I used to date the middle son of a family that was devoted to the Revival Fellowship here in Adelaide. I don't even want to try and count the amount of time that his parents spent talking to me about the church and how wonderful and great it was. When I finally made it clear that I wasn't interested, they wouldn't have anything to do with me, to the point of not allowing me in the house, and whenever I called the house, they would hang up the phone on me. It was insane.

The guy that I was dating wasn't very 'into' his church I suppose you could say, but as time went by, he started spending more and more time with them and completely changed as a person. The thing that shocked me the most was that for someone that (towards the end of our relationship) claimed to be so pure and without sins and all that, he cheated on me (as in had sex with other girls, which from what I knew of the church was definitely not something they publicly supported), took drugs, and lied constantly. His father, also a devout member of this church, hit his wife, drank excessively, all the while having the balls to tell me that I was evil and full of sin.

Whoever says that this cult is harmless and promotes peace and harmony is way off base. My own experience with these people tells me that if you do consider going to worship with them (and for your own sake, I pray you don't), you had better be prepared for emotional, and occasionally physical, abuse.

I only know of one of their churches in Adelaide, but it still shocks me to see people coming to them, willing to put up with everything that they dish out. The people that I met from the church (which was a lot, considering how immersed my ex's family was in the church, and how desperately they wanted me to join) put on this facade that made them seem like the nicest people in the world, right up until they started telling you that you and your family were living in sin, and the only way for you to be truly happy was to cut off contact with them.

I would advise anyone that wants to have anything to do with these people to stay away from them. Individually they are nice as pie, but once you get them in a group, or refuse to be a part of their church, it changes pretty quickly.

PS. It was about 15 years ago that I met the folk from the Everton Revival Centre.

