Dr. Brown recently tweeted staged questions for discernment ministers thinking no one would answer, I'm game.

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Ironically, right after I posted a devotional detailing the various strategies Dr. Michael Brown employes in response to his recent sensitivity about being called false, I came across a tweet where he feigns to be merely asking honest questions of discernment ministers. I say feigns because what he is clearly doing is trying to mock and marginalize his critics by asking self-serving questions that reveal how little he truly understands. I am unsure if he expected honest answers but I have nothing to hide after a decade of exposing false teaching. So, I am game.

"Some honest questions for those whose primary "ministry" is critiquing others:" - Dr. Michael Brown

I normally would not start with just the intro line but even here we see his disingenuousness. By placing ministry in quotes, he is signaling his followers that discernment is not really a ministry. I understand why since Dr. Brown relies on his followers not being able to discern. This also reveals that he is not an honest broker in this debate. He just doesn't like being called out for his nonsense. So, he lashes out while pretending to take the high road. The other sleight of hand he tries to pull off here is to twist the discernment of teaching into a personal attack. The ministry is not critiquing others but rather correcting false teaching. Why? Because false teaching leads people astray according to the bible and shipwrecks their faith. You see, while Dr. Brown is inevitably concerned with the lack of love shown towards the wolves, discernment ministers are solely focused on the sheep. So, when Bill Johnson teaches that you can actually teach the gifts of the Holy Spirit or that God is required to always heal us, I say the teaching is false and thus he is a false teacher. The critique is of the teaching. The calling out of the teacher is for the safety of the sheep. Dr. Brown wrote a fine book exposing the heresies of greasy grace but calls Joseph Prince a good brother in the Lord. That is not just an intellectual disconnect but a spiritual one too as now, people can get caught in the deception of Prince because Brown endorsed him. He thus renders his book, irrelevant.

"1) Who appointed you? Was it simply that you felt called by God, or do you have the support and backing of your local church leadership and/or denomination leadership?" - Dr. Michael Brown

Not falling into this obvious trap. In Dr. Brown's apostolic world, everyone must be under some headship but the heads determine on their own the hierarchy. So, for example, Jennifer LeClaire offers to take people under her leadership for hundreds of dollars in annual homage. She in turn, is under the false prophetic network of James Goll, who she pays. She is a false as a three-dollar bill but she is under "covering" as far as Dr. Brown is concerned. For the record, I was under an Assemblies of God church and pastor for ten years and my ministry efforts started when I was still there. I feel I helped my pastor see the folly of preaching carnal politics and he kept me grounded, which admittedly must have been challenging. It was only when people rose up against him and he was forced out that I eventually left instead of staying under the hireling that replaced him. As for accountability, I have an entire network of good brothers who have no qualms telling me if something is wrong or not handled rightly. I remain horribly infallible and have issued corrections when readers show me if I am in error. As for calling, I will assume that Dr. Brown knows full well we are all called by God. I did not start my ministry in discernment, He led me there. Every time I have considered leaving it, He has shown me why I cannot. People's lives are at stake Dr. Brown. That is not hyperbole. That is biblical fact.

"2) What's your own ministry experience? How long have you pastored or served on the mission field or engaged in itinerant ministry or taught in a ministry school or seminary?" - Dr. Michael Brown

Clever but again transparent. It is easy for someone with the learned background of a Dr. Brown to imply that teaching or itinerant ministry is some kind of pre-requisite but he knows it is not. If you must know however, I was a credentialed minister for the Assemblies of God for several years after five years of classes and training. I then became the primary teacher for credentialling at my church for a few more years, before I left as indicated earlier. None of that made me special however. While at my church, I served in seven ministries. I led two of them as well as a bridge group. I loved the baptism ministry the most. To share those joyous moments with new believers. That was my first ministry as I believe when I was getting all hyped for what God was going to use me for, He said, here's a mop, start in the bathroom. I did the projection ministry, manned a camera and directed a camera crew for the church. Every Sunday I served in all three services and the Friday prayer service. I say none of this to brag but to answer your question that you thought was a "gotchya" question. I have never mentioned any of these efforts in my writing except my credentials when I turned them back to the AG.

"3) Are you bearing more fruit than those you are critiquing, or is your primary "fruit" the critiques you bring? If you are critiquing the soul-winning ministry of someone else or their healing ministry, etc., are you winning the lost and setting the captives free more effectively?" - Dr. Michael Brown

I will approach this as if Dr. Brown is genuinely confused. I do not write about false teachers who are merely making an error. A wolf does not "bear fruit." You still do not get it Dr. Brown. Our fundamental disagreement is the people you think are "winning souls" are doing nothing of the sort. Bill Johnson does not win souls. Brian Houston does not win souls. Jennifer LeClaire does not win souls. Benny Hinn does not win souls. So, do I think that I am more effective at winning souls or setting captives free than voracious wolves devouring the sheep of the Lord? Yeah. Discernment is often a thankless ministry but I do get emails from people all over the world who have come into the light after being under the teachings of darkness. I have had people say their faith had been restored. I do not say this to brag and again, I never mention it, but you thought you'd ridicule it. I also had very little to do with it. God is the author Dr. Brown. I am merely the pen, or the keystroke in these modern times. When people ask me to share my work, my answer is always, the word is God's, not mine.

So, I hope this answers your "honest" questions (see what I did there're with the quotes). This is not about me or even you. It is about the word of God and our adherence to it. I know you have decades of service over me. That is what makes you so frustrating to deal with. I saw a promo meme today that says you will be appearing with Vlad Savchuk at some bogus conference. I know you don't like doing research but do you even know who you are walking on the same stage with? Does it even matter to you? Do you think it matters to God? Do you think it is good to lead your followers to believe you endorse the fake demon dude of You Tube? Benny Hinn pretends to slay entire audiences with his suit coat. Shouldn't that matter to you? He has scammed 40 million dollars from the sheep. How many of them have no faith in God today because of him? Who cares if now he says he has changed his mind about prosperity, even though he clearly has not. I want you to know that this ministry is not done for some unconscious pleasure. It would be far better personally to preach about how God wants to make us all rich and give us candy coated unicorns but that simply is not true. The Matthew verses about Lord Lord, terrify me. I do not take the command of walking out my salvation with fear and trembling lightly. People used to ask me if I was afraid God would strike me dead with a lightning bolt and my answer remains - I am afraid of forgetting He can. Maybe that sounds like a bad way to live out your faith but it is a good way of making sure you do not end up on stage with Vlad Savchuk or making videos asking if somebody as obviously false as Benny Hinn needs to repent.

Reverend Anthony Wade - April 5, 2024

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.