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Last week has been a whirlwind of activity. After spending five days in Vegas with my daughter for a volleyball tournament, we returned home Tuesday as a team was working very hard behind the scenes for the Media #WhoWouldJesusSue Blitz scheduled for last Thursday.
Here’s the background story on how this Media Blitz was started. I try to keep tabs on media stories of church abuse issues. There have been quite a few Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) reports regarding their lawsuit, but what struck me about Alex and Tim’s lawsuit was that it hasn’t seen much media coverage at all. I was disappointed at the last report I read written from a local news source near Visalia. Think of what happened during the Penn State sex abuse cases. It was like the media put a giant magnifying glass on top of that campus and there was massive exposure and media attention. The media put pressure on that very bad system and forced Penn State to come clean. That is what we want to happen in this Calvary Chapel lawsuit. The story needs exposure so that the church is forced to look at their problems.
My case went viral about a week before the first hearing. I told Alex that timing was crucial and we needed to get the word out, so we brainstormed. Another reader was fired up after reading Paul Grenier’s court document and contacted me wanting to get involved. Through social networking, I had another connection with someone who is phenomenal in social media. I sent him the story and asked if he’d like to get involved and he said he was in. Including me, a total of six people were firing e-mails back and forth non-stop last week or so. Each person stepped up to the plate in whatever capacity they felt led, took the ball, and RAN. It was an amazing effort and we have seen very positive results.
The group asked me to be contact person and so I was interviewed twice yesterday and Alex was interviewed once. A handful of bloggers reblogged the Call to Action article. That was wonderful. Since then, we’ve seen quite a few new blog articles take off with the story. Blogger Cindy Kunsman of Under Much Grace shared a deeply personal Calvary Chapel story which motivated her to get involved. Paul Dohse wrote a great article about the corrupt church system and how social media can play a part in exposure. Thank you, Cindy and Paul for helping to shine the light on church systems that have become fertile ground for abuse. Please take a look at some of these links.
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This is a partial list of posts on the lawsuit and the #WWJS campaign, compiled as part of the Grenier Defamation Lawsuit Archive:
- Outrage Growing Over Calvary Chapel’s Bob Grenier Suit Against Allegedly Abused Son, repost from The Wartburg Watch by FACSA (February 14, 2014).
- Quivers Filled with Fundamentalist Abuse, with Vyckie Garrison and Renée Davis-Pelt (February 22), with update notice on their added guest, Julie Anne Smith for #WWJS (February 19, 2013).
- #whowouldJesussue Bob Grenier lawsuit Calvary Pastor sues stepson who outed child abuse [VIDEO]. Published on Feb 19, 2013. Calvary Chapel Pastor and Police Chaplain Bob Grenier and mother sue step-son for defamation for speaking out about child abuse on his blog CalvaryChapelAbuse.com. Paul Grenier, the pastor’s gay son, alleges Bob sexually abused him according to his Declaration in the pending lawsuit. The pastor has gained a lot of support from his friends in the Visalia law enforcement community and among the leadership of Calvary Chapel. A recent article in the Fresno Bee seems to frame Bob Grenier as the victim. Please help the real victims in this terrible ordeal, join the conversation at #whowouldJesussue and tell us why you think the First Amendment protects Alex’s right to speak out publicly about the abuse and why blogging is a valid form of expression in dealing with injustice, especially when the Church and the Government don’t act.
- Stand Up to Wicked Shepherds with #WhoWouldJesusSue?, by Cindy Kunsman (February 20, 2013).
- For the Media: Breaking News Advisory, repost at Las Vegas Apologetics (February 21, 2013).
- The Googleberg Press and Alex Grenier, by Pauls Passing Thoughts (February 21, 2013).
- More Reasons to Participate in Today’s #Who Would Jesus Sue Protest, by Cindy Kunsman (February 21, 2013).
- Son sued by Calvary Chapel pastor asks Who Would Jesus Sue? [VIDEO], from Religion News Blog (February 21, 2013). Reposts or links at: “Religious News Blog” section of Alltop. Liberal Roundup; Progressive minds at work. Purple State of Mind: Searching For The Center. Regator. Religion News Report. Scientology 101. TV Balla.This story also made the “Top Headlines” scrolling list of top 30 stories on Christian Headlines, February 22, 2013.
- Standing Up to Spiritual Abusers via Social Media Today #WhoWouldJesusSue, by Vyckie Garrison (February 21, 2013).
- Who Would Jesus Sue?, The Wartburg Watch (February 21, 2013).
- Who would Jesus sue? Social media demands justice over pastor’s lawsuit against his step son and others speaking out against sex abuse, by D. Beeksma (February 21, 2013).
- NO excuse for covering up sex abuse, by BritGirlUSABorn (February 22, 2013).
- Quivers Filled With Abuse & Who Would Jesus Sue? [RADIO], by God Discussion on blogtalkradio (February 22, 2013) with guest Julie Anne Smith, #WWJS Media Contact. Pinterest link. Under Much Grace link.
- Quivers Filled With Abuse & Who Would Jesus Sue?, by Vyckie Garrison (February 22, 2013).
