Alex Grenier of Calvary Chapel News has written an excellent article on the possible impending lawsuit and has given me permission to republish it here. You better believe I am emotionally drawn into this case as it was 7 months ago that I received the subpoena for my defamation lawsuit brought on by my former pastor and church.
Alex has been blogging far longer than me. I’ve been reading his blog and have noted a few things. In cases of abuse like this, it’s very easy to let anger get the best of you and even consume you. I don’t see that here. I do see a righteous anger. I also see is a man who wants the truth to be exposed and justice to be served. I see a man very concerned that others might endure the same abuse he and others have experienced. This is not ranting. This is not an obsession, this is LOVE. And Alex is willing to go the extra mile regardless of how long the court process takes.
On Alex’s blog site, there is a “Prayer” tab in which Alex had written a prayer. Tell me, is this from a man filled with hate and bitterness? This is not about a hate campaign or a man with a personal vendetta as we will read about below in Alex’s article. You be the judge:
September 29, 2011 at 9:01 am
God I pray your will is done in this situation.
I pray for my Mom and brothers and even for Bob, that he’ll come clean and truly repent.
I pray for the attitudes and hearts of Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel, that one of “Refuse Collector” will be changed to one of compassion for those who have been hurt by Calvary Chapel Pastors and situations. May they model the heart of Jesus who would never see this blog or any of us as part of a “Refuse Collector” but as hurt saints and sinners who need the Reconciliation and Truth your Word promises…instead of the cold Stone Wall of CC.
I pray that justice and accountability for Church Leadership be done, following your instructions from your servant Paul the Apostle.
I pray you have mercy on me a sinner. I am guilty of so much sin myself. Convict me of sin, give me the gift of repentance and give me belief in your Son Jesus Christ our Messiah.
Again, your will be done. Praise and glory to you, my Good Father.
Alex wrestled with his own family demons by himself until he saw the destruction outside of his family and knew he must get involved. That is exactly at the point where I said enough was enough and wrote my first Google review. But Alex went big guns and started a blog first, and it grew very quickly as others around the country shared their stories and experiences at other Calvary Chapel churches and noticed abusive trends among the leaders. The Calvary Chapel News blog is a place where those who have suffered under abusive leadership may document their story.
In Alex’s article below, he mentions the anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law. Let me explain a little about the anti-SLAPP that Alex refers to here. My attorney used the anti-SLAPP law in my case. The anti-SLAPP law was created to help prevent frivolous lawsuits against people who are trying to shut down people like bloggers, etc, whose speech is protected by law. Because there is no discovery/subpoenas, etc, allowed in an anti-SLAPP lawsuit, the process is expedited. My case lasted four months from receipt of subpoena to the judge’s ruling. Once an attorney files an anti-SLAPP motion, all discovery is stayed which means that no one can be interrogated or subpoenaed or deposed for more information. The judge has to take what information is presented in the original complaint and responses and in the hearings to make a ruling. A normal civil court case is lengthy and can last 2-3 years. Depositions, getting subpoenas and confiscating personal files, records is a very time-consuming process. Alex is willing to forego the Anti-SLAPP in favor of a civil court hearing. I agree with his decision and will explain why.
In Alex’s case and in mine, a favorable anti-SLAPP ruling only allows us to continue blogging. The anti-SLAPP protects our right to speak out publicly about our church experiences. It, however, does not address the key issues that Alex is exposing (or I exposed). With my favorable ruling, I am free to continue to publicly expose/discuss my former pastor and church, but my former pastor is still free to pastor the same church, continue the same extra-Biblical nonsense of Marking and Avoiding congregants, teach the practice of shunning life-long friends/family members and even extended family members, etc. What I believe to be blatant spiritual abuse continues at my former church. That has not changed, sadly.
Alex wants to go further than that. He wants justice served. He doesn’t want any more abuse to continue. He is ready and prepared. Alex’s situation with Calvary Chapel Visalia represents one of many stories in the Calvary Chapel “family” of churches. It will be a precedent-setting case and many eyes will be watching. This case has potential to shake up the core of Calvary Chapel and the way they do “business”. I hope it is a wake-up call to others who have spiritual tyrants in positions of authority at churches.
Alex and friends from CC, I stand with you! ~ja
(Alex’s post follows)
For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.
(Proverbs 2:6-15 ESV)
If Bob Grenier and Calvary Chapel backs out of their Defamation Lawsuit threat, it’s an admission of guilt in my opinion (plus some final appeals)
by Alex Grenier
Bob Grenier and Calvary Chapel Visalia have recently stated they will be filing a lawsuit in Tulare County for “defamation” according to their attorney Nick Pritchett of Williams, Jordan, Brodersen and Pritchett, a small Visalia, California law firm.
