Hidden in Plain Sight: The NAR Agenda of 'The Response SC'
On Saturday, June 13, thousands of Christians are expected to gather at a coliseum in South Carolina for a prayer rally called "The Response SC." Many seem unaware that this event is about much more than simply praying and fasting on behalf of the nation. It's organized by leaders of the controversial New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement and has--as a pivotal part its agenda--a revolution of church and civil government led by NAR apostles and prophets.First some background: This will be the third Response event to date. The first Response was held in Houston in 2011, and featured Texas governor Rick Perry. The second was held in Baton Rouge earlier this year, and featured Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. Saturday's event will feature both Gov. Jindal (who is expected to run for president) and South Carolina's governor, Nikki Haley. The Response is hosted by a Christian group called the American Renewal Project.NAR leaders who have played prominent roles in organizing the Response events include NAR apostle Doug Stringer, of Somebody Cares International; NAR prophet Lou Engle, of TheCall; and senior staff members of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri--a NAR organization.So how has the radical NAR agenda of the Response gone largely unnoticed? Many people seem to just accept what the event's promotional materials say, without digging any deeper. For example, according to the Response website, Saturday's event will not be affiliated with any particular ministry or denomination, and will not promote anybody's personal agenda. It states:
The only thing we will be promoting is the Church taking responsibility for the condition of the land, in humility and repentance following Joel 2 and 2 Chronicles 7:14.
That sounds innocuous. But, despite disclaimers to the contrary, a NAR agenda is being promoted--an agenda for NAR apostles to take over governance of the church. In other words, while it's true that the event isn't promoting any particular denomination, it is promoting a divisive and sectarian religious movement. To see what I mean, check out the Daily Prayer Guide--e-mailed to supporters prior to the event. The guide for Week 3, Day 17 (which is also posted on the website) is titled "A Call to Declaration: Godly Church & Civil Government." It opens with a description of prophetic decrees that have been made about South Carolina by leading NAR prophets and teachers Chuck Pierce and Dutch Sheets--decrees about church and civil government. It says:
Several years ago, Chuck Pierce and Dutch Sheets came to South Carolina and decreed a shift and realignment in the church government and then the civil government, in that order.They said these realignments will be recovenanted with God's purpose so that South Carolina can influence the entire nation. It was also said that wealth will be released that will affect the whole nation and not be hoarded by some in the South Carolina government.
People unfamiliar with the NAR teaching known as "fivefold ministry" could not know that the references to a "shift" and "realignment" in church government are actually references to an overthrow of the current church governments led by pastors and elders and the rise of a new NAR church government led by apostles and prophets. But that's exactly what's in view. This is made clear in the same prayer guide just two paragraphs later, where it specifically identifies the fivefold ministry teaching, which NAR leaders claim is supported by Ephesians 4:11-13:
It is God's will to keep His church government, i.e. the fivefold ministry from Ephesians 4, in place and to have His hand-picked civil leadership in place at all times.