Tag Archives: Presence Conference

Phil Pringle’s Kong Job At Presence 2014 (Part 2) Hillsong “Stands” with C3 & CHC?

27 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by in Associations, Brian Houston's Beliefs

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If you were Phil Pringle…

Before reading this article, please read the below article on C3 Church Watch:

Phil Pringle’s Kong Job At Presence 2014 (Part 1)

Phil Pringle must be feeling pretty insecure standing beside Kong Hee as things progress “from bad to worse”. If you were Pringle standing all alone beside your best mate Kong Hee, how would you go about furthering Kong Hee’s cause and your image before Christianity around the world? If there was a blog out there connecting you to your now convicted mentor Yonggi Cho, what would you do?

Your critics are growing daily within your church and outside your church. The Singaporean and Australian media want answers. You are feeling cornered.
Wretched man that you are! Who will deliver you from your sinful ministry? Thanks be to God through Brian Houston your “friend”.

As Phil Pringle, you’ve already done a great job convincing people not to judge you and Brian (“Judge not lest ye be judged”). Now if only you can get Hillsong to stand with you – you should be fine. All this mess can be swept under the Hillsong & C3 rug and both Hillsong and your C3 movement can stand together against your critics, whether they be Christian or the secular media. Neither movement questioning the other. That sounds good – they are both standing together. Both movements are standing against their critics.

Best buddies – standing together. C3 and Hillsong – standing together.

Whatever Brian Houston does, both Hillsong members and your C3 members don’t have to question Brian – C3 and Hillsong are standing together. Whatever you do with Kong Hee and Yonggi Cho, both Hillsong members and your C3 members don’t have to question you – C3 and Hillsong are standing together. It sounds like you can smuggle in a lot of your agenda at this Presence Conference 2014 if you push this notion somewhere in the conference. Do you think Brian would mind? Probably not. Brian can’t judge you, his best friend publicly!

You can get away with using your “friend” Brian Houston to further Kong Hee’s cause at Presence Conference 2014. If you get in trouble, Brian Houston and his movement will stand with you. Just use the typical mantras, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” and “He who hasn’t sinned cast the first stone” to shut up the dissenters on either side (it worked for Mike Gugglielmucci at Hillsong). Now… how can you smuggle this notion in?

Brian Houston Hillsong Phil Pringle Kong Hee Yonggi Cho Sun Ho C3 CHC

Hillsong and C3 commanded to “stand with one another”

One of the largest criticisms made by Christians and the secular media are the the number of scandals that continually occur in the Hillsong and C3 movements. Not only that, the world also notices how Hillsong and C3 promote and peddle false doctrines and gospels contrary to Christianity. It is not uncommon to hear the general public drop one liners that these “cults” want your money. The world can see it and more and more Christians are starting to see this to be the case with Hillsong and C3.

Since we began monitoring Brian Houston and Phil Pringle, it is our opinion they have grown much closer together in recent months, since more Christians are scrutinizing their ministries and starting to classify them as unethical or immoral churches or Word of Faith cults. (Read:  Same Tribe, Different Smell.) It is interesting to note that both Brian Houston and Phil Pringle have no problem accepting each other and their associates as legitimate ministers of the gospel. For example, here is Phil Pringle rubbing shoulders with Brian Houston’s friends:

Lucrative lobos against the Logos

In the above article, Casey Treat is with Brian Houston. This is the same Casey Treat that Phil Pringle worked with to make this video to support Kong Hee as he goes through his trial in Singapore.

Do Pastors Really Want To Endorse The Ministry Of Kong Hee & Sun Ho?

Now we can’t tell what Brian Houston and Phil Pringle talk about when they get together. But we find it hard to believe that Pringle would have kept Brian Houston in the dark over his involvement in Kong Hee’s scandal and what is happening with his mentor David Yonggi Cho.

Phil Pringle’s mentor David Yonggi Cho has also been recently charged by South Korean courts as a convicted felon for mishandling church funds of up to US$12 million. Furthermore, Phil Pringle’s protege Kong Hee, currently is in court over mishandling church funds of up to U$42 million.

