By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

The Cry, Faytene Grasseschi’s prayer event, is now a global movement.

The last Cry, which was held about a month ago in “Hollywood”, could prove to be the start of something big if the Canadian evangelist has her way.

The next Cry is set for somewhere in Toronto, Ontario, or the surrounding area, for July 28. It’s the first Cry under the auspices of The Cry Movement.

“Bigger. Better. Boom!” Faytene tweeted on March 26, followed by this Facebook announcement shortly afterwards:

Faytene Grasseschi
Wednesday at 9:28pm •
“We just started a new FB page and Twitter for TheCRYs going forward. It is called TheCRY Movement. We will be linking all info about upcoming CRYs there . Whoot! Be the first to join. TheCRY Movement Twitter: http://is.gd/BFycxA TheCRYMovement FB Page: http://is.gd/wixTtf Let’s do this thing!!”

“….Building this thing from the bottom up to go global!” she later tweeted.

The Cry Movement’s webpage is here and you may check it out on Facebook here.

But, what I quoted earlier seems to be it so far. Although there is a suggestion on Faytene’s revamped biography page that says:”TheCRY Movement – Prayer for entertainment media.”

Some cautions, if I may.

Previous Cry events, mostly in Canada, have been a series of “one of” events. Faytene and those working with her, would wait on The Lord in prayer, and then “The Lord” would lead them to do specific Cry events for specific reasons at specific times. The Cry event in Vancouver was held, Faytene explained at the time, because Vancouver was a gateway to Canada and so multicultural a city that a revival there could impact the world. The timing was key because of the upcoming Olympics in that city.

The Cry events are laudable at one level, dominionist at another, so carrying them on could be useful in some ways, bad in others. But what I am wondering is why “The Lord” wants this to be a full time job and not something unique and special as it was before? Hopefully Faytene will pass this on.

Is Canada what Faytene, following how she feels she was led, hopes it to be? Or in moving on to “the entertainment Industry” is she hoping to address an issue where she could do some good, but know that she will be occupied for the rest of her days?

First the Liberian poor, then the Canadian “movers and shakers” and now Hollywood folks with enviable jobs. The mission fields seem to be getting more and more fun. Not that I would want to disparage those who have been making tireless efforts to be a good Christian influence on Hollywood, as I repect what they do in their thankless task. It’s just the latter mission field would be a lot easier to recruit various sorts of help for than the former.

Saving a Hollywood star may seem more glamorous and fun than saving a Liberian refugee, even though God loves them both the same.

Here be dragons, as it were. So, let’s hope that if Faytene is hearing from God accurately about what she needs to do, she watches for the pitfalls.

A Freelton man accused of running a $14-million US Ponzi scheme has had his contempt of court hearing in Los Angeles postponed until July.

The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission is asking a California judge to find Gordon Driver in contempt for violating a 2009 court order by refusing to provide answers to a number of questions related to his finances.

At a court appearance last week, the judge rescheduled the hearing for July 9. The judge also warned Driver during his brief appearance that he is facing possible jail time if he is found guilty of contempt.

Hamilton Spectator

Montreal Gazette

Health officials have ordered the Narconon rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Trois Rivières to evacuate and relocate its 32 residents, citing concerns over procedures that “may represent a risk to health” and a lack of doctors on staff.

Following an investigation into the centre’s activities by the Centre Québécois d’agrément, an independent body mandated to monitor quality in health care, the agency for health and social services for the Mauricie Region said Tuesday it does not intend to certify Narconon.

The centre, among the largest of 50 Narconon centres in 22 countries, bases its treatment on the teachings of the Church of Scientology, headquartered in California, giving its “students” high doses of niacin and having them sit in saunas for about five hours a day. The rest of the treatment consists of “training routines” based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, in which patients perform the same tasks over and over.

Residents in Trois Rivières paid $25,000 to $30,000 for their treatment, which lasted on average three to five months.

Most residents came from the US and other areas of Canada, and have been sent to the US to finish thier programming program.  Quebec now requires all rehab centres be certified.

via: Religion News Blog

Over the next 48 hours, the hosting company for BDBO is upgrading.

If you pop over in the early morning hours and the blog isn’t here, no worries, the couple of hours off line is part of the upgrade process.

I’ll be back.:^)

Ouch. I’ve been following the Sovereign Grace Ministries situation for quite some time. This week,  the Ambassadors of Reconciliation findings,  were released.

As people on two key blogs dissect this report, many SGM members won’t be reading what has been said, because they’ve been told not to read the blogs. It’s likely that this article in The Courier-Journal may not escape congregant attention. I don’t know that SGM is a denomination, it’s more a small group of churches. That said:

A small, growing denomination that has faced internal conflicts in recent months is moving its headquarters from Maryland to Louisville.

Sovereign Grace Ministries announced that it plans to launch its first Kentucky church and tighten its already strong bonds with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Sovereign Grace — based in Gaithersburg, Md. — is a three-decade-old network of more than 90 churches worldwide and about 28,000 members.

Sovereign Grace officials said they are moving to take advantage of Louisville’s lower costs of living and overhead compared with suburban Washington, D.C., and so its pastor-training program could collaborate more closely with Southern Seminary.

The announcement also comes amid increased tensions between Sovereign Grace and its flagship congregation, Covenant Life Church, where its headquarters is located.

That tension has been part of wider conflicts within Sovereign Grace that emerged in public view last summer with the release of internal church documents from a former church official, accusing its president, C.J. Mahaney, of pride, dictatorial conduct and doling out harsh criticism he was unwilling to receive himself.

Mahaney took a leave of several months while the Sovereign Grace board reviewed the case.  It declared him fit for ministry and restored him to the presidency earlier this year.

The relocation announcement comes just two days after an independent panel — brought in to review the conflicts — faulted the group for an overemphasis on sin and a lack of emphasis on God’s grace and forgiveness.

The report also cited an often-arbitrary system of discipline that left many pastors and lay people feeling wounded, while those at the top lacked outside accountability.

