Category — Walter Hawkins

Well the year is coming to a close and what a year it has been.  Gay Christian Movement Watch is thankful for every single person who has supported us in word, thought and deed. Going forward, we promise to stay on the wall: sober, vigilant and ready to keep you informed of the enemy’s devices.

Here’s a list of our top ten stories of 2010 (source:  google analytics).

1. CNN Interview about Bishop Long yeilds painful surprise. CNN Anchor Don Lemon reveals he was sexually molested by another man.

2. A litany of lies from Bishop Jim Swilley. An Atlanta area religious leader comes out of the closet with a bucket full of lies about homosexuality.

3. Bishop Long facing lawsuits. Megachurch leader faces four damaging sexual coercion lawsuit from young men formerly under his “watch”.

4. Ted Winn on the CoCo Brother show. Gospel music industry worker Ted Winn ducks, dodges and evades the obvious and in the process reveals the obvious.

5.  “If I be a lying prophet”. A Connecticut bishop makes a stunning comment at a funeral and then 30 days later he is dead.

6.  Lesbian bishop remembers gospel singer’s influence. Gay false prophetess Bishop Yvette Flunder partially opens the closet doors on former friend and “mentor” the late Walter Hawkins.

7. Brian Carn sees perversion in a vision. A Florida based black church prophet claims God showed him a major church leader in a homosexual context but does not reveal who it is. Eddie Long?

8.  Cogic bishop puts Tonex in the drivers seat. Once promising gospel industry worker turned gay church poster boy “preaches” at a New York COGIC (Intl) church.

9. Yahoo reports christian “star” now a lesbian. A former Christian singer uses her homosexuality announcement to create hype about her career aspirations.

10.  Its gay “holy” convocation time again. Atlanta’s mock pentecostal denomination the UPPC, holds convocationfest.

BRIDGEPORT, CT – The bell has tolled for the late Bishop Walter Hawkins’ eulogist, leaving behind questions about the power of words and the retribution of God.  Bishop Kenneth Moales died of an unexpected heart attack Sept 21st, just 30 days after a strange remark at the end of his sermon. He was president of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses and a well known speaker and singer at black mega churches and conferences across the country.

At the closing of his obsequies for Bishop Hawkins, Moales did something some observers at the service called unusual.
Apparently the bishop had sermonized from the 2 book of Kings (that part isn’t available).  Suddenly, after reciting 2 Kings 23:30b seven times, he summoned up Hawkins’ son Jamie and “anointed” him to be the late singer’s “successor”. The action was  understood by many in attendance to be a consecration to the pastorate of his father’s Love Center Church.

The video below captures Moales’ initial boldness, then doubt to cautious, then bold move to recreate something he referenced in scripture.

At 4:55 in the video, Moales declares “If I be a lying prophet may I never ever preach again.” Perhaps uncertain that what he was doing was right, he acknowledges that he “wasnt going to do this” [anoint Hawkins] but remanded the decision on God telling him to “go back and get the oil” (4:59).  But did those words prove to be deadly for Bishop Moales?

The  illict “consecration” of a wicked heir

The problem with Moales’ declaration was his gross misuse and application of the passage he cited. We can determine that by following the storyline from a contextual beginning. The story is a serious one with deep lessons about the penalties of  rejecting God’s instructions.

1. Moales only quoted part of the verse scripture serveral times for emphasis to support his forthcoming actions. Had he cited the entire verse in context, it would have presented a picture vastly different that what he used it for. Even though [King] Josiah had instituted a scorched earth policy against idolatry in Judah, even that wasnt enough to turn the Lord’s anger at the people.

” Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. ²⁷ So the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘There shall my Name be.’ (2 Kings 23:26-27)

God was angry at the people and yet they continued to ignore him and his promise to reject them.

Despite what Josiah had done,   2 Chronicles 35:20-27 reveals that his death was a direct result of his disobedience to the word of the Lord spoken to him by the Egyptian king.

“What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.” (NIV)

2. The scripture says it was the people who anointed Josiah’s son, not God. Its evident in the following verses that God did not sanction this human “anointing” because Jehoahaz was a wicked man, despite being Josiah’s son and heir apparent. Moales acknowledged that Jamie Hawkins “wasnt ready” (not saved?), but excused it by saying that a person could be “anointed but not ready.” This may be true in some cases, but only when God has sanctioned the consecration of the individual. In the passage Moales misused, he attributed to God a rebellious act by the people God had rejected.

3. God did not allow the illict consecration of Jehoahaz to stand. Just three months later,  God sent the same Egyptian king who killed his father, to depose him and take him back to Egypt a slave.

Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and fined the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. [...] And Neco took Joahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 2 Chronicles 36

If you want to see how this ended, read the entire chapter of 2 Chronicles 36. It is tragic indeed.

Postscript: I have heard numerous contemporary black church “prophets” make this same type of declaration before and I have always cringed at it. It seems a brash statement to make given the history of how God has dealt with false prophets. In fact, Josiah’s reforms included killing all the false prophets and burning their bones until nothing of them remained.

“And The Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in My Name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.” (Jeremiah 14:14 RSV)

“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles false and misleading” (Lamentations 2:14 RSV)

“And her prophets have daubed for them with whitewash, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when The Lord has not spoken.” (Ezekiel 22:28 RSV)

Questions

Was Bishop Kenneth Moales the “lying prophet” he spoke about and did it cost him his life?

