[pelathais]

From my experience, Pentecostal/Apostolic people and groups are much more likely to be swayed by this sort of slander and gossip - even while making loud noises from the pulpit against such things.

Visiting evangelists - especially the "ultra-con" variety - were always an excellent source of what was being said around the fellowship in the days before the widespread use of the Internet. Folks who were either in leadership positions or who were perceived as being "groomed" somehow for leadership were the most frequent targets.

I "debated" DKB back in the late eighties/early nineties in a particular forum. (It wasn't really a "debate" - but you know how people are). In any event, I had a reputation for having "debated" DKB for a time. For some reason this seemed to attract a certain amount of gossip my way as people "took me into their confidence" because having "debated" (argued?) with DKB I "would understand."

When word got around that I actually spoke up for the guy in these encounters I found myself excluded from those "confidences." Whatever.

I had a guy report to my pastor that he heard me "standing in the pulpit and cursing" ... "cursing." He even shared the choice words that he alleged I had said. Of course no one else heard that and all of my sermons/lessons/what-have-you were always recorded. Nevertheless, because my own pastor had fallen into sin and compromise he took this to heart, climbed into the same pulpit and denounced me to a very puzzled congregation.

He eventually lost that congregation (the people walked out on him) and he was later banished by the remnant from the church that he had founded. I took no pleasure in watching that happen, it was painful. But, what comes around goes around, as they say.