Forum Search:
Welcome to OO
Fast Uncompromising Discussions.

Home » Discussion Area » Introductions & General » Historian Needed - Dave Freeman
Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2377] Tue, 15 July 2008 11:43 Go to next message
OnceRemoved  is currently offline OnceRemoved
Messages: 5
Registered: July 2008
Location: New Berlin WI
Junior Member
I first listened to a Hobart Freeman tape in a dorm room in Oshkosh, WI. A friend was on the automatic list and she invited a group of us to meet and listen to tapes. She told us about a small store front church, in Milwaukee, where "the word was preached with signs following" by a young man named Dave Freeman. A few weeks later a group of us made the hour-and-a-half drive to Milwaukee. After the message Dave ministered to the assembly and the Holy Spirit moved in a dramatic way, unlike anything I had experienced to that point.

We were hooked. From that point on we scraped together gas money and begain making the weekly pilgramage to Milwaukee. Only a few weeks later, a man I had never met stood up to inform us that Dave would not be coming back, that he had been "Disfellowshipped." That was in either late '76 or early '77.

A local man assumed the role of pastor of the congregation and his teaching mirrored whatever was coming out of Indiana at the time. But the church never seemed to rise to the status of a sister church even though Steve Hill, Bruce Kinsey and Tom Hamilton made regular apperances.

I traveled to Indiana several times but I only saw Hobart Freeman teach once. Faith Assembly was meeting in a tent, at the time.

I dropped out of school and moved to Milwaukee. I met my wife at the Milwaukee church(Charismatic Faith Assembly) and we were a part of that body until 1984. Just before we left, our twins were born. It was a home birth and we knew we were having twins only when the second one was delivered. We took them to church the very next week only to learn that many of the children were "battling the lying sypmtoms of whooping cough." All four of my children became sick and one of the twins became critically ill.

I sought medical attention for my daughter, a fact we kept to ourselves because I didn't feel as though I "missed it" and I was not ready to repent for what I did. Eventually I said as much in a letter to the pastor which also informed him we would not be coming back. The next week he told the congregation to "turn off the tape recorders" and he instructed the congregation to have nothing to do with us until we repented. It was a crushing experience.

I've tried to make sense of those years. Finding the website has stirred up all kinds of memories.

Can anyone give me the background on why Dave Freeman was disfellowshipped? What became of him?

Thanks,

OnceRemoved
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2378 is a reply to message #2377] Tue, 15 July 2008 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
william  is currently offline william
Messages: 1450
Registered: January 2006
Senior Member
Administrator
Welcome OnceRemoved,

I can't help you much with the details of Dave Freeman being disfellowshipped, although I did hear him speak once at the barn. I do remember that he was a very charismatic speaker!

Blessings,
William




I want to believe!
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2381 is a reply to message #2377] Tue, 15 July 2008 22:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
james  is currently offline james
Messages: 2137
Registered: April 2008
Location: Birmingham, AL
Senior Member
Hombre,

Dave Freeman was married to the third daughter of Hobart and June Freeman, I think her name was Becky. It was Pam/Steve, Kathy/Bruce, and Becky/Dave.I know at one time he was highly endorsed by Hobart, and like William said was a very good teacher/speaker. Don't know what caused the disfellowship. He's in some family pictures in one of the books, I just don't recall which one. I didn't get to hear him in person, but heard a couple of messages he preached on cassette.

I'm thinking Duncan might know more details, beings how he was about knee high to a grasshopper back then... Laughing Nah, but his dad or mom would know, maybe he'll update us when he gets a break from the 'cemetery'...Opps, I mean, seminary. U know I'm kidding, Chris... Smile

Welcome John, sorry you and your family had to go through that. I hope you've healed and been able to forgive them. Sad to say, it happened to others in the different bodies as well.

[Updated on: Tue, 15 July 2008 22:44]


“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,”
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2411 is a reply to message #2377] Thu, 17 July 2008 18:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Duncan  is currently offline Duncan
Messages: 95
Registered: February 2006
Member
Hello, all.

I checked with my parents, and they do not remember the specifics of why Dave was disfellowshiped. He was already out of the "body" in 1978 when we moved from Alabama. I will check with my sister, because she got married in 1977 and moved to Indiana with her husband. She remembers a lot about the earlier days in the barn and the tent. As for Dave, my parents thought he either disagreed with something that HEF said, or that he and Becky were having marital problems. My mother stated that they got divorced at some point back then.

That's all I've got for you so far. If I find anything more, I will make sure to post it.

