Blaine,
Good post.
I recently encountered an interesting situation. A couple was claiming to be having a "great revival" in a nearby village. They claimed they had a majority of the town coming to their services. I had no reason to doubt, so I didn't. Then they wanted to buy some land for the Church they wanted to build. 90% of the town signed a petition requesting that the land would not be sold to that couple who claimed to be doing such great things. They were frauds, claiming to have visions from God, and saying all the right things, but the locals hated them. But they, the "missionaries" were so convinced they were the prophets, they couldn't see how much damage and harm they were doing to everyone they tried to minister to. They were not sent out by any organization that could test their sanity. It wouldn't doubt me if they were turned away by mission organizations.
Unfortunately, SE Alaska is a magnent for the "loonies" of Christianity. Everybody and their brother is showing up claiming visions from God and everybody seems to know how to solve the social problems of SE Alaska. I've learned that if a person starts of a conversation boasting about how God spoke to them and sent them to SE AK, then they are usually full of it.
So, if I seem a little turned off by lone prophets and missionaries, it's only because I've seen a ton, and haven't been impressed. Mission organizations screen for a reason...........
