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Søndergaard getting hands on

Torben Søndergaard is a Danish Christian evangelist, self-proclaimed apostle, and faith healer, who claims to receive revelations and visions directly from God. His organization, The Last Reformation, has been described as extreme, dangerous and a cult by former followers, former board members of the organization, the press, other churches, and professionals.

Søndergaard and his cult are elitist and teach that only Søndergaard's "True Gospel" as well as Søndergaard's methods will result in the true doctrines and true discipleship that can bring about the final reformation of the worldwide Christian church before the end of the world.

He has been criticized for numerous things, including teaching that autism is caused by demonic possession and can be cured by immersion in water-filled trash cans, as well as claiming to be able to cure homosexuality, cancer and remove "the Spirit of Reiki Healing" from Reiki practitioners in the same manner[1][2].

Søndergaard was living in Denmark until 2019, where Danish politicians stated that they would be looking into Søndergaard's organization in Denmark and the potentially illegal actions carried out by it [3]. Shortly after this, Torben Søndergaard left Denmark and has shut down his Danish organization and started a new one in the US by the name "The Last Reformation Inc."[4] Søndergaard now falsely claims he is religiously persecuted in Denmark, one of the most democratic countries with the most religious freedom in the world.

In September 2019, Søndergaard moved to North Carolina where he claims he is preparing "Noah's Ark", referring to his disciples as "animals" and has a continued public appeal for donations, for example encouraging you to "pray if you are one of the 'animals' (people) God is calling to help with the rest of the money." [5]

As of August 2020, Torben Søndergaard is travelling across the US with his "tent revival meetings" because God told him so. Søndergaard tells his thousands of followers that COVID-19 is a "socialist agenda" [6] and that the "the media use this to... control us all, put fear in us, to change the laws, to take away our freedom..." as "it's not about the virus, it's about the end times, it is about control, fear, manipulation, lies, fake news, all of that."[7]

Cult warnings [ edit ]

The Last Reformation has been described as a cult by former followers, the press,[8] other churches,[9] and professionals. In 2019, a key member and member of the board of the organization spoke out against Søndergaard and stated that the movement had become "extreme" in its methods and leadership.[10]Søndergaard dismisses critics, such as former members, as bitter, dishonest, angry, or evil, and when Søndergaard is criticized or questioned, he sees himself as being wrongfully persecuted.

For years, the Danish anti-cult organization InsideOut has warned against Torben Sondergaard, for example, the chairman of Insideout, Camilla Johnson, said in a statement that[11]:

We know this particular group led by Torben Sondergaard well, for example, for his disregard for the health of others, violent exorcisms to ‘purify’ sinners, children and the mentally ill included. Former members have told us stories of TLR leaders and members using their positions of authority to intimidate followers to either comply or be silent when trying to expose this group.

Also in 2019, the Danish anti-cult organization, InsideOut, shared a story of how Søndergaard's cult had abused a young handicapped woman causing her to go into deep psychosis and needing for psychiatric care 24 hours a day for years following the abuse.[12]

Prior to that, many others have warned against Søndergaard and the Last Reformation, for example:

A spokesperson from Autism Rights Together has criticised the group as "highly organised, sophisticated and dangerous", and accused them of exploiting vulnerable people and the mentally ill.[8]

International Cultic Studies Association has listed Søndergaard and his organization in their news section, calling it a "Danish cult that claims demons cause autism".[13]

Associate Professor Kjetil Aano at VID University of Science warns that the form of "exorcism" Søndergaard practices may be classified as abuse.[14]

Lars Johan Danbolt, professor at the Faculty of Theology and Head of Religious Psychological Center, states that specifically Søndergaard's method "has little to do with Christianity, but is a show with strong quasi-religious elements."[14]

In 2013, the interdenominational and ecumenical Danish church organization "Dialog Center", that worked with monitoring sectarianism in Denmark, tied Søndergaard to the sect Evangelist led by Christian Hedegaard and the cult "Faderhuset".[15]

Bente Boserup, senior consultant in a major Danish child protection organization, Børn Vilkår, says about Torben Søndergaard's way of violently praying for children: ”It's abuse. For those who are being pinned down, it’s physical violence, and for those who are watching, it is psychological violence” [16]

