The CLC leaders need to
narrowly rule on one set of facts and circumstances. To wit, has Mahaney acted with contumacy,
rebellion, unintreatability, and pride in leaving CLC and refusing to submit to
the Elders of CLC? Correlatively, has Mahaney violated the same standards he imposed on others but bolting from CLC? If found guilty on
just this one factual pattern, the ruling needs to be published and
upheld. Of course, there are other
charges to be adjudicated, but clearly, Mahaney has violated his own teaching
and has steam-rolled the Elders at CLC. Harris wimped-limped out. It's called fear.
Upshot: Harris wimped-limped out. This is a 5-minute decision. Issue a ruling on one matter. Discipline Mahaney and move on, trusting in the LORD. Then, proceed to other charges.
Then, in the next 20
years perhaps, Mahaney dies (Mahaney approaches 60)—angry, deeply shamed,
deeply humiliated, very afraid, proud, resisting, struggling, enthusing, and
hoping for divine mercy. However, as a
narcissist, Mahaney will attempt to obliterate these feelings and thoughts, as
he has done since 2004 and, notably, over the last year. Then comes death.
Here’s Brent Detwiler’s
latest take on SGM-Mahaneygate.
Every day for the last 365 days, I have
determined to play no favorites, fear no man, and oppose evil justly. I have
not lied, compromised my integrity or made up charges. Instead I have
resolutely testified against persistent evil by the grace of God amid much
affliction.
One year ago today, I sent out Response
Regarding Friendship and Doctrine, A
Final Appeal, Concluding
Remarks, and The
Untold Story to the pastors of Sovereign Grace Ministries. This became
necessary when C.J. and Dave Harvey repeatedly lied, broke numerous promises,
misled the movement, and tried to covered up their sinful activity. I could not
allow this to continue. I’d encourage all SGM pastors to re-read these
documents from the perspective of a year later.
Jesus taught his disciples, “The world
cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are
evil” (John 7:7 ESV). This past year, I have testified against C.J. and other
leaders in SGM. There are approximately 300 hundred pastors in SGM. No one
joined me. All deserted me except one. None defended me. Only one helped me.
Most condemned me. Like Jesus said, the best way to avoid being hated is to
remain silent about evil.
Growing up I thrived on popularity. The day
I was converted in 1972 at age 18 under the preaching of Billy Graham, I knew
this idol had to be smashed! It was my god. I could not become Jesus’ disciple
unless I was willing to endure hatred for the sake of righteousness. When I
sent out the documents on July 6, 2011, I knew I would be hated. That became a
reality overnight as SGM and others directed their fury at me. It continues.
Over the past year no one has been willing
to testify that C.J.’s deeds are evil. Some pastors have protested his polity
but no one has taken a public stand against his character or publicly called
him to repentance. No one has been willing to rebuke him or declare him
disqualified from ministry or even the Presidency of SGM. Why? The fear of man
is the main reason. Men in SGM fear C.J.’s wrath, covet his approval and don’t
want to suffer the loss of members, money or favor with others leaders inside
and outside of SGM. They would rather wait until November or December and leave
SGM if they must over differences in polity.
The fear of C.J. has been a long standing
problem at Covenant Life Church. Joshua Harris made numerous statements to that
effect during the Members’ Meetings last July. I think it remains a problem
that must be addressed but first I want to commend Joshua for the stands he has
taken.
Last year Joshua step down from the three
man Board of Directors because he was not willing to decide on C.J.’s fitness
for ministry until an independent, outside, no history with SGM, group of
impartial evaluators heard all my charges and the charges of others against
C.J. and SGM. Of course, this kind of adjudication hearing was blocked by the
cunning of the interim Board; and in spite of all the evidence in my documents,
Dave Harvey and Jeff Purswell declared C.J. fit for ministry out of blind
loyalty.
