Latter Rain Movement

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The Latter Rain was a post-war movement within Pentecostal Christianity which remains controversial to this day.

For clarification in discussion of the Latter Rain a distinction should be made between:

The Latter Rain Revival (1947-1952)
The Latter Rain Movement (1952-1960s)
Those influenced by the Latter Rain.

1 Origin and influences
2 Beliefs
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Origin and influences

The Latter Rain Movement had its beginnings in the years following World War II. It was contemporary with the evangelical awakening which was starting with Billy Graham at the forefront, as well as the Healing Revival with Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, and William Branham at the forefront, although William Branham was never a part of the Latter Rain. It had in fact been a Branham meeting which triggered the start of the Latter Rain. Several Pentecostal leaders of a small orphanage outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, after visiting the meeting got a vision for a deeper dimension of Christianity and began to fast and pray in search of it. Later that year, revival events occurred. News quickly swept across Canada and the United States, influencing many Pentecostal believers.

Because of its grassroots and unstructured nature, history may never know the breadth of its influence. As the revival itself died down after a few years, those who had been changed by the doctrine formed various groups which came to become known as "The Latter Rain (Movement)". The following list includes some representative leaders of various branches, both past and present.

[edit] Founding leaders

Reg Layzell - founder of Glad Tidings church and author and influence of such books as The Key of David and Unto Perfection.
George Warnock (who had been Ern Baxter's secretary), wrote "The Feast of Tabernacles" which became very influential not only for its view of the feasts but for its approach to the Scriptures. One identifiable mark of those influenced by the Latter Rain is their spiritual hermeneutic.
George Hawtin and his brother Ern Hawtin, were key in the early spread of the movement. They traveled widely, and as they traveled the spirit and influence of the Latter Rain caught on.
A. Earl Lee from southern California was one of the fathers of the movement in Southern California. He had previously been involved with Aimee Semple McPherson.

[edit] Mainstream leaders

K.R. "Dick" Iverson Founder of Bible Temple and Portland Bible College and apostolic overseer of MFI (Ministers Fellowship International.)
Kevin Conner is a very influential Bible teacher who came out of the Latter Rain and who has taken the best of these new ideas and blended them with the more traditional hermeneutics. His approach has influenced such leading ministers as T.D. Jakes and others. Conner is in fact part of a larger movement known as MFI which represents perhaps the most theologically solid group to directly emerge from the Latter Rain.
Violet Kitely founder of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, California.
David Schoch was a leader associated with this branch of the Latter Rain. The church he led is now known as "City At the Cross" in Long Beach, CA. They have a helpful article here [1]
Wade Taylor came out of the Latter Rain, and was mentor to Robin McMillan, pastor of the lead fellowship of Rick Joyner's MorningStar Ministry[2], which itself is very reflective of a Latter Rain ideal.
Glenn Ewing and his son Robert Ewing from Waco, Texas. Among others, the Ewings trained Jim Laffoon, leading prophet for Every Nation.

[edit] Cult-like movements

John Robert Stevens and his movement "The Walk" are an example of a ministry which emerged from the Latter Rain but became cultish. Royal Cronquist was another well known leader in this group. Influential charismatic Francis Frangipane came out of Stevens' ministry, leaving before it turned in a cult-like direction.
Sam Fife and his movement "The Move" are another example of a cultish movement which was associated with the Latter Rain
Bill Britton teaching about Jesus as an "example" son is connected to the Manifested Sons of God Theology which was taken to theological extremes.
Maranatha Campus Ministries, an outreach to college and university campuses, derived its ideals from the Shepherding movement, and was accused of being a cult because of its highly authoritarian structure. It dissolved in 1989, and many of its leaders regrouped later in the 1990s to form what is now Every Nation. Every Nation has been accused of being a revived version of Maranatha, partly due to allegations that it practices shepherding in spite of official disavowals.

[edit] Contemporary figures

Bishop Bill Hamon from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Hamon has been very influential in the Charismatic movement, including being featured on the cover of Charisma Magazine.
Dr. Kelley Varner from West Virginia has a teaching ministry which is Latter Rain influenced upon which he has maintained the truths that were revealed through the movement.
Charles Schmitt, pastor of the large Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring, MD, spent time in the Latter Rain.
Many others. Most Charismatics owe some debt to the positive elements of the Latter Rain whether they are consciously aware of it or not.

[edit] Schools

Elim Bible Institute in New York was the center of much Latter Rain activity.
Portland Bible College, where Conner formerly taught, is another example of a Latter Rain influenced school.
Pincrest Bible School in upstate New York. Founded by Wade Taylor and Bill Britton
Destiny Image Publications, while founded long after the Latter Rain, was founded by printing titles by Joyner, Hamon, Taylor and others.

As the list above demonstrates, the movement itself should be distinguished from those whom it ultimately influenced. Some branches of the movement ultimately led to cult like groups, some parts of the movement remained orthodox and also true to Latter Rain ideal, and other parts of the movement moderated the doctrine and ultimately had positive effects on the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches at large.

