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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Finance Director Sarah Ann Mock-Butler Accused of Committing Hundreds of Financial Crimes

Bruce Gerencser 1 Comment
Sarah Ann Mock-Butler

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

On June 1, 2023, Sarah Ann Mock-Butler, the finance director for Pikes Peak Christian Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was arrested and charged with hundreds of financial crimes.

KOAA-5 reports:

New details in the arrest of a former financial director of a local church have been released.

Sara Ann Mock-Butler, a former financial director of Pikes Peak Christian Church, is accused of allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the church.

The arrest affidavit alleges that during Mock-Butler’s unchecked or supervised time as financial director from 2017 to 2022, she stole thousands and attempted to delete evidence of this theft shortly before finding work elsewhere.

The investigation was raised after lead Pastor Ross had asked Mock-Butler to resign and the new financial director found discrepancies between bank account numbers and financial dashboards from the church records.

According to the affidavit, the discrepancies amounted to a $200,000 deficit in their operating account forcing the church to lay off employees and cut specific ministries.

The internal investigation by church officials revealed unexplained transfers from the church’s operating account to the church’s credit union credit card account not related to church business. Pastor Ross said Mock-Butler falsified the approval form documents often double-signing them herself, against church policy.

It was determined by Detective Williams that Mock-Butler forged three signatures of church leaders to use on authorization forms.

The church provided lead El Paso County Detective, Marissa Williams with an itemized spreadsheet of unauthorized charges made by Mock-Butler. Detective Williams has determined that Sara Mock-Butler spent a total of $341,519.25 of Pikes Peak Christian Church’s funds on unauthorized and personal charges.

The affidavit alleges Mock-Butler conducted a total of 527 charges using the church’s financial information. Of these, 339 transactions were electronic, with 296 of these missing authorization forms or had them intentionally omitted.

The affidavit goes on to give six examples from the investigation of Mock-Butler’s alleged theft, the first being the writing of two checks totaling more than $6,000 from the church to her personal and mother’s joint account to pay on her home mortgage.

A cash withdrawal totaling $16,000 that was allegedly spent on home improvements for Mock-Butler’s home.

The third example laid out by Detective Williams was the transfer of $15,000 to Mock-Butler’s credit union account which was used to make a down payment on a 2020 Ford F350 Truck and another $19,800 transfer that would be later used to purchase a boat which Mock-Butler would later sell for $22,500.

The affidavit alleges Mock-Butler spent $3,007.03 in funds on personal vacations, and another $1,878.88 in payments to Colorado Springs Utilities on Mock-Butler’s personal utility bills.

The final example of theft was through Mock-Butler’s personal purchases from Amazon, where the affidavit alleges Mock-Butler made 10 orders totaling $1,644.31.

An investigation with Colorado Department of Revenue Agent Melody Kirscht determined that Mock-Butler was liable for six counts of felony Tax Evasion after the unreported income from Mock-Butler was reviewed.

Mock-Butler faces the following charges:

  • Theft, class 4 felony (1 count)
  • Cybercrime, class 3 felony (1 count)
  • Money Laundering, class 3 felony (296 counts)
  • Identity Theft, class 4 felony (527 counts)
  • Forgery, class 5 felony (61 counts)
  • Tax Evasion, class 5 felony (6 counts)
  • Filing a False Return, class 5 felony (5 counts)

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Student Minister Michael Sasser Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sexually Molesting a Family Member

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
michael sasser

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Michael Sasser, a student minister at Redeemer Church in Modesto, California, pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a family member and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Redeemer Church is affiliated with the Acts 29 Network.

The Modesto Bee reports:

A Modesto man who stepped down from his role as a church youth leader a month before his arrest has pleaded guilty to molesting a family member.

Michael Sasser, 41, was arrested in April on suspicion of three counts of child molestation for acts that occurred during a period of months in 2022.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to the continuous sexual abuse of a child and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. As a result of the plea, two other counts of child molestation were dropped.

“It was in the best interest of all parties involved that this case be resolved quickly, as opposed to being long and drawn out,” said Sasser’s attorney Rebecka A. Monez. “The plea represents the reality of the crimes, and the defense is content with the resolution.”

The prosecutor on the case said in court that she talked at length with the victim about giving an impact statement, but the victim ultimately declined.

Sasser was co-leader of the student ministry at Redeemer Church on H Street in Modesto before stepping down Feb. 28, about a month before his arrest, lead pastor Patrick Nagle said in April. Sasser cited “personal reasons” and “to focus on himself and his family,” the pastor said. Sasser also previously served as a church elder. Both were volunteer roles, Nagle said.

