The evil pastors of “Crossway” Baptist Church in Melbourne, Australia, excommunicates an innocent Christian without a reason, erroneously accuses the innocent Christian of derogatory traits, insinuates that the innocent Christian is not at all a Christian, and threatens the innocent Christian to not enter their church building.

(http://www.crossway.org.au)

Crossway Baptist Church is a megachurch in Melbourne, Australia, with more than 4000 members, and is one of the largest churches in Australia.

Upon my first and only visit to the Crossway Baptist Church, at a Sunday evening public “service” on March 3, 2013, I arrived more than one hour early as to make myself available to meet and communicate with other presumed Christians. After the “service”, I mingled about where the other people were, which I always do each time I visit a church, making myself as available as I possibly can for communication with others. I am usually among the last persons to exit any church, since it is my intention to meet and communicate with other presumed Christians inside churches. Crossway Baptist Church was identical to most other church sub-cultures, in that most attendants evaded eye contact and that almost no person communicated with me. As a rule of thumb with most churches, it is almost only church staff or volunteers with official roles that might communicate with a stranger. In regards to the Crossway attendants’ unwillingness to communicate with someone unknown, Crossway Baptist Church was not different from most other churches. Only three persons sought to communicate with me inside the Crossway church: two pastors, and an old man with obviously current substance abuse. I spoke for 20 minutes with the rather odd, intoxicated but friendly man since he initiated contact with me. The other two communications, with two pastors, were very brief. One quick question by an approaching pastor was if it was difficult for me to enter the auditorium and sit down. Another quick question by another approaching pastor was if I were standing and waiting for someone. Both pastors reflected in their approach towards me a suspicious attitude. Recognising the pastors’ cautious attitude, I offered to both pastors my business card with my name and contact details.

Before and after the “service”, I made myself very approachable for communication with other church-people during a total time of almost two hours, but no other attendants than the two suspicious pastors and an intoxicated but friendly old man communicated with me. In regards to that grave deficiency of communication with people inside the church building, the Crossway church was just another typical church.

At the Welcome Desk in the foyer of the Crossway church, the church had positioned a WiFi-connected tablet next to an invitation to sign up for their church’s so-called Life Groups, of which they had listed three small groups aimed for singles. I therefore signed up through their public tablet device to all three groups.

The Crossway Baptist Church replied quickly to my tablet inquiry to join a small group. But, soon after their initial response to my inquiry, the responding pastor used vocabulary which will resonate clear warning alarms to an experienced church-visitor. The pastor then expressed that he wanted “to chat”. Additionally, the pastor indicated that my initiative to attend in a small group of church-persons might not be a good idea, in the mind of the pastor. As a response to that pastor’s perceivably camouflaged intent of a “chat”, I therefore pressured the church to overtly state their real intention. And the church did so.

Crossway Baptist Church overtly declared its real intention of a “chat”, though their senior pastor Dale Stephenson, who wrote: “I have chosen to suspend your opportunity to join a Life Group. If you would like to attend Crossway I would like you to report to the Welcome Desk in the Foyer upon your arrival so that a Pastor can be with you while you are at the Crossway facility. […] If you do not report to the Welcome Desk upon your arrival then you will be asked to leave the facility.” The senior pastor of Crossway Baptist Church continued in a subsequent email with a statement of updated decision; to fully excommunicate Torsten from the church. Senior pastor Dale Stephenson wrote: ”We therefore request that you do not come to the Crossway facility. if you do you will be escorted from the facility. This is not excommunication as you are not in communion with us.” Crossway Baptist Church does not regard its excommunication of Torsten as an excommunication, by the argument that Torsten is not in Spiritual fellowship with the body of Christ. In other words, because Torsten is not a Christian he cannot be considered to be excommunicated -- thinks the senior pastor of one of the largest mega-churches in Australia.

Obviously, the senior pastor of Crossway, Dale Stephenson, had read on my website on internet that I am excommunicated from all churches in Sweden, excommunicated from many churches in United Kingdom, and excommunicated from many other major churches around the globe. Like most church-pastors, also the Crossway pastors decided that Torsten is guilty of something, because in the mindset of most church-pastors, the idiom is always true that there is no smoke without fire. Logically, there are two diametrically opposite conclusions regarding Torsten’s circumstance of serial excommunications. Either, there is something horribly wrong with churches, or, there is something horribly wrong with Torsten. The evidential reality is, however, that in regards to every excommunication from every church, Torsten is absolutely innocent.

The evil pastors of “Crossway” Baptist Church in Melbourne, Australia, excommunicated an innocent Christian without a reason, erroneously accused the innocent Christian of derogatory traits, insinuated that the innocent Christian is not at all a Christian, and threatened the innocent Christian to not enter their church building for attendance to their advertised meetings open to the public.

The complete dialogue with the excommunicating pastors of “Crossway” Baptist Church, Dale Stephenson and Edi Stephenson, is read chronologically from the bottom upwards, beneath:

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How do you intend to escort me from the facility? Will you use physical violence against me to throw me out of the building, or will you request police assistance?

Hi Torsten,

I note that you are unwilling to submit to the spiritual authority of the Crossway and our request that you report upon arrival. We therefore request that you do not come to the Crossway facility. if you do you will be escorted from the facility. This is not excommunication as you are not in communion with us. Your vexatious predisposition gives us no confidence in your good intent.

