Customer Reviews

Shepherding Movement (Journal Of Pentecostal Theology Supplement)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book offers a well researched (David Moore personally interviewed all of the living principle players and many of the secondary players) snapshot of how "the doctrine of the Nicolaitans" challenged, leavened, edified, and damaged large segments of the Charismatic Movement of the 1970's and 1980's. Good, bad, ugly, and everything in between - it's all here! In addition to reading this book I have purchased and listened to the audio tape edition (available directly from David Moore or from Charles Simpson Ministries at http://www.csmpublishing.org). I found the content and the author's findings in the audio edition of this book to be the perfect companion to this edition - which is scholarly, objective, balanced, and fair.

On a personal note, I entered the Shepherding/Discipleship movement in as a result of the 1977 San Francisco Men's Seminar. In fact, I discovered in this book that the seminar that I attended was the last of it's kind. (It is amusing to consider that these "gender specific" seminars were controversial at the time since they are now common place. This books helps one gain insight into how the Shepherding Movement broke ground in areas like this)

Was I hurt during the Shepherding/Discipleship movement? Sure, just about everyone involved in the Shepherding Movement was to some degree - especially the leaders. I left the movement angry, bitter, and muttering, "Never again!" However, by doing personal research, reading, prayer, and a few "Matthew 18's" I consider myself healed, sealed and congealed. And, friends, there was a lot to be healed from due to the imbalances and errors of this movement! Candidly, there were personalities back then that are still alive and, in my opinion, that one would be wise to be avoid. Why? Some have learned and moved beyond the lessons from Discipleship and some have not.

That is why this book is SO important. It is primarily a work of scholastic history. As the cliche' goes, "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it." And, yes folks there are churches repeating the errors of this movement even as you are reading this review - I can guarantee it!

I say this from personal experience. You see, after I exited the Shepherding Movement (around 1990 or so) I noticed that several of the churches that we went to were practicing Discipleship - one even taught it from the pulpit - but all were in denial.

One church leadership group, in particular, was brutally traumatized when I brought this fact to their attention. I was rebuked for even suggested that they were "like them!" This told me that the errors of Discipleship weren't exclusive to, "the big four or five" or even a particular movement at a particular moment in time but were simply a formalized, doctrinized form of widespread pastoral, pastoral staff, and cult-like control issues. These errors and imbalances are common to the Church universal past, present and (probably) future. Jesus referred to it as "the doctrine of the Nicolaitans" (Revelation 2:6) the word "Nicolaitan" transliterated, I was told by David Rose (who is not mentioned in the book because he was one of Derek Prince's men - the book focuses mainly on the Mumford and Simpson "branches"), to mean "one who gains victory over the people". I think that you will find this "doctrine of the Nicolaitans" in whole or in part just about everywhere there are churches filled with those sinful creatures called, "the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve" (to borrow from C.S. Lewis). If you are one such creature, you will learn much about yourself (and maybe your church) from this book.

There is also much positive to learn from the Shepherding Movement. Integrity Music was a direct by-product of the Shepherding Movement (our worship back then was legendary). Some base concepts and doctrines of Promise Keepers and the men's movement of the early 1990's were directly or indirectly influenced by the Shepherding Movement as well - whether they will admit it or not is another thing!

Yes, we made a lot of mistakes but we got a lot right as well. To this day I believe that our ecclesiology was dead right but our application of those truths was dead wrong! Hey man, if you can get a bunch ex-hippies interested in Theology and historic, credal, normative Christianity THAT alone must be divine, can you dig it?

At the end of it all I think that we all came to realize what depraved sinners we really are. I know what I am capable of without God and daily reliance on the Holy Spirit - and it's NOT pretty!

So in the end, perhaps the BEST by-product of the Shepherding Movement was humility based on heightened self-awareness of our frailties and flaws. After THAT epiphany there ain't much to be arrogant about! As Bob Mumford said, "I walked in a way that is embarrassing to me now!" In my case I can only say, "Ditto!"

