How Redding Became An Unlikely Epicenter Of Modern Christian Culture

…In the two decades since the School of Supernatural Ministry’s founding, more than 10,000 people from around the world have made the same pilgrimage, turning Redding into an unlikely global epicenter of Christian culture.

Today, walking around this former logging town of 90,000 residents, you can meet people from a dozen countries in a day. This year, the school graduated 2,500 students, representing more than 70 countries; the youngest was 18, the oldest 85.

It was founded by a fifth-generation pastor, Bill Johnson, who heads up local Bethel Church, and started with a few dozen local students. Today the school enrolls more international vocational students than any other school in the country, by far, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data. In 2017, Bethel had 1,792 international students enrolled. The institution with the next highest enrollment was Dean International, a flight-training school in Florida, with 888 international vocational students.

“We are a supernatural school. We believe that healing is for today,” said Leslie Crandall, who oversees first-year students.

Students are taught that God is actively at work in the world, and miracles did not die with Jesus; they’re taught that God can manifest his healing power through their prayers, according to students and leaders. “We believe that God is still speaking, and he can speak to his kids and he does,” …






https://www.kpbs.org/news/race-social-justice/2019/07/02/how-redding-became-unlikely-epicenter-modern-chris









I’m not a member of this mega church and its reach and influence has only grown since then. It has been a positive influence in the local community and is a pillar of the areas current economic strength. Their theology and mine are not the same.

 

Bethel is a positive force, one that’s given the city a much needed economic boost and made it more vibrant and diverse.

Either way, Bethel’s outsize influence on this little city is unavoidable. Redding has become a new kind of Christian mecca.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/race-soci...edding-became-unlikely-epicenter-modern-chris





A very interesting article. Let Us Worship also originated from here through Bethel

 

I attend Catch the Fire here in Toronto and the leadership there continue to astonish and amaze me. One of the things that they really hit out of the park is their transparency.

I am half way through the free of charge book written by this man that I only found out about yesterday morning!



Walking In Your calling: Sathiya Sam

 

There is nothing God can’t do for us if we give our lives to him and and let Him get the victory for us.