"This made such an impression on my heart that I got up out of my hammock, picked up a saw, and cut off a leafy green branch from a tree. As soon as the saw passed through the branch, I knew that the leaves were as good as dead, even though they looked as healthy as they had a moment before. Soon they would wither because they were cut off from the living source. I took that branch with me to work and still have it. The leaves are completely dead now, because I cut that branch almost ten years ago. It represented the end of the era of unregenerate church members dominating the life of FBC." (link)
Andy Davis
Cathedral in Europe (Taken by Deb)
Andy Davis, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, claims to possess great discernment regarding what is "Biblical". In fact, he is so sure of himself that he proclaims the following at the conclusion of his reformation article posted on the 9 Marks website (see link above):
"ONE OF THE GREATEST DISPLAYS OF GOD’S GLORY
The reformation of First Baptist Church is one of the greatest displays of God’s glory that I have ever seen in my life. My prayer is that God will use this narrative to effect similar reformation in other churches around the world for his glory."
Several months ago, I wrote a post entitled What are Family Integrated Churches, which included a heartfelt letter from a pastor to his congregation expressing concern over the family integrated church movement. The pastor began his letter as follows:
"Dear Church Family,
Have you heard of the “family-integrated church” (FIC) movement? If you are familiar with classical Christian education resources like Vision Forum, you have probably encountered the influence of this growing movement. Or perhaps you have seen recent ads in World Magazine for an upcoming conference sponsored by the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC). Speakers at this conference include Ken Ham, Paul Washer, Andy Davis (First Baptist, Durham), Vision Forum’s Doug Phillips, and the director of the NCFIC, Scott Brown (a pastor in Wake Forest, NC)."
Not knowing much about Andy Davis at the time, I immediately became concerned about his associations with these men, who also believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they know what is "Biblical". As our readers know, we have written extensively about Doug Phillips (Vision Forum), Scott Brown (National Center for Family Integrated Churches), and Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis). Paul Washer is a close associate of Phillips and Brown.
As I began to research these associations, here is what I have discovered. Davis has been invited to speak at conferences sponsored by Vision Forum Ministries and the National Center for Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC). Just the fact that he has been deemed worthy to address the audiences of those associated with Vision Forum and NCFIC should set off alarm bells! For those who may not be familiar with these individuals and their organizations, we highly recommend that you check our categories section for previous articles that explain our concerns.
Now let's take a look at Andy Davis' involvement with these two organizations. In April 2007 Davis spoke at a Vision Forum Ministries event called "United Church and Family", along with Scott Brown, Steve Breagy, and Jason Dohm. (link)
The Vision Forum website includes the following biographical information on Davis:
"Andy was raised a Roman Catholic, and graduated from MIT with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has a great passion for expository preaching and Scripture memory. He has a PhD in Church History from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has been a church planter in Japan, and is now the pastor of First Baptist Church, in Durham North Carolina. He and his wife Christi have five children ages 15 to 2."
Some of our readers may remember a previous post in which we explained how Scott Brown and Jason Dohm were causing tremendous problems at Trinity Baptist Church in Wake Forest. (link) They resigned as elders in 2006 and started Hope Baptist Church. Sadly, Trinity Baptist in Wake Forest is now defunct.
In 2009 Andy Davis served as a Faith and Freedom Mini-Tour Guide for Vision Forum's Reformation 500 Celebration. (link) Speakers at this event were Scott Brown and Geoffrey Botkin. Doug Phillips, Esq. and R.C. Sproul, Jr. also served as tour guides at this event. I wonder if the congregation of First Baptist Durham have any idea who Davis and his family are hanging out with during their leisure time. The individuals listed here have some pretty peculiar ideas about faith and family. Ever heard of Quiverfull (link) and Stay at Home Daughters (link)? We hope you will take the time to check out these posts in order to begin understanding who these people are and what they represent.
In 2009 Davis was invited to be a workshop speaker at an NCFIC conference on The Sufficiency of Scripture (SOS) (link) that featured the following keynote speakers: Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, Kevin Swanson, and Paul Washer, among others. (link) Interestingly, Geoff Botkin was also a workshop speaker at this conference.
UPDATE 5/20/13: According to the NCFIC conference schedule, David discussed these three topics: Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Sanctification, Scripture is Sufficient for Building Faith and Transforming Character, and Scripture is Sufficient for Habits of Obedience.
Just a year ago, Andy Davis spoke at an NCFIC event called Love the Church, along with Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Paul Washer, and other like-minded men. (link) Here is a brief description of the conference:
"At this conference we will cast a vision for church life that is presented in scripture. Our prayer is for a rising number of churches dedicated to the glory of God alone. We will communicate the biblical doctrine of the church, explain her importance, her calling and her destiny. We will show how you and your family fit in to the church of Jesus Christ and how He has called you to love and serve her. We will bring messages on evangelism, missions, church planting, and discipleship through local churches. We will be explaining particularly important church practices such as singing, scripture reading, the Lord’s table, baptism, Sabbath keeping and church discipline. We will explain the importance of the sufficiency of scripture for the government of the church and how to apply the “regulative principle” in church life."
