Healer writer lied? no cancer?

Yes you read that right. Pastor Michael Guglielmucci who wrote the song “healer” announced he never had cancer. This is very sad for him and the church and Hillsong. Please pray for him and his family.

I don’t know what to say about this. Last week I showed his testimony in our service because it was great to have insight into the song when we did it. And to hear this news is disconcerting.

Either way that song is still blessed. It is still powerful and God is moving through it.

Right now there is no official announcement, but the articles below speak for themselves.

Along with this all the healer videos have been pulled from youtube and Mike’s myspace has been cleared out.
Again pray for this man that he might find forgiveness.

And thank God for what a blessing this song is.

Articles:

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24212817-5006301,00.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24216087-5006787,00.html

Comments

47 responses to “Healer writer lied? no cancer?”

  1. standonthewall Avatar
    standonthewall

    That is so sad! We need to pray for him and his family!

  2. Alastair Vance Avatar

    AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!

    That’s how I feel about it.

  3. […] Joel August 20, 2008 | 2:56 pm | worship | Comments RSS | Comment | […]

  4. Chris Avatar

    Dude – what a trainwreck. Doesn’t this make you want to just grab the guy by the shoulders and shake some sense in to him??

    It will be amazing to see if or how the song he wrote ministers to him now through his own time of (authentic) healing.

    My thoughts here – http://www.chrisfromcanada.com/?p=710

  5. alece Avatar

    my heart just sunk.

  6. jordan fowler Avatar

    See we almost did the same thing last week but we had another special instead and sang it as corporate worship….whew.

    Question: What are you going to amidst the congregation so there is a trust maintained between them an you? How are you going to address this/ignore this? Surely many will have read of it? Just curious.

  7. nan Avatar
    nan

    I cannot believe this..it’s just upsetting and weird! i hope he can help explain the reasons.

  8. Rich Kirkpatrick Avatar

    The song needed that video…. without it I think it is not that great. That is what is so jarring about this whole deal.

  9. […] are some good thoughts by Joel Klampert, Fred McKinnon, Carlos Whittaker, and Bryan Allain of the Burnside […]

  10. fmckinnon Avatar

    Hope you’ll pardon the scattered thoughts and some copy/paste commenting … I’m trying to comment on some of these blogs that have linked back to my own. Much has transpired today, I’ve spent a good bit of time in prayer and worship, thinking of this situation.

    Overall, it’s disappointing. By the end of the day, I start wondering if Mike wasn’t delusional at this point – I mean, I’ve watched that video over and over the past months. Even knowing the hoax, I still watch it and identify so strongly. I typically have a high level of discernment, yet I watch and it seems so authentic. Maybe he really was believing this lie, or part of him.

    The song – I still love it, though it’s somewhat tainted with this tragic revelation. But, God wasn’t surprised. Maybe He knew … Maybe He knew that we, the Church, needed this song. Maybe THAT’s WHY his favor seemed to rest on that song so strongly. Maybe it’s a reminder that God can (and will) use any vessel to communicate … even the weak, or people and ways that confound the wise and religious.

    Many, many questions. I’m sad, disappointed, but in the end …. I BELIEVE YOU’RE MY HEALER. I BELIEVE YOU ARE ALL I NEED. AMEN.

    For the Kingdom,
    Fred McKinnon
    http://www.fredmckinnon.com
    http://www.theworshipcommunity.com

  11. klampert Avatar

    Alastair…yes sir

    Chris: great point

    Jordan: good question..my congregation isnt well connected and very little read my blog…thanks for coming by by the way…it was great to meet you at your conference.

    Fred…thanks man…great thoughts

  12. Rod King Avatar
    Rod King

    This is an something that can cause great questioning and doubt. It is important to know that Mike (though a lie) was not the only person who has a testimony that is impacting let alone one of ‘healing’. It’s a personal testimony of my life. More importantly though it is the message behind the messanger. If people will throw away their belief and faith because of this then they need to check exactly what/who they believed in

  13. Jared Avatar

    people have got to stop buying into the whole christian celebrity culture – it’s the only way this type of absurdity will ever stop.

  14. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    it’s times like finding that Mike is not sick that we as Christians need to be very careful not to shoot the wounded.We will never know the motivation behind the deceit. But we can ask God to give his grace to Mike and his family.His parents will be reeling and they need support.His immediate family will have trust issues that will need to be resolved and Mike will need to build a lot of bridges- let’s not make it too hard for him to be restored. It is the theif who comes to steal kill and destroy, it is Jesus who brings life in all its fullness.

  15. liz Avatar
    liz

    Yes the Michaeal Gugglielmucci story is awful, a lot of people have been hurt.A lot of people have lost money, some of the teenagers I know are on very rocky ground re- their Christian Faith…. But I think that the man is suffering from a Psychiatric illness.
    We also have to remember that we worship Jesus not man, when we begin to confuse the 2 problems arise.
    I hope the Gugglielmucci family are not perpetuating the lies of the last 2 years by saying Micheal is mental when they may have known he was not ill. I do find it strange no one asked questions, eg- can I see x-rays? can I speak to the Dr? I want to talk to the Oncologist?

