Pensacola Outpouring

CONTENTS

1.      Introduction

2.      History

3.      Aftermath

4.      Criticism

5.      Brownsville Revival is not of God'

6.      MANIFESTATIONS VERSUS MESSAGE

7.      BIBLICAL PRETEXTS

8.      CONCLUSSION

9.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Introduction

The Brownsville Revival (also known as the Pensacola Outpouring) was a widely reported religious phenomenon that began within the Pentecostal movement on Father's Day June 18, 1995, at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida Characteristics of the Brownsville Revival movement, as with other Christian religious revivals, included acts of repentance by parishioners and a call to holiness, said to be inspired by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Some of the occurrences in this revival fit the description[1] of moments of religious ecstasy. More than four million people are reported to have attended the meetings from its beginnings in 1995 to around 2000.[2]

One writer offered this description of the revival in 1998:

All told, more than 2.5 million people have visited the church's Wednesday-through-Saturday evening revival services, where they sang rousing worship music and heard old-fashioned sermons on sin and salvation. After the sermons were over, hundreds of thousands accepted the invitation to leave their seats and rush forward to a large area in front of the stage-like altar. Here, they "get right with God." . . . Untold thousands have hit the carpet, where they either writhe in ecstasy or lie stone-still in a state resembling a coma, sometimes remaining flat on the floor for hours at a time. Some participants call the experience being "slain in the Spirit." Others simply refer to receiving the touch of God. Regardless of what they call it, these people are putting the "roll" back in "holy roller."[3]

History

In 1993, two years before the revival began, Brownsville's pastor, John Kilpatrick, began directing his congregation to pray for revival Over the next two years, he talked constantly about bringing revival to the church,[4] even going as far as to threaten to leave the church if it didn't accept the revival Supporters of the revival would also cite prophecies by Dr. David Yonggi Cho, pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, as evidence that the revival was inspired by God. According to Cho, God told him he was "going to send revival to the seaside city of Pensacola, and it will spread like a fire until all of America has been consumed by it

On the Sunday the revival began, evangelist Steve Hill was the guest speaker, having been invited by Kilpatrick. A video of the Father's Day service shows that the Father's Day service went rather badly for Hill. However, he and Kilpatrick spread stories of "a mighty wind" that blew through the church. This account rapidly spread across the Pentecostal community, but gained little attention in the mainstream media until the Associated Press wrote about it in March 1997. In truth, Kilpatrick had been talking "revival" for several months and had gotten word that Hill wanted to lead a big revival [5] As word spread of what was happening at Brownsville, Hill canceled all plans to go to Russia, and preached several revival services each week for the next five years.

It was claimed that hundreds of those who attended services that day were moved to renew their faith during Hill's sermon. In time, the church opened its doors for Wednesday-through-Saturday evening revival services to accommodate the thousands of people who arrived and waited in the church parking lot before dawn for a chance to enter the packed sanctuary

By 1997, it was common to have lengthy and rapturous periods of singing and dancing and altars packed with hundreds of writhing or dead-still bodies from a variety of ages, races and socioeconomic conditions [6]As the revival progressed the testimonies of people receiving salvation were joined by claims of supernatural healings. In Steve Hill's words, "We're seeing miraculous healings, cancerous tumors disappear and drug addicts immediately delivered However, the church told local news reporters that it did not keep records of the healings. In 1997, leaders of the revival such as Hill, Kilpatrick, and Lindell Cooley (Brownsville's worship director), traveled to cities such as Anaheim, California; Dallas, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; Lake Charles, LA; Toledo, Ohio; and Birmingham, Alabama naming it "Awake America[7]

The primary part of the revival ended in 2000 when Hill moved on to pursue other works In 2003, Hill founded a church in the Dallas area where he now serves as senior pastor.[8] Cooley left in October 2003. Kilpatrick resigned as senior pastor in 2003 to form an evangelistic association of his own.[9] Until 2006, the church continued to hold special Friday-night services that were a continuation of the event.

