The Lakeland Meltdown ...... What Happened? Anyone who has been following the Lakeland Revival Outpouring knows that is has primarily centered around Todd Bentley the Canadian evangelist from Abbotsford BC and the ministry he founded Fresh Fire Ministry. It became apparent around the first week of June that things were not the same in Lakeland as they had origninally began. The spontaneous Spirit led meetings were once again showing the tell tale signs of mans manipulations with predictable time tables and agendas. There was also an urgency to increase the offerings as the focus changed from barely saying anything about money (in the beginning the offering was seldom taken until late in the evening when a great many people had left), to once again using mans manipulative means to try and 'fill the plate'. The Lakeland Healing Revival Outpouring , not so slowly began unraveling about the first part of June, and in spite of mans efforts it came completely unglued by the first of July. Oh, yes there still were the crowds, and people still came to experience a fresh touch from God and many did. However, the freshness that was there in the beginning has clearly been replaced with mans agendas and plans. I am sure you can trace this unraveling to about the same time that the ATM's came into the book shop and once again 'the boys' started to line up to fleece the flock! Remember what the LORD thought about those money changers? Nothing has changed. Todd Bentley ..... The Blowout! It is becoming apparent now that things were not going as well with the young evangelist as was being portrayed by those in leadership who were supporting him would have you believe. His 'leadership' team will have some serious explaining to do if they are ever to be taken seriously. It is history now that Todd has filed for separation from the wife of their three children and has been involved with another woman. It is now being claimed this is not just a new occurrence but something which has been going on for some time. This plus bouts of hitting the bottle are now said to have been going on for some time and had been kept hidden. Again, Todd is not the only one who needs holding accountable ........  where is the discernment of those who are supposed to be his mentors? I am sure we all join in prayer that Todd and his wife and family will be well and fully restored. In the meantime the following are different public statments from those in the 'Charismatic Zoo' who hold some positions of prominence in some Christian circles. How much is politicaly 'spinning' I leave up to you and whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you.

