Perry Stone’s recorded message to private church gathering

Recently some female employees at VOE requested to meet with our board of directors to address complaints that I had acted inappropriately with them, and with words and sometimes actions. The board gathered the information that was needed to question me concerning this and after several weeks, the board did the right thing and they asked me to step aside from all pulpit and traveling ministry for an extended period of time.

So, today I remain under the authority of our board of directors and have taken an extended and honestly some much needed sabbatical away from the [inaudible] of ministry. I’ve been spending several weeks in a special location out of state and a special clinic to receive professional counseling every day and also to get the medical help that I feel like I need. Let me say, and I’m saying this from the deepest part of my heart and spirit, I sincerely with everything that’s in me regret any words or actions that I have said or done that made anyone feel uncomfortable or that may have brought them hurt in any manner. And I confess at times I’ve been inappropriate in all this weariness of just non-stop ministry. I let my guard down and I’ve asked, of course, God to forgive me for that. I asked, I sat down with my family, with my beautiful, precious wife Pam, the love of my life. I asked her to forgive me. And I very humbly and very sincerely ask those who have been hurt or offended by my actions to, please, also forgive me for those things.

I also want to ask the OCI family to forgive me for letting down the high standard of ministry that we all have sought to achieve, including myself. It’s my hope that through the grace of God we will all be able to walk in future healing and restoration. We know that forgiveness is the foundation to starting any type of restoration. So I’m going to remain on a long sabbatical absent from public ministry and this is for several weeks, first of all to seek God intently, which I’ve been doing for several weeks on a daily basis, you know, morning, noon and night throughout the day, to remain under the decision and the authority of the board of directors to seek wisdom and counsel professionally and spiritually.

And above all, this is what I really want you to know, I have made pledge to God, myself, my family, and I’ll make a pledge to you, that the remaining days of my life, I have a lot of days, I’m going to set up very strong and unmovable boundaries to ensure that my personal and spiritual life are held completely accountable every day to men who surround me in ministry and above all accountability every day to the love of my life Pam.

I believe a time is going to come when God will make me whole in body, mind and spirit and in the future this is going to make me a better man, a better husband and I’m intent on finishing my race strong. I admire, I appreciate and I dearly love my OCI family and I want to thank you because I have felt your prayers for myself and I want you to continue to pray for me and the family, and for the staff, and for all those who are involved in any way who also need healing and restoration as well. So, thank you for your time. Thank you for allowing me to do this. I miss you. God bless you and thank you. Continue to pray for us, amen.