Aftermath

During the revival, nearly 200,000 people claimed they gave their lives to Jesus, and by fall 2000 more than 1,000 people who experienced the revival were taking classes at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry. Thousands of pastors visited Brownsville and returned to their home congregations, leading to an outbreak of mini-revivals that helped the Assemblies of God recover from what some saw as a denominational decline.[10]

Years after the events, the AP reports Brownsville is over $11 million in debt, largely due to the surge of people in the 90s and the drastic drop-off in donations and people attending in the 2000.[11]

Criticism

The meetings were criticized by some Christians and by the local news media. The Pensacola News Journal ran a series of investigative articles which focused on the donations raised during the meetings and where those funds went, as well as the claims of miraculous healings at the services and the spontaneity of the revival's beginnings.[12]For example, the News Journal revealed that a videotape of the Father's Day service that sparked the revival showed the service went rather badly for Hill.

The News Journal had initially written favorable reports about the revival from the time it started but began a four-month investigation after former members told reporters that all was not as it appeared at the church. The series won George Polk awards from such groups as National Headliner, Scripps-Howard Foundation, and Society of Professional Journalists..[13] Brownsville Assembly of God responded the paper's allegations by publishing a paid advertisement (thus shielding them from a response from the paper) in the News Journal entitled, "The Facts of The Brownsville Revival.[14]

Hank Hanegraaff, author of the book Counterfeit Revival, criticized the revival for "serious distortions of biblical Christianity" in the meetings, comparing the physical manifestations to pagan practices.[15] Kilpatrick responded by issuing a prophecy aimed at Hanegraaff, claiming "within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down." This prophecy proved to be false.[16]

J Lee Grady, editor for Charisma Magazine, was critical of the excesses and personal divisions that had grown within leadership. He also suggested that numerous former attendees were now at local Baptist churches after the traumatic events[17]

Critics attack tactics, theological basis

Brownsville Revival is not of God'

Pensacola -- Pensacola's Brownsville Revival not only has drawn more than a million people over the last 2 1/2 years, it also has attracted the scrutiny of many Bible scholars and theologians. They all say they hoped to find that the Brownsville Revival was a genuine move of God indeed, many people who have attended the revival have said they felt touched by the Holy Spirit there. A number of theologians who understand and do not denounce the Pentecostal movement have concluded that the revival is not a move of God. Worse, the revival is actually pulling people away from God, they say.

"Too much emphasis is being placed on the experiences and the positive testimonies, to the point where the negative effects are largely ignored," said Albert James Dager, who heads Media Spotlight, a nondenominational Christian watchdog organization based in Redmond, Wash.

Dager's 20-year-old, nonprofit, independent Media Spotlight analyzes, from a Biblical perspective, the Christian messages that appear in the media. University religion departments, Bible scholars, theologians and some 5,000 pastors of many denominations subscribe to the Media Spotlight newsletter. The Brownsville Revival, which airs three times a week on regional television and sells thousands of videos, attracted Dager's scrutiny, and he spent months studying the revival's methodology and messages.[18]

MANIFESTATIONS VERSUS MESSAGE

As Pensacola promoters endeavor to spread their movement worldwide, they dogmatically declare that bizarre manifestations are not the focus of this revival. The facts say otherwise. One of the videos used by Pensacola promoters is entitled “Honey, Where Are We From?” It features the testimony of a pastor and his wife who become so spiritually inebriated that they can’t remember where they are from. First, the wife becomes incoherent, and her husband intervenes to explain what she is attempting to say. Then he, too, becomes disoriented and is unable to think or speak rationally.

The sensational physical manifestations of Alison and Elizabeth Ward are also strategically utilized to arouse people’s expectations for similar experiences. The sisters have been brought up before the entire congregation to describe and display their mysterious experiences, thus giving the people a sense that they are having a close encounter with the divine. Peer pressure is brought to bear as Elizabeth tells prospects, “After standing there so long watching those people being touched by God, I guess my spirit got hungry.” When she finally threw caution to the wind, she said, “The shaking went on for about three days….I couldn’t eat and I was shaking in my sleep. My family had to feed me through a straw. My whole body was convulsing for three days.” Her sister, Alison, says she shakes in the sanctuary because “it feels good.”

