MORRIS CERULLO
"Another popular Pentecostal 'faith healer' of our day is
Morris Cerullo, who took over The Inspirational Network
after Jim Bakker was convicted and sentenced to prison.
Cerullo teaches that healing is in the atonement, and he
practices the supposed 'word of knowledge' ministry of
identifying healings which are taking place in his meetings.
In a 1976 mailing, Cerullo referred to something new in his
ministry called a 'Revelation-Healing Institute' through which
he predicts 'unusual miracles--miracles that require deep
penetration of the Spirit' (F.E.A. News & Views, Fundamental
Evangelistic Association, Nov.-Dec. 1976). At his healing
crusades Cerullo proclaims that 'it is God's will to heal every person'
(Calgary Herald, Calgary, Alberta, June 6, 1987), yet those with
obvious sicknesses--such as those in the wheelchair sections--go
back home disappointed.
"The September 1992 issue of the Evangelical Times contained
the following information about Cerullo healing crusades:
'Miss Audrey Reynolds attended a Morris Cerullo healing
crusade in London and believed she was healed of a brain
abnormality. She stopped taking her medicine and, as a result,
suffered a fatal brain seizure. Sir Montague Levine, the Southwark
Coroner, told the inquest, 'It was a tragedy that she went to
this meeting and thought she was cured of everything. Sadly,
it led to her death.'
'Andrew Fergusson, a general practitioner for ten years and
currently the General Secretary of the Christian Medical Fellowship,
was present at the Earl's Court meetings. He recently wrote, 'The
healing miracles of the New Testament were instant, total reversals
of obvious, organic disease which nobody could argue with, and
indeed that was the gold standard Cerullo set by his advertising.
We saw nothing verifiable that approached this' (Evangelical Times,
September 1992, reprinted in Australian Beacon, Oct. 1992).
"Foundation magazine, published by the Fundamental Evangelistic
Association of Los Osos, California, wisely warns: 'Multitudes
have been discouraged and led astray by so-called faith healers
such as Cerullo. Their paths are strewn with heartbreak and confusion.
I realize that many feel it is wrong to speak publicly against supposed
Christian preachers such as this, but this type of thing is a great
wickedness. It is a serious matter to claim that God wants to heal
every sickness' (Foundation, May-June 1980)."
Source:
Updated December 6, 2004 (first published August 3, 1998) (David W. Cloud,
Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron,
MI 48061-0368, fbns{at}wayoflife.org) - The following is Part 3 of 3 of
"The Strange History of Pentecostalism" by David W. Cloud--
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