Stanton Blog

Rabbis, Teachers, and Freedom of Conscience
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Rabbis, Teachers, and Freedom of Conscience

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13 September

Rabbis, Teachers, and Freedom of Conscience

By Kevin|2019-08-20T09:08:36-06:00September 13th, 2016|Uncategorized|23 Comments

Where do our rights, like the freedom of conscience, come from? The Bill of Rights? Government? Church leaders? The Bible? God? The real question is do they come from God or from man? If from man, they can be taken away, because what man has a right to give, he has a right to take away. If our rights, on the other hand, come from God, mere mortals cannot take them away. Politicians, kings, and despots may come and go, and may very well infringe on those rights. But they lord illegitimate authority, not God-given authority. The rights that unprincipled men usurp, in a proper worldview, can still be returned to their rightful owners by rejecting the usurpers. This is the concept of "natural rights." [...]

8 September

The hypocrisy of the murmuring charge

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:59:07-06:00September 8th, 2016|Uncategorized|9 Comments

The charge of murmuring is an easy weapon in the hands of Stanton teachers and preachers to strike fear into the hearts of the flock should they get the crazy notion of disagreeing with them. The cleverness of the charge is its easy adaptation to any situation. Nearly any disagreement can be twisted into an accusation of so-called "murmuring," complete with vivid imagery of Korah leading his insurrection against Moses. "We must keep the church pure," they say. Indeed. Pure of reasoned discussion and honest inquiry. Pure of anyone who dares seek truth more than the approval of men. Of course, God did actually speak audibly to Moses and put him in the position of being his spokesperson, and Korah did actually lead the people [...]

3 September

My story, by Tracy Geautreau

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:59:45-06:00September 3rd, 2016|Uncategorized|65 Comments

My name is Tracy Gautreau and I was a member of the Stanton, Chino and San Antonio Church of Christ for nearly 30 years before I left in November of 2005. Where to begin? I was baptized in December of 1977 into the Stanton Church of Christ. I was 17 years old, believed in God, but was totally ignorant of the Bible and had never heard of the Church of Christ before. I was dating my boyfriend John Gautreau at the time. John was baptized 6 months after me and we were married in December of 1978. In 1983 we had 2 sons and moved to Chino CA to help start the church there. 1996-now with 9 children, we left our home and moved to [...]

1 September

When the revolutionaries become the establishment

By Kevin|2019-04-11T07:01:04-06:00September 1st, 2016|Uncategorized|36 Comments

Back in 2013, an anonymous commenter left the following quiz in the comments: Today's Quiz: Who wrote the following quote? "The members of the church have a right to question and ask for Bible answers from those who are doing the preaching. But this is considered almost tantamount to heresy by the preachers of today; and if a member persists in such he is usually slandered and called a trouble-maker...We should know our Bible and we should be ready and willing to take a stand for the truth. We are commanded to 'contend for the truth.' But this can hardly be done seeing that the church is ignorant and the preachers are content to have it so. Individually and collectively we should take scriptural stands upon all [...]

30 August

The attempt to crash my dad’s funeral

By Kevin|2019-04-11T07:01:31-06:00August 30th, 2016|Uncategorized|37 Comments

At first, I did not want to post the story of what really happened on the day of my dad's funeral publicly, but then I found out that other Stanton-affiliated congregations were slandering me and the Ezell kids for "causing turmoil." To set the record straight, here is a short account of what really happened. First, to honor my dad, here is a link to the program for his memorial service. If you knew him, or want to know a little more about him, this is a good place to start. Also, at the end of this post is a short video tribute I prepared. It's about 10 minutes of photos from different time periods of his life, set to some great acappella songs. He loved [...]

23 August

For those of you who knew my dad, Jerry Harper

By Kevin|2019-04-11T07:02:05-06:00August 23rd, 2016|Uncategorized|3 Comments

Many of you knew my dad, Jerry Harper. He passed away at 3:05 am on Saturday, August 20 at the age of 88 years old. He attended with me every Sunday in Boise as long as his health allowed (not the Stanton sect's Boise location, but a mainline Boise congregation). During my dad's last years on earth, he always loved to come to church, even when he really wasn't strong enough to do so. His memorial service will be on Thursday, August 25, at 1:00 pm at Zeyer Funeral Chapel in Nampa (83 N Midland Blvd, Nampa, ID 83651). Here is a map: https://goo.gl/maps/hEnacWkqoMB2 There will be a graveside military service (he was in the Navy) at 3:00 pm at Idaho State Veterans' Cemetery, at [...]

