The Vicinage Council Exonerates Mark Booker, Excoriates Those Who Disagree, and Appears to Point Towards an Implosion of Park Street Church.

Posted on by May 3, 2024avatar

Park Street Church 2014

“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated.” Bryan Stevenson

The skinny: 1/3 of PSC members are wrong.

For now, 33% of PSC members who sought change have had their hopes dashed. The Vicinage Council report is in and at first blush:

  • Mark Booker and his supporters are in.
  • There is no sign of spiritual abuse.
  • The pastors on the Council believed they were educated enough to spot spiritual or emotional abuse without bias.
  • No documentation of Pastor Booker’s education is needed or provided.
  • All pastors and staff should have offered to resign when Pastor Booker came on board.
  • All pastors and staff who disagreed with Pastor Booker should not have been so naughty.
  • This investigation was primarily decided by local fellow pastors who did not appear independent in spite of their claims.
  • The bell curve in the report was poorly presented and appears to imply that PSC may not survive.
  • This “independent” investigation was done way too quickly.
  • Was the outcome predetermined?

The Final Vicinage Report

From here on out, I will quote directly from the report to support my conclusions. Be forewarned: The readers might find this report frustrating, and the dissenting members will feel like they were not heard.

Final-Vicinage-Council-report-050124

The first part of the report was a chronological history of the PSC conflict. The report laser-focused on the actions of Michael Balboni. This was a hint of the report to come.

How the Vicinage Council described its call.

Read the choice of words carefully. I bolded some words I found interesting. The reader will find lots more.

To independently assess charges brought against Mark Booker that he is biblically disqualified to serve as Senior Pastor at Park Street Church. The church Board reviewed these charges and determined that there was not evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, of such severity thatthey called for the Senior minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry. The council will consider the evidence submitted by the former Associate Minister, Michael Balboni, and any other evidence deemed relevant that is gleaned in interviews of other ministers and church leaders. The Council will provide its determination as to whether the Board’s determination was correct, and that the Board’s process of determination was appropriate in light of the severity of these charges. The Council will also provide its determination as to whether the conduct of the Senior Minister, Associate Minister, and other ordained ministers during this process has been appropriate and aligned with biblical standards for their calling to pastoral ministry.

  • Was this an independent investigation? I will show why this standard was not met.
  • The Council only interviewed ministers and church leaders. Why not the membership, both pro and con? Is this a pastor-centric church?
  • They look at other ordained ministers on the staff to determine whether they are genuinely called to the ministry. All of them, just a few, or maybe five?

The makeup of the Council members precludes this from being an independent investigation. Also, are women not allowed on this sort of Council?

Ronald Hamilton, CCCC Conference Minister
Peter Balentine, CCCC Vice-President and pastor of Washington Street Baptist
Church in Lynn, MA
Nick Granitsas, CCCC Past President and interim pastor at Forestdale Community
Church in Malden, MA
Paul McPheeters, CCCC Northeast Regional Pastor
Jon Paul, Pastor at Free Christian Church in Andover, MA
Tom Petter, Pastor at Trinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland, MA
Terry Shanahan, CCCC Past Northeast Regional Pastor

The pastors on this Council are all locals. Remember, I grew up in Salem and know the area well. For example, Lynn, MA, is right up the road from Boston. Proximity breeds familiarity and feelings of “We’re in this together,” especially in Boston. These men are fellow warriors. I doubt they would be up to the task of having to speak negatively about a “brother.”

Also, I understand that the CCCC is having difficulties, which is unsurprising given that church attendance is plummeting all over the US. I smiled as I looked at this list. There is little reason to suggest that this group of men could be considered “independent.”

There were only three days devoted to interviewing people in person.

It appears that I have spent far more time getting to know folks involved in this situation.

The council held in-person meetings at Park Street Church on Tuesday – Thursday, April 2 – 4, 2024.

…The council debriefed at the end of the three-day meetings. We determined that further interviews were not necessary.

I suggest this group consult with GRACE to see how long a genuinely independent investigation takes.

Concerned members were not given a chance to express their concerns verbally.

Given the increasing reliance on elder boards in churches, the Council seems to be overlooking the input of the pewsitters, who volunteer and give money to the church. In this case, many of them were deeply involved in the conflict. Are they not as important as the Council’s fellow pastors?

It was determined that the council would meet with the people with the most direct involvement in the conflict, including the church leaders and the staff members.

It seems that the Council deliberately ducked speaking with the members.

Members: Your money supports this enterprise known as PSC, which probably used your donations to cover any costs resulting from this investigation. Remember this when the leaders beg for funds to cover shortfalls. Make sure they really care about you. The Council let you all send notes, but they didn’t seem to want to be in the same room with you.

We determined that further interviews were not necessary. However, we agreed that we would receive written statements from staff, leaders, and members of the congregation.

…We received numerous emails from members of the congregation who are opposed to the leadership of Mark Booker. We gave serious consideration of these statements and prayerfully discerned if they provided information that we did not gather in our interviews.

Mark Booker has management issues, not moral or character issues, as Michael Balboni alleged. With Management issues, one can be sent to a nice conference to learn how to “manage better.” Not so with moral issues, which some Christians call sins…

This is an excuse, often used in industry, for keeping on a questionable hire.

We believe that the Confidential Memorandum of the subcommittee was correct in identifying these allegations as management issues rather than issues of moral character.

Michael Balboni lied, and they know this because they spoke to some people who gave conflicting opinions.

As we know, the only people they spoke to were on staff. They also believed the testimony that seemed to jive with their assumptions. They choose to believe that what they claim are the “many.” Could it be that the “not so many” had a point? Is this a democracy in which the majority wins by having one more vote? What were the actual counts?

The council received testimony that conflicted with the accusations of Michael Balboni in these areas.
1. Mark did not demand to receive confidential information that related to statements made in confidential counseling sessions.
2. Mark was not responsible for the “toxic culture” that existed among staff members. There is much evidence that this existed prior to his tenure as Senior Pastor and that he encountered this as he assumed leadership.
3. Many testified that they have not witnessed or experienced aggressive behavior by Mark.
4. Staff involved in the issues with the music staff at the 4 PM service do not believe that Michael provided a correct account of interactions with the music leader, Shannon Jacob.
5. We received testimony that staff members were surprised by the reaction of Michael and other staff members to the development of the Ministry Leadership Team because they did not raise objections as the idea was proposed.
6. We received similar testimony as it related to early discussion among the staff about the elimination of the 4 PM service.
7. We received testimony it was not appropriate to accuse Mark of making decisions that “made him the center” of the church. Some of these decisions were made by the communication team and other staff members responsible for public church communication.

The problems started before Mark Booker. This is called “blame the predecessor who is long gone. He won’t mind.”

In this flash investigation, did the Council actually interview those who had come and gone? Or was it just too tempting to blame the last guy and run?

2. Mark was not responsible for the “toxic culture” that existed among staff members. There is much evidence that this existed prior to his tenure as Senior Pastor and that he encountered this as he assumed leadership.

Mark Booker is biblically qualified for his role.

There’s not much to say on this one. It’s what they came here to do.

These are examples of many significantly different perspectives of the specific allegations brought against Mark. These differences diminish the viability of a broad charge that Mark has acted in a way that disqualifies him from spiritual leadership as the Senior Pastor of Park Street Church. We agreed that the report of the subcommittee correctly assessed that these allegations did not justify biblical disqualification from ministry.

They did not provide a copy of his credentials but said he had them.

This is the most stupid part of this whole process. Just make a copy of his diplomas, etc., and call it a day. What in the world is so hard? This group sure wasn’t going to do that.

The council cited the fact that Mark Booker was fully vetted by the Credentials Committee as a part of his application for ministerial standing in the CCCC. This included reference checks, review of his academic credentials, review of his ordination to ministry, as well as examination of his theological beliefs. He was approved for membership in the CCCC.

Mark Booker is now a total believer in CCCC.

I believe that CCCC is changing. Keep an eye on this and see if the polity at PSC changes. I bet it does.

Evidence was presented to the Credentials Committee that Mark actively pursued an understanding of congregationalism before he applied. He studied historic documents of congregationalism and agreed to submit to congregational polity when he applied.

The Council members are “spiritual leaders” who say no one is without “weakness.” Booker is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader…

This makes little sense. Maybe it is because I’m Lutheran, and we call it sin. And they shouldn’t speak about weakness until they acknowledge his clear qualifications to serve as a spiritual leader. Our guy’s got “character!”

We recommend that the church leadership and the church membership focus on these positive attributes as well as the concerns expressed in the accusations.
It is not appropriate to point out areas where he could be disqualified without acknowledging the areas where he is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader.

Mark has publicly admitted his failures as a leader. He has acknowledged his sinful nature and brokenness. He has apologized and sought reconciliation. He has submitted to engage in further training to learn and grow as a pastor and leader. This is a testimony to his character.

The council members decided they were qualified to determine spiritual abuse.

Really? That’s what all pastors say, including the ones who abuse. This Council offered no clarification of the studies on abuse they reviewed, nor did they discuss their familiarity with dealing with abuse. There is a reason that this has become an important topic in the abuse survivors community. I have no reason to believe that they are qualified, even if they are pastors and counselors. This blog speaks to this issue regularly. Let me point out the recent discussion surrounding John MacArthur and his lack of understanding of abuse. They whiffed this one.

The council is composed of pastors with long tenure in pastoral ministry. The members are trained clergy and counselors with broad experience in dealing with family systems and organizational
systems where abuse is present. The council also reviewed studies on abuse in the church and discussed definitions of spiritual abuse. The council did see evidence of distress that was experienced in varying measures bymembers of the Park Street staff.

They are disappointed that Michael Balboni did not accept the Board’s findings that Mark Booker was not disqualified.

They sounded like my third-grade teacher, who was disappointed that I had used red instead of blue as instructed.

We were disappointed to learn how Michael responded to the Board’s determination. He refused to accept the Board’s conclusion that Mark Booker was not biblically disqualified. He then put himself in an untenable situation when he sought to resume his role on staff, while maintaining his conviction that Mark was biblically disqualified. This posture led to his eventual
termination.

Due to some other guy’s fault, PSC is heading towards implosion and death.

Park Street Church was at a critical point in her life and ministry when Mark Booker was called to be the Senior Pastor. We reviewed the statistics that showed that the church’s average Sunday attendance (in all services) decreased by 52 percent, from 1,889 persons in 2004 to 904 persons in 2019. This would place the church in a period of “decline” on the church life cycle diagram below. It should be noted that churches in this portion of the life cycle are characterized by apathy, questioning, and polarization. In summary, significant decline leads to the development of a negative culture in a church.

This chart (and the Council) imply that PSC is experiencing polarization. So, do they think the church is about to implode? Yikes!

Former and current pastors, including Michael Balboni, publicly questioned the work of the Search Committee in calling Mark. This was unethical.

The five pastors mentioned in the following should be concerned about their positions. I’m sorry to have to say this.

While the process led to the call of Mark Booker to be the Senior Pastor, the concern remained and has been expressed in the testimony of the five staff members who have publicly stated that they cannot support Mark.

Get ready for this one: According to CCCC guidelines, the new senior pastor should be able to remove all the other pastors and staff.

A newly called pastor should not be bound to work with staff that was hired by the previous pastor. It is helpful to the incoming pastor and remaining staff if the staff agrees to stay for six months to one year to help with the transition. Their continued work with the church will be the prayerful choice of the new pastor in consultation with the church leadership team. The church leadership team should be prepared for the fact that some staff members may be uncomfortable with this uncertainty and thus choose to look for other employment during the transition.

Finally,

I’ve written enough. There is much more that I could say, but I hope the readers will do that for me. I genuinely believe that a change in how the church conducts business was underway when Mark Booker was hired. He is doing what he was chosen to do. At this juncture, it does appear that PSC is demanding that everyone get on board because this train is leaving the station. I predict there will be more firings. As that occurs, more folks will leave the church for balmier venues. This will lead to a decline in income. Donations are the only power that members have at this time. In the meantime, is the implosion of PSC imminent?

The only thing that would help is to bring in a third-party, independent investigation. The men on the Council did not appear to be independent and played games with the term “spiritual abuse.” I don’t think they know much about it, which was evident in the investigation report.

I am so sorry to write this about a church that meant so much to me. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been hurt and those who have been spiritually abused. I do know the term. I’ve been studying it for over fifteen years, and I can safely say that the Viucinage Council missed an opportunity to study the pain of spiritual abuse in their very midst.

If I can ever be of help, you know where to find me.

Comments

The Vicinage Council Exonerates Mark Booker, Excoriates Those Who Disagree, and Appears to Point Towards an Implosion of Park Street Church. — 360 Comments


  1. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    “This investigation was primarily decided by local fellow pastors who did not appear independent in spite of their claims.”

    Sticking together in case they need to be backed up someday, too.

    “Independent” is not a word that should be used for this investigation.


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    Max,

    Hey, there are as many yahoos in the Boston area as there are in the South.


  3. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    “This “independent” investigation was done way too quickly … Was the outcome predetermined?”

    Predetermined outcomes are always arrived at quickly.


  4. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    “the Vicinage Council missed an opportunity to study the pain of spiritual abuse in their very midst”

    Could it be that members of the council wouldn’t accept spiritual abuse as a credible form of abuse because they know in dark recesses of their own souls they have been spiritually abusive themselves?


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    dee,

    America has no shortage of yahoos, but why did so many go into ministry?!


  6. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    Of course, an “independent investigation” by local pastor bros who claim expertise in evaluating their buddy who is just a poor, poor victim.

    It is much easy to remain a yahoo in the ministry.


  7. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    The fix is in.


  8. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    “They did not provide a copy of his credentials but said he had them.

    This is the most stupid part of this whole process. Just make a copy of his diplomas, etc., and call it a day. What in the world is so hard? This group sure wasn’t going to do that.”

    I think we have a good handle on his academic credentials. The issues are that they aren’t quite all one would expect for a minister nowadays and that he seems to have obscured what they were. Now academic degrees aren’t essential; my late uncle’s highest regular degree was a BA (Cambridge) yet he was considered one of the top scientists in his field (he was a fellow of the Royal Society and an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences, he was also totally upfront about his highest degree though he could have claimed an Oxbridge MA). Hence the obscuring of his credentials by Booker is the major issue here. If he had been clear about what he has, people wouldn’t be speculating about why the details were obscure and wondering what else was missing. He should also have been clear about when and where he was ordained.


  9. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    A Repost:

    So, the VC met with 10 (yes 10) current and former pastors who raised their objections from a closer position than anyone. And what was their conclusion after those brief conversations? Just because 10 of 12 pastors have concerns, doesn’t mean there are any.

    This is the evidence that convinced the VC that the 10 pastors (along with past and current elders) are wrong. “Well gee, we talked to people who said ‘Mark didn’t ask me to behave unethically;’ ‘I don’t think Mark created a toxic culture;’ ‘He wasn’t aggressive toward me;’ ‘I had no problem with the Sunday night transition’.” That’s like saying, “He may have robbed you, but I can bring 10 witnesses who will swear that he never robbed them. That proves that he never robbed anyone.” And, besides the jury was shocked to find different opinions among the witnesses. And as any lawyer knows, opposing views in a trial always “diminishes the viability of the charges.” Was this an investigation or sympathetic senior pastors standing up for another senior pastor?

    Who does the VC blame? Gordon Hugenberger of course. He did all of this. How? Because he was a true “we’re a team” Congregationalist rather than an “I am the boss” Anglican. And if the VC had bothered to interview anyone who worked with him, they wouldn’t have passed the buck. But Gordon..with that darn, Professorship and PhD., was the perfect Anglican scapegoat for the new PSC. I hope he’s allowed to attend the 2024 Annual Gathering in July. Congratulations to the CCCC Diocesan Primate Synod! Top-down leadership and “asking questions is unethical” win again.


  10. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    janiceg: Even our friends in the Catholic Church

    That’s a little sneery.


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    BTA,

    Exactly. You can ALWAYS expect to find conflicting reports about abusers, and plenty of people to say, he’s a godly man, etc.

    And the typical pattern of churches is for the majority of the congregation to be pro-abuser. That might sound harsh, but it’s true.

    Just shows how unqualified the VC was to discern spiritual abuse here.

    C’mon, guys. This is Abuse 101!!


  12. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    “Mark Booker is biblically qualified for his role.”

    The decision to shoehorn the whole situation into this shoebox gives the report a “through the looking-glass” air.

    1 Timothy 3: 2-7 “Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

    This is subjective. Some of what we’ve read at TWW indicates that Mr. Booker is “quarrelsome,” that he is not “gentle,” that he is not “temperate.” Did the Vicinage Council representatives investigate his family life to see whether his children obey him at all times? The very fact of the investigation indicates that not everyone considers him “above reproach.”

    Titus 1: 6-9 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”

    It certainly sounds like Mr. Booker is “overbearing.”

    In summary, it seems as though the Council men decided that having some of the qualities listed in each epistle was good enough and simply ignored the others in order to conclude, it seems, that Mr. Booker is good enough for a church that was on the way to dissolution anyway, and anyone who’s not happy with that should leave. Maybe they can rename it “The Church of Mark Booker and I’m Not Too Sure About You” before they sell the building.


  13. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    Elizabeth Klein: the typical pattern of churches is for the majority of the congregation to be pro-abuser

    I think most people attending a church see only what happens during the Sunday service they attend, and they’re not necessarily paying close attention to that. I sympathize with this: if you’re trying to keep your children quiet during the sermon, maybe you don’t notice that the pastor is running down members of the staff or other members of the congregation.

    If you’re not in the meetings, if you don’t know how the finances get managed and the music and ushers get organized and the bathrooms get cleaned, you assume everything is fine, just like you assume everything is fine when you walk into a restaurant. You don’t know how the manager treats the staff or whether someone is stealing the tips. You only notice when there’s an obvious breakdown in the service you expect.

    It’s a little surprising that a Congregational church would have a detached congregation, though.


  14. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    I’ve known these ministers for years, and never once did any of them complain of a toxic culture among staff.

    The VC is right that there was and is a toxic culture, but it was on the board and personnel committee. Former elders have said board meeting were “raucous” years ago. No wonder they objected so strongly to allowing members of the congregation to observe meetings.

    The VC focused only on the ministers and gave the board a pass. They even had the gall to imply that the division within the congregation is the ministers’ fault (one especially).

    I can tell you it’s not. There was already an effort to deal with the rot on the board. It just got accelerated by the firing, and then the board made it all about Mark.


  15. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    As I expected, this report reinforces my original supposition that PSC was a declining parish with deep but unarticulated internal fissures soon to enter a period of crisis, all pre-Booker. The first failed call committee reflected that conclusion. Booker was probably hired to right a leaking vessel, patch the hull, pay off any crew that needed to be retired and could not be supported financially, and given a mandate to make things right. The church leadership communicated this privately while maintaining a cheerful public face that all was well. Booker’s mistake was to take the job in the first place given his lack of experience in dealing with these very difficult, very stressful situations. He did it anyway and made a hash of it. His mistakes have been compounded by incompetent lay leadership.

    Churches in this situation face multiple competing challenges and in most cases need to hire an interim pastor who is a “turn-around expert”. That person is publicly charged with the task of superintending the hard choices that have accumulated unresolved over staff, style, and even location. In many cases, long-time staff will be let go which invariably causes deep pain regardless of the reasons. At the same time, the interim pastor will embark on a very inclusive strategic discussion with the congregation about “who we are and will become”, not least to engage everyone in the redefinition process. He/she will emphatically not just mandate changes…the authoritarian style is not appropriate. And that person will also ask “who is to be my successor?” and engage the congregation in that process. He will leave in part as a creator of a renewed congregation and in part as the scapegoat who made all the tough choices. The leadership after him will have a far more upbeat, cheerful, optimistic style, based in large part on the challenging but necessary work accomplished before they came.
    For PSC? Declining enrollment, declining finances, an accelerated view of chaos, and lay leadership that eventually concludes that they made a mistake with Booker. They still have an opportunity to right the ship but need to use Booker as their current scapegoat so that whoever follows comes in untainted.


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    Stavros49,

    Interesting analysis.


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    (1) This was such a depressing paragraph:

    “The church leadership team should address the issue of the tenure of staff
    members when a pastor resigns. It is recommended that an incoming pastor has discretion about staff hiring and staff organization. A newly called pastor should not be bound to work with staff that was hired by the previous pastor. It is helpful to the incoming pastor and remaining staff if the staff agrees to stay for six months to one year to help with the transition. Their continued work with the church will be the prayerful choice of the new pastor in consultation with the church leadership team. The church leadership team should be prepared for the fact that some staff members may be uncomfortable with this uncertainty and
    thus choose to look for other employment during the transition.”

    The most pastor-centered, business-model, nonsense that is distressingly prevalent in churches in the US. Apparently the church community is not a family of disciples of Jesus, but another corporation that expects staff turnover on a regular basis. Especially that last sentence is so revealing… “choose to look for other employment during the transition.” The VC “pastors” show their own conditional commitment to their congregations in this statement. No sense of calling or family dynamics (though I know those are often weaponized in abusive situations!)… just a place of employment that is interchangeable with any other job elsewhere.

    (2) I’m wondering if any of you here on TWW have lived outside the US and seen a healthier church more broadly. What I mean is, when churches seek political power and influence in their states or provinces or at the nation-state level, it seems like a lack of trust in God to protect and provide. (It seems like a “We’ve got to look out for us and our own” mentality.) I’m wondering if the spiritual cannibalism we see at Park Street Church and often across the US is the result of this thinking.

    I’m also thinking of the “you reap what you sow” idea… you sow hunger for power and prestige and recognition and you reap abuse of anyone who stands between you and your goals. The ends more than justifies the means.

    (3) To be super clear, I’m not talking about US politics. (As an aside, have you noticed how people label things as “political” as a means to dismiss and refused to engage with that content? It’s just convenient to label something as political in order to exclude it.)

    (4) I am wondering about this podcast, the quote below, and Mark Noll’s books. (He is professor of church history at Notre Dame, but not a member of the Catholic Church… unless he joined since moving there from Wheaton College a number of years ago.)

    On the Media: Meet the Media Prophets Who Preach Christian Supremacy. Plus, Journalism in ‘Civil War’, 19 Apr 2024

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?i=1000653016904

    “Christian supremacy is the idea that Christians are better than other people. Therefore, Christians should exercise maybe even a coercive influence on people who are not Christian.”


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    Friend of Park Street Church: I’m wondering if any of you here on TWW have lived outside the US and seen a healthier church more broadly.

    IMO, the healthiest church on the planet is the persecuted church … where the Body of Christ depends on God daily in difficult situations … where believers pray and experience His power and provision to survive … where they love each other … where there is no barrier between pulpit and pew. In America, we are are largely ‘doing’ church rather than ‘being’ the Church. We aren’t desperate and hungry enough for God’s presence, so He gives us what we want but sends leanness to our souls.


  19. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    Gus: The fix is in

    … and it has a name … Ichabod.


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    Max,

    Birds of a feather….


  21. Notice: Undefined variable: button in /home/guswo2wr8yyv/public_html/tww2/wp-content/plugins/quote-comments/quote-comments.php on line 127

    janiceg: One thing that the vc report states is that Mark could ask Michael about confidential things he was told. Even our friends in the Catholic Church take that very serouisly yet the vc Ministers do not

    The abusive biblical counseling crowd believe that the pastor of the counseled can be told anything that could remotely resemble sin. And sin just about everything is labeled sin these days (see John MacArthur’s latest stuff) this abuse is being replicated in many churches. https://julieroys.com/john-macarthur-denies-mental-illness-no-such-thing-ptsd-ocd-adhd/


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    Gus,

    They are either stupid or in control and know what they are doing.


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    Erp: Hence the obscuring of his credentials by Booker is the major issue here. If he had been clear about what he has, people wouldn’t be speculating about why the details were obscure and wondering what else was missing. He should also have been clear about when and where he was ordained.

    He doesn’t care to tell you. He preaches, you listen. No questions.


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    BTA: He wasn’t aggressive toward me;’ ‘I had no problem with the Sunday night transition’.” That’s like saying, “He may have robbed you, but I can bring 10 witnesses who will swear that he never robbed them. That proves that he never robbed anyone.” And, besides the jury was shocked to find different opinions among the witnesses. And as any lawyer knows, opposing views in a trial always “diminishes the viability of the charges.” Was this an investigation or sympathetic senior pastors standing up for another senior pastor?

    Well said.


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    Elizabeth Klein: nd the typical pattern of churches is for the majority of the congregation to be pro-abuser. That might sound harsh, but it’s true.
    Just shows how unqualified the VC was to discern spiritual abuse here.
    C’mon, guys. This is Abuse 101!!

    They took a course in obscurence.


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    Cynthia W.: it seems, that Mr. Booker is good enough for a church that was on the way to dissolution anyway, and anyone who’s not happy with that should leave. Maybe they can rename it “The Church of Mark Booker and I’m Not Too Sure About You” before they sell the building.

    I loved your comment.


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    Max: America has no shortage of yahoos, but why did so many go into ministry?!

    Cuz’ it pays a lot better than travelling carnival barker?


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    Cynthia W.: It’s a little surprising that a Congregational church would have a detached congregation, though.

    Well said. The move to top-down governance is a move to limit the involvement of the folks in the pew. PSC is going to look quite different.


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    Grieving,

    And there was more than one firing. Get ready. I believe the 5 are out and some may follow them as well.


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    Max: In America, we are are largely ‘doing’ church rather than ‘being’ the Church.

    In large part, ‘Church’ in America, ain’t much different than McDonald’s and KFC.


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    Soooo … probably a moot point at this point, but did Mr. Booker ever produce his educational credentials?


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    Stavros49: Booker was probably hired to right a leaking vessel, patch the hull, pay off any crew that needed to be retired and could not be supported financially, and given a mandate to make things right. The church leadership communicated this privately while maintaining a cheerful public face that all was well. Booker’s mistake was to take the job in the first place given his lack of experience in dealing with these tough, very stressful situations. He did it anyway and made a hash of it. His mistakes have been compounded by incompetent lay leadership.

    That was well said. Booker wanted a plum pastorate. He got it but was unable to administer the mess. He was an average guy with a nice speaking demeanor, which would work well in many situations but not in this one.
    This job required someone with extensive experience and the ability to rally members and staff around a common goal. Instead, he divided the talented staff because he was ill-prepared for the situation.

    Stavros49: need to hire an interim pastor who is a “turn-around expert

    They wanted a one-and-done solution and settled on the same solution. Your comments are excellent.

    Is it too late? I think so. Booker is not up to the task. The church will lose more members. Income will decline. The church is now well known as a messy church with a pastor who finalized the developing issues.
    It’s too bad. The church has a history that will be lost. As one commenter from a previous post said:
    “That building will make awesome condos.”


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    Muff Potter: In large part, ‘Church’ in America, ain’t much different than McDonald’s and KFC.

    Yep … fast and easy, little nutrition, too much price to pay, heartburn


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    dee: Booker wanted a plum pastorate …

    but ended up turning PSC into a prune


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    dee: This job required someone with extensive experience and the ability to rally members and staff around a common goal.

    Folks who have limited leadership skills when thrust into a leadership role too often steer by emotion, with lack of empathy for those they manage.


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    Max,

    “where the Body of Christ depends on God daily in difficult situations … where believers pray and experience His power and provision to survive … ”
    +++++++++++++++

    Churchin’ In America is just too cute. …..Cute as a button.

    Cute as a McDonald’s Happy Meal.
    .
    .
    I’d rather chew on a pine cone in the scenic outdoors.

    Or figuratively in an cavernous old library in big city, ….with long long solid wood tables and cute little individual reading lamps.


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    Stavros49: Churches in this situation face multiple competing challenges and in most cases need to hire an interim pastor who is a “turn-around expert”. That person is publicly charged with the task of superintending the hard choices that have accumulated unresolved over staff, style, and even location. …. He will leave in part as a creator of a renewed congregation and in part as the scapegoat who made all the tough choices.

    In theory that’s what they hired Phil Thorne to do. Funny how there weren’t these staff problems under him…

    But of course he also didn’t have the power to fix the dysfunctional lay leadership.


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    There are many problems with this report, which Dee and other commenters have covered well, but I was really blown away by the inclusion of that chart on church decline. There are no citations in the report, so we are left guessing where it came from. Did the council just make it up based on their intuition? Is there any research or data to back it up? This is one of many examples of unprofessionalism in the report.

    I am also shocked at how tactless it was to include the chart, with commentary that locates Park Street just north of “implosion” and “death.” This is an extremely serious assertion, and their recommendations completely ignore the dire implications of their own analysis. They say that all the church needs to do is listen to the VOCA consultants and hold a “solemn assembly,” and apparently that will reverse the decline and make everything right. These recommendations are radically out of step with their diagnosis of the problems.

    Unlike many people here, I do not think Park Street is doomed. Park Street has been around for over 200 years, and in that time there have been seasons of fruitfulness and seasons of trial. Ultimately, if Park Street makes it to the other side of this, it will not be because of anything Mark, or the elders, or the petitioners, or any other person has done. It will be the work of the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and who despite appearances, is still active and working through his church.

    This is not to minimize the seriousness of the situation, or to excuse church leaders for their many sins and offenses. It is only to say that the ultimate fate of all our work is in the hands of God, and this is why those working hard for justice and healing at Park Street can know their labors are not in vain.


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    Elastigirl: Or figuratively in an cavernous old library in big city, ….with long long solid wood tables and cute little individual reading lamps.

    Oh those solid hardwood tables we’re sumpin’!
    The craftmanship and the beauty, I know it sounds trite and cliche-ish, but they don’t make stuff like that anymore.


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    Muff Potter,

    it’s very true.

    well, one watch of Antiques Roadshow and you see the craftsmanship that was.


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    The “church decline” image was included in the report because the committee had likely been told by lay leadership that PSC was on the accelerating side of that decline. They had probably also been told that Booker had been hired to stabilize the parish and restore growth which in the view of leadership probably required major staff changes. Their attitude had therefore been preordained by the early private conversations with leadership as to “this is why you were called in”. The chart did not just emerge out of thin air.
    PSC need not fall apart, but it will come unglued if this leadership group continues to direct it.


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    Grieving: Hatchet

    100% true


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    “You can ALWAYS expect to find conflicting reports about abusers, and plenty of people to say, he’s a godly man”
    +++++++++++++++++++

    no one is wholly bad.

    (even world-class criminals do many things in the good category)

    no one is bad all the time.
    .
    .
    so what.

    that’s not what we’re talking about, is it.

    (speaking to the morons who were distracted by a leaf fluttering in the breeze -“well, he smiled at me many times”- away from the serious matter at hand [unethical abuses of power])

    and running with that instead.

    all the focus of my 8-month old puppy.
    .
    .
    but it think it’s clear they knew what they were doing. and just as clear are their priorities.


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    Seeking Truth:

    Unlike many people here, I do not think Park Street is doomed. Park Street has been around for over 200 years, and in that time there have been seasons of fruitfulness and seasons of trial. Ultimately, if Park Street makes it to the other side of this, it will not be because of anything Mark, or the elders, or the petitioners, or any other person has done. It will be the work of the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and who despite appearances, is still active and working through his church.

    This is not to minimize the seriousness of the situation, or to excuse church leaders for their many sins and offenses. It is only to say that the ultimate fate of all our work is in the hands of God, and this is why those working hard for justice and healing at Park Street can know their labors are not in vain.

    The church, ultimately, cannot be doomed, since Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

    However, individual, local churches do rise and fall at times. (The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill comes to mind…)

    Even when abuse or high conflict isn’t present, sometimes a church has to close for other reasons.

    That was the case with my dad’s church. They got too small to be financially sustainable, knew they had to close, and went through a very careful, and painful year-long process to do just that. The amazing thing was that they thought through exactly which charities would get the proceeds from selling off the church building and the parsonage. When his church gave over the checks to these charities, the recipients often had tears in their eyes, just the amazement – this is EXACTLY the amount our organization needed!! Also, their church building went to another church body. They really wanted an active church to have the space.

    So God was definitely in the process of my dad’s church closing, and His people followed, even though it was painful. Also, my dad’s pastor got a call to another church in the area, where he is now going.

    They were a spiritually alive church that closed.

    Other churches are spiritually dead, but look like they’re flourishing by all external measures (butts in the pews, dollars in the offering plates, programs, ministries and missions supported, etc., which often get confused for fruit).

    Also, it’s possible to have spiritually alive people in spiritually dead churches, and vice versa. This side of heaven, both the tares and wheat grow together in the field. Only the wheat is the church. Ultimately, only God knows which is which. People are complicated. And it’s not harvest time yet.

    I completely agree with you, that the labor of the Balbonis, the resigned elders, the petitioners, etc. and others for PSC is not in vain. Not by a long shot. It might not have the outcome the laborers long for, and God’s timetable is often very confusing to us.

    But I think of the strong bond of those in the 1/3rd of PSC as a precious thing. I think the longing for a healthy church is a good thing. I think a knowledge of how Christians can fall for choosing our church leaders on the basis of “casting vision,” or “getting things done” (for God’s Kingdom of course, all while running over other believers) is a good thing – because I think this tendency a cancer in American evangelicalism.

    I personally, have been immensely encouraged by the courage of the Balbonis, the petitioners, Cindy Cutlip, and The Five. I have met and reconnected with some beautiful souls at PSC these past several months. Your passion for Jesus and His bride is beautiful to behold – and it has been costly.

    I also think that some of you are going to understand church-marginalized people in a way you never have before. Maybe God will put similarly hurting people in your path, and you can see and understand them, and sit with them and listen to them – which is the most healing thing you could possibly do.

    I see Resurrection hope in that, too.


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    Stavros49: They had probably also been told that Booker had been hired to stabilize the parish and restore growth which in the view of leadership probably required major staff changes.

    So Booker turned up the spiritual abuse heat to get staff to quit so he wouldn’t have to fire them?


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    elastigirl,

    sorry, that was probably confusing.

    i’m tired.


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    I found it particularly insulting how they framed the PSC staff as having no accountability previously and that they just didn’t like actually having oversight from Mark. Gordon was beloved by PSC members and I hope they see how this report slanders him.


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    Elizabeth Klein: church-marginalized people

    Lots of these marginalized types have been highly successful and used by God in the history of God’s people.

    Hudson Taylor
    Gladys Aylward
    George Muller

    The Casper ten Boom family asked to work with their pastor in saving people during WW2 but their pastor would have none of it. They went ahead with their work sans their local church.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: The most pastor-centered, business-model, nonsense that is distressingly prevalent in churches in the US. Apparently the church community is not a family of disciples of Jesus, but another corporation that expects staff turnover on a regular basis.

    100%. The “staff” are relegated to employees, employees that apparently are not currently, nor ever were, part of the local body of Christ, where “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you!”

    In the book, A Church Called Tov, the whole final chapter contrasts the business culture that began to take hold in the church about 50 years ago vs. the biblical vision of the role of pastor and the nature of a congregation in a journey together toward becoming more like Jesus.


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    ” there was not evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1,* of such severity* that they called for the Senior minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

    Does that mean that there was actually evidence but they didn’t regard it as severe enough?


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    Eyewitness:
    ” there was not evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1,* of such severity* that they called for the Senior minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

    Does that mean that there was actually evidence but they didn’t regard it as severe enough?

    Apparently, the VOCA report did come up with 4 areas of concern re: Mark Booker. Although the VOCA report itself is confidential, PSC elders did visit small groups to talk about it.

    I don’t know what all 4 areas of concern were, but one was “lack of empathy.”


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    Ava Aaronson,

    I love the Ten Boom family! Dad & I made a trip to Amsterdam in 2009 to see the Beje. I grew up in a small Christian Reformed Church, where a member’s mom was actually in Corrie’s 1st grade class, and knew the family somewhat.


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    “The pastors on this Council are all locals.”

    I think it is very common for pastors in the same locality to have social relationships with one another. They may have lunches together, get together for a common cause in their areas, etc. It is simply a fact that we are more likely to believe the testimony of someone we know than someone we don’t. We don’t even have to know the person well. Anyone who has participated in jury selection knows that acquaintance with any of the witnesses, let alone the defendant, is a reason to be disqualified from the jury pool.

    In addition to personal acquaintance with other local pastors, there is also the dimension of sympathy of senior pastors with other senior pastors. Given that it’s likely that most senior pastors have had painful encounters where they were misinterpreted or unfairly accused on something, is it not probable that their they interpreted the situation at PSC through the filter of their own experience? Do we think pastors are exempt from the tendency to assume that pastors are trustworthy simply because they are pastors?

    But this also assumes that people occupying the position of pastor are experts at everything. They apparently assume they are experts on the patterns that are present when abuse is present.


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    Eyewitness: 100%. The “staff” are relegated to employees, employees that apparently are not currently, nor ever were, part of the local body of Christ, where “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I haveno need of you!”

    In the book, A Church Called Tov, the whole final chapter contrasts the business culture that began to take hold in the church about 50 years ago vs. the biblical vision of the role of pastor and the nature of a congregation in a journey together toward becoming more like Jesus.

    A Church Called Tov is a great resource! Reading thru the sequel, Pivot, just now.

    I’m also reading Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger. PSC leaders’ behavior is described, over and over and over again, in the pages of this book, as well as many other resources on spiritual abuse.

    I just don’t understand how the Vicinage Council failed to see this, while claiming to have the appropriate amount of expertise to discern abuse. It’s plain as day.


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    “It is not appropriate to point out areas where he could be disqualified without acknowledging the areas where he is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader.”

    This is laughable in its lack of logic.

    IT’s also part of image management when a crisis arrives to say, “But look at all the good things we’re doing!” whether you are the leaders of a corporation or a church. It’s verbal sleight of hand.


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    Seeking Truth:

    … Those working hard for justice and healing at Park Street can know their labors are not in vain.

    I read a Dr. Diane Langberg quote just now, which I hope is an encouragement to all those wounded Park Streeters, who have so faithfully labored for her:

    “Some years ago, I stated that ‘trauma is the mission field of the 21st century.’ I still believe that is true. However, now I also know that the voices of the traumatized are prophetic – the voice of our weeping God calling us to Christlikeness. The vulnerable, the oppressed, and the battered and abused are the call of God.”


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    Elizabeth Klein:
    Ava Aaronson,

    I love the Ten Boom family! Dad & I made a trip to Amsterdam in 2009 to see the Beje. I grew up in a small Christian Reformed Church, where a member’s mom was actually in Corrie’s 1st grade class, and knew the family somewhat.

    Guess where I saw Corrie Ten Boom? Many years ago at PSC. She was so little they needed to get a special riser for her to stand on or she wouldn’t have been seen at the pulpit.


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    Just a couple of things. First, it is common for 4C’s VC’s to be made up of local persons. The VC for my ordination in Minnesota was made up of persons from the Minneapolis area. I’m not saying this group did a good job or had the expertise to do this investigation, all I’m saying is that there was not necessarily anything nefarious in the make up of the council-simply business as usual.

    Second, I continue to be astounded by the 52% drop in worship attendance during Gordon Hugenberger’s tenure. Someone mentioned in an earlier comment that he was much loved by the congregation. I’d heard this as well. The only disses I heard about him (second hand) was that his sermons were too long and that he was more theologically conservative than his predecessor. And having worked with Dr. Fisher I would agree with that. And Dr. Hugenberger had a long tenure, so what gives with the drop in attendance? Did people stop driving in from the suburbs?Did the college & grad student ministries crash? I wish the VC had addressed this.

    Third, my experience tells me that PSC has never had a history of tight staff supervision. As an intern there I was attached at the hip to the Minister of Education and I could not tell you who he reported to. Maybe it was the CE committee. I don’t recall him talking about staff meetings, etc. The entire staff did meet daily for a half an hour mid morning. When I worked with Dr. Fisher at another church we did have weekly staff meetings and monthly on on one supervisory meetings. However, Dr. Fisher was never directive (at least with me) – quite laissez faire. I can’t imagine he was much different with the staff at PSC.


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    Elizabeth Klein: but one was “lack of empathy.”

    It’s one of the criteria of narcissism. It’s not something you go to management classes to learn.


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    Eyewitness: Does that mean that there was actually evidence but they didn’t regard it as severe enough?

    It sure sounds like it, which simply emphasizes that the “Biblical qualifications” are completely subjective.


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    Elizabeth Klein: I’m also reading Bully Pulpit

    Thanks for the recommendation. I just ordered from the library catalog.


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    Cynthia W.: It sure sounds like it, which simply emphasizes that the “Biblical qualifications” are completely subjective.

    Rank Hath Its Privileges, and even the Bible must bend the knee to Power.


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    Elizabeth Klein: The vulnerable, the oppressed, and the battered and abused are the call of God.

    Not the Rich, Powerful, and Godly Chads and Stacys at God’s Cool Kids’ Table?


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    Eyewitness: IT’s also part of image management when a crisis arrives to say, “But look at all the good things we’re doing!”

    Il Duce made the trains run on time, and Der Fuehrer stamped out Homosexuality and Pornography.


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    Eyewitness: “It is not appropriate to point out areas where he could be disqualified without acknowledging the areas where he is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader.”

    Never Forget: SPIRITUAL = UNREAL.
    God may live in the Real World, but the Godly sure don’t.


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    Eyewitness: narcissism. It’s not something you go to management classes to learn

    Nor can a narcissist unlearn narcissism … such behavior springs from a dark corner of the soul. Narcissism is a sad thing to behold when it is in the pulpit; it is so unChristlike. I suppose one could humble themselves, confess and repent of narcissistic sin … but the proud and arrogant find this extremely hard to do.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: The most pastor-centered, business-model, nonsense that is distressingly prevalent in churches in the US. Apparently the church community is not a family of disciples of Jesus, but another corporation that expects staff turnover on a regular basis. Especially that last sentence is so revealing… “choose to look for other employment during the transition.” The VC “pastors” show their own conditional commitment to their congregations in this statement. No sense of calling or family dynamics (though I know those are often weaponized in abusive situations!)… just a place of employment that is interchangeable with any other job elsewhere.

    Spot on.

    It’s also directly at odds with what the congregation was told when they voted to approve Mark.

    He was asked how he would handle being “senior” minister when he was younger than most of the other ministers, and he made some noises about having such a great team and wonderful resources.

    The congregation would have revolted if they’d been told all of the other ministers were out.


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    Former Boston Girl: I continue to be astounded by the 52% drop in worship attendance during Gordon Hugenberger’s tenure … he was much loved by the congregation … so what gives with the drop in attendance?

    There has a been a mass exodus of churchgoers from the American church over the past 25 years. This is following the decline of church attendance in European churches; many of those old cathedrals have closed. I suppose there are various reasons for this, but attendance is declining even among committed Christians. Covid has been blamed for some of it, but I think that has been overworked. Some folks are getting tired of church as entertainment; big screens, fog machines and skinny jeans just won’t keep them in the pews. And then there are those who consider “high” church to be too stuffy – too much ritual, not enough life. Bully pulpits and yes-men elder-rule, like the system at PSC, have also attributed to a drop in membership. Perhaps the largest growing segment of Christianity in America are the “Dones” … done with church, but not done with Jesus. It will be interesting to see where church in America goes from here … perhaps next time around we will see ‘the’ Church emerge from the ashes.


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    Former Boston Girl: Second, I continue to be astounded by the 52% drop in worship attendance during Gordon Hugenberger’s tenure. Someone mentioned in an earlier comment that he was much loved by the congregation. I’d heard this as well. The only disses I heard about him (second hand) was that his sermons were too long and that he was more theologically conservative than his predecessor.

    This is a peculiar statistic. Attendance also skyrocketed under his tenure. Is this 52% down from the peak? From attendance when he started?

    Church attendance naturally ebbs and flows, especially when there are lots of new (closer) churches sprouting up all around the metro area. We shouldn’t be looking to numbers as a measure of health.


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    Grieving,

    The dates for the statistic are quoted in the report-2004-2018, I believe.


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    Grieving: We shouldn’t be looking to numbers as a measure of health.

    True. My church has had a large increase in attendance in the past year, because we built a significantly building with a lot more parking available. However, this has has not correlated with health, literal or figurative: our pastor nearly died from leukemia, and now we have an assistant pastor who is abusive to the staff and volunteers and providing basically nothing but “doing the service” for the congregation.

    We’re all waiting out his can’t-come-too-soon retirement. Well, some are. Others are leaving.


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    Max,

    I am aware of everything you cite. I was asking about PSC, specifically. Given that probably new people were also attending during those years-that means that many long term attenders were gone. Why?


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    dee: They are either stupid or in control and know what they are doing.

