Park Street Church 2014
“I realize my acting as a ‘whistleblower’ puts my own career as a pastor and reputation in peril given the not insignificant chance that my observations will be discounted, distorted, or used against me.” Michael Balboni
Priscilla, who loves Pastor Booker and thinks you all are looking for further outrage…
Today, we received a comment from Priscilla under the Park Street Church article, who does not appear to understand the purpose of this blog or the majority of commenters on this blog. Here is her entire comment.
Spiritual abuse is real. And healthy churches no doubt exist. And in between those two is a vast gray area of people doing their best and others nonetheless getting hurt, a gray area of confusion and difficulty in discerning the best or right way forward. I have lived through church splits and seen the truth of Lincoln’s words that portray that confusion so well: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God and each invokes His aid against the other.“
Unfortunately, this article is poorly researched. The author has interviewed one side and heard what she wanted to hear. Likewise many who frequent this site are looking for the latest case of spiritual abuse at which to be outraged.
In reality the majority at Park Street are blessed by Mark Booker, an excellent preacher with a humble shepherd’s heart. The elders have worked tirelessly and prayerfully to navigate a complex situation. Many, many attempts at reconciliation were made between the complainant minister and the new senior minister. There have been a small but vocal minority of voices staunchly opposed to Mark Booker since he was first called. It has proven painful to the whole church but no doubt most painful to those most centrally involved.
Do pray for Park Street, but don’t pray one-sidedly based on this article.
Given Priscilla’s comment, I imagine she is one of the faithful, perhaps heavily involved in the church. She notes a “vast gray area” of people “doing their best and others getting hurt.” One must assume that she is referring to PSC. I could comment at length, but she makes assumptions that lead me to believe that “assumptions” are being created about those wounded by the senior pastor and the leaders probably hanging around in the gray area. She claims that those who frequent this blog are looking for the latest outrage, never once considering that the people who frequent this blog are those whom the church has harmed. This comment was an attack by an insider. She made one crucial mistake. She did not post the resume of the senior pastor, which could have cleared things up. She also did not dispute any points made by Dr Balboni in his memo. That is because the church leaders agree that these things happened, but it was merely a difference in leadership styles. This is the leadership flailing around in that “vast gray area.”
She also refers to Dr. Balboni as the “complainant.” This sounds a little lawyerly to me. So, just in case, I want to say that when I write about the complaints, I do so by calling them allegation. They are allegations that I believe to be true, and I write about them to encourage PSC to be loving and kind to those who are hurting.
The red flags in Michael Balboni’s letter
One of the goals of this blog is to illuminate missteps and tactics by churches that bring pain and hurt to those unfortunate enough to be caught inside this “vast gray area.” I believe that God gave us the Internet and that it has been used to illuminate all kinds of abuse in the church. I think it is one way God is calling the church to repent and pivot towards a loving church, even when there is disagreement. So many times, senior pastors and leaders circle the wagons, hiding in the middle and sending out arrows and gunshots to slay the “bad guys.” Many of us have been on the receiving end of these slings and arrows. Our goal is to let those on the outside know that they are not alone and that they are loved and respected by many of us as they navigate these difficult circumstances.
Here are some quotes from his memo that I saw as “red flags” at PSC. I will miss many, so I depend on the readers to add their thoughts and concerns.
Red Flag: pursuing issues toward reconciliation resulted in a schism that makes “you” the problem, not the issue.
my raising of these issues only resulted in a growing schism in our working relationship, something deeply grieving
At the start of this memo, Michael admitted that he is a sinner as is Pastor Booker. He was asked to outline his concerns. Have any of you attempted to bring resolution to an issue in the church, only to find out that you were viewed as the problem? I have. Here is what happens. The pastor equates elucidated issues as a failure. Instead of dealing with it, working it through all of its difficulties, he turns the table and makes the one seeking understanding “the real problem.” The real issue to be resolved is now tabled.
How many of you are familiar with “DARVO?” It stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender. Is that what is happening here?
Red Flag: being a whistleblower may lead to the loss of a job or other leadership opportunities
Furthermore, I realize my acting as a ‘whistleblower’ puts my own career as a pastor and reputation in peril given the not insignificant chance that my observations will be discounted, distorted, or used against me.
In Michael’s case, he knew that writing this memo might lead to his firing. Yet he was the one who was encouraged to write his concerns. This sort of thing has been seen since the start of the protestant church. Martin Luther was a whistleblower on issues like the sale of indulgences. He appeared before the Pope to defend his thoughts. Sadly, the Pope decided that Luther was the problem and his life was in danger at some point. Thanks to some German princes, he was spirited to the Wartburg castle, and the rest is history. It took hundreds of years for the following to happen.
The Roman Catholic Church has done an about face in its attitude toward Martin Luther. Today Catholic scholars are among Luther’s greatest apologists, extolling him as a devout Reformer who tried to better the church in an age of corruption and greed. Catholic historians are calling him “one of the greatest witnesses to the Christian faith” and “our brother in Christ.
The Pope used DARVO on Luther to protect the sale of indulgences.
The four Scriptural virtues of a leader.
You can read his letter to see why he chose these.
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Not violent
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Gentle, not quarrelsome
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Double toungued
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Not arrogant.
The following elucidates som of the issues more clearly.
Red Flag: Pastors who insist on violating confidentiality.
