Tuesday, January 8, 2013

What's wrong with White Horse Christian Center?


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Please note up front that I don't take what I've written lightly, I've thought about it for over twelve years.  But I'm going public with it now at this point because, even though after twelve years and my moving 1000 miles away from this church, it still haunts me to think that there are an ever increasing number of people being led astray by the house of false teaching.  Also, its only after this amount of time that I've been able to see what a true church looks like, and it has made my past experiences at WHCC even more so distasteful. 
WHCC is very good at getting Christians to drift away from the truth as it is laid down in the Bible.  They are using a goal of "diversity" as the primary smoke screen to distract people from their lack of Biblical moorings.  Second, they use bible quotes out of context in order to get people to believe that they do have a biblical leg to stand on for the outrageous claims they are making.  If you are reading this and are involved, or thinking about getting involved in WHCC, please hear me out and see if what I say is true or not.  Test what I'm saying before you write me off.  Because the chances are very good that if you've been there, you are already at least a little bit blinded by their teachings and so will have trouble seeing the truth.  If so, take someone there with you one day and ask them if they see any false teaching going on.  Bring in your parents, or a pastor from the church you grew up in. 
What I'm about to write needs to be written.  There needs to be someone speaking out against false teaching.  I will not be silenced. 
I went to WHCC for about a year and a half around 2000.  I liked it.  It was a fun place to be.  I worked in the nursery, I went to conferences, I ushered there, I performed skits there, I danced on the stage and was commended for my moves by pastor Jeff himself.  I went to their retreats, donated money to them, told others about them, went knocking on doors in their name.  I love PJ, Johnnie Beard, Jayna, and everyone there I ever met.  God loves them even more than I do.  I forgive them for everything I'm saying and I hold no grudge against them.  I love them and I want for their church to reach people for God, to help people be saved, and to be successful for God's true calling for His church. 
Unfortunately, things get complicated and they change slowly over the years.  I doubt they were founded with a vision to be a church that pretends to be Christian, but interjects dangerous ideas, false ideas and desires into peoples hearts, just for their own gain.  But I have always wondered if they were founded for just that cause.  Maybe not by a person, maybe by a demonic power, I'm not sure.  But ever since I went there the first time, there was a niggle in the back of my mind that this was the case. 
But I kept going anyway, because like I said, I was fun!  I liked the energy, the newness of it all.  Maybe you do to?  And I was able to rationalize it away.  People are great rationalizers.  Mine went like this:  "I can separate the good from the bad, and I'll just take in the good, and omit the bad".  And there was some good there.  Some things that I heard from the pulpit were true.  Some prophecies I heard were true.  I grew.  Actually, my quote above was true.  I was able to separate the good from the bad, and just cling to the good.  I put up with the lies, but I never believed them, not one.  I had a great foundation in the truth of Gods word, and His spirit is in me though, and not very many have the spiritual and biblical discernment I have though, especially at the young age I was when I was there - 20-21.  But I had already studied the bible extensively, reading through it three times, and I had already had a well developed Christian worldview.  I was established at East 91st Street Christian Church, which was a true church when I grew up in it.  Probably still is, I don't know.  I don't go writing about them, because they haven't disturbed me to the level of WHCC. 
The only thing worse than being a false church is being a false church in the name of the true God.  God has a special punishment for false teachers like that.  I am so sad that the people I met there will be having to endure that punishment.  I am so sad for them.  I pray that they will have a change of heart, and repent, and come to the truth and nothing but the truth.  I pray that one day they will post their financial statements online for all to see, and will invite external auditors into their house and come clean.  I feel sorry for Johnnie Beard.  He was at a church down here in Texas before he came to White Horse.  His church there was exposed, and he had to flee because this occurred in his church.  I"m sad that he could only get a job doing the same old deception again.  He knows it is wrong, but he kept doing it.  It was painful to watch him prophecy over someone - because you could tell that deep down inside he didn't believe what he was saying, and that he was agitated by having to put on another front.  I sense he just wanted to be left alone and be real with God again, but just couldn't shake the demons of his past. 
And what is up with Jeff John's fake Australian accent?  He's from Indiana!  Is that a speech impediment or just a sham?  forgive me if he has a speech impediment, but I have a hunch its just another smoke screen to influence people.  He should come clean and talk like a Hoosier like the rest of us. 
You might be in a false church if:
1.  DISRESPECT THEOCRATIC ORDER
"But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God."  1 Cor 11:3.  For example, you have female pastors teaching males.
2.  Anyone calls themselves an apostle.  (OK, actually if this is the case, you ARE in a false church, there is no if about it)
3.  No one tells you where the money is going. 
4.  You can hear a whole hour long sermon without studying scripture
5.  There is an emphasis on prosperity
6.  Any one of their prophecies doesn't come true.
7.  They try and show great signs and wondrous things, if at all possible, to deceive the very elect. 
8.  You get a tug in your heart that something is just not right here.
9.  The teachings there are constantly drawing you away from the truth in the scripture, not further down into it.  One example is having a bible study where you read a scripture, and then go around the circle with everyone telling what they think it meant. 
10.  Look at the fruit in the lives of the leaders.  Compare them to the fruits of the spirit.  If they don't line up, then there is a problem there.  People are good at putting on heirs, so you may just see a hint or two here of what they are really on the inside, like a curt word, a slip of the tongue here or there, or treating someone else in the church wrongly. 
11.  The church tells you that they are the true church, and point out many others who aren't, or say that all others are not. 
12.  They are engaged in doing things society see's as good.  But they are doing it with the wrong heart, motives, purpose. 
13. DECEITFUL WORKERS
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ...But their end shall be according to their works._2 Cor 11:13-15
14.  They disrespect the house of worship: "And he said to those selling the doves: Take these things away from here! Stop making the house of my Father a house of merchandise!". Jo 2:16, 17
They sell merchandise, and trinkets like holy water, anointed oil, prayer cloths, etc.  ?They use the house of worship to conduct secular business during the week, such as a day care center or a convention center.  Some churches even invite people to gamble at the church.

