The Potter's House Christian Fellowship is a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. It was established in

Prescott, Arizona Prescott ( ) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona T ...

in 1970 by Wayman Mitchell. Originally a part of the

Foursquare church The Foursquare Church is an Evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1923 by preacher Aimee Semple McPherson. The headquarters are in Los Angeles, California, United States. History The church has its origins in a vision of " ...

, Mitchell split the church away in 1983 and established an independent fellowship. Since then, the church itself has undergone a number of splits. The church has been criticised in a number of areas including high levels of control, extreme commitment requirements, and the mistreatment of former members. It has been labelled by many ex-members as a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

History

In 1969, Wayman Mitchell asked for a ministerial position and was appointed to serve as the minister of the Foursquare church in Prescott, Arizona. Mitchell promoted personal witnessing which saw much church growth, primarily from the youth of the

hippie movement The hippie subculture began its development as a youth movement in the United States during the early 1960s and then developed around the world. Its origins may be traced to European social movements in the 19th and early 20th century such as B ...

and resulted in an overflowing church by the early seventies. Mitchell began to establish new churches which were originally called The Door (and later, these churches were called the Potter's House), first within Arizona and interstate, then overseas. Mitchell discouraged his disciples from attending bible schools due to his own negative experiences in them so the men who he sent out did not receive full ordinations from Foursquare. According to Nathaniel Van Cleave, Mitchell permitted only his own style of primitive and militant evangelism, isolated his disciples from other Foursquare ministers and as a group, they walked out of conference meetings that they disagreed with. Although Mitchell was the state superintendent, he only focused on his own churches, excluding all other Foursquare churches that were under his care. Over time, this caused resentment among the excluded congregations and at least one church left the denomination as a result. At the 1983 Foursquare convention, a large number of pastors brought complaints against Mitchell to the executive council meeting. Mitchell made no attempt to respond to the complaints. Instead, he and his followers left the conference. A special meeting was later held with Mitchell in an attempt to establish understanding and continued fellowship but this attempt was unsuccessful. Within weeks, Mitchell and the churches which he had planted severed their ties with Foursquare and became an independent fellowship. In 1990, approximately 100 churches split from the Potter's House. The split was partially due to restrictions which prevented them from maturing and enlarging their expressions of faith. In 2001, a second split occurred with around 160 churches leaving the fellowship due to disagreements with the direction the fellowship was heading in. As of November 2021 the church has over 2,900 churches worldwide. Mitchell died on September 21, 2020 in Prescott, Arizona.

Doctrine and practice

The Potter's House Christian Fellowship holds Pentecostal beliefs with a strong emphasis on

evangelism In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...

church planting Church planting is a term referring to the process (mostly in Protestant frameworks) that results in a new local Christian congregation being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, worship center or ...

, and

discipleship In Christianity, disciple primarily refers to a dedicated follower of Jesus. This term is found in the New Testament only in the Gospels and Acts. In the ancient world, a disciple is a follower or adherent of a teacher. Discipleship is not the ...

. Doctrines include

salvation by faith ''Justificatio sola fide'' (or simply ''sola fide''), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheranism, Lutheran and Reformed tradition, Reformed traditions of ...

, the infallibility of the bible,

faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

, and the

second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...

of Jesus Christ. An intense program of evangelism is promoted with regular outreach events scheduled including, but not limited to, street evangelism, music concerts, movie nights, and

revival meeting A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Nineteenth-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "Many blessings may come ...

s, with the intention of

converting Converting companies are companies that specialize in modifying or combining raw materials such as polyesters, adhesives, silicone, adhesive tapes, foams, plastics, felts, rubbers, liners and metals, as well as other materials, to create new produ ...

