When Faith Hurts: How the Christian Community Can Serve Survivors of Sexual Abuse from GRACE on Vimeo.

“I don’t know how to deal with him to tell you the truth, let the little dogs bark.” – Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel

Smith was referring to blogger Alex Grenier, who blogs at Calvary Chapel Abuse.  For years, Alex has been blogging about alleged abuse he and his brothers suffered at the hands of his step-father Bob Grenier, who is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Visalia in California. Alex has also blogged about corruption and spiritual abuse in Calvary Chapel.

In October 2012, Bob Grenier and his wife Gail filed suit against their son Alex and his friend Tim Taylor, alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy to defame. Bob Grenier, who is also a police chaplain with the Visalia Police ‘took’ a leave of absence from his chaplaincy position February 19, 2012, as news of his lawsuit against his son spread through media.

Summary of Defamation lawsuit documents and events

Alex Grenier and Tim Taylor are being represented by the California Anti-SLAPP Project.

Today California Superior Court Judge Paul Anthony Vortmann laid out the law in a ruling, and it’s blogger 1, pastor 0.

The court finds that Defendants’ Web activities are protected under CCP 425.16(e)(3) and finds that Plaintiff Bob Grenier is a Limited Purpose Public Figure. The hearing on this motion is continued to April 9, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 7 on the issue of malice pursuant to the stipulation of the parties submitted on January 15, 2013.

The objections to evidence submitted by the parties will be determined prior to the continued hearing.

And this:

In this action it is not that Plaintiff was part of the debate on the limited issue of abuse by the clergy, but that he does assert that he is a leader of his church. Allegations of conduct which would violate the trust his church members and members of the public place in him as a church leader are matters of public discussion or controversy.

The lawyers will be in court to argue their positions on the ruling tomorrow.  As this case continues to unfold, I hope and pray the judge lays down the law, sending a clear message to pastors who chose to go after the ‘little dogs’. This is the second case in 7 months were a US pastor went after a blogger in court.  That pastor also lost and was ordered to pay costs.

Woof.

Is it irony when a small bible college on the Canadian prairies advertises it’s conference on social justice with an emphasis toward violence against women, yet continues to ignore the request of survivors of abuse at it’s own institution?

Or is it hypocrisy?
I don’t know, but it’s rather sad.

Prairie Bible Institute is touting it’s Global Connections conference. It’s easy if you are known as a Christian missions school to look far afield and pat yourself on the back, while ignoring what is right at your doorstep I guess.

‘Global’ conferences on human trafficking seem so much grander than actually addressing what is right in front of you. It’s easier to invite your professors, successful students romping around the world being ‘missionaries,’ a few foreign nationals and well known para-church organizations to educate your students and conference attendees about how seriously your school takes historical abuses and the violence against the children who were through no fault of their own, subjected to the whims of the zealous at Prairie Bible Institute.

It is so much easier to attend seminars about violence against women and human trafficking in the comfort of your school auditorium, then to listen to PBI abuse survivors – to learn how the school which is educating or paying you failed so many. To voice opposition against sexual trafficking in Calgary or Calcutta is so much sexier and exciting than understanding the fallout of abuse on your campus and standing with those who want to see it never happens again. Missions is what happens somewhere else I guess.

I do not fault outside speakers brought into this conference, no one in leadership at PBI is going to tell their guests about the difficulties of addressing historical abuse on PBI soil, nor do I minimize the global scale of violence against women and human trafficking.

PBI survivors are understandably saddened and angry at PBI leaderships tone deafness.

Can hypocrisy be ironic?

A Southern Baptist mega-church in Texas decided to respond to a member who had a few questions about how the church handled something nearly 25 years ago, by calling the police.

Chris Tynes is a software engineer who has attended Prestonwood Baptist for 14 years. As soon as the leadership knew what he wanted to ask about, all hell broke loose. Something is very wrong at Prestonwood.

This is how to respond to church members who have questions.

All this has happened to Chris Tynes within the past week, and given the defensiveness and heavy-handedness of Prestonwood leadership, I doubt this is the end of it.

Chris Tynes twitter
Chris Tynes Facebook

via: FBC Jax Watchdogs

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

The MYCanada brains trust has another new idea. University and college campuses can have their own versions of those The Cry events that helped put Faytene Grasseschi on the cover of Charisma magazine. The first is planned for York University in Toronto on March 16, and it’s a case of bearding the lion in its den.

Remember MY City? Back at the turn of the year, word came out that Faytene was encouraging her local friends and followers to form localized branches of My Canada, to work on local issues. From what I understand, they seem to be springing up like wildflowers.

Students at York have reasoned, like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, that they could put on their own show. And the First ever CampusCRY will be taking place in a few days as I write, on March 16.

The two in the promotional video for the event on YouTube, seem nice enough. But when one of them complains about “idol worship, literally on our campus” and one of the danger signs is that “Students have admitted to experimenting sexually with students of the same sex while attending school.”, you realize that there is a really conservative agenda at work.

The overt emphasis will be, laudably, praying for God to work on the campus. But as shown in this video, a political agenda will no doubt pop up like a whack-a-mole. [That was the case at The Cry Vancouver and will no doubt be the case at the upcoming Cry event.

Faytene (who has in recent years married, and used the married name Grasseschi) also has a promotional video for the York event. Faytene Grasseschi is a mentor, if not more, to the people organizing this event at York. It will be the “first” such event and hoped to be the first of many.

One point of interest. The students are using a lecture hall for the event, perhaps to make the numbers look good through packing the room and deterring protests.

Why would they want to deter protests? York has a reputation for being a really progressive school, so much so that an event there this week, Israeli Apartheid Week, will attract picketing from conservatives in the area who are dismayed by it.

Hopefully the York organizers aren’t Machiavellian enough to want their event to raise a giant unpleasant fuss which they could have avoided by holding the event, say, at some place like the University of Toronto outside.

Meh, I can hear student journalists saying to themselves. Well, this may be something of interest to the folks at The Excalibur if not Canadian University Press. I would cover it from the other side of the continent for CUP were I still a student journalist, as Faytene Grasseschi says some interesting things in explaining her views. Such as, from her book Marked what she writes (on pages 31-32)

.There is something inherent in the nature of God that loves growth and wants to take over! Recently a preacher friend of mine, Banning Liebscher, said something that I wholeheartedly believe in. He said, “The new breed of revivalists that God is raising up has a “take over” mentality. They are convinced that God has called them to take over the world” If we really believe that we are created in His image, this should not be a surprising statement,. Actually, it resonates deeply in my spirit
.There is one clincher, however. The clincher is that He has chosen to execute the expansion of His Kingdom through his people. Whether or not His take-over plan advances in fullness depends on our obedient response to the command: multiply!

