Crash & Burn…..

20^th October 2016.

Time, and, a recent phone call and several chance encounters experienced with individuals associated with Fairfield Uniting Church, coupled with an appalling lack of judgment shown by Presbytery has made something* very clear and brought me, finally, to this point. *As said by the person in the phone call made to me, 'nothing changes'. It was in reference to the failure of Fairfield Uniting Church, and by association the wider Uniting Church in Australia/Presbytery, to grapple with and adequately address the events (people issues) which have hurt so many people and brought into question the Integrity of the local and wider Church.

Whilst changes to the management structure has occurred (at Fairfield Uniting Church), there remains no indication the new leadership is prepared to make amends for their hurt, their intimidation, for the assaults and expulsions: for the sins which enveloped and stalk Fairfield Uniting Church. (People) issues are of greater importance than management; issues which formed the underlying reasons for this blog.

For reasons embedded in my naive optimism, access to the blog has, for a long time, been quite restricted; that has now changed. I have removed those restrictions: its now open-to-all. It becomes a record which cannot be readily expunged: a sad record of just how far off-the-rails a CHRISTian community can fall when it chooses to no longer follow the example and teachings of CHRIST.

Crash & Burn…..

Sunday 17 January 2016 was a landmark day; on that day an event unfolded which exposed for all to see the type of community Fairfield Uniting Church has become.

On that Sunday, immediately after the morning service, at the commencement of a Congregational meeting and in front of the assembled Congregation, the NSW State Police, having been called - negligently using the emergency 000 phone number (revealed by the Police) by Mr. Solifoni - sent two Constables who then, doing Mr. Solifoni's and Mr. D. Tweed's bidding, proceeded to order me to leave the meeting and the premises of Fairfield Uniting Church.

Why, what sin did I commit that was so grievous that the emergency 000 services needed to be called to get the NSW State Police to removed me from that place of worship. A question which remains to be truthfully addressed and answered.

What actually happened I can say: why, remains as speculation to some but is known to the Solifonis, the Tweeds and, of course, God!

What happened:

Having just attended the morning service I along with the Congregation moved into the hall to await the commencement of the Congregational meeting. Whilst standing, on my own, to the left and just inside the entrance to the hall I was approached from behind by Mrs. Solifoni. Without warning, and with no provocation, Mrs. Solifoni rounded on me and immediately began to (verbally) abuse me including ordering me to leave. After a period of abuse Mrs. Solifoni picked-up my belongings (which included my bible) and made to throw them out the door. I managed to prevent that happening only to endure still more abuse; then, surprisingly, Mrs. Solifoni took hold of me and tried to drag me out the front door of the hall. I managed to pull away and several of Mrs. Solifoni’s children stepped in and pulled her away; one apologizing to me. A short time later I was approached, again from behind, by Mr. Solifoni. Once again I was verbally abused and once again I was ordered to leave.

It is important to state here I responded minimally, to the actions of both Mrs. or Mr. Solifoni, not wanting to escalate the abuse; however silence and in-action did not help for it is, in hindsight, obvious there was an agenda unfolding.

That I can say with certainty for when Mr. Solifoni, having (literally) exhausted himself verbally, made the statement he was going to call the Police. When I shrugged in response to that statement he then asked did that not worry me. I answered ‘no’, so he did.

Having made the phone call Mr. Solifoni moved away from me, and as the Congregational meeting had started, Chaired by Ms. M. Solifoni, he took a seat. It is significant to note here, the actions of Mr. & Mrs. Solifoni were witnessed by those of the Congregation in eye-shot, the Chair of the meeting (Ms. M. Solifoni), who openly commented on proceeding regardless of what was occurring to me. It is also of note no members of the Congregation, no other Church Councillor nor the Ministers in attendance sort to intervene, prevent, defuse or stop what was occurring to me…..?

The Police arrived and spoke to one of the Solifoni boys who then came into the hall and spoke to Mr. Solifoni. He then left the hall and shortly thereafter the Senior Constable approached me and asked me to step outside. He then left me with his sidekick and talked with Mr. Solifoni and Mr. D. Tweed. Now, I do know what Mr. Solifoni said on the phone but I do not know, verbatim, what the Snr. Constable was told by Mr. Solifoni and D. Tweed. However what was then conveyed to me by the Snr. Constable clearly indicated he was not being told the truth. The Snr. Constable said, as I was not a member I was not entitled to be in the meeting and that I should leave. I responded that I was a member and that I was entitled to be there; he countered that was not what he was told and repeated his instruction. I was very clear, to me, if further challenged the Constables they had every intention to remove me! I left, went home, and recorded the events in full.

