Latter Rain Movement

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The Latter Rain was a post-World War II 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 (1948-1952)
• The Latter Rain Movement (1952-1960s)
• Those influenced by the Latter Rain.

Contents 1 Origin and influences 2 Leaders 2.1 Founders 2.2 Ministers Fellowship International 2.3 Disputed movements 2.4 Others 2.5 Miscellaneous Movements 2.6 Institutions 3 Controversies 4 Beliefs 5 See also 6 References 7 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.^[1] William Branham is often erroneously considered the founder of the Latter Rain because those who started it were inspired by attending one of his meetings. Rather, several leaders of Sharon Orphanage, a small Pentecostal orphanage in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, were inspired to look for a deeper dimension of Christianity after visiting Branham's meeting, 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.

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 Latter Rain heavily emphasized relational networks over organizational structure. In addition, association with the Latter Rain has become somewhat of a pejorative label, therefore many ministers who were influenced in some way by it are reluctant to make this well known, or choose to emphasize their lack of any formal involvement. The movement, along with elements of the Healing revival slowly dissolved into parts of the larger Charismatic movement. For these reasons, history may never know the breadth of its influence. It is clear however, that the Charismatic movement have a blend of influences that includes the Latter Rain, the Healing Revival, and the Jesus Movement, and that these elements are distinctive from Pentcostal Counterparts, as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God in their 2000 position paper on End Time Revival. ^[2]

[edit] Leaders

The following list includes some representative leaders of various branches, both past and present.

[edit] Founders

• 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" (1951) 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.
• Sister Myrtle Beall and her family ran what is now known as Bethesda Christian Church north of Detroit. This was one of the first major churches to embrace the Latter Rain, and became the center of much activity.
• James Watt, one of the original elders at the Sharon Orphanage and school, and the first to move in the distinctive "Heavenly Choir"
• J. Preston Eby was an early proponent who was expelled from the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1956 for his Latter Rain Beliefs.
• Thomas Wyatt, a pastor from Portland Oregon hosted the North Battleford men at a pastor's conference thus enabling the spread of the doctrine.

[edit] Ministers Fellowship International

Ministers Fellowship International (MFI), is founder of Portland Bible College and the is most prominent direct descendant of the Latter Rain movement, and also one of the most theologically mainstream. Their leadership includes many of the significant players from the early years of the movement.

• K.R. "Dick" Iverson Founder of Bible Temple and Portland Bible College and apostolic overseer of Ministers Fellowship International.^[3]
• 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. ^[4]
• David Schoch was a leader associated with this branch of the Latter Rain and was an honorary member of the apostolic board of MFI until his death in July of 2007. ^[5] The church he led is now known as "City At the Cross" in Long Beach, CA. ^[6]
• Violet Kitely founder of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, California. Her son, David Kitely, is also an honorary member of the MFI leadership ^[7].

[edit] Disputed movements

The following movements have generated controversy as documented on FactNet. FactNet is a well-known website for people hurt by religious groups. It has numerous complaints for each.

• Sam Fife and "The Move".^[8] also known as "Endtime Body-Christian Ministries"
• Maranatha Campus Ministries, an outreach to college and university campuses,which derived its ideals from the Shepherding movement. It dissolved in 1989, and many of its leaders regrouped later in the 1990s to form what is now Every Nation.^[9]
• John Robert Stevens and his movement "The Walk" had Latter Rain roots. ^[10][11] Royal Cronquist was another well known leader in this group. Like others influenced by the movement Stevens later distanced himself from the Latter Rain. Influential charismatic Author Francis Frangipane came out of Stevens' ministry, leaving before it turned in what he viewed as a negative direction.

[edit] Others

• Bishop Bill Hamon from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Hamon has been very influential in the Charismatic movement, including being featured numerous times in Charisma Magazine^[12]. Hamon's book The Eternal Church outlines the movement, noting his presence ^[13]
• Dr. Kelley Varner from West Virginia has a teaching ministry which is Latter Rain influenced and has published a number of books to this effect. ^[14]
• Charles Schmitt, pastor of the large Immanuel's Church in Silver Spring, MD, and founder of the Body of Christ movement, spent time in the Latter Rain.
• Larry Tomczak, formerly a part of Sovereign Grace Ministries, which was originally founded as "Gathering of Believers", and for a long time known as People of Destiny.
• Bill Britton one of the early proponents of the Manifest Sons of God doctrine.
• Wade Taylor co-founder of Pincrest Bible School (along with Bill Britton) in upstate New York.
• Robin McMillan, pastor of the lead fellowship of Rick Joyner's MorningStar Ministries, was mentored by Wade Taylor. MorningStar 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.
• 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] Miscellaneous Movements

