I received the following slightly formatted and edited email on February 15, 2007:In keeping with Linda Shelton requiring an open and transparent ASI sponsored hearing, Linda has now published a letter that includes a clear demand that 3ABN and Danny Shelton produce the evidence they claim to have for inspection and verification to the entire church membership and to the stockholders in the pews. Danny Shelton in various forms and under various alias has repeatedly referenced evidence that he claims to have thereby giving him a basis for divorce and remarriage. The chairman of 3ABN on AToday has made it clear they have no proof of an adulterous affiar. Linda Shelton and Arild Abrahamsen have repeatedly asserted that there is no basis for divorce, that no inappropriate relationship occured and that there is no evidence to support the Danny Shelton claims.
We have repeatedly asserted that if there is no proof, then a remarriage would constitute an adulterous relationship. Danny Shelton was married at 3ABN in March 2006 to a Brandy Murray, a 3ABN employee that reportedly arrived at 3ABN of Thompsonville in July of 2004.
Here is the letter from Linda in its entirety and is also available at
http://www.LindaShelton.org and on
http://www.save3ABN.com . I believe it reflects the same Linda, a bit stronger and less naive than in the past, but as deeply committed to her relationship with the Lord as we all remember so well on that porch at 3ABN.
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February, 2007
My warmest greetings,
A couple approached me, with tears in their eyes, and said, "We have just missed you and we wanted to see you to make sure you were okay." As I saw the pain in their eyes, over the events that have transpired in my life in the last few years, it was as if my heart was pierced again. "We are just so happy to see you smiling, in church and still serving God." Our meeting took place a few months ago at the Bible Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church, where I am a member. I enjoyed my visit with this caring Christian couple and the compassion and love they showed toward me.
Some people act surprised that I am still a member of the SDA church. But why? God is still the same awesome God that He always has been, the incredible Bible truths embraced by the Seventh-day Adventists are still just as true today as they ever were and although a "thousand shall fall on my right and a thousand fall on my left" nothing will ever change these facts. We must hold firm to our faith during troubled times!
Many have written to me over the past many months asking me to update my website. This I have prayerfully considered for quite some time, nearly a year. Quite frankly, I just have not known what to say. I feel that this scandal has made a large, festering open wound in my Church. Perhaps the truth revealed will ultimately bring the healing that everyone needs. Then we can grieve together and move on. I am certain, in essence, I have died a thousand deaths over the events of the last couple of years. But, with the Lords blessing, I will try to address issues which have been brought to my attention in the kindest manner possible.
For the first time in nearly three years I will not simply deny the accusations, but will directly address certain issues. I do not take pleasure in speaking of these things. I think I have always been the one who would rather receive hurt, than be the one to inflict hurt upon others. But during the course of this last year I learned some valuable lessons through Dr. Mable Dunbar of Pollys Place Network, she has been an incredible support and help to me. Mable is a woman who truly loves the Lord and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right, even if a whole army would stand against her.
Pollys Place Network is a ministry which empowers abused lives and aids them through their difficult circumstances. It is a marvelous organization and so needed for this age when Satan has focused his wrath upon breaking up the security and circle of love God intended for our families. I videotaped some interviews, for Pollys Place, at the SDA Conference office in Spokane, Washington with several individuals who had been through incredibly painful situations. Each of them, in essence, had the same healing story. It was when they were able to come forward and expressed the truth about what happened to them, that their healing came. Inspired by these individuals, now I can accept and believe it is Gods job to protect the ministry I have loved and co-founded, and its my right and my healing to tell the truth about what has occurred.
I am co-authoring a book and its purpose is to share the silver lining of the amazing lessons the Lord has taught me through this crisis. I feel the Lord has lifted a veil and allowed me to see the world that He sees, a world far different than we see. I see that the darts of false allegations that Satan has thrown toward me and my ministry were not directed solely for my downfall, but the aim was much wider. Although I was the apparent target, Satan was attempting to destroy the ministry I loved and co-founded and cripple the witness of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My perspective has been forever changed through my experiences and my book will give me the opportunity to share these lessons more fully with all of you. (I will keep you posted as to the release date of this book.)
John Knox once said, "Kings (or leaders) have not an absolute power to do in their government what pleases them, but their power is limited by Gods Word; so that if they strike where God has not commanded, they are but murderers; and if they spare where God has commanded to strike, they and their thrones are criminal and guilty of the wickedness which abounds upon the face of the earth, for lack of punishment." John knew his Bible. It is a Biblical principle that if we see a wrong and only look the other way or feebly say, "I will let the Lord deal with that one," then that wickedness is applied to our slate, plain and simple.
