An aerial view of ocean sand in the Bahamas, which has been shaped into wavy patterns by ocean currents. NASA
“The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy.” – Dwight L. Moody.
For those of us who have watched with sadness how the New Calvinists (I still like Calvinistas better)take over a church, the following letter will help. It spells out what they actually think of many people who approached the church and spoke of their pain. GRACE did an investigation, but the church elders refused to release the entire report as recommended by GRACE. And it is evident from this “get lost” letter that they will never release it.
Dear Church Family,
We come to you as men dependent on the Lord with all humility, gentleness and patience, seeking to walk in a manner worthy of his calling.
Since our membership met two Sundays ago, hurtful and inaccurate information has been shared through long text messages, unsolicited mass group emails, and with the media by some individuals inside and outside our church.
One of the points in the summary of GRACE’s cultural assessment is about clarity, and we find ourselves compelled by recent events to make our convictions clear regarding those desired ends. We, the elders of the Bible Church, continue to affirm the Bible as our foundation and guide in daily practice, in difficult times, and on pressing issues. We will not waver due to social, public, political, or media pressure, as God’s Word is true yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Over the past 18 months, we have patiently and intently listened to and offered to work with and reconcile with people who have expressed concerns.
We recognize we have work to do to improve how we love, care, disciple, and grow our church body. As we have said many times before, and most recently at the Members’ Informational Meeting on November 20th, we will continue to make positive changes that further God’s Kingdom.
We are one church. We are one congregation, and we, as elders, serve the entire congregation. We will no longer refer or respond to the group that identifies as Concerned Members or Concerned Congregants. We will, of course, continue to engage with any individual that wishes to meet with us.
Unfortunately, some of our disagreements have been pushed into the public sphere by a handful of individuals likely because trust is broken. Though we seek to rebuild that trust and we deeply lament their hurt, we recognize that The Bible Church may no longer be the best place for them to worship. We encourage these individuals to find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.
We also feel compelled to address the incorrect information presented publicly. Much of the information in the long text messages, social media accounts, the student newspaper article, and a Bcc mass email to many church members was inaccurate and misleading.
As we have said before, GRACE’s cultural assessment did NOT conclude that any physical or sexual abuse occurred, and there are no reports or evidence of physical or sexual abuse at the Bible Church. When we were presented with evidence our former executive pastor created a poor and intimidating working environment, we dealt with it swiftly, and he has not worked at the church since April 15, 2021.
We knowingly accept the likelihood of public criticism for this email and our stance on these issues but we remain committed, with God’s grace, to all aspects of eldering. This includes presenting the truth and protecting the flock even in the face of public criticism. We have heard, prayed over, and lamented valid concerns over past events. We are conscientiously working to implement many of the recommendations from GRACE. We will make organizational changes where necessary to improve governance and HR practices, we will continue to pursue reconciliation where there is conflict, we will continue to improve the ways in which we care for one another and we will always work towards restoration.
Please continue to pray for our church and your leadership. Pray that we will follow the Spirit’s leading. Pray your elders will handle difficult decisions and hard conversations with love, grace, and humility. And pray that God will bless our endeavors to serve His church well, and that when faced with adversity, no matter the cause, we act as the Lord has instructed and we come together in hope and love.
Elders are available after each service if you have questions or need prayer.
–Your Elders
“One of the points in the summary of GRACE’s cultural assessment is about clarity, and we find ourselves compelled by recent events to make our convictions clear regarding those desired ends.”
The elders are going to make things loud and clear. I’m not sure this is precisely what GRACE meant by clarity.
We will no longer refer or respond to the group that identifies as Concerned Members or Concerned Congregants. We will, of course, continue to engage with any individual that wishes to meet with us.
This means that 80+ people will no longer be heard unless they go to the elders one-on-one. I never recommend attending a potentially uncomfortable meeting with elders or other church leaders “one-on-one.” These elders are rarely in the mood for a thoughtful chat.