Do you believe that today in an era of “grace and mercy”, God will still strike down those who lie in his name?

Did Bishop Moales use the scriptures for an evil purpose and perhaps endanger those who participated in it?

The St. Louis American posted an article interview with two area clergy which offered more evidence that the late Walter Hawkins was a closet inclusionist. One of the two men in the story, we have covered before. Bishop Wyatt Greenlee (left), an assistant of Yvette Flunder said Hawkins and Flunder helped him start his gay inclusion church Greater New Higher Heights (now a UCC). Read more about Greenlee here and here.

“I started ministry in 1988 and it was through his wisdom and counsel that helped me set it up properly,” said Greenlee, founder of New Higher Heights Church. He and Bishop Flunder took me under their wing and allowed me to network with the right people – he was my pastor and a man of incredible wisdom and council.”

New Higher Heights operated under Hawkins Love Center Church Umbrella and he was instrumental in the process of their first church recording in 1993 – serving as producer of the project.

Other pastors under Walter Hawkins umbrella ministry.

Bishop Yvette Flunder has released comments about gospel music industry producer and singer Walter Hawkins who died last Sunday at age 61. Her comments reveal more about the private Hawkins and confirm that he was at least biblically in error at the time of his death. Unfortunately no sermons or teachings of Hawkins have been made public, but his embrace and apparent teaching of gay inclusion sullies his music legacy.  Flunder who is “married” to Hawkins’ cousin Shirley Miller said that anyone who appreciated her progay ministry, must also pay tribute to Hawkins. And black gospel industry stars are lining up to do just that.

“I received an invitation to come and preach at Love Center Church in Oakland, and very reluctantly I went. I had not preached in years. I had planned never to preach again, but that day God transformed my life. I joined that Sunday and the Sunday after I met the leader of my new church family. We called him Pastor Walt. I understood why I was led there when I heard him preach. He spoke with passion, clarity and conviction about the extravagant Grace of God that is greater than all of our shame and guilt. He introduced me to the doctrine of Eternal Security that made me understand that my salvation was not fragile, and that God was not punitive and vindictive. I realized that I was indeed justified by faith and that I had peace with God. What a glorious revelation!

I recall him saying over and over, ”What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” I became progressively freer every time I heard him. I learned to both love and affirm myself. Pastor Walt became my friend and Brother. We talked regularly, shared vision, traveled the world and designed ministry. He was my Biker Buddy and we spent many hours riding through the hills of Northern California. I remember late night conversations that turned into after church fried chicken, sweet potato pies, (he made them from scratch), and Walt practicing his budding hair styling skills on me. I have fond memories of sitting with him on his piano stool, watching him create brand new music under the influence of the Holy Ghost.

I was blessed to know him and he was the same when we were at the ice cream parlor and when we were at the Stellar Awards. For 10 years I served beside him as his Assistant Pastor and as a member of The Hawkins Family. My love for the transforming power of Gospel music grew under his direction. My call to the Ministry of Radical Inclusivity grew out of his influence.

Bishop Hawkins took the courage to step into uncharted waters and to preach a liberating Gospel that was like fresh cool water on my battered spirit. Everyone who has ever been blessed by my ministry in any way…every church, every class, and every organization must pay tribute to the life and ministry of this great man. His mark is on you.

Bishop Walter Lee Hawkins, Walt…you were and are a giant of a man. You are home now with the Jesus you loved and served with your whole life. May your legacy have an even greater impact on the world than you could have imagined in this life.

Flunder as well as many of Hawkins supporters have stopped short saying the gospel singer himself was homosexual. Highly lauded as a man who wrote and produced music which dominated the gospel music industry and spanned four decades, Hawkins was at the same time an advocate of the false inclusion doctrine. Strangely,  his songs were solid in contrast to his theological fallacy. Undoubtedly, Hawkins was a man of immense talent, but his support of homosexuality and gay marriage is particularly troubling despite that acknowledged talent.

I grew up on the Hawkins’ music. It was personal and remain significant markers in my life.  I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Dear Jesus, I love you”. I sung it over and over till it felt like I wrote it myself. As a young man struggling with his sexuality, it was my letter to the friend that understood.  “Changed” was my anthem when I came out of homosexuality. But others like me have expressed an unusually torn feeling about Walter Hawkins perhaps unlike any other gospel singer/musician we know. His songs weren’t trashy chart topping ditties you forgot about two weeks later. Each one seemed to strike a deep chord of common experience with the listener.  But his support of something that we all know is deeply offensive to God sours the memory. How can the same fountain bring forth both bitter and sweet in such contrast?  The danger of being a castaway is something we all should consider. When its all said and done, we had better be sure that we have not run in vain.

I therefore so run, but not with uncertainty; I so fight, but not as one that beateth the air. But I keep control of my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor 9:26-27

Like his predecessors and some contemporaries, Hawkins’ legacy embodies the very best and perhaps the very worst of the gospel music industry. Hawkins is gone and whatever his eternal state is, it is already done and cannot be changed. But no one should ever mistake talent and acclaim as an indicator of right relationship with God. We can only be sure of our relationship with him  by adhering to his word and never compromising it for ourselves or anyone else.

Previous GCM Watch coverage of Walter Hawkins:

Carmen interviews Walter Hawkins on TBN

New book alleges Hawkins brothers are homosexual