2023 FFCS National Conference
2023 FFCS Virtual Conference
MUCH
Those Who Are Forgiven MUCH Love Much
Forgiveness is at the heart of our faith and recovery journey from Christian Science. Living with unforgiveness keeps us trapped in the bondage of the past and feeling disconnected from ourselves, others, and sometimes even God Himself.
This year we have MUCH to discuss as we respond to the incredible forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ. We also have MUCH to consider as we think about the biblical command to forgive those who have hurt us, especially when addressing the deepest wounds from our Christian Science background. For some, our greatest need is to forgive ourselves for believing in and following Christian Science. There are no quick fixes or easy answers here, but you will be astounded by how meaningful it is to begin the conversation and share with people who understand.
Join other former Christian Scientists to walk together in faith and recovery. New this year — Sign up for our Get Wise track.
If you have questions or would like to get connected to the Fellowship of Former Christian Scientists, please email Katherine Beim-Esche at katie@ffcsministry.org.
FAITH
Michael McClymond, Ph.D, professor and author, will discuss what Scripture says about our need for forgiveness and how we are forgiven through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We will spend time contrasting this with what we were taught in Christian Science about God, mankind, sin, and salvation. Our understanding of who God is will be redeemed as we receive His redemption and forgiveness. There will be space to dig into the scripture, ask questions, and also an opportunity to repent, receive forgiveness, proclaim our faith in Jesus, and renounce Christian Science.
RECOVERY
Bob and Judy Pardon will discuss the importance of forgiving yourself and forgiving others as part of our faith and recovery journey. They will share stories of how they have seen the fruit of forgiveness restore relationships, grow deeper faith, open doors for outreach, and lead to personal flourishing. There will be time to consider whom we need to forgive, whether family, teachers or ourselves. The Pardons will offer a tool kit for personal reflection and first steps to help us move forward in this important work of facing our past and moving forward. We will have an opportunity to begin naming our wounds and laying them at the cross.
GET WISE
Jeana Roth, LPC, will discuss the psychological benefits of forgiveness through the lens of attachment. She’ll discuss the important distinctions between forgiveness and reconciliation and needed boundaries when considering forgiving the unforgivable. Sessions will include interactive discussion and time for personal reflection as you consider the gift of giving or receiving an apology. There will be an opportunity to write an apology letter either to yourself or to (possibly) give to someone else, in order to release burdens we no longer need to carry.
Conference Speaker BIOS
Michael McClymond is a Professor of Modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. He was educated at Northwestern University (B.A.), Yale University (M.Div.), and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D.).
He has written or edited works on Christian theology, comparative religions, and biblical studies, including Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth (Eerdmans, 2004) and—co-written with Gerald McDermott—The Theology of Jonathan Edwards (Oxford University Press, 2012). He edited the Encyclopedia of Religious Revivals in America (ABC-CLIO, 2007), and co-edited—with Lamin Sanneh of Yale—the Wiley-Blackwell Companion to World Christianity (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016). His latest work is The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism (Baker Academic, 2018)–chosen as the Academic Theology Book-of-the-Year by The Gospel Coalition.
An Anglican layperson, McClymond has been a leader in Global Day of Prayer, Habitat for Humanity, and Stepping Into the Light (a substance abuse recovery ministry in St. Louis).
Bob Pardon, MDiv, ThM, and Judy Pardon, MEd, are the Executive and Associate Directors, respectively, of the New England Institute of Religious Research and MeadowHaven. During the past 30 years they have specialized in Bible-based communal groups and aberrational Christian groups. Many of these groups are known (Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Christian Science, etc.) and many are lesser known or unknown (The Twelve Tribes, The Family of Love, The Brethren, The Body, Shincheonji, and numerous other Asian, Western, and New Age groups.
They also have consulted with the FBI, Homeland Security, and local law enforcement agencies regarding destructive groups and have provided expert witness court testimony. Both he and his wife, Judy, speak nationally and internationally on cults. However, most of their work involves counseling, leading support groups, working with those born or raised in groups, and helping former members rebuild their lives. To facilitate that recovery process, MeadowHaven, a long-term rehabilitation facility, was opened in 2001. However, after twenty years of helping cult survivors from around the world, the residential component ended in 2021. The MeadowHaven Recovery Program, however, is still available on a limited two-week basis for diagnostic purposes. Currently, Bob teaches an occasional graduate level course on “Cults and Pastoral Issues” at the Reformed Episcopal Seminary.
Over the years they have had numerous media appearances on such programs as Dateline, EXTRA, CNN, 20/20, The Early Show, Today Show, Good Morning America, PrimeTime, Inside Edition, Dr. Phil Show, PBS, Chronicle, Firecracker Films, THS, A&E and various local television stations, cable outlets, and numerous news outlets.
They authored the book “The Twelve Tribes: Journey from Orthodoxy to Heresy” in 1995, published by The New England Institute of Religious Research, and co-authored an article, “Residential Treatment Modality for Cult Trauma Survivors” for the book Cult Recovery: A Clinician’s Guide to Working with Former Members and Families, 2017. They have produced many other articles and papers regarding cults and destructive groups.
Jeana Roth, MA, LPC, NCC works as a Licensed Professional Counselor with Revision Christian Counseling in St Louis, Missouri.
Jeana works with complex trauma and spiritual abuse recovery, using EMDR, DBT, and attachment theory to help her clients reconnect with themselves, others, and God. Jeana is a member of the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). She and her husband, Tim, previously served as missionaries in East Africa with Wycliffe Bible Translators and currently reside in St Louis with their two daughters.
