Two More Resignations from SGM Board!

Posted on by February 21, 2013avatar

Folks, they are dropping like flies! John Loftness link and Craig Cabaniss link have resigned from the SGM Board. Between the empty seats for John Piper at SGM Louisville and this, the flood waters are rising. Time to grab the babies and head for higher ground! The TWW ladies are calling "Uncle." Can we please have a day or two without people or churches deserting the SS CJ Mahaney? We need a break!

Comments

Two More Resignations from SGM Board! — 74 Comments

  1. It truly is astounding how quickly things are falling apart… and yet if I read the counter on the right correctly, we’re at 105 days of TGC silence? Unbelievable. The entire sequence of events over the last couple of years was unimaginable to my wife and I when we left SGM in 2007.

  2. Hmmm… Loftness is a little too late, ain’t he? Jumping ship when you helped it sink. Costa Concordia, anyone? Bueller?

  7. Welcome Curious Christian

    How did you know that I am a major Johnny Cash fan? I often say the two people I want to see in heaven after Jesus are Johnny Cash and CS Lewis. I love that song-5 Feet High and Rising. Thank you for giving me a smile this evening!

  8. Eagle

    Loftness is a major insider.  Rumors are flying around over on Survivors that Cabaniss may lead his church out of SGM. Trouble continues to brew.

    Did you see how many empty seats there were for Piper’s absolution appearance at SGM Louisville? Tons of empty seats. Unbelievable. Piper usually packs them in. Something is up.

  10. @ Eagle:

    Loftness was named in the lawsuit, Chairman of the Board, the Pastor at Solid Rock (where CJ attended after Devers church), and is a CJ apologist. Craig Cabaniss was on one of the panels, the temporary board, and the current board, until he resigned. Craig was also a regional leader, don’t know if he still is. He did attend Fuller in CA after getting a BA somewhere. I don’t know if he ever did the PC. He pastors a church in Texas.

  12. This is good news! Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Where two or more of us agree about anything we ask for, it shall be done. And where two or more come together in his name, he is with us in our midst. Let us rejoice as we see the dismantling of SGM continue in accordance with our unified prayers. This is evidence of God at work, and HE IS GOOD!

  13. Eagle

    Hurt makes me cry. He wrote that after his beloved June passed away and he dies soon after.

  14. re:johnny cash – Hurt

    Dee, the video made me cry too. Anyone who has lost someone close and dear to them can feel his pain, his questions.

  15. Dee and Deb,

    I’ve been thinking about the level of pushback you’ve been getting the last few days from all the nice folks who want to control this blog and/or stand back and snipe. They do not, apparently want to get their hands dirty with God’s messy little children or risk blotting their own pristine copy books. I must say I’m quite embarassed by the behavior of some of my fellow SGM Survivors in particular.

    I think what it means is that you are really, really having an impact in these messy situations. NewSpring, Calvary Chapel, SGM, and others. You are making comfortable krischan people very uncomfortable and that is excellent. Some of this crap reminds me of cockroaches scuttling out of the light.

    You go, girls.

  16. Phoenix

    Thank you. It does sting a bit but after I take a deep breath and refocus on the victims, I am back in business. People hold onto secondary doctrine very tightly and are challenged to their core when someone disagrees with them. I remind myself of the Fred Principle which I named. A man that I knew of a number of years became increasingly uncomfortable with a group of us who held to an Old Earth. He believe one could not be a Christian and do so. I challenged him to look at a couple of Christian sites that carefully laid out the arguments for this point of view.

    He came back a week later and said that he could not look at them because it ripped apart “everything” he had been taught was true. I felt so sad for him. It tore apart “everything” for him? His faith? He needs to shut his eyes in order to keep his faith, based on secondary things, alive and together. I accept that.

    So, I feel for the people who have felt challenged while visiting here. Heck, I get challenged everyday by visitors.  We probably do challenge people in new ways. They also do not understand that this blog is for everyone, atheists, Buddhists and Christians to come and interact with one another as Deb and I explore the breadth of Christian faith. I am praying for them and hope they will do the same for me.

    However, they did use the “bitterness” word and that word is banned over here! 🙂 The one upside? I now have a new name for my “What the world is saying about TWW”- Cult-like leader!! I need to think up a new heresy to go along with my title. I’ve got it. Chocolate is a sacred gift from above and must be consumed every day! My new platform.

  17. dee wrote:

    It does sting a bit but after I take a deep breath and refocus on the victims, I am back in business.

