The investigation is over...now the aftermath courtesy of Dr. Michael Brown

::::::::

When reached for comment today regarding the results of the Dr. Michael Brown Scooby-Doo investigation into him, Todd Bentley was quoted as saying, "I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling NAR kids!" Seriously, after a few grueling months Brown has finished his work regarding the Bentley fiasco. For the uninitiated, Todd Bentley was an evangelical darling back in 2008 as he was packing 15,000 people a night into tent meetings at Lakeland Florida. His meetings were bizarre with a capital huh? Bentley would impart healing by physically assaulting the people seeking healing. This included punching a man in the stomach suffering from stage four pancreatic cancer and kicking a little old lady in the face with his steel tipped biker boot. I kid you not. Regardless of the insanity, the people showed and that is what gets the attention of the purpose driven industrial complex because people equal money. So they dispatched the top NAR false teachers and prophets to drive down to Lakeland and anoint Bentley a prophet. This includes the founder of the NAR, C. Peter Wagner as well as Bill Johnson.

After pouring oil over Bentley's head the NAR went home and then God revealed that Bentley was a fraud, having an affair on his wife with their nanny. He stepped down in disgrace but that disgrace would not stick as the NAR still wanted his potential revenue generation. They assigned Johnson and Rick Joyner to oversee his "restoration" which appeared to be merely divorcing his wife and marrying his nanny. After he was restored, Bentley settled in Texas and started his silliness again. Last year it was uncovered that he had engaged in a series of inappropriate and sexual relationships with interns, including sexting with them and sharing the sexual exploits of his wife. Try and keep in mind that this is someone claiming to be a pastor. Despite the credible allegations, Dr. Michael Brown was asked by some unknown NAR power to convene a panel that would investigate whether Bentley should be allowed to continue in ministry. You have got to be kidding me. Below is the statement from Brown regarding the results of this investigation, so let us reason once more beloved and see what the Gatekeeper of the NAR has determined regarding the preacher who likes to kick little old ladies in the face.

"As followers of Jesus, we delight in God's mercy and grace and believe in the power of restoration and forgiveness. At the same time, we recognize that God's Word holds leaders in the Church to high standards, since they serve as representatives of Christ himself. The question before us is this: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to those standards? Is he qualified to be a recognized leader in the Church?" -- Dr. Michael Brown

Really. Is that the question Michael? I am going to go out on a limb here and say that is not really the question. The question is why was he ever considered a leader in the church? Why would any sane Christian ever think that a man who punches and kicks people to allegedly heal them and then blame that on the Holy Spirit should ever be considered part of the church at all, let alone in leadership? You see, what Dr. Brown and his band of meddling kids never realized is that sane thinking Christians with an ounce of discernment cast Todd Bentley aside in 2008. He never should have been allowed to lure and trap new interns into his sexual dalliances. The blame for that falls to Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner; and now Dr. Michael Brown. For daring to loan a shred of credibility to this disgusting man who has only tarnished the name of Jesus for his own ends. Notice however that the opening of the final statement reveals they were trying to pursue restoration and forgiveness. They were never impartial. This was never about the victims of Todd Bentley but how we could excuse him again so he can keep generating the money for the system.

"The signers of this statement are leaders in ministry who were asked to review a matter that invokes these beliefs and to judge the fitness of a person for ministry according to biblical standards and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In conducting such investigation there are limits on what can be known with certainty, but we look carefully at long-term track records and the accumulated testimony of many witnesses. The opinion we have reached here is theological, answering the question: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to the high standards required of those who serve as representatives of Christ? Is he qualified, according to our understanding of biblical standards, to be a recognized leader in the Church? As part of this process, we sought to hear Todd's side directly, but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond. (Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator.)" -- Dr. Michael Brown

The two big names besides Brown on this Scooby-Doo Commission were Joseph Mattera and James Goll. Mattera is a full-blown NAR dominionist and Goll is one of the most egregious false prophets alive today. Who better to decide the fate of the man who sexted pictures and sexual details of his wife with his interns? It is just hysterical that Brown always tries to sound so pious and official about this process when he is deciding if a man who claimed to have his own angel named Emma during the days when he was sleeping with his nanny behind his wife's back should be fit for Church leadership.

"Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today. There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigator's interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd." -- Dr. Michael Brown

Note the dates! They have fist hand reports dating back to 2004, four whole years before Lakeland. They established a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed independently, from 2008 through 2019! That means from the days of Lakeland, through his fall, during his sham restoration, into his new ministry efforts and through this very day, Todd Bentley has never changed nor repented of his behavior. How many victims are there from Lakeland through today that can be laid squarely at the feet of Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner? This is what happens when you whitewash a restoration process. The truly pathetic thing is it sounds like Dr. Brown was willing to do it again for Bentley but he refused to cooperate.

