| “Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions” (ECNR) – History | Background In December 1999 Harvest House Publishers published the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR) by John Ankerberg and John Weldon. Ankerberg and Weldon were prolific authors whose books included several sensationalistic “exposés,” most of which were published by … | 2015/01/21 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, lawsuits, litigation, Robert Hawkins | 2015-01-21 17:56:43 |
| “The Mindbenders” – History | In 1980 various local churches and church members filed separate libel suits in California, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas against Thomas Nelson Publishers, Jack Sparks, Jon Braun, Richard (Dick) Ballew, Peter Gillquist, et al over the publication of The Mindbenders: A … | 2015/01/14 | EOC, Evangelical Orthodox Church, Jack Sparks, NCAO, New Covenant Apostolic Order, The Mindbenders, Thomas Nelson | 2015-01-14 16:46:11 |
| Watchman Nee on Christians Filing Lawsuits | The following exchange occurred on June 29, 1948, as part of a question and answer session in a training conducted by Watchman Nee at Kuling Mountain: Question Sister Wang Shu-ging: If some schools insist on cutting the girls’ hair, what … | 2014/03/06 | lawsuits, litigation, Watchman Nee | 2014-03-06 20:09:32 |
| A General History | In the 1960s and early 1970s many young seeking Christians throughout the United States were privileged to hear a fresh speaking of the gospel of Christ through the ministry of Witness Lee, a co-worker of Watchman Nee. Witness Lee had … | 2014/03/06 | Christian World Liberation Front, cult accusation, CWLF, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, History, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, lawsuits, libel, litigation, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men, The Mindbenders | 2014-03-06 19:57:25 |
| Local Church et al vs. Harvest House et al – Local Church | Our Faith Holding the Bible as the complete and only divine revelation, we strongly believe that God is eternally one and also eternally the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, the three being distinct but not separate. We hold that … | 2013/12/07 | beliefs, local churches | 2013-12-07 00:40:10 |
| Harvest House – A Brief Chronology of Events (Nov. – Dec. 2001) | An Accurate Timeline Harvest House attempted to portray itself as the victim in the dispute with the local churches and Living Stream Ministry (LSM) over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR). Our hope is that this simple yet … | 2013/12/07 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, lawsuits, litigation, Robert Hawkins | 2013-12-07 00:38:25 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Facts on Litigation | On December 14, 2001, Harvest House Publishers, publisher of the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR), filed a lawsuit against The Church in Fullerton, “aka Living Stream Ministry, and the Local Church.” Television talk show host, John Ankerberg, and … | 2013/11/16 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, lawsuits, litigation | 2013-11-16 00:43:36 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Questions & Answers | Why did you sue over this book (ECNR)? What does ECNR say about you that is false and damaging? Why couldn’t you have waited longer before suing? Have you ever filed this kind of litigation before? Why did you sue … | 2013/11/16 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, lawsuits, litigation | 2013-11-16 00:41:47 |
| Statement by Living Stream Ministry Regarding Aberrant Religious Groups in China | Recently, stories have begun to surface in the West regarding problems the Chinese government is having with some splinter religious groups in Western China. At least one of these groups, “Lightning from the East” has been linked in government reports … | 2012/12/20 | Almighty God sect, China, Eastern Lightning, Lightning from the East, Shouters | 2012-12-20 00:00:00 |
| Progress of Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al | These pages provide information concerning the defamation action involving the Local Church (an unincorporated association), Living Stream Ministry, and a number of local churches (plaintiffs) and Harvest House Publishers, John Ankerberg and John Weldon (defendants) concerning the book “Encyclopedia of … | 2010/01/04 | amicus brief, court filing, Court of Appeals, court ruling, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release, Robert Hawkins, Texas Supreme Court, US Supreme Court | 2010-01-04 00:00:00 |
| Repeating False Witness Concerning SCP Bankruptcy | A Response to Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes’ Defense of the “Open Letter” and Critique of the Christian Research Journal’s Reassessment of the Local Churches Read this document as a PDF In an article attacking the Christian Research Institute’s reassessment … | 2010/01/01 | false witness, Neil Duddy, Norman Geisler, Ron Rhodes, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 |
| Repeating False Witness Concerning Litigation over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions | A Response to Norman Geisler and Ron Rhodes’ Defense of the “Open Letter” and Critique of the Christian Research Journal’s Reassessment of the Local Churches Read this document as a PDF In “A Response to the Christian Research Journal‘s Recent … | 2010/01/01 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, false witness, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, libel, litigation, Norman Geisler, Ron Rhodes | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 |
