Howard Julian Carter (10 September 1936 – 28 July 1992) was a Pentecostal Christian religious leader, known for his creation of Logos Foundation in 1969,[1] which in turn established the Covenant Evangelical Church in the mid-1980s.
[citation needed] In the late 1960s and 1970s, Carter was influential in the charismatic movement's growth in mainstream churches in Australia and New Zealand, regularly organising 'Holy Spirit Teaching Seminars' in Sydney.
'Brother Howard' announced with certainty that he was in "a submitted relationship" to the CGM apostolic group (the Fort Lauderdale Five) of Bob Mumford, Ern Baxter, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince and Don Basham.
Carter's interpretations and teaching became more extreme, and his style more cultish and authoritarian, causing some of his leadership team, including Pastor David Jackson of Christian Faith Centre, Sydney, to leave the movement.
During this period, Carter lived an extravagant lifestyle which frequently involved first-class air travel to North American and other international locations, staying at five-star hotels, and indulging in many other luxuries that were beyond the means of his loyal supporters.
An earlier article published in the Herald quoted a Logos spokesman, in reference to the call for the death penalty for homosexuals in order to rid Queensland of them, who stated "the fact a law is on the statutes is the best safeguard for society".
[10] At the peak of his power towards the end of that period, Carter used alleged 'personal revelations from God' to exert enormous influence over the lives of his followers and the direction of the organization.
[13] In his 2010 thesis, Hey (2010) identified, "Suggested reasons for Carter's failure have included insecurity, an inability to open up to others, arrogance and over confidence in his own ability".
Carter's alleged submission and accountability to the Fort Lauderdale Five, who were purported to provide a fail-safe discipleship that would in part protect him from personal failures, was a farce.