Latter Rain Movement
Encyclopedia
The Latter Rain, also known as the New Order or New Order of the Latter Rain, was a post–World War II
movement within Pentecostal Christianity
which remains controversial to this day. For clarification in discussion of the Latter Rain a distinction should be made between:
The Latter Rain Movement had its beginnings in the years following World War II and was contemporary with the evangelical
awakening that was occurring with Billy Graham
at the forefront, as well as the Healing Revival
with Oral Roberts
, Jack Coe
, and William Branham. William Branham is often erroneously considered the founder of the Latter Rain because those who started it were inspired by attending one of his meetings. Rather, several leaders of the small Pentecostal, 'Sharon Orphanage' in North Battleford, Saskatchewan
, were inspired to look for a deeper dimension of Christianity after visiting Branham's meeting, and they began to fast
and pray in search of it. Later that year, revival events occurred, and news quickly swept across Canada
and the United States
, influencing many Pentecostal believers.
As the revival itself died down after a few years, those who had been changed by the doctrine formed various groups which became known as "The Latter Rain" (Movement). The Latter Rain heavily emphasized relational networks over organizational structure. In addition, the term Latter Rain has become somewhat of a pejorative
label; therefore, many ministers who were influenced in some way by it are reluctant to make this well known and often choose to emphasize any formal involvement. Much of the movement, along with elements of the Healing Revival, slowly dissolved into parts of the larger Charismatic movement
.
For these reasons, history may never know the breadth of its influence. Latter Rain emphases are some of the most noticeable difference between Pentecostals and Charismatics as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God USA in their 2000 position paper on End Time Revival. The movement was rejected by classical Pentecostal denominations.
This should not be confused with earlier movements or ideas within Pentecostalism including the Latter Rain Assemblies in South Africa, begun in 1927. Distinction should also be made between various groups with Latter Rain influences and the Sharon Schools (also known as Global Missions) organization with "camp" meeting grounds at North Battleford, where the revival and movement first originated from.
. The students worked hard by day to prepare the buildings for classes and gathered for prayer in the evenings, which included intercessory prayer, prophecy
and fasting. Some fasted between three and forty days. At this time the school consisted of three buildings at the North Battleford airport.
Initial leadership of the group at this time was primarily from two former pastors of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
, George Hawtin and Percy G. Hunt, and Herrick Holt, a pastor of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. They were later joined by George Hawtin's brother-in-law, Milford Kirkpatrick, and Ernest Hawtin, George's brother. The initial seventy Sharon School students came with Hawtin and Hunt from Bethel Bible Institute in Saskatoon, where both had formerly taught. Hawtin was asked to resign for lack of cooperation with the institute, and Hunt resigned out of sympathy for Hawtin.
On February 11, 1948, a young woman prophesied about an open door which God had set before the students and was asking them to enter in. Following this came a prophecy that this open door is the doorway into the gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ
. Thomas Holdcroft continues:
In the spring of 1948, on the Easter
weekend, special services were held which the school called the "Feast of Pentecost". Many people who had heard of the revivals in North Battleford attended these services. This led to what is considered the first "Camp Meeting" during July 7–18, 1948 which began drawing large crowds in the thousands.
The teachings from this revival came to be known as "Latter Rain" and quickly spread throughout Canada, the United States and around the world. However, the excitement was hampered when opposition arose from denominational leadership in late spring of 1948 and the teachings and practices of the movement were questioned. Resolution #7 of the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA made the following declaration:
Bill Britton expounds that,
George Warnock, former personal secretary to Ern Baxter
(an associate with William Branham's healing ministry), took up residence at Sharon Schools in the fall of 1949 and performed various work supporting the movement. Warnock wrote a book titled 'The Feast of Tabernacles,' in 1951. This book discussed the role of Sharon Schools and affiliated groups in living out the completion of God's feasts for Israel, through perfection of the saints and their dominion over the earth. The Jewish feasts Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles were considered in the book to "pre-figure and typify the whole Church Age, beginning with the death of Jesus on the cross, and consummating in "the manifestation of the Sons of God" – the "overcomers" who will step into immortality and establish the Kingdom of God on earth."
peers. Latter Rain doctrines addressed this formalism with a series of doctrinal and practical changes. These changes made the Latter Rain Movement distinct from the Pentecostal context from which it arose, and church life in Latter Rain influenced churches significantly different from traditional Pentecostal ones.
