FOR THOSE OF YOU who have a deep concern for facts, this article is a challenge to you to carefully examine the
evidence and judge for yourself what is true. The information
comes directly from eyewitnesses and cited pertinent news
articles.
When alleged criminals are tried, the courts are meant to use
foundational principles. Each criminal is technically innocent
until proven guilty. As the old adage goes, the jury must hear
“both sides of the story” before passing sentence. From our observations, it is appallingly clear that the integrity of the
Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, led by
Generals James and Deborah Green, has been
UNDERMINED and MALIGNED without a fair trial. Vicious
allegations have been hurled at this ministry for two-and-a-half
decades, and the harassment against ACMTC and the Generals
in particular only continues to escalate. Very few seem to care
about discerning the truth of the matter. Most just love the hype.
Well, let the accusers and their unfounded allegations now be
challenged with “The Other Side of the Story.”
—ACMTC Staff
[Note: In some quotes, “bold-faced type”, “italics”, “underline” and/or “all caps”
have been added for emphasis.]
THE TRUTH “AS IT IS”
THE Generals preach the Word of God as it is. They do not “doctor
it up” with false softness and theological mush. Therefore, for
example, they declare homosexuality is a gross sin, adultery is sin,
fornication (which includes all unacceptable sexual relations) is sin,
and so on.
Sacramento is a city full of sodomites (homosexuals/lesbians),
perverts, adulterers, fornicators, and so on. To make a concise point,
many people in Sacramento hated the Generals and their ministry
since the Generals boldly declared the truth. The sodomite-influenced* media constantly slandered the ministry. (*Shortly before
the time of the Maura S. [hereafter: MS] lawsuit, the Vice Squad had
been monitoring a Macy’s store for sodomite activity and eventually
busted the manager of Channel 13, among others, for being involved
in illicit activities.)
Although, from a Christian perspective, the world slandering the
Generals is actually a good sign that the Generals are on the right
path, for Jesus said, “If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own: but because ye are not of the world . . .
therefore the world hateth you . . . If they have persecuted
me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:19,20). In light of
that statement, all real Christians should expect persecution.
The current persecutors of ACMTC always point back to the
controversial and misunderstood “Sacramento scandal.” Therefore,
let us examine the facts from that point forward. We should begin
with the dubious account of MS—a disgruntled ex-member—who
claimed to be a victim of this “dangerous cult” called “Free Love
Ministries,” a.k.a. the “Aggressive Christianity Missions Training
Corps.” Her story is now infamous among the camps of ACMTC-haters. She filed a lawsuit against ACMTC, making incredible and
unsubstantiated claims against the Generals and the ministry. Of
course, the media capitalized on her story.
This brief account examines just a few quotes from the plethora of
available articles on MS’s story and some of the many absurd
allegations spoken to condemn ACMTC. By the end of this article,
you will plainly see, without reservation, how lies have buried the truth
for so long.
ALLEGATIONS VS. THE TRUTH
LIFE IN THE “SHED”
AN article by Jan Held in the Thursday, May 11, 1989 issue of The
Biggs News Butte County Reporter reported the following: “[MS], 41,
stated in her suit she was imprisoned by ACMTC in January of 1987
and forced to live in a shed.” Melinda Welsh, who wrote a lengthy
article in a 1989 issue of the Sacramento News & Review, reported
that “According to the lawsuit...the organization [ACMTC]...forced her
[MS]... and another banished sect member to move for 10 weeks into
a 5-by-12-foot wooden shed, in which they could not stand upright.”
This shed was supposedly “unheated” and “unlighted.” Rick Longley
of the Mercury-Register cited the claim that MS was “abused by the
group and forced to live in unsanitary conditions.”
Do these allegations have factual support? Was MS really
“imprisoned” and “forced to live in a shed” at ACMTC
Headquarters? Absolutely not and absolutely not! At this point, a
little background information is necessary for the sake of clarity.
BACKGROUND
MS was a hippie before she was a Christian. Even in the gross hippie
world, MS’s behavior was considered excessively vile, particularly in
regards to her sexual relations, according to consistent testimonies.
In fact, those who knew her well say that promiscuity only lightly
describes her regular conduct as a hippie.
MS became a Christian. Sadly, it became obvious to those around
her that she never dealt very deeply with her problems. After joining
ACMTC, MS’s problems manifested in serious marriage trouble with
Steven S. (now Col. Philip Jordan).
Fornication, adultery, promiscuity, and the like, are unacceptable
for all true Christians; thus, those practices are unacceptable for
members of ACMTC. “But now I have written unto you not to
keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a
fornicator...Therefore put away from among yourselves that
wicked person” (I Corinthians 5:11-13). The U.S. military officials
remove incorrigible soldiers [NOTE: Obama has now legalized
homosexuality in the military!—A GROSS SIN!!] and business
managers fire untrustworthy workers. In like manner, ACMTC leaders
eventually removed MS from her office since she refused to forsake
her sins and cooperate with the work of God’s ministry. Is it a crime
to fire a lying, cheating, rebel-punk employee? NO! Why, then, would
anyone be alarmed that the Generals decided to remove MS from her
position?
MS was a high-ranking officer, a Captain. As their first action, the
Generals demoted her from that high position. Also, at that time,
MS’s husband decided that he did not want to live with her. So it was
made available that she could sleep in the Chop Shop, which was one
of the buildings on ACMTC property. The Chop Shop was well
accommodating since it had a bathroom with a flush toilet, a
telephone with two lines, and a door to the alley for easy coming and
going.
MS was just happy to have somewhere to live at ACMTC
Headquarters. First Lt. Jacque Rankin, AKA Rachel Johnson, who
was also causing problems for the ministry at that time, decided that
she wanted to move into the Chop Shop with MS. Sergeant Lisa D.
[hereafter: LD], another problem member, moved in too. Then, since
the three of them were getting in the way of work projects, it became
appropriate for them to move. The three of them, particularly MS,
suggested that they move into the infamous “shed”—the supposed
“unheated, unlighted, 5-by-12-foot shed.” Since the three of them
made this suggestion of their own free will, and since MS especially
assured the Generals that they would be fine, the Generals allowed
these adults to make their own decision and live where they felt
comfortable. Actually, the “unheated, unlighted, 5-by-12-foot shed”
was a nice 8-by-12-foot two-story clubhouse with two extensions,
one being 4-by-4 foot with a window, the other 4-by-6 foot with a
wood stove. And this two-story clubhouse, besides having a
window and a wood stove, was fully carpeted and powered with
electricity. By missionary standards, it was quite luxurious. [For a
short yet detailed analysis of MS’s former (primitive) living
conditions—her living conditions prior to joining ACMTC—see Colonel
Philip Jordan’s written statement about “The California Cabin.”]
As far as nearby conveniences go, the Chop Shop was right next
to the two-story clubhouse, and again, inside the unlocked shop door
was a bathroom with a flush toilet, a telephone with two lines, and a
door to the alley for easy coming and going.
LD left the ministry very soon after moving into the two-story
clubhouse, but MS and Jacque continued to stay in the two-story
clubhouse for a short time. Once more space was made available,
the two women moved into living quarters in one of the provided
houses.
MS and Jacque were supplied with plenty of food, although they
did not sit directly with everyone else, but sat apart, because they
were a liability to the spiritual health of the other ministry members.
“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every
brother that walketh disorderly . . . And if any man obey not
our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no
company with him, that he may be ashamed” (II Thessalonians
3:6,14).
Furthermore, since MS and Jacque expressed that they wanted to
work, ACMTC gave both MS and Jacque ample opportunities to work,
but also gave them a large amount of free-time so they could read
their Bibles and pray.
