On November 16, 2020, Gerald Flurry married a woman he had been "counseling" for over a year. That alone should have sent alarm bells ringing due to the gross ethics violation that it is. Of course, this is Armstrongism after all and proper counseling techniques and standards are not taught or practiced. Hardly any minister in any of the Churches of God has ever had proper counseling training through certified schools with experienced practitioners in counseling. All Armstrongism uses is seat-of-the-pants counseling as they pull information out of church-related literature and claim this is proper counseling.
Flurry admits to his dwindling flock that eight months into his counseling with Viki Barreiro that they began to date "exclusively".
Dear brethren: I have been meeting with Vicki Barreiro for one year. It all started with ministerial counseling. We both developed feelings for each other in that process. We have been dating exclusively for the last four months. We plan to marry in a private wedding with only our immediate families on November 16.
—Pastor General Gerald Flurry
Ethics standards for counselors and interaction between clients is thus:
From Counseling Today, Ethics Update - Romantic/Sexual Relationships:
DK: So let’s start at the beginning. Sexual or romantic interactions with clients continue to be prohibited?
MK: Absolutely. The 2005 ACA Code of Ethics continues to recognize the harm that can be impacted upon clients when they are sexually intimate with their counselor. The counseling relationship is one based on trust, so we must respect the power differential inherent in any counseling relationship regardless of the counselor’s theoretical orientation or perspective. Engaging in any type of sexual or intimate relationship with a current client is abuse of power. Clients come into counseling emotionally and psychologically vulnerable and in need of assistance, so a counselor trying to engage in such relationships would be trying to take advantage of that client and their vulnerabilities to meet their own needs. Relational/cultural theory frames this as striving for a “power with” instead of a “power over” relationship.
DK: So the reason that the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics continues to give no leeway and to ban all sexual or romantic interactions with clients is because we know that harm always occurs when that happens...
DK: As mentioned earlier, the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics increases the prohibition on sexual and romantic interactions with former clients. The old 1995 code stated that counselors were to avoid sexual intimacies with former clients within two years of termination. The revised 2005 code expands the time frame to five years. Why did the Ethical Code Revision Task Force decide to increase this prohibition to five years?
MK: While some may see the exact number of years delineated as arbitrary, the reason a ban on sexual/romantic relationships with former clients was increased to five years was that we wanted there to be a little more time for the counselor to be reflective and to give more time for closure of the counseling relationship. It is really important that enough time has passed for the power differential to be resolved. It is also important to recognize that counselors can decide to make the personal choice to never engage in romantic or sexual relationships with former clients even though the ACA Code of Ethics allows one to do so after a five-year waiting period.
In Armstrongism we have ministers who counsel members to divorce their spouses, withhold sexual favors or even separate themselves by splitting the house in two and living separately. If these men were real practitioners they would be in jail for their corruption and gross ethics violations. Ministers regularly discuss counseling sessions with their wives who then gossip to other church women. Other ministers joke with other ministers about counseling sessions and the things they have to listen to and make fun of their members. Sadly, the Philadelphia Church of God and the Restored Church of God are the biggest offenders in this practice. Whether marrying a counselee or the nurse of your terminally ill wife, ethical and spiritual violations are rampant in these churches and in the Church of God as a whole.
Now for the sad news, Exit and Support Network is reporting:
Husband of Vicky Barreiro Committed Suicide:
January 10, 2021
Did you know that Vicki Barreiro’s husband committed suicide?? Vicki moved to Ponca City, OK to be near HQs in Edmond, OK, leaving her parents, 80 or so years old, alone in CA. –[name withheld]
PCG members will click their tongues and say that Vicki is blessed to be divorced from her ex-husband and married to a true Christian now. Why her ex-husband killed himself is unknown, though they will now lay all blame at his feet now instead of improper and unethical counseling sessions with Gerald Flurry that led Vicki to divorce her husband.
