Bro Gary Hawkins 24: Smoking Meat

[Expectopatronus]

13 hours ago, Xan said:

I don't understand why they're in Uganda.  It looks like (from their Facebook page), they relocated to Jinja, Uganda.  That city has 300,000 people.  It's not some little pocket of civilization with no churches.  In fact, most of the churches there are Christian.   Do they think that they can't be missionaries unless they're somewhere in Africa?  

It's too much like John Shrader.  I think the African countries need to be able to call a halt to these nutty missionaries.

Maybe they hope to introduce the Gospel to the community of crocodiles living at the foot of the Nile? 

[thoughtful]

I've been lax about keeping up with Bro Gary and his cohorts. Let's see if I can catch up.

On 3/19/2024 at 10:14 AM, FiveAcres said:

Since your dedication to the cause leads you to listen to so many of these abysmal sermons, I have a question. Do you think that these guys write their sermons in advance, or do they just stand in the pulpit and free associate for two hours.

I'm pretty sure that there is almost always an outline and a structure. Some may go off on rabbit trails, and they all seem to have some memorized shtick, but I think most of these sermons are planned almost like a piece of instrumental music, with sections, dynamic climaxes, and changes in tempo.

On 3/19/2024 at 12:13 PM, Xan said:

I don't understand why they're in Uganda.  It looks like (from their Facebook page), they relocated to Jinja, Uganda.  That city has 300,000 people.  It's not some little pocket of civilization with no churches.  In fact, most of the churches there are Christian. 

C'mon, @Xan - you know the answer. Somewhere in Jinja, there is someone who  . . .  (hold on . . . are you sitting down?) has their doctrine wrong!   

Gary posts a "shocking" video about "church hurt."

https://www.facebook.com/ghawkins38/posts/pfbid02FcgszVSf9XBLX5KbXwHtdqzLkhTdzABE5v5pg3989DXABMmQ3UkPG4wtxB4xvDXul

At one point in the video, the preacher screams that he's "caught a glimpse of that great king." Captions:

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Gary also posted (thinks about it):

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And:

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Damn that money sports TV.

Edited March 25 by thoughtful
riffle

[thoughtful]

Gary actually posted something fun (well, OK - it's also sort of braggy, because Gary):

https://www.facebook.com/ghawkins38/posts/pfbid02ydpc6nc6ga9tXKNa12WzHH6K4zzBNkHE7RMTJE5U1UyJbq4gc1A7LxnyifRyyQbxl

That's followed by a list of the 50 US states.

Comments are mostly the totals people got, and:

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[AmazonGrace]

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But, but, I thought Jesus hated the people who stand in street corners and brag about how holy they live.

[Ozlsn]

Gary and these preachers do not in any way come across to me as "living holy". 

Also I love the mental gymnastics to define "works" as something outside "living holy". Most denominations would plump "works" into the same basket as "trying to live by Christ's words and example", I.e. living a holy life. Not standing up telling everyone you're holier-than-thou and ostentatiously going to church at every opportunity while being sanctimonious and nasty towards others which seems to be this group's preferred MO.

[thoughtful]

I wonder if Gary has ordered a Trump bible yet. It is a KJV, after all.

[thoughtful]

Catching up on Family Baptist services:

On Wednesday, March 13, prayer requests include a man who wants prayers not to be so angry. Baker says "What did Terry do now?"

I assume Terry is his wife, or perhaps one of their kids. Hahaha.

Then he tells the man to pray for wisdom, and glibly coos "Wisdom, God is first, puure, gennntle, peeeaceable and easy to be entreated. So, ummm, awesome, OK? Other prayer requests."

The rest are pretty standard, and Baker is his usual efficient, uncaring self. "Wow" seems to be as close as he gets to uttering a sympathetic word.

While introducing their guest speaker for the evening, Baker talks about the various kinds of missions people run. "There's a lot of different mission things that can be done, there are people that go and build an orphanage and there's so many poor kids, they're just livin' on the street. Bring them in and teach them and feed them and love the little children and win them to Christ and train them to go serve the Lord. What a great thing that is."

Sorry, Dave - as far as I'm concerned, you just made it clear how your ilk preys on the vulnerable to earn your imagined heavenly brownie points.

The guest speaker is Jay Reed from Global Baptist Church Planters, come to raise money for his mission, I guess.

http://www.globalbaptist.net/globals-distinctives.html

I didn't listen to him.

I skimmed through the service on Sunday morning March 17 wasn't in the mood for one of Baker's sermons.

Sunday evening, 3/17 included some "graduations" from Onesimus House. Since they have guests (the March Madness competition that week was how many guests people could bring in), Baker gives his phony description of who Onesimus was in the bible.

"Blessings, neat special good encouraging."

