To consider the ANTM’s considerable variations from mainstream Christianity, one should first consider the source of the doctrine and the founder who assimilated it. The founding “Apostle” Norman H. James, Sr. grew up Roman Catholic and was at one time planning on becoming a Catholic priest.

 

He was eventually trained under “Sister” Myrtle Beall, at Bethesda Missionary Temple, outside of Detroit, Michigan. She was well versed in Latter Rain Theology, which served as the foundation for most of Norman’s doctrinal divergence from mainline Christian thought, as Latter Rain was declared heretical by the Assemblies of God in the early 1950’s.

“Sister” Beall freely welcomed her “Oneness Pentecostal friends” to conferences and considered them brothers and sisters, since they too practiced water baptism in Jesus’ Name and believed in a Three Part Gospel. Although Trinitarian, Norman knowingly, or unknowingly, borrowed many doctrinal concepts and practices from the Oneness Pentecostals or United Pentecostal Churches, especially those who moved into Latter Rain thought. These included the Three Part Gospel Experience as defined in Acts 2:38, Definitions of Holiness, Absolute Church Authority, Shunning, Overcoming, etc.

​

Norman added to this, a new understanding from “Sister” Beall of a foundational teaching approach sourced in a gross misapplication of a passage from Hebrews 6:1-2. This transitional statement in the book of Hebrews, became the centerpiece verse of scripture that would serve as the launch point of every prospective member’s indoctrination that occurred when they attend a one year class, called the “Christian Life Class”. This class is annually listed in newspapers in the member churches’ hometowns to recruit prospective members, who are coming for what they think is simply a Bible study.

​

This approach gave him a unique angle to his teaching, that appealed to new and prospective members by making them believe that they were gaining secret knowledge that no other churches were privy too, which always appeals to man's spiritual pride.
 

To this day, the ANTM churches claim that they are the "only remaining Latter Rain churches that they know of". The internet is full of sites that explain the Latter Rain movement, its excesses and its declaration as a heretical movement by the Assemblies of God in early 1950's. One considering attending an ANTM church, or a current ANTM member, who is having doubts about their church, would do well to read up on this further.

​