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UndeniablyLivid
In all fairneee, that first post is old and the 2nd one is not "our" Mike. There is another Mike in the athletic arena that always comes up when you Google mike Villamor. This was an unfair jab.

Are you making an apology, or are you trying to defined Mike?

I would like to ask that anyone who gave money to the Stewardship Campaign write a letter and send (via certified mail return receipt requested) their request to TPC (addressed to Jeff Barnes as Senior Pastor and Debbie Bowman as Chief Financial Officer) asking for a line item accounting of every penny that was donated to and spent from the Stewardship Fund.

We as donors, even though most of us have been gone for some time, have a right to know and see how our money was spent. If TPC fails to give us an accounting, there are one of two things that could happen: a request for a criminal investigation into how the money was obtained and spent or one of us files a lawsuit and subpeonas all the financial records for the Stewardship Campaign and not just a profit and loss statement either, a full line item accounting of every penny that went in and out of that fund and who authorized it. That could be posted online for the entire world to see. They had a duty to the donors and they have breached that duty repeatedly and contrary to Jeff Barnes thoughts on the subject TPC does not get to take peoples money and tell them you don't have a right to ask for your money back and neither can he deny us a full accounting on how he and the other elders allowed Mike Villamor to fritter away our money.

If you do send a letter, please private message me and let me know. TPC has thirty days from the date they receive a request to provide the requested financial information to a donor. Please request a line item accounting of every penny that went into and was spent or "borrowed" from the fund and who authorized each and every expenditure. If you do not receive anything or do not get a response let me know that too. Thanks.


D of D

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BraveHeart

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UndeniablyLivid
In all fairneee, that first post is old and the 2nd one is not "our" Mike. There is another Mike in the athletic arena that always comes up when you Google mike Villamor. This was an unfair jab.

Are you making an apology, or are you trying to defined Mike?

Whoa! I would never in a million years apologize for Mike Villamor. I probably misunderstood the original post thinking that poster was trying to say that this was a new post and that Mike was still up to his old tricks. In all fairness, I wanted to point out that it was an OLD site created during his heyday. I can't imagine they could ever do anything valuable anywhere with all the negative Internet publicity that is out there. Let's don't shoot the choir members OK? Give me a break!

Unfortunately, for the honest unsuspecting Christians where ever Mike lands, I think that Mike will again do somewhere else what he did at TPC. So long as Mike can form an elder led church where he can again bring his authortarian brand of leadership to that church where average members of the congregation are looked upon as merely wallets or butts in seats then the experience of TPC is doomed to happen again. Unflattering information on the internet will not be enough to prevent it. Mike will have a slick explanation which will seem believable and people will buy what he is selling.

Saddened

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UndeniablyLivid

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BraveHeart

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UndeniablyLivid
In all fairneee, that first post is old and the 2nd one is not "our" Mike. There is another Mike in the athletic arena that always comes up when you Google mike Villamor. This was an unfair jab.

Are you making an apology, or are you trying to defined Mike?

Whoa! I would never in a million years apologize for Mike Villamor. I probably misunderstood the original post thinking that poster was trying to say that this was a new post and that Mike was still up to his old tricks. In all fairness, I wanted to point out that it was an OLD site created during his heyday. I can't imagine they could ever do anything valuable anywhere with all the negative Internet publicity that is out there. Let's don't shoot the choir members OK? Give me a break!

I Believe what you meant to say is where Mike can gather a group of sycophant men & women to manipulate, control, coerce to do what he wants!

The fruit of how Mike and Tony have lead their church groups is where these guys do away with church discipline they ignore the biblical instruction of how the church is to operate.
The apostle Paul give us good instruction as to how the Elders are to lead a church and even more as the the qualifications of an elder. What we had at Turning Point and Radiant life Cult is NOT how the Bible teaches a church should operate!!!

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Saddened
Unfortunately, for the honest unsuspecting Christians where ever Mike lands, I think that Mike will again do somewhere else what he did at TPC. So long as Mike can form an elder led church where he can again bring his authortarian brand of leadership to that church where average members of the congregation are looked upon as merely wallets or butts in seats then the experience of TPC is doomed to happen again. Unflattering information on the internet will not be enough to prevent it. Mike will have a slick explanation which will seem believable and people will buy what he is selling.

Saddened

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UndeniablyLivid

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BraveHeart

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UndeniablyLivid
In all fairneee, that first post is old and the 2nd one is not "our" Mike. There is another Mike in the athletic arena that always comes up when you Google mike Villamor. This was an unfair jab.

