Elitism

The following is adapted from a post on the website Pure Provender:

One common sign of an abusive church is a sense of elitism. Just what IS elitism? It's a feeling that your group is special, better, far superior than other churches or groups. Most churches feel that they are on the right path, that their particular doctrines are right. That's not elitism.  Elitism goes beyond just thinking that your doctrines or practices are correct. It's a hyperactive puffing up about it. Your group thinks not only that it is on the right path, but that almost no one else is.

There are a couple of ways elitism is expressed. One is that the leaders come right out and say it. The pastor or leaders might preach that the group has a special call or a unique mission. This will be a repeated theme in abusive churches. It tends to isolate. If you are so special, God's own favorite children, why would you even want to hang out with the "unspecial"?

It also takes subtler forms. The pastor might not focus much on your special calling. He might instead spend time cutting down other groups, focusing on their perceived weaknesses and problems. If he does this enough, you get the idea. Church X doesn't really stress scripture (unspoken lesson: WE DO!); Church Y doesn't really preach salvation (unspoken lesson: WE REALLY CARE); Church Z doesn't live out the gospel (unspoken lesson: WE LIVE THE GOSPEL).

What elitism does is unify church members. They get the message. THEY don't want to be like the worldly groups out there that don't care about lost souls or the poor or missions or the scripture. They want to make sure they are among the chosen few. To do this, they will hunker down, they will keep to the group, they will make sure the leadership knows they are loyal and true and not heathen like those other groups outside.

When things get messy and they are tempted to leave, elitism is a powerful handcuff. Members have spent so much time looking down on other groups and playing up their own gifts that to leave means they have to reverse their thinking, and that's very hard to do. Suddenly, they are thinking about no longer being part of God's special group, and also about joining up with groups they - along with the church leadership - have looked down on for so long. That's a hard reversal to stomach.

Besides bragging about gifts and callings, and besides castigating other "inferior" churches, another sign of elitism is when the pastor or leaders won't meet with other community pastors. They will not join ministerial alliances or Christian groups in a community. They are too good for those lukewarm Christians. They are far above them and will not deign to rub shoulders with them. While many elitist pastors do meet with such groups either just for show or because it lends credibility to the group, the very hard core elitists will not. If your pastor won't meet with other pastors unless they are of the same denomination, it is a big, bright, red flag that he is an elitist and possibly abusive.

Elitism can be blatant or subtle, but it's a common trait of abusive churches.

If you find yourself recognizing any of the above in your own church, Calvary Temple or any other, please do more research on abusive and authoritarian churches.  There is a very dangerous increase in controlling and cultish churches that is doing great harm to the Body of Christ and the cause of Jesus Christ. These churches have  the appearance of sound biblical doctrine but the fruit of their ministries is corrupt.  

A comment on Against Calvary Temple

A recent post on Against Calvary Temple has brought a lot of reaction in the form of reader comments.  One comment in particular was very thought provoking.  I am reposting it here with the permission of the writer.


September 18, 2014 at 11:13 pm

TimeToSpeakOut says:

A recent post on Tactics of Calvary Temple: “Pastor says that we are under attack. The warfare is from rebels…”.  

Reading that quote, you scratch your head and wonder how someone with his incredible hidden past can say that. You say to yourself; “It does not make sense. How can he say that and sleep at night. There is no logic to that statement”.

There actually is logic to the above quote. This is how you hide your sin, control people and get their money. You see the same methods in politics and other movements.

If Star Scott can build a following by criticizing and lying about other people and churches, can we not point out truth and bring his “sins to the light” (his phrase)? Are we rebels because we wish to free families and friends who are unaware of the magnitude of his sin and how much he lied to keep it hidden?

We are not attacking the people of CT. Myself and others are simply communicating the mountains of evidence that show how much he has lied to us. The facts show fruit of him lying from the very beginning and continuing to lie all these years to the present day. The facts are not attacking him but revealing what he has done. They are revealing incredibly bad fruit. And the longevity of these horrible sins reveals who Starr Scott is. We are just the messenger showing people what he has done and how he has done it. We are revealing the methods he uses that are necessary to hide his sin while achieving money and power.

I believe Starr Scott is trying to turn our effort to communicate facts into an attack on an entire congregation. This causes anger to rise up in them further affecting their ability to weigh those facts and make thoughtful and thorough conclusions. He is simply manufacturing a different recipe of “Kool-Aid” designed to shut your brain down whenever these topics are discussed.

