When a Snow Job Is Meant to Keep Everybody Sleeping
“If anybody knows anything about possible abuse… here in our midst, come speak with the pastors…”
Oh, Bob. REALLY?
Let’s talk about this little invitation, shall we?
On the surface, it sounds reasonable enough. A pastor expressing concern about possible abuse and inviting people to come forward. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Well, quite a lot, actually, when you consider the context.
This wasn’t Bob Scott suddenly waking up, discovering that something might be terribly wrong, and genuinely wanting to get to the bottom of it. At least, that’s not what I see here. I see a man who knows how to present himself to an audience, say the right things, and create the impression that he is concerned, responsible, and ready to address the problem.
It’s a ploy. A ruse. A CYA maneuver.
And if you don’t know what CYA means, look it up. It means cover your backside. And that’s precisely how this reads to me.
Think about it. If allegations are circulating, what better way to protect your image than to stand before your followers and invite anybody with information to come speak with the pastors? Suddenly, you’re not the man people should be questioning. You’re the concerned leader inviting people to help you get to the bottom of things!
Clever, isn’t it?
You get to look responsible. You get to look shocked that anybody would even suggest such things might be happening. And you get to put the burden on other people to come forward while you occupy the position of authority, controlling the very environment in which those people are expected to speak.
And what happens to the people who DO speak up? What happens to those who question leadership, challenge the narrative, or refuse to fall in line?
Those are questions that cannot be answered by a carefully worded announcement.
A public invitation to report abuse is not proof of a sincere desire to uncover the truth. And it certainly isn’t proof that people will be heard, believed, protected, or treated fairly when they do speak.
That’s the problem, Bob. You can SAY whatever you want from the front of a church. But words are cheap. What matters is the truth, the actions that follow, and whether people are actually safe.
Remember The Wizard of Oz? The poppy field? Dorothy and her companions, overcome by their surroundings, drifting off to sleep?
That’s the picture Tactics is painting here. Just settle down, everybody. Nothing to see here. The pastor is concerned. The pastor is on top of things. The pastor wants to know if anybody has information. So relax! Everything is under control.
Don’t ask too many questions. Don’t look too closely. Don’t examine what is happening behind the curtain. Just trust the man standing in front of you.
And whatever you do, don’t confuse a carefully managed public image with the truth.
Because here’s the thing: a person can talk about protecting people while the very people who need protection are afraid to speak. A person can invite information while those who possess it have legitimate reasons to question whether coming forward will do them any good. And a person can make a public show of concern without that show establishing what he knew, when he knew it, or what he did about it.
BUT WAIT. There’s another question here, isn’t there, Bob?
What if this wasn’t simply about deflecting attention from allegations involving other people? What if this was also about deflecting attention from YOURSELF?
Let’s be absolutely clear about something. Bob Scott and others in Calvary Temple’s organization have been named in allegations involving the sexual abuse of children and young adults. These allegations remain under active investigation in Loudoun County. They are extremely serious allegations, and they demand serious questions—not a carefully managed public appearance of concern.
So, while the Virginia investigation remains open, the questions surrounding these allegations cannot simply be brushed aside or buried beneath a public display of concern. And Bob, you don’t get to position yourself as the man seeking answers without also facing questions about the allegations concerning YOU.
So, when you stand before your followers and invite anyone with information about possible abuse to come speak with the pastors, what exactly are you accomplishing?
Are you genuinely seeking the truth? Or are you creating the appearance of a concerned pastor while deflecting attention from allegations involving YOU and other people in positions of leadership?
WHO, exactly, is supposed to hold YOU accountable?
You don’t get to place yourself outside this conversation as though you’re simply an innocent bystander looking into somebody else’s wrongdoing.
That’s the question, Bob.
And you don’t get a free pass.
Well, Look What I Found!
Now, here’s something interesting.
I went to the Calvary Temple website and looked through the teaching archives. My intention was to listen to the teachings from around the time of this August 1, 2015, Tactics post. I wanted to hear for myself what was being taught and compare it with what Tactics was responding to.
Seems reasonable, doesn’t it?
But guess what?
There are NO teachings available in the archives for the years 2012 through 2018. There are also NO teachings for 1999 through 2010. And before that? The only year I could find archived was 1989.
Well, well, well.
Gee. I wonder why?
That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.
The absence of those recordings means that people trying to examine the historical record cannot simply go back and listen to those teachings through the archives currently available on the website.
And YouTube? Scrubbed, too.
Interesting, isn’t it?
I wanted to hear those teachings again—after all, it’s been 11 years. I wanted to re-examine the material for myself. And I couldn’t.
