Monday, October 31, 2005

Know The Truth (email)

After hearing (Oct, 2005) about leaders at LFF trying to suppress someones contact with those who have left, this hit me.
What could be a corollary to:

"And you shall know the truth,. and the truth will set you free," John 8:32?

What if you don't know the truth? What could that make that person?

Like the young elephant kept and limited by chaining it to a stake, the lack of knowing the truth when it's older and much stronger keeps it not free. At will the mature elephant could break free but doesn't. The same chain or even rope keeps the older powerful creature from being free but the tether does not represent truth. It represents simple control.

Those who don't know the truth are said to be in the dark and in some cases maybe captive.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free".

I have many deep injuries and painful memories from my experiences at LFF.
But though His grace and time, I'm being healed.
LFF is not the first LFF. There are several books written about such experiences.

I'm not trying to minimize the pain you feel.
I don't know how to fix the broken marriages, recover the years of lost family or the abuses done in the name of God.
I've heard the bitter tears of mothers who lost their dreams.
These two sentences don't even scratch the stories of pain and abuses or offer any justice.
But I do trust that God is the final judge and things will be leveled in the end.

Jesus said: Luke 4:18
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed

Jesus came to do more than just forgive of our sins. His healing the blind or feeding the 5000 speak to something more. Those have little to do with forgiveness. To heal the brokenhearted speaks of restoring the heart. At LFF it was the hearts and motives that were often assaulted by the leadership. Since most every person knows their own faults. It's an easy trap to fall into. I see my faults, they tell me I'm bad, I must be bad. Many were held by such condemnation.

So human heart can be broken or Christ wouldn't have said, He sent me to mend hearts. (again Luke 4:18)
Many of you have broken hearts, you came to LFF with them from how your parents did or didn't treat you or you were born and raised there. Maybe your heart was broken through a failed relationship or any of the other deep confusing blows this world offers tender hearts.

"And you shall know the truth,. and the truth will set you free".
"Above all else, guard your heart...
"He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,"

One of many books that have been helpful to me since leaving LFF has been, Waking the Dead. It speaks to the issues of the heart. It might help you put the LFF experience into perspective, correct some of it's doctrines and give you a vision of healthy fellowship.

The Father cares about you. He cares about your heart.

May your heart be tended by the Father's love, may you be healed in His timing and may His truth set you free.

In His Grace
With love to you,
A fellow sojourner

If you would like to dialog about this, please send email to fellow_sojourner@comcast.net
It will be treated anonymously, tenderly and privately, your heart has been burned enough already.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Thoughts...from the comment box

For me the simplest terms for the failure of the pastors at LFF is incredible arrogance and willful disregard for fellow humans. I believe the these two things have blinded them to the truth about themselves and what they have done. It has led them down a path where they have mistreated people and been part of a huge deception which involved ungodly relationships and the financial/administrative intergrity of the church leadership.

But, they still can't see it. They still don't get it. They still think they are right. They still think they understand and have answered all the people who have tried so hard, to tell them in so many ways, that these two issues have got to change. They still believe they have more integrity than all the rest of us. Even when we have watched and identified, to them, the lies.

There was/is a horrendous lack of humility about who they are and what capabilities they possess. Both the founding and current pastors (this refers to husband and wife teams) have a deeply ingrained belief that they possess more discernment, more wisdom, more skills and more compassion than the rest of the kingdom of God combined. I am not trying to be sarcastic. This is not an exaggeration about what they have stated about themselves. If you were there, you know what I mean.

Unfortunately, most of us were required to believe it, or at least submit to it (since it was not believable) in order to continue doing what we believed was "living for God".

Most spiritual insight, acute intellect, exceptional giftings or acts of kindness displayed by those beneath them had to be quickly quashed or shut down by their harsh criticism in order to keep people down under the "esteemed" roles of leaders.

Not to say encouragement didn't happen. If you were one of the "chosen" or if you were needed for some special project at hand you might receive some encouragement. Remember, I am talking about specific leaders. There was lots of encouragement among peers and friends. It wasn't a totally cold and hard place or none of us would've stayed.

Those with the courage to challenge the leaders or even ask innocent questions were also berated into submission or "squeezed out" of the fellowhip.

Because of this arrogance they never really submitted to any checks and balances for themselves. There were token balances of power presented to the congregation, but we did not know they were only "token" until much later.

These leaders also believed they "loved the deepest and the best" of anyone in the kingdom. Sadly, it's just not true. They were always amazed by the number of people who were hurt in their wake by their callous treatment inputed to those "under" them. They always answered in such a way to make the follower feel like they had sinned by being hurt. "You did not understand me or my heart or my wisdom" or "this is just how ministry training works."

Even though much has changed on the surface at LFF, and these are good changes, the two core issues haven't. The changes that have happened came more in a sense of acquiescing, "let's make it feel better and keep the people here". If these changes hadn't happened they would have lost the whole church at once, rather than the slow trickle now turning into a steady flow.

The amazing thing to me is that God has allowed them to remain blinded, deceived, or whatever word best describes it. They are sincere in their beliefs about themselves, their intentions and their actions. They really believe that we are a wicked web of disgruntled, back-biting, murmurers who don't have any merit and have turned our backs on them in their greatest time of need.

Incredibly, even in my own conversations with them (in the past year), they believe that "they"(LFF)are the only reason people have "become as good as they are" and that LFF doesn't get the "credit" they deserve for having "made these people who were nothing into something." They reminded me that I was included in the being "nothing" until they got ahold of me.

Well, I wasn't a nothing. I was a precious creation of God. A creation He delighted in. I was skilled, intelligent and great with people before LFF. A fallen creature, to be sure, but not one that lacked existence before my LFF experience. I was a Christian before. For those that got saved there, God could have used any instrument to draw you to Him. Know that LFF wasn't the key to your salvation, but His Spirit drawing you to Him was.

I think it is easier to identify what went wrong or is still wrong. But it is hard to put one answer out there for everyone who is hurting. There are many different types of experiences people had at LFF.

You have the PCS kids who didn't have a choice about growing up there. Their experience is very unique.

You have the parents who regret losing those child-rearing years and even some of the best years of their marriage.

You have those in the various mentoring/leadership programs.

You have those who were called "friends" by leadership and slaved for years to gain acceptance of those leadership "friends".

