John Shrader Part 11 - God's Grifter Falling Apart

[Palimpsest]

1 hour ago, clearingthingsup said:

As for putting the blame on pastors & leadership for Shrader getting where he is - you absolutely should do that. It was a super stupid decision they made. 

I do.  I did.

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You don't automatically just *know* you're in a cult. And not just stupid people fall into cults. I would think you guys of all people would know that.

Many of us do.  I wrote an impassioned explanation of why anyone and everyone can be vulnerable to cults on another thread.  Perhaps read a little more widely before you get so defensive with members here.

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Maybe try being a little less critical of other victims of crazies.

I admit that I have lost all sympathy for John Shrader's current supporters.  In order to support him these days they have to have their heads stuck in the sand, their ears plugged, and be chanting lalalala.  Allow me to vent.  You say you saw through John - so why can't they?

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You all seriously have all the sympathy for people in Africa who were are being conned by John

FTFY.  It is still going on.  Yes, I do have far more sympathy for the people in Africa who are being conned by John.  People like Arcade who has lost his family and who were taken advantage of and used by John only to be dumped with prejudice.  

People like Roderick, who John persuaded to give up a better job to aid and abet him in his "mission," and who did most of the work on John's stupid chicken enterprise.  I hope Roderick did not give up his job to take care of the chickens because he will be up shit creek if he walks out on John now. 

Also people like Jolis and Handia, who are being bad-mouthed by John because John has decided they are evil for not agreeing with him. 

Look, John is doing far more damage to these people than he is to the naive donors who have handed over some of their disposable income to a fake missionary.  

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but seem to have nothing but contempt for people in the states who were conned by his contemporaries. 

Do you mean people like Rea?  

If you go back over these threads I think we do attempt to distinguish between "missionaries" like John and missionaries (including IFB) who actually seem to be giving practical help and seem to understand the culture.  Rea is not one of them.

I used to have more sympathy for the naive supporters of missionaries.  However, there is something called willful ignorance and people should research.  If arrogant Americans, convinced that they know better than poor "heathen" Africans, fall for the sales pitches of church planting "missionaries" like John and David, then they need to take responsibility for their own actions.  Bottom line. 

Those donors do have a responsibility to be more careful in the future.  Perhaps by closing their wallets and asking their pastors to screen missionaries better.  Is that so impossible?  

2 hours ago, clearingthingsup said:

Unfortunately, no I can't help Esther. FJ is literally my only way of seeing how they're doing because John blocked my Facebook account. So I look to you guys for updates. I have literally no way of contacting her, I don't even have her mailing address. 

How did you manage to get blocked?  If you questioned John on FB, thanks.  Or has he blocked everyone from the churches who dropped support?  Do you have no other friends in common who can give you updates about Esther?  Send me a PM if you are really serious and not just blowing hot air.  I may have a couple of ideas.

[formergothardite]

23 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

Do you mean people like Rea?  

Exactly. Rea and the people who continue to insist that he isn't that bad is a massive part of the problem. @clearingthingsup, the system that allowed Rea and Shrader to get to Zambia to prey on vulnerable people and the people who support that system is the problem. And, at this point, I struggle to have tons of sympathy for people who still insist that Rea isn't that bad. The man made a post talking about Putin's strong leadership! Every single post he makes about the people of Zambia is dripping with disdain. Yet, even after seeing how John was able to con people into ignoring his red flags, you don't want to face the red flags Rea is putting up. That is very frustrating.

 

[catlady]

1 hour ago, Georgiana said:

I don't think something being straight out of Looney Tunes is a great defense.  Even as a CARTOON, Looney Tunes shows it's age and a lot of the material included in it I found problematic as a kid back in the 90s.  

Doesn't mean you can't find it funny AS A CARTOON, but kids should know (and most do) that behavior that happens in cartoons is not always funny in real life.  Violence in cartoons is funny because it is fake and absurd.  No one is hurt, there is no suffering, and often it's predicated on things that are impossible in the real world anyway.

But WATCHING a LIVING ANIMAL suffer and finding it funny is SERIOUSLY DISTURBING.  If someone dropped a piano and crushed a guy, would that be OK to laugh at too?  Or twisted his gun to blow up in his face?  Because that DEFINITELY is straight out of Looney Tunes.  

