How very sad…

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[Anonymous]

How very sad…you throw the baby out with the bathwater. Those who were REALLY involved with GCI in the late 70’s/early 80’s KNOW what happened. Awesome things for GOD. People getting saved and raised up. You have forgotten how the “church community” view the up-and-coming christian musicians - how they told their congregations that Keith Green was playing the “Devil’s music”, how anyone that didn’t use the King James Version was a heretic. You wonder how GCI members thought they “Got it” better than other churches. Well they DID have a greater understanding of how to reach the unsaved and unchurched. Revisionist history is dumb. If you were there you would have a much different opinion of what went on. Did things go off track? YES! When the elders tried to centralize things in Washington D.C. it was the end…but don’t think for one moment that early GCI wasn’t the MODEL that all effective churches today have fallen in line after to some extent. Deal with truth. Larry Pile is a bitter person who just can’t seem to let go. To Larry, and anyone else who might stumble across this: “Stop blaming others for what you perceive as mistakes you have made”. Take responsibility for the decisions you have made. Stop trying to drag this thing out. It’s over. The movement is over. Just go to your churches that don’t ask much and don’t do much. That’s where all the Jonah’s belong. Anyone who REALLY was there knows what I’m talking about. I’m a “Jonah” too. I go to a church every Sunday, listen to the really “cool” music and the multi-media presentation of the sermon, and then I go home. I focus on raising my family, as if that’s really meaningful when so many are being lost every day, but I tell myself that it’s what I need to do. The reason those of us who saw the amazing things God did can’t let go of GCI is because it was the ONLY time in our lives when GOD was working, and WE were working for Him. WORKING for Him, FIGHTING for Him. GCI was God’s vessel for a time. I left, just like all of you, but I NEVER blamed anyone but myself. The only thing I’m sorry for is that there is NOTHING like it for my own children to be able to experience. Nothing at all…like those saints who were SOLD OUT for Jesus. Have a nice life.

[Linda]

I focus on raising my family, as if that’s really meaningful when so many are being lost every day, but I tell myself that it’s what I need to do. The reason those of us who saw the amazing things God did can’t let go of GCI is because it was the ONLY time in our lives when GOD was working, and WE were working for Him.

This is profoundly sad. I hope you don't mean it. Your family is a gift from God and after your relationship with God, it should be your next priority. God has never stopped "working" in your life.

Marching to Zion is available online and the first part of it talks about the amazing things that God did through the early days of "The Blitz". It amazes me how quickly people jump in to judge the motives of people like Larry Pile (bitter, vindictive, needs to move on, divisive), but never really address the truth of what he has written. And, no one ever seems to want to correct the errors of the past and present.

There's a lot of judging going on among the defenders of GC. There is a lot of ad hominem.  There isn't a lot of correcting of bad doctrine happening.

Also, there are many, many churches who "get it". The idea that GC teaches that they have something unique and special is something that is very divisive. The Holy Spirit has given gifts to all believers and when all exercise their gifts, amazing things happen.

I wish you well. Keep taking care of your family and trusting God alone.

[lone gone]

Amen to Linda's thoughts.

Anyone who pines for the good old days before they got married and had kids is exhibiting a kind of revisionism as well. I as there too. No matter how good it was....it wasn't that good.

It was hurting me more to stay in than to get out. That is why I left.

[EverAStudent]

Dear Anonymous,

I guess your post was probably meant to incite emotional responses.  It is not my intention to yell at you, however, there are a few items I would correct in your post, and a few items of encouragement I would toss your way.

1) "Those who were REALLY involved with GCI in the late 70’s/early 80’s KNOW what happened."  As one who was "really" involved, the husband of a wife who was "really" involved, and whose entire friendship base was "really" involved, your comment, whatever its intent, is impossibly off-target.  We not only helped bring about what was happening, as we were the hands and feet of the "movement," but we also saw what happened as eyewitnesses, and we were also the recipients of the leadership abuses as ones to whom it was done to.  Preaching that we do not understand is attempting to gloss over a history as if it never happened.  Denial is so undignified a stance.  It has greatly eroded any credibility you may have envirsioned bringing with you to this forum.