You have those men who were chosen by specific leaders for twisted soul relationships. These relationships warped even the marriages of those men to the point that their wives never fully owned their husbands in the way God intended.

You have those who were never high class enough to be acknowledged seriously by leadership but were valued for their labor.

There is not one pat answer to each group. I'm sure I don't have a complete list here. Some pain goes much deeper than others. Some can still relate to God, some can't. Some can forgive and just move on. Some can't. Some can leave LFF. Some can't. The problems are easy to see, the answers are not black and white. It does all stem from some disregard for fellow humans on some level.

Many of these people overlap into more than one group. These people served so faithfully, so willingly, so sacrificially, for so many years. They honestly loved each other very deeply. Yet they were made to feel they never quite cut it and still had so much sin and immaturity to get out of.

Many people gave everything. Yet these leaders still genuinely believe they have sacrificed more than anyone else. It's not a contest. I'm not trying to say who deserves what accolades. But for so many people to have poured out their lives and still be made to feel that all of this church mess is their fault and the leaders are innocent..... seems like the Bible holds the shepherds more accountable than the sheep.

I also need to say that all the hurt I may carry does not exempt me from my need for forgiveness and the precious blood of Christ. In the midst of the failure of these leaders, I was still a sinner who needed Jesus everyday. Still do. Not all of my problems stem from LFF.

In all fairness, maybe there is more understanding in the hearts of these leaders about what they have done. Maybe they have taken more responsibility before God. Maybe they see how they have treated those He gave them to care for. If this has happened, there will be evident fruit that follows such an understanding. There will be no question in any of our hearts if this ever happens. But, I can only hope and certainly can't stand around waiting for it.

Regardless, I want to live my life treating others with the dignity and respect they've earned just by being His creation. Beyond that to the greater commission, I want my life to reflect the great love He has for them to draw them to His salvation. I still want to stand before Him and hear Him say "Well Done".

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Time Cannot Erase (email)

My Immortal - Evanesence (song download)

I'm so tired of being here.
Suppressed by all my childish fears.
And if you have to leave,
I wish that you would just leave.
your presence still lingers here,
and it won't leave me alone.

These wounds won't seem to heal,
this pain is just too real,
there's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years.
But you still have...
All of me.

You used to captivate me by your resognating light,
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind.
Your face it haunts, my once pleasant dreams
Your voice has chased away all the sanity in me.

These wounds won't seem to heal,
this pain is just too real,
there's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years.
But you still have...
All of me.

I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone.
But though you're still with me,
I've been alone all along.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years.
But you still have...
All of me.

This lyrics to this song say it all for me. Living Faith Felloship has caused me many tears, countless nightmares and persistent depression. I want so bad to forget it all. No matter how hard I try, my mind is plagued with confusion. Why did these things have to happen? Can't it all be erased? Now looking back, I can see how bad it really was. When I left LFF I went straight into another abusive relationship. I continually struggle with issues of self-worth. This site has given me a glimmer of hope, but just a glimmer. If you are one who still believes in God and prayer…please pray for me.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

An outside observation (via e-mail)

I’m not a person who has ever gone to LFF, except for the occasional concert. I heard about this site from a former member who is now involved in another local church, but granted, this person didn’t grow up in Pullman or go to LFF for very many years.

I’m a pastor with curiosity. People who leave our church stop by and visit from time to time, without eggs, which I think is pretty normal…but I digress. I don’t pretend to know the experience you all have been through but judging from the visits and responses, the experience isn’t isolated. Which begs the questions “why” and “how” could things get this out of hand? If you were a pastor of church, what would you have done differently, sincerely? I’m sure these question are addressed somewhere, but I couldn’t navigate to the answer. I could make a wild guess at a few answers, but you know what assuming does. I ask these questions with respect, complete sincerity, and honesty. Love it or hate it, I want to learn from it. If a church has the ability to hurt that many people, I want to know what went wrong in simple terms as to never do the same.

On a side note, there have a been a lot of former LFFers come through, all with the same results: they left pretending like nothing was wrong, but about 6 months or so into going to a new church that wasn’t going to try to make decisions for them, they realized that their minds where like programmed to act, look, and think a certain way, but that “way” wasn’t really who they were. It was a façade. They where shocked to have their eyes opened, and most became very depressed because they questioned who they really where, and if, in fact, their faith was real at all, or if it was just part of the programming. It’s a sad thing to see people go from being ultra secure to ultra insecure in a matter of months, and not being able to do anything about it. …just thoughts from a outsider that’s been told the same story by different people coming from the same place.

As for me, my God is my God, and I’m glad to go to a place called church with people who believe in the same God. My God shapes my thoughts, not my church, and for that, I’m glad.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

How do I know? (email)

I had heard about this blog long before I ever decided to visit. I was kind of afraid to. When I left LFF I tried desperately to get out of Pullman and with no luck. For a while it was hard enough to drive by the church everyday, see people in the grocery store and have them go into outreach mode at light speed, to run into Kari Vance on the stairs as I went to check the mail for work one day, let alone to actually deal with the hurt that was inflicted on me while attending LFF. Visiting this site made me face the reality that I too had been hurt like all these other people and your stories are like my stories and your pain looks and feels a lot like mine. I realized that I could continue to deny that this all existed inside of me and deal with it subconsciously for the rest of my life or I could just have it out right here and now and do the best I could to sort through it and not let them continue to have this hold on me that they have had for so many years. I have chosen the later and the rougher of the two paths but I think that I will be glad in the end.

It has been a long time since I have read my bible, just as long since I have felt comfortable worshiping (which was the one thing that got me through an abusive childhood and gave me so much joy in my life at one time) and a while since I have been to a church. The thought of doing any of those things still make my stomach turn to knots. When I hurt, I write. I refuse to write in a notebook however. While I was thinking about trying to attend another church and how good it might be to make new friends and be able to put the past behind me and move on I began to realize how I was feeling and I put it into the words below in the form of poem or a song. It is written to the Body of Christ as a whole, not just to LFF, from someone hurt by a wolf in sheep's clothing. I hope that in some way just as many of your entries bring healing to me this finds its way into your hearts as well.

