John Shrader: Killing Snakes & Grifting Appliances for Jesus

[Mitz_]

John's father had some sort of trouble with the church, John alludes to it a couple of times on Daddy Ricks FB page. He praises him for not being bitter after all of the injustice he has suffered at the hands of the church. Does anyone know what this is about?

[Palimpsest]

Apparently you are correct according to source. He/she isn't answering questions but has let me know you are on the right path. And also because of his terminally ill sister Sarah. So tragic she is a young Mum who has been fighting terminal cancers for a few years now.

Thanks to source. I do wish IFB churches would be more discerning about missionaries. If nothing else, the fiasco of John's visit to Burundi should have tipped them off about him. Plan (if you can call it that): Massive and grandiose. Will meet president and have massive Crusade with 100s of national pastors from 4 (or 5) different countries. Reality: Legs it around Bujumbura for a couple of weeks making fun of Burundians. Converts 3.5 people from Christianity to Christianity. Because Satan! He is not a person who should ever, ever, have been sent into the mission field.

Yes, it is so very sad about Sarah. She has been fighting long and hard. I wish her much strength in her battle. I hope this new experimental protocol helps and they can control her pain better. Best wishes and healing thoughts to the whole family, especially her little daughter. John's crisis is the last thing they need to deal with right now.

[PrairieGirl]

I just want to say how much of an asshole John is. His sister is dying of (is it pancreatic?) cancer. She will be leaving behind a young daughter who will only have vague memories of her ill mommy. Regardless of what type of beliefs the Shrader parents have, how devastating it must be for them to watch their daughter suffer this way. No parent should ever have to go through this.

And yet - who is it that is putting enormous amounts of stress and burden onto their shoulders? Why - it is perfectly healthy, able-bodied grifter John! He who refuses to get a fucking job, yet insists on moving to a foreign land on other people's hard-working dimes (to do absolutely nothing, BTW), continues to knock up his keep-sweet broodmare, and refuses to care for and properly school his children who are still fortunate to have two healthy parents.

Yes, this is what Daddy Shrader should be worrying about right now!

John Shrader is such a fucking asshole.

ETA: I truly feel for Sarah. I wish her and her family love and peace and comfort.

[uber frau]

I suspect John Shrader's daddy has as many issues as Action Man himself. The best case scenario is that John's dad is enabling him.

The worse is that John picked up a fair few of his less desirable character traits from his dear old dad.

Maybe I'm cynical of the type of ppl who tend to be attracted to IFB ministry jobs,but I lean strongly toward the latter.

[formergothardite]

I could be wrong, but I suspect MMM's source is very uncomfortable thinking about how the way IFB churches tend to choose missionaries makes it hard to detect people like John and that is why he/she doesn't want to answer those sorts of questions. I bet they know it makes them look bad that nobody was really bothered by the way John treated the people of Zambia, the people of Burundi, or his own family.

While discussing this with my mother she talked about a man who went to her current church and wanted the church to recommend him to the mission board as a missionary to somewhere in Africa. The church wouldn't because he had five young children and his wife was pregnant. They told him his mission at this time should be to care for his family and serve in the community, but after his children were grown they would reconsider. He got mad and is off trying to find a church that will let him be a missionary. Because fuck the best interest of his children, he wants to go to Africa. :angry-banghead:

[PrairieGirl]

I could be wrong, but I suspect MMM's source is very uncomfortable thinking about how the way IFB churches tend to choose missionaries makes it hard to detect people like John and that is why he/she doesn't want to answer those sorts of questions. I bet they know it makes them look bad that nobody was really bothered by the way John treated the people of Zambia, the people of Burundi, or his own family.

While discussing this with my mother she talked about a man who went to her current church and wanted the church to recommend him to the mission board as a missionary to somewhere in Africa. The church wouldn't because he had five young children and his wife was pregnant. They told him his mission at this time should be to care for his family and serve in the community, but after his children were grown they would reconsider. He got mad and is off trying to find a church that will let him be a missionary. Because fuck the best interest of his children, he wants to go to Africa. :angry-banghead:

Good for your mom's church for telling him this! If only the churches that ShraderGrifter had visited had told him the same thing.

[Palimpsest]

I could be wrong, but I suspect MMM's source is very uncomfortable thinking about how the way IFB churches tend to choose missionaries makes it hard to detect people like John and that is why he/she doesn't want to answer those sorts of questions. I bet they know it makes them look bad that nobody was really bothered by the way John treated the people of Zambia, the people of Burundi, or his own family.

While discussing this with my mother she talked about a man who went to her current church and wanted the church to recommend him to the mission board as a missionary to somewhere in Africa. The church wouldn't because he had five young children and his wife was pregnant. They told him his mission at this time should be to care for his family and serve in the community, but after his children were grown they would reconsider. He got mad and is off trying to find a church that will let him be a missionary. Because fuck the best interest of his children, he wants to go to Africa. :angry-banghead:

I'm glad your mother's current church has so much good sense, formergothardite. I agree with you.

