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Avoiding Worship Music from Apostate Sources
By Amy Spreeman
In Leviticus 8–10, we read about the incident of “strange fire”, when Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, made an incense offering at the tabernacle that God had not commanded. The Hebrew word for “strange” can mean unauthorized, foreign, or profane. Because their offering was not in line with God’s instructions for holy worship, He judged their actions severely—sending fire to consume them.
It is a descriptive verse of course, but we also know that God cares about worship, and He hates any kind of profane, false elements such as syncretism and extra-biblical revelation.
Should a church use worship music from sources that are proven to be in doctrinal error? What if the song itself is biblical? Does the source matter? Shouldn’t a song be judged on its own merits and not the source?
These are questions that many church leaders struggle with, along with their congregants. That’s because most of the music licenses that churches purchase for Sunday morning worship services originate from the “Big Three”, that is: Bethel Church in Redding California, Hillsong United in Australia, and Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
All three of these organizations and their leaders have proven, over and over again, that they teach a completely different gospel than the one taught by Jesus and His Apostles. Their music is intentionally emotionally-manipulative, in order to create manufactured “religious experiences.” And all three of these organizations often—in their teachings, para-ministries, and music—take the focus off of Jesus and place it onto the worshipper. When congregants recognize the source of this music, many are rightfully alarmed.
But what if the lyrics are biblical? Consider this: plenty of songs that are biblically true were written by and for Mormons. Most Christians would agree that we should never use songs from sources which have false, or even heretical, teachings. No matter how sound the lyrics are, knowing that they come from heretical sources should cause leaders to eliminate those songs from their church services.
Five Reasons to Stop Singing Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation Music
One: Unholy, Dangerous, Apostate Teachings
There are many research articles written over the last two decades by hundreds of trusted Christian scholars and pastors who warn about Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation—the top three apostate organizations that make up the bulk of today’s false “church.”
These three multi-million-dollar organizations are the most well-known teachers of the “signs and wonders”, the dominionism movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), and the Word of Faith movement—also known as the “little gods” ideology, “name it and claim it” doctrine, and/or the “prosperity gospel.”
All three of these organizations believe and teach that their leaders are “Big A” Apostles, as well as Prophets, even though their “prophecies” are very often wrong.
Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation are proven to teach some of the most aberrant, unbiblical heresies in modern times. And while some of their music lyrics seem biblical, the source is anything but. The top leadership pastors and teachers are known “wolves in sheep’s clothing”, who must—according to God’s Word—be marked and avoided.
Two: Your Financial Support
The music licensing fees paid by congregations to use this music financially supports these organizations, and by extension, all of their activities, such as conferences, books, webinars and more. Every time your church performs one of these worship songs, there is a monetary benefit to the artist through licensing.
According to CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing Institute), 7 of the top 10 modern songs sung in churches today are affiliated with Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation. Yet there are thousands of alternative songs to select from.[i]
Three: The Influence on Your Flock
The main objective of the worship music arm of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation is to intentionally attract and maintain their target audience of youth and young adults and introduce new audiences of Christian consumers to (into) their movement. All while making millions of dollars. Bill Johnson, founder and lead pastor of Bethel, has said that he sees Bethel Music—including Bethel’s Jesus Culture—as a tool to export NAR teachings into non-NAR churches:
“Music bypasses all of the intellectual barriers, and when the anointing of God is on a song, people will begin to believe things that they wouldn’t believe through teaching.”[ii]
A recent post from Bethel’s WorshipU Instagram account repeats Johnson’s quote. WorshipU says it “believes in equipping worship teams to lead people into a profound experience with God that transforms lives.”[iii]
Holly Pivec states, “And the truth is that many of the people in these churches sing along, having no idea that these songs come from a leading church in an aberrant movement. I, myself, have sung along with songs in church or on the radio, only later to discover that those songs came from Bethel Music. Churchgoers who are aware of the songs’ origins sometimes feel conflicted singing along. And worship leaders face a dilemma of whether to include anything from Bethel Music in their weekly song selection.”[iv]
Four: Your Green Stamp of Approval
Worshiping God through music on a Sunday morning is a beautiful and uniting act. Congregants trust their leaders to protect them from “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Singing even solid-sounding songs tells your trusting congregants that either: (A) You’ve checked out these sources and approve of them, or (B) You haven’t checked out these sources and are unaware you are bringing apostate sources into your church.