MS was soon hired back to work at Art Shops. David G., who ran
the Art Shops, always paid MS for her work, and so this proves that
MS had her own money. One eyewitness said that they remember
seeing MS down at one of the local thrift stores, buying some clothes,
during the time that she was allegedly “locked up” and “without
money.” Others report that they often saw her—freely and casually
walking around, not confined. The police once came to ACMTC
Headquarters to answer other false allegations, which they found to
be lies, and during their visit, they saw MS—free and content. When
MS filed her lawsuit, the police let ACMTC know that they were willing
to testify in court on behalf of the ministry against MS’s obvious
outright lies.
When the allegations were spreading about MS being forcibly
confined, David G. showed forth MS’s check stubs to the Generals,
and the Generals showed the check stubs to media reporters in order
to officially disprove the claims that MS was “imprisoned” at the
Headquarters. The reporters never made mention of the check stubs.
At any time, MS could have walked out and left ACMTC, or she
could have easily called her mother for a ride (her mother lived
nearby). Or, when MS was working at one of the Art Shops, she
could have left at any time or made a phone call.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT MS’S
LIVING QUARTERS
1. MS was not alone in the two-story clubhouse but had a female
roommate.
2. MS only lived in the two-story clubhouse for a short time. MS and
Jacque, her roommate, soon moved into other ACMTC housing
when space became available.
A FLAGRANT CONTRADICTION
PASTOR Jerry Axtell [MS’s pastor] counseled MS after she left
ACMTC the last time. His testimony is very interesting. He is quoted
in the Sunday, May 7, 1989 issue of The Sacramento Bee, and he
admitted, “[MS] was never held physically captive.” Wait . . . “[MS]
was NEVER HELD PHYSICALLY CAPTIVE ” ???
Was MS physically “imprisoned” and “forced to live in a shed” or
was she “never held physically captive” as her counselor claimed? It
seems we have two conflicting accounts. MS told her counselor that
she was somehow emotionally imprisoned but not physically
imprisoned, while in her lawsuit she claimed physical imprisonment.
RESTATING SOME FACTS
1. MS was demoted from her position in ACMTC on account of her
unfaithfulness and unwillingness to amend her ways.
2. MS’s husband was the one who put her out of his home because
he did not want to live with an unfaithful wife.
3. MS chose, by her own will, to live in the Chop Shop and then the
two-story clubhouse.
4. MS lived in the two-story clubhouse—the infamous “shed”—for
only a short time. The two-story clubhouse was nothing like MS’s
exaggerated claims. It was 8-by-12 foot, two stories, had a 4-by-4 foot extension on one side and a 4-by-6 foot extension on
the other side, was fully carpeted, had a window, a wood
stove, and was powered with electricity.
5. MS had a roommate in the two-story clubhouse named Jacque
Rankin. No reporter has ever asked Jacque what really
happened.
6. MS was employed at the Art Shops during the time that she was
allegedly “in captivity.” She was fully paid for her work.
7. MS’s lawsuit implies physical imprisonment, while the testimony of
her counselor reveals that she was “never held physically captive.”
CONCLUSION: Based upon the evidence, MS’s
stories must be HORRIBLE LIES.
QUESTIONS FOR THE ACCUSERS
1. Why was MS’s self-conflicting testimony blindly accepted without
weighing it against the innumerable testimonies of others?
2. Why did no one interview Jacque Rankin, MS’s roommate in the
two-story clubhouse, to see what she had to say on the matter?
NO REPORTER HAS EVER ASKED JACQUE RANKIN, LATER
CAPTAIN RACHEL JOHNSON, TO SUBSTANTIATE OR
INVALIDATE MS’S CLAIMS. Do you not find that suspiciously
odd?
3. After she filed the lawsuit, why didn’t MS send authorities to
examine the two-story clubhouse to verify her claims? THERE IS
NOT ONE SINGLE OFFICIAL POLICE REPORT VALIDATING
THE SUPPOSED “UNSANITARY” CONDITIONS OF THE TWO-STORY CLUBHOUSE. MR. LAWYER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN
PHOTOS OF THE “SHED”!
If you find these questions penetrating and you would like to know
more, please see the testimony of Captain Rachel Johnson, “Setting
the Record Straight,” in our Px2 Files section on our website. See
also Colonel Jordan’s statement on “The California Cabin” (also in
the Px2 Files!).
MS’S “PEANUT-BUTTER DIET”
IN the Chico Enterprise-Record, Thursday, May 4, 1989 issue, it is
reported that MS was “forced to live...on a diet of peanut butter
sandwiches.” First of all, MS chose to eat what she wanted to eat.
Notably, for a while, she and her son worked in the ACMTC cafeteria
as the cleanup crew. She chose that job. Every day they would
gorge down any leftovers they wanted. They would even go around
and finish drinking all the sodas that people had left on the tables. In
fact, MS started gaining so much weight, she asked for a different job
assignment.
Again, we must recall that MS had her own money. At any point,
she could have easily gone to a store or restaurant and eaten herself
into a coma. Plus, MS could have called her mother to obtain money
or food whenever she desired something more than what she had
chosen for herself.
[Interestingly, MS wrote letters to the Generals and talked about
her eating-habits. ACMTC still has all that information on file. Read
some of MS’s “Handwritten Letters,” and General Jim’s responses to
them, in our “Px2 Files.”]
“MENIAL WORK” DROVE MS BERSERK
The Biggs News Butte County Reporter, May 7, 1989, also cited that
MS was “forced to...do menial work at the group’s Sacramento
compound.” Without question, MS was not forced to work at
Headquarters, just like she was not forced to stay with the ministry,
but she did choose to live and work at ACMTC Headquarters. And let
it be known that everyone, including the Generals, worked “menial”
jobs at the ministry’s Headquarters! Is it now a crime to work?
It is reported that MS did not even like taking care of her own
children but often gave her kids to the Generals for caretaking. Later,
of course, MS accused the Generals of “stealing” her kids—another
ridiculous allegation.
Considering the situation, the Generals allowed MS to live at
Headquarters for a long time. They sincerely wanted to help MS as
much as they were able. However, it became obvious that MS did not
want to change or amend her family relationships.
Eventually, the Generals were left with no other recourse but to ask
MS to leave ACMTC. Soon after that, MS launched her hateful
vendetta against the Generals and ACMTC.
A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Q: If ACMTC was innocent, why did the Generals not contend
with MS in court?
A: First of all, whether or not the Generals went to court is not the
issue. The issue is that MS’s allegations were never substantiated by
law enforcement authorities, psychologists, medical doctors, or
anyone else. NO ONE EVER INVESTIGATED HER OUTLANDISH
CLAIMS OR FILED AN OFFICIAL REPORT IN HER FAVOR.
Second of all, ACMTC was under severe persecution. Persons
were being verbally and physically attacked, and properties were
being vandalized. The media had already done irreversible damage
to the character of ACMTC. Under this kind of immediate pressure,
the Generals did not see any point to potentially drag out the issue in
years of litigation. To the Generals, human lives are more important
than their own reputations.
So you see, MS did not win a court case against
ACMTC because her allegations were true. MS’s
claims were all uncontested, so she merely “won”
by default.
Now let us ask the following question: If Jesus Christ was
innocent, why was He sentenced to death as a criminal? Jesus
was innocent. However, THE COURTS OF THIS WORLD HAVE
CONDEMNED MANY INNOCENT VICTIMS.
CONSIDER THIS:
DOES it sound to you like MS’s allegations were thoroughly
investigated, or does the whole affair reek like a setup?
