Though there is by now no doubt that SOMEONE, we can't say who, actively set up uccvitality.com to misdirect traffic to UCCtruths (and please don't try to do that now, because an hour after the article was posted last week that `mistake' ceased to happen), we cannot say who. Which means that James Hutchins may indeed be unaware of this action. I offer this apology also knowing that though I never named him personally (I had and have no way of telling who precisely did this), I did lead readers to believe that the site itself was responsible. Knowing what we know now, we cannot say with any degree of clarity or certainty that such is the case. To the extent that this was implied in my closing editorial remark - I apologize.

But do not let this apology cloud your sense of what was, and is, at stake here.

My purpose on this site is to report on the ways that systematic attacks are being leveled against United Churches of Christ, and against the denomination. Certainly, when I was informed by a reliable source that a site the denomination had set up to equip churches to grow had its visitors unwittingly redirected to a site that is created to cast doubt on the leaders of the denomination, and my own testing over a week confirmed that to be true, I was compelled to make note of that on this site.

What amazes me, and what is important to note, are the responders who identify themselves as friendly to the United Church of Christ whose problem with the article I wrote was that I may have overstepped my bounds by casting shadows of doubt on James Hutchins (whose name was never mentioned in my article). The point I wanted to make, and still wish to, is that someone saw value in misdirecting visitors who thought they were going to learn something valuable for their church to a site intended to cast doubt on their denomination. And for a denomination that finds itself under attack from many sides (and keeping track of them is a full-time job - and one that I don't have), this has to mean something.

Taken by itself, it probably has no real value and did little damage. But when added to the entirety of those orchestrating these insipid attacks, it ends up making a big difference.  And we are unwise who simply choose to look the other way, dismiss the damage that is caused by these matters, or waste precious time impugning the messenger whose love for his denomination is so strong that he takes the time and shows the courage to point these things out.

I actually know very little about the site UCCtruths. I have paid little attention to it, but will do my best in the coming days to discover more about it - and, if need be, write about their methods and motivations on this site. And I know almost nothing about James Hutchins.

What I do know is that the site is paying very close attention to what I am writing here. Within an hour of my posting last week the matter about which I wrote resolved itself. For almost three weeks they pasted my picture at the top of their website with a ticking clock - urging me to respond to their challenge to provide proof of what I write about on this site. They were to leave that up until I responded, but it has since disappeared. I received a number of e-mails from the site's viewers telling me to respond or I would lose credibility. That picture, and the clock, have now disappeared and been replaced by some other taunting.

My picture is also posted on their site with a huge headline that reads "Cha-Ching!", and the headline is surrounded on both sides by large dollar signs. The implication is that I am doing all of this work for money - and lots of it. I don't really believe what I am writing, but hey - if I profit from it I will write anything.

So much for truth (ironic, isn't it?- and yes, this time I have proof). I do all of this writing in the time left over after my 12-14 hour days in my office. The sum total of all the money I have made so far after writing my book, posting weekly on this site, flying at my own expense to New York for an interview with Air America, traveling to disparate places across the country for workshops and seminars on the matter, is $200. Cha-ching.

I don't write that to cast myself in some heroic light, but to point out that a.) I am very committed to this task, and to the defense of this denomination's right to exist and to offer its faithful proclamation of the gospel and b.) the kinds of accusations that are directed at me by those about whom I sometimes write reveal much about their own character, intentions, and motivations - in fact, it is a most consistent tactic: deflect attention away from the message and on to the messenger.

Enough for now. Stay tuned for more in the coming days - and thanks for listening.