Category: Churches

“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.” Proverbs 25:14

My husband and I had always questioned the rational behind Douglas Stauffer leading the missions department at our church considering his lack of experience as a missionary, but what difference did it make when we could inquire from other people around us about the realities of deputation and the mission field? Besides, maybe he did have bits of wisdom from his time as an assistant pastor, and considering he was a supposed evangelist, he would have already had experience and knowledge about deputation and how to get one’s name out to churches. We hesitantly tested the waters, keeping our eyes on Zambia, but instead of wells of wisdom, we found a perpetual drought.

Straining at a Gnat

“”Ye Blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:24

Peter Ruckman, an Independent Baptist scholar and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida, is well known for his outlandish claims about the “Authorized King James Bible” correcting the so-called errors of the Textus Receptus and the Greek and Hebrew texts. Ruckman’s followers, commonly referred to as “Ruckmanites,” have continued to perpetuate these teachings even after Ruckman’s death in 2016. Despite Pastor Andrew Ray telling us initially that Antioch Baptist Church was not a Ruckmanite church, we heard often from the pulpit about the fallacies of using the Greek and Hebrew, and how missionaries are Bible-corrupters [correctors] if they do not translate from the King James Version on the field. What did this have to do with Douglas Stauffer? Stauffer was a strong Ruckmanite and as far as we could tell, a major part of his job description was scrutinizing potential missionaries against this standard.

Stauffer’s personal view can be summed up with his statement that if one uses the modern version, he has no authority, and if one uses the Greek or the Hebrew, he is his own authority. (For a more detailed response from Stauffer himself about referencing the Greek and Hebrew, click here.) When it came to those of us surrendered to the mission field, rather than advising on how to find churches for deputation, he asked us to make a database of churches for him that were not only King James Only, but also did not use the Greek or the Hebrew. Essentially, he taught us how to limit our resources to a legalistic, Ruckmanite standard, making us thankful for being able to fall back on the insight we were given from experienced missionaries at Crown College of the Bible.

Seeing the Forest for Trees

The second part of Stauffer’s job description as head of missions was visiting the missionaries our church supported to make sure they were doing what our church felt they were supposed to be doing with our monthly support. But how did he view them? As equal brothers in Christ in the ministry? As one body working together for the cause of Christ? No, not in the slightest, because interestingly enough, Douglas Stauffer stated repeatedly that pastoring in the United States, a job he supposedly did not want to do, was significantly more difficult than being a missionary on the foreign field. The irony though, considering his previous position as an assistant pastor, is that he stated repeatedly that he, personally, would never go to Africa.

Guiding Future Missionaries

While we were not looking for a close mentor or someone to hold our hands, we were longing for hands-on experience in the ministry to prepare for the field. In contrast, when it came to our calling to work with the Deaf in Africa, Stauffer purposefully limited- and eventually eliminated- the amount of times we were interpreting in the service despite that the set-up was established in case any Deaf showed up at the church. What was his reasoning behind the decision? It was supposedly so we could receive more of the actual preaching.

Additionally, his lack of encouragement for anyone in their personal walks with the Lord and failure to point anyone to Christ for direction and guidance spoke volumes. Instead, he was a detriment to those God had called to the mission field and even later excused his behavior by equating one’s ability to deal with his discouragement with how successful one would be on the mission field. Stauffer was, admittedly, a purposeful stumbling block to my family, but God had already proved Himself faithful in our lives multiple times over, and thankfully, we were not dependent on Douglas Stauffer to get us to the field.

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: Planning on a Prayer” or click on the link below.

For a list of the complete series, click here.

********
Shop at our Amazon store! As an Amazon Influencer, this website earns from qualifying purchases.

Pastors and church members alike stand in grateful awe of an innocent young man who daily longs for a closer walk with his Heavenly Father, and desires nothing more than to follow God to ends of the earth, no matter the sickness, storms, or trials that may come, even if it means he loses his life. On the other hand, there are wolves and serpents who desire to destroy them or at the very least, tear them down, leaving them to pick up the pieces. Why is this? Is it jealousy? It is a bitterness toward God? Is it because man wrongfully tends to esteem the missionary calling above the work of an evangelist in the states?  Or is it the future missionary’s child-like faith that stings and convicts the heart of men like Douglas Stauffer?

