“Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
Prov. 31:8-9
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Eph. 5:11
“For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”
2 Cor. 13:8
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Order of Contents
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Libel
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Libel Against FCC Elder John Uselding
John Uselding is currently an elder in the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (FCC) in the Burlington, NC (USA) congregation, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (with pastor Gavin Beers, installed by him), and has been appointed by the American presbytery to be on the overseeing session of elders for Zion Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg, VA (2023) and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, TX (2025).
Justin and Genesis Spratt publicly posted this libel to the internet in 2019, years before Mr. Uselding became an elder in the FCC. The American presbytery of the FCC was notified and made aware of it at that time (many of the FCC elders were previously aware of the general issues from the time they happened and were friends with Mr. Uselding).
Neither the presbytery nor Cornerstone’s session of elders investigated these severe public scandals, or public charges, or have sought to talk to the victims about it, despite that their constitution says:
The Practice of the Free Church of Scotland in her Several Courts 8th ed. (Edinburgh: Knox Press, 1995), p. 196, Form of Process (1707), 8.18:
“…it be the duty of pastors and ruling elders to use all diligence and vigilance, both by doctrine and discipline respectively, for preventing and purging out such errors, heresies, schisms, and scandals, as tend to the detriment and disturbance of the Church,”
Mr. Uselding has never expressed repentance to his victims. A related document to Mr. Uselding’s history is the Libel Against Steven Dilday, a defrocked minister, by the Presbyterian Reformed Church (denomination). All of this is only the tip of the iceberg with respect to Mr. Uselding and how American FCC elders facilitated his becoming an elder (see a small amount of that in the section below: The FCC’s Procedural Bear Trap).
For more information and much detailed documentation with witnesses, or any questions, please use the contact form. See also the webpage of resources, The Right of Continued Protest unto the Truth.
When Mr. Uselding repents to his victims, or these public charges are disproven, or shown that they do not conclude what they charge, this section of this webpage will be taken down.
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The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)’s Procedural Bear Trap
“Neither as being lords over God’s heritage…”
1 Pet. 5:3
“O Lord our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them,
though Thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
Exalt the Lord our God…”
Ps. 99:8-9
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Travis Fentiman, MDiv.
Nov. 2023
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The following is an account of the procedural bear trap that American FCC elders and courts sought to enforce upon myself over several years. They have never expressed regret or repentance to myself for the main of these actions; hence the practices can only be expected to continue. There are significant indicators FCC elders were being guided by the advice of Scottish FCC general assembly clerks throughout the whole and hence these practices may likely characterize the larger denomination.
That constitutes a significant risk to unsuspecting, and often trusting, Christians, Christ’s Church and the public at large who may become attracted to the FCC and yet do not know what goes on behind closed doors (Mt. 10:26-28). You deserve to be aware.
I sent around half a dozen formal communications and petitions to American FCC courts for three years regarding (only some of) Mr. Uselding’s severe public scandals. Despite that “people connected with a congregation have freedom of access to the Kirk Session regarding any matter which affects their spiritual interests,” all my communications were at least “a courteously framed letter”¹ and I took counsel and adjusted the communications per clerks’ advice, all but one (which I retracted due to changed circumstances) was dismissed without being received.
¹ Practice of the Free Church of Scotland, p. 24
Through all the events below, keep in mind that by the time I was granted to leave the denomination (in their eyes),¹ over two years after I requested, never was I notified (nor have I been since) that there was any ground of censure against me.
The following summary account (only the tip of the iceberg) proceeds from no ill-will: the American FCC elders and courts are forgiven for what is related (Mk. 11:25). Yet the threat to Christ’s Church and the unknowing public from their bear trap practices remains.
For those who find themselves trapped in such situations, remember, the commands of authorities can only ever bind so far as God’s Law does, and no further. George Gillespie:
“I have also proven before that human laws do not bind to obedience but only in this case, when the things which they prescribe, do agree and serve to those things which God’s Law prescribes: so that, as human laws, they bind not, neither have they any force to bind, but only by participation with God’s Law.” – English-Popish Ceremonies (1637), pt. 3, ch. 4, p. 49
If and when FCC elders repent for using these tactics and prove they have turned and ceased from them over a significant period of time, this section of this webpage will be taken down.
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An Account
Kafka Trapp & Gag Orders
In the fall of 2018 I publicly repented for my favorable involvement in some of Mr. Uselding’s past, severe public scandals, and continued to publicly protest them by sending an email with documentation of such to the American FCC presbytery, another presbytery involved and four pertinent individuals outside the FCC. At the spring 2019 presbytery meeting, where only the “manner” of the communication was prescribed by the presbytery to be addressed (not the matter of it), the presbytery implemented a de facto kafka trap upon me,¹ and consequently dismissed the communication, without ever telling me.
¹ Documentation is given in point 7 of ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment for Fentiman to Talk with GPC Session’. This document, having been sent to two public, American FCC courts is public in nature with regard to the historical record.
