A Response To "An Urgent Message From Peter"
by Sandy Simpson, 8/20/11
(Note: Rather than being accused of taking quotes out of context as we have been in the past (without merit) I am giving you the whole text of C. Peter Wagner's email newsletter in black italics and my commentary in bold red.)

This is my response to the email from C. Peter Wagner attempting to explain why the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement is not a cult.  From my perspective he digs himself in deeper by showing the lack of substantiation from the Bible for what the NAR promotes.  Following you will find the full text of his email and my comments.

AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM PETER
August 19, 2011

THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
An Update

C. Peter Wagner, Ph.D.

Surprisingly, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) has recently become a topic of discussion in the political media. I noticed some mention of it in connection with Sarah Palin's run for Vice-President, but I considered it relatively insignificant. Then more talk of the NAR surfaced around Michelle Bachman, but it soared to a new level when Rick Perry entered the race for the Republican nomination for President in August.   The best I can discern, the NAR has become a tool in the hands of certain liberal opponents of the conservative candidates designed to discredit them on the basis of their friendship with certain Christian leaders supposedly affiliated with the NAR.

Are they "supposedly affiliated" or actually affiliated?  Perry attended and gave an invocation at the NAR "The Response" prayer meeting where they prayed in line with their Dominionist agenda, including "divorcing Baal".

Articles to read on "The Response" prayer meeting and Governor Perry's involvement:

The Response Host: Vic Eliason, Guest: Brannon Howse, VCY America, 7/26/11
Divorcing Baal - Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 16, No. 5, September/October 2001
Texas Governor's Upcoming Leadership Event Includes Cult Members by Marsha West, News With Views, 8/3/11
Do You Really Want To Join The Rally? by Jackie Alnor, 8/6/11
My Response to "The Response" Gov. Rick Perry's Call to Prayer by Marsha West, 8/9/11
Will the Evangelical Church Sell Out the Gospel for a Dominionist Political Agenda? - A Special Report by Understand the Times and Lighthouse Trails, 8/15/11

To bolster this attempt, they seek to accuse the NAR of teaching false doctrine and paste on it the label of "cult." For example, Forgotten Word Ministries posts an article by Marsha West expressing concerns about Rick Perry's prayer assembly in Houston on August 6, that uses the title: "Texas Governor's Upcoming Leadership Event Includes Cult Members."[1]
It is clear that the NAR is teaching the false doctrines of the Latter Rain, Third Wave, Word of Faith, Emerging Church and many other movements, some of which we will detail later in this letter.  For fuller information on the NAR, go here.  Here is the definition of a cult:
Any system of belief that desires to call itself by the name of a religion, but by its own beliefs taught and promoted either explicitly or implicitly goes against the core beliefs of that religion whose name they desire to associate with, is rightly termed a "cult" of that religion.  For instance, a cult of Christianity would be:  "A group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrine system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which system denies either explicitly or implicitly one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian Faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible." (Alan Gomes, Unmasking The Cults, Zondervan, 1995)
Read more on the subject of defining terms like "cult" in this article:

Defining Terms by Sandy Simpson, 2004

This being the case I leave it up to you whether or not the NAR movement is a cult.  Please base your conclusion not on rhetoric and semantics but on actual teachings.  You be the judge as to whether or not what the NAR is teaching, prophesying and doing "denies either explicitly or implicitly one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian Faith" and whether those things make it and its adherents a cult of Christianity.  The Roman Catholic Church became a cult of Christianity when it began to teach a whole variety of doctrines that degrade the core doctrines of the Faith.  Read the following:

Catholicism and it's connection to the Third Wave (NAR)
Inside the Catholic Catechism by Robert T. Weaver, 1996
Do Catholics And Evangelicals Now Agree? by John Ankerberg With Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R.C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy,  1999
Roman Catholicism by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1899-1981
Catholic Doctrines Comparison Chart
Explaining The Heresy Of Catholicism (23-296) by John MacArthur, Grace To You Ministries, 11/06

Soon after the event, nothing less than Al Jazeera News picked up on the theme and posted an article on the NAR under the title "America's own Taliban." My name comes up in most of the Internet postings on NAR, but in this one I am called the "intellectual godfather" of the movement.[2] When I read that, I felt that I had a responsibility to attempt to bring some clarification as to what the NAR is, what are its goals, and how these goals are being implemented. That is why I am writing this brief paper.
Of course Al Jazeera is going to use anything to put down those who claim to be Christians.  In this case they were not far from the truth.  Wagner does bear the responsibility of explaining the NAR because he is the one who claims to be the head apostle of the movement.
Apostles and prophets the foundation of the Church and, um, I identify as James an apostle as my function as a horizontal apostle to bring together the people of the body of Christ not only can I do it, I love to do it. Yesterday I was the apostle with a group of about 15-20 prophets we met all day long, and these prophets many of whom are going to be speakers in this conference come under my guidance, coordination and leadership as an apostle. They each have apostles in their own networks but I mean they are under spiritually.  But I'm the one that brings them together and when I bring them together things happen. (C. Peter Wagner, National School of the Prophets - Mobilizing the Prophetic Office, Colorado Springs, CO, May 11, 2002, Tape #1)
We'll come back to the implications of the above statement later.  You can see Wagner and his International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) members talking about themselves being "foundational apostles" on our NAR DVD series here.  The fact that Wagner talks about "overthrowing" the government of Satan and taking control of the governments of the world certainly does bear some comparison to the dominionist tactics of Islam and the Taliban.

Dominionism: The New Christian Fascism? - Is it ultimately that different from Islamic Fascism? by Sandy Simpson, 6/29/07

What Is the NAR?

The NAR is definitely not a cult. Those who affiliate with it believe the Apostles' Creed and all the standard classic statements of Christian doctrine.

A favorite tactic of false teachers is to claim to hold to a biblical doctrinal statement while teaching and doing things that destroy those doctrines.  But first let's look at some of the ICA membership's statements of faith.  You will see they they go beyond the Apostles Creed by a long shot.  First, here is an English translation of the Apostles Creed, originally in Latin.

    1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
    2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
    4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
    5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
    6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
    8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
    10. the forgiveness of sins,
    11. the resurrection of the body,
    12. and life everlasting.
    Amen.

