Welcome to the Forum, Joe0202. As Liz25 says, it’s interesting to hear things from a different perspective. I imagine Hugh Black would have been an extremely strict Head Teacher, judging by the authority he wielded in the church where any bad behaviour was quickly squashed and a warning given either privately or publicly. I’m wondering how he dealt with any female pupils whose skirts were deemed to be too short during the mini-skirt era of the late sixties and seventies. I once met a teacher who had taught at his high school, who told me that HB regularly got pairs of pupils to go and clear all the sweetie-papers and biscuit-wrappers from his car! I don’t see that ever happening at a school nowadays!

In Struthers Church, the problem was that Hugh Black’s form of discipline manifested as control and the frequent silencing of people who tried to have their say in meetings where there was discussion of a Bible passage. Publicly being told to stay quiet or told that one’s comment was irrelevant or being met with his disapproval, caused people to stop contributing their valid answers or comments. Thus, many attendees with valuable contributions were silenced - permanently.

Liz25, I vaguely remember the testimony of which you speak. What I’m wondering is who reported her to the leaders? And why did she have to go through a public humiliation by giving such a testimony at a Camp? Could the matter not have been dealt with privately especially as the lady was an English teacher as you suggest? How cruel.

RedRoad, thanks for your thoughts about changes of doctrine in SMC. No, I’m pretty sure that nothing was debated or discussed, nor were Bible studies carried out to ascertain what the Bible verses might mean or to hear different views about a teaching. You’re right, there’s such a lack of training for Christian ministry amongst the past and present Struthers leaders. In fact, they really believe they don’t need any: all that is required is to hear from God and “let the Spirit lead”. You’re correct in saying that experience is deemed to be of supreme importance in SMC. What one “feels” in a meeting is paramount and if one doesn’t feel God’s presence, then something must be wrong in one’s own being. The end result is introspection leading to low self-esteem.

Can I recommend a newish and relevant article on the latigo website, entitled “Obey the prophets, sometimes”. The article analyses a recent sermon by the overall leader of Struthers, Diana Rutherford, where she exhorts her people to obey the prophets, ie herself and other Struthers leaders. But she herself has not followed the words and prophecies given by past Struthers leaders about the future of the church. Nothing is mentioned about mistakes having been made by leaders in the past re their appointment of certain ministers. Anyway, here’s the link:-

[latigo214.info]

Thanks Rensil. Just for clarification re the reading of DH Lawrence in my previous post. I don’t think she was reported. The point is she felt she had to report herself and give herself a public humiliation by testifying. We all were encouraged to give these sort of testimonies. I really felt for that particular person at the time.

Rensil I found your post about the Rapture very interesting and Red Roads answers and the timing of it all. The huge focus on experience got worse in the early 90s with the constant phobia ministry, demon exorcism and Toronto blessing being spoken of and encouraged.
I really didn’t like any of this at all.

WHY DID THEY GIVE SO MUCH POWER?
Posted by: Mirmac ()
Date: April 28, 2025 03:44AM

Greeting everyone.l have followed this thread for some time. The contributions seem to vary in many ways. We have those who critically analyse, those who share what they have heard and experienced.
I would like to confirm l will not name anyone, but l will confirm my cousin who made many of you laugh is female and experienced what was shared.
To myself and family it was clear a price was paid for this as some claimed she was not who she said she was, said thing were not accurate, well l confirm they are and she did have a rough time.
But, l will not name the ex head but why did others let the over control go on year in year out?
Why were some left totally isolated especially if they had a love of the word and were enquiring?
Some day l will share my story and just to confirm we will contact Co Naz, but we will take time to compile a scripture based argument.
My cousin is taking a back seat given the back lash she experienced, there were many who also supported so thank you, you know who you are.
Mirmac

Can any anyone from SMC remember 1 scripture filled message, sermon talk or chat from "she who shall not be named?" I assume you are clear who l am talking about but it would be unwise to name that individual and her cohort. I Really don't want to be accused of telling lies, of being someone lm not or of upsetting anyone in particular as my cousin was!
Let's just call that a consideration for the week ahead. I did look up the film mentioned not the thief in the night, rather the other one and it seemed very short.

