Demographics of those who follow the Word of Faith movment

[ricky]

Has there ever been an academic study done about the study on the demographics of those who follow the Word of Faith movement. I am thinking particularly on the economic side of things. It seems to me most of the people (not all) I have met, that follow Word of Faith teachings are lower income, or benefit dependent. Anecdotal evidence seems also to bare this out. I think if there has not been a study done on this, it would be a very interesting study to do in my opinion. 

[FresnoJoe]

 

Dear Rick, Usually By Biblical Standards

 

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

 

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:8-10

 

WoF'ers Are Considered Believers

 

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 30:7-9

 

But Beloved You Are

 

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

 

Not Talking About Believers In The Word....

 

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2:3

 

~

 

Folk Who Teach Salvation By Righteousness Works Approved By One Organization Or Another

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

 

Or By Paying Moneys To Men To Buy One's Way From Hell To Heaven

 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 1 Peter 1:18-20

 

Or Some Such Shenanigans

 

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17

 

Is That Right?

 

~

 

Beloved, The Word Of Faith

 

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2:8

 

Which I Believed

 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:47

 

So, How Rich

 

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:37

 

Am I?

[missmuffet]

Has there ever been an academic study done about the study on the demographics of those who follow the Word of Faith movement. I am thinking particularly on the economic side of things. It seems to me most of the people (not all) I have met, that follow Word of Faith teachings are lower income, or benefit dependent. Anecdotal evidence seems also to bare this out. I think if there has not been a study done on this, it would be a very interesting study to do in my opinion. 

I have met many who are WOF and are not low income or benefit dependent.So that profile probably is not true.

[Guest shiloh357]

When I was in Tulsa, most of the people who were hardcore adherents to the Word of Faith movement were lower income people.  Not sure of any racial demographic, but they were either poor rural or urban dwellers.   

 

The Word of Faith movement preys on the sick and the poor and promises them healing and prosperity which never comes.  It's always carrot on a stick.  "Just keep planting that seed"  they are told.  "Don't give up, your harvest is on its way."    And it never comes, but they still keep chasing what is always out of their reach.  They are still living on beans and bread while the prosperity teachers are eating porterhouse steaks, prime rib and jumbo shrimp.

 

They can regurgitate what Copeland and Hagin and others teach, but they never see the reality play out and I am talking about people who have been at this for 15 or 20 years.  They live in low income housing and trailer parks and stuff.   I hated to see the people come into the grocery store where I worked and barely able to afford their groceries because they spent their money on books and gave a bunch of money away to some ministry  hoping that God was going to send them a windfall/harvest.   Really sad. 

 

But when you are desperate for a miracle, you will grab on to anything.

[Guest shiloh357]

There may be some who are not low income and that believe that stuff, but 10 to 1, they didn't get their wealth through the word of faith movement.

[missmuffet]

WOF teachers

 

Ernest Angley, John Bevere, Markus Bishop, Juanita Bynum, Morris Cerullo, Kim Clement, Kenneth Copeland, Paul Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Kenneth Hagin, Marilyn Hickey, Benny Hinn, Brian Houston, Rodney Howard-Browne, Larry Huch, T.D. Jakes, Bishop Eddie L. Long, Clarence McClendon, Joyce Meyer, Myles Munroe, Steve Munsey, Mike Murdock, Joel Osteen, Rod Parsley, Peter Popoff, Fred Price, Joseph Prince, Oral Roberts, R.W. Shambach, Robert Schuller, Karl Strader,Robert Tilton, Paula White, Ed Young 

[MorningGlory]

When I was in Tulsa, most of the people who were hardcore adherents to the Word of Faith movement were lower income people.  Not sure of any racial demographic, but they were either poor rural or urban dwellers.   

 

The Word of Faith movement preys on the sick and the poor and promises them healing and prosperity which never comes.  It's always carrot on a stick.  "Just keep planting that seed"  they are told.  "Don't give up, your harvest is on its way."    And it never comes, but they still keep chasing what is always out of their reach.  They are still living on beans and bread while the prosperity teachers are eating porterhouse steaks, prime rib and jumbo shrimp.

