This Is Bigger Than Kathryn Krick: The “Anointing” Deception

Aug 21

By Torben Søndergaard

This is not just another article about Kathryn Krick.

Many people are already discussing her ministry, her relationship with her spiritual father, Prophet GeorDavie, and the serious concerns raised by former followers and other Christian leaders.

But I believe the problem is much bigger than Kathryn Krick.

The deeper problem is a teaching we see spreading throughout the charismatic movement and, in different forms, around the world: the teaching about the anointing, impartation, and so-called special or advanced anointings.

I believe this teaching has opened a massive door to deception in the church.

In some cases, it leaves people passive in their own walk and ministry, waiting for a special person to give them something they believe they do not have. In other cases, it can lead people toward another Jesus, a different gospel, and ultimately a different spirit.

Before I go further, I want to be clear.

I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in healing, deliverance, prophecy, spiritual gifts, and the supernatural life described in the New Testament and demonstrated throughout the book of Acts.

I have personally seen thousands of people healed, set free, filled with the Holy Spirit, and transformed all over the world.

The answer to false prophets and false apostles is not to reject everything supernatural.

The answer is to return to the Word of God and test everything by Scripture while learning to walk by the Spirit.

These things are not opposites. They go hand in hand.

This article is based on my video teaching, “This Is Bigger Than Kathryn Krick: The ‘Anointing’ Deception.” In the video, I go deeper into the biblical teaching on anointing, impartation, and the danger of elevating certain ministers as uniquely anointed. This article expands on and summarizes the main points of that teaching.

Watch the full teaching here:

The Warning Signs We Cannot Ignore

Years ago, on our THIS IS REAL podcast, we warned about Kathryn Krick and her teachings concerning impartation, anointing, and her relationship with GeorDavie. At that time, far fewer people were speaking publicly about these issues.

One recording we examined showed Kathryn Krick and others honoring GeorDavie in language that should deeply concern every follower of Jesus.

Statements included:

“We would be nothing without you.”

“You hold the keys for America—and only you.”

“We want to bring people to you, so they can receive the real Jesus through you.”

“They will not know the real Jesus unless they know you.”

The group spoke about surrendering and submitting to him, serving his vision, making him famous, and then placed a financial “seed” at his feet.

Stop and consider this.

Could you imagine the apostle Paul accepting such words?

Could you imagine Christians saying to Paul:

“Paul, no one can know the real Jesus without you. You alone hold the keys. We are here to serve you and make your name great so people can find Jesus through you.”

Paul and Barnabas faced something similar in Acts 14 when a crowd tried to treat them like gods.

They did not accept it.

They tore their clothes, rushed into the crowd, and cried out:

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you.” —Acts 14:15

True ministers do not make themselves middlemen between people and Jesus.

True ministry points people to Jesus, knowing that He alone is enough.

Scripture says:

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” —1 Timothy 2:5

In recent weeks, other Christian voices—including Mario Murillo — “Kathryn Krick Is a Test”, The Remnant Radio — “Kathryn Krick: Ignite Revival or False Fire?”, and Minor Prophets — “Leaked Kathryn Krick Email Warns Whistleblowers”—have also raised concerns about Kathryn Krick's teachings, leadership structure, and relationship with GeorDavie.

There have also been public recordings and reports concerning GeorDavie and Kathryn Krick that raise serious questions.

Those issues deserve to be examined carefully.

But in this article, I want to look at something even bigger:

Why has this kind of ministry been able to gain such influence in the first place?

I believe one major reason is the teaching about special anointings and impartation.

Believers Have Already Received the Anointing

When the New Testament speaks about the anointing of Spirit-filled believers, it describes something they have already received.

Not something they must later obtain from a specially anointed minister.

Paul writes:

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.” —2 Corinthians 1:21–22

Notice the language:

He anointed us.

John says the same:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” —1 John 2:20

And again:

“As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you.” —1 John 2:27

The anointing comes from the Holy One.

Believers receive it from Him.

It remains in them.

What is John describing?

He is speaking about the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth, with whom born-again believers have been sealed.

Jesus said:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me.” —Luke 4:18

Peter later said:

“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.” —Acts 10:38

The biblical anointing is not a mysterious spiritual substance owned and controlled by a celebrity minister or a “man of God” who has been elevated above everyone else.

God is the One who anoints us with the Holy Spirit.