Lets be happy we are in 2025.

Hi Mirmac
Welcome to the forum.
Looking forward to hearing more of your story.

‘Can any anyone from SMC remember 1 scripture filled message, sermon talk or chat from "she who shall not be named’
If you look back on p240 the Petitor posted about the ‘Abomination’ sermon which came from the Latigo site. Basically, she uses scripture from OT to state Christian’s shouldn’t drink alcohol at all and she wanted to say that if anyone drinks even a drop of alcohol they wouldn’t get the platform in her church!!
But as we know this is not biblical ….drunkenness is prohibited but taking alcohol is not!. Should be down to the choice of the Christian whether they decide to have a glass of wine / beer with a meal.
Outwith this cannot remember any good/ satisfactory exegesis of scripture…..probably because she rarely used scripture properly.

Also re the truthfulness of Esmes posts, a number of weeks ago I went through Esmes posts (about 30) to see where they matched with my experiences and others I know of.
1. Older generation, not breaking and being ‘discarded’ - True
2. Wanting to control younger generation - True
3. Lack of use of Bible in sermons - True
4. Stating you don’t need to read the Bible - True (directly confronted her about this!)
5. Putting the microphone off to criticise others - True (on one occasion she went on a tirade about someone and a specific situation- she didn’t know that I knew all about it and was actually going to discuss it with her. She basically gaslighted the person, made them out to look bad. When confronted one to one she completely changed her tune and tried to redirect)
6. Announced that Glasgow Church would be responsible for making up her pension - True (Glasgow congregation was not consulted & many were not happy about this)
7. Her daughter had a very small class size (2 to 3 pupils) and complained when it was to be increased - True
8. Phoned Grace to state that everything was great in Glasgow- getting new people - True (knew this before esme posted)
9. AS didn’t like DR - True (knew this years ago - from the mouth of one of AS most trusted)
10. Had EmkS also stating from the platform that people should break to AS - True
11. Funding crisis in Cedars school - it’s public! Latigo spoke about this years ago - True
12. The older generation being discussed with younger generation - True (see other posts)
13. Gaslighted older generation when they went to GG or MB - they were ‘trashed’ to GB / MB before older person could make a complaint - True (I was one of them and know many others)
14. AS daughter was exceptionally rude and was very aware of the ‘power’ she was given within the youth group, Glasgow Church and even Cedars school. LS knew just needed to tell ‘mummy’ if she didn’t like something and it was taken care off - True
15. AS was building her own kingdom within SMC - true.

Do I need to add more!
Why have I done this?
I just don’t want our focus to be re-directed from holding AS accountable (Along with other leaders.)because of negative posts. She is responsible for damaging many life’s and that can’t be allowed to happen in another church.

AG

Welcome to the Forum, Mirmac, and Thankyou for your contributions. Please pass on regards to your cousin and I hope he/she is doing OK.

The answer to your question re why did others allow the over-control to go on for so long, can be found from reading many of the posts on this Forum thread. There you can read stories from ex- members of SMC which show that: anyone who tried to question the leaders, say they were unhappy about something taught or done in the church, or criticised a leader, or asked if they could use their gifts or talents, were either sidelined, silenced or shunned. Struthers is like any totalitarian regime: you can’t question things, you have to obey leaders, you can’t step out of line, you’re bound by fear, so it becomes easier to conform, to obey, to be quiet. In addition, we thought we belonged to a great church which was better and more holy than any other church. We thought the leaders only spoke truth and we revered them. We were indoctrinated and deluded, as people still within SMC are today. But eventually we saw the light, thought for ourselves and got out.

But this Forum has worked wonders by giving people the chance to speak out about their time in the Struthers churches, exposing the hypocrisy, the lack of love, the tight control and the harshness meted out to attendees. A light has also been shone on The dangers to children and teenagers from being brought up or “mentored” in SMC. Esme’s posts showed us that little has changed in SMC since its early days. Things are as bad as ever.

