A WARNING: THE DANGERS OF DOMINIONISM.. CONVERGENCE21 LEICESTER

Below is a post written by Rob Thomas (watchman4wales) in 2020 which gives some good insights into the aberrant teachings of Dominionism. {1} To those who plan to attend CONVERGENCE21 at Holy Trinity Church in Leicester between 18-20 November~ beware of so called modern "prophets and apostles". {2}

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1John 4:1).

BRITISH ISLES COUNCIL OF PROPHETS: THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION MARCHES FORWARD IN THE UK AND IRELAND!

"Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name:

I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them:

they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, 

and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."

(Jeremiah 14:14)

INTRODUCTION

As in Jeremiah's day, so in ours also. Then, the people were going into captivity in physical Babylon; now, the people are going into captivity in Mystery Babylon (Rev. 17:5), the antichrist final religious system of the Last Days. And at the very forefront of the great apostasy causing this bondage is the global Apostolic/Prophetic movement, a core tenet of which is the taking over and running of all aspects of human activity on the planet - all prior to the Lord's return - which is frequently referred to as 'The Seven Mountain Mandate.' (The mountains being: Business, Government, Family, Religion, Media, Education and Entertainment).

An overview and summing up of these self-appointed Apostles and Prophets and their supposed God-given Mandate, which this article essentially follows on from and fleshes out, formed last month's piece; please see:
https://watchman4wales.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-new-apostolic-reformation-and-seven.html



A BRIEF HISTORY OF "CHRISTIAN DOMINIONISM"

Christian Dominionism/'Kingdom Now' theology is a major and most grievous heresy that came to the fore in the 'Latter Rain Revival' in Canada in 1948, the year that most significantly also saw the re-birth of the State of Israel. 'Latter Rain' adherents pioneered the concept of God restoring the Offices of Apostle and Prophet to the Church and the triumphalist worldview that the Church, having been perfected - with praise and worship ushering in the presence of God - would be victorious over the world and bring in the Kingdom of God on Earth. Jesus's proclamation that "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36) had no place in their utterly unBiblical theology and eschatology. A central plank of their rotten walkway was the teaching of 'The Manifest(ed) Sons of God,' the emergence of an elite corps of super-saints who would be sinless and immortal, becoming as Christ Himself! This great End-Time 'Joel's Army' would defeat the forces of darkness, wielding all the authority and power of the Lord Himself, whose return and reign would have to wait until all things had first been subjugated to THEM!

This aberrant worldview with no divide at all between the spiritual and the secular, receiving right and proper condemnation from a Church which back then could still largely demonstrate Biblical literacy, wisdom, discernment and an orthodox eschatology, went somewhat into hibernation. Never dead, unfortunately, it re-emerged with church growth guru C. Peter Wagner's hand on the helm, alongside John Wimber's 'Power Evangelism' movement - "doin' the stuff" as he called it - which found its particular expression and springboard in his Vineyard churches. From the 1980s, when Wagner and Wimber had joined forces to teach on "Signs and Wonders" at the Fuller Seminary, Dominionism and "Signs and Wonders" were to be pretty much inseparable bedfellows. Subjective experience was IN, objective (and sound!) Biblical doctrine was OUT, and testing the spirits was something akin to a jar of tastebud-troubling jam, to be put at the back of the highest shelf to gather ever thickening dust.

Wagner it was who coined the phrase New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) as an overarching appellation for the Apostolic/Prophetic movement which he would lead, which was to steadily and stealthily become what is probably the most powerful, the most deluded and the most dangerous sector in what passes for the Church in the USA today. And contemporary culture and spirituality dictates that what happens in America today, the rest of the world will be following suit tomorrow. The NAR epitomizes the great Falling Away from Truth which the Scriptures foretold would occur, and is right now happening before our very eyes. As the Word warns in no uncertain terms:

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,

and shall be turned unto fables."