people and increasing church membership. A major goal of the church is the establishment of new churches, commonly referred to as church planting. This is achieved through the in-house training of pastors who are then sent to start a new church. Local congregations, both new and established, have no say over who leads the church. Pastors in the Potter's House do not receive any formal theological training as this is considered a waste of time and bible college is believed to cause those wanting to become pastors to lose their passion for the church. Instead, the church uses a process called discipleship, a type of on-the-job training where men wanting to become ministers are mentored by their pastor for three years before starting their own church. These new pastors then go on to repeat the process by training their own disciples to start new churches. Women in the church are not encouraged to pursue careers as the church believes their place is in the home supporting their husbands. Faith healing is another belief held by the church, which holds faith healing meetings and invites the public to attend. According to Kenneth Whelan, people can be healed if they forgive all sins committed against them and become Christians. Meetings generally consist of singing, a request for donations, a sermon, and an

altar call An altar call is a tradition in some Christian churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is so named because the supplicants gather at the altar located at the fro ...

, which is a request for people to come to the front and repent. After this, people are called to the front to be prayed for healing. The church believes that participating in sin can result in physical problems. Homosexuality can cause deafness and idol worship can cause problems with eyesight. Financial support for the church comes from the collection of

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

s from its members (donating 10% of a member's gross income) and each church in turn also pays a tithe. Financial offerings over and above the tithe are also encouraged. According to an investigation by Chris Hayes, the church financial structure is set up in a pyramid structure, with each church sending 5% of its offering back to its Mother church and another 5% back to the head church in Prescott.

Criticism and controversy

The Potter's House has received much criticism throughout its existence and has been labelled by many as a cult. Major areas of criticism include the level of control exerted over its members, the intense level of commitment required, and the shunning and mistreatment of those who have left the church.

Controlling behaviour

Lee Stubbs, a former fellowship pastor, stated that the church uses a subtle form of conditioning. "It's not some maniacal thing of someone demanding blood, but the leaders have a very persuasive power over people. There was a system of things in place that directed our lives." While new members are given love and attention to make them want to stay in the church, many former pastors and members have stated that church techniques are designed to keep those in the congregation submissive, employing fear tactics, public ridicule, and shunning to ensure compliance. Members are told not to question the pastor's leadership and those who do so are considered rebellious. According to Stubbs, loyalty to the pastor is equated to loyalty to God. While the church has stated numerous times publicly that people are free to leave if they choose, former members have stated that pastors create a fear that if they do leave, they will be out of the will of God, their lives will fall apart, and they will go to hell. In one case, the parents of a former member were killed in a car accident shortly after she left the church. The church blamed the deaths on the ex-member for leaving.

Level of commitment

The church requires an intense level of commitment from its members and uses psychological and emotional pressure to enforce that commitment. Stubbs stated that commitment to the church is constantly reinforced with phrases such as, "Every time the doors are open, you need to be here. You need to stay on fire for God. You need to be involved. You need to be committed. You need to be loyal." Members will spend up to seven nights a week at church in their commitment to the fellowship and have reported getting in trouble for leaving services early.

Shunning and mistreatment

According to numerous former pastors and members, anyone leaving the church is considered to be a rebel and a backslider. Current members are told not to have anything to do with them and they will often be condemned from the pulpit. This can include not just the shunning of friends but the turning of family members against each other. In cases where interaction does occur, former members have reported receiving harassing letters and phone calls, and being slandered through rumours. In one case, church leaders were instructed to publicly renounce a pastor who had left the group. Former members have consistently reported that time in the church has led to traumatic experiences both to individuals and to families. A therapist described the symptoms of one couple who had left the church as similar to those who suffer from

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

. A court prevented a man from taking his 5-year-old daughter to the church after she was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of being traumatised by the pastor. The pastor had dressed up like the devil and placed the girl's hands into a bucket of fake blood with a cow's heart in it and yelled at her that she would never get her hand out. The pastor did not deny the event and stated that it was good to have some fear in your life. Others stated the church had robbed them of self esteem and independence, and left them feeling spiritually shattered, while others said their involvement with the church led to divorce.

