Inspecting The Fruit Of The Toronto Blessing A Sociological Perspective

Inspecting the Fruit of the A Sociological Perspective Margaret 43 “Toronto Blessing”: M. Poloma By their fruit you will recognize them. Do Likewise people from thorn- bushes, or figs from thistles? pick grapes every good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and an? thrown t/tfc thrown into the fire. TTtMj, Thus, by their fruit you fAetr?rMtfyoH wt7/ will reco?/tt?e recognize them. (Matt. (Matt. 7:16-20; NIV) . . messy before they sanitized by Blessing” Father’s Blessing”) tions and emotional (P/C) outpouring. fundamentalist Christians North America Brownsville Assembly American Pentecostalism, like to bona fide denominational Blessing that seemingly at least they are prefer the nomenclature of “The by this latest Pentecostal-Charismatic and wary of the gains in Whatever else they are, revivals are messy – are cleaned up by their theological descendants and secular scholars in the academy. The so-called “Toronto (many of its – proponents with its blatant display of somatic manifesta- outbursts – leaves many left-brained rationalists dismayed and often embarrassed Some P/Cs have joined anti-P/C evangelical in denouncing the renewal that began in in January, 1994 – a revitalization of the P/C move- ment that has impacted hundreds of American churches (including the of God) and has now spread around the globe. having worked hard to move from sect- status, is understandably undermines recent Pentecostal respectability. Many are at a loss as to how to judge the Blessing with- out expending a great deal of personal energy to gather the necessary to make an informed decision. The charges and the coun- tercharges about the latest phase of the P/C movement are too often limited to simplistic biblical “proof-texting,” radio airwaves and the Internet While sometimes infor- stimulating, information ‘ soil in both mative and intellectually Unmasking Books, 1997). which has found fertile the charges and countercharges Blessing (Grand Rapids, lHank Hanegraaff, often referred to as the “Bible Answer Man,” has been a foe of the Toronto Blessing and the so-called “Laughing Revival” of Rodney Howard- Browne since the inception of the renewal. For Hanegraaff’s book-length critique see the Truth Behind the World Wide James A. Revival Wars. A Counterfeit Revival (Waco, TX: Word See also Beverley, Critique of Counterfeit Revival (Evangelical Research Ministries, 1997) and Holy Laughter and the Toronto MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). 1 44 are more likely to be provocative and even titillating than facilitators of sound discourse. Following the admonition of Jesus to “test the fruit” as well and the similar litmus test suggested by William James in his classic work, Varieties of Religious Experience, I sought to move beyond the critical rhetoric and to employ my training as a sociologist to inspect the fruit of the Toronto Blessing. Using participant observation, structured inter- views, the Internet and two major surveys, I sought to study empirical- ly the consequences of the unusual outpouring of the Spirit for which the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF) in Ontario, Canada, has become the epicenter.2 Methodology and Sampling Although the larger study involves a triangulation of methodolo- gies, I will rely primarily on the results of two interrelated surveys col- lected from pilgrims to TACF. The first was a sample of 918 respon- dents who completed a questionnaire distributed through one of the fol- lowing sources: the August 1995 issue of Spread the Fire, the October 1995 “Catch the Fire Again” conference program, and the November, 1995 “Healing School” program. Approximately 25 percent of the respondents included supplemental information through letters, diary entries, e-mail messages and tape cassettes. This qualitative data is used throughout this monograph to illustrate and help further describe the “hard” data reported in the responses to the survey questions. Questionnaires were returned from 20 different countries, with the majority of the responses coming from the United States (54%), Canada (26%) and England ( 11 %). Although these three countries do supply most of the visitors to TACF, other countries – especially non- English speaking Asian ones – are noticeably missing from this sam- ple. Visitors represented over 40 denominations and sects, with more than one in four (28%) indicating their church is either independent, nondenominational or interdenominational. Twenty percent (20%) of the respondents are members of Pentecostal denominations or sects, 15 percent are either Anglican (Canada or United Kingdom) or Episcopal (U.S.A.), 11 percent are members of Vineyard Christian Fellowships, 2For a sociological discussion of the Toronto Blessing framed in Thomas O’Dea’s institutional dilemmas within charismatic movements, see Margaret M. Poloma, “‘The ‘Toronto Blessing’: Charisma, Institutionalization, and Revival,” Journal the Scientific Study of Religion 36 (June 1997): 257-271. For a comparison and contrast for of the Toronto movement with the Pensacola outpouring, see Margaret M. Poloma, “The Spirit Movement in North America at the Millennium: From Azusa Street to Toronto, Pensacola and Beyond,” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 12 (April 1998): 83-107. 2 45 and 6 percent are Baptists. Seventy-four percent reported that their pastor had visited TACF. The modal profile of the average respondent thus far is that of an American charismatic who belongs to a non- denominational church. The demographic profile of the respondents is skewed toward being married (71 %), female (58%), middle-aged and having complet- ed a minimum of 16 years (equivalent to a college degree) of education (63%). The average age is 45 years (with a median of 44), and the mean education is 15 years of formal schooling, with a median and mode of 16 years. Eighteen percent (18%) of the respondents were church pastors and another 4 percent were spouses of pastors; 30 per- cent indicated that they were church leaders. The demographic profile indicates that those who completed the questionnaire tend to be well- educated and mature individuals, the of whom are involved in church leadership – majority persons who would appear to be in a good posi- tion to evaluate the Blessing. It is least likely to represent the one-time visitor who spends an evening observing but never returns. In May of 1997 a follow-up questionnaire was sent to 715 (78%) of the original respondents who had provided a useable return address and indicated they would be willing to cooperate with further research. Another 25 of these forms were not delivered and returned to the sender due to address problems, further reducing the sample to 690 per- sons or 75 percent of the original sample. Of the 690 questionnaires that were send out and presumably received by the original respondent, 364 useable follow-up questionnaires (53 %) were returned. The attri- tion reflects well-known problems in doing follow-up research such as this where respondents must be located sometime after the original inquiry. Since I had information on all of the original cases, however, I was able to compare the 364 follow-up cases with those who declined to provide an address, whose provided addresses were unusable or those who failed to fill out and return the follow-up form. I selected 30 items to check for differences between the two groups (“followed-up” and “not-followed-up”). These items measured demographics, manifesta- tion types and levels, personal attitudes toward renewal, and reported effects of the respondents visit to TACF. Only four items out of the 30 demonstrated small but statistically significant correlations that reflect- ed possible differences between the two groups. Three of the differences were demographic; one reflected a person- al effect. Of the demographic differences, men were slightly more like- ly to respond than women (r=.08)3; older respondents were slightly 3Statistical correlations are being used throughout the monograph to show the rela- tionship between two variables or survey questions, thus providing additional 3 46 more likely to respond than younger ones (r=.12); and those from England were less likely to respond than those from the U.S. and Canada (r=.09). Persons who reported having received a healing from a clinically diagnosed mental disorder were also slightly less likely to respond than those who had reported no such