FFCS Leadership Cohort
John Andrews
John Andrews is a fourth-generation Christian Scientist. His father’s grandparents were involved in helping start Principia in St. Louis around 1900. His grandfather George Andrews was one of the early Principia graduates and later became the dean of Principia College. John attended Principia for 16 years, then moved to Colorado when his parents founded the Adventure Unlimited Camps, a camp for Christian Science youth. John joined the Mother Church as a teenager, was class taught, taught Sunday School, then became the First Reader of his church in Colorado. He would only serve half of his term before being forced to resign as he began to doubt Mary Baker Eddy as the ultimate authority over Scripture.
John Andrews is retired after a career in politics, education, media, and ministry. He served in the US Navy, the Nixon White House, and the Colorado Senate, as well as helping lead Colorado Christian University. He and Donna, his wife of 53 years, live in Denver near their three grown children and a grandson. They are members of Greenwood Community Church (EPC), where John is a ruling elder.
John has hosted the http://www.ananias.org/ website for former Christian Scientists since 1998 and has written a daily Bible blog at http://www.backboneamerica.net/ since 2016.
Dixie Baker
Dixie was raised in Christian Science by her mother and maternal grandmother. She regularly attended church services, joined The Mother Church and branch church at the age of 12, and went to Adventures Unlimited Camp and Principia College, where she survived the measles epidemic of 1985 during her junior year. It wasn’t until she was deemed “healed” from the measles that she began to doubt her faith.
After graduating from Principia College, Dixie worked in the cellular phone industry for a number of years before starting a catering and tearoom business. She enjoyed years as a stay-at-home mom and now coordinates the student internship program for a local school district. She and Steve, her husband of 33 years, have one daughter and live in St. Louis. Members of Wildwood Christian Church, Dixie has been involved in hospitality ministry, vacation Bible school, women’s Bible study, and special events ministry.
Because a dear friend invited them to attend a Christian marriage enrichment retreat, Dixie and Steve began a journey of learning about Jesus and were baptized together in January 1995.
Katherine Beim-Esche
God has uniquely gifted and positioned me for this work. I grew up a fourth-generation Christian Scientist living on the St. Louis campus of The Principia School, a school for Christian Scientists. I attended Principia through my first year of college. I left Christian Science (CS) after September 11, 2001 when I was faced with the undeniable reality of evil in the world. Confused by the inconsistencies between CS and the world, I lived in spiritual darkness and denial for eight years. In 2008 I overheard a conversation on faith in a coffee shop that caught my attention. I felt hope. I desired a relationship with God, was convicted of my sinful heart, and read Francis Schaeffer’s The God Who is There. I began attending Grace and Peace Fellowship, a PCA church in St. Louis. There I came to know the God of Scripture and professed Jesus as my Savior. I was baptized December 13, 2009 and almost immediately began studying my new faith at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. I graduated in 2013 with a degree in Educational Ministries.
After leaving CS, I longed for fellowship and resources to help me understand what had happened. I felt very alone and isolated during this time. When I finally met another former Christian Scientist it was incredibly helpful and healing to be able to connect. We knew the same language and had many of the same experiences. Hearing her story helped me understand mine better. I felt called to reach out to other former Christian Scientists. I realized there was a real need for a ministry working to connect former Christian Scientists and provide resources specifically for people with this background. I found others were praying for this, too. This led me to form FFCS in January of 2014.
Kelsey Jensen
Kelsey Jensen was a fifth-generation Christian Scientist. Her family lived in The Woodlands, Texas from 1986 to 2003 where they attended the First Church of Christ Scientist of The Woodlands. While a junior and senior in high school, she was invited to a non denominational Bible study with other peers from school. As they studied the book of 1 Peter, Kelsey noticed the stark theological differences between what was written by Mary Baker Eddy and what was actually in the Bible. God drew Kelsey to Himself through His word and through other external struggles in her senior year of high school when she came to understand her sin and her need of Jesus as her savior. Kelsey broke her father’s family tradition of attending Principia College where her father, brothers, uncles and cousins all attended, and instead attended Southern Methodist University from 2003 to 2007. After obtaining her undergraduate degree of fine arts in 2007, Kelsey married her husband Lance that summer and became the lower school art teacher at Providence Christian School of Texas in Dallas in the fall. After 11 years of teaching, now she’s a stay-at home mom of two precious children. She teaches private art lessons and loves to play tennis whenever she can find the time.
Linda Kramer
From a second-generation family of Christian Scientists, Linda Kramer joined The Mother Church as a teenager and later attended Principia College. She became active in the Christian Science organization at her graduate school, where she studied inorganic chemistry. Although her husband was not a practicing Christian Scientist, he supported Linda by going to church. They attended a Christian Science branch church for several years before Linda began to question her faith.
Linda earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Principia College, her masters at the University of Illinois, and her PhD from Wayne State University in Detroit. She worked in research and development for an automotive supplier and taught and tutored chemistry. Currently, Linda owns an online retail business. Married for over 40 years, she and Jack have three grown children, four grandchildren, and live in Southeast Michigan. They are members of the First Baptist Church of Rochester in Rochester Hills, Michigan where Linda currently serves on the Missions Board.
Linda was involved for many years with Christian Way, ministering to people impacted by Christian Science and pointing them to salvation in Jesus Christ. Her book, Perfect Peril: Christian Science and Mind Control, is available on Amazon.
Dave Lamb
Contributing Writer
Tanner Johnsrud
Tanner Johnsrud was a fifth-generation Christian Scientist. After graduating college he worked as a Christian Science practitioner for more than 15 years. Nearly ten of those years were spent in Boston. He and his wife Hillary, also a practitioner, left Christian Science and became Christians the same day. He has an M.Div from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. They live with their two children in Reston, Virginia, where Tanner teaches history at a classical Christian school.