G12 - Anyone familiar?

[jons911]

Is anyone familiar with the G12 (Government of 12) movement?

The movement is a cell-based church where each "cell leader" raises up 12 "disciples" who, in turn, each raise 12 of their own, etc.

The vision is four-fold:
Win - Bring people to Christ
Consolidate - Show new believers how to leave their old life, and enter into the new life God has given them
Disciple - Train and teach "consolidated believers" how to live strong Christian lives
Send - Send these "discipled believers" to form their own cell groups

Check it out:
http://www.mci12.com/english/Home-engl.html
and
http://www.g12harvest.org

Anyone?

Jon


Keywords: Cesar Castellanos G12 Government Cell

 

[mle]

Yes, I'm familiar with the G12. A man of our church was doing it(he may still be doing it). I am under the impression that once one commits to the 12 they are life long people to pray for and shepard.

 

[jons911]

mle - Are you part of a G12 church?

 

[mle]

No, I'm not. Though, from what I have heard it sounds like a bible based concept. I think it is wonderful to minister to people. So often in this day and age people are not in it for the long haul. Everyone wants quick fixes that do not take much time or energy. I like the fact that G12 organizes people to care for people over long periods of time, even a lifetime.

Come to think of it I think G12 was presented before the board of our church at one time and dismissed for some reason. But, I'm not really sure.

 

[tay35]

I have just came out of the G12 movement. i am still praying and asking the Lord to help me understand and to show me what was real in all of it and wh was not. I have lost 26 pounds wothout exercising and have lost a lot of hair from the stress the so called "vision" caused. No doubt I was very blessed outwardly, but I lived in fear and I feel the vision controlled my life. on many occassions, it was emphazied on what decision I needed to make, though I was also told it was "my decision". Your cell leader meets with you privately and lets you know what kind of spirits you have on you. i was told not to buy a car last year, but to wait. i did buy it anyway because my old car was falling apart. I was told not to hang out with another lady in "cell" though she was saved. Then we were all told that we could not hang out together anymore. Mind you we were all grown and saved. I'm 28. Benny Hinn and others who I believed to be fals preachers years ago were heavily endorsed. Pastor Ceasar, who the G12 vision originated from, was really looked at as a god. You had to be there. I felt pressured to win souls. I went to Bethany in Baton Rouge, LA. I was afraid to do anything without consulting with my "leaders" for fear of being in rebellion and receiving curses on me for being disobedient. They did preach the Cross, Jesus and all of that. Thank God I was already saved before I went into that vision or I would still be caught up in it. Because you can get caught up in the hype. To me, from my own personal experience, I felt controlled and even manipulated into doing things. The vision seemed to control your life. Anythgin you want to know, I am more than willing to share. Some say it's a cult, but right now, I'm just recovering and I don't know if that's true or not. But I know since I have left, it's been emphasized to not fellowship with me anymore. Also, the night I was sharing with my leaders I was leaving, I was told if I left, I would be leaving God. Please pray for me,I need it!

 

[joevberry3]

I know a couple of people involved in it, and their experiences are good--far different than your experience...They both say they have never been told NOT to talk to another member or told they would be leaving God if they left the group...So, I dont know....
God Bless,
Joe

 

[Tobias]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, Tay.

I am not familliar with G12, but have had to deal with "discipleship" before. Some of it may be good, but I have never found any to be so personally. It seems that it may work if you are directly under the pastor or someone who truely loves God, but by the time you get down the line in the church you have controlling people with no spiritual insight running other people's lives.

God removed the need for a priesthood over our lives by installing Jesus in that place. In fact, even in the Old Testement the priesthood was only installed because the people did not want to talk to God at Mt Sinai. As it is, we have direct communication with God, and need only the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and the voice of a stranger they will not follow." We are all able to hear Him. We only need each other as friends and brothers, all pursuing the things of God togeather. It is no person's place to lord it over another, but to perhaps help explain what it is that God is teaching them.

