We originally highlighted this story in a post on July 11. However, we then had to update the post on July 13, after Howse filed a copyright claim against Justin’s response video (in a stunningly hypocritical move, considering Brannon used a snippet of a recording that he did not own, also under the Fair Use Doctrine). In the update, we included the video, linked elsewhere besides YouTube, where Howse had it removed under his false complaint.
In the meantime, Howse’s attempted defense of his indefensible actions are not merely misconstrued or from a different vantage point. These discrepancies cannot be cleared up by misunderstanding. Howse is lying, and there’s no other way to put it.
First, Peters did not speak publicly in his seminars against Jeremiah, and the burden of proof would be on Howse to prove it. This should be easy enough, considering Peters’ seminars are mostly all recorded and made available.
Secondly, Peters began contacting Jeremiah before he ever met Brannon Howse, and so the claim that it was Brannon that encouraged Peters to contact him privately is objectively false. This particular statement from Howse – that he encouraged Peters to contact Jeremiah privately – literally made me laugh out loud (and I’m not known for my levity). In my hundreds of hours of phone calls with Brannon Howse, discussing this very type of thing, I’ve never known Howse to ever caution me to speak to a public person personally before criticizing them or ever – and I mean ever – take ethics into consideration.
Third, I am personally privy to much of what has transpired between Peters and Howse (even from the personal perspective of Howse, having communicated with him about this matter during this time period) and can substantiate that Howse is simply not telling the truth. He has repeatedly lashed out at Peters for the last year, while Peters has remained stoically silent. Only after these repeated falsehoods has Peters decided to respond.
Peters responded in a letter posted at his website here:
Dear friends,
I have a few other things of which I would like to inform you regarding this situation between Brannon and me and the video he put up.
As you may know, Brannon filed a copyright infringement claim with YouTube which resulted in YouTube taking my video down. His claim is that I was using his copyrighted material without his permission. A couple of points to be made:
1. I used about a 4 minute audio clip of the full hour long interview Brannon did with me on March 7, 2012. Brannon used the same section in his own video rebuttal (more on that later). Using small portions of a larger body of material – even if that material is copyrighted – is permissible under what is called “Fair Use and Copy.” So, I did nothing wrong. It is the same provision that protects me in using material from Word-Faith teachers in my seminar.
2. Brannon has several videos up right now in which he uses video clips of me from the Judge Not conference. This is not his material. He does not own it. So, he has an issue of me using an audio clip from his program but has no qualms whatsoever using video material of me that he does not own against me. This is what is called hypocrisy.
In Brannon’s video rebuttal to me (By providing the link you should see I am in no way threatened by it) he said that I am the one who will not let this go. That is an interesting thing to say given that it was not until my video was posted on July 11, 2018 that Brannon’s name ever crossed my lips publicly. This stands in stark contrast to the many, many, many times over this past year that Brannon has attacked me publicly by name in which he (among other things) called me a coward, hypocrite, useful idiot, liar, and told people not to support my ministry. I have screenshots of all of this. The video in my own defense that I posted on July 11 I posted only because Brannon reposted on April 22, 2018 a video he made against me and posted first in August of 2017. It is he who will not let this go.
In his video rebuttal Brannon claims that it was he who counseled me to go to David Jeremiah before publicly critiquing him. That is a curious claim to make given that I wrote my initial letter to Dr. Jeremiah in early April of 2011, before I even knew Brannon. I wrote Jeremiah on my own initiative upon seeing his appearance on TBN and included a set of my DVDs for him to watch if he was unaware of Word-Faith teachings.
Brannon claims that I was already discussing Jeremiah in my seminars. False. I have never discussed Dr. Jeremiah in any of my formal teachings. I had never mentioned him in a public, formal venue until this interview with Brannon. The only time I mentioned Dr. Jeremiah was if I happened to be asked about him in a Q&A session or, (as was more often the case) by an individual in a private conversation either before or after the service. I tell people that Jeremiah is not Word-Faith but it grieves me to see him associating with, endorsing, and raising money for Word-Faith teachers. So, if someone asked me about him I would answer the question, but never has he been a part of my formal teaching.
In fact, you will hear me say, “I am frequently asked about you (David Jeremiah) in my seminars because people see you on there with TBN and they say, ‘what about David Jeremiah – is he one of these, too?”
The context should be obvious. I do not teach about David Jeremiah, I am asked about David Jeremiah – by people, on occasion, in Q&A sessions and in private conversations.
