The church of god restoration - The exposed cult
Look at the sheet of most of their do's and don'ts.
The cult will deny immediately these contents, that
it is "My" Bernie's
sheet that I made it and that they don't have these rules. Before you
accept their explanation that I made it up, please just take one more
step and ask them which parts are false.
1. Ask them if they do watch television or have VCR's.
2. Ask them when is the last time they went to a ball game?
3. Ask them where is their U.S. flag or do they believe
in one. When they first got their church building they had one but they
threw it away. They preached against it.
4. Ask them when or if they will ever take their children
to a circus or Disney land, parade, or anything else on the sheet.
5. Ask them when are the girls allowed to go swimming with
anything else besides their long dresses, which are down to their ankles.
6. Does anyone boys or girls go swimming in a swimming
suit?
7. Do they allow mixed bathing even when fully clothed?
All of the items were either preached from the pulpit or talked about
in bible studies, or in men's or women's meetings. All I did is put them
on paper. Any item which they deny, Ask them when have they participated
in it. If they say that we don't have rules against fairs, ask them which
ones they have gone to or which ones they will attend. That list is
true! They preached it!
1. They don't believe in medicine or doctors. People including
children in this group have died because of their belief. On the Internet
go to Rick
Ross.com - Church of God Restoration. You will
then see about 35 articles about this group.
A. Several articles are written about a small child
that died in California in their group. I know some information about
that happening. Danny Layne the California minister, who was Wiebe's
pastor, was holding revival meeting in Kenosha, WI when the child got
sick. Danny Layne requested prayer on Monday for the child, on Tuesday
he asked for urgent prayer on behalf of the child. He said "the child could even die unless
we reached god with our prayers". That is the only medication the
baby ever got. By the weekend the child was dead. The group says that
nobody is forced to trust god, everybody can make the choice for themselves.
Ask them when did the baby make that choice.
B. Now look at the specific article titled "A child's
death raises questions about faith". Read the seventh paragraph
from the end of the article. It states that after the baby died, 911
was called. Now read the last sentence about that the baby appeared to
have been dead for a couple of hours already. Ponder that while you look
at my experience, (Not only had I heard but experienced this) about 3
years ago. You then decide if you think that the baby could have been
dead for 2 hours before 911 was called.
C. Ralph Salz was an old man living in the assistant pastor's
house in Kenosha, WI. Pat O'Shea is the pastor and lives next door. Ralph
Salz had a stroke one day and was found lying on the floor. The cult put
him in bed and took care of him for about 2 weeks. One night my wife and
I here awoken and were told that Salz just passed away. Pat O'Shea
called Danny Layne in California and asked him what to do next. They
decided that if paramedics arrived now, that a lot of medical procedures
would be done that they didn't believe in. I will never forget how after
an hour, Pat O'shea had one hand on the forehead of the cooled down dead
man and his other hand on the phone as he talked with Danny Layne. Not
until after my sleeping children where carried next door into O'shea
house, was 911 called. Why 911? Emergency? After the body was dead for
at least 1 hour? Why not the morgue? Isn't that deception? Especially
for a couple of pastors? Where was the dead man's choice? Now what about
the baby? Do you think that 911 was called immediately? Or do "you
think the baby was dead for a while also?
D. Now the cult got pressure from the law for the
child's death. The group called a minister's meeting. They quickly
made some modified rules, they smoothly worded that they will not "withhold" medicine
from children anymore. What does that mean? Before you buy that line,
ask Pat or Sue O'shea for their children's medical records. If they changed
their beliefs on medicine and doctors they should have records. If they
say all their children have been healthy for a year, ask them when has
their daughter received her corrective cross eyed eye surgery? Are they
still withholding from doctors?
2. Their form and teachings of discipline is extremely
cruel. They preached and taught that children need to bend over a chair,
a bed, or grab their ankles on their own to receive their discipline.
Any wrestling with the child to get them into that position, and beatings
they receive to get them to "surrender" is not part of their
discipline yet. They might receive a hundred or many more swats extra
before they bend over willfully, and get their spanking.
A. Once again read some of those rickross articles
dealing with child abuse. The cults cruel teachings got them there.
You probably read the child abuse case in Elmer, Ontario. I personally
went there for the first court hearing. I remember convoying from the
church to a parking lot a few blocks from the court. We were told
from the cult members to hide all the sticks, to lock them inside the
cars out of sight. Also don't talk to anyone... "They might be
reporters,"
you will be in trouble with the ministry if you talk! I had a private
investigator do a few interviews with people. Read them especially the
interview with Crystal Ertmer. Note the bribery the cult did.