Joshua also provided a mild critique of
C.J. before the church and pointed out that God was disciplining and humbling
SGM. That cost him dearly. In fact, it cost him his friendship with C.J. and
the Presidency of SGM. He was removed by C.J.’s as his replacement to lead the
ministry. In addition, Joshua and the CLC pastors have been asking hard
questions of C.J., Dave and the Boards but to no avail. Recently I noted on my
blog how they were unjustly condemned by the AoR report and how they have
responded to some of God’s dealings by asking forgiveness of CLC for their
sins.
Today is another historic day in SGM. It is
more than a coincidence that 10 of the Covenant Life pastors met with the SGM
Board of Directors today in hopes of finally getting answers to their
questions. But more than a question and answer session, God is graciously giving
C.J., Dave Harvey, Jeff Purswell and the Board of Director the opportunity to
humble themselves and repent. The Lord is also giving the CLC pastors the
opportunity to testify against their evil and call them to repentance. I hope
both happened.
For the last 2 1/2 years, I’ve prayed God
would show me what to say and then give me the courage to say it. Today is no
exception. At the recent Members’ Meeting for Covenant Life Church, Joshua
declared that C.J. was NOT disqualified from ministry which means he is
qualified for ministry. There is no middle ground. This was a major blunder. I
wrote Joshua about his pronouncement.
From:
Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2012 10:57 AM
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; Kenneth Maresco; Mark Mitchell; Matt Maka; Robin Boisvert
Subject: Question re: "I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry."
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2012 10:57 AM
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; Kenneth Maresco; Mark Mitchell; Matt Maka; Robin Boisvert
Subject: Question re: "I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry."
Hello Joshua,
This is a sincere and warm hearted inquiry.
Here is one of your statements from the
Members’ Meeting on Thursday night regarding C.J. I have several questions
about it (e.g., why Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Timothy 5:20-21 don’t apply to C.J.)
but I’ve reduce them to one that gets at the core issue as biblically defined.
“Some of you have told me that you think we
should have publicly disciplined CJ or should speak against him serving as a
pastor. I disagree with that. I do not believe CJ is disqualified from
ministry. And so I wish him success in his new church plant and pray that he
will prosper.”
I do not understand how you can possibly
say “I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry.” In making that
declaration, you boldly asserted that C.J. is above reproach (1 Timothy 3:1)
and blameless (Titus 1:6) and meets all the qualifications of Scripture. How is
that possible given the meaning of these words?
1 Tim 3:2 An overseer, then, must be above
reproach. The word (Gr., anepileptos) literally
means “not apprehended, that cannot be laid hold of; hence that cannot be
reprehended, not open to censure, irreproachable,” “blameless,”
“irreprehensible, unassailable.” It bespeaks of irreproachable conduct and it also
means “not only of good report but deservedly so!”
Titus 1:5-6 …appoint elders in every city
as I directed you, [6] namely, if any man is above reproach.
The word (Gr. anengkletos) literally means “that cannot be called to account,
unreprovable, unaccused, blameless.”
I know you want to be “balanced” in your
assessment of C.J. but how is your conclusion biblical? I am happy to come to
Gaithersburg to discuss this matter. It goes to the heart of the matter.
I also observed you used the singular
pronoun “I”, not the plural pronoun “we”, in stating your perspective. Does
that mean some of the pastors disagreed with you? If so, don’t you think the
church should have been told about those disagreements? From my perspective,
that information would be helpful, not harmful, to the church. I think many
would appreciate knowing some of the pastors don’t think C.J. is qualified for
ministry.
If I may give one other opinion, I think
you should have made your case to Covenant Life Church as to why you believe
C.J. is deservedly of good report and therefore cannot be called to account.
Sincerely,
Brent
I followed up with a second email. I didn’t
want to write this blog post without hearing his reasoning. I never heard from
him.
From:
Brent Detwiler
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 8:09 AM
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; Kenneth Maresco; Mark Mitchell; Matt Maka; Robin Boisvert
Subject: Question re: "I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry."
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 8:09 AM
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; Kenneth Maresco; Mark Mitchell; Matt Maka; Robin Boisvert
Subject: Question re: "I do not believe C.J. is disqualified from ministry."