A former follower describes Søndergaard this way:

I was part of this movement from approximately June 2015 to July 2017. I firmly believe it is a cult. I know Torben personally. I was a “green dot” on the map as a recommended contact. I know what TLR is about in-depth. I left the movement because of the false gospel (works based religion), the cult-like behaviour of his followers (including the strange things they do), and Torben’s cult behaviour towards me.... They lean on many oneness Pentecostal heresies in many ways... The TLR signs and wonders is very questionable, none can be medically verified. I recommend people stay away from.[17]

Documentary 2019 [ edit ]

In 2019, a documentary series in three parts aired on Danish TV. Prior to the release, Søndergaard hired a lawyer and unsuccessfully tried to block the documentary from airing as he feared how people would react.[18] The programs were sent on the channel TV2 the 2nd, 9th and 16th of January and gave a rare insight into some of the most closed and radical Christian environments in Denmark where children and adults are exposed to traumatizing exorcism and dubious healings. The documentaries show a world where preachers abuse their power both psychologically and in several cases sexually—without the authorities being able to stop them. In Søndergaard's sect, a man had his leg amputated after a healing session went wrong and several child protection organization are warning against children being traumatized.

Following the documentary, Søndergaard claimed that he experienced 'a call from God', making him move to the United States. In reality, Søndergaard was thrown out of the facilities hosting his headquarters.[19] Later, Søndergaard changed his story and stated that he left voluntarily but now due to governmental persecution in Denmark. This is debunked by the Danish anti-cult organization[20], Karsten Nissen, a Danish bishop emeritus and initiator of a think tank for Christian persecution, as well as the Institute of Human Rights in Denmark [21].

Torben Søndergaard's complains about the documentary to the Danish Press Board, loses and then lies about it [ edit ]

Torben Søndergaard complained about the documentary to The Danish Press Council[22]. Søndergaard complained that he participated in the documentary under the impression that he alone would have screen time. He was therefore not aware that other Danish cults he had worked with or pastors convicted of sexual assault would also participate in the same documentary. Søndergaard demanded an apology [23].

The ruling of The Danish Press Council was that they found no reason to criticize the documentary or TV channel who aired it[24] for:

providing information about children at baptismal events

the editing in regard to the information provided about Søndergaard and other mentioned cults

for not having deleted the clips in which Søndergaard appears

In other words, the documentary was not criticized by The Danish Press Council for its editing or the content itself, and The Danish Press Council found that information about Torben Søndergaard and The Last Reformation has "clear public interest", and that the broadcast should be available to the public[25][26]

The Danish Press Council only agreed with Søndergaard that, before the publication of the documentary, the production team could have done a little more to ensure that Søndergaard completely understood “the context in which his statements would be included".[27]

The TV channel behind the documentary is puzzled by this ruling since Torben Søndergaard is not only presented with the criticism of other religious movements in the actual documentary but he willingly answers the questions regarding the criticism and, during the production, he therefore obviously knew the cults were included in the documentary.[28]

The Danish Press Council's final decision was that ”there are no compelling reasons to believe that the content of the broadcast is of such a nature that it is deemed reasonable to prevent its availability."[29]

Torben Søndergaard then went on TV in the US and lied about the above by claiming The Danish Press Council ruled in his favour as Torben was misled by the journalists who made the documentary[30]. He completely left out the fact that the Danish Press board, in reality, ruled against him.

Søndergaard falsely claims he is persecuted in Denmark [ edit ]

In a video released in July 2019,[31] Sondergaard states that he is now seeking asylum in the US because of religious persecution. He fears the government will imprison him and take away his children if he ever returns to Denmark. Søndergaard claims a new law was passed in Denmark that prohibits him from praying for others and this has caused him to leave the country. These claims are, once again, demonstrably false and simply not true.

For starters, such as law does not exist. The law Torben Søndergaard refers to is a law that protects children and mentally ill against repeated psychological abuse - and not religion[32].

Both Karsten Nissen, a Danish bishop emeritus and initiator of a think tank for Christian persecution, as well as the Institute of Human Rights state that Torben Søndergaard is not persecuted in Denmark because of his religious views.[33].

