It Really Isn’t Personal: “It’s FINANCIAL!”
“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” – Lou Gehrig (1941), Ben Townsend (2014)
It is amazing to me how the Lord works. Now, I am “sarcastically” using the words “lucky,” “accident,” “accidentally,” and “fortunate” for this blog post. I am quite loved for my sarcasm from those “other” Christian Law people (that was said sarcastically).
Yesterday, Sunday, November 16, a pastor whom we completed the unincorporation of his church a couple of years ago happened to drop by our services. He called me the afternoon before and let me know that he got back from a month vacation to his church a week early, and another young man from somewhere else was preaching. He did not want to be there and intimidate the young man, so he asked if he could join us in our services. Boy, was I LUCKY. After services, he asked me how things were going. I said, “Great! An attorney is really blasting me for my writings on the Declaration of Trust.” He guessed the attorney, having spoken to him on the phone while searching for help unincorporating. He said immediately, “That’s amazing! I just got an email yesterday (Saturday) from the BLC, and it mentioned this attorney. It seems to me like they are wanting to do away with your take on the Trust all because of money.” He explained to me how much the other groups were charging for unincorporating their churches. He said, “You did it for nothing, and led me through it all also.” He volunteered to send me the email, which I received from him this afternoon.
“Does ‘In Depth’ mean 28 Years of Legal Scrutiny by Judges and Legal Professionals?” -Ben Townsend
The salient paragraph reads thusly: “Bro. Jerald Finney is almost finished with an in depth study on the origin of the Declaration of Trust, which, as you know, is the main instrument that the BLC uses. It should be finished withintwo to three weeks, for me to send it to you. I think that you are really going to appreciate what he has found.”
“Oh what a tangled web we weave… when first we practice to deceive!” - Sir Walter Scott (1808), Ben Townsend (2014)
This is a wonderful revelation. It tells me that “007 Spies” and that “Wilson” character were not the real reasons for the excoriation of myself and the teachings of ELC. The REAL reason was, Dr. Baldwin is out there now with the BLC, and pastors are Googling “Declaration of Trust” and finding my articles on this subject, warning pastors to NOT let them make you a “Trustee.” So, their trying to pick a fight with us is mere rhetoric. They do not want to know what we teach or why we teach it. Therefore, I am not going to answer their false charges with any of our methods of Unincorporation. I WILL answer their MOTIVES though.
“PASTORS, DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!“ – Ben Townsend (2014)
And their motives S-T-I-N-K! They really should have left our chapter 17 in our second book, “Approved by Man,” alone. That would have been my final word on the subject. That that whole chapter was our (I am including the actual writer of the chapter, Dr. John Wright, Ph.D in Business) response to the BLC’s statement that the “Declaration of Trust is NOT a Trust.” That is all the ELC was disproving. Attorney Finney can change the question to, “The ELC teaches the DOT makes the church a legal entity,” all he wants. But the truth is the truth. We were MAKING FUN of the BLC Bulletins which made the statement which we answered. And I believe we heralded the warning that Pastors should heed – “DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!” Let me repeat – “DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!”
“Not just a Pastor/Trustee, but a Pastor/Trustee/LandLORD.” -Ben Townsend 2014
There was a certain church we were using to demonstrate the truth that Scripture never wants the pastor to be any legal officer of any legal “instrument,” including an “Ordinary Trust” (Attorney Finney’s term) or a “Declaration of Trust” (BLC’s term). These are not Biblical instruments for Lordship Churches. They attempt to tell us that their “Trust” is not like any other Trusts. And MY dog is not like any OTHER dog! You have your “Business Dogs,” your “Revocable Dogs,” “Living Dogs,” “Charitable Dogs,” and I am sure Attorney Finney has an “Ordinary Dog.” And just because he may call his Ordinary Dog’s tail a leg, it does not make it have five legs. Actually, I would have preferred to use the BLC’s terminology and just say that I have made a “Declaration” that I HAVE a Dog. (Note: I use Dog here not making fun of anyone in the BLC or “whatever the name that other group is” who happens to be Dyslexic.)
We have in our possession the document between the local church and the Pastor/Trustee, with RESOLUTIONS from the church body. Now, I am putting my neck out there and stating this is just paperwork that is done for you, and that NO ACTUAL business meeting was called by the church to pass these “Resolutions.” Let me define “Resolution:” “A corporate action, sometimes in the form of a legal document, that will be voted on or has been voted on at a meeting of the board of directors for a corporation.” I also have the Declaration of Trust from this same church, naming the pastor as “Pastor/Trustee.” I also have the document from an “entity” which rented part of the church’s building, naming the “Pastor/Trustee” as the “LandLORD” This “Pastor/Trustee” (according to the legal lease) “herein known as Landlord, has the right and authority to sub-let any portion of said leased premiseshe so desires.” (UNQUOTE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, emphasis added) And may I add something that Peter said: “Not for filthy lucre…neither as being LORDS over God’s heritage. (1 Peter 5:2-3)”
Do you see? There is no need for Christ to be over His own church, the Pastor/Trustee/LandLORD can handle it just fine.