If Bob Grenier and Calvary Chapel backs out, doesn’t follow through, puts up the Stone Wall once again…it’s an admission of guilt in my opinion.
If they follow through, here’s what I believe is coming and here’s some insight to what I’m preparing…also a couple of last appeals to Bob before this gets past a point of no return.
First one of the appeals to Bob:
Drop the others from the lawsuit. Don’t re-victimize Tina Jenkins, Edna Silva and Not Alone. You’ve hurt them enough already. If it’s a fight you want, I pledge not to anti-SLAPP you if you drop the others…and I’ll give you all the fight you want in civil court. We’ll drag this whole stinking carcass into the public record and let a judge/jury decide who is righteous since the Church has shunned their moral/spiritual responsibility in these matters. We can both depose and cross-examine the aforementioned as witnesses and you take your shot there. Besides, it’s a waste of the good-givers and tithers money at Calvary Chapel Visalia for you to waste their money attacking the others when your lawyer Nick Pritchett knows good and well (or should know) that you’ll get anti-SLAPP’d and that Jesus Money you collect each Sunday will go to pay off the others’ attorneys and expenses. Save some of Jesus’s money and drop the others.
As to the lawsuit if Bob and Calvary Chapel don’t chicken out…from the info I’ve collected from Bob Apologists and CC cast-offs, I believe I have a pretty clear understanding of Camp Bob’s Narrative and Offense/Defense that they’ll present to the court (and to the Calvary Chapel Association to save face and save their Dove):
These are some of the key talking points I’ve learned/observed/heard:
“It’s a Private Family Matter”
“Alex is engaged in a Hate Campaign against his step-father in an effort to take him down”
“This is a Vendetta engineered by a media professional”
“Alex has bad character”
etc etc etc.
Appeals to Motive and Character. That will be the theme of the Camp Bob Narrative.
It’ll probably go something like this:
“Alex is a bitter vindictive step-son who has engineered a Hate Campaign to take down his step-dad. He has rallied a small group of malcontents who had beef with Bob Grenier and reason to lie about him to support Alex’s Hate Campaign. Alex’s brothers are ‘helping a brother out’ and lying for him as well. This whole thing is a malicious conspiracy to take Bob down. The brothers are motivated by their hatred of Bob and the former employees are disgruntled, etc. Who wouldn’t have a few disgruntled people after over 30 years in ministry? We’ll admit Bob may have been a jerk at times, but he did not do the things that these malicious malcontents are saying in Alex’s Hate Campaign. Regarding the supposed child abuse that Bob confessed to the Calvary Chapel Visalia Board, there are mitigating circumstances, Geoff was a danger to the others, he was hopped up on steroids and Bob had to punch him out to protect himself and the family. No other abuse ever happened in the home as many others testify” …or something similar.
Appeals to Motive seem to be a biggie so far.
Then they’ll appeal to Character and assail the character of all involved.
“Alex can’t be trusted. He has past moral failings. He has had some business disputes. He used to say how wonderful Bob was. He accepted a loan from Bob to start his business. He accepted food and shelter from Bob, etc. etc. Alex’s brothers have bad character, moral failings, are ‘scoundrels’ etc. The Aunt who says she witnessed abuse hates Bob and has a grudge. The former employees have bad character, moral failings, are disgruntled etc. and none of them are reliable in their testimony.”
If the Judge allows it to be partially about Character and Motive, I’ll present a different Narrative.
I’ll appeal to Bob’s (and Camp Bob’s) Character and Motive as well.
Bob was a former drug dealer and drug smuggler. He’s an un-convicted, un-caught felon, the only thing that keeps him from being a felon is that he was able to dodge prosecution for those crimes.
Bob claims there was a “miracle” in his life and he’s a changed man. However, Bob didn’t really change, just his bad character changed from one set of bad things to another set of bad things.
I’ll go on to present evidence that Bob went from having a street drug problem to a prescription drug problem. I’ll depose a CC pastor who will testify that he witnessed Bob “stoned on pills” on mission’s trips and that Bob confessed a pill problem with him in the mid 1980′s (during a time we were being abused terribly). I’ll depose witnesses from CCV that saw Bob acting strange, speaking weird, that he seemed to have been on the influence of pills and even stated that he had taken something. I’ll depose family witnesses who will testify that Bob took too many pills to get high.
I’ll then transition into a variety of other character issues and depose witnesses who will present testimony to Bob’s temper, his bullying, his lying, his manipulation, his cult-like counseling, his attempts to get a mother not to report child molestation to authorities etc, etc.
