The Shepherding movement (sometimes called the discipleship movement ) was an influential and controversial movement within some British, Australian and American charismatic churches . The movement, at some stage was also called the Christian Growth movement. It was set up by Christian leaders as a discipleship network. It was pioneered by five teachers, Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Ern Baxter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
37-637: These leaders aimed to provide meaning and order through house churches and cell groups to address the lack of spiritual maturity of the Charismatic believers in the 1970s and early 1980s. The doctrine of the movement emphasized the "one another" passages of the New Testament, and the mentoring relationship described in the Second Epistle to Timothy . The leaders decided to mutually submit to one another and to hold each other accountable, and it
74-461: A Baptist pastor from Auckland, New Zealand. Logos Foundation was initially a trans-denominational charismatic teaching ministry, primarily Protestant but with some ties to Catholic lay groups and individuals. In 1987, the foundation moved to Toowoomba , Queensland , where there were already associated fellowships and a demographic environment highly conducive to the growth of extreme right-wing religio-political movements. This fertile ground saw
111-600: A Mercedes Benz and lived in a large mansion with magnificent views from the Toowoomba escarpment. The Logos Foundation owned and operated with Australian staff, a Bible College and motel in Canada. The financial affairs of the Logos Foundation were shrouded in secrecy from most followers with little or no true accountability regarding the vast sums of money that were now involved. Carter is arguably most infamous for
148-531: A development that went uncharted but not unnoticed. It was uncharted because these relationships were personal and not institutional, so there were never any published lists of pastors and congregations being shepherded by CGM leaders...." Other movements influenced by the Shepherding doctrine were the Shiloh houses scattered across the U.S. (some of them transitioned into Calvary Chapels when they abandoned
185-512: A letter he had written to supporters at the time, "The greenies, the gays and the greedy are marching. Now the Christians, the conservatives and the concerned must march also". These views were not new. An earlier article published in the Herald quoted a Logos spokesman in reference to the call for the death penalty for homosexuals in order to rid Queensland of such people, who stated "the fact
222-580: Is currently active on over 70 US college campuses. Second Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle . Addressed to Timothy , a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle Paul wrote before his death. The original language is Koine Greek . While the Pastorals are attributed to Paul, they differ from his other letters. Since
259-415: Is meant to "be a completely transparent fiction". Jerome Murphy-O'Connor , however, argued that 2 Timothy was written by Paul and that the other two pastoral epistles were written by someone else using it as a model. The original manuscript of this book is lost, as are about two centuries of the earliest copies. The text of surviving manuscripts varies . The oldest manuscripts containing some or all of
296-460: Is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. Paul is depicted in the letter, which may have been written after his death, as anticipating his being put to death and realities beyond in his valedictory found in 2 Timothy 4:6–8: "For I am now ready to be offered , and
333-837: The Logos Foundation under the leadership of Howard Carter . It came to a sudden end when Carter was found to be immoral, although it did persist beyond the peak of the North American movement. Relocating from the Blue Mountains of NSW in 1987, its headquarters were in the Queensland city of Toowoomba , providing a conservative and sympathetic demographic. During this period Carter was living an extravagant lifestyle which frequently involved first class air travel to North American and other international locations, five-star hotels and many other luxuries. Carter drove
370-592: The Christians, the conservatives and the concerned must march also". These views were not new. An earlier article published in the Herald quoted a Logos spokesman in reference to the call for the death penalty for homosexuals, who stated "the fact a law is on the statutes is the best safeguard for society". At the peak of his power towards the end of this period, Carter was virtually unquestioned in authority. The Sydney Morning Herald published an article in October 1990 which quoted several disillusioned followers, including
407-414: The Logos Foundation after making public statements denouncing them. At times the death penalty for homosexuals was advocated, in accordance with Old Testament Law. The Sydney Morning Herald later described part of this campaign when they published, "Homosexuality and censorship should determine your vote, the electorate was told; corruption was not the major concern." The same article quoted Carter from
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#1732781067257444-481: The Logos Foundation's political campaign in the 1989 Queensland State election where he pushed the position that adherence to fundamentalist Christian doctrine was a more important consideration than opposition to the widespread corruption in the conservative Queensland government that had been exposed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry . The campaign was anti-homosexual and at times the death penalty for homosexuals