Lack of pastoral training

Former pastors of the church have noted that not only do pastors have little experience when they are sent out but because the church does not send men to bible school, they are also poorly equipped in understanding the bible which leads to indoctrination in Potter's House methodology rather than having a bible-based background.

Cult

The intensity of involvement and indoctrination by the church has led to many former members labelling the group a cult. The church has been accused of brainwashing its members resulting in the blind following of church beliefs and the division of families. Any doubts or questioning of the church is attributed to lying spirits and the voice of the devil, and is considered akin to doubting God. Rick Ross, a cult expert with extensive experience dealing with former Potter's House members, stated that while he does not consider the church to be a cult, it is a destructive group very close to being a cult.

Rape

In 1984, church member Debbie Christensen told her pastor, Paul Campo, that she had been raped by another church member. Christensen stated that when she told Campo about the rape, he told her she probably deserved it and not to tell anyone else about it. Campo responded in a letter to

The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

stating that after Christensen told him about the alleged rape, he spoke with the accused rapist who convinced him that the sex was consensual. Christensen's mother also spoke with Campo about the alleged rape, who told her it was Christensen's fault and there was nothing he could do. Church founder Wayman Mitchell contradicted Campo's claim in another letter to The Arizona Republic, stating that Christensen had not told Campo that she had been raped as he would have told her to go to the authorities and press charges. Mitchell stated that Christensen claimed she was raped because she was bitter and vindictive.

Homophobia

The church holds a homophobic position in relation to the

LGBTQI ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is an ...

community and has screened anti-gay movies to the public. In a 2009 interview with the

Waikato Times The ''Waikato Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Hamilton, New Zealand and owned by media business Stuff Ltd. It has a circulation to the greater Waikato region and became a tabloid paper in 2018. The newspaper has won the title of Ne ...

Scott McGrath stated that although it was still considered a sin, the church had softened its stance on homosexuality and would accept gay, lesbian, and transgender members. However, in 2018 founder Wayman Mitchell was recorded using a homophobic slur while preaching in Guam, referring to homosexuals as "little faggots" and claiming that the gay community was miserable. Mitchell's use of derogatory remarks from the pulpit had been previously noted in a report by Charisma magazine.

Intellectual Property Theft

In August 2022 a Texan church performed a rewritten version of the stage show ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

'' over two nights without obtaining the rights to do so. Representatives for ''Hamilton'' were made aware of the production and issued a cease-and-desist letter for unauthorized use of intellectual property. The

Dramatists Guild The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Mem ...

, who represent playwrights, composers and lyricists, condemned the church for the unauthorized performance. After speaking with ''Hamilton''’s lawyers, the church was allowed to proceed with its Saturday evening performance on the condition that it was not live-streamed or recorded, that photos and videos were not posted, and no further productions were performed. However, at the time the ''Hamilton'' team was unaware of the changes to the lyrics or the anti-LGBTQ+ sermon presented at the end of the show. A spokesman for ''Hamilton'' said they were “in the process of reviewing the unauthorized changes made to the script to determine further action.” In late August, Roman Gutierrez, the church’s pastor, issued an apology to ''Hamilton''’s creator,

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...

, promising to destroy all images, video, and sound recordings of their production and agreed to never stage the performance again. The church also agreed to pay damages for their actions. ''Hamilton'' representatives stated all damages would be donated to the South Texas Equality Project, a nonprofit coalition supporting the LGBTQ community. The church had previously performed an unauthorized, rewritten performance of Disney’s ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...

'' in 2018.

