The cell church movement is well established in the USA and is now spreading rapidly within Great Britain. This movement seems to offer organisational advantages and has a sugar coat of features designed to attract people. Despite this, the movement is based upon ideas which are alien to scripture and in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus, (nothing new!). However, the cell movement goes much further than most. Cell ideology and cell church organisations can be used to abuse and manipulate people, because manipulation and certain kinds of abuse are built into the cell church ethos.
Cell church:
is introduced to an existing church and is first practised amongst the existing leaders. This cunning approach ensures there is no going back because it generates vested interest in the hearts of the established leaders.
makes people vulnerable by systematically collecting personal information
exploits this vulnerability financially, socially and politically
can potentially exploit vulnerability in other ways, including sexually and physically
manipulates and interferes with the devotional lives of individuals by placing leaders in direct control of their lives
is exclusive, that is, people are only admitted to cells at the discretion of cell leaders. initiation involves systematic indoctrination using a 'Gateway' or similar course. This contradicts Christ's teaching that He is the sole gate for the sheep, (John 10). Offering an alternative way of salvation invites the condemnation of Christ, (same passage).
pushes its agenda upon people at all levels in the organisation at every opportunity, at every meeting; exploiting the vulnerability it generates by intrusive interrogations and nosy home visitation to get the message across.
collects and stores personal information on members, (leaders access it to confirm appointments and promotions). The cell organisational machine creates plenty of opportunities to collect and record personal information about members, including sexual and financial data. Such a data base, if it exists may not be illegal in the USA, but would be illegal under UK law, (the Data Protection Act). Opportunities for personal data collection include interrogation in cell meetings, home visitation, and 'retreat' style events designed to encourage extended contact and information gathering.
Cell church is fundamentally similar in ideology and operating characteristics to the more widely known and discredited 'shepherding movement' popular in the 1980's, but thankfully now in decline.
Cell church ideology is characterised by certain 'values' which are held in common and propagated at every level of the cell organisation. The four main cell values are; 'evangelism', hierarchical subordination, tithing and community. These four main 'cell values' are described below:
Cell values are propagated externally by the cell movement, introducing people to Jesus is replaced by the propagation of cell values - giving it deceptive evangelical credentials. The cell 'evangelism' value substitutes introduction to cell groups for introduction to Christ. Cell thereby exploits a perverted Christian gospel for its own organisational ends.
Cell recruiting involves infiltration techniques similar to those developed in communism. Insincere friendships are actively encouraged in order to get more people into the cell system - 'the end justifies the means'. This amounts to the social exploitation of cell church members for the profit of the cell organisation.
The Apostle figure at the top of the cell organisation is seen as the person providing the cell organisation with a strong foundation. However Jesus Christ is the only foundation and corner stone needed by the Church. Therefore cell is idolatrous because the Apostle figure usurps the place of Christ.
Cell involves the people being subordinated to cell church leaders and to cell ideology, not to Christ nor to Christ's teaching and example.
Cell involves mentoring to encourage new leaders, (called cell interns). It therefore perpetuates idolatry right through the hierarchy from the 'Apostle' down to the cell 'intern'.
Cell ideology values and rewards management ability, (time organisation etc.) more than spiritual qualities, (love, faith, hope, joy etc.). This is because management ability can be applied directly to the operation of cell. Cell operation involves management techniques, weekly reporting of everything to centralised authority. This allows the effective control and mobilisation of everyone within the cell organisation to populate the organisation's programs.
Cell uses intrusive questionings in cell meetings and home visitations to make people vulnerable. The questions asked explicitly include sexual and financial matters. This vulnerability is then systematically recorded and exploited by the cell organisation, leading to tight control and spiritual, financial and potentially physical and sexual abuse of adherents. Intrusive questionings and vulnerability makes cell an effective trap with a 'don't talk' rule operating.
Cell leaders are identified and qualified for appointment based upon their track record 'in the system'. This systemisation was not taught by Jesus and NT guidance about leaders is quite different.
Cell ideology values individual financial giving in the context of a control hierarchy. Cell offers rewards of power (that is, promotion in the hierarchy) or other favours in exchange for financial gifts. This idea is based on a tithing rule which was a taxation system in ancient Israel and not part of Christ's teaching. In fact, Christ taught against tithing, (for example widows mite, the Temple tax sayings and Pharisee's prayer teachings).