God Bless

 

[Svt4Him]

I have just came out of the G12 movement. i am still praying and asking the Lord to help me understand and to show me what was real in all of it and wh was not. I have lost 26 pounds wothout exercising and have lost a lot of hair from the stress the so called "vision" caused. No doubt I was very blessed outwardly, but I lived in fear and I feel the vision controlled my life. on many occassions, it was emphazied on what decision I needed to make, though I was also told it was "my decision". Your cell leader meets with you privately and lets you know what kind of spirits you have on you. i was told not to buy a car last year, but to wait. i did buy it anyway because my old car was falling apart. I was told not to hang out with another lady in "cell" though she was saved. Then we were all told that we could not hang out together anymore. Mind you we were all grown and saved. I'm 28. Benny Hinn and others who I believed to be fals preachers years ago were heavily endorsed. Pastor Ceasar, who the G12 vision originated from, was really looked at as a god. You had to be there. I felt pressured to win souls. I went to Bethany in Baton Rouge, LA. I was afraid to do anything without consulting with my "leaders" for fear of being in rebellion and receiving curses on me for being disobedient. They did preach the Cross, Jesus and all of that. Thank God I was already saved before I went into that vision or I would still be caught up in it. Because you can get caught up in the hype. To me, from my own personal experience, I felt controlled and even manipulated into doing things. The vision seemed to control your life. Anythgin you want to know, I am more than willing to share. Some say it's a cult, but right now, I'm just recovering and I don't know if that's true or not. But I know since I have left, it's been emphasized to not fellowship with me anymore. Also, the night I was sharing with my leaders I was leaving, I was told if I left, I would be leaving God. Please pray for me,I need it!

Having studied the G12 teachings, I have to wonder what G12 you are under, as I've never heard anything like this. 'The Vision' has you?

 

[jons911]

Svt:
Bethany is one the largest G12 churches in North America.
www.bccn.com

Are you involved with a G12 church?

 

[mle]

Is G12 for men mostly?

 

[Svt4Him]

Yes, I was involved in a G12 church. Not now due to location and my children being too young for the drive.

 

[LivingWorship]

MLE - from my understanding G12 is for everybody but the emphasis seems to put leadership on the shoulders of Godly men. This in and of itself is ok but when women are ovelooked BECAUSE they are women, there is a problem. My take is the man should be head of the house etc but women are equal in the sight of God and therefore if the best person for the task is a woman, then so be it. Like someone said earlier, I'm sure this isn't true of every G12 church but this is my understanding of the Colombia model, or at least some of the Colombian G12 churches.

SO far as the BIble thing, my personal view on G12 (and again not every church of the G12 movement will be like this) is that it sure started out with good intentions and some Biblical basis. However, some pockets of this movement are now bordering on cult. It appears to me that G12's aim of the gospel is to disciple the nations, but more in terms of religious government - isn't Castellanos running for office somewhere in the States, or in Colombia? Not sure, heard that one. Anyhow... discipleship is only a means (albeit an important one) to an end, and that end is loving relationship with Jesus. Check out the following links for more info.

http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain24.htm

http://www.banner.org.uk/apostasy/cell-church9.htm

As I said, I'm sure not all G12ers are wrong, and I'm sure not every g12 church employs every single "tactic" Castellanos has set. But what Castellanos keeps pumping out is that this vision is God's revelation (could be) and that in order to keep with the vision (ie and not miss out on what God's doing - sound familiar?) we must employ every aspect of the vision (sound like a scheme?). Our youth pastor read this book and got so enamored by this he decided that our church needs this. One fine day he tells us of the G12 vision and we thought ok, sounds good.. then he goes on about the school of leadership, the ladder of success, the 12 number... and I'm sitting here thinking where is all this coming from? And how are we meant to start this? Anyhow that got shot down by the elders at church and is on the backburner.

One last point... if 12 is the magic number ordained by Jesus - and He did choose 12 initially - then who told the disciples it was right to choose someone to replace Judas? And then who of them started discipling 12 and then branching off and jforming another 12 and so on... anyhow. I feel that God has done some good in the movement and may continue to do so... but there are also alarm bells ringing. My precious bretheren, forgive me if I offend, but I beg you to search of God in all you do. I may yet be wrong, GOd may hit me with a thunderbolt. But till then I will search Him for answers. God bless you all

 

[riverpastor]

tay35,

Sorry also to hear about your recent experiences with G12. May I add to what the others have said that different leaders have different gifts, visions, motivations that may or may not match your individual gifts from the Lord. It is very easy for some leaders to take their own gift to the extreme in imposing their viewpoint upon others in the group. The only thing that they understand is their own vision and if your not hooked up with their vision then you can't be on the right track with God.

