Calvary Chapel Abuse

Bob Grenier (left, accused of Child Abuse by three of his sons and of molestation by his son Paul Grenier) with Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel Chino Valley and CCOF. It's at the Central Valley Men's Conference 2010 at Calvary Chapel Visalia.

For those of you who are fresh from the Calvary Chapel meat grinder, I thought I’d give you a peak under the hood of how the Calvary Chapel System and Moses Model Culture of Little to No Accountability works.

I know that you “think” Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa have your back…that they care about you and that they have your best interest at heart. Surely they follow Scripture, I mean they “Teach the Bible Simply” and all. Surely if there’s a problem with one of the “pastors” who flies their Dove Logo…a “pastor” who is “affiliated” with Chuck Smith and CCCM and 1,200 other Calvary Chapel pastors…surely there’s recourse if your particular Calvary Chapel pastor doesn’t play by the rules and hurts you.

Hate to break it to you (and some of you are finding out the hard way)…there is no Santa Claus. I know, take a deep breath, it’ll pass. “Papa Chuck” could give a flying you-know-what. He’s busy with Prophecy Conferences, the Farewell Praise Chuck Tour and gobbling up lucrative multi-million dollar Radio Stations (that his heirs solely control) to care too much about your pee-on (intentional misspelling) trifles. Brian Brodersen, the error apparent? Good luck. How about CCOFu and Roger Wing/David Rosales? (Calvary Chapel Office of F…you get the idea). They won’t help you.

The “System” is set up the way it is…intentionally. It’s there to protect Chuck’s ass-ets. It is there to give an “appearance” of Accountability and an appearance of Spiritual Obedience…but it’s a bait and switch. The Truth is, with Responsibility comes liability…and Papa Chuck don’t play that game. It’s unProphetable (but not Prophecy Conferences…those, now those are Prophetable! Books and Videos, very Prophetable! Radio Stations? Are you kidding me? SUPER PROPHETABLE!)

My situation in a very concise nut-shell: I and my brothers suffered intense physical abuse at the hands of Calvary Chapel Pastor

From left: Roger Wing of CCOF breaking Tofu with Bob Grenier (hat, black shirt)...across the table, Pastor Lance Cook of Calvary Chapel La Habra. Photo taken very recently (2011) in Japan.

Bob Grenier…real bad. Hit, kicked, shoved, grabbed violently, full-force open handed hits to the face, struck with objects, bruises, blood, brother locked in a small closet, etc etc etc too many instances to count…over a period of many many years. It sucked, still does. My brother Paul, Bob’s blood son (I’m a step-son) alleges both physical abuse and sexual abuse (Paul is homosexual). My mom was abused (my bro Geoff, also a step-son saw Bob smacking my mom around, Paul saw Bob on top of her, choking her, I witnessed too many instances to count of Bob intimidating her by breaking objects, screaming at her, taking her to the back bedroom, locking the door, yelling at her, noises, her in tears etc etc etc…and we all know that “Wives are to submit to their husbands” and not go against God Himself…or so Bob’s manipulation and twisting of Scripture goes).

Stuff happened. I got older. More stuff happened, Bob was still being a prick to our family…I decided to stand up to him and confronted the abuses privately…in our family unit. Bob freaked. I thought the rules of the Bible taught “simply” applied. I tried Matthew 18. No go. I went to Bob’s two main Elders. No go, “don’t harm the church. leave it to the Lord, NOTHING can be done, it’s in the past, go your way and pray about it, etc etc etc”. Bought that line of bull, prayed for four years. My wife found a blog where others were speaking out about how Bob was spiritually abusing them and being his normal douche self. I read the stories, felt their pain…and felt God said to do something. I did.

I participated in the blog, shared some stuff…shared some more stuff. People came out of the woodwork sharing their stories…all still very much negatively affected by Calvary Chapel Pastor in good standing, Bob Grenier. No closure, no resolution, no Matthew 18 for any of them. No attempt at reconciliation by Bob or Calvary Chapel…just “get the heck out of here you evildoer and don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split ya!” Some “Be the Servant of All”…some “Seek Justice, do Mercy and walk humbly with your God”…some “Leave the 99 to save the 1″…some “we teach the Bible simply”. Total bull.

After the blog blew up (exploded with participation) I contacted Bob’s Board to confront the abuses (and now a bunch more I was freshly aware of…including financial, spiritual, bullying, etc etc etc from former staff, former assistant pastors, bookkeepers, long-time lay people, etc etc). I found out Bob had a “Local Board” and an “Out-of-town Celebrity CC Pastor Board”.