What We Believe
Global Harvest Ministries
C. Peter Wagner
http://www.globalharvest.org/believe.htm

A problem that comes to mind is that Wagner has had in his ICA membership some who do not believe in the Trinity, such as Tommy Tenney.  Wagner also adds the statement "In addition, Global Harvest Ministries adheres to the Lausanne Covenant."  Is this or is this not adding to their "What We Believe" statement of faith?

Another problem is that the list of current ICA members is apparently restricted as it has been from time to time in the past.  But we do have an older list and believe everyone on that list is still a member:

ICA is administered as a d.b.a. of Global Harvest Ministries of Colorado Springs, Colorado. ICA Presiding Apostle C. Peter Wagner is President of Global Harvest, and Doris Wagner and Chuck Pierce serve as Vice-Presidents. John Kelly of LEAD is the ICA Ambassadorial Apostle. Chuck Pierce is Apostle-at-Large. Marguerite Duerr is the full-time administrator. Financial records may be accessed by ICA members at any time. An annual audit is performed by Capin & Crouse. ICA holds membership in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) through Global Harvest Ministries. No compensation is paid to officers of ICA, all of whom serve in an honorary capacity.  The Presiding Apostle appoints an ICA Apostolic Council which provides advice and accountability. ICA members are free to bring any concern which may arise to any or all council members. The ICA Apostolic Council is made up of C. Peter Wagner, John Kelly, Chuck Pierce, Doris Wagner, Naomi Dowdy, Ed Silvoso, Dennis Peacocke, Bill Hamon, Gunnar Olson, Ron Cottle, James Chosa, David Cartledge, Dan Juster, Pat Francis, and George Bakalov, John Eckhardt, and H. Daniel Wilson. (Source)

The complete member list is no longer available to anyone, only to members of the ICA.  (Source)

A more current list is as follows: The Apostolic Council includes: George Bakalov, Mark Chironna, James Chosa, Ron Cottle, Naomi Dowdy, John Eckhardt, Pat Francis, Bill Hamon, Dan Juster, John P. Kelly, Joseph Mattera, John Macknamara, Mel Mullen, Dennis Peacocke, Mark Pfeifer,  Ed Silvoso, C. Peter Wagner, Doris Wagner, Lance Wallnau, and H. Daniel Wilson. (Source)

A 2008 partial list is as follows: This membership is under the leadership of Wagner, Presiding Apostle at large, Chuck Pierce and Doris Wagner, who serve as Vice Presidents, and Ambassadorial Apostle John Kelly.  In addition to these leaders, the  current council providing accountability is made up of the following apostles:  Naomi Dowdy, Ed Silvoso, Dennis Peacocke, Bill Hamon, Joseph Mattera, Ron Cottle, James Chosa, Dan Juster, Pat Francis, George Bakalov, John Eckhardt, and H. Daniel Wilson. (Source)

Here is a short list of people who are definitely in the NAR movement and many of whom, at one time or another, have also been members of the ICA.  In the case of Todd Bentley, the NAR leadership laid hands on him to confirm his ministry and shortly thereafter he was found to be having an afair with someone on his staff.  He then divorced his wife and married the co-worker.  His counseling and reinstatement into ministry shortly thereafter was facilitated by Rick Joyner. (http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/newapostolic.html#tbentley)
Todd Bentley, Mike Bickle, John Crowder, John Dawson, Joy Dawson, Jack Deere, Francis Frangipane, Ted Haggard, Bill Hamon, Cindy Jacobs, Bill Johnson, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, Patricia King, George Otis, Jr., Dutch Sheets, Ed Silvoso, Chad Taylor, Richard Twiss, C. Peter Wagner, YWAM
You can read about each of the above from this page.  There are thousands more.

When a person or organization says they adhere to the core doctrines of the Faith they must not just do so by declaration but also by following it up with teachings that don't degrade them.  I am going to give you just a few reasons why what the NAR teaches and promotes denies the core doctrines of the Faith.  Five of the most important core doctrines of Christianity are as follows:

1. The Trinity: God is one "What" and three "Whos" with each "Who" possessing all the attributes of Deity and personality ... or ... God is One God eternally existing as Three Persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. The Person of Jesus Christ: Jesus is 100% God and 100% man for all eternity.
3. The Second Coming: Jesus Christ is coming bodily to earth to rule and judge.
4. Salvation: It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
5. The Scripture: It is entirely inerrant and sufficient for all Christian life.

Here are some ways in which the NAR and those they are closely associated with them abuse the core doctrines:

1. The Trinity: Ways this doctrine is denied by the NAR:

a. When the Spirit is treated as a substance (slain in the spirit/imparation) both Deity and personality is denied.
b. When God is "on call" (positive thinking/confession/declaration) Deity is compromised and God is blasphemed.
c. Many of the manifestations (of slain in the spirit) lower man to beastly or sub-human levels. The Spirit's actions always raise man to the character of Christ. Thus, to call these manifestations the work of the Spirit is a (not "the") blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

2. The Person of Jesus Christ: Ways this doctrine is denied by the NAR:

a. "More Jesus" - Jesus treated as a substance instead of a person.
b. Visions of Jesus often redefine the scriptural picture of Jesus.
c. Kenneth Copeland and other Word of Faith teachers with their denigration of Jesus' death, seeing Jesus as brother of Satan, etc.  NAR adherents can be seen with Word Of Faith teachers often on TBN and other "Christian" networks, endorsing each other's books and ministries.

3. The Second Coming: Ways this doctrine is denied by the NAR:

a. Dominion theology- spiritualizes the 2nd Coming ... Jesus will not come back until Christians take dominon over the world ... Jesus returns "in the church", etc.
b. Revival theology denies the "great apostasy" that must take place before Jesus' return.
c. The church's job is to preach the gospel and disciple, not take over structures of the world system

4. Salvation: Ways this doctrine is denied by the NAR:

a. The NAR/Toronto/Brownsville "gospel" is "repent and come to Jesus" often without the cross, resurrection or teaching other issues needed for a person to understand the Good News.
b. Anything that denies the full indwelling of the Spirit at conversion denies, ultimately, the biblical definition of salvation.
c. Need for "impartation" is denial of gospel by grace.

5. The Scripture: Ways this doctrine is denied by the NAR:

a. "Empty your mind, don't think" assumes that something outside scripture must enter mind, body; occult technique.
b. "New revelation" needed for modern church, "new picture" denies sufficiency of "faith once for all delivered".
c. Signs and wonders needed beyond the Gospel.
d. Emphasis on experience over doctrine is backwards.
e. Witchcraft/New Age techniques used for direction instead of scripture.

