“If being a “new creature” in Christ means anything, it means being significantly different from us old creatures. If Jesus really sanctifies we should see more than mere anecdotes about lost wretches getting found; we should see vast differences between God, Inc. and Tobacco, Inc.”
-Steve Baughman, Cover-Up in the Kingdom: Phone Sex, Lies, And God’s Great Apologist, Ravi Zacharias
“If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?”
Proverbs 24:12 NIV
I need to preface this post by saying all charges against Sovereign Grace Churches and the individual defendants listed in the “Second Amended Class Action Complaint” are alleged. While I believe the charges to be true, nothing has been proven in a court of law because the case was dismissed due to Statute of Limitations restrictions.
Also, be advised that this post contains screenshots of paragraphs in the “Second Amended Class Action Complaint” that graphically describe some of the alleged sexual abuse of children by Sovereign Grace Churches pastors and/or employees. If this information will trigger you I advise you not to read this post.
As background, to show how tight CJ Mahaney and John Loftness are, you may recall that CJ Mahaney fled Covenant Life Church first for a stint at Mark Dever’s church, and then to John Loftness’ church.
The short video below was taken from CJ Mahaney’s speech given at the SGC Pastor’s Conference on November 10, 2021. You should know that John Loftness and CJ Mahaney are close friends. The period Mahaney described in this video where he and John Loftness exchanged phone calls late in the night was likely between 2012-2014. The Second Amended Class Action Complaint was filed in May 2013 and former Sovereign Grace Ministries youth worker, Nathan Morales, was convicted of sexually abusing children in May 2014. It is my opinion that CJ Mahaney and John Loftness had many sleepless nights during this period as they worried about the possibility of being arrested. Indeed, Brent Detwiler has told me that officials from Montgomery County were in fact giving serious consideration to charging several individuals named as defendants in the Second Amended Class Action Complaint.
Not known to many outside of Sovereign Grace Churches is the fact that both CJ Mahaney and John Loftness are Regional leaders. SGC leadership has kept this very quiet. Previously there was a list of the Regional leaders on the SGC website, but that list has been removed. Loftness has been a Regional leader since at least 2018 and Mahaney was made a Regional leader more recently (SGC actually added a new region just for Mahaney). The document below is from 2021.
Next is a video clip taken from Mark Prater’s blog this past Monday, January 24th. Prater is speaking about some SGC members that headed to the west coast to take part in an assessment to determine if they have what it takes to be church planters (that bar must be pretty low). One of the assessors that Mark Prater and Ben Kreps rave about is none other than alleged pedophile, John Loftness. Prater states that the assessors (John Loftness) are “men and women that we trust.” Not to be outdone, Kreps stated, “when I learned who was doing the assessment I just thought this was excellent, excellent pastors and their wives that are trustworthy men, and I look forward to their evaluation. I think it’s going to serve us big time. It will be very helpful.”
Don’t look now boys, but your total lack of discernment is on display “big time.”
Below are the graphic paragraphs from the Second Amended Class Action Complaint I warned you about at the beginning of this post.
I am sure that after you read these you will be shocked, just as I was. How can John Loftness be a pastor of a church, much less a leader in a denomination? Who is assessing the assessor? What kind of men would appoint an (alleged) pedophile to any position in any church? And not only appoint him to leadership, but praise him as a trustworthy and excellent man? And how much Kool-Aid does one have to swill to be a member in any SGC church with leadership like this in place?
It’s a ship of fools.
For further reading:
Second Amended Class Action Complaint
“John Loftness in Focus – Former Chairman of the SGM Board & Alleged Sexual Sadist”
by Brent Detwiler
1
Excellent job. Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc. have made John Loftness into a hero. I have interacted with his victims. I have no doubt about his guilt. This is why Mahaney, Loftness, and Prater continue to adamantly refuse to embrace an independent investigation despite appeals from leaders throughout the nation. This has resulted in the severing of many friendships including Ray Ortlund Jr. eight months ago. C.J. (my old and dear friend) knows he has covered up sexual assault going back to Charles Schmitt in 1980 and child sexual abuse going back to Nathaniel Morales in 1991. He knew all about Morales and other abusers like Charlie Llewellyn and Jeff Truesdale. So did his staff and those that followed like Joshua Harris. This has been proven time and time again. One cannot overstate the extent to which these men will lie to cover up their crimes including the conspiracy to not report sexual abuse brought to their attention to law enforcement. C.J.’s brother-in-law and fellow pastor, Gary Ricucci also covered up crimes and three victims have testified he committed crimes. All the evidence is found on my blog for those interested in doing more research. Continue to pray that these men are further exposed for their evil doing.
