No matter how many homiletic courses taken and sermons delivered, preachers are always looking to improve their sermons. Many times the pastor leaves the pulpit on Sunday and although many hours of prayer and study went into sermon preparation, he or she is not satisfied with the results.

One pastor commented, “We pray and study all week then when we stand behind the pulpit to proclaim God’s Holy Word we fumble and bumble.”

Although the minister’s library has many preaching titles they are always on the lookout for newly published books on the subject.

Preaching Points: 55 Tips For Improving Your Pulpit Ministry will be a welcome addition to a pastor’s already voluminous library.

This book contains nuggets of wonderful insights that will help the pastor in sermon preparation.

Preaching Points is written by professors of homiletics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Haddon W. Robinson Center for Preaching at the seminary.

The contributors are respected professors of preaching including, The late Haddon W. Robinson, Jeffrey D. Arthurs, Patricia M. Batten, Scott M. Gibson (editor), and Matthew D. Kim.

Regarding clarity, Gibson writes, “The preacher has the responsibility to be clear to his or her listeners. If there were to be an eleventh commandment given to preachers it probably would be “Be clear”! (p.1)

The late Dr. Howard Hendricks, who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary supports this point about being clear by saying, “A mist in the pulpit puts a fog in the pews.”[1]

Obviously, it is important to be clear, but what is the Big Idea?

Professor Robinson states the following:

We talk about the Big Idea at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The Big Idea is the dominant idea in your sermon. It’s made up by asking two questions: First, what is the author talking about? And second, what is the author saying about what he is talking about? (p. 3)

In his book, Biblical Preaching, Robinson devotes an entire chapter to the Big Idea. Clearly, this is an important part of sermon preparation and it behooves the pastor to heed his advice.

The Preaching Points listed in the book will certainly help the preacher to stay on track and keep the attention of his or her listeners. Outstanding chapters of note are: Sermon preparation is twenty hours of prayer; Feed my lambs, not my giraffes; In our preaching, less is more; Praise your listeners before correcting them; and Strengthen yourself in the Lord.

Although the preacher may be very familiar with the text and may have preached from it many times before, they should still soak themselves in the text.

One pastor who knows the importance of soaking oneself in the text shared that he reads his text 100 times.

The book does not provide notes or a bibliography, however, the experience of these leading scholars make up for it. Several books on preaching have been written by the contributors to this book.

The material shared is invaluable for sermon preparation. They are a fountain of information to assist the pastor in fulfilling Paul’s exhortation to pastors to “Preach the Word.”

This book may not be mentioned on lists of the best books for preachers, however, it will benefit the preacher to purchase a copy. It is a very easy read and very well-written. Grab your highlighter, you will want to return here many times to be refreshed.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Publisher’s page: https://lexhampress.com/product/153980/preaching-points-55-tips-for-improving-your-pulpit-ministry

Notes

[1] “A Fog in the Pews” Moreland First Baptist Church

“Congregations are shrinking and in decline in the United States and elsewhere” (xiii). Michael Plekon (Emeritus Professor of Baruch College), begins the introduction to his new book, Ministry Matters, with this matter-of-fact statement, not to frighten Christ-followers or cause undue despair, but to set the stage for us to see clearly the work God is doing in the Church today. It is apparent to most people that we are living in anxious, even perilous, times; however, according to Plekon, there is hope for resurrection from death. This is one of the themes of Plekon’s previous book, Community as Church, Church as Community (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2021), which carries over, in part, to Ministry Matters. Although the two books complement each other, Plekon’s latest work moves on from inquiry about church decline to inquiring about “the vocation, lives, and work of pastors today” (xiii).

There are two major ideas running through the book: that “pastors are among us to bring God to the people and the people to God” (xv, 15 times in alternate forms), and “we will listen” to others (xvi, also another 52 times in alternate forms). That Plekon gives these ideas a place of prominence in his research should be enough to inform the reader as to where this book is leading them. God in Christ remains at the centre of the Church, and we, whether ordained or lay, must be willing to listen closely to others who have something to say about being fellow servants in the service of the Lord Jesus and our neighbours. For this study, Plekon chose several well-known pastor-theologians to listen to and engage with: George Keith, Nicholas Afanasiev, Cathie Caimano, C. Andrew Doyle, David Barnhart, Andrew Root, Sam Wells, Barbara Brown Taylor, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Sarah Coakley, Rowan Williams, Henri Nouwen, Pope Francis, and Will Willimon.

So, to return to one of the main ideas that Plekon’s friend, George Keith, developed in one of his sermons, an answer to “what is a priest?” is provided in a simple, yet profound way: “someone who takes God to the people and the people to God” (15). For the author, this is the “most fundamental” characterization of a priest’s function (16). But this definition is just the beginning of a journey through the ministries of Plekon’s other conversation partners. From Pope Francis’s appeal to all clergy that they should have “the smell of the sheep” (126), to Rowan Williams’s understanding of the ordained “as a witness to God’s solidarity with us” (108), Plekon provides his readers with a veritable treasure trove of valuable insights into what it looks like to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century.

