Metanoia Ministries got involved with Immanuel’s Church in February 2017 to bring about change (metanoia is the Greek noun for repentance) related to the abusive activity of Charles Schmitt. As a result, multiple victims came forward. The ministry has done a good job from what I can tell. They produced a 70+page report that included 23 recommendations. Nevertheless, they only scratched the surface.
Metanoia Ministries did not do an investigation. They did not try to find more victims. They had enough evidence from those victims who came forward on their own to understand the abusive, predatory and homosexual behavior of senior pastor, Charles Schmitt. That included the young man who exposed Charles in November 2016 and forced him to “get help” and the worship leader who exposed Charles in January 2017.
More needs to be done. I know law enforcement has been contacted. I hope the Board of Trustees does an extensive investigation with the help of a forensic lawyer. Those involved in Immanuel’s Church or recently left IC should encourage this action. There are many more victims. They need to be helped.
There were eight people on the Board of Trustees in February. Executive Pastor David Black and Executive Pastor Dianna Schmitt Whittle (one of Charles’ three daughters) were removed from the board. They have covered up Charles’ horrendous sin for a long time. So have the other executive pastors. All have been terminated (“resigned”) as of today. That’s because the bylaws were changed in March and as a result, the non-staff members on the Board of Trustees had the authority to call for their resignations which was recommended by Metanoia Ministries.
I’ve been told the six lay leaders who remain on the Board of Trustees will do right and did not know about Charles’ history of predatory homosexuality. I hope that is the case.
Charles and Dotty have not followed the recommendations in the report which was approved by the Trustees and accepted by most of the people in the church. Instead they are making it as difficult as possible for everyone and seeking to discredit everyone who is attempting to hold them accountable.
This is nothing new. This is how they have operated all their lives. At Fellowship of Believers in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. At Gathering of Believers (aka Covenant Life Church) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. And now at Immanuel’s Church. There is nothing new under the sun in terms of their sinful patterns of behavior. There has been no biblical repentance (2 Cor 7:8-11). Only defiance and pretension.
The Trustees are ready to act if Charles and Dotty don’t change course and follow what they have been instructed to do. I don’t know if the Trustees will release the 70+ page report but they will take a public stand. They will follow through on the recommendations in the report including a “Public declaration (via newspaper & an open letter on the website) asking of forgiveness for the failure of IC to be a church.” It also includes, “All executive pastors must resign, effective July 23.” That is today. The six executive pastors are Dotty Schmitt, David Black, Dianna Schmitt Whittle, Guy Carey, Jamie Dixson and Beverly Schneider. They all had knowledge of Charles perversion and predation over the years and did not stop him.
Charles Schmitt needs to be stopped. He and Dotty continue to minister and promote themselves where ever they can. Charles has put forward an obscure confession that is full of psychobabble and doesn’t begin to deal with his sin in biblical terms. It is all part of his ongoing deception and manipulation of people. Thankfully, more and more people are seeing through it. Attendance at Immanuel’s Church is down from 3,500 to 700.
Charles has preyed upon young men and allegedly boys for over 50 years. This is not due to childhood trauma. It is due to willful choices he has made that he knows are wicked. He has likewise covered up these evil actions for over 50 years with the help of his wife Dotty, his three daughters, and a corrupt pastoral staff. The evidence is plain and abundant.
Larry Tomczak and C.J. Mahaney should have stopped Charles and fully exposed him in 1982 for French kissing and having oral and anal sex with young men in Gathering of Believers (aka Covenant Life Church). I have the evidence. They did not. Why? I believe they were compromised. Charles had dirt on them, especially C.J. Therefore, Larry and C.J. went easy on Charles fearing exposure themselves.
As I’ve said before, I believe Larry and C.J. learned evil from Charles in terms of lying and deceiving. That corruption grew. Larry was disciplined in 1997. C.J. was exposed in 2011. And there is more to come.
Related Posts
Charles Schmitt’s 50 Plus Year History of Homosexual Sex with Young Men While Married & in Ministry
Sunday, March 12, 2017 at 5:26 PM