What the Body of Christ ought to be.
But on this day, this body of Christ suffered a discord and a sedition that identifies only the perilous times we have entered in these last days (2 Tim 3:1).
As a warning to Pastors, beware of deceptive wolves in sheep’s clothing. Beware of “backbiters”, “talebearers” & “whisperers”, for they will not accept their evident error but will turn and become unlike the people they were when you ministered to them, when you believed they had a care for you and held nought against you. Remember that the servant is not greater than his lord (Jn 15:20), if they persecuted Christ, so will they do so to you.
Those who will not endure sound doctrine, recognised and identified on this day, making themselves evident that, though they were among us and went out from us, they were not of us (1 Jn 2:29). Paul wrote of such stating “there must be also heresies (division) among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor 11:19). Mark those who cause divisions among you and do so early, for they deceive the hearts of the simple and will not spare the flock.
Above all, waste no time with flatterers, nor with those who have a “form of godliness“, the time is short and the days are evil, “preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine“.
Revealed
In 2025, more than a year later, much has been revealed since this awful day.
“They which are approved” have been blessed by wonderful fellowship among the sheep while the goats have been dispersed abroad. The wolf comes to scatter the sheep and so it is with few remaining who caused the sedition in our church on this day.
How did it come about? The simplest of summaries:
Gossip, sowing of discord, advantage taken by the wolf, sedition and separation.
Five logical and simple steps that would take any church by stealth should the deception of a wolf become as subtle and convincing as that which would deceive even the pastor.
Wolves in sheep clothing DO NOT LOOK LIKE WOLVES, quite to the contrary, having now met almost a dozen wolves in my life time I have come to notice that they appear more like sheep than the sheep do.
They seem demure, innocent as a lamb, but inwardly they are indeed ravening wolves. The image above is quite literally the best description I have seen of that portrayed in Matt 7:15.
Such are the false prophets of today, such is the nature of the ride piper who led many astray in our own congregation, such will give their account in time to come.
Cody Kereopa, The Wolf.
Gossip beginning and spread through a Jezebel and her Ahab. The sowing of conscious and deliberate discord and its ongoing propagation by the wolf, a devil named Cody Kereopa, an evil man crept in among us who would not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). A man with neither conscience nor empathy, manipulative and deceitful to a degree that has never been witnessed by this pastor; charming and yet cunning, able to exploit the vulnerabilities of individuals to suit his agenda, a more perfect representation of Romans 16:17-18 than this pastor has ever witnessed. This is a man moved much more by nature than by intellect, he is not crafty through cleverness but through natural predisposition.
Much can be written over the subtlety of this man and how he had deceived many through his godless dissimulation of defamation against both this pastor and the pastoral office of our Church. This is a man to be warned against, this is the man who caused sedition on this very day, a man who perfectly represents the characteristics to the opposite of “The Body of Christ”.
The sedition he led thereby facilitated, ironically, on the day of this very sermon. A sermon written, as part of this series to show what the Church OUGHT to look like, but through this godless act demonstrated the opposite.
Lastly, ultimate separation when the pastor, together with his leaders formally disqualified the seditious members from any association with this fellowship.
A Revelation of Betrayal
Surprising revelations since has manifest of another pastors ministry to this sect prior to the sedition. No consent had been requested from that pastor to this pastor permitting such “ministry”, nor had that pastor advised this pastor that he had met with or ministered to these individuals prior to the sedition enacted on this day. The end result of that pastors “ministry” to the sect ended in a godless sedition, after which the wolf together with the deceived sect received the right hand of fellowship into that pastors church.
This is the astonishing revelation of the betrayal of both friendship and pastoral responsibility enacted by the very pastor who planted Hope Baptist Church in 2016.
That pastor, who “ministered” to this sect prior to the sedition on this day, never advised myself (their own Pastor) of any discontent nor of any grumblings by those of this church whom he had ‘counselled’. With such an act he had facilitated an unlawful ministry of one shepherd assuming the responsibility of the sheep of another mans pasture.
The Monday following, with tears in my eyes, that pastor was ironically the first person this pastor had called for help to lead and to guide him, never suspecting for a single moment that that pastor knew much more than he was willing to state of the act or people behind it. Not once did he mention his communication and involvement with members of the sect prior to this event.
My love and respect for my old pastor evident in that he was the first I had called for help, never thinking that a man can so betray my trust in such a way and adding the greatest insult to the injury received on this day.
The discovery was made after being advised, to our shock, that not only had that pastor received the wolf into fellowship, but was preparing to reward him for his sedition by training him for the ministry rather than rebuking him for the evil he led this day. My astonishment at this betrayal of my respect and love toward that pastor has no words.
Our Church thereby made a formal request on the 11th of September 2025 to answer the following questions between our Churches, tragically that pastors response was to deliberately ignore the request for explanation.
It is as follows verbatim:
“I (Pr Edi) was going to call you to arrange to speak to you face to face, but thought it wiser to write and to have your formal response to the questions below respecting Cody Kereopa, and what we have been informed are your plans related to his future.
- We would like confirmation from you that you have now welcomed him into the fellowship of ….Church without any requirement on his part to repent of the evil he did to the Church you planted.
