IN SEARCH OF TRUTH
A testimonial from David Erwin
My parents were members of the Geelong Revival Centre when I was born in 1964. While a Godly conscience was impressed upon me throughout my childhood years, I also learnt many values from working with nature, being raised on the family’s farm.
The relationship I had with my cousins from my father’s side of the family, strangely ended as a result of the 1972 split. The initiative of Mr. Hollins to become independent and break away from the then Revival Centres Australia, divided my family in half. Initially I was not able to understand how my cousins had become so vile. As I continued to grow in the elitist environment of the GRC, I developed and applied the same hatred towards these relatives, which was preached and demanded by Mr. Hollins.
During my childhood I felt very different and inferior to my cousins who are from my mother’s side of the family. My grandmother would often remind me that I was the ‘black sheep’. She would think nothing of it to belittle me for not having received the Holy Spirit in front of the cousins. I vividly remember the embarrassment I used to feel at the age of ten, onwards.
At the permissible age of fourteen, I knew I was expected to get baptised and so for the wrong reasons, I put my hand up to be baptised one Sunday night. This was also the permissible age that required my attendance at the Young People’s meetings.
Having only known a child hood which involved the social structure of the GRC, I became accustom to a life of fear. The constant drumming of prophetic Armageddon and nuclear war, crime, social dilapidation, politics, immorality, etc. instilled an overload of apprehension upon my pubescent mind. Attending Young People’s meetings in my early years seemed to be just another setting that intensified the fear and the guilt of my unworthiness. Being told the only way to escape was by receiving the Holy Spirit I naturally strived with God for this infilling and frequently condemned myself for being denied. The notion of ‘running away’ became more feasible with passing time.
The constant unavoidable hammerings from those who preached my certain damnation, and segregated me for not being able to ’speak in tongues’, all took its toll. I mixed with other teenagers who were in the same dilemma as my self. We earned our title, ‘the slackos’, and were frowned down upon rather than being understood or cared for.
The ever present feeling of condemnation affected my behaviour. I lost respect for the church and those who assumed authority to lord their version of God’s Will upon me. Strangely, I knew in my heart that I desired to be right in God’s sight. The ministry seemed to make this unattainable. Inevitably, I rebelled. At fifteen going on sixteen years of age, I secretly began smoking cigarettes and casually drinking alcohol. I used foul language frequently in the presence of my ‘worldly’ friends. Learning to work hard at a young age provided me with the means to purchase many things for my pleasure. Inevitably, all these things failed me. I couldn’t find inner peace while knowing I was not being true to myself, or being who I assumed my God wanted me to be.
By my own freewill, I called on God unreservedly when I was seventeen years old. I was not thinking about Mr. Hollins, the GRC, or ’speaking in tongues’. I cried out to God to show me His mercy and His grace. I wanted to feel redeemed. I wanted a second chance to start a new life. I had had enough of my hopeless state.
I believed God answered my prayer with the most beautiful sensation I have ever experienced. I was completely overwhelmed and peace literally flooded my soul. At the same time, I began ’speaking in tongues’, but this was merely an expression of my joyful experience.
The overwhelming feeling of acceptance that followed impressed me and I impulsively threw myself toward the direction of the ministry. I soon became one of the many who competed for the admirable recognition of Mr. Hollins. Such condescending behaviour within the GRC was always encouraged. Eventually, on the 17th of November, 1985, I departed Melbourne’s international airport destined for Canada. My mission was to preach the things I had been told in hope to establish an assembly in Vancouver, which would fall under the pre-eminence of Mr. Hollins.
When Mr. Hollins visited Vancouver around two yeas later, we discussed my application for Canadian citizenship. I vividly remember the moment when Mr. Hollins stood up and with a raised indignant voice said words to the effect of; ‘this is a British Commonwealth Nation. The Lord would have it that a brother who ministers here, will reside and work in this country’. When my application for Canadian citizenship was denied, I simply accepted my time there was done. I assumed the will of God excluded any further participation by my self in the Vancouver assembly, so I returned to Australia on the 1st of July, 1988 .
