How did the Ministry to Masons Conferences get started?

How did the MTM Conferences get started?

The first Ministry to Masons Conference was held in Washington D.C. in 1990. The purpose of that first conference is best explained in the letter written by a former Mason. Charlie Wiley wrote the letter and sent it to several ministries, including Ed Decker of Saint's Alive in Jesus, Mick Oxley of In His Grip Ministries, Harmon Taylor of HRT Ministries, Jim Shaw, now deceased and John Ankerberg of The John Ankerberg Show. The first conference was a direct response to Charlie's letter.

In December of 1989, Charlie wrote:

I write this letter to each of you as a challenge and a proposal for your consideration. Until this year, my affiliation of sixteen years with Masonry had never been questioned by Christians. I had never been challenged as to how as a Christian, I could be a Mason too. Well, Praise the Lord, someone did challenge me and the Holy Spirit would not let me have peace until I came out of darkness.

Now, what if no one had witnessed to me? And why hadn't I ever heard about this before? I went to church and was around Godly men, but nothing was ever said about Masonry. Why?

This brings me to ask, in love, and out of concern- what is the extent or effectiveness of your ministries? I do know from my limited experience and witness that to the majority, the exposure of Masonry was as new to them as it was to me. Also, I have found that your ministries are not commonly known and information is not readily available without a purposeful search. We need to find answers to these questions. I am aware you have limited man-power and resources with which to get the word out, so this brings me to the challenge/proposal I have for you.

I would like to propose that you open up your ministries and solicit individuals who feel a calling to stand up for Jesus and speak out on the darkness of Masonry. I am sure you all have a mailing list and testimonies from men who have come out of Masonry, possibly prompted by your literature. Why not start with these men? We need men in every community witnessing for Jesus Christ about the darkness of Masonry and backed by your ministries. The support I'm referring to is literature, the how to's, preparation, legal, etc., provided to those individuals who volunteer and feel this is their calling. Make no mistake, this is not a solicitation and I do not advocate you supporting these volunteers; I'm sure you do well to keep yourselves going, but I feel with the Lord's help and direction, together you can expand ministry.

I would like to propose that you come together for a joint meeting/planning session. Have you all ever gotten your heads together? As I see it, you are working towards the same goal at different levels and by different means; you are all doing your own thing. You share literature, why not start sharing ideas and plans on how we can get this message out about Masonry?

In proposing this, I would like to be your first volunteer for my area. I have found in my church, and in others, a total lack of understanding about Masonry. Through their education I have experienced both the positive and negative. I have been ridiculed because of my stand and am a non-person to some. I have received a hateful call at my home and am sure each of you has experienced the same. It is scary but I know the truth, who I stand for and what comes first in my life--Jesus Christ. So, I know to some limited extent what I am getting into. Won't you pray on this and let's see what God has in His plans for us?

To you who have responded personally during my earlier inquires for information, I thank you and I am honored that you took the time; it meant a lot to me. The Lord puts together people who work for Him. Will you prayerfully consider my challenge/proposal? As the Lord calls each of us home what or who will be left to carry on this special message until His final return? Will it die with us? Who are we preparing to carry on?

Praise be to God, for without Him we are nothing.

Yours in Christ,
Charles W. Wiley

Charlie Wiley was led out of the Lodge by a lady in Arizona who talked to him about the similarities between Freemasonry and Mormonism. We don't know where the lady who ministered to Charlie got the information she had. It must have come from one of the hand-full of ministries who were exposing Mormonism and/or Masonry in the eighties. It is possible that she didn't realize that she had a personal ministry in this area. We don't know if God will use her again in this fashion or not. What we do know is that others like her have learned about Freemasonry at the Ministry to Masons Conferences, which are a secondary effect of her witness to Charlie.

Many of the men who repent and leave the lodge are very thankful that we do what we do. Others who choose not to repent, do not appreciate our efforts. In time, a few of them will also repent, partially due to seeds which were planted in an encounter with a concerned Christian.

These conferences are doing exactly what the Charlie Wiley's of this world think that we should be doing. They are a cooperative effort of a number of ministries who share materials and resources so that the greatest number of men will be led to renounce the Lodge and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

You may write to Charlie Wiley in care of Ephesians 5:11, Inc., Box 291, Fishers, IN 46038