Wow… just wow….
They could not have done otherwise…
“…how foolish and frail is the support of divine justice afforded by the suggestion that evils come to be, not by His will but by His permission…It is a quite frivolous refuge to say that God otiosely permits them, when Scripture shows Him not only willing, but the author of them…Who does not tremble at these judgments with which God works in the hearts of even the wicked whatever He will, rewarding them nonetheless according to desert? Again it is quite clear from the evidence of Scripture that God works in the hearts of men to incline their wills just as he will, whether to good for His mercy’s sake, or to evil according to their merits. ” (John Calvin, “The Eternal Predestination of God,” 10:11)
FYI – The reply options aren’t working for many of us again.
Complicit. Driving the getaway car is equally guilty by law.
“the case was dismissed due to Statute of Limitations restrictions”
There should be no Statute of Limitations on child abuse. On Judgement Day, there won’t be.
“What kind of men would appoint an (alleged) pedophile to any position in any church? And not only appoint him to leadership, but praise him as a trustworthy and excellent man?”
Antinomian: “a person who believes that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law”
There are corners of the American church where the “cheap grace” of men overrides the true Grace of Christ. Dudebros take care of each other, justifying their sins under a counterfeit umbrella of “grace.”
I have to use a browser other than Google to get the reply options to function.
And when it happens among church leaders, they move from being ministers to criminals.
“For there is nothing hidden now which will not become perfectly plain and there are no secrets now which will not become as clear as daylight.” (Luke 8:17)
You can take it to the bank! Sooner or later … payday someday.
SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
TODAY IT’S NEWS WHEN A HIGHLY PRAISED CHURCH LEADER(TM) ISN’T EXPOSED AS A PEDO!
And (like the Gothardites) the SGC all chorused “AAAAAAAAA-MENNNNNNN!!!!!”
Max,
My heart is heavy for the victims… not just the actual kids molested, but all kids at that school..
see, I remember growing up in a fundamentalist school where they were FIXATED on sex…. My “favorite” chapel message was “holding hands leads to murder”… see, touching the opposite sex leads to sex, which leads to abortion, which leads to murder…. Quite simple, isn’t?
Yet, it seems the “leaders” that push this stuff quite often are either the real perverts, or the they cover for the perverts…. Make kids feel bad about themselves for having normal hormones, all the while covering for the pervert leaders…. I use to think it was just “rare” that these leaders were “perverts”…. I am not so sure now…. I actually think the more a leader “ harps” on a particular “sin”, the more THEY have a problem with it…
… in the eye of the public.
Were they ever? Ministers? Pastors? Christians?
The pedophile sadist here (appears affable with his likewise moll in the photo) is one sick dude. The behavior described in the deposition is both pedophilia and sadistic. It’s not an overnight crossing the line, oopsy-daisy, “incident”. Who does what he does? Only seriously sick evil twisted persons. Clinical.
Others participating are also evil.
The BFF dude-bros, aware and covering up the evil but not the aggressors, crossed a line in driving the getaway car. They tossed children’s testimonies to the wind, dismissing the innocent to be devoured by wolves.
Blood sport. Of church leaders. Disposable children.
The cult formula, notes Steve Hassan, is Behavior + Information + Thought + Emotional control = the BITE belief system. Takeaway for cult leaders? Power, vice, $$$.
Cult. Keith Raniere, also a sicko, territory. Wouldn’t be surprised if Piperland and Wilsonland have sickos embedded also, IF their orgs are truly BITE orgs. Wilsonland has schools, so plenty of minors around for the taking.
When BITE is the key, the orgs definitely can’t stand TWW.
“And not only appoint him to leadership, but praise him as a trustworthy and excellent man?”
“Woe to you when all the people speak well of you and praise you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26)
Ken F (aka Tweed),
Their god is a cruel and petulant tyrant.