Pastor Strader Comments

Stephen Strader Aug. 30 2008   Dear Family and Friends, The Lakeland Outpouring continues!  The anointing is strong!  We are broadcasting LIVE at 10am & 7pm Wednesday through Sundays.  See the new webcast information at the bottom of the page. Go to the website   www.ignitedchurch.com  for the most up to date information of speakers and locations.  We begin this TUESDAY with HEALING FAITH at the Believers Fellowship Church.  It's located just a few miles from Ignited Church.  Then Wednesday through Sunday we will be at Ignited. Ministries Today printed my article on the Lakeland Outpouring.  I've included it here for you.  Please pass this on to your friends and family. Surprised by the Spirit What we’ve learned from a sudden outpouring By Stephen Strader Our congregation has known the outpouring of the Spirit for more than 50 years. Through the leadership of my father, Karl Strader, our church experienced the Latter Rain Movement, Voice of Healing, Jesus Movement, Charismatic Movement, Word of Faith Movement, Prophetic Movement, Renewal Movement, Apostolic Movement and many others. But on April 2, 2008, it’s as if the Holy Spirit moved into our church in a fresh, dynamic way ... and He’s never left! I had invited evangelist Todd Bentley for a five-day “Signs and Wonders Conference” at our church. Todd had spoken at Ignited Church the year before—the first time we’d met—but something was different this time. The expectation was extremely high. Two weeks earlier in Australia, New Zealand prophet Rob DeLuca had prophesied a coming anointing on Todd that would “boomarang” around the world. Rob said the boomerang was to have double the force when it came to central Florida, and he even mentioned the Lakeland revival of 1993. He didn’t know that Todd was headed to the very congregation that experienced that revival. When we heard about the prophecy, we knew something special was about to happen, but we had no idea just how big it would be. As with any planning in church leadership, we wanted to leave room for the Holy Spirit to do whatever He wanted. Since Todd had informed me that his following week of meetings had just been cancelled, I told him that we were prepared to extend a week if we wanted to. However, he had already changed his tickets to fly home and was looking forward to a week of rest. Obviously, those plans changed. The Start of Something Big That first Wednesday night was explosive. The building was comfortably filled, but something in my spirit had told me to prepare for overflow crowds. We wired both our children’s room and our youth room with closed-circuit monitors, which enabled us expand from the 700 seats in the sanctuary to more than 1,300 with the two overflow rooms. (We also wired the outside patio, which could seat an additional 400.) By the second night the first overflow room was filled. The atmosphere was charged with the electricity of God. Incredible miracles began to take place. Even Todd appeared to be taken back with the ease at which they happened. Both of us conduct overseas crusades and regularly see great miracles take place in other countries, but we’d never seen them flow in America like this. The third night, when Todd walked into the room, our eyes met while standing on the front row. “I think we need to go another week,” I told him. It turns out he had just told his staff, “I think we need to talk with Pastor Stephen about going another week.” We announced it that night. Every night from that point was like taking another step deeper into the anointing, as if we were reaching another level. The crowds now filled both of our overflow rooms. In fact, by Sunday we had to lock the doors because the fire marshal required us to limit the capacity to 1,300. Hundreds watched on screens outside the building on the patio, and hundreds more had to be turned away. People would begin lining up to get in as early as 3 p.m. Changing Venues For those of us in leadership, the first three to four weeks were consumed with finding facilities to accommodate the growing crowds. Once it became obvious that our church couldn’t hold everyone, my brother-in-law, Shane Simmons, who pastors Life Church in Auburndale, Fla., allowed us to use his 3,000-seat facility only 20 minutes away. It wasn’t long before we overflowed his building and began to turn hundreds away. Next, we moved into the Lakeland Center arena, which seats 8,000 or more. We filled that building. We then moved to Joker Marchant Stadium, spring training home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. The stadium seats 10,000 and has a grassy knoll overlooking left field that can hold another 2,000 people. >From there we held an open-air meeting at the Sun ’n Fun Campground at the Lakeland airport, and about 12,000 people came. In fact, the police told us a traffic jam developed that was so bad it blocked thousands from getting into the campground for miles down the road. We finally settled at the campground using two tents attached side-by-side that would hold 10,000. By that time, the nightly crowds ranged from 3,000 to 8,000, with more coming on the weekends. Throughout the changes, we’ve continued to meet at Ignited Church each morning, Sunday through Friday, and on Saturdays we’ve moved to the tent to fit the larger crowds. During the first few weeks our staff and volunteers nearly burned out because of the day-and-night, seven-days-a-week schedule. Weary and exhausted, many of us became physically sick. The common joke was, “Looks like you’re too sick to come to the healing meeting!” We eventually settled into a flow, rotating so some could take a day off—although for many of us, that never happened. (I personally went nearly 60 days straight and had to spend two days in bed sick.) Quick Critics As with most moves of God, there are those who question the authenticity of what’s happening in what’s been dubbed the “Lakeland Outpouring” or the “Florida Healing Outpouring.” Yet it seems this time the critics have not only become quicker to respond, but also louder with their objections. The amazing amount of controversy has admittedly caught me off-guard. I