The Danish anti-cult organization also "stress that this claim is not true. Instead, we do suspect that Torben Sondergaard fraudulently claims he is entitled to asylum in the US, and he is using his position as a leader to coerce his followers to comply and participate in this scheme"[34].

In reality, Denmark is among the most democratic countries in the world,[35] as well as countries with the most religious freedom[36]. Even the Danish constitution states that people may not be taken into custody, imprisoned or confined in any way because of their faith and religion:

Personal liberty shall be inviolable. No Danish subject shall, in any manner whatsoever, be deprived of his liberty because of his political or religious convictions or because of his descent[37]

There has been no stories or statements from any Christians, churches or denominations in Denmark that persecution has or is taking place.

What really happened was that politicians stated they would be looking into Torben Søndergaard's organization in Denmark and the potentially illegal actions carried out by it as several child protection organizations warned against Søndergaard's practices.[38] Shortly after this, Torben Søndergaard left Denmark and shut down his Danish organization, started a new one in the US by the name "The Last Reformation Inc."[39]

In other words, Søndergaard seems to be at odds with the law in his home country and, as a way to explain to his followers why he has moved to the US, he simply claims that he has been wrongly framed and is persecuted.

Recruitment of physically and mentally ill [ edit ]

Søndergaard recruits people through conferences, YouTube and training schools. He promises “that for many of you will be the start of a whole new life, that continues afterwards and elsewhere in the world” as people will “be trained to healing the sick, preaching the gospel, leading people to salvation and so on.” [40] Mentally and physically ill are attracted to this promise of a new life and supernatural abilities but, according to former members of the cult, are later left unhealed and broken [41] [42]. And a former board member of the formal organisation behind Søndergaards “The Last Reformation” says Søndergaard’s movement, in reality, is extreme in its methods and leadership.

Documented attempt to recruitment physically and mentally ill at hospitals [ edit ]

Søndergaard and his disciples are aggressive in their recruitment. For example, it is well documented that intentional and conscious effort is made by Søndergaard to seek out those in vulnerable situations such as patients at hospitals.

In 2019, several patients at a Danish hospital reported that they had been sought out by people who promised them divine healing. The media contacted Søndergaard as students of his in the past had gone to hospitals to seek out sick. Søndergaard denied publicly that his students were involved. [43] [44] [45]

A Danish media outlet, TV2 Nord, was subsequently able to demonstrate that it was indeed members of Søndergaard's movement, "The Last Reformation", who had sought to recruit patients at the hospital[46]. They also documented that Søndergaard welcomes and encourages his followers to contact people in hospitals, who have been affected by illness and are in a difficult situation in their lives.[45]

TV2 Nord documented how Søndergaard, on his open Facebook profile, had posted several videos in which he praised his followers for going to the hospital, seeking out sick patients and promising them salvation - even the very same hospital Søndergaard denied trying to recruit new members.

Following articles in several media outlets, Søndergaard tried removing this evidence by deleting the videos on his Facebook profile and then refused to give any further comments to the press.[45]

TV2 Nord has described the videos in the article prior to their deletions. In the videos,[45]

Søndergaard stands at an airport with a young follower, praising him for, in many cases, have found patients at Aalborg University Hospital and having cured a woman who was hospitalized in Aalborg with blood poisoning.

Søndergaard's followers walk around among sick patients at Aalborg University Hospital, where they offer to pray for patients.

Søndergaard explains that “this is in a hospital in Denmark - not in Brazil. We need to go to several hospitals. God wants us to do these things ”and urged more followers to do the same.

Søndergaard and his followers claim to have cured several patients in a hospital, including a man who had been operated 35 times in his leg, a woman with cancer, a man with diabetes as well as removing pancreatitis in a little girl a hospital in Brazil and so on.

In Hundborg, the Danish city where Søndergaard's headquarters were established after Søndergaard was thrown out of his former facilities, a woman told that Søndergaard's followers could be found outside the local grocery store, where they would offer prayer, as well as at the local medical center, where they promise people healing without medicine.