| Motion for Rehearing | This document is the official Motion for Rehearing submitted to the Texas Supreme Court on part of the plaintiffs in Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al after the Texas Court of Appeals ruled to overturn earlier District … | 2009/02/28 | court filing, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, Texas Supreme Court | 2009-02-28 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Cult Experts (U.S. Supreme Court) | Three organizations and four individuals filed this amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of the appeal of The Local Church, Living Stream Ministry, et al for relief from defamation in the Encyclopedia of Cults and New … | 2009/02/28 | amicus brief, cult accusation, Gretchen Passantino, US Supreme Court | 2009-02-28 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Texas Supreme Court Decision | December 12, 2006 On August 2, 2006, Living Stream Ministry (LSM) and 93 local churches petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to review the decision of the Texas Court of Appeals concerning the libel case brought by these churches and LSM … | 2009/02/28 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release, Texas Supreme Court | 2009-02-28 00:00:00 |
| A Letter to Our Friends | [Note: Subheadings have been added to enhance readability.] To our many friends and interested parties who have followed the developments in the libel case filed by Living Stream Ministry and 95 local churches against the authors and publisher of Encyclopedia … | 2007/06/25 | AIA, Answers in Action, Christian Research Institute, Court of Appeals, CRI, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, First Amendment, Fuller Theological Seminary, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, litigation, Texas Supreme Court, US Supreme Court | 2007-06-25 00:00:00 |
| A Letter to the Saints in the Lord’s Recovery | June 22, 2007 Dear Saints, This week the United States Supreme Court declined to hear our appeal in the libel suit against the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR). This means that we have come to the end of … | 2007/06/22 | AIA, Answers in Action, Christian Research Institute, Court of Appeals, CRI, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, Fuller Theological Seminary, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, litigation, Texas Supreme Court, US Supreme Court | 2007-06-22 00:00:00 |
| Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court Decision | June 20, 2007 ANAHEIM, CA, June 20 – A ruling this week by The United States Supreme Court electing not to grant review of a Texas Court of Appeals decision in the libel case filed by Living Stream Ministry (LSM) … | 2007/06/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release, US Supreme Court | 2007-06-20 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Publishers, Broadcasters, Religious Organizations (U.S. Supreme Court) | Six signers in the field of publishing, broadcasting, and religion submitted an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court, urging the court to review the appeal of the local churches and Living Stream Ministry seeking relief from defamation in … | 2007/06/05 | amicus brief, publishing standards, US Supreme Court | 2007-06-05 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from International Experts (U.S. Supreme Court) | Six international experts signed an amicus brief asking the United States Supreme Court to review the Texas Court of Appeals decision in The Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al case. The brief argued that “the Court of … | 2007/05/29 | amicus brief, religious freedom, US Supreme Court | 2007-05-29 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Prominent Religious and Social Science Scholars (U.S. Supreme Court) | Ten prominent scholars in the fields of religion and the social sciences signed an amicus brief asking the United States Supreme Court to review the Texas Court of Appeals decision in The Local Church et al v. Harvest House et … | 2007/05/29 | amicus brief, scholars, US Supreme Court | 2007-05-29 00:00:00 |
| Petition for Writ of Certiorari | This document is the official Petition for Writ of Certiorari submitted by the local churches to the U.S. Supreme Court, in an appeal to said Supreme Court—that they would review the case (Local Church, Living Stream Ministry, et al. v. … | 2007/05/16 | court filing, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, US Supreme Court | 2007-05-16 00:00:00 |
| Responses to Harvest House Publishers’ Public Accusations | The following is a list of postings on this site written in response to Harvest House Publishers’ further public accusations against Living Stream Ministry and the local churches: February 13, 2007 A new Web site entitled “The Testimony of the … | 2007/02/13 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, libel, litigiousness, publishing standards, Robert Hawkins | 2007-02-13 18:12:40 |
| Amicus Brief from Rodney A. Smolla (Texas Supreme Court) | Dr. Rodney A. Smolla, Dean and George Allen Professor of Law and the University of Richmond School of Law, submitted an amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court urging the justices to reconsider the Texas Court of Appeals decision in … | 2007/02/09 | amicus brief, libel, US Supreme Court | 2007-02-09 00:00:00 |
