Well, here it is my reader's, 2011. What ya think? Sorry for the delay in getting this blog written but I wanted to do, well actually had to do research to write this correctly. Hope you like it.
In everyone's life, I think, you meet people that leave a lasting impression. Depending on the person, it can be a good or a bad impression, but for what ever the reason, we can't seem to forget them.
I would like to tell you about one such individual that left a lasting impression on me. His name is John Wimber.
Born in February, 1934, amongst other things before becoming a Christian and being the founder of one of the largest growing churches in the world, John Wimber worked as a musician playing various band in the early 1960's and believe it or not, ( I must say I was a bit surprised) actually introduced the Righteous Brother's to each other. He also assisted on some of their early albums.
Before I go any further I think it is only fair to you that I tell you this, even though I count it as a blessing meeting John, even if he was alive today, I can't say if he would say the same about me, for I was just another person he met, shakes hands with, maybe talked to for a moment or so, and than we both were on our way. Happens alot in this world.
I met John in 1995 at the Anaheim Vineyard, the church that many say is the first ever vineyard church and has it has been joked about, being the mother of all Vineyards. John founded or started the Vineyard in a home fellowship in his home around 1977 and since than it has become a corner stone for worship music. You may not know, but a good percentage of what is being played in churches today is from Vineyard music.
Wimber was introduced or invited to go to a Quaker church or as they are called "friends" church in the late 1960's and after reading The Bible, he is quoted to have said it changed his life because he couldn't wait to start doing the stuff. The 'stuff' he was making reference to was the things that Jesus did.
in an interview for ABC television with the late Peter Jennings, John was quoted to have said this" I was in a church and after the service, I had spoke with an elder or some one who I thought had some importance to him and I said to him, this is great, but when do we do it? The elder sad,"do what?", Wimber responded, you know the stuff, healing people. feeding the hungry,etc"? The elder, according to the interview, said his church didn't do that. They prayed about it, but didn't do it. Wimber than told Peter Jennings " you don't understand, I gave up drugs for this, if I am going to follow Jesus, I want to do what Jesus did."
Of all the things that the vineyard church may be known for, both positive and negative to some degree John did do what Jesus did, by setting up a food pantry in Anaheim, California, that was big enough to be a grocery store. And every Sunday, the Vineyard would feed the poor, and give them bags of grocery's to last them till the next week.
they also made it very clear that you just didn't come for the food, but you also heard the word of God. Being fed both ways.
What I am about to write is my own hypothesis, but it is possibly a correct story. In my opinion of how praise and worship became a major strong point for the vineyard is because John himself was a musician. In fact one of his sons was a producer for a good number of the earlier vineyard music. Ever been in church or even on the radio and heard a song called "Isn't He"? John Wimber wrote it, there were many, even Pastor Chuck Smith, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, and who is also in what alot of people would say the founder of that Church movement uses one of Wimber's songs to open his radio program called "The Word For Today". I may write about Chuck Smith at a later date. It is called 'Spirit Song'
There are two things I respected about John: One, is even though he was a best selling Christian author and musician, he didn't flaunt his wealth. About two years before he died John did a radio program. He had told the congregation that this program was not going to be cheap, however he was not going to ask people in the church to help finance it. I don't recall ever seeing him in an expensive suit and never saw him drive a ultra expensive vehicle.
Another thing I respected him for is he knew when to draw the line so to speak about Charismatic type events in the vineyard. Around 1993, maybe 1994 a vineyard pastor from Toronto, Canada started having meetings in church where during ministry time, people would start groaning,even laughing prayer or in the Spirit. It was named The Toronto Blessing, from the research I have one on the blessing, John told the pastor of the Toronto church to tone it down to a degree, cause he didn't really agree with it.
It came to a point where , John & a couple of other vineyard church leader's went to Canada and told the pastor to stop this or change the name of your church. The Toronto pastor opted to change the name of his church and is no longer apart of Vineyard.
I am going to be honest with you, I am not an authority on charismatic practices, I mean, I have my own theory's on what is possible and what isn't, but by being a church leader and saying weather it's right or wrong, I can't do that. I don't have that gift, if you can call it that.
John Wimber passed away on November,17th, 1997. His legacy continues to this day.
I would like to, in closing make a couple of suggestions, one, if you would like to find out more about, John, there have been many books written about him one in particular by his widow, Carol entitled, "The Way It Was" and also by one of his daughter-in laws entitled,"Everybody Gets To Play". You can also find John Wimber sermons at Youtube.com
Thanks for reading.
D.
