Kevin DeYoung: Why No Denomination Will Survive the Homosexuality Crisis

http://www.christianpost.com/news/why-no-denomination-will-survive-the-homosexuality-crisis-78296/

Why No Denomination Will Survive the Homosexuality Crisis

By Kevin DeYoung , CP Guest Contributor

July 16, 2012|10:31 am

There is no way, short of a miraculous and full-scale changing of hearts and minds, for North American denominations to survive the homosexuality crisis. Denominations like the PCUSA, ELCA, RCA, UMC, and Episcopal Church will continue. They won't fold their tents and join the Southern Baptists (though wouldn't that be interesting!). I'm not suggesting most of our old, mainline denominations will disappear. But I do not see how any of these once flourishing denominations will make it through the present crisis intact.

And the sooner denominations admit this sobering reality the better.

Every denomination is different. The percentages on both sides of the issue and the official positions are not identical. But the basic contours of the problem are quite similar.

On one side you have liberals who want to see the church open its doors to the GLBT agenda. They want homosexual behavior welcomed and affirmed. They want to perform gay marriages. They want gays and lesbians to be ordained to church office. Liberals (or "progressives" or whatever-I'm trying to use neutral labels) see this as a justice issue. They believe conservatives are simply on the wrong side of history and that one day we will look at our traditional attitudes toward gays and lesbians like we look at old attitudes toward African Americans or our old attitudes toward women's ordination. We will be embarrassed to see that we could have been so blind and bigoted for so long.

On the other side you have conservatives who want to see the church maintain purity and biblical fidelity. They want homosexuals to be loved and treated with respect. But they believe the behavior cannot be tolerated as Christian behavior. They see this as a gospel issue. They believe liberals are simply on the wrong side of the Bible and one day will be embarrassed to see how much we dishonored God by capitulating to our culture. To cave on this issue is not only to reject the plain teaching of Scripture, affirmed for two millennia of church history, but it says to people "peace, peace" where there is no peace.

In the middle are those who want both sides to get along. Maybe these third way folks are liberals willing to let conservatives keep doing their thing for awhile because they believe today's conservatives will slowly evolve or die off. Maybe they are institutional loyalists who want to preserve the denomination at all costs. Maybe they consider homosexuality a relatively minor issue, one not worth fighting over and dividing the church over. Or maybe, as is often the case, those advocating for a third way are conservatives who don't want to be the meanies who put up a fight.

These are the three main parties in this controversy-left, right, and center-and there is no way to make each of them happy. There is no way for mainline denominations to broker a compromise that everyone can live with.

What If

Let's say denomination XYZ adopts a full blown official open and affirming policy. Conservatives and many middle of the roaders will leave. How can they not? The denomination, as they see it, is calling "good" what God calls "sin."

If the XYZ tightens up a conservative stance, the liberals will be livid. The denomination, as they see it, is telling their friends, their family members, their partners, and some of them, that they are not welcome any longer. The liberals could then leave, or, more likely, continue to fight or simply ignore the denomination.

At which point, the conservatives, if they are willing and able (and they are probably neither), can engage in case after case of church discipline, until the liberals leave or have been defrocked.
Apart from discipline, however, assuming the liberals continue to push against the stated position, eventually the denomination will just let them be and allow for what they technically say they won't allow.

Or, before that happens the conservatives will say enough is enough and leave a denomination they believe is no longer reformable and no longer demonstrates the third mark of the church.

Third ways don't work either. It may sound like a brilliant compromise to deploy another study committee, but this merely kicks the can down the road. It says "pass" on the crisis, only to push the crisis into someone else's lap a few years later. The denomination must fish or cut bait. It must decide what it really believes. And if it decides to never decide but just keep studying, then many folks will conclude, rightly I believe, that the denomination's de facto position is "let's just agree to disagree." This will be unacceptable to conservatives.

If denomination XYZ goes one step further and allows for a "local option" or puts homosexuality in the category of "conscience" this is a decision of its own. It says that homosexuality is such a minor issue or such an ambiguous issue that we shouldn't take a firm stance. This too will be unacceptable to many conservatives. Over time, it will be unacceptable to liberals too, who would probably view such a "compromise" (though they might not say it out loud) as training wheels meant to help the denomination ride through a difficult time until the progressive position seizes the day.

Admitting the Obvious, Proposing the Unthinkable

I understand that many good Christians love their denominations deeply. I love mine too. I don't want to see the RCA crash and burn, or fall apart. I recognize that many Christians are loathe to consider any option that involves anything less than staying together no matter what. They want to hope against hope that everything will work out and there will be some way for everyone to get along. But it is no virtue of Christian hope to trust God for contradictions. He cannot make circles to simultaneously be squares. We are not losing confidence in our almighty God if we admit that many of our denominations face intractable problems. We can't "unify" our way out of this mess or press people to stop having mutually exclusive convictions for the sake of our institutions, pensions, or pride. The fact is there is no third way, no fourth way, no tenth way out of this controversy that leaves all the pieces in the same places they are now. Groups will split. Bodies will rearrange. Parts will realign.

Maybe not this year. Maybe not on your watch. But soon enough.
So my plea is for these denominations to make a definitive stand. Make it right, left, or center, but make one and make it clearly.

Insist that member churches and pastors hold to this position. And then graciously open a big door for any pastor or church who cannot live in this theological space to exit with their dignity, their time, and their property. Because sometimes the best way to preserve unity is to admit that we don't have it.

This article was originally posted here.

Joel Osteen on Homosexuality

 

Kevin Deyoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, and a Council Member of The Gospel Coalition.

