John Shrader: Killing Snakes & Grifting Appliances for Jesus

[nelliebelle1197]

Do we even know if the printer will work in Zambia? The sockets are the same as the UK and the voltage is 220 whereas the US is 120.

[anjulibai]

Do we even know if the printer will work in Zambia? The sockets are the same as the UK and the voltage is 220 whereas the US is 120.

Perhaps God laid it on someone's heart to provide a converter?

[slickcat79]

He purchased the copier (semi) locally, so it should at least be wired for the right electrical current.

He ended up needing a sacrificial love offering of twice what he originally budgeted for the copier after that whole electrical thing occurred to him. He had originally thought to buy one at home and ship it in the container. Planning, how does it work? :?

[nelliebelle1197]

He purchased the copier (semi) locally, so it should at least be wired for the right electrical current.

He ended up needing a sacrificial love offering of twice what he originally budgeted for the copier after that whole electrical thing occurred to him. He had originally thought to buy one at home and ship it in the container. Planning, how does it work? :?

Thank you, Keeper of the Shrader. I could not recall this! I was thinking for some reason the copier was in the container

[Georgiana]

He purchased the copier (semi) locally, so it should at least be wired for the right electrical current.

He ended up needing a sacrificial love offering of twice what he originally budgeted for the copier after that whole electrical thing occurred to him. He had originally thought to buy one at home and ship it in the container. Planning, how does it work? :?

Planning? WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING?!? EVERYONE knows that ANY type of planning is SINFUL.

Family Planning? NO. That is SIN. You need to trust God to give you as many children as He sees fit and guide you through any physical hardships.

Financial Planning? NO. Jesus will give you money. You don't need to save for the future, even if you are letting God decide your family size. He'll just give you more money!

Career Planning? NO. Don't make sure you have a job that can support you and your ever growing family. Christians should never have to do something they sort of don't want to. Just quit your job and start the world's millionth printing ministry. GOD LITERALLY IS JUST THROWING MONEY TO PEOPLE WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!

Logistical Planning? NO. Wandering around like a fool allows you to minister to more of the wayward! Look, if God WANTED that thing to be shipped to the right place, he would have done that, right? God sends things where he wants them to be, so if UPS delivers your package to the neighbors, that's because GOD WANTED THE NEIGHBORS TO HAVE IT, ok?

Basic Common Sense? NO. How DARE you question God's plan for you by wondering about things like "Can 15 people fit in an RV?" or "Should my kids get basic vaccinations before going to Africa?" or "Is this even a good idea?". OF COURSE IT IS. God put that thought in your head, so you need to act on it without examining it critically. That's how I know that God's plan for me is to own all the pretty eyeshadows I ever see ever. I don't know why God gave me this calling, but I know he knows best ::smile::

If you plan or think critically at all you are LITERALLY just doubting God.

[Gobsmacked]

I thought the printer had travelled in the container?

Has John grifted another one that is compatible with the electrical system in Zambia?

The plugs/ sockets are the same as the UK to look at but the actual power is less. A mobile phone takes longer to charge for instance. Also a uk hair dryer doesn't work as well in Zambia.

A locally sourced printer would make more sense.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

He is so dodgy. A plane, a printer… What else has he been given we've heard nothing about since.

He really is a failure as a missionary, and I don't know how churches keep supporting him.

[SPHASH]

Daddy Rick just posted on FB that four barrell blesslings are being shipped to Zambia. Arrgh!

[uber frau]

I misread that as '4 blessings in barrels' and wondered who in their right mind would be shipping their children of to Zambia to live with John& Co.

I suspect I've been reading too many threads about megafamilies living in RVs or stacking children on shelving units.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

MORE?! He gets more??? I would want to see some tangible evidence of him actually making an impact if I was a church before sending him more crap. What is it this time, a pony? A rocket?

[formergothardite]

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal

Matthew 6:19

John really needs to make this his life verse. People around you are going hungry, John, you don't need more stuff.

[slickcat79]

Daddy Rick just posted on FB that four barrell blesslings are being shipped to Zambia. Arrgh!

He said they were sending a blessing barrel last year, which they hoped would arrive by Christmas. I don't think they ever got anything though...maybe they were delayed in sending? Of course, those were just gifts for the kids and not for John, so why would he care?

[Jezebel]

From Rick Shrader's page (set to Public):

So Daddy Shrader is keeping the checkbook open, and expects his parishioners to "give sacrificially" to support John. And anyone who raises legitimate questions about John's fitness as a missionary, gross materialism, cultural insensitivity, and lack of actual missionary work he's done has it all wrong, and "What have you done for Jesus? Are you a missionary? Have you been to Zambia? No? Then shut up--you're not fit to question him. And some unnamed pastor says he's special. End of story."

And of course the kids love being there. First, they're not allowed to feel any other way about it; and second, they're not being paraded in front of churches full of strangers anymore, while living in a pop-up-trailer. They actually have some stability, a home, and more comforts than they did during their last two years in the US. Nobody's ended up seriously ill. And, as kids, they can't yet comprehend what a con-artist and useless fool their old man is--so yeah, they may very well be happy. That does not, however, change the fact that their father is still a nincompoop, and a greedy, self-aggrandizing windbag.

