John Shrader in Burundi

[niagarahauls]

Sharon is my new God. Amen.

[melie612]

John has posted some lengthy updates on his FB page about the status of the trip so far. Apparently he wasn't able to meet the President of Burundi (big shocker there) and how some of the recruits who claimed to want to be pastors turned out to be thieves. But no matter, God is still doing magnificent work even though Satan keeps threatening to ruin plans *eyeroll*...seems to me like the trip was a waste of time and resources, although he claims otherwise.

Idiot left his eight kids and wife presumably in the South, in the summer, likely in their pop up camper home so he could attempt to convert 'heathens'. Swell guy.

[Chicken bones]

The upside to this asinine trip is that poor Esther will get a reprieve from being knocked up and being dragged around the country.

[Lillybee]

John S. has to be one of the most selfish pricks in history. Instead of preaching in Burundi, he should be taking care of his wife and many blessings. I hope that he left them enough food for the duration.

[Palimpsest]

John has posted some lengthy updates on his FB page about the status of the trip so far. Apparently he wasn't able to meet the President of Burundi (big shocker there) and how some of the recruits who claimed to want to be pastors turned out to be thieves. But no matter, God is still doing magnificent work even though Satan keeps threatening to ruin plans *eyeroll*...seems to me like the trip was a waste of time and resources, although he claims otherwise.

Idiot left his eight kids and wife presumably in the South, in the summer, likely in their pop up camper home so he could attempt to convert 'heathens'. Swell guy.

Am I the only person laughing my socks of at his latest updates? And at Sharon Bailgoat's latest digs at him. :lol:

Yes, the president blew him off, the Crusade is off, half the "pastors" just wanted money, but God is good. John has a couple of new "converts" (my bet is that they also just temporarily converted for cash and food) so keep sending him money. This trip is such an awesome success.

He answered my question too. He is evangelizing through translators.

[slickcat79]

He just makes me want to reach through the computer and smack him upside the head. Can you just hear the smug dripping from his words? Yes, the poor Burundians have all been taught "false doctrine" their whole lives, and it took John fucking Shrader coming along to show them the truth :roll: :roll: :roll:

[ILoveJellybeans]

God doesnt care John. If there is a God, he would rather you get a job to buy a real house for your family and raise the kids well with a good childhood, everything they need, and stability, than go and preach while your wife is alone in a pop up camper with 8 kids (including a tiny baby who may not be sleeping through the night yet) with no source of income. You can go off travelling the world when the kids have grown up.

[quincygal]

One of the posters on his top post asked

Where are Esther and the kids during this, and who is taking care of them? I pray they are staying in a real house with plenty of food. Is anyone helping Esther with the kids while you are gone?

Am really curious what his reply (or lack thereof) will be. Was she staying with her folks? For some reason I got the impression that she was in FL, or maybe it's just me hoping she's there:) When is this work-shy goofball due back?

[Coconut Flan]

I loathe his whole false doctrine spiel. There are many people who believe he teaches false doctrine. The ego to think only his way is right is phenomenal. I hate the patriarchy.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

I'll admit I don't know much about Burundi, so I surfed on over to Wikipedia to see that 75% of the country is already Christian. WTF, I thought, but then clicking on "Christianity in Burundi" further breaks it down to show that 60% of that is... Roman Catholicism.

I presume that's where Shrader's problem is?

(Er, I should say "Shrader's problem with their doctrine" is - obviously he has quite a few other bigger problems...)

[uber frau]

He's IFB and a Gothardite. The Catholics aren't even Christian in his book. The rest aren't much better. To John, anyone who disagrees with his particularly nutty flavour of Christianity is deceived and on his way to hell.

[formergothardite]

"Even the young man from Burundi who had been training for the ministry in Zambia under Pastor Sakawaha has shown that he is not ready to be a church planter, something that we thank God for revealing, as laying hands suddenly on a man who is not fully prepared could cause great harm"

Even coming from a fundie background this doesn't make sense. Laying hands usually means putting your hands on a person's head/shoulders and praying, so what horrible thing will happen if they pray for a guy who isn't fully prepared to start a church?

[GeoBQn]

One of the posters on his top post asked

Where are Esther and the kids during this, and who is taking care of them? I pray they are staying in a real house with plenty of food. Is anyone helping Esther with the kids while you are gone?

Am really curious what his reply (or lack thereof) will be. Was she staying with her folks? For some reason I got the impression that she was in FL, or maybe it's just me hoping she's there:) When is this work-shy goofball due back?

Esther actually responded to this:

Esther Shrader

Cassandra, we are in a very nice place next to family and great friends, so I have plenty of help! Our Wonderful Savior has always taken such good care of us, we have actually never come close to missing a meal, we are so very blessed!