Keep in mind that Sacramento authorities—particularly the
sodomite-influenced media—despised ACMTC, and they really hated
the Generals in particular, simply because the Generals were bold
enough to tell the truth about sin. In a sin-dominated culture, the
truth is detested and many seek to destroy it. The conditions in
Sacramento, California, coupled with and led by the lies of MS, made
it prime for an explosion of INTENTIONAL TERRORISM against
God’s people.
BB, MS’s ATTORNEY
MS hired Robert (Bob) B. [hereafter: BB] to handle her lawsuit. Since
his influence played a great part in the California ordeal, it is sufficient
to mention a few of Mr. BB’s statements.
Mr. BB was quoted as saying, “The goal of the ministry...is to put
Lila [Deborah] and Jim on as high a pedestal as possible. They have
a philosophy that the end of the world is coming and Jim and Lila will
be in charge” (cited by Charles Gallardo of The Gridley Herald, Vol.
108, No. 74, Wednesday, May 3, 1989). Well, the end of the world
is coming, but Jesus Christ the Lord will be in charge, not the
Generals. Read the free ACMTC publications and you will quickly see
how the ministry only extols Jesus Christ as King—not any man,
woman, boy, or girl. The Generals are two of God’s appointed and
anointed leaders, but they are not God. Across the globe, God has
many leaders: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers
(Ephesians 4:11).
For those of us who live with the Generals, we know very well just
how much they serve God and His people. Generals James and
Deborah (Lila) Green humble themselves continually, in fasting,
prayer, and many labors. We here at Headquarters are surely
grateful for these two “shepherds” who lay their lives down for Jesus
and the Body, and we know the multitudes abroad feel the same way,
for their souls partake of the Generals’ sacrifices and hard work, too.
It is a real privilege to be a part of ACMTC, where Jesus alone is put
“on as high a pedestal as possible.”
In an El Paso Times, Sunday, June 25, 1995 article, BB is quoted
as saying, “Lila [Deborah] Green is the real power behind the group
. . . She’s one of those people you look in the eyes and you feel real
strange—a Charlie Manson type.”
General Deborah is a dedicated, loving and compassionate
Christian woman who has spent all her energies trying to save souls
and preserve lives. Charlie Manson is a sadistic, satanic, convicted
mass murderer who heartlessly destroyed lives. General Deborah
has absolutely no criminal record. Charlie Manson is a proven
criminal. Therefore, for Mr. BB to liken General Deborah to Charlie
Manson is to do nothing less than HATEFULLY MALIGN her Godly
Christian character with a CONSCIOUS INTENTION TO SLANDER
AND LIE against her without ONE SINGLE SHRED of evidence!
That is TERRORISM! DELIBERATE TERRORISM! Mr.
BB’s statement is a direct, venomous slander against General
Deborah, and we VEHEMENTLY testify that we do NOT believe Mr.
BB’s HATEFUL remarks of TERRORISM against a woman who
has given her ALL to follow Jesus Christ the Lord.
We who love the truth clearly see the INTENTIONAL SLANDER
in the words of BB. He told tales as truths without the backing of
factual evidences or substantial personal experience. His brutal
words indiscretely ring with pride and an unfortunately ignorant
audacity that does not hold up under the scrutiny of honest
observation. Plainly stated, Mr. BB’s slanders are MALICIOUS LIES.
CRIMINAL LAWYER ... CIVIL SUIT?
THIS is a most interesting point. BB is a criminal lawyer, and many
of the allegations spoken against ACMTC and the Generals were
definitely allegations of criminal activity, but MS did not take her lies
to a criminal court. Despite the nature of the allegations, BB and his
client MS chose to file a civil lawsuit. Why? If they had evidence that
the allegations were true...if they had eyewitness testimonies that evil,
criminal activities were taking place at the ministry’s compound...if MS
and others were being honest and could prove their claims in a court
of law...then WHY DID THE PROSECUTORS NOT TAKE THEIR
CLAIMS TO A CRIMINAL COURT? Could it be that they had no real
evidence? Criminal court works on the foundation that all claims must
be proven with facts “beyond the shadow of a doubt.” Civil court is
not bound to the same premise in the same way. Ponder that.
According to available reports, MS said she wanted to expose the
ministry and shut it down. If that were true, then why did she file a
civil suit?
Something is not matching up. She spread criminal allegations.
Multiple police reports should have been written and verified
showing ample proof for MS’s slanderous allegations. The
prosecutors should have produced undeniable facts that stood
against the Generals and ACMTC, and they should have brought
forward those facts for all to see that yes, MS’s claims were true, and
yes, the evidence matches her claims, and yes, the harsh, critical
evaluations of the ministry were not bias at all, but wholly right.
However, what we find is a string of SHADY STORIES laced with
QUESTIONABLE and CONTRADICTORY TESTIMONIES; we hear
CLAIMS and REPEATED SLANDERS without ever seeing the
EVIDENCE that backs up the claims; we are left to wonder WHAT
IS REALLY GOING ON?
This is disturbing. It makes no sense. Reader, does it not bother
you that people can make claims about criminal activity, publish the
claims and get a lawyer to spread the claims like a HATE-MESSENGER who is trying to TERRORIZE someone, and then
demand that something be done about the claims while having the
media write one-sided articles in favor of the claims, and, as a result,
define the claims as apparently true before they have ever been
examined in a court of law? Are you, dear reader, not at least a little
bit angry that people can continue to malign the name of an honest
ministry with allegations that have NEVER BEEN PROVEN TRUE
BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT? Please, think, doesn’t this
deeply disturb you? Dear reader, what if someone spitefully did that
to you and your family?
We refuse the testimony of someone who viciously slanders a
legitimate ministry with unfounded claims and then proceeds to lie to
the media and gain favor in the public eye by dishonest methods. We
refuse the testimony of someone who lies and files outrageous
lawsuits in a spirit of DELIBERATE TERRORISM. Don’t
forget, God refuses all lies too, and He knows about all
INTENTIONAL ACTS OF TERRORISM.
CHRISTIAN ACCOUNTABILITY
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and
tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear
thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear
thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth
of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church:
but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as
an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15-17).
Matthew 18:15-17 provides blueprints for dealing with sin in a
Christian community. Believers must not take one another to worldly
courts, but they must deal with issues according to God’s ordained
method: (1) mercifully confront the one at fault, and if the individual
does not repent, (2) bring others in love and confront the one at fault
again; if the individual still does not repent, (3) bring the one at fault
before the entire community and address the issue in Christian love;
if the individual still refuses to repent, then (4) treat the individual as
an unbeliever, according to the Bible, which means the community
members must no longer fellowship with the individual as they
formerly did.
Although MS was fully aware of the Biblical standard of Christian
accountability, she later decided to misrepresent this principle and
use it to cruelly slander the ministry.
MS held a very high rank—Captain, next in command to General
Deborah for the women’s corps. MS certainly knew about how the
ministry handled problem members. She knew that incorrigible
members were removed from their positions, and, in persistent cases,
were excommunicated from the ministry.
MS was the one who chose the path of unfaithfulness, knowing full-well that her privilege to serve as a part of the ministry could be
revoked if she intentionally continued to be problematic. MS’s
situation was no different than the situation of a soldier in the U.S.
Army or an employee of any corporation. The soldier/worker is
privileged to have a position, which means it is up to the
soldier/worker to remain faithful to that position, and it is the
soldier’s/worker’s choice whether or not to throw away the privilege of
that position.
ACMTC stands by the Biblical procedures for dealing with
incorrigible members in a community. Just as the U.S. Military
demotes and removes incorrigible officers, traitors, and defectors,
ACMTC demotes and removes problematic members. We strictly
adhere to the Bible on these matters.
Most church leaders today refuse to practice the God-given pattern
for Christian accountability, probably since it may cause them to lose
tithe payers or other personal comforts.
