Dear Friend and Co-Laborer in Christ,
Why CRI?
Because the world has questions — and we have time-tested truth.
As I noted in our recent special issue of the Christian Research Journal devoted to exposing the dangerous teachings and practices of Eastern Lightning — “cults are the unpaid bills of the church” (J. K. Van Baalen).
Wherever the church fails to teach sound doctrine, to make reproducing disciple-makers, and to equip believers in “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” ( Jude 3), counterfeit gospels fill the vacuum — and lives are ruined rather than transformed.
But why should a cult originating in China matter to you?
The answer is that Eastern Lightning is not just a Chinese problem. It is a sobering reminder of what happens when Christ’s Great Commission is neglected. If truth matters — and it most certainly
does — the church cannot take the importance and impact of proper Christian formation for granted, especially if we are to equip ourselves and our children to “always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).
We do well to remember, as Jacob Neuser so hauntingly put it, that “civilization hangs suspended, from generation to generation, by the gossamer strand of memory. If only one cohort of mothers and fathers fails to convey to its children what it has learned from its parents, then the great chain of learning and wisdom snaps. If the guardians of human knowledge stumble only one time, in their fall collapses the whole edifice of knowledge and understanding.”
In short, we must be willing to do for the truth what cults such as Eastern Lightning do for a lie.
This is a primary reason why the Christian Research Institute continues to be crucial and relevant.
CRI is and always has been committed to primary-source research, discernment, and biblical answers — not as abstract ideals, but as principles by which we can live a life of purpose in pursuit of union with the Holy Trinity.
Alongside our commitment to primary-source research stands our steadfast dedication to the missionary commission of equipping pastors and church leaders — not only in America, but across Africa, India, and Asia — where multiplied millions of new believers are increasingly vulnerable to the kingdom of the cults and the world of the occult.
And by God’s grace, this work is bearing abundant, abiding fruit. During the past year alone, www.equip.org was accessed from more than 230 countries and provinces, providing a reservoir of unrestricted resources — including the Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank Unplugged podcast, the Bible Answer Man YouTube channel and other extensive audio and video resources, Daily e-Truths, and thousands of articles published in the Christian Research Journal — freely available to anyone, anywhere, with internet access, without prohibitive paid memberships or paywalls.
Additionally, we have recently launched a timely new podcast, A Commitment to Reality, hosted by my son, Dave Hanegraaff. The podcast is devoted to helping Christians think clearly, discern wisely, and remain anchored in objective truth amid the confusion and distortion of our age.
This new outreach powerfully complements our existing podcasts and publications, extending CRI’s mission to a new generation of listeners.
Our expanding global reach — through podcasts, publications, and daily outreaches — is made possible by faithful friends like you who stand with CRI in prayer and participation.
Will you prayerfully consider partnering with CRI today? Your support enables us to defend the faith, equip the faithful, and pass on the truth to the next generation.
Why CRI?
Because truth does not defend itself — and lives are at stake.
Glory to God — in all things.
For the sake of life and truth,
President
P.S. Truth does not preserve itself. It must be taught, defended, and faithfully passed on. Your prayers and partnership make it possible for CRI to continue equipping believers — at home and around the world — to stand firm in the truth and resist the counterfeit gospels that ruin lives. Thank you for standing with us in this vital work.
Please see the following page if your interested in some timely resources on AI and Christ’s Resurrection.