Hath God spoken in San Leandro, California?

Pacific Justice Institute & Faith Fellowship, San Leandro verus San Leandro*:

(*City of)

(May, 2011):

City to Take Faith Fellowship Case to Supreme Court

San Leandro City Council voted 5-2 this week to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Faith Fellowship decision.

Jill Replogle May 6, 2011 (in The San Leandro Patch)

he City of San Leandro is taking its battle with Faith Fellowship Foursquare Church to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The City Council voted Thursday night in closed session to petition the nation’s highest court to review the case, in which the church alleges the city violated a federal law by denying it permits to relocate to a larger building in the city’s industrial zone. The vote was 5-2, with Mayor Stephen Cassidy and Councilmember Pauline Cutter

The City Council also decided to retain as co-counsel in the case Marci Hamilton, a professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an expert in the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA, the law at the heart of the lawsuit.

Hamilton, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner in 1989 and has represented many municipalities in religious land use cases, will join the city’s legal team from Oakland-based firm Meyers Nave.

Hamilton said she was optimistic about the Supreme Court’s interest in reviewing the case, saying the religious land use issues raised in Faith Fellowship’s lawsuit “have been percolating for a decade.”

“The issues in the case are prime for a Supreme Court review,” Hamilton said. “This is a national issue. It’s important to cities all over the country. That’s the kind of issue the Supreme Court is interested in,” she said.

Nevertheless, Mayor Stephen Cassidy said in an email to Patch that he opposed the decision because he is concerned the litigation could go on for several more years. “I believe the city should seek to resolve the dispute through good faith settlement negotiations,” he said.

Faith Fellowship, which has more than 2,000 members, filed suit against the city in July 2007 after the city denied it permission to open a new church in an industrial area not zoned for such uses. The church had purchased a property in the area and was forced to sell it at a loss after the city denied the proper zoning and use permits.

To date, Faith Fellowship claims it has lost $3.7 million in the ordeal.

Well, maybe next time they should get permits before they buy — or get a contract conditional on a zoning change by the city! Among their 2,000 members, are their some businesspersons and real estate agents who know about these things, or were busy mentoring and recruiting new members? How much was taken from local attendee families’ pockets for this cause, to accumulate enough to LOSE $3.7 million?

Later in this post, I am going to be searching — and not finding — for Faith Fellowship’s charitable filing for operation in California; for such a sizeable outfit one would think it’d be under its own location and name. There are plenty of others, but so far, I haven’t located this one. (feel free to enlighten me through comments field if you can).

Under the federal religious land use act, which was passed by Congress in 2000, governments are prohibited from imposing or implementing overly burdensome land use regulations on religious institutions unless there’s a “compelling governmental interest” for the regulation, and it’s the “least restrictive means” of furthering that interest.

How is it overly burdensome to actually have zoning laws in a city?

A federal district court judge originally granted the city summary judgment in the case. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed the decision in February, saying the issue of whether or not the city imposed a “substantial burden” on the Church’s religious exercise under the law should be decided in court. The appeals court has since upheld that decision, following a petition for reconsideration filed by the city in March.

Hamilton {for the City} said the appeals court’s ruling in the case “was not persuasive” and said the court had taken an overly broad interpretation of the “substantial burden” threshold of the federal law. The city has until July 21 to file its petition with the Supreme Court. Hamilton said the court would likely decide whether to review the case sometime in October. If the court does decide to take the case, oral arguments could begin in early 2012.

. . . (see also — same writer: A Man and His Megachurch, including what appears to be a family pentecostal background, 7 years of disinterest, a conversion at age 22, and within 30 years, with support from Foursquare Denomination, here we are, reading to build, again:)

Mortara left that Monday night football gathering in the fall of 1980 and went straight to the All Nations Pentecostal Prayer Clinic, a small church in North Oakland where his father, a devout Christian, had worshipped. During the service, the pastor asked the attendees which of them wanted to give their lives to the Lord.

“And I walked down to the front and cried for like 20 minutes,” Mortara said. “And that was it. Guys don’t cry. But the love of God is a pretty powerful thing.”

Today, Mortara leads one of the largest churches in San Leandro, one whose rapid growth, thanks largely to Mortara’s charismatic leadership, has landed it in a legal battle with the city.

Since taking the reins nearly 18 years ago, Mortara, 52, has turned Faith Fellowship from a nearly bankrupt, neighborhood church with a shrinking 65-person congregation (over one-third of them children) into a 2,000-member strong, media-savvy megachurch.

Mortara’s reach stretches well beyond San Leandro: His sermons are broadcast on television and cable in the Bay Area, Chicago and Las Vegas, as well as on the Internet, with a viewership of between 200,000 and 300,000 people weekly, according to Mortara.

WELL — the other day, San Leandro had a few earthquakes. This is not unprecedented — after all, it’s right next to Hayward, which is on a major fault line. This is California, and it’s what we live with:

Hayward Fault is our deadliest – a ‘tectonic time bomb‘

East Bay sits on a ‘tectonic time bomb’ where big quakes occur about every 140 years – the last was 139 years ago

October 18, 2007|By Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer (found in “articles.SFgate.com”)

HAYWARD: The railroad depot above was flattened by the 1868 quake, which is estimated at magnitude 7. Photo courtesy of Hayward Area Historical Society

The last time a major earthquake ripped along the Hayward Fault, San Leandro and Hayward were nearly leveled, but, in a shock to seismologists, the most populated stretch of the East Bay was relatively unscathed, according to a new map released Wednesday.

The “shake map” of the devastating 1868 quake, which scientists now believe was about 7 in magnitude, provides a dramatic glimpse at the damage and size of the nation’s 12th-deadliest earthquake.

But it offers few clues to what a major temblor on the Hayward Fault would look like today because predicting when and where quakes will occur is still beyond scientists’ reach.

“The earth doesn’t exactly repeat itself,” said Jack Boatwright, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey who compiled the map. “Next time the patch under Piedmont could be triggered. We just don’t know.”

Yep, I live in California, Northern, and felt this one: “East Coast/West Coast tremblors remind Earthquake Country {that’s California, at least] to Have a Plan: (by Angela Hart, Rohnert Park “Patch.”)

Scientists say there’s a 62 percent chance of an earthquake with a magnitude 6.7 or greater will strike the Bay Area in the next 30 years, and the worst place to be is on the southern part of the Rodgers Creek Fault — in Petaluma, Cotati and Rohnert Park. …

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay Area at 9:47 a.m. yesterday, with its epicenter about three miles north-northeast of San Leandro and six miles east-southeast of Oakland and had a depth of 5.7 miles.

There were reports that the tremor was felt around the East Bay as far away as Martinez, throughout the Peninsula and in parts of Marin County.

An earthquake of the same magnitude struck in San Leandro on Tuesday at 11:36 p.m., and shaking was felt across much of the Bay Area. The USGS reported a 2.3-magnitude aftershock late Tuesday night. The aftershock was recorded at 11:41 p.m. in an area three miles from San Leandro, about five minutes after the initial quake.

But San Leandro had an earthquake, and this morning in my in-box, Pacific Justice Institute has a news release that they are backing a church in San Leandro to the Supreme Court level, for the city’s discrimination against the church for money-making reasons, treating it “worse than secular” organizations. Tsk, tsk! And we are to believe, along with such groups, that churches as corporately defined in the U.S., are somehow sacred?

So this post is largely around Pacific Justice Institute and some of its friends, including but not limited to this church. As we can see, they are always gunning for the “underdog and under-represented” when it comes to causes, like megachurches and conservative Christians who hate & fear homosexuals, and in the company of the vast minority of certain religious ilk who truly believe that if a woman stands in a pulpit, or gives birth outside marriage and isn’t repentant about it, the sky just caved in.

while aware of this situation, I’ve not been actually following it so here is, I think, a local writer’s primer on the situation. The church wants to put all its congregation in one spot. The only spot they can find was in an industrial zone. They put down $100,000K nonrefundable on:

a 46,000 sq. ft. building on four acres on Catalina Street in west San Leandro… ()this is actually a well-written step by step account, it seems the church was out $250,000 and that it was the city’s idea, originally, that the church propose zoning changes.))

One of those criteria was that the property not be located in certain “General Plan Focus Areas“, more specifically, in downtown San Leandro, Bayfair, Marina Blvd/SOMAR or all of west San Leandro. Another criteria was that the property be within 1/4 mile of an arterial street. Clearly, the Catalina St. property did not meet those criteria. The church petitioned to have the church rezoned, but the Planning Commission and later the City Council turned it down based on those criteria and others, including one that the Catalina St. property was within 1/4 mile of businesses withHazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBP). . . .

. . .

The City claimed that churches are allowed in more than half of the city and that there are a number of properties within this area that are large enough to accommodate the church. While none of those properties were for sale, the City asserted that RLUIPA does not protect churches from the “reality of the marketplace.” The City also contended that the Church does not need to have all its members congregate at once and that it could have different church activities happen in different parts of town. * * * The City maintained that its zoning code is religiously neutral and therefore any burden it imposed on the church was to be considered “accidental” rather than “substantial.” Furthermore, it claimed it had a compelling interest in maintaining the industrial base of San Leandro and that the facility in question was key to that, having once employed 400 people.

(again, irony — Jesus: “where two or three of you are gathered together in my name, there am I.” I guess, however, there’s more of Jesus — or people feel there is — if it’s closer to thousands at a time. I can see why the City had an economic concern!)

ANYHOW:

Here’s the PJI information, proving that I can tie almost ANYTHING into this theme of profit / nonprofit, and that this organization benefitting (like the church it’s backing) from tax-exempt status is complaining that it’s not fair for the city to discriminate against tax-exempt organizations in seeking an actual FOR-profit to buy a certain property over the church.

Really,

It’s a matter of where the profits go. But here’s the PJI article, after I remind us who’s sending it out, asking for donations:

About The Pacific Justice Institute: Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Pacific Justice Institute works diligently, without charge, to provide their clients with all the legal support they need. Pacific Justice Institute’s strategy is to coordinate and oversee large numbers of concurrent court actions through a network of over 1,000 affiliate attorneys nationwide. And, according to former US Attorney General Edwin Meese, “The Institute fills a critical need for those whose civil liberties are threatened.” “Through our dedicated attorneys and supporters, we defend the rights of countless individuals, families and churches… without charge.”

