The outpouring, which has come to be known as the Toronto Blessing, was birthed out of Randy Clark's own need for a personal touch from God writes Charisma Magazine.
"I started my church in St. Louis in 1986, and by 1993 I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown from pastoring," Clark told Charisma.
Desperate for God's intervention, Clark attended a Rodney Howard-Browne conference in 1993. He felt little "spiritual electricity" during the conference, he admits, and was unsure what he gained from the meetings until the following Sunday morning service at his church.
"The power of God hit us like a bomb," Clark says. "A few weeks later, at a regional pastors meeting for Vineyard Churches at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I told other pastors what God did in my life and church." John Arnott, pastor of what was known that time as the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church, then invited him to Toronto.
Randy arrived in Toronto with one sermon and a testimony in hand for a few days of meetings. "I was going to preach twice and have my associate preach twice because I didn't feel I had four sermons worth giving," says Clark, who downplays his role in the outpouring.
Clark stayed with the revival for the first 42 days, an active fire-starter in the manifestations of healing, shaking, laughter and falling under God's power that became common among revival participants.
Only 160 people attended the first meeting, but as news about God's visitation in Toronto spread around the world, crowds of 1,000 a night became routine. And it's not over yet: Six years later, the revival meetings continue - six days a week, 52 weeks a year. The church is now called Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.
Since 1994, the Toronto Blessing has attracted 3 million visitors to its auditorium. But it has also drawn criticism from some, particularly Hank Hanegraaff of the California-based Christian Research Institute. He has condemned the Toronto revival for encouraging "esoteric experiences."
Clark told Charisma that the best argument to Hanegraaff's criticism came from Clark's former evangelism Professor, Lewis Drummond of Southern Baptist "Theological Seminary. Drummond once stated that the greatest revival in the history of Southern Baptists was the Shantung Revival, which occurred, in northern China in 1933.
"I was shocked to find that almost all the phenomena that occurred in the Shantung Revival had happened in my meetings in Toronto in early 1994," Clark says. Clark also discovered that the Southern Baptists reprinted the book in 1970, but they omitted all reports of the revival phenomena. He has reprinted the book in its original form, adding only an introduction. The unedited version of The Shantung Revival is available through Global Awakening at (314) 416-9239. (Charisma Magazine April 2000)
CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS BACK IN THE NEWS
We wrote about the 'Church Without Walls' founded in 1991 in Tampa, Florida a while back and they are back in the news. They purchased a new facility for $8 million and spent another $4 million for renovations and have moved into their 5,000 seat sanctuary. Randy White's 70,000 square-foot facility is to be called an Economic Empowerment Center. White envisions more than 70 businesses being launched in the next eight month from the Economic Empowerment Center.
"The church provides the facility, and the congregation will build businesses there," Randy White said. Possible businesses include a travel agency, a fitness center, shoeshine and car-detailing shops.
Negotiations are under way to acquire a 300-room Days Inn hotel located next to the church's 15-acre property, which has been appraised at more than $20 million. The hotel will be converted into a convalescent home and would add to the church's already impressive inner-city ministry.. "Because of the way we teach the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping, we have raised up 17 multimillionaires since the church started in 1991," he said. "We've taught our people to give. It really creates wealth. That's why I feel confident that we will be debt free." (Charisma, June 2000)OUR FUTURE WITH FAITH-BASED CHARITIES
Faith-based charities in a dilemma. The charity's leaders figured it was better to accept taxpayers dollars, and provide educational opportunities in an environment "free of spiritual nourishment", than to let those educational needs remain unmet.
"There are opportunities for families and children to pray and worship together right up to the time school begins," Kos said. "But there is nothing that occurs during the official school day that is distinctly Christian."
This is an example what the price is for faith-based charities that accept government funding for education. Christianity will be taboo even though they are Christians. Tampa Tribune continues: Other faith-based charities could soon find themselves pondering similar questions as state tax dollars become available to those offering everything from childcare to job training services.
The GOP-driven shift Florida is poised to begin enlisting more of its churches and religious groups in the battle against poverty at a price. The strategy is contained in a broad economic development bill approved by lawmakers.. Under the plan, faith-based organizations and other community groups would be actively recruited for various social service contracts particularly in Florida's impoverished inner cities. Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to sing the legislation, Senate Bill 406.
This bill is part of a nationwide shift in government attitudes on how, and where, to spend tax dollars on social services. Some say this is basically spending tax money for religious purposes.. "But what it really comes down to is a massive push toward state-supported religion."
Because of the First Amendment protections against government intrusion, they could simply choose to ignore rules and conditions imposed on the use of the money.
In Kentucky, for example, a Baptist charity that accepts tax dollars to counsel troubled teens fired a social worker because of her lesbian lifestyle. It violated church beliefs. They are involved in a lawsuit now with Civil Liberties Union. The solution for this has been found. Faith-based organizations must form separate nonprofit organizations that would actually handle the money and perform the work. The legislation also prevents the money from being used for religious purposes. (The Tampa Tribune, May 29.2000)
The consequences of this trend are obvious. The focus for congregations will have to be redirected to the function of the money and how to satisfy the contract with the government. Church will have to become phased out. The idea is to save dollars by using volunteer help and these volunteered hours are after work and on weekends. All the time available will have to go to the government job. They will not get enough money to hire people at minimum wage. There are people complaining about that already.
BACK