Fairfield Uniting Church had just falsely used the NSW Stated Emergency 000 number to enmesh the NSW State Police in a conspiratorial personal vendetta for the sole purpose of preventing me from participating in a (contentious) congregational meeting. Think!

I was not the first person treated poorly treated by Fairfield Uniting leaders; nor have I been the last. Fairfield Uniting Church challenged and turned their backs on Christ that Sunday morning. Little more, if anything, needs be said about their conduct and how their action defined the type of community they have become: their actions speak as evidence of how fare they have fallen as a community.

The actions of Fairfield Uniting Church, their failure to confront the wrongs, and the miss-steps of the wider Uniting Church/Presbytery to adequately, and appropriately step up to the plate and, apply their moral authority calls into question the Integrity of the Uniting Church of Australia. That spectre will hang over the entire Uniting Church Community until the wrongs of Fairfield Uniting Church are rectified and reconciled.

Fairfield Uniting Church's Legacy.....

3 June 2015.

Fairfield Uniting Church's Legacy.....

This will not be my last post but it may be a significant one. When it is posted, as I have indicated before, I will lift the restrictions which have limited access and, from that point in time, the shenanigans which characterises the dysfunctional (NSW) Fairfield Uniting Church will be accessible to the public and will remain in perpetuity a record of what happens when a CHRISTian community fails as the result of finding itself led by people who profess too but do not live by nor uphold CHRISTian values in leading and dealing with others.

To be described as Sunday CHRIStians, (a rendition of which is often sung, as a family choir, by several of the (self elected) Elders of the Fairfield Congregation), would not be even close to accurate. The reason being their behaviour, even on Sunday, in and at Church, is anything but a reflection of values lived and taught by Christ Jesus and the Scriptures.For some, attending a Fairfield Uniting Church was anything but pleasant. On one occasion a person said “it’s like a war”. Unjustified scorn, hate and abuse is directed towards individuals for no other reason than those individuals have chosen to stand for that which is right: for that which follows the teaching of CHRIST; so why their persecution by the leadership and others? The answer is simple and can be summarised thus; ‘when good people fail to speak up, evil prevails’.

Attending a CHRISTian church is/should be about serving, nurturing and supporting others in a manner which closely follows the teachings of Jesus coupled with the recognition he died to forgive our sins. If we accept his death was for us, and that through his death we receive God's grace and forgiveness, we are left with the OBLIGATION to do likewise, to nurture and forgive others. This is not the case at Fairfield Uniting Church under its current leadership. The Fairfield Uniting congregation has buckled and fractured under the weight of selfish self-aggrandisement and the intentions of a few, to subjugate all who attend. ‘When good people fail to speak up evil prevails’; and so it is at Fairfield Uniting, evil prevails.

In saying what I do and, writing what I do within this blog am I behaving as a CHRISTian? Do I have the right to speak out? Do I have an obligation to speak out? For many, Fairfield Uniting's progression has been more about not wanting to “cause waves” or “to upset people”. For others, just attending church, not adhering to or practising its teachings is what counts. Is the pacifist route or the attendance without adherence route, what is expected of us? Is it the path Jesus trod? I don't (personally) believe it is and, I firmly believe if Jesus was to walk into Fairfield Uniting (today), to say, he would not be pleased would be an understatement of mammoth proportions. Have we, at Fairfield Uniting Church, prepared ourselves well for our final judgement? How do we think we will be judged; as spiritual leaders, as a congregation and as individuals? I started this paragraph with questions relating to me let's address those first;

- Is what I am doing/writing in this blog Christian behaviour? There are those who may say, no it is not: if what I have said is un-true and or without substance then I would have to agree. However, as is evidenced in a number of ways, what I have said is a truthful reflection of reality and therefore, I believe, as other more suitable avenues failed, the blog has been necessary to reveal and record the truth.

- Do I have a right to speak out? Do I have an obligation to speak out? I have been told by the (some) leaders of Fairfield Uniting Church I do not have the right to voice an opposing opinion nor challenge any decisions made by leaders. Indeed, they believe, and have told me to my face, I not only have no right to speak out but that I have no rights at all! An interesting stance to take when you are talking to a person (me) who has worshipped within the church for in excess of sixty years.

