by When I was watching videos from Justin Peters Ministries on YouTube over the past couple of days, I noticed something interesting. In the videos, Justin Peters exposes the leaders of the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movement in America – a movement, as we all know, which is designed to enrich its proponents financially. The usual YouTube adverts popped up, and I began to notice a pattern. They were all about money – how to get rich using Amazon, programs which, if you follow them, will sure to turn you into a millionaire in a month. The great irony was that the get-rich-quick schemes were being advertised on the videos of a softly-spoken theologian who opposes the money-worship of the prosperity gospel’s false prophets. However, I don’t suppose Google’s algorithms have a sense of the ironic – not yet, at least.
I was watching Mr Peters’ response to Dr Michael Brown, the radio host, author, apologist and proponent of the Charismatic Movement. Dr Brown had invited Justin Peters to debate whether or not the spiritual ‘sign gifts’ had ceased. Mr Peters declined, for reasons given in his video, which I’ve included at the end of this article and which is worth a watch. The main reason for declining the invitation was Dr Brown’s lack of discernment: he has called the arch-heretic Kenneth Copeland his ‘brother’ and said that Todd White has a heart for the Lord, and has posted a picture on social media together with Todd White. Personally, I find these facts to be deeply concerning and agree with Mr Peters’ assessment. This however, led me to ponder the connection between Dr Michael Brown and these men of the Word of Faith / Prosperity movement, and several thoughts which had be separate in my mind coalesced suddenly.
I have visited the Charisma News website on and off for about 10 years. After watching Justin Peters’ video, I visited the website again, and was struck by something. On the main landing page of the website there are no fewer than seven separate adverts for products – ebooks, apps, courses and so on. Now, I fully appreciate that not-for-profit Christian news websites have to support themselves through advertising. I also appreciate that the people who written books, designed courses, developed apps and so on should be remunerated for their efforts, and many of these people plough that money straight back into Christian ministry. However, there was something striking and disturbing about the fact that as soon as one visits the Charisma News website on is bombarded with a range of sales pitches interspersed with news articles.
The question I have – which I by no means have the answer to – is, is the Charismatic Movement losing its way? And is it being drawn into the sphere of the Word of Faith / Prosperity movement? Is it, like the WoF / Prosperity movement, exchanging God for mammon?