Rescuing Our Pentecostal Heritage

Randy Clark, Stories of Divine Healing: Supernatural Testimonies that Ignite Faith for Your Healing (NMG/Destiny Image, 2018), 288 pages.

While attending the Society For Pentecostal Studies meeting in Cleveland, Tennessee in early 2018, I had a troubling conversation about the viability of divine healing. A young academic told me he accepted the possibility of marvelous works but insisted that the occurrences were rare. He reiterated, “I have never witnessed a miraculous work nor am I acquainted with anyone who has.” He suggested that recent healing claims were mostly outlandish.

His statements dumbfounded me. This man carried Pentecostal credentials but sounded like a skeptic from a European university. Though rooted in the Spirit-filled tradition, he was suspicious of any display of the supernatural.

As incredulity flowed from his mouth, it reminded me of the assertions of David Hume. Centuries ago, this philosopher argued that miracles are chiefly observed among the pagans. “If a civilized people has ever given admission to any of them that people will be found to have received them from ignorant and barbarous ancestors.”[1]

Many are questioning what used to be widely accepted. Whether Spirit-filled or not,[4] miracles have “aroused unease of intellectual conflict for Christians formed by the enlightenment of the West.”[5]

Credible Accounts

Fortunately, publications are being released that document healing and miraculous encounters. Most of these works were not written with the scholarly community in mind, but they offer a credible analysis of the extraordinary works of God.

Randy Clark is the president and founder of the Global Awakening ministry school and adjunct professor at United Theological Seminary and Regent University Divinity School. He has traveled and ministered in multiple venues and countries, and he is a noteworthy Spirit-filled conference speaker and minister, with many documentable divine healing experiences. This Essential Guide is an apologetical work that seeks to defend the continuationist position of spiritual gifts and miraculous healing in order to equip the reader with information to support the argument against cessationist controversies. It is written with the popular reader in mind, rather than for an academic reader and therefore it has minimal endnotes and it uses concepts, words, and terms that are within the reach of the non-academic person.

Clark draws the lines of thinking and summarizes the arguments between the continuationist and cessationist authors, identifying some of the popular historical and contemporary positions.  He acknowledges that his book is not meant to be a complete guide; rather, it is only pointing to the primary or essential points of each position. Clark divides this book into four major parts: first, he defines the historical and ongoing division in Christianity on the work of the Holy Spirit; second, he focuses on the genuine work of the Holy Spirit today; third, he elaborates on Jonathan Edwards’ five classical keys for evaluating an authentic work of the Holy Spirit; and fourth, he guides the reader on how to personally experience the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion, appendices are included, which provide statistical and evidence to support the ideas presented in the book.

This book can serve as a general introduction to the historical and contemporary arguments between cessationist and continuationist positions. It does not fully resolve any of the arguments, but it does point the reader to resources that will provide a greater depth of information. Unfortunately, there are a couple statements that may prove to provide additional support for those who look for errors in the theological and exegetical positions of the adherents of the continuationist perspective.

On page 157, Clark stated, “biblical principles should never become a substitute for the privilege of knowing and being led by the Holy Spirit’s presence.” As a stand-alone statement this can (and unfortunately, probably will) be lifted out of the context of its chapter. Out of context, it places the subjective “Spirit-led” aspect over the objective “biblical principle” that stands counter to the Reformation mandate, sola scriptura. However, in context, Clark will describe the blessing of having scripture enlightened by the Holy Spirit, which enriches any Holy Spirit filled Christian’s understanding.

Another unfortunate error is found on page 129, where Clark stated, “The Greek word translated teaching (see Matt. 28:20) in the NIV is rhema or word.” The Greek word is actually didaskontes, which is indeed properly translated as teaching in many translations. If we give Clark the benefit of the doubt here, we may find that he is referencing another text, but that this error was somehow overlooked. As written above, this will likely also become fuel for the polemic opponents of the continuationist.

Writing as a reviewer who holds the Pentecostal and Charismatic experiences as dear, we cannot give Clark’s book a wholehearted recommendation, even though we find agreement with the major premise of it. It is a book that may give understanding to the above theological debate, but it will need to be read with critical thinking, being aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Our desire is that it undergoes another round of editorial critique and be republished as a second edition, with the errors removed from it.

Reviewed by John Miller

Preview: https://books.google.com/books?id=xDfRBQAAQBAJ

Publisher’s page: http://www.destinyimage.com/products/the-essential-guide-to-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit

Frazee’s book started off with three forewords; one by Larry Crabb, George Gallup Jr. and Dallas Willard. Its back cover contained words of praise from Willard, Ken Blanchard, J. I. Packer, Marshall Shelly and John C. Maxwell. I was impressed as I began to get familiar with the book.

I learned that the author Randy Frazee is an emerging leader, the senior pastor at the Pantego Bible Church in Arlington, Texas, that he collaborates with George Gallup Jr. and is a regular speaker at Willow Creek Association Conferences. The back flap advised that Frazee has developed the Christian Life Profile, a practical tool to measure a person’s spiritual development in thirty specific areas.

Frazee develops our common need for community by introducing his readers to a fictitious but very real couple named Bob and Karen Johnson who attend his large church but nonetheless are lonely as they hurtle through life pursuing the American dream of house, cars, college educated children, social status and of course a meaningful relationship with their creator.