Davis' bio is also featured on the NCFIC website at the above link. The website states:
"Dr. Davis was born in Boston, Massachusetts where he later earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1984. He then began his career as a Mechanical Engineer with Eaton-Nova Corporation in Beverly, Massachusetts. He was married to Christine Lee Rogers on May 14, 1988, and they have two sons and three daughters.
Dr. Davis started his seminary training while working as an engineer and earned his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1990. In 1992, Dr. Davis resigned from his engineering position to pastor the New Meadows Baptist Church in Topsfield, Massachusetts. In 1994, the Davis family followed the call of the Lord to Tokushima, Japan, where they were involved in church planting through the International Mission Board. In 1998, Dr. Davis graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, with a Ph.D. in Church History.
In October of 1998, Dr. Davis accepted a call to be the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, Durham, NC."
We have been investigating Phillips, Brown, and their ilk for almost three years, and we are extremely disturbed that Andy Davis is rubbing elbows with them. In recent months two videos have been released that clearly reveal what these men and their movements represent. Divided is a documentary that promotes family integrated churches. Scott Brown's son-in-law wrote and produced the video, and Brown is listed as the Executive Producer. NCFIC was disinvited from this year's D6 conference because they were deemed too divisive due to their staunch criticism of age-segregated churches.
The second video, Indoctrination, features some of the names listed in this post. It is a highly disturbing documentary that is touted by Davis' buddies at Vision Forum and the National Center of Family Integrated Churches.
If you are new to TWW, I have thrown a lot of information at you in a hurry. Here is the bottom line. We must be very careful with our associations because they can definitely influence us. Knowing what I do about Doug Phillips and Scott Brown, I have to question whether Davis' decision to associate with them is wise. I hope the members of his congregation will question their pastor about his involvement with these highly controversial organizations – Vision Forum and NCFIC.
Given this disturbing information, I am left wondering whether Andy Davis is truly qualified to determine what is Biblical. How dare he associate with these controversial characters and then point fingers at FBC congregants, accusing them of being UNREGENERATE (see quote at top).
And if the above information isn't scary enough, here are the top two books that Pastor Davis' wife highly recommends: Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney and Girl Talk by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughter Nicole Whitacre. (link)
UPDATE 5/20/13: When this post was published, the above link recommending the Mahaney books worked. Should have taken a screen shot… It appears that recommended book lists have been removed from First Baptist Durham's website.
I have both of these books and plan to review them soon so our readers will understand what the Mahaney "girls" and those who recommend their books are promoting.
Update from Nicole Whitacre – C.J. Mahaney's Daughter (link)
"This week though, we are busy packing up our house in Virginia. We are moving to Louisville, KY so that my husband can attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, prior to planting a Sovereign Grace Church. For many years, Steve has had a growing desire to plant a church, and an equally strong desire to be further equipped and trained for the task of preaching God's Word. We are so grateful for this opportunity to attend Southern and we have already been so blessed by the godly people we have met there."
Any comments?
Lydia's Corner: Job 4:1-7:21 1 Corinthians 14:18-40 Psalm 37:30-40 Proverbs 21:27
“If you are new to TWW, I have thrown a lot of information at you in a hurry. Here is the bottom line. We must be very careful with our associations because they can definitely influence us. ”
This sound to me like the latest variant of the Old Fundamentalist issue of “secondary separation.”
“While separation itself is a very controversial (in some circles) and unpopular idea, there is an aspect of separation as practiced by Fundamentalists that is even more controversial. This aspect has been popularly, and I think somewhat inaccurately, called secondary separation. Many that accept the necessity of separating from apostasy and many sinful behaviors, strongly oppose this “secondary” form of separation.
Secondary separation is removing oneself from ministries or individuals who fail to separate from apostasy. By way of example, this is the reason fundamentalist churches have traditionally not fellowshipped with churches within the Southern Baptist Convention”
Who would have thought that TWW would now be advocating that old Fundamentalist bug-a-boo of Secondary Separation. [ He’s okay but he associates with people who Are Not okay so we must separate from him also.]
Seneca,
I have been studying Phillips and Brown for a while now. They are a BIG problem. I wrote this post because I believe the congregants at First Baptist Durham should know about these relationships.
Family Integrated Churches.
Bottom line.
Gender Roles and Family Structure now saves you.
And it will save our churches and our nation and the world.
The Blood of Jesus Christ is not good enough.
