We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin. –CS Lewis

 

Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism. Philip Yancey

http://www.tentmaker.org/Quotes/repentancequotes.htm

 

As of today, we have given an overview of the sad history at Pray’s Mill Baptist Church. We will continue to follow this story as information and breaking news become available to us. In the meantime, we will be looking at other churches that have recently spoken out against blogging. We have found that vehement statements disparaging bloggers and blogging usually mean that there is a story of pain and cover up associated with the statements. We will explore the stories behind the statements. We will compare each of these stories with the events at Pray’s Mills. We believe we will identify many commonalities. 

 

Tom Rich, along with his wife, of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, has endured an equally horrible trial. A “pastor gone wrong” used a sheriff in the church to find out Tom’s identity. In the midst of pursuing his legal and moral right to express his viewpoints, Tom was persecuted, pursued by the authorities, accused of harassing the pastor’s wife (hmmm, where have we heard this before) and thrown out of his church (yawn…couldn’t they be more creative?). Maybe we should start a church that takes all those thrown out of churches for blogging. We could call it FBC (First Bloggers Church) and give the Baptists a run for the money. Instant mega church!

 

At Bellevue Baptist Church, there is a similar situation involving a pedophile and accusations of a cover up. Please go to this link and listen to an anti blogging tirade given in the pulpit by the current pastor, Steve Gaines. 

 

http://freetostay.multiply.com/video/item/47/Steve_Gaines_on_Blogging_about_Leaders_1

 

Perhaps you can play the following link to make you smile:

 

 http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbumi=17249039&id=17249087&s=143441

 

We thank an alert reader who sent this link to us today. We are always open to posting and exploring other situations in churches. All correspondence should be addressed to:

 

 wartburgwatch@aol.com

 

We treat all email in a strictly confidential fashion. We understand the horrific nature of many of these incidents. We want to be a place of support and kindness. Both of us have been on the receiving end of some interesting pastoral “actions.” We dedicate this blog, which is devoted to searching out truth and exposing pastoral and church excesses and abuses,  to them.

 

We return to our blog post of August 6, 2009, which featured the Georgia Baptist Convention's Resolution on Blogging.  Now that you know what precipitated the writing of this resolution, PLEASE READ IT AGAIN!!!

 

 RESOLUTION ON BLOGGING (11/07)

WHEREAS, the American people have the distinct privilege of freedom of speech as provided by our United States Constitution, and this resolution is not intended to limit that freedom of speech we all value so much; and

 

WHEREAS responsible blogging can be a means of promoting the flow of information and encouragement of our people, but certain people use this tool for divisive and destructive rhetoric at the expense of peace among the Brethren; and

 

WHEREAS blogging is also being used by some as a tool for personal attacks upon other Christian Brothers and Sisters, and this critical and divisive use promotes a negative view of the Southern Baptist Convention in the eyes of the society we are striving to reach with the Gospel James 3:6,14;

 

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the messengers of this convention oppose blogging when it is used to cause division and disharmony among the members of our Southern Baptist Family Proverbs 6:16-19; I Cor. 1:10; and since personal differences should not be dealt with in public view,

 

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that all personal attacks should cease immediately Proverbs 17:27­-28; John 17:21-23; and

 

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that we reaffirm the historic method of administering our agencies and institutions through elected boards of trustees, and we call upon bloggers to cease the critical second-guessing of these elected leaders; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all Georgia Baptists respectfully request and expect that individuals who disrupt the fellowship through blogging repent and immediately cease this activity and no longer cause disharmony for the advancement of their own personal opinions and agendas; and

 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we set our eyes once again on the fields to which we are called to labor, refusing to dishonor God with activities that militate against harmony and good will.

