Doyle,
You’ll notice the tone of this email is much different than my last one. That is because we are out of patience. And when I say “we” I mean Ryan & I, the people of the Church, and every single victim who has been ignored.
I wrote you an email in April detailing my abuse at the hands of Scott Richardson and your words were “I’m not exactly sure what our next step will be, but I do need to inquire further. We do have some ground to cover. There has been a lot to think about – it’s been more than overwhelming frankly.”
I was so absolutely frustrated at this response that I could not even type out a reply. The hurt and anger and betrayal I have felt the last couple months is unparalleled. So now that I have had a few weeks to sort out my feelings, let me tell you what your next step SHOULD have been (and what still needs to be done) since you seem to be having trouble deciding. These steps need to be taken immediately:
1. You should have called Scott Richardson and told him that he is no longer welcome in fellowship meetings. Ever. For the rest of his life. This is non-negotiable. Then you should have communicated this to the rest of the state so they are aware.
2. You should have called every single other predator within this fellowship that you are aware of and told them they are no longer welcome in fellowship meetings. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Then you should have communicated this to the rest of the state so they are aware.
3. You should have removed Harold Bennett from the work. He is a predator and is no longer welcome in fellowship meetings. Ever. For the rest of his life. Then you should have communicated this to the rest of the world so that they are aware (Harold’s reach is far & wide).
4. You should have notified every single other predator worker within this fellowship that you are aware of and told them they are no longer welcome in fellowship meetings. Ever. For the rest of their lives. Then you should have communicated this to the rest of the world so that they are aware.
Going forward:
5. You should step down from overseer. You have proven yourself unable and unwilling to meet the demands of the position.
6. You should repent before the church. Be it in email, video, or (preferably) in person, you should admit to putting the feelings of predators before the needs of victims. This step can only happen after the first five. True repentance is proved by deeds. .and NOT combined with excuses.
On a personal note, our faith in the ministry has been broken. And as such, our home is no longer open for (most) workers. (We will always welcome those who walk in honesty and truth). By your unwillingness to address the despicable evil that has infiltrated our church, the ministry has been tainted. You saw and did not see, you heard and did not listen.
We are well aware there are “good ones” among us. In time, they will come forth as gold. But right now, we are in a battle. We are in a battle for souls! If you aren’t willing to pick up a sword and fight against that which besmirches the name of God then step down and let others cleanse the temple. Yes, I realize I just used a bunch of different references but the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). The Word of God doesn’t necessitate “inquiring further”. The Word of God has already told us what we are to do with wolves: we remove them from our fellowship (1Cor. 5:2).
We await your reply,
Ryan & Jessica Garrett
From: D Smith <email redacted>
Subject: Re: What you should have done….
Date: June 13, 2023 at 9:07:03 PM PDT
To: Hi
Just one quick note tonight… (I’m scheduled to speak tomorrow) Harold Bennett is no longer in the work and Scott R. isn’t presently coming to meetings…
Doyle
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Why wouldn’t Doyle let the Garrets know that Scott Richardson wasn’t coming to
Meeting? Why did they have to inquire? OR why did the letter not say “I received your letter. I agree with the removal of predators from the fellowship. AS A RESULT OF YOUR LETTER, I have taken the steps to remove Harold Bennet and Scott Richardson. Just this for now as I’m getting ready to speak tomorrow.”
Because even now after all that has come out they are showing they are not serious about addressing the issue. The reason why they are not serious is because the root cause on how this happened undermines the foundation of the ministry.
For so many years the leadership of the ministry has been dishonest they actually do not have a play book for how to do things honestly.
Doyle really needs to have Lyle Schober fly in to give him help to set things straight regarding CSA/SA in the NW. After all, Lyle cleaned up TX, NW, MN and the Dakotas. After that Lyle can fly to Detroit and help OH and MI – those states have not put put any directives at all and I know they both have a lot of CSA/SA issues. With conventions coming up with kids at preps, that will be a real problem – parents need to be aware.
I am so so glad for Lyle. He’s really putting in the work.
Is this the same Scott Richardson that was in the work in Ohio some 20 years ago – if so he was in our home when the kids were little – this mess is turning into a very bad nightmare. After Ohio – recall he left the work but not the group and became some sort of air pilot. I sure hope this is not the same guy.
I believe you are thinking of Scott Richards
Thank you very much – one less thing to worry about. Glad he is doing good in Florida – seemed like a nice kid.
No problem. Honestly I don’t know his status or anything in FL…I just know enough to know that wasn’t the same person! 🙂 Hope can be had that he is well…
Yes, it is the same person.