Two and a half days before that presbytery meeting, I had received a gag order about the matter from the presbytery (decided upon months before hand), contrary to the Word and a significant share of historic, reformed theology. Due to the unjust pressures and being unsafe in this bear trap, by such public persons that people often tend to implicitly trust, I began to have health problems in early April and requested to resign from being in training for the ministry in the FCC (though having been approved by the same presbytery for being able to receive a call from a congregation).º A second gag order, likewise with no temporal limit, followed on April 25th, 2019.²
º Points 12-13 in ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment…’.
² Points 5 & 15, ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment…’.
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Obstruction
In November of 2019 I respectfully sent documentation of another public scandal of Mr. Uselding to his FCC session at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. How did the session handle this? Did they request to talk to me about it? They dismissed the communication and included in their reply: “The Kirk Session resolve to receive nothing further from Mr. Fentiman on such historic matters, and further to notify his own Kirk Session of his raising these issues.”³
³ Point 21, ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment…’.
Besides not being allowed to seek clarification or ask questions, that is called obstruction, when there is much they do not know about the other numerous public scandals of Mr. Uselding, within five years,† that were still outstanding (unless they be omniscient), in their blocking a person from using church courts.‡
† Form of Process (1707), 1.4 in The Practice of the Free Church of Scotland, p. 196
‡ All such processes through Church courts must first be accepted and received by the session, or so the traditions of the elders go, Mt. 15:6. See: On a Court Resolving to Receive no Further Communication from Someone, Despite the Possibility of Further Light, Witnesses, New Evidence, etc., or in Reference to Causes Untried.
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Fully in the Bear Trap
How did the session over me respond to that notification, I having properly used church courts? Though no sin was alleged against me, Greenville Presbyterian Church‘s session decided to investigate me for scandal (Feb. 11, 2019).ª That would last for the remainder of the time (no doubt per their intention) they claimed to hold me against my will in the FCC, that is, for more than two years following. This of course allows them to more closely prosecute me for scandal if I speak to persons about it outside of Church courts, including for any amount of time wherein I may seek to appeal.
ª Point 22, ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment…’. “the Session [of GPC] suspends judgment concerning Mr. Fentiman’s request for disjunction until it has disposed of the fama raised by the Mebane Session and thereby satisfied that no charge of scandal can be reasonably brought against him.”
In the meantime I did seek to appeal Cornerstone’s dismissal to the presbytery by asking the presbyterial clerks how to do such. They put me off twice and never provided me the requested information.
After three requests for an update from GPC, they got around to requesting to meet with me in the middle of May. My request for an outline of what would be addressed (per nature’s light and Christian prudence, WCF 1.6) was responded to with a simple citation to appear. I replied it was against the 6th Commandmentº and my conscience, with reasons, to meet with them in the circumstances they specified, offering other circumstances which were safe for me.
º That is, it posed an undue degree of danger to my safety to meet with them. See WLC #135-136.
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Blind Faith & Obedience:
the Trap’s Teeth
Keep in mind, it is historic reformed theology, according to the Word, in light of the Word’s sufficiency and perfection, that declining a church order without scandal or contempt does not incur guilt.
GPC’s session sent a second citation, to appear in five days, saying simply, I “failed to appear or to give satisfactory reason for his non-appearance,” without informing my conscience how my reasons were not satisfactory. Hence, they were claiming to require me, by their dictation, in the name of Christ, to go against my conscience and exercise blind obedience and blind faith in them¹ under implicit threat of discipline (as everyone knows three citations and you’re out).
¹ See Blind Obedience Always Entails Blind Faith.
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How to Break the Teeth out of the Bear Trap
Job 29:14-17; Ps. 58:6
To see how these traps work, read ‘The Trap’ in the Intro of the Cultic Characteristics page.
In order to break the trap, you must fear God more than men and what they can do to you (Mt. 10:28), and inform and assure your conscience of the teaching of God’s Word and historic reformed theology on the following very important points:
Something must be Known to be Right before it may be Done
A Minimal Reason is Not a Sufficient Ground to a Yet Objecting Conscience
Lawful Commands might not be able to be Obeyed Lawfully
Then read some of the resources in the section, How to Leave a Group with Systemic Spiritual Abuse or Cultic Characteristics. Finally (Eph. 6:10-18):
“Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle… against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
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The Official Record
With most of these few and far in between interchanges, only their communications (or the substance of them), are going on record, not yours and not your reasons. Hence if you or others see the church-court record, you are made out to be insubordinate, and what they are silently passing over is never known. If you notice, everything they choose to do, and they call the shots, is designed to safeguard them, not you.
GPC has never repented to me for claiming to require blind faith and obedience of me to themselves (1st Commandment issue: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ Ex. 20:3), nor will their action ever be known from the Church record, but only from the person silenced. Don’t be surprised if it happens to you.
