One of the most frequent election questions posed recently on North State social media sites pertains to whether candidates do or do not attend Bethel Church or The Stirring. For others, its an indication of the dangerous power and influence on local politics that the church already wields. He was an instructor at Fuller and Denver seminaries and the U.S. Air Force Academy. Two closed Facebook groupsthe 960-member Investigating Bethel Redding and the 1.8 million member Bethel Affiliated Businesses monitor and critique the church. Questions like that, generally asked while vigorously pacing about the room. Classificados de Traduo nos Estados Unidos. I often find myself saying, each time a new Bethel business pops up, The place looks nice, but why would I want that? (This is probably because Im old. But after watching many hours of multiple candidate forums, and after spending entire days transcribing audio, trawling websites and doing deep dives into social media pages, Ive reached a conclusion: Of the 10 Redding City Council candidates, Audette, Johnson and Shea appear the most qualified to serve as Redding City Council members. Westbrook: 2.8 inches. If you are new here, or if you just fell off a turnip truck, Bethel Church is a world-famous Redding mega-church that boasts more than 10,000 members. Do I know what Im writing about? Bethel Redding has also become associated with certain phenomena that are interpreted by the leadership and the congregation as manifesting the presence and glory of God. Copyright 2023 Shasta Scout | Powered by Indiegraf Media, Privacy Policy | Subscriber Agreement | Terms of Use, Subscribe to get our latest articles and investigations sent straight to your inbox. Church News. Redding residents are divided on the churchs impact on their city. the three fall flat when it comes to suggesting tangible, realistic solutions for those problems. A meme response to Jakes blog post I found posted on Facebook. But most of all, at what point will citizens who feel distraught by what they classify as lousy election options stop complaining and run for office themselves? Members of the group have been known to cold-call new business owners and just flat-out ask them, Do you have a Bethel affiliation? Sometimes they answer, sometimes they dont. For example, when The Stirring held a preachers conference, among the slate of speakers were BSSM staff member Hayley Braun, and Pastor Tinasha LaRaye, a frequent Bethel speaker and performer. Erin Resner. The church also operates a ministry called Changed which has engaged in political action in Washington D.C. and is designed to support people to leave the LGBTQ+ community to follow Christ.. She's been featured and quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, L.A. Times, Slate. In reply to Jeff Gorder. Whats noteworthy is these endorsements are from a broad cross-section of individuals and organizations of all stripes and beliefs. Looking to find the non-Bethelites running for city council. This is Vollmers second try at elected office. compared women who seek out abortions to school shooters. Alex Shea hosted a launch party for his candidacy Saturday and Joshua Johnson made . Members volunteer and serve throughout the city. You recently wrote fondly of the project. Steve Rabey is a veteran author and journalist who has published more than 50 books and 2,000 articles about religion, spirituality, and culture. Bethel businesses do indeed have a trendy, over-designed-yet-spartan feel to them. The four have disagreed over everything from land issues and staff raises to homeless solutions and even holiday lights at Turtle Bay Museum. If youre suggesting the chamber supports LGBTQ rights, you should know Bethel Church actively opposes LGBTQ rights at the local, state and national level, and spends a lot of money doing it. Pastor Bill Johnson, who became leader of the Assemblies of God congregation in 1996, described his view of the churchs role in society in Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate, a book he wrote with self-proclaimed Trump prophet Lance Wallnau: Jesus instituted it as an army that brought transformation to society, starting with salvation and continuing with seven spheres of influence: Church, family, education, government, media, arts, and commerce, they wrote. Audette sees the issue differently, saying that people shouldnt discriminate against a candidate based on their attendance at a church and emphasizing that Bethel doesnt participate in candidate election activities or try to influence votes. Our news will always be free to read, but its not free to create. This became apparent after I wrote the story about it and was scolded by Bethels then-communications person for not mentioning that many of those in attendance were from The Stirring, too. To think that people wouldnt call out my attendance at one of the biggest organizations in