Though, if you’re living with an abusive man, a natural death isn’t always an option.  Usually the stress will kill you (unless he does it first).  Then again, sometimes getting murdered is not only a realistic option, but sometimes, a welcome alternative to having to live in that hell for a few more decades.  Maybe the “up-side” to what you said is that living in an abusive marriage at least hastens the “til death” part. 

Here’s a thought, let’s have whoever the pastor that said that move in with the abusive husband for the next 40 years.  The pastor will have to love the abusive husband, serve him, submit to him in all things, be sweet, dress well for him, not “deny” him at night (come on guys, you can take it, after all, the abused wives have done it all these years), trust him in all things, believe the best about him, speak only well of him, give him your children and trust him to lead them well, respect him and do all the other countless things that are not only repulsive to the pastor, but also to God himself!  Then let’s see his stance not be so freaking cold. 

And don’t even BEGIN to go there and tell me that it is biblical to expect a woman or man to stay in abuse.  Read the old and the new testaments.  All of it.  STUDY it like it actually means something.  If you don’t know how to do it, go to Tyndale House and those who study the bible for a living and find out what the Jewish law had to say about abusive (or even neglectful) marriages.  Grow up, grow a set and learn the word of God.  Then start acting on it.  It’ll change your life.

Wait, I don’t get it, did the pastors mean until the death of the abusive husband or the deaths of the pastors themselves?  If they meant the women and children had to stay and be abused until the death of the abusive husbands, I assume the pastors were making plans for the assasinations of the abusive husbands in order to protect the wives and children?  Surely they were.

And if they meant that the abuse victims had to stay with their abusers until the deaths of the pastors, were they planning their own suicides?  I hope not.  Better for all the victims out there for the pastors to just step down and repent. 

Either way, well done fellas.  Thanks for all those years of protection!

Thankyou for posting— and I love your name!!

Walking, to state that you and the other 2 couples battled the great upheaval in Chesapeake ………with …..courage…..is an understatement. To recall that God Himself caused 3 couples to step up to the plate to be a voice and advocate for abused women
–oh, it is a glorious testimony!!  Gods Light began to shatter darkness and strongholds of manipulations,deceit,control—-coming through pastors and 2 “apostles”.
I know that ‘Esther” was  (and is)  so overwhelmingly thankful —for up until then, her voice and desperation was cast aside—- but with you standing with her and on her behalf—the pastors and apostles could no longer bully her and threaten her with church discipline etc.

Thankyou, for obeying God, step by step—never realizing your church would turn against you…but as it became apparent that was the sgm and sgmchesapeake course—still, you counted the cost…….and obeyed God.  You halted the dangerous doctrine KB and Purswell were preparing to institute.  You sought to sound the alarms — you were all not only warriors—but “Watchmen on the Wall” pointing out the sources of destructive activity in leadership.——Prodigals???  (as BC has alluded to)
“Enemies of the Church” (as GE) declared????

NO,  dear Walking in Freedom,  BC and GE donot declare the truth.
The Truth—you were all the eyes,ears,heart, hands and feet of Jesus
Your Banner you walked under (and still do) is the Lords Proclomation:

He sent you to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind;
to set free those who are oppressed,
and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord  (Luke 4:18)

I am honored to state this again:

 WELL DONE, FAITHFUL SERVANTS,  WELL DONE

Hi.  This is just an encouragement to keep burning, even when it feels the rains are coming down threatening to put out that flame.   Your love for the hurting and for truth are precious, precious in His sight. 

If you are now being called a prodigal, join those of us who have been calle dit before.  Six few years ago I was called a prodigal (no, literally, I was called one, too, by quite a few SGM friends, or rather ex-friends now).  I was called a prodigall for obeying God and having the courage to leave my abusive, cheating and very, very, very vindictive husband.  (Today alone I suffered another blow from him.  One of a thousand or a million that I suspect will continue for the rest of my life for daring to leave him.)  And yes, I was called a prodigal both in conversation and in writing for leaving him.  (I have some nerve for going, don’t I?)  And now I guess according to this individual who gave the sermon, I am also a prodigal for leaving my SGM church. 

So I say to both of you, climb aboard the SS Prodigal and join the rest of us who have left over the years and also make room for the hundreds or thousands that will follow us in the future.  There’s plenty of room here and the food’s not so bad.  It’s full of people loved by God and redeemed by Him.  I for one think I am going to embrace the title of Prodigal if they keep feeling fit to throw it at me.  I figure there are only a couple characters in that story.  The father, whom we all know is God, the prodigal son, the arrogant unrepentant brother, and the pigs.  If we’re the prodigals, which ones do they want to be?

