Is Praise Chapel a cult? Gee, I don't know...

I do know this: ANY church, movement or group whose pastor teaches anything other than leading people to Jesus is a potential cult. A cult can be readilly identified by control. If that pastor/church doesn't lead people to Jesus and allow Him to control people, that pastor/church is a cult. Jesus never intended for His followers/disciples/apostles/saints/members of His Church ie the Body of Christ to be in submission to a man. He ALONE is the mediator between God and man - NOT the Pope in Rome and not the Pope in Prescott or anyone who busted loose from CFM and joined up with Praise Chapel - nor any other man! The Bible is clear on these matters. We are to submit ourselves to God and to turn our lives over to His son Jesus, who in turn has sent His Spirit into the world. We are to submit to His word and His Holy Spirit. That is the formula for living an acceptable Christian life NOT a bunch of man-made rules based on The Law ie: the 10 Commandements given to Moses which Jesus nailed to His cross at Calvary. The law killeth but the Spirit giveth life as the word says.

To go back and yank bits and pieces of the old Law and then mix them with denominational spin and spiel can only mean one thing: Control. This is the BIG earmark of the cult. They hold half-truths yanked out of context and dispensation and support them with dramatic appeals and threats to hold people in fear. The old saying, "get your bluff in early" comes to mind. Instead of being a servant of God and giving the word of truth freely they preach half-truths based on lies and call it God's word and call themselves holy men and call their church the mightiest move of God in the earth today and other such garbage statements when the real truth is all they are is purveyors of half-truths (lies!) and dispensors of opinions which have ulterior motive based on the agenda of controlling people in 'God's house' ie their church - NOT God's Church. You can't mix Grace and Law and preach the truth! The ONLY reason they preach a mix of half-truths is to NOT tell the truth! Why? Control!

What do they wish to control? You name it! Their control factor is NOT about taking a man or woman and leading them to Jesus and allowing God to be God, letting them to be who they are in Christ and letting God's word be their guide via the Holy Spirit. They refuse to let the Holy Spirit be who He is in the lives of God's people! The cults play God! They play 'holy spirit' when in fact what they actually do is quench the Spirit and in turn they teach their 'followers' to quench Him as well.

It boils down to 'Who's your Daddy?" - "Whose disciple are you?" "Who are you following?" If the answer to any of these is a man, you are in a CULT!

Cult leaders like to Control because it affords them a loyal following, lots of money from people who will give all their time, strength, and all their resources to appease the 'god' the cult leader portays to them day after day, night after night. The cult tells them they are special then demands that they separate themselves from anyone and everyone outside the cult walls. The cult tells them they are blessed and then demands that person give God all of their time and money and strength to 'god's church' because afterall if God gives a blessing he demands in return that blessed person to 'pay' and 'pay' and 'pay'... of course the money goes to 'god's church' which is really the pastors coffers.

And on and on it goes... if you are in a church like this, then it's a cult!

In cults like Praise Chapel, there are signs, but you may not always see them. That is why this website is particularly helpful, and in many ways. The more one reads and studies about cult, their methods, the attitudes and patterns that they follow, the more evident it becomes.

[i:121e53d54c]“It boils down to 'Who's your Daddy?" - "Whose disciple are you?" "Who are you following?" If the answer to any of these is a man, you are in a CULT!”[/i:121e53d54c]

Interesting that you’d mention that. The PC I was in leaves no doubt it is a cult, and as far as I’m concerned, there’s been enough shown on this thread to remove any doubt about the rest of the PC churches. When I finally decided I’d had enough is when the senior pastor began insisting that congregants refer to him as their, “Spiritual Father” (AKA “Daddy”) When I began seeing several church goers start mindlessly doing this, then I knew it was time to get out. I heard of things like this before, then shortly thereafter I saw something downright chilling on a documentary about Jim Jones and the People’s Temple cult. He also insisted his “disciples” refer to him as “Dad” or Daddy.

