Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana
The sister first showed me the article in a booklet, which John So had published after he had read the article from her. He added a paragraph to it, published it, and he and others then distributed it, I assume. The turmoil was sky high at that time.
The following lnk is critical in defining the line that was crossed that purportedly "caused division" in the Local Churches. Actually, the article on deputy authority sets up the substantial matter that caused division.
http://www.twoturmoils.com/ProofofDivision.pdf
Andrew Yu exemplifies the drastic measures taken by leaders in their application of the meaning of deputy authority
http://www.twoturmoils.com/BlindLoya...yAuthority.pdf |
Perhaps I misunderstand all of the events clearly. However, as I currently understand it the problem was this: PL was a sexual predator who worked for LSM. The elders in Anaheim didn't have jurisdiction over who LSM hires or fires, so they needed to fellowship with WL over getting rid of PL. To make this a more serious issue the meeting hall of the church is connected to the LSM ministry office of PL so PL continuing in his office at the LSM reflected badly on the church and the elders. To also make things worse, the building that the LSM was in belonged to LSM, not to the church in Anaheim. As a result JI, AK, and Godfried did not have the authority to oust LSM or PL.
It seems very obvious to me, and perhaps I am missing something, that if the church in Anaheim did not meet in the Hall at Ball road, but instead had their own meeting hall, completely under the jurisdiction of the church, then they would have had the authority to deal with this properly. Likewise, if the church was not so intertwined with the ministry this would have been much less of a big deal to the church and much more of a big deal to the LSM.
For example, I suppose that the church in Anaheim paid many of the fees for maintaining and keeping up the hall on Ball Rd. If they had left as tenants that would have put a significant financial strain on the LSM. Likewise without the standing orders of the churches LSM would have been out of business.
So to me the hypocrisy was teaching that the administration of the church is local while allowing yourself to be in a situation as tenants of LSM. Teaching that the church is not for the ministry but the ministry is for the church when in reality your personal financial arrangement was just the opposite.
What would have been much more effective, once they realized that WL had them by the "b#**s" and that he had set it up this way would have been simply, with the help of JS and BM, to get a second meeting hall as a decision voted on by the church. Once you have a new meeting hall, look at your contract with LSM and when it expires walk away from it. There was no reason to make a huge issue over it with JS talking about occupations and following a man. This probably would have taken one or two years at the most, with the help of decent legal advice they probably could have been out of the lease in six months.
Once the tables were turned and it was clear WL's empire would collapse because of PL's sins then perhaps he would have taken them more seriously. But if not, at least the church is no longer in a hypocritical stance, they can deal with sin as they see fit and continue to fellowship with the other saints.
It is highly unlikely that WL could have "excommunicated" the church in Anaheim in the way TC was excommunicated because then all the saints nationwide would have heard why the church had taken this stand. Also, it would be impossible for the rest of the churches to not have learned of this, since this was Anaheim. Also, AK, JI, BM, JS, and JF represent a very large portion of the LRC, no way WL could have kept the sins of his son hidden.
So instead of being "rebellious" they are merely sticking to the teaching that the ministry and church are separate.