Like a mean kid with an ant farm, sun, and a magnifying glass.
Brent Detwiler,
Yeah, I am from the Maryland suburbs the place where much of this happened, had friends at CLC, and it’s predecessors. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DAMAGE THIS HAS CAUSED. I have friends that want nothing to do with christianity because of what was going on right under everyones nose. Sxual abuse is not usually about sex, it is all about power. This crowd was drunk with power.
Maryland’s laws make it particularly hard to convince historic sex offenders. Wish this was not the case.
Max,
Excellent verse
Would a Calvinist say God is Christlike?
Judas Maccabeus,
It is about wrongful sex as well.
It is also about foisting wrongful religion on everybody as well.
This is the sort of thing that was going to make America “Great Again”?
BTW I have 28 years’ experience in proximity with non-advertised channels, myself.
That’s messed up.
A pedophile sadist church leader violating church kids? Can the damage ever be overestimated? Think not.
Praying for you.
Ava Aaronson,
Exactly….
And, as Todd has published above, those are public COURT documents…. The concept that SGM, or what ever they are calling themselves are not straight up, publicly addressing these documents is beyond depraved…
New Calvinism is indeed a messed up system of belief and practice. Allowed to run it’s course, the new reformation will lead to antinomianism, where “grace” is not Grace at all. We are already seeing products of that … Tullian Tchividjian being a poster child for what happens when cheap grace takes over. TWW reports weekly on New Calvinism heading in that direction.
And whose plan would that be? Certainly not God’s.
Jeffrey Chalmers,
But then the kids that were abused are just “cannon fodder” for the “ cause of Christ”…. Or, the court documents are just all lies….. I really do not see any alternative explanation..
I’m sorry, but if the average churchgoer would read their Bible and pray like they should, they wouldn’t be sucked into places like SGC. Church leaders there and elsewhere depend on the collective spiritual ignorance of members to work their schemes. You just can’t afford to trust the pulpit folks without testing the spirits for counterfeit activity … and that requires you to recognize and understand how the genuine works. Red flags have been raised at SGC for decades … if you are a member, put your behind in your past and move on down the road.
Max,
but, but, but…. all the big shot leaders in evangelical world embraced SGM!!! (being sarcastic)
We’re learning with each day that goes by that the big shot leaders in the evangelical world ain’t all that. Your fool is showing if you were duped by Mahaney and crew.
I am not religious, but have a close friend bound up with Covenant Life. I attended undergrad with Mark Dever and found him quite bright and educated – in sharp contrast to many in SGM pastor ranks – but found him burdened by his theology in analytic areas – burdens I never had to bear. In any event, I am dumbfounded why anyone respects this crew? What were grown men like Loftness and Ricucci doing teaching kindergarten and going to private rooms with 5 year old girls? Why? What guy in his right mind thinks this is acceptable? And really, why should they command respect? I find their ideas so simplistic that they are laughable. They by and large are not very educated, and their Pastors College is a 10 month propaganda exercise. And Mahaney really grinds my gears. A pastor athlete? What athletic accomplishment has he ever done? The sandlot hero? I was a Division 1 scholarship athlete at a power 5 school. It takes talent, intensity and discipline. Mental toughness as opposed to an ability to phony love bomb. This guy is a one semester Fairmount State dropout, one of the least rigorous schools in the nation. And he regales in being a former drug user. If I pulled any such stupid stunts, no scholarship, no place to live (he could at least come back home to mommy). And again, why is this guy respected? My brother and I laugh at their version of complementarianism. This crew couldn’t hang on to women any other way.
By the way, also in my college class is a local Presbyterian minister with a Yale Divinty degree. I don’t share his faith, but he is an outstanding person with great character. And he wouldn’t permit for even a nano second the embarrassing gala in 2004 celebrating Mahaney. The videos may be the creepiest thing I have seen on YouTube.
Remember how many mass graves Pol Pot and Mullah Omar filled for The Cause.
A Righteous enough Cause justifies any means whatsoever.
Especially when said Cause is at the Cosmic level.
Now that will mess up your head, especially when enforced on pain of Eternal Hell.
Wouldn’t the resulting sexual attitudes be classified as “Perversions” (psychological definition, not Christianese)?
