Long post ahead. Some details have been omitted or changed to avoid doxxing anyone.

I served at a church for nearly 20 years and attended before that for several years, so I had a long history (about 25 years) with the church and saw many things—both good and bad.

Let me start with the good. I had many opportunities to minister in a variety of ways. The Lord used that season to help hone my teaching and preaching skills. I learned many good things about ministry. I met my wife through this church. I was baptized there, and in the early years of my involvement I grew a great deal in the Lord. Back then, the focus was on seeking God, sanctification, and praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and that shaped me significantly.

After some years there—especially after I became more involved—I began to feel that some things were off, but I convinced myself it was just me. I didn’t want to be on the outside looking in, so I kept those thoughts to myself.

After I had been there for some time, something shifted. The pastor began casting a vision of growing the church to hundreds of people. This is a rural area, and while enough people lived nearby to make that possible, it would have represented a large portion of the local population. That goal isn’t bad in itself—we all want to see as many people saved as possible. That said, alongside this vision came the sense that the pastor began to view himself in a similar light to a popular televangelist who is still well known today, and that preacher leans heavily toward the prosperity gospel. Maybe not as far as someone like Copeland, but certainly in that direction.

The pastor was a radically saved man. I believe that in his early years he was rough around the edges, but also sincere and zealous for the Lord. It was during that period that I came under his leadership, and I grew significantly.

He began casting a vision for a larger building. We were not bursting at the seams, but at the same time, seating space in the pews was becoming limited.

Around this time, the pastor also began trying to change his style—trying to be something he wasn’t.

There was some skepticism in the church about taking on a building project. The main concern was the cost. However, the vision continued to be preached, and interest gradually grew.

One Sunday during a service, someone spoke in tongues, and another person gave the interpretation. The message was that God wanted us to expand the building because of a great harvest of souls. The person who spoke in tongues was—and still is—a deeply loved and respected woman whom I am very fond of to this day. The person who gave the interpretation was either the pastor or another gentleman who has since passed away.

After this, banners promoting the expansion went up in the church. Preaching on the subject became more frequent and more intense. Plans were drawn up that included a larger sanctuary, a larger dining hall, and a youth center unlike any other in the area at the time. A significant amount of money was borrowed, and as far as I know, decades later they are still trying to pay off that building.

The building was completed, and the church did grow. Not to the number the pastor had cast—nowhere close—but it did at least double in size for a period. The youth center was thriving, with regular meetings and dozens of kids attending every week. It was a very active place. Still, it never reached even half of the specific number that had been proclaimed.

Today, that church is back to its original size. There is no youth group, or at least nowhere near the size it once was.

So what happened? Was the prophetic word false?

I think it may be one of three things, but if there’s something I’m not considering, feel free to say so.

First, the prophetic word may have been true, but only for a short season, and not what the pastor thought it would be. Or perhaps it has yet to be fulfilled. God’s timing is not our timing.

Second, the fervor surrounding the vision may have caused people to believe they had heard from God. We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that we can convince ourselves God is speaking when, in fact, it is our own hearts deceiving us. This isn’t to say the people involved in the tongues and interpretation were acting in bad faith—only that they may have been mistaken.

Third, there may have been a manipulation of prophecy. While I don’t think this was the case, I can’t completely rule it out. The woman who spoke in tongues is someone I love and trust. The gentleman who gave the interpretation was also someone I trusted. The pastor never asked me to do anything underhanded like that.

Even so, I still have an uneasy feeling about it. I’m not looking to accuse anyone; I’m trying to understand how to discern moments like this faithfully.

What do you think? Is there something else I’m not considering?

Long post ahead. Some details have been omitted or changed to avoid doxxing anyone.

I served at a church for nearly 20 years and attended before that for several years, so I had a long history (about 25 years) with the church and saw many things—both good and bad.

Let me start with the good. I had many opportunities to minister in a variety of ways. The Lord used that season to help hone my teaching and preaching skills. I learned many good things about ministry. I met my wife through this church. I was baptized there, and in the early years of my involvement I grew a great deal in the Lord. Back then, the focus was on seeking God, sanctification, and praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and that shaped me significantly.

After some years there—especially after I became more involved—I began to feel that some things were off, but I convinced myself it was just me. I didn’t want to be on the outside looking in, so I kept those thoughts to myself.

After I had been there for some time, something shifted. The pastor began casting a vision of growing the church to hundreds of people. This is a rural area, and while enough people lived nearby to make that possible, it would have represented a large portion of the local population. That goal isn’t bad in itself—we all want to see as many people saved as possible. That said, alongside this vision came the sense that the pastor began to view himself in a similar light to a popular televangelist who is still well known today, and that preacher leans heavily toward the prosperity gospel. Maybe not as far as someone like Copeland, but certainly in that direction.

The pastor was a radically saved man. I believe that in his early years he was rough around the edges, but also sincere and zealous for the Lord. It was during that period that I came under his leadership, and I grew significantly.

He began casting a vision for a larger building. We were not bursting at the seams, but at the same time, seating space in the pews was becoming limited.

Around this time, the pastor also began trying to change his style—trying to be something he wasn’t.

There was some skepticism in the church about taking on a building project. The main concern was the cost. However, the vision continued to be preached, and interest gradually grew.

One Sunday during a service, someone spoke in tongues, and another person gave the interpretation. The message was that God wanted us to expand the building because of a great harvest of souls. The person who spoke in tongues was—and still is—a deeply loved and respected woman whom I am very fond of to this day. The person who gave the interpretation was either the pastor or another gentleman who has since passed away.

After this, banners promoting the expansion went up in the church. Preaching on the subject became more frequent and more intense. Plans were drawn up that included a larger sanctuary, a larger dining hall, and a youth center unlike any other in the area at the time. A significant amount of money was borrowed, and as far as I know, decades later they are still trying to pay off that building.

The building was completed, and the church did grow. Not to the number the pastor had cast—nowhere close—but it did at least double in size for a period. The youth center was thriving, with regular meetings and dozens of kids attending every week. It was a very active place. Still, it never reached even half of the specific number that had been proclaimed.

Today, that church is back to its original size. There is no youth group, or at least nowhere near the size it once was.

So what happened? Was the prophetic word false?

I think it may be one of three things, but if there’s something I’m not considering, feel free to say so.

First, the prophetic word may have been true, but only for a short season, and not what the pastor thought it would be. Or perhaps it has yet to be fulfilled. God’s timing is not our timing.

Second, the fervor surrounding the vision may have caused people to believe they had heard from God. We must be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that we can convince ourselves God is speaking when, in fact, it is our own hearts deceiving us. This isn’t to say the people involved in the tongues and interpretation were acting in bad faith—only that they may have been mistaken.

Third, there may have been a manipulation of prophecy. While I don’t think this was the case, I can’t completely rule it out. The woman who spoke in tongues is someone I love and trust. The gentleman who gave the interpretation was also someone I trusted. The pastor never asked me to do anything underhanded like that.

Even so, I still have an uneasy feeling about it. I’m not looking to accuse anyone; I’m trying to understand how to discern moments like this faithfully.

What do you think? Is there something else I’m not considering?