The Rogue "pastoral" Team: Act Six - The Queen's Hand Left Un-Kissed

Start from Act One
Incongruous Circumspection was threatened by Mark and Annah's Henchman! 
Aww...the Henchman Apologizes...Sort of 
Mark Reid Tries to Preach Out of a Jam

We left off in Act Five with Mark accusing Zach of not being “spirit led,” whatever that means.  To Mark and Annah Reid of Freedom Christian Center in Ramsey, Minnesota, the definition is simple – Zach is not exercising his god-given responsibility to obey them without question.

Moving on….

*****

Annah: It's not being Spirit led, nor is it being submissive…

To Annah, those are one and the same.  Spirit led is being submissive to those who rule over you.  It has nothing to do with going the direction you and the Holy Spirit work out together.

One of my favorite quotes from the writer of the blog, Commandments of Men, is the following:

“A heart in which the Spirit of God has taken up residence is a beautiful thing to follow - and is never to be feared.”

That sums up, quite succinctly, the main idea that peeps like Mark and Annah Reid miss.

Zach: It's an attitude, it's not a bad attitude.

Annah: Huh?

Zach: It's not a bad attitude. It's an attitude though.  Everybody takes on an attitude. I'm saying, it's not a bad attitude because of my motive. My motive is not to come against you guys in every way. And that's what it seems like, that you guys are looking at my life and saying, "If you're not doing what we're telling you to do, then you're coming against us."

Boo-yah!

Annah: No, not "you guys". I think that, Zach, you've got an attitude. I think you've got to recognize it. I think you've got to recognize it so you say, "You know what, I may not be doing it intentionally, but I really want to work on it." ….

Here we go again.  Zach makes a statement about his innards and Annah slaps it right back in his face telling him who he REALLY is, not to mention, informs him of the exact way he should respond to Our Holy Lady of Ramsey, Annah Reid.

…You know what I mean? Because there is an issue with you. And even in this meeting here, it's like, "No. Can't meet. Got friends." …

(Zach: Annah is referring to a text conversation between Mark and I in which I explained that I had already made plans with friends on the day Mark and Annah wanted to meet with us.)

Let me translate for Zach:  He has a life.  Mark and Annah expect him to drop everything at a moment’s notice whenever they want him to.  Don’t worry...keep reading.  It gets better – MUCH better.

…And Mark said, "No, I want to meet." That's not submission, Zach. It's not like we should call you up and say, "You have to submit to us." We didn't even say that.

Huh!?  Did you catch that?  Annah says, “That’s not submission…”  She was referring to the fact that Zach should have done whatever Mark told him to do over the phone, i.e. meet with them.  Then she says, “…we didn’t even say [submit to us].”

Again.  Huh!!!?  Annah needs to change her outlook on personal relationships here.  These are three adults trying to mesh their schedules to find an opportune time to meet.  This happens all the time in the real world – something these idiots are not familiar with (you’ll see more in the future).  But, this conundrum is unacceptable to Holy Annah.  Zach needs to forget about his life.  It’s pointless, aside from her and her god club.

Mark: When it came down to it, and I said, "You're not ministering until we meet.", you made accommodations…

Yeah.  Mark, get a grip here.  You end up threatening the only outlet for Zach and his musical abilities (at the time), of course he’ll make accommodations.  Moron.

Mark would never make it in the mob.

(Zach: I felt I was being treated unfairly in that Mark and Annah weren't allowing me to be on the team on the coming Sunday for reasons that they refused to explain outside of this face-to-face meeting that I was thus pressured into, by default.)

…And just this whole trying to get together has been a huge fiasco, and we can't lead with joy as Hebrews 13 says. I just felt like this whole back-and-forth with the meeting is like the tail wagging the dog - that things need to be on your terms. And that's not going to happen anymore.

Mark just tipped his hand.  He’s the dog, Zach is the tail.

Let me translate for Mark:  “There is no way in hell you are ever going to decide for me and Annah what or when we are going to do something.  Never.  And if it happens again, why you yellow bellied (insert unspeakable epithets here with gritted teeth).”

I addressed the gross misrepresentation of Hebrews 13 – a favorite passage of control-freak “pastors” in a previous post, Should I Obey My Pastor.

WARNING!!!!!  You ARE about to bust a gut.  Yee hooo!!!!

Annah: Mhmm. And, see, you have to make a decision. YOU have to make a decision. One, I'm NEVER going to be in a restaurant where you do not come over and acknowledge us as pastors. EVER. Okay, you're not doing that.

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Where on earth did THAT come from?  That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.  Here, Mark is talking about scheduling a meeting and how Zach is an ass for not doing what he and Annah want, and Annah brings THIS UP?  What the …!!???