How do I know you won't hurt me anymore
How do I know you won't lie to my heart
How do I know I can trust you again
How do I love you through the pain

I gave you years of my life, handed you my heart
My dreams and my plans still no matter how much I gave
It was never good enough for you
So how do I know

Shards of hurt remain in my soul
I can't go a day without your memories
They flood my mind like your abuse once did
Only time can clean up your mess.
But how do I know

You were supposed to hold my hand
Help me up when I fell down
Protect me, guide me and keep me safe
I gave you what you wanted
And now you ask me for it again
Still how I do I know

How do I know you won't hurt me anymore
How do I know you won't lie to my heart
How do I know I can trust you again
How do I love you through the pain

Monday, October 24, 2005

Can You Answer These Questions? (via email)

Everyone has a story. Everyone has some (or many) painful examples to share. It is obvious how tightly woven together we were, and still are, because EVERYONE knows about this site!

Some simple thoughts, hopefully! First, there is no denying the pain expressed on this site. People are all at different levels dealing with and healing from the pain. God Bless us through it. But I feel the pain (even my own) is secondary to a very important consideration. I can’t tell you how many people - still at LFF or gone -have said, “I pray you are healed from your hurts and you are able to forgive.” Let’s be realistic. Forgiveness and hurt are not the primary issues here.

Integrity and truth are the ultimate issue. I spent years forgiving hurts that were put upon me, whether maliciously or unintentional. I’m sure others forgave me of hurts I inflicted on them. We were there and willing to overlook/forgive these pains (even when we recognized those inflicting them were seriously messed up) because we believed we were serving Jesus, His greater cause and we hoped for a great work to be accomplished at His hand.

IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT MY HEART FOR HIM WAS EXPLOITED BY LEADERS WHO DID NOT TELL ME THE TRUTH AND USED ME TO ADVANCE THEIR KINGDOM. Even as a member and then as part of the leadership team, I was not told the truth. I have quit beating myself up over “Why did I stay?” “Why did I waste my life there?” “I’m so stupid to have stayed!” Do I regret it, you bet. Do I wish I’d have done differently, uh huh! Do I think I am stupid. NO WAY. If I had known, I would have tried to bring change and then left earlier. In fact that is exactly how I left, just wish it would’ve been sooner. But do I know why I stayed? YES.

I trusted and believed there were checks and balances in place at levels of leadership to keep those aforementioned miscreants from coming into full power with their twisted sense of Christianity. I didn’t know that those at the top were the true masters of deception about how the church was managed and decisions made. There is no other way so many people, educated people, could have bought into this without trusting what they were told. But we didn’t know…. and I won’t carry the weight of guilt and shame for having tried to please Jesus.

The reason we trusted is simple…. Jesus and His Kingdom were used as leverage against us. How could we not believe they (the leaders) were giving all for Him, stewarding His kingdom and tapping into His wisdom? We were certainly working hard to do that ourselves. I still hope to be meeting that definition of Christendom according to the Bible. God, in His mercy, did bless many aspects of LFF but only because people with heart motives for Him gave so freely and willingly on His behalf. I also am convinced God brought to the leadership, both past and present, many opportunities to turn from their ways. I believe God would have blessed LFF mightily if they responded. I even stayed the last few years hoping for that change. Maybe God still would, but I don’t have as much hope for that as I once did.

I think everyone (especially those who remain) need to examine this list of questions. These are important to answer honestly about any leadership you would commit such loyalty to.

1. Do you trust Vances? Why or why not?

2. Do you trust what they say? Why or why not? What is that trust in their word based on?

3. Do you compare what they say to scripture? Why or why not?

4. Do you trust that they live by the same principles they teach? Why or why not?

5. Do you trust their representation of the Bardens? Why or why not?

6. Do you believe it’s ok for Vances or LFF to support the church in Port Ludlow in any way? Why or why not?

7. Do you trust their representation of their own marriage? Why or why not?

8. Do you trust their representation of their children? Why or why not?

9. Do you measure their pastoring against how scripture defines pastors? Why or why not?

10. Do you trust their representation of people who have left LFF? Why or why not?

11. Do you trust their representation of people who are still there? Why or why not?

12. Do you trust their representation on subjects brought up at members meeting? Are you aware of incidents where they did not accurately represent something you were part of, a meeting or an event? Are you aware of times when they sat silent while others shared inaccurately about incidents or events when they should have spoken up?

13. Do you know how decisions are made? Who has what authority to make what decisions? Are there any checks and balances? Why or why not? Do you know this based on their word or a proven and trackable record of decision-making?

14. Who decides how money is spent? Are there any checks and balances in the system? Why or why not? Is what you know just based on their word?

15. How are employees hired, treated and discharged? Who makes these decisions?

16. Who do the Vances seek out for their own advisory needs – personally and on behalf of the church? Do they seek this advice together as a couple?

17. Do the Vances have measurable job descriptions? Are you constantly feeling like they are soooo busy and such victims of the transition? Why or why not?

18. What role does Kari have, what is her authority and why?

19. If you are asked to participate in a “covenant” “core” or “commitment” relationship, what is the definition? What are the leaders responsibility to you in that? Is it primarily one way? Read Malachi 2:1-9

20. Do you feel Vances are qualified leaders you can follow or people you must continue to support because they’ve been so beat up?

Some may think these questions are not anyone’s business. But God’s Word makes plain the role and responsibility of pastors. They must give account to their congregation when their lives do not match up with God’s instructions. It is not wrong for those under their care to judge in this way. If you bring it to their attention, and then feel your own conscience is violated to continue to support them, you are free before God to get out!

This again is not about forgiveness. God does require us to forgive and that usually takes a lot of His help! For many people, forgiveness is a continual process. But even once we forgive, He does not require us to trust, agree, support, or get right with those we have conflict with once it is established that you cannot be reconciled.

There is no way God is going to hold me as accountable for my part at LFF as He will hold accountable the Pastor’s who knew (that is key since many of the pastoral staff were kept in the dark) what they were doing and why.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Reasons

Due to recent comments, it appears there are some questions as to the reasons for this place. These questions are both valid and deserve answers. This place exists for many reasons. A summary of these reasons is listed in the user profile. Nevertheless, this may be unclear to some. We have many hopes for the outcome of this site but the way this is received is beyond our control. We all come here for many reasons, and it would be impossible for us to summarize these reasons here. However, we can share our intents with this place.

