Who is Jack Taylor?
Jack Taylor was the spiritual father of Clark Whitten. He wrote the forward in Whitten’s book. Taylor was a self-proclaimed Kingdom leader. Jack Taylor passed away in April of 2021 at the age of 87. Jack died a charismatic, of the Toronto Blessing group, he no longer held to any creeds.
But Jack didn’t start out a charismatic
From his obituary: “Jack R. Taylor, Kingdom leader, was a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He pastored Castle Hills Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas, for almost 17 years.”
At Taylor’s church in Texas, a revival of sorts took place. In 1970 more than 3,000 new people converted within 6 months. During the next 4 years, membership at the church doubled. This launched Jack into a worldwide ministry (Dimension Ministries) beginning in 1974. This non-profit carried him through more than 40 years of itinerant preaching, teaching, and sharing the ‘power of the Spirit’.
Taylor’s ministry took another dramatic turn in August 1994 during a visit to Toronto. There a “significant personal healing took place both physically and spiritually”, according to a friend writing of Taylor’s passing.
Taylor spoke often at Catch the Fire Toronto, home of the famed Toronto Blessing. He also had more than 200 men and women he considered his spiritual offspring. One of these spiritual offspring is Clark Whitten.
Charismatic ideology
Charismatics have a distinctive emphasis on the Holy Spirit. They have generally orthodox tendencies apart from their doctrine of the Spirit. They have an ardent expectation of the impending return of Christ, as well as a strict morality. Taylor teaches that true Christianity is dependent on a mystical experience with the Spirit. Like other charismatics, he tends to separate the Holy Spirit from Christ.
Charismatic ideas were around since the very early church. The Charismatic Movement, as it exists today, started in 1906 in Los Angeles, CA; spreading to Europe. They are not themselves a denomination and therefore have no unified set of beliefs. Speaking in tongues, healing and prophesy continue as its main tenets. See Got Questions here.
The great role of spiritual experience
Like other charismatics, Taylor teaches that spiritual experience plays a greater role in determining truth over sound doctrine. He teaches that God is still speaking in a revelatory way today.
In his book, The Word of God With Power, Jack Taylor wrote that it is “a mistake to believe that we have, in the Bible, all the revelation we will ever need”, pg. 18. Although he readily acknowledges that the canon of Scripture “is complete and will never require addition,” he effectively contradicts himself (in the same sentence) by declaring that God continues to directly speak to individuals through “impressions, messages, dreams and visions”, pg. 20. The Holy Spirit, in his view, “will use the written Scripture, but He is not bound to its pages in the issue of making His will known to us.”, pg. 23.
Taylor, like other charismatics, teach that the believer experiences these ‘new words’ in their conscience. And the recipient of these experiences can then utter the ‘word’ to others, sometimes in an understandable language. People who experience God, or revelation from God, will inevitably produce great works, miracles, and prophesy, out of that experience. This is based on their understanding of John 5:19-21 and John 14:12.
When Nate Langerak made the claim that he heard from his God [in his conscience] tell him ‘you have to start a school’. And claimed that this ‘word’ came to him as the “living desire of my heart” — which sounds like he experienced it. Is he slipping into charismatic or mystical waters? One hour and 15 minutes, 53 seconds into this video.
For a reformed understanding of John 14:12, please read chapter 4 of Rev. McGeown’s book.
What is Taylor’s Kingdom?
According to Taylor, God only entrusts the Kingdom to humanity through a family of spiritual fathers and their spiritual sons. Jesus supposedly took part in this ‘father-son’ family pattern with the disciples as his ‘sons’. The pattern serves as the way one experiences God by the Spirit. This pattern is called the Father/Son Paradigm.
For more info on the Father/Son Paradigm, you can listen to another charismatic husband-and-wife team explain. Notice that these speakers speak disapprovingly of unnamed leaders, like Jack Taylor. In their opinion, such fathers have too many spiritual sons. After all, how can you really truly know 200 sons? Listen to part 1 and part 2.
PS. To be a spiritual daughter, one has to be married to a spiritual son. Is this repackaged Christian Patriarchy?
Jack, the spiritual father
Taylor claims he found God anew through the relationship he developed with his spiritual son, Leif Hetland. Hetland eventually became the spiritual Father of Taylor’s blood son, Tim.
According to Taylor and his followers, these spiritual sons are “given by God”. The spiritual father-son “relationship [is] made in heaven and lived out on earth”. The relationship is “not defined with words” but is “simply being ourselves with each other”, min 28 in this this audio between Leif and Jack.
‘Not defined by words’ expresses their dismissal of creeds; and puts the emphasis on their mutual spiritual experiences.
Jesus supposedly affirmed and took part in this pattern when he was born.
According to Taylor’s 1st spiritual son Leif Hetland, “Jesus focused on being a son and as a result he became the everlasting Father and a prince of peace”, min 15 in the same audio.
The spiritual father/son identity is THE essential identity for one to be in this Kingdom. According to Taylor’s other website, Sonslink; this system is the “Heart of the Kingdom”. This system brings transformation.
The Paradigm is their covenant
Taylor uses this paradigm to explain covenantal passages. According to Taylor, it is how one experiences God. Taylor teaches that this restores the reality of the Body of Christ. Thus, they hand God down from the human spiritual fathers to their spiritual sons; all through an intense spiritual experience.
About the ‘Papa God’ terminology
Due to this Father/Son Paradigm, Jack calls God ‘Papa God’; and as a spiritual Father, he calls himself Papa Jack. The hyper-grace teachers also use the Daddy God or Papa God terminology. Is it harmlessly similar to our use of Heavenly Father, by which we mean the Triune God? Or do they limit God to being Father only?
Charismatics tend to hold to a form of Modalism. For them, Jesus secured salvation, but Jesus does not rule over them as their Lord. Rather, they are guided directly by the Father through the Spirit. For Taylor, Whitten, Crowder, and others, the overall language they use indicates that the Spirit directly administers the covenant, and not the Son by the Spirit through faith. Therefore, one cannot assume that ‘Papa God’ is the same as ‘Triune God’.
Next time, why we should care about Papa Jack.