2) "You wonder how GCI members thought they 'Got it' better than other churches. Well they DID have a greater understanding of how to reach the unsaved and unchurched."  What GCI "got" was a greater understanding of techniques while they lacked an understanding of growing people's spirituality in love. 

3) "Revisionist history is dumb. If you were there you would have a much different opinion of what went on."  With part one of your statement I agree.  With part two, this weak attempt to simply sweep us all aside as liars violates the numerous scriptural injunctions to speak only the truth.

4) "When the elders tried to centralize things in Washington D.C. it was the end…"  No, the end was written at the beginning when manipulation and "results" were valued more highly than spiritual development and love.  Simply transplanting the power base from Ames / Columbus to D.C. was an irrelevant distraction.

5) "don’t think for one moment that early GCI wasn’t the MODEL that all effective churches today have fallen in line after to some extent. Deal with truth."  This attitude is the very epitome of self-importance and pride that precipitated GCI's abuses and subsequent fall.

6) "Larry Pile is a bitter person who just can’t seem to let go."  What kind of long distance diagnosis / judgment is that?  Have you met with him personally and told him that?  What was his response?  What evidence did you bring to him of his bitterness?  Did you apologize to him personally for how you treated him while in GCI?  Let's not cast stones until we are first certain we are not the guilty party.

7) "It’s over. The movement is over."  Oh, the movement is over, but the abuses continue on in its name.  Or are you unaware of this?

8 ) "Just go to your churches that don’t ask much and don’t do much. That’s where all the Jonah’s belong."  Once again, we see the pride that is rife in the GCI mentality that believes and teaches that God only truly mobilized GCI to do His work.  Well, it makes one wonder why it is since the movement is over that God simply has not folded up the church, instituted the Great Tribulation, and brought time to an end?  Perhaps, God is still using the millions of Christians who were active before GCI, apart from GCI, and after GCI to do the work of reaching and teaching the world?  Perhaps...

9) "Anyone who REALLY was there knows what I’m talking about. I’m a 'Jonah' too."  OK

10) "The reason those of us who saw the amazing things God did can’t let go of GCI is because it was the ONLY time in our lives when GOD was working, and WE were working for Him. WORKING for Him, FIGHTING for Him."  Permit me to reassure you that your situation is NOT indicative of everyone else's.  My wife's and my own races continue, the fight wages on, and the blows keep coming.  Let me encourage you to jump back into the battle afresh, acknowledge that GCI was not what it tried to pretend it was, let it go, and move on with the life God has called you to live for Him (and not for some movement).  This life is not over just because you canot find a GCI-style oversight to be abusive, controlling, and self-interested.  God has been building His church for 2000 years, and will continue to do so using the faithful servants He has called, not necessarily the flashiest or youngest, but always those He has called.

11) "The only thing I’m sorry for is that there is NOTHING like it for my own children to be able to experience. Nothing at all…like those saints who were SOLD OUT for Jesus. Have a nice life."  There is something better for your children:  the Christian faith AND God's love.  Unfortunately, the one thing that most derailed GCI was that the leadership were sold out (i.e. living for) things other than the Jesus of the Bible.  They were sold out to excitement, glory, adventure, and some to control, others to Jim, but sold out to Jesus?  Those who were sold out to Jesus did not seek to manipulate, control, expell, and browbeat His children, for they gently sought to teach them the pure Word of God in gentleness, patience, and long suffering--qualities I am hard pressed to apply to any of the elders I knew with no exception given to the national elders. 

Stop clinging to what never was.  God still has His work to do through us and you, if you let Him.  God is better than GCI and is calling people to Himself even now!  Christian life is rarely glamorous, but it is God we serve, not our own emotions, nor even a movement.

Thank you for your thoughts.  Be encouraged, God's Spirit is active and His Word is still sharper than a sword.  What will you do with that knowledge?

[saved]

People getting saved and raised up.

