So, a lot has happened, a lot is happening, and more will come. Most likely, two of the most significant things that have happened are the attorney's press release and the gathering of signatures. All the rest are high-value board pieces that must play out.
The few that have decided to stand up and do personal videos, I would say, are the high-value pieces. No, I am not talking about Justin & Chris, who pulled their videos after they yelled at each other. I made copies and put them back up on Rumble for future historical reasons.
I am speaking about people with their testimonies, and I would encourage these people to continue and, if possible, bring other people onto their YouTube channels to interview. Every testimony adds weight, pressure, and a clearer view. The fact that so many are scarred by Rick and or social pressures should be a testimony to the REAL spirit behind what we wrestle.
FAQ
A few assorted facts and observations from myself that are based on our time working for Morningstar Ministries.
Rick has said that every person ever hired was fully checked out. When my wife and I were hired, we received no background check, and no fingerprinting was ever done. I have since talked with a few people; some of these did sign NDAs, but most did not. Apparently, it was “applied” whenever they felt like it.
After your interview, you are told the final “ok” for your employment is Rick’s approval. In this, it is implied that Rick needs to hear from the Lord that he should hire you. This assumption is totally founded on the idea that Rick is hearing from the Lord. Since we are called to judge based on the fruit of the tree and not the tree. Rick has displayed a consistent failure at decerning people. Unless, of course, it was his plan to hire wolves, predators, and pedophiles the whole time. If it was, then Rick's track record is very high, when scoring the “right people” for key positions.
Rick had done a good job writing his Overcoming Series of Booklets. “Overcoming Witchcraft, Fear, etc.” Either he wrote them to show everyone how to excel at doing these evil things, or Rick has forgotten his own teachings
Rick’s consistent disregard for scripture. These examples are numerous and broad in subject. From sermons, where he pigeonholes in random scriptures to support weak ideas, to his Morningstar Vision Bible, where he altered, deleted, and rearranged various scriptures to fit his own theology. Such an attitude displays a lack of Holy fear and a self-absorbed concept of his own personal worth.
2014-2017, During this time in the Morningstar Missions Cafe. I was called in from my office to help my wife several times move many cases of beer, wine, and hard liquor from the coolers. These cases were often “tolerated” during regular days. But during major events like Partners, KOM, and more they became impassable obstacles when storing food. Please consider this scripture when reflecting on the fact that this church had its own bartender with a no-drink limit during many of these events. “Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions.” Isaiah 28:7
When asked by people about our time at the ministry, we often say, “It was the best and the worst thing that happened to us!” Although there is much behind this comment, I will say this. Morningstar is a four-story building in a former hotel owned by Jim Bakker. On the ground floor are amazing people, and many of those interactions can help you grow spiritually in ways you can not imagine. However, the second and third floors are middle management, who often create policies and attitudes that hinder spiritual growth. My wife said it best when referring to the kitchen and housekeeping departments. “We are all working in the servants' quarters, and now they have taken away the straw to make bricks.”
You can search the building from one end to the other. Tell me what's missing if you even notice it. Morningstar is the first “church” I have even been in that you can not find a cross anywhere. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19
If we were in the middle of a war, and this ministry was a builder of war machines. The Pentagon would have pulled the contract long ago for empty promises and unfinished projects. Never in my life have I seen so many things started (that they claim the Holy Spirit directed them to do) only to turn around and give the same reason for not finishing the project. If Jesus really is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) is this, not evidence alone that some other force is in control?
The reality is that there is a bazaar form of spiritual slavery at Morningstar. In some ways, it is like a twisted form of the Stockholm syndrome. Where people apply a coping mechanism to survive in a situation they believe is good for them and will help them exceed spiritually. In this way, many are conditioned to think and act in a way that does not displease senior authority, regardless of standard biblical wisdom.
I know it’s very bold to say this, but one of my former coworkers, Emily M, often referred to me as Batman in our department for the things I knew and did in secret around management to keep things moving. To build off her imagery, I would say that I often felt like Batman fighting a battle at Arkham Asylum because the inmates always seemed to be in charge, running things like human resources.
Many times in staff meetings, Rick has stated that any staff member can come to him anytime with their concerns. This is something that was great for the public but not always in reality. Unless you were in middle management, you were never going to get close unless you just pushed your way in. This was because Middle management and Rick’s personal assistants often worked as handlers to keep the rest of us away.
I tried to get a meeting once with Rick to talk about some issues. That was shut down by David Herr and another middle management supervisor. Never got to talk to Rick, and the answers I got back were pointless.
Reality
The issue I was trying to speak about was food storage. At many points in the history of this ministry, Rick has told people that they should be stocked with water, food, and various resources for the days ahead. These messages implied the idea that “we are doing this, and you should as well.” Nothing was farther from the truth. Morningstar never stocked up, even though people within the building were absolutely sure that if hard times hit, Rick would take care of them. There are no secret stores of food, on or off-site. The rumor of the warehouse and a secret tunnel built by Jim Bakker under the building are false.
Food storage was a major topic my wife and I knew very well so I wanted to help the ministry get going in the right direction on this issue, but it never happened.
The buckets the ministry tried to sell to the public with shelf-ready food, (recommended by Jim Bakker) were tasteless, overpriced, disgusting products that eventually expired and were tossed out because people woke up.
Control in Worship
I remember shortly after becoming employed, there was a Healing Conference. Worship seemed normal for the most part, and then suddenly, everything changed. It became very alive and real; the air became electric as the presence of God suddenly invaded the building.
For the first time in nearly 30 years, it felt like I was back in a Vineyard meeting, and God was about to move in healing. Every time the band tried to bring worship to a close, the audience simply raised the volume. Rick kept motioning to the band to end, but they could not.
Agravated, Rick politely stormed up to the stage and ended worship. He tried to clean up his actions with platitudes and weak arguments about how important his sermon was for the moment. It wasn’t; I had heard it many times before. The reality is he did not want anything, or anyone, including God, to cut into his time on stage. That's true self-centeredness right out of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Rick really should re-read and apply his own teaching in this manner.
This Moment
When I look at what is happening over with the IHOP crowd, much of their efforts seem way more organized, advanced, and moving forward than what we currently have with Morningstar. But let’s be honest, they have had more than a year to get where they are. They also have key players who were well-known faces in IHOP, like Allan Hood and Elizabeth Herder, stand up and risk everything for justice. This is one thing we do not have and yet need.
These leaders coming out on video and telling the truth display a level of bravery we have not seen in Morningstar. It was Elizabeth Herder's speech about the “one tread” that helped to convince me of Rick’s true nature.
Just like the prophetic symbology of King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings being possessed by another. Perhaps in this next year, major faces might get free and brave to step out of the shadows and do what is right.
Next week, “Offended.”
Good article. I never got involved with them, thankfully. But re: item 7 and the lack of a cross. I had a Calvinist friend a few years ago that invited me to his Reformed church for a holiday service. As I was getting ready to go the holy spirit told me to look for a cross while I was there. I looked all over the place, and there wasn't one to be found. I later asked my friend and he confirmed there wasn't one, intentionally. Now that's one of the first things I look for when visiting a new church.