Baptacostal John Piper at Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia?

On March 12 John Piper was the guest lecturer for the 7th annual Gaffin Lectures at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. The title of Dr. Piper's lecture is "The New Calvinism and the New Community: The Doctrines of Grace and the Meaning of Race."
 

"Strange Fire" & Costals: Deitrick Haddon Answers TD Jakes' Criticism of "Preachers of L.A."

http://newsone.com/2743329/deitrick-haddon-td-jakes/

 

Deitrick Haddon Responds To T.D. Jakes’ Criticism Of "Preachers of L.A."

Deitrick Haddon, star of Oxygen’s smash docu-series Preachers of L.A., called into Atlanta’s 102.5 Praise and responded to Bishop T.D. Jakes’ sharp criticism of the show.

“I have the absolute utmost respect for Bishop TD Jakes and what he represents. I considered him one of our generals in this generation,” he said. “I was a bit taken back and shocked when I saw his view on the show, being that he’s a forefather in unorthodox, unconventional methods of sharing the Gospel, whether it be through MegaFest or partnering with comedians or Oprah.”

RELATED: Bishop T.D. Jakes Slams ‘Preachers Of L.A.’

As previously reported by NewsOne, Bishop T.D. Jakes recently took to his pulpit at the The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas to rebuke the materialism and frivolity of Preachers of L.A., drawing a clear distinction between what he called “junk,” and his own movies and books. He also wanted to make it clear to his congregants that they didn’t have to worry about their offerings going to his suits, houses or cars, because he’s always had his own money:

“Now, I know you been watching that junk on TV. I want to tell you right now, not one dime of what you’re sowing right now will buy my suit. I want you to know my car is paid for,” Jakes told his congregation Sunday, according to EEW magazine reports. “I want you to know I got my house on my own. I want you to know I’m not bling-blinging. I am not shake and bake. I had money when I came to Dallas and I plan to have some when I leave.” Jakes went on to rebuke the spirit that caused people to think that financial contributions should go into preachers’ pockets. “You did not buy what I got. I had it when I came here. You know I had it when I came here. The devil is a lie,” Jakes told his congregation. “I have sold enough books and produced enough movies. I don’t need your offering to pay for this little slimy suit. So I rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.” If there was any question about exactly who or what Jakes was referencing he told his congregation, “I’m not from L.A. I’m from Dallas!”

Listen to the 102.5 Praise exclusive with Darlene McCoy below:

SGM-Mahaneygate: John Piper Quietly Dumps Good Friend Mahaney

http://thouarttheman.org/2013/07/11/john-piper-dumps-his-good-friend-c-j-mahaney/

 

John Piper Dumps His Good Friend C.J. Mahaney

 

Posted on July 11, 2013 by 2samuel127           

“Thank you C.J.  I chose to be here.  Nobody forced me.  He is a pretty persuasive guy but  I really, really wanted to be here.  And therefore when the opportunity arose I snatched it.  And I’m thankful for it.

I wanted to be here because I am excited about what God is doing in this church plant.  I’ve been following it from a distance.  And I’m thrilled with what is in the offing here in the mix of this city.  I’m excited to be here secondly because I love Sovereign Grace and what God is doing in it across the country and the world.

And most emotionally significant, I’m glad to be here because C.J. is right, he is my friend and he has meant a lot to me over the years both at the encouragement level of preaching and professional life – though nobody in the ministry is a professional – but even more at the personal family level of caring.  So it is real easy for me to stand here and be with you.  It is what I want to do.”

-John Piper, speaking at C.J. Mahaney’s church in Louisville, KY.  February 17, 2013.


Photo of the scheduled speakers at Piper’s Cross Conference as seen on the internet on July 2, 2013.


Photo of the scheduled speakers at Piper’s Cross Conference as seen on the internet on July 11, 2013.

Notice anybody missing?  Yep, Piper’s good friend C.J. Mahaney has disappeared. Piper, in a move reminiscent of the T4G boys attempt to quietly change their statement of support for Mahaney – unannounced and hopefully unnoticed, seems to have dumped Mahaney from the conference without making any public notification of the deletion.

Once again I must question the integrity of the “leaders” in the neo-reformed movement.

“Integrity and honesty in unbelievers is like the seashell of holiness. There is beauty still, but no life.

Vestiges of Imago.” -John Piper,  https://twitter.com/JohnPiper/status/186754953954598912

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About 2samuel127

My name is Todd Wilhelm. I reside in Dubai, UAE. I am 55 years old, a Christian holding to Reformed doctrine with much still to learn. "It is not the glorious battlements, the painted windows, the crouching gargoyles that support a building, but the stones that lie unseen in or upon the earth. It is often those who are despised and trampled on that bear up the weight of a whole nation." John Owen   

 

5 Responses to John Piper Dumps His Good Friend C.J. Mahaney

SGM-Mahaneygate: Associated Baptist Press Underscores Troubling Partnership between Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and C.J. Mahaney

http://peterlumpkins.typepad.com/peter_lumpkins/2013/10/associated-baptist-press-continues-to-underscore-the-partnership-between-southern-baptist-theologica.html#more

 

Associated Baptist Press continues to underscore the partnership between Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and C.J. Mahaney

 

 

An Associated Baptist Press (ABP) article by Bob Allen underscores more details of the liaison between Al Mohler and C.J. Mahaney and their respective institutions, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and C. J. Mahaney's pastor's school. Allen reports:
 

Recently Sovereign Grace Ministries welcomed its 16th Pastors College class and the second in Louisville, Ky., where the ministry headquarters relocated in part to strengthen connections with Southern Seminary.

“The first year proved to be a rich one with much blessing coming from our new location, including our degree-completion program with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,” the group reported on its website.

Last November, Sovereign Grace Ministries announced the program allowing Pastors College alumni to pursue a master of divinity degree from Southern Seminary without disrupting their church ministry.

The program allows transfer of up to 35 credit hours from the Pastors College to Southern Seminary, more than a third of the way toward the 94 hours required for the M.Div. in Christian ministry. Flexible learning options including online courses and brief intensive classes make it possible for Sovereign Grace pastors to complete their studies without moving to Louisville.

The 2013 Southern Baptist Convention indicated through a strongly worded resolution its reservations about partnering with certain individuals and organizations under official sex abuse scrutiny by encouraging "all denominational leaders and employees of the Southern Baptist Convention to utilize the highest sense of discernment in affiliating with groups and or individuals that possess questionable policies and practices in protecting our children from criminal abuse." And while the jury is still out concerning the precise role and/or degree of Mahaney's involvement in the Maryland child sex abuse scandal, Mahaney's role as "head Apostle" of the church and CEO of the denomination now being undeniably scrutinized for lack of healthy child protection policies, neither Mahaney nor his organization(s) can, in any reasonable sense of the terms within the SBC resolution, be counted among those without questionable policies and practices for protecting children from criminal abuse. Hence, it seems clear ministry partnerships, educational liaisons, or even speaking engagements at Cooperative Program funded entities with C.J. Mahaney and/or his organization(s) breach both the language and intent of the 2013 resolution adopted by Southern Baptists.