I have written extensively about the ACBC (biblical counseling group), which does not guarantee confidentiality. I believe confidentiality is to be expected and that pastors who divulge this (except child abuse) are not to be trusted. I have also recommended leaving any church that expects confidentiality to be revealed. Unfortunately, this appears to be the case at PSC.
Mark has repeatedly tried to force me to violate this code and my own conscience, particularly in matters in which he is attempting to gain control through information about other ministers, staff, or congregants
…This has been a repeated issue. Mark has attempted to extract information from other confidential clergy conversations in regards to at least eight other people.
Note this particularly insightful comment by Michael. Note the phrase “power differential.” Michael is the employee, and Mark holds the cards.
In these instances it has been confusing to know how to respond because of the power differential between me and Mark as my supervisor. Often he has pressured me to disclose confidential information using various persuasion tactics, such as the guise that it is being done out of “concern for the health of the church.” If I do not provide the requested information, these conversations often go on and on as he attempts to obtain information using various tactics for probing. It also came to my attention that Mark went to my own personal pastor in order to extract information from him about potential complaints or criticisms against Mark. This is shocking, illegal, a violation of the soul, and an affront to pastoral ethics.
If this is practiced, the church leadership should inform members and staff that their private conversations are not private. Michael gives a specific instance that is verifiable by Michael’s detractors.
The most recent use of Mark’s position of authority to pressure me to break confidentiality, in regards to Shannon Jacobs, was the most abusive. In this instance, I was browbeaten in his office for an hour with Mark trying to extract information from the confidential clergy-congregant conversation that I had with Shannon after she resigned. I have had the privilege of serving as Shannon’s pastor since she became the band leader, and I baptized her husband, Drew. Hence, Shannon not surprisingly desired to speak and pray with me soon after she learned of the actions to remove the 4pm service and to end her role as band leader. Despite my very clearly telling Mark from the start of the conversation that my interaction with Shannon was pastoral, not organizational, he would not relent or permit me to leave. Such clergy-congregant conversations are sacred.
Red Flag: A toxic culture of fear
It is never appropriate to embed a culture of fear in a system that is to be based on humility and love. If one fears losing a job or meeting with a pastor, the system is broken.
I can at this point faithfully claim that six pastors (both ministers and directors) and at least three support staff have expressed fear of the possibility of losing their current jobs at the church for reasons described below. I am aware of one former support staff who left in part for this reason.
Constant wondering if “anyone else is going to be fired?” “Am I next?”
It appears that there has been a turnover of a number of positions. When that happens, there are two possible explanations: insufficient money or overly demanding leadership.
There is also an apparent inability to show dissent, even in staff meetings.
Frustration and shock for being “gagged” in speech, including being told by Mark that staff should not show any dissent, even in staff gatherings where discussion of issues is supposed to occur. Staff, including myself, have been explicitly told by Mark that all disagreement or concerns should be shared with him and not beyond him.
Moles? In a church? Is this a Tom Clancy novel or the Body of Christ?
There is a strong sense among some staff that there are “safe” people to talk with and there are “moles” who will report back directly to Mark anything that might be construed as dissent or criticism.
Red Flag: Are they talking about you? Are they speaking ill of you to your face? Are they inconsistent in their criticism?
There are several instances in private in which Mark has denigrated the character of others.
…Mark has spoken using derogatory language in front of me about two congregants and three ministers. Mark said to me that three of my fellow ministers are “lazy” (and having worked around them for some time, I do not believe that to be true).
…Mark has used aggressive and harsh words regarding my work at the church. (a) In the Spring 2023 he falsely accused me of being lazy, asking in a derogatory tone, “what do you really even do here?
…Mark has used aggressive and harsh words regarding my work at the church. (a) In the Spring 2023 he falsely accused me of being lazy, asking in a derogatory tone, “what do you really even do here?
…he said that I was too quiet in staff meetings, but then he criticized me for speaking an alternative opinion in front of other ministers. I brought this inconsistency up in our 360 discussion, and he responded by chuckling at the inconsistency and left the criticism in my 360 unchanged.
Red Flag: Purging members and referring to Stalin in the same breath. Is your church glad to get rid of people?
Given that my grandparents fled Russia to get away from the “Bolsheviks,” I take offense to joking about a man who killed 6 Million people. It is OK to remove inactive members from the roles; it is not one to call it a “purge.” Some things are just not funny.
Mark made a harsh comparison between his desire to move members into the “inactive” membership category, and Stalin’s murdering of hundreds of thousands of his own citizens to solidify his power in 1937 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Purge), by calling this process by the same name as the brutal historical event, “the Great Purge.”
…As I sat immediately to his left and looking right into his face, Mark said under his breath, “the Great Purge.
…I told Mark that this choice of words and his demeanor conveying a sense of being happy that people have left our church, rather than sadness, is offensive. Mark said his words were not meant in the way that I took them
Red Flag: Misreading expectations can lead to firing.
In this situation, Micheal was the pastor in charge of a music leader, Sharon, who played at the 4 PM service. Pastor Mark decided that her position should be eliminated. This was said in a ministry lead team meeting. Mark was also concerned that she did not sit in the service to listen to the sermon after playing something. This is not unusual for bands in other churches I’ve covered. Michael was her boss and spoke to her about it. This did not go over well with Mark. Michael did not understand that he could not talk with one of his people.
