Monday, Sept. 4, 2023
(The translation in English is approximate. The original letter was in French)
“Several of you in France and in Belgium will now have heard of the very serious and very sad sins that were committed by members of our ministry in North America, as well as in other countries of the world. These events are causing an outcry amongst us, to the point of shaking a good number of our brothers and sisters.
We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable, and want to assure you that we absolutely condemn such acts. If such crimes were to be committed here amongst us, we would treat them with the most firmness / decisiveness.
If someone amongst you in France or in Belgium has any concerns or questions regarding this, we invite you to get in touch with me or any of the FR/BE staff.
More than ever, the scriptures are a source of direction, comfort and balance for us. More than ever, we see that the simple message of the gospel is important and healthy for our souls, and we plead with you that you would grasp all possible opportunities to listen to the gospel, and generally speaking, to seek to be present in all meetings.
The enemy of our soul wants to sow doubt, fear and mistrust, but in brotherly fellowship, God gives us everything that contributes to the health of our soul and of the soul of our children.
With our brotherly greetings.
Letter in French:
Lettre des serviteurs responsables en France/Belgique – lundi 4 septembre 2023
“Plusieurs d’entre vous en France et en Belgique aurait eu vent maintenant des péchés très graves et très tristes qui ont été commis par certains membres de notre ministère en Amérique du Nord, et dans d’autres pays du monde aussi. Ces évènements provoquent un tollé parmi nous, au point d’ébranler un certain nombre de frères et sœurs.
Nous n’allons pas essayer de défendre l’indéfendable et voulons vous assurer que que nous condamnons absolument de tels agissements, et que si de tels crimes devaient se produire parmi nous ici que nous ne manquerions pas de les traiter avec la plus grande fermeté.
Si quelqu’un parmi vous en France ou en Belgique a des soucis ou des questions à ce sujet, nous vous prions de bien vouloir vous mettre en contact avec moi, ou avec n’importe quel membre de notre équipe en FR/BE.
Plus que jamais les écritures sont une source de direction, de réconfort et d’équilibre pour nous. Plus que jamais, nous voyons que le simple message de l’évangile est important et sain pour nos âmes, et nous vous supplions de profiter de toutes les occasions possibles d’écouter l’évangile quand cela se présente à vous, et d’une manière générale de chercher à être présents dans toutes les réunions.
L’ennemi de notre âme veut semer le doute, la crainte et la méfiance, mais dans la communion fraternelle, Dieu nous donne tout ce qui contribue à la santé de nos âmes et celles de nos enfants.
Veuillez recevoir nos salutations bien fraternelles
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WINGS for Truth 
Statistically speaking, it’s nearly impossible that abuse hasn’t happened in France and Belgium. If you haven’t heard of an occurrence, then it’s been kept secret. By whom?
If you have learned from the horrors in the rest of the world, you would know that putting the blame on the devil is gaslighting the victims and those who are concerned.
**”Mistrust, doubt, and fear” have been caused by perpetrators and by those who have covered for them.** Not by the sharing of information.
Attending all possible meetings is not an adequate recommendation. People who attend meetings must also be people who have healthy boundaries and critical thinking skills. All the meetings ever will never end the opportunity for abuse, and in fact, are often where victims are introduced to their abusers. Meetings are where we hear the message to pray and stay in our place and forgive and be quiet. Meetings do not stop abuse or fix the fallout.
This kind of letter should be entirely about recognizing the problems, analyzing how they came to be, enumerating what your firm and decisive actions would be. This letter should be about your responsibility to your church, not about the flock being better at attendance.
You do not gain trust by simply saying you’d do better than another country. You do not gain trust by blaming the people you attempt to lead. You do not gain trust by putting the responsibility on God. Do not make people who have concerns reach out to you privately. Be public with what your intentions and plans are. Tell us you support and approve of our taking problems to police and mental and physical health professionals.
It’s heartening that the workers in some regions communicate pro-actively to try to reassure staff and friends in their areas, as in this letter. However “How to” raises valid concerns that many of us surely share.
Also, the second-to-final paragraph of this letter to Belgian/French area friends confuses me, with the encouragement to take all opportunities to attend meetings. What is the goal of our efforts here on earth? Is it to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, to know God and thereby gain eternal life, to become true children of God, true Christians? Or is it just to attend meetings? The latter is easier than the former, but it’s shallower, and doesn’t necessarily lead us to the real goal.
I’ve heard that ” THE ENEMY WANTS TO SOW DOUBT “for more than 60 years now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m really really really really really Really REALLY REALLY SICK OF THIS ……. ..
i of course cannot type the end of my message !@!@@●●○|□●□■■☆Dd%^##^”‘SRHCZDFG$&*’c
I’m to the point that I can’t even STAND to thought of a BRother worker now…….
wonder where that feeling is coming from???????