Hi Joshua,
I realize you may be too busy to provide a
response to my question this week, but would you please let me know by Friday
if you plan to answer at all. A simple “yes” or “no” will suffice. Friday is
the one year anniversary of sending out the documents. I plan to revisit the
issue of “Is C.J. Above Reproach?” on my blog and I’d like to include your
arguments for why C.J. is qualified to be in ministry. I don’t agree but I want
to represent you fairly.
Thanks for your help.
Brent
All of Joshua’s comments at the Members’
Meeting can be found at Will
C.J. Mahaney and Other SGM Leaders Follow the Example of the Covenant Life
Pastors? Here is a longer quotation for more context regarding C.J. fitness
and deployment as a church planter and sr. pastor.
“Some of you have told me that you think we
should have publicly disciplined CJ or should speak against him serving as a
pastor and I disagree with that. I do not believe that CJ is disqualified from
ministry. And I want you to know that I wish him success in his new church
plant and I pray that he will prosper.
“There are others of you who would like me
to give a more ringing endorsement of C.J.’s leadership and his response to
this crisis. But I am not able to do that either. I am disappointed by aspects
of the way he’s related to our pastoral team and to our church through this
process. I share this simply to explain why it’s difficult for me to celebrate
the nature and timing of the departure or to act as if everything is fine.
“So I find myself in what I think is a
balanced position—not agreeing with C.J.’s strongest critics nor his most vocal
supporters. But before God I have sought to be a faithful friend to CJ and to
fear God and not man.” (Joshua Harris, Members’ Meeting, June 28, 2012)
I don’t believe Joshua has arrived at “a
balanced position.” I believe he has arrived at a compromised position. While
he has sought to fear God, I am extremely concerned he has feared man in this
assessment. God knows for certain. I do know that Joshua is under extreme
temptation to compromise.
C.J. and the SGM Board of Directors
desperately want Covenant Life Church to leave the movement. Several months ago
Bob Kauflin was telling people he couldn’t understand why in the world CLC has
stayed this long. Covenant Life is a clog in the wheel. SGM wants them, and
other churches like them, out of the way. Mickey Connolly has told people for
months that SGM is at work making plans to plant churches next to churches that
leave. They are just waiting for that to happen and the sooner the better
starting in Gaithersburg area.
C.J., Dave Harvey and the Board of Directors
don’t want to be held up by churches like Covenant Life Church and Sovereign
Grace Church of Fairfax. They would especially love for Joshua or Mark Mullery
to say that C.J. is disqualified from ministry or shouldn’t be President of
SGM. The Board would pounce on such statements and discredit them by pointing
out the favorable results of the Preliminary Panel last August, the Three Panel
Review in January, and the “no comment” by Ambassadors of Reconciliation.
Furthermore, C.J. has drummed up a lot of sympathy in the Reformed world. He’s
successfully presented himself as the suffering servant and Joshua as the
neophyte leader who made horrendous mistakes. I understand the temptations to
adopt a “balanced position” but I believe that is a politically correct
position and not a biblically responsible decision.
Before I proceed let me hasten to say that
I am not seeking to divide Covenant Life Church or sow ungodly division. It was
wonderful listening to the audio from the June 28 Members’ Meeting. Many excellent
changes are being introduced and many tremendous things are happening in and
through the church. For instance, the Mission Report from Grant was
outstanding! No, I am seeking to sow truth which clarifies issues and sometimes
brings holy division and godly dissent. This is good and necessary. The CLC
pastors have done well to begin pursuing accountability from church members.
This is a prime opportunity to benefit from their feedback. Many disagree with
Joshua.
Let me proceed. If C.J. is qualified for ministry
then every pastor in the history of SGM removed from ministry is also qualified
for ministry (with one exception for repeated immorality). None of these men’s
sins exceeded C.J.’s. That’s one reason why so many of these men’s struggles
with C.J. have only increased over the past year.