While it currently has no churches in Kentucky or Indiana, Sovereign Grace and Mahaney have close ties with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace have each donated at least $100,000 to the seminary, according to the school’s publications.

Also – The Warburg Watch  - AoR Report Released: Just How Unhealthy Is SGM?

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Imagine an election where radio stations were forced to run small-c conservative and Christian radio ads against their will. The idea has been floated by a Wildrose Alliance candidate in Monday’s Alberta provincial election.

I was reading some online news about Monday’s Alberta provincial election, when I came across a name that will be familiar to BDBO readers.

The Progressive Conservatives are in a tight race with the Wildrose Alliance, a very conservative party looking to outflank Alberta’s Tories to the right. The Wildrose has an excellent chance of ending the Tories 41 years of power in the province.

Enter Allan Hunsperger, a Tofield, Alberta pastor who is running for the Wildrose Alliance in the riding of Edmonton Southwest. He’s under fire for writing on his blog that homosexuality is evil and will cause you to go to hell. Edmonton Journal columnist Paula Simons, reprinted in the Vancouver Sun, summarizes what has been happening, and takes Wildrose Alliance leader Danielle Smith to task for not taking Hunsperger behind the woodshed.

As dismaying as that may seem, I have to confess that my first thought was “Hey, I’ve blogged about this fellow.” May I cite the essentials?

Allan Hunsperger, the former owner of the Shine Christian radio stations in Edmonton and Calgary, was pivotal in getting CRTC regulations changed to allow Canadian music radio stations in Canada. He proffered the opinion that I will be quoting below in 2009, but I think it important to recall what he said if he becomes a member of of the Alberta legislature, or even a cabinet minister.

Faytene Grasseschi (who was Faytene Kryskow at the time this was recorded) admires Hunsperger, and has mentioned how grateful she was that the first The CRY that she was in charge of, was broadcast on the radio over Hunsperger’s Shine radio (at least in Edmonton).

Sometime in 2009, as Faytene was in a whirl of media mentions, she went to Hunsperger’s church where she spoke at discipleship training school. Her talk was recorded as “Media Advance” and the resulting talk was available at her online store. It’s not now.

Towards the end of the first CD of the message, Faytene is talking about the second debate on legalizing gay marriage in the House of Commons and the difficulty of getting the small-c conservative message out.

Hunsperger, who was sympathetic to the “no legal gay marriage” side in some way, asks for the mike to say a few words. Faytene gives it to him.

Hunsperger then says (emphasis mine):

“The secular media would not play commercials alerting Canadians of the vote coming up in the Parliament House. 92 per cent of media outlets would not allow that message across. So, first point. The issue is ‘fair and balanced’ in the matter of public issues, public concern. Definition of marriage is a public concern.. Radio stations should have been forced to carry those ads. They weren’t, okay.So, and the only ones that really ran that, really were some Christian outlets. But just so you know, they are under the disguise of balance, but the media is not giving the balance and there’s nobody forcing that issue. The only ones that would force that issue would be someone loud or squawking to force them to do it–but by the time you got to that issue, you would be punishing them after the fact.”

Now, as an Alberta politician, he would have difficulty in directly making radio stations to do his will as radio is under federal oversight. But, a new Alberta government has tried to regulate the media, in the interest of “access to accurate information”, and although that was ruled “ultra vires”, legal experts in a Wildrose Alliance government might want to find a way around this technicality.

As sad as people may be about his religious opinions on homosexuality, I don’t think that Allan Hunsperger has called for special “fairness” laws relating to homosexuality. In the case of freedom of speech, and the freedom not to speak, Hunsperger has. And that should give Edmonton Southwest voters cause to be careful.

Court records show Bartlesville Police filed a request for an order so White’s cell phone provider could ping his phone as they searched for him.

In that request, police said White had been accused of molesting a juvenile female. Police said they were beginning an investigation when White disappeared.

Bartlesville Police found a note in his vehicle “that he was suicidal or possibly fleeing to avoid investigation.”

NewsOn6

Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise:

On Friday, the Examiner-Enterprise obtained a copy of an order, filed on April 18, by BPD Sgt. David Hackler, requiring mobile telephone service provider T-Mobile to provide “real time GPS pinging of (White’s) phone” in an effort to locate the device, as well as “any technical assistance requested by (the BPD) or any other employee of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.”

The public document states that the “requested records and information are relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation,” and provides a brief summary of allegations that were apparently made against White prior to his death.

“Subject, Walter Thomas White, was had been reported to have molested a (age omitted) juvenile female. Police had begun to investigate and Mr. White had disappeared. His vehicle was later found, but he was not located. A note was located in the vehicle that he was suicidal or possibly fleeing to avoid investigation. A search had begun to locate Mr. White but was unsuccessful. It was learned that this was his cell phone and needed to run a ping on the phone to locate Mr. White to check his safety.

“Applicant further believes that by learning the GPS location of the above cellular telephone, it could lead law enforcement to the person(s) responsible in this molestation.

“Applicant further requests this Court to order that the TELEPHONE COMPANY (T-Mobile) not disclose to the subscriber, or customer, the existence of this Application …”

Statement from The Voice of the Martyrs:

The events of the last week are tragic. On Wednesday we learned that Tom White, VOM’s executive director, had died.

Allegations were made to authorities this week that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. Rather than face those allegations, and all of the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry and himself, Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life.

None of those in leadership at VOM, including our Board of Directors, were aware of these allegations at the time of Tom’s death.

There is no doubt that Tom cared about his wife, his children and his grandchildren. And there’s no doubt that he cared about VOM.

We are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts are broken.

However, the work that God has called VOM to do is bigger than any one of us. There are persecuted Christians who need our help. The legal process will go forward, and we will continue serving with our persecuted brothers and sisters.

We appreciate the many who are praying for our work, and we encourage you to join us in praying for Tom’s family during this difficult time.

The police chief in Bartlesville Oklahoma is a board member of VOM.