To donate $10.00 to Pacific Justice Institute, text “PJI” to 20222

Alerts on-line found by googling the Title. I’ve linked to one that seems to have a number of Christian Newswire Services, these ones are based in either D.C. or NY:

Religion Newswire

(etc. I think we get the picture….)

and under this “Alliance Alerts” (blogspot) banner, it made one of 5 announcements under “Religious Freedom USA”

Religious Freedom – USA

“Santorum Q&A: Marriage for gays threatens religious freedom”
August 25, 2011

CT: Pro-Lifers ask judge to end clinic buffer zones
August 25, 2011

MS: Faithful won’t bow to prayer law
August 25, 2011

Pacific Justice Institute: Church Raises Alarm Over City’s Push for More Control of Private Property
August 25, 2011

Fla. teacher exonerated, reinstated
August 25, 2011

Catholic League: ClergyBanned from 9/11 NYC Ceremony
August 25, 2011

Conservative Patriot

PJI NEWS RELEASE:

Church Raises Alarm Over City’s Push for More Control of Private Property

Washington, D.C. – A California case being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court raises nationwide concerns that cities are trying to seize unprecedented authority over private property, according to attorneys involved in the case.

Pacific Justice Institute represents a church in San Leandro – across the bay from San Francisco – that was prevented from moving into a building it had purchased on the open market, because the city wanted a moneymaking enterprise to get the property.

(I’d like to see the proof that this was the motivation)

The church filed suit under a federal law that prohibits cities from treating houses of worship worse than secular, for-profit uses in land use decisions. After the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the city this spring, it appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a response filed this week, the church is urging the Supreme Court not to take the case, warning that the city is claiming unprecedented authority to control the use of private property.

Is it really unprecedented authority? The IRS controls the use of the profits from private property and our entire society is structured around this. PJI being a nonprofit, and the church, being a nonprofit, actually profit from not having to pay taxes. Are they themselves defending the First Amendment rights of their individual congregants? This particular church is called “Faith Fellowship” and is most definitely expansionist. From “http://www.faith fellowship.us/about-us“:

About Faith Fellowship

In 1993, Faith Fellowship Church had dwindled down from an all time high of 550 to just 65 people, all of which were faithful saints who had prayed and labored to see God use them to reach their community. They had just completed building a brand new sanctuary in 1991, the first to be built in the City of San Leandro in 17 years. Unfortunately their pastor resigned shortly after finishing the project and now this once thriving church was in desperate need of a Shepherd. They began to pray like never before.

While this was going on, the Lord was preparing a young man who was pastoring a pioneer church that he and his wife had started in the city of Oakland about 15 miles away. This man was Pastor Gary Mortara. He has a deep passion for the Word of God and operates in faith for healings and miracles. Yet, everything is done with balance and integrity. In September of 1993, the leaders of the Foursquare denomination asked Pastor Gary and his wife Tisha to come and take the helm at Faith Fellowship.

{{There’s a reason I put in that link to the Foursquare foundation…}}

Since 1993, Faith Fellowship grew from those faithful 65 saints to becoming one of the fastest growing churches in the Bay Area. They currently have approximately 1,400 in attendance each week. In addition, they have sent out four pastors in the past two years to either start up or take over churches. According to Pastor Gary, “It has been an absolute “God thing”. As it says in the book of Isaiah, “All that we have accomplished oh Lord, thy hands have done.

April 2003 was an exciting time for this powerful church, they completed and moved into their new sanctuary on Easter Sunday with nearly 2,000 people in attendance.

Pastor Gary and the pastoral staff are committed to the uncompromised preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Should you attend, you will be challenged and encouraged as each and every week you will get a healthy dose of the Bible.

This church has four pastors, showing ethnic variety — but no women. This is not accidental.
I am wondering whether their 2,000+ members (or however, many) including all the “females” are (yet) aware of any of the laws against domestic violence, assault & battery, and what position they take up on it. And whether wife-beating is, as to ranking in the category of “sin,” when compared with, say, a woman preaching in public to an audience with men in it? After all, this is a foursquare denomination. Do their congregants know anything about the legal developments in the 1990s, such as the VAWA act, the NFI, Welfare Reform, and the Fatherhood grants’ relationship to the child support industry? I tend to doubt it, yet this pastor has come from Oakland, a high-homicide city known for some high-profile domestic violence-related homicides. Given that women are I’ll bet supporting, probably employed by, and certainly attending the church with their kids, what is the safety factor of the women attending if there has been violence in their home? At what point does the sacred/secular designation begin to break down, except that churches can do and teach certain things that might end up a for-profit, non-church employer in a lawsuit, as happened to Casey Gwinn while running the San Diego Family Justice Center — for attempting to cover up extreme violence upon on of his employees by telling another (female) employee to just handle it.

There is a focus on the personality of the 4 leaders and their saved experience. Their wives and families (if any) are barely mentioned. On the home page, left there is a telling link to the “BE A MAN” conference, leading to an on-line signup page ($30/$37) Actually, the URL files this under “giving.” IT is hooked (by internet) to graphic on the September 10, 2011 (!!) “BE A MAN CONFERENCE, subtitled, “Teaching men to be Leaders in their Homes, Churches and Communities.”

While I doubt this would specifically endorse physical violence as a means to “Lead in the Home,” I do wonder what it would do to STOP it when their (inferior, of course) advocates feel that this leadership must be maintained at any cost, including to their wives? Do they inform men of the law? Are pastors among the conference informed of their mandatory reporting requirements?

Search “Be a Man!Conference” for the incredible outpouring of conference with buzzwords like “real men” “manly men” and etc. This one rejoices in their pig roast, and I hope they will come back (or did come back) having learned to rejoice in their testosterone and more sensitive to their relationships, but I have a feeling this ain’t gonna happen. Actually more than a feeling (see rickross.com, The Sterling Institute and a few related groups on some of the results of initiation-rite type of gatherings on young men who attended them).

http://www.themanlymanconference.com/

And this appears to be related to the 9/10/2011 conference (wouldn’t it make sense for men to be with the women in their lives, and any family, on AND around the 10th anniversary of “9/11” ? ? ?

Actually, this 2009 BNN1.com article says a lot: “Be a Man Conference helps churches connect with Black Men.” This conference? (or the conference center?) explains that church attendance is down because men perceive the church as feminine. And tells what they plan to do about it — appeal more to Old Testament role models. Which is funny, because (as Bible readers should know) one of the problems related in the gospels is that people were expecting a more “masculine” and warlike leader than Jesus Christ, and hence didn’t recognize him the first time around! In short, they are going to read both Old and New Testament very selectively, the emphasis will be on the old because the new doesn’t have enough military references, blood & guts warfare for the most manly of men. When I also see the backing of the same conference that ex-President Jimmy Carter LEFT, stating he could not endorse its handling of women (Southern Baptist), I think we have an approximate ‘where are they coming from?).

The conference seeks to provide resources for churches while countering the negative stereotypes that keep many men from attending church, described by two speakers as “60 percent women and 40 percent men acting like women.”

“You’re trying to reach the first generation of African American men that have never been touched by the church,” Edward Johnson, pastor of Greater Galilee Church in Louisville, Ky., said, adding that many older, unchurched men previously attended church. “Did you ever think about asking them why they left?”

Johnson and other speakers said many men avoid church because of stereotypes and a congregational culture that is more suitable for women.

(photo)
Dozens of men come forward during an invitation at the “Be the Man” conference and rededicate their lives to Jesus. Photo by Kent Harville.

“Jesus is seen in ‘the hood’ as an effeminate cartoon caricature and the possession of the majority culture,” Johnson said.

Kevin Smith, pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, urged churches to reach and disciple young men. “We have got to gain [understanding] that the church is hurt when men are not where men ought to be,” Smith said.

{{well, what’s happened is that men are coming back, attending church AND continuing to hurt their women, only with more impunity because it’s a “guy” thing, and the leadership is more concerned about attendance than integrity.}}

A study of Old Testament characters would help church leaders better portray a biblical view of manhood that is more attractive to most men, Smith said.

By all means, if it’s the Word of God — but attendance (hence, profits — see the crisis Faith Fellowship found themselves in, in 1991, with a new sanctuary and a pastor that just quit! — make sure to adapt it to please the audience. . . .. The fact is that “real men” probably figured out quite a while back that many church groups ARE primarily about authority/ hierarch / and money, and had enough of it.

Hypocrites!

You know approximately where I’m about to go with this one. I will not be going in too much depth because today’s on-line access vehicle, the copy/paste function is troublesome and I can’t even view pdf files, such as the tax returns are stored in. However, these are the “Faith fellowships” registered as charitable trusts in the state of California. I’m figuring that perhaps the one in San Leandro would be under one of these? It should be:

For a clear view, till I revise (from a different input screen), key the term “Faith Fellowship” into this page:
http://rct.doj.ca.gov/MyLicenseVerification/Search.aspx?facility=Y

Organization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
FAITH FELLOWSHIP	EX594975	Charity	Exempt – Active	EL CAJON	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH	EX598421	Charity	Exempt – Active	VALLEJO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH OF CORONA	EX600598	Charity	Exempt – Active	CORONA	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CENTER	EX580113	Charity	Exempt – Active	WEST COVINA	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CENTER OF FRESNO	EX576833	Charity	Exempt – Active	KERMAN	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CENTER SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA	EX584748	Charity	Exempt – Active	SANTA ANA	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHAPEL	EX578711	Charity	Exempt – Active	TULARE	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN TV. MINISTRIES	EX592002	Charity	Exempt – Active	CORNELIUS	NC	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH	EX575457	Charity	Exempt – Active	SALINAS	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH OF SAN JOSE CORPORATION	EX575570	Charity	Exempt – Active	SAN JOSE	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH OF WHITTIER	EX604898	Charity	Exempt – Active	WHITTIER	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY CHURCH	EX600367	Charity	Exempt – Active	NORTH HIGHLANDS	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP FAMILY BIBLE CHURCH	EX618028	Charity	Exempt – Active	SAN ANDREAS	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION	EX616486	Charity	Exempt – Active	SAN DIEGO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL, INC.	EX610772	Charity	Exempt – Dissolution Pending	BAKERSFIELD	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP M.B.C.	EX594950	Charity	Exempt – Active	EMERYVILLE	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP MINISTERIES, INC.	EX580413	Charity	Exempt – Active	EL CAJON	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP OF LA PALMA, CALIFORNIA	EX567655	Charity	Exempt – Active	LYNWOOD	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FAITH FELLOWSHIP OF SADDLEBACK VALLEY	EX579905	Charity	Exempt – Active	LAGUNA HILLS	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
1

{{Again, it takes just a few seconds to click the link and type two words into the Organization field.))

wow — they’re doing MUCH better than court-affiliated nonprofits, on average. See my last few posts!

For comparison with mainstream denominational charitable organizations:

rganization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF AMERICA	EX602148	Charity	Exempt – Active	SAN DIEGO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF APOSTOLIC TRADITION	EX584172	Charity	Exempt – Active	LAKEWOOD	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE AMERICAS		Charity	Not Registered	RANCHO CUCAMONGA	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY	EX596853	Charity	Exempt – Active	LAKEWOOD	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
CATHOLIC CHURCH ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR CONVENTUAL		Charity	Not Registered	TORRANCE	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
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(Life’s simpler when you’re oh so centralized!)

