Lewis claims she was instructed by God to leave church

A former member of the Immanuel Christ Gospel Church believes that since withdrawing herself from that institution a few months ago, she has been under demonic attack.{{more}}

Susan Lewis, who told SEARCHLIGHT that she was once a senior member of the church based at Paul’s Avenue, said that because of instructions from God, she was urged to leave the church at which she had been a member for about six months.

Lewis came forward to SEARCHLIGHT and spoke about some of her experiences, after the church placed a full page advertisement in the May 18 edition of SEARCHLIGHT, denouncing claims that it is a satanic cult.

According to Lewis, things started going downhill for her in January this year, after she refused to participate in a certain act, which the Pastor Sandra Bart- Peters and one other person were witnesses to.

“One day (a Saturday) she (the pastor) invited me somewhere with her, for me to be a witness of something that was gonna transpire. My presence there was to say ‘amen’, ‘hallelujah’, ‘praise the Lord’ … and I did not do any of those things; as a matter of fact I felt sick within my spirit.

“I could not have done what the pastor expected, because what she expected was not what God expected of me. I know the Bible. I know what the word of God says and I chose then to please God than to please her.

“At the end of it all, pastor was very upset with me…. She said she was not pleased with the way I didn’t do what she expected me to do and she looked at me with a whole lot of venom in her eyes and she called me ‘serpentine’; she said ‘you are serpentine.’”

Lewis said that she dismissed the accusation as a simple disagreement between friends, as both women had come to know each other on a personal level.

The following day, however, Lewis said that as she went to her regular Sunday worship, she was treated with disdain by Bart-Peters, who used the opportunity to humiliate her and make her feel uncomfortable.

Lewis indicated that it was at that point she decided to part ways with the church and its leader, and this was reinforced by a vision that she received from God, instructing her to do so.

A journalist by profession, Lewis said that she knew Bart-Peters before she joined her church, and that both women had a strong mutual respect and trust for each other, but this soon eroded.

“I was baptized many years ago in Trinidad…. Like many other humans I had made mistakes, I had strayed away from God and at the time of meeting Miss Bart-Peters I was going through a spiritual low and she enticed me with the word of God, and I fell for it because I saw her as the person to pull me back in line. She told me she had a church and I went and got baptized.

“While I was with her, there was some measure of fear for her; she dictated everything…. The form of control that she had over my life, I’ve never experienced it anywhere.

“She did tell me that she has my soul, and in another conversation she told me that her master has something he wants of me, and she is close to me; being my pastor and being my friend to collect whatever it is, and to ensure that her master gets it.

“She told me that going to another church, I will get a different anointing which would conflict with her anointing…. She also said that the blow that I gave her by separating myself and removing myself from the church… is like a sledgehammer on an ant.”

When asked why she has now decided to come forward with the claims, Lewis stated that she had suffered in silence long enough, and wanted others to know what was taking place.

She claimed that other persons have had similar experiences, but are afraid and unwilling to come forward.

“I cannot tell people don’t go to the church because I went, but there is a saying that if you do not learn by the example of others, one day you gonna become an example.

“I do not view this as a feud between Miss Bart-Peters and myself, or me and the church. This is a spiritual battle that I have to fight on my knees, and I don’t want to do anything that is going to cost the kingdom of God.”

Reverend Bart-Peters, who spoke briefly to SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday about the matter, said that although she stood for truth and transparency, she didn’t wish to ‘prolong a dispute with a former parishioner’.

“I just want it to be clear to all that I am a Christian, with a calling to serve God’s people, and help people draw closer to Jesus Christ.

“I was not able to minister successfully to Miss Lewis and I’m sorry she was unhappy with our church and felt rejected. It is time that we let go of past wounds and press forward in serving our Lord.

“Jesus asked his true followers to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and take care of the sick, the prisoner and the stranger; we cannot do those things if we are expending our energies fighting each other and I do not want to be a part of fanning the flames of controversy.”

Meanwhile, Lewis claims that her allegations are true and said that there were other things that she could speak about, but could not prove.

“I am not crazy. God has maintained me and I know my experiences are real.

“God has not given me a spirit of fear. I have no hatred for her. I pray for her daily; I have forgiven her.”