She was voted at top of the Floridas Funniest Competition for 3 years and has been featured on Nickmoms Night Out, Dr. OZ, and on the New Comedy Revolution DVD. Sitting down to talk with worship artist Jaime Jamgochian you quickly realize she is a woman of faith who God is using in many different ways through her music and message. Eau Claire, WI 54701 I would finally like to point out that this is not an anti-Valleybrook site, although at first glance it certainly looks like one. The Converge report indicated a number of those interviewed reported that Lebsack would rail against anyone who questioned him, outbursts usually followed by telling them how much he loved them and how nobody believed in them as much as him. 412 S Barstow St Eau Claire, WI 54701 United States MAP IT Service Times (715) 834-9993 Pastor Doug Lebsack About Valleybrook Church Valleybrook Church is a Baptist church in Eau Claire Wisconsin. Select a subscription and get started today. Website: Former Valleybrook Church employee Matthew Mitchell says he believes the former lead pastors efforts to muzzle dissent contributed to a climate that allowed spiritual abuse to take place at the downtown Eau Claire church. There is not now, and will never be, a fee to access this site. To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. We are solidly into the post-Christian world, and so the pressure for pastors to bind their congregations to themselves in steadily increasing. 715.834.9993 cult. 6,802 were here. To create a public website for anyone in the world to have unlimited access to information about several dangerous individuals, namely the former lead pastor Doug Lebsack, and former executive pastor Mary Clark. Born again: Valleybrook Church takes steps to right wrongs found in pastoral abuse scandal. We are committed to Jesus, and we are intent on discovering and living out what God has laid out for us in the Bible. 07/15/2022 0:00. You have permission to edit this article. Converges crisis intervention team spent more than 28 hours interviewing 57 current and former Valleybrook members and attendees and issued a report highly critical of practices at the church. We wanted to be fully transparent.. Four Valleybrook Church pastors left after widespread claims surfaced about them pushing members and staff to reject their families, matching unrelated pairs of parishioners into knit-together relationships to replace biological family, sharing personal information gained in confidence, and abusing their authority by demeaning and shaming others. You can expect main sessions, breakouts, and chances to connect with other ministry leaders at this influential conference. I began as Lead Pastor at Bethesda in August of 2015. Organization Information Organizations with the same name Location Information Organizations in the same zip code Similar Entities To avoid the pain that can accompany spiritual abuse, Diederich encouraged people to take action and address such situations before they get out of hand. Unknown . If youre on a laptop or desktop, the menu is likely floating around on the left side of the page, indicated also by three horizontal bars. Since the Leader-Telegram first reported about the scandal last weekend including a story about Bob and Jody Hagedorn of rural Cadott, who believe their 32-year-old son, Nate, was brainwashed by Lebsack into rejecting his family and even allowing himself to be adopted by Lebsack dozens of people have contacted the newspaper or posted comments on Facebook confirming that they too observed the unethical practices or had relatives at Valleybrook who were pressured to sever ties with family. IRS 501(c) type. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. We told people this is where we were, this is what weve done and these are the steps weve taken to establish layered accountability to prevent a leader from becoming autocratic in the future or operating without accountability.. I would like to briefly give my take on this report before I share the linkand I really mean briefly: They nailed it. Recognizing that families inside and outside Valleybrook were adversely affected by the spiritual abuse scandal, the church said in its statement that it has paid for professional counseling for individuals who requested it. Winners to be announced at later date. We see something wrong, but we think everyone else seems to think its OK, so it must be me.. Another factor, Mitchell said, is that people tend to trust pastors because of their position. It employs 1-5 people and has $0M-$1M of revenue. Lighthouse Youth Center And Ministries, Inc. 310 E. Madison St., Eau Claire, WI 54703. As the Leader-Telegram first reported in April, the team, which interviewed 57 current and former Valleybrook members and attendees, alleged in its final report that Valleybrooks pastoral staff used their positions and authority to cultivate dysfunctional trust, manipulate people and violate the code of ministerial ethics. Previously on a personal blog, I ran a series of posts sharing stories from my time in this cult. There is nothing more perverse and distorted than a toxic pastor, he wrote. Other Chippewa Valley churches have been supportive through this difficult time, he said, with some even offering to partner in joint ventures. Mitchells Tales from the Cult blog series has exploded in popularity since the allegations emerged. Tales from the Cult is a free effort to bring stories of abuse into the light so they may be prevented from happening again. One minute you are laughing and the next minute you realize that the Holy Spirit just spoke