Dr. David Jeremiah: Getting rich from selling Jesus and the Gospel for greedy gain.

Another day, another Evangelical Guru is busted for corruption and stealing from God. This time a biggie, Dr. David Jeremiah of Turning Point.

Tenacious investigative journalist, Warren Throckmorton, has the goods once again. His report details the account of a former Chief Financial Officer at Jeremiah’s Turning Point that alleges Jeremiah directed non-profit funds in an artificial campaign to get his books on best-seller lists….specifically in a manner that caused book sales that directly benefited Dr. David Jeremiah in the form of royalties.

Using the non-profit “For Jesus!” mechanism for personal royalties. Very typical. These big name pastors and gurus are very rich men. Most are multi-millionaires and their only product is selling Jesus and the Gospel for greedy gain.

Dr. David Jeremiah reportedly takes over $115,000 per year in salary from Turning Point in addition to his lucrative book royalties and speaking fees.

Would any of these pastors and gurus actually “serve” Jesus for free instead of charging a ton of money? Nope.

Full story here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2015/01/14/former-chief-financial-officer-at-turning-point-claims-david-jeremiah-used-questionable-methods-to-secure-a-spot-on-best-seller-lists/

Mark Driscoll, former leader of Mars Hill Church, now named in RICO lawsuit.

A bombshell RICO Lawsuit was filed recently against former leaders of Mars Hill Church of Mark Driscoll fame.

The lawsuit alleges that the church and leaders often solicited money under the guise of one thing….then diverted the funds to other things. It is alleged that Calvary Chapel churches have done similar…soliciting money under the guise of a particular separate charity…and then the money ending up in the general fund for the pastor to use it to fund his lifestyle and pay his bills.

Churches have long been ignoring attempts by grass-roots bloggers and former church-goers to clean up their act. This blog has called on the Calvary Chapel sect of churches and some others to change their ways. Those calls have been largely ignored and the messengers have been vilified and attacked in many cases. Unfortunately, I am personally aware of many specific Calvary Chapel instances of what looks like a bait-and-switch with fundraising for a specific non-profit only to have very large amounts of money end up in the general fund of the pastor to spend however he wants as former employees and board members confirm. That’s the dynamic. It’s wrong. It’s corrupt. Mars Hill is being held accountable for it. Others will as well.

Here is an excerpt from the report: “a continuing pattern of racketeering activity by soliciting, through the internet and the mail, contributions for designated purposes, and then fraudulently used significant portions of those designated contributions for other, unauthorized purposes. It was a pattern of racketeering activity that extended through a myriad of MHC projects, including the Global Fund, the Campus Fund, the Jesus Festival, and the promotion of Driscoll’s book Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together (“Real Marriage”).”

You can find a full report by the Church Abuse Journalist Stud, Warren Throckmorton, here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2016/02/29/rico-lawsuit-filed-against-former-leaders-of-mars-hill-church/

The RICO Lawsuit can be found here: http://wp.production.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/files/2016/02/Filed-Complaint.pdf

From the Phoenix Preacher Blog:

“I was on the phone with Saeed 6-8 hours a day. Saeed admitted to having a phone in prison. I knew exactly how he was doing every single day. I was told by the ACLJ that I could not share about Saeed having a smuggled (smart phone) as it might cost his life. He admitted to congressman Pittinger that he had a phone and was on social media and websites and on skype and phone hours and hours each day and knew exactly what was happening…”

On her prior claims that she went weeks without communicating with Saeed;

“I was told by ACLJ to say that. That if there was ANY indication that I had communication with Saeed outside of the weekly visits of the family, Saeed’s life would be in danger. I admit that I obeyed man other than God and idolatry and lie are sins I have to owe up to. It was freeing to not lie any more in October and to be free of having to keep secrets. It was displeasing to God and I have repented of that.”

Saeed Abedini is under Matt 18 church discipline;

“There is not a pastor that Saeed had worked with that approves his character or that he has submitted to. He had ignored every discipline and and authority. He got his pastoral certificate not by the way God ordained it, but by paying money to an organization and having them send him his pastoral certificate. He was never ordained.”

“He caught pastor Bob off guard when he came to church and pastor Bob said there would be more commotion if he did not have him come up and thank people for praying. That’s it. There will be no more done with Saeed at the church. And no. Saeed is not ordained in any denomination (Calvary Chapel or Assemblies of God). HE received his pastoral card by paying an organization and receiving it in the mail.”

