For nearly the last 7 years I have chased the implementation of a solid and strong Victim's Advocacy policy within the Church Of God In Christ, of which I am a member. Consistently, I have been discouraged by the inaction, passivity and excuses that the corporate church has taken in approach towards the issue.
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| Full Text Of This Proposal HERE |
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| Bishop L. Wooten |
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| Bishop B. Porter |
I have personally placed a copy of my most recent victim's advocacy policy outline in the Presiding Bishop's hands when he was in Joliet, IL. in 2013. I have personally looked General Board Member Brandon Porter in the face asking him to remind the Presiding Bishop of my presence and proposal at the Holy Convocation in Nov. of 2013, even delivering a copy to him for his personal review and asking him to consider all of those who have been affected by the sexual sins of abuse encountered at the hands of perverted and godless individuals claiming to be fellow clergy and overseers of the souls of the people. To which Bishop Porter responded, "Now you tryin' to give ME a job to do." I have sent facebook messages directly to folk like Evangelist Shane Perry, who loves the sensation of crowd appeal at the expense of deeper truths, and General Board Member Lawrence Wooten, reminding him of the terrible injustices that our people are facing without any assistance from the powers that be within this church.
Needless to say, Shane Perry, quickly deleted my messages (after which I deleted him as a contact) while my response from Wooten was to DE-FRIEND me on Facebook as soon as he was elected to the General Board...Thanks Bishop...I didn't vote for you anyway!
Even more, as I have documented on this blog, I have tracked down Al "Keepin' It Real" Sharpton, speaking to him and his assistants and various other top ranking COGIC officials on live open air radio (found HERE) only to experience REAL AVOIDANCE and obfuscation of truth as it pertains to how we are conducting ourselves towards victims of sexual abuse...
With all of those unresponded to efforts, (and I do have our Presiding Bishop's cell phone on me as I speak but I WILL NOT become or be perceived as a stalker), I am utterly amazed to find that the 2014 COGIC theme is as follows:
"We Are Called To Minister To And Witness To A Deeply Distressed And Troubled World"
Acts 26:15-18
(Remember Me? I'm Still Saying...)
WHAT???
Are You Kidding Me???
The 2014 COGIC 2 For One "Blue Light" Report Special
It goes like this...With all the efforts that I said went unresponnded to, well, there was kind of a response...The response was to implement a background screening process for COGIC Clergy. The background screening process was to include a 100% "Zero Tolerance" Policy against sexual abuse and sexual harassment, that the Presiding Bishop was to implement along with the approval of the General Board and that was to filter down to both mean and women who desire to take up a microphone within this church. ...I said, well that's good news...not exactly victim's advocacy...but a good start....a way to self regulate...
Yes, you read that right...For 2014, and for all those elders, ministers, Saints and friends who failed to pay their 2013 reports, for ONE TIME and supposedly ONE TIME ONLY (Yea right!) the criminal background checks will be SUSPENDED...This means that anyone paying both the current and last year's report this year, will not have their credentials subject to background and criminal history screening....
I know, as I have said before, whatever ministry I had in the rank and file, (just gotta follow my leader at all cost, no matter how ridiculous things may sound church) is over with...to which I say...You weren't having me or this ministry at your church anyway...So I haven't lost a thing!!!
But my heart is certainly burdened to know that SOMEBODY, evidently with little to NO spiritual insight and or concern for those hurting at low levels (and some at higher levels) in this church, either don't care about them that are hurt or are like Eli, devoid of any spiritual discernment, yet with title.
To allow potential crooks and pedophiles and even potential rapists to embrace our pulpits without accountability all because of the ability to "catch up" on money that they may owe, is without any resemblance of the Spirit of God. Has anyone considered that the reason that some of these folk are not paying their reports, is because they KNOW they can't pass a criminal background check?
Has ANYONE stopped to think, that perhaps those who try to avoid the criminal background check, may have a criminal history, and many of them may still and yet be engaged in criminal activity? Then there is this:
Yes, though swept under the rug and tried to hide, COGIC continues to settle cases of sexual abuse with gag orders and special arrangements to make sure that those who have been victimized will not speak openly about their cases or the arrangements under which they were settled. Such settlements include those like the recent case of Donald Barrett, former Administrative Assistant in Illinois 3rd Jurisdiction, who was accused of wanton sexual acts with at least 2 women, admitting in his own words to inappropriate activity and actions with the women. Although his former ministry and church settled openly for $300,000, (insurance policy limits) COGIC and Southern California 2nd (General Board Member McKinney) who were also parties to the lawsuit, after some time, settled in an undisclosed manner with a gag order on the claimants to not disclose anything. The door is open for Barrett to now come back, pay his money and proceed as if nothing had ever happened!
Yes, the door is open to folk who either sleep with women (and in some cases men), and commit criminal acts to continue in their criminal enterprise.
The door is open for those who have been exposed by molesting the vulnerable to come right in, pay your report, and continue in a position of authority all without question and or concern...
