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Tag Archives: pastor

Why Pat Mesiti is still a Hillsong/C3 “Pastor” Pat Mesiti (sermon review included)

18 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 & Pringles Associations, Sermon Reviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, mesiti, pastor, pat mesiti, Phil Pringle, Pringle, restoration, wifebeater

People have started asking the question: “Is Pat Mesiti is still a pastor at either Hillsong or C3?” (Due to his recent arrest after beating his wife.) Even though Pat Mesiti was exposed in a scandal that expelled him from his position at Hillsong, evidence shows he is STILL considered a pastor in the Hillsong and C3 movements.

The proof of this is the fact he is still able to travel between Hillsong & C3 churches AND apparently speak in a pastoral context from their pulpits, (remember, the official role of a church pastor is to teach/preach from the pulpit). AND we are yet to hear an official statement denying that Pat Mesiti is a Hillsong or C3 pastor.

As we’ve written earlier,

“Just like Phil Pringle and Brian Houston, Mesiti wanted to be seen as a motivational speaker. He talks about how Hillsong and C3 have helped make him into someone who wants to make him a better pastor and business man in “evangelism, crusades” and “business functions”. Another article also informed us how Brian Houston was also there to guide, counsel and support Pat Mesiti.”

HILLSONG “PASTOR” PAT MESITI

You can read our article here, covering Pat Mesiti preaching at Hillsong London in 2010.

Money-Making Mesiti ‘Ministering’ At Hillsong London In 2010…

We also know that Senior Pastor Joel A’Bell from Hillsong , as early as 2010, defended “Pastor” Pat Mesiti from critics.

 

On the 13th of October 2010, Joel A’Bell posted this tweet, which came through on his FaceBook wall,

A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. Matt 7:16 MSG.

proof_Twitter-JoelA'Bell-7-16MSG-MesitiSteveWestResponse_18-01-2016

In reality, the Message is NOT a valid translation of the bible. It’s a paraphrase that is filled with pagan and new age references. Nevertheless, Eugene Peterson did capture  the nature of today’s false teachers rather well –  they DO “exploit the wallet”. This particular scripture attracted Hillsong critic Steve West and others to protest the fact that Hillsong pastor Pat Mesiti DOES exploit Hillsong member’s emotions and their “pocketbook”.

Steve West was the first to respond,

And thus will likely not have offerings at every meeting, conference, cell group and college chapel service.

This led into questions as to why Hillsong’s disgraced pastor Pat Mesiti was acknowledged as a pastor at Hillsong London on Joel A’Bell’s wall. Many people, including Hillsong attendees, were surprised he was reinstated at all and protested other sins of Mesiti to Joel. By this stage, Mesiti was rapidly earning the reputation, world-wide, as an international con-artist from 2009 onwards, with his ongoing endorsement of men renowned for their dubious integrity.

The fact that Mesiti endorsed notorious con-artist “AussieRob” did not help strengthen his reputation as a con-artist. Read more here:

Aussie Rob – Lifestyle trader
LifestyleTrader.com.au (Aussie Rob) Review

This did not stop Joel A’Bell from defending AND endorsing the apparently restored Hillsong “Pastor” Pat Mesiti from speaking at Hillsong London.

Joel Abell Quote

So why was Hillsong allowing Pat Mesiti to speak at Hillsong London – in spite of critics pointing out how Mesiti fulfilled the scripture that Joel A’Bell put up on his FaceBook wall? In fact, this snippet of Pat Mesiti in 2009 was put up in the conversation on Joel Abell’s wall back in 2010:

Source: By speakercoach, Pat Mesiti Millionaire Mindset reveals the best tips on public speaking and presentation skills, YouTube, https://youtu.be/fldjYzfLUxw, Uploaded 16/04/2009. (Accessed 18/01/2016.)

proof_YouTube-Mesiti-EmotionOpensTheChequeBook_18-01-2016

In spite of the evidence put up by these critics, Senior Hillsong pastor, Joel A’Bell, defended Pat Mesiti speaking at Hillsong London in 2010 in his comment section:

“I knew Pat before, during and after his moral failure. Those who don’t know him should keep their comments in closer circles or to themselves. I find these public comments about Pat to be unloving. He is well on track in his restoration…”

“I said to keep it close (or) to your self. They could put their unrelated issues on their own wall. I wouldn’t use your wall to push my pet topics. Would make more sense if I had of posted something about Pat but this just screems of immaturity…”

Throughout this entire conversation, Joel A’Bell did NOT refute the assumption that Pat Mesiti was a Hillsong pastor. His continual defense of Pat Mesiti speaking at Hillsong London only confirmed the fact that Pat Mesiti was still a Hillsong Pastor (or affiliated with Hillsong’s leadership). Furthermore, he defended Pat Mesiti as one of their own.

It is clear that Hillsong, as an organization, was NOT acting in ignorance but validating and treating Pat Mesiti as a RESTORED pastor in their movement. Otherwise, why have him speak as a pastor at Hillsong London?

We note in 2014, Mesiti’s “loyal friend,” Brian Houston said:

“Literally, it didn’t only cost him his ministry, it cost him his marriage, it cost him his home, he lost his home, it cost him everything. The only thing he had was loyal friends and perhaps that’s the greatest thing we can have anyway, is loyal friends.

And there were people who stuck with him, people who I know here in our congregation who stuck with him. I was talking with him yesterday on the phone, actually text messages, same thing these days, and ahhh he was telling me that after years of rebuilding his life, just constantly rebuilding his life that the house he lost that his sin, his shame had cost him, he is on the edge of perhaps buying back.” [Source]

Brian has made it clear. Mesiti is still alive and well as a “restored” Hillsong pastor, he still has close relations with Brian Houston. In fact, Brian Houston used Pat Mesiti an example in this sermon of how one can be restored. Restored into what?

C3 “PASTOR” PAT MESITI:

We’ve also covered how C3 “Pastor” Mesiti spoke at C3 RealMen’s Conference and had no problem speaking on C3’s Positive Hits:

C3 Continues To Endorse Money-Magnet Mesiti

But our main focus is to draw your attention to Pat Mesiti preaching at C3 Church in 2013:

Source: By c3churchtv, C3 Online – 20/10/2013 | Pat Mesiti – The Joseph Generation, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdgdrEMoAK0, Uploaded 21/10/2013. (Accessed 11/08/2014.)

proof_YouTube-PatMesitiC3_06-01-2016

In this specific sermon, not only is what Pat Mesiti saying blasphemous, he also refers to his involvement with Hillsong.