On Saeed being abusive in prison and why she cut off communication;

“Because most of it was very abusive and controlling. This is why in end of October 2015 I told Saeed no more. I felt bad and could not cut off the abuse. Who does that to someone in prison? So I kept answering his phone calls and trying to encourage using scripture and worship. I was either being on the phone with Saeed or traveling or doing media. All the while the phone calls and the continued emotional and verbal abuse and the control was destroying me. I said no more because I could no longer take it and could not understand why the abuse while I was fighting for him so hard. I took so much for my eyes to be opened. It took 3 years of Saeed’s imprisonment and much prayer and fasting for the veil to be lifted and for me to find my strength in the Lord to say no more to the abuse. It was truly God’s Grace.”

On her marriage;

“No one wants reconciliation more than me. For the sake of the kids I have wanted it more than anything. But God showed me that for the sake of Saeed I had to stop enabling and if there was a chance for repentance I had to say no more. God also showed me that absolute obedience to my husband was not right. That God is the one with absolute authority. That if I did not stand in truth and light and if I continued in the way that I was, I would be judged as ananias and sapphira. Sapphira followed her husbands deception and lies and God judged her the same. This is the hardest thing I have ever done and the most loving thing I can do for Saeed. God is more concerned about the spiritual chains than the physical. The battle has changed from traveling to my knees and praying. By His Grace I am standing and for the love of my husband. Every fiber of my being wants this to work out.”

Link to blog article here: http://michaelnewnham.com/?p=24837

Justice is supposed to be blind. We want a fair shake in Bob Grenier’s (Calvary Chapel Visalia) lawsuit in Tulare County.

Bob Grenier Calvary Chapel Visalia pastor’s lawsuit is in the late innings. Here’s an update:

We (Team Alex Grenier, Alex Joye, Alex Joye Grenier) have fulfilled our Discovery requests from the Plaintiff (Bob Grenier, Calvary Chapel Visalia pastor and Visalia Police chaplain and Tulare County Sheriff’s chaplain in official capacities to our knowledge/belief at the time of this writing).

Depositions are under way with key witnesses being deposed under oath including Bryan Prosser (long time CC Visalia attendee), Jim Souza (20 year CC Visalia assistant pastor), Tina Jenkins (former CC Visalia Sunday School admin), Greg Dowds (career CC Visalia board member, elder and right hand man to Bob Grenier), Sue Dowds (CC Visalia women’s ministry, cafe helper, Greg’s wife), Alex Joye Grenier (yours truly), Didi Dehaan Grenier (Robert Jr.’s now ex-wife and former CC Visalia bookkeeper and assistant), Mike Buford Sr. (long time CC Visalia assistant pastor).

On the docket to be deposed: Alice Bryant (former CC Visalia bookkeeper), Gayle Grenier, Bob Grenier, Amy Tefft and Janet Tefft.

Witnesses likely to be called at Trial: Rose Rye, Suzette Dehaan, Gary Ruff, David Rosales, Raul Ries, Brian Brodersen, Roger Wing, Patricia Boesch, Jeff Pierce, Geoff Grenier, Greg Silva and possibly some others.

We have requested Discovery of Bob Grenier and we have yet to get cooperation on the whereabouts of Paul Grenier, a very key witness who alleges molestation, child abuse and financial abuse in his sworn Declarations already in the Court record. Bob Grenier and Bob Grenier’s attorney, Nick Pritchett, know of Paul Grenier’s whereabouts, Pritchett told me Paul had been in his office in Visalia recently. Bob Grenier sues, claims he wants to prove his innocence at a Trial…but has yet to cooperate in helping us get one of the most key witnesses served for deposition. Very suspicious and telling in my opinion.

We are having the same problem with getting Robert Grenier Jr. served for deposition. Robert Grenier Jr. alleges (in phone calls to myself and other witnesses) that Paul Grenier “molested” him…but went on to describe what was a several-year incestuous homosexual relationship with his brother, Paul. We know the Plaintiffs know his whereabouts and it is reported he is being harbored by a close fellow Calvary Chapel pastor who is involved over the years in other scandals in Calvary Chapel including allegations of gross misuse of funds and other issues (charges made by a former Calvary Chapel Pastor and board member of Lance Cook, Calvary Chapel La Habra). Birds of a feather flock together and help each other out in my opinion. Stinks to high heaven. If Chuck Smith is there…he can smell it.

