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Messages We've
Received From Ripped Off Christians
Brothers and
Sisters who are are disgusted with the spending at their church or
were personally bilked out of hard-earned money by lazy, heartless
weasels calling themselves ministers or prophets.
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If
you're a minister, pastor, prophet, apostle,
bishop, deacon, elder, teacher, pope or otherwise responsible for
the care of a
flock of any size -
know that God is watching. There's no escape.
Read
these carefully and ask if they came from someone at YOUR church
that YOU screwed.
{Don't
know what else to call it!}
How
many more like this, O Lord? How long will you linger before
Justice comes?
Hear
our prayer, O Lord, and cleanse your people! Protect us from
the wolves in the churches! Show them for what they are!
Give your people better discernment! It stops NOW!
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Certainly I agree with everything
you have written - my only problem is who DO you trust and where do
you send your money to in India, for instance? {www.GFA.org}
I know you could buy a bicycle for $80 there and have some
evangelist pedal all over the place with the gospel - to villages
that are demon-controlled and have not yet heard the gospel. However,
the preachers here don't publicize these needs. If I knew where to
send the money to someone I could verify was honest, I would be more
inclined to send my money there - after all we shall all stand before
the Lord and give an account of our lives. We had a case in point
where the pastor collected about $130,000 for a building fund (think
that is the right amount) and spent it on the side renting equipment
he 'thought' we needed in the church, then when he left, there was
$5:00 in the church account at the bank. Was no one watching the
money flow and holding him accountable?? Apparently not. What do you
suggest, besides holding the treasurers accountable, including the pastor.
Margaret
{D.- STOP
feeding the Beast!!
If they can't be good stewards, personally and as a church, they
can't be trusted! Read the parable of the talents. Give only
to those
who CAN be trusted!}
I found out about your web site
through Andrew Strom's email list and I am very encouraged by it. For
a long time I have loathed the financial condition of the American
church. In 1995 I lived in Pakistan for 5 short months teaching
English as a second language to Afghan refugees, so I am well aware
of how unwisely the American church is spending it's money. One local
church here in my area recently spent over $250,000 on just their
organ. I just can't believe that God will ever bless that type of spending.
In Christ,
Dwayne
dear mr. perry:
thank you for your
letter to mr. andrew strom. my husband and i have been
struggling for several years with the issue of money and the
church. years ago, my husband was attacked by a pastor
and elders when he decided to give his tithe money to his parents who
live in the projects in rome italy.
we decided to join
a church here in Georgia and, my husband being an incredible singer,
decided to join the choir. the choir leader asked my husband if
he tithed, because if he didn't he couldn't join. we quit
going. we would like to go back to church somewhere and
hopefully we will find some place.
anyway, much
gratitude for your brave expose and words from the Holy Spirit.
very truly yours,
gwen
Doug,
Thanks for your
reply and encouragement. I would appreciate your prayers. I do not
want bitterness to set in. Please feel free to share any of my
testimony below or from the other email.
Here is my story.
Many people in
ministry do not want to hear from people who have been spiritually
abused. I called so many churches for pray and Godly wisdom and few
would even speak to me about what happened to me.
Spiritual abuse
with manipulation and control is rampant in the church and seems to
follow people in ministry who think they have "special
giftings" and deserve to be worshiped because of their gift
rather than be a servant like Jesus.
Sadly to say I was
take in by such people and battered and abused. I am still recovering.
My story sounds
strange but is absolutely true. As you read the story you might ask
WHY I did not leave earlier and why it took 4 years for me to see the
truth. I have no answer except that deception is EXTREMELY subtle and
I really believed that these people were more spiritual than me and
truly heard from God. It happened so gradually and they blamed me and
others that I actually came to believe that I was part of the
problem. This made me fast more, pray more and give more time and
money trying to make it happen. I realize now why women have a hard
time leaving abusive relationships.
In 2000 I
met and became friends with a couple of itinerant ministers who
claimed to have "special" powers from God including a very
powerful prophetic gift. My pastor was a woman and initially traveled
the country doing prophetic ministry. When she prophesied it was very
powerful and seemed to be right where I was. She said that she had
frequently personal encounters with Jesus and angels etc.
She insisted I call her "Pastor Debra" even though they
lived with me and told me that it was a lack of respect to call
"ministers" by their first names. She also had many other
self appointed titles including "apostolic prophetess". She
had people bring her water to the pulpit AND carry her bible and
purse to the pulpit and car. ( We had 10 members)!!!!!!!
