“His Eminence” Hits The Calvary Chapel Circuit: Corrected
Despite all the questions and allegations surrounding K.P. Yohannon and Gospel For Asia, it looks like the self ordained “Archbishop” is being welcomed to raise money on the CC circuit.
As noted previously, he will be speaking at a Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at CC Downey.
He will also be speaking at CC Modesto.
Corrected: This was in error…he spoke at CC Modesto last year. My apologies for the error.
I would assume that there are other Calvary Chapels hosting him that we do not yet know about.
Jeff Johnson pastors CC Downey and is a member of the leadership council of the Calvary Chapel Association.
The implicit message given by these leaders is to ignore all those questions and allegations and pony up for the cause.
This message would be understood both by their peers and the pew sitters.
There are many reasons at this point to withhold support for Yohannan and to deny him a platform until such time as all these matters are resolved.
The main reason would be to protect the people of God from being used.
That’s what shepherds are supposed to do.
Once again, blogs will have to stand in that gap.
If you have more information about Yohannon and his itinerary, post it here or email me at phoenixpreacher@gmail.com
sitting up here in the mountains and reading this… it just seems like the right thing to do would be to show up at these scheduled meetings with a stack of well documented fact sheet handouts… too naive?
Holy pink robe! Is that really K.P. allowing someone to pay homage to him like that?
What gets into these guys heads? Good Lord, man.
Em,
I wish I could…
Maybe I will
I have kissed the hand of the occasional archbishop, bishop, archimandrite, abbot, abbess and priest. It’s a holdover from ancient times when people showed more formality and respect for leaders. It’s not worship, in other words. It looks odd in today’s informal, iconoclastic culture but it’s quite the norm for many Christians. When I kiss the bishop’s hand, for example, he gives me a blessing. Different world.
There are Baptists in Russia or Ukraine, can’t remember which, that deliberately use the Orthodox trappings to fool simple folk into coming to their churches, thinking they are coming to an Orthodox church. It’s deception. I wonder if that’s what’s going on with KP.
Sick, idolatry man worship… really KP?
I’ll kiss your ring if you kiss my A$$ your eminence!!!
My pastor is treated with the highest respect and honor. At Christmas he always gets a better bottle of Brandy than anyone else on staff.
I don’t support KP. I’ve never heard him speak. I’ve heard of gospel for Asia but that’s it. All that to say, even though I am a CC pastor, I have “no dog in the fight”. Could it be these pastors, rather than pull their support of the man, are withholding judgment until KP is given due process? In our system of jurisprudence isn’t a person considered innocent until he faces his accusers and is found guilty? Rather than knee jerk could they just be waiting for more info? a response from KP?
Now maybe these things have taken place and every thing clearly understood already. I dunno. There just seems to me Christians are quick rush to judge other Christians now days
Don’t get me wrong. I certainly agree there is cause to ask questions!
I just don’t know there is ample cause to “convict” him yet.
My disclaimer is I am paying more attention to keeping my nose clean and every thing I do is above board than worrying about the other guy. Just saying I’ve kinda been in the dark on stuff lately. Just heard yesterday about Tullian T. Yesterday.
With this many questions, it is irresponsible to give him a platform.
Period.
Your mileage may vary.
I spoke some thoughts on this on the Linkathon thread, but wanted to clarify a little more here.
GFA most definitely conducts themselves in a more formalized way with much pageantry in India. In my conversation with GFA they told me this was done for reasons of culture and governmental compliance. Some of the testimonies on the GFA Diaspora website would contradict those claims. Additionally, there would seem to be other evangelical ministries and churches in India who do not go nearly to the lengths that GFA does in these things.
So whether or not one agrees that these practices are good, the sticking point is that GFA represents themselves very differently to Calvary Chapels and much of the rest of their donor base. At the very least, they are being dishonest in how they show themselves to be. And when they are giving reasons for why and how they do actually conduct themselves in India, they may be being dishonest there, too.
And as far as the questions, yes, there are many questions about GFA right now. From the questions of misrepresentation, to the allegations of abuse and misconduct from the GFA Diaspora group, to the many financial questions involving possible improprieties. GFA is choosing not to answer many of them publicly, at least not so far. And when I called as a donor and asked a few of them, I don’t think I was given straight answers to all of them.
Kevin H,
I just have to commend you again for your work on this story…your input has been A+.
Thanks, Michael.
Thanks Kevin for the research. I’m wondering if CC philly will think twice about hosting K.P. again? I know they have in the past a couple of times. But the more I think about it, K.P. fits in well in CC. Its like them looking into the mirror for certain Moses Model pastors.
I suspect if the above photo was on the cover of a mass-mailing to solicit funds the money would dry up almost immediately. The old Baptist dears who have been so generous in the past probably would shriek in fright if they saw the that photo.
As well they should.
In my world, of course, it is the expected thing.
As well it should be.
