Did You Ever Wonder Why Church Takeovers Begin With Changing the Bylaws? Bylaws Are a Contract Between Members.

NGC 2835, a barred spiral galaxy-NASA

“We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies. The world is a college of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable bylaws of business…There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today.” –Paddy Chayefsky


As soon as one of my church hired a true blue Calvinista, I knew we would be leaving the church. This thoughtful church became a hotbed of Mark Driscoll, CJ Mahaney, and John Piper.(In other words, creepy.) Several of the elders were Calvinistas and were obviously pushing the typical agenda. We decided it would be interesting to stick around for a while to watch the goings-on. The leaders joined The Gospel Coalition without notifying the congregation and got bent out of shape when I mentioned that they were supposed to inform the congregation. Of course, they joined anyway. (The new pastor was so excited. TGC published his article.) Needless to say, when the new pastor asked to meet with us, we said we were resigning and would not be meeting. However, my time there was instructive.

For example, as soon as he settled into his office, he immediately moved to change the church constitution and bylaws. Almost every person who has experienced a negative church takeover has remarked to me about the quick change of the bylaws. So why is that?

The courts and the church

The courts avoid getting involved in internal church decisions. Jeff Anderson, the well-known attorney who has sued on behalf of those sexually abused in the Catholic church, told me that it is next to impossible to sue a church that kicks out a member.

Except if they violate the bylaws…

Many churches become 501c3 organizations. This means that church or organization is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable organization. Why should a church do this? According to aplos in 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status: Is It Right For Your Church?:

While becoming a 501(c)(3) church is not a necessity, it does have benefits.

  1. The IRS recognition gives added assurance to church leaders, members, and contributors that the church is recognized as exempt and their contributions are generally tax-deductible.
  2. 501(c)(3) status enhances an organization’s financial transparency. Maintaining your status requires that informational tax returns be filed on an annual basis and this information is available to the public on GuideStar. As a result, potential contributors are able to gain an essential understanding of the organization and determine whether or not he/she would like to give to them. If your church administers a lot of charitable missions and services, this transparency has the potential to be highly beneficial.

According to Cullinane Law in Nonprofit Law Basics: What is the difference between nonprofit articles of incorporation and bylaws?

 Nonprofits that seek 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS need to have bylaws in place, since the IRS asks for a copy of its internal governing documents to be included in the application packet.

Here are some things that are necessary for bylaws: (see above article for more.)

  • Management & Governing Body: The bylaws will set out who has management authority of the nonprofit. Is the nonprofit managed by members, by a board of directors, or by a combination of the two?
  • Directors and Officers: Bylaws often state the roles and duties of directors and officers, including the titles and specific responsibilities of the officers, qualifications for directors, the number of directors, certain classes of directors, terms for the directors and officers, and the method for electing and removing directors and officers.
  • Meetings: Bylaws will include information about annual and/or special meetings, including the frequency and place of meetings, the type of notice required, and whether directors may vote by written proxy.
  • Voting: Bylaws set out how directors and/or officers are nominated and elected. There may be bylaw provisions on removal and substitution, as well.
  • Provisions for Membership (if the corporation has members): Bylaws may describe qualifications for membership, method of selection, dues and fees, voting rights, and the frequency and place of membership meetings.

Folks, do you know what this means? If your church has bylaws, it must follow those bylaws. If the church violates those bylaws, they can be (and more than you might imagine) legally challenged.

What happened to one church which violated their bylaws.

Christianity Today posted Church’s Failure to Follow Bylaws Nullifies Key Appointments and Resignations.

A church in Idaho ran afoul of the law in the selection of a pastor, the resignation of two members, and in the calling of a special meeting. Reading between the lines, I bet there was an all-out church war. The dissidents took it to the courts. Let’s take a look at the issue surrounding the hiring of a pastor. Here is one of their bylaws on the selection of the pastor in that Idaho church.

After the voting membership has had an opportunity to review all candidates set forth by the board of directors, a special meeting will be called and a vote will be taken, with a majority vote required for the final appointment of the new senior pastor.

Except, the church didn’t stick to their bylaws. The court ruled against the church’s actions.

The court noted that there was no evidence that the pastor was ever voted on by the membership. Rather, the only evidence was that he had been asked when meeting with the church board if he would be interested in serving as pastor, and he replied that he was. The court concluded that “this was not sufficient evidence for a finding that he was properly appointed as the senior pastor.” Because there was no evidence that the bylaws were complied with, the pastor’s appointment was not valid.

The court defined the bylaws as a contract among the members:

The court stressed that the bylaws of a corporation are “equivalent to contracts among the members” and are binding on its members, and therefore “actions taken in violation of a corporation’s bylaws are void.”

How does a member resign from responsibility in the church?

Readers of this blog know that I always stress than any resignation in the church must be done in writing and sent by certified mail. In this instance in the church in Idaho, two members of the board vocally resigned. Remember, in this instance, the board is overseeing the church and the church is obviously in turmoil. I would imagine the board members were afraid that they would be the subject of a lawsuit. According to the courts, they didn’t legally resign.

The court quoted the following provision in the state nonprofit corporation law: “A director may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the board of directors, its chairman, or the corporation.” I.C. § 30-3-69(1).

The court explained: “Although a director may resign at any time, the exclusive method for doing so is by delivering written notice… .” The court noted that neither of the two board members who allegedly resigned “ever submitted a written resignation. Accordingly, there is no evidence to support the … [conclusion that they had resigned.]”

They were still members of the board until they resigned according to their bylaws.

They also screwed up calling a special meeting as well but you can read about it at the above link.

Do you know what’s in your church’s bylaws? Are you sure they can kick people out of the church?

Raul Rivera, StartChurch, wrote When Churches Violate Their Own Bylaws wrote:

On any given day, within the 50 states, thousands of churches are in court because of disputes between members and leaders

He makes an important point. Members of the church are increasingly using the courts to settle church disputes. Here is one example.

