An Open Letter

Attachments

25^th February 2019

Neil McCann

Auckland NZ

TO ALL CONCERNED.

Since it is becoming very obvious that the Potters House is going to continue trying to disrupt and destroy our church here in Auckland through their continual undermining of myself and my wife, their unrelenting harassment and bombarding of our people via emails, text and calls, and that they are now viewing us (their fellow believers) as the enemy.

Please consider the following;

1/ Daniel Stephan and Daniel Anderson

I find it sadly amusing that for years now these two men have both constantly cried on my shoulder about the culture of fear, the horrid mistreatment, and the spiritual abuse that they have both received at the hands of their Pastor Daryl Elliott, who they have both nicknamed ‘the king’.

I also find it amusing that only two days previous to my announcement to disassociate they took me for breakfast and thanked me for being such a great leader, telling me they both owed much of their success to my input, the countless impact teams, men’s discipleship’s and the example of the central church.

Daniel Stephan; need I remind you of when you called me from Melbourne Airport (after the Melbourne conference), crying, telling me how you felt your ministry was over because Ps Elliott had taken you into his office and humiliated you, threatened you, and literally screamed abuse into your face regarding your sermon. (which he said, made him look bad)?

Or, how after the last Melbourne conference you complained to me again because you were hauled into the office and told to tell your guys from Onehunga to stop being so excited and to stop swaying in the song service, as it was disruptive and distracting to others?

How you have on numerous occasions shared your concerns about how dead the Footscray church is, and how people are leaving, and that many disciples were just playing the game to get sent out?

On two occasions Daniel, you had a potential church split on your hands. On one occasion 20 people turned up at my church to meet with me concerning your immature, arrogant and controlling leadership.

Did I take advantage of these people and try and get them into my church? No, I encouraged them to give you another chance and sent them back.

I should also mention that your Pastor, Daryl Elliott, at the time was encouraging me to actually take these people in, to teach you a lesson. Should I continue!?

Daniel, I was Pastoring in the Potters House Fellowship before you were even born. I have watched so many young Pastors and disciples like yourself get sucked into what you are now doing. I am genuinely saddened to watch you selling out your integrity for the sake of advancement and power.

Daniel Anderson; do you not remember telling me how when you were evangelizing out of Footscray that you appealed to Pastor Elliott to be able to bring your wife and children to NZ for Christmas and spend Christmas day with your mum and dad for the first time ever, and how you were refused permission and told by Ps Elliot, “well, one more Christmas won’t hurt you Daniel”?

Or when you asked if you could take your son Vance with you on a one off, fill in, preaching engagement for a local church on a Sunday evening service on his birthday, “for a special time with dad”, and you were refused, and Vance was heartbroken, because Daryl Elliot was more concerned with the numbers on his Gold sheet, and said, “don’t make me the bad guy Daniel, you know the rules”?

Or, how Daryl Elliott “made you feel sick” by sending you a flyer via email with a picture of himself alongside Ps Mitchell, and saying to you (as you were speaking to him on the phone) “Daniel, don’t tell anyone, but this is my dream, to be on the same flyer as Ps Mitchell”.

Or, how Daryl has lied numerous times to you and fellow Footscray pastors. You have even quoted secret recordings of Daryl Elliot doing so. Should I continue!?

The list of abuse is incredible, and not to these two Pastors only, but the many stories they have told me of the violations that are taking place to the poor people in the Footscray church itself.

Despite encouraging these two men over and over to stand up for themselves and confront Daryl Elliot they have both refused because of the culture of fear and the real threat of losing their churches.

2/ It has also come to my attention that the fellowship has started a new version of the ‘Potters House Central’ Church in our old meeting place at Alexandra Park.

Seriously! They have literally overnight, set up a brand-new website using all of our colours and the redesigned logos that we created.

They are calling everyone to come over and join them.

They have gathered all the churches together to outreach at our regular outreach corner in the city.

