HAPPY REFORMATION DAY; STILL PROTESTING:
TOP 20+ DANGEROUS HERETICS
TO BE MARKED & AVOIDED
BY CHURCHWATCHER
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
For Reformation Day, we want Christians around the world to consider
who they think are the most dangerous heretics in the world today
undermining Christianity. The Pope will always be the most serious
threat to Christianity since at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic
Church anathematized the gospel.
Credit to PirateChristian.Com for the 5 Sola symbols…
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They are marked in order from the more dangerous to the less dangerous, addressing the following:
- Evidence either gathered on them (which can be accessed in our archives).
- Their influence on Christianity globally or people’s perception on what Christianity is because of them’
- Who they target and how effective they are.
- Their disregard of the Solas.
- Their character.
Key:
[1. Sola Scripture: 1] [2. Sola Fide: 1] [3. Sola Gratia: 1] [4. Sola Christus: 1] [5. Sola Deo Gloria: 1]
Total: 5/5
[1. SS: 1] [2. SF: 1] [3. SG: 1] [4. SC: 1] [5. SDG: 1]
Total: 5/5
Total: 5/5
HERETIC 01: CHE AHN
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Ministry: Harvest International Ministries (HIM)
It is important to remember that 2001 was the year Wagner believed that ‘end-times’ governing Apostles and Prophets would lead the church to usher in Christ’s return. Essentially whatever Che Ahn claims to be new revelation or claims what God is saying and implementing through NAR prophets, it is Ex Cathedra – infallible truth that cannot be challenged. Just like the majority of other popular Apostles in the NAR, he espouses the NAR kenotic Jesus, the NAR sonship spirit (Spirit of Power), the NAR gospel of the kingdom (Gospel of Power), new Wine Skin church (Apostolic Centers) and the ‘infallible’ 7 Mountain Mandate (Lauren Cunningham, Bill Bright), The Dominion Mandate (Wagner, Johnson) and the Billion Souls mandate (Bob Jones, Mike Bickle).
To be this hardened against Jesus Christ, the actual gospel and the plain reading of scripture while celebrating 500 years of the Reformation, places him first as the most dangerous man in evangelicalism.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 02: MICHAEL BROWN
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Ministry: Line of Fire
And then we saw him acting like an ‘apostle’, defending other NAR ‘apostles’ such as Brian Houston, Bill Johnson, Cindy Jacobs, Lance Wallnau, Lou Engle, Mike Bickle, David Yonggi Cho and Benny Hinn. We started going off the criteria of how an NAR apostle brings ‘order’ and ‘unity’ in the ‘church’. We watched other Apostolic leaders bestow apostolic titles such as ‘spiritual father’, ‘revolutionary’, ‘pioneer’, ‘general’, etc. on Brown. Even more disturbing is how Brown justifies his beliefs and practices by apealling not to the authority biblical authority but to the Brownsville Revival he was apart of (clearly refuted to be the antithesis of Christianity and the Holy Spirit by Chris Rosebrough).
Since calling him out on his Apostleship and in his involvement with the NAR (and although he denies these claims), his actions betray him. To this day Brown is still defending NAR Apostles and capitalizing on people’s ignorance while claiming he holds to Sola Scriptura. Apostolically he continually attempts to bring ‘order’ and ‘unity’ at the expense of the irrefutable evidence against those he defends and against clear biblical instruction. He even deliberately muddies the waters to justify the most wicked and abhorrent ministries, heretics and practices today seen throughout evangelicalism. Time and again, he has been caught defending the false NAR kenotic Jesus, the NAR sonship spirit, the NAR gospel of the kingdom and the NAR eschatology of the New Breed. He even endorses NAR Apostle Brian Simmons and the NAR Bible known as ‘The Passion Translation’ (TPT). He also holds to the NAR ecclesia of governing Apostles and Prophets but has his own spin on this theology.