Police said there was no evidence to suggest that anyone in the youth group was a victim. Nagle said the church was notified about the criminal investigation sometime in March before Sasser’s arrest. “We notified parents that there was an issue that took place in the home and CPS (Child Protective Services) and police were involved,” Nagle said in April. “We made it clear as well to parents that he is no longer allowed to serve in any capacity here or allowed in the building.”

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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I Am Taking a Break From Writing

Bruce Gerencser 21 Comments
gone fishing

I will not be posting for the next seven to fourteen days. I am quite exhausted, falling farther and farther behind. I need to take care of some personal things, along with catching up on my email, making a podcast, thanking financial contributors, and working on my book project. I am becoming increasingly frustrated over my inability to keep up, catch up, or even stand up some days. I need to take some time to lessen my frustrations. I hope to return to writing sometime after my birthday on June 19.

If you have a guest post you would like to write, this is a good time for you to submit it for publication.

See ya soon! Thank you for your continued support.

signature

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Understanding Biblical Separation

Bruce Gerencser 5 Comments
separation

Evangelicalism teaches the followers of Jesus that they are to live lives devoted to the teachings of the Bible. What teachings believers are expected to follow varies from church to church, pastor to pastor, and congregant to congregant. Whatever standard Evangelicals follow, they are expected to practice Biblical separation. They are expected to separate from sin, the “world,” and false teaching.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 says:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

I John 2:15-16 adds:

 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Note that John says that if someone loves the “world” the love of God is not in him. In other words, he is not a Christian. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Christians are to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” If a behavior even looks sinful, believers are supposed to abstain from it. Christians are supposed to avoid circumstances where their actions might cause unbelievers and other Christians to think they are sinning.

Peter reminds the followers of Christ in 1 Peter 1:14-16 that they are to be holy, just as their Father in Heaven is holy:

 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

It’s clear, at least to me, that the Bible teaches that Christians are to practice separation; that they are to be in the world, but not of the world. My wife, Polly, and I took separation seriously. We viewed the “world” as people, things, and institutions that were aligned against Christians, the church, and the teachings of the Bible. That’s why we homeschooled our children or sent them to a Christian school. We didn’t want them tainted by the world. There were times, of course, when contact with the world was unavoidable, but we tried our best to avoid getting cooties on us and our children. The church became a safe enclave for us to hide from the “world,” and we only left when absolutely necessary.

Christians are also commanded to separate from churches, preachers, and parachurch organizations that promote heresy or heterodoxy. Early in the ministry, I was quite strict in this regard — not fellowshipping with anyone outside of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement — but as I got older, I was willing to fellowship with preachers and churches that held different beliefs from me, as long as we were in agreement on the essentials. From 1995-2002, I pastored Our Father’s House in West Unity, Ohio. We had an advertising slogan we used that said: The church where the only label that matters is Christian. Churches and pastors I wouldn’t associate with in 1980, I was happy to fellowship with in 2000. My tent became larger the longer I was in the ministry.

Many Evangelical churches and pastors practice what is called “secondary separation.” Got Questions describes “secondary separation” this way:

The Bible teaches personal separation—the commitment of an individual believer to maintain a godly standard of behavior, separating from those who are living an ungodly lifestyle. The Bible also teaches ecclesiastical separation—the commitment of a church to maintain the purity of the gospel message, cutting ties with those who have compromised their doctrine. Secondary separation takes things a step further: not only does one separate from an individual or group due to sin or heresy, but one also separates from anyone who does not likewise separate from those individuals or groups.

This is how secondary separation works:

  • Peter Ruckman is a thrice-divorced, racist IFB pastor who teaches heresy about the nature of the Bible.
  • I separate from Ruckman.
  • John R. Rice is Ruckman’s friend and continues to support and platform him despite his divorces, racism, and heresy.
  • Secondary separation requires that I separate from Rice and anyone else who refuses to separate themselves from Ruckman.