had no idea how prejudiced the Christian world is to Todd Bentley’s ministry. I never found anything in his ministry that concerned me—including his tattoos. Frankly, I had to work through being offended by some of my ministry friends who were expressing their “concerns” publicly. Some wrote in their e-mails, blogs, magazines or newsletters; others voiced their concerns through sermons. The heresy hunters were quick to point out that “even [Stephen’s] friends are speaking against him.” What hurt was that these ministry friends never tried to contact me. Most still have not. Even when I tried to reach out to ask why they didn’t call or e-mail me, it was as if they had a blind spot to what they had done. They never apologized, but simply said they felt they had to “express themselves” because so many of their constituents were asking them for answers. Admittedly, I’ve needed a lot of prayer and counseling to keep my spirit pure of offense. I’ve also had to apologize to some for my rebukes. In fact, I work my way through repentance daily. One of the side effects of this outpouring has been a work of holiness and the fear of God. I can’t go for more than a few minutes in any kind of sin before I feel God’s hand squeezing me. Temptation of any kind is met with a swift move of the Spirit, followed by strong repentance. That’s one of the reasons why I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that this is God. Show Some Support! For some reason, the body of Christ seems to have ignored the Scriptures that admonish us to hear both sides of the story. Even the secular press would at least contact us for a comment before writing a story about us. Yet our Christian brothers and sisters never once tried to contact us. They appear to have ignored the passages that tell us to go to our brother who we feel is “overtaken in a fault” (Gal. 6:1, KJV). Instead, they have used the bully pulpit of their e-mails, newsletters and Web sites to express their concerns that often have been based on incomplete or faulty information. Todd, a few friends and I were able to formulate statements and theological responses to some of these concerns, but even these seem to be ignored or refused. It appears that many are simply predisposed to believe this outpouring is demonic—period. It’s like trying to convince non-Pentecostals that speaking in tongues is really for today; no matter what Scripture you give them, they have chosen not to believe. Here’s what I believe is the bottom line: If what has been happening here in Lakeland is in any way a move of God, why isn’t the body of Christ—especially Pentecostals and charismatics—praying for us? Why haven’t they contacted us to let us know that although they have some concerns or are uncomfortable with some things, they’re still praying that God gives us wisdom? Where are the apostles? Where are the fathers of the faith? There have been a few who responded immediately in support—John Arnott, Ché Ahn, Patricia King, to name some of those supporters. Several others came, though only for one night or part of a service. And a few apostles have reached out to me personally when I asked for their help, including Peter Wagner and another major leader who asked me to withhold his name for a season. I’m thankful for them all. Still, there are those who have labeled the Lakeland Outpouring as a work of an “angel of light” or a deceiving spirit or familiar spirit. Do they truly know what they are saying? Isn’t it a sin to attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan? How can we worship for up to two hours in each service, preach the gospel, exalt Christ and emphasize holiness—and yet be operating in a demonic spirit? I’m baffled by their assessments. A New Move My prayer for the body of Christ is that we learn that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard ... the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). I pray that when we “see” something new, we truly investigate it from all sides before we label it “not of God.” Is it possible that God is doing something new? The reality is that there is mixture in every Christian endeavor. There is flesh, there is the counterfeit; and yes, even the demonic tries to infiltrate. But I’ve been in church board meetings where there was more demonic involvement than anything I’ve ever experienced in one of the outpouring meetings. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares. The field workers complained about the mixture of the tares with the wheat, yet when they asked if they should pull up all the weeds, the owner responded, “No ... lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.” Honestly, sometimes I think that the body of Christ hasn’t learned a thing from our past mistakes. We rejected the Latter Rain, Word of Faith, Prophetic movements—virtually all of them when they first appeared. And most were dismissed simply because we couldn’t understand them. Here’s what I know: I love Jesus more now than ever before. I can’t even write these words without tears flowing from my eyes. People are being saved in the meetings and in the marketplace. Many in the body of Christ have a renewed faith in miracles, and we’ve received more than two-dozen recorded resurrection stories since we began. Multiple funerals have been canceled! I’d say that is pretty good verification. I currently have more than 5,000 praise reports on my computer that I haven’t been able to read yet. Todd’s ministry, Fresh Fire, and GOD TV have multiplied thousands! What will it take for us to even suggest that maybe, just maybe, God is doing something fresh?   This article appeared in the Sep/Oct 2008 issue. http://www.ministrytodaymag.com/display.php?id=17760 Obviously this article was written before we heard the news about Todd Bentleys troubled situation.  Please continue to pray for Todd & Shannah, their children, and the Fresh Fire Ministries.  Please also pray for the Revival Alliance and the other apostles that are working hard to bring restoration to the Bentley family. To view the Lakeland Outpouring, you can go to www.ignitedchurch.com  for high quality viewing, or use the uStream link:

Rick Joyner Comments

Over the last couple of weeks, there has been an increasing swirl of controversy regarding Todd Bentley. I have had almost daily contact with him, and he asked me to post the following: Todd Bentley asked me to convey his appreciation for all the prayers, expressions of love, and concern while he tries to navigate through this present situation. He is grieved by the trouble and confusion this has caused, especially to his friends, coworkers, and all who have trusted him. He wants to make a clear statement about it, acknowledging his responsibility in this and the mistakes he made, but he feels that he should first meet with Pastor Bill Johnson, who is out of the country and will not be available for a couple more weeks. He asks that you would continue to pray for him, and he thanks those who are willing to be patient. He wants to do this right and not hastily or superficially.    I would like to accept personal responsibility for counseling Todd to wait until he has talked with Bill before trying to make the “full disclosure” of his mistakes. This needs to be done right and in a way that does not unnecessarily hurt even more people. In just a couple of weeks, things should have calmed down enough for a statement to be made. Impatience is not a fruit of the Spirit, and I have personally never seen anything done under the kind of duress and pressure that some are trying to exert at this time that ended up not being a mistake. The only thing that I have received from the Lord about this matter directly is that “those who rush to judgment will be exposed.” This entire matter, including the Lakeland Outpouring, is a test. To me, the miracles, healings, salvations, and profoundly changed lives that resulted in people, some that I personally know, make all that is happening now still worth it, many times over. My opinion of the Lakeland Outpouring has not changed, and it will mark a demarcation point for the church that will have a positive impact on our future. I greatly appreciate all who helped to make it possible, and I also appreciate the devotion we are seeing to not compromise basic biblical standards of morality and integrity. If we handle what is now before us rightly, it can have an even greater impact than the Outpouring did to encourage and strengthen the church for the great tasks before us. I have no doubt that many of the statements that are now being made are going to be regretted by those who made them. Since I am appealing for a couple of weeks to give Todd the chance to process these matters and meet with Bill Johnson, I think we should give any who may have made premature statements some grace too. There are leaders who are applauding some of these statements, but almost every Christian that has talked to me about them, as well as most of the leaders I have talked to, thought that they were hastily made statements meant to cover their bases which cost these leaders a lot of credibility. I have only read a few, and that was not necessarily my perspective, though it is very obvious with some. Even if this is the case, this is a natural tendency when someone is wounded. I think we should resist writing off these people and maybe have a moratorium to allow everyone a chance to retract what they have written for the last couple of weeks. We are told in Galatians 6:7 that we will all reap what we sow, which means that if we want to receive grace, we should give it, and if we want to receive mercy, we should give it. There may be some of this in my own writing that I am not able to see because I too am hurt by this situation. Therefore, I am also asking for grace and mercy if this is the case. My main concern is that some of the worst doctrines and actions taken in church history were the result of people responding out of their wounds rather than by following the Lord. A lot of people are understandably hurting right now. Even so, those who resist taking action or making statements out of their pain, or under pressure, will be glad they did. Again, impatience is not a fruit of the Spirit, and it will never lead us to where the Lord wants to take us. Those who rush to judgment, or are hasty to take action, are not treated kindly in Scripture, and are likely to pay a high and unnecessary price for it. I recommended to Todd to allow a panel of those who are considered true elders in the body of Christ, who could be impartial, to judge this situation, and he readily agreed. He did not make any demands or suggestions about who should be on the panel. He only said that he felt he should not cross the line and say anything negative about his wife, and that he intends to continue to love her and his children, and take care of them. The Apostle Paul lamented in I Corinthians 6:5 saying it was to their shame that there were no judges among them, yet they were even called to judge angels. The lack of elders, who are also called as judges, is probably still the main cause for much of the shame that continues in the body of Christ. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of the Lord’s throne as we are told in Psalm 89:14, and if we are going to walk in His authority there must be a place for due process that is a standard of justice. God obviously cares very deeply about people being treated fairly and that His standards of righteousness are upheld. His seat of authority demands this for a foundation. One thing we can be sure of—the Judge is on His throne and all of this is going to work out for good for His people. I am more encouraged every day at what is unfolding and at the great opportunity this situation is for us. The Holy Spirit moved upon the chaos in the beginning and look at the beautiful creation He brought forth! He knows how to do this and seems to love the opportunity that chaos gives Him to show what He can do. This, too, will work out for good to everyone who loves Him and is called according to His purpose. We have this as a sure promise from the One who cannot lie.

John Arnott Comments

I have just re-read the article about the Lakeland Revival that I wrote two months ago for our most recent edition of Spread the Fire Magazine. It was a glowing report of the wonderful healings happening there. Now it is with sadness and disappointment that I am writing again to our friends and supporters. You may have already heard that Todd Bentley has announced his decision to separate from Shonnah, his wife. I am deeply saddened for the Body of Christ that has been disillusioned yet again. I grieve for all the dedicated Fresh Fire Team, Roy Fields and all the musicians and for Stephen Strader, the pastor of Ignited Church and all his faithful folks who have been serving so diligently. Had any of us known what was just ahead, perhaps we would have been able to intervene before things went into crisis.       We at TACF, Catch the Fire, Partners in Harvest and the Revival Alliance want to stand with Todd and Shonnah and try to offer godly counsel and support. We all want to see the good that has come from this ministry and the Lakeland Revival redeemed.  I have known Todd for several years and have seen God work mightily through him. I went to Lakeland to support what Todd and Fresh Fire were doing there because I believed that God was moving powerfully in the lives of thousands.  I also knew Todd would have many critics, just as I had had with the revival in Toronto.  I wanted to stand with him and say, “I am here for you. Don’t let anyone discourage what God is doing through you.”   I wanted to be available to Todd if he needed advice. I had no agenda other than to see what was happening in Lakeland continue and to see Todd nurture this revival successfully.  I wish I had known that he was struggling in his marriage, but unfortunately, I did not. I am working now with Bill Johnson and Che Ahn to listen to each person who is close to the situation in order to give godly counsel and confront the presenting issues in God’s love.  We are all receiving many phone calls and reading much correspondence about all these matters at the moment. Some of it is quite hopeful and some of it is not. However, I believe that God can break through. We all want to provide any help we can to preserve the fruit of this outpouring. We are doing this for several reasons. First, we love the Body of Christ and the work God does through times of revival. We care very deeply about the impact of the church’s leaders and role models on the body of Christ and the world. We also care about Todd and Shonnah, the Fresh Fire Ministries staff and all who have been a vital part of the Lakeland Revival. They are our friends. Todd has chosen to do something that is wrong according to Scripture, and his timing to announce it was equally inappropriate. Everyone is asking, "What happened?" "Why didn't anyone see this coming?"  We are making the answers to those questions a matter of prayer, and are as shocked and saddened by what has just happened as you are. Furthermore, it has now come out that there has been some inappropriate behavior, both with excessive drinking and also with a female member of his staff. Please don't jump to conclusions or assume the worst, but this behavior is wrong before the Lord. Let me encourage you to hold steady to your faith in God and give the redemptive process the time it requires and let's see what God will do. Because I believe in God, I also believe that nothing is impossible with Him. He is able to take the worst situation and turn it into a great blessing. Be slow to speak out publicly and to judge prematurely. It is time to treat these people with grace, like you would like to be treated when you fall or make a mistake. Be assured that nothing is being ‘swept under the carpet,’ but we are bringing it out into the light of God’s truth in mercy so that we can interrupt Satan’s plan to use this to discredit Jesus Christ by destroying the lives of Todd, his family and his friends. The Holy Spirit, who is perfect, must use imperfect people even in revival. Carol and I always urge Christians to pay close attention to the issues of integrity. The scripture admonishes each one of us, “Watch over your heart with all diligence; for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Christian leaders are held to the high standard of being exemplary in character and all other aspects of our personal lives. When a leader fails, the news spreads so quickly to those outside the body of Christ heaping shame and reproach upon the name of Jesus Christ and the church. The enemy wants to use these failures to undo the work of the Holy Spirit if he can. To those who were blessed in Lakeland, do not allow the seeds of hope and healing that were sown into you there be uprooted by this leader’s mistakes. It was God who touched you and no one can take that away unless you allow it. Continue to give God the praise and thanks. I am aware that the devil wants to tempt some people to say, “I told you so.” Do not allow yourself to become his instrument by using the sword of truth without mercy in this way. Before you cast a stone, remember that you are not without sin yourself. This is how pride can gain a subtle hold in your heart. What you sow now, you will reap in the future. Had you lived during the reign of King David would you have judged him for his moral failure? While he was in sin, God saw David’s heart and knew that he could be corrected and redeemed. His sin and God’s judgment on it as well as God’s redemption of the situation are recorded in Scripture for everyone to read. My prayer since 1994 has been, “More, Lord! I want more of your love and power.” I want God to send us more revival with all its accompanying blessings. I want to see many more conversions, healings and miracles. More than that, however, I want to see these days led by honorable and trusted leaders who not only have powerful gifts but who are pure in heart and character. May I enlist your prayers for Todd and Shonnah and their children at this time, that God, the Great Reverser, will miraculously turn this situation around? Much love to you all in Jesus, John Arnott August 17, 2008