I got saved.  You can read my story under Hellos and Testimonials.  If you read it you'll find that I'm not bitter, nor anti-GC.  OTOH, some of what I experienced was, in fact, spiritual abuse, which I recount there.

You have forgotten how the “church community” view the up-and-coming christian musicians - how they told their congregations that Keith Green was playing the “Devil’s music”, how anyone that didn’t use the King James Version was a heretic.

Some did.  Lots didn't.

You wonder how GCI members thought they “Got it” better than other churches. Well they DID have a greater understanding of how to reach the unsaved and unchurched.

None of the glitz led to my salvation.  It was when they finally stopped putting on the facade that God was able to work in my life.  I agree completely that GC will teach you how to share the gospel effectively, and I've known very few churches who can or do.  But once saved, I wanted to hear more every Sunday than how to get saved.

Revisionist history is dumb.

Well, I think we all agree on that one.  But are you saying that the posts on this forum are revisionist?  Um... not really.  Again, read my story... not bitter, not angry, but now I understand the bizarre behavior of some folks I knew and some I still have to interact with.  One relationship in particular, which I'm stuck with (it's that family thing...) has been terribly difficult, painful, and confusing for more than 21 years.  Now I can begin to understand what makes this other person what she is.

If you were there you would have a much different opinion of what went on.

I was there.  Attended as unsaved in 85 and 86, got saved in 87 and went to LT.  Was involved in GC until about 2000. 

Did things go off track? YES! When the elders tried to centralize things in Washington D.C. it was the end…but don’t think for one moment that early GCI wasn’t the MODEL that all effective churches today have fallen in line after to some extent.

Early GC didn't have "seeker sensitive services."  They didn't have glitzy slide presentations.  The women wore head coverings.  The church I attend is very effective (at least, if measured in numbers).  It has four services, only one of which is "praise worship."  The others are folk and/or traditional liturgical.

Deal with truth. Larry Pile is a bitter person who just can’t seem to let go.

I've never met him, so I couldn't say...

To Larry, and anyone else who might stumble across this: “Stop blaming others for what you perceive as mistakes you have made”. Take responsibility for the decisions you have made. Stop trying to drag this thing out. It’s over. The movement is over.

From what I'm reading, it's alive and well in a variety of places.

Just go to your churches that don’t ask much and don’t do much. That’s where all the Jonah’s belong. Anyone who REALLY was there knows what I’m talking about. I’m a “Jonah” too. I go to a church every Sunday, listen to the really “cool” music and the multi-media presentation of the sermon, and then I go home.

None of our services have multi-media.  There are, however, a multitude of opportunities to serve and I have to be careful not to overcommit.

I focus on raising my family, as if that’s really meaningful when so many are being lost every day,

I, too, am raising my family.  It's a tough job, but worth it, and absolutely meaningful.  I have an absolutely huge impact on my children, their worldview, and their faith.  It's scary, really.  And the onslaught of the world is so overwhelming... we don't do Santa, but my kids know ALL about him.  Ugh.

And as God gives opportunity, I am happy to share my testimony.  In fact, I'd say the frequency isn't that much different than when I was actively in GC.

God is the one who draws people to Himself, who works in their hearts, prepares them to receive salvation.  I am here, His tool, to do whatever needs done each day, whether that is sharing the gospel, or changing a diaper, or taking a meal to someone who's sick.  I regularly get to practice hospitality and serving strangers, and see God at work there as well.

Does your desperation to share the gospel before it's too late stem from a real love of people, or is it part of your GC programming that lingers with you?  While I was still in GC I put my trust in God... that He would bring people into my life, give me opportunities to serve, and guide my steps.  I can't save the world, but I'll be happy to share, or not, as He leads.  It's very refreshing...

but I tell myself that it’s what I need to do.

Yes it is.  And it's a privilege.  I prayed and prayed for years to have children, and these kids (as annoying, frustrating, and irritating as they can be) are an incredible blessing and gift from God.  Every day I learn more about Him, and about my relationship with Him, by parenting them.

