belongs to him,

Very sobering what you have written.

You have explained on a personal level the great problem. It is hard to trust God and trust others when we feel burned.

I prayed for you this morning. I hope you and dozens of others who feel the same way will be able to make the small steps needed rebuild the foundation.

God bless you, you aren't the only one and I hope you believe me when I say it will get better.

Marty

M & M

I hope your message reaches out and touches more than just the heart of Belongs To Him. I fear the damage that has been done and pray that the light of hope will reach many who have fallen away and bring them back to churches where their spirit can be renewed and the faith in our Lord restored.

Saddened

I know it is hard not to have a very strong opinion of Summer Jubilee, I do. I know it is hard not to want to be judgmental, I am. When at church today I was humbled by the joy of some of the volunteers who were so excited about SJ and how it was received from their perspective. I guess I just want to say that if it made any impact at all, on even if it was just one soul, isn't it worth it? I guess perspective is important - this isn't a scolding, just a thought.

I left TP almost 3 years now. I can honestly say that after 2 years of being in a more "grace" oriented church, I started to sense God's presence in my life (not that He left-He is always there) and my prayer life improved. I am not completely healed of my hurts but to those of you who are new to the fray of leaving Tp, there is hope. I pray for you all--that the Lord will again make you know that you are His beloved children. He loves you and will never leave you.

I want to thank the Lord for reaching out to all of us hurting and wounded ex-tpers. Yes, WW, He has NEVER left us, He calls each one of us His own. We are all scarred by the hurts of others and He knows this and He has given us His Word, Promise He will ALWAYS beside you!
When I was told to leave because I said, "Yes, I feel it is RIGHT, and commanded by God to Question your leaders."
Things were said to me that cut very deeply, so deeply I was fighting suicidial thoughts. I reached out to God, and my spouse, and a Very dear friend. Those cuts have left scars, God is using the scars to His glory! I pray no one involved with TP presently or formerly EVER are hurt to this point. Each one of us bloggers have our own hurts and wounds from a Abusive/Authoritian Church, and we still cling to the one TRUE hope we are children, chosen by God. Yes, we all sin but we are repentive, when we aren't God has His way of redirecting each of us. Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy. Where would David be if Nathan never followed the Lord's prompting? What is it going to take for the leaders to hear and see the Lord's prompting? How many more promptings is it going to take for the leaders to hear and see the path is over there not under their feet?
Those of you still at TP reading these blogs you call us names, you say we are the divisors, you are living in fish bowl and see the us outsiders as the wrong, guilty, blasphemers. Your world looks so great but in reality you have separated yourselves from God's true plans, perspective.
This last week I was told by a member of TP that my family left the correct way from TP. It hurt to hear that, I had to ask the Lord, did we? Should we made more of a stink? I thought at the time it was the correct way to be heard, no matter what we would have said, would be turned on us and distorted, NOT HEARD! Then I didn't want to revisit the pain I felt from being STABBED by a (FRIEND) one I counted as a friend. Some may say I ran because I was wrong, NO! We ran as Joseph did from Potpher's wife. What was intended to harm has and is being used for GOD's Glory!
May all who have left TP be strong and press in for this battle is not won, our Lord WILL have His way!

For leaders in the public sector and in ministry personal and professional accountability is not optional. Accountability in ministry is even more of a necessity than in the public sector and anyone who questions that fact is a fool. Whenever we avoid accountability or worse yet announce that we are accountable to no one but God, we leave ourselves wide open for attacks from the enemy. Because you are in essence saying that you, a mere man, are capable of holding off attacks of the enemy without God’s help—we all know that is untrue. To protect one’s personal life, marriage, and ministry, all leaders should build a protective wall of accountability around their lives through which the Lord can work.

This should be mere common sense to a pastor who has seen other pastors’ fall into sin because of pride. So why does common sense evade Mike Villamor, Jeff Barnes, and TPC Elders? The answer is they are blinded by the jezebel spirit that has gained a home at TPC. In essence the enemy launched an attack on TPC when Mike Villamor and the Elders became prideful and arrogant. Mike shouldn’t have joked about feeding dog food to wolves that got lose in his church. Pride and arrogance are what has turned the once mighty TPC into a mere shadow of what it once was. But still the pride and arrogance remain and instead of repenting, Mike and the Elders blame the victims of their abusive ways for the problems at TPC instead of looking in the mirror to see who the real problems are.

