Kirk C.'s Letter to Those Attending the SLO Assembly Meeting
This is part of a letter Kirk C. hand-delivered to SLO Assembly members meeting at the Sand's Hotel on October 31, 2002.
Dear Brethren,
...The Work is taking no blame for the failings here. Not one leader has been replaced or has voluntarily stepped down. No public confession or apology of sin has occurred. There has been no attempt on the part of anyone to seek out and make amends to those who have left as damaged, discouraged and beaten souls. Written reproof is completely ignored. Most people who have published the truth are labeled as "divisive." Those who mention the sin are the ones being called the sinners, not the ones who actually commit the sin! Prov17:15. Manifold excuses have been made but so far repentance is invisible and is merely a profession of words.
Mat 18:15-17 records the process that our Lord Jesus describes, in His own words, on how to deal with offence: Step One vs.15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." Step Two vs.16 "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that `by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'" Step Three vs.17a "And if he refuses to hear them, tell [it] to the church." Step Four vs.17b "But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
To date, the people who have attempted to tell the church have been slandered, or wrongly excommunicated, or both. The offended who speak out are treated like "heathens and tax collectors," by the offenders! I ask you, how can God be glorified in a gathering that allows this sort of thing to take place? Even though it is probable that I will be added to this list, I believe the Lord has called me to voice the truth and let the chips fall where they will.
I will never again allow my conscience to be violated in this manner. I have learned that silence is a guilty accomplice. By God’s grace, I will never again behave like a coward. I, and many others, have attempted Step One in many ways. Recently, I tried to arrange a meeting (Step Two) with the Leading Brothers and Chris Lawson, (pastor at Calvary Chapel) along with several saints who had left in the past. This was in order to once again come to them with two or three others, to have plural witness and some outside, unbiased accountability. However, this was not allowed. They would only allow the four of them meet with me alone. To quote Danny and the brothers, "We don’t think we need to have others come in (Step Two) and tell us what you think our sins are." Who does get to tell them what their sins are? When brethren inside the Assembly are not listened to, and then are further ignored when they leave. When do these men have to listen to anyone? They have plainly refused to allow me to follow the prescribed scriptural path.
The purpose of this letter is to inform you, the church/Assembly (Step Three), that sin has occurred and has not been dealt with in a forthright manner. If you continue to go on as if nothing happened, you will have no better than a white elephant type of fellowship. Everyone knows that the white elephant is there, they smell it, and hear it trumpeting, but falsely choose to ignore it as best they can, instead of confronting it and dealing with it once and for all. This is not true Christian fellowship. The lump that was swept under the rug in SLO is still a cause for stumbling, the abused are still hurting and a cover-up (where silence is the flavor of the day) is still taking place. My entreaty is to let the Light shine, reach out to those who were falsely excommunicated, apologize to those who were hurt, make right the many wrongs, hold leadership to account and in the shake down that follows let God raise from ashes something clean and new. "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble."
So, you see that there is a root that goes much deeper than David’s family falling apart. There has been a willful suppression of the truth, regarding David and many other issues, that begins right at the top with George and Betty. Yes, they have known for many years what they were doing. They knew what kind of man their son had shown himself to be, yet they gave him power and authority in their ministry, and discarded many souls who might have "blown the whistle" on their darkness. It is for this larger reason, with its implications, many of which are grave and serious, that the Good Shepherd has led me on to meet with the body of Christ in other places.
The further purpose of this letter is not to cast stones but to help bring about reconciliation. Healing can only occur if there is proactive true repentance. I ask you to pray for repentance, and to pray that your eyes would be opened. There is much at stake, and all of us will give account for our words and actions. May it be done here, with open confession and visible repentance, rather than before a fiery throne. When there is sin in a gathering it should not be ignored or left for the leaders alone to deal with. The New Testament pattern is for every joint to supply, every part of the body to function. All of Paul’s letters addressing sin in a gathering are written to the gathering not just the elders or deacons of the gathering, do not say, "We trust that our leaders will do the right thing". I pray that the Lord would use you (Step Four) to bring to light the hidden things of darkness and show His glorious grace. This will take courage, overcoming the natural fear of rejection, but you must ask yourself, "Can I be passive in all this and remain unaffected by its leaven?"
Sincerely yours in His love,
Kirk & Lynda C.
