More than five years have passed since Pr. JL sent this letter to Linda. The passage of time has shown that things that were hidden would be brought to light - now Linda lives with a "dear friend" in Norway, the same one she strenously denied having any relationship with...
Along with this, more than seven years have passed since this thing started and things have become crystal clear as to who is defending God's work and who is busy trying to tear it down. I am no longer going to post any new content at this point. Every once in a while, when I think the issues are buried under inconsequential posts - mostly yours - I will re-post this same post.
Lest we forget the cast of characters that have tried to tear down 3ABN...
Gailon Joy - convicted embezzler.
Bob Pickle - still trying to become hired as a pastor, getting nowhere, in fact moved his membership when he was removed from being elder.
Lynette Rhodes - reported stalker, was reported seen going through ex-boyfriend's (a prosecutor no less!) garbage, police called, "snoopy" ran away and was later found hiding in ditch by said police. Later tried to expunge the report but did not realize that documents can be retrieved by google despite expunging.
A "Dr." who advertised the dispensing of marijuana on her website.
A porno addict who was treated with more grace than he deserves, and yet continues to show his evil character.
Johann - a purported "pastor" who seems to have no difficulty uttering lies - does he realize that Linda calls him "old fool" ?
A "sister" from Switzerland who wrote some of the most vile "fiction" regarding Danny because she and her husband did not get what they wanted at 3ABN?
Alex Walker and "insert-current-male-lover's-name-here"? How does Pickle swallow that camel, while straining at non-existent gnats?
77 Angel Lane P.O. Box 23 ‘Thompsonville, Illinois 62890
January 14, 2006
Linda Shelton -private address removed-
Dear Linda,
Thank you for your speedy response to the letter the Church Board sent to you.
I, was also pleased to speak to you when you called me Sabbath afternoon. I
thought that our conversation went well and I listened to your observations
hoping that we would be able to help you. I was somewhat surprised how soon you
had Derrell Mundall hand deliver your reply letter to me at my office.
As I read it I was a bit disappointed to see that you expressed so little
confidence in the church board, the church members, and in me. To incessantly
suggest that the church is made of “compromised” members is quite short-sighted
on your part. This board is not made of people bought by Danny Shelton. It is
comprised of God-fearing Christians that understand all too well the great
responsibility of making well informed decisions.
It is enlightening to see how you unceasingly, and relentlessly, attempted to
dismiss your poor decision making by maligning others.
It was also quite manipulative on your part to imply that my “dreams of many
years to be on TV” disqualified me as an objective pastor. Linda you may
remember, it was at your urging that Danny called me to join the 3ABN family.
At no time did I even call or suggest that I was interested in being on TV.
Years before I even knew of 3ABN, Doug Batchelor and I were already on
television; not to mention countless other times without Doug. It was on the
heels of Net ‘99 in New York that I was invited to sing at 3ABN; prior to that
I had not heard of 3ABN. The doors that opened at 3ABN were not opened by any
dream on my part, of which there was none concerning 3ABN but by the hand of the
Lord.As a matter of record you probably remember well when you said to
me,”John, God brought you to St. Louis so that we could bring you the rest of
the way.” To suggest that you will be not be able to receive fairness and
impartiality is ludicrous.
Linda, as we look at the time-line of events you were the first one to call me
and ask for counsel about your friendship with the doctor. It was after I
arrived at your home that I heard the other side of the story. It was hearing
both sides that led me to give you counsel to sever the relationship with the
doctor from Norway. I made that decision as your pastor and as a marriage
counselor with 16 years experience, not as a “back-pocket” servant of Danny
Shelton.
It has been nearly two years since this escapade started and you will recall
that from the very outset, that Tuesday night in your living room, when you
made the decision not to sever your relationship with the doctor, you set the
course that led you to where you are today. Linda, the decision to hold on to
someone other than your husband in spite of the months of counseling, was a
critical decision in furthering your downfall. To further compound the matter,
you still held firmly to your course after the relentless pleading from your
friends, confidants, pastors, 3ABN board members, and non-Adventist counselors
to sever the relationship. One has to be quite short-sighted and uninformed to
come to the conclusion that all of those people were ”compromised.”
You also mentioned that no one made an attempt to visit you and minister to
you. Speaking for Angie and I, you may remember that when you made the
decision to move to out of your home and go to Marion for ”more privacy,” we
called you and asked if we could come and visit with you. You refused by saying
that you were not ready and that you would let us know when you were ready for
our visits. You never contacted us so we can only assume that you did not want
a visit from us. Even when we saw you in the mall with Danny, we asked again
about visiting and you said "I will tell you when.”
