Hello and Welcome...

It has come to our recent attention that this blog was spoken of in a member's meeting this weekend. It seems the senior pastors are refusing to read the blog. This of course is no surprise. This is a problem that has been discussed many times and this statement only confirms that this problem is still there. Whenever someone points out problems and faults at LFF, they are ignored. The senior pastors acknowledging this place, yet ignoring these hurts and problems grieves us. We had hoped their silence meant they knew not of this place. Instead they choose to turn away, effectively burying their heads in the sand. If I close my eyes will it go away? No!!! Ignorance brings no resolution, it only salts these wounds. The more involved members are even told not to come here at all. "It will only make you mad," they say. So not only is ignorance proclaimed in member's meeting it is discipled to the likes of the CCF band. What an odd thing to disciple.

We have seen a large spike in our page loads and can only attribute that to the new audience generated by this recent member’s meeting. We have received several e-mails today from current members relating their own pains and struggles as they continue their relationship with LFF. Out of respect to their requests we will not post these but we thank you for the support. We love hearing everyone’s thoughts, whether or not you agree; that is why this place is here. So far we have received overwhelming support, yet there has to be those out there who feel otherwise and we welcome your thoughts too. Your silence thus far is truly fascinating. If you are new here, you can easily add a comment in the comment box or e-mail it to the address provided on the side of the site.

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Segue…

To the Leadership of LFF:
Please allow us to once again try and explain to you what is happening here. For many years you have hurt hundreds of members in the name of God. This has been done through twisting Scriptures, manipulation, ungodly anger, double-standards, and countless other specific wrongs. For this, you claim no wrong! Your apology is a feeble “We are sorry you feel that way.” And as the hurting struggle, you heap upon them guilt, shame and insults, publicly disgracing them and calling to question their credibility.

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We receive many questions and stories about the control and manipulation that takes place at LFF. We have also addressed these things to the leadership in countless meetings for many years. Every time, these grievances were denied as lies and we would feel your wrath for not sharing the same vision of the church. Fortunately, you can no longer deny this, or anything else, behind closed doors. On this site are many readers and many of them still attend. The manipulation and control at LFF is wrong!!!! Though you have been alerted to this many times you have done nothing but shoot the messenger. Changes have been superficial attempts to spruce up the image but the root of the problem has yet to be changed.

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We have published this blog for two months. Each day the number of emails we receive increases. Since the first post we have had a total of 36 posts by almost as many unique authors. We currently receive more e-mails to post than we can keep up with and have debated posting twice a day. As you proceed through each post on here you will see there are over 200 comments. Though we assume some people have commented more than once; it is clear there is a wide array of contributors here. This site is not just authored by a couple of disgruntled members who had personality conflicts, but by a variety of members. This ranges from members who have not yet left, to members who have been gone for many years. And the voice of many is the same; “LFF has destroyed innocent trust through an ungodly manipulation of people for the personal gain of the leadership.” I have been there when this has happened and anyone who speaks out is written off as a loony, or just a sinner who must be turned over to Satan. The truth of the matter is that most of us are in churches and Jesus is becoming more real to us every day as he heals our wounds and helps us to trust again.

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We are not a small angry mob with a personal vendetta against LFF. We are the throngs of people that were hurt by the wrongs of LFF leadership. We echo the concerns of hundreds and hundreds who have left when their voices were heard no more. So no, we are not a band of “cult” labeling church haters seeking media attention in hopes of bringing down the big bad wolf. We are your friends, your family members, members of leadership, and God loving people who have been set free from the abuses of LFF. Yet, for some reason the leadership has immediately denied our hurts and is now advising current members to stay away. THIS IS A RED FLAG!!!

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Why? We only speak the truth; a truth you say is distorted by emotional wounds. Yet to acknowledge these wounds only adds to the credibility of those who carry them. You caused these wounds and now seek to silence the crying. What are you so afraid of? Let people read and let them make up their own minds. If these claims are false then let them read and they will become more loyal and a closer knit group. If this is truly persecution then you will only benefit from our words as they cause a banding together by your sheep. But, if they are true then is it not right to let them know? The truth shall set you free and if there is no truth on these pages your cause will be vindicated and your member’s loyalty strengthened.

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Throughout history one of the most infamous techniques used to control people has been censorship. It has had a long history in the church as well as most dictatorships and abusive forms of governments. Here are some highlights. (I'll keep this relatively short but if you would like more information on any situation there are plenty of resources.)

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In 1517 Martin Luther posted his ninety-five thesis on the on the door of a catholic church. The big complaint was that because most people could not read, the priests were lying to their church members and telling them that buying indulgence was the only way to heaven. Luther posted his thesis to shed light on the lies of the religious authorities. For his revelation, he was cast into exile and became an outlaw. In the end many people saw the truth and an entire denomination came about because someone spoke up.

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There are countless other examples within the church and there are those beyond the church. In the political realm, we see Communist Russia which had a very strict censorship policy that was used to enforce a communistic regime. In 75 short years Russia became poor and weak. The control they attempted to exert brought a mighty nation to its knees.

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In Iraq, we saw the same thing. With only one news station controlled by one man, many people believed he was the greatest and that he protected and provided for them. In truth many of us have a better quality of life and know what a leader should be able to give and we were not fooled for a minute. How many times have we watched the news and thought, "Wow life will be better for them now that they are not being used for the gain of Saddam Hussein."

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So to the leadership, there is nothing to fear and no need to steer others from this place. It will only strengthen their relationship to LFF or help them move on to a better environment. It is a true win-win situation for you and your members. And to those of you who are reading for the first time, take this all in with an open mind. Don’t let anyone tell you how to interpret this; that is why we have the Holy Spirit. If questions arise, seek their answer in the Bible. Our only intent here is to help. Lest you think otherwise, we seek not to destroy LFF. We simply hope to help in this healing process and pray His comfort for every member, past and present.