Truth is the best defense and my fellowship

Indiana · 09-17-2011, 05:59 PM

When doing a search on my name, Steve Isitt, recently, immediately one very positive document appeared toward the top, My Experience in the Local Churches; and one negative one appeared at the very top, Ron Kangas’ public word from Ecuador declaring to leaders in South America that I was a “man of death” and “one of the most evil speakers on the internet”. I called his home in 2009 to discuss this public speaking with him and I left a message for him to give me a call. There was no return call.

I then wrote him a letter expressing my desire to speak with him and waited for his response. None came. I had heard also about the public speaking of another leader who referred to me as a “wolf among lambs” (SR in New Zealand), and also among brothers agreed that I was “the embodiment of the accuser of the brethren”. This same leader had been telling saints in groups or in one on one conversations over a ten-year period that I had “slanderous” websites up on the internet and forum posts that “slander” several leaders in the churches. In July 2010, when he spoke this way to a brother, I received an email from this brother denouncing me and my websites. I then shared this email with another Local Church brother, who advised me to get an attorney, since he knew the ten-year history of Local Church leaders’ resistance to the truth in my writings and the unwillingness they had to come to a table of fellowship. He also knew of the propensity among leaders and saints toward “condemnation before investigation”, as exemplified in JM's email.

Email: From: JM
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010

Email Triggering Lawsuit

Steve,

I asked Sherman about you and your history in the church in this area. I was appalled to find out that you have not only written one book (which I knew about but never read), but also that you maintain two websites full of slander regarding the Lord’s Recovery, and specifically regarding at least eight coworkers and several elders.

Hearing about evidence such as a nearly two inch stack of emails that you wrote regarding Joel Kennon, and the fact that you maintain much contact with ones who oppose the Lord’s Recovery such as John Ingalls, leaves me no alternative but to discontinue my contact with you.

Regardless of what new ones you want to introduce to me, there is no way I can have fellowship with you. Your behavior is divisive, and you have not shown any willingness to repent. If you reply that these facts are not true, then I’ll only believe that after you’ve taken down your slanderous web sites and come face to face with Sherman and Joel and the other elders in Seattle and Bellevue and retract the materials you have written.

You told me that you want to be allowed to fellowship with the church in Bellevue, yet your actions tell another story. I have given the Lord and His Recovery thirty seven years of my life, and there is no other life I desire to live. Don’t bother sending me any more emails. I’m just going to delete them anyways. (JM)

JM admitted to never having read my material before writing that email. He did read something before we sovereignly met four months later in Dec 2010 and I confronted him about his email. He offered an apology to me for his rash judgment and said, “I don’t know; I just don’t know”. That is true. Without thorough investigation, no one, including the leaders know.

Since SR had never shown interest in investigating my writings and coming into fellowship with me over them, and RK did not respond to my requests for fellowship, I did consult with an attorney, and did file a lawsuit against these men for defamation of character. I felt that perhaps this would be a catalyst for open, meaningful fellowship over their concerns about me, and my deep concerns about them and events of church history and its effects on the church life today. But I soon found out they were not interested in such meetings to ascertain truth. Either was SR’s attorney (an LC brother), who only did what attorneys do – look for a way out for their client. RK never did respond to his summons and I had no heart to chase him down to bring him into capitulation to a judge. The lawsuit did not work as a catalyst to bring these brothers to a table of fellowship, but it did serve to show me something about these men who could not face me. I have not heard from either one of them. Neither, of course, did RK nor SR respond to the idea of Christian arbitration. There has also been no public condemnation of me from them.

Neither have I been given freedom to meet with the church. Why? SR and RK are not only guilty of defamation of character; but most importantly they have borne false witness against me in the church.

If indeed I am what these two leaders have said, please make a public announcement boldly to the church to explain yourselves and your position taken against me in Bellevue, Seattle, and Anaheim. What is your scriptural ground for keeping me away from the fellowship of the church; and what are your examples of my supposed divisive behavior? No one has given me an explanation, and the church has not heard of an intelligent assessment with well-documented evidences explaining why I am not welcome to meet with the saints in the Local Churches. DCP has been quiet also, along with LSM. It seems no one knows what to say, without their conscience troubling them.

For ten years I have been speaking the truth about Local Church history, and there has been no Defense Confirmation Project assigned to counter my publications. Indeed, my speaking addresses without reservation the true causes of division in “the recovery” and does not itself cause it. I am not a divisive person. Even on the forum (since 2006), no one corrects or criticizes what I have said with regard to the unfiltered version of Local Church history. The history speaks for itself.

Either I am guilty or I am not; if not, then why is the door closed to me in the church?

