Elsewhere, out of the limelight, but certainly affecting more Christians than all the news-generating events mentioned above, churchgoers are being duped by a dubious message of prosperity, in which it seems only the pastor and a few close acolytes actually become prosperous. Finally, one only has to travel to a few capital cities in Africa (for example), or to watch Christian TV, to see other strange doctrines like those requiring people vomit who-knows-what into buckets at public deliverance sessions.

Daily, one hears of the weirdest and most bizarre things being preached in churches all over the world. No denomination, no grouping, no nation or culture seems to have been spared. What you see in Florida can be seen in Rio, in Nairobi, in Mumbai and in Sydney. This appears to be a bleak time indeed for the Church. What can its witness be to a sceptical world, which the Western Press has already described as the post-Christian age? Which parent bringing up children in these days could fail not to be concerned by all this?

All of the above does not imply that everything is wrong with the Church, and that no good can be found. On the contrary, let us be grateful that there are also millions of brothers and sisters faithfully serving the Lord with all their heart in the place that He has called them. Many of the world’s widows and orphans, the hungry, the poor, the sick, the dying, children with little hope of an education and a better life are eternally grateful for what Christian organisations, staffed by committed believers in Jesus Christ, have done for them.

By comparison to the numerous large ministries and huge relief organisations operating in the world today, CTMI would have to be described as a tiny ministry. Its peculiarity of working with churches and church leaders might even make it hard to define its role in the Great Commission, as 21st century theologically trained Christian leaders might understand things. Nonetheless, it has been quietly going about its mission for a number of years now, mainly with churches in Africa.

While the ministry and its leaders, including Miki Hardy, have met with opposition in the past, this has always come from leaders of churches who have felt threatened by a message calling the Church, its leaders, and Christians to return to the preaching of the Cross. So, the self-righteous outrage being displayed by a small band of people in one suburb of Durban, and the lengths they appear willing to go to, is quite incomprehensible.

At some point, they have appointed themselves ‘guardians’; complete with logo, vision, and mission statement, to warn people about CTMI. Without meaning to throw doubts on their bona fides (good faith!), it would be interesting to know from whom did this calling to this particular field of ‘ministry’ come?

Whatever the case, we are all called to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that we will be called to account for what we have done while on earth.

With everything that is going on in the Church today, it might be interesting to listen in on a conversation on Judgement Day which begins like this: “Well, Lord, we had these concerns about CTMI, so we set up a ‘concerned parents group’; we created a website, invited everyone with any complaint about them to join; we decided that every outrageous story we heard must be true, we listened to everyone, even those with no credibility, we did a careful analysis, and…”

The (Un)Concerned Parent

Literally from his first miracle, they got to work on accusing, undermining, judging, and even denying the reality of Almighty God at work in the lives of His people. It really is quite scary to see how a few people with vested interests will, in the end, stop at nothing when they are shown up for who they are. Pride and self-righteousness, bluster and indignation, anger and arrogance, hypocrisy are often described as being the ‘refuge of scoundrels’; and, it seems there is little difference between these religious leaders of the time of Jesus and those, who, today, appear to be willing to stop at nothing, just to be proven right.

You may well ask yourself why I, as a concerned parent, should be raising such a point on this forum. The answer is quite simple. When I became a Christian, my children were still very young. I discovered that by quoting verses of Scripture, I could bring them to obedience in a way that shouting or spanking could never do. I suddenly acquired an authority that was much higher than me, and the kids went against it at a risk of ‘displeasing God’. It goes without saying that I could not see my manipulative, legalistic and carnal authority at work in all this. After all, how could mere children dispute that, in the eyes of the Lord, they were committing some type of sin or other.

I praise God that, by His Amazing Grace, He opened my eyes – I dare to say: ‘He has given me a revelation’; that I was bringing up my children with the heart of a Pharisee. I was protecting my own pride, justifying my self-righteousness, and simply putting a burden on my children that even caused them to rebel later on. By His grace, He called them back to His flock, and today, we are serving the Lord and walking in His ways once again as a family.