David Yonggi Cho Scandal Paralleled To The Kong Hee Scandal

Furthermore, C3 has been dragged into the spotlight with it’s may scandals including their recent C3 Asheville scandal.

C3 Asheville Scandal – C3 Pastor Facing Prison (Part 1)
C3 Asheville Scandal – C3 Pastor “Pleads Guilty In Bank Fraud Case” (Part 2)
C3 Asheville Scandal – Sweetmans Do Nothing Against Fraudulent C3 Pastor? (Part 3)
C3 Asheville Scandal – Four “People… Have Pleaded Guilty” Including “[C3] Minister… Nicholas Dimitris” (Part 4)
C3 Asheville Scandal – C3 ‘Pastor’ Nick Dimitris: The Liar (Part 5)
C3 Asheville Scandal – Massive Financial Judgment Against C3 Asheville Pastor Nick Dimitris (Part 6)
C3 Asheville Scandal – While Dean’s Playing Slick, Nick’s In The Knick (Part 7)
C3 Asheville Scandal – The Wolf & The Ostrich (Part 8)

In spite of this, Brian Houston has refused to break ties or friendship with Phil Pringle and they remain close friends.

This may now be hurting Hillsong’s image considering how Pringle decided to use Brian Houston’s authority at his Presence Conference 2014. That is, Pringle used Houston’s authority and friendship in such a way that he encouraged both his C3 movement and Brian’s Hillsong movement to stand against their critics. Below Phil Pringle deliberately associates himself as a close and solid friend of Brian Houston and hopes out loud that all people from Hillsong, C3 and other churches, “have got the fight […] to follow and just stand with one another” and to “not to engage in the criticism or to listen to the fault-finding gossips or anything else”.

TRANSCRIPT

“That song, as many of you would know, comes from the mighty Hillsong Church. I said the mighty Hillsong Church. [Crowd applause]

Not just one church but many churches all over the world. Large, growing, influential and have changed, changed the course of Christian music and Christian worship throughout the entire world, in an amazing move of God. And ah- Pastor Brian Houston would be one of the most world changing leaders on the planet today. He has done so much to change culture on so many levels in language, in how congregations are to behave and the way that leadership should should conduct itself. And it’s influenced not just the world of Pentecost but also traditional church world and has entered into all kinds of ah- debate and challenges, I guess, to actually do the following that he’s been called to do.

And he’s certainly had to fight to follow. I admire Brian – ah – with great admiration as one of the greatest heroes of the Christian world today. Not only for having influenced culture here – [crowd applauses] and ah – the fact is, we were born about sixty miles from each other in New Zealand [crowd applauses]. And ah- so we have not only been fellow ministers in this city and managed to- get along, we’ve been good friends.

I remember many years ago when we had what- I started a thing called “the Jesus march”. And we marched all the way down Pittwater Rd. And, I lived at that time in Manly, I think. Or somewhere near there. Brookvale or Manly and ah- came out and joined us and we got photos of him with- ah- the then famous  mullet and moustache combination.

Happily Simon McIntyre was able to compliment that as well with his mullet and moustache. But we’ve been in this same city for many, many years and believing in this city will be won for Christ together and seeing a massive move of God that has not only affected this city but the world.

There’s one thing to stand for Jesus- I think it’s kind of easy actually to say it, “I’m for Jesus”. Cos not a lot of persecution comes because of that. You don’t really. I mean you get a little rub from a few people. But standing with his followers when they’re under pressure – now that’s a different matter.

And Paul found that there was no one in Rome who sought him out to visit him and look after him. People had to come all the way down from Philippi and Macedonia. And he said, “The- You’re the only guys who’ve done this”.

And even when Jesus lost the favour of public opinion, (I mean he lost a lot of his closest friends at that moment and then it past), I would like to think that we have got the fight in us to follow in just stand with one another. Not to engage in the criticism or to listen to the fault-finding gossips or anything else because it does have a price to accomplish something for God. And Hillsong is often been the subject of media attention that isn’t that positive. Happily recently, there’s been a few more that are positive. And I’ve experienced that myself. Ah- both sides of that. And it’s a very unpleasant feeling.

