An interesting FB post at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/brent-detwiler/additional-correspondence-with-joe-lechner/300737313287173
It’s not on Det’s blog, but here’s the FB post on Det's FB page. The scope of the inquiry widens to Charlotte, NC.
———————
Brent,
In regards to our recent correspondence about C.J. not coming to Charlotte to preach, I was content to leave it at what it was. But because it has now been published on Facebook and your blog, I felt a need to respond. Albeit, I probably won’t do so again.
I have no problem with you posting my email on your blog given that I was going to leave it there as a comment anyway. You obviously had the freedom to do that and that’s totally fine with me. It’s the other stuff you wrote that compels me this one last time to comment. It may be your opinion that I have been timid in my relationship with Mickey. However, I can honestly say with a clear conscience that I don’t believe that is the case. I feel (and have felt for years) the complete freedom to speak my mind to Mickey – even if it means disagreeing – and to the best of my knowledge have done so freely. Not only have I felt a complete willingness from Mickey in our relationship to do so, but his encouragement as well. I believe it’s been a strength of our pastoral team.
I know that you’ve had a lot to say about C.J. over the past several months – a good bit of which I have read. Because I haven’t been personally involved in CJ’s life, I don’t have a lot of ground to stand on to personally comment on how much of it I believe is legitimate or not. However, I have been personally involved in Mickey’s life and I do have a lot of ground to stand on to personally comment on whether what you’ve said about him is legitimate or not.
In response to what I had previously written you, you said this about Mickey:
Mickey has not been open and honest with the church about C.J., SGM, Grace Community, etc… Listen, you guys need to shoot straight with the people. It won’t be long before they discover the truth. It’s coming to a town near you. If you don’t speak up against the seriously problems in SGM and make open and honest changes in CW you will be like Richmond or Orlando or Ashburn. C.J., Dave and others sins are growing each day. People won’t be conned by Mickey forever. I’ve gone very easy on you but that won’t continue forever.
Brent, I categorically disagree that Mickey has not been open and honest with the church. I believe he is and has been shooting straight with people. I don’t believe that Mickey is a conman or has been conning people. Obviously, you feel very differently about that. But I know from many private conversations and interactions that Mickey has sought to walk in integrity and honesty before the church in all of the matters you have mentioned. I cannot think of a single time where Mickey has sought to be dishonest or deceptive. I know this might sound crazy to you (and puts a big target on my back as being crazy), but I also know that Mickey has tried very hard to guard you and your reputation in the things that he has communicated with people.
Perhaps you have a stack of evidence against Mickey that gives a different impression. Perhaps you have an interpretation of events and issues that gives a different impression. I’d be a little surprised if you don’t make that public at some point. Mickey is not an example of sinless perfection (even though I know you think this is what he has claimed). However, I can say with complete confidence and freedom of conscience that any evidence, impression of, or interpretation of events that presents Mickey as a conman or anything less than a pastor who has sought to walk in integrity and honesty before the Lord, before us, and before the church with great diligence and sobriety is a presentation of Mickey that simply isn’t accurate. Mickey loves this church and the people in it with a zeal and affection that I deeply respect and admire. He has not been perfect or faultless – but he has been sincere and honest in leading this church by the grace of God to the best of his ability according to the measure of wisdom God has given him. The rest of us can say the same as we seek to pastor CWCC together.
Brent, I’m not against you – I really do look back on all the years you invested in me with great fondness and gratefulness to you and to the Lord – but I do think you’re wrong about Mickey and about us.
And, kind of as an aside, I’ve had the frequent thought recently that when we get to heaven a lot of us are going to feel stupid that we wasted so much time on this when more productive things could have been done to build the church, advance the gospel, serve the Lord, and make His glorious name known in all the earth. Praying we can all put our energy there. Maranatha.
In grace
Joe
XXXXX
Joe,
I will be brief. I do not respond to all you write or provide the abundance of evidence I have produce elsewhere.