Some of our disagreements have been pushed into the public sphere by a handful of individuals, likely because trust is broken. Though we seek to rebuild that trust and we deeply lament their hurt, we recognize that The Bible Church may no longer be the best place for them to worship. We encourage these individuals to find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.
This is both sad and fascinating at the same time. Some leaders in The Gospel Coalition imply it is better to lose all of your members but ten because those ten are committed to the head pastor and his elders’ vision of a glorious,s authoritarian enterprise in which the leaders will be obeyed and allowed 30 hours a week to prepare their sermons. I was waiting for this one to happen. This means it is all over for these folks, and they shouldn’t let the door hit them on their backside as they leave. You will not be missed. It is a relief for them.
We also feel compelled to address the incorrect information presented publicly. Much information in the long text messages, social media accounts, the student newspaper article, and a Bcc mass email to many church members was inaccurate and misleading.
I’m waiting to hear what I got wrong…
GRACE’s cultural assessment did NOT conclude that any physical or sexual abuse occurred, and there are no reports or evidence of physical or sexual abuse at the Bible Church.
This is a particularly interesting statement. Sadly, it overlooks another possible abuse, and that is spiritual abuse. After speaking with some folks at CHBC, I believe spiritual abuse played a serious role in the mess. The disastrous outcome falls directly on the shoulders of the lead pastor, Jay Thomas, who was buddies with Eric McKiddie. I don’t believe Thomas was uninformed of the problem. Real leaders say, “The buck stops here.” That does not appear to be Jay’s attitude. I am wondering why spiritual abuse was left out of this statement. Does it hit too close to home?
BTW-how did McKiddie get such a plum job in Hilton Head? Was that church informed of the problems?
I know this will be overlooked and purposely ignored, so I want to refer these men (it really was men, wasn’t it?) to a resource they will respect. The following book just got an award from TGC and was listed today. Maybe all of the leaders should get a copy and read it. Kruger is one of the inner circle, so he should be accepted.
We have heard, prayed over, and lamented valid concerns over past events. We are conscientiously working to implement many of the recommendations from GRACE.
Please note that this statement does not say they are implementing ALL of the recommendations of GRACE. Let’s start with the following:
- They will not release the full report, and I don’t buy the excuse that it is to protect a few anonymous people.
- They use the word lament often in the letter, but as far as I know, they have not held a lament service as GRACE recommended.
This is a final thought from me.
My husband and I left after Jay and Eric were hired. We did not vote for them. We knew immediately what would happen to the church. My husband spoke with an elder who has now left the church. He urged him to beware of what was happening. I also talked to some others, but they couldn’t imagine anything bad could happen to this lovely church. They didn’t know that the elders had already decided to change the church and make it part of the New Calvinist movement. When that happens, and it has happened to many churches in this country and around the world, it is painful and shocking to the members who had enjoyed a loving, kind, and supportive community.
We finally found a church we love and have been part of for many years. My husband wants to be buried there. The people, especially the pastors, are kind, loving, and supportive. They effectively serve the community. There are no conflicts like those in churches like CHBC. But they don’t play the authoritarian game because they are secure in their position. I am so sorry this happened. I miss the old CHBC terribly. The new people have no idea what they missed. Maybe that’s the only thing the elders got right, even inadvertently. They want you to leave, which is disturbing, but there is life away from authoritarian church leaders. If I can ever help, many of you know where to find me.
A word to the wise: Be careful if you choose not to go. You have signed a church covenant that spells out how a member may be subject to church discipline. Some leaders may be all too happy to enforce this “elder” role, and it can get ugly.
Wow, so sad, so much for servant leadership, my advice go and don’t look back
Question: if a group of people have been asked to give sacrificially towards church programs, including things that are supposed to be legacy items, might it be suitable for the church where failings may have reportedly occurred – – and thus stewardship issues – – to offer to give back any and all documented donations?
