Here is a personal narration of a person who broke away from LEF
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Please may we have more testimonies from people who have cut their connections with LEF?
Here is mine:
When I first discovered LEF it was through a book shop outside of India. I was looking for a church group to worship with, and at that time the books sold there seemed largely sound, and the people who ran it seemed genuinely Bible-based. I was puzzled by a whole section devoted to an Indian man called Joshua Daniel whom I had never heard of, although I had been a Christian for some decades, and had attended a Bible College (a real one, nothing to do with LEF).
The group worshipping in the bookshop had no church structure in accordance with New Testament instructions (no elected pastor, elder, or deacon; no church membership; no Biblical disciplinary process). The preaching lacked doctrinal instruction or helpful historical content, and was always centred on condemnation of the hearer's sins and the life and activities of this man, Joshua Daniel, and his father. However there was an attractiveness about those who ran this group. They were kind, dedicated to what they were doing, and seemed to love the Word of God, and I came to regard them as valued friends and Christian brethren. The problem, increasingly, was this man, Joshua Daniel. He visited a couple of times a year in order to conduct meetings known as 'retreats'. He clearly expected to be treated with great reverence, as a man apart from the common mass of believers, a man with authority over people's lives (which God had clearly not given him!). His preaching was rambling and condemning and far too long, given the lack of content. He demanded long prayer meetings, in which people were encouraged to weep. He regarded such falsely induced emotional responses as evidences of the Holy Spirit's activity. His whole ministry was centred on bringing about what he considered to be revival. He never mixed freely with us. He claimed to have conducted healings and exorcisms which had no Biblical authentication. Whilst others would queue up to speak to him, I would avoid him (which was not difficult, as he spent little or no time outside of his quarters). I felt increasingly uncomfortable about the way that he was revered and placed on a pedestal, the way that he expected instant obedience, and seemed to get it from his bookshop disciples and visiting Indians.
It took me some years to realise that I could not continue to worship with a group which gave so much importance to a mere man, and an ungifted one at that (though he did seem to have a carnal ability to command undeserved allegiance). I asked questions about where the tithes and offerings went, and why they found it necessary to consult this man Daniel in the USA about not only minor matters concerning the bookshop etc., but, worryingly, about major decisions concerning their own private lives. None of my questions was answered satisfactorily. I wondered what the Daniels lived on in the USA, who paid for their frequent trips abroad, why they criticised from the pulpit other Indians who had gone abroad quite legitimately to further their careers and provide for their families, yet they themselves had set up home in the USA, apparently relying on money from these very same people they constantly criticised, ordinary LEF attenders.
I felt increasingly compromised in my Christian faith by my attendance at LEF. A couple who had been Daniel devotees since their youth (Joshua Daniel had brokered their marriage and sent them abroad to the bookshop) also began to express disquiet, and eventually politely and respectfully spoke to Joshua and Lily Daniel about their concerns. They were effectively bullied and threatened by Joshua and Lily, who implied that bad things would happen to them if they left LEF, including illness (one of the couple already suffered from a long-term, painful complaint). This was blackmail, undeserved cruelty. The man who was considered to lead the bookshop activities then used a preaching opportunity to condemn any who dared to call into question the activities or opinions of Joshua Daniel. It was at this point that I had to acknowledge that LEF was cultish and unbiblical, and that as a child of God I must separate myself from its evils. I therefore never attended another LEF meeting. I had looked into the writings of Joshua Daniel, which were always prominent in the bookshop. His books are of little worth, either spiritually, or in literary terms. Inevitably they are full of himself and his family history. They give the impression that he is known and respected in Christian circles, which is untrue. Neither did he ever undertake theological training in the UK, as he implied. His books are self-admiring and badly written, which is why no reputable Christian publisher would ever published them, and why Joshua Daniel had to set up his own printing press in order to have them distributed - an endeavour which apparently relies on the unpaid labour of his devotees.
