"Shepherd Mafia"

I believe that I am gifted to be a prophet and I have made the decision to be the best steward of that gift I can be.


In the real world, I get very little support in this spiritual journey and a ton of skepticism and opposition.


Without community and support, I have had to figure out what it means to live in the gift of prophecy on my own. This life has brought several surprises to me. I certainly have stumbled from time to time but I have always been as faithful to my calling as I can be and as I understand it.


Living in the gift has been far more intensely emotional than I could have imagined before I embraced the life. The highs and lows surprise me and amaze me, even after years living in the gift.


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One phenomenon that is a part of the gift for me has to been phrases of words that come into my mind. In these few years, this has happened only twice. In both cases, I have tested them in the Spirit and in experience to understand if these words are from the Lord or from my own flesh. In both of these cases, I have come to believe that the Lord has given them to me.


The first of these is the phrase "Shepherd Mafia."


I can vividly remember the time and place these words came into my mind to describe the CGGC leadership culture.


And, I am certain that those words describe how CGGC leadership functions.


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My own defrockment is one of many examples of how CGGC leadership is a mafia.


I only have hearsay on the rationale offered by ERC leadership for my defrockment but everyone who has spoken to me agrees that the one reason given by leadership for the removal of my credentials has nothing to do with doctrine or with CGGC practice. In every way, apparently, there is no issue among leadership with what I believe or how I carry out established and authoritative church practice.


My one and only offense is that on my blog I criticize Conference and denominational leadership. (I will add that disagreeing with leadership is not mentioned anywhere as being a violation of CGGC teaching or practice.)


Could there be any more clear evidence that our leadership is a mafia?


My friends, we are an Eldership, a Conference. Our leaders are merely elders among elders empowered to serve the Eldership. They are not Popes and Bishops.


They are not mafia dons.


And, they are not beyond criticism. And, they are not being blessed.


All of us must repent.