Don McClure Responds To A PFM Supporter: The Potters Field Case
I received this today from and it came from a made up email address with no name or contact.
I am pretty sure what the real source is, but, not positive.
I thought I might be 95% right for I have seen this manner of deflection and denial before, but, I thought that if there was a 5% chance that this is genuine then I need to respond
“Your PETTY attacks and rumor mongering regarding pfm makes me sick… will never listen to you again! I’ve seen the positive changes in my own child and her walk with Christ. May you and your granddaughter suffer the same consequences as all the children around the world until such time as you publicly repent. Until then I dust off my sandals on your ministry. Gods work will continue without you. To Him be the glory, and Him alone.”
Dear Parent,
I believe that both myself and two of my grandchildren would be among the first to say that the PFR program has much to offer. One grandson was exposed to Michael’s constant sexual prying so that he thinks he is a sick man.
My granddaughter came into the program from a world of confusion and trials and struggles and found many incredibly wonderful friends. She discovered a fellowship with other young people that was beyond anything she had ever known or experienced. She listen for hundreds of hours of Bible teaching through the entire Bible. She had wonderful times of worship and prayer with other students. Her life was deeply blessed. And for this, our entire family are grateful.
I had the joy of being part of influencing the program and was the one that took Michael and Pam to Salvador where I knew there were great needs with children. There are many wonderful young people that have shared the same experience as my granddaughter. It sounds like your daughter was also one who has had the same experience. I believe that many of the responders to the PhxP blog would readily testify much of the same at some point in their experience.
But, the problem that you are having is coming to grips with the same truth that I too was very protected from. And that is that there is terrible sin that has overtaken the Rozell’s. It is just that simple. I am grateful that your daughter did not suffer what many many many have. To any rational mind, the truth is absolutely unavoidable. I spoke to over thirty previous interns. It seems that some of those that simply went through the school (the part that I was involved with) and went out on the mission field in Africa (where I took Michael and Pam) or to Central America (where I first took them) were never really exposed to the behavior that so many have truthfully expressed on this blog. If you believe that ALL of these people are making this up though most of them do not even know the others as most were with PFR at different times and different places in the world, and that they are all lying and rumor bearers than I wish you could sit down with them and look into their eyes and see the pain and watch the tears. I promise you that, if you are indeed a parent, you would praise the Lord that your child never experienced this. I truly do.
I understand your struggle coming to grips with this. It is very clear to me that the inner circle of PFM has no intention of coming to grips with this. I personally believe all of the young people that I have spoken to at length have told the truth. And actually only perhaps a third of the ones that I know seem to have actually posted. What all this comes down is rather simple; either Michael and Pam Rozell are lying, or many dozens of past participants are all lying.
Through this time when I spoke to Michael with both Steve’s on the phone with Michael sobbing uncontrollably he confessed to much of this, but, when he found that I, and others, felt the need for him to step down, he immediately changed to the behavior and decided that many of the innumerable sexual conversations were taken out of context. BTW, Some of them were so vile they should not be on the blog. I believe that Michael can attest to the fact that he held back on some of the truly vile comments by both Michael and Pam said to these precious girls. ( Note from Michael…I affirm what Don wrote here.) And these girls had never met the others.
I promise you that if your daughter had any of this happen to her and you thought for a moment that I could do something and I did nothing, you would equally despise me.
Perhaps the saddest part of this process is that there are many genuinely good people getting confused and deeply hurt and with all of my heart I wish that was avoidable. I did not select going to the internet to deal with any of this. It started someone sending negative and untrue information to the PhxP and he then ended up researching and here we are today.
When David sinned and counted the people though he knew it was wrong and still did it, the prophet Gad came and told him he had brought judgment on himself and gave him three options as penalties. David responded that he wanted to Lord to choose and as a result a pestilence came on the land and seven thousand died and David responded that he had done wrong and why must the innocent sheep suffer?
Sadly when a spiritual leader sins, many may suffer that are totally innocent. We have watched pastors sin and entire congregations of thousands of innocent sheep are wounded and confused. Often, it becomes news to the world around us that loves to feed on Christian hypocrisy.
The difference between David and this situation is that David cried out, confessed his sin, built an altar, repented and the angel stopped the suffering. Michael and Pam and Steve and Steve and Jojo could stop much suffering, or it may continue…. I personally pray they would and lay their hearts out, it may truly help….
Well done, Don…thank you…
Don, thank you. I agree that being dealt with on the internet isn’t ideal. So many injustices get swept under the rug, leaving the victims suffering for years as we are seeing here. Reading the testimonies and the responses, these kids thinking they were the bad ones, aplologies to one another for their part in this, is starting to bring healing to these kids. May God help them.
Pastor Don, I truly respect the way you are supporting these devastated young men and women.
Don,
I am not one of the Steve’s you mentioned in the article. I’ve posted a few comments on this topic and I want to avoid confusion. My concerns are more with Philly than Montana but from my perspective I view a lot of these issues being linked which may or may not be right to do. Anyway, I am encouraged with the deep concern you seem to be having regarding these kids and I am praying you can speak boldly and clearly during the up coming CCA conference.
Pastor Don,
As an ex-PFM intern who completed IGNITE in 2014 and who saw you speak in Guatemala and Montana, I just wanted to say “thank you” for coming to terms what with happened, in addition to supporting all of us coming up and speaking out with what occurred for so many years.
You were manipulated like all of us were, so the blame does not fall on you. Of course, mistakes were made, but those don’t define you. You have come to repent and you are supporting all of us now. That matters so much. SO much.
The scars that I had after leaving IGNITE were deep, but I think now, with all the chaos that is occurring, they are healing because of all of the other interns, staff, and other ex-PFM folks on this blog.
