My Journey Away from NAR (Part 3)

This post is part of a three-part series on my journey away from the influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). If you haven’t read the previous posts, I encourage you to start there:

• Part 1: The First Encounter—The Church That Shocked Me
• Part 2:  Slowly Drawn In—When Worship Feels Right but Theology is Off

Part 3: Awakening to Truth – Leaving NAR Behind

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a movement that promotes modern-day apostles and prophets, emphasizing supernatural experiences, signs and wonders, and new revelations outside of Scripture. While it often appears passionate and spiritually vibrant, its core teachings subtly undermine the sufficiency of God’s Word, replacing biblical authority with personal experiences and extra-biblical revelations.

By 2012, I had moved to Chicago and joined a vibrant and exciting church. The production was top-tier, with professional lighting, fog machines, and a worship band that could have easily sold out a concert venue. It felt alive. I quickly got involved in worship and small groups, but beneath the energy, I started noticing troubling things.

Prophetic words, healing prayers, and declarations were encouraged in ways that didn’t align with Scripture. We sang songs from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation, and while I had initially enjoyed them, I began paying closer attention to the lyrics. Some seemed theologically shallow or outright problematic. Something didn’t sit right with me, but I couldn’t yet articulate why.

Then in 2014, I moved back home and returned to a satellite campus of the church I had attended before moving to Chicago. I once again got involved in worship ministry and even stepped into a leadership role with the women’s ministry. But the discomfort that had begun in Chicago only deepened here. While the corporate worship services didn’t necessarily have long, spontaneous prayer and singing sessions, there was a noticeable pressure to be more expressive and “in the Spirit” during worship. If I wasn’t outwardly animated—dancing, raising my hands, or adding spontaneous worship lines—I would hear feedback that I seemed tense. And when I did move more, I was told that something had “changed” in me for the better. Looking back, it’s unsettling how these external expressions became the measure of a “Holy Spirit-filled” worship experience.

Separate prayer services were introduced that incorporated long, spontaneous prayer, contemplative prayer, and extended singing sessions. At first, I loved them. The emotional high was powerful. But once that high faded, a nagging discomfort remained. Something didn’t sit right with me, but I struggled to pinpoint why. What a battle it was—conflicting emotions, the pressure to conform, and the gradual realization that worship isn’t defined by emotional expression, but by truth.

One particularly striking memory stands out. The worship ministry would gather periodically to connect. During one such gathering, a team member led everyone through contemplative prayer. At first, it seemed nice, but as it went on, I became more and more uncomfortable. We were told to visualize Jesus and the scenery we were with Him in. It all felt very mystic to me, Now, all these years later, I’ve learned that contemplative prayer does, in fact, bring in some dangerous mystic practices.

Additionally, team members were encouraged and even sent to conferences hosted by Bethel. The worship practices that Bethel instilled were openly encouraged for our team. It was infiltrating our ministry. Back then, I didn’t think it was inherently wrong, even though it left me uncomfortable and frustrated at times because I felt I was lacking since I couldn’t do spontaneous worship as well as some of the others. I recall several people leaving our church because of the direction worship was going. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now, I know and understand why.

One Sunday, my pastor gave a sermon that extensively quoted Brene Brown. At the time, I liked Brene Brown, so I didn’t think much of it. But looking back, this was a red flag. A secular self-help author was being treated as a spiritual authority in a sermon rather than expositing God’s Word. It was one of many signs that biblical truth was being compromised in favor of feel-good messages and emotionally charged experiences.

The Worship Events That Opened My Eyes

During the pandemic, I attended three worship events led by Sean Feucht. These weren’t affiliated with any church I had been part of, but I was desperate to worship in person with other believers. The excitement of being surrounded by fellow worshippers was real, but so was my growing discomfort.

The services followed a distinct formula: worship, extended spontaneous singing and prayer, prophetic declarations, and altar calls. Every single gathering seemed to have people dramatically throwing drug paraphernalia or alcohol onto the stage as an act of surrender. There was always laying on of hands and loud cries of deliverance. While I don’t want to doubt that some people genuinely surrendered their lives or addictions to Christ, the predictability of these moments made me pause. Were these true, lasting conversions, or were people being swept up in the emotional momentum?

Now, I know that some reading this may completely disagree with my take on the “Let Us Worship” events, and that’s okay. I’m not here to judge anyone’s salvation—only God can do that. However, Scripture does call us to discern truth and test what we see against God’s Word (1 John 4:1). Being aware of patterns and testing them is not being judgmental; it is being biblically discerning. Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 7:16, “You will recognize them by their fruits.” Discernment is not about condemning—it is about evaluating the faithfulness of an event, movement, or teaching to the truth of Scripture.