However, if church leaders truly cared for the souls in their
congregations, the leaders would readily practice Christian
accountability. Non-confronted sin is a plague—it will only spread and
infect many.
ACMTC, a Christian ministry, simply followed the Christian Bible in
how to handle the situation with MS, a professed Christian and
member of the Christian ministry.
Why do the prosecutors not reprimand militaries, businesses,
universities, and clubs? Are Christian ministries, or rather, certain
Christian ministries, the only organizations that cannot set guidelines
and regulations for their workers? Surely those who have harassed
ACMTC for upholding the Biblical standard of Christian accountability,
must actually apply accountability procedures in their own homes and
workplaces! Don’t let MS’s lies deceive you! Surely she must have
chosen to submit to the accountability of a boss or manager in all
these years after leaving ACMTC!
A BRIEF ON LD
IN the May 3, 1989 issue of The Gridley Herald, it says, “[LD] and her
daughter left the ministry ‘with a police escort’ in March 1987.” This
report is an intentional twisting of the truth to incriminate ACMTC.
Like MS, LD was problematic, and she too was demoted as a
consequence. Eyewitnesses report that LD was subsequently
vengeful.
LD fabricated stories and contacted the police. She maliciously
accused General Deborah (Lila) of many crimes, one being that the
General had often constrained and beaten her. The police came to
Headquarters to assess the situation. Authorities realized very quickly
that LD was lying, and, notably, the authorities were apparently
disgusted about the whole situation.
LD and her daughter left. The police left too. There was no heroic
“police escort.” Furthermore, law authorities filed ABSOLUTELY NO
CHARGES against ACMTC. Media personnel made it sound like LD
was “rescued” by policemen and “escaped” from ACMTC “with a
police escort.” How horribly the truth is twisted!
VP/G
Virginia P./G. [hereafter: VP/G] was another self-avowed enemy of
ACMTC. Those who knew her say that she has been a known
welfare fraud, a habitual liar, and a real menace to society. Her own
daughter, Julie G., joined ACMTC in 1984.
Julie had been saved a short while before she met the Generals.
At the time of her salvation, she was still living with her mother.
Excited about her new relationship with Jesus, Julie would often
encourage her mother to seek for real salvation in Jesus Christ. As
Julie reports, VP/G became tired of her daughter’s “preaching.” Julie
says her mother then tried to kick her (Julie) out of the house.
Later on, after Julie had been living at ACMTC Headquarters, VP/G
suddenly expressed herself as a “concerned mother.” In light of all
the indisputable facts, she certainly did not seem concerned about her
daughter beforehand! Many report that VP/G simply wanted publicity.
Julie chose to end regular contact with her irrational mother. VP/G,
of course, accused the Generals of “brainwashing” her daughter and
told one reporter that “After a while the ministry stopped letting her
talk to me” (Sacramento News & Review, 1989, article by Melinda
Welsh). No, Julie wrote her mother a letter explaining that she, by her
own free will, was choosing to cut off contact.
Can we blame Julie for not wanting to associate with someone who
so violently opposed everything she stood for? Don’t you believe
people have the right to freedom of choice on these matters?
VP/G VIOLENTLY HARASSED the ministry without ceasing,
spread terrible lies and ASSAULTED the Generals with
unprecedented accusations, just like MS! She even roused large
crowds of street thugs—drug dealers and ex-convicts—to
TERRORIZE ACMTC with loud shouting, vandalism, and threats of
violence. The local court eventually awarded Julie a restraining order
against her mother.
A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Q: Are ACMTC members required (or “forced”) to cut off all
contact with their natural families and friends?
A: N-O—NO! No one who joins ACMTC is “forced” to do anything.
People make their own choices.
You see, when parents become hysterical and unreasonable, no
one can even speak rationally with them. In cases of harassment, it
is not wrong for a victim to cut off all contact until there is a proven
change in the accuser’s character.
If a Christian’s parents are outright pagans, the Christian is not
supposed to keep in fellowship with them anyway. “Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what
communion hath light with darkness? . . . Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II
Corinthians 6:14-17).
Separation is nothing new or strange. Even worldly militaries use
this principle. When someone joins the Army, they are not allowed to
see their relatives for a designated period of time. Monasteries and
convents function the same way. In many monastic communities,
upon joining, one must sign a statement, stating that one agrees to
not contact one’s family for a certain duration of time. Sometimes,
one must agree to cut off all contact for years. In strict groups, one
must agree to NEVER have contact with their natural family again. If
one does not want to comply with the regulations, one is not allowed
to join the group.
Now, why do those who slander ACMTC not slander the U.S.
military and the numerous monastic communities? Why do they not
label those organizations as “dangerous cults”? Why do they not
accuse them of “brainwashing”? All branches of the military OPENLY
ADMIT that THEY SEEK TO REFORMAT THE SOLDIERS’
THINKING. But if someone wants to wholly dedicate himself to
Jesus, separate from the world, and remove himself from all
distracting, harassing contacts, then, all of a sudden, he is a victim of
negative “brainwashing.” THAT IS A DOUBLE STANDARD!
Those who ignorantly accuse others are often full of fear and
therefore fail to see the obvious truth. How unfortunate that people
choose to rant about “cults” and “brainwashing” without examining the
FACTS!
WAR GAMES
“In February 1985, former members accused the ministry of staging
armed war games” in El Dorado County (noted by Melinda Welsh in
a 1989 issue of Sacramento News & Review). Again, read ACMTC
materials and you will realize how absurd this claim was.
We are Christians, and “the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal” (II Corinthians 10:4). ACMTC is “the Army that sheds no
blood!” We fight battles in the spirit dimension, not in the natural. We
would never engage in natural para-military maneuvers or training.
The same article mentioned above also quotes in ACMTC’s favor,
stating, “An investigation by sheriff’s authorities failed to turn up
weapons, nor were any criminal charges filed.” Knowing this, let us
ask, why do people repeat the above allegations that have already
been proven false?
Ironically, IT WAS ACMTC MEMBERS, NOT “FORMER
MEMBERS,” WHO REPORTED HEARING GUNSHOTS IN THE EL
DORADO COUNTY AREA. The media reported falsely and the whole
story was turned against ACMTC to make the ministry look bad. It is
a classic example of dishonest journalism believed as truth.
BRAD RANKIN’S BURIAL
BRAD Rankin was a dedicated soldier of Jesus Christ who died from
malaria on the African mission-field. Brad chose to work in Africa,
and he was not ashamed to lay his life down for the African people.
Before his death, Brad requested that he be buried in Africa. His own
sister, Captain Rachel Johnson, and many others can verify this.
Brad was a grown man who was mentally and legally able to make his
own decisions. However, Brad’s parents and relatives chose to
slander the Generals and ACMTC in regards to Brad’s death.
Probably the most outlandish claim was that ACMTC members had
killed Brad and then shipped him over to Africa in a body-bag. This
allegation is especially absurd since ACMTC had and still has video
footage of Brad working in Africa.
All accusations legally “fell to the ground,” as they say. Although,
as the reports show, Brad’s relatives did manage to hassle legal
authorities into compliance to their wishes. The relatives fought to
retrieve Brad’s body from Africa, and the government granted them
permission to exhume his body. This is where the story gets even
more strange. Brad’s body was cremated before it was transported,
but it was cremated in a Hindu temple! Then his ashes were shipped
to the U.S. Yes, this noble Christian’s body was exhumed and defiled
in a non-Christian temple, solely for the satisfaction of irrational
relatives who then held a belated funeral in memory of Brad, as if
that accomplished anything but to show how deeply
unconcerned they were about his dying wishes.