It’s not an isolated slip. Search “Faytene” and “dominionism” on this blog to find more.

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission

Most American readers of the February 2013 Charisma magazine are being introduced to Faytene Grasseschi, the evangelist and sometime Canadian activist, for the first time.

If you share Faytene’s conservative views, there’s much to like. She is actively pro-life, and works on many issues deal to the heart of conservative Christians.

She can have some insights when she teaches, and her own holiness probably puts any righteousness I may have to shame.

She is a regular subject here, but I can’t fault freelance writer Anthony Petrucci, who wrote the cover story and accompanying sidebar for the magazine. At first glance, there seems many things to like about what she does. But if you read it all, it’s clear that Charisma has made an editorial decision to like Faytene.

The Charisma cover story

A smiling Faytene on the cover probably clinches that idea.

What would perhaps be useful is to put all this into some context. [This counts for me too. I always try to mention things that I appreciate about what she does to put what I may write into context too. I try to apply my rules to myself.]

Let’s begin to look at the cover story together.

If it is no longer handy at your local Christian bookstore, I can direct you to the Charisma website where you can read it there. That said, the labourer is worthy of their hire, so I bought print copies for myself.

As I noted in my introductory post on all this, editor Marcus Yoars in his column credits Faytene and her followers with “not only calling for righteousness but walking in it.” Well, he has reasons to like her, but this would conflict with any attempts by Faytene to stay grounded and humble. Wouldn’t touch anything like this with a bargepole if I were her.

Don’t want to dwell on this, but Faytene has been known to go into the corners of the rink with her elbows up as documented here and here. But then, I (and other bloggers) would be the type of person who would have nailed Christ to the cross, according to one evangelist who comes to Mind, so what Do I know? Slapping my opinions all over the place, that is a hobby of mine.

The story attributes the passage of MP Joy Smith’s human trafficking legislation to Faytene’s role in “moving legislation”. She may have been helpful–she gave Smith mike time at The Cry Vancouver to promote the idea–but the odd thing continues to be that Smith doesn’t herself credit in public MY Canada with helping to pass the legislation. Nothing that I could find with a Google search anyways.

[And it should be mentioned that there is more "success" with this legislation than with abortion as the latter issue is much more politically radioactive. But success with the latter issue would be a surer measure of Faytene's ability to push for what she and her friends want.]

Petrucci doesn’t seem to notice that most of the social conservatives are Tories and that as a result, Faytene sometimes has problems realizing that the interests of Canada’s governing party are not
necessarily her own. And the ability to see so many MPs and Senators may be less due to having “favour” than to adept use of the strategy of having one of her friends ask to visit their MP and bring some of their friends, like Faytene. Grasseschi has talked about using this idea and noted that it would be political suicide if it got around that you refused to see someone from your riding.

Lou Engle, described as “a mentor and spiritual father” to Faytene, says that her call to prayer and fasting has caused “visible change to take place.” Not to be a party pooper, but…such as?

Engle also lets slip a word to those in the know. He describes Faytene as “contending for righteousness at the gates of government and culture.”

Why this language and not something like “contending in the areas of, or “contending in”? He needs to blow the dominionist dog whistle by using that phrase, as “possessing the gates of the enemy is a phrase used by that movement as described by this site here. They write: “The importance of Abraham’s descendants possessing the gates of their enemies is found in the hope of Israel becoming a kingdom of blessed people who could bless all the nations of the earth.This has always been the goal of God’s kingdom and the Dominion Process.’…” [Near the art of this piece, the author had explained: "It assumes the influence of the church will increase on earth until Jesus returns.This view stands against some opposing views which see the influence of the church waning in the last days....It does not intend to imply absolute dominion, as in a sinless earth, but a preparatory dominion, as in the earth being prepared for the return of the King."]

The idea of “honouring” those she lobbies, something Faytene tries hard to do, is something that is cited strongly in the cover story, with a friend of hers, pro-life MP Rod Bruinooge arguing that she doesn’t complain about what the Tory government is or isn’t doing. I appreciate her efforts to be gracious in this regard, but wonder about her ability to “speak truth to power”. Her friendliness to the social Conservatives among the Tories, as noted in the post linked above might blind her to Tory flaws from a strongly conservative point of view. As the sidebar to this story addresses her political “success” directly, my earlier post on that alone might have some additional insight on that question.

I wonder what her political friends might think of her disdain, when it comes to politics, towards “accusation and petty debate.” “Petty debate” comes pretty handy in any democracy, and you let the other side have their say too, wrong as you might think it is.

Faytene’s mention of a “new breed” may be a dominionist code word.

Speaking “in the right spirit” when you do speak up, is certainly good to aspire to. But I do wonder, in the preceding clause, when she says “We will never hold back from speaking truth…” whether she has ever taken the federal Tory government to task in public for anything? You could do so very nicely, but when has Faytene done so?

Continuing on, Faytene cites a 2006 rally at Parliament Hill in Ottawa which resulted in “an e-mail from a prominent MP’s office” thanking the rally goers for seeking to bless and not complain. Nice, but who was the MP and don’t read it too fast, or you will think, erroneously, that the MP themselves wrote the e-mail. [And has anyone every independently ascertained that Stand On Guard was a "best-seller" and sits on the bookshelves of the majority of Canadian Senators and Members of Parliament" ?]

Ted Baehr is quoted talking up The Cry Hollywood (several posts on that here), which although filled with good intentions, was centered on a possibly winky interpretation of Hollywood’s past.

And Baehr is quoted as saying “…We have to go and take the territory.” Also, Christians “need to never, never, never retreat again.” Dominionist, anyone?

The author sees a need to explain that “taking may not appear as violent as it sounds…” leading to an anecdote where two workers in the pornography ministry were ministered to at the event.

If Petrucci saw a need to argue “Hey, this is not as scary as it sounds”, I understand why, given that Charisma is editorially disposed to like her.

But there is a way to address this. Evidently, there are tips in this piece that suggest that at least Faytene’s friends are dominionists. Why not address the issue directly?

[Quick aside, Faytene has been noted as asking for approval of her quotes by reporters. Did she have vetting rights over those, or this story?]

There is a way to do it, if you like the person. It would read something like this, perhaps.