healing (r=.08). Those familiar with statistics will recognize that these correlations are rather small in size (far from the perfect r-1). Even more important, 26 of the items (including those measuring reservations about the renewal, a closer relationship with God, physical healing, other perceived life changes, increased activity in outreach and evangelism) were not found to be statistically significant. The follow-up respondents were asked about their relationship to the renewal at the time of filling out the first questionnaire by indicating which of the following categories provided the best description: they never considered themselves to be involved in the renewal (2%), were involved in 1995 but are no longer involved (6%), are limited in their involvement due to the unavailability of renewal services in their locality (10%), are involved locally but not at home church (31 %), and are involved in the renewal at their home church (51 %). Eighty-seven percent (87%) had attended at least one renewal conference, with 52% of the follow-up respondents visiting TACF, in 1996. Based on these statistical tests, I am satisfied that the follow-up sub-sample is an adequate representation of the larger original sample. It seems fair to conclude that while the follow-up sample had a normal amount of attrition, it does not significantly differ from the original sample on most important characteristics. Even the percent of those who are marginally involved reflects a similar percent who were less than full participants in the renewal found in the first phase of the study. The results of the comparison of the two samples permits us to explore with confidence the issue of change between Time 1 (the original study) and Time 2 (the follow-up) and to assess whether the fruit reported in an earlier in-process report has continued to last. Although I believe the patterns of response to the renewal described in this report represents thousands of others who have visit- ed TACF and other renewal sites but have not participated in this study, I have no way of telling the exact number. Thus, I am unable to assure the reader that the percentages reported here represent a random repre- sentation of all visitors to TACF. As with all surveys, people were free information for interested readers. The notation r=.00 (positive relationship) or r=- .00 (negative relationship) is used within parentheses following the comparison item. The closer the .00 is to 1, the stronger the relationship between the two items. All relationships cited throughout the monograph were found to be statistically signifi- cant at least the .05 level. 4 47 to respond – or not respond – and this freedom always effects any attempt to secure a truly random sample. Were those who were more satisfied with their experiences more likely to respond to a question- naire than those who were not? Or were those who were less satisfied more likely to fill out a questionnaire (since it provided an outlet for their frustration with the renewal)? I have no way of knowing the answer to such questions of potential bias. All I can assure the reader is that this problem of representation is common to all surveys. Social scientists usually believe that it is better to collect some data on topics of interest – even if the sampling is not as representative as one would like – than to have no factual information at all. What I can say about the sample is that it represents a wide variety of people, reflecting the groups I have observed during my many visits to TACF. As reflected in the parable of the sower and the seed, undoubtedly many seeds of renewal have fallen along the trodden path, on hard rock, as well as among thorns, never having the chance to grow and produce fruit. But I am also convinced, based on these surveys, interviewing, participant observation, and reports found on various Internet sites, that many seeds have fallen on good ground and have developed into healthy plants bearing good fruit.4 What About Those Manifestations? Then I saw a picture of Jesus weeping and It hit me that I was God for all the bad stuff in weeping. blaming my life. I began to weep, as I never desired to blame God. I loved God with all my heart. I pur- posively and asked for His repented forgiveness. Almost immediately my body started rock- and ing shaking. I felt like something was coming from my belly. I grabbed a pillow as I felt like something was coming out of my mouth. Then this strange language (“tongues” as I understand it) came forth with uncontrol- lable sobbing. I cried and talked in this strange language. I laughed and I couldn’t understand how I could be sobbing and then This went on for 1 laughed. laughing. _ hours. I could think in English, but I couldn’t speak in English. I opened my eyes, thinking it would go away, but it didn’t. I took a drink, and it was still there. I was I getting very exhausted, but I could tell it was toning down – and felt more peaceful than I had ever felt in all my 4Proving whether TACF and its offshoot movements (including the move at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola) are in “renewal” or “revival” is beyond the scope of sociology. (I prefer to use the term interchangeably, sometimes as a hybrid “renewal/revival.”) From what I have personally experienced, seeing with my own eyes and hearing with own ears, I am convinced that what we are wit- nessing across the globe is the move my of God. The attribution of God to this move- ment, of course, is being proclaimed by faith, not through the tools that the sociology pro- vides. As much as possible, I will assume stance of a sociologist in this article, trying to stay with the objective facts that I have collected through this research. 5 48 life. The first words in English that finally came out were “Thank you, Lord. I love you Lord. There really is a Spirit of God. He is alive!” I was ecsta- tic. But you know, the most wonderful thing is that for the first time in my Christian walk, I feel victorious – not defeated. I am joy-filled, no I have a desire to share the love of God with longer negative. everyone and one. That was two any- years ago. And it has never died. I am alive in Christ (Case #264). If there is anything that has drawn the attention of the faithful, curi- ous, and the critics alike to the ongoing renewal, it has been the strange physical manifestations. Although they have been part of earlier revival movements and have been experienced to some extent ever since the beginning of the Holy Spirit Movement in Los Angeles in 1906-09, they seemingly never have been as intense or of such long duration.5 The faithful claim the – shaking, jerking, laughing, roaring and as outward – weeping signs modem-day sacraments, if you will indicating that the Holy Spirit is at work within the individual. The critics denounce the manifestations as demonic in origin and purpose. The curious are left to fend answers for themselves, often walking away without being able to discern what may be happening.6 The quotation cited above is but one illustration demonstrating the complexity of many experiences. Within this woman’s report we find mentioned several manifestations, indication of her emotional state, and also a release of glossolalia or “tongues,” often regarded by classic Pentecostal to be the “physical evidence” of Spirit baptism. Of partic- ular significance is the report of a lasting dispositional change brought about by a new awareness of the immanence of Jesus’ presence that has persisted for over two years. In this section I will be exploring two descriptive issues to cast additional light on the renewal manifestations: (1) the incidence of the 5John White’s discussion of the manifestations, based on his observation and analysis of meetings led by John Wimber as well as Argentina’s Carlos Annacondia and Omar Cabrera published six years before the outbreak of the Toronto Blessing, provides invaluable insight into earlier conference See When the Comes With Power. Signs and Wonders experiences. Spirit Other works of note include B.J. Oropeza, A Tme to Among God’s People (Downers Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press, 1988). Laugh (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995) and Richard and Kathryn Riss, Images of Revival (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 1997). 