(2 Timothy 4:4)

It should be noted, however, that although the USA was and is a world (mis)leader in the field of the supposed restoration of the Offices of Apostle and Prophet to the Church, as the highest tiers of a fully reactivated Fivefold Ministry, the UK also witnessed the birthing in the 1970s of its own counterpart of the emerging American NAR. Originally widely referred to simply as Restorationism, the various groups that constitute the Apostolic/Prophetic movement on this side of the Atlantic are now collectively known as The British New Church Movement, with an emphasis on the role of the Apostle in their strict pyramid structure of governance. (E.g. in a Welsh context, Keri Jones is the recognized covering "Apostle" of 'All Nations' in Cardiff, 'LifePoint Church' in Swansea and 'Nationchangers' in Merthyr Tydfil, which operate under the banner of 'Ministries Without Borders.')

The British New Church Movement has down the years had what amounts to an elitist, separatist mindset; their focus is on teaching, shepherding and following only their own; one might say that they see themselves as the Premiership, and other Christian churches are playing in a lesser league. But, as the American "big boys" gained ever greater ground globally, it was perhaps inevitable that folks of a similar Dominionist persuasion here in the UK would become increasingly attracted to and influenced by the American way of doing things. Whilst British New Church members continue, for the present at least, in their own way and style, outside of their ranks there has been a groundswell of Dominionist activity, seeing the emergence onto the scene of men and women who proclaim themselves and each other to be Prophets appointed and anointed by God. These are now determinedly organizing themselves along American NAR lines, formulating a power base from which to launch a major offensive here in the British Isles.

The turn of the millennium had witnessed an unprecedented consolidation and careful organization of Apostles and Prophets taking place, centred in the USA, with the creation in 1999 of two select bodies to massively further their aims. One was the International Coalition of Apostles, of which C. Peter Wagner was Presiding Apostle. (This group is now known as ICAL: the International Coalition of Prophetic Leaders). The other was ACPE, the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, chaired by Cindy Jacobs, of which Wagner was also unsurprisingly a key member. Structures were now in place to push the Dominionist agenda forward as never before, with their influence just two decades on now reaching across entire continents and even into the highest Office in the land, with Paula White being appointed to the White House staff as President Trump's Spiritual Adviser.


THE BRITISH ISLES COUNCIL OF PROPHETS 

What I wish to particularly draw attention to here, my friends, is that many previously largely independently-operating "Prophets" on this side of the Pond have now banded themselves together in a way that mimics the American NAR model. They have very recently established the 'British Isles Council of Prophets' in a collective effort to promote themselves and their supposed "prophecies" specifically here in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. So, whereas to date there has been a reliance on visiting, already well hyped and well connected "Prophets" to most powerfully further the NAR cause in these Islands, the mechanisms are now being put into place to market home-brewed Dominionist apostasy, and on an industrial scale!

Below is listed the full crew of the 'British Isles Council of Prophets' (henceforth referred to as BICP). These spiritual buccaneers - some three dozen names at the time of writing! - have all firmly nailed their colours to the mast of the NAR pirate ship:

Core Leaders:
Simon Braker                           Louise Reid                           Emma Stark
Rebecca King                           Adele Richards                     David Stark                     

Council members:
Tomi Arayomi                           Dylis Chi                               Moses Rankin
Helen Azer                                Jarrod Cooper                      Sam Robertson
Simon Baddeley                       Rachel Harris                       Marj Rossol
Sarah-Jane Biggart                  Claire Harrison                     Rose Sambrook
Mark Birch-Machin                   Barbara Jenkinson              Phil Sanderson
Rebecca Briggs                        Preethy Kurian                     Sue Sinclair
Melanie Brooks                        Christine Larkin                    Veronika West
Hellie Brunt                              Jennie Pitt                              Liz Wright
Rob Cates        

Advisory council:
Julie Anderson                         Revd. Canon John McGinley
Tim Eldridge                             Dr. Sharon Stone
Rachel Hickson

(Source: https://www.prophets.org.uk/council-members/ )

You'll note Sharon Stone's name above; we should not underestimate the relevance of her being on the BICP Advisory Council, as Dr. Stone is a member of the NAR's Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders and thus forms a bridge between them. I have previously been much moved to write about Sharon Stone and her fellow false prophets of ACPE; you'll find the account here:
https://watchman4wales.blogspot.com/2018/05/apostolic-prophet-to-nations-dr-sharon.html

