Dark Christianity
dark_christian
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May 2008
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dogemperor [userpic]
And now, a request for help...

Specifically, a new project that should be useful to people researching dominionism.

My inspiration was in updates for the "Big List" (via an accidental discovery whilst searching for info re my last post to Dark Christianity re toughened college standards in California and how dominionist education doesn't make the cut anymore)...

...among other things, it appears there are a surprising number of front groups for some dominionist denominations, in particular the AoG (I know of at least seven or eight, there are probably far more).

I know some other groups nominally associated with dominionism that are known to be coercive religious groups (such as the Unification Church/Moonies) have front groups numbering in the hundreds to thousands, as do some other coercive religious groups like Scientology; I have also read in multiple pages on studies of coercive religious groups that the existance of hundreds of "front organisations" may in fact be a hallmark of larger coercive religious groups in general.

So, with that:

I would like to propose a research project, if folks want to assist me in it--namely, mapping out known front groups and associations of some of the larger dominionist groups. (As I have argued in past, many if not most dominionist groups are also coercive religious groups.)

My hope is that this might end up being an extension of the "Big List" in that people can know in general what groups to avoid if they wish not to support dominionism.

My work in maintaining the Big List has indicated to me that this is probably best done by group/denomination, so as to make it less unweildy. I will also be willing to set up a BlogSpot page (like I have for the Big List) to list known "front organisations" by group.)

For a first effort, I'll start with the following:

Known front groups for the Assemblies of God:

Charity front groups:
Convoy of Hope (charity "front group" for AoG)
We Care America (charity "front group" for AoG, associated with "youth ministry")
KidCare America (charity "front group" for AoG)
We Care For Youth ("teen issues" front group for AoG)
Dream Center (Los Angeles) (confirmed as linked with AoG via Wikipedia entry on group and noted for potential profiteering and abuse of Hurricane Katrina evacuees)
Ambassadors in Mission (another front group of the AoG that may be operating as a charity group)
Hillcrest Children's Home (see below in "front groups targeting children")

Front groups targeting other churches:
Royal Rangers/Missionettes (see entry below under groups targeting children; promoted in churches outside the AoG)
Bible Bowl/Bible Quiz (which is promoted to churches outside the AoG and is supposedly the largest "Bible Bowl" group in the country in terms of participants)
Gospel Publishing House (religious publisher owned/operated by the AoG)
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (see below; may be promoted to churches outside the AoG)
KingdomBuy (dominionist "shadow economy" promoter, which is an AoG front group; per this page it is noted the group is affiliated with AoG and per the following WorldNetDaily article is also one of the major funnelers of money to dominionist groups like the AFA; many major retails as a result have specifically disaffiliated themselves from KingdomBuy and retailers are now putting in policies of refusal to affiliate with *any* religious groups (THIS is the reason Target is no longer allowing the Salvation Army on its property; it's because of groups like KingdomBuy).)
"Messianic Jew" movements in general (the vast majority of "messianic Jew" groups that are not directly affiliated with Jews for Jesus are in fact AoG; the very AoG church I walked away from hosted "messianic Jew" groups, and Rick Ross Institute has reported re coercive religious tactics and harassment; the movement in general and one particular AoG "Messianic Jew" group in particular have led the state of Israel to consider banning Christian missionaries altogether)
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (an AoG front group focusing on both "Messianic Jews" and of AoGers themselves adopting Jewish holidays and ritual in the form of Messianic Jews; extremely controversial in Israel itself; of special note, has (ironically) been linked to a Holocaust Revisionist work called "The Pink Swastika" (re sponsor list: see annotated version; also note that at least one other AoG church is affiliated with this hate work) which claims that gays were not only NOT killed in the Holocaust but that the Nazi Party was almost entirely homosexual)
Together in the Harvest Ministries (main front group of Brownsville Assemblies of God church in Pensacola, major focus of "Third Wave" flavour of pentecostalism (which is widely recognised as particularly coercive; see http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com for more info); this site also has good info on coercive religious practices in Brownsville and similar "third wave" AoG churches; main focus of "Together in the Harvest" is spreading of "third wave" theology to other churches including outside of the AoG itself)
High Adventure Ministries (see below) and in particular Voice of Hope Jerusalem (see below)

Front groups focusing on children/minors:
Royal Rangers and Missionettes (may be promoted outside of the AoG proper, per the Wikipedia entries on the groups--other churches may not be familiar with the AoG links)
Teen Challenge (promoted as a "troubled youth" charity; is linked with the AoG per the Wikipedia article on group; per Rick Ross Institute group may qualify as a coercive religious group)
"Hell Houses" in general (original promoter of "Hell Houses" was an AoG church, and most "hell house" setups are run by groups affiliated with the AoG)
Youth Alive (group affiliated with the AoG that focuses on "stealth evangelism" of youngsters in schools)
The Seven Project (another "stealth evangelism" campaign of the AoG targeted towards teenagers, usually via mandatory assemblies disguised as anti-drug talks; disturbingly, this has included public school systems and is now the subject of a lawsuit)
Speed The Light (a more direct attempt at prosyletisation to teens operated by the AoG)
Global Youth Leaders Net (another branch of the AoG targeting youth, promoted as an alternative to Junior Achievement et al)
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (AoG "front group"/accreditation mill for dominionist schools and homeschooling programs; may be promoted outside the AoG)
WorldBeat (see below under "media")
Go360 (see below under "media")
Hillcrest Children's Home (an orphanage operated by the AoG; as the AoG is increasingly associated with coercive tactics and that are recognised as abusive this is nothing less than child abuse IMNSHO)
Youth With A Mission (may well qualify as AoG front group; group was originally founded by AoG church, per the AoG itself is an affiliated group, and is probably one of the front groups of the AoG most consistently associated with spiritual abuse. YWAM is also linked with AoG televangelist Benny Hinn (per this article))