Just a Little Boy in Michigan

The spunky little boy elbows his brother as the missionary wife teaching the rambunctious Sunday preschool class is asking for the hands of those who want to accept Christ as their Savior. His older brother tries to pull his arm down until his side is met by the pointed corner of the little boy’s elbow. As the blonde preschooler proceeds to go to another room with a few other children, he does not come to a saving knowledge of Christ until the very moment he is repeating back, and simultaneously grasping, the points of a sinner’s prayer.

A Call to Missions

At the age of seven, he surrenders to be a missionary, and at the age of twelve, specifically to the lost and dying souls in Africa. As a teenager, the young man fervently studies the word of God and prays with such personal intimacy that God can be felt nearby with every word. During his first year of Bible college, after a heavy influence on the country of Zambia, Africa (two countries north of South Africa), he yields himself yet again to the tugging of the Holy Spirit to reach the Deaf in Zambia, a people group often without even a basic language structure, almost completely unreached for Christ.

Moving Forward by Faith

That same year, that Christian young man and I meet, myself just a young Christian girl also surrendered to missions, but completely entrenched in the troughs of a legalistic, Independent Fundamental Baptist mini-cult situation. We begin courting as the situation unravels, and we begin to plan our lives together through deputation and serving God on the mission field. A couple years after getting married, we leave the pastor-worshiping church at the college and find a quaint little church in the Knoxville area: Antioch Baptist Church. We join knowing full-well that my husband, Matthew Olds, will likely never receive his bachelor’s degree because we were initially from out-of-state and will no longer be members, per the enforced rules at our Bible college. We press-on through education at Antioch Bible Institute in preparation for the mission field. Just a few months later in 2014, the Lord works a miracle, placing Matt on the list to walk at graduation, opening the door for him to complete his classes and officially complete his degree. All he needs are a couple more classes and his mission’s internship, a trip that he has been planning for years to use as his survey trip to the mission field.

An Opportunity to Visit the Mission Field

Later in the fall, an opportunity arises to go to Zambia through a missionary the church supports, but because of timing, Matt will have to get his passport and visa within two weeks, leaving me and our infant nursling at home in order to visit the field. This may be our only opportunity to see the field before deputation, but the largest Ebola outbreak in history recently emerged and is spreading rapidly, killing thousands of people, even within the Congo, one of Zambia’s neighboring countries. Even though I am a mess and trying to support him, Matt trusts the Lord, by faith, that if God desires for him to go on the trip that month, that God will work it out. Evangelist Doug Stauffer, on the other hand, strongly points out the logical flaws in expecting God to come through on such short notice and with the hectic circumstances. Individually, Matt and I see a stark difference in Stauffer’s view versus the spirit of faith so evident in our pastor, Andrew Ray. In the end, the trip does not come together, but we continue to pray that God will open the doors for us to visit the field before starting deputation.

Looking back, I can see the discernment in not going to Africa during the Ebola outbreak, but we had been taught repeatedly to “count the cost.” Even before surrendering to the field, we knew of missionaries that God protected when they ended up being swept down the Amazon river, literally watching the piranhas as they went, as well as countless other missionaries who lost their lives for cause of Christ. But Matt kept his eyes “set like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7) with a tunnel-vision on the precious Deaf he had prayed for already for years. This was our first true interaction with Douglas Stauffer beyond casual conversations about the King James Bible and the end times, and what we saw very vividly was Stauffer’s rapid shifting to relying on sight instead of faith. We questioned Stauffer’s mindset in the coming months, but when Pastor Andrew Ray encouraged us to garner wisdom from Stauffer as the head of missions, we attempted to trust our pastor despite our hesitations. But was Stauffer a man from whom it would be prudent to seek wise counsel and understanding?

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: Douglas Stauffer- Clouds Without Rain” or click on the link below.

For a list of the complete series, click here.

********
Shop at our Amazon store! As an Amazon Influencer, this website earns from qualifying purchases.

“Let another man praise thee, and not thine out mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” Proverbs 27:2

“Every way of man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2

As a social butterfly and extrovert, greeting came almost naturally, even in a backward church where several of the prominent men hesitated to vocally welcome or shake hands with a woman who had not spoken up or extended a hand of fellowship first. Surprisingly, this ministry opened many opportunities to connect with church members that tended to keep to themselves, or ones with whom our personalities did not easily mesh. The best part was that with every service we greeted (only about once a week), we developed a better grasp of some of our church family’s facial expressions and body language,  allowing us to reach out to those in our church family who appeared to be silently carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. On the other hand, unfortunately, greeting also increased the incidence of a reoccurring interaction with Douglas Stauffer, yet another product of what we feel is Stauffer’s greatest infatuation: himself.