SGM-Mahaneygate: "Meet the New Boss, Same Old Boss (CJ)"

http://thewartburgwatch.com/2012/07/12/sovereign-grace-ministries-meet-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss/

Sovereign Grace Ministries: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Posted on Thu Jul 12, 2012 by deb

 

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

Chinese Proverb

Won't Get Fooled Again (Wikipedia)

Several months have passed since we last focused on Sovereign Grace Ministries. SGM, perhaps more than any other ministry espousing reformed theology, has held to STRICT complementarianism. Could it be that what has occurred in SGM is merely a foreshading of what is to come in other like-minded ministries?

For those who may be unfamiliar with SGM and what has occurred in this ministry, I highly recommend reading our post Mahaney / SGM – Unprecedented Rescue by the SBC?

It will clue you in on the strong ties between C.J. Mahaney, Al Mohler, and Mark Dever. There can be no question that Mahaney has Mohler to thank for rescuing him from a desperate situation. Last April we featured a post entitled AOR Report – Just How Unhealthy Is SGM?

The Ambassadors or Reconciliation (AoR) were hired by the SGM Board to render an 'impartial' assessment of Sovereign Grace Ministries. AoR delayed issuing its report and released it just prior to the Together for the Gospel conference held in April. From what we understand,Ted Kober of AoR met with SGM leaders in Louisville. Does anyone know whether there was an Ambassadors of Reconciliation booth at the T4G bookstore? Were Kober and Co. there peddling their services to all the pastors in attendance?

The AoR report was woefully lacking, and it's fairly obvious that they did not want to bite the hand that was feeding them. Here are a few highlights from their report:

"Because we met with such a small percentage of members (less than 1⁄2 of 1%), our observations may not accurately reflect the entire association of churches. Nevertheless, we offer these observations as part of our report." Ambassadors of Reconciliation Report, page 13

After reading the report, I understand why so many did not meet with the Ambassadors of Reconciliation. For those who did come forward, here is what AoR representatives reported:

"Those most upset displayed to us anger or bitterness or hatred toward SGM and their former church leaders for events that took place ten to fifteen years ago. Some were so hurt or angry that they displayed tears, raised voices, clenched fists, and other physical demonstrations of anger. As we talked about bitterness or anger, several responded with raised or strained voices to our team members insisting that they were not angry or bitter." (p. 18, AoR Report) "Of the 250 different individuals that provided input to AoR, about half were estimated to be no longer directly associated with SGM. These included past SGM leaders, pastors, and members of SGM churches. Considering that SGM has approximately 28,000 people in its churches, AoR received direct information from less than one half of one percent of the total current membership. Accordingly, AoR was unable to conclude that the input it received accurately reflects the majority of viewpoints from people currently in SGM churches." (p. 5, AoR Report)

In that post, we analyzed AoR's findings about SGM in light of questions Ronald Enroth poses in his book Recovering from Churches That Abuse, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, 1994. Here is a list of those questions that helps one determine whether a church is healthy or unhealthy?

1. Does a member’s personality generally become stronger, happier, more confident as a result of contact with the group?
2. Do members of the group seek to strengthen their family commitments?
3. Does the group encourage independent thinking and the development of discernment skills?
4. Does the group allow for individual differences of belief and behavior, particularly on issues of secondary importance?
5. Does the group encourage high moral standards both among members and between members and non members?
6. Does the group’s leadership invite dialogue, advice and evaluation from outside its immediate circle?
7. Does the group allow for development in theological beliefs?
8. Are group members encouraged to ask hard questions of any kind?
9. Do members appreciate truth wherever it is found even if it is outside their group?
10. Is the group honest in dealing with nonmembers, especially as it tries to win them to the group?
11. Does the group foster relationships and connections with the larger society that are more than self-serving?

In recent weeks, Sovereign Grace Ministries has relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. Church planting certainly seems to be their focus, and it will be interesting to see whether there is a merger in the works between SGM and Sojourn Ministries.

Jim over at SGM Refuge has just provided an update about what is happening in SGM, and we thought we would share that information with our readers. Jim's post includes excerpts from a post over at SGM Nation entitled What the SGM Polity Process Tells Us About SGM.
Phil Sasser, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, North Carolina – the SGM church Dee and I attended to hear C.J. preach – serves as SGM Polity Chair. He sent a letter to SGM pastors last month that states the following:

"Dear Fellow Pastors,

We have been encouraged by your response to the planned polity presentations in Louisville next month. Several pastors have indicated a desire to make a presentation, and we are looking forward to hearing from them. Many more have expressed a desire to listen to the polity presentations. In light of this, Tommy Hill and the SGM staff have found a suitable venue to accommodate additional seating for these presentations at the Legacy Hotel. As previously announced, the polity presentations will take place on July 10-11 and July 24-25. These presentations are only open to SGM pastors, the Leadership Team, and staff supporting the Committee. The Polity Committee has set aside two additional days (July 12 and July 26) in order to discuss and process what we’ve heard from you; these meetings will be with the Committee members only. SGM Board members have been invited to sit in on the Committee’s meetings, but only to listen. The presentations will begin at 8AM on July 10, so if you’re planning to attend we’d recommend you arrive in Louisville on the evening of July 9. At this point, we will assume that the July 24-25 meetings will have the same start time. If you wish to make a presentation, please send me your paper and indicate that you would like to present; and I will put you on the schedule. If you have a preference for when you would like to present, let me know and I will try to accommodate your request. Of course, you may elect to send a paper without actually making a presentation if you so desire… The Committee members will seek to make themselves available to talk to any Sovereign Grace pastor at any point in this process. The Committee’s work of formulation and writing will likely not begin until early August. We realize that we have established an aggressive timeline. At the same time, we are committed to doing a good job. If upon further review, we do not think that we can meet our objectives by the fall of this year, we reserve the right to adjust the timeline. Please know that we will do our very best to serve you in this process."