B. I remember being in church service usually sitting 2
rows behind Sue O'Shea the pastors wife. I witnessed the abuse she would
give her little children. It was very common occurrence to see her take
a stick and smack it across the top of her child's hand. Woe unto the
child if they screamed out in pain. They would be taken down into the
basement for a worse treatment. Hitting across the back of the hand with
a stick is not discipline but abuse. My wife had occasionally changed
the O'Shea children's diapers. She told me several times that the children
had black and blue marks which was no surprise to me.
C. About 2-3 years ago my marriage was already hanging
in a very thin thread, because I wasn't following all the cults teachings.
Pat O'Shea could sever my marriage anytime he chose to destroy it.
Out of trying to be reasonable with the church, I gave permission for
Pat or Sue O'Shea to discipline my children. The home schooling had
been already taken out of my control and put into the church and run
more like a private school. Sue O'Shea was teaching my older children,
it was recently found out what kind of "Discipline" my oldest two received. They
were beaten with an 18" paddle that resembled a breadboard that
Pat O'Shea made. Randy and David my boys received several spankings with
that "club" from both Pat and Sue O'Shea for not doing their
school work on time. One time Randy couldn't keep his composure from
something funny that happened and laughed out loud in class. Sue made
him put his hands against the black board and then struck him several
times with the "club". That is not discipline, but abuse! The
Kenosha police said they couldn't do a thing, because I gave permission
and that one year had gone by before it was found out. Yes, I did give
permission when needed, but a potential bone breaking club is abuse,
not discipline. Also I never gave permission for even discipline for
something like when Randy couldn't keep from laughing out loud. And why
is one year to long for this case, while a priest in New York goes to
jail for something he did 20 years ago?
D. The worst case of child abuse I ever witnessed
was when my boy Steven was 5 years old. My family was at the Ohio camp
meeting. A church service had just started when I noticed my wife and
Steve had left. About 20 minutes had gone by before my wife came back
alone. She said she needed help spanking Steve, that he is not laying
across the bed on his own. I said, "Did you spank him some already?" She
said "Yes,
but he still isn't submitting like the church teaches",
she said if I don't go with her back to our cabin she will go to the
ministry. That got me scared because that meant my marriage was over,
I reluctantly went with her to our cabin. I could easily see that Steve
had already been beaten enough. For about the next 1.5 hours I wrestled
with Steve into position, Shereen then spanked, I then released him,
and still Steve couldn't submit to the cults teaching of how to discipline,
so I had to wrestle him again, Shereen spanked, and I released. These
steps went over and over again for about an hour and a half before he
finally broke according to the teaching of the cult. It still grieves
me to remember what the bruises on the child looked like that next day
when I gave him a shower. He was black and blue from his waist down to
his knees, and I was blackmailed to take part in it.
E. I remember several times coming home from work
in the evening and one of my children was locked up in the bathroom
waiting for me to come home. The child (usually Suzy) couldn't submit
to mom by lying over the toilet, so she was left in the bathroom for
half of the day. I go in the bathroom and find out that she did get
a spanking already just not the way the cult teaches. I also found
out it was for not eating her food at noon. It is anywhere from 5:00-7:00
P.M., and she has sat in the bathroom all this time. I told her to
scream while I very softly "spanked" out
her age.
F. It was common to see other ministers spank other people's children.
I personally seen Pat O'shea spank the Ertmer children if Crystal Ertmer
(mother) was busy doing something else. I also seen Danny Layne spank
the Mckinizie boy while the father was preaching and couldn't deal with
the disruptive son.
G. Shereen (my wife) has spanked and sometimes abused our children by
hitting them with wooden spoons, dowells, sticks, shoes, and clothes
hangers. I seen her take wooden hairbrushes and hit the children on the
head.
2. The pastor of the Church of God Restoration, Pat O'shea, will deny
that he tried to control anybody including me. He will say he never forced
me to do anything and that I always had a choice. He will deny that I
was forced into living under his convictions. I disagree on all of that
but I will let you be the judge.
A. July- August 2001. The children and I wanted to go up
North to my relatives for the weekend. Before we were packed to go Shereen
has already contacted O'shea's and Pat came into our house before we
can leave. One by one my children were interrogated by him in front of
me as if I wasn't there. He asked them if they really wanted the north
county more than they wanted god. If they didn't stay here to be in church
on Sunday then they couldn't consider themselves to be saved. If they
left up north for the weekend that they would be on the way to hell!
