Bethel Charismatic Church in Redding, CA

[Beermeet]

So, I was reading about the Sherri Papini case, a most likely hoax kidnapping in Redding, CA.  This church keeps coming up, many of the people surrounding the case attend.  Much to my delight, they are into the type of crazy my pet fundie Danni Matias ( I shared her on here) is.  Major faith healing, raising the dead, miracle burning bush shit, glory dust, big focus on children with a creepy puppet to boot.  Just going down this rabbit hole and thought you all should join me!  I didn't see this in the search so, I think it has not been discussed.  Appologies if so.

Link to Bethel: http://www.bethelredding.com/

One of the ex-members:

https://brucegerencser.net/2016/02/bethel-redding-dangerous-evangelical-cult/

[NachosFlandersStyle]

Whoa, what is this? I can barely read through the jargon but it sounds like the evangelical version of scientology. 

http://bethelsozo.com/about/

[Beermeet]

Whoa!  You're link is new crazy #2!  I don't have time for all this new stuff.  There goes my nights sleep!

[PennySycamore]

I read about the Sherri Papini case in People.  The biggest mystery there was why People wasted space on that.  I did remember, though, when reading about Sherri that we'd discussed the Bethel church and its batshit craziness a few years ago. 

[Beermeet]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/may/cover-story-inside-popular-controversial-bethel-church.html

5 minutes ago, PennySycamore said:

I read about the Sherri Papini case in People.  The biggest mystery there was why People wasted space on that.  I did remember, though, when reading about Sherri that we'd discussed the Bethel church and its batshit craziness a few years ago. 

Yeah, some new useless info came out recently, which led me to Reddit.  Odd place.  Ditched that for Bethel.

I searched both Sherri Papini and Bethel on here to no avail.  I never can find stuff in search.  Idk why.

[Beermeet]

Seriously?  They are in a building.  I'd need to be in an open field with no wind to be amazed.  And the glitter better not seem man made either.  How gullible can all those people be?  Feckin' weirdos.

 

 

[Anonymousguest]

Glory cloud...wut? 

[Anonymousguest]

Apparently it's enough of a thing to get it's own got questions entry. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gotquestions.org/amp/glory-cloud.html

[Cassandra Von Bora]

YSo I actually attended (part of) a service there once many years ago when I was in college. A friend had been there a few times and was trying to decide whether she liked it or not, so she invited me along.

I say "part of" a service because their Sunday services were three hours long! We stayed for an hour. In that time, I think the band go through maybe four or five very repetitive songs.

The thing that struck me most was how disjointed it was. For me, church is about worshipping WITH others, not just in the general vicinity of others. A few people were singing, some were jogging laps (There was a guy calling out "If you're filled with the Spirit, you'd better run!" So they did.), a lot of people were just sitting staring. There were many that I think just had nowhere else to go to get away from the elements.

There was nothing to focus on: a band in one corner, flag dancers over here, people hollering over there, etc. I didn't really get anything edifying out of it.

A creepy/irritating incident I want to get off my chest if you'll indulge me... I had set my jacket under my chair when we came in. At one point, I noticed a man crawling under the seats and I thought I glimpsed him touching my jacket. I froze, panicking that I was getting robbed. I quickly verified that my wallet and its contents were still in my jacket pocket, but didn't investigate further. When we left and I went to put my jacket on, I found a glossy brochure detailing all the building projects and whatnot they wanted money for. So, you can't greet a visitor, or even be upfront about what you're doing, but you'll sneak around to ask me for money? That's some real classy Christian outreach you got going on there, Bethel.
 

[Flossie]

2 hours ago, Cassandra Von Bora said:

A creepy/irritating incident I want to get off my chest if you'll indulge me... I had set my jacket under my chair when we came in. At one point, I noticed a man crawling under the seats and I thought I glimpsed him touching my jacket. I froze, panicking that I was getting robbed. I quickly verified that my wallet and its contents were still in my jacket pocket, but didn't investigate further. When we left and I went to put my jacket on, I found a glossy brochure detailing all the building projects and whatnot they wanted money for. So, you can't greet a visitor, or even be upfront about what you're doing, but you'll sneak around to ask me for money? That's some real classy Christian outreach you got going on there, Bethel.
 

You were supposed to find it later, realize that no one handed you a brochure, and suddenly realize that God was telling you to donate to the church.  Then you were supposed to run some laps after dropping off a nice check in the mail.

[L1o2u3]

What the heck. Oh my. This charismatic stuff is scaring the s*** out of me. They were touring through Europe a few weeks back. I almost went to one of their "concerts"  But then I didn't have the time to go and now I am very happy I didn't. I think many people only know the music... same as with Hillsong. And why are all the popular worship bands from churches with weird theology? 

[formergothardite]

5 hours ago, Cassandra Von Bora said:

I say "part of" a service because their Sunday services were three hours long!

That is a John Shrader type of service! 

3 hours ago, Flossie said:

You were supposed to find it later, realize that no one handed you a brochure, and suddenly realize that God was telling you to donate to the church.  Then you were supposed to run some laps after dropping off a nice check in the mail.