Might that go towards the level of fellowship that appears to be referenced by these people leaving? Might some people actually buy the repentance, lament, and hurt that appears to be referenced if something like that were to occur, as well as see a biblical pattern like what occurred with Zacchaeus?
“Unfortunately, some of our disagreements have been pushed into the public sphere by a handful of individuals likely because trust is broken. Though we seek to rebuild that trust and we deeply lament their hurt, we recognize that The Bible Church may no longer be the best place for them to worship. We encourage these individuals to find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.”
I have an idea to rebuild trust, especially since the issues reportedly concerned actions of leader ship: release the report — paid for by the congregation, presumably — like should’ve been done at the start.
“We also feel compelled to address the incorrect information presented publicly. Much of the information in the long text messages, social media accounts, the student newspaper article, and a Bcc mass email to many church members was inaccurate and misleading.“
Leadership didn’t confirm feel compelled to release the full report, which would logically appear to be the basis of any misunderstanding, mistrust concerning an independent report made concerning reported issues with leadership? How about that.
Perhaps if you want to avoid what you claim wasn’t accurate and what you claim is misleading, you could do what you could’ve done before this – – release the report.
Also, anyone else unsurprised by what may seem to some as an attempt to shift tone as far as who are to blame for misdeeds and who might be the victims of such purported misdeeds?
Sometimes leaving is the best option, although it means leaving all the investment you have put into the church. Years ago I quietly left the Christian organization I worked for over grave concerns about the leadership. It was hard, it hurt, but God led me to a much better job and church ministry. I had approached the leadership several times with my concerns about inappropriate relationships between staff and teens (nothing physical while I was there, but it did get physical shortly after I left). Sometimes you do what you can, but if you’re beating a dead horse, you sometimes need to just leave it for a live one.
“As we have said before, GRACE’s cultural assessment did NOT conclude that any physical or sexual abuse occurred, and there are no reports or evidence of physical or sexual abuse at the Bible Church. When we were presented with evidence our former executive pastor created a poor and intimidating working environment, we dealt with it swiftly, and he has not worked at the church since April 15, 2021.”
You – – a body whose actions seem inextricably linked to the leadership apparatus whose actions reportedly prompted an independent investigation and report – – are only saying things about the report rather than giving the unfiltered report to the congregation who presumably financed it, no?
There seems to be one clear way to clear up a lot of questions about what the report says, and that’s to release the full report. It seems like dealing with that swiftly might be more appropriate than potentially inviting people with questions to leave, people who may have paid into what some may seem to think amounts to a wagon-circling cone of silence at this point.
“We recognize we have work to do to improve how we love, care, disciple, and grow our church body.“
Step #1- release the GRACE report
Step #2-don’t encourage people to leave….it’s counterintuitive to loving, caring and discipleship and growth
When leadership is like, “My way or the highway.”
I left Evangelicalism years ago and haven’t looked back.
I’m now safely ensconced in a small Lutheran (ELCA) congregation with great people.
No alpha male strong man in the pulpit, no drama, and no weekly beating (sermon) on how I can never be ‘good enough’.
Humans don’t want to live under totalitarian regimes, and that’s exactly what those neo-cal places are.
“Everybody that is talking about what we did wrong is wrong!
But we’re not telling you why. KTHANKSBYE!”
Same old, same old…
“We encourage these individuals to find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.”
Wait, WHAT?!
They’ve just come out and said it- admitted they’re saying nice words to salve people’s wounded feelings but really, they’re not going to establish any new climate of peace and trust.
I cannot even. comprehend.
JDV,
Honest question – would giving back donations have tax implications?
A former church of ours had a capitol campaign to purchase a specific property. The church ended up not going forward with it, and at least one person wanted their money back. The elder-in-charge said that wasn’t possible, something about it being too complicated with taxes, etc. This was around 2017.
Nowadays, I wouldn’t trust that particular elder with a wooden nickel. But I’m wondering if there was any truth to what he claimed. Just out of curiosity.