I did not tell her anything about the larger reason why this issue was raised (the elimination of the 4pm service and her position). She then explained that after practicing all afternoon in preparation to lead the music, she and others in the band go to the Fellowship Hall (where they still listen to the sermon) in order to use the restroom and get a drink/eat a snack.
…Mark accused me of (1) breaching confidentiality since the MLT worship discussions were confidential (we were not allowed to speak to elders or any other ministers about the proposal to eliminate the 4pm service), (2) breaking the chain of command (Shannon reports to Nathan), and (3) speaking negatively about the health of the church.
My response to him was that I in no way broke confidentiality: no person or content of those meetings were revealed. It is not uncommon or unethical to act on confidential information as long as that information is kept secure.
…On January 12, 2023 I offered an apology to Mark for not speaking to him first (email in addendum), but I would not and do not grant the charges against me that I violated confidentiality or broke the “chain of command”. Even so, on January 24 I was handed a warning letter issued by the Personnel Committee (PC). The letter indicated that if I did similar actions in the future I would be subject to firing.
…I expressed not agreeing that this was (a) abreach in confidentiality or (b) a violation of the ‘chain of command’ given the aforementioned rationale. Still, Mark demanded that I “yield” and sign the legal document
At this point, the die was cast, and it was apparent that Mark was looking to discharge Michael.
Red Flags abound
Michael has carefully documented his concerns, so it could take me three additional posts to record everything. Here are just a couple of instances.
I attend a Lutheran church. Lutherans believe in the actual presence of Jesus in communion. The pastor says The Words of Institution. Then, folks from the congregation who are signed up to help with communion come and give the pastor communion. It is a sign of humility, in my opinion. But the only one who offers Mark the communion is Mark himself. This is a curious change.
Liturgical changes to our Park Street Church practices around communion have replaced our prior congregation-focused practice with one that places Mark at the center. One intentional change is that Mark has become the sole celebrant with no other minister standing next to him at the table (which had been the case in the past). Then beginning Maundy Thursday 2021, Mark introduced (without discussion) two additional symbolic actions. (a) Mark made himself first and then the ministers next to receive the elements, compared to our long prior practice where the elders/ministers received the bread together with the congregation and receive the cup last (I believe the far better symbolic action within our community is for the ministers and elders to receive last). (b) Mark serves himself the bread element. He is the only person in the entire congregation who takes his own bread from the plate with his own hand. Watch the youtube videos. He offers the body of Christ to those below him, but he will not receive it from his brothers (I have offered the bread to him twice, and he has refused). Though these changes may sound unimportant and my notice of them petty, the entire worship meal is highly meaningful, symbolic, and speaks in powerful subconscious ways. We also must remember that our church has a long-held tradition as a congregational church of upholding the congregation as a holy priesthood and that our high priest is only Christ, not our senior pastor. Hence our prior practice of serving the congregation first, and the congregants serving the elements to one another, is powerfully fitting with our heritage as a congregational church body. The changes in these important symbolic liturgies that put Mark at the center is a larger symbol for his approach to leadership – his adoption of a senior pastor-centered, authoritarian and sometimes dictatorial model of leadership that violates the cherished heritage of Park Street Church as a congregational body.
He has taken over the functions of others. He took over Michael’s function in the LDI.
- Lenten Discipleship Institute (LDI): (a) In 2022, Mark took over the booklet at the last moment, edited some of the initial content, wrote an opening welcome, and signed his name at the beginning. Most of the work in the booklet was completed by a combination of myself, Randall and Chris May. Having worked on many writing teams, it troubled me how he would take over at the last moment, insert himself at the beginning, and then give some appearance that he created it for the congregation. (b) In 2023, Mark took over LDI completely eliminating my role. Leading LDI is specifically part of my job description, but without conversation or even acknowledgement that he was doing so, the most enjoyable part of my LDI responsibility was taken away (spiritual formation and educational content creation), while I was expected to do the administrative tasks for LDI.
Finally,
If Michael’s words are valid, the PSC has a problem. It appears that Pastor Mark and the elders have redefined the word ” congregational. ” If this continues, the PSC will change in essence, becoming just one more ho-hum, top-down, elder-ruled church with the congregation not aware of the machinations in the back room. If that’s what they want, OK. There are a bunch of churches that play this way. I understand why so many people have left the congregation and the staff. I spoke with members, and they expressed their concerns and fears.
Is it possible that Mark was hired to change the essence of PSC? He came from the Anglican crowd (ACNA), which is undergoing much turmoil and stress. For example, here is an article about the abuse at the Church of the Resurrection in DC. Anglicans Say Leaders Botched Response to Allegations Against DC Priest.
PSC needs to dig into its well-known past successes. Don’t give up the “congregational” for something authoritarian and hierarchical.
Solutions
- A committee of elders and members should sit down with Mark and address Michael’s concerns. It’s going to take time. He’s been keeping notes. Then, point by point, the committee should tell the church the outcome of those discussions.
- This same committee needs to sit with Michael and go through each point carefully. They cannot blow it off and say it is merely a “leadership style” difference unless PSC elders deliberately hired an authoritarian pastor. There are many problems in ACNA these days, and some of them surround poor leadership. Pastor Mark came out of that crowd. Maybe it’s what the elders wanted. If so, tell the church.
