Hindsight isa ridiculously good teacher.. It reminds me of a movie I saw once about a traveling vampire circus. So, yes, then when she heard I was a pastors wife, she then said that she was, and told me who she was. I cant make sense of it, said RichFerchen, 52, who worked with Aarum at both The Chapel and the Ranch for decades. Individuals canalsotext LIGHT to 741741 for crisis support with a trained counselor, 24/7 and free of charge. Around the same time,The Chapel hiredMinistrySafetoformally investigateclaimsofAarums abuse. And NO alibis for ANY of the sitings! He is a good teacher and preaches for ME to follow the word. julie: looking at this from a completely nontheistic viewpoint, the fact that Pitts was acquitted should be proof enough, in this country anyway, of his innocence. And my family is better because of it! Mayor of Toledo, Department of Justice: Investigate Cornerstone Church for Sexual Assault and Abuse, Investigate Cornerstone Church for Sexual Assault and Abuse, http://crabwalk.com/2003/08/pastor-pitts/, https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2000/08/30/Pastor-Pitts-charged-with-drunken-driving/stories/200008300021, https://www.wtol.com/article/news/pastor-pitts-faces-judge/512-e11a9b95-93b0-42b3-8c56-a395a7481a30, https://gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/the-michael-pitts/, https://lifeaftercornerstonetoledo.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-just-me-life-after-toledo-pit-stop.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Pitts_(pastor), This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. I need to make one correction in my statements. Pastor Pitts pled guilty to trespassing. His kids dont defame people for all the world to see. For MANY reasons. Oh, and Hayden, thanks for giving your name. It's only a matter of time before this mess of a church is shut down for good. Ultimately false doctrine will lead to sinful actions, no doubt. He finds girls that he likes, and he gets them into a vulnerable position where they tell him everything, McDonald said. But I think he is great to take such a stand for his faith, on the radio!!! Whats that called again (I dont have an understudy degree) oh yea FRAUD. she was kinda snotty! What do you call what your doing here? All things are possible if you believe. Most of the more critical opponents of Pastor Pitts are memebers of other churches or never been to nobodys church. And about the term warrant. Community. Hes the only one that will never have his character tainted or be caught doing public perversions. Thats how I was raised. I would play this weird game of being bold and defending thesegirls, butdoing it in a way that doesnt get you removed,he said. In the end, she doesnt control what happens to Aarum, she said. If you are the Pastor, your going to have to give me some more compelling evidence. Why are there so many people concerned about Cornerstone, if its not their money that people given to the church? I am a member of Cornerstone and I want to say to Kevin (and whoever else may be wondering) exactly what happened the service after the DUI. Prosperity preachers didnt make that up. Devan ODierno told the USA Today Network that Wayne Aarum was physically inappropriate with her, including placing his hands on her bottom while hugging her tightly in an empty room, while she was on staff at Circle C Ranch in the 2000s. Non the less, Free speech is allowed unless it causes the defamation (sorry for the previous quirk, spell check is a genious) of character in more than verbalized, and reserved form, or prevention of potential income. so, if you didnt get that, it wasnt at all because she was not outgoing that I thought her snotty at all. There are many (legal) ways to structure things where you can take the burden of insurance off the church. Suppose someone was to lay out all that you, Josh, have done in the past 12 years, Im sure it would be somewhat less than flattering. Because if it is. There is a difference. It is easy to criticize the Cornerstone Church and Pitts until you analyze the situation. Citing client confidentiality, Dr. Forgac would not comment. Amazing. Carolyn McDonald alleges Wayne Aarum physically and emotionally abused her, including touching her crotch over her clothes and barging into her bedroom while she was in her underwear, while she was on staff at Circle C Ranch from 2006 to 2008. Bishop of Cornerstone Church Toledo and the Cornerstone Global Network After telling police last year he'd been molested by a youth pastor at Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Mathews County, a 16-year-old boy got an unusual call, according to court testimony. Anyway, yes, I noticed, as I said in one of my other posts, that his website has very little to do with God, and more about Pitts!! McDonald, a teenagecamp staff memberwho was at the Ranch working a winter churchretreat, sobbed through a confession Aarum had spent hours prying out of her astory of watching porn when she was 13. I just recieved this email from a friend. In this instance, your years of experience isnt as valid as youd wish. Others were less sure.. Although he will likely never be as popular as he once was, with the help of friends like Mohler, he can continue to speak and earn a four-digit speaker fee. Thats it! Cornerstone Youth exists to disciple resilient believers that influence