In the sermon above, Mesiti says,

“I said that at Hillsong London at the Freddie Mercury theatre.”

So something tells us Mesiti has not been broadcasting his other Hillsong “pastoral” engagements. Furthermore he states (present tense),

“I have a preacher on every single day… This year I’ve invited Bob Harrison and Pastor Phil Pringle to be our chaplains. This is where we raise the million dollars for missions… On here is Brian Houston. On here are my spiritual and business mentors.”

What is interesting about the sermon above, as Chris Rosebrough reviews it on his program ‘Fighting for the Faith‘, he clearly exposes the prosperity cult theology (and predatory nature) that Mesiti appears to have fine-tuned from his association with long term “pastoral” friends and mentors, Phil Pringle and Brian Houston.

It’s well worth listening to the sermon review to prove that this man is STILL used as an example to follow by Brian Houston. And because his life is a “success story”, one can assume that’s what qualifies people like Pat Mesiti to be pastors in the C3 and Hillsong prosperity cults.

Hee Haw

Download

PROGRAM SEGMENTS:

• Ed Young’s Hee Haw Sermon
• Bishop Tudor Bismark’s The Big Fish Anointing
• Jim Bakker’s Prophecy Fear Mongering For Dollars
• Sermon Review: The Joseph Generation by Pat Mesiti

Source: Chris Rosebrough, Hee Haw, Fighting for the Faith, http://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2015/5/hee-haw, Published 01/05/2015. (Accessed 06/01/2015.)

Clearly there is NOTHING regenerate or “restored” in Pat Mesiti’s life. The signs were there even before he was charged with assaulting his wife. So why on earth would Hillsong/C3 hold onto him? Why would Hillsong and C3 have him (unbiblically) re-instated as a pastor when there are so many others who could easily replace him?

There has to be more to this than meets the eye.

NOTE: SCREEN GRAB TAKEN ON 18/01/2016.

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Don’t get angry at us…

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Nailed Truth in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

angry pastor, church, pastor

Christian Post published this rather clever but unusual piece,

I am an Angry Pastor (A Statement of Purpose)

I am an angry pastor.
I am not angry with my congregation.
I am not angry at the world.
I am angry with my fellow pastors.
I’m also a little angry with myself.

Let me explain. For the last few years I have watched pastors that I love and respect, go off the rails on the proverbial “crazy train.” I have watched with horror (a horror, I know, that many have shared), as John Piper not only embraced Rick Warren, but also joined him as a ministry partner. I have seen James MacDonald embrace a Christ denying, non-Trinitarian, pagan ‘prosperity preacher,’ as a “brother in Christ.” I cried a bit, over the horrors that were revealed in the Sovereign Grace Ministries scandal.

I have watched, wringing my hands, often making excuses, and looking the other way because I just did not want to believe what I was seeing. I did not want to believe that these men, solid gospel-believing, Christ affirming men, the men whose lives I have modeled my own ministry after in some respect, could fall so hard, so fast, and so completely. I didn’t want to see what was right in front of me, because I love these men (even though I have never even met most of them), and I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Well, I was wrong. Deadly wrong…in fact, I believe that I, and the pastors and elders like myself (which are the vast majority) who have given these men a pass are neglecting a very important part of our duty; confrontation.

Let me give a recent example.

I have marveled at the antics of Mark Driscoll (over at +The Resurgence )for some time. Now, I am no big fan of +Mark Driscoll , I need to say outright. Yet I have followed his career to some extent. A few years back, I cheered when he publicly repented of his vulgarity from the pulpit, and his association with the Emergent church movement, and vowed to move in a new direction. It was wonderful to see someone publicly acknowledge their wrongdoing, and I was quick to welcome him to the fold with proverbial “open arms.” No, I didn’t send him a greeting card, or get together with him for brunch…my attitude toward him just changed. I no longer viewed him as a dangerous heretic. When Christian friends asked, “What about this Mark Driscoll guy?” my response changed from a look of horror (combined with the sign of the cross and a liberal flinging of holy water in their direction), to “Meh. He’s alright.”

Which was a huge mistake. Driscoll is a bigger danger now, than he ever was before (Driscoll has taken a temporary leave of absence, but I do not believe it will last long). Let me ask you, dear reader, when is a wolf the most dangerous to the sheep? When he is standing outside the sheepfold growling? Or when he is inside, standing in the midst of the sheep? I have been complicit in allowing Mark Driscoll access to the very sheep that I have been charged by God with protecting. I have opened the door, and welcomed him in…

Dereliction of duty. That is the charge I am leveling against myself, and fellow elders & pastors.
One of our primary duties as pastors is to protect the sheep. Defend them against heretics; protect them against those who would lead them astray. Peter tells us this:

1 Peter 5:1-2 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly.

Because we have forsaken our duty as pastors, there have arisen a huge number of “discernment ministries,” aimed at calling these people to account. These “ministries” have been highly criticized by pastors, attacked from all sides, belittled, and mocked. Some of them are overzealous, crazy even, and they are rightly called out for their behavior. Many others, though, are simply trying to fill the void created by the pulpit’s silence, calling out false teachers who need to be called out! These are courageous sheep, which jump in front of the flock to defend it from the snarling wolf, while the under-shepherd who is charged with the flock’s protection sits idly by (NOT the Chief Shepherd! He is never idle). They are doing, pastors and elders, what we should be doing. Protecting the sheep.

Think of the Janet Mefferd Show / Mark Driscoll debacle that occurred recently, when Mefferd confronted Driscoll about his blatant (yes, it was blatant and intentional…let’s be honest. Pages of plagiarized material do not “accidentally” end up in your book) plagiarism. She was attacked, seemingly, by everyone for daring to confront this man. Now, I have said publicly that I thought she could have done what she did better. This is undoubtedly true. Nevertheless, I am glad that she did it.

Now, I am not trying to get into a discussion of those events here. I simply wish to say this; Mefferd should never have had to do what she did. That radio interview never should have happened. Because Driscoll should never have attained the position that he has. His book should never have been published by +Tyndale House Publishers . He never should have gained that kind of prominence. There have been countless elders and pastors, complicit in his misconduct, who allowed it to get to that point. Driscoll should have been stopped long before this…

Listen, let me close by stating this as clearly as I can. I know many pastors who get angry at the discernment folks. But it has finally dawned on me, that this is nuts. A pastor getting angry at the discernment bloggers is insane. Does the welfare recipient get mad at the working people who pay their bills? Should the fireman who sits quietly in his truck, watching as the building burns, get mad at a passing civilian for saving the children who are screaming for help inside?

