Association of Vineyard Churches

Date of founding 1974 (per Religious Movements website)

Founder John Wimber (d. 1997)

Links to dominionist movements

The major concerns regarding Vineyard and its links to dominionism are in fact twofold and extend before the founding of the denomination (Vineyard is a denomination in the loosest sense in that, like Calvary Chapel, a church can join the group by payment of a membership fee to the parent church in Anaheim, CA and signing a statement of faith; its parent church, Calvary Chapel, is similar).

Vineyard is a denomination of neopentecostal churches and is a "great-granddaughter" church of the Assemblies of God, and shares a good deal of theology with the Assemblies and its other descendant churches. (The particular chain of descent here goes something like Assemblies (from first major split in pentecostalism between "Oneness"/"Jesus Only" pentes and trinitarian pentecostals) -> International Foursquare (denominational split over divorcees in ministry spurred by Aimee Semple McPherson being divorced by husband) -> Calvary Chapel (embracement of "Jesus People" movement/charismatic movement) -> Vineyard (embracement of more "modern" worship styles).)

All four denominations (and in fact most churches descended from the Assemblies including many "nondenominational" neopentecostal megachurches, as well as the Assemblies themselves) share almost identical concerns in regards to dominionism, both in regards to political dominionism and in the specific embracing of "Kingdom Now" theology, or subsets of "Kingdom Now"/"Dominion Theology", within the pentecostal and neopentecostal movement.

In the case of Vineyard, the concerns in regards to association with "dominion theology" are particularly acute. The origins of the denomination largely stem from the "Joel's Army" movement, a "spiritual warfare" movement in neopentecostal circles which has claimed that the "saved" or "elect" are "Joel's Army"--an "endtime overcomer" army whose literal mission is to "claim dominion" over all earthly matters including government. (Dominion theology forms the main basis for political dominionism in the neopentecostal movement.)

Another major topic of concern is the association of Vineyard with a particularly spiritually abusive branch of pentecostalism--"Third Wave" pentecostalism, better known to most people as "Toronto" or "Brownsville" pentecostalism (though the movements were around far before the Toronto or Brownsville revivals; US-based churches were embracing "Brownsville"-style manifestations as long ago as the sixties and its probable origin stems from Paul Yonggi Cho's Yoido Full Gospel (Assemblies of God) Church in Seoul, South Korea). Toronto Airport Fellowship, a Vineyard church in Toronto, Ontario (Canada), has been in particular linked to "Third Wave" pentecostalism and, after a short period of backing away (when concerns of spiritual abuse related to the Toronto revival started to show up in the press) John Wimber explicitly praised the Toronto fellowship and claimed relations were "better than ever".

There is some evidence as well suggesting links between Vineyard and other promoters of dominion theology (and in particular "spiritual warfare" movements within "Third Wave" pentecostalism), as well as links between Vineyard and Promise Keepers.

One particularly disturbing facet of Vineyard's theology is that--as a part of the general "spiritual warfare" theology at the core of the group's beliefs--there is a strong emphasis on "deliverance ministry" (the concept that persons, including the "saved", can be demonised). Many of the practices within "deliverance ministry" groups are incredibly coercive, many directly paralleling some of the most documented examples of spiritual abuse in Scientology.

Much of the documentation regarding Vineyard's connections with dominionism and dominion theology is primarily from various Christian apologetics sites, but enough of it is verifiable from outside sources, and from separate enough sources (occasionally as disparate as exit counselors assisting walkaways from coercive religious groups, conservative Evangelical Christian groups, mainstream Christian apologetics sites, atheist websites, and walkaway forums for persons escaping abusive dominionist groups) that a pattern does emerge in regards to Vineyard which causes concern to persons familiar with dominionism in the pentecostal and neopentecostal communities in particular. Much of the best information is from Deception In The Church, an apologetics site which has grave concerns in regards to dominionism and in particular movements connected with "dominion theology" in the pentecostal community (including "spiritual warfare" movements like "Joel's Army" as well as "Name it and Claim it"/"Word-Faith", etc.)

Informational links below:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/4948/vine3is5.html (a backgrounder on "dominion theology" within pentecostalism, including in the origins of Vineyard--which can be counted as one of the first "Third Wave" denominations)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/jwimber.html (articles note that similar issues as documented with Toronto Airport Fellowship may exist in other Vineyard congregations, including Anaheim Vineyard (the home church of the Vineyard denomination))