What does Annah want?  When Zach sees her and Mark in public, is he supposed to come over, get on one knee, bow his head, slobber on her hand, and humbly yell his allegiance?  Aren’t we all equals in Christ?  Sorry, but, if Annah Reid hadn’t lost me yet, she lost me now.  SHE IS A CONTROL FREAK.

Zach: What are you talking about?

Zach.  You’re an idiot.  Don’t you realize that the freaking world revolves around Annah?  How DARE you not perpetually keep your eyes peeled for this most holy of holy couples?  Do better next time!

Annah: This is going to be a culture of honor….

Huh?

…When you walk by and you walk out of a restaurant, I expect you, when we're with leaders or other people, this is just, like – and if you don't understand it, that's no condemnation, maybe you don't know the courtesy of being kind to your pastors – but when you're walking up and you're the leaders of the church, you usually should walk by and go, "Hey! 'Bye, you guys! See ya later! Love you!" But when you walk out like this (demonstrates walking quickly past, looking straight ahead), what does that say to other people?

Annah.  If other people give a rat’s rear end what that means, then they are simply psycho-sociopathic control freaks like you.  This is C.R.A.P!  This is social engineering of the proper “biblical” (phlegm spit!) way to treat your “pastors”.  It’s asinine.  It reeks of a cult.

Saying “hello” and “I love you”?  What???!!!!  So funny.  That’s the proper courtesy for your pastors.  I’d love to know how many times these two idiots ever gave the same courtesy to one of their squishlings.  I can pretty well guess that it has been NEVER!

Mark needs to read his namesake book in his Bible.  Mark 9:35 says:

And Jesus sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

Very simple, but the concept is lost on these types.  They only see all verses and passages like this as being meant for others.  After all, they have mastered the whole servant crap, so their immune to ridicule and accountability.  But, let’s move on, this is so crazy funny.

Zach: I looked at you guys…

Annah: Looked! Zach! I'm just trying to teach you, and I'm giving you a physical, literal illustration. I don't want it! You are going to honor us, or you're not…

Zach: You're assuming what I was thinking, and you're trying to base it on a cultural norm…

Bummer.  It’s great to see that Zach got to cut in.  But, I was kinda lookin’ forward to seeing the threat that was about to come out of Annah’s vile mouth.

Also, Zach should be used to this by now.  Annah said Zach didn’t listen to the Joseph CD when he told her numerous times that he had.  Among other things, this couple has inserted thoughts into this one-sided conversation that they assume Zach is or was thinking and then just go ahead and accuse him of it.

Annah: No! Uh uh! No! It's not a "think". It's not a "think", Zach, that's how you treat us. And that's not happening anymore. You're going to treat us with respect. We're your pastors. If you don't want to, *pfft*, don't. You don't have to. You can walk by me in any restaurant.

I’m confused…  Annah just disagreed with herself.

Zach: What does that mean that you're my pastor?

Annah: We are your pastors.

Yeah.  Duh!  Zach.  You blockhead!  Don’t you get it?

Zach: What does that mean?

Annah: We're your leaders. What does that mean, Zach? (in a surprised manner) Really? You don't get that? I mean, I don't want to stand ahead of you (said to Mark as she sits back down upon realizing her position ahead of him)…

That was funny.  Mark is the lap dog in this relationship and she inserts that baloney sausage?  Nice.

Zach: No, I'm wondering what you think that means.

Wow.  Impressive segue Zach.

Annah: Well, what I believe a culture of honor is, is that you treat your leaders with respect. And you're HONORED by them, like, "Oh, my gosh! We are honored that we get to lead at FCC!". Not, "We have to...", or, "They're blessed that they get us..." (they, being those who they lead). The attitude is like, "Oh! FCC, the people in there, like we LOVE them! We CARE about them. We're HONORED to be here." That's the attitude I'm talking about. And when you pastor, that's the attitude you have to have. And I, literally, do you want to know, Martha and Clay (two elders of FCC) both looked at us and went, "What's wrong with them?" (referring to the "ignoring" of them in the restaurant that we both happened to be eating at) I have to answer to that? Really?

LIE!  Straw man!  How stupid do they think Zach is?  Also, Annah was supposed to shut-up and let Mark talk.  She said so.

Zach: I have to answer to that.

Annah: No! We do! We have to answer to it.

Mark: They asked us.

Yeah.  Whatever Mark.  Grow a pair and admit it when your wife lies.

Zach: Isn't that the protocol where you come to the person who it has directly affected first?

(Zach: I am referring to an earlier pep-talk from Mark about the Matthew 18 protocol for who to go to when a brother sins against you, which Mark says calls for a person to go to the brother himself at first)

Annah: No. They asked us, "What's wrong with Zach?"

Sure they did.

Zach: Well, they shouldn't be asking you that.

