My name is Nora Gremm, and I was born and raised in meetings in Alberta, Canada. In 1969, two years into our marriage, Robert and I moved to B.C. There we had a Sunday meeting in our home for about 30 years.
All was well until 1995 when we became aware of wrong conduct in the ministry. Between 1997 and 2002 we had many discussions with the ministry regarding these concerns and these discussions were unsatisfactory. We found that they upheld the F&W system over integrity and truth.
In 1999, my brother and his wife (along with several other families) were excommunicated from meetings in Alberta. You can read about the Alberta Excommunications online.
In 2000, we started a Bible study by Les Feldick http://www.lesfeldick.org/index.html
Les has 82 books online that you can copy or listen to. His ministry taught us to read the Bible literally, to have a love for Israel and an understanding of end-time prophecy.
In early 2002 God was asking us to take a step in faith by giving up our Sunday meeting and leaving meetings.
I have professing family and they have not shunned us but they are sad that we have left “the only true way” and that we are now “spiritually lost souls.” I hate the exclusivity of the F&W system. My exclusivity is in what Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We had a couple of quiet years in B.C. On Sunday, we would listen to Charles Price’s message on T.V. and we continued to study “Through the Bible” with Les Feldick. It was wonderful to study the books of Daniel and Revelation together. (http://www.lesfeldick.org/)
In 2004, we moved back to Alberta and for 4 years we were fortunate to study with a few exes, some dear folks who were excommunicated in 1999. This was a time of deprogramming, fellowship and friendship.
Each April we attend a Last Day’s Bible conference in Calgary and we have also enjoyed the Winnipeg Bible Prophecy Conferences.
We have been blessed spiritually since we took the step in faith to leave meetings in 2002. I will share some of what has been laid on my heart and what others have helped me with on my journey.
THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS OF FAITH:
Deity of Jesus Christ
Virgin Birth of Christ
The substitutionary, atoning work of Christ on the cross.Blood Atonement
The physical resurrection and the personal bodily return of Christ to the Earth
The inspiration and inerrancy of scripture
Also key essentials to the gospel of grace.
A Holy God: God exists in all His majesty
He is Creator/Owner of the universe.
He is a loving, caring God but equally a holy lawgiver.
I am a helpless sinner: we are born into the world a lawbreaker, alienated from God.
The law says that all sin demands the death penalty.
A Sufficient Substitute: Jesus, God Himself, came to earth to live as a man.
He was perfect, sinless. Because he had no sin to die for; Jesus in His love died in my place taking the consequences of my sin and others on Himself.
A Personal Faith: I believe that when Jesus died on the cross. He died in my place and I can rest in the fact that He alone has saved me from the judgment on my sin.
This brings an assurance of salvation…Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is a gift of God.
Eph 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Rom 10: 9-11: “The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
I appreciate understanding the Deity of Christ and of the Godhead. There is one God but three manifestations; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all equal and one God.
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
It is wonderful to understand that the Word was manifest in flesh, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
This is one of my favorite verses:
Col 1:27: “To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”
Our purpose on earth is to glorify our Father/Christ/Holy Spirit and it is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit/Christ that we are able to do this. Living in submission to the Spirit makes us lights in this world.
These are a few of the things that God has laid on my heart since He started to open our eyes in 1997. I now know a peace and a joy that escaped me in the F/W fellowship. I wish that for others too.
Nora Gremm,
Okotoks, Alberta
May 25, 2011