When I first came into contact with Jews for Jesus, I thought JFJ was the best, best group of people in the world. Everyone on JFJ staff especially seemed to be one of the "beautiful people." To me, JFJ people were super-human creatures who could do no wrong.
I was surprised, after a training week with JFJ, when one of the trainees complained and complained about JFJ's people and training methods as I drove her to the airport.
How could anyone not think that JFJ was a perfect ministry? I was so, so puzzled, but put her negative comments aside and continued to believe JFJ and my affiliation with JFJ was a gift from God.
Whenever I heard about someone leaving JFJ, I thought inside that it had to be for the best and for the good of the organization. I would not allow anything to ruin my perfect picture of Jews for Jesus.
Most people will continue to believe in that "perfect" Jews for Jesus. I, for one, am glad that we can use this blog to tell the true story.
http://www.exjewsforjesus.org/
3 comments:
Someone commented that we should not spend our lives being angry at JFJ or bothering to expose JFJ's wrongs.
This person doesn't believe JFJ did any wrong really. This person says that JFJ will tell you they are sorry if you just go to them and tell them you were hurt.
Wait a minute! We've done that! Did JFJ change? Not at all. People are still hurt by JFJ and will continue to be hurt by JFJ.
So, let's continue to tell the real story. JFJ will never change in my opinion, but at least the truth will be documented somewhere.
On missionary staff I felt ugly things had to be done for the greater good, because our work was so important. I even began to think all dirty treatment of ex staff was diserved. If I ever spoke that I doubted the wisdom of ruining most ex staffs reputation slightly (they just weren't up to our standards), or greatly (they were covenant breakers.) I too would be chastised, taught humility (blind obedience,) or would be on the beginning of being shown the door. (Which usually begins with constant negative critiques of what had been up to that point satisfactory work) I believed we who stayed were better, and those who left, inferior. In these insular enviroment, what else could you think. Contact with parents was discouraged, you were working in an unfamiliar city, you almost by law could not have non "Ministry" friends. You couldn't even gripe to your pastor.
Denial becomes a part of your life, and it was for me even for ten years after I left. It is hard to believe that you spent 10 years of you life following a sociopath. Who set up a paranoid,suspicious hostile,self-serving, double standard enviroment, that I had thought was "A Ministry".
What a shame! What a sham
Our entire branch staff of about 14 people once approached the branch leader of Jews for Jesus with a list of quite valid grievances. We went throught the entire process that Jews for Jesus laid out for staff to follow in serious issue situations.
What was the result?
I sat in Brickner's office once and he told me that everyone who was part of that 'rebellion' should be fired and he would make sure they paid for not supporting the branch leader.
Today, not one of those who were part of that grievance process are with Jews for Jesus. We were all forced out, set up, treated like $%^&(&*## within five years.
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