The Real Revolution...and the Circus

Last week, I shared with you about a special gathering that would be taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was the initiative of former students of the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry (BRSM) and FIRE School of Ministry. Just a reminder to you of some ancient history—in 2000, there was a split at BRSM. It was probably the most stressful thing I’ve ever been through—other than the first months following October 7 in Israel. I was the only full-time faculty member who did not go with the split. That meant that I lost many friends and colleagues. In addition, many of the students who became part of the new school, FIRE, assumed that I was a bad actor, a traitor, disloyal, and an opportunist.

But in truth, it was a principled decision based on the fact that I do not believe in splits except in the most severe cases where a leader is living in gross immorality, teaching false doctrine, or confirmed abusive behavior. Splits often cause much more harm than good. And I know in Pensacola, the results were devastating, turning family members against each other in some cases.

So, when I was invited to be one of the speakers, I was more than a little bit nervous. And I never get nervous before public speaking. I just wasn’t sure how I would be received, even though it’s been 25 years. It turned out to be all for naught, as the reception we received from former faculty, students, staff, and members of the FIRE community was beyond warm. The vast majority of them are no longer part of that community, but some are, and one of their senior leaders spent the whole day with us. I was very blessed by his presence and that of his wife.

Despite the warm reception, it was a difficult day. Many hard questions were asked, and challenging subjects were breached, from spiritual abuse to sexual misconduct.

Many leaders around the world have an opinion about what happened at FIRE in 2001-02, when the president took advantage of two different women, but what they do not understand, this is not about just three people—but about a community that was promised a revolution that never came and is now dealing with the aftershocks from the revelation that the primary revolutionary—their example of what it meant to be a radical believer—had serious unknown compromise in his life that went undisclosed for 23 years.

This was no small movement. After the first two years in Pensacola, hundreds of them packed their bags and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2003. There, they continued the FIRE School and Church. As one of the former senior leaders has said, it had the appearance of team ministry, and in many ways it was, but in many ways it was not. The senior leader would regularly remind the team that he was the greatest among equals—to the point that it was uncomfortable.

“Looking back and knowing that [the senior leader] was committing what he called … adultery of the heart. And in the midst of that deeply violating an entire family, that's very serious for any leader. That's disqualifying; at the least [it would demand a] lengthy time of therapy and restoration. That's something that has to be seriously addressed and brought into the light of local church and local leadership.” (Watch Dr. Bob Gladstone interview here)

It is quite surreal for me to be involved with these people. I never dreamed that 25 years after the Brownsville split, I would be received into this community—broken and bruised as they are. Elana and I felt deeply honored. Many of the students were in their late teens or early 20s when they began their journey at either BRSM or FIRE. One of the reasons we know about this story is that the organizer, Kris Bennett, as a young man, witnessed the senior leader holding the hand of one of his assistants while they were on a ministry trip. The senior leader explained away the situation and even chided Bennett for bringing it to other leaders, but it was only later, as a married adult with children, that he realized how inappropriate it was.

Something I am hearing wherever I go from those who believe in the gifts of the Spirit, and the power of God, is that they no longer want to use the word Charismatic. It’s not that the word is bad—it is that there is such a circus going on out there that they don’t want to be identified with it. As many of you know, last week, the sister of Mike Bickle called for his restoration to preaching ministry, saying that she did not even want to hear the allegations against him. Reminder: 17 women came forward. None of that matters to her, only that he is the most integrous man she knows and no one should be ashamed to have him preach in their church—though he has not addressed 15 of the 17 allegations, two of whom are with minors! Someone told me yesterday that she and her husband refer to themselves as “evangelical non-cessationists.” A cessationist is someone who believes that the supernatural aspect of New Testament life ended with the apostles.

I finished my time of sharing at the gathering by saying that the actual revolution is what we’re seeing now. Those who have been abused are speaking out. Other believers are standing with them and demanding accountability. They are using their platforms to give voice to the voiceless. Meanwhile, the circus cries: Gossip! Slander! They’re terrified of losing their platforms of influence.

All the sessions were recorded, but not professionally. The entire event was put on with almost no budget. There were no offerings, and no one received any payment. We all came as equals. If you would like to see the sessions, they are on this YouTube channel.

New Book—When Shepherds Prey

I would appreciate your prayers as I am beginning to write a new book. In February 2024, quite spontaneously, I began to feel that the Lord was speaking to me over several days, saying that after I finished my degree (June 2025), I would be speaking into the issue of clergy sexual abuse. That was before we were invited to investigate IHOPKC and before the sad events regarding the senior leader mentioned above.

For many months now, I felt that I was collecting chapters for a book. I plan to start writing next week and ask for your prayers. Writing a book is an intimidating process. It’s like walking to the foot of a daunting mountain and choosing to climb it. Blogs are easy. But at the end of the day, a book is a collection of blogs (it helps me to think of it that way). I feel a sense of grace to write this, but I’m also a bit scared.

The book will be a little bit of testimony of what I have walked through over the past two years, but mainly addressing the plague of clergy sexual abuse—and it is a plague. We are now learning that leaders in the AOG learned about a leader in Canada, who was abusing young men in 2018, but did not address it until recently. When that happens, more people are abused. And sadly, many leaders downplay it. In a video just the other day, Rick Joyner, who claims to be an expert at restoring fallen ministers, said, “This happens with men. Get used to it.”

What sad commentary and poor example. Yes, it does happen, but it does not happen with most men. Most men do not cheat on their wives. Most pastors do not use their position of authority or prophetic prowess to manipulate women (or men) to be sexually abused. We should never get used to it. We have to stop normalizing immorality—that only encourages it. If we make it easy for someone to cheat on their wife, abuse someone in their congregation, and quickly return to the pulpit, we are almost incentivizing abusive behavior.

That’s why I’m writing this book. Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers.

Shabbat shalom