Dutch Sheets Appeal

A Statement and Appeal Regarding Lakeland August 21, 2008 It has now been a couple of weeks since I heard about Todd Bentley’s plans for separation and divorce. Like everyone, I have had a variety of emotions including anger, sadness, and grief. Every time I see this scenario repeated, I grieve: for the husband and wife involved; for the family that will be scarred in so many ways; because of the incredible reproach it brings to Christ; and the distortion it gives concerning God’s heart and ways. I am praying for Todd and his family. I was asked numerous times to write my position on Lakeland while it was happening, but always felt checked by the Lord—the waters were too muddy and emotions too high. I now feel strongly that the Lord wants me to do so. It will be arguably one of the greatest risks of my ministry to date, but one I feel must be taken. Fathers, when given the voice to do so, bear the responsibility of giving correction and wisdom. I hope mine qualifies for the latter. I assure you I have spent many hours praying and thinking through the situation. The risks are broad: with some of my dearest friends and co-laborers, I risk harming those relationships; with many in the charismatic body of Christ, I risk appearing to be an arrogant, “self-appointed” spokesperson for them; to the “I told you so” crowd, I risk the accusation of “spinning” the situation. (As far as the heresy hunters and revival police—not those who raised legitimate questions about Lakeland, but the attack dogs who make their living and build their ministries criticizing everyone else—I lost respect for them long ago and couldn’t care less what they think.) My purpose and sincere prayer in writing this statement, however, is three-fold: to see healing begin for the body of Christ; to initiate a process that can remove the reproach brought to Christ and the Church; and to do these things while preserving and honoring my current relationships. I pray that these desires, along with my heart, come through loudly. And I hope I’m writing this with true humility—who among us clearly sees all hidden in our own hearts? Let me also preface this statement by saying that what needs to be said cannot be done quickly or carelessly. I do not want my heart to be missed and am not willing to run that risk for the sake of brevity, so please bear with the length. (Incidentally, I think it will be obvious no one involved in the Lakeland situation has asked me to write this; and for the sake of integrity on my part, none have been consulted concerning what I’m stating.) Mistakes at Lakeland Did leaders handling the Lakeland situation make mistakes? Yes—huge mistakes. Beyond the obvious fruit of salvations and healings, can good come from Lakeland, as some have suggested, even with the recent revelations concerning Todd Bentley? Yes, but only if there is complete honesty and transparency, the removal of all attempts at self-preservation, and absolute humility from all sides. Did I endorse the Lakeland meetings? No, I did not, nor did I condemn them. I acknowledged that healings were occurring and some were being saved, which I still believe and rejoice over. I realized and stated that the thousands of people attending were hungry and sincere, as were those involved in leading the meetings. The worship was regularly good. But looking past some of the immediate and positive results, I, like many, also looked ahead to the possible fruit from questionable doctrine and experiences, exaggeration and hype, youthful pride, character issues and the frightening potential of a 32 year “young” man leading a movement that could shape the future of the Church. These things were frightening, very frightening, to others and me. When something has the potential of setting precedent, birthing a movement and being reproduced as a prototype, we are no longer simply endorsing good brothers, good intentions and miracles. Doctrine and foundations will be built on these events. Teachings and paradigms for future ministries will be formed—in short, the next generation of the church and the move of God in the earth could be greatly impacted. This is why I stopped short of endorsing everything at Lakeland. Just as importantly, I could not ignore the “check”, the uneasiness, the sickening feeling deep in my spirit telling me something else was wrong—terribly wrong—in this situation. Like other leaders I tried to push past my uneasiness with the showmanship, the “bams,” the head butts and kneeing, along with certain experiences and doctrines, all in order to embrace the good. Like many of my friends I tried to be—and believe I was— gracious, accepting, ready to think “out of the box”, etc. But try as I may, the uneasiness in my spirit just wouldn’t leave. Did I voice my concerns to the appropriate people? Yes, including stating my concerns for Todd’s marriage to the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team. Did they listen? Some did, some didn’t. But I want to state emphatically, this is not an “I told you so” statement. In fact, much of what I want to address goes back several years into our charismatic Christian history. And I assure you that concerning our present weaknesses in the charismatic church, there is plenty of blame to go around. Personally, I’ve been right at times with my discernment and decisions, wrong at others. It would be worse than hypocritical for me to point the finger of accusation—I have no stones of judgment to throw. Nonetheless, mistakes were made and must be acknowledged and learned from in order for us to heal, grow and move forward. Some of my closest friends endorsed and participated in the Lakeland meetings. For them I have both criticism—all of us lose credibility at this point if we’re not completely honest—and affirmation. Should they have been more discerning and have listened to the warnings they received? Obviously. Should those who “aligned” Todd with spiritual fathers (which was a good thing and positioned him to receive help if he chooses to accept it) have realized to do so publicly was a mistake and could be interpreted by those watching in no other way than as a complete endorsement? Yes, they should have, especially when the event became a commissioning ceremony, complete with decrees and prophecies of going to higher levels, predictions of Todd’s increasing world-wide influence and leading a world-wide revival, emphatic and prolific endorsements of his character, etc. How could those watching believe the evening was anything but an aligning, endorsing and commissioning ceremony? It was. It really doesn’t matter who laid their hands on Todd—all share responsibility. This was unwise at best, naïve at least and at its worst, foolish. And should the leaders involved have realized that those of us connected to them relationally, ministerially, and as movements—some even in alignment with them apostolically and as sons and daughters—would feel minimalized, if not betrayed, by the fact that they were in essence taking us onto the stage with them? Yes. These feelings were inevitable, especially when we had such uneasiness and asked them not to. Should there be an acknowledgment of these mistakes to the body of Christ for the sake of accountability and in order to rebuild trust? I believe so, and remain hopeful this will happen. With such strong statements of disagreement, what is the affirmation toward my friends who led, participated in or endorsed this ceremony (and the meetings in general)? Simply stated, I know their hearts. It is not a contradiction of my criticisms toward some of their actions to, at the same time, defend and endorse their hearts and character. It is completely appropriate—when true—to defend a person’s heart and integrity while disagreeing with their actions. I think the blunder of that night was huge and very damaging to the body of Christ, but I also realize that in their hearts, those involved honestly felt they were doing the right things. Again, while not defending the action taken, I would defend the character and integrity of Peter and Doris Wagner as vigorously as anyone I know, and do so with absolute confidence. There are no two people, and I mean that literally, who embody the qualities of humility, integrity, holiness (no compromise!), sacrifice, unselfish kingdom-thinking, the tireless giving of themselves to Christ’s cause and the body of Christ—and do I need to add risk-taking?