I have a friend who always dreams of doing cool, exciting (dangerous!) missions for the Lord.  He ponders if God is asking him to die for Him.  I ask him, what if, instead of asking us to die in some exotic land God asks us to die to ourselves in quiet, unremarkable towns, by serving Him in the minutiae of a Godly life?  It's not glamorous, but it's tough going, good for our character, and desperately needed.  I don't have to go far (just next door) to find people going to hell...  And the missionaries I know serving in a "cool" mission field... well, save the world and neglect your family doesn't sit well with me either.

The reason those of us who saw the amazing things God did can’t let go of GCI is because it was the ONLY time in our lives when GOD was working, and WE were working for Him. WORKING for Him, FIGHTING for Him. GCI was God’s vessel for a time.

It was His vessel... I got saved there and hold no grudges.  But God was working before I got saved, and continues working today.  I see as many miracles now as then, although most aren't quite as spectacular, all I have to do is pay attention to see His hand, and all I have to do is pray to see His provision and guidance.  I'm still serving Him, and have no plans to stop.

I left, just like all of you, but I NEVER blamed anyone but myself.

Actually, the only reason we left was because we had moved and it was too far to commute to our GC church anymore.  Why did you leave?

The only thing I’m sorry for is that there is NOTHING like it for my own children to be able to experience. Nothing at all…like those saints who were SOLD OUT for Jesus.

Apparently there are still some GC churches out there, particularly the campus ones, where things haven't changed much.  Pick one of those colleges and send your kids there.  They can be sold out, share the gospel, get lots of quiet times, grow in God.  In some groups they can even, just like old times, get rebuked regularly, learn unquestioning obedience to their leaders, learn unnatural submission (if female), and gain inordinate pride in the specialness of the mission.  Perhaps like some I know they can become profoundly depressed and have mega self-esteem issues as they grapple with their failure to maintain such impossible standards in how to lead a godly life.

Have a nice life.

I am, actually.  I'm blessed with a fabulous spouse, awesome kids, work to do, and a loving God to serve.  He brings me people to minister to, friends to encourage, and sometimes even a chance to share the gospel.  I regularly see His provision, His grace, His mercy.  I'm poor enough to not forget Him, but rich in the things that matter.  I work hard, at work that is sometimes fascinating and often tedious.  What more could I possibly ask?

[DrSam]

I know that some here would want to roast me as in the past for not trashing GCM/GCAC like they want to. First I will say that I do not excuse GC from any abuses they have committed. They have committed wrongs. So has the Paul Martin, Larry Pile, Jerry McDonald, M. Royal crowd. I believe both sides love Christ. I believe both sides have deceptions that do not permit them to move on towards more mutually healing positions. I believe both sides have gotten burned by each other. Having said that, I want to add my opinion about Mr. Larry Pile. Unless he has gone through some conversion and enlightenment experience lately, I do not believe he is clean and free from culpability. All you have to do is follow and research my past interactions on this forum with him to show you why. One thing is clear to me. He is on a war path to get "heads on a platter" from leaders of GC. He has an agenda that drives him. I have confronted him on this. He tried to justified it with what I consider misapplied scripture. All in all, I see he is sincere but not healed. If he were healed he could bring himself to produce the fruit of blessing his enemies. He will not do that. Hence he is not healed and he is, therefore, tainted in his motives. Fruit or lack of it is palpable evidence of our motives. Our words, our writings, our observable products of behavior are what can be judged in plain view. In my humble opinion, Larry, who loves Jesus, has not reached resolution with the legitimate abuses from GC and is therefore consumed by the need to cut some heads off. I think that Larry and his cohorts can legitimately be accused of similar things and attitudes they accuse GC of. Hence I would not consider Larry and cohorts as "divinely inspired purveyors of ultimate truth." My opinion. Trash me if you want. I believe Larry is not clean. I would use caution and not fall for the trap of euphoric anger that feeds our ego so well. Caveat Emptor.

[Linda]

Sam,
First of all, what's the deal with the photo?!