    A leader being honest about who he really is, for this church group, is not a dealbreaker, it’s an overlookable.

    Jesus’ teaching clarified dealbreakers (the rich man and Lazarus, Zacchaeus’ embezzlement, lying of Ananias and Sapphira) and overlookables (Zacchaeus’ stature and profession) in the Kingdom of God.

    Overlookables and Dealbreakers are a Big Tell.


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    One reason PSC has lost attendance is that during the 2010s there were a lot of new church plants coming to Boston that attracted the young adults that PSC was basically refusing to court. Now it’s even gotten worse and the current leadership seems to have no desire to understand what younger people are looking for in worship and community.

    And church attendance is declining everywhere. The PSC is being run is helping this trend.


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    Eyewitness: book

    “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” by Tim Alberta.

    You simply cannot make up the accounts author Tim Alberta documents. Truth is beyond fiction.

    Speaking of truth, truth about credentials, truth about who a man really is, truth about what a committee is really up to. Truth.

    The truth about Jesus and the vote is that the attendees voted for Jesus’ execution. And for the release of the murderer Barabbas. Go figure.


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    Dear Vicenage Council:
    Huge church atrophy, eight ministers opposing the Senior Minister (Kris Perkins, Dan Verrengia (wanted to retire elder board? Grace Chapel snatched him up with a quickness. I think you better change your story) Kim Morrison (who was randomly accused of spiritual abuse, although there was never an indication that she was disciplined for any rough/inappropriate behavior on her volunteers, a lovely woman, who was wildly successful in her homeless ministry, and a woman who beat Mark out for the position of Director of City Outreach btw, but was condemned by the Telios Institute of Spiritual Abuse, where Mark Booker has a ski buddy. A bit of a conflict of interest VC? “Oh no, never our Mark Booker nor ever could he, with his angelic countenance, be guilty himself “spiritual abuse.”)
    The list of incoming ministers opposing him goes on: Michael Balboni, Julian Linnell, Ray Kam, Damien Long, and Tammy McLeod) five of whom now have their jobs on the line as whistleblowers because they contested the significant leadership issues, and against him, Pastor Booker and this “insightful” elder board of ours took disciplinary action against, even though they are now considered a protected class. That my friends, is a violation of Massachusetts state law, even for church employees. Our “one voice” elder board didn’t have the backbone to confront it which therefore makes them complicit with Pastor Booker.

    Our prior senior minister Gordon Hugenberger was a person of the most upmost integrity and the most genuine character, that he held this church together seamlessly in spite of the conflict between conservatives and liberals, egalitarian and complementians. You dishonored him greatly by saying his staff had never been managed. Every single Monday there was an hour plus long staff meeting where all the ministers were involved, not just the handful of full-time ministers, because Pastor Booker doesn’t like pushback. Pastor Hugenberger empowered his employees and gave them the latitude and the trust to run their ministries without being micromanaged. Pastor Booker is the utmost coward, as most bullies are, and wants to exact his vision at any cost, which he refuses to put before the congregation in spite of the demand by the bylaws to do so. Again, something, the elder board completely overlooks. Gordon Hugenberger was beloved, I can’t say the same for your wondrous Pastor Booker. Pastor Hugenberger gave his 4 PM ministers, the latitude to create their own sermons, albeit they went over them with Gordon ahead of time. People loved Gordon, and you never heard a bad word about him. I loved his graduate level sermons, and the 4 PM sermons were less intense intentionally because the 4 PM drew in more newcomers and younger people often less seasoned in the faith. Pastor Booker is not worthy, by any stretch of the imagination, to follow in that man’s shoes.

    And you have the audacity to say that the minister should have offered their resignations to Mark when he came on board. How dare you insult the ministry staff this way, whom many of us had built trust with over decades, and shared things about our lives that we wouldn’t tell her therapists! There would be no financial support offeredThere would be no financial support offer to them or their families! How grossly stupid and insensitive of you to say such a thing. Mark Booker needed to come into this church and love this church, including the gift of our incumbent ministry staff that he was given. But his pride does not allow him to do so.

    It should be pretty telling to you, that hardly anyone knew about the deadlines surrounding contacting you, much less participating in an in-person interview, perhaps only to the Mark Booker dittoheads. In fact, no one ever received a confirmation that our emails were received by you, much like those to our elder board where our emails just go into a cyber void.

    I want to inform you that in spite of your comment that the 4 C’s vetted Mark Booker, his contract of employment was between Park Street and himself, so misrepresenting himself on a résumé is STILL an immediate cause of termination, which you do not have the authority to override. If we had an elder board with any ounce of integrity he would have been terminated immediately. I will tell you that I was on the Search Committee for the Director of City Outreach and helped interview Mark in a telephone interview, and we found a curious that he never disclosed the difference between his honorary masters of arts title, and an actual masters degree, which graduates of Oxford and Cambridge are required to disclose. As I understand it, he did not disclose this to the search committee for the senior minister position nor other people who interviewed him.

    Furthermore, if you had any inclination about employment law, you would know that issuing discipline against whistleblowers, even in a church, is illegal in Massachusetts. Now, pastor Booker is jerking Ray Cam around about coming back from his sabbatical, Which he was supposed to do as of May 1, but has been evasive about setting a date – a backhanded way of terminating him.

    Did you people interview any of the people who had left due to Mark Booker? I’m guessing not. The whole point is that the elder board and Mark Booker are driving people out who disagree with this “vision” he’s never disclosed, (I was in such person told to find another church) but which clearly compelled him to ax one of our major services, until there was a major public outcry, and a vision to throw our ministry staff into complete upheaval – clearly a vision, which is so incongruous with who we are that it’s destroying the church. But you’re going to conduct “safe interviews” and tell us that there’s nothing wrong with the church. 33% of congregants oppose this man and seasoned pastors start circulating a résumé around 10 to 15% disapproval, but there are no real problems with our church. The truth is, Mark was fired from his last pastoral role and it would be a death to his career as a minister to lose the role at Park Street. I take it you know this and you felt sorry for this problem minister. So instead, you write this garbage glowing report about Pastor Booker, akin to something his mother might’ve wrote, as though there weren’t a thing wrong. We had to subsidize this problem minister to the tune of $300,000 out of our endowment fund this year – a budget downturn unheard of in my 15 years as a member. There is no question that this “investigation” of yours was a joke, and you never intended to delve into the real problems of this church, and asked the hard questions that needed to be asked. Mark has a pretty face and a deceptive, sweet, humble countenance, as many deceivers do, that a seasoned council should not have been fooled by. YOU BETRAYED THIS CHURCH. Shame on you for wasting our precious time and taxing the patience of this congregation.

    Very Much Signed,
    Susan E. Lane


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    Eyewitness: “It is not appropriate to point out areas where he could be disqualified without acknowledging the areas where he is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader.”

    This is laughable in its lack of logic.

    Also: qualifications for a job are a list of items, some more desirable than others, and in many cases none of the candidates bring all of the qualifications wish-list to the table. The hiring org must then decide which of the missing qualifications are just “nice-to-have”, and which are essential, and deal-breakers if lacking.

    Disqualifications work differently: if you’re a bully, an abuser, dishonest, in most orgs even one of these is an automatic deal-breaker.

    Qualifications:
    + he’s a great speaker
    + and good at fundraising
    + good at cutting costs
    + we like him, theologically

    Disqualifications:
    – He’s a bully
    – He doesn’t get along with staff
    – he didn’t directly lie about his credentials, but is evasive and probably deceptive

    “Great – we have more qualifications than disqualifications – let’s hire him!”

    It shouldn’t work like that – some disqualifying problems are absolute.


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    Observant Outsider: a lot of new church plants coming to Boston that attracted the young adults that PSC was basically refusing to court. Now it’s even gotten worse and the current leadership seems to have no desire to understand what younger people are looking for

    This is the dilemma faced by “traditional” churches everywhere … trying to strike a balance between what the younger folks want and what the older folks have had. Church plants have become successful because they attract primarily younger members with a more contemporary format, without having to battle the older folks who don’t want that. Personally, I don’t care what the format looks like as long as there is some substance to it by keeping the Main Thing the main thing. Both traditional churches and contemporary churches miss the boat when they cut Jesus out of the equation to pursue doing church the way they want to; in so doing, they do church without God.


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    Eyewitness,

    ““It is not appropriate to point out areas where he could be disqualified without acknowledging the areas where he is clearly qualified to serve as a spiritual leader.”

    This is laughable in its lack of logic.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++

    it’s changing the subject.

    pointing out a problem in someone’s actions/behavior that compromise the raison d’etre that both/all parties desire & agree on,

    and deflecting with “well, I donate to charity”

    and “well,….well,….you smell!”

    very immature.


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    Gus: It shouldn’t work like that – some disqualifying problems are absolute.

    “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” #MayaAngelou.

    Credentials were not a dealbreaker among the disciples and in the Early Church.

    The question of Truth, i.e. lying and deception, is a dealbreaker for a church leader, back then and now.

    A church hiring a leader who deceives and lies about his credentials is in for a wild ride, a treacherous trek. Best case scenario… up and leave, running fast the opposite direction.

    There are church plants rising up on every corner in Boston? Opportunities abound.

    The Leavers can find each other on social media. Everyone packs up and finds a new fellowship at some point. Success stories abound.

    When the wheels roll out of the Temple, as in Ezekiel, the faithful move along, too, to be present where God is present while vacating where God has departed. Go with God, friends.


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    Gus: – – – He’s a bully
    – He doesn’t get along with staff
    – he didn’t directly lie about his credentials, but is evasive and probably deceptive

    Anyone else remember the !Yuck! stickers?

    !Yuck! stickers needed here, especially if the packaging is so fun, cool, and pretty that it attracts and appeals to children, including church children.


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    My apologies….I’ve not yet finished reading the comments, so someone might’ve already commented on this…. 🙂

    Quoted in Dee’s OP:

    The council cited the fact that Mark Booker was fully vetted by the Credentials Committee as a part of his application for ministerial standing in the CCCC. This included reference checks, review of his academic credentials, review of his ordination to ministry, as well as examination of his theological beliefs. He was approved for membership in the CCCC.

    From the above quote, it appears that the VC “blindly trusted” that the PSC Credentials Committee and / or the CCCC had done their “homework” when vetting Mark Booker….the reference checks, the review of Mark Booker’s credentials, the review of Mark Booker’s ordination into ministry, etc.

    For an independent investigation (in this case, the VC) to trust the information supplied to them by the people they are investigating suggests that the independent investigation is anything but independent.


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    Any savvy developer will be able to scoop this property up. Or maybe by scuttling the ship the elders will get a payday.

    Either way, look for Park Condominiums, selling soon!


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    Gus: – he didn’t directly lie about his credentials, but is evasive and probably deceptive

    i.e. Full Plausible Deniability, following every Letter, Jot, and Tittle of the law.

    “The appearance of law must be upheld, especially when it’s being broken.”
    — Boss Tweed, Gangs of New York (Martin Scorcese film)


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    researcher: the independent investigation is anything but independent

    Even those supportive of Mr. Booker and his loyal BoE should see that clearly by now.


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    Grieving: This is a peculiar statistic.Attendance also skyrocketed under his tenure.Is this 52% down from the peak?From attendance when he started?

    Church attendance naturally ebbs and flows, especially when there are lots of new (closer) churches sprouting up all around the metro area.We shouldn’t be looking to numbers as a measure of health.

    I think it is important to note that when Danny Harrell left the excitement in the afternoon services decreased. Although Walter Kim was loved, the 2 afternoon services were reduced to one under his leadership.

    I continue to think that when Danny left – a large portion of people who questioned, thought and believed differently than many of those more conservative congregants where were in leadership positions – no longer felt as though they were welcome.

    Shortly after his departure is when I think decline at Park Street really started to happen.


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    I’ve been an interested observer as someone in the Boston area who knows many in the PSC community. I haven’t commented before, but I’m surprised no one has mentioned (unless I missed it) this amusing bit from p. 16 of the report. [emphasis added]

    “We have prayerfully worked to be objective in our process. The similar findings in the VOCA Center report and our report indicate that THE TRUTH HAS BEEN DISCOVERED and that an additional investigation is not necessary.”

    Now THAT is a big leap. Two friendly investigations with pretty obvious bias towards the current leadership both agree. Therefore, THE TRUTH HAS BEEN DISCOVERED. Q. E. D. Move along, nothing to see here.

    I am also curious about any clear evidence that Ron Hamilton had been providing counsel to Booker back in September. A Wartburg Watch post from March 27 says: “A reliable source has notified us that Rev. Dr. Hamilton has been in communication with the Senior Minister since September, providing counsel on multiple occasions, and recently advising the Senior Minister to not resign in response to the current allegations.” https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/03/27/park-street-church-petitioners-and-proposed-vicinage-council-investigation-reprinted-here/

    If that is true, it would be alarming if the VC report didn’t at least acknowledge this possible conflict of interest, but perhaps the source was incorrect. Has Hamilton addressed anywhere what communications he’d had with Booker before leading this council?


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    A very telling description of just what the purpose is, of this sort of Vicinage Council:

    https://www.ccccusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018AnnualReports.pdf

    p. 27 [CCCC Regional Ministers’ Reports]

    “On July 13, 2017 I attended another Vicinage Council to deal with a very painful church split and pastoral resignation and to clear the pastor of any moral wrong doing.”


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    https://www.ccccusa.com/ministries/conference_care/biblical-peacemaking/

    “In more extreme circumstances, we have learned the value of gathering a Vicinage Council of experienced local pastors and lay people to evaluate, mediate, and offer counsel to a congregation in conflict.”

    “and lay people”? Why were lay people excluded from this Vicinage Council?


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    And why has the video of Booker’s installation service been hidden?

    It’s currently “unlisted” on the church’s YouTube channel:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHTDysOUTTk

    At 1h26m40s “ministers from our sister churches” come to the platform “to lay hands on Mark”.


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    Jerome,

    Hi, Jerome.

    Speaking from the back row here: we all appreciate your work. God bless.


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    Jerome:
    https://www.ccccusa.com/ministries/conference_care/biblical-peacemaking/

    “In more extreme circumstances, we have learned the value of gathering a Vicinage Council of experienced local pastors and lay people to evaluate, mediate, and offer counsel to a congregation in conflict.”

    “and lay people”? Why were lay people excluded from this Vicinage Council?

    Excellent question. I am simple-minded, but when I see the word “Congregational,” I think of the congregation.


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    researcher:
    My apologies….I’ve not yet finished reading the comments, so someone might’ve already commented on this….

    Quoted in Dee’s OP:

    From the above quote, it appears that the VC “blindly trusted” that the PSC Credentials Committee and / or the CCCC had done their “homework” when vetting Mark Booker….the reference checks, the review of Mark Booker’s credentials, the review of Mark Booker’s ordination into ministry, etc.

    For an independent investigation (in this case, the VC) to trust the information supplied to them by the people they are investigating suggests that the independent investigation is anything but independent.

    Exactly! What the VC is saying is, “Other entities have done the work for us. Nothing to see here.”

    Which isn’t an investigation at all.


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    dee: Guess where I saw Corrie Ten Boom? Many years ago at PSC. She was so little they needed to get a special riser for her to stand on or she wouldn’t have been seen at the pulpit.

    Heart heart heart heart heart! This makes me smile.


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    Susan E Lane:

    Dear Vicinage Council:

    … I want to inform you that in spite of your comment that the 4 C’s vetted Mark Booker, his contract of employment was between Park Street and himself, so misrepresenting himself on a résumé is STILL an immediate cause of termination, which you do not have the authority to override. If we had an elder board with any ounce of integrity he would have been terminated immediately.

    I will tell you that I was on the Search Committee for the Director of City Outreach and helped interview Mark in a telephone interview, and we found a curious that he never disclosed the difference between his honorary masters of arts title, and an actual masters degree, which graduates of Oxford and Cambridge are required to disclose.

    As I understand it, he did not disclose this to the search committee for the senior minister position nor other people who interviewed him…

    Very Much Signed,
    Susan E. Lane

    Yikes. Talk about lack of due diligence!! So was that when questions about Mark’s ed creds came to light? When was that?


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    So… when is the Special Meeting at Park Street Church scheduled for?


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    The Vicinage Council demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Chuchanity and gave lip service to Biblical principles and what it is to be Christian. Based on what I saw, the CCCC as a denomination is a fine example of a denomination dedicated to the practice of Churchanity; it has lost its way.

    The charges levelled against Mark Booker, all of which are serious and if any one is found to be true, require immediate his immediate termination as well as serious church discipline taken against his major supporters and members of the committees responsible for him being nominated for this position as well as those responsible for his continued employment.

    The charges against Mark Booker were easy to answer. The Vicinage Council could have required that Park Street Church hire a investigative firm that does executive level background checks. This is now routine in Corporate America, when looking for someone from the outside to fill a C-Suite, VP or Directorate position. The first thing such an organization would have done is verify Mark Booker’s credentials and how he acquired his Masters’ Degree. Should Mark Booker’s Masters’ Degree from Oxford be a courtesy (essentially an honorary) degree, they would have reported back on that–that he lacked the minimum qualification needed to serve. Furthermore, such an organization would examine Mark Booker’s tenure at Church of the Cross in Boston, a church detractors say he did not plant but acquired via a nasty takeover and turned out the people who actually started it. Such an organization would have interviewed people associated with his work at Noah’s Ark in Colorado and his ministerial work in Washington DC and Mississippi. They would have been on the lookout for overstatement of qualifications. Here are examples of organizations that provide this service: Sterling (https://www.sterlingcheck.com/services/executive-investigations/), Corporate Resolutions (https://www.corporateresolutions.com/executive-background-checks/)

    Mark Booker was ordained in the ANCA at a time when the ANCA did not require candidates to undergo a multiday psycho-social evaluation conducted by a team of experts. Given the charges that Mark Booker is abusive / excessively controlling / narcissistic, the Vicinage Council failed Park Street Church by failing to advise the Board of Elders to put Mark Booker on leave and to order that he attend a multiday psycho-social evaluation conducted by a team of experts familiar with the needs of a 900 member, urban church. This evaluation MUST be conducted by a team that has no ties to Mark Booker. Had this team expresses concerns about Mark Booker’s fitness to serve, he needed to be terminated. Ideally, a member of this team would interview Mandy Booker, looking for behaviors consistent with someone who is a victim of spousal abuse as well as other mental health issues commonly seen in someone who is attracted to an abuser.

    There is a much larger issue at play. Most churches are losing members, dealing with aged members with no new blood. I KNOW that many young people are tired of Churchianity, unqualified and quite possibly mentally ill people in leadership and all the hypocrisy within the Church.

    I am a dedicated Christian, but I no longer go to church. I refuse to be part of a dysfunctional organization, one dedicated to the practice of Churchianity at its finest, not Christianity. Here is what I have experienced in the past 20 or so years, that has, sadly led me to give up on local churches:

    1. I was a member of a Lutheran Church that ran a soup kitchen. I organized fundraising and cooked there once a month. One of the people who supervised dinners (minority) was abusive, threatened volunteers and refused to follow ServeSafe rules. Numerous complaints about this person’s behavior were made to the Pastor and absolutely nothing was done about it. Goodbye.

    2. I was a member of a Lutheran church and sang in the choir. I discovered tremendous favoritism–choisters were given private lessons, lied to (I was told that the lessons were open to all and they weren’t). I unintentionally benefited from this. I was a professional musician as well as someone who gave master classes to professional musicians who taught in conservatory. One of the leaders was verbally abusive and insulted new members, creating chaos in the choir. This church had a ‘Church within a Church’ where the under 40s had their own activities and didn’t interact with the rest of the church (and the choir was one of their activities.) The pastor certainly knew about this dysfunction, absolutely refused to discipline the abusive choisters and put an end to the ‘Church within a Church’. Goodbye.

    3. I moved from one side of town to the other side of town. I tried my neighborhood church. It’s minister had to resign, due to family issues. The supply minister was wonderful, a renowned scholar and wise man. Again, I sang in the choir and played multiple instruments. The minister that got called was the most prejudice filled person I had ever met. The minister was a bivocational pastor; a Social Worker. If you were not of the same ethnic group as the pastor, under the age of 30 or GBLTQ+, you were NOT welcome. Needless to say, there should be no place in the pulpit for someone like this minister or in Social Work. The new pastor refused to visit the minister of music when he was hospitalized for three months. The pastor refused to participate in assisting the ailing minister of music when he returned from the hospital–instead, the pastor decided to decorate the church for Christmas. The Minister of Music gave instructions to both the organist and me for the Christmas service. I had put together a children’s choir and percussion ensemble… very cute. Both the minister of music and organist thought we would be ready to perform for Christmas. The minister decided to change everything and didn’t want a children’s choir. Nearly everyone in the choir decided, on their own, not to sing the Christmas service in protest of the ministor’s offensive behavior and bad decisions. After all of this, even though I attended church, I decided not to take communion, because it was improperly served. I ended-up performing a cut direct on this minister when this minister pursued me. I triggered off a church split, with over half the church leaving within two months or so of the cut direct.

    4. I attended a small church and was the presiding Elder. I caught the pastor trying to misappropriate church funds, funnelling them into a personal foundation. I had to turn the pastor into the denomination, ask that the denomination audit the books. I realized that it was practically impossible to rebuild this church, so I recommended that the denomination keep the property (because if the denomination sold the property, which was in a prime location, I knew that it would be impossible for the denomination to buy equivalent property AND rental income covered expenses). I also recommended that the errant pastor be treated mercifully (I had my reasons, don’t want to share them). The denomination decided to adopt my framework. Everyone who went to that church moved on.

    5. I was a member of a church where the pastor held a significant position of authority within the denomination. Sadly, the pastor had a serious Anger Management problem. The pastor decided that his wife’s best friend (who lived in the area half-time), his adult daughter (who was getting a divorce), a father-daughter duo (both were qualified) and an elderly man(significant anger management issues) were to serve as elders. I objected over the unqualified elders / nepotism. Because 40% of the church membership were minority, at least one elder should come from that community. There were two elderly, wise ladies who served as de-facto community elders. At about the same time, I discovered that two families were going through hard times and could not afford Christmas gifts for the kids. I asked the parents to give me a wish list… I said, “No guarantees, but I will do my best to see that you have a Christmas for your kids. Until I shamed the pastor AND the elders into acting, the church was not planning to help these three children. At the members’ meeting, I was shouted down by the enraged pastor when I objected to the slate of candidates for elders. I had to call the police in order to leave that church safely, because the pastor was out of control. Again, I didn’t intend on triggering a church split, but I did, with the ethnic minority joining me heading for the ethnic.

    6. I attended a local church and got to know one of the deacons–a godly young man wise beyond his years. I told the pastor not to ask me to join the church until I had been active there for at least a year. Instead, after three months, he began pestering me to join. It turned out the pastor had been a member of a Christian cult and began promoting said cult during sermons. The deacon left to attend a graduate program overseas. I was not the only person who decided it was time to go.

    7. Park Street Church. I left because I had lost respect for ALL leadership, both lay and ordained, courtesy of Mark Booker. I firmly believe that neither Mark Booker nor his allies are Biblically qualified to hold the positions that they hold. I attended the members’ meeting where we were called to vote on whether Mark Booker should be called. I voted NO and was encouraging other members to join me. I tried to explain to them that I was unable to perform a Due Diligence background check, that he had personality characteristics, including being too charismatic for his own good, that strongly reminded me of Berkshire County cult leaders.

    8. Local SBC church. Right wing politics preached from the pulpit. Way too Southern in culture for this Yankee. Goodbye.

    When too many people have experiences like mine, no wonder why the pews are emptying out.

    Unfortunately, I have developed a really nasty allergy, most likely caused by Volatile Organic Compounds emitting from tailpipes. Traffic in my area has gone up at least 150% since the pre-pandemic levels. I’m not in any position to even consider attending church.


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    So, I just saw the latest letter from the PSC elders to the congregation.

    As expected, they say exactly what leaders in abusive churches say: you who have spoken out with your concerns about Mark Booker’s moral fitness for leadership, etc., are evil and divisive, and need to repent.

    In response, here are some excerpts from an interview with Dr. Diane Langberg from the March 8, 2022 episode of the “In All Things” podcast, hosted by Justin Ariel Bailey, with Dr. Tara Boer (https://inallthings.org/podcast-redeeming-feature-conversation-diane-langberg/).

    **************************************************************************************

    Dr. Diane Langberg: “Abuse,” if you trace that word back to the Latin, it basically means “to use wrongly.” … So when we experience abuse, someone has exploited us, has violated us in some way, tread on us. They’ve taken advantage of our vulnerability as humans, and used their power to use us wrongly.

    Dr. Tara Boer: I really appreciate your discussion of the different forms of abuse. I think it’s so important that those are named well and defined well, especially in the context of the church and the power dynamics that come with that… Discernment is really important as we ensure that what we’re taught in the church is really God’s truth…

    I was wondering if you could talk a little more about what spiritual abuse might look like in our churches, and how we might be able to detect and confront that when that happens.

    Diane Langberg: We have to start with the fact that “spiritual abuse” is an oxymoron. If something is of God, it bears His nature. And so if we, working for Him in some position, or with degrees or whatever, we use our words, our position, our authority, anything to take advantage of, misuse another person, to feed ourselves in some way – it’s spiritual abuse. We have used spiritual tools and positions to hurt someone.

    Which of course looks nothing like God…

    Tara Boer: I, too, have been in a profession like you, where I’ve heard stories of people that have sought counsel from religious leaders in their church. And I’m sometimes hearing the messages that they received from those religious leaders are really not that helpful, in terms of them naming abuse as what it is, and being able to find safety after that…

    Diane Langberg: Oftentimes, that spiritual authority is used to protect a system, not a sheep or a lamb. And so, even in hearing about abuse and and believing the story, you know, “Just forgive and go on, and it’ll be fine…”

    What will be fine is maybe the system. Not the sheep or the lamb. And eventually, not the whole body. Because that will seep out, and do damage to the entire system. Eventually – which we’ve seen a lot of in the news.

    Justin Ariel Bailey: I wanted to ask you about that, because we are in that cultural moment where light is being shed on abuse in institutions. There’s the #MeToo movement, along with the corresponding #ChurchToo movement. And that’s revealed, in many ways, how pervasive the problems are, especially in some of our religious institutions.

    But there’s also been pushback, a desire to protect the institution, protect the system. And there’s a concern that people will go too far, that there will be spurious accusations, or that “cancel culture” will get carried away and take down beloved pastors, leaders or institutions.

    How would you respond to that resistance?

    Diane Langberg: First of all, it doesn’t make sense, in terms of the reality.

    I have worked with trauma and abuse victims for 50 years, this year. That’s a whole lot of people. And in the course of that work, I have come across two, who were not telling the truth… So I think we are saying that we are afraid of something happening that is extremely rare.

    And so when we build our responses based on something extremely rare, we’re going to miss the great majority of people who have been terribly wounded, often in God’s name.

    Justin Ariel Bailey: Often, it seems like there is so much fear for the institution, and not for the victim. You’re afraid that if this institution gets something revealed about it, it will compromise any good work that they’ve been doing.

    How do you respond to that concern for institutions, that a lot of times is allowed to trump concern for victims, and a desire to listen to the voices of those who have suffered?

    Diane Langberg: First of all, we have to look at Jesus’ response to institutions. He did not protect them. He cracked whips and turned tables over twice, because the first time they didn’t listen and course the second time, they didn’t listen, either. His response was to weep and to say, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I would… but you would not. You wanted to preserve your institution.”

    And in doing so, He told them they were robbers, blind guides.

    And a den of robbers – which means a safe place for those who steal. Which is backwards from a sanctuary! The word “sanctuary” means the opposite of that.

    And I think that’s part of what God is doing in the midst of all of this trouble, and stories, and sadness and grief that so many of us have.

    He’s shining the light on His church. “You have loved your institutions more than you have loved Me.”

    And we become a den of robbers. We are a safe place for those with power, who steal. We’re not a safe place for the little ones. And that breaks His heart.

    So I think we would be very wise to listen to Him in these situations that we wish were not true. And see what He’s teaching us, and how we have loved our institutions, and protected our institutions, and all these systems – using His name – and looking nothing like Him.

    So He’s calling to us, in the midst of this.

    Tara Boer: I tend to hear this overriding narrative, that these things just don’t happen here. Or that, we’re close enough, we know everybody, they wouldn’t do that type of thing…

    I’m wondering if you’ve found other ways that we could break through that barrier, with that idea that things like that just don’t happen here.

    Diane Langberg: Well, that statement, I think, frankly, defies the Scriptures – which says that the human heart is so deceitful that nobody gets it. And so to say, “That doesn’t happen here,” is to disbelieve.

    And we also do not understand the power of deceit – in ourselves, or in others.

    So you can have somebody who is kind to you, who gives a lot of money to the church, who cares about certain things – who is a tyrant at home, who only hits his wife where nobody can see (or abuses in other ways) – and everyone says that he’s a very nice man.

    And so when you say, “Well, he did this to me,” they say, “That can’t be true. And it can’t be true, because of these other things that he does.”

    But the other things that he does, make it so that you won’t believe that it is happening. And so he can do it some more. And we have been deceived by the deceivers, and by THE deceiver, in thinking that we have somehow managed to create a place on this earth, with human beings, where these things don’t happen.

    There is no such place!! That’s called heaven. It’s not here.

    Justin Ariel Bailey: You cite a study, where you talk about the fact that, as people ascend in leadership or ascend in their platform, the more they lose empathy for those who are below. And you say that’s scary in any sphere, but it’s terrifying in the church.

    I’m wondering if you can say more about the relationship between, as people get larger platforms and get more power, and how they can lose an empathetic connection with those that they’re seeking to serve.

    Diane Langberg: I would say, first of all, that many of the people in those positions have never used their power well. It just didn’t show. The bigger and more famous and everything else they got, the more it started to show.

    So it’s not usually something where you wake up one morning and start doing. It’s how you live your life. It could have been a bully to two kids on the playground, it could be that kind of thing – and nobody would think twice about it maybe, except the two kids and their parents. But over time, the burden and expectations that are placed on you because something you’re doing is getting bigger and bigger – the part of you that feels little (which is why we bully people) gets terrified more and more.

    And the only way to cut down that terror is to make everybody else small. And in order to do that, you have to treat them certain ways. And to try to find ways to do that, that are deceptive, so they don’t know you’re doing that – but eventually, it really starts to show. You’re practicing maintaining all the power, and taking it away from other people.

    And you wind up trampling on them, and somebody squeaks. And everybody says, “It can’t be true.”

    The bigger the system, the more threatened you are, that somebody will find out that you’re really not what they think you are – and so they have to do more to cover it up. And they have to have more power to make themselves feel better.

    It’s a relentless cycle. Highly destructive, as we know. Not just to the person who’s doing it, but to everyone around them.

    **************************************************************************************


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    In case this hasn’t been posted before, here is the latest abusive email from the sycophantic board of elders at Park Street Church.

    https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/letter-after-vicinage-report?e=c91934db67

    Where is the next petition for a Special Meeting?! Get ready to sign it all you members who are still free of the clutches of Mark Booker.


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    (my blog continues as below)

    You want a “SPECIAL” meeting ? or you want another “INDEPENDENT” investigation?

    These two adjectives are non-specific, non-binding and euphoria-inducing.
    The moderator will decide how to manage/conduct the process, based on how he interprets the antique church by-laws. The rules are dictated without rhyme or reason.

    But of course: a meeting is cheap—-an investigation will deplete the endowment.

    Edited by Dee

    HOWEVER: My delight is ALWAYS in the Law of the Lord; on His Law I meditate day and night.
    In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and WAIT IN EXPECTATION. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong, you destroy those who tell lies.

    Let us pledge 100% non-stop loyalty to the Universal Church, the Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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    NAAH: Just like our top executive over-stretches his clout to control the DOJ, Congress, FBI, CIA, etc. I lament the firing of the canine ‘Commander’— he must be confused who is the good guy and who is the bad guy.

    Hi, NAAH.

    Deletion by editor

    It would be better to discuss ideas and practices, not name specific people in government. It would be relevant if it were clearly written to be about TWW topics.

    This paragraph doesn’t relate to Park Street Church or abuse within a church. I don’t think it should be here.

    And Dee, if you want, do delete this post that quotes the content that should be posted on a different blog.


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    A Former Member of PSC,

    Your church experience is a familiar story for some who comment here. The American church is in trouble … a spiritual leadership crisis … too much flesh, not enough Spirit … too many traditions and teachings of men, not enough seeking God’s face for the here and now … little prayer, no power. Church should not be exhausting; it should be refreshing in the presence of the Lord.


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    Susan E Lane: There is no question that this “investigation” of yours was a joke, and you never intended to delve into the real problems of this church, and asked the hard questions that needed to be asked. Mark has a pretty face and a deceptive, sweet, humble countenance, as many deceivers do, that a seasoned council should not have been fooled by. YOU BETRAYED THIS CHURCH. Shame on you for wasting our precious time and taxing the patience of this congregation.
    Very Much Signed,
    Susan E. Lane

    Exactly, exactly! I’m so discouraged and disappointed by this charade! I happen to know one of these men tangentially and am desperately trying to figure out what to say and how and when… and hopefully in a calm manner so I’m not accused of “sowing dissension” or other abusive rubbish. Like, how can I trust this person now?!

    Once again I’ll say it… the betrayal only exacerbate the abuse… it is itself more abuse!

    Ok… back to catching up on the rest of the comments!


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    Gus: Disqualifications work differently: if you’re a bully, an abuser, dishonest, in most orgs even one of these is an automatic deal-breaker.
    Qualifications:
    + he’s a great speaker
    + and good at fundraising
    + good at cutting costs
    + we like him, theologically
    Disqualifications:
    – He’s a bully
    – He doesn’t get along with staff
    – he didn’t directly lie about his credentials, but is evasive and probably deceptive
    “Great – we have more qualifications than disqualifications – let’s hire him!”
    It shouldn’t work like that – some disqualifying problems are absolute.

    Thank you so much for pointing this out!

    I wish I had a famous friend online who could call out all of these men publicly! It’s just bizarre “let’s circle the wagons and protect a fellow church bro, lest they come for us next!”

    And SORRY to use an anti-indigenous phrase… I just can’t figure out how they are all that dissimilar from the colonial invaders who can’t see the image of God in their fellow humans and just want to protect themselves and those like them!!


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    “Ideally, a member of this team would interview Mandy Booker, looking for behaviors consistent with someone who is a victim of spousal abuse as well as other mental health issues commonly seen in someone who is attracted to an abuser.” [from above from A Former Member of Park Street Church]

    (1) I’m so very, very sorry for all the painful experiences that you have mentioned here. It sounds like you have been very deeply hurt by the institutional church. I’m so sorry and hope you can find comfort and support here!

    (2) I’m not sure I completely understand each item, especially when you use the word ‘minority’… do you mean Black, Indigenous, People of Color? BIPOC?

    (3) Perhaps it is helpful to this thread, in the grand scheme of things, that you wrote what I’ve quoted above…. Perhaps others have this thought, but don’t voice it.

    I’m trying very hard not to overreact to this statement. Unfortunately it is one of the very worst things people think about victims of domestic abuse (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV). The reality is that NO ONE IS ATTRACTED TO AN ABUSIVE PERSON. Sorry to shout… this idea is just beyond victim blaming. Even if a person was an interested in self harm, that is a very different thing than waking up to find oneself ensnared in the web of an abuser… especially ensnared by marriage. There are many important distinctions between what you have experienced (if you have experienced abuse, that is up to you alone to name, just to be clear) and DV or IPV.

    Please, please, take these two free online training courses and really listen to those who have experienced DV and IPV!

    https://new-hope-education.thinkific.com/collections


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    Janiceg: Be warned psc elders abusers don’t change there ways. Whether it is 6 days or 6 months down the road you will dealing with this same issue again with Mark….

    Exactly! And related to why victim blaming in DV and IPV situations is so destructive… the problem is not something that exists between the two parties. It is a deep problem INSIDE the abuser. Take away the partner / spouse / significant other and the abuse will just adapt.

    To be even more clear, statistically the most dangerous times for victims / survivors is when they have just left an abuser.

    “Studies on domestic abuse and intimate partner violence indicate that the most dangerous time for a victim is when they attempt to leave or have recently left the relationship. This is because the abuser may feel a loss of control and escalate their violence to maintain power and control over the victim.

    Websites such as the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide resources and information on intimate partner violence, including statistics and research findings on risk factors and patterns of abuse.”


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    This might be a bit dramatic (I’m weary and very angry), but does this remind anyone of the third book in C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy, titled “That Hideous Strength.”

    Sooo many reviews of this online… I think the primary source is the best on this because it’s a work of art. In other words, please do yourself a favor and read or listen to the space trilogy! Preferably in order… they build upon one another.

    At the end the N.I.C.E.* institution starts to break down and all the alliances shift and then people start attacking each other. Allies become enemies and then the new alliances break apart… it all ends in destruction… complete chaos and destruction.

    *NICE stands for the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments. It’s a fictional organization depicted in the novel.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: *NICE stands for the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments. It’s a fictional organization depicted in the novel.

    And in those days before government and Microsoft documentation exhausted al possible letter combnations, Lewis could coin some real groaner acronyms.


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    Susan E Lane: The truth is, Mark was fired from his last pastoral role and it would be a death to his career as a minister to lose the role at Park Street

    I’ve been trying to piece together his career before PSC when he was in the ACNA – because I absolutely hate the idea that they exported toxicity to harm other people. I also have a personal connection to PSC from my time in the Boston area.

    I’m wondering if there is indication of Booker being fired? That would be much more difficult in the ACNA than elsewhere.


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    I hope you alleged evildoers of PSC can take a small measure of comfort in seeing some of the things TWW has been called. You are in excellent company! I think “Daughter of Stan” may be Dee’s personal fave…)

    **************

    Wartburg witches
    Obscure
    Wenches
    O glorious wenches
    Minions of Satan
    Hatemongers
    x#&**#xx!@
    Narcissistic zeroes
    Morons
    Warthogs
    Quite a gossip column
    How did we ever get along without you?
    Assyrians
    Philistines
    Full of ****
    Bored housewives
    Yellow journalism
    Discernment Divas
    Feminist Heretic
    Discernamentalist Diva Mafia
    Poor reading comprehension
    In Need of ESL
    Anti-Christian bigot
    E Pharisee
    Discernment blogger
    Moronic fools
    Pit of venomous snakes
    Blasphemy
    Garbage
    Ungodly
    A cult following
    Judas
    Dripping Faucets
    Just like Doug Wilson’s comment section
    Daughter of Stan
    Minion of Satin


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    Susan E Lane: dittoheads

    Love the word. 🙂


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    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Very sorry for offending you !
    I am a dog lover and kept thinking why ‘Commander’ was fired for defending his boss against those who were supposed to defending the same. But he is not one of CS Lewis’ talking animals, cannot defend himself. Hope the media do some FU with the vet psychologist in Delaware.——–sorry again for chatting about a dog instead of PSC.
    Dee please delete all NAAH messages— I dont mind at all.


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    Jerome,

    Hi Jerome
    Thanks so much for posting the installation service. I did not attend because I dont drive at night. I watched the whole video with prayer for everyone— many are my friends. But I wish to point out: the group of people who laid hands and prayed for MB were NOT VC members. They were the PSC ministers/elders/deacons at that time(at least as far as I can identify)


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    Susan E Lane: Mark has a pretty face and a deceptive, sweet, humble countenance, as many deceivers do, that a seasoned council should not have been fooled by.

    The problem with deception is that you don’t know you are deceived because you are deceived.

    So, what the heck is the deal with so many Booker supporters at PSC?! Is he that good of a preacher?! I haven’t heard anyone accuse him of being a good pastor even by those who support him (he doesn’t have that skill set). He’s also demonstrated to be a poor leader and staff manager. So he evidently is a good preacher/teacher?

    A pretty face, touch of charisma, and a gift of gab doesn’t cut it as “Pastor” in the Kingdom of God.


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    Susan E Lane: 33% of congregants oppose this man and seasoned pastors start circulating a résumé around 10 to 15% disapproval

    A “pastor” would do that


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    Elizabeth Klein: I hope you alleged evildoers of PSC can take a small measure of comfort in seeing some of the things TWW has been called. You are in excellent company! I think “Daughter of Stan” may be Dee’s personal fave…)

    Don’t forget the regular troll¹’s “Wartburg whiners”

    —
    ¹uses the name of a Roman intellectualfrom the 1st century


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    Max: The problem with deception is that you don’t know you are deceived because you are deceived.

    … So, what the heck is the deal with so many Booker supporters at PSC?!

    Fear. At least, it seems so, from their actions.

    The 1st Search Committee was rather contentious and disbanded without hiring anyone. so that put additional pressure on the committee that hired Mark.

    I also think, with a congregation PSC’s size and complexity, and with the downturn in attendance (which all churches are going thru), they were looking for a take-charge, charming personality. Which made PSC a sitting duck for a bully pastor, and PSC’s leadership complicit in the bullying.

    So now, Park Street Church is Mark Street Church (as another, clever TWW commenter called it).

    This is the way most abusive church systems operate. The abusers are typically defended; the victims are not.

    As Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer point out, every church has a culture, and the culture is its soil. It’s the water the fish swim in, and don’t even think about.

    So to change the soil itself is a massive undertaking. From their experience, it takes 7 years for a toxic church culture to turn around to a “tov” (goodness) culture.

    And that’s once the leaders own up to the problem. PSC isn’t even there yet. Worse, they’re doubling down, and now they have the VC report as ammo. It’s just compounding the damage.


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    A Former Member of PSC,

    A Former Member of PSC,

    Thank you for sharing your story….and I’m so sorry for what’s happened to you….all those “churches” you left lost an incredibly valuable member.


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    Watching from nearby:I haven’t commented before, but I’m surprised no one has mentioned (unless I missed it) this amusing bit from p. 16 of the report. [emphasis added]

    “We have prayerfully worked to be objective in our process. The similar findings in the VOCA Center report and our report indicate that THE TRUTH HAS BEEN DISCOVERED and that an additional investigation is not necessary.”

    Now THAT is a big leap. Two friendly investigations with pretty obvious bias towards the current leadership both agree. Therefore, THE TRUTH HAS BEEN DISCOVERED. Q. E. D. Move along, nothing to see here.

    (The emphasis added is in Watching from nearby’s comment….I didn’t add it.)

    Watching from nearby,

    I love your comment. 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write it. 🙂


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    Micah: I’m wondering if there is indication of Booker being fired?

    I can answer this definitively. Mark was NOT fired from his previous ministerial position. He resigned, much to the chagrin of his bishop and many at his previous church. I’m not sure where this rumor comes from, but I think it’s important to keep any falsehoods from spreading so we can keep an eye on the real problems, not imagined ones.


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    Gus: ¹uses the name of a Roman intellectualfrom the 1st century

    Ha! Anything but,actually.


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    NAAH: I wish to point out: the group of people who laid hands and prayed for MB were NOT VC members. They were the PSC ministers/elders/deacons at that time(at least as far as I can identify)

    “Ministers from sister churches” were called to the platform to participate with the PSC ministers’ laying of hands on Booker. I’d be surprised if none of the VC were in the group.


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    Elizabeth Klein: The abusers are typically defended; the victims are not.

    We’ve seen this multiple times over the years on The Wartburg Watch.

    Elizabeth Klein: every church has a culture, and the culture is its soil

    Every organization eventually takes on the personality of its leadership. Good luck, PSC.


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    I’ve not yet finished reading the comments….I’ve been following all the conversations…. 🙂

    Friend of Park Street Church: In case this hasn’t been posted before, here is the latest abusive email from the sycophantic board of elders at Park Street Church.

    https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/letter-after-vicinage-report

    After I reading your comment, Friend of Park Street Church, I read the email you provided the link to (I’ve deleted the identifier at the end of the link in what I quoted above from your comment)….

    I’d comment on the abusive email you linked to — An Important Update from the Board of Elders, Park Street Church, May 6, 2024 — but I’d need to use too many expletive-deleted words (in more ways than one 🙂 )….

    To ensure it doesn’t get “lost”, I’ve made an Internet Archive of the An Important Update from the Board of Elders link, and I’ve included the link below….

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240507182627/https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/letter-after-vicinage-report


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    Seeking Truth,

    I find it amusing when pastors are “called” to more significant, influential, and wealthy churches. I’ve been keeping an eye on this for the last 15 years, and the “call” to PSC is no different.


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    researcher,

    So many people who are involved in church are naive when viewing the implications of church actions. For example, it is more than evident to church watchers and advocates that this was in no way an independent investigation. No matter how they spun it, it wasn’t. The outcome appears predetermined. The Board, VOCA, and the Vicinage all agreed. I bet they went out to celebrate on the Tithers dime.