I suppose if the giver had taken a tax deduction for said donations and then had the money returned, that would have implications possibly requiring an amended tax return.
This is just heartbreaking. The leadership is not choosing to seek reconciliation. Eighty people is a significant amount of people. They are literally walking away from people who have legitimate complaints. It says more about them than it does about the 80 people whom they slapped in the face. But the reality is that they are being slapped in the face and unless God is leading you to stay and fight, then you probably should leave. At this point, you are fighting their entrenched sin due to stubbornness. That battle is a wrenching one. If you are a family with children, I would leave and find another church.
I’m thankful for Dee because this group will continue to publicly shine the light into that church. Now they are on everyone’s radar and they can’t escape it.
“The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy.” – Dwight L. Moody
On the other hand, the average NeoCal “pastor” does not understand love and sympathy (empathy), but they understand theology and dogma.
Neither can the dear people who loved the old CHBC. My husband and I moved quickly and got out just as Thomas turned his attention toward us. These folks had to endure this mess.
They don’t want anyone who disagrees with them—typical Calvinistas.
“They use the word lament often in the letter, but as far as I know, they have not held a lament service as GRACE recommended.”
In times like these, church leaders need to call for a solemn assembly – a sacred, sober and reverent occasion where both pulpit and pew humble themselves, pray, repent and seek God’s face. Only then will God hear and heal. But there can be no movement in this direction without honesty and transparency by “Your Elders.”
Lol and people wonder why Christianity is declining.
Christians don’t want us to be there!
“… the elders had already decided to change the church and make it part of the New Calvinist movement. When that happens, and it has happened to many churches in this country and around the world, it is painful and shocking to the members who had enjoyed a loving, kind, and supportive community …”
Church history will record the great harm that this movement has brought to the American church. “The Bible Church” is but one example among many where God’s people have been led astray by the stealth and deception of the New Calvinists. Untold thousands of faithful children of God have sadly left a “loving, kind and supportive community” to join the Done ranks … done with the attack on their churches by a NeoCal army, but not done with Jesus.
“Some leaders may be all too happy to enforce this “elder” role, and it can get ugly.”
A word to church elders, at “The Bible Church” and elsewhere:
“Now may I who am myself an elder say a word to you my fellow-elders? I speak as one who actually saw Christ suffer, and as one who will share with you the glories that are to be unfolded to us. I urge you then to see that your “flock of God” is properly fed and cared for. Accept the responsibility of looking after them willingly and not because you feel you can’t get out of it, doing your work not for what you can make, but because you are really concerned for their well-being. You should aim not at being “little tin gods” but as examples of Christian living in the eyes of the flock committed to your charge. And then, when the chief shepherd reveals Himself, you will receive that crown of glory which cannot fade.” (1 Peter 5:1-4 Phillips)
If The Bible Church elders don’t take this word from Paul seriously, they should “find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.”
meant to say a “word from Peter” (Paul would agree of course!)
In Scripture, Abraham was told to “Go” … Abraham’s son Isaac was instructed to “Stay” … Isaac’s son Jacob was led to “Go back.”
Deciding on the best way to maneuver through such a church mess is an individual thing that requires much prayer. I personally have agonized over this in the past, praying and seeking God until I knew that I knew what God wanted me to do.
To be honest, more and more it appears to me that accepting any form of predestination beyond the idea of those in Christ being predestined to conform to the image of Christ is a form of narcissism. Reformed, Calvinist, Neo-Calvinist, Calvinistas, and yes even Lutherans have a theology that sets them up to be lured by “aren’t I special” thinking.
And then the abuse starts. And when called on it, darvo. Deny, attack, reverse victim and offender.
Which is what this latest release from that church is: DARVO on steroids.
To go, stay, or go back?
KHIGHWAYBYE!
“Don’t go away mad, just go away.” Or another Southern way of putting it, “Don’t let the screen door hit you in the rear on the way out.”
I would actually be willing, in fact pleased, to go through the implications.
