Nobody owns the Church... ConclusionIn Part 4 we observed evidence that suggests Danny Shelton’s control of the Thompsonville SDA Church was becoming more overt. When an individual chooses to follow a path that runs contrary to the will of God, in His mercy, the Lord provides him with many opportunities to be brought to the realization that change is needed. Had Danny Shelton heeded the counsel that he needed to take his responsibilities as an Elder more seriously, perhaps it might have been the first small step in a path that would have lead him to repentance and restitution and the discussions of the last four years would have never taken place. Steeped in his pride, Danny was unable to hear that call, so our story continues...Two woman sit together in the executive wing of 3ABN and quietly discuss the events of the last half year. It is the third week of November 2001, less than one week since Jean Fiscalini’s position as European Liaison has been terminated. Linda Shelton, wife of Danny Shelton, vice President of 3ABN and Kristina Fiscalini, wife of Jean Fiscalini sit facing each other in Linda’s office. It is late at night, a time usually reserved for clandestine meetings, but this unscheduled encounter is an attempt to arrive at the truth, not a planning meeting for further subterfuge...
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The previous Friday twenty minutes before noon— at 3ABN the work week ended at noon on Friday, except for the pastoral staff —Jean Fiscalini was called into the office of Danny Shelton. He was told that due to budget cuts the position of European Liaison was immediately terminated, Jean was to clean out his desk and leave the premises. He would be given one month’s severance pay and was to vacate the 3ABN apartment where he and his wife resided by the end of the month. Jean said it would be impossible to make plans to leave in two weeks, so the deadline for moving was extended until the end of December. In a state of shock Jean arrived home and told his wife what had happened. One day earlier they had made a deposit on an apartment in West Frankfort where they planned to move in January. Suddenly without a job, everything had changed. Earnestly they sought the Lord in prayer.
During the next few weeks the Fiscalini’s were quietly visited in their apartment by a number of employees who expressed their shock at what had happened and had come to say good-bye. Nancy O’Brien, the Thompsonville SDA School principal exclaimed, “If this could happen to Jean, it could happen to any of us!” Everyone was aware of the conflict that had taken place between Jean and Danny over Danny’s nomination as Elder. Even then Jean had been warned by two of the other Elders that to publically oppose Danny in the Thompsonville Church would be the end of his career at 3ABN.
In addition to being the European Liaison, Jean also worked as a member of the Pastoral staff. His duties included answering prayer calls and previewing programs for Biblical inaccuracies. If programs had information of a questionable nature notes were made and Danny had the final say whether they would be aired. Since Rick Odle had left 3ABN, Jean was the only member of the pastoral staff who had pastoral training and was an ordained minister of the SDA Church. Two weeks prior to Jean’s position as European Liaison being terminated, a retired SDA pastor was added to the Pastoral Department. Later when he visited Jean in his home he asked, “Why did they hire me, when Danny could have kept you here as a member of the Pastoral staff?”At the time the position of European Liaison was terminated, Jean Fiscalini was working ninety-five per cent of his time in the Pastoral Department.
A week after the second reading of the Nominating Committee of the Thompsonville Church, Jean was called into Mollie Steenson’s office and informed that he could not proceed on any plans for the European Department without first receiving personal approval from Danny Shelton. At that time Jean requested a meeting with Danny regarding the current plans to promote 3ABN in Europe. Mollie replied, “I will contact you when Danny has time for an appointment with you.”
One week passed, no appointment. Jean again approached Mollie and received the same reply, “I will contact you when Danny has time for an appointment with you.” Meanwhile Jean observed others in the pastoral department making and receiving appointments with Danny, while he continued to wait. Each week Jean would return to Molly with the same request and receive the same answer. Unable to proceed without the direct approval of Danny, Jean spent more and more time working in the Pastoral department.
When Jean was hired he was told by Danny he would also be attached to the Pastoral department and any time he had that was not needed for his others duties should be spent there. It was for this reason that he had shared an office with Rick Odel. After Rick left, the next Pastoral department head, John Dinzey moved into the office with Jean. After thirteen weeks Jean finally received an appointment with Danny Shelton, Danny disapproved all plans for the European promotion of 3ABN and Jean returned to the Pastoral department. During this time, he expressed his frustration to John Dinzey. John told him he must be mistaken, in fact Danny had told him, “You can find no fault in Jean’s work.” There was no legitimate reason to fire Jean for his work in either the European or Pastoral departments.
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After talking for over an hour, Kristina realized that Linda appeared both open and honest in their conversation. Previously the two women had little contact with each other except as members of the Thompsonville Church. This was to be their first and last conversation before the Fiscalini’s left 3ABN. Kristina now asked the question that brought her uninvited to Linda’s office that evening, “Danny had told me that even if he and Jean disagreed on an issue at the church, it would have no impact upon Jean’s job at 3ABN, what is the real reason that he was fired?” Linda looked at the woman seated across from her with both compassion and the knowledge that the “official” and the actual reason for ending Jean Fiscalini’s employment with 3ABN were not the same. The decision to terminate Jean Fiscalini’s employment was not based upon a financial need to close the European department of 3ABN or that Jean’s services as a SDA pastor were not an asset in the Pastoral Department, but something entirely different. Breaking the silence that hung heavily between them, Linda replied, “Jean was fired from 3ABN because we believed if he could not respect Danny as a church Elder, how could he respect Danny as called from God to be the President of 3ABN.”
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A short two and one half years later Linda Shelton would find herself in a similar situation. She would be removed from her position as Vice President of 3ABN for reason’s other than officially stated at the hands of her husband, Danny Shelton. Later Linda was told, “All we knew was the President no longer wanted his Vice President.” Whether or not Linda had actually committed adultery was not the issue. When Danny was in the process of preparing to divorce Linda, without Biblical grounds, did she receive any support from the Thompsonville Church or John Lomacang, her pastor? No... Was it ever even suggested that Danny Shelton should be put under church discipline for divorce and re-marriage without Biblical grounds. Not to my knowledge, if it had, the information would have spread just as quickly as the false accusations about Linda committing adultery had been processed through the rumor mill. Does Danny Shelton own the Thompsonville church and control the current pastor. Ask Linda Shelton...or Johann. By the time that Johann was fired...that is another story and one better told by Johann himself. It appears that the position of European Liaison is a dangerous one at 3ABN for those unwilling to stroke the ego of Danny Shelton or at least one with a very limited future.
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Topic: Unauthorized History of 3ABN Continues (Read 127757 times)
