Dinner With Rodney Howard-Brown     7 Mar 2002

 

 

                                                                                                        

 

 

            My family was given the opportunity to have dinner with Rodney Howard-Browne and his family prior to the time he "hit the big time".  We met Rodney at a small church he was ministering at.  After services we accompanied him, his wife, son and daughter to dinner at the local downtown Ramada.

            I'll give a brief description of what happened during the service.  As far as his claims concerning the Holy Ghost ------nothing!

            As our two families sat at the table, we talked about many things.  Rodney was curious concerning the Christian markets we had been in (this was his term).  He also talked about hearing voices audibly and spent a lot of time defending Word of Faith theology.

            As we talked, a woman who was acting as if she knew the Howard-Brownes very well approached us.  She fondled his children, patting their head and stroking their hair.  While she did this she pumped me for information about my ministry, even though I had never seen the woman before.  She made other comments about people and their signs and other questions that you would expect a spiritualist or medium to ask.  I could tell she was giving my children the creeps because they looked upset and begun to quietly pray.  I could tell I was getting close to "fortune telling time".  I rebuked her in Jesus name and asked her to please leave.  She left the restaurant immediately and Rodney had a fit.  He said, "How could you be so mean to such a sweet old woman?"

 I replied by saying, "Where is that anointing you keep talking about?  Dont you know what that was?"  He replied, "She looks like a nice old woman to me and besides the anointing only works on the pulpit.  When I leave the church, it stays there."  I would have to say his signs and wonders do not appear to be for a witness to the entire world.

            We said good night and went home.  Next morning I found the womans picture in the local newspaper.  The paper said she was a New Age Priestess in town for a healing seminar.  I took the newspaper to Rodney where he was staying at the local Holiday Inn.  He just passed it off saying, "Guess you were right."  He then invited us to come and meet Papa Hagin in Oklahoma and get "hooked up."  We declined and went on our way.

 

Analysis of the meeting

            We did not see any signs and wonders performed by Rodney, but we were witness to a New Age mind reading act.  The woman appeared to know the Howard-Brownes.  I find this interesting because of his later use of New Age words used to invoke demons.

            I think the apostles would have laughed to hear his dissertation on the anointing and use thereof.  My conclusion and suggestion is to stay as far away as possible from this man.  He has continued to grow worse and worse concerning doctrine and practice.

           

What Is Happening In The Church

HAPPENING

"Worship" dominates over teaching. "Feeling" God dominates over knowing God. "Sermonizing" dominates over teaching. "Shorter" impact sermons dominate over contentful doctrine that can change the direction a believer is going. Music dominates over words. "Felt need" sermons dominate over doctrinal exposition. "Thin Surface" sermons over deep-study propositional truth. Topical messages dominate over verse-by-verse book exegesis. Church growth fever dominates over believer maturity. "A Believer friendly" atmosphere dominates over a need for confrontation and conviction. Emotional media hype dominates over mind/soul repentance.