These disputes usually begin with personality differences, but often times end up with both parties having to look at the details of the church’s bylaws.  Such was the case with a church in Ohio whose pastor chose to change the time of the church’s annual business meeting.  When some disgruntled members disagreed with his decision and noticed it was inconsistent with their bylaws, they sued the pastor.  The court, in keeping with the church’s bylaws, invalidated the meeting because the pastor did not follow the procedures stated therein.

He lists some important things in the bylaws that are often overlooked.

  1. Spending limits in a church.
  2. Completing an annual audit

The two that caught my eye were removing members and annual audits.

1. Annual audits:

First of all, the states require it.  Not doing it can invalidate the members of the board including the pastor/president.

2. Removing a member:

 The procedure used must be exactly as described in the bylaws. Did you know that the largest source of church disputes concerns such matters and the provisions of the bylaws regarding how this is handled? Never assume that a church member living in unrepentant sin will go down quietly. You may not even have a procedure for removal, which means you may not even be allowed to remove a member once he/she has been added to membership. If that provision is missing, you need to amend the bylaws.

What should the average pew sitter know about the bylaws?

  • Look over your church bylaws and know what is in them.
  • If your church is in the middle of a church takeover, assume the newbie is going to change your bylaws to consolidate power.
  • If your church is converting to *elder rule,* be careful. How well do you know your elders? Can you trust them to act in your best interests?
  • Be particularly careful about allowing a pastor to do the hiring and firing.
  • Do you know how members can be removed from your church? It is highly likely that they will not define what sins will *disciplined.*
  • Who exactly are the board members? Are they just the elders or are they separate?

Take your bylaws seriously if you care about your church and your well being.

I hate looking at the jot and tittle of the law. However, in the church I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I finally discovered why the takeover crowd loves bylaws and constitutions. They use these to consolidate their power. Find out what the bylaws say about the removal of a member. Demand they define exactly what they plan to discipline. (They won’t like you!)

Never forget. If things are going downhill, you can resign anytime you want. Just do it in writing and send it by certified mail. You can quit even when they are disciplining you, even if they say you can’t. I’m sure some judge would love to hear how you were disciplined fand removed or sinfully craving answers.

Comments

Did You Ever Wonder Why Church Takeovers Begin With Changing the Bylaws? Bylaws Are a Contract Between Members. — 106 Comments

  1. My (former) church’s bylaws are only viewable in person by appointment for “valid” purposes by a member. Weird, right? Menlo Church

  2. Nice summary. I also suggest that regular readers of TWW should think about good responses to power hunger, arrogant leaders, that attempt to shame people that raise questions with respect to a church Not operating consistently with the by-laws. It is time us pew peons stand up, in a respectful manner, these leaders.

  3. 501c3 status for churches I pastored did not require anything beyond the group exemption letter provided by the state convention. No reports, audits, bylaws or anything else. I completely agree with your counsel to be wary of bylaw changes.

  4. Ruth H: My (former) church’s bylaws are only viewable in person by appointment for “valid” purposes by a member. Weird, right? Menlo Church

    My eyes are going to get stuck in the “up” position from rolling them so much. If the church won’t let you see the bylaws, then don’t give them any money.

  5. Ruth H:
    My (former) church’s bylaws are only viewable in person by appointment for “valid” purposes by a member. Weird, right? Menlo Church

    Well, that sure makes one wonder what’s in them that is so secretive! Looking from the outside it makes me think it’s not upright and pleasing to God.

  6. The little OP congregation I attended for several years had, effectively, what I suppose was essentially two sets of by-laws, the “legal corporation” entity by-laws and the denominational “book of church order” that was supposed to regulate how the congregation functioned. I never inspected the non-profit corporation by-laws but I suspect that the BCO was incorporated into them by reference. I imagine that other presbyterian denominations are similar.

    Independent congregations with by-laws that can be changed with no external constraint may be a bad idea on principle, even if at a specific point in time the current state of the by-laws does not facilitate domineering leadership.

  7. Out of curiosity, I dug a little to see if US non-profits are obliged to make their by-laws public.

    This page indicates legal obligation to publicly disclose certain things, including the exemption application

    https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/public-disclosure-and-availability-of-exempt-organizations-returns-and-applications-public-disclosure-requirements-in-general

    If a copy of the by-laws is required to be included with the application for exemption, that would seem to make the by-laws public information. Presumably amendments to the initial at-time-of-exemption by-laws would also be public.

    This page asserts that non-profits are required by law to provide a copy of by-laws on request:

    https://www.upcounsel.com/how-to-get-a-copy-of-bylaws#:~:text=There%20are%20a%20few%20methods%20available%20to%20obtain,you%20with%20a%20copy%20of%20bylaws%20if%20requested.

    If that’s right, the above-mentioned entity that restricts access to the by-laws is in breach of Federal law.

  8. Headless Unicorn Guy,

    That is my point above… Church leaders should not be allowed to bully people.. i am just sick of it….. The more I read TWW, the more I want to help pew peons “stand up for themselves”… I have heard “condescending” “messages” from “church leaders” to many times…

  9. Jeffrey Chalmers: The more I read TWW, the more I want to help pew peons “stand up for themselves”

    It sounds like it can be difficult suing churches. What about suing individuals elders who go after you? Has that worked?

  10. Ken F (aka Tweed),

    It does seem there needs to be the potential for multiple approaches for dealing with these “sub-optimum” church situations. For one thing, I think of Max’s common assertion that pew peons need to know what the NT says and does not say… so much of what we read about on TWW is fundamentally opposite of what NT says Christians, and groups of Christians should be/do. One of the first things that comes of mind is “the golden rule”… I hope TWW helps abused people realize this… Second, as Dee has pointed out, we need to give examples of how people can get out of these abusive churches/orgs, even if it has to resort to legal means…

  11. I have a recommended addition to church bylaws:

    “If any pastor, elder, staff member, or volunteer enters the work of the church by stealth and deception (e.g., lying to pulpit search committees and church members regarding their theological leaning), they will be immediately terminated once this is revealed.”