    I wish all of you well as you navigate these dark waters. I wish it had been open and authentic.

    By the way, I posted my MBA diploma on X. It took me about 3 minutes to dust it off, take a picture, and post it. That should be required of the pastor, now and in the future. Something is peculiar here. Even the Vicinage wouldn’t make that happen.


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    I am in the middle of reading the book Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger.

    What makes this book on spiritual abuse a bit unique is that it’s written by a seminary president, who understands why pastors so often just get defensive on behalf of other pastors (as the VC just did). And yet, Kruger thinks the problem of spiritual abuse urgently needs to be understood and addressed. This whole book is his diagnosis and warning.

    I am seeing the behavior of Mark and PSC leaders on every page of this book.

    Highly recommend.

    https://www.amazon.com/Bully-Pulpit-Confronting-Problem-Spiritual/dp/0310136385


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    Elizabeth Klein: I am seeing the behavior of Mark and PSC leaders on every page of this book.

    When you see it, you can’t unsee it … when you know it, you can’t unknow it … it’s in your knower. The 2/3 majority at PSC cannot see, they have been blinded.


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    I appreciate all the insights, comments and heartfelt reflections on TWW over the past few months to help process what’s happening at PSC. One of Dee’s questions in this most recent blog stuck with me – “Also, are women not allowed on this sort of Council?”
    If anyone has additional insight into this, I am interested.


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    Max: When you see it, you can’t unsee it … when you know it, you can’t unknow it … it’s in your knower.The 2/3 majority at PSC cannot see, they have been blinded.

    Strong Delusion, that they shall believe a Lie?


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    Seeking Truth,

    Seeking Truth: I can answer this definitively. Mark was NOT fired from his previous ministerial position. He resigned, much to the chagrin of his bishop and many at his previous church. I’m not sure where this rumor comes from, but I think it’s important to keep any falsehoods from spreading so we can keep an eye on the real problems, not imagined ones.

    Hello, “SEEKING TRUTH”
    You have made a very interesting and ‘honest’ statement. ‘I am not sure where this rumor comes from… important to keep falsehoods from spreading.” This mixing up of truth. rumor, falsehood is exactly why naive PSC members at PSC are shocked and grieved since Oct 2023. The 3 ministers who left before Michael bravely and sacrificially spoke up. The true reason why each of these 3 beloved and gifted ministers left was never explained. What was printed on the bulletin or verbally announced during worship service was NOT the truth (i.e. they were fired). Each of us had to snoop around for gossips and rumors in order to form our own interpretation—- until one day a reliable insider broke the gag rule and would say positively: HE WAS FIRED. This is the major reason for ‘revolt’. Will you kindly search for all possible rumors how to help him resign ?


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    Friend of Park Street Church:
    And the latest is out from Mark Booker

    https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/senior-minister-letter-may-7

    So, a friend of mine read this latest letter from Mark Booker to the PSC congregation.

    Then, he asked ChatGPT:

    “Write me a letter from the vantage point of a pastor credibly accused of manipulation, deceit, and spiritual abuse. This pastor has fired people because he is threatened by them, and they have gone public with it, but he doesn’t want to admit fault. The letter should trick some people into thinking it’s an apology letter, but shouldn’t actually admit anything. The letter should remind all people of their wrongdoing, and call the church to move forward into an unspecified (but articulated) future. And the pastor should use his family to garner sympathy for how hard this has been on him. In this letter, gaslight the congregation as much as possible.”

    And this was the sample letter ChatGPT came up with:

    “Dear Beloved Church Family,

    As I sit down to write this letter, my heart is heavy with the weight of recent events. It deeply saddens me to address the turmoil that has engulfed our congregation in recent weeks. Yet, even in the midst of adversity, I am reminded of the steadfast love and grace of our Lord.

    First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support during these challenging times. Your prayers, encouragement, and faithfulness have been a source of strength for my family and me as we navigate through these stormy waters.

    However, I must also acknowledge the pain and confusion that many of you may be feeling. The allegations that have been brought against me have undoubtedly caused distress and raised questions about the integrity of our ministry. While I am deeply saddened by these accusations, I want to assure you that I am committed to seeking resolution and healing for all involved.

    In times like these, it is easy to succumb to division and discord. Yet, as followers of Christ, we are called to a higher standard. We are called to extend forgiveness and grace, even in the face of adversity. Let us not forget the words of our Savior, who taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

    I also want to take this opportunity to address the impact that these allegations have had on my family. My wife and children have stood by my side with unwavering love and support, despite the unjust attacks that have been leveled against me. Their strength and resilience serve as a testament to the power of faith and the bonds of family.

    As we look to the future, let us commit ourselves to a path of reconciliation and restoration. Let us not dwell on past grievances or assign blame, but rather, let us focus on building a stronger and more unified community. Together, we can overcome adversity and emerge stronger than ever before.

    In closing, I ask for your continued prayers and support as we navigate through this difficult season. May we emerge from this trial with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper commitment to living out the love of Christ in our lives.

    With love and gratitude,

    [Your Name]”

    *****************

    Not so far off from what Mark Booker actually wrote, is it?


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    Wise words of advice from Karen Swallow Prior:

    “Ultimately, our responsibility is to know when it’s time to shake the dust off our feet (Matthew 10:14) — and then do it — in order that we might find the people and places we can embrace as they are.”

    https://religionnews.com/2023/11/20/dont-go-into-a-relationship-or-institution-thinking-you-can-change-them/


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    Just so you know, things have changed since the annual meeting and Mark’s support in the church is sliding. While (slightly less than) 2/3 voted to affirm Mark as senior pastor, some did so tenuously or with reservations. Since then, things have gotten worse. From the disciplining of the five ministers to the treatment of Susan Lane, more congregants have been convinced that something is amiss. The VC report might convince a few who were waffling, but when things continue to be revealed and more people continue to leave, the congregation will continue to wake up. If they knew when they voted to hire Mark that it would come at the cost of so many beloved ministerial staff, Mark never would have been chosen. While it was absurd to include in the report, the figure showing the life-cycle of churches will be prophetic: PSC is headed to implosion and it will take a miracle to stop that.


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    Observant Outsider: If they knew when they voted to hire Mark that it would come at the cost of so many beloved ministerial staff, Mark never would have been chosen.

    Was Mr. Booker hired by the BoE with a charge to cut those staff and move the church in a different direction? … but the strategy was to be gradual and not so crudely abrupt? … was that the plan all along? … is that why the BoE is standing by their man?


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    Elizabeth Klein: https://religionnews.com/2023/11/20/dont-go-into-a-relationship-or-institution-thinking-you-can-change-them/

    Other relevant quotes from the article with PSC in mind:

    “when you think a person with a bad history (whether that is a history of unfaithfulness, abusive behavior or any kind of character issue) will change for you, there’s an element of self-pride there”

    “people don’t show who they are at first. Some are skilled with smoke and mirrors”


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    Elizabeth Klein: Not so far off from what Mark Booker actually wrote, is it?

    a remarkable resemblance … AI is scary stuff … might as well let the chatbots start preaching! (I suspect some pastors are already “borrowing” sermon notes from AI)


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    Friend of Park Street Church: And the latest is out from Mark Booker

    https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/senior-minister-letter-may-7

    And the following link is to an Internet Archive copy of the link provided by Friend of Park Street Church….the latest email by Mark Booker, A Letter from the Senior Minister, May 8, 2024….

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240508030705/https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/senior-minister-letter-may-7

    I read the letter….it’s just more of Mark Booker’s expletive-deleted bilge. There are, however, things that Mark Booker’s committed himself to….perhaps this information can be used to hold Mark Booker accountable….although, knowing Mark Booker and his allies, attempting to hold Mark Booker accountable to his own words will probably lead to firing, ex-communicating, etc. In other words, business as usual.


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    janiceg:
    Please pray for the Park Street five!!! ..they are meeting with the personal department and 2 elders about there jobs today through friday.

    Am doing & will continue doing. For Michael B., too. Many thanks for the update, janiceg.

    If any of you are interested, Aimee Byrd just came out with a brand new book called The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment.

    https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Our-Scars-Underground-Disillusionment/dp/0310157145

    I think so highly of her. Aimee Byrd really loves Jesus, and was spiritually abused by her church & denom. She is a beautiful writer and thinker, and (I think) is still going through the painful process of finding a new church home.

    So I imagine many of you Park Streeters may be able to relate, and may find her book helpful.


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    Max: a remarkable resemblance … AI is scary stuff … might as well let the chatbots start preaching!(I suspect some pastors are already “borrowing” sermon notes from AI)

    I doubt Mark Booker used AI to formulate his letter to the PSC congregation.

    I just think it’s interesting that what he says is so generic, and yet so typical of a spiritually abusive pastor trying to hide behind Christianese, that a computer program can recognize it and basically burp out a letter remarkably similar to the one Mark sent.


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    researcher,

    Hopefully, Mr. Booker’s words are sincere and not staged when he says:

    “I am hopeful that our present humbling will lead to more faithful and persistent prayer in our life and ministry together.”

    If he counts himself among the truly humbled, that’s a good start. If the narcissist within him has survived this hit, PSC is in for more trouble in the days ahead.


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    janiceg,

    Praying…


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    Seeking Truth: He resigned, much to the chagrin of his bishop and many at his previous church.

    That’s what I expected. Booker’s mentor, Dan Claire, is still the rector at Rez-DC despite abuse allegations and lots of drama there.


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    I’ve been studying AI for work to see if it might help us or if it’s a liability. I’m listening to the audiobook, “You Look Like a Thing and I Love You.” It’s so interesting!


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    At Park Street Church you can lie as much as you want as long as you have an Oxford (or Ivy League) degree, oops! Even if it’s only a Bachelors. “Let’s just rewrite that job description for you…”

    “Let’s all pray now to the God of higher education. Amen”


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    Max,

    No they definitely did not anticipate this. I’m not sure what the discussions were when Kris Perkins was told by Mark to leave for basically no reason, but things have gotten so out of hand. I think there is just a lot of disdain and blame put on Michael and the five ministers for how public things have gotten. They assume that they have talked to the press (they never did) and there is this grand conspiracy to slander Mark/attack the church.

    It’s also worth pointing out that everything coming from the Elders is actually not representative of every elder. Notice how when it comes to interacting with the congregation, only a few names come up over and over again. This is because they say the right things and other elders are not allowed to speak openly or express their individual opinions. Leslie Liu was similarly punished for speaking out of turn at the annual meeting, though this was not broadcasted publicly and I don’t think she will be pushed out.


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    Observant Outsider: the Elders … when it comes to interacting with the congregation, only a few names come up over and over again

    Yes-men, who sit at the right hand of Mr. Booker … loyal to the end, they control the narrative. We’ve seen it multiple times on The Wartburg Watch … the same old playbook. This, of course, has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God or pursuing the Great Commission … just who is going to rule and reign over the PSC kingdom.


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    NAAH,

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Hi Dee:
    kindly delete these two blogs ASAP: to prevent future misunderstanding of TWW’s mission Many thnaks

    Edited by Dee


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    I have edited this post to delete political statements.


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    janiceg:
    Please pray for the Park Street five!!! ..they are meeting with the personal department and 2 elders about there jobs today through friday.

    If The Park Street Five are shoved, then I sure hope they’re not silenced with an NDA…


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    janiceg: Manipulation and censorship sounds like the spiritually abusive leadership is having fun watching the church crumble from within its own walls.

    Just like it takes good leadership for an organization to succeed, it takes bad leadership for one to fail.


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    As a responsible congregant, Pastor Booker, I am reminding you, as per your own sermon excerpted below, that you are not the Christ. Whom would we magnify by letting go of our 5 ministers? Answer truthfully.

    ______________________
    On Sunday, March 20, 2020, Mark Booker preached his first sermon as the Senior Minister of Park Street Church (PSC). This is from his sermon, “He Must Increase.”

    “It’s clear that God wants us, Park Street Church, to hear this message, obviously. ‘We are not the Christ’ – not you, not the elders, not me, not any other pastors or leaders in our community, and not our church collectively. We are not the Christ, and it is so easy, though, for us to forget this, and I think sometimes it’s easiest for pastors to forget this. We are called into this vocation hopefully because we care, because we love God and we love people, because we want to see God glorified and people made whole. But we can get busy in those efforts and begin to blur the line between Messiah and servant of the Messiah. That will manifest itself in a growing, in a number of things: prayerlessness, an over-reliance upon our own gifts, a growing inability to listen to those who disagree with us or provide criticism, and a greater dependence upon managerial and leadership books, rather than upon the Word of God, and many other ways as well. So, I’d like to make a deal with you at the outset of my ministry among you – If you ever see me acting like I think I am the Christ, you have my permission to grab me by the shoulders, to look me in the eyes, and to say to me with enthusiasm, ‘Mark, you are not the Christ.’

    Conversely, if I ever see any of you treating me like I am the Christ, then I promise to stop you, look you in the eye, and say to you, ‘I am not the Christ – stop it.’ Of course, what I apply to myself in this moment, and to pastors, applies to all of us. We are all prone to forget that we are not the Messiah. In one way or another, we’re all prone to believing that we are our own savior….” (bolding added)

    This excerpt was quoted in a letter to the Board of Elders from Joel and Ruth Luna.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: I’ve been studying AI for work to see if it might help us or if it’s a liability.

    The time is coming when they (the great ‘they’, which alludes to all of us) will rue the day they hatched AI.


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    Elizabeth Klein: If The Park Street Five are shoved, then I sure hope they’re not silenced with an NDA…

    *with NDAs*


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    Muff Potter,

    Muff Potter: The time is coming when they (the great ‘they’, which alludes to all of us) will rue the day they hatched AI.

    dee,

    dee:
    researcher,
    it is more than evident to church watchers and advocates that this was in no way an independent investigation. No matter how they spun it, it wasn’t. The outcome appears predetermined. The Board, VOCA, and the Vicinage all agreed. I bet they went out to celebrate on the Tithers dime.

    By the way, I posted my MBA diploma on X. It took me about 3 minutes to dust it off, take a picture, and post it. That should be required of the pastor, now and in the future. Something is peculiar here. Even the Vicinage wouldn’t make that happen.

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Friend of Park Street Church:
    I’ve been studying AI for work to see if it might help us or if it’s a liability.I’m listening to the audiobook, “You Look Like a Thing and I Love You.”It’s so interesting!

    To Friend of PSC and Muff Potter and Dee and to Whom this may Concern:
    Wish to identify myself as one of all humans made in the image of God, trying but often failing to speak the truth and with love— yet trusting the Holy Spirit can empower forgiven sinners to defeat the Father of Lies (Satan). Who am I to judge? Remember our Lord has already won the victory…… we must trust and obey His command to love Him and love one another as He loves all of us.

    From all walks of life, including hi-tech nerds and computer-illiterates like me, we who support the Universal church (with roots of PSC) are clinging tightly to the True Vine. We trust the Holy Spirit is omnipotent and omniscient. Can a battery-operated desk fan oppose a tornado? We have no fear of artificial or Satanic intelligence. The Spirit of Truth will expose ALL LIES, whether from congregations or deacons or elders or pastors or VOCA or the 4C council. Our Lord is a consuming fire. THOUGH THOU SLAY US, YET WILL WE TRUST IN THEE. Let us humbly confess our sins, accept His merciful love, and follow our Savior to seek the lost.


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    Susan Lane:
    At Park Street Church you can lie as much as you want as long as you have an Oxford (or Ivy League) degree, oops! Even if it’s only a Bachelors. “Let’s just rewrite that job description for you…”

    What ever makes you think he even has a Bachelors?
    With a ManaGAWD, you ALWAYS assume a degree is FAKE until proven otherwise by third-party sources.
    Just like when they claim to have been a Navy SEAL.

    “Let’s all pray now to the God of higher education. Amen”

    Beware of Holy Nincompoop Syndrome, where the more stupid and ignorant you are, the more Godly you must be.
    i.e. “Wisdom of God is Foolisheness to Men” IN REVERSE.


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    Observant Outsider: when things continue to be revealed and more people continue to leave, the congregation will continue to wake up

    “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” warned the prophet Amos.

    Even if they stir from their slumber, do you really want to be part of a congregation which didn’t have enough discernment to do the right thing with Mr. Booker and his yes-men elders, allowing this mess to spiral into a deeper hole?!


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    Did anyone get a copy of Mark’s CV and if so, can you forward it to me at Lanesusan68@yahoo.com?

    Thanks,
    ~Susan


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    Headless Unicorn Guy: What ever makes you think he even has a Bachelors?

    We do know that Mark Booker has a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes. He announced his appointment to PSC in the Class Notes section: https://issuu.com/contemporarymedia/docs/rhodes_magazine_fall_2020

    The question is whether or not Booker earned 2 master’s degrees from Oxford U., or if one of them is actually “the Oxford MA,” which is an honorary title purchased several years after a bachelor’s degree, with a small fee.


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    Susan Lane:
    Did anyone get a copy of Mark’s CV and if so, can you forward it to me at Lanesusan68@yahoo.com?

    Thanks,
    ~Susan

    Please keep me posted.


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Mark CV’s has what’s called a Masters of Arts distinction from either Oxford or Cambridge that’s simply an honorary title that one gets after they complete their bachelors degree. It gets you into the elite boys clubs in England basically. It is not a masters degree as other places in the world know it where you have a two-year curriculum, and research done in preparation for a thesis. Both Cambridge and Oxford tell their graduates either don’t put that title on your resume if they require a masters degree or make certain that you disclose to your potential employer that it is not a masters degree otherwise you set yourself up for termination for misrepresenting yourself. As I understand it from some higher ups, (I’m not giving names) Mark did not disclose this information when he was applying for the job. If that’s true, it means he was deceptive during his application process, and most ethical organizations would terminate him immediately. A simple inquiry of the search committee members and the elder board at the time would suffice to identify if Mark ever disclosed the information. The elder board doesn’t want to touch the subject, and the 4 C’s said they “vetted him“ but never touched the subject as to whether or not he disclosed that he did not have a true MA degree. The job description for the Senior Minister position would require a masters of divinity at least, or it’s equivalent. They’re simply trying to avoid the subject now rather than answer the question directly. The 4 C’s tried to make the point that Mark is capable of the position, but that’s not the issue. The point was did he earn the position due to deception, and, if so, this demonstrates highly unethical behavior right out of the starting gates, and that perhaps his reason alone to terminate him.


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    Elizabeth Klein: The question is whether or not Booker earned 2 master’s degrees from Oxford U., or if one of them is actually “the Oxford MA,” which is an honorary title purchased several years after a bachelor’s degree, with a small fee.

    A cv was posted on https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/02/23/park-street-church-and-red-flags-fired-pastors-misplaced-credit-unanswered-letters-hidden-credentials-and-creeping-authoritarianism-what-you-should-think-about-before-you-vote/

    I think there is little doubt that he has earned a Rhodes Bachelor, an Oxford BA (later aged up to MA), and an Oxford Master of Studies in Theology with a thesis of “The use of the fear of the lord in Paul and the background of the Jewish wisdom tradition” (admittedly I couldn’t find that thesis online but that is really only common for PhD theses). I would say this is good prep for going into an academic career in theology (next step would be a doctoral program). It doesn’t include practical training as a pastor which is sort of expected nowadays in many denominations.

    I had also found using the wayback machine that Oxford theology department at the time he was a student may have encouraged senior students (those already with a bachelor’s degree elsewhere) doing the BA to treat the MA upgrade as an earned MA. Booker was likely tempted/misled to put MA without explanation and has since doubled down, perhaps not wanting to admit to a mistake.


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    Erp: A cv was posted on https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/02/23/park-street-church-and-red-flags-fired-pastors-misplaced-credit-unanswered-letters-hidden-credentials-and-creeping-authoritarianism-what-you-should-think-about-before-you-vote/

    I think there is little doubt that he has earned a Rhodes Bachelor, an Oxford BA (later aged up to MA), and an Oxford Master of Studies in Theology with a thesis of “The use of the fear of the lord in Paul and the background of the Jewish wisdom tradition” (admittedly I couldn’t find that thesis online but that is really only common for PhD theses). I would say this is good prep for going into an academic career in theology (next step would be a doctoral program). It doesn’t include practical training as a pastor which is sort of expected nowadays in many denominations.

    I had also found using the wayback machine that Oxford theology department at the time he was a student may have encouraged senior students (those already with a bachelor’s degree elsewhere) doing the BA to treat the MA upgrade as an earned MA. Booker was likely tempted/misled to put MA without explanation and has since doubled down, perhaps not wanting to admit to a mistake.

    This seems like a plausible explanation.

    Again, this is something that Mark Booker had every opportunity to be upfront about. Why didn’t he just clarify this when questions were raised, instead of sending that bizarre letter to the whole congregation this past Dec about how ppl are threatening to expose his ed creds (if there’s nothing to expose, then why feel threatened?).

    Oxford’s instructions on the use of “the Oxford MA” are confusing. https://www.new.ox.ac.uk/oxford-ma-0#:~:text=In%20most%20UK%20universities%2C%20the,conferred%2021%20terms%20after%20matriculation.

    On the one hand, they point out that it’s not what most educational institutions even in the U.K. would consider a real master’s degree. On the other hand, if one has the Oxford MA, then one is to use the “MA” designation in one’s resume – but just not in addition to the bachelor’s degree that’s getting upgraded?

    That seems weird to me.

    The Vicinage Council’s report said that Booker’s ed creds have already been vetted by the CCCC Credentials Committee. So I looked up the process to becoming a minister in the 4C’s, and according to this document, the CCCC’s Credentials Committee would have had to receive Booker’s transcripts in order to let him become a 4C’s minister: https://www.ccccusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MinCredentialsAppInstructions.pdf.

    Oxford U. wouldn’t give out any info about Mark Booker when the Globe reporter, Danny McDonald, contacted them and looked into it.

    So if anyone is interested in doing more digging here, the next step would be finding out who’s on that CCCC Credentials Committee and asking them about exactly what transcripts they received from Mark Booker.

    Here’s my problem (one of them!) with the Vicinage Council. Haven’t they ever heard of Ravi Zacharias???

    Don’t they know that when people started raising serious questions about Ravi’s integrity – including Ravi’s educational credentials – that his denom (Christian & Missionary Alliance) did an investigation, and Ravi was cleared, allowing him to continue in ministry, unscathed? Don’t they know that the RZIM board also claimed that they had thoroughly looked into all the allegations against Ravi, and insisted that they were all baseless?

    If the Vicinage Council has not heard about any of this, and the subsequent implosion of RZIM, then what are they doing advising PSC, which prides itself on being able to engage with culture??

    “The Credentials Committee looked into this, so we don’t have to,” isn’t going to fly in today’s culture anymore. Nice chart on PSC’s decline, but churches everywhere are declining. Here’s a better question: how many people are leaving their churches, specifically because of a lack of integrity in leadership?

    In today’s #ChurchToo environment, the increase of the “nones,” etc., pastors, elders, church & denominational committees with power, etc. are not entitled to automatic trust. Trust has to be earned.

    Further, as an alum of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary myself (MASF ’17), I am deeply offended that the VC brushed off this question about Mark Booker’s ed creds. Tom Petter served on the VC. He is a GCTS faculty member. And Nick Granitsas has taught courses on CCCC polity at GCTS.

    As a GCTS student, I was taught that academic integrity matters.

    But now you have a GCTS faculty member who is part of a Council blowing off some PSCers’ concerns about Booker’s ed creds – questions that are legit enough that you had a Globe reporter poking around to try to find answers.

    It never occurred to Tom Petter to pull Mark Booker aside and say, “Hey Mark, please just tell the PSC congregation what degrees you actually earned, and the difference between a MA and “the Oxford MA” (if what Mark has is actually the Oxford MA)?

    It never occurred to Nick Granitsas?

    Does it not occur to Tom Petter & Nick Granitsas how much GCTS students look up to their GCTS teachers?? We look up to you as Christian examples to follow.

    This isn’t the way.


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    Erp: A cv was posted on https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/02/23/park-street-church-and-red-flags-fired-pastors-misplaced-credit-unanswered-letters-hidden-credentials-and-creeping-authoritarianism-what-you-should-think-about-before-you-vote/

    I think there is little doubt that he has earned a Rhodes Bachelor, an Oxford BA (later aged up to MA), and an Oxford Master of Studies in Theology with a thesis of “The use of the fear of the lord in Paul and the background of the Jewish wisdom tradition” (admittedly I couldn’t find that thesis online but that is really only common for PhD theses). I would say this is good prep for going into an academic career in theology (next step would be a doctoral program). It doesn’t include practical training as a pastor which is sort of expected nowadays in many denominations.

    I had also found using the wayback machine that Oxford theology department at the time he was a student may have encouraged senior students (those already with a bachelor’s degree elsewhere) doing the BA to treat the MA upgrade as an earned MA. Booker was likely tempted/misled to put MA without explanation and has since doubled down, perhaps not wanting to admit to a mistake.

    Thanks for this. I’m checking with someone with Oxford experience to explain this to me. He did state that the MA with distinction is not a masters degree. It is simply an honorary title given to someone with a bachelors degree and gets you into some exclusive clubs in the academic world essentially. Someone mentioned it’s something you paid dues into, and therefore can add the distinction to your résumé. I’ll dig a little deeper and make sure that my story is accurate. Thanks for the research you did also!


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    Susan Lane,

    “…an Oxford BA (later aged up to MA)…

    Oxford theology department at the time he was a student may have encouraged senior students (those already with a bachelor’s degree elsewhere) doing the BA to treat the MA upgrade as an earned MA. Booker was likely tempted/misled to put MA without explanation and has since doubled down, perhaps not wanting to admit to a mistake.

    “…the MA with distinction is not a masters degree. It is simply an honorary title given to someone with a bachelors degree and gets you into some exclusive clubs in the academic world essentially.

    …it’s something you paid dues into, and therefore can add the distinction to your résumé.”
    +++++++++++++++++

    how extraordinarily disappointing. how utterly meaningless.

    an entry level degree ‘aging up’, without earning it.

    (i never had this privilege. i’m earning my way, through hard work and enormous sacrifice.)

    buying your way into achievement and influence. disgusting.

    wreaks of the exclusive men’s club in english period piece.
    .
    .
    if true, in the end, this was his choice. he didn’t have to choose the fake path of unearned merit.


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    elastigirl:
    Susan Lane,

    “…an Oxford BA (later aged up to MA)…

    Oxford theology department at the time he was a student may have encouraged senior students (those already with a bachelor’s degree elsewhere) doing the BA to treat the MA upgrade as an earned MA. Booker was likely tempted/misled to put MA without explanation and has since doubled down, perhaps not wanting to admit to a mistake.

    “…the MA with distinction is not a masters degree. It is simply an honorary title given to someone with a bachelors degree and gets you into some exclusive clubs in the academic world essentially.

    …it’s something you paid dues into, and therefore can add the distinction to your résumé.”
    +++++++++++++++++

    … if true, in the end, this was his choice.he didn’t have to choose the fake path of unearned merit.

    If true, then he should have been upfront about it with the PSC congregation, once questions were raised.

    How is this “I don’t have to answer to the little people” attitude becoming of any minister?

    Also, why would any minister assume that these questions are unreasonable ( * cough cough * Ravi Zacharias)?


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    elastigirl: wreaks of the exclusive men’s club in english period piece.

    Well yes, women btw could do all the work and take the exams since the late 1870s but could not get the Oxford BA until 1920 (Cambridge was even later, my grandmother studied and took the exams there around 1915 but didn’t get her degree until 1948, her two eldest daughters got theirs at the same time, also retroactively). The Oxford and Cambridge Club, as it is now known, which draws from OxBridge graduates though you also have to be nominated and elected, only allowed women as full members in 1997 (after the universities publicly disassociated from it over their policy).


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    “The Oxford and Cambridge Club, as it is now known, which draws from OxBridge graduates though you also have to be nominated and elected, only allowed women as full members in 1997 (after the universities publicly disassociated from it over their policy).”
    +++++++++++++

    this floors me.

    is old school england simply too rooted in its ancient empire self to see the need to evolve?

    the kind of mindset that makes landfall on a foreign shore and claims it for England just ‘cuz? without regard for anyone else.

    (not bashing on england so much as on old-school-everyone who rests on their laurels, seeing no need change, no need to consider what is good, right, fair, etc.)


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    Elizabeth Klein: “I don’t have to answer to the little people” attitude

    Characteristic of a narcissistic leader. “Pew peon, I don’t have to tell you anything” is just not the mark of a true pastor. Mr. Booker really needs to get over that if he survives this mess and stays in ministry.


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    janiceg:
    Has anyone else notice this week’s bulletin?.Large number of jobs opening.

    Job Opportunities at Park Street Church
    Park Street Church is posting the following staff positions to be filled:

    Director of Facilities

    Director of Communications

    Facilities Technician

    Administration, Communications, and Finance Coordinator

    Ministries Administrator

    Who left?rich did,

    Wow, seems like a lot of positions to fill.

    Are those positions to fill for staff members who’ve already left, or are they newly formed positions? Or both?


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    Elizabeth Klein: Wow, seems like a lot of positions to fill.

    Are those positions to fill for staff members who’ve already left, or are they newly formed positions? Or both?

    I believe the openings are all previously filled positions that haven’t been re-hired yet…

    I’m curious why Director/Minister of City Engagement isn’t listed, if that role hasn’t been filled. I could be wrong but I also don’t believe Assistant Minister was posted before it was filled.


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    Elizabeth Klein: Are those positions to fill for staff members who’ve already left, or are they newly formed positions?

    Organizations on the decline do not have new job openings.


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    mle bire: I’m curious why Director/Minister of City Engagement isn’t listed, if that role hasn’t been filled.

    After reading that list of titles, I’m curious why there isn’t a “Commander of Great Feathers” or “Pastor’s Assistant of the Toilet (Pastor-Apostle’s Butt-Wiper)” or something similar.


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    Has anyone heard anything about The Five?


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    Here is a beautiful interview with Aimee Byrd about her new book, The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment: https://bethfelkerjones.substack.com/p/a-fertile-underground-an-author-interview

    Aimee went through horrific online harassment and spiritual abuse in her church & denomination, simply for writing books about her journey & struggle to be a thinking, female disciple in the church – as a LAY person. Plus nearly dismissive ecclesiastical trials. She went through a lot that she can’t unsee. But is closer to Jesus than ever before.

    I thought her journey just might speak to some of you…


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    I mentioned a minister from the area who has been following the Park Street situation closely and is familiar with the requirements at Oxford, where his alleged degrees are from. This was their comment about Mark’s CV:

    Oxford is very clear that in their usage “Master of Arts” is not a degree. They offer many different Masters degrees, as anyone can find online, but they have never offered a “Masters of Arts” degree. What he earned was a Bachelor of Arts degree. The “Master of Arts” designation is an honorary status that means that he can vote in university elections. Oxford is clear that if a graduate lists this, they are not supposed add a subject area (like computer science or theology), because you cannot get the Master of Arts in a subject. Graduates are also not supposed to mention a “First” because even the worst students, or even a janitor who never was a student can be granted this honorary status and no one gets a better status  (a “First”) than anyone else. A “First” implies that the student or individual earned a 70% or better grade. But there is no grading for their “Master of Arts” status since there were no exams and no papers on which a grade could be computed. If the graduate wants to inform an employer of his subject area and the fact that he did very well, (in England they do not have grade inflation like we do, a 70% is comparable to “cum laude” in America, if not “magna cum laude.” So he means to imply that he did well, and perhaps he did, but in his CV he mislead all Americans and 60% of all Brits! 

    The problem is not a poor education. He had a great education. The problem is his character/morals. He failed at a crucial point when, he was discerning, as PSC was, that the Lord was calling him to Park Street. But if the Lord wanted to call him, he would not have needed a deception to make it happen.


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    I also inquired about Mark’s Master’s thesis, which would seem to imply he had a true” Masters. This was their answer:

    His CV lists two master’s degrees, but the first of them is what Americans would call a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology degree at Oxford.  At Oxford or Cambrige, they are very clear that “Master of Arts” is NOT a degree. It is sometime called “a mark of seniority,” or a “status,” or a “rank.”  If you want to know his degree was, it was a Bachelor of Arts, Theology.

    Basically, because he had matriculated about 6.5 years earlier, and because he applied for this change in status, and because he paid a 10 pound fee (or so), and because he was willing to attend another graduation ceremony (or was officially excused), he acquired the status of “Master of Arts.” He earned this Bachelor of Arts degree, with all the courses taught at the undergraduate level, in just two years rather than the usual three years in England, because he had earned another Bachelor’s degree earlier (at Rhodes College in the USA).

    The second Master of Studies, Theology, was an actual graduate level degree which required one year to earn. He may have had one or two “taught courses,” such as we are used to, but in Britain they favor mostly research courses at the graduate level where the student teaches himself or herself through reading required books and articles and writes a major paper or dissertation. The grading is based on the quality of what he or she writes.
     
    It’s concerning that no one has verified that they have actually seen either of his degrees including that Master of Arts document, to confirm the dates, etc., or to confirm that he actually got that before his application to Park Street (not that it matters because, as I say, it is NOT what Americans and even most British think of when they hear Master of Arts). I have no idea why with all the debating about this issue he has chosen not to just take a couple of photos and post them, or for that matter, provided a copy of his transcript.

    He has claimed to have a near equivalent of the MDiv. He cannot have that since two of those years were courses at the undergraduate level. This matters, as I learned. I took first year Greek and first year Hebrew at Harvard. When I went to Gordon-Conwell, I decided to retake Greek because I had taken it four years earlier. The Greek at Gordon-Conwell, taught at a graduate level, was much more demanding and covered much more grammar, vocabulary, and actual translation. Also, the students I know who took Hebrew at Gordon-Conwell, who used the exact same textbook, covered more chapters and learned more grammar, etc.
     
    This comparison does not matter, since the concern is not about the quality of his education. It is good enough. The concern is with his possibly intentionally misleading the Search Committee, and misleading all the rest of PSC, and continuing his misleading claims in that letter he wrote to the congregation in late December.

    Really, all he needed to say was that he forgot to tell the search committee that the Master of Arts at Oxford is similar to what Americans would call a Bachelor of Arts. It did not require any more education, any more courses, any more exams than what he did at the undergraduate level to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree. The Master of Studies degree on his CV was a graduate level Master’s degree like we understand it.


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    Susan Lane:
    I also inquired about Mark’s Master’s thesis, which would seem to imply he had a true” Masters. This was their answer:

    His CV lists two master’s degrees, but the first of them is what Americans would call a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology degree at Oxford. At Oxford or Cambrige, they are very clear that “Master of Arts” is NOT a degree. It is sometime called “a mark of seniority,” or a “status,” or a “rank.” If you want to know his degree was, it was a Bachelor of Arts, Theology.

    Who is the “they” that provided that answer?

    The PSC Search Committee, or the CCCC Credentials Committee?

    Susan Lane:

    … The concern is with his possibly intentionally misleading the Search Committee, and misleading all the rest of PSC, and continuing his misleading claims in that letter he wrote to the congregation in late December.

    Really, all he needed to say was that he forgot to tell the search committee that the Master of Arts at Oxford is similar to what Americans would call a Bachelor of Arts.

    100% agree.


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    Elizabeth Klein: Has anyone heard anything about The Five?

    Have they been seen in recent days at the church?


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Sorry, I can’t divulge my source. It’s person with close ties to the church.


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    Susan Lane:
    Elizabeth Klein,

    Sorry, I can’t divulge my source. It’s person with close ties to the church.

    It would be very interesting to see if the CCCC Credentials Committee would confirm what MA degrees Booker actually earned, since the Vicinage Council also thinks that they don’t have to answer to the little people & their pesky questions.

    According to the CCCC Credentials website, they would have had to receive his transcripts to approve him as a CCCC minister.


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    OK, I think I have to eat some crow here. I had been part of the Director of City Engagement search when it first started but left it just before they officially signed on Kim Morrison. I sail that I believed Mark had been a candidate and had admitted that at the annual meeting where the congregation confirmed him as their choice, but I’ve been double checking with some colleagues and I may have him confused with another candidate, according to them. It’s possible that what Mark had been talking about at the annual meeting was that he was passed over in the first senior minister search, but was called back when PSC regrouped in the second senior minister search. At any rate, I didn’t want to be responsible for spreading misinformation, so I thought I would mention something.

    My apologies.


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    Max: Have they been seen in recent days at the church?

    Tim and Julian are scheduled to meet with Mark by Wednesday. Prayer is needed.


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    Susan Lane: Tim and Julian are scheduled to meet with Mark by Wednesday. Prayer is needed.

    Thank you for the update, and will continue praying.

    I feel like Tim & Julian should both be allowed to bring an advocate or witness into the meeting.


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    I think that they can bring another person, but I’ve been hearing bits and pieces from everywhere. If someone else wants to confirm that that would be great.


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    Btw, here is the document that Mark Booker would have had to fill out and submit to become a minister in the CCCC:

    https://www.ccccusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MinCredentialsAppInstructions.pdf

    Notice on p. 2 the bottom, the CCCC Credentials Committee asks for transcripts.

    “4. TRANSCRIPTS
    a. Please submit transcripts from colleges and seminaries where you did your
    theological preparation.
    These can be upload as separate documents or mailed to the CCCC Home Office.”

    I don’t know who’s on the CCCC Credentials Committee now (or who was serving in 2020), but the email address for the CCCC Home Office where Booker sent his transcripts is:

    homeoffice@ccccusa.com

    Just in case any current PSC member would like to do some digging and ask about Booker’s transcripts…

    The key issue here (to me) is honesty and integrity about “the Oxford MA” – not what Booker’s grades were, or whether or not the CCCC or PSC deems an M.Div. essential for ministry.

    Seems to me that if the CCCC Credentials Committee is really interested in the healing of PSC, they can begin by being transparent about what MA degrees Booker actually earned, and put that matter to rest.


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    Elizabeth Klein:
    Btw, here is the document that Mark Booker would have had to fill out and submit to become a minister in the CCCC:

    https://www.ccccusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MinCredentialsAppInstructions.pdf

    Oops, those are the instructions for the application, not the application itself. (FWIW, here’s the application: https://www.ccccusa.com/resources/applications-forms-2/ministerial-application/.)

    Anyway, the point is, a candidate must submit educational transcripts to become a CCCC minister.

    I think homeoffice@ccccusa.com should provide a clear answer to “the Oxford MA.”


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    I don’t recall submitting transcripts for my 4C’s ordination so perhaps this is a “flexible” requirement.


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    Former Boston Girl:
    Elizabeth Klein,

    I don’t recall submitting transcripts for my 4C’s ordination so perhaps this is a “flexible” requirement.

    Interesting… thanks for the info!

    The VC refused to look into Booker’s credentials because they said the CCCC Credentials Committee had already looked into it. This doesn’t answer the question!


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    The CCCC is clearly unwilling to objectively look at Booker’s CV. They simply reiterated work already done rather than review and confirm that he did not mislead. The CCCC has made itself part of the coverup of Booker’s abuse. This situation continues to expose how deep the rot has spread.


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    Tammy McLeod asked for prayer today everyone. She didn’t mention why. I have no clue what happened yesterday with Tim and Julian, but I’m sure we’re not going to get any kind of an announcement until a decision is made on the five ministers.

    Prayers lifted for Tammy.


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    Susan Lane: I’m sure we’re not going to get any kind of an announcement until a decision is made on the five ministers

    Which is another leadership failure at PSC … they just need to do what they are going to do and get this thing over! Slowly dragging the church through this mess is agonizing for all concerned. They have known from day 1 exactly what they were going to do with church staff … so do it!! Approaching this in a Christian manner was thrown out the window at the initial church meeting to affirm Mr. Booker.


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    Max,

    I was thinking about that, too, Max. That meeting, I had completely lost trust in Mark and the elder board. It confirmed everything about them being underhanded and manipulative. But God can work miracles. I’m just holding onto that.


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    If anyone wants to join me in a group fast today for the ministers who have met and are meeting this week, and for the Holy Spirit to inform the leadership’s discernment, I encourage you to join me.

    God is in control, come what may.

    ~Susan


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    Susan Lane,

    Susan Lane:
    If anyone wants to join me in a group fast today for the ministers who have met and are meeting this week, and for the Holy Spirit to inform the leadership’s discernment, I encourage you to join me.

    God is in control, come what may.

    ~Susan

    Susan Lane,

    janiceg,

    janiceg:
    Has anyone else notice this week’s bulletin?.Large number of jobs opening.

    Job Opportunities at Park Street Church
    Park Street Church is posting the following staff positions to be filled:

    Director of Facilities

    Director of Communications

    Facilities Technician

    Administration, Communications, and Finance Coordinator

    Ministries Administrator

    Who left?rich did,

    Elizabeth Klein,

    Dear siblings in Christ, supporters of the Universal Church (incl. PSC)

    Yes certainly I will pray for Tammy Macleod, who has highest seniority among our current ministers. Meanwhile, I am wondering why PSC posted 5 new admin. jobs in the same time frame that our five seasoned ministers were getting interviews. We all know the PSC budget deficit is out of proportion to loss of PSC members, because many active members reduced their donation pending the status of these ministers. I am wondering if the newly posted jobs will be funded by diverting funds from the ministerial budget i.e. the five ministers may be subjected to a pay-cut. If that happens, Tammy Macleod will suffer most. From personal experience, I know the expenses required by a chronically handicapped family member is much much more than health insurance would cover. Therefore, as we faithfully pray for dear Tammy, let us be prepared to offer her tangible support. e.g. PSC members can make donations to the PSC Ministry and Operations budget with specific designation for Tammy Macleod, just like we can donate to the Missions budget specifically for any missionary e.g. to Andrew May, or to CRU, or to Bill & Paula.

    In three days we shall celebrate Pentecost:
    O Spirit Divine, descend upon our souls!
    ” HEAL OUR WOUNDS, OUR STRENGTH RENEW, ON OUR DRINESS POUR THY DEW,
    WASH THE STAIN OF GUILT AWAY, BEND THE STUBBORN HEART AND WILL.
    MELT THE FROZEN, WARM THE CHILL, GUIDE THE STEPS THAT GO ASTRAY.”


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    NAAH:
    Susan Lane,

    Susan Lane,

    janiceg,

    Elizabeth Klein,

    Dear siblings in Christ, supporters of the Universal Church (incl. PSC)

    Yes certainly I will pray for Tammy Macleod, who has highest seniority among our current ministers. Meanwhile, I am wondering why PSC posted 5 new admin. jobs in the same time frame that our five seasoned ministers were getting interviews. We all know the PSC budget deficit is out of proportion to loss of PSC members, because many active members reduced their donation pending the status of these ministers. I am wondering if the newly posted jobs will be funded by diverting funds from the ministerial budget i.e. the five ministers may be subjected to a pay-cut. If that happens, Tammy Macleod will suffer most. From personal experience, I know the expenses required by a chronically handicapped family member is much much more than health insurance would cover. Therefore, as we faithfully pray for dear Tammy, let us be prepared to offer her tangible support. e.g. PSC members can make donations to the PSC Ministry and Operations budget with specific designation for Tammy Macleod, just like we can donate to the Missions budget specifically for any missionary e.g. to Andrew May, or to CRU, or to Bill & Paula.

    In three days we shall celebrate Pentecost:
    O Spirit Divine, descend upon our souls!
    ” HEAL OUR WOUNDS, OUR STRENGTH RENEW, ON OUR DRINESS POUR THY DEW,
    WASH THE STAIN OF GUILT AWAY, BEND THE STUBBORN HEART AND WILL.
    MELT THE FROZEN, WARM THE CHILL, GUIDE THE STEPS THAT GO ASTRAY.”

    I was particularly concerned about the Ministries Administrator position because I thought that’s what Damien was doing. Of course, as I’ve mentioned many times, there’s no position being offered for an Employee Relations Representative. If Mark says that he intends to mix this responsibility with other responsibilities in a position, that’s bad practice. An Employee Relations Representative should not report to Mark. That’s a conflict of interest, because if employees are coming to express concerns about the leadership to this person, Mark should not be in the position to terminate them. It really should be accountable to the Personnel Committee, although there have been questions about their bias as well as who is selecting them.

    I have always questioned the brashness which Mark has had to terminate our ministry staff, especially the longtime incumbent like Kris Perkins, because I think his and the Elder Board’s intent is to get rid of the higher paid positions and bring in some young blood that you can pay cheap. It’s a tactic that cutthroat organizations use and has no place within a church. A former elder, who very much supports Mark, brought this idea up. They never said that that was his MO, but the fact that they brought it up is disconcerting since they had led under Mark’s leadership. An organization would never admit to this, but it becomes pretty clear when the highest paid members start getting pushed out the door.

