Sam Soleyn's "Elementary Doctrines" teaching represents a distinctive theological framework built on Hebrews 6:1-2 that goes far beyond conventional exposition—recasting six biblical concepts as lifelong "cultural imperatives" required for spiritual maturation, with advancement contingent on relationship to spiritual fathers within his apostolic network. This framework has attracted thousands of followers across the United States, Caribbean, and South Africa, while generating serious concerns from former members who describe authoritarian dynamics and family separation. ## The man behind the teaching Sam Soleyn was born in **1951** on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, of Indian-African heritage. He professed faith at 14 and began preaching at 15 in small villages. After emigrating to the United States in 1970, he earned a **Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law** and directed the Christian Legal Aid and Referral Service in Albuquerque from 1982-1987. A 1984 encounter with what he describes as the Holy Spirit transformed his trajectory, and he entered full-time apostolic ministry in **January 1988**. Soleyn explicitly claims the title of **apostle**, and his website identifies him as "an apostle whose teachings are recognized internationally" and "an Apostle and Patriarch in the House of God." His primary apostolic partnership is with **Thamo Naidoo** of GATE Ministries in South Africa, where Soleyn regularly teaches at Apostolic School of Ministry conferences. He exercises spiritual authority over churches like **City Church in Bossier City, Louisiana**, where pastor Michael Barrett acknowledges Soleyn as his spiritual father. Though not formally listed among C. Peter Wagner's New Apostolic Reformation networks, Soleyn operates squarely within the apostolic-prophetic theological stream: emphasizing restoration of apostles and prophets, five-fold ministry, spiritual fathering, Kingdom dominion theology, and hierarchical "spiritual oversight." ## What Soleyn actually teaches about the six doctrines Soleyn's framework fundamentally reinterprets Hebrews 6:1-2. Where traditional exposition treats these as basic Christian doctrines believers should understand before moving to maturity, Soleyn argues the word "elementary" means **elemental**—foundational building blocks woven into the fabric of Christian identity that must be practiced daily throughout one's life. His sharp critique: "The chances are—if you have not been studying this series with me—you probably have not heard of more than one of these six things... you skipped elementary school and you have not the skills to grow up to maturity." **Repentance from dead works** transforms from initial conversion experience to ongoing spiritual warfare skill. Soleyn distinguishes guilt for current sin (requiring repentance) from demonic accusation for forgiven sins (requiring declaration of forgiveness). The application is regular deliverance ministry: "There's no shame to have a demon, it's just a shame to have one you won't get rid of." **Faith toward God** develops through stages matching his sonship framework. Infant believers exercise faith for money, health, and parking spaces—acceptable for beginners but evidence of arrested development if one never moves beyond it. Mature faith means entrusting oneself completely to God's purposes rather than seeking personal benefit. **Doctrine of baptisms** (plural) is distinctively emphasized. Soleyn identifies **four baptisms**: baptism OF the Holy Spirit (power for mission), baptism BY the Spirit (personal placement into the Body of Christ according to predetermined destiny), baptism of fire/suffering (refining of the soul through trials—not merely Pentecostal tongues experience), and water baptism (death of old creation, protection against accusation for past sins). **Laying on of hands** becomes crucial for confirmation and commissioning within apostolic networks. Hands must not be laid on someone to "make them something"—it must follow demonstrated gifting. This doctrine connects to apostolic succession: "The laying on of hands is the transfer of apostolic authority from one person to another, one generation to the next." Soleyn critiques churches for gathering rather than sending: they "talk about releasing the church but they have no clue as to what to do." **Resurrection of the dead** encompasses present spiritual reality, not merely future hope. Believers "have been raised also from the dead" and made "a new creation who has a divine nature"—enabling them to step into their corporate Body placement. **Eternal judgment** is applied practically to discourage political activism. If believers understood this doctrine, they "would not