The Latter Rain brought a new focus on the spiritual elements of Christianity including personal prophecy, typological interpretation of Scripture, the restoration of the five-fold ministry
and a different eschatological emphasis. Many of the doctrinal emphases which later emerged were outlined in seed form in George Warnock's Feast of Tabernacles, which is the primary foundational text for the movement.
which had become entrenched in the ranks of Pentecostalism. Dispensationalism tended to be pessimistic in its outlook whereas the Latter Rain emphasized a victorious eschatological outlook. Rather than attempting to simply save a few souls before the rise of the anti-Christ, the Latter Rain emphasized the Church as overcoming and victorious in the fact that the Church would come into "full stature" as taught by the Apostle Paul.
The term Latter Rain stems from Bible
passages such as Jeremiah 3:3, 5:23–25, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:3, Zechariah 10:1, and James 5:7. The idea of a latter rain was not new to Pentecostals. It was present from the earliest days of Pentecostalism, which believed that the reappearance of speaking in tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit marked the latter rain of God's Spirit and that these were signs of the coming end of history. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit
on Pentecost
had been the "former rain" that established the Church, but the current "move" of the Spirit was the latter rain that would bring the Church's work to completion and culminate in the Second Coming
of Jesus Christ, which was and is imminent.
. These Manifest Sons of God, ones who have come into the full stature of Jesus Christ, would receive the Spirit without measure. They would be as Jesus was when he was on earth and would receive a number of divine gifts, including the ability to change their physical location, to speak any language through the Holy Spirit, and would be able to perform divine healings and other miracle
s. They would complete the work of God, restoring man's rightful position as was originally mandated in Genesis and by coming into the full stature of Christ would usher in his millennial
reign. Extreme versions of this spoke of Jesus as a "pattern" Son and applied "ye are gods" (Psalms 82:6) to this coming company of believers.
Joel's Army has been connected to Dominion Theology
and Fivefold ministry thinking, and has been described as a "rapidly growing apocalyptic movement" prophesied to become an "Armageddon
-ready military force of young people with a divine mandate to physically impose Christian "dominion" on non-believers.
A major theme of the Latter Rain was "unity" among the believers in the church service, the geographic region and at large. They taught that God saw the Church organized not into denomination
s but along geographical lines as in the book of Acts—one Church but in different locations. They expected that in the coming last days, the various Christian denominations would dissolve, and the true Church would coalesce into city wide churches under the leadership of the newly-restored apostles
and prophet
s.
The Latter Rain taught that there would be a restoration of the five ministerial roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist
, pastor
, teacher
). It was believed that the foundational roles of apostle and prophet had been lost after the time of the first apostles due to the Dark Ages but that God was restoring these ministries in the present day. These ideas are part of the "prophetic movement" and "New Apostolic Reformation
".
Belief in the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet distinguished the Latter Rain Movement from the rest of Pentecostalism. Classical Pentecostals understood the five ministerial roles not as offices or authority designated to any particular person but as functions available to the entire Spirit baptized congregation subject to the leading of the Spirit.
. A participant in services at Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit described the discerning of gifts:
-like groups, some parts of the movement remained orthodox
, and other parts of the movement moderated the doctrine and ultimately had positive effects on the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches at large.
During the early years, some of the most ardent critics of the Latter Rain and its theology came from within Pentecostalism, particularly the Assemblies of God. In 1949, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, following the leadership of its General Superintendent
E. S. Williams, stated that pre-tribulation rapture represented correct eschatology, and it rejected the Latter Rain practice of personal prophecy accompanied by the laying on of hands, as well as the Manifest Sons of God doctrine. One noted Assemblies of God leader, Stanley Frodsham, left the Assemblies in favor of the Latter Rain, noting the experiential similarities with the Azusa Street Revival
. The stand of the other Pentecostal denominations ultimately led to the withdrawal, under pressure, of Elim Fellowship
founder Ivan Q. Spencer
from inter-Pentecostal fellowship.
Modern criticism of the Latter Rain, however, is primarily among fundamentalists
, as is evidenced by the hosts of websites critical of the movement. Such sites use association with the Latter Rain as a way of discrediting modern Charismatics. Some identify the roots of more recent Charismatic trends such as Kingdom Now theology
, the Kansas City Prophets including Paul Cain
, and the New Apostolic Reformation
including C. Peter Wagner
as being rooted in the Latter Rain. While there are some doctrinal parallels, the historical connections have not been well demonstrated. The modern charismatic movement, while clearly influenced by some Latter Rain ideals such as the fivefold ministry and the laying on of hands generally rejects the more extreme elements of Latter Rain theology.
