Shearing Sheep

After last week and investigating two new church lawsuits (Sovereign Grace Ministries and Calvary Chapel Visalia), I think I feel like the sheep in this video.   This video is just under 6 minutes.  The end is especially fun!  

Special thanks to reader, Sheep-Dog, for sending the video link to me a while back :)

Sovereign Grace Crisis Timeline and More Resources

I have been getting quite a few hits to the site from people searching for info regarding Sovereign Grace Ministries.  Jenn Grover put together a fantastic timeline based on Brent Detwiler's "The Documents" sent to pastors, which were then leaked to the internet:  SGMWikileaks.

Be sure to go to click on "View in Dipity" to get more information on each event. 

Sovereign Grace Crisis on Dipity.

This is a timeline of the details outlined in "The Documents" that Brent Detwiler wrote to address longstanding issues within SGM and with C.J. Mahaney as well as relevant SGM historical data. I have updated the timeline with major events as the crisis has continued to unfold. This timeline was developed for the benefit of those who were unable to read through all of Brent's documents and to provide a visual aid for piecing the events together. This is not intended to be an exhaustive argument in any fashion; that has been accomplished in Brent's documents. Where possible, links to the source material have been provided. Every attempt has been made to provide an accurate representation of Brent's documents and SGM historical information. If you believe that there are inaccuracies please indicate in the comments the title of the entry, the date, and the relevant corrections. I will not moderate comments on this, but please consider keeping your comments limited to the timeline as opposed to your view of SGM, Brent, or C.J. There are plenty of other places on the web already available for this type of dialogue. Additional media content (relevant photos, video, and audio) may be added to the timeline. Please feel free to contact me if you have additional media content to add. Thanks to Eric Grover and Brent Detwiler for editorial review input.

Created by JennGrover on Jul 26, 2011

You may find more articles on my blog regarding:  Sovereign Grace Ministries Abuse

Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit: A Victim's Mom Speaks  I am in touch with one of the victim's moms and she is keeping me informed of how she is doing with updates.  Here is the first installment.  Please stop by and offer some encouragement to the victims' families of this lawsuit.  

Here is a list of more personal stories that SGMSurivors.com has compiled.  

Calvary Chapel Visalia Pastor Bob Grenier Lawsuit Against Son: Plea for Help

Alex Grenier is being sued by his step-father, Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel Visalia for defamation, cyber-bullying, libel.   Here are a couple of posts I have done on this story:

Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel to File Defamation Lawsuit Against Son and Blogger?

and

Calvary Chapel Pastor Pastor Bob Grenier: Stories of Abuse As Told by His Children

Alex could use our help and I want to help spread the word.  I remember exactly what it was like to  receive a subpoena and not have an attorney.   There are many unknowns.  Alex is dealing with another very big hurdle I did not have to deal with - - the plaintiffs are his own parents.   Obviously, this is taking an emotional toll, but court deadlines do not revolve around emotional challenges and Alex must trudge forward quickly.  Alex represents what so many of us have experienced in church abuse.  Please be in prayer and support Alex and Tim (other defendant) in any way you can - leaving a comment at Alex's site is simple, yet so encouraging.  Alex will be putting up a Paypal donation link on the site shortly.  I have copied this blog post from Calvary Chapel Abuse's site.  


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Yesterday, the weight of being sued for speaking out about child abuse and corruption in the church by my own Mother and my Calvary Chapel Pastor and Visalia Police Department Chaplain step-dad Bob Grenier, really took a toll. I spent some time (metaphorically) on the mat, if you will. I took a solid punch to the gut, I won’t lie.

It’s time to get up off the mat and get to work on this. I didn’t take all this on to quit when it got tough, but I’m not superman, this is really daunting and as humbling as it is, I am not up for this on my own…I need help. I need help from you in prayer, support, leg-work, getting the word out about the lawsuit and asking for help, lobbying the media to cover the story and I need your help financially to help fund the defense and counter-suit and I need your help finding a really good attorney who will partner with me on a contingency or partial-contingency basis to fight this all the way.

