**Names marked with an asterisk (*) have been changed for the privacy of individuals and their families**
Over the last several months of planning before the meeting between Pastor Andrew Ray, Douglas Stauffer, and Matthew Olds (Matt), we had asked Stauffer a few questions about his experiences, per the direction of our pastor, but we had never been significantly interested in Stauffer’s counsel. We answered his questions graciously every step of the way, including about the time we were waiting for responses from the missionaries, and we attempted to glean the meat off the bones from any advice he provided, but we never could have expected what we believe was a direct result of not exalting and depending on Stauffer’s knowledge. Stauffer essentially turned around and twisted the minuscule amount of information he had acquired from Matt about our trip and attempted to use it against us. This became blatantly obvious when Stauffer expressed his disagreement in the meeting about our family staying with a Zambian national, a decision that was never even on the table of possibilities! But who were we planning to stay with in Africa?
The Truth
During the winter and spring, as we were searching for possible missionaries to stay with who could show us the field while in Zambia, we had already had several in mind. The first was a sweet, elderly couple, the Johnsons*, who had established a deaf school where the children stayed throughout the school year. The second was the Desalegns*, a well-known missionary family that several Crown students had been approved to stay with during our time at Bible college. At Temple Baptist Church, where we went to Crown College, Matt and I had both had the privilege of getting to know the missionary to Ethiopia, who with his compassionate wife, had taken Brother Desalegn* and several other children in at an orphanage, and taught them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
Brother Desalegn* later graduated from Crown College of the Bible, and was sent out as a missionary, and became well-renowned for his work with the deaf in Zambia, Africa. When we had a chance to finally meet Brother Desalegn at the college one year, he had welcomed us to come visit and see the work that the Lord had been doing. Unfortunately, we were never able to make contact with Brother Desalegn*, but the Lord still blessed, connecting us with another sweet missionary family that had been in Zambia for nearly twenty years. And just to show God’s power and grace, we learned that that family lived within an hours’ travel of the Johnsons*!
These decisions had already been made before the meeting with Pastor Ray, Matt, and Stauffer, but had Stauffer merely asked for clarification- a truth he did not appear interested in- we would have readily explained that we were not planning on staying with a random, Zambian national, as Doug Stauffer had insinuated to Pastor Ray. Instead, Stauffer continued to present his viewpoints as reality, no matter the amount of explanation Matt provided in the meeting.
In this series I share my thoughts and opinions concerning these ministers and the events which led to my departure. Click here to continue reading: “Blindsided: Matthew Olds’ Email to Pastor Andrew Ray” or click on the link below.
For a list of the complete series, click here.
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