Letter From Patty to Family and Friends (October 28, 2013)
Dear Calvary Temple,
I am writing this letter to my friends and family of Calvary Temple for the purpose of bringing into the light the "other side of the matter". Proverbs 18:15 “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” When I first began to attend Calvary Temple, I was a new believer and had not attended any other church. I moved from Connecticut to attend CT and remained almost 25 years. It has now been five years since we left CT, however, our son Joey remains. We were not allowed to attend Joey and Candace’s wedding nor have we met our first grandchild Cali. This has broken our hearts and I believe it has broken the heart of God.
In the months leading up to the time I left CT, God began to challenge me concerning my growth in the Lord. I knew I was doing the right things such as going to services, prayer, and being involved in ministry, but I felt further from God than when I had first entered Calvary Temple. I began to go before the Lord with my desire to hear from Him and Him alone. I prayed specifically that I would only hear the Voice of the Lord and not the voice of Pastor Scott or any other man. One night, until four in the morning, I was in agony for myself and my family. After these many hours of prayer, I heard from God clearly. He spoke three things to me that I then shared in a meeting with Pastor Scott.
They are as follows:
1. There is no respect at Calvary Temple for one another's personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. They have replaced the Holy Spirit with a man.
3. Calvary Temple is a man-centered church, not Christ-centered.
Several events also troubled me. One morning I was having breakfast with Michelle Freeman. Bea Robinette observed us and reported this to Danny Johnson. At our next home group meeting, Danny rebuked me for speaking with Michelle Freeman. My response to Danny was that as a 47 year old woman, I could decide for myself if I should or should not have breakfast with someone. I let Danny know that I was not afraid of being misled or influenced by Michelle. I had confidence that God could speak to me.
After this, I started to study the scriptures concerning some of the things I was hearing from Pastor Scott. Also, our deacon was telling us things we needed to do in the disciplining of our children and the running of our household that we knew were Ron’s [my husband] authority. I began to contact other ministries such as Charles Stanley, David Wilkerson, and Focus on the Family. I talked with (ten of them) and several told me to take my family out of Calvary Temple immediately. One of them referred me to a website about abusive and cultish churches. (such as http://www.wickedshepherds.com/aberrationsinanabusivechurch.html)
Another situation was the "diploma night". (The night Pastor Scott told the deacons to decide which of the young people in their groups should be labeled wolves and leaven). I felt spiritually and physically ill because I did not think this event was of God. Scripturally, we only see Jesus as the One who can separate the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) I also knew that if Pastor Scott was truly hearing from God, he did not need Greer and Kimberly whispering in his ear. If this was of God, and He was prompting some of the young people to repent, (and some of them needed to repent) then why did Pastor Scott call them to come get their diplomas back again? I really believed the entire evening was a misuse of Pastor Scott's pastoral authority. In a meeting with Pastor Scott in which we discussed the diploma night and other issues, Pastor Scott called Ron and I "pains in the neck" 5 separate times. I did not understand why he would call us that when we were genuinely trying to get our questions answered. But at that point, I knew that I could no longer remain in a ministry that would respond to me in this way. We shook hands and as I left, I knew I would not come back.
Upon our leaving, Peter and Philip [two of our sons], left with us. We began to attend Cornerstone Chapel (and we have been attending and serving there ever since). Steve [our son] stayed at Calvary. Pastor Jeff called the high school to a meeting and instructed them to no longer talk with the Simoneau boys as they were not Christians. Joey was told that if Ron and I would sign over custody of Peter and Philip to him, then they could attend school at CT. Ron and I refused, saying that God had given our children to us and we were responsible for nurturing and admonishing them in the Lord. Shortly thereafter, Danny Johnson told Stephen that his father no longer had spiritual oversight over him. Steve disagreed and left.
I believe the destruction of marriages and families has been based on a few scriptures that have been taken out of context. I have written this to ask my brothers and sisters in Christ to study the scriptures to see if what they are being taught is what Jesus actually taught and walked out.
1 John 2:6 “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
Though we have experienced trials in these past 5 years, we have also known God's unending mercy, patience, healing and forgiveness. We have especially seen God's grace at work in our boys as they continue to draw closer to Him. We are persevering in prayer to trust that our Heavenly Father will complete the good work that He has begun in each one of us.