29 March

Threats of a lawsuit? Really?

By Kevin|2019-04-11T07:04:12-06:00March 29th, 2016|Uncategorized|44 Comments

Yesterday, someone posting as "Gary" commented threatening a lawsuit against me. Wow. If true, that is sure to backfire. Click here and search the page for Gary to find the comment on March 28, 2016 at 2:49 PM. Here is my response to this ridiculousness. 1. I'm not even convinced this comment is from Gary in the first place, but I will offer the benefit of the doubt for now. The phrase "church leadership" doesn't sound like Gary, IMO, and I find it unlikely that he would ask his followers to suddenly read through thousands of comment that he says are false or libelous. But that's just me. Nevertheless, in the spirit of love and good faith, the offer has always stood here to correct [...]

12 October

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated

By Kevin|2019-04-11T07:05:23-06:00October 12th, 2015|Uncategorized|109 Comments

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." ~Mark Twain I have to apologize to readers (again) for being absent from responding and moderating the blog for so long. I know there are some things I need to clean up, and inappropriate comments to delete. I intended to do that this past weekend, but here it is my lunch hour on Monday and it's still not done. I started a new job last Spring and had a daughter get married over the summer, so family time has become a lot more scarce, and therefore a bit more precious. I have some reading to do to catch up, but I'm looking forward to reengaging with the conversation. P.s. - Just as a reminder to newbies, [...]

18 July

Q&A

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:47-06:00July 18th, 2015|Uncategorized|267 Comments

In the interest of generating more Biblically-based dialogue here, I thought it would be useful to post a Q&A blog where readers can leave questions in the comment section and I'll provide my take on it from a Biblical standpoint. I'm really not interested in who said what to whom, which is easy to fall into when you're having a historical discussion. Nevertheless, that's just not why I started this blog. Instead, I'm interested in having Biblically grounded, spiritually mature conversations about the church and the Bible with those who are sincere in trying to sort through the many issues raised by the SCOC sect. I'll provide my point of view and you can provide yours. Rules of the road for this exercise: Questions must [...]

5 June

My Story, by Debby Stevens

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:47-06:00June 5th, 2015|Uncategorized|64 Comments

I'm really glad that Debby Stevens found the blog recently. There are a lot of good people who love God who have left Stanton's ranks, and I'm thrilled that some of them have found this blog to share their story. My prayer is that by uncovering more voices from Stanton's past, we can show current members that (a) they're not alone in their secret doubts about Stanton's presumptuous "authority;" and (b) there is such a thing as a relationship with God outside of Stanton's walls. Debby, thanks adding your voice to the discussion here. My Story by Debby Stevens I first started with the Stanton group in Portland, OR in 1985 when I was baptized. In 1989 I was asked to move to Lakeland, FL [...]

30 March

My Story, by Matthew Ezell

By Kevin|2019-04-30T09:54:30-06:00March 30th, 2015|Uncategorized|53 Comments

Matthew submitted his story back in 2013 in a series of six comments. In an effort to reorganize stories like his into a more useful and findable format, I have compiled his story into a single post. Full disclosure: Matthew is my brother-in-law, and currently "withdrawn from" by the Anchorage, Alaska congregation. Jill is my sister, whom I love very much in spite of our disagreement over the church. They have an awesome family, and I've respected that they've been able to maintain a loving relationship. August 29, 2013 at 3:36 PM The option of "Anonymous" allows us to speak without anyone having any preconceived ideas about us and shields us from anyone bringing up our past. We all have one, don't we. I choose [...]

25 March

My Story, by Jeff Hernandez

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:46-06:00March 25th, 2015|Uncategorized|239 Comments

Thank you, Jeff, for your letter detailing your story. I'm sorry for your experiences. If believers are to show Christ to one another as well as to a lost world, this certainly doesn't seem like the way to do it. Thank you for being discreet (proper usage of the word) about names so this doesn't become about personalities, but about the church's culture. I want to encourage you to find a church family who will take the time to get to know you, and with whom you can share your struggles freely without fear of retribution. My name is Jeff Hernandez and Lynn is my middle name. My wife and I are still married. She left the church because it was too hard for her [...]

3 March

My Story, by “K.F.”