Read more on this subject here:

THE FIVE BASIC DOCTRINES
Compiled and written by Sandy Simpson, 1999
Sources: Deception In The Church web page, Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (CARM),
Biblical Studies Foundation (Bible.Org)

It will surprise some to know that the NAR embraces the largest non-Catholic segment of world Christianity. It is also the fastest growing segment, the only segment of Christianity currently growing faster than the world population and faster than Islam.[3]
Christianity is, unfortunately, not growing.  According to "Religions Of The World" (http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm) it is, as a percentage of world population, at 32% and dropping.  That of course includes the false religion of Catholicism and cults of Christianity.  Islam, on the other hand, is 22% of world population and "growing".  Wikipedia also states: "According to Guinness Book of World Records, Islam is the world's fastest growing religion by number of conversions each year." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claims_to_be_the_fastest-growing_religion) So Wagner has his facts wrong or is intentionally skewing them.

Also many NAR adherents welcome the Catholics into side by side ministry.  They have done that here in Hawaii in the "Transformations Hawaii" prayer efforts where Catholic priests, pastors and heretics stood side by side to pray for spiritual transformation in Hawaii, where Cindy Jacobs prophesied that Hawaii would be "the first entirely Christian state".  They even made the claim that the crime rate in Oahu dropped after their last prayer effort when, a few days after that claim, the newspaper headline read "Oahu Crime Up 6%" (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2010/Jan/31/ln/hawaii1310354.html).  Transformations is an NAR agenda and George Otis, Jr., a member of the ICA the last time we were able to check (as we do not want to join the ICA by paying for a membership only to check who is listed currently) put out two videos claiming miraculous changes due to their prayer meetings and spiritual mapping and circulated them worldwide to many churches.  Read the following article to see their false claims.

Transformation or Re-Transformation by Mike Oppenheimer and Sandy Simpson

YWAM, one of many NAR organizations, is fully onboard with ministry alongside Catholics.

Christianity is booming now in the Global South which includes sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and large parts of Asia. Most of the new churches in the Global South, even including many which belong to denominations, would comfortably fit the NAR template.

The NAR represents the most radical change in the way of doing church since the Protestant Reformation. This is not a doctrinal change. We adhere to the major tenets of the Reformation: the authority of Scripture, justification by faith, and the priesthood of all believers. But the quality of church life, the governance of the church, the worship, the theology of prayer, the missional goals, the optimistic vision for the future, and other features, constitute quite a change from traditional Protestantism.

The NAR certainly does not adhere to the authority of Scripture.  One tenet that has marked the Latter Rain movement, which is the basis of the NAR, is that they major on new revelation through "prophecy", which is basically new Gnosticism.  Those prophecies are then implemented by the "apostles" of the movement and regarded on the same level as Scripture.  Here are the original tenets of the Latter Rain brought to the present by people like Paul Cain, John Wimber, the Kansas City prophets and C. Peter Wagner.
In 1949 at the General Council of the Assemblies of God held in Seattle, the Council overwhelmingly approved a resolution that was prepared by a committee that dealt with the Latter Rain Movement. The resolution adopted disapproved of the following practices of the Latter Rain, and the action was made necessary as a result of the movement invading the Assembly of God churches:

1. The overemphasis relative to imparting, identifying, bestowing, or confirming of gifts by the laying on of hands and prophecy.

2. The erroneous teaching that the Church is built on the foundation of present-day apostles and prophets.

3. The extreme teaching as advocated by the “New Order,” regarding the confession of sin to man and deliverance as practiced, which claims prerogatives to human agency which belongs only to Christ.

4. The erroneous teaching concerning the impartation of the gift of languages as special equipment for missionary service.

5. The extreme and unscriptural practice of imparting or imposing personal leadings by the means of the gifts of utterance.

6. Such other wrestlings and distortions of scripture interpretations which are in opposition to teachings and practices generally accepted among us.(1)

The Latter Rain featured individuals with “oil in the hands”; congregational singing of “the song of the Lord” singing in the Spirit; the emphasis on “God is doing a new thing”; the manifested sons of God teaching; the placing of experience over exposition; the branding of those who denounced the movement; getting away from what the church had been.  In a letter from the Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God (April 20, 1949), these observations were given. They are still valid today.

“The true test of any movement is whether or not it will stand up under the light of the Word of God. We cannot depend alone upon the testimony of spiritual blessing, which many have claimed to have received under the ‘new order.’ When the ‘Jesus Only’ issue swept the country in the years 1914-1917, there was a constant testimony that this was a revelation from God accompanied by great spiritual blessing. The movement was judged, however, not on the testimony of spiritual blessings, but on its adherence to the Scriptures. When it was found that its claims did not conform to sound doctrine, its message was rejected. Dire calamities were predicted upon all who failed to ‘walk in the light’ of that ‘revelation’ but all predictions failed of fulfillment. We have heard similar predictions for failure to accept the ‘new order’ teaching, which we regret exceedingly.”

“How shall we labor with any effect to build up the Church if we have no thorough knowledge of her history or fail to apprehend it from the proper point of observation? History is, and must ever continue to be, next to God’s Word, the richest foundation of wisdom and sweet guide to all successful practical activity.”—Philip Schaff

It is the opinion of this Assembly of God pastor that we have once again endorsed a movement that will yet again chip away at the chink of armor once worn called Integrity. However, that is not the opinion of this pastor alone. Fully divided we now stand. Some will say that I am in wrong standing by publicly speaking out on these issues; I will say I am in agreement with the stand of what was once a great denomination of godly men and women. My evidence exist in the 1949 mandate of the Assemblies of God. To my knowledge it has not been rescinded. Further, our General Secretary Woods has courageously and publicly taken a stand against the so-called “laughing revival,” the root of the movement of which I am to speak, which endorses many of the manifestations that take place. (http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=11045)

Read this article containing the above information:

LATTER DAY DECEPTION by Rev. Ron Stringfellow, Pastor of Medina Valley Assembly of God, 1997

The tenets of the old Latter Rain movement that have carried over to the NAR are underlined.  The NAR has also added a number of unbiblical teachings since that time.

