What is happening in the Adelaide Fellowship? (Westlakes Christian Fellowship)

[guest]

Does anyone have any information about what is going on in the Adelaide fellowship these days?

The website seems like a shell compared to what it used to be. It's almost like all individual expression of congregations is now non-existent and it all just points back to the BCF website. I know many x-members who were cut off from families suddenly in the last 1 to 2 years (despite having left many years prior and who had, up until recently, managed to maintain tenuous relationship with family and friends).

[BreakFree]

Hi,
I noticed a big shake up with all the websites a number of years ago. I can only speculate about this but I feel that the wider CF network may have been getting a lot of unwanted attention due to society backlash against religious conservatism. Vic probably shut down anything that he thought was to 'showy' to avoid the media. In my experience the Adelaide group were always doing there own thing so Vic probably pulled his younger brother David into line

[Hope4]

Please excuse my ignorance.

I thought Adelaide was known as ‘Chapel on the Boulevard’?

How many name changes have been taking place around the country? And, why???

[Boundary Rider]

Hi Guest,
From what I can tell the Situation at West Lakes Christian Fellowship looks like this: ---
1. Congregation is aging consistent with David Hall turning 78,and being in Adelaide for 40 years.
2. David has heart problems and is clearly winding back on what he is doing.
3. Paradoxically David is away from the church more often than ever, shuttling between Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane, and the Melbourne trips may indicate that he is throwing his support with Melbourne in the event of Vic's actual Arrival in the Heavenlies. Given that Vic is now 79 that may not be far away, unless since his recent trip to the Great Beyond he is claiming that his Messenger status elevates him to the ranks of Enoch and Elijah with their access to heaven?????
4. The Church is being regularly visited by "Speakers of the Word", notably Tim Maurice, suggesting that they are not getting enough "of the Word" locally.
5. Church numbers seem to be around 70, and they are not gaining any new people, as when they do come they disappear after only a few visits, and it is definitely NOT a multicultural congregation. This is reflected in the diminishing size of the orchestra, and the congregation tends to rattle around in the size of the premises.
6. As is the case elsewhere they are only growing through the pressure on younger couples to have large families, but the dropout rate amongst the young continues.
7. The "one City, one church" policy has resulted in people selling up to reduce travel distance, which has effectively created a "Parish" in the vicinity of Adelaide's western suburbs adjacent to West Lakes.
8. The Home fellowships have virtually collapsed and have been replaced by a "Time of Fellowship at the Agape Meal(lunch)" which lasts for about 30-45 minutes after the main services finish at 1pm.
9 There is no longer a Communion Service, so "This do in remembrance of me (Jesus)" no longer seems relevant (i.e. the present Word trumps Jesus) Somehow through a perversion of the "Agape meal" of the very early Church, this is now claimed to be equivalent to celebrating Communion
10. That monumental row that David Hall had with Vic several Christmases ago was to do with Vic allowing Murray Wylie to emasculate David's youngest daughter who was showing all the musical signs of succeeding MW with the Musical Direction of the CFs. She subsequently left the Church and is now happily married to a Buddhist. Two Christmases later Murray was emasculated and eviscerated by Vic and is only allowed to sit silently at BCF services. This was around the same time that David Falk received the "right boot of Fellowship" clearing the way for the generational change Vic had been preparing over the last ten years.

That's the rough picture I can give.

BR

[Seeker]

Thank you BR.....I so appreciate your thoughtful, detailed report. I am still flabergasted that Vic's 'Agape Meal' has done away with communion. Not only that, but the great trickster told the body many times that they must repent for believing and viewing the communion as a sacrament.

So....we are at fault for believing what VIc taught (for years!) us about communion! Talk about a true manipulator. If anyone recalls the two "Upon this rock' books from many moons ago, you may remember the parts where he goes through various beliefs of communion. I guess Jesus forgot to tell him about this in his two prior visits.

I hope to share much more of VIc's control.

[Hope4]

Hi Seeker,
Just wondering if you mean that communion is not a part of a worship service anymore?

[guest]

Yes, they no longer partake of the communion elements of the Lord’s Table. Instead, there is an ‘agape meal’ or ‘communion meal’, which is basically morning tea renamed and considered to be ‘an upgrade’ and a rejection of the trading sacramentalism that is practised by the church. Apparently it is a closer representation of how the early church did communion… you can have this agape meal at any time, as long as there is fellowship in the present truth word while you’re eating and the participants are being the bread and the wine to one another. Pretty blasphemous when you think about it for more than two seconds… They reckon Jesus just used bread and wine because that’s what was on the table at the time and that’s what was usually on the table just culturally. It’s so frustrating because there was a reason that it was on the table - they were celebrating Passover, but the notion of substitutionary sacrifice has long since been rejected and is even preached against with vehemence. I’m surprised there wasn’t a broader revolt. If Vic is to be believed, there were a number of people who expressed concern, but he either guilted them, scared them, convinced them or kicked them out…

At least they pray now before they go out for morning tea though… They are also encouraged to pray in their groups as a part of it, but it’s cold comfort given what the expectations are surrounding prayer and the likely content of the prayer since the entire conversation is to be testimony based on the word from the meeting and the weekly presbytery word disseminated on lampstand for the consumption of all RFI attendees.

[guest]

Thank you BR.....I so appreciate your thoughtful, detailed report. I am still flabergasted that Vic's 'Agape Meal' has done away with communion. Not only that, but the great trickster told the body many times that they must repent for believing and viewing the communion as a sacrament.

So....we are at fault for believing what VIc taught (for years!) us about communion! Talk about a true manipulator. If anyone recalls the two "Upon this rock' books from many moons ago, you may remember the parts where he goes through various beliefs of communion. I guess Jesus forgot to tell him about this in his two prior visits.

I hope to share much more of VIc's control.

Some time ago Vic (semi-jokingly) mentioned burning all the materials that were more than 10 years old. The burning was a meant in jest, although somewhat ironic…, but he was serious regarding the sentiment. I’ve heard one or two people refer to that notion again recently, so they’re still very intent on recreating themselves and gaslighting everyone else in the process. It’s all to do with Present Truth and the fresh revelation that is being received and not holding on to the word for yesterday. I guess they forgot that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and I’m pretty sure that Jeremiah talks about ancient stones that are never to be removed…

It’s frustrating and tragic and pretty frightening for those who are still enamoured by it.

[Seeker]

Thank you guest....it certainly is frustrating that those who love the Lord and freely give of their time, money and resources, are continually blind to VIc's lie of present truth.

One of my questions to those who have the wool pulled over their eyes is this: If the word is ever changing, why believe and obey the 'new' commands when they will be 'old mana' as soon as Vic says so? The stock answer seems to be that the word of Vic is applied to things of this ever changing world. As you stated, God's word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What a sorry, sad, ego driven narcissist Vic is. Odd that all the 'older' men have been relieved of their duties, yet Vic remains in charge. I'm sure that leads to much more money in Vickster the tricksters pocket.

[Hope4]

The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Sorry to keep asking questions. I’m shocked and in disbelief at how far this man is leading good people away from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How does Vic explain away the Lord’s request to “do this in remembrance of me”?