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Email Tracking
In the second citation, after you open it, there is a phrase about them confirming receipt by “email verification.” Only if they can confirm receipt can they hold you liable for it. You no doubt didn’t realize there is an image, only one pixel large in the email, the same color as the email background, that was downloaded by your computer upon opening the email. A notification was sent back to them that you opened it, providing them receipt, without your knowledge or consent (otherwise known as non-consensual surveillance). They can read your communications and not recieve them, but you are not allowed, with sufficient moral warrant, to read their communications and not receive them.
Email tracking has been around for a while now, though many or most people don’t know that. Yet several years ago it has been recognized by the secular community to be unethical, or capable of being used unethically and weaponized. Hence some manufacturers have ceased making it available. Google how to turn off your email program from automatically downloading images when you open emails. This allows you to see which emails are being tracked. Go back through your history and see which elders have been tracking when you open emails. It might surprise you.
This practice might be sought to be justified by the rationale: “These are merely indifferent things, and the Church has authority over circumstances and indifferent things.” As simply stated, this is not true:
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30 Reasons;
Dismissed by Presbytery
I immediately sent a petition‡ to presbytery (copying GPC) to seek to stop GPC from claiming to require blind faith and obedience from me under implicit threat of discipline. I attached a document documenting 30 reasons why it was against the 6th Commandment for myself to orally speak with GPC’s session about sensitive information.† I was only able to send all this after GPC sent their third citation to me, explicitly threatening discipline.
‡ It is on the longer side, as I suspected, rightly, this would be my only hearing. The date on the petition is later due to numerous delays, such as the presbyterial clerk informing me the day before the meeting I had to be physically present (living 1,000 miles away) for the petition to be received, and that the presbytery had decided to cease making arrangements for conference calls (though they had often done this in the past in accord with civil practice) during the time my communications started coming before them.
† ‘Why it is Against the 6th Commandment for Fentiman to Talk with GPC Session’.
The presbytery, without noting that GPC elders had refrained from being a part of the decision, dismissed the petition (April 1, 2021) and instructed me to go against my conscience (which is sinful, Rom. 14:23) and meet with GPC session as cited, without informing my conscience how it was not against the moral law of God to do so, or showing that my 30 reasons do not hold.
Seeing as GPC was allowed to injure me and claim to require blind faith and obedience of me in my circustances under threat of discipline, but I was not allowed in my circumstances to appeal this, nor were reasonabe or just accommodations being offered, nor would the presbytery investigate it, I decided to cease communication for the time.
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Exit
Nonetheless, months later at the instruction of presbytery, GPC requested me to go against my conscience and verbally speak with them (Aug. 23, 2021), without showing me how this was morally lawful for myself, or showing how my 30 reasons were not satisfactory. The clerk followed up to see if I had received the request, with email tracking, without noting such.
GPC ended up, I was told (only at my request), mailing me a letter of disjunction (Spring 2022), requested from myself over two years previously. Yet I never received it, as they sent it to an old address, though I had previously told FCC clerks in writing that I was about to move, was moving, and had moved. Nor have they sought to get it to me another way, though I am easily available privately and publicly.
Be sure to safeguard yourself and read the Intro to the page, ‘One May Miss Services & Leave a Church due to Providence without Permission, & a Letter of Transfer is Not Necessary’, to see that this is the teaching of God’s Word and classical presbyterianism.
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Gal. 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
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“Woe unto you… for ye… have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done…”
Mt. 23:23
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
2 Cor. 4:2
“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Jn. 3:20-21
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Related Pages
Mere Will or Determination of Authorities: Insufficient Ground of Faith &
Obedience
Law Arises from the Circumstances
Subjection (Rom. 13:1) does Not Always Entail Obedience
God is the Lord of the Conscience
Independent Churches have No Authority for Greater Excommunication
The Right of Continued Protest unto the Truth
Formal Ground of Obedience: Nature & Scripture, Not the Church
Declining a Church Order without Scandal or Contempt does Not Incur Guilt
5th Commandment does not Take Precedence Over 6th Commandment
How Far Laws of Human Authorities Bind the Conscience
On Implicit, or Blind Faith & Obedience
Historic Presbyterianism Never Requires Implicit or Blind Obedience
The Church May Not Discharge What is Warranted in the Word
How Church Rulings Do & Do Not Bind, on Guilt & Innocence in Breaking Them, & on Contumacy
Vows can Never Bind Beyond God’s Law
Rulers Erring in Judgment in a Situation with Degrees of Goodness
Obedience or Resistance to Inconvenient Laws
Command of Authorities does Not Make Indifferent Things Necessary
Whether Authorities’ Commands about Indifferent Things Necessarily Bind
. External Actions, though the Conscience be Left Free? No
Lawful Commands might not be able to be Obeyed Lawfully
Something must be Known to be Right before it may be Done
One may Absent Oneself or Leave a Church without theri Permission due to Necessities of Providence
Natural Law, in Necessity, Over-Rules Positive Law when They Conflict
No Rational Human Actions are Indifferent, but must be Good or Evil to Varying Degrees