In 1999 a series of prophetic words were given to me regarding the state of the Church in the Fox Valley in northeast Wisconsin. A significant part of those prophecies were directed at a large Evangelical Church named Christ the Rock Community Church (CTR).
In the course of discerning those prophecies, the leadership of the church I attend, Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) and I came to the conclusion that there was enough factual evidence found to go forward with sharing them with Pastor Bill Lenz, his leadership at CTR, and finally, with the public.
As the prophecies began to come to pass and the information disseminated, many inquiries about content and process arose. So through much prayer and the prompting of the Lord I put this “open letter” together explaining briefly why I came to the conclusion I did and linked up the original documents that speak to each issue. I also believe that this letter is important because it has become our testimony of allowing Christ to be the head and what that has entailed.
The original word to Pastor Bill Lenz was simply that God was calling him to repent of not allowing Christ to be the head. He explained that Pastor Bill was sinning in this way by putting people into ministry that God was not, putting people out of ministry that God was calling into ministry, bringing people into the Church that God was not bringing into the Church, and putting people out of the Church that God was not putting out.
The biblical process that I took included sharing this message with Pastor Lenz personally. Afterward, I was of the belief that Bill had repented because of his response in the meeting and because of the note he sent me a few days later. Yet, I was told by the Lord that Bill had not in fact repented. I was then told that the devil would be loosed upon CTR and that the enemy would be attacking their families first. I was told there would be five things that would happen in the body of CTR before it would split.
After I had given the prophecies to the leadership at CTR to discern they requested that the leadership from my church engage with them in a more formal discerning process. Through these meetings the leadership at CCV came to the conclusion that Pastor Bill was in fact being called by the Lord to repent: See Elders resolve.
The CCV elders discovered a number of issues that caused them to come to this conclusion. Since that time a number of the specifically prophesied details have surfaced that have also influenced why I and others believe the CTR prophecies to be true. They are as follows:
- The first thing that was prophesied to happen, after the devil was loosed on the CTR body, was that the families of this Body would be attacked and divorces would increase exponentially. I was contacted by a number of CTR members regarding a meeting the leadership at CTR had, addressing the large number of divorces that ensued shortly after this word was given.
- Another of the five things to happen before the split was that Greg Sampson would leave the Youth Pastor position and CTR without Bill’s blessing. Greg did leave on May 1st the year after the prophecies were delievered to CTR.
- To date, the sanctuary portion of the plans for the CTR church facility has yet to be built as was specified in the prophecies.
- One situation that caused us to believe that Pastor Bill was putting someone into ministry that God was not was that Ben Lenz, Pastor Bill’s eldest son, was hired as the Young Adults Pastor shortly after he was found to be in a sexual relationship with a minor in the ministry that he served in as an intern. Also, at least one elder at CTR who was instrumental in placing Ben in that position was not aware of the sexual nature of the relationship. Nor was he aware of the inappropriate response of the few who sought to keep it contained after the girl came forward seeking help. This led us to believe that Pastor Bill was manipulating the situation by not reporting it, hiring Ben so very shortly after it was revealed and allowing elders who were not aware to put Ben into a paid pastoral position. The sinful relationship that Ben entered into after the prophecies were given speaks to the children being attacked with sin both for him and the girl involved. It also speaks to putting someone into ministry that God was not. Another issue that rose to the surface causing me to believe that Ben was not called to this ministry, at least not at the time he entered into it, was that a heresy called “Modeletics” spread through the group of young adults under his leadership.
- Another situation that was brought to our attention was that Janet Lenz, Bill’s wife, was put into a mission’s pastoral role that was later specified as the Saharawi Director. After hearing from the Lord about what I thought was a completely separate issue regarding pigeonholing Christianity with Islam, a long time member at CTR contacted me about Janet’s ministry being advocates of the Insider Method to missions which is heretical as well. This method proposes that Muslims can be followers of Jesus as they remain in Islam. This speaks to two aspects of the prophecies, first that Janet is allowing heresy into her ministry and has become a vocal advocate of it and second that she and Pastor Bill are in effect bringing people into the church that God is not bringing in.