I was approached later by Lily Daniel (I believe that Joshua Daniel did not have the courage to speak to me himself). I made careful notes of our conversation (over two hours), and sent her a record of it. She was quite unable to answer my questions about the bullying that went on, her husband's unwarranted interference in the private lives of LEF attenders, and many other matters I put to her. I never heard from the Daniels again, and the couple they had bullied stopped attending LEF and moved away. As far as I know they are healthy and happy and attending a genuine church, having realised, on their own admission, that the organisation, LEF, to which they had devoted most of their lives, their marriage, their children's welfare, and much more, was in fact unbiblical and damaging.
I occasionally visited the bookshop for some years; I had (and have) major concerns about those who continue there under the domination of the Daniels, especially the wives (although only one couple remains, another having moved further away, and apparently thus avoided such deep involvement). God has graciously given me, over the years, the sound Christian fellowship I sought, and I have never looked back. He has honoured the actions I undertook in respect of LEF.
I was so pleased to see the emergence of the blogs begun by Suniemi and LEF Whistleblowers. I had prayed for those still caught up in LEF, that by some means God might enlighten them. Whilst I feel that some of the many posts are wrongly motivated, and there are some exaggerations, I have been horrified, yet encouraged, to see that my concerns about LEF and the Daniels were fully justified, and that their wrongdoing is far worse and more widespread than I had realised. I am still fond of the bookshop folk, the few that remain, and long for them to realise the truth. I understand a little bit how ties of affection and family can stop people from separating themselves from cultish, corrupt organisations like LEF. There are also those who have a vested interest, who use LEF for their own worldly purposes. However in the end our loyalty is to God, not to human beings, however close to us. God will not hold us guiltless if we continue, by attending, supporting, and saying nothing, to encourage wolves in sheep's clothing to prey on the flock.
---------------------------------------------------------
Please share your own personal experiences of how you managed to get out and also how you coped with the withdrawal symptoms of getting away from this evil group. This will help many who are at the exit door but do not have the courage to walk out as the world outside to them is alien and unfamiliar...
----------------------------------------------------------
Please may we have more testimonies from people who have cut their connections with LEF?
Here is mine:
When I first discovered LEF it was through a book shop outside of India. I was looking for a church group to worship with, and at that time the books sold there seemed largely sound, and the people who ran it seemed genuinely Bible-based. I was puzzled by a whole section devoted to an Indian man called Joshua Daniel whom I had never heard of, although I had been a Christian for some decades, and had attended a Bible College (a real one, nothing to do with LEF).
The group worshipping in the bookshop had no church structure in accordance with New Testament instructions (no elected pastor, elder, or deacon; no church membership; no Biblical disciplinary process). The preaching lacked doctrinal instruction or helpful historical content, and was always centred on condemnation of the hearer's sins and the life and activities of this man, Joshua Daniel, and his father. However there was an attractiveness about those who ran this group. They were kind, dedicated to what they were doing, and seemed to love the Word of God, and I came to regard them as valued friends and Christian brethren. The problem, increasingly, was this man, Joshua Daniel. He visited a couple of times a year in order to conduct meetings known as 'retreats'. He clearly expected to be treated with great reverence, as a man apart from the common mass of believers, a man with authority over people's lives (which God had clearly not given him!). His preaching was rambling and condemning and far too long, given the lack of content. He demanded long prayer meetings, in which people were encouraged to weep. He regarded such falsely induced emotional responses as evidences of the Holy Spirit's activity. His whole ministry was centred on bringing about what he considered to be revival. He never mixed freely with us. He claimed to have conducted healings and exorcisms which had no Biblical authentication. Whilst others would queue up to speak to him, I would avoid him (which was not difficult, as he spent little or no time outside of his quarters). I felt increasingly uncomfortable about the way that he was revered and placed on a pedestal, the way that he expected instant obedience, and seemed to get it from his bookshop disciples and visiting Indians.