 


http://www.sbcimpact.net/2007/11/18/a-resolution-on-blogging/

                                                                                                                                                                  

We have discovered that definitions are extremely important when dealing with the Southern Baptist Convention.  Remember President Bill Clinton's incredible response:  "It depends on what the definition of 'is' is.”  Look at the second "WHEREAS", which states:  "…certain people use this tool for divisive and destructive rhetoric at the expense of peace among the Brethren".  Is the GBC commanding Georgia Baptists to keep their mouths shut when they discover that church leaders are viewing pornography on church-owned computers?  Is that how they define "destructive rhetoric"?  It certainly sounds like "peace" trumps "truth" at the GBC, and everyone needs to know that! 

 

Now let's look at the third WHEREAS, which states:  "…blogging is also being used by some as a tool for personal attacks upon other Christian Brothers and Sisters, and this critical and divisive use promotes a negative view of the Southern Baptist Convention in the eyes of the society we are striving to reach with the Gospel."  What the GBC labels "personal attacks" we call "THE TRUTH"!  It is strange that these “so-called” leaders seem to be unable to recognize the difference.  

 

In the aftermath of the Pray's Mill situation and the GBC's pathetic response, they have no one else to blame for the "negative view of the Southern Baptist Convention" but themselves.  When these Baptists learn to "man up" and behave in a manner worthy of the Gospel, maybe they will begin to garner some respect.  Instead, the Georgia Baptist Convention's brilliant solution to the Pray's Mill fiasco was to hire Mike Everson as a consultant serving Southeast Georgia.  Check out their link: 

 

 

 http://www.gabaptist.org/contentpages.aspx?parentnavigationid=4668&viewcontentpageguid=ACCE3553-E682-43B4-9E0D-31C02F9D13A3

 

It's clear from the GBC resolutions that the "sheeple" are to do as they are told and be good little Southern Baptists.  Here's what they are commanded to do: 

 

-Don't cause division and disharmony in the "family" by taking church matters public.  Never mind that the pastor has all the control and will do whatever it takes to silence dissenters, even when they are telling the truth.  No wonder the SBC has a growing problem with sexual predators in the pulpit!  Check out this web site:

 

  www.stopbaptistpredators.org

 

–Don't second-guess elected leaders, even when they cover-up for pastors gone bad.

 

-REPENT!!!  How dare you promote your own personal opinions and agendas!  You are disrupting the fellowship through your sinful blogging, which must cease immediately!

 

-You must promote harmony and good will as the Gospel is proclaimed to a lost world.  Never mind that the actions of SBC leaders speak much louder than words.

 

Now that you know the rest of the Pray's Mill story, you be the judge.  

 

-Are those who spoke out about the use of pornography at Pray's Mill causing division and disunity or just telling the truth?  By the way, what would YOU have done had the shoe had been on your foot?  Would you have just kept your mouth shut?

 

-Are they (bloggers) promoting their own personal opinions and agendas?  Or is that what Mike Everson and the GBC are doing?  Who in their right mind would put their reputations on the line like these people did to promote their own personal agenda?  

 

-Is their blogging really what's hurting the SBC's reputation?  You know better than that!  You have just observed how leaders within the Southern Baptist Convention have been operating for decades and getting by with it.  No more!  We're not putting up with it any longer.

 

How dare the Georgia Baptist Convention tell those, who labored to speak the truth and struggled for justice at Pray's Mill Baptist Church, to REPENT!!!  They are the ones who need to get down on their knees before Almighty God and repent.  What they have done is truly shameful.  They kicked these kind Christian people, including a widow and a young mother, in the teeth. 

 

 We are grateful that we live in the United States of America where Christians still have freedom of speech (at least for now).  Georgia Baptists don't appear to have the right to speak their conscience, and they need to understand this. Their leaders support the “big” boys, not those who support the GBC with their hard earned tithes and offerings.

 

Please join us as we pray for the peace that passes all understanding for those who have been deeply wounded by the incidents at Prays Mills.  We, Dee and Deb, have been honored to get to know Doug Pittman, the Pirkles, Linda Dupree and others. These are good people who we are proud to call friends! Perhaps the GBC should have tried to make their acquaintance as well.