I brought this to the attention of the assistant pastor, and told him that in the bible it says that you shall to refer to no man as your father. At first he acted like I was crazy, then he just blew it off.

Praise Chapel.. they use Jesus to get you in the door, then shortly thereafter [i:121e53d54c]THEY[/i:121e53d54c] take over.

Here’s an interesting link I found:

[www.songpoemmusic.com]

If Praise Chapel indeed does this universaly within their denomination, that is [i:940f35b8d1]every[/i:940f35b8d1] Praise Chapel church, one thing is sure: They learned it from Mitchell's CFM Cult!

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" ~ George Orwell

Frank Sumatra

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Hawk
In cults like Praise Chapel, there are signs, but you may not always see them...

[b:940f35b8d1]Praise Chapel.. they use Jesus to get you in the door, then shortly thereafter [i:940f35b8d1]THEY[/i:940f35b8d1] take over.[/b:940f35b8d1]

Here’s an interesting link I found:

[www.songpoemmusic.com]

Amen to that Frank. They seem to be pretty consistent as far as I can tell, because it's the same themes and attitudes keep cropping up, regardless of which Praise Chapel it is. As you already know, Neville who started Praise Chapel was longtime Pals with Mitchell. Although they had a parting of the ways, it sure seems that a great deal of Mitchell's ideas and methods were just carried over to PC, hence the similarities. I'd also say that while Mitchell's outfits will openly deny the obvious that they happen to be cult, they don't seem to do a lot with regard to covering that up. PC on the other hand, does everything they can to avoid that reputation, and will go to great lengths to conceal it. Although they try their best to distance themselves from Mitchell and Potter's House, they really can't... because pretty much they're both the same.

As I have said before though, I do know of at least one Praise Chapel in AZ that is pastored by a guy who was in CFM waaay back and his assistant pastor who was also CFM waay back, and they do not continue in the CFM cult like teachings (headship, works oriented basis of salvation, emphasis on tithes etc) nor do they have the other Praise Chapel distinctions that you are familiar with. This guy and his assistant seem to be renegades in the organization - which is a far cry from what they were under Mitchell - they were true blue company men, loyal to him... that is until they split. I know they both left him for the right reasons and they do not mirror his cult extremes in their ministry. Or they hide who and what they are, which is not likely to happen if they were doing the cult thing they'd put it right out front. I know for a fact these guys have criticized people like Ron Jones and Houghton and others etc for starting their own 'fellowship' type churches with all of Mitchell's distinctives sans his control.

In any event, my advice is: caveat emptor!

Well Hawk, there were several pastors that I met claiming to have the gift of prophecy. There were even two or three guests that claimed to be Prophets themselves. Whom ordained them as Prophets, I don't know?

The Bible says that the test of a prophet is if this person is 100% on in all prophecy. The times that pastors or prophets would try and prophesy that would mostly be wrong. Pastors "prophesied" over people with the earlier acquired knowledge that they had gained from the church leaders in their leaders meetings. This is very wrong and deceitful. If this were to get out to the members of praise chapel, members are so manipulated and deceived that they may not believe it.

Hawk, I hope this answers your question.

Hawk,

I spoke at length this past weekend with a long time friend who was a pastor in Mitchell's CFM Cult who left them in the wake of the 1990 Exodus led by Ron Jones, who pastored independantly afterwards with a majority nucleas of members who didn't split and go back to a Potters House. He has a number of friends who were CFM pastors and in fact was very close to committing to an associate position at a Praise Chapel.

I posed the question to him about the obvious disimilarity from one Praise Chapel to another and he agreed that this is indeed the case. He assured me that the pastors I have mentioned here on this board anonymously indeed do not minister with the distinctions that you mentioned in your posts here relaying your own personal experiences at the Praise Chapel's you were part of or visited. He told me that my observations were indeed correct concerning these pastors I know who are nowhere near Praise Chapel headquarters in L.A. are indeed preaching a more balanced message of love instead of works and control and are nothing like the former Mitchellism they hammered in their puplits for years and years. The reason for this he explained was that the churches in the L.A. area have a LOT of people who have come in to the church having been involved with gangs, drugs, street crimes of violent nature and ex-cons who have served time in prison.

