Written 6.14.2026
The other day, I sat down to lunch with a good friend. We discussed a multitude of topics. During the course of the conversation, we began discussing (as we often do) the state of the “modern” church - opportunities and troubles. During this portion of our conversation, he asked a very direct question that, honestly, I wasn’t expecting.
“Do you believe in ‘deliverance’ in the church?” I responded. “Yes, I believe deliverance has a place in the modern church.” He looked thoughtfully at me and said, “That’s good to know. I heard otherwise. I heard you were very much against ‘deliverance’ in the church.” He then offered this follow-up question, “What are your thoughts, then, on deliverance ministries?”
The revelation that others had already formed a perception and had drawn a conclusion about my stance on deliverance confused me and gave me pause. I rarely talk about or give my opinion on deliverance and/or deliverance ministries. This is primarily due to the fact that deliverance is often a “hot button” topic in the evangelical church; specifically, evangelical churches that trend toward Pentecostal and Charismatic practice. People tend to take one side or the other, either being in full support of deliverance or staunchly against it. I did not realize that others assigned me a position on either side of the proverbial fence. Thankfully, I had already spent some time thinking about the topic of deliverance in the church and its role therein. I took a deep breath and asked my friend, “Would you like to hear my perspective on the role of deliverance in the church?” He responded with, “I would love to.”
This blog is the written summation of my thoughts/perspective on deliverance and the role of deliverance in the modern day pentecostal/charismatic church. I will address the general topic of deliverance and will not address the deployment of specified deliverance ministries, nor will I address specific ministries or churches with deliverance ministries. This post is merely one pastor’s perspective on a balanced approach to deliverance in the local church.
I am aware that not everyone reading this will have a working definition or framework of understanding around the topic of deliverance. I will attempt to give the reader a cursory understanding of deliverance. While my definition is not exhaustive, I believe it is sufficient to provide you with at least a passing understanding of the concepts discussed in this blog.
Please know that the concept of deliverance presupposes beliefs in other Biblical doctrines and concepts. These will not be discussed in this blog, other than to explore their connection to deliverance. These other concepts include, but are not limited to:
I am also aware that not everyone who reads this believes the concepts/ideas listed above, which serve as prerequisites for understanding deliverance. While I appreciate a wide array of Biblical interpretations and doctrines, this blog is not the place to wave our “troll flag.” Trolling, fight picking, and bullying will not be allowed. If you are a cessationist - feel free to keep scrolling.