- Someone needs to stand up in church and tell the congregation they are going ahead with top-down leadership. Explain why it is so.
- A concerted effort should be made to see if recently “let go” pastors and staff were treated well before leaving. Christians care for one another. Apologize where necessary.
- Pastor Mark needs to cut out the nonsense and publicly reveal his resume. This is starting to get weird and worrisome.
- Others copied Michael’s letter and distributed it publicly. I made it available on the blog. I did not get this memo from him. Please don’t blame him.
- A third-party, independent, comprehensive investigation that carefully examines the systems currently in place is essential. Make sure they can produce a document like this.
- I was told by Priscilla to pray for PSC. Sadly, there was no mention of praying for those no longer at PSC. I’ll concentrate on praying for those folks.
- Is there a way to heal relationships with the staff who have been let go? It’s hard, but that’s what Christians do.
- Members hold the elders accountable. Do not be sheep, pretending “We see nothing.”
- How about holding a service of lament?
“…Often he has pressured me to disclose confidential information using various persuasion tactics, such as the guise that it is being done out of “concern for the health of the church.”
+++++++++++++++
Repulsive manipulation.
Using the concept of God to manipulate people.
I marvel at how manipulative tactics are baked into the pastoral leadership how-to and industry.
Some know what they’re doing. Others don’t realize – although I’d chalk that up to being deficient where objectivity is concerned.
“being a whistleblower”
Many Wartburgers are watchmen on the wall. They know what to watch for (red flags) because they walked through the valley of being used and abused by church leaders. They speak from experience. They now watch and listen to help others by informing and warning them. What you see, you can’t unsee … what you know, you can’t unknow – it’s in your knower. God has taken many who comment on TWW through a valley to help others negotiate the same vale. Others would do well to heed the watchman’s cry.
Mark Booker worked as the assistant pastor from 2005 – 2009 at Church of the Resurrection in DC. This means that he trained directly under that same rector/priest (who started the church) who himself is now under very credible accusations of spiritual abuse.
“Do pray for Park Street, but don’t pray one-sidedly based on this article.”
Suppose I did just that. If I were praying in “the wrong way,” does that mean God would be confused and act unjustly in the situation? Funny kind of God, in that case.
I have incomplete – at best – information about pretty much every situation about which I pray. I do the best I can with what I have to work with, and I have complete faith that any intervention by God will be made with full and complete knowledge of the situation and every person involved.
1 . I was incomplete in my comment on the former thread; the above are grave transgressions too.
2 . “Given that my grandparents fled Russia to get away from the “Bolsheviks,””
Well said Dee.
And there is my uncle, who I didn’t know I had, last known to be known of when aged 12 (and middle child like me), nearer to here than Stalin,
And there is the sex and gender theology stampede, damaging to billions, created by megaphoning moralisers since the 1980s as their lucrative political fix (instead of er, um, interceding)
Based on informative comments on the other thread by Stavros, Elizabeth Klein, “grieving” and Cynthia W., and elastigirl’s here on the “senior leadership team industry”, I suspect there is a portion of senior leadership that has been exempt from targetting. (Rev Balboni not being “senior” enough?)
Unless the senior leadership have themselves now miscalculated, after perhaps years of calibrating previous neglect? (I’ve seen all this, over the years, myself. The neglectful are nice people, but the “gospel” they gave us is shallow and narrow.)
That’s why it’s best sometimes to simply pray “Thy will be done”
> Moles? In a church? Is this a Tom Clancy novel or the Body of Christ?
It is, IMO, a power hierarchy trying to perform the functions of a congregation of Christ. I think that power hierarchies are not fit for this purpose.
——
I am so thankful to have encountered the DARVO concept in my reading at TWW. This has been very helpful in interpreting some difficult relationships, and having this concept has helped me to notice problematic rhetorical tactics in real time as they were being deployed against me.
Thank you, Dee.
If not bring His purple thumb down to crush you, HARD.
Of course you know The Right Way To Pray:
“Whatever *I* Do That YOU Don’t.”
Every Dictatorship requires a surveillance network with Secret Police Informers.
Why don’t they just admit they’re drooling Slave Girls of Gor fanboys?
B/G: “The Gor books” were a so-so 1960s-1970s fantasy series (with more volumes than Left Behind) that were basically Male Supremacist Wish Fulfillment in a Conan the Barbarian-style setting. They sold surprisingly well, and had a small core of “Gorian” fanboys who tried to live the dream for real.
When their author John Norman actually surfaced at a convention, the Gorians found out he was a small skinny wet noodle under the thumb of a domineering wife. Like a cartoon of the henpecked milquetoast husband, what the Manosphere calls a “Beta Simp”. Talk about Wish-Fulfillment/Revenge fantasy…
Or, “Please help all these people in the way they most need.” Which is kind of the same thing.
As if I needed it, yet more evidence to stay home and save 10 percent.
At least Park Street Church’s building is consistent.
Compared to, say, that steeple & entry facade tacked onto a WalMart-sized tilt-up in the center of a parking lot the size of a major sports stadium’s.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
Is that like, “God, you and I agree I’m the greatest, right?”
I thought that a person’s telling Dee to make sure to pray a certain way was kind of strange. Maybe that’s done in some religious milieux.