As I’ve heard it, “Don’t let door hit ya’, where the good Lord split ya’!”
The “hubris” of the leadership is quite impressive… especially when one considers they get their “authority” from the same New Testiment that I have been taught from for over 50 years…
God’s Pet Kids.
Sunk cost. Best option, though. Stop the bleed.
Step 1 in the right direction.
“Do not lord over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:3)
Amen & Amen! Linda, it’s truly amazing how many church folks (in both pulpit and pew) don’t get what you just said!
Authoritarian NeoCal pastors don’t understand that they are to be under-shepherds not over-lords. The authority and influence of Jesus are waning in the American church because “pastors” in far too many places have decided they need to be on the throne instead.
Can you expect anything else from a church these days?
Max, HUG: voting with our feet and pocketbooks seem the only way. That, and remembering we fight not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. We have a friend who is a priest in one of those are they RCC or not groups. The church he pastors is not recognized by the RCC, although his ordination is very much recognized and so people he takes into the church are RCC communicants. Complicated.
But he chose to make his beachhead for Christ in a town where since the 1870s the town has chosen various forms of vice as their main industry, and where Al Capone was a frequent visitor. Many in the town bear strong physical resemblance to dear old Al. One of the things this friend of ours does is fight evil with good. He doesn’t go directly after the evil in the town. Instead he launches good: wonderful concerts, exquisite art, person to person mentoring and job offers, etc. Amazing what he is getting done, and while he is still mostly reviled we see the spirit of the town making a few positive changes as a direct result of his fighting evil with good.
Max,
But Neo-Cals LOOOOOOVE the idea of the Pastor-Dictator.
As much as (if not more than) the IFBs whu used to be the type example.
I wonder how much their deterministic theology impacts their desire for control. Or have I mixed up cause and effect?
Probably because if you claw your way into Power and succeed, It Was God’s Predestined Will.
Divine Right all the way.
And if you fail? “NOT MY FAULT! GOD WILLED IT! NOT MY FAULT!”
And then there’s Calvin’s Evanescent Grace, where God sends False Assurance of Salvation to the Reprobate, indistinguishable from the real thing until the Great White Throne. This sparks an obsession to PROVE to themselves that they ARE Really Truly the Predestined Elect. And one way to do this is success — money, power, perfectly-parsed winner’s theology, you name it. Because if you Win, not only was it Predestined but it PROVES you are Elect.
Cicero, IL?
If not, I could probably find it mentioned in Asbury’s Gem of the Prairie/ Gang of Chicago, companion volume to his more famous Gangs of New York. Chi-town’s always been a hotbed of crime and corruption since its beginning, with some really strange asides into weirdness.
I know people who became suicidal when they tested their election and believed they failed the test. Tragic.
Dee, I just read more about this over at The Roys Report. Several links there.
CHBC refused to make public the full GRACE Report, and the stifling of it produced more anger and division. But the 18-page summary of the Report, that CHBC did release, is damning enough. I’m trying to figure out why the leaders of the church would allow even that.
As I’ve opined before, it’s a sick religion.
Ted,
They were caught between a rock and a hard place. They were hoping they could blame this all on Eric McKiddie and draw attention away from Jay Thomas, who “admitted” to using stupid humor that appeared derogatory. The underlying problem is clear to many. The real problem rests with Thomas, who desperately wants to be part of the New Calvinists. He had been there about six months and wrote a post for TGC on how to be a senior pastor. Hubris is all over this mess.
I do not believe CHBC will improve unless Thomas is let go and his handpicked elders (the inner crowd) are given the boot. There is more to this story. Eric McKiddie got a plum job in a Presbyterian church on Hilton Head. I wonder how that happened.
I wish I could adequately express what a remarkable church this was in our first go-round. It was the most intellectually stimulating church I had ever attended. That is now in the past. I am so sad to see such a shining light dimmed and hidden under a pile of John Piper books.