No man I’ve worked with in the past 33
years has demonstrated such a wide spectrum of pride, unteachableness,
independence, hypocrisy, self-righteousness, love of reputation, deceit, sinful
anger, unfounded judgments, relational abuse, and the unjust treatment of
others as evidenced in C.J.’s life and ministry since August 20, 2004 when he
was confronted for these very things. He sinfully took control of that process
and he remains in control today. Nothing has changed.
If Joshua believes C.J. is qualified for
ministry then there are no standards for ministry in SGM or CLC. He should
gratefully invite C.J. back on staff and have him lead SGM out of CLC. Of
course, he will have to persuade the church that C.J. is above reproach.
Somehow, I don’t think the church will vote in favor of such a proposal.
This gets to the heart of the matter. That
is why I wanted to drive to Gaithersburg to talk with all the pastors. The
request was rejected and I didn’t receive an answer to my question about C.J.’s
qualifications. Maybe the church will be more successful because this remains
the central issue. Is C.J. above reproach? Joshua says yes. I say no. A year
ago Joshua was uncertain. Today he is convinced (or so it appears). C.J. will
get a lot of mileage out this one. “Hey Al, Mark, Lig, and every other leader
in the world, even Joshua Harris believes I’m qualified for ministry!” This
conclusion has radical implications. None good.
Joshua and the CLC pastors have backed
themselves into a corner. A year ago they told the church they would not remain
with SGM if C.J. returned as President. Here is some recent interaction between
Joshua and a church member (I’ve change their name) leading up to the Members'
Meeting on June 28.
06/23/2012 at 7:04 pm
Hi Josh –
Will you be including all the questions
that CLC has previously sent to SGM but have yet not received any answers from
them to date, and, can you confirm that CJ is again President of SGM (no longer
“interim” President), and if that is the case, how will that affect the
direction of CLC going forward and our relationship to SGM?
Thanks
Karen
##
06/24/2012 at 6:32 am
Hey Karen,
We shared the questions we’ve sent the
board at our last coffee & questions and I’d be happy to share those again
at our next one. But we’ll wait till after our July 6th meeting and see how
that conversation goes. CJ told me personally and he stated in his public
letter that he would only be president for a short time (a matter of months)
and I agreed that this was wise and the right decision. I’ve had no
confirmation from the board that this has changed. If it does...well, we’ll
cross that bridge when we come to it. Can’t answer right now. Grace to you!
Joshua
##
06/28/2012 at 2:37 pm
Hi Josh –
New update on the SGM website confirming
that CJ is indeed the President (not interim) of SGM. Perhaps we might hear
your thoughts on that and have some preliminary answers to my questions above
at tonight’s Members Meeting.
Thanks so much!
Karen
Joshua avoided the subject of C.J.’s return
as President at the Member’s Meeting. He came to the bridge but he didn’t cross
it. He needs to put on his walking shoes, get across that bridge, and get on
down the road. Here’s the dilemma, declaring C.J. fit to plant a church and be
a senior pastor makes his travel far more difficult. How does he reject C.J. as
President now?
Furthermore, applying the “C.J. standard”
to church members means no one need be concerned about church discipline except
for sexual sins of a serious nature or felonies under the law. In fact, pastors
like Kenneth, Grant, and Robin can be domineering, unteachable, and
hypocritical. They don’t have to be accountable to anyone, participate in small
groups, or talk to the others pastors about major life decisions. They can
deceive the other pastors when called to account, leave the church offended and
without counsel, rant and rave about the hostility of CLC, silence concerned
brothers by calling them slanderers, and then go plant a new church and take
people with them. All the while they remain above reproach. You know what, I
want a job at CLC! Talk about job security! Come to think of it, if the “C.J.
standard” was applied to me, I wouldn’t need a new job because I’d still be the
pastor of Grace Community Church just north of Charlotte, NC.
Furthermore, Joshua really can’t discipline
or rebuke church members if he is not willing to discipline or rebuke C.J. He
can’t remove people from membership if he won't remove C.J. from ministry. He
can’t hold pastors to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 if he doesn't hold C.J. to them.
