Background
Revival Centres believe that revival power and the true salvation doctrine were lost from the church around AD 312 when Constantine was Roman Emperor.
The mainstream churches quickly became lifeless and powerless. No healings. No miracles. And no clear evidence of the Holy Spirit in the church. They do however recognise that there have been such men, as Martin Luther, and revivals that have periodically brought partial truth back into the church since then.
The Revival Centres started from a schism, in a Pentecostal British-Israel sect, in Australia in 1958. A few assemblies, the largest in Melbourne and Geelong, aligned together calling themselves The Revival Centres. As the work grew they planted many other centres in Australia, but numerous schisms have fragmented the movement into four distinct groups, all antagonistic toward one another. These groups are known as The Revival Centres International, Revival Fellowships, Christian Assemblies International and those aligned with the Geelong Revival Centre who have various names.
When assessing such groups there are two basic ways that you can judge them, belief and behaviour. These can overlap because you can believe things that are true and right but can present them in a way which is dominant and uses mind-control. What about the Revival Centres?
Belief
In one of their latest leaflets they summarise their beliefs as follows:
WE BELIEVE…
… in the infallibility of the Bible.
… that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
… His directive to repent, be baptised and receive the Holy Spirit.
… we are baptised into the Body of Christ (the Church) by the Holy Spirit with the evidence of…
… speaking in Tongues.
… in the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church.
… in prayer for the sick and healing by the power of God.
… the Bible identifies the Anglo-Saxon people with Israel, describes modern nations and gives signs of…
… the soon return of Jesus Christ.
Much of this seems good but, despite what they claim, we believe that there are areas that do not go back to the original and orthodox Christianity. There is the possibility of an individual joining this group, believing they have a safe eternal future, based on outward signs and yet being deceived all the time.
Areas of belief that go as far as this, and could be critical in a person’s life, are that you must be baptised and speak in tongues to be saved. This leads to people ‘working’ at it, instead of receiving the free gift of God for Salvation. The belief that the Anglo-Saxon people can be identified with the lost tribes of Israel, and therefore promises within the Bible directed to Israel can be misappropriated to themselves. This last belief can also have a bearing on racial problems in some areas – e.g. only the Anglo-Saxon whites are the chosen people.
Other areas of belief that could become a problem deal with over emphasis e.g. Christmas and alcohol. In other words believing these things is not necessarily wrong but the problem often comes because of the strength and way in which they are preached.
Behaviour
Many former members would claim that mind-control techniques are being used in these group but the intensity would vary from assembly to assembly. There is no doubt that they believe that they are the best and perhaps the only expression of the Church on the earth today and that most other Christian groups are wrong. You therefore either believe what they say or get out. The following extract from a letter we received from Devon reveals this.
Several members left a house church and went over to the Revival Church, 80% have come back out including one who was told to leave for speaking the Truth of the Bible.
From people who have visited the church we get the same impression – the leaders are strong and preach strong things but their is a freedom to leave and no attempt to keep those who disagree.
An interesting development is the complaint from the Liverpool area that the Revival Centre has been going to all the open Christian meetings and proselytising by handing out leaflets that indicate all other groups are wrong. This seems to indicate, at least in one area, a new offensive by the group.
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