Bishop Michael Reid
Encyclopedia
Michael Reid was a Christian evangelist in Essex
, England
and founder of Michael Reid Ministries. He resigned from the role of pastor at Peniel Church in April 2008 after admitting to an eight-year extra-marital sexual relationship. He has since developed his evangelistic ministry and speaks at a number of churches in the UK and overseas.
officer and insurance salesman, who entered Christian ministry without any formal theological education. He founded Peniel Pentecostal Church
in Essex, which was later renamed Michael Reid Ministries. The church also runs a school with approximately 100 pupils aged 2 to 19 and a college in Brentwood
, as well as a TV ministry.
of Benin City
, Nigeria, as part of a meeting of the International Communion of Charismatic Churches (ICCC). However, according to the current Presiding Bishop of the ICCC (Bishop David Huskins), Bishop Reid resigned from the ICCC in 2001, and formed his own organisation, the Global Gospel Fellowship (GGF).
was unable to substantiate the claims.
He is also closely associated with the Oral Roberts
Evangelical Association in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, and is a founder member of the Global Gospel Fellowship (GGF). Michael Reid has recently become a patron of the English Constitutional Convention
.
stood for Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar constituency following allegations that the church was attempting to infiltrate the local Conservative Party
. The allegations were investigated by Conservative Central Office who reported that they saw no evidence of entryism
.
His organisation (micheal reid healing faith) bears a strong resemblance to a cult as it requires a percentage of the members earnings to be paid to the organisation for membership and progression. Many suspicions were aroused when his close deputies were able to purchase large houses on the same road as the building.
It was also investigated by the BBC programme 'Panorama', and undercover filming exposed use of table tennis paddles to discipline children without any sort of parental permission.
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and founder of Michael Reid Ministries. He resigned from the role of pastor at Peniel Church in April 2008 after admitting to an eight-year extra-marital sexual relationship. He has since developed his evangelistic ministry and speaks at a number of churches in the UK and overseas.
Personal background
Reid is a former Metropolitan policeMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
officer and insurance salesman, who entered Christian ministry without any formal theological education. He founded Peniel Pentecostal Church
Peniel Pentecostal Church
Peniel Pentecostal Church is located in Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, UK. The church was founded by the now disgraced 'Bishop' Michael Reid, and is currently under new leadership .- Doctrine :...
in Essex, which was later renamed Michael Reid Ministries. The church also runs a school with approximately 100 pupils aged 2 to 19 and a college in Brentwood
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....
, as well as a TV ministry.
Title of "Bishop"
Reid was given the title of bishop in 1995 by the late Archbishop Benson IdahosaBenson Idahosa
Benson Andrew Idahosa affectionately called PAPA or BA by his followers, was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher, and founder of the Church of God Mission International with headquarters in Benin City, Nigeria . As the first Pentecostal archbishop in Nigeria, he was renowned for his robust faith....
of Benin City
Benin City
Benin City, is a city and the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos...
, Nigeria, as part of a meeting of the International Communion of Charismatic Churches (ICCC). However, according to the current Presiding Bishop of the ICCC (Bishop David Huskins), Bishop Reid resigned from the ICCC in 2001, and formed his own organisation, the Global Gospel Fellowship (GGF).
Claims of miracles
Along with his wife, Rev. Ruth Reid, Reid travelled globally and claims to have witnessed miraculous healings through his ministry, although a 1999 investigation by the Advertising Standards AuthorityAdvertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom)
The Advertising Standards Authority is the self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the United Kingdom. The ASA is a non-statutory organisation and so cannot interpret or enforce legislation. However, its code of advertising practice broadly reflects legislation in many instances...
was unable to substantiate the claims.
Associations
He is the author and co-author of several books and a founder member of the Christian Congress for Traditional Values (CCTV) to monitor challenges to family life and traditional belief in the UK. He was also a leading figure in the organisation's campaign challenging the BBC over its decision to screen Jerry Springer - The Opera on television. Following Bishop Reid's public disgrace, the CCTV was disbanded in August 2008.He is also closely associated with the Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
Evangelical Association in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, and is a founder member of the Global Gospel Fellowship (GGF). Michael Reid has recently become a patron of the English Constitutional Convention
English Constitutional Convention
The English Constitutional Convention is a pressure group lobbying for a devolved English Parliament.The English Constitutional Convention aims to bring about the same constitutional changes achieved by the Scottish Constitutional Convention which ultimately secured a devolved Parliament and...
.
Controversy
Controversy has surrounded Bishop Reid for many years, and both he and Peniel Pentecostal Church have been the subject of many critical media articles. In 1999, the church received national publicity when Martin BellMartin Bell
Martin Bell, OBE, is a British UNICEF Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician...
stood for Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar constituency following allegations that the church was attempting to infiltrate the local Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. The allegations were investigated by Conservative Central Office who reported that they saw no evidence of entryism
Entryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
.
His organisation (micheal reid healing faith) bears a strong resemblance to a cult as it requires a percentage of the members earnings to be paid to the organisation for membership and progression. Many suspicions were aroused when his close deputies were able to purchase large houses on the same road as the building.
It was also investigated by the BBC programme 'Panorama', and undercover filming exposed use of table tennis paddles to discipline children without any sort of parental permission.
Sexual scandal
In April 2008, Michael Reid admitted to an extramarital sexual relationship and resigned from the leadership of Peniel Pentecostal Church. It is believed the relationship with his church's music director lasted for eight years. He issued the following statement to church members: "It is with great sorrow and regret that I have resigned from the church board and have stepped down from official duties. I confess that I have sinned by committing adultery. I recognize that I have failed in my duties and acted in a way that harmed the Church. I take full responsibility for my actions and so I resigned. I apologize to my wife and family and all of you whose trust I have betrayed and ask for your forgiveness and prayers." The scandal was widely reported online and in UK newspapers. At an industrial tribunal where Reid was claiming unfair dismissal it also emerged that a second woman claimed to have had an affair with Reid over an extended period.Rape investigation
On 27 August 2009 Michael Reid was arrested on suspicion of rape. He was released on bail until 28 November 2009.External links
- http://www.whatgodcandoministries.com/, Michael Reid's website with information on his ministry
- Discussion forum for church members