The young girl White is alleged to have had ‘inappropriate contact’ with was 10 years old.  If the molestation allegations are true, she is never going to be the same. While I can appreciate the board is in shock at what their statement acknowledges as an apparent suicide of their colleague in the workplace, this girl and her family need prayer and professional support.  An alleged victim is not secondary to an executive directors death. What troubles me is this: will other allegations be forthcoming? Are there other girls and their families who have not gone to authorities?

USA National Sex Offender Registry:

• The average child molester will molest fifty girls before being caught and convicted.
• A child molester that seeks out boys will molest 150 boys before being caught and convicted and he will commit at least 280 sexual crimes in his lifetime.
• The standard pedophile will commit 117 sexual crimes in their lifetime.
• Most sexual abuse happens between the ages of 7 and 13.
• There are over 491,720 registered sex offenders in the United States.
• 80,000 to 100,000 of the above offenders are missing.
• Molesters known by the family or victim are the most common abusers. The Acquaintance Molester accounts for 70-90% of reported cases.

The Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 and is an advocacy agency operating in 13 countries. Each branch is autonomous. The US VOM had revenues of 47 million in 2010. White worked for  The VOM for about 30 years with a salary of  145 thousand dollars. The VOM US employed about 125 people and the organization moved into a state of the art secure facility in 2011.  White’s funeral will be held at US  The VOM offices.

Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise editorial: Confronted with the awful truth

I will not even pretend to imagine the pain that White’s family, his friends, co-laborers at VOM, and the many people around the world who admired and respected him, are experiencing at this time. It has been a lot to absorb in a very short time.

I can with all certainty, however, tell readers that this week was also very difficult for the newsroom staff of the Examiner-Enterprise.

Some observers erroneously assume that the media in general, and the newspaper specifically, takes some perverse delight in reporting such stories. I cannot speak on behalf of all “media,” but I can tell you with utmost sincerity, that absolutely no one associated with this newspaper took any satisfaction whatsoever in reporting this heartbreaking story.

I can also tell you that for me personally, the decision to pursue and ultimately publish our Friday front-page news was one of the most gut-wrenching that I have ever had to make in my newspaper career.

As much as I might wish this tragic and unseemly story would go away, it will not. I and my staff are duty-bound to report the truth — all the truth — not just the truth that makes us feel good, but also the truth that is sometimes awful to acknowledge and even more difficult to accept.

We know full well that some readers would prefer the newspaper not report this news. Some accuse us of sensationalism. Others argue that the information should be hidden in order to protect family members and others close to the situation from further emotional distress.

Still others will lash out at the newspaper for what they perceive as a smear against a man’s legacy or the organization to which he devoted so much of his life’s work. Others accuse us of showing a lack of “decency” or of even being “anti-Christian.”

I vigorously disagree with these criticisms, but I also understand where they come from.

When most of us (journalists included) hear news that is just too painful to believe, we tend to initially direct our anger and frustration at the messenger. The one who delivers the unpleasant news often becomes the object of our misdirected scorn.

Update: Wade Burleson is a SBC pastor in Oklahoma. He has an open letter to the 10 year old girl.

75 year old David Mainse who founded Crossroads Christian Communications has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (also known as smoldering leukemia) and is undergoing treatment.

Mainse is best known for Crossroads flagship show 100 Huntley Street.

Myelodysplastic syndrome: In myelodysplastic syndromes, the blood stem cells do not mature into healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. The immature blood cells, called blasts, do not function normally and either die in the bone marrow or soon after they enter the blood. This leaves less room for healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to develop in the bone marrow. When there are fewer blood cells, infection, anemia, or easy bleeding may occur.

Treatments include symptom relief, blood  transfusions, bone marrow transplants, drugs and chemotherapy.

Mainse, who has been highly critical of blogs will be starting one of his own in June. 100words.ca will be devotions for his fans.

In 2009 Robert A. Schuller and his son-in-law, under their company ComStar Media acquired FamilyNet, a tv network in the US. In March 2011, it was announced that FamilyNet was spinning out from ComStar Media and Robert Schuller Jr. was appointed as Chairman of the network.

Schuller Jr. is still tied up with bankruptcy proceedings with Crystal Cathedral Ministries, claiming the ministry owes him 1.4 million.

CBS is suing FamilyNet for 1.5 million for licencing fees, which CBS said were owed when ComStar aquired FamilyNet. The Dallas Morning News has the details and the court document.

ComStar and FNM have informed CBS that they have no obligation to make the payments due under the License Agreement because, they claim, when they acquired the assets of Family, they did not acquire the corresponding liabilities. However, CBS is informed and believes, and based there on alleges, tat this assertion is contrary to the facts and the law and, moreover, that ComStar, FNN and the other Defendants have no right to exhibit or exploit the Series unless and until they pa the licensees fees set forth in the License Agreement, Without making such payments, ComStar, FNN and the other Defendants have exceeded the scope of any license. As a result, they are copyright infringers.

The suit states that Family Net and CBS entered into a licencing agreement in 2008, and that ComStar  made a payment of one hundred thousand dollars in 2010. CBS has also named ‘Does 1-100′; tv stations or businesses which infringed on copyright or are obligated to pay the licencing fee.  If I’m reading correctly, these stations or businesses would be distributing through the FamilyNet library. (I’ll correct accordingly).

The shows in question are “Happy Days”, “My Three Sons”, “Family Ties” and “Early Edition.”

There is a Canadian tie to ComStar and FamilyNet. In January 2011, Crossroads Television System (the non-profit branch of Crossroads Christian Communications Inc) announced it’s partnersh with ComStar:

Crossroads/CTS are pleased to announce a partnership with U.S. based ComStar Media LLC. ComStar Media is the operator of two well known television networks, the faith and values Family Net and the family friendly American Life, reaching over 40 million homes.

ComStar principals are Chairman Dr. Robert A. Schuller (formerly Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral), and CEO Chris Wyatt, the founder of several social media networks, including GodTube, the fastest growing website of 2007.

The transaction, which includes an investment in ComStar’s broadcasting arm, ComStar Networks, LLC, provides CTS with exclusive Canadian rights to the media libraries of Family Net and American Life which include family-values entertainment as well as ministry programming. It also enables Crossroads/CTS to deploy ComStar’s social media technology.

