I figure it’s about time to close the thread, “Share your story here,” as it’s taking a lot longer to load now that it has over 400 comments. If you have a story to share about your experience with Sovereign Grace Ministries, please do so below THIS post. If you need guidance about how to post or what it means to “register,” you’re welcomed to read the original article.
Also, I found this anonymous quote the other day:
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest. -Unknown
Thoughts, anyone?
I'm verwy verwy sad, RT. We can start our own crew, how bout it? 
(and I can be stone cold...hehehe) 
December 31st, 2008 at 8:27 am
Noel,
we want to help you! In whatever way we can!!
SGM has had more than enough time to make things right, God will not be mocked.
December 31st, 2008 at 8:37 am
I have nothing substantial to add to this thread but I cannot stop thinking about Noel and her family. I’m praying for you, that you and your family would be healed and brought into a safe, grace-filled place.
I’m also praying for the boy and the people around him, that no more children would be placed in harm’s way in the name of forgiveness or denial or whatever cause dejour is being spouted by people so cowardly they can’t do the basic right thing protecting children.
Forgiveness my left ovary. These are the people that micromanage teenagers lest they hold hands. They have modesty checks for women that remind me of the Taliban. These people are full of fecal matter trying to pass the forgiveness pile off on anyone.
And there is a big huge difference between forgiving and putting children in danger. Forgive him; yes. Pretend nothing happened and allow another child to be violated…um…what’s that saying…oh yes, better a millstone be hung around my neck and cast into the sea than cause one of these little ones to stumble…yeah, that one.
December 31st, 2008 at 9:15 am
(I hear ya, DB!)
Noel,
Thanks for your prayers, but please don’t worry about me, or any of us, for that matter…right now what we want to do is rally around *YOU*!
Stunned, I’m amazed at you, (I know it’s God, and not really “you”) but you’re my hero right now. I wish I could know you in “real life”, not just the blogosphere.
Noel, God brought you to this blog…He brought *ALL* of us to this blog. He found two “willing and CAPABLE vessels” in Kris & Guy to start and maintain the thing, and He enabled EACH ONE OF US to find it, and to read and comment.
This is a “HOLY PLACE” because the Lord’s work is being done here. That may scare some of you, but it shouldn’t. Let us remember in our “reference” for a mighty and HOLY God, that He is *ALSO” a loving, forgiving, and compassionate FATHER! And He is a *JUST* God.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be too scared to share what you’re feeling with God. (He already knows it!)
If ANYONE should feel scared, it should be those in SGM leadership! EVERY SGM pastor, apostle, overseer, cgl, (whatever they call themselves), should be trembling in their boots right now. Not at being “found out”, but at knowing one day they will stand before God and give an account of the things shared on this blog and the others!
THAT, my friends, is something to be *FEARFUL* of. God have MERCY on their souls.
If you are a SGM leader, in ANY capacity, you need to SERIOUSLY be praying right now as to what you need to do. Those involved in the Watergate scandal found themselves in the same predicament. It didn’t matter how big or how small a role they played in the scandal, OR even if they had NOTHING to do with it all; if they KNEW about it, the “blood” was on their hands, as well.
Noel, don’t worry about “upsetting” others. This is GOOD. This is what happens to bring about change and justice…and MOST IMPORTANTLY, forgiveness and healing.
*You and your family are on my mind CONSTANTLY dear sister, and in my prayers!!*
December 31st, 2008 at 9:29 am
Kindred,
Would you email me privately please? I have some thoughts.
Ask Kris for my main email address.
Thanks
December 31st, 2008 at 9:30 am
how many other people were up all night grieving for Noel and her family?
December 31st, 2008 at 9:35 am
Kris,
MM had a very good idea to make this its own post. Noel’s sad story is one that needs to be seen and heard as far and wide as possible and tucked away in the 200s of comments to this thread just doesn’t give it the judtice it needs.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:09 am
I can’t get her story out of my mind, either. I’m praying.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:20 am
What’s and Kris,
I’m all for that. I’ve been through my file and my papers are in order. If they want to sue for slander or liable I’d love to meet them in court. It’s all documented. Mostly, Mark this is for you, Please Please take us to court because I need my baby’s records to be open. I want you to know, the courts to know and all the memebers of your church to know how you covered this up and minimized it.
Kris, if this post will help ANYONE I’m all for it. I’m pretty upset with my past cowardice right now.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:25 am
I would agree that a seperate thread would be good, if Noel agrees.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:26 am
Noel
It was so sad to read your story. As others have said, I am sure SGM wouldn’t even want to think about suing you. They were just trying to bully you. I am sure they wouldn’t want the exposure of this being reported in the newspapers etc. especially when there were court records proving a number of allegations.
I just wonder how much they ever did to this boy to make him realize what he did was extremely wrong. It wasn’t like someone just hitting a girl or something. It doesn’t sound like SGM leadership did much.
December 31st, 2008 at 10:43 am
Seems to me that he doesn’t think that he did anything wrong. :/
December 31st, 2008 at 10:47 am
Noel, I have beat myself up for my own past cowardice–click on my name to read my story. However, I have come to realize that beating myself up didn’t solve anything, that I saw when I could see, that I had to get to a point when I could call it “abuse”. There’s grace here for this too.
I still grieve over what the locusts have eaten. I still wonder what might have been had I recognized the signs earlier, if I had seen that I did have choices, if I had taken my boy and run, if I had never married G, if I had never come to CLC, if only, if only, if only . . .
. . . and yet, I am confident that God uses even these circumstances to our good and to His Glory, to open blind eyes, to heal the broken-hearted, to speak truth.
He is faithful. He will not be mocked. Secret sins will be shouted from the rooftops.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:08 am
Acme,
I read your story and I’m soo sorry. It’s truly sad, I can’t imagine how your heart broke as you watch your son struggle. I can imagine so many feelings you must have had, I’m so familiar with them. You end the story with how well you’re family is doing and our is as well. I can’t help but think the pheonix. I don’t know how many are familiar with the mythical pheonix but it is a bird that bursts into flame and leaves nothing but a pile of ashes. When it appears all is lost, nothing could be recovered, the pheonix begins a new life coming up out of the ashes. New life is so beautiful!
December 31st, 2008 at 11:51 am
All righty, folks – Noel’s story has its own post. It’d be great if we could move all other comments about her story to the new thread.
I’d wanted to make Noel’s comments into another post yesterday, already, but I was waiting for Noel to give me her express permission to do so, which she did this morning. Great minds think alike, I guess. :-)
December 31st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Kris, keep fighting the good fight!
December 31st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Thank you Kris and all.
By the Grace of God may many be helped. Especially the pastors of SGM.
Peace
January 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 pm
“Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, has left the building. A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship.”
“Jesus said whatever you do to the least of these my brothers you’ve done it to me. And this is what I’ve come to think. That if I want to identify fully with Jesus Christ, who I claim to be my savior and Lord, the best way that I can do that is to identify with the poor. This I know will go against the teachings of all the popular evangelical preachers. But they’re just wrong. They’re not bad, they’re just wrong. Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken.”
also:
http://stevebrownetc.com/category/podcasts/scandalous-freedom/
January 5th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
[...] away in the “comments” section of the Share Your Story Here, Part II post, a reader going by the handle of “Noel” told us her story yesterday. What she wrote is [...]