I decided to stick my neck out and tell my experience of a popular reformed preacher, Kevin Williams, and the church he runs in Manchester, England Uk.

I had been a member for a few years after moving to the area to join the congregation. I had thought the pastor cold, but decided that he likely just lacked people skills and I thought he had good teaching for the most part. I loved the fellowship and saw something I could become a part of, contribute to and find my place serving God in.

However all was not as it seemed and after a few years there he had already accused me of several things, which were quite untrue, but told at least a few others of theses FACTS. I was a bit disturbed, I saw some gossipers among the flock but I wasn't too bothered over all, it was a small price to pay and we all get things wrong.... benefit of the doubt and all that.

This all come to a head out of the blue one day, Kevin came to see me with a list of accusations. There were no questions, he "could not tell me his sources" for most things stating that they were too scared of me so he would not do that to them... and he told me I must repent and that they were not going to say anything to anyone else at the moment.

This was on Friday evening. I was reeling but I went to church on Sunday only to find that half the congregation had been text with a warning about seeing me in any close capacity and warning them of how dangerous I was. I confronted Kevin about it and he told me he had felt it needed for the safety of others. Had one friend not shown me because she was so disgusted, then I would not have known why the fellowship dried up outside of meetings for me.

I was away at the midweek prayer meeting but returned to discover Kevin had some more false accusations, different ones, ones he had not informed me of at all, and had been announcing them to the congregation at the prayer meeting, again as FACT, again before even verifying the rumours he had heard - or made up himself. I had a meeting with him on the Sunday and gave evidence disproving all but one of his claims - which was too hard to prove myself on as it related to my motives.

The main "victim" of my supposed behaviour, and the topic of accusations announced in the prayer meeting, was present and she actually told him straight that he had got the accounts wrong and that he himself was actually guilty of one of the actions he had accused me of.

Knowing he knew the truth on all but one accusation, and certainly all those he had made public as fact by then, but having no apology and being told I needed to repent yet again... I spoke to the Lord and left it a whole month.

After a whole month he made no apology and never publicly made right the things he had said about me, verbally, publicly and in text to some of the congregation.

I was allowed to break bread and pray in the prayer meetings, but Kevin had basically ensured I could not have normal fellowship with people outside of that. I was so "dangerous" that people for the most part avoided me outside of the meetings. I had a few who stood by me and one woman left the church outright upon receiving the text she was so disgusted by the accusations.

I left after that month. I could not believe even the most self serving believer could hold out that long when they had said so many falsehoods and in public too! Myself and my family had invested our lives into the church, served them as fervently as possible, had people live with us all the time to help out anyone we could in the church, and tried to use whatever we had, time, love , food, finances etc, to serve them all. I am saying this to show how shocked I was when I knew that the church - as far as I was aware- for the most part, had actually believed Kevin.

I told the pastors wife the last Sunday of that month, that I was leaving the church that day and it would be my last Sunday and that I would tell everyone either before or after the meeting, which ever they preferred. She told Kevin who asked me to respect the meeting and not to mention it so as not to distract from the sermon. I was heartbroken to leave without an explanation to the people I loved, but have been hearing awful reports from people who have left this church over the last 7 years. However much respect i had lost for him, I decided that I would respect his position and what he had asked of me.

I left the church and got on a train, only to find out that the pastors wife had gone straight to one of my closest friends after the meeting and told them I had left. She was upset and text me. I was furious and messaged the whole church telling them I had left and why I had not said goodbye properly.

That week I had many calls and tried to explain that I no longer could respect Kevin or have him as my pastor and that I had to leave as I was not able to lovingly serve anyone now he had cut off my serving capacity in alienating me outside of meetings. Bearing one anothers burdens is paramount to Christianity and I refuse to be denied the right to do so.

Many people were only half aware of what had been said and spoke to Kevin, within a week I was officially excommunicated so that no one could even speak to me so I could argue my case. I asked one member why no one could speak to me and Kevin called me up yelling I was a ravenous wolf, and a liar and was on my way to hell. He refused to listen to me and I had to just hang up in the end.

