A Very Personal and Private Open Letter to the Grace International Fellowship, Formerly Known as Prince, Leadership .
Greetings in the Name of the Triune Jesus who includes most, but obviously not all, in the wonderous works done in His name.Nearing the traditional retirement age in America and realizing you took me seriously when I joked the Worldwide Church of God retirement program seems to be for the minister to drive into a tree at 65 years old and 65 miles an hour, I wished to make a simple plea.
Crazy me, years ago when I asked in a Refresher Seminar if the WCG was meeting its obligations to full time pastors to prepare for their retirement, Mr. Ron Kelly assured us all, "we will take care of you." Whew...that really was encouraging. We had to be patient and trust the Administration, but no problem. They all knew that the NT said, something about saying, "be warmed and be filled but give not to them what is needed..." , so I relaxed over doubts about what I was hearing and obviously it was simply my carnal nature getting the best of me.
When terminated, Mr. Curtis May of the Reconciliation Dept said he's pray for me and wished me luck, which sounded a lot like that scripture, but I realize it was just in the way I was hearing it. No one would really do that and not have it seem hilarious coming from the "Reconciliation Dept." That would be crazy!
Now I understand it doesn't matter and Church was never about the money, but I estimated that I (sorry about that) inspired the giving of millions...over 40 million in my own personal journey through "we will take care of you." My parents and 30+ other family members, mostly ending up as ministers, elders, deacons and deaconesses all over the place gave hundred of thousands I am pretty sure. They have all gone back to their roots or moved on to happy slappy mega-churches. I, on the other hand, now rub people the right way by teaching and practicing therapeutic massage. I get so tempted to declare myself a Prophet, Apostle, Witness or Really Special Jesus Person, but it's just not in me. Three Hundred Thousand folks have downloaded my articles on things I seemed to have missed in Harmony of the Gospels Class and Epistles of Paul. Well actually, things I seemed to have missed from Genesis to Revelation in my education by the experts at WCG. One guy wrote me to tell me words can get you killed and another said I was just bitter, but honest, I just ever wanted to know the truth about life and still am working on that one. One did say I was just another "High Priest of Marduk," and I thanked him as I have not had a religious title for years now and it feels really good.
Mr. Bernie Schnippert, who was legal counsel for the WCG, told me he was really sorry but he could do nothing for those who didn't get happy slappy over Jesus and were still in the employ of the church through all the transitions. It's nice how he retired, moved to the Pacific Northwest and all I hear about how nice it is to be near his family and grand kids. I got marooned in South Carolina and everyone is a bit scattered due to Church, Church, Church but that's fine. I never thought I'd get to live in the deep south and in the Bible Belt to boot which serves as a constant reminder of the fear, guilt and shame Jesus uses to keep us all in line. Trust me, "Pray, Obey, Pay and Stay" is just as bad here as anywhere...Gnome sayin?? I asked a few guys who stayed and still are with WCG now CGI, or even UCG, PCG or RCG, if they believed it all and they said "No, but I want to get to retirement." Sheesh...I should have pulled that stunt! Oh well, proof that the children of light are more stupid than the children of Satan at times.
Anyway, at the time, I did what you told me to do with my severance agreement. I took it to a lawyer friend but it was kinda bad news for me it seemed. She asked me if this document really came from a church? I said yes and she said, and I do apologize ahead of time for this but her quote was kinda cool..."You're fucked." Whew...after fanning myself and telling her to please please not used bad words like that, she said, "Ok, well this is not to your advantage." "That's a lot better I told her." Well I mean the way she broke the news to me was better, not the actual news contained therein.
First of all, and let me be clear, I know this letter is just between you and me so I do understand a few things about the attitudes the dear brethren have towards use despicable minister types. I know they think we deserve to go down in flames and love to mock us as God's chosen ministers. We know the Bible tells us to expect this. We know they think we were all insincere bastards just in it for the money, power and control but we know this is not so. I became somewhat of a bastard sinner nutcase AFTER my Church of God experience, but don't think that should be held against me. Transitions are messy and like Cher said once, "Life is not easy. Mine has been messy at times, but it is just me doing the best I can." Somehow that comforts me.
Anyway...I think you have stashed millions somewhere from the sale of assets my family and hundreds of thousands of others bought for you guys. I can't imagine that you are using it all up with only five of you actually drawing a real retirement from it. Can I have some please? Maybe around $5-600 a month just for rent and groceries. I'm not asking for medical insurance. While I don't have any and can't get any, I feel pretty good and if I blow a gallbladder or get some dumbass later in life disease, I will just agree to let go and enter the Kingdom. I mean after all, we're all just dying to get to heaven anyway so no biggie. I can bite on a wooden stick for pain and if reasonably close to the surface, can drink whiskey, like in the old days and just cut it out or off. Teeth come out pretty well with a well placed blow so again, it's not like there aren't solutions to health challenges. People with insurance for such things really just lack faith in God's healing and Jesus Grace so really, it puts me in a much more spiritually superior position. It feels good to act like I know it all. Know what I'm sayin????
Ok, well lots of thoughts to share. I promise this will be kept between us. I anxiously away your proposal to help me get through. Oh shit.. (oopse sorry, I'd be afraid to give sermons these days for all the new words I've learned since WCG days) ,I forgot you had me sign away Social Security because, well you know, "we will take care of you and we don't have to save it for you on ministerial salaries." Pretty slick!!! So if you could include another $50/month, that would help.