Secondly, I really don't care about whether or not Larry Pile has pure motives, or wants "heads on a platter", what I care about is whether or not what Larry and others have said is true. If it is true, then GC should deal with it, correct it, apologize for it, make it right.

Judging people's motives is something no human being can do accurately.

Also, for the record, Larry Pile didn't find us. We found him. And the reason we found him was because we googled because things at our GC church were "off kilter". It's not like Larry is going around calling people and starting trouble. He hardly ever even posts here.

[EverAStudent]

Secondly, I really don't care about whether or not Larry Pile has pure motives, or wants "heads on a platter", what I care about is whether or not what Larry and others have said is true. If it is true, then GC should deal with it, correct it, apologize for it, make it right.

I agree.

Judging people's motives is something no human being can do accurately.

This is a biblically accurate statement.

I think that Larry and his cohorts can legitimately be accused of similar things and attitudes they accuse GC of.

This is a demonstrably false and factually inaccurate statement.  Larry Pile has not led 150 churches into the false doctrine of apostleship, abusively coerced individuals into marrying persons he has chosen for them, made midnight gestapo-style visits to intimidate members of his flock, nor even taught that he had the personalized will of God for each person of the church. 

I am sometimes amused, sometimes angered, when the abusers blameshift their culpability to the abused, saying the abused are just as bad as the abusers--as if man's imperfect state is some kind of equalizer of morality.  It is not.  Some behaviors are worse than others, and so, some will receive a harsher judgment than others. 

It is reminiscent of what happens in the media with Israel.  Hamas is given by Israel its its own mini-nation to self-govern, but instead of governing, Hamas uses the land to fire 60,000 rockets into Israeli civilian towns.  When Israel finally (2 years later) initiates a self-denfse program and uses military force to shut down the daily Hamas rocket attacks, somehow the media calls Israel "just as bad as Hamas."  Such a rationale lacks an appreciation for the facts and magnitude of offenses. 

I think that Larry and his cohorts can legitimately be accused of similar things and attitudes they accuse GC of.

Such a distortion of what has happened is almost beyond comprehension.

[MidnightRider]

[...] has not reached resolution with the legitimate abuses from GC [...]

"Legitimate abuses"? Please clarify.

[G_Prince]

It is reminiscent of what happens in the media with Israel.  Hamas is given by Israel its its own mini-nation to self-govern, but instead of governing, Hamas uses the land to fire 60,000 rockets into Israeli civilian towns.  When Israel finally (2 years later) initiates a self-denfse program and uses military force to shut down the daily Hamas rocket attacks, somehow the media calls Israel "just as bad as Hamas."  Such a rationale lacks an appreciation for the facts and magnitude of offenses. 

I really, really don't want to pick a fight...but just for balance I want to point out that Hamas rockets have killed about 20 civillians over the last year, whereas this months Israeli counter attacks have killed over 700 civilians. There is plenty of blame to go around. 

[DrSam]

Sam,
First of all, what's the deal with the photo?!

Secondly, I really don't care about whether or not Larry Pile has pure motives, or wants "heads on a platter", what I care about is whether or not what Larry and others have said is true. If it is true, then GC should deal with it, correct it, apologize for it, make it right.

Judging people's motives is something no human being can do accurately.

Also, for the record, Larry Pile didn't find us. We found him. And the reason we found him was because we googled because things at our GC church were "off kilter". It's not like Larry is going around calling people and starting trouble. He hardly ever even posts here.

Linda,

You missed my point that I do not absolve GC from their sins. My main point is that Larry is not clean and yet he is still praised here and apparently considered infallible. The messenger is just as important as the message... on both sides. Neither side is free from guilt.

As for judging motives, the whole book of Proverbs is a treatise on that. Jesus and John the Baptist referred to that in terms of fruit. Paul looked at actions for judgment.

As for the picture, it is a depiction of anger. It is accurate for what I want to communicate about Larry and Cohorts.

[DrSam]

[...] has not reached resolution with the legitimate abuses from GC [...]