 

i was trying to say this, too; but your words are better.  yes, i also found @clearingthingsup's paragraph upsetting with the cartoon reference; it came across like an excuse for such heinous behavior--both the actual torture of the cat and the fact that Rea's family found it funny.  Rea is a shitty Christian if he thinks God and Jesus would have approved of it.  that cat, like all animals, is God's creation, so abusing it when it has no defenses should be a sin.  and Jesus likes animals, too:  i've seen the picture of Jesus hugging the baby dinosaur.  but then, since Rea has such low regard for people, it should be no surprise that he thinks even less of animals.  yep, shitty Christian.

[BlessingsVonFundiePants]

Oh good, John's mood must be on an upswing. He's decided to list every reference to "faith" in the KJV on his Facebook page. That is sure to win souls to his church.

[Gobsmacked]

John must be so bored now that his congregation has run away. It really is time to check that the passports are in order.

Daddy genius will have to work hard to justify this idea to his congregation of money givers. 

Has John written a news letter recently?

 

[LaChatteNoir]

Satan is about to attack John in a way he doesn't realize. His days in Zambia are numbered. The authorities have gotten wind of him and his shenanigans and he is about to be turfed out. I hope his Dad or Esther's family have money for plane tickets to get them the heck out of dodge. 

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

51 minutes ago, LaChatteNoir said:

Satan is about to attack John in a way he doesn't realize. His days in Zambia are numbered. The authorities have gotten wind of him and his shenanigans and he is about to be turfed out. I hope his Dad or Esther's family have money for plane tickets to get them the heck out of dodge. 

Umm...explain please

[Palimpsest]

3 hours ago, Gobsmacked said:

Has John written a news letter recently?

He put one up on March 24.  It was basically just another plug for the last video, repeated crap about Satanic attacks (but those are explained because he is being so successful - NOT), announcing a survey trip with Roderick, and Boyd's conversion and burden for his relatives.  All stuff he had already said on FB.

And John was "EnCOURAGEd by the Old Black Blessed Book this morning!"

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 In Pain, Distress or Grief, God's Word Brings Hope and Revival!

"Remember the Word unto Thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction:* for Thy Word hath quickened** me." - Psalm 119:49, 50

* AFFLIC'TION, n.
1. The state of being afflicted; a state of pain, distress, or grief.

** QUICK'ENED, pp.
1. Made alive; revived; vivified; reinvigorated.

(Definitions taken from Webster's 1828)

I don't know why he thinks that Webster's 1828 Dictionary is so special.

[Carol]

The problem about forecasting his demise is that we've been forecasting his demise since he got there and he always seems to rise like a chicken from the well and live to annoy another 30 Zambians each day.

I just finished reading all the old threads and most of the Lagavulin.  I am exhausted...this guy utterly fails at any attempt to convert, any attempt to get something...anything off the ground.  Still, his followers send him money.

All this has forced me to consider starting my own ministry.  Please send me money as I feel the people in Santa Fe, New Mexico need to hear my gospel.  Forthwith I shall be known as Sister Mary Holy Water and my church will be called The Church of Biblical Truthiness, Recovering Catholic Edition, No Catechism Involved.

 

Sister Mary Holy Card

Bringing Truth to Santa Fe and the Greater Albuquerque Area, Lower United States But Not Quite Mexico, Hot and Dusty

[Granwych]

6 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

He put one up on March 24.  It was basically just another plug for the last video, repeated crap about Satanic attacks (but those are explained because he is being so successful - NOT), announcing a survey trip with Roderick, and Boyd's conversion and burden for his relatives.  All stuff he had already said on FB.

And John was "EnCOURAGEd by the Old Black Blessed Book this morning!"

I don't know why he thinks that Webster's 1828 Dictionary is so special.

Maybe it's the only one he has.

3 minutes ago, Carol said:

The problem about forecasting his demise is that we've been forecasting his demise since he got there and he always seems to rise like a chicken from the well and live to annoy another 30 Zambians each day.

I just finished reading all the old threads and most of the Lagavulin.  I am exhausted...this guy utterly fails at any attempt to convert, any attempt to get something...anything off the ground.  Still, his followers send him money.

All this has forced me to consider starting my own ministry.  Please send me money as I feel the people in Santa Fe, New Mexico need to hear my gospel.  Forthwith I shall be known as Sister Mary Holy Water and my church will be called The Church of Biblical Truthiness, Recovering Catholic Edition, No Catechism Involved.