town, Shea said, is unreasonable. Their roadmap, the Seven Mountain Mandate, influences how believers approach politics and culture. The city approved a 10-year lease extension in 2021. The way Dacquisto drags Partin behind him reminds me how my mom insisted I bring my little sister along to birthday parties when we were kids; invited or not. What you believe and what you do, its up to you. eceived more than $15,000 in campaign consulting fees from Sean Feuchts failed congressional campaign in 2019 and early 2020, along with $2,800 in. Feucht also worship-campaigned for Doug Lamborn, U.S. House member from Colorado Springs, who coasted to reelection. Article VI, Clause 3 works both ways. ), Similarly, Bethel members, especially Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry students, have a certain look. A non-Bethel incumbent up for reelection was the top vote-getter. Aside from being Dacquistos two-fer candidate, you may recall Partin from his ambitious 2012 Wine Village plan that never panned out. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feucht's nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after November's elections, according to nearly complete vote counts.. Bethel members Tenessa Audette, 45, a first-time candidate . encourage attendees to vote for Trump or risk facing Gods displeasure. Both candidates said despite that teaching they would not discriminate against the gay community in any way in their role on the council. Literally. Feucht kicked off his first unauthorized Let Us Worship event beneath the Sundial Bridge in Redding. All rights reserved. . Its notable that Partin, like Valenzuela, has also been identified and selected as a true conservative candidate by some of the same ultra-conservative folks whove embraced Dacquisto. She also praised the volunteerism Bethel students are required to engage in with the city as part of Bethels School of Supernatural Ministry, a total she says of over 14,000 hours of community service every year. Audette says those hours indicate strong community buy-in and that as a result of them, the city has regularly qualified for andreceived grant funding. Bethels 2017 donation of half-a-million dollars to help fund Redding police and another $25,000 to fund police drones hasnt been forgotten by the community. Reminding readers Bethel saved the Civic Auditorium and funded the RPDs homeless squad only rubs it in. The City of Redding has allowed them to sleep and stay there For months. Bethel can be felt in the trendy new coffee shops and restaurants where young, well-dressed people huddle at tables with open Bibles and nary a mask . Incumbent Michael Dacquisto posted on Facebook a photo of his completed ballot marked with just two Redding City Council selections. Redding council backs Bethel's new campus. Brad Everett, Bethels Director of Communications, declined to answer any of Shasta Scouts questions for this story. But some residents have grown frustrated with the megachurchs combination of other-worldly theology and increasing this-worldly clout, as the appearance of Buck Fethel T-shirts show. Submit ithere. Youre on your own., Like many evangelical American churches, Bethel teaches that homosexuality is sin. Likewise, this new Bethel-hater label could easily lead HR folks to feel pressured just to be on the safe, right side to take action against any employee who says so much as an unkind word about Bethel on social media. Discagem Grtis: Estados Unidos e Canad: 1.855.613.2303 ou 1.800.709.6205 - Brasil: (800) 591 4613 - WhatsApp: (+001) 310.844.0166 San Francisco: (415) 537-9877 - Fort Lauderdale: (754) 702-0257 - Tampa: (813) 803-9457 - Braslia: (61) 4042 1275 - Belo Horizonte: (31) 2342 1207 - Porto Alegre: (51) 2042 0087 - Rio de Janeiro . As you can imagine, the conversation sometimes gets testy. The trio of Redding City Council candidates who attend The Stirring church are Joshua Johnson, Kymberly Vollmersand former Bethel member James Crockett. Theyre not telling you what to do, or how to do it or keeping track of what you do. If they lose, will they cry fraud? And with that slippery slope, youve hit rock bottom. Former Bethel volunteer worship leader and visible political activist Sean Feucht has openly endorsed Christian Nationalism over recent months, but Shea and Audette both said that belief is not part ofthe churchs teachings. But he lacks endorsements, and his social media pages look like neglected, empty warehouses decorated with some 60s-era posters that fit perfectly with his slogan, Chill with Hill. The race for Redding City Council is heating up as two candidates have made public announcements in recent days. Even if Valenzuela hadnt liked [S]election Code on her Facebook page, the fact remains that Valenzuela like Hill and Vollmers lacks even a modicum of experience necessary to be an effectively qualified council member. Crockett says he attended