TERRY AND THE PIRATES
Years ago, a new church [parachurch], of a type not previously represented in the greater Dayton area, had begun holding services, according to Terry McLean's newsletter put out for the church. The newsletter said, "distinctives of Grace Bible [Interdenominational and hyper-dispensational GYPSIES and PIRATES]” included hyper-dispensational orientation to the “literal [your peg leg is being pulled here] teachings of the Bible; the absence of offering plates, since tithing is not taught [a spiritual incentive to attend a church?] . . ."
What had been advertised may have been new to Dayton waters, but it was the same old Antinomian, interdenominational, Hyperdispensationalist, Christian "Liberty" skull-duggery, which never could gain acceptance as far back as 1932 (The Controversy, by Cornelius Stam, pp. 21-22) and even before that with Bullinger. It is the old skull and cross-bones of Bobby Thieme, Bullinger, Stam, and the Bereans of the past. The only thing new is the latter day pirate’s fondness for the King James Bible.
The newly appointed Blackbeard delighted to tell other churches what was wrong with them, especially Baptist churches. Terry is anti-Baptist, anti-tithing (Old Testament, he says), although he doesn't mind peddling cassette tapes through his newsletter (neither Testament) for BOOTY. He loves to pick up on issues in opposition to King James’ Admiral Peter S. Ruckman, harbored in Pensacola Bay, with hopes that a public confrontation would shift the admiral's treasure chest of notoriety to his own crude vessel, a garbage scow. With such aspirations, he constantly sought to provoke the good admiral into petty skirmishes off the coast of Florida by calling him the "Pensacola Pope" in print and a "Baptist Brider" on tape (imagine that one) and carefully taking issue with him on certain handpicked battle spots (ambushes), but the admiral is after bigger game than a captain of a garbage scow.
Terry devotes an entire page of his newsletter, trying to take the curse off of Ham (pirates really don't care!) in opposition to King James’ admiral, and is fast becoming the most activist“Civil Righter" of fundamentalism since Truman Dollar successfully integrated Temple Baptist church (Detroit). Hopefully, Terry will avoid poodle-ing his hair like Truman did (an impossibility now, since his suicide) and other indiscretions.
According to Terry’s newsletter, he "dogged" Admiral Ruckman, nipping at his heels in one of the admiral’s engagements in Dayton waters, and he tried to provoke him to fight or arrange to fight out their differences over the Spanish Bible (an obvious ambush). The good admiral, no doubt (we have not spoken with him on the matter) avoided and rebuffed Terry the Pirate's demands as one would a mosquito and ignored him. It is difficult for even friends to corner Dr. Ruckman in a meeting, let alone kooky pirates. Terry, with one eye patched, hoisted up his "Jolly Roger" and tried to picture the experienced sailor as a sniveling, nervous coward, afraid to face Terry the swashbuckling Pirate. Those who have sailed in these treacherous waters know who the real coward is. Actually, this is typical of the sailors, who want to take on the Admiral but avoid getting their ship too close to the Admiral’s battle Galleon, (commissioned by King James). They love to hit, run, and hide utilizing the long distance, gossip and slander of the day. They want no parts of receiving his BROAD SIDE; it would be the greatest naval disaster since Francis Drake sank the entire Spanish Armada.
--by Herb Evans, Bible Believers Bulletin--November, 1989, p. 3