Faytene Grasseschi (nee Faytene Kryskow) appears to be preparing to step back somewhat from political activism in Canada. But if you're a fan, don't worry, she's been training replacements.
She is being very coy, but I sense that she is feeling a "call to the nations" now. Especially as being a leader of Canada's theocratic minded Christian youth is a hard living to make.
You can perceive what she is leaning towards doing in the future in a 19 minute "personal update" that she put on YouTube on Saturday night.
I'll be trying to cite highlights for you, but here is the full video from YouTube:
If I can extend a note of grace to Mrs. Grasseschi, she looks so happy in this video. I hope that that continues for her.
Faytene begins by basically confirming that she and Robert met through a mentor of hers. Unnamed, but I'll bet dollars for doughnuts that it is Patricia King.
Robert, alas, is likely a theocrat as well. Faytene refers to "the mountains we're gonna conquer together" which is classic NAR-speak.
In the near future, Faytene says, "...he's going to be in some of the preaching things we're going to do in Canada this spring and this summer and the fall..." But to get a full story of how they met, you'll need to go to the Awakening Love Fest conference in the Vancouver area in a couple of months.
Then, at 5:54, she replies to questions about whether she will continue to be involved in MyCanada and TheCry.
"Absolutely yes," she says. But at 6:08 of the video Faytene starts to say this:
"Actually for about the past year, I've been working to identify different [youth] leaders all across Canada and raise them up in different capacities...So we're really going to be focusing, and already have been even before I met Robert, really focusing on raising up other leaders, because anything that healthy gros, right? A big part of growth is leadership growth, and so I'm excited about seeing some new faces. The whole focus on my spirit right now is getting behind them, being their cheerleader. You know I got lots of vision ideas of my own that I throw at the team, but I really want to see some ones taker their place because there is really such and anointing, a genuine authority, on their lives."
"You know, if the movement in a nation, whether prayer, or action, or whatever is dependent on just one person, then we are in trouble, right?"
It would make sense for Faytene to start retiring from this kind of activism for several reasons.
1. Any group, good or bad needs to spread the work and build up new, replacement, leaders.
2. Faytene would probably be more comfortable to become a behind-the scenes leadership due to her age. It would probably be better to have younger up front spokespeople.
3. Has Faytene become too "radioactive" for The Cry and 4MyCanada? She is starting to get press attention now from the mainstream media, and they are putting two and two together and starting to raise the issue of how theocratic and dominionist the groups may be, based on what she has said, written and done.
An appeal of TheCRY and 4MyCanada is very much that it seems to be youthful so-con Christians stepping up to work for the country. Faytene has very much coloured this with her own stamp on what goes on.
Without Faytene before the cameras or on Parliament Hill, bright-eyed guileless youths can start being the public face of what goes on. If the youth change what is done and said somewhat, they can be "stealth theocrats". "Oh Faytene was from the bad old days of this, we're different" (smile ingratiatingly at reporter).
It may well be, perhaps, that these movements actually lose their theocratic and dominionist edges as Faytene goes. This would be a good thing, in my view but I don't expect it.
Enquete won't lose out on future stories, though. "The work that we are doing in parliament is stronger than ever," says Faytene, thanks to these kids.
Will there be a future edition of The Cry? Faytene says they want to do them, but don't feel led to do so anytime soon.
Is Faytene thinking of leaving Canada? At 10:31, she says "The big answer to that question is 'I don't know!'"
At 10:52, she adds:
"...The Good news that I want to say is this. I would say that probably 90 to 95 per cent, easy, of our influence, of our work, and our impact ion national issues is Internet=based, it really is. We could be sitting on a beach in Tel Aviv and having the same impact and the same effect because so many of you--and this video is a perfect example, connect with us through the Internet and so many of us connect to the Parlaiment through Internet. We do have young people that are on the ground all throughout the nation, that are mobilizing in different ways...."
Sounds like she is making a virtue out of a necessity.
One thing--if she always on the road and rarely, if ever, at her "ministry house" or on Parliament Hill, or in Canada, how will this affect her status with the CCRA. Can you do, or run a Canadian chaity by remote control? If not, Faytene will not just step back, she will basically have to quit her activism so the kids in Canada can take over.
Then she addresses those who are "concerned about ministries beging raised up in Canada and leaving".
Happens all the time. Patricia King and Todd Bentley recently. Aimee Semple McPherson in the past. Canadian ministers often go to minister to the world--read concentrate on the USA and have a bigger audience there.
(Marrying American Robert Grasseschi makes this a slam dunk for Faytene. She has to get a green card in the US if she wants one.)
That's a concern I share to a certain extent. Doesn't anyone have a burden for our country that won't be swayed? Perhaps if their theology was not so extreme, in cases, wandering ministers could make a good living here as well.
She cites Rev 22:2, wrongly, as applying to Canadians blessing the world. She notes that she can do her work almost anywhere. "whether in Ottawa, in Toronto" --indirectly confirming that she did move to Toronto for a period of time.
"Canadians are everywhere and Canadians are doing so much..." she says. 'I get so excited when I go to another and I get the share the testimony of what God is doing in Canada..."
Does she have a toe outside the door?