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Jeff Jenkins was the pastor of Believers Christian Fellowship in Lima, Ohio for almost 33 and a half years. Rod Bergen and Tim Kraus talk to Jeff about:
– What have been the biggest changes in his thinking since he left the message 7 years ago?
– What has surprised him most since he left the message?
– Has he had any contact with other message ministers since he left?
– How has his ministry developed since he left the message?
– What is his advice to those that have left the message?
– What is the proper approach to religion and faith based on his experience since leaving the message?
Links
– Our first interview with Pastor Jeff
– Jeff Jenkins discusses the 1963 Arizona Cloud
The following is a transcript of the podcast:
Amazing to hear from Jeff. ????????
Dear Brothers, I was raised in a Message church in central Indiana. The Lord led me out of Message teaching into salvation through faith in Christ alone teaching as a college student in my 20s. I have felt for 20+ years that I couldn’t stomach looking into the doctrine of the Message, as I had this deep fear of blasphemy associated with any criticism of “The Prophet”. I literally told my husband that I need to keep William Branham “on the shelf”. Through the past year, several conversations have led me to want to critically evaluate my fundamentalist upbringing, and when I mustered enough curiosity and bravery, I finally did a Google search and landed first at William Branham Historical Research and then at Off the Shelf. I believe the phrase “on the shelf” must have been in implicit memory, as I don’t remember having been taught that. What I do remember is listening to tapes of vitriol toward women, a compelling and heartbreaking WMB life story, and a quagmire of confusing doctrine. It has been a week of great liberation for me (and for my sister, who also left the Message) to work through the podcasts on these two websites. Jeff Jenkins testimony was particularly compelling as we were familiar with his church and ministry. Having WMB’s life story/vision/prophesy exposed as cobbled together fabrication and manipulation has made me both angry (how could so many of us based our faith on lies for decades after this man’s death) and free.
Memories of WMB’s words against women have come vividly back as I’ve read them on these and associated websites (like Bitter Belly), and these are the words that anger me the most, because as a young girl, those were the ones I collected to describe myself. While I have been convinced by my Savior, my Comforter, and My Friend that I am an image bearer of God and His Child, His Daughter, I am angered that men I knew, loved, and trusted pushed play on a tape player and knowingly spread WMB’s words into the ears of women and little girls in our small church and parroted those words in daily life. Brothers in the Message, these words are destructive and venomous and will eat at your daughter’s heart.
Many blessings to you, faithful Brothers, for following the truth, for believing in the evidence when you see it, for not forsaking your minds, created by and gifted to you by God.
I don’t understand all of this. When you gave ur life to Jesus, your revelation if true, would be to be obedient to God’s word. No make up, no cutting of hair, no wearing cloths that pertain to a man. It was a revelation or it wasn’t. If u were brought up in a message church, I can see u wanting to break away because of your piers that live in the world. You have never got the revelation of who Jesus really was, and what he did for you. Your life became traditional like any other denomintional church where people have always quite to what they were brought up believing. Bro Branham only preached the Bible and Paul. I remember him saying that a woman’s long hair was a covering and was a glory to God. When a see a woman who truly loves Jesus she wants to do according to his word. It’s obediance. Just as every one of us strive on a daily basis to be obediant to his word. We fall short, because we live in the flesh. Thank God that this flesh will never see the Kingdom. . Bro Branham said it was God’s will to bring forth life and he glorified women to be the vessal that does that. It’s not a big deal, you believe what u want, but Bro Branham was the vessal that God used to be the 7th church age messager. Billy Graham even said so. I personnally have been out in the desert for over 37 years and I can tell you it has not been fun. Being obedient to God’s word and trying to do the things that you know puts a smile on his face and knowing that he is saying “well done my son” , is much more satisfying than trying to twist his word to what you think is right to be happy in the world. Lately I have visited 4 different churches believing as Bro Branham said, that the Lord would have something on that table for me when I go. I’m telling you ‘believers” it is hard to find. One church had 3 services at 6 different churches preaching the same sermon to approximately 15,000 people every Sunday. The preacher came via video and not once did I hear the name Jesus. I was actually watching a cartoon. The last one I went to was affiliated to the Assemblies of God, ( pentacostal ) and I thought for sure I would hear some truth there. The Pastor introduced himself to me and informed before service that they stay strictly to God’s word. After 5 days of being compelled to do something, I finally called him and asked why he had a woman preacher when God himself commanded what he commanded in 1 Corinthians 14, 33-37. He tried to defend his position by quoting all the women around Paul in Roman’s 16, 5-16. Paul only said to salute them with a Holy kiss. Nothing about preaching. I wished him well but as a Son of God had to inform him that God will hold everyone responsible for what they have been given the authority to teach. Bro Branham is no different than you, me, the pope or that woman Bishop that ridiculed President Trump about gays, transgender’s or anything else she was saying. May God stop me dead with a bolt of lighting if I say anything but the truth right now. Bro Branham said to take God at his word, don’t add anything to it or take away. ( Rev: 22-19 ). People are out there searching for the truth as the Bible says, ” with itching ears. After all this time, and being in the wilderness as long as I have, I can sincerely tell you, brothers and sisters, it’s all about what our Lord said as he hung on the cross, and shed his blood for the sins of the world, “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do. The thing is we, as 7th church age believers, do know what we do. If we are his Bride we must do the best we can according to the calling for which we were called. If you want to take one little thing from over 1,100 sermons the prophet spoke, and breakaway and make a whole new ministry out of it, than as a human, living in this flesh, and using only 10 or 11% of your brain, you have that right. Maybe in God’s mysterious ways of doing things, it’s his will. Did Judas Iscariot not do what he was suppose to do? Please find it in your heart to forgive me if I have rubbed anyone the wrong way, but I believe I have gone the 18inches to my heart and said only what I felt I was compelled to say. Show me someone else that even would have the remote chance of breeding the 7th church age Prophet. After all this time in my thoughts, I can still hear the Screaming of that Eagle. God Bless all Who Hear.
You are parroting Message-speak and there are a lot of things in your diatribe that are not accurate.
Billy Graham said nothing about William Branham. You believe a lie someone told you.
I gave my life to Christ prior to coming into the message. I was told many things by message preachers that were incorrect. Here are a list of Branham’s prophecies that are false – https://en.believethesign.com/index.php?title=An_Analysis_of_William_Branham%27s_Visions_and_Prophecies
William Branham lied a lot. Here is a detailed list of some of his lies – https://en.believethesign.com/index.php?title=Credibility
William Branham did not preach what Paul preached. Here is a list of WMB’s teachings which are not biblical – https://en.believethesign.com/index.php?title=Did_William_Branham%27s_teaching_agree_with_the_Bible%3F
Thank you for sharing. I needed to read that!
What a relief! For me, it’s almost the fifth year since I got out of that cult.