Bill Johnson is the lead pastor of the notorious false church known as Bethel Church in Redding, California. Johnson makes number 26 in our ongoing False Teacher of the Day series. Johnson is one of the most dangerous wolves in sheep’s clothing because he is largely viewed as a gentle and kind person with a heart for people–yet, his deceptive tactics, nonetheless, deliver souls directly into the hands of Satan.
Like most false teachers, Bill Johnson is neck-deep in the charismatic movement that teaches that not only does God continue give us new revelation apart from Scripture, but that the apostolic sign gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, and healings can and must be performed by people of faith.
Bill Johnson’s heresies and false teachings are much deeper than that, however, and include serious and rampant idolatry, blasphemy, and, of course, a false gospel.
Bill Johnson and Bethel Church are well-known for their music–it is also home to the popular worship band known as Jesus Culture. But many people are unaware that Bill Johnson and Bethel Church practice many things that the Scriptures condemn, including witchcraft, necromancy, and ritual occultism. For example, Johnson and his church practice a form of witchcraft known as grave-sucking (or soaking) where people will lie on the graves of dead saints in order to “suck” (or “soak”) the anointing from them. Below is a picture of Johnson’s wife, Beni, practicing this heinous act.
Johnson also leads his church in blasphemous practices, attributing such things as violent shaking–which is found in occult practices such as Kundalini and Hinduism–to the Holy Spirit.
Bill Johnson is also a staunch proponent of the Prosperity Gospel, which is a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches that Jesus’ primary purpose for his life, death, burial, and resurrection wasn’t to atone for sins but to make people who have enough “faith” healthy and wealthy. This false gospel carries with it several other false teachings such as positive confession–which Bethel and Johnson also practice regularly–which is the false notion that one has the ability to speak things into existence the way God does.
As part of the New Apostolic Reformation, Bill Johnson claims to be an Apostle with gifts and anointing on par with the original twelve Apostles.
Bill Johnson also promotes false signs and wonders, including fake healings which don’t actually work and, in particular, false manifestations of the Holy Spirit through what he refers to as “glory clouds.”
These “glory clouds” were proven to be nothing more than glitter placed in the ventilation system and sprinkled from the ceiling, yet, Johnson lied and attributed it to the Holy Spirit.
Bill Johnson also participated in a witchcraft ritual summoning the spirits of The Lord of the Rings to end racism:
And he also led his church in a seance to try to raise a very young child who tragically died from the dead after she had been dead for several days–which, of course, went miserably afoul and led to more grief than just being a pastor pointing his sheep to Christ in the midst of grief and sadness.
Bill Johnson is not a pastor, but a deceitful spirit working in coalition with Satan to deceive people. He is a ravenous wolf in sheep’s clothing seeking to devour people and deliver them into the hands of Satan. “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” –2 Corinthians 11:14