We do not consider ourselves enlightened or above any of the current members. Nor do we feel they are blind by their continued involvement. Many people have had many different experiences with LFF and many of those were nothing but good. Yet, it is the bad experiences, the ones that derail a person's relationship with God that we are speaking out against. We have seen many, many people hurt by LFF and this place is an attempt to stymie these wrongs. We did not create this blog to broadcast the sins of the pastors to the world and we hope this interpretation was not made by anyone.

What happened and is happening at LFF was and is wrong. Unfortunately, hundreds have tried to point this out and in doing so have been silenced, ridiculed, and pushed out. Hence, this site. The truth can be silenced no more. We have come here to speak out against the abuse. Obviously, words lose meaning as they are more frequently used. So we do not throw "abuse" around lightly. People have been emotionally, spiritually, and verbally abused at LFF. THIS IS WRONG. It is equally wrong to allow this to continue to take place without speaking up. These abuses are anything but Biblical, even a non-Christian would label these as wrong. Yet they continue to take place. And it is breaks our heart each time a newly bruised person leaves LFF and in some cases rejects God.

We realize this place is controversial to many. It is hard to hear that these things have gone on in your church. This hardship is magnified if you have not experienced these things first hand. It was said by the senior pastor recently, "There are lots of people out there with opinions." And that is true, anyone with an opinion, a keyboard, and a little know-how can broadcast their thoughts to the world. Yet this is more than just a few people with opinions. This has become a collection of well documented facts as to the reason this pain exists. These things happened and continue to happen. It is not just my opinion that these wrongs are taking place, it is a fact. In the same way, it is not my opinion that New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, it is a fact. My opinion on the Hurricane's destruction matters not, it happened.

We truly hope to help the hurting. In this place they have found a voice. Not only have they found a place to share their hurt, they have for the first time, found an ear. It would be easy to label this all as bitterness, but that label is mistaken. It is wrong to silence the hurting and call the causes of their pain false. So no, we write not from bitterness, but from hope.

To some, this is a place of healing, to some a place of hope, to others this is thought provoking and we like that. For many of us it was hard to leave the abuse and manipulation because we knew not what awaited us beyond the walls of LFF. What we have found is so much better. We have found Jesus in a new way, we have found genuine acceptance and love. This acceptance relies not on our performance or action, we have found acceptance for who we are.

So again, this place is here to speak out against the wrong, lend hope and healing to the hurting, and perhaps, show those who are afraid to leave, there is hope. It is not our goal to empty LFF of all its members, or to remove those in authority. Sadly, our words may never cause the abuse to stop but we hope those who are still there will be helped by our words. We think no less of those who remain and realize many are well aware of these wrongs and remain in hopes of ushering in change. We were there once too and even our best efforts were met with the stiffest of resistance. Your continued involvement shows true dedication and should be applauded.

And on a slightly different note we have some comments on commenting. As was said before, we cannot control what anyone says in the comment box. That is the point of the commenting feature here and we in no way wish to censor the thoughts of any writer. Anyone is free to say anything they want and remain anonymous if they wish. We will only remove comments that are vulgar, severely inappropriate, or have outbound links to objectionable material. This has always been our policy and we have only removed one comment from the hundreds posted.

Though we will not edit comments we will extend this thought. It is said, "You attract more bees with honey than vinegar." This seems very applicable to commenting. It is easy to write personal attacks on people who don't agree. In fact, all points of view are encouraged here. But, for the most part, we are all Christians. So, though you are free to say ANYTHING you want, tact is encouraged. Especially when commenting to current members. If you attack anyone, the last thing they will do is see your point of view. They will quickly retreat and put up their best defenses. But, if you present your thoughts logically, tactfully, and in humility, you are more likely to be heard. Perhaps the point is, if there is no bitterness here, it makes it more difficult to label our thoughts as that. Ok, sorry for the soapbox, just some thoughts.

In conclusion (welcome words at the end of a long sermon) thank you all again. We cannot say it enough, Everyone's involvement here is greatly appreciated. We are literally getting over a thousand pageloads a day. We know not what the future holds for this project but we are encouraged by your comments and e-mails. We have even seen one former member make steps back toward God because of what they read here and that in itself makes this all worthwhile.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The Truth About Me

(e-mail submission)

You persuaded me
To believe a lie
You said it was the truth
You said I was nothing without you
Worse yet, I was loathsome
No one could love me,
employ me,
marry me
If it wasn’t for you

You said all the good in me
Was because of you
For many years I believed you
I dared not disagree
I spent my best years toiling
At a harrowing pace
I paid my toll to you

You wounded me
To make yourself look good
I thought: “I must really be that bad.
I must be defective.”
Even though in God’s word
I found a different truth
The truth about me

But according to you
I wasn’t qualified
To recognize truth in the scriptures
That right was reserved
For the anointed ones
The ones with all the power to shame
And shame me they did

Even after I left your clutches
I showed you fierce loyalty
I paid you my dues
I gave you the credit
Because I still believed your lies
You were still the reason
For all the good in me

Until one day when a crack appeared
A crack in the mighty façade
A crack that soon became
A giant chasm
I started to see
The truth shining through
The truth that confirmed
What I had long been feeling inside

The truth is you were wrong
You lied to my face
You said you all believed the same thing
But it wasn’t true, was it
Your anointed ones had disagreed
Many times they tried to correct your errors
But you would have none of it
So they kept up the façade

You were wrong about me
I am not bad or defective
I don’t have to work so hard
To earn respect or favor
It wasn’t your greatness
That made me worthy of love

The truth about me
Is that I am loved and lovable
People like me today
I like me
People liked me years ago
Before I met you

No, it couldn’t be you
That makes me worthy
But you fooled me for a time
Today I will believe
The truth about me

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Rebuttals

It seems this place is becoming read by more people everyday. We truly can not believe the response and are shocked by how many people continue to visit this place. It is not only frequented by us, the former members, but by those who are still there. We hope those who remain see the true motives here and take this at face value. However, it seems that in typical LFF fashion, the arguments are forming and lines are being drawn. As usual, those on the inside, are making more indelible, this line that separates them from us. And behind that line, the rebuttals are taking shape.

Now, it is not our desire to be hostile or create any animosity towards the truth by those who remain. Yet we feel it our duty to address the most common arguments making their rounds in the inner circles of LFF. Unfortunately, these are the same tactics LFF has always employed and these methods truly attest to the lack of change there. We have been fortunate enough to maintain many relationships with those who still attend. They have been informative and have been forthcoming with their own questions as well as that which is being said to discredit the truths of these pages.

