Did Trinity Community Church (Formerly SBC) Hire, Fire, Rehire, Refire, and Now May Allow an Alleged Abuser to Play KeyBoard?

5,000 light-years away, the enchanting Rosette Nebula houses hundreds of young stars (in red). link

Fired, hired, refired, and still tickling the old church ivories?

You may remember this one from back when JD Greear was trying to kick churches out of the SBC due to the mishandling of sexual abuse. Trinity Baptist Church in Ashburn, Georgia, was singled out during that brouhaha in 2019. As you will see, the SBC Bylaws Committee blew off the concerns. Anything goes in SBC land. In 2019, according to the Baptist Press in Churches named by Greear in abuse report respond

Rodney Brown, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Ashburn, Ga., told BP the church’s music minister confessed in 2013 or 2014 he had molested a “young teen” decades earlier and had repented.

What does repentance mean? He got hired back because he was *gifted for ministry.” This happened sometime after he had been fired in 2013/14. He then got refired again in 2019. According to Ga. pastor repents, church fires accused staff member

Brown also told BP following Greear’s report the church’s minister of music allegedly confessed in 2013 or 2014 he had molested a “young teen” decades earlier and had repented. In response, Brown “fired him right there on the spot.” The man continued to attend the church, Brown said, though he was never allowed to be alone with children. At church leaders’ request, the church reinstated the man as minister of music, Brown said, adding the church felt the man was gifted for ministry.

“Church leaders came back to me and said, ‘Rodney, the man says he’s repented. We’re not his judge. We’ve not seen anything to indicate any of this at our church,’” Brown said, adding the church felt the man was gifted for ministry and reinstated him as minister of music, a position in which he continues to serve.

…Brown confirmed the termination in his March 7 (2019) statement and said the former staff member “was also asked to immediately resign his church membership, which he did. He has been directed not to return to Trinity.”

“Recently I have come to realize that I failed my duty as pastor in not taking action against an individual who had been accused of child abuse in the past at another church. This was because of my long standing friendship with the accused,” Brown said.

The Christian Index followed up by posting a mea culpa letter from the pastor in Trinity Baptist pastor: ‘This situation has greatly changed my thinking.’

Other victims have now come forward naming this person and he has admitted to assaulting several young people many years ago. I now realize that what I first thought was an isolated incident was much more. I should have understood that earlier and not doing so was a great mistake on my part.  I cannot apologize enough for my actions.

Although there has never been any known abuse at Trinity, the person accused has been terminated from the staff at Trinity. He was also asked to immediately resign his church membership, which he did.  He has been directed not to return to Trinity.

I have injured the victims of the accused by my actions, especially Mr. David P, who brought this to my attention. I have spent much time before God repenting for my actions. I now ask David P and the other victims for forgiveness for my acting so irresponsibly.

The SBC workgroup stated that, based on the information Greear provided, “no further inquiry is warranted” regarding Trinity.

The Daily Kos recently wrote GA church kicked a sexual predator out—then allowed him to return after leaving Southern Baptists. 

a working group of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee had cleared Trinity of wrongdoing

David Pittman and Pastor Troy Bush fight for the truth.

David P., in Pastor Brown’s statement, is David Pittman, who has come forward about his abuse. This is important since David Pittman, who works with G.R.A.C.E., has called out his abuser. And one honest pastor in the SBC, Troy Bush, decided to look into this travesty by the SBC leadership. Again, from the Daily Kos article:

It turned out Brown’s decision didn’t come without some prodding. In June 2021, Troy Bush, pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker, a suburb of Atlanta, revealed that he’d done some digging of his own after a working group of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee had cleared Trinity of wrongdoing. He knew by then that one of the victims named in “Abuse of Faith” was Dave Pittman, a former member of Rehoboth in the early 1980s. Pittman recalled that Wiley, then serving as a youth minister, molested him several times from 1982 to 1985. He kept silent about it for over 20 years until learning that Wiley was serving as a youth pastor at Jodeco Road Baptist Church in Stockbridge, another Atlanta suburb. While Georgia’s statute of limitations on child rape had long since run out, a call to Jodeco Road’s pastor was enough to show Wiley the door.

It appears that there was more to Pastor Brown’s actions in the firing of Wiley.

