I lived in Chico from 1960-1967, but was not introduced to the Walk until 1969 in Des Moines , Iowa. Chico was small back then, with a population under 20,000. I didn’t notice any great spiritual activity, but we did have an awesome Little League All Stars team. In my Baptist view of the world, the forces of evil were limited to people who smoked. We then moved to Walnut Creek for a year, Minneapolis for six months, and finally to Des Moines. We later discovered there had been Walk churches in all those locations. In fact, I later learned that in Walnut Creek we had lived only about a couple of blocks from the Kleins. The caravans of vehicles filled with young people going from Iowa to California for camps in the 1970’s are great memories. Summer camps were usually held in Iowa and the California kids would come our direction. Like everyone else, I don’t remember anything about designated relationships – just wonderful worship. The cross-section of people at that time really was quite colorful – everything from conservative Christians to hippies. One of the highlights of the California camps for me was Wayne Barton blowing the train horn he had installed in the trunk of his car in the middle of the night. I thought a real train was coming through the cabins.

I do not remember anything about designated relationships during the Chico Camp. I do remember myself and a couple of single male friends looking to designate our own relationship with some “hot” girls at the camp. Sue Wachter (wrong spelling & confused name & hard to remember) seemed to be getting a lot of attention from my friend.

I remember being hungry and brother Williams (legendary pastor famed for starting a thousand churches in South America) bringing in a bunch of peaches.

I remember the tree limb incident now that it was mentioned.

I also remember a stream close by where they were diving under a large rock outcropping and coming out the other side. I was too afraid to try that, but the water seemed to be really warm/comfortable to swim in.

I remember JRS having trouble with the microphone in the amphitheatre, claiming Satan & the electronic world to be closely related.

I remember while waiting in line for food, the crowd started singing, “I believe God, I believe God, ask what you will and it shall be done, trust and obey, believe Him and say-------------”

It was a great, free and anointed time. (I had hippie tendencies)

How did it all go south???

Larry/FCSLC:
Fond memories. I have pictures from Chico Camp. I also remember an announcemnt not to leave the camp premises so we headed off to Lassen National Park. What a great time.

FCSLC Wrote:
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> It was a great, free and anointed time. (I had
> hippie tendencies)
>
> How did it all go south???

Control freaks took over--and sucked the joy and spontaneity out of the fellowship. Many decent people ended up having 'bad spirits' as a result of attempting to survive in the new regime.

changedagain wrote: “Control freaks took over--and sucked the joy and spontaneity out of the fellowship.”

paleface wrote: “They need all the people they can get now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their recruiting efforts are doomed until they change:


Who are you most likely to admire and love?


----- The most loving person or the most powerful?

----- A good shepherd or a king?

----- A servant or a master?

----- One who empowers or one in power?


I found the above notions on the internet; they seem to hit the mark.

John Horning wrote :
Larry/FCSLC:
Fond memories. I have pictures from Chico Camp. I also remember an announcemnt not to leave the camp premises so we headed off to Lassen National Park. What a great time
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is something I experienced - where I had to get the permission of the elders to be able to enter the doors of the church to attend a service at the Southgate church.

Sometime during the 1990's - I visited a member of the church and the member wanted me to attend a Shabbat service on a Saturday at Southgate. But when I got there - the member that brought me - was told by the eldership -that before I could attend the service that I would have to meet with them (the elders) and get their o.k. to attend the service. Many of the shepherds were out of town that Saturday - so I met in the upstairs apartment across the street from the church with the 2 elders that were left in charge of the church.

I sat in a chair facing the two of them. It was quite casual - they asked me some simple questions about how I was doing - and then approved me to be able to attend the service. " We can't see any reason why you should not be allowed to attend the service." they said to me.

People were arriving at the church - and it was about 30 minutes before the service was to begin - I hadn't seen any of the people in many years so I visited briefly with the members just to see how they were doing and then I left before the service was to start.

I told the member that had brought me to the service , that I did not want to stay for the service because it wasn't right for any person to have to be subjected to be examined - to get another person's approval, as to whether they would be allowed or not allowed to attend a church service.