Pastor, elder, friend, how are you going to get mad at someone who is doing your job for you, because you refuse to do it?

Not me. Not anymore. I will keep my anger directed where it belongs.
At myself, and my fellow pastors.

Source: By Damon Rambo, I am an Angry Pastor (A Statement of Purpose), Christian Post, http://blogs.christianpost.com/the-angry-pastor-blog/i-am-an-angry-pastor-a-statement-of-purpose-23220/, 10/10/14 at 12:44 AM. (Accessed 12/10/2014.)

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Do C3, CHC & Hillsong Churches Know What The Role Of A Pastor Is? Do You?

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

biblical pastor, Brian Houston, c3, c3 church, c3 church global, c3 church international, c3 church of, c3 church oxford falls, c3 of, c3 oxford falls, c3 pastor, c3 pastors, ccc, cccglobal, ccci, CHC, Chris Rosebrough, Christian City Church, City Harvest Church, clowns, For Whom Do Pastors Exist, goats, hillsong, hillsong church, Houston, Kong Hee, pastor, pastors, Phil Pringle, Rosebrough

The famous preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,

“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.”

Do you think that a C3, CHC or Hillsong Pastor comes across more like an entertaining clown rather than a faithful shepherd? Chris Rosebrough from Fighting For the Faith wrote an exceptional article what the role of the pastor should be. Sadly, we do not know any C3 pastors or Hillsong Pastors who reflect the role of a proper biblical Christian pastor.

For Whom Do Pastors Exist?

If I had ten dollars for every time I’ve heard a seeker-driven pastor justify the crazy antics that happen in their churches by claiming that “the church doesn’t exist for believers”, I’d be able to purchase James MacDonald’s home with cash. These seeker-driven antics include such things as playing AC/DC’s Highway to Hell to open their Easter service, refusing to preach the Bible with any depth or accuracy, performing Michael Jackson’s Thriller, recreating the famous kiss scene from the Spiderman movie and a whole host of other crazy worldly stunts.

When you call these pastors out on their antics their responses are predictable and consistent and usually go something like this:

Example 1

Church Attender: Hey pastor, why don’t you ever preach exegetical sermons? I feel like I’m not being fed here because your sermons usually only contain 3 or 4 verses taken out of context in order to teach some relevant life principle.

Pastor: Why are you so selfish? The church doesn’t exist for you. It’s not about you.

Example 2

Church Attender: Hey pastor, why did you have the worship team begin our Easter service with AC/DC’s Highway to Hell rather than a song proclaiming Jesus’ victorious resurrection from the grave? AC/DC is worldly at best and satanic at worst and that blasphemous song should not be brought into God’s house.

Pastor: Why are you so selfish? The church doesn’t exist for you. It’s not about you. Church isn’t for the already convinced its for the not yet convinced.

Example 3

Church Attender: Hey pastor, why are you preaching about movies rather than preaching God’s Word like 2 Tim 4:1-3 commands?

Pastor: Why are you so selfish? The church doesn’t exist for you. It’s not about you. Our church exists for people who are not yet believers.

Notice that each time the pastor answers using the standard seeker-driven talking point and doesn’t answer the question but makes a blanket claim that the church doesn’t exist for believers and therefore the person asking the question is guilty of selfishly believing that the church exists for them.

Anyone who’s been railroaded by these tactics knows that something is way off about these claims being made by seeker-driven pastors but don’t exactly know how to put their finger on the problem or know how to put it into words. This post will help you do that.

Notice that every time the word pastor has appeared, thus far, in this post that I’ve bolded it and underlined it. That is to help you spot the irony of the statements being made by seeker-driven pastorsand that irony will help you identify the underlying error in their tactics and methodologies.

Here’s the irony…No where in scripture does it say that the church exists for unbelievers. BUT, there are clear passages that state that pastors and elders are to serve the church. Therefore, it is ironic and foolish for a pastor, whose job is to serve the church to justify methods that don’t serve Christians by claiming that the church doesn’t exist for believers.

Here are the key passages that address this topic. We’ll begin by first looking at the passages that discuss spiritual gifts. The reason for this is that the ability to teach God’s word is a gift given by the Holy Spirit to certain people within the body of Christ.

The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts is to Build Up the Church Not The World

The Bible teaches that God, The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different believers for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4–7). Teaching is one of the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to pastors and this gift is to be used specifically for believers.

Ephesians 4:8–13 states this very clearly:

“(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”

In clear and unambiguous language God states that shepherds (pastors) and teachers in the church exist to equip the saints (not unbelievers) and to build up the body of Christ (not the world). This is clear and irrefutable.

Those Who Have the Gift To Teach Are Commanded to Feed Christ’s Sheep by Teaching the Word of God

The duties of shepherds and teachers within the church are governed by the instructions given by Jesus Christ.

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him,“Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17)

Notice that in this passage Jesus doesn’t tell Peter to entertain goats or dazzle the world. Instead, Christ soberly and firmly reinstates Peter after he’d denied Jesus three times. And Peter was reinstated into ministry and that ministry was to shepherd and feed Christ’s sheep. These commands by Jesus to Peter stuck with him his entire life. Peter himself would later exhort elders (pastors) with these words:

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1 Peter 5:1–4)

This shepherding language is also use by the Apostle Paul when he addresses the elders of the Church of Ephesus. Here are Paul’s words of exhortation:

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:28–31)

It’s clear from these passages that pastors are not literal shepherds and that Christians are not literal sheep. All of these images are metaphors that help create a mental picture of the difficult and sacrificial work of pastors. So, when Jesus told Peter to “feed my sheep” what was Jesus referring to? What does a Pastor/Shepherd feed Christ’s sheep with?

The answer is simple, the Word of God, and two passages will suffice in demonstrating this fact:

“[Jesus] answered, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 3:14–4:4)

No commentary is needed for these verses because they clearly teach that God’s Word is ‘sheep food’ and that pastors are to be feeding the scriptures to Christ’s sheep.