“Hypothetical Faytene is often asked if she is a dominionist, someone who uses violent sounding language like A, B.C. in the name of…”

[That would be handled very briefly and succinctly while her reply is given more, if not much more space.]

“Oh no, says Hypothetical Faytene, I think dominionism sucks and let me spend at least several sentences explaining why…”

Petrucci, though, had to acknowledge that his readers were wondering. I would have suggested addressing it head on, but that is just me.

Next is a section of her personal background, including being healed of a life threatening disease and her ministry in Liberia which lead her to refocus her ministries on leaders who could shape nations. [This change is mindset is something she has talked in detail about a few times, and I address it in the first item--her address to Toure Robert's church in this post here.]

After some notes on her pro-life activities, and how Faytene seems to be raising up other young people of like mindsets (according to Faytene’s former pastor Bill Prankard), Petrucci reveals that her next big initiative will be a TheCry in Israel in August, to be broadcast by GOD TV.

Faytene is quoted as saying that she and her friends “are on a journey of reforming our culture” which leads Petrucci to conclude “…it’s clear the reformation has already begun.”

Well, what to make of this? Some comments to finish up.

I empathize with Anthony Petrucci, the freelance wfriter, who did the piece. It is difficult to be a reporter and not a stenographer when the editors you are working for like someone enough to put them on their cover.

As I made sure to note at the start of this piece, Faytene can be admirable in some ways at some times if you share her politics. At face value, it would be easy to assume that what you see is what you are getting, yet nothing to my knowledge shows that Faytene doesn’t try very hard to follow God faithfully, according to what she thinks is best.

And speaking of personal experience, I myself have written on people only to be badly burned when things turned out to not be as they seemed. Sometimes, you just don’t know and have to do your best with what you know at the time. Sure, I might be able to contextualize this story somewhat, but I come at this with different knowledge due to a different point of view.

I wouldn’t say this is very inaccurate as far as it goes. But that this is rosy-hued would, in my opinion, be a valid point of view. This could mislead.

If in doubt, check it out. Being a Berean can usefully apply to both magazine articles and blog posts.

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission

Want to check out the CampusCRY on Facebook?

The generic page for the entire movement is here I think that Faytene Grasseschi taped her own promo for the York event some time ago and set up the page at roughly the same time.

The event specific site for York is here

And the post on the York specific site that Bene D found –well done!–in which organizer Paul Wong reminded me of the Jets and Sharks in West Side story without the music and dancing is here.

I`ll quote organizer Paul Wong again in case it disappears…

Please Read,

I write this message to you under the Spirit of Prophecy,

I feel the urgency to remind you guys to recognize the moment that we are in. There is WAR IN THE HEAVENS over York University. Jesus Awareness week is going amazing and we can see the fruit of hardwork, however the Lord is calling us to take more ground in the spirit though intercession, supplications and fasting.

I believe that this up and coming CampusCry is a time for us to STRIKE THE GROUND at York University and destroy our enemies. The prophet Elisha told king Jehoahaz to strike the ground in order to destroy Syria, but the King only striked the ground 3 times and Elisha was angry with him because the King did not take the opportunity that God gave him seriously and thus he did not completely destroy the Syria. When the window of opportunity closed to strike the Ground, it closed. (2 Kings 13:18-19) WE MUST STRIKE THE GROUND this CampusCry.

As I was praying today I began to cry out loud for the Body of Christ at York because I could feel the lack of revelation and reverence regarding the power of corporate prayer and worship at York University. This lack is to the detriment of York because prayer and worship is what God wants to use to birth Revival at York University. We need to link arms in the spirit leading up to the Cry, on the day of the Cry and even after the cry because God wants to give us – the entire Christian Community – York University.

For those of you who are campus ministry leaders, I IMPLORE YOU to the sound the alarm in your groups and gather the people for this day of corporate prayer and fasting (Joel 1:13-14; Joel 2:1). I write this message to you all because you all are Spiritual leaders in your own respect, please don’t take this day that has been set aside as a Solemn Assembly lightly. For some of you it may be inconvenient to rearrange your schedule for a 8hr prayer meeting but I confidently implore you to do so anyways.

God will honor these words that I speak to you today, It is time to strike the ground at York University, it is a sacred time to stand in the gap as intercessors for our campus and our generation, and it is time to fast and pray. In our obedience to consecrate March 16th to the Lord, he will come down with power and glory to the generation and on the University.

A TWO DAY FAST.

A two day water fast has been called by Aisha who is the overseer for this CampusCry. The Lord gave her these instructions out of Exodus 19 where God spoke to Moses and instructed him to tell the people to sanctify themselves and fast for 2 days so that He (God) could come down on the Third day. There is going to be a Holy Visitation on March 16th because God spoke it and we believe it. The water fast will begin on Thursday March 14th and continue to Friday March 15th, March 16th is also a day of fasting however it does not have to be water fast.

Let us be united like the Joel 2 army who does not break rank but walks in perfect unity. Glory be to God, who deserves all Glory, Honour and Praise.

Paul Wong

Like · · Follow Post · Sunday at 5:41am
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In November of last year, the Ontario Securities and Exchange Commission held a hearing to determine penalties for Gordon Driver, Steven Taylor and Reynold Mainse for their involvement in  the ponzi scheme which affected 252 investors in Canada and the US, through a company set up by Gordon Driver called Axcess Automation/Axcess Funds.

I’ve written about Axcess Automation/Axcess Funds extensively (follow the hyperlinked categories on the bottom of the post) because of who was targeted in Canada, and because of the involvement of Ron and Reynold Mainse, sons of the founders of Crossroads Christian Communications Inc., David Mainse. The Canadian charity known for its flagship show 100 Huntley Street and for Crossroads Television System (CTS), yanked Ron and Reynold off air as hosts of 100 Huntley Street for a few months in 2009 when news of this investment scam surfaced in US and Canadian media.

Crossroads scrambled to clear their name, ordering a forensic audit and releasing a statement that no Crossroads money had been used to fund Axcess Automation/Axcess Funds. Crossroads asked the Canadian Council of Christian Charities to release a clean bill of health statement about the decisions of the Board of Directors. By September, the Crossroads board issued a statement giving their support to Ron and Reynold Mainse and their wives as “they process the issues around the current circumstances and are actively engaged in their own personal and spiritual journeys, before renewing their public ministries.”
As well the board stated its objective to“ preserve and protect the legacy of Crossroads as founded by David Mainse, which includes the integrity of the programming, finances, mission projects, reputation, and the interest of the donors.”

