Skillet's John and Korey Cooper just described spiritual abuse they endured at an NAR church. Unfortunately, their story shapes a pattern showing up in many churches across the country. Josh, Michael and Michael speak with a former elder of the Cooper's church to understand what happened and learn how to better recognize spiritual abuse.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
John and Korey Cooper recently sat down for a long, detailed interview on Alisa Childers' YouTube channel (link to full episode below) and described what they say happened inside Korey's lifelong church. Leadership they'd trusted for decades had quietly embraced New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) theology. When the Coopers began asking direct theological questions, they say the response wasn't a proper answer. Instead, it was pressure, prophetic words used against people close to them, and warnings that leaving would cost them God's blessing.

In reviewing the Coopers' story, Joshua Lewis, Michael Miller, and Michael Rowntree will walk through what the New Apostolic Reformation actually teaches about apostolic authority, why "sound doctrine" so easily gets redefined once a leader claims that kind of role, and why asking a direct question about a church's beliefs should never be treated as rebellion. We'll look at where this movement's theology runs into what Scripture actually says about who qualifies to lead (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1:9), who the church is actually built on (Ephesians 2:20), and whether any leader, even a real apostle, is above correction (Galatians 1:8).

Join us to better understand the Coopers' story and learn how to spot spiritual abuse before it costs you.

ALISA CHILDERS' INTERVIEW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GwayjaKqfQ

0:00 – Introduction
2:13 – Caleb's Background Story
3:20 – Reacting to Cooper Interview
9:36 – Church Structure Overview
15:12 – VNC Course Explained
18:23 – Apostles as Foundation Doctrine
27:47 – Caleb's Theological Journey
33:35 – Relational Leverage and Control
39:24 – Darvo Text and Gaslighting
44:07 – Right vs Wrong Loyalty
50:41 – Isolation and Matthew 18
58:00 – Gossip vs Slander Defined
1:06:35 – Third-Party Investigation Findings
1:11:24 – False Visions Red Flags
1:16:11 – Hope and Healing After