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COR has been called a Reconstructionist-type organization. Reconstructionists believe Christ will not return until the faithful have taken dominion in all areas of society throughout the world. To accomplish this, a doctrine based on their interpretation of Mosaic law will be incorporated into every phase of life, including public policy and the legal system. They call this theonomy or "God's Law." COR was founded in January 1984 and mainly works behind the scenes to unite politically active fundamentalists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics. COR's goal is to work actively to implement Coventalism and Reconstructionism in all churches. It is Moral Government Theology, which some Christians have denounced as anti-gospel and anti-Christianity. Much more research can be done online by the reader; i. e., read: Dominionism - A Theology That Intermingles with Mysticism But Not the Word of God. [offsite link] Paraphrases from COR's Documents included below. (All bolding is ours.)
Coalition on RevivalCoalition on Revival (COR) was founded (in the 1980's) by Dennis Peacocke, a Bob Mumford disciple, and Jay Grimstead, an ex-Moonie. The money is said to have come from Moonies. [Although Grimstead tells others he started out as a Presbyterian and is associated with a Pentecostal Holiness church in CA today. He has close ties with the Shepherding movement]. Mumford promoted dominion theology or Reconstructionism, which was trying to get theocracy in America. [Mumford brought the Shepherding (discipling) Movement to America.] Rev. Peacocke was one of Mumford's disciples and his Coalition on Revival (COR) promoted Reconstructionism. From: http://www.angelfire.com/tn/bizarrotom/ The Coalition On Revival (COR), is probably the largest and most influential Christian Right organization which has adopted the shepherding/discipleship model, and have applied its principles as an organizational mechanism for political mobilization. One of the most influential members of COR is the Rev. Dennis Peacocke, a leading proponent of shepherding/discipleship cell structured churches. While purposely NOT a well-known public figure on the Christian Right scene, Peacocke's influence is felt primarily through his extremely low-key, Strategic Christian Services ministry, in Santa Rosa, CA. Bob Weiner, "shepherd" of the disbanded Maranatha Ministries, was another leading Christian Right figure who did much to support the Reagan administration, through campus-based mobilization and political action. From: http://www.etext.org/Politics/Arm.The.Spirit/Antifa/cell-church.structure
COR is a
Christian Reconstructionist-type organization which advocates
that all law and society, both secular and religious, must be built
upon the Bible.
From: Freedom Writer,
January/February 1996, "Religious Right Update"
The movement is called by three different names: Reconstructionism,
Dominion Theology and Theonomy. Theonomy "asserts that all of society
is to be brought into the
obedience to the Mosaic Law."
From: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/notes_on.htm Jay Grimstead, chief of COR, proposed "an experimental program in 1987 to ground pastors in COR-approved theology and shepherding techniques." He was excited that the churches which were discipled in this way would create an "army" that would be "ready to die for Jesus" and for their pastor's vision.
From: Freedom Writer,
September/October 1991, "The Making of a Christian Police
State"
Youth With a Mission is tied in with Coalition on Revival. Ron Boehme (on the National Steering Committee of COR) "worked out of the YWAM national office in Seattle, Washington." He founded YWAM's base in Washington, D.C. From: Kingdom Now or New World Order? (a review of Ron Boehme's book), "Leadership for the 21st Century."
The Christian Coalition is the
largest of many right wing religious groups whose members want to
reorder United States political affairs under the authority of a
"Christian" government. Their overarching philosophy,
alternately called "Christian
Reconstruction" and "Dominion Theology," was
first articulated in 1973 by Rousas John Rushdoony in Institutes of
Biblical Law. That philosophy is nurtured by the
Coalition on Revival (COR), a inner circle whose steering
committee includes most
of the nation's right wing Christian leaders. They promotes the
unifying ideology of the Christian right,
and are led by Dr. Jay Grimstead.
Jay Grimstead says there is reason for optimism because of the " great success of doctrinal unity." Even Catholic theologians are getting involved. The doctrinal statements they have drawn up are said to have never been so widely accepted in this century by those that represent "most of the denominations on earth." He says they are proceeding with a much hope for "a doctrinal unity at a worldwide level hitherto unimagined." Noted Reconstructionists include Greg Bahnson, David Barton of WallBuilders, Inc., David Chilton, Gary DeMar of American Vision and Worldview Magazine; Ted DeMoss of Christian Business Men's Committee; Kenneth Gentry, Jay Grimstead of Coalition on Revival; D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church; Tim LaHaye of American Coalition for Traditional Values; Mrs. Connie Marshner of Free Congress Foundation; Rev. Joseph Morecraft; Gary North of Institute for Christian Economics; Mark Siljander of Global Strategies, Inc.; Randall Terry of Operation Rescue and Rev. Donald Wildmon of American Family Association. D. James Kennedy, Tim LaHaye, Mrs. Marshner, Gary North, R.J. Rushdoony, and Donald Wildmon are all members of the Council For National Policy. [Update: D. James Kennedy died September 5, 2007 at the age of 76.] Reconstructionism has profoundly influenced the Christian Right. It's most important role is said to be traced to the formation of the Coalition on Revival in 1982. COR has sought to create a transdenominational theology and the leadership of COR has significantly overlapped with the Christian Right, and includes: John Whitehead, Don Wildmon Tim LaHaye and D. James Kennedy, Randall Terry Steven Hotze, Rev. Glen Cole Michael Farris Robert Dugan Bill Dannemeyer Mark Siljander R.J. Rushdoony, Gary North, Joseph Moorecraft, David Chilton, Gary DeMar and Rus Walton." From: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/8616/reconstructionists.html A broad spectrum of single issue religious and political groups are attempting to destroy our constitutional rights and our way of life. Some people, surprised by the proliferation of right-wing groups, have referred to them as spreading like bacteria.
