This week we received the following information from a reader:
Gloria Gaither
Dear Lighthouse Trails:
Gloria Gaither is the author of many influential songs including “There’s Something About That Name.” She writes glowing reviews of the two books listed below. One by Richard Rohr, a Roman Catholic priest and the other by Sue Monk Kidd who believes herself to be a goddess. These book reviews are from Bill & Gloria Gaither’s Homecoming Magazine website.
Thanks,
Jeff
Quote by Gloria Gaither About Sue Monk Kidd: “Most of the time I choose a nonfiction book that brings a new insight or fresh approach to an eternal truth or encourages spiritual growth in an area that seems to need emphasis for the times in which we are living. But this time I am recommending the New York Times bestselling book of fiction, The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees. . . . Sue Monk Kidd is an amazing writer who tells a story with such skill that she somehow manages to both prick our consciences and give us great hope. (source)
Sue Monk Kidd
Quotes by Sue Monk Kidd:
“I often went to Catholic mass or Eucharist at the Episcopal church, nourished by the symbol and power of this profound feeding ritual” (Kidd, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, p. 15).
“I would go through the gate with what Zen Buddhists call ‘beginner’s mind,’ the attitude of approaching something with a mind empty and free, ready for anything, open to everything. . . . I would give myself permission to go wherever my quest took me” (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, p. 140).
“I remember a feeling rising up from a place about two inches below my navel. . . . It was the purest inner knowing I had experienced, and it was shouting in me no, no, no! The ultimate authority of my life is not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period. . . . That day sitting in church, I believed the voice in my belly. . . . The voice in my belly was the voice of the wise old woman. It was my female soul talking. And it had challenged the assumption that the Baptist Church would get me where I needed to go” (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, pp. 76, 77, 78, emphasis added).
Quote by Gloria Gaither About Richard Rohr: In an interview between Gloria Gaither and Catholic mystic monk, Richard Rohr, Gaither said: “First of all, I want to say thank you to you [Richard Rohr] because so many of your books have been impacting my life, especially Falling Upward. I think that changed my thinking about . . . just about everything. We have studied that book in our Monday night Bible study.” (source)
Richard Rohr
Quotes by Richard Rohr:
“every time God forgives us, God is saying that God’s own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.”― Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
“The most amazing fact about Jesus, unlike almost any other religious founder, is that he found God in disorder and imperfection—and told us that we must do the same or we would never be content on this earth. ”― Richard Rohr, The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See
LTRP Comments: In 2009, we were first alerted to the direction that the Gaithers appeared to be going, and we posted an article titled, “Gaither Family Fest To Include The Shack Author.” In that article, we stated:
Bill and Gloria Gaither will be hosting the 19th annual Family Fest in May and will be featuring The Shack author William Paul Young. The Gaithers have been a popular Christian music team for many years. . . . In 2005, the Gaithers held their Gaithers Praise Gathering in which they invited Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, and other emerging church leaders to be speakers. In 2008, at the Gaither’s Fall Festival, Brian McLaren’s book, The Secret Message of Jesus (see Faith Undone for information on that book) was featured in the Readers Breakfast Club. Gloria Gaither is also on the Advisory Board for the Spirit and Place Festival, an organization sympathetic to the “new (age) spirituality.” McLaren is a featured personality in that organization. The Gaither’s promotion of The Shack, Brian McLaren, and Leonard Sweet are strong indicators that the Gaithers are attracted to emerging spirituality, and this will no doubt influence many of their followers.
As for this promotion of Richard Rohr and Sue Monk Kidd, this is a perfect example of the downward slide of deception. Sadly, the Gaithers have millions of followers through their music, and now these followers are being pointed to two New Age panentheists rather than to the Cross. When the Gaithers wrote and sang “There’s Something About That Name [Jesus],” who would have thought they would be able to sing such high praises for people who are following a different Jesus and a different Gospel?