Siding with Brad’s relatives, one reporter said, “Ministry members
had buried [Brad] Rankin in Africa without his parents’ permission”
(stated by Charles Gallardo in The Gridley Herald, Wednesday, May
3, 1989). Please, let us listen to common sense. Brad was not a
child but a grown man with a desire to be buried in the land where he
had laid his life down for God. Brad’s relatives directly violated his
adult decision and dying wish. Brad was not “under his parents’ roof,”
and he was not legally obligated to them in any way.
As said before, the truth about Brad can be confirmed by many
eyewitnesses, including Brad’s own sister, Captain Rachel Johnson.
If you recall, Captain Johnson (formerly 1st Lt. Jacque Rankin) is
the same woman who lived with MS in the two-story clubhouse. For
some reason, no reporter has ever cared to ask Captain Johnson
about Brad’s story, just as no reporter has ever cared to ask her about
the “shed” incident.
DOCTRINE OR LIFESTYLE?
IN a letter to the editor entitled “Ministers comment on ACMTC,”
thirteen members of the Gridley-Biggs-Richvale Ministerial
Association wrote the following: “What bothers us about ACMTC is
not so much their beliefs, but their authoritarian structure and
communal lifestyle. Is that something to be afraid of? We do not
think so” (The Biggs News Butte County Reporter, Thursday, May
11, 1989). Well, at least these ministers report that the lifestyle led by
ACMTC is nothing to fear. These ministers are absolutely right on
that!
Is a grown adult “brainwashed” and “deceived” because he
chooses to work for a structured ministry that has leaders and follows
the traditionally established Biblical order? Anywhere you go in the
world, most people who work are not their own boss. Is it now a crime
to work in an organization?
We ask the accusers to please be consistent. Persecute the
military, all businesses, stores, colleges, monasteries, clubs,
fraternities, and any other organization that functions by administering
some regimentation. Please, think clearly.
Thankfully, the Ministerial Association members also noted this:
“We do not have to agree with their way of doing things, or like them
personally. We do have to allow them the freedom to live as they
choose to live, so long as they obey the Constitution.” True. ACMTC
should not be harassed or terrorized simply because its members
choose to live differently than some Americans. We have the right to
live Biblically as we please.
OREGON
ACMTC moved from California to Oregon. In no time, by a continued
act of TERRORISM, the sodomite-influenced media, along with some
embittered parents of adult ACMTC members, followed the ministry
to Oregon and proceeded in more insidious harassment of the
ministry.
Eyewitnesses report that VP/G instigated a gang of criminals to
terrorize the ministry, and on three separate occasions, it is said that
VP/G and her large band of vandals caravanned up to Oregon and
purposefully sought to cause trouble outside the ministry’s new home.
These street-thugs were so pumped-full of lies, so irrational, and were
making so much chaos that they were responsible for almost causing
a head-on vehicle collision right outside the ministry’s home.
Subsequently, the police took action and ran the violent insane
criminals out of town.
Sacramento’s Channel 13 television crew, headed by reporter KO,
also came to Oregon bearing accusations like those of MS. In a
clearly unConstitutional manner, they hoarded around the ministry’s
new home and yelled at ACMTC leaders. Then they pounded
incessantly on the front door of the ministry’s private home and
paraded around the building, peering into windows with their television
cameras. Yes, this kind of stuff happens in America, folks! What
about the Constitutional rights of American citizens? Well, in this
case, the police basically reprimanded the reporters and the local
authorities eventually ordered Sacramento’s Channel 13 reporters to
leave and never return.
Some sensible folks in the police department and a few locals in
Oregon were kind to ACMTC members, despite MS’s continued
hateful onslaught of lies.
BERINO, NEW MEXICO
ACMTC moved to southern New Mexico. Upon arrival at its new
home in that location, the ministry continued to serve God and spread
the Gospel.
It was the media, again roused by MS’s false accusations, that
spitefully slandered ACMTC. Dan Williams of the El Paso Times
wrote an article in the Sunday, June 25, 1995 issue, entitled “‘Soldiers
of God’ have NM town abuzz.” “Abuzz”—this is a blatant
misrepresentation. Please excuse the cynicism, but the only people
in Berino who are “abuzz” about anything are the resident drunks.
The above article had a strange quote from a local who said he had
been to the ministry’s home in that location. This man claimed that
“There wasn’t a Bible in sight.” That is ABSURD! All ACMTC
members have Bibles, and the ministry is regularly distributing Bibles
for free—English, French, Spanish, and other translations—all around
the world.
That article was obviously just another attempt to BRUTALLY
MALIGN the character of ACMTC by following the trail of MS’s
slanderous accusations.
A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Q: Who is chiefly responsible for hurling slanderous
accusations against ACMTC?
A: For more than 29 years, members of ACMTC have been the
recipients of diverse persecutions. The chief persecutors have been
disgruntled parents, reportedly led by the prerogatives of MS and
company, especially BB and, in the recent
past, Christine L. [hereafter: CL] of Long Island.
CL is responsible for using telephone communications and other
means to repeatedly harass ACMTC, local residents in areas
surrounding the ministry’s northern New Mexico home, local sheriffs,
state policemen, the F.B.I., legal officials of other various branches
and many others. [See the very end of this essay for more details.]
Mrs. L’s own husband testified that CL is a friend of MS and regularly
talks with MS on the phone.
Also, in recent years, testimonies report that irrational parents have
derived additional inspiration from Rick R. [hereafter: RR]—a self-avowed “cult catcher” and a convicted criminal who is said to have a
lifelong history of mental illness. RR was personally involved in trying
to “deprogram” (violently harass) one ACMTC member. Notably, MS
was there with Mr. RR, aiding his unConstitutional, criminal
procedures. [To read the full account of this HORRIFYING
TESTIMONY of KIDNAPING, HARASSMENT and the
PREMEDITATED VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, see Brad
Shank’s (AKA Christopher’s) testimony in our “Px2 Files.”]
Chris S. [hereafter: CS] must also be exposed. He is a former New
Mexico deputy sheriff who became a private investigator.
Eyewitnesses recount that he sought to terrify the ministry, once
threatening to take away the members’ children.
By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, ACMTC has always taken
persecution in stride. It is terrible that so many have fallen under the
spell of MS’s vicious allegations. The ministry has prayed for those
who swallowed her venomous lies.
COMMONLY REPEATED LIES
Lie #1 —ACMTC leaders practice “brainwashing.”
TRUTH —Please define “brainwashing,” folks! If you are denoting
the Generals as cruel Communists, you are horribly deceived and
have believed a lie. The Generals help people to think on whatsoever
is “true ... honest ... just ... pure ... lovely ... of good report ... [of]
virtue ... [of] praise” (Philippians 4:8). This is Biblical. Christians are
commanded to “THINK on these things,” and Christian leaders are
commanded to admonish everyone in such sound doctrine (Titus 2:1;
II Timothy 4:1-2 ff.).
Those who slander the Generals are usually avid TV watchers. If
there has been any medium by which the masses in this nation have
been “brainwashed” to believe certain philosophies, it has been the
medium of television [now it’s the medium of the INTERNET!!!]. Food
companies spend fortunes on advertising, trying to “brainwash”
people to buy their products. Why don’t the accusers slander all
advertising companies?
Accusations about “brainwashing” are merely attempts to discredit
the Generals and ACMTC without any factual evidence. It’s all
unsubstantiated hype. This hype surrounding the idea of
“brainwashing” makes for a good melodrama, but it does not hold
together under reasonable scrutiny.
Lie #2 —ACMTC practices kidnaping and abusing children.