Have a great day!
Duncan
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2415 is a reply to message #2411] Fri, 18 July 2008 04:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mark L  is currently offline Mark L
Messages: 832
Registered: October 2006
Location: Canada
Senior Member
The only thing I remember was he didn't see anything wrong with JDS. He didn't believe it but thought it was alright for others to believe. I think he had a major falling out with HEF over that. I remember HEF saying there was JDSer in the family. If I remember correctly he started a meeting in Goshen apart from FA. No idea what he is doing now.


Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.”

G.K. Chesterton
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2445 is a reply to message #2415] Tue, 22 July 2008 03:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
tomax7  is currently offline tomax7
Messages: 44
Registered: August 2006
Location: Calgary, AB
Member
Hardbones.

I also seem to recall what you said. He didn't see JDS as a heresy and had meetings in Goshen.

The 'joke' i heard when I was down there was going to Goshen was like going back to Egypt.


**********************************
Remember to Smile! God loves you!
www.tomax7.com
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #2688 is a reply to message #2445] Fri, 08 August 2008 19:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ump1  is currently offline ump1
Messages: 6
Registered: October 2007
Location: Indiana
Junior Member
I remember getting my parents to go to Dave Freemans meetings in I thought Elkart, but maybe it was Goshen. I have heard him speak several times and my parents were on his auto tape list for a while. they quit going when he was disfellowshipped. they didn't feel it was handled well at all. What I remember, is that it was pretty much like going to any of the other FA meetings I had attended. Nothing much out of the usual. Yes, he was a pretty good speaker. My parents said that it was because of a disagreement with HEF. The disagreement also led to a breakdown in his family, being torn between Dave and HEF was pretty tough for a daughter I guess. The unfortunate part is that my parents never went back to any church after that. Pretty much just went back into the world.

Ump1
Dave Freeman History [message #3420 is a reply to message #2377] Sun, 21 September 2008 12:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
M Chupp
Messages: 8
Registered: September 2008
Location: Elkhart
Junior Member
Dave Freeman was a very dynamic speaker and became very successful early on in Faith Assembly history. My father built him a recording studio above a garage for him to make tapes, which I believe were for radio programs. The income (donations) that he was receiving became enough that Dave was concerned about taxes, and so he incorporated his ministry. About the same time he did start to associate with other ministries, namely those that were starting to preach the "Jesus died spiritually" error. Dr. Freeman had just preached against incorporating as a lack of faith, and so the stage was set for an ex-communication.
After Dave was axed over these two sticky points, he continued his fellowship in Elkhart (NOT Goshen), a body which until shortly before that time had been meeting in our basement on Tuesday nights. The assembly met downtown Elkhart for a time, and moved around a bit to different venues in Elkhart. Eventually Dave got a job as a pilot for Lester Summeral in South Bend and quit preaching. This move started a downward slide for him as he began drinking.
Dave and Becky split up not long afterwards.
Dave eventually became a commericial pilot, and I believe he is still flying for an airline near Tulsa and is remarried.
I have not talked to any of his five lovely daughters for some time now, but my wife did just assist at the delivery of one of his grandchildren just last year. Becky and the girls are doing well. Becky still lives in Northern Indiana, and the girls are married and living around the country. I cannot comment on Dave's spiritual well-being as I don't remember what the girls said about it.

The Elkhart assembly did well for a number of years without Dave, built their own building just a few miles from my parent's house, but eventually disbanded due to lack of good leadership.


(My first post!)
God Bless,
-Mark
Re: Dave Freeman History [message #3424 is a reply to message #3420] Sun, 21 September 2008 15:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
william  is currently offline william
Messages: 1450
Registered: January 2006
Senior Member
Administrator
Welcome Mark... glad to have you aboard!

Thanks for jumping in and giving us a little information. Your name sounds familiar but I cannot put a face to it!

Gene Cornell suggested that we get one of those Java Maps that would allow everyone to visually depict the general area where the different assemblies were located and who ministered at those locations. If I can find something that will work it might be a neat thing to see the various outreaches. I had no idea that there was a meeting in Elkhart before Ump1 posted...

Blessings,
William


I want to believe!
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #3570 is a reply to message #2377] Wed, 01 October 2008 20:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
M Chupp
Messages: 8
Registered: September 2008
Location: Elkhart
Junior Member
As his neighbor, I think I can answer this and provide the "proof". Beating his wife was NOT the reason he was disfellowshipped. It was the JDS/incorporation issue as I stated earlier.

However, he did hit her. I have very vivid memories of this, because my parents were the ones who went to the house to intervene. I will decline to share any specific details on a public forum as a courtesy to his daughters.

