Hey Stephen. Thank you for writing this. I am so sorry for what your family went through. Scott was my friend. I felt his loss profoundly and remember him often. Thanks for talking about this stuff.
Stephen, we would have no idea of level of Paul’s demonic influence without your careful exposure. As a pastor’s wife I visited the first Vineyard conference where Paul was introduced. I remember going to your dad’s breakout sessions on Joel’s army. I saw your beautiful mother and being the same age, I was sad/jealous I could not be in the middle of “what God was doing” like your parents were. It seemed the most exciting things on the earth were happening around them and John. That was also my first introduction to Mike B. Again, blown away as a struggling church planter in Boston where it was dry as a desert, to be in such a “God infused” conference. May the Lord pour out mercy on all of us who came under Paul’s influence. I have grieved from afar the passing of your brother but never knew about the abuse. I am so sorry. I can see the Lord has used you in impacting and redemptive ways and still is. God bless you and your family.
Stephen, I knew your father briefly (and, very casually) in the early 90’s when he was on staff at Anaheim Vineyard.
Later, I was teaching Beginning Greek at Fuller Seminary while in the doctoral program there and while exegeting 1 Cor 14:3 for my class told them the story of a ‘prophet’ I knew who had prophesied to world leaders. Three days later Paul was exposed. It has always mystified me that someone known as ‘the Father of the Modern Prophetic’ (as he was known at Anaheim during the 90’s) has not been more exposed by the so-called ‘prophetic leadership’ of the church.
The teaching about false prophecy and false and carnal prophets has been almost non-existent in the prophetic church and voicing it has ensured that one goes nowhere in terms of influence. I’m glad to see that you and your father are changing that.
Thanks for this. I would love to hear what you and your father think of the some of the other “Kansas City Prophets’ at this point: Bob Jones, John Paul Jackson, Larry Randolph, etc. And the newer voices like Sadhu Selvaraj and Terry Bennett, as well.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Stephen. I can't imagine losing a brother like that, especially due to such tragic trauma. May the Lord cleanse His church and may the truth shine forth like the sun.
Stephen, thank you (and your family) so much for taking the risk to tell your story! I’m so sorry this man did these unspeakable things to your family.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope one day spirit filled scholars can get together and reassess everything from Azusa, latter days Rain, healing revival era, the Toronto, Brownsville, Jesus people movement.
Hi Stephen - I meet Scott in KC. Scott and I drove each other crazy but we loved each other. I remember vicerally getting the call from Aaron about his tragic dealth. I have thought of him through the years, but especially often in the last 7 months. Thank you for sharing his story. I am sorry for your great loss. Thank you for your work in this space.
These are people who did not know God and got mad when other people were not God to them! Just one accusation after another! Is that the character of Jesus? Do you know a "perfect" land where everyone is righteous all the time? NO!!! INCLUDING YOU!!! This is ALL a blame game, not seeking God or honoring Jesus! I have my own list of stories about some of your failings. Am I putting that out there? No, and I am not going to, because if you are peers, you see it all. You are just wanting to APPEAR better at others' expense! As the Bible says, Any story sounds true until you hear the other side. You are cowards because now Paul can't defend himself. If you are in ministry, you are supposed to know how to HELP people. And no one but God can do it all. You loved him for years and now you are a backstabber and he can't defend himself. Both of you have done good and both of you have done wrong. FIND JESUS! and then do what He would say. There is no perfect human but Him. No one said life is easy!
I was a superfan of your dad's books shortly before Paul Cain was outed in 2004. I had no clue that Paul had gone out of his way to harm the family that elevated his status so. I'm so sorry.
Tell your dad that his readers now see Paul for what he really was. Nothing can change the past and the hurt of a lost child is never healed, but we greive with him.
Stephen, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it’s been years, but I just stumbled upon your Substack, and saw the spelling of your last name, wondering if you were Jack Deere’s son. I was in Whitefish back then. Lots of pain and suffering came to town along with Paul Cain. I always blamed your dad and Keith Beebe for bringing him to our tiny mountain town. I pray your family is well.
This is a horrific personal story, Stephen. I ~never~ trusted Paul Cain even in the Eighties when he would appear on a local Christian program here in Dallas. My discernment was not to follow him. I don't understand why so many people did not have the same discernment.
When Rick Joyner became involved in the restoration process for Cain's alcoholism, but afterwards more alcohol failure and homosexuality reports came out, I did not understand why Joyner stepped back saying he had no authority over Cain to stop others in the prophetic field to receive Cain with honor.
What really bothers me about your story is that it appears it is only being told now. The lack of apostolic authority really shows its worst case scenario in leadership that goes silent about sins so great as being something they claim to have no authority to speak out or act upon.