Now, for the “Corporations” search on Faith Fellowship. Other recommended searches (both corporate and charity) include Foursquare, Pacific Justice Institute, and PJI’s parent? Capitol Resource. I also blogged recently on what sense does it make for anti-religion and pro-religion nonprofits to duke it out legally about behavior in the common area, at expense to the public?

Actually I just searched “foursquare.”

Organization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
FOURSQUARE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC.	CT0174141	Charity	Exempt – Active	LOS ANGELES	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE FOUNDATION	EX604277	Charity	Exempt – Active	LOS ANGELES	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF BURBANK CALIFORNIA		Charity	Not Registered	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF EL MONTE		Charity	Not Registered	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF FLORENCE		Charity	Not Registered	UNKNOWN	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF FULLERTON		Charity	Not Registered	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF ORLAND	CT0166393	Charity	Exempt – Active	ORLAND	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF SANTA ANA		Charity	Not Registered	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE OF VENTURA CALIFORNIA	EX565579	Charity	Exempt – Active	LOS ANGELES	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
FOURSQUARE LOAN FUND, INC.		Charity	Not Registered	LOS ANGELES	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
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Out of 10 outfits above (mostly appear to be church related, i.e, have the word “Gospel” in title) — 6 were not registered. But — unlike those in the family law area — none where delinquent, also true of the “faith fellowship” church. Apparently there is at least one thing church groups are better at, and this is, when they do sign up, at least registering occasionally with the Secretary of State a little more often.

(after just scrolling through all 155 search results on SOState site, “Faith Fellowship” — from Abounding Faith (still active) through XTreme Faith (not quite “alpha to omega” when it comes to their range of titles — only up to the letter “X”) — it appears that either faith failed, or that “time and chance” happens to us all, as the polygamist and eventually idolatrous Old Testament figure, Solomon, the son of David, notes in “Ecclesiastes.” The “Xtreme Faith” group listed “Legal Zoom” as registered agent.I wonder if he was one of the old testament figures the Baptists “Be a Man” conference used to up their attendance. . . . . These groups are suspended and dissolved, or in a case forfeited/resigned as well — including some who apparently kept their charity status up to date, but not their corporate. (or, our state government, being so broke and swamped, just didn’t post the information yet.

One thing is clear — this isn’t the best database for extensive research because its public face doesn’t seem to allow search by incorporation agent, date of incorporation, place of jurisdiction/incorporation, etc.

NOW:

Organization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	5502-2007	Raffle	Expired	SACRAMENTO	CA	Raffle Registration	Raffle
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	5502-2008	Raffle	Expired	SACRAMENTO	CA	Raffle Registration	Raffle
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	5502-07-1	Raffle	Complete	SACRAMENTO	CA	Raffle Report	Raffle
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	5502-07-2	Raffle	Complete	SACRAMENTO	CA	Raffle Report	Raffle
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	107574	Charity	Exempt – Active	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	5502-08-3	Raffle	Complete	SACRAMENTO	CA	Raffle Report	Raffle
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE – CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY	CT0147877	Charity	Current	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE – CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE		Charity	Not Registered	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
1

Raffles are fundraisers; these appear to have raised from between $2 to $4,000 each.

“Pacific Justice Institute” — Corporate (SOS site) search results:

Entity Number	Date Filed	Status	Entity Name	Agent for Service of Process
C2014207	06/23/1997**	ACTIVE	PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE	KEVIN T SNIDER
C3095041	04/10/2008	ACTIVE	PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE – CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY	KEVIN SNIDER
C3104930	06/17/2008	ACTIVE	PACIFIC JUSTICE INSTITUTE – CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE	KEVIN SNIDER
C2123059	10/05/1998	ACTIVE	THE CURTIN PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE	ROBERT E SCHMITT

Note: years formed 1997, 2008 and 2008 (I’m figuring the last one probably unrelated, although I did search on all 3 words) registered agent Kevin T. Snider.

* * 1997 corporation:
Entity Number: C2014207
Date Filed: 06/23/1997
Status: ACTIVE
Jurisdiction: CALIFORNIA
Entity Address: 9851 HORN RD., SUITE 115
Entity City, State, Zip: SACRAMENTO CA 95827
Agent for Service of Process: KEVIN T SNIDER
Agent Address: 9851 HORN RD., SUITE 115
(All 3 entities are at the same street address, both entity & agent addresses.

They have an institute, a center for POLICY & a center for SERVICE. I wonder what’s next.

NCCSDATAWEB.URBAN.ORG (same search) shows all of these are nonprofits:

2009	911823641	Pacific Justice Institute	CA	1997	03	1,593,360	419,836	990
2008	943296000	The@Curtin Pacific Institute for Criminal Justice	CA	2000	03	0	0
	262401873	Pacific Justice Institute – Center for Public Policy

“Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy N.E.C.”

“not req’d to file: income <$25,000″CA20090400

263640034Pacific Justice Institute — Center for Public ServiceCA20090300

Curtain P I (I searched the EIN#) is a PO box in SF:

Filing	990 – Not required to file Form 990 (income less than $25,000)

and classified as “Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis”

I suppose some of us might use: EIN Finder .com but it’s not free, except for a free trial

PJI also makes an appearance here, at Regent University….

In case you’re not familiar with Regent University , yet:

Regent University School of Law

Regent University School of Law’s mission is distinctive among accredited law schools and provides an attractive option for students pursuing the study of law from a Christian perspective. The mission of Regent Law School is to bring to bear the will of our Creator, Almighty God, upon legal education and the legal profession.

The purpose of the “Center for Public Policy” (a 501(c)4, not 3) per press release is to take on the CPS.

PJI Launches Center for Public Policy, Efforts to Reform CPS

Sacramento, CA

Date: 08/21/2009 Pacific Justice Institute

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release August 20, 2009
Contact: President Brad Dacus (916) 857-6900

PJI Launches Center for Public Policy, Efforts to Reform CPS

Sacramento – The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is launching its new Center for Public Policy (CPP), a 501(c)(4) organization, this week in an effort to assist California legislators to enact laws benefiting all Californians. First up on CPP’s agenda: reforming Child Protective Services. Created to protect California children from abusive home environments, the agency has garnered a reputation for abusing its power, particularly where minorities are concerned.

Notice they were smart enough to keep this separate (though at the same street address?) organization so as not to be filing those pesky tax returns and founding documents on-line so much. At least to date.

Perhaps if Brad, Kevin, and others would hang around with more people who let mothers speak — from the pulpit, and to men — in church, or thought their input worthy one on one if they were not theologically PC, they might learn something from some of the abused wives of clergy, or former wives of clergy, or congregants.

I can’t find Center for Public Service yet on-line. I’m sure they’ll be issuing some press releases shortly, no doubt.

Now about one of their close associates in anti-gay and pro-mega-church activities:

CAPITOL RESOURCE INSTITUTE & PJI:

I had heard that “Capitol Resource Institute” (nb. Sacramento, State Capital) was related to or parent of PJI, so looked it up. Alas…. they are no more. At least, legally:

Entity Number	Date Filed	Status	Entity Name	Agent for Service of Process
C1588387	06/12/1987	SUSPENDED	CAPITOL RESOURCE INSTITUTE	JAMES SWEENEY

Entity Name:	CAPITOL RESOURCE INSTITUTE
Entity Number:	C1588387
Date Filed:	06/12/1987
Status:	SUSPENDED
Jurisdiction:	CALIFORNIA
Entity Address:	660 J STREET, SUITE 250
Entity City, State, Zip:	SACRAMENTO CA 95814
Agent for Service of Process:	JAMES SWEENEY
Agent Address:	9381 E.STOCKTON BLVD #218
Agent City, State, Zip:	ELK GROVE CA 95624

Sweeney and Green, LLP got served this document protesting the denial of a right of an adopted child by a same-sex couple to his/her birth certificate (?) it’s notice (proof of service) of an April, 2011 letter to the California Chief Justice of a Fifth District slip opinion. Browse the law firms involved, including this one, Mr. Sweeney’s, PJI is also on there, page 3, left column, under “Liberty Center II.” In other words, the registered agent is an attorney. In fact, you have just “got” to take a look at his bio on their website (which requires “Flash” to view) to understand how very well-connected this Sacramento attorney (SF/Berkeley educated as to law) is — and his particular interest including:

“Mr. Sweeney and his firm have particular success in defense of sexual harassment and sexual abuse claims against businesses, churches, and schools. ” He graduated with a double major in B.S./Physics and B.A. History, “summa cum laude” from UCSF before going on to law school. He worked as a prosecuting criminal attorney deputy district attorney, then “senior legal consultant to the California State Assembly” then “Chief Counsel to the Secretary of State.”

This, plus summa cum laude in physics tells us something about how his mind probably works, and I wouldn’t like it in a courtroom on the opposing side. With defending religious groups from sexual abuse claims and a preference for high-profile work, they will not be running out of business any time soon!

NEVERTHELESS, Capitol Resource Institute has for some reasons declined to stay current with the OAG and has had its business license suspended (Guess they was just too busy), yet this doesn’t appear to have discouraged its continuing, and somewhat high-profile (i.e., press-release) operations, as I will show. It has received (or was mailed, the 2nd one to I gather an updated address) its charity delinquency notices from the OAG office, and I see no IRS’s or RRFs filed since 2005. Perhaps it’s an intentional lapse?

Organization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
CAPITOL RESOURCE INSTITUTE	065160	Charity	Delinquent	SACRAMENTO	CA	Charity Registration	Charity
1

1987 filing states purpose and initial agent, plus his address:

To Establish and Develop an educational institution for the purposes of instruction in and dissemination of educational material . . . . material relating to the fields of family life and economics.” 2005 IRS shows, and my copy of part of it to this website probably won’t – but you can access on-line too:

Primary Exempt Purpose doesn’t include a verb, and is fairly generic: “PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY LIFE.”

This organization was definitely crafted and targeted at California. Yet it’s not operating legally in this state, from what I can tell, at least as a nonprofit. It IS filing federal tax returns, apparently: this if from NCCSDATAweb.org — up through 2009.

Capitol Resource Institute

Sacramento, CA 95814

= IRS provided data

= User submitted data

(EIN = 680129342)

Date Year
Form 990	2009	Download
Form 990	2008	Download
Form 990	2007	Download
Form 990	2006	Download
Form 990	2005	Download
Form 990	2004	Download
Form 990	2003	Download
Form 990	2002	Download

(the 2001 tax return requests an extension because of “turnover in accounting staff and two changes of executive director,” with a “Michael Mears” listed. One of the Bd of Directors there is CEO of a Los Angeles industry (Michael A. Durst), but I think this 1998 fax (on-line), showing Capitol Resource personnel on the letterhead basically tells their intent: It’s a fax to apparently someone at LDS leadership (that’s Latter Day Saints for the unitiated) seeking funding for a California Initiative to oppose gay marriage, lest the liberals in Hawaii & Washington out-spend and win: Just read it: found off the mainsite “CaliforniaWatch.org”

Home .