Here are two EXCELLENT observations (among others) over at SGM Nation that have been made in response to Sasser's letter:

"Truth be told – there was far too little time given to allow pastors to even consider the topic of polity in a meaningful way, much less, give themselves to study or write a paper. It's either poor management or cleverly designed process to minimize opposing views."
"SGM procrastinated on the polity issue for years and now they want to wrap it up in a matter of days, months… this is absurd – there's too little time for them to be in a hurry over something as important as this. This is about control – asserting it, maintaining it and propagating it for the next phase of SGM."

In case you're wondering what C.J. is up to, you might be interested to know that he will be returning to Kevin DeYoung's church this weekend to deliver the message on Sunday. He has aready preached there several times in the recent past. Of course, you remember Kevin DeYoung… one of the review panel members who judged C.J. fit for ministry (along with Carl Trueman and Ray Ortlund). For details about Mahaney's appearance at DeYoung's church, please consult Together for the Nonsense.
C.J. Mahaney's reputation is being rebuilt by all of his YRR colleagues, and many inside and outside SGM are sitting idly by and watching it happen.

Yes, the spin continues . . . May I recommend this post written exactly three months ago – Mahaney's Mind-Blowing Machination ?

Here is the most appropriate song I could find to describe what is currently taking place. Yes, meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

Lydia's Corner: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 Revelation 10:1-11 Psalm 138:1-8 Proverbs 30:11-14

YRR-T4G DeYoung Hosts Mahaney

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/07/11/c-j-mahaney-at-urc/

C.J. Mahaney at URC

University Reformed Church is please to have C.J. Mahaney fill the pulpit this Sunday morning at our 9:00 and 11:oo worship services. If you’re in the area, you are welcome to worship with us.

Kevin DeYoung: Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Homoerotic Unions

http://www.christianpost.com/news/five-reasons-christians-should-continue-to-oppose-gay-marriage-74704/

By Kevin DeYoung , CP Guest Contributor

May 10, 2012|9:01 am

Yesterday, to no one's surprise, President Obama revealed in an interview that after some "evolution" he has "concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married." This after the Vice-President came out last Sunday strongly in favor of gay marriage. Not coincidentally, the New York Times ran an article on Tuesday (an election day with a marriage amendment on one ballot) about how popular and not controversial gay television characters have become. In other words, everyone else has grown up so why don't you? It can seem like the whole world is having a gay old time, with conservative Christians the only ones refusing to party.

The temptation, then, is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight: "It's no use staying in this battle," we think to ourselves. "We don't have to change our personal position. We'll keep speaking the truth and upholding the Bible in our churches, but getting worked up over gay marriage in the public square is counter productive. It's a waste of time. It makes us look bad. It ruins our witness. And we've already lost. Time to throw in the towel." I understand that temptation. It is an easier way. But I do not think it is the right way, the God glorifying way, or the way of love.

Here are five reasons Christians should continue to publicly and winsomely oppose bestowing the term and institution of marriage upon same-sex couples:

1. Every time the issue of gay marriage has been put to a vote by the people, the people have voted to uphold traditional marriage. Even in California. In fact, the amendment passed in North Carolina on Tuesday by a wider margin (61-39) than a similar measure passed six years ago in Virginia (57-42). The amendment passed in North Carolina, a swing state Obama carried in 2008, by 22 percentage points. We should not think that gay marriage in all the land is a foregone conclusion. To date 30 states have constitutionally defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

2. The promotion and legal recognition of homosexual unions is not in the interest of the common good. That may sound benighted, if not bigoted. But we must say it in love: codifying the indistinguishability of gender will not make for the "peace of the city." It rubs against the grain of the universe, and when you rub against the grain of divine design you're bound to get splinters. Or worse. The society which says sex is up to your own definition and the family unit is utterly fungible is not a society that serves its children, its women, or its own long term well being.

3. Marriage is not simply the term we use to describe those relationships most precious to us. The word means something and has meant something throughout history. Marriage is more than a union of hearts and minds. It involves a union of bodies–and not bodies in any old way we please, as if giving your cousin a wet willy in the ear makes you married. Marriage, to quote one set of scholars, is a" comprehensive union of two sexually complementary persons who seal (consummate or complete) their relationship by the generative act-by the kind of activity that is by its nature fulfilled by the conception of a child. So marriage itself is oriented to and fulfilled by the bearing, rearing, and education of children." This conjugal view of marriage states in complex language what would have been a truism until a couple generations ago. Marriage is what children (can) come from. Where that element is not present (at the level of sheer design and function, even if not always in fulfillment), marriage is not a reality. We should not concede that "gay marriage" is really marriage. What's more, as Christians we understand that the great mystery of marriage can never be captured between a relationship of Christ and Christ or church and church.

4. Allowing for the legalization of gay marriage further normalizes what was until very recently, and still should be, considered deviant behavior. While it's true that politics is downstream from culture, it's also true that law is one of the tributaries contributing to culture. In our age of hyper-tolerance we try to avoid stigmas, but stigmas can be an expression of common grace. Who knows how many stupid sinful things I've been kept from doing because I knew my peers and my community would deem it shameful. Our cultural elites may never consider homosexuality shameful, but amendments that define marriage as one man and one woman serve a noble end by defining what is as what ought to be. We do not help each other in the fight for holiness when we allow for righteousness to look increasingly strange and sin to look increasingly normal.

5. We are naive if we think a laissez faire compromise would be enjoyed by all if only the conservative Christians would stop being so dogmatic. The next step after giving up the marriage fight is not a happy millennium of everyone everywhere doing marriage in his own way. The step after surrender is conquest. I'm not suggesting heterosexuals would no longer be able to get married. What I am suggesting is that the cultural pressure will not stop with allowing for some "marriages" to be homosexual. It will keep mounting until all accept and finally celebrate that homosexuality is one of Diversity's great gifts. The goal is not for different expressions of marriage, but for the elimination of definitions altogether. Capitulating on gay marriage may feel like giving up an inch in bad law to gain a mile in good will. But the reality will be far different. For as in all of the devil's bargains, the good will doesn't last nearly so long as the law.

