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→‎Jesus Camp: attend any pentecostal church on sunday and you see this. Visit the Wikipedia page on pentecostal christians and this also appears. Stop being lazy....
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Fischer was approached in 2004 by [[Heidi Ewing]] and [[Rachel Grady]] about filming her "Kids on Fire" camp outside [[Devils Lake, North Dakota]], as well as portions of her "Changing the World through Prayer Conference" at Christ Triumphant Church in [[Lee's Summit, Missouri]] (a suburb of [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]), where Fischer is ordained.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|author = STEPHEN HOLDEN|title = Children's Boot Camp For the Culture Wars|quote = |publisher = The New York Times|date = September 22, 2006|url = |accessdate = December 14, 2010}}</ref>
Fischer was approached in 2004 by [[Heidi Ewing]] and [[Rachel Grady]] about filming her "Kids on Fire" camp outside [[Devils Lake, North Dakota]], as well as portions of her "Changing the World through Prayer Conference" at Christ Triumphant Church in [[Lee's Summit, Missouri]] (a suburb of [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]), where Fischer is ordained.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|author = STEPHEN HOLDEN|title = Children's Boot Camp For the Culture Wars|quote = |publisher = The New York Times|date = September 22, 2006|url = |accessdate = December 14, 2010}}</ref>


When the film debuted at the [[Tribeca Film Festival]] in the summer of 2006, it generated controversy for overtly political subject matter. For example, in one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, a guest speaker brought a [[Corrugated fiberboard|cardboard]] cutout of [[George W. Bush]] and asked several children assembled there to stretch their hands out toward him. Some press accounts incorrectly suggested that the children were worshiping him, but the laying on of hands and its derivative of stretching hands towards someone is a common practice in Pentecostal and [[Charismatic Christian|Charismatic]] churches.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
When the film debuted at the [[Tribeca Film Festival]] in the summer of 2006, it generated controversy for overtly political subject matter. For example, in one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, a guest speaker brought a [[Corrugated fiberboard|cardboard]] cutout of [[George W. Bush]] and asked several children assembled there to stretch their hands out toward him. Some press accounts incorrectly suggested that the children were worshiping him, but the laying on of hands and its derivative of stretching hands towards someone is a common practice in Pentecostal and [[Charismatic Christian|Charismatic]] churches.


While somewhat uncomfortable with some elements of the final product (which led to accusations that she was indoctrinating children), Fischer has refused to disown the film. In fact, she has used it as a tool to publicize her ministry and its work.<ref>{{Cite episode| title = JESUS CAMP; THE NEW FACE OF EVANGELIZATION| episodelink = | url = | series = ABC News Now| serieslink = | credits = MAYA KULYCKY, DAN HARRIS| network = | station = ABC| city = | airdate = September 18, 2006| began = 06:08am| ended = | season = | seriesno =| number = | minutes = | transcript = | transcripturl= }}</ref> She claims to see the real message of the film embedded amidst the political overtones. To Fischer, the real message of Jesus Camp is to show how passionate children can be when given the right opportunities.
While somewhat uncomfortable with some elements of the final product (which led to accusations that she was indoctrinating children), Fischer has refused to disown the film. In fact, she has used it as a tool to publicize her ministry and its work.<ref>{{Cite episode| title = JESUS CAMP; THE NEW FACE OF EVANGELIZATION| episodelink = | url = | series = ABC News Now| serieslink = | credits = MAYA KULYCKY, DAN HARRIS| network = | station = ABC| city = | airdate = September 18, 2006| began = 06:08am| ended = | season = | seriesno =| number = | minutes = | transcript = | transcripturl= }}</ref> She claims to see the real message of the film embedded amidst the political overtones. To Fischer, the real message of Jesus Camp is to show how passionate children can be when given the right opportunities.

Revision as of 22:40, 13 July 2011

Becky Fischer (born 1951) is a Pentecostal children's pastor best known for her role in the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp.

