Several of the larger Charismatic ministries in the news recently have schools attached to them. I recently met with a group of millennials who attended some of these ministry schools from 2010 to 2020.  And though many past students are reporting negative experiences of compromised leadership and abuse, the millennials I spoke with are all now established within a local church and thriving in their gifts. None of them were aware of the problems that are now coming into the light. But I wanted to know their thoughts. How were they processing these exposures? What did they learn at these schools, and how did their experiences, either positive or negative, shape their current faith? What changes would they suggest for moving forward? (I am not naming specific schools but focusing more on the overall culture.)

Interestingly, most of them felt that the teachings they received within these ministries were beneficial. In one school that was more focused on spiritual experiences, the input stirred deeper hunger and greater belief in a supernatural God. They all testified to having significant input into their lives that is still meaningful today. Overall, subjective experience was widely celebrated and encouraged, but oftentimes limited direction was given in discerning their veracity or application. When it came to some of the questionable beliefs and practices associated with some of these ministries, they observed it was oftentimes the students who were not as grounded in Scripture who would tend to misinterpret the teachings or misapply their relevance.

One school had discipleship groups where they could process things together, but the drive for spiritual encounter and practicing the gifts seemed greater than the focus on biblical accuracy. Another school encouraged “freedom of expression” but lacked any consistent pastoral direction or oversight concerning these manifestations and experiences. On the other hand, another school was so religious in tone concerning their brand of doctrine, the students felt the pressure to conform with no invitation for open dialogue or process.

This brought up the reality that fellow students who entered these ministry schools as new believers were challenged the most. Without a proper spiritual foundation in the Word, the experiences and discrepancies of viewpoints became very confusing. Depending on their knowledge of Scripture, some of the students had no framework to build upon. This was a common theme. And unfortunately, due to the lack of grounding in the core tenets of faith, many students eventually fell away from faith after leaving these schools.

In terms of sexual misconduct, none of them saw or heard anything out of place when they attended. The recent revelations are giving them pause. But they all spoke to the power of prayer from home base. Some of them felt that the prayers from their parents and church family back home shielded them from spiritual attack or any compromise in their personal character. Even so, they have deep compassion for fellow students who were hurt. They all agreed that the biggest factor needed in moving through these exposures is for these testimonies of abuse and misconduct to be acknowledged and heard. There is a cry from their generation for authentic spiritual moms and dads to come alongside and champion their concerns with both biblical truth and heartfelt compassion.

Our discussion also found another common theme – the challenge to transition back to life outside “the ministry bubble.”  One person shared that their classmates were shocked to find they were going home to their local church instead of starting a ministry of their own. Another cited that their newfound zeal was not welcomed on the home front and the fire eventually went out. For some the bubble burst and they are still trying to recover some of the lost zeal and spiritual hunger that stirred them in the first place.  

Thankfully, this small group didn’t personally experience the kinds of abuse cited by others in recent months. They all came from Christian homes and grew up in the Church. Perhaps this is a primary factor that afforded them not only protection from compromise and sin, but also a level of discernment that helped them to keep the meat and spit out the bones.

But this discussion is far from over. There is still much to process. Given the amount of students that continue to speak out concerning sexual and spiritual abuse within many of these mega ministries, we must not only treat the problem, but fix the root system. Here are several of my own takeaways that I would like to offer for deeper consideration:

• THE LACK OF COHESIVE SOUND DOCTRINE. We are now reaping the fruit of a Charismatic movement so focused on subjective experience and encounter, it is void of some foundational and non-negotiable doctrines of the faith. Have we idolized freedom from religion to the point of having no viable theological roots?
• THE LACK OF DISCIPLESHIP FOR NEW BELIEVERS. Though someone may come to Christ through a supernatural encounter, we cannot expect them to establish core beliefs and values through their subjective experiences. They need mentoring in biblical truth and consistent grounding in the Word of God.
• THE LACK OF COMPASSIONATE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. I’m speaking here of spiritual fathers and mothers (1 Corinthians 4:15). Big name personalities and founders of mega ministries are oftentimes more CEO’s than spiritual overseers. Without personalized pastoral care and accountability in the process, the stage is set for irresponsible leadership, reckless behavior, and abuse of all kinds.
• THE POWER OF COMMUNITY. The fellowship of the Spirit is a powerful thing. For all who attended these schools, friendships were forged that went deep. Even so, guidance is needed in nurturing a community that steers away from unhealthy peer pressure and conformity, to one that encourages open dialogue, mutual accountability, and pursuit of biblical truth in oneness of the Spirit.
• THE POWER OF THE LOCAL FELLOWSHIP. If we are to break off the idolatry of platforms and personalities, training for ministry must come back home. It is in the local fellowship where discipleship, mentoring, and accountability is best nurtured and established. Even for those who feel called to pursue further training, it is on the home front where faith should be established, accountability is best practiced, and long-term fruit can be examined.
• THE NEED FOR TEACHING ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH. The primary reason often cited for students attending these schools is the same I’ve heard for those who attend conferences and revival meetings. They are hungry to learn more about the spiritual gifts and the work of Holy Spirit. We need to pray that more pastors see this as an opportunity for growth instead of a Pandora’s box to dread.

I believe the best chance for this next generation to thrive in the ways of God is to provide a home base that encourages their gifts, inspires their vision, and disciples them to maturity. We need more congregational leaders to get a vision for training and equipping the saints for the works of ministry. We need more specialized leaders in the fivefold gifts to be raised up in the local congregation to stir the flame and light a fire for evangelism in the saints. We need to get a vision for transforming our cities before we even think of changing the world.

The silver lining around all these clouds of exposure is that the Lord is calling us back to homemade revival. It’s not the kind that comes from a famous minister laying hands on us, but from family members among us who not only know us, but believe in us, encourage us, and stir up the gift that’s already there. Maybe that’s the missing piece and the part that’s actually going to be “super-natural.”