Todd White is the founder and president of Lifestyle Christianity located in Watauga, Texas. According to their website their mission is to see a generation walk in their God-given identity by equipping them to encounter Jesus daily and walk like he says we can.
White was an drug addicted atheist for 22 years until God came into his life in 2004. In conservative circles Todd White has been labeled as one who preaches the prosperity gospel, and has associated with other prosperity preachers such as Kenneth Copeland, and Benny Hinn who just less than a year ago can be seen in a video in which he seems to repent of the prosperity gospel. Francis Chan ignited controversy for speaking at The Send conference last year because Benny Hinn, Mike Bickle, Todd White, and others spoke at it.
A report on ChurchLeaders.com explains why White is controversial. Siting many reasons, one being that he is a “street healer.” He has also called prosperity gospel preacher Kenneth Copeland his “spiritual father.” In this video, White and Copeland discuss their belief that, as Christians, we have a “heavenly account,” and that we have to put something into it to get something out of it. “Jesus is the banker,” Copeland tells White, who nods and says “Amen.” How do people withdraw from this account? Copeland quotes Mark 11:23-25 and says the answer is sowing in the form of giving to the leaders of the church.
On Sunday night White preached at Lifestyle Christianity’s Encounter service. While the worship band was finishing up White joined them on stage for prayer, and said “That (it) would be sad if you got born again and someone told you that when you do, you’re just going to get love, joy, peace and happiness. White chuckled, “How twisted is that. It’s the fruit of righteousness, but it’s not what you get.”
In the video you can see that White is visibly and audibly shaken. He tells the audience, “I’m really overwhelmed so I hope this goes over well…I’ve been rocked for a whole month…I’ve been asking Jesus to take me deeper into the Gospel.”
White said, “There’s no way for a person to realize their need for grace if they don’t realize they’ve offended God.” He continued, “I am so convicted I can’t even tell you…I’m trembling inside…The American church has lost it’s need for repentance.”
Later in the sermon he asks, “Have you ever read Spurgeon?” White looked at the audience and around the stage with amazement because of how Charles Spurgeon’s writings are impacting him, “I’ve been reading Spurgeon…he’s rocking me…(he’s) a grace preacher, but (he) preaches the truth.”
White also read a Ray Comfort parachute scenario that explains two different ways to proclaim the gospel; one that leads to a true conversion and the other leads to a false conversion. He said it, “rocked him to the core.” White then contradicted the prosperity gospel saying, “When you come into the gospel because you’ve came for a better life, then you’ve come in for the wrong gospel.”
“I’ve been trembling, shaking in a new place of the fear of the Lord.” After saying we have to not just promise people a better flight (referring to the Ray Comfort scenario) White addressed the socially-distant crowd while almost in tears, “Help me here! Am I the only one that’s convicted to the core? This isn’t legalism, it’s the truth. There is a day of wrath coming; It’s no joke!”
“Abundant life is a fruit of the gospel, but it’s not a selling point!”
As White continued to explain the difference of living for the benefits of the gospel versus living in reverent fear of a Holy God he explained, “I saw this when I got saved…and for some reason it’s taken me 16 years to explain it…and I feel like I’ve just seen something complete brand new. What I won’t ever do is take the miraculous out of the gospel. It’s a miracle that I can come to Jesus through all my junk and all my sin and him say, “Not guilty!” That’s a miracle!”
“I am strongly convicted, White exclaimed, “I feel like I just met Jesus again!” He said there’s a rekindled thing inside of him claiming, “This has been the hardest season of my life. ‘Lord what are you doing?’ He said, I’m pruning every branch that you have. I’m like it’s not o.k. (weeping) It hurts! And He said if you were dead it wouldn’t hurt. There are parts of you that need to die, so I’m going to kill them.”
White repent-fully said, “I haven’t preached the whole gospel! And I repent! I repent! You have no idea. I will not be responsible. I believe that when I preach that the blood of people is on my hands…I’m convicted! I’m convicted!”
He made it clear that there are people that have accused him of preaching a prosperity gospel. “Dude!” he said, “if you ever hear that in me, kill me!”
“If we don’t see that we have sinned against a holy God, there really can’t be repentance.”
As he closed White made a comment referring to the convictions taking place in him, “Who is this Todd guy?” He put his finger in his chest and said, “This Todd guy got hammered by the Lord.”