Dream fulfillment is accelerated as Bob and Karen both work on impressive career paths and fit everything one should and has to do into seven 24 days. A small group could and did not provide the relationships Bob and Karen needed to mature into the Godly design they knew they were to pursue.

The solution proposed by the author was for the Johnson’s to step back and down. Get rid of the big house with grass lawns so expansive they hindered getting to know the neighbors. Stop chasing the dream and seek community within a small community that was easier to afford and allowed time to live a life not seek one.

Our fictitious couple ended up in a connected life which affords them all they were missing as they pursued the good life. The connected life is the life we need and want; at least it is to Frazee’s present perspective.

Frazee uses the first century church described in Acts as his model. He urges that the connectedness that they enjoyed was the key to their success. The Johnson family ended up after experiencing neighborhood group community life for two years convinced that they would never go back to the individualistic isolated life style of consumerism that had governed their lives for thirty years. They finally recognized that they had come a long way in their quest to learn more about Christ and to be more like him. The mysteries of the authentic Christian community would take a life time to learn and the Johnson’s signed up for the duration. My best to Frazee but I will keep my present residence and stay where I am.

Reviewed by H. Murray Hohns

This book review by the late Pastor Mur was originally published in 2007 at the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website.

The Rev. Dr. Randy Clark, one of the most important and influential figures of the present Pentecostal/charismatic movement, has just published his latest book, Power to Heal. It is a significant work as it encapsulates over four decades of experience of a major healing ministry. This ministry, Global Awakening, has been responsible for hundreds of thousands of healings in the U.S., Brazil and many other countries.

Randy Clark was born to a humble and hard-working family. His father worked in the oil fields, and young Randy learned both frugality and perseverance. At seventeen he was in an auto accident and severely injured. He was miraculously healed of his injuries and walked out of the hospital, way ahead of the expected time, and committed his life to the Lord. He had a backsliding period, but was brought back to his calling as minister with a visionary experience from the Lord. By 1977 he received a degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Two decades later he earned a Doctor of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in Dayton OH.

The Rev Clark began ministry as a Baptist preacher, but by 1980 experienced the power and gifting of the Holy Spirit, and joined John Wimber’s Vineyard Fellowship. In 1984, Wimber prophesied over him, proclaiming that he would be sent to many nations and empower many great ministries. For ten years Clark continued as a local Vineyard pastor as he grew in healing gifting and experience. Fulfillment of Wimber’s prophecy began when he received a call from a Canadian pastor John Arnott to do a four day preaching and healing mission at the small Vineyard church near the Toronto Airport (January of 1994).

The four day engagement lasted twelve and a half years, the longest running revival in North America. Over 3,000,000 people were touched by it, and thousands of church plants resulted. (I had the privilege of speaking at one of the Toronto Vineyard “Catch the Fire” conferences for pastors in 1996.)

One of the persons especially touched by Randy Clark at the Toronto revival was a young missionary called Heidi Baker. She came up to Clark’s podium one evening and insisted on an “impartation.” When Clark laid his hands on her head she experienced waves upon waves of God’s glory and power come upon her. Her ministry in Mozambique has transformed that nation from Marxist to Christian and is further transforming other nations. Critics of the Toronto Blessing often cite its exuberant manifestation (at one point animal sounds) as proof that it could not be from the Lord. But certainly impartations that resulted in the vast orchards of good fruit of Baker’s, and many other significant ministries, could only be of the Lord.

Pastor, renewal leader, and scholar speaks with The Pneuma Review.

Pneuma Review: Tell us about where you come from, what God has done in your life, and what he has called you to be doing. 

Randy Clark:

I was raised in a Christian home as a Baptist, educated at a BaptistUniversity and Seminary, presently completing a doctor of ministry at a United Methodist seminary. I entered the ministry at 18 in 1970. I pastored for 30 years, and itinerated since 1994 while continuing to pastor until 2001 when I resigned to only itinerate. I have been married since July 1975. I have 4 adult children and three grandchildren.

I was healed at 18 and at 57, both times from serious conditions. I pastored in the General Baptist, United Church of Christ, American Baptist, Vineyard, and The Church of the Great Commission. I served on the council of the Association of Vineyard Churches. I founded the ministry called Global Awakening, then the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening. Also, founded the Global School of Supernatural Ministry, and the Christian Healing Certification Program. I was used by God to begin the Toronto Blessing revival in 1994. I started the Randy Clark scholars at United Theological seminary in Dayton, Ohio in 2013, where I am working on developing a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Renewal-Supernatural.

I am working around the world doing conferences, Schools of Healing and Impartation, and renewal meetings with a strong focus on healing and impartation.

PR: How has healing become a prominent part of your ministry?

Randy Clark:

When I was healed at 18, it kept me from losing my faith in the midst of liberal theological education. Healing led to experiencing revival. Healing and impartation for healing has created an opportunity for me to travel the world ministering. My doctoral dissertation is about healing, as are other dissertations by fellow students at the seminary.

PR: What kinds of healings have you seen take place?

Randy Clark:

Parkinson’s, MS, Paranoid Schizophrenia, bi-polar, cancers of many different kinds, strokes, blindness, deafness, couldn’t walk without crutches, scheduled amputations of leg below hip, below knee, and above ankle all healed and no amputations, loss of mobility and/or chronic pain from surgically implanted materials, many other types.