With James Lee and Ron Kangas coming to Bellevue soon, wouldn’t that be a good time to explain to the saints why they should not read my material or associate with me? One would think so, but these brothers know that truth has been my best defense; and their best defense has been to ignore me.

www.HidingHistoryintheLordsRecovery.us

www.MakingStraightthewayoftheLord.com

www.TwoTurmoils.com

Steve Isitt
Bellevue, WA
9/17/11

09-17-2011, 05:59 PM	#1
Indiana Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 707	Truth is the best defense and my fellowship When doing a search on my name, Steve Isitt, recently, immediately one very positive document appeared toward the top, My Experience in the Local Churches; and one negative one appeared at the very top, Ron Kangas’ public word from Ecuador declaring to leaders in South America that I was a “man of death” and “one of the most evil speakers on the internet”. I called his home in 2009 to discuss this public speaking with him and I left a message for him to give me a call. There was no return call. I then wrote him a letter expressing my desire to speak with him and waited for his response. None came. I had heard also about the public speaking of another leader who referred to me as a “wolf among lambs” (SR in New Zealand), and also among brothers agreed that I was “the embodiment of the accuser of the brethren”. This same leader had been telling saints in groups or in one on one conversations over a ten-year period that I had “slanderous” websites up on the internet and forum posts that “slander” several leaders in the churches. In July 2010, when he spoke this way to a brother, I received an email from this brother denouncing me and my websites. I then shared this email with another Local Church brother, who advised me to get an attorney, since he knew the ten-year history of Local Church leaders’ resistance to the truth in my writings and the unwillingness they had to come to a table of fellowship. He also knew of the propensity among leaders and saints toward “condemnation before investigation”, as exemplified in JM's email. Email: From: JM Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 Email Triggering Lawsuit Steve, I asked Sherman about you and your history in the church in this area. I was appalled to find out that you have not only written one book (which I knew about but never read), but also that you maintain two websites full of slander regarding the Lord’s Recovery, and specifically regarding at least eight coworkers and several elders. Hearing about evidence such as a nearly two inch stack of emails that you wrote regarding Joel Kennon, and the fact that you maintain much contact with ones who oppose the Lord’s Recovery such as John Ingalls, leaves me no alternative but to discontinue my contact with you. Regardless of what new ones you want to introduce to me, there is no way I can have fellowship with you. Your behavior is divisive, and you have not shown any willingness to repent. If you reply that these facts are not true, then I’ll only believe that after you’ve taken down your slanderous web sites and come face to face with Sherman and Joel and the other elders in Seattle and Bellevue and retract the materials you have written. You told me that you want to be allowed to fellowship with the church in Bellevue, yet your actions tell another story. I have given the Lord and His Recovery thirty seven years of my life, and there is no other life I desire to live. Don’t bother sending me any more emails. I’m just going to delete them anyways. (JM) JM admitted to never having read my material before writing that email. He did read something before we sovereignly met four months later in Dec 2010 and I confronted him about his email. He offered an apology to me for his rash judgment and said, “I don’t know; I just don’t know”. That is true. Without thorough investigation, no one, including the leaders know. Since SR had never shown interest in investigating my writings and coming into fellowship with me over them, and RK did not respond to my requests for fellowship, I did consult with an attorney, and did file a lawsuit against these men for defamation of character. I felt that perhaps this would be a catalyst for open, meaningful fellowship over their concerns about me, and my deep concerns about them and events of church history and its effects on the church life today. But I soon found out they were not interested in such meetings to ascertain truth. Either was SR’s attorney (an LC brother), who only did what attorneys do – look for a way out for their client. RK never did respond to his summons and I had no heart to chase him down to bring him into capitulation to a judge. The lawsuit did not work as a catalyst to bring these brothers to a table of fellowship, but it did serve to show me something about these men who could not face me. I have not heard from either one of them. Neither, of course, did RK nor SR respond to the idea of Christian arbitration. There has also been no public condemnation of me from them. Neither have I been given freedom to meet with the church. Why? SR and RK are not only guilty of defamation of character; but most importantly they have borne false witness against me in the church. If indeed I am what these two leaders have said, please make a public announcement boldly to the church to explain yourselves and your position taken against me in Bellevue, Seattle, and Anaheim. What is your scriptural ground for keeping me away from the fellowship of the church; and what are your examples of my supposed divisive behavior? No one has given me an explanation, and the church has not heard of an intelligent assessment with well-documented evidences explaining why I am not welcome to meet with the saints in the Local Churches. DCP has been quiet also, along with LSM. It seems no one knows what to say, without their conscience troubling them. For ten years I have been speaking the truth about Local Church history, and there has been no Defense Confirmation Project assigned to counter my publications. Indeed, my speaking addresses without reservation the true causes of division in “the recovery” and does not itself cause it. I am not a divisive person. Even on the forum (since 2006), no one corrects or criticizes what I have said with regard to the unfiltered version of Local Church history. The history speaks for itself. Either I am guilty or I am not; if not, then why is the door closed to me in the church? With James Lee and Ron Kangas coming to Bellevue soon, wouldn’t that be a good time to explain to the saints why they should not read my material or associate with me? One would think so, but these brothers know that truth has been my best defense; and their best defense has been to ignore me. www.HidingHistoryintheLordsRecovery.us www.MakingStraightthewayoftheLord.com www.TwoTurmoils.com Steve Isitt Bellevue, WA 9/17/11