Bethel for nine years and continues to maintain friendships with individuals at the church. We break down why. At first, to look at the un-clicked link, one might assume its an active, working site. Is it appropriate to scrutinize candidates religious beliefs or the church they attend? Things got especially slick when you introduced HR departments to this conversation and mention of potential lawsuits. The Legislature banned performing this known harmful practice on people 18 years old and younger several years ago. Chamberlain holds a Bachelor's Degree in journalism from CSU, Chico. Members of Bethel, the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music, and musician Sean Feuchts nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions, now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after Novembers elections, according to nearly complete vote counts. Have a question? Youre committing the fallacy of composition here, mistaking the part for the whole, missing the forest for the trees. The seven mountains are education, religion, family, business, government/military, arts/entertainment and media. Scripps. Help increase access to important information. Tenessa started a business, Called to Action Consulting, Inc, and over the last seven years has managed campaigns for City Council, County Supervisor, District Attorney, Congressional, Assembly, and Governor races. Audette, a district representative for state Sen. Brian Dahle, has received $37,670 in contributions since the beginning of the year, according to electronic financial disclosure statements. The same observation is true for Resner, a member of The Stirring. The church was established in 1952, and is currently led by Bill Johnson.Bethel has its own music labels, Bethel Music and Jesus Culture ministries, which have gained popularity for contemporary worship music.The church runs the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry with . View Calendar. Tenessa Audette, age 45, Representative for Senator Brian Dahle, James Crockett, age 41, Social science teacher, Michael Dacquisto, age 68, Redding City Council incumbent, Ian Hill, age 30, Shasta County deputy clerk, Joshua Johnson, age 39, Business owner/developer, Jack Munns,age 64, Retired police officer, Alex Shea, age 36, Housing finance executive, Jordan Valenzuela, age 30, Business owner, book, Invading Babylon, The Seven Mountain Mandate, Connecting yet more Bethel/Stirring dots, Nathan Edwardson, Feucht kicked off his first unauthorized Let Us Worship, I voted for Michael Dacquisto 4 years ago. 2 min read. The device costs $2,000 and will make AED available to the general public 24/7. Classificados de Traduo nos Estados Unidos. Scheide. Bethels theology and practices have long been controversial. Some people even draw parallels between Councilman Dacquisto and his broken website address. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Sterling: 3 inches. He later explained his point, that homelessness is a community problem, not a government problem. For the November 8, 2022 general election . Recreation Area, Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye (252), Win-River Casino Expansion: One Step(4,632), Gateway School District Update: Clif(3,529), Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by Jolly, Comment on Against Ad Hoc Committee Advice, New State California Secessionist Chriss Street May Be Countys CEO by George Winship. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Such a deal! Behold, Redding City Council candidate choices: (Click on their names for more information.). The two discuss Jordan's backgr. Council members must be residents of the City and registered . In reply to R.V. Obviously, Jake, you didnt do that. Tenessa Audette leads the way in fundraising in the crowded Redding City Council race. Dacquisto was recently quoted in a newspaper story with words that may eventually come back to haunt him: If people dont think I participate enough and want someone to do more, then they should vote for that candidate., Bingo! While his two hours weekly at the church are important to him, he said, they have less weight in his life than the forty-plus hours he spends working and interacting in the city. She is a member of Turtle Bay, Friends of the Library, Redding Rotary, Shasta County . Julie Winter, a Bethel elder, already sits on the five-seat Redding City Council. Connecting yet more Bethel/Stirring dots, Nathan Edwardson is The Stirring church pastor. Bethel teaches what is known as the 7 Mountains Mandate, a theology that encourages Christians to influence the seven mountains of society, including the political realm, to bring Gods kingdom realities to earth. Christianity Today defines Christian Nationalism as the idea that America is defined by Christianity and should take active steps to keep it that way. But click on the link, and its soon apparent that theres no there, there, and that site has been non-functioning for some time. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feuchts nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after Novembers elections, according to nearly complete vote counts. I presume your third analogy, easily the clumsiest, refers to the shopworn trope that gay males have prowess in interior decorating, but you appear to have confused the term sexual orientation with gender identity. Three spots are up for grabs this November, and . Atlanta Megachurch Files Suit Charging Lenders with Predatory Behavior, Alleges Widespread Fraud Against African-American Churches, MinistryWatchs 2022 Shining Light Awards. With that kind of success, it would be waste of talent and experience to not tap him as a resource to create a similar Redding program. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Is it religiously intolerant to reject the most obviously qualified candidates solely because of the churches they attend, and their religious practices inside those churches? Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? First, many members view Bethels strange brew of Christianity and New Age as a straight-up cult, a holy rolling, faith-healing pyramid scheme sucking the lifeblood out of the town and preaching a false gospel. 2008. To donate, click here. Of those 10 candidates, three are current Bethel Church members, and three are members of The Stirring Church, including one whos a former Bethel Church member. Granted, The Stirring lacks Bethel Churchs flashy signs and wonders fixation on everything from speaking in tongues, healings, tunnels of fire, and gold-dust glory cloudsto angel feathers, grave-soaking, gay-conversion therapy and attempts to raise the dead. Who are these new people and whered they get all the money to start these crazy businesses? The trio of Redding City Council candidates who attend Bethel Church are Audette, Shea and Munns. Jesus instituted it as an army that brought transformation to society, starting with salvation and continuing with seven spheres of influence: Church, family, education, government, media, arts, and commerce, they wrote. But Bethel Senior Associate Leader Kris Vallotton has made multiple political statements from the pulpit, including his prophecy that Donald Trump would win the 2020 presidential election. The last go-round she was running for the Shasta County District 1 race, but she dropped out mid-race, citing a lack of financial resources that would enable her to compete with the other well-funded candidates. Once was the churchs vocal response to a 2018 California bill which would have made it illegal for Bethel to sell resources with the intent to reduce or eliminate same-sex attraction, according to a tweet from Vallotton. Listen to Sheas story, and then tell me youd reject this former Wall Street finance expert, the grandson of immigrants who fled Communist China. Feb 20, 2023 5:15 PM . I'm scared Lol. The problem with this rigid strategy is that generally speaking, once Bethel and Stirring-related candidates are removed from the playing field, the remaining choices are inoffensively OK at best, and stunningly out-to-lunch at worst. While Crockett says its clear that Bethel is passionate about making a positive impact in the city, he worries that the ways they attempt to do so may not take into account the perspectives and needs of all. North Haven: 2.5 inches. The 11,000-member Bethel Church in Redding, California, led by Bill Johnson, now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after a successful electoral run in November by Bethel members saw them emerge victorious and now hold the swing vote. Shasta where the couple owns a spacious view-lot if thats his main residence, then Dacquisto cannot legally sit on the Redding City Council. Hand Counting, Supervisor Jones Says. Some of them have been doxing you. The following is an open letter to Redding Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jake Mangas in response to his blog post last week on the chambers website, Hate Speech and Bethel Church.. To make a donation,click here. She cited the churchs involvement in bringing funding to the city to help secure a daily flight from Redding to Los Angeles on United Airlines, the half-million in funding given by Bethel in 2017 for local police staffing, and Bethels decision to form Advance Redding, a nonprofit that was awarded a contract to run the citys Civic Auditorium. While two of Bethels candidates won their races, former Bethel celebrity Sean Feucht was less successful in his worship-music-meets-campaign efforts on behalf of two Trump-endorsed candidates. As evidence, she points to the Civic; to Winter's place on the city council; to the hordes of Bethel students who volunteer across Redding, saving the city money. If you believe their statements and I do these three are enthusiastic in their