“The enemy of our soul wants to sow doubt, fear and mistrust, but in brotherly fellowship…”. Aren’t you surprised this didn’t read, “The enemy of our soul wants to sow doubt, fear and mistrust, but in brotherly LOVE….”
This all is so twisted. Where is Jesus EVER mentioned in any letter? They mentioned “God”, but who is their God? It’s like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Anyone know if this is infact true, I would be suprised if it is.
“We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable, and want to assure you that we absolutely condemn such acts. If such crimes were to be committed here amongst us, we would treat them with the most firmness / decisiveness.”
“How to”, that is an excellent analysis and comment. Thankyou.
TonyM- Absolutely!
A few years ago the then responsible worker in France was involved in sex scandal with one of the friends wives … but I guess thats not CSA! We got drawn into that mess.
Edgar Massey- should we wonder how that situation was handled?
This is the point, not that these atrocities have happened, we know they happen in other religious groups aswell, but how they are handled is the big question? For if they are handled( sexual abuse aswell as sexual immorality) with integrity, morality, within God’s laws aswell as the laws of the country, then these incidents would be much lower, perputrator’s would be to scared to commit such atrocities in a God fearing group, knowing full well the consequences that awaits them!
Having read Dutch ex-worker Gerben B.’s entry on ex2x2.info, I have little doubt that France and Belgium have serious problems too. Gerben speaks of a worker who wasn’t allowed in other European countries due to his pedophilia: “The following year the overseer and elder brothers placed me with a companion who was actually not allowed to have a younger companion, because of his narcissism and paedophilic and bisexual tendencies. This was known to the workers in Europe, and in fact, he was no longer welcome in the Two by Two groups of two different countries.” No longer welcome – so there was once trouble, yes?
Letter is signed by whom exactly?
Are you really saying that France and Belgium has zero issues???? That is hard to believe.
seeing as French is ‘known’ to be the greatest ‘lovers’ and have the most prostitutes per capita. So highly doubt that France is completely exempt from CSA/SA
Consensual sex between adults who are on equal footing has zero to do with sex abuse.
Europe in general has been pretty quiet up until now !
Why do they feel they have to mention this debacle and debauchery months after it was first revealed ????
What a spineless letter !! No Backbone and no Substance !!
“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive”
CSA/SA “that were committed by members of our ministry in North America”. I always was told this was God’s ministry, not man’s ministry or “our ministry”. Why not just be truthful and call it William Irvine’s ministry. Also, did not know the group had “members”. By the way, it is was not very nice throwing the USA under the bus. After all, it was our brave troops that liberated France and Belgium in WWll.
Max- thanks for that piece of humor, it was good to laugh😊it truely is like medicine!
Who ever wrote this letter, thinks “they” are it, telling, “seek to be present in all meetings”. It’s ironic, Jesus said the opposite. In Matthew 9 thru 13, Jesus went to the sinners, not the sinners coming to Him. Jesus said the sinner needs help, not those that are well. Also, Jesus talked about mercy, not sacrifice. “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus[a] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Who ever wrote this letter “in charge in France and Belgium” does not appear to know what Jesus was for. Jesus Christ was for bringing the gospel to the sinner, not the Saints! Workers need to go where the sinners are, maybe go to a bar? Jesus was for mercy, not having the Saints to sacrifice, “to be present in all meetings”. That is far from Biblical. Jesus did encourage prayer, and Himself prayed, a lot (Luke 6:12: In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent THE NIGHT in prayer to God). Whoever is in charge in Europe, why don’t they follow The Bible, and the example of Jesus, and instead of telling people to be burdened by ” meetings”, encourage prayer? Philippians 4:6, says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. That’s Biblical. And, that is helpful. Listening to some worker, when you’re already exhausted, is not.
There is no such thing as “the enemy of our soul”. This GAME makes NO SENSE. If there is an enemy of our soul and if God is in control of all….then that means God is allowing the enemy to affect our soul. “He allowed the devil to torment Job”. Your God allowed this enemy of our souls to “sow doubt”? Are we really making this about our souls? The ones who are innocent and not a victim of rape and molestation and abuse? You’re worried about us who are undefiled by horrible men and women that we may “lose faith”? How can you continue to make this about your own narrative? What DOES sow doubt for myself are the pathetic riddles and wordplay of “god gives us everything to comfort our health….”
How is this game still going on? How is it that this living witness doctrine and defile all of our minds? We’ve all been deceived and manipulated by fire and brimstone.