It was clear that people directly and indirectly involved with Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. had been targeted in what was a ponzi scheme.  Gordon Driver, a Canadian citizen living in the US was a former employee of Crossroads. David Rutledge, a cousin of the Mainse family, was also employed at Crossroads. Investors were targeted by their own.

The CFTC and SEC in the US continued investigating alongside the OSC here in Canada.

In August of 2009, Reynold Mainse send out an email to family and friends painting himself as a victim of fraud and betrayal, stating he had only pulled in a few people. “There were five relatives and ten Friends that I am sad to say I first introduced into this opportunity.”  The Mainse brothers, cast as victims, uniformed philanthropists, financial babes in the wood would remain the dominant Crossroads message.

Ron Mainse and his wife appeared on 100 Huntley Street in October 2009 for a softball interview, and to continue the ‘we were victims too’ theme, followed by bellicose and aggressive posturing by then 100 Huntley Street host Jim Cantelon toward anyone who ‘cast stones’ at Crossroads and the Mainse brothers.  God was invoked a lot, there were statements of ignorance about investing, remorse, etc. The timing of the Ron and Ann Mainse 100 Huntley Street re-introduction interview was perfect – a week before the membership drive.

By November 2009 Ron and Ann Mainse returned to their on-air positions, and Ron was eventually bumped up to Spiritual Director of the Crossroads Family of Ministries and Executive Producer of 100 Huntley Street. The board was shuffled around, the CEO resigned and a new CEO was quietly put in place.

In August 2010, Ron Mainse and David Rutledge faced the music with the Ontario Securities Commission. They settled, and while the OSC determined that Mainse was not party to fraud, he had been a ‘finder’ in the ponzi scheme. His lawyer handed over a restitution cheque for 138 thousand dollars and a cheque covering 10 thousand dollars in penalties. David Rutledge, who was heavily involved in Axcess Funds was ordered to pay 263 thousand and 35 thousand in penalties.  Both are ordained ministers, neither were licensed to trade.  David Rutledge had no one to bail him out, and in October 2012 he asked the OSC to extend his payment schedule.

Things went from bad to worse for Gordon Driver south of the border, but here in Canada, no determination had yet been made about Reynold Mainse, Gordon Driver or Steven Taylor. Reynold Mainse appeared briefly on 100 Huntley Street after the Haiti quake for the missions arm of Crossroads, his wife showed up on 100 Huntley for the missions arm of Crossroads, but it was apparent someone had determined only one brother would carry on the Mainse broadcast legacy.

I mentioned above that a hearing was held in November 2012 for Gordon Driver, Steven Taylor and Reynold Mainse. The OSC posted the decision this week, let’s get to it.

Understandably, things have not gone well for Reynold Mainse, and a careful reading of the hearing decision sheds light on why. Like Ron Mainse, Reynold Mainse was found not to be party to the fraud,  was named as a finder and was found to have acted contrary to the public interest.

I have been very clear that while the brothers were  victims in the ponzi scheme, they were also victimizers.  Reynold Mainse engaged in unregistered trading and illegal distribution. His investor group took in over 2.8 million, and the OSC states that, “Reynold was found to have received $210,219.50 through an account in his name and another account in the name of WCC.”

OSC Page 6:

We recognize that a number of mitigating factors may apply in determining the appropriate sanctions with respect to Reynold. Although Reynold may have been insensitive to obvious flaws in the Axcess Investments and to the highly improbable rates of return that were promised by Driver, he eventually ceased to solicit funds from new investors although he did continue to accept new funds from existing investors.

Was Reynold Mainse warned about what he was doing with Axcess Funds?
There is no reason to believe that he wasn’t, Ron Mainse told the OSC he had been warned, it is difficult to believe Ron didn’t speak to his brother. It is also difficult to believe others would not have warned Reynold Mainse. What isn’t difficult to believe is that he didn’t pay attention.

There are troubling concerns raised in this OSC Reasons and Decision on Sanctions and Cost.

Reynold Mainse pointed out his co-operation with the OSC and asked that sanctions not be imposed because he doesn’t have the money. I strongly suspect his assets would have been transferred out of his name while he was waiting for this decision. His family moved out of their upscale Grimsby home, and his company World Class Communications was dissolved in 2008 for failure to comply with the Corporations Tax Act. After an investigation by Open Bible Faith Fellowship the Rev. Reynold Mainse had his ministerial credentials suspended.

[27] Reynold submitted that he does not have the financial means to pay monetary sanctions and provided copies of his income tax returns and other financial information in support of his submission. Although the documents submitted by Reynold did reflect limited financial means, they did not appear to fully reflect all amounts received by him and WCC in connection with the Axcess Investments and, accordingly, it was not possible to develop an entirely clear picture of his financial circumstances.

[39] As discussed in paragraph [27] above, Reynold made submissions and provided evidence that he does not have ability to disgorge the amounts that he received. He submitted that he
would have settled with the Commission if he had the ability to pay and that he personally invested in the Axcess Investments and it was unclear to him whether the funds he received were commissions or returns on the investment, the latter of which should not be subject to a disgorgement order. He submitted that the commissions or returns on his personal investment were used for his Christian ministry and not personally and that he did not gain or benefit  personally from the Axcess Investments. He took the position that he had no knowledge of wrongdoing and did not receive the funds illegally or unethically but, rather that the funds were given to him illegally and unethically.

The bolding is mine.
Reynold Mainse has been ordered to pay 35 thousand dollars in sanctions, 25 hundred dollars in costs, and $210,219.50 in restitution. Total owing: $247,719.51.

The OSC won’t be recovering all it’s administrative costs. Investors won’t be recovering much either, approximately $4,812,456 has not been returned to investors, with the exchange rate on the dollar between 2006-2009 their loss works out to $5,303,326.51.

While no Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. donor money was found to have been used to finance the scam, money raised by Reynold Mainse in and from the scam has gone to charities. Reynold Mainse made a statement to that effect in an email in 2009, “The monies I did take out, I gave to charities and others in need.” Let’s look at the numbers:

Approximately US$4,131,400.96 was raised from the investor group administered by Reynold and comprised of 23 investors, all of whom were members of Reynold’s family and friends (the “Reynold Group);

(b) Approximately US$2,875,054.87 was received by the Reynold Group;

Reynold was found to have received $210,219.50 through an account in his name and another account in the name of WCC.

…members of the Reynold Group collectively lost US$1,256,346.09

What Canadian charities did Reynold Mainse donate this money to? Are these charities aware this donation money came from a scam? Did Reynold Mainse donate some of this money to Crossroads?