But I salute Brian Houston today because he has stood the course and stayed the line and said we will build the church. I would like you to stand up and support Brian Houston this afternoon. Thank you very much.”

What was Brian Houston’s reaction? Did Brian Houston mind Phil Pringle using his authority to stand together as one apostate movement?

Watch Brian’s response here:

Heath Ledger Turned off Brian Houston’s “Hollywood career”?

Now that Phil Pringle publicly established a unified brotherhood between C3 and Hillsong, he has opened up a way to financially con the Australian public to finance Kong Hee’s defense lawyers. What makes this so immoral is that Pringle and Houston disguise this under the banner of “Christian unity”.

Warning Of Fascist Trends Coming To C3 Global Presence Conference 2014: “Wake up Church, this is not Christianity!”

03 Monday Feb 2014

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The fascist practices and philosophies emerging from the mega-church cults like C3, CHC and Hillsong church should concern Christians everywhere. They are unafraid to use propaganda and fuhrer-prinzip methodologies. They elevate arts, experience and feelings over logic and reason. They propagate the cult of youth and use the size of their ‘volkish’ community to bully Christians into submitting to their strong leadership and movements.

Sound extreme? Are we exaggerating the phenomenon? Are we making this up? Sadly, this is all too real. They may not realise it but these movements are built on the same community-identification principles that characterised the fascist movements in Europe in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Be aware that fascism isn’t to be confused with policies. Italian Fascism and German National Socialism were primarily personality cults where the vision of the leader must be implemented … the policies tended to be indistinguishable from socialism/communism. They were populist policies that played to the masses. The real danger is not where a Brian Houston or a Phil Pringle would take their organisations. The real danger is in whoever comes after them. C3 and Hillsong have set a precedent in Australia for the vision-casting leader who must be obeyed … or else!

Louie Giglio is speaking this year at Phil Pringle’s C3 Global Presence Conference 2014. Oddly enough, it has been observed that Giglio’s ministry also has fascist trends emerging from their movement. Please warn people how dangerous this man’s ministry is. Please also warn Christians the dangers of Phil Pringle’s Presence Conference.

Fascist Trends of Passion 2014

I cannot unpack all of the complexities of ideological fascism in this blog post and how it has revived under the name of postmodernism in our day and popular culture. 2 years in the works at HBP is an upcoming film on Fascism and the Postmodern church. See our full-length interview with Dr. Gene Edward Veith,Postmodernism, Fascism and the Church.

When people think of fascism today they think of Hitler, anti-semitism, the Holocaust, genocide, racism, militarism and the Nazis. Today, the word “Fascist” has been deduced to an insulting label for vilifying political enemies, but its true nature is greatly misunderstood. While Hitler and the Axis powers were defeated militarily in WWII, fascist ideology remains alive and well today under a new name.

Popular contemporary Christianity also appears to be emerging into something new. Much like the mainstream of European prefascist theology, many mainline church denominations have been turning away from transcendence and the Scriptures in favor of a spirituality based upon immanence, cultural activism, and existentialism. Many churches that were once committed to a high view of the teachings of Jesus and His apostles are now shifting their focus toward experience, emotionalism and communalism. In many ways, Christianity may be the strongest defense against fascism, but it may also be its point of entry. (See Veith’s book Modern Fascism: The Threat to the Judeo Christian Worldview and Chris Rosebrough’s lecture Resistance is Futile: You Will Be Assimilated into the Community)

Along with Darwinism and Existentialism, Romanticism was also a key component of the counter-Enlightenment worldview of ideological fascism. Romanticism emphasized inspiration and subjectivity as a reaction against alienation and the rationalism that characterized the Enlightenment. This movement in arts and literature reasserted the value of nature by explaining it with experience and emotions as opposed to reason, intellect and rationality.Passion, not reason, was uniquely “natural.”

Fascism rejected the concept of the individual. Nature, emotion and community become the emphasis of the fascist spirituality of immanence. In order to achieve this group identity, fascism was often characterized by grandiose public rallies. Hitler is pictured surrounded by people in panoramic shots of the community. “We have a community,” says Giglio in this Passion 2014 promo.

