Letter from Margaret Poloma to John Wimber (November 27, 1995)

Letter to New Wine List

November 27, 1995

[Note of explanation: TAV, or "Toronto Airport Vineyard," was the former name for the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF).]

Dear New-Wine Brothers and Sisters,

What follows is a letter and response to two articles John Wimber had written concerning his concerns about TAV. I would like to share it with New-Wine to provide an independent observer's perspective on TAV and to provide a sociological assessment of the factuality of some of the AVC charges. I feel there has been much misunderstanding. It saddens me greatly. I work largely in a secular academic community where these divisions only further the skepticism of my colleagues. God may draw good out of the problems we create(He is a merciful God!) but it does not alter the fact that we should be on our faces weeping for mercy. Like the Israelites, we are all in this together (whichever "camp" we may follow) and we must cry together for God's forgiveness. Divisions, however we may try to sugar-coat them, are a scandal to non-believers!

Margaret Poloma

Letter to John Wimber

November 27, 1995
Reverend John Wimber

Dear John,

I have read your article from Ministry Magazine (November/December) and a copy of your recent "Vineyard Reflections on The Toronto Blessing," which John Arnott had kindly given to me. As a sociologist who is doing an evaluation research project on the TB, with John's full support and cooperation, I need to respond to some of what you have written. Before I do, however, I would like to introduce myself and establish my credentials.

I hold a Ph.D. in sociology (1970, Case Western Reserve University) with a specialty in the sociology of religion .For 25 years I taught at the University of Akron (I took early retirement this past July), have written eight books and published over 75 articles, serve on the editorial boards of five professional journals, am listed in several different "Who's Who," and have held various elected offices in three professional organizations devoted to the sociology of religion. I share these credentials not to boast but to assure you that I am well respected by my secular colleagues and well trained to do the research I am doing at the Toronto Airport Vineyard.

If I am boasting, I will continue (hopefully in the same spirit as the Apostle Paul) by saying that not only am I well accepted in my profession but I am a born-again, Spirit-filled believer, who as best as she can discern, was led by the Spirit of the Lord to TAV.I am not a "fire-chaser" but a mature Christian who continues to experience God's ongoing faithfulness to lead my fairly successful career. I will be coming to Fuller Theological Seminary in January where I will teach a course on Charisma and Institutionalization (in the Division of Theology) this next quarter. Assessing the move from charisma to organized religion has been a theme of much of my work on the charismatic movement (which includes, by my definition, Pentecostals and Third Wave as well as mainstream and independent charismatics).Given this fresh move of God's Spirit, the so-called Toronto Blessing will provide much of the focus for this course.

John Arnott has given me his support and cooperation much like you have given your support to Dr. Don Miller from USC to do his research at the Anaheim Vineyard.... Don and I have talked recently about doing some team research at the Mott Auditorium, where Don the skeptic and I the believer, will share our respective observations. Don and I know that we are never totally "value-free" but we are both trained to be as objective as we can be in our social science reporting.

I feel I need to share one more thing before I begin my comments on your TB reflections that will follow. I am what social scientists term a "participating observer." I have tried to be as open as I can be to whatever God wants to do at TAV or at my Episcopal church that has "caught the fire." Although I am not a big "manifestor," I do know when I feel the power and presence of God. God has never failed to meet me on my visits to TAV--nor to change the lives of different women I have brought with me. You are correct in discerning that the Holy Spirit is at work at TAV in a very special and powerful way. Using both my skills as a trained observer and as a survey analyst, I am attempting to leave a sociological record of this move of the Holy Spirit that I personally have witnessed for secular scholars. It is from that stance that I make the comments that follow on your articles.

As a sociologist I too am focusing on administrative concern for a good part of my analysis of TAV.I don't know whether you have had the opportunity to read the paper I presented at Orlando '95 and which I sent to you in August. I believe it touches on some of the concerns you raise. After reviewing scores of conference tapes, interviewing with staff at TAV, and participating in the renewal services and conferences, I judge the renewal to be in its "charismatic moment." More importantly, I found few examples of the cautionary concerns that you have raised in your articles. There are always going to be weeds mixed with the wheat, but I have been very impressed with the leadership's ability to allow the wheat to grow undisturbed without nurturing the weeds.

I trust that we will be able to meet when I am at Fuller from January 2 through March, 1996.I would welcome the opportunity to dialogue with you.