The Bottom Line

The next time you hear a seeker-driven pastor attempt justify his shallow sermons and entertainment driven stunts by claiming that “the church doesn’t exist for believers”, kindly inform him that regardless of who the church exists for, his job exists to serve believers and Christ’s sheep and that if he won’t do his job that he’s rebelling against Jesus Christ Himself.

Source: Chris Rosebrough, For Whom Do Pastors Exist?, http://www.letterofmarque.us/2012/10/who-do-pastors-exist-for.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-whom-do-pastors-exist, 19/10/2012. (Accessed 23/02/2013.)

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“Dr” Pringle Endorses CHC’s “Crossover Project as a mission to reach the world”

30 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by Nailed Truth in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Aries Zulkarnain, c3, ccc, CHC, city harvest, City Harvest Church, city news, COC, crossover project, executive pastor, Hee, Kong Hee, Mr Aries Zulkarnain, mr kong hee, Mr Zulkarnain, pastor, Phil Pringle, Pringle

Please look at previous articles on C3 Church Watch that examine Phil Pringle’s false doctorate, false teaching and false gospel.

CHC reports,

City Harvest Church Responds To Allegations…

28 June 2012 – City Harvest Church has responded to certain issues raised this week concerning the CAD case.

Mr Aries Zulkarnain, the executive pastor and a founding member of the church since its start 23 years ago, says that the church stands with the members involved.

“The people currently in the news are our pastors and trusted staff and leaders who have always put God and CHC first. As a church we stand with them and I believe fully in their integrity. Pastor Kong is still our Senior Pastor.”

Mr Zulkarnain says that COC has confirmed that Mr Kong Hee, the senior pastor, and Mr Tan Ye Peng, the deputy senior pastor will continue to preach at the church.

He emphasizes that church activities are not affected by the case. “City Harvest Church will continue to do its work. Our services and cell group meetings will carry on as usual. As a church we will continue to take care of our members and our community. We will not stop doing God’s work.”

With regard to the allegations, Mr Zulkarnain says, “It has been suggested that the church has been cheated of $50 million. This is not accurate. The $24 million, which went to investment bonds, was returned to the church in full, with interest. We didn’t lose the $24 million, nor did we lose ‘another $26.6m’ as alleged. The church did not lose any funds in the relevant transactions, and no personal profit was gained by the individuals concerned.”

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Bobby Chaw, the pastor in charge of missions at CHC, says that actions had been taken the past two years in accordance with the MCYS’ code of governance.

“We replaced 50 per cent of our Board with new members. We engaged RSM Chio Lim to do a full internal audit and we have been putting their recommendations into action, and will continue to do so,” says Mr Chaw. “We appreciate the need to maintain good corporate governance, and we are continuously working with MCYS to do so.”

However, Mr Chaw expresses his disappointment with some of the media’s coverage so far, particularly in relation to the COC inquiry.

“In some instances, they seem to have pre-judged us. We will be dealing with this in due course,” he says.

He adds that the church was also surprised that COC chose to implement the suspensions of the members involved without prior notice. “We have been co-operating with COC for two years since the start of the case, so these sudden suspensions came as a surprise to us.”

The church’s Advisory Pastor, Rev Dr Phil Pringle is in Singapore to stand with CHC. He is the senior pastor of C3 Church, Sydney, and the C3 Global Network of Churches. Dr Pringle expresses his support for the leadership.

“I have known City Harvest Church, Kong, Sun and Ye Peng for a long time. CHC is not just a local church in Singapore. It has 49 affiliated churches and 6 Bible schools all across Asia. It has impact on international ground, and it has proven through many years that it serves the global community, both spiritually and practically through humanitarian works.”

Dr Pringle says he, along with CHC’s Advisory Chairman Dr A R Bernard, who is the senior pastor of Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York, fully believe in and endorse the church’s Crossover Project as a mission to reach the world.

The church states that the Crossover Project is not about one person’s singing career; it is a mission that is fundamental to the congregation of CHC. The Crossover Project is an outreach that uses Sun Ho’s singing and music to engage people and places that would never otherwise hear the Gospel. As a result of the Crossover Project, many churches have grown worldwide and the faith of many has been strengthened. Impact has been made on the needy in Haiti, disaster victims in China, the depressed and suicidal in Taiwan, and the sick children in Honduras, among others.

Dr Pringle says, “The Gospel is the Good News and Christians are meant to share it. CHC has done this through the Crossover Project, which lies at the very heart of our religious beliefs.”

From: City Harvest Church Responds To Allegations, City News, http://www.citynews.sg/2012/06/city-harvest-church-responds-to-allegations/, Posted on 28 June 2012. (Accessed 03/07/2012.)

NOTE: SCREEN GRAB TAKEN ON 30/06/2012.

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Is Phil Pringle A Deceitful Schemer?

12 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by Nailed Truth in Church Sermons, Pringl'es Books, Pringle's Behaviour, Pringle's Beliefs, Pringle's Doctrine/Gospel, Pringle's Methods

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

add, advert, advertisement, bible, c3, c3 church, c3 global, c3 international, c3 of, c3 oxford falls, C3i, c3i global, C3OF, ccc, ccc oxford falls, Christian City Church, christian city church international, Christian City Church Oxford Falls, Christian City Church Sydney, finances, fleece, fleecing, hypocrite, money, pastor, phil, Phil Pringle, Pringle, promo, ps, scripture, word, word of god

Scriptures say,

“… we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14

Pringle says in his below advert to his church.

“Above all I feel that it’s really important to feed his sheep. And the food for God’s flock is the Word of God. It’s not my thoughts or anything else. It’s the scriptures being brought to life. And that feeds God’s people and builds the church. I think most of the discipling processes, most of the growing processes, most of God speaking to people, etc. even supernatural ministry, can take place through the preaching of God’s Word.” – Phil Pringle, SUNDAY NIGHT CHURCH // DOORS OPEN 5.30pm , Youtube,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZILrlQNqMw, 
Uploaded by CCCOF on Dec 6, 2011.

[youtube:http://youtu.be/ZazD9czwqyU%5D

It is clear that he is either double-minded on this issue or lying.

Pringle says this truth:

“… if we find ourselves trying to find Scriptures to validate pet theories we are attracted to, we may compromise the power of the Gospel… This approach to Scripture is dangerous. It is a bag of mixed seed.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 213.

However, Pringle promotes that he and others should preach a bag of mixed seed.

“What we preach is what we get. We are farmers sowing seed. If we are unhappy with the harvest we’re reaping, we should sow different seed. If we want different results, we preach different messages.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 215.

