Many students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School were greatly
influenced by Jack Deere’s gifts-of-the-Spirit discovery
during the Vineyard Movement days
just over two decades ago.
Jack Deere
From: jackdeere.com/about.html
Jack was raised in Ft. Worth, Texas in a broken home that did not know the Lord. When he was 17 years old, a friend led Jack to Christ. Jack began reading the Bible for the first time and fell in love with the Scriptures. He attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, where in majored in Philosophy and started working with the ministry of Young Life leading high school students to the Lord. After graduation in 1971, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary concentrating in Greek and Hebrew study of the Bible. He and Leesa were married in 1974. In 1976, he was invited to join the faculty of Dallas Seminary teaching Hebrew and books of the Bible in Hebrew. He received both a Master and Doctor of Theology degrees from Dallas Seminary. During his tenure at Dallas Seminary, he started and pastored two churches.
In 1986 after months of concentrated scriptural study, Jack reversed his position on the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. He became convinced that all of the gifts of the Spirit were meant to be used today, including healing and prophecy. God had never withdrawn these gifts, rather many in the church had withdrawn from the gifts. Even though he had no supernatural experience of his own, Jack and Leesa along with others began praying for the sick and listening for the voice of God. Almost immediately, they saw some wonderful healings.
He left the seminary faculty at in the end of 1987 and joined the staff of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church in Anaheim, CA. He served with John Wimber at the church and traveled around the world with him doing conferences on intimacy with God and the Holy Spirit.
Jack left the Anaheim Vineyard in 1992 to begin his own conference and writing ministry. He has written best selling books, which have been translated into a number of languages He travels national and internationally doing conferences on many themes. He serves on the boards of a number of Christian ministries.
Jack is currently the senior pastor of Wellspring Church in North Richland Hills, Texas, a church he started in the spring of 2004. The mission of the church is threefold: to help people cultivate an intimate friendship with Jesus; to help people discover and effectively use their spiritual gifts in significant ways in the church; and having learned how to use these gifts effectively in the church, then to use their gifts in the market place where they spend the majority of their time.
Jack and Leesa live in Colleyville, TX. They have two grown children, Stephen and Alese.
From: jackdeere.com/books.html
Books
Surprised by the Voice of God
Using biblical and contemporary examples this book shows that it has always been normal for God to speak to His children both from the Scripture and in their daily experience. If you want to hear God’s voice better you will find this book inspiring and helpful many practical ways.
Autographed Version
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit
This best selling book has become a classic receiving praise from scholars and leaders all over the world. Using the Bible and contemporary examples it makes a convincing case for the reality of supernatural power in the church and answers those skeptical of the Spirit’s power.
Autographed Version
The Gift of Prophecy
C. Peter Wagner said this book “is the new operator’s manual for those who want to be participants, not just spectators, in today’s prophetic movement. This book will help you put it all together, get it up and running, and troubleshoot whatever problems arise.”
Autographed Version
Purchase at Jack’s Site
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Related:
Francis Frangipane: Holiness Precedes Power | More of my experiences at Trinity and in the Vineyard Movement | Why did John and Chris Whimber die?
Bob & Sue Kehl
Hi Jack and Leesa, This is Bob Kehl from Anaheim Vineyard, CA. Been praying for you each day and am delighted to hear you are doing better. I know the battle is raging on right now even though there has been some victory. Will continue praying for your recovery and for the purposes of God in your lives. Keep me updated on your recovery and your arrival home.
Love you
Bob & Sue Kehl
Jeff Fenske
Bob, I thought I’d let you know that this is not Jack’s site. I’m just a fan of Jack in his bold stand to tell the truth about signs and wonders that cost him his seminary job — and no doubt he gained many enemies, who call themselves ‘Christians.’
I experienced the hatred firsthand when I was attending a seminary in the early ’90s, during the height of the flurry. Many professors and students were outraged, and the hate was palpable. Some wouldn’t even look us students in the eye, thinking we were heretics, because we believed in the spiritual gifts that the Bible so clearly teaches.
And then I saw John Wimber, and then Chris Wimber die.
The Devil hates the move of God, and James-3 curses are real. We need a holiness and worship revival that is many times what the one in the late ’80s was so we can all walk totally above the fray, together.
I didn’t know that Leesa was ill, but thanks to you I now know and found their Caring Bridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leesadeere . I think it’s wise of Jack to make that public so the people know what to pray for.
I will help pray for Leesa, and for those who have been James-3 cursing her.
I hope they’re also doing natural remedies, instead of completely relying on Big Pharma.
I should say that the stand that Jack took really affected key students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where I was attending, because Dallas Theological Seminary had a high reputation there. Jack, if you ever read this, you really did make a difference, and shook things up, because they knew you were credible, and couldn’t be discounted like the “crazy” charismatics. It was really fun to watch so many wake up and be so happy.
I know this illness is not from God, and He wants Leesa to be whole.
May ‘ONE’ happen — Jesus’ desire for us in John 17. He promised He’d give us His glory so ‘ONE’ could happen, which should have happened long ago. I think once-saved-always-saved is the biggest monkey wrench. And I discuss other key hindrances to revival (where healing would be the norm) and solutions on this site too.
God bless,
Jeff Fenske in Alaska