I left it all be, though myself and my children were, and still are, heartbroken. I convinced myself this man was somehow deep down still a good man, but had messed up publicly saying things about someone that were not true, and was too proud to go back on it being such a public figure in church circles. I thought he had convinced himself of the lies so as to ease his conscience. It was only me that he had ruined ... what could I do about it? Who would listen even if I spoke out? If a whole congregation who had seen my love for them in action, as imperfect as it may have been, could cut me off so easily because Kevin Williams says I am evil - what chance did I stand of being believed?

I wont go into how hard it has been on us from that time, but I have tried not to be bitter. We must love our enemies, I really believe that.

However, a few years ago I had an email from another member of the church. The exact same thing had happened to her and her family. She was devastated as she had been there for so long, and so sorry she had cut me off after she saw the pattern and realised what had happened to me. she did not know half of my story and was amazed when I shared, how much she could relate to. It wasn't too long after I heard of another couple I also knew, same thing. They were the worship leaders, faithful members for many years.

They produced a large document of evidence, detailing emails and more, where kevin had played off members with one another, denying things he had said to one, and saying the opposite to the other. For over a year they said nothing but observed the continued web of Deceit, slander and more being woven... and finally confronted Kevin.

The obvious happened... they were cast out and excommunicated. "PERSECUTORS OF THE PASTOR -BEWARE".

Another person around the same time told Kevin she needed to ask this couple about what happened so she could hear both sides and was warned. In light of all the false slander of two people she knew very well, she left, also recognising the position she had been in when I was excommunicated.

I know of at least 5 or 6 others, left because of the excommunications, or who were excommunicated. I know some who quietly left because they were so scared to speak out least they too suffer the same humiliation, isolation and slander.

The people I know about are mostly those who have contacted me to apologise, even after so long, because finally they see what happened with me.

They tell me sermons on protecting your pastor were used and people warned they were getting like those who had been excommunicated, if they showed too much disagreement or issue with what happened.

No one wants to hear the truth when a preacher like Kevin Williams is accused.

The bible says 2 or 3 witnesses are required to accuse an elder.... the youth leaders shared evidence with the whole church via email and some refused point blank to look at it because Kevin had said they were wolves out to destroy him or something to that effect. He heard about them sending it to America after so many good believers leaving and being accused of being divisive and members being forbidden to contact them you would think the others would have cottoned on by now.

I think it has long gone the time people will listen but I have to try.


Kevin always made out he had some accountability to the reformed churches in America, the evidence was sent to those churches and all of them said it was not for them to do anything about as he was not accountable to them.

A year ago a fb page was set up to help those who were excommunicated and left out on a limb, I am one of the admins now and the response has been slow and from what I do hear, many are scared to say anything as the stigma and labelling goes on well after you leave.

I know when I left, Kevin called a pastor in Manchester, where he suspected I might move on to - and slandered me for an hour or so to him so that I was unable to go there. I left the area altogether and years later still find it very hard to go to church. That pastors daughter was once a firm member of Kevins church and left for these reasons. I have reconnected with that pastor now who I bear no grudge against. How could he know what Kevin was at that time, having heard me say how much I loved the church and the ministry for so long!

I wanted to tell my story and mention some of the others so that the truth may yet do some good for anyone else who has experienced a similar thing or is part of the church now but is suffering - trapped in the church - that dare not speak out or leave.

It took me almost 5 years to say anything. I did not think that any one cared or that any one would believe. I thought it was just me all that time till the first email came and it has been amazing hearing the same story over and over again from others.

It was only because I realised the abuse is continuing and that some of the people I stayed silent to help, are suffering now for that silence years later.

If anyone else has had a similar experience, I cant say I have got over it... I cant find myself to commit to a church anymore to be perfectly honest. But I still try to love and serve others and to share the gospel. Thankfully the others in my family after 5 years managed to settle into another church - they stay on the edges and dont get involved much, but at least they are making steps forward on that road to recovery.