A woman is glad that "God took care of" her daughter who lives in Ohio and was near the path of a tornado. Too bad for the people who died and were injured, I guess.

A young woman led two people to the Lord and got told by another girl that is was "really neat" that they were spreading the word of God.

I skipped the sermon.

[thoughtful]

On Wednesday evening, March 20, Baker was away at a "servants' conference." A youngish bearded man named Seth does the song leading and bible study, and the assistant pastor leads the service.

Whoever is working the camera also seems to be from the B squad, since this is what we see for the first few minutes:

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Nobody remembers to ask if anyone wants prayers said.

On Sunday morning, 3/24, Baker is back. When he dismisses the kids for junior church, we hear the sound of kids' voices on the way out. He shushes them, and, after they are gone, tells the congregation, "They did pretty good. I was a little surprised. They did pretty good. So uh, it's uh, a rough thing, but we like to - for the kids that are coming in on the bus to have to be a part of Junior Church some - sorry, to be a part of adult service some, so they get used to adult service and hopefully when they get old enough they keep coming because they're already used to being in here some."

Gotta shit on the "bus kids" a bit, and explain to the congregation why those kids have to be among them. 😡

He preached on Job. I skipped it.

That week's March Madness event was baptisms. How you make baptisms a competition is beyond me, but here we are. Baker announces that 27 people at the jail ministry got baptized that week. That gets applause.

Of course he has to explain that baptism doesn't get you saved, it's just a sign of already being saved. Can't skip that explanation in an IFB church.

A little boy and a teenage boy get baptized. It looks like their baptismal pool is behind the pulpit, with a plexiglass window in front of it.  Baker goes to put on his waders, and appears as they are singing (of course) Shall We Gather at the River.

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Gary tries to be funny:

[thoughtful]

Gary is predictable:

HE alive and will Saved you.

[Joyster]

Gary had fun describing his egg hunting today. 😀🥚He also has a new profile picture with a selfie of him and Becky. Becky looks good.

On another topic, I came across some comments about Pastor Baker on the Columbia local Facebook page when Pastor Baker was running for mayor. We already knew about the financial scandals at his old church, but here are some details from people who say they experienced Baker. I find it really scary that he opened another church.

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Edited April 1 by Joyster

[thoughtful]

Thanks, @Joyster. I knew about the Carson stuff and the failure of Lighthouse, but hadn't seen those posts. IIRC, there was some stuff about it in the threads from the conservative Christian discussion group I posted.

Baker named his youngest child Carson, BTW, and it may well have been after that guy.

I missed something on the morning of 3/24 - as the slamming of the pianos ends at the beginning of the service, the sound system is making a horrible sound, but I can hear this much; Baker is saying something about there being a group of kids there that he has heard are very well-behaved. Based on what he said after he dismissed them, he means the bus kids. OK, condescending, but not bad for him.

But he goes on, "We will see, all right? So, uh, if you're bad we just send you out there, and there's a bull across the road. We're just gonna let you - let the bull take care of you guys today."

Hahaha

Ha. 🙄

[Joyster]

Sorry, I’m down an old rabbit hole today. I wish I found eggs, but instead I found more details of old coverups by Baker that infuriate me.

I read through the conservative Christian group @thoughtfulposted in the last group again. I had read it before, but today it registered. This Baker guy is evil, and it’s even scarier that people like Gary are enamored with him. 

And, here is the sexual abuse victim’s response from two years ago. I didn’t cover her name because she said she wanted it known.

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Details of her experience are here: Facebook victim

 

Edited April 1 by Joyster
Took out things already posted before. Sorry; I get really angry when I read victims’ stories

[thoughtful]

On the evening of Sunday, 3/24, Baker brags about the 27 people who got baptized at the jail again. "If you've ever done baptism service at the jail, it is, it is a tough thing. Bringin' everybody in and out and baptizin' 'em, and 27 people, dippin' 'em down and bringin' 'em back up - it's a workout."

So he gives a gift certificate (Chik-fil-a again, I assume) to the "Jail chaplain." I think that's one of his sons.

He teases and mocks some young people home from college - I'll spare you.

Blessings, neat special good encouraging.

The bus was full that morning. Baker comments "It resulted with people getting saved, and only two getting suspended! That's pretty good."

A man says "Ah got t'help a homeless man yesterday secure a maintenance-free mansion."

Because it's in heaven - get it? 🙄

He goes on to say that the man thought he was saved already, but said something about good works, so this guy had to show him the real way to get saved.

Baker says that someone who was with them took a picture of him leading the man to Christ and sent it to him. "And I said, 'Which one's the homeless guy?'"

Someone (maybe the man who told the story) says "Oh, wow." I may be reading too much into it, but it sounds like a "You went there?!" exclamation, not support for Baker's attempt at a joke. Someone else gives a low whistle. Baker fumbles on quickly, calling on someone else.