If this was the perfect way, God wouldn’t allow any worker or overseer (who he calls into the work) to EVER defile another person or let alone a child. This game is sick and this game is destroying lives while it claims to give life. Sick twisted people leading this flock who have zero life skills. What else would we expect from overseers? We are their lifeline. We define their lives. Living in our homes. Eating our food, using our money to keep this game alive. Do you not see that the majority of these workers are absolute dorks and outcasts of society. Not because they are “of the spirit” but because they don’t know what else to be apart of.
Hold on loosely….
Very unlikely that France and Belgium have had nothing happen there, just based on statistical probability.
Apart from that, what does “firmness / decisiveness” mean – zero tolerance?
And “If someone amongst you in France or in Belgium has any concerns or questions regarding this, we invite you to get in touch with me or any of the FR/BE staff” they should be advised to go to the Police, not the “staff”. It is unethical and not proper procedure for Trauma Care to ask a victim to go to the organisation that was involved in the offending.
These words are impossible for me to shake. I think of them in the middle of the night. Praying is the only way to get peace. The words, “very serious and very sad sins that were committed by members of our ministry…We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable… seek to be present in all meetings”. Seek to be present in all meetings! How sick and twisted this guy is. This is CLASSIC CULT CULTURE language! People need to learn how the mind works and how people can be programmed into a authoritarian cult. There are specific strategies, patterns, and behaviors used by cultic groups to control them. Cult leaders want people who will be obedient to them and their rules. They look for ways to “break” people; when the mind is controlled, a victim may appear happy and willing to suffer for the profit or benefit of the leader/group. For members, happiness comes from “good” performance within the group, along with elitist thinking—believing they have the “truth” or the the best way of life. But strict obedience is required. They are manipulated by fear and guilt. Undue Influence does NOT erase the person’s old identity but rather creates a new identity to suppress the old one. After different types of manipulation, the creation of a new identity is done step-by-step by formal indoctrination sessions. Behavior modification techniques are employed, such as rewards/punishments, thought-stopping, the new identify is reinforced and the old identify suppressed. Thus, the dress codes and hair styles. Cult leaders promote messages that are simple and on a surface level, seem to make sense. They offer calm amid the noise. It appeals on an ironically human level, because it is the polar opposite of what we’re often confronted with in typical, everyday life. Cults use black and white thinking, an “us” versus “them” mentality. The narrative promoted is that the outside world is bad, under devil control, or corrupt/impure versus the purity or truth offered by the cult. Eventually, this becomes an intrinsic belief that there is no prospect of living a good life outside of the cult or High Control Group. To maintain this power, reductive “us” versus “them” thinking comes into play. Successful cults manage to isolate members from their former lives and identities, convincing followers that they are superior to people who are not a member of the cult. This conforms to the cult playbook as it is described by Dr Steven Hassan’s BITE model. Specifically through thought control, forbidding questioning of leadership resulting in stopping of rational thought processing through the explicit rejection of critical thinking. Cult leaders Lie. They lie often, unapologetically, with grandiosity and with no evidence to support their claims. This can take the form of claimed divine revelation, “special” knowledge, half truths or unquestionable beliefs. building paranoia. If you can convince members of the group that outsiders, including their families, government, outside organizations and institutions are “out to get” them while simultaneously offering them the “perfect” solution you can convince them that only the cult can provide safety. Once this illusion is built members believe safety and certainty comes only from association with the group. Even members’ own families are no longer seen as safe, or places of refuge. The same applies to friends and former associates. The “logical” conclusion therefore is to stay close to the cult and engage in the community built by and around its leadership. And, seek to be present in all meetings.
For Christ–you do realize that anti-Christians have been using those same arguments against Jesus for centuries? Please read and think before posting. I am sure you can reread your post and think of hundreds of teachings of Jesus and his apostles. I would surly want to be obedient to Jesus, to not question Him, to separate myself from the world, to allow Him to make me more like Him and less like I was when He found me.
Amen, yes, obedience to Christ Jesus is vital! No question about that. Jesus taught, to follow Him, not a religion. Jesus never said, , “very serious and very sad sins that were committed by members of our ministry…We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable… seek to be present in all meetings”. Having to “be present in all meetings”, is simply indoctrination, or the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Jesus taught us to THINK, and not be swayed by the shiny apple. Telling everyone, to ” be present in ALL meetings”, what is the point of that? Jesus did not teach that. Is it thought control? Specifically through thought control, forbidding questioning of leadership, resulting in stopping of rational thought processing through the explicit rejection of critical thinking, the exact opposite of what Jesus wanted. Amen, you noted, ” I would surly want to be obedient to Jesus”. Yes, but not some human that demands you be present to listen to them. Especially when this human just finished saying, “very serious and very sad sins that were committed by members of our ministry…We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable”, and you’re going to spend your precious spare time listening to those humans? Jesus said, “Follow me.” “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”. Going to meetings, ALL meetings, is indoctrination, and that is not what Jesus taught. Christians follow Jesus Christ and they are critical thinkers. I stand by Jesus Christ and also, from my decades in the ” truth”, and the assault by teen daughter took from a male worker, and subsequent head worker cover up — these comments are accurate. I did read and think before posting, and if this incredibly Wings for Truth site grants me permission, I will post more. Amen, my dear old professing mom missed the entire target most of the time, but she hit a bulls eye, saying, if the shoe fits wear it. This time Cinderella, the shoe does fit and the “truth” is a cult. Sorry if that upsets you.