481-636: The Shepherding movement: The Fort Lauderdale Five eventually parted company. Derek Prince and Bob Mumford both publicly distanced themselves from the teachings. Derek Prince withdrew in 1983, stating his belief that "we were guilty of the Galatian error: having begun in the Spirit, we quickly degenerated into the flesh." Bob Mumford issued a "Formal Repentance Statement to the Body of Christ" in November 1989 and
518-420: The early 19th century, scholars have increasingly viewed them as the work of an unknown follower of Paul's teachings. This perspective arises from the fact that the Pastorals do not focus on Paul's typical themes, such as believers' unity with Christ, and they present a church hierarchy that is more organized and defined than what existed during Paul's lifetime. Nonetheless, a number of scholars still defend
555-701: The face of false teachings, with advice about combating them with reference to the teachings of the past, and to patience under persecution (1:6–15), and to a faithful discharge of all the duties of his office (4:1–5), with all the solemnity of one who was about to appear before the Judge of the quick and the dead. This letter contains one of Paul's Christological hymns in 2:11–13: It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. or The saying
592-530: The ministry" (v. 11). Chapter 4 also features the only biblical mention of Linus (v. 21), who in Catholic tradition is listed as Peter's immediate successor as Bishop of Rome . In the epistle, Paul asks Timothy to bring his coat and books to him next time he sees him. 2 Timothy 2:14-16 contains a number of commands addressed to Paul's co-worker (in the second person) about how one to teach or relate to those in disputes pertaining heresy. The teaching of Paul
629-475: The movement peak in a short time, reaching a local support base of upwards of 2,000 people, supplemented by a large mail-order support base. In 1989 Logos controversially involved itself in the Queensland State election, running a campaign of surveys and full-page newspaper advertisements promoting the line that candidates' adherence to Christian principles and biblical ethics was more important than
666-406: The opinion that 2 Timothy belongs to a pseudepigraphic genre known as the testamentary genre or farewell discourse , the 'testament' genre contains two main elements: ethical warnings to be followed after the death of the writer and revelations of the future. The significant fact about the 'testament' genre was not in its markers but in its nature; it is argued that a piece of 'testament' literature
703-441: The other two pastoral epistles yet similar to the later Pauline epistles , especially the ones he wrote in captivity. This has led some scholars to conclude that the author of 2 Timothy is a different person from that of 1 Timothy and Titus. Raymond E. Brown proposed that this letter was written by a follower of Paul who had knowledge of Paul's last days. Most scholars, both those arguing for and against its authenticity, are of
740-511: The pyramid went the orders, it was alleged, while up the same pyramid went the tithes ." The relationships that were formed became known theologically as "covenant relationships." A network of cell groups were formed. Members had to be submitted to a "shepherd", who in turn was submitted to the Five or their subordinates. "...large numbers of charismatic pastors began to be shepherded by the CGM leaders,
777-592: The shepherding movement ideas), International Churches of Christ , Maranatha Campus Ministries , the Jesus People USA (in or around 1991 were adopted by the Evangelical Covenant Church ), and Great Commission International (today known as Great Commission Ministries / Great Commission Association of Churches ). The Shepherding movement became controversial: Figures within the charismatic movement (such as Pat Robertson) denounced
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#1732781067257814-403: The statement, "...we felt we had lost control over our lives. It was all dictated to us from above and that was very oppressive. Everything centered around Howard Carter; he had all the power". Logos Foundation ceased to operate from the early 1990s. The degree to which the Shepherding movement still exists today is unclear. The intention of the movement in itself was not error, but the way it
851-425: The text of this book include: According to the letter, Paul urges Timothy not to have a "spirit of timidity" and not to "be ashamed to testify about our Lord" (1:7–8). He also entreats Timothy to come to him before winter, and to bring Mark with him (cf. Philippians 2:22). He was anticipating that "the time of his departure was at hand" (4:6), and he exhorts his "son Timothy" to all diligence and steadfastness in
888-413: The time of Paul's death. Based on the traditional view that 2 Timothy was Paul's final epistle, chapter 4 talks (v. 10) about how Demas , formerly considered a "fellow worker", had deserted him for Thessalonica , "having loved this present world". In sharp contrast to his dispute with Barnabas over Mark (Acts 15:37–40), which resulted in the two parting ways, Paul now considered Mark to be "profitable to
925-603: The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Portions of 2 Timothy parallel the Epistle to the Philippians , also believed to have been written (with Timothy's help) near
