The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This coming November will mark the eighth anniversary of Bahamas Faith Ministries (BFM) founder Dr Myles Munroe’s untimely death in a tragic plane accident on Grand Bahama. Notwithstanding his death, the Munroe estate continues to upload his sermons on the Munroe Global YouTube channel that draws hundreds of thousands of viewers from around the world.

About one month ago, BFM announced that it will hold its first Ruth Munroe Family Fest. Coinciding with the announcement of this event was this writer encountering several YouTube discernment ministries from the US and Great Britain that attempted to portray Dr Munroe as a false teacher who propagated Word Faith theology and the Prosperity Gospel.

One of the videos was produced by a Confessional Lutheran and the other by an individual from the Reformed tradition. In one of the video critiques of Munroe, he is the focal point. The critic played video clips from a sermon titled “The Kingdom of Servant Kings,” which was preached at the Myles E Munroe Diplomat Centre. On the Munroe Global YouTube channel, the sermon has garnered 60,000 views. In the sermon, Munroe argued that the church has overemphasised doctrines such as the blood and atoning death of Jesus Christ; Spirit baptism, healing and the resurrection, while paying minimal attention to the message of the kingdom of God. According to Munroe, the church has been sidetracked by Satan by turning “our focus onto things that, although important, are not what the Lord has told us to focus on” (Rediscovering the Kingdom, page 151).

As Munroe said, the good news is not Jesus Christ; it is the kingdom. In Corinthians 15:3-4 -- a text New Testament scholars believe is a primitive creed of Christianity -- Paul’s definition of the good news conflicts with Munroe’s. To Paul, the gospel is Jesus Christ. Mark 1:1 says the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Paul further stated in 1 Corinthians 1:23 that “we preach Christ crucified”-- the very thing Munroe argued against incorporating in one’s gospel presentation. Ironically, this would also conflict with what Munroe wrote on page 169 of “Rediscovering the Kingdom,” when he said that everything is wrapped up in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. Here, Munroe is on point.

In the second video critique, Munroe is seen with American televangelist Benny Hinn, who is the very definition of a polarizing figure within the evangelical church in the US. In the video clip, Munroe is discussing his definition of prayer, which is man giving God legal access to the earth. This particular segment is often featured in staunch cessationist Justin Peters’ Clouds Without Water seminars. To the Reformed camp, Munroe’s prayer definition elevates man, while it simultaneously demotes God. Munroe would further elaborate on this subject in his “Rediscovering the Kingdom,” using Genesis 1:26 as his text. His understanding of man’s dominion on earth, however, strikes at the heart of the doctrine of God’s sovereign rule (Psalm 115:3, 135:6). What Moses said in Genesis 1:26 does not preclude God’s sovereign rule in the earth. For example, God acted unilaterally in judging the entire earth with a global flood in Genesis 6-9 and in the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Moreover, God expelled His so-called vice-regent, Adam, from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 after his rebellion.

God not intervening in the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3 had nothing to do with His alleged inability, and everything to do with His sovereign permissive will. Reading “Rediscovering the Kingdom” brought to mind Paul E. Billheimer’s “Destined for the Throne,” which attempts to close the gap between the Creator and His creatures. Billheimer’s doctrine of deification is unlike the Eastern Orthodox Church’s doctrine of theosis. Billheimer promoted a rigid form of Kingdom Dominionism. I suspect that the late BFM founder was influenced by Billheimer’s volume, which also brings to mind American televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s “little gods” theory he once taught during the late 1980s or thereabouts. On page 51 of “Rediscovering the Kingdom” is Munroe’s definition of man, which is the exact definition that E.W. Kenyon used. Kenyon is considered the grandfather of the Word Faith movement. Munroe would collaborate with Copeland, Oral Roberts, Morris Cerrulo, Jesse DuPlantis, Paul and Jan Crouch and other prominent US televangelists.

Ironically, Munroe would affirm God’s sovereignty on page 140 of “Rediscovering the Kingdom,” although I believe his critics are oblivious to this important fact. In a vintage guilt by association fallacy, Munroe’s mere association with the aforementioned Prosperity Gospel televangelists has led many within the Reformed church to view him, wrongly of course, as a false teacher. The main issue I have with Munroe’s detractors is that their entire assessment of him is entirely based on about five to seven video clips. No attempts were made, it seem, to interact with any of his publications in order to gain a comprehensive feel of his theology.

This is lazy Christian apologetics. Had they done their homework, they would’ve discovered that Munroe affirmed the doctrines of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on pages 146 and 147 of “Rediscovering the Kingdom.” On pages 150, 152 and 153 of the same volume, the late BFM founder spoke about the cross of Christ; the forgiveness of sins and the exclusivity of the gospel. On pages 169 and 170, Munroe once again affirmed his belief in the New Testament doctrine of Christ’s atoning death. On page 148 of Munroe’s publication, he argued that there is no biblical evidence that Jesus ever made the “born again” message the focus of His message. And this is where I have to respectfully disagree with the late BFM founder.

In John 14:26, Jesus told His apostles -- the men who wrote the New Testament -- that the Comforter will bring all things to their remembrance. It is these men and their protégés who wrote about the “born again” message in John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 1:3, 23; 1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:9, 4:7, 5:1-4 and Titus 3:5. Indeed, the Kingdom of God and the gospel presentation of being born again through faith in Jesus Christ are inextricably intertwined. As Munroe rightfully acknowledged in “Rediscovering the Kingdom,” without the sacrificial death of Christ there would be no Kingdom. In closing, Munroe, on page 149 of his publication, spoke about power to rise above daily problems. A critic would easily interpret that as a clear case of over-realised eschatology that has no room for theodicy. Whatever the case may be, I view the late BFM founder as a true man of God who affirmed all of the essential tenets of historic Christianity. I also believe that while Munroe taught a mild form of Word Faith theology and Dominionism, he steered clear of the extreme elements of his US counterparts. Regarding his statements in his “The Kingdom of Servant Kings” sermon, I would just chalk those up as theological gaffes he uttered. They do not define 30-plus years of Munroe’s fruitful ministry. However, I would recommend to BFM and Munroe Global executives to edit the offending quotes in the aforementioned sermon and in “Rediscovering the Kingdom,” in order to prevent future heresy hunters from dragging Munroe’s legacy through the mud.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport,

Grand Bahama,

August 3, 2022.