And not just on the Calvinist end.
You can get much the same results from “Once Saved, Always Saved” revivalism.
Just the Calvinists count themselves “Once Saved” from before the foundation of the world.
Same thing each way – the Get Out of Hell Free Card, no matter what you do.
SECULAR court documents.
Vain Imaginings of Men, not The WORD! OF! GOD!!!
Headless Unicorn Guy,
I remember my fundamentalist church/school leadership thinking/saying they had “higher” moral authority than the secular humanist law enforcement… When you think like that, not mush of a stretch to think you have the “moral authority” to handle “moral issues” like the ones Todd’s documents bring out….
I know I have interacted with “preacher boys” that think they “morally superior” than the rest of us pew peons
Got to tell, if only half of what is in the Court Docs is true, I do not know how John Loftness lives with himself, being proclaimed to be such a “great leader”… I say eww …
PRAYER REQUEST
Well, folks, I’ve tested positive for Covid. Developed a fever and cold-like symptoms a couple of days ago and stopped by our local clinic to take the test … as a precaution, my wife has underlying health conditions. I was shocked, to say the least, after being vaccinated and boosted and “religiously” wearing masks and sanitizing hands for months/years. I suspect exposure to Covid-Omicron at an optometrist appointment first of the week, but not sure. So, I’m in isolation for 5 days and will continue to wear a mask for 5 days after the fever breaks. I would deeply appreciate your prayers, especially for my wife – that she doesn’t contract Covid. We are trying to figure out how to make this isolation thing work for us. She just left my dinner outside the office door with her mask on. Growing old ain’t for sissies.
Max,
Praying, Max. God bless.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
So just toss out the book of Hebrews and everything that follows in the NT?
Hubris or plain old illiteracy?
Or even in the Gospels, there’s the once-disciple Judas. Did Jesus pick the wrong guy, or the guy went off the straight and narrow?
Max,
Count me in too Max.
Max,
I stopped just now and prayed as you requested, Max.
Stupidest line I’ve seen in Brent’s collection so far:
―Maybe C.J. doesn‘t sin as much as we do.‖ (Josh in one of Brent’s documents)
I read a letter co-signed by Don Carson. Don Carson wrote ‘From triumphalism to maturity’ based on II Cor against superapostles. What happened to Don Carson?
Don Carson harps about friendship. The “friendship” of these dudes is stupid. Are they not supposed to i ) discern their acquaintances ii ) refrain from misleading those of us under the receiving end of their media spell?
Max,
Thinking of (and concerned for) you and your wife, Max….hopefully you get better soon and your wife doesn’t get Covid.
Not that it’s any consolation, but you would likely have gotten even sicker and perhaps even been hospitalized if you hadn’t gotten vaccinated.
Thanks folks for praying. I’m beginning to think that nothing short of a medical-quality N95 mask will stop Omicron. It’s so highly contagious. I’ve been wearing a KN95 mask and that apparently failed me.
Max,
Praying for you and your wife. Get well soon.
Max,
Max, I have stopped to pray for you as well. I hope you have access to any medication your doctor might recommend. I also hope your wife and others around you do not get the virus.
We had to do ten days of isolation before vaccines were available. It got easier by the day, as we figured out meals, etc. The isolation also prevented more disruption than it caused.
Max,
I just prayed for you. I am so sorry. I just read that 37% of current cases are people who are vaccinated and boostered. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of help.
““when I learned who was doing the assessment I just thought this was excellent, excellent pastors and their wives that are trustworthy men, and I look forward to their evaluation”
++++++++++++++++++
“oh how i love it when i’m reduced to a legal term.”–said women who are married in SGC and christian culture.
(or they should have stated this very clearly.)
(actually, chances are they would have been taken literally, in which case clear communication would have to be,
“Do not reduce me to a legal term or caste in your hierarchy. If my counsel and advice are desired, I am a trustworthy human being with a name.”
really, Ben Kreps could have just said “excellent pastors and steerage”.
Praying Max!
Anyone being on Mahaney’s / Falwell’s etc board for 20 years they know things about Mahaney (et al). Being on their boards they are their rivals.
The trouble is, we see the so called “new brooms” and the volte faces over headline issues, appoint women elders, say “nice” things about sexual minorities, yet carry on denying Holy Spirit help.