You and me both
Please edit as you see fit. I will not state my opinions and won’t dox myself 🙂
And, I am knowledgeable about the situation including much more than this.
People have asked for information so here you go:
From Park Street Church’s FAQ when the second ministerial search committee decided to move forward with Mark Booker:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/6d9a4602d911ac1f58c544dae/files/3e48bb38-c2e3-4287-8dd7-de1c372e1da0/FAQs.pdf?ct=t(ENEWS_JAN_30_2020)&mc_cid=5047fc8d5a&mc_eid=%5Bd55e50c178%5D
“Does he have a PhD?
No, he does not. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Economics from Rhodes
College in Memphis, Tennessee, and both a Master of Arts, Theology (First Class) and a Master of Studies, Theology (Distinction), from the University of Oxford (Queen’s College) in the United Kingdom. He was accepted twice into a doctoral program at the University of Oxford but deferred for family, medical, and ministry reasons.”
Furthermore, he was assistant pastor for the (Anglican) Church of the Resurrection for nearly 4 years (2005-2009) and then rector for a church plant (“Church of the Cross”).
Mentioned here: https://rezchurch.org/boston-anglican-mission
At the February 2, 2020 congregational vote confirmed this choice and he was installed as senior minister subsequently.
The elder board has chosen to work with The VOCA Center of New York (https://www.vocacenter.org/), announced to the congregation, December 8, 2023.
The elder board de facto acts as a board of directors and has final say in most if not all matters. Who are members of the Board of Elders?
There are 12 elected elders with 3-year terms (2 consecutive terms before needing to take a term off),
The Moderator of the Board of Elders functions as the chairman of the board.
In election years and for training (2024 is such a year), a Moderator Elect shadows the current moderator and is on the board of elders,
The senior minister is also on the Board of Elders and functions as equal in rank as the Moderator.
The Church Administrator also functions de facto as an elder (at least did in the past).
Furthermore, while in the bylaws of Park Street Church, https://www.parkstreet.org/about-us/bylaws/
I will quote: “Special Meetings. Special Meetings shall be called by the Clerk at the request of the Board of Elders or upon the request in writing by twenty-five members specifying the purpose of the meeting. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Clerk, the Moderator shall call Special Meetings.”
A written petition by twenty-five members requesting a special meeting to discuss the matters but the board of elders did not grant the request for a special meeting.
From Priscilla’s letter:
“Likewise many who frequent this site are looking for the latest case of spiritual abuse at which to be outraged.”
She’s implying we shouldn’t be outraged at spiritual abuse. I think we should be. Instead of praying for “leaders” who can’t or won’t pray for themselves or anyone else in their flock, I’d like to offer a pray that we’d see the day when spiritual abuse no longer exists and people aren’t afraid to go to church where they’ll end up in some non-sensical “gray area.”
“Many Wartburgers are watchmen on the wall.”
_____
Oh Please Max. That’s not even a little bit true
Great name. Thank you for writing the pastor’s resume. Please have him write it out in a public venue, always available for those who have questions. I still don’t get what is going on here. Is there a potential problem?
Since you know far more than this, do you know if VOCA will do a thoroough investigation akin to the GRACE report I linked to?
What elsewould you like to share with us? You have all the space you want.
“Master of Arts, Theology (First Class) and a Master of Studies, Theology (Distinction), from the University of Oxford (Queen’s College)”
Well different than I expected (Queens not Wycliffe?). For 2002 the regs for the latter degree can be found at http://web.archive.org/web/20020604055409/http://resources.theology.ox.ac.uk/school.phtml?school_code=mres Currently it is a 9 month course of study (I couldn’t find an explicit timeframe in the wayback search but 9 months seems to be standard).
However the Master of Arts is odd. Oxford (and Cambridge) are unusual in that Master of Arts is not a course of study but rather being still alive a few years after getting a bachelor degree and filling out the paperwork. (A bit of an explanation https://www.new.ox.ac.uk/oxford-ma-0) The current list of masters in the Theology department can be found at
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/courses-a-z-listing (note this may have changed since he studied at Oxford).
Queen’s is ancient (it was set up by the chaplain to Philippa of Hainault, Queen of Edward III of England in the mid-1300s). It accepts as graduate students in theology only those doing a DPhil or MSt (again this may have been different 20 years ago). The Queen’s fellows associated with theology in 2002 seem to be Peter Southwell and also Christopher Rowland (the latter because he held a particular professorship at Oxford).
As an aside, Philippa of Hainault plays a role in the event of the burghers of Calais in 1347 (the story as Froissart, in translation, describes can be found at https://uts.nipissingu.ca/muhlberger/froissart/calais.htm).
Probably.
The arrogance of God’s Special Pets has no upper limit.
(I’m sure you’ve encountered a few.)
Philaletheian, the friend of truth,
You mention the Voca Center which raises significant questions of transparency and ethics. Voca claims to be a non-profit yet the same people are involved with RKE Partners which seems to be a for profit firm. There is little distinction between the two.
https://rkepartners.com/
Why do these people have a non-profit? Why do they request donations? What do the donations go towards?
In addition on the RKE Partners site they deceptively show logos including the U.S. Army logo which is a clear violation of DOD rules:
https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Trademarks/DOD%20Guide%20about%20use%20of%20seals%20logos%20insignia%20medals-16%20Oct%2015F.PDF
Why would Park Street hire such a questionable organization when there are so many more well qualified and credible options?
