Morning Rundown: Driscoll, Lindell Megachurch Confrontation Sparks Controversy
Here’s a quick rundown of the top stories on charismanews.com:
Driscoll, Lindell Megachurch Confrontation Sparks Controversy
I arrived at my radio studio Monday to learn that social media sites were blowing up over the latest controversy involving Pastor Mark Driscoll. He had publicly called out the performance of a sword-swallowing acrobat as demonic without talking to the pastor first. The pastor, in turn, then called out Driscoll in midstream, shutting down his comments.
Did Driscoll do the right thing? And why was this acrobat, a former male stripper, performing at a church conference?
The plot thickened when I received a phone call from one of my ministry school grads, now a trusted ministerial colleague. “Dr. Brown, I go to this church,” he said. “I know this pastor. He’s a fine man, and he preaches holiness and purity. I’m perturbed.”
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Reports: IHOPKC to Close Amid Ongoing Bickle Scandal
Recent reports indicate International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) will close amid the sexual and spiritual abuse scandal involving founder Mike Bickle.
A recording from IHOP University an internal email from IHOPU President Matt Candler refer to the closing, according to The Roys Report. The recording reveals that the ministry is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, partly due to the many donors closely connected to Bickle.
“We began to accrue some pretty significant financial challenges, with our expenses outpacing our revenues by about $500,000 a month… with no end in sight,” IHOPKC Forerunner Church Pastor Isaac Bennett says.
Megachurch Pastor Chuck Swindoll Stepping Down
Accomplished Christian author and pastor Chuck Swindoll is closing a huge chapter in his life effective May 1.
The elders at Stonebriar Community church in Frisco, Texas, put out a statement that Swindoll will be stepping down as the senior pastor of the church, and Dr. Jonathan Murphy, the chair and professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, will step into the role.
Swindoll will then become the Founding Pastor and remain on the board of elders.{eoa}
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