As I read through the Scriptures, I saw how a few men who would stop at nothing, wanted to believe until the very end that it was better for someone to die, than for them to change their ways. So deceived and blinded were they by their knowledge of God’s laws and their self-righteousness – they could quote scripture about every possible issue – that they forgot to see God’s heart for the sinner, for the sick, for the poor. It stands to reason, therefore, that these very attributes in our Lord would cause them to insist that one could not work on the Sabbath, even if it meant healing someone. Despite being sinners themselves, they were ready and willing to stone the woman caught in adultery. They even desperately tried to prove that the man born blind could not be the same one who could now see.

What all this says is that today, 2000 years after Jesus, there are still religious people in His Church, who will stop at nothing to destroy the work of the Lord, no matter the cost. The hardness of their hearts has meant that they will believe and perpetuate every untruth, every lie, every biased testimony, just as long as it ties up, and fits in, with their position. It is sad indeed that, in their supposed ‘concern’, they cannot see just how far they have strayed from the heart of God for His Church.  In fact, all this striving has only succeeded to force other Godly men and women and institutions to stand with CTMI.

I believe that anyone reading the Gospels, even in a superficial manner, will not fail to see that Jesus reserved most of his anger, frustration, and despair for this group whose hearts were simply closed to what God was doing. I am always amazed at the lengths supposedly zealous ‘Christians’ are willing to go to ‘defend’ God. There are even people willing to commit crimes and atrocities in the name of God! Can this truly be the heart of God? Is what this ‘concerned parents group’ doing really what God would want them to devote their time, energies, and service to? Would Jesus have aligned Himself with the godless of the world in order to prove that He was in the right?

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over…”

It may appear strange to begin an article on a Christian website with two quotes by one of the most evil men to have lived in history. Josef Goebbels was Hitler’s Propaganda Minister!

Nonetheless, this very famous quote is quite appropriate to the situation that CTMI finds itself in with ‘Concerned Parents Group’ who have continued to attack CTMI, its leadership – Miki  Hardy and Basil O’ Connell-Jones in particular – by maliciously giving credence to any story that paints CTMI in a bad light, no matter how implausible.

From my perspective, as a concerned parent myself, I can see that it is very easy to sow seeds of doubt and fear into the minds of parents and other people who, with a bit of clear thinking, would probably pooh-pooh most of the claims that this group is advancing.

However, it is here that the analogy with Hitler’s henchman comes into play. A lie is, or lies are, repeated enough times using the vehicle of the Internet until they become ‘fact’ and ‘truth’ in the mind of the credulous. Add to this mixture, the bringing together of a motley crew of dissatisfied, disappointed, and/or genuinely hurt former church members to air, to vent, and to repeat their complaints. Soon, what is left is a deadly and poisonous cocktail of gossip, tittle-tattle, exaggeration, fabrication, insinuation, and innuendo, which can develop into nothing else except slander and calumny.

People have drawn conclusions based on minor incidents, or bits of conversation. These lies and exaggerations have then been perpetuated by the veneer of barely credible experts who, it would appear to me, are more interested in selling their services or their book than anything else. One only has to read a John Grisham novel to know that such ‘experts’ are available today in any field of human endeavour to give their opinion about events that they were not present at; people they’ve never met; circumstances on which they have only heard one side’s point of view. Strangely, their “expert opinion” will always side with the party paying them!

The result is that for this group of people, CTMI has become an organisation that “must be stopped”. The reality is that most of their attempts to convince any right thinking person or organisation have had very little impact. There is evidently a core group of likeminded individuals who will believe just about anything about CTMI, no matter how far from the truth these accusations are.

I recall many years ago, as a new Christian who devoured the Word, reading something about how the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible defined the word ‘gossip’. It was something to the effect that ‘gossip’ was not only repeating bad things about people that were true; but that it had a much deeper meaning. Which is why it displeases God so much: gossip also implies passing on or repeating anything that makes a person look bad in they eyes of listener. Whether the information is true or not makes no difference whatsoever… By that standard, most of us really need to take a deep soul-searching look at the motivations of our hearts every time we open our mouths!