Annah: Oh YEAH, they shouldn't! (mockingly)

Remember.  It’s perfectly fine for Annah and Mark to mock Zach but not the other way around.

Zach: They should come to me…

Annah: When somebody walks like this, Zach, (demonstrating again) past you, and we're with our friends, that are the leaders in the church (meaning Martha and Clay), and they're going, "What's wrong with them?" They're just asking.

Isn’t Zach considered a leader in the church to Mark and Annah Reid?  After all, he headlines their god show every Sunday.

Zach: Well, they could assume, but they still don't know unless they talk to us.

Annah: Well, no, what it's called is disrespect. That's what I'm calling it.

Hilarious.  Annah just said that nobody needs to inquire of Zach, his motive, when the question is about how Zach treats Mark and Annah.  She knows the answer already – Zach was being disrespectful.  Duh!  Remember, she can read minds.

Zach: It's not disrespect – I don't know what scenario you're talking about, because I did not disrespect anybody.

Annah: You don't think that's disrespect

Zach: Well, I didn't DO that!

Annah: Yeah, you did.

Yep.  Annah has a pattern of calling people liars and telling them who they really are.  Maybe…just maybe, if she’d take people at their word, she wouldn’t have to worry about disrespect so much.  The problem here is, Annah is extremely insecure and knows that the stupid authority of a pastor “theology” is so loosely based on nothing but dust in the air that she has to force the issue. 

Why is it that the people who claim to be so holy, get ulcers and lose sleep over how others treat them.  Didn’t Christ say we would be persecuted?  Why give a flying bleep what others think about you – unless, as in this case, it undermines your control.

Zach: I looked at them, and I was concerned with my daughter at the time.

Annah: Okay, but Zach, you didn't even acknowledge us.

You read that right, but it shouldn’t be a shock.  Annah thinks that Zach is saying he only looked at the other two people that were with them at the restaurant.  That is unacceptable to her.  For all she cares, Zach should have ignored those lowly idiots and only focused his love-sick eyes on her beautiful and radiant face.  Puke!

Zach: I DID!

Annah: No. You didn't do it. Uh uh.

Okay children.  Enough now.  I’m really only referring to Annah here.  Why?  Because Zach is defending his motive.  Annah is disagreeing with Zach’s defense about his thoughts and purposes for a certain happening.  It’s a losing battle for her and she knows it.

But, Annah is so paranoid about her ebbing control that she needs to assume the worst in every situation and kill all dissent immediately.  It’s sick, really.

Zach: I said, "'Bye" to you guys. I waved.

Annah: Nah uh!

Zach: Yes, I did. I said, "'Bye" and waved, and when Martha was at a distance, I waved at Martha.

Annah: Uh uh!

Zach: And then when Mark walked past going to the bathroom, he looked at me like he was going to come by and then he put his hand up like he wasn't going to look at me…

Mark: I was joking with them…

Poor Mark.

Zach: Yeah, I understand that, that's why…

Annah: But Zach, for me, I'm going to ask you to step it up, because I don't think that that is - I am the pastor. I am not having our leaders treat me like that. I'm not! And I'm serious, like, I felt like you were very rude at the restaurant. Rude! Like, you didn't acknowledge us, you did it another Sunday when we had Clay and all his kids, and I know you were fooling around, but it was still disrespect. I'm not – we're the pastors, you guys. You set that up, other people act like that towards us. You set that with your friend, that's how she treats us. "You're just, you know, whatever..." No!

Poor, poor, poor Annah.  She won’t let it go.  It’s sad really.  Mark can make a joke but Zach can’t.  Again, we ARE really just talking about a bunch of adults here.  But, add this hierarchical bullcrap to the mix and only the ones in charge know how to live their lives.  They get to wield whatever interpretation on another person whenever they get an itch.

But, let’s get back to what Mark did, as he said, a joke.  He pretended to not want to talk to Zach at the restaurant.  Then, Zach must have done it before.  But, only Zach’s action will have lasting effects on others while Mark’s won’t make others treat Zach that way. 

But, we know the true idea here.  If Mark’s action causes others to ignore Zach, it’s not a problem.  Anyone but the position of “pastor” is a worthless, mindless, machine – to be used for whatever the “pastors” want it to be used for.  This is, unquestionably, the M.O. of Mark and Annah Reid.

*****

And that’s where we’ll leave off in Act Six.   It got a bit tedious, I know, with Annah and Mark harping on all the crap about the restaurant.  But I am convinced that this part of the conversation gives a solid glimpse into the permeating “theology” of these two bullies.

In Act Seven, Zach turns the tables a bit and begins to get some answers from the two psychopaths.  We’ll see if they are forthright in their answers or if they continue to retreat behind the cover of “WE’RE YOUR PASTORS, GOSH DURN IT!!!!”