==statistics about the fellowship==
>
> A very thoroughgoing and separated churchlike [[pentecostal]] assembly
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20d/sd0049au.pdf]
> but also a comparatively small group which is lead by the self-appointed
> Pastor ans so called "Overseer" [[Scott Williams]] from bases in [[Coffs
> Harbour]] in [[New South Wales]] (Australia) and [[Scotland]]. According to
> their website [http://www.cai.org] groups in 18 countries. They claim to be
> between 500 and 600 members (excluding smaller children). It has been
> reported by many leavers of the cult that in the late 2006 the number of
> people dropped to approx. 250 persons (including children) due to
> allegations of already admitted sexual frailties and alleged financial
> inconsistency by A. Scott Williams.
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/categories.cfm?id=443300&CategoryID=411152]
>
> The group has not really grown since 1986. Although there have always been
> new members, the number of people leaving has cancelled out any growth.
> There are no official list and numbers of people so this is an approximation
> agreeing of former members of the group.
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/categories.cfm?id=443300&CategoryID=411152]
>
> ==History & Facts==
>
> The first name of this group was "Pfingsten Erweckungs Bewegung"
> [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Religion___Beliefs/Christianity/Denominations_and_Sects/Pentecostal?st=200]
>
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=443300&CategoryID=411152&ThreadID=2726739]
> which is German for Pentecostal Revival Centres. The group started in
> [[Feldafing]] (Bavaria, Germany) in the "Fernmeldeschule" of the military
> ("military communication technology academy") where Williams worked as an
> assistant at the swimming pool in 1980. He spread his interpretation of the
> Bible throughout the military base. Some people "got saved" into this
> fellowship. They came from various areas of Germany. This was the beginning
> of the so called "cell group system" (House groups) which were implemented
> by Williams throughout Germany. At an early stage the group was renamed
> [[Revival Centres International]], due to an affiliation with an Australian
> Church of the same name. This affiliation was disbanded in 1991 due to
> Williams fearing a takeover of his work and being unable to accept any kind
> of criticism or advice from the pastors of the Australian group as they had
> reported that time. The name Christian Assemblies International and / or
> Christian Assemblies Europe was then chosen.
>
> Only in 1993 a young German Military Police officer called Michael Krause
> joined the group. He quickly became one of the central leadership after
> spending a time in one night with Williams at the group´s annual summer
> retreat. The members were told that Krause had been taken up into heaven and
> since then he was continually referred to as being a cut above the rest.
> Williams often stated that Krause had given him what no other man had been
> unable to give him until then. Krause was put on a pedestal, granted full
> power over all members. He moved to Australia with Williams. Michale Krause
> receiving a church salary and he is also the highest paid seller for
> Mannatech
> [http://www.mannapages.com/sharethegift/MPConfirmUserAccount.asp?T=1].
>
>
> Some claim Michael Krause has been adopted by A. Scott Williams; in any case
> he is now called Michael Williams. - Since the mass exodus of of even
> highest members in 2006 he is officially leader of the church when Williams
> had to step back (his own words) due to allegations of sexual frailties.
>
> From: Donald MacDonald
>
>
> To: All Officers
>
>
> Cc: All KG-RG ; All Secretaries
>
>
> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 2:14 PM
>
> Subject: Message on stepping back
>
>
>
> To All Officers,
>
> This message is to be read out to all Assemblies
>
> After intensive talks with Pastor Scott and listening to his concerns of
> late, we the counsellors are writing to inform you all that officially the
> overseer has decided to fully withdraw as General Overseer, hereby handing
> over full responsibility and the oversight to Pastor Michy, and to his
> advisors the senior officers.
>
> As the recent events have taken their toll more and more on his health,
> Scott has stated that he will fully step back.
>
> It should also be noted that Scott has taken into account the fears of some
> - that he has not withdrawn himself enough from the Lord's work after his
> initial confession. In order to ease those concerns therefore, wisdom
> requires that he withdraws as General Overseer. However, let it be known
> that as the scripture says:
>
> "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure
> ye mete, it shall be measured to you again". MATT 7:2 (See also MK 4:24 and
> LK 6:38)
>
> While the counsellors are aware that Scott is doing this out of wanting the
> best for the assembly and fully respect this, they cannot find any
> scriptural evidence to support this move. The counsellors therefore hope and
> pray that Scott will be restored in the Lord's work, as we have seen with
> many others in the past.
>
> Love in Christ
>
> The Counsellors
>
>
> Scott Williams has admitted to engaging in "partial homosexuality"
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20c/sc0085au.htm]
> because he said he was in a very stressful situation. He also claims to have
> reconciled himself with the few victims. However, the number of members who
> have since vividly described their sexual encounters with Williams leads one
> to believe different
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/categories.cfm?id=443300&CategoryID=411152].
>
> In January 2007 Scott Williams anounced he was reinstating himself as leader
> of the group.
>
> ==Special Doctrines==
>
> The Christian Assemblies International and Christian Assemblies Europe teach
> that '[[speaking in tongues]]' and "full under water baptism" is necessary
> for salvation (imperative), and deny salvation by [[faith alone]]
> [http://www.cai.org/en/sresources/holyspirit.htm]
>
> The cult is based on strong teachings and the members can overwhelm "new
> ones" (as visitors to the group are referred to) with their apparent
> knowledge of the Bible. Many insider claim that this unfortunately only
> applies to their own doctrines and any scriptures they can find to back them
> up. They claim as well that they are experts at manipulating the Bible to
> make it say what they want it to but that they lack any "real knowledge" or
> understanding of it. They avoid the bits that don't fit in with their
> doctrine
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=443300&CategoryID=411152&startcat=1&ThreadID=2752450].
>
> They hold to the [[British-Israel]] doctrine
> [http://www.cai.org/en/beliefs/beliefs.htm].
>
> Bible numerics
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/leaflets/mathematics.htm],
> [[pyramidology]], and [[King James Only]] theology are also taught.
>
>
> The assembly believes in the "The Father's Blessing" (introduced already in
> 1990). Such practices which has been made public through [[Kathryn Kuhlman]]
> and the so called evangelist [[Benny Hinn]] and through the former
> "[[Vineyard Christian Fellowship]]" in Toronto the "[[Toronto Airport
> Christian Fellowship]]" where the phenomena got its modern name "[[Toronto
> blessing]]"
> [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~emcd/index31.htm].
>
>
> Also Scott Williams introduced the occult "visualisation techniques"
> [http://nm.essortment.com/creativevisuali_rjie.htm] into
> his fellowship.
>
> They also believe in the very often criticised teaching of the "inner man"
> ([[E. W. Kenyon]]) and partly in the "[[word of faith]]" doctrine of the
> metaphysician E. W. Kenyon and later by [[Kenneth Hagin]] as well as
> [[Kenneth Copeland]] and made more popular through the books and teachings
> of [[David Yonggi Cho]]
> [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~emcd/index31.htm].
>
> ==Social Life & Family==
>
> "Let the dead bury their dead" (from Luke 9:60) is the central teaching
> towards unbelievers including family members. The result could also be a
> very cold behaviour by the members towards their own families and this has
> sometimes led to irreparable breaches. The assembly and the obedience
> towards the leadership of the cult is always more important then the
> stability of family life.
>
>
> Male members are highly motivated to build friendships with other men within
> the assembly. These friendships are sealed by offical prayer sessions (as
> are engagements between men and women) and the men are expected to kiss each
> other on the mouth. They are also advised to sleep naked with one another in
> the same bed while the wife sleeps on the sofa. They arrange "massage
> evenings" where men are more or less naked and "serving" each other with
> massages. They compare this practise with the biblical "foot washing".
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20c/sc0085au.htm]
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20a/sa2002au.htm]
>
> The role of wives is to follow and to obey their husbands as long as the
> "family heads" are following the doctrine of the fellowship.
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20b/sb0041au.htm]
>
> Children are also expected to obey without question and the fundamentalist
> doctrine of the Pearls [http://www.nogreaterjoy.org] is adhered to. Young
> boys are to be preserved for Williams and it is a great honour for them to
> be selected to go and work on his estate in Australia.
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20b/sb0006au.htm]
> [http://www.cai.org/en/themesheets/category%20b/sb0007au.htm]
>
>
> Marriages is only allowed for members with members (exemption theoretical
> possible only) and have to go through a period of a "blessed friendship" and
> engangement. The officers of the assembly has to give "green light" for all
> the plans step by step of the couple if no "green light" given then they are
> not allowed to have friendship same for engagement or to marry.
> [http://www.cai.org/en/sresources/family.htm]
>
> In the Anti-Cult Forum (see below link) of ex members it is often claimed
> that the Leadership controls their members through a mixture of psychologic
> pressure and Bible verses and the members are often ordered to talk about
> the most intimate things (e. g. about their sex life)!
>
>
>
> ==External links==
>
> ----
>
> Anti-Cult Forum:
> [http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=443300&NoCaches=Yes]
> Anti-Cult informations:
> (http://www.pleaseconsider.info)
> Official cult website
> (http://www.cai.org)
>
> ----
>
>
> == Categories: ==
>
> [[Cults]]| [[Christian fundamentalism]]
>
> ----