The Remnant On Line History Page

THE FAITH MOVEMENT         

Known as the "Father of the modern Faith Movement," Kenneth E. Hagin Sr., founder of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma based Rhema Bible Training Center, died at age 86. We were sitting in an auditorium ready for a service when the news came that the father of the Faith Movement had died. He was a part of the Charismatic Movement that caused much controversy on the subject that causes more trouble in the body of Christ than manifestations of the Holy Ghost.

Kenneth Hagen Sr. taught the doctrine of what many people called "Name it and claim it theology," but Kenneth Hagen Sr. gave more to the body of Christ than he ever took away.

"I remember Kenneth Hagen, Sr. when he was going around Houston, Texas with just a few sermons as an evangelist to preach," said Cleddie Keith of Heritage Fellowship. He came from no where to move a group of people with power to demonstrate that God can out give the believers. There was a joke at the Oral Roberts University as two groups of people were in the same car. In the front seat driving the car were three ORU students and in the back were three Rhema Bible Institute students. The car was running out of gas and both groups were calling out to God. The ORU students were saying, "Oh God have mercy on us and help us get there," while the Rhema Students had complete confidence on the situation and said, "We are there." The one thing that bothered denominational people and some Charismatic were the people of faith that started correcting everyone's language. It was a real shooten war but most of what Dad Hagen was teaching was a refreshing to the body of Christ. He taught on excellence of giving and that God’s work should be funded and not taken a second place to anything in the world. Hagen taught the principles of giving and it was a direct off shoot of what Oral Roberts started teaching in the early sixties "Seed Faith," to build a great University in Tulsa. People started calling the dusty oil town of Tulsa, Tulsarusalem. This is where the fathers of faith movement lived and you better watch your language around them, and brother I’m not talking about cussing.

The second great figure in this movement was Kenneth Copeland. Copeland came to Tulsa to go to school at Oral Roberts University and became the personal pilot of Oral Roberts. He carries the torch today on the teaching of Faith to the body of Christ. The outstanding characteristic of all these men are that they are givers themselves. Kenneth Copeland today sponsors and builds medical facilities all over the world with the contribution of his people.

Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne makes no bones about it. He believes that God’s work comes with an increased blessing when the believer receives the revelation of giving. It must be noted that this started early in the Howard-Browne ministry as he was a student at Rhema Bible Institute in South Africa before he came to America.

One other great man of faith and their have been several who have moved in this powerful off-shoot of the Charismatic Movement was Creflo Dollar from College Park, Georgia. He has been a blessing and personal encouragement to The Remnant and his faith teachings have helped in a whole generation of believers accomplish their mission. The Faith Movement was absolutely necessary in the last 30 years to change the outlook of giving in the