Update on Christian Educational Ministries legal action against RLDEA and the Estate of Allie Dart

To Banned…  

The following is an email I sent to a couple of friends of mine who inquired as to the status of Christian Educational Ministries’ current legal actions against RLDEA and the estate of the late Allie Dart.  This couple found my update so interesting that they suggested I share this information on Banned.  So please feel free to re-post it if you think your readership would find it interesting.  You might find it too detailed and boring.

Also, Gary Gibbons, Cathy Gibbons, and I are going to spend the next month or so going thru Allie Dart’s old correspondence.  For historical purposes, we would like to share with Banned a few emails and other correspondence between Allie and others to provide a more complete picture as to how this unfortunate situation has gotten to where it is today.  The history behind all of this is fascinating. 

--Wes White

Dear Mr. and Mrs.  ______,

            Thanks for asking about the current state of Christian Educational Ministries’ current legal actions against RLDEA and the estate of the late Allie Dart. 

            Again, I’m not directly involved in executing Allie’s will.  I have no direct interest in Allie’s estate.  However, the executor (Cathy Gibbons) keeps me updated on matters that may ultimately affect RLDEA of which I am president.

            It is a somewhat complicated situation, so please bear with me as I try to explain what I think is one of the major impediments to a settlement.  I will try not to get so granular that I end up boring you with too many details.   And forgive me if I tell you things that I’ve told you before.   You and I have been talking about this for over a year now?  Didn’t Allie die August 2017?

            Anyway, after Ron died, Allie was told by her attorney that she did not have to probate his will.  Instead, an Affidavit of Heirship was presented to the court stating that Allie was the sole heir to all their community property.  Allie was led to believe that, as Ron’s wife, she inherited everything of Ron’s and that she just needed to make sure her will was updated.  This legal advice later proved to be incorrect.  

            So Allie re-wrote her will – making sure she provided for Ron’s relatives and her own relatives.  She also basically disinherited CEM and left a large portion of her estate to the Ronald L. Dart Evangelistic Association which she set up before she died and instructed it to carry on and promote Ron’s materials after her death. 

            As you know, the Darts were well off and their assets did NOT come from the tithes and offerings of the church brethren.  Ron’s salary at CEM was anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000 per year.  The Dart money came from Allie’s real estate business and their rental properties.  For many years, she was one of the top real estate sales agents in the Tyler area. 

            One of the many generous features of Allie’s will was that she gifted houses to the following four people:  

n  Philip Hufton (son of Ian Hufton and the late Thalia Hufton)

n  Dianne and Gary McDonnell (long-time church members)

n  Jamie Bozarth (Ron’s niece)

n  Cathy Gibbons (who was left a house as compensation for being the executor of a complicated will that may  take years to execute).

            Very shortly after Allie died, Cathy turned over the deeds of their respective houses to Philip Hufton and Dianne McDonnell.  Philip and Dianne now own these houses free and clear.   Well, sort of. 

            And let’s be clear on this point:  If those houses would not have been willed to Philip and Dianne, they would have gone to RLDEA.  As president of RLDEA, I have absolutely no problem that RLDEA did not get these houses.  First, because it’s what Allie wanted and it was her money to disburse as she pleased.  And second, because the other monies RLDEA has received from Allie’s estate is more than sufficient to pay for our ministry.  It is for this reason that we do not and will not accept contributions from the public. 

            After Allie died, the CEM board got their lawyers to set things in motion for Ron’s will to get executed because, even though CEM is not entitled to anything from Allie’s will, CEM is indeed entitled to an inheritance from Ron’s will.  And let’s be honest:  This is only right!    

But Allie had no idea this was the case.  Allie had been told by her estate attorney that it was unnecessary to probate Ron's will.  Allie operated in good faith based on what her lawyer advised her.  She genuinely believed that Ron’s will should never have been executed.  (Needless to say, that lawyer is no longer being used to assist in the execution of Allie’s estate.) 

