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Dear Pray’s Mill Members; I hope all of you are doing well. I miss you all and hope God’s grace is bountiful in your lives. Many of you have sent me cards and letters, called and emailed me. I would like to thank you for all the encouraging words, thoughts and prayers. I have seen many of you at the Mall, in grocery stores, Home Depot & similar stores, doctor offices, parks, ballgames etc. Many of you have asked me what is up and why I am no longer coming to Prays Mill. In response to you I have pretty much stayed silent since my departure and would not say much about anything. It has ripped my heart out to walk away from my church of almost 48 years! I would not have even thought about leaving if there were not just cause. I wished these issues would have been resolved by the Deacons, but they elected to “keep the issues silent”. I have pained about my decision to leave and seek another church with issues left unresolved at Pray’s Mill. I cannot and must not stay silent any longer. As most of you know, sometimes God uses us to do things we do not want to do, but in an act of obedience and in order to set the record straight and allow the truth to set me free I will disclose, what I consider some serious issues. I could not move on without exposing these issues and protecting the integrity of “the church” and I did not want anyone to say to me later “Doug, why didn’t you tell us about this?” These issues were seen and heard by me while I was involved at Pray’s Mill as the support person for the computer system and as a member of Pray’s Mill. All statements made by me are true in fact and in nature, and nothing I am about to say is speculation or rumor. I will not say anything that is considered hearsay, rumor or untrue and I will be disclosing some things which may shock you as members of a church. You will not want to, but you must consider to believe what I state in this letter is true. If you do not want to read and hear the truth about these issues or have your spirituality world turned upside down, then DO NOT READ THIS LETTER as it will only hurt your heart as it has hurt mine to have to write about these issues! I am doing this to clear my mind and honor God so that I may move forward and put this behind me. I am sure Mike Everson, Ric Blazi, Clay Cox and most of the Deacons will try to laugh this letter off as others before, but you must see thru the “sweeping under the rug of issues” and take a stand for right as I have. Sometimes it hurts us emotionally to bring out the truth in situations, so I will be as gentle as possible while exposing issues to you as a fellow christian. Below I will attempt to help you fully understand why I have left Pray’s Mill Baptist Church and no longer support Mike Everson, Ric Blazi & Clay Cox and our Deacons. What you will find in this letter are many instances of poor leadership, bad decision making and self-lead personal decisions concerning several major instances and incidents within the timeframe I was at Pray’s Mill. There were many, many other issues dealt with that did not involve me personally. I knew about these issues but I will not discuss them or the individuals.I will only explain issues that I have direct and personal knowledge of and which I was personally involved in. As you know I have supported the staff‘s computer system for several years under several former pastors and the current one, Mike Everson. I was the one person in our church that had direct access to the computer systems. I was the one person out of all members who was with Mike Everson and his staff 5/6 days a week while working at the church and knew what went on in the background. Nobody, including deacons, staff, or members had any more direct knowledge of what went on other than me. I was told by Mike Everson that my job was to protect the “integrity” of the computer system and hold his staff personally accountable for each one action seen detrimental to Pray’s Mill Baptist Church. Many of you heard Mike Everson express several times from the pulpit (and he told to me personally), if I or the secretarial staff suspected any issues with regard to the computer system I / we were to report them immediately. You were also told that if there was any suspicious activity or we suspected anything we thought was not right, we should ask them for a computer check of their system. They were then to move immediately and allow me or the secretarial staff members to check the computer system for any undesirable activity. Mike Everson is now saying he never said this. There were several times during my tenure which I have found a Pornography history on several members of our evangelical staffs (not secretarial or custodial) computers. In a meeting with the deacons and several other members on Wednesday March 21, 2007, some of these issues were discussed as a step in resolving matters but I WAS TOLD THIS IS “OLD NEWS”. Well, it may be “old news” for some, but it is “UNKNOWN NEWS” to many. For now here are some issues which need to “get out” and which I will disclose to you as members of our church