mindlessly embrace Christian activism" or "compromise the absolute certainty of the Christian faith for the rather tentative and tenuous result of some immediate social action." ## The sonship hierarchy and spiritual fathering requirement The Elementary Doctrines are embedded in Soleyn's larger sonship framework, which uses Greek terms to identify five stages of spiritual maturity: - **Nepios** (infant): Cannot speak or function independently; self-centered, hurt, unable to hear God directly - **Paidion** (little child): Increased capacity for relationship - **Teknon** (teenager): Sufficient maturity for reciprocal relationship with father; discipleship stage - **Neaniskos** (young adult): Beginning to rule his own life well; the Word of God alive in him - **Huios** (mature son): Perfected, represents the Father, proclaimed by the Father as son, rules righteously **The critical mechanism for advancement is the spiritual father-son relationship.** Soleyn teaches that without a spiritual father, believers are "orphans" operating in self-reliance rather than dependence on God. His website invites those without a spiritual father to "use the Contact menu to start the process; which includes prayer, God's timing, and then actually receiving a spiritual father." The highest tier is **Patriarch**—"a father (man or woman, supposedly) who is mature enough and in depth of relationship with the Lord such that he no longer needs oversight." Only apostles can bring correction to a patriarch. Apostles themselves sit at the apex, receiving "direct revelation from God" and holding authority to correct all below them. This creates explicit hierarchy: **Apostles → Patriarchs → Spiritual Fathers → Mature Sons → Developing Sons → Infant Sons → Orphans** (those outside the system). The Elementary Doctrines function as the mechanism enabling progression through these tiers—but advancement requires relationship with recognized spiritual authority. ## The appeal: what draws people in Several features explain why thousands find Soleyn's teaching compelling: **Comprehensive framework with intellectual depth.** The sonship stages, Greek terminology, and systematic doctrine create a sense of profound theological coherence missing from many churches. Soleyn's legal training shows in rigorous argumentation. **Critique of shallow Christianity.** His sharp criticism of churches that "keep people in infancy" resonates with believers frustrated by perceived spiritual stagnation. The promise of progression toward genuine maturity is attractive. **Clear pathway with defined relationships.** Rather than amorphous "spiritual growth," Soleyn offers specific stages, practices, and the tangible relationship of a spiritual father. This provides structure and belonging. **Emphasis on identity and destiny.** The teaching that each believer has a predetermined destiny, placed by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, offers significance. One would "never have wondered if you had a ministry." **Kingdom vision.** The corporate purpose—manifested sons assembled to bring the world under Christ's rule—provides grand narrative meaning beyond individual salvation. ## The concerns: what creates the "quizzical note" Critical perspectives reveal why thoughtful observers might sense something troubling despite the teaching's intellectual sophistication. ### First-person former member accounts **Tracy Simmons**, an award-winning religion journalist and Washington State University professor, was raised in Soleyn's group. Her testimony, published in the Wall Street Journal and FāVS News, describes it as cult-like: "There isn't a name for the group I was raised in. It's led by one man – Sam Soleyn — a self-proclaimed apostle who says he gets direct revelation from God. To his thousands – yes thousands – of followers, his teachings are Gospel." She reports that her mother sent a letter cutting off their relationship because Simmons couldn't agree with Sam's theology—an order she believes "came directly from Sam." **Mark L. Kennedy**, another former follower, describes Soleyn's capacity to talk extensively until "suddenly you would find yourself accepting what was being said." He reports: "Although he claimed to have oversight from a 'long time friend and mentor' there was no accountability visible." His summary: "It all boiled down to 'Sam's way or the highway.' There is a clear pattern of wounded ex-followers of his teaching left scattered behind." ### Theological critique from a former associate **Neil Girrard** devoted significant labor to transcribing and publishing Soleyn's messages before breaking with him. His detailed critique identifies "Three Fatal Flaws": the teaching is based on intellectual reasoning