I have read slowly, listened carefully to each voice, and continue to reflect deeply as a means to learn well and dismantle a plethora of biases. Coming from a rather conservative, Protestant background, I found some of the material foreign, other parts challenging, and a few sections somewhat deficient. If you are of a similar ilk, then you may understand and agree; otherwise, you will be hard-pressed to find fault with this book. For example, a Protestant reader unfamiliar with tradition-specific terminology such as icon, priest, rite, parish, or Eucharist may feel a bit lost while traversing the pages. Some may be challenged in mind and spirit when they read about Sarah Coakley’s experience with transcendental meditation (99), or Plekon’s inclusion of Latter Day Saints as members of the body of Christ (67), or Will Willimon’s insistence that there are no “‘ungodly’ forces [that] have declared war on Christianity” (152). Finally, given the limitations of space and the nature of research, Plekon did not listen to Baptists or Pentecostals, two large and stable groups whose voices would have added much to the overall conversation. Regardless, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom regarding the multifaceted experiences of the ordained. I strongly suggest that it to be read and digested by any Christ-follower who has an interest in the Church and the ordained, and who believe that ministry still matters—especially in a season of congregational shrinkage and church decline. The need for faithful pastors and laity is greater than ever before.

Reviewed by Joseph R. Fiorentino

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666789959/ministry-matters/

This review also appeared in Didaskalia: The Journal of Providence Theological Seminary, Volume 32, pp. 121-124 (2025), ISSN #0847-1266.

Image: Ismael Paramo

First up is a podcast from the National Association of Evangelicals. Their introduction is: “Hispanics make up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population. They have played a major role in driving population growth in our country and in revitalizing our churches over the past decades. In Today’s Conversation, Dr. Gus Reyes offers thoughtful and pastoral insight into this community, including generational dynamics and subsequent implications for ministry and outreach.”

“The Heartbeat of the Hispanic Community”

Pastor Eli says: “This is a great 40 min podcast on what US Latino evangelicals are like and the challenges we face.”

Next up is a 4-minute broadcast news story, about which Pastor Eli says: “This is a great report by NBC News on US Latinos who speak English. Sadly, this is a divisive matter in the US Latino community and including most US Latino evangelical churches. The majority lose their 2nd generation and beyond because they do not use English as part of their ministries.”

Are you Latino if you don’t speak Spanish?

Pastor Eli is right, the audience of PneumaReview.com needs to connect with these matters.

If you want to connect with Pastor Eli, try these links:

https://garzavista.wordpress.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-garza-741903200/

Image: Ray Fragapane

Peter had approached Jesus many times in the past but never in the capacity for which he now had opportunity. The privilege was not merely to walk on the water; instead, it was the opportunity to step out of the natural, physical realm where he had always been and step into the immaterial, incorporeal realm of the Spirit. Nor could Peter go on his own volition; instead, he said to Jesus, “Lord, command me to come to you on the water,” that is, “urge me to come–help me to get through my unbelief to where you are.” Peter was aware that much, much more would be happening than his merely leaving the boat. In that moment, he would be stepping into a sphere where sense and reasoning, gravity and natural forces of the earth, would no longer be in control. Such a step from one dimension to another—from earth’s materialism into the non-physical Kingdom of God–could not be initiated from himself. Apart from Jesus’ specific “urging him on,” he did not possess the ability to approach or enter that realm.

Peter’s experience involves us in this way: In every age, the Holy Spirit has invited believers to step into His own miraculous realm. Only a few have achieved it. As in Moses’ day when Israel was commanded to “follow the cloud,” so God’s constant effort has been to lead us–not across the desert–but into the miraculous realm of the Spirit. This fact has been as difficult for contemporary Christians to accept as it was for ancient Jews. For that reason many modern congregations find themselves left behind, wondering what happened to their once thriving ministries. Miraculous power is gone; nothing is left but an empty shell where life once thrived.

Scotland is a primary example. Churches in Scotland were once jammed with worshipers seeking God. Sermons were powerful and dominated national thought. Buildings were huge, elegant, and crowded. Not so today. Less than 4 percent of the Scottish population attends church. Many church buildings have been converted into taverns, night clubs, pubs, and one empty Cathedral is used for “rock climbing.” Worst of all, some church buildings have become Mosques. How did it happen? The “Cloud” moved and the Church of Scotland refused to follow. The holy fire with which John Knox ignited the nation and terrified his opponents is today a bed of ashes. And Scottish Presbyterianism is not alone. Numerous other denominations are going the same tragic route as Scotland. The Church of England has closed more than 600 houses of worship while Islam has opened nearly 1,000 new mosques inside Great Britain.

Centuries ago, one of the hymn writers saw this decline and prophetically wrote:

Surely once thy garden flourished,
Every part looked gay and green,
Then thy Word our spirit’s nourished,
Happy season we have seen.
But a drought has since succeeded,
And a sad decline we see,
Lord thy help is greatly needed,
Help can only come from Thee!
Lord revive us! O, revive us,
All our help must come from Thee!

1. Angelic appearances: John 1:49-51.

Nathanael answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

2. Daylight visions: Acts 10:1-4.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour
of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord?”

The type of angelic-encounter Jesus promised Nathanael and the incredible motivation which accompanies it, is fast-coming to believers in our day. Almost weekly I meet sensible, reliable Christians who have encountered angels. Cornelius’ experience may well be repeated before our eyes. Over 50 years ago I had a night-time visitation of angels in which my room was suddenly filled with an angelic host. When it first happened I was terrified and would have run from the room had they not spoken and put my mind at rest. At the time, I saw nothing but knew I was momentarily lifted into outer space and completely surrounded with them. The next day I shared the experience and then lapsed into years of silence for fear no one would believe me. That has changed. I am now committed to preaching about such encounters. Moslems in all parts of the world are having visions of Jesus and being saved because of it. Some of the most dynamic, out-spoken Christians I know are former Moslems to whom Jesus has sovereignly appeared. R.T. Kendall pressed this fact upon Yasser Arafat in their five private meetings as he
attempted to bring the terrorist to Christ.