- Quivers Filled With Abuse & Who Would Jesus Sue?, God Discussion on blogtalkradio (February 22, 2013). Guests included Julie Anne Smith, media contact for the #WhoWouldJesusSue? Calvary Chapel Visalia lawsuit campaign. A noteworthy point: Because the God Discussion website is a certified Google News provider, their related news article by D. Beeksma on the #WhoWouldJesusSue campaign went into Google News. The way Google News works, articles that have more social media action go higher in the priority list. The God Discussion article went to #1 on the Google list today (February 22, 2013).
- #WhoWouldJesusSue: A Call to Action, repost at Speakingtruthinlove (February 22, 2013).
- Who Would Jesus Sue? A Call to Action!, Emotional Abuse and Your Faith (February 22, 2013).
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We’re off to a good start. We will continue to Tweet with the #WhoWouldJesusSue and invite you to continue as well.
Admin note: I’ve added a Spiritual Sounding Board Facebook Page. This is just another way to stay connected and I may throw in more freebies and funnies. Feel free to post articles you run across that may be of interest. Ya never know, it may prompt an interesting article here!
And finally, in an effort of full disclosure . . . . . . . many, many times I have wanted to share with you about happenings behind the scenes regarding my former church and pastor at BGBC, but made a concerted effort to move on. Yet, it feels weird for me to not disclose something that is currently happening just because of the desire to “move on.” I don’t want to ignore the elephant in the room because that is what we did in abusive church environments. So, anyway, dear readers, it should come as no surprise to any faithful reader that my former pastor is up to new antics. In addition to maintaining the Impostor blog which I refuse to link to here, we have discovered a new visitor arrived onto the Twitter scene as we were in the height of the media blitz. Yes, “Pastor” Chuck O’Neal (CON) entered the world of Twitter to spew more of the same ol’ stuff. It was surprising, yet not surprising.
But as I was sitting in my car looking at my Twitter feed, realizing that CON was trying to infiltrate the #WhoWouldJesusSue Media Blitz, I saw yet ANOTHER Chuck O’Neal. How can there be two Chuck O’Neal Twitter accounts with the same picture? Ah, the weirdness of internet personalities. It was quite interesting trying to figure who the “real” CON was.
This might help alleviate some of the confusion. I ’bout peed my pants when reading this exchange:
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Since taking this screen shot, the “Fo Real” CON has identified his account to be parody account. So there ya go! CON will get to deal with CON FO REAL each time he tweets. Fun for us, maybe not so much fun for him.
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One side issue to address that I read from CON’s tweets and also from a comment on another forum. Our agenda at the moment is exposure – mass exposure. People need to know that there is a problem going on in Calvary Chapel churches. There is high likelihood that we will be interviewing with “worldly” people. Some people have big problems with that. I don’t. Just because Alex or I interview with someone who has different beliefs than us does not mean we are aligning with their beliefs. This is not the time to get distracted by this kind of issue. Let’s keep the main deal the main deal: expose corrupt church systems that allow high-controlling pastors to have no true accountability and abuse members.
Remember: #WhoWouldJesusSue
Oh, I just took a trip over to Twitter to see what’s going on and have to leave you with this. LOL
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Reblogged this on Who Would Jesus Sue? and commented:
Spiritual Sounding Board gives a wonderful summary of the #WhoWouldJesusSue history, current results of the campaign, and what’s next with the Calvary Chapel lawsuit.
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Hey Julie Anne
I agree about your going out and getting this to mass exposure; as long as we keep our foundation in Christ and we don’t bend to the world there is nothing wrong with getting this out in the secular venues. In fact, I look at this as showing that Christians are willing to face hypocrisy and show those who are not Christians that we are not afraid to face the sins and abuses of even the church.
I had to come face to face with my own hypocrisy and being without a church (I am now going to a small church) helped me to see the bubble I was in for so long. I am more apt to mingle with those who are non-Christians now and show my faith in a real way. I think I was fearful that the world would rub off on me and I did not realize that I have the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no fear with Christ and gives us the ability, freedom and strength to be able to GO OUT into the world and be a light.
So go for it Julie Anne and trust in Him to give you the wisdom!
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Amen, Faith.
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CON just can’t give it up, can he? His motives appear to be more focused on revenge than truth telling. At least there’s now a little comedy in the mix!
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Kathi, I could use a daily dose of watching this interaction. I still keep laughing about the nom nom nom. So funny!
Apparently Twitter has suspended him for the 2nd time and so he gets a longer time-out. He might need to sue Twitter for not allowing him to exercise his right to free speech.
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I am just floored that pastors are twittering such nonsense- there are no words of grace and humility in the mouths of these guys. This is opposite of what I would look for in a pastor or elder- and I am much the wiser now in picking a church. Thanks Chuck for showing what not to look for in a church and sharpening my discernment skills.
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I’ve tweeted a couple interesting tweets about Grenier this morning. Hint hint. @DefendtheSheep.
One of the tweets is posted on my new blog Facebook page.
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Yeh saw that and your new Facebook page- way to go! Looks good!
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Here is an article on slander (lies) – http://lasvegasapologetics.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/christians-is-it-slander-to-expose-error-earnestly-contend-for-the-faith-or-name-the-names-of-false-teachers-no/
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What we’re finding with these movements and their leaders is a failure to grasp Christianity: to understand Jesus Christ and his call to love one another. It’s like some of them are stuck in the Old Testament, except even then successful people called of God saw with the eyes of faith; they served humbly and effectively.
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