Grace Grieving 35: We've been scheduled for public humiliation

     Speaking of Kurt Victor. . .
    On Monday many people in our church received a letter assuring them that the leadership wants to be more open and transparent, that they will accept offers to visit, spend time with and go to coffee with anyone who wants to talk with them. 

     I can't quote directly from the letter because we did not receive one.

     Instead, on Tuesday, we received a certified letter from "Kurt Victor, Vice Chairman, Executive Board of Elders, Grace Brethren Church of Long Beach." It informed us that "on or after April 29, 2012," an announcement will be made at a church-wide service that we are sinners. 
    As with John ("Bear") Anderson's Public Humiliation, the leaders have made the date of our denunciation intentionally vague to keep us off-balance until the last minute, in case others planned to be present to support us.

    If we don't repent they will proceed to dismember us. (Our word, not theirs; but in other words, to cut us off from the church we've served for almost 40 years.) 

     On the bright side, if we do repent, there will be "a public announcement and celebration." What a deal. We compromise our principles, deny our knowledge of the truth, and stop defending people they have damaged--and they'll throw us a party and serve punch and cookies.

PART OF THIS POST HAS BEEN MOVED TO MARCH 17, when the letter to us was written, to keep the chronology together.