See: The Wedding Of The Century! King Gerald Flurry Is Getting Married!
Finally a valid problem to report. Only, it’s probably not one often considered here.
ReplyDeleteCondemning ministers over sins that can be repented of may or may not be a valid criticism. It depends on whether or not repentance has occurred and the fruit of the evidence is valid.
On the other hand there are bible qualifications for the ministry that cannot be broken, and then remain in the ministry. Of course, the negatives here will jump on this as is there programmed habit. But, the scriptures are clear.
Herbert Armstrong, Rod Meredith, and many ministers, have fallen into this trap and become disqualified to continue. And, what is that trap?
Based on the statement in the NT, and the grammar involved, a minister can only have ONE WIFE, period. The excuse given is, “it’s ok because it is only one wife at a time.” As I said, the grammar does not support that understanding or excuse. So, now even Gerald Flurry, evidently, has disqualified himself from the ministry.
I know of one case where two ministers grappled with this situation. A father and son. The father said it was ok, the son said, no, only one wife. The son left and started a new group over that.
Double check it yourself.
So dumb…. And believe me I am NOT a fan of Gerry’s or any Branch of Armstrongism. In fact I hate them so much. But clearly there is nothing wrong with marring AFTER spouse has died. Don’t be dumb.
Delete"the grammar does not support that understanding or excuse."
DeleteThere is no grammar in the Greek NT...
Disgusting case of Transference. Poor manipulated woman.
ReplyDeleteNot the first time this has happened. It happened with my minister in AZ, while being married himself, he manipulated a young, newly separated woman into thinking she was his rightful wife. It was an absolutely mind blowing situation.
My experience is that the ACOGs quote the bible to others principally as a tool of control and exploitation. It's not the moral code that they live by.
ReplyDeleteGerald Flurry is a piece of shit! When I met him back in the 90s I got a bad feeling about him and I knew PCG was NOT the church for my family.
ReplyDeleteNO2HWA wrote
ReplyDelete'Ministers regularly discuss counselling sessions with their wives who then gossip to other church women.'
I've got news for you NO2HWA it's far worse than that. I've gone to a Sabbath church service and heard minister mention counselling sessions from the pulpit as an extra in church announcements.
Why members end up in 'counselling' sessions with these alleged 'ministers' in the first place has always baffled me. I wouldn't trust these ministers to get a cup of coffee nevermind any part of my life.
11:57
ReplyDeleteWhen Pasadena CHurch offices were on the first floor of the Hall of Ad down the hall from the Security Office, you could hear Webber and others laughing about counseling sessions they just had. This was a frequent thing that security people overheard a lot. Nothing was ever held in confidence. Records were kept in detailed files about e very counseling conversation, letters written, etc in members files. Every member had a file on them.
People working in the WATTs line area could regularly check to see if members were tithing and when they found someone was not, usually their friends, they told their superiors.
Ancient news NO2HWA. Easily found on Exit and support website.
DeleteSome church. Sounds like a fake non profit organization to me. It’s so wrong that he used his position of authority to talk this woman out of doing right for her family so he could have a sexual relationship with her. And shame on her for choosing this old perv so she too can indulge in the gluttonous life of private jets, fancy houses, and all the other indulgences paid for by the money scammed from his cult members. Dirty
ReplyDeleteOn one occasion my mother threw an informal party for church members.
ReplyDeleteDuring the party, a Catholic friend happened to stop by.
She was welcomed in, given a drink, and then she took a seat in the liveliest room, where the minister was entertaining a small crowd with amusing antidotes.
This minister normally had a good sense of humor and was well-liked.
You could tell he was enjoying the feedback from the crowd and to keep the laughs coming, he told stories of counseling sessions and personal problems of a handful of members who were generally known as misfits.
The minister named names.
The next day this Catholic friend stopped by again (we have long-time family connections).
Someone mentioned how funny the minister was and asked this friend if she had enjoyed the minister and the party.
