TACF/CTF News and Articles
Regarding the Paul Gowdy Letters
The Gowdy letters and postings on the internet have come to the attention of Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.
We acknowledge that Paul Gowdy was a pastoral intern at Scarborough Vineyard (not Toronto Vineyard – the Toronto Vineyard was located in downtown Toronto). Gowdy was under the leadership of senior pastor, Paul White. According to Paul White, Gowdy served only a few months as personal issues arose in his life. There is a reference to White in the Gowdy letters, White has no recollection of this conversation that Gowdy states. Gowdy participated on the prayer ministry team of his church Scarborough Vineyard, but did not lead any meetings at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Scarborough is a community on the east side of Toronto.
It is Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship’s belief that healing comes into the lives of people because it is the will of our loving Father God. We believe that our Father wants to bring His Kingdom to earth.
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship believes that God is using all believers to share the good news of Jesus. This is men and women, of every age pastoring and church planting. We believe that the Gal 3:28 is true that we are one in Jesus and the children of the Most High God.
The references to Carol Arnott and the sword of the Lord are interesting. There are many references in the Bible to war and swords. Take the example of the Elisha and his servant – the Lord opened the servant’s eyes 2 Kings 6. It is TACF’s position that the Bible is the true word of God and that our theology needs to come from the Bible. Therefore our experience needs to match the Word of God. Our experience needs to come up to the level of Scripture. We also believe that our experience of the love of the Father and of what He has written will bring us to the same place as Isaiah’s experience in Is 6 – “Here am I, send me”.
In the Bible we are called to be bears of good fruit. TACF has seen a move of the Father’s love imparted throughout the world – one of our greatest fruits has been making our Father’s love famous! TACF has been the place where hundreds of ministries have been birthed or reborn (as in Heidi Baker’s case) – that is good fruit. TACF has witnessed many healings – healing is good fruit.
It is true that not everything was done right at TACF. There were excesses but it was pastored well. The good fruit remained – this good fruit can only remain if TACF remains in connected to the Vine – Jesus (John 17). By the good fruit, it is clear that TACF has remained in Jesus.
Naomi Ierullo - Associate Pastor TACF 2005 & member since 1993
Lakeland & Todd Bentley Update
October 27, 2008
PUBLIC STATEMENT ON TODD BENTLEY FROM REVIVAL ALLIANCE
Dear friends, several years ago, six leadership couples came together formed a relationally based, non-denominational network called Revival Alliance.
When the Lakeland revival broke out Todd Bentley and the revival meetings were coming under much criticism. At the suggestion of Peter Wagner, three of the members of the Revival Alliance team went to Lakeland because the Alliance as a whole wanted to express support for the Lakeland Outpouring and to commission Todd as a revivalistic evangelist. Having been powerfully touched in the Toronto outpouring, and seeing the opposition that came from leaders in the church because of that movement, we wanted to stand with Todd and deflect some of the personal assaults that were coming against him. Many of the attacks were coming from well-respected Christian leaders, people that we still hold in high esteem. Yet the mandate from the Lord was clear. And we stood with Todd and the Fresh Fire Ministries team to both endorse and support this move of God.
Rory and Wendy Alec of God TV also took tremendous risk in airing the revival prime time and broadcasting it to over 200 nations around the world. Their heart is to capture and release the move of God, no matter where it happens, or who God uses as His instrument. This unparalleled media attention gave unusual advertisement for the outpouring. But it also put their whole team in an unusual, high-level position of receiving both praise and criticism.
The impact of the Lakeland Outpouring has been amazing, and it still continues. The record of conversions and miracles of healing is extraordinarily great in number. And the spreading of the revival to nation after nation has also been very significant. The God TV broadcast stirred up the hunger in people from around the world to go to Lakeland and receive from God, but then bring it home to their local churches. Impartation seems to be one of the unusual markers of a genuine move of God. Revival fires began to spread around the world as a result of the impartation received at Lakeland. But as great as the fruit has been, so have the devastation and fallout from Todd’s personal failure.
While there must be no toleration or whitewashing of sin, there must also be no allowances for ungodly judgments in the name of Jesus. Hatred often masquerades as a passion for holiness. And while the church has had its share of tragic failures of leaders in recent days and equally tragic reactions, we must get this one right. It is possible to promote holiness and accountability in the spirit of grace.
The quickness to condemn and abandon a fallen comrade has caused us as much concern as has the actual sin of our friend. Some want to humiliate and expose Todd before the world. And then there are others who want to point to the obvious anointing on Todd’s life as the sign of God’s approval of Todd’s behavior. Neither is acceptable to us. There must be deep repentance and thorough restoration.
The restoration process must be firm but loving, while holding to the Kingdom standards of both holiness and grace. The initial goal is not to get Todd preaching again. It is to get him healed from the issues of the heart that have brought devastation to his family, and such shame and failure to him. His gift will always function when given an opportunity. We just want it to come from a place of personal victory and triumph this next time.
Since the announcement of Todd’s leaving his wife, Revival Alliance has been working to help restore our fallen brother. Sin is disastrous on any level, but it is well known that “to whom much is given, much is required.” Gross sin from someone on Todd’s level of influence is devastating. Even so, God is ready to heal and restore.
Todd recently spent three days in Redding, California, with Bill Johnson dealing with the issues of his personal life. Following that, he went to Morningstar Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina, to be with Rick Joyner for the same reason. Rick, along with the Morningstar leadership team, has offered to help in his restoration. With great confidence, Revival Alliance recommends this as the appropriate process for Todd’s healing and restoration. Todd will be moving to Morningstar Ministries to live for a season. Rick Joyner’s wisdom, along with the strength of the Morningstar community of believers, will be a great support to Todd as he deals with the heart issues that brought about his failures. A council of three has also been formed to give oversight to the restoration process. Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Bill Johnson will give oversight as needed.
We appreciate the prayers and support of countless numbers of believers who have continued to support Fresh Fire Ministries. We also appreciate the prayer support of so many for the Revival Alliance. We are also very thankful for Rick Joyner and his whole team that will be working to bring about a complete healing to our friend, Todd Bentley.
It should also be noted that effort is being made to ensure that Shonnah (Todd’s wife) and children are also cared for and given opportunity to receive ministry and help. As you may imagine, they have suffered great hurt from this failure.
There are many in Fresh Fire Ministries who also need help. Efforts are being made to serve them as best as possible. John Arnott recently invited the Fresh Fire Ministries associates to Toronto for their Signs and Wonders Conference to receive personal ministry and encouragement. These kinds of efforts will continue.
Bill Johnson, John Arnott, and Rick Joyner have each spent time with the Fresh Fire Ministries board, and will continue to assist them as needed through this tragic season.
Fresh Fire Ministries will continue their crusades and conference schedule around the world. They are a group of ministers with much integrity and a great heart for the lost. Pray for them as they maneuver through the challenging season ahead, while serving the church at large.
We are thankful for the honor of being involved in this crisis.
On behalf of Revival Alliance: John Arnott, Che Ahn, and Bill Johnson
August 17, 2008
Letter from John Arnott
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