Timeline

In a sincere, humble effort to make the truth known, I will begin constructing what I believe to be a critical timeline of past events. It is truly heartbreaking to know that lies continue to be spread (confirmed during a phone call this past Wed. night).

• Summer 2011--Pastor tells deacons during a meeting that he no longer has the desire to be the pastor
• August 2011--within a few weeks of the above declaration, pastor tells someone during Wednesday night dinner, "You can have this congregation."
• August 2011--pastor meets with husband about concerns and husband defends his position to pastor's satisfaction; so much so that the document Personnel had given pastor to have husband sign, pastor said it was not necessary
• December 2011--Two personnel committee members meet husband for lunch to discuss annual performance reviews; committee members thank husband for fabulous job he is doing, so much so that they tell husband he is actually the only one who seems to have taken the evaluation process seriously (based on their views of the others' documents). How can they tell this? Well, husband evaluated himself and others so closely and accurately, that his evaluation marks match how the others evaluated themselves, almost exactly. Committee members also let husband know that they have heard that he and other staff members are looking for other positions (and in case you are wondering, they are no longer at the church...they did finally secure other ministry positions) and want to know what they can do to make sure husband doesn't leave because they are so happy with the things he is doing.

And I bet you are thinking after reading that last point, are you serious? You must be smoking something. Nope, not at all. That actually happened. So, how did we get to where we are today? I wish I could tell you. But I really don't know. I think back about that lunch meeting and wonder if it was all a ploy to extract information from husband because he did offer up critical details about situations in the office and relationship issues. Possibly so. I am beginning to think, in light of later events, that the praise was false and husband's honest comments, in an effort to get help from Personnel (because we all know that is what they are there for), were actually used against him when it became convenient for them to have a scapegoat.

Let's say that isn't true and I am just desperate to twist the scenario into something that makes sense, since I am still scratching my head over all the inconsistent statements that have been made. I have some ideas as to how and why all this went down, but I will not, under any circumstances, make that public knowledge. Piecing together the events that transpired over a 10 month period that radically changed our lives, leaves me still to this day, puzzled, dumbfounded and quite frankly, numb. Nothing at all makes sense. The things being said are so twisted and wrong it is sickening. Crafty and well-thought defenses have been constructed to conceal the real truth from church members and anyone interested in what is happening over there. That is why when I was told on the phone Wednesday night, "No one is talking about it." Well, I wonder why? The people behind this plot would certainly not talk about it because sinister motives would be revealed and who wants that attached to their name. So, instead, we will continue to fabricate information, tell half-truths, in an effort to mask the real problem.

However, if one asks the right questions, removes the blinders, peers behind the curtains, and looks straight into the Light, the real issues become abundantly clear. They are all spiritual in nature. The layers are deep, very deep and the time it will take to peel them all back may be costly, in many respects, for you and all those involved.

So, if you are reading this and you are a member of Personnel, (because I know some of you read my blog because I can track traffic sources--I am actually smarter and more aware than a lot of you think....i.e. I was at the church for the Jan. meeting and heard every word that was said, or well, not said, for that matter), please let me know if the above characterizations are inaccurate and if so, in what way. I truly would love to hear from some of you, if you have the guts to defend what you did because apparently it was so right and justifiable; even though all of you seem to be so silent on something that has truly transformed the congregation on many levels. I find that incredibly strange because if I have taken a stand in a certain situation and my position is challenged, yet I feel that the decision was moral and biblical, I do not hesitate to offer a rebuttal toward someone that opposes me.