#forthevictims

If the leadership wanted to incense their congregation to the point of disengaging from the church, this was the perfect plan. My opinion is speculation, however, either they didn’t think through the possible outcomes or they were so desperate to keep the events under wrap that they didn’t care about what their choices might cause. … Read more

Money talks. Money pressures behaviors, and integrity gets challenged. The shepherds of the church are tasked by Scripture to lead with integrity. The church members must hold their leadership accountable to the high standard of integrity. The church fails when integrity gets trampled in the worship center. “Let’s dig one layer deeper into the shared … Read more

Truth cannot be denied its rightful place in the sun. It cannot be stifled as has been proven in several such cases of major celebrity pastors and priests who tried to go down the path of silencing the story. A victim who is pushed down because of his or her age eventually becomes old enough … Read more

Lawsuits and loss of employment become weapons in the arsenal of those who fear exposure. I see this tactic everywhere in today’s headlines. It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah, “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14 ESV) … Read more

A dear friend messaged me and used the term ‘fractured’ to describe what happened to FCCF. My first reaction was total agreement for the appropriate use of a word I had not connected with what happened. The church was fractured into pro, con and gone categories. Families and friendships were fractured in the process. Most … Read more

The predator, Brandon Milburn, was arrested and brought to stand before two of his victims brave enough to come forward, report their abuse to the police and testify against him. There were more victims than these two, some are known. How many more are not known? Brandon faced his reckoning before the court and was … Read more

What would you expect a predator to be like? They don’t wear a name tag or a label exposing their intentions. They work hard to ingratiate themselves and build circles of influence. They make targets of people they can manipulate to favor them. They morph their personalities to gain access to those on whom they … Read more

Pride cannot minister to others. Pride seeks its own reward. Pride doesn’t think of others. Pride sinks ministries. “The correct answer is, of course, nothing. The Bible is clear on the consequences of pride. Is that not why Satan fell? Could it be the reason behind the consequences at First Christian of Florissant? When pride … Read more

Is a narcissist born with personality and behaviors dictated by genetic make-up; or is a narcissist created by life events and people around him? Not being a psychiatric professional, I can only surmise. Perhaps it is a mixture of both. Either way, a self-absorbed pastor focuses on himself and not on God’s kingdom. “If nineteenth-century … Read more