References

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Lee , title=What Happened to the Fire?: Rekindling the Blaze of Charismatic Renewal , date=10 July 2019 , publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers , isbn=9781532680113 , pages=86–87 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=saWhDwAAQBAJ&q=wayman&pg=PA10 , access-date=25 September 2020 {{cite news , author1=Scottie Andrew , author2=Sandra Gonzalez , title='Hamilton' team responds to Texas church's unauthorized performance , url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/08/entertainment/hamilton-unauthorized-production-texas-church-cec/index.html , access-date=11 August 2022 , work=CNN , date=10 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810160400/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/08/entertainment/hamilton-unauthorized-production-texas-church-cec/index.html , archive-date=10 August 2022 {{cite news , author1=Scottie Andrew , title=Texas church that performed 'Hamilton' without permission apologizes and says it will pay damages , url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/entertainment/hamilton-texas-church-apologizes-cec/index.html , access-date=25 August 2022 , work=CNN , date=24 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825143245/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/entertainment/hamilton-texas-church-apologizes-cec/index.html , archive-date=25 August 2022 {{cite web , title=DG Statement on The Door McAllen Church's Unauthorized Production of "Hamilton" , url=https://www.dramatistsguild.com/news/dg-statement-door-mcallen-churchs-unauthorized-production-hamilton , website=Dramatists Guild , access-date=25 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825132641/https://www.dramatistsguild.com/news/dg-statement-door-mcallen-churchs-unauthorized-production-hamilton , archive-date=25 August 2022 , date=9 August 2022 {{cite news , author1=Steph Harmon , title=Texas church issues apology for unauthorised 'Christian' Hamilton that rewrote bawdy raps , url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/aug/24/texas-church-issues-apology-for-unauthorised-christian-hamilton-that-rewrote-bawdy-raps , access-date=25 August 2022 , work=The Guardian , date=24 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825144217/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/aug/24/texas-church-issues-apology-for-unauthorised-christian-hamilton-that-rewrote-bawdy-raps , archive-date=25 August 2022 {{cite news , author1=Nicole Acevedo , title=Texas church apologizes for 'unauthorized' 'Hamilton' play comparing being gay to drug addiction , url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/texas-church-apologizes-unauthorized-hamilton-play-comparing-gay-drug-rcna44611 , access-date=25 August 2022 , work=NBC News , date=25 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825140553/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/texas-church-apologizes-unauthorized-hamilton-play-comparing-gay-drug-rcna44611 , archive-date=25 August 2022 {{cite news , author1=Daniel Victor , author2=Jesus Jiménez , title='Hamilton' Team Protests After Church Production Adds Christian Themes , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/09/us/hamilton-protests-christian-production.html , access-date=11 August 2022 , work=The New York Times , date=9 August 2022 {{cite web , author1=Chris Peterson , title=Texas Church Illegally Performs 'Hamilton' with Anti-LGBTQ Messaging , url=https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2022/8/6/texas-church-illegally-performs-hamilton-with-anti-lgbtq-messaging , website=www.onstageblog.com , access-date=11 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810110614/https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2022/8/6/texas-church-illegally-performs-hamilton-with-anti-lgbtq-messaging , archive-date=10 August 2022 , date=6 August 2022 {{cite news , last1=Bella , first1=Timothy , title=Church's altered 'Hamilton' is followed by sermon comparing homosexuality to addiction , url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/08/hamilton-texas-church-gay-addiction-edited-scenes/ , access-date=11 August 2022 , newspaper=The Washington Post , date=8 August 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810160006/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/08/hamilton-texas-church-gay-addiction-edited-scenes/ , archive-date=10 August 2022 {{cite web , last1=Hayes , first1=Chris , title=The Door: A Church or a Cult? , url=https://culteducation.com/group/896-christian-fellowship-churches/5748-the-door-a-church-or-a-cult.html , publisher=KPHO TV, republished on the Cult Education Institute website , access-date=26 September 