The group becomes the living organism or organic community. What you will find emphasized on the Passion 2014 website is not teaching the observance of everything Jesus commanded but the fascist themes of immanence (“God’s presence”) and community (“united”):

TWO GATHERINGS. ONE HEARTBEAT. THE JESUS GENERATION UNITED. . . .

Last year, our US gathering drew more than 60,000 students and leaders from around the world to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. We were blown away by God’s presence. (source)

Rather than appealing to doctrine and objective truth, there is much talk and reliance upon feelings, emotions, action and movement. In fascism and postmodernism alike, emotionalism takes the place of logic. If objective truth and morality is alienating, then subjective experience is uniting.

Fascists did not know where this progressive revolution was going, but they believed anychange or any movement was better. Hitler uses the phrase “the Movement” over two hundred times in Mein Kampf and a Nazi Party journal was entitled Die Bewegung (The Movement).1 Similarly, the Postmodern Emerging Church has no fixed destination but is about action and movement. Likewise, the Passion 2014 event is described as a “movement.” Louie Giglio says, “More than an event, Passion is a movement,” in this Passion 2014 promo video.

The themes of the Passion movement and Passion 2014 are distinctly fascist. Christian Post reports:

The Passion 2014 Atlanta Conference kicked off at Philips Arena in Atlanta Friday with over 20,000 university students attending the two-day event from around the world.

Students from over 1,200 universities and 33 countries attended this year’s Passion conference in Atlanta. This is the first of Passion’s two large-scale gatherings this year in North America for 18-25 year olds. Passion 2014 Houston will be held on February 14-15 at the Toyota Center.

Passion 2014 brings together several internationally renowned pastors, teachers and worship leaders. Joining Passion founders Louie and Shelley Giglio in Atlanta will be John Piper, Christine Caine, and Francis Chan. Grammy award winning artists and worship leaders Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman, are slated to lead worship, along with David Crowder, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels and Hillsong United. (source)

passion-conference-2014-youth

Notice the event attendance is limited to ages 18-25 year old. The English fascist James Barnes wrote, “the present Weltanschauung of fascism may be summed up in one word–youth.”2 Belgian and Romanian fascisms both originated in student movements and the youth were also predominant in fascisms in France, Spain, Italy and England.3 Calling to mind Hitler Youth and German youth culture, Jonah Goldberg writes,

Historically, fascism is of necessity and by design a form of youth movement, and all youth movements have more than a whiff of fascism about them. The exaltation of passion over reason, action over deliberation, is a naturally youthful impulse.4

Last year, the Passion 2013 was an event for young Christians. These Christian conferences that fill stadiums with thousands of people reflect the subjective experience and emotional fulfillment of fascism that comes from losing one’s identity in a larger organic mass community. Judah Smith emphasized the importance of community all throughout his sermon.

The musical performances are very emotional with an emphasis on experiencing God’s presence and the heart rather than the mind. The audience joins in a common experience, feeling and responding as one. These stunning spectacles complete with light shows and music, much like the grandiose public rituals and mass rallies of fascism, actually create community. See here where the “presence” of God, tasting, seeing, and subjective feelings/”experience” are elevated, the fascist marks of immanence over objective truth and rationality.

The consequences of these fascist ideas will unleash a monster. Events like this are raising up a generation that cannot think or reason for themselves. We are seeing a picture that mirrors that of the culture of Continental Europe just prior to WWII. Wake up Church, this is not Christianity!

Sources:
1 Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism (New York, NY: Random House Inc., 2007), 176
2 Zeev Sternhell, Fascist Ideology, Ed. Walter Laqueur, University of California Press, 338
3 Zeev Sternhell, Fascist Ideology, Ed. Walter Laqueur, University of California Press, 342
4 Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism (New York, NY: Random House Inc., 2007), 165

Source: Elliott Nesch, Fascist Trends of Passion 2014, Holy Bible Prophecy, http://www.holybibleprophecy.org/2014/01/20/fascist-trends-of-passion-2014/, 20/01/2014. (Accessed 25/01/2014.)