Is Don Carson waiting till he gets enough dirt? He’s waited too long. He should have turned those tables. Did somebody hold him back?
Or is he kidding himself on the subject of “friendship” (theirs not ours). Maybe the dudes aren’t bro’s.
Grace is dude (always theirs not ours). Are they blaspheming the word grace?
(Thought about Grace Brothers from “Are you being served?” “I’m Free!” 😉 In fact I realised some time ago, it is a skit on religion.)
Max,
Max,I’m praying that you’ll get over this quickly and safely.
Prayer Request
I would also like to request prayer. I developed a problem in one ear – it’s something that can result in nerve damage but so far the treatment the doctor gave me seems to be working. Please pray there won’t be any permanent harm and that I get over this quickly and the problem doesn’t come back. Thanks!
Max on Fri Jan 28, 2022 at 08:24 PM said:
PRAYER REQUEST
++++++++++++++++++
i’m so sorry, Max. I will pray my best prayers of faith.
Jacob on Sun Jan 30, 2022 at 01:11 AM said:
Prayer Request
++++++++++++++
i’ll pray my best prayers for you, too.
Jacob,
From one sick guy to another: I just prayed for you, Jacob.
Within the world of New Calvinism, it’s grace-this and grace-that without ever touching the real essence of Grace, IMO.
Jacob,
Praying for you and Max and all of Wartburg.
That was me a month ago – we had a household of nine for Christmas and we all had it. It was not fun. Keep us posted on your progress.
Thanks, Max! This year is off to a rough start for a lot of people.
Fever broke last night. I am in Day 3 of isolation. I continue to live in my office/man-cave/sick-room, with my wife preparing meals and leaving them at the office door. My case of Covid feels like a head cold (congestion, cough/sneeze). My biggest concern, and prayer need, is that my wife doesn’t catch this stuff – she has underlying health conditions.
In the meantime, in isolation, I will continue to fight devils in cyberspace … even sick Wartburgers can do that. I can’t believe we are still talking about SGC; that outfit should have been done years ago! But as long as gullible flocks still attend their churches, the beat goes on. It’s one thing to be uninformed or misinformed, but to be willingly ignorant about SGC’s negative impact on Christendom is a sin.
I am glad to hear you are doing better. For me it was like a very bad head cold with a fever. I stayed away from work for an extra week after I was technically cleared because I wanted to wait for the sneezing and coughing to go away (the last time I had it the cough lasted for about six weeks). It’s possible that your wife has already been exposed and had one of those asymptomatic cases. That is my hope for you because this version is so highly contagious.
All – I hate to keep hijacking this thread about the SGC rascals, but I have another prayer need.
My son-in-law has just tested positive for Covid. Since we haven’t seen him for awhile, his source of infection is different than mine. He is a hospice chaplain, so most likely contracted it at one of the hospitals or nursing homes he visits. Please pray for him, our daughter and grandsons as they deal with how to quarantine in their home.
Max,
I pray he gets over it well and his family doesn’t catch it.
🙂
Max,
Prayer needs are always on topic, Max. I’m so sorry this is affecting your family and community.
Just wait a minute guys. I haven’t been part of SGM for more than 10 years, so I have no skin in the game here. But What if the “alleged” part isn’t actually true? Those who say they have “no doubt” that it’s true cannot possibly reasonably hold to that assessment. You may find the witnesses credible (I do not), but to say there is “no doubt” reveals your own biases more than it does a fair assessment of the charges.
The whole Brett Kavanaugh fiasco where you have one poor woman who clearly believed what she said she remembered, but when all the other evidence pointed to her being mistaken, shows us what happens when a person is convicted in the sphere of public opinion by those who are rooting for the alleged perpetrator to be guilty. You can say you have “no doubt” all day long, but the evidence is so thin that neither Kavanaugh nor Loftness would have even been indicted by a grand jury, much less convicted. If a hungry DA investigated but didn’t bring charges, you know it was thin evidence, because these DAs love a good takedown of a pastor. Our system of justice is based on the quite biblical idea of innocent until proven guilty. Yes, you used the word “alleged” but everyone here is treating the man as if he is a convited pedophile, which he is not. You people may be guilty of besmirching an innocent man. your confidence in your role as judge and jury is unfounded.