Bush called Wiley, who ultimately admitted molesting at least five boys in the 1980s. Bush called Brown soon afterward. It was that call, plus a personal appeal from Pittman, that made Brown realize Wiley had to go. An investigation by Bush and Pittman subsequently revealed that Wiley had molested at least 10 boys while working at several Baptist churches in Georgia over the years. They also turned up an 11th victim who was not a member of the churches where Wiley worked, and unconfirmed reports that he molested two more

Troy Bush was upset that the SBC had not done more to investigate the Wiley situation in 2019. Julie Roys wrote about this in Southern Baptist Pastor: Minister Accused of Abusing 13 Boys Never Investigated

The minister has never been criminally charged. But Bush said the minister confessed to him and others that he abused several boys during his tenure at half a dozen Baptist churches in Georgia.

At about the same time, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee working group declined to inquire further about Trinity Baptist Church in Ashburn where the minister was serving.

“I think the way this was handled was poor and potentially disastrous as it protected and allowed this person to remain in a pastoral ministry role in one of our churches,” said Bush, referring to the work group’s decision not to initiate an inquiry.

Troy Bush wrote about his findings at SBC Voices in SBC Sexual Abuse: One church’s response when the SBC process failed. This is an important post. We learn how poorly the EC Bylaws committee responded in this situation. It almost appears they protected him to this writer, but I know such a thing would never happen.

I called Frankie on February 24, and over the next couple of days, he confessed to abusing 5 boys in the Rehoboth Family in the early 1980s. I couldn’t breath when I read his confession along with the names of each of the boys. I told Frankie that he needed to demonstrate true repentance, including never again serving in a leadership role in any church and making a full confession of the other boys in other places and churches he abused.

When I called the pastor of Trinity on February 28, he initially defended Frankie and the actions he and Trinity had taken. After I shared Frankie’s confession, Rodney admitted he had been wrong in how he handled this matter. I insisted that he remove Frankie from any ministry role and not merely ask him to resign. On Saturday, March 2, Rodney terminated Frankie and asked him to voluntarily withdraw his membership.

I also called Augie, Mike, Thomas and Todd Unzicker (he responded to my request to talk with JD) to tell them Trinity Baptist’s music director had confessed to abusing 5 boys, to tell them Trinity would finally be doing what it should have done years ago, and to express Rehoboth’s dismay over how they had handled this matter. I also emailed them and requested they address unresolved matters.

…Mike (Bylaws) responded to critics of the Workgroup’s findings by saying, “I believe that almost all of us, in our zeal, emotion and righteous anger have done some stumbling out of the gate.” You can read his statement here (https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-we-seek-the-same-goal/). He added that critics do not understand the process. I have to say, the failure of this process looks more like a faceplant than a stumbling, and I don’t need to understand the process or the motives of those involved to understand the Workgroup got it wrong on this matter.

This rushed process nearly succeeded in protecting a confirmed child sex abuser while it failed the survivors of his abuse. It failed Rehoboth and all the Georgia Baptist churches where survivors have been identified. It failed Trinity and the children and students there. And it failed Georgia Baptists by not providing just and righteous actions to address this matter within our midst.

Is Frankie Wiley back, doing more than not sitting near children?

Trinity Baptist Church left the SBC because they kept getting questioned by the SBC about Frankie, who was still attending the church (but not allowed near children…) According to the Daily Kos article:

Trinity had stormed out of the Southern Baptist Convention as a result of the Wiley affair. In an email obtained by Roys, Brown pulled Trinity out of the convention and changed the church’s name to Trinity Community Church in February 2020. The reason? “Continued questioning” by Greear over how it dealt with Wiley.

It gets worse, much, much worse. Guess who appears to be still tickling the keyboards?

According to Roys, Wiley was playing the keyboards on Trinity’s worship team at least as early as October and was still doing so as recently as last Sunday. There is no word on what his present role (if any) is at the church—and more importantly, what possessed Trinity to allow him back through its doors in ANY capacity.

Julie Roys just posted Georgia Minister Back On Stage Despite Allegations He Molested 13 Boys.