3. Out-of-body experiences: 2 Corinthians 12:1-5.

I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago–whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows–such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man–whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows–how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.

My ministry began in 1948 with a daytime vision in which I saw myself preaching. Until that moment I had not the slightest hint that a pastoral life lay before me. That was not my choice. But the vision was so powerful, so totally overwhelming, that at the end of weeks of fighting it, I finally surrendered to the will of God. The vision was followed by another, again in the daytime, in which God assured me He had answers for all my fearful questions. Now, more than seven decades later, those two visions remain the greatest, most unchallengeable motivation in my commitment to Him. This year I will be 90 years old and say without hesitation I expect to receive more anointing and greater revelation through meetings with the Lord that are “out of my boat and into His realm.” I want that! With God’s grace permitting, I will! Come go with me!

From Charles Carrin Ministries monthly newsletter, Gentle Conquest (October 2020). Originally published as “An Important Difference in Religion and Spirituality.” Used with permission. http://www.charlescarrinministries.com/gentleconquest

F.F. Bosworth (1877-1958)

F.F. Bosworth (1877-1958) was a central figure in the Pentecostal movement of the early 20th century and the Post-World War II healing revival. His impact as a famous healing evangelist was unmistakable, and his book, Christ the Healer, remains a popular text on divine healing. Pentecostal church history would be incomplete without his story. One of the most prominent evangelists to serve as his protege was Tommy Lee “T.L.” Osborn (1923-2013), who became a world-renowned missionary evangelist and the famous author of the classic, Healing the Sick.

T.L. Osborn (1923-2013)

As I sought to learn more about Bosworth and his relationship with Osborn, I reached out to the one person who would know more about their time together than any other source. That person was Osborn’s daughter, Dr. LaDonna Osborn, who graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions about her father. The interview was conducted by email in February 2016. It presents questions and answers about the influence of Bosworth on the life and ministry of T.L. Osborn. Other topics include Osborn’s views on Spirit baptism and tongues as the initial evidence of the Spirit baptism.

Dr. LaDonna Oborn is a well-regarded Christian leader. She currently serves as president and CEO of Osborn Ministries International, the world missionary organization founded by her parents in 1949.  As noted on her webpage, “She is founder and overseer of the International Gospel Fellowship (of churches and ministries), which includes more than 60 ministries, over 1,000 churches in more than 50 nations globally.” For more information on her work, visit her official website: https://osborn.org/about/ladonna-osborn

Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D.

ROSCOE BARNES III: Your father has been quoted as saying: “Old F. F. Bosworth used to share a lot of secrets with us.”  What are some of the secrets that Bosworth shared with him?

Dr. LaDonna Oborn

LADONNA OSBORN: My father did not go into great detail concerning what exactly F.F. Bosworth shared with he and my mother. From various general comments and reflections, I believe that Brother Bosworth was a great encouragement in the areas of faith and praying for the sick in mass. During many of the events that were organized by Gordon Lindsay, where various healing evangelists were present to preach and pray for the sick, he had Brother Bosworth teach in the mornings. This strategy was significant in helping people to understand the biblical validity of divine healing. This was especially true when Brother William Branham prayed for the sick. Because of his unique gift and style, G. Lindsay felt that people needed teaching so that their faith would be in the Word of God, rather than in a person. As I look back on this, I thank God for this wisdom. Brother Lindsay did much to facilitate the healing revival that was spreading across the States during the late 1940’s and 1950’s.

BARNES: In his book, Healing the Sick, your dad wrote that someone gave him a copy of Two Kinds of Faith by E. W. Kenyon. Who was the person that gave him this book and introduced him to Kenyon?

OSBORN: I do not remember my father ever saying who gave him the first Kenyon book.

BARNES: Did your father and mother ever speak in tongues in the way that is taught by classical Pentecostals? In other words, did either of them have the experience where they spoke in tongues as the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

OSBORN: My father was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit in a Pentecostal revival meeting near his farm home in Oklahoma. He later traveled with a Pentecostal Church of God evangelist for three years (age 15-18). My mother was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit in an Assembly of God church where she attended as a young girl. Both of my parents were saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit at the age of 12. Although we were out of the country most months of each year, we always had a home church in Tulsa. It was an Assembly of God church. Yes, both of my parents’ early spiritual experiences were in the classic Pentecostal context. Yes, they spoke in tongues, as was usual in the Pentecostal tradition.

BARNES: If they did speak in tongues, did they continue to do so or did they stop at a certain point?

OSBORN: Yes, my parents always spoke in tongues. My brother and I were raised in the classic Pentecostal tradition and I am proud to identify with those who understood the power of the Holy Spirit and the emphasis on witnessing of Christ with effectiveness.

BARNES: Is there a written record of their Spirit baptism? If not, can you provide a time frame for their experience?