Some of Baker's sons led someone to Jesus (another guy who didn't realize that all it takes is trusting Jesus).

The jail chaplain talks excitedly about the incredible week they had at the jail. He says that 26 men and seven ladies got baptized. They sang, had a service, and the baptizees were yelling and cheering one another on. "These are - y'know - convicted criminals, felons, you know whatever you wanna label it, you wouldn't think - are they - they're gettin' excited about someone getting baptized." 

He goes on to say that his assistant, who "is from that life" pointed out to him that the men cheering one another on were from opposing gangs.

Another man said that one of the guys who got baptized used to be a cellmate of his, who was hard and against God and had a foul mouth (he says God put this man in his path as a test) and that he and another man had told him about God.

Another soul-winning story ensues - yet another person who had to be told that they only had to trust in Jesus, not be a good person.

Someone named Luke says that Liberty University nominated him for the National Society of Leadership and Success.

More soulwinning, and more soulwinning. Baker says he led a lady who is dying of cancer to Christ.

How can there be any unsaved people left in Columbia Tennessee?

A state trooper in Iowa who is taking Baker's "college" courses online said he led some relatives to Christ the previous day. Baker goes on, "Thirty-six saved since last April - that's when he started taking my personal evangelism class." More secondhand bragging as Baker says the man's pastor has asked him to preach, and that he's handed out 307 bibles.

I skipped the rest of the service.

Edited April 1 by thoughtful
riffle

[thoughtful]

14 minutes ago, Joyster said:

Sorry, I’m down an old rabbit hole today. I wish I found eggs, but instead I found more details of old coverups by Baker that infuriate me.

I read through the conservative Christian group @thoughtfulposted in the last group again. I had read it before, but today it registered. This Baker guy is evil, and it’s even scarier that people like Gary are enamored with him. Baker’s video, A Big Lie, where he tries to discredit a child’s sexual abuse, is no longer available. However, here is a response from someone who knew him well: Response to A Big Lie (Facebook)

And, here is the victim’s response from two years ago. I didn’t cover her name because she said she wanted it known.

  Hide contents

Details of her experience are here: Facebook victim

 

Both of your links went to Ray Jeter's video. Did you mean to post something else in one of those spots? Maybe this?

https://www.facebook.com/aimee.spires.12/posts/pfbid03d2RMPwDTnJ83tx45igG4b7VdGBmLhBzAoAvKjYZrigTuVpgZ38rTg5kixjerf5Al

Have you seen this article? I posted it before - it's about the same issue, and Jeter is quoted.

https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/2022/08/02/past-lighthouse-church-member-shows-support-sexual-assault-victim/10216937002/

And yeah, Baker is monumentally evil slime, and deeply into the mindset of thinking that predatory men need an infinite number of chances to redeem themselves, with no thought for their victims - he runs Fallen in Grace with David Hyles, after all.

[Joyster]

Just now, thoughtful said:

Both of your links went to Ray Jeter's video. Did you mean to post something else in one of those spots? Maybe this?

https://www.facebook.com/aimee.spires.12/posts/pfbid03d2RMPwDTnJ83tx45igG4b7VdGBmLhBzAoAvKjYZrigTuVpgZ38rTg5kixjerf5Al

Have you seen this article? I posted it before - it's about the same issue, and Jeter is quoted.

https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/2022/08/02/past-lighthouse-church-member-shows-support-sexual-assault-victim/10216937002/

I wasn’t on here for a while and thought I had read all the older stuff. However, I realized I missed that page. That’s an excellent article. Thank you! I’m sorry it took me this long to realize how awful Baker is. I need Gary to start posting about bunnies about eggs again. Is it too early for Helloween?

[thoughtful]

Just now, Joyster said:

I wasn’t on here for a while and thought I had read all the older stuff. However, I realized I missed that page. That’s an excellent article. Thank you! I’m sorry it took me this long to realize how awful Baker is. I need Gary to start posting about bunnies about eggs again. Is it too early for Helloween?

No need to be sorry. I know you've been interested in all of the offshoots of Bro Gary's story, so I'm not surprised you're seeing why I'm horrified/fascinated by Baker.

Bro Gary is a buffoon, but he's a disgusting buffoon who keeps falling in with truly horrible people, and that's why I'm always going down Gary-adjacent tangents - it's a real insight into the people who want to turn my country into a fascist, woman-restricting, child abusing theocracy.

It's like a lot of the stuff on FJ - some days we're laughing at the blatant nonsense of these people, sometimes we're horrified at seeing true evil, most days are a little bit of each.

