Dorhauer conspiracy turns into paranoia
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The John Dorhauer conspiracy just keeps getting weirder and it's bordering on creepy.
As we mentioned last month, Associate Conference Minister of the Missouri-Mid South Conference, John Dorhauer, will be visiting the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference tomorrow to give a seminar about his belief of a church stealing conspiracy and how clergy can prevent it from happening to them.
Dorhauer writes for a political web site called talk2action.org where he recycles anecdotes of disgruntled churches leaving the UCC that he believes is part of a broader conspiracy to steal churches. For some time now, myself and many, many others have asked Dorhauer to present some credible evidence of a conspiracy and he simply refuses to do so. He has his theory and he's going to run with it even though he has few facts to support his claims.
Dorhauer doesn't like to be asked for facts or questioned at all about his conspiracy. His web site limits comments to only those that are supportive while people who ask questions are called "trolls" and asked to leave or are kicked off. For his upcoming seminar, he has limited those who can attend because it "is purposely designed for pastors and these authorized ministers only".
Now it's getting creepy.
In his latest post on his web site, he accuses those who want to attend the seminar to raise the questions he won't answer anywhere else as "running scared". Apparently the folks at BWF (targets of Dorhauer's claims of church stealing) want to attend and have alerted others in the conference about the seminar. Dorhauer thinks it's underhanded:
In Dorhauer's mind, BWF alerting others in the conference about the seminar behind the backs of conference leaders "is a serious breech of what most would recognize as covenantal, ethical, and professional boundaries" It's an interesting comment when you consider that neither Dorhauer nor the conference publicized the event and restricted invitations to "authorized ministers only". Apparently holding a secret seminar to make accusations of other church members is what Dorhauer considers covenantal, ethical, and professional.
When you take a step back from it, you can see just how absurd this whole thing really is. Dorhauer is an Associate Conference Minister who is accusing groups within the denomination of church stealing. When those groups want to be present to face the accusations, Dorhauer accuses them of "functioning under the radar". As an Associate Conference Minister, Dorhauer carries the burden of transparency and honesty if he is going to make accusations about others within the church. So far, he has not satisfied that burden.
As we mentioned last month, Associate Conference Minister of the Missouri-Mid South Conference, John Dorhauer, will be visiting the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference tomorrow to give a seminar about his belief of a church stealing conspiracy and how clergy can prevent it from happening to them.
Dorhauer writes for a political web site called talk2action.org where he recycles anecdotes of disgruntled churches leaving the UCC that he believes is part of a broader conspiracy to steal churches. For some time now, myself and many, many others have asked Dorhauer to present some credible evidence of a conspiracy and he simply refuses to do so. He has his theory and he's going to run with it even though he has few facts to support his claims.
Dorhauer doesn't like to be asked for facts or questioned at all about his conspiracy. His web site limits comments to only those that are supportive while people who ask questions are called "trolls" and asked to leave or are kicked off. For his upcoming seminar, he has limited those who can attend because it "is purposely designed for pastors and these authorized ministers only".
Now it's getting creepy.
In his latest post on his web site, he accuses those who want to attend the seminar to raise the questions he won't answer anywhere else as "running scared". Apparently the folks at BWF (targets of Dorhauer's claims of church stealing) want to attend and have alerted others in the conference about the seminar. Dorhauer thinks it's underhanded:
This is a tactic we have encountered many times from those active in the BWF. Letters are written to churches without the Conference knowing about it; and to church members without the pastor being aware of it. It is a serious breech of what most would recognize as covenantal, ethical, and professional boundaries - and bespeaks a level of underhandedness for which we have come to know the BWF.Shame on BWF for wanting to be preset at a seminar where they are being accused of stealing churches. Dorhauer doesn't have the courage to answer questions about his claims yet he criticizes other groups that do want to address the accusations directed at them.
All of this suggests that we are being watched and monitored very closely. It also suggests that we are hitting pretty close to the mark, and have become a serious threat to a couple of organizations that have been functioning under the radar for far too long.
In Dorhauer's mind, BWF alerting others in the conference about the seminar behind the backs of conference leaders "is a serious breech of what most would recognize as covenantal, ethical, and professional boundaries" It's an interesting comment when you consider that neither Dorhauer nor the conference publicized the event and restricted invitations to "authorized ministers only". Apparently holding a secret seminar to make accusations of other church members is what Dorhauer considers covenantal, ethical, and professional.
When you take a step back from it, you can see just how absurd this whole thing really is. Dorhauer is an Associate Conference Minister who is accusing groups within the denomination of church stealing. When those groups want to be present to face the accusations, Dorhauer accuses them of "functioning under the radar". As an Associate Conference Minister, Dorhauer carries the burden of transparency and honesty if he is going to make accusations about others within the church. So far, he has not satisfied that burden.