Andrew,
At this point I wouldn’t know if CC Philly would host K.P. or not. I would hope not, but I don’t have any say in the matter. You are right that he has spoken there at least a couple times in the past. One of those times was the genesis for my wife and I deciding to sponsor a couple children through GFA. I now wonder how much of the presentation was genuine that influenced our decision. At the very least, CCPhilly did host a Missions Conference a month or two ago and K.P. wasn’t there.
I wonder who designed his vestments? I mean, someone put some time into choosing colors and what they mean, how and why they are colored and layered in the manner he is wearing them, and the trim and what that means. Also, who is the guy kissing his ring and why does he have a robe on? Do all his pastors of his churches wear robes?
Seriously, this fascinates me. I know that the different types of vestments have very real meaning in the Anglican church, and I am assuming in the EO and RC churches, as well.
Anyone know?
In the EO and RC world, the color of the vestments have significance depending on the liturgical calendar. Anglicans too, I think. White (or “bright”) vestments are for days of great celebration, such as Pascha (Easter); Black (or “dark”) vestments (includes purple) are for mournful days (Lent); blue vestments are worn on days that honor the Theotokos, green vestments are for other days like Transfiguration. The cloths covering the chalice, altar, and icon stands also match the vestments. Gold seems to be for ordinary time.
<— This is the EO color scheme. I assume other liturgical churches are similar. Flowers often match, too. Parishioners often wear clothing that matches, too (but not too strictly, except for Lent and Pascha). Orthodox deacons, who serve a liturgical function, and altar servers also wear matching vestments, just not so fancy.
Small churches often can't afford all these different sets of vestments and just have 2 basic sets: one bright and one dark.
My absolute favorite time of the whole liturgical years happens on Great and Holy Saturday when the Lord is "setting the captives free," that is, when the Harrowing of Hell happens. In the middle of this service all the vestments change from black to white and the music changes from glum to more cheerful. (But for the extreme joy, that happens later on that night during the Pascha service.)
I don't know what liturgical scheme KP is observing.
I had a you tube video that a Lutheran pastor made getting vested and explaining each step – what goes on to of what, how some knots are tied and their significance. Each piece has it’s own particular liturgical meaning.
I need to search for it.
I’m not so worked up over the vestments or the kissing of the hand, although my thought is, its 2015 people! It might be the one thing that keeps me out of Anglicanism. The pledging of loyalty to a person and organization that has some definite red flags is another issue.
Secondly, this type of ecclesiastical cultism is antithetical to churches like Calvary Chapel. Why would they turn their pulpits over to a guy who is involved in such practice? In essence, they can kiss your ring but you better not agree with Calvinism. Huge inconsistency.
Speaking of pledges of loyalty, I think I posted this one once before, but here is the pledge that the director of GFA Canada took during an ordination service:
KP: “Are you resolved to build up the church as the body of Christ and to remain united to it within the order of bishops, Metropolitan, and under the authority of the successor of the Metropolitan?”
Pat: “I am.”
KP: “Are you resolved to accept and obey the given orders, responsibilities, and disciplines of the church and the ministry and discharge them in absolute submission in accordance with the constitution of the church?”
Pat: “I am.”
KP: “Will you promise to submit to my leadership, my successors, and authorities of the church and the ministry set over you all the days of your life and ministry?
Pat: “I firmly make this pledge and promise in the name of God and before this congregation that I will submit and always remain loyal and faithful to your leadership and to your successors and in all matters.”
Now to me, this pledge is extreme and is indicative of an organization that is creating an environment that is ripe for over-control and abuse.
Ixtlan
” Why would they turn their pulpits over to a guy who is involved in such practice?”
For the same reason they give up their pulpit to a Christ denying Israeli looking to raise money.
mld,
Which is?
Xenia: I suspect that the Orthodox-style Baptist Church of which you wrote above is the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, who see their forms as a kind of contextualization to Eastern Orthodox culture.
As for the above picture (and others like it I have seen in the past), use of these kinds of ecclesiastical forms are by no means required by the Indian government nor by Indian cultures universally. It bears some resemblance to that utilized by the Anglican affiliates in India, the Church of South India, the Church of North India, and the Mar Thoma Church, and there may have been a connection with the Church of South India at the time Believers Church moved in this direction. See this from 2003: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/10/stories/2003021003650400.htm
Ixtlan
“Which is?”
because in many CCs the pulpit is no more special than and very similar to the American Idol stage.
@28
You still haven’t answered my question.
Well the question was only 2 words.
They invite people into their pulpit for the sake of notoriety. KPYs notoriety far outweighs his questionable activities. But 2 things I will say in KP’s defense (and I really don’t know who he is other than I did look to see if the Beatles were hanging around him)
1.) he seems to be a Christian – which would give him more right to speak frfom the pulpit vs some Israeli soldier or tour guide.
2.) perhaps part of the money problems revolve around the graft which is required to operate in many of these foreign countries – which is no different than the American method of business.
But then I don’t understand the concept of anyone but the local church pastor preaching in his own pulpit.
The Believer’s Church is in the Episcopalian vein. Not at all as it has been represented to willing donors who thought they were supporting lone missionaries and widows and orphans. There is so much money that did not get to them. We bought the “100% goes to the field” claim. It simply isn’t true, no matter how you dice it.