I base my assessment of you upon my personal observations from the time you came on staff and up until 2008 when I left. I even talked to you and John Morrison more than once about your timidity in relation to Mickey and you acknowledged you were afraid to confront him in your Care Group, etc. You would let things go with him and Jane. And all the guys in the past like Larry and Jim expressed concern that you did not speak up with Mickey and in other situations. Mickey himself agreed that fear of man was a real issue in your life. I am glad you have grown given your love for the Savior.
Joe, I have confronted Mickey on his sinless perfection in relation to me and the church planting process on several occasions including both sins of commission and omission. You are absolutely dead wrong on this one. That is exactly what he wrote me and he has reaffirmed his claim of sinless perfection in conversations and correspondence. It is easy to prove. Don’t back him up on his denials or you’ll look like foolish.
Mickey’s message on slander at CW is indicative of how he has handled things. He has said so little compared to other pastors in similar circumstances. You must not be reading my blog and documents, following Covenant Life, following Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax, and a host of other churches and sources. That’s your choice – just confess your ignorance. If you want to be conversant, you need to get educated. As a member of the SGM Board, Mickey has repeatedly been involved in manipulation and deceit. His assessment of C.J. demonstrates pure favoritism. He is the same man in CWCC as he is on the SGM Board. He doesn’t represent things differently in his two positions.
Joe, these issues are critical. Mickey should be expressing grave concerns for SGM and C.J. like men throughout the movement. Many churches are reforming themselves as a result of the things be revealed about SGM. They hope SGM will reform but they are not confident it will happen. Does Mickey tell you about these churches and men? Believe me, we are not wasting our time. Lying, deceit, pastoral abuse, hypocrisy, manipulation, favoritism, cover up, lording, forbidding due process, securing self-interest, little or no accountability, using others for personal benefit, love or reputation, etc. By any standard ever used in SGM, C.J. should not be the President and yet Mickey refers to his sins as mere disappointments. On my goodness!
I’m serious Joe. Things are bad but Mickey is propping up C.J. and SGM more than any other Board Member besides Dave.
You know of my longstanding love for you. It was a joy to bring you on staff. You have born much good fruit. Press on toward the goal of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.
Brent
It’s not on Det’s blog, but here’s the FB post on Det's FB page. The scope of the inquiry widens to Charlotte, NC.
———————
Brent,
In regards to our recent correspondence about C.J. not coming to Charlotte to preach, I was content to leave it at what it was. But because it has now been published on Facebook and your blog, I felt a need to respond. Albeit, I probably won’t do so again.
I have no problem with you posting my email on your blog given that I was going to leave it there as a comment anyway. You obviously had the freedom to do that and that’s totally fine with me. It’s the other stuff you wrote that compels me this one last time to comment. It may be your opinion that I have been timid in my relationship with Mickey. However, I can honestly say with a clear conscience that I don’t believe that is the case. I feel (and have felt for years) the complete freedom to speak my mind to Mickey – even if it means disagreeing – and to the best of my knowledge have done so freely. Not only have I felt a complete willingness from Mickey in our relationship to do so, but his encouragement as well. I believe it’s been a strength of our pastoral team.
I know that you’ve had a lot to say about C.J. over the past several months – a good bit of which I have read. Because I haven’t been personally involved in CJ’s life, I don’t have a lot of ground to stand on to personally comment on how much of it I believe is legitimate or not. However, I have been personally involved in Mickey’s life and I do have a lot of ground to stand on to personally comment on whether what you’ve said about him is legitimate or not.
In response to what I had previously written you, you said this about Mickey:
Mickey has not been open and honest with the church about C.J., SGM, Grace Community, etc… Listen, you guys need to shoot straight with the people. It won’t be long before they discover the truth. It’s coming to a town near you. If you don’t speak up against the seriously problems in SGM and make open and honest changes in CW you will be like Richmond or Orlando or Ashburn. C.J., Dave and others sins are growing each day. People won’t be conned by Mickey forever. I’ve gone very easy on you but that won’t continue forever.