A small and controversial offshoot of the Latter Rain is the "Reconciliation" movement, especially those who believe in Manifest Sonship theology. Reconciliation (also called ultimate or universal reconciliation
) is a doctrine of Christian Universalism
focusing on God's plan to save the whole world through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. According to this tradition, the manifest Sons of God are expected to reign on earth during a coming millennial
age until ultimately every human being will be restored to harmony with God.
Ministers Fellowship International (MFI) is the most prominent direct descendant of the Latter Rain movement and one of the most theologically mainstream. It founded Portland Bible College
in Portland, Oregon, which is a leading institution in the Latter rain tradition. Many of the books used by Latter Rain churches are textbooks created for Portland Bible College and written by its original teachers. These books include Present Day Truths by Dick Iverson and many by Kevin Conner. City Bible Publishing carries many contemporary books that define the movement. The Tabernacle of David by Kevin Conner and Present Day Truths are classics on worship
and restoration.
MFI's leadership includes many of the significant players from the early years of the movement.
Critical
Attempt to be Neutral
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
movement within Pentecostal Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
which remains controversial to this day. For clarification in discussion of the Latter Rain a distinction should be made between:
- The Latter Rain Revival (1948–1952)
- The Latter Rain Movement (1952–1960s)
- Sharon Schools (Global Missions)
- Other groups influenced by the Latter Rain.
The Latter Rain Movement had its beginnings in the years following World War II and was contemporary with the evangelical
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
awakening that was occurring with Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
at the forefront, as well as the Healing Revival
Healing Revival
The Healing Revival is a term used by many American Charismatics in reference to a revival movement in the late 1940s and 1950s. Although it was concurrent with the more well known evangelical revival led by Billy Graham, and in some ways more broad, it is not recognized in either standard...
with Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
, Jack Coe
Jack Coe
Jack Coe was one of the first faith healers with a touring tent ministry after the Second World War in the United States. Coe was ordained in the Assemblies of God in 1944, and began to preach while still serving in World War II. In the following twelve years, travelled the U.S. organizing tent...
, and William Branham. William Branham is often erroneously considered the founder of the Latter Rain because those who started it were inspired by attending one of his meetings. Rather, several leaders of the small Pentecostal, 'Sharon Orphanage' in North Battleford, Saskatchewan
North Battleford, Saskatchewan
In the late 2000s a large number of Ruthenians have emigrated to Canada, concentrating in North Battleford.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Battlefords area was home to several aboriginal groups...
, were inspired to look for a deeper dimension of Christianity after visiting Branham's meeting, and they began to fast
FAST
-Primary meanings:Fast may refer to:* Fast as in high speed or velocity, may be used with anything that has a speed.* Fasting, abstaining from foodSlang:* Fast, a slang term for someone who is sexually promiscuous-Sports:...
and pray in search of it. Later that year, revival events occurred, and news quickly swept across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, influencing many Pentecostal believers.
As the revival itself died down after a few years, those who had been changed by the doctrine formed various groups which became known as "The Latter Rain" (Movement). The Latter Rain heavily emphasized relational networks over organizational structure. In addition, the term Latter Rain has become somewhat of a pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
label; therefore, many ministers who were influenced in some way by it are reluctant to make this well known and often choose to emphasize any formal involvement. Much of the movement, along with elements of the Healing Revival, slowly dissolved into parts of the larger Charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
.
For these reasons, history may never know the breadth of its influence. Latter Rain emphases are some of the most noticeable difference between Pentecostals and Charismatics as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God USA in their 2000 position paper on End Time Revival. The movement was rejected by classical Pentecostal denominations.
This should not be confused with earlier movements or ideas within Pentecostalism including the Latter Rain Assemblies in South Africa, begun in 1927. Distinction should also be made between various groups with Latter Rain influences and the Sharon Schools (also known as Global Missions) organization with "camp" meeting grounds at North Battleford, where the revival and movement first originated from.