We know of more who cant stand to go into a church now, and I can relate, but I want to say, don't give up on God... He really loves YOU! You can get through it.

Strange stories like this are common in charismatic evangelical churches I have found. Audacious church Manchester has a lot of odd stories around it too, which isn't surprising because their parent church, Hope City, is just a cult. It's only when I joined this website I started finding out about how common this behavior of pastors is.

I wrote youth leaders by mistake in my message, the people who sent that evidence were not youth leaders. My phone has a mind of its own sorry.

It is so concerning! Since visiting this site I just feel a cross between relief that it isn't just me, and also disgust at how common this sort of abuse seems to be.

FACT CHECK

Jaffa (A.K.A. Jeni Ross who also identifies herself online as a male Paul Hillman) Wrote:

"I had thought the pastor cold, but decided that he likely just lacked people skills"

Yes he could be socially awkward because he has autism. But he is also such a kind and loving man, He was always helping people he saw in need and when he saw you in need he bought your kids a bunk bed (which they were over the moon about but you were offended because you wanted them to sleep on only a mattress on the floor. He bought you a hoover which you was offended about because you didn't want one. He paid for a church camping holiday for yourself and kids and food for the week so you could have a holiday.


(J) "However all was not as it seemed and after a few years there he had already accused me of several things, which were quite untrue"

What were these things?

Was it spanking other people's children without permission?
True

Was it you gossiping and texting to other women in the church to slander a godly man who was dying of cancer, disguised as a prayer request for his poor wife?
True.

Was it you convincing a young man to give up expensive possessions, by giving them all to you?
True

Was it counselling a new convert not to pray and read his Bible?
True

Was it boasting you don't read your Bible because you've been a Christian for 20 years?
True

Was it counselling others to leave the church?
True.

Was it preying on a young man and telling him God's told you to marry me and coming on so strong he ran away to Poland to get away from you?
True.

Was it for being a benefit fraudster claiming working tax credits for imaginary work you did?
True.

Was is for counselling men about their marriages even though you'd been divorced yourself.
True.

Was it about telling people "You don't have to listen to the Pastor, He's just a man. But I've been a Christian for 20 years?
True.


(J) "I went to church on Sunday only to find that half the congregation had been text with a warning about seeing me in any close capacity and warning them of how dangerous I was."

A text was sent out to say he's told you not to counsel men so to no longer go to you for counsel. For the record I don't agree with him sending texts out like that, but you're a bit of a hypocrite complaining about a text after you sent a text out slandering a dying man in the church as if he was some kind of abuser, when he was very loving and dearly loved by his wife.

(J) "I was away at the midweek prayer meeting but returned to discover Kevin had some more false accusations, different ones, ones he had not informed me of at all, and had been announcing them to the congregation at the prayer meeting,"

Nope, not true at all. You've got the order of events wrong.
The truth is:
The Pastor spoke to you repeatedly about the above things and more. Each time you refused to listen.
He then confronted you after a church meeting with all the above accusations.
Each time you tried to deny or explain away and was caught out lying.
Example:
Pastor "You privately counselled 5 people to leave the church"
Jeni: "I didn't, I've never told anyone to leave the church"
Lady Present: "But you did, you just told me you told people to leave the church before Kevin got here"
Jeni: "Ah, but it was the first stage of church discipline, you don't inform your Pastor about the 1st stage of church discipline."

The Pastor then sent the text telling people he's told you not to counsel people. When you found out about this, you left the church and never came back.

The Pastor was happy for you to move on, but you continued to try and counsel people in the church, preying on new on unconverted people like in the above examples. So church discipline was then exercised at the next prayer meeting in which was the first time the Pastor told the whole congregation about the above concerns.