Baptisms at Brownsville are used as yet another promotional gimmick. In a widely used promotional video some of the baptized jerk so violently that baptizers can no longer control their behavior. In one clip the subject shakes so severely that someone is actually kicked in the face. Physical danger is part and parcel of the process. Pensacola leaders point out that “the power of God falls during the Friday night water baptisms, and sometimes even the workers are overcome by the Spirit and have to be carried out of the water.” Ironically, a word of caution has come from the Brownsville pulpit about not sitting too close to other people during the time of ministry out of concern that someone under the influence of a manifestation might injure nearby worshipers.

Thousands who have viewed the videos and subsequently experienced the manifestations testify to radically changed lives. Nevertheless, my 11-year-old son David and I recently attended a Christian convention during which the manifestations of Pensacola were promoted. He rode on an elevator with a couple of ladies who were still glowing from their spiritually intoxicating experience. They were delirious over the life-transforming work that the manifestations had produced in them. Suddenly, one of the ladies noticed my son’s name tag. Instantly she began shrieking, “I know who you are. You’re the son of the Bible Answer Man. You are a cursed child.”

My son David is not the only child who has tasted the fruit of Pensacola. Several children from a youth group traveled to Pensacola and experienced such severe twitching that when they returned to their classrooms, they were unable to do their schoolwork. After these children were dismissed from school, their pastor encouraged them to view their expulsion as persecution for the sake of Christ.[19]

BIBLICAL PRETEXTS

More bizarre than the manifestations themselves are the biblical pretexts that are used to validate them. As a case in point, Charisma magazine recently ran a series of articles designed to undermine my credibility and integrity. One article was a critical review of my book, Counterfeit Revival titled “They Called Jesus a Counterfeit, Too.” Even more telling than the overt deceptions contained in the article were the texts author Jon Ruthven used to legitimize the manifestations of counterfeit revival hotspots, such as Pensacola. Ruthven, an Assemblies of God minister and associate professor of systematic theology at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia, writes,

Hanegraaff demands proof for the biblical grounds of charismatic revivalism. Yet he seems to ignore that many times in Scripture people who were influenced by the Holy Spirit acted in unusual ways. When the Spirit “rushed” upon Saul in 1 Sam. 19:20-24, he stripped off his clothes, prophesied before Samuel and “lay down naked all that day and all that night” (v. 24, NKJV). Ezekiel displayed even more bizarre behavior after God told him to lie on his side, put “the iniquity of the house of Israel” on himself for 390 days, burn his hair and cook his food over human excrement! (Ezek. 4:4-5, 12; 5:1-2, 4). Isaiah was told by God to walk naked through Jerusalem for three years proclaiming judgment on the city (Is. 20:2-3)….We can only imagine how Hanegraaff would react to these types of behavior if they were to appear today. He seems to assume that Christian orthodoxy is a rationalistic, sterilized Calvinism that functions entirely on an intellectual level — devoid of the subjective spiritual dimension.

Before examining Ruthven’s abuse of Scripture, it should be noted in passing that his stereotyping of me in this review as an anticharismatic Calvinist and an antispiritual rationalist is disingenuous at best and, at worst, dishonest. A closer look at my background or a careful reading of my books would forever dispel this myth.

As for his use of the Bible, while at first blush his arguments from 1 Samuel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah may appear compelling, a careful examination will expose their absurdity:

1 Samuel 19:20-24. The fact that Saul stripped off his clothes, prophesied before Samuel, and laid down naked all day and night (v. 24) provides no validation for the peculiar manifestations in places like Pensacola.

First, as should be obvious, Ruthven’s interpretation of Saul’s nakedness cannot be used as normative behavior for Christians today. If it were, we would be compelled to endorse counterfeit revivalists who decided to parade around naked as a sign of spiritual enlightenment!

Furthermore, as a professor of systematic theology, one would presume that Ruthven is aware of the basic hermeneutical principle that narrative passages must always be interpreted in light of didactic or teaching passages (e.g., Scripture records Judas hanging himself, but it teaches that suicide is wrong).