Additionally, this new agreement allows for programs produced by Crossroads/CTS to be licensed for broadcast on ComStar’s growing networks and opens the door for future co-production between these leading faith-based media companies.

Dr. Robert A. Schuller explains, “This exciting new partnership between ComStar and Crossroads/CTS will allow us to extend our reach by offering our award winning media library to the largest Christian Broadcaster in Canada.

CTS operates out of Burlington Ontario, Calgary, and Edmonton, Alberta.
ComStar’s American Life Network rebanded as Youtoo TV in September 2011.

I don’t watch CTS so I have no idea if the Canadian network aired any of these shows from the FamilyNet library. There are none of the series  named in the suit currently being broadcast, and a perusal of FamilyNet programming didn’t turn up any Crossroad Christian Communication or Crossroad Television System programming.

April 18th, the Executive Director of The Voice of the Martyrs US, was found dead in his workplace after going missing the night before. Tom White apparently committed suicide. White was under investigation for the alleged molestation of a 10 year old girl.

The organization released a statement on his death, and another when it came to light police had White under investigation. Funeral services for White were held at The Voice of the Martyr headquarters in Bartlesville Oklahoma earlier this week.  VOM has now come out with a statement  thanking supporters and updating them regarding the 10 year old alleged victim:

Many have asked about the young girl who reported the allegations of abuse, and her family.

Both her family and the White family have asked VOM to respect their privacy during this time and not comment on specifics of the investigation. After listening to both families, and because the alleged activity did not take place at VOM and was unrelated to Mr. White’s work with the ministry, VOM’s leadership believe it is appropriate to honor their request [prior to issuing this statement VOM asked members of both families to review it].

We have been in continual prayer for the healing and restoration of this child, her family and the White family since the tragic events unfolded last week. As you continue to pray for VOM, we hope you’ll join with us in lifting up these two families as well. Their pain and suffering is difficult to imagine.

May the God of peace rule our hearts and minds.

From Blog on the Way:

Chris Peterman, one of the founders of the Do Right BJU group, has been expelled from BJU just days before graduation. In a move that was clearly retaliation for his role in organizing the protest against BJU’s decision to put the corrupt and deceitful Chuck Phelps on its board, BJU has pleaded its demerit policy. According to BJU, Peterman was racking up the bad boys necessary to earn an expulsion and they have cited Peterman’s viewing of an episode of GLEE as the major contributor in getting demerits.

Stuff Fundies Like:

Unless they’ve been living under a rock, it’s unlikely that anyone in current or former fundamentalist circles has not heard of the expulsion of Christopher Peterman from Bob Jones University mere weeks before he was to graduate. Although his list of alleged crimes ranges from the inane to the obscure to the downright confusing, there is a deeper story here that is worth considering.

To fully appreciate the significance of this action it’s necessary to retrace the steps of a horrifying story that is all too familiar to many of us. It begins when a man named Ernie Willis raped a young girl named Tina Anderson. The pastor of Tina’s church at the time was Chuck Phelps, a man who by his own testimony not only failed to vigorously pursue justice for Tina but also required her to give a confession of her alleged sin before the church and then aided in removing her from the state and apparently out of the reach of local authorities.

Yet with the fact of his actions revealed both on national television and in a court of law, Chuck Phelps remained a person in good standing with several fundamentalist organizations such as The Wilds and Bob Jones University. Bob Jones not only continued to call him a friend of the college but after the conviction of Ernie Willis then went on to proactively show their support for him by placing him back on one of their own boards. This past December, a few alumni, students, and other concerned individuals attempted an on-campus protest in an institutional environment where protesting is almost unheard of. As may be expected in such an authoritarian environment, very few students joined in to the calls for BJU to “Do Right.” One student agitator, however, stuck to his guns and decided to take the risk. That man is now ex-student Christopher Peterman.

At that time, with the news cameras rolling and the social media spotlight shining on them, Bob Jones University took no disciplinary action against the protesting students. But they did take note of them. They always take note of those who do not come to heel and fit the “spirit” of the University and they wait their chance to exact revenge for this perceived disloyalty.

Outside outcries over the treatment of this student will fall on dismissive deaf ears. It will take those inside Bob Jones University and the authoritarian world of Independent Fundamentalist Baptists to stand with Peterman and stop feeding money, time and loyalty to these draconian leaders.

How vindictive and draconian?  This is the Demerit record put together by a residence assistant assigned to follow Peterman’s every move.  He received demerit points for not shaving – at midnight. The Do Right BJU Group brought outside scrutiny to the rot at the core, and these men play for keeps.  Chuckles Travels has a copy of the drummed up Demerit record.

Why would anyone subjected to such blatant harassment stick it out? Why not just leave? Peterman in his own words:

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2012/apr/26/bob-jones-student-caught-watching-glee-kicked-camp-ar-3681625/

Peterman also released a statement after being expelled.

Media is picking up this story. I doubt the attention will help Peterman get his earned degree; other students who participated in Do Right BJU will probably be targeted and I doubt the US Department of Education and Peterman’s congressman can do anything. Perhaps another conservative religious university will step up and give Peterman an opportunity for a degree, perhaps BJU alumni can help him with any student debt. Perhaps the cast and crew of Glee will come up with a creative way to help out. The more attention Bob Jones University gets, the more they will cry persecution

As of now 218 people have signed a petition asking BJU to give Peterman his money back for a wasted seminar.
BJU and Injustice
FBC Jax Watchdog
Do Right BJU Facebook page

Background: Chuck Phelps resigns from Bob Jones University

A 19 year old Grade 12 student in Chester Basin who  wore a proselytizing t-shirt to school will be heading back to the classroom Monday.

William Swinimer got the shirt from his dad who bought it at a sovenier shop in the US. He was suspended for five days after an in-school suspension of 12 days, for not taking off the shirt at school when asked. Apparently a student complained and Swinimer, who says he has been bullied for sharing his faith, took his stand.