rather than divine revelation, relies on traditions of men (particularly the discredited 1970s Shepherding Movement), and is insufficient to sustain full Body life. He describes Soleyn's system as "a demonic system designed to ensnare those escaping the snares of the spirit of religion into another system of lies" and compares the "spiritual oversight" requirement to **Nicolaitanism**—lording over the brethren. The Shepherding Movement comparison is significant. That 1970s movement, led by figures including Derek Prince (who later publicly repented), required personal "shepherds" to approve major life decisions. Critics note Soleyn's spiritual father requirement creates similar conditions for abuse. ### Structural concerns The teaching contains features associated with high-control groups: - **Exclusive truth claims**: Those who reject Soleyn's teaching are positioned as lacking God - **Hierarchical authority**: Apostles receive direct revelation; followers must submit - **Isolation language**: Soleyn prophesied that God's people should "enter your rooms, close your doors, hide yourselves for a little while" while the "secular church" debates - **Exit costs**: Multiple accounts describe family relationships severed over disagreement - **Intolerance of tolerance**: Soleyn teaches that "love is tolerant" is "the convenient view of the popular culture" and "a human standard and not a divine one" Perhaps most concerning is the **orphan category**. Anyone without a spiritual father from Soleyn's network is classified as operating in an "orphan spirit"—a deficit condition requiring remedy through submission to his system. ## Published resources on Elementary Doctrines Soleyn has published a book specifically on this topic: **"The Elementary Doctrines"** (2015) by Sam Soleyn and Nicholas Soleyn, published by Soleyn Publishing, 162 pages. Available in paperback (now scarce, selling for $25-100+) and Kindle ($0.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited). A Spanish translation, "Las Doctrinas Elementales," is also available. The book is accompanied by a **podcast series** presenting it chapter by chapter, and original **studio session recordings** from January 2004 with full transcripts available free on his ministry websites. Other major works include **"My Father! My Father!"** (2012, co-authored with Nicholas Soleyn) on sonship and spiritual fathering, **"On Earth As It Is In Heaven"** (2022) on the seven Spirits of God, and **"The Removal of Restraint"** (2013) on transformation through suffering. Teaching content is freely available through his apps, podcasts, and websites; books are the primary paid products. ## Conclusion: sophisticated theology with troubling structures Sam Soleyn's Elementary Doctrines teaching offers a genuinely distinctive theological framework—intellectually rigorous, systematically developed, and addressing real hunger for spiritual depth that conventional churches often fail to satisfy. The Greek terminology, staged maturation process, and comprehensive worldview create a sense of esoteric knowledge unavailable elsewhere. Yet the framework contains structural features that raise serious concerns. The **requirement of a spiritual father from his network** to escape "orphan" status, the **hierarchical authority** placing apostles beyond ordinary accountability, the **pattern of family separation** over doctrinal disagreement, and the **explicit critique of tolerance** as sub-Christian—these elements create conditions where spiritual formation can shade into spiritual control. The "quizzical note" likely emerges from this tension: **sophisticated theology deployed within hierarchical authority structures that leave wounded former followers describing it as "Sam's way or the highway."** The Elementary Doctrines themselves may contain genuine biblical insight, but their positioning as gateway teaching requiring submission to Soleyn's apostolic network transforms theological education into relational binding. Those drawn by the intellectual content may find themselves entangled in authority dynamics they did not initially perceive. ## Links - [[NAR Governance Mirrors BDFL - Singular Authority With No Credible Exit]] — Soleyn's apostle-to-spiritual-father hierarchy is a concrete example of authority whose formal exit remains socially and spiritually costly. - [[The Guru Model - Single-Mediator Authority Persists Despite Protestant Reforms]] — the spiritual-father requirement turns access to maturity into dependence on a recognized mediator. - [[3. Resources/MOCs/NAR and Charismatic Authority Critique MOC]] — places Soleyn's spiritual-father hierarchy inside the wider pattern of apostolic authority without credible internal correction.