- We would like confirmation from you that you have now affirmed your intention to have him prepared and legitimised to plant a church nearby.
- We would like you also to confirm that you believe the testimony given you by myself, the warning emailed you by Phillip McKenzie in July, and the documentation you have received respecting our dealings with Mr Kereopa, to be lies.
- We would like you to also confirm that you have provided your Church with the received information, both verbal and that written (being addressed to both yourself and …. Church), prior to any consideration related to him. Does your church know what this evil man did?
Your actions to date, from your communications with members of this sect prior to the sedition, your honouring of the sectarian group at the funeral of the co-conspirator, your welcoming of Cody Kereopa into your fold, and what seems to be your reward to him for his seditious act, leaves us with many other questions.
While we at Hope Baptist Church remain completely perplexed by your actions, nothing pains us more greatly than what we have recently been informed of respecting your intention to reward this evil man with his own fellowship. Such an act would indeed add insult to injury.
We would appreciate your early response in writing.”
While the Church never responded, nor according to that pastor, had any intention to professionally attend to this most reasonable enquiry in light of what occurred and the relationship between our respective churches, that pastor himself responded only to a personal letter, an email which poured out the heart of this pastor as to the pain experienced on that day.
A horrific, presumptuous and condemning response was what followed, testifying that the subtlety of Cody Kereopa had mesmerised that pastor also.
That pastor, wrote the most disturbing letter, admitting his “ministry” to them prior to the sedition, leaving my mind perfectly perplexed, how can this be possible or justified? But it did not stop there. He had certainly given to the wolf the right hand of fellowship and even this day planning to assist him to his own pulpit.
No enquiry was made, no effort whatever, no due diligence, no fiduciary duty exercised, only a presumption of guilt of this pastor and a condemnation of our Church. Insult added to injury as the benefit of the doubt was granted incomprehensibly to the seditious sect with no attempt to discern the truth of the matter.
The Biblical responsibility of any church and pastor to discipline godlessness in the church was perfectly undermined by this unbiblical act by that pastor.
Had That pastor at any time determined to learn the truth of all that went before and the testimony of the sheep who remained, just judgement would have ensured that such a man could never have been considered for such an office let alone permitted among another flock ignorant of his devices.
But that pastor would not hear the “other side”, there was no diligent enquiry to learn the truth of the matter (Deut 13:14), he had shamefully made his answer to the matter before hearing it (Prov 18:13). When the primary and most basic elements of justice is knowing there are at least two sides to every story, that pastor vainly trusted in his own presumption against this pastor who once loved him. Rather than given the benefit of the doubt to the integrity of the church he himself planted, he gave it all and completely to the wolf and his pack, who admitted they made no effort to speak directly to this pastor as scripture commands (1 Tim 5:19).
A Book
All this adds to the incredible and ongoing story of this church. A book could be written with all that has occurred, indeed over 30,000 words have already been written, but the story has not yet concluded.
Beloved, the word of God (The Book) is true and remains true especially when such events so evidently testify of the last days apostasy, the love of many will wax cold through iniquity (Mt 24:12), and the church will behave like the world, where “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim 3).
Therefore, and in accord with Romans 16:17–18, as the first and primary work on this day, we so mark the godless devil who evil entreated his brethren and arbitrarily disseminated the most vile defamation on the pastoral office of Hope Baptist Church;
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
It is therefore both our responsibly and our duty to “mark” Cody Kereopa as an evil and seditious conspirator who has no conscience, no empathy, no integrity and absolutely no remorse for the wickedness he had led in this Church, and who continues to propagate the deception that leads even that pastor’s heart to be identified as simple, and no marvel, for he had deceived this pastor for over five years. I do not condemn that pastor in any way for being deceived, but I certainly do for his unwillingness to even consider there is another side to the story.
Beloved, Satan’s own ministers are transformed into angels of light, we ought not be surprised but we ought to be much, much more careful in these last of the last days (2 Cor 11:14).
Though the difficulty endured at that time was the greatest of trials for myself as a pastor and for my wife, we are wonderfully strengthened by the Lord and a blessed and growing remnant of people who truly love the Lord and willing to be governed by his word.
The Lord strengthen you, bless you and keep you, the time is at hand.
Pr Edi
PS: Attached below is the document Cody Kereopa himself disseminated via email to individuals PRIOR to his entering into the Church on this fateful morning of the 17th March, 2024.
Note importantly, not only had none of the undersigned once approached this pastor with any concerns individually, not one of the so called “Charges” had ever sought an answer by this pastor prior to their public distribution. This alone testifies to a man who denies Biblical Authority when it stands against him, or even the most basic manner of dealing with matters prior to any form of public condemnation.
Such an act ought to also dispel any claim from himself or his sect of any intended desire to simply meet and talk with this pastor on that day.
Further, such an act boasted directly to have sowed his discord so perfectly to have separated “half of the members of the church”. Consider what it took to secretly obtain all those signatures without the knowledge of this pastor. Mr Kereopa thereby admitting to his own guilt in the sowing of discord, an act God hates (Prov 6:19).
Discern if this man qualifies acceptance in any church let alone the training to a Pastoral Office.
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