Paul Grenier and Robert Grenier Jr.’s testimony under oath is extremely important in this case….a lawsuit brought by their biological father, Pastor Bob Grenier. Paul alleges molestation by Bob Grenier. Paul later, allegedly (we cannot confirm it is in fact Paul’s own writing and it was not made under oath), recanted his molestation allegations. The timing of the release of the not-under-oath statement attributed to Paul Grenier came at at time another brother reports he was visited by Gayle Grenier (after an 11 year hiatus and shunning) and that they purchased Paul “gifts” and they helped Paul get a new apartment (one he cannot afford from what we know of Paul’s financial struggles). All very suspicious. Now the Plaintiffs are not cooperating in providing Paul Grenier’s whereabouts so he can be served and be cross-examined under oath. Very very suspicious. Very wrong in my opinion. It is affecting my ability to get a fair shake in the court system in my opinion.

We are trying to serve Kevin Mizner (long time assistant at CC Visalia and former Tulare County Sheriff brass). We attempted to serve Mr. Mizner and cannot locate him, which is suspicious. Mr. Mizner should not be hard to find, yet like with Paul Grenier and Robert Grenier Jr., there seems to be some sort of agenda to hide them in my opinion. Why?

We are adding to the list of witnesses as depositions reveal and uncover more information. There is much we did not know about in addition to the massive amount of wrongdoings we’ve already uncovered through the blogs and reporting investigations. We look forward to Trial and we want all key witnesses to be deposed and/or take the stand at Trial and establish the truth. The Plaintiff seems reluctant to cooperate in that regard for some reason. Why?

Trial is still set for the end of September 2016.

I am stronger and more resolute than ever. I look forward to proving that I did not “defame” the Plaintiff. I am reporting, I am holding the Plaintiff to account as a Pastor/Police Chaplain regarding matters the Appellate Court ruled are “in the public’s interest”. Seeking Justice is virtuous, not an “attack from the devil” and not “defamation”.

I hope the Plaintiffs will cooperate in Discovery and lets get all the witnesses under oath, lets get all the info in the Court record and lets have a Jury decide who is telling the truth in these matters. That is what the Plaintiffs say they want, correct?

Bill Holdridge examples the Calvary Chapel System’s duplicity and hypocrisy better than I can ever imagine or blog myself.

The blind leading the blind….

Stay classy Calvary Chapel.

Sharon Ries of Raul Ries marital fame chimed in recently on Bob Grenier’s Facebook wall. A consistent dynamic in the Calvary Chapel System of churches is the different sub-tribes and cliques under the Tent.

One such clique is dubbed (by fellow Calvary Chapel pastors and insiders) as the “Mexican Mafia”. This particular sub-tribe is headed up by their godfather, the very rich and very infamous Raul Ries of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs. Bob Grenier is an underboss (I’ve heard them use those terms jokingly, even they tacitly admit the dynamic in jest).

Raul is quite an interesting mix. Part of me LOVES the guy, part of me cringes. He’s a Marine. A rough-around-the-edges man’s man. On the surface, Raul is a no b.s. guy. He shoots from the hip, he talks tough….but he really doesn’t, not where it counts. He talks tough to the OUTSIDERS of 1 Corinthians 5:12, but not to his fellow CC Pastors and cohorts.

Raul and Sharon (his wife who he has reportedly violated their marriage vows over the years, I can understand that one, we’re all human, but he’s a pastor and remains a pastor and that whole pesky “qualifications of pastors/elders” thing in that bible they profess to teach “simply”….) have gotten ridiculously wealthy from selling the Gospel of Jesus for greedy gain. They are millionaires. They live better than 99.9999% of human beings in the whole of Human History. Their product? Jesus. Raul has been mired in scandal after scandal over the years, reportedly IRS audits that had to be cleaned up, sexual issues, a former Calvary Chapel Pastor and one-time close confidant Jay Wright who says he and Raul Jr. smuggled cash for Raul to South America wearing “money belts” to dodge customs, to all sorts of other nefarious things. All reported by former staff, fellow CC pastors, big name CC insiders, and from tangible records we can find like Form 990’s that document a $500,000 per year salary “for Jesus” (and that’s just the one Form 990 we can find, Raul has all sorts of entities, it’s quite a shell-game).