Calvin had too much time on his hands, to make up so many things contrary to the character of God. Who in their right spiritual mind would want to follow the Calvinist God?!
Lol no not in Illinois. Old Al liked to go farther west at times. For my friend’s sake I won’t mention the town or state.
Those who have No Choice Whatsoever (As in Predestined?).
The threat of Eternal Hell/Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is quite a motivator.
And not “their right spiritual mind” – who in their right mind would?
(Come to think of it, wouldn’t that select for those who are NOT in their right mind?)
There is no shortage of arrogance, excessive pride, and self-confidence in NeoCal ranks! It’s just who they are. There is also a great deal of flattery and brown-nosing by NeoCal elite-wannabes … if only they could enter the inner ring to touch the hem of the garments of Piper, Mohler, Dever … to achieve stardom and glory within TGC … to be met by standing ovations wherever they speak. It’s all about me, not Jesus.
I miss the days when I believed the worst pastoral abuse was exemplified by Robert Tilton in the Farting Preacher YouTube videos. Now it feels like finding a church is a horrible choice between (mostly) orthodox doctrine but abusive leaders versus “nice” leaders promoting overtly progressive theology and politics. That’s not to say that there aren’t theological problems with the neocal’s, but I also can’t stomach the atonement denial and anti-biblical morality of progressive Christianity.
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And so they show themselves to be the kind of men the apostle John wrote about in his 3rd epistle.
“9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.”
There is apparently something threatening to Diotrephes about having people within the church who do not also put him first. So he acts to get rid of them.
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Isn’t it “talking wicked nonsense against [the people who have spoken out] ” to imply that they are spreading lies?
The elders allege what has been said publicly is inaccurate, but don’t say what was inaccurate. But instead they jump to saying there has been no sexual or physical abuse. Yet that has not been alleged in any of the public statements, including the petition from 80+ church members to address the use of NDAs, in the letters of resignation from church officers, in the public letter of resignation from an active couple in the church, in the article in the local campus paper, or on this blog. It doesn’t make any sense unless it’s a diversionary tactic.
If a leader or group of leaders “likes to put himself first” and does not accept the authority of the apostles as to their actions, the statements in this letter are the kind of behavior you get. Saying orthodox words in sermons is not the same as walking in a way that shows you accept the authority of the NT or OT (Ez 34) teachings on how a faithful shepherds act.
Not sure what happened in the prior post.
The first was this quote from Dee’s post:
Unfortunately, some of our disagreements have been pushed into the public sphere by a handful of individuals likely because trust is broken. Though we seek to rebuild that trust and we deeply lament their hurt, we recognize that The Bible Church may no longer be the best place for them to worship. We encourage these individuals to find a church community in which they can grow and thrive in peace without mistrust.
The second was this quote from her post:
We also feel compelled to address the incorrect information presented publicly. Much of the information in the long text messages, social media accounts, the student newspaper article, and a Bcc mass email to many church members was inaccurate and misleading.
As we have said before, GRACE’s cultural assessment did NOT conclude that any physical or sexual abuse occurred, and there are no reports or evidence of physical or sexual abuse at the Bible Church.
Andy,
That is why it is so difficult to find a church to attend. My husband and I have lived in the area for a total of 26 years. We found a good church the first time around, CHBC. I spent many years in Dallas, telling people how wonderful it was. The second time around, it was not, and it took my husband and me a long time to find a church that worked for us. I asl know that many people do not have as many choices.
Eyewitness,
I want to know if what I said was wrong. They could let me know. They haven’t. Why not? I told the truth in what I wrote.
Multiple thousands of traditional Southern Baptists have this same testimony … of church life pre-NeoCal and post-NeoCal … congregational fellowship in the Lord vs. elder-rule suppression of such communion … advancing the Gospel vs. their gospel … freedom in Christ vs. spiritual bondage.