The accused former music minister reappeared on stage at Trinity beginning October 17, 2021. No one on stage said anything about his return to the worship team. The nature of his role is unclear, and it’s unknown whether the church has put any safety measures in place to separate him from children in the congregation.

“Now that the dust has settled a bit, they went right back to where they were before,” Pittman told The Roys Report. “That’s not truth, or remorse or repentance. That’s lies. . .

Think about the disturbing information in this post:

  • Trinity Church hires, fires, rehires, refires, and maybe even allows Wiley to play music at the church.
  • The SBC Executive Committee gave a pass to this church for these actions which causes into question the leadership of the SBC.
  • Pastor Troy Bush gives me hope there are still truth-seeking pastors in the SBC. May more come forward.
  • David Pittman, who is known by many folks as a selfless abuse advocate, says he was abused by this music “minister” and I believe him.

I am so sorry for the pain that David and the other victims experienced. We are grateful for the efforts of Pastor Troy Bush to bring light to this dark episode in the SBC.

Comments

Did Trinity Community Church (Formerly SBC) Hire, Fire, Rehire, Refire, and Now May Allow an Alleged Abuser to Play KeyBoard? — 42 Comments


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    1st


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    Why do we care about the SBC anymore? Seriously. It seems to be a pack of grifters. How can anyone seriously defend them?


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    I think Julie Roys gets it right: on stage. Most of what passes for ‘worship’ in evangelical churches is theater, accompanied by four chord guitarists with capos. I doubt his ‘talent’ extends to three manuals, a pedalboard, or mere acquaintance of centuries of musical and choral repertoire. I want to hear is Passacaglia in C minor before I contemplate that his ‘gift’ is in any way musical.


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    There is nothing new under the sun. Men in power – even a little bit of power – use those around them for sexual gratification. Then they all agree to scratch one another’s backs and cover it up and “restore” themselves, because we all understand a man has an urge, and that’s what weaker people are for, right?

    Don’t forget to blame the victims for not stopping you on your way back to the “stage.”


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    Cynthia W.: Men in power – even a little bit of power – use those around them for sexual gratification. Then they all agree to scratch one another’s backs and cover it up and “restore” themselves, because we all understand a man has an urge, and that’s what weaker people are for, right?

    Don’t forget to blame the victims for not stopping you on your way back to the “stage.”

    Add to power-leads-to-vice, the fact that the stage performer pulpiteers also use the stage to empty the pockets of everyone in the audience.

    Planting a church is a platform of power in a community. The question for all who then participate: What is the power used for? What’s the end game? What’s the fruit?

    Jesus healed, fed, and commanded repentance evidenced by fruit (appropriate reparation). Jesus gave up his life in the end. The end game was execution and resurrection, heavenly reward.

    God’s people follow Jesus. The god of Evangelicalism is nothing like the historical Jesus in the Bible. Jesus never collected money and never took advantage of the vulnerable.


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    d4v1d,

    Trendy emotional work-up, with trendy bad amplifying so as trendy people won’t notice.

    And genuine music has young people flocking round anyway: how can I do it like that, etc.


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    d4v1d,

    I understand what you’re saying, and agree that Sunday morning night-club music has cheapened worship. Low musical performance standards might make it easier for abusers to find victims.

    Separately, though, abuse also happens in elite surroundings, with victims just wanting to achieve in their field (sacred choral singing, gymnastics, the NHL…), and finding that an abuser controls their participation. Tragically, a lot of people have been abused in beautiful churches.


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    Loren Haas: Why do we care about the SBC anymore? Seriously. It seems to be a pack of grifters. How can anyone seriously defend them?

    This is a good question. There is still much good in the SBC but most of that good is in the general population and the pastors who aren’t trying platform themselves, which is why no one hears about them.


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    Oh, come on! Mr. Wiley can’t be ‘that’ good! We should never consider an ability as a gifting … talent does not necessarily equal spiritual gift. Many churches make this mistake. Besides, Satan himself was called an “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28) and look where that “spiritual” gift took him! Forgive Mr. Wiley if he genuinely repents? Certainly. Restore him to ministry? Absolutely not!! We can’t be so open-minded about these situations that our brains fall out!


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    d4v1d: Most of what passes for ‘worship’ in evangelical churches is theater, accompanied by four chord guitarists with capos.

