The foundational spanner in the works at BCF (Brisbane Christian Fellowship) is the presbytery’s and congregation’s assumption that their leader, Vic Hall, is not just basically sound but so in-tune with God that he has visitations of Christ AND that after those visitations he can conjure up new teachings that are God’s revelatory plan for the global church and weren’t even mentioned in the visitations.
Maybe you think I’m kidding.
I’m not. That is the full list of assumptions this church has about its leader:
- Basically sound (like any leader)
- Has had 2 visitations of Christ (1975 & 2007)
- Has (unrelated to the visitations), continual revelation of God’s unfolding plans for the global church
Now, it’s all possible in theory.
But is it true? The fruit of this church speaks otherwise to all three of these, (1)-(3).
What Vic Hall has incorrectly proclaimed against other churches (that they are all going permissive etc), his banning of the reading other Christian books and commentaries and what close contacts of Vic Hall tell us about Vic Hall (ambitious, egotistical, without empathy, nasty, shunning, controlling, even womanizing) speaks otherwise re point (1).
Basically BCF and MCF (Melbourne Christian Fellowship) have essentially come to believe anything he says. The word they proclaim is to be accepted without discussion:
This word we are preaching is a proclaimed, fathered word. It has been tested by the presbytery. It is not to be debated or questioned but acted on. If we self-name ourselves there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Those who name themselves will ultimately go mad. Their worm will not die.
Vic Hall, Murray Wylie & company (1995-2010-ish). Every month or so.
BCF & MCF have accepted that he can lead as if an apostle of the level of St Paul.
But why?
His teachings are not supported theologically or narratively (by looking at the way they lived) in the New Testament. And have caused so much harm. They shun people, ban family connections, ban marriages, delay marriages for 3-5 years, force young people into careers they don’t want, stop men running businesses, declare and pigeon hole people as workers (employees) or masters (business owners)!
From the pulpit they have made tiny apologies:
These books only have a lifetime of a few months, or maybe a year or so. After that you should burn them.
Vic Hall (2015)
We mixed up the revelation about the twin palm trees and the twin bowls of Zechariah and incorrectly thought it should be applied today.
Vic Hall & Ray Jackson/Gary Worth (2013/2014), as best as can be remembered
Well those ‘bowls of oil’ we were taught was the word of God from the presbytery. And there was no other source of the revelatory ‘present truth’ word of God!
Congregation members: this was . . apostasy! Not tiny errors. And they admitted it on this occasion!
They made non-apology apologies too (lies actually) about guru headship:
We never taught that elders should be involved in the minutiae of men’s lives!
Vic Hall (2014-ish)
Here’s the elephant in the room: what if it’s All wrong? I mean the twists and empahses. What if it’s just from Vic’s head? And what if Vic Hall dies? And we’ve devoted ourselves to unquestioning obedience to it in our daily lives? For 25 years!
Why on earth should we expect revelations about new teachings ? And from one man without dual witness for confirmation?
In the book of Acts Paul and Peter – from totally separate backgrounds – were witnesses to each other. Here we’ve just got Vic Hall who can say whatever he likes!
Jesus warned us against isolationism:
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
Matt 24:23
We should not be expecting ‘new moves’ from a solitary source. The rejuvenation of the infilling of the Holy Spirit started at many multiple locations around the earth at the turn of the last century.
The earlier, solid restorationist teachings on the Body of Christ and Multiple Eldership were plain readings of Scripture! Not convoluted arguments about elders being gurus with automatic ‘sight’ that were not plainly stated nor evident in the way the early church lived.
It’s outrageous that after Ray Jackson Snr fell we should hunt around for another one in the same mould. After the sin of Jackson!
Are we nuts?
Yes we were were.
Or at least the BCF/MCF presbytery were.
Open Letter to Melbourne Christian Fellowship (MCF) 