    Pray yes, for Mike yes, & his family, yes, but pray for all the teenagers who looked up to him, pray for their parents who have to be wise when they explain how this all happened, pray for th Youth Pastors & Leaders who also have to stand up next meeting & explain the money/help/people/prayers they sent to Mike Guggs was a mistake.
    AR

  16. anneline Avatar
    anneline

    what i find so funny in all this is that I am Australian. I am from Australia. And right now I am sitting in front of my computer in Brisbane Australia at 4.46pm Thursday 21 August 08…and this is the first time I have heard about this…from the USA and Canada! How bizarre is that!
    Anyhow – funny thing is…Healer is a great song no doubt – but for some reason hasnt actually taken off in a huge way over here…wonder why?

    But that aside, it is always important i think for us to realise that we are all in need of Saviour. A God with such amazing grace.And when we keep our eyes firmly on Him, rather than other peoples, we can never go wrong! People are so prone to changes. Prone to thinking and looking out for themselves…it is rather disturbing that as an individual someone could be so troubled emotionally, mentally and spiritually to be the perpertrator of such a major lie.

    But that said, i recall another song (old – but so true, deep and meaningful) – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

  17. Lidia Avatar
    Lidia

    The bible still is true today as it was thousands of years ago. We should all remember that man makes mistakes but god is our healler not men. The song is still a powerful song no mater what. We are not god to judge him but let the judgement to god not us. We should pray for the family in this time. Do we not have sin in our lives are we sin free we all make mistakes so lets ask god to deal with it not us. And dont be the fist to cast the 1st stone.

    May god bless u all

  18. mapsta Avatar
    mapsta

    dare i say it?

    had he actually had cancer, it would have been better that he died than for this to happen. he seemed to have such massive potential and was making an impact on youth culture before he ‘got cancer’. this is perplexing. where was God in his head when he diecided to make all this up? and therefore, where is God anywhere at anytime.

  19. Del Avatar
    Del

    I was totally shocked when I heard this news… angry and sad for him… Quite confusing when you just want to slap the guy and then give him the biggest hug ever and tell him it will get better. Why why why is all i can say. 2 years of a lie that he is going to die… how did his wife and friends not even know?!?!?! was he going to try and fake his own death but then got too far into it??? im thinking too much I KNOW! or as someone has already said, was it a lie that he told himself so much that infact he began to believe it. but there were xrays and everything?!?!? so the doctor must have been in on it.

    Im just hoping that he does explain himself. Theres ALOT to explain.. and i hope he doesnt just say it was for publicity.

  20. […] CECWorship (Worship Resources) A place for all things worship « Healer writer lied? no cancer? […]

  21. […] friends have covered this story, such as Fred McKinnon, Chris Vacher, Scott Magdalein and Joel Klambert.  Fred wrote a feature on it for theworshipcommunity.com that I encourage everyone to read.  I […]

  22. […] been said. Here’s a nice little list for you to check things out: Carlos, Alex, Rich, Chris, Joel, Fred, Scott, Jordan, […]

  23. The Informal Matriarch Avatar

    gotta love Christians in the spotlight that make the rest of us look like loonies. GRRRRR

  24. E. Michael Martin Avatar
    E. Michael Martin

    Hm…

    I think that this is a valid illustration of what kind of spirit many Christians have today.

    Lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want instead of treating others with dignity and kindness. They throw “sinners” to the wolves when they are no better.

  25. angirach Avatar
    angirach

    I feel as though we take for granted that people, christian or not are still human and have the same tendencies to crave attention and the spotlight as non believers.

    I’m not suprised but I am disappointed, in any case, the truth comes out and while the story behind the song isn’t as fantasmical…the message is still there and it will still touch lives of people that have actually been healed.

  26. darcylane Avatar
    darcylane

    This is just another reason why it is so important for people to remember we are worshiping God and not the worship leader. Pastors, worship leaders, writers, etc. are all flawed. Putting them on a pedestal will always let you down. To say that the song has lost its power is to say that the enemy has won. The words of praise mean less because the vessel used to write them was sinful? Aren’t we all sinful? Isn’t every human used in the bible sinful? I don’t care who wrote the song, I will praise my God with my lips with this song and others.

  27. shevaberakhot Avatar

    I don’t want to judge the guy — he may have been going through oppression or even possession — yes this sort of thing happens — I doubt the poor man was even aware of what was happening.

    I agree, this is sad, I can just see satan rubbing his hands in glee at the outing of another “fake”. But who truly can judge this man without knowing the specifics. Were you there when he fell into the clutches of the devil?

    No, but God was…

    He wrote a good song, which I haven’t heard by the way and, if it turns out that there is culpability then let him turn back to God who will surely welcome with open arms. Just remember the height from which you fell, when you came to know the love of God that is hidden in Jesus Christ.

    I mean, who are we meant to be looking at anyway — God or Pastor? Just goes to show who we put our trust in, eh?

    The fact is brethren, we live in a sordid world that has lost sight of God — lost it’s compass you might say.

    May God bless all who read this blog.