If your church is leading music from a group that has theologically compromised the Truth of the Word, your church is lending credibility to that source. Worshippers have your “green light” to sing and enjoy music from these sources, because they trust their leaders to protect them from harm and are comfortable to trust this source and even pursue this group through video downloads, music purchases, and perhaps following the musicians and their theology. Congregants often share the musicians’ music videos on social media, thus spreading false teaching from apostate sources.
Five: Harming the Hurting
Ex-NAR Christians say when they were first drawn into the NAR movement, it was because of the music they heard in church. They began researching the musicians and following Bethel, even joining conferences and enrolling in the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry—a three-year, full-time program where students learn to perform “miracles” and how to “prophesy.” Those who’ve come out of the program say that the music was a gateway into the NAR movement.
It takes a lot of time for people coming out of these apostate and manipulative NAR and Word of Faith movements to heal and to find a new church they can trust. Ex-NAR and Word of Faith followers have said that they are “triggered” or spiritually harmed by seeing/hearing this music performed in their new church.
Christians looking to read further on this subject may want to check out this helpful resource titled, Breaking the “Theological Bricks” and Unlearning Lies. It tells the testimony of Jesse Westwood, a 3-year alumni of Bethel Church in Redding California, who attended Bill Johnson’s mystical Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and has since walked away from the cult.[v]
What God’s Word Says
Here are some biblical reasons that the source of worship music matters. Matthew 17:18 tells us that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. And unfortunately, the Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation music empires are rotten to the core. Additionally, Exodus 22:20 (and many other verses) says that God is not pleased when we invite a false spirit into our worship, and we cannot go to the altar of God and sit at the table of demons at the same time (1 Corinthians 10:21).
- “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1).
- “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
- “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).
- “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
- “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
False Teachings of Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation
One: Bethel Church, Redding, CA
Bethel Music’s songs are among the most played contemporary worship music in American churches and their albums have reached the Billboard Top 200 multiple times. The global music label and publishing group has many songs with tens of millions of views on YouTube, and their songs and albums have been among the most streamed and downloaded Christian music. In 2023, the organization earned more than $18 million dollars.[vi]
Bethel’s False Teachings
Bethel Church is a “Super Apostle” church and is known for its leadership role in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement. Bethel’s leader, Bill Johnson, prefers to call himself “the General” rather than the “lead Apostle”, and his second in command, Kris Vallotton, is its “Prophet.” NAR is a dominionism movement which asserts that God is restoring the “lost offices” of church governance—namely the offices of Prophet and Apostle.
Facts about the NAR:
- Its founder was C. Peter Wagner, who claimed that the Church of the 21st Century will be ruled by Apostles and Prophets. Before his death in 2016, Wagner anointed himself the NAR’s “Presiding Apostle.”
- Stemming from the Latter Rain movement, the NAR is linked with the Kansas City Prophets, who brought grandiose claims that a “new breed” of super prophets were beginning to arrive on planet earth, who would “change the world forever”; likewise were the teachings of the Word Faith and Pentecostal movements.
- NAR is not governed by an official denomination; it is led by alleged “apostles” and “prophets.”
- NAR leaders teach that “prophets” and “apostles” alone have the power and authority to execute God’s plans and purposes on earth. They believe they are laying the foundation for a global church, governed by them.