Therefore, why are trustees for both Southern and Southeastern seminaries allowing employees of our denomination to sponsor, support, and even partner with C.J. Mahaney and his organizations? 

That's a question any Southern Baptist can write to the trustees and ask.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee names and addresses-- Download 2013 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Trustees

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee names and addresses-- Download 2013 Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Trustees 

 

 Read the entire ABP article by Bob Allen entitled "Blogger: SBC leaders ignoring abuse decree"

Mr. (Rev. Dr.) John MacArthur, Conference (16-18 Oct 13), and Pentecostals/Charismatics

Mr. (Rev. Dr.) John MacArthur is hosting a conference on Pentecostals and Charismatics entitled "Strange Fire" of date 16-18 Oct. 2013.  He will publish a book a few weeks thereafter. Long, long overdue, but most, most welcome.

http://www.tmstrangefire.org/speakers#.UkSpb4zD9jo

Speakers

John MacArthur

John is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and the Bible teacher for Grace to You. John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The MacArthur Study Bible, The Gospel According to Jesus, and The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series. He is also the president of The Master’s College and Seminary. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren.

R.C. Sproul

Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries in Orlando, Florida, and can be heard daily on the radio broadcast "Renewing Your Mind." He is co-pastor at Saint Andrews Chapel, as well as president of Reformation Bible College and Ligonier Academy. Dr. Sproul has written more than 50 books, including The Holiness of God, Loved by God, Chosen by God, and Grace Unknown, and he has authored scores of magazine articles for evangelical publications. In addition, he has taught at numerous colleges and seminaries. He and his wife, Vesta, have two children.

Conrad Mbewe

Conrad Mbewe has been the pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa, since 1987. He is a frequent conference speaker throughout Africa and around the world. He has written Maintaining Sexual Purity and Foundations for the Flock, and contributed to a number of other books, including Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry. He is also the editor of Reformation Zambia magazine, and he writes a column for a Zambian national weekly newspaper as well as his own blog, called A Letter from Kabwata. Conrad and his wife, Felistas, have six children.

Steve Lawson

Dr. Steven J. Lawson is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. He is the author of numerous books, including Pillars of Grace, Foundations of Grace, The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards, and The Expository Genius of John Calvin. He is a teaching fellow with Ligonier Ministries and a visiting professor at the Ligonier Academy, The Master’s Seminary, and Samara Theological Seminary in Russia. Steve and his wife, Anne, have three sons and a daughter.

Tom Pennington

Tom is the senior pastor of Countryside Bible Church in the Dallas area. Before his ministry in Texas, Tom served sixteen years in various roles connected to Grace Community Church, including administrative pastor and personal assistant to John MacArthur. For many years he was also managing director of Grace to You, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the international radio, audio, publications, and Internet ministry.

Phil Johnson

Phil is the executive director of Grace to You. He has been closely associated with John MacArthur since 1981 and edits most of John’s major books. Phil also maintains several popular websites, including The Spurgeon Archive, The Hall of Church History, and the Pyromaniacs blog. He is an ordained elder and pastor at Grace Community Church. Phil and his wife, Darlene, have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Nathan Busenitz

Nathan serves on the pastoral staff at Grace Community Church and teaches historical theology at The Master’s Seminary. He has written or edited a number of books, including Living a Life of Hope, Reasons We Believe, and Men of the Word. He is also a regular contributor to Pulpit Magazine and the Cripplegate blog. Nathan and his wife, Beth, have four young children.

Justin Peters

Raised in a Southern Baptist church but genuinely saved as a preacher, Justin has studied in great depth the word-faith movement which, along with Roman Catholicism, is unfortunately the face of Christianity in much of the world today. He has developed a seminar confronting that movement entitled A Call for Discernment. In it he incorporates video clips of false teachers such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, and Joseph Prince as he refutes that biblically bankrupt system. Justin has taught on the word-faith movement across the U.S. and in ten countries and has attended numerous word-faith churches and conferences to support his research. Justin and his wife, Kathy, live in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Todd Friel

Todd studied to be a pastor only to discover he was not actually saved. Presently he is the host of the syndicated daily radio program, Wretched Radio. Todd is also the host of Wretched TV, available in 80 million American households. Todd has produced the following DVDs or audio lessons: Drive-By Theology, Drive-By Church History, Drive-By Marriage and Parenting, What Hath Darwin Wrought?, On the Shoulders of Giants, Herman Who?, It’s Not Greek to Me, Drive-By Pneumatology, Drive-By Discernment, Terrified, and Decisions Decisions. Todd has one wife, three kids, and a dog.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada has lived in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic for over forty-five years, enabling her to share a biblical view of suffering which is authoritative, yet personal. Her worldview and advocacy on disability issues has been honed over thirty-five years of leadership at Joni and Friends (JAF), including visits to forty-five countries and serving on the Disability Advisory Committee to the U.S. State Department. Mrs. Tada has led the JAF team in declaring and demonstrating the gospel through: thirty years of radio outreach, Wheels for the World Family Retreats, over fifty books, a global network of disability ministry through Joni and Friends offices and international charter ministries—including NGOs on every continent.

SGM-Mahaneygate: (Detwiler) The Drama Continues in Baptacostal Land

C.J. Mahaney, Co-defendant in Child Sex Abuse Case Against Sovereign Grace Ministries

http://www.brentdetwiler.com/brentdetwilercom/2012/11/9/my-appeal-to-the-pastors-of-covenant-life-church-for-biblica.html

My Appeal to the Pastors of Covenant Life Church for Biblical Transparency

Friday, November 9, 2012 at 10:58AM

 

On Wednesday, I wrote the Covenant Life pastors appealing for biblical transparency. I requested they lift their restrictions on members of the church that required silence regarding the pastors’ reasons for recommending separation from SGM. I also appealed to the pastors to provide clear biblical and ethical categories regarding their reasons for leaving. I’ve not heard from them. If I do, I will post their response. Here is my letter.

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 3:27 PM
To: Adam Malcolm; Ben Wikner; Bob Schickler; Braden Greer; Corby Megorden; Dave Brewer; Don DeVries; Eric Sheffer; Eric Simmons; Grant Layman; Issac Hydoski; Jamie Leach; Joe Lee; Jon Smith; Joshua Harris; Keith Welton; Kenneth Maresco; Mark Mitchell; Matt Maka; Robin Boisvert
Subject: An Appeal to Lift Sanctions

To Joshua and the other brothers, who serve as fellow pastors.

I will be brief in my appeal for biblical transparency.

After our crisis intervention with C.J. in August 2004, Joshua, Grant, Kenneth and Bob, enabled C.J. to continue in his sin by implementing no accountability, requiring no personal confession, cutting off the apostolic team, turning against me, and supporting C.J.’s ongoing abusive patterns of sin. I suffered greatly as a result.