OSBORN: I remember both of my parents telling the stories of their Spirit baptisms, but I’m not recalling if these details were included in their publications. Actually, I don’t remember additional details of their conversion either. Of course, within our family, we grew up hearing the stories of the dramatic changes that took place in their lives when they were born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. I do recall that their Spirit baptisms were not on the same day as their conversions, but rather a few days after. So both would have been baptized in the Holy Spirit at the age go 12.

BARNES: In your father’s book, The Purpose of Pentecost, he did not advocate evidential tongues as is taught by classical Pentecostals. What exactly was his position on this topic?

OSBORN: My father wrote The Purpose of Pentecost during a time in which the issue of tongues was causing great division within the Body of Christ. The focus had shifted from the role of the Spirit-filled believer to witness of Christ, to a rather Pharisaical attitude of boasting of speaking in tongues while doing nothing with that divine equipping to fulfill the mission of Christ on the earth. My father wrote the book to re-focus believers on the priority of evangelism for every Spirit-filled believer. If you read this book again in the historical context in which it was written, you will see this clearly. When the need for that emphasis ended, we discontinued publishing that book.

BARNES: Who or what influenced his views on the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues? Was he in anyway influenced by F.F. Bosworth or E.W. Kenyon?

OSBORN: The views of my father and mother (and myself) on the Holy Spirit were influenced by the Pentecostal environments in which we were saved and also from the Scripture. It is normative for the New Testament Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to witness of Christ. I do not remember anything being said about Bosworth or Kenyon’s attitude regarding tongues. The influence of Bosworth was on the biblical foundation for divine healing; the influence of Kenyon was the redemptive work of Christ at the Cross. These redemptive truths were not understood so clearly prior to E.W. Kenyon’s teachings. Again, he made a great contribution to the Body of Christ at critical time.

BARNES: Many evangelists during your father’s time wrote about Bible prophecy, gifts of the Spirit, and other topics. However, it seems that your father focused on topics related only to salvation, healing, evangelism, and prosperity. Is this a true assessment of his writings? If so, why do you think he avoided other topics?

OSBORN: My father was an evangelist. Everything that he wrote and did was to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He did the work of an evangelist always in cooperation with the local churches, and he made it clear that it was their responsibility to teach new believers additional truths after their conversion. He never preached on the Holy Spirit, Bible prophecy, the gifts of the Spirit, or such other things that are important to the believer. He recognized that the gift of the evangelist is a gift to the Church. The gift of the pastor and teacher are also gifts to the Church. He was an evangelist and he fulfilled his part in bringing people to Jesus and directing them into local churches to receive guidance and further biblical instruction. Of course, he had personal views on every biblical topic. But his public ministry was evangelism.

I would say that a true assessment of his writings is that his life focus was to help people to see Jesus and to recognize that Jesus wanted to live in each of them in order to continue His work through them. That, in essence, was my father’s passion and all of his messages and writings reflect that. I would not say that he avoided any topic, but rather he was totally focused on the person, the work and the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.

BARNES: How would you describe the level of influence that Bosworth had on your father’s ministry?

OSBORN: Brother Bosworth was on the scene during a very critical time, in the early healing movement in the United States. No doubt, he influenced all of the young healing evangelists and kept them focused on the Word of God as the final authority concerning God’s will to heal. His book, Christ the Healer, was likely the primer on the topic. There is no way to estimate the extent of his influence through his teachings, his example, and his encouragement of a new generation.

BARNES: William Branham once said that he introduced your father to Bosworth. He mentioned this in his sermon, “Faith,” which is posted here: http://www.williambranham.com/faith-56-0427/. Have you heard this story?

OSBORN: While I don’t remember this exactly, I do know that under Brother Lindsay’s influence, my father, Brother Branham, and Brother Bosworth were all involved in the same conventions.

BARNES: A friend of mine, Rev. Ryan Miller, shared a letter from your father in which he seems to suggest Bosworth encouraged him to write books. Do you know if your father offered such encouragement?

OSBORN: Yes, Bosworth encouraged my father to write. It was another man who edited my father’s first manuscripts and taught him how to write properly and also to read editing symbols. Of course, as you know, writing and publishing has long been a central passion of this ministry.

BARNES: Did your father attend Bosworth’s funeral in 1958?

OSBORN: I do not believe my father attended Bosworth’s funeral. During 1958, we were overseas in some of our historic crusades in East Africa.

PR

Dr. Mary and Canon Pearson
Image: Kristin Smith, used by permission

Canon Mark Pearson and his wife, Dr. Mary, founded the NCHC in Plaistow, New Hampshire, in 1994 to serve the spiritually barren New England area. Mary was trained as an Osteopathic physician, and is the leader of the NCHC medical team, which now includes two nurse practitioners, counselors and other staff. Mark is the CEO and spiritual director of the center, leading Spirit-filled healing prayers and pastoral care at Trinity Church.

Canon Mark is a priest and canon of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (CEC), one of the first of several “convergence” churches with an Anglican accent. That is, a church that attempts to unite historic liturgical and sacramental practices, the Evangelical love of Scripture and proclamation of the Gospel, and a Pentecostal appreciation and exercise of the gifts of the Spirit.

Mark Pearson was born and raised in the Boston area, received his undergraduate education in state at Williams College, and then an M.A. in theology from Oxford University (1973). He returned to the U.S. where he studied for the priesthood at Virginia Seminary and was ordained an Episcopal priest (1975). Fr. Pearson spent twenty years an Episcopal priest at several Episcopal churches.