The door is open, for those fiscal charlatans who steal from the church, mishandle and misappropriate funds, and have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, to simply CONTINUE their sins and unlawful enterprises, under the name Church Of God In Christ, Supt. Elder, Bishop, Evangelist, and or Missionary all with the approval of inept and disassociated policy and exceptions approved at the highest levels within this church.
This is to our SHAME and to the utter disgust of those of us who know that this church deserves a much better standing and position in this world than what we are seeing and experiencing.
COGIC, WE are deeply distressed and troubled by these actions and this lack of insight from those promoting policy!
COGIC WE are troubled by this lack of concern for those who have been truly victimized and suffered at the hands of charlatans!
COGIC WE need to be ministered to if we think that promoting protections for clergy who have defiled themselves with the rudiments of this world and who make sport of manipulating the minds of the people, are anything that God is pleased with and that can be used by HIM in this last day!
Matthew 7:5 ~ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Larry Stockstill was introduced to an auditorium of nearly 5,000 COGIC clergy at the 2013 Holy Convocation for a singular purpose. That purpose was to promote the message of his book, "The Remnant, Restoring The Call To Personal Integrity" and to reach COGIC clergy calling them to greater integrity and accountability. On pg. 15 of his book he says:
"The world looks upon the church's abuse of authority and the lack of accountability as the ultimate hypocrisy."
We know that nobody and no organization upon the Earth is perfect. We and they all suffer from some malady. However, those of us who know Christ and claim to be HIS, have an obligation to Jesus to protect the flock of God, care for souls above all other things and to live what we preach. We MUST do much better than what we have done. We have no excuse for this mess, what we have allowed and what we are promoting now!
To allow, the potential that the ungodly will sneak in or continue to abide by their ungodliness, and stand in our name and pulpits with some sort of credibility is without conscious. It is the highest impiety possible to open the door to the fold, placing wolves in the middle of the flock and then closing the door, saying that "this is good for the sheep!"
Those are not the actions of the caring or those commissioned to Christ. Those are the actions of men who love their own bellies and are full of the fat of their sins!
May the Lord have mercy upon HIS people and the Remnant of this church!
Blessed!
Question: If women are engaging in consensual sex with the pastor or bishop, how can they then come back and sue for money, and why would those women be owed anything? It seems as if those women aren't "victims", but rather gold diggers.
ReplyDeleteI agree that consensual sex shouldn't be compensated, but what I am referring to is situations where women have been taken advantage of either by force or manipulation such as molestation etc. Then there are some women who have been manipulated into sexual arrangements and agreements. The power of control is dangerous especially when mixed with money and perceived power. On top of that some of these folk think folk should just "understand" as they describe their liaisons in which they go with multiple women and use them for their sexual perversion.
ReplyDeleteThe church hasn't commissioned anyone to do that, but some of them start off as a representative of the church and use their position as a "door opener" to do their dirty deeds. That appears to be the problem.
Now, some have said that the 2 for 1 deal is not authorized by the General Assembly...Well then we must have a well known Jurisdictional Bishop lieing regarding the information he and his jurisdiction has received regarding the collection of national report money in 2014 and how back due payments will be applied and the background check circumvented...As they have circulated to ALL of their Jurisdiction, he is either lieing or stupid....to which I say, if he is lieing, how is he profited when the people pay and fin out that his words are false?
ReplyDeleteThe General Assembly may not have anything to do with it. it could be, as it seems, authorized by the General Board or those in charge of finance. I don't know, but if the Bishop is lieing, then what advantage will he actually have? This could be an issue of epic proportions.
Personally, knowing the Bishop as I do, he DID NOT lie about the direction he has been given and what I affirm in this post is exactly the case...Now are we trying to say the people are dumb and don't understand? There too, I take issue with that as well...
Let's see what comes out and where this "directive" actually came from
Now what does manipulation mean? I remember when the Eddie Long fiasco broke out, terms like "manipulated" kept being thrown around liberally. In that case though, the manipulation turned out to be Eddie Long giving those young men gifts and money and the young men willingly accepting these gifts and doing sexual favors for Eddie Long in order to keep the money coming. They could have refused the gifts and money and refused to have anything to do with Eddie Long. I know they were 17 and 18, but come on, that's plenty old enough to know whether you are homosexual or heterosexual and to know that you are performing sexual favors in exchange for cash and gifts. They weren't "children" as the media tried to portray them as. If they would have robbed a bank and shot someone, they'd be adults. Why do they get to be "children" in that case?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that in many cases like those where one party claims to have been coerced or manipulated into a sexual relationship, it usually involves them accepting cash and gifts and then when the goodies stop,or when they find out that they aren't the only one's getting the cash and gifts like they thought the party claims to have been somehow forced to do something they didn't want to do. Like in Bishop Long's case.
I just think some women try to game the system. Think about it, when a woman uses her beauty and feminine wiles to get money out of men, are they regarded as "predators" or are they accused of theft or extortion? But if a man uses his money or social status to get sex out of a woman, it's rape and she's a victim. There are women who dangle the hope of sex in front of a man's face to get him to spend money on them with the intention of not sleeping with that man all along. And once they get what they want pretend they didn't know what the man wanted. She's not regarded as a thief and the man is not regarded as a victim, but a sucker and a fool.