Referenced here:

Prop. 8 lawyer vetted first gay marriage initiative with Mormon leaders

January 29, 2010 | Robert Salladay

UPDATE: The Courage Campaign has filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission against attorney Andy Pugno over using state resources to communicate with a Mormon attorney about an anti-gay marriage initiative.

….

Andy Pugno, the lead attorney defending Proposition 8, once worked for state Sen. William J. “Pete” Knight, the Palmdale Republican who spearheaded California’s first successful ballot measure to outlaw gay marriage. On Feb. 26, 1998, Pugno wrote a memo to a Utah lawyer with close ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarding the initiative Pugno was crafting:

Photo: Dave Schumaker

“We urgently need you to review the proposed text and respond to two key questions before the close of business tomorrow,” Pugno wrote to Lynn D. Wardle, a law professor at Brigham Young University. “Senator Knight will be re-filing language for a ballot initiative on Monday morning – and plans are laid to definitely qualify the measure for the ballot.”

The Mormon church’s involvement and financial support in California’s gay marriage debate is well documented. But Pugno’s newly unearthed memo, written on state government letterhead, is striking evidence of how closely the Mormon church has been involved in the gay marriage debate in California for more than a decade.

At Pugno’s urging, a Mormon attorney was vetting the language ofProposition 22 and then quickly passing his information to the highest ranks of the LDS church.

California Watch obtained several memos showing the early activity of the Mormon church in the state’s anti-gay-marriage debate. The memo between Pugno and Wardle, and others between the church leadership, are below. Also included is a January 1998 memo from the Capitol Resource Institute asking for Mormon funding to support the marriage ban.

The day after Pugno sent his urgent memo in February 1998, Wardle wrote to three church elders in Salt Lake City, along with two law firms and a law professor in Iowa, alerting them of proposed changes to Proposition 22. The recipients included high-ranking members of the church, Marlin K. Jensen and David E. Sorensen, from the church’s Presidency of the Seventy.

That’s not FUNNY! Read this, church description of “Quorums of the Seventy”! and the heirarch — of the 12, and of course the Presiding Bishopric, or, let’s just go to the top, for LDS: ”

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Under His direction, General Authorities and local leaders lead and teach Church members throughout the world.

You think people who claim to be, well, of the Aaronic Priesthood are concerned about earthly laws, or subject to them? Think Warren Jeffs, and I believe you have the general concepts. Or go visit a local LDS church, particularly if you’re from Berkeley and atheist and notice how the men and women behave, particularly (I’ve done this) absence of pants and major age differences between husband and wife.

Rulon Jeffs (father of Warren) and two of his many wives. I’ve posted the text on URL under description of Warren Jeffs from 2005.

Rulon Jeffs with two of his reported wives Warren Jeffs sentenced to life for child sex abuse

The nearly two-decade tenure of father and son has split the polygamist community on the Utah-Arizona border. After taking power in 1986, Rulon Jeffs slowly abolished the seven-member Priesthood Council that had previously governed the sect.Rulon Jeffs eventually claimed a “One Man Rule” and as a result, part of the group split away and founded their own polygamist settlement nearby.

Upon the death of his father, 49-year-old Warren Jeffs took over as prophet of the FLDS, or Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in September of 2002. Jeff’s father, Rulon T. Jeffs, had been the group’s prophet for the previous 15 years. He died at the age of 92, leaving an estimated 75 widows and 65 children to mourn him.According to former followers, the prophet is considered to be God’s mouthpiece on earth. It is believed that God speaks directly to Warren Jeffs to reveal His will. And through the prophet, God directs which male members are worthy of entry into heaven (females are invited into heaven by satisfied husbands). Jeffs is also the only person who can perform marriages, and it is through him that wives are assigned to their husbands. Pleasing the prophet can result in loyal members being rewarded with one or more wives. Wives are considered to “belong” to their husbands for eternity.

In order to reach the highest degree of glory in heaven, members of the FLDS believe that each man must have at least three wives. A significant means of prophet power is derived from his ability to punish followers by reassigning their wives, children and homes to another man. Obedience is highly valued, and it is rare for wives to resist reassignment.

(Photo to right goes with “Warren Jeffs sentenced to life for child sex abuse“

So, Capitol Resource Institute (whose registered agent Sweeney of Sweeney & Greene, LLP, talks about defending churches, businesses & schools from sexual harassment and sexual abuse claims) in 1998 is soliciting money, or at least discussing it, from LDS leadership to stop gay marriage. I realize “FLDS” (Jeffs) is not “LDS” but they are definitely too close for comfort! and sprang off the same tree…

APPARENTLY This nonprofit doesn’t know that its license has been suspended, I find it quite active on-line.

“As your watchdog for family values here in Sacramento, CRI is committed to keeping you informed about important legislation. So, stay tuned!”

Action center has one item, predictably:

Help Us Stop SB 48

Jul 22, 2011

Capitol Resource Institute

www.capitolresource.org/ – Cached

The mission of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) is to educate, advocate, protect, and defend family-friendly policies in the California state legislature and at local …

Contact

News

Capitol Resource Institute / Action Center

Links

Donate

Programs

Capitol Resource Institute / Blog & Updates

Capitol Resource Institute / Blog & Updates

660 J St # 250
Sacramento, CA 95814-2483
(916) 498-1940

Tram: 7 th St & K St (SB)

Place page – Directions – Is this accurate?

►

And their action center has a nice link to Capitol Resource Family Impact (plus logo):

Yes, the site recommends PJI, and has a logo “What Strengthens Families, Strengthens California,” and articles such as “you live in a Battleground state” and why churches should get involved in politics, etc. I recommend reading it, although — NB — it has not filed somewhere along the line, its corporate status got suspended.

News, under the website for this non-entity, CRI, has a few more items:

Shocking Must-Read Report for All Parents with School Age Children

Dec 16, 2009

President Obama’s Safe Schools Czar, Kevin Jennings, was the founder, and for many years, Executive Director of GLSEN. It was while he was with GLSEN that a recommended reading list for students was compiled. The recommended reading list contains very explicit material.

{{GLSEN being of course, “GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network: Home

www.glsen.org/ – Cached

Organization for students, parents, and teachers that tries to affect positive change in schools. Offers information on what you can do and local chapters in each …”}}

Readings Teach Students to Embrace Same-Sex Marriage

Apr 30, 2009

Check Your Vocab: Definitions for Kindergarten and Up

Apr 30, 2009

It’s also running educational sessions of various sorts in California’s State Capitol:

Day at the Capitol | More Information and Registration

Several times a year, CRI’s Day at the Capitol attracts hundreds of “ordinary” citizens to spend a day at the state Capitol in Sacramento. There they are: Equipped with a better understanding of the legislative process; Familiarized with pending legislation; Provided with skills to communicate effectively with state legislators and other officials; and briefed by members of the state Legislature.

these must be free, because I see nothing on the state attorney’s site to say where they are producing revenue in California.

And these, too:

Class at the Capitol | More information

CRI offers Class at the Capitol as an exciting and unique opportunity for students to get acquainted with the legislative process. This is a one-day, hands-on program where students become mock legislators for the day.

The “Economic Research Institute” actually lists CRI.

It apparently stopped filing around 2005, got two delinquency notices. Maybe efforts are being poured into PJI for the good fight against gender expression, curtailing public school evangelism, advocating for male-dominated “Be a man” nonprofit expansionist churches with apparently substantial support (though I DNK the $$) from the Foursquare Demonination, who want to run their businesses on city property that the city would prefer be put to “secular” use.

Founding Documents:
(I cannot finish looking today, but may return). executive Director Peter J. Henderson (when Capitol Resource Institute was founded by him & 2 other men, one from Garden Grove, the other from Irvine, CA) showed an address of a lobbyist, i.e., 1029 K Street #38, Sacramento. (street address shows it in a registry of lobbyists, and at least per the site, also of a

Price Consulting
1029 K Street Suite 38
Sacramento, CA 95814-3821

See also (2007 newsletter) “William Jessup University” inset showing Public Policy Advisors include PJE & Capitol Resource Institute, affiliated with San Jose Bible College? and focusing on raising up generations of leaders to straighten out California, i.e., Public Policy leadership training.

A Little More perspective on at least one of the founders of Capitol Resource Institute: Peter L. Henderson (haven’t run across the name, don’t know him, I’m only interested in the topics here, and CRI’s support or affiliation with groups like PJI who go crying to the Supreme Court about it’s not fair to discriminate against the nonprofit, men-preaching style of churches they wish to help create a new kingdom on earth through, generally speaking. I know firsthand what some of these preaching does to women and children, particularly daughters, and how it affects (limits) their personal visions and identities of themselves in favor of the corporate vision which is, well, you know, about manly men and real men, and none of this California-style “BS.” Yet they are again, benefitting through tax-exemptions and so obtaining a form of financial help from the same government they proclaim is discriminating against them by not helping ENOUGH.

Source, another site, “Developmental Resources, LLC” which is apparently a firm that helps others raise money.

PETER HENDERSON, Ministry Consultant

Peter Henderson is a graduate of University California, San Diego and Fuller Theological Seminary. He began his career in Southern California serving on staff of a mega-church in Santa Ana.** His position provided the opportunity to develop church growth strategies and vision casting. Peter’s career continued as the National Director of a computer training company, developing training programs for Fortune 500 companies. Later, he embraced the opportunity to work in philanthropy and public policy; founding the Capitol Resource Institute of California and serving as Chief of Staff for the California Republican leader. He was also responsible for advancing the marketing and capital growth of the Alliance Defense Fund. In addition, Peter served for ten years on the adjunct faculty of William Jessup University.

Peter has over 30 years experience and offers expertise in ministry fundraising strategies and implementation of donor marketing and communication, emphasizing domestic donor cultivation. Continually involved in the social changes of American society, Peter is especially passionate about understanding and implementing ways the church can affect its community with attractive lifestyles and service.

Currently, Peter is involved with managing a private foundation in Southern California, serving as an Associate Mentor for the Masters Program, and consulting non-profits and individuals. Peter’s true passion is to help men and ministries understand their calling and mission before God, allowing them to fulfill and leverage their gifts and assets for maximum Kingdom impact.

Peter and his wife Joanie have four adult children and one grandson.*** They reside in Folsom, CA where they attend Lakeside Church and Peter leads the prayer ministry. One of their lifelong goals is to raise up four generations that honor and serve God.

** Los Angeles is extremely diverse. Santa Ana, an slightly different read: Wikipedia // Money Magazine [2006!] snapshot compare Santa Ana to top 100 cities (or best places to live in US) gives a general picture.