Additional Information on Sue Monk Kidd:
Of Sue Monk Kidd, Ray Yungen states:
[Sue] Monk Kidd’s spirituality is spelled out clearly in her book, When the Heart Waits. She explains: “There’s a bulb of truth buried in the human soul [everyone] that’s only God . . . the soul is more than something to win or save. It’s the seat and repository of the inner Divine, the God-image, the truest part of us. . . .
How did a Baptist Sunday school teacher come to believe that divinity is within all? [A]Sunday school co-worker handed her [Monk Kidd] a book by Thomas Merton telling her she needed to read it. Once Monk Kidd read it, her life changed dramatically. What happened next completely reoriented Sue Monk Kidd’s worldview and belief system. She started down the contemplative prayer road with bliss, reading numerous books and repeating the sacred word methods taught in her readings.
She ultimately came to the mystical realization that: “I am speaking of recognizing the hidden truth that we are one with all people. We are part of them and they are part of us . . . When we encounter another person . . . we should walk as if we were upon holy ground. We should respond as if God dwells there.”-A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 134-135
Dance of the Dissident Daughter, published six years after When the Heart Waits, shows Monk Kidd’s transition into goddess and panentheist spirituality, going so far as to say that God can be found even in human excrement. In speaking about mysticism, she states:
As I grounded myself in feminine spiritual experience, that fall I was initiated into my body in a deeper way. I came to know myself as an embodiment of Goddess…. Mystical awakening in all the great religious traditions, including Christianity, involves arriving at an experience of unity or nondualism. In Zen it’s known as samadhi…. Transcendence and immanence are not separate. The Divine is one. The dancer and all the dances are one. . . . The day of my awakening was the day I saw and knew I saw all things in God, and God in all things (pp. 161-163, Dance of the Dissident Daughter).
Additional Information on Richard Rohr:
Rohr’s spirituality would be in the same camp as someone like Episcopalian panentheist Matthew Fox (author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ). Rohr wrote the foreword to a 2007 book called How Big is Your God? by Jesuit priest (from India) Paul Coutinho. In Coutinho’s book, he describes an interspiritual community where people of all religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity) worship the same God. For Rohr to write the forward to such a book, he would have to agree with Coutinho’s views. On Rohr’s website, he currently has an article titled “Cosmic Christ.” One need not look too far into Rohr’s teachings and website to see he is indeed promoting the same Cosmic Christ as Matthew Fox – this is the “christ” whose being they say lives in every human-this of course would nullify the need for atonement by a savior.
I can’t believe any of the people who wrote these comments even read the Bible. All the judgements, condemnations and hate are so far outside the teachings of God and THE LETTERS IN RED. The Gaithers are great servants of God. You might want to check out the people Jesus hung out with.
This is so very sad. Last night I listened for over an hour to the Gaithers singing. It was such a blessing. Then just now found this information. I too will be praying for them and that no more will continue to support them, but with prayer that the prodigals do return.
I have a friend who accepted Jesus to be her saviour at a Billy Graham crusade. She was given a card to fill out which asked her background. It was catholic. When the catholic church contacted her because her card was sent to them, she would no longer have anything to do with anything Billy Graham. I was so disturbed that was done, that I called the Billy Graham headquarters to report my friends card was sent to the catholic church. The response was that all kinds of people help them (Billy Graham crusades)! None of my friends who were born and raised catholic and became Christians through the truth of God’s Word, ever heard the truth of God’s Word in the catholic church. They learned catholicism.
Tragically, all a heretic need do is attach “christ” to their doctrines of devils, and biblically illiterate Christian’s will eat it up. Yes, Gaithers: into, now promoting heresy. Read Gods word. The ONLY defences against the wiles of not only the devil, but rome,’evangelicalism’,macarthur, copeland, etc.. Get that KJV out and READ IT.
I’m disappointed in the Gaither’s and will be praying for them, but you’re honestly cutting down Billy Graham? That is in itself disappointing.
