Archive for July 12th, 2008
“Rejoice in the Lord Always and again I say, Rejoice “ were words that came from the Apostle Paul from a prison in Rome. It was in his letter to the Philipians 4:4. He knew how to be content in every circumstance. What a beautiful thing and what a good , solid, purpose or goal for any Christian to have! We all have much to be thankful for and much for which to rejoice!
Before Paul became a Christian he “rejoiced” at going after the Christians and killing them, or putting them in prison. After he became a Christian his purposes and motives changed along with his name , which had been Saul. Probably every time he went to prison, he thought of all his brethren whom he had helped imprison or had even helped kill. Stephen was one who’s brutal death probably stuck with him, as he held the coats of some who stoned Stephen , a servant of the Lord!
What is my point today? Just this. When Church leaders cause divisions, abuse grownups and little children, encourage divorces of Christians ,or anyone else, dishonor parents, divide churches, separate families, slander people, shun people,and do other wicked things in the name of Jesus, then smoothly encourage their members to, “Rejoice in the Lord And Again I Say, Rejoice!” , it just doesn’t fly. It ends up being the same kind of “rejoicing” Paul did when he killed Christians.
In order to truly ”rejoice in the Lord,” we as Christians have to love our brethren. We cannot be loving God whom we have not seen, if we don’t love our brother whom we have seen.
Like Saul , even church leaders who have been deceived into causing countless abuses in the name of Jesus, can repent and change their ways. They can be “white as snow” by bringing their sin to the Lord for forgiveness. It is possible for anyone to be duped and deceived by the enemy, but it takes a real man or woman to admit and rectify the situation. However this is what separates the men from the boys, or the true wheat from the tares! It also reveals how much we love the Truth.
I will admit freely that I was deceived and duped for over 12 years. I spent 9 months in 1994 staying nights with Ardith, believing with all my heart that I was protecting the church from the “appearence of evil”, and protecting Ardith from her “evil, reprobate” ex-pastor husband. I was wrong, we were all wrong.
The church of 70 people disintegrated, her marriage broke up , the new pastor’s marriage with 4 young children painfully ended, and the new pastor married Ardith. My support aided and added to the ungodly divisions of these two homes. I ,although unknowingly ,helped to break up a whole church. Much of the pain of both myself and my family today, I believe is from the effects of Gods law of “reaping and sowing.” I have reaped exactly what I have sown. Yet I can truly rejoice because when I realized what I hade done I went to the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing , and have asked forgiveness of those whom I have hurt as best as I could.
It isn’t something I take lightly. Nor do I forget the effects of the chaos and deception of young and old alike because of the falsehoods I regretfully supported. Just yesterday I was deeply grieved and cut to the heart ,thinking about all the young college people who stayed with Ardith and Bill Keef , and Anchor , when the split happened. One young man was 19, a college student, a new convert, and was immediately made an “elder”. He had a young wife who was affected also ,and whose relationship with her parents suffered. They are missionaries in a foreign land, under the canopy of Anchor, but hopefully so far away, the influence is minimal. Another young college man who had so much potential is one of Ardith’s best yes-men today. If only he had had a different kind of start, in a good church!
Yet another 19 year old college student , with a young wife was immediately made an “elder” , but thankfully they later left the Anchor Church. Praise God he could see through it all , when I moved out and Bill moved in alone with Ardith, into her very open third floor apartment, both unmarried, he would not condone it, and was not impressed with power by being made an “elder.” He had some wisdom and integrity! (way more than I had at the time) He was not a yes-man!
A young man ( in his early thirties) who was the son of the previous pastor, and I believe he was the one who instigated the praying for his father to die, is still Ardith’s yes-man. In the early stages of the split he realized the truth, tried to address it, but like the rest of us who stayed with Bill and Ardith Keef , was persuaded , overcome by smooth Godly words, to believing a lie. Two older men who loved the Lord in their 40’s and 50’s were overlooked in becoming elders , one had been a Christian for many years, which should have been a red flag.
