Dear Friends, As most of you know, our family has been totally committed to the fellowship. We were convinced that we were in “The Truth” and following the ministry established by Jesus. There were no standards in the fellowship for which we were unwilling. We found it difficult to understand why anyone would deliberately leave the “Way of God.” When anyone we knew left the fellowship, we were just as puzzled as you probably are in hearing that we no longer go to meetings. We assumed that those who left must have been offended, had lost their vision, or had become unwilling. In many cases, they lost confidence in the Bible, rejected all forms of “religion” and even despaired of hope in God. Many feel depressed and hopeless, believing that if they were ever again to be “right with God,” they would have to return to meetings. Since none of these conditions are true of us, we would like to take this opportunity to share with those we love our reasons for leaving the fellowship, a heritage we once thought so trustworthy.
In 1983, we learned the truth concerning the history of the fellowship, a history which the workers had never acknowledged and one which we could never have imagined. We felt deceived by those we had trusted as our spiritual leaders. Feeling bewildered and betrayed, we didn’t know who we could trust or what we should do. We were reluctant to share what we had learned with any of the Friends, wanting to shield them from the same pain and loss we were experiencing. Over the next few years, we discovered many other discrepancies between what the Bible teaches and what the workers preach. While we might have been able to overcome our disillusionment regarding the secrecy surrounding the history of the fellowship, we could never compromise the essential truths of salvation. We believe the workers should be teaching the true facts regarding salvation instead of expecting people to understand the “message within the message”. We all have the right to know explicitly what we are relying on for salvation.
Years of earnest prayer, careful Bible study, and intense soul searching preceded our decision to leave the fellowship. Once we understood the true gospel, our doubts and confusion vanished. Accepting God’s salvation plan, by grace through faith, we initially found true joy and peace as our deepest longings were satisfied. However, it soon became apparent that we could no longer continue in a fellowship which so obscured the clear teachings of Scripture.
Since no specific information had been available which addressed the concerns which confronted us, we began to recognize the need to fill that void. We were sure we were not alone in our desire to know God, to worship Him and glorify Him. Being aware that many who have been influenced by the fellowship have unspoken and unanswered questions, we are hopeful that many of these questions will be answered in “Has The Truth Set You Free?” This book, which has been written as a labor of love, is dedicated to those who have shared our heritage. It brings us great joy to share with you our discovery of the precious truths of Scripture. May God’s Word come alive to you as never before. “May the grace of God be with your spirit.”
We look forward to further communication from you.
With heartfelt love and understanding,
Gene and Grace Luxon
November 22, 1990