So that means we can just let it go when people slide into apostasy without warning others??
If we do that, we are apostate as well.
The Bible is clear about the Great Falling Away.
This is part of it – good as they were, the Gaithers are now into spiritual impurity.
You go along, you too.
Not if they are supporting the devil’s work here on earth!
My husband and I attended a Gaither Concert, three years ago this Fall, and the Homecoming publication was handed out during intermission. I read the Gloria Gaither / Richard Rohr, interview and was appalled. At the time I didn’t know much about his ‘teachings,’ but it didn’t take long to discern he’s a heretic. That was the last Gaither concert for us.
And I will pray for you all that God would open your heart to his love and his grace which is for everyone. There are no finer people on the face of this earth than Bill and Gloria Gaither. They are both “The Face of Christ”!
Very disappointing to read this..I recently found a CD that I hadn’t listened to for some time with Bill, Gloria and Danny singing He touched me..I will serve Thee.etc…How I enjoyed it. We are living in a day of deception and discernment is a gift not many Christians allow to operate in their lives. We need to pray for them. God is well able to get them to realize their error..and turn back to him and his word..There could yet be a few more songs they can write to bless the body of Christ but for this to happen they must turn back to the truth of God’s word.
This ‘”back to Rome” spirit/deception is preparation for Antichrist. Evangelicals ought to know better.
It does not supprise me at all !!! Churches now promote the niv bible over the KJB. The NIV or any other modern bible is a paraphrase of a paraphrase of a paraphrase with many verses taken out or some have completely changed the meaning. And this is a slippery slop you go down when you use these bibles. Look up Mathew 18:11 omitted Luke 4:8 is omitted There are many more examples. If you want to study God’s word then get a bible KJV that is the closest English translation to the original manuscripts. Or else you will drift away with the new age teachings or become luke warm.
This is sad. I just told my husband how I like the Gather music. They have ministered to me when I was recovering from an accident. I was in a wheelchair. Praying for them to get out of deception.
Praying that the Gaithers will see their error and return to the Shepherd.
The church I used to attend had hymnals designed by the Gaither’s, and it did more to destroy classical hymns by changing words and verses much like Billy Graham did with various books that he bought and re-edited. I haven’t trusted them for a long time and even less so now.
are we to assume there were no positive reply’s about a couple who has dedicated their lives to serving God? This is what worries me about the world we live in. The negative overcoming the positive at so many turns, especially when is it so easy. Paul says–Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. are we doing that? we spend so much energy criticizing let’s put it to better use.
I have loved and enjoyed the Gaithers music for many years.. but always had that nagging feeling of compromise, and that has been the problem all along, they both lack discernment
I have loved the Gaithers music for many years and have albums by them, but this destroys any feelings that led me to believe that they were strong followers of the Lord Jesus. Sad!
Bill Gaither has done more to ruin southern gospel Christian music with the rock and roll beat than any other person in my 67 year life. And of course Gloria has been there right along with him. The results have infiltrated even most fundamental Baptist churches. When biblical standards of Christian music are compromised the rest is sure to follow and that too is fast following in many fundamental churches. Bill Gaither’s Disobedience to God’s Word https://www.wayoflife.org/database/bill_gaithers_disobedience.html
I am saddened to hear about Gloria G. but am not surprised. Spiritual Disciplines, Formation are causing many to fall away. People in my conservative church who read the Bible think The Shack and Jesus Calling are wonderful! Pastors need to warn their congregations about these things. Praying, Elizabeth B.
