O’Neill Exposed-Comments
Ernest O’Neill, is an ex-Methodist minister, originally from Ireland. He is the founder and owner of Christian Corps International. O’Neill currently is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. O’Neill was the founder and operator of CAMPUS CHURCH, Minneapolis. He established and ran this church, near the University of Minnesota, from approximately 1972 to 1984.
During all these years, O’Neill has been a public figure and an ardent preacher. His “sermons” and lectures are still available on his many websites where he claims that he is still broadcasting on radio and television. In his capacity as head of now defunct Campus Church of Minneapolis, he recorded nearly all his sermons which were edited and broadcast.
O’Neill’s sister organization, Christian Corps International still exists with offices in Raleigh and London. He also has affiliates in the Far East (Thailand and Taiwan).
The purpose of this site is to expose this man who is an out-and-out, shameless hypocrite. Worse, he is an exploiter.
O’Neill has managed to attract and keep a coterie of loyal followers who work for Christian Corps International (CCI). CCI runs several small businesses from restaurants to marketing specialized jewelry. The people who work in O’Neill’s businesses do not consider themselves as workers. They think of their work as “ministering.” This far-fetched claim is made on the basis of their “unique” experience with Christ and the nurturing they have received from O’Neill for 30 years. This has transformed them into super beings. O’Neill and his faithful followers are under the illusion that their very presence here on earth is changing this world and conforming it to what the “father” wants this earth to be.
This website exposes O’Neill and his followers. O’Neill continues to deceive. He is still churning out the same inane sermons. This website will expose the real O’Neill. I will also expose the followers who have made all this possible for him. These followers like Colleen Donahue, Lucy Blomfield, Myron Kliever, Greg Lieitchu, Trish Noveux, and Paul Schaffer, just to mention a few, are equally culpable.
As this website develops and more material is added, I will encourage people to send the website links to as many as you can. Thank you in advance!
Thomas said
Hello,
What can I say…?
I am totally shocked! I started to go through Ernest O’ Neill’s messages back in 2007, and still do. There were really so many spiritual insights and revelations. Especially your personal time with the Lord Jesus Christ. And the series about: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit. I am currently busy going through the Spiritual Life Series. It means so much to me. An now, unfortunately this!!!
I am flabbergasted…! What more can I say…
Please do e-mail me if you do not want to share with me online what happened on the Campus back in the day. I feel like crying right now. My own Pastor disappointed me BIG TIME! And now this.
I think I am going to call it QUITS on all these so called Spiritual Leaders!!! Wolfs in Lambs Clothing I tell you. Oh but what will these poor souls have to say to the Lord on Judgement Day…? I feel sorry for them. They start out with genuine motives and walk as the Holy Spirit guides them, and then BANG –> The attraction and self gets in the way. They need to be worshipped and complimented all the time. And oh boy, try to just slightly go against their arguments or church religion / rules / dogmas. You will be stopped, excommunicated and stamped as an outcast!
May the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on all of you. Poor souls blinded by the god of this worldly system…
Please do get back to me. I gave his messages to so many people. I am definitely ion one hell of a mess! Please pray for me for spiritual insight and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
Thank You.
Thomas.
Peter A. Van Breemen said
Thanks, Kathleen M., for the clarification of what the work situations were like and what the daily life situation looked like.
It reminds me of some situations I experienced in the communal experiment of a Christian group. Of course, every leader’s personality is unique … and sometimes authoritarianism does not really get much out of hand.
So far, I still like the gist of the messages from Mr. O’Neill. A moral to the story is that we all need to judge ourselves not by our words but by the message our life conveys to others.
It is great to hear the new comment by Thomas.
Peter
Peter A. Van Breemen said
On the one hand, I want to sympathize with anyone who has been taken advantage of. God knows that has happened to each of us.
On the other hand, I have not yet actually seen much evidence of abuse by the leader … except that he required too much work and did not manage the businesses into prosperity.
This quote from Kush seems more of a compliment rather than a discredit to Mr. O’Neill:
Kush has posted
“O’Neill has managed to attract and keep a coterie of loyal followers who work for Christian Corps International (CCI). CCI runs several small businesses from restaurants to marketing specialized jewelry. The people who work in O’Neill’s businesses do not consider themselves as workers. They think of their work as “ministering.” This far-fetched claim is made on the basis of their “unique” experience with Christ and the nurturing they have received from O’Neill for 30 years. This has transformed them into super beings. O’Neill and his faithful followers are under the illusion that their very presence here on earth is changing this world and conforming it to what the “father” wants this earth to be.”