Since I had never behaved improperly while attending a church service at any time while I was an active member of the church - there was absolutely no excuse for what they were doing as elders of a church..

And so we left before the church service started but I did make it a point first, to see and briefly visit with the members I had not seen in many years and they were just as sweet as they always had been. I entered through the front doors of the church and exited out through the back left side door and this was the only time since I stopped attending the church and the last time I set my foot in side the church building at the South Gate Church.

I mentioned my hippie tendencies back in the Chico Camp days. I was thinking about the “control freaks” that ‘changedagain’ brought up and also ‘larry bobo’ talking about the “evil” smokers (it’s hard to go there!). Those days were good times in my life; free, anointed and fun. So, what changed?

In my American Baptist upbringing, there was very little Bible reading. I played sports, went to movies, listened to all the hit songs (Stones, Beatles, Animals, The Who, Simon & Garfunkle, Neil Diamond, Buffalo Springfield, Doors, Beach Boys, etc.), worked on cars, went on dates, got in occasional trouble, climbed mountains, did desert camping and of course------my low draft number ensured some ‘Quality Time” in Vietnam.

I was reprogrammed by the “Walk”. An entirely different Biblical focus was imparted/instilled in my very thought processes. So, that’s what this forum is all about; reprogramming the reprogramming.

‘Invisible’ has brought to light the great truth about “Not Entrusting Yourself” which is great and a strong antidote to the “Walk” post blues.

The ‘control freaks’ love to preach God as Master, Lord, all Powerful Judge & Potentate: Give in and give up your own will before it’s too late!!!

Simple, biblically uneducated American Baptist kids were fine with, “A Friend in Jesus.” This type of thinking is taboo according to “Walk” teaching; ----- “That’s Babylon.”

Well, I’m beginning to realize (re-align) and recognize (re-cognize) that having a friend is better than having a lord.

These types of “Biblical Threads” are just as valid as those emphasized by the cults and certain biased theologians.

The song says in part, “I believe God, I believe God, ask what you will and it shall be done.”

Okay, I don’t want a lord, I prefer a friend; a friend who will help us all to be all that we can be.

(P.S. Hippies don’t like rules or control freaks; they like friends, freedom and fellowship.)

Invisible Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Many of the shepherds were out
> of town that Saturday - so I met in the upstairs
> apartment across the street from the church with
> the 2 elders that were left in charge of the
> church.
>
> I sat in a chair facing the two of them. It was
> quite casual - they asked me some simple questions
> about how I was doing - and then approved me to be
> able to attend the service. " We can't see any
> reason why you should not be allowed to attend the
> service." they said to me.

Hi Invisible,
Since this took place upstairs across the church, I'm assuming one of the elders was Lloyd Hagloch. During my tenure at South Gate, I recall Lloyd as being very kind and dutiful...and in this situation I'm sure there was no malicious intent, just him following the paranoid church policy of the time. Not that it excuses the behaviour...

Does anybody know what happened to Ralph Hagloch? We climbed 9000 plus foot Mount Olympus here in Salt Lake City. He was crazy. He was stuck on a ledge and we threw him a rope on which he swung out over a 200 foot drop to a better situation. Good times.

Hi Changed Again,

I couldn't remember for sure if one of the elders was Lloyd Hagloch or not - so I didn't write that part in detail. As you say, I also knew Lloyd Hagloch to always be kind and gentle natured.

Both elders were kind but they still asserted themselves as if they were the authority in how they related to me. After I came out of the apartment - I was troubled in myself over having subjected myself to be appraised - so I chose not to stay for the service.

Not long ago - In trying to contact an old friend ( I had known for over 30 years ) I was told through the grapevine not to contact that person until I first had contact with the Shepherds in the Valley Church and got there o.k. (I was also told - It was a matter of protocol) So the relationships of grown old men and women are today still being monitored and governed by the ministry. The members run and tell the ministry - who from the outside is trying to relate to any of their members so it is both the ministry and the members who work together to preserve the wall around themselves.