It is not our desire to tell anyone how to think; instead we hope, in presenting the facts logically, people will be enabled to make their own logical decisions. It is so hard when you are surrounded by an environment that exerts so much control to see anything else. And that, among other things has been the reason for this place. We do not, now, consider ourselves enlightened or above those who remain. We instead, wish only to show the words here as fact and realize that unless you have experienced the things being discussed here, our words may seem esoteric. As this post unfolds we will attempt to address the arguments coming from current members.

The first argument is a classic. Not in the sense of timelessly good; instead it is so inadequate an argument it has a name. It is a fallacy, a mistake so huge it is taught to every entry level philosophy student as simply deplorable. Again the leadership is employing ad hominem arguments. Unfortunately, these arguments are at best, foolish. They are a personal attack that is irrelevant to the arguments on the table. Though this has been addressed in several places on this blog, LFF is again reverting to that which they have always known. So please, we beg of those listening to these arguments, disregard them.

First of all, the LFF leadership does not know who is maintaining this blog. Sure there are guesses, but they are just that; guesses. Besides not knowing who the administrators are, almost all of the comments and e-mails are posted anonymously. Sure the pastors are familiar with the more detailed e-mails, one author even intended that. But to throw out every hurt, every pain, and every tear because someone questions the authors’ character would be a mistake. Don’t let personal attacks on a writer blind you from the truth.

The next argument they present is in part, the reason why many of us have left. The fact that this rebuttal would be used to render the words of this site meaningless is reprehensible. Yet this is indeed the case. The statement goes as follows, “Most of the things discussed on this blog happened in the past, under the former senior pastors. LFF has changed and the new pastors are running things differently.” This is, to put it mildly, a lie. A majority of the administrators, and I would venture to say, at least half of the readers, left long after “the baton was passed.” Why? Because it is still the same abusive environment it has always been. There is one person in particular who was and is more duplicitous, abusive, and manipulative than the former pastors ever were.

The current senior pastors would like you to believe that there have been changes, and to a certain extent, there have. Yet, no change has come to the underlying problem and therefore, the manipulation, abuse, and lies continue. I am the most recently departed on this team here and I left four years after the “mantle” was passed on. By the current senior pastors, I have been lied to, put out, and degraded by numerous bouts of “righteous” anger. This is in no way unique to my situation. If one takes a moment to reflect on the people who have left since the transition, it is more than clear that the problems still exist.

Pastors, PCL’s, CCL’s, HCL’s (I know there are cell groups now) and church employees have all left under the new leadership’s watch. Why? Because of past hurts? In some cases; yes. But in many cases it was due to the fact that the current senior pastors are just as oblivious to the pain they inflict as their predecessors. They are unable to admit they have done wrong and when confronted, in love, with their failures, they incredulously deny the obvious truth.

Yet another argument is evidenced in the questions of a current member to a WSU psychology professor. People seem to feel the accounts and details on this site are exaggerated and tainted by emotional wounds. (It is interesting how LFF generally discredits the teachings of the psychology department. Yet, when the thoughts of a professor, unfamiliar with the details, seem agreeable, they form the basis of yet another shoddy rebuttal….)

**********************QUESTION********************************
I am not a student, just a Pullmanite with a thought that's been bugging me, and I am curious to know if there have been any studies on it, or if it's common knowledge and I just don't know it. =) I wasn't sure how to find out, it's a bit too complex for a Google search, so I thought I'd just ask one of the professors in town, and your description seemed most like the question I have. I understand professors are very busy, so if you are not able to answer for awhile (or at all), I will understand completely. Since I am not a student or a colleague of yours, I expect you to treat my question as a low priority. =)
Okay, my question concerns the reliability of a person's memory as concerns traumatic events in their life. Meaning: say a person goes through an event that either seemed or was indeed offensive, abusive, or traumatic for them. It seems from what I've seen, that if the person does not "come to terms" with the event, or is not "reconciled" with the people or institution who caused the pain, then their re-telling of the event is often exaggerated, and made to sound worse than it actually was. In other words, can a person be trusted to relate the story with objective accuracy, if they still feel the pain of the wound? A second part to my question is this: when people do exaggerate a negative event, do they do so knowingly, to garner more sympathy, or have their memories really been corrupted, to believe the exaggeration?
**************************RESPONSE************************************
Thanks for your email. I'd be happy to try and answer your question. Reliability of memory is a funny thing. If 10 people witness a car accident and report it to police, the police tend to 10 related but differing reports. What this means is that each of us experiences the world differently. As a result we all have different interpretations and memories of an event. Hence, what psychologist have found is that the "accuracy" of a memory is less important than a person's "perception" of the event.
Some people are able to cope with traumatic things quite easily, others have a more difficult time. Moreover, some may be affected by events for years or even a lifetime. For example, many WWII veterans have remained affected by their war experiences for 60+ years. For people who are strongly affected by an event or a part of their life, there are several approaches to helping them overcome those traumas. The goal is not to forget the events but to reduce how much anxiety, anger, frustration, or sadness they feel when they think of the event. The key to treatment is that the person want to deal with their feelings. Interestingly, though we might expect that no-one in their right mind would want to continue feeling upset by things long past, many people are not willing to accept treatment - either because they don't think it will work, they don't want to put in the effort, or they don't want to have to deal directly with the thing that upsets them. Those who care about them can help by finding treatment, giving them emotional support such as letting them know that it will be tough but that they will be there for them, and - in tougher cases - by carefully asking the person about why they want to continue living with these feelings and how it fits in with their life (this is a leverage technique since most people will acknowledge that they don't want to live with such feelings).
In answer to your second question, there is attention that comes with feeling bad. For example, if you have a friend who has a cold but hides it, you tend to give them less sympathy. But, if that friend "appears" very sick, you are more likely to give them more attention. The same is true for these negative feelings. However, traumatic memories - based on real or exaggerated events - are common and hence, there are a lot of treatment options. There are many local psychologists right here in Pullman who can help with such things. Hope this helps and thanks for the question.
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Washington State University

Interesting point. There is definite validity to the statement above, but without the supporting details this rationale truly has no grounds here. It is both short-sighted and cold to call the events here “exaggerated.” It would be easy to believe this if you have not experienced the abuse at the hands of the senior pastors. For, the events that have transpired between sheep and shepherd are so outrageous, they seem completely false. Nevertheless, that is not the case. I know not how many more accounts, comments, e-mails and heartaches need posting before some will see the validity of these things. Being that I, and all of the team members here have experienced first hand, the travesties posted here, I can assure you these accounts are fact.