TRUTH —Another quote from the afore-mentioned Gridley-Biggs-Richvale Ministerial Association answers this allegation well. Against
the above charge, the ministers said, “Please folks, don’t get them
[ACMTC] mixed up with other groups that we have heard of.”
Amen and amen!
While in Sacramento, ACMTC was twice visited by Child Protection
Agency (CPA) workers, who had come to address the above
allegations, especially child abuse and neglect. The CPA workers
determined the allegations were absolutely false and NO ONE FILED
CHARGES.
Consider also the following quote from Sergeant William Elliot of
the Butte County Sheriff’s department. This quote was cited in the
May 3, 1989 issue of The Gridley Herald: “...the Sheriff’s department
sees ACMTC ‘as just another religious group’...involved in ‘no criminal
activity that I know of.’” Gridley Mayor Thomas E. Campton said the
same thing: “I haven’t seen them do anything wrong” (quoted in
The Sacramento Bee, Sunday, May 7, 1989). Now why do people not
pay attention to verified statements like that? Think, if the above
allegations were true, would not ACMTC have been shut down long
ago? Kidnaping and child abuse are criminal charges. The Generals
would already have been locked up if the accusers had even one
minuscule shred of evidence to support their claims.
The early Christian communities of the first, second, and third
centuries were faced with the exact same accusations concerning
children, so these false allegations are nothing new.
Child Abuse Claims And The
UNCONSTITUTIONAL INVASION Of Two Of
Our Quiet Homes
On January 28, 2000, a swarm of armed policemen stormed
ACMTC’s quiet, peaceful home in northern New Mexico. This
invasion was undoubtedly UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ILLEGAL,
CRIMINAL.
What was the reason for the ILLEGAL invasion? What was the
purpose of the UNCONSTITUTIONAL raid? The answers lie in the
disreputable testimony of a single witness named El Phalen (Kali
Jeane Phalen), who brought forth allegations of child molestation and
abuse.
El Phalen initially spoke her allegations to Albuquerque’s KRQE-TV, Channel 13 television reporter Darren W. [hereafter: DW] (who is
now a county sheriff in Albuquerque). Without first substantiating the
claims, a Channel 13 helicopter flew out to harass ACMTC’s private
home and repeatedly circled the property for about an hour,
reportedly in order to obtain some camera footage to support
allegations against the ministry. DW proceeded to run a television
series of biased, factless reports on ACMTC. His hyped-up reports
aroused the attention of the state’s Children, Youth and Families
Department (CYFD), whose workers also neglected their job to
investigate the claims and quickly sought help from law enforcement
officials. Special Agent Pete B. [hereafter: PB] of New Mexico’s
Public Safety Department apparently leaped to the occasion and pled
for a heavily armed raid—without any legal reason to do so—while his
boss, Lt. Jim P. [hereafter: JP], sat back and evidently allowed this
erratic officer to run wild.
It is said that another driving force who worked scandalously
behind the scenes was none other than RR, who was fueled by past
allegations and intentional slanderous reports.
DW was not unseasoned in public relations. He was a former
police official who had just recently quit his job as secretary of the
Department of Public Safety. He certainly knew proper legal
procedures of investigation; however, Mr. DW apparently forsook his
legal training and acted rashly, to put it mildly. Certainly in God’s
eyes, and in the eyes of any reasonable person, DW walked away
from all integrity by immediately accepting the unsubstantiated
witness of a strange, unreliable woman.
The CYFD should have investigated ALL CLAIMS before any
police action was initiated. But as it goes, they shamefully neglected
to do their job. “The state’s rationale for attempting to seize the
children hinges on statements from a single witness . . . whom law
enforcement authorities say has a history of making unfounded
allegations” (Mike Taugher, Albuquerque Journal, February 17,
2002). In his February 16th, 2000 article, Mike Taugher cites that “The
woman was identified by authorities as El Phalen . . . a transient.
Police say Phalen has made unfounded allegations in the past.
‘Our department has had one or two cases involving her that turned
out to be nothing,’ said [Johnny V., hereafter: JV], Cibola county
undersheriff. ‘I think it’s the department’s opinion that the case should
probably have been investigated further’ before the state attempted
to remove the children, [JV] said. ...Phalen told the Cibola County
Sheriff’s Department that her neighbor was trying to kill her. But that
turned out not to be true, [JV] said.”
So, a woman named El Phalen—a known psychopathic
liar—reported allegations to television reporter and former state
policeman DW, saying that members of ACMTC were sexually
abusing and burning children. DW spread the unproven allegations,
and then the New Mexico CYFD heard the allegations on the TV
series and blindly believed the un-examined claims! Of course, once
the “kill-the-cult” bandwagon starts rolling, many unseemly figures
slither to the surface for a ride. Thus the CYFD, prodded on by PB
and RR and the accusers, managed to get a search and seizure
warrant WITHOUT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CLAIMS!
PEOPLE, THIS IS HEAVY LAWSUIT
MATERIAL.
“‘None of this has been confirmed,’ said State Police Capt. [Glen
T., hereafter GT] of Gallup, referring to the woman’s allegations.
‘They’re taking it from a witness who is shaky’” (Ibid.). District
Attorney Mike R. [hereafter: MR] said “there was no evidence the
group had broken any laws.” Thank you for the truth, MR, and again,
thank you Cibola County Sheriff L and Undersheriff JV, Captain GT,
and others who stood against the lies and did what was right.
What happened to “innocent until proven guilty beyond a
shadow of a doubt”? How did the CYFD manage to slide past the
Constitutional methods of investigation? Since when did law
enforcement officials—like Lt. JP and Special Agent PB—stop doing
background checks on shady witnesses and start operating on
hearsay alone? Without a doubt,
OUR HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE BEEN
VIOLATED!
El Phalen did seek out ACMTC for personal help and she was
welcomed into the ministry’s home, but her stay was short. She was
asked to leave for two main reasons: 1) she secretly used drugs and
would not abandon her addictions when the Generals discovered her
secret and confronted her, and 2) she sneaked guns into the camp.
As a Christian ministry, ACMTC does not allow its members to
continue a drug habit, neither does it allow members to own guns. El
Phalen was more than a liability—mentally and physically.
Eyewitnesses say that she hated the Generals for making her leave,
and her sharp bitterness obviously drove her to seek revenge.
Local police authorities of northern New Mexico argued with the
CYFD, Special Agent PB, and company, and they contended against
an armed invasion of ACMTC’s peaceful country home. (The ministry
says “Thank you!” to all of the local sheriffs, state policemen and
officers who tried to use common sense.) Yet after three days of
litigation, the favor fell to the CYFD. Ignorance, fear, and hate took
charge and molested truth, justice, and law.
MS’S ACCUSATIONS INSTIGATE OTHERS
TO VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS
Just think . . .
Down the road, the swarms of uneasy, hyped-up soldiers are
making their final preparations before invasion. Las Cruces sheriffs
have already violently broken into the southern mission home of
ACMTC members in Berino, New Mexico.
In Berino, officers appeared at the mission and started pounding
furiously on the door. The only person at home was Captain
Johnson, an older woman. Since these officers had disguised
themselves by wearing “street clothes”, Captain Johnson could not
properly identify them, so she hesitated to open the front door. She
had very good, wise reasons for hesitating: 1) she was an older
woman, by herself; 2) she could not properly identify the raging men
as police because they were not in uniform and did not disclose who
they were or what they wanted; and 3) Berino is filled with many
strange, often dangerous drunks and drug addicts, and so, being
cautious, Captain Johnson assumed potential danger.
Captain Johnson was frightened and hesitated to unlock her home
for apparently violent men. In haste, the police took drastic
measures.