If you have received the Holy Spirit, you do not need to chase another ministry looking for some additional spiritual substance.

You need to understand what God has already given you and begin to walk in it.

There Are Not Different Levels of the Holy Spirit

Of course, believers differ in maturity, character, obedience, faith, experience, calling, and spiritual gifts.

Someone who has walked with God for thirty years may have learned things that a new believer has not yet learned.

But the Spirit is the same.

Maturity is not transferred into someone through a moment of prayer and the laying on of hands.

Maturity comes through walking with God, understanding what we have already received, obeying Jesus, and stepping out in faith.

I have seen this happen with thousands of people around the world.

People don't need my spiritual substance.

They need to learn how to walk with the Holy Spirit they have already received.

“Do You Have the Holy Spirit?”

People sometimes come to me and say:

“Torben, I see the fruit in your life. I want that. Please pray for me to receive your anointing.”

My response is simple.

I smile and ask:

“Do you have the Holy Spirit?”

If they have not received the Holy Spirit, I will gladly pray with them to receive Him, just as we see happening repeatedly in Acts.

But if they already have the Holy Spirit, they do not need an extra anointing.

I have nothing that they do not have.

What they may need is teaching, training, discipleship, correction, encouragement, and someone to help them obey Jesus and walk by the Spirit.

I cannot put thirty years of experience into someone through a quick prayer.

I cannot transfer the persecution I have endured, the lessons I have learned, the character God has formed, or the faith that has grown through years of obedience.

There is no shortcut in the kingdom of God.

But I can walk with people.

I can teach them.

I can demonstrate the life of a disciple, correct them, encourage them, and send them out to do what Jesus commanded.

And when they begin to obey, they can start seeing the Holy Spirit work through their own lives.

That is what I have seen happen again and again.

Laying on of Hands Is Biblical—but What Is It For?

Laying on of hands is clearly biblical.

The problem is not the practice itself.

The problem is the meaning we sometimes attach to it.

In Scripture, hands were laid on people in several contexts.

In Acts 8, the apostles laid hands on believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 9, Ananias laid hands on Saul so that he would regain his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 19, Paul laid hands on believers, and the Holy Spirit came upon them.
In Acts 13, leaders laid hands on Barnabas and Saul when they were commissioned and sent into the work.
In 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul refers to Timothy's gift in connection with prophecy and the laying on of hands.

But these passages do not show Spirit-filled believers repeatedly lining up to receive a celebrity minister's special personal anointing.

Consider Acts 13.

The Holy Spirit said:

“Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” —Acts 13:2

What do we see?

God had already called them.

The leaders fasted, prayed, laid hands on them, and sent them out.

Their hands did not create the calling.

They recognized and commissioned what the Holy Spirit had already chosen.

What Biblical Impartation Really Means

Romans 1:11 is often used to support modern impartation meetings:

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong.”

But the word translated impart simply means to share or give. It does not automatically mean a mystical transfer of spiritual power through someone's hands.

The same Greek word is used in Luke 3:11:

“Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none.”

Paul uses the same idea when he tells the Thessalonians:

“Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” —1 Thessalonians 2:8

How did Paul impart the gospel and his life?

He lived among people.

He preached the gospel.

He taught truth.

He demonstrated a godly life.

He corrected error.

He loved believers.

He showed people how to follow Christ.

Biblical impartation is not simply the laying on of hands.

It is sharing.

We share the gospel, our lives, our understanding, our experience, what God has entrusted to us, and the lessons we have learned.

Yes, if someone needs the Holy Spirit or healing, let's lay hands on them and pray.

But for a believer who already has the Holy Spirit, there is no additional anointing that I can possess and transfer to them.

What I can give them is relationship, teaching, training, correction, encouragement, example, and commissioning.

And we have seen this work for years.

Thousands of believers have become active and fruitful because they were taught to follow Jesus themselves.

That is very different from saying:

“I possess a unique anointing, and you can receive it only by coming to me, submitting to me, or giving to my ministry.”

The Danger of the “Special Anointed One”

Jesus warned:

“For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” —Matthew 24:5

The Hebrew word Messiah and the Greek word Christ both carry the meaning the Anointed One.

So what exactly should we be watching for?

Of course, there are people who literally claim to be Christ.

But could Jesus' warning also make us think about something broader—the many people who elevate themselves as specially anointed and gather dependent followers around themselves?