Furthermore, he hides behind his title of ‘Dr’ (he has a B. A. in Hebrew Language), while giving a pass to false teachers like Sid Roth and Jonathan Cahn who twist the ancient biblical Hebraic language to justify their latest nonsensical paradigms. For him to be considered a doctor in anything with the people he endorses makes a mockery of Christian academia. It’s not just the status he uses, it’s the friendships. Brown will often use his ongoing friendship with Dr Jame White to present the facade that he carries a Reformed or academic face in Apologetics or Polemics.
Brown has become quite the skilled deceiver, yet has the audacity to try to be a voice of Christianity, a voice of conscience for society and a moralist in social settings. To call Michael Brown a ‘doctor’ or biblically sound gives a black mark to academia, apologetics, polemics and is an insult to the scriptural integrity of Christians all around the globe. Evidence clearly demonstrates again and again that Michael Brown gives nothing more than lip service to the Reformation and the Solas, capitalizing on the good will of his gullible audiences.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 03: BRIAN HOUSTON
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Ministry: Hillsong
Houston also claims his church is called apostolically and sees it as a “network committed to the apostolic anointing of leaders.” This means Brian is an NAR Apostle of an NAR Apostolic Center (Hillsong used to be called Christian Life Center).
If that is not enough, he has been proven to ‘preach’ any other gospel rather than the Christian gospel, promote Christian transgenderism and homosexuality, teaches that Christians and Muslims worship the same god, and teaches Christians should travel the ‘wide road’.
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And the reason why people seem to turn a blind eye to Houston’s behaviour and heretical beliefs is their ignorance of scripture and their love for their ears being scratched by the pleasant-sounding music his Hillsong ministry puts out.
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Who cares if he gets people to drink spiritual cyanide, as long as the worship music makes you feel God is ‘near’. Much of his theology shapes the music many people listen to, with Hillsong having no regard for the Reformers, the doctrines of the Reformation or to Christian beliefs or practices. They are happy to change the scriptural methods of ‘doing church’ which has resulted in their abandoning the gospel all together (although you may hear gospel ‘nuggets’ or songs occasionally). They also have no problem worshiping with or praying for the Pope. Sadly, Hillsong is like McDonalds – everyone knows it’s not good for you – but where else do you go for a quick spiritual fix?
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 04: BILL JOHNSON
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Ministry: Bethel
The ’emptied himself’ teaching is an heretical teaching known as kenosis theory. What comes with this kenosis teaching is the sonship spirit (aka Spirit of Power), that claims we are born again as ‘little gods’, raised up to perform supernatural signs and wonders in order to awaken an end-times revival (us being manifest as a corporate Christ on earth), ushering Christ’s return. Bill Johnson is the offspring of the New Order of the Latter Rain (established in 1948), his teachings being the bad fruit of their extreme practices and beliefs. So when he claims the Lakeland Revival, Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville Revivals helped shape him and his ministry to what it is today, this demonstrates he puts experiences and ‘supernatural’ events as the foundation of his ministry, not the bible.
It is also not uncommon to hear Johnson claim his church is like Israel camping around the ‘presence’ of God and not around the message. Johnson appears to only use the bible to justify the latest revelations, experiences and direction he thinks his movement should go.
His gospel is the NAR false ‘Gospel of the kingdom’ (aka Power Gospel). That is, the gospel is about signs and wonders to convince people God wants them healthy, wealthy and supernatural. Lastly, Johnson is a deceiver, downplaying his role in the NAR and his Apostolic office.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 05: MIKE BICKLE
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Ministry: International House of Prayer (IHOP)
He was known in the 1980s as being the leader of the Kansas City Fellowship (otherwise known as the Kansas City Prophets) and recognised leader of the Prophetic Movement within what Apostle Bill Hamon called the ‘Prophetic Apostolic Movement’ (PAM). His entire prophetic movement was exposed by Ernie Gruen, Bickle attempting to downplay his work by spreading lies about him. Yet Bickle’s word games and lies have not gone away. His denial of peddling controversial NAR doctrines such dominionism and the ‘little gods’ should convince the masses that he cannot be trusted since many people have records of him teaching such things. (Bickle also teaches the false NAR Seven Mountain Mandate commission.)