Putting out advertising ‘Taking BACK the land’. (because of course we are the enemy now and they need to get the land back!)

They are even calling people in our church and asking for the names of backsliders so they can contact them.

Next, it will be to call in some big-name preachers to do revivals, plant churches into Auckland out of the Perth conference, tell everyone to cut off relationship with anyone that does not join their madness… everyone knows the drill by now.

Such predictable Potters House tactics to pull as many people out of my church as possible, using the usual carnal strategy to destabilize and destroy another church.

3/ It has also come to my attention that they have appointed Pastor Daniel Anderson as the new pastor.

*Please find attached whatsapp messages of some conversations with Pastor Anderson after I disassociated from the Potters House.

I think it will give you a true measure as to the depth of this man’s character.

(FIND ATTACHMENT AT THE BOTTOM THE PAGE)

As you read through the messages you will see that;

a) Ps Anderson calls the Potters House a Cult

b) He Bad-mouths Ps Daniel Stephan numerous times calling him a plonker, arrogant and prideful, accusing ‘him’ of taking advantage of my disassociation by calling himself ‘central’ (which he himself has now done, funnily enough)

c) He then ends with telling me he is my friend and “let’s catch up for coffee”.

It is amazing how quickly people can change their tune about you when the offer of financial support and backing from Beechboro or Prescott are suddenly in the picture (especially since after two years his Papakura church is pretty much a non-event)

Now his friend is a ‘rebel’, and we need to get the land back!

It was only two months ago, after running off yet another bunch of new people, Daniel Anderson was crying uncontrollably, literally, and told me he had nothing left in the tank and was about to quit, and I had to encourage him to actually try again in another location.

For those considering actually making a decision to join this new church, ask yourself, do you think this shallow kind of behaviour is the kind of behaviour you want to model your life on?

Yes, of course I will be blamed for seeding these poor weak helpless men, filing them with my rebellion, working witchcraft, bringing them under my spell…

Again, more predictable potters house tactics to divert attention from the real issues. Just blame the rebel!

4/ To my good friend Rob Walsh

Rob, I think you need to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself what you have become.

1) After I announced my disassociation, you came over to NZ within hours and held meetings with everyone you possibly could from my church, and any other church who would listen to you.

You then deceived many of them when asked about the extra biblical standards of the Potters House.

For example;

a) when asked about weddings, and the bridal party walking down the aisle, you said, “of course they walk down the aisle, how do they get from the carpark to the front of the church if they don’t walk down the aisle”.

Rob you knew exactly what these people were asking and you deceived them. You know for a fact that the ‘typical’ Potters House wedding does not pause the service and allow the bridesmaids and the bride to walk down the aisle at all!.

No, the bridesmaids must get up at 4am in the morning to get all dressed up, get their hair and make-up done, to then sit on the front row from the start of the service. The bride then comes in and walks down the aisle, unannounced, during the last worship song of the normal service, and takes her seat at the front. Then she sits there the whole service through announcements, offering and sermon. Then ‘tagged on the end’, is the wedding ceremony.

Rob why don’t you just be honest and just admit that its weird and stop calling it a ‘Jesus people wedding’, it is anything but a Jesus people wedding.

It has been a point of contention for years and caused so many brides and families so much heartache and problems, and you know it!

b> You also know for a fact, that in the ‘typical’ Potters House church, that no facial hair, is a ‘standard for ministry’, and for anyone in ministry to grow a beard it is considered a sign of rebellion.

Rob, be honest, what would happen if you turned up to conference this week with facial hair and decided to not wear a tie?!

The whole conference body would be talking about it, and you would be hauled in the office and challenged. Its ridiculous, and again without any scriptural basis.

c> You also know that in a ‘typical’ Potters House church, if you are in ministry, you are not allowed to miss more than one Sunday from church. Even if it’s for a family vacation. Two years ago, your own son came to Auckland and attended our conference, he also wanted to take a holiday. I find it so sad that he and his wife were forced to fly home to Sydney for Sunday and then fly back to Auckland again Monday to continue their holiday so they would not lose their ministry. Are you guys for real?!