From my perspective it seems that there exists subtle manipulation from Bill and those very close around him that sway the direction of the choices that the elders make, in order to obtain Bill’s personal agendas—not the agendas of Jesus Christ. I say this because I see in the wake of these decisions many deeply wounded individuals coming out of CTR with no avenue of resolution, restoration, or healing. The situation with Ben looks bad at the least because he is Bill’s son. The circumstance listed above regarding an elder not being aware of Ben’s sinful relationship and yet being involved in the process of hiring him speaks to the idea of Bill manipulating the leaders so that he could obtain the position for his son. And the situation with the Islam issue now compounds that perspective because Janet, who is the director of this ministry, is Bill’s wife. That being said, it looks to me from the outside that Bill is putting people into ministry who God has not called and he is giving many Muslims the idea that they are in effect in the Church when in reality they are not.
These are just a few of the facts as they unfolded that point to the prophecies and how they were coming to pass. There are many more, however, I feel that the ones I listed above are encompassing and serious enough to give the reader an idea of what has transpired and why we believe what we believe.
Each of the supporting documents for the ascertains found in this open letter can be accessed in the newsletter section on the http://www.shoutsofjoyministries.com web site.
http://shoutsofjoyministries.com/articles/Open_Letter.shtml
Well, Joie… this is all par for the course, a hard course to follow! It divides!
The Bifurcation of Everything
By Robert Winkler Burke
Of inthatdayteachings.com
Copyright 12/9/08
Strange times we live in, my brother,
All being split, one way or another.
You want a press view liberal, read the written news,
You want a press view otherwise, hear radio views.
You want to live in foul corruption, go to Chicago or coasts East or left,
You want to live in liberty, try interior states where rights aren’t bereft.
You want liberal, watch network TV,
For conservative, read internet blogging.
You want terrorists? Go where defense is much hated,
You want safety, go where manly strength isn’t abated.
You want lies exposed, go where social disaster has struck,
You want truth honored, go where God’s Bible has luck.
You want hell on earth, go where God’s ancient path is despised,
You want heaven on earth, go where God in man is still prized.
You want religion with greed, believe prosperity.
If fear is your God thing, believe rapture insanity.
You want religion relaxed, go seeker friendly,
For over-excitement, go prophetic jabberwocky.
You want religion lite, go just about anywhere,
For deep things, find a hidden prophet somewhere.
You want only ease now, you might find later hell,
Let God break your spirit for a better place to dwell.
Thus is the world, now cut up in two,
For each of us to choose, whom is who.
The baby is not whole, but has been cut through,
Solomon’s sword has made a Millennium move.
The Bible’s last page says the dogs’ll be without and the good within,
As this last page comes true, in shock and awe, the seeing both cry and grin.
My family left CTR one and a half years ago. We were personnally wounded by them, especially my son with special needs as they did not find it acceptable that he sit in the front row. Someplace he had never sat before after going to CTR for 6 years but it was his birthday so we allowed him to stay there. After church Dave VandeHey followed Zach to where we were, a few rows back, and preceded to tell us, as lovingly as he could, that Zach just did not belong in the front row where he was a distraction and a disruption. To make a long story short during the discussion with Dave, two different people came up to us at two different times and interrupted the discussion to tell us how much they loved seeing Zach at church and loved how he worshipped. These were God’s witnesses as far as I was concerned. However as “loveingly” as Dave tried to be, as Zach’s mother and having raised him and being with him for 25 years, all I heard was one more time Zach did not belong. What is that is said, that whatever you do to the least of these you do to me and bring all the children to me, do not hinder such as these. I mean after all Dave Vande Hey’s daughter is deaf and sometimes makes odd noises so while he sits in the front of the church, he and is wife sit in the back. “sick” We tried to resolve this and met with Bill and Dave but it was without satisfaction or understanding and they were deaf to the two witnesses of that day. I later called Bill’s house and asked why he did not deal with this himself, since he was there that day and was Dave his “hit” man so he did not have to look bad. Janet was apparently screening the call and immediately picked up to defend Bill, (no different than me trying to defend my son), but all she had in her heart was yelling at me, there were no words or concern for the hurt I was feeling. I think her exact words where, “How dare you!” which she said several times along with now I see who you really are. This from a pastors wife. I apologized to her but she said I did not sound like I was sorry. After continued conversation with her we did leave it aplogizing to one another but there was no understanding on what had happened at church which she was well aware of since she was there also. Bill had told me he got quite a kick out of the whole thing with my phone call.
I waited for over 6 weeks to hear from the church regarding this. They were well aware of how upset I was and should have been well aware that we had not returned to church but there was nothing. So finally I called and it was weeks before we could even get in to talk about it. When I addressed this Bill he try to reassure me that they had all intentions to contact me but had just been very busy. I do not know where I was on their “to do list” but it must have been at the very bottom. Truth be known, if I have not contacted them I do not believe they would have contacted us at all. I believe they had no intentions to contact us. Plain and simple they just did not care.