Then we’ll get into the financial issues. That’ll be a real interesting area. Don’t want to disclose too much here, but I can guarantee you, we’ll be on this one for awhile and depositions and discovery will be a hoot and the net will be cast wide and the things we’ll confirm….this part may cross over from civil to criminal, we’ll see.
I’ll conclude with the child abuse and Paul’s molestation allegations. With regards to the child abuse, I’ll depose those directly involved and other witnesses to the abuse. I’ll depose Glen C. and his testimony that Bob confessed punching Geoff out to his Board, but the Board didn’t take action, covered it up, didn’t report (and CCV is a mandatory reporter). Witnesses will testify that much child abuse happened after that Board inaction…not only victims of the abuse but outside witnesses post-confession.
I’ll depose Paul and put his molestation allegations on the record. It’ll be tough and emotional, I don’t look forward to that one.
I’ll present testimony that Bob had me shower naked with him and testimony from witnesses that Bob made it a regular habit of walking around naked in front of us as children/teens while in our home, genitals exposed.
I’ll present Bob’s testimony of his same-sex encounter at boarding school in his book.
There will be a few bombshell witnesses, and I don’t want to disclose too much, but I have a witness who will testify to what so far look like some pretty big inconsistencies in Bob’s version of his own history in his book.
To Motive. Why would Bob lie? Why would my Mom and Bobby Jr. lie for him? Why would the Dowds cover for him?
Money. Power. Influence.
Calvary Chapel Visalia is a money-making machine. It’s also a powerful entity and provides a group of followers, a stage, platform and fame, etc.
In discovery we’ll show how much money CCV makes. We’ll show how much Bob and my Mom benefit financially from CCV. We’ll show how much money the Dowds make from CCV. We’ll show how CCV employs and gives benefits to Bob’s daughter-in-law who is Bobby Jr’s wife (Bobby Jr’s household is paid by CCV).
There is huge motive to lie and cover up abuses. If Bob loses his throne, the golden goose of the CCV money-making machine is cooked and his inner-circle loses money, power, influence as well.
I’ll also counter Camp Bob’s Narrative of my motive and my character and counter Bob’s version of the motive and character of all the others.
Very good counter-narrative, but I want to save some for the trial.
It’s not a “hate campaign” and a grand-conspiracy against Bob and it’s not just a small group who he’s hurt and keeps hurting and Bob is not a janitor, he’s a highly influential and powerful public figure in Positions of Trust. It’s in the public interest to deal with these things.
Bob’s actions and the church’s non-action in dealing with these issues in a just manner are responsible for this being public, not a conspiracy “hate campaign”.
The defamation claims will be easy to address and will pretty much be covered in all of the above.
There’s a lot more to it all, and I’m preparing to address these things well beyond what I’ve presented here…but that gives you a taste.
There are many witnesses who will be deposed who have not been mentioned who have some very interesting testimony.
I won’t leave any stone unturned in depositions or discovery. I know this situation like Hawking knows physics.
So, Bob, if you chicken out of your defamation suit, it sure looks like an admission of guilt to me (and many others).
Bring it and let’s get it on and get this stuff out in the open and dealt with.
ONE FINAL APPEAL: Bob, your other option is to confess, repent, come clean and seek reconciliation and get help for your many issues and ask for mercy. True repentance begins with acknowledging the sin and admitting you have a problem. You still may have to suffer some consequences for your sin, I can’t guarantee you won’t, but I’m pretty sure the consequences will be worse if you keep digging in.
Bob, stop this nonsense. Come forward and confess and repent. I’ll then help you to make amends, and help you ask for mercy, even though you may have to suffer some consequences, but it will go better for my Mom and your wife if you do the right thing now without this going further.
Call me, you know how to reach me.
Spiritual Sounding Board 
I can't access his blog today,am I the only one? I get an "Internet Explorer cannot display the web page" message when I try.
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Firefox also says it can't connect to the server for his site…….. hmmm.
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I just tried – maybe it's fixed now. I'm on a Mac using Safari. Try again. I've been in touch with Alex today and he didn't mention anything.
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I can access OK. I'm using Chrome (and I apologize to all my Microsoft friends).
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i’m connecting w/ Firefox. .
In cases of abuse like this, it’s very easy to let anger get the best of you and even consume you. I don’t see that here. I do see a righteous anger. I also see is a man who wants the truth to be exposed and justice to be served. I see a man very concerned that others might endure the same abuse he and others have experienced. This is not ranting. This is not an obsession, this is LOVE.
Amen! Only those in LOVE wield true spiritual authority!