It took me some years to realise that I could not continue to worship with a group which gave so much importance to a mere man, and an ungifted one at that (though he did seem to have a carnal ability to command undeserved allegiance). I asked questions about where the tithes and offerings went, and why they found it necessary to consult this man Daniel in the USA about not only minor matters concerning the bookshop etc., but, worryingly, about major decisions concerning their own private lives. None of my questions was answered satisfactorily. I wondered what the Daniels lived on in the USA, who paid for their frequent trips abroad, why they criticised from the pulpit other Indians who had gone abroad quite legitimately to further their careers and provide for their families, yet they themselves had set up home in the USA, apparently relying on money from these very same people they constantly criticised, ordinary LEF attenders.
I felt increasingly compromised in my Christian faith by my attendance at LEF. A couple who had been Daniel devotees since their youth (Joshua Daniel had brokered their marriage and sent them abroad to the bookshop) also began to express disquiet, and eventually politely and respectfully spoke to Joshua and Lily Daniel about their concerns. They were effectively bullied and threatened by Joshua and Lily, who implied that bad things would happen to them if they left LEF, including illness (one of the couple already suffered from a long-term, painful complaint). This was blackmail, undeserved cruelty. The man who was considered to lead the bookshop activities then used a preaching opportunity to condemn any who dared to call into question the activities or opinions of Joshua Daniel. It was at this point that I had to acknowledge that LEF was cultish and unbiblical, and that as a child of God I must separate myself from its evils. I therefore never attended another LEF meeting. I had looked into the writings of Joshua Daniel, which were always prominent in the bookshop. His books are of little worth, either spiritually, or in literary terms. Inevitably they are full of himself and his family history. They give the impression that he is known and respected in Christian circles, which is untrue. Neither did he ever undertake theological training in the UK, as he implied. His books are self-admiring and badly written, which is why no reputable Christian publisher would ever published them, and why Joshua Daniel had to set up his own printing press in order to have them distributed - an endeavour which apparently relies on the unpaid labour of his devotees.
I was approached later by Lily Daniel (I believe that Joshua Daniel did not have the courage to speak to me himself). I made careful notes of our conversation (over two hours), and sent her a record of it. She was quite unable to answer my questions about the bullying that went on, her husband's unwarranted interference in the private lives of LEF attenders, and many other matters I put to her. I never heard from the Daniels again, and the couple they had bullied stopped attending LEF and moved away. As far as I know they are healthy and happy and attending a genuine church, having realised, on their own admission, that the organisation, LEF, to which they had devoted most of their lives, their marriage, their children's welfare, and much more, was in fact unbiblical and damaging.
I occasionally visited the bookshop for some years; I had (and have) major concerns about those who continue there under the domination of the Daniels, especially the wives (although only one couple remains, another having moved further away, and apparently thus avoided such deep involvement). God has graciously given me, over the years, the sound Christian fellowship I sought, and I have never looked back. He has honoured the actions I undertook in respect of LEF.
I was so pleased to see the emergence of the blogs begun by Suniemi and LEF Whistleblowers. I had prayed for those still caught up in LEF, that by some means God might enlighten them. Whilst I feel that some of the many posts are wrongly motivated, and there are some exaggerations, I have been horrified, yet encouraged, to see that my concerns about LEF and the Daniels were fully justified, and that their wrongdoing is far worse and more widespread than I had realised. I am still fond of the bookshop folk, the few that remain, and long for them to realise the truth. I understand a little bit how ties of affection and family can stop people from separating themselves from cultish, corrupt organisations like LEF. There are also those who have a vested interest, who use LEF for their own worldly purposes. However in the end our loyalty is to God, not to human beings, however close to us. God will not hold us guiltless if we continue, by attending, supporting, and saying nothing, to encourage wolves in sheep's clothing to prey on the flock.
---------------------------------------------------------
Please share your own personal experiences of how you managed to get out and also how you coped with the withdrawal symptoms of getting away from this evil group. This will help many who are at the exit door but do not have the courage to walk out as the world outside to them is alien and unfamiliar...