The Celeb Board are Board Members none-the-less, but they sure got all wish-washy about how much they really did when push came to shove…talking to Gary Ruff, pastor of Calvary Chapel Foothills / Calvary Chapel Sun Valley was like talking to Bill Clinton and parsing the word “is”.

I communicated with Bob’s “Board” and Elders (and assistant pastors for that matter). I reported the abuses. i requested a hearing…our day in Spiritual Court per Matthew 18 and 1 Timothy 5:19-21. Certainly they’d want to know and act if the Bishop was not meeting the Qualifications taught “simply” in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1…especially when the Bishop is an Overseer and children are part of that oversight…right? Wrong.

Stone frickin’ Wall. That’s the Calvary Chapel “way”.

I communicated the abuses to Roger Wing and CCOF as well. Nada.

I communicated the abuses to Chuck Smith and Brian Brodersen of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Nada.

I communicated the abuses to Raul Ries Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, a Board Member of Bob Grenier’s. Nada.

I communicated the abuses to David Rosales Calvary Chapel Chino Valley. Nada.

This was around a year-and-a-half ago.

I’ve been all over the internet blaring the horn. The story has been in the Fresno Bee, Visalia Times-Delta, The OC Weekly, the Daily Kos, on Phoenix Preacher dot net, all over Facebook…and many other places. You’d think someone would take notice within Calvary Chapel and follow Scripture and take some action. Nope.

Well, I recently (finally) heard back from David Rosales…he’s such a man of God and so full of integrity…I read his blog, so I know that to be a fact…he says so himself, many times over. So, Rosales, this stalwart of the Christian Faith, FINALLY responds to a correspondence of mine….and his response? You decide:

Me (addressed to his highness the holy right reverend anointed fellow Chuck Smith Prophet David Rosales of the purely independent yet affiliated and using the same image and likeness and name Calvary Chapel Chino Valley who is also on Bob’s Board as an Elder):

You need to take a stand and do something David, you are on Bob’s Board and on CCOF, are you not?

Do you really believe that we’re all lying? Paul, Geoff and Me? Do you think my Aunt and Uncle are lying, a mountain of Bob’s former staff, associate pastors and long-time lay-people?

Gary Ruff saw Bob tuning Geoff up in the hotel hallway in the Philippines in 1985. Gary talked with Geoff at length about it and Geoff told Gary then about some of the abuse going on in the home. Are you calling Geoff a liar?

It makes me want to vomit to read your blog about “integrity” and holiness. You will not take a stand for what’s right and you have the power to do so.

Here’s Pastor David Rosales’s response (followed quickly by my being blocked…the Cyber Stone Wall, nice!):

April 13 David Rosales:

I am amazed that you are doing this, so my answer will be brief. [About the only time you're brief...I've listened to you and read your stuff.]

No, I am not on Bob’s board. [When did that happen? That's news to me and many others. You were the last time I talked to Gary Ruff and the last time another Calvary Chapel Pastor called to find out who was officially on the Board at Calvary Chapel Visalia].

As for what I believe, that is not any thing you need to be concerned with Alex. [Actually, it does concern me, since you are a fellow Calvary Chapel Bishop and Elder and charged with a Scriptural Responsibility here: 1 Timothy 5:19-21 ...but, I know, that's just Scripture...and it's to be taught "simply"...but there's some LONG complicated parsing and explanation of why that isn't your responsibility.]

What you are doing is so wrong that I won’t take the time to answer you any further, except to encourage you to seek help as soon as you can. I fear for your mental state, and pray you do not do any more damage to anyone else. [So, basically I'm mental and I'm the bad guy...even though your fellow Bishop Bob is the one who claims to "see demons in people" and beats his wife and kids and "his" sheep at church...and lies about it...is delusional...thinks he's a Prophet, etc etc...but I'm the crazy one, thanks. And, about the "wrong" part..."Tell it unto the Church...the Greek there is Ekklessia, look it up. It includes the local church and the Church Universal...no distinction. Read a book besides one of Chuck's, it'll help you.]

You don’t know me, and I really don’t know you but I can say that if this is typical of what you do, may the Lord help you to heal, you really are in need and obviously are deeply hurting. [I don't know you? You express your beliefs all the time in the OC Register, on your blog and from your Pulpit...en masse. I don't "know" anything about you? Gee, you must be lying then about the mountains and mountains of stuff you have been professing and publishing for many many years. I must have the wrong David Rosales, my bad. And, you know what would REALLY help me to heal? Hows about you and your CC Buddies follow Scripture and deal with this situation...that would be great, thanks.]