The OSC is well aware Reynold and Kathy Mainse state they gave money to charity:

In addition, although the financial and other personal commitments made by Reynold and his wife to a number of charitable undertakings, including foreign missionary work, appears to have been undertaken at great personal sacrifice and is laudable, the fact remains that a significant portion of the funds that were used by them for these purposes were investor funds, and many investors lost a substantial portion of their investments.

I’d call that robbing Peter to pay Paul. I wonder what the Canada Revenue Agency Charities Division says about donations obtained by fraudulent means going to charities?
Tax receipt were issued by these unnamed charities to Mainse and his wife on what are ill-gotten gains. What reputable charity wants even inadvertent involvement in this kind of fraud? Was this his money to give?

Family and friends of Ron and Reynold Mainse in the closed community of Crossroads were soft targets, this ruling by the OSC may bring some emotional closure for investors, and provide hope that the long road to recovery (even when only pennies on the dollar) is a little shorter.  This violation of trust by nationally known religious tv hosts will remain a blight on the Canadian charity landscape for a long time. It is my hope that the work of the OSC, and hopefully an investigation by Canada Revenue Agency will send a strong message of deterrence to religious leaders in Canada who want to make a quick buck for God and in God’s name and who draw in those who look up to and trust them.

Reynold Mainse now owns his own photography business and takes pictures around the world for his father David Mainse, who is writing a blog connected with Crossroads. Kathy Mainse was on 100 Huntley Street a few months ago talking about a missions trip she took to Africa. The investors? They wait.

It looks like a local TV station in Dallas/Fort Worth had to interview a church lawyer in the ongoing story of  Chris Tynes, a  14 year parishioner who found himself being kicked off church property by security, facing questions by police and he and his family being banned from the church permanently. Prestonwood told police they believed Tynes was ‘potentially violent.’

WFAA, covered Tynes story about trying to ask Prestonwood leaders about how they handled the dismissal of staffer John Langworthy, a now notorious child molester, who went on to molest children in Mississippi. Langworthy was on staff at Prestonwood in the late 1980′s.

Prestonwood Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist mega-church is the size of a small town with a staff of about 40. For years the church has dodged questions about how they handled reports of Langworthy abusing boys, and why they did not report him to police.
Mandatory reporting has been in place in Texas since 1971.

WFAA interviewed Chris Tynes, the report, which aired in the Dallas area Thursday shows a man named Ben Lovven calling Tynes a terrorist. WFAA reporter Jobin Panicker did not clarify or question anything the Prestonwood representative said. The report took the angle of miscommunication online, as opposed to the deeper story, the ongoing stonewalling by the church regarding Langworthy, and the heavy handed tactics the church took toward Tynes. FBC Jax Watchdogs:

But how ironic is this: Prestonwood apparently did NOT issue any trespass papers or “suspicious person’s report” against Langworthy when he was found to be touching young boys at the church….but let a church member ask questions about how they handled the Langworthy case, and HE gets the boot.

Don’t call the cops when the music man is molesting minors…but quickly call the cops when the faithful member wants to know why the cops weren’t called to report the molester.

Don’t report the molester to the cops…but report the “suspicious” church member who wants answers to his questions.

Can things get any crazier in the Southern Baptist Convention?

And ratchet it up, call him a terrorist.

It is interesting that the church deleted Chris Tynes questions on their Facebook page, and monitored his twitter account perhaps even before he had asked for an appointment with a Prestonwood minister. Since Chris Tynes went public about how he was ‘handled’ (mishandled), people asking a question to Prestonwood about Tynes treatment or John Langworthy have been blocked from the church twitter accounts and Facebook page.

There are a few problems with this story, but what is interesting is this:

Ben Lovven is a full time lawyer for the mega church according to the State Bar of Texas.

Martin Benjamin Lovven is licenced to practise law in the state of Texas as of 2007, listed at various sites as an associate at the law firm of Bell Nunnally & Martin. I don’t know if being a lawyer for a mega church is a step up or not.

I have sympathy for WFAA. Someone at Prestonwood Baptist Church just has to whisper to a few business people that they can get better bang for their advertising buck elsewhere, and a media outlet in the area is going to feel the hurt. WFAA did cover the Prestonwood/Langworthy connection in 2011 and featured Amy Smith S.N.A.P representaive for Houston. The station didn’t get a satisfactory answer. Amy Smith and Christa Browne of Stop Baptist Predators precede Chris Tynes in asking Prestonwood hard questions.

Okay, Chris Tynes, who is a software engineer, could have chosen different words while tweeting to a couple of friends while waiting in the church parking lot. He knows that, and the reality is Prestonwood, the lawyer did a masterful job of deflecting WFAA from the real story.

Calling Tynes a ‘terrorist’ is weird even for Texas. It’s effective, Prestonwood has been able to dodge this for years, and after this report, there are no signs the church will ever be accountable. But this is what is chilling. WFAA:

The church said the action was taken because Tynes turned from Facebook to Twitter and started making terroristic threats. One Twitter post obtained by News 8 showed a picture of a minister’s parking spot and the words “My target.” Another tweet said, “I’m sitting in my perfect ambush spot.”

“When it comes to protecting our people, we take that very seriously,” Lovvorn said.

Our people? Lovvorn means church staff, not parishoners, not the Texas boys abused by Langworthy and certainly not the boys abused in Mississippi.

Chris Tynes has responded to the uncontested statements of lawyer Lovvern, the members of Prestonwood are the ones who need to see it, see what Tynes has been through and stand up and demand answers for Langworthys victims.

From the first day Chris Tynes asked a question on the Prestonwood Church FB page, he has seen how capable this church leadership is of boot-stomping a member. All because he began to see the terrible consequences of a church not reporting one of their child molesting staffers to police.

Chris Tynes Facebook
Chris Tynes Twitter
Prestonwood #Silent No More Timeline, documents, analysis

I have yet to encounter an abuse situation that was handled “in house” where the consequences were not extremely harmful to the abuse survivor. Boz Tchividjian

Boz Tchividjian of G.R.A.C.E. gives a wide ranging and powerful interview to Rachel Held Evens, about child abuse, institutional self-protection and the need for Christians to go beyond basic policy (such as background checks) in children’s ministry. He talks about the dangers of in-house investigations, the misuse of scripture in institutional self-protectionism, and what abuse survivors need from those of us who follow Jesus Christ.