In the months following my return to Australia, I began to hurt knowing that Mr. Hollins had approved transitory ministry, rotating every three months. Having self-funded my air fares and accommodation in Vancouver ; I was also at a loss to understand how the succeeding brethren had all of their expenses paid for by the GRC, which included the costs associated with taking their wives in many cases. The frivolous appropriation of funds seemed unjustified in my mind. I had difficulty coming to grips with the fact that I’d become sidelined, but I could never speak to anyone about it. Eventually permanent ministry was provided under a sponsorship arrangement. These options were never available to me. In these younger impressionable years, I assumed the ministry was ordained by God and for fear of Mr. Hollins I never dared question, or demonstrated any notion of disrespect.
While I was living in Canada, a cousin from the Adelaide assembly got married. I hadn’t given them a wedding gift. When I learnt that he was building a residential dwelling, I jumped at the opportunity to go over to Adelaide to lay bricks. Having exhausted all my personal savings to fund the Canadian visit, I deemed my labour to be a wedding gift for them.
One morning during tea break at the building site, my uncle (who is also the pastor of the Adelaide assembly) was talking with me alone. He steered the conversation towards my involvement with the establishment of the Vancouver assembly. I felt confused and perturbed by the nature of his comments and sensed he was ashamed with me. Suddenly, with his finger pointing at my face he yelled; “the reason Frank DeBooy is in a wheel chair is because HE CAME BACK!”
(The man my uncle referred to had gone to the Brisbane assembly from Geelong , to consider moving there permanently and fulfil the role as a helper. He decided not to move to Brisbane . Years later, he sustained serious spinal injuries in a motor vehicle accident. I only discovered in recent years that other pastors also used this example of God’s alleged punishment upon brothers who consider forfeiting a ministerial position.)
I felt utterly sick when my uncle made this statement. Immediately, condemnation and fear once again besieged me. My innocent assumption that my uncle was a ‘man of God’ caused me to block any thought or reason to question. For the very first time since I committed my heart to follow Jesus Christ, I began to doubt my righteous standing before God. I truly felt I had lost my Salvation.
Immediately my behaviour changed. This was noticed by others working at the site too. I began laying bricks like a man possessed with urgency. I just wanted to get away form everyone, especially my uncle, and the city of Adelaide.
Some months later, I was asked by Mr. Hollins to go to Bombay, India . Still being willing to only serve the ministry, I obliged. My short two month stay with the folk in Bombay was wonderful. To this day I have treasured my memories of having met these people. During one meeting in particular, a young man experienced a miraculous infilling of the Holy Spirit after I’d shared thoughts which had brought much joy to myself about the ?mercy seat’. The wonderful atmosphere this particular evening, temporarily relieved me of my personal condemning thoughts. However, the feelings of guilt and condemnation soon returned when I arrived back in Geelong. Hearing news and announcements about what was happening in Vancouver, only added to my perplexity.
The many years that followed while in the GRC were very unpleasant for me. My thoughts and feelings were constantly waring with various aspects of certain doctrines preached by Mr. Hollins. I couldn’t agree in my heart with many things that were being preached and that were happening within the church. The way Mr. Hollins’ always presented his doctrine made me feel I was wrong for not being in agreement with his ministry, and to question him on anything is equally shameful as to questioning God.
Having lost all my joy, I became reluctant to share my testimony in the meetings. My senses could easily detect the apparent stench of hypocrisy with certain people, who eulogised Mr. Hollins as equally significant to Jesus Christ.
Unknowingly, history was repeating itself throughout the passing years in my life. The ?ministry of condemnation’ had completely blinded me from seeing my worthiness or right standing before God. Naturally, I associated with many people who were just like me and were living a double life. Years of attending three meetings (or more) weekly, and being exposed to hearing abusive yelling and usurping of ministerial authority, obstructed my ability to see the mercy of God, which I myself had once preached to deliver other souls from inner torment.
Mr. Hollins conveniently used the New Years Eve meeting at the Ocean Grove Camp on the 31st of December, 1999, to impel his ideals for the new millennium. His entire sermon was a self acclimation that asserted his position of apostleship and the leader of the ‘Only True Church’ in the entire World. It was this sermon that gave me the most sickening feeling I had ever experienced. I sat during the sermon in a state of shock, finding it impossible to believe I was even hearing what Mr. Hollins said. For the first time in my life, I realised that the ministry I was taught to respect and obey had definitely crossed the line. At the time, I couldn’t apply logic to ascertain the GRC was actually a dangerous cult, but I knew Mr. Hollins was speaking contrary to God’s Holy Word.
