Leadership: President: Pastor Danny Nalliah - born 1964 in Sri Lanka; arrived Australia 1997 (now an Australian citizen). He is a Pentecostal preacher .. http://catchthefire.com.au/blog/biography/ .. associated with the Assemblies of God. In the 1970s, while still in Sri Lanka, Nalliah was 'prophesied over' by Pastor Frank Houston, father of the Hillsong Church's Brian Houston. (Many years later, Brian had to sack Frank over an incident involving child abuse) .. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/28/1043804401241.html ..
Date formed: 1997 (Suzanne Carbone, 'Ten complaints under hate laws', Melbourne Age, 29 May 2002). CTFM was relatively quiet until 2000 when Nalliah formed an associated prayer group called Rise Up Australia (RUA) .. http://catchthefire.com.au/blog/rise-up-australia/ .. that has about 40 branches throughout Australia - . (There is a much better-known Canadian Pentecostal organisation called 'Catch the Fire Ministries' .. http://www.tacf.org/Default.aspx?tabid=295 .. but it is not known whether a link exists between the two bodies.)
Area of operation: Based in Dandenong, Victoria, although Nalliah travels widely around Australia and overseas. 'Rise Up' branches exist in some other English-speaking countries.
Estimated membership: Attendance at most local services etc. is quite small e.g. the 6th anniversary celebrations for RUA in 2006 drew only a couple of hundred people. Claimed mailing-list of several thousand.
Finances: Seems to lead the hand-to-mouth existence of most similar ministries. However, a very large legal bill incurred by CTFM over its alleged infringement of the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance Act appears to have been entirely financed through public donations; but this was a complicated case with 'freedom of speech' implications and CTFM probably benefited from the generosity of civil libertarians etc.
Main objectives: Stated aim is to 'spread the gospel' and to 'proclaim the name of Jesus through prayer and action'. In practice, Nalliah runs a tub-thumping Pentecostal church with a strong political program - anti-abortion, anti-Islamic and anti-Australian Labor Party and Greens.
Main activities: Holds rallies; lobbies political leaders (sometimes 'laying hands' on them [Mathew Murphy 'Christian group prays for Doyle win', Age, 4 Mar. 2006]); gives media interviews. Nalliah unsuccessfully contested the 2004 federal election as a Senate candidate for the Family First Party. CTFM has an anti-abortion 'pregnancy counselling arm' called 'Options Plus Care'.
Nalliah claims to be able to heal the sick and raise the dead (see 'Sample quotes' below). Nalliah praises the work of evangelist Reinhard Bonnke who also 'raises the dead'. Links with other groups: Family First Party, as above. Closely associated with Salt Shakers, whose leader Peter Stokes prepares 'prayer notes' for RUA (see, e.g., Salt Shakers Journal, May 2001, 14). Member, Coalition Against Decriminalisation of Abortion (CADOA).
Maintains close relationships with the Fatherhood Foundation, Australian Christian Lobby, Australian Prayer Network, Bill Muehlenberg (Family Council of Victoria) and others associated with the National Alliance of Christian Leaders (see, e.g., CTFM Newsletter, Sept. 2002, 7; Fatherhood Foundation email newsletter, 18 Dec. 2005). Rev. Fred Nile of the Christian Democratic Party spoke at the RUA's fifth anniversary celebrations (CTFM 'RUA 5th Anniversary Report', Sept. 2005, 1)
On 8 Oct. 2005, Nalliah addressed a meeting of the anti-semitic Australian League of Rights in Albury, Victoria. (His talk apparently met with a mixed reception, as he deflected questions about the Holocaust, saying that he knew nothing about the topic.)