| Reply to Response to Petition for Review | This document is the reply made on part of the local churches to Harvest House’s response to the Petition for Review document submitted by the local churches to the Texas Supreme Court, appealing that the court would review the case … | 2006/10/27 | court filing, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-10-27 00:00:00 |
| ECNR: A Response to Further Public Misrepresentations by John Ankerberg, John Weldon, and Robert Hawkins, Jr. | October 23, 2006 When we filed an appeal asking the Texas Supreme Court to overturn the flawed summary judgment decision in our lawsuit over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, publisher Robert Hawkins and authors John Ankerberg and John … | 2006/10/23 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement, Robert Hawkins | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Criticism of Organized Christianity | Harvest House Publishers and its authors, John Ankerberg and John Weldon, have endeavored to make Living Stream Ministry and the local churches repulsive in the eyes of the Christian public by portraying us as anti-Christian, that is, against Christians and … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity, clergy-laity, denominations, division, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, hypocrisy, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, oneness of the believers, recovery, subjective experience of Christ | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Harvest House Books Echo Our Criticism of Christianity | Harvest House along with John Ankerberg and John Weldon, the authors of the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, consistently claim that their standard of truth is “biblical Christianity.” However, in order to attack Living Stream Ministry and the local … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity, denominations, division, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, hypocrisy, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, oneness of the believers | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Harvest House’s Hypocrisy Concerning Criticism of Christianity | Harvest House’s attempt to cause fellow believers to shun Living Stream Ministry and the local churches by inciting revulsion against our Scriptural critique of the non-biblical religious system of today’s Christianity is an exercise in hypocrisy. An examination of quotes … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity, denominations, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, hypocrisy, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| ECNR’s Misrepresentations | Portraying Us as against Christians and the Christian Faith Living Stream Ministry and the local churches are described in Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR) in terms that encourage people to exclude us from Christian fellowship. Concerning our churches … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity, church ground, clergy-laity, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, hypocrisy, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, subjective experience of Christ | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Misrepresentations on the Harvest House Corporate Web Site | Harvest House has been actively seeking to influence public opinion against Living Stream Ministry and the local churches by publishing out of context statements. This is an attempt to scandalize Christian readers against us and against our critique of today’s … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity, church ground, clergy-laity, division, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, oneness of the believers, subjective experience of Christ | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Response to the Accusation that the Local Churches are Litigious | Throughout the lawsuit, Defendants Harvest House Publishers, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon attempted to tar the local churches and Living Stream Ministry as “litigious” by making repeated comparisons to the Church of Scientology. In their brief to the Court of … | 2006/10/23 | 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, litigiousness, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men, The Mindbenders | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Misrepresenting the Lawsuit and Our Objections to ECNR | Throughout the entire course of the litigation the Defendants consistently misrepresented both the nature of the case and of our objections to the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR). Specifically: They misrepresented the case as a theological dispute which … | 2006/10/23 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| The Lawsuit Over ECNR Is Not About Theology | The Defendants consistently tried to spin the litigation over the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions as a theological dispute. In their brief to the Court of Appeals they accused the Plaintiffs of using “legal action to silence their theological … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity Today, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Our Objections to “The Local Church” Chapter in ECNR | During a 2006 Point of View radio broadcast, John Ankerberg