I mean this kindly, but I hope MMM's source is extremely uncomfortable with the way the IFB churches who supported John made that decision. Even if he can't admit they totally messed up with John to FJ, I hope he has learned a lesson from this and is uncomfortable enough to spread the word to other IFB churches and church members.

Bottom line, it's really not about disagreements on doctrine. That is the least of it. It is about John's utterly flawed, selfish, and irresponsible approach to the whole idea of being a missionary.

MMM's source did say that some of John's actions and behaviors we have discussed here would have made him sick had he seen them. He did not specify which. However, as John's behavior has been plastered on the internet for years I'm still surprised that the churches didn't research him more thoroughly for themselves. If they were conned by John's charisma and gift of the gab they should take some responsibility. The Johns of this world are destructive and wasteful forces.

Ugh. I'm repeating myself and getting angry again. :angry-banghead:

[apple1]

While discussing this with my mother she talked about a man who went to her current church and wanted the church to recommend him to the mission board as a missionary to somewhere in Africa. The church wouldn't because he had five young children and his wife was pregnant. They told him his mission at this time should be to care for his family and serve in the community, but after his children were grown they would reconsider. He got mad and is off trying to find a church that will let him be a missionary. Because fuck the best interest of his children, he wants to go to Africa. :angry-banghead:

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly what would have happened at any of the IFB churches (and I am NOT defending all things IFB) with which I have experience. Not saying that there are not exceptions, but most would not have supported someone like Shrader. Really.

I also know of more than one situation where an IFB church member told the pastor that he felt called to be a missionary, and the pastor told the person that in their circumstance they were "called" to work their existing job and pay their bills and support their family.

[formergothardite]

John did not try to hide any of his behavior. And the majority of the time he was on deputation his FB page was public. Any church that did a basic search on him could have seen the exact same things we saw. The red flags were all there, they just chose to ignore them because John was charismatic and claimed "God" was telling him to behave this way, or they didn't research before giving him money. All of these churches should be ashamed. Sadly, I really think that instead of using this as an opportunity to learn and grow, they will just put all the blame on John and continue doing what they have always done because that is easier than being humble and admitting that they were wrong and share in the blame of creating one of the worst missionaries in the entire world.

[Palimpsest]

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly what would have happened at any of the IFB churches (and I am NOT defending all things IFB) with which I have experience. Not saying that there are not exceptions, but most would not have supported someone like Shrader. Really.

I also know of more than one situation where an IFB church member told the pastor that he felt called to be a missionary, and the pastor told the person that in their circumstance they were "called" to work their existing job and pay their bills and support their family.

It's good to know that not all IFB churches and pastors are so gullible. Really. And, as I've said before (list on last thread), I acknowledge that some IFB missionaries are actually doing quite worthwhile things in Zambia, however much I dislike their evangelizing.

What scares the socks off me though is that John made it through his Deputation in record-breaking time. Daddy Shrader just boasted about that again on his Facebook page. How many churches were supporting him? It sounds like a lot unless he had a big donor or two. He also scored so many mind-bogglingly luxurious big ticket items. Amazing.

From what our former IFB experts have said here in the past (you, Klavierspeiler, FG and others) these "missionaries" are really never held accountable - except to their sending church. On the strength of a single endorsement, a video, and a facile missionary statement people hand over cash. I'm amazed that churches don't ask for proper proposals, detailed budgets, measurable outcomes, documentation of contacts, support letters from people in Africa -- all that obvious stuff. The solution to a lack performance or straying from a not clearly defined doctrinal position, seems to be just to cut the "missionary" off financially. That potentially strands them in Africa and seems very irresponsible too.

The IFB churches (yes, I know that it's every IFB tub resting on it's own bottom) really need to examine and improve their procedures. They are all just asking for trouble.

[Palimpsest]

Formergothardite, if the churches shuffle the John problem under the rug of doctrinal differences and don't take a good hard look at themselves then, yes, they should be very ashamed.

I wish I were more optimistic about the possibility of them learning from this experience, but their arrogance and lack of insight is astounding. And really not "Christian" in the true sense of the word.

[JeanieCat]

I am amazed at the money some of the churches collect in a hurry! Rick Shrader(father) says on his FB page that he brought$7,000 from his congregation to give to The Shraders just before they left for Zambia. My church,mainline Protestant,would never give money individually like that(spontaneously during a service). They might give a donation but not that kind of money; some could afford to, but they wouldn't feel led to! They give to the church and registered charities, but it is more planned giving. Of course we are not really into soul winning, more social justice.

