(ChurchLeaders) In an effort to affirm the prophetic movement while correcting abuses occurring within it, dozens of Christian leaders recently released a “Prophetic Standards” document. The standards, posted in full at PropheticStandards.com, come at an “opportune moment,” according to the preamble because “there are many questions in the Body concerning the gift of prophecy and the ministry of the prophet.” Many of those questions were sparked by false prophecies about President Trump’s re-election and the refusal of some prophets to apologize when that didn’t happen.
As ChurchLeaders has reported, several prominent ministry leaders did issue apologies after Joe Biden was declared the winner of last November’s presidential election. And the new Prophetic Standards emphasize that a public mea culpa is essential for maintaining integrity and accountability. The document states that if a detailed prophecy doesn’t “come to pass as prophesied, then the one who delivered the word must be willing to take full responsibility, demonstrating genuine contrition before God and people.”
Issuing an “apology and/or explanation/clarification” isn’t “meant to be a punishment,” the document notes, “but rather a mature act of love to protect the honor of the Lord, the integrity of prophetic ministry, and the faith of those to whom the word was given.”