As administrators, we have opted to keep most specifics under wraps. The details posted by others and from e-mails are graphic enough and should serve as ample evidence. Sadly, if any single administrator were to post a list of specifics, it would be even harder for those who doubt these events to see their truth. In many of our cases, the specifics are beyond comprehension. Though they happened to us and unfolded before our own eyes, it is still difficult to believe these things could have ever taken place. Again, ambiguity, but the truth can at times be too shocking. Thus, exaggeration is the furthest thing from the truth. Instead, we have taken the opposite approach and done our best candy coat events, lending diplomacy to our writing for fear of being labeled liars. As was said by an e-mailer, if we could walk you through this entire blog with a highlighter, we could show you specifics that we have witnessed first hand. And in these specifics are no exaggerations. So, please, don’t ascribe these accounts to misinterpretations and exaggerations. That only deepens the wounds of the hurting.

We are not seeking anyone’s sympathy. We don’t write these facts or recount our pains for the condolences of the public. Instead, this is our humble attempt at lending a voice to that which has been ignored for far too long. We seek not the sympathy of strangers or the reassurances of some digital world, we only desire the truth be known. To exaggerate the events related here would be pointless, a true waste of all of our time. It is sickening that any reader would assume embellishment on the part of the authors. This becomes even more disturbing when people are searching for the ability to forgive and trust again. There is a genuine desire for healing expressed on these pages and for someone to come along and label the wounds of the recovering as bigger than life is detrimental to this process.

Then there are the most vexing statements from the pastors. “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. The people writing here obviously have grievances and they need to go talk to the person who has offended them.” Really? You read your Bible and felt lead to apply that wisdom here? How sad. It is obvious this site is not vengeful. That is not the point here. People are only relating truths; they are naming pains and hoping to help others. Yet, some pastor, someone who thinks they have a deeper understanding of human motive, labels this as vengeful. Since when is healing vengeful; have you even read anything written here? This site contains pages and pages of truth; there are no malicious intents here. To label this as vengeful or hateful is childish. It is nothing but a meager attempt to derail the truth with inapplicable Scripture. It is not our desire to “dethrone” the pastors; it is our desire to state the truth. We hope to help the hurting and save others from the same. To sit by and watch these things continue to happen would be shirking our duty before God.

As for talking about grievances with the offenders, this has been done. There have been hundreds of people who have tried to talk to the senior pastors and to no avail. Their observations fall on deaf ears; they are labeled as divisive. The truth is silenced by the senior pastors through unfounded accusations. There has been no lack of effort on the part of the departed; we have gone out of our way to resolve the travesties that continue at LFF. We are not harboring bitterness we are merely stating the facts. The onus lies not on the hurt but on those who caused this pain. The fact that many have forgiven those who admit no wrong is commendable. Yet, those they have forgiven still refuse to admit any wrong and that is atrocious. And though this was expected, it truly grieves us all. With a simple click, the pastors come, they read, they judge, and they leave. No apology, no remorse, no admission of guilt. What more can be said? The facts are here but they write them off with a host of mediocre excuses. To ignore the facts is one thing; but to say the truth is exaggerated, vengeful, or simply false only asseverates the gravity of the problems being addressed here.

Perhaps, in this site’s infancy, these words could be written off as false. Yet, to attempt to discredit the truth now shows serious mental deficiency. This project now contains the thoughts and accounts of hundreds. Who in their right mind would accuse everyone here of overstating the truth or of lying? This is absurd; it is like a defense lawyer standing before the jury calling hundreds of witnesses liars. Is this place a sham, is it truly a smattering of facts embellished by the writers for sympathy? No!!!! If there are those who still feel otherwise, we invite your thoughts.

Monday, October 17, 2005

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.

From our inbox...

This is another e-mail we recently received.

As a middle-leadership past lff type person, I need to say to whoever may be reading this that may have been “under” my ministry, I am so sorry for the abuse I inflicted on you and I ask that you please forgive me. I cannot say that I was somehow forced to do and say the things I did, because I made a choice. I think it is incredibly ironic and so much more painful to feel the hurt of the abuse inflicted on me through the years, but to know now that I am equally guilty of putting that pain on others and being “the hands extended” of the pastors who asked us to serve in those roles. I can’t receive forgiveness and healing even from God, let alone those I hurt, without taking responsibility for my choices. I can’t ask my kids forgiveness because they were too young to understand. Someday I may be able to tell them in order to keep them from falling prey to what we went through, but they were too young, and are still too young to understand or even remember all of the spankings and neglect. Fortunately my husband and I left early enough that they will not have memories of the experience, although I will always fight the self-hatred I carry for being so cruel. It is so hard to forgive yourself for cruelty to your own children once your eyes are open.

To those who may have been in my husband’s and my home group or care group, I am sorry for the control, for the manipulation, for the anger, that I showed. I believed that I was helping and that I was making you a better Christian and parent and employee and steward of your finances. I believed I was giving back help to others that I had received and was grateful for. I see now that it wasn’t help at all; it was cruel and wrong. I showed no respect for you as adults and individuals who should have been given the space to lead your family and make decisions for yourselves, to follow dreams, and take risks!! How fun that is now that we have freedom to do that! We were much too cautious within the walls of lff, there was too much fear. I wish I could take back so many conversations. I wish that I could go back and correct the wrong things I said. I wish I could take back all of the things I said to the GG students that I lead into deception. I am sorry for the red ink I put on papers of JCD’s and Catechism students where you tried to do your best or just survive in the system, and I told you it wasn’t good enough. I’m sorry for teaching you to tithe too much money to a church that was not using the funds properly. I’m sorry especially that I did it for selfish reasons, wanting acceptance, and promotion too. It is most difficult for me to face not just that I made the choice to be abused, but that I made the choice to abuse others. I have tried to talk to those I know I have hurt specifically, but to others who are hurting, please know that there are so many of us who were middle-leadership who would take back so many things that we’ve done, and would love to hug you, cry with you, and beg your forgiveness. We were wrong to hurt you. You are so loved by God, unconditionally. I think we mostly all know that in our heads, but I pray you know it in your heart as well, and feel it all over, that God loves you and wants you close and we will all get back to that place where we know him in a new way, not out of fear, but out of the amazing love that He has for us.