for you to see why I have chosen to leave. Jarrod Everson pornography. Many of you have “heard” and seen letters but nothing was EVER CONFIRMED BY Mike Everson that former education minister and Son of Mike Everson - Jarrod Everson was caught viewing pornographic items on his computer. This is confirmed and this is, in fact, very true. He was on Mike Everson’s computer viewing the items and they were not “just popups” as reported by some. It was very disgusting, deep rooted, viewing of young adult porn and websites of all types and was not a first time incident or accidental. He actually went to Mike Everson’s computer, signed onto the network in his computer name and “surfed” the net for the porn. It was verified by me and after I did some forensic research, I found that it was happening regularly on both his computer in his office and Mike Everson’s. I then relayed the info about his habit to Mike Everson and one of our Church secretaries. Afterward Mike Everson asked us NOT to say anything to anyone as he said he would deal with Jarrod. Several years later it was brought to my attention by Mike Everson (during the David Barker pornography incidents) that Jarrod was “fired.” Jarrod then “repented” and Mike said he then “rehired” him…..sounds like he sent him to his room and Jarrod then acknowledged he did do something wrong and got his job back. No more than 3 weeks after he was caught viewing pornography on the church’s computer system, Mike Everson allowed Jarrod to preach from the pulpit at Pray’s Mill. I was disgusted and left when I found out he was being allowed to preach. He preached several more time after this disgusting act. Each time he would preach I left! I knew it was wrong to allow him in the pulpit, but I was sworn to Mike Everson’s secret pledge plan. Jarrod Everson being allowed to write Sunday school lessons. Soon after being “rehired,” Jarrod was writing our Sunday school lessons for Pray’s Mill. I then quit studying lessons from “a man of this character” refused to allow my mind to even tap into any of his teachings. I went to C.J. Ellis and voiced my disgust and displeasure with Jarrod being allowed to write our lessons and was told by C.J., “well Doug, this is what the Pastor wants - so we are going to do it!” Yes, C.J. knew of Jarrod’s porn issue due to the anonymous letter sent to church members at Christmas 2005 as did several of the deacons, but even they did not know everything. When Jarrod left for Florida to join his brother Chad’s church he soon started back writing Sunday school lessons. Mike Everson then allowed us to purchase his lessons from Jarrod and in Jan. 2006, our church was to start teaching his lessons again in our Sunday school classes. Young & old were given the books, and asked/ told to study his teachings. I again went to C.J. Ellis voicing my opposition to Pray’s Mill allowing his teachings in, and again was told after a Wednesday night supper in the gym that that was the way it was and it was what the pastor wanted. I then told my Sunday school teacher that I could not, and would not study Jarrod’s lessons and explained my reasoning (but not in details) with him. He said he understood and would not blame me for not wanting to study his lessons. Music Minister Dismissal. As you know David Barker was dismissed as our music minister in August 2006 due to his viewing of pornography for several years on our computer system. This was reported by our church secretary and I verified that in fact, it had been going on a while. I did a forensic search on the notebook hard drive he solely used and found there to be deep rooted porn on his notebook. It was an issue that broke my heart and I was very angry at David for forcing me to go through another Jarrod Everson- like incident at our church. After my findings were presented to Mike Everson, I was later asked to meet with deacons C.J. Ellis, Robert Reynolds and Stacy Wiggins to discuss the incident. We discussed several issues concerning David and his health, the upcoming revival, the state of the church, etc., I was astounded at what I heard the deacons state to me. It was presented to me that the pastor, Mike Everson wanted to “keep this quiet” and wanted to allow David to continue in his music position during the revival. Also, I was told that after the revival they would allow David to resign due to “health” reasons. They gave me a copy of his “resignation letter” to read. I exploded! I could not believe what I was hearing - that our elected deacons were going to go along with “lying from the pulpit” to our church. They were attempting to cover up this incident like several others, and lie to our church. I got very angry and told C.J., “how dare you lie to my church!” He got very upset that I was angry and that I questioned his leadership. He stated to me that the church had elected them to “make these kinds of decisions”. I told him that they were elected to represent the church, not self- interest. I then told the deacons that if they allowed this to happen and they were going to sweep this under a rug, I would go to the congregation and tell the truth myself. I