    Amen! Cuz that’s why we do what we do. It’s not about the naysayers, it’s about those who have no voice. Keep on keepin’ on, Dee and Deb!

  18. Dee and Deb
    You girls pay no mind to the detractors. It amazes me how people can be blissfully unaware of the abuse of children and the protection of abusers. You should drift over to SBC Voices and check out the conversation surrounding some sort of dust up at a Baptist school. It appears two young men have gotten into trouble for blogging and now because these men are known to some and liked people are upset and want to defend the blogger. This proves something I was taught long ago, All things are local, what is meant by that is a disaster does not exist until it happens to me or someone I care about. Until that point it is an event, a story or even a rumor, for all I know it may not even be true. The moment the rumor happens in my small world it is now real, it matters and must be dealt with. I was taught this principle so that I would understand the need to treat every situation as if it was happening to me or mine, this insured that I responded correctly, you know the whole do unto others love your neighbor as yourself thing. I am still amazed how many people are remaining silent on this SGM debacle and the claim is this is gossip. I am glad you ladies and credible news organizations realize this is news and needs to have light shine on it. Keep up the good work!

  19. Mitch

    Welcome to TWW. Thank you. We are tough old broads and after a momentary twinge and consumption of holy chocolate, we are back in business. 

  20. JeffT wrote:

    More rats deserting a sinking ship. Piper, Mohler, et.al. leading the band on deck.

    “Not even God could sink this ship!” — Titanic

  21. Phoenix, Julie Anne, and Mitch,

    Thanks for your kind words. I saw those comments. Yawn…

    It’s a good thing Dee and I ARE NOT thin-skinned. 🙂 We NEVER forget our prime directive – standing in the gap for the victims.

  23. @ dee:
    Come to think of it, “holy chocolate” sounds like an excellent fundraiser for your blog. Then as we break chocolate together and fellowship, we’ll be strengthened to fend off the naysayers.

  24. I know you (TWW) talk about child victims and that is most important. But I have a huge problem with the future victims in the SBC if CJ and Al get what they are after – control – I think. One can be a victim in more ways than one. I was a victim of CJ's manipulation, albeit my own fault for listening. The outcome of that was I hurt my children.

  25. There is an awful lot of “sniping” and “snarking” directed at you ladies, Dee and Deb, and it always leaves me wondering…if TWW is doing something so wrong and needs correcting, why don’t all these snarkers just talk to you about it like a regular person? Why not just express concerns directly to you in a serious, respectful manner? Why feel the need to bash you indirectly in comment sections of this and other blogs? Is that really the most efficient way to deal with a problem?

    Unless the REAL problem is just that they’re angry about what you’re saying, in which case the snarking reaction makes more sense.

  26. PS When I first read this post I thought it said “John Loftiness” and “Craig Crabbiness” and I thought those were nicknames that you ladies had invented for these people… haha! Oops.

  28. turtle wrote:

    I know you (TWW) talk about child victims and that is most important. But I have a huge problem with the future victims in the SBC if CJ and Al get what they are after – control – I think.

    “There will come a time when someone will question whether what we have done is legal or not. Before that time comes, Make Sure WE Are The Ones Who Define What Is Legal And What Is Not.”
    — L Ron Hubbard, founder and Flag of Scientology

  29. sad observer

    It’s nothing a good dose of “Holy Chocolate” TM won’t cure. It is kind of fun to invent your own heresy. In this case, it necessitates me eating through all the chocolate brands in the world in order to find one worthy of my heresy.

    It’s really OK. We must keep our eyes on the 9 Ball shot and that is to support victims and expose weirdness in the church. Anything that distracts us from that goal is not worth getting upset over. The Evil One would love that, wouldn’t he? I had a momentary bit of sadness, but I prayed and asked that God will allow me to continue to love while fighting abuse.

  30. HUG

    So many chocolates to sample, so little time….I will take proposals for my Heresy Chocolate. 

  32. Thanks for the welcome. I have been reading here for a very long time. I enjoy your blog very much and share your concern for the victims. I will try to interact more in the future. Honestly, I do not comment often on blogs for fear of repercussions which some have discounted in the past but if you ladies lack material look into the story at LC concerning two students and their blog, fascinating stuff.

  33. Hey Dee-Hurt is a Nine Inch Nails song covered by Johnny Cash….one of a small list of covers better than the originals im my opinion.
    And as for chocolate? It has always been one of the more convincing proofs of the goodness of God, the calories not withstanding….it is definitely an aid to worship, unless you’re talking about Hersheys 😉

  35. @ dee:

    We believe in Hershey’s (close to heresy!)Special Dark. Buy several large bars at a time and keep them in the freezer, which makes it easy to ceremonially break them into pieces of random size and shape, by thwacking them on the edge of the altar (counter). It is the cheapest of the reasonably good dark chocolates and has relative low sugar content, so that is good stewardship as well.