A Peculiar Greeting

Sometime before serving in the greeter ministry, probably around when we all first joined at Antioch, he caught us off guard when he shook our hands and said, “Good to see me!” It was such a unique and comical statement that even when he said it the second time, it had only slightly lost its charm. By the third time, however, it had grown old, and even more so with every time he repeated it after that. For a long time, I brushed it off, attempting to give Stauffer the benefit of the doubt because of how often he traveled, and “Who could possibly remember everyone he made a particular statement to, especially if he used it at every church?”

When he stayed in the Knoxville area for several months at a time, however, focusing on his next book, Stauffer continued to use that phrase at most services with my family and countless others, revealing that there was likely some truth behind his playful statement. As if in betrayal, his tone and body language also left the lasting impression in several families that he actually believed the statement himself. I can still hear his sarcastic tone as he regularly greeted my husband at the door with a handshake and a “Good to see me!”, but at least formally greeting Stauffer at the door prevented him from focusing solely on our children while completely ignoring my husband, as had been Stauffer’s habit for years already. Were we justified in our frustration or were we merely becoming disgruntled over something petty and insignificant?

Parroted Justifications

Over the years, I privately questioned a couple people I trusted and respected about Doug Stauffer’s attitude in general, but the majority excused Stauffer’s words and mannerisms as merely being a part of his personality and confidence. There is no doubt that he has an outgoing personality, and, in the world’s view, that portrayed confidence during public speaking is considered essential, but then even in general conversations with out church members, keeping my hesitations to myself, many seemed to randomly parrot the justifications about his confidence and being a man who “loved numbers.” It was as if they were sub-consciously attempting to convince themselves at the same time, but because these were godly people who knew Stauffer better than I did, I attempted to let my guard down, even though I could never biblically justify the one continually boasting of his achievements in the Christian life. Later on, however, Stauffer confirmed my hesitations about his lack of character by relentlessly tearing down others and eventually placing his own pride before the safety of my family on a pending missions trip. Before finally getting to Stauffer’s deceitful actions in the months leading up to our trip to Zambia, let us look at Stauffer’s own perspective on the matter, as well as how his pattern of arrogance appears to continue after leaving Antioch Baptist Church.

Douglas Stauffer’s Prayer About His Pride

Just as several did in our church, Stauffer often supported his continual rattling-off of numbers by stating that he “loves numbers” as a CPA [Certified Public Accountant], but we feel his arrogance goes well beyond this overly used justification. A “love of numbers” is amoral by itself and does not automatically result in continually exclaiming one’s numerical achievements at seemingly every turn in order to increase other’s perception of his or her own knowledge and intellectual value. According to Douglas Stauffer, we are not alone in this observation. By Stauffer’s own testimony behind the pulpit in 2017, several people had accused him of being arrogant over the years, but after seriously praying about it, he concluded that he was, in fact, “not arrogant.” Therefore, taking into account the vast expanse of his supposed lack of arrogance, self-importance and egotism, I find the irony almost comical that on April 6, 2018, Doug Stauffer stated something seemingly profound on his personal Facebook page:

• Douglas Stauffer (April 6, 2018): “God won’t bless most of us with Bible knowledge because rather than a swollen heart, we would get a swollen head! (2 Cor 12:7).” (Link)
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe the Bible says it best in Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

A Continued Public Display

In 2019, just under a year after Stauffer’s carnal message at the King James Bible Conference where he compared godly people to a bunch of babies sucking their thumbs, Douglas Stauffer took over the position of pastor at Faith Independent Baptist Church in Niceville, Florida. As is to be expected, several people have posted reviews on the church’s Facebook page about how blessed they are to have him as a pastor and how thankful they are for him. While I truly hope Stauffer can learn from his past and actually treat people better as a pastor than he did as an “evangelist,” I feel that even his new stationary and promotional products continue the pattern of Stauffer promoting himself.