As non-Evangelical readers might imagine, practicing separation and secondary separation require constant vigilance and judgment. I found it wearying, always forced to be on the lookout for the “world’s” encroachment. I thought, at the time, that if I gave an inch to the world, it would take a mile. Satan wanted nothing more than to destroy my witness, harm my marriage, and corrupt my children. In the late 90s, I was so focused on avoiding the world that I considered moving my family to a Bruderhof — an intentional AnaBaptist community.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to totally separate oneself from the world; that secondary separation was little more than Phariseeism. For the next decade, I became more and more worldly, even going so far as to watch R-rated movies and listen to secular music. We even went to a drive-in movie theater as a family to watch two sex-filled, violent movies, George of the Jungle and Air Bud. Both Polly and I, and our children, embraced things that would have been “sins” years before. Certainly, we still had standards and we avoided behaviors and practices deemed “worldly,” but we took the starch out of our collars, realizing that separation was just a way for Evangelicals to say to the world and other Christians that we were not only different from them, but better — more holy and sanctified.

Of course, my critics will point to the post as yet more evidence that I was on a slippery slope; that the more worldly I became, the less I loved Jesus. This, of course, is patently untrue. What I had learned is that a lot of the shit that I thought was life and death didn’t really matter; that it wasn’t my place to judge the lives and associations of other Christians; that none of us is perfect. Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.” I stopped chucking rocks at not only myself but others.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Tana Reneau Accused of Child Rape and Assault

Bruce Gerencser 8 Comments
Tana Reneau

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Tana Reneau, a youth leader with North Whatcom County Young Life and a mother of six children, stands accused of first-degree child rape, second-degree child rape, third-degree child rape, and four counts of second-degree child assault. She also faces one count of drug possession involving prescription drugs that did not belong to her.

Yahoo reports:

Probable cause documents released by Whatcom County Superior Court detail the alleged child abuse by a Blaine mother of six, who is a former teacher and current candidate for the Blaine School Board.

Tana Perkins Reneau, 51, was arrested by Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies Friday, June 2, on charges of child rape and child assault.

The prosecutor’s office intends to formally charge her with first-degree child rape, second-degree child rape, third-degree child rape and four counts of second-degree child assault, according to court documents. She also faces one count of drug possession involving prescription drugs that did not belong to her.

The arrest came after Whatcom County detectives were assigned the investigation through the state Child Protective Services. Three female children ranging in age from 7 to 14 and one male child over the age of 10 known to Reneau came forward with allegations that she had been physically and sexually abusing them as punishment, documents state.

“Horrific is a good word for it,” Whatcom County Superior Court Commissioner Jonathan Richardson said regarding the allegations during Reneau’s first appearance in court on Monday.

….

Child forensic interviews conducted by staff at Brigid Collins Family Support Center found that some of the physical pain suffered by the children “was equivalent to that produced by torture.” Medical exams by a nurse found scarring and markings consistent with abuse. Two of the children were found to have chipped teeth, the documents state.

Some of the children were forced to sleep naked in the shower, in the garage or without blankets or pillows. All four children were forced to run laps, the documents state.

The children were physically abused using closed fists and household items including boards, cords and a shovel, the documents state.

One child was severely beaten and then, upon examination of the injury, sexually assaulted by Reneau, the documents state. One child was sexually assaulted as punishment for perceived stealing, according to the documents.

Three of the children are Black and reported that Reneau called them racial slurs, according to the documents.

“It’s a very egregious case,” said deputy prosecuting attorney David Graham “(The probable cause document) has some very specific and very disturbing allegations and, in the state’s view, there is a community safety concern.”

The court issued a domestic violence no-contact order that protects the four unnamed victims. Reneau’s bail was set at $500,000. She remained in custody as of June 6, according to jail records.

Reneau has six children, four of whom are adopted.

Reneau taught in the Kennewick School District for 13 years before moving to Blaine in 2011. It’s unclear whether she ever taught in Blaine schools, but she served on multiple curriculum and technology adoption committees.

….

Reneau has filed to run for an open seat on the Blaine School Board and will face two other candidates in the Aug. 1 primary. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2019.

She also has been involved with North Whatcom County Young Life ministry and as a leader in a program called YoungLives, which aims to offer guidance, resources and support to teen mothers.

In 2021, Reneau opened a candy company called Better Buttermint Co., where she employed young adults with developmental disabilities.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest Scott Asalone Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teen Boy

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
Scott Asalone

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Scott Asalone, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a single count of felony carnal knowledge of a minor in December 2022. Yesterday, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

WTOP reports:

A former Loudoun County priest has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing a minor nearly 40 years ago.

On Tuesday, Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Scott Asalone, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, has been sentenced to prison on a charge of felony carnal knowledge of a minor.

“Today’s sentencing brings long, overdue justice to the brave victim who came forward and told their story. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute child offenders and I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police or local law enforcement,” said Miyares in a statement.