This article was originally posted here.

READ: JOHN PIPER- HUMANS DON'T CREATE OR DEFINE MARRIAGE. GOD DOES.

Ken Hutcherson: God Says Gay Marriage Wrong, Not Good for Society (VIDEO)

Kevin DeYoung, RCA, Revisionists, and Gay-Issues (Again)

Stand Firm in the Faith brings this report at:  http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/28533

Revisionists Set Their Sites on the Reformed Church in America

Rev. Kevin DeYoung, RCA
Churchman

I mentioned in my article this morning that revisionist activists have set their sites on the Reformed Church in America (RCA). As usual, they’re using human sexuality as their wedge issue. But, thankfully, it looks like RCA pastor and reformed blogger, Kevin DeYoung isn’t taking things lying down. He’s published a two part frontal assault on the activists, calling his denomination to ignore calls for moderation and reaffirm biblical orthodoxy both in word and practice. DeYoung provides a great example of how to take the fight to the enemy early and publicly. You can read what he’s written by following the links below:

Homosexuality and the RCA: A Call for Action, Consistency, and Faithfulness (Part 1)
Homosexuality and the RCA: A Call for Action, Consistency, and Faithfulness (Part 2)

Here’s a resolution drafted for the RCA’s General Synod

And here’s an examination of human sexuality in light of one of the RCA’s core documents:Does the Heidelberg Catechism Have Anything to Say About Homosexuality?

DeYoung’s put out some great work. Be sure to read as much of it as you can.

Non-Cessationist: SGM-Mahaney Blogging Going Viral

http://sgmrefuge.com/2010/09/20/revised-and-annotated-organizational-chart-for-sovereign-grace-ministries-hierarchal-polity/

Bible

Sep

20

REVISED and ANNOTATED Organizational Chart for Sovereign Grace Ministries’ Hierarchal Polity

Introduction

“Revised” is a kind word for taking note of pathetic confusion; mine own not excepted.

Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) is a bear that believes itself to be whale. There’s nothing intended in that statement other than SGM is a creature that thinks it is something else other than what it really is.

SGM is simply not clear in any respect to the origin, nature and purposes of its polity. I think 50 different flock members would give 50 different answers, and probably the same number of pastors, frankly. I get one story/email one night from someone allegedly in the know, and the next day I get one from someone else allegedly in the know giving me contradictory information. Nobody has a bead on SGM’s polity, including SGM itself.

After hours of analyzing comments and notes, the following three major points have come to the forefront in annotating the organizational chart for SGM.

Notes (referenced above)

1. There are different ideas as to the nature and purposes of regional/sub-regional leaders in SGM. In their current state, this regional/sub-regional post and/or office would appear to be a bridge between a corporate/business entity and the Church. In studying this, I realized in an epiphany-like moment what many may have been trying to tell me for a long time: based on the legal documents and decades-long behavior, Sovereign Grace Ministries is a business, with a business model that is trying to squeeze through a siphon (the regional/sub-regional leaders and a theological mouthpiece) in order to play church.

This realization—which will be called an oversimplification, I’m sure—was a cocktail of relief, dread, freedom, and grief. It put me on my knees, and in the end, that is never a bad thing.

2. In comments and emails, one theme resounds: any person or entity above the laity/congregation in an SGM church is appointed by someone higher up, and those posts/offices are never elected or affirmed in a practical sense by the laity/congregation. Never.

3. The office/post of elder has most often been assigned to members of the pastoral team or care group leaders, primarily separately, in SGM-affiliated churches. There is no clear picture whatsoever on exactly who the elders are to the flock, and this changes from church to church.

Summary

These three points indicate a morass of confusion, which I believe ties to overwhelming factors in point number 1. In its current form, Sovereign Grace Ministries needs to be honest and call itself a para-church ministry for pastors…which is ironic, given SGM’s proclivity to pan para-church ministries, excepting very few. Instead, it simply cannot keep itself out of the church. And when an organization whose primary purpose is to train pastors inserts itself into the church, the sheep pay for it.

The maddening aspect of all of this is how it tries to be the best of both worlds, yet what happens is SGM wants to have its cake and eat it, too. It claims hands-off one moment, while behind its back it is very much hands-on. It denies running the churches yet tells people they can leave if they don’t like the polity. SGM fancies itself a helping hand while squeezing the sheep dry.

This dichotomy of passive-aggressive/authoritarian nonsense is nothing but conscious duplicity that feigns ignorance when called onto the carpet.

How does SGM reform? It has to completely change the nature of itself if it continues to play church. The major contributing factor to all of this is how CLC and SGM seem to be inextricable. CLC serves as a testing ground for the latest SGM-isms, a hub for all things SGM and a launching pad for things that have had adverse effects on the sheep elsewhere.

SGM takes credit for the positive, then quickly exits through the back door when things go south and the church starts burning. This type of behavior brings shame on so many levels, I can’t even describe it without getting angered. Thank God He has the ability to rescue and reconstitute.

The emails I get that make the grand claim that most congregants are happy with SGM–and will I please leave poor SGM alone–are primarily from those who benefit positively from these church experiments, i.e., it works for them. “Constant change is here to stay” is simply double-talk for we-do-what-we-want, and “essentially Reformed with Charismatic distinctives” could be translated to mean the exact same thing…we do what we want. This isn’t an eat-the-meat-and-spit-out-the-bones action in its purest sense. SGM wants to be able to define its bones/enemies while trying to convince the churches they truly have been able to distill Christianity’s greatest hits for you to enjoy and lord over everyone else.

SGM will continue to abuse and destroy more sheep until it comes clean with how it does business. I repeat an earlier observation: SGM has to entirely change its nature, God willing. And this will mean nothing without repentance and nixing its current policy of labeling those wronged as the “tyranny of the aggrieved.”

