Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) (previously known as People of Destiny International and PDI) is a group of Reformed,[1] neocharismatic,[2] Evangelical, restorationist, Christian churches primarily located in North America.[3] It has been described as an apostolic network.[4] There are congregations in Australia, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Germany and Mexico.[5]
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The organization of over 70 member churches grew out of the charismatic renewal of the 1970s under the leadership of Catholic Charismatic Larry Tomczak and has its roots in the Gathering of Believers (now Covenant Life Church) in Maryland.[6] It was formally established in 1982.[7] CJ Mahaney and Larry Tomczak were the co-founders of both Covenant Life Church and People of Destiny International (PDI), the former name of Sovereign Grace Ministries.[8] Mahaney describes himself as a "former pothead."[1] Both Mahaney and Tomczak withdrew from the Charismatic Catholic scene shortly before the creation of Covenant Life Church.[9]
Tomczak and Mahaney were both close to some leaders of the British New Church Movement, speaking at New Frontiers' Bible Weeks and Stoneleigh Conference. They were also associated with Maranatha Campus Ministries for a period.[10]
In "The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought" published in 1995,[11] Alister McGrath associated PDI with the shepherding movement and described it as having "informal links with Bryn Jones," the UK house church leader.[12] In the mid-1990s, religious anthropologist Dr. Karla Poewe contrasted PDI with the Vineyard Church. She wrote that "Vineyard is particularly attractive to the young and intellectual... People of Destiny serves a Catholic constituency." [13]
Tomczak left the leadership of PDI in 1998 and later suggested that the increasingly Calvinistic theology of PDI was a major factor in his departure.[7][14] Although reconciled with C J Mahaney in 2011,[15][16] he earlier described the parting of ways with Sovereign Grace Ministries as "an unbelievable nightmare" during which his family "were threatened in various ways if [they] did not cooperate with [PDI/SGM]... A letter was circulated in an attempt to discredit me and to distort the events surrounding my departure."[17] Other notable charismatic figures, such as Lou Engle, founder of The Call prayer concerts, and Che Ahn, pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, CA, also ceased to be formally associated with PDI during this period.[18] In 2002, Wayne Grudem, a theology professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, said "What I see is outward evidence of God's favor. That's at the heart of the success of this church... I know of churches around the United States who are looking to Sovereign Grace Ministries as an example of the way churches ought to work."[1]
Sovereign Grace Ministries currently identifies itself as "a family of churches passionate about the gospel of Jesus Christ... with a strong doctrinal basis that is evangelical, Reformed, and continuationist."[19] This move towards the Reformed (or Calvinist) wing of the church is illustrated by Sovereign Grace's partnerships with speakers such as John MacArthur, Mark Dever, and John Piper, who speak at the Together for the Gospel Conferences.[20]
In July 2011, Mahaney announced that he would be taking a leave of absence as a team reviews charges brought against him of "pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy." [21] One of the purposes for this period includes reconciliation with former SGM ministers. Larry Tomczak reports that Mahaney has gone out of his way to rebuild their relationship after 13 years of estrangement.[15][16]
Sovereign Grace Ministries was known as "People of Destiny International" until 1998.[22] British restorationist leader Terry Virgo states that Larry Tomczak and CJ Mahaney, leaders at the time, had become "increasingly uncomfortable" with the "People of Destiny International" name, and it was shortened to "PDI Ministries".[23] In 2002, the group adopted its current name of "Sovereign Grace Ministries."
Church planter Fred Herron described the PDI/SGM church planting method of founding new churches: a pastor leads a group of members to relocate to a different city and form, or plant, a new church.[24]
The first church planting team was sent out to Cleveland Ohio and founded the church North Coast Church in the earliest years of Covenant Life Church. Church planting continues.[25]
For many years, PDI did not adopt existing churches, but later altered its policy. SGM adoption of an existing church begins with the development of a relationship with leadership and continues with dialogue to evaluate the doctrinal and practical compatibility of Sovereign Grace with the church desiring adoption. [26]
Recently, C.J. Mahaney has voluntarily taken a leave of absence to examine charges made against him and made public through a 600 page document written by Brent Detwiler.[27]