A unique situation here. Yes, the conference president was a member of the board of 3ABN at that time. It looks like that by the time she was vindicated that president was on the staff of NAD as an advisor to the president.

I wonder what prompted the NAD to vindicate her, and how does that affect Danny Shelton's responsibility in regards to that?

As far as I recall from the accounts I received, Linda was "summonend," including the air fare to come to see the president and a vice president of NAD where they tearfully heard her account, asked her forgiveness that the church had not given her support. Before leaving she was given a "Green card" which gave her free access to any official church function within NAD, including singing and preaching at events like camp meetings.

It seems evident they had done their own investigation of the events before this took place. A primary source told me personally that Danny Shelton never responded when he was summoned to take part in such an investigation by the NAD.

The whole affair was an unfortunate situation that shows how actively Satan is working to thwart the purposes of God.

While 3ABN aired commercials showing Danny and Linda to be a happy couple, Satan was dividing to conquer. While 3ABN had marriage counseling programs to uplift family values, its president blazed a trail apart from the path that the network was laying out as a better way.

When everything settled down the damage to 3ABN's credibility was done. Linda suffered shame in this he said she said debacle. The president remarried a younger woman. And the setting aside of the word of God for the ways of man set God's work back. Instead of finishing the work that was started with such promise, 3ABN may well have lost souls for the kingdom who were disgusted with this public demonstration of lovelessness by the people of the book who should have demonstrated a higher regard for the Father's children. It impacted me. When the Lord blessed me with the means to make a sizable contribution to His work (before I retired to a life of hand to mouth dependence on God), 3ABN was not among the top 100 possible recipients. Within a year of their divorce, I almost completely stopped watching the network and I prayed for a season that God would withhold contributions from 3ABN (not to close their work, but enough to get their attention). In the last 2-3 years I have not watched 3ABN even once.

How much better it would have been if they had separated for months or years ( without divorcing) until time had been allowed to heal the wounds and reconciliation in Christ had come about. That would have testified that even Christians have trouble in their relationships, but that the Lord can and does work to keep to together that which He has united.

But Satan was hell-bent on crashing Danny's influence upon the same rock that got Jim Baker and David. The particulars were crafted to test the character and tailor made for the specific individuals. The rest is history.

It is good to see that Linda is still serving the Lord. When Paul and Barnabas separated, instead of having one missionary team the Church had 2 teams (Paul and Silas - Barnabas and Mark). So in spite of Satan's attacks on the members, God's Church will be victorious.

Happy New Year, the year of our Lord 2013.

His Child

Given that Danny and Linda's divorce was final in June 2004, hopefully they will finish dividing up their marital property, finally. It really seems odd that it would take so long, or that Danny would try to hide his substantial book royalty and kickback income. Humanly speaking, it isn't odd, but from a spiritual standpoint it seems so odd to me.

But then again, it seems very odd that Danny would connive to obtain kickbacks. Royalties, okay, but kickbacks?

In my opinion at the time, she shouldn't have requested the removal of her membership, but there is another issue that complicates things. She was heading for a church trial for her alleged abandonment of her marriage and ministry, and therefore had a right to defend herself. But rascally Danny Shelton had gotten her to sign a contract with 3ABN that prohibited her from saying anything negative about her ex-husband Danny, so she couldn't defend herself.

Did Danny reimburse 3ABN for this personal benefit? Was its value reported on his IRS Form W-2? Perhaps such a benefit doesn't need to be reported, but it is substantial, and I would think Danny should reimburse 3ABN at least for part of whatever the legal expenses were that were charged by the attorney that drafted the contract.

At any rate, when Linda asked Danny what it would take for her to be released from that gag provision so she could defend herself, Danny told her she would need to return the $150,000 she had already received from 3ABN, and forfeit the $6,000 a month she was still receiving. See http://www.save-3abn.com/3abn-and-linda-shelton-separation-contract-trial.htm.

Wasn't that local church aware of Danny's and 3ABN's conditions?

In other words, wasn't that local church aware that Linda couldn't defend herself without giving up her only source of income?

From some of the documents and statements from board members at that time I heard and saw, Danny Shelton, as a typical psychopath, governed completely the thinking of the pastor and the board. Even for morning worship people were lead to believe that since Danny had received the vision from God to build that TV station he was a true prophet and spokesman for God. Therefore the people at the station were told at these morning worships to regard the words of Danny Shelton as if they were spoken by God himself, and must be obeyed without any questions asked.

Fictitious miracle stories were told in writing and speech to verify the divinity in everything that happened there. In the beginning I accepted what I saw there as truth, and tried to convey the message to others, regarding this as my job and responsibility.

Sounds like a Jones cult?

Didn't Baalim start out as a true prophet.

Didn't his love of money do him in?

If 3ABN has been on the air about 30-years, that is a long time for a man to serve the Lord without faltering. Even Abraham's faith did not hold out for 30-years, when he took Hagar to wife. But God put him back on track and he remained faithful for the next 75-years +/-. But God sure tested his metal before laying him to rest.

The Lord called Danny to do a work. And God will finish the work with or without Danny.

Danny is not the problem, the devil is.

The more important the work, the more Satan attacks the workers that are doing the work that God ordained. In a devilish effort to stop God's work at 3ABN, Satan took Linda off the air, destroyed Danny's credibility, and probably allowed some folks at 3ABN to have more influence than they would have had if things had been different.

I hope we are praying for them as much as we are critiquing their situation.

What about the one who betrayed Jesus?

What about the one who denied Jesus?