Link to Form 990 documenting “some” of Raul’s total income from Jesus: http://calvarychapelabuse.com/wordpress/big-christian-leaders-bigger-money-raul-ries-greg-laurie-bob-coy-franklin-graham-and-others-make-millions-serving-jesus-its-technically-legal-in-many-cases-but-is-it-moral/

Another source, a man who’s dad was in the Los Angeles Narco-Drug scene in the 1980’s (and he’s writing a book about that era and experience), claims Raul Ries may have been involved in covert ops with the US Government….making frequent trips with my step-dad to Colombia during the Pablo Escobar years (I remember my step-dad and Raul taking trips together there right during that time period)…and this same source in first-person heard Raul Ries bragging about being behind enemy lines to speak to the Contras during the peak of the Iran-Contra operations. Raul had shared this during a bible study and was very proud of it. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to mix Church and State in that manner, but it happens….more than most realize or want to know. I’m sure Raul has rationalized it as righteous and “for God!” etc, maybe he’s right on that one, dunno. I know he’s wrong about the rest of the garbage reported above with regards to money, women and abuse of his power and his hypocrisy…as well as his enabling of my step-dad CC pastor and his lying and abuse….because Raul knows Bob was at minimum physically abusive to us boys.

For your reading pleasure, the Facebook thread of me confronting Sharon Ries on Bob Grenier’s wall:

James Flanders, Calvary Chapel Pastor in Florida, admits to murdering his mistress in plea deal.

James Flanders, the Calvary Chapel Pastor from Florida who was suspected of murdering his mistress who he considered his “second wife” has now plead guilty to manslaughter charges as part of a negotiation for reduced sentencing and a plea deal to lessen his time in prison.

Flanders has informed the police where he buried the body.

CalvaryChapelAbuse.com previously reported the arrest here: http://calvarychapelabuse.com/wordpress/calvary-chapel-pastor-james-flanders-arrested-for-murder-of-his-mistress-who-gave-birth-to-his-child/

Another terrible Calvary Chapel story that illustrates the dynamic that Calvary Chapel Pastors are not “specially anointed” and are human beings capable of great evil, which is why the Moses Model System of Church Government created and promoted and perpetuated by Chuck Smith (now deceased) and his 1500-2000 franchise-church denomination is so dangerous.

See the full article about the Calvary Chapel Pastor murder of his mistress story here:

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20160428/former-pastor-pleads-in-murder-case-involving-missing-woman-videos

Chuck Smith, the Founder and Leader of Calvary Chapel, had an affair in 1977 with a woman in Hawaii, according to sources.

Chuck Smith had an affair in 1977. He was going to leave his wife and kids for a woman in Hawaii. Many of the Old Guard Calvary Chapel Pastors know this to be true, which is why there is so much “grace” for adulterous pastors in Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel Non-Denomination System of Churches….that according to multiple sources.

The rest of the story goes that he was talked out of it by his cousin Chuck Fromm, came to his senses and didn’t follow through with his resignation to the board.

I’ve heard it for years from several Calvary Chapel insiders. Some with slightly differing versions…yet one consistent theme: Chuck Smith had an affair and nearly left his family and the ministry for another woman. I even confronted Chuck Smith about the issue before he died. He was furious…partly why he hated me so much and blasted me from his mega-church Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa pulpit and called down a sort of curse on me…only to die of cancer a year-to-the-day later.

Hear Chuck Smith’s diatribe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6ydHm_lwKs

Hear me confront Chuck Smith live on air about the Bob Grenier controversy here: https://youtu.be/7QCbGRPuWG4?t=1h13m22s

The story is recently confirmed again by yet another source.

It’s the big Calvary Chapel non-secret secret, swept under the rug by a Calvary Chapel “Association” pastorate that excels at waving their judgmental moral finger at the heathen outside the Calvary Chapel walls….yet, maximum grace and covering of sins and no accountability for those inside their own pastorate…aka the direct opposite of 1 Corinthians 5:12.

Chuck Smith is the headliner of a long list of Calvary Chapel Pastor adulterers. The list is long. I have it.

Im-Moral of the story: Don’t put Chuck Smith or any “pastor” on a pedestal. They are men. Sinful, ordinary men. The biggest lie being propagated by the Chuck Smith Cult is Chuck Smith’s Doctrine of Special Anointing. The Calvary Chapel Pastors are not “specially anointed” and they are not any more special before God than you are. They do not hear special from the Holy Spirit any more than you do. They do not hold some magical hierarchical position over you. Do not buy into the Idolatry that Calvary Chapel sells as part of the Old Guard Chuck Smith false doctrine.

