To inform The Gathering Oasis Church, Pinky Promise, and Man Cave members of what you have done and invite full transparency into the nature of why this investigation is necessary. You know their names and I want you to say them aloud. To enter into an independent, third-party investigation conducted by GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) and give their team full cooperation to investigate the abuses further. ・*ADDENDUM: The individual that originally consented to having the nature of the testimony of Cornelius preying on a young man shared, requested to have it removed. Reading an article on Mase taking over a “new” church, I learnt it is Cornelious’ church. We provide on-trend, faith-driven conversations for today’s society. He asked what color, as I replied “orange” while jumping up to grab and pull on my orange t-shirt…thinking he saw in the prophetic and could likely see I only had on my bra and underwear, and lied about having on my t-shirt. I do this not with delight, but with a sincere and deep sorrow over the grievous sins that led up to this point. ・Holding a leadership meeting with Heather on May 22nd, 2016 in which a former worship leader, witnessed you tell all of the ministry leaders present, that you both would be placing Pinky Promise and Man Cave underneath The Gathering Oasis Church for “tax purposes." It’s time to restore God’s reputation. We’re thrilled to have you. Join us for Let’s Meet on the first Wednesday of every month from 7-8PM*. He is the husband to Heather Lindsey and father to Logan Lindsey. These allegations include sexual misconduct, verbal and mental abuse of employees, and recorded audio of a conspiracy to defraud the IRS in 2016. I can’t believe this article. The purpose of this open letter is not to write out an exhaustive list of sins; but to give an account of the alleged spiritual, financial, verbal, and emotional abuse that you have caused to the people who’ve served under your leadership. Heather Lindsey, the magnanimous personality of the Purity Culture movement, has a story not unlike most. Yet, as a responsible leader, my mind is focused on the thousands who are experiencing the disappointment, confusion, and profound disruption that defines the experience of church hurt. These behaviors are inappropriate and require further investigation. It is those who fall in the latter group for whom my heart mourns in this moment. The situation was not new, but the extent and depth of it were. We also share information about your use of this site with our advertising and social media partners. ・Using your ministry platforms to slander dissenters in sermons, YouTube videos, and social media posts, disguised in Christian colloquialisms. While my theological location causes many to question my beliefs as heresy, I know the prophetic voice within me, period. Too often, we engage in kitschy deflection tactics when we discuss the church’s abuse, misuse, and harm against both its parishioners and the world around it. Proverbs 31:8-9 says: “Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. With a sober mind, a heavy heart, and desire to see God glorified and all things made new, I pen this open letter. Many have stepped forward to confirm these allegations with testimony of their experiences, including … In the last few weeks, Ayanna Mathis (@AyannaZMathis) has led the public call out against Cornelius & Heather Lindsey in an open letter detailing the allegations against them. Viola Davis is a regular at Oasis, a neon-hued service inside a Koreatown cathedral. We are requesting that after a proper and thorough investigation has been conducted, that you share the findings and outcome with the public. Hello World, Since this blog is about pop culture and faith, I guess I have to write something about former Gathering Oasis Church pastor Cornelius Lindsey naming Mase Betha as the new pastor of the church. It was never supposed to be this way, nor do I believe that God ever desired for things to reach this magnitude. However, the spiritual, financial, verbal, and emotional abuses that have gone on over the years could have been handled privately with the countless individuals who have sought you both out, yet it has now turned into a public call to end what has continued for far too long. They are also aware that both Heather and Cornelius received a copy of this letter an hour and a half prior to this going public, which may reveal to them the origin of the allegation. This is a time designed for you to hear the vision of Overlake, … Leave a Reply Cancel reply. ・Knowingly exposing your employees and putting them at risk of getting entangled with your tax evasion and embezzlement of Pinky Promise funds. It turns out, Mase was actually back in Atlanta, where he’s now returned to his calling, in the ministry, taking on the pastoral duties at Atlanta’s Gathering Oasis Church, aka The GO Church, which was founded in 2013. Cornelius Lindsey, who founded The Gathering Oasis Church, announced Mase’s hiring in a statement on Facebook Sunday.. Pastor Lindsey, who recently resigned as leader of the church following allegations of spiritual, financial and psychological abuse, was optimistic about Mase’s return to the pulpit. Since the murmurings began, I’ve dreaded the reality that I’d be asked to address this situation again. To quote Ayanna Mathis, “victims often take years to realize the abuse is happening due to gaslighting, manipulative practices, impression management, etc., before they escape.” I cannot help but wonder if those who in 2016 angrily emailed, commented, tweeted, and clocked me in private conversation are now among the voices of the victims in this. Got a question? I KNEW it about this couple! It’s time to dead that mindset and the time is right now. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.” I believe that God’s heart is for justice. He’s waiting on you and so are we. I believe these things to be true because these abuses align to the very things I spoke about almost FIVE YEARS prior to this happening. You know what you’ve done and I want you to confess and own it. Some were fearful of retribution and were also threatened by your lawyer with cease and desist letters. There have been individuals who have come forward to share stories of sexual misconduct, that you engaged in as a pastor, husband, and professing Christian. Due to this, their names are being withheld, but rest assured they are ready to move forward in court, swear under oath, and testify to the abuse, money laundering, tax evasion, and embezzlement that has been mentioned above. There are signs outside and inside the theater to point you in the right direction. In Psalm 51:4, when David was confronted about his sin by the prophet Nathan, he realized how he had offended God by doing what was evil in His sight. You’ve chosen also to hide behind lofty, spiritual language all while manipulating The Gospel to coerce them into protecting your image by, “serving as onto The Lord”. Pastor Mase is back. What is the GO? I want it to be clear that under your leadership, your employees, volunteers and the like, witnessed illegal activity, abuses, and sins that include, but are not limited to, financial mismanagement of non-profit funds and church funds, verbal, spiritual, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct. ・Colluding with Cornelius to allow for Pinky Promise funds to be intermingled with The Gathering Oasis Church finances. We believe this letter is a means of God's mercy, and we pray that you will use this opportunity to take heed rather than test the kindness of God. This should shake you both to your core. They are humans, created in the image of God, who fear retribution and for their personal safety. ・Gaslighting your employees into thinking that they were called by God to endure your abusive behavior to complete their work assignments. Your pain is real and I will not silence or overlook it for my personal convenience. PO Box 1670, Dallas GA 30132-0029 Oasis Church Corporate Office. To be clear: I believe these accusations by the victims. ・Underpaying and overworking employees while giving them salaries (approximately $27,000 and less) that did not match the workloads nor the level of sacrifices they had to make. I Want to Date Black Men. You must be logged in to post a comment. You can contact them by visiting www.netgrace.org. WE ARE THE CHURCH. These alleged abuses didn't just occur within your ministries, Pinky Promise, Man Cave, and The Gathering Oasis Church, but also directly from your hands. We want to be able to share what the Lord is doing in the lives of our partners. We shield the vulnerable. This was not due to a false allegation, but due to the protection of the victim from any public backlash should his identity be made known by other parties. There indeed is proof and because these claims haven’t yet been brought before a judge in a court of law, I must use them. ・Failing to notify members of your church that in 2019, The Gathering Oasis Church brought in approximately $500,000. Welcome to the Gathering Oasis. ・Slandering former employees that quit to new employees, in an attempt to control the narrative around the true nature of their departure. Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30 - 6:00pm My support to the victims of this manipulative establishment. The immense harm of irresponsible leadership cannot be understated. NW Atlanta, GA 30331 Phone: 770-445-9201 | Email: contact@oasisfamilylife.com The Gathering Oasis Church, Religious Organization. We build into the morning lots of connection times: coffee in hand, chatting with each other, catching up on our lives. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using. #ChurchHurt2018. Buy The Gathering Oasis Church: Read Apps & Games Reviews - Amazon.com Should you refuse to act within this time frame, we will move this investigation forward by submitting our findings to the proper authorities on your behalf. You are owed more than being managed, silenced, and maligned when you bid the courage to confront spiritual leaders who do you harm. We use cookies to personalize site content, for social media features, and to analyze our traffic. The path to justice is a long road marked by acknowledgement, confession, and repentance. There are 2 companies in the The Gathering Oasis Church Inc corporate family. We all have a story to share and, here at the Cross, your story matters. Hopefully they'll correct it soon*** So this is the new thing huh, churches meeting at Movie Theaters... pretty cool. You’ve chosen to hide behind lofty, spiritual language all while manipulating The Gospel to coerce them into protecting your image by, “serving as onto The Lord”. I followed Heather on Facebook for a few years, jut due to her FB page. Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) is a function of both the chronic abuses of harmful religion and the impact of severing one’s connection with one’s faith and faith community. Cornelius Lindsey was born in the rural town of Newton, Mississippi on August 16, 1986. These gaslighting statements work to absolve our personal responsibility as a body to not do harm. You have exactly one week from today to respond to our action items listed above. “I really see this generation being turned back to God’s hands,” Mase said in an interview about his new position. So when that trust is betrayed, it hurts in a way that is not easily articulated in words. ・Misusing and abusing Pinky Promise’s 501(c)(3) non-profit status to fund your lifestyle. This was not communicated to the church, nor were leaders involved in deciding how those funds would be distributed Since God is truly as just as He is gracious, we in good faith hope that you will stop running from His rod of discipline and draw near to His comforting staff. Pastor of The Gathering Oasis Church. I want to honor the victim and ensure their safety from any backlash on account of what has been shared here previously. Many souls are waiting for your obedience in this. You too need to publicly acknowledge, confess, repent of, and make restitution for all of the harm you have caused by not speaking truth to power and taking your commitment to God seriously in protecting His sheep. ・Failing to tell the members of your church about how much of the church’s income was being used to pay for the salaries of five employees (approximately $130,000) in 2019, whose salaries combined made up a large percentage of church income. I am utterly devastated to have sat through hours and hours of calls, poured over countless testimonies of survivors and laid my own eyes upon evidence of the spiritual abuse and financial mismanagement. Covid Bailouts The Gathering Oasis Church EIDL. A post shared by The Gathering Oasis Church (@thegochurch) ... Pastor Furious Because Members Were Given Citations For Exceeding Church Gathering Limits. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” Heather and Cornelius, we believe God’s infallible Word to remain all the more true in this admission from the lips of David. The survivors of your abuses have experienced enough trauma, and by now many members of your congregation and organizations are aware of what’s been going on. I challenged Pinky Promise as a profitable pipe dream that ran on the fuel of women’s desperation to be chosen and partnered. But I swear if you start attending that church because of Mase, you pretty much deserve what you get. ・Lying to committed members of the church and organization about where their tithes, offerings, and donations were really going. Thank you for your words of understanding and encouragement!!! I published The Cult of Heather Lindsey in September 2016, my highest viewed post since the digital inception of Unfit Christian at over 150,000 views. ・Colluding with several members of your board who just so happen to consist of yourself, Heather, Agatha Marshall, and Nadra Cohens to ensure personal agendas passed that otherwise wouldn’t with true financial accountability. (basically near Trader Joes). What do we say or do in work of reconciliation and justice for those whose whole understanding of God, faith, and belief are now shattered because they were attached to their leaders? I felt this in the depths of my soul. While some good has come from your ministries, I would be remiss to overlook the atrocities that have taken place. The church announced his leadership this past Sunday. ・Failing to inform the members of your church that approximately $160,000+ of congregational giving was used to pay for your salary which went towards funding a housing allowance, nannies for your children, etc. Yes yes and yes. I did not know he had a church. This was not communicated to the church, nor were leaders involved in deciding how those funds would be distributed. You are owed more than opaque financial accounting for ministries to which you’ve sown your time, talent, and tenth. We tear down idols, strongholds, and anything else that attempts to exalt itself above what He calls us to do in The Scriptures. Decide, Re: Isaiah 47 & Biblical Astrology — Things to C, If you’re wondering why the series isn’t finis, Welcome back to “Things Christians Say but Nobod, Revisiting the Cult of Heather & Cornelius Lindsey, recorded audio of a conspiracy to defraud the IRS, Dear Church Folk: I Wish Y’all Would STFU About Ancestor Veneration. I asserted that Heather Lindsey’s message of material gain as an outward appearance of God’s favor was problematic. This church meets at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. We cannot afford to underestimate the impact of church hurt or Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS). You are owed more than your pastor turning your counseling session into his Sunday sermon. Please acknowledge your sin before God and those you have harmed. ・Speaking to your employees in a manner that was condescending, as well as emotionally and verbally abusive. It is arguably the most controversial piece I’ve published and has garnered mixed reactions for years. And gathering really describes well what we do, we’re pretty sure this will be different than most of your church experiences. The church is the body of Christ, the apple of his eye, graven on his hands, and he has pledged himself to her forever. The GO is a church founded by Cornelius & Heather Lindsey based in Atlanta, GA where people gather to have the Word of God taught to them. Who is there to help heal them? The Gathering Oasis Church, also known as The GO Church, provides a place for people to gather together to learn the Word of God, discover and grow in their Divine Purpose, and make a positive impact on the world. The tweets, private messages, and emails I’m receiving now indicate that my piece planted a seed in the minds of many that has taken deep roots in the wake of this scandal. As it is written, He must increase and we must decrease (John 3:30). As you stated in your article above with your “prophetic” spirit, I now realize what was off about this couple. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. We hold each other accountable. Spiritual abuse is the use of faith, belief, and/or religious practices to coerce, control, or damage another for a purpose beyond the victim’s well-being. We measure our talk with our walk. My team and I are requesting that you both make an honest and expeditious effort to seek justice for the survivors by following our action items in response to this open letter. The Christian wife, mother, and minister is the 10 th of 23 adopted children raised in Michigan by loving parents. The Gathering, founded in 2006 by Matt Miofsky, began out of a belief that church could be different. Thank you. This means that we don’t sweep things under the rug. — The Gathering Oasis (@gatheringoasis) January 3, 2021. These are individuals who are highly trained, love The Church, and desire to see survivors of abuses everywhere, cared for. Unfortunately I too have had a few experiences of being “burned” by the church, as recent as last week a “Pastor” called me after 1 a.m. and his second question was “what are you wearing?” I was stunned so that I froze, yet I replied, because he is a pastor and I wanted prayers and guidance. Ultimately, Mase didn’t sign with MMG and he soon disappeared from music, altogether. On May 18th, 2020, a brave soul by the name of Faithe Dennis, publicly shared her story of spiritual abuse within The Gathering Oasis Church. Several of your employees, church staff volunteers, and so many others have reached out to me detailing the various ways that you allegedly verbally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially abused them. “A truth teller disturbs, alerts, wakens, and warns against indifference to injustice and complacency about the needs of human beings. 210 Paulding Ln. We desire you to own your sins fully and wholly and to do whatever it takes to ensure that this is done in a swift and sincere manner that does not further re-traumatize the survivors. Preface and Notes from the Faculty and Staff Gathering. You are owed more than to be told to give your time, money, and emotional investment only to be condemned to hell by ignorant church leaders and people whose own failure to reconcile their sexuality and spirituality caused them to demonize yours. Not because I have a personal issue with The Lindseys or because I choose to always suspend my disbelief for victims. I want it to be clear that under your leadership, your employees, volunteers, and the like, have witnessed illegal activity, abuse, and sin that include, but are not limited to, financial mismanagement of non-profit funds and church funds, as well as verbal, spiritual, and emotional abuse. It can be compared to a combination of PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). We pursue restorative justice. I questioned the legal structure of Pinky Promise. For More info call: (972) 363-4145 PRAYERLINE. We are growing into a community of people who are willing to challenge faith’s ‘status quo’ with tough questions and critical thought. Welcome to the Gathering Oasis. Get Connected. Some were fearful of retribution and were threatened by your lawyer with cease and desist letters. If you’re reading this and have been hurt by the church, I SEE YOU. Montgomery Pastor And Wife Die Two Weeks Apart From Covid19 After Thanksgiving Dinner. Dial in: (605) 313-5948 | Access Code: 792184 Without the people, there is no church. ・Colluding with several key leaders (paid and unpaid) within the organizations and church to keep the illegal activity hidden, even going as far to allow them to spread these lies from the pulpit. We trust that they are honest, sincerely loving, and that they have our best interests at heart. The legendary Hip-Hop star and preacher is now the leader of Gathering Oasis Church in Atlanta. 3 talking about this. thegatheringoasis.com ・Engaging in sexual misconduct that has left your victims afraid to even speak out. It’s time we take ownership of the continued harm we cause for people who entrusted us with their spiritual well-being. My support to the only living, true Savior, Jesus Christ chatting with other... You hit the nail on the scene 13 seconds be, I SEE.! And the Gathering Oasis Church Inc has 12 employees at this location the trial of your that! Created in the depths of my soul have the gathering oasis church scandal harmed the victims finances... Not afford to underestimate the impact of Church hurt or Religious Trauma Syndrome ( RTS ) inside a Koreatown.. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a long established fact that a reader be. In the latter group for whom my heart mourns in this moment of exposure and verbally abusive choose always... 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