    All we can do, as I see it, is to demand that the leadership come clean, and forging their own path without the involvement of the congregation. We need to demand that they come clean. Also, about the deceptive tactics that have been used to exact this agenda. They need to take action surrounding involving the congregation, encouraging collaboration, and yes, that means pushback sometimes, and not just privately. And then we need to demand that if there are financial issues, they need to come to the congregation with them, not try to handle them themselves. It’s like you said, though, if Mark guts this ministry staff, then he will gut his support. You can’t last on the endowment forever.


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    Susan Lane: If anyone wants to join me in a group fast today for the ministers who have met and are meeting this week, and for the Holy Spirit to inform the leadership’s discernment, I encourage you to join me.

    Susan Lane,

    I thought I’d add this, as it might help your cause….and no offence intended to you, PSC members, former-PSC members, TWW readers…. 🙂

    I don’t know what any of you (Susan Lane, PSC members, former-PSC members, TWW readers) believe is meant by the often-used phrase “fasting and praying” 🙂 ….and I’m not intending to draw the conversation off topic….

    Has anyone considered that the word “fasting” in the often-used phrase “fasting and praying” could refer to MANY kinds of fasts? Some people, for many reasons, are unable to fast in the sense of going without food….for example: diabetics, people on certain kinds of medications, people with eating disorders, etc.

    Perhaps instead of a food fast, people might consider a different kind of fast….kinda-sorta like a news fast, a “favourite food” fast, etc. 🙂


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    It is going to get even worse then it is right now.


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    Susan Lane,

    John 16:12-13
    God moves in a mysterious way

    I do not know thy final will, it is too good for me to know:
    Thou willest that I mercy show, that I take heed and do no ill,
    That I the needy warm and fill, nor stones at any sinner throw;
    But I know not they final will– it is too good for me to know.
    I know thy love unspeakable— for love’s sake able to send woe!
    To find thine own thou lost did go, and would for men thy blood yet spill—–
    How should I know they final will, Godwise too good for me to know.

    (Rondel– George Macdonald)


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    Janiceg:
    A dear relative of mine explained to me that the VC used the biblical definition of spiritual abuse which is so different then what j and r described in their recent correspondence. The secular view is what people learn about in graduate schools.The VC pastors only used the ones described in the bible. Which has fallen short given what has happened in the clergy sexaul abuse scandals and similar cases like ours.Janice

    I don’t think the VC even bothered to define spiritual abuse in their report. Did they? Yuck, I’d hate to go back & read it, in order to check.

    The problem with PSC leaders is that they don’t think their religious authority can ever be abused, because you should cheerfully submit to them, no matter what they do.


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    researcher: Susan Lane,

    I thought I’d add this, as it might help your cause….and no offence intended to you, PSC members, former-PSC members, TWW readers….

    I don’t know what any of you (Susan Lane, PSC members, former-PSC members, TWW readers) believe is meant by the often-used phrase “fasting and praying” ….and I’m not intending to draw the conversation off topic….

    Has anyone considered that the word “fasting” in the often-used phrase “fasting and praying” could refer to MANY kinds of fasts? Some people, for many reasons, are unable to fast in the sense of going without food….for example: diabetics, people on certain kinds of medications, people with eating disorders, etc.

    Perhaps instead of a food fast, people might consider a different kind of fast….kinda-sorta like a news fast, a “favourite food” fast, etc.

    Very true! And totally honorable. Thanks for adding that piece.


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    The latest on The Special Meeting:

    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Special-Meeting-Attachments.pdf

    May 18, 2024

    Dear Members of Park Street Church:

    I am writing to provide you with notice that a Special Meeting of Park Street Church will be held on June 2, 2024 at 1:00 P.M. in the Church sanctuary. The sole purpose of this Special Meeting shall be to review and possibly modify the July 30, 2023 decision of the Board of Elders that “there is no evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, of such severity that they call for the Senior Minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.” The reason why we are having this Special Meeting is that a petition requesting it was submitted by the requisite number of members as required under the Church’s Bylaws.

    Given the nature of the Board of Elders’ decision being reviewed, this will be a closed meeting, meaning only members of Park Street Church in good standing can attend. If you are uncertain of your membership status, please reach out to me or another member of the Membership Committee.

    Enclosed please find materials relevant to the Special Meeting, including (i) frequently asked questions, (ii) a statement from the Board of Elders dated May 18, 2024, (iii) a statement from the Board of Elders dated December 26, 2023, (iv) a letter from the Board of Elders to the members requesting the Special Meeting, and (v) background materials prepared and provided by the members requesting the Special Meeting. In addition to the enclosed materials, the members requesting the Special Meeting also asked that Park Street Church distribute a copy of the written charges of Biblical disqualification brought against the Senior Minister. These written charges were confidentially submitted to the Board of Elders as part of an investigatory process. These written charges, moreover, include statements disparaging the character and person of the Senior Minister that the Board of Elders ultimately rejected. Publicly distributing materials that could be considered false and defamatory is not something in which Park Street Church can or is willing to participate, and so the written charges have not been included with this notice.1

    I urge you to attend this Special Meeting, and to be in prayer for Park Street Church.

    Sincerely,

    Deborah Gallagher, Clerk


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    Elizabeth Klein: The problem with PSC leaders is that they don’t think their religious authority can ever be abused, because you should cheerfully submit to them, no matter what they do.

    This is a common problem with elder-ruled churches. A pastor/elder is never beyond rebuke and correction, no matter what they tell you. Biblically, church leaders are subject to congregational governance … unless they can convince you to believe a lie that they are not.


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    Friend of Park Street Church:
    The latest on The Special Meeting:

    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Special-Meeting-Attachments.pdf

    May 18, 2024

    Dear Members of Park Street Church:

    … These written charges… include statements disparaging the character and person of the Senior Minister that the Board of Elders ultimately rejected. Publicly distributing materials that could be considered false and defamatory is not something in which Park Street Church can or is willing to participate, and so the written charges have not been included with this notice…

    Sincerely,

    Deborah Gallagher, Clerk

    “Could be considered false”?

    This makes no sense. The whole purpose of this Special Meeting is to determine whether or not these statements are true, and substantive.

    The elders themselves have never disputed the facts in Balboni’s 17-page memo.

    In fact, I have yet to see anyone dispute the facts in the 1st CT article. “Hey, Mark is such a great guy!” does not mean that Booker didn’t behave exactly as described in the article, or in Balboni’s 17-page memo.

    Abusers often know how to deceive with charm (and God talk, in a Christian context), and how to be well-liked and by whom. TWW regulars know this, even if the Vicinage Council did not.

    Also, if accurately describing a Senior Minister’s behavior is “defamatory,” then that only means the SM should never have behaved that way in the first place. Meaning the SM is not “beyond reproach.”

    In the wise words of Dr. Diane Langberg:

    “God grant that we should be more afraid of sin than of its exposure. Sin hidden or buried within a God-ordained structure (such as a marriage or church) is hardly success.”


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    I’m very curious as to how this Special Meeting will be structured, especially since Jason Abraham will be moderating.

    Also, I noticed that only 10% of the congregation is needed in order to constitute a quorum and take a binding vote!!


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    “Reformed evangelicals regularly talk about the doctrine of total depravity…

    Despite many churches’ affirmation of this important doctrine on paper, it can quickly be forgotten when it comes to cases of spiritual abuse. As soon as victims have the courage to speak up about abusive behavior, they are usually met with a chorus of rebuttals along the lines of, ‘I know this pastor, and he could never do this,’ or, ‘This pastor has blessed and helped countless people over the years. He could never do something like this.’ Rather than taking the concerns seriously and investigating them carefully, leadership dismisses them as impossible or so unlikely as to not merit real consideration.

    … And in a tragically ironic turn, the defenders of the abusive pastor often raise questions about the integrity and character of the victims, suggesting they are out to slander or malign the leader’s ‘good name.’ So the doctrine of total depravity is forgotten when it comes to the pastor but remembered when it comes to the victims.

    … We are particularly bad at spotting bad guys when we are forced to believe something really difficult about them… Is it easier to believe that a well-respected Olympic team doctor like Larry Nassar was a monstrous sexual predator, or that some of the girls misunderstood what a pelvic exam entailed?

    … Church courts – elder boards, presbytery committees – often assume they are good at spotting dishonest, deceptive pastors. But they, like all humans, default to the idea that the person in front of them is telling the truth, especially if that person has a long track record of seemingly faithful ministry. We can imagine the dilemma playing out in their minds: Is it more likely that this respected pastor has been mistreating, bullying, and domineering his flock, or that people are oversensitive and get their feathers ruffled by a strong leader?

    The situation becomes even more complicated if those evaluating the accused pastor know him personally (which is almost always the case in church courts). If so, chances are that they have a high opinion of him. Why? BECAUSE BULLIES DON’T BULLY EVERYONE. If they did, they wouldn’t last long. Bullies rarely bully horizontally or upward. They almost always bully DOWN. Thus, often the pastor has treated the people evaluating him – his peers – remarkably well.

    Because the doctrine of total depravity has taken a back seat, it doesn’t dawn on these folks that, as noted, spiritually abusive pastors almost always have two sides. One side is charming, gracious, and flattering. But the other side can be domineering, heavy-handed, and threatening… And they are selective about who gets to see which side of them.

    … The theological belief in total depravity should, at least in principle, help… That doesn’t mean we assume the accused is guilty. It simply means the accusations are not ruled out as impossible. When that happens, a LEGITIMATE investigation can ensue.

    But more can be done… A certain kind of rare individual is not hardwired to assume everyone is honest and truthful. A certain personality type goes against the grain… the ‘truth-teller.’ These individuals ‘are not part of existing social hierarchies.’ Thus, they ‘are free to blurt out inconvenient truths or question things the rest of us take for granted’ [Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers].

    … Most elder boards, church courts, and boards of directors for Christian ministries are composed of insiders… How, then, can they have objectivity in holding that leader accountable?

    … What these groups need is a truth-teller, and maybe several of them…”

    – Excerpts from the chapter “A Trail of Dead Bodies: Why Churches Don’t Stop Abusive Leaders, in the book Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Dr. Michael J. Kruger (president & prof of NT & early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC)

    ******************

    I am ever so grateful for all you courageous truth-tellers. May the truth be told at the June 2 Special Meeting!

    And make sure a lot of you truth-tellers and truth-recognizers show up at this Special Meeting to be a part of that 10% of the congregation needed for a quorum, in order to take a binding vote!


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    And the spiritual abuse continues.

    “We the board are the arbiters of truth. How dare you question us.”


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    Observant Outsider: And the spiritual abuse continues.

    Exactly! It’s astonishing what the leaders are willing to put in writing! Textbook examples of spiritual abuse… future textbooks will have lots of material to use for the chapter on Park Street Church.

    And, once again, who suffers even more? The victims-survivors, that’s who. What is the opposite of binding up the broken? Yeah, that’s what they are doing with each new email, newsletter, and notice.

    [I wrote a bit more, but didn’t click on post comment before the page refreshed… sigh.]


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    Also, with such short notice, how many people will want to join as members before the Special Meeting? Will they make a provision for those who decide to join now that only members are allowed?

    If there had been more notice, perhaps all of the people who are in the ministry areas of the five ministers would join and vote to end the bullying.


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Did you miss the second paragraph where it says: only members of GOOD STANDING can attend. It does not mandate truth seeking or truth telling.


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    NAAH:
    Elizabeth Klein,

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Did you miss the second paragraph where it says: only members of GOOD STANDING can attend. It does not mandate truth seeking or truth telling.

    Yeah, I saw that. And yes, I am VERY curious as to how this meeting will be structured and moderated by Jason Abraham.

    Based on the Annual Meeting, not well.

    But I’m praying for the Special Meeting, anyway.


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    Observant Outsider:
    And the spiritual abuse continues.

    “We the board are the arbiters of truth. How dare you question us.”

    “WE have exalted our Godly Thrones above that of the Most High.”


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    Elizabeth Klein:
    “Reformed evangelicals regularly talk about the doctrine of total depravity…

    Despite many churches’ affirmation of this important doctrine on paper, it can quickly be forgotten when it comes to cases of spiritual abuse. As soon as victims have the courage to speak up about abusive behavior, they are usually met with a chorus of rebuttals along the lines of, ‘I know this pastor, and he could never do this,’ or, ‘This pastor has blessed and helped countless people over the years. He could never do something like this.’ Rather than taking the concerns seriously and investigating them carefully, leadership dismisses them as impossible or so unlikely as to not merit real consideration.

    … And in a tragically ironic turn, the defenders of the abusive pastor often raise questions about the integrity and character of the victims, suggesting they are out to slander or malign the leader’s ‘good name.’ So the doctrine of total depravity is forgotten when it comes to the pastor but remembered when it comes to the victims.

    … We are particularly bad at spotting bad guys when we are forced to believe something really difficult about them… Is it easier to believe that a well-respected Olympic team doctor like Larry Nassar was a monstrous sexual predator, or that some of the girls misunderstood what a pelvic exam entailed?

    … Church courts – elder boards, presbytery committees – often assume they are good at spotting dishonest, deceptive pastors. But they, like all humans, default to the idea that the person in front of them is telling the truth, especially if that person has a long track record of seemingly faithful ministry. We can imagine the dilemma playing out in their minds: Is it more likely that this respected pastor has been mistreating, bullying, and domineering his flock, or that people are oversensitive and get their feathers ruffled by a strong leader?

    The situation becomes even more complicated if those evaluating the accused pastor know him personally (which is almost always the case in church courts). If so, chances are that they have a high opinion of him. Why? BECAUSE BULLIES DON’T BULLY EVERYONE. If they did, they wouldn’t last long. Bullies rarely bully horizontally or upward. They almost always bully DOWN. Thus, often the pastor has treated the people evaluating him – his peers – remarkably well.

    Because the doctrine of total depravity has taken a back seat, it doesn’t dawn on these folks that, as noted, spiritually abusive pastors almost always have two sides. One side is charming, gracious, and flattering. But the other side can be domineering, heavy-handed, and threatening… And they are selective about who gets to see which side of them.

    … The theological belief in total depravity should, at least in principle, help… That doesn’t mean we assume the accused is guilty. It simply means the accusations are not ruled out as impossible. When that happens, a LEGITIMATE investigation can ensue.

    But more can be done… A certain kind of rare individual is not hardwired to assume everyone is honest and truthful. A certain personality type goes against the grain… the ‘truth-teller.’ These individuals ‘are not part of existing social hierarchies.’ Thus, they ‘are free to blurt out inconvenient truths or question things the rest of us take for granted’ [Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers].

    … Most elder boards, church courts, and boards of directors for Christian ministries are composed of insiders… How, then, can they have objectivity in holding that leader accountable?

    … What these groups need is a truth-teller, and maybe several of them…”

    – Excerpts from the chapter “A Trail of Dead Bodies: Why Churches Don’t Stop Abusive Leaders, in the book Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Dr. Michael J. Kruger (president & prof of NT & early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC)

    ******************

    I am ever so grateful for all you courageous truth-tellers. May the truth be told at the June 2 Special Meeting!

    And make sure a lot of you truth-tellers and truth-recognizers show up at this Special Meeting to be a part of that 10% of the congregation needed for a quorum, in order to take a binding vote!

    I love this Elizabeth. Thank you! You need someone with the boldness to say, “The Emperor has no clothes!”


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    Apparently the Special Meeting will coincide with Mark’s planned vacation. He can’t even be there to answer people’s questions.


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    Observant Outsider,

    Must be nice to be one of the chosen few still employed at PSC and go on summer vacations this year!


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    Observant Outsider: Apparently the Special Meeting will coincide with Mark’s planned vacation. He can’t even be there to answer people’s questions.

    If Mr. Booker doesn’t cancel his vacation plans, it speaks volumes about what he thinks about the critical matter at hand, where his priorities lie. Of course, if there is a predetermined outcome, the input of the congregation doesn’t matter whether he is there or not. This is an elder-ruled church; an opportunity for congregational input is only for show.


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    Observant Outsider:
    Apparently the Special Meeting will coincide with Mark’s planned vacation. He can’t even be there to answer people’s questions.

    In my opinion… if this is true – it looks like the Elders have enabled a no-win scenario. If the vacation plans end up being cancelled, he might try to play the victim. If the vacation isn’t cancelled, there is a perception that he is above accountability.


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    mle bire: If the vacation isn’t cancelled, there is a perception that he is above accountability.

    Oh, but he is “above accountability” … that has already been made known at PSC. It has been one of the finest displays of DARVO ever reported on TWW.


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    Hi gang, my understanding is that Mark‘s vacation is to take place just AFTER the Special Meeting. I’m pretty certain I won’t be able to attend since I’m on the naughty list, meaning I wouldn’t be considered a “member in good standing,” of my impromptu speech on Easter Sunday, but I’ll check with the membership committee anyway perhaps. My heart will be very much with all who attend.

    On May 10th, I did send a letter to the Elders about the request for an apology from me. This was my response:

    Dear Jason and Elder Board,

    As you will recall, at the Annual Meeting, I specifically asked for your assistance Jason, to put forward a motion for protection of retaliation for people who spoke out at the Annual Meeting and the five ministers who were not in solidarity with Mark, because I was inexperienced at putting forward a motion and did not know the language. Many people in the congregation applauded, yet Jason, you nodded at me and changed the subject and did not put forward a motion. This was one of many times when you undermined the arguments of petitioners, petitioner supporters, and people who challenge the ethics of Mark‘s and the elder board’s decisions.

    Once again, the congregation spoke, and you ignored. And yet you’re surprised, when your congregation gets so frustrated at your lack of response, secretiveness, and the seemingly sleight-of-hand tactics at getting around issues and the hard questions we’ve been asking, and circumventing and undermining our requests when we are exercising due process through the bylaws, that we act out in frustration. From what I have seen, you’re not delaying these meetings because matters are settled, you’re delaying these meetings because you fear standing up and defending your actions to this congregation as it has asked you to, that’s the real truth. If you’re afraid of pushback, don’t have the strength to defend your decision-making when the congregation asks you to, and cannot handle the resulting emotion when you make a controversial even questionable decision in the eyes of the congregation, then all of you should step down from the Elder Board, sincerely. You have knowingly and willingly avoided giving this congregation a voice, nor have you put “the vision of the congregation” that Mark apparently has in front of this congregation as the bylaws demand. I’m not talking a few vague words, I’m talking five-year plan. This has been going on for the entire duration of Mark’s tenure here.

    In violation of the request to protect the five ministers against retaliation, you took disciplinary action against the five ministers by removing them from their preaching duties. The point is not that, technically, you may be able to do so under the law, but your congregation asked you not to at the Annual Meeting.

    Now Mark is in talks with the five ministers, thinking he’s in the clear because of this very soft and strangely one-sided investigation conducted by the Four C’s. If you were sincere about transparency, you would have the VOCA report looked over by council from the congregation with significant human resources experience, so that protected HR information would not be divulged, but the good bad and ugly of that report shared with the congregation. You also are hiring for multiple positions but not one ombudsman/employee relations representative. That shows that the staff‘s well-being is not being made a priority, but you are protecting Mark from the shame of having such a position created out of the conflict that resulted from his interactions with ministry staff.

    You violated my rights as a congregant at the annual meeting, so I ask that you make right and uphold what that congregation applauded, which was to protect those ministers and anyone who spoke out from retaliation.

    And, as for your request that I repent of everything including my tense email with Julie, whom you put up to the task to sweetly putting me off with a non-answer to my question about prioritizing an Employee Relations person being added to the staff, I say to you, I will only repent of being improper if you all repent of doing what I called you out on above, and we’re going to do it together in front of the congregation. I don’t know how you can ask me to repent of my impromptu address of the congregation, when you attempt to do things secretively, against the will of the congregation, and circumvent our every attempt to use the process to exercise our rights as a congregation to participate in the government of our church. You left me with no choice, and I was not about to let you exact financial violence on five people that I love. If that is such a severe offense to this church that you remove me from the premises of a church I have loved for 15 years, then may God defend me. Yet, I am still a member, and I still demand that you abide by what the congregation asked you to do at the annual meeting, which is to protect these five ministers from retaliation.

    Whom will be magnified if these five ministers are terminated? Mark Booker or God?

    I await your response.

    Sincerely,
    Susan E. Lane


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    Susan Lane,

    Good response to the elders, Susan. You did the right thing to stand; I suspect some of the elders (in their heart of hearts) know that. I wish you the very best in the days ahead.


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    Urgent question: is the prohibition of non-members from the Special Meeting allowed according to the bylaws? I don’t think it is…

    If non-members knew they were going to be excluded from the meeting, they should have been given enough notice in order to join the church!


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    Friend of Park Street Church: If non-members knew they were going to be excluded from the meeting …

    IMO, things aren’t going to get any better at PSC until some of the “inner ring” become non-elders.


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    Friend of Park Street Church:
    Urgent question: is the prohibition of non-members from the Special Meeting allowed according to the bylaws?I don’t think it is…

    If non-members knew they were going to be excluded from the meeting, they should have been given enough notice in order to join the church!

    That’s an excellent point.

    However, to become a PSC member, you have to promise to “cheerfully submit” to PSC’s leadership. Which is probably impossible, under today’s circumstances.


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Elizabeth Klein: That’s an excellent point.

    However, to become a PSC member, you have to promise to “cheerfully submit” to PSC’s leadership. Which is probably impossible, under today’s circumstances.

    Hmmmm I never read the small print when I joined decades ago. Too old to read or understand AI generated letters from the management.

    Hey, prospective new members: suggest you request definition of ‘cheerfully submit’, versus ‘uncheerfully submit’ or ‘sadly submit’—- which means I can become a member in the category of NOT in ‘good standing’ e.g. standing with the 4 fired and 5 at-risk-for-fire (total 9) ministers. Thus excluded from ‘SPECIAL meeting’ which is custom-made for GOOD members. 😉


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    Susan Lane,

    Scripture instructs us to reprove sinning elders before everyone, so that others may take warning (1 Timothy 5:20).

    I’m gonna take a wild guess that that verse hasn’t ever been mentioned at the PSC pulpit, or by any of the elders these past 7 months!

    And yes, there have been multiple silencing and intimidation tactics at work at PSC over the past several months, such as:

    – narrative spin in official communications by the elders
    – the Moderator’s biased handling of the Annual Meeting
    – stacking leadership positions with Senior Minister cronies & loyalists
    – characterizing whistleblowers as divisive and ungodly
    – the spectre of possible job loss for highly respected, longtime staff ministers who don’t take the easy route and the party line
    – the discounting & burial by the Vicinage Council of disturbing testimonies
    – and even a thinly veiled threat of a potential defamation lawsuit (notice footnote 1 in Debbie Gallagher’s announcement of this Special Meeting).

    These kinds of silencing & intimidation tactics are immediately recognizable by TWW regulars, abuse victim advocates – and really, by anyone who’s ever bothered to read a decent primer on spiritual abuse.

    And tactics like these have no place in Christian leadership. None.

    Michael J. Kruger, author of Bully Pulpit, says:

    “The NT writers were acutely aware of the problem of spiritual abuse. In Paul’s long list of qualifications for ministers, he is keen to mention it: ‘Therefore, an overseer must be… not violent but gentle’ (1 Tim. 3:3; cf. Titus 1:7). While at first glance this qualification may seem to refer to physical abuse only, the Greek word for ‘violent’ is all-encompassing…

    The minister of Christ’s church is not to be a person who accomplishes goals by manipulation or intimidation or with a demanding spirit. In other words, a spiritually abusive person is disqualified from ministry.”

    (Michael J. Kruger is the president & prof of NT & Early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. I would add that the qualification of “not overbearing” in Titus 1 also applies here.)

    In other words, you’re not off the hook just because you’re not a yeller (which has been pointed out about Mark Booker).

    And in the words of Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer (from their book Pivot):

    “What we call ‘institution creep’ provides one of the quickest indicators of a toxic church culture. In such an environment, the institution and its reputation matter more than any one person (other than the pastor and those in his inner circle, unfortunately). Indicators include rapid departures of employees without explanation, the requirement to sign non-disparagement agreements, and running roughshod over the feelings and emotions of workers and friends of those workers.

    … Our litigious society has swallowed up the church’s requirement to tell the truth. We have no beef with lawyers per se, but we also know that churches bent on spinning the narrative protect themselves by appealing to laywers, who think about lawsuits more than truth telling.”

    There is so much toxicity at PSC. This coming Sunday, PSC members can only make a decision on one element here: whether or not Mark Booker is disqualified from pastoral ministry, based on 1 Timothy & Titus 1.

    I will be ardently praying that the truth comes to light, this coming week.

    That 1/3rd of the congregation that sees what’s going on here (and any who’ve come around since the Annual Meeting in late Feb) –

    SHOW UP TO THE SPECIAL MEETING!!! IT ONLY TAKES TEN PERCENT OF THE CONGREGATION TO HOLD A BINDING VOTE!!!!


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    Elizabeth Klein: 1/3rd of the congregation that sees what’s going on here

    Are they still there?!!


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    Elizabeth Klein: Scripture instructs us to reprove sinning elders before everyone, so that others may take warning (1 Timothy 5:20).
    I’m gonna take a wild guess that that verse hasn’t ever been mentioned at the PSC pulpit, or by any of the elders these past 7 months!

    Just read a bit after this and noticed this verse!

    1 Timothy 5:24
    “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.”

    This just completely describes Mark Booker’s sins… they may not be conspicuous (like shouting at his wife Mandy as she mentioned he has never done), but his sins will surely appear to everyone later. He’s fooled many people now, he may even believe his own lying narrative, but he can’t deceive God, and can’t fool everyone either.

    Mark – it’s just a matter of time… your web of lies and deceptions will soon be exposed and torn apart. Your spiritual health will continue to decline until you start narrating your life honestly in holy fear of your Creator. Tell yourself the truth! Then start telling the truth to Mandy, to your friends, and then to this church community. There is hope and healing… after honesty… you can’t skip the confession and expect the healing. First comes the accurate diagnosis (it will be worse than you are expecting) and then the plan for treatment (it will be more effective than you can imagine).


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    Max: Are they still there?!!

    Some are, some aren’t. Some who’ve started looking for a safe & healthy church & are now worshipping elsewhere are still PSC members and can vote.


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    Elizabeth Klein: a safe & healthy church …

    … is a rare & endangered species in America … tune into other TWW posts for more details


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    Max,

    Elizabeth Klein,

    Dear PSC supporters in Christ
    Most of us are holding on to our PSC membership— doing online worship (just like Susan can freely do). There are 800+ active members— no significant change from 2019. But we will not make donations until the administration truly repents and profess Jesus is Above All.


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    I no longer care whether Mark Booker has the appropriate academic training. This is a MINOR ISSUE when compared to Mark Booker’s behavior, cruel / mean behavior toward Zack McLeod and others, as well as poor management.

    I do care that Mark Booker’s behavior is consistent with someone who has serious faults in his personality that render him NOT BIBLICALLY QUALIFIED to serve as elder.
    * He has been accused, many times, of misconduct, of abuse of power.
    * He has demonstrated a persistent pattern of conflict, of relationship difficulties
    * He has demonstrated that he has a chronic self-perception, as well as unrealistic expectations of others.

    Midwest Ministry Development (https://www.midwestministrydev.org/track-3-intensive-assessment/) offers a Three Day Long Intensive Assessment Program. From the web site:

    “The goal of the program is to answer the critical questions that judicatory raise in regard to the referee and to provide information that will help judicatories determine the potential for rehabilitation, treatment options, placement indicators, and/or outplacement.”

    “A referral from a judicatory or denominational official or committee is necessary for this program. The judicatory must be provided to Midwest a written statement outlining assessment issues and delineating pertinent questions to be answered during the course of the program. We also require a signed release by the pastor at the commencement of the program granting permission to communicate with and provide information and recommendations to his or her referring judicatory representative.
    Intensive Assessment features…”

    “. expanded battery of psychological inventories, with more focus on characterological issues
    . extended time with a psychologist and career counselor
    . enhanced communication between the judicatory and counselor
    . opportunity for pastor’s spouse to participate and receive counseling

    Park Street Church is supposed to be Congregational in polity. To those who are planning on attending the June 2 meeting, please INSIST that Mark Booker be ORDERED to receive such an extensive psychosocial evaluation, conducted by an organization outside of New England or anywhere Mark Booker has ties to. I am certain that there are other organizations that offer the same services.

    It is important to make decisions about Mark Booker’s continued tenure based on FACTS, not SPECULATION. If Mark Booker is found to have a severe personality disorder or other characterological problems that means that he is Biblically unqualified to serve, he MUST be terminated. The best way to do this is to have a team of skilled mental health professionals who specialize in evaluating troubled clerics.

    I have moved on. I have health problems related to poor air quality causally related to excessive traffic. I am in the process of leaving the area.


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    A Former Member of PSC: I no longer care whether Mark Booker has the appropriate academic training. This is a MINOR ISSUE when compared to Mark Booker’s behavior, cruel / mean behavior

    Yes, the possible lack of academic credentials has shifted the focus away from the MAJOR issues which have been flagged by staff and others. If someone is called by God to preach the Gospel, it matters not if he has theological degrees … but if a man is truly called by God into ministry, he would display Christian character to everyone.


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    Max: Yes, the possible lack of academic credentials has shifted the focus away from the MAJOR issues which have been flagged by staff and others. If someone is called by God to preach the Gospel, it matters not if he has theological degrees … but if a man is truly called by God into ministry, he would display Christian character to everyone.

    I would agree whatever Mark Booker lacks in standard academic credentials (such as an M.Div. D.Min. or Ph.D.) doesn’t matter.

    However, honesty about the degrees he does & doesn’t have is part of a larger question about his overall integrity, which DOES matter. The possible “Oxford MA” + the planting of Church of the Cross just looks sketchy.

    Absolutely, spiritual abuse has far more of a devastating impact. And yes, that’s the biggest *alleged* problem here. But I’m not a fan of pastors inflating their credentials, either.

    “Dr.” Ravi Zacharias comes to mind here. As do pastors who shrug off plagiarizing sermons, etc.


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    I’m so terribly sorry to hear about Damian Long’s resignation.

    I heard that someone started up a GoFundMe for him. Does anyone have the link to share?

    Praying for him & his family.


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    Damian has resigned and I imagine that Julian, Tammy, Tim and Ray will likely be parting soon, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The testimonies of John Knight and Cindy Cutlip (cited in the original CT article but more fully explained) are circulating among some PSC members. The evidence they submitted to the VC is pretty shocking, even for someone who is in the know like myself. Hopefully Dee can publish them and PSC members can see what has been testified about Mark and has been deemed acceptable as a church leader.


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    Damian’s email in full:

    From: Damian Long
    Date: May 28, 2024 at 1:16:14 PM GMT-4
    Subject: Small Group Leaders: Resignation
    Reply-To: Damian Long

    
    Dearest Small Group Leaders,

    I am so thankful for you and have counted it an amazing privilege to shepherd, lead, exhort, and cheer for you all in your continued journey of faith together. I have often felt as if I have not been able to offer the ministry of presence and support that each of you and your groups have needed, and ask for your forgiveness for that. I do want you to know that so many of you have been such an immense blessing to me and my family. You have helped me to learn more of who I am in Christ as his. I have been so encouraged by your faithful commitment to Christ and one another as you gather in your small groups to seek him and pray for each other. I sincerely hope that I have been a part of your growth in Christ as well. Thank you.

    It is therefore with great grief and sadness that I am writing to let you all know that I have resigned as the Minister of Community at Park Street. My last day will be June 18th. I want to make clear that this is not me simply giving up on you or the church. I am not just moving on to something more attractive. In fact I have nothing lined up at this time. I have tried all avenues towards reconciliation. I have raised concerns about our current leadership specifically according to the Biblical pattern and process of Matthew 18:15-17 as interpreted and affirmed for the community of leaders in the church in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. I never gave any information to anyone outside of our church, nor any permission to anyone to use my words outside of the church. I was nonetheless disciplined without personal conversation, nor Biblical explanation – removed from public worship, forbidden from speaking about my concerns, and warned that doing so would result in termination of my employment.

    I have remained committed to reconciliation with our Senior Minister, and I had hopes for reconciliation through mutually agreed upon terms, timeline, and parameters to be mediated by a representative of Voca. I began meeting with the Voca representative to prepare for our time together with the Senior Minister; however, he put a halt to the mediation process and instead required me to participate in a non-agreed upon format and timeline with him and representative(s) of the personnel committee. I did not wish to be part of this unagreed-upon process but given no option, I attended two such meetings. I would have truly welcome a mediated process of mutual listening and reconciliation, but unfortunately the content of communications at these meetings have made clear that this process is not a mediation, and sadly it is also not for the purpose of listening or reconciliation. I wish it were otherwise but as I do not have agency in determining the process, it is no longer possible to play my part in a process that is not about healing.

    The story is of course longer and more complex than these recent events. It is not my intention to write it all here, but only to explain that I have not resigned from my role of shepherding you all without seeking to remain through reconciliation, to the best of my ability. If you have a desire to more fully understand my experience, I hope to have opportunity to share with any and all who would care to listen.

    In the meantime, I want to exhort you to cling to Jesus and each other through this time. I pray especially for the groups that are divided over issues in the church. I pray that you will do all that you are able to be reconciled with one another through courageous listening, remorseful repentance, the offering of excruciating yet freeing forgiveness, and in together-travailing prayer. I pray that you would continue as the men and women of Berea, not just going along with the common narrative, but searching the scriptures daily in order to discern the truth. And I pray for you all to truly seek to create a Spirit-saturated, broken and contrite, transformed and transforming healthy community – wherever it is God calls you. I am so grateful for you all.

    Blessings of His presence and comfort in the Holy Spirit,

    Damian


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    Long post: testimony from John Knight

    Date: Tue, 28 May 2024 at 11:30 PM
    Subject: What were former Elder John Knight’s actions that caused his leave of absence from the Board?

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    What happened to former Elder John Knight? Why did the Board write, “We’re writing to share a difficult situation that is important for you to know about as those who elect the Board of Elders. There have been challenges for some time with one of our beloved elders, John Knight, arising from several of his actions as an elder. We placed John on a leave of absence from his duties as an elder on May 12”? How do John’s experiences shed light on the character of the current Senior Minister?

    Below is the testimony of John Knight, shared with his permission.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [redacted for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
    ——————————————————————————————
    TESTIMONY OF FORMER PSC ELDER JOHN ROGERS KNIGHT, JR.

    Abbreviated CV:
    I have more than 50 years of practice experience in medicine and psychiatry, 34 were at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where for 20 years I founded and directed a research lab supporting >50 people, with >$9.3 million in research funding, published >150 scholarly reports and served on >50 influential BCH, HMS, regional, and national committees. As consultant to Massachusetts’ Physician Health Services, I oversaw forensic evaluations for dozens of disruptive physicians, and helped hundreds more to return to practice safely with appropriate treatment and monitoring. [1, 2] I share these details not to boast, but to publicly proclaim my debt of gratitude to Jesus Christ who never treated me as I deserved but blessed me beyond anything I could ever have imagined with all these wonderful opportunities to honor Him and serve others. I retired from my hospital position in January 2018 to spend more time on short-term medical missions and helping missionary families who serve in parts of the world where pediatric specialty care is otherwise unavailable.

    My history at Park Street Church:
    My wife Lora and I have attended Park Street Church (PSC) for 30 years under five senior ministers. From almost the first day, we began to serve as Barnabas Group (aka, “Missionary Care Team”) leaders for Steve & Marcia Duncan, medical missionaries to Angola, and as parents of young children we provided assistance in the Nursery, Sunday School, and Youth Ministries. We’ve frequently served as LDI and other small groups coordinators, and until recently led PSC’s South Community. I formally joined the Missions Committee in 2010, and have served as its volunteer Medical Consultant ever since. I’ve traveled to South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia with eight Short-Term Mission teams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was the sole pediatrician on the PSC Medical Taskforce (MTF). I served on the Board of Elders from 2020 until 2023.

    My concerns with current leadership:
    A Secret Culture of Harshness, Cruelty, Deception, Seizing of Power and Control of all Communications
    I take no pleasure in reporting the following details of my experience as a PSC elder. For many years, the Board of Elders held confidential Executive Sessions once or twice yearly to discuss ministers’ salaries. During the past four years, they multiplied into dozens each year. Confidentiality is employed to protect an individual patient’s privacy regarding deeply personal health information (or in legal practice, to respect the privacy of an attorney-client conversation). Secrecy, however, is not intended to protect the privacy of the person under discussion, it is instead intended to prevent people outside a select group from discovering what that group is doing. The Massachusetts Open Meetings Law requires public agencies to notify in advance any person who is the target of an Executive Session and gives that person the right to attend and be heard (defend himself). While the law is aimed at public agencies, its fairness principles should be welcomed by a church that professes faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, the PSC Board and its Personnel Committees do not follow these guidelines. The 20 Executive Sessions in 2022 were held to discuss ministerial staff members, the Missions Committee Chair, and at least one elder without their knowledge and did not allow the individuals under discussion to attend. I also witnessed a pattern of secrecy-enabled harshness and cruelty toward our own faithful servants that is unworthy of our leaders’ high calling and inconsistent with the qualifications for “overseers” specified in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1:5-9. This secrecy must end.

    January 6, 2021: Mark Booker the Senior Minister, and David Rix the Moderator requested that we cut five staff positions during the height of the pandemic. One of these ministers had a child with significant special educational needs. They lived in Cambridge, which has one of the most robust SPED programs anywhere, which would make any geographic relocation especially difficult. However, the leaders never considered this and asked us to vote that night, precluding any chance for me to obtain permission to share this information, or allow further reflection, prayer and discussion among elders before taking this hurtful action.

    Around that same time, Booker informed Associate Minister Kris Perkins that he needed to leave PSC because their “chemistry” was not right. Kris had recently turned down a senior minister call from a church on Boston’s North Shore because he felt called to help Mark Booker succeed. Kris’s widowed mother was being transitioned to hospice care. His daughter’s wedding was in May, and by August he would need to support a second son in college. To place him in a position of financial insecurity during the height of the pandemic was a cruel and heartless decision. Kris & Laura Perkins faithfully served PSC for 24 years. They deserved better. Rix admitted this in a private conversation and then threatened me. He said that if I told any other elders, he and Booker would go to the Personnel Committee and ask them to fire Kris immediately. If they really believed that they were doing right (as Booker would later insist), why the need for secrecy? What kind of Christian church leaders threaten an elder they could inflict hurt on someone else?

    February 3, 2021: This was the last Board meeting that the Associate Minister Kris Perkins, Minister to Missions Julian Linnell, and the Assistant Minister Michael Balboni were allowed to attend. Booker summarily disinvited them and then notified the Board after the fact. He also discontinued a longstanding open invitation for available elders to attend the PSC weekly staff meetings. Elders now had to request special permission in advance before attending any staff meeting. He did this without any prior discussion or notification to the Board of Elders.

    On May 27, 2021, Mark Booker authorized an announcement that PSC would fully reopen from pandemic restrictions in June, no longer requiring masks or social distancing of anyone. He publicly thanked and dismissed the Medical Taskforce but deceptively did not disclose that we disagreed with this plan because of the risk to unvaccinated children. More than a dozen families with children at elevated risk asked me what they should do. When I informed them as the sole MTF pediatrician that we had recommended against the announced plan, I was vilified by Booker, Rix, and a majority of other elders for creating “disunity”. In May 2022 when they sanctioned me for refusing to remain silent about the unjust treatment of our Minister of City Engagement, they listed the reopening incident as evidence of my alleged pattern of breaching Board “confidentiality”. The only actual breaches of confidentiality occurred when as I will later describe, Booker pressured at least two ministers to reveal their confidential pastoral care conversations with me. The Board Executive Sessions held to discuss me and many others, and from which we were barred or never informed that we would be discussed, were used to enforce secrecy involving deliberate deception of our congregation.

    Sep 15, 2021: I met with Mark Booker to voice a concern around marginalization of the decision-making authority of the Board. During 2021 elder meetings, Booker repeatedly announced decisions he had already made, instead of seeking our advance counsel and consent. On Oct 20, 2021, I met with Mark Booker again to try to resolve our differences. I questioned his heavy-handed leadership style. He replied quickly in an unguarded moment, “Everyone [at Park Street Church] needs to understand that there is only one decision maker.” This struck me as so incompatible with congregational church polity, I wrote it down verbatim in my meeting notes. In my August 2023 Executive Session trial, while Booker was responding to the 4-page “Explanation” I had to send a week earlier, he lied in front of the entire Board, “I never said that.” While pointing to an attachment in the 16-page dossier I was holding, “You certainly did. I included your direct quote in my October 20 meeting notes, right here.” He was silent.

    Feb. 16, 2022, Morning: Kimberley Morrison, who in 2020 became PSC’s first Minister of City Engagement, and to whom I was assigned as Elder, disclosed to me at the end of our routine monthly call that Mark Booker had launched a secret investigation into what he labeled “severe” charges of spiritual abuse. The first accuser ‘Ms. N’ was an age-contemporary of hers with whom Mark Booker had a 20-year friendship which began at the Washington DC parish where he served as Assistant Pastor. In mid 2021, Booker asked to partner with Ms. N to assist Afghan refugees. They quickly co-wrote a detailed project plan but then had a falling out over Kimberley needing time to get approval from the PSC Missions Committee and Board of Elders. It escalated to the point that a friend of Ms. N’s who worked for a national refugee organization emailed Kimberley a very angry and accusatory note. Kimberley replied to her with cc to the entire Missions Committee, Board of Elders, and all and Staff, more than 60 people in all. I told her she’d better meet with Booker ASAP because Ms. N had surely done so already. During the next few months, Mark Booker scheduled several meetings with Kimberely, Minister of Missions Julian Linnell, and Ms. N to follow up on their falling out but nothing was ever resolved.

    The second accuser was JO, a young man who had been living on the streets of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada until taken in by current Senior Pastor Scotland Morrison of Urban Abbey, Kimberley and Bill Morrison’s 2016 church plant dedicated to reach the many marginalized and drug-addicted first people who drift into the city from nearby tribal reserves. In 2021 Scotland (their son) asked Morrison’s to help JO because his USA Visa had expired and he could no longer draw any support from Urban Abbey. They took JO into their small Park Street apartment and Kimberley paid him a modest stipend as her intern but specified it was only until he could afford his own apartment. He was soon earning a good salary in PSC’s Administrator Mike Ahearn’s office at the urging of Mark Booker, with whom he’d begun meeting several times each week after first arriving. JO liked having a free apartment and a real salary and resented Kimberley for suggesting he begin looking for his own place. During an argument, JO warned her ‘she might not like what he’d told his good friend Pastor Booker about her’. Kimberley, called Scotland to ask what JO had been like while living on the streets of Thunder Bay. Scotland said JO survived by “trading information for influence”, which she found quite unsettling.

    The third accuser was another intern with a challenging past that the Morrison’s had also taken into their apartment, and she later became JO’s friend. Park Street clearly needed an outside agency with expertise in behavioral health assessment and experience investigating spiritual abuse in churches to sort out all these complicated relationships, backgrounds, and potential personality clashes. Park Street leaders Mark Booker and then Moderator David Rix instead decided to handle this internally. They appointed a 4 member tribunal of supporters they knew well from the Personnel Committee and Board of Elders to “investigate the charges” before she was allowed to see any of the complaints or even offer them her own viewpoint. I knew from experience that this process would be impossibly biased from the beginning and for Kimberley, would yield a pre-determined, fatally-flawed result.

    February 16, 2022, afternoon: I was worried and upset at what Booker and Rix were doing in secret to Kimberley, and what I perceived as their unending pattern of harsh and unfair treatment of our own faithful staff.The Board was scheduled to meet that evening and I needed guidance before saying anything about Kimberley, so I went to Associate Minister Michael Balboni who coordinated Pastoral Care. We talked for two hours while I vented my frustration about what Kimberley had told me that morning. Balboni read relevant scripture with me, offered his gentle counsel, and prayed with me.