    That simple change will clear the house of thousands of New Calvinists who came in the back door like thieves! Deception in the takeover of churches across America has been the Calvinista modus operandi.

  12. Samuel Conner: If that’s right, the above-mentioned entity that restricts access to the by-laws is in breach of Federal law.

    Not sure but I suspect churches are an exception, just as they don’t have to provide 990s. In California the state does not keep copies of bylaws; you have to ask the corporation.

  13. A couple thoughts:

    1. Do brand new Christians, being so excited for the faith, even think about bylaws?
    2. Do church members even realize that churches (nonprofits) require articles of incorporation like any other business?

    A brand new Christian getting their fill of Contemporary Christian Music may not listen to the Christian talk station that discusses incorporating a church.

  14. I so appreciate your words of caution. I have worked for 3 churches and knew it was always time to move on when the pastor was working on revising the by-laws. Always in his favor, of course.

  15. Here’s a suggestion:
    Make a Lutheran Church (LCMS or ELCA) your home.
    They don’t have all the unhealthy drama of independent fundagelical outfits, reformed or non, it makes no difference.
    For the life of me, I don’t get what the draw is to these independent outfits, and how they keep their peasantry shackled in abject slavery.

  16. A variation in a far bigger and far older denomination is to set up a “church within a church” to attract newcomers so that the rest don’t notice there’s anything “different”.

    And of course there is no obligation for the self-imported “animators” to have what happens conform in the slightest degree to the bylaws if you can get hold of them. No oversight of money or safeguarding.

    When everything that goes wrong goes wrong (a lot), the bishop, if he has no say, bears all the blame and, if he is an accomplice, exonerates himself along with the “animators”. Prayer is not modelled, only degeneracy propaganda.

  17. The quote from Paddy Chayevsky is very good. And the churches did not like being left out. Well, they’ve fought and won themselves a position near the seat of power for now. But I think they’ve given up more than they’ve gained.

  18. Ava Aaronson,

    Unfortunately, this is a key concept…. and, as long as, as Max likes to say, being Charismatic, gift of gab, etc allows “Christian leaders” to convince pew peons that they have ‘the best/only way”…. and, As Max also likes to highlight, if pew peons do not know their NT and allow the “Christian leaders” to ram their supposedly “divine authority” upon the pew peons, all that we read about on TWW Will continue.

    The longer I live, the more I appreciate the quote attributed to Martin Luther, “The Just shall live by Faith”…. and, also the thief on the cross that Christ said “ Amen, I say to you today you will be with me in Paradise”.

    Do not need: membership contracts, closed communion, being submission to male leadership, speaking in tongues, being “on fire” as defined by your flavor of Christianity, doing confessional to your priest, believing in a young earth, being a 5 pointer, etc, etc, etc…

  19. Jeffrey Chalmers: Do not need: membership contracts

    As a believer, the only covenant you need to enter into is the one written in blood by Jesus. No earthly contract required to be a member of the Body of Christ. Membership contracts put you in bondage; Jesus has set you free.

  20. William,

    As you can see from the article, many states are requring bylaws which include audits, etc.Could it be that the state is becoming more rigid in how the view churches.

    Bylaws are a way to give the rules of the game to the members. A church without bylaws is a church in which leaders could become lawless.And those people are speaking out more and more.

  21. Samuel Conner,

    Wow! I hadn’t thought of that. Do you think that I could request the bylaws of soem of the churches that I write about? I bet the process could take months but it might be worth it. I could do a post on “The bylaws of authoritarian churches.”

  22. Muslin, fka Dee Holmes: If the church won’t let you see the bylaws, then don’t give them any money.

    You are singing my song! i would add, if your church won’t let you see the bylaws, then somethin is up and it could be bad for the little guy in the church.

  23. Jeffrey Chalmers: That policy is just, plain, crazy! What do they have to hide??

    They hide the power grab. They hide their policy for the removal of a member. They may even be hiding the fact that they don’t stick to the runoes regarding bylaws. When stuff like this is hidden, it always hurts the little guy.

    Loved your post, BTW.

  24. Max: If any pastor, elder, staff member, or volunteer enters the work of the church by stealth and deception (e.g., lying to pulpit search committees and church members regarding their theological leaning), they will be immediately terminated once this is revealed.”

    This is apparently what happend when Andy Davis came to FBC Durham. It was so successful that SBTS puts Davis’ version of what happened on their website. It was this situation that led me to beleive that some seminaries may be telling their students to outright lie about their associations. http://thewartburgwatch.com/2017/06/05/andy-davis-and-first-baptist-durham-i-wonder-if-wormwood-grinned/

  25. Brian: A brand new Christian getting their fill of Contemporary Christian Music may not listen to the Christian talk station that discusses incorporating a church.

    You are right. Unfortinately way to many people *trust* their leaders even when knowing nothing about them.

    I learned something interesting this weekend. . I love Michael Card’s music. He has refused to get involoved with CCM, calling them a sellout to celebruty singers.

  26. dee,

    I had a similar thought immediately after posting that comment, that it might present an opportunity to post examples of questionable approaches to “church corporation by-laws,” with commentary.

    An intriguing possibility is that, just as the OP points out that churches sometimes do things, such as hire employees or remove members, in ways that violate the by-laws — and such things are invalid and can be reversed with legal challenge — it may be the case that some instances of “by-law revision” were done in ways that violated the original by-laws’ provisions for amendment of the governing document. Such changes would be reversible on legal challenge. To discover this, one would need to have the pre-revision by-laws as well as an accurate account of how they were amended.

    The possibility has been raised that churches are specifically exempted from “at public request” disclosure of these documents (in analogy to the exemption from filing Form 990). It would take additional digging to uncover the details.

