Calvary Chapel Visalia

Have you been shown the door by Pastor Bob and his staff? Do you feel you were treated unfairly.

Calvary Chapels started in California with the Jesus Movement. Since then they have spread across the U.S. My wife and I experienced spiritual abuse from a Calvary pastor who questioned our motives and became quite antagonistic -- all because of a simple suggestion we made. The pastors wield a lot of power and there is no room for dissent or discussion. Basically, if you don't like what's going on, your only option is to head for the exit. Since leaving Calvary, we have found a church in a denomination where discussion and 'back and forth' is encouraged. There are safeguards, and the pastors have received a professional seminary education, in contrast to Calvary where they study tapes at a Bible college. My advice to Calvary attendees who are considering another church is to not be afraid. There are many better churches out there. We were afraid to leave, but are very glad we have.

I came through the Calvary Chapel system and found Jesus there. But whenever there were problems or struggles, they told me that I was a 'backslider.' Attending counseling with the pastors there was not helpful, you walked out feeling more of a load given than a load lifted. They would ask the same basic questions.'Have you been reading the Word?''Do you fellowship with others?''Are you witnessing?' I finally was so depressed that went to an 'outside' Christian therapist, which they strongly disapproved of. Once in therapy I found out that I was indeed depressed and unfortunately wasn't getting the kind of unconditional love and support necessary to help me from Calvary. My story would take a few pages, but I did finally find another church. I didn't know what God's grace was about until I came there.

To whom it may concern:

Calvary Chapel has a history of problems.

See [www.rickross.com]

Pastors at Calvary are not required to have a college degree and/or to attend and graduate from an accredited seminary or bible college.

Calvary's bible school is not accredited.

Pastors at Calvary typically don't have meaningful accountability to democratically elected church boards.

Calvary churches most often are not financially transparent through independently audited financial statements and/or budgets, which disclose in detail all salaries, compensation and expenses paid out from church funds.

Chuck Smith, the founder of Calvary Chapel, seems to be something like its "leader for life." Smith family members also hold some key positions in the Calvary organization, which makes it in some ways seem more like a family business rather than a tax-exempted nonprofit.

to BOb is a bad guy.. just had to tell you that you are very funny. I got a kick out of your comments. I do not attend the church and never will. Good luck to you

Thanks buddy, just telling it like it is. Bob is a bully.

Bob is a bad guy wrote:

If bob was on fire, I wouldn't piss on him to put it out. He is the most arrogant, egotistical, self promoting, walk on water, judgmental, Pharisaical piece of work, I have ever come in contact with. He's a televangelist without the TV. If there's a spotlight, he wants to be in it. If he believed anyone was gaining more popularity in his church than he, they would be gone. That won't be enough, he will follow them (not kidding) from church to church calling their pastors, badmouthing them until they stop attending church. I've seen it myself. That man is dangerous and so are the people that blindly follow him. Mindless wantabes never questioning what Bob is doing. They are as much to blame as Bob. Many people will be hurt as long as this maniacal dictator is in power.

hey bob sounds like you are not liked much your a church boy and get on here and make fun of others and as far as you being a bully well im not dont know you but would really live to kick your a,,