Reformation. It’s that complex, and it’s that simple.

CoffeeTraderNews's Take on C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries

Again, as Confessional Calvinists and Prayer Book Anglicans, we have no dog in this fight, although sifting through 1000s of reader responses and numerous blogs, there are problems warranting review and, assuredly, solid grounds to recommend AGAINST the Baptacostal circuit riders like Piper, Mohler, and others.  We believe this is beginning to extend to Baptyerian outfits like Ref21, Ligonier Conferences, and APE (Alliance of Professing Evangelicals, otherwise known as the "Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals"...we like the acronym APE better than ACE).  It's a "celeb culture" with some cultic and authoritarian tendencies that are better addressed by routine Bible reading, use of the old Prayer Book, and regular reviews of the old Confessions, including the Articles.  You'll be a very healthy Churchman or Churchwoman with this regimen--in fact, it was recommended by an austere and faithful Bishop, John Charles Ryle.  It will keep the loons at bay. Better stuff with the old men!  Therein is much doctrine, worship and piety!  We're old Marines here.  We're tough.  But, the "celeb culture" must be torn down, brick by brick. 

http://coffeetradernews.blogspot.com/

CJ Mahaney and SGM: The Systematic Approach to Sin Sniffing

http://www.scribd.com/sgmwikileaks (pack a lunch before reading)
http://sgmsurvivors.com/
http://sgmrefuge.com/
http://www.sojournsg.com/

Check out the links above for everything you need to know about SGM and C.J. Mahaney.

Now, before reading this post, take the red pill. If you are reluctant, all I can advise is to definitely take the red pill before reading the sgmwikileaks documents. You will thank me...someday.





Blue pills are still being administered all over Christendom as they have been for years to prop up evil systems. You will hear the ominous threats of "gossip" from religous leaders and their sycophants if you dare read the documents above. But don't feel guilty. Read them. Truth is important. Truth is not gossip.

Of course, some of us have long known there were serious systemic problems with CJ Mahaney and SGM. All one has to do is google (always do this before joining any movement or even your local church) and one finds, sgmsurvivors, sgmrefuge, my sojournwithsgm, etc, a veritable litany of what is wrong with SGM and a trail miles long littered with it's victims.

Just a few hours of reading the docs and you can pretty much tell it is a cult or cultish at the very least. But wait, how can it be a cult or cultish if Mohler, Dever, Duncan, Piper, etc, all vouch for SGM's leading "Apostle" C.J. Mahaney? The answer is that you have been taking blue pills for way too long so you missed the reality that Christendom has become a huge business full of power, fame,greed and lots of "merchandising" of the Gospel with conferences and "you blurb my book and I will blurb yours" going on. With power and celebrity being the main focus. None of this can go on for so long without followers giving their money and adoring the celebrities...even obeying them.

A few things struck me in the documents:

A long time leader in SGM (Brent) kept meticulous notes and documentation for over 13 years. He claims to be the unofficial historian of SGM.

This document guy is one of "them". Many of us are thankful he kept the documentation for so long but to be honest, he is one of them. He did not keep them to "out" SGM so much as to keep a list of sins to be confronted and timelines of how they were not confessed...or not confessed properly. He is like a relentless, annoying Nathan who is just as guilty as David but cannot see it.

He thought this was normal. SGM thinks this is normal. The entire leadership of SGM thinks this is normal. People who attend SGM churches think this is normal. This.... "sin sniffing".

Now, you may be thinking...wow! Sins such as embezzelment or adultery....no, my friend, it is much worse. The sins documented are things like pride, lack of being accountable, not having the proper reaction to a rebuke, etc....... ad nauseum.

Now, I had heard the term "sin sniffing" from former SGMers but I never really understood the depth of the terminology UNTIL I read the docs. It is unbelievable. These "men" have way too much time on their hands, way too much money and way too big of egos. They need to be rebuked. Just kidding. It is way too far far gone for that. That would be simply playing their game. Run away from them.

I am not so sure what is worse, the "sin sniffing" or the method of confrontation for the sin of having a "look of pride".

Every single confrontation is preceeded by a lot of cheesy "Christianese" such as, " I love you, you are a brother in Christ" and ends with praises to God. The Dale Carnegie approach to sin sniffing? Do they not see how fake it all sounds while they rip each other to shreds or ignore the glaring REAL sin that is never to be named? No, it is all vague and broad.

This is the system that CJ built. Our Lord is mentioned A LOT but no where in sight.

My first thoughts upon reading this were, 'This is what highly paid ministers in the top rungs of a large "family of churches" do with their time'? I am not joking when I say they sounded like Junior High girls trying to analyze each other and nit picking every action, every word. I had flashbacks!

And this went on for years....because it is the FOUNDATION of SGM. It was built on this sort of sin sniffing and it is universal in their "family of churches" . It was as if the Resurrection never happened for them. They did not get the indwelling Holy Spirit because they are stuck on a "pre Cross" religion.... living under a sort of "Christian" Oral Law they created and fine tuned just for their movement.

Now, as I am reading the docs, I am fully aware of how victims of sexual molestation were treated at SGM by their "pastor college" trained pastors...or are they apostles (little" a" because Mahaney is the big "A")? I was already aware of the trail of wounded from PDI (People of Destiny) to SGM before I read the docs.

Rabbit trail alert: Does anyone else find the name "People of Destiny" like a neon sign warning "cult ahead"? Good move changing the name, CJ. It gave you some breathing time before the cult methods were outed. I cannot picture Al Mohler partnering with an "Apostle" from the "People of Destiny", can you?

So, reading the docs, one stumbles upon "CJ the blackmailer".

But even before we get to the blackmail we see that CJ is quite good at what he does. Whenever he is confronted, he is very nice about it while he cleverly twists it around to make the other person confronting him the "real sinner". Very clever. Machiavelli would be proud. Too bad email was invented. If it had not been, this would be a simple matter of he said/he said and CJ would win by default as an "Apostle", big A.