stated, “…the Local Church did not challenge us on anything we said in the chapter about them.”1 Later in the same broadcast he said, “…and they never took exception to … | 2006/10/23 | Christianity Today, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Fuller Theological Seminary, Harvest House, hypocrisy, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Harvest House President Bob Hawkins’ Distortion of History | In 2006, Harvest House President Bob Hawkins, Jr., appeared as a guest on the Point of View broadcast.1 In his comments on that broadcast he gave a very distorted view of the interactions between representatives of the local churches and … | 2006/10/23 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, History, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, letters of protest, Matthew 18 | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Harvest House Misrepresents Their Own Definition of “Cult” | Harvest House, John Ankerberg, and John Weldon claim that the word “cult” as used in the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions (ECNR) is a theological term. In a corporate statement published on their Web site Harvest House Publishers says: … | 2006/10/23 | cult accusation, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2006-10-23 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Gretchen Passantino (Texas Supreme Court) | After reading Hank Hanegraaff’s amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court, Gretchen Passantino, director of the countercult ministry Answers in Action, wrote a letter brief to the court endorsing the “Brief of Amicus Curiae Hank Hanegraaff in Support of the … | 2006/08/18 | amicus brief, Gretchen Passantino, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-18 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Prominent Religion and Social Science Scholars (Texas Supreme Court) | Several prominent religious scholars in the fields of religious studies and the social sciences submitted an amicus brief calling on the Texas Supreme Court to review the Texas Court of Appeals ruling in The Local Church et al v. Harvest … | 2006/08/10 | amicus brief, scholars, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-10 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Publishers and Broadcasters (Texas Supreme Court) | Seven men with extensive experience in the publishing and broadcasting industries submitted an amicus brief supporting the local churches’ request to the Texas Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals decision in The Local Church et al v. Harvest … | 2006/08/09 | amicus brief, publishing standards, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-09 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief re: International Impact (Texas Supreme Court) | Eight individuals submitted an amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court attesting to the damaging effect of the Texas Court of Appeals decision in The Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al. The brief pointed out that the … | 2006/08/09 | amicus brief, religious freedom, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-09 00:00:00 |
| Amicus Brief from Hank Hanegraaff (Texas Supreme Court) | Hank Hanegraaff, President of the Christian Research Institute, submitted a letter brief to the Texas Supreme Court, asking the justices to review and reverse the Court of Appeals decision in The Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al. … | 2006/08/07 | amicus brief, Hank Hanegraaff, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-07 00:00:00 |
| Petition for Review | This document is the official Petition for Review submitted by the local churches to the Texas Supreme Court as the first step in appealing to said Supreme Court—that they would review the case (Local Church, Living Stream Ministry, et al. … | 2006/08/02 | court filing, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, Texas Supreme Court | 2006-08-02 00:00:00 |
| Why Are We Continuing Our Legal Efforts? | Current Situation We are grateful to the Lord for the warm fellowship which He has provided us with many Evangelical friends over the past five years. In particular we are very happy about the statement issued in January by Fuller … | 2006/02/27 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement | 2006-02-27 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Court of Appeals Decision | See the Appellee’s Motion for Rehearing of the Court’s January 5, 2006 Judgment filed on February 16, 2006. On January 5, 2006, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision denying summary judgment and ruled for the Defendants. … | 2006/01/16 | Court of Appeals, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release | 2006-01-16 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Court Filings and Major Court Rulings | United States Supreme Court June 28, 2007 [Press Release on the U.S. Supreme Court decision not to review the case] June 7, 2007 Petition for Writ of Certiorari (May 16, 2007) supported by five amicus briefs: Hank Hanegraaff/Christian Research Institute, … | 2005/12/05 | court filing, court ruling, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Miscellaneous Procedural and Evidentiary Court Rulings | April 2, 2004 Order overruling Defendants’ objections to summary judgment evidence. This evidence included: “Local Church” chapters drafted two years after the first printing of