The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Johnson & VanVonderen

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by JJ

When describing the New Testament's requirements for elders on page 22, one of them is "Gentle". He then goes on to say there is a famous Swahili proberb that says, When the elephants fight, the grass gets trampled." and likens the elephants to combative and aggressive leaders, and the grass to the sheep in god's flock who get trampled when they fight. He cites 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7 to back this up.

What stunned me about this particular part of Rinne's book is that it explained to me some of the baffling things I had experienced in the local churches and couldn't understand why things ended up going so wrong. I wondered if others on this site could relate as well. Please let me know.

There is no way to understand our history in the LC's unless one is honest and examines the facts of history. Then, after scrutinizing the record, one must arrive at the conclusion that corrupt leaders, like elephants, have trampled God's children for decades. Then, when other upright men of God speak their conscience in protest, we have a battle. LSM liked to spin these battles as "storms," or "rebellions," or attacks from God's enemy, but actually were simply fleshly leaders abusing God's people.

Personally, back in 2003-2004 after the so-called "Phoenix Accord" between LSM and GLA leaders, rumblings of "elephants in the distance" caused me to research Brethren history, especially the events surrounding their splits from 1845-1850. Without understanding our exclusive predecessors, I could never have truly understood our present day leaders.