If I read between the lines I see this may possibly the rhetoric of one who is bitter toward Christianity in general… who is throwing out the baby with the bath water.
There is nothing essentially wrong with believing that one is transforming the earth by bringing the presence of God (through the Messiah) into this world. The problems arising are only those of mixture and hypocrisy. The ideal is quite admirable.
Peter
kushykush said
Hello Peter: Always a pleasure to read your thoughtful comments.
I do not see the above as a compliment at all. There are so many cult leaders and others who manage to attract many people. Most of these people are looking for “something amiss” in their lives. Would you agree? The “leader” knows this and exploits this to the fullest.
If you talk to O’Neill enablers, they will say they are not following O’Neill but God. In reality, they are following what O’Neill offers, security through business and communal living. However, this security comes at a tremendous price — continuous delusion.
With a believer like you, I will not argue your point, “there is nothing essentially wrong with believing that one is transforming the earth by bringing the presence of God…” You may see nothing wrong with that Peter, fine. To an objective, rational mind, however, this is delusion and hypocrisy of the first order. Why? Because none of these claims have ever been substantiated.
No, I did not throw the baby out with the bath water. There was a lot of dirty water but no baby!! It took years of research to see that there is no historical evidence for Jesus Christ. That is OK. Most religions believe myths as history and live by those deceptions. Problems are created when such myths are believed to be the “Truth.”
I could not accept this as truth because my search started with the search for truth. To me saving the truth is far more important than saving myself.
I have bitterness toward none. I celebrate my humanness and love humanity. I am so glad that I saw it all through. I do not want anyone to be deluded by a religion that claims to be historical but is not.
Last Point: Hypocrisy. You nailed it. That is what I am doing. O’Neill claims, as do his enablers, that they know the “world invisible.” O’Neill and his bunch of lunatics further claim that they have a “clean heart.” O’Neill has been making this “clean heart” claim for more than 40 years now.
But my proposition is simple and verifiable. Unless, of course, you say that a “clean heart” may not posses love, then O’Neill’s conduct toward thousands of his former members and his own inner circle of elders was shameless, reprehensible, and deceptive.
A man with a record of such deceptive conduct and a heart that never apologizes, then claims he has a “clean heart?” Very troubling. He is an egomaniac who needs help.
O’Neill is nothing but a shrewd business person who has built his little kingdom at the expense of others and after ruining many lives in Minneapolis. There is evidence that he is continuing to do that even as we speak.
Peter A. Van Breemen said
Thanks, Kush.
Interesting discussion. I hope we will continue it as time goes by.
I see the word “communal” in your comment. I was wondering how much the communal factor … as opposed to paid wages … worked into the equation.
The communal (or absolute socialism) tradition in Christianity is an interest of my studies.
In regards to that, I was looking today at this article http://communities.ic.org/94/lett94.php which discusses a messed-up communal group of the 1970’s-80’s period.
-Peter
Peter A. Van Breemen said
Human logic is, so far, imperfect. “Belief” is similar to hypothesis … it is an attempt at grasping what is the system in the data we have observed.
Sir Isaac Newton developed hypotheses which helped us all to grasp what physical principles are behind what we observe. The Newtownian Laws of Physics were useful in invention of machines and in understanding astrophysics.
Despite the truth (relative truth) of Newton’s beliefs (theories) concerning physics, when Albert Einstein discerned the theories of relativity, he proved Newton’s laws to be somewhat in error.
Then came Niels Bohr (and Stephen Hawkins and others) who have advanced theories (not absolutes) concerning quantum mechanics. Albert Einstein had apparently been somewhat in error.
Things which would have appeared “supernatural” to the mind of one trained in Newtonian physics are now thought of as natural. The discerning of unseen principles behind the observable systems around us is called “science”… but it is also, in a real sense “religion” … because it is an attempt to explain anything of any importance to us. The artificial rhetorical distinction between “natural” and “supernatural” is an example of how there exist artificial rhetorical distinctions between “science” and “religion”.