In 2004, a 'thanksgiving' service organised by CTFM was addressed by Federal Treasurer Peter Costello (Barney Zwartz 'Muslims criticise Costello speech', Age, 2 Jun. 2004). In Jan. 2007, Prime Minister John Howard sent a goodwill message to a CTFM-sponsored rally (Nassim Khadem 'PM defends "force for good" Christian message', Age, 20 Jan. 2007)
Publications: Irregular email newsletter; DVDs etc. Nalliah has written a brief autobiography entitled Worship Under The Sword (5th ed. 2005)
Sample quotes: A woman was brought in [to one of my Sri Lankan services]. When I saw her, I knew that she was possessed. She was a very big woman and the whole time she sat in the service, she was making faces at me ... At the end of the service, I went up to her and commanded, in the name of Jesus, that the demons come out of her. Immediately she crashed to the ground and started screaming and shouting. Her mouth was frothing, while her neck was blowing up and down like a balloon ... We took her out in the garden and continued to command, in the name of Jesus, that the demons come out. After about seven or eight minutes, she was totally delivered. (Worship Under the Sword, op. cit., 24-5)
I was informed of a girl in our factory that had fallen seriously ill. The next thing I knew, I was in this girl's house ... She was lying on a bed, there was no movement at all, her eyes were open, but the black portion of the eyeball had gone in ... Then the village doctor came in and pronounced her deceased ... Then the Holy Ghost told me, 'Command this girl to come back to life, in the name of Jesus' ... At once, I commanded the demon of death to come out in the name of Jesus, and the people [assembled in the room] looked at me in amazement. As I finished, the girl gave out a scream, 'Hoooo, hoooo', she said, as she shook her head left to right. Her hair started blowing up, just as if she had a fan behind her head. All the people sitting and crying around her jumped up with fear. I ordered them all out of the place. Not all of them knew Jesus and I knew that the demon would go into one of them if they stayed ... I continued commanding the demon of death to come out, in the name of Jesus. The girl continued to hoot and struggle, but after about four or five minutes I shouted, 'Get out and get up in the name of Jesus'. The girl got up and sat down ... That day the whole crowd bowed down to Jesus. (ibid., 25-6)
While I was in Washington DC [in 1998], I preached at many church services and saw the Holy Ghost move and touch many people through tremendous miracles. A woman who was completely deaf was healed, while I placed my hand on her ears and claimed healing. Also, a woman who was brought on a wheelchair got up and started walking as the Holy Ghost touched her. (ibid., 73)
We were [driving] somewhere in between Naracoorte and Horsham [Victoria] when I happened to look to the left up in the sky. I just could not believe what I saw. At once I shouted, 'Chris, stop the car, stop the car! ... He pulled over and we all jumped out and saw the Face of Jesus appear in the sky through the clouds ... The face remained for about a minute and then disappeared ... As we continued [our drive], the Lord spoke to each one of us and said, 'I am watching over you, I am well pleased with you, my face is shining upon you.' As we continued on our journey the face reappeared in the sky and this time it remained for almost 2-3 minutes. (CTFM Newsletter, Sept. 2002, 8)
Spot Satan's strongholds in the areas you are living (brothels, gambling places, bottle shops, mosques, temples - Freemasons/ Buddhist/Hindu etc., witchcraft) ... If you are ready to pray against it, do so. If not, bring it to your church and ask your intercessors, through the pastor, to pull these strongholds down. (Family First Party election leaflet written in 2004 by Nalliah, as quoted in Misha Schubert 'PM's message to controversial sect', Age, 19 Jan. 2007)
The Lord very clearly spoke to me about [the future Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance] law on 9th April 2000 at 5.00am in a dream in Ethiopia. He said, 'Evangelism would be banned if the church does not rise up [against anti-vilification laws?] and be proactive. If the church is reactive, she will pay a heavy price to take back the nation' ... I believe with all my heart that this law is a direct move by those who are presently conforming every nation across the world into a one-world government and religion. (CTFM Newsletter, Apr. 2005, 1-2)
... [T]he pathway for Anti-Christ is being prepared ... In the early nineties, Mikhail Gorbachev seemed to have fallen from public circulation. However, in 1992 he ... [was] given a mandate at a meeting of world religious and government leaders in Rio de Janeiro to formulate a One World religion/One World economy which leads towards a One World Government. (ibid., 4)
While living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ... I met Jesus face to face on 21st July 1997 at 3.40am. (He spoke to me for 2 hrs. 20 minutes.) In this supernatural encounter, He told me clearly, 'Go to Australia, you will call it home. I am about to do a work in that land.' (CTFM Newsletter, Jul. 2006, 2)
To Christian believers state-wide, Mr Nalliah says they must NOT VOTE for Labor, Greens or Democrats [at the Nov. 2006 Victorian state election] because of the blatant humanist anti-Christian ideologies and agendas of these political parties ... ' ... [W]e have to cast our vote to the party which is able to give us the best possible outcome to protect our freedoms, rights and Christian moral values in our rapidly deteriorating pluralistic society where right is considered wrong and wrong is labelled right ... Most people are very naive when it comes to voting and need proper leadership and guidance to vote the right way!' (CTFM media release, 'Victorian State Elections 25th November 2006') Assessment: For something resembling a one-man band, this small church attracts an inordinate amount of public attention. CTFM and Nalliah have welcomed the publicity accruing to them in the wake of a religious vilification case brought against them by the Islamic Council of Victoria. Nalliah does not seem to be highly regarded by Christians outside the Religious Right, but will no doubt seek further opportunities to illustrate his flair for the dramatic. Contact Details: www.catchthefire.com.au
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