They smashed a large expensive window leading into the kitchen
and came crawling through the debris like murderous special-forces
mercenaries who were ransacking the compound of some drug
dealer. It was absolute chaos! UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
ULTIMATELY ILLEGAL!
Why did the police have to crash through the kitchen window when
all they had to do was calm down and properly identify themselves?
What a disgrace to the image of the New Mexico Public Safety
Department, the Las Cruces sheriffs, and the state’s Children, Youth
and Families Department! How could those officers completely
terrorize an older woman like that without having first investigated the
situation? (By the way, even after ACMTC was declared innocent, the
law enforcement officials never offered to replace the ministry’s
beautiful, expensive kitchen window.) Thankfully, when authorities
knocked on the door of ACMTC’s northern New Mexico home, the
ministry members could identify the invaders as policemen and
therefore let the authorities come in. [Certainly the policemen must
have been surprised from the start when they arrived at the edge of
our (then) gateless driveway at this particular ACMTC home.]
We are a simple people. Everyone who reads our literature knows
we do not wage natural wars, for our warfare is wholly spiritual. How
absurd, yes, HOW UTTERLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR HEAVILY
ARMED TROOPS TO STORM THIS PRIVATE HOME AS IF WE
HAVE NO RIGHTS LIKE CONVICTED VICIOUS CRIMINALS!
It is MS and her associates who are the outlaws—who have broken
laws and falsified reports, apparently to hurt and silence those whom
they hate. Even here, it was the slanderous accusations of MS that
instigated El Phalen and others. Therefore, MS IS ULTIMATELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS COMPLETE VIOLATION OF BASIC
HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS. IT IS
HER LIES THAT INFLUENCED THIS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
ATTACK—HER LIES INSTIGATE OTHERS TO LIE AND VIOLATE
PEOPLE’S HUMAN RIGHTS.
No one can deny the truth that MS is chiefly responsible for
influencing the violation of ACMTC’s rights in this situation and also
in other situations. BUT NO MATTER WHAT, ALL THE LIES WILL
BE BROUGHT INTO THE LIGHT IN GOD’S PERFECT TIMING.
YES, AND UNTIL THEN, EVEN NOW, WE AT ACMTC SHALL NOT
LIVE UNDER ANY ACCUSATIONS.
The New Mexico CYFD was absolutely irrational, to say the very
least, for believing DW, PB, RR, the accusers, and especially the
mental case, El Phalen—without any legal investigation of the absurd
allegations.
County sheriffs later criticized the CYFD for their unlawful actions
and for their trust in a single witness who had a history of lying to
police. Remember, the local sheriffs were forced into submission,
and really, the state troopers were only obeying orders from PB. But
why did Lt. JP, PB’s boss, let PB push forward his “raid hype” without
any real proof? Maybe PB did not tell Lt. JP everything he was
planning...maybe he did. Either way, there is no excuse for Lt. JP to
have neglected to keep a tight handle on his officer’s wild, illegal
ideas.
Why did no one in the state’s Children, Youth and Families
Department ever point out that the claims were outlandish
accusations that had no factual backing?
Thank the Lord Jesus Christ, the kids were on a field trip during the
DW-CYFD-PB-RR scandal. However, there is no excuse for the
state’s acts of TERRORISM, or for MS’s accusations that instigated
the terrorism.
Many unauthorized maneuvers occurred during the raid. PB
prodded into the personal affairs of ACMTC members by having
troopers interrogate every resident, and he took pictures of those who
were present (an action that was neither appointed nor necessary).
PB was only supposed to be there to steal children, not harass our
members, which means his procedures were totally unwarranted.
At any rate, the very day of the invasion, nearly all the policemen
personally apologized to the Generals. County sheriffs and state
policemen emphasized that they contested the raid for three straight
days, and that they were not aligned with Special Agent PB but
“belonged to another department.” Lt. JP even apologized,
eventually, and hopefully he meant it. Although, he did promise to
perform an investigation on PB, but he never got back to us with a
report. Some say he probably did not want to incriminate himself.
After weeks and weeks of relying on the justice of Almighty God,
the Lord Jesus Christ finally vindicated ACMTC. ALL COURT
PROCEDURES WERE DROPPED, AND THE STATE DECLARED
ACMTC INNOCENT OF ALL ALLEGATIONS. As for El Phalen, she
disappeared. That is no surprise since the police were “on her trail”,
wanting to file criminal charges against her.
IS THIS A RERUN, FOLKS?
An unfaithful woman is kicked out of the ministry, she becomes
hateful against the Generals, and all of a sudden, THE
ALLEGATIONS ARE FLYING. The media embraces the lies, spreads
the lies, and tries to incriminate the ministry. Is it just coincidence, or
do you hear the reoccurring siren song of
MS? Do you not see the pattern?
El Phalen knew about the California scandal and obviously copied
MS’s behavior. She may have thought she could steal properties
from ACMTC, just as MS and BB had done. Well, it did not work this
time. Why not? It did not work because certain legal authorities were
finally pressed to do their job and investigate the allegations and the
accuser.
If you love to discern the truth, you must be pondering these
important points:
1) A simple investigation of the facts proved that El Phalen is a
compulsive liar with a shady personal history. Should not
California authorities perform an investigation to finally discover
the truth about MS’s character and personal history?
2) The state of New Mexico analyzed the facts and discovered
that ACMTC is innocent on every point regarding El Phalen’s
gross accusations. Should not authorities in the state of
California make a proper investigation to finally show forth the
innocence of ACMTC on every point in regard’s to MS’s equally
vicious, gross accusations?
3) Albuquerque reporter DW promulgated false claims without
first investigating the facts. Should we not also question the
character of all the California reporters who NEVER VERIFIED
THE TRUTH but RASHLY SLANDERED ACMTC with
malignant comments on the printed page and TV screen?
It is time for the accusers to reconsider their opinions and biased
perceptions. Was MS simply an “El Phalen” who managed to slither
away from an official investigation?
God gave ACMTC far reaching victories through all the
persecution. For example, no longer will New Mexico’s local police
blindly accept charges that are spewed out in ill manner against
ACMTC. Thank you, Jesus Christ!
ACMTC’s members have forgiven all their persecutors, from MS to
El Phalen and all others. That does not mean that this ministry will
not expose the truth. It means that our members honestly hold no
bitter grudges against anyone. In fact, as a ministry, the members of
ACMTC often cry out to the Lord Jesus in intercessory prayer on
behalf of their persecutors.
The Generals have graciously sent written letters and e-mails to
those who despise them, expressing their forgiveness and their
concern for the eternal destination of each individual. Sadly, the
Generals have received hateful responses in return. MS wrote an
especially vengeful e-mail in response to a tender letter that General
Deborah sent to her. How terrible! But this is life as a real Christian,
and Jesus blesses us in the midst of persecutions.
ACMTC greatly appreciated the apologies of the County sheriffs,
state policemen and others who were victims of the system in their
own way in the year 2000 raid. Again, thank you very much for your
concern!
Lie #3 —ACMTC harbors guns.
TRUTH —We have already addressed this nonsense. Our warfare
is purely, only spiritual.
Claims should be substantiated with evidence, not rumors. This
ministry has no criminal record of harboring guns. LET THE
ACCUSERS PRODUCE SOME REAL POLICE REPORTS, PLEASE!
The Biggs News Butte County Reporter, May 4, 1989 issue refers to
reporters who toured ACMTC's home in East Biggs, and the reporters
said, “There is no sign of weapons or weapon paraphernalia.”
Amen for an honest report!
Lie #4 —ACMTC leaders force new members to move in.
TRUTH —There are many ACMTC friends and “members”
throughout the U.S. and around the world. Everyone we associate
with is not a resident at our northern New Mexico Headquarters, and
anyone who visits us is not obligated or coerced to stay. Resident
members are those who have chosen to stay because they felt God
called them to live here, and they were subsequently welcomed.
