To the Senior Pastor of:
Group called - Greater Grace Church
St. Petersburg, Russia
Pastor Bob
MY OFFICIAL LETTER
OF WITHDRAWING FROM THE GREATER GRACE (GG)
Being filled and led by the Holy Spirit and after praying persistently for two months I feel led (because of listening to my Lord, Jesus Christ, speak to my heart) that it is time to be free from the mental and emotional control of GGWO, the group calling itself Greater Grace in St. Petersburg and its system of methods.
First of all I admit that I am a big sinner and don’t deserve anything from God. But through the Lord’s amazing and abundant love He has given me the capacity to see the difference between truthful and false things.
To Pastor Bob: I have to make a decision to leave Greater Grace church because of the following reasons:
I don’t agree with you that I am a handicap person as you see me. Pastor Bob, you have called me, while not using those exact words, something that is much worse – you called me AN INVALID! Excuse me for saying this but those are very offensive words for a person that has tried for all of his life to rid himself of this bondage that other people have put him under, especially in our country. I have never been familiar with you by calling you any names. I live the life of the normal person desiring to serve the Lord with those who encourage me to be all that I can be for the Lord.
I don’t agree or feel comfortable with Greater Grace and your personal negative moods about Living Grace Ministries, its Senior Pastor and its people. These are very poisonous spirits that I feel sometimes in conversations with people in Greater Grace. The spirit of bitterness absolutely is not from God!
I absolutely don’t agree with what you and your people think about Dr. Ellis. From now on I will never let anyone to speak evil about him in my presence. He is my friend and
. Listen, in his messages there is power of healing right from God directly for my physical and emotional body. I was a fool that did not notice it before and could notice it only when there was this last one year period of time when I didn’t see him. My health level really went down; my emotions were not healthy, but now God is calling and I will not allow anyone – you or anybody else – to stand in the way between me and the man God gave me to be my Pastor. Again, he never speaks negatively about you or the Greater Grace Church and publicly forbids anyone to use his pulpit to speak negative things about you.
I don’t need your money. Keep it for yourself. I forget that I have Jesus and He will support me with everything I need. I know that I have just lost my support of 3,000 rubles a month from you and Pastor Anton but It’s OK – I trust God and will handle it somehow with His help.
After lots of prayer and heart searching I think that what you asked me to do was totally crazy. Going to an unregistered Bible College, after I have a diploma from a registered Bible College SPBI which is recognized all around the world by colleges and universities of credibility, is unthinkable and certainly a poor stewardship of my life. If you think that I did not learn anything in Bible College while studying there 4 years, you have made a big mistake. Anyway, I know enough to discern God’s will and be able to write you these things, as you can see.
You call me and ask me the question over and over: “Are you are coming to the church tonight?” You follow up that question and say that I don’t know doctrine and I should stay away from false teaching.
You know Pastor Bob, I don’t understand why you don’t call other people who lead in the church and have never gone to Bible College to immediately drop everything and go to Bible College. I wonder if you call weekly to your great financial supporter, Philip, and ask him to come to the church faithfully. Do you ask him to go to Bible College? What will he tell you? Do you only ask those who have been taught under Pastor Ellis to attend? Probably he (Phillip) will send you far away. I am a very busy person with my pupils and other things that God wants me to do. I don’t have time to think about myself and my problems: I need to take care about people and your reminding me about my physical problems only weakens me and hinders what God has called me to do.
It is obvious that I need financial support being in a country that throws away those who have physical problems. However, I do not need to receive it like this. I spent a large portion of the money you gave me for transportation to go to Greater Grace (800 rubles a month) and the rest of the money went for my health needs.
I remember asking you to help me with the monitor. You said that you didn’t have money. That was OK. God supplied it in an amazing way.
I have realized that if I don’t attend your group or your Bible classes and you quit supporting me, then it can only mean only one thing: that you supported me for the wrong reason! You supported me to keep me away from LGM and Pastor Ellis.
My heart soul is not for sale or controlling!
I don’t agree with your interpretation of the doctrine of “Geographical Will of God (GWG)”. This along with some other teaching of GGWO is simply a way to control people. I am sure now you will mark me and call me evil as is the practice of GGWO historically. I know this: for me God’s will is to not attend the Greater Grace church anymore.
It is much more and beyond your understanding, Pastor Bob. First of all it is the place where His Will leads me. It is also a place where I feel comfortable and have no stresses. It is a place where I can be fed and not be fearful. It may be in America someday. It could be in Canada or Finland but for now it is the LGM church in Saint-Petersburg.
I do not believe you can tell me any valid reasons why I should remain in your group while feeling the way I do because of your attitude towards me. I am not mad at you but totally see who you really are. You are filled with bitterness it seems to me, and are inconsistent in what you teach and practice. Maybe I am wrong. If so forgive me.
I don’t have any desire to meet with you any more and feel that it has not helped me.
And it may surprise you, but this letter was written by a saved, born again and mature Christian who loves you, but no longer wants to walk with you because we do not agree any more. My name is:
… Dennis.
February, 2007