Counterfeit Christians are of the belief that anything goes when it comes to saving souls.  The end justifies the means.  Many use deceptive means to spread the gospel such as Bait and Switch.  Bait and switch is used to attract people to the church by catering to their fleshly desires, upon arriving they are persuaded to hear the gospel. For example, during Halloween they deceive Halloween goers into church by enticing them with scary dramas then spring the gospel on them.
I'm sorry to report to you that WHCC fails all these tests.  Even worse, I have always had the feeling the its a Ponzi scheme type of thing going on there.  I'm not sure what the end game is, but there is something wrong going on there with the money.  I can't figure out for sure their motives.  do they just believe they are right?  Are they in it for the money?  Or fame?  Maybe its all three.  Mark my words, this place will not end well. 

I realize that In spite of their weaknesses and failures, God still demands 'respect' for His prophets. "...do my prophets no harm." (Psalms 105:15).  However, I can sleep well at night with everything I've written above being broadcast all over the world, now knowing that I've done what the Holy Spirit has been prompting me to do.  I do not have any fear that I will be punished by God for anything I've written above, as I know these are not true prophets. 
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?" - when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

I stopped attending this church when I started dating my future wife.  She hated it there.  She was not willing to put up with the evils in that church.  We attended several other churches in West Lafayette.  None of them were as evil or disturbing as the WHCC.  It is truly the whore that sits on many waters. 
WHCC leaders:
I plead with you, because I love you.  Please note that it doesn't have to be this way.  You can repent and start doing things the right way.  God will take care of you, it will work out.  Whatever gain you think you have now by teaching people falsely is not worth it.  It would be so much better were you to stick to the word and start following it, all of it.  Please contact me if you are interested in doing this and I will take time away from my job and family and help you with this, as long as it takes.  You could be so great for God.  Hell is not worth it!
You may not agree with everything in the list I made.  That's fine.  I realize it would be hard for every church to be  100% correct on everything that goes on there.  However, the problem with WHCC is that it is much more than 50% bad stuff.  If it were 80% or 90%, my soul wouldn't be so disturbed as to have to write this here.  But you have systemic issues that cannot be pardoned.  The word of God is a two edged sword, able to divide between right and wrong, truth and falsehood.  Let God be the judge between you and me.  I invoke the judgment of the Lord my God into you, and in his name I curse you into ashes if you do not repent and come clean.  I pray the judgment of God's wrath to come upon you and your families, and torment you physically and mentally until you repent of every false teaching.  If you do not, I pray to God and ask him to wipe out your legacy from the face of the earth and to establish a clean and spotless church where you once stood, one that will be a blessing to many students and residents of West Lafayette.    
There are many more prophecies the Holy Spirit was directing me to get up and speak at WHCC when I was there.  None of them pleasant for WHCC.  I wish I had gotten up and spoke them while I was there.  I probably wouldn't have been allowed.  Now I am strong enough, I would do this to your face. 