Suddenly, Mr. Hollins’ doctrine concerning the infilling of the Holy Spirit outside of his ministry, also came to the forefront of my mind. I had always been taught that every Spirit filled person who was not in the GRC or associated assemblies were ‘backslidden Pentecostals’. Everything about the GRC agenda began to connect. This elitist environment was my world. I knew no other principle to follow than GRC initiatives. The realisation of what I was rapt in, exposed a new quagmire of obstacles and problems for me. To escape was impossible and by remaining, I became lost and confused within this familiar environment. The true demeanour of Mr. Hollins became apparent to me. The entire organisation was ALL about him. I began to perceive he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but I didn’t want to believe it. Occasional doubts, such as ‘what if he is right’ haunted me, and denied my ability to reason. Eventually inner turmoil caused me to lose control of my behaviour.
My deep seated psychological fear surfaced one Sunday during a Communion meeting at the Ocean Grove Revival camp. Mr. Hollins was speaking about the ‘perfection of the Church’. My thoughts were on ?mercy and grace’ while he spoke. I could not see evidence of the ‘perfection’ he spoke of, in the GRC. The fear of one day being chastised in a similar way to Mr. DeBooy emerged again. I decided to go out to the prayer line following the Communion Service. Although the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit infilling had become only a memory, I believed the onus was on God to prove himself to me. So I went out for prayer hoping some great blessing would come down upon me.
It so happened that out of all the pastors praying for people, Mr. Hollins came up to me. When he acknowledged my presence, I requested that I wanted to pray for Br. Frank DeBooy and without much thought I said ‘I believe he can be healed’. Mr. Hollins paused and then abruptly replied, ‘NO’.
Mr. Hollins refused to pray with me. I sensed he felt I was challenging him. Hundreds of pairs of eyes witnessed the silent standoff. I was completely lost for words not knowing his reason. To this day I have never found out why he refused to pray with me for Br. Frank DeBooy.
The GRC was fast becoming a very lonely place. There was no one I could talk to about all the subtle twists applied to Scriptures, designed to subjugate members to the ministry. Even while in camp with a thousand or so Christian believers all around me, there was no one I knew who I could confidently talk to. My wife had always been a lawful and loyal disciple of Mr. Hollins too. The oppression of GRC scrutiny haunted me, even in my own home. Naturally I suffered spiritually, physically, and mentally, by this cruel entrapment.
Inevitably, I descended to the lowest point a person could ever reach in their life and begun contemplating suicide. During this extremely torturous and difficult time, I began to confide in my cousin. To her credit, she was a good listener and made time to often speak with me. In my spiritually and mentally vulnerable state, I opened up to her and told her many things that were bottled up inside of me. She was my last attempt to reach out to some one who might at least understand.
My life of GRC indoctrination had inevitably taken its toll as I was made to believe the ‘cross of Christ’ was no longer enough for my redemption. Condemnation had driven me down to this point. I was not only contemplating suicide, but planning and making arrangements to do so. The ever present thought that maybe Mr. Hollins is who he claimed to be haunted me. I could no longer adhere to his ministry.
While I shared my pain with my cousin, I discovered she had many personal matters burdening her own life too. I soon learned she had had a terrible childhood and adolescent life, being brought up in a household with a cruel pastor for a father. Like me, she too had been living a double life while trying to cope in the GRC. My cousin and I agreed nothing could change our sub-cultural lifestyle, and that it was impossible to be what the ministry expected.
It was during this bonding with my cousin that I learnt about a matter that was seriously troubling her and adding to her misery. She told me about her next door neighbour, who was allegedly stalking her. She also shared details of her husband’s lack of concern. She began to cry as she told me how much she just wanted to move out of the rented co-op house and buy a house in another suburb away from her stalker. Her sad story immediately captured my focus. I thought if I could find a house that was affordable for them, maybe I could help her out.
I found a house which I believed could be made into a valuable asset, needing only minor renovations. During the inspection of this property, my cousin commented just how much she liked the house and the address. After she spoke with her husband, I was told they had invested their savings in shares and could not raise the deposit until the shares were sold.
