As I look back over the decades since I started The Berean Call (TBC), there are three words that come to my mind: "Thank you, Jesus!"
Whoa! Hold on a moment. Many have mistakenly thought that Dave Hunt was the head of TBC because they misunderstood the ministry's major function. From the beginning, its purpose was to free Dave up to do research, write books, write articles, debate those opposed to the gospel, confront those changing the gospel, and expose those deceiving the body of Christ with "oppositions of science falsely so called" (such as psychotherapy) as indicated in 1 Timothy 6:20. That enablement and God's grace helped Dave lead the way in exposing some of the major deceptions of the last two centuries.
In fact, TBC started with someone who was a Hollywood screenwriter: me.
What follows are general remembrances of an 80-year-old, as well as some moments of the Lord's divine orchestration.
Soon after I gave my life to Jesus Christ, I saw a Christian-produced documentary at an evangelical church. Technically, it was one of the worst film productions I had ever seen. On the other hand, it had one of the most powerful messages I had ever experienced on screen. It had to do with men having their lives miraculously and completely changed in prison.
Being a "Hollywood guy," it immediately came to mind: These guys could use my help.
The producer of the film introduced me to a man who believed the Lord was encouraging him to write a story to be made into a feature film. After reading his brief outline of his story, I admitted to him—quite sadly—that I was sorry I couldn't help him. His story was exciting, but I had no clue as to what he was talking about. I thought it was going to be about Christianity, about which I only had a perspective as a former Roman Catholic. Instead, it had UFOs, psychic phenomena, Eastern mysticism and gurus, levitation, and yoga. The man's name was Dave Hunt, and he said he could explain to me what it had to do with Christianity, especially a "new age" false Christianity. What Dave wasn't able to do, however, was write a script for such a film. He then asked me if I'd consider working on it with him.
That was the start of nearly 40 years of assisting Dave Hunt, primarily through The Berean Call. THANK YOU, JESUS!
It all began in Southern California where Dave and I both lived. He was an established author and I was a documentary filmmaker (The Godmakers) and a novice book-writer. Dave nevertheless encouraged me to collaborate with him on The Seduction of Christianity, which became a best-seller published by Harvest House.
When Harvest House then moved to Oregon, Dave asked me to join him there to work with our publisher. When I mentioned that I heard that it snows there (my family and I were beach people), his ploy and sense of humor was classic Dave Hunt. He said it gets a light dusting of snow in the morning and usually melts sometime in the afternoon. He was correct...sort of. Our first winter in Bend started with a "dusting" of two-and-a-half feet one November morning, and finally melted one late afternoon in March. Again, Dave was only partially correct...and our kids loved it! They forever called him "Uncle Dave."
I mentioned that I turned 80 not too long ago, and it reminded me of what a TBC board member did when he entered his 80s. He was a godly man, as well as full of wisdom from the Holy Spirit. His name was William MacDonald, author of Believer's Bible Commentary. However, at my young age, I wasn't happy with a particular decision he made. He told me he would be stepping down from the TBC Board and retiring from ministry. His reasoning was thus: he was thankful for how the Lord had used his life as a prolific writer of spiritually edifying books, and he did not want anything he might say or do in his later years to bring disrepute on what the Lord had brought to pass through him.
Now that I'm 80, while I don't have the same concerns as Bill, I do have concerns. My health is certainly not what I would like it to be. My hope is that, before my health reaches a difficult stage, I can spend much of my time ministering to my family members as well as where the Lord guides, directs, and enables.
All of this has to do with a major transition now taking place for TBC, along with my retirement. It also involves making Rob Yardley (presently the head of The Berean Call Board of Directors) the new president of TBC.
Rob has known Dave and worked with him as a friend for nearly as long as I have known Dave, so there are few things Rob does not know about The Berean Call ministry. There's no one else (other than myself) about which I can say that. Extensive discussions with Rob and Mark Vander Ark (TBC's operations manager) give me assurance that the ministry will continue as it has been under my direction and Dave Hunt's teachings.
Although my title as President and TBC's authority will soon end, I've asked the leadership to give me a replacement title, a non-paid honorary one such as "Berean Emeritus," meaning simply, “Once a Berean, always a Berean." I believe that the Lord has given every true believer instruction in the practice of biblical discernment, as was the case in Acts 17:11: "In that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily [to know whether or not what they were being taught was true to the Word of God].” Additionally, I want to be available to assist the ministry in encouraging biblical discernment.
Also, to that end, TBC has had in the works an extensive digitizing program that has preserved the material produced by Dave Hunt, T. A. McMahon, and some of the major contributors to the ministry in a searchable format. Our goal is and has been to safeguard the biblical integrity of the ministry’s content and to keep it available for the church.
I covet your prayers that all this will be done in the Lord's will. Amen.
In His love,
T. A. McMahon
Berean Emeritus
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