Two Prophets

In 2010, Doyle shared publicly in greater detail, the righteous path God led him on to challenge and overcome the Discipleship or Shepherding Movement that swept through the Charismatics in the seventies. God sent him to Florida in 1971 to manage Turnpike Animal Clinic in Opa Locka. While in Florida, he became acquainted with those that became the leaders of Discipleship and were later referred to as the Fort Lauderdale Five: Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Don Basham, Charles Simpson and Ern Baxter (he did not meet Ern Baxter).

During the time the Discipleship movement was gaining momentum, another man was also confronting the group’s teachings; his name was Bob Buess.

Robert “Bob” Buess (1922 - 2008) was born in Wharton, Ohio. He enlisted in the army in January 1942 and married his lifelong companion, Lillian, in 1946. Bob was a graduate of Baylor University (1946-1953), and ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. He served as a missionary to Indians in New Mexico for twelve years.

Quoting from a profile of Bob Buess at Christian Self-Publishers:

“Anyone who knew Bob Buess knew he was a man who spent his life praying and praising God. Bob spent much time seeking God and interceding for God's children. He was known for saying, "Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!"

Bob Buess accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at age 19. Soon after, he was called to preach the Gospel. In 1962, he received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This experience ushered him into a realm of spiritual reality and power he had never known before. After this, he began to move in the gifts of the Spirit.

Bob was known world wide as a prophet of God. He ministered in such places as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Africa, Mexico, Canada, and nearly every state in the United States.”

A quote from Tom Shanklin Ministries upon Bob Buess’ death:

“An encounter with Bob Buess was a never to be forgotten experience. With a strong voice, he would bellow, “Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!” and set the atmosphere for fellowship. Bob was the author of many Christian books, including “Favor, the Road to Success” and “Laws of the Spirit” and was notable among Christian ministers for his prophetic gifts and boldness. Bob consistently challenged us in prayer and moving into a deeper dimension with God. His own life, particularly in the later years, consisted of many hours of deep intercession and worship.” (Tom Shanklin Ministries)

Bob also wrote: “the Pendulum Swings” and Discipleship Pro and Con.” He was critical of the discipleship movement and a number of articles about the discipleship movement quote statements from his books.

From: “The Pendulum Swings”:

“Submission should never violate your moral convictions. Your first loyalty is to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

One Chinese writer* made the following statement about submission which I believe is in error: ‘Seek the oldest Christian, and submit to him.’ This was written by an oriental and reflects deeply engrained teachings of ancestor worship. The same writer also said, ‘Submission is not a matter of principles or right or wrong. It is a matter of obedience to your superiors.’ This is error to the fullest. It is out of balance. True, you need to obey your superiors. However, to give them full authority over your life is anti-Christ in nature. Submission must never violate your obligation to the Lord.”

In the same book, The Pendulum Swings, Mr. Buess also discusses the submission of wives to their husbands:

“A wife does not have to submit and should not submit to perverted sexual acts requested or demanded by their husband.”

In the introduction to his book, “Discipleship Pro and Con,” Buess states, “Juan Carlos Ortiz came from Argentina to America and is now spreading his version of discipleship. Most of the modern emphasis has taken its material from [his teachings].”

Buess states, “Disciples are unto Jesus, and not unto shepherds.”

From: Discipleship Pro and Con:

Chapter 11( page 1):

“What is the modern discipleship program about?

It is a program based primarily upon submission to the shepherds. The shepherd is lord over the flock. Usually, but not always, it is a flock of ten or twelve. It is generally based upon the teachings of Juan Carlos Ortiz from Argentina. Other men have taken his principles and developed their own program.

The teachings in this book are teachings in general and may or may not reflect the exact teachings of any one particular school of thought.

Does This Program teach the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

Discipleship programs confess that the unity of the Body of Christ must be based on the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His love, and holiness.

This sounds wonderful to a casual observer. However, in actual practice it promotes the lordship of the shepherd. The shepherd stands between the disciple and Jesus Christ. The disciple cannot claim the lordship of Jesus in actual practice. He can only claim the lordship of Jesus Christ as his particular shepherd interprets it for life.

Page 26:

Can Man Manipulate the Ministry?

Shepherd teachings present in neo-discipleship groups claim that they can develop into the people the priesthood and the apostleship.

This tends to take the call of God out of the ministry and make it a matter of education. (Ephesians 4:11-13)…It looks to me, by this scripture that Jesus does the calling and setting of the apostles, etc. Then these in turn, bring the saints into the Christ-life. I personally believe God still calls the ministry. It cannot be manipulated by teaching them into the offices. God will use the teaching of the Word, etc., to bring about the perfection of a God-called ministry. ..

Page 27:

God’s program is spirit-oriented, not man-oriented. God spoke to Ananias. God spoke to Saul. No human program would have gotten the job done. Boards find themselves busy annulling the program of the Spirit, etc. Ananias had enough trouble hearing from God himself. At first, he didn’t want to go even though he heard directly from the Lord.

