Antioch, California (6/26/11) One by one, the cars pulled into the parking lot of Black Diamond Middle School on Sterling Hills Drive in Antioch, California. It was to be the first Sunday service of the newly organized church called, His Praise Worship Center, at 10 AM, in the inside amphitheater (yes there is such a thing).

Some entered cautiously with uncertainty. As they recognized one another coming in, joy lit their faces. A church congregation is a family.

This particular congregation is more than that. They are an extremely loving and generous people bound together in the love of God, pulling together. They give of themselves to help others. They've, fed and clothed 1000 people a month who would have gone without had it not been for this congregation.

Kim Moreno has greatly affected the lives of hundreds of teen-age girls and young women every month with her program, WOW,=Women of Worth. A Community Chaplains program was established to train chaplains to serve people at their time and place of need.

This congregation has encouraged and ministered to the addicted to help them get their lives back on track. One of the ministers, Pastor Joe Seeley makes a trip to Stockton once a week to work with such people with outstanding results. He uses his own time, pays for his own gas and is not paid for doing it.

As the church service was underway, prayer was offered for Pastor Joe and Ken, his twin brother, also a pastor, who are on a missionary journey overseas.

A family member of Pastor Jerry Hanoum who committed suicide on May 4th has contacted us to set the record straight about him and the accusations against him. Were they valid?  The answer is here. It is with permission that this email is published by me. Even though permssion was granted to use the name of that family member, we chose not to reveal it to prevent possible complications. The email sent is printed exactly as received, meaning no changes or edits. It is published in its entirety. This writer had also re-thought the newspaper’s role in his suicide which was published before this email was received. See story:  Rob Bell’s No Hell Doesn’t Jell.

Hello Reverend Miles,

Ive read with a heavy heart your postings about Pastor Jerry Hanoum…  I noticed that the most recent postings appear to point the finger at the newspapers…  That has prompted me to contact you as I understand all too well the hurt that you are feeling…  I believe that Jerry would have me contact you to tell you to stop…  No one but Jerry brought this on himself.

I was with Jerry in the beginning, in Vacaville from Oct 1984 thru the last days when he had to leave…  there were always rumors swirling around Jerry, from the first day I met him to the last…but I ALWAYS ignored them and chalked them up to “never receive an accusation against an elder”....

This is being typed as rapidly as possible since tomorrow, Saturday, May 21st, the world will end, according to American Family Radio Host, Harold Camping. Yep, we’ll all go ‘poof.’ Since this is our final day, it is a good time to let readers have the final word about the Suicide of Jerry Hanoum that has dominated the news.

The area newspapers, The Brentwood Press and The Contra Costa Times, fired off front page after front page stories about Pastor Jerry Hanoum, puffing up the accusations against him until he put a gun to his head on May 4th which gives a new meaning to ‘the word, “overkill.”

Those area papers couldn’t let it go even after his death and Memorial Service. The Sister Paper of The Contra Costa Times, The Antioch-Oakley-Brentwood News milked it further today with this question on their Editorial Page: “What should you look for when you select a church or other place of worship to attend? They knew, of course, that this would stimulate even more hate letters from Northern California readers against the now dead pastor, which in turn was slanted to reflect negatively on all Christians and the church itself which was the whole purpose of this headlined series.

Aside from what qualifies as mandatory criminal prosecution, a Wrongful Death Suit is also a proper legal remedy against any individual (s) who directly contributes to a death. These laws are in place for good reason.

There is absolutely no question that the suicide of Pastor Jarry Hanoum on May 4th was directly caused by The Brentwood Press that started the frenzy over his alleged questionable financial dealings and The Contra Costa Times and their reporters based in Walnut Creek, California, who picked it up and pumped it up. 

The charges against the pastor were newsworthy and should have been published in one story with facts, not attacks. But newspapers today are out for blood.

San Jose Christian Perspectives Examiner, David McCaine reported on the Hanoum Suicide in his excellent article: “Were Newspapers Such as the Contra Costa Times Guilty of Bullying?”  His story included this quotable statement: “The media’s job is to be a watchdog for public welfare, not send in a group of snarling pit bulls to torrment somebody that is already down.”  Right on!  Thank you Mr. McCaine.

Brentwood, California (5/14/11). For events expecting large crowds in the Bay Area’s East County, Golden Hills Community Church is usually the chosen venue. The cavernous sanctuary was almost filled to capacity this morning as the crowd filed in, coming in from as far away as Los Angeles and San Diego to memorialize Pastor Jerry Hanoum, driven to suicide by the newspapers.

Over a hundred pastors attended, and several area churches pitched in to bring food for a reception and helped served the food. It was a time of refreshing unity. Love filled the air.

