Christian Fellowship Church Ministries International

Lawrence Akers (16.07.2017 17:49)
Its the best place to be..

Richard Brand (14.11.2016 22:00)
I have been associated with this ministry for over 36 years. I have seen powerful miracles and amazing growth within people's life. I can't think of a church that has no sinners as I can't think of a hospital that is void of people needing medical help. If anyone sincerely seeks the Lord they will be led any one of many organizations that teach and live the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This ministry is not without fault, but neither are you & I. If you desire scriptural and spiritual growth, please check us out. We have tools and resources for evangelism, education to equip the Christian believer for these last days. Come and be a part of something eternal with us, you are all welcome. Negative commentators and old news promoters are encouraged to seek Jesus and live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, as we all value and teach; walking in the Word of God, the Word of Life and Light - in the spirit of unity and Biblical truth.

Ashley Burton (31.01.2016 01:31)
Thoughtful perishoners!

John Cady (10.09.2015 13:23)
As a former member and lay minister, I devoted over 16 years of my life to this organization. There were good things: I was baptized in Jesus' name; God filled me with the Holy Ghost; I had the opportunity to carry the gospel overseas on six major deployments when I was in the Navy; God allowed me to make some very close friends during my time there.

Despite all the good, there were some serious issues that could not be ignored. The most glaring example was the criminal conviction of the founder, L.R. Davis. We were told for a number of years that he was wrongly accused and convicted only to learn later that there was sufficient proof to find the founder guilty of his crimes. I submitted a proposal to Pastor Paine and Pastor Thomas to incorporate a system of reform so ministers and leaders could be held accountable. This was rejected in its entirety. This impasse was one of the reasons I could no longer hold a ministerial license with this organization; I walked out in March 2003.

The issue with L.R. Davis is personal with me. I was approached by CFCMI's founder but turned him away. Had I known what manner of perversion Davis was into, I would have walked out in 1987 and never looked back.

In my opinion, and it is just that - an opinion - CFCMI is burdened with the curse of the founder's sins. If Pastor Paine would denounce his late father-in-law's actions openly and acknowledge there are victims who need to be reached and helped, then we may see the beginnings of true revival and maybe some of those who walked away over the last 20 plus years will return.

There are other issues that need to be addressed. The fellowship hall practiced segregation of men and women during my time as a member. The single men's ministry was extremely controlling to where the leadership expected the men to spend every waking minute at the church unless they were on duty, at work, or deployed. Such a rigid regimen made it very difficult to pursue outside interests or even seek a relationship. Those in leadership tended to live much better than the average parishioner, as evident by the presence of high end cars and motorcycles.

My involvement with this religious corporation (any church that is 501.c.3 is not a church but a corporation under the IRS) placed a strain on my relationship with my parents. It destroyed my relationship with a former girlfriend. Listening to the counsel of those in leadership hindered my military career. It also caused problems in my marriage as my wife was shocked to learn what a controlling corporation CFCMI was.

When I left, it was after Ed Thomas, then the pastor in Norfolk, issued 3x5 cards asking if we wanted to keep him as the pastor. A "Yes" meant we were able to stay but had to submit to his authority and not question him or his family. A "No" basically was his way to cleanse that branch of CFCMI of anyone who disagreed with him; to my knowledge Ed made no attempt to reach anyone who said "No." He didn't make any attempt to contact me and ask why I had no confidence in him. We didn't exist to him anymore.

For a number of years, CFCMI kept close track of the location of naval ships where members were stationed, and anyone who was supposedly interested in attending. I don't know if that is still practiced, but at the time information was kept concerning pier locations of the ships, duty schedules of church members on the base, and underway schedules. While this may seem harmless, such information could pose a security risk if exposed to our nation's enemies. Considering the high percentage of military personnel both active and veteran, including Ed Thomas and Pete Paine (the current general pastor), precautions should have been considered to protect such information.

There are better churches in the Hampton Roads area for our sailors to attend. I wish I had met one of them instead.

Patrick Taylor (14.04.2015 07:06)
This is where I heard the gospel and was baptized in Jesus' name back in 1984, and Jesus is still Lord today! I'm thankful for the sound doctrine, compassion, and acceptance of all people. Truly a multi-national, multi-cultural church where everyone is welcomed. You are truly family.

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