Behaving like a cult does not convince one of John Wimber's greatness ;)
Research Section (In Progress, More to Come):
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/john_wimber
More About Christian Identity and the NAR:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
John Wimber's influence on charismatic Christianity was vast, integrating spiritual gifts such as healing and prophecy with church growth strategies. His teachings emphasized the "naturally supernatural," advocating for the incorporation of spiritual gifts into everyday life without theatrical displays. As a co-founder of the Vineyard Movement, Wimber's workshops attracted thousands, focusing on practical applications of ministry. However, his legacy, while celebrated by some, is contentious. His role in shaping Kingdom Now theology and connections to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) have drawn criticism, particularly regarding the rewriting of his history by his followers and the influence of figures like C. Peter Wagner.
Wimber's association with questionable figures and movements such as William Branham, the Latter Rain, and later, the Kansas City Prophets, introduced problematic elements into charismatic Christianity. His promotion of these controversial figures, including Paul Cain, whose prophecies failed, tainted his legacy. Although he later distanced himself from certain aspects, critics argue that his earlier endorsements led to the continued rise of extremism in the NAR. The question remains whether his impact was ultimately beneficial or harmful to the faith.
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Wimber’s Influence on Charismatic Ministry
01:40 The Rise of Personality Cults and Historical Revisions
02:21 C. Peter Wagner and the Foundations of the NAR
02:46 Fuller Seminary's Ties to Christian Identity
03:16 Charles Fuller's Ties to William Branham
03:35 John Wimber's Work with C. Peter Wagner
05:03 William Branham's Kingdom Theology
06:02 Gordon Lindsay's Ties to Christian Identity and Branham
06:34 Christ for the Nations Ties to Branhamism and the NAR
07:05 Branham's Kingdom Mentorship by White Supremacy and Cults
07:47 Wagner and Wimber Recreating Branham's Kingdom Theology
08:20 John Wimber's Cult of Personality vs. Non-Members
08:59 John Wimber's Ties to Branham's Protege: Paul Cain
09:33 John Wimber's Ties to the Kansas City Prophets
10:00 John Wimber's Support of Fraudulent "Prophecies" and Prophets
10:17 John Wimber's Legacy
______________________
– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
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Research Section (In Progress, More to Come):
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/john_wimber
More About Christian Identity and the NAR:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735160962
John Wimber's influence on charismatic Christianity was vast, integrating spiritual gifts such as healing and prophecy with church growth strategies. His teachings emphasized the "naturally supernatural," advocating for the incorporation of spiritual gifts into everyday life without theatrical displays. As a co-founder of the Vineyard Movement, Wimber's workshops attracted thousands, focusing on practical applications of ministry. However, his legacy, while celebrated by some, is contentious. His role in shaping Kingdom Now theology and connections to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) have drawn criticism, particularly regarding the rewriting of his history by his followers and the influence of figures like C. Peter Wagner.
Wimber's association with questionable figures and movements such as William Branham, the Latter Rain, and later, the Kansas City Prophets, introduced problematic elements into charismatic Christianity. His promotion of these controversial figures, including Paul Cain, whose prophecies failed, tainted his legacy. Although he later distanced himself from certain aspects, critics argue that his earlier endorsements led to the continued rise of extremism in the NAR. The question remains whether his impact was ultimately beneficial or harmful to the faith.
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Wimber’s Influence on Charismatic Ministry
01:40 The Rise of Personality Cults and Historical Revisions
02:21 C. Peter Wagner and the Foundations of the NAR
02:46 Fuller Seminary's Ties to Christian Identity
03:16 Charles Fuller's Ties to William Branham
03:35 John Wimber's Work with C. Peter Wagner
05:03 William Branham's Kingdom Theology
06:02 Gordon Lindsay's Ties to Christian Identity and Branham
06:34 Christ for the Nations Ties to Branhamism and the NAR
07:05 Branham's Kingdom Mentorship by White Supremacy and Cults
07:47 Wagner and Wimber Recreating Branham's Kingdom Theology
08:20 John Wimber's Cult of Personality vs. Non-Members
08:59 John Wimber's Ties to Branham's Protege: Paul Cain
09:33 John Wimber's Ties to the Kansas City Prophets
10:00 John Wimber's Support of Fraudulent "Prophecies" and Prophets
10:17 John Wimber's Legacy
______________________
– Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/branham
– Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBSpezVG15TVG-lOYMRXuyQ
– Visit the website: https://william-branham.org
– Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBranhamOrg
– Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@william.m.branham
– Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wmbhr
– Buy the books: https://william-branham.org/site/books
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LearningTranscript
00:00John Wimber was instrumental in transforming the face of Christianity in the United States
00:20and abroad.
00:21He is respected by thousands for his influential role in integrating spiritual gifts with church
00:27growth and ministry practices.