962-460: The traditional authorship of 2 Timothy. Most modern critical scholars argue that 2 Timothy, as well as the other two so-called "pastoral letters" ( 1 Timothy and Titus ), were not written by Paul but by an anonymous author, sometime between 90 and 140 AD. Some scholars refer to the assumedly pseudonymous author as "the Pastor". The language and ideas of 2 Timothy are notably different from
999-504: The website of Charles Simpson Ministries highlights his co-founding of New Wine Magazine and specifically mentions Baxter, Mumford, and Prince as "notable Bible teachers" associated with the magazine. David Moore's 2004 book on the Shepherding movement includes interviews with many relevant individuals. The Shepherding movement ideologies live on today in some groups, most notably the Korean group called University Bible Fellowship , which
1036-578: The widespread corruption in the Queensland government that had been revealed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry . Published advertisements in the Courier-Mail at the time promoted strongly conservative positions in opposition to pornography, homosexuality and abortion, and a return to the death penalty. Some supporters controversially advocated Old Testament laws and penalties. This action backfired sensationally, with many mainstream Churches, community leaders and religious organisations distancing themselves from
1073-406: Was advocated, in accordance with Old Testament Law. The Sydney Morning Herald later described part of this campaign when they published, "Homosexuality and censorship should determine your vote, the electorate was told; corruption was not the major concern." The same article quoted Carter from a letter he had written to supporters at the time, "The greenies, the gays and the greedy are marching. Now
1110-494: Was considered witchcraft by some. People could not make personal life decisions, including marriage, house moves, and career choices, without their shepherd’s permission. A charismatic Bible study that met weekly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida , the "Fort Lauderdale Five" ( Don Basham , Bob Mumford, Derek Prince , Charles Simpson and Ern Baxter ) evolved into The Holy Spirit Teaching Mission. This interdenominational group
1147-409: Was extra-biblical requirements - membership in a house-group which included having life-decisions “covered” by the house-group leader, elder, or pastor. Such decisions included things like where to live and work, whom to marry, or whether to see a doctor when someone was ill. At the zenith of the movement, "They had a national network of followers who formed pyramids of sheep and shepherds. Down through
Shepherding movement - Misplaced Pages Continue
1184-414: Was implemented became an unofficial source of control and a form of abuse who maligned the original intent. The term shepherding is still used today and is accepted as biblical teaching. It should not be confused with the shepherding movement. While both Charles Simpson and Bob Mumford have made public statements disavowing the movement, or at least distancing themselves from it, Simpson's biography on
1221-485: Was incorporated in 1966 and expanded its scope with teaching conferences in Florida, later sponsoring conferences in other states. In 1969, it launched a magazine, New Wine , and, in 1972, changed its name to Christian Growth Ministries (CGM). The Shepherding movement arose out of a concern for the weak commitment, shallow community, and the general worldliness characteristic of many American churches. But their solution
1258-469: Was not my intent to be willful," he said, "I ignored their input to my own hurt and the injury of others." ...He admitted that there had been an "unhealthy submission resulting in perverse and unbiblical obedience to human leaders." He took personal responsibility for these abuses, saying that many of them happened under his sphere of leadership. The Shepherding movement within Australia was represented by
1295-682: Was quoted as saying, "I repent. I ask forgiveness." In the same article, Mumford also acknowledged abuses that had occurred because of his teaching on submission: Mumford decided that he needed to publicly "repent" of his responsibility in setting up a system where so many people were hurt by misuses of authority . "Some families were split up and lives turned upside down," says Mumford. "Some of these families are still not back together." This emphasis resulted in "perverse and unbiblical obedience" to leaders, Mumford said. In his statement, Mumford admitted that he had not heeded earlier warnings about doctrinal error from Jack Hayford and two others. "While it
1332-462: Was regarded authoritative by Gnostic and anti-Gnostic groups alike in the second century, but this epistle stands out firmly and becomes a basis for anti-Gnostic positions. Logos Foundation (Australia) The Logos Foundation was an influential and controversial Christian ministry that flourished in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s under the leadership of Howard Carter , originally
1369-521: Was through New Wine that this teachings of the Shepherding Movement were emphasised and promoted: authority, submission, discipleship, commitment in covenant relationships, loyalty, pastoral care, and spiritual covering. The motivation for launching the group was with the right intent, however, the Shepherding Movement quickly deteriorated into a cult-like environment in which people misused the teaching intended to encourage maturity into what
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