and you have an aha moment that will stay with you forever. Mitchell noted that Lebsack promoted a feeling that Valleybrook, whose parishioners he sometimes referred to as Gods chosen people right here in the heart of Eau Claire, was different and somehow better than traditional churches. Though they were sad to leave after thinking theyd found their church home, Larson said, they observed several things that sent up red flags, including constant drama and crying in sermons. Mitchell also reported that current leaders indicated that several bags of cash (some labeled Kids Offering) were found in former assistant pastor Mary Clarks office, six staff members rang up $6,000 in charges on their Valleybrook credit cards for dining out, and Lebsack, believed to now be leading a church in Grapevine, Texas, received an annual salary of $113,000. That claim to moral authority, combined with peoples natural herd mentality, apparently was enough to prevent anyone from effectively challenging Lebsacks methods until another former pastors revelatory resignation letter in February finally meant the jig was up. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Get our FREE Newsletters and special offers! Want more from the Friendly Atheist? Get Directions. Tales from the Cult is a website dedicated to preserving important artifacts from a church in Eau Claire where horrific spiritual abuse took place over several years. Create a password that only you will remember. This is what Shannon does! This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Valleybrook Church . You can park in the metered lot by the bus station on Farwell St. You can park behind Valleybrook in the parking ramp on Graham Ave. Valleybrook Church412 S Barstow StEau Claire, WI 54701. Valleybrook is trying to rebuild itself in a healthy way, and they are doing a fine job of that. If We Applied Anti-Vaxxer "Logic" to Other Areas, It Might Sound Like This, "The way republican politics are going these days, that means the winner is worse than ", "It would have been more convincing if he used then rather than than. Likewise, Lebsack was able to manipulate the churchs overseers and facilitate the departures of assistant pastors who dared question his methods and messages, said Mitchell, who has written about the events at Valleybrook in a series of blogs titled Tales from the Cult., Ideally, the overseers would have stopped that, but many of them were in Dougs back pocket too, Mitchell said. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day Events, St. Patricks Day Events & Celebrations In USA 2023, MicroMania Midget Wrestling: Glendale, AZ at 44 Sports Grill. A downtown Eau Claire church is picking up the pieces after a scandal that tested the faith of the congregation and led to the resignations of the entire pastoral team amid allegations of spiritual abuse.. At first we really liked the sermons because they touched on real life things going on, but then it started turning to almost a little over the top, Larson said. Just look for the old movie theater marquee, and you will find us. Please consider distributing fliers to your bible study or small group. In addition, the regular mentions by Lebsack and Nate Hagedorn during their co-sermons of all the time they spent together outside of church made Larson uncomfortable. The primary goal was to provide the congregation with a factual representation of what we found in the books and, almost just as importantly, to outline ways were working to rebuild trust, said Chris Solberg, a longtime Valleybrook member who was elected to the transitional leadership team. *Entrance located on Rt. Still, Diederich, who recently blogged about what he called toxic pastors, said he was shocked so many people could allow the tactics to go on for so long. Pastor Kendall Anderson of Valleybrook Church, Eau Claire, officiated with music provided by organist, Barbara Sandford and soloist, Peter Lea. Some people here still feel like theyre living under a shadow left by people who are no longer here, but we really want it to be a new day, a fresh start, Haugen said. Her quick wit and southern charm are infectious. When you eventually accepted that, youd just think he must be right, Mitchell said, recalling that Lebsack used to tell him his life would become more peaceful once he stopped rebelling and questioning things. We appreciate you taking the time to check us out. The offices are located across the street from the Hollywood Theater. Consider this, then, a history book of a time not long gone, and a warning to any organization that employs or affiliates with the former lead pastor of the church. Valleybrook Church Sound Beauty Trunk-or-Treat at the Hive with Harry Potter Event Saturday, Oct. 31, 10am-5pm The Hive 1120 122nd St., Suite 3, Chippewa Falls A Harry Potter-themed Halloween event with special treats, themed menu, and more. Since the public announcements, I stopped hiding the name of The Cult / The Org: it was Valleybrook Church, and it absolutely was a cult. Early entry also allows you tochose your favorite seat. The developments led to the resignations of Valleybrooks entire pastoral team as well as three of the churchs overseers. New procedures call for bank statements to be reconciled on a monthly basis, reimbursement requests to be accompanied by receipts, two nonpastoral signatures on all Valleybrook checks and payment of cellphone data overages and parking tickets to be the responsibility of staff members who incur them. Read More. pushing members and staff to reject their families. Hotels. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Eau Claire; Valleybrook Church; EIN 39-1805767. Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Shes a regular at some of the best comedy clubs in the country and her versatile show has delighted crowds at fund raisers, corporate parties, and churches. Lebsack didnt respond to questions from a reporter, but hes believed to be in Texas right now. Mitchell suggested in his blog that all the credit card interest and late fees when there was money available to make payments on time should be consideredmismanagement of godly resources and would be cause for firing in the business world. New things, new revelations, new truths. Please support us by making a contribution. #WELOVe - We are a Worshipping, Equipping, Loving, Outreach and Visionary. Church of Christ Non-Denominational Churches Church of Christ Churches & Places of Worship 26 YEARS IN BUSINESS (715) 832-5525 1701 Goff Ave Eau Claire, WI 54701 3. Not only did former Valleybrook staff members cite this practice, but Charlene Burns, chairwoman of UW-Eau Claires philosophy and religious studies department, said she heard multiple examples while listening to just one segment of a recording of one of Lebsacks old sermons. In February of 2015, an enormous exodus took place from a church in downtown Eau Claire. Valleybrook Church is a growing community of believers in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We are Valley Brook Community Church, a non-denominational fellowship in Columbia, Maryland (Howard County) with an emphasis on a genuine connection with God through Jesus Christ. Tales from the Cult is a free effort to bring stories of abuse into the light so they may be prevented from happening again. You have permission to edit this article. It is my hope that with enough web presence, a Google search will highlight the names of these individuals in an effort to prevent abuse from happening elsewhere. Go. Want updates when Valleybrook Church has new information, or want to find more organizations like Valleybrook Church? St. Patrick's Day - HHI to Savannah Ferry. Weve worked hard to put in place a high level of internal controls, said interim lead pastor Tim Haugen, adding that the church has no plans to pursue legal action related to the financial review. Just look for the old movie theater marquee, and you will find us. Much of our heritage is learned through the passing down of stories. However,I will seek to make sure that repentant hearts are protected, and that it is made abundantly clear whodid what. Valleybrook Church: 412 South Barstow Street Eau Claire, WI 715-834-9993: GriefShare. Headquarters: 412 S Barstow St, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 54701, United States. Before you know it there is an unintentional conspiracy of silence, he said. Order 10 or more to qualify as a group! Who wants to question Jesus?. I currently attend a different church in Eau Claire than the one mentioned on this site. Valleybrook Church is a Religious Organizations, Religious Institutions, and Organizations company located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with $1.00 Million in revenue and 6 employees. Transitional leaders reported that they have taken several steps to add checks and balances to the churchs finances. People did express disappointment when they heard that, Solberg said. Directions. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Its enough to make people think, Maybe Im wrong. We are a downtown church with a few different options for parking. Some folks tried to object through the years, but gave up and found a new church when their voices werent heard, leaving fewer and fewer people willing to stand up and say something, said Remy Diederich, lead pastor at Cedarbrook Church in Menomonie. Attached here is the report that Converge1 wrote about Valleybrook Church, following two days of intensive interviews with anyone who had a story to share relevant to Valleybrook Church. Valleybrook Offices411 S Barstow StEau Claire, WI 54701. Interment followed the service at Forest Hill. 501(c)(3) Num. Cause IQ is a website that helps companies grow, maintain, and serve their nonprofit clients, and helps nonprofits find additional foundation funding. Please refer your friends and family to this site if you find it useful or informative. Shannon uses her divine knowledge of Scripture to put the story back together again. While it has been a challenging year for Valleybrook Church, it has also been incredible to see Gods hand as we navigate forward, the church said in a statement sent Friday to the Leader-Telegram. Valleybrook Church is a Christian nonprofit organization in Eau Claire, WI that was founded in 1974. Former Valleybrook staff member Matthew Mitchell said he believes tolerance of the abusive practices can be traced to how Lebsack coached parishioners and employees to believe criticism and questioning were bad. We also stream live from our Facebook Page and have a livestream link on our Valleybrook APP. Founding pastor Valleybrook Church Oct 1993 - Jan 200511 years 4 months Eau Claire, Wisconsin Area Youth Pastor Salem Baptist Church Jun 1986 - Oct 19937 years 5 months Eau Claire,. We had previously served Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Moorhead, MN for 25 years. At the same time, Diederich said, Lebsack took steps to disconnect Valleybrook from Converge to limit denominational oversight, leaving the truth-tellers with no one to appeal to. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. 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73 Canal Street, New York, NY
