"Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God."
(1 John 4:1)
?
Richard Taylor happens to have a good friend (his description) by the name of Ceirion Dewar. Bishop Ceirion Dewar that is, who Mr. Taylor is "thrilled" to have on board for 'REVIVE 2018,' which is purporting to be "3 nights set apart to encounter the power and presence of the Holy Spirit" at 'New Beginnings Church' in Merthyr Tydfil, February 23-25, 2018.
So who exactly is this "good friend" of the wayward counterfeit revivalist and two-timing pastor? A little research on the Bishop turns up some very interesting information about him, deserving of some careful consideration. We'll start with a couple of alarming news reports concerning his past activities, the first from 4 years after his ordination as a minister, and the second from 7 years into his episcopal position.
THE BISHOP AND THE RAPE CHARGE
On 30 April 2003, 'Wales Online' reported the following:
"Churchgoer denies rape charge
A woman yesterday told how she was raped by a man she met in church, despite telling him sex before marriage was against her religious beliefs. Churchgoer Ceirion Dewar, 27, is accused of pinning the woman down and having sex with her after their kissing session "went too far." The woman admitted "intimate touching" with Dewar after she invited him into her home, but said he knew she did not want sex. She told Cardiff Crown Court, "We were not allowed sexual intercourse. It was an understanding we both had because of our faith. We were just kissing, and it was getting more passionate. But he started getting more forceful and lay on top of me. I was getting scared. I asked him what he was doing, he was lying on top of me, pressing his body against me. My hands were above my head - he was using one hand to hold them there. With the other hand he took my clothes off. He was pinning me down. Then he had sex with me." The pair attended the same Christian church - which allowed "heavy petting" but banned sex before marriage. Prosecutor Charles Cook said, "It was acceptable for them to indulge in heavy petting, and very intimate touching - on all parts of the body. That touching was mutual. But among their beliefs was that actual sexual intercourse should not take place without marriage. When Dewar came round they were kissing and cuddling, ending up with very intimate touching. But at the height of this touching Dewar became so carried away he went too far." Dewar, of Llandevaud, near Newport, denies rape. The trial continues."
I have not been able to ascertain the verdict reached in the trial, whether the
intercourse was deemed to be consensual or not, or inconclusive; I do not record this episode for sordid sensationalism, but simply to highlight that just like Mr. Taylor, Ceirion Dewar clearly overstepped sexual boundaries with a woman who was not his wife, putting a real question mark on his self-control, Christian morality and respect for the opposite sex.
intercourse was deemed to be consensual or not, or inconclusive; I do not record this episode for sordid sensationalism, but simply to highlight that just like Mr. Taylor, Ceirion Dewar clearly overstepped sexual boundaries with a woman who was not his wife, putting a real question mark on his self-control, Christian morality and respect for the opposite sex.
Let's fast forward to 2012...
THE BISHOP AND THE PEMBROKESHIRE PENSIONER
On 17 March 2012, the 'Western Telegraph' reported the following:
"Solva Pensioner "vindicated" by county court win
An 89-year-old woman says she feels vindicated after she won a county court case revolving around a £1,000 loan made to a neighbour. Retired Peggy Evans of Solva had always maintained that she had loaned Ceirion Dewar £1,000 in January 2009 to help pay a court fine after he was involved in a car accident. Mrs Evans underwent surgery in early 2010 and later that year, while recovering at Hillside residential home, Mrs Evans met a local solicitor, who twice wrote to Mr Dewar to ask for the money to be repaid.
Mr Dewar, who broadcasts videos via YouTube under the name Bishop Ceirion Dewar, claimed she had given him the money as a gift, but the court ordered that he must pay her £1,000, along with additional costs of £318. In his defence statement Mr Dewar said: "At no point did Mrs Evans assert this was a loan, nor were there any arrangements made in relation to repayments."