Pringle has made it obvious that he comes with a mindset, an agenda to get what he wants from his congregation. From knowing he has an agenda, it is right to conclude that sometimes Pringle, “feeds God’s people” to get what he wants from them. This is manipulation. And Pringle will tell you,

“I don’t approach Sundays with an attitude of, “What message shall I preach?” but rather, “What do we want to achieve in our church at this time?” That desired end result determines what and how I preach. Then, within the particular message, I ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve here? What one thing am I attempting to say? What do I want these people to have or do at the end of this time?’
Then I follow the plan.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, pg. 234.

In other words, he doesn’t trust the bible. He doesn’t trust the Word of God enough to open it and just let the text speak for itself. Pringle says,

“Words and deeds are seeds we sow. As a leader I soften the soil (the hearts) of the people I lead. I remove weeds and pests from the young plant. I arrange the weather, warm, sunny, watery encouragement. Then I harvest the crop fully grown.” – Phil Pringle, The Leadership Files Vol 2, File 38. Seeds, 2002.

In the above quotes, Pringle says it is HIMSELF that preaches. It is him who gives what he wants to get people to do what he wants. How can he say in the video, “And the food for God’s flock is the Word of God. It’s not my thoughts or anything else. It’s the scriptures being brought to life”?

It get’s worse, as Pringle says,

“Often I haven’t even got any idea at all what I’m going to talk about cos I spend most my week gearing up for Sunday morning… So I leave myself kind of free for whatever the Lord wants to lay on my heart for Sunday night.” – Phil Pringle, Your Best Life: 11:05-12:10, 31/01/2009.

With that in mind, the entire video comes across like a facade than an actual portrayal of how Pringle prepares many of his sermons. This is hypocrisy. Jesus said,

“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:2

In calling the religious leaders hypokritēs, (ὑποκριτής), Jesus is calling them the “actor, stage player, a dissembler, pretender”. This is exactly how Pringle is behaving in this instance in the above video. He is acting. He is pretending. This isn’t humility. This isn’t honesty. He has the stage. He has got his show.

It should be clear that Pringle:

1. Does not feed his sheep.

2. Preaches messages that are based on his own vain philosophies.

3. Does not rely on the Word of God to disciple Christians and grow Christians.

4. Does not rely on the Word of God to speak to Christians.

Sadly, he has continually demonstrated his ability to mangle and pervert the teachings of God for his own gain. Pringle has a track record of being biblically incompetent. The article below is continually being updated on C3’s bad handling of the bible:

C3′S BIBLE GARBLE

If you feel led to pray for Phil Pringle and the C3 Movement, please do so.

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The History of Phil Pringle & The C3 Movement

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by Nailed Truth in Pringle's History

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arise, arise! the story of christian city church, Barton, c3, c3global, C3i, C3OF, ccc, cccof, Christchurch, Christian City Church, collins, Deewhy, dennis barton, hippies, hippy, history, lyttleton, pastor, pastor barton, paul collins, Phil Pringle, Pringle, Roseville, story, surf club, Sydney, the story of christian city church

The following information is from the book ‘Arise! The Story of Christian City Church‘ by John Barclay 1987. The book I have is personally signed both by Pringle and Barclay. The book is No. 576, printed by Dunamis Press Pty. Ltd, Woy Woy. (See PDF at the bottom to see the provided documentation of the books existence and endorsements.)

There is much false and misleading history spread by the C3 movement. However, Barclay does his best to give an historical account of Phil Pringle and the C3 Movement. What he says about Pringle and the origins of the C3 Movement is revealing.

Barclay opens up with this acknowledgement:

“To all members and pastors of Christian City Church who gave their time to be interviewed, and who subsequently added their suggestions and comments about the work in progress – my sincere thanks. Without them the book would never have been completed.

Especially to Pastor Phil Pringle for his encouragement throughout the work on this project, and especially for his willingness to be led by God to do His will in Sydney.” – John Barclay, Acknowledgments.

Phil Pringle also opens up this book ‘Arise!’ with a Foreword. This is surprising considering the content about Pringle and the beginnings of his church movement.

Chapter 2 is titled ‘Phil Pringle’. Below is the entire record of Chris and Phil’s conversion, marriage, ministry and the beginning to plan and build a church in Sydney (emphasis mine) :

“He was awake. Suddenly.

Hands were clammy. He was sweating.

Blackness hung all around, a ‘buzzing’ in the atmosphere.

Oppressive, and – evil.

Pushing in on him.

Fear gripped his mind, his body.

Eyes wide, he stared out into the darkness.

It was out there, everywhere. He could feel the evil presence closing in. Seeking him.

In a cold sweat beneath the heavy covers – he writhed.

What was it?

Where was it?

And dare he ask – who – was it?

Malevolence surrounded him, grabbing at his mind, and darkness, blackness seemed its rightful place.

“Jesus … help!”

In the first glimmerings of the early dawn the diabolism sunk slowly out as light infiltrated the room.

Philip Andrew Pringle, art student had spent half a night in terror. In the morning he was nervous with the memory, and sought to rid himself of it. He made a phone call to a friend who was also into clairvoyancy.

“I just need help,” he told her. “Last night was heavy.”

She suggested Phil Pringle and his girl-friend Chris visit a spiritualist group that weekend. “They’ll probably be able to help.”

When he told Chris she froze. “I’m not going back there. I’ve visited that place before and it’s no good.”

Slender threads, merest chances and the strangest of coincidences sometimes alter the entire shape and direction of our lives. With such changes of direction the lives of other people or the courses of nations, or even the direction of world history can ultimately be affected.

* * * * *

The very word ‘cancer’ is enough to strike fear into the heart of most people. It seems to be no respecter of age, sex or position in society, but strikes this one and that one at random. Terminal cancer had been diagnosed for a man who was well-liked and respected in Christchurch, New Zealand community, and at his workplace his colleagues were shocked and upset. One of them asked his pastor to call to visit the man.

Over the ensuing weeks first in his home and later in hospital, Pastor Dennis Barton of the Assembly of God Church in Sydenham, Christchurch, visited the man, leading him to Christ before he died. The man’s wife was deeply grateful to Pastor Barton and through the following days came to a greater knowledge of God herself. This reached a peak at a Clark Taylor rally where May committed her life to the Lord.

