Another Amazing Story
From Anonymous
The purpose of my letter is to confirm with you so much of what I have read on factnet
and the other sites. I have truly wrestled with putting this in writing and have
come to the conclusion that it is necessary because CII is definitely moving in
a dangerous direction. There will be several things that happen over the next several
weeks and months that will bring an uncomfortable amount of “light” on CII and if
anyone there is still reading this site then please open your eyes and hearts and
please stop burying those things deep inside you that you know are truly wrong.
The things I speak of here about Mike Peters I say with clear conscience because
to my knowledge, Mike has never admitted any wrong doing nor asked for forgiveness
for what I am about to speak of. For that reason, I do feel compelled to speak of
it in detail. Unlike what Mike and CII do where they bring up all of your past sins
that you have repented of and already dealt with in a Godly manner, I think that
is the tactic of Satan himself.
It is necessary that for now, I remain anonymous, however the time is coming soon
when that will no longer be the case. I will have passed this letter on to a few
trusted friends to have posted on factnet.
I was a part of the Church in Indianapolis under Mike Peters for several years.
In the beginning years, I believe that it all started out with good intentions.
I believe that Mike Peters really did have the best of intentions in wanting to
create a life simply and fully devoted to Jesus. I believe Mike wanted to create
an environment where people really did commit themselves to Jesus first, and to
serving one another daily while not relying on external structure nor luke-warm
Christians. What I personally witnessed over several years though was a gradual
but definite shift away from depending on and pleasing Jesus alone to depending
on Mike Peters and pleasing him and eventually his leaders.
The separation between Jesus and Mike became less and less over time. It got to
the point where when Mike said something it was received as the very oracles of
God himself. Whatever he said was unquestioned and people would act upon whatever
it was he wanted to happen. People at CII definitely viewed Mike as an apostle in
the beginning, however that would simply not be enough for Mike as the years rolled
by.
Don’t get me wrong though, because Mike did do a lot of good for a lot of people
including myself. Much of his teaching was sound and he himself is fairly intelligent.
I spent a lot of time with him and saw first hand and up close many things that
others would not have had the chance to see. Much of what I have read on factnet
is accurate. What is most striking to me is the similarities of what so many people
there have said. There is NO question that CII is now a very dangerous group, and
YES it very easily could become a “Jim Jones” type situation.
In the early years there was a gathering that some of you may remember where Mike
prophesied that the “Bob and Tom” radio show (which was definitely wicked) would
no longer be on the radio by a certain date. He said that with complete confidence
and authority saying that God had revealed this to him and we received it as such
and broke out in song and praise while rejoicing in this. The days rolled on, we
all prayed and fasted as the date Mike said approached. I’ll never forget that next
gathering after the date had passed. Mike was very displeased and instead of apologizing
for getting it wrong he scolded everyone there saying that the only reason Bob and
Tom were still on the radio was because of us- that we had not prayed and fasted
hard enough! We were all shocked and devastated. We believe him even then! We believed
it was our fault! No one, NO ONE questioned Mike or suggested that maybe HE could
have been wrong. I understand that that radio show was on the radio for many years
after that date and may still be on! But Mike never said another word about it.
This was the first time when something inside of me was telling me this was just
wrong. At this point though, I just went along with everyone else and said nothing.
After all, I reasoned(as everyone did) that there was so much good fruit in Mike’s
life that it is all right. “Where else do you see this kind of good fruit?” we would
say to ourselves.
The whole “golf thing” was really out of control as well. Mike was the first one
to start playing golf and before long EVERYONE was playing…women, children, everyone.
Mike has always been almost totally supported financially by others. That is why,
among other obvious reasons that I became so uncomfortable with it all. Here was
a guy spending thousands and thousands of dollars on golf(green fees, new clubs,
newer ones, newest ones, and even golf trips for weeks at a time) and it was all
money others were giving him “supporting God’s work”. Many families at that time
were not doing well financially (even Mike much of the time) but still “more than
a lot” of money always went to golf. If it wasn’t raining hard, Mike would be playing
golf somewhere almost every day…some times twice. Many people were uncomfortable
with this and some did question him about it. His reasoning was always that it was
a good way to spend time with believers and unbelievers and that the “spiritual
lessons and parallels” were too Important to not continue on with it. So, golf became
almost EVERYONE’S pastime.
I would see Mike often loose his temper and blow up at someone. I believe everyone
gave him “extra room” in this area as well never questioning him on it. Many times
during basketball games for example, Mike might get fouled driving the lane and
just start screaming at whoever might be refereeing the game. He would scream things
like “how could you not call that a foul, he was trying to rip my head off”! Often
times it was barely a foul at all and definitely not intentional, but Mike was so
intense about it all.
Everyone there would just stop in awe and shock waiting for it to be over, not knowing
exactly what to say. People would later justify it all saying that “Mike is a very
driven person and very competitive”. Somehow that was supposed to make it all ok.
As for his relationship with that single mother, that was always a situation that
made everyone uncomfortable. Mike would spend so much time with this sister that
he was always seen with her, driving places together, even to gatherings. He was
always over at her apartment with just him, her and her baby daughter. He would
often be seen in the wee hours of the morning coming out her dark apartment. His
wife would often break into tears over this crying to myself and others that she
just couldn’t handle it any more. The sisters would usually comfort her and send
her on her way. When this got back to Mike, I don’t know exactly what he said or
did to her but she would usually come back and apologize to us because “it was just
that time of month” and I really don’t feel that way. The look on her face never
gave much credibility to this confession. She felt as though she was being replaced
in her relationship with her husband and she was correct. I am not saying there
was a “physical” relationship between Mike and this single sister but it was wrong
either way!
I know that Mike was approached several times about this because again, everyone
was uncomfortable with it all. Mike’s response was verbatim “ I don’t care if the
entire church comes to me and tells me I have to change my relationship with (so
and so), I won’t do it. I will taker her and my family and move somewhere else”!
“God has given this to me and I won’t let it be taken from me”!
When we heard this, we were shocked and again just put it aside saying ‘there is
so much good fruit and “life” here, it must be ok.
I could go on and on, but I hope you see the danger of where this all winds up.
I believe Mike Peters probably still does have good intentions BUT he has become
blind to no longer be able to see the dangerous person he has become. CII has become
the habitat for a multitude of spiritual infants relying on Mike and his handful
of “spiritual leaders” because they are not allowed to exercise their God given
faith but instead seek only to please him and his intentions. If people there go
very long without seeing him or corresponding with him or his leaders they get nervous
and start feeling out of touch with God. They rely on each other in a way that actually
replaces God himself and in fact they would even say that the church there “is God
in the flesh”, it is His body on earth. Do you see the danger here. Mike Peters
does not have in any way a healthy amount of accountability and the double standards
exist everywhere around him. What he does and says and how he conducts himself is
not at all the same for ANYONE else there. He is a very dangerous person because
his followers are totally loyal to him and his wishes and will do just about anything
to support him REGARDLESS of what it is.
May God have mercy on you Mike Peters.