Jesus said, “Do not be called Rabbi/Teacher, you are all brothers (equals). Do not lord over people as the World does. Do not exercise leadership and authority as the World does, if you want to be great in my Kingdom…be the Servant of all. The greatest is to be the least.”

Chuck Smith had some good qualities, his kids report he was a good dad. Chuck Smith was also a sinner and imperfect, deeply flawed like all of us. He rebelled against the Foursquare Church and said, “I want to do church my way”….and he did. Some good, some bad, some ugly.

Idolatry takes two to tango….a Guru who is revered too much…and followers who esteem the man more than he is and more than he should be. Don’t do that. It’s immoral. The bible calls it “Idolatry” and God “hates it, it is an abomination to him”.

I lived this false doctrine being perpetuated at my Calvary Chapel Pastor Step-dad’s franchise. I have observed the dynamic in many other CC franchises. It’s an unfortunate part of Chuck Smith’s legacy.

Calvary Chapel has changed a lot in the last 10 years thanks to the blogging and exposing of the bad stuff the CC Leadership hides from you and the public. In 10 more years the Old Guard will die off and Calvary Chapel will continue to disband and fragment into a much less homogeneous and much more diverse non-Chuck Cult. This is good and healthy. It is good to see.

May the Idolatry, Un-Accountability, Lying and Pride die off with Chuck and the Old Guard and may the New Wine Skins learn from the mistakes of their forebears.

History will not be nearly as kind as the Calvary Chapel Pastors and Kool-aid drinkers are about themselves. Remember, Chuck Smith said he’s not your pastor. That’s what the man said to avoid legal liability. Remember, Chuck Smith was both liar and adulterer and not “transformed” in some magical way via the Calvary Chapel “special anointing”. This is why you need rules, shared power in your church by-laws, built-in accountability measures at your CC franchise or any Church System for that matter. Think about that. Let it sink in. Your Emperor, in fact, had no clothes. Follow Jesus. Don’t worship “Pastors” and “Ministries”.

Lastly, as you Chuck Smith apologists start shooting the messenger….open your bible to this passage, it’s a promise from God: “Your sin will find you out”.

Raul Ries, Calvary Chapel mega-star and pastor, is a Multi-Millionaire from selling the Gospel of Jesus for greedy gain. Don’t take part in this Corruption or you are partly responsible.

“We are Christians!”

Um, what does that mean?

“We follow Jesus!”

OK, you mean his teachings and his examples, correct?

“YES!”

OK, did Jesus have a church building? Did he get a salary? Benefits? What did Jesus say about calling each other “rabbi, teacher!”…he said don’t do it. What did Jesus say about having positions of “Authority” in his Kingdom? He said don’t do it like the World does, flip it upside down. You are all brothers, all equals, but the Greatest should be the least and the “servant of all” and not put up on a stage and not to be worshipped etc.

Did Jesus collect money for himself and his lifestyle? No.

What did Jesus do? He taught, and then he fed the masses and healed the masses. He gave them food and health care.

What do the pastors and churches do? They collect a bunch of money and according to Studies they spend 97% of the money they collect on buildings, their own salaries and perks, on sound systems, promotions etc, aka everything but actually helping people in need.

Article sourcing multiple studies here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/10/201158/-

Don’t call yourselves “Jesus followers!” when you don’t do anything he actually said and did.

Calvary Chapel “Pastors” like Raul Ries are MILLIONAIRES from selling the Gospel of Jesus for greedy gain. IRS Form 990’s document the fact that Raul and Sharon Ries rake in over $550,000 per year “for Jesus” and that is just the one entity we can track down.

Raul and Sharon Ries IRS Form 990 here: http://calvarychapelabuse.com/wordpress/big-christian-leaders-bigger-money-raul-ries-greg-laurie-bob-coy-franklin-graham-and-others-make-millions-serving-jesus-its-technically-legal-in-many-cases-but-is-it-moral/

Raul and Sharon are Multi-Millionaires and their only product is Jesus. They aren’t alone, Skip Heitzig, Greg Laurie, Franklin Graham, many other big name Calvary Chapel and so-called “Christian” celebrities are Multi-Millionaires and getting rich from selling Jesus as their product.

It’s disgusting. Is that what it’s all about? Why do you follow these corrupt idiots and give them money? If you support these jerks, you share in their sin and part of the Idolatry and evil of it is on you.