After Paul’s conversion he spent some time with the body, at Damascus. (Acts:9:19-20) There is no evidence of shepherds (the apostles) indoctrinating Saul through cell group activity. There is no evidence of shepherds sitting down on Saul and telling him how to submit to them. There is no evidence of any of this “super submission” program. Paul immediately started preaching. Later, he was called to the desert to be discipled by the Lord. (Galatians 1:15-2:2)

There is no evidence of a pyramid structure. There is no evidence he considered the Damascus saints his superiors. He did not keep checking with his shepherds or apostles at Jerusalem how to move in God. He was directly responsible to God.”

Bob Buess describes in this book, the very things that Doyle experienced from the leaders is the Discipleship Movement, repeatedly expecting him to submit to their “leaders” and when he refused, incurring their persecution. Doyle spent six years trying “… the spirits whether they are of God…” and when he overcame, he knew “the Discipleship doctrine” was not of God and he walked away. You can read more about those experiences on his website.

Challenging the Spirit of the Discipleship Movement
Challenging the Spirit of the Discipleship Movement , cont.
Challenging the Spirit of the Discipleship Movement (I Don’t Have a Slate)

After Doyle had returned to Texas, and God was leading him through those wilderness days, he attended Full Gospel meetings in Denton, Texas and at one of those meetings, Bob Buess was speaking. Bob prophesied that night and Doyle recalls him speaking first to a preacher: "...you are spiritually impoverished and you are physically impoverished."

He then looked at Doyle and said, "God has showed me this man has a great determination and God is going to use him for His purposes. Now I didn't see this because of his face, although he has a strong face, but this is what God is saying about this man."

If Bob knew Doyle was called as a prophet, he didn’t reveal it to him. Nor did he reveal if he knew the persecution Doyle was experiencing from wicked spirits in religious leaders, including the Discipleship leaders.

In 2010, when the Spirit of God led Doyle to speak and write about his experiences “Challenging the Spirit of the Discipleship Movement,” research about the movement revealed that Bob Buess was addressing the false teachings of the movement in his books when Doyle met him in Denton. God encouraged Doyle out of the mouth of the prophet Bob Buess in those early years and the prophecy has certainly been proven, God has and is using him for His purposes.

Researched by Kathryn Currier

Additional comments by Doyle:

I appreciate the research Kathryn Currier has done in preparing this article. What Bob Buess could see, but didn’t know when he talked to me, was that I was right in the middle of proving whether the Discipleship was of God or not, from 1972 to 1977.

There was a book, I believe by Watchman Nee, called “Spiritual Authority,” that put great emphasis on Aaron’s rod budding. At that time I said, “This has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ which we are commanded to preach.” I came to the conclusion that what he was saying was nothing but the wisdom of man which the third chapter of James talks about :

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

I could see in early 1977, that discipleship as they were presenting it was nothing but witchcraft and in 1988 I heard Derek Prince in person in Fort Lauderdale, say they had been involved in witchcraft.

In 1 Corinthians 2 Paul said:

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

That is how I have walked all these years. It was God that I knew they were wrong; it was his call on my life and his anointing at the Tomb of the Garden in 1974, Acts 1:8

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It was his mercy and his grace on my life and holding me up, because spiritual wickedness was great against me. There was not one person standing with me but the Lord.

It was a great day in early 1977 when Derek Prince, wringing his hands said, “I don’t know what to do with you, I’ve never met a man like you.” I said, “Thank you,” and we parted company.

I was greatly encouraged just a few weeks later when God said “Go back to McKinney.” That’s where I had started my veterinary practice in Texas. That was in April and God told me where to open an office, who owned the office, how much it would cost per month—and told me that I would have to get the zoning board to grant a variance for me to occupy the office.

I went to the city and the city engineer walked by and said, “Aren’t you Dr. Davidson?

I said, “Yes sir.”

He said, “We were just talking last week, if someone came to establish a veterinary hospital or clinic, we didn’t have a law written that would cover it. Set down and tell that man right there what you want to be in the law and I will approve it.”

I wrote a minimal amount that would allow me to do what God told me to do and they approved it. I went before the zoning board with some very influential opposition to me getting the variance and they voted 5 to nothing, unanimously approving my request. I operated in that office from 1977 through the end of 1982 and God then closed my veterinary practice.

God told me once that he was always with me.

In late nineties I was on my way to South Bend, Indiana to to do a crusade and I had a gas leakage in the main line from the meter to the church and I had to replace the line with a new one. I needed a permit before they could install the new line. I went to the city to get it and I said, “Lord be with me,” and he said, “I am with you always Doyle.”

When I arrived at the City of Plano, there was a woman who I had known for thirty years working there. “How long have you been working here?” I asked her.

“A year,” she said.

“I need a permit for a gas line” and she replied, “I will get it for you,” and she walked it through the city on a Saturday.

And we had heat for my people when I returned from South Bend. He is with me always.

God Bless,
Doyle Davidson
Servant and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ

*Watchman Nee (1903-1972) a Chinese church leader, became a Christian at age seventeen and established many churches in China, holding conferences to train church workers and bible students. He was also an author and his writings were influential in the Discipleship Movement. Watchman Nee was imprisoned after the Communist revolution and spent the last twenty years of his life in prison, where he died.

Sources: The Pendulum Swings by Bob Buess (1974); Discipleship Pro and Con by Bob Buess (1975); Wikipedia; Christian Self Publishers; Tom Shanklin Ministries;

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