Category: News

July 8, 2024

Dear Doyle,

Thanks for our text exchange last week. In our open exchange, there was an expression that the fellowship also has fault. One of those faults is putting the ministry on a pedestal and not questioning doctrine and behavior. This includes allowing others to take action that is counter to the Holy Spirit and Christ’s example. Our text exchange resulted in this letter, in the spirit of “trying the spirits,” both mine and others, as directed by scripture.

I beseech you: search every scripture in this letter, as I have. You see, I could tolerate being sidelined by this ministry after hosting a rich meeting in our home for three decades. What I cannot and will not tolerate is wrong doctrine and the misapplication of the Word of God. I eagerly hope and pray that you share my view. If anything I have shared here is not correct, let’s communicate about it with our Bibles open. My church will soon be asking about these things—so if I know better, I can do better.

We all understand that I do not own my fellowship meeting. They belong to God. There is a growing, dangerous trend in this ministry to pressure elders to defend their appointment. To ask an elder “who appointed you?” is a personal attack, devoid of the love of God, for reasons I will explain in the pages that follow. Not one scriptural requirement for an elder in 1 Timothy 3:2-4 is controlled by the ministry. I did not write these words. I simply try to understand and obey them:

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

I have nothing to defend, or the desire to do so. God alone makes an elder. You can invite our flock to relocate for any reason, or no reason at all. It is my liberty in Christ that makes this a non-issue for me. In the meantime, it is my purpose to take heed to myself and feed the flock that has been purchased with His own blood.

The following pages contain seven subjects that have been raised in recent days.

As I mentioned in my text, Doyle, I’m not feeling contentious—just deeply disappointed. And, I might add—feeling very motivated to please God and be upright before Him. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement of others as I walk.

With brotherly love,
Paul Svendsen
Bend Oregon USA

CC: Tom Hinkle  Tammy Carr

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ONE: “You cannot have the fellowship without the ministry.”

The words of Christ refute this in Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them” John, an Apostle, stated the criteria for fellowship in 1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This agrees with the words of Paul in I Corinthians 3:11 – “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” I am well aware that this Scripture flies in the face of what Jack Carroll said in some notes of mine: “Your heart’s attitude, not what you say with your lips, towards the servants of God is the real test as to whether you are one of His people or not, and whether you have passed from death unto life.” I John 3:14 places that statement in jeopardy. I absolutely embrace the brotherly love described in I John 3:14. The problem is, Jack was sowing the seeds of idolatry that have grown into ugly, putrid flowers today. The Levitical Priesthood that was to stand between God’s People and God was superseded by Christ, the only Mediator between God and Man, as noted in Heb 7 and 1 Timothy 2:5. This exclusionary statement that the fellowship cannot exist without the ministry does not recognize the great power in the life and death of Christ even as it may be preached. If the writer is intending to say that no one can know Christ without this particular ministry, patterned after the Faith Mission in the UK right down to the use of the term “workers,” that also scripturally false. That is placing limits on the working of the Holy Spirit that simply do not exist. The only limit to the Holy Spirit is our willingness to accept its prompting and directing.

Only man would dare say you cannot have fellowship without the ministry. The events of Ezekiel 34 refute this idea completely. Things got so bad that God took it over. He actually stopped the shepherds from feeding the flock.

1 Timothy 2:5 couldn’t be more clear:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

TWO: “The ministry was established from heaven even before fellowship.”

This is categorically untrue. Ps 119:89 states – “Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.” “The Word”, not “The Ministry”. Christ Himself. The Father established many things that are eternal parts of His plan, and Christ pointed to them repeatedly in scripture. The Son taking a Bride is about eternal fellowship. The Good Shepherd gathering His sheep is about eternal fellowship. The Sower and the Seed is about bringing people into eternal fellowship. At no time did Christ ever point to a ministry separate from the fellowship. He pointed to God’s plan and God’s Will and the wonderful news that it was. THEN he sent out a ‘ministry’, as a calling within the eternal fellowship, to PROCLAIM that GOOD NEWS. To identify the workers as one-and- the-same with the Apostles flies in the face of all evidence, natural and spiritual. The workers can only trace their biological history to the Faith Mission activities in the late 1800s. That is where the name “Worker” comes from. There have been many fellowships similar to ours across time. They have come and gone with little recorded history, and no substantial continuity. The Workers today have none of the powers given to the Disciples in Mt 10, when they were sent as Apostles to the Jewish people, or the powers given to many members of the church in Acts when the Gospel was sent to the Gentiles. The Workers cannot accurately claim Apostolic Succession based on simply going out homeless and 2×2. The Apostles were Disciples to learn and had fellowship directly with Christ as part of that learning. Their ministry came later. Christ himself taught many and had fellowship with many about his gospel. Many came to Christ through others (like the woman at the well) through fellowship and ministry from someone we would call saints today. This statement is trying to elevate the ministry to a place of pre-eminence that is counter to what Christ taught by word and life.