The most devastating blow a televangelist can get is the false accusation of adultery. Although I have already made this statement on my website I want to address those of you who have loved and valued my Christianity, integrity and my ministry for the 19 years that I was at 3ABN. I want to clearly emphasize that I was 100% faithful to my husband. I loved, trusted and believed in him to a fault. Imagine my shock when I realized that the false allegations in the form of libel, slander and defamation directed my way were initiated by two of the closest people to me on planet earth; one was my beloved partner and the other was my closet lady friend. I loved them both and trusted them both to the point that their close communication did not bother me in the least. I know that sounds naive, but I did not believe that Dan would do anything that would harm the ministry we had built together.
In 2004 there was a tremendous outcry at my departure. There was suspicion over how swiftly I was fired from my position and divorced. There was suspicion over the fact that I never had the opportunity to talk to the Board and defend myself. There was suspicion over the fact that every trace of my presence was completely cleared out of the campus of 3ABN, even before my termination, as well as the website, television and radio broadcasts. I was made a sacrificial lamb in a scheme calculated to remove me from both my home and my ministry through an orchestrated campaign of malicious lies circulated around the globe. No words can begin to describe the absolute agony this has brought to my life, but there are other victims as well, and may God bless and spare the young lives and tender souls who have also felt the stinging thrust of this sword of scandal.
It has completely broken my heart to see the emails and letters which have come from the Chairman of the Board, Dan and others at 3ABN, to hear of the television and radio programs where erroneous references have been made to the situation, to watch the ministry that I helped build with much devotion used to destroy me and also to hear of the reports of what is being said on the SDA chat sites about me today by those bent on my destruction...nearly three years later.
It was the false accusation of adultery which caused the loss of my marriage, my reputation, my employment, and everything else. I challenge the 3ABN Board to produce the "irrefutable evidence" which caused a co-founder, a life-time Board member, Vice-President and Secretary of the Board to be removed in that May, 2004 meeting! I am asking, no demanding, that the information is made public, at my request! Cast aside these pretended desires to "spare me"! The world is waiting with baited breath!
The stakes are high. I, as well as others, have personally experienced electronic surveillance, email theft, interception of cell phone calls, post divorce entry into my private residence to the point where charges were filed with the police. It is not easy to live your life when you feel that you can never know for sure if you are being followed, watched or recorded...even now. I have had invitations to do ministry thwarted because of continued allegations by those, who, like wolves in sheeps clothing, attempted to stop my ministry.
I want to make this absolutely clear: I left my home because I was not safe, I was not welcome. I was witnessing the murder of my reputation and ministry day by day. I stayed as long as I felt I could. I hoped, believed and prayed that things would change but they only got worse. The statements made that I left my husband for another man are absolutely and totally false. Any thinking person would realize that I had everything a Christian woman could have wanted in this life: a husband I loved and the opportunity to minister to millions of people about the tremendous love of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, though the ministry that we spent so many years building together. Although two of the people who I loved best have called me "Gomer", yet a more accurate term would be "Hosea", which I would only discover later. But I prefer simply, Linda, "SAVED by the Blood of the Lamb!"
I do not visit the chat sites. This has been a mega-trial for me and my way of coping has been to try and focus on other things. I realize that the individuals which make up our Church need healing from this disaster too. And perhaps the chat sites have served to help people give expression to their frustrations and hurts in this situation. I am grateful to each of you who have prayed and interceded for me. It has meant so much during my dark days. You’ll never know just how much!
Now my kids are grown and I am alone...but not really alone, although I have not husband. Now I belong to everyone and everyone belongs to me! And I still sing, "Thank you for being my family, thank you for being my friends: May God bless and keep you in all that you may do until we meet again!"
It is my goal to just make your journey and mine a little lighter and brighter. I have faith that the Lord still has a work for me to do, a new ministry. I am ready and available for church services, week of prayer, concerts, etc. as the Lord opens the doors. I do not know what my future holds, but God does and that’s enough for me.
Just in closing I want to make an appeal to you to get out your binoculars, dust them off, bring them into focus and then search... Love your neighbor enough to be a Good Samaritan. When he is broken and bleeding in the middle of the road, focus your binoculars with the love of Christ, but don't stop there, reach out and meet his need in his time of crisis. Christianity is not something that "just happens". True Christianity occurs when a decided action is taken...when we search, when we fill a need, when we mend a broken heart and when we are just "there" for hurting people. There is a lot of them. But there are too few Christians who focus their binoculars with love.
Thank you for being my family! Stay close to the Shepherd!
Blessings to you and yours
Linda Shelton
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Topic: Open February 2007 Letter From Linda Shelton - Demands Evidence be Made Public! (Read 22832 times)