Finally, this passage clearly reveals God’s judgment against Saul, not his blessing. In context, Saul is seeking to destroy David but instead is humiliated by the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit had once come upon Saul to minister through him, on this occasion the Spirit came upon Saul to resist his evil intentions.

Ezekiel 4–5. Professor Ruthven claims that Ezekiel displayed even more bizarre behavior than Saul. By this reasoning, the precedent is in place for today’s revivalists to push the envelope beyond even nakedness.

First, the very fact that Ezekiel was engaged in an unusual process is precisely why it should not be considered normative for us today. If, indeed, it were the norm, it would not be much of a sign.

Furthermore, what Ruthven labels “bizarre behavior” is in reality extraordinarily meaningful. One need only take the time to read this passage in context to grasp God’s explanation for the symbolism of Ezekiel’s behavior. While unusual, it is neither random nor bizarre.[20]

Finally, as with Saul, Ezekiel’s actions represent God’s judgment, not His blessing.

Isaiah 20. In yet another vain attempt to justify the radical behavior of today’s counterfeit revivalists, Ruthven uses the fact that God told Isaiah to walk naked through Jerusalem for three years.

First, as should be obvious to Professor Ruthven, the wording in Isaiah does not necessitate the notion that the prophet was stark naked. Complete nakedness would have been considered religiously, as well as socially, unacceptable — particularly in light of Middle Eastern culture.

Furthermore, as Hebrew scholars Keil and Delitzsch point out, “With the great importance attached to the clothing in the East, where the feelings upon this point are peculiarly sensitive and modest, a person was looked upon as stripped and naked if he had only taken off his upper garment. What Isaiah was directed to do, therefore, was simply opposed to common custom, and not to moral decency.”

[21]Finally, as previously noted with regard to Saul, if God had instructed Isaiah to walk around stark naked and if that is justification for Pensacola proclivities today, then if they really do start stripping, God can be blamed for setting the precedent for their bizarre behavior.

Tragically, Ruthven’s reasoning process is the norm rather than the exception for counterfeit revivalists. One need only scan books by Pensacola leaders, such as John Kilpatrick, Steve Hill, and Michael Brown, to find even more outrageous examples of texts taken out of context and used as pretexts for Pensacola extravagances.

 CONCLUSSION

True revival will not necessarily look the same in form, cultural expression, or style of worship. But when God is at work in the midst of His people, Jesus will be glorified, the “pure celestial fire” will burn in the hearts of men, the preaching will be marked with conviction, brokenness and holy authority, the burden for the lost will break out, heaven and hell will become real to men’s hearts, a passion for the Scriptures will increase, the Spirit of prayer and intercession will be kindled and will spread, the joy of the Lord and the fear of the Lord will mark the Church in a remarkable way. These are some of the fruits of authentic revival, and it ought to alarm our souls that they are so scarcely seen in the Church of our day.

When the Lord is at work in your midst, it won’t be identical to Brownsville, Wales, the New Hebrides, the Great Awakenings, or any other historic moving of His Spirit. But the reality of God, which purifies and revives the hearts of His people, exalts the Lord, and turns transgressors into saints will soon be evident. Do you long for Him to come to your community, dear Christian, or are you cool and content with the gravitation toward moral blurriness, prayerless Christianity, and a low view of the majesty of God?

We are in radical need as the Church in these days, particularly in Europe and America. As the moral tone of society continues to decline, as the saints find themselves more and more distracted by technological advances and novel forms of ministry, as strange doctrines and fraudulent gospels are introduced to the religious landscape of our nation, we are in need of true revivals again. O, that a cry would ignite in the hearts of His people! O, that the fire of God would again fall! O, that conviction would grip the house of God! O, that the tide of prayer and worship would rise again! O, that repentance and mercy would flow again in a watershed revival!