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil//articles/laugh.htm (article describes things like "birthing manifestations" and "lion roaring", common in "Third Wave" spiritual-warfare cycles, at Anaheim Vineyard) (Note: "Roaring", "birthing manifestations", and "swords of the lord" are in fact common "manifestations" at services held by pentecostal and neopentecostal churches embracing "Third Wave" and in particular "Joel's Army" and similar "spiritual warfare" theologies; all of these are seen as examples of "warrior annointings in the Holy Spirit" by these groups and as signs one has been "drafted" into "God's Army" to fight non-dominionists and to take over the planet)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/cultsandcharismatic.html (notes that the same problems of promotion of dominion theology and its attending coercive tactics are promoted in a good portion of the "charismatic" and neopentecostal movements, including specifically Vineyard; notes explicit promotion of dominion theology and of "spiritual warfare" theology associated with "Third Wave" pentecostalism at Anaheim Vineyard and other Vineyard congregations)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/au96wim.htm (official statement from John Wimber, founder of Vineyard denomination, stating that relations between parent denomination and Toronto Airport Fellowship are "better than ever" and promoting the highly spiritually abusive tactics promoted at Toronto Airport Fellowship)

http://www.geocities.com/Hebrews928/dkn.html (discussion of premillenial dispensationalism and "Kingdom Now"/dominion theology as practiced in pentecostal circles; almost all of the spiritually abusive practices in abusive pentecostal groups are based in dominion theology, major portions of which have their origins from the Scofield Reference Bible (which was and early editions of which are still heavily used by promoters of dominion theology in the pentecostal community); of note, the notes in the article apply to the Assemblies of God and nearly all churches and denominations descending from the Assemblies (including Vineyard, "charismatic" congregations planted by Assemblies churches, Calvary Chapel, Foursquare, independent "nondenominational" neopentecostal churches like New Life Church (previously run by the now disgraced Ted Haggard), much of the Messianic Jew movement (of which most non-Jews for Jesus "messianic synagogues" are in fact Assemblies satellite churches), etc.)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/wimber.html (notes that the very origins of the Vineyard denomination lie in a subset of dominion theology associated with spiritual warfare movements called the "Signs and Wonders Movement"; "Signs and Wonders" is a subset of dominion theology (dating back to literally the beginnings of pentecostalism and the Assemblies' split/expulsion from the Methodist Church) claiming that the occurence of miracles, "signs and wonders", etc. is a sign they are the first "Christians" to have gotten it right since the time of Jesus and is a sign the End of Days is at hand and God is preparing "Joel's Army" to conquer the earth; it is strongly connected with, and largely overlaps with, both "spiritual warfare" movements descending from dominion theology in general (including the "Joel's Army" movement) and the "name it and claim it"/"Word-Faith" movement which is itself a subset of dominion theology)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/thirdwave.html (notes origins of "Third Wave" movement from early dominion theology and how dominion theology is essentially a reinvention of "Latter Rain" theology, many articles linked)

http://op.50megs.com/ditc/kingdom1.htm (a discussion of dominion theology within the pentecostal movement and how the origins of dominionism within the pentecostal movement stem from this)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/tenreasons.html (includes discussion on how religious dominionism/dominion theology has political dominionism as a direct outgrowth)

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/blessing.html (discussion specifically on the "Toronto Blessing", one of three identifiable "Third Wave" revivals in North America directly connected to Paul Yonggi Cho and Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea (the others being the Pensacola revival at Brownsville Assemblies of God, and a lesser-known revival in the 60's-70's at a Louisville, KY Assemblies of God megachurch (documented in That's How They Do It In Toronto, and both it and New Life Church in Colorado Springs were promoting "Third Wave" stuff well in advance of either Toronto or Brownsville))

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/pensacola.html (Info on the other more well-known "Third Wave" revival in North America at Brownsville AoG)

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/6/1/112441/6431/Diary/Rick_Warren_s_Dirty_Dominionist_Secret (Info on relationship of Rick Warren (Saddleback Church; his director of media affairs recently resigned when it was revealed he was one of the major parties connected with the "Left Behind" video game which fictionalises the dominionist concept of "Joel's Army" and was charged specifically with promotion of the game within the dominionist church community) and Paul Yonggi Cho, one of the leading promoters of "dominion theology" within the Assemblies and its descendant denominations; includes a great deal of background info on Cho and promotion of "Third Wave" pentecostalism in the Assemblies and in Vineyard)

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c17.html (notes how Cho, after fomenting "Third Wave Madness" at other churches worldwide, proceeded to breed the madness at Toronto Airport Fellowship)

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/sva-tb06.html (Further evidence of connection between Cho and Toronto Airport Fellowship, and notes how group has embraced some of the most spiritually abusive and coercive practices within the dominionist movement)

http://ex-pentecostals.org/essays.htm (Large number of public statements from walkaways from abusive pentecostal and neopentecostal churches, most associated with either UPCI or "Third Wave" dominionist churches; Vineyard is in fact a frequently mentioned denomination (along with UPCI and the Assemblies) in regards to spiritually abusive churches)