Now remember, David Rosales is also part of CCOF…that “appearance of Accountability” Office that bears the Calvary Chapel name…but is really there to provide cover for the offending pastors…not to help you.

There’s your brief glimpse under the hood and behind the Calvary Chapel curtain (or should I say Stone Wall).

I am so blessed! Thank you Calvary Chapel and David Rosales!

Let’s see if we can gather some more wisdom from our dear Prophet who has the “gift” of “seeing demons in people”…the Reverand Bob Grenier, Calvary Chapel Visalia (Chuck Smith affiliated, Chuck Smith approved unrepentant Child Abuser extraordinaire):

“When Jesus sang…

He was signing from Psalms 113-118. This is what Jews did following their celebration of the Passover meal.
Mark 14:26 says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” These Hymns, or Psalms are primarily about one thing. They are about the Mercies of God. Can you imagine Jesus singing there with the disciples about Mercy.

[Yes, I can. I can also reflect on the lack of Mercy I and my brothers received by being beaten by you, where you left bruises and drew blood, struck us in the face, humiliated us, intimidated us, kicked us, pushed us, locked Geoff in a small closet, beat him with a tree branch leaving cuts and bruises, etc etc etc. I can also remember how merciful you were to so many of "your" sheep over the years. You being merciful was only kicking people twice when they were down, rather than 10 times, like your normal M.O.]

What is mercy? It can be explained by comparing it with some other attributes or characteristics of God. Justice is when we receive what we deserve.Grace is when we get what we don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

[Yes, true. Mercy would be swallowing your pride and admitting to your sins so that my brothers and I could have a mother again...and so my grandkids could have a grandmother. That would be both Just and Merciful come to think of it. But no, you can't cop to any sin...you're an "anointed Prophet" and we all know anointed Prophets can't cop to specific sins...just generalities and allusions to some nebulous undefined non-descript stuff that allows you to dodge accountability...and perpetuates your myth of piety...false piety. Inside and behind closed doors, you're a ravenous unrepentant wolf].

God is merciful and He has been merciful to us, and He will continue to be merciful to us forever and forever. Jesus said, blessed are the merciful for they will obtain mercy. Matt 5.

In the Context of Salvation, yes God is merciful to us. Without being reconciled to God, without Regeneration and belief in Jesus Christ as Messiah (which manifests itself, btw, in obedience to Scripture…and by confession and repentance of sin) there is no Mercy. There is Judgment and as Jesus says, “eternal punishment”.

May today be a day where we are reminded of God’s mercy towards us, and may we extend that same mercy to others. In fact, may it be a day where we at some point can sing like Jesus did about the mercy of God.

[Yes, let's be reminded of God's Mercy towards us all...as you hide under the cover of the Pulpit and preaching of the Gospel while you dodge your Scriptural obligation to seek reconciliation and to confess and repent of your sins and abuses. You're a liar.]

Pastor Bob Grenier Calvary Chapel Visalia

P.S Some applicational thoughts. [LOL. "Application" huh? How about practice what you preach and show some of that Mercy you're selling and show some of that "I teach the Bible simply"...by practicing some of it "simply"].
1. Being merciful to others is a sure way to receive mercy ourselves. 2. Showing mercy to others is what we would want shown to us. 3. God is pleased when we are merciful to others. 4. Being merciful is being Christ like. 5. We can pray for and receive God’s mercy today in our lives.”

http://pastorbobgrenier.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-jesus-sang.html

Blah, blah, blah, “agenda” blah, blah, blah (this is in reference to Bob’s recent Sunday morning back-handed defense from the shelter of the Pulpit…which is his standard M.O.)

I don’t particularly like doing this blog. I don’t particularly “model” the Evangelical Church’s “ideal” or their “image” of Christianity very well. I don’t particularly care if you think I’m a total idiot, I’m sure to some degree I am…and here’s a little shocker…so are you.

What I do know is…that try as I may,  I do care that a guy like Bob professes to “teach the Bible simply”…but won’t follow it.

Am I a sinner? Yep. Do I suck too? Yep. Do I need to love Bob and extend him mercy, forgive him, bless him? Yep. Do I want mercy and grace for my sins? Yep.

I’m still stuck on the part about confession and repentance. Rob Bell would assert that one needs not confess and repent to get the Grace and Mercy from God…a Concept called Universal Reconciliation.

