Something just didnt feel right to us in our gut, so we left, Larson said, acknowledging that perhaps they too could have said something about their suspicions. Please refer your friends and family to this site if you find it useful or informative. We appreciate you taking the time to check us out. It employs 1-5 people and has $0M-$1M of revenue. Previously on a personal blog, I ran a series of posts sharing stories from my time in this cult. The financial revelations come in the wake of widespread claims that the churchs former leaders, led by charismatic ex-lead pastor Doug Lebsack, pushed members and staff to reject their families, matched unrelated pairs of parishioners intoknit-together relationships to replace biological families and abused their authority by demeaning and shaming others. We are committed to Jesus, and we are intent on discovering and living out what God has laid out for us in the Bible. Many people have several pieces of the puzzle, yet they have no idea how it all fits together in the greatest love story ever told. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. Stay tuned for details, Northwood grad credits active shooter training preparing him for Michigan ordeal. The offices are located across the street from the Hollywood Theater. There is a clear and widespread pattern of spiritual abuse led by the former lead pastor, embraced by the former co-lead pastor, the former teaching pastor and the current executive pastor, the report says. We are located in the historic Hollywood Movie Theater. Valleybrook's Easter Celebration Service (10:00AM) happening at Valleybrook Church, 412 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, United States on Sun Apr 17 2022 at 10:00 am. Ronald L. "Ronnie" Horstman, 43, of 1601 Bergman Rd., Chippewa Falls, died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls, after a lingering . All the symptoms appear to have been present at Valleybrook, Diederich said, noting that he regularly reminds his congregation that his words represent his opinions and that he isnt claiming to be speaking for God. A lack of oversight and former lead pastor Doug Lebsack's claims of receiving direct messages from God are among the reasons cited for a recent scandal at Valleybrook Church in downtown Eau Claire that prompted the entire pastoral team to resign amid allegations of spiritual abuse. Directions. Likewise, Lebsack was able to manipulate the churchs overseers and facilitate the departures of assistant pastors who dared question his methods and messages, said Mitchell, who has written about the events at Valleybrook in a series of blogs titled Tales from the Cult., Ideally, the overseers would have stopped that, but many of them were in Dougs back pocket too, Mitchell said. No, this site is dedicated only to preserving information. It was during that time in Seattle that Jaime signed with Centricity Records and went on to record 3 albums with them. Shopping. Former Valleybrook employee Matthew Mitchell, who attended the meeting and reported on it in his Tales from the Cult blog, said parishioners were informed that the church paid Verizon Wireless nearly $30,000, including upgrade fees and data charges, from January 2014 to March 2015 for 16 lines of cellphone service for former church leaders and their families. Even Mitchell, whose blog was highly critical of what he called the truly terrible, abusive, manipulative, unethical and illegal acts that occurred under Lebsack and Clark, said he no longer has any qualms about Valleybrook under its new leadership, although he doesnt attend services there. Valleybrook Church, based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is under fire for what a former leader is calling "abusive practices [that] were inappropriate and pushing the church away from God." Valleybrook Church Eau Claire, Wisconsin REGISTER Join us for two days of growing, learning, and building your ministry toolkit while being inspired and motivated to lead like never before. Valleybrook members also are attempting to give back to the community, most recently by raising more than $8,600 for local food pantries. Some of the most troubling financial revelations, confirmed by current Valleybrook leaders: Over a 15-month period studied, disbursements to mission organizations were less than half of the $75,000 that was budgeted and presented to the congregation. And they didnt miss a thing. After that, you can add on 1 or more as needed. Humans can be so susceptible to peer pressure and group think, Burns said. We also stream live from our Facebook Page and have a livestream link on our Valleybrook APP. Tales from the Cult is a website dedicated to preserving important artifacts from a church in Eau Claire where horrific spiritual abuse took place over several years. Nonprofits; Nonprofits by category; Nonprofits by location . We are solidly into the post-Christian world, and so the pressure for pastors to bind their congregations to themselves in steadily increasing. In fact, Burns said, interdenominational churches such as Valleybrook often follow a theology in which humans are viewed as weak and unable to do anything without God, making them more likely than other churches to put ministers on a pedestal. Late payments on church credit cards resulted in charges of more than $7,500 in penalties, interest and late fees between April 2013 and March 2015. Cause IQ is a website that helps companies grow, maintain, and serve their nonprofit clients, and helps nonprofits find additional foundation funding. Michelle was born in a small town in North Carolina where she made others laugh as soon as she could talk. You have permission to edit this article. Select a subscription and get started today. Please do something! Four Valleybrook Church pastors left after widespread claims surfaced about them pushing members and staff to reject their families, matching unrelated pairs of parishioners into knit-together relationships to replace biological family, sharing personal information gained in confidence, and abusing their authority by demeaning and shaming others. Since the public announcements, I stopped hiding the name of The Cult / The Org: it was Valleybrook Church, and it absolutely was a cult. Lebsack didnt respond to questions from a reporter, but hes believed to be in Texas right now. Gas. Itll take a while to say the least. Reader's Choice Awards - Voting has ended. We had previously served Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Moorhead, MN for 25 years. Expect stories like this to increase. Valleybrook Church412 S Barstow StEau Claire, WI 54701. . Select a subscription and get started today. Mitchells Tales from the Cult blog series has exploded in popularity since the allegations emerged. Four Valleybrook Church pastors left after widespread . Just look for the old movie theater marquee, and you will find us. Much of our heritage is learned through the passing down of stories. IRS 501(c) type. Invalid password or account does not exist. Parking 7:00 PM SHOW6:30 PM GA DOORS OPEN6:00 PM VIP DOORS OPEN. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Website: Reader's Choice Awards - Voting has ended. The teams final report alleges that Valleybrooks pastoral staff used their positions and authority to cultivate dysfunctional trust, manipulate people and violate the code of ministerial ethics. Church of Christ Non-Denominational Churches Church of Christ Churches & Places of Worship 26 YEARS IN BUSINESS (715) 832-5525 1701 Goff Ave Eau Claire, WI 54701 3. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. It is considered by many, inside and outside of its membership, to be a cult. This is exactly how the Bible was passed down for generations yet today people seem to believe that the Bible is a list of dos and donts instead of a beautiful story of love, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption. There has been lots of healing and many encouraging developments.. employees. With rumors about financial misconduct running rampant in the congregation in the wake of the spiritual abuse allegations, Valleybrooks transitional leadership team hired the accounting firm Wipfli to conduct an audit of the churchs books and then reported those findings to the congregation. Winners to be announced at later date. New things, new revelations, new truths. Transitional leaders reported that they have taken several steps to add checks and balances to the churchs finances. They also often dont require formal seminary training or even psychological evaluations for people to become pastors, she said. Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Share with friends Discover More Events in Eau Claire Sat Jan 28 2023 at 11:00 am Divine Guidance with Kim Please consider distributing fliers to your bible study or small group. Valley Brook Community Church design by ChurchDev.com. Solberg said average attendance at services, while still down by more than 50 percent from the beginning of the year before the upheaval, has begun to creep back up, recently reaching about 225. #WELOVe - We are a Worshipping, Equipping, Loving, Outreach and Visionary. We won't share it with anyone else. From Boston Jaime ended up in Seattle where she was a worship leader for several years and began writing her own worship songs. While it has been a challenging year for Valleybrook Church, it has also been incredible to see Gods hand as we navigate forward, the church said in a statement sent Friday to the Leader-Telegram. Sitting down to talk with worship artist Jaime Jamgochian you quickly realize she is a woman of faith who God is using in many different ways through her music and message. God completely changed her life and it is her greatest desire to see people encounter Jesus in a real way. Want more from the Friendly Atheist? To avoid the pain that can accompany spiritual abuse, Diederich encouraged people to take action and address such situations before they get out of hand. Kind of. Valleybrook Church, 412 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, United States. Our children's and student ministries are solid. Doors Open for General AdmissionCome in early to shop and visit speaker and artist tables. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. The church also has contracted with an outside bookkeeper to process payroll and payables, Solberg said. Recognizing that families inside and outside Valleybrook were adversely affected by the spiritual abuse scandal, the church said in its statement that it has paid for professional counseling for individuals who requested it. They were duped as much as everybody else.. At the same time, Diederich said, Lebsack took steps to disconnect Valleybrook from Converge to limit denominational oversight, leaving the truth-tellers with no one to appeal to. LeaderTelegram 374 subscribers Jody and Bob Hagedorn watched as their son Nate, a married 32-year-old with 4 children, became involved at Valleybrook Church in Eau Claire and rose to a. Find Best Western Hotels & Resorts nearby Sponsored. This is what Shannon does! This report will also be made available under " Media " in the site menu 2. I began as Lead Pastor at Bethesda in August of 2015. Valleybrook Church Location 412 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 54701, United States Description Industry Organizations General Organizations Discover more about Valleybrook Church Org Chart - Valleybrook Church Phone Email Julie Smith Burns, who said the behavior displayed elements of cultlike activity, pointed out that some reports suggest the pressure to conform sometimes got even stronger, with the pastors accusing critics or doubters of being under the influence of Satan. Its enough to make people think, Maybe Im wrong. Food. info@valleybrookchurch.org. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Watch Livestream | Valley Brook Community Church Watch Livestream Watch & Resources Watch Livestream Watch Past Services Podcast News & Reminders Weekly Email Other Resources Watch Live Sundays | 10:00 AM We livestream on the following platforms; click on links to watch! 