Today we hear messages like:

“I am specially anointed.”
“I carry an advanced anointing that you need.”
“Follow me and you can receive this special anointing.”

I believe we should take this very seriously.

Jesus continued:

“For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” —Matthew 24:24

Signs and wonders do not automatically prove that a ministry is from God.

A person can claim healings, deliverances, prophecies, and supernatural manifestations and still teach error or lead people into spiritual bondage.

We must never test a ministry only by asking:

“Did something supernatural happen?”

We must examine the fruit.

We must examine the gospel.

We must examine the teaching.

We must examine the character.

We must examine the leadership structure.

And we must ask what happens to the people who follow that ministry.

Are they becoming more dependent upon Jesus?

Or more dependent upon a person?

The Answer Is Not Less of the Holy Spirit

We need the real work of the Holy Spirit.

Not emotional hype.

Not spiritual control.

Not celebrity worship.

Not mystical claims that cannot be found in Scripture.

Last week in Canada, we saw a powerful baptism involving a former homosexual man who was truly set free and filled with the Holy Spirit.

The man baptizing with me was amazing.

There was no smoke.

No hype.

No music.

Just the gospel.

And then the Holy Spirit came.

This is real.

And I know it happened because of God—not because I carried some special spiritual substance that I transferred to him.

For years, I was also held down by the idea that I needed a special anointing.

When a “man of God” visited, I wanted him to pray for me so I could receive what he possessed.

I thought that if I suddenly received this special anointing, I would begin to see much more fruit.

But after years of thinking I needed something more, I realized something:

I already had what I needed.

I had received the Holy Spirit.

I needed to stop chasing people and start obeying Jesus.

I fasted and asked God to help me with my fear and unbelief—which I believe is one of the real problems today.

Then I stepped out.

I prayed for the sick.

I preached the gospel.

I cast out demons.

I learned through obedience.

And I began to see God work.

Not because someone transferred an advanced anointing to me.

But because the Holy Spirit was already there, and I finally started doing what Jesus commanded.

This truth does not make believers proud.

It makes us responsible.

From there, I have helped thousands of people around the world discover the same thing and step into this amazing life by the Spirit.

The teaching has always been simple:

You need the Holy Spirit. But if you have Him, you have what you need. Now come, let's start obeying Jesus.

Come Back to Christ

Do not follow someone merely because of signs, popularity, titles, or claims of a special anointing.

Test everything by Scripture.

Examine the fruit.

Ask whether people are being brought directly to Christ or made dependent upon a human mediator.

Ask whether ordinary believers are being equipped and sent out—or continually gathered around one supposedly irreplaceable personality.

This is one of the things that concerns me when I look at ministries such as Kathryn Krick's and GeorDavie's. When ministry becomes centered around one person, where that person is always the one praying, ministering, and supposedly carrying something others need, we should stop and ask serious questions.

If you have been caught up in the pursuit of special anointings, do not lose hope.

Repent.

Return to Christ.

And recognize what God has already made available through the Holy Spirit.

If you have not received the Holy Spirit, find mature believers who can explain the gospel, baptize you, pray with you, and help you begin a life of discipleship.

If you have received the Holy Spirit, stop chasing an “extra” anointing.

Learn to walk in obedience, maturity, faith, character, and the gifts God has given you.

You do not need another mediator.

You need Jesus.

You do not need a celebrity's spiritual substance.

You need the Holy Spirit.

You do not need to become dependent upon a person.

You need to become a disciple who follows Christ and helps others do the same.

Yes, let's do it together with others.

Let's learn from mature believers.

Let's encourage one another.

Let's pray for one another.

Let's lay hands on the sick.

Let's teach one another.

Let's send one another out.

But we all have the same Spirit.

“Test everything; hold fast what is good.” —1 Thessalonians 5:21

May God help the church recognize the danger of the “special anointing” and impartation teaching that has spread so widely around the world.

I believe this teaching is unbiblical, and that it has opened a door for deception, dependency, and false apostles and prophets.

And yes, we can see examples of this in ministries such as Kathryn Krick and GeorDavie.

But as I have said, the problem is much bigger than them.

Sources and Related Material

The inclusion of these links does not mean that I agree with everything said by every source. They are provided so readers can examine publicly available material for themselves.

Further Resources

Torben Sondergaard