Asalone was convicted of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy in 1985 when he was 29.

In 2020, when charges were first brought, D.C. Council member David Grosso came forward and identified himself as the victim in an interview with The Washington Post.

In an interview with WTOP after Asalone was convicted in December 2022, Grosso said, “I just think more of us need to realize that there is an opportunity for justice out there. And if you don’t say something, nobody knows.”

Asalone, now 66, will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Fox-5 adds:

The victim in the case is former D.C. Council member David Grosso, who publicly identified himself as Asalone’s victim when the charges were filed in 2020.

Grosso previously said he wrote a letter in 1992 to Asalone, and the priest responded by admitting his misconduct. Grosso said the letter served as evidence to convict Asalone in a case that stretched back to 1985.

“I love the fact that justice never stops in Virginia,” Grosso said last December.

“Today’s sentencing brings long, overdue justice to the brave victim who came forward and told their story. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute child offenders and I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police or local law enforcement. I’d also like to commend the Virginia State Police and my Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section for their outstanding work on this case,” said Attorney General Miyares in a statement Tuesday.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Kevin Straughan Accused of Strangulation and Sexual Assault

Bruce Gerencser 6 Comments
pastor kevin straughan

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Kevin Straughan, pastor of Agape Ministries Church in Ossipee, New Hampshire, stands accused of strangulation and sexual assault.

WMUR-9 reports:

A former New Hampshire minister is accused of strangulation and sexual assault and is being investigated for similar charges in Florida.

Ossipee police said at the time of the allegations, Kevin Straughan, 67, was the head minister of Agape Ministries Church in Ossipee and Moultonborough.

Straughan has been indicted on several charges, including four counts of sexual assault and second-degree assault. Police said the victims are people he knew, including children.

Police said Straughan is no longer preaching at the church but is still involved there. He is also under investigation in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Police said they worked with multiple agencies as part of the investigation, which started in October. Liz Kelley-Scott, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center, said she couldn’t speak to the specifics of the case, but she said the organization’s role is to make sure children are protected throughout such investigations.

“That’s why we really work as a team, to have an open line of communication between law enforcement and prosecutors and our child protective services, but also to make sure all the needs of the kids are being met,” she said.

People at the church said they had no comment on the investigation. News 9 left a message at a phone number for Straughan but has not heard back.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Have Scientists Found Hell in the Center of the Earth? Dr. David Teabag Says YES!

Bruce Gerencser 13 Comments
david teabag degree

A Guest Post by Dr. David Teabag, a graduate of Bumpkiss Bible Institute and I Know I Am Right Baptist University

Hell, also known as the Lake of Fire, is a real place; a place of fire and brimstone; a place where non-Christians will spend eternity being tortured by God. Don’t want to be roasted by God in Hell, repent and believe the gospel!

Skeptics such as that dumb-ass Evangelical-preacher-turned-atheist Bruce Gerencser often ask us to prove the existence of Hell. Where is Hell, exactly?, Gerencser laughingly asks. Well, today, I am happy to report that scientists have found Hell in the middle of the earth! I know, it is hard to believe, but as I write this post, billions of people are being tortured by the Prince of Peace right under our feet.

I Fucking Love Science reports:

Lying beneath Africa and the Pacific in the lowermost part of the Earth’s mantle, surrounding the Earth’s core, there are two gigantic blobs that occupy around three to nine percent of the volume of the Earth. 

There are of course no direct ways of seeing the Earth’s core, at least without being burned to a crisp or fighting your way through the mole people. The deepest hole we’ve ever dug – sweetly dubbed the “entrance to hell” – reached 12,263 meters (40,230 feet), still a long way from breaking through the Earth’s crust to the layers beneath. However, we can look under the surface pretty effectively by utilizing earthquakes in a technique known as seismic tomography.

….

When this technique was new, the two large and strange structures were found, known as large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). In these areas, generally called “blobs”, waves travel more slowly than through the surrounding lower mantle. Under Africa, the area known as “Tuzo” is thought to be about 800 kilometers (497 miles) in height, or about 90 Mount Everests.

….

So, what are they? Unfortunately, we still aren’t entirely sure, though we have a few sound ideas. Given that the objects are denser than the surrounding mantle, it’s assumed that they are made of a different material, though we cannot tell exactly what it is – nor the exact density – based on seismic tomography data alone.

….