Why does this matter? Because accountability matters. Context matters. And when serious questions have been raised about an organization and its leadership, access to the historical record matters, too.
I’m asking you to think about it. Why are those years, those recordings missing? Who is walking in the Light, and who is walking in darkness…?
So, to anyone reading this: don’t take my word for everything. Don’t take Bob Scott’s word for everything, either. I mean, seriously… how can you?
Do your homework. Examine the evidence. Ask questions. Look at the history. And don’t allow ANYONE to intimidate you into silence when you are trying to establish the truth.
As I always say, visit my VIP LINKSand VIP DOCS pages. These resources document the history, provide context, and help people examine the information for themselves.
The truth has nothing to fear from honest questions.
But people who don’t want those questions asked? That’s another story.
Bob, Let’s Talk About Truth.
Bob, I’ve been watching Calvary Temple for a LONG time. I was a member from 1995 to December 2007. I know the history. I’ve seen the damage. And I’ve spent almost 20 years speaking out about what I believe needs to be exposed.
So let’s not pretend this is just about one announcement made back in 2015.
It isn’t.
This is about a pattern. A way of operating. A system in which one man’s authority can become so important that people learn to question themselves before they dare question him.
And I’ve seen what that can do to people.
I’ve seen people struggle with what they’ve experienced, what they’ve witnessed, and what they’ve been told they must believe. I’ve seen how difficult it can be to separate faith in Jesus Christ from loyalty to the organization and its leadership.
Because somewhere along the way, people can become so conditioned to trust the man in front of them that they stop trusting their own eyes and ears.
They see something that doesn’t sit right, but they push it aside. They hear something that raises questions, but they convince themselves they must be wrong. They watch other people get hurt, but speaking up might mean losing their friends, their relationships, their entire world.
So they stay quiet.
And the system carries on.
The faces may change. The tactics do not.
Now, let me make something clear to those of you who are still attending Calvary Temple.
I know not everybody is in the same place. Some of you may genuinely believe everything you’re being told. Some of you may have questions you’re afraid to ask. And some of you KNOW. You know enough to understand why people have walked away, why people have spoken out, and why these questions refuse to disappear.
And yet you stay.
That’s a choice you have to examine for yourself.
What are you holding on to? What are you afraid of losing? And at what point does staying silent become more important to you than facing what you know?
I’m not asking those questions because I don’t understand how difficult it can be to walk away. I understand that leaving can cost a person dearly. But I also know that the cost of staying in a system that demands your unquestioning allegiance can be enormous.
You do not owe Bob Scott your conscience. You do not owe Calvary Temple your silence. And you do not owe any human leader the right to tell you what you are allowed to see, question, or believe.
Your faith belongs to Jesus Christ. Not Bob Scott. Not the leadership. Not an organization.
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST DOES NOT DEPEND ON YOUR LOYALTY TO BOB SCOTT.
Read that again.
And if that statement makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself WHY.
My Warning Has Not Changed.
Bob, I’m going to say something I’ve been saying for years.
REPENT.
And I don’t mean stand in front of people and say the right things. I don’t mean make an announcement that creates the impression you’re concerned and everything is being handled.
I mean REPENT.
Because when you truly repent to God, you’ll face the questions. You’ll stop hiding behind the position you hold. You’ll stop expecting people to accept your words simply because you’ve spent years presenting yourself as a spiritual authority.
You’ll ask for forgiveness from God AND from every single person you’ve harmed.
May I remind you yet again that you and other Calvary Temple members have been named in serious allegations involving the sexual abuse of children and young adults? Those allegations remain under investigation. They need to be taken seriously, and they need to be addressed.
You can’t brush all of this under the rug and pretend that this isn’t a problem. Seriously! Now, don’t get me wrong… I understand the process. I am not claiming that allegations are proof of guilt. But neither am I going to pretend that a public invitation to come speak with the pastors answers the questions that have been raised.
It doesn’t.
Bob—you’ve got to bow the knee and remember that Jesus is Lord, not you.
And here’s what I want you to understand: you cannot put yourself in the position of the concerned leader asking for answers while expecting people to ignore the questions being asked about YOU.
Who is supposed to question you? Who is supposed to examine your conduct? Who is supposed to hold leadership accountable when the people doing the questioning are expected to submit to that same leadership?
That’s the problem with a system built around a man’s authority. When the man at the top is treated as though he cannot be questioned, where does accountability go?
I’ll tell you where it goes.
NOWHERE.
And the people who suffer are often the people who have the least power to do anything about it.
These allegations concern children and young adults. Think about that. Think about the vulnerability of those involved. Think about what it means when people are taught to trust those in positions of spiritual authority.