I hope at the some point to be able to write briefly on some of these baseless accusations, which have sadly become facts in the mind of a few persons.

As for CTMI itself, and its leadership, they seem very serene, at peace, to continue to serve the Lord, despite all this persecution. What never ceases to amaze me is that every week in all the CTMI Partner Churches, hundreds of people are gathering to pray for these same accusers. Judge for yourself whose actions God is more pleased with…

The (Un)Concerned Parent

What made it special in our home that evening was that our (very) small lounge was invaded by a large group of young people. In all, 37 of them, ranging from ages 18 to 35, crowded onto every available square inch of floor space of the lounge – after reorganising the layout of the furniture – in order to watch and support ‘their’ team. A few were married already, but most were single. The nationalities represented were South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, England, France, Mauritius, USA, as well as a few Mauritians. There was a lot ribbing going on, as well as some very serious and intense people, who could not join in the fun and laughter. It being my home, and my being the oldest person in the room, gave me a special position not only to join in the bantering, but also to observe this very diverse group of people…

My most vivid recollection of that evening was not the rugby at all. I had supported England since 1991, and become a Bok supporter only since 2002, when we started getting live rugby on TV here in Mauritius. Torn between the 2 finalists, I did not particularly enjoy the match. What I did enjoy was watching the dynamics of this large group of mainly young guys.

I knew many of their testimonies; most of them had spent time in our home and shared about their history and their background. It wasn’t hard to give praise to the Lord to see them enjoying a special time of fellowship. In fact, Jesus was the only common denominator amongst them all. A few came from very privileged backgrounds in South Africa, others had grown up in rural villages or farms in Zimbabwe. The Europeans and Americans had only ever known plenty. So many of them had led lives of addiction to heavy drugs, alcohol, and immorality. Some had been out and out gangsters. Yet, here they were, black and white, rich and poor, educated and less so; clean living, polite, respectful, willing to help, ready to go out of their way for others. What had brought about such dramatic changes?

Each one had, in his/her own way, been touched by the message of the cross. ‘The power of God for those who are being saved’ was evident in their lives. No one stops being a stoned, foul-mouthed drunk, or comes off heroin after hundreds of previous attempts, without a miracle from God Himself. These young men and women had truly been transformed by the renewal of their minds. Jesus had entered their hearts and, even if they wanted to, they couldn’t hide it. Of course their lives, their behaviour, their desires, their ambitions changed. It would be astonishing to expect anything less resulting from such a liberating transformation.
A tiny group of concerned parents refuses to accept the direct link between the fact that their son or daughter is no longer out drunk and/or drugged until all hours, and the messages preached and way of life of the people in the churches linked to CTMI. The work of the Lord in their hearts and the testimonies of changed lives in Mauritius, Durban or elsewhere, is THE reason why they have changed! This reminds of the story of the man born blind whom Jesus healed (see John 9:25), who said, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” We all know just how the religious and self-righteous authorities of the day reacted…
None of us can ever truly know or understand what Jesus does in someone’s heart. Only that individual knows exactly where he was and where he is today because of Jesus. Parents who are so concerned about these dramatic changes in the lives of their young adult offspring should possibly consider what Jesus had to say in the next chapter (John 10: 38) “…even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me…” As a parent and grandparent myself, I would be more concerned that I could be blind to the power of the Son of God working in the life of my child!
The (Un)Concerned Parent

The question I ask myself is quite simply: ‘How come I cannot see any evidence of these goings on?’ The answer may well lie in the fact none of these wild and outrageous things that CTMI is being accused of, is actually happening. None of it is true! It’s all false! After all, in a network of churches, with tens of thousands of members and spread over 25 countries, it is fairly likely that something like brainwashing and arranged marriages would have surfaced many years ago.

If one is going to describe, as brainwashing, the encounter by middle of the road and lukewarm Christians, whose lives are radically transformed in an instant, then we are surely taking away from God, what He’s been doing to people’s lives since the Creation. Not everyone who met Jesus experienced a dramatic life change. But quite a few people did. After His death and resurrection, even more people were willing to brave the scorn and blows of the established religious and political authorities in order to proclaim what Christ had done in their lives. Is it any wonder that this mistreatment and abuse is happening today in the 21st century? Does not the book of Hebrews state clearly: ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’. It stands to reason therefore that this same Jesus will still affect lives of people in this way today.