***If this had come out a daughter, would the bio have read “and one granddaughter” or “and one grandchild.” Do his four adult children have a gender, and if so was it a mixture of male & female, or all one?
The Fuller Connection should be VERY disturbing (when inserted into federal policies of any sort, i.e., faith-based access to fatherhood & marriage grants) whatever one’s personal beliefs, or lack thereof, unless you’re all for republic via mobocracy into a fast-moving theocracy — whichever brand has the best PR and most money decides which brand of Theocracy. Moreover, intelligent women should be extremely concerned about this. See above. And should make sure to vote and follow the money in any churches they are supporting, i.e., at the corporate and charity registration level, for starters. You might otherwise be in for a very rude awakening shortly after marriage and/or pregnancy. Or, you may be totally ill-equipped to help other women who, through chance, fortune, or thinking that “believes in God” means “is a good person,” and married into the School of Hard Knocks, and brood-mare status, barely concealed. No, I”m not a feminazi saying this: read my blog!

Here’s an excerpt from http://letusreason.org/latrine. I had looked up Fuller Seminary:

A National Symposium on the Post-Denominational Church was convened by Dr. C. Peter Wagner at Fuller Seminary, May 21-23, 1996. Bill Hamon said that “this was a historical occasion in God’s annals of Church history. It was prophetically orchestrated by the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s progressive purposes of bringing His church to its ultimate destiny… the consensus of the panelists was that there are still apostles and prophets in the Church, and there is an emerging Apostolic Movement that will revolutionize the 21st Century Church” (Streams, Rivers, Floods, Avalanches, cited by Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Ministries Newsletter, http://www.discernment-ministries.com/Articles/streams.htm)

C. Peter Wagner states “I believe that the government of the church is finally coming into place and that is the, the scripture teaches in Eph. 2 that the foundation of the church is apostles and prophets” (CBN interview Jan.3, 2000).

“ The second apostolic age began in the year 2001” “What’s important is that you’re the people of God out there, you’re representing the kingdom of God, and you know this, but nothing has happened because the government of the church has not come into place” (C. Peter Wagner Arise Prophetic Conference Gateway Church San Jose, CA 10/10/2004) (emphasis mine)

Did the Church have no government for almost 1900 years prior to Wagner’s new apostolic prophetic movement?

Wagner explains this “The second apostolic age began in the year 2001, okay? And in this whole first chapter in this book I argue my point, I think rather… I hope it’s convincingly, that 2001 marks, is the year that marks the second apostolic age, which means for years the government of the church had not been in place since about, you know, the first century or so. It doesn’t mean weren’t apostles and prophets, because the government of the… the foundation of the church according to Ephesians 2:20 is apostles and prophets, Jesus being the chief cornerstone. It doesn’t mean there weren’t apostles and prophets, it means the body of Christ hadn’t recognized them and released them for the office that they had so that they’d function as apostles and prophets in the foundation of the church. But we now have that, I believe we’ve reached our critical mass in the year 2001” (C. Peter Wagner, Arise Prophetic Conference, Gateway Church, San Jose, CA, 10/10/2004)

Actually, what’s “newest” about this, as compared to more traditional denominations, is the better understanding of how to organize churches around the internet, and set up a different authority structure, including accepting donations, gaining members, helping just a few people “Plant” a church, and in short Rick DeVos type enterprises.

One way to learn something about a religious group is to hear another one talking about it, but the point here is that the concept of turning “Post-Denominational” into “New Apostolic” aggrandizes it, and adds the implication of answering to a great authority than, say, local laws. Not to mention the very disturbing fact that it appears our government continues to pour millions$$ into a fatherhood movement (half marriage, half fatherhood. Church groups could grab either focus) with personalities that could actually say such things with a straight face.

Fuller Seminary and Fatherhood, at first blush (sampler):

Fatherhood Programs – Active Relationships Center
http://www.activerelationships.com/fatherhood.php
Authored by Kelly Simpson, MA, LMFT with Amanda Weatherby-Stimmel, PhD ( Fuller Theological Seminary) and Ben Stimmel, MA LMFT (Fuller Theological …

Active Relationships Center (ARC) seems to be in Texas, and is probably a nonprofit getting fatherhood grants, too. Back up and look at the headings on the website. Fatherhood. Families. Incarcerated, etc. — almost any designation but Women.

or,

James Furrow, Ph.D. (for an exemplar of a Fuller graduate). Please review the Vita carefully and note some co-investigator federal grants, whether the partner is a Linda Wagener I wonder if a relationship to the Peter Wagener, above? of the New Apostolic Age, etc.?

This man is a Telecommunications BA from Tulsa (1983), who went to Fuller and got an M.A. in Theology with a marriage emphasis (1986) and then apparently his first work experience (listed, 1992) is as Research Director at the National Center for Fathering in Manhattan, Kansas! Then a Ph.D. in Human Development/Marriage and Family, from KSU, coincidentally also in Manhattan, Kansas. From 1995 forward he is also functioning in variously decorated positions at Fuller again, including “Co-Director of Center for Child and Adolescent Development” and Assistant Professor in, naturally, Marriage and Family Therapy, Graduate Psychology.

No man of course is an island, nor, typically, is any Child Reseach Center in any college or university, let alone seminary. Of course, it goes without saying that any woman who even thinks about attempting to function as an island, esPECIALLY as a mother, is anathema and in part responsible for the breakdown of society (ref. See Genesis 2, Eve, curse, etc.) But seriously, it lends credibility to associate and name your centers as part of an Institute. Moreover, all of this is going to take money (including probably federal grants-based). All I can say is please take a look:

Travis Research Institute

{{be sure to click on the letter from head of TRI, and learn how this 10 year old assemblage actually builds on 10 more years of “biopsychosocial” research at Fuller, which will be appropriately spiritually and biblically framed. Chances are, if you have a marital “dispute” and area assigned a counselor in CA, you and/or your child may end up in front of a Fuller-produced graduate full of biopscyhosocial interpretations of family.}}

The Thrive Center

The Thrive Center aims to further the knowledge and resources that support positive development in children and adolescence. Center research studies explore the role of personal and social resources that promote the development of character, competence, and a commitment to serve others. The Center seeks to expand an understanding of spiritual development and religion in positive youth development and the study of human thriving.

Directors: Dr. Justin Barrett

Faculty (in alphabetical order): Drs. Justin Barrett, Mari Clements, James Furrow, Pamela Ebstyne King, Lisseth Rojas-Flores, Sarah Schnitker

Research topics and projects

Child and Adolescent Development
Positive Youth Development
Spiritual Exemplars Project
Youth Violence

Related research topics and projects

Marriage and Family
Research on Parenting
Conflict Resolution in Families Project
Emotion Focused Couple Therapy: Process and Training Research

This, among other reasons, is why, should there be a resurrection, I want to have a few words with former-President George Bush, and quiz him about his 2001 Executive Order freeing up grants to “faith-based” groups, and aggressively dismantling things that the writers of the Constitution he swore (in fact, shortly before doing this) in front of the whole US to uphold and defend, had nightmares about, and memories within their lifetimes of what might happen should church again become state.

Co-director Linda Wagener states she wants to understand what makes people flourish, and also how young people respond to grief and trauma. Pasadena is probably not the best place to understand the underside of life from, but thankfully there must be research grants for travel to find some oppressed people (Los Angeles probably is too close and mundane to count?):

Wagener explored this question as she traveled last summer through Bosnia, Jordan, and Turkey, interviewing young people about their responses to the radical political, economic, and social traumas they were encountering in their cultures. “Their thoughtful responses to moral and relational issues,” says Wagener, “was a hopeful reminder that humans were created by God in ways that lead to resiliency and thriving even under desperate circumstances.”

Of course, the researchers in this institute are going to publish as well, accordingly SAGE Publications (Thousand Oaks, CA, London & New Delhi) has put out (co. 2006) their Handbook of Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence. For only $139.50 (at Amazon) you can read (from a hard copy) about the “foundations for the scientific study of this topic” which is about the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard of yet, coming from any evangelistic group; perhaps they forgot what Jesus said about becoming like a little child (cf. Ph.D. studying children) if one wants to enter the kingdom of heaven, and how at age 12 he was asking learned questions of his elders and listening to their answers, too.

I’m not sure this is all about entering the kingdom of heaven later, rather than positioning certain affiliates to produce one (according to their building plans) on earth, but either way, producing $140 books will certainly help with the livelihood while figuring out how to produce spirituality in children.

Perhaps they should read the account of the prophet Samuel’s childhood under a corrupt priest, and simply accept that it’s not their job.

Either way — the mega-church involvement in psychology and marriage counseling is to me AS disturbing as groups like Kids’ Turn originals (or whatever law firm at 1242 Market Street was involved at the time) participating to defend the would-be high priestess of the Church of Satan. If I got the terminology wrong here, you can hear it from one of the ex-partners of the author of the Satanic Bible in a FAQsheet here, in association with others, of course taking into account who’s writing. Oddly, I agree with one of their premises — that churches should not be tax-exempt. However, I do realize that’s probably a pipe dream in this life, in which this philosophy apparently includes 9 premises, from #1. Indulgence instead of abstinence to #9, Satan has been the church’s best friend keeping it in business all these years. and #4, Love is for those who deserve it and not to be wasted on ingrates.

That said, the property at 6114 California being fought over in Hegarty v. LaVey was indeed a hellhole, and the attorney for Hegarty (it’s a palimony action), Elizabeth Benford, lists as her mailing address the current address of Kids’ Turn (still operating with suspended charity status, I wonder?) — 1242 Market Street, 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA. Also, it appears from the “FAQs above, that “satanism” pre-dated the “New Apostolic age” by a quarter century years; it claims to have started in 1966.

Wonder what the fees for that lawsuit went into. The link I just provided shows addresses, at the bottom (scrolling down), it is signed by a woman who was secretary to Mr. LaVey for 14 years, and is outraged that this outstanding structure, so central to Satanism, should somehow be forfeit.

If Pacific Justice really wants to make a dent in “the enemy” why not find a way to take on the finances of groups like this directly? Now that would take major courage. After all, that’s why it moved into the Bay Area, Sodom & Gomorrah of the West Coast, right? But instead, they are going to the Supreme Court on rights to evangelize in public schools, stopping state funding of “occult” schools (Waldorf) and teaching about gay history, or alternative lifestyles in elementary schools. Perhaps they could take on the entire concept of public schools to start with, or dissociate, rather than selecting specific issues to defend, and other issues to remain mute about, like how many women and children are dying, or children being molested at the hands of fine, upstanding, fatherhood-endorsing Christian ministers (or therapists), or about the tragic waste of millions of $$ on child support enforcement, abstinence education in the schools, and so forth?

For a more equal fight — hows about trying this as a FOR-PROFIT industry like the rest of us individuals who have been depending on wages from businesses that have to watch their profit margins and are accountable to their shareholders?