Millions of true Christians live in diverse places around the world.
They are all “members” of the Body of Christ. For your information,
we turn down many people who want to come live here at
Headquarters, and we tell them to minister the Gospel in their own
locale.
We here at Headquarters take our lives very seriously. As best as
we can, we do not waste our time. We are fully aware that certain
types of individuals could not handle the Christian vigorousness of our
Biblical lifestyle. So even when someone expresses an interest to
join, we make sure they understand the level of commitment it takes
to live here. ACMTC is not a laid-back church for loafers, but an
uncompromising Spirit Army for aggressive Christian soldiers.
Lie #5 —ACMTC leaders force new members to change their
names.
TRUTH —No one is coerced to change their name. People seek
God and have their names changed by their own free choice.
God changed the names of many of His disciples spoken of in the
Bible. In fact, one Christian scholar from Romania claimed that all
Christian women in the early Church may have been titled with the
same first name! How about that for a cult!
How wonderful it is to have your Creator rename you! If you think
it is strange for the Lord to rename His people, then contend with
Abraham (Abram), Sarah (Sarai), Israel (Jacob), Ruhama
(Loruhama), Ammi (Loammi), Paul (Saul), and many others.
When someone adopts a child, they change the child’s name to
their own. It is beautiful for parents to welcome new children into their
home and rename them. A new name is like a new label—it identifies
you and often describes who you are. “Oh, I’m sure he’s a fine young
man. He’s a Johnson...”—as if the name expressed his character.
God promises all Christians—all overcomers—a new name: “To him
that overcometh will I give...a white stone, and in the stone a
NEW NAME written” (Revelation 2:17). The “white stone”
symbolizes our absolution from sin, and the “new name” is our name
of adoption into the Family of God. God often manifests this truth in
the here-and-now, like a demonstration of things happening in the
Spirit. Do a study on new names in the Bible. It is fascinating!
Enemies of God even receive new names at times. “Then said
Jeremiah unto him, The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur,
but Magormissabib. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make
thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends” (Jeremiah 20:3,4).
That is one way you do not want God to rename you. The accusers
should pay heed.
Lie #6 —The Generals force new members to fast (abstain from
food).
TRUTH —Actually, the truth is quite the contrary. Yes, ministry
members practice the discipline of fasting, at times, but no one here
is ever forced to fast. All of us who fast do so because we want to
gain more ground in the Spirit. We enjoy fasting!
Here is the real issue: Most professing Christians (or non-Christians) who oppose fasting do so either because they are ignorant
about the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of fasting or because
they hold some personal bias against fasting.
In point of fact, God condones fasting. Jesus said, “Moreover
WHEN ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance .
. . But thou, WHEN thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy
face” (Matthew 6:16,17). Note what He said: “WHEN ye fast . . .
WHEN thou fastest.” Jesus was assuming that Christians will
definitely fast at times. Jesus did not say “IF ye fast,” but “WHEN ye
fast.”
The context of the above chapter is dealing with proper procedures
for certain spiritual “exercises” like fasting and prayer. Jesus had just
finished telling his disciples how to pray, saying, “And WHEN thou
prayest...” (v.5)—again, His words reveal what He expects of His
people. Jesus did not say, “IF thou prayest,” but “WHEN thou
prayest.” Naturally, then, we discover that the Lord expects His
people to fast just as He expects them to pray.
What is next? Will the accusers, including professed Christians,
say that the Generals force new members to PRAY???
Lie #7 —The Generals force new members to throw away their
stuff or give them their stuff.
TRUTH —Anyone who comes to live at ACMTC Headquarters may
bring and keep all personal items so long as those items are not
objects of worldliness and sin. ACMTC functions by the standard of
Godliness as defined by the Bible just as the military and private
universities function by their own designated standards.
In no way do the Generals beg for “stuff.” That is the last thing on
their minds. Indeed, all members of ACMTC are primarily concerned
with the eternal destiny of perishing souls. Materialism is not our god.
Let us think again on the standards of Godliness. Are the leaders
of ACMTC not allowed to place regulations on what is and is not
appropriate for the health, well-being, and proper function of this
ministry? Do not church leaders have board meetings to solve
questions and arrive at “sound counsel” for their congregations?
The U.S. military is very strict about what it allows new recruits to
have and not have. In fact, it monitors everything: the military
DICTATES what one will wear, the length of one’s hair, the nature
and amount of personal belongings one may have in one’s barracks,
the menu one eats and WHEN one will eat it, and even CONTROLS
the time for sleeping and the time for waking up. Furthermore, the
military FORCES soldiers to exercise and participate in vigorous drills
and a number of exasperating disciplines. By prevailing definitions,
the U.S. military must be a really, really, REALLY DANGEROUS
“CULT”!
Lie #8 —The Generals control who gets married and who gets a
divorce.
TRUTH —This is a ridiculous allegation. The Generals leave the
decision of marriage and divorce to each individual member. They
have no reason to force anyone into marriage or out of marriage.
This accusation is like so many—just a cruel attack on the
character of the Generals.
Lie #9 —The leaders and resident members of ACMTC think they
are the only Christians in the world.
TRUTH —That is absurd. Read the ministry’s literature and learn
about what ACMTC really teaches. There are millions of true
Christians living all around the world.
Those who set forth this accusation always misquote the Generals
and pull words out of context.
Lie #10 —ACMTC members never question the Generals, but
blindly believe everything they say.
TRUTH —This, too, is absurd. Luke wrote, “These were more
noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). While Paul wrote,
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thessalonians
5:21). All ACMTC members respectfully practice these truths.
ACMTC’s Christian soldiers are not meant to be mindless robots.
And the Generals are not totalitarian dictators who think they are
perfect.
BLESSINGS AND CURSES
EVERY move this ministry has made, every new door that God has
opened, whatever the Lord has allowed ACMTC to endure, it has all
been for the good of God’s people. The Aggressive Christianity
Missions Training Corps is eternally blessed! Though multitudes have
tried to slay the ministry’s image, and some have even tried to harm
the members’ bodies, Jesus has kept this ministry in His hands. The
innumerable slanders and persecutions have only brought this
ministry to higher realms in the Spirit.
Those who have driven ACMTC from its homes and have viciously
stolen its businesses do not realize that God used the persecutions
to usher His people into more blessed circumstances. This ministry
rejoices in God!
THE CONCLUSION
IT is an awful tragedy when bystanders will accept outlandish
allegations without examining any factual evidence. Furthermore, the
natural relatives of ministry members act WHOLLY IRRATIONAL
when they believe accusations that were NEVER PROVEN TRUE.
The parents’ dispositions and actions are especially uncalled-for when
MOTHERS AND FATHERS ACCEPT THE
HEARSAY OF COMPLETE STRANGERS
OVER AND AGAINST THE SURE, HONEST
TESTIMONY OF THEIR OWN ADULT SONS
AND DAUGHTERS.
JUSTICE WILL NOT BE SUPPRESSED BY
IGNORANCE FOREVER. It is true that in the end, when the
whole world stands before the Living God, the Lord Jesus Christ will
recompense all wrongdoing. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,
saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
Thank God, the Generals and ACMTC are still alive and well—BY
THE SHEER GRACE OF GOD!!!—and the ministry is moving forward
internationally in Jesus Christ the Lord.
“The Other Side of the Story” is merely a brief summary of key
points. This presentation is far from exhaustive. ACMTC holds
MANY MORE documents and articles that contain much, much more
NOTEWORTHY INFORMATION. See the “FINAL NOTE” below for
more details.