Dad Stevens was on the outs with his son, at the time of our conversation. I had hoped he would give me some insight. He did. He was apparently trying to show John some of the errors in the Walk and was shunned for doing so. He conveyed this to me.Quote
lily rose
Ben if you care to comment, I 'd be interested to know what dad Stevens or even Francis told you. I read on this forum that dad Stevens and JRS had a falling out towards the end. Everyone loved dad Stevens.
Dad Stevens was cordial, patient to listen, slow to speak, but direct with me. I asked him to narrate the story of John's life. I shared my concerns and I told him how I was struggling with everything, especially with what was happening at Shiloh. I also asked him to tell me where all of 'this' went wrong. In his own words, he did just that. We spent a whole afternoon together. I appreciate the time he took with me. He told stories of how the Lord had been present in John's young life. He referred to those as blessed years. He never identified the day that things took a wrong turn but I got the impression that it was sometime in his adult life. He did talk about his family and how most of them had been pushed out of John's life. Dad Stevens was not shy about saying that things were really off in the Walk. He did use euphemisms in his conversation, but things were definitely not right. His criticism was tempered with optimism and faith. He asked me to pray for John and all the people that surrounded him. He knew that the corp was driving things sideways and people were getting hurt. He was candid about Martha, Fred B., and others that he was close to, but always upbeat about the Lord. We prayed together at the beginning of our meeting and we ended with prayer. He took every question that I had with grace and answered them in a most direct manner. He directed me to pray and seek God's face for all my answers.
F.Frangipane was really focused on seeking the face of the Father. His words were encouraging and filled with faith. He also knew things were off and was trying to bring this message to those that would listen. I honestly believe that he tried to correct some of the brethren. He was shunned and blacklisted, especially at Shiloh. Frances words were always filled with scripture. He quoted Christ often.
Both men were gentle with their words but direct and honest. I needed those conversations. I saw that they were suffering also. It actually gave me strength to know that I was not alone. I also knew that my exit was to come very soon. I felt trapped but they gave me hope.