Don't Call Me Brother: A Ringmaster's Escape from the Pentecostal Church

By Austin Miles

Book Overview

Austin Miles has been a well-known circus ringmaster for most of his adult life. It was, he found, good preparation for his experiences with PTL and the Assemblies of God churches. Miles is the first ordained Assembly of God minister to leave the movement and write an in-depth book revealing the inner workings of this sect. This is not rumor, not innuendo. It is fact, seen first-hand, and fully described for the first time. Don't Call Me Brother is not a book written by an outside observer - Austin Miles was an active participant in the evolution of the PTL Club.- Austin Miles was on intimate terms with the entire cast of PTL's characters and the high-tech world of Christian movers and shakers: Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye Bakker, Pat Robertson, Charles and Frances Hunter, Richard Dortch, John Wesley Fletcher, Christian celebreties such as Pat Boone and Ephram Zimbalist, Jr., and many others.- Austin Miles opened the door on the steam room where Jim Bakker was cavorting - in the nude - with three other men.- Austin Miles was there when televangelism hatched its super-successful fund-raising schemes, and he participated in the staged "financial crisis" telethon, during which millions of dollars poured into the coffers of the PTL Club.- Austin Miles watched the development of Jim Bakker's violent mood swings and saw the chilling possibility that Jim Bakker could have become another Jim Jones.- Austin Miles was there when Jim Bakker started a fist fight with his producer over the favors of the current Miss America.Austin Miles had fame, wealth, and a wonderful family. But by the time he finally broke free of the fanatic world of the religious right, he had lost everything. Don't Call Me Brother is his story. A poignant, outrageous, sometimes hilarious drama peopled with colorful real-life characters. Building to a climax with a surprise double-twist ending, this story is tough but fair, a must-read for those who want to know what really happens in the world of America's media-glitzed charismatic religions.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879755075
• ISBN13: 9780879755072
• Release Date: April 1989
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 331 Pages
• Weight: 1.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The life of a brother!

Austin went through as ringmaster to a preacher and found the ugly truth on the Church establishment. He went through a rough life with government, church and family. Moved into warm tears when I read he acted as Santa Claus holding his own kid in forced smile posed in X'mas picture in his accent speaking wife. Don't call me brother is a must for religion enlightenment and truth.

This was my world!

The author is not a particularly loveable guy. After all he was one among the traveling preachers whom he exposes here. However you probably will feel for him as his life and family fall apart. His stories of the evangelists who travel from church to church rang true to me. My childhood church was involved with the things Miles talks about and he even mentions my former church's pastor by name. (See Angels on Assignment.) I have a childhood memory of a one eyed traveling preacher coming to preach at our church. After having someone blindfold his good eye he proceeded to `read' people's names off their driver's licenses. Once the congregation was all worked up by this `miracle' they passed the collection plate. (If you're wondering how he may have managed this trick of reading with an empty eye socket read James Randi's book The Faith Healers.) Read this book for an eye opening peek behind the scenes of Pentecostalism, televangelism, and the Assembly of God church. If you or someone you care about is involved with this movement I especially urge you to read this book. The connection to Jim Jones (remember poison kool-aid?) was a shock to me.