Christ Embassy Bedford — First and Last

My Experience at Christ Embassy Bedford

I went to Christ Embassy Bedford recently to experience the church service for myself. It was — alpha and omega — my first and last visit. Absolutely horrendous.

Over the decades, God in His Sovereignty kept me from listening to Pastor Chris. I just never could. And I certainly never attended a service. 

 

Christ Embassy Bedford Service Experience

The night before I attended, God gave me a dream. I woke and went to the 10:30 a.m. service at the Christ Embassy church in Bedford. While sitting in the 'staged' service, the interpretation of the dream came — I'll explain below. The real drama was after the service, and I just walked out.

Back to the service.

I have been a Christian for over 37 years, and this was one of the worst church services I have ever attended. A one-star review is generous.

I hoped there would be some evidence of God in the service, but not long after I sat down, I could sense a dark cloud. On top of that, the people seemed lifeless, and the service felt dry. I have attended many churches where the presence and glory of God were very clear. In fact, when I attended the recent Church of God Mission UK Conference, the atmosphere was charged with the presence of God. At Christ Embassy Bedford UK, the atmosphere felt extremely heavy and, to me, deeply troubling — dare I say demonic.

I was especially concerned about the strong emphasis on money. I believe this is based on faulty theology, and it places enormous financial pressure on people. I have heard similar concerns from former members of Christ Embassy in different parts of the world. I witnessed it myself.

Then came the strange part.

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The Dream I Had Before Visiting

I also had a dream the night before visiting. As I sat in the service today, I suddenly understood what the dream meant by revelation. It perfectly described what I experienced in this church: they quote Scripture from their rear end but cannot digest the Word of God.

Not exactly the sort of revelation you put on a church noticeboard.

Pastor Chris and the White Suit Video

There was also a moment during the service that made me chuckle.

They played a video of Pastor Chris encouraging people to do what he does. A young man was shown standing outside a shop, looking at a white suit in the window. They then showed different church members wearing white suits while hosting various events.

I have a section in my book, Miracles for Sale, about white-suited preachers. Wearing white is sometimes used by politicians and preachers to create an image of purity and holiness.

Jesus Himself spoke about "whitewashed tombs" that look beautiful on the outside but are full of dead bones inside.

The Atmosphere at Christ Embassy Bedford

During the service someone spoke about the fragrance of God.

But, based on my experience, the atmosphere smelled more like a graveyard than the fragrance of Christ.

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My Conversation After the Church Service

To be fair, the gentleman I spoke with afterwards was respectful, even though we disagreed. My conversation with the lady I believe was the pastor's wife was considerably more difficult. They both would give monologues misinterpreting the Scriptures so many times that only a few times did I bother to interrupt and correct them when they regurgitated Pastor Chris's talking points.

At one point, they were trying to convince me God needed us. What a joke! God chooses to use us, but He does not need us. 

Feedback About the Christ Embassy Bedford Church

Three times she asked me for my feedback on the service. Before I started, I told her that I would be completely honest. She said that was fine. Each time, I gave her an honest answer. However, when she did not like what I said, she began lecturing me about my own feedback, accusing me of being critical and judgmental.

She asked what I thought the church needed to do to become more multi-ethnic. Because this is an area I specialise in and I work with churches on these issues, I gave her a straightforward answer.

She did not accept it. Other pastors have taken my suggestions, and I work with them to help them grow their churches.

She particularly objected when I described Christ Embassy Bedford church as an African church. The fact is that everyone attending the service was African. I have absolutely no problem with that. (I was born in Africa myself.)

However, after more than 13 years in Bedford, there appeared to be no people from other ethnic backgrounds attending the service. I explained that I believe some churches are specifically called to reach particular communities. There is nothing wrong with that.

But she insisted that they were a church for everyone.

My question is simple: where are the results?

If a church says it is for everyone, but after 13 years it has not attracted people from different backgrounds, or they come and go, surely it is reasonable to ask whether something needs to change.

When I challenged her about how she was changing and twisting the feedback she had asked me to give, she denied saying things that I clearly remember her saying.

That concerned me greatly.

I left feeling that her attitude was extremely damaging to the congregation. I would not be surprised if other people have left because of similar experiences with her and other. I feel deeply sorry for those who are members.

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And then Another Dream

And that night, I received another dream from God. In the dream, I was at a private meeting where Pastor Chris was sitting nearby. Without going into detail, the message of the dream was clear: I was not to connect with that ministry in any way. It was never something I had planned to do, but the dream felt like a stern reminder from the Lord.

My Conclusion About Loveworld Bedford

All Christ Embassy is a global franchise model to funnel money to Nigeria, where the bait is fed to enlarge it and make it more attractive.

The people behave robotically to be accepted. The teaching is humanistic motivational garbage packaged as Christianity. God is a genie to get what you want, and then you claim you want it for His work.

Having visited Loveworld Bedford for myself, I can only speak from my own experience of what I saw and heard during the service and in my conversation afterwards at Pastor Chris's church.

My experience was extremely negative, and I would not return.

Again, I warn: avoid this church at all costs.

It's a web of deceit. Many inside recognise something is wrong, but they cannot quite put their finger on it. 

Be open to constructive criticism with humility. Churches should be able to receive honest criticism without treating every uncomfortable observation as an attack. And Christians should be humble enough to ask whether there's something we need to hear — even when we don't particularly fancy hearing it.

Far too many are dazzled by crowds, miracles and money. Only the Sovereign Lord can open our eyes. Our eyes should be on Him and the ways of God, not the ways of humans.

If Jesus wrote a letter to that group, that might be the most uncomfortable sermon of all.

Does Pastor Chris Teach Mature Christians Don’t Sin? Read HERE

Did Pastor Chris Say God Is NOT the Way Maker? Read HERE

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