This is something divinely fitting about Tchividjian making this announcement to Rachel on her blog. She is someone who has been criticised, dismissed and even held in contempt by some self-proclaimed evangelical leaders in the US.

BT: During the past few years, the GRACE team has come to the realization that if the Christian community is truly going to work towards ridding our world of abuse, it is going to require a more comprehensive approach and one that will last for generations into the future. During the past year, GRACE has worked with a handful of Christian academic institutions in developing a proposal for the creation of the National GRACE Center.

The National GRACE Center will fundamentally change the way the faith community addresses and responds to the many issues associated with child abuse. This Center will be located on the campuses of Christian educational institutions located strategically throughout North America. This historic center will research issues related to abuse and spirituality, as well as train and equip the faith community and front line professionals to better understand, confront, and respond to the many issues related to child abuse. Included in this landmark plan is the development of child protection curriculum that will prepare the leaders of tomorrow on how to correctly address this issue within their spheres of influence. To date, four Christian academic institutions have expressed interest in partnering with GRACE to make The National GRACE Center a reality (Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida; Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois; and Biblical Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

In sum, The National GRACE Center will improve undergraduate and graduate training of Christians entering child protection careers; improve the ability of the Christian community to respond in a godly manner to the needs of child abuse victims, and provide training and technical assistance to churches struggling to address the sin of child abuse.

By Rick Hiebert All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

Brian Lilley, of Sun News TV, reports something interesting in a recent blog post.

Motion M-408, in the House of Commons, was an initiative by pro-life MPs to address what they saw as the possibility of people using ultrasounds pursue abortions when babies would be born of the wrong sex. As Lilley mentions, a procedural group of the House has decided that the motion cannot be discussed by the House as the matters that would be discussed are properly matters relating to provincial powers. [Not so. If that was the case why did the House vote von Motion M-312 and why does Canada have a federal health minister at all?]

Lilley, for his part argues that this is a smokescreen. Rather, it is Harper’s brains trust using their power to tell pro-lifers to “sit down and shut up”. Any implication that Harper is a so-con eager to impose his agenda, he further argues, is wrong.

I wouldn’t argue that, as Harper has been quoted as saying in a caucus meeting not that pro-life legislation is wrong, but rather that this is the wrong time for it. Rather, a lot of political considerations, namely their need to keep on winning elections, are coming into play.

There is one point that I would like to make, though. The Faytene Grasseschis of the world are making the point that if conservatives just stand up to be counted, as in one instance she explained at length in one sermon that I blogged about earlier, they can bend politicians like Stephen Harper to their will. Dominionism rules! A different version of this sermon, saying much the same thing, was distributed by The Elijah List as one of their “message of the month” MP3s.

If pro-lifers see a moral urgency for legislation, they should certainly give it a try. But, as Lilley might note, they have to ask themselves whether certain things may seem futile for the time being.

Faytene may want to consider dropping that example. At least in Canada, her listeners have to think “Given what is happening, can what she is talking about ever happen again?”

If I were to offer some friendly advice–she would want, one hopes, to be passionate, and sensible, at the same time.

By Rick Hiebert All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

Faytene Grasseschi is still newsworthy to Charisma magazine, following their recent cover story on her.

Their online news service, Charisma News, is reporting that she will lead 25 pro-life women on a walk from Montreal to Ottawa, timed to end at the annual March for Life rally in Ottawa in May, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Morgentaler decision striking down Canada’s federal laws on abortion. The linked article and promotional video allows Faytene to explain her plans and rationale.

It’s an ongoing complaint by pro-lifers that the March for Life is one of the biggest annual rallies on Parliament Hill but gets little media coverage. So, Faytene might be hoping to get attention by visiting small town radio, TV and newspaper outlets.

Doing a long walk, she way find, may not be helpful. Natives walked 1,500 KM to raise attention to their issues, wryly notes this letter writer in the Globe and Mail, but the media may pay more attention to Tiger Woods and Stephen Harper’s important summit meeting with some imported pandas.

Symbolic events are worth doing anyway, but, sadly, don’t expect appropriate attention from reporters or politicians.

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission

Faytene Grasseschi is starting to promote her pro-life walk from Montreal to Ottawa with an interview with Brian Lilley of Sun News TV. You may see it here.

It’s a friendly interview [Lilley: "I've known you for a long time..."]. But there were a couple of observations that struck me as I watched.

[I myself am strongly pro-life, but I guess it is the "reporter" in me popping up.]

1. I don’t think that Lilley’s observation that pro-choicers paint all this as an “old white man’s issue”–which allows him to point out how many young women are pro-life–is spot on. Point taken, but in all my interactions with people who are pro-choice, this is something I don’t think I have ever heard them say

2. As Lilley mentions various pro-life initiatives such as “Roxanne’s Law” and M-408, I thought that it has to be clear that pro-lifers are using William Wilberforce’s anti-slavery tactics to address abortion–chipping away at it, banning it incrementally.

Seems to me like an obvious question to ask, given that pro-lifers on the Hill aren’t trying to go for a total ban with every piece of legislation they try to pass.

Why not ask it?

Opps.

The Canton Ohio First Church of the Nazarene Easter service took a theatrical turn when the tomb caught on fire.

The guy playing Jesus doesn’t miss a beat, the singer sticks it out to the smoky end.

According to the church Facebook page, Pastor Paul (he may have been the guy on the left of Jesus running off stage carrying the burning tomb door) was treated for burns and was home with his family for supper.

Smoke and flames – quite the finale.

The drama starts at 1:24

via: Matthew Paul Turner

Rick Warren, Saddleback Church:

To my dear staff,

Over the past 33 years we’ve been together through every kind of crisis. Kay and I’ve been privileged to hold your hands as you faced a crisis or loss, stand with you at gravesides, and prayed for you when ill. Today, we need your prayer for us.

No words can express the anguished grief we feel right now. Our youngest son, Matthew, age 27, and a lifelong member of Saddleback, died today.

You who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man. He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He’d then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them.

But only those closest knew that he struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.

Kay and I often marveled at his courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain. I’ll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to give relief, Matthew said “ Dad, I know I’m going to heaven. Why can’t I just die and end this pain?” but he kept going for another decade.

Thank you for your love and prayers. We love you back.

Pastor Rick

Warren is the author of The Purpose Driven Life, and leader of Saddleback, a California mega-church. He launched a radio show last week called Daily Hope.

Matthew Warren was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound according to the California Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department.

If you or someone you know struggles with suicidal thoughts, here is an international list of  crisis lines.