The following scriptures speak of the things God established, is establishing, or will establish:

• All the ends of the earth, the earth: Proverbs 30:4; Jer 33:2
• His covenant: Gen 6:18; Gen 9:9, 11, 17; Gen 17:7, 19, 21; Exo 6:4; Eze 16:60, 62;
• The oath he swore to Abraham: Gen 26:3
• The Children of Israel as a holy people to himself, his people, he would be their God: Deu 28:9; Deu 29:13
• His Word: 1Sa 1:23 (Elkanah states); 1Ki 2:4 (David stated); 1Ki 6:12
• His kingdom (with respect to David’s throne): 2Sa 7:12-13; 1Ki 9:5; 1Ch 17:11-12; 1 Ch 22:10; 1Ch 28:7; 2Ch 7:18; 2Ch 9:8; Isa 9:7
• Judgment: Psa 76:9
• A testimony in Jacob: Psa 76:9; Psa 78:5;
• The Righteous: Psa 7:9
• The City of the Lord of hosts, the city of our God, Zion: Psa 48:8; Psa 87:5
• God’s faithfulness: Psa 89:2
• David’s offspring: Psa 89:4, 29
• “Your hearts” blameless in holiness before our God and Father (written to the saints): 1Th 3:13
• “Your hearts” in every good work (written to the saints): 2Th 2:17
• “You” (written to the saints) 2Th 3:3; 1Pe 5:10
• A new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Heb 8:8; Heb 10:9

Scripture states that Jesus came to:

• Fulfill the Law: Matt 5:17-18
• Seek and save the lost: Luke 19:5, 9-10; 1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 9:26
• Serve: Mark 10:45
• Do the will of the Father: John 6:38, 8:42; Hebrews 10:7
• Give his life as a ransom in payment for our sins: Mark 10:45; Matt 20:28; 1 John 3:5; Titus 2:13-14
• Call sinners to repentance: Mark 2:17
• That we might have abundant life: John 10:10
• Reveal the Father: Matthew 11:27; John 14:9
• Reveal God’s love for sinners: John 3:16
• Bring light to a dark world: John 12:46; John 15:22
• Bring a sword: Matthew 10:34-36 (calls people to radical commitment to Jesus Himself – a message of peace that divides between those who choose it and those who reject it)
• Proclaim truth: John 18:37 (Proclaim himself – I am…the truth)
• Preach the good news – liberty to captives, recovering of sight to the blind, set at liberty the oppressed, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor: Luke 4:18-19, 42; Isaiah 61:1-2
• Be made like his people to become a merciful and faithful high priest: Hebrews 2:14-17
• Give us an example of enduring sorrow while suffering unjustly: 1 Peter 2:19-23
• Ignite a spiritual fire: Luke 12:49
• Destroy the works of the devil: 1 John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14-15
• Not to judge, but to bring judgment: John 3:17; John 9:39; John 12:47
• Give humanity eternal life: John 6:51
• Die: John 12:24-27
• Reconcile us to the Father: Eph 1:9-10; 2:14-18
• Bind up broken hearts, comfort those who mourn: Isaiah 61:1-3
• Give us a spirit of adoption: John 14:16-17; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:4-6
• Make us (saints) partakers of the Divine Nature: 2 Peter 1:4
• Reign as King (2nd coming): Isaiah 9:6-7
• That we might be blameless and holy: Eph 1:4
• To reveal God’s glory: John 1:14; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 60:1-2; Hebrews 1:3

If this idea of “ministry before fellowship” is foundational doctrine, then why am I just now hearing about this? And why is it not discussed in the Scripture? How did Adam, Abraham, Moses, and David have fellowship with God before Jesus called the twelve?

THREE: “The ministry cannot change.”

This is likely the single saddest statement I have read in a very long time. This simply states that the ministry cannot repent, since repentance is recognition of sin and a change from that sin. So, the ministry must continue on in the sin of Dean, Leslie, Mark and so many more? Dean Bruer, and many others, instilled their beliefs in the present-day ministry. Their position and respect within the fellowship enabled that. If there is not a change from elements of that ministry and the spirit that pervaded, then this ministry will fail under its own weight. God will allow it as he has in the past which is why we don’t have documented history of an unbroken lineage from today to the end of Revelation. That spirit is evil and changing from it is absolutely necessary. The scripture I read, and you preach from, teaches us to acknowledge our sin, correct our heart, our thoughts and our spirit so that sin doesn’t happen any longer. Or is this why the ministry ignores and minimizes the sin of Dean, Leslie, Mark and so many more, so they don’t have to repent and change from their ways? That is so incredibly spiritually sad and not found in the life of Christ.  The ministry can and has changed since it first came to this country in the early 1900s. When it first came, workers were allowed to be married as was the case in the Bible. I actually professed in a mission of married workers. Men’s decision in the early 1900s changed that for man-derived reasons. The first workers preached where they could, and anyone brought to Christ was encouraged to join the congregation that best fit their needs; this was the Faith Mission model. The first workers in this country crossed the country on trains and bicycles, not cars and airplanes. Gospel missions used to be conducted in tents wherever they could be erected or standing on the street-corner. Not in buildings and particularly not in purpose-built church buildings like conventions. There are many things that have changed since workers first arrived here. God wants us to change. That is how we grow and mature. But change is not without pain. Necessary change prompted by the Holy Spirit can be uncomfortable, painful and undesirable. However, it is 100% necessary for spiritual growth.

