Greater Grace World Outreach

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The Greater Grace World Outreach (also known as Greater Grace Church and The Bible Speaks) is an American fundamentalist evangelical church founded by Pastor Carl Stevens.[1]Due to Pastor Carl Stevens' present health problems, Pastor Tom Schaller is now the chief elder of the GGWO home church in Baltimore, in the United States.[2]

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[edit] Inroduction

They attempt through an array of ministries to reach people in the local area and around the world. These ministries seek to build up believers to "seek and to save that which is lost" both locally and abroad. They are a multicultural church with members from England, the United States, Africa and Asia, part of 'Greater Grace World Outreach'. The primary focus in each country, apart from the church worship groups, are the fee-paying schools which teach a fundamentalist/creationist curriculum, focusing heavily on religion as opposed to science. These schools also provide employment opportunities for those members founding the overseas community. Members are also encouraged to raise funds to study at the organisation's unaccredited Bible College in Baltimore. The primary goal is to send people to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, that people in all the world may believe in Christ and be saved. They currently have over 500 missionaries who have been trained at GGWO through the organisations unaccredited colleges. They are serving in over 50 countries, with 370 'Greater Grace' affiliate churches.

There is considerable controversy attached to the organisation, primarily concerned with whether the organisation is in fact a cult. However, at one of GGWO's own websites, GGWO editors present their very positive beliefs about who they are. They deny that the ministry is a cult, instead concentrating on the positive work the organisation is doing overseas.


[edit] Greater Grace United Kingdom

Greater Grace United Kingdom is the British branch of Greater Grace. They have a Christ-centered church in Catford, London and West Wickham, Kent, which believe and practice the cardinal doctrines of the faith.

Pastor Morley is currently Senior Pastor at Greater Grace United Kingdom. He was born in Portsmouth in 1952, obtained a BA in Economics and Government in 1975, and graduated from the church's own unaccredited Bible College in 1980. He was ordained in 1985 and has led churches in Chester and Accra, Ghana as well as London, since 1999.

[edit] Cult Allegations

Several organistations have expressed concern over the organisation, claiming that it is a personality cult revolving around Carl Stevens. They claim that he twists passages from the Bible, in order to control the members of the congregation. According to ex-members, an 'us-versus-them' attitude prevails behind the scenes at the church, and serious questions about Pastor Stevens or his son and their past misconduct is outright denied or rebuked as being "from Satan". [3]

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