As one who has enjoyed content by both Allie Beth Stuckey and Melissa Dougherty, it was nice to see the two women chat it up during a recent episode of Stuckey’s podcast Relatable. In summary, the episode focused mostly on Dougherty’s new book, her journey from New Ageism to Christ and her take on the various false teachings that have crept into the Church. Yet, the episode took an interesting turn in its final ten minutes during a segment entitled, “Prosperity Gospel in the Black Church”.
As Dougherty concluded her thoughts on the “little gods” doctrine, a false, word of faith teaching that ascribes innate divinity to all mankind, Stuckey inquired:
“Can I ask something? It’s gonna be controversial,” she acknowledged. “This seems to be especially prevalent in majority Black churches.
“There’s a lot of prosperity preaching, but [also] a lot of…’You are divine. You are a queen…a goddess…something special.’ I don’t know if you’ve ever talked about the roots of that, or why that is?”
While neither woman provided a definitive response to the question and ultimately resigned it to requiring additional study, thankfully the Scriptures have summarily addressed the matter.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3, my emphasis).
The Lord has already told us “the roots or why” in these last days anyone will seek after false teachings and false teachers. They want their ears tickled to suit their own desires - whatever those desires may be. It’s not a Black thing, it’s a fallen humanity thing. It’s a thing to which all mankind is susceptible.
As such, this isn’t an issue in “majority Black churches” or in ‘the Black church’. It’s an issue in the Church.
If the Lord had ever specified in His Word that a particular flavor of heresy will become more prevalent amongst a given ethnic group, perhaps questions of this nature are ultimately helpful. Yet, with all due respect to Stuckey and Dougherty, He does not discuss doctrines or divvy up His Church in this way, so the premise of the question is faulty.
To be clear, I don’t believe either sister is racist or is in sin for having asked it. I can only presume it was asked out of sincere curiosity and the resulting discussion was well-intended. However, unfortunately, because both of these sisters in Christ are White, they’ve caught a little bit of backlash for even broaching the subject. Though, to be fair, some Christian brothers and sisters who are Black have chimed in to support Stuckey and Dougherty for being willing to address a concern they also believe to be valid.
Yet, no matter how sincere or well-intended the question, such discussions can become “messy” and “divisive” really quickly if one isn’t careful. This is perhaps why Stuckey immediately recognized its controversial nature before she even asked it. Our social-political climate on matters of race and ethnicity has long been hotly contentious. Moreover, any treatment of the topic outside a Biblical lens would be speculative at best, contentious at worst, and wholly irrelevant in the grand scheme of eternity. In other words, it would require us to dispute over doubtful disputations (Romans 14:1) and engage foolish controversies and dissensions that are unprofitable and worthless (Titus 3:9).
As such, I would like to return this discussion back to the heart of why I believe Dougherty was on the show in the first place: to warn the Saints against deceivers and deception. If their tangential discussion on ‘the Black Church’ was part and parcel of that aim, perhaps what follows will be a helpful contribution to the conversation.
(Image: Oral Roberts/Photographer: Francis Miller/Source:LIFE Images)
For Certain Men Crept In Unawares…
If a church is overtaken by heretics and heresy, it’s necessary to understand the Biblical reason this has occurred. Again, as I shared above, the ultimate reason ‘the Black church’ or any local church, for that matter, might seem to be overtaken by any false gospel is because its members seek to have their ears tickled by it. Yet Scripture also speaks to how this isn’t an overnight phenomenon. Damnable doctrines don’t just burst through the front doors of a church. Instead, God’s word says those who bring such teachings creep in unawares.
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).
Certain men like Oral Roberts fit this bill perfectly. A (White) pentecostal preacher known as “one of the first to propagate Prosperity Gospel Theology”, Roberts unfortunately enjoyed a global ministry that deceived millions for more than 60 years. His ministry also had a significant impact in Africa, where he is said to have mediated pentecostalism and teachings on “seed faith”. According to “seed faith” doctrine, if one gives a ministry money (sowing a seed) that they actually can’t afford to give (in faith), they would receive spiritual and financial blessings from God. If they don’t receive the expected spiritual or financial blessing, it means they didn’t give enough, which means they didn’t have enough faith, which means they should give even more - and so goes the spiritual manipulation.
Perhaps Roberts devised this wickedness during the struggles of his early life, as he was born in poverty and had suffered from an illness that almost took his life. Whatever his personal motivations, however, he was ultimately under the sway of Satan.
As was his contemporary, Kenneth Hagin, who similarly deceived millions in his lifetime. Also a (White) pentecostal pastor, Hagin was dubbed as Roberts’ “co-laborer” in the faith, and he is known as the “pioneer” of the Word of Faith movement. Though, according to Hagin, his movement was largely influenced by E.W. Kenyon, a (White) baptist preacher whose positive-confession ideas stemmed from his affinity with “New Thought” teachings. Kenyon would go on to co-mingle New Thought tenets with Christian doctrines. Hagin’s Word of Faith movement was simply the rotted fruit of Kenyon’s commingling.