6For a sociological discussion of the process by which meaning is attached to the manifestations, see Margaret M. Poloma, “The ‘Toronto in Postmodern Society: Manifestations, Metaphor and in Blessing’ Myth,” The Globalization of Pentecostalism, ed Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus, and Douglas Petersen and (Oxford, England Irvine, CA: Regnum Books International, forthcoming 1999). 6 49 physical manifestations and (2) the emotional response associated with the different manifestations. Manifestations: Before, During and After The pilgrims to TACF who responded to these questionnaires were not strangers to the seemingly unusual charismatic manifestations, including resting in the spirit, intense somatic manifestations, deep weeping, tongues, holy laughter, becoming inebriated in the spirit (drunk), and “birthing” (a more particular bodily manifestation), that have been prominent in the renewal. With 95 percent of the respon- dents describing themselves as “charismatic or pentecostal Christians” and 85 percent reporting speaking in tongues before their first visit to TACF, the renewal seems to be a source of revitalization for the ongo- ing movement of the Holy Spirit that began earlier this century. Seventy percent (70%) of those who completed the questionnaire had experienced resting in the spirit and 39 percent reported experiences of holy laughter before the first visit. The range of reported types of phys- ical manifestations before TACF was between none (7%) and more than ten (3%), with a mean (average) of 4 and a median of 3 different physical manifestations reported. In analyzing the responses to the question about the manifestations experienced while at TACF, the mean dropped slightly to 3.5 while the median remained the same. During the relatively short period of time following the visit to TACF and the completing of the first questionnaire, there was a decided drop in the incidence of physical manifestations to an average of 2.5 differ- ent manifestations, with a median of 1. These – findings suggest that the physical manifestations are not a constant they wax and wane in the lives of Spirit-filled believers. There are some small differences due to demographic factors in the selection of the most salient manifestation. For example, Pentecostals (r=.09) and those from new religious denominations, including the Vineyard and New Frontiers, (r=.09) were more likely to report that the experience of roaring had the most impact than those from mainline churches (r=-.10). Those from mainline churches, however, were more likely to report the importance of resting in the Spirit (r=.15) than those from the other three groupings. Small age differences were also found, with younger people more likely to report being drunk in the spirit (r– .07), weeping (r=-.09), and having bodily manifestations (r=-.07). Older persons were more likely to select resting in the spirit (r=. 12) and tongues (r–.13) as the salient manifestation than were younger people. Although interesting, these individual pieces of survey data do not tell the entire story. It would appear from the figures cited here that visitors were not overdosing on the physical manifestations. 7 50 , The manifestations, however, do remain an – important sign of the renewal in the words of mental health physician, Dr. Grant Mullen, “a flashing light announcing ‘Spirit at work … Spirit at work … Spirit at work. The high incidence of a range of manifestations (not to be confused with frequency or how often each manifestation had been experienced) before visiting TACF is an indicator that many of the visitors were sea- soned Spirit-filled Christians. Most respondents had experienced sev- eral of the manifestations over a period of years long before the TACF renewal, albeit not with the same duration, intensity, and transferabili- ty. Upon returning home, for many, there was a decrease in the mani- festations, reflecting either the lack of opportunity to attend renewal services or the more domesticated version of renewal found in home churches. Many people in renewal with whom I have spoken over the years have indicated that it is impossible to sustain an intense level of manifestations while working ordinary jobs and maintaining ordinary family responsibilities. In a sense, the intense experience of manifes- tations is often and for many “for a season.” The follow-up data further suggests that the expression of manifes- tations is in constant flux. Respondents were given a list of seven com- mon manifestations and asked to indicate for each whether there was an increase, decrease or no change for each since filling out the first questionnaire. As can be seen in Table 2 on the next page, for some manifestations there is a positive net change while for others, the net change is negative. The findings seem to suggest a shift away from laughter, being drunk in the spirit, and resting in the spirit and an increase in the use of tongues, the experience of deep weeping and other bodily and audible acts. In the interest of conserving valuable space, questions about the bodily and audible manifestations were condensed into two separate items from a longer list of manifestations used in the first survey. The figures presented in the table, therefore, are unable to provide informa- tion about exactly which of the bodily (shaking, jerking, jumping, rolling, etc.) or audible manifestations (roaring, shouting, barking, wailing, etc.) are on the increase. From informal observation and other response items in the follow-up questionnaire on the prophetic, the increase in somatic and audible manifestations including loud groaning and deep bending/shaking, may be related to an increase in prophecy 7This observation made by Grant Mullen, M.D. may be found in an interview on the 63- minute video “Go Inside the Toronto Blessing” (1997). Warren Marcus, a Christian film director from Lynchburg, Virginia, captures the flavor of TACF services while interviewing respondents who have been touched by the Blessing. (Video is available from Fresh Start Marketing, 3757 Cleveland Avenue NW, Canton, OH 44709.) 8 51 Table 2. Change in Manifestation Level (From 1995-1997) and prophetic intercession. On the other hand, audible sounds of roar- ing or barking, a manifestations that attracted far more attention than the infrequency of the phenomena warranted, would appear to be occurring even less frequently now than in earlier renewal days. There have been some attempts, particularly on the Internet and in chat rooms, to construct a system of meaning for the unusual manifes- tations, but such efforts have not been particularly productive.8 The manifestations do seem to be well-likened to “flashing lights” indicat- ing that God is at work, but the outward sign does not necessarily reveal the exact nature of the divine activity. There does not appear to be any indication that a common function or purpose can be attached to any single manifestation. One of the first questions I began asking visitors to TACF and one that I explored in the surveys is what people were feeling during their experience with a particular physical manifestation. The next section will explore the predominant emotions that seem to be associated with eight of the most common manifestations. 8See Poloma’s forthcoming article, “The ‘Toronto Blessing’ in Postmodern Society: Manifestations, Metaphor and Myth,” for a more complete description of the process. 