I don’t believe it is. Scott Richards lives in FL He was in the work in OH but it is Scott Richards. Not Scott Richardson. We have to be careful to not put incorrect info out there
Doyle also needs to fulfill his promise for financial help CSA victims!
Can we not give Doyle a little patience? I wouldn’t say that if he wasn’t doing anything but he is doing things. Maybe not fast enough for those of us who HATE this junk. But for just a moment step into his shoes – the shock and learning curve he has had in three months along with his regular responsibilities. He was never an overseer before. Just kept a quiet steady presence on the staff. Let’s give him a chance.
Thank you for your kind words…Doyle was put in the HOT SEAT and it has only been less than three months since this came to light..thanks to Doyle, Cynthia, Sheri and Lauren and kindness from John and Matt! Dale should be held accountable for this as well.
Harold and Scott did not just come to Doyle’s attention in these past few months. Also He could ask for help.
Patience has got us into the situations we’re currently deep in.
I agree Thanks and with Sickened also. The expression drinking from a fire hose comes to mind. Doyle is trying and I think this will take time. This wicked onion has many layers. It will take time to peel all of them back.
I think that if she wants to get angry at someone perhaps it should be directed at overseers such as Dale Schultz that have been near the top of the food chain for years. He’s the one that needs to step down IMO.
I don’t know who this Richardson is..a friend? Elder? Irregardless Elders have the authority and carry some responsibility to remove these types too.
Finally I find it interesting that the same “superior saints”and families that put perverts like Harold on a pedestal just a few short years ago (massaging his untouchable attitude) are now calling for his head. That’s what happens when we create our own Kings… Doyle is not a tyrant let’s not make him act like one, he is just trying to do what is right IMO.
This. This. This!!!
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Quote from A Friend Too…
Finally I find it interesting that the same “superior saints”and families that put perverts like Harold on a pedestal just a few short years ago (massaging his untouchable attitude) are now calling for his head. That’s what happens when we create our own Kings…
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Yes!
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The issue is group mindset. Those who were looking for something real to feed their souls back in the Great Depression, when many made their choice – they were so thankful for the TRUTH and for the TRUE SERVANTS OF GOD compared to the preachers of the FALSE CHURCHES that they didn’t understand they were bringing the same sick mindset with them. Some of our families experienced inappropriate behavior from the workers almost right away, but nobody was willing to “see” it because it didn’t fit the idealistic vision they had of the workers.
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Paul starts dealing with issues in the group mindset in the Corinthian church from the first chapter of the 1st letter. Different ones were siding with different servants of God. In the 3rd chapter of the 2nd letter until the end he more strongly addresses the errors in their group mindset. Finally at the end Paul says that in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses will every word be established.
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The Jews who believed in Jesus also had the idea of this of requiring circumcision and they were pushing this doctrine quite strongly. And it affected the apostles as well as they separated themselves from the gentiles when they ate.
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Errors in the group mindset are something that any group deals with, and great efforts must be taken to cleanse away such errors from within us. I believe that there has been a great cleansing done from the early days until now. What we are dealing with now is a huge issue that only the victims have been able to recognize and call out. Due to the very public nature of Dean’s situation, it opened up the ability to change the group mindset, and I think changes are happening quite rapidly.
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Jesus worked to combat errors in the group mindset amongst the 12 apostles. Funny that they had errors when they were so intimately connected with Jesus. But that’s the blind spot of the group mentality.
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Who was it that told you that you had to put the workers on a pedestal and blindly believe and obey every word they said? Likely it was your parents! And ones just like them in the meetings.
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But also our parents were successful in changing many errors in the group mindset. Now this is our turn. To me it is a great relief. But a witch hunt is simply combating one error in thinking with a different error in thinking.
YES, We need to give Doyle space to actually read our Bible as written. The workers follow the 12 apostles. They go as Jesus and the 12 apostles went. Matthew 10: was often quoted by them to us children as proof this is the only way. 50 years later we actually read Math. 10: and Math. 15:24. And Now Acts 2:42-:46. Someone on here quotes 2 Corinthians 11:13-14; someone else quotes Ephesians 6:17. These are the problems . They do not even know God’s word and they pretend to represent God; but do not even have basic human humanity. What a gut-punch for those of us who have a 4 or 5 generation tradition of the ONLY ONE True Way. Folks; become responsible for your own salvation and start by reading these Bible verses in your Bible.
Thank you Astounded – I think you summed it up well. Since the ministry is following Matthew 10, I’m expecting they will be able to:
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟏𝟎: 𝟖 – 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬: 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞.
This healing power will be very helpful for all of us CSA survivors.