Are you making an apology, or are you trying to defined Mike?

Whoa! I would never in a million years apologize for Mike Villamor. I probably misunderstood the original post thinking that poster was trying to say that this was a new post and that Mike was still up to his old tricks. In all fairness, I wanted to point out that it was an OLD site created during his heyday. I can't imagine they could ever do anything valuable anywhere with all the negative Internet publicity that is out there. Let's don't shoot the choir members OK? Give me a break!

UndeniablyLivid sorry I did not understand where you were coming from.

Hi, Saddened. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving celebration. :)

I just wanted to reemphasize to you and everyone on the forum that a truly elder-led church is a biblical model. The problem with TPC was that the elders were puppets, not TRUE ELDERS in the biblical sense. The Apostle Paul set up elder-led churches partly to guard against authoritarian abuses. Mike Villamor's elders were a facade, a fake, a front for his self-centered, ego maniacal agenda.

Don't avoid or run away from churches that are elder led. It is a very healthy model when applied in truth. Do run away from authoritarian leaders who run their elders and their churches with no true accountability. Some good questions to ask elder board members when you're checking out churches is: "What happens when the elders and the pastor disagree, or the elders are not in full agreement with one another? What is your process for handling these things? Can you give me an example from your recent past experience of how this was handled and what the results were?"

If the pastor's views and opinions trump everyone else's under the guise of being "God's anointed," RUN FORREST RUN! But if you find a healthy approach to these resolutions, then you can breathe easy, knowing the biblical, elder-led model is working as it was intended.

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Saddened
Unfortunately, for the honest unsuspecting Christians where ever Mike lands, I think that Mike will again do somewhere else what he did at TPC. So long as Mike can form an elder led church where he can again bring his authortarian brand of leadership to that church where average members of the congregation are looked upon as merely wallets or butts in seats then the experience of TPC is doomed to happen again. Unflattering information on the internet will not be enough to prevent it. Mike will have a slick explanation which will seem believable and people will buy what he is selling.

Saddened

Many have said that this site is evil and slanderous and full of gossip. I would like to go on record as saying that I do not agree. This is a site to discuss distructive churches and cults. A site that is designed to warn people of danger in the church. I admit that at times there are posts that lack integrity and contain much sarcasm. However most of what has been said on this forum is true. At least from my experience. If you had asked me 14 years ago the turns my life would end up taking, I could never in my wildest dreams believe what has happened to my family over the last two years. Although I am stronger, I am still a broken woman, one who is struggles to trust. My heart is skeptical of much, and my faith is weak at best. I believe I have repented for my own part in allowing deception to carry on over the years, for taking part in lies, for being weak in my ability to stand up for righteousness. Maybe my struggles are just plain ole consequences to my own actions. I am almost relieved to have been told by the TPC consultant that TP was and possibly still is a CULT. That we all, past and present leadership had drank the proverbial 'cool-aid'. This at least provides credibility to what a lot of us have gone through and provides a starting place for healing and moving on. To come out of the secrecy and not hide anymore. I am not ashamed of this journey I have been on. Yes, pained, but not ashamed.

I am confounded by the lack of inaction on the part of TPC to honestly take a step forward and admit the complete truth. Yet I understand that they have much to lose while at the same time nothing to lose. I admit that I am dismayed by the events of the last few months, but have come to realize that this trial will always be a part of who I am, and will follow me the rest of my life. The hope is that it will not define me. That my healing and freedom will come. I am just grateful that I still have some sanity left, and I actually hold on the verse that says '... beware when all men speak well of you'. I get that one.

I had a realization the other day, when I heard that the Villamor's had sold sizable gifts given to them and church property as well, in a garage sale for monetary gain to help them 'escape' Marysville. It made my heart sicker than it already was. They sold a jeep that a family had given them and used the money for part of their stewardship pledge. I am sure profiting off of others gifts is common place, but it shouldnt be among those in the church. They sold church property they had taken home from the office. They kept high end lap tops the church had purchased. They sold the harley that was given as a gift to honor them. They sold a drum set given to them. Wouldnt it have been nice if they had just given back the Harley, offered to give back the drum set, and said absolutley 'NO' we cant take the churches property, it just isnt ethical. And then even given the Jeep to a needy family. We all will give an account on 'that day'.