9 52 Emotional Responses to Physical Manifestations Although the renewal at TACF has often been referred to as a “laughing revival,” there has always been much more than laughing going on. In an attempt to tap the varied emotions that lay beneath the effervescent renewal services, I asked respondents to select the physi- cal manifestation experienced at TACF that left the most lasting impact. As may be seen from Table 1 found at the end of the article, resting in the spirit and bodily manifestations (shaking, jerking, rolling, jumping, etc.), each with 22 percent, were tied for first place. Deep weeping was selected by 16 percent, with speaking in tongues and laughing tied for third place, each with 9 percent. Being drunk in the spirit and “birthing” were tied for fourth position at 6 percent, with “roaring” in the last place with 3 percent. Perhaps this distribution is one of the most effective arguments against those who charge that the manifestations are produced by hypnosis and suggestibility. If only laughter were occurring, such a thesis might be more tenable, but the manifestations are varied – and so are the emotions that appear to accompany them. After the respondent selected the single manifestation that left the most impact on their lives, they were provided with a battery of 30 emotional responses and asked to indicate which of them were experi- enced during the manifestation. Table 1 found at the end of the text provides a summary of the findings. Feelings of peace (r=.23) pre- dominated during times of resting in the spirit, an experience reported by 45 percent of the total sample. Of the 22 percent who selected rest- ing as leaving the most impact, many reported feelings guilt (i=.09) but also feelings of being able to forgive themselves (r=.07). In compari- son to the larger sample who did not select resting in the spirit as the manifestation of most lasting impact, those who chose resting were less likely to report anger (r=-.09) or feeling out of control (r=-.15). The latter additional emotional responses seem to provide some keys for further understanding the dominant feeling of peace that seems to accompany this manifestation. For those selecting bodily manifestations as having personal salience, the emotional responses seem to be varied. Some reported feeling out of control (r=.07), but for the most part, the responses indi- cated differences that provided points of contrast with the larger group. They were less likely to report feeling depressed (i=-.10), of having a sense of forgiving themselves (r=-.07), of grief (r=-15), of guilt (r=- .09), or of sadness (r—13). No one emotion demonstrates a larger pos- itive correlation as does peace with resting in the spirit or as grief (r=.39) does with weeping. 10 53 Thirty-two (32%) percent of the total sample reported experiencing deep weeping at TACF, with 16 percent selecting it as the manifesta- tion leaving the most lasting impact. In addition to feeling grief (r=.39), they were likely to report feeling sadness (r=.29), depression (r=.14), shame (r=.12) and even frustration (r.=.09). They were less likely than the larger sample (at least during this manifestation experi- ence) to feel gratitude (r=-.09), happiness (r—20), or joy (r=-.21). Yet despite the painful emotions associated with weeping, these respon- dents felt it left an imprint on their hearts. Although 87 percent of the total sample reported speaking in tongues, only 23 percent indicated that they used the gift of tongues during their visit to TACF. Many of those who did, however (9 percent of the total sample), found their most meaningful experience to be associated with tongues. This experience was correlated primarily with feelings of joy (r=.09). Those who selected tongues as the mani- festation leaving the greatest impact were also less likely to report feel- ings of confusion (r=-.07), being out of control (r=-.13), or of being weak (r=-.12). Thirty two (32%) percent of the total sample indicated that they had experienced waves of holy laughter during their visit to TACF, but only 9 percent selected that manifestation as the one that left the most impact. The feelings associated with this experience, as one might expect, were happiness (r=.17), joy (r-.22), strength (r=.09), peace (r-.08) and love of God (r=.09). When compared with the larger sam- ple, those experiencing holy laughter were also more likely to report feelings of embarrassment (r=.09) and being out of control (t=.12), and less likely to report feelings of fear (r=-.09), grief (r=-.13), guilt (r=- .08), sadness (r=-.11), or a sense of sinfulness (r=-.09). For those experiencing and selecting laughter as the most meaningful manifesta- tion, the experience seemed to be one of total refreshing. Those who were inebriated in the spirit or “drunk” accounted for 27 percent of the total sample, with 6 percent selecting this manifestation as leaving the most impact. Their emotional state seemed much like those engaged in holy laughter – they felt happy (r=.l1), joyful (r=10), and peace (r=.08) but also out of control (r=.08) and weak (r=.10). Compared with the rest of the sample, they were also less like- ly to report feelings of frustration (r=-.08), grief (r=-.13), or sadness (r=.10). Although on the surface “birthing,” where women and men lie on the floor crunching and groaning as if in labor, may seem like just another bodily manifestation to the uninitiated, preliminary interviews suggested the need to keep this manifestation distinct. Birthing seems to have a prophetic dimension that was not usually reported with any 11 54 regularity for other somatic activities. Twenty-two percent (22%) of the total sample reported having experienced birthing, with 6 percent selecting it as the manifestation leaving the most lasting impact. The emotions reported reflect the travail and sorrow of giving natural birth. The birthers reported feelings of confusion (r=.09), embarrassment (r=.O8), fear (r=.11), and grief (r=.08). They were less likely than the larger sample to report feelings of happiness (r=.09), joy (r=-.09), and peace (r=.10) to be associated with this manifestation. Twelve percent (12%) of the total sample reported roaring like a lion, but only 3 percent selected it as the manifestation leaving the greatest impact. The emotions reported seemed to fit well the testi- monies of those who have had the experience. The predominant feel- ings were ones of anger (r=.22) and of strength (r=.16). Those who roared were less likely than the rest of the sample to report feeling weakness (r=-.07) or peace (r=-.09) during this manifestation. A word of caution is in order in interpreting these results. There appear to be different emotional states that are associated with differ- ent manifestations. This does not mean that individuals can be typed as “roarers,” “laughers,” “weepers,” or “drunkards.” Often, as we have seen in the quotation at the beginning of our analysis, several manifes- tations may occur in rapid succession and/or most have experienced more than one manifestation. A more telling statistic on the emotional state of visitors to TACF is found in the question asking respondents to share what they were feeling as they were leaving the renewal center. The overwhelming choices were love of God (89%), peace (89%), love (85%), joy (83%), gratitude (82%), happy (81%) and satisfaction (79%). Relatively few felt anger (7%), depression (8%), guilt (7%), shame (6%), or manipulation (3%). Although these positive emotions were not always selected in association with the manifestation leaving the most lasting impact, they do provide a necessary corrective for making too much out of the manifestations. The manifestations, as we will see in the next section, are but one piece in the larger renewal mosaic. Healing and Empowering In a preliminary assessment of the fruits of the Blessing appearing on the Internet and distributed by TACF as “By Their Fruits … : A Sociological Assessment of the Toronto Blessing,” and later published as The Toronto Report,9 I discussed the positive effects reported by vis- itors to TACF under four categories: personal spiritual refreshment, 9Margaret M. Poloma, Publications, 1996). The Toronto Report (Wiltshire, U.K.: Terra Nova 12 55 holiness and healing, evangelism and outreach, and social relations. As I continued to reflect on how these data might be better organized and presented in light of existing sociological models, I decided on two interrelated categories: healing and empowerment. Healing (under- stood in its broadest context) and empowerment are two themes that were developed in an earlier work on alternative healing movements by sociologist Meredith McGuire,,10 and these two themes seemed to incorporate many of the questions I asked about the fruit of the Blessing in both the original and follow-up surveys. The two concepts are distinct, yet interrelated, and both are ongoing processes for those involved in the renewal. God is healing men and women – making them whole in mind, body, spirit and in our relationships – and then sending them forth, empowered by the Holy Spirit to share what they have been freely given. Healing and the Hebraic Worldview ‘ It has often been noted how contemporary Christianity – accepts a world view that is far more Greek than Hebraic a worldview that was developed further during the Enlightenment. Christianity became more and more rationalized in its of Aristotelian – acceptance – categorical logic rather than a more narrative Hebraic logic that has deprived modem thought of much of the paradox and mystery that is inherent in the Scriptures. Many modem scholars have noted the devastating effects that extreme rational thought has had on liberal and conserva- tive religious thinking alike. While most religious conservatives would defend without question the healing miracles reported in the Scriptures, some have been openly skeptical of the gift of healing for today. Religious liberals, on the other hand, have often debated the veracity of the biblical healing accounts, refusing to believe that divine healing happened then or that it happens today. The result of these two seemingly disparate positions is remarkably the same: both groups accept a Cartesian dualism that has separated the body from the soul, parceling out the body to physicians and the soul to ministers and priests. The Spirit-filled Christian worldview has been noted by scholars to be quite different. It accepts a tripartite but integrated person, made up of mind, body, and spirit. In a word, it offers a holistic perspective reflecting a biblical mentality that did not neatly separate the spiritual from the physical. As Dr. Michael Brown notes: 1°Meredith B. McGuire, Ritual Healing in Suburban America (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1988). 