Besides parish duties, he occupied much of his time attempting to bring biblical orthodoxy back to the Episcopal Church. He co-founded the Institute of Christian Renewal (ICR) in 1980 for that purpose.[3] Mark traveled extensively throughout the United States and worked with individual parishes and several Episcopal organizations, such as “Episcopalians United” and “Acts 29” to confront the growing apostasy of their denomination. The ICR continues to this day, headquartered out of the New Creation Healing Center, and like Trinity Church, legally distinct.

Fr. Pearson also taught healing courses and workshops at numerous churches, wrote multiple articles for Charisma as well as Sharing magazine, and taught a course on healing at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, an Episcopal seminary noted for its orthodoxy and traditionalism. Among the churches he influenced in regards to the healing ministry was Falls Church Anglican, highlighted in a previous article, where in 2001 he led a three day “mission” to teach and model healing prayer.[4] Mark also authored a major work on the Christian healing ministry that has an accent on the sacramental aspects of healing.[5]

Here is an example of a truly miraculous healing his prayer team prayed for back in 2004, witnessed by Mrs. Susan Gilbert:

About four years previously, I fell and broke my kneecap in three places. At that time the surgeon removed 2/3 of the kneecap, and tied the quadriceps to a hole drilled in the remaining small piece. As I was prying with the prayer team, there were some unusual movements below the knee and my quadriceps muscle went into spasms. I looked at it and discovered I appeared to have a whole kneecap!
I called Dr. Mary Pearson over, who examined both knees and found no difference between them. God graciously restored the knee to its proper shape … I can now kneel on the hard floor and I can even dance. I am more determined than ever to make sure lots of people know about God’s graciousness and healing power.[6]

However, the Episcopal Church and the UK and Canadian Anglican churches have been long plagued by divisions and separations starting at least as far back as the 1800s. The first of these splits related to liturgical and theological changes back in 1873, when the Reformed Episcopal Church left the Episcopal Church. In the 1960s, other churches also broke off from the Episcopal Church. These splits were mostly due in part to the liberal and even apostate drift in the Episcopal Church. For example, the “Death of God” theology of the 1960s, which was glamorized Deism, the heresy that God does not really interact with the church, and prayer is a psychological process that does not impact reality, etc.[7] Later, liberation theology gained a strong following in Episcopal seminaries and clergy. That theological movement glamorized Marxism and revolution, and did much damage in Latin America. The churches that split off in the 1960s are called “continuing churches” and most often are liturgical traditionalists, mostly using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (not the 1979 version) and the 1940s hymnal. They all rejected the idea of ordaining women to the priesthood. There were several major continuing church groups, with different breaking points when they could no longer cross another line into heresy and wanted nothing more to do with the Episcopal hierarchy or seminaries.

As an Episcopal priest, Fr. Pearson took an interest in the developing Convergence movement. Even before he joined the CEC he was asked by Bishop Adler, founder and presiding bishop of the CEC, to be a CEC theological advisor. In fact, Bishop Adler at times has referred various times to Canon Mark Pearson as one of the co-founders of the CEC.

Pearson’s denomination, the CEC, and the other convergence denominations are relatively new, and do not consider themselves “continuing” denominations. These churches were founded in the 1990s by non-Anglican, Pentecostal and Vineyard pastors who loved the Episcopal liturgy but were appalled at what was going on in Episcopal seminaries, and would not submit to an unorthodox hierarchy.[8]

Bishop Adler, a Vineyard pastor for many years, established the CEC based on the idea of convergence (like Falls Church Anglican, he preferred the term “three streams” theology). Pastor Adler received a laying on of hands and ordination as Bishop (with Apostolic succession) by being ordained by Bishops from the Old Catholic Church, a group that separated from Roman Catholicism in the 1870s over the doctrine of Papal infallibility. He immediately brought in several congregations from California, and assumed that the growth of his denomination would be slow and steady. But in 1992 an article appeared in Ministries Today, an important Pentecostal/charismatic publication, which highlighted the CEC.[9] Bishop Adler received a flood of inquires and application from dissatisfied Episcopal priests, and Pentecostal ministers who wanted a liturgical structure added to their Pentecostalism.[10] CEC experienced very rapid expansion after this. In the last decades it had some “bumps along the road” which limited its further expansion, and in fact produced a contraction of churches and membership in the United States, but continued to grow overseas. However, that is a complex story to be told elsewhere.

In regard to Canon Pearson, after participating in CEC functions for two years, he and his wife left the Episcopal Church and were received into the CEC (1995). In his newsletter, Mark explained why he left the Episcopal Church where he had served faithfully for two decades.

Basic doctrines and moral teachings of historic Christianity are often denied or even ridiculed by church leaders. The phrases “inclusivity” and “a church in which there are no outcasts” are used by the liberal establishment, but many of the practices they are including are directly ruled out by Scripture.
…
The liberalism is so entrenched that the fight would have to be fierce. Many people do not have the disposition to fight. I’d rather spend the rest of my ministry proclaiming the Gospel, not dissipating my energy fighting.[11]

Mary Pearson is an osteopathic physician (DO). That is, a doctor with all the rights, privileges and training of an MD, but with slightly different focus of medical practice. The DO strives to be holistic in approach, using fewer medications, and spending more time with the patient to discern what emotional factors may be contributing to the patient’s disease. Dr. Pearson oversees all medical and therapeutic staff of the NCHC. She screens and interviews all medical and therapeutic applicants, and in addition to their professional credentials, she asks applicants for a statement of faith. Under the Pearson’s there will be no slide into medical secularism as happened to Dr. Cullis’s healing homes.

