It
is endemic to the River branch of Christianity today to not be critical
of aberrant teachers, but rather to embrace them. At the very top of
the list of aberrant teachers (perhaps heretical) is John Crowder, the
man who promotes among other things "toking the Holy Ghost." Crowder
also embraces a strange form of necromancy that runs rampant in the
"river."
As an example of that unabashed acceptance, here is a recent facebook exchange between David Williams and Bill Johnson:
Williams: So I presume that you and Beni have no issues with the teachings and actions of these (Crowder and Dunn) ministries?
Johnson: We are friends. For us agreement isn't a prerequisite for any friendship. We love them and honor them. Great people.
This is not unlike Johnson's response when he came to the defense of the indefensable Todd Bentley during the Lakeland fiasco.
"Have you spent time
with Todd? Do you know him? Have you watched him with his wife? Or have
you seen how he treats his kids?...I didn't think so. I have. And I'll
continue to support those who I have walked with in life and ministry.
He's my friend." -Bill Johnson
So, we can understand that
Johnson places a high value on friendship, perhaps higher than putting
biblical principals into action.
He certainly does not know how to deal with leaven.
In another facebook exchange Dan Carlton asks Bill Johnson about Dunn and Crowder:
Carlton: Why would you entertain two crazy nutters like Ben Dunn and John Crowder?
Johnson: I'll stand with the accused anyday before I'll stand with their accusers.
Sounds like boasting, no? Let's see how the Word of God addresses this:
"Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?" -1 Corinthians 5:6
You talk about a prophetic word to the church today! Yeah, I'll put a
"thus saith the Lord" in front of that scripture. It's found in His
Word. He said it.
Bill Johnson has voiced his acceptance of John Crowder. What does
Crowder teach? How is that leaven spreading throught Johnson's Bethel
School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM)?
Crowder, kneeling at the grave of Alexander Dowie and speaking to the camera says:
"And we've just come to
the grave today to release to you an impartation of healing revival, of
city building, restoration city-taking anointing, master-building
apostolic anointing, and so we just rip it right out of the ground, we
just suck it right off his dead bones, in Jesus name, and loose it to
you., a healing-revival-glory-master-building-apostolic anointing
glory..."
Other have commented on this, bringing up the
shortcomings of Alexander Dowie.
Quite frankly, this would be just as wrong if it were the grave of the
Apostle Paul. There is no biblical basis for this practice and it leads
people into error.
So just how do these "great people," Dunn and Crowder, impact the students at BSSM?
BSSM Students on ministry trip "soaken up the glory" at Maria B Woodworth-Etter's grave.
2nd Year BSSM students "sucking up the anointing" at the grave of Evan Roberts.
"So today I got impartation from Maria Woodward Etters
grand-daughter and soaked at the grave site..."
Bill Johnson could put a stop to this immediately if he wanted to. And yet he does not. Instead, he has
launched an initiative
to build "a library/museum called The House of Generals. It will be a
place where people can come to see artifacts from past revivals..."
Yes, you too can suck the anointing right off of Kathryn Kuhlman's wedding dress!
Is this ancestor worship? Necromancy? A doctrine of mantle
reincarnation? Has Bill Johnson crossed the line from abberancy into
heresy?
Johnson can dismiss me as an accuser. I'm simply presenting the
evidence. Again, Johnson can put a stop to this now. Or he can enlighten
the church now with a credible, biblical explanation of the doctrine of
"sucking the anointing off of gravesites." I'm familiar enough with
the story of Elisha's bones (
2 Kings 13:21)
to know that this is NOT what that was talking about. And if that WAS
meant to be instructive, I say to the Johnsonites- "Here's a shovel, now
go find a dead man." And report back to the class.
