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CHURCH ON THE LAKE • P.O. Box 659 • Ketchum, OK • 74349
He raised up a new board and a new congregation and through prayer and faith and giving we began to see the Lord bring increase both to our attendance and our finances. The
restitution payments were but $700 per month, but we relied heavily on it to meet our obligations and continue to conduct ministry. One of our top priorities was directing any additional funds to pay down the debt which had been refinanced into the church mortgage before I took the position. The first year we were able to drop the note by $30,000. We give God praise for this.
Then something unexpected happened. The restitution payments stopped flowing in. I contacted the D.A. and discovered that because of a probation violation, the man who had swindled the church was put in jail. This couldn't have happened at a worse time for finances had become much tighter.
Then God spoke to us in a very clear and undeniable way as to what we were to do. Like a spotlight from heaven God shined down on Matt. 18 and the parable of the unmerciful servant. I'll let you read the parable for yourself, but God made it clear to us that He was calling us to walk in a greater level of faith and love than ever before. We were supposed to completely forgive the man of his debt to us. It seemed so against my natural thinking, yet my thinking was being surrounded by such a peace and clarity that this was God's will. Up until this time my heart been resentful of what this man had done to this church and it's standing in the community. Now all that was being washed out as I realized that God loved this man and still had a plan for his life. He still had a wife and two children who were living with the pain and shame of what he had done. Their daddy was going to jail. When he got out it would be hard to get back on his feet, especially with such a financial burden. Yes, it was his fault he was in this position. But I could not escape the powerful reality that it was also my fault that I was in the position of deserving to go to hell when Christ died on the cross to forgive my debt of sin.
This was not a decision I could make alone. Both the board and the church as a whole had to vote before any legal action could be taken to forgive the debt. I prayed and asked God to give the same clarity to others as he did to me. In the following days, in what I can only describe as the spread of an infectious spirit of faith and mercy, both the board and the church body voted overwhelmingly to obey God's voice and forgive the debt.
The proper paperwork was sent to the appropriate authorities and a full set was also sent to the man with a cover letter telling him of our decision and our motivation. Some months later, from in jail, he sent a heartfelt letter of repentance and gratitude, which I tearfully shared with our congregation.
In the midst of this giant step of faith and obedience for us as a church, I began to make a bold request of the Lord. I said "God, if you would do such a thing for this man through us, what then would you do
for us?" I added "Lord, could we not expect you to forgive our debt as we have forgiven our debtors?" I prayed this because I have come to know God as a God who rewards obedience and faith with
multiplied blessings. I settled in my heart that God is going to somehow take care of this debt that does not belong to us.
As of November 2009 we owed less than $144,000 thanks to the generosity of many people who gave in faith and our aggressive efforts to apply additional funds to the principle.
Would you like to be a part of this story of grace? You can in either of two ways. First, pray and agree with us for this debt to be payed off and secondly, ask the Lord what He would have you to do to
participate in this financial victory. We are not putting pressure on anyone, but we are simply trusting God to speak to those He has chosen to share in what we believe will be a cascade of miraculous
provision for everyone who participates. For it was Jesus who said "Give and it shall be givenunto you, pressed down shaken together and running over- for with the measure you use, it will be
measured back to you." Luke 6:38
If you can help please designate your giving to Church On The Lake "Erase the Debt"
May the Lord bless you and your household with all His best.
Our Story
of
God's
Grace
Six and a half years ago when I accepted the call to take on Church On The Lake, it was a church literally on it's knees spiritually, emotionally and financially. In 2001 a man had come into the Church and posed as a Pastor, but was in fact a con-artist. Through subtlety and deception this man was able to take control of the churches finances and conduct many illegal transactions which benefited himself, but left the church financially liable. By the time the church board realized what was happening and took legal action, about $265,000 had been embezzled and the church was left holding the bill.
Through a difficult legal process, the perpetrator was brought to justice. Because of a lack of sufficient evidence he was ordered to pay restitution for only about $65,000. Not only did this leave the church with some $200,000 in additional debt it would be responsible for, but the man's ability to repay his judgement would take years.
You can only imagine what this did to the life of the church. The story made headlines in the two major state newspapers. The community treated the church like a leper. Many people left the church feeling devastated and discouraged. Those who stayed wondered if God could ever work through their church again. The members of the church government felt as though they had failed their people. They too left some years ago. The next Pastor who came after this began the difficult work of helping the church get back on its feet. After 18 months as pastor he called me and informed me that he would be leaving and suggested that I come and explore taking the position. God made it clear to both myself and to the small fellowship that remained that I was to be the new pastor. At the time the church accountant felt the church would be insolvent within 6 months. God however had other plans.