More and more elders are no longer moved to support a ministry that is not willing for serious self- examination and genuine repentance. Self-examination is biblical and critical. To refuse to engage in self-examination is to refuse I Corinthians 11:27-32, Psalms 26:2-6, Lamentations 3:40, Haggai 1:5-7, 2 Corinthians 13:5. God has called all men everywhere to repentance, Acts 17:30, Lk 13:3- 5, 1Jn 1:9, Rev 2-3. No one is exempt. The Scripture is clear that works and sacrifice do not exempt us from the need of repentance.

Shortly before Dean Bruer died, he told me that the conditions and privileges of the ministry cannot change and have not changed. The fruit we now observe tells a very different story—that in fact, the moral standard of this ministry is a very fluid concept. That Dean was subject to other overseers tells me that the disease may be very advanced at this point.

 FOUR: “Who appointed you an elder?”

This is a personal attack, devoid of the love of God.

This reminds me of my years testifying in court. If you are right on the facts, argue the facts. If you are right on the law, argue the law. If you are wrong on both facts and law, attack the witness.

I can see right through this behavior. This question reveals that the one who supplied this question is motivated by something other than the love of God.

The only person who can give someone the qualities of an Elder is the God of heaven. When the Apostles established Elders in every city, they were looking for the people whom God had prepared to lead the flock, and by formally ordaining them they passed the oversight of that local church from the Apostles to the Elder(s). In fact, the only times the word ‘Overseer’ is used in the New Testament, it is applied to the Elders. We would hope that the workers also defer to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when additional Elders are needed. But, there is ample evidence that men’s desire gets into this decision as well. It is the God of Heaven working in the hearts and lives of an Elder and his wife that truly makes an elder. This statement presumes that the workers are intercessory and have some hand in “making an elder”, rather than designating the Lord’s choice. They have utterly no hand in it. That is through prayer, reading and contemplation. I am an elder, our home was open to the spirit and work of God long before any workers recognized we could fill a need in the field.

To answer the question at face value, if Dean Bruer was the overseer at the time, that alone is reason enough to give up association with “the ministry.”

FIVE: “We cannot remove the ministry nor fellowship that God established, but rather the individuals that commit horrible abuse.”

This is a false narrative. No one is asking for anyone to remove the ministry. This is intended to derail a conversation. But if removing the spirit that revels in sin from the ministry, removes the ministry, then God would obviously be behind such. It is possible to remove individuals from the ministry. When their actions and spirit make it obvious that their ministry is not of God, we are told to separate from them in multiple places in Scripture. It is idol worship to presume that some man or woman is in so great a place as to not be able to be removed from it. Many paid dearly throughout scripture for behavior that had them removed from their place. God puts His gift of ministry and a desire for fellowship with others in our hearts and spirits, 1Cor 12. No men, even workers and overseers, can remove what God has placed. The second part of this sentence goes to the heart of the issues that have inflamed this fellowship for the past 18 months. The removal of evil from this fellowship has not been accomplished in the past. Evil has been largely protected, enabled, and promoted. Dean Bruer and others got into their positions after years of reports that there were issues. They continued in their place despite continued reports of issues. As Darryl Doland so correctly stated in the WANIDAK workers meeting a few weeks ago, the ministry ignored the “obscure persons” and cozied up to the perverted actions and spirit of the perp. This is in direct opposition to the conduct of Christ. It is these actions and the evil spirit behind them that has people leaving this fellowship, both ministry and saints, at an unprecedented rate.

This graph shows the effect that a spirit not of God has been having for over 40 years on this fellowship. It is the number of workers in North America graphed over time. It has been declining for over half the time since workers first came to this country in the early 1900s. This is the fruit of the spirit currently in the fellowship:

If we don’t remove those individuals that have committed horrible abuse, we are united in them and partake in their evil. (1 Cor 5:2, 6, 7-9, 11, 13; Psalm 34:14-15; 2 Cor 6:14-17; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 2 John 1:9-11)

SIX: “God will never lead two people in two different directions by his Holy Spirit.”

This sounds like an admission that the ministry in this country is not being led of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because one leading spirit has led the Eastern States to accept divorce and remarriage while another leading spirit has led Western States to vilify those who are divorced and remarried and prevent them from having full privileges in a meeting. Both sides claim supposed scriptural spirit-led grounds. In reality, this division has a lengthy history in this country that dates back to the late 1930’s and a conflict between overseers, not the leading of the Holy Spirit at all. There are others. If the Holy Spirit doesn’t give contrary direction, then why is there different direction among supposedly spirit-led ministry? Paul and Peter literally went different directions at the Spirit’s prompting. Which were yet different directions than Thomas. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John recorded the exact same scenes as they lived and experienced them and as the Holy Spirit prompted them–yet their wording, recollection and focus are different and the same. We will never be 100% clear on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual life is a constantly evolving understanding of the direction, life, spirit, love, grace and mercy of the heavenly Father.

If God is not the author of confusion, then how can this ministry justify the confusion?

SEVEN: “Each is given the opportunity to declare whether they believe in a God-established ministry or not.”

