Two times this week I have lost posts. It appears there is a known issue with iPads and Blogger when editing posts. Now that I know, I'll be sure to type my posts elsewhere and have a backup. My apologies to those who found blank posts twice this week. Everything is fine now. Blank Posts
Author: Julie Anne
Leadership Styles
I ran across an interesting blog article (that is noted in my sidebar). There is a 5-part series called, "The Dark Side of Spiritual Abuse" at The Barnabas Blog written by Philip Harrelson.Today I read Part 4 a number of times. So much of it spoke out to me from my own personal experience or… Continue reading Leadership Styles
The Lawsuit
Sorry, my cat must have gotten the top of it. This is the last page of the summons. When I got home from taking my daughter to volleyball practice the other night, my husband told me that a person knocked at the door and hand-delivered some papers that he had to sign for. I was… Continue reading The Lawsuit
Rest, Little Kitty
This kitty found us not too long ago. She was an abandoned kitten and her life existed in in the cold and bitter winter, constantly searching for food and shelter. The kids placed some food and milk outside and she hung around a bit, coming and going. Gradually, she let them pet her. To the… Continue reading Rest, Little Kitty
List of Cultic Tendencies
Charles Lester wrote a list of cultic tendencies (originally posted Oct. 1991 in Spiritual Counterfeits Project newsletter) which can be viewed in full online at the Battered Sheep website. The entire list can be found here. Below are the items that hit a nerve with me. Is your pastor fully accountable to a board of… Continue reading List of Cultic Tendencies
Authoritarianism in the Church
Candidacy for Spiritual Abuse: Don’t Develop Your Independent Thinking Skills  In my family's personal story at BGBC, after the abrupt firing of a staff employee, the pastor had a church meeting and mentioned that if anyone had questions, he and the elders would be available to answer questions. My husband and I set an… Continue reading Authoritarianism in the Church
You Won’t Find a Better Church
** Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Throughout our time at BGBC, we came across this message on a consistent basis:Â you won't find… Continue reading You Won’t Find a Better Church
How Dare You Leave Our Church!
Below is an excerpt from Exposing Spiritual Abuse by Mike Fehlauer: Painful Exit In a controlling church, it is impossible to leave on good terms. Because the pastor’s sense of worth is usually based on the control he is able to exert over the congregation, when someone leaves, this insecure leader considers it an affront… Continue reading How Dare You Leave Our Church!
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
I've spent a lot of time researching spiritual abuse, the kinds of people who spiritually abuse and found this great article called "Narcissism in the Pulpit" about Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Be sure to check out the very informative website. Here is a snippet from the website:Sam Vaknin, described by the New York Times as the… Continue reading Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Leaving a Church
My husband and I met at church when we were single and in college and have been going to church together as a family for all of our married life. Prior to that, we were regular church attenders all of our childhood. This church thing is nothing new to us. When my husband was active… Continue reading Leaving a Church
As the Deer Pants
*** Psalm 42:1 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. We had 6 visitors to our backyard yesterday and it reminded me of the song, "As the Deer" ** ** Lyrics: As the deer panteth for the waterSo my soul longeth after theeYou alone are… Continue reading As the Deer Pants
Blog Hits
*** Between late last night and early this morning there were 25 new hits on this site. I've personally given the link to only 3 people, so obviously it is traveling quickly since not many people would have a need to do a Google Search for the church between midnight and 7:30 AM. I wish… Continue reading Blog Hits
Chuck’s Reviews of Me on Google and Threat of Lawsuit for Defamation
*   *   * Somehow, the powers that be at Google have removed my legitimate reviews of Beaverton Grace Bible Church, yet have allowed Chuck O'Neal's reviews of me on the Google review site of the church. I wasn't aware that if you search Beaverton Grace Bible Church on Google, that my… Continue reading Chuck’s Reviews of Me on Google and Threat of Lawsuit for Defamation
Google Reviews
Somehow someone has been able to manipulate the Google reviews so that the church members' reviews stay on top, pushing down the negative reviews. Below is a new review today. I had completely forgotten about the weird foot washings and triple-dipping baptisms. That is why this blog can be very helpful. When you are… Continue reading Google Reviews
Introduction
** This blog has been set up primarily as a safe haven for those who suffered at the hands of the pastor, Chuck O'Neal, and/or members (perhaps unknowingly) of Beaverton Grace Bible Church. If you would like me to post your story, please send to: spiritualsb@ gmail.com Because of the nature of this situation, I… Continue reading Introduction
Spiritual Sounding Board 