Heidi Baker’s claim to be an apostle
Heidi Baker
Recently I wrote about Bill Johnson’s attempt, in a Christianity Today cover story, to distance himself from the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).
Now I address Heidi Baker’s denial—also reported in Christianity Today—that she’s part of the NAR. It appeared in a May 2012 cover story about Baker, titled “Miracles in Mozambique: How Mama Heidi Reaches the Abandoned.” The author, Tim Stafford, indicates that the reason people lump Heidi Baker and her husband, Rolland Baker, with the NAR is because of their association with the Toronto movement and loyalty to its leaders, many of whom are part of the NAR. But, unlike those leaders, Stafford writes “the Bakers do not promote the New Apostolic Reformation or consider themselves to be modern-day apostles.”
Contrary to what Stafford was told, Heidi Baker does claim to be a modern-day apostle and, thus, is part of the NAR. He must not have seen a video of her personal testimony—posted on YouTube in May 2011, a year before the article was published. If he did see it, he missed her claim to be an apostle. Though she does not directly state the words, “I am an apostle,” she clearly claims to be one. Anyone who understands the NAR and watches the video knows that’s exactly what she’s claiming. Watch it for yourself and see if you can spot the indicators.
A commission and a public affirmation
Here’s a brief recap of the portion of the video where she claims to be an apostle. Starting in the video at about 6:16, Baker recounts the story of her appointment as an apostle, which occurred while attending a revival in Toronto led by the NAR apostle Randy Clark. After being miraculously healed of double pneumonia, she has a visionary experience when she sees Jesus, face to face, and receives a specific commission by him regarding her work with orphaned children in Mozambique.
Also while at Toronto, Clark—while speaking to the audience at large—suddenly publicly affirms her appointment as an apostle. He says, ““I have to change my message. I need to speak about the apostolic anointing.” (Those in the NAR know that to have an “apostolic anointing” is a NAR euphemism for being an apostle.) As Clark prophesies to her about her appointment, Baker is flipped on her head by God and she hears the Lord speak to her again about being an apostle. While Baker is still on her head, another senior leader of the Toronto revival, Ian Ross, asks her if he can pour water on her—a prophetic act and, apparently, a public symbol affirming her appointment as an apostle.
Miraculous signs and wonders In the video, Baker describes how, after this apostolic commissioning and public affirmation, amazing miracles began to occur through Iris Global, her missionary organization in Mozambique. These miracles include seeing bread, literally, be multiplied supernaturally to feed hungry people—similar to the way Jesus multiplied bread. And the work of Iris Global exploded—going from a small organization working with just four churches and 320 children to becoming a massive organization working with thousands of churches and children.
In short, this is how Baker claims to be an apostle in the video without directly stating that she’s an apostle.
She claims to have received a personal appearance and specific commission by Christ.
She claims that the commission is publicly affirmed through a prophetic word given by a well-known apostle, accompanied by supernatural phenomena and a prophetic act symbolizing her appointment.
She claims the commission is validated by miraculous signs and wonders and explosive ministry growth.
Silence that speaks
It’s telling that when Clark first identified Baker as having an “apostolic anointing,” she felt uneasy. Why did she feel uneasy? Because she understood the implications of his words—namely, that he was calling her an apostle. Recalling the moment when Clark first refers to her as having an “apostolic” anointing, she said, “Well that word kind of bothered me because I had seen a lot of arrogance surrounding the word. So my little theological brain was ticking.”
But notice what she doesn’t say. By recounting this incident—and never suggesting that Clark was wrong to identify her as an apostle—she’s drawing her listeners to the same conclusion.
Take a look at Baker’s words describing Clark’s public affirmation of her commission.
Suddenly Randy says, “apostolic anointing” and God just flips me up on the side of my head, on top of my head. … I’m like, “What are you doing God?” And I’m on my head. And I remember this song. I said, “Take me and use me. Bruise me if need be.” And I was singing about white fields of harvest and children crying and dying. … And I’m on my head and then—bam!-- I’m down. And I was literally bruised from head to toe. And as I’m up on my head, the Lord said, “Apostolics upside down. It’s the lowest place.”
Pay close attention to those last words: “Apostolics upside down. It’s the lowest place.” In other words, she claims to be an apostle, but one of great humility. That’s why she doesn’t claim it directly.