We’ve got to give ourselves to prayer, saints, that the Lord would quicken and awaken our hearts and our churches, that our cities would know something of His reality. I don’t know about you, but I’m dusting off my old revival books, and “remembering the deeds of the Lord.” I am not content merely to read about them. I want to weep and pray, repent of my own sin, respond to the Lord in obedience, turn to Him afresh, and cry out for an outpouring of mercy, “waters upon the dry ground.” He is stirring His people afresh in these days. Prayer is increasing, and something is happening in many hearts. We must take the “ancient paths” of prayer, worship, and obedience. We must pursue the knowledge of God, contending for revival and a recovery of foundations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.      Fire From Above". Charisma Magazine. June 2005. Retrieved 2012-02-12.

2.      "Pastor orchestrated first revival". The Pensacola News Journal. November 19, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

3.      Steve Rabey as quoted in Margaret M. Poloma and John C. Green (2010). The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and the Revitalization of American Pentecostalism. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6783-2

4.      a b c "Timeline of the Revival at Brownsville". RevivalatBrownsville.com. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-16

5.      "Pastor orchestrated first revival". The Pensacola News Journal. November 19, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

6.      "No medical proof of 'miraculous healings'". Pensacola News Journal. November 20, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

7.      "On the road: Pleas for money intensify". The Pensacola News Journal. November 16, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

8.      "Heartland World Ministries Church". Retrieved 2008-07-16.

9.      Church History". Brownsville Assembly of God. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

10. "Brownsville Revival: Five Years Later 2". cbn.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.

11. "Brownsville Revival: Five Years Later 2". cbn.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.

12. www.ajc.com/lifestyle/ap-enterprise-church-of-1402139.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)

13. Brownsville Revival:The Money and the Myths". Pensacola News Journal. November 16–20, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

14. "Pensacola Pursued Brownsville Revival Investigation in Two Steps". Gannett.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 1999-10-21. Retrieved 2012-02-12

15. "Official Brownsville Response To Pensacola News Journal Articles". 1997. Retrieved 2009-08-31.

16. The Counterfeit Revival (Part Three) Separating Fact from Fabrication on the Pensacola Outpouring

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[1] Fire From Above". Charisma Magazine. June 2005. Retrieved 2012-02-12.

[2] "Pastor orchestrated first revival". The Pensacola News Journal. November 19, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[3] Steve Rabey as quoted in Margaret M. Poloma and John C. Green (2010). The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and the Revitalization of American Pentecostalism. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6783-2. Page 1.

[4] a b c "Timeline of the Revival at Brownsville". RevivalatBrownsville.com. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-16

[5] Crann, Alice "Pastors orchestrated first revival" Pensacola News Journal, 1997-11-19.

[6] "Pastor orchestrated first revival". The Pensacola News Journal. November 19, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[7] "No medical proof of 'miraculous healings'". Pensacola News Journal. November 20, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[8] "On the road: Pleas for money intensify". The Pensacola News Journal. November 16, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[9] "Heartland World Ministries Church". Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[10] Church History". Brownsville Assembly of God. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[11] "Brownsville Revival: Five Years Later 2". cbn.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.

[12] "Brownsville Revival: Five Years Later 2". cbn.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.

[13] www.ajc.com/lifestyle/ap-enterprise-church-of-1402139.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)

[14] Brownsville Revival:The Money and the Myths". Pensacola News Journal. November 16–20, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[15] "Pensacola Pursued Brownsville Revival Investigation in Two Steps". Gannett.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 1999-10-21. Retrieved 2012-02-12

[16] "Official Brownsville Response To Pensacola News Journal Articles". 1997. Retrieved 2009-08-31.

[17] The Counterfeit Revival (Part Three) Separating Fact from Fabrication on the Pensacola Outpouring

[18] Edythe Draper, Edythe Draper’s Book of Quotations (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992), 305

[19] Steve Rabey as quoted in Margaret M. Poloma and John C. Green (2010). The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and the Revitalization of American Pentecostalism. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6783-2. Page 1.

[20] Brownsville Revival:The Money and the Myths". Pensacola News Journal. November 16–20, 1997. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-07-16.

[21] Pensacola Pursued Brownsville Revival Investigation in Two Steps". Gannett.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 1999-10-21. Retrieved 2012-02-12