I felt this was an easy obstacle to get around, and so I offered to give them an unencumbered interest free loan for up to twelve months. My offer would give them more than enough money for the deposit and the opportunity to sell their shares at an optimum time to repay the debt. They accepted my offer and obtained a home loan.
Immediately after the settlement date, I went to work on the renovations. The generosity I showed towards my cousin had further impact upon my marriage. It was a difficult time for all of us, but somehow we all got through alive.
During the last year prior to my expulsion from the GRC, I desperately tried to set many things right. I tried my best to apply my understanding of Scripture with the desires of my heart, in an attempt to get my life back on track. I made several attempts to speak with my uncle about the ?Frank DeBooy’ doctrine. However, he avoided me and refused to speak with me each time. I also tried to express my disagreement with Mr. Hollins regarding the ‘Only True Church in the World’ doctrine. Mr. Hollins avoided me too on this topic, and changed the subject to my relationship with the Lord.
Avoidance by the ministry to address my issues became obstacles which prevented me from seeing past the errors of their ministry. It became obvious that Mr. Hollins and the Elders were more concerned about keeping me under their subjection, rather than the care for my soul.
My hatred towards partiality, hypocrisy, and abusive church practises continued to build as I considered many inconsistencies within the GRC ministry. Unable to restrain myself, I began to question various things and voiced some of these questions to Mr. Hollins and other GRC members. It seemed that no one would tell me the truth, but rather suggested I just tow the party line. Instead, I towed a line that was testing the fragility of my GRC membership.
Midway through the year I discovered my cousin and her husband were in financial difficulties. I became alarmed by the possibility that I may not be repaid the money in the agreed time frame. This became another unwanted concern during my already much troubled life. Previously, I had never told my wife about the loan. I assumed there was not going to be any problems, knowing that they owned shares to the equivalent value of the debt. When I asked my cousin about the shares she confessed and told me, ‘there are no shares’. Torn between compassion and anger, I was left stunned.
It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that I’d been lied to. To this day, I still don’t know when my cousin first became aware that the shares never existed. I wanted to believe she too was deceived by her husband, as that would mean she didn’t take advantage of my vulnerable state. Strangely, I also felt guilty towards her now knowing I was the catalyst for placing them in debt for 100% of the house valuation.
Naturally, I felt compelled to tell my wife about what had happened. I decided to contact Mr. Hollins and inform him about the situation too. Mr. Hollins immediately went into damage control mode. I discovered from my cousin that Mr. Hollins had had to involve himself previously with his son’s financial matters. The manipulative tactics used by Mr. Hollins, in an attempt to relieve his son of the debt and the appearance of any wrong doing, were appalling.
My wife was told by Mr. Hollins that she was to have nothing to do with the situation and was instructed very sternly not to speak to anyone about the matter. For loyalty and fear of Mr. Hollins, she obliged to his request. Mr. Hollins had set the stage for me to take the fall alone.
Circumstances had forced things to turn around. Rather than concede defeat, I chose to fight to survive. I needed to know the truth for my defence. I wanted answers. I wanted to know the truth about the shares. I even began to doubt my cousin’s story about being the victim of a stalker. One day, I indicated to my cousin that I would like to speak with her previous neighbour, just to see her reaction. She pleaded and begged for me not to speak to him. I felt I had gotten my unwanted answer, and so I decided to visit him anyway. (This person is not involved with the GRC. For the sake of his privacy the content of my conversations with him will remain confidential.)
After some time and consideration, I still believed that we should and could sort out the mess. I requested from Mr. Hollins an opportunity for all of us to get together and resolve the issue. I believed this was also right according to the Bible, and so I was astounded when my request was declined. Mr. Hollins told me over the telephone that he would only speak to me alone but with Mr. Carey present as the witness. With no other option given, I felt I had to comply.
I went to the residence of Mr. Hollins to speak with the ministry. After a short and formal greeting, Mr. Hollins sat forward in his chair at the outset and said; “If you mention any person’s name other than your own, the conversation will cease immediately”.
My mind went blank. It became apparent that everything I wanted to say was not wanted to be heard. Mr. Hollins then began to talk about my ?spiritual state’ and accused me of being the only person with a problem. I then asked him about the money situation. Mr. Hollins referred to Scriptures that conveniently favoured his son and claimed that all my problems were the result of me ?walking in the flesh’. He also told me that I should forgive them and let them have the money out of my supposed abundance.