• Body of Christ Movement
• The Independent Assemblies of God, International, led by A. W. Rasmussen.
• Church of the Living God
• Assembly of the Body of Christ (ABC)

[edit] Institutions

• Portland BIble College in Portland, Oregon is a leading institution in the Latter-rain movement. Many of the books used by Latter-Rain churches are textbooks created for Portland Bible College written by its original teachers- books such as Present Day Truths by Dick Iverson and many others by Kevin Conner.
• Elim Bible Institute in New York was the center of much Latter Rain activity.
• Destiny Image Publications, founded by Don Nori, who was a prophet in a Latter Rain church before founding the publishing house. ^[15] Prints titles by Joyner, Hamon, Taylor and others.
• City Bible Publishing carry many contemporary books that define the movement. The Tabernacle of David by Kevin Conner & Present Day Truths are classics on Worship and Restoration.

[edit] Controversies

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.

During the early years, some of the most ardent critics of the Latter Rain and its Manifest Sons of God theology came from within Pentecostalism, particularly the Assemblies of God. 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 Gods" doctrine (Psa 82:6) as evidence of severe theological error. They were concerned about the eschatological emphasis of the movement among other things. In 1949 the Assemblies of God condemned the doctrine of the 'Latter Rain Movement'. ^[16] The General Council of the Assemblies of God, following the leadership of its superintendent E. S. Williams, stated that Pre-tribulation Rapture represented correct eschatology and they rejected the Latter Rain practice of personal prophecy accompanied by the laying on of hands. One noted Assemblies of God leader, Stanley Frodsham, left the Assemblies in favor of the Latter Rain.

Modern criticism of the Latter Rain, however, is primarily among Fundamentalists, as is evidenced by the hosts of websites critical of the movement. Such sites use association with the Latter Rain as a way of discrediting modern Charismatics.^[17]. The Modern charismatic movement, while clearly influenced by some Latter Rain ideals such as the fivefold ministry and the "laying on of hands" generally rejects the more extreme elements of Latter Rain theology.

[edit] Beliefs

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 Five-fold ministry and the teaching of no pre-trib rapture.

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. Latter Rain doctrines addressed this formalism with a series of doctrinal and practical changes. These changes made Latter Rain Movement distinct from the Pentecostal context from which it arose. As a result of these differences, attending a church influenced by the Latter Rain is also a distinctly different experience.

The term "Latter Rain" stems from Bible passages as Jeremiah 3:3, 5:23-25, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:3, 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. 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.

• The latter rain. (eschatology) The Latter Rain broke with the dispensationalism which had become entrenched in the ranks of Pentecostalism. Dispensationalism tended to be pessimistic whereas the Latter Rain emphasized a victorious outlook and eschatology. 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.
• 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. A effort was made to show the wrong of many Christians that deny the imperative form on these verbs. In worship it is according to this teaching not about us having a nice time, but about God. They teach that the psalmist writes: "Praise the Lord, Oh my soul". When being down the psalmist commands his soul to praise, to lift up his hands, and even in one psalm the congregation is commanded to praise God with the dance!
• 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 Pentecostals who traditionally held 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 [1] (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, but was the cause of many rejections of the revival and movement at first. Many accept that the prophetic revelation has increased in the 1980's and that this caused the "prophetic movement". Others also accept that the apostolic revelation has increased in the nineties. This was called by many, even by C. Peter Wagner, the "New Apostolic Reformation". Until these movements in the eighties and nineties came about these messages prevailed in just a few churches, and were not studied in their depth and details until that time.
• 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.

[edit] See also

• William M. Branham
• Five-fold ministry
• Rick Joyner
• Kingdom Now theology
• Paul Cain
• C. Peter Wagner
• Third Wave of the Holy Spirit
• Charismatic Renewal

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Pro

• This site is completely based on Latter Rain teachings with links to others.
• Summary of the Latter Rain based on primary sources
• The Latter Rain Page

Critical

• Apologetics Index article on Latter Rain teachings
• Apologetics Index on Manifest Sons of God teachings

Attempt to be Neutral

• University of Virginia, New Religious Movements Project - article on Latter Rain movement