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:44-06:00March 3rd, 2015|Uncategorized|157 Comments

A reader emailed me this letter and asked me if I would post it. I've been a little reluctant because of the underlying bitterness that is still there, but we agreed that I could make a few introductory comments about that. While I don't at all endorse the bitterness, I do understand where it's coming from. My hope and prayer is that KF can defeat this bitterness, and I believe that can only happen by experiencing God's love and forgiveness in a way that he's never seen in the Stanton churches. EDIT #1 - In the spirit of clearing up confusion about the purpose of posting this letter, I think it should be clear by my history on this blog that it was not to [...]

17 February

Loving those still in Stanton

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:44-06:00February 17th, 2015|Uncategorized|14 Comments

I get a lot of questions from people about how best to have a relationship with those still in the Stanton churches. Many feel castigated and judged after leaving, whether they left for Biblically principled reasons, or because they were running from the mistaken view of God they had been told about by Stanton, and wanted nothing to do with him. What a shame, either way. The dysfunction that has arisen in so many families as a result of Stanton has been written about extensively in these pages and in readers' comments. It's truly an awful legacy, considering that the family unit was designed by God to be a beautiful thing, something that protects and nurtures children's and spouses' faith in God. Nevertheless, many find [...]

A “Jesus Take The Wheel” kind of faith
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A “Jesus Take The Wheel” kind of faith

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31 January

A “Jesus Take The Wheel” kind of faith

By Kevin|2019-08-29T10:07:44-06:00January 31st, 2015|Uncategorized|29 Comments

Several people have sent me audio files from various meetings since I started this blog, and I just happened to browse some of them recently. One caught my eye called "Standing in the Gap" from November 2013. It sounded inspiring enough, so I imported it into my iTunes and started listening. It was rather lengthy, and I recalled having started listening to it before, but never made it to the end. After awhile, I remembered why. It took some time to get up to speed, wandering a bit aimlessly for the first 40 minutes. Eventually, though, there were some valuable points made. Most it was charming prose, though maybe a bit too self-conscious. From one story to another, the first 40 minutes of the talk [...]

22 January

My Story, by Donna Bennum

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:44-06:00January 22nd, 2015|Uncategorized|56 Comments

I appreciate Donna's willingness to share her story, and hope that others are emboldened to do the same. More importantly, I hope that her experience inspires others to take action! My Story, by Donna Bennum In August of 2014 I made my decision to leave 'the church' (Stanton churches) which I had been a member of for thirty-six years. In the weeks that followed I found Rising Sun church of Christ. I sat in their sanctuary and listened to their hymns, as they were accompanied by musical instruments of all sorts. I listened to the preacher speak about God's love for us and about His GRACE, and how there's NOTHING we could do to work for that grace of Christ dying on the cross for [...]

A public confession
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A public confession

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2 January

A public confession

By Kevin|2019-08-30T12:41:16-06:00January 2nd, 2015|Uncategorized|21 Comments

I have a public confession to make. I believe the church's practice of public confession, and all its associated rules, are simply more assumptions which have been mistakenly inferred and bound by men, not by the Bible. These manmade rules include: A weekly time of public confession. Private sins confessed before public ones A confession must be as public as the sin was Must stand for public confession A prayer must be offered after said period of public confession asking for the forgiveness of the people who confessed. You can't take the Lord's Supper if there is "sin on your soul" as a result of not confessing a "public sin" publicly If any one of these rules is violated, your sins are not forgiven. Start [...]

23 December

This one little problem with the “One True Church” claim

By Kevin|2019-04-30T09:47:57-06:00December 23rd, 2014|Uncategorized|14 Comments

Does the Holy Spirit guide Stanton alone into all truth? Ahh, this is the $64,000 question, isn't it? Wouldn't everyone nod their heads in agreement with Stanton's claims to be the "One True Church" if this could really be proven true? Of course, but it can't. Thankfully, the opposite is actually possible. It is easily provable that this central claim of the church is not true. All we need to do is demonstrate clearly that the Holy Spirit has not, in fact, led either the church or any individual in the church, into all truth. Wouldn't that lay an ax to the root of this tree that has produced such divisive fruit for over four decades now? Of course it would. Which is exactly why [...]

A Biblical look at so-called withdrawal
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A Biblical look at so-called withdrawal

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6 December

A Biblical look at so-called withdrawal

By Kevin|2019-08-30T09:48:04-06:00December 6th, 2014|Uncategorized|148 Comments

The subject of "withdrawal" is of huge importance within the Stanton churches, because it is so grossly misunderstood, taught, and practiced. In its current form, it is unscriptural, unloving, and unjust, and the fear and dread it brings to those under its threat can silence even the most honest of questions. Some of you reading this have been "withdrawn from" (an unscriptural term, how Stanton uses it) and others have spouses, mothers, fathers, or siblings who have been, thereby creating an intricate web of rules you or they have to live by. Others of you have remained silent about your dissent from official church teachings due to the threat of withdrawal, and the dysfunction it would create in your relationships with your spouse or children. [...]