He and his family attend a small independent Pentecostal church in Bridgewater, and his pastor vowed to raise money, print 100 of the shirts and pass them out to students after Swinimer was suspended. A Bridgewater businessman stepped forward and donated the money for the church to print shirts.  The pastor’s decision a far cry from one student believing he is exercising his freedom of religion.

Varrick Day, the church’s pastor, said he pushed Swinimer’s family to speak up, telling them, “Your rights have been invaded here.”

He then posted Swinimer’s story on YouTube, asking people to send him money to print 100 of the shirts so he can give them to other students.

“For too long, we’ve been pushed around when it comes to our freedom of speech and freedom of religion,” Day said.

He said Christianity should be taught in schools.

“That is the problem. That is why we have so much turmoil,” Day said. “There’s so much violence right now in schools with guns and killings and racism and with bullying.

“They have taken the Ten Commandments out of schools, they have removed the Bibles from the schools, they have taken God, Jesus, out of the schools and right now the school is in a mess and we need morals, we need principles.”

The shirt reads, “Life is Wasted Without Jesus.” Swinimer believes he is witnessing by wearing it.
Swinimers suspension garnered international attention. He originally planned to wear the shirt again on Monday when he heads back to school.

Pynch-Worthylake said the school will hold a series of gatherings with students Monday to talk about what’s appropriate when expressing your convictions, what isn’t, and how to deal with things when there’s a conflict.

Officials from government departments will be involved. The daytime meetings will be followed by an evening meeting for students and their families at the school at 7 p.m.

“We absolutely expect the students to be interested and engaged,” Pynch-Worthylake said. She said the students have borne up well under the sudden national media spotlight.

“The school has continued to function. These are fabulous students and they continued to be in school. There has been added strain and stress for them, but they have been amazing and the principal has said she’s really proud of them,” Pynch-Worthylake said.

While the T-shirt is not the crux of the issue for the school board, it will be the starting point for discussion Monday.

“The message on the shirt can be interpreted multiple ways so we will use that as a starting point for a discussion about what do we do when the message isn’t clear,” Pynch-Worthylake said.

Pynch-Worthylake said she believes the school acted appropriately with Swinimer based on policy and past experience, but will handle things differently if a case like this arises again.

She said schools frequently deal with complaints about clothing, and at times must get the board involved, but those concerns are “almost 100 per cent of the time” worked out.

That didn’t happen here.

“Would we do things differently if a similar situation arose again? Absolutely,” Pynch-Worthylake said.

Swinimer says has several t-shirts with Christian messages.
I know the South Shore of NS fairly well. Forest Heights Community School is a small high school in a former fishing village about an hour out of Halifax. It’s an area of economic contrasts with people moving into the area and buying up shore line.

Swinimer believes he is standing up for all religions.  The international spotlight has had the Grade 12 student debating whether or not he’ll wear the shirt on Monday, and he told ATV news this evening he is nervous to go back to school. The school board has provided him with a facilitator he will meet with over the weekend, and should he head back to school, he’ll meet with his fellow students in a specially arranged forum to debate and discuss freedom of speech and religious beliefs. Let’s hope his pastor backs off and gives the students and staff  space to work things out.

Varrick Day, Swinimer’s pastor in Bridgewater, said he didn’t see the value in holding a forum with students and school officials since the Grade 12 student has indicated he won’t alter his position.

“There’s nothing really to talk about. He’s not taking the shirt off and he’s not going to change any wording,” he said. “What is there to talk about?”

He said he has asked for an interview with Premier Darrell Dexter and the minister of education to find out if they support what he said was Swinimer’s right to express his religious beliefs.

Forest Heights Community School
Jesus the Good Shepard Church

Update: William Swinimer went back to school Monday – and his father showed up and yanked him out. Yes, he is in high school, but he is also an adult. I’m not surprised to hear that adults in Swinimer’s life are driving this agenda. Debating and discussing is as much a part of an education as math, what is his dad and his pastor afraid of? This student has had enough attention, and the opportunity to sit with his peers and process communication, suspensions, freedom and media attention could have added to the life lessons.

Students at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Grant are discussing religious beliefs and freedom of speech today, but William Swinimer, the student who sparked the debate, isn’t part of that discussion.

His father, John Swinimer, pulled him out of the school when he arrived this morning following a five-day suspension for wearing a T-shirt that said Life is Wasted Without Jesus.

John Swinimer said neither his son nor his daughter will return while such debates are going on.

“He will not attend this school unless they are having readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmetic, good old-fashioned academics. When they’re having forums, when they’re having other extra curricular activities, he will not attend that school. … The taxpayer is paying for him to learn his academics as well as the other students and I am not standing for any of this stuff.”

William Swinimer showed up at school this morning wearing the yellow T-shirt that has garnered him national attention, but moments later his father angrily strode across the school parking lot, waved his copy of The New Testament at the media, and told them he’s pulling his son out of school.

John Swinimer accused the school district and the province of being anti-Christian, and said his three children have been bullied at the school because of their beliefs.

When asked what’s wrong with having his son take part in the debate, John Swinimer said, “It is time that we rise up. I am not taking questions right now. I am making statements.”

When another reporter asked him if he intends to pull William out of school permanently, or just while the discussions are being held, he said, “I’m making a statement here, I’m not answering questions. … If you overstep my boundaries I’m going to get in the car and leave,” which he did a short time later with his son in the front passenger seat.

William Swinimer, the 19-year-old Nova Scotia grade 12 high school student, who had  been suspended  showed up at school today wearing his Jesus t-shirt.

Then his dad showed up waving a bible and yanked him out, with some choice words for the public school system, the government and education. Background on the Forest Heights Community School kerfuffle here.

I think the 19-year-old stood up for the right things, and when his minister got involved I wondered if there was more going on than a student finding his way.

