Dear Thankful Jane,
I appreciate your post and your anger. The upcoming chapter will contrast the wonderful joy and fellowship we had amongst ourselves, that is the regular brothers and sisters along with good Bible teachings and great times of churches coming together with the back room manuevering. The greatest shock of my christian life came in January, 1974. My first national "urgent elders-co/workers" meeting called by WL.
I must lay out how very very positive my overall experience up until then had been and then came the step off the cliff. I will discuss the ugly power play going on right before my eyes and the totally unscriptural and anti-LC practice as we had known it up until then. After the 8:30 am - 12:30 first session, we broke for lunch. I could not eat but went for a four hour walk to pray and clear my mind. I could not return to the after lunch meeting. During that walk, I was very seriously considering to drop out and praying desperately what to do. I returned to the meeting hall and explained to a few of my closest brothers what was going on with me. George and a few others such as Don Looper calmed me down and I began to successfully "get out of my mind" and "be open."
I am encouraged that you have been able to minister to the Barber family. That whole case is so sad. May the Lord grant them a full recovery to health in everyway. They were surely victims of the LCS and of their father's care for it.
By the way, I was wondering where you have been. I am at work and must go but I did read your post on a break and felt to respond. Glad you are back.
In Christ Jesus there is hope for us all,
Hope, Don Rutledge