            You also asked me who is on the CEM board.  It is my understanding that the following men currently comprise the CEM board of directors.  The list below may not be current:           

n  Larry Watkins of Texas (He is a leading minister in Church of God International)

n  John Beasley of Arkansas 

n  Rod Martin (C. Roderick Martin) of Arkansas

n  Richard Crow of Texas

n  Jon Garnant of California   (He is a leading minister in United Church of God.  I have heard he will probably eventually be on UCM’s board of directors.)   

n  John Currier of Alabama

n  Willie Oxendine of Florida (president of CEM)

            

And here is the part that makes me feel really bad:  CEM now says that Philip and Dianne must sell the houses which they now own and give 50% of the sale to CEM!   When Cathy informed me of CEM’s demand for half of Philip’s and Dianne’s houses, she and I sat there stunned and horrified.  

So here is what Cathy did.  She had the new lawyer for Allie’s estate propose the following to CEM:  That the four properties gifted to Allie's dearest friends be forgiven by CEM.  That request was promptly refused.  Cathy then made a second negotiation to CEM stating that she (Cathy) would surrender any and all claims to the house she was gifted if CEM would drop its demand that Philip, Dianne, and Jamie give CEM 50% of their houses.  Cathy was willing to completely give up her gift so that Philip, Dianne, and Jamie would not get screwed out of half of their inheritance gift.  (Please see Cathy’s letter below.)

And get this.  CEM has rejected this offer!  And I find this appalling.  Based on my limited understanding of this legal situation, if Philip and Dianne refuse to sell their houses and surrender to CEM 50% of the sale, then CEM will have to take them to court.  And has every intention of doing so.  And we all know what Ron taught against taking a brother to court in his series on the Epistles of Paul. 

There are a lot of people who are affiliated with CEM (and friends of CEM) who regularly slander Cathy.  I have heard the following with my own ears:

n  “I hope Cathy is happy now that she has everything of Allie’s.”  Cathy now has everything?!?  This is false because Cathy has received only a few personal items given to her by Allie.  To date, Cathy has not even received an executor's fee for all her on-going, tireless work.  These people are upset that a big portion of Allie’s will went to RLDEA and their thinking is now so twisted that they believe Cathy somehow “owns” the money that RLDEA has gotten from Allie’s estate!  This is untrue.  I am the president of RLDEA and I am committed to spending that money to promote Ron’s materials.  Further, as a non-profit organization, RLDEA must spend its money for legitimate purposes or I will end up in jail.  That’s not going to happen. 

n  “Cathy is a snake in the grass.”  

n  One person told me the following several months ago:  “So-and-so happened to be driving by Allie’s house a couple of times and it looks like people are living in it.  So we are wondering if Cathy has moved into Allie’s house.”  

My first reaction to that was to think, “Allie’s house is on a dead end street!  How can someone ‘happen to drive by Allie’s house’?”  You talk about petty.  

And let’s be clear:  Cathy never moved into Allie’s house.  Cathy already has her own beautiful house, filled with her stuff and her cats, and she has no need to live in Allie’s house.  The truth of the matter is that Cathy (as executor) has spent many, many hours in Allie’s house cleaning up the place, doing repairs, and getting the house and its contents ready for sale.  So, if you “happened to drive by Allie’s house,” you might have seen Cathy’s car parked there on numerous occasions.  You might also have been struck (“if you happened to drive by Allie's house”) by how pristine the Dart's home looks.  This would be because both Cathy and Gary have been respectful stewards of Ron and Allie's home and their estate.  Certainly, the CEM contingents have had no part in this labor – it is fully on the backs of Cathy and Gary.  Finally, I have been to Allie’s house many times since her death.  And I can assure you that no one has lived in that house since Allie died.  

So here we have Cathy who is willing to give up her personal inherited gift so that Philip, Dianne, and Jamie can receive a whole house (as Allie desired) instead of a half a house (as CEM desires).  On the other hand, we have the CEM board which is demanding half of Philip’s house and half of Dianne’s house, as well as half of Jamie's (Ron’s niece) house and half of Cathy's house.  