It is not my intention here to go into detail about each of these 36 individuals, as this would make the article unnecessarily lengthy and off-putting to read. Friends, please research them yourselves, as the Spirit leads. Suffice to say that the NAR buzz-words and links are all there in abundance on the BICP bios and their individual sites: Apostolic/Prophetic Hubs/Centres, Prophetic Networks/Schools/Training/Summits/Conferences, Bethel Redding, Catch The Fire (Toronto Blessing), IHOP (Mike Bickle), Wagner Leadership Institute, Harvest International Ministries (Che Ahn), Apostolic and Prophetic anointing, 'Christian International' (Bill Hamon), pulling Heaven to Earth, spiritual mapping, dismantling demonic structures, apostolic fathers ("Call no man your father!" - Matt. 23:9), destiny, pioneering, igniting, releasing, living in the supernatural, dreams, prophetic art, equipping, impartation, transformation, Fivefold ministry, empowerment, activation, voice to the nations, reformation (of Church and society), new Kingdom paradigms, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera...

IMPORTANT. All these names are published here with the express warning that each of these individuals should be studiously avoided as being Bible-DISbelieving, Narrow Way bypass-builders. It should also go without saying that the churches they MISlead and the groups with which they are associated should similarly be given a very wide berth. If any are guest speakers invited to your own gathering, the leadership should be alerted as to what it is that they really stand for. If this should fall on deaf ears, do not under any circumstances support that meeting out of a misguided sense of loyalty. We are to follow the real Jesus and Him alone, not the different "Jesus" who these people represent.

It should be clearly understood that, true to type, this group do not in any way see themselves as operating apart from the other supposedly restored Fivefold Ministries, particularly Apostles; on their website you'll find the following significant statement:

"The BICP leadership will be proactive in relating to apostles and apostolic councils so that these foundational fivefold graces can better partner to build the church."

(Source: https://www.prophets.org.uk/2019/09/core-value-2-relationships-with-the-body-of-christ/ )

Note: Apostles and Prophets are at the top of the tree; the other three of the "fivefold ministries" (perched, it must be said, on much lower branches and very much subordinate to the higher echelons) are Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. NAR Apostles are thought of as having equal, if not greater authority than the actual N.T. Apostles, despite the fact that in order to be an Apostle in the first place and to accordingly have any Apostolic authority, then he must have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord.


"PROPHETIC RESPONSIBILITY" - THEIR WORDS, AND THE REALITY BEHIND THEM!

BICP pronounces as one of its core values that there are at least five prophetic responsibilities for a nation, which are as follows: 

1) To speak to the destiny of that nation - calling its heavenly future to be established.

Truth of the matter? A NATION does not have a heavenly future; only truly saved INDIVIDUALS have a heavenly future. 
"Take heed that no man deceive you!" (Matt. 24:4)

2) To raise up an army to pray, fight and engage - calling the people into place.

Truth of the matter? We are not called to raise up an army of any description, least of all a 'Joel's Army' of 'Latter Rain' infamy. "Calling the people into place" is actually the bringing of the people into subjugation to their supposed authority.
"Take heed that no man deceive you!" (Matt. 24:4)

3) To open the gates of a nation, that the reign of Jesus Christ may come in - welcoming what God wants now (explaining the present).

Truth of the matter? "The reign of Jesus Christ" actually means that THEY will rule as His anointed and appointed agents on Earth (as they imagine themselves to be). The gates will not be opened to the Lord, but rather for unclean spirits to enter and be welcomed. (As at Toronto, Brownsville, Lakeland, etc.)
"Take heed that no man deceive you!" (Matt. 24:4)

4) To identify and confront spiritual strongholds - setting the nation free of its past.

Truth of the matter? We are not called to confront anything that might be seen as a spiritual stronghold, not to wage spiritual warfare but to preach the Gospel. "Setting the nation free of its past" will include wrenching it away from any residual uncompromising Biblical Truth that it once held to be sacrosanct, in order for it to blindly and passively accept Dominionist overlordship.
"Take heed that no man deceive you!" (Matt.24:4)

5) To expose hidden demonic strategies - setting the nation free in its future.