 

Sister Mary Holy Card

Bringing Truth to Santa Fe and the Greater Albuquerque Area, Lower United States But Not Quite Mexico, Hot and Dusty

Can I wear what I want and skip Sunday services occasionally?  I promise to keep the checks coming(albeit very small ones!)

[Carol]

30 minutes ago, Granwych said:

Can I wear what I want and skip Sunday services occasionally?  I promise to keep the checks coming(albeit very small ones!)

Oh, no ya don't!!  In order to skip Sunday Services you must pay in advance to be an upstanding member of my church.  You're probably looking at 30-$40.00/week.  Or, $135.00/month if payed in advance.

Wear what you wish but prepare to be scorned if I don't like it. 

 

[FeministShrew]

1 hour ago, Carol said:

 

All this has forced me to consider starting my own ministry.  Please send me money as I feel the people in Santa Fe, New Mexico need to hear my gospel.  Forthwith I shall be known as Sister Mary Holy Water and my church will be called The Church of Biblical Truthiness, Recovering Catholic Edition, No Catechism Involved.

 

Sister Mary Holy Card

Bringing Truth to Santa Fe and the Greater Albuquerque Area, Lower United States But Not Quite Mexico, Hot and Dusty

If my delusional ex can start a "ministry" in his parents' ocigarette-stained single-wide trailer in his backyard, you can too! Just make sure to FB live your sermons and adjust the camera so it only shows you & not the empty chairs.
I keep telling Mr. Shrew I'm starting my own ministry - The Church of Mind Your Own Damned Business.
Our motto will be "Letting People Live Their Own Lives and Be Happy Without Shaming Them or Threatening Them with Hell." Catchy, right?

[EmiGirl]

20 minutes ago, FeministShrew said:

If my delusional ex can start a "ministry" in his parents' ocigarette-stained single-wide trailer in his backyard, you can too! Just make sure to FB live your sermons and adjust the camera so it only shows you & not the empty chairs.
I keep telling Mr. Shrew I'm starting my own ministry - The Church of Mind Your Own Damned Business.
Our motto will be "Letting People Live Their Own Lives and Be Happy Without Shaming Them or Threatening Them with Hell." Catchy, right?

Kind of like George costanza?s Human Fund!

[Grimalkin]

@clearingthingsup we have had plenty of trolls and cons here on FJ it sometimes takes a while for people to warm up to posters who have 'insider information'. 

       If you are a troll we will figure it out and have our fun before chewing you up and spitting you out. If you are sincere you will be welcomed. 

[formergothardite]

I might be wrong, but I suspect she is really a former Shrader supporter, but at the same time it appears she has learned nothing from The Problem With John and will continue to mindlessly view Rea as a good missionary. Yeah, he is culturally insensitive. yeah he shoves people, yeah he argues with the police because he views himself as smarter than Zambians, yeah he has a guard dog that is way out of control, yeah he thinks animal torture is amusing, but @clearingthingsup, apparently doesn't view any of that as a problem. And sadly it appears neither do the majority of people in the IFB churches that support Rea. 

If Rea's FB was public people would be amazed at how awful he really is. His smug sense of self-righteousness and disdain for the people of Zambia knows no bounds. He appears to be smarter and better at manipulating donors than John, so I expect he will be able to maintain his extended vacation in Zambia for a very, very long time. Unless, of course he picks on the wrong police officer or shoves the wrong person or his dog attacks the wrong person, then he might quickly make his way back to America. 

[snarkopolis]

6 hours ago, Carol said:

Oh, no ya don't!!  In order to skip Sunday Services you must pay in advance to be an upstanding member of my church.  You're probably looking at 30-$40.00/week.  Or, $135.00/month if payed in advance.

Wear what you wish but prepare to be scorned if I don't like it. 

 

Do you take debit cards? Asking for a friend.......

[Carol]

43 minutes ago, snarkopolis said:

Do you take debit cards? Asking for a friend.......

Oh for heaven's sake!!!  Did Jesus accept debit cards!!?  Are they mentioned in the bible??!! 

You obviously don't know your bible or you would know Jesus said, "Never a borrower or a lender be".

Dumbhead. 

 

[Grimalkin]

@formergothardite I hear you. I don't want to run anyone off. My train of thinking is the hope she will stick around and see what we see. I know how crushing the disappointment can feel when someone you look up to and admire turns out to be scum. Sometimes it takes a while to accept. I also think it's right to question and challenge her thinking. I want to make sure she knows she is welcome here even if we disagreed with her.

      And heck, I like having someone this close to them here.

