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Home/My Account
My AccountKevin2019-04-05T22:41:50-06:00
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What readers say…

"This needed to be said Kevin, thank you. I believe you are getting to heart of the problem in the church. Instead of a Christian being allowed to exercise their own conscience, the conscience of a few people living in South Carolina and California is forced upon the entire brotherhood." ~Anonymous

"Great blog, Kevin. I'm originally from Stanton (I remember you being a young boy there). I Spent almost twenty years in the church seeing many of the things you speak about but keeping them in the back of my mind, and doubting my own feelings that something wasn't right.

"This constant gossiping was so confusing because it was OK for teachers to talk about people, but no one else to even question actions of a teacher. Being outside of that influence and away from the constant intimidation, it is so much more clear. There was no love or understanding. I'm sure most, except for the leaders, know something is wrong if they would just be honest with themselves. I regret so much putting my children through this more than I regret putting myself through it.

"I'm just glad I left. No need for being bitter toward anyone because it was my choice to be there and stay there. Keep up the good work." ~Loraine Forshee

I have read every word of this blog… I spent many hours/days reading… Feeling so sick inside… I felt so grateful to find this blog." ~Anonymous

"I left the group because I realized that what the group taught and what God teaches were often-not always-vastly different. I had to make a choice; stay out of fear, obligation, because of relationships, or leave so I could continue to follow Christ. I left. You know, one thing I heard A LOT while in the group is that “fallen away ones” are always longing to come back into the group.” At the time I believed it, but I just haven’t found it to be true! If it were, there would be plenty of people flocking back, and it isn’t happening. I have been in contact with quite a few who have left, and not one of us has thoughts about going back. Ever." ~Debby Stevens

"What’s ironic is that we point these things out to them only for them to ignore, dismiss and scoff at the blog both publicly in talks or sermons, and among themselves in secret. For you leaders and members of the SCOC who still read this blog, it’s one thing to dismiss the dissenters, but when you have people in your own ranks parroting the SAME EXACT PROBLEMS we talk about here (some of whom don’t even read the blog yet they see the same things we do), it may be time to consider your ways instead of having “unity” (conformity) meetings trying to ignore it." ~Advocate for Peace

"I too am a current member in 'good standing' in the church. I read the blog and I know of two other current members who also read it. I am sure you're wondering why in the world I would still be attending after reading all of this. Honestly, I am weak and just don't have the courage to leave because of family members who are still involved. Because of the threat of withdrawal for murmuring it's impossible to ask others what they think of the blog posts and videos. I am sure I will leave someday, I'm just not quite ready." ~Anonymous

"I'm currently a member in "good standing" in the church. I read the blog, even though its frowned upon. I can't begin to tell you how closely the comments and personal testimonies align and match what's happening in the church. You read something here, and it opens your eyes to that behavior now. so that when you see it happening, you instantly think about who it happened to here on this blog, and you know the damage it causing." ~Anonymous

"I’m not giving up on God like they believe I’m lost now. I’m so glad I found this blog. It helped open my eyes to what I was a part of for TOO long." ~Not going back

Popular Threads

  • The unwritten rules I'm told that in an August 2002 meeting between Tacoma... 506 comments
  • Merie was right on this o... No, you can't withdraw from a nonmember. On one face... 501 comments
  • More from Donna Bennum Thank you so much for sharing your heart, Donna. Keep u... 318 comments
  • The real “Off Churc... In the Stanton sect, the term "Off Church" has only one... 281 comments
  • Q&A In the interest of generating more Biblically-based dia... 267 comments
  • Donna Bennum – Part... Thanks Donna for taking the time to do these videos! 242 comments
  • An open letter to the ema... I can't and won't divulge who the person is, and I hone... 242 comments
  • My Story, by Jeff Hernand... Thank you, Jeff, for your letter detailing your story... 239 comments
  • Fear and intimidation tac... 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect lov... 237 comments
  • Where are all the radical... Merie relished the word "militant." Perhaps she was mil... 220 comments

In the News

  • Changing the Call : To the Frustration of Family and Friends, Stanford’s Leon Vickers Trades a Possible NFL Career for Role With a Controversial Church
  • Leaving School to Join Sect: Stanford safety’s mother alleges mind control
  • Looking Back
  • Potential for a Rerun : David Vickers Could Surpass Brother, Who Gave Up Football for Church
  • Read More