I bet this was exactly what they were hoping would happen. That glitter video was weird. They kept saying the glitter was going up, but clearly it wasn't! 

[ophelia]

10 hours ago, Beermeet said:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/may/cover-story-inside-popular-controversial-bethel-church.html

Yeah, some new useless info came out recently, which led me to Reddit.  Odd place.  Ditched that for Bethel.

I searched both Sherri Papini and Bethel on here to no avail.  I never can find stuff in search.  Idk why.

not completely related to the topic, but since I saw this link I'd just like to ask what stance christianytoday takes. Is it fundie or conservative or liberal or whatever? 

[Palimpsest]

11 hours ago, Beermeet said:

One of the ex-members:

https://brucegerencser.net/2016/02/bethel-redding-dangerous-evangelical-cult/

I don't think Bruce is an ex-member of Bethel.  He was an Fundie pastor - Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) - for many years but is now an atheist and secular humanist. 

He now rejoices in calling out hypocrites and weirdness in Fundie and evangelical churches.  I think he's extremely accurate.

43 minutes ago, ophelia said:

I'd just like to ask what stance christianytoday takes. Is it fundie or conservative or liberal or whatever? 

It was founded by Billy Graham, if that helps.  It counts as the biggest "mainstream" evangelical news source today.  Think conservative Christian but professional journalism - definitely to the right of center but by no means Fundie.

And Bethel = batshit charismatic.  In a very bad way.

[ophelia]

Thank you, @Palimpsest

Is there a more liberal Christian (online) newspaper that anyone here on FJ could recommend? I'm looking for some new (Christian) input.

[Beermeet]

@Cassandra Von Bora. Well, that ties in nicely with falling glitter.  Miracles WILL happen dammit!  It's not hard to plant lots of things in a controlled chaotic environment.   Wasn't there a movie about that with Steve Martin?

As I was going down the Google list of "Bethel Redding is a cult" I found weird stuff!  My dreams were very strange.

[Howl]

Eeeek, As I type this, Bethel is working on a church plant in my city.  

 

[Beermeet]

Dooood!  I need ferrets!  I can't stop when I keep finding stuff like this.  Preacher can't argue with crazy. #bethheads

 

[Miranda]

A friend of mine goes to their "college," BSSM. It sounds like a very bizarre place. 

[PumaLover]

A miracle literally just happened within the last minute. Y'all won't even believe it. I was sitting here and reading through all the posts in this thread. The glory cloud, the healings, speaking in tongues, you name it!!

I hit reply and had planned to write "wtf did I just read!?" And the lord made my phone die suddenly, right in my hands. It just shut off. I wasn't able to post! Now I know that he didn't want me writing what I was about to, because it went against his word and knew I was questioning these miracles which REALLY happen on a day to day basis. I don't live close by but I'm now compelled to donate to their church to continue the miracles and healing.


That, or the battery just died. Cuz I haven't charged the phone since reading FJ on my lunch break. Your call.

[L1o2u3]

A funny thing - umm wait, MIRACLE!!! happened to me yesterday, too. I had read this thread  (and watched the video about how to teach kids to be prophets) and then when I went to university to my subtitles class, we had to make subtitles for the prophecy of grandpa Simspon in the Simpsons Movie. It was A-MAZING to see the HOLY SPIRIT speak through a yellow cartoon character. This MUST be a sign from HEAVEN that prophecies are REAL. The LORD can even use sinful movies like that to work for HIS GLORY. Hallelujah! Amen! 

And the Lord has put it on my heart to share this wonderful video with you so you can be convicted too. 

//please note the sarcasm. And unfortunately I couldn't find the video in better quality :/ 

[L1o2u3]

Also if you go to Bethel, your infertility will be cured  

And I've watched this service a while ago. At 5:40 the singer suddenly stops singing and instead chants the story of her c-section which was very, very weird. And then Bill Johnson speaks. It is interesting that they put up these videos on Youtube because it makes at least some things transparent for everyone. And you can see the focus on healing in his sermon (which I did not notice when watching it for the first time because I didn't really listen). 

 

[stylites]

If you want to see/read something really bizarre google 'bethel grave soaking'

[JesusCampSongs]

An old friend from my partying days recently moved out to Redding in order to participate in the cult more fully. Back in the day, our activities consisted of waiting tables, binge drinking, smoking large quantities of weed (and other illegal goodies), and watching movies, so it's been pretty weird watching her transforming into an actual cult member, between randomly moving out to California with no money or job prospects, posting all kinds of crazy shit and facebook prophecy threads, and parroting every batshit pro-Trump conspiracy ever invented. She was also shilling Plexus for a while, but I don't think she is currently.

Part of me wants to laugh hysterically at the sheer whatthefuckery of it all, what with the number of FJ fundie cliches that apply to someone I used to do lots and lots of drugs with, but most of me is genuinely worried for her because she's really suggestible and has a long history of mental health issues. I think the only reason I haven't unfriended her is because I want to be available in case she decides to get out and reaches out to me. 

[FundiesInParis]

1 hour ago, stylites said:

If you want to see/read something really bizarre google 'bethel grave soaking'

I just did, and it’s the first time I think I’ve ever felt more confused after googling something.