[BobTheWalrus]

On 18/04/2017 at 6:57 PM, Granwych said:

The agonizing truth is that very few people, and no sub-Saharan Africans actually need John.

This. My church denomination is big in Nigeria, but it's run by Nigerians, not white people with a saviour complex. And they are growing faster and doing better than a lot of UK churches. They are planting new churches, running all sorts of social programs, even opening schools and a university. All conceived of, funded and run indigenously. Definitely no need for John or his ilk.

[Grimalkin]

Yeah, we had a priest from Kenya at our church, and another priest from Africa before him though I don't recall from where. I imagine it is because Catholics are doing something right to attract so many vocations. 

[Palimpsest]

 

19 hours ago, Grimalkin said:

ormergothardite I hear you. I don't want to run anyone off. My train of thinking is the hope she will stick around and see what we see. I know how crushing the disappointment can feel when someone you look up to and admire turns out to be scum. Sometimes it takes a while to accept. I also think it's right to question and challenge her thinking. I want to make sure she knows she is welcome here even if we disagreed with her.

I hope @clearingthingsup sticks around too.  She seems genuinely concerned about Esther and the children.

She is not new to FJ, however.  She says she lurked for a while and should know by now that we are not exactly thrilled by "missionaries" of the Shrader and Rea type.  Getting all defensive and telling us we are too horrible to innocent little enabling church members and don't understand cults is a trifle irritating.  

If she does consider IFB a cult then she is obviously on her way out because she is reading here and has acknowledged she is, or was, part of a cult.

22 hours ago, formergothardite said:

I might be wrong, but I suspect she is really a former Shrader supporter, but at the same time it appears she has learned nothing from The Problem With John and will continue to mindlessly view Rea as a good missionary.

Well back in June, 2016 she was very supportive of the idea that "missionaries" like Rea should go to Africa to rid the natives of that pesky Works over Grace heresy.  This even when acknowledging that Americans suffer from that heretical concept too.

She's a Fundie who doesn't like John, that is clear.  I don't know whether she wants absolution for ever having supported him, but she's not going to get it from me if she still thinks Rea is perfectly OK.

He is not OK.  He is just as bad as John with his big ideas and lack of knowledge about the real needs in Zambia.  And that is before he started shoving people.

@clearingthingsup , last June you were big on sending the Reas schooling supplies because these things are expensive in Zambia.  Supplies For the Rea children, of course.  What about the Zambians who can't afford these things? 

You were also keen on Rea because, unlike Shrader, he was going to help Zambians get "sustainable" jobs.  You mentioned teaching them how to bake western style bread to sell.  Because nshima is unworthy and there is no western style bread in Zambia, according to Rea.  So how did Shrader manage to buy doughnuts in Kafue, I ponder.  

Rea was going to build a school and make it self-sustaining by training the "teachers and older children" to raise and sell chickens.  Sounds rather familiar!  How is Rea's chicken farm doing?  Has he built the school?

The Reas were also going to work with the existing Deaf school in Lusaka.  How many American missionaries are needed to work at that school (the Sauders are already involved there) and do the Reas know ZLS?   Are they even familiar with American Sign Language - although they are very different languages.  

Oh, and Rea was still meeting with Muslims to try to convert them last June.  I wonder how well that is going too.  

I'm not sure how much @clearingthingsup is willing to talk about all this -  but if she is still gung-ho for Rea then she is going to get challenged about it here.

 

 

[Gobsmacked]

Plenty of Western style bread available in both Lusaka and Livingston. I can vouch for that having eaten very tasty tuna sandwiches in both places. 

Supermarkets in both places look exactly like any supermarket we are are familiar with. Staff wear uniforms. Tills etc. Exact same set up. Car parks, supermarket trolleys. This isn't Mars. It's Africa, planet earth.

Any money donor who believes that Rea or Shrader are living in the African bush C 1800s deserve to be fleeced of every last penny. So do the sending churches. Ever heard of Due Diligence Daddy Shrader? Because you sure didn't do any research. At all.

[Grimalkin]

@Palimpsest point taken. I wanted to distinguish between challenging thoughts and opinions rather than the individual person. I don't think I'm expressing myself well here

*watching Nationa Geographic channel

Origins:Journey of Humankind 

fascinating.

[SuchABlessing]

New video up but I can't turn on my volume right now to listen. 

John really loves his clever little alliterations doesn't he?

[Gobsmacked]

Do tell? Blocked person here!