He can’t rebuke elders who continue in sin if he doesn't rebuke C.J. for
continuing in sin. If any member or pastor gets into trouble, he need only play
the C.J. card.
C.J. has not repented. Sanctification has
not occurred. Proven character has not been grown. He has backslid from a year
ago when he was ready to face his deceit, provide a thorough response to my
documents, and make a public confession. I was right on the verge of meeting
with him when I discovered another of Dave’s deceitful actions and watched C.J.
lie yet again. Joshua is treating C.J.’s sins as trivial. That is the only way
you can conclude C.J. is fit for ministry.
If C.J. is the standard by which future
leaders will be judged than there is no standard. But in plain fact, C.J. is
not above reproach by any stretch of the imagination. He has sinned against
more people the past 12 months than any similar period of time going back to
1982 when I started working with him. Thousands of people have offenses with
him now and that is not due to gossip or slander. For instance, CLC asked him
to return to answer some questions with regard to his confession last July.
Instead he left the church the following week and never returned. How can a man
like that be President of SGM?
I’ve been honest regarding my thoughts
about Joshua but they equally apply to every pastor in Sovereign Grace who
believes C.J. is qualified for ministry. Many are making an issue out of polity
but they are afraid to make an issue out of character. Leaders must provide
moral leadership and express their disagreement with the Preliminary Panel and
Three Panel Review. They must also point out the obvious bias and superficial
nature of the report by Ambassadors of Reconciliation.
Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) has become
C.J. Mahaney Ministries (CJMM). It used to be about a team of men functioning
together. No longer. It is a one man show. All roads lead to C.J. He defines
priorities, sets strategic goals, evaluates the leadership team, and controls
the budget process. He is the official spokesperson to all SGM churches, the
wider Body of Christ, and the general public. He controls the message and its
content. He has already generated tons of propaganda. He is also the
co-chairman of the powerful Polity Committee. His committee will determine how
SGM is governed and operates. All SGM conferences will be controlled by him.
He’s already planned the Pastors Conference for this Fall. All the teachers are
fervent admirers. Each are teaching on “grace” but I’m afraid they will promote
an antinomian grace that excuses sins rather than biblical grace that turns us
from sin.
Here’s the point. C.J. is the almighty.
There is no question that the new Board is zealously building SGM around C.J.
Dave who? Josh who? Jeff who? Pete who? Aron who? “The grass withers and the
flower fades” except for C.J. He shines like the noon day sun.
“First, he [C.J.] is to lead the Leadership
Team in helping to define each team member’s priorities, in setting strategic
goals, in coordinating the evaluation of each team member and the ministry as a
whole, and in developing a budget—all this with the Board’s advice and consent.
Second, he is to serve as the spokesman for SGM to our local churches. Third,
he is to serve as a spokesman to the wider body of Christ and the general
public. Regarding projects, we’ve asked him to give his primary attention to
his leadership role on our Polity Committee and his leadership role for our
conference and music ministries.” (John Loftness, June 28, 2012)
By the way, C.J. is going to do all of this
in his spare time as a secondary calling and in spite of the fact that he’s not
gifted to be the President of SGM by his own admission. Right! He’s been the
“temporary” President for 7 months. Now he’s been made the long term President.
“As I [C.J.] step back into the role as
president, I will do so only temporarily. I think it would be wise for SGM to
have a new president who has gifts better suited to serve Sovereign Grace in
this next season…. I hope to return to what I believe is my primary calling
from God – pastoral ministry and the pulpit. This plays a significant role in
why my return as president is temporary.” (C.J. Mahaney, A
note to those in Sovereign Grace Ministries, January 25, 2012)
Chairman Loftness continues.
“While we are in a transitional phase as we
develop our polity, the landscape already has changed significantly. We are
positioning C.J. to lead, but the context of his office is quite different.”
“The landscape has significantly changed.”
True, SGM polity has gotten worse in practice. Dave and Jeff handpicked the
interim Board. All C.J. loyalists. The interim Board handpicked the new Board.