This cut me very deeply, but not the way Mr. Hollins hoped. He made my sweet gift become very bitter. I had renovated the interior of the house for my cousin, which took about six weeks and working in excess of 60 hours per week. My gift was never considered in the equation. Besides this, I knew Mr. Hollins was not privy to my own financial situation and he had no right to assume that I could afford to throw away $20, 000.00.
While still in the early stages of the conversation, the telephone rang. As Mr. Hollins talked on the telephone, I leaned across towards Mr. Carey and quietly asked him, “Who do you speak to when there is a problem between two people”. Mr. Carey replied, “The ministry”.
I raised my shoulders with hands out and upwards as to say, ‘Well, here I am and the other brother is not present’. Mr. Hollins became so agitated by our quiet conversation on the side, he told the caller to wait a moment and then sternly instructed Mr. Carey not to speak with me.
During the few controlled minutes of basically being told to shut-up and wait, I had time to realise my present hopeless position. I knew I was not going to get anywhere without forfeiting the money. When Mr. Hollins came off the telephone and began judging me as being ’spiritually dead’, I decided to leave. It was so clear to me that this matter was not going to be resolved except that I was going to be made wear it.
Some time later my wife was accused by Mr. Hollins of getting involved in the situation, which was against the direction of his ministry. He accused my wife of speaking inappropriately about my cousin and her husband, to the innocent neighbour. She assured Mr. Hollins that she didn’t, and that she had never even met the man. I decided to go around to this unfortunate man’s house again, to speak with him. I discovered that he knew someone from the GRC assembly who had told him certain details. I also discovered how this information got back to Mr. Hollins.
The next meeting was the Wednesday night I got expelled. I approached Mr. Hollins with my wife to talk to him about the matter. I believed Mr. Hollins was obligated to hear the truth and acknowledge that my wife was wrongfully accused.
When my wife began talking and he realised where the conversation was going, he interrupted and stopped her from speaking. It was immediately obvious that he did not want to hear anything about his son and daughter in-law. That was it. I couldn’t contain myself anymore. I said to Mr. Hollins, “YOU ARE SO PARTIAL”! I then said to my wife, “Just forget it. Let’s go home.”
As I proceeded to walk out the door, Mr. Hollins said, “You are not permitted to attend meetings anymore”. Whatever else he said wasn’t heard as I just kept walking out the door.
The feeling of being so devastated and hurt by my partial pastor brought me to tears. I gave up on both these men (my uncle and Mr. Hollins) who I assumed were men of God. Nothing hurt me more than the partiality and the deceptive lying heart of the ministry. More so than the money, or even being lied to by my cousin and her husband to enable them to buy the house, partiality in the ministry was what hurt me the most.
On t he 23rd of December, 2002ate>, my solicitor sent a letter of demand to recover the debt, under my instruction. (The money was repaid immediately after the holiday period.)
I endeavoured to speak with my uncle at the Ocean Grove camp to see if there was still a chance of resolving the dispute over the ‘Frank DeBooy doctrine’ and the issue about the loan. He was so angry (like a man possessed) there was no way he could be reasoned with. I was threatened and driven out of the camp by a large posse of proud men.
My wife and children remained in the camp, and the ministry made their stay an absolute hell. Men armed with ?walkie talkies’ were assigned to stalk my nine year old son. Also, several people who engaged in conversation with my wife were interrogated by the ministry afterwards. It wasn’t long before she also found herself isolated. Although being taunted with smug expressions by family members who enjoy unconditional immunity, she managed to attend meetings without confrontation.
During the next six months or so leading up to my wife’s expulsion, paranoia tore Mr. Hollins apart. He couldn’t handle the fact that she new the truth and that it was difficult to re-write history while she was still in the fellowship.
In the weeks leading up to my wife’s expulsion, she was harassed continually by the ministry. Mr. Hollins had expressed on many occasions to her that I was a very dangerous ?backslider’ and our marriage would need to end for her spiritual well-being. Now knowing the truth about the money and my issues with the ministry, she could not agree with Mr. Hollins on how our relationship must end on his terms. This placed her in a very tenuous and precarious position.