Honestly, I am not one who believes all of the accusations against Mike Bickle. I find it especially troubling that targeting of the concept of prophetic history. That Mike wittingly manipulated people using prophetic history.
My understanding is that Paul Cain did have a genuine prophetic gift from God, but he was so underdeveloped in godly character that his sins hurt many, many sheep and leaders. If your family's story had been told in real time, if there had been apostolic leaders who understand the responsibility for protecting both sheep and shepherds from those who are so characterless that they destroy lives and ministries because of their personal ungodliness, I don't believe anyone would be questioning the prophetic history of IHOP.
When I returned to my childhood faith in the 1980's, I went to Bob Tilton's church the first 3 years. One day he had a dream about 3 pastors holding a baby and while they were washing it with dirty water the baby became deformed. He said he didn't know what the dream meant, but I knew instantly and wrote him a letter telling him that the dirty water they were washing the baby believers with was producing deformities in the baby. Dirty water interpretations of the Word of God. The next week he told everyone the same thing telling them "God told me." I did not tell him that it was a word of warning dream from God about what he personally was teaching, and he never understood that apparently.
Without leaders, apostolic leaders to hold other leaders accountable before the whole body of Christ, we are going to continue to have deformities produced in the congregations. It will also hurt leaders because the influencing leader is never publicly called to account. In my eyes Mike Bickle is also a victim of Paul Cain, because there was no accountability toward Cain, Bickle may have succumbed to temptation. I must again say that I do not believe all of the accusations against Bickle and I find it deplorable that instead of dealing with this in a just apostolic hearing that seeks the truth from all involved, that it became a MeToo Feminist scam with BelieveTheWoman ethic (a manipulation itself of public opinion) instead of serious apostolic investigation and hearing of the FACTS.
At some point, apparently years ago, it became clear to your family how devastating immoral character Paul Cain's influence was on many innocents and uninformed ministry leaders. I don't know if that ever became clear to Rick Joyner or to Mike Bickle and wonder if your dad ever told them his full experience with Cain.
Before God we are to be people who love even fallen leaders, intent on restoring them or banishing them as in the Corinthian example, but we are never supposed to fall silent when we have experienced the full horrific truth about a leader that your family experienced with Cain. The prophets did not demand accountability of Cain and many others. This is why we need the restoration of true apostolic leadership.
Thank you for your continued transparency about these men. By God's grace, may many in the Church be set free from their spell.
Hey Stephen. Thank you for writing this. I am so sorry for what your family went through. Scott was my friend. I felt his loss profoundly and remember him often. Thanks for talking about this stuff.
-Erin P
Stephen, this is an incredible piece. Thank you.
Stephen, we would have no idea of level of Paul’s demonic influence without your careful exposure. As a pastor’s wife I visited the first Vineyard conference where Paul was introduced. I remember going to your dad’s breakout sessions on Joel’s army. I saw your beautiful mother and being the same age, I was sad/jealous I could not be in the middle of “what God was doing” like your parents were. It seemed the most exciting things on the earth were happening around them and John. That was also my first introduction to Mike B. Again, blown away as a struggling church planter in Boston where it was dry as a desert, to be in such a “God infused” conference. May the Lord pour out mercy on all of us who came under Paul’s influence. I have grieved from afar the passing of your brother but never knew about the abuse. I am so sorry. I can see the Lord has used you in impacting and redemptive ways and still is. God bless you and your family.
Grieving with you reading this 😭… your family’s story, your brother’s story needs to be heard.
Stephen, I knew your father briefly (and, very casually) in the early 90’s when he was on staff at Anaheim Vineyard.
Later, I was teaching Beginning Greek at Fuller Seminary while in the doctoral program there and while exegeting 1 Cor 14:3 for my class told them the story of a ‘prophet’ I knew who had prophesied to world leaders. Three days later Paul was exposed. It has always mystified me that someone known as ‘the Father of the Modern Prophetic’ (as he was known at Anaheim during the 90’s) has not been more exposed by the so-called ‘prophetic leadership’ of the church.
The teaching about false prophecy and false and carnal prophets has been almost non-existent in the prophetic church and voicing it has ensured that one goes nowhere in terms of influence. I’m glad to see that you and your father are changing that.
Thanks for this. I would love to hear what you and your father think of the some of the other “Kansas City Prophets’ at this point: Bob Jones, John Paul Jackson, Larry Randolph, etc. And the newer voices like Sadhu Selvaraj and Terry Bennett, as well.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Stephen. I can't imagine losing a brother like that, especially due to such tragic trauma. May the Lord cleanse His church and may the truth shine forth like the sun.
Stephen, thank you (and your family) so much for taking the risk to tell your story! I’m so sorry this man did these unspeakable things to your family.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope one day spirit filled scholars can get together and reassess everything from Azusa, latter days Rain, healing revival era, the Toronto, Brownsville, Jesus people movement.
