By now you may have read Ray Comfort to Speak with Word of Faith Heretics, Again by Ingrid Schlueter, which was also carried by Apprising Ministries. It’s also well known that Ray Comfort is very respected within the evangelical community. Personally I have not really followed Comfort and Way of the Master all that closely, though I have always had a measure of respect for that work in the Lord.

I think everyone agrees that Comfort certainly preaches the Gospel, he doesn’t water it down or teach heretical doctrine. This is not at issue. But what is at issue however is Comfort sharing the platform later this month at the Inspiring Excellence conference (IEC) with John Avanzini, Jesse Duplantis and Rod Parsley among others. No one can correctly say any of those men preach the historic orthodox Christian faith. Rather, each is clearly aligned with the cult of the Word Faith movement.

What is also at issue is that I personally and privately notified WOTM via email about the above and was told by the person I talked with they personally didn’t know anything about Ray being at IEC. I was told they would check into it and was later informed by them that Ray had accepted this invitation without knowing anything about other speakers. This seemed fair enough so I then asked if there would be any change now that he does know about them.

I also shared that it would be a good idea for Ray to at least say something publicly about what his intentions are in sharing the platform with these heretics. A short while later it was then brought to my attention that this is actually not the first time that Ray had spoken at IEC. Since this was at odds with what I had been told by WOTM I sent the information, which I will present below, to the person I had previously spoken with. There was no reply, nor has there been any response since Ingrid’s post.

So after seeking advice from others and prayer I have decided it was now necessary to make this conflicting information known. The facts show that Ray Comfort spoke at this conference in July of 2005 as did the other Avanzini and Duplantis along with Word Faith cult leader Kenneth Copeland (Online source). In addition Ray was also a “Special Speaker” in 2007 (Online source).

The Inspiring Excellence conference itself is hosted by Dr. Robb Thompson who is “Founder and Senior Pastor of Family Harvest Church” (Online source). In addition Thompson is also “President and Founder of the International College of Excellence” (Online source). And, as I informed the person I had been speaking with, all of these things appear to be at odds with the idea that Ray didn’t know about these other speakers when he accepted this invitation to be at IEC 2008.

Because of our respect for Ray Comfort and what WOTM encompasses I also explained that the above was just what I as someone sympathetic to Ray found within 10 minutes. I encouraged them to please check with Ray about this because if I found this information I knew someone critical of those of us they derisively call ODMs would also discover it. I am grieved that WOTM did not find a way to send even a cursory reply because I also know more than a few of my contributors at Christian Research Net hold Ray and WOTM in high esteem.

As a pastor I feel this needs to be brought out now because firstly, we have the above conflicting information and secondly, the Body of Christ needs to start discussing how a situation like Ray Comfort sharing the platform with men like Avanzini, Duplantis and Parsley should be handled in this age of the Internet. Unfortunately the American Christian Church has become quite doctrinally confused and overly focused on unity, which is now beginning to become quite detrimental to the advance of the genuine Gospel of Jesus Christ.

From where I stand I am seeing a sappy sentimentality and a downright naiveté bordering on outright credulity concerning issues like this. Specific to the case with Ray Comfort the idea runs along the lines of let’s wait and see if he is critical of their doctrines at IEC. However, I have shown you that Ray has spoken at this event multiple times. I think we’re being a bit gullible to think he spoke many words of correction re. the heresies of Word Faith movement.

Frankly, because this isn’t his focus as an evangelist, I would be surprised if he did. And are we to seriously think that Ray’d be repeatedly asked back if he was critical of them? In my opinion I feel Ray Comfort is being used. His message ala WOTM does not offend the core audience of these teachers of a counterfeit Christianity, but his credibilty within evangelicalism sure opens the possibility for them to gain further acceptance by the spiritually obtuse.

In fairness the person at WOTM to whom I was corresponding correctly drew a distinction between Ray accepting an invitation and his extending them an invitation. But at the same time we also need to consider what it looks like to those who will see the advertising telling us Ray Comfort is sharing the platform with high profile preachers of repugnant Word Faith heresies such as Jesus suffered in Hell under Satan and that God is a being who stands a little over 6 feet tall.

Likely the thought would be that whatever differences Ray has with these men they aren’t significant enough for him not to work together with them. Men and women, I’m afraid that it truly is as one pastor friend of mine said to me in that Ray has nothing to gain by being billed with guys like John Avanzini, Jesse Duplantis, and Rod Parsley—thereby allowing these heretics to gain further credibility via Ray’s name—but he has a lot to lose in credibility with the wider evangelical community.

Ray Comfort would be sending a much better message by disassociating himself from these men and telling them why; because in the end, there are those who will wonder — Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? (Amos 3:3, NASB)

See also:

A REVEALING CONVERSATION WITH RAY COMFORT’S PERSONAL ASSISTANT

RAY COMFORT MUST WARN WORD FAITH WOLVES

An Open Letter to Ray Comfort

Ray Comfort to Speak at Word of Faith Conference

CONCERNING RAY COMFORT AND WORD FAITH WOLVES

Ray Comfort Responds