(J) "The main "victim" of my supposed behaviour, and the topic of accusations announced in the prayer meeting, was present and she actually told him straight that he had got the accounts wrong and that he himself was actually guilty of one of the actions he had accused me of."
FALSE.
The "main victims" plural were male (apart from the children you spanked). Two young men, you had been counselling did speak up for you, but didn't saying anything to contradict any charges. Your accusers were all present to verify. Possibly someone is lying to you there.

(J) "Myself and my family had invested our lives into the church, served them as fervently as possible"

Recollections may vary.

(J) "However much respect i had lost for him, I decided that I would respect his position and what he had asked of me."

You never had any respect for him As above, right from the beginning you admit being offended by his socially awkwardness (due to his autism). Florence may now be your friend, but she spoke against you, that from when you first came to the church you was telling her, "You know the Pastor is just a man, you don't have to listen to him. But I've been a Christian for 20 years". And when you left the church you didn't leave respectfully, as above the Pastor was happy for you to move on, but you continued to try and manipulate people which is why church discipline was exercised.

(J) "I asked one member why no one could speak to me and Kevin called me up yelling I was a ravenous wolf,"

FALSE
He phoned you immediately after the prayer meeting, speaking gently, to inform you church discipline had been exercised and told you why. He quoted verses of scripture, which I'm surprised you didn't realise they were verses of Scripture since you know so much that you boast that you no longer need to read your Bible.

(J) "I left it all be, though myself and my children were, and still are, heartbroken."

I think the whole church were sad to see your children leave. The Pastor obviously cared for them, as above, when he heard they were sleeping on mattresses, he bought them bunk beds, not realising you practiced asceticism and thought a mattress on the floor was more spiritual. He paid for you and your family have a holiday. He wasn't exactly loaded and was often struggling for money for his own family.

FACT CHECK PT 2

(J) "However, a few years ago I had an email from another member of the church. The exact same thing had happened to her and her family.
FALSE.
No other ladies were excommunicated before Florence Ekolongeni. Perhaps you're referring to someone who left of her own accord?

(J) "It wasn't too long after I heard of another couple I also knew, same thing. They were the worship leaders, faithful members for many years.They produced a large document of evidence, detailing emails and more,"

FALSE
They sent an email to a large amount of people with just false charges and slander, after they had left the church on their own accord. In all their time at the church the Pastor did not go after the former worship leaders you mentioned, They were simply upset about after a Dutch couple they were friends with were excommunicated and left.

(J) "The obvious happened... they were cast out and excommunicated. "PERSECUTORS OF THE PASTOR -BEWARE".

FALSE.
Not true at all, as above they left of their own accord, the Pastor never went after them in all their time at the church.

In fact, when the Pastor saw one of the couples struggling after the husband lost his job, he gave them a months rent money and bought them a weekly food shop. He also gave him a coat. And lent him an expensive guitar and hard case which the last I heard, has never been returned. They may have not liked him, probably because he can be socially awkward with autism, but he certainly treated them with kindness for their whole time at the church. He certainly didn't go round to people accusing them whilst they were at the church.

(J) "I know of at least 5 or 6 others, left because of the excommunications, or who were excommunicated. I know some who quietly left because they were so scared to speak out least they too suffer the same humiliation, isolation and slander."

It was a mess, a few people did leave upset. But the reality is that only one couple were originally excommunicated. This then caused a chain of people contacted to become upset who were close to each other. In their whole time at the church the Pastor never went after any of them, apart from confronting the couple who were excommunicated.

(J) "No one wants to hear the truth when a preacher
..is accused."

The people in question defiantly wanted to hear accusations against the preacher. But they the accusations were not truth.

(J) "the youth leaders shared evidence"
The church never had any youth leaders or a youth group.

FACT CHECK PT 3

(J) "He heard about them sending it to America"

The true order of events are:

1. A Dutch couple were excommunicated after several meetings lasting hours (it's totally false they were put out without being told what for, that's just a lie and slander that is being spread by yourself and their friends).

