Leonna Obbrace commented on a blog post once and I have since spoken with her by instant messaging. Her situation - being on an island where the churches and government work together in a corrupt fashion, where sexual harrassment in her church was expected and excused, where someone like Leonna can object to sin and be blacklisted from all churches on the island and suddenly find herself shunned and out of work and unable to find employment - is appalling.
I am publishing her comments in a more prominent place on the blog so that those who care to pray for her situation can do so. I asked how else people could help and she mentioned contacting your denominational headquarters. Most people who come to this blog have either left a church, though, or are considering leaving a church. Contacting denominational headquarters of an abusive church may not help. In any case, you can pray and to show support, you can email Leonna at
leona.obbrace@yahoo.com
Leonna has a great faith in God and has endured patiently more than many believers will ever face.
Here are her earlier comments:
I attended BFM where the pastor is Dr. Myles Munroe for over 15 years. I worked there for the last 2 years. I think my situation is different here corruption is endemic & justice rare. People protect their leaders. Leaving the church did not solve the problem. It is a small community.The members have friends, money & influence everywhere. Myles is a member of the Hospital Authority Board. I am not welcomed in any church.
He was the first TBN.
I was in love with & proud of my church.
The first criticism against me was that I did not dance vigorously enough in worship service. I had to put my foot down & tell them I was not dancing for them, I was praising God.
The message from Myles talked of my being accepted & valuable. Whiles I was volunteering behind the scenes I ignored the groping that went on between unmarried men & women.
The pressure was constant to give into these men. I was troubled by this.
I asked questions about the money that was donated every year. I kept stating what the bible said whenever Myles said something contradictory.He called those who excelled in business ‘higher quality people’. That infuriated me!
Everyone got angry with me, they wanted to think they were getting ‘new revelation’ as Gods’ chosen people. I was told angrily that Myles was the leader.
I started working with some school girls , I became very upset with the married men who began touching them. I reported it but Myles preached men needed sex like a car needed gas, it was not merely something they wanted. If a married man looked outside the home you have to check with the wife because she is not satisfying him. I was their supervisor they were told to complain about me & not to do what I asked. All the pastors began throwing remarks at me. Whiles I was working in the sanctuary they heckled me.
They spread the message I was a lesbian & that is why I was celibate. They brought in a psychologist to walk through the building & tell them that I was mentally retarded that was why I did not have a mature relationship.
Pastor Debbie Bartlette slapped me when I went up for prayers. I started to fall apart emotionally. When I went home I tried to commit suicide. Debbie was standing there when the ambulance arrived. The same lies were spread at the hospital to explain why I tried to kill myself. I felt God had abandoned me.
The story is today that I fought against pastor Myles. That I am therefore cursed. I heard he has said I will die on the streets. I have been homeless twice. I have been harassed off jobs with similar treatment that I got at BFM. I have been harassed out of efficiencies & my families’ homes.
The police surrounded me when I was trying to ask for help to get something to eat one evening & one threatened to shoot me if resisted arrest for soliciting. He said by doing so he would solve Myles problems.
Two years after trying to take a landlord to court after going through the same ridiculous treatment repeatedly; meeting the room door open, my clothes cut up, belongings missing; the police picked me up a week before the trial to carry me to the hospital to verify me as a mental patient. The doctor asked if I thought people who did not believe like me were going to hell. They carried me there saying I had a visit from a nurse who used to give me a shot & I beat her up. They said I was violent. This never happened. The landlords’ daughter is a member of BFM.
I could not get one lawyer nor the man from amnesty to help me. When I was on the street the police walked around telling people I was a prostitute. Now they tell people I have not worked for 3 years because I do not want to work. So the story is I’m a lazy woman. I have been described on the talk shows so people could be warned about giving me money to help me. I know or have met most of the talk show personalities. It is a small island.
This community depends on pastors for references for jobs, especially government jobs ;letters to banks for approval for loans & pastors help offenders of serious crimes to get their records expunged. They are known to be corrupt but since calvinism what most people adhere to in this very immoral society this only serves to make the drug pusher, liars & sexually immoral comfortable in their sins. Therefore most still regard all who are religious leaders as Gods' anointed & it is wrong to 'touch' them. Every single pastor I've talked to have told me that my problems will go away once I forgive Myles, refuse to say anything negative about him & go back & submit. "God will lift you up & deliver you", they say.
I was feeling sort of shaky & your info & others that I've found on the web has strengthened me. I only use to see sites about cults.