    Indeed. Not much Spirit in it, only human spirit … a display of musical talent under the guise of praise & worship.

    The American church seriously needs to revisit not only it’s “Youth Ministry” model, but it’s “Praise & Worship” model. These have become entry points for all sorts of spirits which are not holy.


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    Loren Haas,

    I have a hard time defending anything about the SBC. My own experience in one of their churches led me to get out of the entire mess. There are a few good people in leadership but not enough to help me support the denomination.


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    d4v1d: on stage. Most of what passes for ‘worship’ in evangelical churches is theater, accompanied by four chord guitarists with capos.

    I agree. Add the fog machines and you have it.


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    Cynthia W.: Don’t forget to blame the victims for not stopping you on your way back to the “stage.”

    That quote should be a blog post.


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    Ava Aaronson: Jesus never collected money and never took advantage of the vulnerable.

    Exactly.


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    dee: That quote should be a blog post.

    You are welcome to use it, with or without attribution ;-).


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    Burwell Stark: the pastors who aren’t trying platform themselves, which is why no one hears about them.

    Your right. They’re quiet. For example, I like William Thornton at SBC Voices. His church wasn’t big and he is always trying to do the right thing.


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    Max: Oh, come on! Mr. Wiley can’t be ‘that’ good!

    I bet he is not “good” at music or anything else.


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    dee: I bet he is not “good” at music or anything else.

    “There is none good, no not one.” And a bunch of them are ending up in the pulpit, as youth pastors, and on worship teams!


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    dee: I have a hard time defending anything about the SBC. My own experience in one of their churches led me to get out of the entire mess. There are a few good people in leadership but not enough to help me support the denomination.

    The SBC is done … but it has not quit yet.


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    Burwell Stark: pastors who aren’t trying platform themselves, which is why no one hears about them

    The genuine floating alone through a sea of counterfeit in the American church. No quest for mega, money and mansion. Their mission is the Great Commission. Willing to serve the Lord in obscurity without accolade and applause. The real deal.


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    Max: The genuine floating alone through a sea of counterfeit in the American church.No quest for mega, money and mansion.Their mission is the Great Commission.Willing to serve the Lord in obscurity without accolade and applause.The real deal.

    You hit the nail on the head Max. Also Ava, Dee, and others. This isn’t church. This is a snake oil show plain and simple, designed to part the fool from his or her money. And of course if you do not attend you “must not love Jesus and must not care about the lost.”

    In the oilfield politer people call that all Bottom Sediment. Less polite people have other words they attach to the letters BS.


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    Burwell Stark: There is still much good in the SBC but most of that good is in the general population

    Yes. But, the general population keeps throwing money in the plates and funding comfy lifestyles for the grifters……. and abusers. Many in the gen pop are not aware of what is going on, yet too many do know, and blow it off in the name of God.


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    Nancy2(aka Kevlar): Yes. But, the general population keeps throwing money in the plates and funding comfy lifestyles for the grifters……

    They’re ruled by fear, fear that if they don’t shell out their shekels to these shamans, they might not really be ‘saved’.

    Nancy2(aka Kevlar): Many in the gen pop are not aware of what is going on, yet too many do know, and blow it off in the name of God.

    Many good Germans also knew what was going on with all the cattle cars heading East, and they blew it off too.


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    Max: Willing to serve the Lord in obscurity without accolade and applause.

    Speaking of which, although he was not an admitted Christian, Dr. Paul Farmer (Partners in Health) has died, only age 62. Known for providing high-quality and compassionate health care in Haiti and many other underserved countries, and for improving care of difficult-to-treat TB cases as well – part of the Lord’s work, IMO.


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    linda: This isn’t church. This is a snake oil show plain and simple, designed to part the fool from his or her money.

    Well, they call it “The Jesus Racket”.


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    Muff Potter: They’re ruled by fear, fear that if they don’t shell out their shekels to these shamans, they might not really be ‘saved’.

    Just like selling Indulgences?

    “When coin in Pastor’s coffer rings,
    Then your soul to Heaven springs!”


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    readingalong,

    Your deeds define you (generic you).
    No matter how much you swear up and down that you’re a “Christian” based on dogma hoisted out of Scripture and tradition.
    Dr. Farmer was the real McCoy.