“We are moving to Louisville, KY so that my husband can attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, prior to planting a Sovereign Grace Church.” -Nicole Whitacre
Further evidence of the SGM and SBC enmeshment.
“I have been studying Phillips and Brown for a while now. They are a BIG problem. I wrote this post because I believe the congregants at First Baptist Durham should know about these relationships.”
Okay Deb, I accept that but it truly does sound like a new variant of the old “secondary separation.” The staunch fundamentalist have rejected John McArthur, of all people, because of secondary separation. I always thought that was crazy.
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A few years back someone came out of Scott Browns church because they recognized it as a cult. There were 20 year old homeschooled girls who were serving their fathers until someone married them that their parents approved of. Thgat mean no dating and no collge for girls. Neither one of them had ever been to a doctor for a female exam. When they both ran away and were taken in by the person who left the cult, they found one of the girls had a serious tumor on her ovary that had to be operated on when she went for her first female exam/.
Now there is a reason to beware of an association with anything Scott Brown because of what he teaches.
It is a cult once you peel back the image layers you get from the other celebs. So is SGM.
Seneca, I had some similar thoughts about secondary separation. Applying that to the kind of reformation which Andy Davis sees as glorious– think of all the thousands of denominations, sects, schisms, and isms spawned by THE Reformation. Now I more often think along reformed lines than Arminian, when it comes to the primary issue of justification by grace through faith in Christ alone– BUT I cringe at the thought of being in a “reformed” camp, due to all the separation (including that of heads from bodies) which went along with that movement. It’s as if I had a gambling problem, and my right arm stopped gambling, and then the fingers and thumb started fighting each other instead, and I would now proclaim myself to be reformed. The End game, as mentioned a couple days ago, is millions of separate denominations, each with his/her pure faith and practice. I wonder, has anyone reading been to “Davis’s” church so that you might tell us what the glorious revolution looks like there? How does it compare with biblical occasions when teeny glimpses of God’s glory were revealed?
Also, I’m curious about what, if anything, others here may have experienced, which you’d consider to have been a great display pf God’s glory.
PS I substituted revolution for reformation in the prior comment, in reference to King James Ii. One action of his, which led to lthe loss of his kingdom, was the granting of an indulgence of toleration for Catholics and non-conforming Protestants. “Toleration?! In our country?! We can’t have that. We’ll bring in a foreigner. Off to France with you now… There’s a good fellow..”
[Quite possibly there is no denomination or church left without a critical blogger.]
Methodist warn the bloggers: “This week the Methodist Council – our last but one governing body before conference – will discuss a paper headed “Social Media”. Far from being an exciting exploration of social media it is a miserable, petty, ill thought out attempt to stifle discussion within the Church.
The front page of this sad document says it all:
“The guidelines paper sets out how staff or officers of the Church should behave when using social media.
The goal is to ensure that the Church and individuals engage positively with social media but do nothing to harm the reputation
“All involved should do nothing to bring the Church into disrepute. Members of governance bodies have particular responsibilities in how they report from or during meetings.
“Breaking the guidelines repeatedly would be a disciplinary matter that could lead to dismissal.
“The paper discusses online defamation as one risk.
“Bringing the Church into disrepute is already grounds for a complaint against anyone in the Church. This paper makes clear that online media could give rise to such a complaint.
“Failure to address this could lead to reputational damage to the Church.””
[ Episopalians too?]
AAC Tracks Episcopal Church’s Canonical Abuse – Plight of Orthodox Anglicans
Source: American Anglican Council Press Release
Atlanta, GA – The American Anglican Council today made public an accounting of how The Episcopal Church (TEC) has spent millions of dollars in over 50 lawsuits, deposed or inhibited 12 bishops and more than 400 other clergy, and violated its own canons numerous times. The paper, titled “The Episcopal Church: Overbearing and Unjust Episcopal Acts,” chronicles each of these subjects and a number of other abuses or injustices committed against faithful Anglicans in the U.S.
[ A veritable treasure trove of church abuse – sadly]
Florida Times-Union 5/13/88
Rev. Joe Marino, host of Christian talkshow “Inner Visions” in Jacksonville, Fla., and youth minister/counselor at Beaches Chapel in Neptune Beach, plead no contest to custodial sexual battery and soliciting sex from a 16 year old member of his church. Other charges were dropped. The abuse was disclosed after a victim from the church had attempted suicide.A second Duval county minister, Rev. Roy Lynn Gaskins of Edgewood Heights Baptist Church, was accused of forcing a 13 year old boy at gunpoint to have sex.