Here's the new picture, for anyone who hasn't seen it:

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[Xan]

23 minutes ago, thoughtful said:

Bro Gary is a buffoon, but he's a disgusting buffoon who keeps falling in with truly horrible people, and that's why I'm always going down Gary-adjacent tangents - it's a real insight into the people who want to turn my country into a fascist, woman-restricting, child abusing theocracy.

The trouble with dumb, old Gary is that he likes these people.  He wants to be one of these people.  He thinks the bullies have a good bead on things.  There are entirely too many people in this country now who just love bullies.

[thoughtful]

It seems that hell needs to be told that it exists. Duly noted.

[Ozlsn]

On 4/1/2024 at 11:42 AM, Joyster said:

On another topic, I came across some comments about Pastor Baker on the Columbia local Facebook page when Pastor Baker was running for mayor. We already knew about the financial scandals at his old church, but here are some details from people who say they experienced Baker. I find it really scary that he opened another church.

Holy crap, that's appalling and pretty worrying. And of course this congregation will blame their losses on whoever is being otherwise this week, not their nice, lily white pastor...

[thoughtful]

Becky has posted a link to a video advertising a David Baker webinar.

Spoiler

The post says it's free, but I can't imagine there isn't something in it to persuade people to spend money on his other materials, or support him in some way. It gets him people's email addresses, at the very least, since they have to register.

In the video (the screenshot above captured part of a montage, then you see him alone), he shows off his wife, 11 children and 11 grandchildren, and claims "I've always been a lover not a fighter."

He wants to "be a help," and says it's about fixing "the communication part in marriage."

I've heard you communicate, Dave - I have my doubts. Do you think you can fix marriages by encouraging men to make mocking jokes about women?

 

[Alisamer]

On 3/14/2024 at 8:53 PM, Joyster said:

Becky has a daith piercing which she believes helps with her migraines. She said it didn’t take long to heal, but she didn’t define what she considered as not long. Ouch! I’m rather surprised this is KJV Bible (or Gary) approved. I think there’s more evidence that smoking marijuana helps with migraines. 

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LOL I'm catching up but had to respond to this. Becky and I have something in common!

Mine healed unusually fast, I'm told, but was still a PITA. It developed bumps for a while and got sore, sometimes would swell, and I couldn't wear earbuds at ALL for a long time. I hope she got it done somewhere decent, because this is the sort of piercing that takes a while to heal and. should be in a larger diameter hoop for the first full year. 

I don't have migraines often so no data there, I got it because I think it's cute. My cousin has one and did get a full 6 months of no migraines. Keep in mind that's also 6 months of not sleeping on that side, rinsing daily with sterile saline spray, and trying to clean the crusties off it without moving it around much. Cartilage piercings aren't quick healers anywhere, to be fair, but daiths are known for developing bumps as they are healing. 

On 3/14/2024 at 9:02 PM, thoughtful said:

Maybe Gary thought she said something about her faith being fierce, not wanting to have her daith pierced.

 

LOL I would not be surprised.

Technically it's supposed to be pronounced "doth" like "goth" instead of how it's spelled, I'm told, but people pronounce it both ways.

Pic of my ear under the spoiler:

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[thoughtful]

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

Technically it's supposed to be pronounced "doth" like "goth" instead of how it's spelled, I'm told, but people pronounce it both ways.

I did find that out when researching it, but still couldn't resist the joke.

[thoughtful]

Gary, you're four days behind Jill with this one:

Spoiler

He also posted the video ad for Baker's marriage seminar, with the message, "Ok folks if you need some help with your marriage check this out."

Becky still has her post asking for donations for the walk for MS pinned to the top of her Facebook page, and still has no pledges.

The walk is this Saturday, and has raised over $97,000 dollars. With no help from Becky's circle of friends and church-goers, it seems. They're too busy soul-winning and too poor from tithing, I guess.

[Alisamer]

21 hours ago, thoughtful said:

I did find that out when researching it, but still couldn't resist the joke.

Yeah, it's kind of a thing that it's kind of dumb it's pronounced differently than how it's written, and most people say it either way or both ways and it doesn't matter because people know what you're talking about.

I'm sure Becky didn't do a ton of research to the point of figuring out the pronunciation anyway.

I am a little surprised she's got a daith, to be honest. It's not something that is a cheap mall piercing - usually you're going to go to a piercing studio or a tattoo shop to get that done. Can you imagine Gary going in one of those places?

[Joyster]

So, when it comes to the solar eclipse, Gary believes the science explanation? At least, that’s what I think this post means:

And I can’t explain how bizarre I find the comment of Whitehead. I know he’s just trying to make his point about the rapture, but the vision of 500 blow up dolls in the sky is…words escape me🤣

Spoiler

Gary also posted about We anyone messing with the wrong people. HE coming for HIS Bride. (Just not on Monday…that’s just the moon).

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