[16strong]

How this man has not managed to piss off everyone in creation is beyond me. Who is still giving him money? Who is still satisfied with the lies, evasion, and excuses he's giving? Is the 'sending church' putting hash in the Sunday brunch? I mean, for crissakes, how DUMB do you have to be to look at that failure and still go "Oh yeah, that's a GREAT cause to give to!"

Well, a fool and his money, I suppose. :snooty:

[Trynn]

It's possible some may give in the vain hope the money will go to those poor children. That is the only reason I can think of aside from people who may just not have though to google him before the plate is passed around.

[Peas n carrots]

lol I think I like Edge Shrader

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

^ me too! How did they get three normal kids....and John?

[ILoveJellybeans]

He is awesome!

I wonder how often the Shrader kids get to see their more awesome aunts and uncles. Obviously not now they are in Zambia, but did they ever visit John's brothers, and how often did they see Esther's non fundie siblings? They always seemed a bit different from the rest of the family-its rare you see them get together, but Anna and Priscilla are together a lot, and Suze has seen both of them, and is close with Rebecca (who we know practically nothing about other than that they are non fundie Christians)...but where is Esther, John and their kids?

[SPHASH]

^ me too! How did they get three normal kids....and John?

Good question. I don't know what their beliefs are but they appear to be normal...according to theor FB pages Edge works at House of Blues in Houston and went to college, Jace is self employed, Seth is in the military.

[countressrascal]

So Daddy Shrader is keeping the checkbook open, and expects his parishioners to "give sacrificially" to support John. And anyone who raises legitimate questions about John's fitness as a missionary, gross materialism, cultural insensitivity, and lack of actual missionary work he's done has it all wrong, and "What have you done for Jesus? Are you a missionary? Have you been to Zambia? No? Then shut up--you're not fit to question him. And some unnamed pastor says he's special. End of story."

And of course the kids love being there. First, they're not allowed to feel any other way about it; and second, they're not being paraded in front of churches full of strangers anymore, while living in a pop-up-trailer. They actually have some stability, a home, and more comforts than they did during their last two years in the US. Nobody's ended up seriously ill. And, as kids, they can't yet comprehend what a con-artist and useless fool their old man is--so yeah, they may very well be happy. That does not, however, change the fact that their father is still a nincompoop, and a greedy, self-aggrandizing windbag.

Maybe it is cheaper for Daddy Rick to support them in Zambia than in the States. Another possibility he wants them as far away from his church as possible.

[Johanna25]

Maybe it is cheaper for Daddy Rick to support them in Zambia than in the States. Another possibility he wants them as far away from his church as possible.

He's a modern day remittance man. Years ago respectable British families would send the ne're do well son or uncle off to some tropical isle where the living was cheap; there to subsist on a regular check from home (remittance). Someplace where their debts and bad behavior would not bring scandal to the family. Perhaps some families even put it about that Uncle Joe was ministering to the poor benighted natives. Unfortunately today modern communication networks allow others to keep track of his progress or lack thereof.

[formergothardite]

I imagine that if John was at Daddy's church full-time he would offend pretty much everyone very fast. Also, it is much harder to raise support for a man who just refuses to work. At least if they keep him in Zambia Daddy can say that they are raising money to support a missionary. But at some point people are going to start wondering when John is going start acting like a missionary. It is going to be one year on the mission field and he will have nothing to show besides having spent a great deal of time being embroiled in drama and requesting more stuff for himself. There is a limit to how much foolishness even IFB churches will support.

[Howl]

He's a modern day remittance man. Years ago respectable British families would send the ne're do well son or uncle off to some tropical isle where the living was cheap; there to subsist on a regular check from home (remittance). Someplace where their debts and bad behavior would not bring scandal to the family. Perhaps some families even put it about that Uncle Joe was ministering to the poor benighted natives. Unfortunately today modern communication networks allow others to keep track of his progress or lack thereof.

Good call, Johanna. I first came across this term in a magazine article with a picture of a gorgeous New Orleans gingerbread cottage. The article explained that it had been built in the 1800s for a remittance man and then went on to explain how the remittance system worked (probably to the great satisfaction of both parties, for the most part).

John's situation seems to fit this term perfectly. I'm sure Rick dotes on his son because he seems to be the only one that followed him into the ministry. Definitely a blind spot there. It also puts the parishioners in a rocky spot -- preacher wants them to give sacrificially to his son, who has eleventy kids and a high burn rate but isn't making a lot of progress in soul saving. Ah, the Leap of Faith.

Also, it is much harder to raise support for a man who just refuses to work.

This.

It is why I was impressed that Peter Bradrick, after a season of everything in his life imploding and going straight to hell, manned up and went to work at an actual job to support his ever expanding family. You know, like normal people do. Well, the job part. Not the ever expanding family part.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

^ what is PBs job now?

Yes I think daddy shrader has a soft spot for John.

[slickcat79]

^ what is PBs job now?

Yes I think daddy shrader has a soft spot for John.

He's a real estate agent in Puyallup, WA.

Shrader has still remained silent about his trip home. Those promised pics and videos of his "sending service" have not materialized. Meanwhile, after almost 10 months in Zambia, he has begun studying the local language :|