Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson was born in Minnesota in 1951 and professed Christianity as a young child. Soon after, Johnson read seven books on prayer, which significantly affected his perspective and subsequent ministry.[1] Bill Johnson and his wife Beni have three children: Eric, Brian and Leah[2]. Bill Johnson's father, Melvin Earl, Johnson was the senior pastor at Bethel Church in Redding CA, from 1968-1982.[3] Bill Johnson is one of four brothers who are all in full time ministry. Bill Johnson is now senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding CA; the church has approximately 1,500 members. Bill Johnson and his church is part of what is known as today as the NAR (New Apolitical Reformation).
To understand whom Bill Johnson is and what his ministry represents in its teachings, we must look at Bill Johnson’s past. We must look at who has influenced him in the past. Understanding from whom Johnson received his vision of ministry from will help us understand the problems with Johnson and his teachings.
Bill Johnson and Beni (Johnson’s wife) began as singles pastors under his father at Bethel. In 1979, they became senior pastors of Mountain Chapel in Weaverville, California.[4] While pastoring at Mountain Chapel, Johnson attended a 1987 conference led by John Wimber, founder of the heretical Vineyard Church Movement. According to Johnson "A number of healings and manifestations broke out, and I did not know what to do with it. I did not object to it,I wasn't opposed to it; I just didn't know how to pastor it in a way that it would continue and increase."[5] As we can see, Johnson from the beginning back in 1987 has had influences upon himself and his ministry life that are any but biblical.
What we do with influences are of the upmost importance. If it was not enough, Johnson was adhering to the teachings of John Wimber and the Vineyard Movement, Johnson was soon to be influenced by sometime even more demonic in nature. In 1995, Bill Johnson attended the Toronto Blessing revival at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church. The Toronto Blessing was a neocharismatic evangelical Christian revival in which supposed “movements” of the Holy Spirit and other Charismatic happenings took place. This revival has been vastly debunked as a hoax or movement of demonic spirituality, not the Holy Spirit. The Toronto Blessing is the birthing place both the unbiblical movements of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) and Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP).
As we can see Bill Johnson was profoundly influenced by the Toronto Blessing, in his own words Johnson relates: "In Toronto I said, 'Lord, if You touch me again I will never change the subject.' So I went up for prayer every time it was offered. I didn't have anything dramatic happen, but I came home and said, 'I am going to give the rest of my life to this.'"[6] This encounter at the Toronto Blessing changed the way Bill Johnson did ministry, sadly not for the better.
In February 1996, after 17 years of leading the Weaverville church, Johnson and his wife were invited to become senior pastors of Bethel Church after his father retired as lead pastor. Today Johnson describes Bethel as a church where "everything we do either fuels revival or is fueled by revival.”[7] A question must be raised here; how can their above statement be true when Bill Johnson and his wife are both Pastors? How can there be a biblical revival in a church when you have a Pastrix? The simplest of answers is you can not have a biblical revival if you are not honoring the Word of God. Bill Johnson is not honoring the Word of God by allowing his wife to hold the office of Pastor, which is strictly reserved for male occupancy under 2 Tim 2:12-14 and Titus 1:5-9. Both Bill Johnson and Beni Johnson are in rebellion and in sin against God for these actions and are disqualified on this alone from teaching the Word of God.
According to a recent book written by Johnson, "Face to Face with God", Bethel is "a church where supernatural encounters with God happen regularly, miracles are common, and the congregation has an infectious passion for spiritual growth." A so called supernatural encounter that has recently happened, centers on the appearance of “gold dust” in the church when Bill Johnson preaches. This has become known as the "Glory Cloud Teaching." Supposedly an angel or the present of the Holy Spirit is sprinkling “gold dust” around the church as a sign to the members of Bethel Church. There is one thing for sure, this occurrence and others like it have some type of spirit attached to them. The question is; is that spirit of God or is it of the Devil. Given the past influences and teachers involved with Bill Johnson whatever spirit is involved with them is not that of biblical descent.
Bill Johnson is questionable in other areas of his teaching, as well. He is heavy involved in the Word of Faith movement.[8] Along with this, Johnson is also highly suspect with his Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. [9] The school has 1,200 students enrolled with over 370 from other countries.[10] The main purpose of this school is for its students to discover their supernatural gifts. Problem is this school and like much of Bill Johnson’s and his Pastrix wife ministry it is not based on biblical teachings. Instead, they base their teaching and beliefs on emotionalism, feelings and testimonies, not the Word of God.
Over all, both Bill Johnson and his Bethel Church are anything but biblical. Both are not founded in the steadiness of the Word of God but instead in the murkiness of supernaturalism and emotionalism. These can only leads to one out come… FALSE TEACHINGS.
[1] Why Pray; Recorded Monday February 11, 2008 in the 10:45 AM Service. Why Pray; retrieved March 27, 2008
[2] Johnson, Earl (2000-09-01). "A Godly heritage: The family of Earl and Darliene Johnson" (PDF). Assemblies of God Heritage (Springfield, Missouri: Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center). ISSN 0896-4395. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
[3] Crowe, John (1999-03-07). "A family calling". Redding Record Searchlight (Redding, California: Record Searchlight). Retrieved 2008-06-01.
[4] Johnson, Bill (1998-12-19). "Jesus only needs our open hearts". Redding Record Searchlight (Redding, California: Record Searchlight).