26 November

Can we call it Thanksgiving, please?

By Kevin|2019-04-11T02:09:43-06:00November 26th, 2014|Uncategorized|3 Comments

Why won't anyone call the "November Meeting" the "Thanksgiving Meeting?" Oh, that's right, because Christians don't celebrate "religious holidays." Birthdays...fine. Anniversaries...fine. Nothing spiritual there. But a holiday with a spiritual component to it? We can't have that! Logically and Biblically, this is nothing short of absurd, of course. I'll get to the scriptures in a moment, but think about how silly this rule of men is. We can choose to set aside a time to honor the day God brought a person into the world, or the day God joined a couple together in "holy matrimony" (remember, marriage is not just a social institution, but a religious one created by God). But we can't set aside a time as a nation, as a society, as [...]

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"This needed to be said Kevin, thank you. I believe you are getting to heart of the problem in the church. Instead of a Christian being allowed to exercise their own conscience, the conscience of a few people living in South Carolina and California is forced upon the entire brotherhood." ~Anonymous

"Great blog, Kevin. I'm originally from Stanton (I remember you being a young boy there). I Spent almost twenty years in the church seeing many of the things you speak about but keeping them in the back of my mind, and doubting my own feelings that something wasn't right.

"This constant gossiping was so confusing because it was OK for teachers to talk about people, but no one else to even question actions of a teacher. Being outside of that influence and away from the constant intimidation, it is so much more clear. There was no love or understanding. I'm sure most, except for the leaders, know something is wrong if they would just be honest with themselves. I regret so much putting my children through this more than I regret putting myself through it.

"I'm just glad I left. No need for being bitter toward anyone because it was my choice to be there and stay there. Keep up the good work." ~Loraine Forshee

I have read every word of this blog… I spent many hours/days reading… Feeling so sick inside… I felt so grateful to find this blog." ~Anonymous

"I left the group because I realized that what the group taught and what God teaches were often-not always-vastly different. I had to make a choice; stay out of fear, obligation, because of relationships, or leave so I could continue to follow Christ. I left. You know, one thing I heard A LOT while in the group is that “fallen away ones” are always longing to come back into the group.” At the time I believed it, but I just haven’t found it to be true! If it were, there would be plenty of people flocking back, and it isn’t happening. I have been in contact with quite a few who have left, and not one of us has thoughts about going back. Ever." ~Debby Stevens

"What’s ironic is that we point these things out to them only for them to ignore, dismiss and scoff at the blog both publicly in talks or sermons, and among themselves in secret. For you leaders and members of the SCOC who still read this blog, it’s one thing to dismiss the dissenters, but when you have people in your own ranks parroting the SAME EXACT PROBLEMS we talk about here (some of whom don’t even read the blog yet they see the same things we do), it may be time to consider your ways instead of having “unity” (conformity) meetings trying to ignore it." ~Advocate for Peace

"I too am a current member in 'good standing' in the church. I read the blog and I know of two other current members who also read it. I am sure you're wondering why in the world I would still be attending after reading all of this. Honestly, I am weak and just don't have the courage to leave because of family members who are still involved. Because of the threat of withdrawal for murmuring it's impossible to ask others what they think of the blog posts and videos. I am sure I will leave someday, I'm just not quite ready." ~Anonymous

"I'm currently a member in "good standing" in the church. I read the blog, even though its frowned upon. I can't begin to tell you how closely the comments and personal testimonies align and match what's happening in the church. You read something here, and it opens your eyes to that behavior now. so that when you see it happening, you instantly think about who it happened to here on this blog, and you know the damage it causing." ~Anonymous

"I’m not giving up on God like they believe I’m lost now. I’m so glad I found this blog. It helped open my eyes to what I was a part of for TOO long." ~Not going back

“But men cannot give up their opinions, and therefore, they can never unite, says one. We do not ask them to give up their opinions–we ask them only not to impose them upon others. Let them hold their opinions, but let them hold them as private property. The faith is public property; opinions are, and always have been private property. Men have foolishly attempted to make the deductions of some great minds the common measure of all Christians. Hence the deductions of a Luther, and a Calvin, and a Wesley, have been the rule and measure of all who coalesce under the names of these leaders. It is cruel to excommunicate a man because of the imbecility of his intellect.” Alexander Campbell