Why is there this nation-wide effort in this fellowship to develop belief in men? Christ’s commission to his Disciples in Mt 28:19 was to <paraphrased> “make disciples and baptize” not develop a following. Paul spoke against this sort of mindset in in Heb 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Christ is the author and finisher, not the ministry. Paul spoke against this sort of mindset and behavior in I Cor 1. A true ministry teaches Christ, not a puffed-up set of man’s rules. It is absolutely because of individuals that horribly abused place and power in the ministry that no one can nor should put their faith in men. The Ministry is to point to Christ, NOT themselves. THAT is their direction. We are told in I Jn 4:1 – “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” we are told by Christ himself in Mt 7:15-16 – “15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” This fellowship has been trying the spirits the past 18 months and has discovered more ravening wolves than we ever thought possible. Many of those leaving bear the bleeding wounds of wolves who have come to them as sheep and shepherds. Many are doing exactly as Paul directed in II Cor 6:17 – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” They are separating themselves from idol worship that appears to have inundated the ministry in their area. The only declaration required of us in scripture is that we proclaim Jesus as the Son of God, sent from heaven as our Savior, that he lived as God in the flesh, died on the cross and rose again, was seen of the disciples (not the 12, but all of those who learned from Jesus and followed him who were in Jerusalem), and ascended into heaven to sit at God’s right hand and intercede on his behalf. NOWHERE IN SCRIPTURE are we required to declare a choice of following “the doctrine that was established by God through Jesus to the ministry.” No one stands between Christ and his people. This is a fabricated doctrine, designed to elevate the ministry. Anything else is an addition to the Gospel and is false doctrine.

“There has to be a separation if we do not believe in what God established.” The Scripture is clear about separating from wrong doctrine:

• Angels separating evil from righteous: Mat 13:49
• Son of Man and his angels separate people from one another as a shepherd separating sheep and goats: Mat 25:32 32
• Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God: Mat 25:32
• Separate yourselves from what is unclean: 2Co 6:17 17

John’s second epistle instructs “the elect lady” not to receive the one who is coming with wrong doctrine so as not to participate in their wicked works. This would support the action taken by a recent elder and his wife in their declaration that they will not receive those who are pushing predators to be present in fellowship meetings. 2Jn 1:7, 10-11 – “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. … If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

We are not called to be united around acts or systems of men, but around the person of Christ. Anything else is an addition to the Gospel and is false doctrine.

• Jesus said, I am the one who came from heaven (John 3:13, 6:38).
• Jesus said, whoever believes on Me has eternal life (John 3:15).
• Jesus said, I am the unique Son of God (John 5:19-23).
• Jesus said, I will judge all humanity (John 5:19-23).
• Jesus said, all should honor Me just as they honor God the Father (John 5:19-23).
• Jesus said, the Hebrew Scriptures all speak of Me (John 5:39).
• Jesus said, I perfectly reveal God the Father (John 7:28-29).
• Jesus said, I always please God and never sin (John 8:29, 8:46).
• Jesus said, I am uniquely sent from God (John 8:42).
• Jesus said, before Abraham was, I Am (John 8:58).
• Jesus said, I am the Son of Man, prophesied by Daniel (John 9:37).
• Jesus said, I will raise Myself from the dead (John 10:17-18).
• Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life (John 6:48).
• Jesus said, I am the Light of the World (John 8:12).
• Jesus said, I am the Door (John 10:9).
• Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

None of the above should be misconstrued to mean that I believe there should not be those who minister. The Bible is quite clear that there be some who have the gift and calling to take the “Good News” of Jesus to the world. But, importantly, nowhere does it state that those bringing the “Good News” hold the key to salvation. The sole holder of that key is Christ and He can reveal himself to whomever he will as he did to Paul, Timothy, the Ethiopian Eunuch and many others through history. Ministering and baptism are not limited to “the Ministry” as was noted with Philip the Elder in Acts 8.

• That Christ said “go ye therefore, and teach all nations” — Matthew 28:19
• That it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them — 1 Cor. 1:21
  • This does NOT speak to those preaching as being the ones doing the saving
  • In context, it is God working through that preaching that is what does the saving
  • Paul, being highly educated in OT scripture and having been taught by the holy spirit in the desert, recognized the absolute limits of his influence on salvation
• That God hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching — Titus 1:3.
• That it is woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel. — 1 Corinthian 9:16.
• That they went everywhere preaching the Word — Acts 8:4.
• That Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ –Acts 8:5.
• The foretelling of ministry to come: Is 52:7

The ministry of this fellowship nor anything about this fellowship (meeting in the home, conventions, baptism, ministers, elders etc.) are to be an idol. We have clear warning in scripture to avoid anything close to idolatry and retain Christ and his Father as the focus of our spiritual life. We have access to a saved eternity via the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ and no other.

Anyone or anything seeking or claiming to step into that relationship between us and God is false.
1 Timothy 2:5 settled that a long time ago.