Truth of the matter? This is so ironic, as BICP is itself a demonic strategy, hidden in plain sight! "Setting the nation free in its future" = conquering the Seven Mountains and planting their flag atop each one. Their concept of freedom is that no opposition to their rule - especially from Christians holding to the fundamental doctrine of Sola Scriptura - will be tolerated. In other words - well, just one word actually - totalitarianism!
"Take heed that no man deceive you!" (Matt. 24:4)

(Source: https://www.prophets.org.uk/2019/09/core-value-4-prophetic-responsibility/ )


THE FIRST "PROPHETIC WORD" ISSUED BY BICP

On 1 February 2020, BICP released their first joint "prophetic word." It is in essence a triumphalist Dominionist manifesto, shot through with deepest delusion which completely flies in the face of Biblical eschatology. It speaks to itching ears, and in itself epitomizes the great Falling Away from Truth which will actually characterize the Last Days, rather than the great and glorious End Time harvest that they promise, with miracles an everyday occurrence and the visitation of angels frequent. 

BICP's NAR worldview and agenda is evidenced and encapsulated in the statement that speaks of unlocking, redeeming and reviving the mountains of influence, but their lengthy "word" makes outrageous claims throughout, which of course readers are expected to accept unquestioningly as being from God because THEY, His appointed prophets, have declared it! Just one example is the assertion that three angels i.e. 'The Angel of Awakening' and 'The Angel of Harvest' and 'The Angel of Deliverance' have been sent into the Earth expressly for this "season of the wrestle and glory," a season when the Church has to start operating at "a higher level of the apostolic and the prophetic," with the restored Offices carrying "a higher level of anointing!" (Now, isn't that a surprise - BICP's "prophets" are to be even more favoured and blessed!) Need it be pointed out that none of these supposed angels is ever mentioned in the Bible, the closed Canon of Scripture? But then, extra-Biblical revelation is of course only to be expected of those with such "a higher level of anointing" that they can freely add to - and just as freely take away from - the Word of God... and be applauded for so doing!

Very interestingly, while Jesus (the real One that is, not the BICP's bogus one) told us to "take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself" (Matthew 6:34), these Scripture re-writing renegades are busily proclaiming what is to happen for the rest of the decade! And while the Word of God tells us that things in the world will get worse and worse and darker and darker, these profitless prophets with lying spirits in their mouths flatly contradict Him, and would have us believe that (under their influence and authority, naturally) things will get better and better and lighter and lighter. Theirs is, quite simply, a doctrine of devils. (1 Timothy 4:1).


CONCLUSION

It is today as it was in Micaiah's day, when the 400 prophets with a lying spirit in their mouths prophesied great victory against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead, while what actually happened was an unmitigated disaster, with - as Micaiah alone had correctly foretold - "all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd." (2 Chronicles 18:16). I'd very much encourage you to read the BICP's "word" for yourselves, and personally see how it runs completely against what the truly Holy Spirit-inspired prophets of the Bible had to declare about the close of the age, things that are for all time unchangeable:
https://www.prophets.org.uk/2020/02/prophetic-word-feb-2020

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:

because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

(1 John 4:1)

* * * * * * *

Some further reading that might help your understanding:

Latter Rain: https://www.gotquestions.org/latter-rain-movement.html

Manifest(ed) Sons Of God: https://reachouttrust.org/manifest-sons-of-god/

Joel's Army: https://www.gotquestions.org/Joels-Army.html

C. Peter Wagner: http://apprising.org/2011/10/09/c-peter-wagner-and-his-dominion-mandate/ 

John Wimber/PowerEvangelism: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/wimber.html  

British New Church Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_New_Church_Movement

Fivefold Ministries: https://www.gotquestions.org/five-fold-ministry.html

NAR, Seven Mountain Mandate, Dominionism; please see the links posted under:
https://watchman4wales.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-new-apostolic-reformation-and-seven.html

1. APOSTASY, ERROR & DECEPTION IN WALES - the watchman4wales blog.: BRITISH ISLES COUNCIL OF PROPHETS: THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION MARCHES FORWARD IN THE UK AND IRELAND!

2. CONVERGENCE21 Tickets, Thu 18 Nov 2021 at 19:00 | Eventbrite