Anyway, this half-a-house problem is just one part of this huge drama.  I have said from the beginning that, if CEM were to just sit down with Cathy and with Ron’s niece, Jamie (who is now the administrator of Ron’s will), they could probably resolve all this stuff.  But again, this would require skills in conflict resolution – something that is unknown in so many parts of the fragmenting Armstrong Empire.  Too many times, it seems as though the more years a person has spent in Armstrongism – the less ability he has to make nice with others and the less able he is to know how to work things out with others in Christian love.  I believe this is the very reason why CEM keeps all the lawyers so busy.  The meters for all these attorneys keep running and running.  The lawyers will end up being the biggest winners in this whole thing.   And it’s all so unnecessary.  In addition, I don't think that this is what the supporters of Ron Dart and CEM would condone as a good use of their donation and tithe money. 

The bottom line is that I have no doubt whatsoever that Ron and Allie would be aghast at what the CEM board is doing in regards to their will and final wishes.  

Thanks for your inquiry.

            Your brother, 

            Wes

___________________________________________________________________

From:  Cathy Gibbons

To:  The CEM Board of Directors

Re:  Release of Four Properties

Date:  November 20, 2018

Dear CEM Board of Directors:  Willie Oxendine, John Beasley, C. Roderick Martin, Jon Garnant, John Currier, Larry Watkins and Richard Crow

For the record and on behalf of the Allie and Ron Dart estates:

1)  October 18, 2018 - additional note attached to the FSA from attorney Craig Daugherty sent to CEM through their attorney Steve Spitzer: 

3.3 - It is still our position that the interest of the Ron Dart Estate in the four properties devised by Allie should be gifted to the devisees. Here is a statement by my client in that regard:

Jamie Bozarth, Rodney Kubena and Cathy Gibbons, in consultation with the rest of the Dart/Driver family members, all believe in doing the right thing by deeding the four properties that Allie willed to them at 100%.  We do not wish to create a monetary hardship, particularly on the McDonnell's and Philip Hufton, by making them pay half the value of their house to Ron's estate.  They would probably have to sell the houses to pay this fee.  These folks are members of the Church of God and CEM is the only contingent beneficiary calling for this money.  When these deeds were signed over to the beneficiaries, Jim Gillen, Allie's estate attorney believed that all of Ron's property at his death belonged to Allie to do with as she wished.  Ron and Allie would never have intended -- nor approved -- the gifting of only half a property.  It is what it is now, so we must move forward and do the right, Christian thing

2)  On November 14, 2018 attorney for CEM revised the FSA to state that all the properties, including the four that Allie willed are to be sold and 1/2 the value to be paid to Ron's estate.

Again, on behalf of Ron's estate, Administrator Jamie Bozarth (together with the Dart/Driver family) would like to ask, plead to CEM, as a contingent beneficiary, to allow Ron's estate to gift its 1/2 of these four properties to the recipients.  We all believe that Ron and Allie would not have intended to gift 1/2 of a house to their family and friends. 

However, if CEM feels that they must have this money, I would like to make a personal offer.  We, Gary and Cathy Gibbons will gladly give up our 1/2 of the sale of the El Cerrito property to CEM that Allie willed to us if CEM will allow Jamie Bozarth, the McDonnell's and Philip Hufton  to keep their properties without having to sell and pay 1/2 the value to Ron's estate.

I (Cathy Gibbons) and the surviving Dart/Driver families are requesting that CEM allow these three parties to fully have what has been willed to them.  What the law says and what is morally right are often two different things.  I believe that the selling of these properties will create a hardship specifically on the McDonnell's and Philip Hufton who are members of the Church of God faith. 

In the end, CEM is positioned to receive a considerable amount of money from Ron's estate even without the three gifted properties. 

Please consider this request as an act of Christian love as we all move forward in the finalization of the Dart Family Settlement Agreement.