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Dear [redacted] and [redacted],                                                           July 3, 2024

Thank you for your clarification. There isn’t much to say except our hearts are deeply saddened by your decision to not have anything to do with God’s established ministry. We would like you to know we have appreciated your open home and hospitality to the church through the years. Your help and care toward the elderly folk has been valued too. You said you did not feel moved to make this public. After much prayer and consideration and consulting Doyle and Tom, we feel it is only right & fair for each in your meeting to know about your decision. Therefore, we will send out an email for each in your meeting, notifying them of your stand, and offer the choice to remain in your meeting or move to one that is under the purview of the ministry. This effectively gives each the opportunity to declare whether they believe in a God-established ministry or not. We will include all the other elders in this communication, as it could affect them too. 

We do have a question for you, that someone brought up: Who appointed you as an elder and put a meeting in your home? Was it the ministry? The ministry was established from heaven even before the fellowship was, and it is something that we cannot change. We absolutely know there are individuals that horribly abused place and power in the ministry and in the fellowship, and have caused great harm. For that we are terribly sorry. We cannot remove the ministry nor fellowship that God established, but rather the individuals that commit horrible abuse. You cannot have the fellowship without the ministry. God will never lead two people in two different directions by his Holy Spirit.

We personally have been in contact with trauma therapists, lawyers, local and federal authorities, and are very aware of what is being done. We are glad for their guidance in going forward.

We will keep you in our hearts and prayers,
Doyle, Tom
Tammy, Heidi & Alexis

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WINGS Note: This letter was not provided to WINGS by the elder.

For the workers’ letter to meeting attendees, see https://wingsfortruth.info/2024/07/04/letter-to-montana-meeting/

WINGS Note:

This Letter from church leadership in Montana/Wyoming/Oregon/South Idaho was sent to the members of a meeting in Montana. The elders of that meeting expressed to the ministry that they cannot currently support the ministry, but did not request for their meeting to be disbanded.

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Dear Friends in the Meeting,                                                                              July 3, 2024

We feel we need to be in touch with each of you in [redacted] and [redacted] Sunday and Wednesday meeting. [redacted] & [redacted] have been in touch by email. They said, “We have been moved, without any doubt in our hearts, to step aside from the purview of the ministry at this time.” They did clarify this by saying, “The Spirit of God no longer moves us to associate with, and support a ministry who is not willing for serious self-examination and genuine repentance.” Our hearts are deeply saddened. The ministry was established from heaven even before fellowship and it is something that we cannot change. We absolutely know there are individuals that horribly abused place and power in the ministry and in the fellowship and have caused great harm. We cannot remove the ministry nor fellowship that God established, but rather the individuals that commit horrible abuse. You cannot have the fellowship without the ministry.

We feel each one of you should know about this and have the opportunity to declare your choice, whether to continue attending meetings at [redacted] and [redacted] home or move to a meeting that believes and follows the doctrine that was established, not by individuals, but by the God of heaven through Jesus, to the ministry. There is room in the other Sunday meetings, so please feel free to contact us IF you are wanting moved from the [redacted] meeting. There will also be a new Wednesday morning meeting home, and we are in the process right now of sorting this out. Thank you for your patience with us as we seek God’s guidance and help.

We are not in the field, but after input and advice from Doyle and Tom we felt this shouldn’t wait till we are back in the field. I have phone service in Canada and will visit with anyone that needs/wants to visit via email, text or phone.

These are truly difficult times, but God in his infinite wisdom and time makes things very clear… There has to be a separation if we do not believe in what God established. We need your prayers so desperately.

With care,

Doyle, Tom

Tammy, Heidi & Alexis

July 2, 2024

On May 25, United Open Arms (UOA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Minnesota, announced that it had been created to provide therapy funds for sexual abuse survivors connected to our fellowship.

The UOA Therapy Fund Helpline is now operational. Survivors seeking financial help for current therapy can call 1-888-564-3073 and talk confidentially with an intake specialist.

Survivors can learn about UOA and donations to support survivors can be made at the website, www.UnitedOpenArms.org

Survivors located in the United States will be considered for financial assistance. As there is a continuing need for this support, UOA will complement other therapy funds and private efforts. UOA is managed by unpaid volunteers with a variety of backgrounds.

A confidential process has been established to maintain the privacy of survivors needing therapy funds and the privacy of donors who wish to provide financial assistance. UOA has partnered with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, to provide a dedicated therapy fund helpline for survivors. Trauma-informed intake specialists from RAINN will answer survivors’ calls. These specialists, trained specifically for UOA’s helpline, will assist survivors to determine eligibility for financial assistance.

The UOA helpline will not investigate abuse allegations or provide crisis intervention. If a survivor calls and needs immediate assistance, the RAINN intake specialist will transfer the call to a crisis center. Also note that RAINN is a mandatory reporter, meaning that if a caller discloses identifying information concerning the abuse of a child or vulnerable adult, a report will need to be made to local authorities. 

RAINN will refer survivors who qualify for financial assistance to an independent third-party claims administrator who will work with the survivors to pay for the therapy as funds become available. RAINN and the claims administrator will safeguard survivors’ privacy so others, including the UOA Board, will not know who has received financial assistance.

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See initial announcement: Financial Support for Therapy

Subject: Our Journey on the Guidelines Team

Dear WANIDAK Staff,

We hope this email finds you all keeping well. As we reflect on our journey with the guidelines team, we recognize the shared experiences we’ve had together. This journey as we worked to create a safer environment for our fellowship has been filled with both joy and heartache.