- These NAR teachers place a greater emphasis on dreams, visions and extra-biblical revelation than they do on the Bible, claiming that their “revealed teachings” and reported experiences (e.g. trips to heaven, face-to-face conversations with Jesus, visits by angels) cannot be proven by the “old” Scripture.[vii]
Bethel Church focuses on miracles. It teaches that all miracles described in the Bible can be performed by believers today and happen regularly, including faith healing of everything—from curing cancer to regrowing limbs, raising the dead, speaking in tongues, casting out demons and prophecy. Its Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry is a three-year, full-time program where students learn to “perform miracles” and how to prophesy.[viii]
Bethel teaches the heretical Word of Faith doctrine, also known as Positive Confession, and states that it is always God’s will to heal. Bethel teaches and practices occult activities such as Destiny Cards[ix] (a church version of Tarot cards), “sucking” the “anointing”[x] from a dead person in “grave soaking” trips to cemeteries. Bethel church attendees have witnessed mysterious manifestations of “gold dust,”[xi] “angel feathers,”[xii] and “glory clouds”[xiii] during worship services.
Bethel uses The Passion Translation (TPT), a man-made counterfeit “Bible” publication, which is not scholarly or Holy Spirit inspired. TPT has been enthusiastically endorsed by NAR advocates, such as Bill Johnson, Che Ahn, Bobbie Houston, Lou Engle, John and Lisa Bevere, Patricia King, Heidi Baker, Wesley and Stacey Campbell, and more.
Two: Hillsong Church, Sydney, Australia
Hillsong United’s music empire was founded in 1991, stemming from the first Hillsong Conference in 1986. Its music is produced by Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia as well as offshoot churches—Hillson London and Hillsong Kiev. Hillsong albums are released and distributed by Hillsong Music. The main groups are Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United, Hillsong Young & Free, and Hillsong Kids. As with Bethel Music, youth are Hillsong’s primary target.
As of 2018, Hillsong Music has sold over 18 million albums globally. And as of 2019, Hillsong music has been downloaded 1.1 billion times. CCLI estimates 50 million people sing Hillsong songs in church each week.
Hillsong’s Teachings
Hillsong Church in Australia (until recently) was led by co-founders and senior pastors, Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston. Brian Houston stepped down in 2021. The Australia-based organization has been plagued by scandals and its false teachings over the years, including the heretical Word of Faith and NAR (New Apostolic Reformation/Dominionism) teachings.
From the Hillsong website: “We believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and blessed lives in order to help others more effectively.”
In Pastor Brian Houston’s 1999 book, You Need More Money, he promotes the prosperity gospel: “Poverty is definitely not God’s will for His people. In fact, all His promises talk of blessing and prosperity.”[xiv] At its conferences, Hillsong regularly features the major prosperity preachers of the Word of Faith movement, such as Joyce Meyer, Joel and Victoria Osteen, and Oneness Pentecostal Word of Faith mogul, T.D. Jakes.
Facts About Hillsong and its Leadership
- Brian Houston has often stated that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. [xv]
- Hillsong’s ordination of women as pastors is in contradiction of Scripture’s teaching that men are to be the spiritual leaders of the Church (1 Timothy 2:11–12). [xvi]
- Hillsong New York City also had a homosexual music leader.[xvii]
- Hillsong’s music is a mixed-bag of somewhat biblical lyrics as well as downright heretical lyrics.[xviii]
- Like Bethel, Hillsong uses The Passion Translation.
Three: Elevation Church
Elevation Worship is a contemporary worship music collective from Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.[xix] The label was founded by their lead pastor, Steven Furtick. Elevation has grown into a global phenomenon, drawing a weekly attendance of more than 25,000 with locations from Toronto to Orlando; in addition to their worldwide online audience. Elevation Worship reaches more than 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, more than 760 million views on YouTube, and 1.5 million+ U.S. album sales. [xx]
By any worldly measure, Steven Furtick is quite successful. According to Money Inc., as of January 2021, his estimated net worth is $55 million.[xxi] He lives in a 16,000-square-foot mansion situated on nineteen acres of wooded land, valued at approximately $1.7 million in 2013.
Elevation’s False Teachings
Steven Furtick teaches Modalism, which is a heresy from the first century. Modalists deny the Trinity as defined in Scripture, and instead state that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three modes or forms.