even stated to them that if they went through with their plans, I would not be a part of Pray’s Mill any longer and I would just leave without fanfare. They then went into Mike’s office and discussed the matter and still wanted to keep it quiet from the church, but were considering other options including sending the notebook computer to the sheriff’s office for possible criminal prosecution. They asked me to keep quiet until the investigation was completed and I told them that if anyone asked, I would tell the truth about what had just been talked about. I was shocked! It was later determined and revealed by Mike Everson to us, David was fired for “not repenting” for the viewing of the pornography. Music Minister Payments: Even after David was fired for the pornography viewings on the church’s computer, Mike Everson allowed continued payments to him for several months. He received full pay until October, 2006 housing, benefits, and paid his Insurance / premiums until the first of January, 2007. I voiced my objection to Mike Everson and Vernon Collett, our Treasurer, and was told that it was “none of my business.” I told them it was my business as my tithes and offerings were being used for something I did not approve of. I continued to pay my tithes through December 24th 2006 – the day the decision was made to leave Pray’s Mill Baptist Church and start visiting other churches in our area. Ric Blazi / & Notebook Hard Drive usage. In October, 2006 Mike Everson asked me to remove David Barker’s old hard drive and replace it with a new notebook hard drive. Per our purchasing policy put into effect by Vernon Collett, I put in a request for funds for the hard drive replacement, however we did not have the funds (or it was not a priority) because the five church credit cards being used were always over their limit. I put the computer in what I thought was safe storage and away from all in Ms. Jeannine’s office and told the financial staff and secretaries that as soon as the funds were available, let me know. Ric Blazi came to me on several occasions and asked for the computer and I told him repeatedly we did not have the funds to replace yet and that it was to get a new hard drive before it went to anyone for usage. He continued to force the issue and I repeatedly had to instruct him that the computer with the porn on the hard drive could not go out! So, one day in October I came in and saw that the notebook computer used by David Barker with all his porn still on the hard drive (which Ric was fully aware of) was missing. I went to everyone and asked where the notebook PC was. Ric told me he had it and was going to use it. I told him again that he was not to use it due to the issues still attached to the computer and he stated to me he needed it to do power point presentations for the youth, and that he would not be using it to get on the internet. I was also told later it was for TV / Video usage…. I told him I did not want the computer out period, as it was too dangerous, - with the possibility of the images of David’s pornography images popping up, even without the internet hookup. He told me to not worry about it and that he was going to use the notebook and that Mike Everson approved him using the computer –even with David’s hard drive still on it! Later I asked Mike about this and he stated to me it was Ok for Ric to use it. I told both of them that this was totally reckless. I was furious. Ric hid David’s corrupt computer for several weeks from me. About a month later I saw the notebook lying in his office and took it for the protection of our youth and possible embarrassment to our church. I retrieved the corrupted computer and made it unavailable in Ms. Jeannine’s office so it could not be used until we replaced the hard drive with a fresh new one. He asked me where it was several times and I would respond we were waiting on a new hard drive before it could be used again. In February I received a call from Jennifer and she stated Ric had called her and said his other notebook PC was not working and requested David’s computer for the Youth trip to Virginia. I told her it was not ready and needed the harddrive. She said she had the credit card to get the harddrive and that if I would put it in, Ric had someone who could put the Windows software in while in route to VA. Ric pushed the issue about loading of the software so I said I had it and would get it to her soon with the new drive only and he would need to load all the other software including internet security and anti- virus softwar. After Ric came back from Virginia, I asked him if he had loaded the software and he told me that he did not load the internet security or antivirus software on the computer. I asked him why and he smarted off that he did not have to answer to me. I then told him I needed the computers to load protection for the notebook and he said he would do it. On the following Thursday I again asked to see the computers to verify and clarify the computer setup of system protection. He again refused my attempt to do the job as I was instructed. I then asked him to bring the computer