The Catholic friend's response was something very close to this:
I can't imagine my priest sitting in a parishioner's rec room, telling stories and laughing about other parishioners' problems.
This "minister" is now among the highest ranks of COGWA.
If a Catholic priest would have done what this jackwagon did, he would have been booted out of the priesthood in no time. Stuff like that is to be held as strictly confidential under the seal of confession.
Delete@ Anon 8:48
ReplyDeleteI knew Jeff Greaser, I used to go to the same congregation as him in Spokane, he bragged how he spent $20k to become a minister. I was living in AZ when he was introduced as the new pastor, I think everyone was shocked to learn he was a new member in the PCG yet quickly elevated above the local deacon who had been leading the Phoenix congregation for several years.
I counseled with Dean Blackwell once on the AC/BS campus when he had an office in the library. Later I heard a receptionist blithely talking about my situation to other people. My idealism died a thousand deaths in Big Sandy, TX. Even the idealism I held about myself.
ReplyDelete******** Click on my icon for Disclaimer
RULE OF THUMB ADVISE FOR ANY CHURCH MEMBER -- COG or Catholic or Protestant
ReplyDelete++ Never reveal private personal information to a minister, and if you do, realize that EVERYONE will know it.
++ Same applies to the "brethren" that you are meeting with.
++ Never lend money to anyone at church, unless you expect to never have it paid back.
++ If you are single, do not sit with someone of the opposite sex, lest the entire congregation gossip about it.
++ Do not hire church members as employees. If you have to fire them, even if they are a total flake, they will tell the whole congregation that you are a total jerk, and you will have the discomfort of having to see them every week thereafter.
++ Do not have financial relationships with church people, such as going into business with them, joining Amway, or investing with them.
++Keep a careful eye on any adults who interact with your children.
8:25, I helped a church "friend" get a job working with me on a construction crew, he was lazy and didn't even last a week. My boss never let me live it down because I had put in a good word for that lazy ingrate. I've never helped anybody or put in a good word for anyone ever since.
DeleteTonto the one who knows on here but turns a blind eye in real life and is one of them.
DeleteIt is self-evident that men with an imperfect understanding of Scripture, little or no background in counseling, and having few or very flawed life experiences of their own to draw upon would make very poor counselors. As has already been stated, wisdom, personal integrity and discretion are key components of effective counseling, and their absence makes good/effective counseling impossible. Of course, in the real world, counseling often proceeds with these impediments in place; but I believe that renders that counsel as wicked and/or harmful.
ReplyDeleteFinally, Bob Petry makes an excellent observation about the marital status of ministers. How many of "Christ's" ministers have been married more than once (or have married individuals who were previously married). And, if it wasn't so pathetic, the excuses which these folks offer to justify their continued service in the ministry (despite their circumstances) would be funny! Moreover, it really gets sticky when everyone remains within the Church - talk about the webs that we do weave! Nevertheless, many of these shameless men see absolutely no contradiction in them continuing to underscore "God's morality" for their parishioners. Talk about cognitive dissonance!
ReplyDeleteThe big shots in the PCG cult do not “court” properly.
Instead, they “counsel” improperly.
ReplyDeleteCurses on Gerald Flurry and his little PCG cult
The apostle Paul put a double curse on anyone who would pervert the true gospel (see Galatians 1:6-9).
When Gerald Flurry started his little PCG cult, he claimed that the great commission to preach the gospel had ended with the death of Herbert W. Armstrong in January 1986.
Gerald Flurry claimed that his little PCG cult had been given a new commission for a new church era of warning the Laodiceans. Warning the Laodiceans simply meant continually raging away against all former Worldwide Church of God people who did not follow Gerald Flurry and help him to suppress the true gospel in his little PCG cult over the past 30+ years.
