The Toronto Blessing & Pastor Paul Gowdy Repentance Letter

Thank God for this sincere pastor who humbled himself and allowed God’s truth to prevail and did not allow the voice of God to “come out from among them and be separate” to be stifled.

Jen, Our prayer is that more pastors realize that God is not confined to producing a sideshow for our entertainment but to draw us closer to Him. The church needs to stop being a circus and realize that the only person in the audience is God himself. Thanks for your comment

I was searching the net for truth about this Toronto Blessing. I believe I have found it from the heart of a true Christian with truth in his inward parts. Thank you and may the Lord give you the power of Truth to open the eyes of those with whom you have to deal with.

Not to sound mean, especially in light of the severity of this tragic topic, but, Paul, your grammar is horrid. That aside, I sincerely praise God for your honesty, and mostly how you have been literally delivered from the demonics that you were involved with! I beyond hope that the damage done to the unbelievers (who witnessed this insanity), came to know the simple truth of a real relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.

By the way, I am a very charismatic Christian, who is very distrustful of mans ability to quickly announce what the Holy Spirit is doing, or telling us to do.

God is not a God of disorder, but of order!

Its been a very long time waiting for the full promise of the messages preached in Toronto. Yes, lots we didn’t understand but there has been fruit in my life- an ability to trust in the Father’s unconditional love rather than me feeling His love is performance related. This has made me a lot more secure. The wait is trying at times, particularly with my driven type of personality with its bias for activity. I am learning that the real action is more with me being like Mary than Martha.Don’t let your disapointment with waiting turn your enthusiasm to distaste. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!

It is sad when people feel the need to wash laundry in public. What sort of witness is this. Love covers sin. Mistakes are not uncommon when new things happen, and i have heard all these reports before regarding other “moves of God”. Jesus said the we would know by the fruit. I do not have personal experience of life in Toronto but I know that what happened affected many in the UK and the fruit is growing abundantly, often in surprising places.

I do not believe that it is our place to criticise others or broadcast our views about those for whom Christ loved and died. We all need grace and renewal. Let us love one another, and not use the internet to judge and condemn. All blessing in Jesus.

Statement from TACF website:

We acknowledge that Paul Gowdy was a pastoral intern at Scarborough Vineyard (not Toronto Vineyard – the Toronto Vineyard was located in downtown Toronto). Gowdy was under the leadership of senior pastor, Paul White. According to Paul White, Gowdy served only a few months as personal issues arose in his life. There is a reference to White in the Gowdy letters, White has no recollection of this conversation that Gowdy states. Gowdy participated on the prayer ministry team of his church Scarborough Vineyard, but did not lead any meetings at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Scarborough is a community on the east side of Toronto.

I recently spend 10 days in the TACF and found the curch pretty down to earth. But I’ve heard some accounts in the 90th similar to yours here in Germany. You’ve talked about a demon that possesed you. As far as I understand the scripture demons are not bound to places, the only way for them to come in is a foothold of our personal sin. According to my counseling experience demons can’t stay if you stop to sin. But I doubt that a wrong way of worship (to dry or to lively) is an open door for a demon since our flesh (physical gifts character) is always involved. I belive that sins like hatred, wichcraft, addictions, immorality give way for demons to afflict you. I found that at TACF there is a profound teaching to deal with this issues. Maybe it took them some time to become that mature. I hope that meanwhile you got rid of that demon and closed the door once and for all. Maybe you should go back to TACF and talk about some issues face to face. Would be healthy for everyone
Blessings
Rolf

My husband and I recently attended a Sunday morning service at TCAF. We were amazed how far that have come. Every thing including the fire tunnels were very well Pastured. There was divine order in that room.
I believe Mr. Gowdy was convicted of the Holy Spirit when rolling on the floor singing “Mary had a little Lamb”.
But,,,
This is what I believe is at the root of all of his accusations.
Mr. Gowdy has men in his life that he is in bondage to by the fear of men and desire their favor and acceptance above all else and have taken a stand against Toronto and that root of rejection got to him… He has certainly impressed and won the favor of someone.. Have you all forgotten the scripture “touch not mine anointed…”,
A real spiritual and humble man would of went into prayer seeking their deliverance and healing and would of been broken for them and willing to stand in the gap.
Well I hope that pat on the back felt good Paul because I am sure that is all the “good job” that you are going to hear.
S. Switzer

Being a long time attendee of TACF I would like to say, I am a NEW person because of what the Holy Spirit did in my life thru TACF. Back then, it was the only “safe” place that anyone had EVER seen where confessing sins didn’t leave us condemned and full of shame - they loved and embraced us just as we were (as the Lord does). As far as the “crazy” things go, I was not caught up in that stuff…I just said Lord, whatever is of You, I want- whatever is not of You, I reject. I was and still am a bit disheartened by the “manifestations” (very few these days). I guess the thing to do is take the good and leave the bad. No one says you have to do these things. Just because TACF was in the news doesn’t make other churches exempt from their own issues - ALL churches have issues. I personally know the staff, J&C Arnott, and all the others actually and I know they are GENUINE people that love the Lord. Yes, no one says the flesh didn’t get in the way, but who are we to judge?

ya, it was pretty crazy back then.. pretty funny those days.. funny how happy we were.. funny how much joy we felt.. funny what love and small children can do to us, eh?.. funny how people came from all over the world to get some.. young and old, big and small.. funny how many are still growing in the Lord Jesus today everywhere… funny that… no explanation… quite a phenomenon… quite a privilege… wonderful !… incredible, really…
P.S. you might want to look into that mocking spirit thing..

