Maranatha Campus Ministries
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Maranatha Campus Ministries was a Charismatic/Pentecostal-oriented Christian ministry which existed from 1971 to 1990. Its primary outreach was to college and university campuses.
Maranatha came under considerable fire during the 1970s and 1980s, largely due to its highly authoritarian structure. There were accussations of MCM being a cult with some former members reporting behavior similar to cults that frequently recruited college students during that time.
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[edit] Early history
Maranatha began in 1971 at Murray State University in Kentucky as the "Maranatha House," an outreach of a California-based ministry called "Global Missions." It was led by Bob Weiner [5], a former Assemblies of God youth pastor. After a falling-out with his California partners, Weiner struck out on his own in 1972, changing his ministry's name to "Maranatha Christian Church." The word "Maranatha" means "Oh Lord, come" in Aramaic, and was a popular Christian phrase around that time. During the mid-1970s and early 1980s, other Maranatha chapters were established across the United States and Canada. The group was headquartered in Gainesville, Florida.
Weiner and his wife, Rose, drew from a wide variety of leaders and influences all across the mainstream of the Charismatic movement including:
- Kenneth Copeland and the Word of Faith movement
- The Latter Rain Movement
- Dennis Peacoke, Derek Prince, Ern Baxter and the Shepherding Movement
- Paul Cain and the prophetic movement
- Paul Jehle, Gary North, and other non-Charismatics who had Reconstructionist or Theonomic ideas
Speakers at Maranatha conferences were drawn from all across the Charismatic movement, including countless ministers such as Oral Roberts and Larry Tomczak. Pat Robertson spoke to Maranatha's 1987 world conference by telephone hook-up. [6] briefly noting that the 1987 conference included Rosey Grier, Rich Wilkerson, and Larry Tomczak.
Weiner's main targets were the best and brightest on campus. Members were told to work hard, get the best grades, and look as good as you could in order to rise in the economic and political ladders of success to be next to influence decision-makers. The organization was one of the major players in the Christian right during the 1980s. It first got involved in anti-abortion activism in the 1970s, and this soon spread to other conservative causes. It also had an outreach to athletes, Champions for Christ. The group often referred to itself as "God's Green Berets."[1]
Unlike most campus ministries, Maranatha functioned as a denomination. Its campus chapters were called "churches," and its leaders "pastors." Weiner, as Maranatha's president, was considered the ministry's "apostle." "Apostle" is understood in various ways even among former members, but was explained publicly as someone who starts and supervises multiple churches.
[edit] Controversy
Like many other organizations influenced by the Shepherding Movement, [7] Maranatha soon developed clear authoritarian characteristics.
As advocated by Derek Prince, members agreed to live in mutual accountability to protect their purity in Christ. As was typical of most organizations influenced by Shepherding teachings, this resulted in campus pastors closely supervising members' lives. Many members were led to believe that disobeying their pastor, or "shepherd," was tantamount to disobeying God.
The greatest controversy surrounded Maranatha's teachings on dating. In keeping with Prince's book, God is a Matchmaker, explained by Weiner as a "dating revelation," members were banned from dating. Instead, singles were to trust God, pray for God to guide them to a spouse, and hear God's voice speaking to them personally and individually about every decision. If a member believed God had spoken to him or her about marriage, he or she would pray with the pastor about whether that "word" was truly from God. [8] Pastors would send the names to Maranatha's regional offices, and sometimes Weiner himself would weigh in on some of these requests. [9] However, it is alleged that counseling as to whether a "word" was truly from God could often include too much of the pastor's own personal views or agenda influencing the outcome.
Another common criticism of the organization was its emphasis on tithing, [10] [11] or giving 10 percent of their earnings to the ministry.[12] Some pastors were rumored to keep detailed records of financial contributions, and reportedly admonished those who didn't give enough as having a "spirit of stinginess."[13]
Maranatha's rapid growth brought it increased scrutiny from former members--including several pastors--and university officials. It is rumored that a few former members, including several former pastors, suffered nervous breakdowns when they left. In their view and those of other former members, Maranatha was a Christianized version of the numerous cults that frequently recruited college students in the 1970s and early 1980s, such as the Unification Church and the Hare Krishnas.
