Multiple GFA leaders sent emails to many Diaspora individuals today, asking forgiveness. Some members received confession of specific personal wrongs referenced from their personal testimony. Others received a more generic, form-like apology, indicating that the leader was not aware of any specific actions. The majority of these emails were sent at the same time.
These emails were clearly intended as a way for the leaders to formally apologize for individual, personal offenses, hurts, and errors in judgement. While their personal apologies—as limited as they are—have been accepted by many, there was neither acknowledgement by any of the leaders of the systemic abuse arising from unbiblical doctrines and practices of the ministry as a whole, nor indication of genuine repentance.
If the Holy Spirit is the One prompting true repentance for personal offenses, it seems He would have prompted that leader to ask forgiveness sooner and in a more personal, individual manner. Although our names and testimonies have been available to GFA leaders for many months, we find it odd that it took so long to recognize the hurts of former staff—and leadership’s offenses that caused them. In fact, leadership has spent previous communications denying our claims.
While it seems that the email apologies are a coordinated PR campaign, we hope that these limited apologies are genuinely sincere. Some of us have emailed back with forgiveness and love for these confessions.
We hope this brings closure to individual sins, and allow the leadership to focus on the root of these sins—the false beliefs and unbiblical practices outlined in our initial letter.