ECNR, as well as other affidavits and deposition testimony. The unpublished chapters admit: “The Local … | 2005/12/05 | court ruling, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Press Releases | June 28, 2007 Statement on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court not to review the case A Letter to Our Friends A Letter to the Saints in the Lord’s Recovery June 7, 2007 Petition Filed with the United States … | 2005/12/05 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Letters of Protest Written Prior to Litigation | November 20, 2001 Letter with enclosures, to Robert Hawkins, Jr., copied to John Ankerberg and John Weldon supplying additional information May 24, 2001 Letter to John Weldon May 24, 2001 Letter to John Ankerberg May 16, 2001 Letter to Robert … | 2005/12/05 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, letters of protest | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Prelude to Conflict | Christian World Liberation Front (CWLF), the New Covenant Apostolic Order (NCAO), Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP) & the Local Churches Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, Campus Crusade, and the Church In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the ministry of Watchman Nee … | 2005/12/05 | Brooks Alexander, Campus Crusade, Christian World Liberation Front, CWLF, History, Jack Sparks, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men, The Mindbenders | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Is Our Appeal to the Courts in Accordance with Scripture? | Matthew 18:15-17 The Christian steps to resolve an unrighteous situation with brothers is described in Matthew 18:15-17. In accordance with this word, we wrote repeatedly to Harvest House Publishers and their authors, John Ankerberg and John Weldon, to explain their … | 2005/12/05 | 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, lawsuits, litigation, Matthew 18 | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Index | United States Supreme Court Declines Review At the end of June, 2007, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear and rule in our case, Local Church, et al v. Harvest House, et al concerning defamatory statements in Encyclopedia of … | 2005/12/05 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al— Relevant Documents | For convenience and clarity the documents have been grouped into the following categories: Court Filings and Major Court Decisions Miscellaneous Procedural and Evidentiary Court Rulings Press Releases and Public Statements Letters of Protest Written Prior to Litigation | 2005/12/05 | court filing, court ruling, ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, index, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, letters of protest, press release | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al—Rutherford Institute Amicus | Living Stream Ministry and The Local Church Clarify Issues Related to Landmark Lawsuit Addressing Publisher’s Responsibility Beyond Right to Publish Houston, Nov. 1, 2005 – The Rutherford Institute (TRI) recently filed an amicus brief on behalf of Harvest House Publishers, … | 2005/11/01 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, First Amendment, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release, Rutherford Institute | 2005-11-01 00:00:00 |
| Harvest House Persists in Libel | April 20, 2004 In 1999 Harvest House Publishers and authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon initiated a public attack upon Living Stream Ministry, the Local Church and the local churches by including them in the Encyclopedia of Cults and New … | 2004/04/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement | 2004-04-20 00:00:00 |
| Irrefutable Facts 1-10 | Authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon concluded, “Theologically speaking, Witness Lee and the Local Church do not constitute a cult, or strictly speaking, a non-Christian religion” in at least eight different manuscripts from the early 1980s through early 1999. John … | 2004/04/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, litigation, public statement, publishing standards | 2004-04-20 00:00:00 |
| Did Harvest House Use Professional Editorial Practices? | Claiming that it “adhered to professional editorial practices in the course of producing the Encyclopedia [of Cults and New Religions (ECNR)],” Harvest House said, “The Local Church. failed to acknowledge” three “facts.”1 However, we stand by our original statement: “Responsible … | 2004/04/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement, publishing standards | 2004-04-20 00:00:00 |
| Does Harvest House Have Acceptable Editorial Standards? | Harvest House claims the Local Church “completely misrepresented Harvest House by failing to acknowledge the company does indeed abide by fixed and acceptable editorial standards.”1 Take another look at the quote Harvest House chose to dispute: None of the 12 … | 2004/04/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement, publishing standards | 2004-04-20 00:00:00 |
| Response to Harvest House Corporate Statement, 03/18/04 | March 19, 2004 Those who have followed the progress of the current libel litigation between Living Stream Ministry (LSM), the Local Church et al and Harvest House Publishers (HH) et al are aware that the issues involved go far beyond … | 2004/03/19 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, First Amendment, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, public statement | 2004-03-19 00:00:00 |