Though we don’t know for certain what the blobs are, and will never see them directly, techniques for investigating beneath our feet are continually improving. Hopefully it is only a matter of time before we can refer to them by what they are, rather than mysterious behemoth blobs lurking deep beneath our feet.

These unsaved scientists may not know what these blobs are, but I do. I have a theology degree from Bumpkiss Bible Institute in Bada-Bing, New Jersey, and a master’s degree and doctorate in archeology and hellology from I Know I Am Right Baptist University in Bubbaville, Kentucky. I know, based on my extensive training straight from the 1611 King James Bible, that Jesus descended into the bowels of the Earth (Hell) when he died to visit those who lived there; that when non-Christians die they go straight to Hell; do not pass GO, do not collect $200. These blobs are Hell. Prove me wrong!

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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The Question No One Is Asking Baptize SoCal

Bruce Gerencser 11 Comments
baptize socal

Several days ago, Religion News Service reported:

Over 4,000 were baptized and publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ at Pirate’s Cove in Newport Beach, the same historic baptism site during the Jesus People Movement in the 1970s

Baptize SoCal, a collaborative baptism event that brought together over 250 churches in Southern California, successfully occurred at Pirate’s Cove, a historic baptism site during the Jesus People Movement with Chuck Smith in the 1970s. The event aimed to allow individuals to undergo water baptism and publicly declare their faith in Jesus Christ.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 28th, 2023, an estimated 10,000-12,000 attendees witnessed a remarkable 4,166 baptisms throughout the afternoon. “We believed that if we stepped out in obedience, God’s people would rally, and it would become one of the largest water baptisms in American History,” said Pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church, who hosted the event. “Little did we know that a film would come out just a few months after our receiving the vision that celebrated water baptisms at Pirates Cove (Jesus Revolution).”

The event concluded with a live-album recording featuring popular Christian songs, including “Great Are You Lord.” The event left a lasting impact, transforming numerous lives and facilitating healing experiences.

Building on this success, Baptize SoCal aspires to expand its reach and become Baptize California. “Next year, our intention is to call it Baptize California (not just SoCal) and have baptisms on Pentecost Sunday, from San Diego all the way up to the top of the state,” Francey stated. “Then we plan to unite the Big “C” Church to rally the following year in what we will call Baptize America, hosting hub locations from coast to coast where people can gather and get baptized.”

The organization envisions hosting similar events on multiple beaches along the California coast, offering baptisms, worship, and celebration opportunities to the wider body of Christ. The organizers believe that God has more in store for California, as evident in the increasing resurgence and spiritual hunger among individuals and churches in the state, fostering a sense of unity and promoting widespread spiritual awakening.

Baptize SoCal’s next water baptism event is scheduled for Sunday, May 19th, 2024. It will continue to be a multi-church gathering, emphasizing the collective effort of various congregations. Francey concluded, “God is not done with America, and we are convinced if we can unite the Church and turn fully back to Jesus, He will heal our land.”

What are we to make of Baptize SoCal and its 4,166 baptisms? Is this a wonderful move of God, with thousands of sinners being gloriously saved, baptized, and added to the church? Surely you jest. This is nothing of the sort. This is akin to the Asbury Revival. Remember that one? Just a few months ago, Evangelical talking heads were claiming that America was on the verge of the Third Great Awakening. However, what was advertised as a spontaneous event was found to be a manufactured “move of God”; one that quickly petered out. Evidently, neither God nor his followers had time to get revived.

Baptize SoCal is also a manufactured event. Most of the people being baptized are already Christians. The two hundred and fifty churches involved in this mass baptism want uninitiated outsiders to think that a mighty move of God is happening, when in fact it is nothing about nothing. If anything, it’s about Christians looking for a feeling; a spiritual connection; a snort of Jesus cocaine. Much like the Asbury Revival, Baptist SoCal will quickly wither away as thoughts turn to the true God of Americans: NFL football. Go Bengals! 🙂

So what is the question no one is asking about Baptize SoCal? Here it is: what Biblical justification do they have for rebaptizing Christians who have already been baptized? Did Jesus, the apostles, or the early church rebaptize believers? Of course not. The reason for this is simple. People are baptized after they are saved. One time, never to be repeated. Baptism identifies the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an outward testimony to what has taken place in the believer’s heart. Secondarily, baptism is the door to admission into church membership. Evangelical church membership is generally comprised of people who have been saved and baptized. There’s not one instance in the Bible where a church member was rebaptized. Thus, I can safely say that Baptize SoCal has invented a new doctrine out of whole cloth; one that has no Biblical justification. The goal, in my opinion, is to give the appearance of growth; not much different from painting the exterior of a house while the foundation is crumbling. Events such as the Asbury Revival and the aforementioned mass baptism are little more than a facade meant to hide the termite-riddled, rotting foundation of Evangelical Christianity. Passersby will think all is well, but if they dare to stop and look behind the facade, they will see that all the fake baptisms in the world can’t “save” Evangelicalism.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Why Didn’t Anyone Know I Was a Follower of Satan When I Was Their Pastor or Colleague?