Criticism and response from Søndergaard [ edit ]

Lisbeth Kjær Lagoni, who is a nursing director at Aalborg University Hospital, criticized Søndergaard for his practice of visiting patients in hospitals. Afterwards, Aalborg University Hospital has “put an end to religious groups accosting patients in this way, and the hospital management encourages patients and relatives to notify the staff if it should happen again."

A parish priest and church debater, Christian Roar Petersen, called it an abuse of religion as well as "religious fraud" and "compared it to predators who go after the weakest of the flock.[47][48]

After being exposed, Torben Søndergaard deleted all evidence on his Facebook page, did not want to give any further comments but merely stated "that he has emphasized to his followers that they should not seek out patients at Aalborg University Hospital." [49]

Quackery [ edit ]

Søndergaard believes in supernatural manifestations such as physical healing, claiming "about 90 percent of all the people, that he or others in his team pray for, are healed".[50] Lack of healing is caused by a lack of faith[51] as in classical Word of Faith Christianity.

Despite having such a high success rate in supernatural healing, in 2008, Søndergaard was thrown out of a Danish music festival for "quackery" after supposedly convincing a drunk festivalgoer to remove his arm plaster so that he could be cured with prayer.[52] Søndergaard denied this, calling the expulsion a "regrettable misunderstanding" and explaining how it got mixed up with another incident where he made a young woman remove her arm sling [53].

In 2019. a man had his leg amputated after a healing session with Søndergaard went wrong and several child protection organization are warning against children being traumatized.[54]

COVID-19 and tent "revival" across the US [ edit ]

Søndergaard believes calls the pandemic an "overinflated COVID-19 pandemic Trojan horse” and has likened the COVID-19 pandemic to the “end times”. He posts information about COVID-19 related issues on Facebook, for example, the harmful effects of wearing masks – now flagged by Facebook as false information[55].

At the same time, Søndergaard's newest revelation from God is that he's supposed to travel across the USA, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with tent "revival" meetings. He and his followers refuse to wear masks and do not practice social distancing at their events. Instead, as part of their rituals they approach and try to recruit people in the local community, among them teenagers in parks, Walmart and elsewhere[56]. Søndergaard also encourages attendees from out of state to join them and - amidst the pandemic - stay at local hotels, shop locally and eat out in local restaurants.

In Des Plaines, Illinois, the first stop on Søndergaard's tour, Mayor Matthew Bogusz signed a revised and updated emergency declaration making mask mandatory in public gatherings [57]. Søndergaard refused and fines were issued. There was a 6% spike in COVID-19 cases in Des Plaines after Søndergaard left[58].

In New Ipswich, New Hampshire, the second stop, the city's Select Board had a special meeting to address Søndergaard's tent revival[59]. The city made press release about Søndergaard, warning against his event[60]. Governor Sununu issued an Emergency Order requiring scheduled gatherings of 100+ people to wear masks[61].

Lying about a permit and exaggerating numbers of attendees [ edit ]

On his YouTube channel, Søndergaard showed off a permit he claims gave him permission to have the event in Des Plaines, Illinois. He said it was “something that could not happen if it was not for God.” The City of Des Plains later stated that they did not issue such an event permit but merely an approved tent permit [62].

Søndergaard also claimed 400-500 attended each night in Des Plaines but the city and the police did not report any more than upwards of 150 people attending[63].

Threatening others [ edit ]

In 2006, Søndergaard was accused of threatening an author when he asked critical questions as part of the research for a book called ‘Sects in Denmark’. The author describes the incident by writing:

Many who have dared to criticize a charismatic leader have experienced threats and getting warned that God would let them drop dead like Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. This also happened to me when I dared to ask critical questions about the notorious Danish evangelist Torben Søndergaard (cast in the television program "Sick with Jesus") in connection with my research for this book.[64]

Faking miracles [ edit ]

In one of his videos, Søndergaard shows the word “real” appearing in the sky and says:

A woman prayed for a sign in the heavens and God answered her prayer. Yes, it was a plane (we think – we didn’t actually see it), but for us and everyone there, it didn’t make it any less of a miracle, because it happened right there in that moment…[65]

While “real” did appear in the sky it was not as presented in the video. Instead, the skywriting was from 2014, when an Australian marketing company, The Works, ran a campaign for Sunbeam, a company selling electric home appliances. Targeting men with the slogan “Real men don’t watch football, real men cook”, they hired a plane to write “Real men cook”[66] across the sky. In Søndergaard's video, the words “men cook” are conveniently left out.[67]

What Søndergaard believes and teaches you [ edit ]

Søndergaard has created a rather strange belief system that is very simplistic and yet confusing.