There are a couple of easier options available…anti-SLAPP and/or a motion to dismiss due to expiration of Statue of Limitations dates of when the alleged defamation/libel first entered the public. I don’t want to take the easier options (still not easy by no means, still difficult and time consuming and trying, but easier than the really hard long expensive battle). I want to have my days in court and fully answer all the charges against me and prove my case and counter-sue and prove my case there as well.

I am willing to pay back any money that is donated if we win and recover money (which I believe we will). I don’t want the money for me, I want to be able to fight for the causes I hold dear and for all the others (including myself and my family) who have been hurt in this situation. I don’t want the real bully getting away with silencing those who are speaking out against him. I don’t want others fearful of being sued if they speak out against child abuse and corruption in the church, THAT is a frightening proposition, THAT will enable more abuse and empower abusers.

PLEASE STAND WITH ME. Please help me.

Your input is very much appreciated.

I am working on getting a paypal link up in this article for donations to fund the legal defense and potential counter-suit.

Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit: A Victim's Mom Speaks

For over five months, I have been in personal contact with one of the moms involved in the recent Sovereign Grace lawsuit.   I am going to call her SGMMom here.  Going over my e-mails I was reminded that she had sent me an e-mail right about the time the media exposed my lawsuit.  Here is the first e-mail she sent me:

May 17, 2012 

Julie Anne:

Thank you for standing up for survivors of spiritual abuse everywhere! I admire your strength and courage.  I have read some of your blogposts and I hope that this lawsuit is thrown out by the court soon.

I too am a survivor from SGM.   I am praying for you.

And here is the 2nd e-mail she sent as I was about to go to the first court hearing.  She had been reading the blog and obviously made note of the first court date and time:

Julie Anne:  

You are in my prayers and I will be praying for you tomorrow. You have such a simple, sweet and yet strong spirit about you. I live on the East Coast, but I will be keeping you in my heart at 9:00 a.m. your time. May God richly bless you and keep you in the trial...from what you said today on the blog...obviously He is. 

There have been many more e-mails and also phone calls since then.  At the beginning of our relationship, I was not aware of her family's impending lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries, et al.  

What struck me about SGMMom is that she was able to offer support to me despite the grief she had experienced in her own family.  

The aftermath of the abuse has been going on for years for her.  In many abusive church environments, problems are confined to the church - never shared with outsiders.  Outsiders are considered secular and worldly and against God.  Members are told that outsiders do not handle sin issues the way churches do and outside involvement is seen as inferior to a church's way of handling issues.  Personal issues are kept under wraps and most likely she and her family  were very alone for those first years until the survivor blogs came along.  They may have heard stories here and there, but when the SGM survivor blogs came along, it became apparent that their story was not unique.   They were not imagining things.   They were not alone.  What they had experienced was validated by other stories.

SGMmom and the other moms and families do not have a public blog like I did during my lawsuit.  They can read comments on news articles, but there is not any one place for them to receive support directed to them, especially since their identities are concealed.  I spoke with SGMMom and asked if she would be willing to give updates that I could post here - sharing what is going on emotionally, spiritually as they are going through this journey with their court case.  Her attorney gave the okay and that is what we will be doing here on my blog.  

I will use this blog to share with you how you can specifically pray for these families.  The comments will be open for you to offer words of encouragement, comfort, scripture, etc.  I would love to see the comments filled with encouraging words from readers who are praying for these precious families.

So, below is the first communication from SGMMom expressly for the purpose of sharing here to my blog readers:

SGMMom shares her feelings here:   

calm, firmly resolved, saddened that this drastic step was needed, hopeful that real change and appropriate policies will be implemented, praying that justice will be done for all of the victims

And here is a quote from SGMMom (mom of one of the plaintiff's in the SGM lawsuit):

“For over twenty-five years, pastors in Sovereign Grace Ministries, when faced with sex abuse cases, chose a pattern of cover-up and obstruction of justice, repeatedly treating molestation as if it was only a sin or moral failing and not treating it as a crime. This pastoral negligence has compounded the trauma of the sex abuse victims and their loved ones.”