Amazing Grace, your examination of the experiences and conversations described by Esme, is superb. I agree with what you’ve written and I concur with all 15 points. I agree that we mustn’t get deflected from our purpose. Can I add that when A Spiers asked for the microphone to be switched off, what she meant was the recording to be temporarily halted. All of her sermons were recorded, as were sermons given in all the branch churches: some recordings are online. A Spiers did not want it recorded when she was speaking about others, including other leaders, in a disparaging way, in case she got caught. Another thing to add is that she also spoke of Cedars School pupils by name in public meetings. How could she be sure there wasn’t someone in the meeting who might be a distant relative or a friend of a friend of that particular child? She couldn’t be and there she was speaking about a child by name. What about confidentiality? Safeguarding wasn’t mentioned back then. It’s a new government procedure which Struthers must follow aswell to stay within the law.

As Mirmac said, people write different accounts here. I like to document the weird things I experienced.
Here is another which the person concerned doesn’t know was a huge contributor to my departure and relates to number 1 on Amazing Grace’s last entry here.
One Sunday morning. AS had preached along the lines of ‘if something is troubling you, raise it with me.’
Aye right.
Well the previous week I’d had my nephew in my car and we went together to pick my son up from playing all Sunday afternoon at his friend’s, another church family.
My nephew had been out of the country for a while so hadn’t been at church. He and my son’s friend’s big brother greeted each other warmly ( I can still see the handshake) and must’ve exchanged contact details. The mother then read their email communications which had criticised the leaders. They were about 15. That’s normal!!

Well the next Sunday after AS’s ‘just raise it with me ‘ sermon, on my way out of church this mother started shouting at me in the foyer for allowing my nephew and her older boy to meet. It was prolonged and ‘way bad’!!
I departed in tears (unlike me) , ‘phoned a leader.’ that afternoon ( also unlike me) , AS because she had just preached to do so.
She closed ranks and completely sided with the errant mother in such a bizarre way.
Bizarre is the only word I can use because it was incomprehensible.
Little does that mother know that the 2 of them that day confirmed further my desire to leave. No way was I wishing boys to be misunderstood in this way and no way was such weird and bad behaviour going to be tolerated any more.

I just hope and pray that AS is NEVER allowed near a platform ever again! She is conceited, biblically ignorant and a complete narcissist. Church of the Nazarene, Largs MUST be told that they have a power-hungry and destructive individual in their midst, who will make a play for the platform, if she hasn't already done so.

Liz, I'm so sorry you and your family were treated so shabbily. I've yet to meet someone who hasn't had a run-in with this monstrous female.

Hi all, Esme’s cousin here. Sharing this email I got from Esme yesterday.God's grace.

I’m SHAKING like a leaf, cos the Spiders’ web is after ME! YUK, my heart’s racing, and I’m in HIDING! Heard it from a pal in Glasgow last night, 600 souls whispering like ghosts. The SMC loyalists, with their pitchforks out, are hunting me for spilling the tea on Alison Spiers, our Horror Minister! And get this—some big-shot men are messaging me, calling me out for a “DUEL AT DAWN”! A duel? What is this, a cowboy film? Spider must’ve sprinkled her fairy dust on their brains! But I ain’t scared, cos Jesus makes me FREE, and I’m dodging their webs. Pass on your well wishes, cos I’m laying low, but I gotta share this TALE of Spiers’ evil ways at camp. Oh, and Largs? Your carrier pigeon’s coming with an ULTIMATUM to ditch that Rash!
So, picture me, hiding in a mate’s attic, checking my phone, and BOOM—messages from *redacted*, all “Esme, you’ve slandered the Lord’s anointed! Meet me at dawn!” *redacted* chimes in, “You’re a rebel, face me like a man!” And *redacted*, that wee parrot, types, “Struthers will CRUSH you!” Crush me? Yawn, boys, get a life! I bet Spiers put ‘em up to it, cos she’s fuming I told the world about her “break to my will” tosh. My pal says they’re prowling Glasgow, asking, “Where’s Esme?” Ha, good luck, cos I’m sneakier than a fox, and God’s got my back!