So yes, he did in fact beat his wife, and I seem to recall that it was usually after he had been drinking. But this was not the reason for disfellowship, as he was not any longer at FA.
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #5613 is a reply to message #2377] Wed, 18 March 2009 16:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
wishing34  is currently offline wishing34
Messages: 214
Registered: March 2009
Senior Member
Hi,
Dave was the traveling teacher from Faith Assembly
to Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1976. He was very young to be
a teacher at the time. He would sing well accompanied by
a tape of background music - professional quality.
Within 2? years of 1976 Dave stopped going to Milwaukee
and a local brother became pastor there. The gossip
mill carried tales of Dave's decline as mentioned above.

Jman
Re: Historian Needed - Dave Freeman [message #5628 is a reply to message #2377] Tue, 24 March 2009 03:44 Go to previous message
djerving  is currently offline djerving
Messages: 7
Registered: March 2009
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Junior Member
Hello Bro.

Dave Freeman was ministering in the home of an elderly woman whose name I do not recall anymore here in Milwaukee. I attended a few of those house meetings, and shortly there after the group became Charismatic Faith Assembly, meeting above Hoffer's (a pet store on North Ave. specializing in exotic fish.) That was where I became a regular attendee. We met on Friday nights, when Dave, the son-in-law of Dr. Freeman ministered, and Sunday mornings, when Gary Eide, Gary Woodal, and some other brothers ministered. Gary Eide eventually became the pastor of CFA. The other bros who taught eventually went their separate ways.

Gary Eide followed Dr. Freeman very closely though he was not an eloquent gifted teacher from my view. But he was very dedicated and sacrificed a lot for what he did. Nevertheless there were many problems that arose later in our group, some of which I can only attribute to his own doing.

Dave Freeman was married to Becky Freeman. He had come to Faith Assy via the larger faith movement at that time which included Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland. Dave was very close to Copeland for a while from what I remember, even flying him here and there for meetings in those early days. I don't believe he gravitated towards the JDS error. He just did not interpret their teachings as having the baneful affect that Dr. Freeman attributed to them. As a result of his refusal to judge their message in the same way that Freeman did, he became guilty by association.

My own approach to David Freeman?

Dave was a good man with a positive faith-building message, even though some of what he taught was a bit hard to understand for me at the time. I was only 19 to 20 yrs old, new in the faith message, and he only taught 2 to 3 times a month at CFA. But I still think of him as one of my "fathers in the faith".

His music still inspires me. Some of the songs he sang come to my mind yet today and minister life.

He stayed frequently with the family of the brother who is now my pastor in this area, Timothy Winter. None of us are any longer associated with FA, CFA, or any other groups originating there, but we all have fond memories of those early times.

Tim Winter was actually Dave's chauffer to the various meetings in and around the midwest area. The whole Winter family have been some of my deepest and best relations in Christ over these many years (I am now 51 yrs old).

All the family difficulties alluded to in the other forum writers re. Dave Freeman I know nothing about. I do remember that Gary Eide had the tapes shut off and then announced Dave's disassociation with our group. I did not understand why at the time, but because of submission to the ordained leadership, I accepted this as the best. I am sure now that there were other factors, and that I may have been wrong.

In regards to the Oshkosh group, I knew, and still do know many of you. Mike Schneider and his wife Cheryl, The Randy and Barb Oskey family, Dave and Wanda Krjerick, Dave and Nancy , Andy and Jean Shanholz (now pastoring in Sheboygan) and many others. Dave Woodall used to go up there regularly to teach in Oshkosh.

Dave Freeman's message was one from a simpler time in the Faith groups, when there was far more openess to what God was doing in the larger charismatic renewal/revival. He never succumbed to the inward-looking tendencies of many associated with Bro Freeman's later years. I don't think he felt it was appropriate to cut oneself off from what God may be doing elsewhere. He believed that other associations were a way of preventing the tendencies of so many groups to dissolve into splinters that had no allegiance to the body of Christ as a whole. (Read that however you want to. I understand the teaching of Dr. Freeman regarding the local church as a local, visible autonomous entity, though I don't think it presents the NT Church as accurately as it should.)

I am always glad to hear of another brother or sister from those early days and see what God is doing in their lives. Thanks for the opportunity to respond.

In Christ,

Doug Jerving

Previous Topic:New member hello - introduction
Next Topic:Clean up, pack up, look up!
Goto Forum:
  


Current Time: Fri Mar 29 14:57:24 UTC 2024

Total time taken to generate the page: 0.00973 seconds
.:: Contact :: Home ::.

Powered by: FUDforum 3.0.0.
Copyright ©2001-2009 FUDforum Bulletin Board Software