The LCG member comments:
Mr. Weston has written about the need for 12 ministers at this year's summer camp, claiming they were there to instill good values and traditions in the church's youth. However, many of us have heard that the real concern stemmed from the recent demonic possession of a minister's son at the Church of God Assembly summer camp, prompting LCG to ensure the safety of our children.
The excuse that Weston claims seems really shallow and a crafty diversion away from the fact that they were actually scared that the demons still might be active.
Weston claims that these ministers were also present to set an example for our youth to demonstrate that they can actually do some physical work—setting up chairs, sweeping floors, washing dishes—for the teens to observe. This type of performative "good works" might impress the youth temporarily, but it’s a form of gaslighting that could backfire when these teens return home and some ministers resume their abusive behavior. Such visible acts won’t retain our youth in the church. Until the heavy-handed and outright abusive conduct of many in the ministry is addressed, we will continue to see our young people leave the church.
Weston's comments:
I mention in this week’s video update that we had about ten ministers at our Texas Teen Camp, which ended earlier this week. To be more precise, we had an even dozen—some employed by the Work and others serving as unpaid elders. You may wonder why we have so many, and I think it will be helpful to explain.
Having ministers at our camps gives us the opportunity to pass along values and traditions that we have built into these programs. Some people think of camp as a time for young people to have fun, and if they have fun, they are more likely to stay in the Church. This is wrong thinking. Parents strive on a daily basis to teach their children a godly way of life, and camps are helpful in reinforcing these values of courtesy, of thinking of the welfare of others, of treating others with respect, of the golden rule—the way of give as opposed to the way of get. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and ministers have a part in supporting parents in teaching these biblical values. Camp is also an opportunity for the ministry to get to know and work with member volunteers and to instill in their minds the mission of our camps. Not everyone understands why we do things the way we do. At the Feast this year, we will take all of you into our thinking during the Behind the Work video.
Another benefit of camp is that members and teens see the ministry outside of services—setting up chairs, washing dishes, sweeping floors, and doing custodial work, in addition to teaching classes. Our camps provide real-life workshops to engage with members and children. Please remember to pray for our camps—and for all the other programs the Church provides in its mission to preach the Gospel, warn the world, and feed the flock. We are more than the “Camp Church of God.”
—Gerald E. Weston
This is what we here in LCG call churchspeak. Our ministers and their proxies do it all the time. Gerald Weston in particular is bad for this. Others in the leadership learn from him. Years ago when Mr. Bryce was put out of LCG and he was forming the Enduring Church of God, Mr. Weston gave a small nod to Ross Abasolo and told the congregation that Ross was taking a medical leave from his duties in LCG and that we wish him well. So several of us went to Ross to ask him about his illness so that we might pray for him and support him. He laughed and asked us why we thought that he was ill. We told him that Mr. Weston had mentioned this to the congregation. so Ross reassured us that he was just fine healthwise, and that he was leaving LCG because he did not agree with its direction and that he was now with Mr. Bryce's new group. We already knew that Ross had joined up with Mr. Bryce. so we asked him why Gerald Weston would say that, and Ross replied casually that he didn't know and that we should ask Weston why he said it. so there again another example of church speak. And not a big one either compared with the stuf they can come up with. Putting it simply, Mr. Gerald Weston is a liar. He tries to operate in that greyzone just beneath the radar where things are not quite bad enough to be prosecuted. Distorting the truth, or trying to leave the impression that something is different than it actually is is still a form of lying. Bearing false witness. Sure, being discrete is one thing, but lying is quite another. So when several of us challenged Jerry Weston about this habit he has of lying, he said defensively, "Well what do you expect us to do?" We replied that we expect the ministers to be honest and straight and not crafty and shifty like he is. Well Mr. Weston chalked it up to membbers having what he calls an attitude.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mr. Weston thinks anyone leaving LCG needs medical attention?!
DeleteI've been struck recently by how many adults attend COG youth camps - not only ministers, but lay members in supporting roles.
ReplyDeleteExample: UCG's Camp Pinecrest this month had 122 campers and "72 staff members."
Presuming all the staff are adults, that's a ratio of less than 2:1. Surely enough to keep things under control - although that's UCG, not the groups mentioned here.
12:63. THANK YOU! This is exactly what my family experienced in the church. We suffered under one of Weston's accusations. It was total bullshit, and he knew it, but he was out to demean me and my family. He had his sights set on us, and he was determined to do everything in his power to malign us. We never did a thing to him. We always paid out tithes (which was a LOT), served in our local church, helped those in need in our congregation, and so much more behind the scenes. It embarrassed him that we did this and that the church had failed to do its job.
ReplyDeleteSeems fairly obvious these are man-made, man-governed organizations.
ReplyDelete"You opened the box. We came. Demons to some... angels to others."
ReplyDeleteHope everybody remains cool, its hot out there.
ReplyDelete