Dr. Pearson did not immediately take to mixing medical practice and prayer, at least not publicly, but came to it in stages. Let me cite her own words on an early case:

PG Was a 60-year-old alcoholic in recovery for few years. She had had a ventral hernia repaired previously with mesh, and came into my office after being sick for several days. It was immediately obvious she was seriously ill, dehydrated, and septic. I immediately admitted her to the hospital, and consulted surgery for her very distended abdomen. The surgeon took her to the OR, and found severe bowel necrosis (her intestines were rotting), and removed as much tissue as they could and sent her to the ICU.
The surgeons did not feel she had much hope for recovery, she was in acute renal failure, her general health was not great because of her previous medical history, and because she had delayed getting in to see me the infection had spread throughout her body.
I was still a little bit anxious about praying with my patients, and very anxious about what other healthcare providers would think about it! So I went to see her in the ICU, and examined her very thoroughly, waiting for the nurse to leave.
However her situation was so unstable that the nurse remained in the room, constantly adjusting fluids, and responding to her needs. I had been at the hospital for a long time that day, and was exhausted and needed to go home. However, I felt the pull of the Holy Spirit on my heart pray for her despite my fears. She was unconscious, so I spoke to her, using her name, (in front of the nurse! I was terrified), and prayed simply that God would heal her.
I really did not have very much faith (fortunately Jesus tells us we only need to have mustard seed sized faith) and anticipated a poor outcome. However, the next day I came in to see her, and the nurse, ( a different nurse than the one I had seen the previous night) told me she had had a quiet night, and her vital signs were now stable, and her kidney functions were almost back to normal! Much to everybody’s surprise she made a full recovery and lived many more years.
Another nice thing about this: the nurse who saw me pray for her later took me aside and said she was very impressed by the fact that I was willing to pray for my patients, and by how much the patient improved.

Later, when her confidence in medicine and prayer had increased:

A 7-year-old boy and his mother came in to see me. He had a very high fever and a stiff neck. He was lethargic, not his usual active self. Mom told me that he had been very sick over the last few days, she was very anxious about medical care, and did not want to take him to the emergency room as was my recommendation. I was concerned about the possibility of meningitis. I thought he needed a spinal puncture, blood work, and urgent IV antibiotics. She did consent to an injection of antibiotics, but I knew that this would not have enough of an effect if this really was meningitis.
By this time it was my custom to pray for all my patients if they would allow it. So I laid hands on him and asked God to heal him.
I planned to call mom later that afternoon, to see how he was doing, and to try to encourage her to take him to the emergency room. However, she called me back within an hour, and said you must have given him “something magical in that shop” because he was completely better and his fever was gone by the time I got him home! I explained to her that the antibiotic would take at least a few hours to start taking effect, but she remained convinced that the injection had cured her son. I tried to explain otherwise, to no avail; but this showed me how God is willing to work without recognition, simply because He loves us so much.

We have room enough to cite one more of her cases:

“MG” was an 80-year-old woman with severe osteoarthritis of her left hip. She had not done well with anti-inflammatory medications, but really wanted to avoid surgery. We discussed all her options and decided that we would send her to Orthopedics for cortisone injection. She was a little reluctant about this, and concerned about side effects.
Before she left, we prayed together, and asked Jesus to heal her hip. We scheduled a follow-up visit a month later. When she returned her pain was completely gone. I asked about how the visit with the orthopedist went. She looked at me reproachfully and said “I did not need to go, the prayer worked.” She was never bothered with this hip pain again.

The Meeting House
Image: Kristin Smith, used by permission

Besides Dr. Pearson, the NCHC has two nurse practitioners, a massage therapist, and counselors, all of whom combine prayer with their disciplines. It is intertwined, but legally distinct from Trinity Church, under Canon Pearson, who does Sunday and mid-week services at its meeting house. Sunday services are “convergent,” for instance, inviting the congregation to manifest the gifts of the Spirit such as tongues and prophecy during the praise songs segment of the services.

Trinity Church has a women’s Bible study, and men’s group, just like most churches. There is a mid-week healing service with the laying on of hands and regular sessions for inner healing prayer, which is an important element of the ministry at both Trinity Church and NCHC. There are specialized teaching days or weekend classes, co-sponsored with the NCHC, for instance “Finishing Life Well” or “Growing in God,” which deal with specialized issues more deeply than a Sunday sermon can.

At Trinity, there are several activities that would be unusual in most churches. Several times a week there is a period of gardening on the NCHC grounds where volunteers, under the direction of a master gardener, help grow food crops that are distributed to the local food pantry. On the third Friday of the month there is something called “Crafty Afternoons” where persons come in with craft projects to work on and fellowship with others of similar interests – a great idea not common in churches, but should be.[12]

As the NCHC grows in reputation people come from all over the United States to be healed and prayed for at NCHC. I can’t help but feel that Dr. Cullis and Dorothy Kerin are both looking down from heaven, joyfully praying for its continued success and growth. It is a difficult pattern to emulate, demanding just the right personnel, yet doable to those inspired and called to this type of Christian holistic ministry. My own dream is that every large diocese in America would make an effort to establish and fund institutions such as the NCHC.