13 56 The ancient Near Eastern and biblical mentalities did not neatly separate the spiritual from the physical; thus the Lord (or the pagan deity in was question) expected to meet the needs of his (or her) devotees, providing them with of sins, the ability to reproduce, adequate foot and water and health for their bodies. A God/god who could not heal would not be supply, forgiveness considered worthy of the name; thus virtually all Egyptian and deities were invoked at times for physical healing and The Mesopotamian help. deity was at one and the same time viewed I as healer-savior-deliverer, a threefold conceptual cord not easily broken.l In sum, although holiness and health enjoy the same etymological root (reflecting the ancient conviction that well-being and a right rela- tionship with the deity go hand in hand) modem thought has separated health and wholeness from holiness. It was the 19th century Holiness believers (precursors of the Pentecostals) who provided a theology that challenged the prevailing norms about divine healing in Christianity and provided the foundation for the Christian healing movement. Of the thousands of local independent Holiness congregations that were formed during the period of 1893 to 1907, many became part of the Pentecostal movement, which in turn impacted the Latter Rain move- ment, the Charismatic movement and the so-called “Third Wave.” In terms of belief, practice, and reported experiences, Spirit-filled Christians, although representing different nuances in healing theolo- gies, have been on the forefront of the restoration of the gift of healing to the Church. A Spirit-Filled Model of Healing Sociologist Meredith McGuire, a medical sociologist and sociolo- gist of religion who has done research on Spirit-Filled Christians, noted how their understanding – of healing differs somewhat from the secular use of the term a departure that places their worldview more in line with our spiritual Hebraic origins. McGuire stated: “It is not necessary to have a medically diagnosable condition in order to experience heal- ing…. More important … is that healing ‘works’ first and foremost as a spiritual experience; physical and social-emotional changes are hoped-for, but secondary, aspects.” According to McGuire, “the key criterion of healing is the process of becoming closer to the Lord. “12 2 I deliberately used a sociological description of healing rather than a theological one to avoid the controversies that often develop in theo- logical discussions. McGuire’s description and implicit model comes from her research on charismatic Christians, and I found her rich 11 Michael L. Brown, Israel’s Divine Healer (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 237. 12McGuire, Ritual Healing (italics added for emphasis). 14 57 description of “qualitative” (as distinct from quantitative or survey) data remarkably accurate and useful for organizing the healing fruit of the Blessing. What follows is a summary of a more detailed study writ- ten with Lynette Hoelter and published in the Journal for the Study of Religion.13 3 Scientific It includes measures of ritual, manifestations, and emotions working together in effecting four kinds of healing: spiritual, inner, mental, and physical. 1. Spiritual Healing Certain besetting sins of lust of the eyes and imagination and fits of were anger being dredged up like garbage and being disposed of. Then I under- stood – just by passively receiving – that God has a relentless, love for me personally and for unending every other person in the universe. When I ‘came to’ (after resting in the spirit for some time) after one of these sessions on the floor, I said to Jim: “The reason Israel knew the face of God would kill them wasn’t his righteous holiness and justice; it is because His total unfiltered love would bum you to a cinder! (Case #745) What I am calling spiritual healing involves a greater intimacy with God – an increased wholeness in our relationship with him. The greatest – healing, of course, is what evangelicals often refer to as “being saved” the time persons first invited Jesus to take over their lives. The 1995 survey of visitors to TACF included 1 percent of respondents who made first-time commitments and 29 percent who reported recom- mitting their lives to the Lord reflecting this first important step in spir- itual healing. It also includes on-going experiences of an awareness of the human sinful condition, fresh experiences of divine forgiveness and release from the oppression of demonic forces. Malcolm, a 48-year-old Anglican from England, is one of the respondents who reported recommitting his life to Jesus while partici- pating in the renewal services. Malcolm had accepted Christ as his Savior 30 years earlier and had gone on to have a successful Christian ministry. Over the years, however, he reported, “I ruined everything I did. It’s difficult to compress the daily anguish and much more over more than 20 years into a few lines, but believe me, I could go no lower.” Malcolm’s initial contact with the Blessing occurred in London through Ellie Mumford, whose ministry had been touched by her visit to TACF, but he said, “I left in disgust.” Malcolm reported that God continued to pursue him when John Amott came to London several months after that, but that he had walked out at one point, although he did return for prayer. Malcolm goes on to report what happened when he visited TACF soon after his contact with the renewal in London: 13M?.g?et M. Poloma and Lynette F. Hoelter, “The ‘Toronto Blessing’: A Holistic Model of Healing,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 37 (1998): 258-273. 15 58 Well, no sooner had he started, than the Spirit of the Lord came on me; I was filled with the most incredible sensation – and was sent crumbling to the he (the unidentified man who with Malcolm) was a total ground. Although the prayed stranger, Spirit enables him to pray such specific prayers for me, with my past relationship God, forgiveness, healing, guilt, self-loathing, condemnation, and even for my family far away – though there was no he could have known that I was from another way country. I cannot describe the wonder…The from drugs, depression, and sexual sin; a transformation so party started and gets better daily. Instant delivery radical that friends, colleagues and scores of my high-school students start- ed making enquires about what happened to so change me. Healing of had led me to an addiction for sleeplessness (which even a illegally-obtained sleep- ing tablets); change to my life-style, driving attitudes, work, deliverance from language high anxiety and stress for which I was well known. (gutter, marine-type tongue); The profound sense of total forgiveness, cleans- ing, and reconciliation with God. And now, a love for the Lord so deep that sometimes it literally aches; a passion for the souls of my school students and others who don’t know Christ; a sense of praise and worship that has me singing songs of adoration as I wake up in the morning (Case #574). Although most of the cases that lie behind the numbers presented in this report may not be as Damascus-like as Malcolm’s, the healing and restoration is no less real. The cycle of repentance, forgiveness, and an increase in divine intimacy is ongoing. In order to tap this process, I used several indicators from the sur- vey to reflect what I am calling spiritual healing. Of particular impor- tance were reports of a