Right-wing talk-show radio
personalities include such people as Rush Limbaugh; columnists like
Cal Thomas; organizations such as the Christian Coalition; James
Dobson's Focus On The Family; the Coalition
On Revival (COR); Promise Keepers, and others.
Reconstructionists wants to incorporate dominion over all mankind in order to initiate the "second coming." Reconstructionists would like to change our form of government to a Christian-based theocracy. They are already at work behind the scenes to change our government through the passage of laws, court rulings and the election of public officials who have accepted the support of those in this movement in return for votes. The beliefs of reconstructionists are described in a document called A Manifesto for the Christian Church. Signers of the Manifesto include: Dr. James I. Packer is probably the best know and most popular Covenant theologian of the day. He is long associated with Neo-evangelicalism, and more recently COR (Coalition on Revival) a Reconstruction-Dominion-Theonomy organization...."
COR says that their vision is to
"see Christians everywhere doing all they can in the power of the
Holy Spirit to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
(2 Cor. 10:5), in every aspect of life." To further this end they
have written a series of "worldview
documents" that they believe express
"the fundamental and essential
points of the total Christian world and life view."
These principles are supposed to be for every sphere of human life,
including civil government, and that the church must take this stand
to accomplish this task during this century and
the next. This includes bringing
"willing subjects" under the King's "dominion"
in order to please Him.
From: http://www.reformation.net/cor/about_us.htm COR is a militant organization that uses subtle intimidation practices such as fear and guilt, warrior rhetoric, and psychological manipulation for the purpose of attracting and involving unwary, impressionable Christians. Many of the COR organizers came out of the Shepherding Movement which used control that duplicated cult practices. From: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/general.htm
From COR's 17 documents and a
Manifesto (may be
accessed from COR's website or http://www.reformation.net/COR/cordocs.htm)
COR sees itself as a
"Bible believing, holiness movement" that
crosses theological and denominational lines.
Churches must "begin with humble repentance from our past sins and indifference, and acceptance of much of the blame for the world's desperate condition."
From: "A Manifesto for
the Christian Church."
Church discipline: Church discipline and excommunication are two things that COR believes "must be reintroduced into all Bible-believing churches as an absolute necessity for Biblical living and revival." They talk about all pastors banding together to make this possible.
Cell groups: They
want a major effort launched to encourage all "Bible-believing
churches" to start up weekly home cell groups and these are to
include the following (which has also been used in disciplining/shepherding
movements): open sharing concerning one's inner and outer life and
prayer by the other members; commitment to those in the group "to
the point of sacrifice"; and
each holding the other accountable to
live in obedience to all commands in the Bible that they feel apply to
us today.
Changing society: They
say that if any pastors or churches "mistakenly
think" that they really
don't have any business trying to change our society and stand for
this righteousness COR talks about, then these pastors and churches "must
become exposed" to the COR Manifesto and the COR sphere
documents, "in order to
disabuse
their minds of that false dichotomy."
Pastoral Retreats: Retreats
are planned in "intensive" 2 to
5 days retreats for pastors and parachurch workers.
Master Pastor's
Conference: This
is to be transdenominational and will
take place over the next few years for 7,000 pastors who "have
not bowed the knee to Baal" in order to help them
understand and apply all these actions plans that COR has in their
eight ministry documents.
From "The
Christian World View of Pastoral Renewal"
They state that Christians have to be in agreement ahead of time to how extensive this Kingdom of Christ's is going to be "operational on earth" before He returns and before one can work in a humble and productive fashion They talk about Kingdom obedience ... Kingdom character ... Kingdom growth ... Kingdom victory ...
From "25 Articles of Affirmation
and Denial on the Kingdom of God"
COR denies that a person can acquire bible knowledge by themselves alone, "without accountability to other Christians." This is not sufficient, they say, to make one a disciple of Jesus that is obedient; therefore discipleship training programs are to be instigated in all churches to get these members trained and mobilized for service.
From: "The Christian
Worldview of Making of Disciples"
Specific Actions of COR: COR states that it is their firm conviction that those related to Christian colleges or seminaries have the right and responsibility before God to keep a "watchful eye," on the Biblical integrity of their own institution and to take "firm, deliberate steps to correct antibiblical teaching wherever it occurs."
From: Journal of Biblical Ethics
in Medicine, Volume 10, Number 1, "The Christian Worldwide of
Psychology and Counseling."
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