Two weeks later came the phone call to their home and May’s daughter Liz answered it. In the background, she heard her daughter’s suggestion to visit the spiritualist church and sensed something important had happened.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“Phil Pringle,” Liz replied.

Knowing of the art student as an acquaintance of her daughter she sought more details. Liz repeated the events of Phil’s experience to her mother.

“Don’t tell them to go there,” May replied, her voice urgent. “Quick, ring back and tell him to come to Church with me!”

Liz made the call, then May came on to give directions. Although she had never met Phil, she spoke directly to the heart of his problem when she added, “I know some people who can really help you. I want you to give them a call straight away and do whatever they tell you.”

As soon as he hung up with all the information, Phil made the call, the memory of it still hanging heavily. He had to be free of it.

The phone at the other end rang.

“Hello?” It was a woman’s voice. Phil had expected a male, the pastor.

As well as he could, Phil recounted the events of the previous night. Mrs Barton listened and could hear in this young man his desperation for God, and his need to meet Jesus. She spoke with caution and understanding.

Her words were direct. Someone could help him. “I want you to come to our meeting tomorrow night.”

“Okay,” Phil replied. Why not?

She gave the address and time and then added, “Don’t let the devil stop you from coming.”

“I’ll be there,” Phil assured her and hung up.

What did that mean? ‘Don’t let the devil stop you…’ What could that mean?

Phil repeated it all to Chris who decided to go with him ‘just to be sure he got there safely’.

On the Sunday evening, rugged against the cold of the winter they pedalled through the flat streets of Christchurch, side by side, two teenagers on bicycles holding hands, completely oblivious to the life-changing events about to unfold in their lives.

Arriving just on seven o’clock they were met at the front by May who took them inside.

Imediately there in the foyer they felt it. A presence, good ‘vibes’.

They were able to relax. The atmosphere was warm, and ‘buzzing’ with something good. “Good vibes eh?” Phil said quietly to Chris and she nodded in reply, relieved. There seemed to be a peace about the place, and people. Their faces glowing, radiating a warmth, it felt good to be here.

Singing and clapping were a joyour part of the meeting.

At first they felt strange, not knowing the words or the tunes, yet both were musical and they soon joined in.

It was like a whole new world they had never seen before.

They sang, they laughed, they listened to the message, and there found what they had perhaps unconsciously been seeking. Truth. This was a confrontation with it.

There was nothing tentative about the encounter and when Dennis Barton gave the call at the end of his message the pair responded. Quietly they made their way to the front, watched prayerfully by others who realised the impact of their meeting with Christ.

So God took hold of Phil Pringle in His own time, in His own way. Long blonde hair and a long beard, typical of the era, he was a most unlikely young man. Yet God is no respector of persons and looks at the heart. In this heart he saw a longing for truth.

Having given his heart o Jesus Christ there were other things needed in his life. Phil was ushered out ‘to the back room’ where several deacons and Pastor Barton began to pray for his deliverance. The heavy fear, the old burdens began lifting from him. Weeping with the joy of this new freedom he began thanking Jesus until there was no trace of the blackness left in him.

Now he was empty, cleaned out. He was free.

With a hand to his forehead, Dennis prayed. “Fill him Father, fill him with your Holy Spirit, with the power of the Holy Ghost…”

He felt it as it spread swiftly through his body, his arms and legs, his head, his fingers and his toes. Warmth and light.

A whole new power and strength welled up within him, within his inner man and now when he rose it was with the Spirit.

He began to speak. Sounds. No known language but just sounds and syllables. Speaking out from his own spirit verbally directly to the Spirit of God.

Phil did not understand what had happened to him, or how or even why. He just knew there was a change. Deep inside him things were suddenly very different to that which has been there only a few hours earlier

The fear, the terror, the absolute dread of the evil influences on his life was gone and in its place was a peace.

There was a fire too. Almost candle-like in its size just yet, with its flickering light, but it was there and he could feel it.

In the feeling of it, somehow he knew, instinctively that a fire needs fuel to flow. The fuel supply he had brought with him would scarcely keep the candle burning more than a couple of days, and Phil wanted more than a mere flicker. A strange and hardly recognisable desire was forming that wanted to build that tiny flame into a roaring raging fire.

That night and next day he and Chris talked. There were long hours of conversation which led them early in the week to again call the Bartons to seek counsel.

Chris was studying at college to become a kindergarten teacher, while Phil worked as a garbage-collector on the truck. They lived together in a converted garage behind a house in sububurban Christchurch.

They felt convicted, guilty.

God began dealing with them both very quickly, and they told all to the Bartons who led them through the Scriptures to show them the way to live their lives within God’s order.

Marriage!

Phil’s and Chris’ thinking was now completely in the opposite direction, and because both were under twenty-one they needed to seek parental consent in order to marry.

Family explosions rather than blessings were the immediate result, yet in wanting to do it quickly there was little time for the family to think. They merely had to act.

The Sunday after the dramatic conversion was almost exciting for both went forward for baptism by immersion in the heated font of the Church. Chris also received baptism in the Holy Spirit then and the fire also began to burn in her.

During the week the flame had been fuelled in Phil and was now beginning to burn brightly as the Lord took hold of his life.

The second weeken after conversion they went home to visit parents and the full families in order to settle details for their wedding which was scheduled for the next week. The flames grew stronger and stronger as Pastor Barton poured in more and more of the fuel of the Spirit of God.

The Church too responded to the rise of the Spirit in these two teenagers who suddenly seemed alive and so joyous. On the Saturday just three weeks after coming to the Lord the Church put on the wedding, and paid for their honeymoon which they cut short to get back on Thursday evening four days later for the next church meeting.

Sydenham, a suburb of the industrial area of the city of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand had a small group of people meeting Sunday nights as the Assembly of God Church. They met in a building capable of seating about two hundred and fifty people. They had been bound in a legalism which had caused a number of problems within the group, not the least of which ended with a large proportion of the people simply walking out.

When Phil and Chris came they were they [sic] very first of a new wave of people to sweep through that Church over a period of twenty months from August 1971 through to March 1973.

Hippies.

They came from everywhere.

Drawn like white ants to fresh timber for feeding they came from the city itself and from the length and breadth of New Zealand. And even came from other countries, searching, seeking truth.

They brought their friends. They came, and in turn introduced others, all finding that truth in the Person of Jesus Christ.

They sent messages to other towns and cities and these replied in person, travelling by aeroplane or car or train or bus.

Coming to this place in Christchurch to be set free of their oppressions.