Now, if Bob Grenier truly believed this Concept…and taught such…and modeled/practiced such throughout his life-time of pastorship…I may be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt (despite clear Scripture to the contrary).

However, Bob Grenier very much practices by example…and teaches much the opposite from the pulpit…with regards to the Universal Reconciliation.

Some questions: Does God “forgive” and have mercy on those who don’t confess, repent and believe? Does Jesus, in fact, stand as Judge at the White Throne and cast people into the Lake of Fire “forever and forever”? Yes, if you “teach the Bible simply”…Jesus sure as hell does.

Does “forgiving” the party that has offended/wronged/abused you…equal forgive and forget? Does it mean you cover over the sin and protect them.

Bob sure seems to think so.

Bob’s “agenda”? Hang onto his kingdom, despite his many disqualifying acts for which he hasn’t confessed and repented of…and lies about to this day.

Bob is the master of “agenda” and uses the Pulpit as a means of defense, without addressing those he has harmed/offended/abused. Bob denies the Matthew 18 process…which is “simply” taught in Scripture. Bob denies 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, the Qualifications of a Pastor lined out in the Bible “simply”…and his Elders and fellow Calvary Chapel Bishops are not following 1 Timothy 5:19-22…another “simple” command in Scripture.

Yet, Bob hides behind the preaching of the Gospel as shelter from accountability and following the commands in the Bible.

He offers up other Scriptures like these to deflect attention away from his sin…and place the blame on those dealing with it:

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

OK, love covers a multitude of sins. Yes, it does. In what Context, though? Should a wife cover over the husband’s sin of abusiveness? Should a fellow Elder cover over the Bishop’s sinfulness? Is the offended party to just go away and not deal with being sinned against?

What does the Scripture say, “simply”?

James 5:20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Can the “covering over of sin” also be enabling sin? Yes, it can. The Context of “covering a multitude of sins” is not being quiet about unrepentant unconfessed sin. That is false. You cover over sin that has been dealt with.

What are we as “simple” Bible Believing Christians to do when we see a brother in sin?

Fellow Elders/Bishops of the sinning Elder/Bishop are commanded to confront the person (in this case Bob Grenier) who is in sin: 1 Timothy 5:19-22 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Rebuke them publicly. Don’t be partial. Don’t take part in the sins of others. “Covering” sin…is akin to taking part in it, when the covering equals enabling and defending against the Natural Order God intended for Sin having consequences…especially with regards to a Pastor/Bishop/Elder. C’mon people…”simply” interpret the Bible simply…don’t just teach it and regurgitate. Try applying it simply as well please.

We are commanded to do this:

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith

Titus 2:15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Matthew 18:25 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Jesus confronted Pharisees here: Matthew 23.

His main beef with them was that they didn’t practice what they preached. That’s Bob Grenier….long history of it…enabled much by the “Elders” around him and his peers/fellow affiliated Bishops with Calvary Chapel.

Paul confronted Peter over the Judaizer issue and didn’t pull any punches here: Galatians 5: 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Paul called Peter out, a fellow Apostle…and wasn’t all Mr. Rogers or Ghandi about it. He let Peter and the Judaizers know they were in sin and needed to repent…in no uncertain terms. The Scripture uses exclamation points to show the non-Ghandi approach. Paul was ticked and let them know it. Paul was also right, and just. It’s not OK to be a jerk…when you’re being prideful and wrong…but when one really cares about how the behavior hurts people…and those close to them…including the person committing the sin…there is such a thing as being holy and ticked off.

Paul later says in Galatians 5 “why” we are to rebuke: We want people to repent of their sins: The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Those who have “selfish ambition”…who “lie”…are given over to “fits of rage”…have “hatred”…spread “discord”…are “jealous”…are “idolatrous” etc etc. All fruits of the flesh.

Bob Grenier has those in spades…to this moment. I have them to some degree in my heart at times too. I haven’t had “fits of rage” that have ended in hitting my children and leaving bruises and drawing blood…but I’ve had fits of rage in my heart toward Bob and others. I admit that I am a sinner and I actually literally confess and repent of those sins. Bob doesn’t cop to the specific sins. You can’t repent if you don’t cop to it. Big difference.

Everything has the potential for getting better with confession and repentance…a key ingredient all of us…and especially a Pastor who professes to “teach the Bible simply”…cannot skip…yet claims otherwise. Relationships, hurts, offenses, abuses…all can heal with the Offender doing their God Instructed part of the equation. But, Pride and fear of losing one’s position as king of their kingdom…can be quite an obstacle.