The controversy surrounding Maranatha gained more notice in 1982, when the University of Waterloo in Canada expelled its Maranatha chapter after one member sexually maimed himself after reading Jesus' command in Matthew 18:8 -- "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire."
During the ensuing outcry, Weiner volunteered to have the Christian Research Institute for a letter of endorsement. He hoped to "expel the lie" that Maranatha was a cult. After a meeting between several cult-watchers and Maranatha's leadership, a six-member ad hoc committee was formed to address Maranatha's problems. More than a year later, the committee issued a scathing report criticizing Maranatha's theology and practices. [14] Among other things, it found that Maranatha's authoritarianism had "potential negative consequences for members." It concluded:
- Until we have clearer understanding of the changes which MCM claims are being implemented, and until we see more discernible evidence of change in the lives of people being impacted by MCM, we would not recommend this organization to anyone.
As harsh as the final report turned out, committee members later said they would have used even harsher language had they not feared legal reprisals. Weiner promised to address the committee's concerns (although later attacking it for anti-Charismatic bias), but the CRI later complained that Maranatha made little or no effort to do so. After complaints from former members of the Kansas State University chapter, the university expelled the chapter in 1983. Maranatha chapter members misled university officials about who was to receive money from a fundraiser and violated university policies on door-to-door solicitation. The Kansas House passed a deprogramming law in response, but it was defeated in the State Senate. Maranatha was expelled from another university campus when the University of Auckland in New Zealand expelled its Maranatha chapter in 1990.
[edit] Breakup
At a November 1989 meeting, after a few years of private conflict about the governance structure at the top, Maranatha's board decided to disband the organization. The official explanation was that many leaders were uncomfortable with the group's denomination-like sructure.[15]
However, another factor was intense criticism from the secular and Christian press, former members and college administrators. This criticism had continued unabated in the six years since the ad hoc report. For example, an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education delved heavily into college administrators' concerns about cultlike behavior. [16] A minor scandal had also erupted over the reigning Miss America, Debbye Turner, who was a member of the University of Missouri's Maranatha chapter. The decision was announced at Maranatha's world conference in November, but was not reported in the press until the spring of 1990.
In the break-up, leaders announced that the individual local churches were free to become independent entirely or to voluntarily associate with whomever they chose. Instead, most of the local churches either closed or struggled to survive with shrinking congregations and dwindling funds. A few of the local churches survived, changing their names for their new identities.
As of 2006, Weiner is still active in his own separate ministry, although he does not oversee churches and is no longer involved with former Maranatha churches. Weiner networks very broadly and is well known within many branches of the Charismatic movement. He travels around the world regularly, mostly in reconciliation efforts. He has since disavowed nearly all of the teachings that caused Maranatha so much controversy, largely under the ministry of Derek Prince.
Other former Maranatha pastors have apologized and repented for their shortcomings and errors, either personally or through books, and have asked for forgiveness. They believe that Maranatha's authoritarianism was a direct result of the group's rapid growth. In these pastors' eyes, their own immaturity and inexperience resulted in many mistakes and wrongs.
Several former Maranatha members answer the criticism directed at the organization by pointing to its members' achievements in leadership positions in church organizations and the professional world.
Jay Rogers, current director of The Forerunner and Media House International, describes the organization: "A youth-focused, revival-birthed move of God, Maranatha was a bright and shining light, planting over 100 campus and youth-related fellowships and churches throughout the world. Maranatha's vision was to plant a Church on every major university campus in the world."
Rogers adds, "Today, roughly one-half of the original 500-plus staff members of Maranatha remain in some type of evangelistic or youth-oriented ministry in a full-time capacity."
Some have noted that much of the friction and controversy has been born out of the fact that Maranatha attracted strong personalities. Maranatha’s controversies were showcased in the media mainly because of the group's rapid growth. Also, the group attracted many celebrities, such as Reggie White, A.C. Green, Debbye Turner, Paul Wylie and others.
