Rick Joyner and his wife, Julie, founded MorningStar Ministries in Jackson, Mississippi in 1985. By the mid-1990s Joyner was president of MorningStar Publications, located at that time in Charlotte, North Carolina. By 1994, Joyner appeared in news reports regarding his participation in plans to build a biblical theme park, in particular, with Reggie White, who had been unsuccessful in his attempts to purchase the Heritage USA theme park property. The ministry hosts multiple conferences annually, with Christians from across the country and globe attending. In 1997 Joyner purchased 320 acres of land in Wilkes County, North Carolina near Moravian Falls and moved the headquarters of MorningStar there from Charlotte. In 2004 MorningStar purchased part of the Heritage USA complex for $1.6 million. The complex has been renamed Heritage International MinistriesConference Center. Joyner also promotes the "Kingdom Business Association" which is located in the same complex. Christ's Mandate for Missions merged with MorningStar Missions in 2009.
Advisory and other leadership roles
Joyner has been a part of the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement and an advocate for the Fivefold ministry and has been considered a leader in this movement since he published "The Harvest" in 1989, in which he predicted there would soon be a Prophetic Movement and a separate Apostolic Movement. In the mid-1990s Joyner was one of the all-male members of the "International Advisors-At-Large" to the evangelical Christian women's organization Aglow International. Joyner is also the founder and president of "the Oak Initiative." This non-profit organization is for Christians who desire "to Unite, Mobilize, Equip, and Activate Christians to be the salt and light they are called to be by engaging in the great issues of our time from a sound biblical worldview."
Controversy
In 1998 Joyner's "MorningStar Ministries" was grossing $7 million a year, and that year it was denied a religious property tax exemption by the North Carolina Department of Revenue for an airplane, four tracts of vacant land, and two residential houses — one that Joyner lived in and one where Don Potter lived and had a recording studio. Department director John C. Bailey said, "ith MorningStar there are a lot of tracts with costly improvements that affect tax liability significantly... If we did not limit exemptions, it would increase the burden on people, like you and me, who own homes that are not affiliated with any group.” MorningStar appealed the Department of Revenue's denial. Also, Joyner's MorningStar Fellowship Church filed a $20 million lawsuit against York County, South Carolina over the unfinished 21 story hotel on their property that Jim Bakker had started in the 80s. The latest news is that MSFC has filed an appeal of Judge Hall's ruling “that MorningStar has not provided substantial evidence to back up its claims.” The building has never been finished and the county found the church in default after they missed a deadline to show their ability to fund the project. Controversy has also accompanied Joyner's support for Canadian revivalist Todd Bentley. Bentley has claimed that God heals the sick, and sometimes even raises people from the dead in his meetings—including three people in Pakistan—reports of which were carried by Morningstar TV which is part of Joyner's Heritage International Ministries. ABC's Nightline) reporting concerning the "Lakeland Revival," before his marital problems became news, that "Not a single claim of Bentley's healing powers could be independently verified." However, the Charlotte Observer reported on the same series of meetings, "The revival's media relations staff has tried to document healings. They e-mailed the Observer information on 15 people reportedly healed, providing phone numbers for each and noting that 12 had received medical verification. The Observer contacted five, plus three whose names were not provided, including Burgee. Each said God had healed them through, or related to, Bentley and the Lakeland services." Joyner's public relationship with Bentley began when he appeared on stage in Lakeland with other church leaders to “lay hands” on Bentley. After Bentley's divorce from his wife in 2008, Joyner decided to oversee the process of "restoring" Bentley along with Jack Deere and Bill Johnson. Joyner made the announcement of the remarriage on March 9, 2009. He also released a statement as to why he chose to be a part of this restoration. There has also been some controversy about Joyner joining the Knights of Malta: Order of Saint John. Joyner released a long statement explaining who they are and why he joined. Joyner is a promoter of the Seven Mountain Mandate form of Dominion Theology, which advocates the need for Christians to be involved in leadership in the seven spheres of cultural influence. Joyner promotes the ministry of Lance Wallnau who teaches on the 7MM. MorningStar Ministries carries a long list of materials by Wallnau.