The NAR is not an organization. No one can join or carry a card. It has no leader. I have been called the "founder," but this is not the case.
Although the New Apostolic Reformation is a term that defines the whole movement, no one is claiming that the NAR is an organization itself.  It is made up of hundreds of organizations, not the least of which is the International Coalition of Apostles whose membership is made up of the leaders of the NAR who themselves have their own tax exempt organizations.  The ICA is certainly an organization.
International Coalition of Apostles, Inc. is administered as a religious educational organization in the State of Texas. John P. Kelly is the Convening Apostle along with an Apostolic Council which gives advice and accountability. Thus, ICA is governed by apostolic leadership in line with a strictly biblical-based form of government (episkopos and presbuteros). (http://www.coalitionofapostles.com/about-ica/)
If the ICA and other NAR organizations are not organizations, then they need to inform the U.S. Government of this because they do not qualify for 501 (c) (3) tax exemption or similar tax exempt status.
One reason I might be seen as an "intellectual godfather" is that I might have been the first to observe the movement, give a name to it, and describe its characteristics as I saw them.
Another "reason" might just be the fact that Wagner also claimed leadership himself.
Apostles and prophets the foundation of the Church and, um, I identify as James an apostle as my function as a horizontal apostle to bring together the people of the body of Christ not only can I do it, I love to do it. Yesterday I was the apostle with a group of about 15-20 prophets we met all day long, and these prophets many of whom are going to be speakers in this conference come under my guidance, coordination and leadership as an apostle. They each have apostles in their own networks but I mean they are under spiritually.  But I’m the one that brings them together and when I bring them together things happen. (C. Peter Wagner, National School of the Prophets - Mobilizing the Prophetic Office, Colorado Springs, CO, May 11, 2002, Tape #1)
The above statement made at one of the NAR's "National School of the Prophets" meetings which were often held at New Life Church while Ted Haggard was still pastor there and where the World Prayer Center and George Otis Jr.'s Sentinel Group were located, basically indicts Wagner as a false apostle by biblical definition.
2 Cor. 11:12-15  And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
When this began to come together through my research in 1993, I was Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary, where I taught for 30 years.  The roots of the NAR go back to the beginning of the African Independent Church Movement in 1900, the Chinese House Church Movement beginning in 1976, the U.S. Independent Charismatic Movement beginning in the 1970s and the Latin American Grassroots Church Movement beginning around the same time. I was neither the founder nor a member of any of these movements, I was simply a professor who observed that they were the fastest growing churches in their respective regions and that they had a number of common characteristics.
Wagner was also visited, along with John Wimber, by Paul Cain, a Kansas City Prophet, in 1989 where John and Peter learned of the Latter Rain movement upon which the Fuller teachings of Wimber and Wagner were shown to be Latter Rain and that is where the modern NAR began to come into existence. It was then expanded through the Vineyard Movement, the Toronto "Blessing", the Brownsville "Outpouring" and countless other unbiblical movements that have plagued the modern churches.  You will see in the following article that Wagner did not tell the truth to an apologetics ministry in saying he knew nothing about the Latter Rain prior to 2001.  First he claims he knew nothing about the Latter Rain until he read Dr. Orrel Steinkamp's article, and even then he is obviously proud to be promoting it.  Secondly we find him explaining the Latter Rain rather articulately in 2001 to a conference audience.  Thirdly, in this explanation he claims he got drawn into the process back in 1993 when he began hearing about these things.  Fourthly, as I have already pointed out, one of the two living proponents of the New Order Of The Latter Rain, namely Paul Cain, associate to William Branham, visited John Wimber and C. Peter Wagner in 1989 according to Wagner on the DVD series, and he had to have explained the Latter Rain apostolic movement to them at that time and showed them they were on the same page theologically.

Addendum to "The New Apostolic Reformation - What is it and where it is going?" by Sandy Simpson, 10/7/04

If I was going to write about this phenomenal move of the Holy Spirit, I knew I had to give it a name. I tried "Postdenominational" but soon dropped it because of the objections of many of my friends who were denominational executives. Then, in 1994, I tested "New Apostolic Reformation." "Reformation" because the movement matched the Protestant Reformation in world impact; "Apostolic" because of all the changes the most radical one was apostolic governance, which I'll explain in due time; and "New" because several churches and denominations already carried the name "apostolic," but they did not fit the NAR pattern. Other names of this movement which are more or less synonymous with NAR have been "Neopentecostal," "Neocharismatic," "Independent," or "Nondenominational."
Wagner and associates have degraded a number of terms.  The NAR is neither "Neopentecostal," "Neocharismatic," "Independent," or "Nondenominational."  It is actually the teachings of the New Order of the Latter Rain brought into many denominations by the counterfeit revival movements.  It is also decidedly not "evangelical", which is a word they have ruined by association with the NAR.
I am rather fascinated at the lists of individuals whom the media glibly connects with the NAR. I'm sure that some of them wouldn't even recognize the term. In many cases, however, they would fit the NAR template, but since the NAR has no membership list they themselves would need to say whether they consider themselves affiliated or not.
They only have no membership list in the sense that it is restricted from public view.  But there is decidedly a membership list on the ICA web site and each participating organization has a list as well as recommended reading material.  They all endorse each other's books to make it look like they are well received by all Christians.
For those who might be interested in such things, the books I have written related to NAR include The New Apostolic Churches (1998); Churchquake! (1999); Apostles and Prophets (2000), Changing Church (2004); and Apostles Today (2006). These are all available on amazon.com.
Concerns about the NAR

If the critics are using openness to NAR as a slur against conservative political candidates, they obviously need to verbalize what could be wrong with NAR in the first place. To suppose that NAR is a "cult" or that it teaches "heresy" can be attributed only to sloppy or immature journalism.

Or perhaps it is due to true investigative journalism and they are correct.  You be the judge.
All too often "heresy" has come to mean only that the person disagrees with me and my friends, but the purpose of using the word is to project guilt by association on the politician.
Interestingly, I don't remember the word "heresy" being used by journalists with reference to those Perry has been hanging out with, though I may be wrong.  Maybe Wagner is associating that word to this situation because virtually all good modern apologetics ministries have been calling what the NAR teaches heresy.  Here is the definition of that word:
"heresy":
adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma
denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church
an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma
dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice
an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards (Merriam- Webster Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heresy)
Though the second definition is not applicable in this case, all the others perfectly define what the NAR is all about.

As to "guilt by association" when Perry gave an invocation at "The Response" prayer event, backed by the NAR adherents (and likely their campaign contributions), it became no longer guilt by association but guilt by participation.