00:30As a co-founder of the Vineyard Movement, Wimber promoted a naturally supernatural
00:35approach to charismatic ministry, emphasizing that spiritual gifts like healing and prophecy
00:40should be part of believers' everyday lives without dramatic displays.
00:46His teachings on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in evangelism and worship
00:51resonated with many Christians and contributed to the spread of charismatic renewal in mainstream
00:56denominations.
00:58One of Wimber's greatest achievements was making healing prayer and deliverance ministry
01:03more accessible within evangelical circles.
01:06He led workshops and conferences that attracted thousands, training people to pray for others
01:11in a simple, direct manner.
01:14His emphasis on doing the stuff of ministry—performing miracles, healing the sick, and sharing prophetic
01:19words—was powerful in reshaping Christianity's approach to spiritual gifts.
01:25Wimber brought a unique personality to the charismatic movement that many have tried
01:29to emulate.
01:30However, has Wimber's personality cult evolved into something more destructive?
01:36Are his most devoted followers attempting to conceal or rewrite his history?
01:41Christian leaders who project their personality onto a movement wield a double-edged sword.
01:46While members may strive to emulate a leader's good qualities, they often suppress or rewrite
01:51the bad.
01:53Instead of embracing history and learning from it, personality cults create mythologies
01:58that aren't historically accurate.
02:00In Wimber's case, his followers may be suppressing critical information to prevent scrutiny.
02:07To understand how John Wimber's legacy has been rewritten, we must examine one of the
02:11most contentious issues for his followers—Wimber's role in the development of Kingdom Now theology
02:17and, ultimately, the development of the New Apostolic Reformation.
02:23C. Peter Wagner is often considered the father, or architect, of the N.A.R.
02:29As a professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, many of the more extreme
02:34practices of the N.A.R. can be traced back to Wagner's influence.
02:39However, when Wagner coined the term New Apostolic Reformation, he described a movement that
02:44was already beginning to develop.
02:46Charles Fuller and Fuller Theological Seminary had deep ties to William Branham and the Latter
02:51Reign movement, as well as the more sinister Christian Identity movement from which the
02:56Latter Reign emerged.
02:59Fuller was a key figure in the anti-Semitic Defenders of the Christian Faith, led by Gerald
03:04Burton Winrod.
03:06Through this organization, Fuller was connected to many influential figures who would shape
03:11the revival landscape of the 1940s and 1950s.
03:15By the time William Branham rose to prominence during the healing revivals, Fuller was holding
03:21joint campaigns with Branham and other Latter Reign leaders.
03:25Though John Wimber later distanced himself from certain aspects of Fuller's apostolic
03:30teachings, he remained aligned with the key points that laid the groundwork for today's
03:35N.A.R.
03:37As an adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary, Wimber taught a course called Signs, Wonders,
03:42and Church Growth, which became one of the most popular classes at the institution.
03:47He collaborated closely with Wagner, especially on this course, and both men shared an interest
03:53in how supernatural phenomena like healing and prophecy could contribute to church expansion.
03:59While Wagner's later work became more focused on spiritual warfare and apostolic governance,
04:05diverging from Wimber's practical emphasis on charismatic ministry, together they established
04:10a framework that allowed Wagner and others to militarize Christians against invisible
04:15demons in the name of spiritual warfare.
04:19During the period when Wimber and Wagner were reshaping the focus of Christianity toward
04:24Signs, Wonders, and Church Growth, they effectively created a blueprint from which the N.A.R.
04:29could develop.
04:31Although it would be historically inaccurate to label either as the sole founder or architect
04:35of the N.A.R., Wimber and Wagner laid the foundation for transitioning Christianity
04:40from traditional worship to the more extreme elements that had evolved from the Latter
04:45Reign.
04:47By utilizing two key aspects of Branham's teachings—one concerning the kingdom within
04:53you, and the other based on Christ's words, greater works shall you do—Wagner and Wimber
04:58promoted a modified version of Latter Reign's kingdom theology.
05:04In the late 1940s and 1950s, William Branham and other key figures in the Latter Reign
05:09movement transformed apostolic denominations in the United States and abroad by adopting
05:15a new version of kingdom theology.
05:17While traditional Christianity believed the fulfillment of God's kingdom would occur
05:22at Christ's Second Coming, focusing on salvation, moral living, evangelism, and preaching the
05:29gospel, Branham divided the kingdom into two parts to support his claims of Signs and Wonders
05:34in the Revivals.
05:36According to Branham, part of the kingdom could be made manifest in believers during
05:40the Revivals, giving them legions and powers through the backing of the holy angels and
05:46the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
05:49The Latter Reign movement, by and large, adopted this view of the kingdom, believing that they,
05:54too, could achieve signs, wonders, and miracles in the present while looking forward to a
05:59heavenly kingdom to come.