Fast forward. In June 2011, I appealed that you fulfill your biblical responsibilities and rebuke C.J. You refused. That is one reason I was forced to send out my documents to the SGM pastors the following month. You abandoned your duty and left me alone to contend with C.J. and SGM. See In Need of a Corporate Rebuke – An Appeal to the Covenant Life Elders (June 17, 2011).

In August 2011, I appealed to you again. You remained silent and unwilling to take a stand. See The Need for Crisis Intervention by the Covenant Life Pastors (August 29, 2011).

In June 2012, Josh told CLC that C.J. was not disqualified from ministry. That he was taking a “balanced position.” I wrote all of you about this unbiblical assessment and offered to drive to Gaithersburg to talk about it in private. I received no response or explanation for Josh’s compromised position.
   

“Some of you have told me that you think we should have publicly disciplined C.J. or should speak against him serving as a pastor. I disagree with that. I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry. And so I wish him success in his new church plant and pray that he will prosper…. So I find myself in what I think is a balanced position—not agreeing with C.J.’s strongest critics or his most vocal supporters.” (Joshua Harris, CLC Members’ Mtg., June 28, 2012)

 

See C.J. Still Not Qualified to Lead Sovereign Grace Ministries on the One Year Anniversary of Sending Out “The Documents” (July 6, 2012).

On many other occasions, I have written you. On many other occasions, you have been unwilling to speak out and take a stand for righteousness. Over the past 8 years, you have failed to hold C.J. accountable. Your silence and inaction has allowed him to continue in his sinful patterns without interruption to the detriment of so many precious lives.
 
Gentlemen, I have treated you equitably; both commending you for evidences of grace and correcting you for departures from Scripture. I have not been partial in your favor or impartial in my judgments. Once again I come to you on the basis of Scripture.

Joshua, here is what you said at the Members’ Meeting on Sunday night.

“I realize my request to keep these matters “in house” is generating a lot of questions.

 

“The reason we made this request is we believe members deserve to understand our reasons for leaving SGM but we’re not interested in publicly criticizing SGM. Leaving SGM (if the congregation affirms the direction) is criticism enough. We don’t think these internal reasons need to be broadcast on the blogs for the whole world to read.

 

“But we’re not trying to keep it a secret that we’ve presented to the congregation that we think we should leave SGM and will be taking a vote on this. It’s fine for people outside our church to be aware of this.

 

“And I don’t think Jesse Jarvis’s letter is a good reference point for all this. If I understand it correctly, Jesse never intended for his letter to be made public. He shared it with a few pastors and then one of them sent it to Brent without his permission.

 

“My desire in all this is to honor Jesus. So I ask, “Is the gospel served by the whole world hearing about the details of our concerns for SGM?” I don’t think so. I think these are matters for our church to work through in making this decision.” (Joshua Harris, Member’s Meeting, Nov 4, 2012)

 

Josh, I am glad your prohibition is generating a lot of questions. It should because you have imposed an order upon the members of Covenant Life Church that is contrary to Scripture. You do not have a right to bind the consciences of members in this manner. You have overstepped your boundaries as a shepherd because you are requiring obedience to a directive without biblical sanction.

First, there is no harm to the gospel if people know why CLC is leaving SGM (I believe the opposite is true). Second, it is not slander to provide people outside CLC honest explanations for why the pastors have proposed such a monumental course of action. Third, it helps all the churches in SGM to know your reasons for leaving.
    
But let me go further. I believe you have a biblical responsibility to make known your reasons for severing ties with SGM if they are of an ethical nature. I assume your reasons for leaving are not related to church governance since the SGM polity proposal has yet to be voted upon. It could be rejected.

Moreover, if you are recommending departure to CLC as a matter of preference, then such amoral reasons should be provided less people assume otherwise. But if you are leaving over abusive practices and unethical conduct, you have a biblical responsibility to make that clear. Let me be more specific.

In the case of personal, sin here is how we are to proceed.

Matt 18:15-17

[15] “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. [16] But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

The first step is confidential. It is one on one. The second step is confidential. It involves 2 or 3 people. The third step is public. The entire church is told. The fourth step is public. The world is effectively told. This protects the gospel from harm. The watching world knows the church is serious about sin and avoids the charge of being hypocritical when handled in this manner.

In the case of an elder’s sin, here is how we are to proceed.

1 Tim 5:19-20

[19] Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. [20] Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

The first step is assumed in the passage. The elder has been approach in private. The second step is assumed. Two are three have gone to the sinning elder in private. The third step is introduced by Paul to Timothy. A public rebuke of the elder must occur in front of the church so the other elders don’t think they can get away with the same kind of hypocrisy. This protects the reputation of the gospel because leaders are not treated with partiality or favoritism. The fourth step is not referenced in the text.

C.J. is the President of Sovereign Grace Ministries, not just a local elder! That has been true since 1990 when he assumed the position. If he were only a pastor, no effort need be made to tell his sins and rebuke him publicly outside the local church. But that is not the case with C.J. In the New Testament, local leaders were reproved locally. Extra-local leaders were reproved locally and extra-locally. Such disciplinary action was never avoided because an apostle or “President” wasn’t “employed” by a particular church.

Take for example Paul’s rebuke of Peter. Paul included it in his epistle to all the churches in the region of Galatia. He did this even after Peter repented of hypocrisy. Paul wanted all the churches to know about the incident and learn from the incident. That action protected the gospel. It put a lot of people on notice. Paul was not slandering Peter, he was being honest about Peter.

Galatians 2:11-14

[11] When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. [12] Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. [13] The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. [14] When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?”

Such a reporting and reproving of sin protects the gospel. “Leaving SGM (if the congregation affirms the direction) is criticism enough.” No it isn’t! It is that kind of thinking that has allowed C.J.’s sins to grow and flourish on your watch. Great reproach has come upon SGM and the gospel because you have been unwilling to deal with C.J. over the years in a biblical manner. It is not silence that serves the gospel. It is silence that destroys the witness of the gospel and the credibility of the church. In part, I believe God raised up SGM Survivors (2007) and SGM Refuge (2008) because of your disobedience.

Josh, you said “We don’t think these internal reasons need to be broadcast on the blogs for the whole world to read.” Not true. The whole world would do well to read the “internal reasons.” Then the world would understand how serious the issues are in SGM instead of being deceived by the constant spin put out by C.J., John and the Board of Directors. 

Furthermore, the Christian world and secular world would know that CLC pastors are not intimidated by the SGM leaders when they threatened to falsely accuse you of gossip, slander and divisiveness. You must stop caring about their condemnations. Their manipulation must be stopped and exposed. Your silence is a capitulation to their coercion.

Brothers, you know C.J. has continued in his sin and you know the men around him have imitated his example. Why do you protect them when you are commanded to expose them? None of these men have taken warning because none of them have been rebuked by you or others. How can you say C.J. is above reproach and blameless and yet you are leaving SGM over his (and other’s) abusive leadership and unethical conduct?