The main claim of Søndergaard and the cult is that Søndergaard, his organization and followers are tasked with radically transforming individual lives and the entire world; those adhering to the True Gospel are the chosen ones that will start a final and last reformation of the worldwide Christian church before the end of the world, when Jesus returns.

Søndergaard claims his teachings and ideas have come through revelation directly from God, such as visions of heaven. The teachings are made available on Youtube and in several books. One such book is named “Sound Doctrine”, the title created to underline how Søndergaard has the correct doctrines.

Søndergaard often stresses that other churches, denominations and religious teachers are wrong, instead, he now teaches his followers the "True Gospel”. True salvation is achieved through this "True Gospel", a three-step salvation program: real repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism as an adult and receiving the Holy Spirit proven by speaking in tongues.

As nobody else got it right, according to Søndergaard, he created his belief system by "taking a little from some different" denomination,[68] for example, baptismal regeneration from the Catholics, speaking in tongues as the sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit from the Pentecostals, believer’s baptism as Baptists, and baptism to Jesus Christ not using the Trinitarian formula as Oneness Pentecostals.[69][70] It may be the easiest to categorize Søndergaard's teaching as primarily those of the Oneness Pentecostal sect.

Contrary to almost any other Christian denomination, he teaches that salvation for a Christian is completed through baptism in water not using the Trinitarian formula,[71] as well as through baptism in the Holy Spirit with the manifestation of speaking in tongues, often saying "dadadaadadadaa."[72][73][74][75][76] He also teaches that just as Jesus received the Holy Spirit through water baptism, it is through baptism that a Christian receives the Holy Spirit. Søndergaard regards receiving the Holy Spirit as having substituted receiving Jesus.[77]

Unsurprisingly, he teaches that children are better at reading and interpreting the Bible than adults.[78] This explains how he got these ideas, but none of his followers seems to question this hotchpotch of nonsense.

Søndergaard also encourages and teaches excessive fasting (for up to 40 days), long prayer, chanting in tongues and what professionals have described as hypnosis.

Visions and receiving a book from God [ edit ]

Søndergaard claims to receive visions of Heaven and Hell directly from God. According to Søndergaard, God made him time travel back to before he was born as a confirmation.[79]

After fasting for 40 days Søndergaard also believes that God revealed a self-help book for him,[80] saying "I will give you one chapter each day".[81]

Baptisms [ edit ]

The Last Reformation holds indoor baptisms in plastic rainwater barrels filled up under a shower.[82] At a 2016 event in Ireland, more than 40 people were baptised on stage in plastic wheelie bins.[83] When the Last Reformation hosts a baptism event, people are approached on the street by Last Reformation followers, asked if they are ill and encouraged to attend events to be baptised.[83]

The Last Reformation's baptism process can involve speaking in tongues.[84] During the baptisms, exorcism is often performed on the baptized, also on children.[85]

Todd Bentley and Torben Søndergaard [ edit ]

In 2003, Søndergaard invited the controversial tele-evangelist and faith healer Todd Bentley to Denmark[86]. According to people present, Bentley said:

In the Bible, in John 5 provides a healing outpouring – the Pool of Bethesda, which means an outpouring of grace. The Bible says that a quantity of sick, blind, lame and crippled came to this place, the pool of Bethesda…[87][88]

In 2015, Søndergaard quoted this as a prediction of his work in Denmark:

10 years ago, a man came from the US to Denmark with a prophetic word to us our country. The word was that Denmark would become known as the Pool of Bethesda. That is a place where the sick could experience salvation and healing. He said that it would not only be one or two places, but it would be all over the country. Yes, no matter where you came in Denmark, there would be people who would ask for one and set one free... Yes, I believe we are seeing the fulfilment of the word that sounded over Denmark.[87][89]

See also [ edit ]

Snåsamannen, Norway's faith healer