A List of Offenses

Last night, my brother Les and I officially became members of Johnson Chapel Church’s (JCC) “Letter Club.”

For those unfamiliar, this is a special club reserved for certain former members — and a select few others — whom people within the church attempt to shame, insult, intimidate, or discredit through long, accusatory letters and messages.

I’m sharing screenshots of the letter Lara texted to my brother Les and me last night (I’ve also typed the letter out below the images in case they are difficult to see).

The redacted portions contain accusations involving someone other than me, and I am not comfortable posting those publicly. I believe in redemption, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. When someone has made mistakes, taken responsibility, and is genuinely sorry, I do not believe their past should be weaponized against them forever.

To me, that’s one of the most basic fundamentals of Christianity.

From this letter, we learn a few things, not the least of which is why JCC members have excommunicated my Dad and are actively shunning him. Lara lists 5. You can read the details she goes into in the letter, but I’ll be succinct here, giving my thoughts on each one.

1. Disregarding doctor’s orders and wrecking a vehicle.
   Do I think this happened? Honestly, yes, probably. It is not exactly shocking that an elderly man recovering from major heart surgery — and a severe bacterial infection contracted during that surgery — might want to feel normal again and insist on driving sooner than he should. Although I don’t think this is grounds for public humiliation and social exile.

2. Pushing back on using a walking cane
   Do I think this happened? Also yes. Because it’s common for people to have a difficult time having to rely on assistance. Herbert Hall certainly fought using one for years, if memory serves me correctly.

3. Asking Mom to walk around the mall with him
   Do I think this happened? I believe some version of this situation likely happened, yes — but I also believe it has been manipulated and exaggerated to portray Dad in the worst possible light. My Dad has always been sensitive to Mom’s health issues, and I genuinely do not believe he would have intentionally pushed her had she clearly expressed how much pain she was in or how badly she needed to stop. And, based on everything that has unfolded over the past few months, it is also clear that Mom has a tendency to suppress her true thoughts and feelings rather than openly communicate them.

4. Telling Mom she couldn't help her granddaughter with her homework
   Do I think this happened? I think it is entirely possible Dad jokingly said something like, “Janice, are you trying to help with math?” Most of us have laughed about how impossible modern math homework can be these days.

   Or maybe he was simply in a bad mood one night and actually said something rude or dismissive. If so, welcome to being human. We have all had bad days, spoken sharply, or said things we later regret. Presenting an ordinary family moment as evidence worthy of excommunication and shunning says far more about the people compiling these accusations than it does about my Dad

5. Encouraging a couple from JCC to have an abortion.
   Emphatically no. This did not happen.
   Mom told me about this accusation months ago. The couple being referenced is Ashley and Brandy Salter. Ashley has Muscular Dystrophy, and Brandy has health concerns. If they experienced a miscarriage or had to make difficult medical decisions, it was NOT because of my father encouraging abortion. Anyone who truly knows my Dad knows he has never come remotely close to supporting abortion.

As for the rest of the letter, I’ll let readers decide what they want to believe.

I intentionally did not redact what Lara said about me. I refuse to be bullied, shamed, or intimidated into silence. I know who I am, and I am genuinely happy with the life I’ve built.

I also have no desire to spend my time going line by line defending myself against exaggerated stories, distortions, or outright lies.

Success, to me, is not about “coming out on top” or proving I’m more successful than everyone else — although Lara’s letter makes it fairly clear that this seems to matter deeply to her. I’ve never viewed life as a competition. I simply wanted to work hard, build meaningful relationships, help people when I can, and enjoy my life. The rest tends to fall into place.

P.S. I recorded a phone conversation between my Mom and me a few months ago where she confirms accusations against my Dad are lies. Stay tuned for a blog post with that recording coming over the weekend.

In case the screenshots are blurry, I’ve typed it out below.