I am writing this letter to my friends and family of Calvary Temple for the purpose of bringing into the light the "other side of the matter". Proverbs 18:15 “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” When I first began to attend Calvary Temple, I was a new believer and had not attended any other church. I moved from Connecticut to attend CT and remained almost 25 years. It has now been five years since we left CT, however, our son Joey remains. We were not allowed to attend Joey and Candace’s wedding nor have we met our first grandchild Cali. This has broken our hearts and I believe it has broken the heart of God.
In the months leading up to the time I left CT, God began to challenge me concerning my growth in the Lord. I knew I was doing the right things such as going to services, prayer, and being involved in ministry, but I felt further from God than when I had first entered Calvary Temple. I began to go before the Lord with my desire to hear from Him and Him alone. I prayed specifically that I would only hear the Voice of the Lord and not the voice of Pastor Scott or any other man. One night, until four in the morning, I was in agony for myself and my family. After these many hours of prayer, I heard from God clearly. He spoke three things to me that I then shared in a meeting with Pastor Scott.
They are as follows:
1. There is no respect at Calvary Temple for one another's personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. They have replaced the Holy Spirit with a man.
3. Calvary Temple is a man-centered church, not Christ-centered.
Several events also troubled me. One morning I was having breakfast with Michelle Freeman. Bea Robinette observed us and reported this to Danny Johnson. At our next home group meeting, Danny rebuked me for speaking with Michelle Freeman. My response to Danny was that as a 47 year old woman, I could decide for myself if I should or should not have breakfast with someone. I let Danny know that I was not afraid of being misled or influenced by Michelle. I had confidence that God could speak to me.
After this, I started to study the scriptures concerning some of the things I was hearing from Pastor Scott. Also, our deacon was telling us things we needed to do in the disciplining of our children and the running of our household that we knew were Ron’s [my husband] authority. I began to contact other ministries such as Charles Stanley, David Wilkerson, and Focus on the Family. I talked with (ten of them) and several told me to take my family out of Calvary Temple immediately. One of them referred me to a website about abusive and cultish churches. (such as http://www.wickedshepherds.com/aberrationsinanabusivechurch.html)
Another situation was the "diploma night". (The night Pastor Scott told the deacons to decide which of the young people in their groups should be labeled wolves and leaven). I felt spiritually and physically ill because I did not think this event was of God. Scripturally, we only see Jesus as the One who can separate the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) I also knew that if Pastor Scott was truly hearing from God, he did not need Greer and Kimberly whispering in his ear. If this was of God, and He was prompting some of the young people to repent, (and some of them needed to repent) then why did Pastor Scott call them to come get their diplomas back again? I really believed the entire evening was a misuse of Pastor Scott's pastoral authority. In a meeting with Pastor Scott in which we discussed the diploma night and other issues, Pastor Scott called Ron and I "pains in the neck" 5 separate times. I did not understand why he would call us that when we were genuinely trying to get our questions answered. But at that point, I knew that I could no longer remain in a ministry that would respond to me in this way. We shook hands and as I left, I knew I would not come back.
Upon our leaving, Peter and Philip [two of our sons], left with us. We began to attend Cornerstone Chapel (and we have been attending and serving there ever since). Steve [our son] stayed at Calvary. Pastor Jeff called the high school to a meeting and instructed them to no longer talk with the Simoneau boys as they were not Christians. Joey was told that if Ron and I would sign over custody of Peter and Philip to him, then they could attend school at CT. Ron and I refused, saying that God had given our children to us and we were responsible for nurturing and admonishing them in the Lord. Shortly thereafter, Danny Johnson told Stephen that his father no longer had spiritual oversight over him. Steve disagreed and left.
I believe the destruction of marriages and families has been based on a few scriptures that have been taken out of context. I have written this to ask my brothers and sisters in Christ to study the scriptures to see if what they are being taught is what Jesus actually taught and walked out.
1 John 2:6 “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
Though we have experienced trials in these past 5 years, we have also known God's unending mercy, patience, healing and forgiveness. We have especially seen God's grace at work in our boys as they continue to draw closer to Him. We are persevering in prayer to trust that our Heavenly Father will complete the good work that He has begun in each one of us.