Documents provided by Plaintiffs Pastor Bob Grenier and Gayle Grenier in their private personal lawsuit against me…where they allege defamation for reporting child abuse, molestation allegations made by my brother Paul Grenier and reporting misuse of church funds…states that the 501c3 non-profit “church” Calvary Chapel Visalia has paid $220,000 on what they call the “ongoing dispute and legal proceedings” brought by the Greniers. The document is dated April 4, 2016, and there has been an avalanche of legal actions brought by the Plaintiffs since that date, making the total much higher.

Some of the claims made regarding Pastor Bob Grenier’s personal compensation are not true. In Depositions and Discovery we have learned that the Grenier’s household income, according to their own Depositions and Discovery documents, has gone up since after the dates they allege their injuries began…Grenier or his agents simply reshuffled the money and how that household was compensated. Very dishonest and tricky in my opinion.

We are not aware of any other “legal proceedings” or litigation that Pastor Bob Grenier is a party to. Comments I personally witnessed Plaintiff’s Attorney Nick Pritchett make during off-the-record dialogue during Depositions includes statements as follows, “I cannot believe how much money they are spending on this lawsuit.”

Mr. Pritchett has made similar comments several times at several Depositions to my attorney and myself. I believe the comments are strategic to dishearten me and to give me the impression Nick’s office, essentially, has a blank check from the Calvary Chapel Visalia church to continue to sue me in an effort to bankrupt me and silence me from continuing to blog and speak out about abuse and corruption in the church.

In Depositions, it was also reported that Calvary Chapel Visalia was paying other attorneys to represent deponents who had ties to Calvary Chapel Visalia as employees…in a lawsuit brought by the Plaintiffs in a personal, and they allege “private” capacity.

Sources in Visalia reported to me in writing that there is a relationship between Attorney Nick Pritchett, Nick Pritchett’s wife, Amy Vega-Pritchett and lead Calvary Chapel Visalia Board Member, Brent Calvin. Calvin is a well-connected wealthy businessman in Visalia and was the Interim President of the College of the Sequoias and is currently Vice President of Student Services at the same state-funded Organization. Amy Vega-Pritchett, reportedly, has worked and/or works under Calvin in some capacity at C.O.S. and the same source reports there is a relationship between the Calvin’s and the Pritchett’s.

This relationship concerns me. Nick Pritchett’s statements that continue to give me the impression that there is unlimited funds to sue me from Calvary Chapel church monies…monies approved by Brent Calvin and the Calvary Chapel Board (I assume, from description of how Calvary Chapel operates after reading through Depositions and Discovery)…seems unethical to me and seems like a conspiracy to me.

How is it that a non-profit 501c3 “church” that solicits and collects money from people in the community, with tax implications on both ends of that transaction, be justified in funding a private personal lawsuit brought by their Pastor? How can a Board Member with a reported relationship with the Plaintiff’s Attorney…an Attorney who has stated numerous times he is amazed at how much money his firm is collecting in this ongoing litigation…giving me the impression he and his firm have a blank check to continue to sue me…how can this be ethical? Is it legal?

I am paying my legal bills out of my personal savings. Defending myself in this lawsuit is exhausting all my personal resources. It appears the Plantiffs have not spent any of their personal money on bringing this action. Pastor Bob Grenier abused me. He hurt me and literally beat me physically causing injuries many times over many years. He hurt me emotionally and spiritually as well. He made me shower with him when I was up to 10 years old and he washed my genitals and touched me in the shower under the guise of “I was teaching them how to wash in the shower, how to wash themselves”. The details of my abuse match the description given by my other brothers in their Declarations and Depositions….and those witnesses are not part of the social media Cause and Movement to fight against Church Abuse, Child Abuse and Corruption. I am not benefitting financially in any way from speaking out, in fact it has cost me a large pile of personal money and time over the many years now.

This massive Injustice keeps getting worse. It has hurt me very badly. It continues to hurt me. I am deeply disappointed in our System. The Game seems very rigged for those with more money and more power who can hide behind Boards and expensive lawyers and expensive accountants and well-connected businessmen and who seem to have unlimited funds which are not their own to continue to try to bankrupt me and silence me from speaking out when many attempts were made privately and through the same Church Organization to get some justice and accountability in these matters. It’s infuriating. It is classic “gaslighting”. I continue to report and to exercise my First Amendment Rights because that’s all I have in this battle. All other avenues for justice and accountability have been expertly sealed off by my Abuser. Then he uses church funds to sue me for blogging and speaking out about his abusiveness instead of me shutting up and taking it like others have who have cut deals and been scared into silence.