Speaker after speaker including three ministers had a hard time keeping composure as they spoke about the flamboyant preacher who had a big heart. It was told how a visitor admired a motorcycle the pastor had that was his pride and joy, and as the visitor expressed how much he liked it, Pastor Jerry said, “Take it…it’s yours.” That is the kind of man he was.

He had been the subject of scathing newspaper headlines based upon accusations of financial improprieties which could have been reported in one story with facts.

Instead, the reporters concentrated on attacking his character in general in a series of front page stories that brought suspician on Mountain View Christian Center itself, a church very active in community outreach activity which fed and clothed 1000 people a month, a chaplaincy program on call when needed and helping addicts kick the habit.

The Contra Costa Times based in Walnut Creek, California, went into a hissy-fit over my story that broke in the wee hours this moring titled: “Reporters That Kill: A Princess-Presbyterian Minister—Oakley Pastor. I had accepted a phone call yesterday morning from Times Reporter, Rowena Coetsee, but did so since I knew her, and trusted her. I should have remembered The Scorpion Story…“What did you expect? I AM a scorpion.”

Because I genuinely like people and expect the best from them, I am an easy target and often taken advantage of and misused. That is why President Ronald Reagan said, “Trust…but verify.”

Ms. Coetsee said she was doing a gentler version of the news regarding Pastor Jerry and wanted to ask me a couple of questions which,  in my naivete, agreed to answer, only because I have manners, but also I trusted her.

Later that evening, the upcoming story was posted on The Times Website, http://www.contracostatimes.com It should not have been surprising that she re-wrote most of what I said to fit her own story direction. “Too soon oldt and too late schmart”

I emailed her a polite request to change words that I had never said and to delete other additions that really were off track and not necessary. It was an attempt to have the changes made before the paper went to bed and published in print form.

The liberal news gathering cartels do not care who they hurt or even kill, just as long as they can get their story in, often perverting facts to sensationalize their "reports" in order to shape the stories to fit their left leaning agendas.

The lovely Princess Diana was swarmed by paparazzi in cars and bikes charging at the car she was riding in which caused the car to swerve then crash in a tunnel in France, killing the princess and her fiance.

The paparazzi, anxious to sell their photos, incredibly intruded into the car itself where Diana lay dying, pleading with them to go away, while they snapped pictures to sell of the dying princess. Let it be emphasized, they made no effort to help her. They only wanted her photos to sell.

To cover up the real cuprits of the deaths, the secular press made the case that the driver of the limo was drunk and THAT was the cause of the death. No it was not. It was the paparazzi--the reporters. Diana's brother made that point clear in his address at his sister's funeral.

Oakley, California 5/9/11

Yesterday was a very troubling Mother’s Day as an elderly grieving woman sat in Mountain View Christian Center in Oakley, California, quietly sobbing over the tragic death of her son, Pastor Jerry Hanoum. The church was overflowing with mourning people who filled every seat, the chairs on the drama stage and the choir loft with many others standing in the back and along the walls.

The charismatic pastor had committed suicide earlier that week, an action that took everyone by surprise. Those who gathered for the Sunday service were stunned. This could not have possibly happened!  After some worship songs, speakers, Pastor Tyrone Holmes, Pastor Joe Seeley, and Pastor Will Byrns spoke of the qualities of Pastor Jerry that they had observed during their relationships with him.

In an unusual move, they made his last words public, Pastor Jerry’s daughter, Tiffany, read the suicide note that he wrote just before he pulled the trigger. The note was an attempt to clear the record, explain everything and to communicate how he regretted his actions. He had asked God to forgive him and he wanted more than anything to pay everyone back.

(Oakley, California 5/5/11) The area newspapers accomplished their goal. They set out to destroy a Christian pastor and they succeeded. Pastor Jerry Hanoum who founded Mountain View Christian Center in Oakley, died at 8:30 A.M. yesterday morning (5/4/11) in his truck parked in the driveway of his Brentwood home. A fatal gunshot wound to the head took his life. While his death is listed as “an apparent suicide,” further investigations, including an autopsy scheduled for today, will determine that conclusively.

Pastor Hanoum was accused of, and under investigation, for alleged financial improprieties regarding loans and investments made by church members. He was scheduled for a court appearance on May 10th.

The local and area newspapers made the most of the allegations, elaborating on them in three front page stories about his ‘character’ and a perceived past history which was not clearly defined.

Being a writer/journalist, it is fully agreed that the press has a responsibility to report news of interest. This means pure journalism with facts without attacks. The initial stories were sensationlized versions of the facts that should have been reported responsibly. In this case, they were not.

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