Let me add an important point. It is insufficient to tell CLC you are recommending separation over disappointments and disagreements of a morally neutral nature (i.e. differences with how past how past issues were dealt with, differences in handling disagreement; differences in leadership methods, decision making and what to communicate, and differences in polity).

The church must be told about the sin that produced the disappointments and disagreements (i.e., pride, hypocrisy, slander, partiality, favoritism, deceit, lying, lording, cover up, spin, heavy handedness, etc.). You owe God’s people biblical explanations, not generalizations that sound like simple disagreements arising from different perspectives rather than from sinful actions and practices.


For example, C.J. secretly recruiting members in Covenant Life Church to start a rival church in Germantown, MD if Covenant Life leaves SGM is an ethical issue. I reported on these plans last Spring when Mickey Connolly was telling other pastors about SGM’s commitment plant churches in any city where a church dared to leave SGM (if they had the resources). He did this with the knowledge and support of the Board of Directors. 
  
Brothers, we honor Jesus when we follow his Word, not when we break it.

“My [Joshua’s] desire in all this is to honor Jesus. So I ask, ‘Is the gospel served by the whole world hearing about the details of our concerns for SGM?’ I don’t think so.”

The sins of C.J. and SGM are not trivial and they have not ceased. They are serious and that is why you are leaving the movement. In answer to your question, the gospel is most definitely not served by silence. It is the lack of prophetic utterance that has allowed C.J. to continue down the road of ruin.

The whole world needs to know the collaborating evidence of CLC. The SGM churches need to know your experience with C.J. is like my experience with C.J. which is like the experience of countless others.

Please follow the advice of Wayne Grudem and stop enabling C.J. He needs your loving rebuke and redemptive discipline. It is still not too late to obey Scripture.
  

“Paul’s command to rebuke a sinning elder publicly means that some statement of the nature of the offense must be made to the church (“rebuke them in the presence of all,” [1 Tim 5:20]…. Such a public disclosure of the sin of a leader will signal to the congregation that the leaders of the church will not hide such matters from them in the future. This will increase the confidence of the church in the integrity of the leadership board. It will also allow the sinning leader to begin the gradual process of rebuilding relationships and trust with the congregation, because he will not have to deal with people who have a hundred different speculations about what his sin was, but with people who know the specific sin, and can see the genuine repentance and change regarding that area of sin in his life.” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 899) 

 

“When churches have to discipline a church leader, an easy mistake to make is failing to take Paul’s command seriously [to rebuke him before the church], thereby failing to give adequate disclosure to the church of the nature of the sin involved. If that happens, the congregation only hears that a leader was removed from office because of some sin (or maybe a general category of sin is mentioned). But this is not really an effective public rebuke. Because it is so vague, it will only result in confusion, speculation, and gossip. Moreover, serious divisions can arise in the church because in the absence of information some people will think the discipline process too harsh and others will think it too lenient, and the church will not be united in supporting the process.” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, footnote 20, p. 899)

 

More than any other church, it is your responsibility to reprove C.J. (and the Board) “in the presence of all.” Why do you cover up for them and leave them off the hook for grave patterns of sin?


I am also appealing to you in private to lift your sanctions on Covenant Life Church. You have no authority to impose these kinds of restrictions on the members. No one need obey you when you require silence. If they do, they only contribute to the problem and follow your poor example. I hope you will post the audio of the Member’s Meeting immediately. Lastly, please provide me a fuller explanation for your actions and as always I welcome any refutation of my position you care to give.

For the good of the gospel and the greater glory of God,

Brent
Post Script

Jesse’s letter is a great point of reference for you because it was open and honest. He shared those reasons with friends and pastors. I did not receive his letter from a SGM pastor. Nor was there any indication it was confidential.

(British Evangelical Journal): Examination of Piper's "Christian Hedonism"

H/t to Joe Coke for the leads here...two URLs.  Stunningly precise and much-needed criticisms of the high and revered celebrity figure in the American Baptyerian world of Mark Dever, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, Ligonier Ministires, Sproul and others.  His name is John Piper, a reworked revivalist.  The man, on our view, is undisciplined in Reformation Confessions, Prayer Book Churchmanship, or the sobrieties and gravities of Anglican and Reformed piety.  Just too dry for an emotionalist and revivalist like John.  By his standards, he'd piously judge us as "dead in our orthodoxy and sins."  It's such pious Corinthianism and Pharisaicism.  Sorry, John, learn some humility, son. Put this on my tombstone:  "A Reformed, Confessional Anglican, quiet, devout, and believing but not an enthusiast!"

This article gets at the real issues well.

http://www.britishreformedfellowship.org.uk/articles/Christian%20Hedonism%201.pdf

http://www.britishreformedfellowship.org.uk/articles/christianhedonism2.pdf

A Message for Itchy Ears

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/08/25/a-message-to-itchy-ears/

A Message to Itchy Ears

A very powerful poem from Jackie Hill at P4CM 2012 pleading for sound doctrine instead of itchy ears:



HT: Tim Brister

SGM-Mahaneygate: 2nd Church Pulls Out of SGM

Brent Detwiler is reporting a second secession--of another congregation from the SGM.  It's called Grace Community in Sarasota, FL. There is reason to believe that others will follow suit.  There are reports that most of the FL congregations may follow suit. There are reasons to believe that many have left Crossway, Charlotte, NC, headed by a strenuous defender of C.J. "It's All about Me" Mahaney.  Also, it appears that two of SGM's largest outfits, Covenant Life (CLC) and Fairfax SGM, have and are withholding their large "tithes" to the parachurch/episcopal parent body...SGM, the overseeing outfit headed by Mahaney. 

https://www.facebook.com/donald.p.veitch/posts/348390651906788?ref=notif&notif_t=share_comment#!/notes/brent-detwiler/the-sarasota-church-second-to-leave-sgm/493581507336085

Here is Brent's post:

"Grace Community Church in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida is the second church to leave Sovereign Grace Ministries. They have been removed from the SGM website and are referring to themselves as non-denominational. The impending break up of SGM could have been avoided if C.J. had just come clean. Good decision Luan." 

Here is Luan's sermon on church government on 5 Aug 2012 at:
http://mediastorage.cloversites.com/gracecommunitychurch11/media_player/GCC%2020120805.mp3


The first church to secede was Redeemer, Charlottesville, VA.  See:
http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2012/07/sgm-mahaneygate-first-sgm-community-to.html

Charismatic Lexicon - Part One

H/T to Team Pyro

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2012/08/charismatic-lexicon-part-one.html

Charismatic lexicon - Part One

by Dan Phillips

In the interests of communication and instruction, and because I'm here to help, I offer this lexicon. I'm calling it Part One because (A) I'm sure there'll be more, because (B) I'm pretty sure readers will supply some great stuff that (C) I will steal, publish here, and claim as my own.