The level of abuse described in Declarations and Depositions by multiple victims and even the Plaintiffs themselves is shocking. The cavalier attitude of the Plaintiffs about it is offensive. The matters are already ruled “in the public’s interest” and I am unwavering in my resolve to make sure the Public is warned about what can go on behind closed doors in bad church constructs by flawed men and women in church leadership. People and Institutions don’t change on their own, it requires people standing up and speaking out and affecting and effecting that change, even when it comes at quite a personal cost (and it has). I do not have unlimited funds from a church non-profit donor base to fund my defense.

Trial is set for December 1, 2016 in Porterville, California. There will be regular updates until Trial as I continue to prepare my defense. The Truth is going to continue to come out one way or another.

The judge issued a protective order and sealed Paul Grenier’s upcoming deposition testimony until Trial.

We opposed the motion because the witness had pushed his story so persistently and emphatically for many years interjecting himself and his story into the public discussion many times. We believe the public has a right to know what he says (limited to the scope of the issues at hand in the lawsuit only) since he’s already given sworn declarations, made public statements and been very outspoken about his allegations. Despite our opinion on the issue, the judge granted the protective order after giving a thorough review of both arguments and we appreciate his care in fully reading and trying to understand our perspective and we accept his ruling.

Paul is scheduled to be deposed tomorrow in Irvine, California. The details of which will be sealed until Trial.

Here is a glimpse of the extensive email/documented history of Paul Grenier’s participation in the ongoing Bob Grenier controversy:

Paul Grenier reaches out in an attempt to tell his story to prolific church abuse blogger, Michael Newnham, in 2008….a year before the Topix.com forum and before any blogging or media coverage occurred about the Bob Grenier situation. Paul sent a follow up email a year later reaching out to Newnham to tell his story.

Paul introduced me to Michael Newnham of PhoenixPreacher.com and wanted me to speak to him and wanted me to send him information for the purpose of reporting the issues and exposing Pastor Bob Grenier in an effort to hold him accountable.

Paul continued to challenge me to step up and speak out. He called me out for not believing him about some of the church financial dealings, that were becoming confirmed by former staff and bookkeepers etc, all things Paul was telling me about over the years. I was being challenged to keep up the fight and expose Bob for his wrongdoings and I believe it is the right thing to do.

Paul actively blogged about his personal abuse as well as what he saw with regards how the church finances were dealt with at CCV over the years. He interviewed directly with Lew Griswold of the Fresno Bee multiple times over the years and gave his own story. This is one of the first times he spoke with the Fresno Bee.

After a police report was filed by me and Paul separately (but the police combined it into one report and interviewed another brother and an Aunt and Uncle), Paul requested a copy of the report. The police wouldn’t give it to him, so Paul went to court to compel its release to him.

Paul went to court, represented himself, argued in front of the judge and won. He got the police report, but the report left out much of the details given in the interviews and was “watered down”. I agreed with Paul, the worst details of the abuse I reported were left out as well.

Paul was upset about the lack of justice and accountability in regards to the abuses. I was, too. Bob and his church, Calvary Chapel and Calvary Chapel Visalia was stonewalling many efforts to get recourse and some sort of justice and accountability. We had approached Bob, Bob’s Elders, Bob’s Board at Calvary Chapel Visalia, other Calvary Chapel pastors, Roger Wing of CCOF, etc with no recourse. Paul decided to tell his story to Child Abuse Advocate/Attorney Kelly Clark who retained him as a client pro bono because Paul was believable to him. Due to civil statute of limitations issues in California, Mr. Clark’s office eventually dropped Paul as a client.

I heard the specific details of Paul’s molestation allegations in Kelly Clark’s conference room in Portland, Oregon for the first time. It made me very upset. I had to physically leave the room and take a walk outside to cool off.

Paul was frustrated that all avenues for recourse, justice, accountability for his abuser continued being closed off. I was as well. Paul decided he wanted to issue a public statement in an effort to expose Bob. I agreed to publish the statement Paul wrote, believing him to be credible at the time.

This is Paul’s public statement he authored and emailed to me and asked me to publish. He wanted his story told. The text was provided directly by Paul Grenier and authored by him…which can be verified forensically by metadata as well as in the email record from Google and Gmail. The attachments are shown in the screenshots of the emails above.

Blood son alleges sexual abuse by Pastor Bob Grenier Calvary Chapel Visalia

I was stressed out from running the blog and fighting the battle for myself and many others, including Paul. I shut the blog down for a short period of time and Paul was very upset about that and told me to turn the blog back on.