You helped my faith in God strengthen with your studies in Nehemiah and I am forever grateful for what I learned from you. Honestly, when I look back at IGNITE in the time we spent learning in Guatemala, in terms of the things we learned, I think of your classes.
I forgive you. May you find rest through this.
Best wishes and God speed.
Don … How could you have not seen anything after spending all that time at PFM. Something just does not add up. I am just done with Calvary Chapel. I am tired of it’s systemic leadership issues (in which you are a part of) and I am most tired of the utter lack of fragrance of Jesus Christ. I want to see His love at CC and it is just not there any longer. Ichabod.
Don,
You need to respect the victims of this mess and stop using soft terms like “terrible sin.” I have read all of the stories here and those stories are not about “terrible sin.” They are about abuse, manipulation, harassment, and deprivation.
Crimes.
Actionable or not, they are still crimes against humanity.
I am one of the people whom you have offended previously with your choice of words (your whole diatribe from the pulpit at CCABQ still resides in my memory) and here you are, performing the same Christian white wash on this blog.
Get real. If you have the stones to admit you had a part in this, go a little farther and stay away from language that minimizes the damage that PFM has perpetuated.
I am very glad the lights are coming on for Don, but I appreciate Laura’s sentiment here. Abuse. Multiple cases of abuse. Demonic. I don’t know Don but I would want a response that makes clear in no uncertain terms the vileness of what occurred through PFM. It’s not about vengeance, it’s about making sure not one other human being is negatively affected by such a criminal, sick person
Multitude of things to digest here.
Don worked at PFM 2003-2018. How did he not see anything at all?
WW,
This sort of folk are very good at hiding their darkness.
Don has taken full responsibility for his lack…and he’s working overtime to help make up for it.
Right on Laura for telling it like IT IS!
WW, Ichabod is RIGHT!
Laura nails it on the head. I hear the double speak coming from Don. Yellow flags of caution that Don has the power to turn green flags or red flags.
These are horrible crimes of human devaluation and destruction that occurred under the banner of so called Jesus connected discipleship which should be the most productive way of communal and individual human flourishing.
Don’s message back in the day at CCABQ chastised the body there for wanting clarity and accountability with a rogue dictatorial leader. Hmmm maybe Mike and others were observing. Narcissists are masters at observing individual and group behavior looking for weaknesses in people or leadership cultures to exploit.
If Don was searching his soul while immersed in the counsel of others who are trained in the disciplines of trauma, abuse and community re-building I would champion his statements and if he had submitted to a plan of action developed by and carried out in concert with such a team of peers I would applaud his efforts.
However, the Calvary Way is leave me alone while I alone self-sacrifice and over work myself to clean up the mess that arose because I did what I wanted all by myself because that is how I do things pattern of life and leadership.
This is a breakdown and exploitation of Jesus community and mission and needs to be treated as such.
thanks Vic,
At some point the house of cards that gave shelter and support to this has to be addressed.
It’s incredulous you allow Don to comment publicly as if he is innocent and the holy one in this. Michael you are being manipulated. I don’t blame you. But you’re being played by a street level fraud. Don knows of Michales deeds. He created the man with Bob Coy. It’s Well known. It’s when his granddaughter cries out he plays the fool. He’s manipulated people since the days of vineyard. Please delete this and don’t give him a voice here. He is not one of us! You are not teaming up with someone who cares for anyone but himself. Not without true change he will be in the same class as Michael. Ask surprise Arizona Calvary.
Why Would You,
This is a big and complex story.
This…is only one part of it.
We’re committed to telling the whole story…wherever it leads.
This is a marathon, not a sprint…
The Moses Model is a corrupt, nepotistic, manipulative system that produces spiritual Hitlers who thrive on unchallenged dictatorship… There was only one Moses and even he failed to enter the promised land until after his death. CC’s foundation is corrupt because Chuck passed this philosophy onto his boys, and we are witnessing in less than one generation from Chuck, the Ichabod fall of CC! The MM formula IS a cult mentality of unaccountable authoritarians who rule by fear and spiritual manipulation.
The dumb sheep, (often referred to as “tithing units”) are taught not to dare question Moses (their Pastor) until their gross sin of abuse is exposed, usually by the victims themselves and not the broad or elders who are usually complacent because of the hierarchy perks… Think of Animal Farm.
Like in the case of Coy, Bond, Heitzig, Hockings. Grenier, Sabolick, Rozell and many others. Sadly, most of the sheep are so brainwashed that even in the exposure of blatant sin or abuse, they continue to stand with the abuser not able/willing to admit they have been duped themselves. “Don’t touch God’s anointed” or you will be smitten by God sure has been allowed to thrive within CC Fellowships and their Associations for far too long and unfortunately will continue to do so until the titanic finally sinks because….
There’s no bisnie$$ like god Bisine$$! and in the end, it’s all about the Benjamins, right Don?
Thanks for blocking my comment, Michael… what gives?
WWG1WGA,
I’m not sure what comment you are referring to. I can see a comment you posted on this thread at 2:03 am this morning. I imagine everybody else can see it, too. And as far as I can see, there are no comments from you that have been removed or blocked or caught in any filters.
Additionally, as Michael has stated on the other thread, he is currently undergoing surgery today so it likely would be a while until he could even respond or potentially even search for your “blocked” comment.
Kevin H
Just checked… I see no blocked or pending comment…
Thank you… Is just seems to be a long lag for some reason on my end after posting???
I don’t have any control over how well the internet works after someone posts a comment.
I do have control over posts that accuse me of things I haven’t done.
I understand that emotions run high on these issues, but that wasn’t necessary.