Cell seeks to create community artificially. The trouble is artificial community is it is insincere, it is conjured by rewards and discipline. Real community is only created voluntarily by an outpouring of the love of Christ.
A profile of cell ideology is given which has been extracted from an analysis of cell practices gathered from various sources of information on the cell church movement in the USA and recently in the UK. A Cell Leader's Training Course manual was also used to collect and analyse the details of cell organisational aims and practices. I have personally experienced a cell church and another similar church situation and can verify the reality of these ideas in practice.
The objective of the cell organisation is to get people doing cell in just the same way as you would operate a machine, except that the people are part of it. For this reason cell is works based. You do cell, by working at it. However, imparting cell values is the same as imparting a moral code, therefore cell is legalistic. Legalism cannot impart true righteousness and mocks the sufferings of Christ who died to give us true righteousness and holiness, (Galatians 2 v 21).
The people are supposed to follow a model to 'do cell'. This model is in fact a systematic machine with detailed centralised people-monitoring and people-controlling functions clearly described and implemented using a bureaucracy.
Cell substitutes faith in cell ideology for faith in Christ.
Cell ideology claims to represent the Person of God, reflecting His nature in its organisation hierarchy. Cell involves the creation of a many level hierarchy of cell interns, ( = trainee cell group leaders), cell group leaders, district leaders, regional leaders and a single Apostle figure at the top in charge of it all. Such hierarchical practice is forbidden by Christ, (Matthew 23 v 8 - 12, Luke 22 v 25 - 6a). Cell leadership hierarchy is based upon the Catholic Trinity teaching which places Jesus as a subordinate created being below God the Father, (also known as the Arianist heresy). Like the Trinity doctrine, cell ideology asserts that the Father delegated and coerced a subordinated Christ to come and save us, so that it is OK for Christian leaders to subdue people and push them around in the same way. This contradicts true Christian teaching is that Jesus is the Son, uncreated, eternal, and coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and that he chose to humble Himself voluntarily to death on the cross in order to save us, (e.g. Philippians 2 v 6). Therefore, cell does not reflect the true Personality of God as it claims.
Cell claims to be NT Christianity, however cell structure was not practised in the early church, therefore cell tries to deceive people with false religious claims. There is one particular book published by the cell movement which contains clear deception on this issue.
Cell organisational briefings are disguised as prayer meetings.
Jesus is unnecessary to the introduction and perpetuation of cell ideology. That is, cell is deist - it needs only a remote God. Instead, the leaders stand in God's place in the Church
Cell ideology is 'a tree which my Father has not planted which will be uprooted.' (Matthew 15 v 13) and a house made with human hands that God does not choose to dwell in.
Cell ideology includes the humanistic idea of positive thinking also known as positive self image. This means that cell is limited to human potential - no Divine input is really needed. It also means that people are persuaded not to judge themselves or to feel responsible for their own actions. All this is conjured within an organisational mechanism based upon the judgement of others. This is opposite to Christ's teaching - he taught us to judge ourselves and to refrain from judging others, (Matthew 7).
Cell includes the idea of discipline involving shaming, naming and excluding people at the discretion of the hierarchy. This violates the teaching of Christ, the practice of Christ and the rest of NT ideology. NT ideology involves, forbearance, forgiveness, patience with each other etc. Jesus even says if we condemn others, we will loose our own salvation, (a subject elaborated from scripture in the 'Mystery of the Church' book).
Cell ideology is almost identical to 'heavy shepherding' also known as 'Restoration' in teaching and practice.
A technique known as 'love bombing' is recommended to be used upon new cell members. This involves preferential treatment, insincere greetings etc. in order to keep them in the cell group initially. This technique was used by the Moonie cult in the past.
Mutual indoctrination by repetition and reinforcement techniques are used to drum cell ideology and cell values into people.
A great deal of time is spent in meetings practising cell meeting formats. This compromises an individual's time with the family etc. It would be quite capable of separating more vulnerable younger people from their family environment.
Cell has all the elements needed for of a highly organised cult. Cell ideology is also a political ideology which harnesses religious devotion to derive draconian powers over the lives of adherents. In the USA, cell church organisations have a reputation for their ability to mobilise people for political ends.