Note to People in Elverson and Morgantown, Pennsylvania Regarding Community Evangelical Free Church

/ wonderingeagle

A quick thank you to those who have sent me kind notes from the Elverson and Morgantown area. Also a reminder that this blog belongs to the people in Elverson and is a platform for them to push back and challenge CEFC and Steve Estes’ leadership. If anyone wants to write anything at all and speak their mind in an open letter this blog will publish letters from residents of Elverson, or Morgantown and give former CEFC members a platform.

“Leave safety behind. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind – even if your voice shakes. When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say. Well-aimed slingshots can topple giants.”

Maggie Kuhn

“Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.”

Mahatma Gandhi

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:32 NLT

Freedom_of_Speech

I have received a few emails from several of you the area of Elverson, Morgantown and nearby areas. I want to say thank you for the kind words and I also want to let you know something. Elverson is in chaos because of what Brock allegedly did, and how Steve Estes and the church leadership allegedly covered it. As the last email expressed to me I know people are frustrated and angry over the situation. This story in Elverson is not going away. I am committed to writing about it until one of the following three things happen:

  1. Hurit, and her family receive an apology from Steve Estes, CEFC leadership as well as the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). The message needs to be communicated to the EFCA that people matter more than buildings.
  2. This church under the leadership implodes and closes.
  3. The EFCA acts and finally removes CEFC from the denomination.

My personal hope is number one. If Steve Estes and the leadership go that I know many people want to see that happen.

But getting back to what I want to communicate in one of the last emails I received I know many people in Elverson feel frustrated, and angry over this situation as they do not have a voice. I want you to know that you do have a voice, and if anyone from the area wants to write an open letter that can be in their real name or pseudonym that can be fine also. Anyone who wants to publish anything is free to do so here. Those of you in Elverson, and former members of CEFC have a platform that is free to use. So if for example you want to do any of the following you are free to:

  1. Write an open letter to support Hurit it will be published.
  2. Write an open letter to Steve Estes or the Stoltzfus about your anger over an alleged rape victim being disciplined and speaking your mind. I will do that also.
  3. Write an open letter to the leadership of the EFCA in Minneapolis and ask, why is this so difficult? Why isn’t the EFCA moving to solve this?  Its not complicated after all. You can do that also.
  4. Write an open letter on how hard it was to leave CEFC after being there for a while, and use this blog to vent and get something off your chest.

All of you have that opportunity here and I will gladly publish anything former members of CEFC, or residents of the community would like to.

But here is another reason why I hope residents in the area and former members will speak up. The EFCA in Minneapolis reads this blog and follows it. Those of you in Elverson have a platform today that two years ago you did not have. So your words will be read by the national EFCA leadership and you can communicate your thoughts, feelings and make a difference. The more people in Elverson who speak up and challenge the status quo the better. Wherever you are reading this…your computer at home, you Android, Smartphone, etc…you have the most powerful tool in your hands that can effect change. Social media is the new tipping point and the internet is the modern day printing press I would suggest. So if any of you want to write a letter of support to Hurit, or calling Steve out and challenge him, you are free to do so. This blog exists for you. I am not going to stop writing about this problem until it is resolved. Its too crucial, to let it go. Plus its not going away, if anything its growing. If anyone wants to write anything just email me at wonderingeagle261@gmail.com  Thanks for your kind words and love. It means a lot to me guys, please know I love you!

BTW – Al Kimball, how are you Al? I left a voicemail for you recently and you never called me back. I still would like to know how you can sleep at night especially with what you were a part of. Its my understanding when this alleged cover up was being planned you were so angry over what Brock allegedly did with a gun. You were livid! Enraged! Upset! So what happened Al? I still would like to know how you can sleep at night. Or do you lay in bed and stare at the ceiling and think of how you helped perpetuated a horrific injustice. All for a paycheck?  I’ll be up there again sometime and I will visit you in your office. 🙂 Later Al, take care I’m looking forward to talking with you Al!

10 thoughts on “Note to People in Elverson and Morgantown, Pennsylvania Regarding Community Evangelical Free Church”

  1. A simple heartfelt sincere apology would be so easy, and end all of this, wouldn’t it? One would think that a so-called “pastor” would understand that. It ended it at Matt Chandler’s “village church” down in Texas after the way they initially abused Karen Hinkley in a very similar manner. An about-face by the pastor & elders down there — even if it was in response to the negative publicity — ended the ordeal in a manner that I believe Jesus would approve of. Ms. Hinkley was gracious in response, and all apparently learned from it.

    I can also attest personally to the power of a simple sincere apology, as someone prominent in EFCA’s Eastern District leadership was gracious to offer one to me recently. I believe we both learned from the experience, and I hope to eventually truly reconcile at an appropriate time & place. My understanding is that the EFCA Eastern District leadership is attempting to do the right thing behind the scenes in this situation. I sincerely hope they get it right, and have been praying for them.

    Their annual conference, led by Dr. Eddie Cole, is happening today & tomorrow:
    http://efcaeasterndistrict.org/event/840189-2016-10-11-eastern-district-annual-conference/

    I wonder if this situation will be directly addressed there; I sincerely hope it is, and that all can learn from the situation.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Also, I have had first-hand experiences with “elders” like Al Kimball — people who know right from wrong, good people who want to do the right thing — but for whatever reason, are afraid to speak up, or feel the need to back the powerful in a situation for whatever reason (maintain status quo, position, keep-the-peace, maintain the power structure, not rile the waters), or perhaps just as likely are suffering from cognitive dissonance when faced with evidence that a leader or a leader’s family that they love & respect, someone who has done wonderful things, and has perhaps helped him personally through rough times, has done something very wrong. It can be extremely difficult to reconcile the idea that a good friend could have done something very wrong.