More C.J. devotees. The new Board handpicked the Polity Committee. Loaded it
with men who support C.J.’s polity. Furthermore, the new Board rubber stamped
the decision already made by C.J. to move SGM to Louisville and the three
review panels were chosen in secret by the interim Board and filled with
staunch supporters of C.J. Partially, favoritism and corruption has
characterized each step along the way.
All of this has happened on Dave’s and
C.J.’s watch. SGM is more autocratic than ever. For the first 6 months it was
under Dave deceptive leadership. For the last six months it’s been under C.J.’s
unchallenged leadership. John says the “office [of President] is quite different.”
That is true but not for the better. The Board has foolishly positioned C.J. to
rule by giving him more authority and power than he’s ever had in the past. All
of things mentioned in C.J.’s job descriptive used to be shared by the
apostolic team. True, we had to combat C.J.’s independence and oppose his
impulsive decisions but we attempted to hold C.J. accountable to team ministry.
Now C.J. is his own. The Board is not holding C.J. accountable. All they do is
commend his every move and rubber stamp his every decision. They have been, and
are, pawns and puppets in his hands. C.J. has surrounded himself with yes men
and gotten rid of anyone that might oppose him or say “no” to him.
That's why the problem is not only C.J. The
new Board is a major problem starting with its Chairman. Here is their recent
assessment of C.J. “This comprehensive process [of evaluation] has clearly
confirmed C.J.’s fitness to lead and his exceptional character as he has
graciously endured major trials.” There has been no comprehensive process and
John Loftness knows it. This so untrue. For example, I was never granted the
opportunity to present my charges against C.J., call witnesses in support of
those charges, cross examine C.J. or anyone else, or talk about the destruction
of my livelihood through horrendous means. None of this matters to John.
Bottom line, if you believe C.J.’s
“exceptional character” qualifies him to be President of SGM and the center of
the SGM universe than this Board’s for you! If you believe C.J. can flee
Covenant Life Church or relocate SGM to Louisville primarily because of
offenses than this Board’s for you. If you believe C.J. can have fractured
relationships with Dave Harvey, Ken Sande, Joshua Harris, Mark Mullery, Larry
Tomczak, Brent Detwiler and scores of other leaders than the new Board is a
perfect fit. In fact, if you believe Sovereign Grace Ministries should be
renamed C.J. Mahaney Ministries than you’re right at home.
Why? Because in case you haven’t noticed
the Board has made the future of SGM all about C.J. Not polity. Not apostolic
ministry. Not praxis. Not doctrine. It’s about unqualified support of CJMM. The
main thing for Chairman Loftness is to keep the main thing the main thing.
That’s C.J. In fact, he’s not the main thing, he’s essentially the only thing.
SGM is officially C.J. centered and the glory of SGM is C.J. He has
“exceptional character,” “graciously endured great trials,” been “the object of
an enormous amount of gossip and slander during this past year” and “no one…is better
suited for the office of President.” In the eyes of the Board C.J. has only
done right. He has done no wrong. That is why they have yet to criticize him.
In their report, Ambassadors of
Reconciliation said, “We admonish people throughout SGM to stop blaming one
another, especially trying to place blame on one person or group.” And recently
Joshua said “I want to call all of us to lay aside blame, to stop
finger-pointing.” This is contrary to Scripture in the face of such serious
sins that have yet to be acknowledged and have produced such carnage.
We must assign blame (guilt for wrongdoing)
where blame is due. We must point the finger in the direction of those most
guilty. That begins with C.J. It does not serve C.J. or the Board to escape
accountability.
Doesn’t anyone read the OT prophets? They
pressed home the iniquity and transgressions of the people and especially their
leaders. Ambassadors of Reconciliation did not do this with C.J. or the Board
of Directors. Now Joshua has joined the Board and AoR in exonerating C.J. by
declaring him above reproach and blameless. So has every pastor in SGM who has
not been willing to speak up in public about C.J.’s reproachable conduct.