And may the Most High God empower His Children of Light with perfect love, true grace, righteous wisdom and the necessary skill to wield divine weapons of warfare against every wicked stronghold of spiritual abuse in high places. Bend us in Your Hands, O LORD, as Your weapons of justice and righteousness! Deliver us from evil, so we might be free (emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually—holistically free) to be instruments of deliverance for others. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. Strengthen us for this War.
Alex and friends of CC, monax and crew from Pittsburgh stands with you.
(ja, i want to invest myself in this fight—email me if there’s anything i can personally do; i’m in on this one.)
“The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.” ~ Sun Tzu
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am i like five months late on commenting here. ja, i got an email earlier today linking me here as a new post. and i’m only now seeing this is from Oct 2, 2012.
i do see on his update that Feb 19th is the next big day.
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Sorry David. I have about 65 or so posts that I put in draft mode when I started up with this new blog. I’m trying to keep the pastor who shall not be named and the church who shall not be named quiet because I’m mooooving on. So I did a couple edits and now released this post. There are some CCV happenings and want to make sure all previous CC posts are accessible.
I sure wish I could edit them and release them without them showing up as a new post!!
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Amazing how corrupt the church is “as the church goes so goes the world”, if the world is corrupt it’s because the church is. Been dealing with cases like this for years that us stupid sheeple keep these evil organizations in their lifestyle. Your tithe money, gifts, alms and offerings goes to molest, rape, sodomize and murder church (meaning the expose in the catholic church it’s in ALL CHURCHES). Pastor’s brainwash the people that “we’re not called to judge, pastor’s aren’t to be corrected they’re only accountable to god (which god)” and the many excuses heard over the many years while they want to sweep it under the carpet with NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ANYTHING.
What’s worse, is we stupid sheeple don’t question what they do with the money and follow that trail to the unth degree and or that we don’t write out what they say every Sunday or as in TBN broadcast and they say nothing but dead rhetoric. You get their god, their jesus, their unholy spirit and majority of them are preying on the people rather than praying for. It’s in all demonations (denominations=not misspelled). Report it to rickross.com, truthspeaker.org, InPlainSite.Org, Trinity Foundation in Dallas Tx (Pete Evans and group), H.B. London Jr at Focus on the Family, better yet take it public to world wide news like L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, Rolling Stones,
When the parents don’t sue the church for molestig their children and reporting it to the police and my expeirence they’re corrupt and part of the problem (contact Doug Millar on his many expose of child abuse/molestation corrupt; like in Franklin Cover=up by John Camp). So what you’re saying in America/Nation/World it’s ok to molest, rape, sodomize and murder children (no matter what age) because why? They’re the pastor/priest who you worshipped and supported over God/Jesus/Holy Spirit who isn’t in most of the DOGMA, FALSE TEACHINGS, DUNG HEAP they teach in the church. It’s all man, carnal, flesh=witchcraft in the church and stupid sheeple are brainwashed and cant think for themselves and following the wolf, hireling, false shepherd over the cliff and into hell.
Wish Alex Grenier would go on Dr. Phil and have Rick Ross come aboard on this one (take it public).
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You are absolutely right, Bobbie. Feel free to contact any media on our behalf. We initiated a media blitz last week which yielded two interviews and one more scheduled soon. If we want the media’s attention, more people need to speak out. I am the media contact person, so please refer to my e-mail address: SpiritualSB@ gmail dot com in your correspondence.
I know Alex would be happy to be interviewed by Dr. Phil or anyone in the media. He’s already done a number of interviews in the past. He is an excellent communicator and clearly articulates the problem.
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Julie Anne: Next mailing, you got it. I’ll copy you in when do it. I’ll cover this and Bethany Denton.
Correction: in above paragraph, tithe money goes to molest, rape, sodomize and murder children (no matter what age we are all God’s children).
Julie Anne: What makes me angry is I took this case public over 17 months ago to church leadership over 50 heads and the news back then along with Mike Bickle’s church (IHOPrayer). What was done? A major blogger asked me to come aboard and whistleblow Mike Bickle, in that I came across Alex Grenier and the Arcata, CA case (had read over 40 hours each of abuses by many different people and the cover-up for Bickle’s church and CC abuse info). I will NEVER change my mind that I consider Churck Smith Sr. warlock and the media/church leadership know this, been saying it hardcore since 2004. Heard over 30 years of evil regarding CC and have book offers of hideous/evil done to people especially single parents, advice given to men and women.