    The posting of examples of “good” and “bad” by-laws, with commentary (and I would guess that the TWW community has multiple people with advanced legal training) might be a useful service to the churches. It would, of course, displease the leaders of congregations with by-laws that concentrate power in the hands of a small number of people.

    ——-

    I don’t see what harm there would be in requesting to see any specific congregation’s “non-profit corporation” by-laws. The willingness of a group to disclose these would itself be illuminating. The request would have more force if the church were legally obligated to provide these documents to the public; I don’t know if churches are exempted from this requirement. And yes, I’m guessing that it would require legal action to compel a reluctant leader to comply with the law. But again, the willingness of a congregation’s leaders to go through a legal process to delay or avoid such disclosures would itself be revelatory of the character of the leadership.

    “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

    Jn 3:20-21 (NIV)

  27. Samuel Conner: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

    Jn 3:20-21 (NIV)

    The New Calvinists taking over churches by stealth and deception skip over this one. I suppose they justify their behavior for the good of the movement, since they are convinced they have come into the world for such a time as this to restore the “gospel” that the rest of us have lost.

  28. Max: since they are convinced they have come into the world for such a time as this to restore the “gospel” that the rest of us have lost.

    So were the Young Communist League, Chairman Mao’s Red Guard, and the Taliban.

  29. dee: As you can see from the article, many states are requring bylaws which include audits, etc.Could it be that the state is becoming more rigid in how the view churches.

    I can hear the screams of “PERSECUTION!!!!!” right now.

  30. SiteSeer:
    The quote from Paddy Chayevsky is very good. And the churches did not like being left out. Well, they’ve fought and won themselves a position near the seat of power for now. But I think they’ve given up more than they’ve gained.

    Remember your End Times choreography regarding The Beast (corrupt political system) and The False Prophet (corrupt religious system):

    The False Prophet piddles on the floor yap-yap-yapping “I’M IN CHARGE! I’M IN CONTROL!” while The Beast leads him around on a leash. “SIT UP! ROLL OVER! SPEAK!”

  31. dee: some seminaries may be telling their students to outright lie about their associations

    The new reformers don’t “lie” Dee! They just bend the truth to achieve a goal. Surely God will forgive a little bit of stealth and deception since they are doing it for Him? Mistruth and half-truth are not really lies are they when they are used to advance the New Calvinist Kingdom?

    “A lie that is half-truth is the darkest of all lies.”
    ― Alfred Tennyson

  32. dee: This is apparently what happend when Andy Davis came to FBC Durham. It was so successful that SBTS puts Davis’ version of what happened on their website. It was this situation that led me to beleive that some seminaries may be telling their students to outright lie about their associations.

    That’s also what happened at my former church in Wake Forest. I was there throughout the pastoral search process and heard the questions asked. Within a few years, the rest of the staff had been fired and replaced with SBTS people and a covenant was put in place.

    I do believe Southern, at least, is telling students to lie to get into church positions. Or there may be another secret society we are not aware of that allows a larger group than Dodeca and is behind that, though I would suspect it would be known and okay’d by Mohler and friends. They’ve not followed the Founders, so I doubt that’s the source, but I do think the Founder’s group theology started most of it way back when. Maybe that was TGC’s original purpose, until they went public?

    I’ve witnessed the lies and manipulation and deception firsthand. I’ve also been told that anyone not following them is predestined for hell and condemnation and deserves worse than being lied to. I suspect that they are still fans of slavery, and do not just limit that to women, but to anyone who doesn’t follow them.

  33. dee: Are you still a member of an OPC church? If not, what motivated you to leave?

    Actually, I never became a “member” at the little OPC; I migrated there (as an experiment in “more conservative” church) in dismay at what I saw happening at a CMA church where I was a member. I sat the membership class in my first year with the OP congregation, but concluded that I was not a good fit for the culture of that group. But by then I had formed some friendships with people there and was reluctant to add to the group’s discouragement — they had been declining for decades — by moving on to somewhere else. I persevered there, somewhat uncomfortably, for seven years.

    It was a small church, afflicted with some of the pathologies to which small churches are subject, with few of the advantages that “small church” can provide. I remained, and volunteered energetically in functions open to me as a non-member visitor, as long as I thought my presence might make a difference to the trajectory of the group. The trigger for my decision to depart was kind of hilarious — because I was not a member there and was no longer attending the church where was was, at least on paper, still a member, the Elders were divided about whether it was proper to admit me to the Lord’s Table. I thought it kind of ridiculous, since they were free to “examine” my faith whenever they wanted to, but it seemed that they preferred to not do that unless was an “on paper” member. I perceived the problem before they brought it up (I had previously addressed the question with the interim “pulpit supply” minister — they were having trouble attracting a full-time pastor — and he encouraged me to participate, but then he moved on) and voluntarily excluded myself from the the Table to protect their consciences, but this distressed some of the members. I concluded that my presence was becoming divisive, and also (see below) that I was not making a discernible difference in the group. So I withdrew from the group, with a lengthy advance notice to facilitate the transition of my volunteer functions to others.

    The Elders’ dilemma about my participation in Communion was the trigger for my decision to withdraw, but my assessment that the group did not have a future arose in reflection on the discord I saw among the Elders, which reminded me of the competition among the apostles that one reads about in the Gospels. It was actually a highly instructive experience, which led to an hypothesis, that I have since encountered in a few other places, that “the presence of the Holy Spirit” in a congregation is a group phenomenon as much as, or perhaps more than, an individual phenomenon. Perhaps the Holy Spirit “dwells” in the interpersonal spaces between people. Perhaps the language in Paul that is conventionally translated “in you” should actually be “among you”. I suspect that someone with better training than I could develop this concept and it might be of benefit to the churches. It may help to explain why Jesus’ continued presence among the apostles would hinder the coming of the Spirit, and it makes good sense of Paul’s “one another” emphasis and his “corporate temple” metaphor for the churches.

    It was a sorrowful but instructive experience.