[5] Flinchbaugh, C. Hope (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[6] (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[7] Flinchbaugh, C. Hope (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[8] "CBN Video: Living a Life of Miracles". Cbn.com. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
[9] Bethel Church, Redding, California, USA. "Global Legacy". Igloballegacy.org. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
[10] Loren, Julia (2005-03-01). "California Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
To understand whom Bill Johnson is and what his ministry represents in its teachings, we must look at Bill Johnson’s past. We must look at who has influenced him in the past. Understanding from whom Johnson received his vision of ministry from will help us understand the problems with Johnson and his teachings.
Bill Johnson and Beni (Johnson’s wife) began as singles pastors under his father at Bethel. In 1979, they became senior pastors of Mountain Chapel in Weaverville, California.[4] While pastoring at Mountain Chapel, Johnson attended a 1987 conference led by John Wimber, founder of the heretical Vineyard Church Movement. According to Johnson "A number of healings and manifestations broke out, and I did not know what to do with it. I did not object to it,I wasn't opposed to it; I just didn't know how to pastor it in a way that it would continue and increase."[5] As we can see, Johnson from the beginning back in 1987 has had influences upon himself and his ministry life that are any but biblical.
What we do with influences are of the upmost importance. If it was not enough, Johnson was adhering to the teachings of John Wimber and the Vineyard Movement, Johnson was soon to be influenced by sometime even more demonic in nature. In 1995, Bill Johnson attended the Toronto Blessing revival at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church. The Toronto Blessing was a neocharismatic evangelical Christian revival in which supposed “movements” of the Holy Spirit and other Charismatic happenings took place. This revival has been vastly debunked as a hoax or movement of demonic spirituality, not the Holy Spirit. The Toronto Blessing is the birthing place both the unbiblical movements of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) and Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP).
As we can see Bill Johnson was profoundly influenced by the Toronto Blessing, in his own words Johnson relates: "In Toronto I said, 'Lord, if You touch me again I will never change the subject.' So I went up for prayer every time it was offered. I didn't have anything dramatic happen, but I came home and said, 'I am going to give the rest of my life to this.'"[6] This encounter at the Toronto Blessing changed the way Bill Johnson did ministry, sadly not for the better.
In February 1996, after 17 years of leading the Weaverville church, Johnson and his wife were invited to become senior pastors of Bethel Church after his father retired as lead pastor. Today Johnson describes Bethel as a church where "everything we do either fuels revival or is fueled by revival.”[7] A question must be raised here; how can their above statement be true when Bill Johnson and his wife are both Pastors? How can there be a biblical revival in a church when you have a Pastrix? The simplest of answers is you can not have a biblical revival if you are not honoring the Word of God. Bill Johnson is not honoring the Word of God by allowing his wife to hold the office of Pastor, which is strictly reserved for male occupancy under 2 Tim 2:12-14 and Titus 1:5-9. Both Bill Johnson and Beni Johnson are in rebellion and in sin against God for these actions and are disqualified on this alone from teaching the Word of God.
According to a recent book written by Johnson, "Face to Face with God", Bethel is "a church where supernatural encounters with God happen regularly, miracles are common, and the congregation has an infectious passion for spiritual growth." A so called supernatural encounter that has recently happened, centers on the appearance of “gold dust” in the church when Bill Johnson preaches. This has become known as the "Glory Cloud Teaching." Supposedly an angel or the present of the Holy Spirit is sprinkling “gold dust” around the church as a sign to the members of Bethel Church. There is one thing for sure, this occurrence and others like it have some type of spirit attached to them. The question is; is that spirit of God or is it of the Devil. Given the past influences and teachers involved with Bill Johnson whatever spirit is involved with them is not that of biblical descent.
Bill Johnson is questionable in other areas of his teaching, as well. He is heavy involved in the Word of Faith movement.[8] Along with this, Johnson is also highly suspect with his Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. [9] The school has 1,200 students enrolled with over 370 from other countries.[10] The main purpose of this school is for its students to discover their supernatural gifts. Problem is this school and like much of Bill Johnson’s and his Pastrix wife ministry it is not based on biblical teachings. Instead, they base their teaching and beliefs on emotionalism, feelings and testimonies, not the Word of God.
Over all, both Bill Johnson and his Bethel Church are anything but biblical. Both are not founded in the steadiness of the Word of God but instead in the murkiness of supernaturalism and emotionalism. These can only leads to one out come… FALSE TEACHINGS.
[1] Why Pray; Recorded Monday February 11, 2008 in the 10:45 AM Service. Why Pray; retrieved March 27, 2008
[2] Johnson, Earl (2000-09-01). "A Godly heritage: The family of Earl and Darliene Johnson" (PDF). Assemblies of God Heritage (Springfield, Missouri: Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center). ISSN 0896-4395. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
[3] Crowe, John (1999-03-07). "A family calling". Redding Record Searchlight (Redding, California: Record Searchlight). Retrieved 2008-06-01.
[4] Johnson, Bill (1998-12-19). "Jesus only needs our open hearts". Redding Record Searchlight (Redding, California: Record Searchlight).
[5] Flinchbaugh, C. Hope (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[6] (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[7] Flinchbaugh, C. Hope (2007-03-01). "Ignite the Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
[8] "CBN Video: Living a Life of Miracles". Cbn.com. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
[9] Bethel Church, Redding, California, USA. "Global Legacy". Igloballegacy.org. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
[10] Loren, Julia (2005-03-01). "California Fire". Charisma (Lake Mary, Florida: Strang Communications). ISSN 0279-0424. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