Similar to the “seed faith” doctrine, the “word of faith” movement essentially teaches its followers to presume upon the Lord for their earthly plans and desires, despite Scripture clearly teaching us to do otherwise (see Proverbs 27:1; Proverbs 19:21; Ephesians 1:11; James 4:13-15 ). Though, “word of faith” doesn’t necessarily require that one give money to receive spiritual and/or material blessings from God. Instead, it teaches that one need only speak positive affirmations to manifest their desired outcomes or blessings of physical health and material wealth in their lives. The “little gods” doctrine Dougherty was discussing before Stuckey posed her inquiry actually stems from this teaching.
By the time we get to the current state of the ‘the Black church’ “declaring and decreeing” and “naming and claiming”, we have to acknowledge the throughline of heretics discipling heretics for the better part of a century! Indeed, it’s been like a multi-level marketing scheme when you take the time to look into it.
For example, Carlton Pearson, a (Black) universalist pastor and proponent of New Thought, was mentored by Oral Roberts while Pearson was a student at Oral Roberts University. Pearson would go on to become one of the the only two Black preachers with a national television ministry, and he was one of the first to platform up-and-coming ministers like T.D. Jakes and Joyce Meyer. Pearson was also the “spiritual father” of Michael Todd, a relatively young (Black) pastor who takes every opportunity to pervert the Gospel with his worldly, blasphemous antics from the pulpit. Todd is also closely associated with Steven Furtick, a (White) motivational preacher who was one of the first to platform Todd. Todd also credits Furtick’s approach to ministry as the blueprint for his own.
Frederick K.C. Price, Carlton Pearson’s contemporary who was the second of the only two Black pastors with a national television ministry during their time, was a televangelist, author and pastor deeply rooted in the neo-charismatic/Word of Faith movements. Mentored by Kenneth Hagin, it’s said that Price had at one point credited Hagin as being the man who had the most influence on his life. Price would go on to build one of the first Black mega churches in America while under Hagin’s mentorship. Though, Price would eventually break fellowship with Hagin after getting hold of some of Hagin’s old sermons, during which Hagin denounced interracial dating and marriage or “race-mixing”.
(Image: @Creflo Dollar/X)
Nevertheless, heretics disciplining heretics was still going strong. Take, for instance, Creflo Dollar, a (Black) prosperity preacher who was mentored by the infamous Kenneth Copeland. A (White) charismatic televangelist with nearly 60 years of word of faith teachings under his belt, Copeland has ministry offices in North America (the United States and Canada), Africa, Asia, and Europe. Prior to becoming a global televangelist, Copeland attended Oral Roberts University where he also worked as Roberts’ personal chauffeur.
John Gray, a (Black) false teacher I’ve previously profiled in my SITMAC series, rose to prominence during his service as an associate pastor under Joel Osteen’s leadership. Osteen, a (White) “health and wealth” motivational preacher, author and televangelist, is one of the most well-known false teachers of my generation. Prior to becoming an ordained minister through his father’s church, Osteen ironically also attended Oral Roberts University, where he studied radio and television communications. Though he did not complete his studies, Osteen would go on to utilize those skills to launch his church’s television program, which broadcast his father’s (also White) and eventually his own heretical teachings across the world through the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).
TBN, which was founded by (White) televangelists, Paul and Jan Crouch, was launched in 1973 and is objectively the world’s largest religious television network to date. With a commitment to broadcasting programming from a hodgepodge of ‘Christian’ ministries, TBN has been a major player in the proliferation of false doctrines and unsound theology into the hearts, minds and churches of millions since its founding.
Seeking Their Own Passions...
In other words, the prosperity gospel and word of faith movements crept into the Church by way of “certain men” long ago.
Of course I can only speculate why these movements might seem to have a kung fu grip on ‘the Black church’. But I can confidently assert that those who preach such doctrines are preying on the hearts, and tickling the ears, of the poor - the materially poor as well as those poor in spirit.
“For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18).
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
This was a point I shared from my own testimony in the documentary The American Gospel: Christ Alone a few years back, and it was a point the film was careful to articulate throughout. This observation is also something that others have explored. For example, Justin Peters, a (White) Christian apologist and teacher, is perhaps one of the leading voices in exposing how the prosperity gospel and word of faith movements target poor souls, in general.