Calvary Chapel in general is a disgrace to true Christianity. Its structure is to place dictators in power over a group of people that they can manipulate, all the while doing as they wish to benefit themselves and their families. Learning from Pope Chuck himself, they learn to abuse authority and do whatever they want in the name of the Lord. There are no checks and balances at Calvary, no membership (no congregational input or participation in church affairs whatsoever, and also a convenient way to remove anyone you disagree with from attendance), no Biblical gospel (easy believism with no repentance, no being born again, only decision making and walking the aisle to the "altar"), and no Biblical government whatsoever. The "elders" are merely "yes men" to the pastor-dictator and approve his every desire. There is rampant nepotism, spiritual abuse, and even false doctrine (yes, false doctrine at a verse-by-verse organization that claims to be the only representation of truth as far as churches go). Calvary is highly man-centered, instead of God-centered, placing decisional salvation and man's works as the means to salvation. They say one is saved by grace, but in practice, it is all about praying the sinner's prayer, walking the aisle, making decisions, etc. rather than the focus being on God's elective grace to those HE chooses, in HIS timing (not merely when there's an altar call), and the glory goes to HIM rather than to man and his decisions. Calvary also believes one can lose his salvation, or walk in and out of a relationship with Christ at whim - contradictory to God's promise to complete the good work He began. The truth is, folks, that if God saves you, in His own will and volition, then He will hold you until the end. HE will transform your heart and cause you to want to obey, HE will write His law upon your heart, He will do the work. Calvary, on the other hand, places much of the responsibility on man to receive salvation, whether it's through easy believism with no transformation (born again), or through reforming one's self by obeying a bunch of rules to get saved (legalism, works righteousness). The works come AFTER one is regenerated, but that must come first and it must come from God, not from man. I don't want to play into a Calvanism vs. Arminianism debate - after all, the saving work of Christ is mysterious and beyond what we can fully comprehend - however Calvary seems to put the focus primarily on man in salvation rather than God. This is dangerous and wrong. Anyway, I hope you will take much of this to heart - Calvary is a dangerous place and I agree with previous posters, there are true, Bible-believing and Bible-practicing churches that preach expositionally AND function like the true body of Christ. Calvary has a whole lot of teaching going on, but they do not function like a true body of Christ and their local fellowships, for the most part, do not function like true churches. Search out a TRUE CHURCH. God bless.

Thank you Chris, it is very hard to complain about part of the Lord's church body. But if the mistakes of a church had never been penned, then we would be missing most of the New T estimate. I speak with former attendees of CCV and they all have a common attitude of silence. It's weird, they know something is wrong but are convinced it is not their place to bring it up to the pastor/dictator. They feel that it might stir up dissension and cause a church break. But as long as this continues, Bob will wield his power over his congregation, casting away any saint who disagrees or competes for attention. Who is left to stand up to this bloated corporate lackey? Most of the long time members have left.

I have something for you to think about, anyone still attending Calvary Chapel Visalia.

The next time you here someone in the church has left, ask why? Ask if anyone has reached out to them to tried to pull them back into the fold.

When you the person you are talking to grabs you and pulls you to a dark corner to talk, ask yourself why adults feel they have to hide and whisper about things that should be asked and discussed openly. Ask yourself why no one tried to reach out to the brothers and sisters who felt so strongly about something, that they had to leave their church home! Why?

Stand up! Band together and demand this man answer for the things he continues to do. Don't buy another scooter for this power crazed, self righteous, bully.

When all the separate situations all point back to a common problem, how can almost everyone continue to pretend every thing is fine. If you saw a brother being hurt by a stranger, wouldn't you run to help him?

Why hide from one man. He is not Jesus. He is just a man. 1 old man.

Sad but true.

:)

Critics say this "Moses model" produces pastors who refuse to let their authority be challenged. Such pastors often resist accountability measures such as financial audits and providing detailed financial statements. Some curious Calvary Chapel attendees, who have sought financial information from their churches, say they were ostracized.

I would think if you looked into Pastor Bob's financial records you would find his purchases are not above reproach. He lives a lavish lifestyle, focusing on the rich in his flock and becoming there personal counselor. He claims to be a jet setter and lures the big name CC pastors to his church through the use of a private jet lent to him by Andy Mangano. I wonder if Andy knows what Bob has done with his Reaching Youth million. Is it all gone?

Why are we so week? Why do we blindly follow people who show a consistent record of hurting fellow Christians. But it doesn't matter at Calvary Chapel Visalia. You are just another #. If you are ostracized and leave, someone will fill your seat and you will be forgotten.