2. The two other couples, who were close friends of the Dutch couple, then left the church.

3. A couple of weeks after leaving they had a meeting with the Pastor and Deacon to give reasons why they left. They spent an hour being very angry and aggressive towards the the Pastor and Deacon, extremely bitter, most of what they brought up was about things AFTER they left the church and was tit for tat. (There is a recording).


4. At the end of the meeting, they shook hands, saying they didn't hold any grudges etc and were going to move on. But only a few hours later they sent an email to Pastors in the USA, saying they had serious allegations and concrete evidence against the Pastor and Deacon. Which was a lie.

5. After hearing this the Pastor then sent out a text to the church, warning those four people are being divisive, which as above they obviously were. Again I don't agree with the sending of texts like that, but it's what happened. I'd say both parties were at fault in that regard.

6. About a minute or two after the Pastor then sent out another text apologising for the previous one.

7.They then sent out an email with false accusations to the whole church and many others. This contained the texts, which the Pastor sent an apology for a minute or two later. A letter from the excommunicated Dutch man which was completely untrue saying, he was put out the church without being told what for. The Pastor and his wife spoke to them several times, including almost an hour phone call, followed by a three hour meeting, and various other times.

8. Joel Ekolongeni stated that he had taken counsel from his new Pastor Matt Waldock at City Church Manchester. However the Pastor of GFM then contacted Pastor Matt Waldock at City Church Manchester as was told they were attending but not actually members and "Joel informed me about his intention to send the email and I tried to persuade him not to."

So once again Joel was caught lying to the church, implying godly Pastors gave counselled him to send the email to the church, when in fact he tried to persuade him not too.

So once again Joel was caught lying to the church, implying godly Pastors gave counselled him to send the email to the church, when in fact he tried to persuade him not too.

9. A few others, influenced by the four who left, then left the church of their own accord.

10. One of the girls was also then excommunicated after slandering the church. However she later called the Pastor and apologised, and he was overjoyed and said she is doing well now.

11. Threats were then sent out to tell people not to listen to the recording of the meeting in which Joel and Florence Ekolongeni were very aggressive and showed them in a bad light, threatening to sue. It's hypocrisy to accuse the Pastor of not letting others hear their side of the story, when actually it was the other way around.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2021 07:38AM by TruthandLove.

FACT CHECK PT 4

(J) "A year ago a fb page was set up to help those who were excommunicated and left out on a limb, I am one of the admins now "

I disagree.

The Facebook page was clearly set up to abuse and slander a Pastor and try to destroy the church. You post articles that do not resemble Grace Fellowship Church or the Pastor, but actually resemble yourself. It is nothing less than bullying, gas lighting and slander.

You talk about abuse, but as stated above, the Pastor did not go after these people in all their time at the church, and was happy to let them move on when they left. But you have posted abuse and slander towards the Pastor and the church, for over 2 years now. You are the ones doing the abusing.

Eventually the pastor had a complete nervous breakdown, did you feel any guilt? No you carried on with your shameful bullying and online abuse. I don't think it's unfair to say that you will not be happy unless you get a suicide and the church folds.

This is evident that you Jeni Ross, Joel Ekolongeni and Florence Joy Ekolongeni have carried on your online bullying and abuse even though the Pastor is long gone.

Of the handful of people who post and comment in your FB Group,

One is a fake account Paul Hillman (no one with that name ever attended GFM, but Jeni Ross also uses the name Hillman), and another Richard was saying GFM excommunicate people for nothing after he was violent against his wife.


(J) "I know when I left, Kevin called a pastor in Manchester, where he suspected I might move on to and slandered me for an hour or so to him so that I was unable to go there."

FALSE

The Pastor of the house church called Kevin who did not slander you.

(J) "It was only because I realised the abuse is continuing and that some of the people I stayed silent to help, are suffering now for that silence years later."

FALSE.

The Pastor and Grace Fellowship Church are not sending abuse in your direction. It is only you that continue to send abuse their way with your online bullying.

This is even more evident that now the Pastor has been gone for over a year, you still try to shame and abuse.