Just to show you that one CAN come home again, I have returned to one of the "remnant churches" (as the author calls them) and I am very, very, very happy and content with where our local church is and where I am at. As they say, "Always learn from experience - preferably someone else's!"

After I wrote my original review of this book I found this summary and these quotes from some familiar and respected Christian leaders:

Summary:
==========
(from T & T Clark, back cover of book) This is an engaging history of the Shepherding Movement, an influential and controversial expression of the charismatic renewel in the 1970s and 1980s. This neopentecostal movement, led by Bible teachers Ern Baxter, Don Basham, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, and Charles Simpson, became a house/cell church movement in the United States. The Shepherding Movement is an ecclesiological case study of an attempt at renewing church structures. Its emphasis on submission to a personal pastor, or "shepherd" as the movement termed it, brought accusations of authoritarianism. The Shepherding Movement's story provides a unique perspective on the history of the charismatic renewal in the United States and its struggle to handle a controversy that forever changed the Renewal's ecumenical character.

About the author: S. David Moore is Associate Professor at the Life Pacific College in San Dimas, California.

"The Shepherding Movement" Book Reviews

"The major authentic and scholarly study of the Discipleship/Shepherding movememt...Moore has given us a well-written book that is a significant contribution to our understanding of the period."
-Vinson Synan, Dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University

"David Moore offers a scholarly, yet warmly pastoral look at more than a piece of history, for he also gives us an insightful, prophetic resource for study and growth."
-Dr. Jack Hayford, Founding Pastor of the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, CA and Chancellor of the Kings College and Seminary

"This is a cerful, objective account of a highly charged issue...an authentic insight of great importance. S. David Moore has performed a valuable service also for the Roman Catholic Charismatic Renewal, where similar issues arose."
-Kilian McDonnell, President, Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, Collegeville, MN

I recommend this non biased book to any one who was part of the shepherding movement. The author lays out the history of the movement from it's excited beginings to it's devastating end. I was in the movement from the early teachings at the World Map confrence in Santa Cruze Ca. in 1969-1970 to the end in Ft. Lauderdale Fl.in the 1980's. The author has answered so many of my unanswered questions of why the movement came to an end. Anyone who suffered abuses while they were apart of this movement will find this book most helpful in understanding their unanswered questions.

I am literally a child of the Shepherding Movement, with my family joining while I was quite young. On balance, my experience was very positive, yet I know of others who believe their experiences were different. So when Professor Moore's book came out, I was interested to see how the overall, wider movement was evaluated.

Professor Moore promises a fair and balanced look at this controversial movement. In my opinion, he delivers. He concisely lays out the history of the movement from beginning to end. Writing with a historian's eye, Moore places the rise of the Shepherding Movement in its context. The Charismatic Renewal was sweeping the nation, but many of its leaders and participants were unaccountable, unattached, and simply drifting from one meeting to the next. To foster accountability and maturity, leaders like Bob Mumford and Charles Simpson began teaching about spiritual authority and covenantal relationships. Eventually, five leaders came together to emphasize these and other teachings (the so-called "Ft. Lauderdale Five"). Moore leaves no doubt that the Shepherding Movement arose in response to a real need and with the best of intentions.

Unfortunately, many of the critics also thought they were acting with the best of intentions, though a few - such as Pat Robertson - come across as self-appointed judges who felt little need to actually engage the leaders of the Shepherding movement with their concerns. Others come across concerned about losing their own turf or financial contributions to the Shepherding Movement. Jack Hayford comes across as someone concerned, but believing the best about those with whom he disagreed and attempting to engage them in direct dialogue. Indeed, it is to Moore's credit that both Charles Simpson and Jack Hayford endorse his book.

