Readers may perhaps recall the email exchange between Ray Bevan and myself last November, which was duly published (completely unedited) in the following article:
Further to this direct contact with Mr. Bevan, I have now received the following testimony, in the form of a comment on my original article concerning King's Church's hosting of the notorious charlatan, Benny Hinn:
I consider the importance of the content to be such that it fully warrants being highlighted here in a new post, to give it a greater and proper prominence. Here is the comment:
Whilst I will correct you on one point - the farm house in Norway was left to his wife by her family - I do not agree with his 9 to 5 attitude to being a Pastor, nor do I agree with the lavishness which he lives his life. He has encouraged his wife to "tell her story", and all of us were encouraged - to the point of bullying - to purchase her book about how terrible her life was. He even made his wife a Pastor, with no formal qualifications other than those he had bestowed upon her.
The Kings Church has damaged many people beyond repair. During my time there, at least 10 - 15 minutes each meeting was spent promoting the financial aspects of the Bible. I remember how it started off as simply tithing (ie giving 10% of ones earnings to the church), then it changed it's tone to tithing before tax. And finally, for the last couple of years, it spoke of tithing AND further gifts (money, of course!) to "God".
Another habit of Mr Bevan was to keep his "favoured few" close to him. The ones he would call out of the congregation to pray for were the same few each time he did it.
I remember the time he spent church money to attend a meeting in (I believe) Rhema church in South Africa. And on the way back, spent further church money on a personal trip to see his sick brother in Singapore. I have no issue with him seeing his brother, but using his own considerable nest egg, not the money from the church which is supposed to be for the glory of God.
At one stage, we were spending about GBP1000 per week on broadcasting via the GOD channel, for a half hour slot. The staffing and equipment of the media department - along with a dedicated media director and other editing / support staff - would have been over GBP50,000 per year, without any broadcast fees or facility fees.
In short, Kings Church left myself and many others damaged, broken and worn out. We were then berated for not giving all our time to the church or, worse, simply ignored and frozen out.
Whilst I must forgive Mr Bevan, for that's what God says I must do, I can never forget what he and many other b**t*rds in Kings Church did to me and others. I can never forget the bad blood that was caused between myself and some friends I was starting to make in the church, and I can never ever forget the disgusting waste of money, time and opportunity that was my Kings Church experience.
God bless you Rob - keep on telling the truth.
N.B. The reference to the farmhouse in Norway is in connection with a comment made by another concerned correspondent, on the aforementioned Benny Hinn article - Rob.
IF ANYONE SHOULD THINK TO DISMISS THIS AS JUST ONE ISOLATED INDIVIDUAL'S TAKE ON RAY BEVAN'S AND KING'S CHURCH'S ACTIVITIES, I WOULD ADVISE THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY MET ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WITH A DIFFERENT PERSON, WHO HAS SHARED WITH ME SOME OF HIS OWN DEVASTATING EXPERIENCES OF THIS FETED "PASTOR" AND HIS CHURCH. THERE ARE REMARKABLE SIMILARITIES IN THEIR REPORTS.
THAT THERE ARE VERY REAL AND VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS CANNOT BE DENIED. NOR SHOULD THEY BE IGNORED!
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I would be very pleased indeed if the person who was moved to send in this testimony would get in touch with me via a private email to watchman4wales@yahoo.co.uk. And I would be honoured to receive any communication from anyone else out there who has had similar negative experiences of King's Church and its Pastorate.
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"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."
(Romans 16:17-18)