As if that was not bad enough, Gerald Flurry soon went on to claim that he, rather than Jesus, was what Gerald called “That Prophet” of Deuteronomy 18:18-19 that everyone was supposed to listen to.
The PCG people might be under a triple curse, or a quadruple curse, or whatever comes after quadruple and beyond.
Ton to,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I concur wholeheartedly that your points are spot on.
Jim-AZ
8.25 AM
ReplyDeleteTonto, so true. A church member who was a tradesman, told me that he refused to do work for members. His experience was that they expected him to work for free.
What happened to "don't steal."
I agree with not revealing "private personal information." But people have discovered that even innocent sounding personal information is weaponized and used as a club against them. Church is a toxic environment. Zero personal information should be given out.
So let’s be honest, the poor man was probably accused of doing something he didn’t do, or he had questions and or disagreed with church government. So they suspended him. Made his wife leave him. Thus he loses his wife and two children. Left with horrible spiritual guilt and mental torment, cause by Armstrong made up rules and twisted scriptures and personal interpretations. So he commits suicide. An all to common occurrence in Armstrongism. The sick and twisted difference here is that she was probably hand picked by Brian Davis for his leader Gerald Flurry, then she was groomed and manipulated and given over to a horney old man who previously said it was prophesied that God took his first so he could focus on the “work”
ReplyDeleteThese people are demented.
12:57 said:
ReplyDelete"the grammar does not support that understanding or excuse."
There is no grammar in the Greek NT...
=======================
I’m so glad you wrote that. It tells us an awful lot in 8 simple words.
Now, thankfully, all students of New Testament Greek can give a sigh of relief and give up their grammar studies, all because of you. What a blessing. Oh, here is a small sampling of what’s written about this subject. Please give us your non-grammar erudite explanation of this information and the verses mentioned. Thanks.
“ Now, to consider the meaning of the words, "the husband of
one wife." The Greek is mias (one) gunaikos (woman) andra
(man). The word "man" is not anthropos, the generic term for
man, but anēr, the term used of a male individual of the human
race. The other two words are in the genitive case, while anēr
is in the accusative. The literal translation is, "a man of one
woman.” The words, when used of the marriage relation come
to mean, "a husband of one wife.” The two nouns are without
the definite article, which construction emphasizes character or nature. The entire context is one in which the character of the bishop is being discussed. Thus, one can translate "a one-wife sort of a husband,” or “a one-woman sort of man."We speak of the Airedale as a one-man dog. We mean by that, that it is
his nature to become attached to only one man, his master. Since character is emphasized by the Greek construction, the bishop should be a man who loves only one woman as his wife. It should be his nature to thus isolate and centralize his love. Does this mean that if the bishop is married, he is only to have one wife, not two, or does it mean that if his wife dies, he is not to marry again? As to the answer, we will let Expositors, Alford, and Vincent speak. The two first named believe that the words forbid a second marriage, and the last thinks that that is the probable meaning.”
----- I Timothy 3:2, 12, Pastoral Epistles, Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Tonto @ 8:25:00
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote is only too true and has being witnessed in many a cog sadly.
And to this day.
The cog is in reality simply a reflection of the human condition with all its folly.
Wrapped in a veneer of niceness, to entice those outside to partake.
I am fortunate that my experience was overwhelmingly positive within wwcog, and to this day I have many friends from that time still in contact.
The vast majority are happier now we all have left the ‘collective’, and are still committed personally to the gospel of Jesus Christ, without the ‘baggage’ of Armstrongism.
I hope and believe our experiences have made us better people.
4.16 PM
DeleteI've heard people claim that their experience was positive within the WWCOG. My observation of these people is that they learnt "to play church." They kept their true feelings and beliefs to themselves. They knew that church was a North Korean type dictatorship, so they kept their heads low, and wore the Sabbath mask.
The Barreiros were at the Feast of Tabernacles in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines. I was told by a deacon from Quezon City that her husband had died from a car accident. Not sure if he was lied to or he was lying. One thing is for sure, the Barreiros weren't mourning. I have pictures.