—as much as Peter and Doris Wagner. It remains my great honor to be associated with them and call them a spiritual father and mother. And again, while not minimizing or “sweeping under the rug” any wrong decisions, I remain steadfast in my belief that similar affirmations could be made of others involved—either directly or indirectly—in the ceremony. And some of them still see their endorsing of Lakeland as an endorsement of revival generally, not of Todd personally. The Bigger Picture It may come as a surprise, however, that my real purpose in writing this is not to only state the above, as important as I believe saying it is. My primary purpose, and I believe my assignment from the Lord, is to identificationally repent on behalf of the leadership of the charismatic body of Christ (see Nehemiah 1:4- 7; Daniel 9:1-19). In doing so, I do not have a pompous, “no one else will, so I’ll do it” attitude, nor am I arrogant enough to think I have become the spokesperson for the charismatic church. But in the same way that I can identify with the racism of white predecessors and repent to blacks, Native Americans and other races, I can represent the leadership of the charismatic body of Christ and identificationally repent for our sins and weaknesses. I encourage leaders who find my statements true and appropriate to join me. Beyond the simple fact of it being appropriate, I firmly believe it is the only way to begin the process of rebuilding trust with those asked to follow us and to remove the cynicism of the world we ask to listen to us. As you know, regaining credibility is much more difficult than attaining credibility. Concerning what I’m about to say, I don’t believe I have a critical spirit, nor do I want to diminish the sacrifices, faithfulness, and hard work done by so many in ministry. The fact remains, however, that we have failed the Lord and His people in many ways—not just with Lakeland but in countless other situations— and must repent if we are to be trusted in the future. And as you also know, no repentance is effective if watered down and couched in excuses, therefore, I intend to be brutally honest: 1) We, the leaders of the charismatic community, have operated in an extremely low level of discernment. Frankly, we often don’t even try to discern. We assume a person’s credibility based on gifts, charisma, the size of their ministry or church, whether they can prophesy or work a miracle, etc. (Miracles and signs are intended to validate God and His message, not the messenger; sometimes they validate the assignment of an individual, but never the person’s character, lifestyle or spiritual maturity.) We leaders in the Church have become no different than the world around us in our standards for measuring success and greatness. This has contributed to the body of Christ giving millions of dollars to undeserving individuals; it has allowed people living in sin to become influential leaders—even to lead movement, allowing them influence all the way to the White House. Through our lack of discernment we built their stages and gave them their platforms. We have been gullible beyond words—gullible leaders producing gullible sheep. When a spiritual leader we’re connected with violates trust, is exposed for immorality or falls below other accepted standards of behavior, it does not exonerate us simply to say we don’t condone such behavior. Those we lead trust us to let them know whom to trust. We have failed them miserably in this regard. For this lack of discernment, and for employing and passing on inappropriate standards of judgment, I repent to the Lord and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. 2) We, the leaders of the charismatic church, spin our involvement and fail to acknowledge our responsibility when other leaders fall—all of which stems from our self-preservation and pride. Enough of the spin—we’re no different than Washington, DC. Every time another embarrassing and disgraceful situation is exposed, the dancing begins. It seems that no one bears any real responsibility except the man or woman who actually commits sin. Incredibly, we even blame “revival” itself—the pressures, attacks, weariness, the “revival is messy” argument, etc., saying it is responsible for the failures. This is disgusting. Those of us on boards of fallen leaders, those who helped give them a voice, put them on TV, published and endorsed their books (yes, I have), etc., are not exonerated simply by saying we don’t condone the wrong behavior or that we didn’t know. We’re supposed to know. I don’t believe anyone is expecting perfection from us—I know I’m not. We’re far too human for that. But we are expected to have enough humility to look the world and those who follow us in the eye when we miss it and say, “we were wrong and we are sorry.” Our careless accountability has caused the body of Christ to be spiritually raped and abused. It has produced disillusionment and brought immeasurable reproach to our God and cynicism to His message. Concerning Lakeland, what was called the “greatest revival since Azusa Street” has become possibly one of the greatest reproaches. We, the leaders of the charismatic church, are responsible. For not accepting and acknowledging our responsibility, for caring more about our own reputation than Christ’s, I repent to God and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. 3) Our procedures and standards of accountability are incredibly inadequate. We have provided camaraderie, not biblical accountability. For those on Todd Bentley’s board who had previous knowledge of his marriage problems and said nothing, it was more than a mistake—it was reckless, foolish, and irresponsible. For those on the stage the night of his aligning and commissioning who knew and said nothing—ditto. For those there who didn’t know, my question is, “why didn’t you?” You were trusted to know. That is one of the purposes of public commissioning and the purpose behind the concept of endorsement. I’m not trying to point the finger; I’m endeavoring to get us to be honest about our failures—we have serious credibility issues. Have I ever laid hands on, commissioned or endorsed anyone without adequately checking them out? Yes, but you better believe I’ll be more careful next time! And we must not single out Lakeland. We’re all guilty. What about the leader in my city who ran with some of the leading spiritual fathers in our nation—sincere and good men, I might add, and not all “charismatic” leaders—who sang his praises and helped build his stage—all while he was doing drugs and having sex with other men? But we shouldn’t blame only the high profile cases—what about those of us who unknowingly have had adulterers on our staffs or appointed elders that turned out to have compromise in their life? Sounding familiar yet? This is so epidemic that every member of the body of Christ stands guilty—what pastor or leader did you follow that turned out to have sin issues? What ministry did you support that was unworthy? There is plenty of blame to go around. The big question becomes not “who do we blame” but “how do we fix this mess?” Leaders can live in sin—adultery, homosexuality, financial wrongdoing, drugs, etc.—for years without it being realized. They can offer completely unacceptable lifestyles for the body of Christ to follow and still keep their TV programs and lavish lifestyles. In the name of grace, compassion and forgiveness we have lowered the standard so much that often there isn’t one. We have bought into the lie that true discipline is “shooting our wounded.” We have made a mockery of biblical restoration, making “ministry”—not healthy individuals, marriages and families—its ultimate goal. The fact is, integrity matters. No, we don’t need legalistic, pharisaical standards, but we must have standards. For this lack of biblical accountability, I repent to God and I ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. 4) We, the leaders of the charismatic church, have built on hype, sensation, innovation, programs, personality and charisma. This has produced: shallowness; false movements; novice leaders—gifted but immature and untested; a deficient understanding of God’s word; the building of man-centered rather than kingdom-centered churches and ministries; competition rather than cooperation; humanistic, selfcentered Christians who don’t understand sacrifice and commitment; Christians without discernment; superstar leaders; a perverted and powerless gospel; prayerless and anemic Christians; a replacement of the fear of the Lord with the fear of man; and a young generation that is cynical of it all. We are responsible, not the devil; he takes what we give him. For this compromise in the way we build, for giving the Church watered down wine, commercial Christianity, a flashy but weak Church and hype disguised as anointing, I repent to God and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. Galatians 6:1-5 is an appropriate reference with which to end this statement: “Brethren, even if a man caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one shall bear his own load.” NAS My passionate prayer is that God honors this repentance—I believe He led me to do it and therefore, will—and uses it to begin a process of cleansing and healing for all of us. In order for the coming great awakening to bear maximum fruit we must have both, as well as a course correction that sets us on a path of wisdom leading to life. There is no doubt that past moves of God have been aborted, ended prematurely and contained error or heresy that have wounded, if not destroyed, many. The healing revival of the 40’s and 50’s, the charismatic movement, discipleship movement and Jesus movement are all examples. My heart is to help shape a movement, the fruit of which will last for decades—better yet, forever. And I have great expectations for us—I am not a cynic. My passionate prayer is also that Todd Bentley’s marriage survives and thrives…that he turns his heart fully toward Christ and toward those with whom he is aligned, and allows them, as God leads, to put him on a path of complete restoration. I thank God for those who were touched by the Holy Spirit at Lakeland and while watching it on God TV and the web. May we all move forward into all God has planned for us in this awesome season of endless possibility.   With great hope—Dutch Sheets