Michael in UK,
I left Park Street Church in 2017, three years before Mark Booker became senior minister. I was seriously troubled by PSC’s culture of leadership, even back then.
Elizabeth Klein,
Also, I didn’t leave PSC lightly. I’d been a member there for 20 years.
Elizabeth Klein,
Also, I didn’t leave PSC lightly. I’d been a member there for 20 years.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
This was when they couldn’t think of any other way to counter-react to their own older generation’s neglect of prayer, discernment and downright care during the 1960s or before. I’ve only just pieced the whole sequence together. Material dialectic = just more manoeuvres. Not wanting to be seen as fairly critiquing them. The sometimes too cut-down mini-gospel and not sufficiently digesting the sort of sensible and balanced social analyses of beneficial agnostics like Marshall McLuhan or Roland Barthes.
Part of my mindset was for example, if I’m to “sweep a girl off her feet”, wouldn’t that constitute wrongfooting her now that she has been deprived of any expectation of standing up for herself (by my RE turned perverted civics teacher)? (The world comes up with its ideas, but Holy Spirit filled or responsible-minded intermediaries can make good effort to defend the young.) That wouldn’t be the right course in life for me, let alone her.
But some sections of christianity had – due to the obsession of the older generation with the “muscular christianity” optic – lost sight of the principle of principle, attention to detail in relating, and plain belief, resorting to focus on superficial body lnguage and maintaining that “the word is the thing”. “Power ministry” tipped us into a downward spiral and pretends to be simultaneously “non charismatic” or “non dominionist”, as well as the opposites.
Christians should continue to bring each other up generously and with full belief (non coercive informal, uniquely insightful, mutual peer coaching among neighbours), lifelong.
Philaletheian, the friend of truth,
Thank you! This answer below from a PSC Q&A about Mark Booker is helpful.
So then why didn’t Booker just publish this information about his educational credentials again, instead of sending out a letter to the whole congregation explaining how exasperated and threatened he feels?
_______________________
Q: Does [Mark Booker] have a PhD?
A. No, he does not. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Economics from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and both a Master of Arts, Theology (First Class) and a Master of Studies, Theology (Distinction), from the University of Oxford (Queen’s College) in the United Kingdom. He was accepted twice into a doctoral program at the University of Oxford but deferred for family, medical, and ministry reasons.
Dr. David Wenham, from the University of Oxford, wrote: “I was Mark’s tutor in New Testament studies in Oxford University in the United Kingdom, a role that involved me reading his assignments on various topics and then interacting and discussing with him in a ‘tutorial’. He was without question one of the best students that I taught (among many very good students in Oxford), and I was unequivocally enthusiastic about his desire to go on to do a doctorate. He would have been an outstanding doctoral student, had his plans worked out. But his academic ability in New Testament studies was complemented by his and Mandy’s spiritual commitment to Christ, and I was very struck by their self-sacrificial decision not to proceed with doctoral studies at that time for the sake of a seriously ill family member. That decision has led them
into a remarkable and fruitful pastoral ministry, without Mark having lost his academic interests and abilities.
I have no doubt that he would be an excellent teacher-pastor for Park Street
Church, and would warmly commend him to you.”
Elizabeth Klein,
I left church W ten years before its vicar got suspended. Recently (ten years later again) I popped by and they are weirder than ever.
I left church Y eight months before its vicar got suspended; after that, reportedly the butter-wouldn’t-melt SLT also disappeared.
At church X I left the year after the row – which I wasn’t told what it was about – when their best preacher, a normally exceedingly kind lady, told me “the nasty people have left”, when it was obviously a four way split.
Churches W, X and Y were exciting churches where no initiative quite stuck or bore fruit. They had multiple and ambiguous affiliations and channels.
Church V was similar on a larger scale, contriving to blame the more legitimate authorities for the derelictions of the snakes, yet brazenly letting us know good spiritual information on rare occasions when we weren’t being “managed”. We had a seven-way split which still didn’t count me. (It “thrives” on letting these fester loudly but indistinctly.)
I have dear memories of ordinary folks and insights in all those.
W, X and Y had no “membership schemes” other than obviously for important volunteers. (V had one and hadn’t one at the same time.) I deeply honour your explicit commitment.
At church Z my highlights are some of the ordinary attenders and the elders, though fashionably cagey, appear to be on our side; I believe I have applied for “membership” though I’m not sure whether I’ve had feedback on that yet; I say lots of Glory Be’s for them all.
(In my young day no-one had to go through elders for anything except at “shepherding” house fellowships of course.)
That refers to all speech, small ‘w’.
And he was indeed a particularly good preacher (if occasionally along the lines of 22 key words beginning with P in the space of 35 minutes).
Ariel,
Good point/perspective..
I can only speak for myself, but my motivation to follow TWW is to support the abused, and the best way to do that, IMHO, is to expose the corruption and express my disgust of it. This tells the abused that you should not have been abused..
A second motivation is support the rest of us that think there is “something not right about this situation”. Over my decades in Fundamentalism/Evangelicalism there was a strong pressure to “go with the flow”, even if I thought that something was “off”.
Unfortunately, it seems that we can only attempt to stop the abuse of others is to express our outrage when this abuse becomes public..