  36. Dee,

    Aha! Here I thought you were just bloggers. After seeing your comment about wanting a day off, I realize that you see yourselves as reporters, having to post all the breaking news. No wonder you are at risk for burning out.

    Have you given my suggestion of guest posts and a forum any thought?

  37. Mitch, I couldn’t find Baptist school conversation, or are you saying that conversation is just on the different SBC blogs.

  38. Mitch,

    I have been following the trajectory of the LC story for a few weeks now. Some folks I have a lot of respect for are telling me it has nothing to do with Calvinism, really. The bloggers say it does. I am familiar with one of the bloggers who was pretty much a regular at SBCVoices and SBCToday (after the trad statement) and to be real honest with you, he has come across over a long period of time as a very arrogant YRR guy who joined right in with claiming the grads were heretics. He has not been active that I can see on either of those blogs since this situation started going viral. In fact, he seems to have cleaned up his act a bit from the in your face arrogant YRR he was before.

    That does not make the treatment of him with his blogging about LU, right. But I have long wondered how long the YRR think they can one can bully before others respond in kind with their power? People can only take that for so long from “Christian bullies”.

    If blogging had been around in the 90s, I doubt very seriously Al Mohler would be at SBTS and be the Reformed leader with T4G, GC, etc. He was able to systematically clean house over a 12 year period to have hardly any opposition from faculty or trustees. He is lucky he consolidated his power before blogging.

    So with the LC situation not sure what to think. Seems everyone is trying to either force Calvinism in situations where it should not be forced or trying to censor bloggers, etc. Frankly, all of it is becoming ridiculous. Both sides.

  39. All lovers of all things chocolate, do you know that you can sign up at your local Godiva store for their club card and receive one FREE piece of candy every month? Well you can…

    And I do hope that all holy chocolate is dark.

  40. Patti
    I am talking about a blog called sbcvoices. there is a discussion there about this situation.

    Anon, I have been only recently aware of the LC situation. I am interested in peoples shock over the treatment of the two bloggers. To me it has been par for the course. It matters now because it is two of their own.

  41. Mitch, the SBC is spiritually dead as an entity. It is just a matter of people admitting it and deciding who is going to get the silver. Personally, I think most of this is really a fight about the silver but using doctrine as a cover for gaining all the place settings in the big divorce that is coming.

  44. Anon 1 said “If blogging had been around in the 90s, I doubt very seriously Al Mohler would be at SBTS and be the Reformed leader with T4G, GC, etc. He was able to systematically clean house over a 12 year period to have hardly any opposition from faculty or trustees. He is lucky he consolidated his power before blogging.”

    No matter which side you were on regarding the conservative resurgence (or fundamentalist takeover, depending on your view) I can’t see how this could be argued. It was a public, documented, decades long fight that Mohler was just a part of. And he was vigorously opposed.

  48. @ elastigirl:
    My favorite drink is my occasional evening 1/2 wine glass of Malbec from Argentina, at less than $8 for a double bottle!

  50. Here’s an editorial on the Louisiana College dustup – apparently the Pres is purging the college of Calvinist profs:

    http://sbcvoices.com/leadership-101-fix-the-problems-dont-attack-those-who-identify-them/

    That’s not the only problem they have. They have big accreditation issues as well:

    http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20130208/NEWS01/302080314/SACS-Two-years-most-Louisiana-College-can-remain-warning-

    http://saveourlouisianacollege.wordpress.com/

    http://saveourlouisianacollege.wordpress.com/

  51. HoppyTheToad wrote:

    Have you given my suggestion of guest posts and a forum any thought?

    We still have to moderate it. And most people don’t have the temperament to do it. Or the thick skin.

    While not everyone agrees we feel we have a fairly evenhanded approach to what we allow for comments. And the emails we get indicate not everyone agrees with that. 🙂

  53. Eagle wrote:

    DEE/DEB JULIE ANNE!!!!!

    Sovereign Grace made my hometwon paper today! The Fresno Bee!!

    Read this…..

    http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/20/3181144/first-amendment-defense-signaled.html

    Interesting how this just made the news there since this is really old news. Either SGM doesn’t have much of a defense to stand on or they have really poor PR people or lawyers IMO. This article certainly isn’t making SGM look any better and almost like they are defuses or something.

