Bill Subritzky

Wilfred Allen "Bill" Subritzky QSM (20 November 1925 – 23 December 2015) was a New Zealand lawyer and property developer, active from the mid-1950s until the mid-1980s. His company, Universal Homes, mass-produced houses in standard designs, and sold 14,000 houses over the 30-year period of Subritzky's involvement.[1][2]

Subritzky was born in 1925, and lived in Auckland. In 1971 he became involved in the charismatic movement, and became an independent evangelist and healer. Subritzky's faith healing ministry, Dove Ministries, distributes pamphlets, books and videos of his teaching and his evangelistic healing meetings. He was a charismatic Anglican but the style of his ministry was more similar to Pentecostals such as the late Derek Prince.[3]

Subritzky was a proponent of the Toronto Blessing and its introduction into New Zealand. He frequently attributes problems, whether physical, spiritual, emotional or psychological, to the influence of demons, which he claims to "cast out".[4] He also claims to have insight through the "word of knowledge" into people's sins, which have made them vulnerable to demonic influence.[5] Skeptics have questioned his claim that he has ability to cure ailments such as asthma, arthritis and cancer; stating that he uses psychological manipulation to make people feel as though they are healed.[6][7]

Subritzky was a friend to the controversial Nigerian "prophet" T.B. Joshua and publicly supported him amidst criticism that Joshua's "miracles" were not of God.[8]

In 1986, Subritzky and other conservative Christians helped establish the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, a right-wing Christian pressure group formed to oppose the socially-liberal policies of the Fourth Labour Government.[9] He was married to Lucy Patricia (Pat), who died in 2011. Subritzky later married Kaylene.

In the 1991 New Year Honours Subritzky was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service.[10]

Subritzky published his autobiography On the Cutting Edge: The Bill Subritzky Story in 1993.[11] Subritzky died on 23 December 2015.[12]

References

  1. " The Cutting Edge : The Bill Subritzky Story " p 98.
  2. "Prominent lawyer, developer and evangelist Bill Subritzky dies age 90" (retrieved October 6, 2016)
  3. Shaw, Bob (June 29, 1998). "Evangelist plans to make Good Word his last word". The Evening Post. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  4. Brown, Andrew (September 15, 1990). "Evangelist can find a demon for every ill". The Independent. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  5. Brown, Andrew (February 14, 1990). "Evangelist delivers demon warning". The Independent. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  6. "Sceptics question faith healing". Television New Zealand. 2006-10-24.
  7. Crewdson, Patrick (May 21, 2007). "Exorcism exercise for fired-up faithful". The Dominion Post. p. 3. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  8. Egwugum, Jackson (June 30, 2002). "T.B. Joshua Divides Western Christians". Charisma Magazine.
  9. Jesson, Bruce; Ryan, Allanah; Spoonley, Paul (1988). "Chapter 4: Remoralising Politics". Revival of the Right: New Zealand Politics in the 1980s (1st ed.). Heinemann Reed. p. 56. ISBN 0-7900-0003-2.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52383. p. 31. 31 December 1990. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  11. Published by Sovereign World Ltd (Kent, UK) ISBN 1 85240 107 9 PB ; ISBN 1 85240 131 1 HB.
  12. "Wilfred Allen (Bill) Subritzky". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

External links

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