Peter Wagner Comments

An Update on Lakeland from Peter August 25, 2008 I was in the San Francisco airport on my way to Singapore and Indonesia when the news of Todd Bentley's separation from his wife became public on August 12. When I arrived back home last week, I found that Doris had received and replied to around 1,700 emails and the stack of correspondence on my desk was unbelievable. It took me the rest of the week to catch up! During the week I was gone, a major watershed occurred regarding the Lakeland situation as most of you would know. We are now on a new playing field. Lakeland Outpouring I, in which Todd Bentley was the main figure, is now history. Lakeland Outpouring II, in which Stephen Strader of Ignited Church is the main figure, has begun. The Outpouring started in a local church, went to a tent, and now is back in the local church. My suggestion is that we no longer use the term "Lakeland Outpouring" but rather distinguish between Lakeland I and Lakeland II because they are very different. Let me talk a bit about the present, then revisit the past, then project the future. The Present It will sound surprising to some, but Lakeland II in Ignited Church, which you will remember was the original host church, is going very well. The big crowds and GOD TV, of course, are gone. Ignited Church seats around 700 in the main sanctuary and Stephen Strader reports that on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings they have to use their overflow room. It is comfortably filled on week nights. The morning training sessions continue with a couple hundred every day, and teams continue to move daily into the streets of Lakeland spreading the gospel. Percentage-wise the dramatic miracles and healings occur nightly with probably a higher percentage of salvations on a daily basis. Support from local pastors is improving considerably. The most interesting report is that every night some 30 percent are first-time attenders, meaning that people are still coming to Lakeland from the outside to experience Outpouring II. A lady from our church with a severe chronic back problem went to Ignited Church and came home healed! Such a thing does not usually happen when a public figure suddenly goes down the tubes, so we need to take our hats off to the apostolic gifts and role that Stephen Strader is demonstrating for us. Speaking of the public figure going down the tubes, Todd Bentley now carries the label of a liar and a deceiver. I'm sorry to mention it, but I felt personally deceived in the same way when Ted Haggard's sin was exposed and he was immediately removed from ministry. In the Lakeland I case, I am elated at the way things are turning out. The Revival Alliance with whom Todd was aligned on June 23 has kicked into action with a vengeance. Ché Ahn and Bill Johnson, like me, were overseas when things broke, but John Arnott stepped up to the plate and moved in apostolically. It has since become clear that Todd's Fresh Fire Board could not have handled the situation, Stephen Strader and Ignited Church could not, nor could any of his other close friends. Only the Revival Alliance could. I am delighted that they are not buying into typical charismatic soft morality, also called "greasy grace" or "don't touch God's anointed" or "mercy must triumph over judgment," phrases that have been used on other similar occasions as convenient religious cop-out excuses. They're proceeding in love, but it is tough love! Since this is an update, I will share some of what I know about what is happening with Bentley, but not all because some things need more verification and it is up to discernment of Revival Alliance what and when this will be revealed. Suffice it to say that there is more than I am going to mention. First of all, Todd has been removed from public ministry until further notice. He has resigned from the ministry he founded, Fresh Fire, so he is no longer a part of that board. It has become clear that he indulged in periodic drunkenness. He has no intention at the moment of reconciling with Shonna, nor does she with him. Their marriage has been torn for years by his emotional attachment with at least one other female whose physical contact went beyond hugging and kissing and holding hands. Enough said-maybe more details will be revealed later-but it was clearly immoral. All of this was skillfully concealed by lying and by swearing close associates who had observed his behavior to secrecy. Stephen Strader, for example, knew nothing of this before June 23. Apparently some of his board members did, but they did not have the ability to deal with it. The Past I hope this is the last time I will have to address the past. It is now history. But as history is written, I feel that I have some responsibility of helping to have history be written accurately, especially since I have turned out to be a lightening rod for a number of severe criticisms. Most of you know this, but let me reiterate to keep it on record. Previous to around the middle of June, my interest in Lakeland was about a 2 on a scale of 1-10. Then I got a call from Stephen Strader, the host pastor who was a member of ICA, which I lead, with a passionate appeal for apostolic intervention because chaos and confusion had begin to invade the Outpouring I. Toward the end of the hour we were talking, I received one of my infrequent direct words from God: "Alignment!" Just one word, but I knew I had a divine command and responsibility. Once I knew that God had assigned me to initiate some sort of apostolic intervention at Stephen's side, I began praying and consulting with close colleagues. In less than two days I discovered that Todd Bentley had no formal, established apostolic alignment. I asked God how I should proceed, especially since I had no inclination to attempt an apostle-evangelist approach and expect that Bentley would submit to or even listen to what I had to say if I made an appointment with him in Lakeland. I felt that proper apostolic protocol would be for me to deal with one or more peer-level apostles to whom Todd had aligned apostolically. Since as yet he had no such alignment, I began asking God how such an alignment might come about. He directed me to my close friend, Ché Ahn, who himself is apostolically aligned with me and who also had been close to Bentley for years. Ché agreed that the best apostolic protocol would be for Todd to align with the Revival Alliance if he were willing. Ché called him and Bentley agreed to submit publicly to the Revival Alliance. At this point some disagreements arose. I have already mentioned that I was consulting with several apostolic colleagues whom I trusted and whom I know trusted me. It is very necessary for us to understand exactly what the disagreement was about. It was about the most appropriate apostolic protocol for the occasion. After prayerfully listening to the different points of view with careful consideration of what was being said, the decision had to be mine. I believe that God's word to me about "Alignment!" had to be directional. I concluded that the best protocol was to do the alignment first, then deal with the issues that had been raised. My other friends disagreed and urged me to deal with Todd's problems first then do the alignment. I respected their point of view and I was very sorry that I had to follow God's leading for me personally instead of taking their advice. It was not a comfortable decision. Now let me address what was behind much of their disagreement with my apostolic protocol. They were concerned that if I appeared on the platform with GOD TV, many viewers would interpret it as my personal endorsement of everything that was going on in Lakeland I, and since they were so closely associated with me, they would be implicated as well. This was a legitimate concern, and one I seriously wrestled with as I made my decision. If I went to Lakeland and presided over the alignment, some might well take it as an endorsement. It was a risk, I knew. Let me say personally that all my life I have been a risk-taker instead of a play-it-safe person, and I have taken many hits for it. As an example going to the jungles of Bolivia as a career field missionary when I was 25 with my wife and a one-year-old baby girl was a serious risk. Both that daughter and another who was born in the jungle without medical attention came close to losing their lives during those five years. And we were criticized for our decision to take the risk by many, including parents! Closer to the Lakeland I situation, I have a private list of no fewer than 18 high-profile Christian leaders starting from the 1970s until Bentley for whom I took risks. For each one of them I took serious criticisms and in some cases personal hits even much more serious than I have received in this current case because I endorsed or partnered with or provided alignment for them. Some were typified as "crazy!" However, I can pretty much discern winners, although not always. My track record for the 18 is 72% emerged as real winners (you would know most of them), 17% ended up losers (including Bentley), and 11% indecisive. I'm sorry for the losers, but they prove I am not perfect. The point I am making is that I am no stranger to taking risks and living with the fallout. One fallout from Lakeland I is that several have resigned from ICA and other organizations that I lead because they no longer want to be identified with me. Others are still upset. Still, believe it or not, I think that everyone involved is still my friend. We just disagree. I want it understood that I did not go to Lakeland on June 23 for Todd Bentley. I had never met him personally. I had no knowledge of and little interest in his ministry. I went because I received an apostolic plea to help bring order to the confusion and chaos that was sweeping through the body of Christ worldwide because of the television. I went strictly for the body of Christ at the invitation of the host pastor of the Outpouring I. The final question is: Was it successful? Looking back, I praise God for using me and others to help bring order to confusion, which is one of the chief biblical tasks of an apostle. Stephen Strader, who has been keeping records, affirms that the evil that the prince of the power of the air had been subtly introducing into the Outpouring I started to be exposed and unraveled the day after the alignment, June 24! Spiritually, this is very understandable. Just about every leader I knew had discerned that Lakeland I was a mixture of the godly and the ungodly. We were praying in one accord that the evil would be separated from the good. My take is that God had decided to answer these prayers and in order to facilitate His process, He assigned me and the Revival Alliance leaders and others who were with us to align Todd Bentley apostolically for the first time in his life. When we did this publicly, spiritual transactions took place in the invisible world that would not allow the enemy to maintain the veil of secrecy he had carefully placed over the Outpouring. The evil was exposed, Revival Alliance had the authority to deal with it, and the net result is that order is replacing chaos in the body of Christ. In my section above on "The Present" I gave you some details. Believe me, they are only the tip of the iceberg as I just learned from a new phone call even as I was writing this paper. The proper apostolic structure, happily, is in place at the time of crisis! The Future It is now important to recognize that from now on we have a different playing field. Two separate things are going on. (1) The Revival Alliance is dealing with Todd Bentley and the fallout from his sin that has been and continues to be exposed. (2) I have told you previously about a group of 11 apostles that I have formed into the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team. We no longer need to deal with Lakeland I and Bentley as such. However, we have a list of 24 serious issues that have emerged from that unpleasant experience which need to be thoroughly discussed with the conclusions circulated in the body of Christ. If you have seen Dutch Sheets' recent "A Statement and Appeal Regarding Lakeland" you will get a glimpse of some of the things that we agree need to become standard operational beliefs and practices, particularly in our charismatically-inclined evangelical segment of the church. It will take time, but our Apostolic Team will get to work on the 24 issues after some of this present dust settles, and we will be back to you! Blessings, Peter