Divorcing Baal - Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3 by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 16, No. 5, September/October 2001
Information On "The Response" by Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline, Volume 16, No. 4, July/August 2001
Dominionist Response Draws Fire by TBC News Watch, The Berean Call
The Response Host: Vic Eliason, Guest: Brannon Howse, VCY America, 7/26/11
Will the Evangelical Church Sell Out the Gospel for a Dominionist Political Agenda? - A Special Report by Understand the Times and Lighthouse Trails, 8/15/11

There IS such a thing as guilt by association when it turns into cooperation and participation.  What NAR people want you to do is hang out with them.  But sooner or later when they get you to change your mental paradigm, you end up with heresy by proxy.

Heresy by Proxy by Sherry Neese, 10/1/07

It attempts to implant a question: Who would vote for a heretic? But there is little evidence presented that the issue in question incorporates the doctrinal unorthodoxy of a true heresy. Instead, key words are usually dropped which describe legitimate areas of disagreement among Christian theologians on the level of whether or not we baptize infants. Neither of the opposite positions on matters like this deserve to be placed in the category of heresy.
C. Peter Wagner, being a Ph.D. and professor at Fuller for more than 30 years, ought to know the difference between apologetics and polemics.  What we are addressing with the NAR are not matters of polemics, where we can legitimately disagree over when Jesus Christ is coming back, for instance.  When addressing NAR issues it is almost always a matter of apologetics because the Scripture has been twisted so far out of context by NAR teachers that true biblical Christians are no longer speaking the same language as NAR people.  This is why most of the modern apologetics ministries have to explain to people the DIFFERENCE between the NAR and biblical Christianity.  I have more than 300 articles on my site alone by hindreds of authors that do just that.  Even though we have been able to save some from getting involved in the NAR and pull others from the fire, the leadership of the NAR organizations have not only ignored our apologetics but have become increasingly belligerent and now resort to name calling, which is why this email from Wagner is so ironic.  I have been called every name in the book by NAR promoters, including "Satan".  But when the shoe is on the other foot, look out.  The fact is that the NAR people are very much like the "liberals" in the media they are now taking to task.  They are unable to make their case from the Bible, so they move on to broad brush character assassinations.
Let me review the media pieces I have collected and pick out some key words in order to clarify my position. I say "my position," because others in NAR might not agree with me, and they are not compelled to do so. NAR has no official statements of theology or ecclesiology, although a large number of us do happen to agree upon many somewhat radical conclusions.
Wagner admits many of his conclusions are "somewhat radical".  If they are radical then they are unorthodox, and if they are unorthodox they are often heretical.  Apparently Wagner knows this and admits it but then gets offended when people call the NAR a "cult".  You are either orthodox and fundamental with the Bible as your highest authority in all matters of faith and practice, or you are somewhat radical and can veer off of the written Word with every weird teaching and false prophecy that comes your way (Eph. 4:14).  You can't have it both ways.
Most of us have long track records of service within traditional Christianity, and we have needed to go through paradigm shifts to get where we are now.
A "paradigm shift" to Wagner involves what is talked about and documented in the following article:

The Last Hurrah! by Mike Oppenheimer

His idea of a paradigm shift is implemented by the use of the Hegelian Dialectic.  They set up a new order while vilifying the old.  The references by NAR adherents to traditional Christianity often paint Christians and churches as being old, worn out, ineffective, and just plain bad.  This is all part of the "diaprax" (a mixture of the Dialectic and praxis).  Read the following article for just the tip of the iceberg of examples, then go on to read hundreds of articles that show NAR false teachers attitudes toward traditional, historical Christianity.

The Ugly Side Of Diaprax by Sandy Simpson, 4/10/09

You might also want to get the free CD called "The Emerging Church" where I explain what diaprax is all about.

Keep in mind that one of the affects of every paradigm shift is that some people get pulled out of their comfort zones. One of the reasons for opposition to some of the more radical ideas of NAR is that certain people have decided not to change and they are upset with those who have chosen to change.
NAR leaders go out of their way to pull people out of their comfort zones by way of "slain in the spirit" false anointings, false prophecies made while laying hands on people, promises of Divine healing that cannot come to pass due to the false teachers who claim to be able to do miracles, that often come along with pleas for money, etc.  We have watched countless hours of NAR slain in the spirit holocausts and here are just some of the effects we have documented on video:

Manifestations of the anointing of "filling of the Spirit" by the laying on of hands as a transferable impartation by the will of man include: laughing, crying, shaking, running around the building, fast dancing, running, etc., followed by collapse; barking-howling, trances, drunkenness, falling out, oinking, being "hot", fanning self or blowing, walking like chickens, high pitched whine reminiscent of a lively horse, mooing and crowing, swimming in the spirit-on the back and also breast stroke style, women going through imaginary birth pangs, loss of consciousness, trying to soar like eagles, hissing and moving like a snake, inability to speak and involuntary body spasms, kung fluke stances, vomiting in the spirit and holy head-banging, and stripping ... and then they wonder why they call these things cultic!

We have a number of videos showing what goes on in NAR, Word of Faith, and other meetings where the transferable impartation is practiced.  Wagner and his colleagues even claim they can make a person a foundational apostle or prophet by an apostolic impartation through the laying on of hands and they have been doing this all over the world.

Founded in 1998 by C. Peter Wagner, WLI reflects a new paradigm for unique training in practical ministry. Students learn in a creative, revelatory atmosphere of teaching, impartation and activation with opportunity for hands-on practical application and ministry. WLI provides the highest level of training and spiritual impartation through a successful faculty of internationally known leaders who walk and minister powerfully out of the five-fold ascension gifts. Students obtain a living, functioning impartation and activation from the Holy Spirit to walk in their divine destiny. (Wagner Leadership Institute, http://wagnerleadership.com/about.htm)
The problem is, since that is not biblical either, they are fooling people and sending them away from adherence to what the Bible teaches and demonstrates concerning the laying on of hands.