"Legitimate abuses"? Please clarify.

Like I've said many, many times... GC is not absolved of their sins... but so also Larry and cohorts. Their writings do not reveal their tenaciousness and aggressive past in recruitment. Take example of the Mike Royal letter to my pastor friend Mike Braun which was designed to create on purpose deep distrust in our friendship. That is mean-spirited in my opinion and slanderous to me! No one here, apparently protests against that kind of abuse, eh?

[EverAStudent]

I really, really don't want to pick a fight...but just for balance I want to point out that Hamas rockets have killed about 20 civillians over the last year, whereas this months Israeli counter attacks have killed over 700 civilians. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Recognizing we have gone off-topic, and also not wanting to enter into a dispute (especially because this was not the point of the example), I will give one response that does go to the point of the illustration:  if one were to compare numbers of civilians killed to numbers of civilians killed, then blame certainly goes all around.  But that is a foolish way to assess blame and is entirely without any application of discernment or justice.  

The Israeli citizens killed were victims of Hamas terrorism as, over a period of years, as they fired 60,000 unpprovoked rockets to the effect that Israeli citizens are constantly fearful and sometimes injured.  The Gaza strip civilians who died did so because Hamas used them as human shields, placing the munitions resupply tunnels under their homes, situating the rocket caches in their schools, and installing the rocket launchers in their mosques.  Before launching the counter-attacks, Israel sent warnings to those civilians and to the Hamas government that the assaults were going to take place if the daily terroristic missile attacks did not stop.  Yes, the Gaza civilians did die (and that is horrible) but the blame for the abuse and loss of life was ALL on the part of Hamas.  Similarly, in World War II, the Allied forces killed hundreds of thousands of German and Japanese soldiers, but the "blame" for the loss of life belongs to Germany and Japan for their unprovoked attacks, they were the abusers, not the Allies.  To complete the analogy, GCx leadership has caused the abuse, and so owns the overwhelming amount of the blame.  

[G_Prince]

I really, really don't want to pick a fight...but just for balance I want to point out that Hamas rockets have killed about 20 civillians over the last year, whereas this months Israeli counter attacks have killed over 700 civilians. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Recognizing we have gone off-topic, and also not wanting to enter into a dispute (especially because this was not the point of the example), I will give one response that does go to the point of the illustration:  if one were to compare numbers of civilians killed to numbers of civilians killed, then blame certainly goes all around.  But that is a foolish way to assess blame and is entirely without any application of discernment or justice.  

The Israeli citizens killed were victims of Hamas terrorism as, over a period of years, as they fired 60,000 unpprovoked rockets to the effect that Israeli citizens are constantly fearful and sometimes injured.  The Gaza strip civilians who died did so because Hamas used them as human shields, placing the munitions resupply tunnels under their homes, situating the rocket caches in their schools, and installing the rocket launchers in their mosques.  Before launching the counter-attacks, Israel sent warnings to those civilians and to the Hamas government that the assaults were going to take place if the daily terroristic missile attacks did not stop.  Yes, the Gaza civilians did die (and that is horrible) but the blame for the abuse and loss of life was ALL on the part of Hamas.  Similarly, in World War II, the Allied forces killed hundreds of thousands of German and Japanese soldiers, but the "blame" for the loss of life belongs to Germany and Japan for their unprovoked attacks, they were the abusers, not the Allies.  To complete the analogy, GCx leadership has caused the abuse, and so owns the overwhelming amount of the blame.  

I understand and respect your opinion.

[EverAStudent]

I understand and respect your opinion.

Ditto. 

[G_Prince]

[...] has not reached resolution with the legitimate abuses from GC [...]

"Legitimate abuses"? Please clarify.

Like I've said many, many times... GC is not absolved of their sins... but so also Larry and cohorts. Their writings do not reveal their tenaciousness and aggressive past in recruitment. Take example of the Mike Royal letter to my pastor friend Mike Braun which was designed to create on purpose deep distrust in our friendship. That is mean-spirited in my opinion and slanderous to me! No one here, apparently protests against that kind of abuse, eh?