In his video, Brannon keeps emphasizing that it was “on this topic” that he was speaking of when he claimed I did not first go to David Jeremiah (DJ). The “topic” of which Brannon and I were speaking was DJ’s appearance on TBN where he was arm in arm with Paul Crouch raising money for TBN. Brannon claims in his rebuttal video (note the link provided again) beginning around the 02:00 mark going on until 07:45 or so. Brannon claims I said I was already talking about DJ publicly in my seminars on “other topics.”
False. There are no “other topics” about which I have ever discussed DJ. Ever. I’m sorry, there just aren’t. Think about it. Given that my seminar is on the Word-Faith movement, and given that you hear me in the audio Brannon plays say that I tell people DJ is not Word-Faith, why in the world would I be talking about DJ in my seminar on the Word-Faith movement?? The only “topic” about which I have had any interaction with DJ is his partnering with and endorsement of Word-Faith false teachers.
I actually had to listen to Brannon’s clip some 5 times to even understand what he was trying to say.
You will also hear Brannon say that he spent 6 weeks trying to call me but I would not answer his calls. I am therefore being a hypocrite in telling people in my sermon at the Judge Not conference (in which, by the way, I never mentioned Brannon by name) that if you have a problem with a doctrinally sound teacher to go to that person before taking your concerns public. Brannon has used a clip of me stating this. You may see that right here beginning at the 36:00 mark.
Conveniently, Brannon stops the clip immediately after I talk about calling someone with whom you may have an issue. He does so because the very next words out of my mouth at the 36:18 mark of the same sermon I go on to say, “Send him an email. Write him a letter. Don’t automatically start blasting him.” The reason Brannon does not want you to hear that part is because I did, in fact, follow my own counsel. I did send Brannon letters and emails. I sent him two very lengthy letters in which I begged him to repent so that reconciliation could be possible. I emailed him. I did not talk to him on the phone because, quite frankly, I did not trust him. I did not want anything I said on the phone to be misconstrued whether intentionally or unintentionally and then later misrepresented. In talking with my Board, we decided everything needed to be in writing. All of this correspondence has been saved and is maintained on file. My Board consisting of two pastors, Mike Miller and Jim Osman (who is my own pastor) have seen all of it. Everything. My Board’s statement in its entirety should be read. All of it stands. All of it.
The picture Brannon portrays is one of me refusing to contact him so there could be reconciliation. This simply is not true. I repeatedly wrote him but everything was rebuffed.
One other item: Brannon seems confused as to what I meant by my assertion that to besmirch my character is to besmirch the Gospel. He makes a sarcastic reference to my statement (around the 07:55 point) as though I’m claiming to have some kind of Papal theology. I’m not sure why this is such a difficult concept to grasp. The qualifications for an elder and/or preacher of the Gospel are high. A preacher is to be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6-7). If I am a hypocrite and refuse reconciliaton, as Brannon claims, then my character is not above reproach. If my character is sullied, then the message I preach is also sullied. If a man is not above reproach, then he should not be preaching because in so doing he brings reproach on the Gospel. I’ve asked several of my friends who watched my video and they all knew exactly the point I was making.
At any rate.
I am pretty sure that any fair-minded person who cares about truth would be able to readily see through Brannon’s fallacious video. But just in case some are confused and/or misled by it, I want the truth to be available.
As for my video that was taken down, I will appeal to Youtube to have the claim against me removed simply as a matter of principle. As for putting the video back up, I’m not inclined to do it. I put my video up simply to clear my name and answer false accusations. I think that has been done and I think any fair minded person can see the truth of the situation.
I am not wanting to drag anything out. As I said, I would have never made my video had Brannon not reposted his for the second time. It is he (and some of his friends) who keep dragging it out.
As I close, let me say that this is not a matter about me not forgiving Brannon. I know it is my duty to forgive him and, as best I know, by God’s grace I have forgiven him. I wish no ill towards Brannon whatsoever. I have prayed for him and continue to do so. I do not say that with any false sense of humility. I do pray for him. Though Brannon has never apologized nor asked for forgiveness, I have forgiven him. Forgiveness can be extended without repentance, but reconciliation is not possible without repentance.
Please feel free to read the first of two letters I wrote to DJ linked below. You’ll notice that I refer to my seminar as “A Call for Discernment” whereas it is now entitled “Clouds Without Water.” I would also invite you to watch my entire sermon from the Judge Not conference held in August of 2017 and to read my Board’s full statement it wrote on this controversy. The links are provided below.
Kind regards,
Justin Peters
July 12, 2018
Entire Sermon from the Judge Not conference
Justin Peters’ Board Makes Statement
Pulpit & Pen covered this topic nearly a year ago, see below:
Setting the Record Straight: Brannon Howse Lies About Justin Peters