| Local Church et al v. Harvest House et al — Press Release 06/20/2003 | Harvest House Publishers’ Motion to Dismiss Denied HOUSTON, June 20, 2003 – In a case that is being followed closely by the evangelical Christian and publishing communities, State District Court Judge Kent Sullivan has dismissed a motion for summary judgment … | 2003/06/20 | ECNR, Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House, John Ankerberg, John Weldon, press release | 2003-06-20 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak” | From the Preface to The Experts Speak: The Experts Speak is the testimony of five expert witnesses who testified on behalf of Witness Lee and the local churches in Alameda County Superior Court on May 28 and 31, 1985. The … | 1994/11/30 | index, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Contents | The Testimony of John Gordon Melton, Ph.D. Dr. Melton’s Qualifications His Knowledge of the Spiritual Counterfeits Project His Initial Categorization of the “Local Church”: With the Plymouth Brethren A Brief History of the Spiritual Counterfeits Project A Brief History of … | 1994/11/30 | Edwin S. Gaustad, Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, H. Newton Malony, index, J. Gordon Melton, John A. Saliba, Neil Duddy, Rodney Stark, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Preface | The Experts Speak is the testimony of five expert witnesses who testified on behalf of Witness Lee and the local churches in Alameda County Superior Court on May 28 and 31, 1985. The final expert, Dr. Edwin S. Gaustad, was … | 1994/11/30 | Die Sonderlehre, Edwin S. Gaustad, Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, H. Newton Malony, J. Gordon Melton, John A. Saliba, Neil Duddy, Rodney Stark, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Meet the Experts | The text inside brackets ([ ]) updates status of the experts as of April 1, 2015. JOHN GORDON MELTON, Ph.D. Dr. Melton is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and a member of its Northern Illinois Conference. He … | 1994/11/30 | Edwin S. Gaustad, Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, H. Newton Malony, J. Gordon Melton, John A. Saliba, Rodney Stark, scholars, The Experts Speak | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Introduction | The Experts Speak records the sworn testimony of the expert witnesses at the trial of Lee v. Duddy, et al in the Superior Court of California in May 1985. Six experts, representing diverse religious backgrounds, were asked to study the … | 1994/11/30 | Die Sonderlehre, Edwin S. Gaustad, Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, H. Newton Malony, J. Gordon Melton, John A. Saliba, Neil Duddy, Rodney Stark, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—John Gordon Melton, Ph.D. | MR. MORGAN: Doctor, I have marked as Exhibit 10 a curriculum vitae, and I will just ask if you can identify that. DR. MELTON: This is the curriculum vitae which I sent to you. MR. MORGAN: Is it up-to-date? DR. … | 1994/11/30 | J. Gordon Melton, mingling, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—John Albert Saliba, Ph.D. | MR. MORGAN: What is your calling? DR. SALIBA: I am a Catholic priest and a member of a religious order known as the Jesuits, and at the moment I hold the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Religious … | 1994/11/30 | John A. Saliba, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, Ph.D., Th.D. | MR. MORGAN: What is your calling? DR. GOETCHIUS: I am an Episcopal priest. I am Professor of Literature and Interpretation of the New Testament and Professor of Biblical Languages at the Episcopal Divinity School, and I also have a lectureship … | 1994/11/30 | Eugene Van Ness Goetchius, mingling, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Rodney Stark, Ph.D. | MR. MORGAN: You are Dr. Stark, is that right? DR. STARK: Yes. MR. MORGAN: What is your occupation or calling? DR. STARK: I am Professor of Sociology and Comparative Religion at the University of Washington. (Curriculum vitae dated August 1983 … | 1994/11/30 | Neil Duddy, Rodney Stark, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—H. Newton Malony, Ph.D. | MR. MORGAN: What is your business, profession, or calling? DR. MALONY: I’m a clinical psychologist. MR. MORGAN: All right. Let me show you what has been marked as Exhibit 23, and I will ask you if you can identify that? … | 1994/11/30 | H. Newton Malony, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The Experts Speak”—Edwin S. Gaustad, Ph.D. | EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Gaustad did not testify at the trial of Lee vs. Duddy. He did, however, research Witness Lee and the “Local Churches.” The following is a paper he wrote as the conclusion of that study and updated last … | 1994/11/30 | Edwin S. Gaustad, First Amendment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak, The God-Men | 1994-11-30 00:00:00 |
| Retraction of Larson’s Book of Cults | From: WATCH & PRAY – February 1986 The Church around the World Witness Lee Successful in Lawsuit A California court has ruled that Witness Lee and The Local Church were libeled by a book from Spiritual Counterfeits Project entitled The … | 1986/01/01 | cult accusation | 1986-01-01 00:54:48 |
