SGM-Mahaneygate: Update on Adjudication Process

http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/sgm/

An update on the adjudication process

October 13, 2011 by Dave Harvey:
Below is an update from the Board about the status of our adjudication process.


On August 24, Ambassadors of Reconciliation (AOR) sent the SGM board their Consultation Report, which recommended that we proceed in three areas:

1. Adjudication of Brent Detwiler's allegations against C.J. Mahaney
2. Group Reconciliation with others who have offenses
3. A follow-up consultation with AOR staff to review their assessment of and recommendations for SGM (which we will publish online)

To implement the first step, we asked AOR if they could recommend a trained facilitator who could help us write procedures for and facilitate a fair and unbiased adjudication process, and they highly recommended Bryce Thomas. Bryce has practiced law for 37 years as a trial attorney with extensive experience with arbitrations. He has been involved in over 100 arbitrations, either as a sole arbitrator or with a panel of arbitrators, in both the secular and Christian arenas. In addition, he has been involved in Christian peacemaking since the mid 1990s and is certified by Peacemaker Ministries as a conflict coach, mediator, and arbitrator since 1999. Based on AOR’s recommendation and because of Bryce’s credentials, we asked him to facilitate the adjudication process. As facilitator, Bryce helped the board create and write an adjudication process (PDF), which he described as “comparable with the procedure used by Peacemaker Ministries and by the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.”

On October 3 Bryce sent the adjudication proposal to Brent Detwiler and C.J. Mahaney, giving them both five business days to ask questions and accept or decline. C.J. replied to Bryce on October 5 and agreed to participate in the adjudication; however, on October 11 Brent informed Bryce that he would not participate.

As you'll see if you read the adjudication procedure (part 12), this means that the next step for the Board is to consult independently with both Bryce and AOR about what prudent next steps we can take toward resolution of this issue. We'll also be asking some SGM pastors for their perspective. We welcome your thoughts and need your prayers.

The Sovereign Grace Ministries Board