A year later we have far more evidence that
C.J. is not qualified for ministry. If you want to do C.J. and SGM any good you
must be willing to say so and risk being hated. It will cost you. The last nine
years have been exceedingly difficult. In 2004-2005, C.J. turned against me
after I led a group effort to confront him. In 2006-2007, he sought to crush me
with abusive tactics. In 2008-2009, he completely severed our relationship. In
2009, he allowed Dave Harvey, Gene Emerson, and Bob Kauflin to remove me from
ministry by means of a kangaroo court. I've never been permitted to make my
case about any of these realities.
Rather than go public about these
realities, I wrote 7 documents for C.J. and the Board of Directors in
2011-2012. During that time period of time, I wrote the following personal note
to my oldest son for his expressions of care.
From:
Brent Detwiler
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 5:38 PM
To: Jonathan Detwiler
Subject: Re: Personal Update
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 5:38 PM
To: Jonathan Detwiler
Subject: Re: Personal Update
Thanks for your concern and encouragement.
Each day is difficult. Some days especially so. It is a battle. A fight. A
marathon. Only God’s grace keeps me going. Yet, I fully believe God is in this
work. He has sovereignly ordained the affairs of the last 10 years. In
particular these past two years. I figuratively find myself under “house
arrest” like Paul (Acts 28) or hidden away in the Wartburg Castle like Luther.
Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from his Roman
imprisonment. Luther translated the NT into German while holed up. Though no
Paul or Luther, I am writing treatises I hope will serve SGM. It is hard.
I contend with sickness and depression.
They are my enemies but the Lord will sustain me. The other night I was not
well in body or soul. The task I face is compounded by the relative isolation.
It is largely a work I must do in private with little support. Yet, your
kindnesses provide sweet encouragement.
A little window into my soul,
Dad
One year ago today, I sent out the first
four documents to the SGM pastors. I stayed up most of the night and continued
the next morning. Since then I have written 100 blog posts at
BrentDetwiler.com. I have prayed and hoped for a softening of hearts but in the
providence of God it has resulted in a hardening of hearts.
Jer 6:10,17 To whom shall I [the Lord of
hosts] speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are
uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an
object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it… I set watchmen over you, saying,
“Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!” But they said, “We will not pay
attention.”
Jer 7:27-28 So you [Jeremiah] shall speak
all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to
them, but they will not answer you. [28] And you shall say to them, “This is
the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not
accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.”
C.J. has rejected the Word of the Lord. So
too the Board of Directors. It is an object a scorn. They pay no attention to
it. They reject discipline. Truth has perished.
Jer 9:3 They bend their tongue like a bow;
falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from
evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.
Over the past 12 months, C.J. has hardened
his heart and become more embittered. It is time for SGM pastors to declare him
unfit for ministry and call for his resignation as President. If not
immediately forthcoming, every pastor should leave CJMM (aka SGM). Polity has
never been the central issue. Don’t make it the primary issue. That is a cop
out. Stay true to Scripture, testify against evil, suffer persecution,
experience hatred, and lead your church out of SGM.
Twelve months ago, the most pertinent
question was "Is C.J. above reproach?" The question was never
adjudicated but the answer is crystal clear a year later. Absolutely not.
I close with a personal note. Since being
removed from ministry in 2009, I've worked for the US Census Bureau, taken a
Real Estate course, gone through training to be a certified nurse’s assistant,
completed two computer courses and applied for 20-30 jobs. No success. One
person asked me what kind of work I was doing at present I told him I was a
writer and theologian. He asked me to explain what a theologian was - he had
never heard of such a vocation.
All that aside. The Scripture says a
laborer is worthy of his wage. Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of
charging $150 per hour like Ted Kober or having a 250-300k compensation package
like C.J. The only support I receive comes from people who appreciate my
labors. I have never worked harder in all my life. I am not the watchmen of SGM
but I am a watchmen. Watchmen and prophets don’t get paid well but would you
please consider sending a gift or donation for our sustenance? See A
Timely Call to Help the Detwilers. Thank you.
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