culture. What does that person have to offer him? On the surface, we know that its the promise of mega money which lures in vultures like Jakes, Long and White. Look people, if Pitts WASNT guilty, why did he plea bargain with a sudden deal? Am I a prophet, well, I have received prophecy from God. Josh, is there any way you could post the Police Report from the Delta arrest? But there was a significant amount of evidence that many people found quite convincing. On the contrary, he is a manipulative, arrogant man. Let the mean rest. Aarum declined to do a phone, Zoomor in-person interview. After the lawsuit against SGM was dropped, in fact, Mohler and two fellow evangelicals published a. for Mahaney, calling him our friend and a vast influence for good. The statement claimed that Mahaney was not charged with any credible, serious, and direct wrongdoing. Thus, they wrote, we, along with many others, refused to step away from C.J. And Kathy, re: your comment: Im sure your cousin is the only saved person that has contributed to this board. Isensed that I was a part of something very good. Here you will find a variety of messages from Phil and Meredith Ryburn and the team at Cornerstone C. Cornerstone launches as the Downtown Campus 2019 Phil and Meredith Ryburn installed as Lead Pastors Privacy Policy Download Our App Careers Contact Us 1520 Reynolds Rd Maumee OH 43537 hello@cornerstone.church 419.725.5000 Copyright 2023, Cornerstone Church. But I know, your not mad in the slightest. He has dozens and dozens of engagements annually. You will not hear from me again on this forum, because I have better things to do than dig up peoples opinions of my past. He has nothing valuable to offer except false doctrinewhy is that so difficult for you to grasp? But for the record, I am a pastors wife. Your response shows how ignorant you are. Im sure those that go looking for dirt on people find it amusing and helpful, however Ive learned if you go digging up the past all you get is dirty. He was friendly and charismatic in public, and his 6-foot-3-inch frame commanded a roomwhen he delivered sermons about sin and salvation. He will be judged with the rest of us. Though, there are false prophets that have tried to use God for their own gain, God always expose them in the end. Most people who have problems with the Cornerstone are not looking at it from a religious point of view. They are non-denominational. We all fall short of Gods laws. Cornerstone Church is located across NW Ohio . Your gossip bone must have got the best of you. How are offerings handled? He has consistently denied allclaimsagainst him of inappropriate conduct. I am a part of the pitts family and reading this has been both hilarious and very very sad. During that time, Pitts was the only person in the city of Toledo, let alone Delta, driving a teal blue convertible Saab. Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer, and Jerry Gillis, lead pastor at The Chapel, discuss the allegations against Wayne Aarum. Pastor Michael Pitts spent nine days in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio after state troopers pulled him over last December. Mahaney called Cornerstone Church, where the conference was held, one of my favorite churches on the planet, predicting that there will be massive fruit from last nights [conference] till the end of time. I dont care if you let the mean rest. 2 days ago. Im beginning to feel like Im back in High School here. Im not trying to critize, just inform you. Inever meant to make you feel uncomfortable.. His parents were raised attending church regularly. He said Im just about ready to say that your not saved if you dont tithe. Nah, not gonna give you my name. [1][3] The church grew rapidly and by the age of 26, Pitts was preaching to over 1,000 weekly members. He just pleged another 750 million over the next five years. He has never done these things, and dont believe the garbage you hear about offerings and services etc etc. Cornerstone Church (Maumee) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go. Its all about them and what they can do for me. Former camp staffersand youth group members sayWayneAarum hada reputation for being boththe cool guyand the sensitive, serious type; some had a deep aversion to him. As far as thinking the people were walking in funny ummm I guess I can believe you were once a member of a cult. This public display of affection is just the latest in a long-running and highly public friendship. Its written in the Bible. Im sure you cant let this die.youre character is such that you must have the last word. Many ofthose womenwould later spend years in therapyto erase traces of emotional entanglement with him. I wish Id done more, Gillis said. Why shouldnt a pastor live comfortable and drive a nice car? They are both the same because they are both sin. Then, in 2012,Elle Campbell, a staff member and youth leader at The Chapel,went tocurrentLeadPastor Jerry Gillisabout a concerning incident between a youth group member and Aarum at Snow Camp. You are right, I notice something about Toledo Area. I believe this forum has become abandoned. Alas! More significantly, I believe these imposters are, at best, a poor representation of a man who Ive come to realize has a shockingly superior intelect to that of the average person. A subpoena is what you and your understudy degree are referring to which is: a