Let There Be Light

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. - John 1:5 ESV

Dear Reader: Please note that this website, and what is written below, was created specifically for current and former members of Morning Star Church as a starting point to deal with the trauma and spiritual abuse inflicted by the decades-long disaster of leadership known as Stephen Foster. It is not a source of news or in-depth reporting on Foster/MSC, though some detailed articles, specifically related to the 2017 investigation into Foster’s alleged possession of child pornography, are linked in the “MSC/Stephen Foster” section. This is simply a place to come and begin wrestling with what is actually true after however many years of Foster’s spiritual gaslighting, and from there, a slight start at healing. Many of the people this website was written for in early 2018 have since left the church, and the intensity of the situation in some ways has faded. That said, the relational, emotional and spiritual destruction wrought has not faded for anyone. Years of trauma, especially trauma as subversive as spiritual trauma, do not easily heal. Whether you left MSC recently, many years ago, or have never even heard of the place, your pain is real, but hope and healing are real too. My heart is that this website brings a little bit of hope and encouragement to you, wherever you are in your process of healing. Let there be light. - Lucy (11/2019)

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This may be a very difficult website for some to read. Please know that it was written with prayer, love and honestly, from a heart broken by the many dozens upon dozens of stories of hearts and lives wronged. Take your time sorting through all the information here. Don't take in more than you can handle. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you as you read. So much of this information, whether written here or whispering reminders in your heart, connecting with your own painful experiences and the uncomfortable questions you've had... it's easier to look away. It's easier to pretend this isn't happening. Or, once you can finally look at it, the horror of recognizing the enormity of the situation can be unbearable. It's painful. 

These things about Stephen Foster, someone you have likely trusted for many years, have not been brought to light to harm you. God loves you, and I believe that with this information He is making a way for your freedom. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. He never said that the truth would always be easy. He never promised that the truth wouldn't be painful. This is a hard truth. This is going to be a hard-fought freedom.

Some of the common reactions to the truth about Morning Star Church and its leaders are fight, flight or freeze. For many, it's all of them at different points. Wherever you are on that list, don't be afraid. Take His hand. Little by little He is bringing you into the light, for your good, for your freedom. 

Light exposes. If what is exposed is lovely, we thank God. If it is ugly, we thank God. We cannot condemn the light for exposing hard truth. We can thank God that He is bringing things out of the darkness, for our good. For our healing. For our wholeness. So that we can move forward.

The truth is not your enemy. It is your freedom. Don't shut the door on the One who is here to rescue you. Take courage.