Thank you so much for the courage, boldness and love that you have shown towards God and the people at SGC.  You stood up for righteousness, you stood up for Christ, and you stood up for those in the congregation who could not stand up for themselves!  How do I know that you did those things?  I know because I too am one part of the “3 couples”.  No matter what those at SGC and SGM believe about the “3 couples”,  our hearts were pure before God as we pursued truth and righteousness within SGC.  Would we have ever sought out involvement in something like this?  Absolutely not.  No matter what anyone believes about us, God called us to stand up for truth, whatever  the cost to ourselves.  We all lost much – our reputations, friendships, and even the very church that we all loved so much.  Would I do it again?  YES, YES, YES.  No matter what I lost, I would do it again because I did this for God and for His children.   I did it because I loved my church and there were things going on that were very wrong and dangerous.  Implementing dangerous and wrong doctrine and counseling was putting women and children in harm’s way (as more than one pastor said, they must stay even until death).  This was only one part of what was wrong.  The true Gospel was not being preached causing God’s people to stay in bondage to sin keeping them from experiencing the victory that is ours because of Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection.   I believe that the leaders, both pastors and apostles, even CJ himself, exposed their true hearts and yes even their true beliefs  throughout this whole Chesapeake ordeal.  The fact is that the leaders of this church alienated the “3 couples” and brought unbiblical church discipline against us bringing disunity within this congregation and judgement against us, the “3 couples”.  There has been no resolution in this issue.  It is hanging out there as unfinished business. 

By threatening and slandering us, the ”3 couples” and “punching” us at the private meeting and now 1 1/2 years later, “punching” us  again through Brett’s message calling all who have left prodigals, clearly it’s a one-two punch against the “3 couples”.    Some who are presently in SGC are saying that things are really different and that much has changed. If that is true, why would Brett even bring up those who have left and imply that they are prodigals? Even if now, after the fact he is explaining that he was not speaking of those who left but truly prodigals, why would he have said it in this way? At the very least, it showed poor judgement, lack of wisdom and care for the people and the body of Christ. At the very least it was casual and callous of him to bring up those who have left and “you know the reasons they left were wrong.” I continue to wonder….how can SGC move forward in spiritual health as long as this “thing” is out there and over their heads?
 

As one of the Three Couples, you are, indeed, one of our heros in the faith. We know the battles you fought; your grief over the evil counsel given to women; the cost to you as you laid down your lives to expose the leaven of Pharisees.——- No, you nor any who have left sgc are NOT  “prodigals”. 

At some point, the Senior Pastor of sgc, should be bringing stringent correction to BC-for BC obviously carries a grudge towards those who were a part of uncovering his astonishing abusive and manipulative behavior behind the doors of “counseling”. The ‘fruit’ in the heart of BC is clearly showing.  But then again, maybe the sr pastor agrees with all this prodigal branding.

The sin of maligning and slander and inciting the Brethren to believe a lie still exists as a stench at the feet of Gene E.  However, Gene is oblivious.  — And so, the effects of  Gene’s
declarations against the “3 Couples” continues to thrive in sgChesapeake.  It is so very obvious —except, apparently, to those in leadership and those in the pews who have become accustomed to knowing there is a stench—but now, they ignore  it.

Light in Darkness, this is the call you have answered and the banner over you:
God sent you to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed
and to procalim the favorable year of the Lord  (Luke 4:18)

WELL DONE,  FAITHFUL SERVANTS,  WELL DONE

I am sure I speak for many of us that we grieve with you and the other couples.  What a shame that SGM/PDI have gone through (abused and mistreated) so many good people over the years only to place the onus of their sin on those good people. My heart breaks for you all and the body of Christ as we are all affected by inappropriate use of authority. You are in my heart and my prayers – God bless you!!

Irv

Gal 5:1 states – “It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not submit yourself again to a yoke of bondage (slavery).”
So how about leaving SGM because the Bible tells us to! That sounds like a pretty good reason to me.

Um, have ‘em over for a cook out? 

Amen, amen and amen!  You hit the nail flat on the head!  Thank y0u, aple-tini.  You are so right.  Since when did we accept the judgement of men when the leading of God is so much sweeter?

As my husband (Defender) has said so many precious times: ‘it’s all about HIM!’

So true, Fred.  “ [As for] a man who is factious [a heretical sectarian and cause of divisions], after admonishing him a first and second time, reject [him from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with him]…” Titus 3:10, Amplified Bible