Sincerely,

Cathy C. Gibbons

Followup from Cathy - December 4, 2018:

Dear Mr. Spitzer,

I received the CEM/FSA correspondence note from you today forwarded to me from my attorney Craig Daugherty.  CEM is still demanding that all (4) properties (gifted by Allie) pay 1/2 their sold value to Ron's estate.  

My offer letter has not been addressed.  Did they receive the letter I sent to them through you on Nov. 28th?  I would appreciate the favor of a response from the CEM board please. 

Sincerely,

Cathy Gibbons

Response from CEM attorney Steve Spitzer – December 5, 2018:

“The CEM board declined the offer.  I apologize if that was not clear from our prior communications.”

 Best regards,

 Steve Spitzer

 Steve M. Spitzer

Ramey & Flock, PC               

100 East Ferguson, Suite 404

Tyler, Texas 75702

Expect serious earthquakes in 2019!

The official Church of God prophet says:

Jesus taught:
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.(Matthew 24:7). 

Expect serious earthquakes in 2019. 

Though we will NOT have the earthquake of Revelation 16:18 as that happens during the Day of the Lord, that earthquake will be bigger than what the usual ‘experts’ have believed was possible. It will change the planet and humble parts of humanity. 

But understand, that an earthquake that triggersa massive volcano, such as the USA has in places like Yellowstone and New Zealand has in places like Rotorua, can dramatically change the world. There isalso Iceland and the Cascades in the USA.

Well, no shit Sherlock!  IF it happens it happens.  That is the beauty of the earth expanding and contracting just as it has done for billions of years.  The reason we hear so much more in the news is not that more and more earthquakes are happening, but that the instantaneous broadcasting of news on the internet makes information immediately obtainable.

Earthquakes are sure to happen in 2019. just as there will be tornadoes, fires, droughts, famines, and other tragedies. And just because these things may happen does NOT make Bob Thiel a prophet.

Bears ate Elisha mocking children...Could it happen to you?

And there were scoffers in the last days. Oh, please!  Eternally butthurt Bawana Bob Thiel just CANNOT get over the fact that 99.9% of the Church of God members reject his silly nonsense.  While he may find the occasional conspiracy-laden radio host who has failed to do an internet search on the "authority," he still finds himself mocked and ridiculed.

The only people he has garnered is church-hopping African members who go from one Church of God, Adventist, or Sabbatarian group to the next depending on who gives is them the most money. This is an established fact that Christian missionaries have understood for decades, but not certain COG group leaders.

It may be of interest to note that part of the mainstream press in the UK covered some of my writings in 2018. They did so with ridicule and failed to mention that what we teach in the Continuing Church of God is coming to pass. 

There are many scoffers during these last days. 

The plain truth is that Bob Thiel IS a false prophet.  A self-appointed liar who has created the biggest mythology about his "Overseership" than any other COG leader out there today. And that is saying a lot considering he has stiff competition with Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland and Dave Pack.

Many (mainly on the internet) have repeatedly and falsely called me a false prophet and said other bad things about me as well as the Continuing Church of God. 

The improperly named "continuing" Church of God is NOT a godly church.  When it ignores the one it falsely claims to follow and replaces it with rules and laws not required of new covenant Christians, it is NOT a godly church.  When its entire focus is upon a boastful, pride-filled, self-appointed prophet, instead of that most inconvenient dude that the COG loves to ignore, it is NOT a godly church.

While that turns some away from looking at us, we understand that Jesus said this was to be expected:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evilagainst you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice andbe exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophetswho were before you (Matthew 5:10-12)

We are not to turn away from true understanding of biblical prophecies, but rejoice in going through open doors to proclaim the truth while holding fast to the truth (cf. Revelation 3:7-13). 

What "open door" has Theil ever went through other than at his "world headquarters" in Arroyo Grande?  Oh wait, I forgot, its those cartoons!  That is the "open door" that Herbert never had.  Who needs Steuben crystal and visits with world leaders when you can have some crooked bookcases and some really bad cartoon features. Being a prophet is such a hard job!