Front groups targeting hospitalised individuals and other vulnerable populations:
Healthcare Ministries (group affiliated with the AoG targeting hospitalised populations; *this* is partly why I am presently writing up a specific care directive prohibiting anyone affiliated with this group or any other group of the AoG from ministering to me if I am ever incapacitated or hospitalised)
Mercy Ships (group associated with "Youth With A Mission" and promoted as dominionist "parallel economy" alternative to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres; per this article noted affiliation with YWAM (another "stealth evangelism" front) and in fact the organisation admits its link with YWAM)
Victory Outreach (a front group of the AoG targeting persons with substance addictions; per this listing there are concerns of spiritual abuse)
Groups in general focusing on "false memory syndrome" (this site details how many of the "counselors" promoting this--usually as part of "Satanic Panic" claiming mass numbers of diabolist covens existed in the US--are in fact affiliated with the AoG)
WORD Broadcasting, via "Voice of Liberty" clandestine transmitter in Liberia (more below)

Front groups targeting universities/university students:
Chi Alpha (front group operated by the AoG for "stealth evangelism" in campuses in style of Campus Crusade for Christ; is associated with AoG per Wikipedia article on group; very interestingly, group was apparently founded by John Ashcroft's father showing the level of deep political links with the AoG)

Front groups promoting themselves under potentially confusing names:
National Fine Arts Festival (a yearly arts festival in Denver that is in fact promoted and operated by the AoG)
Voice of Liberty (clandestine radio station, along with clandestine TV "Liberty Television", operated in Liberia by WORD Broadcasting--potentially confusable with Voice of America/Radio Liberty broadcasts)

Front groups specifically using "stealth evangelism" techniques not already mentioned:
Light for the Lost (has organised "steakwagons" as a form of "stealth evangelism" targeted at men)
Bethel Church (a front group of the AoG active in Britain; also operates under name King's Chapel in Norwich, CT; per this site multiple reports of coercive activity including specific types of coercion associated with "deliverance ministry")
Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (a front group of the AoG targeting businessmen and other professionals; has been associated with coercive Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea (which is the church that originated the "Third Wave" aka "Brownsville" stuff and other coercive tactics in the AoG); per multiple reports is associated with spiritual abuse as well as dominionist planning and may be particularly responsible for dominionist infiltration of the military; per this article and this article group has falsely advertised itself as interfaith group but rejects non-dominionists)

Front groups specifically involved in politics:
Family First (political party in Australia, specifically tied with the AoG and a de facto political wing of the AoG in that country; one particular AoG church associated with a Family First candidate caused a national controversy in Australia regarding hate speech)
Logos Foundation (now defunct) (predecessor group of Family First, is both associated with AoG and was blatantly dominionist per Wikipedia article)

Televangelists and politicians, etc. (to be edited)

Benny Hinn (possibly most infamous of modern AoG-affiliated TV preachers, heavy into both word-faith (aka "name it and claim it") and "third wave" doctrines; is presently being investigated for fraud and may end up losing tax exempt status; per this site also linked to coercive activity)
Mike Murdock (another AoG-affiliated TV preacher, per
this site also being investigated for potential fraud)
Gene Scott (per this site is associated with the AoG)

Television/radio/media networks:
PTL (now defunct) (was operated by AoG preacher Jim Bakker; archive of misbehaviour here)
Trinity Broadcasting Network (associated with AoG per Wikipedia article on founder; also major broadcasting source of most AoG-affiliated TV preachers per this page; presently subject of investigation re financial accountability)
World Mission Media (the main center of the AoG's broadcasting empire)
NewsBreak (front group promoted as a "news service" and often broadcast on religious channels)
WorldBeat (AoG programming targeted at teenagers)
Go360 (children's programming "front group" of AoG)
CrossWalk (dominionist website that is operated as division of Salem Communications, promoted by AoG frontgroup Healthcare Ministries)
WORD Broadcasting (front group operated by large AoG megachurch in KY that is de facto center of dominionist movement in that state; of note, is licensee of WJIE International (formerly WJCR), a shortwave godcaster (to which link goes). Proof of front group obtained by fact church owns TV station licensed to WORD Broadcasting, operates radio station (with same call letters) licensed to church's school. Has set up pirate radio stations in other countries; also associated with High Adventure Ministries/Voice of Hope Jerusalem, below)
High Adventure Ministries d/b/a Voice of Hope Jerusalem (shortwave and satellite godcaster, associated with WJIE and carried on Sky Angel (dominionist DishTV reseller); partner with WJIE in setting up massive shortwave godcasting network; has operated clandestine radio station in Lebanon in past; major party in funding of "Messianic Jew" movements)
(And mind, that's just from about an hour or two searching on Google...and I do not PRETEND this is a complete list!)

Anyway, if we could get folks working on mapping the various groups associated with dominionist groups/denominations in such a fashion it might well be easier to show (among other things) evidence they're *definitely* trying to hide something. :3