Becky Fischer
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Becky Fischer (born 1951) is a Pentecostal children's pastor. She is best known for her role in the 2006 documentary film Jesus Camp.
Fischer is a third-generation Pentecostal on her father's side and a fourth-generation Pentecostal on her mother's side. Her grandfather was an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God for 75 years. Fischer was a businesswoman in her native Bismarck, North Dakota for 23 years, the last eight as part-time children's pastor of her church. In 1999, she moved to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina to join Tasch Ministries International, a ministry that specializes in mission trips for children. After serving as a children's pastor for Rick Joyner's MorningStar Ministries in Wilkesboro, she returned to North Dakota to begin her own ministry, Kids in Ministry International. She also pastors a church in Mandan, just outside Bismarck and is the author of several Sunday School curricula for churches and the book Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century.
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[edit] Jesus Camp
Fischer was approached in 2004 by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady about filming her "Kids on Fire" camp outside Devils Lake, North Dakota, as well as portions of her "Changing the World through Prayer Conference" at Christ Triumphant Church in Lee's Summit, Missouri (a suburb of Kansas City) where Fischer is ordained.
When the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in the summer of 2006, it generated some controversy for what was perceived by filmmakers as overtly political content. For example, in one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, a guest speaker brought a cutout of George W. Bush and asked several children assembled there to stretch their hands out toward him. Some press accounts erroneously suggested that the children were worshipping him, though the speaker in the film clearly tells them to "pray for" and "speak a blessing to" the President. The laying on of hands and its derivative of stretching hands towards someone is a common practice in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.
While somewhat uncomfortable with some elements of the final product (which led to accusations that she was indoctrinating children), Fischer has refused to disown the film. In fact, she has used it as a tool to publicize her ministry and its work. She claims to see the real message of the film embedded amidst the political overtones. To Fischer, the real message of Jesus Camp is how passionate children can be for their faith in Christ when given the right opportunities. She feels that too many adults think children are not capable of handling anything more significant than Bible stories in Christianity.
Fischer complains the average Sunday School is content to merely give them a roll-over of Bible stories for the first twelve years of their lives, causing them to lose interest in God and the church by their teen years, and opting out of the church culture as a result. Fischer declares, "As a result, we have a crisis in Christianity resulting in as many as 70% of our own children leaving the Church and never returning." Her ministry explores ways to keep them engaged in their faith through adulthood. According to Fischer, this was the original reason she allowed herself to be filmed.
[edit] Theology
Although not advertised in the film, Fischer's ministry is part of an "apostolic network" of charismatic churches and ministries known as Harvest International Ministries. This organization is an offshoot of the charismatic movement that believes in the existence of present-day "apostles" and "prophets." This movement is considered to be heretical by many evangelical Christians, including many charismatics. While her ministry's statement of faith doesn't make any reference to this,[1] its Website includes teachings from many prominent Latter Rain ministers, including Cindy Jacobs, Kim Clement, Bill Hamon and Rick Joyner. These are accessed from a link on the main page called "The Prophets Speak."
Fischer makes many references to the "army of God" during Jesus Camp, and one of the campers, Levi, preaches a sermon centered around the idea of his generation being key to "bringing Jesus back."
[edit] Closing of the Camp
Fischer has since announced that due to negative reactions to the camp after the film, including telephone calls and vandalism, the camp, which was held once a year for three days, will be discontinued indefinitely and will be replaced by other events.[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Kids in Ministry International, Fischer's ministry
- Media Reports on Jesus Camp, TV, Radio, Print Reviews & Reports
- Telegraph Magazine: Kindergarten of Christ, extensive article about Kids in Ministry