to the church’s office Friday so that I may check the computer, and he said he would. When I asked him on Friday if he brought the notebook computer in he brushed me off with his hand and again said “I forgot it”. I got so upset about him blowing off my request for the computers that I walked off to avoid an argument. After several days of asking for the computer and loading software protection, and in an attempt to keep our Office and & Staffs computer network free of any virus or internet security issues, I asked Ms. Sharon Williams & Ms Jennifer Brock to set up a meeting with Mike Everson to discuss the issue of Ric not allowing me to finish and check the needed software/protection installs on the notebook computer. I then sent Ms Jennifer an email voicing my concerns about me not being “allowed to finish and check the needed software / protection installs on notebook –which made me suspicious, and that I need that notebook to checkout and his other one which he says is dead? I asked her to please have Bro Mike contact me ASAP concerning this.” Mike Everson NEVER contacted me about to discuss this major issue!) Now that you know what I had seen on our staff’s computer in the past regarding pornography, could you blame me for being suspicious that we may have another incident of this type of behavior? I could not understand why he did not want me to finish the installs on the computers. After all, if there was nothing to hide, why not just turn them over to me? Also, I feared that this PC had been invaded like David’s computer came back from the previous year with Pornography on it while being used on a wireless internet access in Virginia on the ski trip. Jennifer said she forwarded the email to Mike Everson and was waiting on a response for a time to meet. After several weeks, I still had not heard anything and again asked Jennifer if we had a meeting set up yet, and she said no. While working on the server in Ms. Jeannine’s office, I was approached by Ric Blazi, who spoke to me in a very mad tone. His first words were, “ So Doug, what is your problem?” I told him that I had no problem except I expected the computers to be properly loaded with software protection from Symantec. He told me I would never check his computer alone and that he did not trust me. He accused me of saying I sent an email to Jennifer and that I told Jennifer he refused to allow his computer to be checked. I said to him that what I stated in my email to Jennifer on February 23rd 2007: Also, as you know, Ric refuses (for some reason) to allow me to finish and check the needed software / protection installs on notebook – which makes me suspicious. I need that notebook to check out and his other one which he says is dead? Please have Bro. Mike contact me ASAP concerning this. Ric then proceeded, in the flesh and with a very hostile tone, to call me a liar. He stated that I said in the email that I said I wanted to check his computer. I said he was wrong and he said, “Well I’ll go get it”. When he returned he read the above text of the email. I then told him to show me where it said I stated in the email he refused me from checking his computer. I said I needed to “finish and check the needed software/protection install on the notebooks.” – He then was hysterical. We had a very heated discussion concerning several matters before I had a phone call to take. This was the end of our relationship. My question is why Mike Everson never set up a meeting with me and Ric for months as was requested to clear up this serious question and issues brought to his attention. Based on our staff’s history, it would seem that no matter what it took, he would have put all issues on hold and dealt with this problem quickly vs. “ignoring” an issue that could have possibly been pornography related. Maybe he again knew something that he felt needed to be swept under the rug. This is no excuse for not meeting with me. In my meeting with the Deacons it was brought up that this issue should be brought to the attention of the church for discussion, but no one ever set this up for discussion. Driving of Buses; Ric and I got into a heavy discussion about his driving too fast from the Awana games and almost getting my son Zachary and 7th grade and under children from PMBC who participated in the awana games killed in an auto accident on I-20 due to his excessive speeding and errant driving while coming back from the Powder Springs church. We were very upset when we got back so I talked to Ric immediately about the speeding issue when we arrived. I told him he was going at least 80 mph because me and my wife left right behind them and we were going 70 on the interstate and could not catch them. He said the buses would not go 80 mph, and I told him it was a “figure of speech,” but that he was going way to fast. Zachary, other kids and other adults told us they had been back at least 10 minutes and that there was almost a horrible accident on the interstate due to Ric’s speeding and a car cutting in front of him. We then made a decision to never let Zachary ride on the bus with Ric again as the driver. Ric’s demeanor