I was impressed with the openness of leaders like Simpson and Mumford, who not only granted Moore several interviews but also turned over their private correspondence to him - a treasure of primary data that any historian would love to have. Moore puts it to good use, following the movement from its inception to the dissolving of the "Ft. Laurderdale Five," then tracking the individual men in their ministries after the fact. Moore also reminds us of the benefits this movement had on the broader Christian Renewal: Hosanna/Integrity Music; the emphasis on Covenant in understanding God; the idea of spiritual mentoring; and, the emphasis on home groups and cell groups.

I have always considered myself fortunate to have been involved in the Charles Simpson sphere of the Shepherding Movement. After reading this fine book, that belief is reinforced. Professor Moore deserves much credit for this concise and fair history of an influential movement within the Charismatic Renewal.

The Shepherding Movement was a significant and influential movement in the Charismatic Renewal (in the US) throughout the mid to late 1970s that emerged the the personal covenenting of five leading teachers, often referred to as the Fort Lauderdale Five. These five individuals (Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Charles Simpson, Ern Baxter and Don Basham) began in a personal relationship of accountability which soon escalated as these "covered" other leaders who in turn pastored/shepherded other etc thereby creating albeit unintentionally and despite their protestations the contrary a form of denominational structure.

S David Moore has attempted to produce an objective history of this controversial and evidently influential movement. Moore is not (as he admits) not an entirely external observer, he is writing "as a former insider of the Shepherding movement" and that he "left the movement in 1984 because of concerns over what I believed to be doctrinal and practical extremes" (8). This sympathy with the Shepherding ideal (as opposed to practice) does show throughout the text and this bias is present in the selection of sources. For example, while there is a lot of reference to the concerns of the shepherding movement and spiritual authoritianism and abuse there is next to no actual case studies. What is left is therefore a one-sided account on the hierarchy of the movement and the opposing charismatic leaders and not on the victims even if, as Moore highlights these victims were in a minority. What is left is therefore an incomplete and somewhat sanitised history of the movement; however, this reservation aside Moore has presented us with a readable and succinct history of the movement from its early days as a personal consolidation of resources and introduction of personal accountability to the Ft Lauderdale five through their heydey on the late 70s to the break up of the fellowhips (only Simpson remains in the Shepherding fold, albeit in a nuanced form).

Moore succeeds where other sensationalist accounts fail because of its presentation both of the pettiness of many leaders (the Shepherding Critic Pat Robertson does not come out particularly well, for example) and also some of the real moral character of some of the men; this is aided by the apparently exhaustive access he managed to gain to many of the participant's personal archives of primary source material. For example, in addition to travelling many thousands of miles for the purpose of dialogue Bob Mumford in reflecting on the controversy after its disintegration publicly noted to a gathering of 1500 charismatic leaders that: "Accountability, personal training under the guidance of another and effective pastoral care are needed biblical concepts ... However, to my personal pain and chagrin, there particular emphases very easily lent themselves to an unhealthy submission resulting in perverse and unbiblical obedience to human leaders. Many of these abuses occurred within the spheres of my responsibilty. For the injury and shame caused to people, families, and the larger Body of Christ, I repent with sorrow and ask for your forgiveness (p. 173)"

Whatever the failings of the movement (and there are very many) and the man I respect that honesty and vulnerability and particularly in the world of the charismatic personality circus I think he should be given some credit for this.

I come to this book as fairly liberal theologically and as someone strongly influenced by the Anabaptist and believers church traditions. This background interestingly also makes this book thought provoking for me. Why? Because like the Shepherding movement I would place a premium on accountability, discipleship, and the idea of the the church as counter-cultural society (the meanings attached to the words would no doubt differ, however!). Indeed, it appears that the Shepherding movement saw themselves as heirs of this same tradition. Moore notes that Leonard Verduin's The Reformers and Their Stepchildren was recommended reading and that the "shepherding movement identified with the Anabaptist emphasis on the visible, believing community, comprised of those whose conduct is distinctly different from that of the world" (p. 152). This makes the experience of the Shepherding movement one which should not just be relegated to the annals of the history of Pentecostal-charismatic ephemera; the Shepherding movement intended to create a people of faith who could be identified as such by those looking in, the legacy of abuse means that intention was not fulfilled. I am under no illusions that this is just a conservative trait and as the call to community becomes more widespread both in the emerging church and the growth of intentional communities then the chance of history repeating itself is very real.