5:30 pm. Valleybrook Church . We won't share it with anyone else. Please link to this site on your own sites if you are willing, please share links to stories and media on Facebook. Create a password that only you will remember. Recognize the signs, myths, and factors that continue to perpetuate human trafficking. Despite the widespread concerns, several sources indicated that many families just left Valleybrook when they felt things were getting strange later in Lebsacks roughly 10 years at the church. cult. Friendly Atheist. Valleybrook Church. Maybe my belief is weak. It started at the top the very top for Christians as the charismatic Lebsack was known for citing God and Jesus as the sources of his inspiration and the justifications for doing the things he did. Maybe parishioners stepping away from church would go a long way toward fixing the problem. When trust is violated, it takes a really long time for trust to be built back up.. However,I will seek to make sure that repentant hearts are protected, and that it is made abundantly clear whodid what. When appropriate, identities of correspondents to this site will be protected. Boston St Patricks Day Pub Crawl & Block Party! Without further ado, heres a PDF of the Valleybrook Church Report. A downtown Eau Claire church is picking up the pieces after a scandal that tested the faith of the congregation and led to the resignations of the entire pastoral team amid allegations of spiritual abuse.. Some of that money for family members service appears to have been reimbursed, he reported. 715.834.9993 Get Directions. We are Valley Brook Community Church, a non-denominational fellowship in Columbia, Maryland (Howard County) with an emphasis on a genuine connection with God through Jesus Christ. Her quick wit and southern charm are infectious. Now hes claiming to have a direct channel to Jesus, so hes already set you up to be in real spiritual trouble if you question anything, Burns said. Now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. "This has been the most challenging thing I've ever been a part of," Haugen said. Whose morality rules at Valleybrook Church? About GriefShare; Seminar topics; Seminar experts; Healing. But that was easier said than done at a place where several former members stressed that Lebsack cultivated a climate that discouraged dissent. The Bridge Church, Eau Claire 1210 E. Clairemont Ave. Salem Baptist Eau Claire 2514 Golf Road . If We Applied Anti-Vaxxer "Logic" to Other Areas, It Might Sound Like This, "The way republican politics are going these days, that means the winner is worse than ", "It would have been more convincing if he used then rather than than. This is where you will meet with a pastor, go to Imitate Middle School & High School, find The Living Room, find The Loft, and pick up Imitate Kids after the Sunday service. Headquarters: 412 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 54701, United States. 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Filipino-American Community Church / Church Religious, Harvest Community Church of Central Florida, Private Foundation Excise Taxes on Undistributed Income, Gifts from Private Foundations to Donor Advised Funds. Doug Lebsack, resigned because they say the final report didnt tell the full story and, it seems, because they didnt want to be around when it was read to the congregation. If youre on a laptop or desktop, the menu is likely floating around on the left side of the page, indicated also by three horizontal bars. Winners to be announced at later date. She has an amazing way of connecting the pieces while sharing some of the funniest yet applicable personal stories you have ever heard. Call480-812-1100to have a packet sent to you. Valleybrook Church 412 S. Barstow St. Eau Claire, WI 54701 Call 480-812-1100 for information Pricing General Admission $25 (plus fee) General Admission ($30 at the door) BUY TICKETS VIP $35 (plus fee) Early Admission for preferred seating Q&A with the speakers and artists BUY TICKETS Group Tickets $20 for group of 10+ The Converge report indicated a number of those interviewed reported that Lebsack would rail against anyone who questioned him, outbursts usually followed by telling them how much he loved them and how nobody believed in them as much as him. In addition, the shift to more extreme ideas was gradual enough that many people in the church didnt see it, Mitchell said. We are within walking distance from family housing, college housing, and apartment buildings. The letter indicated Schultz resigned when it became clear to him that the abusive practices were inappropriate and pushing the church away from God. Add to your calendar iCal Google With the truth-telling voices gone, the abuse was able to increase and take deeper root, Diederich said. I currently attend a different church in Eau Claire than the one mentioned on this site. Phone. North Granby, CT 06060. In February of 2015, an enormous exodus took place from a church in downtown Eau Claire. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. All of that makes these churches more susceptible to this kind of thing, she said of spiritual abuse allegations at Valleybrook. Shannon uses her divine knowledge of Scripture to put the story back together again. 160 Granville Road*. If you havent read the About This Site page, please do so before reading any article here. Getting to Net Zero: What Does This Really Mean and How Do We Do It? The disclosure, posted . Interment followed the service at Forest Hill. The investigation results, presented recently to church members, contained details about seemingly irresponsible management of parishioners money, including that former Valleybrook leaders disbursed tens of thousands of dollars less than the pledged amount to mission organizations, spent thousands of dollars on credit card late fees and parking tickets, and failed to pay thousands of dollars in federal taxes. The letter prompted Valleybrook to request an investigation by Converge Great Lakes, a denomination with evangelical Baptist roots that helped start Valleybrook 21 years ago in the former Hollywood Cinema in downtown Eau Claire. Consider this, then, a history book of a time not long gone, and a warning to any organization that employs or affiliates with the former lead pastor of the church. Lighthouse Youth Center And Ministries, Inc. 310 E. Madison St., Eau Claire, WI 54703. 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