Following the case, Mrs Evans said she had made the 'loan' out of good will. She added that everyone in Solva had been told that she had given him £1,000 as a gift and they thought she was a liar. "People have been saying the most terrible things about me," she said. Although the money will barely cover her legal costs, Mrs Evans said it would be worth it to clear her name. "I want the people in Solva to know that I didn't lie and I didn't give the money as a gift," she added. Although the drama and stress of court may be daunting for some people, Mrs Evans said she hadn't worried about the proceedings, despite it being her first experience of court in her 89 years. "If you're going there to tell the truth then you have nothing to be nervous about," she said. When contacted by the Western Telegraph, Mr Dewar declined to comment."
Surely, even if Dewar genuinely thought it was not a loan but a gift, the decent Christian thing to do was to return the money when asked, with an apology for misunderstanding her intent, rather than hang on to it until a court of law ordered him to give it back? Once again, a sad question mark must be put on the man's true Christian and moral standing.
A BISHOP IN A BISHOPS' WORLD
Having now considered a couple of disturbing testimonies concerning Dewar's character, what might the man testify of himself?
"Bishop, Ecumenist, General Secretary of @ 7000 Churches,
Half-Tidy Singer and Not a Bad Writer...!!"
(Source: https://twitter.com/bishopdewar?lang=en)
Bishop and Ecumenist we'll come to shortly. The "General Secretary of @ 7000 churches" is a reference to his July 2014 appointment within 'Elijah's Bread Ministries International,' an organization which according to their Facebook page apparently provides oversight to "nearly 7000 covenant pastors and churches in 4 continents and 9 countries," and whose Chairman and CEO is Bishop J. Alan Neal (who is also the Senior Pastor of 'Agape Christian Faith Center' in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany).
Most enlightening about EBMI's allegiances are the two videos embedded in their website, as these both reveal Bishop Neal's alignment with yet another Bishop, namely Harry J. Jackson Junior, who pastors 'Hope Christian Church' in Beltsville, Maryland, USA, and who is also the Presiding Bishop of the 'International Communion of Evangelical Churches.' What is critically important for us to note here is that Harry J Jackson Junior is a "Prophet" of the New Apostolic Reformation, a member of the 'Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders' which is a key annual huddle of NAR false prophets. One video further reveals Neal's tie-up with the notorious "Prosperity gospel" huckster, TD Jakes, who is another Bishop, of course! It is clear that Elijah's Bread Ministries International's sympathies lie well outside the parameters of the Faith that was once delivered.
"THE PRODUCTIVITY PREACHER"
Most enlightening about EBMI's allegiances are the two videos embedded in their website, as these both reveal Bishop Neal's alignment with yet another Bishop, namely Harry J. Jackson Junior, who pastors 'Hope Christian Church' in Beltsville, Maryland, USA, and who is also the Presiding Bishop of the 'International Communion of Evangelical Churches.' What is critically important for us to note here is that Harry J Jackson Junior is a "Prophet" of the New Apostolic Reformation, a member of the 'Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders' which is a key annual huddle of NAR false prophets. One video further reveals Neal's tie-up with the notorious "Prosperity gospel" huckster, TD Jakes, who is another Bishop, of course! It is clear that Elijah's Bread Ministries International's sympathies lie well outside the parameters of the Faith that was once delivered.
"THE PRODUCTIVITY PREACHER"
Dewar labels himself "The Productivity Preacher" both on Twitter and on his website, 'Ceirion H. Dewar Ministries - The Heart of Elisha.' (Source: http://www.bishopdewar.tv/). Please go to this site to see what else he has to say of himself on the 'about' page. He sure seems to be extremely gifted, going by this glowing CV! 'The Heart of Elisha' by the way is a private limited company (No. 11178594) which was only registered on 30 January 2018 and has only one Director: Rev. Ceirion Dewar.
The Productivity Preacher. Hmmm... Looking just a little deeper, what do we find? Well, only a few days after 'Revive 2018' he will be found in Accra, Ghana, where he is to be a keynote speaker at the businessmen's 'Wealth Masters Summit' on 2-3 March! He Tweets: "I'm coming to Accra, Ghana...!! Are you ready to prosper beyond your imagination...??" Part of the Summit's blurb reads, "The event will also showcase world-class peer groups focused on raising billionaires..."