It's not so much that there is a separate Gospel for them than the one that is preached to churches that are made up of mostly everyday families who have regular jobs, go to school and live in a tract home in a normal neighborhood etc. The point is that these people who get saved off the streets out of gangs and all the other stuff really need the added discipline for them to survive as Christians and more imprtantly that discipline is instilled in them in order for them to take that same message out on the streets in the inner cities and in the jails and prisons so they can preach to the lost in those conditions.

I know it might sound weird, but I understand it in a way, because they aren't teaching Mitchellism per se - ALL of the Neville's rejected that stuff 16 years ago! The thing is, the Gospel cloaked in a backwards shirt and collar appeals to some and they keep their faith alive under those conditions, while others respond more to the surfer shorts laid back look of say Calvary Chapel, yet the street folks may or may not respond to either of those 'packagings' but the 'David Wilkerson method' which is pretty much what Praise Chapel is doing as far as the inner city converts who come off the streets, gangs, drugs and jail etc seems to work very well for them. If it works for them, Praise God. If someone can't deal with that style of message or ministry they need to move on, which as you say you have done and you are happy. That works!

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Hawk
Amen to that Frank. They seem to be pretty consistent as far as I can tell, because it's the same themes and attitudes keep cropping up, regardless of which Praise Chapel it is. As you already know, Neville who started Praise Chapel was longtime Pals with Mitchell. Although they had a parting of the ways, it sure seems that a great deal of Mitchell's ideas and methods were just carried over to PC, hence the similarities. I'd also say that while Mitchell's outfits will openly deny the obvious that they happen to be cult, they don't seem to do a lot with regard to covering that up. PC on the other hand, does everything they can to avoid that reputation, and will go to great lengths to conceal it. Although they try their best to distance themselves from Mitchell and Potter's House, they really can't... because pretty much they're both the same.

Hawk:

I just wanted to stop in and let you know i understand your anger and pain from your experience in PC. Its funny how the members come in here trying to defend spiitual abuse and how one poster told you to 'get over it, or let it go." BAH! Like that is easy! I too, have just exited a spiritually abusive cult in august. The damage to me is unbeliveable! I cant read the bible, i trust NO spritual authority, Im so mixed up on who God is, its a nightmare. From all ive read about PC, seems like its a cult and thats that! But you know brain-washed members will defend it, because theyre---well---washed!

It sickens me to the core that people control others in the name of Jesus! Ive been thru alot in my life but the cult was the most damaging thing ive ever experienced! I pray for you and your healing and mayGod be close to you and yours, expose these imbeciles and justice be served.

Take care!

Have Praise Chapel moved on from the Potters House ways? Here is one pertinant question I would like to ask.

Does Praise Chapel still hold to the shepherding doctrine?

The Shepherding doctrine also known as spiritual covering, headship ect has caused great damage and brought complaints whereever it has been endorsed and enforced. This is because of the erroneous belief that God has appointed a 'covering, headship or shepherd' to be over every saint. That person covers or spiritually protects them. This gives them a great degree of illigitimate authority over that person in the name of God and so gives them a degree of licence to abuse that person while the victim feels they have no moral right to break away from the abuser because they were placed above them by God himself.

If a Praise Chapel church taught this doctrine then I simply would not go there. End of story. It is more than a wrong doctrine. It is a licence for abuse. It is the same founding principle upon which the Potters House was built. We can talk all we want about financial accountability and holding leadership to account but any attempt to do this in a shepherding movement will be little more than window dressing because they will not undermione the fundamental principle of the shepherding doctrine upon which for many their very salvation hinges.