Albert Johnson. I have also wondered about why they only follow part of Matthew 10.
Astounded Yes, and you notice they are only preaching to the Lost sheep of the house of Israel. And that all the 3000 “believers” in Acts 2:42 continued steadfastly in the “apostles Doctrine” which is: :44 -:46. who sold all?; who continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and this continues thru Acts 6: Of, course the believers were only following the 11in Luke 24:53 no they were not teaching – they were praising and blessing God continually in the Temple Yes: how sad that we have out our salvation and harm of our children in a ministry that are unable to read God’s word.
Totally agree with A Friend Too in regard to Dale Schultz. Dale needs to go…straight to prison. He’s the worst thing since Warren Jeffs. What will it take to finally get rid of this psychopath once and for all!??
Focus needs to be on Dale as well. He is just as bad as the predators themselves for all the covering up. Actually, all the workers who covered up are just as bad, IMO. There’s no excuse. The West Coast workers know better, especially after Ruben Mata in the 80’s and 90’s. Yet they still cover up atrocities. They know to report to law-enforcement to the authorities yet they chose it to handle it in house because they want to protect the image and not lose their funding. If people would stop giving them money that’s where it’s going start hurting them.
All practitioners of cover ups since 1990 must be held accountable by the law, and by fundamental morality. They must no longer be tolerated as they destroy the soul of their followers.
I am responding mainly to the comments from “Sickened not surprised” and others who are desperately making excuses for Doyle Smith.
You say “Can we not give Doyle a little patience?” – Everything he has done has been with great reluctance and foot dragging to the extreme. He has known about Dean Bruer atrocities for almost eleven months now (not three) and has done his best to ignore and hide what he and others knew, because that’s what he’s always done and been taught and supported to do. When the first letter came out it seemed like a good start until it became clear it was not intended to be widely distributed. It was under extreme duress that he finally agreed to relinquish Dean’s computer to authorities and had to be babysat for over three hours to assure that he would do it as promised. Dean’s phone was scrubbed and given away within weeks of the death.
You say “But for just a moment step into his shoes”. Doyle is supposedly a fully functioning, grown man with several years experience in his chosen field of work, with training to call on several older “overseers”, which we can almost guarantee that he did. He was most likely not working alone, and if he was, he shouldn’t have been so that’s on him. And shows stunning arrogance and sense of superiority.
And you have the gall to demand PATIENCE? He has been viewed with such patience and grace and continues to respond with “I’m kind of busy right now”. You are doing Doyle no favours by your refusal to hold him to a minimal standard of courtesy and care!
PATHETIC in the extreme.
That’s a fair observation “Also concerned” .
Yesterday I scrolled through the months of victims stories and plea’s from people.
It’s actually quite depressing to reflect on the enormity of the evil of these Men and their cover ups. They make a complete mockery of GOD.
People are making excuses as to this was the way things were handled years ago. However we have from the platform heard the comparisons to other Churches of why we are the only way –
“THE TRUTH” . If we have the guidance of the divine power of CHRIST powerfully flowing through our ministry, why have we handled these issues as bad as all the Churches. There has been 10 + years of warning on CSA internationally around the world associated with large organizations. Huge media coverage. There has been plenty of time for these senior workers and Overseers to change and educate themselves. What we see today is still a spiritual arrogance continuing. Do they really believe God is on their side in this?
I’m convinced that the only way to purification is Cynthia and her team pursuing court cases – the storm hasn’t even started – considering there are hundreds of perpetrators.
PLEASE GOOD PEOPLE donate to advocatesforthetruth they are doing a good work without malice. They need your support for the future of our children spiritually and naturally.
This sums it up perfectly. Doyle needs to learn the hard way that actions have consequences and that the patience and grace of the people in this church have limits. His dismissiveness, arrogance and contempt are inexcusable. His time has run out.
To those who are attacking Doyle Smith, I believe, having known him very well for 40-some years, that he is being very careful in seeking to handle these awful matters. He is addressing allegations with care, so as not to give credence to any possible false allegations credence, but also to preserve the rights to privacy for those who allege wrongdoing. It is very possible that enemies of Christ may bring false accusations forward, under the influence of the father of lies, Satan.
The lesson in all of this for all of us is to be sure that we personally are serving God, and looking to Christ for our example in all things. President Reagan had a very wise policy regarding other nations: “Trust but verify.” We each are responsible to try the spirits of anyone among us, and to truly pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that He can keep us sensitive to anything that is not right. It is very true that these matters have been badly mishandled in the past, causing great harm. Rather than find fault with the ones who are courageously addressing this now, may we all pray earnestly for them, and uphold their hands.