"We love Todd and believe that he has been supernaturally gifted by God, and our highest joy would be to see Todd coming before God and the community of believers in humility and repentance, openly desiring help to get his life fully healed and surrendered to Jesus. Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse. And, to repeat, these charges have been brought by numerous witnesses over a period of roughly 15 years, right until 2019. Even more importantly, many of these activities have involved people for whom Todd was spiritually responsible (interns, staff, team members, individuals he was ministering to), making these violations all the more serious." -- Dr. Michael Brown

What are you talking about??? This is so infuriating. So is Dr. Michael Brown now saying that Lakeland was legitimate? That the Holy Spirit really did direct Bentley to punch people in the stomach and kick people in the face? When exactly was Todd Bentley supernaturally gifted by God? The obvious answer has to be 2008 when Lakeland was at its height. Except one little problem Doc. Your investigation uncovered first hand reports as far back as 2004 so why would God supernaturally gift someone sexually immoral and commission them to beat people up in His name? What bible do you read? Your own investigation here says 15 years of adultery, sexting, exchanging nude pictures or videos (and you conveniently left out here that these were also of his wife), vulgar language, and substance abuse. That means from 2004-2019. So when along this timeline of debauchery do you see God supernaturally gifting him? You correctly state that these allegations have also come from people who he was spiritualty responsible for making it even more serious and then in the same breath you say your highest joy would be for Bentley to repent. Do you have any care or concern for his victims? Do you care at all about the sheep? There was nothing supernatural about Lakeland. Just a crazy ex-biker from Canada got the entire NAR to bow down to him just before God revealed him for the fraud he was. Now the same NAR is trying again to sweep his abuse and sexual antics under the rug but Todd wasn't playing anymore. Now, I know why Dr. Brown is forced to pay lip service to the victims and pretend Bentley was gifted by God. If he does not the logical questions would arise against Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner and we can't have that.

"In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years. We also recognize that formal ordination into the ministry amounts to a recognition by other leaders of a candidate's qualifications to serve as a leader in the Church. We therefore recommend that Todd's current ordination be rescinded until the process of repentance and restoration, described above, has taken place. It is also our opinion that, while it is possible for Todd to do public ministry again in the future, at no point should he lead his own ministry. Instead, if he was truly restored to God and in submission to godly authority, he could serve in another leader's ministry. But we believe it would be unwise and even potentially dangerous for him to lead his own ministry again." -- Dr. Michael Brown

It is always about such a time when the wolf can be allowed back in the pulpit. That was not what restoration was supposed to be. People need to be resorted in their walk first, assuming they were saved at all. These are pretty strong recommendations but remember they have no control to enforce any of them. How can they not see the logical disconnect though? So you have established proof going back 15 years of continued perverse and abusive behavior. You state that restoration should take years. You find that he would have to submit to local church leadership and lose his ordination. If he was to ever return to ministry it should not be with himself as the lead. You conclude it would be dangerous for him to ever lead ministry again. Yet in the same breath you state that God supernaturally gifted him and that you wished he would just comply so you can get him back in the pulpit again. Bentley is not the only one compromised here beloved.

"Unfortunately, what's missing in the modern church is often the combination of relational and organizational accountability, which would ensure each minister's ability to navigate turbulent emotional, organizational, and spiritual waters. We pray that Todd would find such relational and organizational accountability, and it is our hope that this will become the norm, rather than the exception, for other leaders in the days ahead. We recognize, of course, that we have no legal authority over Todd or his ministry, nor do we seek to have such authority. Rather, as elders in the Body of Christ who have been asked to judge righteously, and in the fear of the Lord, we make our viewpoint public, praying that this will help bring confidence and hope to those who have been sinned against as well as encourage deeper accountability in the Church. We pray for God's best for Todd and his family and encourage them to seek out godly help with the hope that their lives may be fully restored in God." -- Dr. Michael Brown

It is too bad that this panel did not have similar concern for the victims of Todd Bentley. Just look at how Brown frames this debacle. Do you honestly think that Bentley was a victim of turbulent emotional, organizational and spiritual waters? Seriously? Do you think Bentley cheated on his wife, then sexted pictures of his next wife, because the church does not have relational and organizational accountability? Even if you give him a pass from 2004-2008, discernment alone should have disqualified him from ministry once Lakeland went viral.

This is the point that Dr. Michael Brown, Joseph Mattera and James Goll still do not get. The only reason we are talking about Bentley victims from 2012-2019 is that he was falsely "restored" by two members of the NAR. Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner should be held to account for the bodies in the wake of Todd Bentley's ministry. You can even put aside the affair in 2008. How in the world can Michael Brown look anyone in the face and pretend that Lakeland was a move of God? We need to go back and correct the original sin of the NAR clown car going to Lakeland to anoint a man who physically assaulted people for a living as a prophet. Is Todd Bentley fit to lead in the church today? Hell no because he should never have been allowed to lead after using assault and battery as a healing tool. Is Todd Bentley fit to lead in the church today? Hell no and it did not take me three months to decide. In the Facebook comments section following this post, Dr. Brown was censoring the thread by deleting anything he wanted to. One person complained that his friend had posted nothing but truth and Brown responded that he slandered a glorious move of God in Pensacola. We should never lose sight of that amidst the reasonableness of Dr. Michael Brown. The reason why he clearly thinks that Todd Bentley was kicking little old ladies in the face at the direction of God is that he still believes the Kundalini spirit invasion in Pensacola was also a move from God. People spasming uncontrollably is not a move from the Lord beloved. Neither is mugging a man with cancer. I am glad at least that the self-created drama of this Scooby-Doo investigation is now over. Bentley will continue to do what he has always done and Brown will continue to excuse it.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- January 2, 2019

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.