But let’s rewind, cos this duel nonsense reminds me of a CAMP HORROR at Cedars, back when Spiers’ temper was hotter than hellfire. Summer camp, Biggar, all us kids thinking, “Yay, pond dunking!” Nope, it was Spiers’ stage for EVIL. Picture this: we’re at the meeting hall, and Spiers is preaching, BANG, BANG, BANG on the lectern, screaming, “FILTH IN THIS CAMP!” Her face is red, eyes bulging, cos—get this—Flo Bu brought a RADIO. A radio! Flo’s just humming a tune, and Spiers loses it. “MUSIC IS SIN!” she roars, snatching it and SMASHING it on the floor. Flo’s stunned, and Lamb Chops—Lorna, the nasty duplicate—giggles, “Rebel!” Spiers points at Flo, “VESTRY, NOW!”
So, off to the vestry we go, cos Spiers says it’s a “group lesson.” Me, Flo, and poor Amy are dragged in, and Preeeecious Eeeelaine’s there, smirking like a hyena. Spiers screams, “YOU’RE ALL FILTHY, FILTHY, FILTHY!” then Spiers turns to me, “Esme, you’re a LOST CAUSE!” and Hyde’s like, “More vestry, Guru!” I shut my eyes, thinking Wind in the Willows, cos Spiers’ yelling in tongues is bursting my ears. Amy’s crying, cos Lorna blamed her for the radio, and Spiers says, “Amy, you’re CURSED!” That’s Spiers’ temper—nasty, cruel, and straight from the devil, not Jesus!

Back at camp, Spiers bans the midnight feast, but orders curries for her, Lamb Chops, and Hyde. Us kids? We get bread and water, cos “servitude builds character.” Janice Henderson’s nodding, all “Godly, Godly,” but even she looks hungry. Andy and Rhian try to sneak us food, but Lorna snitches, and Spiers screams, “REBELLION!” Andy’s fuming, tells Spiers, “You’re starving kids!” but she smirks, “Break to my will, Andy.” Yuk, yuk, yuk, I wanted to PUKE! That camp was no holiday—it was Spiers’ torture fest, with Cedars’ rules: scrub toilets, no music, and “break, break, break” or else!

Now, fast-forward to today, and I’m dodging calls for a “duel” while Spiers prances in Largs, preaching at the Church of the Nazarene. But guess what? We’re fighting back! My pals are sending a CARRIER PIGEON to Largs, with an ULTIMATUM: “Ditch Spiers or face the truth!” It’s got diary pages, screenshots, and a list of her scams: church funds, pensions, “rising star” fees. Sarah T and Mike L, new Largs folks, are reading it, and Janice? She’s wobbling, cos Hyde’s hogging Spiers’ attention. Trouble in precious land! Fiona and Jay are still funding Spiers’ Inverkip den, but the web’s unraveling, folks!
I’m in hiding, but I’m WELL, cos God’s bigger than Spiers’ tantrums. Them duel-crazy goons? They’re just parrots, squawking for a washed-up Rash. Largs, kick Spiers out, cos she’s no minister—she’s a BULLY, and her fairy dust is FAKE. Christ is Risen, and I’m FREE, FREE, FREE, even if I’m ducking pitchforks.
But, Lord, please save Largs from this WEB. And send my love.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2025 05:46PM by SpyderHunter.

SpyderHunter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> we’re at the meeting hall, and Spiers is
> preaching, BANG, BANG, BANG on the lectern,
> screaming, “FILTH IN THIS CAMP!” Her face is red,
> eyes bulging, cos—get this—Flo Bu brought a RADIO.
> A radio! Flo’s just humming a tune, and Spiers
> loses it. “MUSIC IS SIN!” she roars, snatching it
> and SMASHING it on the floor.

I remember at a Wiston camp I asked to speak to Mr Black, and I was told to go to his room. When I entered, after knocking, he was lying on the bed, with the radio on playing music. I guess the no radio rule must have been fluid.

I really hope the Largs Church Of The Nazarene are aware of the sheer number of people testifying to AS's character.