Paul continued to push his story of abuse and molestation. He blogged about it often. Here is one of many examples.

Bob and Gayle filed their lawsuit against me and Tim Taylor in late 2012 for speaking out about the abuse and corruption issues. I was talked into pursuing an Anti-SLAPP motion with California Anti-SLAPP Project out of Berkley, California. It costs a lot of money to defend in a defamation suit and I am funding my defense with my own money, while we discovered that Bob and Gayle are using church monies (it appears from their discovery documents and comments from their attorney). Paul Grenier volunteered a Declaration in our defense. He sent his Declarations directly to attorney Paul Clifford (Mr. Clifford is testifying to that fact and has provided email documentation of such).

Paul’s Declaration he authored and gave under oath is very detailed and articulate. Here is a link to a true copy of his Declaration as published on another Blog (a Blog that is not being sued): http://thewartburgwatch.com/tww2/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/P.-Grenier-Declaration-iso-SMTS-text.pdf

Paul continued to push his story of abuse and to reach out to others for help. He emailed Dee Parsons of The Wartburg Watch and copied Visalia Police Department Chief Mestas as well.

Paul later wrote a Press Release about his allegations against Bob.

Paul sends his press release out to “36” different media people.

Paul created a pseudonym to send out the press release he wrote that detailed his abuse allegations. He sent out his press release to media through that email address.

We lost the Anti-SLAPP motion on appeal. The Appellate Court ruled that the matters are “in the public’s interest” which raises the bar very high, the Plaintiffs have to prove “Actual Malice” which is very very rare and did not nearly happen in this case. They also ruled Bob was not a “Limited Purpose Public Figure” so he could continue his church-funded personal lawsuit. Everyone was stressed out from the ruling. Paul said he was approached by someone asking that if Bob would drop the suit, would Paul “recant” his story.

Paul explains his considering recanting further and reaffirms he is telling the truth about Bob molesting him, but is considering recanting to make Bob’s Calvary Chapel funded lawsuit go away.

Paul says Bob’s attorney, Nick Pritchett, was “backchanneling” with Paul’s attorney. I could not understand why Paul would consider recanting if his allegations were true. It made Paul upset that I questioned him.

We found out that the Plaintiffs were communicating with Paul, a key witness, after they had shunned him for 10 years.

Shortly after this we stopped hearing from Paul. We got news he was regularly communicating with the Plaintiffs and was reconnected with them. He sent a threatening email when I did not agree to cut a deal with Bob without Bob taking responsibility for abusing me.

We learned in Bob and Gayle’s depositions and from other sources and witnesses that the Plaintiffs purchased Paul gifts, financed items for him, “lent” him cash (Paul has a history of not repaying loans) and Paul was put back in Bob’s Will/Estate which is estimated to be One to Two Million dollars (with Life Insurance policies). Other sources say they may have helped Paul get into a new expensive apartment he cannot afford (in their opinion) not far from the beach in a very expensive part of Southern California. Paul issues a not-under-oath recant soon after.

These are not nearly all the evidence, documents or emails. We have an overwhelming amount. Paul’s Deposition is tomorrow, October 27, 2016. Paul’s motion for a protective order was approved by the judge, so whatever he says tomorrow will be kept confidential until Trial.

Personally, after reading Paul’s not-under-oath recants, I no longer know what to believe from him. He was so persistent and passionate and consistent with his original story for many years and got very angry when anyone questioned his truthfulness. He told reporters, bloggers, police detectives in Idaho and California (in official police investigations), Child Abuse Attorneys, newspaper reporters (Paul is quoted in the Fresno Bee saying Bob molested him) as well as scores of other people. He sent out press releases, he blogged, he spoke with Pastors like Dave Rolph about the abuse. Then he changes his story at the 11th hour before Trial after being approached by Plaintiffs…and money and items of value are involved.

I no longer support Paul. I don’t trust him any longer and I won’t champion his fight. He made some sort of deal and that’s his to live with. He’s lost all credibility, unfortunately, but it is his own doing. He’s lying then or he’s lying now. Only he and Bob know for sure, but I know what happened to me.

I still stand behind my abuse allegations and my reporting. I believed Paul at the time I reported. I believe the other sources who reported financial issues to me like former Bookkeepers and Administrators and other key personnel at Calvary Chapel Visalia. I personally witnessed the abuse perpetrated against my brother, Geoff. It was horrible. My abuse was horrible. It still haunts me today.