Historically, some of the most ardent critics of the Latter Rain and its Manifest Sons of God theology have come from within Pentecostalism, mainly the Assemblies of God. With time however, many elements within the Charismatic movement, while rejecting the more extreme elements of Latter Rain theology, have been influenced by other aspects such as the fivefold ministry and the "laying on of hands", which were first preached, prophesied, and taught by Latter Rain participants. Most classic Pentecostals remain critical of the Latter Rain movement and its modern descendents.

When its proponents brought the new doctrine into the Pentecostal Churches and in particular the Assemblies of God it caused much controversy. Leaders of the Assemblies of God were concerned that it glorified men among other things and pointed to the "ye are sons" as evidence of severe theological error. They were mostly concerned that the movement espoused a post-millennial and often universalist (as with George Hawtin) eschatology rather than premillennialism. In 1949 the Assemblies of God condemned the doctrine of the 'Latter Rain Movement' as heresy. The General Council of the Assemblies of God, following the leadership of its superintendent E. S. Williams, stated that Pre-trib Rapture represented correct eschatology and they rejected the Latter Rain practice of personal prophesy accompanied by the laying on of hands.

The Latter Rain brought in a new focus on the spiritual elements of Christianity including personal prophecy, and typological interpretation of Scripture,the restoration of the 5-fold ministry and the teaching of no pre-trib rapture. The term "Latter Rain" stems from Bible passages as Jeremiah 3:3 [3] and 5:23-25 [4], Joel 2:23 [5], Hosea 6:3[6], Zechariah 10:1, and James 5:7. The idea of a "Latter Rain" was not new to the movement, but in fact was present from the earliest days of Pentecostalism, who believed at the time that return of speaking in tongues and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit marked the "Latter Rain" of God's Spirit, near the end of history.

[edit] Beliefs

It is difficult to communicate the Latter Rain through reference to doctrine alone, because its most distinctive element is its spiritual atmosphere. Once one understands this basic point, it is easy to identify within the Pentecostal movement who has been impacted by the Latter Rain, and to what degree. Latter Rain proponents saw Pentecostalism as very dry in the post-war period, and in danger of slipping into a dry or mental formalism like many of their evangelical peers. When the Latter Rain hit the dryness it was replaced with a spirituality, and the various doctrines lined up this basic idea.

The latter rain. The movement derives its name from its interpretation of Joel 2:23[7]. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost had been the "former rain" that established the Church, but the current "move" of the Spirit was the "latter rain" that would bring the Church's work to completion, and culminate in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which was and is imminent. Although this doctrine in itself had been around since Parham and the early Pentecostals, the Latter Rain broke with the dispensationalism which had become entrenched in the ranks of Pentecostalism,this is a pessimistic premillennialism, the Latter Rain emphasized victory all the way to the end. This led to various expressions of victorious-minded premillennialism and ultimately postmillennialism. Rather than just try and save a few souls before rise of the anti-Christ, the Latter Rain emphasized the Church as overcoming and victorious in the fact that the church would come into "full stature" as taught by Apostle Paul. This shift alone is extremely significant and can be seen in most branches of the Charismatic movement.
The Sacrifice of Praise. Latter rain had a major emphasis on worship. Teaching on the Tabernacle of David and its restoration is a major theme. Dancing, Lifting of hands and spontaneous praise are marks of this movement.
Christian Unity. A major theme of the Latter Rain was unity among the believers, in the church service, in the geographic region, and at large. They taught that God saw the church organized not into denominational camps, but along geographical lines as in the book of Acts.One church but in different locations, such as Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the utter most part of the earth. They expected that in the coming last days, the various Christian denominations would dissolve, and the true church would coalesce into city wide churches under the leadership of the newly-restored apostles and prophets.
Laying on of hands. Unlike mainstream Pentecostalism, which holds that the baptism of the Holy Spirit usually comes after prolonged "tarrying" or waiting for the Spirit, the Latter Rain movement taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be imparted on one believer by another through the laying on of hands.
The fivefold ministry. The Latter Rain taught that there would be a restoration of the five ministerial roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 [8] (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher), the foundational roles of apostle and prophet had been lost after the time of the first apostles due to the Dark Ages, but God was restoring these ministries in the present day. This theme has continued to this day, and has been recently rebranded by C. Peter Wagner as the "New Apostolic Reformation"
The Manifest(ed) Sons of God. Some leaders of the Latter Rain movement taught that as the end of the age approached, that the "overcomers" would arise within the Church. These Manifest Sons of God, ones who have come into the full stature of Jesus Christ would receive the spirit without measure. They would be as Jesus was when He was on earth, they would receive a number of divine gifts, including the ability to change their physical location, to speak any language through the Holy Spirit, and would be able to perform divine healings and other miracles. They would complete the work of God restoring man's rightful position as was originally mandated in Genesis, and at last by coming into the full stature of Christ usher in the millennial reign of Christ.