The school board had mentioned in prior news reports that attempts to negotiate with Swinimer had been difficult, and it appears it wasn’t the 19-year-old putting his foot down. There are family dynamics here that appear to have nothing to do with freedoms under the Charter. William Swinimer had told media Friday he was nervous about going back to school, I’m left wondering if his nervousness had little to do with facing his peers and discussing what has occurred. The Halifax Chronicle Herald:

William Swinimer showed up at school this morning wearing the yellow T-shirt that has garnered him national attention, but moments later his father angrily strode across the school parking lot, waved his copy of The New Testament at the media, and told them he’s pulling his son out of school.

John Swinimer accused the school district and the province of being anti-Christian, and said his three children have been bullied at the school because of their beliefs.

When asked what’s wrong with having his son take part in the debate, John Swinimer said, “It is time that we rise up. I am not taking questions right now. I am making statements.”

When another reporter asked him if he intends to pull William out of school permanently, or just while the discussions are being held, he said, “I’m making a statement here, I’m not answering questions. … If you overstep my boundaries I’m going to get in the car and leave,” which he did a short time later with his son in the front passenger seat.

The 19-year-old, who has done national media interviews and whose story has been broadcast across North America, had no comment.

“As a parent, I’m making this decision,” John Swinimer said.

While I think the school went too far in the suspensions, they self-corrected and attempted to do what was best for the small community of about 400 students. However, giving dad and Pastor Day attention now, does not help this guy graduate, does nothing for the school or the students. You can see the pastor in the clip with father John Swinimer.

Perhaps media can back off and not give the adults their 15 minutes of fame. It’s possible the 19-year-old (who is technically an adult) knew his dad would be by to wave a bible at media, but I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Whatever is going on in this family doesn’t need the glare of the media spotlight. This isn’t about dad or his persecution complex, but you won’t know that from what he said to media today. This isn’t about ‘law in the land’ or ‘government’ or dads bible or Christianity. The anger shown by the dad seems to hide a primary emotion of fear. The forum for the students was about respect of beliefs and rights. If there has been bullying, the school has made attempts to address the problem by going directly to students. The rest of the approximately 400 students at Forest Heights Community School need to move forward, and are attempting to do so.

Transcript of ATV clip – John Swinimer:

“And this is who I am, you cannot separate me from this book because this book is in me, it’s part of me, I have this book in my heart and no law in the land, no government in this world anywhere will separate me from this book. I will be a Christian til the day that I die, that’s who I am and I have the freedom in this country to express who I am, to speak who I am and to be who I am,
I walk in love, but today I am angry, today I am going to pull my son out of this school. He has arrived here, yes, and he is going to sign out and he is going to come out and he is going to come home with me. He will not attend this school.”

Talking Pentecostalism is a resource site which explains the movement, history and  beliefs.

Copenhagen Philharmonic in collaboration with Radio Classic – April 2012

via: MetaFilter

I’m a fan of Britain’s Got Talent.:^)

The choir has been singing for two years, and were formed by Only Men Aloud. (Check out some of Only Men Aloud videos on YouTube). Only Boys Aloud made it to the semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent 2012, thanks to the public vote.

Calon Lan Translation:

I do not ask a life that’s easy
gold and pearls so little mean
rather seek a heart that’s joyful
heart that’s honest, heart that’s clean.

Heart that’s clean and filled with virtue
fairer than the lilies white.
Only pure hearts can praise God truly
A pure heart.

Dawn and sunset I’m still searching
rising on a wing of song
give me Lord, through Christ my Saviour
that clean heart for which I long.

Heart that’s clean and filled with virtue
fairer than the lilies white.
Only pure hearts can praise God truly
praise Him all the day and night.
A pure heart.

Only Boys Aloud
Only Men Aloud

To the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ around the world,

In October of 2008, I, Brenda Klemke, co-founded the ministry of ‘I AM thirsty’ along with Afshin Javid. At the same time I became a board member of the church where he was a Pastor, Vancouver Christian Fellowship (VCF). I AM thirsty became the missions and outreach arm of the VCF. I served as a board member and administrator of both ministries until September 30, 2011 at which time I resigned and we parted ways.

I have been wrong, and I owe you a sincere apology. I am so sorry.

What began for me, as a ministry to reach the world with the message of the Lord Jesus Christ has gone horribly off track. At a place of very deep pain and brokenness in my own life, I was deceived & subsequently lead many others into a cloud of deception so deep and so wide, it has reached around the world.

Please find my message to you in the 3 documents that you find here, here, and here.

I received these documents this morning and I have had trouble breathing upon reading them. They came in from 3 separate sources. I’ve been outside walking and seeking God.  Brenda Klemke has made an unreserved apology to God’s people, no equivocating, no excuses.  Her  Spirit-breathed courage goes beyond herself, as does the imprint of the urgency of the love of God and the deepness of His forgiveness. This is documentation of deception, of sin, and a true prophetic clarion call to repentance. Not later. Now.

Afshin Javid and the men who say they are ‘restoring’ him: David Damian and the leadership of Church of Zion in Vancouver has been sounded the clearest, Spirit-breathed warning I have ever seen. I don’t doubt the disclosures put Klemke in danger – but I know that the very Rock which broke her, hides her. There is no other shelter against such evil and ignorance.

Klemke does not give in to anger, there is no rancour, with an administrators skills she lays out events of her time with Vancouver Christian Fellowship and I Am Thirsty Ministries: the terrible wounding of herself, her family, Javid’s family and others by a man who calls himself a prophet, a pastor, a minister. Each event, each wounding documented is preceded or followed with It is written. It is written. It is written.

What Klemke witnessed and speaks to is a long and lurid pattern of deception, of preying on vulnerable people by Afshin Javid. His contempt for women is chilling, his yielding and delight in sin, complete.
I like that God has chosen a woman to speak to such sin. Her compassion is steel, her testimony true. Repentance is not a trifle, restoration is not accomplished at will or at whim.

I don’t think those who have been criminally harmed will go to police. To read the level of evil is to understand their wounding may be too much. Where Javid may face Canadian law may be in thumbing his nose at provincial regulations.  The body of Christ has no excuse for making any more excuses.  While I do not know if Canadian law will find Javid, I do know it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I believe if Klemke is not heard, as those before her who have warned the church about Javid have been mocked or dismissed; Javid and those who harbour him will face swift judgement of God. I don’t know what that will look like, but it will be, and is, a fearful thing. I believe time grows short, and while I know the Holy Spirit relentlessly seeks – He will not be mocked – the sowing into the wind by Javid and his handlers, will shortly reap the whirlwind.