I recently received the cover page of a Police Report given by the Herndon Police to someone who left CT. The names were redacted because the two victims were under age.

• Crime: Sex Offenses-Forcible Sodomy 11b
• Date: 1973
• Address: 900 Crestview Dr, Herndon Virginia. Site of the First Assembly of God Church in Herndon in 1973.
• Date Reported: 3/19/2008

This event is what Star Scott II spoke of in his email revealing his father’s sin. It is the event that occurred in Virginia when at least one of the young girls from California visited. Could this be what he was speaking of when he said “It was adultery. It happened once. It was a long time ago. It was in a different church. It was dealt with.”? He has told us the best way to lie is to tell half the truth.

The method is a not so clever way to admit a little while hiding the prior three years. Those who trusted him and did not read the email were tricked into believing a lie. It still amazes me to know many deacons and congregants knew what he was doing and stayed silent.

The Date Reported is three weeks before Starr II sent his email.

Young adults and older adults, the facts are overwhelming. It is time to examine and understand what they have done and are still doing. Look around you. Do not be deceived by perceived happy faces. I know you are hurting and afraid. Do not be afraid. Be honest to your heart and follow the Lord. Do you really believe God would call thousands of people to be controlled by someone who has done these horrible things and other sins you do not yet know about? Do you really believe the stories of molestations by other leaders were made up because Star Scott makes a “stand for the word”? There is so much you do not yet know about.

Seek God with an honest heart open to being wrong. He will show you what they have done. You will be amazed at how wonderful life in Christ outside of Calvary Temple is. You will be amazed as God restores your families and brings true peace to your heart.

You Can't Have it Both Ways

One of the false doctrines promoted by the leadership of Calvary Temple is that in order to leave you must first get their permission to do so. Leaving by your own choice without the "blessing" of Star Scott  has resulted in much heartache. The "rebellious" ones have been labeled everything from a defector to out of order. They have lost families and friends. Calvary Temple executes a very harsh sentence to those that leave their current church to go to another church. 

Question:  If it is a biblical requirement to ask permission to leave your church, why is Star Scott now suggesting that the members of CT should actively recruit those in another church and encourage them to defect and come to Calvary Temple? CT members are advised to have a conversation with someone, determine if they are being fed properly, decide if they are dying where they are, and tell them to leave their church and come to CT where they can be "fed and led." Now perhaps I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but this seems to be hypocritical. You just can't have it both ways.

However, if you believe it's ok to proselytize people from their own churches, you might want to prepare yourself.  Scott has mentioned that members of McLean Bible Church could benefit from members of Calvary Temple "rolling in there" and "preaching the word". He suggests that it is not readily evident that they are Christians. But first you might want to listen to some of the teachings posted on the McLean Bible website. (or attend a few services). You might want to listen to the teachings of the many other local churches such as Cornerstone Chapel or  Capital Church. Perhaps you should attend a worship service and teaching at  Community Church in Ashburn,  Harvest Chapel in Reston, or Grace Covenant Church in Chantilly. Maybe attend one of the many small groups in the Washington DC area that welcome visitors. You will need to listen to or attend services of many churches to be sure you are not recruiting someone from a solid, bible believing church.  

 I suggest this because you will be encouraging people to commit the "sin"(according to the standard of Calvary Temple) of defecting from their church and rebelling against their "designated authority". As you believe from the many years of Star Scott's teaching, leaving your church is a grave sin. It would be beneficial to you to be very, very careful and very prepared before causing a member of another church to "sin".  

Do you want to make the judgment that determines if God is ministering to this person through their church? It seems the conversation of "what are you hearing from God among the young adults?" and the answer "nothing" may not be the whole story. I would be very careful before I draw the conclusion from such a conversation that a person is "dying" and needs to come to CT to "live". 

According to Star Scott it is ok for you to encourage others to commit the "sin" of leaving their church but it not ok for a Calvary Temple member to leave and attend another church. Again, you can't have it both ways. Either it is wrong to leave your church without the pastor's permission, or it is up to the individual to hear from God and go where He leads. But it's not ok to say you cannot leave Calvary Temple without Scott's permission but you can convince others to leave their churches without their pastor's permission.

The bottom line:  Mr. Scott does not believe God is able to raise up churches that minister the word of God and bring life to those who attend and he does not believe that God Himself can place people where He wills.  

For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. 4 For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, 5 so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. 6 And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us.   Romans 12 3-6

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  Romans 8:14

This is what the Lord says-your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.  Isaiah 48:17