FALSE COVERINGS
By Charles and Jean Fowler (cefowler@cfaith.com) - Posted by kind permission of Charles Fowler.


"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?" -Jeremiah 5:30-31-


For the most part, the concept of "spiritual coverings" is a man made doctrine. It is an "idea" born in the minds of men, predominately rooted in the extreme teachings of the shepherding discipleship movement of the 1960's and 1970's. Some of the most gifted leaders and the best teachers in the church during this time had their ministries marred and diverted by the extreme doctrines of the "Shepherding Movement."

Some of these very men had a positive impact on my own spiritual growth during the early 1970's and I am indebted to them for much of their biblical teaching. The most prominent of these shepherding leaders were Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, Charles Simpson, and Ern Baxter who formed "Christian Growth Ministries" in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While Ralph Martin and Steve Clark formed the "Word of God" community in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Today more subtle and sophisticated forms of this doctrine are being promoted in the Word of Faith and Independent Charismatic camps in various forms and to differing degrees. The basic concept being that everyone needs a "spiritual covering" to which they are accountable to. The Pentecostal denominations use this teaching to indoctrinate and control their pastors, as well as the Independent Charismatic churches use this doctrine to mark their areas of "spiritual boundaries" and "ownership" such as "MY CITY."

The most visible leader of the modern day "Shepherding Movement" was quoted on the cover of a Christian magazine in 1990 as saying:

"Discipleship was wrong. I repent. I ask for forgiveness... discipleship resulted in unhealthy submission resulting in perverse and un-Biblical obedience to human leaders.. for the injury and shame, I repent with sorrow and ask for your forgiveness."

The question in my mind, is why haven't today's leaders learned from the mistakes of Mumford, Baxter and others. Why do today's leaders seem determined to repeat the same doctrinal errors and mistakes of the past?

Unquestioned Authority in Church Leadership

Here again, one of the best Bible teachers and most popular authors in the Charismatic Christian realm today in a recent publication made this statement:

"On the other hand, our judgment will be relative to our submission (to human leaders), for authority is of God. To resist delegated authority is to resist God's authority. We should not take upon ourselves the pressure to discern beforehand whether leaders are right or not. Nor should we judge after the fact. This is not our burden, but God's. He alone knows and can change hearts as He so desires."

I have pastored two churches in Colorado over the course of the last twenty years, prior to that I served two churches in Texas as an Associate for six years and worked with an Evangelist for two years. I have never worked with anyone who taught this, nor have I desired this type of unquestioned leadership or authority. I would never want a bunch of clones who check their brains in at the church door to "sit under" my ministry and just allow me this type of "carte blanche."

This doctrine of "coverings" seems to always lead to extreme teachings on submission. There is of course a sound biblically balanced teaching on submission and obedience. But you never seem to find it among teachers who coin the terms "covering" and "accountability." These are key words in teachings that should sound off "alarms" in our spirits.

It would seem that some in the Charismatic and Word of Faith movements want total control and expect people to "submit" without question to their teachings and their authority. This is error to the fullest and opens the door for abuses which the human mind and imagination hasn't even conceived of yet.

I had the privilege for several years of being mentored by a bible scholar, whom I believe to be one of the foremost Pauline Greek scholars in the world. And many times I would hear this statment come from his lips: "I could be wrong." Guess what? "I could be wrong." "You could be wrong." Folks, we all could be wrong. WHY? Because we are human and we are not infallable. Paul told the Corinthians (13:9; AMP)

"For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (and our teaching) is fragmentary and (incomplete and imperfect).

LISTEN: As a Pastor I often look to the people in the pews for correction, direction and accountability. If they disagree with me, I want to hear it. I feel a security when I can sit down with my Advisory Board and open discuss issues. I want to keep my heart and mind open, because I know that "I could be wrong."

Now back to the quote from one of our most popular conference speakers:

"We should not take upon ourselves the pressure to discern beforehand whether leaders are right or not. Nor should we judge after the fact. This is not our burden, but God's. He alone knows and can change hearts as He so desires."

Let me say that I feel this brother means well. There are alot of good things in his book on the subject. But this is the basic thesis and underlying theme in his teachings on this subject. And there is a problem:

This isn't biblical!

Paul told the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 5:21) to "Examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good." Examine EVERTHING carefully. Everything? The greek word translated examine or prove in the KJV is dokimazo. This word means to prove by testing, to make trial of, just as a defendent would be put on the witness stand to testify and answer to the charges or allegations against him.

This is the same word used in 1 John 4:1 in regards to false prophets:

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits, whether they are of God; BECAUSE many false prophets have gone out into the world."

I like the 1599 Geneva Study Bible translation:

"Believe not every one who says that he has a gift of the Holy Spirit to do the office of the prophet."

To not allow for the examination and testing of teachings, church practices, prophetic words, leaders and even Modern Apostles, is in fact the very nature of the spirit of antichrist itself.

YES, we are even to examine and put to the test those who claim to be "Apostles." Look at Revelation 2:2;

"I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou cannot bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars." KJV

Luke in his writing of the Book of Acts commended the Bereans for their close scrutiny of the teachings of Paul and Silas:

Acts 17:11; "Now the Bereans were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so."

As a Pastor I have always worked diligently to get believers into the scriptures, to teach them to study, to learn, and to receive revelation for themselves. This concept that we are not to discern right from wrong, not to question our leaders, or their teaching. Just blindly submit to our "covering" or spiritual authority is going back to the "Dark Ages" when the laity were not allowed to own bibles or read the scriptures for themselves. They were called the dark ages for a reason. People were ignorant and unlearned, they were totally dependent upon the Catholic Priesthood to teach them what they wanted them to learn and NO MORE! Are we enterring the Charismatic DARK AGES?

When Luke called the Bereans more NOBLE MINDED than the Thessalonians, it was a nice way of saying that the Bereans were more intelligent and diligently examined the scriptures. The Thessalonians were not very intelligent or very open minded.

Paul warned the church elders in Ephesus of a movement coming in his day, very similiar to the extreme teachings of today:

Acts 20:29: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in AMONG YOU, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, (in order to) DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEMSELVES."

The question is: Are we making disciples of Christ, or disciples of men. Are raising up Churches after Christ or after men? Is my motivation to have disciples of Charles Fowler or of Jesus Christ? It would seem that there are some Pastors, Teachers and Church leaders in our ranks that are becoming authoritative and power hungry.

Beware! Beware of the Pastor who says: "My sheep, my people." As if he owned them. LISTEN, they are God's! Psalm 110:3 says, "Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

Going back to Paul's address to the Elders in Ephesus:

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

The church is purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. Now where I came from, you buy something it belongs to you. The sheep are God's and not mine or any pastors. The Apostle Paul wrote the Church in Corinth and clearly told them:

"You are not your own . . . For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19,20)


QUOTE: "To give any man full authority over you life is anti-christ in nature." -Bob Buess-