Division At Community Chapel
DIVISION AT COMMUNITY CHAPEL!
Coming as a shock to some Community Chapel members was Barbara Barnett’s announcement that she was leaving Mr. Donald Barnett, founder and leader.
Mr. Barnett has repeatedly preached that “spiritual connecting” in the dance at the Community Chapel strengthens marriages. Even as he preached this, rumors surfaced that his own marriage was in trouble. Then reports came out that Barbara Barnett was unusually absent from many services at the Seattle Community Chapel as she spent more time with her spiritual connection, Jerry Zwack. It was also reported that at several of these sevices Don said that she was having problems with demon deception and asked his followers to pray for her. At the June 19th evening service, while Don Barnett was gone, Barbara announced that she was leaving him, but would continue in her ministry in the church. The following Sunday, Don Barnett said that he was at the end of his rope and he needed all the love he could get.
The C.F. Prevue and can be order from –
The Colossian Fellowship
P.O. Box 12933
Seattle, Wa 98111
92060 244-0659
The Decline of Community Chapel?
The decline of the Community Chapels continues. Louis Mensonides, counselor; and Scott Hartley, board of Senior Elders member were all tried for failure to report child abuse. The three argued that they were ministers, and therefore, exempt. No evidence was found that they were ordained ministers at the time, and so, the three Seattle Community Chapel counselors were convicted.
With Barbara Barnett having left Don Barnett, the divisions within the main Chapel have increased. Don Barnett warned that he no longer trusted Barbara’s revelation, and then, Barbara’s “spiritual connection”, Jerry Swack, was discontinued as manager of the community Chapel Counseling Center. In response, it has been reported that Barbara has left the main Community Chapel.
The financial situation of the main Community Chapel has continued to decline. There have been several pleas for increased giving claiming that without it they will be “several hundred thousand dollars” behind. This has climaxed with the closing of their business offices in late September.
Most concerning was the revelation that came out of their fall camp meeting. First, God called the Chapelites His “darling Bride-tobe.” He then claimed that He would “wage holy, total war” against Chapel’s “enemy.” God said that there would be “great bloodshed in the spiritual realm” and that they would take part.
from The C.F. PREVUE
November 1987
The Colossian Fellowship
P.O. Box 12933
Seattle, Wa., U.S.A. 98111 Community Chapel Continues To Lose
Coming as quite a shock to Chapelites, a Chapel mother not only lost custody of her five children, but was forbidden to take them anywhere near the Community Chapels when she has visitations. The Court battle in Vancouver, B.C., at times very high pitched, lasted ten long days with the Colossian Fellowship being called as expert witnesses. The Chapel support for the mother was great, but to no avail against truth.
In her ruling, Justice Jo-Ann Prowse noted that the dancing involved “physical contact…not only between adults, but also between adults and children.” “The evidence has left me with serious doubts as to (the mother’s) judgment as it relates to the children,” the judge continued, “I conclude that the clouding of her judgment is due in large part to her fervent and apparently unquestioning commitment to the Community Chapel Church…Her most serious error in judgment was the removal of the children from their school. But there are other judgment calls which are also disturbing. These include removing the children from all of their outside activities, the regular late night attendances at church services…the willingness to see them enter into connections with adults, the encouragement of secrecy about the church, and the unwillingness to seriously consider that the evidence about the Seattle church should give her some pause for thought.”
Coming on top of this, was the closure of the Victoria, B.C. Community Chapel in early January 1988. The Satellite closed after a Victoria Police Officer went undercover and investigated it. He found the same problem with children that plagues the main Community Chapel.
This is not the only loss for the Community Chapels. From the 1986/1988 telephone directory for the main Community Chapel, there has been a loss of over 500 members; down to 1,597. Their satellite churches have also experienced losses. From claiming 22 satellite Churches, they are down to about 12 satellites churches according to their “Our Satellite Churches,” minus Victoria. And according to their own listings, the total membership for all the Chapels, now stand at less than 2,337!
(C.F. Staff)
The C.F. PREVUE
March 1988
P.O. Box 12933
Seattle, Wa., U.S.A. 98111