Notice the particular focus Stauffer placed (or allowed to be placed) on his achievements and accomplishments on his business cards and letterheads that he posted publicly on his Facebook page for all to see while “up at 3am studying for the Revelation seminar.” As is consistent with the way we believe Stauffer presents himself in a church and particularly while preaching, we feel that these documents paint an initial, surface-level focus on Christ, but is then packed with completely unnecessary information that focuses toward the great, accomplished and knowledgeable Douglas Stauffer.  The Bible says, “He must increase; and I must decrease” (John 3:30). Christ is the One that Stauffer is supposed to be exalting in the ministry, not himself.

• Douglas Stauffer (October 22, 2019 at 3:35am): Up at 3AM studying for the Revelation seminar…but want to share my new business card and letterhead. (Link)

The Prideful Preacher

Upon questioning any of his actions over the years, and especially following the Bible Conference in 2018, several justified Stauffer’s wording and mannerisms as merely being part of his personality and confidence. There is no doubt that he has an outgoing personality, and, in the world’s view, portrayed confidence during public speaking is considered essential, but continually proclaiming achievements and relentlessly tearing others down has no place in the life of a Christian. I firmly believe that this is more a matter of Douglas Stauffer’s character, or rather, the lack thereof.

Though one can attempt to give the benefit of the doubt, assuming Doug Stauffer may, in fact, be clueless about his prideful and spiritually abusive nature to use his presumed positions of authority to destroy anyone who does not worship the ground that he walks on, his proclamations in 2018 of purposefully starting off meetings with a heavy hand and being able to do whatever he wanted in the ministry at Antioch proves otherwise. Because of the numerous red flags about his lack of character, we had attempted to be cordial and friendly, but cautious. As much as we tried to avoid him beyond the casual greetings and conversations as church members, his swollen head eventually placed him at the head of missions, resulting in his direct influence over our time at Antioch Baptist. Personally, the part I will never forget is when Stauffer repeatedly used deceit, potentially leaving my family in a dangerous predicament in our upcoming missions trip to Africa.

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: A Missionary’s Dream” or click on the link below.

For a list of the complete series, click here.

********
Shop at our Amazon store! As an Amazon Influencer, this website earns from qualifying purchases.

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

How does a Christian reach the point of openly sinning without remorse? How does a “man” abuse the pulpit, harass the people of God, and then attempt to scare them into silence, another large situation still yet to come in Stauffer’s dealings with my family? I was not privy to how Douglas Stauffer reached such a level of callousness of heart, whether through military training in endurance and interrogation techniques, or because of embitterment after years in the ministry, but Stauffer made cruel and aggressive behavior behind the scenes a habit, all while craftily criticizing and insulting publicly, and claiming that the end justified the means. During such times, we believe he showed little to no concern for the effects of his actions on others, so long as it benefited him in power, position, or public opinion. As shown in the cases below, Stauffer is not a novice in the world of berating others for his benefit, even on a public platform for all to see or hear, but pay particular attention to the last example where Douglas Stauffer justifies his churlish response to a customer who came across as an “anonymous user” on Facebook.

One Book Rightly Divided (March 23, 2018): “We are taking pre-publication orders of One Book Rightly Divided at www.Bibledoug.com . . . Be forewarned: This is NOT the same book with the same title. Instead of the inherent problems associated with having a single reviewer in the first edition– a Diotrephes at best- we have 49 reviewers on our list across the entire spectrum of Independent Baptists. Many of these men are truly in the likes of Gaius and Demetrius (3 John 9, 12, 1). Those who have read the working copy have given invaluable input for change and exhortation for pressing forward on this groundbreaking work.” (Link)

• Douglas Stauffer (May 25, 2018): “I posted this blog on Monday . . .  It will be an appendix in the upcoming release of “One Book Rightly Divided.” Please LIKE and SHARE with those who love to study the Bible and love the truth over the opinions of man. Doug Stauffer and Andrew Ray.” (Link) [A perfect example of potential manipulation for positive reviews!]
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Douglas Stauffer (July 15, 2019): “I just found out that ‘Reviving the Blessed Hope‘ audio book has been live a month ago.…got one review…a ONE star by a hater of the Pre-trib rapture. If you are an audiobook person and have read the book, please consider a review of the book to offset this lie posted by her. Blessings, Doug.” (Link)

 

 

 

 

 