  28. klampert Avatar

    great comments everybody…

    and yes I agree…as I have said on a few other sites today..what seperates us from others is the grace we extend to those who have fallen.

    Sadly this is typically not the churches response. I hope in this case we can and pray for the man and his own healing.

  29. tam Avatar

    fyi – this is the highlighted post on wordpress home page right now!

  30. inthesecret Avatar
    inthesecret

    I couldn’t believe what I read.
    A man lied alright but the song still ministered to the hearts of many. I am glad he is not dying of cancer. Surely, he was convicted by God to confess. Let us pray for his restoration.

  31. czarthoughts Avatar

    Can I be your “blog disciple”?

  32. klampert Avatar

    Tam: yeah wild uh..my hope is the straglers read the message and dont atribute this to just another reason why not to be a christian. I think its a great message of grace.

    Steve: ha arent you my disciple?

  33. shevaberakhot Avatar

    Just read the reportage in the Australian — Pastor Michael Guglielmucci is repenting (“Metanoia” in the original Greek meaning change of heart) — it is the duty of all Christians to welcome him back into the family of God.

    The humiliation he must be going through right now will bring him back down to earth. Humility is a wonderful thing and while we’re at it let’s keep Todd Bentley in our prayers too — the road to hell is paved with good intentions — keep watch!

  34. shevaberakhot Avatar

    Sure, I’ll be your disciple Joel — you write well, keep the flag flying 🙂

  35. klampert Avatar

    ha ha…steve…that was actually to the other steve..but welcome to the site..im checking yours out as well..

  36. shevaberakhot Avatar

    Good timing Joel — thanks 🙂

  37. worshipcity Avatar

    Wow, I’ve been out of the loop and reading this (and the linked 2 articles) is just horrible. Wow.

  38. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    I think it is a complete shock to everyone.

    I dont think we should judge him or put him down about his actions. It is definately wrong what he did but I just dont think us saying he is a bad person or he makes ‘us christians’ look bad, because we all sin and make mistakes in our lives, noone is perfect, and hopefully he will learn from his mistake and seek professional help.

    All we can do is pray for him and his family because they are sure in my prayers!

  39. JTK Avatar

    I think this should be a wake-up call for many to ditch the Charismania and return to authentic Christian worship. Our Fathers in faith gave God His due for many centuries without microphones and drum sets.

  40. klampert Avatar

    JTK: while thats true I also think testimony is biblical. God wants us to give testimony so his glory can shine.
    That is what made this song so powerful his testimony. I hope people didnt put him up as an idol figure but instead were moved by how great God is. guess what. He still is a great God.

  41. edschief Avatar
    edschief

    I used to make fun of the old, conservative approach to church music, basically, “You gotta watch a song for 30 or 40 years before you know it’s okay.” Now I wonder if they might be on to something…

  42. jefe Avatar
    jefe

    We watched this video at our church as well last Sunday. It was moving.

    Now, it moves me a little differently.

    I emailed my pastor, encouraging him to sing “Healer” again this week. Because now, without all the hype and sensationalism, it can stand on its own.

  43. brianwurzell Avatar
    brianwurzell

    thanks for the add to your blogroll. cool stuff going on here at your blog too!
    Brian

  44. […] the wee hours of 21st August, as I was about to shutdown my notebook, a headline on Klampert’s blog caught my attention.  I had to read it twice as I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The man who […]

  45. Shan4gd Avatar
    Shan4gd

    Well it goes to show you that we are all human and we all have issues and we all are not perfect. Continue to look at the Good God has brought out of this. Its a great song! People love it. Just remember God brings good out of what is bad. He(Mike) was wrong in what he did but let God judge him and let us all love on him and pray for him instead of kicking him to the curb.

  46. Calvin Avatar
    Calvin

    I been bless by that song, and now that is so disappoiting to us but only that man lied, BUT GOD IS OUR TRUE HEALER, I DON’T CARE IF HE LIED, I BELIEVE TO GOD HIS MY HEALER AND PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HILLSONG I KNOW THERE HEART, THEY LOVE GOD AND IT WILL NOT AFFECT THEM.. GOD BLESS TO ALL

  47. princess Avatar
    princess

    After MGs revelation it actually brought me closer to the heart of the song. How can this be you may asked? His intention may not be good and the song is motivated by lies but TRUTH still remains in it. God is still my healer and God is still all that I need.
    It wakes me up to the fact that all of us Christians are still vulnerable to Satan’s attack.
    It also burns my heart to pray for our leaders. To trust more on God’s strength rather than mans strength.
    As I listen to the song again and again, it makes me concentrate on the message and not on the messenger.
    The gravity of what he did is there. Many have been disheartened, disillusion, crush and felt betrayed but I believe God can still use this song (and even Mr. Michael Guglielmucci) because God specializes in using rugs, clay, trash or whatever for His Glory. And even turning them into the most beautiful thing.
    GOD’S ABOUNDING GRACE AND LOVE IS BIGGER THAN ANY SIN THAT WE CAN IMAGINE AND DO and what’s truly amazing is it’s ours for the asking.
    I pray that God will heal MG and that he will come to know that forgiveness and love is also his for the taking.

    Much love in Christ

    princess

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