Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (June 2009) |
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| Type | Nonprofit Religious Organization |
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| Founded | Toronto 1994 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Founding Pastors: John and Carol Arnott Senior Pastors: Steve and Sandra Long Board of Directors: (As of 2007) John G Arnott, President Carol S Arnott, Member June Bain, Treasurer Joe Call, Member Stephen Long, Vice President Alan Macdonald, Member Jeremy Sinnott, Secretary Duncan Smith, Member |
| Revenue | $7,606,860 (2006, CRA) |
| Employees | 89 full time 12 part time (2006, CRA) |
| Website | www.tacf.org |
| Affiliated with Catch the Fire Ministries and the Partners in Harvest group of churches | |
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF) is a Christian church and religious organization in Toronto, Canada. It is a member of the Partners in Harvest group of churches and is directly affiliated with Catch the Fire Ministries. The church is famous for the Toronto blessing, an experiential religious activity which spread amongst the Charismatic church world-wide.
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[edit] Origin
TACF was a church founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada around 1988 by Pastors John & Carol Arnott. The Church was licensed with the Vineyard & by 1994 it had fewer than 150 people. In January 1994 a Vineyard Pastor by the name of Randy Clark was asked to come & share. John Arnott had heard that he was blessed while at a conference with Rodney Howard-Browne. Clark had been a Vineyard pastor for eight years but was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. In the beginning it had taken him 11 months to get 11 people in his church. But after growing it large he had gotten away from what he had originally started the church in: Signs, Wonders, and Miracles. But now he was desperate and he had been touched while at this conference with Rodney Howard-Browne. Clark ended up staying months and today the church holds at least 8 conferences a year. Early in 2006 John & Carol resigned as the Senior Pastors, moving on to a new ministry, "Catch the Fire".
[edit] History and Criticism
TACF began as a tiny church (under 50) that met in various rented locations throughout Toronto. In the early 1990s the church found a more permanent home near the airport. It is located in Toronto, Ontario. Just a few meters away is the suburb of Mississauga.
The church is famous for the Toronto blessing, an experiential religious activity which spread amongst the charismatic church world-wide. John and Carol Arnott are the founding pastors of the church and in 2006 commissioned Steve and Sandra Long as the Senior pastors to take their position.
The church was not originally a member of the Vineyard Movement, then joined the Vineyard Movement, but was 'expelled', some say, after others in the movement became critical of the church's beliefs and practices. John Wimber, the leader of the Vineyard Ministries International, met with Leaders at TACF and urged them to continue in what God was doing, but felt that he was too busy with the Vineyard Fellowships to continuously give explanations for and on behalf of TACF. As a result John Arnott and the Toronto Christian Fellowshop founded Partners in Harvest, a group churches worldwide that shared similar beliefs.
The church is also the source of the Golden Sword Prophecy. Another notable phenomenon that broke out there in March 1999 was the outbreak of allegedly instantaneous and medically documented dental 'miracles' including amalgam fillings or porcelain crowns being 'supernaturally' changed to high-quality gold.
At TACF Revival services, worshippers have exhibited unusual behaviours that they attribute to an encounter with God and the “fire of the Holy Spirit”. The most common described behaviours include laughter (or “holy laughter”), weeping, deep bowing, shaking, 'drunkenness', falling to the floor under the Holy Spirit's power (aka “slain in the Spirit”) and speaking in tongues. Other less common behaviours include manifestations that resembled roaring like lions and crying like an eagle. (See Derek Prince commentary). At one time the TACF website described it thus: “The Toronto Blessing is a transferable anointing. In its most visible form it overcomes worshippers with outbreaks of laughter, weeping, groaning, shaking, falling, 'drunkenness,' and even behaviours that have been described as a 'cross between a jungle and a farmyard.'"
[edit] Congregations
TACF currently has seven congregations meeting and one planned throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
[edit] TACF Airport
TACF Airport is the main campus for TACF and the location of all its conferences and offices. Its Pastors are Steve and Sandra Long. As well as the main service, it also holds services for Junior High and High School students. The Senior High Pastor is Andrew Gazaneo and the Junior High Pastor is Ben Kennedy.
[edit] TACF Brampton
TACF Brampton is the newest TACF campus. It is pastored by Mel and Sue Natagoc and Faustin and Marina Fernando. TACF Brampton is intended to serve those who live in the Brampton, Caledon, Georgetown, Bolton and Orangeville communities.
[edit] TACF Central
TACF Central is a young adult focused church in the heart of downtown Toronto. Noel Grzetic pastors the campus. It began on September 11, 2005 and is situated closed to the downtown universities as a way to reach Toronto's young adults. It currently meets at the Metro Toronto YMCA near Yonge and College intersections.
[edit] TACF East
TACF East is a family-oriented church located in Ajax, Ontario. Its Pastors are John and Alexandra Tanyan. It is intended to serve those who live in the eastern GTA communities, including: Ajax, Bowmanville, Markham, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Whitby. TACF East is TACF's first satellite church.
[edit] TACF Midtown
TACF Midtown is a young families and young adult focused church located the Yonge and Lawrence area of Toronto. Its Pastors are Jason and Veronique Golloher and Gillian and Kevin Lea. It started in 2007 as an offshoot of TACF Central. As the number of young couples and families grew in TACF Central, it was felt that they would be better served by a church that reflected their specific needs in its meeting time and congregation.
[edit] TACF North
TACF North is a family-oriented church located in Newmarket, Ontario. Its Pastors are Bruno and Naomi Ierullo. TACF North serves those who live in the northern GTA communities, including North York, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Keswick, Barrie, Orangeville, Markham etc.
[edit] TACF North York
TACF North York is a young adult focused church located North York area of Toronto. It is Pastor by Linda Dumcum (Formerly Cho). TACF North York serves those in the North York area and the students of York University.
[edit] TACF Vaughan
TACF Vaughan is located just north of Toronto. It serves those in Woodbridge, Maple, Concord and all the City of Vaughan It is an offshoot of TACF North from which its pastors, Bruno and Naomi Ierullo, copaster TACF Vaugn with Tony and Teresa Nestico.
[edit] Planned Campuses
TACF Scarborough is a planned campus to serve those in Scarborough, Markham and Pickering areas. Its warm up meeting will be held on April 4, 2009 with no permanent location set yet.
TACF is also planning a church in the Mississauga area. No dates have been set.
[edit] External links
- Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship Official Site
- John Wimber and the Toronto Blessing
- Church Times Article
- Blog article by Adrian Warnock about the Toronto Blessing including overview of similar phenomena in church history
- Richard Riss on revival and Christianity
