C.J. Mahaney's young protege and successor resigns from the Board of Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). Mahaney has come under pressure after a 600-page document dump landed in the inbox of all SGM Pastors (100+). Al Mohler and Ligon Duncan forcefully defended their "friend" (their word) this week waving off analysis, inquiry, consideration and evaluation. Larger issues are at bar, to wit: American evangelical "celebrity culture" with young conference followers and hand-wavers...as well as the financial issues and moral temptations in stardom. C.J, though taking a "leave of absence" from SGM to "explore his own sin and pride" (his words), will return in 4 months and will be featured in the mega-conference, "Together for the Gospel," 10-12 April 2012, in Louisville, KY. They are expecting 10,000 attendees at about $269/registrant for total receipts of about $2.69 million dollars. (The conference centre and 22,000 seat arena rents for about $560K with production costs of up to $1 million for an estimated profit of $1 million. We'd like to see the financials. Plus they all sell their books there too.) C.J. will be featured alongside (Baptyrian or Presbabaptist) Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, John Piper, Platt, DeYoung, Chandler, Anyabwile and others of the YRR-crowd, the "Young Restless Crowd" of new Calvinistic Baptists. Although essentially a Baptist event, there will be some break-out speakers with solid credentials from the Catholic faith of the Reformation churches, but they are few. The Mahaney-saga continues although there appears to be a tap-down on information.
http://livingtext.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/josh-harris-resigns/
Events are in the saddle and the landscape is changing fast at Sovereign Grace Ministries. Josh Harris is now stepping down from the SGM board, per this announcement. It is probably a wise move by Harris, allowing him to disassociate himself from what is beginning to look like a circle the wagons mentality on the part of the SGM board. It also helps him be a pastor – his main duty – during a crisis for his denomination.
Again and again this points out to me that we need small parishes of 150-300 people, coupled with faithful pastors and a clear structure. The whole big shot, super-star, cult of personality model of ministry should be put to death.
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