Yes Dr. Brown. God Himself knows and this should no be a source of comfort for you. Feeling sad for the wolf who tore apart the lives of so many sheep should not result in sympathy for the wolf. The youth feel disillusioned because of responses like this. It is because they see people like Dr. Brown or Steven Strang trying to bury this, smear the victims, disparage the advocates and cover everything up. They have a father in heaven. They do not need you to play daddy or mommy for them. They need honesty and transparency. They deserve the truth that while you may have intended what was best, clearly you all missed the mark when it came to Bickle and his false 24-7 prayer heresy. It is because you refuse to do this however, which will lead to losing this generation. You must understand Dr. Brown that the days of anecdotal Christianity ended with the advent of television and recording devices. In the 50's you were able to spin yarns about revival and miraculous miracles but nowadays there are receipts all over the Internet. So, while you regale the youth with tales of how holy Brownsville was, they can Google it and se that it was utterly demonic. They can You Tube Toronto and see the utter stupidity of so-called holy laughter. They can see Mike Bickle falsely prophesying. Through all of this what do they hear from you? Oh, it was just about a lack of formal structures and spiritual elitism. You are not merely a part of the problem. You are the problem. Mike Bickle can only do what he did, for forty years, because people enabled it. For the love of God Almighty, stop enabling it.
"We, like you, are jealous for the name of Jesus and the kingdom of God, jealous for the health of the Church, jealous for righteousness and justice along with mercy and compassion, jealous to see the Spirit poured out mightily worldwide.
We, like you, have spent hours on our faces, weeping for the lost, crying out for revival, interceding for the purposes of God.
We can also say to you - to Millennial and Gen Z believers (and now, to Gen Alpha believers too) - that we carry you in our hearts. In the words of Paul, "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20) Where we have failed to provide clear voices during this crisis or have let you down in any way, please forgive us. And know that we are committed to you for life." - The Bicklegate Eight
Forgiveness has to be predicated on repentance. I do not mean repentance from a lack of structure either. You see Dr. Brown, these are mere words, spoken by someone who still works for a man who says the advocates are organizing a coup and the victims are tools of Satan. You do realize they can see you on Strang's podcast refusing to call him out for his vile and disgusting positions. You need to read your bible more Dr. Brown. There is no promised revival. There is only a promised apostasy, and you are leading its way. If I may dare to speak for the flock, I would venture they would say stop committing yourself to us and start committing yourself to God and His word. The issue is not just the misleading and deceptive representation during this crisis but that it persists even now. Stop asking for the clown car. Stop issuing silly statements about how much you weep. Stop trying to split the bill. Advocate for a truly independent investigation and step down from Charisma News for the harm they have wrought throughout Bicklegate. Then maybe you can be taken seriously.
"Having said this, we decry the exalting of people and personalities. There are no superstars in the Body, only servants. And no matter how much fame or public influence any of us may have, we are all utter wretches outside of God's transforming grace and there is not a single thing we can do of eternal value that has not been birthed and empowered by the Spirit. Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing and we are nothing (John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9). It is one thing to give honor and respect to spiritual leaders who walk worthy of God's high calling. It is another thing to turn servants into celebrities and to look to them as if they were in a different category from the rest of the Body. This is not only dangerous, but it is another form of spiritual idolatry." - The Bicklegate Eight
C'mon. all Charismania does is create cult of personality preachers. We all saw the quote from Storms above, extolling Mike Bickle himself as the humblest, biblically orthodox, Christ-exalting persons he knows. In that same segment just last year, Dr. Brown called Bickle a fine man and said anyone calling him false would be out of line. Dr. Brown is right that this is nothing more than spiritual idolatry, but he just cannot see how he is guilty of what he is condemning. You don't believe in exalting people? Your buddy Mattera heads an international organization of people who call themselves apostles! You are on their board! Please, just stop embarrassing yourself and the cause of Christ!
"At the same time, we encourage you to guard against cynicism or skepticism. Even though in the coming days there will be further public exposure as God cleanses His church, scandals like this current one are not the norm. Ministry leaders engaging in the manipulative sexual abuse of those under their care are the rare exception to the rule. Most pastors and leaders are neither famous nor rich, let alone sexual predators, laboring quietly behind the scenes and doing their best to serve their flocks. As they prove worthy of honor and respect, they can earn your trust. We know of denominations and apostolic streams that have good government and have had no major leadership scandals. Most importantly and above all, be assured that the Lord is utterly and completely faithful, trustworthy beyond imagination, and an ever-present help in times of trouble. We urge you not to let anyone or anything steal your crown (see Revelation 3:11) or rob your faith, remembering that Jesus never failed any of us. It is not in His nature to do so! Take refuge in Him, pour out your hearts to Him, and lean on Him with all your being. He will see you through." - The Bicklegate Eight