Respectfully and in the Lord's Service,
Margaret M. Poloma, Ph.D.

Comments on "Vineyard Reflections: The Toronto Blessing"

by Margaret M. Poloma, Ph.D.

The focus of these comments is to assess TAV's alleged departure from the Vineyard philosophy of ministry, an issue that seems to be at heart of the two articles I read. Not having a Vineyard in Akron, Ohio, I experienced very little first hand about how Vineyards operate until I began coming to TAV a year ago. As a scholar of the charismatic movement, I quickly recognized what a gift the Vineyard philosophy is to the larger Christian community. As I will attempt to demonstrate, contrary to the suggestion that TAV has departed from Vineyard philosophy in significant ways, I believe it not only serves as good example of the philosophy you outlined but that it is sharing this gift with the larger church. I will attempt to demonstrate and defend this position in what follows.

The Toronto Blessing and the Larger Christian Community

The survey of persons who have visited TAV (with data collection still in process) has yielded 594 responses upon which I am basing my preliminary analysis. These respondents tend to be in church leadership positions (20 percent are pastors and another 32 percent self-designate as church leaders), with a mean age of 45 years, and an average educational level of 15 years (a median of 16, indicating that most respondents are college graduates).Given their church positions, age, and education, these respondents, as a group, promise insightful and critical data for evaluating the TB.

The overwhelming majority of respondents do not identify their churches as being affiliated in any way with the Association of Vineyard Churches (85%).In another question that asks about denominational affiliation, only 12% checked "Vineyard."The largest category of visitors appears to come from non-denominational churches (28%) with another significant minority (10%) coming from the Anglican/Episcopal tradition.The remainder of the respondents represent over 35 other Catholic and Protestant denominations, with less than 2% indicating no church affiliation.At least two things strike me about this sample: (1) it represents the larger church of Jesus Christ and (2) these respondents appear to be mature Christian believers, and not charismatic gadflies.

TAV and the Vineyard Model

What I have regarded as the distinctive mark of the Vineyard model has been its "equipping of the saints." I was familiar with this model from its operation in my home church (St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio) and felt quite at home with the ministry practices I found at TAV. As I have discussed in the paper on the Toronto Blessing which I sent to you last summer, the rules and practices that have been established (e.g. designating prayer teams and catchers) have been put in place for very practical and pastoral concerns (especially, the safety of visitors).It never even occurred to me (as an outsider to the Vineyard movement) that anyone would construe this as a designation of "first and second class citizens" until I read your recent article on TAV.

As I also noted in the TB paper to which I refer in my cover letter, one of the characteristics of the ministry and leadership at TAV is the downplaying of its potential "charismatic stars."Although I do not have survey data that bears on this issue, I was surprised by your statements about TAV and the Vineyard model (especially the section on "anointed speakers") and needed to respond.What you discuss is always a possibility, but it does not describe what I have observed as a participant observer at TAV services.(If you need another copy of my paper, I would be happy to send it to you--or it can be accessed on the TAV website [http://www/grmi.org/TAV]).

I would like to note that as the author of the only major sociological study of a Pentecostal denomination (The Assemblies of God at the Crossroads: Charisma and Institutional Dilemmas), I am quite familiar with what you describe as the Pentecostal model.While I agree with your concerns about the model, I have seen very little evidence of it at TAV.

Focus on the Experience

There can be no doubt that religious experience is at the heart of what God is doing through the so-called "Toronto Blessing" movement. What I am observing, however, seems very consistent with what I have read in your earlier writings. Allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to move has been the strength of VCF. But, as has been noted by social psychologists and sociologists, religious experiences are "institutionally dangerous." There is the tendency for institutions (as I describe at length in my work on the AOG) to quench charisma. As an outside observer I would suggest (based on what you have written) that VCF may be moving in the same direction as the AOG. In order to gain institutional "respectability" and "status," charisma is in danger of being sacrificed.

As I have noted above, there is little evidence in the survey that TAV is attracting a disproportionate share of "immature believers whose priority in Christianity is finding the 'hot' renewal meetings." (p. 7)Both my interviews with persons during my visits to TAV and the survey results indicate that it is the mature Christian believer who predominates and that God is refreshing these men and women as part of the equipping process.