Have a problem with someone comes to the church and the end of their rope/hope and ask for help and they give advice to where they leave themselves that’s satanism at it’s finest. Many people know this, that church leadership along with the evil secular powers at be are praying for me to die and cursing myself with cancer because take it all public. Look at Battle Hymn by John Secura and Dane Phillips; they have a chapter of evil pastors. Along with Breaking Christian Curses by Dennis Cramer and Unholy Anointing by H.A. Lewis and He Came To Set the Captives Free by Dr. Rebecca Brown (very controversial book, know it to be true, seen it and worked with warlocks in the workplace.
Look at the 10 Lies That the Church Tells Women by J. Lee Grady and Chapter 10 that pastor should be in prison for giving murderous advice=”If your husband beats you to death, you win either way”. HOW EVIL! We stupid sheep still stay, tithe and support all these evil organizations that call themselves christians and or the church.
When read that book, told church leadership then that pastor’s are like warlocks (nothing christian about them). Used to network single parents and their children and or anyone who needed help. Get the hell out of a church if the false pastor preaches “divorced people are 2nd class citizens” while his son was divorced and he lied and covered it up for 5 years until son remarried. Or, if you go to the church for help, they told a single parent she had to be tithing and teaching sunday school in order for them to help (not scriptural, think of the five loaves and 2 fishes); then when that single parent went for help after all that they told her she had to be in the choir=RULES WITH NO LOVE! Legalistic rules with no love, you could never perform or do it right in this evil church. God did Jeremiah 23: and Ezekiel 34 to that church=he scattered the sheep.
Another clue to get out of a church, if there’s a lot of death and miscarriages. I’m sorry to say this, many families that had a young adult child die in this movement=scarry. One church they were lamenting over 18 miscarriages=wow. Don’t think that leadership sin doesn’t affect the entire congregation or even our sin. Think of King David, 3 sons died, daughter raped, name disgraced, lost his kingdom for a while and couldn’t build the temple.
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P.S. Churches/Pastors hire P.R. groups to remove the bad press. Many a time had to call Trinity Foundation in Dallas,TX to tell them couldn’t read their blog/site that someone is always trying to defunct their site. Read John Bloom’s article on expsosing Benny Hinn=excellent! Not to mention, there’s a lot of articles good thing printed and copied and saved because the evil corrupt leadership had them removed. They don’t want the truth known. They don’t want their money going away and or attendance. Get the DVD by David Wegner in Costa Mesa (hidden camera people who have/are on TBN doing drugs in the boardroom)! Gave the Order Sheet to over 50 church leadership to order. Trinity Foundation as their items also.
Look at Ted Haggard (I can’t throw stones). Hideous that whole situation was and he wouldn’t finish out his correction, he couldn’t work in the secular world and make $10,000 a month with year end bonus(s) (what is your pastor getting paid per year and bonus(s) and all expenses paid=perks)? So, he has these stupid sheep still following, attending and supporting and they didn’t research a matter=WHY? He even had a shooting in his church (how many died?), but yet I knew a single parent needed help before the scandal and he wouldn’t help her=Donna (total life & death situtation); knew someone who corrected him and got thrown out of the church (Kate). Worse, he told friend he couldn’t be friends with him because going through a divorce (Tim)=boy did that come back to bite him in the butt no pun intended). Took it public at the time, know the names of all the people and how to get a hold of them.
TRUE EXAMPLE: I’m on vacation, first in 10 years. My friends took me to Hawaii and they wanted to take me to this store, we went. Standing in line, someone woman turns around and starts talking to me about corruption with Billy Graham and my friends are howling laughing because they know I’m going to a pay-phone and call David Wilkerson, Dr. Dobson and then put on a postcard and mail it out to media/church leadership immediately. PRAY FOR DIVINE APPOINTMENTS LIKE THAT, that the people you need to hear things from will contact you and meet you and expose it. ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ALREADY!
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ABOVE CORRECTION; False church leadership gives advice to people where they leave and KILL THEMSELVES THAT IS SATANISM AT IT’S FINEST. NO CHURCH SHOULD EXHIST THAT when someone goes to them for help, saved or non-saved they ask a church for help and are told: You don’t attend our church, so we can’t help you and or you need to be tithing and or teaching sunday school or in the choir. PLEASE PEOPLE DEFUNCT THOSE EVIL ORGANIZATIONS, they should not exist. The church should be helping people, charity, social humanity and education. Rick Warren/So. California pulled that sentence with Donna Taylor (took it to media at the time) as a stupid pastor in Santa Maria, CA “church of life”, that church shouldn’t exist and anyone who gives that stupid advice, hideous, evil advice should have their 501c3 taken away. Someone do a survey in every town/city and see how many churches give that wrong advice. THOSE ARE PASTOR’S THAT DO NOT KNOW THEIR BIBLE. Not scriptural to say, you don’t attend or go to our church so we can’t help you!.
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