My name is Sherry Bunch and I would like to set the record straight about The ROC (The Richmond Outreach Center). I have been a member of The ROC for over a yr. now and I can tell you one thing....this church does more for the lost and downtrodden than any other church I have ever been to!!! Pastor G. is an awesome Pastor and when I am at The ROC, I FEEL THE PRESENCE OF GOD!!! Our church is growing so fast that we now have over 160 ministries and counting! How many churches go out to the worse sections of town to bring in the children and adults who have no other way to get there? How many churches have gone out looking for drug addicts and prostitutes and alcoholics to witness to so they can have an opportunity to find God? None that I know of. How many churches have places for people to go to get clean? How many churches have bought homes for battered women and their children to get them out of shelters? Well, The ROC does all these things! The scripture tells us to GO Out and COMPEL them to come to church! How many of you go out into the inner city and go soulwinning for 24 hrs. straight? I thought so! Before you start judging The ROC, maybe you should come and see for yourselves! When I prayed for several yrs. for God to lead me to a church where I can be me and not have to be subjected to scrutiny by a bunch of hypocrites and HE led me to The ROC! Do you really think GOD would lead me to a "cult"? I don't think so by any means!! God is leading thousands to The ROC so if you say the ROC is anything other than what it is then you are saying God doesn't know what HE is doing! Judge not lest ye be judged.

SHERRY:

A few questions about ROC.

Is there a an independently audited financial report regarding the annual ROC budget, which discloses in detail all salaries, compensation and expenses paid out from church funds that is distributed to each and every ROC contributor?

If so, what is the total compensation, salary, insurance package, etc., paid out to Pastor G. annually?

Is there an annual election held for church board members in which all ROC members cast ballots?

If so, are church board members elected to fixed terms and then must stand for reelection according to church bylaws?

If so, does this democratically elected church board have the power to fire Pastor G.?

Answering these specific question would certainly help to clear any misunderstanding regarding how ROC is run.

The overwhelming majority of Protestant churches in America have safeguards such as meaningful financial transparency through independently audited financial reports and democratically elected church government.

It is important to understand if these safeguards exist at ROC according to the ROC constitution and bylaws.

As a member for over a year now you should know this.

Please respond.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2011 01:49AM by rrmoderator.

My concern with my church is how many people are saved every week, how many lives are changed and how many people are being helped by The ROC not how much money everyone makes or how all the money is spent...I really don't care! Pastor G started the ROC in 2001 with a handful of people and now he has thousands of members....I don't have to see the numbers on paper because I see every week what the ROC is doing for the community and the people in need. We live in a democracy and we vote and we are given plenty of numbers by our govt. and look at the mess we are in in this country. Do I really have any say so in what the govt. does with my money? Well, I give my money to God, not Pastor G....then he uses my money to help others and that is something that I can see with my own eyes and is tangible. I am not one who cares about the politics of the church and the staff are the ones who helped Pastor G start the ROC so why would anyone want to get rid of them? THEY built it with Pastor G because GOD wanted it! Why are you so concerned with how much money Pastor G makes? Or anyone else for that matter. He works around the clock and is always there for the members...isn't he entitled to make a living? Get real man! Jesus is coming back soon so I worry about salvation, not money! Pastor G is a man of God and I thank God for him and everyone at The ROC! I'm sorry you are so worried about money instead of personal salvation because it doesn't cost a dime!!!

What particularly makes you think it is God that is blessing this church? Not all things good come from God.....there are many people, places and things that have lots of money, would appear to be blessed because they are "golden". If that were the case, we would expect every poor, trodden down person to be unsaved or condemned to hell because they don't have money. So be not deceived. Just because something looks good on the outside don't make it ripe on the inside. Lots of fruit when bitten into are rotten and filled with worms. We are to judge not by man's standards but by God's standards. Romans 2 21: "You then, who teach others do you not teach youself? While you preach against stealig, do you steal? You who that one must nt ocommit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples...." We are called to judge brothers and sisters around us and when confronted with their sin and they do not confess, we are to not keep company with them. Having ministries, people coming, etc., does not a blessing make - scripture tells us in the end days people will be blinded and deceived. I was as well as many others on this thread were blinded and deceived. Some of us have witnessed things that are discussed on here. You said why would God bless it ..... God does not bless all that is good, we put the value on good and look at things that prosper and assume that God has blessed it....
that's not what HIS gospel is about......Christ himself was not wealthy, was beaten and persecuted for the truth...he endured trial and tribulation more than we can imagine and was crucified. I could say he certainly was not of God to have suffered, but then I would destroy the gospel. The gospel is not about what a church or what a a person is doing. It's about Christ.

So many people continue to be blinded. How sad!

SHERRY:

Thanks for the public admissions you have made on this board for everyone to read.

Your response regarding where the money goes and how it is accounted for in ROC is, "I really don't care!"

You also said, "Do I really have any say so in what the govt. does with my money?"

Apparently that means you have no "say so" about any of the finances at ROC.

But you do with the US government. There is a published budget in detail, which includes the salaries of every official. There is an elected democratic government that you can vote out. And there is meaningful financial oversight through OMB (Office of Management and Budget), not to mention the media reporting whatever they find through available records. There is also the US Constitution and our laws which enforce accountability.

Most Protestant churches have similar accountability through democratic governance and bylaws, but you admit, "I am not one who cares about the politics of the church and the staff...why would anyone want to get rid of them? THEY built it with Pastor G because GOD wanted it!"

"God"?

It appears from your admissions that there is no meaningful accountability at ROC and that Pastor G. can do whatever he likes. Apparently if you disagree with Pastor G. you disagree with what "God wanted."

Jesus said that many would come in his name, but he would not know them. He specifically warned about wolves in sheep's clothing. How do you know Pastor G. isn't one of the wolves, when there is no meaningful accountability or financial transparency at ROC?

Read the bible.

Paul recognized and criticized corrupt leaders in Galatians.

The bible also mandates accountability and leadership requirements for deacons, elders and evangelists.

Pastor G. seems to have no accountability whatsoever.

He appears to be little more than a dictator who can do virtually anything without meaningful oversight or financial transparency.

Thanks for clarifying the current status and situation at ROC.

This thread will now be closed.

You can post at the ongoing ROC thread.

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