Please read:
http://www.bible.ca/tongues-defend-manifestions.htm

11-2-13 Update:
Thank you to the many people who have read this post (357 to date) and the few who have taken time to respond.  It sounds like from the responses I got, some still like the church, and that is encouraging.  I'd like to hear more about how WHCC is doing things right.  Also, it was good to hear more about Johnnie, he was a good friend to me and I miss him.  Of course, everyone always loved Johnnie, that's just how he was.
Its good to see people taking the time to challenge things that are wrong and to edify the things that are right.  We all know that no church is perfect.  Some are worse than others, and the universal church needs to keep local churches on the right path.
Most of the things on my list of "You might be in a false church if" are borrowed from another web site, but I only listed the things I felt were relevant to WHCC.  It was good to see that some people agreed with my analysis, and also those who disagreed and made cogent arguments as to why.
I really enjoyed my time at WHCC and I just wish I didn't have that niggling feeling deep inside me about there being something intrinsically wrong about the whole thing.  I do rest assured knowing that God has allowed WHCC to grow and reach more people with the Gospel.  WL desperately needs that, as does the world.  So to those who disagree, I wish you the best with it.  And keep sending in those comments, I'll post each of them as fast as possible.  I had to turn on comment moderation because of spammers though.  

16 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Paul Ulrich said...

Mr. Rice,
I was glad to hear your post. Sorry for what happened though. Glad you are free. Its just not right, the way they treat people there. That should be enough of a red flag for anyone. That is not the way a church should be! And its not the way most churches are. Not sure what Slainte! means though. I hope you too share your story. we should do something to help more people in WL.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Thomas Marr said...

I am quite questioning what you have to say. If I am reading your blog correctly, almost nothing you have written is currently correct or has been since we started in @ WHCC in 2006. I have been to many of the Pastor's homes including Jeff and Jane Johns and Pastor Johnnie Beard's (deceased). I am wondering what lead you to believe what you currently believe about WHCC. Would love to chat with you more about it.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is you sir are in our prayers, that you can be set free. As for the other person Mr. Rice I know you well and you know what you posted about the church was a lie. You both need God to heal you and set you free. you stated that you have forgiven them, apparently you have not. I have been a member for 7yrs. I have been in false churches so I can spot them right away, I have also been around false people who claim to know the truth. But both of you gentlemen have been deceived. God can and will forgive you for the lies you have spoken. I pray God will reveal the truth to you.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, this where I fail to agree with you. I withdrew for a reason. One, I disagree with WHCC. And two, I had issues with them along with another Pentecostal church. To be honest, I was skeptical about both organizations. After analyzing them without them knowing, I came to the conclusion that Pentecostal churches are NOT for me. I withdrew from both places because of my issues. I placed no real confidence in either of these places. I only placed confidence in them because I felt I was forced to. Yes, I know I done wrong in both places and my guilt and the resentment of what I done resulted me to leave voluntarily. Two weeks upon defection, I asked God to forgive me of what I have done there. He forgave me and brought me to where I am at today. And you claiming to "know me very well", I say that is an UNDERSTATEMENT on the count of you posting anonymously. So, if you continue to disagree with how I feel about WHCC and my decision to leave there, why don't you show yourself to me and we'll sit down and discuss how I feel in person. But NEVER, EVER post anonymously claiming that you know me! So, my opinion stands.

Bradd Walker said...

As a former "Church of Christ/ Christian Church" elder, it does not surprise me that you believe this way. I will simply say it was from teachings and my own study of the Bible that led me to embrace many things my former Church believed about concerning the present activities of the Holy Spirit. I in no way doubt their great faith in Jesus and remain friends with many.

Anonymous said...

