Foundations of Experiential Learning

A Revival Experiment: The Early Days of BSSM
(w/ Bill Johnson & Kris Vallotton | Hosted by Gabe Valenzuela)

The story of a school born in the middle of a movement.

In this episode, we hear behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton talk candidly about the original vision, their experiments in teaching the prophetic and deliverance, and what they learned from the messes and miracles along the way.

If you've ever wondered how BSSM became what it is today—or what it means to build a culture of risk and transformation—this episode will give you insight, laughter, and plenty of leadership gold.

[02:16] – How did BSSM start?
[05:55] – What was the initial goal?
[08:51] – Teaching deliverance in a revival culture
[11:05] – Lessons from teaching the prophetic
[13:45] – How the school has evolved over time
[16:15] – Why experimenting was essential to growth
[20:57] – Embracing and cleaning up "messes"
[26:52] – Responding to misunderstandings with maturity

• Revival isn’t polished… It’s raw, real, and powerful.
• The early days of BSSM were marked by courageous experimentation and radical obedience.
• Teaching deliverance and the prophetic required trust, discernment, and flexibility.
• Culture is shaped over time, especially when you’re building something no one’s done before.
• Every move of God involves some mess, and healthy leadership learns how to grow through it.

Bill Johnson is the co-founder of BSSM & Senior Leader of Bethel Church.
Kris Vallotton is the co-founder of BSSM and a Senior Leader at Bethel Church.
Gabe Valenzuela is the Senior Overseer of the BSSM Second Year program.

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For more information on BSSM (Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry) and how to apply, visit https://bssm.net/ — and as a listener, you can sign up for a special $200 tuition discount at https://bethel.ws/bssm_podcast_discount. We’d love to connect with you and hope to see you at BSSM soon!