Sad. I would have thought him to ultimately have more sense, but then I knew him well a long time ago, when we were thick in way world. Like with many that I knew who were in the corps, there was a point where I couldn't relate to the narrow vision and lock step mind set. Still, he and his wife were gracious and giving with me at the time, and I find it all quite sad.
At least I'll know not to throw any more money that way, should the request come again.
So much about the things that I'm certain are going on trouble me.
The young women are mostly staying, many of them having bound themselves to Barnard with vows that were doubtlessly real to them when they made them.
Many young men leaving, looking to start their own lives.
Some folks are very angry with Barnard, some are still loyal.
But they all have been led by doctrine and example that to talk about the specifics they do know is wrong. Nobody is even willing to lay out what their side of my situation was from their perspective while I was there.
The mostly well intentioned silence does not serve the truth at all IMO.
But I am being honest as to my intentions with them all. I don't think that is something they are used to, having been in an abusive organization and having been taught to just do what they are told according to River Road Fellowship's own self interest.
While they are led to see the devil in all the wrong places, they mostly seem incapable of openly discussing what RRF and Barnard is actually doing.
The more I see this situation the more I curse The Way International and that abuse hiding "lockbox."
Hi Highway, I can sadly concur with Jeff's telling you about MF and his family moving to Washington. It hurts me too, I seen them just the other day while taking 1 last opportunity to try to help my own daughter see the evil which is happening within this group before she moved to washington herself. My words unfortunately fell flat to her ears at this point :(. MF had helped me alot over the years in certain situations while I was in the group and it breaks my heart to see him follow in the destructive path. I can only continue to pray for them all.
Some of your expeience seems familiar to me Oldskool. While for me those types of experiences happened in the splinter group "River Road Fellowship" instead of TWI, it seems to me that in many respects my splinter group has simply continued many of the worst TWI practises.
And now even though everybody ackknowledges that mistakes were made many of my old friends don't have a freaking clue how far Barnard pulled them away from honest and transparent ministerial dealings. Currently I have heard some of them are saying Barnard deserves patience, love, and getting God's Word spoken to him. In the mean time he's cut and run taking many of the young women with him along with some of his most pliable cronies, both men and women.
And consequently I've heard some of my old friends saying of me things as, "I can't talk to Jeff and still expect to help people." But it seems to me as one who saw Barnard use some of my old friends to completely screw ME over that I have the right to expect them to be willing to deal with how they treated me while under Barnard's influence. A sound scripture reference seems to me to expect them to win or lose me as a brother according to their willingness to be honest about what happened to me. If it were Barnard expecting as he did to have the man that he spit on apologize for falling asleep and disrespecting his ministry I would know it was a wicked and abusive power play, but since I want to talk with them about how they helped Barnard and were part of me losing my wife and son that I am being reasonable in expecting their forthrightness. GOD WILL JUDGE.
And that while they say they are holding on to things that Barnard did that are far scumier than anything anyone has the courage to share with me so far they simply have been bamboozled into another pointless and false nobility that has been styled after TWI's lockbox. And furthermore, since they refuse to handle these true events with honesty and transparency they simply hide the damage thay have aided Barnard in committing to many individuals and families. And similar to TWI ex-leadership I am fairly certain that they would not be encouraged to be honest as a witness in any kind of lawsuit as is fairly common such as "Estrangement of Affection" and other things.
Wow!...I saw the title of this thread "River Road Fellowship" and thought it was a new thread considering the current news about Barnard...I was a little bit stunned to see that these posts were written nearly 5 years ago!
Now that Barnard is the subject of a nation wide man hunt, are there any updates from those of you who were involved with this guy? The truth of the matter is that there were many of us who went through the corps who could have pulled off what Barnard did...the reason we didn't was because we were not sufficiently sick, twisted, immoral, selfish or deviant enough to do it...