Patricia King Comments
	To listen to Patricia Kings comments on this situation use the following link for a video comment. Extreme Prophetic LINK.

Heather Clark Comments

Todd and the Lakeland outpouring.  This is my official statement. I believe that Todd is a sincere person.  He loves the lost and wants to see God move.  He is a friend. I do not agree with all of his doctrine nor share the same opinion  he has of his prophetic experiences.  This being said I think it is terrible and cruel the way that he has been treated, slammed and bashed by the body of Christ.  I think it is fine to disagree and even warn with strength and passion but to shred to pieces is not walking in any measure of love. It has come out officially now that he and his wife are legally separated.  I am believing in prayer for the restoration of this marriage and family.  On the Lakeland meetings I was there leading worship many times and personally felt changed, renewed, revived, touched.  I think that it is common in the excitement of the moment for any of us to exaggerate the quantity of the quality of what is happening.  In other words, I believe that there were people sincerely touched, healed, changed, but I think that it could have been wisdom to not jump to conclusions before testing the change whether it be physical or spiritual.

Bill Johnson Comments

A great tragedy has come to light this past week. Todd Bentley, the revivalist who has been leading the Lakeland Outpouring meetings, has had a major meltdown and has filed for divorce. This comes at the worst possible time both for the revival and for those who have stood with him. Back in June, Che Ahn , John Arnott, and I went to Lakeland, Florida, to do a commissioning service for Todd. We felt the need to stand with him. Opposition against him was great, and we could be a great strength to Todd in that time. John and Che especially could be a great asset as they had endured incredible opposition during the Toronto outpouring. Peter Wagner helped to oversee and lead that part of the meeting. Although he had not personally endorsed the revival, he felt it important enough to risk personal criticism from his peers to bring Todd into an apostolic alignment for his own safety. I did not go to Lakeland and stand on the platform with Todd Bentley because he was perfect in character or because we agreed on everything he was doing in Lakeland. I went to Lakeland because of his enemies. The relentless criticism and opposition, coupled with the grueling and sometimes unwise schedule, were bound to take their toll on this young man—emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It happened two years ago, and it could happen again. It was my intention to bring a deflection into the mix so that he wouldn't take all the heat by himself. Little did I realize it was too late. He was at the place of burnout again, abandoning his marriage and pulling out of all public ministry. While I will never blame Todd's opponents for Todd's bad choices (Todd alone is responsible for them) their opposition had a greater effect than any of his critics will likely own up to in this lifetime. Now what? Pray for Todd and Shonnah for complete healing in their marriage and personal lives. Pray for those giving counsel to them that they would use great wisdom. Please know that while we may not give details of our efforts, we are doing everything possible to help bring healing and order to this tragedy. Blessings! Bill Johnson

Che Ahn Comments

Many of you may have heard that Todd Bentley and his wife, Shonnah, have separated this past week. I, along with you, am deeply saddened by the separation. None of us are completely aware of all the circumstances, but I do know that they had problems three years ago. At that time, they sought counseling and went forward believing their marriage was restored. It is obvious that the stress of the outpouring meetings at Lakeland has had a major effect on their current relationship. I tried to reach Todd from Korea but I was unsuccessful. John Arnott and Bill Johnson have talked with Todd, and Todd is stepping down from ministry and is willing to seek counseling. As of this time, the Bentleys are still going through with their separation. Please pray that their marriage will be fully restored. It is not surprising that the enemy would use this incident and anything he can find to impugn the work of God to cause us and all involved to question the Lakeland revival. Every revival that I have experienced or studied had its controversy, and the Lakeland revival, to say the least, has had its share. But we at HRC believe that this is a true move of God because we have personally seen the effects of the Lakeland outpouring. We have seen firsthand the lives that have been changed, saved and delivered through this recent outpouring. We have been witness to the power of Jesus physically healing many, including my daughter Joy, and healings of a number of our church members who went to Lakeland. We have also seen those who went to Lakeland come back with a greater healing impartation that is transferable. They are walking and imparting that greater anointing in increasing power and miracles wherever they minister today. I have personally ministered in a dimension of creative miracles that I have never seen in more than 30 years of being in the healing ministry. I attribute the shift to the impartation I personally received at Lakeland. We have been tremendously blessed to be part of the "Outpouring" at Harvest Rock Church. I believe the best is still ahead, even though Todd has stepped down. I have every confidence that God began the “Outpouring,” and the “cat is already out of the bag.” Thousands upon thousands in our nation and many others have already received the impartation to cause it to continue and grow. The original prophecies about the Outpouring said that the further it went from the epicenter where it began, the stronger the anointing would be. I believe that means we are to take it as carriers and be faithful to continue imparting what God began. Our urgent concern now is for a family that is really hurting and is in desperate need of our prayers. May God have mercy on Todd and his family and pour out His incredible grace to bring them into healing and wholeness. May God have mercy on us all, and may we carry mercy in our hearts to be reconcilers to those who would use this to destroy the marvelous wonders God has done and is yet to do. In His love,   Che Ahn Senior Pastor