One attempt to invent evidence for reasons to expel my wife, failed. Mr. G. Carey used Mrs. D. Preece as a false witness to accuse my wife of murmuring against the son and daughter in-law of Mr. Hollins. She immediately approached Mrs. Preece who was being used by the ministry as a false witness and exposed the plot. This only made the ministry more determined to expel her.
My wife was caught in the cross fire. She had always obeyed the ministry after being warned not to become involved within the dispute. At the end of every GRC meeting leading up to her expulsion, she was approached by the ministry. They endeavoured to talk about the dispute with her hoping she would say something they may use against her. They insinuated claims that she was holding a grudge against my cousin and her husband.
I arranged for my solicitor to send Mr. Hollins a warning to stop harassing my wife. Mr. Hollins then instructed an Elder to do his dirty work. I then arranged for my solicitor to address the same warning to the appropriate Elder. Mr. Hollins then appointed a different Elder to do his dirty work, and so he too was given a solicitor’s letter of cautioning. This went on, and on, and on, until she was eventually expelled by Mr. A. Morton without reason, under the instruction of Mr. Hollins.
Approximately six months later, my wife’s mother, who was still attending the GRC, became critically ill and was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit in Melbourne. It is perceivable that her health had been adversely affected by the eviction of her daughter from the GRC. My wife is her only child and was required to care for her mother when released from hospital 5 weeks later.
As her health improved, she indicated she wanted to attend Sunday Communion meetings at the GRC. I decided to write a detailed letter, without prejudice, explaining to the GRC administration exactly what had happened to her, which had also caused her absence from meetings for the two month period. A signed copy of the letter was sent by registered mail to Mr. Hollins, Mr. H. DeVries, Mr. G. Carey, and Mr. P. Morgan. The letter also requested for the ministry not to expel her for living with us during recovery, as this would not be in the best interest for her physical and psychological wellbeing.
The following Sunday, my mother in-law was not well enough to attend the meeting. The weekend after that she wanted to attend but was apprehensive. My wife and I decided that it was not good for her to go alone. We arranged with a private nursing service to provide a professional carer, who transported her and attended the next Sunday Communion meeting with her. Feeling nauseous when the meeting was near ended, she asked her carer to take her home. As they walked out of the hall she was given a letter by Mr. H. DeVries, who did not acknowledge her with a greeting or show any concern.
The letter was a conditional expulsion, signed by the ministry. It was not possible for my mother in-law to physically meet the demands placed upon her by the ministry. Ironically, the GRC letter was dated a few days after my letter had been sent. Obviously, this GRC letter of conditional expulsion was carried by the Elder in previous weeks, awaiting her attendance. The impudence and uncaring demeanour of Mr. Hollins was affected painfully upon my wife’s mother. To this day she still has not recovered from this vindictive expulsion and is at a great loss to understand the shunning she receives from current GRC members.
This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided it was time to do something about the cruel and callus spiritual abuse Mr. Hollins affects upon people. I not only knew for myself that the immoral and unjust ministry of Mr. Hollins was destroying people’s lives, but I perceived it was demonically inspired.
Up until this time since my expulsion, I was unaware that I had begun my journey, searching for ?the truth’. I knew first hand the injustice I had experienced in the GRC and rightfully assumed that many other people had experienced a similar cruel fate. I discovered many people were spiritually bruised and batted by Mr. Hollins, and their stories grieved me. For want of knowing the truth about why several people had been labelled ?backsliders’ by Mr. Hollins, I found that many of them had been traumatized no less than my self.
Suicide, extortion, damaged marriages, severed family ties, partiality, depression, lies and cover-ups were all there to be found as I dug beneath the surface to unearth what Mr. Hollins had buried throughout previous decades.
With consent from my mother in-law and my wife, I took the story to the press. This started the ball rolling. People called in to speak with the reporter who had written the article and inspired her to write more. Eventually four stories were written but only three made it to print. Mr. Hollins had used his law firm to threaten action against the press, but it didn’t matter. The desired affect had been achieved and Mr. Hollins realised I wasn’t going to go away quietly. He had managed to stifle many of the schisms he had confronted in the past, but this time the wounded were gaining strength and unity.
