Bethel Church: From Full Gospel to the NAR

During the height of the Latter Rain movement, Bethel Church functioned as an Assemblies of God congregation with clear Latter Rain leanings. Bethel’s head pastor, Rev. R. T. Doherty, participated directly in Latter Rain revivals, holding “Full Gospel” meetings with Voice of Healing evangelists such as Thomas H. Welch that advertised “Signs! Wonders! Miracles!”[1] During this period, Doherty also served as presbyter of the California-Nevada district of the Assemblies of God. When the Assemblies of God formally denounced the Latter Rain movement in September 1949,[2] Doherty abruptly resigned both from Bethel Church and from his position as presbyter. His role had not yet been filled when he relocated to Oregon in November.[3] Shortly thereafter, Doherty returned to Redding and resumed Full Gospel services at Bethel. By 1953, Doherty and the congregation had grown sufficiently to purchase a former Seventh-day Adventist church located at 1167 Magnolia Street. Despite the Assemblies of God sanctioning churches involved in Latter Rain activities, Bethel remained committed to its associations and began advertising itself as a “Full Gospel Fellowship,” signaling affiliation with the Voice of Healing and Latter Rain revivals.[4] Although the church continued to use the Assemblies of God name well into the 1970s,[5] these developments suggest that Bethel aligned itself with the Latter Rain faction of the schism within the denomination.

Bethel’s position appears to have drawn the attention of the General Council. In November 1966, Victor Trimmer assumed leadership of Bethel Church.[6] The phrase “Full Gospel” was removed from advertisements, and the congregation was listed in local newspapers as “Bethel Assembly of God.” Trimmer was a national representative of the Assemblies of God[7] and appears to have supported the denomination’s condemnation of William Branham’s Latter Rain extremism. Although Trimmer continued to hold conventions in “Full Gospel” churches,[8][9] by the time he became pastor of Bethel, his alignment was clearly with the General Council. His brief tenure appears to have been an effort to bring Bethel back into conformity with Assemblies of God oversight. This effort was apparently unsuccessful. In May 1968, Trimmer accepted a missionary appointment with the Assemblies of God and departed from Bethel.[10]

In August 1968, M. Earl Johnson was installed as head pastor of Bethel Church.[11] Under Johnson’s leadership, the church took deliberate steps to distance itself from direct Assemblies of God control. Two months after his installation service, it was announced that Bethel would purchase radio station KVIP. Reports emphasized that “although Bethel Church is affiliated with Assemblies of God, the radio station would be operated and owned solely by the Redding church.”[12] A new weekly publication titled Love was introduced, edited by Bill Johnson, and aimed at attracting younger audiences. The publication explicitly rejected the Assemblies of God position opposing rock-and-roll music.

Time after time you hear criticism against rock n’ roll such as “it’s Communist-inspired,” “it’s the devil’s music,” or “it’s African jungle music” {...} The music of now is a way of communicating to the people of now. Listen to the lyric of some of these songs and you’ll find that a lot of it has to do with religion.[13]

Although Rev. M. Earl Johnson continued to work with the General Council of the Assemblies of God,[14] his leadership gradually redirected Bethel toward renewed engagement with Latter Rain theology. Guest speakers included Clif Powell, international director of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMI), an organization instrumental in promoting William Branham’s ministry. Powell delivered presentations described as “Reports of REVIVAL world-wide.”[15] Other speakers affiliated with FGBMI were explicitly identified as such in Bethel’s advertisements, particularly those who regularly appeared at FGBMI conventions.[16] Bethel also adopted the FGBMI emphasis on engagement with government leaders. Herb Ellingwood, legal affairs secretary to then-Governor Ronald Reagan, conducted meetings at Bethel addressing “The Charismatic Movement Among Leaders of Our Government.”[17] Johnson’s approach proved popular within the congregation, and his tenure as senior pastor lasted from 1968 until 1984.