One day they
approached me and told me that God had told them to start a ministry
in GA. This was about the time my divorce settlement came through
(they had been praying the money would come in) and I was very
depressed and lonely and they "ministered" to me through a
difficult time. Of course I wanted to help them start the ministry
and wanted to obey God. For about a year they lived with me and as
the church grew moved into a rental home. I would have done ANYTHING
for this couple and I DID. Over 4 years I went through about
$270,000. I gave freely. They never asked outright but would
encourage me to PRAY about their needs. They lived off the church
which only had about 10 members. They talked constantly about
COVERING and Spiritual Authority and yet answered to no one. They did
not buy a building but had the church rent various buildings where we
had to paint, carpet and move. We were in 4 building in 4 years.
Overtime the
church did not grow at all and they seemed to despise me and the
members of the church. They were very critical and talked about
everyone. Everyone had either a "rebellious spirit" or
"independent spirit" (according to them) and for a small
church there was always some turmoil that they attributed to the
devil. The elders and other pastor were never asked to pray about
decisions and were not consulted before major decisions were made.
They talked and put down every major ministry and talked about other
local ministries. I was very disturbed by the spiritual pride and
arrogance I saw but I keep thinking it was ME that had a problem and
I was being tested. I kept making excuses for their behavior and
encouraging others NOT to leave the church. I kept covering for them
and praying, fasting and giving. Every time someone went for
counseling they would end up leaving upset and mad and would say she
was mean. We would get up to about 30 members and lose 20. They said
it was warfare and the devil was mad that THEY were in this city and
they were fighting Jezabel and Ahab spirits. I and others prayed SO
HARD for them and the church and against all the "spirits"
that were affecting the church.
They focused
on "gold dust and oil" manifestations which they claim came
upon the people everywhere they went EXCEPT here (they said we were a
hardened people with lack of faith and that is why the manifestation
would not come). They went so far on several occasions to actually
get a FLASHLIGHT so the people could actually SEE the gold and oil
supposedly on peoples hands. I saw nothing.
As elders we were
told from the pulpit and privately that we were an extension of them
and should minister to people who came to us at the church or
by telephone and pray for them . When I did (and good things
happened) I was told I had evil spirits (Absalom). We were
abused emotionally and we were frequently yelled at. We all thought
it was part of the "prophetic personality".
Every church
service we had food and fellowship and I was responsible for coming
early to prepare the food and then stay late to clean up the mess. It
was usually around midnight before I went home. They never offered to
pay for any of the food but would invite 30-40 people for Sunday
dinner and expect me to prepare all the food. Since we only had about
10 members it usually fell to me to do most everything.
It got to the
point where she was using "thus saith the Lord" for
EVERYTHING. We were treated badly and it got to the point where I was
afraid of crossing her and when God spoke to me I would just pray and
keep my mouth shut.
One member was
told during a powerful prophetic word that she was appointed as an
"armor bearer" and was told to quit her job and that the
church would pay all her expenses. The pastors opened a private
business (a coffee shop for ministry) and put the church in a side
room. She expected the church to pay the rent for the private
building and was angry when people were not tithing. The armor
bearer was expected to work for minimum wage and got very behind on
her bills. Needless to say she is devastated.
In August of 2004
I went to them in love and tried to talk to them about the church, my
concerns about hurting people and other issues. I told them I was
going to take a Sabbatical and fast to hear from God and I felt they
needed one also. I was very kind. They told others I attacked them
and the following week they packed up and moved away. They called
several people and told them that I did terrible things. All I did
was QUESTION?
They told NO ONE
where they were going and left me with a lot of bills.
They left very devastated people in their wake.
I am grateful to
God for cutting me free from this deception and have learned a lot.
This is what I
have learned.
JoAnn
{AMEN
Sister! A good lesson learned the hard way. I pray your
story will convict others and open their eyes. The day I take a
title of any kind, run from me as fast as you can! It always comes
down to Jesus. If they get Jesus wrong or are unwilling to
follow his example, God is not in them. Read I John and Titus
5. - Doug}
I have just
finished reading one of your "What have we Done"
newsletters. For the most part I am in very much agreement and
would like to learn more. I too have found that so many
church's spend money so foolish and forgetting about the hurt,
wounded, poor people that belong to our Savior Jesus Christ.
God is teaching and leading me to the Missionarys for they are the
one's on the front line.
For some reason I
have never believed in my heart to give a large amount of moneies to
our Church and I guess I am holding back more because they have just
built a beautiful church and now are having a problem making the payments.
Anyways, I am
interested in receiving more newsletters and learning more about what
to do.
Gary
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