Back to blackmail. Well, CJ was not demanding money so I am not sure blackmail is the right word. Perhaps "pastoral confidence hostage" is better. And this happened with his former partner and "brother in Christ", Larry Tomczak, in the PDI days. Well, actually he is using Larry's teenage son (at the time) as the hostage, to blackmail Larry.

CJ used a private pastoral confession as leverage to keep his former partner (Larry Tomzak) quiet about PDI/SGM going Calvinist. It is not easy to take Charismatics to Calvinism when you have promoted "prophecy mic's" and are speaking in tongues. Even being a "big A" Apostle does not quite fit with "going Calvinist". (They prefer the more acceptable term, "Reformed")

Here is the back story if you are too lazy or busy to slog through the 600 pages of documentation.

Larry's teenage son had some sexual sin in his life. And it was serious. It is not quite clear if it was coerced sexual sin or not but that seems to be the case since there was a victim. If it was, CJ should have called the authorities and at least acknowledged the victim. But we know SGM does not "do" victims who have suffered any molestation from their own. In fact, victims of sexual molestation are in sin for not giving instant forgiveness... as we know from Noel's story of her 3 year old being molested by another SGM'er. (google sgmsurvivors-noel's story and it is not the only sexual victim story from SGM and how it was handled)

Anywho, so CJ hears Larry's teenage son's confession and promises pastoral confidentiality. I am not clear on the details of what happened with the victim but CJ seems to have wrapped it all up nicely for Larry and his son and made the problem "go away".

Then CJ wants to make changes in the movement that Larry does not agree with.
So, CJ simply alludes (CJ never comes right out and says what he really means)
he will make the sexual molestation stuff about Larry's son known if he does not go along or keep his mouth shut about them. Let us just say that Larry, his wife and some others in leadership think it was blackmail.

Larry and CJ split, PDI becomes the more acceptable name of SGM and PRESTO! a new brand of Reformers appear as Calvinists waving their hands in song and praying in tongues. Frozen Chosen? I think not. And like magic, we have a charistmatic wing of Calvinism in the New Reformed Movement that is sweeping our land.

CJ climbs his way up the Reformed elite ladder...acceptance by the big cheeses....Piper, Mohler, Dever, T4G, etc....becomes a player with book deals (one on Humility, no less!) and lots of speaking gigs. He is accepted into the Reformed elite, making big money and is quite popular. (They even had the grace to ignore his constant "giggling")

All the while, he has Brent (the author of the docs and unoffical SGM historian) dogging him...sin sniffing him. Email after email..... for years and years. Meeting after meeting with the "A" team. (If you can believe it...they have an A team. Let me guess...Apostle team?)

After all, this is the "shepherding" system CJ created. It had everything but the state magistrates Calvin had at his disposal. But who needs magistrates when you have apostles, care team leaders and brainwashed sycophants running all over SGM churches sin sniffing people? The Soviets could not have devised a better system of control. One blog commenter said the docs reminded him of reading the tactics of the Chinese under Mao, during the cultural revolution, where forced confession and re-education were everyday happenings.

But there was one tiny problem. CJ was not supposed to be a recipient of his own system.

This sin sniffing was only for everyone else. He is a big A Apostle, remember? Doesn't Brent realize this? No. Brent did not get that memo. In fact, Brent did not think the "unwritten" rules applied to him. He did not take into consideration that CJ is the brand. He IS SGM. He has the ear of Mohler, Dever, Piper, etc.

Big mistake, because they tried to fire Brent (forced resignation just like they do in the corporate world.) And remember, Brent is one of them. He has left a trail of wounded in his long career with PDI/SGM.

There is more but I will cut to the chase because the timeline becomes very interesting. And this is just in the last few weeks. SGM has been busy...I am sure their PR people and lawyers have earned their keep these few weeks. (Ken Sande, we see you in the shadows, buddy)

SGM announces,in house,that....SURPRISE!...after all these years....Larry is coming in for a man hug with CJ. Reconcilation and forgiveness all around after all these years. Larry will be coming to attend an SGM conference for pastors. Seems Larry did not just go quietly into that good night all those years before....there was a split. You mean the humble big A apostle had some baggage from way back? Not to worry, man hug announced and scheduled.

But we did not know the docs had been circulating around SGM tight circles for several months, now did we? Brings new light to the annoucement of the sudden Larry man hug after all these years.

Then shortly after THAT surprise announcment, CJ announces he is stepping down for a while to contemplate his sin and be accountable to Mark Dever (of T4G fame but not of SGM). Now, we find out that CJ knew the docs had been circulated to a "wider audience" by Brent right before CJ made his "stepping down for a while to contemplate my sin" announcement. Timing is everything, isn't it? Did you know you could time "humility"? You can. CJ proves it.

But, be rest assured, he is not stepping down "for a while" for any sexual or moral sins. Of course, to name the horrible sin that caused him to step down 'for a while'
would be wrong...yikes...more sin..because we know only they have the authority to define for us, what is sin.

No, we must leave people wondering because then we can nail them for the "sin of wondering" what the horrible sin was that caused this great man of God, Big A Apostle, to have to leave his dynasty for awhile and be accountable to another Reformed big cheese. We must trust our leaders. We must "trust positive intentions".

Quick, grab a blue pill before you wake up to reality!

Now, around the blogosphere in the zany world that is Christendom, he is being lauded as the most "humble-humble" pastor in all America" and anyone who reads the docs is only a gossip. Before, he was only "humble". Now, all of this proves he is: Double knot humble.

You cannot make this stuff up.