Are we getting something of a feel for Dewar's make-up? OK, that was him wearing his secular hat. What of when he wears his "Christian" hat? (Or should that be Bishop's mitre?) As he says of himself, as quoted above, he is an ecumenist - further emphasized by his being a Fellow in the completely ecumenical 'Apostolic Order of St. Hadrian of Canterbury' - which in itself shows that he preaches from a position of false unity and doctrinal dilution. Might "The Productivity Preacher" also perhaps have a predilection for the "Prosperity gospel?" In a word - Yes. You'll find him photographed with the likes of Benny Hinn, Paula White, Mark Chironna, and Mike Murdock - the "seed-faith" supremo who is very obviously a great hero of his. Yes, Bishop Dewar is drawn to the "Health and Wealth" set as a horsefly is drawn to a steaming dunghill.
THE BISHOP AND THE CALIFORNIAN CONNECTION
At this point, perhaps it would be pertinent to ask, Whence cometh his ecclesiastic credentials? How and when and where and with what Church did he become ordained as a minister of religion in the first place? Well, he tells us that he was ordained by the Modesto, California-based 'Association of Independent Christian Churches' in August 1999, which in 2005 consecrated him to the Episcopacy. (Source: http://www.bishopdewar.tv/about)
I've searched completely in vain for even the slightest mention of this Association anywhere; it seems to show up only in Dewar's own bio and nowhere else at all. Odd, that. But funnily enough, by a remarkable "coincidence" I did indeed find a Modesto, California-based setup which indeed offers clerical qualifications. Worthless "Mickey Mouse" qualifications that is! Becoming an ordained minister can be only a mouse-click away:
"Become ordained quickly and easily, and begin your own ministry! As a legally ordained minister, you will be able to perform weddings, funerals, baptisms and other functions of the clergy... ULC ministers come from all walks of life and spiritual traditions. Our common thread is our adherence to the universal doctrine of religious freedom: "Do only that which is right."
... The Universal Life Church wants you to pursue your spiritual beliefs without interference from any outside agency, including government or church authority. You may become a legally ordained minister for life, without cost,
and without question of faith."
(Source: http://www.ulc.net/)
When they say "without question of faith" they mean exactly that. Not only will they ordain anyone of absolutely any persuasion whatsoever, they can provide ANYBODY with a wide range of products from their online store. Fancy a 'Certificate of Sainthood?' Hanker after having your very own portable emergency communion set? How about a pagan clergy badge? A vial of holy water from the Jordan River perhaps? Or just a silk clergy stole? How about an email course to become a Master of Shamanism? Or maybe Astral Projection? Or Wiccan Studies? Maybe a Bachelor of Sufism? A Doctor of Universal Order? Just a sample selection of the delectable wares on offer. Yes, there's something for absolutely EVERYONE who wants to be SOMEONE in society! Even a "Christian" minister...
Of course, this may not be where and how MR. Ceirion Dewar became the REV. Ceirion Dewar. Just a shame, really, that if the Association of Independent Christian Churches really does exist, it's so incredibly shy of anybody actually discovering it!
And his elevation to the Episcopacy? Well, it seems to have happened not just once but twice to this remarkable individual! Sadly, no joy to be had in checking out the first occurrence, but what of the second instance? Ah, it seems that after his linking up with 'Elijah's Bread Ministries International' in 2011, Bishop Neal and his EBMI outfit re-affirmed him to the Episcopacy in September, 2013. Name-it-and-claim-it, as the saying goes in certain circles...
CONCLUSION
"God has empowered me to succeed... I'm my own secret weapon...!!" the Bishop concluded of himself just a few days ago on his social media pages. Readers may draw their own conclusions about Richard Taylor's good friend, Ceirion Dewar. Mine? I rather think that they are a quite remarkably appropriate pairing!
"Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together."
('The Rescuing of the Romish Fox' by William Turner, 1599)
