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Sent: Saturday, November 02, 2002 8:45 PM
Subject: Re: Austin Miles
Last I heard from Austin was OVER five years ago,
soon after Leaving the
Fold was published. He's pretty old and has
fought back cancer at least
once. He told me on the phone about how
he'd been threatened with
physical violence by some shady minions of Robert
Schuller, because Austin
exposed that Schuller had been standing in front of
a picture of the Great
Wall of China and never visitied China, but was
collecting money for that
"mission." [He] hates hypocrisy whether he
sees it. And he saw a lot of
it in his days in the ministry as his
testimony in Leaving the Fold
pointed out. Also, he told me that though he
had rejoined Christianity it
was now on his terms, he began his own separate
church and denomination.
He was also quite taken with the "laughter
revivial" at Melodyland. He
loved to laugh, and was convinced something
supernatural was going on
there. (Years later, I would have liked to
have asked him if he believed
in the "miraculously filled gold tooth"
miracles that the same bunch of
people were later claiming. Also, Melodyland
is no more, and has gone the
way of the dodo, along with a certain Rev.
Wilkerson's predictions about
the soon coming world-wide revival and final
judgment.)
Austin also sent me the first three issues of a two or five
page
newsletter titled, The Connecting Link. Some of them contained a
brief
article or two, no more than about ten paragraphs long, on some matters
of
theology. But Austin's level of knowledge of theology and the Bible
was
never impressive. He attended some ministerial Bible seminars and
classes
while in the Pentecostal ministry, to get certified. But I don't
believe
he ever even obtain a certified degree.
But his heart was
always in the right place and he's even written about
the injustice of the
churches not paying taxes like everyone else. He
doesn't want
televangelists raking in millions that's for sure.
Austin's
displeasure at the various misdeeds of church people is quite
well
documented, usually concentrating on the misdeeds of the
reigning
hierarchy. Of course he also retained a soft spot in his heart for
the
poorer less powerful ministers working day to day in a small church
and
trying to do their best.
I believe Austin can also get along with
anyone, and tries to get along
with all people of good will, be they atheists
or Christians. In fact,
soon after Leaving the Fold appeared, and we
spoke and he told me that
he'd rejoined Christianity and founded his own
church, he also told me he
didn't mind still being in the agnostic section of
that book.
I think performing in front of large audiences, either as he
started (as a
clown) and then a ringleader, and finally, preaching, was in
his blood.
It's no wonder he returned to preaching, and on his own terms
this time.
But I have been unable to contact him via email or
learn anything more
about where he's living today. He's pretty old by
now and I don't know
the situation of his health either.
Best,
Ed
ed babinski writes:
>slocks@globalnet.co.uk
writes:
>Hi Ed,
>
>I've heard on the grapevine a while back
that Austin Miles (from your
>book) was back in the
fold.
>
>I've just got some more info: Here is some correspondence I
had on this
>with a Christian called
Adam:
>
>ADAM
>Farrell Till writes,
>"The closest that I
can come to the name of someone who changed from
>atheism to Christianity
is Austin Miles, the author of Don't Call Me
>Brother Anymore, and I don't
actually know if Miles ever considered
>himself an atheist. He made the
transition from Christian to at least
>skepticism (at which time he wrote
the above book) and back to
>Christianity, but in all sincerity I have to
wonder how much he was
>committed to freethought. I personally find it
hard to understand how that
>any skeptic who takes the time to research
biblical errancy and really
>become informed on the subject could possibly
return to believing that it
>is the "inspired word of
God."
>-Indeed, the same statement from a Baptist or other
Fundamentalist
>minister with several words changed saying of an atheist
that converted,
>"In all sincerity I have to wonder how much he was
committed to
>Christianity..." would be cited as an example of poor
Christian thinking
>and lack of ability to consider new ideas,
etc.
>
>STEVE
>I agree with you. The information on what Miles
knew needs to be presented
>before an assessment can be made. I'll try to
find out what I can about
>him. If you know any information about Miles,
please let me know.
>
>ADAM
> thanks for the clarification and
my
>apologies for linking your views with Till. What I was
>able to
find on Austin Miles was posted to an
>amazon.com review by a friend of
his, Reverend Richard
>F. Lee,
>
>" As a friend of the author
Austin Miles, and having
>read the book, I have no doubt over the matters
he
>witnessed firsthand. Although I'm an Assemblies of
God
>minister, I recognize that in all human
organizations
>(churches are human organizations) there will
be
>fallible people with poor judgment and liable to
>temptation.
Austin Miles has come back to
>Christianity, and has repudiated the
negative attitude
>he expresses in his book towards
Christianity,
>although he still maintains what he saw was true.
He
>and I have had many wonderful conversations, and will
>continue
to do so. He is a preacher again, and travels
>to churches. He has
returned to Christian ministry
>with lessons learned and a new attitude.
Rev. Richard
>F. Lee"
>
>Regrettably, the Reverend didn't
leave his e-mail
>address.
>
>In addition I found the
following bio of Miles:
>
>Rev. Austin Miles - CNP 1996; evangelist;
Christian
>speaker and author; former reverend, Oasis of
Faith
>Church; publisher, The Connecting Link newsletter;
>member,
National Religious Broadcasters, Evangelical
>Press Association,
Independent Christian Broadcasters,
> International Charismatic Bible
Ministries (ICBM),
>National Association of Evangelicals,
Delta
>Ministerial Association, and Antioch Ministerial
>Fellowship;
author, The Real Ringmaster; Don't Call Me
>Brother; and Setting the
Captives Free; articles have
>appeared in numerous newspapers and
other
>publications; researcher, writer, and technical
>consultant,
CBS special, Ancient Secrets of the Bible
>2; formerly a circus
ringmaster.
>
>http://www.seekgod.ca/cnp.m.htm#miles
>
>I
also found this article explaining what led him to
>become an
Atheist:
>http://www.peopleunitedforreligiousfreedom.org/warning2.htm
>
>What
makes matters even more confusing is that there
>is another Austin Miles
running
around:
>http://www.assist-ministries.com/Stories/s02010019.htm
>
>And
after writing that I found still
another:
>http://www.ourlittlesiteontheweb.com/garden.html
>
>I'll
let you know if I find more. Mr. Miles
>deconversion made him a featured
speaker at Atheist
>conferences and conventions. Indeed, his appearance
on
>Ancient Secrets of the Bible 2 was as an opponent
of
>Christianity. ( I remember seeing that particular
>episode). He
does owe everyone in explanation for his
>change of views, and should
really write a book
>called, "You Can Call Me Brother" explaining
his
>change of heart.
>
>STEVE (writing to you now
Ed!)
>Have you any inside info? I note that at the end of his essay in
"Leaving
>the Fold" Miles writes:
>"I lost God in church. Maybe by
leaving the church, I will get back to
>God."
>
>So maybe no
big deal, or is there anything more
significant?
>
>Ta!
>
>Cheers!
>
>Steve
>----------------
>Leaving
Christianity: www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/decon.html
>
>
>
>
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