It was pioneered by five teachers: Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Ern Baxter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
These leaders aimed to provide meaning and order through house churches and cell groups to address what they considered the lack of spiritual maturity of the Charismatic believers in the 1970s and early 1980s.
The leaders decided to mutually submit to one another and to hold each other accountable, and it was through the magazine New Wine that the teachings of the Shepherding Movement were emphasised and promoted: authority, submission, discipleship, commitment in covenant relationships, loyalty, pastoral care, and spiritual covering.
[4] Some feel that the motivation for launching the group was with the right intent, but that the Shepherding Movement quickly deteriorated into a cult-like environment in which people misused the teaching—intended to encourage maturity—into what was considered witchcraft by some.
People could not make personal life decisions, including marriage, house moves, and career choices, without their shepherd’s permission.
To solve these perceived issues, members in the house church were taught to have life-decisions “covered” by the house-group leader, elder, or pastor.
Such decisions included where to live and work, whom to marry, or whether to see a doctor when someone was ill.[6] At the zenith of the movement, "They had a national network of followers who formed pyramids of sheep and shepherds.
It came to a sudden end when Carter was found to have committed acts considered immoral in Christianity, although it did persist beyond the peak of the North American movement.
During this period Carter was living an extravagant lifestyle that frequently involved first class air travel to North American and other international locations, five-star hotels and many other luxuries.
[20][21] The Sydney Morning Herald later described part of this campaign when they published, "Homosexuality and censorship should determine your vote, the electorate was told; corruption was not the major concern.
An earlier article published in the Herald quoted a Logos spokesman in reference to the call for the death penalty for homosexuals, who stated "the fact a law is on the statutes is the best safeguard for society".
[24] The Sydney Morning Herald published an article in October 1990 which quoted several disillusioned followers, including the statement, "... we felt we had lost control over our lives.