06:02This view was carried forward into the charismatic movement through the work of Branham's campaign
06:07manager Gordon Lindsay.
06:09Like Fuller, Lindsay was a leading figure in Christian identity and spoke at events
06:14for identity groups such as the anti-Semitic Anglo-Saxon Federation.
06:19Lindsay was also connected to ranking members of Winrod's Defenders of the Christian Faith
06:24and was a leader in Amy Semple Macpherson's Four Square Church when Macpherson sided with
06:29Winrod over protests against anti-Semitism.
06:33After Branham's death, Lindsay transformed the Voice of Healing Deliverance Training
06:38School into Christ for the Nations, and countless charismatic ministries were either created
06:44or trained in the methods Branham used.
06:47By the time C. Peter Wagner took notice of the formation of apostolic networks and named
06:52them the New Apostolic Reformation, Branham's kingdom theology had already rewritten the
06:58DNA of the apostolic faith.
07:00Yet, as with Wagner, Wimber, and the New Apostolic Reformation, it would be historically inaccurate
07:06to claim that this theology was Branham's own invention.
07:11Branham was mentored by white supremacy leader Roy Davis, who worked with Klan leaders in
07:15the Supreme Kingdom, which taught a dominionist version of kingdom theology.
07:21Branham was also mentored by F.F. Bosworth, who was a member of multiple destructive cults
07:26that taught similar theologies, such as John Alexander Dowie's Christian Catholic Church
07:32and Charles Fox Parham's Apostolic Faith, created at his Bethel Bible School.
07:37It should come as no surprise that leaders of the N.A.R., such as Bethel Church in Reading,
07:42give undue reverence to each of these ministries.
07:45Wagner simply named the various movements that were beginning to network with each other,
07:50while Wimber attempted to reignite past flames by focusing once more on signs, wonders, miracles,
07:56revival, and church growth.
07:59Future leaders of the N.A.R. took advantage of Wimber's deviation from traditional Christianity,
08:04furthering Wimber's, and Branham's, version into the extremist Kingdom Now theology.
08:10This raises the question, if Wimber had not attempted to resurrect specific themes from
08:15latter reign, would Kingdom Now theology exist in its current form?
08:21While those within John Wimber's cult of personality who are sympathetic to his legacy
08:25view Wimber as a hero of the faith, outsiders hold a much different opinion.
08:31Non-members often see Wimber as an opportunist who rebranded the more financially profitable
08:36aspects of the latter reign movement as his own.
08:40Although it is clear that Wimber did not fully recreate the latter reign movement or adopt
08:45all of its theology, he did adopt the revival framework created by Branham, Lindsay, and
08:51others to develop a new movement, one that proved financially beneficial to many religious
08:56leaders past, present, and future.
09:00While converts argue that Wimber distanced himself from extremism, critics notice the
09:04strategy he used to further his church growth agenda, which included one of the most controversial
09:10figures in charismatic Christianity, William Branham's protege and latter reign evangelist,
09:16Paul Cain.
09:17When Wimber began to reshape Christianity to resemble the signs, wonders, and miracles
09:22of the latter reign movement, Paul Cain was the most logical choice.
09:27Cain had worked closely with Branham and often served as Branham's proxy for revivals that
09:32Branham could not attend.
09:34Wimber furthered that agenda by connecting with the so-called Kansas City Prophets, a
09:39controversial group of men attempting to recreate latter reign's Joel's army, and the extremism
09:45of the Manifest Sons of God.
09:48Wimber helped promote the group, bringing them into the spotlight of charismatic Christianity,
09:53seemingly selecting them to spearhead his attempt to shift the focus from the gospel
09:57to latter reign-style signs, wonders, and miracles.
10:02Even as their prophecies began to fail, exposing them as frauds, Wimber continued to support
10:06them.
10:08It wasn't until the charismatic movement became skeptical of the fraudulent claims
10:12and sexual misconduct of these so-called prophets that Wimber started to distance himself.
10:18Unfortunately, Wimber's opportunistic shift in views came far too late.
10:23His contribution to the NAR included some of the most problematic figures in Christian
10:28history.
10:29Each new victim who steps forward from the ministries he helped promote leaves another
10:33mark on Wimber's legacy.
10:36Each failed prophecy in the NAR, and every attempt to transform the failure into a new
10:41prophecy, represents a moral failure that can be attributed to Wimber's promotion of
10:46these individuals.
10:48In the end, Wimber did achieve his shared objective with Wagner towards signs, wonders,
10:53and church growth.
10:54But is it healthy growth?
10:56Will members of his cult of personality continue to erase or rewrite history?
11:01Has John Wimber's legacy become nothing more than a destructive cult?