“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” – Lou Gehrig (1941), Ben Townsend (2014)
It is amazing to me how the Lord works. Now, I am “sarcastically” using the words “lucky,” “accident,” “accidentally,” and “fortunate” for this blog post. I am quite loved for my sarcasm from those “other” Christian Law people (that was said sarcastically).
Yesterday, Sunday, November 16, a pastor whom we completed the unincorporation of his church a couple of years ago happened to drop by our services. He called me the afternoon before and let me know that he got back from a month vacation to his church a week early, and another young man from somewhere else was preaching. He did not want to be there and intimidate the young man, so he asked if he could join us in our services. Boy, was I LUCKY. After services, he asked me how things were going. I said, “Great! An attorney is really blasting me for my writings on the Declaration of Trust.” He guessed the attorney, having spoken to him on the phone while searching for help unincorporating. He said immediately, “That’s amazing! I just got an email yesterday (Saturday) from the BLC, and it mentioned this attorney. It seems to me like they are wanting to do away with your take on the Trust all because of money.” He explained to me how much the other groups were charging for unincorporating their churches. He said, “You did it for nothing, and led me through it all also.” He volunteered to send me the email, which I received from him this afternoon.
“Does ‘In Depth’ mean 28 Years of Legal Scrutiny by Judges and Legal Professionals?” -Ben Townsend
The salient paragraph reads thusly: “Bro. Jerald Finney is almost finished with an in depth study on the origin of the Declaration of Trust, which, as you know, is the main instrument that the BLC uses. It should be finished withintwo to three weeks, for me to send it to you. I think that you are really going to appreciate what he has found.”
“Oh what a tangled web we weave… when first we practice to deceive!” - Sir Walter Scott (1808), Ben Townsend (2014)
This is a wonderful revelation. It tells me that “007 Spies” and that “Wilson” character were not the real reasons for the excoriation of myself and the teachings of ELC. The REAL reason was, Dr. Baldwin is out there now with the BLC, and pastors are Googling “Declaration of Trust” and finding my articles on this subject, warning pastors to NOT let them make you a “Trustee.” So, their trying to pick a fight with us is mere rhetoric. They do not want to know what we teach or why we teach it. Therefore, I am not going to answer their false charges with any of our methods of Unincorporation. I WILL answer their MOTIVES though.
“PASTORS, DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!“ – Ben Townsend (2014)
And their motives S-T-I-N-K! They really should have left our chapter 17 in our second book, “Approved by Man,” alone. That would have been my final word on the subject. That that whole chapter was our (I am including the actual writer of the chapter, Dr. John Wright, Ph.D in Business) response to the BLC’s statement that the “Declaration of Trust is NOT a Trust.” That is all the ELC was disproving. Attorney Finney can change the question to, “The ELC teaches the DOT makes the church a legal entity,” all he wants. But the truth is the truth. We were MAKING FUN of the BLC Bulletins which made the statement which we answered. And I believe we heralded the warning that Pastors should heed – “DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!” Let me repeat – “DO NOT BECOME A TRUSTEE!”
“Not just a Pastor/Trustee, but a Pastor/Trustee/LandLORD.” -Ben Townsend 2014
There was a certain church we were using to demonstrate the truth that Scripture never wants the pastor to be any legal officer of any legal “instrument,” including an “Ordinary Trust” (Attorney Finney’s term) or a “Declaration of Trust” (BLC’s term). These are not Biblical instruments for Lordship Churches. They attempt to tell us that their “Trust” is not like any other Trusts. And MY dog is not like any OTHER dog! You have your “Business Dogs,” your “Revocable Dogs,” “Living Dogs,” “Charitable Dogs,” and I am sure Attorney Finney has an “Ordinary Dog.” And just because he may call his Ordinary Dog’s tail a leg, it does not make it have five legs. Actually, I would have preferred to use the BLC’s terminology and just say that I have made a “Declaration” that I HAVE a Dog. (Note: I use Dog here not making fun of anyone in the BLC or “whatever the name that other group is” who happens to be Dyslexic.)
We have in our possession the document between the local church and the Pastor/Trustee, with RESOLUTIONS from the church body. Now, I am putting my neck out there and stating this is just paperwork that is done for you, and that NO ACTUAL business meeting was called by the church to pass these “Resolutions.” Let me define “Resolution:” “A corporate action, sometimes in the form of a legal document, that will be voted on or has been voted on at a meeting of the board of directors for a corporation.” I also have the Declaration of Trust from this same church, naming the pastor as “Pastor/Trustee.” I also have the document from an “entity” which rented part of the church’s building, naming the “Pastor/Trustee” as the “LandLORD” This “Pastor/Trustee” (according to the legal lease) “herein known as Landlord, has the right and authority to sub-let any portion of said leased premiseshe so desires.” (UNQUOTE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, emphasis added) And may I add something that Peter said: “Not for filthy lucre…neither as being LORDS over God’s heritage. (1 Peter 5:2-3)”
Do you see? There is no need for Christ to be over His own church, the Pastor/Trustee/LandLORD can handle it just fine.
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