To try and improve the reputation of his ministry (IHOP), Bickle has been inviting popular speakers like Francis Chan to give the impression IHOP is concerned about social issues and the gospel. Do not be deceived by Bickle and his movement. There are many published stories of people being seriously damaged spiritually by IHOP.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 06: DAVID YONGGI CHO
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Ministry: Yoido Full Gospel Church
When we analyse his works and the context of his upbringing, he is peddling the pagan practices of Soga Gokkai (a religion Cho appears to be influenced by). What makes his teachings very dangerous is that he claims to hear the ‘spirit’ speak to him directly about the new revelations of the ‘Fourth Dimension’. Yet he claims this same spirit helped him build the biggest church in the world. Worse still, Cho was is acknowledged for creating the Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville revival. At Brownsville, he prophesied that the revival would not end until Jesus returned. In other words, he operates from a lying spirit and not a born again believer filled with the Spirit of Truth.
His teachings and prophetic delusions of grandeur have nothing to do with the Solas of biblical Christianity. We know he can preach an apparently biblical message but he uses it as ‘bait and switch’ to promote his Fourth dimension teachings. His works were very influential in the early 80s, impacting the biggest churches we see today. His books are still widely read to this day.
In regards to character, his books reveal that the spirit that speaks to him will encourage him to lie to get what he wants. Recently, Cho has been convicted of mishandling church funds. Under his Apostolic authority he removed his own elders who tried to hold him accountable when they made this information public – causing much distress in his church. In other words, Cho cannot be trusted at all as a leader and teacher and should be marked and avoided.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 07: RICK WARREN
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Ministry: Saddleback Church
Warren’s teachings on the church and his extreme teachings on visionary leadership are based on the fascist teachings of Peter Drucker, a dangerous mix that helped develop an authoritative arm in NAR churches. Warren’s extreme leadership ideas have also raised concern when he stated he wanted the same zeal of Hitler Youth to be in the practice of Christian Youth.
Warren also believes in modern-day Apostles. The fact that Hillsong invites him to speak at their conferences also reinforces the fact he is considered an Apostle of the NAR. It appears he also has his own spin on the Seven Mountain Mandate with his P.E.A.C.E plan and his own version of the NAR gospel in ‘changing the world’ (Uganda being the first Purpose Driven Nation). Overall, his books and purpose driven teachings are polluting the gospel and turning churches into social centers.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 08: T.D. JAKES
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Ministry: The Potters House
A lot of Oneness Pentecostal cults promote Jakes’ books and materials, and sadly his books are found in most Christian bookstores and charismatic churches. His guest appearance on TBN and other TV networks often have him scamming people financially with the false HAW and WOF heresies. A lot of people have been ruined financially as well as spiritually by his teachings. He also is responsible for making heretic Paula White.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 09: JAN-AAGE TORPE
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Jan-Aage Torpe is the Che Ahn of Europe, the NARpostle overseeing the growth of the NAR through his ‘European Apostolic Leaders’ (aka European League of Apostles). Similarly to Che Ahn, Torp believes he and his apostolic coalition have received new revelations to govern the end-times church, thus rejecting the bible and Jesus the God-man.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 10: BRIAN SIMMONS
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Ministry: Stairway Ministries
At this point of time Simmons is still an unknown in the eyes of many Christians with his Passion Translation. He would have made it higher on this list if he started becoming a guest speaker in churches to promote his work. Needless to say, his work barely reflects any resemblance of the Christian faith and as Gervase Nicholas Charmley observed, his work was nothing more than propaganda for spreading NAR teachings.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
* One to keep an eye on in the future.Total: 0/5
HERETIC 11: JOEL OSTEEN
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Ministry: Lakewood Church
The most dangerous thing about Osteen is his ‘charm’ – in other words, he can make you feel good and convince you just how really special you are (does not like to convict his listeners of their sin). Armed with these things and his ability to elevate his opinions above the bible to appease culture, only goes to show that he exists to appeal to masses to line his own pockets.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 12: PAULA WHITE
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Ministry: Paula White Ministries
This ‘new’ Paula White has helped further the NAR in politics and her Christian facade is doing more damage than good in spreading what Christianity actually is.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 13: STEVEN FURTICK
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Ministry: Elevation Church
Famous for his tantrums (Hey Haters!), authoritarian behaviour (Elevation Vision Statement) and cult-like structures and props in his church (kid’s colouring pages), he is probably best known for others identifying his style of preaching with the term, Narcigesis (reading yourself into any text of the bible and writing God out of it.) His influence in evangelicalism with his innovative language, church ideas and scripture readings (Egg Drop, Sun Stand Still, Audacious faith, etc), has made him into a church ‘rock star’.