Is the Laying On of Hands Magical? by The Berean Call
Did the Laying on of Hands Transmit Mystical Powers by The Berean Call
Is the anointing tangible and transferable; can we impart it? by Mike Oppenheimer
The Anointing by Mike Oppenheimer

Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God gives special empowerment to Christians to enable them to do all manner of things and to be who He wants them to be. This process does not require the laying on of hands. If laying on of hands is indicated in a situation by Scripture and by circumstance, it is to be used as a symbol and witness to do things like commission people for ministry service and to comfort those who are sick. Prayer is the vehicle by which we make our desires known to God. God then answers those prayers in His own sovereign way. God decides who, when and where to fill people for His own purposes. The Holy Spirit is not a substance that can be transferred by human hands in any way. Simon the Sorcerer was roundly rebuked by Peter in Acts 8:9-24. Here is the relevant passage:

Acts 8:9-24 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptised. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
Simon's "thought" in his heart was probably that he would have a power he could use to his own ends, a magic trick he could buy like the other ones he had bought. He misunderstood that this was not sorcery or a magic trick that the apostles were doing but that the Holy Spirit was doing the work of the Father as they humbled themselves in service and prayer.  You cannot buy, barter, or receive and pass on the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not an "ability" that can be taught or transferred. This is one of the great errors of the NAR/Third Wave movement.
Apostolic governance. As I mentioned before, this is probably the most radical change. I take literally St. Paul's words that Jesus, at His ascension into heaven, "gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:11-12). Most of traditional Christianity accepts evangelists, pastors, and teachers, but not apostles and prophets. I think that all five are given to be active in churches today. In fact, St. Paul goes on to say, "And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers..." (1 Corinthians 12:28). This does not describe a hierarchy, but a divine order. Apostles are first in that order.
I'm sorry, but here Wagner shows his biblical ignorance.  It is untrue that "most traditional" Christians do not accept apostles and prophets.  What most "traditional" Christians accept is that foundational apostles and foundational prophets are recorded in the Bible and are no longer in existence.  This places the NAR adherents well outside Christian orthodoxy.  To understand the biblical criteria for foundational apostles and prophets read this article as a study of Ephesians 4:11-16 that Wagner cites as his proof text :

Why Were The Grace Gifts Of Servant Leadership Given? by Sandy Simpson, 9/26/02

In reading this article you will see the qualifications for foundational apostles and prophets which none of the NAR false apostles and false prophets can meet.  There is a type of apostle today, but they are called church planting evangelists and missionaries.  There is a type of prophet today but their prophecies, if true ones based on Scripture, will always be subservient to Scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ, the foundational apostles and prophecies of the foundational prophets.  Again, Wagner proves he does not follow biblical criteria, does not understand the structure of the Church, and does not follow what the Bible teaches about this issue.

I strongly object to journalists using the adjective "self-appointed" or "self declared" when referring to apostles. No true apostle is self-appointed. First of all, they are gifted by God for that ministry. Secondly, the gift and its fruit are recognized by peers and the apostle is "set in" or "commissioned" to the office of apostle by other respected and qualified leaders.
Wagner forgot to mention the transferable impartation part.  That might not sit right with thinking, reasoning Christians.
The office of prophet. Prophets are prominent in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. As we just saw above, apostles are first and prophets are second. Every apostle needs alignment with prophets and every prophet needs apostolic alignment.
The Bible simply does not teach that the Apostles needed "alignment" with prophets.  Paul journeyed to Jerusalem even though the prophets warned him that there would be dire consequences and asked him not to go.  If Wagner and his bunch had been "aligned" on that one there would never have been people converted to Christ from Caesar's household in the Roman prison (Phil. 4:22).  Of course true servants of God will be of one mind in unity.  But there is no teaching about this type of "alignment" in the Bible.
One of the reasons why both should be active in our churches today is that the Bible says, "Surely God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). And also: "Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets and you shall prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20). I want to prosper and I want you to prosper.
Wagner disregards two things: (1) These are old testament references.  Jesus Christ established some new things in the New Covenant.  (2) The Son has revealed what we need now and the New Testament documents what He taught to His disciples and was passed on to us.  We in NT times were the first to listen to what the prophets have revealed IN THE PAST and what the Son has revealed to us now.
2Pe 3:2  I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles.
We now have the teachings and the word of the Son which should be sufficient for us.
Heb. 1:1-2  In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.


I am not saying that there is no prophecy today, but modern prophecy must always take a subservient role to the finished revelation of the written Word, not a prominent role as the NAR adherents falsely proclaim.

2 Tim. 3:16-17  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Either Christians who study to show themselves approved are "thoroughly equipped" (2 Tim. 2:15) or Paul is a liar.  We don't rely on modern day prophets the way they did in the Old Testament.  Not only that, but the NAR continues to teach that no one should judge: "judge not lest you be judged" applying Matt. 7:1 to everything, especially to themselves.  But the Bible tells us to judge what is taught and prophesied, and if it does not stand the test of the Word it is to be marked and avoided.
Ro 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
We have been urging true Bible-believing Christians to mark and avoid the false teachings of the NAR for years.
Dominionism.   This refers to the desire that some of my friends and I have to follow Jesus and do what He wants.
What Jesus wants has not changed:
Mr 16:15  He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mt 28:19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
If they want to "follow Jesus" then they need to do the above, not teach that we need to take over the world.
One of the things He does want He taught us to pray for in the Lord's Prayer: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This means that we do our best to see that what we know is characteristic of heaven work its way into the warp and woof of our society here on earth. Think of heaven: no injustice, no poverty, righteousness, peace, prosperity, no disease, love, no corruption, no crime, no misery, no racism, and I could go on. Wouldn't you like your city to display those characteristics?
Nice pie in the sky but (1) Christ's physical kingdom will come when He comes, not before.  (2) His Kingdom can only be established today in the spirits of those who are born again as a result of the Gospel being preached.  Until His second coming we are living in the dominion of the evil one.
1Jo 5:19  We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
Col 1:13  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Mt 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
God delivers those who are born again from the evil one as long as they continue in the Faith.  God has allowed the enemy authority over the kingdoms of the world for the time being.  Jesus Christ is in the process of gathering together the elect by way of salvation.  Our final salvation will happen when Jesus Christ returns and takes away the physical kingdoms of this world from Satan.  We cannot do that as the Church.
Luke 4:5-8  The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’"
This was not a fake offer.  The devil actually does have authority over the kingdoms of this world and will till Christ comes again.  Our job as the Church is not to "overthrow" the kingdom of Satan but to preach the Gospel and disciple those who believe and to be light and salt in a world that is full of sin and Satan's temptations.  Yet Wagner claims we can overthrow the dominion of Satan now.
See, the problem is, is that Satan has had too much of his way in our society because he has a government!  And the only way to overthrow a government is with a government.  It won’t happen otherwise.  So therefore the government of the church has to get into place in the extended church just like we do have it very well in place, we haven’t reached our goal yet, but it’s very well established in the nuclear church. ... God said, Jesus said, “I’ll build my church and the gates of hell are not going to prevail against it, and I’ll give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven to open these gates.” These apostles in the workplace are the ones that are going to come into the picture and with them we’ll be open these gates, without them we can have all the prayer meetings we want, all the marches for Jesus we want, all the prayer walking we want, the gates aren’t going to be opened. Because it takes a government to overthrow a government. ... This gate will be opened when we understand about the church in the workplace, that the church has a government, that it takes a government to overthrow a government, and when we understand this, if we renew our minds, if we embrace this paradigm shift, if we see, if we hear what the spirit is saying to the churches, if we recognize ministry in the extended church and government in the extended church, the revival we’ve been praying for is just around the corner.  We will see it. ... I thank you that we have government in the body of Christ.  I thank you that we have apostles and prophets just like we have in this conference, and that this spreading throughout our nation, spreading throughout the nations of the world. (Transcript of C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10-10-2004)
Read the rest of this speech here:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/arise.html
But where does dominion come in? On the first page of the Bible, God told Adam and Eve to "fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, etc." (Genesis 1:28). Adam, Eve, and the whole human race were to take dominion over the rest of creation, but Satan entered the picture, succeeded in usurping Adam's dominion for himself and became what Jesus calls "the ruler of this world" (John 14:30). When Jesus came, he brought the kingdom of God and He expects His kingdom-minded people to take whatever action is needed to push back the long-standing kingdom of Satan and bring the peace and prosperity of His kingdom here on earth. This is what we mean by dominionism.
You would think Wagner, being a professor at Fuller all these years, would have bothered to look in a commentary or two on the context of Gen. 1:28.  This command had to do with animal life, sea life ... not human life, since there was no one other than Adam and Eve at that time.
Gen. 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
We also must remember that Adam and Eve sinned and had to be ejected from the Garden, so they would not be able to fulfill this command like they might have before sin and death came into the world.  But let's look at what John Gill, for instance, about this verse.