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/vine/vinemove.htm (article from conservative Evangelical critic of dominionism, notes explicitly how Vineyard denomination uses dominion theology as basis for its theology)

http://www.americanatheist.org/spr97/T2/pk2.html (from American Atheist magazine, notes specific links between Vineyard churches and Promise Keepers in particular, and between Vineyard and political dominionist movement in general)

http://www.svchapel.org/resources/Articles/read_articles.asp?id=11 (another article, this time from a conservative "independent" church, stating how Vineyard's core theology basically *is* dominion theology)

http://www.cephasministry.com/joels_army_who_is_who.html (this is particularly damning--notes links between Vineyard churches and not only political dominionists but explicitly the "Joel's Army" spiritual warfare movement connected with "Third Wave" pentecostalism)

http://www.cephasministry.com/joels_army_otis_wagner_background%20to%20the%20people%20involved.html (more highly damning info regarding links between Vineyard and "Joel's Army" spiritual warfare movement)

http://www.christian-forum.net/lofiversion/index.php/t950.html (explicitly notes how dominion theology is part of core theology of Vineyard denomination--not surprising as nearly all daughter and descendant churches of the Assemblies, as well as the Assemblies itself, are dominionist)

http://www.geocities.com/hebrews928/pdx398.html (interesting as it notes that the origin of Promise Keepers, a political dominionist movement which has been linked to bona fide concerns of spiritual abuse (including the coercive use of "shepherding"), with Vineyard and notes how Promise Keepers actually *borrowed many of its spiritually abusive practices and its promotion of dominionism from Vineyard*)

http://www.seekgod.ca/marks.htm (from conservative/non-dominionist fundamentalist viewpoint, notes later in article how Vineyard is in fact connected intimately with "Joel's Army" spiritual warfare movement and in fact is in large part descended from this particular "spiritual warfare" movement in neopentecostalism)

http://www.seekgod.ca/printfuller2b.htm (notes explicitly how John Wimber, founder of Vineyard denomination, is not only explicitly connected with "Third Wave" pentecostalism but specifically was promoter of dominion theology (the basis for dominionism in nearly all pente and neopente churches))

http://www.robbymac.org/charismatic/latter_rain/prophetic.html (notes John Wimber's connections with the "Kansas City Prophets", major promoters of "Third Wave" pentecostalism and its connected "spiritual warfare" movements like "Joel's Army" et al; even notes how Wimber explicitly invited the Kansas City Fellowship, an early "third wave" church, to join; also notes connections to extremely spiritually abusive movements within the neopentecostal movement including Morningstar International (one of the multiple reinventions of the Bible-based cult Maranatha, an early promoter of "Third Wave" spiritual-warfare doctrines that was so abusive it was banned from several state university campuses; it has since reorganised yet again under the name Every Nation))

http://seekgod.sasktelwebhosting.com/joel.htm (more info on the history of Vineyard and its split with Calvary Chapel, and in fact notes quite explicitly that the birth of Vineyard stemmed directly from the "Joel's Army" spiritual-warfare movement in neopentecostal circles (which itself is a development from dominion theology, in that "Joel's Army" is supposed to pretty much claim dominion over all things including government; the "Left Behind" series, in particular "Glorious Appearing", is a slight fictionalisation of how "Joel's Army" spiritual warfare theology is supposed to ultimately play out according to pente dominionists complete with the bodies of the dead piling up)

http://www.seekgod.ca/warnock.htm (backgrounder on the "Manifest Sons of God" movement, one of the original dominion-theology movements within pentecostalism and in large part the originating movement for dominionism in the US)

http://www.seekgod.ca/shepherding.htm (explicitly details how Vineyard has embraced a particularly spiritually abusive practice within pente and neopente dominionist churches, namely, the use of "cell churches" or "shepherding" groups to control members; this is now recognised as one of the potentially most damaging practices within abusive dominionist congregations (see Talk2Action article on history of the "cell church" movement which details not only the spiritually abusive aspects but also on how "cell churches" were originally developed for, and are increasingly used in, a form of "spiritual warfare" against mainstream Christian churches--by planting "cuckoo" cell-church congregations within mainstream churches in order to "borg" the members and hijack the mainstream church from within))

http://www.seekgod.ca/bantu.htm (explicit notes connecting Vineyard churches with "name it and claim it", as well as promotion of "Third Wave" stuff in Africa; Africa is starting to have serious problems with dominionist movements, largely originating from Assemblies and Vineyard churches in Africa, and this is even a problem beginning to be exported from Africa to countries like the UK (which has had to set up a specialised force to investigate religiously motivated child abuse resulting from "deliverance ministry" groups connected with neopentecostal dominionist churches in the African emigre community)

http://www.gospelgrace.com/falseprophets/johnarnott/johnarnott_torontoairport.htm (again describing how Toronto Airport Fellowship in particular is connected with extreme "spiritual warfare" movements including "Sword of the Lord manifestations")