Yours sincerely,

Dale Stephenson

Senior PASTOR

CROSSWAY Baptist Church

t. (03) 9886 3700

f. (03) 9886 3711

http://www.crossway.org.au

What is your Biblical reason for excommunicating me from your church?

Since I shall not report myself to your Welcome Desk, do you intend to request police support to have me physically expelled from the church building?

Dale Stephenson,

Of course I already knew that your partner-in-evil, Edi Stephenson, was lying. His intention, too, was to excommunicate. That's why I raised his dishonesty into the public realm of your "church". Now, through you, your evil has been exposed.

You have now overtly excommunicated me from fellowship at your church.

What is your Biblical support for excommunicating me from your church?

You demand that I report my presence upon arrival at the Welcome Desk so that you can control me and protect your church from me. I shall never succumb to report to anyone my presence upon arrival at a public meeting of a church. Since I shall never report my presence to anyone at any church, I presume from what you have stated, that you intend to request police support to have me physically removed from the church facility, is that correct?

Regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Dear Torsten,

I am the Pastor who spoke with you in the foyer last Sunday prior to worship. I have requested that your interest in joining a Life Group be passed on to me out of a concern for the people of Crossway.

You have documented well your historic negative experiences of some major churches around the world and the destructive conclusion to each of these encounters. Your track record gives me grave concern for the way that you may choose to interact with the people of Crossway.

At this point in time I have chosen to suspend your opportunity to join a Life Group. If you would like to attend Crossway I would like you to report to the Welcome Desk in the Foyer upon your arrival so that a Pastor can be with you while you are at the Crossway facility.

This is an extraordinary measure but I believe that your track record warrants it. If you do not report to the Welcome Desk upon your arrival then you will be asked to leave the facility.

It saddens me to have to put such measures in place but I believe that it is in the best interests of the people of Crossway.

Yours sincerely,

Dale Stephenson

Senior PASTOR

CROSSWAY Baptist Church

t. (03) 9886 3700

f. (03) 9886 3711

http://www.crossway.org.au

Edi Stephenson,

Hey, I am not your usual church-person; false, hypocritical, ignorant and naive. I know church leaders from across the globe. So when you tell me "Just wanted to catch up and meet with you and chat through what would be the next step for you.", you have absolutely no credibility whatsoever in my ears.

I told you "Narre Warren is only 1 hrs with public transportation, so that could work. Place, time and contact info in Narre Warren?".

I ask you again -- What do you want?

Answer truthfully this time.

Torsten Nenzen

Edi Stephenson,

Hey, I am not your usual church-person; false, hypocritical, ignorant and naive. I know church leaders from across the globe. So when you tell me "Just wanted to catch up and meet with you and chat through what would be the next step for you.", you have absolutely no credibility whatsoever in my ears.

I told you "Narre Warren is only 1 hrs with public transportation, so that could work. Place, time and contact info in Narre Warren?".

I ask you again -- What do you want?

Answer truthfully this time.

Torsten Nenzen

Hi Torsten,

Just wanted to catch up and meet with you and chat through what would be the next step for you.

Which service will you be at this week?

Edi Stephenson

Edi Stephenson,

I attended Crossway Church on Sunday March 3 in the evening at 6pm.

What do you want?

Best regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Hi Torsten,

Do you attend Crossway Church?

If so which service do you attend?

Can I meet up with you this Sunday before or after one of the services?

Let me know what time works for you.

Blessings,

Edi Stephenson

Life Groups Pastor

Crossway Baptist Church

2 Vision Drive

Burwood East Vic 3151

Ph: 61 3 9886 3700

Fax: 61 3 9886 3711

edi.stephenson@crossway.org.au

Web: www.crossway.org.au

Hi Edi Stephenson,

Narre Warren is only 1 hrs with public transportation, so that could work. Place, time and contact info in Narre Warren?

Google Earth gave no results for Clayton road and North Road.

Best regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Hi Torsten,

We have a young adults group in the 30 age bracket who meet on a Friday night in Narre Warren if you can get public transport there.

The other option is another Life group which is on a Thursday night and meets close to the corner of Clayton Road and North Road if you can get there.

The other option would be to check out Gateway Church which meets in Seaford, at 107 Seaford Place, Seaford which might be easier also.

Let me know which works best for you,

Regards,

Edi Stephenson

Life Groups Pastor

Crossway Baptist Church

2 Vision Drive

Burwood East  Vic  3151

Ph:  61 3 9886 3700

Fax: 61 3 9886 3711

edi.stephenson@crossway.org.au

Web: www.crossway.org.au

Hi Edi Stephenson!

Thanks for your email.

I might be interested to join a mid-week Life group. I saw there were

three groups for singles, which is what I seek. "Affinity"-age bracket.

My current place is in Carrum. I use public transportation.

Best regards,

Torsten

Hi Torsten, I am one of the pastors involved in Life groups and wondered if I can help you to find a LIfe group? Where do you live and what age bracket do you come into? I noticed that you have contacted Andrea but her group is a female group. Happy to help you to find a suitable group. Let me know of your details and I will have a look for you. Blessings, Edi Stephenson