To paraphrase one blogger in a comment: I expect to see Mahaney to now miraculously discover GRACE. He will claim he has left out the GRACE in SGM. He will write a book about it and be more popular than ever. The celebrities will rally around him, (because they blurbed his books and had him speaking on their stages before he was double knot humble) bring him in to speak (for a fee, of course) on their conference stages. They will be "covered" in doing so by not only Larry, who came in for a man hug, but by Mark Dever's good housekeeping seal of approval for sin contrition. He will be a huge humble hero at T4G in Louisville. He might just steal the show. Giggles all around.

These guys are good at reinventing themselves and redefining sin.

See, sin pays well in American Christianity if you are a celebrity Christian. So, sin more because GRACE abounds. But NEVER be foolish enough to confess or acknowledge the REAL sin. Be vague about it. No specifics allowed. Have a "broad sin heading" You can even claim "acceptable" sins like "pride" and "arrogance".

The Holy Spirit always convicts us of "vague sin". Right?

Then, if anyone inquires, since you are a leader and your income derives from their support, you can use your title and position to say, "that is gossip" and you are in sin for wondering what my sin really is, specifically. Nevermind that I instituted the sin sniffing system for you to live by. I am exempt. I am a big A.

So, there you have it. Thousands of people have supported this system and found it credible...even after reading the New Testament and the part about the Resurrection.

But, I just had to to save the best for last. Because this is America and we have our own brand of Christianity. You see, Larry's son, the sexual molester teen raised in the legalistic sin sniffing shepherding system, is now running for poltical office!

Is that perfect or what?

Better get your script for blue pills filled soon.

Virginia Knowles Testimony about C.J. Mahaney

http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-thoughts-on-cj-mahaney-and-sovereign.html

 

Why should this matter to you, and why does it matter to me? It should matter to you because Mr. Mahaney is a well known author and conference speaker who is lauded as a leader among Reformed evangelicals like John Piper, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Mark Driscoll and others. His young protégé Josh Harris is also a popular author and speaker. As such, Mr. Mahaney has a lot of influence, and how he behaves reflects on the church at large. It matters to me because for 8 years, I was a faithful member of SGM. Most of my family and I left the local SGM church last year, but we still have an adult daughter and many dear friends who are members there. 

I would like to share with you some of the story, starting with how it relates to me. A little over three years ago, while corresponding with a Mormon friend about our respective faiths, I started researching not only the Latter Day Saints church, but the dynamics and doctrines of other contemporary religious movements. I focused particularly on ones with authoritarian leadership styles and/or unusual beginnings. (Later this study would also expand to the patriarchal segment of the Christian home schooling movement, where there is much overlap, but I’ll save that information for other posts.) By what I would call divine coincidence, I stumbled on a pair of blogs written by ex-members of SGM, www.sgmsurvivors.com and www.sgmrefuge.com. In the posts and comments, they shared raw tales of abuse of authority, church dysfunction, and pastoral mishandling of serious situations such as child molestation, domestic abuse, substance abuse, mental illness and suicide. Other recurrent themes are the intense sin-focus, the inward and outward legalism, the lack of grace, and the quenching of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit – all of which I was already noticing more and more as the months and years rolled by. Another observation was that SGM had its earliest roots in the shepherding movement, which advocated invasive scrutiny of members’ lives by pastors and home group (aka care group) leaders, while at the same time not holding these leaders themselves accountable to their own congregations. I believe that SGM never completely outgrew that paradigm, though it has softened somewhat over the years.

Typically, in this kind of environment, there is a pervading atmosphere of fear among both pastors and members.

• fear of failure if someone in leadership isn't telling you what to do
• fear of taking initiative on new projects because that will be seen as pridefully “putting yourself forward”
• fear of being seen as unsubmissive (especially the wives and young adults)
• fear of being dismissed as proud and bitter if you try to bring up something bothering you
• fear of being publicly shamed, asked to leave the church, or shunned by the members
• fear that you will lose your children to “the world” if you choose not to do it their way, which in SGM circles usually means home schooling and courtship
• fear of other evangelical Christians not in or approved by your group (as evidenced by which quotes are mentioned from the pulpit and which books are sold in the church bookstore)
• fear of trained mental health professionals, Christian or secular
• fear of the culture around us

And somehow that brings us to this week’s announcement from Mr. Mahaney. Many people who haven’t read any of the blogs (and the hundreds of pages of assorted uploaded documentation) have started congratulating him for being so very humble and honorable to come forward. I seriously don’t believe that such praise is warranted in this sobering time. And unfortunately, I think his announcement is way too little, way too late. He speaks as if he intends to take a short sabbatical season away from his duties so that his offenses against a group of select disaffected former pastors can be evaluated and corrected by a team of men. Then he wants to return and lead SGM into a future of fruitful ministry. Hello?!? If even a fraction of what has been reported is true, I personally think his behavior has disqualified him from ever returning to a prominent position in ministry. And I don’t think that his peers are qualified to restore him to it, since by many accounts they too have been complicit in this sorry situation for a long time. Extending grace is one thing, but restoring real trust is quite another. Their recent admission of problems is also seen by many as preemptive posturing of humility in the face of increasing public exposure and impending humiliation, rather than as evidence of genuine repentance and responsibility. I think SGM’s credibility has pretty well been shot.

People need to hear the truth in plain words, even if it is excruciatingly painful! Do over 50,000 hits in less than 12 hours on the www.sgmsurvivors.com web site mean anything? Charges of “gossip and slander” against those who speak out aren’t going to cut it anymore. The anguished appeals for reform have already been exhausted over and over again. The leaders of SGM – not just CJ Mahaney -- have chosen to be above any real accountability for too long. Now they have to pay the piper and face the music. 

Whatever their initial motives were, I hope and pray that Mr. Mahaney and his colleagues will indeed use this opportunity for true repentance, evidenced by actual restitution and reconciliation with members and ex-members at all levels, not just pastors. He has often preached about the local church being “the happiest place on earth” – but many who came will never darken the door of a church again because SGM broke their sacred trust. Others have fortunately found refuge in grace-filled churches that respect individual people in the pews, not just the leaders. 