Not Necessarily News

  • For Immediate Release: Stanton COC Source Says Teachers Are Actually Rabbis
  • Six easy tips to measure your relationship with God
  • Breaking News: Only sin will be forbidden by the church
  • Rules for prayer

Things Merie Said

“We can clarify the issues by exposing those who undermine and destroy the souls of those who follow pernicious doctrines ofmen. Let’s warn our neighbors, our unsaved friends and even strangers when the opportunity arises…” Merie Weiss (Church Lesson) More Merie Quotes

Things Campbell Said

“We will not hearken to those questions which gender strife, nor discuss them at all. If a person says such is his private opinion, let him have it as his private opinion; but lay no stress upon it; and if it be a wrong private opinion, it will die a natural death much sooner than if you attempt to kill it.” Alexander Campbell

Things Stone Said

“I blush for my fellows who hold up the Bible as the bond of union, yet make their opinions of it a test of fellowship; who plead for union of all Christians, yet refuse to fellowship with such as dissent from their notions. Vain men! Their zeal is not according to knowledge, nor is their spirit that of Christ. Such antisectarian-sectarians are doing more mischief to the cause and advancement of truth, the unity of Christians, and the salvation of the world, than all the skeptics in the world. In fact, they create skeptics.” Barton Stone

Things Gary Said

"Someone told me here just recently that, Gary, do you realize what’s happening, under cover? People are coming out and expressing what it is that they feel, their disdain and contempt for what you believe. I’ve got to know how to respond. And I know how I respond. That’s the basis of this lesson. I refuse. I refuse, to the uttermost of my being to dignify the absurdity of the questions and the challenges in which it is that people will present. What I mean by that is that I will not honor, they are not worthy of my consideration. … [M]y whole estimation was to not give it a nickel’s worth of consideration. But I want to give you what it is how I deal with things like this. How I respond. Because I don’t. I don’t." Gary Preman

Read by Date

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  • July 2017 (9)
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  • May 2017 (3)
  • December 2016 (4)
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  • August 2013 (26)
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The Stanton Blog Podcast


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What’s this site about?

This site is a history of a small group of churches I call the Stanton Churches of Christ after the congregation started in my hometown of Stanton, CA. The sect originated as a church split led by Merie Weiss from Spring Valley in the 1960’s. The commentary here is generally not applicable to most mainline or even ICOC churches.
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Recent Comments