I read some very negative comments about Joe F and his brother and it made me sad. I want to say, please, please allow for grace anywhere outside of the Barden clan. He is EXACTLY where many of us were before our eyes were open, and I feel for him and for the extreme pain he may someday know for the part he has played in the Barden’s church. My husband was one of pkv’s “sons” and believe me it is a treacherous place for any man to be. If you aren’t a wife of one of her “sons” you may not understand what that means, but your husband is told constantly about his potential in the Kingdom of God, how spiritual he is, how important he is to her. How she looks for him at services. I could go on and on, but these words of encouragement from her are only to the sons, not the wives, not the kids, never as a family. Those of you who are one of the wives, know the look she gives your husband, the special smile and wink. None of those sons married wives worthy of them. Why pv allows his wife to take all of these boys into her spiritual harem and control their hearts and minds the way she does under the guise of spiritual leadership is beyond me. It is sick, and it destroys marriages. My husband went through so much pain after we left. We had to get to know each other all over again and figure out how to communicate without leadership in the middle. It was hard, but the best thing ever for our relationship. We are closer now than we ever have been.

But back to Joe F and his family, please apply grace. You may have been hurt badly by Joe, given wrong advice by Joe, but you very well may have by me too! And I’m begging you to please pray, rather than throw stones in his direction. He is so very talented, and he and his wife have a family and a future that will hopefully move beyond lff in the near future. I think we need to pray even more for his brother who married into the family and can’t ever escape pkv’s reach or her parents without serious turmoil. To say who is more or less talented is really not relevant. God uses us all in so many different ways and there really is no better and worse. We all have impact in our immediate families with our spouses and kids, and that is the most important place of all. After all of the grace that was not extended to us, let’s be those who extend grace the most. And, I suppose I should add, I’ve thrown stones too, so I apologize for correcting something I’m equally guilty of, so this advice is for myself too. Probably one of the steps in the healing process and a lesson better learned earlier rather than later. We love our lff friends dearly, and pray for those friends who are still there. Some of them are unaffected and quite happy, but I still pray that their families will always be their true first priority in their time and in every other way, and that God will always be known as the unconditionally loving God that He is.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Acceptance (via e-mail)

Here is some more e-mail.

For those of us who have experienced the abuse personally, this site has become more addictive than "Desperate Housewives." Every day I am lured to tune in to read the last episode of "Innocence Destroyed." Perhaps one of the contributors could write a screenplay and submit it to the producers of the annual Christmas production at LFF and call it The Grinch who stole Trust. I'll bet they wouldn't have to give tickets away for that one, in fact it might become a means of paying for their indebtedness. Theater is what they do best at LFF anyway. Everything was an act of some sort. The biggest and sorriest act was to tell you that they loved you. What they didn't tell you is that their love was conditional on performance and that translates into God's love for you is equally at risk.

In the last week since I discovered this blog, I have been overwhelmed by the pain described by many of you as you continue to have these trust issues. One of our greatest needs is to love and be loved and to manipulate someone by withholding that love is nothing short of witchcraft. I once heard a noted evangelist use the Galatians passage as the basis for this conclusion. (You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?) "To bring under malign influence". This is what is clearly happening at LFF, to suck you into their control and influence by first telling you that they are your biggest fans (an actual quote), you are awesome and that they love you and then proceed to malign you by making you measure up to a standard set by the leadership to which you can never aspire. This includes church membership, the ultimate acceptance criteria. We were told that once you were a member, you would really begin to have friends. The only problem was that you needed better credentials to get into the Kingdom of LFF than the Kingdom of God.


The theatrics surrounding our interview for membership deserved an academy award by the "Vice Pastor". We were told how much we were loved and valued. The King & Queen themselves said we were a shoe-in for membership, we couldn't fail. After the usual interrogation, do you do crew, do you write in your spiritual notebook etc. (all very important criteria for membership into this elite body, mind you), the interrogator had to excuse himself for a minute and then came back with a sheet of paper as if he had just now discovered this in the bathroom or wherever he went. Lo and behold, it was our tithing record. Did we need foodstamps to survive? How could we possibly live on such a meager income? All of this in feigned surprise that we must be poverty stricken based on the amount we tithed. I don't know if he did the math in his head or if he had done the calculations well in advance of this meeting, ready to veto the deal at the last minute. After this the meeting was suddenly over. "Come back in one year".


My initial reaction was shame and then gratitude that they loved us so much, then came the overwhelming sense that we had been had, humiliated and rejected, in one gracious performance. Isn't this the greatest church in the world?


Since this site is devoted to healing, let me say that God is bigger than LFF and His love is unconditional. I have been so reassured by the comments submitted that in spite of the misrepresentation, bewitching and false love carried out by the leaders of LFF, they have not turned against God but in many cases have grown stronger in their relationship. We chose to start a house church where those who were affected and bruised could come and in a very non-institutional setting find acceptance and healing. In one of our talks, I gave 10 reasons to feel good about yourself in 2005. No. 4 in the list taken from Ephesians 1 was "I have been accepted in the beloved". I began to consider the implications of that statement in relation to what we experienced at LFF. I considered the example of printing up a brochure for my business. I can create images and layer them. I can send them to the back and lock them behind a cover layer. I can see the image through the first layer but I can't select it anymore to edit it. I am in the beloved like my name is in my brochure. I can see it but I can't mess with it. Only if I go behind the protective layers can I edit it's properties. I think that is similar to what the Holy Spirit does. Our name is sealed in the beloved and no one, not even the senior pastor can take it out.

Everybody Get Together Try And....

A reader has contacted us several times about setting up a meet and greet with the readers of this blog. This is a separate project not sponsored by the administrators here but we think it is a great idea. Obviously, you are all scattered all over the country and geographical boundaries make this impossible for some. In addition, we realize that many people wish to leave that part of their life in the past and the idea of a meet and greet is out of the question.