new sense of personal sinfulness, a fresh sense of God’s forgiveness, and experiencing deliverance from Satan’s hold. Ongoing repentance and forgiveness appears to be central to the heal- ing process experienced at TACF. Table 3, on the subsequent page, reports results for different indicators or measures, demonstrating how widespread spiritual healing was at the time of the first survey in 1995 and also the second survey in 1997. The figures differ, depending on the particular question used to reflect the larger concept of spiritual healing, but they show clearly that spiritual healing is perceived to be one of the unmistakable fruits of the renewal. Although percentages vary depending on the particular measure used to reflect spiritual healing, positive changes in the respondent’s relationship to God as a result of participation in the renewal appear to be nearly universal. Probably many would not use this term “spiritual healing” to designate what is taking place (as reflected in the follow-up question asking about “spiritual healing,” where only 60 percent gave an affirmative response). Given the fact, however, that the items used as indicators all reflect activity that takes place in the person’s spirit (as distinct from the mind, body, or relationships), the label seems to be a valid one to isolate this important type of healing. I 16 59 Table 3. Spiritual Healing Frequencies What is of particular interest in light of earlier discussion is the effect that the manifestations and emotions have upon spiritual healing within the context of the renewal services. All of the respondents attended at least one renewal service at TACF, and 97 percent received prayer at least once from a prayer team, with 3 percent receiving prayer more than 50 times. Between these two extremes in the range was a median of 8, indicating 50 percent of the respondents received prayer fewer than 8 times and 50 percent more than 8 times. The average was 13 times, and the mode (most frequent single number) was 3. I report all this detail because the frequency of prayer by a prayer team was positively related to the experience of manifestations (r–.18) and to spiritual healing (r=.24). In other words, those who received more prayer were more likely to experience both a wide range of manifesta- tions and spiritual healing. One of the questions that Hoelter and I were trying to answer in testing a holistic model of healing is “What is it that facilitates greater spiritual healing?” Using what statisticians call “multiple regression analysis,” we tested for the effects of prayer by prayer team members, range of manifestations, and positive emotional responses on spiritual healing. We found that the single most important factor in spiritual 17 60 healing was reporting feelings of peace, love, joy, etc. – what we called “positive emotional responses.” This finding held even when the person did not receive prayer or experience manifestations. Prayer by a prayer team (with or without manifestations and emotional response) was the second most important factor in determining spiritu- al healing. The manifestations (but not any particular manifestation) also contributed to explaining higher levels of spiritual healing, in that those who reported a wider range of manifestations scored higher on spiritual healing. In sum, we cannot say that any single factor – prayer by a – prayer team, manifestations, or positive emotional responses are necessary for spiritual healing. What we can say is that all of them are involved, often in tandem, in the process of healing for different people. While we may wish God worked in more cerebral ways, it is clear to us that he is using the prayers of nameless and faceless prayer team volunteers, the controversial manifestations, and intense emotional experiences to bring people closer to himself. Both statistical data and personal inter- views suggest that at the base of the spiritual healing process is a recog- nition of personal sinfulness, repentance, forgiveness and deliverance, which seems to facilitate an increase in divine intimacy. The closer people come to the Lord, the more likely they are to say with Isaiah, “Woe to me! I am ruined! I am a person of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the Kind, the Lord Almighty” (Is. 6 :5). This confession in turn seems to bring per- sons closer to God. The process continues, as the results reported in the Spiritual Healing Table indicate; it is seemingly much more than a fleeting “emotional high” that leaves no lasting impact. Over 90 percent of those who responded to the follow-up survey indicated that they had a closer relationship with God in 1997 than they did in 1995. According to the model, an intimate relationship with God is the greatest form of healing and also the one that generates other forms of healing, includ- ing what has been called inner healing. 2. Inner Healing I returned to the TACF at the end of January 1995 and I was most blessed. That day I received the most significant touch from God that I have received in my four visits to the TACF. During Mary Audrey’s teaching on me the root of forgive- ness, the Holy Spirit showed my high blood It was about my (deceased) father’s intense hatred for me. I was able to pressure. forgive him, and I knew the blood pressure had returned to normal. It was con- firmed on the next visit to the doctor. (Case #050). 18 61 Table 4. Inner or Emotional Healing Frequencies Inner healing has been described by Ruth Carter Stapleton, the deceased sister of former- U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as “the experi- ence in which the Holy Spirit restores health to the deepest area of our lives by dealing with the root cause of our hurts and pain.”14 It is two- pronged, as may be seen in the two quotations used to open this sec- tion: it involves acceptance/forgiveness of self and acceptance/forgive- ness of others. In retrospect I regret not asking more questions to tap different facets of what is being called inner healing, for the experience was widespread at TACF renewal meetings. Its complexity is reflect- ed in the Malcolm’s testimony and in the excerpts from two other cases cited earlier. Although the measures used in the survey are somewhat crude, the findings provide important insight for this complex process. The major survey results are reported in Table 4 according to whether the statistic came from the original survey (Survey 1) or the follow-up (Survey 2). Spiritual healing could be said to be about the First Great Commandment, namely loving God above all things – being empow- ered to love Him because He has first loved us. Inner healing could be . l4Ruth Carter Stapleton, The Experience of Inner Healing (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1977). For a more recent discussion of inner healing from a ministry and that are becoming more familiar to those in the renewal movement, see John and Paula Sandford, writings the Wounded Spirit (Tulsa, OK: Victory House, Inc., 1985) and John and Mark Healing Stanford, A Comprehensive Guide to Deliverance and Inner Healing (Grand Rapids, MI. : Chosen Books, 1992). 19 62 – related to the Second Great Commandment, namely loving others as we love ourselves. Inner healing touches areas of personal emotional paint, bringing with it long-lasting change that enables those who are touched to enter into more loving relations with others. The intercon- nection of spiritual and inner healing is reflected in the mission state- ment of TACF that can be found on a large banner stretching across the back of the auditorium wall: “That we may walk in God’s love and then give it away.” The overwhelming majority of the respondents have been refreshed by the Father’s Blessing (as TACF pastor John Arnott prefers to call the Toronto Blessing). The survey findings suggest that as men and women experience a new sense of God’s love, forgiveness, and spiritual healing, they are better able to love and accept themselves and others. Perhaps one of the more striking findings is that 88 percent of those respondents in Survey 1 who are married claim that they have more love for their spouses as a result of the blessing they are received at TACF. This finding was upheld in Survey 2 with 89 percent of the respondents claiming a positive change in their relationship with their spouses that came out of the Toronto Blessing. One of several quali- tative accounts fleshing out this survey statistic came from a forty-four year old man who described himself as “a