Search found 121 matches

by Paul Kovaks
Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:37 am
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?
Replies: 36
Views: 48952

Re: How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?

Yes Faith, our last 5-10 years in MCF was dominated by preaching of 'participation in the sufferings of Christ'.There's 3 or 4 Scriptures that are actually quite clear that we will share in His sufferings: Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh WHAT IS LACKING in ...
by Paul Kovaks
Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:06 am
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?
Replies: 36
Views: 48952

Re: How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?

Yep, thanks BR. I'll get a copy of 'Savage Shepherds' because I really want to nail down what we submitted to. I've recently loaned a great book 'Playing with Holy Fire' by Michael Brown, a wake up call to Pentecostals BY a still-Pentecostal: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/04/03/a-review-of-playin...
by Paul Kovaks
Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:55 am
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?
Replies: 36
Views: 48952

How unique is BCF/MCF's brand of cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years)?

I think BCF (Brisbane Christian Fellowship)/MCF (Melbourne Christian Fellowship)'s cultishness (especially the last 25 Vic Hall years) is NEAR-UNIQUE, globally. Here's why: I can't find any/many accounts of controlling cults that satisfy ALL of these 3 criteria: 1. An appearance of near civilised NO...
by Paul Kovaks
Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:47 am
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Gnosticism
Replies: 7
Views: 12102

Re: Gnosticism

Thanks robo, "It had nothing to do with 'God's will', and everything to do with Vic Hall surrounding himself with 'Yes Men'" that's really key . . We beat our selves up so much because no matter how much we wanted to help it was impossible to 'get picked'! And we really weren't trying to b...
by Paul Kovaks
Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:48 pm
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Gnosticism
Replies: 7
Views: 12102

Re: Gnosticism

Very true Faith & Bagel. In our last 5 years at MCF (2012-2016) we were taught that we were a 'remnant group' and would be persecuted and never popular until the 'great ingathering'. They used that to explain our appearances in these investigative pieces and our dwindling numbers. So it was furt...
by Paul Kovaks
Mon May 07, 2018 9:24 pm
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek
Replies: 17
Views: 24285

Re: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek

Thanks for the confirmation Bagel.

I'm really trying to work out where it went wrong. Because I'm still trying to work out what exactly happened. Was it all egos as you suggest?

And I don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water. And neither has Jeff Hammond.
by Paul Kovaks
Tue May 01, 2018 8:46 pm
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek
Replies: 17
Views: 24285

Re: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek

Robocop, I did preface it with "irrespective of how well it was put into practice or not". So, yes, you are right, it was a sham, as practised. But Jeff Hammond is practising Biblical multiple eldership in a group of churches of 20,000+ people in Indonesia as we speak (I heard all about it...
by Paul Kovaks
Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:02 pm
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek
Replies: 17
Views: 24285

Re: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek

Yes Faith, agreed that the assumption by XCF of XCF being the messenger to the world is what empowered them and the shunning and sycophants & all the loonyness. I and my wife often ourselves said 'where else could we go'? We knew it was cultish to say that but we thought we were in the same situ...
by Paul Kovaks
Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:49 pm
Forum: Doctrine and Teaching
Topic: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek
Replies: 17
Views: 24285

Re: Vic Hall and Order of Melchizedek

Yes, the whole perfection business was a foundational element of XCF. At one level it made sense: It's there in Scripture, the church doesn't seem to be perfect today, and yet Christ prays at Gethsemane for the church to be 'one as I and the Father are one'. I still believe God wants a 'spotless bri...
by Paul Kovaks
Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:17 pm
Forum: What is spiritual abuse?
Topic: TRUTHING IN LOVE
Replies: 15
Views: 19693

Re: TRUTHING IN LOVE

Some really good points Wendy. We must learn to not get caught up on exactly what people choose to believe and instead let the fruit do the talking. Obviously we still need to 'give an answer for what we believe' (1 Pet 3:15) but also not get caught up on 'disputable matters' (1 Cor 14). Of course t...