Capitol Resource Institute still is alive and kicking despite (from on-line appearances) operating right out of the state capitol, Sacramento, with a suspended corporation license and delinquent charity status. It has not apparently filed with the state of California since 2005, although I just found an IRS return stamped “2010” which I encourage readers to view and write the legislator about. They register are operating at a loss, which includes Program Service Accomplishment write-offs (i.e. expenses for a nonprofit) including $145K for what amounts to PR and lobbying, another $45K for “Conferences that Celebrate and Promote California Families” (we know what kind of families are not welcome there) and another $1,500 generic “Advocacy” plus $82K of “Other” expenses.

Karen England (the only paid member of CRI — it says $50K/year on last return) is clearly active and speaking for CRI in the STOPSB48 movement, cited July, 2011. You saw above — they have not filed their required statement of charitable trusts, and their business license has been suspended. I also showed that Peter L. Henderson (Fuller Seminary grad, formerly Santa Ana mega-church staff, a CRI institute founder) whose bio blurb also states he used to be “Chief of Staff for the California Republican Leader” (undated, person not named, should we check that reference?) if he is still involved with this CRI (no longer on the board, I see), it has received two delinquency notices from the state. It’s clear PJI and CRI are being cited hand in hand, and I don’t want to do more free PR for this group by quoting them; but this is the link showing the linkage to PJI at STOPSB48.com.

What does it say about Pacific Justice Institute to be hanging out with groups that operate with a suspended (so far as I can tell) business license and that exploit nonprofit status by failing to file?

(my equipment today is too slow to view the tax return properly, including finding out what $82,000 of “other” expenses might be, however, contributions (REVENUES from public, grants, etc.) for 2006 were $241,767, for 2007, $315,275, and for 2008, $282,463.

Imagine a single person not paying taxes on these amounts, or a small business composed of about 4 people filing FOR-profit not paying taxes on this amount, as minor as it is in the larger scope? Would they have a bank lien on by now?

Imagine 4 noncustodial fathers (or mothers) who collectively earned this much, and didn’t pay their child support . . .. Of course, they might slide if they were by doing so contributing to the Title IV-A/D/E system — but even so — social services are being cut for innocent kids, and it’s known that women disproportionately in older age are going to rely on social security. And these father-centric religious (republicans) are more concerned about history textbooks for elementary students while some of their (fuller, I mean) associates profit sell (or at least are paid, while authoring) books on the scientific study of how to produce childhood spirituality and fly overseas to study how young people report to trauma.

found at “Americansoffaith.com”:

May 21, 2010
Living Oaks Community Church 1100 Business Center Circle, Newbury Park, California.
Luncheon with Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute.

Pastors’ luncheon with the Pacific Justice Institute on May 21, 2010 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. with special guest Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute.

Back in 2008, RIGHTWINGWATCH.org described “Americans of Faith” (website says founded in 2004, this is how I found out where — in Virginia — guess where I’m going next on-line….. to look up nonprofit status and corporate status since typing “Americans of Faith” into the NCCSDATAWEB search (active & inactive organizations) pulled up “No Records Found”….) as follows;

Americans of Faith, which seems to be going by the name Operation Vote nowadays, was founded back in 2004 to register and mobilize 5 million Christian voters by Jay Sekulow, who just so happens to be Chair of Romney’s Faith and Values Steering Committee, as well as a member of Romney’s Advisory Committee On The Constitution And The Courts.

The Passion of the Religious Conservatives

1 May 2004

National Journal

Several prominent evangelical-movement leaders, as well as businessmen, social conservatives, and other like-minded believers, have put together ambitious voter-registration efforts that aim to get the Christian faithful to the polls on Election Day. Though nominally nonpartisan, these “ground- war” efforts are expected to benefit Republicans far more than Democrats because of such hot-button issues for conservatives as gay marriage and abortion.

One effort is being run by Americans of Faith, a Virginia-based tax-exempt group that is co-chaired by Bush fundraising “Pioneer” Edward Atsinger, who is president of Salem Communications, the nation’s largest Christian radio broadcaster; and Jay Alan Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit launched by Pat Robertson that champions religious causes.

“I’ve been talking about this for the last 10 years,” Sekulow said. “Evangelicals haven’t been good participants in elections. We’re talking about Christian civic participation.” Americans of Faith hopes to raise about $800,000 and will use the Internet, Christian radio, and music festivals, as well as churches and other venues, to try to reach its goal of registering 2 million new voters from the conservative Christian community in time for the November election.

Giving extra firepower to evangelicals, the group’s board includes such well-known leaders as Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council in Washington, and Frank Wright, the head of the National Religious Broadcasters.

According to a 2004 Talon News article, Americans of Faith’s Board of Directors includes, in addition to Sekulow and Perkins, the likes of Richard Land, Mike Farris, and David Barton.

While Farris has endorsed Huckabee and Barton has been sharing the stage with him in recent weeks, Land and Perkins have been conspicuously cold toward his campaign – and considering that the organization’s founder is a key backer of Huckabee’s main rival, it is odd that Huckabee would be invited to address an Americans of Faith event, especially since the longer he stays in the race, the more damage he does to Romney.

Motto at bottom of “Americans of Faith”:

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
-Proverbs 29:2

I think we can fairly well deduce what the meaning of “righteous in authority” means, here in general, and who they are….at least in re: certain issues. How does this meld with the righteous according to the IRS and State Attorney General for THIS group?

OK, here we go: You KNOW where I’m going after reading about “AMERICANS of FAITH” — it’s off to Virginia we go:

Perhaps, once the 2008 elections happened, their purpose was fulfilled?

SCC ID	Business Entity Name	Entity Type	Entity Status
	06116099	AMERICANS OF FAITH	Corporation	Terminated

at 1770 Kirby Road, McLean, VA = “Single Family Residence, 5 Bed, 4.50 Bath, 6613 Sq. Ft”

I finally got them through the “IRS 990-finder” and a little more detail.

ORGANIZATION NAME	STATE	YEAR	TOTAL ASSETS	FORM	PAGES	EIN
Americans of Faith	CA	2009	$29,259	990	16	20-0742507
Americans of Faith	CA	2008	$1,781.27	990O	17	20-0742507
Americans of Faith	CA	2008	$7,138.15	990	15	20-0742507

And, “aha” — the IRS (2008) shows them doing business in MY state! but with registered agent in Virginia, as above. And next to no assets.

5235 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo,CA 93012 (which appears to be either a FedEx store, or a church….or a church using a PO Box)

and address (suite 1000) of a conservative group with (at least) a link to Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc.

which IS registered here as a charity — and at the same Suite# as showing under AOF on the strange tax return of 20-0742507. The AOF also list their purpose as “Voter Education.”

Organization Name	Registration Number	Record Type	Registration Status	City	State	Registration Type	Record Type
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY	CT0136202	Charity	Current	WASHINGTON	DC	Charity Registration	Charity
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY		Charity	Not Registered	ARLINGTON	VA	Charity Registration	Charity
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY FOUNDATION	116822	Charity	Current	WASHINGTON	DC	Charity Registration	Charity
1

— IS this “AOF” sharing the same PO Box?

(BACK to the drawing board in California): AOF (Americans of Faith) NOT registered as a charity in California, either looking at the EIN# or by name. OR with the Secretary of State. Maybe it’s a 3-state outfit, like the old AFCC?

Tax Return of 2009 (above) lists these unpaid officers:

Colby May (see corporation registry, 6 bedroom home in Virginia) {{ALSO works with ACLJ, see “sekulow,” next.)
Jay Sekulow (now I know I have the right group) and
Edward Atsinger, plus it’s signed by
“David J. Spady, Treasurer” (not listed on the form. Go figure!)

COLBY MAY description, from “Wakefield School of Divinity Site” I note that this school started only in 1999, and has baptist origins.

Director & Senior Counsel, Washington Office
American Center for Law and Justice

Colby M. May is Senior Counsel and Director of the Washington Office of theAmerican Center for Law & Justice. With the ACLJ since 1994, he specializes in federal litigation, regulatory proceedings, communications and technology, non-profit tax issues, and First Amendment law.

Mr. May, a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law, has represented parties and amicus curiae in several landmark Supreme Court cases, including: (see link) . . . .

Mr. May is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and Virginia State Bar, and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America, United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit; United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit; District of Columbia Court of Appeals; and the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Mr. May has provided testimony to the Congress of the United States on many occasions and on a variety of matters, such as: the “Religious Liberty and Protection Act,” “The Dot Kids Domain Name Act,” and “The Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act.”

Mr. May is an Adjunct Law Professor at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia (Legislation) (Spring 2003-present).

Mr. May also serves on the board of directors of several civic and charitable organizations and currently serves as a director and Secretary of EndPoverty.org, a public charity fostering microeconomic development in emerging countries of the world, and Enough is Enough!, a pro-family organization working to make the Internet safe for children.

Jay Sekulow’s son presumably, from ACLJ can be seen under the link on ACLJ:

Sekulow is a graduate of Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, VA, where he served as co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Regent Journal of Law and Public Policy. Sekulow earned his BA in Political Science from George Washington University and went on to earn his Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in International Human Rights from the Georgetown Law Center”

And with “Edward Ratsinger,” particularly if it’s Edward Ratsinger, III, I am officially in too deep. See this site, and not my first time on it. From “sourcewatch.org”

Edward G. AtsingerIII is the president and chief executive officer of Salem Communications Corporation.

According to June 1999 information posted on the Council for National Policy database:

“Edward G. Atsinger III-CNP Board of Governors (1996). President and C.E.O., Salem Communications Corporation; chairman, National Religious Broadcasters Music License Committee. Founded Salem Communications in 1986 with his brother- in-law Stuart W. Epperson, who is Chairman of Salem’s board. Each partner owns half the company, but Atsinger remains more involved in day-to-day business decisions. Salem Communications includes 44 stations grouped primarily in major markets across the United States. It is the largest Christian radio group and among the top ten in commercial radio groups in the nation. Salem owns stations in eight of the 10 largest radio markets in America, all but Detroit and Miami. The company’s goal is to run stations in the top 25 markets.

“Atsinger is also a member of a secretive entity called the Capital Commonwealth Group (CCG) comprised of four multi-millionaires who collaborate to maximize their influence by recruiting and funding candidates for state political office in California: Howard Ahmanson (heir to the Home Savings & Loan fortune); Rob Hurtt (president of Container Supply Company, and now a state senator); Edward Atsinger III (owner of 19 Christian radio stations); and Roland Hinz (publisher of dirt bike magazines). In 1992, as the press began to report on CCG and its links to the Radical Right, Ahmanson, Hurtt, Atsinger, and Hinz formed Allied Business PAC. During the 1992 election cycle, Allied Business PAC and members of CCG as individuals contributed more than $2 million to various candidates and ballot initiative.