Thanks so much!!! I know you will do the right thing for those who built your buildings, bought your groceries, houses, cars, vacations and funded your Holy Day sacrifices traveling all over the world for Jesus. The Cruise for Jesus in the Fall was a great idea! Trash the Festival but then take cruises talking about how evil it all was is brilliant!!! How do you guys come up with this stuff?
Ok, shhhhhh. This is just between us. Bernie did say that if I talked badly about the Church and such, there would truly be no retirement at all. We'd not want that and I'm sure that's not what YOU meant. I hate it when others speak for me and don't represent me accurately. Actually I hate it when they do represent me accurately but that's another story I suppose.
Blessings and love to you all. Let's Surprise God like Ted Johnston likes to do and handle this quickly and as Jesus would. Since that crazy Jesus tricked me into coming into that nutty Wildworld Church of God, the least He can do is give us a glass of cool water getting over it all.
Thank you so much. I can't wait to share your response with just a few close friends.
Warm regards in Him
Dennis Diehl
High Priest of Marduk
There are some things I read that make me mad. Seeing how the regime hijacked the Church and screwed Dennis Diehl out of a retirement is one of those things - all in the name of sweet Jesus of course!
ReplyDeleteAnd these hypocrites claim to love Jesus!
There has never been any accounting of the Church real esate asset sales. Until proven otherwise, I suspect there is enough money to give Dennis a $500/Mo. stipend - if these so called Christians had any moral or ethical bones in their body.
Richard
Yes ... but they don't. It was all one big sham. A religion based on mythology. HWA didn't go far enough. So much of Christianity is steeped in paganism. He simply forgot to include the central figure at the head of the vast mythological base.
ReplyDeleteEvery one of us was robbed and lied to. The WCG had an incredible talent for separating people from their money.
The Cruse for Jesus was in the Summer, not the Fall.
ReplyDeleteDennis, cults are all about providing power to the Leader(s). Nothing else exists. The Glory, the Money -- it's all about the Founder / Leader(s). You need to realize that all the money you and your family -- all of us, really -- makes you nothing more as a cog in the CoG, to make money for the personal power of the Leader(s). The end justifies the means and the sychophant minor minions are shameless in doing whatever it takes to achieve the final end.
ReplyDeleteThis is not my idea.
Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Meadeleine Tobas explains your situation and so much more. Often I check the references to see if it is about a CoG and, so far, it never is, but the descriptions are so close that they are indistinguishable.
It's an excellent resource for recovery and I'm using it for the basis for the recovery section of DNArefutesBI.com.
Sorry, Dennis. The whole world is set up this way. Everything ends up in the hands of the craftiest, richest and most ruthless. If they have their way, soon the next generation can kiss Social Security and Medicare goodbye. That horrible thing they call "Socialism," you know.
ReplyDeleteSoon, all but the elite among us will have the option of crawling off like an animal and dying quietly while the chosen few luxuriate in their multiple mansions around the world and eat their caviar and drink their champagne. The new feudalism awaits your descendants.
All you're ever going to get is the Animal House response, "You fucked up, you trusted us."
ReplyDelete"All you're ever going to get is the Animal House response, 'You fucked up, you trusted us.'"
ReplyDeleteExactly right. That's why religion is among the first choices for most con-men and women. You're virtually guaranteed to never have to answer for your crimes unless you're also a moral deviant or adulterer who gets caught. Even then, you can get "rehabilitated' and carry on after your sentence (if there should be one, but unlikely) just about as prosperously as before.
Works in politics too. Just ask Gingrich and a host of others.
Ah, the tearful, repentant minister or politician. Doesn't it just tear at your heart?
After reading Dennie's story I am reminded why people like Terry Ratzmann serve a good and noble purpose unto the world.
ReplyDeleteA couple years back, when I was fairly hard core, we used to have a saying: "You pick up the tab for your lifestyle on your last ride!"
ReplyDeleteFreedom of any kind always comes at a great cost. It seems that from the time we are born, the "collectors" try to recruit us, mold and shape us, and make us into yellow pencils. WCG was no exception. As an organization, they changed and enslaved us all, and made it very difficult for us to break free.
As you seek your freedom, some will try to "get" you in a clean fashion, while others will use any method available to them to accomplish their objectives. They'll get you "dirty" if they can't get you clean. What this means is that they will know in advance what penalties they intend to use, but won't neccessarily share that information with you.
Dennis, you were different from many of the WCG ministry, in that you wanted your freedom, including the freedom to think freely. You were willing to pay for it, but I am not sure that you were allowed to know in advance what the price of that freedom would be. That's rotten, it stinks, but my advice to you would be not to let it destroy you. Take it from one who has picked up some pretty heavy tabs over a lifetime. The consciences of those who orchestrate such dastardly things have been altered, and no longer function in any fashion of normalcy or human decency.
Having noted all of that, opportunities do happen. There are bluebirds, and people sometimes even win the lottery. You just never know what may be right around the corner! I believe that karma is a God-given process which often equalizes things for us over the long run.
BB
Thanks Bob, I'm not worried about it and I am far from destroyed. I grew up in an Eastman Kodak family where my dad has now been retired for 34 years after working a lifetime for them. I am just amazed how Kodak, which has fallen on very hard times, has never failed to meet it's obligations to my dad up into his 90's.
ReplyDeleteI guess it is the "children of darkness are smarter" thing.
I actually trust things will work out
Den
I have to salute Eastman Kodak right along with you, Dennis. So many corporations actively look for ways to screw their past employees, so like WCG, the ones in control can ride high.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and brother-in-law were offered a lump sum amount for their years of service and took it because anything else would have left them high and dry. I have no idea whether it was generous or niggardly. Probably somewhere in the middle. They were among the lucky few who didn't end up with an empty sack.