I keep hoping and Mike and TPC leadership continue to disappoint me. This does not surprise me, but I am still disappointed when the Mike and TPC leadership continue to live down to and/or surpass my lowest expectations.


Daughter of Dorcas

I woke up thinking about when I was stuck in internet porn, I still went to church I still talked about God I still served and tried to help others, seemingly without guilt. Then I would go home and look up porn, it was like a passion, a fire, a desire I couldn't stop. I absolutly could not be honest about what I was doing, though my head knew it should I just couldn't. but God in his mercy made my wife come home one day early and catch me. then I was able to break free, I think pretty much its the same thing for Mike and Cyndi, sin has got a hold of them, and they cant break free. they are no different then us. humans who are powerless and blind, Father I pray that you let Mike and Cyndi get caught, that you do to them whatever it takes, to see and confess their sins. and also the elders of tp who have traded the truth for a lie, Lord open their eyes to their bondage,, amen I hope we all can pray for God to expose the truth. maybe our prayers in agreement will change what is going on at t p because talking about it doesnt seem to be changing Mike and Cyndi's heart.

I have been thinking lately more and more about TPC and the whole situation.

I have been doing much more thinking and a lot less talking as of late, so I could focus my thoughts.

I have found 2 things extremely interesting.

1. I have recently talked to my grandpa who left TPC, about 4 years ago. I started asking him why he left? Some of his answers were shocking. My grandpa had told me that he had attended a lot of churches and had noted how pastors preach. He said the most common ways of preaching are step by step and by preaching about what you are going though. He said that pastor mike preached far too much on marriage, and that gave him heavy concerns about how pastor mikes relationship was his wife. He was not shocked to hear when I did tell him about the problems with their marriage.

2. History repeats itself. Abusers abuse. My thoughts on this are harsh, but are based on the fact that history repeats itself and that people are not random. That does not mean that i am right, it is just my opinion of his secret family life. They have patterns, such is the study of anthropology. I would speculate that MV's family life was full of hurt, pain and betrayal. That his parents are or often fought with divorce. That his dad could not admit fault. I would guess that his dad could not receive from anybody, that he measured success by amounts of money. That he did not value others opinions, unless they financially mattered, or were to some benefit of himself.

MV's lack of integrity has been noted though the entire situation.
He is an example of why you should face your problems head on, why you should not hide.
He is not only a by-product of a bad environment, but a man who will go to all means to keep the truth in the dark. I just wonder who else he would throw under the bus.

He has to be exposed to be restored. The old pattern has to be broken before the new one can start. I hope this goes to court. So he can be restored. Although much with in me notes my hatred for what he stands for, their might be some level of humanity in him. Lets hope he can repent, although... history does repeat itself, lets hope he never is in ministry again. There is punishment for sin, grace does not mean putting them into a place of authority and trust.

Lets pray for full extent of justice.
Lets pray for repentance.

Conner

It has been fascinating to read some of the messages lately. I am particularly interested in the comments about people being liars or traitors.It has weighed on my mind. Also, why would someone write who said they never would?

I have heard some who have left the church say things like I don't want to talk to those who are still there. But many of us were in the same boat just months ago.

In a way it is like a civil war. It is very sad. Family members dealing with the strain of those in their own family seeing things differntly.

I felt this acutely as I held a sign up in support of Jackie. There were people going into the meeting who I genuinely admire and love and they had to decide is Jackie a thief and a liar? Or is the leadership of my church totally reckless and irresponsible?

My heart goes out to them. As to someone changing his or her mind about writing on the forum. I think it is natural to see writing on the forum as sin even as you are leaving the church. As you come out you think I will just leave quietly. When I left the church Mike said: “I hope you will leave the church well.”