By Rick Hiebert All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission

Brief Facebook status update by Faytene yesterday:

Faytene Grasseschi shared a link via HootSuite.
Yesterday

The team needs $20,000+ to cover base expenses for the B2L walk. We’d be grateful for anything you can sow. Info: http://ow.ly/jU7qk

Details of what they think they need on their protest walk are here.

I think the big pro-life walk from Montreal to Ottawa, intended to mark the 25th annivaresary of the Supreme Court’s Morgentaler decision may wind up spending more, per capita, than that big recent native protest of walking that long long distance (1600 KM, I understand]. But, That is just a guess on my part, however.

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

Todd Bentley is preparing to crank up another revival. And GOD TV, the cable TV and internet TV station has just announced this morning that they are jumping in with both feet.

Bentley is in South Africa as I write in a revival oh so modestly dubbed “The Great Awakening” And I figured that something was up when he or one of his minions made this announcement by e-mail yesterday.

What’s the saying? “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me”?

Bentley’s update reads in part:

My wife, Jessa, was healed of a severe fever on the first day of the Great Awakening, South Africa meeting. Her healing came after a shower. The glory fell and her whole body was covered in gold. The gold was in all three hotel rooms where we stayed and now it is showing up in the meetings. It is now appearing on local muslims and hindus. After the gold came, six diamonds were discovered.

Every day there are testimonies of people having encounters with God. My wife woke up at 4 am to a rushing wind in our hotel room. She heard the Lord’s voice saying that the winds have come and the times have changed. There is a lot of angelic activity in the services and an angel of revival breakthrough is coming. There is a sovereign grace realm coming in the meetings. You can sense the goodness of the Lord. We had the whirlwinds and fragrant perfumes of heaven pouring out. The anointing and wine is just so new.

Pray for us. We are also asking all our partners and friends for your help in Africa. The cost is great and we are ministering to many poor. Hundreds of hindus and muslims are coming for salvation and it is a great harvest opportunity. We are seeing crowds of 3000-5000 a night. Please sow on freshfireusa.com a seed for revival breakthrough in your city, life and church. This fire is contagious!

Yours in Africa Harvest,

Todd Bentley

A we will remember, a few months ago, GOD TV and Bentley kissed and made up. [I've been meaning to unpack all of that Long GOD TV segment, and I apologize for not having had the time to do so.]. Anyways, GOD TV has heard of Todd’s tales and decided to nget involved in a big way–announcing this morning that they will be pre-empting their regularly scheduled programming throughout this weekend toi broadcast Bentley’s meetings. {It makes for great, ratings attracting TV, so GOG TV’sw deecision is understandable.]

The all caps are GOD TV’s:

WE’RE SURE MANY OF YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRAYER AND DELIBERATION UNDER THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD THAT WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO GATECRASH THIS WEEKEND’S SCHEDULE TO LINK LIVE TO THE GREAT AWAKENING HEALING REVIVAL IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA WITH TODD BENTLEY.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT TAKES COURAGE FOR US BOTH TO OBEY THE INSTRUCTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT KNOWING THE PERSECUTION THAT WILL INEVITABLY FOLLOW, BUT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN CALLED TO FOLLOW MAN OR THE EXPECTATIONS OF MEN. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO FOLLOW ONLY THE LORD JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR WONDERFUL HEAVENLY FATHER.

GOD HAS INSTRUCTED US TO BE OBEDIENT TO HIS VOICE AND TO HIS INSTRUCTION ONLY, NOT TO ANY MAN’S VOICE – AND SO – IT IS WITH TREPIDATION BUT WITH IMMENSE JOY AND HUGE EXPECTANCY OF INCREDIBLE OUTPOURING THAT WE AND OUR GOD TV TEAM HAVE GATECRASHED THIS WEEKEND’S GOD TV SCHEDULE…..

In case you don’t catch on to how you are supposed to respond, there is a handy “prophetic word” by GOD TV’s Wendy Alec that Todd’s ministry itself just sent out.

This is “The Lord” speaking, through her. I’m quoting in full, in case it disappears :

For do not look at the past says the Lord. Do not look to the things that have gone before. For behold, watch I do a new thing. And I will pour out my spirit in a new way, in a manner that you have not known before.

For behold this is a new day, it is a new day, and behold the past is behind, and all things are become new.

And yes there will be naysayers and yes there will be persecution, but they know not the mind of the Lord. They know not my mind. For am I not God? Is man’s heart not in my hands? For I tell you that I am God Almighty, God of heaven and earth and I choose whom I choose to choose.

And I tell you that in days and in weeks to come you shall even see signs that you have not known. And you shall see wonders. I tell you wonders. Wonders in the sky, wonders in the revival, wonders in the overflow rooms, wonders in the stadiums to come. For I tell you that the stadiums- they are to come. The stadiums, the living rooms- the glory.

For my fire shall fall. My fire shall fall from heaven and there shall be thunder and there shall be lightnings and there shall literally be the sounds of heaven, the sounds of heaven shall resound through the earth through this outpouring. Visitation, visitation, visitation says the Lord. Prepare for visitation in homes, in your cities, in your Nation. For what I am about to do cannot be contained. It cannot be contained and I will turn unbelievers in their steps and I will open blind eyes and the paralyzed will walk.

A Great Grace

But the hallmark of this next move shall be a great grace says the Lord. A great grace, and there shall be weeping and tears. Many, many, many tears shall fall upon the altars – physical altars and the altars of men’s hearts.

And I shall burn up those besetting weaknesses and those addictions. My spirit shall be poured out upon the prisoner and the murderer and the adulterer and the heroin addict and the pornographer. My spirit shall be poured out upon the pedophile.

Ohhhhhhh roars the Lord of hosts from this place. From this outpouring I tell you a great great, grace such as has never been poured out upon all flesh before, shall be poured out in this dispensation.

The World

And from this kindling fire in Durban, from this seemingly insignificant beginning in South Africa, to the world. The world shall be set light with a great grace and as the fire comes down. And as the great, grace pours downward from heaven from the heavenlies, satanic forces will be paralyzed. For the great grace is my Son says the Lord. The great great, grace is none other than the Holy, Holy Lamb of God.