    The author of Ecclesiastes wrote that “wisdom brings sorrow”. Sometimes the reverse is also true.

  34. ishy: I’ve witnessed the lies and manipulation and deception firsthand. I’ve also been told that anyone not following them is predestined for hell and condemnation and deserves worse than being lied to. I suspect that they are still fans of slavery, and do not just limit that to women, but to anyone who doesn’t follow them.

    This says it all…

  35. Samuel Conner,

    sorry about the bungled html tags. I meant to italicize only the words “between” and “among”.

    Dee, is there any chance you could implement a “Preview” function within the TWW comments utility? I’m not the only person who is bad at proofreading tags.

  36. dee,

    I was raised Lutheran.
    I go back far enough (as a little kid) to remember when Lutheran pastors still wore the Cassock on High Holy days.

  37. Max: for such a time as this

    While I understand (and still appreciate) the book of Esther, (general) you would not believe how many times I have been (not-literally) beaten over the head with “for such a time as this”….nor how many times the “for such as time as this” flashbacks (and dreams) still haunt me.

  38. dee,

    I am unaware of any state that requires churches to file bylaws, finances, etc., with any government agency. I understand that a civil lawsuit against a church may Include subpoenas for such things. Which is why some are making a push for churches to be required to file 990s. I don’t see that happening for first amendment reasons.

    I wouldn’t be a member of a church that refused to let me see their financial information (including pay), bylaws etc.

  39. dee,

    Please do try getting some bylaws! I am curious if hard-to-find bylaws the norm or what. The article posted earlier said that 501c3 bylaws are public record but I don’t think that’s quite right. The IRS application for exemption — which must include bylaws — is public record. But the updated bylaws are not necessarily. Updates are supposed to be given to the IRS via form 990 but churches are exempt from filing 990s. They could send a separate letter, I think, but it’s not clear at all to me whether that’s required.

  40. The thought occurs that if is it true that “the Spirit dwells in the interpersonal spaces between believers” (the “corporate temple” metaphor in Paul; the assembly of believers described as a temple within which God dwells by His Spirit), the question of the kind of leader/led relationships that are promoted by the corporate by-laws might be a matter of existential concern. Some kinds of corporate structures might promote relational climates that are inimical to the working, or even the presence, of the Spirit within the group.

  41. More lip service from SBC Executive Committee on abuse as they met virtually today; credentials committee to hold off at least another five months on notorious churches:

    https://religionnews.com/2020/09/22/protecting-abuse-survivors-is-personal-says-new-southern-baptist-leader/

    “SBC President J.D. Greear, one of the speakers at the Tuesday meeting, echoed [Executive Committee Chairman Rolland] Slade’s remarks on supporting abuse survivors as one of the numerous ways the Southern Baptists should focus on describing themselves as ‘Great Commission Baptists'”

    “Jon Wilke, media relations director for the Executive Committee, told Religion News Service before Tuesday’s meeting that the credentials committee ‘continues to meet virtually and work on churches submitted for disfellowship’. He said the committee will not bring any new recommendations to the full Executive Committee until after it meets in person again, tentatively set for February.”

    [“At the 2019 SBC annual meeting, Southern Baptists approved a new credentials committee that can recommend the disaffiliation of churches that do not properly handle instances of abuse.”]

  42. The warning about a church changing to elder rule is well-spoken, as this happened in a denominational church I used to be a member of, which then went downhill into abusive power and unilateral “unanimous” elder decisions without allowing the ordinary congregant a real voice in the church. In reality, the elders were dominated by 2 of the pastoral staff who were automatic life-long elders and a few of their more senior cronies.

  43. Ken P.:
    I looked up our friends at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.They have a church “Constitution” that could act as by-laws.See what you think.

    I looked at the CHBC Constitution and it is organized much like the by-laws of my church. Lots of difference in the details, but similar in layout and the topics covered.
    Last week there was a post here on Watermark Church, I went to their website and found there a document called “Governance” which contains similar information.

    https://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/about-us/what-we-believe/constitution/

  44. Jeffrey Chalmers: Do not need: membership contracts, closed communion, being submission to male leadership, speaking in tongues, being “on fire” as defined by your flavor of Christianity, doing confessional to your priest, believing in a young earth, being a 5 pointer, etc, etc, etc…

    Do need: God the Father, Jesus our Savior, indwelling Holy Spirit, and corporately all 18 gifts surrendered to God only while laterally working together. Listed: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4.

  45. True story: CHBC’s constitution was shifted from 3/4 down to 2/3 congregational vote for elders. There was an instance where none of the five men nominated by 9Mark Dever were elected. After much scolding by Dever, the congregation acceded to his slate in a later revote. The constitution has since been amended, to the lower threshold.

  46. dee,

    Or, in a quaint and bold variation, they vaunt them but they don’t resemble reality in the slightest (this works in some denominations)

  47. dee: so successful that SBTS puts Davis’ version of what happened on their website

    Like the way Zacharias had Galli showcase his version (and Visser’s) and not the other folks’.

  48. Ruth H:
    William,

    How about, for example, a church that will only let you see them in person, no note taking, no copies?

    It’s common.

    I think that is heavy handed. Stinks. Control by intimidation. Don’t like it.

  49. Micaiah: In reality, the elders were dominated by 2 of the pastoral staff who were automatic life-long elders and a few of their more senior cronies.

    And this is usually what tends to happen. Most of what I’ve heard about why elder rule is the structure relies on the argument that the elders have more maturity, clarity, and are following God.

    But it’s mostly a crock. Elder “rule” nearly always ends up being man-centered and driven by personality cult. They are chosen for their ability to agree with the “lead” pastor, not for their wise counsel.

  50. Jerome,

    It would be interesting to see tape/transcript of the “scolding”… my bet, not as emotional as the screaming at the congregation by Mark Driscoll, but…..

  51. Jeffrey Chalmers: It would be interesting to see tape/transcript of the “scolding”

    It took the form of a post-election-loss screed to the congregation.