“When is the reputation of a church ever more important than the safety and well-being of children?"

"By filing this Class Action lawsuit, we are standing up for all of the victims of sex abuse cover-up within SGM. There are other victims not yet mentioned in the legal draft and for a variety of reasons have not come forward yet--we are taking a stand for them as well."

I've noticed something about spiritual abusive survivors over the last several months.  Some of them are the most caring, genuine, loving, grace-filled people I have ever met.  I was fortunate to have media exposure and with that exposure came lots of support.  It was wonderful.  I am hoping that we can extend that same kind of support to SGMMom and the other families in the comment section.  

photo credit: *¦·sindorella·¦* via photopin cc

Is Calvary Chapel Visalia Pastor Bob Grenier Tweeting about Lawsuit?

Look at Pastor Bob Grenier's tweet he sent out yesterday -  the same day that the lawsuit was filed/public.   Do you suppose there is a hidden message to anyone or did that verse just "happen" to come to him?  

Attorney Susan Burke representing Plaintiffs in Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit Gives Radio Interview

Susan Burke, the attorney representing the plaintiffs moms/victims in the Sovereign Grace Lawsuit gives a radio interview on Janet Mefferd Show.  It is about 20 minutes long.  The interview is excellent.

Some of the topics you will hear:

The church's focus on reconciliation:  3-yr old sex abuse victim is forced to reconcile with the abuser  

The church interfered and discouraged families from reporting crimes to secular authorities, police, etc.

SGM instills fear and distrust of secular authorities:  teachers, police, judicial system

There are more victims who have come forward and contacted the attorney.  

There is no empathy for the child victims.  

Case #369721

JA Note:  Other blog posts I have covered on Sovereign Grace Ministries Abuse can be found here:  Sovereign Grace Ministries Abuse

Calvary Chapel Visalia Pastor Bob Grenier Files Lawsuit against Son and Former Church Member

Hang on to your seats, folks, this seems to be the week for church lawsuits!   I have covered this Calvary Chapel story recently and now it is a reality.  The first link shares personal accounts by Pastor Bob Grenier's children and is a must read:

Calvary Chapel Pastor Pastor Bob Grenier: Stories of Abuse As Told by His 
Children

Alex Grenier Responds to Notice of Imminent Lawsuit by Calvary Chapel Visalia & Pastor Bob Grenier



Here is a new article that was published today in the Fresno Bee.  

****New response from defendant Alex Grenier below

Visalia pastor sues son over 'cyberbullying'

By Lewis Griswold - The Fresno Bee

Visalia Calvary Church pastor, the Rev. Bob Grenier, and his wife, Gayle, have sued their estranged son, Alex Grenier, accusing him of defamation and cyberbullying.

Alex Grenier, 40, launched the website Calvarychapelabuse.com more than two years ago and posted accusations that his father committed felony child abuse against him and his three brothers while pretending to be an upstanding preacher and police chaplain.

But Bob Grenier said Thursday that he and his wife have had enough of their son's "online hate campaign" against them and are suing to stop their son and to tell their side in court.

"Alex has orchestrated a cyberbullying campaign against me, his mother, our church and our movement," Bob Grenier said. "We do not want to live with this kind of cyberbullying."

Alex Grenier, who lives in Idaho, said he will not back down. "He frames it as a hate campaign. It's not defamation. We'll prove it in court that it's not defamation. The stuff I'm alleging is true."

Alex Grenier said he has not yet seen the lawsuit and does not have a lawyer. He said he will represent himself for now.

"The real 'hate campaign' has been going on for over 30 years at Calvary Chapel Visalia and in our home at the hands of pastor and Visalia Police Department Chaplain Bob Grenier," he said in an email.