    I’m sure Mr. Kimball is conflicted. Perhaps he feels powerless. Perhaps he believes that showing loyalty to his pastoral leader(s) is his “duty” as an “elder”. Perhaps he doesn’t want to be the one who says that the emperor has no clothes. And of course, I’m postulating from an ignorant distance. But I’ve seen & experienced the scene described here before.

    I sincerely hope & pray that he realizes that people are more important than institutions, and eventually his conscience moves him to do the right thing & speak to power, and persuade them to simply repent & apologize. It really can be that simple.

    Sometimes, people like Hurit are hurt far more by people like Mr. Kimball — someone she may have trusted to speak up on behalf of what is right, someone she may have trusted to act as a mediator, rather than a sycophant to a pastor — than by the original perpetrators.

    Praying for Mr. Kimball, CEFC’s leadership & congregation, and the EFCA’s leadership.

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  3. I may not live in Elverson, or attend the church, but I have many friends who do and I have lived in this area for a very LONG time. Your blog is appreciated by many angry people who are not necessarily “angry people”, actually some very kind-hearted people, but people angry with the Estes’s and Stoltzfus’s. Angry at their controlling involvement in the church and community where they have made them self leaders when in fact, the majority of the people would rather them not be there. I know for a fact that you will not get a lot of open responses on this website and I am going to speak for most here. I have three obvious things to point out.

    1. Many people have friends in the church and do not want to cause dissension or “riffs” in those relationships more so than already are,
    and with all of this exposure, if the leadership has still kept themselves in place, would it make a difference worth jeopardizing those friendships?

    2. An apology to Hurit would be wonderful for the healing that could occur in Hurit’s life and her family, however, the truth is that Hurit probably already can take a step back and see the whole situation for what it is anyway. In reality though, and apology would be a bandaid on a wound, and never getting to the cancer beneath. Believe me when I say that most people who have written you e-mails know the “cancer” underneath and it can be labeled differently. False humility, arrogance, nepotism….the list could go on, but it is cancer and most people know what you are referring to if you just say the “cancer of the Estes and Stoltzfus’s” An apology to Hurit may solve the immediate church leadership problems and the pressures they are facing, but the cancer will still be there. This is known by ALL.

    3. You said the “nice” word a couple of times. Let’s be real- what politician do you know that isn’t “nice”? Just keeping it real.

    Thanks for all you are doing. To have someone on the outside publically calling them out has brought some healing to many in the same way healing can come with mere justice being served. I may not be referred to as elderly yet, but my gray hairs will show that I have many years behind me and wisdom has not eluded me. What you are doing is a good thing- I just don’t want you to be discouraged if people do not comment on this website. They are commenting quietly in their hearts.

    -An at least somewhat wise old man.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Everyone would like peace! I would imagine the Estes and the Stoltzfus Family are hurting. It is always sad to me when people are hurting and are in pain. When looking into the eyes of the wonderful people from the congregation that somehow through friendships or just trying to help got stuck in the center of this mess….. my heart breaks for them. They are shunned! Completely shunned so that their children can’t have play dates with their friends from their old church. Going to the local store means that there will be a good possibility someone will turn there back on them just because they tried to help a young couple that was having marital problems.
    Sad that the Bible can be taken and used in the way it has been used. It appears that the great minds of these leaders want to interpret the Bible and have all the answers. However…. I believe that being to philosophical has a dangerous side. The danger comes when common sense is lost. God gave us our minds and gave us discernment. This story has hurt me to the core and has made me look at organized religion in an entirely different way. By definition it appears this is a cult and children of God need to use the logical mind God gave them and make a stand. I love Jesus and always will. Holding on to Him always!
    Divorce is ugly and messy…never have I seen it done well. It would have been so liberating to have leaders/elders/pastor stand up in church on a Sunday and ask for prayers for this couple who was struggling!!! NO SECRET MEETINGS, NO TRIALS, NO PRAYING SOMEONE’S SOUL TO THE DEVIL, NO SHUNNING AND NO DECLARING SOMEONE AN UNBELIEVER!!! Let there be peace!!!

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  5. Life goes on in Elverson despite the mess surrounding the “church. In the town, things are changing for the better. Good people on town council that are overriding many of Stoltzfuses decisions that would hurt town. That is some progress to stop Stoltzfuses control of the town.

    When I’m out and about I don’t hear much talk either about church. I think people are just tired of it all and think there is nothing more that can be done, especially when they see Estes around town laughing and talking with many people which proves he doesn’t care what people think. He has his little dynasty and knows it will go on. Ahhh life goes on…

    Liked by 1 person

  6. How sad it must make Jesus when a church suddenly becomes influenced by a man and his theology over God himself !!! It seems the problems began when this happened years ago in the Evangelical Free Church when the focus became John Calvin. Its that simple !!

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  7. 100% Agree with Comment from Concerned!!! It is always a concern when children of God get trapped in the theology/philosophy of one flawed human being. We should be following Jesus!! When Leaders/Pastors take spiritual giants from the past or present like Calvin, Armenien, Wesley and stand only on what they teach we need to be reminded that these teachings are simply the giants interpretation of the Bible. It really doesn’t have to be this difficult!! FAITH LIKE A CHILD…..so simple and so easy!

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  8. “especially when they see Estes around town laughing and talking with many people which proves he doesn’t care what people think”
    When you are covering up crimes for your son, you must put on a false show. Just like the bag of rocks that the elders brought to the excommunication “show”.

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