    Maybe the case is like when Mike Nifong’s was tried for misconduct. There really wasn’t a defense for his actions. Then when they showed videos of his remarks he made that showed his malfeasance as a prosecutor it made him look even worse.

  54. Dee and Deb,

    I enjoy your blog and the insights as to what is going on in American christendom, I'm amazed and sickened by so much of it, from strange fire in the charismatic realm and the spiritual abuse from over authoritarian structure in evangelical circles and lack of compassion and discernment in the conservative political corner. What a hot mess!

    But my comment is on chocolate! if you have never tried it you must! LINDT DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES! If there is anything close to heaven on earth-it's them! If you get a chance do try them. ;0D

  56. Steve240, Nifong was absolutely unbelievable. During the Duke fiasco, we saw him on the news every night. I’m glad justice was finally served.

  57. For those familiar with the abuse allegations of ABWE allowing a pedophile to “get away with it” – ABWE has “fired” the organization GRACE which was investigating the allegations.

  60. Deb wrote:

    Steve240, Nifong was absolutely unbelievable. During the Duke fiasco, we saw him on the news every night. I’m glad justice was finally served.

    I was glad to see it also. Nifong clearly wanted the Duke boys to be guilty. He really cared nothing about the truth.

    I watched the hearings and the one presiding over the hearings at one point asked Nifong that if ever thought to use the word “alleged” when he referred to what the boys were accused of.

  61. Dee,

    I didn’t know you were a major fan, but your line in the post about flood waters rising and heading for higher ground just made me feel it was a Johnny Cash reference. And I love to find a “hidden” Cash reference! Not sure if you intended the reference or not, but maybe his lyrics have just embedded themselves into your imagination!

    Glad to give you a smile!

    @ dee:

  62. A Curious Christian

    One of the most fun evenings I ever spent was with some friends who were visitng from Norway. The husband was a major Johnny Cash fan. Have you ever sung Orange Blssom Special with a Norwegian? Awesome! His music transcended all cultures.

  67. Basically, this is the problem: no matter how deep the sewage is, mambe pambe Christianity is obligated to pick something out of the sewage and say something good about it. Gag, I am so sick of that.

  68. Paul, This reminds me of the interview I watched of the elderly Trudl Jung about her boss when she was in her 20’s. She said he was the most understanding, patient and generous boss she had ever had. He never chastized her when she messed up typing and had to start over.

    Her boss was Adolph Hilter

  69. Paul Dohse wrote:

    Basically, this is the problem: no matter how deep the sewage is, mambe pambe Christianity is obligated to pick something out of the sewage and say something good about it. Gag, I am so sick of that.

    I saw a sign on the back of a truck this morning, and, no kidding, it read, “Sludge Only, No Trash!”
    So we’re supposed to pick the trash outada sludge and “repurpose” it?

  70. Anon 1 wrote:

    Paul, This reminds me of the interview I watched of the elderly Trudl Jung about her boss when she was in her 20′s. She said he was the most understanding, patient and generous boss she had ever had. He never chastized her when she messed up typing and had to start over.
    Her boss was Adolph Hilter

    I think Trudi is my wife’s *favorite* Nazi, because she seemed to have no clue what sort of things she was typing.

  71. @ dee:

    Thanks, Deb, for exposing ABWE. New Tribes Mission had the same issues with owning up to rampant sexual abuse even in the face of a room of adults who had been abused as kids. Not sure if they have repented sincerely, or just made changes under pressure. I’ll take the changes, just look for real repentance and change in all these groups running missionary boarding schools.

    In college I discovered there were 11 out of 24 people on my hall who admitted to having been sexually abused. Most of the abusers were in ministry. (This is not to say that abusers don’t come in all shapes and sizes, just pointing out that if we are not careful to provide accountability and pay attention to anyone speaking up about alleged abuses, then we leave the welcome sign out for abusers at our ministry door.)

  72. Grateful said:

    “In college I discovered there were 11 out of 24 people on my hall who admitted to having been sexually abused. Most of the abusers were in ministry. ”

    Grateful,

    How terribly tragic!  We will keep focusing on one of our hot button issues – sexual abuse.  These horrible sins/crimes must be exposed.  Thanks for helping highlight how pandemic it is.

  73. dee wrote:

    Eagle
    Hurt makes me cry. He wrote that after his beloved June passed away and he dies soon after.

    I LOVE Johnny Cash. I cried more when he passed than when my own grandfather did.
    But he didn’t write Hurt; Trent Reznor wrote it as Nine Inch Nails.