 

They can regurgitate what Copeland and Hagin and others teach, but they never see the reality play out and I am talking about people who have been at this for 15 or 20 years.  They live in low income housing and trailer parks and stuff.   I hated to see the people come into the grocery store where I worked and barely able to afford their groceries because they spent their money on books and gave a bunch of money away to some ministry  hoping that God was going to send them a windfall/harvest.   Really sad. 

 

But when you are desperate for a miracle, you will grab on to anything.

 

I guess I just don't understand the WOF thing.  It's 'give to get' message shouldn't be believed by ANYONE and yet millions of people believe and 'sow a seed' to these fake ,ministries.  I've watched them on t.v. and the one never ending message is how God wants us to give and be obedient and how THEY (whoever it might be) are 'anointed' and the HS told them this or that.  Still don't see how anyone could fall for that rubbish.  

[missmuffet]

 

When I was in Tulsa, most of the people who were hardcore adherents to the Word of Faith movement were lower income people.  Not sure of any racial demographic, but they were either poor rural or urban dwellers.   

 

The Word of Faith movement preys on the sick and the poor and promises them healing and prosperity which never comes.  It's always carrot on a stick.  "Just keep planting that seed"  they are told.  "Don't give up, your harvest is on its way."    And it never comes, but they still keep chasing what is always out of their reach.  They are still living on beans and bread while the prosperity teachers are eating porterhouse steaks, prime rib and jumbo shrimp.

 

They can regurgitate what Copeland and Hagin and others teach, but they never see the reality play out and I am talking about people who have been at this for 15 or 20 years.  They live in low income housing and trailer parks and stuff.   I hated to see the people come into the grocery store where I worked and barely able to afford their groceries because they spent their money on books and gave a bunch of money away to some ministry  hoping that God was going to send them a windfall/harvest.   Really sad. 

 

But when you are desperate for a miracle, you will grab on to anything.

 

I guess I just don't understand the WOF thing.  It's 'give to get' message shouldn't be believed by ANYONE and yet millions of people believe and 'sow a seed' to these fake ,ministries.  I've watched them on t.v. and the one never ending message is how God wants us to give and be obedient and how THEY (whoever it might be) are 'anointed' and the HS told them this or that.  Still don't see how anyone could fall for that rubbish.  

 

2 Timothy 4:3-4  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

[missmuffet]

 

in 1947/48 b.graham was approached by men of yahweh to correct his error, as he was in bed with spiritual fornication with one antichrist.... (their letter and scriptural chastisement and call to repent used to be available online, might still be but don't know; doesn't matter - his own words still convict him) .  graham rejected truth and went with the antichrist instead, never repenting (by his own words, and his son also by his own words, recently, unrepentant still - deeper and worse error and deception across many countries and all of the usa) ...

 

1. The Deception of Billy Graham. A Mind Controlled Front
   www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/.../deception_billy_graham.htm - Cached - Similar

   In 1992, Billy Graham broadcast all over the U.S. his radio show called ... During

   the show, Billy Graham told the American people we need to ...... A MASS OF

   DOCUMENTATION EXPOSING BILLY GRAHAM AS A WOLF FOR 30 YEARS.

2. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association presents WOF Teacher with ...
   www.raptureforums.com/.../billy-graham-evangelistic-association-presents-wof-teacher-with-humanitarian-award.51183/ - Cached

   Jun 22, 2011 ... WORD FAITH HERETIC CINDY TRIMM RECEIVES AWARD FROM BILLY

   GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION By Ken Silva ...

   WOF peddlers/Mega Pastors Joel Osteen And T.D. Jakes Unite ...   Dec 11, 2011 Elephant Room and WOF peddlers T.D. Jakes and Cindy Trimm ...   Nov 18, 2011 WOF peddler T.D. Jakes In His Natural TBN Habitat ...   Sep 29, 2011 More results from www.raptureforums.com

 

I have not seen anything from Billy Graham which indicates he is a false teacher.

[Ezra]

I have not seen anything from Billy Graham which indicates he is a false teacher.

 

Bopeep,

 

You might want to do some more research on Billy Graham.  When a fundamentalist Gospel preacher joins hands with the RCC, that is a teaching in itself.  But there are other issues, and since he is not WOF, that would be off topic.

 

As to the WOF adherents, it is extremely sad that they are being duped and don't realize it.  Perhaps many cannot or do not study the Word of God, therefore false teachers take advantage of them.  Those who are low income are looking for a way out, and they are being deceived.