But for those of you who are interested that are not half a world away, here is what is in place so far. The coordinator of this event is not an administrator here. They have a separate e-mail address so e-mailing them will in no way give your identity to us here on the blog team. We have no way of accessing this person's account so if you have been hesitant to e-mail us, this is not us. The event would be held in the Seattle area as it seems a great number of former members reside in Western Washington. Beyond that there are no more details; no time and place as of yet. However, if you are interested, e-mail the coordinator (a Western Washington resident) and they will provide you with the specifics of this event as they become available. God Bless you all and we hope this helps restore some old friendships and forge new ones. Our only request to those who attend is; forget all the things LFF told you about the people who left; many times those stories were lies. We ask that no one let some story from the pastors hinder your relationships.

The event coordinator's e-mail address:
lffmeetandgreet@gmail.com

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Another comment....

This was posted by a reader in the comment box. They have asked us to make this a post on the main page. Enjoy!!!

This is my first time reading & commenting on this site where you are all being so open & vulnerable (if I were to say so OHT would that sting? I don't want it to).

First I must say that the heading "LFF destroys lives" startled me. Not that lives have not or are not being slashed through the mud. I hurt a lot over the pain that so many, many people that have been such an integral part of my life have lived & are living. There has been real pain also in my life & those of my immediate family that hurts too- I'm not a joyful martyr.

My point it that LFF both gave life & took life.

I came to Pullman like most of you did as an 18-yr. old college student. Like many of you my life pre-LFF had not been "pleasant-ville". Emotional, psychological & physical abuse was apart of it. I had become a Christian as a young teen, made choices & lived a life that resembled more Mary Mag before she meet Jesus than after. I had been surrounded my whole life by Christians, many that professed Jesus on one hand, watched, supported, abused &/or lied to me on the other. In one of the 1st prophecies over my life at LFF Jesus shared my experience by telling me that He knew exactly how people who were called by His name had touched me. He said "you have known those who "say" that they are Christians but look to me". [Personal note on "say": I knew the point wasn't if they really were or were not Christians- the point was my focus].

I'm not saying I did or do look to Him, as I should. But this is still one of the most precious Words to me because I knew He knew my pain. What had those that had said that they loved Him done to Him? Was Judas really just trying to manipulate Jesus into becoming what he thought he should be? Did he intend the evil for good or the good for evil? I don't know. But God used it. And because of it I have relationship with Him now & for eternity.

I guess I am likening LFF to the same. I was shot down when I was hurting, told to "buck-up" & repent when my world was falling apart. When I was sick I was ALWAYS in trouble. Where was the one to pick me up & clean me up & love on me? Not there. When my greatest fear was to be alone- I was left all alone & chastised for being demanding. When I grieved - I grieved. I was hurt most when I was already wounded. Pushed aside when I had repented & returned longing to be touched. And as were you all, I was labeled. This person = This.

But Jesus never stopped loving me, longing to touch me & use His people to comfort me.

Now that I have agreed with the life that was taken from me let me share about the life that was given.

I know the Word of God. I rhema the Word of God. My foundations that were built on all else have been shaken & they have fallen (PAINFULLY)- but on the truth I can still stand. I do have strong foundations- they needed dusting off but they are there. I have solid bible training. More personal time in the Word then most Pastors. - Try & stand back & take the legalism out of the sayings, the checklists, the reports. As I actually saw that there had once been real life in the Catholic mass (after enough years away I actually heard what was said & because of all the years of teaching on the Word of God). - Somewhere in there was real life.

Remember, we make legalism: what today is manna tomorrow is slime full of maggots. Let's try not to force feed ourselves or others yesterday's manna.


I know my God is true & every man a liar. People before LFF, people in & through LFF & people after LFF. None of them are different. Some mess with my head more (was it at age 13 or at 30?), some for longer periods of time (was it the rape at 16 or the decades at LFF?). Some have truly loved me, many that did didn't know how. And many times I didn't know how to receive it.

Why does God allow such awful things? This is the #1 most asked question in my post LFF life. And it rarely has to do with LFF. Awful things are awful. They are not LFF, they are not the devastation in New Orleans or Pakistan. They are the child that crossed the street by my church & was hit by a car. Got up feeling bruised but ok- thank God it wasn't that bad. He later died of a massive internal hemorrhage. He had been adopted by a loving family, saved out of a life of poverty, & the orphanage. Where was God in that?

The good in the awful that has touched me? I can often find in it a changed me.

Compassion - it's me taking on someone else's passion. Having already hurt personally, often I can go into battle for those around me that are devastated & paralyzed by what they are in the midst of.

My head knowledge can be challenged but my heart knowledge cannot. What I have walked is mine. I minister out of a life that is not perfect. Believe it or not I learned this at LFF. Not by others example but often by their lack of it. I minister out of a life that has been littered with pain. Pain that both caused me to jump into & to jump out of Jesus' lap. Today those near me know I struggle with depression. They know that when I enter into worship I go someplace else & Jesus ministers to my soul. They know I HAVE to lean on Him & that I don't have it all. They know that I mess up, that I can be hurtful. They also know my love. They see our Jesus in me- sometime they feel His hand in my touch, His voice in my heartcry.

At LFF I lived in community. Post LFF I live in an awful place called the real world. Where people freely smile in my face & stab me in the back. Where if I try to get real with someone they can't handle it. Where I continue to fail & NO ONE forgives me. It's the real world. It sucks (I hate that term but it fits). I live in a world of faces covered with masks. Not much has changed, yet a lot has.

Did people I trust mess with my head? Yep. And as long as I trust they will.

After living a few decades as a LFFer & now living many years post LFF I must say that the other most precious part of my life in & through LFF is YOU.

When was the last time I looked you in the eye & told you that I am grateful for you? I know I never said it enough- nor would I be able to even if I began now & continue through our dear Lords eternity. THANK YOU.

No, not thank you for hurting me, even when you were just trying to do the right thing or what you felt you were told to. Not for the many times that I hurt you. But THANK YOU for living with me, for the moments we touched, for the warmth & depth of the Jesus that is in you.

I know Jesus has been faithful to heal me A LOT. I also know that this week I have been struggling anew with despair. I know that He will one day take away all my tears. But for now I cry. I hurt. I hurt others. But I also love & am loved. I care- that in itself often hurts.

I pray that you all continue to find healing. It scars, but it will heal.


May you find what it is that your heart truly longs for - Jesus. Him pure.

Not through filthy human hands but also often through filthy human hands.

In Num. 22 God used an ass. In my life He has used many & at times I am that one which He uses.

Jesus Bless you as only He can.


Thanks for listening. Did I mention that is something else I miss? - your listening.