The intrusion lasted for about one hour until Pat O'shea finally had
them promise to him that they wouldn't go. I watched our plans be destroyed.
I decided next time I can't let Shereen know my plans until it would
be too late for Pat O'shea to destroy them.
B. September 2001, I needed to go up north to fix my equipment.
I only intended to be gone from Friday and be back for Sunday service,
but there was a problem because Pat O'shea said there was a mandatory church
workday for Saturday. I said I have to leave to fix my equipment. He finely
said o.k. but I go alone, all my children stay here. Well, I didn't obey.
I took my five oldest children and left town. Once I was on the interstate
I called Shereen and told her that we were heading north and plan on
being back for Sunday. When we got back Sunday, Pat O'shea interrogated
my five children into tears, for at least one hour. They where told that
all 6 of us, especially me, was not saved anymore. My children were in
tears, traumatized by this cult leader. Next it was my turn into the
office. For at least the next half hour he yelled into my face. I was
lost, no more a brother, Shereen is going to get the children, he is
going to destroy me. I am going to die a miserable death and that he
will fight to the finish. The whole time he had his finger pointing in
my face with a spit just a flying. He doesn't push anybody?
1. He said it was impossible for me to be saved, because I didn't give
Shereen all the information of where I was taking the children until
after I left. Not giving all the information, is deception. And deception
is a lie. And lies make a liar. And liars go to hell.
2. If that is the way to analyze it, then lets look at
the sheet sent from the Wisconsin Department of Instruction. Every home
school family gets and needs to sign one of these forms in Wisconsin.
On that form it clearly states that home school is a one family unit
ONLY The cult is violating that. They are and have been for 3 years,
been running a more than one family school, which would be a private
school. But nobody signed for a private school and nobody there is certified
to be a private school teacher. The cult is not only being deceptive
and lying when they sign the form, but also breaking the law. Question:
Is a judge that allows the cult to illegally continue private schooling,
guilty of embracing this illegal activity?
3. If deception is a lie, which makes a liar, which goes to hell; would
not Pat O'Shea be guilty of that when he intentionally allowed Ralph
Salz's body temperature cool down for at least an hour, before calling
911? That is deception is it not?
C. My oldest son has asthma, I watched him suffer without
any medication for several years. Now if there is so much freedom in
this group, and no one pressures, then why did Pat call me into his office
and reprove me when I bought Randy an inhaler? He claims he would take
Randy himself to the hospital if I chose that, but when I buy him an
inhaler he reproves me? Why? He doesn't push?
D. December 2001 A conviction is something that you
would rather die for then violate. 'I don't have a conviction against
alcohol, just a strong preference against it. I have never been drunk
in my life, and for that at least 15 years had no (zero) alcohol, At
Christmas time 2001, my family attended Shereen's relatives Christmas
party. Many of her aunts offered me wine which I turned down the entire
evening. Finally my daughter Suzy came to me with her little plastic
dixie cup. She accidentally went to the wrong punch bowl and discovered
she had wine instead. I told her not everything this group says is true,
this swallow of wine is not sin. I drank that swallow of wine to empty
her cup and told her to not make that mistake again, I will not empty
it the next time. Suzy told Shereen, who told Pat O'shea what happened.
Once again I was called in the office, yelled at with his finger pointed
in my face for about an hour, "You
are not saved, you need to stand up in front of the whole congregation
and admit and apologize that you sinned". Basically I violated his
convictions, and now I must pay what HE sees fit. And he says that everyone
can live under their own convictions?
E. The cult believes in wearing vests. It is almost 90
degrees outside and I refuse to wear that hot black vest. My two oldest
boys ask if they could remove their vests too, and I told them yes. Shereen
demands them to wear it and asks me to tell them to wear it, why should
they? Within a few hours I was called in the office again. Pat yelled
at me again for not supporting my wife's wishes. Unless I start backing
her up she needs to leave me. Pat O'shea don't push? Nobody is forced
to wear a vest?
F. Pat O'shea argued with me several times about watching
TV or VCRs I disagreed with him on the absolute abstinence. My children
never seen any motion of the falling of the twin towers. However while
traveling we seen at a truck stop on TV, some of the clean up that was
taking place. Once again Shereen got me in trouble for allowing my children
to stand there and watch TV.
G. The cult believes that after somebody gets excommunicated
from their group that none of their members should have any contact
with them. Read the Pauletta Tinsman Willis - "Broken Faith, several
lives" article,
also her excommunication letter, (two of her preacher brothers signed
it too). My landlord got excommunicated by Pat O'shea and ordered everyone
to shun him. I continued to talk to my landlord as I used to and got
called into the office again. In fact Danny Layne also confronted me
on it. Where is the freedom they talk about? Is restricting on who you
can and can't talk to, freedom? Pat doesn't control lives?