First, then: the term as used by a Biblically-oriented Christian (BibC); then the Leaky Canon Charismatic equivalent (LC²). I paint, as I must, with a broad brush... but not that broad.

BibC: Culmination of millennia of revelation in a completed, wholly sufficient and closed Canon
LC²: Whatever. (Alternate: And then that happened...)

BibC: Feeling.
LC²: The Holy Spirit.

BibC: Hunch.
LC²: The Holy Spirit.

BibC: Silly passing thought.
LC²: The Holy Spirit.

BibC: Impulse, best to be rejected after a bit of wise and critical reflection.
LC: The Holy Spirit.

BibC: Testing by Scripture and rational examination.
LC²: Unbelief.

BibC: Walking in gracious, faith-driven obedience, which definitionally and consciously rests on the written Word alone.
LC²: Deism.


BibC: Living impulsively and irresponsibly, eschewing Biblical analysis and responsible decision-making, and blaming the whole mess on God.
LC²: Moving in the Spirit.


BibC: Undocumented anecdote allegedly done in a corner thousands of miles away and transmitted through the world's longest game of "telephone."
LC²: Proof that "the gifts" continue.

BibC: The undeniable absence of substantiated and globally-accepted claims to revelatory/attesting gifts among the Biblically orthodox from the first century until 1906.
LC²: "The man behind the curtain." (Alternate: "Look! A comet!")

BibC: The undeniable fact that modern instances of substantiated and globally-accepted claims to revelatory/attesting gifts among the Biblically orthodox depends on drastic reinterpretation of Scripture and playing fast and loose with the laws of evidence.
LC: (See above)

BibC: Prophecy is an explicitly Biblically-defined phenomenon in which God gives inerrant, binding, direct revelation to someone and assures that it is communicated as such. It is objectively verifiable.
LC²: Whatever you say it is. Except not verifiable or falsifiable.

BibC: Insisting on redefining the Biblical teaching about and descriptions of revelatory and attesting gifts so as to smuggle pale imitations into a time-frame some twenty centuries after their disappearance.
LC²: Non-negotiable essentials.

BibC: Affirming the all-over-the-Bible teaching of the sovereignty of God in salvation.
LC²: Totally negotiable, relatively minor.

...and one reverse:

LC²: A divine healing that undeniably proves all charismatic claims.
BibC: Answered prayer, God healing -- which all Christians have always confirmed and distinguished from the gift of healing.

SGM-Mahaneygate: Cultic Characteristics of Mickey Connolly (Part 2)

Sir Mickey Connolly

For those following the Baptacostalist meltdown-of-sorts in this micro-sect of about 28,000 members, called SGM, it is a beloved outfit by “Together for the Gospel,” Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, Carl Trueman, Kevin DeYoung and other YRRers.  We bring you the latest from a former member and leader of their Sect, Brent Detwiler, as he writes about a current member of the Sect, Mickey Connolly.  Connolly, an uneducated enthusiast at Crossway in Charlotte, NC, is a strenuous defender of C. J. “It’s All About Me” Mahaney.  Detwiler draws parallels to Connolly and cultic behaviours.

We repeat what was said in Pt. 1. 

Re: ignorant clerics. The English Reformer, Thomas Becon, rebuked hotheads running into ministry without training and moderation. “They presumed to teach before they have learned.” But what did C.J. “It’s All About Me” Mahaney know of that? Or, many others including Connolly. Rev. Beacon spokes of “gelders rather than elders,” “minishers rather than ministers,” “dissipators rather than dispensators,” “destructors rather than instructors,” “deformers rather than informers,” “famous neither in doctrine nor conversation,” and men “to be repelled.” It sounds rather SGM’s organizers. Becon then argued from Scripture, Leo, Jerome and Gregory in behalf of a biblically literate ministry. He gave an extended discussion arguing for a learned ministry including a lengthy review of Bible writers advocating for “doctrine.” But don’t say that to SGMers, past, present or future.

http://www.brentdetwiler.com/brentdetwilercom/2012/8/12/ten-common-cult-like-characteristics-evident-in-mickey-conno.html

Trait 6: Use Mind Control

The cultist does everything possible to control the information that reaches members of the cult. In so doing, he controls their minds. Cult members are forbidden from reading material not sanctioned by the cult leader. The actions and teaching of the cult leader are not open to criticism. Cult members are called to believe what they are taught without thinking for themselves. They are forbidden from using outside sources for information.

Mickey Connolly
CrossWay Family Mtg.
February 8, 2012

“Before I begin, I want to make a request…. I want to ask you to please not record this. At our family meeting in November where we talked about Brent Detwiler and divisiveness – that meeting was recorded by someone and sent to both Brent and the anti-Sovereign Grace blogs…. I want to tell you that I’m deeply troubled by that. I think it’s a real disloyalty to us as a family, not only to me but I think to all of us. I need to be able to come to these meetings and share openly with you, trusting in your confidence and your discretion, and I can’t do that if I fear that my comments are going to be distributed beyond these walls….. So I’m just going to ask please don’t record anything that I’m going to say.”

##

This was a cultic request. No one is required to abide by such a restriction under these circumstances. Comments like “deeply troubled” and “real disloyalty” manipulate people into submission. At the November 13, 2011 family meeting referenced above, Mickey made a case for my excommunication by intentionally twisting Scripture and deceitfully citing bogus references. If the meeting had not been recorded, his lies and manipulation of the church would never have been exposed. There would have been no record.

I asked to be at that meeting in order to monitor what was said. I also offered to answer all accusations by the pastors before the church. I even told the pastors I was glad to field any questions from church members. Of course, all of this was forbidden by Mickey and the other pastors. They did not want me to hear or have any opportunity to defend and Mickey certainly didn’t want a record of his spurious case against me.

The quote above comes from a February 8, 2012 family meeting. This past week I was provided a complete transcript of Mickey’s comments at that meeting. Someone defied him and recorded it. Thank God. This statement was the most disturbing. “I need to be able to come to these meetings and share openly with you, trusting in your confidence and your discretion, and I can’t do that if I fear that my comments are going to be distributed beyond these walls.”

This statement if beyond comprehension. I simply can’t relate. It is irrational. If you tell the truth and nothing but the truth, you have nothing to fear. I’ve written more than 500,000 words the past couple years about SGM. I don’t fear their public distribution. I welcome it. What I’ve written will stand up under the most severe scrutiny. Here or there a minor mistake may be discovered but no lies, deceit, or untruths will be exposed. That is not true for C.J. or Mickey. Mickey’s paranoia is wrapped up in his lack of integrity (Prov 10:9). For good reason, he fears being tested, evaluated or held to account. The only way he can deceive people is by keeping them ignorant and not allowing his deceptive comments to see the light of day where they can be exposed.