Bruce Gerencser 6 Comments
satan

As readers of this blog know, I have a lot of critics; people who have plenty of negative things to say about me; people who preach sermons and write blog posts about me. Tim Conway, pastor of Grace Community Church in San Antonio described me this way: a dog, false Christ, false apostle, false prophet, false teacher, deceiver and antichrist, enemy of the cross, demonic, a man who led people to hell and destruction, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, driven by my lust. To Conway and others like him, I am a follower of Satan, a man who walks to and fro upon the earth seeking whom he may devour. What justification do my critics have for their caustic attacks on my person?

Instead of judging my life in context, my critics see that I am now an outspoken atheist and they conclude that I was never a Christian; that the twenty-five years I spent pastoring churches in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan, were a facade I used to cover up my true purpose: advancing the kingdom of Satan on earth. Of course, they have no evidence to justify this claim. If my grand ambition was to lead people away from Jesus, I sure wasn’t very good at it. Hundreds of people were saved under my preaching. Countless people will testify that I made a difference in their lives. I deeply loved and cared for the people I pastored. Not only did I minister to their spiritual needs, but I also ministered to their temporal needs. I was free with my time and money, hoping that I was a good example of someone who loved his neighbor as himself.

Theologically, I was solidly Evangelical, with a Calvinistic bent. No one ever leveled heresy charges against me. One man got upset with me one night when I preached on the love of God from John 3:16. He told me that he doubted that I was a “real” Calvinist. Another man objected to my Calvinistic view of the atonement, and later left the church. He would later return to the church, his life in shambles. I graciously embraced him and welcomed him and his wife back into our church. I tried not to burn bridges when people left the churches I pastored, though, occasionally I clapped and cheered in my mind when some people left. Good riddance! Too real? 🙂

I spent fifty years in the Evangelical church. I attended an Evangelical college and labored in God’s vineyard for twenty-five years. I preached special meetings and revivals for other churches and spoke at Bible conferences. I knew a lot of Evangelical and Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) preachers. I broke bread with them at fellowship meetings and, occasionally, met them for breakfast or lunch. We would spend our time talking shop and discussing theology. I considered some of these preachers my friends.

All told, I came in contact with thousands of Christians; people who were bought-by-the-blood, filled-with-the-Holy-Ghost, sanctified lovers of Jesus. Not one of them, in the moment, ever doubted that I was a Christian; a God-called preacher. Not one of them leveled charges of heresy against me. If I were actually a follower of Satan, why didn’t any of these people who had the Holy Spirit living inside of them as their teacher and guide, know that I was? Was I such an expert deceiver that I deceived not only the people I pastored, but also my family and colleagues in the ministry? Of course not.

My critics who knew me when I was a pastor know that I was a True Christian®; that the bent of my life was toward holiness. They know how committed I was to studying, understanding, and preaching the Word of God. They know I diligently tried to seek and save those who were lost. Nothing in my life said to them at the moment that I was anything but a child of God.

Knowing these things to be true, why do my critics viciously attack and disparage me? Why do they say I never was a Christian? Why do they lie about me? Why do they refuse to accept my story at face value? You see, I am a conundrum to them. My life story doesn’t fit neatly in their peculiar theological box. They can’t use the typical arguments they use when someone deconverts: poorly taught, ignorant of the Bible, cultural Christian. None of these things applies to me, nor do they apply to many of the ex-Evangelicals I know.

There’s only one correct explanation of my life: Bruce Gerencser was once a Christian, and now he is not. Any other explanation is about my critics, not me; about their inability to reconcile my story with their peculiar theology. This, of course, is not my problem. Who better knows my life than me?

I suspect that for many of my critics, the real issue is fear. They say to themselves, “If Bruce Gerencser can fall from grace or be so deceived that he was never a real Christian, could not the same happen to me? Yes, the same could happen to you, and to Loki, my Lord and Savior, I pray, “Make it so.”

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Connect with me on social media:

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Bruce Gerencser