There was a woman in Australia who accepted $200,000 from a man she knew, all the while he was thinking they were in a relationship. Come to find out, he proposed marriage and she looks at him like she has no idea what time it is. She said she thought they were "just friends".
Many of these women who cry victim aren't victims when the pastor is spending money on them an buying them stuff. They become victims when he decides to try and end the cash and gifts, when they find out they aren't the only woman, or when they find out the pastor isn't really going to leave his wife.
I hope you have success in helping those who are truly victims though and can screen out those who are just digging for gold.
I would suggest that manipulation in these sort of cases means that someone has used or abused their position of power and authority in one or both of 2 ways. First they have presented themselves to care for something that they don't. In other words they have said, "I care for your soul" when the evidence points to the contrary. They care about themselves. Secondly, they have received something that they should not have. They have been the recipient of worship, when that worship should have been directed towards God. Now, I am not talking about "compliments". I am talking about taking the accolade placed upon them and basking in it, telling themselves, that the world (in this case the church or whoever they attend to) is there for them and their benefit.
DeleteSome of these folk feel that they are entitled to illicit relationships and illicit sexual encounters as some sort of payment from God for their suffering. All of these self serving type of attributes and desires lend into what "manipulation" is.
This is taking the mind where it shouldn't. Demanding of the body what it is not supposed to give. Placing desire for something in front of someone until they covet it, want it and think they need it.
Monica Lewinski was a perfect example of someone manipulated. Yes, she was of age. Yes she had her faculties and common sense and even knew what she was doing, yet and still, she was manipulated by a President (power, position, accolade and relevance) and she yielded herself to a foolish man who IF he was not manipulative, would have redirected her desires to purity and right.
So that is manipulation. As a pastor, I have an obligation and a duty to redirect those that come with the wrong expectations. Am I foolish enough to think that everyone listening to me is thinking spiritual thoughts? My job is to not give birth to those thoughts that are wrong and ungodly and redirect them as they come out and come to light. To do anything less is manipulation.
I don't discount anything you say FM. There are certainly gamers out there. I know some who only want what they want to open a floodgate of cash and to manipulate the situation in a man's life. They want to extort him and they use sex to do it. Yes this exists...
DeleteI recently talked to one who sent letters to the Bishops when the Bishop she slept with 20 years ago went up for a higher position in the church. She took her role as some "righteous" fighter for truth...She was FAR from it...She recounted to me that she was a woman basically hanging out when the preachers came into town. Then evidently she had more than one of them sexually and ended up having a baby by this one. Although he paid her the agreed upon child support for years, she wasn't happy and wanted an adjustment in amount.
Now, she felt he had done her wrong because he didn't have relationship with the child and yet doesn't. She wanted this man to have a "daddy son" relationship with his sin that she was well aware of getting into as well. So she wanted to talk and tell the story of how wrong of a man he was.
Well first, she certainly wasn't right because she is and was a religious groupie looking for the next person to lay her down. She didn't care whether he was married or not, and in fact wanted a married man. She could manipulate the situation better. She used her son and the situation for her benefit. That was manipulation.
A real woman would have first repented. She never did repent, and refused to hear that she had any part in the wrongdoing or the shortchanging of her son's life. To her, it was all him, because he "knew better"...I agree, he should have known better, but she was a grown woman, in control of her body, passions and feelings. A saved women KNEW that hanging out waiting for preacher's attention is ungodly and not what should be done. So that spoke as to the type of person she was and what was in her heart.
Sad thing is, just like she learned it from someone, there are still those teaching the same sad lessons. Then there are still those weak men, looking for relevance with anybody so tough that they will eat this type of thing up, thinking that they are some great wonder...when they are NOTHING, but a piece of bread brought to nothing by a whorish woman.(Prov.6:26)..sad but true!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_FOWZNDgx8
ReplyDeleteThis is the story from Australia.
OK, now here is the real...First COGIC has no vendor for the background check. If a person is a new pastor, they are under this requirement, so they have to pay for their own and bring it to officials. Problem ONE.
ReplyDeleteSecond, they have a sort of "grandfathering clause" in the background check. The "practice" is that if you have been a pastor or credential holder in the church, all you have to do is pay credential holder fees current to avoid the background check. This is what has been and is being practiced without question and COGIC ain't refunding no money because people don't have their background check and sexual harassment training in order. In fact the "training" is a self administered training that has no outside or third party certifications.
This is the most sick and ill thing I have ever heard...A "mandatory" background check that really isn't mandatory and a self training that is geared toward how to avoid lawsuits...
Does ANYONE in the peanut gallery think that's OK?
I know you don;t want to ascribe your name to it...but consider this...Can God even use you with your SCARED self??? Who do you serve. God or man? What have these folk done for and or to you that makes you worship and reverence as if God himself dwells in Memphis or St. Louis, or Los Angeles?
God is EVERYWHERE and what is wrong is wrong, whether it is COGIC wrong, Baptist wrong, Apostolic wrong, or independent wrong....All ungodliness is SIN.
Get it right!