Toronto Blessing Movement

A term coined by British churches, that describes the revival and resulting phenomena that began in January 1994 at the Toronto Airport Vineyard church, now the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF), a neo-charismatic evangelical Christian church located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The blessing has become known for ecstatic worship, including what is known as falling or resting in the Spirit, laughter, shaking, and crying. "Holy laughter" was a hallmark manifestation and there were also instances of participants roaring like lions. Leaders and participants claim that these are physical manifestations of the Holy Spirit's presence and power.


" ...... A believer's focus needs to be Jesus Christ, the "author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), not on oneself, one's experiences, or even the Holy Spirit. The Toronto Blessing focuses on the latter, to the detriment of biblical faith. Believers can have fun, dance, sing, and shout to the Lord. However, when a worship service resembles the dream of a demented schizophrenic and attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit, only one word comes to mind: heresy."

Source:
Bowker, John; "Toronto Blessing;" ....Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1997)

Maxwell, Joe; "Laughter Draws Toronto Charismatic Crowds;" Christianity Today

Summarized from the Got Questions entry on "What is the Toronto blessing?"
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