“I blush for my fellows who hold up the Bible as the bond of union, yet make their opinions of it a test of fellowship; who plead for union of all Christians, yet refuse to fellowship with such as dissent from their notions. Vain men! Their zeal is not according to knowledge, nor is their spirit that of Christ. Such antisectarian-sectarians are doing more mischief to the cause and advancement of truth, the unity of Christians, and the salvation of the world, than all the skeptics in the world. In fact, they create skeptics.” Barton Stone

"Someone told me here just recently that, Gary, do you realize what’s happening, under cover? People are coming out and expressing what it is that they feel, their disdain and contempt for what you believe. I’ve got to know how to respond. And I know how I respond. That’s the basis of this lesson. I refuse. I refuse, to the uttermost of my being to dignify the absurdity of the questions and the challenges in which it is that people will present. What I mean by that is that I will not honor, they are not worthy of my consideration. … [M]y whole estimation was to not give it a nickel’s worth of consideration. But I want to give you what it is how I deal with things like this. How I respond. Because I don’t. I don’t." Gary Preman

Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Honor thy Father and Mother. This is the Fifth Commandment. The first four Commandments deal with man’s relationship with God, his creator. The near middle commandment, the Fifth, deals with man’s rel…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?From Lori Alexander’s “The Transformed Wife” blog. Women have been deceived into thinking God approves them teaching men in Bible classes. This is an error that has been in Stanton since Merie began i…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Movies are usually full of degeneracy and filth, lies and perversion. However, “It’s a wonderful Life” is a happy exception that explores the meaning of one life. Jimmy Stewart does a masterful job po…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Women are better wives and mothers when they focus on their homes, husbands, and children instead of trying to teach in Bible classes and trying to lead churches. I noticed, a lot of men in Stanton ha…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Last comment was censored by this website for no explicable reason.
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?On Reading and the Classics 2/3 Many children never got into reading, which is problematic, as this country was founded by men who were heavy readers. The first colleges in America, the Ivy League sch…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?On Reading and the Classics Part 1 of 2 Reading the classics has been frowned upon in Stanton. I’ve heard many times reading being discouraged. I’ve listened to many preachers state that they only rea…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?WHICH WAY MODERN WOMEN? From Lori Alexander’s blog, “The Transformed Wife” Author Unknown What does the Church teach about Womanhood and Marriage? Egalitarian – “Equality” of sexes, marriage is mutual…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?“It’s your pride” How many times have those of us who disagreed with teachers been told this? And yet, women who speak publicly in church and the men who defend them are proud, promoting women in role…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Which woman in the New Testament ever dared to teach men in a formal meeting? I don’t see a single instance. But, it happens in nearly every single Bible class in nearly every church in Stanton. Which…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?The Classics. This great literature is well worth reading. It contains wisdom of the past centuries, and tales of these past centuries convey to us what Christian life was like over the past 2,000 yea…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Let us consider, would any woman in Stanton have consented to marry and join Stanton if it taught the Biblical role for women and not Merie’s ahistorical version? Likely not. The Bible clearly teaches…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?It’s wonderful that young women in Stanton are raised to be virtuous mothers. But, it’s a tragedy that many of their mothers and the women in Stanton set a terrible example for them by speaking in Bib…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?“Keep the church pure” This has been a noble sentiment of Stanton since its inception. Unfortunately it becomes far more difficult when women are out of their place and insist on assuming the duties t…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Communism comes from the Jewish Talmud. Judaism regards the Talmud as having more authority than the Old Testament and Torah. Communism murdered 100 million in 100 years, the worst death machine in wo…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?The Russian Peasants knew what 90% of naive Americans don't know today, that it was the Jews behind the Bloody Bolshevik Revolution that murdered 40 million Russians. From Major Robert Williams, “Know…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?It is very easy to deceive women. That is why God instructed them to be silent in the church. Women frequently lack the acuity to clearly perceive evil agendas, and appeals to their maternal instincts…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Men are to blame for marital and societal issues with women. And behind it are degenerate Jews. Weak men use pornography, watch television, and use drugs. 90% of men in America are into one of more of…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Two questions occurred to me yesterday, and I am thankful for them in the spirit of today. They are related. 1) Why does Stanton not have any Bishops, Deacons, and Elders? And why haven’t they had any…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?A quarrelsome woman. Funny how this is an epidemic among women, and yet, I never heard a Bible class on quarrelsome women in the history of Stanton. I heard lots of classes on lust, pride, slothfulnes…

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