to us was “oh well”. My advice is “be careful who you allow to drive your child or ride with on the buses”. Clay Cox and his questionable Counsel When Bailey Smith was at Pray’s Mill in January 2007, he preached and my dad went down to the alter and thought he needed to “get saved”. When he went in the back with Clay for counsel, my dad was asked of his decision and he responded that he was saved during Bailey’s sermon but he wanted to stay a member of his current church. Clay told him that he could not be a member of two churches and that he needed to join one or the other. My dad said that he wanted to stay a member of the other church and give his tithe to the other church. Clay then informed him that he could not be a member of Pray’s Mill and not tithe here. He stated that his tithe was to come to Pray’s Mill and that he should tithe everything to Pray’s Mill if he joined. My dad then told him to forget it if he had to stop giving to the other church and to give him back the commitment card. My dad said he felt as if Clay was more concerned about him tithing than his salvation. Retirement plan in pornography and alcohol companies; It has also come to my attention from Vernon Collett that the retirement plan which Mike Everson and staff belong to includes companies which are heavily involved in pornography and alcohol. Vernon stated that he has explained these companies involvement of inappropriate behavior in full to Mike Everson and he refuses to change to preferable companies as recommended by Vernon. Other issues that were seen and or heard by me as I worked on the computer system over the years
7. Mike Everson also uses/ used Prays Mill tithes and offerings for letters, material, labor, postage, and time etc., to further causes for the GBC. Mike Everson’s Salary, Lack of Support For Computer Accountability and Sending Out Resumes When Mike Everson arrived in the late 90’s (1998) he was paid nicely. We had attendance in the high 200’s for Sunday’s and his salary/ benefits were in the 80K range. During the early years he gave us charts and graphs on how the church was growing compared to past year’s numbers and in tithe/ offerings, which he was proud of. He also stated goals and expectations for years to come concerning Sunday school attendance. He told us he expected 600 in Sunday school within five years after his arrival and a continued climb in attendance thereafter. He said the youth section would be full as “our youth are our future here at Pray’s Mill”. Well our youth rolls are low, and folks- we now see what almost 9 years has brought us. Pray’s Mill is now running on average 330’s in Sunday School, (or approximately +75 more average attendance each Sunday) and his salary / benefits are at doubled at $160,000 +. I verified this figure with Vernon Collett in December 2006, just before I left Pray’s Mill. As treasurer of Pray’s Mill Vernon is required to show any member, if he/she asked as I did, financial data within our Church. I was shown the actual paper out of the financial secretary’s desk with these figures: $97,000 salary, $45,000 housing allowance and $10 -12,500 “contingent fund” as put by Vernon- plus Vernon said he got a hefty auto allowance paid by the church including a vehicle lease of $900 + per month ( which is now upside down some $51,000) plus gas, oil etc. totaling $24,000 +., Of this $160,000 + figure Vernon stated that approximately $24,000 or on average $2,000 per month was for vehicle usage paid for by the church and does not show up as income to him. According to IRS regulations, he is to receive a 1099 for “personal income” which is NOT being used for church only related activities. According to Vernon he is not being sent a 1099 for his usage. This figure was verified in our meeting on March 21st 2007. Mike Everson asked Vernon if this was true and Vernon stated “it was pretty close”. Mike made the comment that he was only paid $3,000 per month for housing allowance which left me with the question, what happened to the other $9000 as the document shown to me by Vernon stated $45,000? So, the numbers do not add up. After checking with other church’s it was found that he is being paid at least $ 80,000 more than churches the same size as Pray’s Mill. You have to get into a Church’s average attendances of 1,000 –1, 200 in Sunday school to see a pastor receive compensation like Mike Everson is currently receiving. According to Vernon it is taking 2 full weeks of Pray’s Mill’s tithes to pay the salaries of our evangelical staff. Ever wonder why there are three unfilled positions of Sr. Adult pastor, assistant Pastor and Children’s Minister? And now add a fourth with the Music Minister dismissal? In my opinion the Church has suffered immensely because Pray’s Mill overpays Mike Everson for 75 more attendees each Sunday, for a pastor who Never baptized anyone, won’t eat meals on Wednesday night suppers with the membership, has never greeted anyone at the back of the church after services, which is a common practice at other churches and appreciated by their members. And now for the final straw. It was brought to my attention, while checking the history of his computer on the internet -Mike Everson stated to you as Pray’s Mill members that “other search committees were seeking him and he did not contact them for this process and that he was talking with them and if God was in it he would be gone.”