Ex New Creation Church Member, Ivy Bong’s Testimony on Joseph Prince’s Heresies (Dated 11 Aug 2021)

Rev George Ong’s Comments:

Recently, an Ex New Creation Church Member, Ivy Bong wrote to me (italics): 

“Dear Rev George Ong, I came across your website, videos and writings to expose Joseph Prince (as a false teacher) and I would like to say thank you.

I attended New Creation Church in 2009 and about 2 years ago (2019), I returned upon the invitation of a friend and I must say nothing had changed. I saw a church with all its physical beauty but it was an ‘empty’ church. People were not there for God but only Joseph Prince. When Joseph Prince came on stage, it was like a rock concert with the audience cheering and his message was just the same as it was years ago. Nothing had changed. He was sharing on hyper grace and how we are the righteousness of God in Christ and what Jesus has, so are we. So if He has the power, we have it too which is totally false as Jesus is God and we can never be on the same pedestal as Him…

At present, my colleagues, friends and relatives are still attending New Creation Church and they worship not God but Joseph Prince. Everything he says is true and right. I have witnessed how they would get into arguments with other Christians if they did not believe in the teachings of Joseph Prince, including claiming and naming them for health, wealth or prosperity and partaking the Holy Communion on a daily basis etc…

… Correct me if I am wrong, but in my opinion, I do not think God can reside in New Creation Church or any other prosperity gospel church if it is filled with deception and self-centredness where the main focus is only on individualistic wants…

Once again, thank you for the wonderful work He has used and is continually using you to do. I pray that He will continue to use you mightily for His glory and ministry. Standing and praying alongside with you.”

Ivy Bong said that when she returned to New Creation Church in 2019, nothing had changed and it’s the same old sermons. Yet, Joseph Prince has the cheek to claim that he often preaches only when God has given him fresh revelation. Is he lying? You be the judge. It’s not fresh bread but stale bread. How can his sermons be freshly different when what he preaches every Sunday is ‘Gracetianity’ which is just a part of Christianity?

I thank God for Ivy Bong who eventually came out of New Creation Church. Ivy is just one of the many who have written to me that they have left Joseph Prince’s teachings behind. More and more are leaving New Creation Church and are being delivered from Joseph Prince’s deception.  

Ivy Bong’s Testimony

I chanced upon Rev George Ong’s website as I was looking at sites that expose the prosperity gospel in particular Joseph Prince’s teachings as I have loved ones who are still devoted to his teachings up to present.

I was deeply encouraged to learn of his ministry and how God has used him mightily to help others understand the fallacies of Joseph Prince’s teachings.

As someone who attended New Creation Church sometime in 2009 for around 2 years and when I returned (in 2019) after being invited 2 years ago by a friend, the pointers raised in the testimonies from fellow ex-New Creation Church members on Rev George Ong’s website certainly resonated with me.

When I was in New Creation Church, during the service, similar to many, I also found myself transfixed by him and his sermons agreeing to most pointers he was saying. However, I also often found myself very confused after every sermon. I could not grasp his teachings and struggled with aligning them with what I was taught as a child in Sunday school and growing up in church as a Christian.

During my time in New Creation Church, I also encountered personal experiences that are tied in with his teachings. They include:

1. The power of the anointing oil – I was told by someone in New Creation Church to allow her to place the anointing oil on my forehead in the form of a cross and on my palms, and when she faced her palms onto mine, she asked if I could feel the “power of God” because according to her, in accordance to Joseph Prince’s teachings, there is power in the anointing oil as he has prayed over it. I found that to be absurd as I did not believe in the power of the anointing oil but there should only be power from God, and not because someone who has prayed over it.

2. The second experience was when I joined a cell group and when I asked the cell leader why is it we do not have to confess and repent as it is mentioned in the Bible that we do need to confess, repent and surrender our lives to God. The cell leader became upset and started quoting his teachings to say Pastor Joseph Prince said we do not need to confess always because we are living under grace not law and that God understands and it does not mean that we will continue sinning.

However, that is contradictory as there is no responsibility and accountability in our actions and we continue to live the lives we deem fit without any surrendering to Him to change us from the inside out.

3. In one of Joseph Prince’s sermons in the worship service which I attended, he mentioned that just as God has freely given His life so all we need to do is to freely receive. He likened the illustration to Jesus being an ATM machine. That if we want something, we just come to Him and He will freely give us what we want. If we do not get what we want, he also mentioned about “kicking the ATM” until our wants are met. This totally shows no respect and reverence for Jesus as He is not an ATM machine. Jesus IS God and He is not only a God of blessings. We do not dictate what we want Him to do. We are not the puppet master and He is not our puppet.

4. The partaking of the holy communion is a daily ritual that I was taught to do and during the service, the emcee would say partake of the holy communion as we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Who He is, so are we also. And because God is Holy, so are we. This totally distorts the meaning and significance of the holy communion. First, we do not have the same power or are placed on a similar pedestal as Jesus because He is God. Secondly, the holy communion is meant to remember Jesus and to thank Him for His blood that was shed for us. It is not an emblem that by taking on a daily basis, you will be healed, your prayers answered or your needs met.

There is no power in the holy communion emblem. The power is only through God and God alone! Even if you do not take the holy communion, God will still grant you the healing you need and listen to your prayer requests because He is a God who is alive and who loves you. Many may be wondering is it because I did not take the holy communion that I did not get well if I am praying for healing? Certainly not! May I encourage you that that is definitely not the case. God is a God who heals and it is about trusting Him that He is sovereign and in control. If you are not healed, continue to pray and trust Him that He will do what needs to be done in His time and do not let disappointments overwhelm you but continue to place your faith in Him.

5. I am aware that Joseph Prince has also expanded his teachings into Christian science and psychology. Speaking about claiming and believing and what you say, if you claim it and believe it, it will be yours. All you need to do is just speak it. The truth is – You do not have all that you claim or speak. Referencing it to the Bible, in Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus said: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

God will certainly grant us the desires of our hearts but not everything that we ask for but only good gifts that God knows will be beneficial to us. The power does not lie in our speech or using psychology to convince ourselves that what we say, we will have what we want as long as we claim it. The decision lies with God and we ought to thank Him for all that He has given us even if it means things that may not live up to our expectations because what He knows what we need not only what we want.

It is my prayer that for anyone reading this, that if you find yourself confused by any teachings of Joseph Prince to return to the word of God. Do not buy into his teachings blindly just because he is this charismatic preacher called Joseph Prince but always check them with reference to the Bible as the first point of reference and consult with pastors and leaders from other churches who have a good and sound understanding of God’s word for clarity.

In my opinion, the magnetic charisma to be solely drawn to Joseph Prince and his teachings instead of the word of God is not normal. It certainly has something in relation to demonic forces in which people are being brainwashed and would feel uncomfortable if they were to stop listening or attending the church services. It is as though they are bound and would struggle to accept anything that is different from his teachings.

Yet for those contemplating to leave New Creation Church, may I encourage you, do not be afraid to step out. Have courage and boldness to leave. The enemy may lie and say that you will not be able to fit into other churches but that is far from the truth! We are God’s children and He will never leave us nor forsake us. I can testify to that as I am one such example and am currently attending an Evangelical Free Church in Singapore.

Likewise, there are many good churches who have strong and sound doctrines in the word of God. Take the first step to connect with them and in doing so, I pray that you will continue to grow in Him. Thank you and God bless. In His love,

Ivy Bong (Author’s name changed)

Attending an Evangelical Free Church in Singapore