Theres a woman in the Anchor Church whom Ardith met at the University when she was in her early twenties. She will be 48 years old in November. She is a wonderful person and truly a servant. She makes huge meals for the whole church and is always ready and available to help. Bill nick-named her, “spud.” He laughs at her behind her back, as he does others who are particularly needy. I have been told by Ardith Keef that the woman could be an excellent musician. However, she has worked for at least the 20 years I have known her, in a computer center. She does a little music , and gives a few lessons. She has had a “calling” to go to China as a missionary for almost all the 14 years Anchor has existed. Nothing has ever come of it.
She has gone with Ardith on a few trips on her own dollar, with Ardith dogging her the whole time for every minor infraction, from being too slow ,to taking too much time to order food ,or combing her hair. Her attitude and behavior is another big thing with Ardith. The woman is not free. She is under a constant barragement of criticism and correction. She almost never “rejoices” ,but is usually miserable. Her face tells the whole sad story of her emotional imprisonment.
The woman is quite estranged from her family for all intents and purposes ,except for a few visits and phone calls. Ardith’s and Bill’s needs superceed all other actvities and relationships in her life. When she went to her mother and father’s home to recouperate after surgery, she was spoken of as “not holding down her post”. It was as if she was disloyal ,and after more than 20 years of being a faithful and true servant to Ardith and the church. If they decided she was unfit for the Kingdom somehow, Bill and Ardith would cut her off and shunn her , as vulnerable and dear as she is, in a heartbeat.
What a travesty! Ardith’s teachings, and interpretations of scripture have crippled this now middle aged woman for 25 years ,and now she’s nearly 50. Ardith is a Professor of Music , a musician in the Portland Symphony, An Attorney, and other high and lofty things ( and obviously doesn’t adhere to her own doctrines) , but her followers who sincerely believe her rigid, twisted teachings about “dying to self ” , and “picking up your cross” often become crippled, stagnant ,and do not progress. This is what cults do to people!
The young men without any experience were destined to become yes-men ,and the ones who stayed, did. The new “pastor” was only 39 years old himself , in the middle of a divorce, had no Bible Schooling or Seminary training, and was neither fit nor ready to lead or shepherd a Church. The Anchor Church was from the start a “disaster waiting to happen.” If ever there was a “church” ripe for becoming a cult or an abusive church, it was the Anchor Missionary Fellowship Church! If there was ever such a thing as “cult material” it was us! We were ripe for the picking ,and the fruit of unhealthy seed-sowing has become rotton on the vine. Rotton fruit only breeds fruit flies and maggots, and it’s not fit for anything but fertilizer.
Yes friends, yesterday , I was sadly reminded again of the lives of these people, plus many other young college people who have been so sucked in and overcome by the persuasions, and deceptions of the Anchor Church leaders. Some have become slaves to their leaders. Most got away quite soon without much harm being done. I was involved in supporting these doings , and I bear a responsibility for all that has transpired even in the lives of Bill and Ardith Keef. Believe me, I have painfully and rightfully reaped what I have sown.
Some such vulnerable college students, ( even coming from Christian homes) have e-mailed us here at Anchorabuse.org. How many have been taken in by such abusive groups only God knows. How many are even now attending the Anchor Missionary Fellowship Church? I hope and pray there are none. I know parents who are scared to death that their daughter or son might get involved with people such as the leaders of Anchor. And well they should be very concerned!
Today, Love constrains me to reach out to those who have been deceived as I was. It may sound harsh at times , but what I say is true. I had to suffer great pain and loss myself to get out from under the deception of the enemy. It took many years of deep agony to get free. Now that I am free, how can I do anything else but help my brethren get free also? I told the Lord that I would do anything. I told Him that He could use me in any way He desired , to help break down the enemy’s strongholds in the Anchor Church and I meant it! They are taking me to court , so what? I “rejoice” for the privilege of standing up for the Truth! “And again I say ,I can truly rejoice!”, whatever the outcome.
As God said to Cain after he killed his righteous brother Abel, “Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!” Abusing His people, taking liberties with , twisting , and even changing His Word to wreak havoc with our brothers lives ,is a serious matter. There can be no true “rejoicing” until there is honest , heartfelt, repentence for people who cause such pain to their brethren ,and grief to the heart of God. Brethren, Repent first ! Then we can truly “Rejoice!”, as did our brother Paul, even from inside a horrible prison.