I hope that opens up some discussion…since it probably needs to be explained.
Peter
Peter A. Van Breemen said
To expand on what I posted, you might look at it this way:
It has never been PROVEN that the Messiah Jesus was not resurrected from the dead. Rather it is supposed and believed by many that he did not rise from the dead and that he was not an incarnate equal to God. But prove he wasn’t? How are you going to do that? So… disbelief is a matter of faith.
My theory … based on evidence … is that it was perfectly natural for God the Father to raise His Son from the dead at that point in time. I use the word “natural” very carefully as a word meaning “the nature of things as they are in the universe in keeping with laws which govern how everything in the universe operates.”
The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is no more outside the realm of things in the universe than is quantum physics. The rhetorical distinction between “science” and “faith” is simply rhetorical.
I chose to believe that Eistein’s theory of relativity and Bohr’s theory of quantum mechanics and Hawkin’s theory of the universe with no fixed point of origin … are all true… even though I cannot examine the details of their equations. I choose to belief those things because they are consistent with what else I have seen.
Similarly, I choose to believe in a resurrected Jesus Who can be as God to me just the way His Father was as God to Him. I cannot replicate ALL the equations, but I can observe enough consistent evidence … which is consistent with what else I have seen… and this I call science.
Some people may not think that Einstein or Bohr or even Newton’s theories are valid. Maybe to them these things are not proven. Certainly, these theories are not understood by everybody.
Most of mankind does not accept the evidence that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of Moses and the prophets. Most of mankind does not accept the evidence that the message of the Christian Scriptures … though shrouded by traditions… are of divine origin. But the evidence is there.
Christian Scriptures say that mankind is in rebellion against a Father God. That would seem to be almost self-evident. The fact that most of mankind rejects the Christian Scriptures… and what is even more overwhelming… the fact that Christian leaders have misused authority and have been hypocritical JUST AS THE PROPHETS FORETOLD … is evidence that these Scriptures are true.
I hope that carries the discussion forward.
Would be glad to hear from you.
-Peter
Itsall Sowrong said
I think it’s really sad that people destroy people.
Honestly, I think what you are doing is just as destructive as what you feel he/they may have done to you.
I have spent my life being thrown around the rough waters of church life and smashed against the rocks to the point of breakdown and suicide attempts growing up as a ministry kid because I watched the destruction of people tearing down people and it makes me sick – that is not God’s way that is the destruction of fallen man; Truth is, you are no better than he for what you are doing, and I am no better than you for condemning you. We are all so pathetic.
I am so grateful for the grace of God, for his mercy, for his love, sacrifice and forgiveness. He is the only one who truly knows the ins and outs of what happens.
I am so grateful that people are prepared to step up and step out and try to help people enter into a relationship with God – I am grieved that you are prohibiting people and reflecting God, Church, Ministry & Teaching as something so horrific. You have to stand before God and give an account for these things as does the man whom you are condemning.
Why don’t you take all the passion and fury that you have and use it to fuel you to feed people and fuel them into a deeper and more beautiful relationship with God. Heck, why don’t you take it to grow your relationship with God or write blogs that help others to grow in their relationships with God?
At the end of the day, nobody can “make” somebody do or feel anything, it is a choice. You have chosen to take offense. We are all adults here. You have chosen to take offense and are choosing to take that offense to an extreme and have created this huge website to spread it to others and make it contagious offense.
God knows why I am wasting my time writing to you? I have never heard of this man, or you, I live on a small Island in the South Pacific, I was just craving some deep teaching and surfing the net for it and came across this guy with some cool teaching refering to A.W Tozer and then up came your BS and robbed me of the gems I had heard about my great and wonderful God.
I am not belittling that you may have been hurt, Lord knows I know what being hurt in church is like, it has destroyed my family but it just grieved my heart so deeply to see what you have let it do to you & I couldn’t help but write and say that I just really hope and pray that you can be freed from your bitterness and let go of it all so you can get on with your life and spend your time doing something more productive than focusing on this stupid blog and bless people instead of infect them with downcast misery.
May God draw you deeper and closer into relationship with Him and may you see things from His vantage point, from a place of peace and freedom.
kushykush said
Hello Mr. SoWrong: What are you trying to say in your drivel, Sir? Are you telling me that it is OK to tolerate hypocrisy, and it is OK to let hypcrites thrive and leave the future to God?