formal order commanding a person to appear in court under penalty. Unless the church needs it, Pastor Pitts doesns ask us for it. Of course (obviously) these are hypothetical circumstances because no one reads Bentons writing. YOU would know that if you knew him or even attended any services. I was uncomfortable in retrospect looking back on this and wishing I would have done more. If you have answered yes to any of these questions its time to start questioning your leaders. There have I been flattering enough. MAUMEE--A local pastor convicted of drunk driving is back home. I see there is no telling you anythingyou seem to know it all.I am a native of Toledo and I also followed all the articles ( even before joining the church)and if anyone in there right mind read them articles they can see there was no case against himit looked to me like propaganda for those who did not want this church to succeedthis has all become spiritual warfarethese people at this church are not blindedthe church survives but it is Gods willif in fact any of those issues were true the church would faulterbut in fact it is STRONGERone can truly see through what you are trying to presentit will all settle out in the end. amen! Julie: I just liked seeing you going back and forth with Dan. However, Mr. Smith said that he did receive confirmation in writing from Dr. Forgac that he and Mr. Pitts talked, though hes not sure how many times. You think they were convinced of his innocence? Arent you afraid? God Bless Pastor Pitts, Cornerstone Church, and all heares and doers of Gods word. To invest in and support our ministry, visit http://cornerstonechurch.info/giving to make a. Quite the contrary, I believe he does more harm to the Body of Christ than good. How to they do it? I have questioned if his indescrepencies subtract from the validity of his message. Go Denny!! I can say with extreme certainty that Pastor Pitts never said that the church did not give him enough for his birthday and never re-passed the offering containers. app is safe and it keeps me connected to what I need most, thank you Lord, https://pushpay.com/legal-center/privacy/. His next arrest was the very public exposing incident, in which the majority of charges were dropped and Pitts plead guilty to trespassing. this is the last time Ill be visiting this page, i have more important things to do. Cmon, how stupid would he have to be? Non the less, Free speech is allowed unless it causes the defamation (sorry for the previous quirk, spell check is a genious) of character in more than verbalized, and reserved form, or prevention of potential income. Besides, Ive said repeatedly, (if you care to look), that God will deal with Pitts, and Im really sick to death of the whole thing. And you will only know on the last day what a difference this conference made. But he saved his greatest praise for Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, architect of the conservative revolution in the Southern Baptist Convention, and the top-billed speaker at the conference. When asked if he had even been confronted about his interactions with teen girls at campbyboard members, Ranch employees or volunteers, Aarum said no family member or Ranchboard memberhad even complained to him regarding his conduct. Also attorneys dont issue warrants, judges do. Im not arguing with your choice to go there. I respect that you feel you are not in a cult. (Its in Maumee, a Toledo suburb.) Themeeting with the Circle C board, brokered by The Chapel,demonstrated the boards reticence to acknowledge apattern of troubling behavior from Aarum. You sure seem to have everything figured out I just hope you dont ever need any grace or mercy since it is certain that you aernt offering any to Pastor Michael or anyone elso for that matter. The USA TODAY Network attempted to obtain any relevant reportsfiled on Wayne Aarum fromtheOffice of Children and Family Servicesunder the Freedom of Information Law. Dont get your hackles up matthew and no name thats just my opinion. Watching the people walk in brought back flashbacks of when I was part of a cultish church called the International Churches of ChristI checked out the website and an eerie feeling came over me.it presents the church the same that the ICOC does. He grooms them to the point where they have noboundariesanymore. 38 people follow this. Within a year, however, she said she would go to the police to report heruneaseabout thehabitsshed seen develop betweenWayne Aarum and teenage girls at the camp. She added that the difference between the strict rules for teenagecamp staff membersand the operational freedom thatAarum seemed to have as a senior leaderwasstark;You start to see the dichotomy of how the kids are treated and how Wayne was untouchable as far as what he was allowed to do, she said. Im still not angry, but it seems youd like me to be. Though there has been some debate surrounding Pitts ability to get charges against him dismissed on legal technicalities, the Bible has no such leniency for those who claim to be bishops in the Lords church. That email launcheda series of events, including atleast two separateinvestigations into Aarums conduct,and the involvement of law enforcement and state camp licensure officials. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. If he didnt do these things, then you have nothing to worry about, right? Aarums breath was hot,his mouth inches from hers. But, I firmly believed I wasnt in a cult either.when I was involved. My opinion. In 1995, he was stopped by police after allegedly being spotted masturbating in front of two young boys hitting golf balls at a local baseball diamond. I like the pastor. I am not a member of Cornerstone, but my membership is at another church in the city, but I still find it very disgusting that people would rather gossip about a pastor who has struggled, rather than pray for Him and trust God to work things out as only He can. All Rights Reserved. How are church leaders selected? Sorry, I do buy it. When a pastor resigns after his 77-church network is implicated in "the largest evangelical sex abuse scandal to date," how long does it take for him to regain the trust of his colleagues? Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Since his last name is not pitts, they didnt know he was related to him. Wes Aarum Jr. did not return requests for comment. The judge was SOOOO MAD! He does not take money from us that the Lord doesnt tell us to give. Absolutely furious. Case was dropped then and there, because there then WAS NO CASE. First off, I dont go to his church nor have I ever attended or given him any money. There are others who have gambled everything doing far lesstell me why Pitts would be above it??? 19 likes. touchy touchy arent we? Cornerstone Church is a biblically-based church that declares Jesus everywhere and leads believers in a life of resilient faith. Look at the lineage of Jesus in the book of Matthew, Jesus line is litter with imperfection. Are you going to be labeled in some way.such as proud or self-righteous? I dont need to see the act to know its true. Mr. Smith said that as part of the negotiation, prosecutors agreed to return to the defense any evidence of Mr. Pittss counseling sessions with Dr. Gregory Forgac, a Toledo psychologist who frequently deals with sex offenders. Learn more. I doubt, however, that he likes to advertise his legal difficulties. Patterns of predatory behavior emerged and grew more egregious as time passed. So I dont care that I am gossiping, besides Im not a pastors wife therefore I am also not bound by this imaginary code of behavior. This is why I did not actually have to witness the incident to know its all true. Can you not read, or do you need pastor Pitts to help you read as well as explain scripture to you. Hes a great man with a past. whats one more sin I guess if I find you all Ill have to Get prayed over BY Pitts for whiping your asses and getting you fired like Toledos Denny S 92.5 FM your next. According to Randy Fancher, a board member at the time,Hilliker's recommendations, relayed viaa meeting with board members and later in a thread of emails to board members, were that Aarum resign permanently and be replaced,and that the board be restructured to add more non-family members. LOL, hes out using his Understudy degree!! On the contrary, I thought she spoke alot!! Others were less sure. They were righteous. We're always working on improving, thanks for . It would not square with what I know his character is. A different perspective I dont necessarly dismiss the man based on his actions. If you are an currently an enabler of Michael Pitts, I urge you to immediately discontinue sowing seeds (aka giving him money), attending his conferences or warming the benches at his local theater church. I agree with Lily on the things that she compares with the Bible. He said in a May 7 email thathe followed Ranch policies, except in emergency cases in which men and women may have to have physical contact. I thought Jesus completed the law and prophets yet you quote it to support your prosperity message. You must be dumb as a stump to miss that one. hahahaha! The more his congregation makes, the more he makesthats reality. In early 2021, The Chapelheld a members-only meeting to sharesome of the findingsand to announce the church wassuspendingall activities and financial ties to Circle C Ranch. Take Care, Please do ask. Doesnt it say in the Bible that you are to tithe to the church 10% of your wages? Marjorie Taylor Greenes Red/Blue National Divorce Looks an Awful Lot Like a Confederate Flag, Can Rage Fuel the Struggle for Justice? HOWEVER, HE OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME PERSONAL ISSUES. His roles asyouth pastor atBuffalo-area churchThe Chapelin the 1990s and then as presidentat Circle C RanchinruralCattaraugus Countyplaced him in close proximitytodozens ofgirls particularly youth group members from area churches, andcamp staff members. Kathy is a very benevolent and kind lady, (shes not outgoing at all) which is probably why you thought she was snotty. Rob Shryock is an author, journalist and editor of the Religion blog "God Is Sometimes Great." Futhermore, you obviously did not really look into the Delta incident. Hey, anonymous: I guess no one reads my writing except you, who keeps coming back to my site five times a day to leave anonymous comments calling me gay and asshole. He was out of the country on half of the alleged dates. His alleged penchant for public masturbation only became a story after he was facing criminal indictment. Joe Ferranterememberscomingupon a group of female counselorson one of his first days on staffat the Ranch when he was15. Sorry you didnt have a great experience with us. I have discovered there