H. Another thing I got called in the office for is that
I wasn't spanking anymore the way the cult teaches. Either I submit to
this "proven method" or I'm going to lose my children and wife.
I. Shereen got in an argument with my two oldest boys on
a Sunday morning. She told them their Daddy isn't saved, that he needs
to repent of drinking the wine. They told her daddy thought it would be
worse to waste and throw the wine away then just drink that swallow. She
said Dad didn't consider that, then they told her that she was lying for
she could never know what someone else was thinking. By noon that same
Sunday Pat O'shea had Shereen, my two boys and me in the office. After
yelling at me and the boys for awhile, he told me to make the boys say,
that she wasn't lying. I said that is precisely what I was thinking about
when I took that swallow of wine and the boys were telling the truth that
Shiereen was lying if she says I wasn't, think of that. At that moment
Pat O'shea flew into a fit of rage. He said he tried keeping this marriage
together but now it is over. He then ordered Shereen to leave to his house
right now... She did. In fear that my marriage is finally destroyed by
him, I argued with him for about the next three hours. I somehow managed
for him to tell Shereen to come back home with me, but then still on a
very shaky basis. Do you think he was controlling my life? Marriage? Was
he a good pastor? Telling her to leave?
J. Just a few days later I came home from work and my wife
verbally attacked me again. I need to get saved, etc... I told her I
didn't believe in everything this group preaches and practices. She ran
for the phone. I told her don't call him. I don't want to talk to him.
I am going upstairs. Within 5 minutes Pat O'shea was at my door. Shereen
let him in and told him I'm upstairs and I don't want to talk to him.
He then said that he will just come and see me and uninvited came upstairs
into my own bedroom. Then we argued and he didn't leave until after midnight.
He doesn't push people? Everybody has freedom?
K. I wasn't submitting to Pat O'shea so he made another
stab at me. Since I wasn't submitting to him or the church, Shereen needed
to sleep separate from me. She obeyed him for over a week until I appealed
to Danny Layne to get that stopped. Intamacy though? Forget it! Pat O'shea
says he doesn't push anybody? lie never forces?
3. If this church or cult doesn't break up marriages can
you explain this. There are six marriages in the Church of God in Kenosha.
Three of those are either separated or divorced because of this cult.
The teaching of this group destroyed each one of those marriages. My
wife was told to leaveme, destroying our marriage. That is 50% of the
Kenosha group, separated because of this. The fact is that if one of
the couple wants this cult while the spouse does not, the ministry councils
them to separate. That is a fact! And that is not forced control?
4. Finally lets see what I lived like from 2001
• Christmas 2001. Drank that one swallow of alcohol, got rejection from
Shereen. Definitely no intimacy. Got called in the office by Pat O'shea..
Yelled at!
• Feb.14, 2002. My mom died. I took my family to Minnesota.
Helped dig grave Feb. 16; helped bury her on Feb 17; talked in German
to my dad about how good and a submissive wife he had.
• Feb.19, 2002. Shereen picks a fight with me and says so I think I
have a bad wife. She misunderstood the German, all I said in German was
that Shereen was not as submissive as mom had been.
• Pat O'shea tells her that she needs to leave me on several different
occasions.
• I started keeping records from the first part of February.
• Of all the available days (together and home) I took Shereen out to
eat once every 3.7 days.
• March 11, 2002. Randy and David (my boys) are forced
on their way to the cults California camp meeting against their or my
wishes.
• March l6, 2002. The rest of my children and wife leave for the camp
meeting against my wants or wishes. Return the following Sunday.
• March 24, 2002. After 16 days Randy and David get returned from the
cult.
• March 29, 2002. My dad and my siblings plan on getting
together for Easter in memory of my mom. I ask my children if they would
like to go, they say yes!
• March 30, 2002. My dad contacted me again about noon
for my response. I said I will go in the house and ask Shereen. I went
in and asked her if we could leave up north in a few hours to be with
my family for Easter. She said NO because we would miss church service.
I said you were just gone for 9 days and the boys for 16 days and now
I can't even take my family for 1 day? In memory of my mom? The first
time Grandpa gets to see my children since the funeral? She said its
stupid to miss service for that! I told her I needed to work for another
couple of hours and I need to get the decision later. I came home at
3:30 p.m. Shereen and the younger children were gone (I didn't see them
for the next 35 days). She wouldn't answer the cell phone, I looked for
her. O'shea's house looked abandoned... Drapes pulled shut. Finally Randy & David
and I left for up north alone. I left messages on my home phone. - She
never answered any phone intentionally.