dedication and genuine desire to make Redding a better place. Patrick "Hacker" Jones He knows a thing or two about hackin', lemme tell ya. Whats it all mean, Jake? Theres also concern that Bethel members are fanning secessionist movements and supporting militia groups in Shasta County. Hates a strong word. Bethel frightens the hell out of a considerable number of people, many of whom shop at businesses represented by the chamber. Crockett says while hes sure some in the church would endorse Christian Nationalism he doesnt believe most in the churchs rank-and-file are even sure what that term means and he has not heard it taught from the pulpit. Four to eight inches of snowfall is expected in most of the state. Some locally higher amounts are possible . (He probably knows it.). In the meantime, pass the Alka Seltzer. A casino is more honest about stealing its customers money, pays its taxes and rakes the cash in 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Steve Rabey November 30, 2022. (Stay tuned for that story soon.). Im not religious. Again, its not necessarily hateful to notice this. Contact him at RVScheide@anewscafe.com.. Shea said he would represent all citizens in office, irrespective of their sexual identity, race, color, creed, religion, social status, housing status, or national origin. I can confidently say that (the issue of homosexuality will have) no influence on my role as a council member, Audette wrote by email. We are on the edge of the greatest revival of all time, says Bethels website. Bethel's first global campaign, Arise & Build . Im not entirely clear on what the agenda was, Crocket responded to Shasta Scout on Friday, but when you raise questions (at the church) they are not heard.. Lake has claimed the vote was rigged and B.S. and is challenging the outcome. . Like Munns, Hill seems a good guy who truly wants to make a difference. Do you have feedback on how we are covering Bethel or other topics? He ran for a seat on the Redding City Council in 2018, but lost. Subscribe to Signals from Shasta Scout our stories and news updates, right to you. Bethel's mission is revivalthe personal, regional, and global expansion . Two closed Facebook groups the 960-member Investigating Bethel Redding and the 1,800-member Bethel Affiliated Businesses monitor and critique the church. AFAIK, Schreder and Sullivan are not. Several of the candidates running for the Redding City Council this fall are connected to Bethel Church. Thousands of people attended, the majority of whom were members of Bethel Church and The Stirring. Some say the church has helped the city in many ways: Members volunteer and serve throughout the city. Members of Bethel the 11,000-member northern California megachurch famous for elaborate healing services, Bethel Music and musician Sean Feucht's nationwide worship protests against COVID restrictions now hold the majority on the Redding City Council after November's elections, according to nearly complete vote counts. Scheide is an award-winning journalist who has covered news, politics, music, arts and culture in Northern California for more than 30 years. She left the church eight years ago. If you live in Shasta County, youre probably familiar with Bethel Church, a North Redding megachurch with an attendance of approximately 10,000. Editors note: This section was revised on 10/20/22 for corrections. Some Christian Nationalists advocate keeping prayer in schools, outlawing abortion access and gay marriage and enshrining a Christian Nationalist version of American history in public school curriculums. We will never charge for the news but would so deeply appreciate your voluntary support. Clearly, theres no love lost between Dacquisto and his three female city council colleagues, Erin Resner, Julie Winter and Mayor Kristen Schreder. Third, as a result of its newfound power and its dominionism, Bethel has become openly entangled in city of Redding finances as well as our politics on the local, state and federal level. Shes participated in all the candidate forums. Duly noted. A casino! At worst, based on your weak analogies, a person belonging to one of these Facebook groups could be in danger of being fired, if chamber HR members whove read your blog post now feel justified in handing out pink slips to those who belong to Facebook groups youve characterized as Bethel-haters. Julie was elected to the City Council in November 2016 for a four-year term, and re-elected in November 2020 for an additional four-year term. I've searched the names on the ballot and I found James Crockett and Erin Resner are both associated with Bethel. She attended Bethels School of Supernatural Ministry and says she now teaches a God and Government class there to help ensure that Christians know the importance of maintaining the appropriate separation between church and state.
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