Many of the people that are still supporting your cause were not at ground
zero. You continue to suggest that it was the subsequent decisions that other
people made, rather than the initial one that you made that landed you where
you are. One of the greatest evidences of hazardous decision-making on your
part is the fact that you and the doctor are still in a relationship.
There was never a conspiracy to get rid of you and to refuse you a fair
hearing. You were, and are greatly loved by many of the people at 3ABN and
Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, love for someone and
loyalty to them are not always the same. While we love you, we must be loyal to
the truth and to the Lord. That is where we must be accountable.
God placed within your hands the responsibility of carrying a message to the
world. It is unfortunate that you came to the place where your desires became
more important than the responsibility placed on you through the message.
Linda, God called you and the Bible says in Romans 11:29 ”For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance.” God called King Saul and God called
David; both of these followers of God sinned. The difference between a ”king”
and a ”shepherd boy” was clearly seen. Saul was too great to repent and turn to
God and the record is clear concerning his fate. David, although his fall was
great, turned to God with the heart of a repentant servant. For our admonition
David’s prayer of repentance was preserved in Psalm 139:23,24 (KJV),”Search me,
0 God, and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
I read your recent response letter to the church board dated October 31,2005,
and I hope that the declaration that you made, ”Let it be known that I am
innocent of the rumors and allegations made against me, ”is not written in
stone. Linda, on this note you were correct, ”Man can remove job titles.”
However let me caution you about the rest of your declaration, ”No man can take
away my calling which I will continue to pursue.” Saul pursued a course that
dishonored God and God removed him. On the other hand David repented and
pursued a course that opened the way for God to restore him. The eternal
question is one to deeply and prayerfully ponder. Which course will you pursue?
David humbled himself under the Almighty Hand of God and was restored. In spite
of the dark stain of David’s past the apostle Paul preached a message that
recalls the fate of these two great men. He writes in Acts 13:21-22 (NKJV),”And
afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man
of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. (22) “And when He had removed him,
He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said,
’l have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all
My will.”
Linda, from the first night that I sat before you in your living room I made a
statement that has so far proven to be true. I said to you, ”Satan wants to
destroy you, your ministry, your career, and your marriage. ”The results are
evidence that to this day Satan has prevailed. I am hoping that he will not
prevail in robbing you of your salvation. Just recently I read the chapter ”Why
Was Sin and Suffering Permitted,” from the book, ”Patriarchs & Prophets.” I was
deeply impressed again by what I read to further warn you that you are still on
enchanted grounds and that the enemy is not done. Here are a few of the quotes
that opened my eyes:
“The angels whom he could not bring fully to his side, he accused of
indifference to the interests of heavenly beings. The very work which he
himself was doing, he charged upon the loyal angels. It was his policy to
perplex with subtle arguments concerning the purposes of God. Everything that
was simple he shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the
plainest statements of Jehovah. And his high position, so closely connected
with the divine government, gave greater force to his representation.
“He had artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and
fraud to secure his objects. His power to deceive was very great. By disguising
himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts were
so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the
true nature of his work. Until fully developed, it could not be made to appear
the evil thing it was; his disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even
the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work
was leading.”
“Rejecting with disdain the arguments and entreaties of the loyal angels, he
denounced them as deluded slaves. The preference shown to Christ he declared an
act of injustice both to himself and to all the heavenly host, and announced
that he would no longer submit to this invasion of his rights and theirs.”
Linda, I saw that because of your great influence Satan would come at you with
great intensity. If you persist in holding to the self-deceiving position that
you have done nothing wrong, you are preparing yourself for the completion of
Satan’s plan, complete destruction. As long as you play the role of total
innocence, you are a gullible prey..
That is why we prayed for you when you were in your post at 3ABN and we will
still pray for you. Our deepest prayer is that you discover that greatness
comes not from being served but serving. We pray for your supporters because
they only know the side that you presented. Our prayer is that the Lord will
bring softness to your heart to make you a servant. At the end of the day it
must be seen that it is “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the
LORD of hosts. ”Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV).
Linda, God has not called us to be famous but to be faithful. I pray that you
will respond to the Holy Spirit’s call to faithfulness.
We deeply regret that you have made the final decision to have your membership
dropped from the church, but we do not have the right to refuse your written
“formal request.”
The church chose censure rather than removal of membership because it was our
desire to connect you with a Seventh-day Adventist church where you could find
spiritual healing and recovery, not to cause you any further hardship. It is
not our prayer that you pursue your calling; it is our prayer that you pursue
the heart of God.
Your greatest blessing will come when you are restored to wholeness in the
sight of God. God will richly bless you, not on account of whom you are, but on
account of whom He is. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness and all that He
has for you will be added.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor John Lomacang