The most dangerous thing about Furtick is his appeal to young people and reinforcing narcissistic tendencies in youth around the world. Sadly, there is no cure for narcissism apart from Christ. Although ironically he calls his critics ‘toddlers’, his own childish behaviour is displayed when he does not get his own way. This was demonstrated when Matt Chandler actually preached a biblical sermon on David and Goliath at his Code Orange Conference a few years ago, concluding with “the bible is not about you”. Furtick was clearly angry with the message and initially prevented it from being uploaded. (He later claimed there were technical difficulties.)
Nevertheless, his youthfulness, his fast rise to prominence and innovative style have inspired many immature believers to walk down his road of insecurity and self-obsessiveness to embrace their own ‘messianic’ ministries.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 14: EUGENE PETERSON
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Author: The Message
“I just kind of let go and became
playful. And that was when the Sermon on the Mount started. I remember I
was down in my basement study, and I did the Beatitudes in about 10
minutes. And all of a sudden I realised this could work.”
Eugene’s tampering of the text, adding and taking away important
information and embedding New Age language and ideas makes him
incredibly dangerous. To read more on the dangers of Eugene’s work, read
here.
Encouraging Christians to embrace New Age language and concepts gives a
clear indicator that the Christian faith and gospel message is a
foreign concept to this ‘guru’. Many major heretical movements and cults
in Christianity love to quote from his Message paraphrase.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 15: WILLIAM PAUL YOUNG
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If God the Father was a big black woman, Young is a creepy potato…
Just before the launch of his movie ‘The Shack’ in cinemas around the world, Young promoted his latest book that brazenly attacked essential truths about God and the Christian faith. His malicious attack on core Christian doctrines revealed that his critics were right and that he had no regard for God or the bible at all. To this day, many churches and leaders promote ‘The Shack’ without fully realising how dangerous his subversive message is.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 16: NICKY GUMBEL
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Ministry: Alpha Course
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 17: SARAH YOUNG
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Sarah Young has been openly rebuked for her poor regard of scripture in favour of personal encounters and conversations with Jesus in her book ‘Jesus Calling’. In our modern New Age saturated culture, Young’s work is incredibly popular among women. Due to her popularity, Young is now targeting children with an illustrated version of ‘Jesus Calling’. Pastor Bob DeWaay rightly describes her work as a toxic devotion, stating the book “promotes mystical devotion to God and is based on words from Jesus beyond Scripture” and that, “Young puts New Age, panentheistic ideas into the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself.”
Like DeWaay, many pastors and apologists, polemicists and concerned Christians have reached a similar conclusion that Young is promoting the New Age religion through a New Age Jesus. Tim Challies claims that Young speaks for God but ‘mimics occult practices‘ such as ‘automatic writing’ (Young calls this ‘listening prayer’). This occult technique runs rampant in NAR circles, (we think originally this came from NARpostle Mark Virkler). By penning this book and presenting herself in a way where she speaks for God, she is portraying herself as a type of prophet for others to imitate. In other words, Christians around the world need to realize in reading her book, she is indeed penning unbiblical ‘revelations’ from God.
Challies further states that “Her book has been corrected’ where she has revised ‘the words she claims to have received from Jesus.” Carm.org provides an example where Young has corrected the words of ‘God’ in her book, concluding that ‘The Jesus of the Jesus calling seems to be nothing more than the musings of a woman who “feels” her way through devotional material and in the process makes numerous mistakes’. Her false Jesus, her disregard of the bible and her promotion of her New Age influences against the backdrop of the historic Christian faith leaves her books not even close to resembling the core tenants or Solas of the Christian faith. Sadly, her work is promoted around the world at women’s conferences, bible studies and as a valid form of daily devotional.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 18: BETH MOORE
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Although Beth Moore presents herself as a bible teacher, she clearly has an agenda to usurp the pulpit in the light of plain scripture about women in leadership. She first came on to the scene speaking only to women and then proceeded to speak at Christian conferences where she is now considered by many as a legitimate preacher or pastor by many. Her usurpation of the teaching office does not stop there.