  • Anonymous on Rules of attireLet me change topics. I recall a conversation with the oil truck driver in which he described being by a couples house, the man had stopped attending but his wife was still coming around and she was h…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireI don't understand your question , if the pedophile has been exposed and removed then how is Stanton responsible? You need to provide context as your question is non sequitur.
  • Lover of Truth on Rules of attireOne does not need to be married to understand the laws that apply to marital relations. It isn't wise to fixate on it unreasonably if one isn't married, but, they aren't complex and complicated. The B…
  • anonymous on Rules of attireYou make a great many broad statements and assumptions. I would not hear a wife's complaint against her husband as I am a eunuch (but free to marry due to adultery) and would simply refer the matter t…
  • Lover Of Truth on Rules of attireWell, here, I readily admit error, though I never heard of this instance which likely would have received a lot of attention. And, I admit my comment three comments ago was mistaken, and it was a misu…
  • Lover Of Truth on Rules of attireOne early mistake was that Christian couples were given rules and were supervised for what went on in the marriage bed. That is nowhere in the Bible. As long as both are consenting, there is no prohib…
  • Lover Of Truth on Rules of attireFirst, the untruth about Christians not getting more than 4 hours of sleep a night, second, the untruth about Christians being forbidden to exercise, third the untruth about DWC being withdrawn from f…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireThere is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. The world itself is neutral. -unknown. One can not control outside events but one does have the choice how to view the events that occur…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireThank you kind sir, again with vague accusation about lying, could you be more specific? A good liar will give details but the best liars will not, congratulations you are a top notch false accuser! T…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireYou are confused. The tyrant in Great Falls Montana husband was a non member whom she was putting prescription meds in his coffee, the couple you are referring to were in Des Moines Iowa, two totally…
  • Lover of Truth on Rules of attirePart of the frustration with you is the fact that your constant lying makes a lot of work for anyone who wants to set the record straight. We have work to do, praying to do, studies to do, books to wr…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireYou need to read Song of Solomon for an example of what is proper in marital relations. Missionary is referenced there in Song of Sooomon 1:13, and 2:6 where the hands are positioned. Ephesians 5:3 st…
  • Anonymous on Rules of attireThe pedophile has stopped attending? Sad that he choose to run away and try and hide from God rather than repent and stand and confess to all the children he has defiled, both in and outside the COC.…
  • anonymous on Rules of attireBless your heart, and may God help you in your walk of salvation. Let's do some basic analysis of your behavior, shall we? The arrogant treat all others as inferiors but treat themselves as superior,…
  • Lover of Truth on Rules of attireUnsure of the timeline of Christians having zippers on their pants, but 1992 sounds right. As for no playing cards, I was playing cards with Speed, and other games in 1995, at a teachers home, never h…
  • Lover of Truth on Rules of attireThis appears party true and partly egregiously false. It is irrefutably true that the early Stanton church through 2000 stigmatized uncleanness severely. Quite understandable with the deliberate explo…
  • anonymous on Rules of attireOne area that was changed and lead to great corruption was the rules regarding sexual behaviors. It was taught that the sin of uncleanness was the root of all evil. Then the woman teacher in Great Fal…
  • anonymous on Rules of attireThat rule was dropped in 1992? time frame, it was a May week question and it was reasoned that human have hand in front to do many things so it was normal and natural to have zippers in the front of c…
  • Tamara on Rules of attireI was raised in the Spring Valley COC that Marie started from 1976 to 1990. Something that was preached very heavily on regarding atire was that women couldn't wear pants that had zippers in the front…
  • Monte Cristo on Breaking free of old thought patternsPart 2 One book that should be read on this Plandemic hoax is: 'The Invisible Rainbow' showing how electricity, and it's damaging effects beginning with the telegraph has been used to damage our healt…

Recent Posts

  • Breaking free of old thought patterns October 18, 2020
  • Why Stanton’s view of unity is self-refuting July 31, 2020
  • An Open Letter to My Daughters January 28, 2020
  • Go ahead and be proud December 29, 2019
  • The swan dive into hell September 30, 2019
  • Rules for employment September 26, 2019
  • How to whitewash your sepulchre September 25, 2019
  • The Labor Day Meeting is here with hours of talks in the pipeline August 30, 2019
  • Anonymous Source: Church members refuse to help wife in sexually abusive relationship August 30, 2019
  • Everything I know about bad relationships, I see in Stanton August 22, 2019
  • Leading our families out of the wilderness August 14, 2019
  • Spiritual Abuse: Are You a Victim? August 5, 2019
  • Denying the moon landing and dinosaurs July 19, 2019
  • For Immediate Release: Stanton COC Source Says Teachers Are Actually Rabbis July 12, 2019
  • Sacrificing on altars of Stanton’s own making July 6, 2019
  • “Curious Chris’s” Story July 4, 2019
  • Does God cause bad things to happen to good people? July 2, 2019
  • New Atheism and smashing babies against the rocks May 31, 2019
  • No, Sunday is never called “worship service” May 24, 2019
  • Six easy tips to measure your relationship with God May 22, 2019

On the preeminence of love…

“I am less interested in all the doctrinal debates it would be so easy to get caught up in on this blog than in this one topic: love. Fix a doctrine, you’ve got hundreds more to fix. Fix love, and virtually everything else falls into line. Love changes motives, behaviors, relationships, exegesis, everything. There is nothing in life and faith that are left untouched by the subject of love.”

On Love vs. Duty

“Someone who is served by a person motivated by love will feel the love in that act of service. Someone who is served by a person motivated by duty will feel the duty coming across loud and clear, and it will not feel like love. So does God want us going to church because it’s our duty, or because we love?”

Contact Kevin

It’s my goal to be as factually accurate as possible. If you want to report a factual error, or communicate with me, please email me at kevinmharper@gmail.com or call or text me at 208-249-8893. I’d love to hear from you.

Note: All conversations will be kept confidential unless you want me to share them.

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Some have asked how they can support this effort. The best way is through prayer. But if you want to support this ministry with a gift or buy my wife a latte, I'm OK with that. ;-)

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