Hundreds of them, indeed growing to well over a thousand as God moved through the entire hippy movement in New Zealand, these seekers after reality. As the first, now totally on fire for God, consumed with a burning desire to see all his friends brought to the Lord, Phil became the youth leader of the Church in Sydenham.

Now married, they set up residence in a large house with others from the Church and held their views with others from the Church and held their own meetings on Monday nights, attracting between seventy and a hundred people.

As the work grew within the Church and the house God was constantly filling and leading Phil on His ways. He was appointed to the position of Youth Leader, received some financial support and spent then as much time as possible by himself just seeking God, to get to know a real way in which he could communicate with his Father, and understand what He wanted done with this life he had plucked from the devil.

During 1972 whilst occupying the large house in Oxford Terrace Phil and Chris were visited by a Pastor from Sydney, one Paul Collins. Paul attended their meeting and preached there, being witness to the great move that God had begun in this place.

Afterwards as they talked about the things which were happening to each of them, a seed was planted.

“Oh, we need something like this in Sydney,” Paul said.

That seed, a simple sentence dropped into Phil’s life, into his spirit and although it was submerged beneath the work he was doing, it stayed there, buried and dormant for dsome time.

In March 1973, as abruptly as it had begun, the great move with the hippies suddenly ceased. Conservative and traditional influences within the Church rose up and demanded the removal of the pastor from the Assembly. They could no longer cope with the ‘disruption’ to their well-established order.

With the loss of unity, God could no longer act and hundreds of people were immediately cut adrift. Yet it is a measure of the strength and depth of the teaching and the establishment of solid foundations in God that many of these people went on to serve Him in other places, as pastors themselves, or as leaders, teachers and elders.

Eventually Phil – now a postman – and his wife Chris, now a mother with baby Rebekah, moved to rejoin Pastor Barton in the new Church to which he had gone.

The seed, quietly, slowly germinated and raised a tiny head which surfaced in Phil’s spirit.

Sydney. Sydney.

He felt a call by God to come, planned the moe and it fell through. Yet that tiny growing plant remained.

Sydney. Sydney.

Again they planned a move, and this time came across to remain with Pastor Paul Collins in the work he was doing for a period of five months. Yet it came to nothing, fo the vision was neither strong enough nor healthy enough to be transplanted and survive.

So the Pringle family – now four strong with a son Daniel returned to Christchurch and began a work pioneering a church in Lyttleton where a nucleus of people was in need of a pastor.

Late in 1978 Phil received an invitation to preach at a crusade in Madras in India over the Christmas-New Year period. Again he jetted out from New Zealand en route to Asia, but had to pass through Sydney.

Sydney. Sydney.

He felt a great presence of God coming on him, giving him a real peace about Sydney.

Sydney.

“I want you to come to Sydney…”
Sydney…

He had come before but the timing had not been right. There had been more growing to be done, more seeking of God’s anointing over his life, more learning of the ways of God in his life.

And on the return from India it had grown, the plant now beginning to stand erect by itself, rooted deeply in the spiritual ground God had prepared for it in this man’s life.

Sydney.

“I have given you this city…”

Sydney.

Given the city. Incredible. All that remained was to seek God to formulate the plans for the actual physical evidencing of what had already occured in the spiritual realm.

Sydney.

Each day Phil sought God more and a mighty vision began to grow within his spirit.

Yet still he worked at Lyttleton as pastor of a strongly growing Church. Why leave what was successful for something at which he had already failed once before.

Sydney.

Known as the preachers’ graveyard, there was little or no comparison with Lyttleton, or even Christchurch, for Sydney is one of the larger cities of the world. It is cosmopolitan, sophisticated, brash, hard and noisy, yet with an innate beauty flowing from a magnificent harbour.

Christchurch is small, quiet, with a country town flavour and a great beauty in its gardens and parks.

Sydney.

Throughout 1979 even as they worked on at Lyttleton the vision of a huge Church in Sydney began to develop in Phil’s inner man.

Now able to move quickly in contact with God, Phil saw the reality of hundreds, even thousands of people within the church he would pioneer. Still the vision grew, and with its growth came the longing of the family to return to this city and make it happen for God.

Finally then it came down to the direction of God, to seeking and listening and… obeying.

During 1978 the Pringles put a deposit on a home in Lyttleton. Now they were to move it was necessary for them to sell again. The move they knew must be total, as Phil, and indeed the whole family were to commit lives to the new Church.

Sydney.

Not just a year, or five years, or even ten, but a lifetime commitment to building a huge Church for Jesus Christ in the city of Sydney.

As he thought about it an excitement welled up, a warmth of the spirit within him told him this was the right thing to do.

Even thought they lost money selling the house, they were still totally solid in their comitment. Real estate of course goes through long term rises, but often short term fluctuations, and it was one such which caught the Pringles. Yet they did it, sold and eventually boarded the aircraft which was to remove them from New Zealand and take them on an adventure which would be pue excitement for life.

Sydney.

No shortage of heartaches or difficulties, yet a challenge such as few men ever face in the course of a lifetime, and fewer still ever have the staying power, the tenacity and the perseverance with to be successful.

‘And He said to him, “Launch out now into the deep and let down your nets for a great catch”.’” – John Barclay, Arise, 1987, pg. 18-26.

Moving straight on to Chapter 3 titled ‘The Early Days‘, Barclay talks about how Pringle DID NOT PLANT or even start a church, but took over the church of Paul Collins after his second church plant attempt up at Roseville failed. This resulted in Paul Collins church to split. Also note the young salsemans observation of Phil Pringle (emphasis mine):

“Those who were present that Friday night late in February 1980 listened in awe as Phil Pringle briefly outlined his vision for Sydney.

A dozen or so people sat around the lounge room in the home of Paul and Bunty Collins. Paul had been pastoring a small group in Dee Why for some time. Now they were preparing to move out, away to Hong Kong where they would take up work as missionaries.

For the past fifteen months Phil had prayed and sought God desperately to formulate in his own mind the vision of what He wanted done in Sydney.

Day by day he set the pattern which has remained with him by spending the first hour each morning after rising with God. Not just sometimes, not only when he thought of it, but being faithful every day, yearning deeply in his spirit, hungering after God.

It is the work of great men of all walks of life that they are prepared to go beyond the norm. They are ready to step out of the crowd early and do the things which others are not prepared to do. They commit their time in, their very lives to attainment of something higher, something greater than the average.

