Elder Summons

The second most cult-like characteristics and doctrines of Wellspring is the elder summons, or receiving a phone call or email or a verbal visit from at least one of the elders insisting you come to a meeting. Usually these meetings are held within the next week and are treated as very serious. They could be for a variety of reasons: doctrinal discussions, a rumor about the person being summoned, or concern about a problem or an alleged problem with the character or speech of the summoned person.  This is not an invitation – it is a demand, and the stakes are high. You are not allowed to decline coming to this summons, or else you will be instantly removed from all church contact, functions, teaching, and friends and family. In the kingdom of Wellspring, there is no other option, you either go to this mandatory meeting or your membership in the church and your social life and your contact with your friends and family and your place in your church is immediately terminated! 

 This happens ALL THE TIME.  And the frequency of these Elder Summons have grown exponentially under the Chris Otis Reign of Terror. It tends to be more severe on the weaker members of the church and on the less-liked families and those lacking good connections with the eldership. Many people in the church reading this will know of these meetings but perhaps have never received a summons themselves.  You can be in the church for many years and never receive a summons – it is reserved for certain one’s. And all you need is the capricious actions of Chris Otis or Brandon Otis or another key elder to have your name at the top of the inquiries and investigations, much like the Gestapo. 

And once your name is on The List, it is usually only a matter of time before the elders drive you out through a combination of threatening, coercion, dishonesty, slander, confusing arguments, playing you and your spouse against each other, playing you against your parents, playing your parents against you, corruption of Scripture, manipulation of past conversations with you. In a word, do anything to get the person to capitulate to complete subservience to the intentions of Chris Otis or Jason Elliott and their eldership, or else be driven away. You may convince yourself you have to leave now and there is no other option, but that is the goal. Or the elders may ask you to leave against your will - drive you away.

Elders and pastors of a church are charged with being shepherds of God’s people and going after that lost sheep and leaving the 99 in open pasture, but not the hirelings of Wellspring. The hirelings are not concerned for the sheep - keeping up the appearances of the party of the Pharisees is what matters. So when sheep should be pursued and brought back with love and care and their fears and troubles cared for - that is not what is happening. Rather the so-called elders of the church chase these sheep of their’s out with swords drawn and torches blazing!

What the elders then tell the church publicly, or various family and friends in the church in more private conversations, has unequivocally and undoubtedly been dishonest! There are many, many witnesses to the dishonest things shared about the “person who left.” There is a mountain of evidence piling up to the dishonesty and perversion of how these transitions are handled. Wording has been carefully chosen to re-direct and mislead the other people of Wellspring, so the elders will say, “we can’t tell you because of confidentiality,” or “they are living in sin”, or “they are deceived,” or “there are things you don’t know about.” This which has been the dishonest testimony of the elders in more situations than we can count. Don’t believe a word of it. It is meant to re-direct you and mislead you so that you do not see the corruption of justice that is happening behind closed doors. But the truth will be shouted from the rooftops.

“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.”  Matthew 10:26

The elders of Wellspring practice this COVER-UP CULTURE that is being exposed in so many corrupt and cult-like church situations all over the U.S. Things are coming to light, and the elders of Wellspring will not escape the exposure of their tireless “cover-up” efforts.

 “Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.” Isaiah 5:7

“An assembly of treacherous men. They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares the Lord. “Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; Because every brother deals craftily, And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. Everyone deceives his neighbor and does not speak the truth, they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. “Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the Lord. “ Jeremiah 6:2-6