You are guided by your moronic spirituality. As you say you knew who was hurting who and still reamained quiet and did nothing about it. Why? And you expect me to be the same?
As I have explained in my pages here, this is not about “condemnation.” This is about truth and justice. In your world anyone who has “Reverend” before his name is protected by God and is above the law. It is not so in my world. If we were to follow your moronic quidance then Jesus should not have thrown the moneychangers out of the temple. He should have left it to God and the final judgement.
Common, Mr. NotSoWrong. Wake up. This is not about personal vendatta. It is about truth and who this man “Pastor” “Reverend” O’Neill really is.
Plus, as you admit, you neither know O’Neill nor do you know me. So unless you have something really meaningful to say, spare the world such drivel.
Good luck!
Josef Novak said
I was just perusing through all the comments, and without going into too much detail, I had a conversation with you once about Carol; then you admitted to me being the father, a fact she claimed as well. I do not stand in judgment of that event, but I am wondering why you are denying it now. Was another the real father? What happened to her and the child? Thanks.
kushykush said
The issue you raise has no relevance. I already exposed you as a possible mole of O’Neill. We never had a conversation. You made baseless allegations and I asked you the source of your information. You had no honest answer.
If you are going to pursue this meaningless “conversation” then may I ask you how many children has O’Neill fathered? If you do not know the answer, why not? You seem to have direct connections with scurrilous sources. Why not ask the same people about O’Neill?
I can also speculate and ask you about your personal life and make scurrilous allegations. But I have the decency not to do so.
I can easily expunge your irrelevant comments. But as I said before, I leave them here to expose how sinister O’Neill and his enablers are.
Joe, try some other technique. You will not succeed in undoing the truth. This site is about your “Pastor” O’Neill. A fellow who has done immense harm to thousands in his past through his Church in Minneapolis.
Let us stick to O’Neill. If you have something to add there, do so. Otherwise, maintain your peace.
Josef Novak said
I am sorry if I offended you, but I am simply inquiring after someone I knew quite well once, and I stumbled onto you, a person who should have some information about her. I won’t pursue that, however, since it upsets you so intensely.
As to Ernest O’Neill, I surprised you don’t remember me, as I served as a major instrument in bringing the enterprise to a close. What you say about him is essentially true, but in large fashion grossly mischaracterized. The situation was far more complex than you evidently know; it had far less to do with money than it did with the misuse of authority.
The details are a quagmire and would take manifold paragraphs to delineate. I will not further exchange thoughts with you, because quite frankly, there seems to be something unclean about the way you are approaching this. I cannot help to wonder what could have possibly taken you so long to launch this effort to discredit him, but it just doesn’t ring right.
For those who were part of Campus Church, more precisely Fish Enterprise, you lived through it and have no need for me to elaborate. However, for those who visit this site, and wish to know the whole story from start to finish, I will gladly form an essay on my perspective of those events from 1974 through 1985 to lend some insight into what may seem an enigma compared to what how you view him now in the context of his sermons or perhaps even more personal contact.
I can be reached at josef_novak@sbcglobal.net
Peter said
I attended for a time, casually, in the late 1970’s and then started going somewhere else. I do recall reading something in the StarTrib that Pastor O’Neill got into some hot water over sermons about prophecy, i.e. the anti-Christ and Israel, etc. in the early 80’s. I don’t think he bought into all the pop-prophecy interpretations going around at that time that concerned the modern state of Israel being the be-all and end-all of prophecy as well as other things, that so many christian-zionists do today. It’s my two-cents that he may have possibly offended some powerful people with his views on these subjects. I can’t say that there weren’t other problems with the church’s businesses, though because I wasn’t close to the situation by that time. I do believe, however, that his sermons that I heard did have spiritual value and life in them.
Melissa said
We all need to remember that we are to work out our own salvation. Some of the comments made about Pastor O’Neill have been quite scathing but having listened to his sermons and aligned his messages to my own personal spiritual journey, the Word has become greatly illuminated. Jesus himself has told us plainly, judge not lest thou be judged, condemn not lest thou be condemned……………..Let God be the judge of Pastor O’Neill and any other spiritual leader. We will also be judged for judging. There is none that walks this life and that is without sin……….except for the Lord Jesus himself.