The atmosphere of the wicked shall become the atmosphere of heaven and the atmosphere of the addicted and the oppressed shall be infiltrated by the supernatural. And the sick, oh how my heart yearns, oh yearns for the sick and the chronically ill and the terminally ill. And I tell you that in this season and in this hour and from this place comes a great, grace upon the sick. And this great, grace of healing, this healing grace shall pour out upon the sick and upon the dying. And my resurrection power and the power and the glory of the supernatural shall break, shall destroy, shall disintegrate the shackles of the spirits of sickness, of the spirits of infirmity, of the spirits of death that the enemy has loosed on the church in this last hour.

The Tables are Turning

The tables are turning. Church saints, arise with a roar. Arise with the shout of Zion for your time is upon you. Your time has come and the glory of the Lord shall cover the sea and this great, grace shall burn from Durban to Capetown, to Johannesburg to Namibia, to Mozambique and to Zimbabwe. It shall burn and there shall be governmental changes in the outpouring.

England and United Kingdom, heaven speaks to you. You are one who is dearly held in the courts of heaven. Oh I weep for you United Kingdom and I tell you I am coming to you. I love you. I am coming to you. I am about to pour a great and terrible holy, grace upon you. And this fire that has been kindled in this far off place, this fire that has been kindled in Durban shall reach to your shores like a blazing firecracker. And all who have been hungry will be filled.

And I shall do manifest miracles and wonders in England says the Lord. In the North. You shall see my fire fall. In the midlands, in the south and the southwest my fire will burn.

And Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: you have yet to see your day and your day arises. And this fire will overflow from Durban, South Africa into living rooms across the nation of great Britain and to Europe, Scandinavia, and Germany says the Lord of hosts. I call your name. I call your name Germany. The fire is falling Germany. And Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, France. Durban to France. Durban to Switzerland. Holland.

And now beloved America, beloved America, oh like a blazing fire I come to you. Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire. From this place, fire fireballs ignited from this place all across the United States. Ohio. Texas. Georgia. Kansas. Missouri. Louisiana. New York. I call you New York. Los Angeles. California. Ablaze fire fireballs all across California, the northern California. Fireballs aligning and joining with Redding, California a mighty burning bush blazing across California.

Oh I have waited. I have waited and it is time. It is time; no more shall you say revival is coming. In this day and in this hour of dispensation you shall surely say revival is here. And communities, rainbows say the Lord. Muslims. Hindus. Buddhists. India. Africa. North Korea. Philippians.

And as the devil sets his schemes into motion in the governmental and political arenas of this world, I declare that I alone am the lord of hosts and this is not the enemy’s day. This is my day. This is the day of my son. This is the day and the great outpouring of the lamb.

Let the enemy tremble. This is the day of the glorious lamb.

Wendy Alec

GOD TV Founder

Some observations…

“The Lord” through Alec, uses a rhetorical baseball cap to the kneecaps, to intimidate “naysayers”, and to warn the easily deluded that they may need to believe Bentley and not their lying eyes.

That said, this could wind up being a real revival. Will believe it when I see it, though. Acts 17:11 remains in my Bible.

Keeping in mind Deuteronomy 18:22, let’s note what is also supposedly about to take place.

–Durban South Africa will see “signs you have not known” and “wonders”
–”And from this kindling fire, from this seemingly insignificant beginning in South Africa, to the world”. Notice that “revival hall spread” is implied but not said. So, there will be an out that could allow “dismay with fake revivals”, say, can be plugged in there retroactively.
–”England and United Kingdom…I am coming to you.” Not using Bentley, as he is banned from coming into Britain because of government apprehension about his ministry. That said. Alec also adds that the Lord is able to do what He wants and can brush government objections and decisions aside. This will be handily trotted out if Bentley is let back into Britain, but notice that it is not explicitly predicted that this will happen. Pergaps, in case it does not?
–The United States is cited for revival too, with specific cities named.
–No longer will Christians says that revival tarries, “you shall surely say that revival is here.”

Some things about “The Great Awakening” that strike me as being planned differently from Lakeland.

It was always hoped by Bentley that Lakeland would end well, and that he could tour the world doing the same thing from place to place. So, this time, it has been announced that Bentley will only be in Durban South Africa until April 29.

Remember that in a contemporary interview on Seattle’s KGNW radio, Robert Ricciardelli quoted someone as having this exchange with Bentley at Lakeland before the GOD TV cameras showed up. Bentley, reportedly, was crowing about how great “the revival” was, which led this other person to say “what revival?!?”. So, whether valid or not, the excitement will need to be quick if Bentley is to follow his plans. [Alec's prediction that revival will be like a "heated firecracker" interesting. Firecrackers are known for their quick bangs.]

Moving on quickly would not allow reporters to do their work in a systematic way, unless they are really quick. There would likely be no stories as in World magazine noting that those who were “healed” wound up dying.

The advantage of Bentley staying in Lakeland for several weeks was that it allowed those with an interest in discerning what happened in Lakeland to do their work in a timely way, with not only blog posts, but making booklets, extensive YouTube videos and event a full scale video sermon on nthe subject.

It will be harder for little accidents to happen when Todd Bentley is packed to leave, such as the fellow with TV experience who noticed that at Lakeland people who were gravely ill or severely disabled were kept out of the range of the GOD TV cameras, even in a different building.
.

All this will be harder to do, especially as most people with an interest in Bentley are in North America while this is in South Africa. Checking this out in person while this is happening in South Africa could be logistically very difficult.

If skulduggery is afoot, was this set up this way on purpose? I’ll leave it to you to decide.

George Beverly Shea died today at the age of 104.

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association tribute page.

It was a publicity stunt for Battlecam, an online channel.

This is the headline before the Daily Mail released it had been had.

via: Joshua Green Businessweek

By Rick Hiebert. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission

Some people who are rooting for Todd Bentley’s meetings in Durban, South Africa may have been watching too much Texas Hold ‘Em on TV, as they are pushing their rhetorical poker chips to the center of the table as their wagers on his success.

Two quick updates:

1. Wendy Alec’s “prophetic word” about all this was redistributed by The Elijah List this morning. Steve Shultz writes:

“Read below about a worldwide great awakening. Caution, don’t be discouraged if your state or country is not mentioned. All of the listed locations will most assuredly spill into the area where YOU live… AND God is moving throughout the entire earth!”.

He bolds “I chose whom I choose to choose” among other things. So there! Take *that* naysayers!.

2. Also, this morning, Todd Bentley sent out an e-mail of his own citing prophetic words by Rick Joyner and Bob Jones about all this. For future reference, I will reproduce them in the comments to this post below in case they disappear. If I have anything to comment on, My observations will be there as well.

I’m not a poker expert, but I do know what “Okay, I *call*!’ refers to.