Fischer is a third-generation Pentecostal on her father's side and a fourth-generation Pentecostal on her mother's side. Her grandfather was an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God for 75 years. Fischer was a businesswoman in her native Bismarck, North Dakota for 23 years, the last eight as part-time children's pastor of her church.[1] In 1999, she moved to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina to join Tasch Ministries International,[2] a ministry that specializes in mission trips for children. After serving as a children's pastor for Rick Joyner's MorningStar Ministries in Wilkesboro, she returned to North Dakota to begin her own ministry, Kids in Ministry International. She is the author of several Sunday School curricula for churches and the book Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century.[3] Fischer rented facilities for the "Kids on Fire" summer camp in Devils Lake, North Dakota for four years.[4] She also ran an FM radio station and a motel before going into her ministry.[1]

Jesus Camp

Fischer was approached in 2004 by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady about filming her "Kids on Fire" camp outside Devils Lake, North Dakota, as well as portions of her "Changing the World through Prayer Conference" at Christ Triumphant Church in Lee's Summit, Missouri (a suburb of Kansas City), where Fischer is ordained.[5]

When the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in the summer of 2006, it generated controversy for overtly political subject matter. For example, in one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, a guest speaker brought a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush and asked several children assembled there to stretch their hands out toward him. Some press accounts incorrectly suggested that the children were worshiping him, but the laying on of hands and its derivative of stretching hands towards someone is a common practice in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.

While somewhat uncomfortable with some elements of the final product (which led to accusations that she was indoctrinating children), Fischer has refused to disown the film. In fact, she has used it as a tool to publicize her ministry and its work.[6] She claims to see the real message of the film embedded amidst the political overtones. To Fischer, the real message of Jesus Camp is to show how passionate children can be when given the right opportunities.

Fischer has announced that because of negative reactions to the camp after the film, including telephone calls and vandalism, the camp, which was held once a year for three weeks, will be discontinued indefinitely and will be replaced by other events.[7]

Ministry

Fischer complains the average Sunday School is content to merely give children a roll-over of Bible stories for the first twelve years of their lives, causing them to lose interest in God and the church by their teen years,[citation needed] and opting out of the church culture as a result.[8] Fischer declares, "As a result, we have a crisis in Christianity resulting in as many as 70% of our own children leaving the Church and never returning." Her ministry explores ways to keep them engaged in their faith through adulthood.[5]

Kids in Ministry International under the direction of Becky Fischer promotes supporting the nation of Israel and Christian Zionism, a common practice within Evangelical churches in the United States.[9] The most notable ministry promotion of Zionism are events by Kids in Ministry International titled Kids Blessing Abraham Family Conference.[10]

Theology

Fischer's ministry is part of an "apostolic network" of charismatic churches and ministries known as Harvest International Ministries.[11] This organization is an offshoot of the charismatic movement that believes in the existence of present-day apostles and prophets. The Kids in Ministry website includes teachings from prominent ministers, including Cindy Jacobs, Lou Engle, Patricia King, Stacey Campbell, Kim Clement, Bill Hamon and Rick Joyner.[12]

Fischer's ministry also adheres to several Pentecostal traditions and teachings such as promoting Glossolalia or speaking in tongues, spiritual warfare, healing the sick, prophecy, raising of the dead, and exorcism from demonic possession.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL PAGES; Pg. 25 (September 29, 2006). "Kids on Fire: A documentary on evangelical Christian children's camps has caused uproar in the US: Profile: Becky Fischer". The Guardian. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Welcome to Tasch Ministries International Online
  3. ^ Fischer, Becky (2005) Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century ISBN 978-0-9767647-0-0
  4. ^ Neva Chonin (September 29, 2006). "At this camp, indoctrination is hardly a game". THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ a b STEPHEN HOLDEN (September 22, 2006). "Children's Boot Camp For the Culture Wars". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ MAYA KULYCKY, DAN HARRIS (September 18, 2006). "JESUS CAMP; THE NEW FACE OF EVANGELIZATION". ABC News Now. ABC. {{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |episodelink=, |city=, |serieslink=, |ended=, |transcripturl=, and |seriesno= (help); Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Pastor will shut down controversial kids camp". The Seattle Times. November 8, 2006.
  8. ^ https://kidsinministry.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=3&id=51&Itemid=1
  9. ^ https://kidsinministry.org//index.php?option=com_expose&Itemid=36
  10. ^ https://kidsinministry.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=89
  11. ^ http://harvestim.org/index.php?a=home
  12. ^ https://kidsinministry.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105&Itemid=88
  13. ^ https://kidsinministry.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=93

External links

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