There is too in their loves a sense of destiny, a belief that they in fact have been chosen as the one through whom something great is to be achieved. Understanding that, they commit their time in early years to the development of themselves in the direction that destiny is leading

In many lives the development comes over a long time, and often it is not until the man is middle aged that his opportunity arrives.

Yet others are able to begin early to show out the greatness that God expects of them, and spend their lives growing out and beyond the areas normally expected of a human being.

So Phil Pringle committed his time to a [sic] learning what God wanted him to do in Sydney. Day after day, hour after hour, even as he had pounded the streets of Port Lyttleton as a postman, he sought the mind of Christ.

As he did so the vision began to be clarified in his thinking. He was to travel with his family to Sydney and begin the work there. If he was faithful to what God called him, God would bless that work and multiply it to such an extent that He would build the largest Church Sydney had ever seen. There would probably, he saw a day when there would be fve thousand people in that Church. Yet for now he could not really visualise that, but in his mind he could see five hundred.

A good sized hall – filled with people praising God. Perhaps a disused theatre converted into a Church as so many had done.

In such a Church he would remain absolutely true to the Word of God. That way God would bless the Church with growth beyond anything Sydney had seen before.

Now they were here, actually living and working in Sydney. Phil had obtained work selling life insurance, and his extrovert nature, his ability to speak persuasively with people meant success in that area. That in turn gave the family funds on which to live.

His seeking after the will of God for the Church had led Phil to the northern suburbs of Sydney, and together with the small group which had accompanied the family from New Zealand, he had begun meetings in a community hall in Roseville.

Roseville is a leafy suburb in the affluence of northern Sydney, and in every way should have been right for the church. A solid suburb with a strong proportion of young people, Phil believed it was the place to begin.

Starting with seven people, all of them from New Zealand, they had struggled for a couple of months, doing all the right things, but not experiencing much of the growth Phil felt deep in his spirit was to come. With Simon and Helen McIntyre, and Alison Easterbrook, and Phil’s own brother, the Pringles battled on gamely through February and into the early part of March. Nothing had happened.

What was wrong?

Phil continued to seek God every morning, to learn, to understand, to know what He wanted him to do.

There was a certain uneasiness about the choice of the place they were meeting. Perhaps it was not quite the right area. It would not be right to ‘muscle’ in on other pentecostal friends working in Sydney, but being close to Paul Collins, Phil decided to visit that group.

As they travelled down to the beaches from the heights of Roseville, a heaviness seemed to lift of [sic] their spirits. They somehow felt better. There was a distinct feeling that it was a good place to be, that God had His hand on Sydney’s golden beaches along the northern peninsula.

So they joined in with this group of up to thirty people meeting Sundays in the Dee Why Surf Club, and Friday evenings in the Collins’ home.

This was the first Friday they had attended, and Paul asked Phil to share his dream, his vision with those others who were there. In the future most would probably forget what he said – until the things of which he spoke began to happen.

Some there that evening had only recently become Christians, and found the experience quite mindblowing. It was something which went beyond their previous expectations of what Christianity was all about.

One, a thin, dark-haired teenager of nearly twenty years had a sales background, and heard Phil speaking in much the same way as his own sales manager at the weekly meeting. It was almost the identical hyped-up, super confidence and ego boosting phrases used in the sales meetings to generate the enthusiasm to get out and sell.

Yet somehow there was a difference. It did not seem false in any way. It was not a facade covering an entirely different reality. Somehow there was a sense that God was actually in this thing, that He had His hand on it and would bring it about.

The lack of success ot Roseville and the feeling of things being right on the beach front prompted the group under guidance to make the move.

With Paul Collins and his family moving out to the Hong Kong mission field, it was suggested that Phil Pringle would take over the leadership of the Dee Why group. Yet possibly because he too was a latecomer, and some of the longer time members felt loyalties elsewhere, opposition to this move surfaced.

Cliques developed.

Some followed this one, some followed that one.

Feelings began to grow stronger. Days passed and the heat intensified.

At home Phil was acutely aware of what was happening. He had been over here now three months or more because he was sure, absolutely certain God had told him now was the time.

For years there had been a growing burden, a strengthening commitment in his head that he was called to Sydney for the building of a great Church. He believed it – totally.

A year ago he had received a stronger word than ever from his Master, telling him the city was his and to prepare to leave for the taking.

Yet now – God! What was wrong?

A few weeks in the wrong place before coming down to the beaches. They had been obedient on that score and a small group had accepted them openly and warmly.

He felt so right taking on the leadership of the group. He had sought God desperately, every day sweating it out in prayer and always he seemed to get the positive responses.

So why the problems?

Was it just Satan moving in to destroy the infant Church even as he had tried to kill the infant Christ, to prevent a great and mighty work.

He resisted. He bound the devil and commanded his departure from the minds and hearts of the people in the group.

And still the problem remained. Still there was opposition from within.

More prayer, and fasting to know the mind of God, and then, somewhere inside the deep recesses of his yearnings a message filtered through.

‘Stop your striving. Don’t you know that I am God, and I am in control? Let go. let [sic] Me be God and you be Phil Pringle.’

Let go? Let go?

What would that mean?

Giving up! Quitting. Resigning from leadership of the group.

And what would be the result?

He would have no Church, no group, no anything. Just his family, and he would be right back where he started three months ago. Only now completely broke.

‘Let go!’

God, no! There’d be nothing left.

Why would God want him to quit? Why?

Yet Phil is nothing if not obedient to the discerned word of God. In this case it was a struggle, and he had to be sure. But the message still came from every possible side: ‘Let go!’

He determined then to resign and allow the other group to promote its own man as leader, and straight away, feeling a mixture of apprehension and peace he went to do that.

Others had been seeking the mind and will of God as well and it all came together very soon. Even as he prepared his resignation, it was accepted throughout the group that one part would move to Chatswood with the other man, while the others would remain at Dee Why with Phil Pringle as their leader.

God had worked it out, had been able to operate in the absence of the strivings and wrangling. Those who remained were totally committed to the vision Phil had shared, and the following Sunday evening about a dozen people gathered at Dee Why Surf Club to sing and to clap and dance freely in their praises to God.

The traumas of the split were banished now and with vigour that belied their numbers they sent about building the Church God had promised for Sydney.” – John Barclay, Arise, 1987, pg. 27-31.

PDF Proof: Book: ARISE! by John Barclay

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