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| Dr. Ligon Duncan |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/lawsuit-claims-evangelical-church-group-concealed-sex-abuse-allegations-in-md-va/2012/10/17/75218ba8-187a-11e2-a346-f24efc680b8d_story.html. Of course, as the stories broke for years on blogs, SGM Survivors and SGM Refuge, as well as from the well-documented records of Brent Detwiler, two "Defenders" of Mahaney arose, among others. They arose almost immediately and without inquiry or cross-examination of evidence. They are and were: Al Mohler, an Anabaptist President of Southern Seminary, and Dr. Ligon Duncan, Pastor of First Presbyterian, Jacksonville, MS, and Headman for Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. They offered full-throated support to the media for their "friend," C.J. Mahaney. Why in the world Mahaney, a high school graduate, is a Board Member of Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is just beyond comprehension. The "defenses" were extremely unwise as we noted at the time, especially for Presbyterians who generally are known for caution, care, and prudence. Ligon Duncan stepped "in it." (See below.) Furthermore, Dr. Carl Trueman, an otherwise astute historian and Professor at the alma mater, Westminster Seminary, also weighed in in behalf of Mahaney. These men were simply unacquainted with the facts and details. Reformed Anglicanism wrote Dr. Trueman advising him to, essentially, back off. They did not have the entire factual pattern, yet they spoke publicly. We learn from the Kings and Chronicles, notably, that kings have mixed records and express their wickednesses, from time to time. We could say more, but it is important that these men "walk back" their endorsement of Mahaney and publicly observe that they were hasty, imprudent, unwise, injudicious, incautious and--well---just too full of themselves. We've posted below a few comments from one of the blogs. Men, if you want to publicly defend a man--in the press--to the press--to the nation--to a wide constituency--whose history you didn't research, you need to publicly defer to wisdom and offer retractions...publicly. It is easily done. Time to man up. Both of you have given justifiable offenses to weaker folks. You are being mocked and with merit. Your support was premature, thoughtless, uncritical, unfair, unjust, and unwise. Fix it, Gentlemen. Be men. Also, tell Mahaney to return to CLC and adjudicate the outstanding offenses there too. If not, you will reap what you've sown. I write as an Elder in Israel and a Churchman in the historic, apostolic, catholic and holy Church of the centuries.
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Mohler added: “Any time you’re going to take on the role of leadership, you’re going to have critics.”
Mohler also supported Sovereign Grace’s highly centralized leadership structure in its churches, with “very strong pastoral direction” and internal discipline.
“It’s something clearly called for in the New Testament,” he said.
Mohler said he knew this practice has had online critics for years.”
http://blogs.courier-journal.com/faith/2011/07/12/mohler-backs-mahaney-dismisses-accusations-of-abusive-leadership/
And Ligon’s incredible words which are forever ingrained in my mind:
“I would then encourage you to ignore the assaults of wounded people on attack websites and blogs, and that you discount the opinings of those who have no real knowledge of these matters or relation to SGM or authority to comment upon them, and that you refrain from assuming that you (or they) are in a position to render judgment on these things.”
http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2011/07/a-word-about-cj-mahaney-and-so.php
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