The facts are very obvious: these young adults have not been brainwashed at all. ‘They are part of God’s elect, …chosen according to the foreknowledge of God…, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood…’(see 1 Peter 1:1-2). The blood of Jesus has cleansed their hearts! Surely, any true Christian whose heart has been regenerated by what Jesus did on the Cross would recognise the signs!

I cannot explain why all this sorry saga began in one specific place out of the hundreds of cities where CTMI has a presence of some sort. Let me ask one question: compared to the hundreds – if not thousands – of young people who have attended churches linked to CTMI in the past 20 years, how many young adults exactly do these allegations concern? The answer is less than 5! If you cannot believe in the miracles of God, I am convinced you can do the maths…

The (Un)Concerned Parent

What is even more amazing is that one or two of these ‘concerned parents’ have managed to secure the backing of a few of disaffected Christians, some of whom are now rehashing old hurts and resentments going back 20 years. I wonder just what conclusions a balanced, unbiased investigator would draw, if he were to look into all this.

It’s easy to talk about hundreds of young men and women whose lives have been transformed by the saving power of the message of the gospel preached by Miki Hardy. and the men of God who work with him. It is even possible, I’m sure, for CTMI to put together a DVD with interviews of some very normal, happy, balanced, and definitely un-brainwashed young people. But, what is important, like all things related to our Christian walk, is what is our personal testimony. Do we have anything to be bitter and resentful about, or do we in fact have so much to thank God for in these terrible times that we are living in.

When I say terrible times, I mean that young people today, by their early teens are exposed to and often experience the most sordid, horrible circumstances that only a generation ago was viewed by society as scandalous. Pornography, fornication, pregnancy, abortions, drugs, violence, alcohol, crime, suicides… the list goes on and on!

My personal testimony as a parent whose children have grown up in a church linked with CTMI does give me the authority to speak of what I have seen and experienced. All three of my children went overseas to study after finishing school. At no point was anything said about not studying by anyone in the church. On the contrary, what was said was to ensure that the children were sufficiently grounded in their relationship with the Lord; something individual Elders in the local church asked each child to be sure about in their hearts before taking such a major step. My youngest daughter decided by herself to postpone her departure by one year when she had thought about it, as she realised that she was simply not ready or mature to cope with being away from home… We were so happy about this, as it had been very clear to us that this was the case.

The reality is that all 3 of them have experienced a time of drifting away from the Lord during their time at university. They got involved in many activities that they shouldn’t have, and today regret. But, they have all been welcomed back with grace, with love, and with kindness by everyone in the church, including the leadership. During their time away, our great comfort was that they always knew that there were a number of homes open to them at any time of need, homes of families of the local CTMI Partner Church in the UK. What a blessing, what peace of mind for us as parents! Today, the eldest two are home and actively serving the Lord, our youngest is still overseas.

The point of all this is that, as Christian parents, we are right to be concerned about our kids. However, that concern should be about important and eternal matters. We would all love our child to be a doctor or a lawyer. But I would prefer that my son is established in his relationship with Christ, and that he will one day marry a woman with whom he will serve Jesus all his life. My concern is that my daughters will not know the terrible traumas of pregnancy, abortions, and loose living that characterises so many young girls today. My concern is that I can be open enough in my heart to see the difference between what is good and upright, and what my selfish and worldly ambitions for them might be. Is it possible that I could prefer to have my children out all weekend partying, drinking and whatever else goes on these days, rather than being with a group of clean living youngsters who want their lives to be like that of Jesus?

Could it be in fact, that the idea of my child being sold out to Jesus, confronts my spiritual shortcomings so much, that I am prepared rant and rave and say anything to anyone, and to destroy my relationship with him or her, just so that I don’t get shown up. Self-righteousness (and hypocrisy) is such a terrible deception to live under!

The (UN) Concerned Parent!