Hello gang! Long time no play. I was in the 14th Corps with Victor Barnard and his wife Stephanie Sarro, and as one of you noted I was interviewed by Fox 9 News in the Twin Cities, as well as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio. I'm an editor at the San Jose Mercury News and I'm interested in writing something about this myself. If anyone has contact info for Jeff Sjolander or anyone else who was involved in River Road, I would welcome your email at kkahler@mercurynews.com. Thanks!
For those who are interested, I've talked to some knowledgeable ex-insiders from River Road Fellowship, and I hope to publish something soon. Stay tuned. If and when it happens, I will post a new thread.
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hiway29
Sad. I would have thought him to ultimately have more sense, but then I knew him well a long time ago, when we were thick in way world. Like with many that I knew who were in the corps, there was a point where I couldn't relate to the narrow vision and lock step mind set. Still, he and his wife were gracious and giving with me at the time, and I find it all quite sad.
At least I'll know not to throw any more money that way, should the request come again.
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JeffSjo
So much about the things that I'm certain are going on trouble me.
The young women are mostly staying, many of them having bound themselves to Barnard with vows that were doubtlessly real to them when they made them.
Many young men leaving, looking to start their own lives.
Some folks are very angry with Barnard, some are still loyal.
But they all have been led by doctrine and example that to talk about the specifics they do know is wrong. Nobody is even willing to lay out what their side of my situation was from their perspective while I was there.
The mostly well intentioned silence does not serve the truth at all IMO.
But I am being honest as to my intentions with them all. I don't think that is something they are used to, having been in an abusive organization and having been taught to just do what they are told according to River Road Fellowship's own self interest.
While they are led to see the devil in all the wrong places, they mostly seem incapable of openly discussing what RRF and Barnard is actually doing.
The more I see this situation the more I curse The Way International and that abuse hiding "lockbox."
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grand-daughter
Hi Highway, I can sadly concur with Jeff's telling you about MF and his family moving to Washington. It hurts me too, I seen them just the other day while taking 1 last opportunity to try to help my own daughter see the evil which is happening within this group before she moved to washington herself. My words unfortunately fell flat to her ears at this point :(. MF had helped me alot over the years in certain situations while I was in the group and it breaks my heart to see him follow in the destructive path. I can only continue to pray for them all.
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JeffSjo
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Rocky
UPDATE on this situation including an 11 minute video from a MN news broadcast just a couple of days ago.
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Modgellan
and another updated video with an interview of Karl Kahler today-
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/clip/10066513/the-history-of-victor-barnard
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GrouchoMarxJr
Wow!...I saw the title of this thread "River Road Fellowship" and thought it was a new thread considering the current news about Barnard...I was a little bit stunned to see that these posts were written nearly 5 years ago!
Now that Barnard is the subject of a nation wide man hunt, are there any updates from those of you who were involved with this guy? The truth of the matter is that there were many of us who went through the corps who could have pulled off what Barnard did...the reason we didn't was because we were not sufficiently sick, twisted, immoral, selfish or deviant enough to do it...
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/25279632/victor-barnard-the-history-of-a-cult-leader
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Karl Kahler
Hello gang! Long time no play. I was in the 14th Corps with Victor Barnard and his wife Stephanie Sarro, and as one of you noted I was interviewed by Fox 9 News in the Twin Cities, as well as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio. I'm an editor at the San Jose Mercury News and I'm interested in writing something about this myself. If anyone has contact info for Jeff Sjolander or anyone else who was involved in River Road, I would welcome your email at kkahler@mercurynews.com. Thanks!
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excathedra
holy god to the pure all things are pure
he learned a lot from wier-W-I-L-E
yeah he's worse ppppffffffffftttttt but definitely touched by the master's hand
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Karl Kahler
For those who are interested, I've talked to some knowledgeable ex-insiders from River Road Fellowship, and I hope to publish something soon. Stay tuned. If and when it happens, I will post a new thread.
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