This is not about protecting an image, Bob. It is not about protecting an organization. And it is not about keeping uncomfortable information from getting out.
People matter more than the reputation of Calvary Temple. The truth matters more than your position. And no title gives you a free pass.
I’m also going to repeat something that has not changed since I began speaking out.
I do NOT want another unsuspecting person walking through the doors of Calvary Temple of Sterling, Virginia, the so-called “mother church”; Calvary Temple of Gambrills, Maryland; Calvary Temple of Buffalo, New York, also known as The Sanctuary; or what remains of Calvary Temple of Africa in Kenya.
Not one more.
Why? Because I believe people need to understand what they’re walking into. I don’t want another person drawn into a system where allegiance to leadership can take precedence over truth, where questions can come at a cost, and where people can become so entangled that they struggle to recognize the difference between serving Jesus Christ and serving an organization.
And I don’t want people confusing the two.
Jesus Christ did not die so that you could become captive to a human leader.
He did not call you to surrender your conscience to Bob Scott. He did not ask you to protect an organization at the expense of truth. And He certainly did not ask you to close your eyes to the suffering of others in order to prove your loyalty.
If you’re still there and you’ve dared to read this, I want you to think about that.
And if you know what’s happening and have chosen to stay, I want you to think about that, too.
You may have your reasons. You may believe the benefits of staying outweigh the cost. But please don’t tell yourself that staying silent is the same thing as standing for truth.
It isn’t.
God’s Word Has the Final Say.
Tactics closed with Scripture, and I want to bring us back to that point.
Proverbs 19:5 warns:
“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.”
Isaiah 28:15–17 speaks of people making lies their refuge and hiding themselves under falsehood. But God declares that judgment and righteousness will expose that refuge.
And 1 Timothy 4:1–2 warns about hypocrisy and people speaking lies with their consciences seared.
These are sobering words. And they should cause every one of us to examine ourselves—not just the people we disagree with, not just the people we think are wrong, but ourselves.
God knows the truth, Bob. He knows what people have done, what people have said, and what people have tried to hide. He knows what is behind the public appearance.
And none of us gets to hide behind a title when we stand before Him.
You can invite people to come speak with the pastors. You can present yourself as a concerned leader. But that announcement does not answer the questions surrounding these allegations. It does not establish what you knew, what you did, or what responsibility you may bear.
And it does not make those questions disappear.
You are not beyond accountability, Bob. And the people who have been taught to trust you have every right to ask questions.
Remember that poppy field in The Wizard of Oz? Everybody drifting off to sleep?
That’s why Tactics chose that title. The danger isn’t just that people may be deceived. It’s that they may become so accustomed to the deception that they stop questioning it.
They settle in. They look away. They tell themselves it’s not their problem.
And eventually, they may be so comfortable in that sleep that they don’t WANT to wake up.
Because there comes a point when a person has to decide what to do with what he knows.
So, to those who are still sleeping: WAKE UP.
To those who have questions: ASK THEM.
To those who have seen enough to know something is wrong: stop pretending you haven’t.
And to those who have been named in these allegations: your position does not place you above accountability.
BOB SCOTT, IT IS TIME TO STOP THE SNOW JOB.
Stop expecting appearances to satisfy people who are asking legitimate questions. Stop treating spiritual authority as though it places you beyond scrutiny.
And REPENT.
Not because Michelle says so.
Because Jesus and His truth matter. Because the people who may have been harmed matter. And because no human being has the right to use spiritual authority as a shield against accountability.
I’ve spent too many years watching these tactics and speaking out about the harm I believe this man, these men, these leaders, this place, and this system have caused. I’m not going to pretend I haven’t seen what I’ve seen. I’m not going to keep quiet because somebody might not like what I have to say.
And I’m not going to stop pointing people toward the truth.
The captives need to be set free.
And I will continue to speak out until the truth is no longer buried beneath the tactics. Or the snow…
“If anybody knows anything about possible abuse.., here in our midst, come speak with the pastors…” Cleverrrrr! A snow job pastor! You are brilliant! What better way to deflect attention off of yourself. Get us to think you are shocked at these allegations swirling around us. Of course! Enlist us to spy out any individual you could sacrifice for the greater good (your ministry). Or lull us into a happy, soft sleep that you are patrolling the church in order to keep the little people safe. Just rest in this lovely place of perpetual perfection. What a guy! Sigh. Just so you know, we are onto you and are not fooled. Not this time. You are digging your own grave. Sad. What ever happened to the plain old truth?
But God says, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape” (Proverbs 19:5). “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place” (Isaiah 28:15-17). “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2).
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