John Gill Expositor

and subdue it; the earth; not that it was in the hands of others, who had no right to it, and to be conquered and taken out of their hands; but is to be understood of their taking possession, and making use of it; of their tilling the land, and making it subservient to their use:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the face of the earth; which was giving them an universal and unlimited dominion over all the creatures; of which see an enumeration in #Ps 8:6-8.
Man was made different from the animals, fish, plant life, etc.  God gave man a spirit.  Therefore because man is superior to the rest of earthly creation, he was commanded to make use of it and take care of it.  He was not commanded to take dominion over men and the Satanic kingdom.

Secondly, when Jesus came He gained the victory over the devil and death, and we share in that victory if we are born again.  But His physical Kingdom had to wait for Him to be the suffering Messiah first, then upon His second coming He returns as Messiah King.  We can only "push back" the kingdom of the evil one by preaching the Gospel.

1Co 2:2  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The proclamation of the Gospel is what Christians should be doing.  What they should not be doing is trying to force change on the systems of government of the world, take over businesses, and play with spiritual mapping to get rid of "territorial spirits".  The first century Church did not have a mandate nor did they display one to take over Rome.  For a good eyeful on the ridiculous nature of the spiritual warfare practiced by Doris Wagner and Anna Mendez Ferrel when they claimed to have climbed Mt. Everest and killed the "queen of heaven" and put Satan in chains, please get this video from Let Us Reason Ministries.  It will tell you all you need to know about the origins of false spiritual warfare within YWAM and the NAR.

DVD - the Battle against the Queen of Heaven on Mt. Everest by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries

A theocracy. The usual meaning of theocracy is that a nation is run by authorized representatives of the church or its functional religious equivalent.
Actually the definition of a "theocracy" is as follows:
"Government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy)
A true theocracy will occur when Jesus Christ comes back and establishes His Kingdom on the earth.  "Theo" meaning "God" means that God rules.  God has not established that the Church will rule in His place but that when Jesus Christ comes back physically he will take the dominion of the earth away from Satan and throw him in the Abyss for one thousand years.  In fact God states that leaders in the church should not "lord it over" one another, the churches, and certianly not over Christendom.
Mark 10:42-43  Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
2Co 1:24  Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
The United States has never been a theocracy but has been a Republic based on Judeo-Christian principles from its inception.  A true theocracy is headed by God, not a "functional religious equivalent".
Everyone I know in NAR would absolutely reject this idea, thinking back to Constantine's failed experiment or some of the oppressive Islamic governments today. The way to achieve dominion is not to become "America's Taliban," but rather to have kingdom-minded people in every one of the Seven Mountains: Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and Business so that they can use their influence to create an environment in which the blessings and prosperity of the Kingdom of God can permeate all areas of society.
The "Seven Mountains" teaching of the NAR is unbiblical.  We are not called to populate every aspect of life, thereby taking over the world or saving the planet by populating every aspect with Christians and overwhelming them with numbers.  At this time the NAR is not advocating taking over the world by physical force, but they are advocating taking it over by force of numbers.  It is no wonder then that people see this as a threat.  As Christians we do not threaten to take over the government, businesses and every aspect of life.  We are to live our lives as examples of the difference faith in Jesus Christ has made in our individual lives.  We are not to conduct some kind of crusade to save the planet despite itself.  People must make a free will choice to follow the Lord after they have heard the Gospel and the Holy Spirit has convicted them that they are sinners.  No mention of that here.  For more information on this false teaching, read the following articles"

Will the Evangelical Church Sell Out the Gospel for a Dominionist Political Agenda? by Lighthouse Trails
The Deadly do-rights of Dominionism - The Religious pursuit of rule and control by Mike Oppenheimer
The Next Great Awakening. . . . or Great Deadening? - Part 1: Rallying Around the Seven Mountains by Herescope
Part 1: Rallying Around The Seven Mountains
Part 2: A Political Platform
Part 3: Building the 7 Mountains
Part 4: Concocting a Great Awakening
Part 5: The Emergent Blueprint
Part 6: "The Emerging Order"
IHOP & The NAR by Herescope

