Wholly Holy

Hasn’t my last Blog has caused some controversy!

Let me fill some people in… As many of you know I have been stepped down from all my leadership roles at Church. I can’t do anything during the week anymore!

The leadership team got together on Tuesday morning and read my blog. It deeply upset them. They then decided that I should be removed from all leadership.

The leadership team thought that the blog was
1) Divisive
2) Would confuse people
3) Would split the church

They believe the way I have written this blog was too critical of Greensborough.

I was called up and told to come into a meeting the following day.

I did not know what the meeting was about.

In this meeting Mark began by saying they had read my blog. He told me what He thought about it, (the above points) then I tried to say what the blog was about, however he told me even though some points may be true or good, it was too divisive. I disagreed and so I was removed from all leadership I was involved in.

What can I say?

I am deeply hurt. I have fought to stay at Greensborough for the last 3 years. There has been so many times when I have wanted to leave because of both people problems and theological problems. However my calling to Greensborough was sure and I wasn’t leaving until God told me.

I have sacrificed to stay at Greensborough. There are no people my age at Greensborough, so I have struggled to make many close friends. I have been offered jobs all over Australia which I have turned down so I can stay at Greensborough. I have been through times when I have not had a day off for months so I can support myself and minister at Greensborough.

I have made many friends though! I have done a good job as a youth leader and youth intern, the fruit of which we can see in the development of the youth! Ask any of the youth to make sure this isn’t just one of my opinions. (or read my comments to the last blog!)

I love the whole group of youth at Greensborough! They are more than people I got to lead and boss around, but I also got to hang out and muck around with them. I’m so lucky to have been able to share in a lot of great times with them. The whole youth group, I hope you know you are more than ‘youth groupers’ to me, you’re my friends! Thank you for being so loyal for me and sticking up for me even when a lot of people are against me at this point of time.

I am deeply saddened that the corps first response to the blog was stopping all my leadership. The pain my blog caused and could cause was seen as greater than all the work I have done, am doing and could have done. I feel as though I am not appreciated. I feel as though the last 3 years of my life and ministry means nothing in comparison to this blog! If it had meant more I am sure they would have tried to talk this through with me!

I understand that the blog was written in a confrontational way. It was written to stir the pot! (I think I did that point!) I wanted people to talk about it. I was getting some of my feelings off my chest. It was written with a passion for Greensborough.

I want to take this time to apologize to all of those who were hurt by what I said. I had no intention of hurting anyone. I could have commented in a different way, and I would have if I knew what was going to happen.

To all of those that are hurt or confused about my blog, please speak to me instead of talking behind my back about a blog you have not understood and have not attempted to understand by talking to me!

One thing that saddens me is that people are saying that I don’t like Greensborough, that I think it’s bad, that I think we should get rid of the brass band and change to become like Planetshakers. I can’t believe people are saying this. Another thing is that I was bagging The Salvation Army. An organisation I love and want to serve in as long as God lets me!

I think this shows how much people actually don’t know me.

The youth have been great to me. They know what I am talking about in my blog and I think they mostly agree! The blog was written for the people that read it, mostly youth. They did not misunderstand it. And the ones that weren’t sure asked me about it! The youth have shown more maturity in the way they have read this than many others who have quickly jumped to conclusions without looking at all I have done, am doing, and could have done! Thank God for the youth!

I have been a supporter of the band since I got to Greensborough. I have on occasion been out with them to the nursing homes, I’ve been on the band weekends, I have supported them at the shopping centre and value them for what they can do. I reguarly boast to other corps about how proud I am of our band because they actually go out every weekend! How can people say I don’t like the band? It’s because they didn’t understand my blog, and don’t know me.

The point I was trying to make is this:

Why are Salvation Army Corps in Australia and more specifically at Greensborough not growing when churches like Planetshakers are? What do they have that we don’t have? What do they do that we don’t? What needs to be done to change this? What needs to be done for revival?


Am I saying Greensborough is bad or am I saying how can we make it better? I cant believe the leadership team thought I was saying it is bad.

My emphasis is not the music, My emphasis is that we need to be relevant to the target audience and we will grow.

Here’s some examples from within The Salvation Army.

At Reservoir they have a huge school program, they run breakfast clubs, homework clubs and a God and pizza night. This model will not work at Greensborough.

At 614 they have a drop in centre for homeless, ‘street people’. They provide food, accommodation, counselling etc. This will not work at Greensborough.

These places are relevant to the people they are trying to minister to. All my blog was doing was asking are we relevant? What do we need to do for change? All I wanted to do was ask some questions!

I am deeply hurt that people have failed to try to understand what I have said and have instead resorted to standing me down as their first option.

Another problem is that people older than my generation to do not understand a blog. For those in older generations than mine, when something was printed it was a final something, a thesis, a truth statement perhaps. Like a newspaper. Thought has been put in. It had been prepared. However, that is not what a blog is! A blog is rambling honest thoughts. When you look at a blog you look at all the things that have been written over time and you see what this person was thinking and feeling. A blog is not the climax of thought and opinion like a newspaper or an article. A blog is a journey, and the leadership team have decided not to join me on my journey.

I love Greensborough. I have loved having the opportunity to work here. Many times have been hard. I am passionate about seeing revival come to Greensborough.

I pray that God will work through this, comfort those who need it, guide those who need, encourage, convict and challenge us.

A prophet is never accepted in his home town