January 8, 2019
December 2018 marked a year since this website went on line and what a year it has been!
Having this site has been a fountain of healing for Daniel and I. The simple act of putting the truth up on the internet and having it available to everyone with access to a computer has had an incredible ripple effect in our lives. The daily readership and international reach of this site has been an inspiring phenomenon. The ugly wounds delivered by ministerial dishonesty and unethical nonsense at Ashland UCC have largely transformed, at least outside the church.
There is something so ugly and dark about a church turning from a group of people attempting to follow the teachings of Jesus to a dishonest collection of cowards pointing fingers and amputating baptized volunteers to appease the new and profoundly immature minister. For Rev. Kukuk scapegoating was her main problem solving method when she arrived in Ashland.
When we received our registered mail letter amputating us from our “church family”, I wondered immediately how the brain trust at the church that made these decisions, thought their plan would work long term? It seemed to me that making new policies, banning volunteers from the property, in direct contradiction to the churches own motto, “All are Welcome”, would cause nagging issues over time. It was and remains quite obvious that the leadership at Ashland UCC are not deep thinkers.
In case you, dear reader, are curious, here is how the new and devolved Ashland UCC appears to be doing two years and three months after severing Daniel and I from “the family”, with deceitful gossip.
First they have attempted to disassociate themselves with their own name. Now in print (on posters) and even on the news they are calling themselves Ashland First Congregational Church. This is because the behavior of the ministers and followers at Ashland UCC have so disgraced the name, they decided the best way to continue their facade of church is to distance themselves from the reputation they sullied of Ashland UCC.
From my perspective the name change is a really great thing. They are not using Christ in their name to promote their Christless church. Which on some level must be a relief to Christ himself. Also they are not pretending that the word United has something to do with their group. So, I see the name change as a solid improvement.
Of course pretending to have another name is not the end of the story. Daniel and I strolled down to the Armory for the Christmas Faire of local artisans and crafts people the day after Thanksgiving. Adam Kukuk (hired as Ashland UCC music director and husband of Rev. Christina) was coming out of the building as we approached. When he saw us, he rapidly did an about face and scurried back in to gather his family. His efforts to flee were thwarted by the crowd in the entrance. As we approached, I ended up standing directly behind him, watching him try to survey the scene without turning his head. Small darting motions with his eyes attempting to see behind him. He wasn’t actually brave enough to use his neck and rotate his head.
As the crowd broke up, he advance several feet and reached his daughter emploring “get Mom” “where’s Mom?”. The sad reality of what has become of Ashland UCC was so glaring as the Kukuk family scurried out of the local event, dark beady eyes darting hither and yon to locate the terrifying banished.
To me the saddest part of this scene was not the grandparents in town for the holiday or the pitiful minister and her small husband frantic and peering; but the children. I must admit I don’t understand the kind of woman that makes her children pay for her dishonesty and corruption by teaching them to scurry. It is one thing to tell huge lies about innocent volunteers. It is another thing to tell lie after lie after lie to your own congregation to attempt to shore up your corrupt leadership. But to teach your own children to approach life from a place of cowardice?! I can’t understand how she can look at herself in the mirror, let alone preach from the Ashland UCC pulpit.
When I was quite a young child I remember learning that integrity was the most precious thing any human possesses. It is one part of each of us that no one can take away, that we ourselves are responsible for. Integrity is when your words line up with your actions and your word means what it says. People can count on you.
When you have integrity there is no need to scurry. You can stand and face the world with your head up, with courage.
Which naturally brings me to Brad Roupp. In thinking about all that has changed in the past year since we published this website perhaps the best change of all is that Brad Rouppe clearly no longer feels entitled to harass me. I can see now that his puffed up status at the church gave him the impression that he was entitled to behave however he wanted to. If he felt childish he could go ahead and bully church volunteers. I don’t know what his inner journey is, but I do know that he steers completely away from me, now. Not so much of a scurry more like a scamper or a duck and cover. And speaking from first hand experience being entirely avoided by Brad Roupp is 100% healthier than volunteering to help him. If this site accomplished nothing else, beyond ridding my life of Brad Rouppe’s noxious behavior it would still be a radical improvement. But this site serves the crucial purpose of warning readers of the stunning dangers built into Brad Rouppe’s church.
This site has been an amazing balancer of karma. Daniel and I did not deserve to be treated as though we were disposable cups. We were enthusiastic volunteers with a love for Jesus and community.
Brad Roupp did not deserve to bully me and receive total loyal support and cover up from the church leadership. Rev. Kukuk had no business making us into enemies of the church with her relentless deceit. Paula Sohl jettisoned her persona of righteousness to spread lies and gossip about Daniel and I, even though she helped baptize us.
But Daniel and I, Paula, Brad and Christina all deserve this website, the truth stated, for the record for everyone to see. When anyone Googles Ashland UCC or Rev Christina Kukuk this site comes up first. As is appropriate. We are not disposable cups, we are people and our experience is part of the record now.
In the end it is tragically sad that Reverends Kukuk and Sohl were able to turn Ashland UCC into Ashland First Congregational of exclusion and lies. When 2016 began Ashland UCC appeared to be such a vibrant progressive Christian community then Rev. Kukuk arrived. She was able to transform the whole place in her own ego oriented, scurrying image. It is a terrible shame.
The only positive thing I can say about the abusive church is, this tragedy has benefited from accurate reporting of events.