In March 1994, Rev. Lay Larson assumed leadership of Bethel Church.[18] Under Larson, the church was rebranded as “The Church Where Love Happens.”[19] During his tenure, the congregation reportedly grew from approximately 200 members to more than 2,000.[20]

In February 1996, Rev. Bill Johnson was installed as senior pastor of Bethel Church.[21] Within weeks, Bethel announced that “a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit” was imminent, language that evoked parallels with both the Azusa Street Revival and the Latter Rain revival. Bethel introduced stage productions that urged congregants to “accept Christ — or else.” Bill Johnson declared, “We want people to hear the Message.”[22] By 1999, faith healing had become a central emphasis in Johnson’s ministry.[23]

As a member at Bethel Church in Redding, he said he had heard a lot of prayers for the healing of others, but on this occasion, he was sought out. For some reason, Bill Johnson (senior pastor at Bethel) sought me out to pray for me. And all I know is after he prayed for me for several minutes, I was overcome with joy and excitement and felt so good that I took off running in church. I sprinted.

By 2010, Bethel Church openly declared alignment with multiple Latter Rain splinter movements, the prosperity gospel, and the doctrine of divine healing. The church publicly listed several prominent “friends of Bethel.”

Toronto Blessing

The Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, commonly referred to as the Toronto Blessing, was identified as an evangelical partner. Originating within the Vineyard movement, the group splintered in 1994 following the so-called “Toronto Blessing Revival.” The movement became known for phenomena described as “outbreaks of laughter, weeping, groaning, shaking, falling, drunkenness, and even behaviors that have been described as a cross between a jungle and a farmyard.”[24]

Benny Hinn Ministries

Benny Hinn was also listed as an evangelical partner. By the time his “Holy Spirit Miracle Crusades” were promoted by Bethel, Hinn’s ministry had already been investigated and identified as a financial risk to donors. In 2005, reports revealed that “the Hinn family spent an ‘exorbitant’ amount of money and that the ministry had far more money than it needed to carry out its mission.”[25] Hinn continued to affirm William Branham as a legitimate faith healer.[26]

Global Awakening

Following the Toronto Blessing revival, Randy Clark established Global Awakening, a movement focused on international teaching, healing, and the practice of “impartation of the Spirit.” Clark conducted impartation services during a conference hosted by Bethel Church at the Redding Convention Center, which included nightly healing meetings.[27]

Extreme Prophetic

Bethel publicly supported Patricia King, a self-identified prophet and central figure in the Extreme Prophetic movement. King stated that she converted to Christianity in the 1970s after involvement in occult practices.[28] Bill Johnson served on her “apostolic advisory team,” lending support to her 2010 prophetic videos.[29]

Fresh Fire Ministries

Bethel also supported Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries. Bentley was widely known for violent healing practices, including kicking and physically striking participants during revival services. He had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old Canadian boy. Bill Johnson later organized a “restoration team” to facilitate Bentley’s return to ministry.[30] In 2020, Bentley was formally deemed unfit for ministry following sustained and credible allegations of adultery, sexting, and substance abuse spanning more than fifteen years.[31]

Paul Cain and the Kansas City Prophets

Support for the Toronto Blessing also encompassed other Latter Rain-derived movements collectively associated with the Third Wave of Pentecostalism, including Paul Cain and the Kansas City Prophets. Cain, a disciple of William Branham, claimed that Branham personally selected him to represent his ministry in countries such as Germany. Cain later collaborated with the Vineyard movement until divisions emerged following the Toronto Blessing revival.

C. Peter Wagner and the New Apostolic Reformation

The fragmentation of Third Wave Pentecostalism contributed to the emergence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a term coined by C. Peter Wagner. Wagner later identified Bill Johnson as an “apostle” within the NAR framework.[32]

The Mantle of Branham

Bill Johnson continued the trajectory established under earlier leadership by drawing Bethel closer to “The Message” movement and openly declaring allegiance to William Branham. Numerous leaders associated with Bethel and its partner organizations expressed a desire for “the mantle of William Branham.”

Johnson & Vallotton (and all of their NAR allies) have simply put a new layer of icing on a rotting heretical cake. In the following video, Bill Johnson and his associate pastor Kris Vallotton make it clear that they want God to “give them the mantle” of false teacher William Branham.[33]