• March 31, 2002. Tried contacting her several times... No
answer.
• April 1, 2002. Got back to Kenosha about 7:00 a.m. She
is not home. The home phone messages had been listened to, so she had
stopped by sometime. Tried her cell phone again... She won't answer it!
Went to the police to find out my rights. Had to file a missing family
report. That night two detectives dropped by my house to tell me, my
family is living at O'shea's house, but they can't bring them back...
I need an attorney.
• April 2, 2002. I called O'shea. Patrick Jr. said I need
to talk to the assistant pastor and hung up. I then called the Asst.
Pastor, James DeGraffenreid, I asked him why can't I talk with Shereen
and my children. He said I violated the ministers rules by missing or
trying to miss Sunday service without permission, I will never be able
to see my family until I get some serious spiritual help.
• April 3, 2002. Tried again to contact my family at O'shea's.
Sue O'shea once again tells me to deal with James and hangs up. I call
again, now they won't even pick up the phone. I decided then to go straight
to O'shea's house. I knock on the door, door opens, Sue sees that it
is me, and then I get the door slammed in my face. Lovely people!
• April 5,2002. I see a worthless attorney. I asked him
what actions I can take to see my children. He said file a divorce. I
said I don't want a divorce. He says then there is nothing to be done.
If I don't do something the cult will ship my family across the country
where I can't find them in another congregation families home until
I submit. The cult does that a lot. Read about what happened to the Canadian
families hiding in Indiana or the secret romance in Kenosha you will
have to ask me about. The girl got shipped off to some home in California.
There was police investigation on that case. 1 realized that I am forced
into divorce IF I want to ever see my 5 children again.
• April 8,2002. I sign papers with attorney.
• April 21,2002. First time ever that I found out what kind of abuse
Pat O'shea did to my boys. I called O'shea's house and left a message
on their machine that I will go to the police if Shereen doesn't call
me. On a speaker-phone with the cult whispering things to her in how
to respond. I didn't know I was on the speaker-phone till later.
• May 3, 2002 First court day. I get to see my children
tomorrow!
• May 4,2002. First time in 35 days that I got to
see my children. The battle continued until my worthless attorney told
me on October 4th to sign the final papers. "It's the best I can
do!" What
is the best?
• The best he could do is let me see my children. 1.5
days a month, (the weekend from Friday noon until Saturday evening).
That is it! No evenings... nothing else. I would like to have them
full time but that can only be a wish. Reality though would be nice to
have them from Friday afternoon, after they got out from PUBLIC school,
until Sunday night, every other weekend. Right now I only have them 1
week in the summer. I would like to have them 1/2 the time. I would like
to also have them Wednesday and Thursday evenings for 6:00 pm until 8:00
pm.
• I also was forced to sell my Stone Lake, WI house. I
built every building on the place. I was emotionally attached to it but
had to be sold. There was a $600.00 equity in it- that's it, I couldn't
buy her out. I also got all the debts. She was given the Mastercard
debt but hasn't paid anything on it. I was forced to pay already several
hundred dollars on it.
My child support is really messed up. I pay or supposed
to pay $420.00 a week and yet I have the two abused boys, that don't
want to be with her, in my custody. That figure is about 134% of my gross
income. They just took some figure off of my gross receipts. Another
thing that Shereen doesn't even need is a full-time job. She lives probably
rent free in the Church house. Sue O'shea was teaching our older children.
I want that stopped. Where is the justice? Even if the group stops their
barbaric discipline methods, does that put my family together again?
1 never cheated on Shereen to this day. I have never been drunk in my
life... she has. I never used any drugs(never even touched any) but
she has used some. And yet I'm deprived from my children, who tried to
deflect some abuse they could have had. Where is the Justice?
The information above was written before October 4, 2002.
Divorce was finalized that day and child support reduced to $192.00/wk.
From May 10, 2002 to may 10, 2003... total amount of Child support -
$16,408.50. My total adjusted gross income - $12,262.00. That is 134%
- How am I supposed to do that? I also have my two boys? During that
fiscal year I paid $8,064.00. That is 66% and I still supported my two
boys and myself. But the so-called "Justice System" demands that I am
still over $9,000.00 behind in child support presently. I am possibly
facing jail for not being able to figure out how to pay 134%. Shereen
doesn't pay a penny for my boys. Why?