Forbes. Com shows he’s not quite parallel (at least form this source) with Robert A. Montoni, of Maximus, Inc. (in California) but doing quite well.

Edward Atsinger, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Salem Communications Corporation

Camarillo , CA

Sector: SERVICES / Broadcasting – Radio

Officer since January 1986

71 Years Old

Mr. Atsinger has been Chief Executive Officer, a director of the Company and a director of each of the Company?s subsidiaries since their inception. He was President of Salem from its inception through June 2007. He has been engaged in the ownership and operation of radio stations since 1969. Mr. Atsinger has been a member of the board of directors of the National Religious Broadcasters for a number of years; he was re-elected to a three-year term on that board in February 2010. He has also been a member of the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Board since 2008. Mr. Atsinger has been a member of the board of directors of Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California since 1999. Mr. Atsinger is the brother-in-law of Mr. Epperson.

The tax returns I looked at are among the strangest (and least complete) of any. Not to mention, “Americans of Faith” has a california address but isn’t registered (as charity OR business) in California, although another conservative group at the same PO Box (presumably) IS.

AMERICANS OF FAITH

SCC ID:		06116099
Business Entity Type:		Corporation
Jurisdiction of Formation:		VA
Date of Formation/Registration:		2/19/2004
Status:		Terminated
Shares Authorized:		0

Send them a copy of the Franklin Coverup materials, and let them go look up a survivor and take an interview! Again, to quote “Jesus,” he that is faithful in that which is least . . . . This is not a multi-state outfit, but one that formed itself (it seems) right in Sacramento for lobbying purposes. Perhaps that’s the best place to avoid scrutiny, in close proximity to where lawmakers meet.

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS DISCLOSURES, in CALIFORNIA (there are 4):

Corporation Number

Corporation Name

Disclosure Filing Date

C2156356

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

05/23/2007

C2156356

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

05/31/2005

C2156356

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

03/30/2004

C2156356

SALEM COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

04/01/2003

Sampler of Executive Pay:

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Name	Title	Compensation	Shares	Options	Bankruptcy	Fraud
ATSINGER, EDWARD G. III	DIRECTOR	$ 2,175,588.00	3,952,730.00	606,365.00	NO	NO
DAVENPORT, DAVID	DIRECTOR	$ 64,318.00	1,500.00	9,500.00	NO	NO
EPPERSON, STUART W.	DIRECTOR	$ 1,502,538.00	3,892,176.00	397,230.00	NO	NO
HALVORSON, ERIC H.	DIRECTOR	$ 68,818.00	3,500.00	12,000.00	NO	NO
HINZ, ROLAND S.	DIRECTOR	$ 68,818.00	69,027.00	14,400.00	NO	NO
PRESSLER, JUDGE PAUL	DIRECTOR	$ 62,318.00	1,000.00	9,500.00	NO	NO
RIDDLE, RICHARD A.	DIRECTOR	$ 68,318.00	54,667.00	14,400.00	NO	NO
WEINBERG, DENNIS M.	DIRECTOR	$ 49,338.00	16,640.00	1,000.00	NO	NO
ADAIR, ROBERT C.	EXECUTIVE OFFICER	$ 463,793.00	400.00	15,250.00	NO	NO
ANDERSON, GREG	EXECUTIVE OFFICER	$ 366,132.00	0.00	17,250.00	NO	NO
DAVIS, JOE D.	EXECUTIVE OFFICER	$ 786,962.00	3,500.00	103,725.00	NO	NO
EVANS, DAVID A R	EXECUTIVE OFFICER	$ 1,344,461.00	5,800.00	304,284.00	NO	NO
MASYR, EVAN D.	EXECUTIVE OFFICER	$ 459,383.00	0.00	60,670.00	NO	NO

SO? Pay someone to do your damn charity registration with “AMERICANS of FAITH,” in your home state, or “AMERICANS for PROSPERITY” or whatever its name is helping promote OTHER organizations (Capitol Resource) which don’t file THEIR charity registrations, either. I guess if a group of people are helping re-write laws, they shouldn’t have to be subject to them as well …..

OK, now:

On Judge Paul Pressler, who is about to (or did) have a “School of Law” in Louisiana named after him, and is frighteningly Southern Baptist: ANd yes, he was a Judge. See his Forbes.com He must be 81 years old by now….

THIS LINK details takeover of the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention), as planned with a meeting at least in New Orleans in 1967, with this Judge Pressler and a seminary student. It is truly hair-raising and shows what happens when fundamentalists get an idea on the brain, and succeed in pushing it through. THIS (YES) relates to women:

Chronology of the SBC Takeover

Here are some key events in the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. They have been compiled from a variety of sources and edited by myself. Feel free to let me know of other items that you think should be included.

1967 — Seminary Doctoral student Paige Patterson and Judge Paul Pressler met at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans and discussed a long term strategy for fundamentalist domination of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

1974 — Baptist Faith and Message Fellowship identified inerrancy as the issue to be used in their struggle against moderates in the SBC.

1979 — Patterson, Pressler and others ran a “get out the vote” campaign in 15 states prior to the Convention, urging a defeat of the moderates in the SBC. Voters were bussed to the convention in mass numbers but left after the vote for president. Fundamentalist pastor Adrian Rogers was elected president.

1980 — Judge Pressler publicly announced the strategy of the fundamentalist takeover, which was to elect the SBC president a sufficient number of times to gain a fundamentalist majority on the boards and agencies of the Convention. This was to be accomplished through the president’s power to make appointments. Fundamentalists successfully elected all presidents of the SBC from 1979 to the present.

1985 — SBC formed a Peace Committee to investigate the growing conflict and make recommendations for conflict resolution. Dominated by fundamentalists the committee failed to approach reconciliation. Cecil Sherman resigned from the committee in 1985, followed by Winfred Moore in 1986 because he did not feel he could participate in a “police committee.”

1986 — Home Mission Board (HMB) trustees became controlled by fundamentalists.

Trustees barred women from receiving pastoral assistance in mission churches supported by HMB. Seminary presidents attempted peace in the “Glorietta statement” but to no avail.

1987 — Peace Committee report was adopted, recoommending that hiring practices of boards and agencies reflect “the most commonly held beliefs” in the denomination. Moderates charged that creedalism became official SBC policy through this action. Southeastern Board of Trustees became controlled by fundamentalists. They took the faculty out of the process for hiring new instructors, and placed this power solely in the hands of the president, who used the Peace Committee document as a doctrinal guide for hiring. President of Southeastern Seminary, Randall Lolley, resigned in protest.

HMB voted to forbid missionary appointment to persons who speak in tongues and divorced persons, unless the divorce fell within strict guidelines.

1988 — HMB used the Peace Committee report to enforce creedalism in hiring practices. SBC meeting in San Antonio passed a resolution elevating strong pastoral authority and denigrating the priesthood of all believers by a vote of 10,950 to 9,050. Richard Land, a fundamentalist leader, became President of the Christian Life Commission. Foreign Mission Board (FMB) fired moderate missionary Michael Willett after a fundamentalist missionary reported on Willett’s opinions. (WOW!)

1989 — Fundamentalist leaders gave the Christian Life Commission greater responsibility for dealing with church and state issues in order to circumvent working with the more moderate Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs. . . .

1993 — President of Southern Seminary, Roy Honeycutt, resigned due to a hostile fundamentalist board of trustees. Al Mohler, a leading fundamentalist, became President of Southern Seminary. SBC voted to cease giving funds to the Baptist Joint Committee for Public Affairs because it would not cooperate with the fundamentalist agenda to restore publicly-led prayer in schools, government vouchers to attend religious schools and other right wing political and religious goals. Fundamentalists attempted to refuse seating for messengers from the church where President Clinton had his church membership. SBC affirmed a report critical of membership in Freemasons. Gary Leazer was fired from the HMB for explaining the meaning of that vote to Masons at a Masonic meeting.

1994 — SBC Executive Committee leaders commanded SBC Seminaries to cease hosting booths at CBF meetings. Moderate Professor Molly Marshall was forced to resign from Southern Seminary. A hostile board of fundamentalist trustees at Southwestern Seminary fired President Russell Dilday and changed the locks on his office. SBC meeting in Orlando voted to refuse CBF funds designated for missionaries and other SBC agencies. SBC Executive Committee requested that State Conventions cut all ties to CBF.

1995 — Diana Garland was fired as Dean of Carver School of Social work by seminary president A1 Mohler. FMB President Jerry Rankin sent a letter to 40,000 pastors and Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) Directors urging them to pray that the National WMU would cease cooperating with the CBF.

John Jackson, chairman of the Board of Trustees for the FMB, compared the WMU’s cooperation with the CBF with the acts of an adulterous woman.

2001 – South Main of Houston severed ties with the SBC. Two professors at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary refused to sign the new Baptist Faith and Message and lost their jobs.

Former President Jimmy Carter urged estranged moderates to forget the conservative-led Southern Baptist Convention and form new partnerships to advance traditional Baptist views.

Registrations numbered 5,100 at the annual CBF Convention in Atlanta, a new record. Fundamentalists in Texas held their convention at the same time as the BGCT annual convention which was peaceful and without controversy (only about 50 votes in favor of the new Baptist Faith and Message out of the thousands that attended).

2002 – Texas Baptists established a rescue fund for disenfranchised SBC missionaries.

WOW.

On this site (easier to follow), Pressler (think “Americans of Faith,” the unregistered, tax-evading? outfit sponsoring the also non-charity-registering Capital Resource Institute & the apparently more California-compliant (but equally obnoxious towards women) Pacific Justice institute. The connection of Pressler with this “ALEC” group, if NPR reported it right, is very disturbing.

Either way, here’s Pressler being interviewed and boasting (?) about how he took over the Southern Baptists. As a domestic violence survivor, long-term, religious-based, I do want to say that where we miss it stopping abuse is failing to realize the capacity for strategic long-term planning of takeover. Easier to see in hindsight, hard to stop once it’s started. A normal, and/or honest, person would be incredulous that this type of mentality exists. Trust me, it does. Moderates are often slow to “get” zealots.

(note, the partner “Paige” was a man. I was wondering, given the context).

A Review of the Firestorm Chat With Judge Paul Pressler

Unbelievable attitude. This is a Texas Appellate Judge at the time….

In early 1987, an interview with Paul Pressler was conducted by Gary North on an independent religious radio program called “Firestorm Chats.”* Underneath a facade of religious rhetoric Pressler revealed exactly how he and a small group of men had organized a movement to place themselves in control of the Southern Baptist Convention. Or as Pressler’s sympathetic interviewer candidly put it, how they carried out a “strategy” for the “capture” and “takeover” of the Southern Baptist Convention. *Dominion Tapes, P.O. Box 8204, Fort Worth, Texas 76124

Editor’s Note: The following is a summary of the details of the key elements of the takeover strategy described by Pressler in this interview. For a copy of the tape contact the TBC office.