“It must be in the Word…If not, you must leave it behind.” These are words that were spoken to me as a new born again believer and I have fallen back on those works of wisdom many times. If you allow one “exploit”(has no Biblical reference), where will it end? Jesus warned of end-time deceptions, and rebuked folks for seeking a sign. Signs and wonders FOLLOW the preaching of the gospel, not vice versa.
Thank you Paul, for stepping out, speaking the truth and contending the faith, because for some…it has shipwrecked.

This writing was the truth when the church began about two thousand years ago. For those that believed, and showed their faith by their love and good deeds, there were many miracles, no fear of man or life or death, and a joyful anticipation of the world to come, world without end. If you read this, every word, believe it with all your heart, nothing doubting, do it as much as lies within you, and share it with those able to receive it, and who want to hear what you have to say, then, for you, the best is yet to come!

These are the words of God:

To live forever = everlasting life in the kingdom of God and Christ = with Christ in his throne as Christ is with the Father in His throne = heaven = paradise in a new and glorious body with everlasting joy, and to have the love and joy and peace and mercy and grace of God Almighty, our heavenly Father, that is in His only begotten and beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, while in this present world = this present time = this present body = this present life, you must be truly “born again” = truly “saved”. In other words, read all of this, believe every word with all your heart, and do it diligently:

Repent of your sins . Apologize sincerely, in all humility, with a broken spirit and a contrite heart, to those you sinned against (even sins done in secret) and to God and Lord Jesus for sins against others, against yourself, and against all of heaven. Pray for strength so as not to do it again, and to always be pleasing to God. In other words, have a perfect heart - try your best, and say you’re sorry and really mean it when you don’t. If you don’t come to God with a clean and pure heart, He will not hear your prayers, will withhold blessings, and may even curse you with a curse.

Believe with all your heart, and confess with your mouth, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (He is not God. He is not both the Father and the Son. Actually, the Word of God is the Son of God. God spoke everything into existence by, through, and for His Son, but not “spoke” as man understands. His Word was put into a body and called Jesus. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, and we should be living the word of God as is contained in the written word of God, the Holy Bible. The only English-language Holy Bible wholly inspired of God and correctly translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts is the King James Version = KJV = Authorized Version. All other versions, including the New King James Version = NKJV, are from the devil, who tempted man to write them. The devil changed the English language, and continues to do so, and now claims that the KJV is outdated and hard to understand, and that other versions have their good points.), born of the virgin Mary (we were made of a man and a woman, but Jesus was begotten of God, and not made), never sinned, nor was there any deceit in his mouth (If he were of a man and a woman, then he would have the sin of the flesh, but he was not. When Jesus said, “Before Abraham, I am”, he was not saying that he was God: all he was saying was that he was from heaven. When God referred to Himself as “I AM”, He used all capital letters.), suffered, shed his pure and precious blood and died on the cross to conquer death and destroy him that had power over death (that is, the devil), and so that our sins be forgiven, we be reconciled to God, redeemed and puchased back by the precious blood of the Lamb, that after three days and three nights, God the Father raised him from the dead, that after forty days, he ascended up to heaven in a cloud to be seated at the right hand of the Father, all angels, authorities, and powers being made subject unto him, that he will return in like manner to judge the dead and the living (no man knows of that time, neither the angels which are in heaven, not even the Son, but only the Father), and deliver those that are his at his coming up to God the Father, that he must reign until he makes his enemies his footstool, and then the Son also himself will be subject to Him that put all things under him that God may be all in all.

Be baptized exactly once, completely under the water (that is to say, exactly one immersion, and it must be water) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (not the “Holy Spirit”) when you are old enough to understand, old enough to know to refuse the evil and choose the good, and old enough to know that this is absolutely necessary for eternal life, for the forgiveness of past sins (but, for future sins, we have an intercessor = a mediator in Jesus), to receive the Holy Ghost (The Holy Ghost is not God. God, Lord Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are a team, three of a kind, one in Spirit, will, and holiness, but each with a separate identity and a separate life. Do not use devil words, such as “trinity” or “triune”, which are not in the KJV. “Godhead” IS in the KJV: God (Father) is the head, and Lord Jesus and the Holy Ghost the other two) and gifts of the Holy Ghost to have spiritual understanding (that is to say, understanding of the things of the Spirit of God) and to resist the devil, baptized into one Spirit as one of many members of the body of Christ, called his church, of which Christ is the head, buried and resurrected with Christ, dead to (no longer justified by) the law given to Moses, and completely justified (and, by the way, it is God who justifies, and not any man) before God by your faith in Christ and in Christ’s righteousness (there is no righteousness in a man). Now, you are “born again” = “saved”.

Now that you are “born again” = “saved”, here is your duty in this present world = this present time = this present body = this present life:

Fear God and Lord Jesus (but, do not fear man), and do = keep His commandments.
His commandments were spoken by His Word = His Son, and are briefly comprehended by these two great commandments:

Love God (Father) and Lord Jesus (Son) first, most, and always, even more than your life in the flesh, and the life of your loved ones, and love your neighbor as yourself. Treat others the way you want others to treat you, and the way you want to be treated on judgment day = the day of Jesus Christ = the day of vengeance of the Lord. Your faith is shown by your love. If you have no love, no good works, no compassion, and show no mercy, then your faith is false, and was never written in your heart.

Some other needful things:

Meditate on the word of God. Submit to God. Be humble. Thank your heavenly Father and your Lord, and pray to them, for everything, always. Grow in Christ. Endure to the end. Preach THIS gospel !!! Walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh. Walk and talk with God and Lord Jesus : they are alive !! and they ARE your faith !!