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NancyB
John was nothing like his father. WJ as i knew him was loving and kind. Anytime there was tragic news to deliver in town and they weren't members of a church WJ went with the police or sheriff to deliver the bad news.
WJ opened the doors to anyone even the poorest in town whom other churches did not want.
WJ had compassion. He did not put up with his flock being hurt. One of the sisters of a peer had gotten married and had 3 kids. The husband beat the crap out of her. WJ helped to hide her and the kids and encouraged divorce - he made a very clear statement that our believes do not promote divorce - in the event a wife and children are harmed he would not tolerate the abuse - He said it as father would say with love - this is not what JRS did in a few years to come.
WJ called my mom when he heard one of my foster sisters talking inappropriately on the church phone. He really called parents when he knew kids were crossing the line.
WJ was on the more slow and gentle side. When John came to town things got really jazzed up with energy from his charisma. The messages that WJ delivered were not chopped liver so to speak - they Biblical based. But when John came it was like the circus had come to town - new and excited shows to see.
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changedagain
Thanks for sharing this NancyB, regarding John's father. Nice memorial day tribute to a man that sought to do good in the world.
I never knew anything about him, other than that he fell out of his favor with his son toward the end of his life.
I appreciate you sharing this, NancyB. Back in the 1970s when Shiloh was being built, an enormous workforce was needed. Since it was not going to be a well-paid workforce, young people were recruited from Walk churches everywhere to live in Shiloh and work for little to nothing. Lots of them were hippies and many were from California. The sheer numbers of these young people and the power given by JRS to young leaders from this group created a culture clash that grew in intensity. It's no wonder that those imported to Shiloh thought that going to the Washington, IA church was beneath them. They were encouraged to think this way. I wasn't there, but from what I have heard about the Shiloh “sieges”, the worship and “violent intercession" were crazy by most people's standards. They yelled and screamed and cursed. They banged pipes together. Meanwhile, the congregation in Washington, IA would come to church looking nice and have a more traditional Christian service. The Shiloh "gut-fighters" were not impressed. They felt superior because that is what they were taught.
There were many factors that contributed to the chasm that grew between the two locations, but I wonder now after all that has happened, which one looks the most sane in retrospect? Did JRS receive resurrection life when all the screaming and pipe banging was done? Did the Kingdom dawn in 1979? That's what I thought.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2019 01:26AM by Reepicheep.