• Douglas Stauffer (November 27, 2018): Don’t get me wrong; the post office did a phenomenal job of sending out hundreds of packages and losing very few. HOWEVER, one of the packages to Washington state arrived with only ½ of the books in it. About 6 weeks later, this package arrived with the six missing books. Can anyone calculate how much time it took to tape every square inch of this package and the waste of tape in doing so? Does someone have a job and not enough to do or just no common sense? Privatize the post office and incentivize the workers and we might not lose billions every year. (Link)
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Real Douglas Stauffer: 

In conjunction with these minor examples, one will find an actual example below of a conversation Douglas Stauffer posted publicly in response to a customer simply because the customer’s initial message was labeled as “Facebook User” on Facebook Messenger.

One Book Rightly Divided (August 1, 2018 at 6:38am): “We received this message anonymously from ‘Facebook User’ yesterday, but FB won’t let us respond to a bogus account so…here is the message and the answer.

MESSAGE:
I haven’t found anything on return from publisher of One Book Rightly Divided. I’m hoping I haven’t missed the rapture and you’re are not around and I still am.
If that’s the case I have more pressing issues than a book. maybe I should look up the sermon by Peter Ruckman on wat to do if I miss the rapture.
more and more I’m just hoping you have not got it back yet and there is space to repent…if ur around let us know.

One Book Rightly Divided (continued):

ANSWER:
Thank you Facebook User …if you are looking for the publisher website, here it is http:www.mccowenmills.com/, but the book is most easily accessed at www.bibledoug.com. Fortunately, if you are saved (which I hope you are), you cannot miss the rapture, but if you do because you are lost, here is my best advice:

Revelation 12:11 (KJV) And they OVERCAME HIM by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.

Trust Jesus and don’t take the MARK!!!!, but it is much better if you trust Him now and miss that whole horrendous period.

The books were delivered a week early (last Friday) but travels have halted the shipping until our return next Monday. If you have ordered the book, I can’t tell since the message is coming from Facebook User (I hope you are not truly a USER and if you are, we will pray that you get over whatever addiction you are USING…could just be hooked on Facebook. In that case, Mark Suckerburger can’t help you, only Jesus can). My BEST advice is to ensure that this is YOUR testimony:

Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

Sincerely, DDS [Douglas D. Stauffer] and ABR [Andrew B. Ray] (attached is the first shipment that went out proving we are still here and you have not been “left behind.” *crying with laughter face*

Public Comment/Response from Keith Patrick:
Excellent; a little accurate update was all I really expected, but thanks, a guess for the other. Im not fully up to date with how to find things on social media, and I have been fed up with people pumping up their “new or new and improved” book, movie or teaching. I’ve heard promises or whatever you care to call it for this book to be out. I just wanted the [latest] update on said promise. For everyone who is able to raise awareness and sell [their] product; few can meet up to expectations of the hype they have created.

Im hoping this is not the case with this book which I am awaiting.

Next time I only will pay for a book that has been printed and won’t fall for pre publication price with extras for speedy shipping.

I don’t know how to take things anymore, but I find most people far too snide.

• Comment/Response from One Book Rightly Divided:
  Keithe Patrick … that is so ironic that you are one that showed up as Facebook user (anonymous). Now that I know it is you, I can answer your inquiry with more precise information. Your book and CD radio interview shipped out on Thursday morning along with three free books—One Book Stands Alone (volume 2); The Fingerprint of God and Grace Purpose Giving. We tried to make sure that everyone was rewarded for being so patient in this long process (and the unanticipated delays). In March when you originally ordered, we did not anticipate that the book would be delayed, but expanding it from 276 pages to 844 pages certainly took more time. The book simply kept growing.

Sorry if I took the anonymous nature a bit edgy. My wife has worked 12+ hours a day everyday to get as many books out as possible on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before we left town for meetings on Thursday. Unfortunately, we were only able to fulfill the orders that were made through June; yours was an exception since you had cancelled and reinstated. I left you in the March timeframe so yours was shipped as though the order was made in March.

Anyway, let me know when it arrives and whether there is anything else that I can do to assist you in ministry.

Attached is your shipping confirmation and www.usps.com tracking number: **********************

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: Douglas Stauffer’s Perspective About His Pride” or click on the link below.

For a list of the complete series, click here.

********
Shop at our Amazon store! As an Amazon Influencer, this website earns from qualifying purchases.