francophone from the province of Quebec.” He shared how his marriage was transformed through the gift of laughter: The first two times that I went to the Toronto church, my marriage and wife were my deeply suffering for the mistakes of the past. It was at the last minute that my wife decided to come with me. That was not what only she was looking to do; she was planning to leave me. It was miraculous. wife has received a great gift of and My joy ‘holy laughter’ which is reactivated each time that there is tension coming between me and her. And you can understand, my marriage and our hearts are on a continuing process of heal- ing. Now we have a deep confidence and love for one another because the spirit of the Lord is exceptionally joining us together in everything (Case #400). Often the spouse was the person to first note significant changes brought about by inner healing. A western-European Pentecostal hus- band in his mid-forties wrote: The reason I waited so long to fill out the questionnaire was simple. I had experienced such a dramatic change in my life, I couldn’t believe it The first who it myself! was, of course, wife. I was from a person recognized my suffering deep anger caused by childhood traumas. During the time in Toronto, the Lord showed me the reason for my problem (I wasn’t aware of it) and started the healing process. It’s still not finished, but I never have any ‘explosions’ any more. Praise God! (Case #797). 20 63 In doing multiple regression analysis on the survey data to test the model further we have been using, we found that both physical mani- festations and emotional responses (as suggested by the testimony pro- vided in case #400) are related to the inner healing process. Those who reported a wider range of manifestations and those who indicated hav- ing positive emotional responses associated with these manifestations are slightly more likely to report having received an inner healing. A much stronger relationship, however, is found between spiritual heal- ing and inner healing, providing some statistical support for the inter- relationship of the two facets of the Great Commandment. Those who reported higher scores on spiritual healing were also more likely to report having experienced an inner or emotional healing. Those who . reported drawing closer to the love of God were the most likely to experience an overflow of this sense of intimacy to provide a holy self acceptance and an ability to love even the previously unlovable. In the words of one good friend who frequently testifies to the change TACF has had on his life, “I felt as if I were being bathed in ‘liquid love’ – I don’t know how else to describe it. God’s love was flowing all through me! And he has changed me. I never really loved other ple – peo- not really. Now God has given me an incredible amount of love for others. I am a completely different person.” 3. Mental and Physical Healing Although I did not receive prayer that night (it was too crowded), I stood for a long time just waiting on God for something and asking Him me of disorder. He said to “If why He did- n’t heal my eating Finally me, you love me, don’t you obey me?” I didn’t actually hear His voice, but the thought was strong and clear in my head. Then He gave me a spirit of obedience, why together with the realization in my heart that my body was His and I could no treat it really longer badly. In mid-October 1994, I was at the TACF and was delivered from bulimia. I have been free of that again eating for over a compulsion year (Case #233). I spent eight months hospitalized for clinical depression with suicidal ten- dencies. I got better through counseling, but I was Since I have this move of the I only coping. experienced Spirit, am healed of all pain of my past. It is What counseling could never do, God did in a matter of minutes on the floor (Case #1501). gone! Spiritual and inner healings were common experiences – to some degree nearly universal – among participants in this study. There was also a smaller but significant group of respondents who claimed to receive either physical healing (21 %) or healing from a clinically diag- nosed mental health problem (6%) on the original questionnaire. The 21 64 follow-up questionnaire included questions to ascertain whether these healings lasted. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the follow-up respon- dents reported a physical healing and 4 percent a healing from a clini- cally diagnosed mental health problem. Both items included a sub- question about whether the respondent was still free from the physical or mental health problem. All 27 percent of those who claimed a phys- ical healing and 4 percent of those reporting a mental healing respond- ed affirmatively. No one reported “losing” the healing they experi- enced as a result of their visit to TACF. Reports of physical and mental healings were not statistically relat- ed to prayer by prayer teams, physical manifestations, or positive emo- tional responses. Both forms of healing, however, demonstrated a small but statistically significant relationship to spiritual healing and to inner healing. As might be expected, those who had higher scores on spiritual healing, reported having a closer relationship with God in 1997 than in 1995 (r-.19). Inner healing, a proxy for increased self- acceptance and love for others was also significantly related to experi- encing a healing from clinically diagnosed mental disorders (r=.14). Similarly, those who had higher scores on spiritual healing (r=.15) and inner healing (r=.19) were more likely to report having experienced a physical healing. As Meredith McGuire suggested based on her quali- tative research on Christian charismatic healing, the “relationship with the Lord” is the pivotal issue for understanding other types of healing. Her theory receives some support from the quantitative data presented here. Spiritual healing seems to be one key (although not the only one) for explaining physical and mental healing. Sometimes when people report a closer relationship with God and healing of old hurts and wounds, they also report other more tangible forms of healing. Jesus tells us in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and ” destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. In my view, what Jesus has promised his followers – what many modem authors refer to as holistic healing – is being fulfilled in a particularly dramatic way through the on-going renewaUrevival. This holistic pattern includes body, mind, spirit, emotions, and relationships, but it centers around a renewed and revitalized relationship with God. As I conclude this section and reflect on moving to the next, I am reminded of Jesus’ words to Peter: “Simon, Simon. Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31 ). Like Peter, many respondents report experiencing their own weakness and the forgiving and healing love of God. Many also report a new and fresh empowering to strengthen their brothers and sis- ters. 22 65 Empowerment and Service There can be no doubt that the vast majority of the respondents who visited TACF report great blessings in their lives. But have they moved on from simply receiving the blessing to being a blessing – from being recipients of God’s love to sharing it with others? Is the experience of the Toronto Blessing just another spiritual high reflecting a “spiritual narcissism,” as some critics have charged, or does it empower and lead to loving service? I explored this question in a preliminary fashion in the 1995 survey and then elaborated on the issue in the follow-up sur- vey of 1997. The preliminary and exploratory questions asked in 1995 indicated that there was both empowerment and limited outreach coming out of the Blessing. Ninety-two percent (92%) of the respondents indicated that they had experienced the power of God and that it lasted even after leaving TACF. This led 90% of them to invite others to come to TACF and 82% to report that “talking about Jesus was more important now than ever before.” Keeping in mind that nearly half of the respondents were pastors or church leaders already heavily involved in their church- es, 47 percent still indicated that they were more involved in their churches than they were before coming to TACF. Thirty-six percent (36%) said they were more involved in the works of mercy. In the fol- low-up study I expanded the items reflecting both empowerment and outreach. In Table 5 below we will find figures on the increase in Table 5. ‘ % of Follow-up