. Let me tell you the truth. In spite of all Pray’s Mill and its membership has done, He was sending out resumes (oops – he stated in the March 21st deacon meeting he technically did not do it, that Ric Blazi did it for him - once) to churches all over the southeast. He was telling you one thing from the pulpit and doing another or in simple words - lying to you. After I found this out in October, 2006 I went directly to C.J. Ellis and advised him of Mike Everson sending out resumes from his computer at Pray’s Mill and him looking for another position. C.J.’s response was “Can you blame him?” I thought, how he could say this after all we have done for him, the pay he was receiving and the love we had given him as pastor of our church. It is /was my opinion that he used this “search committee” tactic to prepare you for him to get a raise. According to my sources the churches he was looking at cannot or will not meet his salary / benefit demands. Finally, On March 19th 2007 I was railroaded out of the computer support position. Mike Everson had instructed Ric Blazi to take the key out of my box in the office two weeks prior to me finding out that Mike Everson had instructed him to do so. Before I knew this, I had asked Rainy Thompson if he knew anything and he said no and that he would get me another set. My main concern was someone had stolen the keys. We were working on the computer network system when I met Mike Everson in his office. He was finalizing his cruse to Hawaii and needed assistance confirming payment and his itinerary. We then got into discussions about the computer system and how outdated the software was due to funds being unavailable. He then went to the server with me and paid $1,200 + on a credit card for some of the software needed to installed. It was ordered and I asked him how he could do that without getting the required paperwork from the treasurer, (Vernon) signed. He stated to me that “he was the Pastor and he could do what he wanted, when he wanted.” He was very short with me and we then went into his office. I then asked him about the keys and he stated to me he had told Ric to get the keys out of my box. I had no idea what happened to them. I had asked the secretarial staff, everyone if they had the keys and they all said they had no idea. (Which was a lie). I then told him I did not appreciate the fact I was not advised of this, and he than told me he did not appreciate my email to Ric about checking the computers. He then read off an email in which he sent Jennifer, not to me, about his schedule and why he had no time to meet me concerning the completion of the software loading / checks on Ric’s PC’s. He told me if he had been Ric he would have knocked my head off when we got into the argument in Ms Jeannine’s office. He said he heard it all and I asked him why he didn’t interrupt. He said that he supported his staff in all issues and he then started ranting and raving at me about my support hours and how he did not trust me. I then told him that if he did not trust me that I would not be doing his support any further. He then said I should turn in my keys. He got into the discussion of past members in which he said that I now could be like all the other older Pray’s Mill members that are now gone. He said that his problems came from all of the “old” Pray Mill members and that none of the “new” members give him trouble and that if he could get rid of the older Pray’s Mill troublemakers he would have the church he wanted. He then proceeded to name old members he had gotten rid of and even discussed the Messer / Dupree / Pirkle issues again. He got very angry at me during his tirade. I lost all respect for him as a pastor and left his office telling him that “it was not over.” I then went to Morris Roper and told him we needed a meeting immediately to discuss charges against Mike Everson. I invited several members of our church to be witnesses to this meeting on the 23rd of March, 2007 which many of these above issues were discussed with the pastor, deacons and staff members. I then received horrible emails and letters from the deacons and staff which I intend to post on the internet by Monday, May 7th 2007. You will be able to see how your staff and deacons treat someone who has given them his all during 48 years of ministry work at one church. In closing, I have been through so much during the last four years at Pray’s Mill. With all the issues I have had to deal while doing computer support at PMBC, never have I gotten one apology. I have gone so far backwards with my walk in the last four years due to all these issues, and Mike Everson has discouraged me beyond belief as a believer. However, I feel that this one step towards my healing and I am looking forward to my finding a church for my family.
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