When Did the Jesus People Movement End?
When did the Jesus Movement end? That was the question posed to Danny Lehmann (YWAM Evangelist) and his long-time friend and Jesus Music pioneer, Paul Clark. Clark, a true product and pioneer of the Jesus Movement of the late 60s-early 70s, gave an answer that still resonates with Lehmann years later: When we struck the pose.
Clark's answer invoked the phrase coined by the 'Queen of Pop' herself, Madonna, in her 1990 album, Vogue. He was referring to the dramatic shift that occurred when ministries started charging for concerts and young, grassroots evangelistic singer-songwriters no longer accepted invitations to minister unless they benefitted financially. This marked a distinct turn away from the modest simplicity that marked the Jesus Movement in the early years. God tends to withdraw his hand when we leverage the gospel for our own ends, Lehmann added.
For Lehmann, the historic Jesus Movement of the late 60's and early 70's was, among other things, a unique combination of evangelistic music, simple gospel preaching and hippie communes. That was the story of his own early-years with Jesus after he was radically saved from an empty life of LSD and rebellion. Upon coming to Christ he founded a Jesus People commune of 35 people, which he led for 5 years, and he took several hitch-hiking evangelism trips across the United States before accepting his call into Youth With a Mission in 1980.
When pressed deeper for an answer as to when the Jesus Movement stopped, Lehmann can't help but reveal his evangelist hope-filled bias. Well, it hasn't stopped. Jesus is still moving today...God is using all kinds of means to bring people to Christ...the key is we have to find out what God is doing today.
Tune into Jesus Movement Now with the Charisma Podcast Network to hear Host Adam Narciso speak with Danny Lehmann about the means God used in the Jesus Movement of the late 60's and the means God is using today to bring people to Christ.
ABOUT ADAM
Since 2009 Adam has trained and mobilized over 40 international evangelism teams and has equipped thousands in the areas of identity, hearing God and evangelism via seminars around the world. Adam has preached the gospel in city campaigns, universities, high schools and bamboo huts in remote villages, all with supernatural effect. Communicating with humor and fresh biblical insight, Adam is a unique prophetic evangelist who equips everyday Jesus-followers to live authentic, New Testament Christianity, discovering their highest joy in the Great Commandment and their unique assignment in the Great Commission.
Adam is author of New Identity: 30 Days of Prayer for Spiritual Transformation and producer of multiple e-courses and the Jesus Movement Now Podcast. He and his wife, Jenny, have four children and reside in Franklin, TN.
Adam is ordained through Messenger Fellowship, an international community of leaders, churches and ministries committed to the glory of God.
