Dear family and friends,
I’m writing this because I love you, and because honesty is the only way to stay close. After a long season of praying, studying, and seeking God with all my heart, I have stepped away from the fellowship. This wasn’t quick or emotional—it was slow, painful, and guided by a growing conviction that what I was taught for my entire life does not line up with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The main reason I left is this: Too many practices in the fellowship elevate human authority to a place that belongs only to Christ.
Here are the specific things I can no longer accept:
• The belief that only workers can preach a “true” message. This implies the Holy Spirit only works through a select group of people, not through the body of Christ as scripture teaches.
• The teaching that the workers’ baptism is the only valid baptism. This denies the power of baptism done in the name of Jesus outside the group, and places salvation in the hands of men instead of Christ.
• The idea that salvation is tied to this fellowship alone. We were taught—sometimes openly, sometimes subtly—that those outside the group are “lost,” even if they love Jesus, follow Him, and live by scripture.
• The culture of unquestionable workers. Workers are treated as spiritually superior, beyond correction, beyond accountability. Their decisions are accepted as God’s will, even when they contradict scripture or cause harm.
• The expectation that loyalty to the ministry equals faithfulness to God. Disagreeing with workers is called pride. Leaving meetings is treated like rejecting God Himself. This is spiritual control, not biblical authority.
• The discouragement of reading scripture freely and interpreting it personally. We were told to be careful interpreting the Bible without the workers’ guidance. But the Holy Spirit was given to every believer—not just a select few.
• The long-standing pattern of hiding moral failures and difficult truths to protect the image of the ministry. The group often chooses silence and secrecy instead of honesty and healing.
• The pressure to appear spiritually perfect. Prayers must sound a certain way. Choices must align with worker expectations. Doubts must stay hidden. The focus becomes pleasing the ministry instead of following Jesus.
These are not small problems. They create a system where people—workers—sit in the place Christ should occupy. Whether anyone intended it or not, this becomes a form of worship of men.
As God opened my eyes, He brought something deeply personal back to my mind—something from my childhood. When I learned to paint and plaster, I learned by standing beside my father. I watched him. I trusted him. And when my work was uneven or flawed, he covered it with his own perfect work until you couldn’t tell where mine ended and his began. God showed me that this is what Jesus does for us. His perfect, finished work covers my imperfect work. That is the gospel. Not my performance. Not my perfection. Not approval from a ministry. Christ alone.
And that truth forced me to face something simple but life-altering: If anything adds to Christ’s finished work, replaces it, or claims exclusive access to it—even slightly—it is no longer the gospel.
Through scripture and prayer, I’ve come to understand the completeness of Jesus’ sacrifice. My faith is no longer tied to a structure, a ministry, or a tradition. Christ alone is my righteousness, my mediator, my salvation.
I want you to know this clearly: I am not leaving with anger. I am not trying to tear anything down. I am not asking anyone to follow me. I am simply being honest about why my heart could no longer stay.
My relationship with God has become more personal, more peaceful, and more grounded in scripture than ever before. I feel like I’m resting for the first time—resting in the same way I rested when my father covered my mistakes with his perfect work. Jesus does that for me every day.
I love each of you deeply. I’m not closing any doors. I’m here if you ever want to talk—gently, honestly, and without pressure. Even if you disagree with me, I hope you can see the sincerity of my heart in this.
With love and truth,
Jonathan Beattie
Quebec, Canada
December 1, 2025