When we were approached to join the guidelines team, we felt a profound sense of joy and responsibility. The mission to protect our children and vulnerable members resonated deeply with us, and we saw the great privilege in using our God-given talents to create professional guidelines to serve this purpose. Our aim was to reflect the same loving compassion that Jesus showed during his time on earth. While Jesus’ name was never explicitly mentioned in the guidelines, we strongly feel the guidelines we developed mirrored His heart for the children and the vulnerable among us.

The advantages of the guidelines we developed were clear: they aimed to foster a secure environment where all could feel safe, respected, and cared for by each and every one of us. We worked hard to create guidelines that truly embodied the spirit of our fellowship, making trust and safety paramount, while also ensuring fair and consistent treatment that provided hope for all victim survivors and offenders alike. Ultimately, we felt we upheld professional and best practice standards and simultaneously offered the pathway to restoration and peace. We were able to acknowledge the past and current hurt, recognize the responsibility we all have towards victim survivors, and show that we understood the need for accountability by those who have offended so gravely.

However, as we made progress in our journey, we encountered significant resistance from some in the ministry for a variety of reasons. We heard concerns that our Guidelines did not allow for discretion in decision-making, discounting what some perceived as repentance on the part of offenders, being too harsh towards perpetrators, and even that the scope of the problem seemed exaggerated and would be sufficiently addressed through the education already received. Overall, the ministry expressed concerns that the guidelines felt restrictive and corporate, that they were brittle, that needy sinners called perpetrators will be cut off from the help that they need, that they were too tight and demanding. and that they hindered the preaching of the gospel. There was resistance to our incorporation of various resources for victim survivors due to the groups involved in these resources. There were complaints that the guidelines were too lengthy, too detailed, or included strong language.

After our meeting in Walla Walla, we on the team felt like we had taken a step forward and were opening the door to allow for collaboration to address the concerns that did not interfere with the professional best practices conclusions we were asked to create. We did incorporate the changes that were applicable, clarifying, and appropriate. But as weeks progressed, there was a sense of discouragement as we continued to receive the same comments and questions that we had already addressed, and there seemed very little flexibility or openness to consider our perspective from the ministry. It’s likely that some of you felt the same from us. We received both public and private feedback that expressed offense on the part of some of the staff due to perceptions that we were attempting to restrict or control your role by providing expectations for conduct, as well as offense that the ministry seemed to be ‘targeted’ and was being unfairly spoken of with regard to the rate of offenders.

We also received resistance related to our minimum requirement of a yearly, one-hour training by the ministry and elders, which was disheartening. To us, this communicated a belief that the education you had received thus far was sufficient, and that the hurt of victim survivors and a need to increase safety was less important than having to give one hour a year to refresh your memory on awareness of grooming and patterns of abuse. Relatedly, it felt as though all we were hearing were cries again and again on behalf of the offenders, about the impact on their lives, and about possible false allegations; and yet, we received very little communication about the care and love for the victim survivors. Given our empathy, understanding and experience with the deep trauma of abuse, as well as some of our own identities as survivors, this felt like another blow and a disheartening step away from the love of Jesus.

Some in the ministry did not endorse the work of the professionals partly because those of us writing them had not been selected by the ministry itself. One of the most hurtful aspects of this process was receiving criticism from the staff on our professional qualifications, our motives, and most importantly, our spirits. Some of this criticism and negativity was voiced directly to us, but even more hurtful, was learning these views about us were being voiced to others. There were those among you spreading misinformation about our character, our spirit, our scriptural knowledge and understanding, our intentions, and the contents of the guidelines. It is undeniable that many of us in the fellowship experienced a loss of trust in the ministry 15 months ago, but the recent perceptions and statements we learned of that were made about us or made about our current crisis at large felt like another devastating blow and a further fracturing of trust.

In the past weeks, new conversations arose. We heard concerns about investigations because GRACE captured some of the other underlying problems in our fellowship apart from CSA and SA. There were also conversations about the guidelines being re-traumatizing to those who had moved on through the grace of God; though again, there was no mention of those victims who are still hurting and still crying out. We began to see the ministry turn back to the way these terrible problems and hurts were mishandled in the past: with so-called Spirit-led discretion by the ministry. While many of you may have found a palpable sense of peace in the recent workers’ meeting, many of the rest of us felt the opposite. We felt despair that all of our efforts, our conversations, and our pleadings of the last year had all amounted to the ministry choosing to preserve their own power and authority above all else.

As time passed, it became evident that the ministry’s path was diverging from ours. We learned of the creation of ‘modified’ versions of our own work, and then of conversations of scriptural guidelines, and then a turn towards a minimalist set of guidelines. While our task and purpose was to create comprehensive protections, the continued passage of time revealed the ministry valued an approach much different than we had envisioned.

In the end, we realized that for the benefit of our community, particularly the families with children to protect, we needed to move forward and publish the guidelines. Maybe some of you have felt that we were being prideful, vindictive, or seeking conflict when you learned we were publishing our guidelines. This was not the case. In fact, our decision to do so was a prayerful and thoughtful leading in which we were all settled in peace. While this journey has been fraught with challenges, we remain hopeful that these guidelines will serve as a foundation for safety and trust within our fellowship.