Respondents Indicating Increase in Empowerment 23 66 empowerment through spiritual gifts ascribed to receiving the Father’s Blessing through the current renewal. It is important to remember that these figures represent an increase and decrease in the use of particular spiritual gifts. Some may be oper- ating in these gifts who have not experienced any particular increase through the renewal while others may not be experiencing them at all. It seems clearly evident that many individuals believe they are moving in a much greater power of the Spirit in 1997 than in prerenewal days. But is this empowerment having an impact on outreach and ser- vice ? Respondents to the follow-up survey were asked to select from a list which of the areas of service they had become more involved in as a result of the Blessing. Table 6 presents the basic evidence deal- ing with this important issue of living out the Great Commandment of love and the Great Commission of evangelism. It would appear, based on this summary of survey findings, that a sizable minority have increased their outreach and service as a result of their personal expe- riences. Table 6. % of Follow-up Respondents Indicating an Increase in Service and Outreach 24 67 Sociological Model for Healing, Empowerment and Service Before we close this discussion of empowerment and service, I would like to propose a model demonstrating the interrelationship of the issues we have been considering. We have been discussing the major components of the Toronto Blessing – manifestations, forms of healing, empowerment, and service – all of which are pieces of a larg- er mosaic which needs to be kept in focus. In order to facilitate a more sophisticated statistical analysis that will permit us to refocus, I creat- ed a 7-item empowerment scale and a 8-item service scale (using the items found in the respective tables). 15 The mean and the median for the empowerment scale was 3, indicating that the average person reported experiencing three of the seven empowerment measures. One in five (20%) reported having experienced none of the empowerment items; one in twenty (5%) experienced all seven. The mean or average for the service scale was 3.6, with a median of 4 (indicating that 50% of the respondents reported less than 4 outreaches and 50% reported more than 4). Sixteen percent (16%) indicated that they had engaged in no increased service or outreach as a result of the renewal; 23 per- cent reported an increase in six or more outreach activities as a result of the renewal blessing. The proposed model includes seven items: the experience of phys- ical manifestations, spiritual healing, inner/emotional healing, being healed from a clinically diagnosed mental disorder, physical healing, and the two new scales of empowerment and service. The correlations or relationships between the variables are found in Table 7. Those more familiar with statistical correlations will see immedi- ately from the table that most of the variables selected for the model are related to one another. Of particular note, manifestations (r=.16), the experience of spiritual healing (r–.16), inner healing (r=.17) and heal- ing of a mental disorder (r=.13) are all positively related to being empowered to pray, prophesy, and heal. Also of note is that spiritual healing (r=.19), inner healing (r=.12) and empowerment (.32) show statistically significant correlations with service or outreach. A careful study of the table will also demonstrate the interrelationship of the healing items discussed earlier in this monograph. The question that I wish to explore in closing this section is which of the variables in the model have the greatest impact on empowerment and service. For this inquiry we turn to a procedure referred to in passing in earlier analyses 15The alpha reliability coefficient was .78 for the empowerment scale and .70 for the service scale, indicating that both formed solid indices. When including the last item found in the outreach table of “leading others to Christ,” the alpha for the ser- vice scale dropped to .61, considerably weakening the index. The question regarding “Leading others to Christ” was therefore not included in the service index. 25 68 Table 7. Relationship Between Manifestations, Healing, Empowerment and Service called multiple regression. It will attempt to sort out the importance of each of these items for determining differences in empowerment and service. First, I “regressed” the empowerment scale on the four types of healing and total number of different manifestations experienced. Although the simple bivariate correlations reported above demonstrate a relationship between three of the four forms of healing and empow- erment, results of multiple regression analysis show that only spiritual healing is statistically significant. In other words, it is spiritual healing (which is often interrelated with other forms of healing) that is the pri- mary source of greater empowerment. Multiple regression analysis also supports the bivariate relationship between physical manifesta- tions and empowerment suggested in the table shown on the previous page. Through multiple regression analysis we see two important things: (1 ) spiritual healing, knowing one’s sinfulness and experienc- ing forgiveness, is pivotal for empowerment and (2) the manifestations appear to be what Dr. Grant Mullen suggests, namely, a “flashing light” indicating that the Spirit is indeed at work. In a second multiple regression analysis I used the same variables as for those used to explore empowerment, but also included the empowerment scale as one of the independent variables. The question I was seeking to ask was whether the manifestations, forms of healing, and greater empowerment were related to increased outreach. The . 26 69 bivariate relationships shown in the previous table suggest that spiritu- al healing (r=.19), inner healing (r=.12), and empowerment (r=.32) may be important causes of increased service. Once again, spiritual healing demonstrated a relationship to increased service (even for those who may have scored lower on the empowerment scale), but higher scores on empowerment proved to be the leading predictor of increased service. This regression analysis provides two important pieces of information about those who are more likely to reach out in service to others: (1 ) they were more likely to score higher on spiritual healing, indicating a greater awareness of their sinfulness and an experience of fresh forgiveness and release from demonic holds and (2) they were more likely to have experienced being used in prophecy, healing, and other spiritual gifting. In sum our findings suggest a relationship between being blessed and being able to bless others. The focus of the TACF renewal on the depth of the Father’s love appears to be bearing good fruit – knowing fruit going beyond individual restoration to bless the larger com- munity. At the heart of this process is what has been called spiritual healing, a recognition of one’s sinful condition and the experience of divine forgiveness. Spiritual healing, in turn, is seemingly intertwined with inner healing and at times impacts both mental and physical health. Spiritual healing also is an important factor in – empowerment being “clothed with power from on high” – and is basic to outreach and service. _ Some Concluding Observations It is difficult to assess where the Toronto Blessing may go from here. In some ways it seems to be stuck in an independent stream of the P/C movement (at least in North America) – having little impact on the larger church or among the growing numbers of unchurched in American society. The Blessing has moved away from being the “nameless-faceless” movement of its unstructured earliest days to being carried by names and faces who draw seasoned followers to renewal centers and conferences around the country. Yet the Blessing simultaneously seems to be finding some expression in the smaller and little-noted renewal gatherings found in small churches and homes across the country. It has also found expression in an extensive net- work of world-wide Internet sites which may facilitate future develop- ments. While the next chapter is yet to be written, the data presented here suggest that the Toronto Blessing has indeed produced good fruit. Whether this fruit will mature and ripen to produce more seeds and in time yet more fruit remains to be seen. 27 70 Appendix Table 1. Relationship Between Salient Manifestation and Emotional Responses 28