I know when Grep Sampsom left I did not like it. I feel there is much nepatizm and the “good old boys” club at CTR and Bill is not accountable to no one since the elders are all part of his “good old boys” club.
They have fired people at CTR for leaving there spouses as they find this to be unacceptable. I know the incident you speak of with the young girl to be true. I believe she was 16 at the time. Ben should step down in his position from CTR as this was statatory rape and he needs to publicly repent of his sins and apologize to this girl. The fact that Bill knew about it makes it even more deploriable.
Now lets add the whole Muslim thing to the mix with what they are doing. How the elders and others stay with Bill, though I understand one has resigned, is beyond me. They all have tunnel vision and follow Bill blindly.
By the way the situation happened with my son at The Vine also. A place where I thought we could call home. Again the pastor had two other men deal with. I guess they had some calls from some others at church who also found Zach distracting during the service and so they set up a very back row under there electrical equipment and would we mind sitting there. I thought segregation went out a long time ago. Now you would have to know Zach and the so called distractions he makes. Zach has Down Syndrome and Autism. He is 25 years old. He tends to make throat noises due to anxiousness, to which we usually tell him to stop or he may look done at me and say something to which I give him the quiet sign and sometimes he fidgets with his clothes by lifting his t shirt a little. My question is where are all these people focus, is it on church and God or my son? Is this the way Christ would have handles this. Zach loves going to church and Zach loves to worship and to sing, can his behavior be distractable yes but is it really that bad, no. Even at The Vine another family that overheard the whole conversation walked out of church also, another of God’s witnesses. They came to our car to talk to us and to let us know the not everyone in that church felt that way and they were very sorry. I was once again hurt and in tears. I asked why they left and they told me they overheard the whole thing and could not stay there after what they witnessed. They also talked with the men who confronted us that day. We left that morning and have not returned. There was no call from The Vine and one of the men is my neighbor, he is in his 40’s has no children let alone a child with special needs. He has not bothered to come and talk to us.
I HAVE HAD IT WITH SO CALLED CHRISTIANS AND CHRISTIAN CHURCHS AND WHO THEY PROFESS TO BE. One day they will all have to answer to GOD. To me they have shown me who Christians really are and who they accept. It is a sad case and I am sure one that Jesus Christ is not happy with. ALL are created in God’s image and ALL have their gifts and ALL have something to teach and ALL have a purpose given to them by God and the way people with special needs are treated, ignored like they are not there, not accepted and not seen as children of God etc these people will one day answer before God for how they treated His children.
Thanks for listening…..
Mary I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I knew Jan Lenz, Bill’s mother, very well, she was the best friend I ever had. She had a son named Timmy who was severely handicapped and who she brought to church every time the door was open. If she knew that you felt in anyway segregated or pushed to the back she would be very angry and deeply wounded. I wonder what Bob would say about this.
I want to encourage you to take this wound to the Lord. He knows just where to send you and Zach, where his love for worship is enjoyed and celebrated and where you can be comforted and built up.
I will be praying for you both.
Here is an example of the heresy that Janet brought into the Church through the Jesus in the Quran Conference that her ministry there hosted. These tape recordings are actually from that very conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3F0RcOWzss
Maybe you should take this post down now.
I mean, take this “prophecy” off of the internet now. It would be an act of grace. Those that knew Bill are hurting now that he has passed.
Please contact me. I have been deeply wounded by Bill and Janet Lenz.
Any chance I can find out where the CCV church is currently located? I could not find it in google.
Ccv is now “breakthrough” i think
To the leadership of CCV Church and Joie Pinkney,
I need help resolving a conflict I had with Bill and Janet Lenz in 1989. Mr husband Will VanMoorleghem was an elder from 1984 to 1989 when the church was New Corinthian Chapel. We were very faithfully involved throughout those years. We were shamed out of the church for questioning Bill and Janet. It was awful. We weren’t even allowed to say goodbye to the church body.
My husband never fully found peace after that horrible experience. Our marriage didn’t survive, and my husband died at age 61 of alcoholism and prescription drugs..
I knew Joey to be a kind, sincere person. I am intrigued by these prophesies. I would welcome further communication to help with my healing and those of my grown children.
Thank you,
Jane Birkett { formerly VanMoorleghem|}
butcha1956@yahoo.com
1-614-565-5837
1250 Langworthy St.
Dubuque, Iowa 52001