Amen, I stand by what I wrote, “Specifically through thought control, forbidding questioning of leadership resulting in stopping of rational thought processing through the explicit rejection of critical thinking”. “Seek to be present in all meetings” is an attempt of thought control and to stop critical thinking. Lack of critical thinking is what made Adam bite into that beautiful apple, and it is also what got this organization into this huge mess. Simply going along with someone that tells you, “very serious and very sad sins that were committed by members of our ministry…We will not attempt to defend what is indefendable… seek to be present in all meetings”, is going to get people in an even bigger mess. That thinking is not spiritual, but instead indoctrination. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”. People need to listen what Jesus said, and He did not say, ” seek to be present in all meetings”. Christians are critical thinkers (” Test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Biblical critical thinking skills provide a practical toolset for combatting the lies we hear from humans, culture and cults. Jesus Christ makes sense, seek to be present in all meetings doesn’t.
Foe Christ–you mention a pretty foreign term to me ” biblical critical thinking skills” that almost sounds like if we are smart enough we can get it. Surely you don’t believe that. You realize this gospel of Christ is hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes? Yes we are glad for the scriptures, but even more glad for the Spirit that opens them to us. No my friend it’s not opened by our critical thinking skills.
God gave us a brain. So if we allow Him to work in our lives, yes, we can and should have critical thinking skills. And, those critical thinking skills should be anchored in the Word of God, or Biblical critical thinking skills. They guide me in my life. If you need someone else to tell you how to live— sorry for you.
Amen: “Critical thinking skills are “based” on (you guess what?); Our very Word of God! Only when you are willing to take a “cult’s adding to and subtracting from God’s Word: can you convince the Non-Critical thinkers THAT this is What, To Whom, and Why Jesus ministered! Yes, we are very embarrassed that we spent “decades” – Yes, “decades” listening to the warm, soft, fuzzy feely sermons of the Only Right Way and their great sacrifice. It took a hard slap across our very face – because we dared to ask a question concerning 2×2 ministry being the ONLY way to God. This was based on US reading the very words of Jesus ministry. What did we learn? We learned we cannot question! We learned more about the 2×2 doctrine; such as the exclusivity of salvation only by 2×2 ministry and that a Bible is NOT needed to explain what their doctrine is! Yes, YOU Take our word for it! SLAP – SLAP!
That we could not understand. As we tried to understand, how our question caused such anger and degradation: it sent us to Jesus’ record of Jesus very WORDS. AS we read and reread – Only thing we had was ‘critical thinking skills’ based on Jesus’ very words; to come to the VERY HORROR of finding 2×2’s are twisting and adding to and subtracting from Jesus very ministry to Nation of Israel. Just try one verse Matthew 15:24. AND in no way did we find even one requirement by Jesus, the 2×2 ministry claims. It says” 2 and 2– that equals 4″!
We did find that the 12 were appointed BY Jesus to only go to Nation of Israel:
and every record records they obeyed. Matthew 10:5, :6. (( Their answer to this is Matthew 28:19. AND God’s Word shows they did NOT go to ALL Nations. No; because Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8 explain further they were to begin IN JERUSALEM. Acts records James death which ends the “12” requiement for 12 judges in the promised earthly Kingdom. (( Galatians 2: 9 records James, Peter, John decided they would continue to ONLY go to the “”circumcision”=Israel.))
THEN, later; ” I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom, AND sit on “12 thrones” judging the “”12 tribes of Israel” Luke 22:28- :30 and Matthew 19:28.
What is significant about this is: When Jesus was come into the temple Matthew 21:23 chief priest and elders of the people:::Jesus himself told those very Government of Israel HIS “authority :42
:RESULT is: :43. …the Kingdom of God “SHALL BE TAKEN from you, and GIVEN to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
DID you ever hear the workers say they are going to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 Tribes of Israel when Jesus – in the “regeneration” when ((Jesus)) the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His glory(Luke 1:32) “ye shall also sit upon 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Yep, that they don’t claim. ??
Yes, Amen; it is time you take For Christ seriously. Learn God’s Word “all of it”. And use all of your critical thinking skills. If this true that cannot be. Each word has meaning and is important. God in his Word explains everything.