Kimberly and Les,

I decided to type this and send this in text since neither of you will listen to anything mama or I have to say. Although I’m sure you both remember things daddy did to mama when we were little, as I do, I’m not going back that far. Since Kimberly has decided to “air dirty laundry” through a diary she has kept, people around Soperton have begun wondering what in the world is happening to daddy. And I’m having to answer questions. I’m not going back thirty years to give my answers because people know that’s crazy. I am telling them incidents that have occurred recently and I will name them below so you both can read exactly what mama and other people have been through. Kimberly, you have started a fire that has spread not against us, but against daddy. I assure you and Les both that my reputation and word in Soperton is much better than a drunk who has made her home in Chicago(some 900+ miles away) and who is telling about her family issues from thirty years ago. It is also much better than a bankrupt alcoholic who spent the night in jail and faced charges because he had his young son in the car with him while he was drinking. I believe what I say definitely holds up better than two divorced alcoholics or maybe one and a recovering one. I am the ONLY one who has actually done well for themselves. I’m NOT divorced. I HAVE NEVER had an affair. I’m NOT an alcoholic. I’ve NEVER filed for bankruptcy. We own our own house with a nice piece of land planted with pines. We don’t rent or want to move. So with these things in mind, I think what I tell people holds a lot more water than the lies you are foolishly telling. These are just a few of the incidents that have happened in the past few years that neither of you know about because you weren’t around to help me. Kimberly, I give you my permission to add these to your “diary.”

1. Neither of you knew that daddy wrecked mama’s van a couple of years ago after mama had told him and his cardiologist had told him not to drive because he was so unstable. This incident happened at my house. I heard mama tell him he could not drive because he had been sick. He proceeded to walk quickly out to the car and get in the driver seat before mama, and he refused to get out. When they pulled up to their garage, daddy in fact could not press the brake fast enough and ran the van into the ramp. Then he backed up and ran it into the garage door. (he wouldn’t listen to mama)

2. Neither of you knew the MANY times mama called me in the past few years asking me to help her because daddy would not listen to her. The doctor told daddy to use a cane while walking, and he would NOT use it (hence the reason he fell so many times). He THOUGHT he didn’t need it and that mama was just nagging him when she reminded him to try and use it.

3. Right before mama’s back surgery, daddy had a doctor’s appointment in Augusta and mama had to take him because we were afraid of him to drive in bigger towns. Mama called me when they got home late that evening. She was crying because daddy had made her get out and walk around the Augusta Mall with him. He didn’t believe her back was hurting that bad, and he told her that she never did anything with him. So like always, mama gave in to keep the peace.

4. Daddy also told a couple at church (and I won’t name names) to go have their baby “taken care of” at the doctor because they didn’t need anymore that would be plagued with a disease. In other words, abort the baby.

5. Mama was helping Annie. with her homework recently, and daddy told mama to move out of the way because she didn’t know how to do the work. She wasn’t smart enough. Annievhf actually told me that today, and she said that nana made so much more sense than dada did because all he did was confuse her.

These are just 5 of the many incidents that have happened in the past 5 years. I also tell them he has admitted to watching pornography. This is what I’m having to tell people, Kimberly, when they ask me what is going on. I can assure you that when I tell them just these things, they COMPLETELY understand why mama is no longer with daddy, and they MOST CERTAINLY understand why he is not pastoring at Johnson Chapel anymore.

If either of you think this is how I wanted this to go, you are sorely mistaken. I didn’t, and I still don’t; however, the more people ask, the more I will tell. What little bit of reputation daddy had around Soperton is for sure being drug through the mud. That’s not my fault, Kimberly. YOU forced my hand. Why don’t you think about how you’re sounding on Facebook, and make the better choice of not posting. I’m not going to lie because I will stand before the same God you and Les will stand before one day.

And just for the record…..I haven’t forgotten when you (Kimberly) decided to come back home because you thought you were pregnant. YOU were the one who reached out to the only people who you knew would be there to help you. That’s when you confessed to mama that you had an STD from participating in sex parties or orgies. I didn’t make that up. You also told mama that you didn’t even remember driving down from Atlanta. I guess you and Les have that in common. Both of you get drunk out of your mind and then try to drive. It is actually a wonder that neither of you were the cause of an accident that could have taken another life.

And Les has the audacity to call mama and complain about having to come and cut the grass for daddy. Actually, I believe, if I’m not mistaken, it’s the FIRST time in 22 years he has cut daddy’s grass at all. Everyone else used THEIR time and THEIR money to pitch in and help out because Les was off drinking and running around on his wife, and not taking care of his family, obviously. WOW, how noble of him now to come and cut it.

If you both think about it, neither of you have time to write “words of wisdom” on facebook and childish diaries that have absolutely nothing to do with what has happened. How about you both work on getting your lives back together. With everything that I’m having to handle here, people are going to despise daddy, and you two may have to eventually come get him and let him live with you. No one around here will want to have anything to do with him.
**Neither of you need to worry about texting me back. After this text, I will block both of you again. When I need to say something else, I will unblock you and send another text.
**Also NO ONE besides mama and Dewayne knows I’m sending this text and no one told me to send this text.