##

Mickey Connolly
Letter to CrossWay
August 3, 2012

“We can’t stop Brent from his writing but we can and should refuse to read or listen to the divisive speech he and others continue to spread. To do otherwise is to poison your soul, damage Crossway and displease God.”

##

This is a serious piece of mind control. Mickey once again labels my writings as “divisive speech.” Nothing new. He must beat this into people’s minds in order to control them. But this time he goes farther. He also scares people. He intimidates members into obedience. He compares the reading of my writings to taking poison. Ingesting my writings could prove fatal like cyanide. Stay away from such lethal substances.

But not only will my poison harm them it will also harm the church. Even more seriously, reading anything I’ve written displeases God. Therefore, only a person intent on suicide, damming CrossWay, and angering God will disobey Mickey. There is only one right way to please God and save the church and that is remaining absolutely and totally ignorant. Mickey is dangerous. Truth be told, reading what I’ve written will equipped you with the truth, position you to genuinely help CrossWay, and motivate you to take action that pleases God.

##

Brent Detwiler
Trust and Obey for There’s No Other Way to Possibly Stay at CrossWay!
November 14, 2011

“The exposing of major problems in SGM is a service to the entire movement. Division comes from its leaders who are unwilling to humble themselves, make public confessions, right wrongs, or identify individual and corporate sins. Instead they call good, evil; and evil, good. The charges against C.J. and SGM are serous and widespread and come from hundreds/thousands of people.”

##

Brent Detwiler
CrossWay Pastors Proceed with “Marking” as Divisive Despite Appeals for Adjudication
November 13, 2011

“No one can express differences or disagreements with SGM in public without fear of being mark, reproved or intimidated…. It is this kind of information that Mickey is trying to keep from people. He is willing to use passages of Scripture that do not apply, abuse his authority by using it to coerce silence, control people by telling them to stay away from those who know what is going on, and require the sheep to only listen to the authoritative information and interpretation he provides them as a “shepherd.” It is no wonder a growing number of people think SGM has become cultic in its leadership…. It is no secret why you [Mickey] don’t want people to read my documents and posts. In them, people will find a superabundance of evidence supporting my claims. Instead you must suppress the truth and keep it from the people of God by labeling me divisive and my writings slanderous. You are not guarding the flock, you are lording it over the flock and hiding your sins. C.J., you and the Board remain self-appointed, self-determined and unaccountable…. It is your misuse of Scripture, abusive use of authority, and complete lack of self-examination that frightens me the most. It is evidence of a heart that has grown hard and dark. I hope you do not destroy the dear church I worked so hard to build and turned over to you in 2003…. This strong arm approach will backfire. You can’t silence people. You can keep evidence from people. You can’t tell people you’ll do all the discerning and thinking for them. All of this will result in more departures. You are afraid of the truth.”

Trait 7: Employ Lying and Deceit

Lying and deceit are used or sanctioned when necessary in order to protect the cult or the cult leader. The Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon calls this “holy deception.” Cult leaders use dishonest scholarship or make up historical claims in order to advance their false doctrines and promote their celebrity. Building a “cult of personality” is central to their mission and notoriety. When you think of cults you always think of their leaders.

This has been one of my leading concerns from the beginning. The truth about C.J., Dave Harvey, Steve Shank, Gene Emerson, and others has been concealed at all costs. Lying and deceit are now common place among SGM leaders. Here are two example from the secretly recorded family meetings at CrossWay on February 8, 2012.

Mickey Connolly
CrossWay Family Mtg.
February 8, 2012

“Were Brent’s desires to plant a church reasonable? Yes, they were. Brent was tired of traveling. He’d spent many years serving Sovereign Grace and being on the road and traveling and it’s tiring. And so he was tired of that.”

##

This is an utterly untrue statement but all the unsuspecting members at CrossWay would have no clue. I did not plant a church because I was tired of traveling. I planted a church because I was relationally and functionally cut off by Mickey after turning the church over to him. He wants to conceal that vital piece of information. I also grew increasingly concerned for his character and leadership as I observed him in his role as senior pastor. My attempts to speak into his life and address his pride were rebuffed. Larry Malament and Jim Hawkins preferred I come back as the senior pastor. I wanted to come back as senior pastor but C.J. overruled us and kept Mickey in that role. I was left with no choice. I needed to start over and build another apostolic base. Mickey covers all this up by telling CrossWay members I was tired of traveling. And here’s the really sad part for me – the other pastors (e.g. Larry Malament, Joe Lechner, and Nick Swan) know he is lying. You can only getting away with such deception in the absence of a recording or transcript. See pages 72-74 in A Final Appeal for the reasons why I wanted to plant a church. They are clearly documented.

The same kind of misinformation is true in relation to comments Mickey made at the February 8 family meeting about Larry Tomczak. Larry wrote Mickey a lengthy letter this past week. In part it reads,

“Mickey, you told people that blackmail has to have the monetary component which is incorrect and most significant to our situation. BLACKMAIL DOES NOT HAVE TO INCLUDE A PAYMENT OF MONEY[1]…. I think you should correct this most significant point with those to whom you spoke. Also, I believe you were very unfair to us in the way you emphasized our teenager’s waywardness and lightly cited what was done to us which was so ungodly, unethical and immoral…. You should have explained things honestly and fully, even though SGM would not have looked very good. That’s ok. People deserve the unvarnished truth…. Blackmail, defamation of character, breaching a clergy/penitent vow, etc., etc. SERIOUS CRIMES, Mickey!!... As you share with the flock there, please be accurate and consider the above points to more honestly convey the ‘whole story.’”

There are many other examples of deceit in Mickey’s comments at the February 8 family meeting but I am not going to take the time now to deal with them. Suffice it to say, this new transcript provides further evidence for why Mickey “fear[s] that my comments are going to be distributed beyond these walls.” He must cover up all incriminating evidence.

Here is another example from his recent letter to CrossWay Community Church.

Mickey Connolly
Letter to CrossWay
August 3, 2012

“The charges that Brent has brought against C.J. Mahaney have been thoroughly examined by respected pastors in SGM who, having all of Brent’s documents, other pertinent documents and the first-hand testimony of many witnesses had access to more evidence than any of us will ever be privy to.”

##

This statement will be near the top in the 50 most egregious lies told by SGM that continues later this week. Everyone knows the review of my charges was restricted to three narrow questions designed by the interim Board of SGM in order to suppress a thorough examination. This kind of misinformation is at the heart of cultic activity.

But the most egregious example of lying and deceit by Mickey occurred when he excommunicated me last November. This illustration alone should result in Mickey’s removal as senior pastor. Mickey had no idea the meeting was being recorded. Neither did I. He thought he could get away with his blatant deception.