He is known to teach the Word of Faith “Little gods”[xxii] heresy, as well as claiming that Jesus is limited by our lack of faith:
“Even Jesus cannot override your unbelief. I see y’all looking at me like, ‘Is that true? I thought He could do anything.’ It said, ‘He could not.’ He wanted to. He was prepared to. He was able to. The power of God was in Nazareth, but it was trapped in their perspective.”[xxiii]
His church has long been involved with the New Apostolic Reformation movement, when Furtick traveled to Australia for the Presence 2012 Conference[xxiv] with John Bevere for “a golden fire of anointing, vision and miracles…” He has since continued to host NAR prophets, seers, and miracle workers.[xxv]
Steven Furtick teaches that God breaks the Law.[xxvi] He also teaches that his vision is authoritative: “We are united under one vision. Elevation is built on the vision God gave Pastor Steven. We will aggressively defend our unity and that vision.”[xxvii] Below are some additional concerning facts about Steven Furtick.
- He promotes female pastors and has invited several to speak at Elevation, calling Joyce Meyer the “greatest Bible teacher alive today.”[xxviii]
- He has come under fire for writing a spontaneous baptism how-to guide, emotionally manipulating church attendees by fake baptisms.[xxix]
- Elevation church is also using and promoting the New Age non-Christian enneagram.[xxx]
- Furtick was recently quoted as saying, “I am God Almighty.”[xxxi] Many say he was taken out of context, and the video addresses that.
For these reasons, as well as the evidence provided above concerning all three major NAR churches/ministries, it is imperative that our church leaders (including worship leaders) reject the use of music stemming from these sources. As always, stay alert and be vigilant to the wiles of the enemy. Keep your eyes focused on the Lord.
[ii] https://youtu.be/0_nK_VT7644?t=2008
[iii] https://lovesickscribe.com/bethels-no-good-very-bad-vibrations/
[iv] https://www.hollypivec.com/blog/2017/10/should-our-church-sing-bethel-music-worship-songs/7143
[v] https://bereanresearch.org/breaking-the-theological-bricks-and-unlearning-lies/
[vi] https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/474005681
[vii] https://bereanresearch.org/dominionism-nar/
[viii] https://medium.com/theologyandstuff/attending-bethels-school-of-supernatural-ministry-or-any-of-their-churches-is-a-dangerous-9dc35e325424
[ix] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OKFd4Iy57M
[x] https://bewatchful.org/grave-sucking/
[xi] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw47MxefJsQ
[xii] https://youtu.be/UiDd4nJkQ-0
[xiii] https://www.christianlearning.com/supernatural-glory-cloud-manifestation-happened-at-a-bethel-worship-service/#google_vignette
[xiv] You Need More Money, Brian Houston, pg.8
[xv] https://www.nowtheendbegins.com/hillsong-united-leader-brian-houston-now-promoting-chrislam/
[xvi] https://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html
[xvii] https://bereanresearch.org/update-hillsong-and-its-homosexual-member-issue/
[xviii] https://www.piratechristian.com/fightingforthefaith/2016/10/heresy-hiding-in-plain-site
[xix] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation_Church
[xx] https://www.thechristianbeat.org/elevation-worship-s-graves-into-gardens-debuts-at-1-on-billboard-s-top-christian-albums-chart/#:~:text=With%20more%20than%203%20million,Music%2C%20Passion%2C%20and%20others
[xxi] https://moneyinc.com/steven-furtick-net-worth
[xxii] https://youtu.be/DBhBH33CorU
[xxiii] https://godwords.org/the-false-teaching-of-steven-furtick/
[xxiv] https://aspreeman.com/2012/03/21/20120321steve-furticks-presence-promises-a-firestorm-anointing-to-australia/
[xxv] https://bereanresearch.org/furtick-elevation-church-activate-n-a-r-apostles/
[xxvi] https://www.challies.com/articles/did-god-break-the-law-for-love/
[xxvii] https://aspreeman.com/2014/02/20/20140219furtick-kids-memorize-code/
[xxviii] https://youtu.be/HGr8ZO0gqck
[xxix] https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fia800106.us.archive.org%2F3%2Fitems%2FSpontaneousBaptismsHowToGuide%2FSpontaneousBaptismsHowToGuide.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
[xxx] https://www.facebook.com/581206039071736/posts/781394159052922/?d=n