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415234123/https://culteducation.com/group/896-christian-fellowship-churches/5748-the-door-a-church-or-a-cult.html , archive-date=15 April 2020 {{cite web , last1=Bearden , first1=Michelle , title=Support group helps those hurt by bouts with fringe churches , url=https://culteducation.com/group/896-christian-fellowship-churches/5726-support-group-helps-those-hurt-by-bouts-with-fringe-churches.html , publisher=The Phoenix Gazette, republished on the Cult Education Institute website , access-date=3 October 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410121132/https://culteducation.com/group/896-christian-fellowship-churches/5726-support-group-helps-those-hurt-by-bouts-with-fringe-churches.html , archive-date=10 April 2015 {{cite web , title=Christian Fellowship Ministries map , url=https://www.cfmmap.org , access-date=13 September 2019 {{cite news , title=Religious leader: Guam's gay community "miserable" , url=https://www.kuam.com/story/37508243/2018/02/Wednesday/religious-leader-guams-gay-community-miserable , access-date=21 June 2020 , work=Kuam News , date=February 2018 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215031208/https://www.kuam.com/story/37508243/2018/02/Wednesday/religious-leader-guams-gay-community-miserable , archive-date=15 February 2018 {{cite web , title=Obituary: Wayman Othell Mitchell , url=https://www.dcourier.com/news/2020/sep/26/obituary-wayman-othell-mitchell/ , website=dcourier.com , publisher=The Daily Courier , access-date=27 September 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927122112/https://www.dcourier.com/news/2020/sep/26/obituary-wayman-othell-mitchell/ , archive-date=27 September 2020 {{cite news , title=Pastor opens new church , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/219919253 , access-date=6 October 2020 , work=The Times , date=18 September 1983 , language=en {{cite news , author1=Ted Bartimus , author2=Karen M. Bullock , title=Potter's House: Pearly gates or prison walls? , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/516339958/ , access-date=6 October 2020 , work=Arizona Daily Sun , date=2 October 1988 , page=1 , language=en {{cite news , last1=Perkei , first1=Kim Sue Lia , title=Cleric disputes ex-member's allegations of rape , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/121270902 , access-date=7 October 2020 , work=Arizona Republic , date=27 August 1988 , language=en {{cite news , last1=Munroe , first1=Ian , title=The holy rollers , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122954729/ , access-date=6 October 2020 , work=The Sunday Age {{cite news , last1=Kirby , first1=Sharon , title=Pastor hopes to spread the simple gospel , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/320732721 , access-date=8 October 2020 , work=Tampa Bay Times , date=22 June 1985 , page=9 , language=en {{cite news , last1=Bartamus , first1=Ted , title=Support group tells others of life after Potters House , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/516340315/ , access-date=30 September 2020 , work=Arizona Daily Sun , issue=55 , publisher=Arizona Daily Sun , date=3 October 1988, volume=43 {{cite book , last1=Van Cleave , first1=Nathaniel , title=The Vine and the Branches: A History of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel , date=September 2, 2014 , publisher=Foursquare Media , isbn=978-1621366645 , pages=150–153 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=naBVBAAAQBAJ&q=wayman+mitchell&pg=PT159 , access-date=2020-03-31 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331154909/https://books.google.com.au/books?id=naBVBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT159&lpg=PT159&dq=wayman+mitchell&source=bl&ots=_MR-p_pC0O&sig=ACfU3U10osybWy46Gkx-3jkoeisCDoQVuA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1jbyOhsXoAhWTA3IKHQTdB584UBDoATACegQIChAB#v=onepage&q=wayman%20mitchell&f=false , archive-date=2020-03-31 {{cite web , title=Our Vision , url=https://www.prescottpottershouse.com/our-vision , website=The Potter's House Christian Fellowship Church , publisher=Prescott Potter's House , access-date=26 September 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926130248/https://www.prescottpottershouse.com/our-vision , archive-date=26 September 2020 {{cite news , last1=Eberhard , first1=Monika , title=Houses of Worship , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/357283636 , access-date=30 September 2020 , work=Austin American Statesman , date=17 April 2004 Pentecostal denominations Jesus movement Christian organizations established in 1970 Pentecostal denominations established in the 20th century Christian denominations established in the 20th century Evangelical denominations in North America Christian new religious movements Cults