Team Disaster

I think this is a first, as a blog post on this subject. I name the persons concerned. At the close of my urban ministry, at Sea Point Evangelical Congregational Church, four people were put in charge of my parting -- which included my remuneration after nearly 20 years. All four were seriously problematic. I appealed to the Church: please don't do this to me. But it seemed to me that my mail was suppressed. Facts about the four people principally involved:

• Attorney Elmarie Neilson. The mediator. Police instructed me in writing to obtain a protection order against her.
• Attorney Clive Valentine. The lawyer. Police reported that he was involved in baseless charges against me.
• Tiny Jones. The tax adviser. He was involved in serious defamation against me. Audio proved that his accusations were completely invented.
• Greg Nichollas. The treasurer. Church consultants reported that he was at the core of conflict in the Church.

I am being kind, by stating it so briefly. If one were parting with one's company, say, would one think of this as a good team to oversee it all? How much less in the Church. What one sees here was not merely unwise -- it led to disaster for me. OBSERVATION: If this were my Church, I would be cut to the heart that we had done this. The lesson for Churches in general: take care who oversees your minister's affairs.