Thank you for taking the time to read about this journey. We are sure that some of our feelings and experiences may mirror some of your own, as is often the case when two paths diverge. We are hopeful that we can find a way to align our efforts for the greater good of our community, and that, above all else, we feel and show an unending love for God. There is a deep sense of gratitude on our team that we were a part of this process. The fellowship we have experienced with each other and the friendships we have found along the way are encouraging and invaluable.

Warm regards,

The Guidelines Team

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WINGS Note: For background, see

WANIDAK ‘Unapproved’ Guidelines

WA NID AK Staff Discussion re Guidelines

A small team of four professionals plus one worker liaison have been working on regional guidelines for the WANIDAK region, at the request of the overseer Darryl Doland. However, Darryl recently made the decision to be aligned with other overseers around the country and to scrap the WANIDAK project in favor of the very vague, 2 page document Oregon has been using. 

The WANIDAK Guidelines Team decided to share their work widely for the benefit of many of the friends who have been asking for a safer path forward. If nothing else, it offers a model for dealing with CSA/SA within the system, and may help families set safer boundaries in their own lives and homes. The following content is from the WANIDAK Guidelines Team.

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Dear all, 

We want to acknowledge the hurt and suffering of all victim survivors in our fellowship, known and unknown. We see you, we hear you, we believe you, and we grieve alongside you for the pain you have experienced. Thank you for your bravery and your courage in being on the front line in our current crisis.

Each of us on the guidelines team were drawn to serve in this manner because of a deep love for God, a love for others, especially the vulnerable, and a desire to see the necessary changes to making this fellowship safer for all. Over the past five months, we have poured our hearts, and, importantly, our expertise as professionals into these guidelines. The final product is a culmination of countless hours of research, discussion, thought, prayer, and consultation, and we firmly believe that it adheres to best practices in the reporting and addressing of CSA and SA.

It was our hope and prayer that there would be a unity shown forth to the fellowship from the guidelines team and the ministry that would exemplify a deep care for victims, an unwavering commitment to the vulnerable, and a recognition and adjustment of unsafe practices. In the past month, following open discussion with the staff, the opportunity for the ministry to ask questions, give feedback, or express concerns, and continued conversations had within the ministry themselves, progress stalled. Ultimately, we provided a finalized copy of the guidelines according to professional standards and best practices, and this has been met with resistance from some of the ministry.

The final decision was made to not implement the guidelines our group produced. Rather, the ministry decided to pursue brief, ambiguous guidelines that rely on the workers to make decisions in conjunction with the elders, and the safety team should that team continue to exist. These shifts away from professional expertise while allowing for ministry-based decisions about the handling of CSA/SA are not something this guidelines team can support or condone. We found it imperative to release the official version of our guidelines for the purpose of transparency and in the hope of encouraging the ministry, and the fellowship at large, to adopt practices that promote safety. We want to make it abundantly clear that the attached version of the guidelines is the only product of our work that has our endorsement and support.

Even though these guidelines were not ultimately accepted or implemented, we believe that we can each take on the responsibility to make many of these things common practice and to keep each other accountable. We encourage you to read these guidelines as an educational tool, keep them as a reference guide, and most importantly use these concepts to help guide these difficult natural choices and conversations with people. We encourage the friends and the ministry to use this document to make safe choices. We implore everyone to please be mindful of the children and vulnerable among us and to do all we can to protect them. We can all show love by raising our voices in support of survivors and by all being active to hold offenders accountable for their actions. 

It has been a privilege to be a part of this team and to dedicate our efforts into the hope for a safer fellowship. Our hearts are grieved at the direction this journey has gone, and for those who are mourning, we mourn with you. 

We are sending out four documents: (1) the background leading to the creation of guidelines; (2) a summary of the guidelines; (3) frequently asked questions (FAQs); and (4) the full WaNIdAk proposed guidelines. Please feel free to reach out to us in the future if you need assistance, have questions, or have any concerns. 

With care, 

The WaNIdAk Guidelines Team

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Summary of the Guidelines:

1. All adults in our fellowship are expected to be mandatory reporters.
2. Sunday, Union, and Wednesday meeting elders (and wives) need to complete MinistrySafe training yearly. Elders should create and foster a safe environment for all, especially for children and those who are vulnerable. Legally, elders would be considered clergy.
3. There are consequences for unacceptable and criminal behavior.
4. All CSA allegations must be reported to authorities. SA victims are encouraged to report to authorities. We will never attempt to handle allegations “in-house,” or to shield perpetrators from the justice system. We realize the justice system helps offenders by holding them accountable for their crimes.
5. A Safety Team, composed of a team of friends and one worker liaison, will ensure compliance with policy, including facilitating:
   a. Help for victims of abuse.
   b. Third-party investigations regarding allegations.
   c. Therapy, meeting restrictions, and a Safety Plan for perpetrators.
   d. Appropriate communications.
   e. Tracking of Red Flag behaviors and concerns.
   f. Consequences for policy violations.
6. All past and present CSA and SA allegations will be taken seriously and handled professionally. Allegations will result in an immediate suspension of fellowship while:
   a. Appropriate reports are made.
   b. A professional investigation takes place (if needed).
   c. Appropriate therapy is completed (typically 12 months or more).
   d. Appropriate safeguards are established.
7. After therapy, a safety plan will be created and closed (designated, all-volunteer) meetings may be established for perpetrators, depending on the recommendation of their therapist. Offenders will continue to be restricted from attending gospel meetings, special meetings and conventions in person to keep these gatherings safe for everyone and to help offenders avoid triggers and temptation.
8. Expectations for all adults, with additional provisions for elders and workers, are included and are expected to be followed by all adults in the fellowship. These include basic safety precautions, such as that no adult should be alone with a child in an isolated area unless they are the parent, guardian, or a designated caregiver.
9. These guidelines are based on best practices and backed by professional standards and research.