Latter Rain Revival (1948–1952)
The late 1940s was a time of deep spiritual hunger among Pentecostals, who were concerned about the declining operation of the gifts of the Spirit once so evident when Pentecostalism began in the early 20th century. In response to this spiritual hunger, about 70 students gathered in October 1947 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to begin the first term of the newly formed Sharon Bible College. Most were first year students, but some were second and third year students from the Pentecostal Bible College in SaskatoonSaskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
. The students worked hard by day to prepare the buildings for classes and gathered for prayer in the evenings, which included intercessory prayer, prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
and fasting. Some fasted between three and forty days. At this time the school consisted of three buildings at the North Battleford airport.
Initial leadership of the group at this time was primarily from two former pastors of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the largest evangelical church in Canada. It reports 234,385 adherents and 1,077 member congregations throughout Canada...
, George Hawtin and Percy G. Hunt, and Herrick Holt, a pastor of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. They were later joined by George Hawtin's brother-in-law, Milford Kirkpatrick, and Ernest Hawtin, George's brother. The initial seventy Sharon School students came with Hawtin and Hunt from Bethel Bible Institute in Saskatoon, where both had formerly taught. Hawtin was asked to resign for lack of cooperation with the institute, and Hunt resigned out of sympathy for Hawtin.
On February 11, 1948, a young woman prophesied about an open door which God had set before the students and was asking them to enter in. Following this came a prophecy that this open door is the doorway into the gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ
Body of Christ
In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ has two separate connotations: it may refer to Jesus's statement about the Eucharist at the Last Supper that "This is my body" in , or the explicit usage of the term by the Apostle Paul in to refer to the Christian Church.Although in general usage the...
. Thomas Holdcroft continues:
In the spring of 1948, on the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
weekend, special services were held which the school called the "Feast of Pentecost". Many people who had heard of the revivals in North Battleford attended these services. This led to what is considered the first "Camp Meeting" during July 7–18, 1948 which began drawing large crowds in the thousands.
The teachings from this revival came to be known as "Latter Rain" and quickly spread throughout Canada, the United States and around the world. However, the excitement was hampered when opposition arose from denominational leadership in late spring of 1948 and the teachings and practices of the movement were questioned. Resolution #7 of the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA made the following declaration:
Bill Britton expounds that,
George Warnock, former personal secretary to Ern Baxter
Ern Baxter
William John Ernest Baxter was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist.-Early life:Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, he was baptised into a Presbyterian family. His mother was involved with a holiness church and following his father’s conversion they went into classical Pentecostalism...
(an associate with William Branham's healing ministry), took up residence at Sharon Schools in the fall of 1949 and performed various work supporting the movement. Warnock wrote a book titled 'The Feast of Tabernacles,' in 1951. This book discussed the role of Sharon Schools and affiliated groups in living out the completion of God's feasts for Israel, through perfection of the saints and their dominion over the earth. The Jewish feasts Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles were considered in the book to "pre-figure and typify the whole Church Age, beginning with the death of Jesus on the cross, and consummating in "the manifestation of the Sons of God" – the "overcomers" who will step into immortality and establish the Kingdom of God on earth."
Beliefs
Latter Rain proponents saw Pentecostalism as spiritually dry in the post-war period and in danger of slipping into a dry or mental formalism like many of their evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
peers. Latter Rain doctrines addressed this formalism with a series of doctrinal and practical changes. These changes made the Latter Rain Movement distinct from the Pentecostal context from which it arose, and church life in Latter Rain influenced churches significantly different from traditional Pentecostal ones.
The Latter Rain brought a new focus on the spiritual elements of Christianity including personal prophecy, typological interpretation of Scripture, the restoration of the five-fold ministry
Five-fold ministry
Fivefold Ministry is a Christian belief that the five offices of Apostle , Prophet , Evangelist , Pastor and Teacher referred to in remain active and valid offices in the contemporary Christian church.Adherents of this ecclesiology also commonly...
and a different eschatological emphasis. Many of the doctrinal emphases which later emerged were outlined in seed form in George Warnock's Feast of Tabernacles, which is the primary foundational text for the movement.
Eschatology
The Latter Rain broke with the dispensationalismDispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
which had become entrenched in the ranks of Pentecostalism. Dispensationalism tended to be pessimistic in its outlook whereas the Latter Rain emphasized a victorious eschatological outlook. Rather than attempting to simply save a few souls before the rise of the anti-Christ, the Latter Rain emphasized the Church as overcoming and victorious in the fact that the Church would come into "full stature" as taught by the Apostle Paul.
