Truth now Told: Banned from James River Church Pt. 2

CHAPTER 2

I was active in ministry at James River Church in Ozark/Springfield from 1997 until 2011. Following is part two of my story. Click here for part one.

I was a camera operator on the stage during the worship services. James River had a new building as of 2000 and grew rapidly. They had sound issues in the beginning that took a truckload of money to work out. My friend was hired as the media director. We installed the wiring for the new cameras throughout the building as well. I joked, “don’t pick your nose in the hallways; we have cameras everywhere.”

I got to go on the catwalk above the sanctuary. They put a camera up there, too, a bird’s eye view of the stage. The worship director nearly got hit by a falling light bulb from the top of the stage area one time.

It was exciting being part of such a large, growing, vibrant church. My wife sang in the choir and I operated the stage handheld camera, getting closeups of the musicians live during morning and evening services. Sunday nights really rocked. Singers and musicians had to audition to make the cut as worship leaders. Lindell had tape put on the stage to mark where everyone was supposed to stand for best lighting. He sat in the front and got on a phone to call the sound guy on the stage to tell him to move people left or right, like a coach during a professional game.

Backstage, I heard him chewing people out for not standing in the right place, berating them for various stage foul ups. Everything had to be perfect.

Nothing escapes John Lindell’s watchful eye. A friend from my Sunday school in the old building told me John chewed out the maintenance guy for mowing the lawn too short. He got a ruler and measured the grass.

However, James River wanted an image of professionalism. That’s why the attention to every detail. The church was focused on “5-star” service, as they called it. They wanted attendees to have the ultimate service and special treatment. Volunteers were everywhere. Every new event required a new t shirt. Volunteers scurried about with t shirts broadcasting the latest theme.

All events were big and loud. They got bigger and louder.

Somewhere along the way, all the suits and ties were dropped. Jeans weren’t allowed onstage, however. Wednesday nights became kids clubs and not a prayer meeting anymore. Sunday nights were eventually dropped. All services were timed to the minute. I watched the clock count down from my perch on the stage camera. After putting the camera on my shoulder and moving here and there during the music worship with the director’s voice in my headphones, “push in camera one, ready camera 4. Take camera 4. Ready 2, take 2.”

Camera one and two were parked in the center of the congregation. Camera three in the back between the floor and stadium seating, and me on camera 4 onstage. I wore black while onstage. During the sermon, I put the camera on the sticks (tripod) and remained vigilant throughout the sermon to grab any cutaway shots of the pastor or congregation. Jumbo screens projected the whole thing live like a TV show.

Accused of ??? with an unknown choir lady

My friend who was hired as media director got booted. Fired. He said he put his hand on a woman’s shoulder while showing her something and she freaked out.

Along those lines, I got called back by the new camera crew director. He closed the door and looked miserable. “We’re going to have to suspend your service on the camera crew until further notice.”

I was dumbfounded. He told me a certain woman in the choir complained that I was acting inappropriately towards her.

I got hauled into a counseling session with the new church counselor, a retired pastor who was a father figure. I asked him who it was that accused me and he told me he wasn’t at liberty to say. I ventured several guesses and no, it wasn’t that one. Wow.

I wasn’t sure what I’d done wrong. He finally told me (I had to take a series of classes for people with purity issues) that the woman, married to one of the worship team, thought I raised my eyebrows at her in a flirty way while on camera, but she wasn’t sure.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Really?

“Bring (her husband) and her in with me and my wife and let’s hear this thing out,” I said. “It’s a misunderstanding.”

Nope. They wouldn’t do it. I got sidelined and put through classes for a month because of someone who had hearsay she couldn’t even verify.

Strike 2

I got reinstated on the camera crew. I had looked forward to being on the camera crew. I was crushed to be sidelined under a cloud of suspicion. What made it worse was I was struggling with moral integrity in chat rooms online, and admitted that to the church counselor and my wife. The father figure counselor met with us numerous times.

Our marriage was indeed struggling due to my lack of integrity online and my insensitive treatment of my wife. But I truly loved her and my kids and wanted to be free from my obsession online in chat rooms talking to women anonymously.

Church was the highlight of my week. I enjoyed attending Sunday school taught by Alex Bryant. Yes, that Alex Bryant. He was a lead singer and soloist in the choir. My wife’s maiden name was Bryant and we joked about them being related (he’s black and she’s white).

My wife and I were table discussion leaders later in a marriage class. We were later small group discussion leaders for a life group. Every time the church needed volunteers, we were on the front wave. We were the people they could count on.

But, my moral purity issues cast me into a new category of suspiciousness. I was in and out of counseling with John Lindell’s father-in-law, Tim Keene, and others.

After six months of being reinstated back onto the camera crew, I was in the main atrium of the church building waiting to meet my new boss for a sales job I’d gotten. I wore my name badge from work. Unkown to me, a women’s conference was being set up for the weekend. A friend of the woman who had accused me from choir glared at me when I nonchalantly picked up an M&M from a display on the tables being set up for the conference and popped it into my mouth.

Next thing I know, I’m called back by the camera director guy. He looked so uncomfortable as he said I was no longer eligible to be on the camera crew again. This time, a woman had seen me wandering the building before a women’s conference with an unauthorized name badge. (The conference and security staff also wore name badges). She said I was trying to impersonate a church badge so I could get a good look at all the women setting up for the women’s event.

Sheesh.

No option for appeal. Guilty. No way to be proven innocent.

stay tuned for part 3

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