How nice and vague.

[formergothardite]

So they are still in the pop up camper and staying in somebody's yard. She probably does get more help without him being there.

[uber frau]

And bonus, she doesn't need to clean up after him or get knocked up with the next blessing. Life is probably comparably blissful.

[Trynn]

Yes, Catholicism would be his problem with their doctrine. I had to sit there and seethe through some preacher talking about how he wanted to go to Ireland because Ireland is predominantly Catholic. I then had to put up with how different life in Ireland would be (which is true, but not in the ways he was describing) and how, "my children will grow up speaking Irish." I actually tried to correct him on that one but he wouldn't listen.

He got the entire school (private Christian) to pay for his and his family's plane tickets to Ireland, yet I could not get any help paying for a ticket to go visit my friend who, at the time, was in the hospital. I thought about telling people it was a "mission trip" and seeing if they'd donate then, but those pesky morals got in the way.

At least we know they're getting food... I hope they are getting other needs met...

[tlcarlaw]

Just curious because I'm catholic. What's there issue with Catholics? I've always felt that even though there are difference in the way the different Protestant churches and the Catholic Church worshipped its still basically a different version of the same thing as far as God and the bible and such.

[slickcat79]

Just curious because I'm catholic. What's there issue with Catholics? I've always felt that even though there are difference in the way the different Protestant churches and the Catholic Church worshipped its still basically a different version of the same thing as far as God and the bible and such.

While I'm not completely up on christian factions, I think the biggest issue for evangelicals is the idea that catholics are saved by good works instead of being "saved by grace". Most protestant doctrine says that once you accept Jesus as your BFF, you are good to go. Some fundies/evangelicals also believe catholics worship Mary and pray to saints. Generally speaking I think the fundie crowd has a skewed perspective of the catholic faith.

From an outsider perspective, it's basically all the same shit. And most reasonable religious people of all forms are willing to accept other people's beliefs instead of telling them they are wrong and trying to sell them something else :roll:

[uber frau]

Because (according to some Protestants) Catholics = grace through works =not grace by faith=not.Christian

[tlcarlaw]

Um....ok I don't even know what that means. Granted I am not super religious either.

[August]

I'm so glad he was blessed with an accordion, wasn't he just blessed with a violin a couple months back when he broke his in a car wreck? Now if he could only be blessed with the tools to provide an adequate standard of living for his family, that would be great.

Edited for riffles

Obviously god wants his children to boil, starve and freeze, otherwise he'd have blessed them with a competant caring father.

[snarkopolis]

Because (according to some Protestants) Catholics = grace through works =not grace by faith=not.Christian

Translated- Catholics have to work for it (grace) even when they have faith, while Protestants just have to have faith.

Protestants think the work part for Catholics mean they don't have faith. Catholics believe that since Jesus put in the work and as good followers of Christ they should emulate his works to show their faith and be rewarded with grace. (Work is the manifestation of faith). At least that's what I remember from Catochism? class waaaaaay back when.

[Coconut Flan]

To quote the book of James: Faith without works is dead. The IFB and their ilk try to pretend that wasn't written.

[Jezebel]

Translated- Catholics have to work for it (grace) even when they have faith, while Protestants just have to have faith.

Protestants think the work part for Catholics mean they don't have faith. Catholics believe that since Jesus put in the work and as good followers of Christ they should emulate his works to show their faith and be rewarded with grace. (Work is the manifestation of faith). At least that's what I remember from Catochism? class waaaaaay back when.

All of which goes to explain why I've met a disproportionately large number of Catholics while doing volunteer work. However, I have yet to meet any fellow volunteers who attend one of the Mars Hill Church branches, or any of the other conservative evangelical megachurches around here--much less full-bore fundies.

[Jezebel]

Honestly, all I can do is shake my head. How much did this trip cost? And what exactly did he expect to accomplish? He's not savvy enough to pick up on scammers and opportunists; his podgy whiteboy self hasn't got any useful skills or resources to offer; he doesn't even speak the language and has to depend on interpreters; and he seemed honestly shocked that the president of Burundi didn't jump at the chance to give him the full-on bwana Christian hero treatment.

What the fuck does he expect to do in Zambia if he's this useless, inept, and clueless? His poor kids have already been dragged all over and forced to live squalid, unsettled lives because he won't make them his first priority. If I thought praying made any difference, I'd pray they never make it to Zambia, because with a moony, God-struck idiot like this for a father, protector, and provider it would be a miracle if all of them survived to come home.

The stupidity and self-absorbed obliviousness of this man never cease to amaze me.