The term Latter Rain stems from Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
passages such as Jeremiah 3:3, 5:23–25, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:3, Zechariah 10:1, and James 5:7. The idea of a latter rain was not new to Pentecostals. It was present from the earliest days of Pentecostalism, which believed that the reappearance of speaking in tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit marked the latter rain of God's Spirit and that these were signs of the coming end of history. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
on Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
had been the "former rain" that established the Church, but the current "move" of the Spirit was the latter rain that would bring the Church's work to completion and culminate in the Second Coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus Christ, which was and is imminent.
Joel's Army
A major feature of the expected latter rain would be the "manifestation of the Sons of God" or "Joel's Army". The Latter Rain movement taught that as the end of the age approached, the "overcomers" would arise within the Church. There was debate among various branches as to the nature and extent of this manifestationManifestation
Manifestation may refer to any one of the following:* Manifestation of God, the prophets of the Bahá'í Faith* Avatar, manifestation of God in Hinduism...
. These Manifest Sons of God, ones who have come into the full stature of Jesus Christ, would receive the Spirit without measure. They would be as Jesus was when he was on earth and would receive a number of divine gifts, including the ability to change their physical location, to speak any language through the Holy Spirit, and would be able to perform divine healings and other miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s. They would complete the work of God, restoring man's rightful position as was originally mandated in Genesis and by coming into the full stature of Christ would usher in his millennial
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
reign. Extreme versions of this spoke of Jesus as a "pattern" Son and applied "ye are gods" (Psalms 82:6) to this coming company of believers.
Joel's Army has been connected to Dominion Theology
Dominion Theology
Dominion Theology is seen by some as a subset of Dominionism, a term used by some social scientists and journalists to describe a theological form of political ideology, which they claim has broadly influenced the Christian Right in the United States, Canada, and Europe, within Protestant...
and Fivefold ministry thinking, and has been described as a "rapidly growing apocalyptic movement" prophesied to become an "Armageddon
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
-ready military force of young people with a divine mandate to physically impose Christian "dominion" on non-believers.
Ecclesiology
The "Sacrifice of Praise" and the restoration of the Tabernacle of David were important themes within the Latter Rain. Dancing, lifting of hands and spontaneous praise are marks of this movement. An effort was made to show the error of many Christians that deny the imperative form on these verbs.A major theme of the Latter Rain was "unity" among the believers in the church service, the geographic region and at large. They taught that God saw the Church organized not into denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s but along geographical lines as in the book of Acts—one Church but in different locations. They expected that in the coming last days, the various Christian denominations would dissolve, and the true Church would coalesce into city wide churches under the leadership of the newly-restored apostles
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
and prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s.
The Latter Rain taught that there would be a restoration of the five ministerial roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
). It was believed that the foundational roles of apostle and prophet had been lost after the time of the first apostles due to the Dark Ages but that God was restoring these ministries in the present day. These ideas are part of the "prophetic movement" and "New Apostolic Reformation
New Apostolic Reformation
The New Apostolic Reformation is a movement in Protestant Christianity largely associated with the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The basic thesis asserts that God is restoring the lost offices of church governance, namely the offices of Prophet and Apostle.-Beliefs:The New Apostolic...
".
Belief in the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet distinguished the Latter Rain Movement from the rest of Pentecostalism. Classical Pentecostals understood the five ministerial roles not as offices or authority designated to any particular person but as functions available to the entire Spirit baptized congregation subject to the leading of the Spirit.
Pneumatology
Unlike Pentecostals who traditionally held that the baptism of the Holy Spirit usually comes after prolonged "tarrying" or waiting for the Spirit, the Latter Rain movement taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be imparted from one believer to another through the laying on of handsLaying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
. A participant in services at Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit described the discerning of gifts:
Controversies
The movement itself should be distinguished from those whom it ultimately influenced. Some branches of the movement ultimately led to cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
-like groups, some parts of the movement remained orthodox
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
, and other parts of the movement moderated the doctrine and ultimately had positive effects on the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches at large.
During the early years, some of the most ardent critics of the Latter Rain and its theology came from within Pentecostalism, particularly the Assemblies of God. In 1949, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, following the leadership of its General Superintendent
General Superintendent
General Superintendent can refer to:* A overseer on a construction site.* There are many Christian denominations that have the office of General Superintendent...