It is hard to live in the United States, isn’t it? TWW has followed the SGM disaster since its inception. Todd was a member of an SGM church and was put under church discpline in a 9Marks church for standing firm in his beliefs in this matter.
Sadly, SGM/SGC had not allowed for an outside investigation to explore this and other matters. They don’t think it’s necessary.
So, your evidence is that DAs love to “takedown” pastors and since they didn’t do that there, he’s innocent?
I would suggest that you move to Europe which has different libel laws than in the US. In this country, we are free to express our opinions. I bet you do as well. Do you think OJ is guilty? How about Casey Anthony? They were found “not guilty.” Think about it.
And let me provide my assessment of your comment. You do have some skin in the game, in my opinion.
You obviously haven’t interacted with the witnesses, nor have you studied the evidence. It is overwhelming. There is no comparison between Brett Kavanaugh (where there was no evidence) and John Loftness.
I’ve interacted with victims of Loftness’ sadistic sexual abuse. For example, Heather Thompson Bryant and Jessica Roberts-Thomas. I’ve heard them recount their experiences in detail. I find their testimony truthful and compelling.
I’ve also interacted with victims who tell the story of Loftness covering up their crimes and not reporting them to police. For example, James Roberts, Renee Palmer Gamby, Shannon Truesdale at Covenant Life Church.
I’ve also documented his cover up of crimes pertaining to “Jane Doe,” “Karen Koe,” “Karl Koe,” & “Donna Doe” in Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax. I’ve interacted with three of the four families.
Lastly, I’ve documented Loftness’ repeated deceit in covering up Mahaney’s corruption and abusive leadership and also doing the same in Sovereign Grace Churches at large. He is a master manipulator and deceiver. He was once a friend.
John Loftness is a hero in Sovereign Grace Churches. Just like Mahaney. Both are Regional Leaders in the denomination. Loftness oversees churches in the Mid-Atlantic region. Mahaney in the East-Central region. Could anything be more vile?
One more thing, through their surrogates Loftness and Mahaney have called five of the victims in the lawsuit liars (the other six got convictions). They have also called all 11 victims in the lawsuit liars for alleging a conspiracy.
It is no surprise then that Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc. refuses to embrace an independent investigation by an outside law firm despite calls for one from well-known leaders across the country.
This tactic is nothing new. In July 2011 I sent out “The Documents.” They were immediately condemned as gossip and slander. Sovereign Grace refused to allow an independent investigation of the 600 pages of evidence regarding arrogance, hypocrisy, corruption, spiritual abuse, etc.
In contrast, the Southern Baptist Convention is doing a 1.7-million-dollar investigation of top officials over the past 21 years who committed and covered up sexual abuse.
C.J. and Sovereign Grace Churches have few friends nowadays. Most national leaders have severed ties with them given the credible allegations and their refusal to do an independent investigation of them.
As a result, the Lord’s opposition continues. So do their lies.
Perhaps he is really William Wallace II 🙂
How do I have skin in the game? I realize you guys are much deeper into the rabbit hole than I possibly could be (Brent, especially seems utterly obsessed!).
I get, Brent, that you find them credible. My comparison is that a lot of people found Kavanaugh’s accuser credible too. Heck, I watched that senate hearing when she testified, and she did indeed seem credible. But the only evidence she had was her testimony of recovered memories, and some of what she remembered couldn’t have been true based on other witnesses. I found some of what was written in the lawsuit against SGM to be incredible, bordering on non-credible. But what I didn’t find was that he was guilty beyond all doubt. There was quite a lot of reason to doubt.
The prosecutor choosing not to pursue charges doesn’t declare his innocence, but it does declare that the prosecutor didn’t find the accusations to rise to a sufficient level of credibility. I trust their unbiased assessment of credibility over yours. You most clearly have skin in the game and to pretend your own hurt caused by SGM doesn’t color your discernment is nothing more than living in self denial.
I have no intention of ever going to an SGM church again, and I don’t know John Loftness. But in this country, as in Scripture, men are innocent until proven guilty by unbiased judges (or jury), and this man deserves to be treated as such because that’s what justice and fairness and biblical conviction require.