The number of pastors who have warned churches and Christians  not to permit Javid to minister has been unprecedented. Their warnings and pleading have crossed denominational lines and doctrinal differences. Their wisdom has dismissed, their kindness trampled, their reputations attacked, and their recommendations ignored.
The cries of all the wounded have reached the throne of God.

Brenda Klemke spend her life wanting to serve God. This confession and this prophetic warning is the culmination of years of lostness and detours. This may well be the only time God calls her to be a prophet. She has obeyed and it is enough.  To the pastors, writers, and believers who have called out with her against such sin, such selfishness, such bondage and evil; be at peace. “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” Exodus 14:13.  I’ll end with Brenda Klemkes words, spoken not only to Javid, but to those who still harbour and hide him in ‘ministry’:

And God, “rich in mercy, because of His great love” has stepped in for you Afshin. He has exposed the darkness. What you do next is your choice. If and when you have repented Afshin, and your life has been radically transformed, it will be obvious, because you will recognize the rippling effects your sin has caused around the world – the extent of the damage done, & you will publicly confess to these things & bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. (Fruit trees do not bear fruit over night but over time – long periods of time – of proper Spiritual food and nourishment) You need to be grafted in to the True Vine, Afshin, in order to produce godly fruit. Without this, it is impossible.

Chuck O’Neal, pastor of Beaverton Grace Bible Church in Oregon will be learning what the Streisand Effect is.

About 20 news outlets have picked up this story. Today…want to hazard a guess? 200? It’s on Reddit. Fark. Christian bloggers are understandably all over it. KATU:

A church pastor is suing a mother and daughter for $500,000 because they gave the church bad reviews online.

The family being sued left the church a few years ago and Julie Anne Smith says she and her family were shunned and couldn’t understand why. So she went online and wrote Google and DEX reviews of the church and then started a blog.

“I thought, I’m just going to post a review,” Smith said. “We do it with restaurants and hotels and whatnot, and I thought, why not do it with this church?”

Never did she think Beaverton Grace Bible Church and Pastor Charles O’Neal would slap her with the lawsuit.

“I’m a stay-at-home mom. I teach my kids at home, and this is just not the amount of money that normal moms have.”

When the family left the church, Smith says friends were told to end all contact with her.

“If I went to Costco or any place in town, if I ran into somebody, they would turn their heads and walk the other way,” she said. “All we did was asked questions. We just raised concerns. There’s no sin in that.”

Dissatisfied, she went online to write reviews. Other church members counteracted them with church praise. So Smith started a blog called “Beaverton Grace Bible Church Survivors.”

But the pastor claims in the lawsuit he filed that her words, “creepy,” “cult,” “control tactics,” and “spiritual abuse,” are defamation.

You have to be kidding me, reviews on Google are not on the top of everyone’s reading list, let alone reviews of a church which were put up two years ago. Now, news of Chuck O’Neal’s unpastorly and hypocritical behavior has gone world wide. Three days after starting the blog, Julie Anne was sued by Chuck, along with her daughter and two other former members.

What lawyer wouldn’t want to defend Julie Anne? Her lawyer filed a motion to dismiss in April and it goes to a judge May 21st.   Chuck still doesn’t get it.  He amended his lawsuit the first week of May, adding another person and again claiming defamation.  Needless to say the Google reviews on his church are multiplying, and those reviews are not in favour of pastor Chuck and Beaverton Grace Bible Church.

One of the weirder things about Chucks decision making process is his love of Rev. John MacArthur. Rather than associate and consult with pastors in his area,  Chuck phoned MacArthur’s church and was counselled by one of MacArthers staff pastors to sue.  Chuck’s explanation:

DEFAMATION IS A CRIME: Pastor Chuck O’ Neal, his wife, his children, and Beaverton Grace Bible Church as a whole, have suffered JulieAnne’s hateful lying slander for well over three years. After seeking counsel from a pastor on staff with Grace Community Church (under Pastor John MacArthur) and reading him several excerpts from JulieAnne’s endless defamation, he recommended that we FILE A LAWSUIT in an appeal to Ceasar as the Apostle Paul did when falsely accused of crimes against God and the state. The lawsuit has been filed in the Washington County courthouse. 

Opps. MacArthur is a mega-celebrity in Calvinist circles, and image matters.  The staff man that egged Chuck on is going to have some explaining to do.

Perhaps Chuck O’Neal is burned out, and dreams of winning a lawsuit may be too good to pass up. O’Neals lawyers need to sit him down and give him a definition of defamation and slander 101, but if that hasn’t happened by now, it’s not going to.  O’Neal’s behavior is merely proving Julie Anne’s wisdom in pointing out the problems with authoritarianism. There is a great deal of difference between criticism and slander.

There are ministers who take serious abuse from parishioners, and even life threatening abuse, through no fault of their own. Chuck’s authoritarianism is drearily self-defeating.

Why hasn’t someone from MacArthur’s church called him up, heard him out and counselled Chuck to let go?  Beaverton Grace Bible Church doesn’t believe in mental health counselling, as more comes out, a portrait of a standard control freak emerges. It’s unlikely  anyone will get through to him before the Streisand effect kicks into full gear.

There is an up side to suing Julie Anne and four others. Former Beaverton Grace Bible Church members who were disciplined, kicked out and shunned are finding her blog, and a safe place to discuss spiritual abuse.

Interesting post from July 2011, where Chuck O’Neal creeps out a Jewish family with his door to door evangelizing.

Update: via: The Wartburg Watch Phil Johnson, an elder Grace Community Church has responded to Chuck O’Neals claim that one of the staff pastors told him to sue. It appears no one at John MacArthur’s church has talked to O’Neal, like many others, they can’t reach him.