E. S. Williams, stated that pre-tribulation rapture represented correct eschatology, and it rejected the Latter Rain practice of personal prophecy accompanied by the laying on of hands, as well as the Manifest Sons of God doctrine. One noted Assemblies of God leader, Stanley Frodsham, left the Assemblies in favor of the Latter Rain, noting the experiential similarities with the Azusa Street Revival
Azusa Street Revival
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
. The stand of the other Pentecostal denominations ultimately led to the withdrawal, under pressure, of Elim Fellowship
Elim Fellowship
The Elim Fellowship is a North American based Pentecostal/charismatic Christian denomination that emphasizes the spread of revival and renewal.- History :...
founder Ivan Q. Spencer
Ivan Q. Spencer
Ivan Quay Spencer was an American Pentecostal minister who founded Elim Bible Institute and the Elim Fellowship....
from inter-Pentecostal fellowship.
Modern criticism of the Latter Rain, however, is primarily among fundamentalists
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
, as is evidenced by the hosts of websites critical of the movement. Such sites use association with the Latter Rain as a way of discrediting modern Charismatics. Some identify the roots of more recent Charismatic trends such as Kingdom Now theology
Dominion Theology
Dominion Theology is seen by some as a subset of Dominionism, a term used by some social scientists and journalists to describe a theological form of political ideology, which they claim has broadly influenced the Christian Right in the United States, Canada, and Europe, within Protestant...
, the Kansas City Prophets including Paul Cain
Paul Cain (minister)
Paul Cain is a Pentecostal Christian minister involved with both neo-charismatic churches and the Charismatic Movement. As a young man he was one of the Voice of Healing revivalists of the 50s. Cain currently resides in California and ministers monthly at a local church in Santa...
, and the New Apostolic Reformation
New Apostolic Reformation
The New Apostolic Reformation is a movement in Protestant Christianity largely associated with the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The basic thesis asserts that God is restoring the lost offices of church governance, namely the offices of Prophet and Apostle.-Beliefs:The New Apostolic...
including C. Peter Wagner
C. Peter Wagner
Charles Peter Wagner Christian missionary, writer, teacher, and church growth specialist, notable for his controversial spiritual warfare practices and beliefs...
as being rooted in the Latter Rain. While there are some doctrinal parallels, the historical connections have not been well demonstrated. The modern charismatic movement, while clearly influenced by some Latter Rain ideals such as the fivefold ministry and the laying on of hands generally rejects the more extreme elements of Latter Rain theology.
A small and controversial offshoot of the Latter Rain is the "Reconciliation" movement, especially those who believe in Manifest Sonship theology. Reconciliation (also called ultimate or universal reconciliation
Universal reconciliation
In Christian theology, universal reconciliation is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls—because of divine love and mercy—will ultimately be reconciled to God.Universal salvation may be related to the perception of a problem of Hell, standing opposed to ideas...
) is a doctrine of Christian Universalism
Christian Universalism
Christian Universalism is a school of Christian theology which includes the belief in the doctrine of universal reconciliation, the view that all human beings or all fallen creatures will ultimately be restored to right relationship with God....
focusing on God's plan to save the whole world through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. According to this tradition, the manifest Sons of God are expected to reign on earth during a coming millennial
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
age until ultimately every human being will be restored to harmony with God.
Leaders
The following list includes some representative leaders of various branches, both past and present but is not exhaustive.Founders
- Maria Fraser founded the Latter Rain Assemblies in South Africa (Blourokkies).
- Reg Layzell founded of Glad Tidings church and author and influence of such books as The Key of David and Unto Perfection.
- George Warnock (who had been Ern BaxterErn BaxterWilliam John Ernest Baxter was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist.-Early life:Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, he was baptised into a Presbyterian family. His mother was involved with a holiness church and following his father’s conversion they went into classical Pentecostalism...
's secretary) wrote The Feast of Tabernacles (1951) which became very influential not only for its view of the biblical feasts but for its approach to the Scriptures. One identifiable mark of those influenced by the Latter Rain is their spiritual hermeneutic. - George Hawtin and his brother Ern Hawtin were key to the early spread of the movement. They traveled widely, and as they traveled the influence of the Latter Rain caught on.
- A. Earl Lee was one of the fathers of the movement in southern CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He had previously been involved with Aimee Semple McPhersonAimee Semple McPhersonAimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church...