PR

Notes

[1] Similarly in Colonial times the “meeting house” was used for government business on week days and church services on Sunday. The NCHC webpage: http://newcreationhc.org

[2] For a description of the first American “healing home” see my description of Dr. Cullis’ ministry in my, Quenching the Spirit (Lake Mary: Creation House, 1996) chapter 9.

[3] ICR’s webpage is at: https://christianrenewal.wordpress.com/

[4] On Falls Church Anglican see my article “Falls Church Anglican: The Long March to Healing Excellence,” Pneuma Review. Posted April 19, 2020. http://pneumareview.com/the-falls-church-anglican-the-long-march-to-healing-ministry-excellence/

[5] Mark Pearson, Christian Healing: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide (Lake Mary: Creation House, 2004).

[6] Adapted from the ICR newsletter, June/July 2006, p.3.

[7] In my work, Agnes Sanford and Her Companions, I documented that the Death of God’s most prolific and celebrated theologian, Thomas J. J. Altizer, was demonically possessed from the beginning of his theological career, see pp. 294-295.

[8] In fact, the CEC does not consider itself an Anglican denomination, but entirely distinct, but its Anglican style of worship and hierarchy would convince most observers that it is at least an Anglican type of church. “If it quacks like a duck…”

[9] Paul Thigpen, “Ancient Altars, Pentecostal Fire,” Ministries Today (Nov/Dec 1992), 43-51.

[10]A telling personal story: In 1992, I was in the Episcopal Church and in a prayer group of a wholly orthodox Episcopal church, St. Jude’s of Marietta, Georgia. The prayer group leader, David, felt a vocation to the priesthood and had an interview about this with the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta. The Bishop told him that he was not the type of candidate he wanted as he was “male, white and too orthodox” in his beliefs. A month after that calamitous interview I read the Ministries Today piece on the CEC and handed it to David. He wrote to Bishop Adler, and after going through the online seminary was ordained a CEC priest, and founded a small but enthusiastic CEC Church.

[11]Mark Pearson, “A Note From the President,” ICR Newsletter (Jan. 1995), 2. See a very similar statement by a long-time Episcopal layman, Art Benning “Why I Left the Episcopal Church,” Acts 29 (Feb., 1995), 12.

[12] Prof. Glenn Clark, the founder of the CFO had a similar idea that was practiced in his summer retreats. He called them “creatives,” and they included painting, poetry writing, drama skits, and other items not normally common to church programs. Recently an article appeared in Christianity Today describing the spiritual side of doing a hobby: Brianne Lambert, “Worship God: Start a Hobby,” Christianity Today, Jan. 16, 2020. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/january-web-only/work-sabbath-worship-god-start-hobby.html

This article is a chapter from the Rev. William De Arteaga’s forthcoming book, Saints, Heroes and Villains of the Anglican Healing Awakening.

To my knowledge no other Anglican church, or any other church, has such an effective and robust ministry of healing and deliverance as The Falls Church Anglican of Falls Church, Virginia (Ok, just a bit confusing, “Falls Church” is the name of the town, and “The Falls Church Anglican” refers to the church in the town of Falls Church).[1] At this church the healing, deliverance, and intercessory prayer ministries are woven into the core of church life.

Its clergy and members understand their calling as a “three streams” congregation. That is, a church where the different aspects of liturgical and sacramental worship, evangelical preaching and Christian good works, and the gifts of the Spirit operate and interact among various groups and ministries, according to their preferences and needs. To be specific, the gifts of the Spirit operate mostly among the healing and intercessory prayer ministries, and a few home groups, but not in the main liturgical services.

The town of Falls Church, Virginia, is a suburb of Washington DC., and many of the parishioners are executives, government employees, and current or former military personnel. Its parishioners and its excellent staff make it one of the most prominent churches in the greater D.C. area.

The Falls Church building in 2009. Originally built in 1769, with evidence of repairs to the structure (note the newer brick under the first floor windows) after the American Civil War.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

The historic Falls Church was established during the colonial period. Its first building arose in 1732. Later, George Washington was a warden of the church in the 1760s and oversaw the construction of the brick church building to replace the original wooden structure. The Falls Church served as both a church and recruiting station for the American Army during the War of Independence. Later, the church served as a Union hospital during the Civil War, as Northern forces quickly took over the territory around Washington, D.C.

After that terrible conflict, The Falls Church was restored to its original status, but did not really thrive, and Sunday attendance dropped to less than a hundred. But in 1935 the Rev. Watkins was called as rector, and by the time his tenure ended (1945) church attendance was in the 300s.[2] The Falls Church grew steadily from that time as the population of Washington D.C. continued to grow as World War II morphed into the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

However, The Falls Church did not become the prominent church it is today until the pastorship of the Rev. John Yates, who came in 1979. He and his wife were both from devoted Christian homes.[3] The Rev. Yates’ mother was prominent in CFO circles in the 1950s and 1960s, and her son John accompanied her at those CFOs on several occasions.[4]

Pastors, is it hard to talk about money with your church? In this article, Pastor Dan Reiland looks into the reasons behind why people give, wanting to fuel fellow church leaders to speak about finances well and with the right spiritual emphasis..

I find it interesting that many good pastoral leaders are hesitant or even timid in the area of challenging their people to give. In this issue of The Pastor’s Coach I hope to give some insight into the reasons people give and hopefully encourage you in this challenging area of leadership.