    [it is reproduced in the 9Marks Weekender training materials]

    9Mark Dever: “Is it arrogant of me to nominate the same five again?…I do not understand this to be a matter of arrogance, but of integrity.”

    “Why vote on the same thing again?…Because we need elders…Because there must be a new election, therefore men must again be nominated. But the one [me] who must nominate has not changed…God has led me again to the same people.”

    “The Bible no where requires 75%.”

    “We must let leaders lead…When I was a member at Eden, I voted with the eldership, unless I had expressly biblical reasons for not doing so.”

    “I have certainly been frustrated by not being more trusted”

    “Each member of the church should consider if they are making it easier or harder for the staff to do what God has called them here to do.”

    “Me leaving…find another pastor…[This is] a confidence vote on my pastorate.”

    [Tells members they need to individually meet with him if they intend to vote “no” again]

    Dever’s tactics/antics worked…he got his way:

    (one month later) “Elder nominations passed on second try”

  52. Jerome: Dever’s tactics/antics worked…he got his way:

    (one month later) “Elder nominations passed on second try”

    This means, of course, that these “votes” are not about congregational “approval” of new Elders — that is taken for granted. The votes are more about informing the congregation who is going to rule them and the congregation’s promise to comply with the leadership’s wishes. On Dever’s principles, there doesn’t really need to be a vote — provided that he is to continue as pastor, he must get his way every time. Sort of an independent baptist version of papal infallibility.

  53. ishy: But it’s mostly a crock. Elder “rule” nearly always ends up being man-centered and driven by personality cult. They are chosen for their ability to agree with the “lead” pastor, not for their wise counsel.

    I agree, and as I’ve opined before, it’s autocratic rule by a tribal chieftain and a band of yes men.

  54. Muff Potter,

    Let’s take an imaginary situation in which I must choose between a fundagelical church dictatorship and a Catholic Parish.
    I’ll choose the Catholic Parish.

  55. Less than two years into his pastorate, Dever was hankering for the Southern Baptist Convention to alter the denomination’s article on Salvation.

    Way back in 1996, on the Founders website:

    https://web.archive.org/web/19961104221115/http://founders.org/conferences/bp2.html

    “Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., urged revision of the Southern Baptist Convention statement of faith at the 14th annual meeting of the Founders Conference, July 23-26 on the campus of Samford University, Birmingham, Ala. The conference is attended by Southern Baptists who hold to…’Calvinism’.”

    “Dever asserted the 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message leans more toward the Roman Catholic position of salvation by works than the traditional Protestant position”

    “Dever’s call for revision of the Baptist Faith and Message was met by hearty ‘Amens!’ from the audience at the Founders Conference”

  56. ishy: Elder “rule” nearly always ends up being man-centered and driven by personality cult.

    “Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them, tyrannizing them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your willing and humble minister; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many, paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

    It’s amazing how much Scripture the New Calvinists have not read! Of course, they would have missed this particular passage since it is in the Gospels … they don’t spend much time in that part of the Bible, choosing instead to distort the epistles of Paul to support their theology.

  57. ishy: They are chosen for their ability to agree with the “lead” pastor, not for their wise counsel.

    I call it the “Rehoboam System” of church leadership. From 2 Chronicles 10:

    “King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon as advisers while he was alive … But the king rejected the advice which the elders gave him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him as his advisers.”

    History records that the advice of his yes-men elders didn’t turn out well for Rehoboam nor Israel. Think about it, the wisest man who ever lived – Solomon – had advisers, but the young whippersnapper king and his band of young “elders” rejected their counsel!! SBC church plants and church takeovers by the New Calvinists operate under the Rehoboam system of rule … no wisdom.

  58. Jerome: “Dever’s call for revision of the Baptist Faith and Message was met by hearty ‘Amens!’ from the audience at the Founders Conference”

    Well, they certainly got their way! The Baptist Faith and Message was revised in 2000, giving it a clear slant toward Calvinism. Al Mohler crafted the revisions which began a trend away from SBC’s non-Calvinist identity for over 150 years.

  59. And…CHBC yesterday sued the mayor, upset that the arrangements it made to congregate for Sunday service at DC’s RFK Stadium starting Sept. 27 had been thwarted:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/full-complaint-capitol-hill-baptist-church-lawsuit/c2fd1893-1f1f-49b2-9635-1d4cd1265fd8/

    “Capitol Hill Baptist Church, an 850-member church, says Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) is violating the First Amendment and facilitating discrimination by severely limiting worship services while allowing large anti-racism protests. But members say they don’t want the lawsuit to be seen as criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement.”

  60. Max: SBC church plants and church takeovers by the New Calvinists operate under the Rehoboam system of rule … no wisdom.

    Don’t they also use the Hophni and Phinehas Rule?

  61. Ken F (aka Tweed): Don’t they also use the Hophni and Phinehas Rule?

    Well, I guess that would apply to some of the young reformers. “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.” (1 Samuel 2:12)

  62. researcher: While I understand (and still appreciate) the book of Esther, (general) you would not believe how many times I have been (not-literally) beaten over the head with “for such a time as this”….nor how many times the “for such as time as this” flashbacks (and dreams) still haunt me.

    The misuse and mischaracterization of God’s word towards not just wrong but sometimes even malevolent purposes has stark examples in Scripture, from the Garden of Eden to the quoting of Scripture to Jesus after 40 days in the desert.

    How many of the vision casters and authoritarians in the Christian Industrial Complex are teaching about those dangers versus using prooftexts as it suits their agendas?

  63. Jerome:
    True story: CHBC’s constitution was shifted from 3/4 down to 2/3 congregational vote for elders. There was an instance where none of the five men nominated by 9Mark Dever were elected.After much scolding by Dever, the congregation acceded to his slate in a later revote. The constitution has since been amended, to the lower threshold.

