A self-proclaimed “apostle” is facing a wave of backlash – including claims her work is “demonic” – after viral footage showed fans shaking uncontrollably and collapsing
A religious leader is facing a wave of backlash and even “demonic” accusations. Self-styled “apostle” Kathryn Krick has sparked controversy after footage from her book-signing tour appeared to show devoted fans shaking uncontrollably and collapsing in a bookstore aisle.
While videos of Kathryn and her followers have gone viral, displaying how “God moves”, some concerned observers have pointed to something potentially more sinister. Krick, a Los Angeles-based leader of the Five-Fold Church in the US, has built a huge following through viral “deliverance ministry” clips and dramatic exorcism-style videos shared on TikTok and Instagram.
However, some footage of her Ignite Revival book tour stop at a Barnes & Noble in Houston, Texas, which occurred in May, stirred heated debates.
Nevertheless, clips showing attendees convulsing and collapsing didn’t blow up online until mid-July. Her fans were consequently filmed shaking and dropping to the floor after coming into contact with her.
Supporters hailed it as proof of supernatural “signs and wonders”, while critics accused Krick of staging an emotional spectacle. Krick’s ministry has been dogged by controversy since 2021, when she launched her church in Los Angeles.
She subsequently began posting highly edited videos of deliverance services that show people screaming, thrashing and writhing as she speaks, touches them, or even blows into a microphone, ChurchLeaders.com reported. Additionally, Krick’s insistence on the title “Apostle” has especially offended the religious community, as it is a label many mainstream Christian theologians say is unbiblical, arguing the original apostles were uniquely appointed by Jesus.
Krick is also accused of targeting vulnerable people by claiming she can cast out “demons” responsible for serious illnesses and life problems, including cancer, depression, poverty and even autism, netizens have argued in the Exvangelical Reddit community.
“I just find it fishy that it seems like every week she has someone supposedly being delivered from demon possession,” a Redditor wrote back in 2021. “She is also in the heart of LA where there are a TON of actors.”
The backlash has become so intense that prominent Christian commentators have publicly warned people away. Evangelical pundit Allie Beth Stuckey described the bookstore scenes as “at best, a show for attention, and, at worst, demonic activity”, while other voices have compared Krick’s methods to occultic “street magic” rather than anything biblical, Follow Jesus reported.
Krick has nonetheless become a popular religous figure, with many followers expressing their admiration. A Facebook user commented: “I’ve been to her meetings three times and I encountered the power of God powerfully each time.
“She is the most humble and pure vessel I have witnessed to date. So many people are quick to blast her as false instead of seeking God and asking him to reveal the truth.
“But you have to do that with an open heart and be willing to learn something new and unexpected. She’s awesome and I’m so glad God is restoring his power and anointing to his church but hides it from religious fools and those who are unwilling to have childlike faith and humility.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.