Maranatha's supporters also claim that the ministry was far more receptive than most denominations in receiving visiting pastors and ministers. For example, the list of speaker's at Maranatha's World Leadership Conferences consisted primarily of non-Maranatha outsiders who came to preach on many key topics. Also, starting in 1985, and in years after, the home church of Maranatha's top leaders joined 10 other unrelated churches across the city in a two week joint worship and teaching program aimed at unity across the Body of Christ. On various nights, church leaders from unrelated churches preached to the combined congregations of all the city's churches, including Maranatha. In the view of Maranatha's defenders, this openness to outsiders indicated that the organization was not a cult. E.g., speakers at its 1984 national conference included Pat Boone, James Robison, Pat Robertson, Dee Jepsen, and Richard Lovelace. [17]
Morton Blackwell, former special assistant to President Reagan, explained "I've not seen anything in their doctrine which is outside the Christian tradition." [18]
Some claim that the attacks on Maranatha were a reaction to Weiner's membership [19] in the Council for National Policy, a highly secretive conservative steering group. [20] Maranatha attracted considerable attention from conservative political groups, including with the Reagan White House's outreach to conservative groups. [21] Immediately after Maranatha churches nationwide participated in demonstrations in support of Ronald Reagan's policies in Central America, [22] including speeches by college-students who were refugees from communist revolution, Maranatha was attacked in the national press, on issues such as teaching tithing from the Bible. The Wall Street Journal reported that criticism was a reaction to a photograph of Bob Weiner and a demonstration Maranatha members in Time Magazine on the eve of a vote in Congress. [23] Ralph Reed, later to become famous as the president of the Christian Coalition, said that he thought Maranatha got "a bum rap" from its critics. [24]
Notable people to emerge from Maranatha inclue:
- Craig Terndrup, author of well known Charismatic song "Blow a Trumpet in Zion"
- J. Lee Grady, Editor of Charisma Magazine, the premier magazine for Charismatic Christians
- Rice Broocks, Steve Murrell, Phil Bonasso and other leaders of Every Nation ministries
[edit] Links to Every Nation
In 1994, 15 of the 70 former Maranatha churches who survived the break-up and ministries (including Champions for Christ) joined with other groups to form Morning Star International, under the leadership of former Maranatha pastors Rice Broocks, Phil Bonasso and Steve Murrell. Seven of these churches were located in the United States, while the eight others came from a network of Maranatha churches in the Philippines, which had been founded by Murrell.
At its 2004 conference, Morning Star's chief "prophet," Jim Laffoon, announced that God had told the organization to change its name to Every Nation [2]. Another factor may have been that a great many ministries all share the Morning Star name (most notably that of Rick Joyner). Every Nation has publicly disavowed Maranatha's more extreme practices on several occasions. Most recently, in a May 2006 letter, Murrell specifically repudiated any practices and teachings that were "controlling, coercive, or intrusive, or that violate biblical principles (or) the priesthood of the believer." [25]
At least six still operate under the IRS tax status and corporate bylaws from when they were originally founded within the then-Maranatha framework:
- Metro Morning Star in Sterling, Virginia; a suburb of Washington, D.C. (incorporated in early 1980s as Maranatha Church of Washington, D.C.)
- Every Nation Palos Verdes in Rancho Palos Verdes, California; a suburb of Los Angeles (incorporated as Maranatha Christian Church of the South Bay in 1986)
- King's Park International Church in Durham, North Carolina (incorporated as Maranatha Christian Church of the Triangle in 1986)
- Harvest Valley Christian Church in Pleasanton, California in the San Francisco Bay Area (incorporated as Maranatha Christian Church of the East Bay in 1986)
- Grace Christian Church in Corvallis, Oregon (incorporated as Maranatha Christian Church of Corvallis in 1986)
- Beacon City Church in Somerville, Massachusetts; a suburb of Boston (see below)
One church--Morning Star Church in Studio City, California--is also a survivor of the Maranatha break-up. In addition, one other church, Morning Star Christian Church of Lawrence, Kansas [26], was a charter member of Every Nation but left the organization in late 2005. It was originally known as Maranatha Christian Church of Lawrence, but changed its name to New Hope Christian Fellowship after Maranatha dissolved. This church subsequently dissolved in December 1992. Morning Star Lawrence was incorporated in March 1993. [27] Morning Star Lawrence's pastor, John McDermott, was the Kansas registered agent for a corporation called "Maranatha Campus Ministries, International, Inc.," formed shortly before the Maranatha churches became independent. In the summer of 2006, Every Nation admitted in a discussion about the content of the Wikipedia Every Nation article that Morning Star Lawrence was, in fact, the former Maranatha Christian Church of Lawrence.