    A short time after we finished, Mark Booker walked into his office and demanded to know what we had been talking about. When Balboni at last mentioned Kimberley, Booker kept pressuring him to reveal more and more details of our conversation. He wanted to know exactly what I had said, he asked questions about exactly how much Morrison had told me, and asked Balboni what if anything I might be planning to do. I never learned about this until many months later, after Mark Booker pressured Balboni to disclose details of pastoral care he provided to someone else, and I was shocked. Since then, poor Pastor Michael has repeatedly and unnecessarily apologized to me. I forgave him long ago and he was not the real problem anyway. Forcing a subordinate to violate confidentiality of counseling is always unconscionable, and for a Christian minister, it’s sinful. For a psychiatrist or any other licensed provider, it constitutes an egregious violation of professional standards, and in Massachusetts, it’s against the law. Sadly, this was not the only timine that Mark Booker illegally violated my privacy.

    February 16, 2022, evening: At a beginning of our Board meeting held at his home, Mark Booker announced as part of his routine Senior Minister report that he was initiating a system of “360 reviews” for all church staff. He then nonchalantly added that Kimberley Morrison’s review would be the first. That upset me, but instead of speaking in anger, I stood up and left the meeting abruptly, saying only that I could not be a party to deception.

    March 1, 2022, 5:30 PM: I was summoned by new Moderator Jason Abraham, to “reconcile differences” with Mark Booker and David Rix, precipitated by my walking out of that last Board meeting. At first I declined, because three against one felt like another tribunal. but Abraham assured me it would not be like that, and he further promised at my request to keep the meeting’s existence and purpose completely confidential. So I went but as soon as I sat down, Mark Booker angrily handed me a 1-page written list of eleven false charges entitled, “Unreconciled Matters with John Knight from Mark and David, and began reading it aloud. I was shocked. This was no search for truth. They could have sent me this list far in advance. Nor was is it a sincere attempt at reconciliation. It was another tribunal. I had fallen into their trap. I interrupted Booker to say that I could read the list for myself and I would need time to carefully consider it and put my own thoughts down into writing.

    March 1, 2022, 7:00 PM: Later that evening, just after he called the Board meeting to order, Jason Abraham broke his promise to respect my privacy by announcing to everyone that the three of them had just met with me to discuss my recent behavior and they expected to hear back from me shortly, in writing. I believe their purpose was premeditated and clearly meant to embarass me in front of everyone else on the Board as a punishment, and intimidate anyone else who might be tempted to publicly disagree with their unjust treatment of Kimberley.

    March 22, 2022: Mark Booker and Jason Abraham called a special meeting of the Missions Committee purportedly to explain why Kimberley Morrison had suddenly resigned, and to reassure everyone with a promise to smooth the transisiton by keeping her on as a paid Consultant until the end of June. Many members were upset and wanted to ask questions, but they began instead with lengthy and deceptive monologues about Kimberley resigning suddenly due to a family member’s illness and need to move closer to him in Canada. They acknowledged that, coincidentially, they had also felt no choice but to launch a “360 Review” of her performance after receving several complaints from subordinates. I interrupted to ask Mark Booker about his “20-year friendship” with the Ms. N, the first accuser. Abraham shouted me down saying I was violating Board Executive Session, which was a lie. Her name and their dispute never came up there. I only knew because Kimberley had told me about it back in February. I then tried to ask about the two interns but Abraham immediately closed out me out of the discussion.

    April 3, 2022 (Sunday) 8:15 AM: As the Elder-assist for our first Sunday Service, I went to the right front of the Sanctuary 15 minutes early to pray with other worship leaders. When Mark Booker arrived, he pulled me quickly aside and said while shaking with anger, he would not walk with me to the pulpit at the beginning of the service, he would not Pass the Peace with me after the opening prayer, nor would he even stand with me on the platform to make the announcements. I would be on my own. I was shocked, but honestly told him that I had forgiven him for any wrongs done to me and then asked, “Mark, would you please forgive me for any wrongs I’ve done to you?” Through clenched teeth he gave the oddest reply, “I forgive you before Christ but we are NOT RECONCILED!” That confused me. Was this some theological loophole? “I forgive you before Christ”? What does that even mean? But not before men? Not before the congregation? I’ve since come to learn that Mark Booker seldom forgives anyone who opposes him, anyone who contradicts him, reveals his dishonesty, or thwarts his attempted deceptions. He uses the word “reconciliation” to conceal the true purpose of meetings in which he and others bully, accuse, threaten, and deceive people into cooperating or failing that, lapse into silent acquiescence or failing that, are pressured to leave the church.

    After that angry interaction I was embarrassed and confused but carried on as best I could to open the service. After the service, I went to the right front of the Sanctuary where Minister of Missions Julian Linnell was waiting to provide pastoral prayer and counseling to any who so desired. I told him what had happened and he prayed with me. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked him whether he’d seen a recent second letter from first accuser Ms. N. He said no but let’s not discuss that now, so I left. That afternoon, he asked Mark Booker whether Ms. N had in fact sent another letter. (As Kimberley’s supervisor, he should have seen it but knew nothing about it.) Booker then demanded to know how he learned of the letter and Julian told him that I’d asked a question about it as part of our longer conversation and after-service prayer. Booker then egregiously violated my privacy a second time by relaying this confidential information to Moderator Jason Abraham. That evening, Abraham notifed everyone by email that he was scheduling an Executive Session at our April 7 meeting unless the person “who had violated the Board’s confidentiality had the courage to admit his wrong in advance.” I knew he meant me but decided not to fall into yet another trap, so I said nothing in advance of the Board Meeting.

    April 7, 2022: After going into Executive Session, Abraham said he was giving the person one more chance to confess. While he paused, three other elders meekly admitted they’d discussed the letter with their spouses. Abraham then angrily accused me of being the one who breached confidentiality. I countered that it was Booker and Abraham who violate my confidentiality of pastoral care with another minister. Several other elders agreed that we should be allowed to have confidential pastoral care. However, Abraham required me to leave and after further discussion, a majority voted with Abraham and Booker to ban me from Executive Sessions immediately and to hold a special Executive Session on April 28, 2022, to further discuss me but which I could not attend. Abraham later agreed to give me 15 minutes to defend myself, but not in person, only via Zoom. At the exact moment the meeting started, he emailed a list of false charges against me entitled “List of Leaks”. This was not a search for truth, but another ambush. Most of the accusations were vague and imagined. Ironically, my pastoral care conversation with Julian Linnell headed the list showing that PSC has become a place where elders cannot receive confidential pastoral care, and where Mark Booker pressures ministers into revealing the content of their confidential pastoral care sessions.

    May 12, 2022: I received email notification that the Board had voted to place me on an indefinite “leave of absence”, which was quite ironic. Mark Booker and Jason Abraham had previously appointed three elders to mediate our disputes and potentially help resolve our disagreement. Booker accused me of leading a group of PSC members who were determined to get rid of him, which was completely untrue. Furthermore, I told the three elders that I did not wish to hurt Mark Booker or see him fired. However, I believed it would be in his best interest and ours to give him an indefinite medical leave of absence so he could have a comprehensive medical evaluation, including a complete forensic psychological testing battery (e.g., MMPI III) because I had observed multiple signs and symptoms suggesting a DSM-V3 “Cluster B Personality Disorder”[4] (e.g., paranoid thinking, preoccupation with power and control, insistence on his own perfection, intolerance of criticism, lack of empathy and remorse), and complete any needed treatment before consideration of a return to ministry. I stand by that recommendation but wonder whether Booker vengefully turned against me the “indefinite LOA” idea.

    September 15, 2022: The Board sent a misleading letter about my leave of absence to the entire congregation without my advance knowledge or consent. They said that I was not sanctioned because of any disagreements, which were welcomed during BoE discussions (not true) but because of “actions” I had taken that disrupted the BoE from carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities. People who didn’t know me might wonder if “actions” involved some sexual sin, financial impropriety, threatening or even assaulting someone. The only thing I did was refuse to remain silent. I spoke out to the Missions Committee and others to defend Kimberley Morrison. Any information I shared came directly from her and not the BoE. In fact, most elders were not informed of Morrison’s point of view and kept completely in the dark about the biases involved in the secret investigation.

    PSC later paid >$100,000 to an outside lawfirm for a review of the entire process. The PSC investigators had no expertise in behavioral health, nor did they consult with any forensic experts, despite my repeated requests that they do so, and the names of qualified individuals that I provided.

    Reflections: Every self-aware and growing leader knows his or her own needs for improvement. There were times I spoke out in anger and indignation over the way people were being treated. I apologized to Mark Booker several times, but I never received an apology from him. During our last required “reconciliation meeting”, he acknowledged that in retrospect he could see how he might have handled things better. For example, instead of telling me 10 minutes before the service that I was “on my own”, he could have called me the evening before.

    He made a similar, public “non-apology” at the June 9 Town Hall meeting after cutting the 4 PM service. He said that in retrospect, it was an error not to have included Shannon Jacob in the early discussions about cutting the service. However, this was another lie. Booker spent months trying to persuade the Ministerial Leadership Team to cut Shannon’s position because he said that she was not a PSC member and that she and the Sunday Night Band left the sanctuary during his sermons. Shannon later explained that they went downstairs to catch their breath and have something to eat and drink so that they could be fully restored for the second time of music and worship to follow. In addition, while they were downstairs, which is fitted with speakers, they were able to listen to the sermons perfectly well.

    Summary of Concerns: I am deeply concerned for Mark Booker. On the plus side, he is a concise preacher of 30-minute sermons, he has demonstrated a remarkable gift for hospitality by inviting everyone in the congregation to have a dinner at his home, and he has undertaken two international trips to personally encourage PSC missionaries in the field. Sadly however, as a leader I have found him to be lacking in empathy and remorse, to insist on the rightness of his own opinions and actions to the exclusion of anyone else’s, to target anyone who disagrees with him, to be preoccupied with sole decision-making power and control of all communications, to demand secrecy, and repeatedly to engage in deception. These could be signs and symptoms of an underlying health condition, which if left undiagnosed and untreated can only continue to harm him, his family, and Park Street Church.

    Recommendations:
    Regarding Mark Booker: His redeeming qualities listed above warrant offering him the opportunity to continue in ministry. However, it is in his best interest and that of the church to place him on an immediate and indefinite paid medical leave for a minimum of 12 months. He should have a comprehensive evaluation that includes a complete medical examination, a thorough forensic psychiatry assessment (including an assessment such as the MMPI 3 that includes a well-validated “Lie Scale), a review of his effect on families, especially of the ministers he’s abused, and a review of his professional competency by an expert panel of senior ministers with experience at large churches with at least 12 other ministers. All written evaluations must include detailed recommendations for treatment, monitoring, and modifications to his workplace responsibilities which he must either complete or with which he must agree to comply before consideration of any return to ministry.

    Regarding other leaders: To the moderator(s) and those other elders, and members of the Personnel Committee and Nominating Committee members who supported the unjust persecution and unkindness toward our own ministers and other elected leaders, I urge you to repent. No more unjustified cutting of positions, no forced resignations, no firings, no unjust exclusion from being nominated or renominated for church office.

    Regarding the congregation: We need the entire church to fast and pray, to repent for allowing our current leadership to mistreat so many of our faithful ministers, lay leaders, and congregants. As a church, we must live Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

    Literature Cited:
    1. Boyd JW, Knight JR. Ethical and managerial considerations regarding state physician health programs. Journal of addiction medicine. Dec 2012;6(4):243-6. doi:10.1097/ADM.0b013e318262ab09
    2. Knight JR, Sanchez LT, Sherritt L, Bresnahan LR, Fromson JA. Outcomes of a monitoring program for physicians with mental and behavioral health problems. J Psychiatr Pract. Jan 2007;13(1):25-32.
    3. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
    4. Young C, Habarth J, Bongar B, Packman W. Disorder in the Court: Cluster B Personality Disorders in United States Case Law. Psychiatr Psychol Law. 2018;25(5):706-723. doi:10.1080/13218719.2018.1474816


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    Long post: testimony from Cindy Cutlip

    Date: Mon, 27 May 2024 at 11:35 PM
    Subject: Why did former Elder Cindy Cutlip resign?

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    At the upcoming June 2nd Special Meeting, you will have the responsibility of reviewing the Board of Elders’ decision that Mark Booker, in his position as Senior Minister, shows “no evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy and Titus 1.”

    In those verses, Paul says that a minister “must be… not violent but gentle,” and the evangelical theologian Michael J. Kruger, in Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church (Zondervan, 2022), explains that Paul’s word for “‘violent’ is all-encompassing….The minister of Christ’s church is not to be a person who accomplishes goals by manipulation or intimidation or with a demanding spirit”; we may therefore conclude, as Kruger does, that such a person “is disqualified from ministry” (p. 52).

    The matter at hand now is not one which can be ignored, nor one that, as Christians who seek light and truth, we can close our eyes to; the matter is also not that of “Michael vs. Mark,” as you may have heard it described, but rather that of the character of the leader of our beloved congregation.

    Is Mark Booker’s character a violent one, then, in the sense of Paul’s Greek word? Scripture instructs us to not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses—and then, to address it in front of others, rather than secretly (1 Timothy 5:19-20). 

    We must openly consider the testimony of other witnesses, especially since they may be prohibited from speaking at the Special Meeting. For this reason, I am sending you the testimony of former Elder Cindy Cutlip, a servant of God and long-time Park Street member and shepherd. Cindy’s testimony about Mark’s character is below (released with prayer, and with her consent), as originally written for and sent to the Vicinage Council.

    Like you, sisters and brothers in Christ, I love Park Street. I have served and worshiped here on crowded holidays, sparse masked pandemic Sundays, and so many weeks in between. I have seen my children grow, sing, and learn here, and have rejoiced in the good work that Park Street does in too many ministries to name. We all want Park Street to continue to shine God’s light for years to come. To do this, we need above all prayer and openness—both openness of testimony and also openness of mind.

    Think of Romans 12:2: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Please read Cindy’s testimony with that openness and renewal, and the discernment of the Holy Spirit.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [redacted for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

    —————————————————————-
    To the Vicinage Council: 

    You have been tasked with reviewing the evidence as to whether Mark Booker is disqualified from pastoral ministry at PSC. As a former Elder, I render my opinion: 

    I have witnessed too many instances of lack of godly character to continue to give Mark the benefit of the doubt. Mark spoke to us often, in the boardroom and from the pulpit about God’s hesed love–the steadfast and unconditional love of God. Yet, it became clear to me over time that what came from his mouth and what he lived out were often not the same. I listened to his every word, but when I watched his actions, they did not match. 1 Timothy 3 says that a leader is to be above reproach. How much more so for the senior leader and shepherd of the congregation. I will attempt to describe my experience and witness of Mark’s lack of godly character and how he has shown himself not to be above reproach: 

    1. Greedy for gain. From the beginning of Mark’s leadership at PSC, he has sought pulpit and pedestal. He was quickly eager to begin a podcast with prominent spiritual leaders of Boston. During the height of COVID when he began his leadership at PSC, Mark chose to keep the appearance of live sermons from the pulpit (to an empty sanctuary)–keeping his face before the camera each week. He chose to gather for lunch and prayer with area Boston pastors for the purposed “Pastors Praying Together”. He was eager to offer in-person meet and greets. He was eager to have newcomers come to his home for dinners. Additionally, Mark chose to use his new role to travel abroad twice to visit our global missionaries. However, Mark has shown himself less interested in shepherding and walking alongside the congregation already existing within our church. Sadly, he rarely came to Zoom opportunities to meet the longtime congregants and faithful members of PSC. He rarely attended All-Church Prayer meetings, the weekly Fireside Chats, COVID-time Zoom fellowship gatherings. He gathered for pivotal spotlight moments but seemed rather uninterested in truly getting to know the congregation. 


    2. Outwardly gentle in demeanor but actions betray cruelty towards me and others. My first observation in meeting Mark one on one in his office was that he is gentle and charming. He never yelled or even raised his voice. Most congregants see this gentle and charming side of Mark. Yet when I said something that he did not like or agree with, the muscles of his cheeks would tighten, and he would quickly reprimand or ignore my words and change the subject. One example: I mentioned how I spoke with Nathan Skinner (director of music) about something music related. Mark’s jaw clenched. He firmly reprimanded me for speaking to Nathan. Mark explained that he is the boss over Nathan. And if I have any future concerns about Nathan or music, I was to come to him (Mark) only. 


    3. Not protecting the flock, a key responsibility of the shepherd. On two occasions each elder received hate mail that was unmarked – unsigned letters stating that women in leadership are sinning against God and must repent and resign from their role as elder on the Elder Board. Mark offered no public rebuke to the congregation regarding this type of bullying behavior, though our nominating committee procedures clearly state women can be elders. Mark’s sin of omission here shows lack of protection of at least 50% of the flock and demonstrates partiality towards a complementarian bias within leadership, which increases division. 


    4. Not rebuking others for ungodly behavior. While on the BoE, Jason Abraham demanded we give complete loyalty and respect to Mark, because of Mark’s role as senior minister. To me, loyalty, trust and respect are earned over time. Mark did not dispute Jason’s demand but sat quietly, which as the highest spiritual authority of the church communicates agreement with Jason. He allowed Jason Abraham to lead harshly, to protect standing committees, while abusively controlling dissenters. 


    5. Biased rebuking with harshness. When John Rogers Knight (JRK) criticized Mark and the Personnel Committee’s unjust and questionable campaign against Kimberley Morrison (resulting in JRK’s being placed on a leave of absence from the Board), Mark demanded JRK reconcile with Mark for JRK’s alleged misconduct. Mark demanded that JRK must come to Mark and ask his forgiveness in order to be reconciled. Mark made JRK grovel. It was noted that perhaps both JRK and Mark needed to forgive each other for the part each one played in the scenario. Mark said his “wrongdoing” in the situation was that he is a “principled” person and cannot back away from his “principles” (he used the same language to give a report on his development after a week at the Center for Creative Leadership in Jan/Feb 2024). Mark showed himself to be harsh towards JRK, unrepentant and lacking humility, once again never mentioning the word “sin”. The current situation is replaying itself with the five ministers who voiced opposition on moral grounds with Mark. 


    6. Lacking self-control: The repeated pattern of removing ministers and elders or anyone who does not agree with, assent to, or fall in line behind Mark appears to be ongoing. Mark promised that he would not continue removing ministers after Kris Perkins and Pat Chen were terminated. Instead, he did not advocate for Kimberley Morrison (she resigned because of the harsh environment under which she worked), but rather worked against her. Then he fired Michael Balboni. Currently, the jobs of the five leaders who would not align with Mark are at stake. Mark lacks the ability to control his own behavior by removing anyone who does not agree with him.
This is ironic given that in one of his recent sermons, Mark called the congregation to “live in peace with others as far as it depends on each of us”. Removing faithful ministers and not seeming to care about the many faithful congregants who have run away from PSC under his leadership does not show that he is self-controlled in his behavior and attitude towards dissenters. He has not chosen to live in peace with those who might have differing views. Rather, he forces them out.


    7. Unable to admit wrong. When details about the Personnel Committee and Mark Booker’s connection regarding the exits of Kris Perkins and Kimberley Morrison emerged, Mark went through painstaking detail of timelines of his meetings with the Personnel Committee and all individuals involved as a way of protecting himself and avoiding any potential criticism regarding these questionable human resources processes. He spent about 30 minutes in soliloquy justifying himself. He did this again publicly during the 2024 Annual Meeting, where the “Life of the Church” update was dedicated to defending and promoting himself while placing his wife on the stage to help show him to be above reproach or criticism. 
After Mark’s management workshop in California, he came back to give a sermon where he offered a faint apology for his (unspecified) shortcomings and his need to grow. This apology was read from a sheet of paper. Mark did not show any remorse or emotion and the word “sin” was not mentioned anywhere. He gave no specifics regarding his sins.Then he quickly jumped to the fact that “we’re all sinners in need of a savior”. How quickly he stopped admitting his own faults as he reminded us of how we are also sinful, e.g., when Susan Lane spoke out during this year’s 11am Easter worship service, 


    8. Does not practice and promote wise leadership. Mark has placed himself and his supporters in control of every standing committee in PSC. He has made himself the final authority. According to James 3,Godly wisdom is pure, peace loving,considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Sadly, I have not witnessed Mark lead our church in the way of Godly wisdom. 

    In summary, Mark is unfit and disqualified. I find Mark Booker’s character and leadership ability lacking in compassion, kindness, mercy, impartiality, and humility. 

    I believe, as part of your second mandate as the Vicinage Council (the process by which Michael Balboni was fired), you are able to render a judgment as to the Board’s overall health. I give you the following evidence: 

    James 3:14-15 contrasts God’s wisdom with earthly wisdom. “Earthly unspiritual wisdom leads to disorder and every evil practice”. The fruit of this latter “wisdom” is what I see growing in our church under Mark and Board’s leadership. Things appear good on the outside (Biblical preaching, beautiful music). On the inside, there is confusion and chaos, division and pain have grown. The fruit growing in PSC these days is disorder and cruelty, deception and control. These are not fruit from God’s kingdom. I believe this dysfunction stems from a long history of broken and sinister leadership, unchecked by Mark. How did this happen? 

    In 2020 a highly biased transition team (David Rix, chair of SMSC and former moderator, Linda Herman – current elder, Jason Abraham – current Moderator, Margaret Sloat – on the Personnel Committee, and David Murgatroyd – long time friends of the Bookers) was formed to help Mark. When Mark became more comfortable at PSC, this transition team was no longer needed. 
    Instead, Mark placed these individuals and other close friends in places of power within leadership. In just four years, the major standing committees within PSC have been engineered to form a fortress around him. There is a growing group of an elite few who do not represent the whole congregation but seem to be working together to make PSC into the church they like best. The Personnel Committee (PC), Nominating Committee (NC), subcommittee of the deacons, Membership Committee, Finance & Administration have become groups of people who do and will protect the PSC leadership. 

    – The PC is selected and chaired by the Moderator without term limits. (Dave Murgatroyd has been on this committee for over a decade, being a close family friend of Mark’s and on the BoE.) Though on paper this committee should be accountable to the Board, the Board is often not informed of when the Personnel Committee meets until after the fact. The Moderator, who chairs both the Board and the Personnel Committee, should be a conduit of information to the Board, but information is not free flowing. 

    – The NC, a group of elected officers, have been carefully selected to choose Elders. It is stacked with other allies of Mark’s: Drake Richey (from Mark’s previous church), Bonnie Ziegler, wife of Andrew Ziegler (also from Mark’s previous church). The NC regularly recommends only the exact number of candidates for the number of positions open. The NC claims that this is because they cannot find enough candidates. However, upon a closer look at their nominating procedures, it is noted that a simple majority vote is necessary to recommend a candidate, but the NC has chosen a ¾ majority instead. This arbitrary threshold reduces choice and makes for fake elections that are really confirmations. This is why the Congregation submitted petitions for alternate elected candidates, only to be subjected to disparaging comments from the NC. 

    – The Subcommittee of deacons (very few in the Congregation even know about this group) who nominate the NC have skewed complementarian views and bias towards Mark (Wally Weld, Christin Vasko, and Sharon Postma). 

    – While I was still on the elder board, Andrew Ziegler was placed as chair of the Membership committee in place of Nick Dedeke, who resigned after having significant issues they could not resolve. Andrew Ziegler is an elder and on the Personnel Committee. 

    – The Board exhibits the greatest dysfunction in PSC’s dysfunctional leadership system. To sum up the Environment of the BoE under Jason’s leadership, one need only attend the 2024 Annual Congregational Meeting. I liken a typical board meeting to the atmosphere we all witnessed at the 2024 annual meeting. 

    – Some were granted permission to talk while others were silenced or talked over. At one of our Board executive session meetings that included some members of the PC, I spoke up to voice my suspicion in spring of 2022 regarding the subcommittee of the PC bias towards Mark and against Kimberley. I suggested there could possibly be bias within this subcommittee to side with Mark. I said that none of us could be completely without bias and that an independent objective evaluation of this case was required. I told the Board I believed something about the manner of Kimberley’s allegations and her resignation was ”just not right”. I was reprimanded by Jason Abraham (Moderator and Chair of PC) and those on Kimberley’s subcommittee (David Rix, Margaret Sloat, David Murgatroyd) for speaking out. I was talked over and my words disregarded, like a little schoolgirl who stepped out of line. My suggestion was met by each of them reprimanding me for questioning and being suspicious of them, my brothers and sisters in Christ. After the meeting, David Murgatroyd approached me privately and said, “Have you ever felt that deep down something felt off to you and later you found out you were wrong?” This was said to intentionally sow doubt about my words. But my doubt was warranted. At some point after this, Mark, Jason and the subcommittee of the PC pivoted away from the direction they were headed. Almost overnight, the long and condemning report of the subcommittee seemed to simply disappear. From that point on, the PC subcommittee was not mentioned– in Telios’ work. It was as if the PC never intervened, though they had. The Congregation has never been told that there was a subcommittee. 

    – Yelling was allowed, though Mark sat quietly. As his wife mentioned during the annual meeting, Mark is not a yeller. Yet under Mark’s leadership and Jason’s moderation, yelling was tolerated in nearly every Board Meeting, as were angry outbursts and verbal cruelty towards some individuals. John Knight was often a victim of this yelling. John insisted on speaking out regarding injustices carried out by Mark and the PC re: Kris Perkins, Pat Chen, and Kimberley Morrison. John paid dearly for this by Mark and both Moderators (David Rix and Jason Abraham), during our meetings and eventually John was forced into a leave of absence from his Board duties, unannounced for many months to the Congregation who elected him. 

    – Outcomes and talking topics for each meeting were predetermined by Jason, with Mark’s approval. Once again, Mark would be mostly silent. Jason Abraham, David Murgatroyd, and other allies did much of the leading and bidding on the topics the Board were called to approve. This often occurred when the PC was involved in the terminations of our longtime ministers who conveyed their findings to the BoE for our approval. The representatives of the PC offered partial summaries of documents and an unbalanced narrative that supported harsh characterization of the minister in question but offered little defense for the one under question. Kimberley (like Michael) never appeared before the full Board so we could ask questions or she could defend herself. The Board was required to make weighty decisions utilizing only a small amount of information–mostly under the guise of “confidentiality”. The Board seemed to be a rubber stamp to offer the congregation our approval. 

    – Manipulative communications or partial truths are communicated. I have seen communications to the congregation wordsmithed to dissemble meaning, giving the appearance of care and truth to the readers. This happened to me personally in how the moderator wanted to convey partial nuanced truth about my resignation. My resignation from the Board was a somewhat contentious topic. I wrote to the BoE in April, offering them many reasons why I chose to resign from the Board two years before my term was complete. Jason and I had a back-and-forth email communication as we debated how to best communicate to the congregation my resignation from the BoE. In the drafts of this communication Jason crafted certain words that gave only partial (and not my primary) reason for my resignation. His words would offer the congregation the image that I could not agree with PSC doctrinal position statements and therefore should not continue to lead. Jason’s suggestions painted the BoE in a good light and me in a negative light. His suggestions did not mention my “greatest reason for my resignation was actually the spirit of control and manipulation of facts and truth that often clouded the work of the elder board and kept the congregation in the dark on so many instances and issues that have been labeled by them as confidential.”

    – Do it slowly so the Congregation doesn’t notice. Mark uses time to his advantage, and has said to me, “A wise mentor told me that in chaotic situations as a leader, time is your friend.” Mark has indeed taken advantage of this “wisdom”– Slowly change the posture of worship to a more formal, liturgical format. Slowly replace the leaders who don’t align . Slowly take away the PSC byline of “Congregational. International. Evangelical” and replace it with “Jesus Above All”. Slowly bring more allies into powerful leadership positions. Slowly form a church that is created in a way that pleases the most powerful leaders–at the expense of the remainder of the congregation whose needs and desires are neglected. 

    And that is how we have leaders not shepherding the congregation well, decisions made that protect and promote leaders but do not have the wellbeing of the whole congregation in mind. Hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours have been spent to prove their innocence in any wrongdoing (e.g. VOCA after firing Michael, Telios investigation after Kimberley’s “resignation”, 360 reviews for all staff members that began with Kimberley and were deemed not a valid way to determine spiritual abuse by Telios, etc.) Bylaws, scripture and secrecy have all been tools manipulated by Jason and Mark and allies to control the church people. This is wrong leadership. This is not humble leadership. Christlikeness is not the goal I have seen being played out by the inner ring of leaders. The Congregation has tried to check leadership, but the leadership response has been systematic denial, blame of others and discrediting the whistleblowers and dissenters. They have had many chances to acknowledge fault and hurt, intended or unintentional, confess it before the congregation, ask forgiveness and repent. This has not happened in any authentic way. The congregation has yet to see leaders weep in compassion for their own sin and turn from it. In fact, leaders are becoming more harsh, more controlling, more authoritarian than before. 

    Are these the kind of leaders we hope to cultivate in the CCCC? Is this the type of leadership we want to approve of by condoning their actions and this type of “power over” leadership? God’s standards for leaders are high. And we know ultimately that leaders will be accountable before God for how they led and shepherded the people in their congregation. In the meantime, how can we continue to allow this type of leadership that is cruel and unchristlike to continue? How can we allow Christ’s bride and body to be destroyed under the leadership that is unloving and hurtful? I believe this calls for drastic measures to root out what has led to a broken divided church and a very ugly witness of God before the eyes of the world who so need Him. God will not be mocked. As long as this present leadership model and elite inner group continue to be in place and their reign is allowed to continue, God’s name is shamed along with our witness of Him. Is our witness to the world worth anything? Until we acknowledge our dysfunction and return to the ways of our loving God, there is no hope for this church. 

    PSC is clearly in a critical time right now. The life of this congregational church as we have known it stands in the balance. Given that the BOE will not keep Mark and his allies accountable, you are the last pass in helping correct this travesty and bring the church back into submission before Christ. As Jeremiah 6:16 says: 

    This is what the LORD says: 
    “Stand at the crossroads and look; 
    ask for the ancient paths, 
    ask where the good way is, and walk in it, 
    and you will find rest for your souls.” 

    What we have experienced is not “rest for our souls”. We, the sheep, are weary and in pain. We seek truth. We seek the freedom Christ died to give us. We have not felt this freedom for a long while. I implore you to discern well how God would have you act as advisors over our conference. Your direction in this situation seems to be the last opportunity for health and vitality at PSC. Please listen to facts but, more importantly, pray and listen to what the Holy Spirit says to you. Please discern well. 

    While as the Vicinage Council, you can only make recommendations, there is a tangible step you can take to signal the wake up necessary for Park Street Church. If you find Mark disqualified from pastoral ministry at PSC, please take the first step of decredentialing Mark Booker as a 4Cs pastor. The next logical step is for you to call for an immediate independent external investigation of every aspect of ministry within PSC. There is much internal unhealth that needs to be remedied. I believe PSC hangs in the balance. If PSC continues on her broken path, you are responsible for seeing such a severely broken body within the CCCC but not calling us into accountability. Please, please discern well. 

    Respectfully submitted, 
    Cindy Cutlip.


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    Thank you for all of these thoughtful comments and updates on the current situation. We stopped “attending” PSC shortly after Mark arrived and we are still technically members as far as we know. We ignored the email sent out a while back asking us to affirm our membership. I am not clear on what constitutes Not Good Standing and I’m hesitant to ask in advance for fear that they’ll conjure something up in order to keep the meeting as small as possible.

    I also wanted to add that I thought Mark’s CV appeared to my untrained eyes as a mid-level resume at best. I found it curious that he included at the very end of it such detail about his experience from over 20 years ago as Adventure Program Director, where he was responsible for “hiring, and firing staff.”


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    THANK YOU, Cindy Cutlip and John Rogers Knight, Jr., for sharing your testimonies!!!

    Speaking out is extremely painful and costly. And yet –

    “Paul warns us not to participate in the deeds of darkness but instead to expose them (Ephesians 5:11). Understand that you cannot singlehandedly change an entire system; you are not called to do so. Yet we are to speak truth about our systems.”

    – Dr. Diane Langberg


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Like a lot of churches across America, the good people of PSC are caught in a tension between two Scriptures:

    “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together”

    vs.

    “Come out from among her My People and be not a partaker of her sins”


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    Friend of Park Street Church: What we have experienced is not “rest for our souls”

    The Church of the Living God should not be exhausting … it should be a place of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.

    Friend of Park Street Church: We seek the freedom Christ died to give us.

    A cry from the soul of one who loves Jesus. When Christ sets you free, you are free indeed … it’s a shame that sometimes you have to escape from the bondage of ministers and ministries to experience that afresh.


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    TEDS,

    Gotta watch those guys in charge of river rafting…


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    Max:
    Elizabeth Klein,

    Like a lot of churches across America, the good people of PSC are caught in a tension between two Scriptures:

    “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together”

    vs.

    “Come out from among her My People and be not a partaker of her sins”

    Thankfully, the PSC Outcasts are frequently meeting with each other for prayer & worship.


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    TEDS: We stopped “attending” PSC shortly after Mark arrived and we are still technically members as far as we know. We ignored the email sent out a while back asking us to affirm our membership. I am not clear on what constitutes Not Good Standing and I’m hesitant to ask in advance for fear that they’ll conjure something up in order to keep the meeting as small as possible.

    Apparently good standing means active member. I’m sorry to say but if you didn’t click reaffirm in that email, you were likely removed. I have friends who are in your exact situation and they found out they are no longer members. You likely fell victim to what Mark Booker may have referenced as “the great purge” (see Michael Balboni’s memo).


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    “No system that carries oppression, silencing, dehumanizing, violence, abuse, and corruption within is healthy. Tolerance of such things, out of fear, disbelief, or self-deception, will not protect the system from the disease that will kill it if left untreated.”

    – Dr. Diane Langberg

    So very thankful for the testimonies coming out these week. Keep ’em coming!!

    … The truth will set you free…


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    Elizabeth Klein: Thankfully, the PSC Outcasts are frequently meeting with each other for prayer & worship.

    Sounds like they may have joined the largest growing segment of Christianity in America … the “Dones” … done with church, but not done with Jesus.


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    Max:
    Susan Lane,

    Good response to the elders, Susan….You did the right thing to stand; I suspect some of the elders (in their heart of hearts) know that.I wish you the very best in the days ahead.

    Thanks Max! To you the same.


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    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Beautifully written message on the current state of PSC, Cindy! And thank you for your in-depth analysis of how Mark is placing people, in cronyism fashion, in key positions around the church who will not challenge him. The Missions Committee certainly has seen a lot of that as well. In an email circulated within the PSC community, Christina Michaud forwarded the testimony of an anonymous Missions Committee member who describes how Mark took the responsibility for finding a new Director of City Outreach from Julian and the Missions Team, so that he could have complete control over the decision making, even though this person would report to Julian. [IMO he is essentially trying to treat Julian as the cause of Kimberly Morrison‘s “blemish” on PSC. The irony, considering one of the main complainants was a longtime acquaintance of Mark’s and Mark’s clear familiarity with the Telios firm that investigated her. Some real conflicts of interest there. Add to that Mark’s kowtowing to the complementarian population, and you can see that Kim Morrison’s termination is more than likely a political power play under wraps. Yet, how do you prove it all unless Kim sues and an investigation rips the issue wide open?]

    Worse still, Mark let a friend who followed him from his prior church and is now on our Nominating Committee to select the Finance Treasurer for the Missions Team, a position that was normally filled in cooperative effort by the Missions Committee and the Finance Team, another act of cronyism. You can read about it after this post.

    There is no question that Mark’s actions in leadership are anything but Christ-like. It’s high time that the Elder Board be made to stand to account for their protection of him and allowing these abuses to continue.
    ___________________________________
    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    For over two years, the Minister of City Engagement position has sat vacant since Kimberley Morrison’s resignation. On October 5th, just two days after leadership announced that Michael was fired, the church e-news disclosed that the hiring process was put on pause. Why the pause? Read the testimony of a Missions Committee member to learn more.

    The testimony below is shared with the author’s permission, but without attribution in order to protect the author’s identity. The testimony discusses three specific examples of darkness in our church.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    Christina Michaud
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
    —————————————————————————

    I. City Engagement Hire

    “Subject to the general oversight of the Board of Elders, the Missions Committee shall have charge over the missionary funds and missionary program of Park Street Church.” (PSC Bylaws Article VI.2.A)

    In the spring of 2023, without any input from the missions committee, the Senior Minister inserted himself with veto power at multiple points in the hiring process and stripped the missions committee of its authoritative vote. Since this position reports to the Minister of Missions, this change in the process is akin to a CEO trying to hire his direct report’s report.

    On June 14th, 2023, at a monthly meeting, missions committee members discussed concerns around these changes — namely, that these changes seemed unnecessary as the previous process had worked effectively and that they went against the congregational nature of our church and our bylaws, which give the missions committee oversight of the missions budget and missions ministries. The missions committee voted unanimously for a resolution to change the Senior Minister’s proposal. Despite this resolution, the Senior Minister’s proposal remained unchanged.

    At the end of June, representatives from the Missions Committee met with the Senior Minister and several elders to share the resolution and explain the concerns and request this topic be taken up at an Elder Board Meeting. The Moderator refused to bring this topic to the Elder Board, though the Bylaws clearly state that the Missions Committee falls under the supervision of the whole Board, not just Mark. In addition, Minister of Missions Julian Linnell met extensively with the Senior Minister and encouraged him to consider changes as this could only help to build trust in an environment where trust was already low following the 4pm cancellation. Despite multiple meetings, the Senior Minister’s proposal remained unchanged.

    On August 9th, the Senior Minister attended the missions committee meeting. Despite hearing various concerns numerous times from various members, he did not change his original proposal and instead argued that, although the missions committee would not have a binding vote in his proposed process, he would listen to the opinions of the committee and Minister of Missions. He assured with his words that he would listen, but his actions spoke otherwise. If he wouldn’t even consider current opinions or feedback initially, why would there be confidence he would listen later? Some members of the Missions Committee left in tears. Another subset of people who had been reprimanded one-on-one by the Senior Minister were terrified of retaliation from the Senior Minister.

    In September, as a result of the Senior Minister insisting on his own way, the search and hiring process was put on hold.

    Now in May, more than two years after the previous Minister of City Engagement resigned, the position of Minister of City Engagement still remains empty, putting a greater burden on volunteers for the Home Ministry and New Neighbors ministry. If the Senior Minister cares so deeply about the Home Ministry and city outreach, why is he refusing to amend the search process, work with the missions committee, and restart the search process?

    II. Missions Treasurer Candidate

    The process for choosing the mission’s treasure is another example of how the Senior Minister is consolidating power and control. The missions treasurer not only deals with missions committee finances, but typically sits on the Personnel Committee at the discretion of the moderator. In choosing a candidate, the Nominating Procedures state that “the committee in general follows the advice of the finance and administration committee for treasurer nominations and that of the missions committee for missions treasurer.” In the past, the Minister of Missions and the leaders of the missions committee have been involved in choosing the candidate for missions’ treasurer to present to the nominating committee.

    Breaking with precedent, this year, the Senior Minister informed the Minister of Missions that a member of the Nominating Committee (who followed the Senior Minister from his last church) identified someone for missions treasurer. When this NC member informed the Minister of Missions of the choice, the Minister of Missions objected strongly because the missions committee was not consulted in the process of the selection. This feedback was ignored. As a result, the missions committee was further sidelined.

    III. Elder Candidate

    Previously John Liu sat as an Elder on the Missions Committee. When John ended his eldership, the missions committee was sidelined and given no voice in choosing the next representing Elder. Historically, the minister of missions and the chair of the committee would be involved in the selection of an elder representative, in discussions with the Moderator. However, the Moderator did not discuss this new appointment with them, nor did he even solicit feedback or suggestions for candidates. Instead, a member of the Senior Minister’s inner circle was unilaterally assigned.

    Unlike previous elders who sat on the committee, the new Elder has no relationship with the Minister of Missions and has little experience with the PSC missions program or committee at Park Street. The Elder Board and Senior Minister thrust their choice upon a 13-person committee handling 39% of the $5.55MM church budget.

    The Senior Minister chose to ignore a unanimous resolution from 13 members of the missions committee. As a result, PSC can no longer hire a minister of city engagement, critical for advancing the gospel in Boston. The Senior Minister’s close friend nominated the missions treasurer candidate, ignoring nominating committee policy that states, “The committee could nominate other candidates for all of these positions, but instead the committee in general follows the advice of the finance and administration committee for treasurer nominations and that of the missions committee for missions treasurer.” The Senior Minister’s ally has been assigned as the Elder to the missions committee without consultation of the committee and with no experience with the PSC missions program, breaking with precedent.

    Philippians 2:6-8 says Jesus Himself, “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Christ-like leadership and true humility means letting go of power for the sake of others. Is the leadership displayed by these lead members of the Nominating Committee, the Elder Board, and the Senior Minister truly Christ-like?


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    Hi Dee,
    Would you please contact me asap at lanesusan68@yahoo.com? Thanks. ~Susan


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    Sardis,

    This is what I was afraid of – thankfully (or not?) we still receive PSC emails. I’d think Deb Gallagher would know who is good standing and who isn’t prior to sending out emails?… I’m so sickened by all of this. It was a pandemic and we needed our church more than anything and, instead, felt extra traumatization with all of this turmoil. I’m considering showing up on Sunday anyway and seeing what happens.


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    TEDS,

    sorry I’m new to this kind of forum – meant to link to your comment…


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    Thank you to everyone for all of your comments, especially those who’ve included emails, testimonials, etc. 🙂

    Because of all of you, all of this information — including Dee’s OP — is now a matter of public record. 🙂 And to ensure nothing happens to all this information, I’ve made an Internet Archive copy of everything up to this comment of mine, although that mightn’t be totally accurate, as someone may have commented before I complete this one. 🙂

    The following link is to an Internet Archive copy of Dee’s OP post and all the comments (see above 🙂 )

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240530174234/https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/05/03/the-vicinage-council-exonerates-mark-booker-excoriates-those-who-disagree-and-appears-to-point-towards-an-implosion-of-park-street-church/


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    Cindy Cuslip deserves our praise and admiration. She resigned in a timely manner and spoke out. She did exactly what the Bible counsels us to do in the sort of situation she found herself in. She spoke out, to the best of her ability. She demonstrated Courage.

    On the other hand, Dr Knight deserves minimal praise for speaking out at this late date. HE IS A COWARD. He needed to speak out TWO YEARS ago–and MUST be held accountable for failing to do this. Like Cindy Cuslip, he had the moral and ethical responsibility to RESIGN from the Board of Elders and speak out.

    In situations like this, the Bible is clear as to how we are to proceed. Matthew 18 15-17 states:

    “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

    Dr Knight is a COWARD, not a leader. He was pressured into allowing his written testimony to the Vicinage Council to be made public. This is NOT right.

    Dr Knight describes the issues surrounding the reopening of Park Street Church during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He had strong objections to reopening so soon, based on valid medical grounds. He discussed his objections with the relevant parties (other elders, Mark Booker) in accordance with Matthew 18. As a medical professional, he had a Duty to Warn. I was warned not to attend Park Street Church by another member who has a background in public health–and that person was warning as many members as they knew. On the other hand, Dr Knight warned a select few; he could have warned many others within the congregation, but chose not to. Following the Matthew 18 dictates, he had a responsibility to warn the entire congregation, which, by his own words, he failed to do.

    I was sure that nepotism was a problem at Park Street Church when a married couple was elected as Elders as well as the husband of the controversial Minister to Women. The information Dr Knight supplied clearly demonstrated that Park Street Church leadership is rife with nepotism and corruption. Dr Knight had a duty to warn the congregation about this, in a timely manner–which he failed to do.

    Dr Knight has the necessary knowledge and skills to do what I did: run a Due Diligence Background Check using open sources on the Telios Law Firm. In doing this check, he would have unearthed the fact that this organization did not have the necessary experts (attorney with relevant expertise, experienced and probably semi-retired successful businessman with an MBA, a conservative theologian, a licensed and experienced mental health professional). He could have raised questions as to whether it was appropriate to use a law firm in the Front Range of Colorado and Mark Booker’s ties to it. I am SHOCKED that Dr Knight did not research the legal discipline of Compliance Law, what a post-incident investigation looks like along with the team of experts a third party investigation calls upon when reporting back to the company and what to expect in the report.

    Dr Knight had a responsibility to critique the Telios Report. Ms Sidebotham’s report was not professionally rendered and it is clear that Dr Knight was highly critical of it. Unfortunately, Dr Knight’s criticisms focused solely on Ms Sidebotham’s failure to employ a licensed mental health professional. As discussed above, Dr Knight failed to learn about the legal discipline of Compliance. I found out about this discipline as part of performing a Due Diligence check on Telios Law Firm. There were many, many problems with the Telios report, but Dr Knight’s criticism only scratched the surface. The Telios report did not contain a Conflict of Interest statement–which is considered routine in this situation. Dr Knight should have picked this up, for as a published author and researcher. He should have been far more critical of Attorney Sidebotham, a lay person, using mental health jargon to criticize Kathleen Morrison, someone she does not know and did not interview. Dr Knight failed to mention that the Telios Report did not contain any recommendations as to how Park Street Church could improve its ministerial selection process (this is not the first time a minister resigned abruptly and was accused of unethical conduct). Dr Knight failed to mention that the Telios Report did not contain any sort of explanation of what Kathleen Morrison had done that would be considered “spiritual abuse”. (The congregation deserved to receive some sort of explanation–and that was never provided.) Overall, the quality of the Telios Report was beyond substandard–to the point that Park Street Church should have explored the possibility of demanding a refund from Telios.