“In a story currently circulating on the Internet, a claim is being made that the elders of Grace Community Church (John MacArthur, Pastor) advised a church in another state to file a defamation lawsuit against a former member.

For the record, we would not approve of such a lawsuit, for multiple reasons.

‘First, Scripture expressly teaches that it is better to be defrauded than to take a fellow Christian to court: “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? . . . It is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7). Here is what John MacArthur says about that passage:

Christians who take fellow Christians to court lose spiritually before the case is heard. The fact that they have lawsuits at all is a sign of moral and spiritual defeat (hettema, a word used of defeat in court). A believer who takes a fellow believer to court for any reason always loses the case in God’s sight. He has already suffered a spiritual defeat. He is selfish, and he discredits the power, wisdom, and work of God, when he tries to get what he wants through the judgment of unbelievers.

The right attitude of a Christian is to rather be wronged, to rather be defrauded, than to sue a fellow Christian. It is far better to lose financially than to lose spiritually. Even when we are clearly in the legal right, we do not have the moral and spiritual right to insist on our legal right in a public court. . . .

. . . If we cannot convince the brother to make things right, and if he will not listen to fellow believers, we are better off to suffer the loss or the injustice than to bring a lawsuit against him. “Do not resist him who is evil,” Jesus commanded, “but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also” (Matt. 5:39-40). Contrary to the world’s standard, it is better to be sued and lose than to sue and win. Spiritually, it is impossible for a Christian to sue and win. When we are deprived wrongfully we are to cast ourselves on the care of God, who is able to work that for our good and His glory. [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians (Chicago: Moody, 1984), 139-40.]

Second, Jesus was very clear about what Christians should do even when we are vilified by unbelievers: “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad” (Matthew 5:11-12). “Do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also” (vv. 39-40).’

That is our official position, and it is not merely theoretical. Having been at times targets of malicious slander in various gossip-forums on the Internet, we do appreciate the frustration of dealing with relentless character assassination.

But the example we were given to follow by Christ Himself deals with exactly such situations: “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).”

Phil Johnson – Elder, Grace Community Church

Update: Phil Johnson has been in touch with Julie and and the pastor who is suing her – Pastor Chuck O’Neal issued a very long statement which can be found here.

Benny Hinn Ministries

Charisma Magazine isn’t taking Benny Hinn’s word for it:

With regard to the reconciliation, it was Suzanne who may have been surprised to hear the news of a wedding date. A friend close to the family told Charisma News, “The announcement was premature, but please keep the process in prayer.”

Suzanne Hinn was made the heavy in the pr surrounding the Hinn divorce. Trinity Foundation has an article by PFO’s  G. Richard Fisher which gives some background: Benny and Suzanne Hinn’s Marriage Slain in the Spirit. The Destructive Blunders of Benny Hinn aka David Solomon.

Background posts

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

With the upcoming Stanley Cup finals, it might be time for a lighthearted post. And if I help Faytene Grasseschi in the process, so much the better.

While Faytene recovers from her faint, I’ll explain what I mean.

If you follow Faytene, you come to learn that her father, Dave Kryskow, played in the NHL and WHA for a few years in the 1970s. A few times, in various messages, I have heard her refer to her father and then say something to the effect of, “And so you guys will listen to the rest of my sermon, yes, my dad did play in the NHL and …” But the sins of the daughter should not be laid at the feet of the father, I haven’t sought to mention it.

But what follows may be of passing interest, and I thought to myself, I wonder if Faytene knows this. [It was her reference to her dad to her remarks in a US church that flustered her to the point that she had to remind herself that she was talking about "um, yeah, global dominion". so this is how I'd like to return the favor to him. ]

I recently bought a copy of Andrew Podnieks’ 2003 book, Players, which has a write up on every player who ever played in the NHL. Podnieks, after noting that Dave was hoped to be a possible replacement for Bobby Hull by the Black Hawks that drafted him, writes this sentence:

“Needless to say, Kryskow was no Hull, though during his season in the minors he set a pro hockey record by scoring three short-handed goals in a single game.”

This would be while he played for the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League, as far as I can figure.

Glad to remind Faytene, if this had slipped her mind. ["...And yes, my dad was the first at any level of professional hockey to score..."] But if I can make a brief serious point, if Faytene is not careful and lets her male listeners think, erroneously, that her dad was the first in the NHL to score three shorthanded goals in a game–which is not true–it might be an interesting test of whether she has a tendency to stretch things while in the pulpit. But I’ll not say that she would certainly do this to avoid a two minutes for unbloggerlike conduct infraction.

Be careful, fellows, about how you mention this post to Faytene and ask for further details. If she were to say, put her hands over her ears and go, “Lalalalala, I’n not listening to you, Lalalalala.”, well that would be my bad.

Anyways, if she didn’t know at all, well, I’m happy to do Faytene a good turn. Her Dad would probably be happy to remember it for her, assuming Podnieks is bang on in his reporting.

By Rick Hiebert. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

Brenda Klemke, the former adminsitrator for Afshin Javid’s ministry, is not letting the grass grow under her feet.

You’ll remember Bene D’s comprehensive post on Klemke, linking to her public written remarks, where she regrets ever getting involved with Javid.

Well, she is on Facebook too, and has started to post a link to her remarks on the Walls of her Facebook “friends”. On May 29, she put this on Faytene Grasseschi’s Wall:

I owe you an apology. in October of 2008, under deep deception, I co-founded the ministry of I AM thirsty with Afshin Javid. Please find my apologies here.

Underneath is a typed out hyperlink link that goes here

Brenda Klemke’s own Facebook Wall shows that she appears to have posted a similar note to 17 other Walls on Facebook. Faytene’s Wall merely being the latest.

Faytene has updated her status on her Wall since then. So I am guessing she has seen Klemke’s note. As she had Javid on her stage at The Cry Vancouver, I wonder what her response would be. (It might be a puzzler for her, as her ministries remian interested in “mercy ministries’. That would be quite contrary tothe sort of spirit that people are now saying that Javid shows.]

Will this mean that what’s happening here will start to reach “critical mass”, demanding more widespread public attention?