Two weeks ago WINGS reported on the December 2023 Zoom call with the Arkansas Missouri Oklahoma Task Force and Craig Winquist, where Craig announced that he felt that there should not be any formal Child Safety policy.

Now we have learned that the Washington, North Idaho, Alaska staff had a meeting on June 4, 2024, where they discussed significant reservations about their proposed guidelines.

See audio recording https://youtu.be/PthIdsztZ9E

and a lightly edited transcript

Some of the issues being discussed were:

1. An amazing number of people in the fellowship have been victims and perpetrators in the past but some have moved on with God’s grace and should not be re-traumatised by having their cases re-opened.
2. Other people are still traumatised and need help and support.
3. Some of those people are still anonymous.
4. The Grace Investigation is not seen as a positive outcome by some, and not seen as a good basis for all future cases. There is concern that funds donated by friends should not be used to pay for external investigations.
5. George Peterson issued some guidelines based on selected scripture, characterising the fellowship as a family, rather than an organisation.
6. There is a belief that guidelines/policies are only appropriate for corporates and formal organisations, not for the fellowship ‘family’.
7. Issuing universal guidelines creates risk that the whole organisation might be sued and suffer financial cost, whereas regional guidelines with some differences may provide legal protection.
8. Issuing policies Is likely to be divisive. Failing to issue policies is also likely to be divisive.
9. Issuing guidelines based solely on scripture is less likely to be divisive, for those who believe in the truth and adequacy of scripture. It isn’t clear whether Old Testament scripture is as relevant as New Testament scripture, nor is it clear how various scripture references are to be interpreted and applied to specific CSA circumstances.
10. There is clear agreement that all accusations should be reported to authorities, and that education is necessary for all – workers, families, etc.
11. A lot is left to the discretion of workers and elders if there aren’t clear guidelines.
12. Perpetrators should not be cut off from the help they need, IF they are willing to seek help.
13. Issuing guidelines will help people understand that the fellowship is taking the matter seriously.
14. Guidelines will promote fairness, to avoid advantaging the well-known and well-connected people and disadvantaging the less well-known. Even safety teams can be biased by family or friendship connections, and those conflicts should be resolved by open discussion (Matthew 18).
15. Issuing guidelines will show to the authorities that the fellowship is taking it seriously and has accountability.
16. The bible is relevant for spiritual matters but not for matters such as physical health.
17. Issuing and talking about guidelines will help everyone recognise that the subject can be discussed/reported and should not be hidden.
18. A safety team of elders and professionals can be of great help to ensure appropriate decisions and actions are taken, as it may not be clear to workers what action should be taken.
19. The workers are not smarter than lay members, who may have better understanding of what’s going on in the world.
20. Decisions about CSA policies may cause a major divide in the fellowship.
21. Trying to please the majority is a political decision, not scriptural. Scripture teaches to seek and support the one lost sheep, rather than prioritising the majority.
22. Guidelines are needed because there is a history of overseers making horrible, atrocious, mistake after mistake over the last century.

WINGS observes that:

• There is still widespread lack of knowledge of the enormous number of perpetrators and victims, with the likelihood that there will be many more reports, especially in other countries where there has been minimal publicity.
• Many people have left the fellowship because of CSA disclosures and concern about how they have been, or are being, handled.
• Some countries and regions have no guidelines/policies, and others have documents of varying quality/relevance.
• There is widespread belief by workers that actions should be guided by common sense and the Spirit, yet that has failed over the last century. Being spirit-led, i.e. doing what I feel is right, has resulted in rampant dishonesty, manipulation and harm to thousands of victims and has violated Christ’s principles, virtues, compassion, truth and even basic justice.
• There has been minimal progress in providing support for victims, such as funding for therapy, even though the fellowship is reported to have many millions of accumulated funds.
• The dynamics of this subject show tension between overseers as rulers of the fellowship, and experienced educated elders who observe the many bad decisions that have been made by overseers, and have therefore created guidelines to support victims and minimise the risk of harm to further vulnerable children.
• Minimising the risk of harm to children and supporting past victims should be the guiding objectives.

WINGS intends to post a series of questions, to allow anyone to contribute suggestions of what should be done better to reduce the risk and minimise the number of cases of harm to children, and to support victims of past abuse.