Would all of you scoffers PLEASE stop saying bad things about Bob!  Pretty please?

COGWA and the Rest of the COG's Face A Bleak Future in 2019 and Beyond

It has been a little over 20 years since tens of thousands of Worldwide Church of God members joined up with various groups of men who promised to hold fast to Herbert Armstrong's teachings and promises of treating members better than they had been in WCG. That ideal quickly faded into the Armstrongite sunset as one abusive leader after another started showing his true colors with more legalistic abuse than Worldwide ever imagined.

Warm tales of unity soon dissolved into one split after another as self-appointed vain church leaders imagined themselves better than the next and set off with thousands of members to form more groups.

In spite of these self-absorbed men imagining themselves and their new groups as God's one true church, each and every one of them are now stagnant or in a downward spiral.  They are unable to draw in new members as old-time members either leave the church in disgust or die off.  Their messages have no appeal to the world at large and is a direct turn off to its younger members.

As we enter 2019, each and every COG is having to face the cold-hearted reality that they are spiritual failures. Even the self-appointed upstarts like Bob Thiel and James Malm are men with no purpose and are doomed to failure as people start to wake up to the deceitful legalistic bullshit they practice.

Is Armstrongism finally in its last stages of existence?

At the annual Ministerial Board of Directors meeting in December, President Jim Franks listed 6 key concerns that the leadership needs to address. 

1. How do we get the message out to the world in the most effective manner?“We still have a very healthy number of unique visitors every month to Life Hope and Truth – but how can we increase that number?”

2. What can we do about growth in the church?“We have seen some growth since we began in 2010, but not a lot. Our actual attendance worldwide is up, but only by a few percentage points, single digits actually.”

3. Increase in requests for international subsidies.“In our budget for 2019 we will be spending approximately $2 million in supporting congregations and ministers outside the USA. Because of our excellent financial position, we are hopeful to upgrade feast sites, build new meeting halls – you know there are still some areas where the members meet outside under the trees – and to train new leaders in all areas outside the USA. Because we will end this year with a surplus, we plan to send additional funds from this year to several areas in Africa, so we won’t have to impact next year’s budget.”

4. How will we replace ministers who will retire in the next 7 years?“In the next 7 to 10 years half of our current pastors will most likely retire. Not only is there a financial responsibility to provide for them when they retire, but how do we replace them? This will require judicious use of our resource,s and an increase to continue providing pastors for every congregation, which we are committed to doing.”

“Our current financial plan is to pay off the mortgage of the (new HQ) building within 6 years … this is about when we will see the largest number of men retiring.”

5. How will we expand leadership development in the USA and outside the USA?“We are working hard at developing a database of men and women who desire to serve in the church from our various programs. From this group we hope to take on new and younger leaders to take on more responsibility.”

6. We know that we have doctrinal challenges to contend with.“Paul, Peter and John all warned about false teachers and false prophets. It will come from among us. We must ask ourselves if we have done the best job we can in teaching our basic beliefs, especially among our young adults. Are we doing our best to help them understand some of the most basic teachings of God’s word? We all must be on guard against heresy. It will come and it has come. We must not tolerate it. We will be kind to everyone, but we will not accept erroneous doctrinal teachings.”   Church of God News

Stories Now Being Collected for Documentary on Armstrongism

Do you have a horror story of what it was like growing up in the Church of God movement? Do you have stories of spiritual, mental, physical abuse or sexual abuse? What was it like for you as a child to grow up in the church?

All stories are confidential and will not be seen by anyone here or on the Facebook page.

see original posting here

Good Morning Everyone !! We are officially started on the process of the Armstrong Documentary !!! I am attaching a link for everyone to go to and fill out, which will go directly to Ky and Mercedes (film producers). Honesty and integrity is a must in these forms! Ky and Mercedes will send out the waivers to individuals. Please remember a documentary of this caliber is not gonna be a couple month project. So please be patient and have the assurance that these ladies know what they are doing.

https://splitstar.typeform.com/to/MPJenh