Although I felt some vindications when the Elders repented to me and after I had gone over all the so-called evidence. Which I was able to address without any hesitation. I have yet to reconcile the fact that there are those, who after knowing the truth, continue to honor and lift up the Villamors. Even those who are dearest to my heart. I did not understand until the other day when I heard about the drum set sold to people close to them, the truth of who Mike and Cyndi Villamor are. It just hit me, I must be a bit slow. Paul through out scripture warns of those who have turned away from the truth. I will continue to warn others of false apostles and any wolves I may know that are in the body. I will name them by name. This is NOT GOSSIP or SLANDER. I honestly didnt believe that Mike could have it out for me so badly to go to the extent he did to discredit me. But he did. He really believed I was the cause for the decline of the numbers at TP. Oh to have such power. I take some satisfaction in knowing that I am still here, living in Marysville, running into people daily that saw me as a thief, or a criminal, or even those that turned their backs on me. Yet there are others that stood with me as I have lived out my life day by day. Oh to have run away... like some I know.

I also must say that my heart still loves. That love was not stolen from me. I love many still at TP and pray that the cool aide has stopped being poured. At the meeting I had with the Elders, one of the things that was said by someone close to me at the end of the meeting was that they feared TP would end up just pushing through this and not really stopping to 'deal with all the wrongs that had happened'. Could this be?

I would like to say to those of you on this forum that supported me thru-out this nightmare, Thank-you from the bottom of my heart. Life goes on, and I am 'moving on'... or at least trying.

With love, Jackie Singer



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2010 12:17PM by movingon.

There is an issue when a pastor accepts a gift to "honor" him/herself. The only one who should be given honor is our wonderful God and his son Jesus. Most pastors I know would never find it appropriate to accept such a lavish gift as a car! When I read that I had to re-read it, as I could not believe it. As a matter of fact, my pastor would turn down a gift, even if someone offered it as a birthday present. It is unacceptable for any pastor to be accepting such a gift. Again, all honor should be to God and Jesus. I have attend some churches where you do not clap or applaud for anything, as they do not want to take away from the honor and glory that belongs to our most High. Instead, they ask for the congregation to simply say "amen." You really need to ask yourself who are you honoring...man/woman or God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. A big RED flag would be a pastor who would accept a lavish gift, and you have got to be kidding...a car, that is absolutely ridiculous. I find it hard to believe that anyone would even think for a second that it's okay to give such a gift to a pastor and then to have him/her accept it, that is UNACCEPTABLE! Remember you are too have no other Gods before me....that part of the Bible hasn't changed.

Jackie,

Thank you for sharing. No one can truly know all that you and your family have gone through during your years at Turning Point Church World Outreach Center. Praise God that His Truth was revealed to you and that you came to that place of being willing to stand up and say "enough is enough." No doubt taking that stand has cost you dearly and yet God has and continues to be faithful to you. May His Grace and Mercy carry you through the coming days.

The fact that Jeff and Kim still keep the truth tucked away in a nice dark corner only reveals that they continue to walk in deception and decay. If they cared about the well being of those "new Believers" who have walked in through their doors they would be forthright and tell the truth, the whole truth. Instead they dress up the lie with pretty phrases of "concern" and "care." Those who know the truth and yet, continue to act as though nothing new has been revealed to them only serve the purposes of the Devil as he seeks to steal, kill and destroy. And yet, God will not be mocked.

Hi, Jackie!

For the record--and to make sure you know I'm not slinging insults your way ;)--when I say the elders at TPC were a facade, mere puppets, I mean that that is how MIKE engineered it. I did not mean to say that the individual elders themselves were not sincere. Yes, each elder bears his or her own part of the responsibility for any personal compromise (as I do for mine and everyone else in the church for theirs when we don't listen to the Holy Spirit's warnings).

HOWEVER, in my statement above about elder-led churches, I was pointing to the fact that Mike arranged things--changing things by small degrees over time--so that he became the supreme and only authority. HE USED THE ELDERS--the fact that they existed--as a cover for his own agenda. Having an elder board had the APPEARANCE of an elder-led church to outsiders and especially to other pastors in the community, and Mike KNEW this was an important cover for his agenda. When he had gained full control (and had become fully deluded about his own role and significance), he became bold and dispensed with the elder board all together, as you testified.

Mike was supposed to be accountable to the elders, yet he refused to walk under this authority God put over him. BUT all the while he used the appearance of having an elder board to make other leaders believe he was accountable and on the up and up. MIKE WAS LIVING A LIE...and this is just one of the many ways that lie manifested.