1. Pressler says that he spotted a weakness in the SBC structure which makes such a takeover possible. Convention rules allow one person — the SBC president — to appoint the critical SBC committees, thus he could pack the SBC structure with a single faction.

2. Pressler tells how he and Paige Patterson set out to accomplish exactly that: to elect presidents to load SBC positions with persons sympathetic to their views. As Pressler put it, “Paige and I make a good team because he is the theologian and I am more the legal analyst of how the system works.”

3. He revealed how he and a few others began in the 1970s to build a political organization within the SBC to carry out the plan. “About 1978 we really came up with knowing how it could be done,” he said.

4. By controlling the elections for a number of years (as Pressler put it, having “a series of presidents who know what is coming off ”), eventually the entire SBC would be controlled. Paul Pressler then revealed his extensive efforts to get his voters to go to the convention and to vote with him.

5. Gary North: “How did you get them (your voters) out?”

Pressler: “I started speaking and Paige started speaking…to people all over the country.”

North: “How many churches did you speak… say in ’78, how many churches did you have to speak at…?”

Pressler: “I can remember one trip I took which was fairly typical. I was gone from Houston six days and during that six days I spoke at least six or seven times a day… last year (1985) between January and June I spoke over 200 times in 16 states…the largest group I spoke to where it was an evening meeting, that they came only to hear Adrian Rogers and me speak…”

In response to the question of how he earned a living while traveling across the country to build the voting power, Pressler explained that, as an appellate judge, he is required to be in his office only one day a week, for “the oral arguments which my panel heard on Thursday afternoon. So my rule would be to leave Thursday night, get home the following Wednesday night, and… if I was as current as any other judge in the Texas appellate system, nobody had any gripe coming.”

OK, Here, in a blog? about Council for National Policy, if one scrolls down to the bottom, one sees a section on “ALEC” which includes Pressler. ALEC stands for: American Legislative Exchange Council, established (it says) in 1973 by Paul Weyrich.

Besides being obnoxiously long (I literally spent all day on this post, just about) — I would like to remind us that this is not the first time I’ve brought up the connection between world-domination-group Unification Church, a related “Heritage Foundation” and the ultra-right pressures of the fatherhood movement. I say this because it feels like a cult because it IS a cult. And by “cult” think Scientology, Moonies, you name it. Money laundering is central and, just a little reminder, the topic here overall is tax-evasion, for which “Sun Myung” went to jail in the US in 1982. Not that it appears to have slowed him down much.

I think this site has some good info for those able to digest it:

American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC): Established in 1973 by Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation’s Coalition for Constitutional Liberties, among others, ALEC’s purpose is to reach out to state office holders. In the words of ALEC’s former executive director, Sam Brunelli:

“ALEC’s goal is to ensure that these state legislators are so well informed, so well armed, that they can set the terms of the public policy debate, that they can change the agenda, that they can lead. This is the infrastructure that will reclaim the states for our movement.” 52

ALEC has the financial support of more than 200 corporations including Coors now Castle Rock Foundation, Scaife’s Family and Allegheny Foundation, Amway, IBM, Ford, Philip Morris, Exxon, Texaco and Shell Oil. William Bennett, [CNP’s] Jack Kemp, [CNP’s] John H. Sununu, and George Bush have all addressed ALEC sessions in recent years. 53 Footnotes 37-53

Judge Paul Pressler – CNP President Executive Committee 1988-90, member 1984, 1996, 1998; justice, Texas Court of Appeals, retired; former member, Texas Legislature; practiced law for 12 years at Vinson and Elkins; appointed District Judge, 1970; appointed Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 1978; active in conservative movement in the Southern Baptist Convention; board member, KHCB (Christian radio); member, Texas Philosophical Society; Southern Baptist Convention, Boys Country, Salvation Army; Phillips Exeter Academy; graduate, Princeton University

this is too heavy for the rest of this post. Follow-up note: “Council for National Policy” and origins of the Heritage Foundation: Look up “Paul Weyrich” in Wikipedia . . . . .

In 1971 Joe Coors along with Jack Wilson and Paul Weyrich founded Analysis and Research Inc., to establish a political research entity. Joe Coors donated the first-year Heritage budget of $250,000 for 1973 from the coffers of the Coors Corporation and for the next two years gave $200,000. He then pledged $15,000 per month. Coors and Weyrich set up the Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress to carry out political activities and the Heritage Foundation as a tax exempt educational research entity. The Coors company provided Heritage Foundation with $20,000 per month during the foundation’s first year. Weyrich was Heritage president until February 28, 1974. Weyrich had ties to Josef Strauss of Bavaria Germany who was active in a political party that coalesced with repentant Nazi’s after World War II.

Strauss came to the United States in the early 1970’s. Weyrich and Strauss’ aide by the name of Armin K. Haas planned Strauss’ schedule. Joe Coors helped Haas make political contacts in Congress. 33

“Paul Weyrich united with the Coors family which funded the start-up of the Heritage Foundation in the early 1970s. In 1974, with money from the Coors family, Weyrich also started the Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress, which later became the Free Congress Foundation. Since the beginning, the Heritage Foundation and the Free Congress Foundation have been led and/or received oversight by Weyrich, and their boards of directors are interlinked.

The Free Congress Foundation, The Heritage Foundation and the Conservative Caucus actively supported the Contras. In 1985, Heritage Foundation, “donated” $100,000 to the Institute for North-South Issues, a conduit to the Contras, connected to Oliver North.

Put that together with the CNP:

WELL, EARTHQUAKES, AGAIN:
(THIS “Last Gasp” of the post actually was written near the top and — as I do – got pushed downward while I did look-ups and posted them in the middle. ORIGINALLY, I thought this would be about two groups and a San Leandro Earthquake — timely and perhaps humorous. However I have ended the study more convinced than ever that the tax system (profit/non-profit) is a major source of current woes, and that we should NOT be complacent about tax-dodging shape-shifting non-profits in these fields. Who knows how much money is being laundered? NONE? Then what’s the need for the multiple incorporations at one address by multi-millionaires?

Overall, superstition is alive and well in the united states (see literature on the fatherlessness crisis and scapegoating of single-mother households for poverty rather than things such as, for example, a work/school relationship which requires dumb-down school to occupy most of children’s growing time while their parents go pay taxes at various jobs and the think tanks figure out new ways to bankrupt the postponed hope of social security for old age and others figure out how to get the federal cut, at least, on the interest for collected but undistributed child support nationwide, amounts unknown, and for-profit companies have $30 million to spare in settlement suits regarding fraud for false claims. (see last post).

Rick Joyner prophesying over California:

Joyner: America Is Under Judgment and God Is Going to Destroy California

March 22, 2011 | Filed under: Joyner, Rick,Propheteering,Right Wing Watch | Posted by: Right Wing Watch

Last week, Rick Joyner was warning that the earthquake in Japan was a sign that demonic Nazism was going to engulf the United States.

Joyner has since produced two 30-minute “special bulletin” video updates to warn everyone that the US has fallen under God’s judgment because the nation has become so depraved and allowed “evil, wicked” atheists to remove God from the public square. As such, it is now inevitable that a massive earthquake is going to destroy California and Joyner is urging everyone “to get out of that area”:

(yeah, and well. I’m still looking for some evidence that ‘Americans with Faith” actually filed a nonprofit somewhere, presumably in Virginia, and if not, I’ll cite the earthquake in Virginia, which FYI was larger, as evidence that somebody ought to start getting their nonprofit corporate acts together near our nation’s capitol AND the west coast capital of California!)

OOPS, make that “Americans OF Faith.”

Citizens React To Earthquake Online

Writer Mat Honan sized the 3.6-magnitude quake felt throughout San Francisco Bay Area with this twitter update: “That is exactly what we get with regard to making fun of the East Coast today.” The actual news swarm covering the rare quake in Virginia, coupled with the other quake reports had many speculating about end of the world scenarios. “I certainly pray this entire earthquake-thing hitting Massachusetts, Colorado, and every other place does not become The actual Day After Tomorrow,” wrote a Twitter member using the name of DJ Knight Sweetie.

Seriously, I can relate this to the current topic of nonprofits vs. profits in the Family arena. It’s a bit of a stretch, but chances for this kind of irony don’t pop up often.

Also, my on-line access today doesn’t include anything that can upload a pdf file, so I’ll just take this opportunity to speak again about the very irritating Pacific Justice Institute’s choice of favorite causes.

Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up

August 26, 2011 at 2:28 am

Posted in History of Family Court

	Let's Get Honest\|She… on Gulag Archipelago, Bahrain Arc…
	sandwich near Detroi… on Gulag Archipelago, Bahrain Arc…
	Let's Get Honest\|She… on Historic Day Today, and Week,…
	Let's Get Honest\|She… on ‘Table Talk’ Helps…
	Let's Get Honest\|She… on So, You Want Us To Speak Out A…

Shocking Must-Read Report for All Parents with School Age Children Dec 16, 2009 President Obama’s Safe Schools Czar, Kevin Jennings, was the founder, and for many years, Executive Director of GLSEN. It was while he was with GLSEN that a recommended reading list for students was compiled. The recommended reading list contains very explicit material. {{GLSEN being of course, “GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network: Home www.glsen.org/ – Cached Organization for students, parents, and teachers that tries to affect positive change in schools. Offers information on what you can do and local chapters in each …”}}

Readings Teach Students to Embrace Same-Sex Marriage Apr 30, 2009

Check Your Vocab: Definitions for Kindergarten and Up Apr 30, 2009

Hath God spoken in San Leandro, California?

Pacific Justice Institute & Faith Fellowship, San Leandro verus San Leandro*:

(*City of)

(May, 2011):

San Leandro City Council voted 5-2 this week to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Faith Fellowship decision.

To date, Faith Fellowship claims it has lost $3.7 million in the ordeal.

Hayward Fault is our deadliest – a ‘tectonic time bomb‘

East Bay sits on a ‘tectonic time bomb’ where big quakes occur about every 140 years – the last was 139 years ago

PJI NEWS RELEASE:

Sacramento, CA

CAPITOL RESOURCE INSTITUTE & PJI:

Prop. 8 lawyer vetted first gay marriage initiative with Mormon leaders

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Under His direction, General Authorities and local leaders lead and teach Church members throughout the world.

ORGANIZATION

NAME

STATE

YEAR

TOTAL

ASSETS

FORM

PAGES

EIN

Edward Atsinger, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Sector: SERVICES / Broadcasting – Radio

AMERICANS OF FAITH

WOW.

Joyner: America Is Under Judgment and God Is Going to Destroy California

March 22, 2011 | Filed under: Joyner, Rick,Propheteering,Right Wing Watch | Posted by: Right Wing Watch

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