Sara Schmidt Departure
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 10:10 am
Sara Schmidt left ThePathofTruth in January 2016. It occurred to us that we should offer some sort of explanation for her departure to whomever it may concern; we have done so with anyone who has asked, and several have asked. Not that we feel we owe anyone an explanation; we just decided to give one as we understand the event.
Over the years since 2003 or so, I often reminded Sara she needed to submit to Paul as her elder. I did so because every once in a while I’d see signs of her stubbornness and disobedience; she would argue and insist on her way. Paul would rarely and briefly complain, almost as though he was embarrassed, didn’t want me to know the details or just didn’t care or know any better himself. She said little if anything when I did speak to her; she didn’t argue or question what I said but neither did she acknowledge I was justified by the Lord in requiring her to submit to authority and, she never once declared she understood, agreed, and would obey.
In about the last year before Sara left, it was becoming evident that she viewed her position and person with us as one of spiritual equality, quoting:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 KJV).
Given all that Sara witnessed of my doctrine over the years about authority and positions in an assembly of the Lord, as is recorded in our writings, I was quite surprised when her contrary position and attitude surfaced so as to be obvious. I was even more surprised when she wasn’t willing to change. I told her that because we weren’t in agreement she could no longer be with us. Paul didn’t agree with me and so the time for her leaving was delayed as I debated and considered, waiting on the Lord to make things quite clear with such a serious matter. It was my judgment against both of theirs.
Sara was also pining for years after the comforts and offerings of this world – pets, jewelry, garden - the usual. While none of those things are bad or wrong in themselves, she kept striving for them, looking back or to the side instead of having her full heart in the work of the Lord; I would say it was even as Lot’s wife looked back. This would affect her work and the work was suffering; both hands weren’t on the plow and her vision straight forward.
Over years, I kept saying, “There’s a bottleneck. What’s the matter?” I was frustrated and would even become angry at times. She would deny any shortcoming and Paul would defend her, talking about how hard she worked. And who was I to question their technical matters of programming, editing, and posting when I wasn’t familiar with what it took? I continued to let it go until the day came when it was obvious Sara was determined to follow her own judgment and do her own will. The writing was on the wall, sadly.
It wasn’t until I discovered through Dennison Paul’s infidelity and deception this year of 2017 toward me – harboring bitterness, disobeying, concealing things, and turning others away from communicating with me, that I realized it wasn’t only Sara who was unwilling to submit to authority but also Paul. Here I had been speaking to her about submitting to him while he, with her, was living in rebellion toward me.
One should think Paul was the one who should have been rebuked for unsubmissiveness and lack of respect for the Lord’s authority; Paul wasn’t exercising authority or requiring obedience of Sara except perhaps in selfishness and hypocrisy, so why should she have believed, obeyed, and had any respect for us? Does not example set the pace more than does the word? The time came that the Lord was cleaning house, bringing judgment to us. He’d had about enough.
So why was Sara first exposed and required to go before Paul? I’m not sure, except that the Lord Only knows the hearts. You’ll recall that while Aaron and Miriam murmured against Moses, it was only Miriam whom the Lord afflicted with leprosy and shut out of the camp of Israel for seven days. Why wasn’t Aaron chastened in similar fashion? These things we must leave with the Lord. Perhaps Aaron would be chastened another way when he lost his two sons Nadab and Abihu when they offered strange fire. He was also denied entry into the promised land. God knows what He must do with each, and when and how.
One thing I can say, not that I’m fully persuaded yet - I await long-term fruits with Paul: He has fully confessed his wrong and appears to be genuinely repentant of his grievous waywardness, whereas Sara never did acknowledge any wrong. Is this not an important difference?
There you have it with Sara Schmidt. She has gone back to be with her mother Beth in Wisconsin. According to Sara, her mother has been a stalwart feminist. The fruit not falling far from the tree? This despite the revelatory dreams Sara had of her.
2 Peter 2:20-22 MKJV
(20) For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and are again entangled, they have been overcome by these, their last things are worse than the first.