For most pastors, Monday morning carries with it anticipation for two critical numbers. One is how many people responded to the Holy Spirit’s promptings (as guided by the morning sermon.) And a distant second, but nonetheless second, is the offering. Let’s get honest for a moment, no matter how clear the priority of changed lives according to God’s purpose and power, money still matters when it comes to ministry. If you don’t believe that then you have never in the history of your church fallen below budget for several months at a time. (And if that is true, we would all love to hear how you do that!)

When I was a young leader I often said I wish money wasn’t an issue. I wish that some rich person would write one big check a year so we wouldn’t have to deal with this. My rationale? It is difficult enough to focus on life transformation without financial issues getting in the way. When you add the “money factor” to the equation it seems to get intensely complicated. That kind of thinking showed both my naivety about the reality that “ministry cost money” and the deeper theological issues about God wanting us to wrestle with the topic of money. Why? Money always leads us to the real issues of the heart. There are some 2,000 scriptures on money, and the following three give us a taste of the truth of this point.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)

1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) The “Money Factor” is really more about the “God Factor.” It reveals levels of spiritual maturity, obedience, commitment, trust, and an overall Kingdom mindset that causes people to invest in the eternal.

Pastor, my purpose is to encourage you and challenge you to dive into the issue of money in your church. Why people give is a good place to start.

Let’s begin with the wrong reasons people give.

Mark Turney’s new book, Encountering God’s Missionary Spirit, is now available for free download in PDF e-book format from the Decade of Pentecost website. Mark is Associate Director of the Acts in Africa Initiative.

The book presents the Holy Spirit as “God’s Missionary Spirit,” focusing on His central role in fulfilling God’s mission to call to himself a people out of every tribe, language, and nation on earth. It is designed to equip church leaders to better guide their churches into authentic New Testament experience and practice. It is further designed to help leaders mobilize their churches for Spirit-empowered mission and church planting.

Mark Turney is the Associate Director of the Acts in Africa Initiative. You can download the book for free by clicking on this link: Free e-Book.

Reprinted with permission from the Intercessory Prayer Call Report from Acts in Africa Initiative, a ministry aimed at inspiring authentic Pentecostal revival in the Assemblies of God in Africa.

Jack and Anna Marie Sheffield

Jack Sheffield: In 1973, I was converted to Christianity out from a pagan background, and I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the same moment I was saved. I spoke in a heavenly language not even knowing what was happening to me. It was quite overwhelming! My rage, fear, trauma and rebellion was turned to radiant joy and peaceful love with an extreme desire to please my Jesus in every way. One night, not too long after my conversion, I broke past remnants of fear into a powerful anointing to preach and minister to people in a Methodist Church. It’s like I became “another man.” My fiancé asked a friend, “Who is that guy?” Shortly thereafter, because of this baptism in the Spirit, I had an encounter where Jesus drove me from a nap into a cotton field behind my house. I tried to hide away because I was weeping profusely with groaning and travailing! After a while, I crawled out into the grass, and I heard these words out loud, “You are going to carry my gospel to the nations.” My baptism in the Holy Spirit was a complete immersion in love for Jesus, and eventually led my wife and I to many nations on six continents.

PneumaReview.com: Did you receive a specific call to the healing ministry?

Jack Sheffield: Healing was a very real experience for me from the beginning of my walk with Jesus. It began with me. I was healed in spirit, soul, and physically on numerous occasions. Fear, guilt, shame and anger were washed away in wave after wave of His mercy. My spirit soared in ecstatic encounters of weeping only to be followed by bouts of laughing in glorious joy! My scared little spirit was married to the Holy Spirit and was learning all about freedom in Christ. Heart disease ran rampant in my family, and through a very stressful business attempt, I developed a bad heart. God used this to bring me to utter surrender to that cotton patch call. Jesus completely baffled my doctor when she examined me for my physical and discovered my heart was totally normal. I still have the two disparate EKG readouts.

It was then I realized I had a very distinct call to the healing ministry in the United Methodist Church.

This happened in the Summer of 1978. Healing began to manifest immediately in my ministry.

PneumaReview.com: In your book, God’s Healing River, you mention that “presence” is very important in healing. Please tell our readers what you are referring to.

Jack Sheffield: In the Fall of Adam and Eve, what was lost to humanity was the “presence” of the Lord. Adam hid from His presence in fear and, I believe shame. Jesus could not wait to get it back for us. Moses basically told God he was not going anywhere unless God’s presence went with Him. He said it was the only thing that distinguished his people from all the other peoples of the world. Presence is everything when it comes to healing. Without it, very little happens. My criteria for discerning the true presence of God is this when He “shows up”: 1) There is clarity in the atmosphere – Words preached or taught become very clear. People perk up attentively. 2) Brightness irradiates everyone present. There is a glow in the room and on people’s faces 3) There is a cleanness that is felt and experienced as real and tangible, and 4) Great joy breaks out which is “unspeakable and full of glory.” How do we get into that atmosphere? Ruth Ward Heflin used to say in the 1990’s, “You praise your way into worship, and you worship your way into the glory.” When the glory shows up in worship, healing and miracles can abound. We have seen it over and over again. Therefore, we worship Jesus all the time, even in our cars. The greater the worship, the greater the operations of healing gifts.