[Nell]

Welcome Gideon7,

First of all, thank you for your service. Blessings to you and your wife for all the sacrifices you both have made for this country.

You are correct that "no group has it figured out" but the LC believes they do...have it all figured out...and will not state otherwise.

It might be helpful for you to take your most serious misgiving about the LC to someone in leadership. Tell him you've been researching the LC on the Internet and you are concerned about what you've read. You believe it would only be fair to hear the other side of the story. What follows may be all you need to make a decision about whether the LC is a safe, healthy church.

You're looking for straight answers about something that bothers you. Continue pressing until you are satisfied with the answers. Twenty-two years in the military have equipped you on reading people and situations. This should serve you well.

Ohio mentioned the "franchise". You're not actually dealing with local leadership, but men who must represent the Living Stream Ministry publishing house. This is a very different dynamic for a church. Mention another Christian author you have read and been helped by; mention another church you have attended; mention Christian music you may have enjoyed on the radio, etc. Get their comments on matters important to you. This may give you all the information you need to make a decision.

A recent post on another thread quoted the Wizard of Oz when he told Dorothy to "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". If you get similar answers to your questions, "pay no attention to what you read on the Internet", you have your answers.

Welcome to the forum!

Nell