Brent Detwiler
Mickey Connolly’s Deceitful Use of Scripture and Commentaries
November 26, 2011

“Mickey Connolly should be tried by the church he leads for deceitfully using Scripture and commentaries in justifying his use of Titus 3:10-11 and Romans 1:17-18 to “mark” me and have the church “shun” me. For a pastor/teacher, there could hardly be a more serious breach of trust. Mickey misled the church and it was intentional…. A church assumes they can trust their pastors/teachers to formulate doctrine and practice with the greatest integrity. That is, not use Scripture to fulfill a self-serving purpose (e.g. health and wealth teachers). Mickey’s teaching had an obvious goal which was to implement C.J.’s instruction at the Pastors Conference to discipline divisive people. Of course, I am public enemy Number 1 on the SGM 10 Most Wanted List. In order to do this he had to abuse Scripture and misled the congregation by not having them open their Bibles, by not citing verses 19-20 when quoting Romans 16:17-18, by not dealing with the meaning of Romans 16:17-18, by not mentioning Titus 1:10-16 or 3:9 when interpreting 3:10-11, by giving the impression his statements and quotes about Titus 3 also applied to Romans 16, by badly exaggerating his claim that “many commentators” agree with him when the opposite is true, by intentionally misrepresenting commentators like Kelly, Fee and Murray, by saying Romans 16 and Titus 3 are not about excommunication, by misusing 1 Timothy 1, 6 and 2 Thessalonians 3, when comparing 2 Thessalonians to Romans 16 and Titus 3, and by wrongly applying Galatians 5 to my writings and actions…. What Mickey has done is tantamount to a partner at an accounting firm embezzling funds, a Congressman perjuring himself under oath, or a doctor diagnosing and treating a condition that does not exist for the money. Mickey should step down as senior pastor and work to regain the trust of the church over time.”

Trait 8: Threaten Punishments

Dissent is not tolerated. Those that threatened the unity of the cult are quickly silenced, threatened, shunned or publicly disciplined. They are made an example. Cult leaders become angry when they are defied. If people leave the cult, they are vilified by the cult leader and his lieutenants. Cult leaders fear defections knowing they can lead to exposure.

Mickey is prone to speaks contemptuously of people who leave CrossWay Community Church. That is common knowledge. He often refers to such individuals as “malcontents, grumblers and complainers.” He regularly talks about people who leave in a condescending fashion. Many people, including myself, have heard him do this. He is glad to see people leave when they cause him “problems” or won’t give him the trust and obedience he demands. This attitude has distressed me for years. Many good men and women over the years have tried to talk with Mickey about his pride. They leave CrossWay exasperated. It is no use. They end up being corrected by Mickey or his lieutenants.

Here again is what Mickey has to say to those persons who question or disagree with his handling of me. “So I want to be clear! Not discussing this with him [Brent] personally. Not reading any of his materials on blogs or Facebook…. If you can’t trust your pastors, you need to leave. You need to go…. If you cannot trust your pastors, if you cannot obey your pastors and what we are asking you to do biblically then you need to find another church.”

Mickey has also waged a war against other individuals. “We can’t stop Brent from his writing but we can and should refuse to read or listen to the divisive speech he and others continue to spread…. Please don’t let Brent or any other divisive man or woman destroy the unity that scriptures command us to be eager to maintain.” So often men and women who disagree with Mickey or confront Mickey are labeled “divisive.”

It is no wonder so many people fear Mickey. They don’t want to be forced out of the church, marked as divisive, or ridiculed by the pastors behind their backs.

Trait 9: Promise Eternal Life

Cult leaders supply false hope and promises of a better future. Following them leads to abundant life and the promised land. Their way is the way of salvation. It is not based upon authoritative truth (like the Bible provides) but on humanistic optimism. No matter how bad or hard life is in the cult, the hope of the future blessing keeps members from departing. Their well-being and comfort depend upon staying. Outside is darkness and despair and the loss of salvation. Followers live in denial.

I don’t know the future of CrossWay. It could hold together or it could fall apart. I do know it is the height of arrogance for Mickey to promise a future characterized by “the greatest fruitfulness we’ve ever experienced together as a church.” God is opposing and disciplining CrossWay because of its leaders. More and more people are leaving deeply troubled. Such profound arrogance by the pastors is the source of such presumptive promises. Self-righteousness always leads to a false sense of assurance.

I am reminded of Rev 3:17, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Doom can be right around the corner while promises of blessing lull people asleep. “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom 3:18). It also reminds me of the false prophets in the Old Testament who always prophesied peace and prosperity in the face of God’s impending judgment.

Mickey Connolly
CrossWay Family Mtg.
February 8, 2012

“Here, every pastor on the staff just has a sense from God that we are poised for a season of some of the greatest fruitfulness we’ve ever experienced together as a church. We believe that.”

Mickey Connolly
Letter to CrossWay
August 3, 2012

“The other pastors and I have sensed for some time that we are on the brink of some great things here. I am excited about our future together. Please don’t let these issues distract us from what God is doing right here, right now.”

##

These things will only happen if Mickey and the pastors humble themselves and stop deceiving and dominating the sheep. My son, Jonathan and his wife, Katie were visiting last weekend from Augusta, GA. One evening they picked up some carry out dinner from a nearby Chinese restaurant. American fortune cookies have always humored me because they never promise anything bad will happen to you – only good. Here was my fortune. “You will spend many years in comfort and material wealth.” It reminded me of the pretentious promises made by Mickey and the CrossWay pastors.

Trait 10 - Produce Cult Followers

People in cults are brainwashed by the cult leader. Followers are characterized by subservience, dependence, passivity, indifference, fear, and silence. They lose the ability to think critically. They are only concerned for their happiness which they believe comes from the cult. That’s why they will fight for the cult and the cult leader. People have to be deprogramed and taught to think for themselves when they leave a cult. Human dependency and mindless obedience has to be replaced with inquiry, industry, initiative, and ingenuity. Life in a cult always ends in tragedy when the cult leader is exposed or “prophecies” aren’t fulfilled. The end result – skepticism and extreme disillusionment.

Mickey and the pastors at CrossWay should encourage people to read everything I’ve written and talk to me about it if they have any questions. Having done so these members can return to talk with their pastors in an informed fashion. Or if you wish go talk to Mickey about me first. Just make sure you come to me afterward.

Mickey and the pastors are concerned about my “gossip and slander.” At least I publish my “gossip and slander” for the world to see and evaluate. I’ll field any question or challenge. No so with Mickey and the pastors. They will only talk to you behind closed doors when nothing is recorded so they can mislead with impunity.

At the end of Mickey’s recent letter to CrossWay members he says the following. “As always, if anyone would like to speak to me personally about any of this please let me know and I will set up a time.” That is fine to do but it is the least reliable way of discovering the truth. What Mickey tells you in secret must be tested because the most vicious slander occurs in his office where it is not heard by others – particularly the victim. Only occasional does he blurt it out in public. “Let me be very frank with you…. Brent is driven by a sinful lust for vindication and vengeance.”

Cult followers are never willing to deal with reality. They believe it is godly to turn their minds over to the control of another person. They won’t listen to criticism against the cult. They won’t investigate. They bury their heads in the sand.

