To whom it may concern:
Notice the pattern on this thread established by the defenders of Set Free.
They refuse or are unable to answer the most basic questions about how their church is run.
And they attempt to shift the blame from the ministry to those who complain about it regarding Set Free's troubled history.
Here is what their responses demonstrate:
Set Free is a totalitarian organization, without any of the democratic checks and balances the overwhelming majority of Protestant churches have in the United States.
Likewise Set Free has no meaningful financial transparecy. That is, members don't really know where the money goes through published financial statements that detail salaries, compensation and expenses.
Note that supporters of Set Free won't dispute these facts.
Instead they attempt to spin around them and have never specifically pointed out anything that would demostrate otherwise.
Spin, spin, spin, but without substance it doesn't mean much.
For example skeptic1 says,
Quote
It is not my place to discuss The finances of set free with you or anyone on this earth. If a question haunts you perhaps you should ask Phil yourself.
If Set Free had a democratically elected church government with bylaws that could hold Aguilar and his family accountable, the members posting here would say so specifically and discuss it.
However, no supporter of Set Free posting here has done so.
If Set Free had meaningful financial disclosure through regularly published and detailed financial statements members posting here would point this out.
No such report exists, nor has anyone posting here in support of Set Free stated otherwise.
Anyone associated with Set Free for any length of time would know its practices, e.g. elections, financial disclosure etc.
But a pattern of deliberate obfuscation has been repeated over and over again here by Set Free members, by their refusal to answer simple questions about the church.
What this demonstrates publicly is what's worng with Set Free and why it is a potentially unsafe church.
Notice also that supporters of Set Free don't deny that their leader Phil Aguilar has served time in prison for a sex crime.
Nor do they deny that sex abuse allegations concerning a minor child also have been made regarding Set Free.
Instead skeptic1 says,
Quote
As for sex scandals within the ministry, were you there?
Set Free supporters will even try to blame the victim.
For example skeptic1 says,
Quote
my guess is they were probably not happy with not being allowed to get high, or being asked to contribute to the ministry.
All of this is the same pattern seen as demonstrated by other destructive groups exposed on this database and through this message board.
That is, they won't answer questions, try to blame others and keep trying to change the subject.