Extra-biblical revelation. Some object to the notion that God communicates directly with us, supposing that everything that God wanted to reveal He revealed in the Bible. This cannot be true, however, because there is nothing in the Bible that says it has 66 books.
Again, the apostles said that Scripture was authoritative so either you believe them or you do not.
2 Tim. 3:16-17  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This type of teaching demonstrates that they do not believe that the Bible is our highest authority.  Even the first century church took its authority from the Old Testament and the writings they had from the Apostles.
Ac 17:11  Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
If only the adherents of the NAR would search the Scriptures daily to see if what C. Peter Wagner says is according to them!  They would quickly find out that he is a false teacher.
It actually took God a couple of hundred years to reveal to the church which writings should be included in the Bible and which should not. That is extra-biblical revelation.
Actually the decision on what to include in the Bible had nothing to do with "extra-biblical" revelations.  Those who made the decision on what letters and books to include made those decisions based on what the early church had already accepted as Scripture, for one.  For instance, Peter said that what Paul wrote was Scripture.
2 Pet. 3:16  He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
This type of statement by Wagner actually mocks the process God used to make sure His eternal Word would be available to mankind. If you take anything away from this article remember: God never does anything "extra biblical" that does not conform to His own eternal Word and His character.
Even so, Catholics and Protestants still disagree on the number. Beyond that, I believe that prayer is two way, we speak to God and expect Him to speak with us. We can hear God's voice. He also reveals new things to prophets as we have seen. The one major rule governing any new revelation from God is that it cannot contradict what has already been written in the Bible. It may supplement it, however.
This is the continual claim of NAR adherents that God is speaking to them directly.  They will even stop in the middle of ranting and preaching and claim to be hearing the voice of God.  They testify all the time of God "showing up" in their rooms, or angels talking to them.  They have no idea what would happen if God actually DID show up (Rev. 1:12-17).  This tactic is used in order to make them seem hyper-authoritative, super-spiritual and to gain control over people.  The Lord told Jeremiah of these kinds of false prophets a long time ago.
Jer 14:14  Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries {Or visions, worthless divinations} and the delusions of their own minds.
The Holy Spirit certainly does lead Christians today but He does so in concert with what the prophets, Jesus Christ and the Apostles taught which is recorded in the Bible.  Prophesy does come forth from the Church but is never divorced from the truths of the Scriptures.  The revelation of the written Word is not "supplements" or added to by modern "prophets".  When the Scripture is exegeted properly, God speaks to His Church.  But you will find a patent disregard and very sparse use of the Bible in NAR meetings, if at all.  What we see in the NAR is exactly what the Apostles warned us about in the first century, that men would come along with new revelation that does not have a basis in Scriptures.  In fact one of the defining characteristics of the Gnostics was that they would come into churches Paul had planted. claim to be true Apostles, and tell people that they had new revelation that waqs equal to or trumped what the Apostles had taught.  This is EXACTLY what the NAR is doing in our modern day.
Supernatural signs and wonders. I have a hard time understanding why some include this in their list of "heresies." Whenever Jesus sent out His disciples he told them to heal the sick and cast out demons. Why we should expect that He has anything else in mind for us today is puzzling. True, this still pulls some traditionalists out of their comfort zones, but that just goes with the territory. One critic claimed that the NAR has excessive fixation on Satan and demonic spirits. This is purely a judgment call, and it may only mean that we cast out more demons than they do. So what?
The simple fact is that God does not justify false teachers and false prophets with true Divine miracles.  The type of "miracles" displayed in NAR meetings are not Biblical miracles at all but tied to the occult practice of "slain in the spirit" which was not taught or demonstrated in the Bible but comes from outside Christianity.  "Slain" has more in common with the Hindu Kundalini practice of "Shaktipat" than anything in the Bible.  In fact the manifestations of the NAR transferable impartation often have more in common with references to demonic prossession in the Bible.  Read the following article to see the differences between types of healing to understand that the "miracles" claimed by the NAR do not fit the Biblical definition of Divine healing.

Biblical Divine Healing Versus Other Types Of Healing by Sandy Simpson

Relational Structures

Some of the authors I read expressed certain frustrations because they found it difficult to get their arms around the NAR. They couldn't find a top leader or even a leadership team. There was no newsletter. The NAR didn't have an annual meeting. There was no printed doctrinal statement or code of ethics. This was very different from dealing with traditional denominations. The reason behind this is that, whereas denominations are legal structures, the NAR is a relational structure. Everyone is related to, or aligned, with an apostle or apostles. This alignment is voluntary. There is no legal tie that binds it. In fact, some have dual alignment or multiple alignment. Apostles are not in competition with each other, they are in cahoots. They do not seek the best for themselves, but for those who choose to align with them.

This is not true.  Even though the NAR is a movement, the leadership of the NAR movement send out TONS of email newsletters.  One of those email newsletter organizations, ElijahList, often sends out the edicts of NAR leadership. I have an article detailing the many false teachings and false prophecies sent out by ElihahList through about 2008.

The ElijahList - The biggest distributor of false prophecies in cyberspace compiled by Sandy Simpson, 4/08

The NAR does not have one annual meeting.  It has many, not the least of which is the International Coalition of Apostles, especially if they are tax exempt because the government requires at least one annual meeting for tax exempt organizations.  They have meetings all over the world all the time.  Also, not having a doctrinal statement or code of ethics should  make people uncomfortable with NAR adherents.  The NAR is trying to be everything to everyone without making anyone mad.  They are very ecumenical and interfaith in their methodology.  And if you get the impression that the leadership of the NAR are not meeting, you have been misled.

If the spotlight comes on them, they will accept it, but they do not seek it.
I recommend that you get our DVD series on the NAR.  You will see that those who participate definitely do seek the spotlight, in fact there seems to be a lot of competition for it.  The difference is that the competition is based on one person trying to outdo the other with more and more radical teachings.

The New Apostolic Reformation - What is it and where is it going? produced by Sandy Simpson.  This is a 6-DVD expose of  the NAR and it's leadership of C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Chuck Peirce, Dutch Sheets, Bill Hamon, Jack Deere and others. It  features commentary by Bill Randles, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Jacob Prasch, Mike Oppenheimer, Orrel Steinkamp, Gary Gilley, Dave Hunt, Sandy Simpson and others.

The key to this? The mutual and overriding desire that "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!"
I can only pray this prayer hoping the Lord will come before the NAR has had the time to destroy the faith of everyone in every church.
Lu 18:8  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

-end-

[1] http://www.forgottenword.org/leadershipevent.htm1
[2] http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/20117259426336524.htm1
[3] David B. Barrett, et. al., eds., World Christian Encyclopedia,, Volume 1, Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 4

The original email by C. Peter Wagner can be found here.