(21) For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
(22) But the word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog turning to his own vomit; and, The washed sow to wallowing in the mire.
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Over the years since 2003 or so, I often reminded Sara she needed to submit to Paul as her elder. I did so because every once in a while I’d see signs of her stubbornness and disobedience; she would argue and insist on her way. Paul would rarely and briefly complain, almost as though he was embarrassed, didn’t want me to know the details or just didn’t care or know any better himself. She said little if anything when I did speak to her; she didn’t argue or question what I said but neither did she acknowledge I was justified by the Lord in requiring her to submit to authority and, she never once declared she understood, agreed, and would obey.
In about the last year before Sara left, it was becoming evident that she viewed her position and person with us as one of spiritual equality, quoting:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 KJV).
Given all that Sara witnessed of my doctrine over the years about authority and positions in an assembly of the Lord, as is recorded in our writings, I was quite surprised when her contrary position and attitude surfaced so as to be obvious. I was even more surprised when she wasn’t willing to change. I told her that because we weren’t in agreement she could no longer be with us. Paul didn’t agree with me and so the time for her leaving was delayed as I debated and considered, waiting on the Lord to make things quite clear with such a serious matter. It was my judgment against both of theirs.
Sara was also pining for years after the comforts and offerings of this world – pets, jewelry, garden - the usual. While none of those things are bad or wrong in themselves, she kept striving for them, looking back or to the side instead of having her full heart in the work of the Lord; I would say it was even as Lot’s wife looked back. This would affect her work and the work was suffering; both hands weren’t on the plow and her vision straight forward.
Over years, I kept saying, “There’s a bottleneck. What’s the matter?” I was frustrated and would even become angry at times. She would deny any shortcoming and Paul would defend her, talking about how hard she worked. And who was I to question their technical matters of programming, editing, and posting when I wasn’t familiar with what it took? I continued to let it go until the day came when it was obvious Sara was determined to follow her own judgment and do her own will. The writing was on the wall, sadly.
It wasn’t until I discovered through Dennison Paul’s infidelity and deception this year of 2017 toward me – harboring bitterness, disobeying, concealing things, and turning others away from communicating with me, that I realized it wasn’t only Sara who was unwilling to submit to authority but also Paul. Here I had been speaking to her about submitting to him while he, with her, was living in rebellion toward me.
One should think Paul was the one who should have been rebuked for unsubmissiveness and lack of respect for the Lord’s authority; Paul wasn’t exercising authority or requiring obedience of Sara except perhaps in selfishness and hypocrisy, so why should she have believed, obeyed, and had any respect for us? Does not example set the pace more than does the word? The time came that the Lord was cleaning house, bringing judgment to us. He’d had about enough.
So why was Sara first exposed and required to go before Paul? I’m not sure, except that the Lord Only knows the hearts. You’ll recall that while Aaron and Miriam murmured against Moses, it was only Miriam whom the Lord afflicted with leprosy and shut out of the camp of Israel for seven days. Why wasn’t Aaron chastened in similar fashion? These things we must leave with the Lord. Perhaps Aaron would be chastened another way when he lost his two sons Nadab and Abihu when they offered strange fire. He was also denied entry into the promised land. God knows what He must do with each, and when and how.
One thing I can say, not that I’m fully persuaded yet - I await long-term fruits with Paul: He has fully confessed his wrong and appears to be genuinely repentant of his grievous waywardness, whereas Sara never did acknowledge any wrong. Is this not an important difference?
There you have it with Sara Schmidt. She has gone back to be with her mother Beth in Wisconsin. According to Sara, her mother has been a stalwart feminist. The fruit not falling far from the tree? This despite the revelatory dreams Sara had of her.
2 Peter 2:20-22 MKJV
(20) For if they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and are again entangled, they have been overcome by these, their last things are worse than the first.
(21) For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
(22) But the word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog turning to his own vomit; and, The washed sow to wallowing in the mire.
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