[Mitz_]

I am amazed at the money some of the churches collect in a hurry! Rick Shrader(father) says on his FB page that he brought$7,000 from his congregation to give to The Shraders just before they left for Zambia. My church,mainline Protestant,would never give money individually like that(spontaneously during a service). They might give a donation but not that kind of money; some could afford to, but they wouldn't feel led to! They give to the church and registered charities, but it is more planned giving. Of course we are not really into soul winning, more social justice.

And that was after R. Shrader practically snapped his fingers and raised $21,000.00 in about a week, but that was for Sarah's illness related expenses. Somewhere in that time he also somehow got the money for the Troopie didn't he?

[formergothardite]

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly what would have happened at any of the IFB churches (and I am NOT defending all things IFB) with which I have experience. Not saying that there are not exceptions, but most would not have supported someone like Shrader. Really.

I also know of more than one situation where an IFB church member told the pastor that he felt called to be a missionary, and the pastor told the person that in their circumstance they were "called" to work their existing job and pay their bills and support their family.

My mother grew up IFB and none of the churches my mother attended and knew about would have supported John. None of the IFB churches I went to would have supported him with that many young children. Most of the missionaries I remember were young, newly married couples who would spend five years or so on the mission field and then come back once they started having children or they were older couples whose children were already adults. It just doesn't make sense to send out a missionary with a ton of small children because most of the money would be spent supporting his family, not supporting missions. I would guess that most of the monthly support money that John gets goes to support himself and very little is left for actually mission work.

It is a testimony to John's charismatic personality that he was able to get so much money so fast. I have never attended any church IFB or otherwise, that would give a person money like John has been given. John may be a horrible missionary, but the man knows how to squeeze money out of churches.

[Cartmann99]

My mother grew up IFB and none of the churches my mother attended and knew about would have supported John. None of the IFB churches I went to would have supported him with that many young children. Most of the missionaries I remember were young, newly married couples who would spend five years or so on the mission field and then come back once they started having children or they were older couples whose children were already adults. It just doesn't make sense to send out a missionary with a ton of small children because most of the money would be spent supporting his family, not supporting missions. I would guess that most of the monthly support money that John gets goes to support himself and very little is left for actually mission work.

It is a testimony to John's charismatic personality that he was able to get so much money so fast. I have never attended any church IFB or otherwise, that would give a person money like John has been given. John may be a horrible missionary, but the man knows how to squeeze money out of churches.

Imagine how much money he could raise if he worked as a fundraiser for a legitimate charity. :pink-shock:

[SPHASH]

Imagine how much money he could raise if he worked as a fundraiser for a legitimate charity. :pink-shock:

Too bad he isn't a Democrat, he could outraise the Koch brothers.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

I wonder what he told the churches on depotition. That he as going to convert Zambians to the right kind of Christian? Or that he was actually going to do something to help them?

Would so many churches actually give money to someone who is just going to reconvert people?

[Palimpsest]

I wonder what he told the churches on depotition. That he as going to convert Zambians to the right kind of Christian? Or that he was actually going to do something to help them?

Would so many churches actually give money to someone who is just going to reconvert people?

To be fair to John, he's always been very clear that his missionary "Call" was limited to conversion only. In his words: discipling - because his life text is 2 Timothy 1:11, IIRC. And he has no other discernible skills to share.

The fact that Zambia is predominantly Christian has nothing to do with it. John's brand of Christianity is the only true Christianity.

[formergothardite]

Sadly all these churches did throw tons of money to John just so he could convert Christians to Christianity. The plane was to convert people. The Troupie was to convert people. The printer and tons of paper was to convert people. John never lied and claimed he was going to try to help the people of Zambia in any way. An apparently no one in those churches actually cared about this. They only care now that he is the wrong kind of Christian. :angry-banghead:

[Palimpsest]

^^^^^

It really boggles my mind. :pull-hair:

[Evangeline]

The IFB churches love to rail against the Southern Baptist cooperative missions approach, but it would have prevented John Shrader from ever getting to Zambia and wasting many thousands of their dollars. IFBs want to personally approve of each and every missionary, but that means they're going to make some avoidable and expensive mistakes in the process.

[SPHASH]

Has John arrived in TX yet!

[formergothardite]

I just hope Esther and the children are okay while he is here.

[SPHASH]

I just hope Esther and the children are okay while he is here.

Hopefully they are having a ball without him.

[PrairieGirl]

I am nervous for Esther and the kids while John is away. John is certainly not the best husband or father, but he is the man of the house and that fact might keep burglars or others away. And he has made it no secret that he will be gone and for how long, leaving his wife and children behind.

Also, there is a very good chance that John has made enemies the short time he has been there. He has probably offended most everyone he has come across, and I sincerely hope there is no one looking for petty revenge.