. - Myrtle Beall and her family ran what is now known as Bethesda Christian Church north of Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. This was one of the first major churches to embrace the Latter Rain and became the center of much activity. - James Watt, one of the original eldersElder (Christianity)An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
at the Sharon Orphanage and school and the first to move in the distinctive "Heavenly Choir". - J. Preston Eby was an early proponent who resigned under pressure from the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1956 because his Latter Rain beliefs were not approved of by the church.
- Thomas Wyatt, a pastor from Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, hosted the North Battleford men at a pastor's conference thus enabling the spread of the doctrine.
Ministers Fellowship International
Ministers Fellowship International (MFI) is the most prominent direct descendant of the Latter Rain movement and one of the most theologically mainstream. It founded Portland Bible College
Portland Bible College
Portland Bible College is a private four-year college in Portland, Oregon, USA that offers theological and church ministry degrees. It was founded in 1967 by Dick Iverson and is associated with the City Bible Church. The campus is adjacent to City Bible Church atop Rocky Butte in northeast...
in Portland, Oregon, which is a leading institution in the Latter rain tradition. Many of the books used by Latter Rain churches are textbooks created for Portland Bible College and written by its original teachers. These books include Present Day Truths by Dick Iverson and many by Kevin Conner. City Bible Publishing carries many contemporary books that define the movement. The Tabernacle of David by Kevin Conner and Present Day Truths are classics on worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
and restoration.
MFI's leadership includes many of the significant players from the early years of the movement.
- Dick Iverson, founder of City Bible Church, formerly Bible Temple, and Portland Bible College, is apostolic overseer of Ministers Fellowship International.
- Kevin ConnerKevin ConnerKevin Conner is a Pentecostal theologian who was formerly the senior minister of Waverley Christian Fellowship in Melbourne, Australia...
is a very influential Bible teacher who came out of the Latter Rain and who has taken the best of these new ideas and blended them with the more traditional hermeneutics. His approach has influenced such leading ministers as T.D. Jakes and others. - David Schoch was a leader associated with this branch of the Latter Rain and was an honorary member of the apostolic board of MFI until his death in July 2007. The church he led is now known as City At the Cross in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. - Violet Kiteley founded Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. Her son, David Kiteley, is also an honorary member of the MFI leadership.
Disputed movements
- Sam FifeSam FifeSamuel Drew Fife Jr. was an ex-Baptist preacher who started and became the principal leader of an international non-denominational Charismatic Christian group known as "The Move". Fife's followers regard him as a modern-day apostle and prophet.-Early life:Sam Fife was born about 1926 in Miami,...
and The MoveThe Move: Sam FifeThe Move is the unofficial name of a non-denominational charismatic Christian group that was started by an ex-Baptist preacher named Sam Fife in Florida in the 1960s....
also known as Endtime Body-Christian Ministries. - Maranatha Campus MinistriesMaranatha Campus MinistriesMaranatha Campus Ministries was a Charismatic/Pentecostal-oriented Christian ministry founded by Bob Weiner which existed from 1971 to 1990. Its primary outreach was to college and university campuses....
, an outreach to college and university campuses, which derived its ideals from the Shepherding movementShepherding MovementThe Shepherding Movement was an influential and controversial movement within some British and American charismatic churches, emerging in the 1970s and early 1980s...
. It dissolved in 1989, and many of its leaders regrouped later in the 1990s to form what is now Every NationEvery NationEvery Nation Churches is an organization of non-denominational Christian churches. Its name embodies its goal of reaching "every nation in our generation" with the gospel....
. - The Living Word FellowshipThe Living Word FellowshipThe Living Word Fellowship is a group of nondenominational Christian churches located in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, often described as a new religious movement or cult. The group was founded in South Gate, California, by John Robert Stevens in 1951...
or "The Walk", founded by John Robert StevensJohn Robert StevensJohn Robert Stevens founded The Living Word Fellowship in the 1950s and was the movement's leader until his death....
, has Latter Rain roots. Royal Cronquist was another well known leader in this group. Like others influenced by Latter Rain, Stevens later distanced himself from the movement. Influential charismatic author Francis FrangipaneFrancis FrangipaneFrancis Frangipane is a Christian evangelical minister and author. He is the founding pastor of River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. In 2002, he also launched an international, online school called In Christ's Image Training . This training lays a foundation of truth...
came out of Stevens' ministry, leaving before it turned in what he viewed as a negative direction. A 1985 documentary by Anthony Cox negatively portrays his experiences with the Living Word Fellowship. - Assembly of the Body of Christ (ABC)
Others
- Bishop Bill Hamon of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, has been influential in the Charismatic movement, including being featured numerous times in Charisma Magazine. Hamon's book The Eternal Church outlines the movement, noting his presence.