    Dr Knight has rightfully been critical of Mark Booker’s leadership. Dr Knight became more concerned about Mark Booker’s health, both physical and mental, because Mark Booker’s behavior was becoming more overtly aggressive and abusive. Mark Booker appears to have become Drunk on Power. However, Dr Knight recommended that Mark Booker be ordered to submit to a forensic psychiatric examination conducted by a team of evaluators. This is NOT appropriate–those who conduct forensic psychiatric examinations are familiar with the mental health problems seen in justice impacted people, not badly behaved and destructive executives (which Mark Booker appears to be). Instead, Dr Knight should have recommended that Mark Booker be evaluated by an organization that specializes in such work. In the case of Park Street Church, it needed to be an organization that specializes in working with churches. It took me a grand total of 2 minutes to identify multiple places that provide this service: Saint Luke Institute, Midwest Ministry Development, The Albert & Jessie Danielson institute of Boston University, The Ecumenical Center, the Samaritan Center. I am sure there are others.

    When the Board of Elders put Dr Knight on ‘indefinite leave’ from the Board of Elders, without informing the congregation of this, the ONLY honorable thing for Dr Knight to do was to resign from the Board of Elders and inform the congregation about the horrible, un-Christian behavior of Mark Booker, his cronies and all those in leadership positions who knew but are keeping their mouths shut. He was under the moral and ethical obligation to treat Park Street Leadership as if they were pagans or tax collectors.

    After the Board of Elders sent a self-serving, self-centered and entirely unprofessional letter to Park Street Church announcing that Dr Knight had been placed on indefinite leave from the Board of Elders, yet again, he had a moral and ethical responsibility to resign, to take his grievances to the congregation. He failed to do so.

    The letter announcing that Dr Knight had been restored to the Board of Elders to be equally as offensive, self-centered, nasty and unprofessional as the letter announcing his departure. This was yet another opportunity for Dr Knight to resign and then inform the congregation about the nepotism, the corruption that lies within Park Street Church and Mark Booker’s serious breaches of pastoral conduct. The fact Dr Knight returned to the Board of Elders after they inappropriately publicly shamed him, meant that Dr Knight allowed these ‘leaders’ to psychologically abuse him.

    Park Street Church does have a mechanism that allows someone who has grave concerns about this church to call a Special Meeting. Had Dr Knight done the right thing, which was to circulate a petition for a Special Meeting, along with his concerns, as documented in his written testimony to the Vicinage Council, I would have signed it. I knew at least ten other members of Park Street Church who would have signed it. I’m sure that many members known to Dr Knight but not known to me who would have signed it. The mere act of circulating a call for a Special Meeting to address Dr Knight’s concerns would have fulfilled his obligations under Matthew 18–letting the congregation know about the rot within the leadership of Park Street Church.

    Instead, Dr Knight proved that he believes in ‘Go Along to Get Along’. The ONLY reason Dr Knight’s critique has become public is that he was pressured to release his report to the Vicinage Council. Dr Knight did not demonstrate Biblical leadership when it was required.

    Dr Knight is part of the problem. “Go Along to Get Along” in circumstances like this is a serious sin. Dr Knight owes the membership of Park Street Church an apology for failing to bring his serious concerns to the congregation. Dr Knight also needs to spend a considerable amount of time with a pastoral counsellor or a mental health professional, to look within himself as to why he decided to “Go along to Get Along” instead of doing the right thing–whistle blow.

    (I’m a successful corporate whistleblower. Dr Knight was not risking much had he blown the whistle in a timely manner. He is established in his career, financially well-off and old enough that he could retire if he so chose. I learned who my friends were when I became a corporate whistleblower. Those who refused to support me were Sunny Day friends, not true friends and parting ways with them was no loss. The dysfunction within Park Street Church Dr Knight witnessed was so serious as to imperil the church, yet Dr Knight did nothing.)


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    A Former Member of PSC,

    As another former member of PSC, I wouldn’t recommend anonymously lashing out at someone online, accusing that person of cowardice while you’re refusing to put your own name by a statement like this.

    Particularly when that person is an alleged victim of spiritual abuse.

    Just not a good look.

    Remember the #MeToo movement? Remember that #whyididntreport hashtag started by survivors?

    Spiritual abuse works much in the same way. Just because you don’t know the reasons why Dr. Knight didn’t speak out earlier, doesn’t mean that compelling reasons are not there.

    FWIW, the Telios report did include a definition of spiritual abuse. I know this, because I saw it. I drew on the same definition when circulating a petition to protect The Five and conduct a real, trauma-informed, truly objective investigation.


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    Agreed. Plus Dr. Knight has extensive clinical experience with this sort of personality type. Anyone who has ever dealt with the Cluster B types in any sort of legal arena knows very well the importance of silence. He might have felt it best to work from within. We don’t really know. I certainly wouldn’t accuse him of cowardice.

    Elizabeth Klein:
    A Former Member of PSC,

    As another former member of PSC, I wouldn’t recommend anonymously lashing out at someone online, accusing that person of cowardice while you’re refusing to put your own name by a statement like this.

    Particularly when that person is an alleged victim of spiritual abuse.

    Just not a good look.

    Remember the #MeToo movement? Remember that #whyididntreport hashtag started by survivors?

    Spiritual abuse works much in the same way. Just because you don’t know the reasons why Dr. Knight didn’t speak out earlier, doesn’t mean that compelling reasons are not there.

    FWIW, the Telios report did include a definition of spiritual abuse. I know this, because I saw it. I drew on the same definition when circulating a petition to protect The Five and conduct a real, trauma-informed, truly objective investigation.


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    Elizabeth Klein: I wouldn’t recommend anonymously lashing out at someone online, accusing that person of cowardice while you’re refusing to put your own name by a statement like this.
    Particularly when that person is an alleged victim of spiritual abuse.
    Just not a good look.
    Remember the #MeToo movement? Remember that #whyididntreport hashtag started by survivors?
    Spiritual abuse works much in the same way. Just because you don’t know the reasons why Dr. Knight didn’t speak out earlier, doesn’t mean that compelling reasons are not there.

    Thank you so much for writing this, dear sister! It has taken me about 21 years to get to the place of saying my church in college was abusive. Not only dues it take time to name abuse as such, it takes courage to name it. NO ONE wants to be a victim-survivor of abuse… and that combined with abusers wanting to stay hidden makes a confusing situation that promotes silence. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Maybe I’m too sensitive. Maybe… maybe… maybe…” Abusers THRIVE in these situations and their mind games and crocodile tears play on the desires of victim-survivors for things to be ok.

    Perhaps if Dr. John Knight had spoken out sooner, you Former Member of Park Street Church (sorry I can’t figure out how to tag you), would not been as hurt in some way. For that, I lament and grieve your pains and injuries. I just know that Dr. John Knight was being abused at the time you had hoped he would have acted differently. He is a co-victim, a co-survivor with you.

    Perhaps reframing your perspective on this will help you (1) show compassion towards him and others who did not become whistleblowers, (2) understand why victim-survivors sometimes can’t be whistleblowers, and (3) God willing, help you in your own journey towards healing.

    To be clear, blaming the victim-survivors injured before your own injury occurred takes the focus off the abuser and helps to pit the victim-survivors against one another. The abuser benefits from this pattern. Don’t let yourself be drawn into this destructive division between victim-survivors… focus on the source of the abuse, not those suffering abuse before you did.

    Also, please keep reading TWW posts and discussions! I have found this space to be a very helpful resource in my own healing journey. I do hope and pray it will do similar things for you as a sibling in Christ.


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    And here is some more abuse in writing from the Board of Elders…. Who writes these things? Which of these people think this rubbish is a good idea? Do you think we won’t read or haven’t already read Pastor Damian’s email? Why the gaslighting? Gaslighting IS abuse!!!

    From: Park Street Church
    Date: Fri, 31 May 2024 at 10:40 AM
    Subject: A Message from the Board of Elders

    May 30, 2024

    Fellow members,

    As many of you have heard, our Minister of Community, Damian Long, has decided to resign from his position on our staff. Following the release of the Vicinage Council report, we have been pursuing a process of discernment with Damian and the other staff members who have been in conflict with Mark and the Board of Elders to assess whether there is a viable path towards resolution in a manner that would allow each of them to follow Mark’s and the Board of Elders’ leadership going forward. This process sought to account for and faithfully steward the reality that church staff relationships exist within an organizational context. Damian sought to have that process structured differently than how we structured it and ultimately determined not to move forward. We had sincerely prayed and hoped for a different outcome, but we respect Damian’s decision.

    There is pain anytime a minister leaves our staff, especially when there is conflict and disagreement as we are experiencing now at the church. This is not what any of us hoped for, but we do trust that the Lord will address and heal that pain—for all of us—in due time.

    We are thankful to Damian for his ministry among us and to his wife Grace and him for their years of faithful, sacrificial service as missionaries overseas. Damian’s gifts of insight, sensitivity, passion, evangelism, and community-building have been a blessing to our church, and we pray that God will continue to use them for His glory. Please join us in praying that our Lord would bless Damian and his family in their next steps.

    For those ministries most affected by Damian’s upcoming departure, a clear transition plan is being developed to ensure that these ministries are able to continue with the least disruption possible. Please pray for that process as we seek to continue to follow and serve Jesus together.

    In the Peace of Christ,
    The Board of Elders

    [Just tagging you all by name for the record… this list is from the Park Street Church website as of May 39, 2024.]

    JASON ABRAHAM
    Moderator
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    YANNICK ASSOGBA
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    DEBORAH GALLAGHER
    Clerk
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIE HALVORSEN
    Elder
    TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

    GREGG HANSEN
    Assistant Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    MARY HARVEY
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    LINDA HERMAN
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    RICHARD IBEKWE
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    GABRIEL LING
    Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    LESLIE LIU
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    DAVID MURGATROYD
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    GEOFFREY RAUX
    Moderator-Elect
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    KIRSTIN PELTZ
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    DANIEL VOGELZANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    JOSHUA WANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    STEVE WEIBLEY
    Elder
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIANNE WHITE
    Missions Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    ANDREW ZIEGLER
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)


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    researcher: Because of all of you, all of this information — including Dee’s OP — is now a matter of public record. And to ensure nothing happens to all this information, I’ve made an Internet Archive copy of everything up to this comment of mine, although that mightn’t be totally accurate, as someone may have commented before I complete this one.
    The following link is to an Internet Archive copy of Dee’s OP post and all the comments (see above )
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240530174234/https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/05/03/the-vicinage-council-exonerates-mark-booker-excoriates-those-who-disagree-and-appears-to-point-towards-an-implosion-of-park-street-church/

    Thank you so much! This is such a wise step to ensure the gaslighting can be shown for what it is… reality testing and fact checking are such an important part of truth telling! Thank you again for helping preserve all of this for the future authors of the spiritual abuse textbooks and their chapters on Park Street Church.

    And may there be subsequent healing times to write about after the abuse is exposed and named! To hop on my soapbox again: no accurate diagnosis, no effective prescription!


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    Friend of Park Street Church: The Board of Elders
    [Just tagging you all by name for the record… this list is from the Park Street Church website as of May 39, 2024.]

    TYPO: this list is from May 30, 2024… not May 39th. Sometimes it seems like time is a bit wacky… especially during this spiritual abuse crisis…


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    TEDS: I’m considering showing up on Sunday anyway and seeing what happens.

    Please do!


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    researcher: Thank you to everyone for all of your comments, especially those who’ve included emails, testimonials, etc.

    I should have asked in my other post… [I need to go to bed!] … is there a way to get lists of the names of people on the various committees at the time Dr. John Knight was referring to in his letter? Or to the list of elders when Cindy Cutlip was an elder? Or the list when Kris Perkins was bullied and abused?

    While there is a place for anonymity, it is PAST time for the names of each person on these committees to be written down as this story is told. No more hiding. No more references to groups without the ACTUAL NAMES of who was part of them at the time.

    Board of Elders
    Nominating Committee
    Staff Members
    Personnel Committee
    Deacons
    Deacon’s Subcommittee (?)
    Missions Committee
    Redundancy Department of Redundancy
    Officers
    Investment Committee
    The Inner Ring of Super-Elders
    Finance & Administration Committee
    Membership Committee (why is this necessary??)

    Ok…. So I made up two of those, but only two!


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    TEDS: This is what I was afraid of – thankfully (or not?) we still receive PSC emails. I’d think Deb Gallagher would know who is good standing and who isn’t prior to sending out emails?… I’m so sickened by all of this. It was a pandemic and we needed our church more than anything and, instead, felt extra traumatization with all of this turmoil. I’m considering showing up on Sunday anyway and seeing what happens.

    If you get the emails then you probably are a member. Not sure how coordinated PSC is and why membership has to be a guessing game. Please do come on Sunday.

    Speaking of emails… today I received the heartbreaking and devastating testimony of former Associate Minister Kris Perkins. It initially went to spam. If you are a member, you need to read this. Check your spam or ask around.


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    Sardis: If you get the emails then you probably are a member. Not sure how coordinated PSC is and why membership has to be a guessing game. Please do come on Sunday.

    Speaking of emails… today I received the heartbreaking and devastating testimony of former Associate Minister Kris Perkins. It initially went to spam. If you are a member, you need to read this. Check your spam or ask around.

    What?! I checked spam, everything. Didn’t see it. I think there’s more than one list. Any way you, or someone else, could post it here? Thank you!


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    Friend of Park Street Church: I should have asked in my other post… [I need to go to bed!] … is there a way to get lists of the names of people on the various committees at the time Dr. John Knight was referring to in his letter?Or to the list of elders when Cindy Cutlip was an elder?Or the list when Kris Perkins was bullied and abused?

    While there is a place for anonymity, it is PAST time for the names of each person on these committees to be written down as this story is told. No more hiding. No more references to groups without the ACTUAL NAMES of who was part of them at the time.

    Board of Elders
    Nominating Committee
    Staff Members
    Personnel Committee
    Deacons
    Deacon’s Subcommittee (?)
    Missions Committee
    Redundancy Department of Redundancy
    Officers
    Investment Committee
    The Inner Ring of Super-Elders
    Finance & Administration Committee
    Membership Committee (why is this necessary??)

    Ok…. So I made up two of those, but only two!

    Should be in annual reports


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    Friend of Park Street Church:

    Perhaps if Dr. John Knight had spoken out sooner, you Former Member of Park Street Church (sorry I can’t figure out how to tag you), would not been as hurt in some way.For that, I lament and grieve your pains and injuries.I just know that Dr. John Knight was being abused at the time you had hoped he would have acted differently.He is a co-victim, a co-survivor with you.

    Perhaps reframing your perspective on this will help you (1) show compassion towards him and others who did not become whistleblowers, (2) understand why victim-survivors sometimes can’t be whistleblowers, and (3) God willing, help you in your own journey towards healing.

    To be clear, blaming the victim-survivors injured before your own injury occurred takes the focus off the abuser and helps to pit the victim-survivors against one another.The abuser benefits from this pattern.Don’t let yourself be drawn into this destructive division between victim-survivors… focus on the source of the abuse, not those suffering abuse before you did.

    Also, please keep reading TWW posts and discussions!I have found this space to be a very helpful resource in my own healing journey.I do hope and pray it will do similar things for you as a sibling in Christ.

    Beautifully put, Friend of Park Street Church!!

    All of this.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: He uses the word “reconciliation” to conceal the true purpose of meetings

    Reconcealiation?


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    From PSC Member Ray Park:

    Members of the congregation wrote to the Elder Board requesting permission for Kris Perkins to provide testimony at the special meeting about his experiences with Mark.

    Jason Abraham, Moderator, denied this request, though Kris has relevant information related to the special meeting purpose.

    Since the Elders would not allow such testimony, Kris has submitted a written document for the congregation for your review.

    ********************

    Ray Park’s email is winding up in a lot of PSC Members’ spam folders. Kris Perkins was fired, after having faithfully served as a PSC minister for 24 years.

    Below is Kris Perkins’ testimony in full.

    ********************

    A Response to Requests Made by Congregants of Park Street Church in Preparation for the Special Meeting of June 2, 2024

    Kris Perkins

    Dear Brothers and Sisters of Park Street,

    I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who understands the burdens we bear and promises to deliver us from every tribulation. Through each and every hardship, we are refined. By clinging faithfully to him in long-suffering his glory is manifest in and through our lives. In humility, Christ himself bore the cross to complete the work given to him, and through suffering, God’s goodness has come to bear on generation after generation. He was delivered through death and lives in glorified life as we all shall when we take up our own crosses and follow him. One day we shall stand together in unity around his throne crowned with everlasting joy when sin is no more and the troubles of this world melt away.

    For those who do not know me, my name is Kris Perkins. I served on the staff of Park Street Church for 24 years first as an Assistant Minister of Families beginning in 1997, then as the Associate Minister of Church Development and Families beginning in 2010, then as the Associate Minister beginning in 2016. After assisting Park Street in its years of transition from 2016 to 2020, I became the Senior Pastor of Triangle Grace Church in Durham, North Carolina in the summer of 2021. Laura and I have four children all of whom grew up with Park Street Church in the center of their lives. We are deeply grateful for our church family in Boston over those 24 years and now here in Durham over the past three.

    Laura and I have been in prayer for all of you throughout this year asking that the Lord would intercede in the midst of the painful division through which the church is walking. Even in the midst of hardship we know that Christ is in your midst and working among you through his Holy Spirit. We have prayed that the path of humility might be chosen by all so that unity would be restored to Park Street and the witness of this church regained without tarnish. Our love for all of you is as strong as the day we left, the memories of life at Park Street as sweet today as the experiences we shared over two decades of fellowship, friendship, and service together.

    Why This Letter

    Park Street is walking through a time of strife. Over the past year many from the church – both those who have been supportive of the current leadership of Park Street and those who have raised significant concern – have reached out to me seeking counsel, encouragement, and prayer as a friend and former pastor who understands the complexity of church life at Park Street. My counsel has been consistent to both groups: think the best of the other side, be humble and kind, know that God is in the midst of what is unfolding and that he remains on the throne as the chief shepherd of Park Street.

    I was asked by congregants to travel to Boston and speak at the Annual Meeting in February, but I declined to do so without first receiving an invitation or permission from the leadership of the church to attend. When approached by a reporter from the Boston Globe to offer details about my experience with current leadership of the church I declined to do so. When I was approached by a reporter from Christianity Today to provide for him details about my experiences with Mark Booker, I politely declined. Many of you have followed the Wartburg Watch, a blog that has been an online resource for conversation about the issues unfolding at Park Street. I have never posted on that blog. A number of people encouraged me to reach out to the Vicinage Council and share my experiences with them, and though I would have responded positively to a request from them because of their formal role with the CCCC, I chose not to proactively share what transpired over the last year of my ministry at Park Street Church unless approached by those serving on the Vicinage Council.

    I share this background with you to underline my reluctance to speak publicly about any matters unfolding at Park Street. My only public statement to date was made on Facebook. It was a corporate call for humility and unity at Park Street. Like so many around the world who love the church as I do, I want to see Park Street healthy and thriving. My hope was that through such a post, those at Park Street would be reminded that what is unfolding at Park Street impacts many more people than just those who gather each Sunday on the corner of Tremont and Park Street.

    I have again been requested by members of Park Street Church to share my testimony with the church in the upcoming Special Meeting. I asked them to submit a request to the Elders to allow me to do so wanting to show deference to the leadership of the church. That request was declined by the Elders. By doing so, the Elders have not allowed relevant testimony to be heard by the congregation which has direct bearing on the issues at hand.

    It is common practice for those who once served at a church to remain silent on what transpires after their departure. It is a principle which I have embraced for 3 years. But this moment in which Park Street is living is anything but common. In its 215 years, the threat to the health and integrity of the church has never been so great. Such metastasized division has never been experienced at Park Street to such a degree as you are experiencing today, and the church will not recover from it if it is allowed to continue to move in this direction.

    We have Paul’s example of love as he wrote to churches from whom he had departed after spending years of service among them. When strife had reached a boiling point he wrote words of truth, love, and encouragement to them. Some clearly were not pleased (read the second letter to the Corinthians!) I can only imagine that what I share will not be received well by some. But no one can deny my love for you and the motivation from which it is written.

    Those of you who remain at Park Street know my love for you, whether you have been supportive of Mark or have raised concerns about his leadership. I think of how much I enjoyed catching up with Jason Abraham on Friday nights after two hours of hanging out with his kids, and how much Laura and I appreciated meals cooked by Jason and Acacia and brought to our house as we walked through difficult times, and how much fun it was to brainstorm with Acacia as we planned ministry events together. I think about the privilege of baptizing Michael and Tracy Balboni’s children at Family Camp, and marrying Dan and Jen Vogelzang, and praying with Herman Smith after heart surgery in the hospital, and walking beside Charles and Kirstin Peltz as they said goodbye to Charles’ father, and spending a week in Colombia with John Knight and Tristan Rix, and enjoying lunches with David Rix at Joe’s Diner and Brian Winey at Harvard Gardens and Mike Ahearn on the East Boston waterfront. I think of brainstorming with Nathan Skinner trying to figure out how to handle unexpected tensions among the music team and how much meaningful life the Herndon family, the Verrengias, and our family have shared. I remember how wonderful it was to have Damian Long join the staff of Park Street, and walking beside Julian Linnell as his mother and father died and praying with Tammy and Pat McLeod in the hospital as Zach was on the edge of life and death and praying for little Grace Leary on our knees in the Sky Room when it appeared as though she might not live.

    I could go on naming names and reminding you of the depth of my love for each of you because of what we shared together. I know the divide which is present at Park Street in this moment, but my love is not divided, my love remains steadfast for the whole church, for those on either side of the chasm. My affection remains the same for you as the day our family departed from your midst.

    In Mark Booker’s sermon from Hebrew 12 on February 4, 2024 he noted the call to strive for peace with everyone. But he rightly explained that this is not a command to be at peace with everyone. If we were to be at peace with everyone that would be to put peace above truth and love which the scriptures do not command us to do. He said that we cannot simply sweep issues under the rug to arrive at peace as tempting as that may be. He said that we must be careful that in our desire to see conflict go away that we do not short-circuit the genuine steps towards biblical reconciliation. The invitation to strive for peace is not an invitation to avoid doing or saying hard things in love. Speaking such things are the duties and demands of love and truth,” Mark said.

    And so I am compelled to write at this moment for the sake of the congregation and in response to their formal request, to speak in truth because of my love for all of you.

    My Experience with Mark

    I have been asked by multiple people to share about my dismissal from Park Street Church publicly and for the reasons cited above I have not. I did not want to create division within the church upon my departure nor add to the developing division as things worsened this year. My departure came as a surprise to many and did not make sense to them. Mark’s decision to remove me from staff came as a surprise to me as well and has yet to make sense.

    Let me first share with you what happened in the winter and spring of 2021.

    Mark had been hired in February of 2020 and began leading our church in March. It was a difficult time to begin a new tenure as we dealt with the enormous burdens of the burgeoning COVID pandemic together.

    The first week of January 2021, I submitted my annual report for the previous year. Here is what I wrote in the opening paragraph:

    “God has been gracious and faithful to Park Street in 2020 as he always has been and always will be. After more than two years of searching he has brought to our congregation a Christ-centered, godly pastor who is passionate to share the hope that is ours in Jesus through word, deed, and example on our campus, in our city, and beyond. Mark Booker and his family are a gift to us and a testimony of God’s gracious provision for his people.”

    To offer more context about my own life at that moment, my father had died of COVID in May of 2020. In October of 2020 Laura’s dad died unexpectedly. My mother’s health and mobility significantly deteriorated upon my father’s death and was in and out of the hospital that year and into the next. Laura and I were taking care of her at age 88 in our home. During the first week of January, my brother was admitted to intensive care because of COVID. It was questionable whether he would make it. We were supporting tuition for Isaiah in college, Josiah was about to enter college in the fall, and we were preparing for Amanda’s wedding in May. Of course, all of us were at home at that point trying to navigate COVID remotely for work and school. Life was complicated and weighty to say the least.

    Mark had scheduled a meeting with me the second week of January for what I assumed was strategizing about the coming year. After offering Mark an update on my family which included the issues I just mentioned, Mark changed the topic and said, “I want to be honest with you Kris, I do not see you as part of my ministry team moving forward.”

    This came as a complete shock to me. Up to this point I thought Mark and I had served side-by-side collegially and in a productive manner. At no point had Mark raised concern about any aspect of my work, differences in ministry perspective, or issues about our ability to work together. I asked Mark if he could articulate why he did not believe I was a good fit for his developing ministry team of which his only reply was, “My gut tells me that it is so.” I asked him numerous times the same question in different ways to which he said there was no other reason than that.

    Mark asked me to share this with Laura, but told me that I was not to share this with anyone else. I asked him why I could not and his response to me was, “It would be toxic if this got out.” I said to Mark, “Good decisions are never toxic.” I also asked him if he thought Park Street Church would be better off without the Perkins family present to which he said, “yes.” I asked for permission to share this situation with one or two people in the congregation for support and care. He gave permission on the condition that I needed to let him know who I planned to talk to and that he must talk to them first. He let me know that the Personnel Committee knew of this decision, but the Elders did not and if this became more widely known actions toward my termination would move quickly.

    Mark asked to meet three days later with me. He asked me how Laura and I were processing his decision. I told him that we were devastated. I told him, however, it really did not matter what Laura and I thought of the situation, because he was the one who held power. I asked him if he was sure this was the way he wanted to wield his authority.

    I asked Mark for permission to speak with Dan Verrengia as one of the two people from the congregation to walk beside me in this. Dan was a professional counselor, outstanding pastor, and trusted friend and I thought he would be the best one to provide support to me as this unfolded. To my great surprise, Mark forbade me to speak with Dan; he offered no explanation why.

    Approximately 2 weeks later Mark set up another meeting with me, this time with David Rix present. I asked for permission for another person to be present and requested that it be Alexis Sauer-Budge an elder at Park Street at the time. Mark gave permission on the condition that he spoke with Alexis before the meeting.

    During this meeting I again asked Mark to help me to understand why he did not believe I was a good fit for his team. I presented specific reasons and asked him to either agree or disagree whether it contributed to his decision to remove me from staff. I asked about,

     A difference of theology viewpoint
     A difference of philosophy of ministry
     My work ethic
     Not pastoral enough
     My job performance was below par
     Moral failure
     Not articulate enough
     I publicly opposed him or he perceived me as unsupportive of him
     My presence was somehow a threat to his leadership
     I was representative of a past team of ministry leaders
     He wanted a younger person serving as his associate minister
     He wanted greater diversity on the staff

    He shook his head back and forth and said, “no” to each of these possibilities. I again asked if there were any other reasons I had not mentioned that had given his cause to make this decision and he reiterated that the only reason was that “his gut told him so.”

    I said to Mark that I cannot see the principle from scripture he was using to justify this decision that it did not reflect the ethic of love which he asserted was the central tenet of his approach to ministry in his first sermon to Park Street. I said that surely two brothers in Christ who lived by the Book could partner in ministry and work out together any issues which may be before them also making reference to Matthew 18. I asked Mark to share with me the scriptural principle upon which his decision was based, and he said that it was “wisdom” and that he was being loving because he was being honest. But he offered no further explanation.

    I also said to him that because this decision was neither coming from love nor humility and lacked transparency in every aspect of it, I did not believe God would honor the decision and that it would end up hurting the church and bring unnecessary harm to his ministry at Park Street. David again restated that if this decision leaked out, my termination would move more swiftly.

    Afterward I was given permission to speak to David Rix alone. David expressed care and concern for me and my family saying that he knew how difficult all this was. He offered financial support and assistance to help me find a new position if it was needed, a gesture for which I was grateful for in the midst of what was transpiring.

    I asked David if Mark had shared with him reasons for this decision beyond what he had shared with me up to this point. David said that Mark had indeed offered further insight into his reasoning to David and the Personnel Committee. I reminded David that Mark had now told me multiple times that there were no other reasons beyond “My gut tells me so” for his decision even after I asked him if there were any other reasons. I reminded him that Mark had said to me that he was being honest with me. I asked David if Mark was telling me the truth when he made that statement to me. I said, “Don’t you see that he is lying to me when he says there is no other reason.” David said that he recognized the incongruence.

    I told David that Mark had said that if this decision was made public that it would be toxic and I said good decisions are never toxic and transparency is never toxic, and transparency at the beginning of David’s tenure as Moderator was a principle he held in high value. I told David I would welcome the opportunity to interact with the Elders concerning all of this.

    I told David that I was concerned for Mark, that this was not a wise decision nor a good use of his authority. I encouraged him to intervene. I reiterated to David that because this decision is not coming from love and lacked transparency in every aspect of it, God would not honor this decision and that it would end up hurting the church and bring unnecessary harm to his ministry at Park Street.

    In January 2021 Mark also decided to eliminate 5 additional staff positions. His first step of public communication was to inform the staff of his decision. It was one of the most discouraging meetings I sat through in over 20 years at Park Street when Mark shared this decision with the staff in the Welcome Center. But what was particularly distressing to me was that at the end of the meeting a member of the staff asked Mark directly if we should expect more people to be let go. His answer implied that they would see no other staff departures. Of course, he had made his decision to remove me from staff at that point already, but did not share that with the staff.

    As the spring progressed all of my responsibilities were removed from me. I no longer supervised staff or assisted in worship coordination. I no longer was allowed to attend Elders’ meetings which I had attended for the previous 12 years.

    In light of what was transpiring, I submitted a letter of resignation to the Board of Elders at the beginning of June. By the grace and provision of God one of the churches with whom I was interacting expressed growing interest in me in the spring of 2021, and Triangle Grace formalized a call to become their Senior Pastor in late July of 2021.

    Reflections on My Dismissal

    There are a number of issues which come to mind as I reflect back on this experience.

    Deception

    In three consecutive meetings Mark told me that there was no other reason he made the decision to remove me from staff other than it was his gut that told him this was the right decision to make. David Rix, on the other hand after my third meeting with Mark, told me that Mark had indeed presented reasons to him why he decided to remove me from staff.

    So for two months Mark repeatedly lied to me. David acknowledged that himself.

    Mark also deceived the staff when he led them to believe that he foresaw no other staff members departing.

    Fairness

    At a final meeting I had with Mark in March in which David Rix and Stephen Adams attended, I again pressed Mark on his reasoning for my dismissal. He finally relented and said that, “Yes, there were reasons for his decision other than his gut feeling, but if he were to share them with me, I would try to refute them.” Again, he would offer no explanation of his January decision.

    So Mark would not allow me to know the reasons for his decision, nor would he give me the opportunity to repent of whatever offense or issue that I had done which he believed warranted my removal from staff, nor would he allow his own perspective on the past to be discussed, questioned, or challenged.

    Misuse of Authority

    Mark initiated my termination without the awareness or consent of the Elders for approximately 3 months. The church’s bylaws state clearly that the Senior Minister may discharge a minister only with the approval of the Board of Elders. He chose to keep this decision hidden from the leadership of the Board with David’s consent.

    Fairness

    At the time of Mark’s decision in January, the only committee which was aware of Mark’s decision was the Personnel Committee. That committee supported my removal from staff without confirming with me or through independent sources whatever allegations Mark made against me to warrant my removal from staff.

    Misuse of Authority

    Equally egregious is that the Personnel Committee allowed Mark to move ahead with this plan without informing the Elders and seeking their consent as the bylaws demand.

    Fairness

    When the Board of Elders were eventually informed of the actions which Mark had taken supported by the Personnel Committee, the Elders were not presented with specific reasons for my termination according to Elders who were present. Yet, a majority of Elders supported Mark’s decision without demanding Mark offer a detailed explanation or offer me an opportunity to address whatever issues upon which Mark based his decision.

    So at no point did the Personnel Committee confirm whatever allegations Mark made against me. At no time did the Elders confirm whatever allegations Mark made against me. At no time was I given the opportunity to defend myself.

    Controlling

    Mark controlled who I was allowed to speak to and who I was not concerning decisions which he made, decisions which violated PSC bylaws.

    Threatening

    Mark and David ensured that I would not speak out about any of this by threatening our family’s well- being with swift termination if the Elders or the congregation became aware of Mark’s decision at any point.

    Lack of Empathy

    All of this was unfolding as we carried the weight of losing both of our dads in 5 months, supporting my mom as her health significantly deteriorated, preparing for Amanda’s wedding and Josiah’s first year of college while supporting Isaiah for his senior year at Skidmore. Mark’s decision caused significant grief and hardship for our family.

    Toxicity

    Mark was right when he first told me of his decision in January of 2021 that if this decision was made public it would be toxic. It was toxic and hurtful to our family, and it has only harmed the church.

    Reflections as the Special Meeting Approaches

    We are grateful for God’s sovereign care of our family through all of this. To be called by Triangle Grace to be their Senior Pastor has been a gift from God and an immeasurable privilege. The Lord provided greatly for us out of this sad episode. We love our current church family as we loved Park Street in past years and still do.

    Upon Mark’s arrival in 2020, I was hopeful that we had crossed the bridge of transition and a new season of flourishing ministry was emerging for Park Street Church. Mark’s gifts were clear and welcomed, and we wanted to see and needed the church to succeed under his leadership.

    As I was confronted with Mark’s decision to terminate five staff members as well as remove me from staff, the impact that such decisions would have upon the church was obvious. Park Street had walked through four difficult years from 2016-2020 which Phil Thorne described as “a bomb had gone off.” This could only have the same kind of impact on the church.

    In my meetings with Mark beginning in 2021, I told him that because the decision to terminate my role was not based on love nor humility and lacked transparency in every aspect of it, God would not honor this decision in his life, that it would end up hurting the church and bring unnecessary harm to his ministry at Park Street. What Park Street has been experiencing over the past two years is a result of continued decision making and leadership following the same patterns. The church has been deeply wounded because of a continued lack of transparency, a lack of humility, and a misapplication of authority.

    It came as a great surprise to me, that though my name was recommended to the Vicinage Council as a former CCCC pastor and a person who should be interviewed with relevant information to share on the matters in which they would render judgment, they chose not to reach out to me to investigate my experience of Mark’s leadership. Although I have great respect for the pastors who sacrificially offered time to attempt to assist Park Street through this difficult episode, there are a number of other glaring issues within the Vicinage Report which manifest its deficiency as a fair and thorough evaluative document of these matters.

    When a request was made by concerned congregants that I have the opportunity to share my experiences with Mark’s leadership at the upcoming Special Meeting, that request was also denied by church leadership.

    Neither the decision by the Vicinage Council nor the decision by the Elders make sense to me. I believe (as should church leadership) that it is important that the congregation has all relevant testimony and evidence to help them make informed decisions which, to this date, they have not been given the opportunity to consider.

    I have told my colleagues with whom I now serve that I cannot wrap my head around what has transpired at Park Street in the last few years. I would be thankful to have any one of the current or past Park Street Elders serve on the Elder Board in my current church. They are dear friends – exceptionally gifted people who deeply love Jesus and the church. I can only assume that the decisions which the leadership of the church has been making has, in their mind, been in the best interest of the church. But the widening of division within the church is evidence that it is not so. Something has happened to calcify an approach to leadership which is detrimental to the health of the church. The leaders themselves cannot see it, and it needs to be addressed by the congregation. The casualties of such leadership are piling up and will continue into the future until a different direction is embraced.

    In private conversations I have told those who are supportive of Mark with whom I have interacted, that I am glad that they have remained by his side. The challenges of ministry are great, and he needs and deserves friends to shoulder the heavy burdens of his responsibilities. I would hope to have such faithful brothers and sisters walking with me in life and ministry as a Senior Minister. I am also glad that the Vicinage Council highlighted many of Mark’s gifts and strengths in their report. Mark has an authentic and deep love for God, for the church, and for his family.

    Nevertheless, the congregation has a responsibility to ensure accountability as a body that those in leadership are exercising their authority in ways that produces unity and health. From any angle you consider what has unfolded in recent years, it is clear that because of the ways in which authority has been wielded and decisions have been implemented, the church has suffered.

     The reputation of Park Street Church has been damaged locally.
     The reputation of Park Street Church has been damaged nationally.
     The reputation of Park Street Church has been damaged globally.
     The staff of the church is in disarray.
     Elders have resigned. Other former Elders have left Park Street because of their experiences
    with the leadership culture of the church.
     The global outreach and missionary partners of the church have been left insecure.
     A chasm has been introduced between the leadership of Park Street and the campus ministries
    they have traditionally supported.
     The financial strength of the church has been significantly drained.
     Extraordinary financial resources which should be used for ministry have been diverted to fund investigations.
     Attendance has decreased.
     The vote in February confirmed that a significant percentage of the church no longer has
    confidence in the leadership of the church.
     The simple and clear reading and application of the bylaws have been disregarded by leaders
    through convoluted interpretation to undermine the authority of the congregation.
     Small groups have been negatively impacted because of the palpable divisions which have been
    enflamed by how all of this has been handled.
     Friends who have shared life together for many years no longer talk to one another.
     Police officers must be present on Sundays not to protect the church from external threat, but
    to protect the church from one another because of the way all of this has been handled.

    How can the leadership of the church continue on the path which they have embraced in light of all of this?

    In a private letter to Mark which I sent him before the Annual Meeting in February, I encouraged Mark to not continue down the path he had chosen. I encouraged him to not hold the vote for which he had called because of the divisive nature of what the outcome surely would be. In part I wrote,

    _______________

    “It is time for Michael and Mark to diminish and Jesus to increase.

    Go to Michael’s home today or tomorrow offer your forgiveness to him for what he has done to you and your family. You must ask his forgiveness for ways in which you have hurt him and his family. On Sunday you and Michael must sit together behind the pulpit during the worship service, and when it comes time to preach, you must tell the congregation that you have forgiven Michael, and Michael must tell the congregation that he has forgiven you. Then you must turn to those who support you and exhort them and command them to forgive those who have spoken ill of you and have hurt you. Michael must do the same insisting those who have supported him must forgive those whom they have accused of wrongdoing, that they must seek forgiveness from those of whom they have spoken poorly.

    Sunday’s referendum must be “Is Jesus above all?” Is he really above all? Can Jesus by his example and power bridge the divide which has come upon this beloved church?

    Jesus says, those who try to gain their life will lose it, and those who lose it for his sake will gain it. This is the moment for you in which you must decide which it shall be. This is the time in humility not to ask others whether you should bear your cross, but the moment YOU must pick up your own cross and bear it for the sake of the
    flock. Jesus gave up his life for those who wept for him at the foot of the cross as well as those who hurled insults at him. To the latter, he said, “Forgive them, Father, because they have no idea what they are doing.” They were in the wrong, yet he still submitted to them and forgave them through his own sacrifice giving up his life.

    “Why not be wronged?” Paul asks. He admonishes those in Corinth in this manner in order that the gospel would not be tarnished in anyway.

    Love keeps no record of wrongs.
    Love is not self-seeking.
    Love never divides.
    There is no greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends.

    The good shepherd on his own accord lays down his life for his sheep, even the ornery ones. He doesn’t ask for the sheep’s opinion whether he should or not.

    Out of love for Christ and love for the church, both you and Michael need to stand together, and then step aside together out of leadership of the church and allow the church to continue on living in the unity which the two of you have forged through your example, sacrifice, and humility. The Lord will honor that and provide a new life for both of you that will be better than anything you now hope for at PSC by following the path that you are currently on. For the joy set before you, let go. Trust him.

    If you do so, the tears and grace and mercy and forgiveness that will emerge from Sunday will lead to revival at Park Street and throughout this nation. It will be a holy moment, unexpected by all. It will stick a knife in the back of Satan and the dark powers who seem to have the upper hand right now. The vote will not accomplish that.

    Give something for Christianity Today to write about that will resound from sea-to- sea for years to come in honor and glory to Christ. The vote won’t.”

    _________________

    Mark chose not to heed this counsel, and the divisions within the church have only grown deeper. Many have already left Park Street Church – wounded, discouraged, disillusioned. Hundreds more will do so in the coming days. If such patterns of leadership continue without a change of direction, all of this will surely be repeated again in the future.

    I cannot express my love and respect adequately enough for Julian Linnell, Ray Kam, Tammy McLeod, Damian Long, Tim Leary, and Michael Balboni. They are exceptional, Christ-centered leaders, who have labored sacrificially for those they love at Park Street. They have ministered to me, encouraged me, prayed with me, and cried with me. I know their character because of the years they have spent consistently proving it to me through their tireless service first as congregants, then as staff members. You do as well. You know the imprint each of them has made upon your hearts. Their word is gold, their example worthy of following, and they have earned the respect of all who call Park Street their home because of their humble faithfulness day-after-day and year-after-year among you over two decades.

    At this point, however, it is not even a matter of whether Michael’s view of things is more accurate than Mark’s or whether Mark was justified in removing me from staff or firing Michael or terminating other ministers in the past or whether Mark and the Elders should remove additional ministers from staff in the near future. At this point it is a question of the church’s posture towards one another.

    Shall the church be divided because Mark and Michael cannot find a means by which they might be reconciled? Shall the church be divided because the Elders lacked the dexterity to find a means by which those serving in leadership could humble themselves and forgive each other, reconcile, and forge a new life together in service and humility? Is Mark or any other leader more important than the unity of the body of Christ committed to one another in love and humility which is the basis of the witness of the gospel? If the shepherds cannot lead in a way which produces unity and health even among themselves, the flock is in grave danger. When shepherds believe that it is better for the sheep to divide when the division is the result of their own deficient shepherding, the sheep who remain are in danger, not the ones who leave knowing they need to find a new shepherd and a new flock.

    The accountability which is entrusted to the congregation in the bylaws was instituted for moments like this. It should be exercised. The church desperately needs a new direction. The congregation must act as difficult as such decisions may be.

    I will never cease praying for you asking that God may pour out his Spirit upon those he loves at Park Street Church. May humility and love and forgiveness and mutual submission cover over the pain and transgression of the past so that vibrancy and life and unity may return to Park Street in the days to come. Do not give up on one another, but find Jesus in one another. Do for one another what Jesus has done for us, live worthily of the name your bear, and cling resolutely to one another and to Christ in his love. Be strong and courageous. The Lord is with you.

    Your Brother in Christ,

    Kris Perkins
    Park Street Church 1997-2021


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    At the top of the PSC Petition website is a detailed timeline of events, these past 3 years.

    PSC Members, please review the following timeline at https://parkstreetpetition.com/.

    Password: fastandpray


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    “Damian sought to have that process structured differently than how we structured it and ultimately determined not to move forward.”

    This is a lie. Damian had an agreed upon a way to seek reconciliation and Mark changed the rules of the game to show his power over Damian.


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    Kris Perkins’ testimony in full can be read here:

    https://parkstreetpetition.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Kris-Perkins-Response-to-Request-from-PSC-Members.pdf

    Password: fastandpray

    The PSC Petition website contains a wealth of information, relevant to this Sunday’s Special Meeting – all meticulously documented and articulated.

    I hope and pray that PSC Members take a time to read it and prayerfully discern its contents before Sunday.


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    This is great, thank you. Not sure who put it together. I think it’s missing Elizabeth Lohnes…maybe some others, hard to keep track of it all!

    Elizabeth Klein:
    At the top of the PSC Petition website is a detailed timeline of events, these past 3 years.

    PSC Members, please review the following timeline at https://parkstreetpetition.com/.

    Password: fastandpray


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    Thank you for this link. We didn’t receive the email.

    I’m in tears.

    Elizabeth Klein:
    Kris Perkins’ testimony in full can be read here:

    https://parkstreetpetition.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Kris-Perkins-Response-to-Request-from-PSC-Members.pdf

    Password: fastandpray

    The PSC Petition website contains a wealth of information, relevant to this Sunday’s Special Meeting – all meticulously documented and articulated.

    I hope and pray that PSC Members take a time to read it and prayerfully discern its contents before Sunday.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: I should have asked in my other post… [I need to go to bed!] … is there a way to get lists of the names of people on the various committees at the time Dr. John Knight was referring to in his letter? Or to the list of elders when Cindy Cutlip was an elder? Or the list when Kris Perkins was bullied and abused?

