Shepherding movement

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The Shepherding movement (sometimes called the discipleship movement) was an influential and controversial movement within some British, Australian and American charismatic churches. The movement, at some stage was also called the Christian Growth movement.^[1] It was set up by Christian leaders as a discipleship network. It was pioneered by five teachers, Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Ern Baxter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

These leaders aimed to provide meaning and order through house churches and cell groups to address the lack of spiritual maturity of the Charismatic believers in the 1970s and early 1980s.^[2] The doctrine of the movement emphasized the "one another"^[3] passages of the New Testament, and the mentoring relationship described in the Second Epistle to Timothy. The leaders decided to mutually submit to one another and to hold each other accountable, and it was through New Wine that this teachings of the Shepherding Movement were emphasised and promoted: authority, submission, discipleship, commitment in covenant relationships, loyalty, pastoral care, and spiritual covering.^[4] The motivation for launching the group was with the right intent, however, the Shepherding Movement quickly deteriorated into a cult-like environment in which people misused the teaching intended to encourage maturity into what was considered witchcraft by some. People could not make personal life decisions, including marriage, house moves, and career choices, without their shepherd’s permission. ^[5]