Hi Stephen - I meet Scott in KC. Scott and I drove each other crazy but we loved each other. I remember vicerally getting the call from Aaron about his tragic dealth. I have thought of him through the years, but especially often in the last 7 months. Thank you for sharing his story. I am sorry for your great loss. Thank you for your work in this space.
These are people who did not know God and got mad when other people were not God to them! Just one accusation after another! Is that the character of Jesus? Do you know a "perfect" land where everyone is righteous all the time? NO!!! INCLUDING YOU!!! This is ALL a blame game, not seeking God or honoring Jesus! I have my own list of stories about some of your failings. Am I putting that out there? No, and I am not going to, because if you are peers, you see it all. You are just wanting to APPEAR better at others' expense! As the Bible says, Any story sounds true until you hear the other side. You are cowards because now Paul can't defend himself. If you are in ministry, you are supposed to know how to HELP people. And no one but God can do it all. You loved him for years and now you are a backstabber and he can't defend himself. Both of you have done good and both of you have done wrong. FIND JESUS! and then do what He would say. There is no perfect human but Him. No one said life is easy!
Stephen,
I was a superfan of your dad's books shortly before Paul Cain was outed in 2004. I had no clue that Paul had gone out of his way to harm the family that elevated his status so. I'm so sorry.
Tell your dad that his readers now see Paul for what he really was. Nothing can change the past and the hurt of a lost child is never healed, but we greive with him.
Stephen, I am so sorry for your loss. I know it’s been years, but I just stumbled upon your Substack, and saw the spelling of your last name, wondering if you were Jack Deere’s son. I was in Whitefish back then. Lots of pain and suffering came to town along with Paul Cain. I always blamed your dad and Keith Beebe for bringing him to our tiny mountain town. I pray your family is well.
This is a horrific personal story, Stephen. I ~never~ trusted Paul Cain even in the Eighties when he would appear on a local Christian program here in Dallas. My discernment was not to follow him. I don't understand why so many people did not have the same discernment.
When Rick Joyner became involved in the restoration process for Cain's alcoholism, but afterwards more alcohol failure and homosexuality reports came out, I did not understand why Joyner stepped back saying he had no authority over Cain to stop others in the prophetic field to receive Cain with honor.
What really bothers me about your story is that it appears it is only being told now. The lack of apostolic authority really shows its worst case scenario in leadership that goes silent about sins so great as being something they claim to have no authority to speak out or act upon.
Honestly, I am not one who believes all of the accusations against Mike Bickle. I find it especially troubling that targeting of the concept of prophetic history. That Mike wittingly manipulated people using prophetic history.
My understanding is that Paul Cain did have a genuine prophetic gift from God, but he was so underdeveloped in godly character that his sins hurt many, many sheep and leaders. If your family's story had been told in real time, if there had been apostolic leaders who understand the responsibility for protecting both sheep and shepherds from those who are so characterless that they destroy lives and ministries because of their personal ungodliness, I don't believe anyone would be questioning the prophetic history of IHOP.
When I returned to my childhood faith in the 1980's, I went to Bob Tilton's church the first 3 years. One day he had a dream about 3 pastors holding a baby and while they were washing it with dirty water the baby became deformed. He said he didn't know what the dream meant, but I knew instantly and wrote him a letter telling him that the dirty water they were washing the baby believers with was producing deformities in the baby. Dirty water interpretations of the Word of God. The next week he told everyone the same thing telling them "God told me." I did not tell him that it was a word of warning dream from God about what he personally was teaching, and he never understood that apparently.
Without leaders, apostolic leaders to hold other leaders accountable before the whole body of Christ, we are going to continue to have deformities produced in the congregations. It will also hurt leaders because the influencing leader is never publicly called to account. In my eyes Mike Bickle is also a victim of Paul Cain, because there was no accountability toward Cain, Bickle may have succumbed to temptation. I must again say that I do not believe all of the accusations against Bickle and I find it deplorable that instead of dealing with this in a just apostolic hearing that seeks the truth from all involved, that it became a MeToo Feminist scam with BelieveTheWoman ethic (a manipulation itself of public opinion) instead of serious apostolic investigation and hearing of the FACTS.
At some point, apparently years ago, it became clear to your family how devastating immoral character Paul Cain's influence was on many innocents and uninformed ministry leaders. I don't know if that ever became clear to Rick Joyner or to Mike Bickle and wonder if your dad ever told them his full experience with Cain.
Before God we are to be people who love even fallen leaders, intent on restoring them or banishing them as in the Corinthian example, but we are never supposed to fall silent when we have experienced the full horrific truth about a leader that your family experienced with Cain. The prophets did not demand accountability of Cain and many others. This is why we need the restoration of true apostolic leadership.