was not an arrest as has been claimed on this site. I happened to be attending the service right after Pastor P. had received the DUI. If you are that concerned about a so called false-prophet or a church being led astray by false teachings then get on your knees and do some real intercession pray for this man and these people.oh and one more thingLord, you are awesome!! Contact Sarah at STADDEO@Gannett.com. Gillissaid he brought the concern tohis Chapel colleagueWes Aarum Jr., Wayne Aarums brother, who said hed handle it from there,Gillis said. After reading all the posts I just cant believe it.. instead of bashing Pastor Pitts we should be lefting him up in prayer.. If youre looking for the truth, I promise you that you will never regret if you choose to leave there. Patterns of predatory behavior emerged and grew more egregious as time passed.. It is not Bill Gates billions of dollars in donations that makes him righteous. Michael Pitts has a church that is growing AND winning souls for Chirst, he is feeding the hungry, hes building a world class ministry from Toledo Ohio. Image: Courtesy photo . THATS ALL. Nothing. He was released over the weekend. Firstly, many many individuals in the city of Toledo were and have been very unhappy about Michael Pitts once the church started to grow big. This info was disclosed via tape recordings to the defense and they were ready to use it. Comparing Mohler to legendary American pastor Jonathan Edwards, Mahaney rhapsodized about how smart Mohler is by gushing over his stack of books: Ive seen his stack of books. Barnaum or even the great Dr. Suess, Jesus has the first, last and middle words. And His Word, and His People! In all of those years, much to the shame of its leaders, I have NEVER heard such righteous teaching. Everyone says they always turn you down though, and you have to fight. Lucky the Leprechaun. Mahaneys former flagship church, Covenant Life, gave an additional $15,000 to SBTS. Shed resignfrom her position not long after, her emotions a mix of heartbreak andfrustrationasshe leftthe Ranch. Until members really wake up and ask God to show them the truth, this man will continue to excel. Many former members believe that the church preys on underprivileged minorities, especially in the black and hispanic communities and those with lower socio-economic status. I pray that my family and friends who still attend wake up and see the false teachings this man is heaping on the City of Toledo. Advocating for sexual abuse survivors If you were sexually abused by a #MattRasor, Chief Financial Officers of Cornerstone Church - Maumee/ Toledo, we want to help. Men will rise and men will fall but the one I came to preach about is JESUS! TOLEDO, OH - This will not be easy on the eyes. TOLEDO, OH This will not be easy on the eyes. I hope you all will take a lesson and leave it alone. I do not care about your efforts to attack me, but you all need Jesus. and called and tried over and over to contact the church (it was a service night)to let someone know. Once again, my fault with Charasmania is that its beliefs are wrong, thus discounting its actions. And the image STILL continuesflashy cars, jewelry, fancy dudsetcwhos image is that?? My Cornerstone. Michael did marry me and my husband and I attended all locations (Douglas, Byrne, Airport Hwy. [1], In 2015, Pitts commenced monthly revival services in San Jose, California. As for why people still worship at his church the good pastor is a charismatic man. Why is it that since he has a big church, hes doing great things? Why dont you do a search to find out what Michael really believes. I completely agree with you. Silleman confirmed in May that theSheriffs Office investigation isclosed. The ICOC That is why he was not found guilty of ANY of them. I am a member and was when these incidents occured. Michael Pitts is an American pastor, preacher, and author. Perhaps you didnt decipher this from my prior postings so let me make myself abundantly clear: I love Pastor Michael Pitts. Had the authorities had any convincing evidence on him, they would not have dropped all the charges and offered him a trespassing plea, would they? The warrants issued by a court normally are search warrants, arrest warrants, and execution warrants. Yeah, sad situation. [24][25], Pitts is the second of four children to Eugene and Brenda Pitts. Pitts is not the end all be all in the Charismatic realm. [19] Following the trial, Metroparks ranger Russell Maneval was suspended for 60 days by the Toledo Area Metroparks for falsifying information on police logs involved in the Toledo case. [1] He has published more than a dozen books. I WAS in fact looking for some past info. Can you openly talk about your concerns with other members (like the Pitts fiasco I have seen messages about)about issues in the church you dont agree with? I left after the drunk driving incident because there was no true remorse from Michael for the ordeal that he put his members through. Thanks-Dave. Thats my cue to exit stage right. No. If you dont feel like you can approach a leader, why not? Do I need to prove this is really me, NO, because it doesnt matter. Why dont you add the other stories like how the church gives away bikes, toys and other items to the inner city kids, all the donations the church makes and the good the church does for the city with programs like Project Breakthrough.