Yes, I have seen that too. It’s not a ‘Bible study’ if the Bible is not used! It needs to be not only the main item used, but the only item used for it to qualify as a Bible study. I notice this too, people have a lack of hunger for the Word. It seems to be anything but the Word. This person’s book, that book, this CD or movie, or that one, or someone’s book about the Word, etc. but it is by a heretic. It’s like they have tired of ‘just plain old manna’ and go lusting after everything and anything else that is enticing to them instead. I started doing a home study with one lady from one church and after some time she fell off the horse because she could not deal with the actual demands of discipleship and other things like that. Then, at another church one thing lead to another and a group was again gathered for a Bible study that I was hosting but one after another fell off the wagon. I was at one of the ladies’ homes on one such occasion and we were the only ones there. I noticed that she had several Bibles and other books in piles at the places that were set around the table. As I had a chance to look around, I glanced over and saw that one of them was ‘Jesus Calling.’ I made a note to warn her about it. I noticed that during the study when it was her time to read, she kept getting off on tangents that took far too long. Then at one point she said that she feels like “it’s been a battle lately to get into God’s Word,” and that she has been struggling and wrestling with that. The fact is that if one dabbles in the occult, they are drawn away from the Bible, and vice versa, even if they don’t realize this is happening. So I thought; “hmmm.” Anyway, I later sent her an email with a warning about the book ‘Jesus Calling,’ along with all the LT info. regarding the dangers. Well, needless to say, she never replied and that was the end of that. But they get drawn away into “enticements from Egypt” that appeal to their senses and whoosh! They are gone, whisked away, while the Bible gets dusty on the shelf. Another sad picture of this is when I was outside a ‘Christian’ bookstore a few years ago, looking in the window. They had every flavor of apostasy in every format all over, books, movies, music, etc. There was a bookshelf near the window by the wall and all the shelves were filled with heretical materials. But way down, on the bottom shelf, were several Bibles… which did have a layer of dust on them. I did not see any other Bibles there and it was a very small store, you could see all of what they had from that one window. This is the state of the church today, it is very weak and sickly with many viruses. ) :
Barbara Guy said: “It’s very sad when I hear someone say that they are having a Bible study, and not using the Bible for the study. Just how does that qualify as a Bible study?” — This phenomenon troubles me, too. Just when did people decide that the Word of God is not plenty good enough on its own? Seems to me this may be the main reason for the huge drift into apostasy we’ve witnessed over the last couple of decades in particular.
I should wonder if the doctrines of easy believism have allowed these things to come into the professing church in the sense that repentance is not emphasized anymore. We should realize that salvation is not dependent on whether or not we prayed any type of a prayer, but on faith in Christ alone. And, I might add, we have to see what it is to repent according to the Bible’s definition. If I read the Scriptures correctly, it means to turn away from sin and turn to the Lord, whether for the first time or on a daily basis.
Yes, Gloria Gaither has been leading people astray for several years into new age apostasy. My sister and I would go to GaitherFest in Myrtle Beach, SC with excitement, but after their promotion of all things “Shack”, and her giving a talk one Saturday morning proclaiming that she, and anyone, could be gods along with God, that was it for us. It’s very sad when I hear someone say that they are having a Bible study, and not using the Bible for the study. Just how does that qualify as a Bible study?
Sadly, this does not surprise me at all, because I was so shocked when the Gaithers featured Wm Paul Young (author of The Shack) at one of their New Year’s Eve Gatherings not long after the book was published. That showed me that they were drifting in a very bad direction. I read Sue Monk Kidd’s entire autobiographical trilogy (IIRC, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter is the last book) years ago and was stunned to see how far afield she had gone from the Biblical beliefs she espoused for many years. For some reason, a sexist situation her daughter experienced (and SMK witnessed) triggered that change in her life, but that’s never made sense to me because the offending men gave no evidence of being Christians. Nonetheless, that “caused” her to go after a female god(dess). This happened slowly but surely, and began with her reading books by Thomas Merton.
It seams that people are not reading their Bible’s anymore. They’re being led away from the truth…….deceived into new age doctrine……..scary!
It’s all leading to the one world religion under antichrist, the one they will receive…
Deception is rampant – only God can save from it. Payers for wisdom, understanding and discernment. Very sad to read this article.