Two of these churches--KPIC and Metro Morning Star--are considered among the three most important churches in Every Nation. The third is Bethel World Outreach Center in Brentwood, Tennessee (near Every Nation's world headquarters); which is led by Broocks.
In 2001, the His People network of churches in Europe and Africa merged with Every Nation. This network also has considerable past links to Maranatha. Its flagship church, His People Church in Johannesburg, South Africa was formed in 1992 after His People Campus Ministry at the University of the Witwatersrand united with Maranatha Church in Johannesburg led by Bill Bennot. As Vice President of His People International, Bennot maintained ties with former Maranatha ministers such as Rice Broocks. His People began cooperating with Every Nation in 1996, and unity talks around this time as well. The addition of His People to the EN stable greatly increased EN's footprint in Europe and Africa.
Controversy continues from a highly vocal group of former Every Nation members, debating on the FactNet message board, who contend that Every Nation is a revived and repackaged version of Maranatha. As openly admitted, former pastors from Maranatha continue to try to serve in Christian ministry and have found an opportunity to serve within Every Nation. The controversy concerns whether these pastors' apologies for Maranatha's abuses are genuine and whether theology and practices have been reformed. These critics believe that former Maranatha ministers should not serve in Christian ministry unless their apologies are truly sincere.
Critics also claim that many Maranatha-style practices are still prevalent in Every Nation, despite Every Nation's insistence that that these practices are not condoned. Most of the criticism is strongly theological in nature [28], though some of the criticism focuses on behavior and practice.
They also draw parallels between several statements made by Every Nation leaders and some of the more controversial statements made by Weiner. For example, in his sermon announcing that Morning Star was becoming Every Nation, Laffoon (who has no past ties to Maranatha) declared:
"And that’s why I say tonight, movie moguls beware, ungodly dictators be afraid, anti-Christ political systems be worried, ungodly educators your day is coming. For we believe that the kingdom of God can come to the earth as it is in heaven. We believe that we are called to not only reach but to rule. We believe that we are called to change history. We believe that we are called to produce a generation that will rule. I believe that one day we will leave to our children NATIONS and REGIONS and CONTINENTS!"
The sentiments expressed are quite similar to those expressed by Weiner in one of his speeches:
"We are the instrument that God is going to use. We've got to have a vision for dominion. We've tot to take over the sciences, the arts, every area has to come under our dominion."
Every Nation was sued in 2005 by parents who alleged abusive, Maranatha-style behavior at one of its high school campus ministries in Nashville.[3][4] One of the students had attempted suicide prior to encountering Every Nation, according to Stephen Mansfield. [29] The suit was dropped in early 2006, and all documents related to the case have been sealed.
For its part, Every Nation does not dispute that there are a large number of former Maranatha pastors within its ranks. For instance, within a short time after Bethel World Outreach Center joined Every Nation, the board of directors became comprised entirely of former Maranatha pastors. Also, Paul Barker, a former Maranatha pastor and current dean of Every Nation Leadership Institute, served as an associate pastor at Life Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri when the church was briefly affiliated with (though never formally joined) Every Nation. From 2004 to 2005, a longtime worker in KPIC's campus ministry, Morgan Bates, served as an associate pastor at this church. Life Christian Church is where Joyce Meyer began her career, but there is no evidence that Meyer was ever affiliated with Maranatha or is affiliated with Every Nation. However, as mentioned above, it maintains that it has repudiated Maranatha's more controversial teachings, and insists that any Maranatha-style practices are not condoned.
