One to Watch: Torben Sondergaard

Many people have asked me what I know about Danish evangelist Torben Sondergaard, the founder of the Last Reformation movement, and whether he's part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).In short, he is part of NAR. Although my area of focus has been on American leaders of NAR, I do want to draw people's attention to this European teacher as someone to watch. Three things are clear about Sondergaard, based on a five-minute video clip from one of his teachings. This Youtube clip is titled "How to Remember the 5 Fold Church Ministry" and is part of a longer teaching by Sondergaard, titled "Reformation of the Church System."

Three things you need to know about Torben Sondergaard

1. Sondergaard advocates a view known as "restorationism." This is the belief that the church, after the first century, lost important truths and fell into apostasy. Those lost truths are now being progressively restored by teachers such as Sondergaard. Restorationism is promoted by aberrant groups, such as the New Apostolic Reformation movement, along with cults of Christianity, including Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.2. Sondergaard promotes the present-day governing offices of apostle and prophet, which is the core teaching of the New Apostolic Reformation. Notice, in the video clip, how he references the NAR "fivefold ministry" teaching that the church is to be led by apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers. He describes a prophet as one who points out sin in individual's lives and gives direction to the church--functions typically reserved for an individual who holds an authoritative office in the church, not just someone who has a prophetic gifting. He also says that a prophet and apostle work in tandem--a common teaching in NAR.3. He's very influential. The video teaching I linked to above is No. 17 in a 20-part series produced by an online school founded by Sondergaard, called the Pioneer School. His school teaches people, among other things, how to do miraculous healings. The first lesson in this series, titled "Come Out of the Box," has received over 300,000 views. In addition to starting a school, Sondergaard has produced full-length Youtube movies, including The Last Reformation: The Beginning (2016), which has received over 800,000 views, and a new movie "7 Days Adventure With God." These movies claim to document miraculous healings Sondergaard and his followers allegedly perform when they go out on the streets and interact with people they encounter there.This map from the Last Reformation website shows Sondergaard's extensive reach. Have you personally encountered his teachings?--------------Holly Pivec is the co-author of A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement and God's Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement. She has a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University.