@ 30
Thanks. LoL!!!
CHRISTIAN NEWS MAGAZINE FOR KERALA MALAYALEE CHRISTIANS FROM INDIA AROUND THE WORLD
INDIAN CHURCH DISMISSES TWO BISHOPS FOR PART IN PENTECOSTAL CEREMONY
ENI-04-0105
By Anto Akkara
New Delhi, 25 February (ENI)–The united Church of North India has dismissed two of its bishops for violating the church’s “faith and order” by taking part in the consecration of a prominent Pentecostal Christian leader as a bishop. “Faith and order are the foundations of the church,” the church’s general secretary, the Rev. Enos Das Pradhan told ENI. “By participating in the consecration of an individual whose church is not in communion with us, these bishops have violated the discipline of the church.”
Bishop Premkumar Dhotekar of Nagpur diocese and Bishop Bancha Nidhi Nayak of Phulbani were removed from their positions in January by the church’s executive committee. The decision followed a unanimous recommendation of a committee of inquiry set up last year to investigate the affair. Dhotekar said he would challenge his dismissal in the civil courts. “They are biased and too harsh to me,” the bishop said on Tuesday, adding that he had been served an eviction notice to leave his official residence by the weekend.
K. P. Yohannan, the Pentecostal leader whose consecration as a bishop sparked off the dispute, is founder and president of Gospel for Asia. The movement, which describes itself as a mission organization promoting evangelism in Asia, is said to be among the Indian church groups that receive the most income in foreign donations. Yohannan strongly criticised the decision to dismiss the two bishops.
“I don’t think this is what Christ would have done,” said Yohannan, whose Believers’ Church in India runs dozens of schools and other institutions and says it has a one-million-strong following in India. “This is very unfortunate. I don’t understand why on earth they are reacting this way now,” the Pentecostal leader said in an interview. The Church of North India is a united church bringing together Anglican, Congregational, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Brethren and Disciples traditions.
The consecration of Yohannan as a bishop took place in February 2003 at a service led by Bishop K. J. Samuel, moderator of the Church of South India, and attended by two other bishops from the church as well as the two bishops from North India. Samuel has since failed to win the support of his church synod for re-election as moderator. The Church of South India synod declared Yohannan’s consecration to be “invalid” and said neither Samuel nor the other bishops had authorisation from the church to take part in the ceremony. [415 words]
http://www.lightoflife.com/light_of_life_events_world_March2004.htm
Transparency and Accountability in Ecumenical Relations D …
http://www.cvjm.de/…/Robinson__Transparency_and_Accountability_in_Ecu...
… Accountability in Ecumenical Relations Discussions in Indian/Asian Contexts. Gnana Robinson …. Corruption in Churches was the subject of our discussion.
Transparency and Accountability in Ecumenical Relations
Discussions in Indian/Asian Contexts by Gnana Robinson
This cancerous virus has spread among the public that even ordinary lay Christians are tempted by it. There are now in India a number of ‘self-made” bishops, who constitute their own churches by names, and wander in the public as bishops. Some of them turn out to be criminals. Two of them were arrested and are now behind the bars in prisons. One of them is said to be a former juvenile criminal who stole a brass vessel from the neighbour’s house and was arrested and put in Jail for a period.
The latest Episcopal scandal in the Church of South India and the Church of North India was the consecration of K.P. Yohanan, a lay man, an evangelical preacher with a foreign wife, who formed his own church and called it the Believers’ Church. He has many supporters in U.S.A. and Australia. He draws huge amounts from overseas. One year the Government announced in newspapers the list of those non-governmental organizations which received large sums of money from overseas, and K.P. Yohanan topped the list. That year he had received Rs. 780 million from overseas. He was consecrated as bishop by the then CSI moderator K.J. Samuel with the accompaniment of the present moderator and one other bishop from the CSI and two bishops from the CNI, without any prior theological discussion on the faith issues involved and without any formal decision of the CSI Synod or its Executive Committee. The CNI viewed the matter very seriously and conducted an enquiry. In the enquiry, one of the participants, Bp. Nayak of the Phulbani Diocese of the CNI, had admitted that he participated in that function because “he was assured of some financial assistance by Mr. K.P. Yohannan.” (CSI Life, Feb.-Mar ’04, p.5) The CNI took this to be enough evidence for both its bishops taking money for participating in the consecration and laying hand on K.P. Yohanan, and dismissed both of them from being bishops. (The North India Church Review, February, 2004). The drastic action taken by the CNI frightened the Moderator and the two bishops of the CSI who conducted that illegal consecration. A period of suspense and fear continued among them when lobbying and bargaining were going on. The matter was somehow silenced. Full insight into the proceedings has yet to be gained.
Gnana Robison bio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnana_Robinson
I’m pretty sure there’s no Boat RV or jet ski in KPs garage. I still think the GFA will use the money wisely that you give to them. Satan works from the inside as well such as Calvary Chapel Chino Hills where a man with swindling the offering money before he got caught for few months. As a previous poster said where’s the evidence let’s see the evidence