    Autocrats like cover for their decisions such as things being duly ratified or elected, and mechanisms can be finagled to get things closer to a fast-track for such matters, especially if it’s decisions coming top-down from those who they insist have the rule over them

  64. Muff Potter: Let’s take an imaginary situation in which I must choose between a fundagelical church dictatorship and a Catholic Parish.
    I’ll choose the Catholic Parish.

    Me too. It takes some doing to be excommunicated as a Catholic. 😉

  65. Jerome: It took the form of a post-election-loss screed to the congregation.

    [it is reproduced in the 9Marks Weekender training materials]

    (one month later) “Elder nominations passed on second try”

    “Is it arrogant of me to nominate the same five again?…I do not understand this to be a matter of arrogance, but of integrity.”

    They’ve had their say (and their vote almost certainly would’ve been respected as used as an affirmation had it gone his way), but he wants what he wants… and why?

    “Why vote on the same thing again?…Because we need elders…Because there must be a new election, therefore men must again be nominated. But the one [me] who must nominate has not changed…God has led me again to the same people.”

    Ah, God led him, so it not just what he wants, but what God had led this leader of sheep to want, no?

    “The Bible no where requires 75%.”

    If this is what happened, wow. Did The 75% threshold come from nowhere, or wasn’t it something that was already agreed to by leadership, who likely at the could’ve told you they were being led to that figure for a reason? So when it doesn’t fit a particular agenda, the number and threshold agreed to before can be dismissed because “the Bible“?

    “We must let leaders lead…When I was a member at Eden, I voted with the eldership, unless I had expressly biblical reasons for not doing so.”

    And there it is. Pay and pay, be led by men like those who’ve been approved as interns by this program who haven’t exactly turned out squeaky clean (Capitol Hill Baptist intern Anthony Moore springs to mind), and defer the decisions to them:

    https://thouarttheman.org/2020/04/21/cedarville-university-professor-reportedly-fired-from-the-village-church-for-sexually-abusing-a-male-subordinate/

    Oh, and they need “expressly Biblical reasons for not doing so” — which by the first qualification can be automatically nullified because leaders lead, and those who are leading aren’t leading and better follow and vote accordingly — whether or not there is any evidence of adequate vetting etc. and ether or not God has led them not to vote for them (same ‘Biblical’ rationale that Dever used, no?).

    “I have certainly been frustrated by not being more trusted”

    This is what I see as the wounded lion approach. The wounded lion is pained, which helps elicit sympathy. The wounded lion is frustrated, because he is a lion who wants to lead those under his charge because he loves and care for them. The wounded lion is SUPPOSED to lead them, because that is his Biblical calling as he is led.

    Sadly, the wounded lion is wounded… because of you. You don’t trust him, even though you are under the wounded lion’s care cuz Scripture! HOW DARE YOU. The problem is you, and only you with a repentant, trusting heart can lessen the pain of this wounded lion. Do what you are told, and no lions will be wounded. Pay up on your way out.

    More wounded lion machinations appear to follow in line with the above:

    “Each member of the church should consider if they are making it easier or harder for the staff to do what God has called them here to do.” Check.

    “Me leaving…find another pastor…[This is] a confidence vote on my pastorate.” Check, have seen this firsthand.

    “[Tells members they need to individually meet with him if they intend to vote “no” again]”

    Isolation on his terms and orders; that should go well.

  66. JDV,

    Interesting analysis… It also shows the circular argument that these types have to resort to for them to maintain their power…

  67. JDV: “Why vote on the same thing again?”

    In the takeover of a nearby SBC non-Calvinist church by a YRR pastor (who lied his way past the pastor search committee), the initial vote failed to take the church from congregational polity to elder-rule. So, he recruited like-minded new members from a reformed church in the community over a period of weeks and took it to a second vote, which (of course) passed. The church split over this shenanigan and the young pastor wrested control of the church building away from long-time non-Calvinist members who had financed it. God is not pleased by such behavior.

  68. Friend: It takes some doing to be excommunicated as a Catholic.

    In New Calvinist churches, members can easily be tossed aside like an old jacket. What love is this?

  69. Ruth H:
    My (former) church’s bylaws are only viewable in person by appointment for “valid” purposes by a member. Weird, right? Menlo Church

    My former church’s bylaws (Hope Church) are provided by request only. The sentiment from leaders and senior pastor were those who wanted to read the bylaws are trouble makers. In my discipleship training, one of the books in the reading list was “Loyalty and Disloyalty by Dag Heward-Mills”. That alone was a big red flag. I was so naive.

  70. Sowre-sweet Dayes: In my discipleship training, one of the books in the reading list was “Loyalty and Disloyalty by Dag Heward-Mills”. That alone was a big red flag.

    At the time Wondering Eagle put him on six-month Time Out, his blog’s regular Trump-fanatic troll (and I mean FANATIC – the guy was genuinely scary) had gone beyond his usual barrages of Bible bullets and was ranting about LOYALTY and DISLOYALTY.

  71. Ava Aaronson: God the Father, Jesus our Savior, indwelling Holy Spirit, and corporately all 18 gifts surrendered to God only while laterally working together. Listed: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4

    I’ve known present day Regions Beyond & Bethelated Anglican types replace Scriptural meaning with the worldly. Corporate = lacking in individuality. To restore the real meaning I call it “joint” and “common”. The value IN God is that He stands for the joint and common and through this, all individuals; He doesn’t stand for prevalent interpretations of “corporate”. When churches promulgate this, it will do the whole world a favour: they don’t want taking over & neither do I.

  72. Max: So, he recruited like-minded new members from a reformed church in the community over a period of weeks and took it to a second vote, which (of course) passed. The church split over this shenanigan and the young pastor wrested control of the church building away from long-time non-Calvinist members who had financed it.

    From what I understand, that is what happened at my old church, too. I do think there was coordinated effort to take over that church from other New Calvinist churches in the area, like dee’s former church. People from the New Cal churches moved over to the New Cal church to become voting members and changed the polity. It was right by a SBC seminary that had been Calvinista-ized, so it was trending. Once the polity was changed to elder rule, the rest of the staff was fired so SBTS grads and YRR seminary students could be put in.

