Date Posted:25/10/06 10:40:55am Author: Gnasher Subject: Re: openness to criticism In reply to:
Laura
's message, "openness to criticism" on 24/10/06 3:50:47pm
Your posting strikes a chord, Laura. I was struck by how few of the original members were still there when I visited, and in particular by how many key elders from the early days had left; elders like Mark Strong who was always seen as Noel's prospective successor. Yet the fellowship does not seem to have been humbled by this; it never seems to have asked itself if it might be doing anything wrong.
The fact that stalwart, key people are forced to leave....rather (presumably) than any objections they might have being entertained by the community, has to be cause for concern. Certainly, we are aware that Dave Hawker, an elder, a member for 12 years, the community's Public Relations man for seven years was shunned and demoted when he suggested that Noel had been wrong to refuse to meet with the Evangelical Alliance to discuss its concerns about the church (before the EA was then forced to expel the fellowship). Dave had come to feel that the EA's concerns were right; the church was not on good terms with other churches. If even Dave Resolute could not question Noel's policy, nobody but nobody else could......and certainly no sister.
Dave left, disillusioned, and despite having been a very key player....the author of several documents which the fellowship still uses....is now spoken of as a bitter compromised Christian who left because of puffed up pride and the desire for self-glorification.