And on and on and on the list of extra biblical nonsense goes…

2) You told people I was a rebel.

May I remind you; for several years now, when together, we have both spoken openly about Tom Payne’s abusive behaviour.

It was only last October 2018 when I was preaching for you in Sydney that we sat down at a café around the corner from your house, across from the park, and discussed the dire Australian scene under Tom Payne’s leadership over the last ten years.

We were in mutual agreement that Tom Payne was unfit to lead Australia.

We discussed his lack of fruitfulness, planting out only pastors’ kids and church kids, his sociopathic and controlling tendencies, as well as his total lack of wisdom in dealing with situations like the Malaysia debacle where he caused a church split in KK over not allowing a disciple from Brisbane to marry a girl from Malaysia.

Their crime? They met on an impact team, ‘and that’s not allowed to happen’ in the Potters House. Sadly, Pastor George Ouma was blamed and accused of being ‘complicit’ and disciplined over it, and his punishment was that he was not allowed to preach outside his own church for a year. Need I say ‘control’?

We also discussed the fact that Tom Payne had openly been critical of Harold Warner, and How Chris Plummer, while he was Tom Payne’s assistant, after undermining Harold Warner to Sydney Pastors, then had to call several pastors in Sydney to apologize, for doing the same thing he had learned from his Pastor.

You also complained that since Tom Payne took over, he has not asked you personally, or one other Australian leader their opinion on any Australian matters, and that he has talked to you on several occasions in a demeaning and patronizing manner.

We also talked about the fact the Australian Pastors Executive is mainly Americans and how it is offensive that they put Daryl Elliott on there, who has never successfully pioneered/pastored a church, or even made one disciple before being handed Footscray. Need I continue?!

Rob, If I am a rebel because of our conversations, then why have you not confessed your sin and reported it to Tom Payne, and repented, and why have you continued to invite me back every year to do area wide Men’s rallies and discipleships?!!

If discussing our concerns as two mature adults is rebellion, then you also more than qualify and have no right to come over here and call me one.

The fact is, how do you biblically gather two witnesses against an elder without a discussion?

The Potters House has created such a culture that men are in absolute fear of even having a discussion and being reported, and ultimately being implicated in starting a rebellion.

I am so glad to be out of such a culture.

5/ To my other concerned friend Steve Zapata 

Steve, I cannot believe that you totally misrepresented the tone of our conversation when you were here recently preaching revivals for me, Robbie and Taufa.

You know that I did not call you and dump on you as you seemed to imply.

We spoke off the record, as friends, at your request. You requested a meeting with me, I called you instead, asking why;

“Neil you are my friend, I am concerned about you”.

You also failed to mention, that you complained of your own issues with Tom Payne, stating that he yelled at people. You even shared your own experience with me, and my son Robbie, about when Tom Payne screamed at you, and that you pushed back, telling him “I don’t do screaming.”  You even said you called Greg Mitchell to report it.

You also failed to mention in your letter, you telling me and my son Robbie, that you also stood up to Daryl Elliot, and called him a ‘w-ker’ (fill in the blanks) to his face, because he was talking behind your back about your past moral failure as a missionary.

You also forgot to mention your complaint to me, that you only get invited to preach in Australia a couple of times a year now, because the Australian fellowship after 40 years is so small and not growing.

Steve; to say that your revival in NZ was average, would be an understatement.

Although I agree with your summary of the Australian PH Scene, perhaps this is the real reason why you get so few invitations in Australia.

6/ In Regards to my financial integrity

It is another classic Potters House tactic to throw out figures of thousands of dollars supposedly owing to the fellowship, to sow mistrust into the people.

What happened to, AS STATED IN YOUR PASTORS/ MISSIONARY CONTRACT (attached, and I quote) that, “all financial support, settlement moneys and redirection expenses are simply an offering given?”