I was contacted by an ex-GRC member who informed me that an article appeared within a discussion forum on the internet. We didn’t have internet connection at home and so I requested a printed copy from my friend. After reading the article, I felt that the defamatory comments made against me should be brought to the attention of Mr. Hollins. I wrote him another letter requesting an apology from the author, who I believed was a current GRC member. After waiting patiently in vain to receive a response, I decided to use the forum too. Being consistent with his usual display of partiality, I believe this has proven to be an invaluable mistake on behalf of Mr. Hollins.
At the time when the newspaper articles were being published, my cousin and I met by chance in a supermarket shopping isle. We were both equally surprised to see each other but when I said ?hello’, she became infuriated. She started off by asking me, ?What do you think you’re doing’! I replied with words to the effect that I was still waiting for an opportunity for all of us to come together and discuss matters (as instructed in the Bible). That did it. She went completely off her tree. Shock seemed to have glued my boots to the vinyl flooring. She was so overcome with hysteria, she didn’t realise the growing number of onlookers watching in line at the cash registers.
At the end of her seemingly long, raging verbal fit, a violent threat was made against my life. Her unfortunate outburst caused me great concern for the safety of my wife and children. I knew deep down that she would not commit such an act herself, but what frightened me was knowing someone else might be capable. Having witnesses present to back my claims, I reported the matter to the authorities, just for the record. Admittedly, I contacted the TV media too, to do a story on the GRC in retaliation for my cousin’s violent verbal attack. Today/Tonight took on the story and wanted to visit Mr. Hollins at the GRC hall. Mr. Hollins was asked by the reporter to explain why I had been expelled. Mr. Hollins refused to answer. To this day he has never responded to any of my letters requesting the reason why I was expelled initially. I vowed to Mr. Hollins when the camera crew decided to leave; “I will never stop speaking the truth until the day I die. You can even arrange that to be sooner rather than later too, can’t you”?
The reason why I continue to stand up and speak out against Mr. Hollins and Mr. Addison is because they refuse to acknowledge and recant from their HERESY. It is their choice to preach what they choose, just as it is my choice to preach what I believe is right too.
My ongoing recovery from ’spiritual abuse’ has been achieved up to this point by discarding everything I’d been told by the GRC ministry. What I’ve been through was necessary for me to be delivered from Satan’s greatest lie. I do hope that by sharing my experiences, other people will detour early and avoid the pain and agony that I was made to suffer. I was deceived by the lies and believed the man who positioned himself before me was to be revered as though he was Jesus Christ.
The ?Frank DeBooy’ doctrine is also a lie from the pit of Hell. I lived in superstitious fear of this doctrine for fifteen years. It was taking me to Hell with it. The administration of condemnation is in direct conflict with Christ’s ministry of love, grace and compassion. Mr. Addison is a FALSE PROPHET.
The ‘Only True Church in the World’ doctrine (being the Geelong Revival Centre and associated churches) is also a lie from the pit of Hell. This doctrine was introduced by Mr. Hollins immediately after the 1972 split, to incarcerate and subjugate members under himself as the ‘chief corner stone’ designed for his own personal hierarchy with himself positioned at the top.
I once had a conversation with Mr. Hollins regarding the ‘Only True Church in the World’ doctrine. I said; “The Geelong Revival Centre is not the only true church in the world. It never was and it never will be. The Geelong Revival Centre is merely a vehicle that if the Lord sees fit, He will use it to bring souls to His True Church.” Mr Hollins privately conceded his doctrine did oppose the teachings of Christ. Mr. Hollins hardened his heart and continued to preach his doctrine that included me with the alleged ‘backsliders’.
Mr. Hollins is a FALSE PROPHET.
“ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS: MANY FALSE PROPHETS SHALL RISE AND SHALL DECEIVE MANY”. (Matthew 24.)
My love for the truth is my strength. In search of truth I also discovered that the people, who I thought were my friends, were unveiled to be my enemies. People who I was told were my enemy have become true friends. This too was all sorted out once I became true to myself. I have only become an enemy of the GRC because I chose to search for the truth.
I know I am far from righteous in mind. My behaviour is not above reproach, and I do not deserve recognition for any seemingly good thing I have done. I have shared my testimony in hope that my experience may save someone from the pain and misery I encountered by placing my trust in the ministry of the Geelong Revival Centre.
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Psalm 40:4
