First Post kumbaya

I’ve requested a username just now but I guess this will be unregistered as of now. I requested kumbaya so assuming that goes through- that’s me!

I’m a former church kid, dad was an elder. I’ve left the church, came back after having a spiritual turn, but left again due to some personal circumstances. During that time I began to see MAJOR issues that I just couldn’t get passed. This led me here, and to talking with former members. I can confidently say that unless there are MAJOR changes- I wouldn’t return.

I have many issues, a lot of which I see on this site mentioned. Maybe I haven’t searched correctly for this topic but I haven’t seen posts about the fact that LSM is basically a business that runs the church now. Who owns LSM? Ron Kangus? (Please correct me if I’m wrong).

So he runs LSM and makes decisions as one of the “blending brothers” for the church.

RED FLAG?????

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but to be a local church, you have to 1) pay money to LSM 2) buy material from LSM and no other publisher (for yourselves and the masses) 3) distribute LSM materials partially for free in order to “hook people”

I don’t care WHAT you’re selling, preaching, whatever. This is a TERRIBLE model to follow for a church. No wonder so much sin, corruption, and divisiveness has happened!!

All the churches and people that were quarantined for having their own publications were told there could only be “one trumpet” by the leading brothers in Anaheim, who conveniently, also control LSM.

This is infuriating. I really hope I’m wrong and if someone can refute it, please do.

What this is besides being a terrible abuse, is a multilevel direct sales model. They might as well have copied Herbalife’s business model and stamped “The local church” on it.

Disgusting in my opinion.

I mentioned this to a “saint” or woman I know in the local church and she said, “well, the structure is messy but as long as you’re getting fed. Kitchens get messy when you make the food but the purpose is to eat.”

Ok, fair enough. I didn’t think quickly enough to respond with this then but later I was thinking ..OK, sure- kitchens get messy when cooking just like the other appearances in the church life do. But, would you eat at a kitchen that was so messy that it caused food poisoning to hundreds of people? If you knew that a restatursnt had multiple health code violations but still, they made this really good cheeseburger....would you eat there? You might not get sick and it’s going to taste really good....

No, you probably wouldn’t eat there.

The local church has a horrible history and culture of spiritual abuse and overstepping boundaries. There has to be change or it doesn’t matter how good the “food” is, no one wants to eat in a poisonous kitchen.

Among many issues, I think the main one causing issues is having a publishing business so closely tied to the church. How much division and pain had this caused? Is it worth the money saved than to hire an outside publisher?

I don’t think so. It’s all very sad.