It is certainly beyond dispute that Every Nation is a lineal descendant of Maranatha. However, arguing that the organization is a revived Maranatha, and not just a lineal descendant, requires proof of spiritual continuity as well as proof of corporate continuity. This task is made even more difficult by the chaotic nature of the post-Maranatha years. While evidence of spiritual continuity is solid in some cases, it is not as solid in others. To illustrate this difficulty, one needs only to look at two of the Every Nation churches that were once part of Maranatha--KPIC and Beacon City.
KPIC grew out of Maranatha's various outreaches located in Triangle region of North Carolina, which is home to three major universities--the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Duke University. The first Maranatha outreach was at UNC in 1981. Outreaches at Duke and N.C. State were established later in the 1980s, under the oversight of the UNC chapter.
KPIC has long claimed to have been founded in 1990 (most recently on its worship ministry site). However, it was incorporated in North Carolina as Maranatha Christian Church of the Triangle in 1986. It still operates under these original bylaws (as amended) today [30]. The name changed to Triangle Christian Fellowship in 1990 and to KPIC in 1997. KPIC's founding pastor, Ron Lewis, has long been a major leader in Every Nation and considers himself a reformer. He is listed along with Broocks, Bonasso and Murrell on a page of "friends and former members" of Maranatha on the Website of Maranatha's former mouthpiece publication, The Forerunner.[31] He is also the North Carolina registered agent for the above-mentioned Maranatha corporation that was founded shortly before the breakup. This certificate of authority was filed in 1990 and is still active in North Carolina today [32], even though there has been no verifiable activity from this corporation since 1993.
Lewis stepped down as senior pastor of KPIC in 2002, but is still the president of the church. He now serves as founding pastor and senior minister. His successor as senior pastor, Taylor Stewart, worked for several years at Maranatha outreaches in the Pacific Islands, and was thus under Murrell's covering.
In 2001, KPIC sent a church planting team to Boston. This team joined with a few leaders remaining from Tree of Life City Church, a church which joined Morning Star soon after its founding, to form Morning Star International Church of Boston, which has since changed its name to Beacon City Church. Tree of Life was a former Maranatha church with roots in Maranatha's outreaches in Boston. Beacon City Church operates under Tree of Life's corporate charter, which was adopted in 1986 while it was part of Maranatha. It is therefore the legal successor to Maranatha's efforts in Boston. In addition, the Every Nation Campus Ministries chapter at MIT has been in continuous existence since 1983, when it was a Maranatha chapter. [33] Beacon City's original associate pastor, Brian Diver (best known outside the Boston area as the main spokesman against efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in Massachusetts), had been pastor of Tree of Life from the waning days of Maranatha. Diver briefly took the church away from its Maranatha roots while associated with a local pastor, David Hill. When Tree of Life joined Every Nation, Hill departed, and the church's membership dwindled. Diver has since become associate pastor of KPIC.
On the surface, the spiritual links to Maranatha appear to be very difficult to dispute. The church planting team was trained at KPIC. The current pastor, Wayne Mitchell, for instance, headed KPIC's internationals ministry for a decade. However, Diver's departure to KPIC removed the last direct link between Beacon City and the Maranatha days in Boston. Beacon City's vision and attitude, at least on paper, are very different from those of Maranatha.
[edit] Affiliated Organizations
- Maranatha Campus Ministries (MCM)
- (Maranatha) Campus Ministries International
- Champions For Christ
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Maranatha Christians, Backing Rightist Ideas, Draw Fire Over Tactics. Wall Street Journal, August 16, 1985 [1]
- ^ Transcript of Laffoon sermon at 2004 Morning Star conference, available at [2]
- ^ Are Religious Clubs Acceptable On Public High School Campuses? What About Covert Proselytizing? [3]
- ^ Teacher, church use Metro schools to recruit teenagers, lawsuit says. 05/14/05, The Tennessean [4]
