Church On the Hill

Where do I start with this church? I went here for 3 years, or so, off and on, so I have pretty well rounded perspective on this place and while I will not say that they are the sole reason why I do not go to church anymore, I will say that they were the final straw that broke the camel’s back. When I walked in, I saw a nice sized crowd, many attractive younger people and I thought maybe I died and went to heaven, then the music started and I was like, «Wow, amazing music!!» The pastors came up and tag teamed, both Bruce and Patrick were, and still are amazing, but that’s about where the goodness stops. In 3 years going here, the only people I met were the pastoral staff and 2 other people. There are no church events hardly ever and the one’s that they do have ALWAYS cost money. It is clear to me that the South campus is the number one priority and that they started this campus because like everyone in Christondom today, they want to spread out and franchise because they must be so awesome that the pastors and chuches of Salem/​Keizer Oregon are not good enough to service their local area so they must need help from Turner, so they claim that it’s what God wants because that is always convenient, then they open the 2^nd church, spread themselves too thin and give the 2^nd church luke-​warm leftovers and table scraps from the mother church’s heaping helpings. What do I mean? Well, all of the main events are held at the Turner church, so you must drive to Turner if you want to go to any events. If you want to see a pastor on a tuesday afternoon, you have to drive to Turner because that’s where they all hang out. It’s rediculous. On top of that, they are extremely dissorganized, example; I went to the membership class, filled out app to become a member — a year later I still have not heard from anyone as to whether I was accepted, I am a TV Producer and offered to help with their video productions — 2 years later not a single peep. I offered to volunteer to help the youth outreach, mind you I was a licensed minister with the Southern California Council of the Assembly of God and once worked with Cliff Skamara and ran 1000 kids a month in my youth group /​Action House Ministry, so I know a thing or two about youth, our church ran 250 people and my youth group ran 1000, how’s that for God’s will — Not only did I get a limp wrist reception, so I bowed out graciously but David, the youth pastor wo seems like a nice enough guy, says (VERBATEM) «We are not like those old youth pastors from the 90’s who build big youth groups with all the loud hoopla, we’re about smaller more intimate groups that are more real, etc etc etc!!» I was like «Oh no he didn’t!» I was one of those youth pastors from the 90’s and let me tell you something, last time I checked we are in the sould saving business, so what are you talking about? You run 26 kids in a church of 1000. You should have at least 10% of congregation number, so you should be running 100 kids, at least. The proof is in the pudding. Kids go to what is cool. If you are not getting a bunch of kids, you better check yo self! So, the final kicker was when my girlfriend Rhiannon Steele was killed in a car accident January 28, 2015 of this year. I turned to the church for prayer and support. I emailed the entire staff and waited several weeks and got no response. The next sunday I listened as the pastor listed people in the church who needed prayer like it was the end of Romper Room, there was a baby with an ear ache, a lady with the flu, a guy with a bad back who was out of work for a week, all members who had been around longer or tithed more maybe? Who knows, but no mentioned of the poor lady who was killed in a car crash or her 17 year old son who was driving and now sitting in jail awaiting for what may be a manslaughter case and 10 year prison sentence for the accidental killing of his mother. Are you kind of sensing where I am going with this? Am I really a disturbed individual writing a long post, or a person with a pretty good case for what is wrong today’s Christianity? So, finally, I write a heated email telling the pastors what I think of them and the situation. Still no response from the head pastors of the church, as though they were too big to talk to me, they passed the email over to David, the youth pastor! I am 41 years old, do I look like a youth to you? Is death a youth department situation? So David calls me and tells me that they had forwarded him my email when I originaly sent it but that he had been laid up in bed for two weeks after a surgery! So, why would they send such an important email to someone who could not even respond for several weeks. The whole thing stinks and they have no business opening a 2^nd church until they can manage the 1^st one.

Great worship and awesome preaching! Pastor is an amazing guy who you can easily talk with.