As you correctly note, however, religious experiences should be judged by their fruits. That is precisely what my survey is designed to do. Preliminary findings indicate that the fruits you call for are there. Eighty-nine (89%) percent of the respondents indicated agreement with the statement: "I am more in love with Jesus now that I have ever been in my life" and 91% said they had come to "know the Father's love in a new way." Approximately one in two persons claimed to come to the TAV "experiencing dryness and great discouragement" and left feeling spiritually refreshed. This refreshing had implications for their lives. For example, 82% agreed with the statement that "talking about Jesus to my family and friends is more important to me now than it has ever been before." Almost 70% reported that "friends and family have commented on changes they have observed in me" since the visit(s) to TAV. Of those who are married, 87% claim to be "more in love with my spouse than ever before." Thirty three (33) percent said they had become more involved in works of mercy as a result of their visit to TAV.

People appear to be satisfied with TAV, but I would say that it is for good reason. Many lives have been changed. Although only 1% of the respondents were "first time" conversions, 28% indicated they "recommitted" their lives to Jesus at TAV and 46% said they were more involved with their churches as a result of their visit to TAV. Five (5) percent reported being healed from a medically diagnosed mental health problem; 18% reported a physical healing; and 76% claimed to have received inner/spiritual healing as a result of visits to TAV. Can these changes be the reason that 92% of the respondents have encouraged others to visit TAV?

Basing Theology on the Manifestations

Given the range of speakers at TAV, one could find examples of your fears that a theology might develop that would emphasize the manifestations. A careful analysis of the teaching sessions and the majority of sermons given would find this to be the exception rather than the rule. What is done at times is to demonstrate that there were "unusual" manifestations reported in the Bible which bear similarities to those being experienced at TAV.I believe there is a difference between suggesting analogies and developing a theology. In my humble opinion, there are few sermons given at the Vineyard that "focus too heavily on explaining the phenomenon." (p.9)

Churches as Renewal Centres

I concur with your concern that churches not seek to use TAV as a model for the local church, but I fail to see evidence that TAV is guilty of what is being charged. I have never heard TAV leaders encourage pastors to seek to become a "mini-Toronto." The teachings I have heard in the Pastors' Sessions have been quite balanced. For example, time and again I have heard the "error" that TAV made when it allowed its kinship groups to disband when the fire fell; and pastors are urged not to make the same mistake. Your concern about this issue is well founded as a potential problem, but I do not believe TAV can be faulted for its teachings on this matter.

I would like to conclude with a personal reaction as I read your paper. What came to mind was my own pastor's reaction to people from our church coming to visit the Airport Vineyard. Initially he told people, "Whatever they have in Toronto, we have right here. You don't need to make the trip up north." After people continued to visit TAV and come back touched by the Holy Spirit, my pastor finally made the trip himself. Upon his return he said, "Brothers and sisters, I know what I said--and I have had to repent. Whatever they have in Toronto, we want!"

I sensed some of my pastor's initial skepticism in what you had written. Your praises seemed faint, with cautionary statements dominating the analysis. As someone who has visited TAV ten times within the past year, many of your concerns seem to be phantoms based on second-hand reports. I took the liberty of asking several on the staff if you had ever come to TAV just to join in the worship there. I understand you did come for one visit but led the service. If I may be so bold as to suggest this would be similar to my doing a survey and writing a report without allowing myself the opportunity to experience what others may be experiencing. While sociologists frequently do just that in the name of value neutrality, I have found it does not make for good analyses.

A better model is set by one of my Catholic priest-theologian friends who is the Executive Officer of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. Peter Hocken had been asked to write an article on the TB for a German magazine but felt he could not do so without personally coming to the Airport Vineyard. He allowed himself one week to observe and to be open to whatever God might do. As he reports it: “God knew better than to tell a theologian what he was going to do. For the first four days, I did not experience much of anything, but on the fifth day God showed me a bit of what the TB was about." His article, I am sure, is very different from what it would have been had he simply reviewed other articles.

I hope when I come to Pasadena the first three months of 1996 that we will be able to meet to talk further. I have a great respect for your ministry and how God has used you. It saddens me to think that you may be going the same route with the VCF that I observed in the AOG by stressing potential problems so much that some people will use your teaching to refrain from experiencing this fresh move of the Spirit. (Because of your stature, some will read your cautionary statements as "pronouncements" to bolster their own fears and prejudices.)

God has used you in a singular way to prepare a place for this gift that He is giving His church. I pray that you personally may experience some of this newest wine from the vineyard you have helped to plant.

Respectfully submitted by,
Margaret M. Poloma, Ph.D.