Assemblies of God liquidates Warren MI church

Goodbye, Gospel Lighthouse

This week the Assemblies of God is liquidating our former church property, proving they never were really interested in preserving the property for the Assemblies of God. Listed 11/3/09, asking price $279k. Sale pending.

I have included the link to the real estate listing, but since the listing is likely short-lived, I have also included the contents of the listing below.

http://www.churchrealestatesales.com/14010_toepfer_warren.htm

Full text of the listing:

Assemblies of God Michigan District Deception Exposed

Assemblies of God vs. Christianity, Part 6
(see entire series)

Here is some online documentation about our court case, including the latest opinion from the Michigan Supreme Court. Please also read my comments further below in this post to see how the courts made the wrong decision by overlooking key evidence. I have also documented how the Assemblies of God changed their constitution and bylaws while this case was in litigation, and how the Assemblies of God deceifully submitted their updated constitution and bylaws as evidence which the courts used in deciding the case.  In future posts I will document other details which further expose the deceit of the Michigan District of the Assemblies of God, as well as things the Michigan courts have overlooked in deciding the case.

ONLINE DOCUMENTATION:

1. Macomb County case history

2.a.: First appeal timeline.  Opinion from first appeal 07 19 2007.

2.b. Second appeal timeline.  Opinion from second appeal 06 18 2009.

3. California case where AOG lost because California uses neutral principles approach.

MY COMMENTS: (Martin Luther mode ON)

The Michigan Court opinions prefer and quote the Assemblies of God (AG) constitution/bylaws (c/b) over the local church’s c/b, despite the following facts:

Assemblies of God Michigan District Beats Up Local Church

Assemblies of God vs. Christianity, Part 5
(see entire series)

Dear friends,

The property and assets of the church I attend (Gospel Lighthouse) is being taken over by the Michigan District of the Assemblies of God (AOG), who sued us for the property after we left the denomination in 2004. Yesterday the Michigan Court of Appeals (COA) ruled in favor of the Assemblies of God. Their unpublished opinion was placed on the internet on Thursday, and affirmed the lower court’s decision that the Assemblies of God is hierarchical over our local congregation. The court is basically ruling that the AOG Michigan District owns the property of Gospel Lighthouse.

Showdown: Jun 3, 2009

Assemblies of God vs. Christianity, Part 4
(see entire series)

UPDATE: Case is scheduled to come before the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wed, Jun 3, 2009.

BACKGROUND: The Assemblies of God, Michigan District has sued a small church for its property of 25 years, despite never having contributed a dime for the property’s purchase or upkeep. Why? Because the church decided to break its ties with the AOG fellowship of churches. In its legal briefs, the AOG Michigan District claims the AOG is hierarchical, and therefore the local church forfeits all its rights after voluntarily joining the AOG. The church disagrees. The legal battle was originally won by the church, but the AOG Michigan District appealed to Michigan Court of Appeals. The Appeals Court sent the case back down for a determination of whether AOG is hierarchical. The local judge ignored the facts and made a decision in favor of AOG Michigan District (probably based on his own church affiliation, which is hierarchical). The church appealed. Now their day in court is scheduled for June 2009.

Private Profits and Social Losses

I think this is an interesting article. The tack that our country has taken, to privatize profits yet socialize losses, puts the burden for someone else’s mistakes squarely on the shoulders of you the taxpayer. Now that bank CEOs can no longer pay for their plush offices with remote-controlled La-Z-Boy, now I must make the La-Z-Boy payments myself. But I’m still not allowed to sit in the chair and enjoy its benefits. Yet when that CEO makes a good decision and makes a profit, he doesn’t have to share it with me – he gets to keep it all to himself and his company. So at its core, this is Middle-Ages Feudalism, where us peasants (American Middle Class) have no choice but to pay to insure the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I agree that it is difficult to gauge the proper balance of government regulation of economic industries. But on the other token, I’m against socialized welfare to cover other people’s bad decisions. It just perpetuates the myth that many Americans operate in…that we can swallow poison and not be harmed. How do Americans swallow poison? Here are some of the ways. 

Detroit Home for $1

A house in Detroit sold for $1 recently. Why? Because many Detroit residents are resorting to idiotic behavior – idiotic because their pillaging of vacant homes has in turn decreased the values of their own properties. Let’s face it, folks. If you strip siding and copper off a vacant house in the city in which you live, what do you think will happen to your own property’s value? But much of the blame falls on Detroit’s playboy mayor and his blatant mismanagement of the city, which has done nothing to improve Detroit’s crumbling neighborhoods. Mayor Kwayme Kilpatrick has a growing rap sheet, and lately he’s been shoving people like a 3rd grade school bully while berating an African-American woman for riding in a car with a Caucasian man named White. Obviously Detroit’s mayor is too busy starring in a reality soap opera to think up policies that would revive Detroit property values.

The Rights of Criminals Exceed Those of Their Victims

The case of Richard Cooey is completely ludicrous. The man claims he’s too fat to execute. That they wouldn’t be able to find his veins easily. That his migraine headache drug may prevent him from fully losing consciousness when injected with thiopental, the drug used to put inmates to sleep prior to administering the actual lethal drugs.  His attorneys say that his resulting execution could be excruciating.

Mary Winkler – How to Get Away with Murder

REPOSTED WITH EDITS - The case of Mary Winkler sends a very interesting message. Mary, after serving 12 days in jail and 2 months in a mental health facility, was put on probation for the remainder of her piddly 3-year voluntary manslaughter sentence. So a year and a half after murdering her husband, she was living her life with all the freedom afforded the rest of us, except she couldn’t travel or spend time with her kids.  And now, less than 2 and a half years after pulling the deadly trigger, she has custody of her kids! It’s home sweet home for Mary Winkler – sans a troublesome husband, of course. Wow! That was less painful than going through a divorce and having to sell the house, split the assets, fight over the 401k, and spend sleepless nights battling bitterness and resentment. Disciples of Mary Winkler now have a new approach: take action and get it over with…permanently. Then blame it on the heat of passion. Passion over…finances???

The Church Cries ‘Foul!’

Assemblies of God vs. Christianity, Part 3
(see entire series)

An update on the situation. The church being bullied by the Assemblies of God Michigan District is appealing the circuit court’s decision. So the saga continues, perhaps another year or two… AOG? Or the local church being bullied by the AOG? The church fights back!

Court says Assemblies of God is Hierarchical

Assemblies of God vs. Christianity, Part 2
(see entire series)

Beware, American churches! Affiliation with a religious denomination may cost your church its property! Welcome to the death of American religious freedom. Beware of putting your blood, sweat, and tears into the property owned by a local church ministry that is affiliated with a formal religious denomination! (Did I just say that?)