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    I’ll see what I can find 🙂 — it depends whether or not I can find the information online….and some of it may never have been put online….

    Unfortunately, I can’t start on that project today (very big sigh), as I’ve got other things planned. 🙂


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    While you cannot access the annual reports through searching, the reports are still uploaded to the PSC website and can access them through direct links:

    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ann-Rep-2023_web.pdf
    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Annual-Report-2022.pdf
    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2021-Annual-Report-Final-Version.pdf

    Each report has the names of each member of every committee except for the Nominating Committee. They only represent the members of the committees by the time of the report and may be different than particular points in time in the previous year.


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    researcher: Friend of Park Street Church,

    I’ll see what I can find — it depends whether or not I can find the information online….and some of it may never have been put online….

    Unfortunately, I can’t start on that project today (very big sigh), as I’ve got other things planned.

    </blockquote

    I compiled a list from 2021 and 2023 (I don't have 2022 A/R) Not sure how to attach a document here and pasting names as list would be quite long…


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    More abuse in writing from the Board of Elders…

    Subject: Why did Damian Long resign?
    Date: Fri, 31 May 2024

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    You may have read from the Board of Elders that Damian Long, Minister of Community, resigned after 3 years of service as Minister. Damian was a midterm missionary from 2002-2009, PSC staff missionary from 2009-2020, Director of Cafe 2020-2021, and has called PSC his home church for 27 years. The Board states the following as his reason: “Following the release of the Vicinage Council report, we have been pursuing a process of discernment with Damian and the other staff members who have been in conflict with Mark and the Board of Elders….Damian sought to have that process structured differently than how we structured it and ultimately determined not to move forward.” (https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-30)

    What this letter fails to mention is that Mark and PSC staff had mutually agreed upon a process recommended by VOCA for reconciliation that would create a psychologically safe environment. Mark then broke that agreement, and instead required Damian to submit to a “process” led by Mark and the Personnel Committee, as well as focused on requiring compliance by Damian without any attention to Mark’s repentance, true reconciliation, or healing. See below for Damian’s letter of this week, sent to small group leaders, for reference.

    As you compare Damian’s testimony to the Board’s portrayal, ask yourself if the Board’s actions honor the truth and so honor Christ.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [name withheld for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
    —————————————————————————

    Dearest Small Group Leaders,

    I am so thankful for you and have counted it an amazing privilege to shepherd, lead, exhort, and cheer for you all in your continued journey of faith together. I have often felt as if I have not been able to offer the ministry of presence and support that each of you and your groups have needed, and ask for your forgiveness for that. I do want you to know that so many of you have been such an immense blessing to me and my family. You have helped me to learn more of who I am in Christ as his. I have been so encouraged by your faithful commitment to Christ and one another as you gather in your small groups to seek him and pray for each other. I sincerely hope that I have been a part of your growth in Christ as well. Thank you.

    It is therefore with great grief and sadness that I am writing to let you all know that I have resigned as the Minister of Community at Park Street. My last day will be June 18th. I want to make clear that this is not me simply giving up on you or the church. I am not just moving on to something more attractive. In fact I have nothing lined up at this time. I have tried all avenues towards reconciliation. I have raised concerns about our current leadership specifically according to the Biblical pattern and process of Matthew 18:15-17 as interpreted and affirmed for the community of leaders in the church in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. I never gave any information to anyone outside of our church, nor any permission to anyone to use my words outside of the church. I was nonetheless disciplined without personal conversation, nor Biblical explanation – removed from public worship, forbidden from speaking about my concerns, and warned that doing so would result in termination of my employment.

    I have remained committed to reconciliation with our Senior Minister, and I had hopes for reconciliation through mutually agreed upon terms, timeline, and parameters to be mediated by a representative of Voca. I began meeting with the Voca representative to prepare for our time together with the Senior Minister; however, he put a halt to the mediation process and instead required me to participate in a non-agreed upon format and timeline with him and representative(s) of the personnel committee. I did not wish to be part of this unagreed-upon process but given no option, I attended two such meetings. I would have truly welcomed a mediated process of mutual listening and reconciliation, but unfortunately the content of communications at these meetings have made clear that this process is not a mediation, and sadly it is also not for the purpose of listening or reconciliation. I wish it were otherwise but as I do not have agency in determining the process, it is no longer possible to play my part in a process that is not about healing.

    The story is of course longer and more complex than these recent events. It is not my intention to write it all here, but only to explain that I have not resigned from my role of shepherding you all without seeking to remain through reconciliation, to the best of my ability. If you have a desire to more fully understand my experience, I hope to have opportunity to share with any and all who would care to listen.

    In the meantime, I want to exhort you to cling to Jesus and each other through this time. I pray especially for the groups that are divided over issues in the church. I pray that you will do all that you are able to be reconciled with one another through courageous listening, remorseful repentance, the offering of excruciating yet freeing forgiveness, and in together-travailing prayer. I pray that you would continue as the men and women of Berea, not just going along with the common narrative, but searching the scriptures daily in order to discern the truth. And I pray for you all to truly seek to create a Spirit-saturated, broken and contrite, transformed and transforming healthy community – wherever it is God calls you. I am so grateful for you all.

    Blessings of His presence and comfort in the Holy Spirit,

    Damian

    ————————————————-

    [Just tagging the Board of Elders here for the record. From the Park Street Church website as of May 31, 2024]

    JASON ABRAHAM
    Moderator
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    YANNICK ASSOGBA
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    DEBORAH GALLAGHER
    Clerk
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIE HALVORSEN
    Elder
    TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

    GREGG HANSEN
    Assistant Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    MARY HARVEY
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    LINDA HERMAN
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    RICHARD IBEKWE
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    GABRIEL LING
    Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    LESLIE LIU
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    DAVID MURGATROYD
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    GEOFFREY RAUX
    Moderator-Elect
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    KIRSTIN PELTZ
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    DANIEL VOGELZANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    JOSHUA WANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    STEVE WEIBLEY
    Elder
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIANNE WHITE
    Missions Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    ANDREW ZIEGLER
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)


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    More abuse in writing from the Board of Elders… this time highlighted in contrast to Damian’s letter.

    Subject: Why did Damian Long resign?
    Date: Fri, 31 May 2024

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    You may have read from the Board of Elders that Damian Long, Minister of Community, resigned after 3 years of service as Minister. Damian was a midterm missionary from 2002-2009, PSC staff missionary from 2009-2020, Director of Cafe 2020-2021, and has called PSC his home church for 27 years. The Board states the following as his reason: “Following the release of the Vicinage Council report, we have been pursuing a process of discernment with Damian and the other staff members who have been in conflict with Mark and the Board of Elders….Damian sought to have that process structured differently than how we structured it and ultimately determined not to move forward.” (https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-30)

    What this letter fails to mention is that Mark and PSC staff had mutually agreed upon a process recommended by VOCA for reconciliation that would create a psychologically safe environment. Mark then broke that agreement, and instead required Damian to submit to a “process” led by Mark and the Personnel Committee, as well as focused on requiring compliance by Damian without any attention to Mark’s repentance, true reconciliation, or healing. See below for Damian’s letter of this week, sent to small group leaders, for reference.

    As you compare Damian’s testimony to the Board’s portrayal, ask yourself if the Board’s actions honor the truth and so honor Christ.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [name withheld for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
    —————————————————————————

    Dearest Small Group Leaders,

    I am so thankful for you and have counted it an amazing privilege to shepherd, lead, exhort, and cheer for you all in your continued journey of faith together. I have often felt as if I have not been able to offer the ministry of presence and support that each of you and your groups have needed, and ask for your forgiveness for that. I do want you to know that so many of you have been such an immense blessing to me and my family. You have helped me to learn more of who I am in Christ as his. I have been so encouraged by your faithful commitment to Christ and one another as you gather in your small groups to seek him and pray for each other. I sincerely hope that I have been a part of your growth in Christ as well. Thank you.

    It is therefore with great grief and sadness that I am writing to let you all know that I have resigned as the Minister of Community at Park Street. My last day will be June 18th. I want to make clear that this is not me simply giving up on you or the church. I am not just moving on to something more attractive. In fact I have nothing lined up at this time. I have tried all avenues towards reconciliation. I have raised concerns about our current leadership specifically according to the Biblical pattern and process of Matthew 18:15-17 as interpreted and affirmed for the community of leaders in the church in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. I never gave any information to anyone outside of our church, nor any permission to anyone to use my words outside of the church. I was nonetheless disciplined without personal conversation, nor Biblical explanation – removed from public worship, forbidden from speaking about my concerns, and warned that doing so would result in termination of my employment.

    I have remained committed to reconciliation with our Senior Minister, and I had hopes for reconciliation through mutually agreed upon terms, timeline, and parameters to be mediated by a representative of Voca. I began meeting with the Voca representative to prepare for our time together with the Senior Minister; however, he put a halt to the mediation process and instead required me to participate in a non-agreed upon format and timeline with him and representative(s) of the personnel committee. I did not wish to be part of this unagreed-upon process but given no option, I attended two such meetings. I would have truly welcomed a mediated process of mutual listening and reconciliation, but unfortunately the content of communications at these meetings have made clear that this process is not a mediation, and sadly it is also not for the purpose of listening or reconciliation. I wish it were otherwise but as I do not have agency in determining the process, it is no longer possible to play my part in a process that is not about healing.

    The story is of course longer and more complex than these recent events. It is not my intention to write it all here, but only to explain that I have not resigned from my role of shepherding you all without seeking to remain through reconciliation, to the best of my ability. If you have a desire to more fully understand my experience, I hope to have opportunity to share with any and all who would care to listen.

    In the meantime, I want to exhort you to cling to Jesus and each other through this time. I pray especially for the groups that are divided over issues in the church. I pray that you will do all that you are able to be reconciled with one another through courageous listening, remorseful repentance, the offering of excruciating yet freeing forgiveness, and in together-travailing prayer. I pray that you would continue as the men and women of Berea, not just going along with the common narrative, but searching the scriptures daily in order to discern the truth. And I pray for you all to truly seek to create a Spirit-saturated, broken and contrite, transformed and transforming healthy community – wherever it is God calls you. I am so grateful for you all.

    Blessings of His presence and comfort in the Holy Spirit,

    Damian

    ————————————————-

    [Just tagging the Board of Elders here for the record. From the Park Street Church website as of May 31, 2024]

    JASON ABRAHAM
    Moderator
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    YANNICK ASSOGBA
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    DEBORAH GALLAGHER
    Clerk
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIE HALVORSEN
    Elder
    TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

    GREGG HANSEN
    Assistant Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    MARY HARVEY
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    LINDA HERMAN
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    RICHARD IBEKWE
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    GABRIEL LING
    Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    LESLIE LIU
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    DAVID MURGATROYD
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    GEOFFREY RAUX
    Moderator-Elect
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    KIRSTIN PELTZ
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    DANIEL VOGELZANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    JOSHUA WANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    STEVE WEIBLEY
    Elder
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIANNE WHITE
    Missions Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    ANDREW ZIEGLER
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)


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    Also, all of you Board of Elders, now might be a good time to decide if the rumored “one voice policy” is what you want. Your name is on this officially and legally… so if you don’t agree with this abuse in writing, please do let us all know…. We hope you all are appalled at what is happening in your names… if you would not put your ink signature on these recent documents, you should state that publicly. You are literally setting yourselves up for legal liability by staying silent. If you don’t care about what is right morally in the sight of your Maker, perhaps you will care about your earthly legal liability or own reputations among your neighbors, families, and colleagues.

    One day, you will need to answer, “What did you do when you heard about allegations of abuse at the church when you were on the board?” If you don’t like what you will have to say later about your complicity now, consider changing course so you have a better ending of your role in this chapter of abuse at Park Street Church.

    Again tagging the Board of Elders here for the record. From the Park Street Church website as of May 31, 2024.

    JASON ABRAHAM
    Moderator
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    YANNICK ASSOGBA
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    DEBORAH GALLAGHER
    Clerk
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIE HALVORSEN
    Elder
    TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

    GREGG HANSEN
    Assistant Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    MARY HARVEY
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    LINDA HERMAN
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    RICHARD IBEKWE
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    GABRIEL LING
    Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    LESLIE LIU
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    DAVID MURGATROYD
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    GEOFFREY RAUX
    Moderator-Elect
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    KIRSTIN PELTZ
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    DANIEL VOGELZANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    JOSHUA WANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    STEVE WEIBLEY
    Elder
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIANNE WHITE
    Missions Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    ANDREW ZIEGLER
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)


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    Julian Linnell Resignation Letter:

    From: Julian Linnell
    Date: Fri, May 31, 2024 at 4:34 PM
    Subject: Letter of Resignation
    To: Elders-PSC , Deacons , Staff-All , Mark Booker

    Dear Mark, Elders, Deacons, and Staff,

    With profound sorrow, I am writing to submit my resignation as the Minister of Missions at Park Street Church effective June 21, 2024.

    It has been an immense privilege to serve the gospel at Park Street for almost ten years. As a pastor, I have experienced profound Christian love from the brothers and sisters at Park Street. I have been deeply humbled and blessed by those who have invited me into the most sacred spaces of their hearts and lives. Our missionaries and their families (over 50 people) continue to exemplify the very best of loving, gospel ministries in twelve countries, and their faithfulness and devotion to Christ have taught me so much. It has been a joy to work alongside our talented staff and volunteers who serve so faithfully and creatively behind the scenes. I have also been wonderfully inspired by fresh expressions of Christian love across the city of Boston. It has been remarkable to witness the growing ministries amongst college students, graduate students, international students, faculty, our unhoused neighbors, refugees, and the disabled.

    Despite how much I value my ministry at Park Street, it has become clear that I can no longer continue under our present leadership. Despite bringing my concerns to VOCA, the Vicinage Council, and our present leadership, I have not seen movement towards a healthier community. When I have communicated alternative viewpoints, particularly over issues of right and wrong, these have been consistently met with defensiveness and rationalization rather than a genuine effort to listen, or they have been ignored and dismissed altogether. I have witnessed a violation of the law of love in the treatment of God’s flock, the sheep of his pasture, who have earnestly desired honest conversation and places to be heard and understood. Furthermore, there has been an inability to do the hard work of resolving interpersonal conflicts, a pattern of saying one thing publicly yet doing something differently afterwards, and a violation of several bylaws by the Board of Elders without accountability. Given this environment, I cannot be an effective minister who cares for the congregation, equips the saints for ministry, and expands the Gospel.

    It is my intention to use the coming weeks to care for the missionaries and the missions program during this transition. Finally, I would like to express particular appreciation for the missions team and missions committee who have served God thoughtfully, sacrificially, and wisely during my tenure. It has been a tremendous honor and joy to partner together in the gospel.

    With profound sorrow,

    Julian


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    Ray Kam Resignation Letter:

    From: Ray Kam
    Date: Fri, May 31, 2024 at 4:37 PM
    Subject: Letter of Resignation
    To: Elders-PSC , Staff-All , Deacons

    May 31, 2024

    To Mark, Elders, Deacons, and Staff,

    It is with deep sorrow that I tender my resignation as the Minister to Internationals of Park Street Church, effective June 21.

    I had expressed the desire to go through a process of reconciliation as the VOCA report recommended and as the Vicinage Council (VC) affirmed. The VC report (5/1/2024) reads,

    “The Council reviewed this report presented by the VOCA Center and believe that it clearly identified the issues at hand and proposed a way forward for the church… We recommend that the Board of Elders follow the proposals of the VOCA Center to move forward with the staff members, Board of Elders, and congregation. The group has provided wise guidance and clear steps toward health and reconciliation. These recommendations align with our discovery about what is necessary to restore health in the church.”

    What has transpired since, something the Board of Elders calls “a process of discernment… within an organizational context,” (letter, 5/30/24) has neither been a process of reconciliation, nor an effort to rebuild trust. Other critical elements in the process the VOCA group recommended are also not being followed.

    While disheartening, it is not surprising. I have had and continue to have serious concerns about our church leadership, and despite sharing these concerns with the leadership, the VOCA group, and the VC, there has been no discernible change or any move towards healing. I am most deeply pained by the lack of reconciliation and forgiveness between our senior minister and the many who have felt hurt by him. I am aware of his many assurances that it will be otherwise, but the reality has simply not corresponded with the words.

    For this and many other reasons, I cannot in good conscience and faith as a minister continue to be under our senior minister’s authority, nor under the authority of an elder board that has, as a whole, been supportive of him.

    In the next few weeks, I will use the time to transition the ministry, including our international fellowship, the ESL program, and the Van Baay ministry house, to its next season. It has been truly a privilege to work alongside so many wonderful, gifted, and loving co-laborers in Christ, who have not simply remained co-workers but who are friends. There have also been many within the larger body who have ministered to me with grace and love during this difficult time, and to them I extend my deepest gratitude.

    With love and blessing and in His care,

    Raymond Kam, Minister to Internationals


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    Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2024 at 10:16 AM
    Subject: 1 Elder and 2 Additional Ministers Resign

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    On Tuesday, Elder Yannick Assogba resigned from the Elder Board. The Congregation has yet to receive any formal communication from the Board, though his reason for resigning may be germane to the Special Meeting this Sunday.

    On Tuesday, minister Damian Long also resigned.

    Today, two additional ministers resigned: 1) Ray Kam, Minister to Internationals, who served us for 8 years, and has called PSC his spiritual home for 27 years, and 2) Julian Linnell, Minister of Missions, who served us and called PSC his spiritual home for 10 years.

    Read [above] for their resignation letters.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [name withheld for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”


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    Elizabeth Klein:
    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Elder Yannick Assogba resigned on Tuesday.

    I was just thinking of him recently…

    Interesting that the congregation has not been told why. I imagine he wrote something about why he resigned.

    Mark Booker – withholding information from your congregation is part of your abusive behavior. Your Maker calls you to use “equal weights and measures” and to “walk in the light.” Withholding information from the congregation is a sin against God first and foremost… you show your lack of trust in God by refusing to give the congregation an accurate picture of what is going on within the leadership structure of the community. Members need to know the reality of what is happening in order to vote according to their conscience with the leading of the Holy Spirit. If you trusted God to speak through this CONGREGATIONALLY GOVERNED community, you would have already told the whole story of why Yannick Assogba just resigned.

    Many followers of Jesus are praying for you, Mark, for you to see your abusive behavior as an abomination before your Creator. You WILL stand in His presence and give an answer for how you choose to act now. Do your future self a favor and change your ways… you will never regret walking in the light and living according to reality. Your Maker is patient and kind and will lead you to a place of peace and healing. You are currently very sick and need God’s skillful healing work in your mind, heart, and soul. Step into the light today, Mark, it’s not too late and you will save yourself (and your dear family) from more pain and suffering. You can end this awful nightmare for your family today. Your healing will take a long time, but you can choose health and healing starting now.

    To Mandy Booker and your children: we are praying for you all during this terrible time. Your Maker wants safety and peace and a calm spirit in your home. When you spoke at the annual meeting, Mandy, you said that Mark wasn’t abusive because he doesn’t raise his voice to you in private. Abusing you doesn’t require shouting or physical violence. Abusers are sick people who need medical help. Please do yourself and your children a favor by learning more about how coercion, coercive control, and bullying are types of abuse. Since Mark is abusing people at work, he is not a safe or reliable or healthy person right now. God wants to change this for him and for all of you!

    Here are some free online resource for learning about abuse and all its forms. God will walk with you through this process into a calm and peaceful place. Green pastures and still waters are what God has for all of you.

    New Hope Education
    https://new-hope-education.thinkific.com/collections

    Voices Against Violence
    https://www.smoc.org/voices-against-violence.php

    DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended)
    https://www.dovema.org/dv-training


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    TEDS:
    Thank you for this link. We didn’t receive the email.

    I’m in tears.

    Hi TEDS, faithful member of the Universal Church, the Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ
    Your tears are precious in His sight — every drop is in His bosom.
    Come anyway tomorrow and request admissions as ex-member who neglected to affirm membership. if denied, walk back to the pavement and stand on one side holding a small (< 2 square feet) non-glaring poster that says: I LOVE JESUS ABOVE ALL. Stay there from 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm. Smile to welcome all who pass by. If anyone asks (dont talk unless you are asked) why you dont go in, gently speak the truth: I neglected to sign the email for reaffirmation of membership. PLEASE STAY CHEERFUL (no tears). Leave at 1:15 pm. May God empower your witness.

    Prayerfully, your fellow pilgrim NAAH
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Here is helpful info for others who may wish to attend that meeting:
    __________________________________________________________________________

    From: Park Street Petition Information
    Date: Sat, Jun 1, 2024 at 8:36 AM
    Subject: PSC Special Meeting Tomorrow at 1pm

    Tomorrow the special meeting will occur with a vote. The vote will be related to this purpose, “The July 30, 2023, decision of the Board of Elders who found that “there is no evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, of such severity that they call for
    the Senior Minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

    If you got an email from Debbie announcing the special meeting, you are still considered an active member. Many of you have left, and don’t even consider PSC your home church anymore. Many of you saw warning signs – little ones, and realized that something was not right and have already sought a spiritual home elsewhere. Maybe you didn’t know then it was spiritual abuse, but you knew it wasn’t where you could thrive. We beg you. Please, if you care for PSC at all, if it any point any minister (Kris Perkins, Michael Balboni, Damian Long, Julian Linnell, Ray Kam, Tim Leary, or Tammy McLeod) blessed you, please return this one last time to vote to remove Mark Booker and to give leadership a chance to repent on these un-Christlike behaviors. With who is left we might not have the numbers, but with you, we might. We might have this one chance to save this church and turn it around.

    We know you are weary. We know you are exhausted, and many of you have been so hurt, traumatized, disgusted, and dismayed over what has occurred over the last 3 years at PSC and even beyond. And yet, we ask you, as a member, to come and be a witness this Sunday at the meeting. Come stand with your fellow brothers and sisters to say “This is not right. I witness this moment, and I will not allow this toxic culture to continue. Go on record stating the effects of this leadership have wounded us, your sheep.” If you were blessed by Walter Kim, Jeff Schuliger, Kris Perkins, Michael Balboni, Damian Long, Julian Linnel, Ray Kam, Tim Leary, or Tammy McLeod in any way, show up for them. Show up to support them. Do not give safe passage to lies. Neutrality helps the oppressor. We are badly beaten and on the side of the road; please do not pass us by. Be our Good Samaritan please.

    In Christ,
    Park Street Petition

    You are considered a “member in good standing” if you received an email from Debbie announcing the special meeting. A member in good standing is an active member. An active member, according to our Bylaws is:

    INACTIVE OR FORMER MEMBERS
    A. Removal of Active Members. Members who have not actively engaged in the support of, or otherwise shown their interest in, Park Street Church for a period of two or more years may be removed from active membership by action of the Membership Committee, but the names of such members shall be retained on the list of inactive members.
    B. Reinstatement. Members previously removed from active membership may be reinstated upon reapplication by action of the Membership Committee without completing a New Members Class if the Committee so determines, if the Committee is satisfied that either the action taken in removing them was unwarranted, or they have returned to an active relationship with Park Street Church.


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    NAAH: disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1

    Is spiritual abuse manifested as manipulation, intimidation, domination above reproach?


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    Mark Driscoll once talked about the “bodies” left in his wake of those who opposed him at Mars Hill. Let’s take a chance to review the “bodies” of those who have been fired, forced to leave, or otherwise left throughout Mark’s four years of leadership at PSC:

    Pat Chen
    Andrew Swenson
    Emma Nyquist
    Robyn Bunch
    Dan Verrengia
    Kris Perkins
    Kimberley Morrison
    John Knight
    Cindy Cutlip
    Shannon Jacobs
    Michael Balboni
    Nick Dedeke
    Yannick Assogba
    Damian Long
    Julian Linell
    Pay Park
    Tammy McLeod(?)
    Tim Leary(?)

    This is not including the congregants and lay leaders who have fled this church. How many bodies need to pile up before people can realize the source?


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    Observant Outsider:
    Mark Driscoll once talked about the “bodies” left in his wake of those who opposed him at Mars Hill. Let’s take a chance to review the “bodies” of those who have been fired, forced to leave, or otherwise left throughout Mark’s four years of leadership at PSC:

    … Pay Park

    This is not including the congregants and lay leaders who have fled this church. How many bodies need to pile up before people can realize the source?

    “Pay Park” is a typo. It should be Ray Kam.


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    Observant Outsider:
    Mark Driscoll once talked about the “bodies” left in his wake of those who opposed him at Mars Hill. Let’s take a chance to review the “bodies” of those who have been fired, forced to leave, or otherwise left throughout Mark’s four years of leadership at PSC:

    Pat Chen
    Andrew Swenson
    Emma Nyquist
    Robyn Bunch
    Dan Verrengia
    Kris Perkins
    Kimberley Morrison
    John Knight
    Cindy Cutlip
    Shannon Jacobs
    Michael Balboni
    Nick Dedeke
    Yannick Assogba
    Damian Long
    Julian Linell
    Pay Park
    Tammy McLeod(?)
    Tim Leary(?)

    This is not including the congregants and lay leaders who have fled this church. How many bodies need to pile up before people can realize the source?

    Michael Balboni referenced in his memo of July 15, 2023 the departures of Julie & Elizabeth

    Ray Kam resigned this week


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    Thank you. I will be there

    NAAH: Hi TEDS, faithful member of the Universal Church, the Bride of our Lord Jesus Christ
    Your tears are precious in His sight — every drop is in His bosom.
    Come anyway tomorrow and request admissions as ex-member who neglected to affirm membership. if denied, walk back to the pavement and stand on one side holding a small (< 2 square feet) non-glaring poster that says: I LOVE JESUS ABOVE ALL. Stay there from 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm. Smile to welcome all who pass by. If anyone asks (dont talk unless you are asked) why you dont go in, gently speak the truth: I neglected to sign the email for reaffirmation of membership. PLEASE STAY CHEERFUL (no tears). Leave at 1:15 pm. May God empower your witness.

    Prayerfully, your fellow pilgrim NAAH
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Here is helpful info for others who may wish to attend that meeting:
    __________________________________________________________________________

    From: Park Street Petition Information
    Date: Sat, Jun 1, 2024 at 8:36 AM
    Subject: PSC Special Meeting Tomorrow at 1pm

    Tomorrow the special meeting will occur with a vote.The vote will be related to this purpose, “The July 30, 2023, decision of the Board of Elders who found that “there is no evidence of disqualifying sins, as described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, of such severity that they call for
    the Senior Minister to be disqualified from pastoral ministry.”

    If you got an email from Debbie announcing the special meeting, you are still considered an active member.Many of you have left, and don’t even consider PSC your home church anymore.Many of you saw warning signs – little ones, and realized that something was not right and have already sought a spiritual home elsewhere.Maybe you didn’t know then it was spiritual abuse, but you knew it wasn’t where you could thrive.We beg you.Please, if you care for PSC at all, if it any point any minister (Kris Perkins, Michael Balboni, Damian Long, Julian Linnell, Ray Kam, Tim Leary, or Tammy McLeod) blessed you, please return this one last time to vote to remove Mark Booker and to give leadership a chance to repent on these un-Christlike behaviors.With who is left we might not have the numbers, but with you, we might.We might have this one chance to save this church and turn it around.

    We know you are weary.We know you are exhausted, and many of you have been so hurt, traumatized, disgusted, and dismayed over what has occurred over the last 3 years at PSC and even beyond.And yet, we ask you, as a member, to come and be a witness this Sunday at the meeting.Come stand with your fellow brothers and sisters to say “This is not right.I witness this moment, and I will not allow this toxic culture to continue.Go on record stating the effects of this leadership have wounded us, your sheep.”If you were blessed by Walter Kim, Jeff Schuliger, Kris Perkins, Michael Balboni, Damian Long, Julian Linnel, Ray Kam, Tim Leary, or Tammy McLeod in any way, show up for them.Show up to support them.Do not give safe passage to lies.Neutrality helps the oppressor.We are badly beaten and on the side of the road; please do not pass us by.Be our Good Samaritan please.

    In Christ,
    Park Street Petition

    You are considered a “member in good standing” if you received an email from Debbie announcing the special meeting.A member in good standing is an active member.An active member, according to our Bylaws is:

    INACTIVE OR FORMER MEMBERS
    A. Removal of Active Members. Members who have not actively engaged in the support of, or otherwise shown their interest in, Park Street Church for a period of two or more years may be removed from active membership by action of the Membership Committee, but the names of such members shall be retained on the list of inactive members.
    B. Reinstatement. Members previously removed from active membership may be reinstated upon reapplication by action of the Membership Committee without completing a New Members Class if the Committee so determines, if the Committee is satisfied that either the action taken in removing them was unwarranted, or they have returned to an active relationship with Park Street Church.


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    Observant Outsider: “bodies” of those who have been fired, forced to leave, or otherwise left throughout Mark’s four years of leadership at PSC

    Whew! The extensive list of ex-PSC staff certainly doesn’t speak well for Mr. Booker’s leadership skills! A leader’s effectiveness can be measured by how well they develop their followers, rather than by how many they see to the exit. I wouldn’t give him a big score on that front.

    Or could it be that Mr. Booker was hired by the elders as a hatchet-man to send those folks packing? He’s certainly acted like one.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-30

    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Thank you for including the link to the May 30, 2024 Message from the Board of Elders. 🙂

    The below link is an Internet Archive link to the May 30, 2024 Message from the Board of Elders.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601130858/https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-30


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    Observant Outsider: While you cannot access the annual reports through searching, the reports are still uploaded to the PSC website and can access them through direct links:

    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ann-Rep-2023_web.pdf
    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Annual-Report-2022.pdf
    https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2021-Annual-Report-Final-Version.pdf

    Each report has the names of each member of every committee except for the Nominating Committee. They only represent the members of the committees by the time of the report and may be different than particular points in time in the previous year.

    Observant Outsider

    Thank you for the links to the three Annual Reports. 🙂 And for anyone interested in the people who are members of the different committees, those lists are found on the last few pages of the reports. 🙂

    Below are Internet Archive links for each Annual Report that I made today, June 1, 2024, with the exception of the 2023 Annual Report — I didn’t include it here because, although I made an Internet Archive copy of it, it’s not yet registered in the Internet Archive. If, However, you go to the Internet Archive in the future, you’ll find the June 1, 2024 copy I made. 🙂

    I’m also including an Internet Archive link to a report titled Annual Report 2021 Supplement. Although I’ve neither read it nor skimmed it, I thought I’d include it anyway, as it might be important. 🙂

    Park Street Church Annual Report – 2021
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601184613/https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2021-Annual-Report-Final-Version.pdf

    Park Street Church Annual Report – 2022
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601184642/https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Annual-Report-2022.pdf

    Park Street Church Annual Report – 2023
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240224083239/https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ann-Rep-2023_web.pdf

    Park Street Church Annual Report – 2021, Supplement
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601190550/https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ann-Rep-2021_supplement_electronic.pdf


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    Max: Is spiritual abuse manifested as manipulation, intimidation, domination above reproach?

    Hi Max
    These sophisticated words were spoken by our BoE which denies our SM is guilty of whatever he had been accused of ; this particular phrase was quoted by the petitioners who urged all PSC supporters to attend tomorrow’s meeting .
    Sorry I cannot answer your question—- I went to Chinese Sunday School, took scripture lesions in Chinese high school, never attended seminary in US, not even at Oxford. 🙂

    To understand how to interpret the references from Timothy and Titus. Please attend the meeting for Q & A with our SM and BoE.


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    TEDS,

    Hi TEDS
    Since your user name is plural, I guess you are more than one person. May I suggest one of you hold the poster and the other stand across the street to take a picture of poster-kid with the PSC billboard in the background (Usually there is a billboard at the ground level to announce date and title of sermon and preacher).
    In case you dont know: JESUS ABOVE All is the new Motto of PSC designated by our SM. He may be delighted to see you holding the sign with a smile (will not call 911) 🙂


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    For posterity….

    Below are links to Internet Archive copies of the Staff, Elders & Leaders, and Deacons pages for Park Street Church, made today, June 1, 2024. These pages have not yet been updated to reflect the most recent resignations.

    Staff
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601185641/https://www.parkstreet.org/about-us/staff/

    Elders & Leaders
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601185745/https://www.parkstreet.org/about-us/elders/

    Deacons
    https://web.archive.org/web/20240601185857/https://www.parkstreet.org/about-us/deacons/

    For anyone who’s interested in past information about Park Street Church, a TON of information can be found in the Internet Archive. 🙂 It likely isn’t complete — it depends on whether or not someone has made an Internet Archive copy of a specific page. And I don’t know how much Park Street Church might’ve re-organized their website over the years.

    If you like playing in the Internet Archive as some of us like to do — and it can often take quite a bit of playing 🙂 — you can find things you thought no one had ever made Internet Archive copies of. And there are many people who are WAY better at using (playing with 🙂 ) the Internet Archive than I am. 🙂

    If you want to look up Park Street Church in the Internet Archive, Park Street Church’s URL is: https://www.parkstreet.org/


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    Max: Whew!The extensive list of ex-PSC staff certainly doesn’t speak well for Mr. Booker’s leadership skills!A leader’s effectiveness can be measured by how well they develop their followers, rather than by how many they see to the exit.I wouldn’t give him a big score on that front.

    Or could it be that Mr. Booker was hired by the elders as a hatchet-man to send those folks packing?He’s certainly acted like one.

    Hi Max
    Our Omniscient Lord of love and Mercy will reveal the truth in His time.
    Meanwhile, keep the faith and stand firm, united and clinging to the True Vine 24/7

    Someone just sent me Kim Morrison’s testimony— see below
    *******************************************************************************
    Kimberley Morrison –
    Testimony related to Mark Booker and Board of Elders of Park Street Church

    I report here on my experience as a minister at PSC with Mark Booker as my senior pastor. This testimony is related to my work on the Ministry Lead Team (MLT), Pastoral Vocation Group (PVG), Staff Team, and the many conversations I had with Mark in his role as Senior Pastor, in his office as well as correspondence on Teams or PSC emails. Until this point, I have consistently declined to make my testimony public, despite being asked in the following ways:

    1. When encouraged by individuals in the legal profession several times to bring legal action against PSC for libel and slander, or for breaking MA state employment law, etc. I have always refused. I believe scripture is clear about this and I did not want to bring dishonor to the name of Jesus.

    2. When Telios Law published their report, I prepared a lengthy response as part of my personal healing. I chose not to publish my response even though a report about me had been publicized. A response to that report would have been morally, ethically and biblically appropriate. I chose not to respond, and left my justification in the hands of Christ.

    3. When an editor from Christianity Today contacted me to provide background information, I refused to provide testimony.

    4. When asked by another Christian whistle-blower magazine to offer testimony – I again, refused to contribute.

    Why am I willing to offer testimony now?

    In general terms, I am willing to offer testimony because the destructive fallout of current leadership is tearing the lives of individuals and relationships between individuals at PSC apart. Covering up truth, or not facing into truth, will not be helpful if PSC is to be healed. I find 1 Thess 5:12-13 instructive in this moment: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” It is interesting that the basis for holding leaders in high regard is not in fact because of their words but because of their work. The word work in this context is the same Greek word – ergon -used by Jesus when he tells his followers “that they may see your good works” (Mt 5:16), and “so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Mt 23:3).

    A key biblical consideration in weighing the testimony offered by many is what do their words describe as related to the work that has been produced by current leadership at PSC? Put another way, what is the outcome of their way of life? (Heb 13:7). The lives of multiple ministers of the gospel have been dismantled and deconstructed under the leadership of Mark Booker. When Mark arrived at PSC it could be said that there was great tenuousness within the current ministerial staff as related to his role, as with the arrival of any new senior minister. Concerns, anxieties, and fears were present. The ministers of PSC had also been through a painful, disorienting and difficult three years. Mark’s primary task upon his arrival might have been bringing about healing, hope, help, nurture and love. This did not happen. Mark’s initial response to insecurity, disorientation and concerns on the part of the ministers was to begin an agenda of establishing his authority and control. Mark did not stoop down to make others great – the role of a good and gracious leader. On at least three occasions I personally told Mark that if he wanted to win over the ministers he needed to stoop down and serve them. I did not see this happen.

    It is with agonizing consideration and prayer that I am willing to share this information. I know very personally how a report filled with accusations of sin and misconduct that is made public to 1000+ people, and then spread by them to others around the country can cause trauma, despondency, depression and despair. I also know how such a report might affect one’s children – their view of the Church and their relationship to Jesus Christ. I am writing trusting that in the presence of God, while depending on the Holy Spirit’s insight, testimony will be heard, discernment granted, and appropriate action taken.

    In specific terms:

    1. Mark does not care for his ministers when they are being unjustly treated by other leaders. Long prior to Mark Booker bringing accusations against me, a member of the BoE said shameful things to me at a BoE meeting, publicly attacking and maligning me. Mark Booker was in that meeting and chose not to intervene on my behalf. Later he sent the following Teams message inviting me to another meeting and assuring me that I would be “defended” by the moderator. Why should a minister of PSC need to be defended while attending a BoE meeting?

    [1/2/2022 6:16 PM] Mark Booker

    “Merry Christmas day 8 and Happy New Year. I just got off a call with David Rix. Would it be possible for you to attend the BoE this Wed night and give an update on the refugee ministry? I know the Board would appreciate that. I realize Julian is away and I am also away and will not be at the elder’s meeting this Wednesday. But David did want me to communicate that he would defend and support you that night ! Let me know if this is possible. I would say a 10 minute update and then time to field some questions”

    2. Mark Booker does not have the leadership competencies that build capacity to shepherd, care for, or lead the staff at PSC. Mark arrived at PSC with an extremely limited history of leading staff. He was expected to lead 25+ staff – many of whom had more ministry experience, theological education, and experience with PSC culture. This put him in a vulnerable position, where a person might be plagued with insecurity. Mark’s insecurity often led him to see the other ministers as allies or enemies, not people he was nurturing and developing towards maturity in Christ.

    In every personal conversation with Mark, as senior pastor, in his office, Mark always sought personal information about other people and how they felt about him – seeking to know if they were allies or enemies. When in the office of the head of staff, one feels compelled due to the power differential to respond to questions that are being asked. Mark repeatedly pressured me to share things with him that were ethically inappropriate.

    3. I believe that due to Mark’s inexperience he makes decisions that represent an ignorance born of lack of training in leadership and team development. More concerning, however, is the pattern of behavior that is habituated once poor decisions are made. Mark will not back down from his course of action. Rather than changing a decision or backing away from a poor decision Mark has a pattern, in my experience, of using deception to cover outcomes from poor decisions.

    My personal experience of Mark

    On the first two occasions when I met Mark in-person after moving to Boston he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not the person he would have hired for the role of Minister of City Engagement. When he said this to me, he also stated that at some point he should see my resume. Mark, having never seen my resume and without explaining why I was not a good fit, or connecting his rejection of my worthiness to any performance concerns, simply put me in a position where I felt I did not measure up, and gave me no guidance on how I might change this opinion. Communicating, as head of staff, to a staff member that they are not the right person for the job, places that person in a place of insecurity and a constant sense of needing to prove themselves.

    Mark repeatedly asked me for personal information and disparaged people who disagreed with him

    As a first example: YYYY and her husband expressed concerns to the BoE around COVID-19 policies in the nursery, which angered Mark. In his office at PSC, in his role as senior minister, Mark then asked me for personal information about YYYY and her husband while disparaging them. Mark said of the husband “What is with him?” and indicated that he thought his voice was “effeminate” and that he was “overly emotional.” I was shocked by these comments. I left feeling deeply disoriented and sad.

    As a second example, on multiple occasions Mark asked those who lived in or visited my home to give him information about my husband Bill.

    Mark repeatedly breaks confidentiality while slandering others falsely for supposed breaches of confidentiality

    In 2021 during a regularly scheduled meeting with John Knight, the elder who oversaw me, John stated that some changes in leadership might be coming. In no way did John indicate that Kris Perkins was involved. I later asked Mark if he knew about these changes out of concern for him, thinking that he might be unaware. Mark indicated that he was aware and at my very specific request for confidentiality, he assured me that he would keep the conversation confidential.

    Mark broke his word. In response to John’s innocent remark, Mark accuses John of breaking confidentiality. Mark then sends this Teams message to me:

    [6/10/2021 12:37 AM] Mark Booker

    I want you to know that your name was used at the beginning of the BoE tonight about someone telling you that a massive leadership change that was coming. The elder was not mentioned but John K will know it was him (no one else will know who it was) and will know that you asked me about this (which, of course, was the right thing to do). If this causes you further trouble with him, I’m sorry! I will stand with you, of course.

    In this message Mark seeks to split John and I, by suggesting John may respond negatively to me, while diverting attention from the fact that he broke confidentiality regarding what I shared in his office as senior minister of PSC.

    Moreover, in presenting this information to the BoE Mark casts a slur on John’s character and infers sin where there is none. An innocent comment becomes a nefarious breach of confidentiality. This is deceitful and hypocritical considering that in the process of reporting John’s supposed breach of confidentiality to the BoEs, Mark is in fact breaking a confidence with me. I would find that breaching confidentiality became a pattern with Mark, making it all the more distressing that John Knight was removed from the BoE as a disciplinary for allegedly sharing confidences. This is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of PSC leadership – accusations of others, for things that may be a one-time error, or things that were no error at all, are made by persons for whom the very behavior they accuse others is habituated as a pattern.

    Mark displayed outbursts of anger with ministers, expressed to ministers, or in the presence of ministers,

    1. Kris Perkins was given the opportunity to share his resignation with staff members. Mark became furious, expressing to me later that Kris had disobeyed an agreement to only read the script that Mark had vetted. Terms of agreements with departing staff should be confidential. More troubling than breaking this confidence, the level of anger against Kris was extremely harsh. Mark displayed absolutely no empathy for how difficult this day was for Kris. But because Kris did not say the exact things Mark asked him to, in the way Mark proscribed, Mark was outraged.

    2. August 2021: In an MLT meeting Mark angrily asked me why there was still funding coming into the Emergency Relief Fund. I explained that I had asked finance to shut down the ERF, that I had not recruited funds for it, but that people in the church just wanted to continue giving to this fund. Mark then looked at Julian, pointed his finger at him and raised his voice saying words to the effect, “you were supposed to make sure this was taken care of and that the ERF was shut down.” The anger and disrespect in this meeting, expressed against Julian and I, in the presence of all the other ministers, was extremely hurtful and disparaging. Julian and I had no power over funds coming into accounts that were not closed by the finance department. Mark did not apologize.

    3. February 2022: In a PVG (Pastoral Vocation Group) meeting in early February, Mark became irate with Julian Linnel and myself. He publicly rebuked us, before all the members of the PVG for answering an email from a congregant. A troubled, discouraged and deeply wounded member of the congregation wrote a letter to the ministers of the church speaking of her distress and suggesting that she was not being heard by leadership at the church. When I received this letter, I immediately replied letting this person know I’d be happy to meet and hear her concern. Unbeknownst to me, Julian had replied in a similar way. Mark was extremely angry that we had done so and began the meeting with a harsh rebuke, telling us to never do such a thing again, and asking why we thought we had the right to do such a thing. Mark explained that since the letter was sent to the “ministers of the church” that it was up to him to decide how to respond and that he would then let ministers know if and whether they should respond at all. All PVG members witnessed this humiliating exchange.

    Mark has a pattern of providing half-truths to skew understanding of what happened in a given situation. He will at times outright lie.

    Example 1: In a meeting in Mark’s office he told me that the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) – which funded all the City Engagement work with the warming center for unhoused people, food banks, trauma care, etc. was being shut down. He stated words to this effect: “The Board of Elders voted to shut down the ERF and I did not stop them,” giving the impression that the BoE initiated this action. This was not true. An elder later told me that Mark initiated the ERF shutdown and the BoE agreed. Mark consistently gives partial truths to mislead and give a different impression than what actually occurred.

    In this same meeting Mark told me that he did not want to hear about the Refugee Relief proposal that was being tabled with the Mission Department. He told me that he was unwilling to read the proposal. He stated words to this effect: “I have too many targets on my back and I can no longer support your initiatives.” This was the senior minister stating that he would not support the work I was doing in my role as Minister of City Engagement, and refused to support the work of the gospels, for the aliens are always on God’s heart.