Brent, I categorically disagree that Mickey has not been open and honest with the church. I believe he is and has been shooting straight with people. I don’t believe that Mickey is a conman or has been conning people. Obviously, you feel very differently about that. But I know from many private conversations and interactions that Mickey has sought to walk in integrity and honesty before the church in all of the matters you have mentioned. I cannot think of a single time where Mickey has sought to be dishonest or deceptive. I know this might sound crazy to you (and puts a big target on my back as being crazy), but I also know that Mickey has tried very hard to guard you and your reputation in the things that he has communicated with people.
Perhaps you have a stack of evidence against Mickey that gives a different impression. Perhaps you have an interpretation of events and issues that gives a different impression. I’d be a little surprised if you don’t make that public at some point. Mickey is not an example of sinless perfection (even though I know you think this is what he has claimed). However, I can say with complete confidence and freedom of conscience that any evidence, impression of, or interpretation of events that presents Mickey as a conman or anything less than a pastor who has sought to walk in integrity and honesty before the Lord, before us, and before the church with great diligence and sobriety is a presentation of Mickey that simply isn’t accurate. Mickey loves this church and the people in it with a zeal and affection that I deeply respect and admire. He has not been perfect or faultless – but he has been sincere and honest in leading this church by the grace of God to the best of his ability according to the measure of wisdom God has given him. The rest of us can say the same as we seek to pastor CWCC together.
Brent, I’m not against you – I really do look back on all the years you invested in me with great fondness and gratefulness to you and to the Lord – but I do think you’re wrong about Mickey and about us.
And, kind of as an aside, I’ve had the frequent thought recently that when we get to heaven a lot of us are going to feel stupid that we wasted so much time on this when more productive things could have been done to build the church, advance the gospel, serve the Lord, and make His glorious name known in all the earth. Praying we can all put our energy there. Maranatha.
In grace
Joe
XXXXX
Joe,
I will be brief. I do not respond to all you write or provide the abundance of evidence I have produce elsewhere.
I base my assessment of you upon my personal observations from the time you came on staff and up until 2008 when I left. I even talked to you and John Morrison more than once about your timidity in relation to Mickey and you acknowledged you were afraid to confront him in your Care Group, etc. You would let things go with him and Jane. And all the guys in the past like Larry and Jim expressed concern that you did not speak up with Mickey and in other situations. Mickey himself agreed that fear of man was a real issue in your life. I am glad you have grown given your love for the Savior.
Joe, I have confronted Mickey on his sinless perfection in relation to me and the church planting process on several occasions including both sins of commission and omission. You are absolutely dead wrong on this one. That is exactly what he wrote me and he has reaffirmed his claim of sinless perfection in conversations and correspondence. It is easy to prove. Don’t back him up on his denials or you’ll look like foolish.
Mickey’s message on slander at CW is indicative of how he has handled things. He has said so little compared to other pastors in similar circumstances. You must not be reading my blog and documents, following Covenant Life, following Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax, and a host of other churches and sources. That’s your choice – just confess your ignorance. If you want to be conversant, you need to get educated. As a member of the SGM Board, Mickey has repeatedly been involved in manipulation and deceit. His assessment of C.J. demonstrates pure favoritism. He is the same man in CWCC as he is on the SGM Board. He doesn’t represent things differently in his two positions.
Joe, these issues are critical. Mickey should be expressing grave concerns for SGM and C.J. like men throughout the movement. Many churches are reforming themselves as a result of the things be revealed about SGM. They hope SGM will reform but they are not confident it will happen. Does Mickey tell you about these churches and men? Believe me, we are not wasting our time. Lying, deceit, pastoral abuse, hypocrisy, manipulation, favoritism, cover up, lording, forbidding due process, securing self-interest, little or no accountability, using others for personal benefit, love or reputation, etc. By any standard ever used in SGM, C.J. should not be the President and yet Mickey refers to his sins as mere disappointments. On my goodness!
I’m serious Joe. Things are bad but Mickey is propping up C.J. and SGM more than any other Board Member besides Dave.
You know of my longstanding love for you. It was a joy to bring you on staff. You have born much good fruit. Press on toward the goal of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.
Brent
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