A Cult in Coronado? Part Three
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Matthew 7:15
False prophets. They have been among us for millenia. They claim a special connection to the deity, the gift of prophecy, or to speak for God. Their ways are many, but their motives are usually the same: power, control and wealth.
They prophesy to you lying visions, foolish divination, deceptions from their own imagination. Jeremiah 14:14
How about someone who claims that miracles occur when he speaks in tongues?
Mind-boggling super-miracles, like stopping tanks in their tracks from far, far away by speaking “Asian” tongues!
The tank-stopping Jurgen Matthesius is lead pastor and founder of the Awaken Church, which has five campuses in San Diego and is planning for more, including expansion into Coronado.
He calls his enemies vile demons on social media and promotes Christian Nationalism, which is the main driver of anti-democracy extremism in America.
His church hosted the ReAwaken America Tour, “featuring a who’s who of far-right religious extremists, Trump aides, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and other reckless figures. At every stop along the way, the Christian nationalist tour has left in its wake a trail of dangerous disinformation that leads to bigotry, hate, and, at its most extreme, violence.” Times of San Diego
Not only does Pastor Jurgen claim to stop tanks in Tiananmen Square, he preaches about shrinking cancer tumors with his hands…
Narcissistic delusions of grandeur that might even make George Santos blush…?
“God Speaks to Me”
Matthesius repeatedly claims that the Holy Ghost speaks directly to him. A dubious declaration at best, but useful when he is beckoning his flock to surrender 10-percent of their wealth on an ongoing basis in return for a promise of blessings and abundance from the Almighty.
It’s a bit like a lobbyist selling access to the hallways of political power… only legitimate lobbyists usually do have the ears of the political elite. Access to God, however, is not for sale… no matter how often an influence peddler opines otherwise.
Unfortunately, all through Scripture as well as in human history, many have been led astray by individuals who claimed to have heard from God but in actuality have not! Their brazen pronouncements have been self-concocted to manipulate people for their own selfish ends. They want to look spiritually powerful by claiming that God has spoken to them. They speak about things they have no knowledge of. They made proclamations purporting to be prophecies given directly by God. People trust their words and end up in ruins! Renewal Christian Center
And if God really did speak directly to Matthesius, would he approve of social media posts like this?
The reference to ‘Jezebel’ in Matthesius’ post is one he often uses when disparaging black women on social media. It is a racist trope that, according to Baptist News Global, is a “slur that historically and persistently has been used to obfuscate the truth, promote and justify racial inequality and sexual violence against Black women.”
Whether you admire or detest Representative Omar, anyone calling her a bitch, a harlot and a Jezebel is vicious, hateful, and beneath contempt. I think if the pastor ever did hear directly from God, the message would be clear:
Stop the hate speech, don’t call people vile demons, don’t suggest people should be tortured or hanged, stop spreading debunked conspiracy theories and disinformation, don’t pretend you have performed miracles, don’t traffic in racism, and start living up to your marketing slogan that your church “has a culture and atmosphere of faith, hope, and love.”
Pious Hypocrisy
And perhaps Pastor Jurgen would also be cautioned about hypocrisy.
CASE IN POINT: Matthesius credits “a great man of God,” for telling him that if he speaks in tongues every day he will “change the world.”
That “great man of God” was the late Frank Houston, a pastor-pedophile who was well known to Matthesius.
Yes, a pedophile who sexually molested young boys…
As detailed in A Cult in Coronado? Part One, Houston founded the Australian church that would eventually become Hillsong megachurch, where Matthesius trained, taught and preached.
The ‘pious hypocrisy’ is that Pastor Jurgen incessantly condemns homosexuals and urges his followers to scream “Child Groomer” and “pedophile” at school board meetings, yet he lavishes praise on a known pedophile who was one of his mentors.
Here’s My Take
An Awaken Church cult in Coronado promises to be a hotbed of political extremism, hellbent on harassing our school board and banning books at the library… just for starters.
That’s what they were up to this month at the Oceanside School Board meeting, with Louis Uridel, of Awaken Church, calling the board members “activist pimps.”
Uridel sports a “Three Percenters” militia group tattoo on the back of his right hand.
Three Percenters are known to be white supremacist extremists, several of whom have been indicted for violence during the January 6 insurrection… and Pastor Jurgen loves the guy.
Awaken members are already holding weekly meetings at their private homes in Coronado, as promoted on the church website. (Note: I’ve obscured the faces and deleted the names on the graphic below.)
Perhaps many members of Awaken are unaware of what’s really going on. I’m sure there are those who find comfort, companionship, and a sense of tribal belonging that most of humankind has sought throughout history.
But it’s a cult.
With an anti-democracy agenda. Dedicated to, as the church says, “taking territory.”
This is not what we need in Coronado.
Resources:
Right-Wing ‘ReAwaken America’ Tour Brought Irreligious Abomination to San Diego
Eric Trump, Flynn and other right-wing figures headline conference at San Marcos church
Churchwatch Condemns Jurgen and Leanne Matthesius as False Prophets
Pastor Frank Houston and Pedophilia