- Dr. Kelley Varner of Richlands, North CarolinaRichlands, North CarolinaRichlands is a town in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. The 2005 estimated population was 827. It is included in the Jacksonville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, had a teaching ministry which was Latter Rain influenced and has published a number of books to this effect. - John Gavazzoni, Kenneth Greatorex, Gary Sigler and Robert Torango are Latter Rain-inspired Charismatic Christians who teach universal reconciliation and sonship (a version of the ancient Christian doctrines of apocatastasisApocatastasisApocatastasis is reconstitution, restitution, or restoration to the original or primordial condition.-Etymology and definition:The Liddell and Scott Lexicon entry, gives the following examples of usage:* “τοῦ ἐνδεοῦς” Aristotle MM, 1205a4; into its nature εἰς φύσιν id...
and theosisTheosisIn Christian theology, divinization, deification, making divine or theosis is the transforming effect of divine grace. This concept of salvation is historical and fundamental for Christian understanding that is prominent in the Eastern Orthodox Church and also in the Catholic Church, and is a...
). Gavazzoni and Greatorex are leaders of Greater Emmanuel International Ministries. Sigler runs a large website called Kingdom Resources. Torango leads a church and evangelistic ministry in TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. - Tony Salmon, of West VirginiaWest VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, is founder and vice president of Kingdom Ministries. Salmon has been an active proponent of and spokesman for the teachings of sonship and reconciliation. - Charles Schmitt, pastor of the Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring, MarylandSilver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, and founder of the Body of Christ movement, spent time in the Latter Rain. - Bill Britton is an author and teacher on sonship.
- Paul N. Grubb and his wife, Lura, of Faith Temple in MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee, were also sonship proponents. - Wade Taylor co-founder (along with Bill Britton) of Pinecrest Bible Training CenterPinecrest Bible Training CenterPinecrest Bible Training Center is an interdenominational, unaccredited, three-year Bible School, located in Salisbury Center, New York. It was founded by Wade Taylor, in 1968.-History:Pinecrest Bible Training Center was founded by Wade Taylor in 1968...
in Salisbury Center, New York. - Robin McMillan, pastor of the lead fellowship of Rick JoynerRick JoynerRick Joyner heads MorningStar Ministries , which he cofounded with his wife Julie Joyner in 1985...
's MorningStar Ministries, was mentored by Wade Taylor. MorningStar itself is very reflective of a Latter Rain ideal. - Glenn Ewing and his son, Robert Ewing, of Waco, TexasWaco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, trained Jim Laffoon, leading prophet for Every Nation.
Other movements and institutions
- Elim FellowshipElim FellowshipThe Elim Fellowship is a North American based Pentecostal/charismatic Christian denomination that emphasizes the spread of revival and renewal.- History :...
and its college, Elim Bible InstituteElim Bible InstituteElim Bible Institute is a Bible college in Lima, New York, offering a three-year non-degree diploma program intended to prepare Christian leaders and workers for revival ministry.-History:...
in New York, were the focus of much Latter Rain activity. - Destiny Image Publications, founded by Don Nori who was a prophet in a Latter Rain church before founding the publishing house. Prints titles by Varner, Joyner, Hamon and others.
- The Independent Assemblies of God, InternationalIndependent Assemblies of God, InternationalThe Independent Assemblies of God, International is a pentecostal Christian association with roots in a revival in 1890 decade among the Scandinavian Baptist and Pietist communities in the United States....
, organized by A. W. Rasmussen. - Church of the Living God
- Body of Christ Movement
- Joel's Church of Love
- The Rainmakers (band)
External links
Pro- Sharon Star Publication, Sharon Schools, North Battleford
- This site is completely based on Latter Rain teachings with links to others.
- A collection of teachings by men associated with the Latter Rain
- Summary of the Latter Rain based on primary sources
- The Latter Rain Page
Critical
- Apologetics Index article on Latter Rain teachings
- Apologetics Index on Manifest Sons of God teachings
- "Assemblies of God and the Latter Rain Heresy". Christian-witness.org.
Attempt to be Neutral