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    Nancy2(aka Kevlar): Yes.But, the general population keeps throwing money in the plates and funding comfy lifestyles for the grifters……. and abusers.Many in the gen pop are not aware of what is going on, yet too many do know, and blow it off in the name of God.

    I’m reading through Zechariah at the moment. Chapter 11 has an interesting story of God handing over a flock to false shepherds because he’s fed up with them. This seems like a good analogy for more than a few churches of enablers.


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    Cynthia W.: because we all understand a man has an urge, and that’s what weaker people are for, right?

    DR TOBIAS MOSER: I must ask this but why eat human?

    SCP-3288-ALPHA: We do not eat human. We eat peasants. We eat undesirables. We devour life undeserving of life. That is the nature of Nobility. What else would be the point?
    — excerpt from “SCP-3288: The Aristocrats”, a very gruesome online horror story


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    readingalong: Speaking of which, although he was not an admitted Christian, Dr. Paul Farmer (Partners in Health) has died, only age 62. Known for providing high-quality and compassionate health care in Haiti and many other underserved countries, and for improving care of difficult-to-treat TB cases as well – part of the Lord’s work, IMO.

    Great loss. Just saw “Bending the Arc” about his work.


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    Muff Potter,

    Muff, you hit on a key concept.. I can not tell you how many times in my “time in country” (as HUG would say) in fundamental/Evangelic world that the emphasis was on doctrine/dogma, to the point of behaving/speaking poorly (to say nicely) of others.. a very “unChristian” thing.. but it was “OK” because they were “Defending the true faith”. And they were “loving them” by speaking “truth”…. sigh..


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    Headless Unicorn Guy,

    You always have the most apropos observations.

    Some of the big cheeses we read about commit forcible rape, but in most cases, they persuade the victims to “consent,” because the pastor or the music guy or whoever has the juice.

    It was (is) the same in our church: most of the victims in the Catholic priest scandals could be recast as participants in consensual intergenerational same-sex intimacy, except that they were victims of sexual exploitation by people with positional authority, like every other young person and quite a few adults.


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    Cynthia W.: victims of sexual exploitation by people with positional authority

    … church authority from hell.


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    Headless Unicorn Guy,

    Zero sum. Robotised noughts and “ones”. No guesses who’s “meant to be” the zeroes. But wait, there’s a sting in the tail of the scorpion >>>

    Ava Aaronson,

    Jeffrey, Muff, Cynthia;

    >>> The crown they make their underlings wear, they shall have to wear. A round-shaped 0 in itself. Like the “aura” of their church to those whose eyes and ears opened to it.

    Our Fathers and Glory Be’s.


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    Ava Aaronson,

    Church, school, sport, employment …


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    Cynthia W.: Church, school, sport, employment …

    Positional authority always needs to be scrutinized. Duh. Critical thinking in play at every level in an org, top to bottom. Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4 list BOTH pastoring and discernment as gifts of the Spirit. The church needs both and the Holy Spirit gifts both. Who is to be discerned… God? No. Discern the little predator preacher guy hiding behind a curtain while projected big and loud on a screen: fake, evil, dangerous, destructive.


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    Years ago, my husband was having difficulty in progressing to becoming a pastor in his church because he abused me and our kids. His dad, an ordained Baptist pastor, told him that he could always become a Baptist pastor.

    When I heard what his dad said, I said, “yeah, you probably could.”


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    Release of Guidepost investigation of RZIM on Christianity Today website. Pretty disappointing to read .


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    Micah,

    That’s heartbreaking and infuriating. I’m sorry for all you endured, and I hope things are better now.


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    Friend,

    Thank you. Things are better now. He moved out with the “support” of his dad and clergy co-worker; they were going to “help” him get a divorce from me. He didn’t really like the “help” they offered and didn’t go through with the divorce process. He still lives separately from me, though, and isn’t involved in my church community.

    Thankfully, his former church found another person to lead music who is an accomplished musician.


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    Micah,

    Relieved to know that it’s better. It’s not my business (please don’t feel obliged to say either way), but I hope everything, including the separation, is what you want as well.


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    Friend

    It is what I want, too; actually, it was an answer to my prayers.