Although she claims to be Baptist, she operates as a prophet of the New Apostolic Reformation, claiming God speaks directly to her. While her critics highlight the dangers of Beth Moore, she has no problem demonizing them or bullying Christians to leave her alone. We regard her as one of the leading women of the Mysti-Chicks Uprising.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 19: BRIAN McLAREN
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Leader and face of the Emergent Church (LIB)
McLaren has a liberal worldview impacted by a social Jesus providing nothing more than semantics. His ideals override the biblical narrative and his verbal gymnastics play fast and loose with the Word of God. This man was incredibly dangerous – he, and those in the Emergent/Liberal church movement (like Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Peter Rollins and Tony Jones), have demonstrated that their rejection of the bible and the Jesus plainly presented in scripture has shipwrecked not just their own faith but that of their entire movement.
However, their presence and teachings are still impacting churches all around the world, winning the hearts of men with their lofty sounding speeches and vain imaginings but leaving their souls without a Saviour and the assurance of God’s absolute truth and unchanging love. They are still making significant inroads in Anglican, Uniting and Presbyterian churches around the world. McLaren is a lot like Wagner, endorsing any liberal figure who agrees with his set theology. Many Christians hurt by authoritarian churches (usually NAR), will find the works of McLaren and co refreshing, mind-freeing, seemingly more honest and down to earth in community and church settings.
That is until they start believing what the bible says above their lofty ideas. The complete absence of God’s teachings on His laws, church structure, protocol and teachings on the church being an institution, leaves many Christians open for psychological and spiritual abuse. With McLaren operating from a worldly post-modern worldview, his hypocrisy remains obvious: he will happily deconstruct faith, the church and you – but he won’t deconstruct his positions of authority and his postmodern world-view.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
HERETIC 20: JOYCE MEYER
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Joyce Meyer was famous many years ago for teaching Christians that Jesus ‘became possessed on the cross, was born again in hell’ and ‘raised so that we can be ‘little gods”. While people associate this with the Prosperity gospel (she taught this), this is the New Apostolic Reformation ‘Gospel of the Kingdom’. While she claims to reject a lot of her old teachings, her theology says likewise. She still peddles Word of Faith and Health and Wealth heresy alongside her NAR sonship heresy.
The Sonship heresy is another form of the little gods heresy, (also known as ‘kings kids theology’). The fact that Hillsong invite her to speak at their conferences also reinforces the fact she is considered a female Apostle in the NAR. To this day, she is still deceiving millions of Christians around the world with her false teaching and new revelations.
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 0] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 0/5
Total: 0/5
SPECIAL MENTION: TIM KELLER
Keller
was close to getting on this list. It is likely it would be
controversial for him to be considered one of the top 20 considering he
comes across to many as Reformed. However, his liberal tendencies reveal
he acts more like a ‘termite’, eating away the foundations of the
Reformation. We have seen much of his liberal leanings, actions and his
teachings encourage people to question Sola Scriptura.
He
appears to have a strong idea of the gospel of grace, however
considering how popular he is among young Christians and ‘New
Calvinists’, his skeptical evaluations of scripture are dangerous and
are leading many young, reformed and restless youth away from the faith.
(We have personally seen this.)
[1. SS: 0] [2. SF: 0] [3. SG: 1] [4. SC: 0] [5. SDG: 0]
Total: 1/5
Total: 1/5
Those were our top 20 for 2017/2018. Do
you agree with our assessment and the order in which they were rated?
Who do you think should have been on the list for Reformation Day? Keep
the conversation going. We encourage people to compile their own warning
list and explain who they think is doing the most damage to the
Reformation.
Email all comments and questions to c3churchwatch@hotmail.com