And yes, I too share the blame in my own small ways. For years I quieted my own conscience, my own God-given sense of right and wrong. For years I was so proud (let’s make that arrogant!) that I belonged to a church that featured what I thought were right doctrine and right living. Where else could I find that unique blend of Reformed / Baptist / Charismatic teaching, amazing worship music, and devout fellow members who took their lifestyle choices like home schooling and courtship seriously? I advertised SGM conferences, books, and CD’s in my e-magazine and on my blogs. I always alerted my friends whenever CJ Mahaney would be in town, so they could come hear him preach. For years, I told friends what a wonderful place our church was to raise children, not fully aware of how many of the young people were struggling and straying because of their experiences there. We happily paid our tithes and gave extra offerings. We were deeply involved in all sorts of activities and ministries at church. It seemed like we were always there, taking somebody to something at “the building” almost every day of the week. I was so committed that I thought I would be a member of that church until I died. And lo and behold, I did start dying, inside, little by little. And I let it happen with only a squeak or two here and there, until God mercifully poked me hard and woke me up. 

I have a few seemingly random mental images to share before I close this note. There are others in my mind, but these should suffice.

The Berlin Wall: Ronald Reagan calling on Gorbachev to tear it down and the freedom-loving people of Germany dismantling it chunk by chunk. It’s time, folks. Call for truth and freedom. Don’t settle for anything less. Pull down the barriers until the truth is known and the arrogance, fear, and control come tumbling down.

The tale of “The Emperor Who Wore No Clothes”: His royal tailors assured him that his finery was crafted from such a special fabric that only the wise could see it. And all the people, including the emperor himself, “saw” his beautiful clothes because they wanted to be thought wise. Then a truly wise little boy cried out, “But he doesn’t have anything on at all!” And they all realized what fools they had been. Some of you have suspected something amiss for quite some time, but feared being labeled as foolish or non-compliant if you dared to speak up. Call it like it is, dear little flock. Be bold. Speak truth to power. You don’t need to feel naked or vulnerable yourself, because Christ himself clothes you in his very own righteousness, the garments of joy and praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.

“With liberty and justice for all”: the last phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance. Sweet Jesus, under your victory banner, bring that liberty and justice to the least of these my brethren. Bring your healing and grace. Help us to cling to our precious identity in Christ, and never let anyone snatch it from us. Help us to reclaim the transforming dignity that as believers we are (as 1 Peter 2:9 so gloriously declares) “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Help us to focus on you, the perfect life you lived, the victory you won over death through your resurrection, how you promised the Holy Spirit would indwell us so that we could be more than conquerors “through him who loved us”!

One final word to my friends who are members of Sovereign Grace Ministries, including my own former pastors. I love you dearly, and I miss you. I know many of you may be shocked and even offended by my words, but I write from my heart because of my concern for you. Please consider my words and pray about how this affects you. My brothers and sisters, cry out to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who truly gave his own life for you, who bids the weary to come and find rest in his gentle yoke, who leads us on the true path.

With love,

Virginia Knowles

• 
  
  P.S. Writing this reminded me of a short story that I wrote for my Mormon friend. You might enjoy it as well. You can find it here: Parable of Grace.
  
  
  P.P.S. More thoughts on July 12....
  
  It's been quite interesting watching the unusually high traffic on this blog (thousands of page loads since Saturday) and reading comments (most supportive and positive, some quite upset and questioning my motives) here and in my inbox. I know that my words have hit a nerve on a topic that so many are passionate about, in one direction or the other. A few people have asked me questions like, "Why don't you just move on?" or "Why don't you just go settle your grievances with your former church?" Please understand that while I did have some difficult experiences there, I don't write to redress or avenge them. That is totally NOT the point. My problems were actually quite minor compared to most, and they were (as necessary) resolved with those involved. None of those people were trying to cause me harm and I bear no animosity toward them. I wish them the very best.
  

  
  

  What is at stake are life-giving principles of liberty, justice, grace, and truth. I care about others, and want them to be able to see and avoid the pitfalls that have caused so many such distress, not only with the Sovereign Grace movement but within other movements. If you don't know what I mean yet, please take the time to read at www.sgmrefuge.com and www.sgmsurvivors.com. The stories are both plentiful and painful to read.

  
  

  Why don't I just move on and forget about SGM? While I certainly don't equate SGM with the barbarity of 1800's slavery, I do think of Harriet Tubman. She was not content with her own freedom if she could not share it with her people, so she went back over and over and over again, at great risk to herself. How dare I compare myself to her? How hard is it to write a blog post in the comfort of my home, as compared to facing the swamp, the whip, and the "Wanted, dead or alive" signs. Not compare, just aspire to her nobility and courage in my own little 21st century techno-mommy ways.

  
  

  Do I want to bring others down? No, I want to lift others up, to see the downtrodden restored to their dignity. Will CJ Mahaney "go down" in the process? I don't know. I do hope that the man who wrote the book Humility: True Greatness will, through true humility, find that true greatness. That is the greatness really serving (in deeds, not just platitudes) and restoring the thousands of "the least of these" who have been so devastated as a result of his actions over recent decades. I do think Jesus would be most honored and glorified if he did that. Then "the gospel" that SGM has proclaimed truly would be the Good News of Jesus that it was intended to be.
  
  
  Even if you are upset at what I have said, I hope you can respect that I am trying to be true to what I believe.

  
  

  P.P.P.S. I would encourage you to listen to the following message by Josh Harris, the senior pastor of SGM's flagship church in Maryland, and a close associate of Mr. Mahaney. His forthright words were very refreshing. He has made a good start, and I hope he works to keep this process moving in the direction of integrity and responsibility. http://www.covlife.org/resources/3931544-The_Fathers_Discipline

  
  

  ~~ Virginia