At the end of the day, which matters most … that Pastor Booker was properly educated or that he was spiritually abusive and wanted to purge PSC membership?
I was young and now am old. Along the way, I’ve learned that even the most highly educated at religious schools and seminaries do not necessarily make good pastors. There is a higher learning that must be lived out in ministry.
i.e. “Don’t EVER Rock the Boat! If GOD Doesn’t Punish You, WE WILL!”
“Culture of Leadership” as in FUEHRERPRINZIP?
Max,
i’d say good people skills are at the top of the list. not as in extrovert, top salesperson skillset, but intuitive, empathetic, attention to detail, humble.
to me, a pastor is a function that facilitates so others can excel, grow, & shine, takes out the trash and turns off the lights at the end of the day.
i mean, i lead a prayer group, my function is really pastoring, and that’s how i do it.
Jeffrey J Chalmers,
“Over my decades in Fundamentalism/Evangelicalism there was a strong pressure to “go with the flow”, even if I thought that something was “off”.”
++++++++++++
oh my word, yes – spiritualized with zealous righteous conviction so that it is a grave sin to be ‘divisive’.
practically, it ends up being a sin to stand up & speak frankly,
to challenge,
to confront,
to refuse to applaud & join in the standing ovation when it compromises one’s integrity.
the message is that passive compliance is godly.
people end up focussing on how they can please God.
which really means they prioritize themselves, and maintaining their relationship with God.
consequences to other people and to what is ethical and moral, fair and kind, don’t factor in.
as i see it.
Philaletheian, the friend of truth,
Re: Mark Booker’s ed creds – is it possible that if one were to see his actual diplomas, that one would note a discrepancy between his diplomas & what these PSC FAQs claim?
That is what struck me also. Priscilla didn’t do her homework, only made assumptions. She needed to take a poll and ask us all why we were here. I like seeing God’s justice roll as in 1 Peter 4:17, and to feel protect by the Good Shepherd even when men here on earth who should be shepherds are not doing the job. I like well researched information that leads me to make informed decisions should I need to find a new church. And most of all I love Dee and Todd’s willingness to give so much of their time to this site.
“both a Master of Arts, Theology (First Class) and a Master of Studies, Theology (Distinction), from the University of Oxford (Queen’s College) in the United Kingdom”
Queen’s College? But the guy vouching for him, whom he purportedly studied under (Wenham) was at a different college at Oxford, Wycliffe Hall?
Exactly. Scripture emphasizes such pastoral role … to equip and lead the Body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission together … each with their individual spiritual gifting, doing the work of the ministry without distinction of race, class or gender. You will not find in Scripture any reference to the office of pastor as an authoritarian overlord, who only preaches sermons and orders others around. Pastors are to be servant leaders, a member of the Body of Christ along with other members “fitly joined together” (Ephesians 4:16). Organized religion has so much out of divine order, I wonder if we will ever find our way back to doing church as it was intended.
Yes, right under “Love”
Max,
Yes!
Mark Booker’s theory credentials and compliments from his tutor only means Booker was a good student…… reading, remembering, writing….etc.
An education and praise from teachers and tutors does not mean a person will be adept …or even functional … at his/her chosen profession when the boots hit the ground.
I once managed a chemistry laboratory. I hired chemists with a proven work ethic, regardless of how thick their resumes were. Sometimes I passed over Ph.D. candidates for those with a B.S. plus proven experience. I seldom contacted the references listed on their application, but consulted others they worked with at their last places of employment. My own job depended on how carefully I vetted folks applying for job openings. I once had a candidate tell me “Max, I know you have interviewed others who have more advanced degrees … but if you hire me, I will work my b*tt off for you.” I hired him … he did.
Max,
For a couple of years, I worked with another math teacher (newbie) who was always in a tizzy about something. I was next door, so he always came to me to vent. One day he told me what he was going to do about some things he didn’t like, and told me that, ahem, of course I would do the same thing if I were in his situation.
I told him he was wrong about that, and that I always tried to do what I felt was in the best interests of my students. He looked at me for a minute and went back to his classroom. That afternoon, he came by to thank me and apologize.
My own experiences makes me question…… Is Booker doing what he believes is in the best interests of the parishioners, or is his focus …… elsewhere?
from FAQs congregants were given shortly before voting on candidate Booker:
“3. Does he have a PhD? No, he does not. His education includes…a Master of Arts…from the University of Oxford”.
Hmm…
The University of Oxford has no postgraduate “Master of Arts”, there it’s effectively an upgraded title for a Bachelor’s, and is bestowed upon payment, seven years after matriculation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Arts_(Oxford,_Cambridge,_and_Dublin)
“In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years as members of the university…Within these three universities there are in fact no postgraduate degrees which result in the postnominals ‘MA’. No further examination or study is required for this promotion and it is equivalent to undergraduate degrees awarded by other universities.”
https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2015/02/22/degrees-should-be-earned-not-bought/
“the university should put a stop to…the Oxford Master of Arts degree, the scheme by which once 21 terms…seven years…have passed since their matriculation, holders of Bachelors of Arts or Fine Arts degrees can take their MA. The word ‘take’ pretty much sums up the process – you pay £10…that’s it…many employers don’t know that the Oxford MA (nor for that matter its Cambridge equivalent) is not an earned degree”.
circa 2004
https://web.archive.org/web/20041213025453/http://www.wycliffe.ox.ac.uk/PDFs/differences.pdf
“ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES AT OXFORD”
“One of the biggest shocks to those coming to Oxford from another country is the difference in the educational systems….Most international students, especially those seeking to be ordained, will be choosing either the two-year Bachelor of Arts in Theology (BA) followed by the one-year Oxford Diploma in Ministry (ODM), or they will choose the three-year Bachelor of Theology (B.Th).”