My friends at CrossWay are better than this but here are two examples of willful blindness that greatly concern me. I’ve changed the names of these persons. Instead of their example, I’d encourage you to follow the exhortation of Scripture. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph 5:11).

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:00 PM
To: Harry
Subject: RE: SGM Panel and Mickey

Have you read both documents I sent you [about my excommunication] yet?

From: Harry
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:23 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: RE: SGM Panel and Mickey

No. I am not in faith to do so at the moment.

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 7:54 AM
To: Harry
Subject: RE: SGM Panel and Mickey

Let me know when you read them. I can’t really help you until you do. You need to see the gravity of the situation and the decade long process I’ve walked through in order to understand my actions. Be like the Bereans. Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Mickey’s presentation [regarding my excommunication] on Nov 13 was full of deceit. He twisted the Scripture and used commentaries in a deceptive manner to support his unbiblical actions. You should be alarmed and appalled. You need to read what I wrote and call him and the other pastors to account. Mickey is misleading you and the church. I say these things because I love you and I am concerned for you. There is a lot of lying, deceit, cover up, manipulation and lording going on with C.J., Dave, Mickey, etc. Many churches are talking about leaving SGM. The problems are widespread and serious. It is not the same SGM I once knew.

From: Harry
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 12:26 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: RE: SGM Panel and Mickey

Thank you for your care towards me. However, I am not willing to read the 2 documents at this point…. I do believe that you are doing what you think is best to care for me. However, if you think that you can’t help me until I read your documents. I believe that you are deceived…. To reiterate though, I do not plan on reading any of the documents you are sending.

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
To: Harry
Subject: RE: SGM Panel and Mickey

Harry, I say this lovingly but you are a fool not to read my documents. How do you know who is right or wrong when you refuse to examine the evidence? You have a solemn responsibility to examine Mickey’s handling of Scripture and commentaries at the Family Meeting. You have no excuse. He deceived the church. It is these kind of sins, I’ve addressed along with many other people now, which are destroying the movement and bringing reproach upon the gospel. If you remain ignorant and silent, you too are contributing to the destruction of SGM and reproach upon the gospel. You should be confronting the evil around you. Love rejoices when the truth wins out. Not duplicity, manipulation, hypocrisy, lording, etc.

From: Harry
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2012 1:17 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: RE: God Holds Me Accountable

So, since I do not have the faith nor the time to read all of your documents and blog posts, how about we start simple?

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2012 1:45 PM
To: Harry
Subject: RE: God Holds Me Accountable

Harry, my brother, it is not an issue of “faith.” It is a matter of obedience. God commands you to pursue justice [Prov 18:17]. You condemn me but you have no idea what has transpired over the past 12 years. If you had any concern for me or the well-being SGM you’d seek out the truth. Instead you choose to be deceived. It’s like you’ve been put under spell. Mickey has commanded you not to seek out the truth under the threat of being forced out of the church. That is coercion, lording, control, and domineering.

##

From: Alicia
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 10:01 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: The Ethical Demise of SGM (Part 1)

Brent, do not send us any further communications in any way to us or our family. Do not write us back and tell us how you are only sending this out of love and concern for our souls, your actions speak otherwise.

I’m sorry but I do not respect the way nor the means you continue to attempt to bring down SGM and CWCC.

Brent from my vantage point you are in a very sad place. I find it very hard to believed that you actually think that your actions are pleasing to God.

I am stating again, do not send us any further communications in any way to us or our family. Do not write us back, remove our email from your arsenal.

Sincerely,

Alicia

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 12:14 PM
To: Alicia
Subject: RE: The Ethical Demise of SGM (Part 1)

Hello Alicia

I think of you and Bob fondly. You are fine servants of the Lord and I sincerely appreciate all your contributions to CrossWay Community Church over the years.

I’m sorry I can’t oblige. I have a higher obligation. The principle of Ezekiel 3:16-20 applies to me. I am not the watchman of SGM but I am a watchman. Before the Lord I am endeavoring to be faithful to call C.J., Mickey and other SGM leaders to repentance in this time of discipline. I don’t imply by using this verse that C.J. or anyone else will die. I do, however, have an obligation before God to warn you and others about the on-going sin and seriousness of the situation. You can ignore this warning but then you are accountable to God for that decision and I am not guilty before the Lord for being complacence.

Ezek 3:16-20 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: [17] “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. [18] When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. [19] But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. [20] Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered and I will hold you accountable for his blood. [21] But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

You too have a biblical responsibility (Prov 18:17). You must examine Mickey by examining the evidence. I hope you fulfill it. You have not been told the truth. Half the pastors in SGM are giving serious thought to leaving SGM. That number could easily increase. This is not due to gossip or slander. Many pastors are appalled at Mickey’s excommunication of me and the abusive way in which he used Scripture and deceitfully used commentaries. The problems in SGM are extremely serious and Mickey’s cult like leadership in relation to me is but one example.

You’ll be receiving “The Ethical Demise of SGM (Part 2).” I mean no disrespect. I am not endeavoring to provoke you. But I am providing you a biblical warning and I am providing you rock solid evidence. You’d be wise to read all I have written. Mickey is one of the key men contributing to the destruction of SGM. Not the devil. Not me. Not the blogs. For instance, ten of the pastors from Covenant Life Church recently presented evidence against Mickey to the entire SGM Board for his slander of them. There are so many examples like this of which you are utterly unaware. I could write a full length book. Mickey has deceitfully and arrogantly led you. In time, I hope you will speak out against such transgressions.

Conclusion

Anyone in CrossWay can know the truth about C.J, Mickey and SGM if they are willing to renounce their blind followership and throw off the shackles imposed upon them by Mickey and the pastors. They must commit themselves to God (not Mickey or the church) and think independently. I love pastors but not when they control people’s lives. I love loyalty but not when it exceeds the boundaries of Scripture.

My friends at CrossWay can know the truth and be set free but it will take some work and courage. They must care, read, study, think and investigate. Their pastors have led them down the wrong road in asking for blind obedience and a call to arms. Like every church member in SGM, they have the tools to know the truth if they will apply themselves.

At my excommunication, Mickey said, “If I ever lose the trust of this church I will resign that very day.” Well, that day has come. These ten common cult-like characteristics in his leadership are convincing reasons not to trust him.

1.     Require absolute trust

2.     Demand unconditional obedience

3.     Claim divine status

4.     Surround with weak leaders

5.     Warn against outsiders

6.     Use mind control

7.     Employ lying and deceit

8.     Threaten punishments

9.     Promise eternal life

10.     Produce cult followers

Unfortunately, cult leaders and cult-like leaders never resign. They do down fighting. Mickey will force out of the church everyone who does not trust him before he ever quits. CrossWay may implode as a result. If so, it’s because of Mickey; not the devil, me or blogs. You cannot sow lies, deceit and lording without reaping destruction. The God who rules over all is demonstrating he will not be mocked by such sophistry.