It is 2011 as I write. I purchased this book earlier this year and was surprised at its clarity, objectivity and depth. I was shocked to discover the idea of "the Redeemed Community" as the basis and motivation for taking authority over Charismatic Christians. This doctrine is just now breaking onto the national scene via Rick Perry and his evangelical supporters. See (...)Therefore, this book has continuing relevance and should be considered a crucial piece of the puzzle that constitutes Religion in 20th Century America.

This is very well written, balanced and well documented investigation of very questionable and controversial Shepherding Movement. I got interested because of Derek Prince's participation, that is one of the best teachers and servants of the LORD Jesus full of integrity and wisdom and insight that I have ever met. I thought: what is this movement, that overshadows the perfect picture of perfect Christian life and GOD's service?
This book is the only objective information that I found. It answered most of my questions, and settled my heart about Derek Prince's involvement. GOD's Truth did prevail. It always does, praise GOD!!! If we seek GOD and His Truth, we will find It.
I do recommend it to those who walk the WAY of Christ and do need to know, that there are holes and pits, that the evil one digs for very gifted, but self-assertive, self-motivated people, who misuse the Word of GOD to fit their own views and desires. The baby is good, but the water is very dirty.
As the saying goes: "Good intentions pave road to hell". This is my summation of what has happened.

Someone needed to produce a treatment of the shepherding movement that really brought it to life for those of us not old enough to have lived through it. What is unique about this treatment is that it tells the story from a positive but not defensive light. For this reason, it could be influential for those leaders who have only seen the shepherding movement as falsely criticized. We get to see how 5 well intentioned and anointed men created a system with problem that hurt people in the end. David Moore repeatedly claims objectivity, and it is clear that was his intention, but in my opinion, this book tells only half of the story--the leaders/teachers half. Moore is honest enough to admit that he was a pastor in one segment of the movement. While it does identify some problems at the end that need to be corrected, it takes the same approach that the shepherds took all throughout the controversy--that the teachings were right, but the applications were wrong. This is clearly an excuse. Jesus said, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." Matthew 7:17 If the doctrines are right, then the system should produce good fruit. The many damaged lives which came out of the shepherding movement, are not addressed in this book, and a complete telling of the story would need to do this. This book should be read in conjunction with Ron and Vicki Burks "Damaged Disciples" for a more complete picture. As Moore says, some of the theology in the Burks book is probably an overreaction, but the stories there will help the reader understand the "other side" of the issue.

Now, I do not want to be understood to say that this movement did not produce any good fruit. I genuinely believe that these men uncovered new dimensions to Scriptural truths which are relevant and needed for our times, and that as they themsevles believed, a core element to creating a form of Christianity with the power to bring down secular humanism. To the degree that they were right, many were helped in the movement. However, something in the doctrines must have been wrong, or else there would not be so many tesimonies of people wounded so deeply by their many years in the movement. One example would be the doctrine of absolute submission to a discipler. Jesuit history should show the error of this idea. Giving *absolute* submission to anyone other than Christ is idolatry, and can lead to severe problems. You cannot serve two masters.

The church needs to discover how to practice church authority in a way the helps and empowers people and has safeguards against ungodly bondage to leadership, and many are currently trying to do just that--hopefully with the lessons of the past in mind. In fact, it has been rightly recognized that certain elements of the New Apostolic (NAR) movement are similar--but hopefully now with the enslaving doctrines removed.

I'm glad that Moore has written this book, and it provides a lot of needed information to place the movement in context, however I hope that those whose lives were ruined in the movement are not forgotten, and remain as a marking stone for the future path of the church.