For those of you still attending there. Try asking why kids aren't allowed in the sanctuary. When the truth comes back that it bothers Bob, remember it is not your church. It's Bob's and whatever he wants will happen. The board is worthless. Puppets on strings. That is why long time members are leaving and board members moving away.

Wake up Calvary Chapel Slaves, when his web of deception falls apart, there will be many of you glossy eyed and wondering how you were so deceived.

Obama can tell us over and over how his policies will be better for America. The more he says it, the more the surface scratches come to worship at his alter. But that doesn't make it the truth.

Here's another question. What happened to the other pastors in the last 3 years. 2 reaching youth pastors--gone, music pastor--gone, youth pastor--gone, assistant youth pastor--gone, 20+ year assistant pastor (Bob's right hand man) who believed he would be the next senior pastor--gone and completely out of the CC system. This man is changing underlings like he changes his cars. What is he looking for, does he not see it in the people he recruits? Or do the new recruits find out the truth after being there a while? I'm, sure they would be fired if they contradicted Bob the new Moses.

He is a Shepard who only sees the flock as a whole. He will not be like Jesus, trying to bring back the one who strays. That one is gone and will never be mentioned again, except as an anecdote in a future sermon on how forgiving the great and mighty Bob can be.

I often wonder why I never asked those questions before it became my turn to turn a blind eye or leave. I feel bad for all the brothers and sisters shunned by the people they trusted most. Missed opportunity to show God's grace. I wish I would have seen it and reached out the them more.

They love Calvary Chapel. But they can't stay in a place where it doesn't seem to be accountable and the leadership seems more involved in their own personal empires than in the sheep."
Though Calvary Chapel has resisted imposing normative regulations and standards for its churches, it did recently begin Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships, through which pastors can officially affiliate with the movement, or be disaffiliated when extreme measures of discipline are necessary.
Calvary Chapel's top leaders are not doing enough to hold pastors accountable for improper or even immoral actions. Several public scandals have erupted within the last year, including a lawsuit between the two board members of Calvary Satellite Network. A separate sexual harassment lawsuit was filed last December by a former CSN employee against the network's president. These scandals and others, say critics, are evidence of significant problems and not isolated incidents.

Is it any wonder many no longer trust Christians?

Bob and his followers are not of the body of Christ...

Don't let such define us all....

Private jet?

So many in need and this is what Calvary Chapel is known for?

Speak to us BOB, explain how you can talk of Christ while reeking in shame...

Clearly Bob is not worried of an after life as he lives it up right here.

Bob Grenier is the Pope at his church in Visalia! My family attended Calvary chapel for a short time albeit long enough to see what was going on! Facts are : Everything is about money! Bob is constantly begging for money! They have a book store and a coffee shop and sell everything they can get their hands on to make a dollar! Every time they meet they gather in as many contributions that Bob erroneously calls tithes and offerings and he prays over the money as if it were his god. Bob conveniently forgets that the tithing system went out with the old temple and the priesthood has been abolished. If one takes up tithes then there must also be sabbath keeping and circumcision.
Bob is Pope at his church! He does everything without any oversight. This is so outrageously un-biblical that it is laughable to anyone who has ever studied how a local group of Christians is to be organized. Bob looks for people who are able to contribute the most money and recruits them into his "ministry" which simply put is a money making scheme. If anyone disagrees with Bob he is shown the door. No intelligent dissent is allowed. Bob is clearly a wolf in sheep's clothing and he uses his church to gain influence and community power for himself. At his death he will be shown the door unless he repents. It is one thing to make your living selling drugs and face the law of man but how bad will it be for those who turn the gospel of the Son of God into a money making scheme and lead souls away from the true grace of God into the love of money and idolatry? Bob and his church are apostate and should be avoided like any other sin ... if it causes you to sin ... cut it off Bob!

Does Bob have a private jet? Surely it is used for getting all the food and medical supplies to the poor? Both he and his wife are very proud and haughty! The tree is known by the fruit that it produces. Avoid them ... they are blind guides!