  73. ishy: that is what happened at my old church, too

    There must be a “how to” playbook being circulated in New Calvinist ranks regarding SBC church plants (= plant reformed theology) and replants (= takeover non-Calvinist churches). The modus operandi is common among the new reformers.

  74. ishy: Once the polity was changed to elder rule, the rest of the staff was fired so SBTS grads and YRR seminary students could be put in.

    What Scientology calls “The LOYAL Officers”.

  75. Ken F (aka Tweed): https://founders.org/library/quiet-revolution/walking-without-slipping/

    There’s an interesting dynamic in the SBC between “Old” Calvinists (of the Founders’ sort) and the “New” Calvinists (of the Mohler sort). While the ole guys may not like the method and message of their younger brethren, they put up with them because they are on a common mission … to Calvinize the largest non-Calvinist Protestant denomination in America. So they share a playbook, I suppose.

  76. JDV: using prooftexts as it suits their agendas?

    I did not encounter “proof-texting” until I encountered some “christians” with hidden agendas, some of whom were Christians(TM), and some of whom endorsed and / or parroted Reformed(TM) theology.

    I can remember complex concepts, but quoting the exact words is not my strong point…. which excludes me from many kinds of conversations, especially those conversations that come down to a battle of and / or over words.

  77. Ken F (aka Tweed): https://www.9marks.org/article/church-reform-when-youre-not-necessarily-the-pastor/

    What Gilbert is really saying here is that the New Calvinist mission is to “reform” an established non-Calvinist church to accept Calvinist belief and practice … rather than the Great Commission to reach folks for Christ. Reforming the default theology of a church can take years … leading someone to Jesus can happen quickly under anointed preaching … their priorities are messed up.

  78. Max: There’s an interesting dynamic in the SBC between “Old” Calvinists (of the Founders’ sort) and the “New” Calvinists (of the Mohler sort).While the ole guys may not like the method and message of their younger brethren, they put up with them because they are on a common mission … to Calvinize the largest non-Calvinist Protestant denomination in America.So they share a playbook, I suppose.

    The fellow travelers dynamic?

  79. Max: What Gilbert is really saying here is that the New Calvinist mission is to “reform” an established non-Calvinist church to accept Calvinist belief and practice … rather than the Great Commission to reach folks for Christ.Reforming the default theology of a church can take years … leading someone to Jesus can happen quickly under anointed preaching … their priorities are messed up.

    Recently encountered something similar from a hyper/ultra dispensationalist outfit. The apparent reason for their hyper- focus on elevating Paul’s ministry and studying primarily the epistles for the truth for “today” is it because of the ‘sorry state of modern Christianity’.

  80. Max: Reforming the default theology of a church can take years … leading someone to Jesus can happen quickly under anointed preaching … their priorities are messed up.

    They scour land and sea to make someone seven times worse than themselves. After what gets called “Good News For Your Life” “catches on” and becomes fashionable (in a big denomination with little local autonomy) they or their copycats need to put less & less effort into their earlier typical machinations or models: wider leadership is doing their work for them and they can concentrate on special cases.

  81. JDV: The fellow travelers dynamic?

    Extra clever movements pose as radical critics and ultra-loyal creeps at one and the same time (when they are not either of course).

  82. Michael in UK: They scour land and sea to make someone seven times worse than themselves.

    New Calvinism has released the beast. Piperites, MacArthurites, Mohlerites, Driscollites, etc. will be around for decades long after their masters have entered their eternal destiny.

  83. JDV: The fellow travelers dynamic?

    Yes, SBC’s “Old” and “New” Calvinists have agreed to disagree and get along to go along since they are on a common mission. Once the SBC has been wrested from the non-Calvinist majority, there will be an OldCal vs. NewCal battle for the Calvinist throne. The new reformers already control leadership at SBC’s seminaries, mission agencies, publishing house, and thousands of churches. I give them 5-10 more years to complete their deceptive revolution, while the largest non-Calvinist Protestant denomination in America hardly fired a shot. It’s the darnedest thing I’ve ever seen!

  84. Max: seminaries, mission agencies, publishing houses, churches

    My old bunch love to take over media firms, e.g in your “deep South” and southern Europe. They have a “plant” in Galli’s neighbourhood and he is the kind of “fruit” they are certain to boast of (their ideology is the same as his already was) whether he nominally “joins” the “plant” or not.

  85. Max: Once the SBC has been wrested from the non-Calvinist majority, there will be an OldCal vs. NewCal battle for the Calvinist throne.

    What do Predators eat after they’ve eaten all the Prey?
    Let the Red Weddings begin…

  86. Max: Reforming the default theology of a church can take years … leading someone to Jesus can happen quickly under anointed preaching … their priorities are messed up.

    Idunno, Max.
    When I was in-country during the Seventies and Decisions For Christ/Altar Call was the only Salvation in town, I saw little of “anointed preaching” and lots of Guilt and Fear Manipulation. (Fear helped along by Late Great Planet Earth and the Inevitable Global Thermonuclear War of the mid-to-late Cold War milieu.) It was selling Fire Insurance with Rapture Boarding Pass and little else. Followup was either nonexistent or CULT-level control freakery. (This was also the first peak of the Shepherding Movement.) Bad scene all around; short-term fruits looked impressive but showed no long-term staying power.

  87. Max: Ahhh yes, the “Inner Circle” … where power, influence, and special information reside.

    What Lewis called “The Lure of the Inner Ring”.
    Whether that Inner Ring is a Board of Court Favorite Elders, Gnostic Cult Illuminati, Occult Secret Society, or Q-Anon pronouncements. The Speshul Sekrit Knowledgd of Those Who KNOW What’s REALLY Going On (and are so Smug about it).

    (The word “Gnostic” means “He Who KNOWS Things”.)