“BACHELOR OF ARTS IN THEOLOGY [BA]. This is the standard Oxford University Course in Theology. It is a two year course (if you have a degree from another University) and it is focused mainly on academics.”
“BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY [B.Th]. This degree was created by Oxford University to offer…theological and practical training for Christian ministry. As such, it is a favorite of those seeking to be ordained as priests or deacons….this is an undergraduate degree, but…the equivalent of a Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) from an American university.”
Jerome,
Many thanks, Jerome. This is most helpful.
Interesintg.
senecagriggs,
Don’t be too sure of that, Seneca.
I will comment more tomorrow. I had a minor medical procedure today and spent most of the day snoozing. All is well.
dee,
I’m with Max.
How else can we see the flying monkeys sent by the wicked witch of the West?
If I understand what’s going on in this church, it’s not whether the pastor had a degree or not but that they lied about their credentials.
It brings up the question of whether the church board did its due diligence in assessing those credentials.
Look, for some jobs you want that diploma on the wall to be legit. For example a heart surgeon should have the correct training in surgery and cardiology in addition to a medical degree. Does it make them an awesome surgeon? Maybe not but there’s assurance that someone assessed their skills before letting them loose on the public.
There’s lots of capable people without degrees who have done and are doing amazing things but in my experience education provides some real critical thinking skills. So yes, I want the aircraft maintenance engineer who repairs the jet we fly across the pacific ocean in to go to a legitimate college of aircraft maintenance.
And if they lied or faked their credentials, they should be let go. No matter how nice they are.
Hey Dee,
I hope you’re feeling very, very well today!
I can imagine some sort of arrangement being made between Queen’s and Wycliffe to allow him to be tutored by Wenham at Wycliffe (note the original Wycliffe went to Queen’s and according to the Wycliffe Hall web page the two places have a strong sports connection). What I can’t easily imagine is why list an Oxford MA (or for that matter how gotten) unless someone else wrote that up and mixed up master’s degrees.
Problem is, so many churches are built around the Back-slapping, Glad-handing Used Car Salesman as the Ideal Christian. What happens to the rest of us?
I’ve observed that to be truth during my long church journey in small town America. Billy Bob car salesman gets more respect than Jesus!
Max,
And as I asked above, what about the rest of us?
I’m just the opposite of Billy Bob the Used Car Salesman; I’ve been described as the type of guy who’d be happiest in the stacks of a (pre-Cloud) university library, researching something obscure.
Right now I’m weaning myself off a YouTube addiction acquired during the COVID years; I’m actually starting to CREATE content again instead of passively binge-watching it over 12 hours every day.
Missing the forest for the trees – an ACNA takeover of New England’s most prominent congregational and evangelical church. This is the most uncongregational thing I can think of. It is, however, typically evangelical.
d4v1d,
I think you could be right. Wait until you read tonight what they have done now. It is disgusting.
The EIC cartel goes back almost 150 years to the “guaranteed pure” Fundamentals as inferior substitute to trusting Holy Spirit in any congregations’ unique gifts at any time.
The C of E tried something similar to this with AMIE: that has nominally withered, but the effect continues through the myriad parallel affiliations all the churches now have (New Frontiers, C of E, Vineyard) – except Methodists and some pentecostals.
Main-line protestant denominations in the USA have requirements for ordination. Most require a M.Div, field-education site, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) – basically hospital chaplaincy and individual psychological counseling and testing.
Plus a lengthy ordination paper – that they have to defend before other ministers in that particular denomination. Ministers then send their profiles to churches searching for a pastor. Then there are in person-meetings with a search committee. Once they receive their first call they can be ordained.
Three distinct religious communities have each played a part in the on-going conflict at PSC. They are the ACNA, 4Cs and PSC leadership. So if none of the three groups verified SM educational degree, blame part of it on them.
Did SM MARK Booker engage in blame shifting and gaslighting in his Sermon on February 4 at Park Street Church? I was in attendance & confounded by his Sermon
Watched on-line – I think that he was saying that he is human like the rest of us.
Ya and this phrase seems to be a classic with people who gaslight.
Seems like the DARVO tactics of Jason Abraham, Geoff Raux, David Murgstroyd, Adam Herdon, etc may not be working like they wish – so gaslighting is the next strategy?
I’m sure it’s not intentional – just what happens when people are ill equipped and unaware of systemic problems of abuse.
If only they would heed the petitioners requests and call for an independent investigation.
janiceg,
Except that you aren’t manoeuvring like he is. “Nobody knows where the Spirit blows” but manoevrers know what they are trying to do even if they haven’t thought (they are usually ADD and mania riddled, unremedied). A pastor of mine implied he was nearly as degenerate as us, boasting about a small girl, and his next posting was many thousands of miles off.
“Thousands of miles off” as in Bangkok?