BUT SINCE YOU NOW WANT TO SAY THAT ‘I OWE YOU’ WHAT WAS ‘GIVEN AS AN OFFERING’ …. LET ME STATE FOR THE RECORD.

What the Potters House Beechboro fail to declare is that our church in Auckland has paid back over $279,000 to the fellowship over the last 10 years just in the form of tithes and offerings

Let it also be known that apart from helping with an initial rent deposit for the Morningside building, (for which we were grateful),

The Potters House Australia has not paid one cent toward rent, renovations or costs to either Morningside, Mount Roskill or the New Lynn Buildings. This was paid for by the tithes and offerings of this local congregation.

Also, the Beechboro church has not bought one piece of equipment, or paid one cent towards planting  or supporting our NZ pioneer churches to the cost of $155,000. This has been completely paid for by this congregation.

THAT’S A TOTAL OF $434,000 GIVEN BACK TO THE FELLOWSHIP!

Not to mention that this congregation has also sponsored impact teams or paid for revivals to Tonga three times, Samoa twice, Fiji three times, India twice, Geelong Australia and Vanuatu, to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars, and these are not even our churches planted out of our church, they are ‘fellowship churches’.  I think we have paid back way more than our fair share of what we have received.

Yet the Potters House Beechboro own their own building, investment properties, and have now purchased another building that is twice the size of our New Lynn building just for their concert scene.

At the same time, their missionaries are on minimum salaries, no superannuation, and no medical insurance, as I was for many years!

I do not grudge the Beechboro church being blessed, but how hypocritical and disgusting to now bring up the issue of money (given as a gift) and my financial integrity as another way to destabilize our people and smear my name!

Money doesn’t equal the hardship of missionary work in a foreign nation, living in one of the most dangerous countries in the world, away from family and loved ones.

And may I add, it’s not the ‘fellowships money’, it is Gods money, given by Gods people, and in our case every cent is accounted for, and has gone to, as it should, the spreading of the gospel.

The result being souls saved, who again don’t belong to ‘the fellowship’ but to God.

If anyone has questions about our finances, we have a church council (Mr. Dean Thompson and Mr. Mike Collier) who see our monthly financial report sheet, and would be more than willing to answer any of your questions, and can vouch for everything I have just said.

If you are really concerned, then ask the Potters House Beechboro for a copy of the sheets, they get the report every month and know exactly where every dollar has gone.

7/ To John Perry, Nigel Brown and Tom Payne

You all seem to be very sure that I am now cursed, my life is going to blow up, and that I am leading people to Hell, accusing me of violating a covenant document I signed in 2015.

Again, as stated previously, I have no legal connection to, nor do I hold a current ordination card with the Australian Potters House Inc. This expired in 2016

Also, and most importantly, the covenant document mentioned, is linked to and binding upon the conditions of another document, (as stated in the document itself and attached)

- that document being the conflict resolution letter signed by Pastor Mitchell dated March 26, 2010.

(SEE ATTACHED)

A few things to note about the conflict resolution letter;

1) The conflict resolution letter gives ‘reference’ to Matthew 18:15-20, but conveniently does not actually quote the text itself. It only gives Pastor Mitchell and Tom Payne’s interpretation of it.

The text actually says,

Matthew 18:16 (NKJV)
16  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

The meaning is obvious; I choose up to two people, and take them with me to the meeting.

Or, if you want to argue doctrine, and disagree with the plain reading of the text, it at least implies that both parties would be in agreement with who those two witnesses would be.

This is contrary to Greg Mitchells interpretation. I quote from his letter ‘in italics’ to me after my disassociation;

Greg Mitchell - “Matthew 18 doesn’t say you get to pick who the witnesses are. We do not allow the person making a complaint to determine who gets to hear it.”

This is blatant error and twisting of scripture, and only highlights the controlling nature that I have tried to raise!

2) The conflict resolution letter also conveniently leaves out another most important scripture when dealing with issues such as conflict between Pastors.

