My Response to the Church Meeting

(by Bill Stevenson)

I went to a Methodist church meeting. It was done completely in German and I only
understand a little German. So I had to be very sensitive to the tones and facial expressions
of the speakers and sometimes the listeners. My wife wrote some notes indicating what was
being said. I also tried to understand some of the PowerPoint slides. The first part of the
meeting was not exciting because it was only about some of the plans for the next 5 months,
and there was no discipleship or Bible studies indicated. So I felt like praying for such much
more: the second part of the Great Commission is needed in each Christian church as
Ephesians 4:12-16 indicates.
After singing a song, a report about a former member of the church was given. The just
mentioned was an ex-prisoner who won the trust of a number of individuals in church as well
as 28 companies. He tried to set up different money arrangements for a new youth pastor and
business investment deals. They were all scams so that he could get a lot of money and then
run. He lied about his background and he was able to get a set of keys to the church. In
December, the leadership of the church helped the law enforcement officials to arrest him at
his parents’ home. After the history of this man was given, a list of seven procedures for how
to relate to any ex-prisoner was shared. The church was the least hurt by that man; the
businesses were more hurt. The man making the report ended up shedding tears when he
summarized the betrayal of trust.
Then the responses indicated to me a lot of normal anger, resentment, bitterness, and
polite strife. A man who has been in a ministry for prisoners for a number of years reported
that this is the only bad case that they have experienced and that he has been betrayed a lot by
Christians. Another man (member of the church for 3 years who is very active in several of
the church ministries) said that he has been a prisoner and would have to leave the church if
they made official the list of procedures of restriction to ex-prisoners. (After the meeting,
many came to him to plea for him not to leave and hugged him.) Other comments of
concerns were made by about ten others. One was the exhortation that we needed to further
react to the situation in a Christ-like way not a worldly way. I wrote Dolo a note for her to
share: bitterness and resentment are poisonous. She almost didn’t get to share it, but the
pastor complimented her for it. After the meeting, I felt that I had to share with other
individuals that there needs to be forgiveness, elimination of resentment and bitterness, and a
turn to striving for the mind of Christ (learning how He thinks and doing like-wise more and
more). I told the pastor that would be what I will be praying for along with praying for the
church leadership as they determine what to do next. I hope that the seven procedures would
be modified and that there will be opportunities for discipleship and Bible study ministries. I
also hope that there will be proper counseling for the victims. Bitterness poisons mind and
God commanded us to forgive. I am so glad to be in a church that allows such a discussion.
I have been in churches in which gossip, hatred, or cover-up were allowed to rule. Also, the
pastor and the man involved with the prison ministry visited the betrayer in jail and said that
he was “broken”. It was mentioned that the church leadership realized that they trusted the
man too quickly and too much. I think that the affected church members also learned a
lesson about trust, but I hope that none of them will reject a truly repentant ex-prisoner in the
future. When there is money (or in other cases children) involved in any proposal to a
church, proper thorough background checking should be done.
If you were a leader in such a church, what would your advice be to the members of the
church and what would you do to protect the church from such scams by individuals? How
do you think discernment can be taught? How would you relate to an ex-prisoner or someone
who was making good business opportunity offers? (Apparently, most did not know this man
was an ex-prisoner.) What would Jesus Christ have done in a similar situation? I do have a
Bible study tool about deceit and one about trust. My courses emphasize what is Christ-like

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thinking and what is God-pleasing. We all need to learn such so that we will relate to
situational challenges in the best ways.

My Neighbor’s Bible
(by Joseph Wilson Barron)
I am my neighbor’s Bible
he reads me when we meet;
Today he reads me in my home—
tomorrow on the street.
He may be relative or friend
or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
yet he is reading me.
And pray, who is this neighbor
who reads me day by day.
To learn if I am living right
and walking as I pray?
O, he is, with me always
to criticize or blame;
So worldly-wise in his own eyes,
and “sinner” is his name.
Dear Christian friends and brothers
if we could only know
How faithfully the world records
just what we say and do,
O, we would write our record plain
and come in time to see
Our worldly neighbor won to Christ
while reading you and me.