In truth, I consider, I have not only the right to speak out; more importantly, I have an obligation to challenge and speak up and out whenever the teachings and or rules of our Church are being ignored or violated. Furthermore, it matters not if it’s a leader, member or member in association who is being challenged; every person, within our Uniting Church is equal and, equally accountable; supposedly.

By way of self assessment/reflection: and again, before we attempt to answer the question, (“Have we, at Fairfield Uniting Church, prepared ourselves well for our final judgement? How do we think we will be judged; as spiritual leaders, as a congregation and as individuals?”), let's look at the how one individual member has been treated by Fairfield Uniting's leaders, Ministers and those who comprise the Presbytery of Parramatta Nepean.

That person is Judith, my wife. Falsely accused of wrong doing by the entire Church Council and with no explanation stripped of her voluntary roles: then, one Sunday after church was deliberately verbally abused and physically intimidated to such a degree Judith has never returned to worship. Judith was forced out* of the Fairfield Uniting Church Congregation, by the actions of the leaders of Fairfield Uniting Church and the failure of others to intervene.

As bad as what happened to Judith seems, it is what follows, or has not followed which amplifies the wrong and clearly calls into question Fairfield Uniting Church's, (and the wider Uniting Church through Presbytery), commitment for doing the Lord's work. Nothing followed: absolutely nothing, by anybody; Judith was and has been abandoned**!

If you (the reader) are a committed CHRISTian, and or a member of a CHRISTian community, you would rightly assume leaders and Congregational members would rally to support a member being wrongly treated. You would also expect those same individuals to support and counsel the member(s) doing wrong. However, a quick look at how Judith has been treated, before, during and after that *life changing event, demonstrates how far removed Fairfield Uniting Church is from being a (normal) CHRISTian community. What is worse though is the fact, Judith's treatment lays bear how far the wider Uniting Church in Australia has moved away from being a caring, nurturing CHRISTian community.

**No Fairfield Uniting Church Elder or Church Councillor has approached Judith to support, assist, counsel or in any way show some level of compassion or remorse – NONE! But it gets worse: Fairfield Uniting Church is serviced by two part time Ministers, a Rev. Choi and Rev. Kava; neither of those two ministers have approached Judith in any way, they have simply ignored her, as has all those who comprise Presbytery. Both the incumbent Chairman and Secretary of the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery are fully aware of what happened to Judith and neither have offered anything in the way of direct contact/support, to this point in time – nine+ (9+) months later!

Now ask yourself this, what could Judith possibly have done to be so roundly rejected by her (local Uniting) Church community? I challenge you - the reader - to ask each of those leaders and Ministers for an answer to that question, per-chance you get one; you will be appalled by their reply.

It is right to point out here Judith is not the only person so treated; there are many others who have been similarly repelled by the Elders and Church Councillors of Fairfield Uniting Church and ignored by Presbytery.

What we have seen played out within Fairfield Uniting Church, in its treatment of children and adults alike, is every bit as sinful as that which we are seeing reported daily in the news dealing with child abuse and the persecution of CHRISTians overseas. Those disgusting things are happening rights under our noses, in our Uniting Church in Australia community, at Fairfield Uniting Church!

ALL other issues aside, the treatment of Judith is a condemnation of CHRISTian values/behaviour not the beacon of good it should be!

That is why the answers to the questions, Have we, at Fairfield Uniting Church, prepared ourselves well for our final judgement and, how do you think we will be judged; as spiritual leaders, as a congregation and as individuals?, can only be no, we will be condemned!

So what comes next, more of the same or some immediate and sensible action?

The INTEGRITY of the Uniting Church in Australia and Fairfield Uniting Church, as CHRISTian communities, is at risk and firmly in hands of the current leaders of the Fairfield Uniting Church (NSW) and the Parramatta Nepean Presbytery.

Mr. & Mrs. D. Tweed, Mr.,Mrs & Ms M. Solifoni, Mr. N. Lertsinpaksdee, Rev. Choi and Rev. Kava, Dr. Thornley and Mr. J. Cutts, you each need to ask why you have done what you have done to Judith; how does your treatment of Judith (and others) demonstrate you, as individuals and leaders, as members of the Uniting Church in Australia are following in the footsteps of Jesus and doing the Lord's work?.....please feel free to respond below in the comments or in person ;-)