1 Timothy 5:19 (NKJV)
19  Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

As stated in my original request for a meeting, I was bringing an accusation against an elder.

It was on this basis that I then appealed to a ‘higher covenant document’ -The scriptures themselves! – on which the conflict resolution letter is supposedly based.

It is clear in their communication to me, that on two occasions there was no intention of honouring the word of God as they blatantly refused my request for two witnesses.

Again, the question needs to be asked by everyone who reads this letter;

Why were they not willing to allow me a second witness, and what are they so afraid of?

Where is the Christian spirit seeking to reconcile?!

3) May I remind you again;

I requested the meeting!

Until my request for a fair Matt 18:16 & 1 Tim 5:19 meeting was denied for the second time, it is clear to all that I intended to go to the meeting.

It was only after it was obvious that this meeting was no longer biblically founded, and the bullying behaviour that I was trying to address in the meeting was becoming clearly evident (and also evident to anyone with any discernment who has read the letters);

It was only then, that I no longer felt obligated to attend, my confidence in this leadership structure was finally destroyed, and I received a clear word from God to disassociate myself, and the church, that God has called me to protect.

After 32 years of faithfully serving this fellowship in 4 different nations, for the most part, on a minimum salary, my wife working to supplement our income, no medical insurance, no superannuation, no ability to save, 5 years living in one of the most dangerous countries in the world,  your treatment of me is disgraceful.

But, sadly, typical in the Potters House Fellowship.

I will attach the ‘Pastor/ Missionary contract’ that those who want to go into ministry under the Potters House are forced to sign.

Note in this contract that there is no commitment to protect the worker whatsoever, yet they want you to agree to give your entire life for the fellowship. I think anyone reading will see the deliberately one-sided and controlling nature of this agreement, like all Potters House contracts and other extra biblical covenants.

(see attachment)

I did not break any covenant, you did!

4) Covenant ‘documents’ are extra biblical

Show me in the New Testament where this was ever done?

No, the bible says,

Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV)
33  "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'
34  But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
35  nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

8/ To my fellow Australian leaders who will be meeting together this Thursday at Perth’s pre-conference leadership

I think it is about time you stopped complaining behind the scenes about the abusive behaviour of Tom Payne and actually became leaders for once. Sadly we (and I include myself) have done the Australian fellowship a great disservice by sitting there year after year at leadership level, and have held our tongues and not questioned the crazy extra biblical behaviour.

There are many of you who have very real personal concerns about Tom Payne, the direction the fellowship is heading, and have openly talked to me and others about it.

I quote you;

“Tom Payne is a tare”

“He is a sociopath”

 “bully”

“when he calls me it’s like witchcraft”

“He lied to me”

“divisive”

In closing

I have tried to avoid this arena from the start by only including those ‘directly involved’ in all emails.

It was Tom Payne and Greg Mitchell that began to formulate emails, and encourage others to write emails for ‘public consumption’, sending them to anyone, even uniformed innocent single young people in my church, and other fellowship churches around the world.

All I have tried to do is to leave a fellowship that I have lost confidence in and protect those under my care.

I have tried to do it with the least amount of disruption. I gave everyone a choice, did not stop anyone contacting and meeting with Potters House Pastors to hear the other side. I did not to try and pull on any pastors or churches.

I have only responded in defense, as I am doing now, to those who personally have attacked me. I have attacked no one.

We own no property, we have no huge saving accounts.

 So, after all your texts, all your calls and meetings, all the emails they have read thanks to Tom Payne and Greg Mitchell, if the people in my church have still decided to leave the fellowship, why don’t you give them the credibility they deserve, of being able to weigh up the issues, and make their own decisions. They are Gods people, not mine, and not yours!

If you consider me now to be your enemy for trying to address real concerns, and If you are unwilling to give me a fair and scriptural meeting, then how about just being a Christian?

Luke 6:27-35 (NKJV)
27  "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28  bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30  Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Kind regards

Neil.