I have gone to WHCC since 1995 and knew Johnnie Beard years before he even attended WHCC. I have been blessed to be placed in different churches throughout my life. From growing up in an Assembly of God to maturing at WHCC to being placed in a Reformed Baptist church (Calvinist) due to a job transfer and thankfully back to WHCC. There is no perfect church and I agree that it isnt good to overlook blatant disregard for scripture. However there are a few things that are flat out wrong about your post - A.) Pastor Johnnie was in TX at a church but he did not leave it for any other reason than God sent him home. He was actually working at the Meijer produce department in Kokomo IN when God convicted him from running from the call on his life. He first heard of WHCC through my parents that were friends with him and he began to attend and over time was brought on staff. He always looked like he was deep in thought or in pain when the Holy Spirit was talking to him, that is just who he was. It is wrong to make any other assumptions. 1.)You are misinterpreting that scripture. Besides- There is nothing wrong with a woman preaching if she is under the authority of the headship the Church/Jesus. We could debate that all day - but even if I am wrong - there is no head female ministers in the church in authority over men. There are female woman that work in the church and preach on occasions but they submit to the Pastor. 2.) Peter called himself an Apostle ..do you know what that word means? 3.)They have a yearly financial meeting that outlines the use of the money and records are available in the financial office upon request 4.)there are occasions where there are life lessons being taught through personal examples but it only makes the pastors seem more "down to earth". 90% of the time there is great depth behind the messages and they can often revolve around 1 scripture. 5.) Actually, this church focuses less on the "blab & grab" prosperity messages that other churches offer - they do rejoice in the testimony of others and what God has brought the church through, 6.) A prophecy can come true up to the end of someones life - I have never heard a time limit on a public prophecy nor received one myself with a time spectrum, 7.)Signs and wonders happen when the body of believers come expecting and their faith meets God's will. Not once have I seen them creating an effect for miracles,

Anonymous said...

8.) the tug could be a warning or it could mean you are being convicted - either way its always good to go to the Bible for the answer 9.) I think if anything the people at WHCC are spoon fed the Bible so much they do not know how to dig in for themself- that might be one thing I can say negatively - but its up to the people to hunger for the word, 10.) I dont think the pastors put on "heirs" or airs- I think they are cautious with people but friendly. After serving in other churches I can say I can understand why! 11.) WHCC has not said they were the true church. In fact they are really good about lifting up other churches and calling members to pray for our community and their churches 12.) well, since you cannot see the heart of man, how are you to know if the good they are doing for others is of the right motive? 13.)Deceitful workers? really? which ones? 14.) HUH? The pastor is super picky about keeping the house of worship pure. They do not sell holy water! lol or prayer cloths. They have a book shop, yes but it isnt ran during worship and where in the Bible does it say the church building could not be used for other things when not in ministry? The disciples used peoples homes and met in business areas to preach. Running a childcare ministry is just that- ministry! They are reaching out in a community and offering a service while teaching the kids God's word! - I admit it can be hard to connect with people at the church and I am sorry that you never felt like you fit in. The church may not be where everyone is comfortable and I hope that they can find a church that is a fit for them. But to say the pastors will be punished in hell is a bit much! If you dont like the church - fine but I think you made some statements without either knowing all the facts or out of a hurt heart. I do know the church is not perfect and the pastors are human and can make mistakes. I am glad that you have found a church that is a fit for you and I hope that God will ease any burdens that you have concerning WHCC so you will find peace.

Anonymous said...

I am very well at peace now. Thank you for your well wishes. As far as the comments I have made a year or so ago, I do wish say that I am sorry for the negative and derogatory things I have said with selfish anger and a hurt heart. Also I have received a letter stating that I am forgiven and my apologies are accepted. I am well pleased that this issue has been resolved to the fullest. As far as the comments go, I would like for Mr. Paul Ulrich delete the comments that I have made under an account that is no longer existed. If he can do this for me, I would sincerely appreciate it. Thanks!

Paul Ulrich said...

Mr. Rice,
I deleted your comment, because if you still had the account you could have deleted it yourself. I think it would be helpful to leave it up, but i respect your desire to mend fences, that is noble.
By the way, since I first posted this, John MacArthur has come out with the book Strange Fire, which better elucidates on some of the points I made in my post. I would highly recommend it to anyone who isn't sure if their church is offering a strange fire to the Lord or not.

Anonymous said...

Very much appreciated, sir. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I would like to communicate more on this through email as a former WHCC member of 7 years. Is my email attainable to the author through posting this comment?

Anonymous said...

I would like to discuss this matter more in depth through email, or other written communication, if possible.

Paul Ulrich said...

No, unless you reply through a public blogger profile. I can email me @paululrich at Gmail.

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