By the third event, I was more reserved. I avoided engaging in the moments that felt off—such as the repetitive declarations to manifest blessings and prophetic words that felt more like self-affirmations than actual prophecy.

At the time, I didn’t have the right words to express my discomfort, but now I do. These worship events weren’t focused on revering God—they were about hyping up the experience. They were designed to create an atmosphere of spiritual excitement, but that excitement often lacked biblical grounding. True worship isn’t about an emotional high; it’s about centering our hearts and minds on Christ and His Word.

Bob Kauflin rightly said, “Biblically speaking, no worship leader, pastor, band, or song will ever bring us closer to God. We can’t shout, dance, or prophesy our way into God’s presence. Worship itself cannot lead us into God’s presence. Only Jesus Christ Himself can bring us into God’s presence, and He has done it through a single sacrifice that will never be repeated – only joyfully recounted and trusted in” (Worship Matters, p.74). This perfectly encapsulates the problem with NAR’s approach to worship—it seeks to manufacture an experience rather than resting in the truth of Christ’s finished work.

NAR is not just a matter of personal preference—it is unbiblical at its core. Scripture makes it clear that there are no new apostles or prophets today (Ephesians 2:19-22). Nowhere in the Bible are we told to expect “new revelation” beyond what God has already revealed in His Word (Hebrews 1:1-2). Additionally, biblical worship is meant to be orderly, not chaotic (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). That doesn’t mean we can’t clap, sway, or raise our hands. Of course, we can do that! However, the convulsing, rolling on the floor, yelling, and repetitive attempts to conjure up the Holy Spirit that we see in NAR services are not biblical worship. They produce an atmosphere of disorder that is neither helpful nor edifying in a corporate worship setting.

Finding True Worship – Sola Scriptura and the Word of God

The pandemic was the final push I needed to leave my former church. I was done chasing emotional highs and desperate for biblical truth. I eventually found a theologically sound, expository preaching church, and my life changed.

Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone—became my foundation. Worship was no longer about what made me feel close to God, but about what was true. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Everything I needed was in the Bible. I didn’t need an emotional experience to know that God was with me—I needed His Word.

The book of Jude is a sobering reminder of how false teachers can infiltrate the church. Jude 3-4 warns, “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed… ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” NAR thrives on subtly distorting Scripture, making it seem like new revelations are just as authoritative as God’s Word. But Jude warns us to contend for the faith, not new faith built on extra-biblical teachings.

Holly Pivec, a leading voice exposing NAR, explains, “NAR leaders teach that God’s kingdom will be established on Earth through an elite group of apostles and prophets. But nowhere in Scripture are we told that apostles and prophets will lead the church in the end times. Instead, Scripture warns of deception and false teachers “ (from Counterfeit Kingdom by Holly Pivec and Douglas Geivett).

This is exactly what I had been caught up in—leaders who claimed new revelations, churches that prioritized emotions over doctrine, and worship that was designed to manufacture an experience rather than glorify Christ.

Be On Guard – Scripture Warns Us

The Bible is clear: false teaching won’t always look blatantly wrong. It will often sound appealing and feel deeply spiritual. But 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 warns us, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” The danger of NAR is that it presents itself as more—more spiritual, more prophetic, more powerful—but in reality, it’s a distortion of the truth.

We are called to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so that we can stand against deception. We are to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), and guard ourselves against those who twist Scripture for their own gain (2 Peter 3:16).

To Those Still in NAR – And Those Who Have Left

If you are still in a church influenced by NAR, I urge you to test everything against Scripture. Don’t rely on feelings or personal revelations—hold everything up to God’s Word. If something doesn’t align with Scripture in its full context, it is not truth.

If you have left NAR or are in the process of leaving, know that you are not alone. The road out can be lonely and disorienting, but the solid foundation of God’s Word is worth it. Seek sound doctrine. Find a church that preaches Christ crucified rather than self-empowerment.

All Glory to God

Looking back, I don’t regret my journey because God used it to teach me, humble me, and draw me deeper into His truth. But I do regret not knowing my Bible better back then.

The Five Solas have become my anchor:

• Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) – The Bible is the highest authority.
• Sola Fide (Faith alone) – We are justified by faith, not by works or manifestations.
• Sola Gratia (Grace alone) – Salvation is by grace alone, not by our efforts or spiritual experiences.
• Solus Christus (Christ alone) – Jesus is the only mediator between God and man.
• Soli Deo Gloria (To the glory of God alone) – Everything we do should be for God’s glory, not personal gain.

To those who read this and disagree, I pray you will test everything against Scripture. And to those who have walked a similar road, may you find encouragement in Christ, who alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

All glory to Him alone.