Bob Grenier's lawyer, Nick Pritchett of Visalia, said he does not expect the lawsuit to settle out of court. In February, a trial date will be set for later in 2013, he said.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Tulare County Superior Court also named Tim Taylor of Visalia, a former Calvary Church member who, the lawsuit said, libeled Bob Grenier in online statements submitted anonymously.

Attempts to reach Taylor for comment were unsuccessful.

Besides libel and slander, the lawsuit alleges that both Alex Grenier and Taylor engaged in intentional infliction of emotional distress of the pastor and his wife.

"Something has to stop him," said Gayle Grenier, 61. "We can't keep being slandered. It's no way to live, and it's been going on for years. My son needs to be stopped."

Bob Grenier, 65, has been the pastor at Visalia Calvary Church for 34 years. Alex Grenier is his stepson whom he has helped raise since Alex was 3 years old.

The lawsuit does not name stepson Geoff Grenier or the couple's biological son, Paul Grenier, who are also estranged from their parents. Reached by phone, Paul Grenier said he last saw his father eight years ago and backs his brother Alex. "I witnessed what he witnessed," Paul Grenier, 30, said.

The accusations of abuse broke two years ago in The Bee. Alex Grenier contended that his father beat the boys so badly that the punishment went beyond what is legally acceptable.

"We aren't talking gray area here," he wrote in one post. "Clear cut state-defined abuse including, but not limited to, hitting with objects causing deep purple bruises on the lower back, backs of legs and buttocks. Drawing blood."

Alex and Paul went to Visalia police two years ago and filed a complaint on the alleged abuse.

The statute of limitations is three years for felony physical abuse of a child; the alleged incidents took place in the 1980s and 1990s.

Bob Grenier said he and his wife will address the accusations of abuse in court.

"We've remained silent for eight years," he said. "The purpose (of the lawsuit) is to bring clarification -- the truth -- to these matters."

Folks, we need to be praying for Alex and Tim as they face this difficult ordeal.  Alex has been blogging about his own abuse provides a forum at Calvary Chapel Abuse to discuss these issues.  The issues of abuse reach further than this specific case.  in reading countless personal stories there, we can see a systemic problem throughout Calvary Chapel churches.  The world is watching now.

I am in touch with Alex and others and will keep you posted as this story continues.

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UPDATE 10/19/12  8:33 AM PACIFIC:  Defendant, Alex Grenier, responds to the lawsuit here:

Pastor Bob Grenier of Calvary Chapel Visalia and Mother sues stepson/son he abused for speaking out publicly about brother’s molestation allegations and for exposing the corruption at his church

Here are a couple key paragraphs:

I have spoken out publicly and consistently about many abuses by Bob Grenier and Calvary Chapel…including the child abuse, the molestation, the corruption, pill addiction/abuse, telling a Calvary Chapel mother to not report child molestation of her daughters to authorities, cult-like counseling, bullying/harassing of female staff, lying, manipulating etc etc etc.

There are many errors in the lawsuit, the biggest being that my speaking out publicly and exercising my First Amendment Free Speech Rights to deal with these serious issues that are in the Public Interest is “not” defamation/libel and my consistently speaking out and warning people and calling publicly for accountability in these matters is “not” a “hate campaign” nor is it “cyberbullying” no matter how many times Bob repeats it in his lawsuit.

If Bob Grenier and by extension Calvary Chapel (who he represents as an Affiliated Pastor) are allowed to get away with framing Free Speech, Whistleblowing and exposing abuse and corruption in the church as a “hate campaign” and “cyberbullying” and “defamation/libel”…then the Chilling Effect it will have on others is extremely frightening. This is a very important matter. If those who wield the Power of Public Figure and Position of Trust Pastor/Chaplain are allowed to win frivolous lawsuits in an attempt to cover over their bad actions and silence victims and critics and watchdogs, then beware, you might be next…and the result will be the covering over and enabling of much more abuse and corruption within the “church” and it will make it easier for Children to be abused and molested.