I would have said I would never write on Rick Ross at that point. But as time went by as my thoughts reacclimated to normal life I, like many, started to see the church differently. When I discovered RLC on the site it was a transforming experience. Before I left TP I had said to Jeff Barnes that I felt I needed to visit RLC because I felt TP would be RLC in a few years. When I read the site it was stunning.

Even so I first wrote with great trepidation. But I was sure that it was a way to communicate to others who went through the same feelings I did. That it would help them see that they aren't alone. Also I felt it was an opportunity for the leadership to rebuke any falsehoods.

I ask anyone who has left TP or is still there if there is anything I have written that is a lie please tell me. You can do it anonymously if you want. I will correct it on the site and anywhere else that would be helpful.

One of the really sad stories is that a person I know had someone end a friendship with them because of all of this. One of the reasons they gave tragically was based on a lie told by a leader. They simply took the leaders word for it. It is sad.

Good post M&M!

I think that is one of the most difficult things that I have had to deal with. While many of the people I know well have left there are still many inside. If you're outside it is clear that those on the inside are uncomfortable with your presence. I have been in the same room with some of the same people who proclaim to love me (still) yet they had difficulty looking at and speaking to me was beyond the question until l I forced myself on this person. It was sad to me that those inside can't tollerate our presense yet proclaim to love. I was further saddened to hear of insiders that would actually see people and turn around and walk away. I know of situations where an insider wants to meet with an ousider but will do so in a remote location and even then is uncomfortable as they might get "caught". There is such fear among those on the inside to truely have a relationship with those they love on the outside. Even as an outsider I have been worried about meeting with other outsiders because we might be "seen" and the insiders that see us would think we were building an army against the church - I have heard this kind of talk goes around. How is it that those on the inside claim to love those on the outside but we are treated as samaritans- just half breeds that are shunned as not Gods children? That is not love - that is distain. My children feel the strain of it and have lost friends. My kids are now learning that if you leave a church, you are no longer the body of christ, that love is not something that withstands a difference of philosphy or opinions or even religious beliefs - it is temporary, convenient and is easilly exchanged. Sadly - pagans love better than this. I'm deeply concerned for my childrens interpretation of the rejection they feel from friends and parents who are still at TP. What their hearts hear is, if your not at TP than you are not the body of Christ and we will shut you out until you come back. Adults who leave feel the same way. Where's the freedom in that? Where's the love in that? We have gone to other churches in our past and still have relationships with pastors, staff and churchgoers from those places - it didn't matter to them where our roots were planted because we were all the body of Christ. I know they (TP) believe we are all in rebellion, we need to repent and return and until then we are treated as the immoral brother that needs to be expelled from fellowship. Staff members have been warned to "Guard their hearts" when meeting with us... how sad. I feel as sad for those on the inside who are fearful and ackward around us - it makes it hard for us not to be bitter and angry. We have been cut off from fellowship from those we called family and are expected to slink off like a mistress with her illegitmate child in the 1940s - totally shamed. That is the love I have received from TP since I have left... It is in short supply. I don't try anymore - I make lame attempts on FB, I'm friendly when I see them, I pray for them but when they wince at me while we're in the same room - it's weird. If you are on the inside, have courage and talk to people who have left. If you really believe we're in rebelion then remember that "kindness leads to repentance", "love covers a multitude of sins" (not to be confused with covers up a multitude of sins). Our "rebellion" wont get on you, you can't catch it. Be bold, if you hate me - tell me, if you disagree - talk to me but at least be courteous enough to be honest so I don't keep smiling like an idiot at someone who cant stand me. Be transparent, honest, and do so in love... Because right now all we can see is the painful distain of a person looking down at us as tho we are "traitors in rebellion to the cause of Christ". You wonder why we are angy? Anger is a cover up for hurt and pain... We have been rejected by you simply because we did not agree with priciples being taught at TP - do you hate everyone who doesn't go to TP - it would seem that way. If you are on the inside, please consider what I've said. How long has it been since you've seen or heard from - whoever- call them, have courage, be bold and just ask them out for coffee - get their first hand story, it won't get on you...but you might have compassion... just a thought.