Sam,

First, I have to complement you on your http skills. Your posts are more colorful than Carson Kressley herding flamingos. 

I am wondering why you keep bringing Larry into the conversation. This forum has very little to do with Larry: it was not started by him, inspired by him, or directed by him. We do have an "ask Larry" segment but this is hardly ever used. Larry never posts here and seldom visits. Whatever problems Larry has don't seem to be tied up in this site. This forum is not Larry's vendetta.

If you believe that people on this forum are partially at fault for their experience in GCx why don't you just say that? I don't understand what Larry has to do with this forum or the posters on here. My opinions, for instance, were developed outside the influence of Larry and Co., I had never even heard of him until after I began the De-Com blog.

By constantly bringing Larry into the discussion, it seems like you just want to pick a fight with him rather than discuss the issues. If you believe there there are faults with opinions on this forum please clarify your position, and don't bring Larry into it. It isn't GCx vs. Larry Pile. There are many other voices besides his expressing concerns about GCx.

[EverAStudent]

You missed my point that I do not absolve GC from their sins. My main point is that Larry is not clean and yet he is still praised here and apparently considered infallible. The messenger is just as important as the message... on both sides. Neither side is free from guilt.

And here we are again comparing a pea to bowling ball and calling them equal.  GC leadership is accused of abusing the congregations of 150 churches for decades, while you alone accuse Larry of having a bad attitude.  Do you see the imbalance?  Can you grasp why it is that a few of us  might see your accusations as petty BY COMPARISON to what we have all gone through at the hands of the GC leadership?  Worse, as recent posters have opined, GC seems to continue to do what they had been doing on a national scale, they have not stopped, the damage goes on. 

Exactly what do you want "us" to do about Larry and his personal affront to you? 

From our perspective Larry wrote a useful book.  What do you want from Larry or from us that would change that?  So, if Larry did offend you personally, how would that suddenly make his book not useful anymore?


Note added during editing:  Prince, I guess I was writing this while you were posting, and we both had similar thoughts.  Sorry for being redundant.
 

[G_Prince]

 

From our perspective Larry wrote a useful book.  What do you want from Larry or from us that would change that?  So, if Larry did offend you personally, how would that suddenly make his book not useful anymore?
 

Well just to play devil's advocate, if Larry is as unscrupulous as Sam suggests, it might cast doubts about his book and his motive for writing it.

[G_Prince]

However, I would still like to point out that:
GCM Warning is not Larry Pile.

[EverAStudent]

Well just to play devil's advocate, if Larry is as unscrupulous as Sam suggests, it might cast doubts about his book and his motive for writing it.

I doubt that.  To me it seems that Sam's accusation is that Larry is not "healed" from being abused by GC, and has a bad attitude.  Apparently Larry also wrote a letter to a friend of Sam's that caused a schism between Sam and the friend.  

As for accusation 1 (Larry is not yet healed), who are we to judge that since most of us are not presently in face-to-face contact with Larry?  Is that not a matter between him and God alone?

As for accusation 2 (Larry sent a letter that broke up a friendship between Sam and his fellow national leader) nothing I have heard regarding that episode allows me to consider that it in any way would destroy the credibility of the book Larry authored.  First, Sam continues to allege he knows the motives with which Larry wrote the letter, but Sam cannot know those motives unless Larry told him his motives.  Yet the motive issue seems to the basis of the accusation of foul play in that episode.  Was the content of the letter in error or was it factually correct?  Here the evidence tends to favor Larry as I have read much of what he wrote and found it generally quite accurate, while the bulk of what Sam has written on this forum I have found to be suspect at best (consisting in large part of personal opinions that he holds as a minority opinion and Scripture rather badly handled per the motives issue).  

So my opinion is that Sam has not really accused Larry of anything serious enough to make me question the accuracy of the material in the book in those places where I have no first hand knowledge; the material that describes incidents of which I do have first hand knowledge are accurate.