[Ohio]

In the conference Vern Yoder gave a message about "our oneness." He shared that we should be so "open" to receive other believers, making the point of his message that if GLA local churches found a group which was "meeting like us" then we would wholeheartedly welcome them into our fellowship. Yoder gave the example of what happened decades ago in Rochester MN, though he did not specifically mention them by name, but obviously us "old-timers" could easily make the connection, since such events have been so extremely rare. Quarantines and excommunications, by the way, are far more common than whole groups of Christians coming into the Recovery!

Interestingly, the church in Rochester, MN joined the LC's after Bill Freeman (then with the church in Seattle) visited them and ministered to them. Since Rochester was in the "Midwest territory" of Titus Chu, Bill Barker & James Reetzke of Chicago were sent to visit these brothers and bring them into the local church fold. I should note that during the recent quarantine, most of Rochester sided with LSM and Chicago, agreeing that Titus Chu should be quarantined for divisive activities.

It's hard to believe that Vern Yoder would mention such an old case to confirm his burden that the LC's are truly "one" and "open" to receive outside Christians. Don't you have another example that's less than a third of a century old?!? And what's the point? Even the Lutherans would zealously court a congregation willing to enter their fold. In reality there's nothing "one" and "open" about the way LC leaders like Vern Yoder treat other Christians. All of his conference talk was standard LC doublespeak to offer vain promises to the remaining faithful. Since Nigel Tomes crashed their party with his timely "LSM Sacraments ...," Yoder was forced to resort to false pretense rather than rekindle fear to pen up the saints with locality talk.

The hypocrisy of this message is just mind-boggling. Yoder and company are willing to cut off John Myer with Grandview Heights and Keith Miller with Cincinnati when they resist Titus Chu's abuses and dominance, but then publicly announce to all the saints that they are "one" and "open" to receive all Christians. You reject brothers who have worked with you for a quarter century, who are like you in nearly every teaching and practice, and then talk about being one with all Christians in the essentials of the faith, and extending to them the right hand of fellowship. That's like the Pharisees giving a message on Passover Day about the coming Messiah, while the body of Jesus still lies warm in the tomb.

What makes this exceeding ironic is the fact that Cincinnati actually did what Yoder was talking about, joining another like-minded congregation nearby them, exhibiting the real oneness and openness to outsiders. Of course, Yoder would not see things this way. He would mourn how those brothers are "doing their own thing" and have "lost their vision." I would ask Vern Yoder to reconsider what kind of "vision," and what kind of "oneness" is he is clinging to.

The real question that should be presented to Yoder is this: are you talking about oneness or "control?" Both Anaheim and Cleveland have a long history of ruling others like the Gentiles do, "lording it over them, and exercising great authority over them." (Matt 20.25) The Lord warned us repeatedly about this, but most LC leaders including Vern never got that memo. Both Lee and Chu were notable for how poorly they treated their brothers. Yoder and other LC leaders have learned far too many bad habits from their mentor Titus Chu. How easy it is to be charmingly nice and lovingly kind to first-time guests, yet brutally intolerant and disrespectful to the ones right next to them.

So I ask again, are you really seeking "oneness" according to the Spirit, or are you connected only with those ones willing to be controlled and submit to your leadership?