For example, when I was deceived by the prosperity gospel, I wasn’t deceived because I am Black. I was deceived because I was in darkness. That deception got its opportunity simply by exploiting my life’s circumstances, self-perception and desires. Prior to hearing the Gospel and being born again, a large part of my identity rested in my desire to overcome my meager beginnings. I had two decades of experience being broke and knowing financial struggle, and I wanted no parts of that kind of life in my adult years. I also wanted to rid myself of the cloud of despair that I could actually feel hanging over my head every day. Before I was saved, I was always inexplicably sad and felt like God hated me. (Looking back, I truly believe that I was feeling the weight of God’s wrath abiding on me (see John 3:18, 3:36.) But that’s another discussion for another day.) So when my then pastor, Eddie L. Long, a (Black) false teacher and contemporary of Creflo Dollar and T.D. Jakes, preached that it was a sin to be poor, that financial prosperity was a sign of God’s love, AND that I had the means within myself to manifest a better existence - that was music to my itching ears! Being lost, I was easily persuaded, and that set me on a decade-long journey of chasing after preachers (no matter Black or White) who brought a similar message. I spent good money buying books, attending conferences, and “sowing seeds” into numerous heretical ministries sincerely believing I was hearing the truth!
I can only imagine that something similar could be at work in the hearts of some of my brothers and sisters, according to the flesh. Perhaps the prosperity gospel and Word of Faith movements hold more weight in their hearts because of their own real or perceived economic, social, medical and/or historical experiences.
If your perception of your existence is that you are oppressed, a perpetual victim or a second-class citizen, it’s extremely pleasing to hear someone come along and tell you that you’re actually “divine” with the ability to manifest a better life for yourself. If your family’s “generational wealth” consists of living paycheck to paycheck, it is most definitely intriguing to hear that “GOD wants you to be wealthy”. If your health statistics place you in the “most likely” category for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, fibroids, and a host of other ailments simply because of your ethnicity, of course you’ll be tempted to believe that you have the innate power to declare and decree your own healing!
Moreover, while there actually isn’t such a thing as ‘the Black church’ (Galatians 3:28), there are indeed local congregations in America made up of mostly Black parishioners. This is in large part because such were necessitated during slavery and Jim Crow, which was only outlawed 70 years ago. This might seem like a long time past, but consider that cultural norms and social attitudes didn’t exactly change overnight. Consider also that there were even otherwise “theologically sound” White preachers and pastors who upheld unbiblical views on race and segregation. There are also Black Americans who lived during that time period who are still alive today, and most of the pioneers of the prosperity gospel and word of faith movements were their contemporaries. One might then consider that it was these “certain men” who influenced an entire generation of Black heretics, who would go on to oversee local congregations that were mostly Black. Then, out these congregations came a new generation of Black heretics who would also go on to oversee mostly Black local congregations, and so goes the pyramid scheme “certain men” like Oral Roberts put into motion.
Considering all of these things would be my best line of human wisdom and reasoning to explain why the prosperity and word of faith movements might be more prevalent in “majority Black” churches. Yet, even so, these reasons still would not justify one’s rejection of the Gospel and disobedience to Christ. All mankind is without excuse before God (Romans 1:20), and God now commands that all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel (Acts 17:30). I only went down that rabbit hole of considerations to humor those who actually think our human reasoning is sufficient for addressing Stuckey’s inquiry.
I Said All of This To Say…
The truth is, I don’t know that the prosperity gospel and word of faith doctrines are actually prevalent in ‘the Black church’. I’ve actually perceived them to be prevalent throughout the body, and I’ve hoped to do my part to warn fellow members against it.
Yet, even if these doctrines are more prevalent in ‘the Black church’, would we not consider that “when one part suffers, all parts suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26)? If it is true that these doctrines are more prevalent in “majority Black churches” what else could one do with that information except realize that there is yet another people group in need of the Gospel (Mark 16:15)? What other God-glorifying response is there except to seek to disciple them in the truth?
The few (Black) Christian content creators who defended Stuckey’s inquiry as if it were a statement of fact seemed to leave the impression that “majority Black churches” automatically equates to “dangerous churches”. Stuckey’s question, and the way others have attempted to address it, has unfortunately communicated that if a church happens to have a White pastor or consists of mostly White congregants, then it’s more likely to be theologically “safe”. There is also a subtle suggestion by those who buy into this notion that it’s okay to judge a church (or individual Believers) by appearances and to let their guards down if those appearances happen to be White. It further implies that the prosperity gospel and word of faith movements are the only theological threats the Church is up against. (This likely explains why my previous attempts to address the threat of Christian Nationalism in the Church caused some to dismiss my concerns or charge me with being “woke”.)
Meanwhile, the Lord challenges us to “test all things; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, emphasis mine). We are to “test every spirit to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1, emphasis mine).
As Believers in Christ who know that the path to destruction is broad and few find the narrow Way to eternal life, we should also know that it doesn’t ultimately matter which ethnic group seems to be more drawn to a particular variety of false doctrines (Matthew 7:13-14). It might be good fodder to engage for entertainment purposes, but it ultimately does not edify. No matter the flavor, all perversions of the Gospel are poisonous and lead to hell! No matter the people group, all men who do not know Christ are condemned already (John 3:18, 36)!
As such, as sincere as Stuckey’s question might have been, it wasn’t at all profitable - unless, of course, the intention for asking it was to edify her audience in the things of Christ and to equip them to reach this people group with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