| Dr. J. Gordon Melton— An Open Letter Concerning the Local Church, Witness Lee and “The God-Men” Controversy | ©1985 by The Institute for the Study of American Religion During the past year, I, like many of you have become concerned about the lawsuit between the Local Church led by Witness Lee and the Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP), Neil … | 1985/11/30 | authority, Brooks Alexander, inspiration of the Bible, J. Gordon Melton, mind, mingling, morality, Neil Duddy, Open Letter, propositional revelation, recovery, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, standards of scholarship, The God-Men | 1985-11-30 22:39:33 |
| J. Gordon Melton’s Open Letter Concerning “The God-men” — Index | After the conclusion of The God-Men case (Lee v. Duddy) in 1985, one of the expert witnesses who had testified at that trial, Dr. J. Gordon Melton, the Director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and editor … | 1985/11/30 | authority, Brooks Alexander, index, inspiration of the Bible, J. Gordon Melton, local churches, mind, morality, Neil Duddy, Open Letter, propositional revelation, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, standards of scholarship, The God-Men | 1985-11-30 00:00:00 |
| “The God-Men” by Neil T. Duddy and SCP—Judge’s Decision—Index | Index to Material Related to the Statement of Decision of the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Alameda The Statement of Decision of Judge Leon Seyranian of the Superior Court of the State … | 1985/06/27 | Die Sonderlehre, index, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 1985-06-27 00:00:00 |
| Highlights of Court Decision on “The God-Men” by Neil T. Duddy & SCP | From the Statement of Decision of the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Alameda Uncontested Trial Although the trail was uncontested because the defendants chose not to participate, the legal record contained thousands … | 1985/06/27 | Die Sonderlehre, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 1985-06-27 00:00:00 |
| Table of Contents of the Court′s Decision on “The God-men” by Neil T. Duddy and SCP | From the Statement of Decision of the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Alameda TABLE OF CONTENTS Judges Comments I. Introduction 1:17—2:7 II. Conclusion 2:7-17 III. Specific Court … | 1985/06/27 | Die Sonderlehre, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 1985-06-27 00:00:00 |
| Statement of Decision—Lee v. Duddy re: “The God-Men” by Neil Duddy and the SCP | Statement of Decision —The Judgment on The God-Men The following is an accurate rendering of Judge Leon Seyranian’s Statement of Decision in the Lee v. Duddy case concerning The God-Men by Neil Duddy and the SCP. Hyperlinks have been added … | 1985/06/27 | Die Sonderlehre, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 1985-06-27 00:00:00 |
| Judge’s Comments at the Conclusion of The God-Men Trial | Spoken by Judge Leon Seyranian of the Superior Court of the State of California at the conclusion of the trial concerning The God-Men: Mr. Morgan, I’d like to just make one brief comment: Obviously my decision will be rendered in … | 1985/06/05 | Die Sonderlehre, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The God-Men | 1985-06-05 00:31:20 |
| Retraction of “The Mindbenders” by Jack Sparks | The following is an accurate rendition of the retraction of The Mindbenders by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Read this document as a PDF In 1977 The Mindbenders, a book authored by Jack Sparks, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., accused Witness Lee … | 1983/04/10 | Jack Sparks, retraction, The Mindbenders, Thomas Nelson | 1983-04-10 00:00:00 |
| “The God-Men” by Neil T. Duddy and SCP – History | In November 1980, Witness Lee, William Freeman, and the Church in Anaheim, Inc. filed suit against Neil Duddy, the Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP), and Schwengeler-Verlag over the The God-Men by Neil Duddy and the SCP1 and Die Sonderlehre, a German … | 1980/11/30 | Brooks Alexander, Christian World Liberation Front, CWLF, Die Sonderlehre, index, J. Gordon Melton, judgment, Neil Duddy, SCP, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, The Experts Speak | 1980-11-30 00:00:00 |
| NCAO/EOC Claim of Apostolic Authority and Succession | In a November 1975 meeting near Corpus Christi, Texas, seven men—Dick Ballew, Ken Berven, Jon Braun, Peter Gillquist, Ray Nethery, Jack Sparks, and Gordon Walker—adopted the name New Covenant Apostolic Order (NCAO). This formalized their self-ordination and assertion of their … | 1979/02/15 | EOC, Evangelical Orthodox Church, NCAO, New Covenant Apostolic Order, The Mindbenders | 1979-02-15 00:00:00 |
| Recommendations to Drop “The Mindbenders” | Prior to publication, some of those who reviewed The Mindbenders advised Thomas Nelson not to publish it. Craig Lampe, who worked in the sales division of Royal Publishers, a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson, was familiar with the teachings of both … | 1976/10/06 | Jack Sparks, The Mindbenders, Thomas Nelson | 1976-10-06 00:00:00 |
| “The Mindbenders”–EOC Relations with Other Churches | Exhibit 14 from Jack Sparks’ deposition in The Mindbenders case describes the attitude of the Evangelical Orthodox Church (EOC) towards other churches in Christendom. Note particularly the following statements (marked in brackets in the PDF): “Existing Christendom will not give … | 1976/07/01 | EOC, Evangelical Orthodox Church, NCAO, New Covenant Apostolic Order, The Mindbenders | 1976-07-01 00:00:00 |