I was in an independent Charismatic church where the pastor had an evangelistic gift and imposed the gift on everyone and you wondered sometimes if you were saved or not after he got through preaching "at" you. Oh yeah, he preached Jesus and the Blood and the Cross but he undermined the Good News of the Kingdom with subversive messages about faithfulness to the (his) church.

I actually heard this pastor with my own ears tell a man in the church that was contemplating moving his family off that if he left that God would "take" his life.

That man is still in that fear and bondage today. And still trapped in that church. Who was it that said "Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely"? Some leaders lose sight of God's love and can possibly become tyrants towards God's people through abusive authority and power.

BUT, I must say also that I have seen the cell model take effect in churches and it has been a wonderful things for the Kingdom of God.

 

[LivingWorship]

Agreed RP, I am an ardent critic of the way the Western church does "church". The whole 'leave it to pastor' and so on means that fewer and fewer people's giftings get developed and that they simply become pewwarmers. Not true of all but the majority of people who attend church and DON'T have a regular home group or whatever tend to dry up. I think it's the best way of developing or discipling people due to its intimacy, and I also think it can be easier to drag someone to church when it's in a home, relaxed and no real agendas.

BTW I found where the Psalms say "let someone take over his post" so that's where it came from... however I'm still not convinced that 12 is a special number so far as a cell group... I do think that 12 is a large number - but not too big - for a cell leader. Wen it goes over that, the intimacy begins to die. But otherwise it's significance I am unsure of. 12 has its significance more in Biblical numbers, and of course those Bible prophecies that relate to 12.

 

[jons911]

Those of you who have been part of or links to a G12 church, have you noticed similarities between the movement and the Word of Faith movement? I'm wondering if it is a local thing or a characterisitic of all G12 churches. I don't think anyone at the local G12 knows much about WoF, but the similarities are unmistakable.
- Faith healing
- Rhema words
- Prosperity doctrine
- "Name it and Claim it"
- and others


BTW Benny Hinn endorses G12.

 

[RevKidd]

Is anyone familiar with the G12 (Government of 12) movement?

The movement is a cell-based church where each "cell leader" raises up 12 "disciples" who, in turn, each raise 12 of their own, etc.

The vision is four-fold:
Win - Bring people to Christ
Consolidate - Show new believers how to leave their old life, and enter into the new life God has given them
Disciple - Train and teach "consolidated believers" how to live strong Christian lives
Send - Send these "discipled believers" to form their own cell groups

Check it out:
http://www.mci12.com/english/Home-engl.html
and
http://www.g12harvest.org

Anyone?

Jon


Keywords: Cesar Castellanos G12 Government Cell

Are you sure this isn't another thing from Amway?:weird:

Just kidding by the way. It actually sounds like it could possibly be a great way to reach others. Many people are so scared of church that the best place to bring them is in a small group setting.

 

[xpecially]

G12 to me is another Church Growth Movement packaged in another way. The concept is simply adopting the pyramid multi-level sales tactics frequently used by get rich schemers. However, once adopted, it has the potential to induce abuse and divide the church into sectors where the leaders could act like tyrants in their little networks. I am from South East Asia, Singapore. I left my church because our pastor is one of the 12 in Castellanos International G12 and they have been running ths programme for almost 2 years now. We have seen many friends and pastors left the church because of G12. Many have spent more than 10 years building up the church and sad to say, the chuch has since been in decline.

The way things are done here is that men and women are separated into men only and women only groups. Everyone is to be a leader and meetings are businesslike with the whole focus based on evangelisim. Little worship, no sharing but lots of planning and strategising. Outreach is conducted frequently and if you have gained your own 12, you are to attend 2 meetings a week, one with your own 12 and another with your leader's 12. Husbands and wives are discourage to meet under the same roof and at the same time. There is no programmes for the kids. You must always be on your feet to attend seminars and workshops to be equipped and most importantly, the encounter weekend, where you are expected to regress even into your mothers' womb to confess unforgiven sins. Your "growth" is closely monitored and different networks are discouraged to intermingle to prevent "stealing of sheeps". I have a friend who required councelling but was unable to seek help within his own network. When asked to see an experienced councellor from another network, his network leader refused him to get help and I believed the brother had to have his problem solved elsewhere.
Has church degenerate to this level?

This definetely is a man's devise to command and conquer those under their care. Do adopt this "vision" at your own risk.