Pastor Douglas Pirkey

Apostolic Ministry at Wellspring at the Cross

Combined Locks, WI 54113

27 October 2019

Pastor Dennis Episcopo

Senior Pastor at Appleton Alliance Church

Appleton, WI 54913

Pastor Episcopo,

Since you refused my attempts to communicate with you privately about a very serious matter, one with grave implications for the body of Jesus Christ, it is with regret that this open letter is my remaining alternative.

The apostle Peter exhorted his fellow elders, “shepherd the flock of God among you” (1 Peter 5. 2). As you were made aware by your assistant, Robin, of my concern over the actions taken by a member of Appleton Alliance, my expectation was that you would have the disposition of a shepherd, but I was disappointed. Instead, you were like the hired hand whose concern, more than for the sheep, was for the “very touchy nature of the issue; [that] it should be between the board and their CEO; [that] you do not want to weigh into this; [that] you have a lot of church members who are CEO’s of organizations; you don’t feel like you want to be in the middle of something like that.” Those are not the words of a shepherd’s concern for his sheep whose unbiblical leadership of a Christian ministry has thus far caused the resignations and scattering of over twenty other sheep who were serving God in that ministry at Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London, Wisconsin.

Your church member introduced the ‘Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer’ (LGBTQ) ideology and agenda into a gospel ministry. Pertaining to your church member’s philosophy and methodological approach to that ministry, Christians were being told to “suspend their personal, theological beliefs;” you, personally, recommended Loux to Rawhide as a candidate for the position he now holds; before I had called you, you already had received similar calls of concern; but all this was not reason enough for you to shepherd the flock of God among you but, instead, was reason enough for you to stay out of “the middle of something like that.”

For what reason have you fled this attack on the ministry and body of Jesus Christ? The Bible says, “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep” (John 10. 12, f.). It is undeniable that you effectively, in this case, have fled the scene of a wolf attack on the flock of God, a ministry of sheep that has been scattered by a church member of yours. For such faithlessness, in the name of our Chief Shepherd, Christ Jesus, I rebuke you!

Pastor, you were instrumental in raising up to the head of a regional gospel ministry founded over fifty years ago, one to at-risk children and their families, a man who has gone on to politicize and undermine the life-changing power of that gospel ministry and its very Source of success. (This was made abundantly clear to me by Allan himself during my recent telephone conversation with him.) You have usurped the prerogative of the Head to raise up whom He would qualify and have instead via cronyism raised up your former church board member. You have had more regard in this matter for corporate norms than for the very headship of Jesus Christ. If Loux’s leadership in this matter does not disqualify him it can only be because those to whom he is accountable are also failing biblically.

Pastor Episcopo, you have conducted yourself in this matter more like a corporate CEO whose guiding interest is the status quo rather than as an overseer of “the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3. 15). While Allan Loux facilitates gender reassignment in children whose sexual biology is completely intact, you do nothing; while he prohibits Rawhide staff from verbalizing relevant biblical truth that frees persons ensnared by this sinfulness, you do nothing; and, while your church member assigns blame to the Church for the destruction wrought by the sin he in this matter facilitates in children, you do nothing. I implore you to repent and shepherd Allan Loux into the safety of repentance!

The children and staff of Rawhide are created in God’s image, but your church member has imposed on them the spirit of the age, of the ravaging depravity of man. But, remember the Scripture: “all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1. 16). Pastor Episcopo, it is your solemn duty to intervene and shepherd the flock of God, those created to serve the will and glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord! My heart is open to you should you wish to reply.

For the Rule and Reign of Christ,

Pastor Douglas