apologetic ministry. I have researched and taught extensively in the area of cult evangelism and general Christian apologetics for the past fifteen years. At face, the term “cult” can be viewed as a pejorative term, to be sure, and there are several different meanings that a normal English Dictionary would provide.
However, from a theological point of view, the term “non-Christian cult” denotes a group that considers themselves “Christian,” but denies or rejects an aspect of essential biblical theology. For example, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals all reject the biblical doctrine of the Trinity; Catholics reject justification through faith alone; etc. Hence, these groups would be classified as a theological non-Christian cult due to its denial of these essential doctrines (cf. John 8:24; 17:3; Gal. 1:6-9).
However, there is another category of “cult” that, unfortunately, many true Christian churches are regard as. This other category is known as a “sociological cult.” A “sociological cult” is a group that holds to essential biblical theology, but is in terms of leadership and organization, they are sociologically abusive and hold to a very unbiblical teaching of church authority.
Even though Morning Star International (hereafter MSI) does not fall under the category of non-Christian cult, theologically and sociologically MSI falls under the category of “sociological cult.” This should not be at all surprising since they stem out of Maranatha Ministries see: [
www.culteducation.com]
The leadership of MSI consists of Rice Broocks, Phil Bonasso, and Steve Murrell, all whom are self-appointed Apostles, thus referring to themselves as the "Apostolic Board." Of course, the only church that I can think of that has a governing Board of so-called “Apostles” is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e., the Mormons), which is called the "Quorum of the Apostles."
When leaders of groups insist that they are Apostles or as with MSI, an Apostolic Board, it creates an illusion in which they are seen by members as God’s infallible mouthpiece determining what is “best” for their devotees. Hence, the result is that members of these kinds of organizations fearfully submit unconditionally.
I have personally interfaced with the so-called Apostles (viz. Broocks and Bonasso) and many members of MSI. In evaluating official MSI literature, shown to me by a former leader, and hearing sermons throughout the years, I see a virtual exactness with the International Church of Christ (hereafter ICC; see my article: [
christiandefense.org]) And both ICC and MSI utilize the same passages (e.g., Heb. 13:17; etc.) to teach that members should submit to God “delegated leaders” without question (i.e., their “covering”), although, they both read into these passages that which is clearly not there.
Also, they both hold to an unbiblical teaching of what discipleship is. Hence, both churches are filled with sheepish terrified members who would never dream of questioning the their “covering” that, according to the leadership, are God’s delegate authority.