I refer all here at TWW to the Roys Report (julieroys.com) for her article on CHBC and Jay Thomas. I began my commenting here at TWW by commenting on a post documenting a lecture John Piper gave to a minneapolis church on the occasion of its “pastor” being discovered in serial adultery. My comment was that Pipers lecture should be included in a MasterClass on Spiritual Abuse. I would amend that comment to recommend also including Jay Thomas’ lecture to his church (seen at the Roys Report). In his lecture, he intones how he needs forgiveness “…for how he uses his words…in a way that has hurt several people in our body.” “The part that really saddens me, is that several of these people may never change their reckoning toward me….” “I come to you today, BECAUSE WHILE THIS IS A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE (emphasis mine)….” “I want to confess to you today…of immaturity…of not having my identity firmly rooted in Jesus…sin of lack of empathy in many situation….”
See…the sin is not that he spitefully abused church members with his words and attitudes but that he is not sufficiently sanctified yet. Who among us is not immature at times? Who among us isn’t insufficiently rooted in Jesus? Who among us is not sufficiently empathetic?
And, listen carefully to his next section where he solemnly intones how preaching is about the Word of God but it is also about the trustworthiness of the messenger. “I desperately want you to hear the Word of God this morning.” (as if there were no other way for me to faithfully hear the Word of God than from his mouth) “I cannot ask you to trust me!” So, rather than announce his resignation, he says, “I need to give you to the Lord, and you need to do your business with the Lord first.”
I must admit that I thought I was beyond being amazed at the utter sanctimony and arrogance of the Neo-Calvinist club, but I AM amazed!
In a sane world, this display of DARVO, this display of making the congregants into his “subjects” who must DO something he demands before they can correctly hear God’s Word, this would be enshrined in a MasterClass on Spiritual Abuse.
May God have mercy on this guy and remove him from ministry before he goes any further.
Every believer is a priest who can hear God directly. In the Kingdom of God on earth in there here and now, there is no mediator but Jesus. Pastors are to serve the Body of Christ, a royal priesthood of believers … not rule over it. The New Calvinists do not want you to know this so they can control you.
Max,
Amen, Max!
Believer,
I was miffed about his emphasis on the word “handful” of people. Frankly, he has miffed off a few more than a handful. That video is proof that he does NOT plan to change. I am so sorry about all of this.
Max
It appears that Thomas thinks he is the royal priesthood.
dee,
he’s a royal something, that’s for sure
Do as thou would not be done by the police.
1 – The spiritual boss of people whom I knew first established that those who were “out of step” were just as degenerate as he was.
2 – Then he faulted their conversion. Guess which handy personnel was positioned to hear confessions!
3 – Phrase “give you”, just like in Scripture is followed by a name of someone stern.
4 – Imputing of plausible motives!
5 – Riding roughshod over clear consciences.
6 – Potentising perpetual melodrama opportunities to navigate corporate sustainability. The in crowd will lap it up, their shining virtue vindicated.
7 – Responsibility signalling.
And flying under the radar in plain sight!
Point 8: Deep theological language, misapplied.
Are points 1-5 and 7-8 bait & switch? Without even any bait.
Yikes. Talk about the left boot of fellowship!
Correct supplication and example, what the Gospel really is!
“The Farting Preacher”?
WTF?
(I know Tilton was as crooked as they come, but this was the first I’ve heard of that.)
Someone who looks at the Calvinist God and sees Himself Writ Large.
Personally, I think one of the major factors in Calvin himself was when his father forced him into an unwanted career as a Lawyer. Like Aliester Crowley (whose father was STRICT Plymouth Brethren), Calvin’s adult life was one big double middle finger to his father. “I’LL SHOW YOU!” And Calvin’s frequent kidney stones keeping him in severe pain (in an era when the only painkiller was alcohol) didn’t help.
COMPULSIVE VIRTUE-SIGNALLING.
If HE’s the True Type Example of Sanctified, why woudl anyone in their right mind want anything to do with Sanctification?
But it wasn’t The Party Line.
Touch Not Mine Anointed and all that.