ReplyDeleteThe Deacon from Quezon City knows nothing and is privy to nothing. Deacons are pawns and spies.
DeleteFollowing the link at the bottom of Gary's post above about Flurry's marriage, there are 72 comments from readers. About 33-34 down we learn from Anon Nov. 1, 2020 @ 4:03 PM that there was an obituary stating that Louis Barrieiro died a tragic death in Nov. 2017.
ReplyDeleteRight below that, Anon Nov 1, 2020 @4:28 PM adds that Mr. Barriero had died a couple years ago, and that that was what the counselling would have been about.
So, what Anon Jan 12, 2022 @ 5:20 just posted about the deacon at the Feast saying it was a car accident could actually be the true report, and the report at ESN about suicide may be in error. Or the car accident was thought to be an act of suicide?
What amazes me is that there seems to be a connection between the Barriero family and the Philippines. Is this their ethnicity? Did Gerald Flurry actually imitate HWA to the extent that he married a Filipina???
No link. They simply went to the Philippines for the Feast as many do. You don’t become a Filipino just because you attend the Feast there. That is the thing that amazes you? A link between them and the Philippines??
DeleteFollowing the link at the bottom of Gary's post above about Flurry's marriage, there are 72 comments from readers. About 33-34 down we learn from Anon Nov. 1, 2020 @ 4:03 PM that there was an obituary stating that Louis Barrieiro died a tragic death in Nov. 2017.
ReplyDeleteRight below that, Anon Nov 1, 2020 @4:28 PM adds that Mr. Barriero had died a couple years ago, and that that was what the counselling would have been about.
So, what Anon Jan 12, 2022 @ 5:20 just posted about the deacon at the Feast saying it was a car accident could actually be the true report, and the report at ESN about suicide may be in error. Or the car accident was thought to be an act of suicide?
What amazes me is that there seems to be a connection between the Barriero family and the Philippines. Is this their ethnicity? Did Gerald Flurry actually imitate HWA to the extent that he married a Filipina???
No connection to the Philippines. They went for the feast. They are very very white. Don’t make crap up, it deflects from the actual facts.
DeleteMaking crap up is the hallmark of the owners and writers on this blog.
DeleteNow think who in church life tends to make things up ?
Making crap up is hallmark of the PCG! This blog exposes it. Open your eyes
DeleteEyes wide open 10:04.
DeleteYet apparently, 8:59, there is still the 2017 obituary for Louis. Someome else may have more details? I'm sure Flurry's people would want to confirm or deny what was reported on ESN, because yet another church suicide would reflect poorly on them, and there would also be all manner of innuendo regarding Flurry himself and his new bride.
ReplyDeletePeople accuse us of making things up in order to attack them just because they are in an ACOG. It's been my experience that when we go after them, it's with solid facts. Otherwise, we'd be just as bad as they are.
Link please to photo of millionaire Gerald Flurry's new-younger-Filipino-wife
ReplyDeleteHow is it that Gerald's new bride was deemed open to re-marry while her first husband was still living? I guess Gerald and his henchmen made their version of the Hitler-Stalin Pact and he went his Viagra on the down low. It is amazing. Gerald Flurry is the living epitome of the old proverb "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
ReplyDeleteFilipinos bad Spanish Blood. But I know those Pastors like the local Night Life Bars and Beers. Be Honest be open and don't be naughty.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Gerald Flurry is of European descent. On December 24, 2021 PCG posted an article entitled, Philadelphia Church of God Celebrates 32 Years, which features a photo of Gerald Flurry standing next to a woman. Presumably his wife.
ReplyDeleteThe former husband, Louis Paul Barreiro Jr, passed away November 20, 2017, in Salem, Oregon, aged 61, according to an obituary posted by the Hanford Sentinel. We learned of this obituary when the wedding was announced.