Does this sound over the top? After I parted company with the Potters House I endured great mental anguish until I grasped the fact that I didn't need to be under an AUTHORITY and didn't need to be going to a CHURCH to be SAVED. Shepherding groups may deny they teach these things yet those who leave go through a lot of anxiety over these things.

Wayman Mitchelkll himself denied that you couldn't leave the Potters House and be right with God but said in all his years he'd never come a cross a single case of a person who WAS right with God. You see how tricky these people are. Mitchell knows full well that attendance of a Potters House church as essential to right standing with God is untenable as a doctrine but he finds a way round it. That's hypocrisy and that says all you need to know about the shepherding movement.

It's the same abusive doctrine holding your salvation hostage. Some are just more overt about it than others. If you are in a church that teaches this then the best thing you can do is just leave and not go back. God won't strike you down. You won't backslide, you won't go mad. The only thing that will happen is that you will be free of abusive religion that attempts to put a man between you and God.

Here is a link to a site by author Adam Harbinson. I've just finished reading his book entitled 'Savage Shepherds@ where he shares his own experiences witha shepherding church in Northern Ireland. Do take the chance to check out the video of Harbinson on the web site. If you 've been involved in a group such as this you will likely relate to what he is saying. I think it's well worth a look.

[www.savageshepherds.co.uk]

God bless you...naboth675

Naboth, I agree the shepherding/headship doctrine is out to lunch and I would not go to any church that teaches it Praise Chapel or otherwise. It is indeed as you say a license for abuse and that qualifies it for a CULT! The two PC churches I have refered to on this thread many times do not teach this headship head trip nor do they practice the other abuses that other PC churches evidently engage in which were part and parcel of the pastors earliest beginnings in ministry while active in Wayman Mitchell's CFM CULT. These two pastors and one assistant pastor have moved on and are not involved in those teachings or practices. Recently one of the pastors pulled his church out of PC and has joined up with a Assembly of God TYPE denomination which is smaller and from what I hear his church is doing great. The other two ex-CFM pastors are in AZ in a pretty big church and the atmosphere is about 180 degrees from CFM or PC. As a matter of fact the church is very similar to a Word of Faith type fellowship without the extreme 'blab it and grab' and errant so called 'prosperity gospel' and the atmosphere is closer to a Calvary Chapel in the casual dress and open friendlieness not found in CFM and most PC's. These are all ex-pastors who used to dress to the nines and insisted that everyone in the pews dress accordingly where all these little 'door director wannabes ran around trying to out-do the other giving the pastor a snappy salute and the usual k!$$@$$ stuff we have all seen in CFM. That aint happening with them anymore. Most of the parishiners call the pastors by their FIRST name instead of "Pastor (Last Name spoken in stained glass tones) So-and-So" The message has flipped from all the extreme performance doctrine focused on exterior to the work of the inner man as evidenced by the LOVE you show your neighbor and your brother. The congregants are encouraged to mingle with whomever because they teach it is imperiative to share the light with the lost - something that cannot be done under a bushel, which in effect is the past practice of segregation of all members from everyone except the others in their church.

I don't know how to put this any plainer except to say Not All Praise Chapel Churches are alike! Some do not practice the old Chip off the Old Mitchell rip off of the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement/headship-headtrip garbage and then it is apparent that some in fact do.

Perhaps those that do not will be a light for the others to follow. It is certainly eveident that one pastor in AZ can preach every Sunday without hammering everyone for the tithe the way he once did and just preach the word and pass the bucket and watch the people respond out of love rather than duty and in fact just trust God for the HUGE church that he has been given which was not built in the ways of Mitchell.

The bottom line is this: If ANY church is teaching or practicing abuse it is high time to move on. Nobody should take that crap from ANY church or pastor. We are NOT called to be doormats and God is NOT pleased with ANYONE who abuses others in His name!