[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 12, Issue 10, 1995. David W. Cloud, Editor. This material cannot be stored on BBS or Internet sites without permission from the author. Any articles which are redistributed by e-mail or print must be left intact and nothing must be removed or changed, including these informational headers. All rights are reserved. O Timothy is a monthly magazine. Annual subscription is US$20 FOR THE UNITED STATES. Send to Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org. FOR CANADA the subscription is $20 Canadian. Send to Bethel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 9075, London, Ontario N6E 1V0. The Way of Life web site is located at http://www.wayoflife.org/]

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD LAUGHING IN AUSTRALIA

The biannual conference of the Assemblies of God in Australia turned into a "laughing revival" this year. Eight of its eleven meetings were handed over to Rodney Howard-Browne, the Charismatic evangelist who calls himself the "Holy Ghost bartender." His meetings are characterized by uncontrollable laughter, drunken behavior, dancing, barking, groaning, braying, roaring, and "spirit slaying."

Charisma magazine reports: "During one evening rally, all the official counselors--waiting in an outside room--ended up on the floor, overcome by the Holy Spirit. Delegates and pastors in the audience had to be called on to minister to hundreds of inquirers" (Charisma, September 1995, p. 22).

Howard-Browne also held meetings this year in Sydney (31,000 in attendance), Adelaide (38,000), and Melbourne (35,000).