New York Times 5/23/88
Rev. Thomas Streitferdt, 59, a white Pastor in charge of the mostly black 700-member True Church of God in Harlem, was charged with rape and sodomy of two young sisters (ages 14 and 16) in his congregation. Law enforcement officials charge that Streitferdt told females worshippers that they could end up in hell if they refused his sexual advances, and raped at least one woman during premarital counseling…. Members were told that if they were not buried under church auspices at an additional fee in the church cemetery that “they would not go to heaven.”
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer 5/28/88
Rev. Tony (“Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm”) Levya, a southern revivalists investigated by the FBI for heading a 3-man ring prostituting young boys, has used Christian radio station WEAM in Columbus, Ga. to raise funds for his defense. Rev. Levya asks his followers to “sacrifice $100, $500, $1,000, $8,000 , even more, if God speaks to you” for his defense.
Federal authorities allege that his crusades gave him and fellow abusers Rias E. Morris, organist, and Rev. Freddie M. Herring opportunity to sexually abuse numerous boys in Virginia, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana. He faces up to 65 years in prison and $550,000 in fines.
[Rome] Daily Sentinel 5/28/88
Rev. Leon Dupree, 47, pastor of Lily of the Valley Church of God in Christ in Rochester, NY, is charged with first degree sexual assault and first degree burglary of a 26 year old woman. She said he was armed with a hammer and struck her with a screwdriver. Dupree was convicted of second degree manslaughter in a 1978 drunken driving fatality and served time in state prison.
Tampa Tribune 5/31/88
Rev. Cleveland “Rapper” Mack, 24, of Tampa. Fla., was charged with sexually abusing 2 young boys during “Bible lessons”, including a charge of sexual battery which carries a possible death sentence. He struck a boy in the face when he tried to flee.
New York Times 6/10/88
Former Mormon missionary Arthur Gary Bishop, 36, was executed on June 10th in Utah for killing 5 boys (ages 4-13) for sexual gratification, saying he was “misled by Satan.”
Little Rock Arkansas Gazette 6/10/88
Rev. J.D. Henderson, 51, of Russellville, Ark., was convicted of molesting twin 6 year old girls, and sentenced to 4 years in prison. Henderson is an ordained Free will Baptist minister.
San Gabriel Valley Tribune 6/18/88
Rev. Randall Wayne Brewer, a youth minister of Faith Community Church in West Covina, Calif., is charged with 3 counts of oral copulation with a Redlands teenager who said he was bribed and molested after being befriended at home Bible studies in 1985. The youth, now 17, testified that Brewer gave him $200 from a church checking account for running naked across an empty church hallway in a game called chicken. “I was told to tell everyone that I got the money for doing work at the church.”
Philadelphia Inquirer 6/27/88
Richard J. Wagner, 26, a volunteer youth leader at the Warminister Hts. Community Church in Philadelphia, was charged with assaulting a 14 year old boy and 3 others between the ages of 7 and 15 years of age, all part of the church youth program.
MORE: http://fisheaters.com/clergysexabuse.html
The whole deal going on with the Mahaney family is so telling. CJ & Carolyn have always judged whether SGM pastors are fit for ministry based on the condition of their family and whether the kids are in subjection.
It makes perfect sense that the Mahaney’s would put pressure on their kids and kids-in-law to quit their jobs at Covenant Life Church because their continued involvement would appear they weren’t in subjection – and what would that mean for CJ’s fitness for ministry!? That’s always been a necessity for the Mahaney’s: they must stick together and agree. Heaven forbid that they should spend too much time with some of the CLC pastors who are rebelling against the cult leader! Shun them immediately! Show them who are the pure and holy!
And Nicole Whitacre? Poor lass. She sounds so good though, doesn’t she?
(Let’s not burst her bubble)
Deb and Dee, here’s the deal: Phillips and Brown visit many parts of the country in an effort “to court” the influential and/or those with money. Davis was likely courted by these men and drawn in more closely due to his Baptist associations. Cult leaders do what they can to give themselves credibility by associating with people who actually do have credibility. You easily see this in how C.J. Mahaney has courted Al Mohler and others. In the case of Mohler, there has been some mutual back scratching going on. Do you have any clues yet as to how these associations with Phillips and Brown play well for Davis?
I suspect Davis sincerely wants to rear his children well and help others do the same. I’m not sure he sees through this bunch of hypocrites yet. A lot of parents today are so perplexed by the immoral culture they’re attempting to rear their kids in that they easily gravitate toward entities claiming to know how to teach children well. You have to admit that the Vision Forum clan is very good at touting a saintly image. You have to get up close to see what’s really going on in the smoky back rooms.
One of you ladies ought to give one of their churches a visit sometime and give us a report firsthand. Offer to babysit 8 of your neighbor’s kids that day so you’ll blend in better. Just make sure they all sit up straight and forward for the full 2 hours at Scott’s church. Be sure to wear a long baggy dress and no high heels. If your husband can grow a pirate’s beard, that will sell.