    Example 2: In a meeting in front of a Personnel subcommittee, Mark alleged I had been disrespectful to a colleague in an MLT meeting. I asked if that person would agree with Mark’s characterization of my behavior, to which Mark responded, “yes he would because he had a discussion with me about your comments and about his concerns with them.” Mark was lying. I had already talked privately to this person who assured me my comments were not offensive in any way, just the typical repartee of colleagues. After this meeting, I called this colleague and without sharing anything about the subcommittee meeting, I asked if he remembered that MLT incident and my subsequent meeting with him. He remembered both and emphatically stated he had never discussed the incident with Mark. Nor would there have been a reason to, since he did not feel offended by my comments. This affirmed my knowledge that Mark was making this statement up to provide evidence to his false accusations.

    Example 3: When I told the personnel committee that I had been disallowed by Mark to address a complainant’s offenses and reconcile with her, Mark stated “I thought you had already sat down with her and discussed these things.” This was deception. Mark had repeatedly forbidden me from contacting this person (who was a close personal friend of Mark’s for 20 years) to understand her complaint (which had never been explained to me) or to reconcile. I have Teams messages and witnesses who can corroborate that Mark repeatedly disallowed me to speak to her, and was aware I had never spoken to her about the matter.

    Moreover, Mark had escalated the issue with this person by pressuring me in his office to disclose personal information about them including details of our relationship, and comments they had made about Mark and Mandy. He then broke confidence by relaying this information back to the complainant who became even angrier with me.

    Mark does not demonstrate pastoral care for ministers

    In addition to the disturbing lack of care and compassion for Kris Perkins, Mark failed to show care for me and Bill and other staff.

    The official PSC announcement of my departure reported to the congregation that leadership was doing all they could to love Bill and Kimberley Morrison. At no time did Mark reach out to Bill, a faithful member who spent 1000’s of hours volunteering at PSC. While Mark publicly claimed Bill was being loved – nobody ever even spoke to him, emailed him, texted him, or wrote to him.

    Andrew Swenson was also let go from PSC staff, we had meals with him, helped him move, and Bill called or met with him weekly after he was removed. When I told Mark that Andrew was having some difficult and overwhelming responses to being let-go without cause, Mark was dismissive. The congregation was led to believe that the 5 PSC employees who were laid off of work were being “loved” – this was another misdirection, at least as related to Andrew.

    Mark slandered and gossiped about me in his office at PSC as senior minister

    When I resigned and planned to leave the city, Mark discouraged me from saying goodbye to PSC friends by telling me to leave quietly, and warning me that I must report any farewell conversations/meetings to him. He moreover suggested I could say my goodbyes as I was finishing my planned 3 months of remote work (which he later disallowed). I knew that anyone I reported meeting with would be branded an “enemy,” so I avoided making my farewells.

    A PSC member and friend went to see Mark Booker to ask what had happened and why I had resigned. While in his office, as senior minister, Mark Booker explained to this friend that I was being influenced by Satan. Rather than referencing the reasons for my leaving as those stated in my public resignation – Mark slandered my character and spoke evil against me.

    Slandering me in private became a regular practice of Mark Booker. Meanwhile all of the 01/2022 – 09/2022 meetings and the reports generated in those meetings were kept under heavy secrecy, with the reported excuse “to protect Kimberley.” Mark at no time protected me or my reputation from harm – in fact he repeatedly received false accusations against me – actually solicited for these, slandered me and told details of employment processes that were confidential to people who had no legal or ecclesial right to be present.

    Telios Law

    After being paid over $100K for their report – the BoE and Mark Booker chose to publish a partial report created by Telios Law that was filled with unsupported allegations and half-truths meant to mislead. My purpose here is not to defend myself against that document, but to reference the report only as related to information that Mark absolutely knew was blatantly false and either provided to Telios Law or chose to allow to be published knowing it was false.

    The partial Telios report stated, “Investigators substantiated some complaints against the Minister but not others.”

    What did Mark do about all of the false complaints made against Kimberley, and presented by Mark, the Personnel Committee, and to the BoE as being true? The scriptures make it clear that there is to be a response to false accusations being made against a person. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness: (Ex 23:1).

    As Senior Minister Mark has not addressed the lies that were made about me – many of these were shared throughout the congregation. Mark and the sub-committee knowingly joined hands with people of poor character to make accusations against me. For example, one complainant texted my son with vile emojis of things like “golden showers” (somebody urinating on another person) to mock me and laugh at my investigation. These messages were shown to the entire personnel sub-committee, who continued to accept his word as truthful. Mark then directed this complainant to delete these texts and images from his phone and from the text record. My lawyer had thankfully saved this evidence already. Despite this malice and egregious behavior, Mark and the subcommittee allowed this complainant’s testimony and included it in a public document without acknowledging the terrible abuse my family and I experienced.

    Mark and Telios Law also knew that another of my accusers had recently been fired from a previous job for making false accusations against her immediate employer. Despite this fact, Mark and Telios Law continued to pursue her testimony. Moreover, Mark justified his actions by saying we should not be looking into the character or reliability of people making accusations against me. This is in direct contradiction to Deuteronomy 19:16-20.

    Mark even actively solicited an individual to provide a complaint to Telios, knowing that the situation was questionable and long-since resolved. That individual, who was dealing with significant mental health issues, pepper sprayed an unhoused guest while volunteering at the PSC Saturday Warming Center in 2021. Because this is considered assault, I reported the incident to the BPD which angered this individual and he later complained to Mark. Although Mark would not explain the nature of the complaint to me, I relayed relevant facts as well as his mental health challenges. I remained in contact with this individual and later accessed the Deacon’s Fund to provide counseling. He later apologized to me for his behavior in an email I forwarded to Mark:

    From: BBBB
    Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 3:50 PM
    To: Kimberley Morrison
    Subject: repentance

    Mrs. Morrison,

    i apologize for the hurt caused to the man i maced, to you and to your ministry.
    someone reminded me yesterday that “actions have consequences”.
    thank you for always loving me.
    BBBB

    Nevertheless, despite this resolution and Mark’s knowledge of this individual’s mental health problems, I later learned that Mark asked this individual to be part of the complaints being made against me to Telios. The individual refused.

    Mark manipulated the 360 review and misled Telios and others to believe he was using it to promote fairness. Speaking about Mark’s choice to use the 360 Review, Telios report states “it would allow the Committee to receive positive feedback as well on her leadership and to make sure all sides were heard”

    Mark knew this to be untrue. Mark chose 8 people to review my work. These were placed in 2 categories: Fellow Leaders and Subordinates.Mark chose my reviewers. Among the “subordinates” category, he selected the 3 individuals who had made complaints about me to participate in my 360 review and no others, despite having worked with 30 other key volunteers and 270 other volunteers he could have selected. Mark did not choose subordinates based upon how long or closely they had worked with me, but based solely on whether they had lodged complaints against me. Moreover, the report prepared by the Personnel Sub-Committee under the supervision of Mark Booker, based on the my 360 Review is dominated by information from the complainants with a 5:2 ratio. For every two quotations by someone who had not complained, five quotations were offered from those who had lodged complaints. A “leader” who filled out the report told me that a negative comment attributed to her was completely taken out of context. Even supportive comments were reported in prejudicially harmful ways. The 360 Review displayed extreme prejudice – both based on who was chosen and on how the report was written.

    CONCLUSION

    This is my personal testimony of how I experienced Mark Booker as head of staff and minister of PSC. I invite you to closely consider Mark’s works among you through the testimony of those who worked most closely with him – his ministers. When I was part of the MLT there were 7 of us there: Adam, Michael, Ray, Julian, Damian, Kimberley, and Kris. Six of seven of these ministers describe harmful interactions with Mark as the head of staff as well as documented cases of sinful behaviors including breaking one’s word (confidentiality breaches again and again), slandering ministers who work for him, and a pattern of deception. This is a deeply troubling record of wounding, abusing, and harming the ministers of PSC and by proxy their families. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.


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    I just read the latest letter from the PSC Board of Elders (Sat June 1 at 3:05 PM).

    I’m not tech-savvy enough to link it, but it was just as expected:

    “… Despite the fact that the Special Meeting is to review a decision by the Board of Elders, it has turned into a campaign to attack our Senior Minister, publicly besmirch his character, and to spread gossip about past events…”

    This is just silly. The decision being reviewed is whether or not Mark Booker is disqualified from pastoral ministry. In order for the congregation to be able come to an informed decision here, they have to actually be informed!

    If said information makes the Senior Minister look bad, then maybe, just maybe, it’s because his behavior has actually been bad – and bad enough that the congregation ought to be immensely concerned about it. Concerned enough to stand up and say, this is desperately wrong, and I don’t see Jesus in any of this behavior.

    It’s also worth pointing out that every abusive church system goes after the truth-tellers, accusing them of being gossipy, divisive, etc.

    It never seems to occur to church leaders that if they want the Senior Minister to be innocent until proven guilty, then the same standard of fairness goes for the whistleblowers. Start by assuming their innocence. Start by assuming that they are sticking their necks out, for the good of the church. Recognize how sobering that is, how draining, how costly, and how much they must love the church to speak out. Recognize that no one here – absolutely no one – WANTED to speak out, but that their Spirit-driven conscience compelled them to do so.

    You want to lead by example (and stop imitating the abusive church playbook)? Fine, then you stop disparaging THEM and their character.

    “… Much of the information circulated over the past week has been curated to reflect only one side of complicated and emotional circumstances that took place between many different people.”

    And yet, despite all these complicated circumstances and different people, the pattern that emerges is remarkably identical.

    According to a wealth of testimonies, from Jesus-loving, PSC-loving, highly respected former ministers & elders, Mark Booker:

    – insists on having his own way (is overbearing, which Titus 1 warns against)
    – says one thing to a person’s face & does another thing behind their back
    – lies (or tells half-truths that are intended to deceive)
    – confidentiality for me, not for thee
    – lacks empathy

    I heard a podcast by Michael Kruger this past week (author of Bully Pulpit). He said, if you see a pattern of spiritual abuse with a senior minister, it will be against his subordinates (associate ministers, etc.).

    The testimonies being shared this past week confirm such a pattern. The fact that this is not news to either the elders or the Vicinage Council does not nullify these testimonies. Rather, it means that these testimonies were curated (ignored and discounted) to paint a one-sided, flattering picture of Mark Booker.

    The elders’ letter includes a long paragraph going after Kris Perkins for what he shared in his testimony this past week. Basically, “Hey, that’s not what Kris Perkins said when he left PSC!”

    Well. #DUH.

    Pastors – good ones – always try to leave graciously when they are shoved. They nurse their own hurts very discreetly, so as not to divide the church over their departure, no matter how unjust.

    But Kris Perkins wasn’t lashing out, out of sour grapes. He’s moved on and is flourishing in his current call. He spoke out because he loves PSC, and because Mark Booker’s pattern of behavior is disturbing and consistent enough, that he felt it completely necessary to speak.

    Mark Booker is far from the only problem at PSC. I feel like he poured gasoline on already unhealthy & unethical patterns of leadership there.

    But that gasoline has done an immense amount of damage, and has caused a great deal of pain – even trauma – in the congregation. Including, and perhaps most especially, the whistleblowers.

    I grieve for the 3 ministers who resigned this week. But I grieve even more for PSC, because this is an even greater loss for the church. Missions, internationals, community groups – these are the beating heart of PSC.

    Whereas the 3 ministers? They are free.

    I will pray for all of you at tomorrow’s Special Meeting. And I will pray for Mark Booker, too.

    For person who has a lust for power, it simply isn’t loving to keep that person in such a position of power and influence. Any more than it’s loving to encourage an alcoholic to take a drink.


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    My God, after reading Kim Morrisson’s testimony of grievous lies and mishandling of his authority from Mark Booker, I am appalled. I am truly ready to drag her to the Massachusetts Division Against Discrimination and make her file a complaint! The treatment she received from Mark and the fact that the BoE allowed it was absolutely hideous. She also received intimidating emails from people within the congregation who disagreed with the fact that she was a female ministry leader. That was reported to me by a former elder, along with the fact that female elders had received intimidating emails and the congregants were never formally reprimanded. Honestly, Kim should slap this church with a lawsuit a mile wide. It’s long overdue.

    People have the right to disagree about interpretations of scripture, especially on a non-gospel issue, but by God don’t you dare intimidate any female or person of color in a leadership position. While Mark and PSC may be protected from issues regarding affirmative action, this is straight up harassment, and they are culpable under the law. The fact that he did not responsibly respond to this intimidation with swift action is utter cowardice, despicable leadership, and firm proof to me that he once again kowtows to the über complimentarians. How as a responsible organization can tolerate such neglect??


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    Elizabeth Klein,

    Every word you said is truth. No question. The board is not responding in an objective unbiased professional manner as they should be. Clearly, to them marks innocence is a foregone conclusion, but by my math, we have a lot more years of proven trustworthiness in those ministers who are putting their testimonies in WRITING, then we do in the short span of time with Mark Booker. The gross upheaval in this ministry staff, it is clear that he should not be the leader of a large, cornerstone, urban congregational church that is a historical prize in the city of Boston. We should not have to be giving Pastor Booker management training. He should’ve had that long before he ever came to Park Street. The results have been devastating. Embarrassing, really. If he were smart, he would resign of his own accord. With all the evidence built against him at this point, how the elder board can be so arrogant in their support of him is mind-boggling.


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    Max,

    Max, I will tell you directly that I was told in the “scolding meeting“ that I got with Andrew Ziegler and Mary Harvey after I sent a fiery email to one of the elders, that the elders did put Mark to the task of cutting the fat on the staff when the five people were cut during Covid. Mary Harvey admitted that this may have been a mistake since Mark was so young in his position with Park Street, but ultimately, all of them agreed to the cuts. They didn’t care to hear my opinion that they should’ve come to the congregation for financial assistance before ever cutting those ministers during a global pandemic, especially people like Pat Chen who have no opportunity to get unemployment. Heartbreaking.

    If Mark and the über traditionalists think they’re going to shrink this church down to just the people who agree with them then they’re going to a rude awakening, because they’re going to have to close the doors. They need to stop being so selfish, so narrowminded, and recognize that this isn’t about them, it’s about God, and God would cast a wide net, not just with the pretty people.


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    The latest abuse in writing from the Board of Elders: blame the victims for speaking out. The names of the elders are below for the record.

    https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-2512718

    Subject: A Message from the Board of Elders
    Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2024
    From: Park Street Church

    June 1, 2024

    Dear Brothers and Sisters,

    We write with heavy hearts as our fears regarding the potential damage that might be caused to our church by the upcoming Special Meeting are now being realized. Despite the fact that the Special Meeting is to review a decision by the Board of Elders, it has been turned into a campaign to attack our Senior Minister, publicly besmirch his character, and to spread gossip about past events. We are aware that, throughout this week, many of you received unsolicited messages disparaging the Senior Minister and providing “testimony” against him from former leaders and staff. This testimony reflects a singular perspective and characterization of past circumstances. There is, of course, another side to everything that has been shared. In fact, there are multiple other sides, as there always are when complex interpersonal and organizational dynamics are at play.

    The information shared by our former Associate Minister, Kris Perkins, is but one example. Kris was a long-standing member of our community and is someone who many of us know and love. The perspective he shared this week about the events surrounding his resignation reflects a view that he was treated unfairly. Clearly Kris was hurt, and we have no desire to dispute his hurt or attack his character. We know that Kris and his family gave so much of themselves to Park Street Church, and that they care deeply for our community. We praise the Lord for the way that Kris is thriving in his current role as the Senior Pastor at Triangle Grace Church. However, we are also disappointed that Kris decided to share a perspective on the final months of his working relationship with our Senior Minister that has apparently changed from the perspective he chose to share in announcing his departure. In that prior message (available here https://mailchi.mp/parkstreet.org/staffing-update-june-11-2021), Kris stated that it had been on his heart for some time to seek other opportunities to use his gifts. He affirmed the perspective shared by Mark and David Rix (our former moderator), and said that both of them had been supportive of him and Laura as the conversation leading to his resignation progressed. While Kris’s current perspective has changed, Mark’s perspective, as shared in the letter included to the congregation at the time, has not. From Mark’s perspective, he had determined that Kris would eventually be a better fit in a senior role, a role to which Kris had aspired at Park Street and had been actively pursuing at other churches. Mark determined this because their leadership instincts were different, which makes sense, given that, for a long period of time, Kris had worked under a managerial style that was dissimilar to Mark’s. Mark and the Personnel Committee understood the difficult personal circumstances Kris was facing at that time, and sought to be accommodating to him and to show him respect, honor, and love throughout the process. As David Rix confirmed to us this week and gave us permission to share with you, Mark navigated the process with Kris with the full knowledge, advice, and consent of the Personnel Committee. David’s perspective is that Mark was never deceptive in this process, nor was there any violation of the bylaws.

    None of this is to argue that any particular perspective is the most accurate or the only true perspective. Rather, it is being shared to reinforce the point that much of the information circulated over the past week has been curated to reflect only one side of complicated and emotional circumstances that took place between many different people. This week’s one-sided campaign has been coordinated to sow doubt and advocate for a particular conclusion. But it does not reflect the complete picture.

    It is important for you to know that most of the information and perspectives that have been circulated this past week are not new to the Board. In addition, most of what was circulated was also submitted to the Vicinage Council and to VOCA. Each of those bodies had access to multiple perspectives and considered more than just a one-sided presentation of the issues. They looked at the matters before them holistically, and, although their investigations had different aims, their conclusions were consistent with one another. As the Vicinage Council said in its report (https://www.parkstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Final-Vicinage-Council-report-050124.pdf), at this point, we have discovered the truth. That truth is messy. It is complex and unpleasant in many respects, and it reflects a need for ongoing growth in all of us, the Board of Elders and the Senior Minister included. However, that truth is not that our Senior Minister is Biblically disqualified. Our belief is that the hurt accompanying leadership and personnel changes over the past eight years, especially in our staff team, has fed a culture of victimization that, in turn, looks for villainization of others. But this is bigger than any one person. It is bigger than Mark Booker, the Board of Elders, or any prior or current member of staff. This is a spiritual battle and all of us can do better.

    As we approach this Sunday’s meeting, we must remember that the question before the congregation is not whether Mark will remain at Park Street Church. Mark has recently reaffirmed his commitment to Park Street Church, and the Board of Elders announced its full support from him as he will seek to lead us into our next chapter. This Sunday’s meeting is also not a time to discuss past staff separations or recent resignations. As we announced on Thursday, Damian Long, our Minister to Community submitted his resignation earlier this week. We have also received the resignations of Yannick Assogba from the Board of Elders, and Pastors Julian Linnell and Raymond Kam from our staff. To different degrees, each of these individuals is at variance with the rest of the church’s leadership. We understand that their consciences have compelled them to step down, and while we disagree with how they have characterized Mark and the Board in their public resignation letters, we do not want to debate these differing perspectives. The reality is that their departures have and will cause widespread pain. That is pain that will take time to heal and that needs to be expressed. The Elders have already agreed to set up listening sessions over the coming weeks and months to provide space for concerns to be shared, questions to be answered, and prayers to take place. We will be providing more information about the dates and times for those soon. Our prayer for the present moment, however, is that the pain that so many of us are currently experiencing will not be expressed at Sunday’s meeting in a manner that does not honor the Lord. We also hope that it does not cloud our focus on the question that is the subject of the Special Meeting. The sole question is whether the Board’s decision rejecting the charges of Biblical disqualification that were made against our Senior Minister should be reopened and assessed yet again. The Board continues to believe that is not necessary or appropriate. It is our hope that our prior determination rejecting those charges will be affirmed, and that we can stop arguing this issue amongst ourselves and begin to move forward together with a focus on the work of healing and renewal that we so desperately need and with a renewed commitment to the mission of God.

    We will be praying along with you as we approach our upcoming meeting. May the Lord have mercy on our church and may His will be done.

    The Board of Elders

    [Tagging those legally responsible for this letter.]

    JASON ABRAHAM
    Moderator
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    DEBORAH GALLAGHER
    Clerk
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIE HALVORSEN
    Elder
    TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

    GREGG HANSEN
    Assistant Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    MARY HARVEY
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    LINDA HERMAN
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    RICHARD IBEKWE
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    GABRIEL LING
    Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    LESLIE LIU
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    DAVID MURGATROYD
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

    GEOFFREY RAUX
    Moderator-Elect
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    KIRSTIN PELTZ
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

    DANIEL VOGELZANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    JOSHUA WANG
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

    STEVE WEIBLEY
    Elder
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    JULIANNE WHITE
    Missions Treasurer
    TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

    ANDREW ZIEGLER
    Elder
    TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)


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    lol
    I heard they’re even removing that tagline, in which case we ought to just hold blank signs. One that is “This is not a sign” and the other that is “This is not a church’ 😉

    NAAH,

    NAAH:
    TEDS,

    Hi TEDS
    Since your user name is plural, I guess you are more than one person. May I suggest one of you hold the poster and the other stand across the street to take a picture of poster-kid with the PSC billboard in the background (Usually there is a billboard at the ground level to announce date and title of sermon and preacher).
    In case you dont know: JESUS ABOVE All is the new Motto of PSC designated by our SM. He may be delighted to see you holding the sign with a smile (will not call 911)


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    Susan Lane: My God, after reading Kim Morrisson’s testimony of grievous lies and mishandling of his authority from Mark Booker, I am appalled.

    Please post it here! Or is it over on the petitioners website?


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    Long post… Dee, should I email you? Sorry it is so long… It is the recent abusive letter from the board of elders… and the list of people responsible for it.


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    Susan Lane: Kim Morrisson’s testimony of grievous lies and mishandling of his authority from Mark Booker … intimidating emails from people within the congregation … straight up harassment

    PSC has ceased being a church of the living God … “You will know them by their love for one another”

    Heaven shouts “Repent or else!”


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    Friend of Park Street Church,

    Hi Friend of PSC
    I posted KM’s testimony on TWW around 4pm— it is very long. Maybe Dee does not have time to screen it yet. Anyway it is very sad. The PSC leadership (before MB) knew and treasured her faithful work experience in Canada,but had to wait for her immigrant visa. Thus she actually started working for PSC remotely for some time before she could move to Boston. Before she came, we already exchanged emails and became friends—because I am very supportive of City Engagement. After she came, she was very busy but promised to meet ASAP. Then suddenly before we could meet, it was announced she resigned. I was shocked — different people told me different stories. She did not even leave her email address for me
    Today someone sent me her testimony (intend to present in 6/2 meeting) She suffered more grievously than all the other ministers because she was a new immigrant, new employee, and not yet acquainted w/ the congregation. It was plain cruelty for the SM and BoE to falsely accuse her (using $ 100,000 of our endowment) and kick her (and family) back to Canada. She exhibited amazing grace and endurance to refuse to defend herself, not even make any comment to curious reporters. But now she finds it necessary to speak up only because she loves PSC and wants to SAVE PSC FROM IMMINENT COLLAPSE!

    If the post is still missing tomorrow, I will re-post it for you. Meanwhile, please pray for her and her family.


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    Testimony from Kimberley Morrison

    Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2024 at 2:39 AM
    Subject: What does Kimberley Morrison have to say?

    Dear members of Park Street Church,

    Kimberley Morrison, former Minister of City Engagement, who coordinated Park Street’s food pantry, ministry to people experiencing homelessness, food deliveries to families in quarantine, and Afghan refugee support ministries throughout the pandemic, has until now not spoken publicly about her interactions with the church staff.

    Please read her words below, shared with her permission, and consider them before tomorrow’s Special Meeting.

    In Christ’s love and light, for His glory,
    [name withheld for privacy]
    (Park Street member since 2005)
    1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”—————————————————————————

    Kimberley Morrison – Testimony related to Mark Booker and Board of Elders of Park Street Church

    I report here on my experience as a minister at PSC with Mark Booker as my senior pastor. This testimony is related to my work on the Ministry Lead Team (MLT), Pastoral Vocation Group (PVG), Staff Team, and the many conversations I had with Mark in his role as Senior Pastor, in his office as well as correspondence on Teams or PSC emails. Until this point, I have consistently declined to make my testimony public, despite being asked in the following ways:

    1. When encouraged by individuals in the legal profession several times to bring legal action against PSC for libel and slander, or for breaking MA state employment law, etc. I have always refused. I believe scripture is clear about this and I did not want to bring dishonor to the name of Jesus.

    2. When Telios Law published their report, I prepared a lengthy response as part of my personal healing. I chose not to publish my response even though a report about me had been publicized. A response to that report would have been morally, ethically and biblically appropriate. I chose not to respond, and left my justification in the hands of Christ.

    3. When an editor from Christianity Today contacted me to provide background information, I refused to provide testimony.

    4. When asked by another Christian whistle-blower magazine to offer testimony – I again, refused to contribute.

    Why am I willing to offer testimony now?

    In general terms, I am willing to offer testimony because the destructive fallout of current leadership is tearing the lives of individuals and relationships between individuals at PSC apart. Covering up truth, or not facing into truth, will not be helpful if PSC is to be healed. I find 1 Thess 5:12-13 instructive in this moment: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” It is interesting that the basis for holding leaders in high regard is not in fact because of their words but because of their work. The word work in this context is the same Greek word – ergon -used by Jesus when he tells his followers “that they may see your good works” (Mt 5:16), and “so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Mt 23:3).

    A key biblical consideration in weighing the testimony offered by many is what do their words describe as related to the work that has been produced by current leadership at PSC? Put another way, what is the outcome of their way of life? (Heb 13:7). The lives of multiple ministers of the gospel have been dismantled and deconstructed under the leadership of Mark Booker. When Mark arrived at PSC it could be said that there was great tenuousness within the current ministerial staff as related to his role, as with the arrival of any new senior minister. Concerns, anxieties, and fears were present. The ministers of PSC had also been through a painful, disorienting and difficult three years. Mark’s primary task upon his arrival might have been bringing about healing, hope, help, nurture and love. This did not happen. Mark’s initial response to insecurity, disorientation and concerns on the part of the ministers was to begin an agenda of establishing his authority and control. Mark did not stoop down to make others great – the role of a good and gracious leader. On at least three occasions I personally told Mark that if he wanted to win over the ministers he needed to stoop down and serve them. I did not see this happen.

    It is with agonizing consideration and prayer that I am willing to share this information. I know very personally how a report filled with accusations of sin and misconduct that is made public to 1000+ people, and then spread by them to others around the country can cause trauma, despondency, depression and despair. I also know how such a report might affect one’s children – their view of the Church and their relationship to Jesus Christ. I am writing trusting that in the presence of God, while depending on the Holy Spirit’s insight, testimony will be heard, discernment granted, and appropriate action taken.

    In specific terms:

    1. Mark does not care for his ministers when they are being unjustly treated by other leaders. Long prior to Mark Booker bringing accusations against me, a member of the BoE said shameful things to me at a BoE meeting, publicly attacking and maligning me. Mark Booker was in that meeting and chose not to intervene on my behalf. Later he sent the following Teams message inviting me to another meeting and assuring me that I would be “defended” by the moderator. Why should a minister of PSC need to be defended while attending a BoE meeting?

    [1/2/2022 6:16 PM] Mark Booker

    “Merry Christmas day 8 and Happy New Year. I just got off a call with David Rix. Would it be possible for you to attend the BoE this Wed night and give an update on the refugee ministry? I know the Board would appreciate that. I realize Julian is away and I am also away and will not be at the elder’s meeting this Wednesday. But David did want me to communicate that he would defend and support you that night ! Let me know if this is possible. I would say a 10 minute update and then time to field some questions”

    2. Mark Booker does not have the leadership competencies that build capacity to shepherd, care for, or lead the staff at PSC. Mark arrived at PSC with an extremely limited history of leading staff. He was expected to lead 25+ staff – many of whom had more ministry experience, theological education, and experience with PSC culture. This put him in a vulnerable position, where a person might be plagued with insecurity. Mark’s insecurity often led him to see the other ministers as allies or enemies, not people he was nurturing and developing towards maturity in Christ.

    In every personal conversation with Mark, as senior pastor, in his office, Mark always sought personal information about other people and how they felt about him – seeking to know if they were allies or enemies. When in the office of the head of staff, one feels compelled due to the power differential to respond to questions that are being asked. Mark repeatedly pressured me to share things with him that were ethically inappropriate.

    3. I believe that due to Mark’s inexperience he makes decisions that represent an ignorance born of lack of training in leadership and team development. More concerning, however, is the pattern of behavior that is habituated once poor decisions are made. Mark will not back down from his course of action. Rather than changing a decision or backing away from a poor decision Mark has a pattern, in my experience, of using deception to cover outcomes from poor decisions.

    My personal experience of Mark
    On the first two occasions when I met Mark in-person after moving to Boston he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not the person he would have hired for the role of Minister of City Engagement. When he said this to me, he also stated that at some point he should see my resume. Mark, having never seen my resume and without explaining why I was not a good fit, or connecting his rejection of my worthiness to any performance concerns, simply put me in a position where I felt I did not measure up, and gave me no guidance on how I might change this opinion. Communicating, as head of staff, to a staff member that they are not the right person for the job, places that person in a place of insecurity and a constant sense of needing to prove themselves.

    Mark repeatedly asked me for personal information and disparaged people who disagreed with him

    As a first example: YYYY and her husband expressed concerns to the BoE around COVID-19 policies in the nursery, which angered Mark. In his office at PSC, in his role as senior minister, Mark then asked me for personal information about YYYY and her husband while disparaging them. Mark said of the husband “What is with him?” and indicated that he thought his voice was “effeminate” and that he was “overly emotional.” I was shocked by these comments. I left feeling deeply disoriented and sad.

    As a second example, on multiple occasions Mark asked those who lived in or visited my home to give him information about my husband Bill.

    Mark repeatedly breaks confidentiality while slandering others falsely for supposed breaches of confidentiality

    In 2021 during a regularly scheduled meeting with John Knight, the elder who oversaw me, John stated that some changes in leadership might be coming. In no way did John indicate that Kris Perkins was involved. I later asked Mark if he knew about these changes out of concern for him, thinking that he might be unaware. Mark indicated that he was aware and at my very specific request for confidentiality, he assured me that he would keep the conversation confidential.

    Mark broke his word. In response to John’s innocent remark, Mark accuses John of breaking confidentiality. Mark then sends this Teams message to me:

    [6/10/2021 12:37 AM] Mark Booker

    I want you to know that your name was used at the beginning of the BoE tonight about someone telling you that a massive leadership change that was coming. The elder was not mentioned but John K will know it was him (no one else will know who it was) and will know that you asked me about this (which, of course, was the right thing to do). If this causes you further trouble with him, I’m sorry! I will stand with you, of course.

    In this message Mark seeks to split John and I, by suggesting John may respond negatively to me, while diverting attention from the fact that he broke confidentiality regarding what I shared in his office as senior minister of PSC.

    Moreover, in presenting this information to the BoE Mark casts a slur on John’s character and infers sin where there is none. An innocent comment becomes a nefarious breach of confidentiality. This is deceitful and hypocritical considering that in the process of reporting John’s supposed breach of confidentiality to the BoEs, Mark is in fact breaking a confidence with me. I would find that breaching confidentiality became a pattern with Mark, making it all the more distressing that John Knight was removed from the BoE as a disciplinary for allegedly sharing confidences. This is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of PSC leadership – accusations of others, for things that may be a one-time error, or things that were no error at all, are made by persons for whom the very behavior they accuse others is habituated as a pattern.

    Mark displayed outbursts of anger with ministers, expressed to ministers, or in the presence of ministers,

    1. Kris Perkins was given the opportunity to share his resignation with staff members. Mark became furious, expressing to me later that Kris had disobeyed an agreement to only read the script that Mark had vetted. Terms of agreements with departing staff should be confidential. More troubling than breaking this confidence, the level of anger against Kris was extremely harsh. Mark displayed absolutely no empathy for how difficult this day was for Kris. But because Kris did not say the exact things Mark asked him to, in the way Mark proscribed, Mark was outraged.

    2. August 2021: In an MLT meeting Mark angrily asked me why there was still funding coming into the Emergency Relief Fund. I explained that I had asked finance to shut down the ERF, that I had not recruited funds for it, but that people in the church just wanted to continue giving to this fund. Mark then looked at Julian, pointed his finger at him and raised his voice saying words to the effect, “you were supposed to make sure this was taken care of and that the ERF was shut down.” The anger and disrespect in this meeting, expressed against Julian and I, in the presence of all the other ministers, was extremely hurtful and disparaging. Julian and I had no power over funds coming into accounts that were not closed by the finance department. Mark did not apologize.

    3. February 2022: In a PVG (Pastoral Vocation Group) meeting in early February, Mark became irate with Julian Linnel and myself. He publicly rebuked us, before all the members of the PVG for answering an email from a congregant. A troubled, discouraged and deeply wounded member of the congregation wrote a letter to the ministers of the church speaking of her distress and suggesting that she was not being heard by leadership at the church. When I received this letter, I immediately replied letting this person know I’d be happy to meet and hear her concern. Unbeknownst to me, Julian had replied in a similar way. Mark was extremely angry that we had done so and began the meeting with a harsh rebuke, telling us to never do such a thing again, and asking why we thought we had the right to do such a thing. Mark explained that since the letter was sent to the “ministers of the church” that it was up to him to decide how to respond and that he would then let ministers know if and whether they should respond at all. All PVG members witnessed this humiliating exchange.

    Mark has a pattern of providing half-truths to skew understanding of what happened in a given situation. He will at times outright lie.

    Example 1: In a meeting in Mark’s office he told me that the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) – which funded all the City Engagement work with the warming center for unhoused people, food banks, trauma care, etc. was being shut down. He stated words to this effect: “The Board of Elders voted to shut down the ERF and I did not stop them,” giving the impression that the BoE initiated this action. This was not true. An elder later told me that Mark initiated the ERF shutdown and the BoE agreed. Mark consistently gives partial truths to mislead and give a different impression than what actually occurred.

    In this same meeting Mark told me that he did not want to hear about the Refugee Relief proposal that was being tabled with the Mission Department. He told me that he was unwilling to read the proposal. He stated words to this effect: “I have too many targets on my back and I can no longer support your initiatives.” This was the senior minister stating that he would not support the work I was doing in my role as Minister of City Engagement, and refused to support the work of the gospels, for the aliens are always on God’s heart.

    Example 2: In a meeting in front of a Personnel subcommittee, Mark alleged I had been disrespectful to a colleague in an MLT meeting. I asked if that person would agree with Mark’s characterization of my behavior, to which Mark responded, “yes he would because he had a discussion with me about your comments and about his concerns with them.” Mark was lying. I had already talked privately to this person who assured me my comments were not offensive in any way, just the typical repartee of colleagues. After this meeting, I called this colleague and without sharing anything about the subcommittee meeting, I asked if he remembered that MLT incident and my subsequent meeting with him. He remembered both and emphatically stated he had never discussed the incident with Mark. Nor would there have been a reason to, since he did not feel offended by my comments. This affirmed my knowledge that Mark was making this statement up to provide evidence to his false accusations.

    Example 3: When I told the personnel committee that I had been disallowed by Mark to address a complainant’s offenses and reconcile with her, Mark stated “I thought you had already sat down with her and discussed these things.” This was deception. Mark had repeatedly forbidden me from contacting this person (who was a close personal friend of Mark’s for 20 years) to understand her complaint (which had never been explained to me) or to reconcile. I have Teams messages and witnesses who can corroborate that Mark repeatedly disallowed me to speak to her, and was aware I had never spoken to her about the matter.

    Moreover, Mark had escalated the issue with this person by pressuring me in his office to disclose personal information about them including details of our relationship, and comments they had made about Mark and Mandy. He then broke confidence by relaying this information back to the complainant who became even angrier with me.

    Mark does not demonstrate pastoral care for ministers

    In addition to the disturbing lack of care and compassion for Kris Perkins, Mark failed to show care for me and Bill and other staff.

    The official PSC announcement of my departure reported to the congregation that leadership was doing all they could to love Bill and Kimberley Morrison. At no time did Mark reach out to Bill, a faithful member who spent 1000’s of hours volunteering at PSC. While Mark publicly claimed Bill was being loved – nobody ever even spoke to him, emailed him, texted him, or wrote to him.

    Andrew Swenson was also let go from PSC staff, we had meals with him, helped him move, and Bill called or met with him weekly after he was removed. When I told Mark that Andrew was having some difficult and overwhelming responses to being let-go without cause, Mark was dismissive. The congregation was led to believe that the 5 PSC employees who were laid off of work were being “loved” – this was another misdirection, at least as related to Andrew.

    Mark slandered and gossiped about me in his office at PSC as senior minister

    When I resigned and planned to leave the city, Mark discouraged me from saying goodbye to PSC friends by telling me to leave quietly, and warning me that I must report any farewell conversations/meetings to him. He moreover suggested I could say my goodbyes as I was finishing my planned 3 months of remote work (which he later disallowed). I knew that anyone I reported meeting with would be branded an “enemy,” so I avoided making my farewells.

    A PSC member and friend went to see Mark Booker to ask what had happened and why I had resigned. While in his office, as senior minister, Mark Booker explained to this friend that I was being influenced by Satan. Rather than referencing the reasons for my leaving as those stated in my public resignation – Mark slandered my character and spoke evil against me.

    Slandering me in private became a regular practice of Mark Booker. Meanwhile all of the 01/2022 – 09/2022 meetings and the reports generated in those meetings were kept under heavy secrecy, with the reported excuse “to protect Kimberley.” Mark at no time protected me or my reputation from harm – in fact he repeatedly received false accusations against me – actually solicited for these, slandered me and told details of employment processes that were confidential to people who had no legal or ecclesial right to be present.

    Telios Law
    After being paid over $100K for their report – the BoE and Mark Booker chose to publish a partial report created by Telios Law that was filled with unsupported allegations and half-truths meant to mislead. My purpose here is not to defend myself against that document, but to reference the report only as related to information that Mark absolutely knew was blatantly false and either provided to Telios Law or chose to allow to be published knowing it was false.

    The partial Telios report stated, “Investigators substantiated some complaints against the Minister but not others.”

    What did Mark do about all of the false complaints made against Kimberley, and presented by Mark, the Personnel Committee, and to the BoE as being true? The scriptures make it clear that there is to be a response to false accusations being made against a person. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness: (Ex 23:1).

    As Senior Minister Mark has not addressed the lies that were made about me – many of these were shared throughout the congregation. Mark and the sub-committee knowingly joined hands with people of poor character to make accusations against me. For example, one complainant texted my son with vile emojis of things like “golden showers” (somebody urinating on another person) to mock me and laugh at my investigation. These messages were shown to the entire personnel sub-committee, who continued to accept his word as truthful. Mark then directed this complainant to delete these texts and images from his phone and from the text record. My lawyer had thankfully saved this evidence already. Despite this malice and egregious behavior, Mark and the subcommittee allowed this complainant’s testimony and included it in a public document without acknowledging the terrible abuse my family and I experienced.

    Mark and Telios Law also knew that another of my accusers had recently been fired from a previous job for making false accusations against her immediate employer. Despite this fact, Mark and Telios Law continued to pursue her testimony. Moreover, Mark justified his actions by saying we should not be looking into the character or reliability of people making accusations against me. This is in direct contradiction to Deuteronomy 19:16-20.

    Mark even actively solicited an individual to provide a complaint to Telios, knowing that the situation was questionable and long-since resolved. That individual, who was dealing with significant mental health issues, pepper sprayed an unhoused guest while volunteering at the PSC Saturday Warming Center in 2021. Because this is considered assault, I reported the incident to the BPD which angered this individual and he later complained to Mark. Although Mark would not explain the nature of the complaint to me, I relayed relevant facts as well as his mental health challenges. I remained in contact with this individual and later accessed the Deacon’s Fund to provide counseling. He later apologized to me for his behavior in an email I forwarded to Mark:

    From: BBBB
    Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 3:50 PM
    To: Kimberley Morrison
    Subject: repentance

    Mrs. Morrison,

    i apologize for the hurt caused to the man i maced, to you and to your ministry.
    someone reminded me yesterday that “actions have consequences”.
    thank you for always loving me.
    BBBB

    Nevertheless, despite this resolution and Mark’s knowledge of this individual’s mental health problems, I later learned that Mark asked this individual to be part of the complaints being made against me to Telios. The individual refused.

    Mark manipulated the 360 review and misled Telios and others to believe he was using it to promote fairness. Speaking about Mark’s choice to use the 360 Review, Telios report states “it would allow the Committee to receive positive feedback as well on her leadership and to make sure all sides were heard”

    Mark knew this to be untrue. Mark chose 8 people to review my work. These were placed in 2 categories: Fellow Leaders and Subordinates.Mark chose my reviewers. Among the “subordinates” category, he selected the 3 individuals who had made complaints about me to participate in my 360 review and no others, despite having worked with 30 other key volunteers and 270 other volunteers he could have selected. Mark did not choose subordinates based upon how long or closely they had worked with me, but based solely on whether they had lodged complaints against me. Moreover, the report prepared by the Personnel Sub-Committee under the supervision of Mark Booker, based on the my 360 Review is dominated by information from the complainants with a 5:2 ratio. For every two quotations by someone who had not complained, five quotations were offered from those who had lodged complaints. A “leader” who filled out the report told me that a negative comment attributed to her was completely taken out of context. Even supportive comments were reported in prejudicially harmful ways. The 360 Review displayed extreme prejudice – both based on who was chosen and on how the report was written.

    CONCLUSION

    This is my personal testimony of how I experienced Mark Booker as head of staff and minister of PSC. I invite you to closely consider Mark’s works among you through the testimony of those who worked most closely with him – his ministers. When I was part of the MLT there were 7 of us there: Adam, Michael, Ray, Julian, Damian, Kimberley, and Kris. Six of seven of these ministers describe harmful interactions with Mark as the head of staff as well as documented cases of sinful behaviors including breaking one’s word (confidentiality breaches again and again), slandering ministers who work for him, and a pattern of deception. This is a deeply troubling record of wounding, abusing, and harming the ministers of PSC and by proxy their families. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.


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    Anyone want to join in a sidewalk protest on Sunday morning? Or pray during the Special Meeting?


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    PSC congregants should also ask why dozen of security cameras were installed throughout the church a few months ago with very few being informed…


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    Friend of Park Street Church:
    Or pray during the Special Meeting?

    I’m in for praying for the meeting.


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    Friend of Park Street Church,

    I’m not sure if a sidewalk protest before the meeting is wise, because the hope is that the other side will be willing to hear the arguments. A sidewalk protest ahead of time might antagonize everyone. Not sure. It’s your call.

    I’m a little befuddled about why, in the most recent elder board letter, they said we’re not determining Mark Booker‘s fate, we’re only determining whether or not there is reason to biblically disqualify him for the role of senior minister. Isn’t that the same thing? What do they think will happen if the congregation does decide there’s plenty of evidence to disqualify him? Are they not going to ask him to resign? Just because the elder board has affirmed him doesn’t mean that the congregation can’t hold them accountable and have that affirmation overturned. Do they not get the purpose of this meeting? Are they basically saying there’s no point to this meeting because they’ve already decided that he’s innocent of all accusations? With all the evidence and so much that they were a party to, i’m starting to believe that their chokehold on their loyalty to him is because we’re not just uncovering his misdeeds, we’re uncovering theirs.


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    Susan Lane: With all the evidence and so much that they were a party to, i’m starting to believe that their chokehold on their loyalty to him is because we’re not just uncovering his misdeeds, we’re uncovering theirs.

    You have hit the nail on the head! That is why I keep tagging them by name here. The time for holding them accountable is now. They are individually legally and morally responsible for the decisions made by the board as a group.

    The reality is that they don’t have time to write these recent emails together as a whole group. SOMEONE or a subset of the board is writing these things and expecting the rumored “one voice policy” to prevent public dissent. My guess is that there is coercion involved…. remember that a person like Jason Abraham who is abusing others in public like he did at the Annual Meeting is unlikely to act in a non-abusive way behind closed doors.

    It will be helpful to eventually read why Elder Yannick Assogba resigned. While I can understand the desire to stay and make changes from within, the recent emails are unlikely to be from the full board in that they were each given input on the content and word choices.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: remember that a person like Jason Abraham who is abusing others in public like he did at the Annual Meeting is unlikely to act in a non-abusive way behind closed doors.

    … and we have already seen the MANY examples of his abusive behavior from the various testimony shared recently.


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    Susan Lane: My God, after reading Kim Morrisson’s testimony of grievous lies and mishandling of his authority from Mark Booker, I am appalled. I am truly ready to drag her to the Massachusetts Division Against Discrimination and make her file a complaint! The treatment she received from Mark and the fact that the BoE allowed it was absolutely hideous.

    Who was on the board at that time? Their names need to be mentioned publicly.


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    mle bire: I’m in for praying for the meeting.

    Excellent! It will be so good to pray with you!

    I’m aware that Mark Booker and Jason Abraham and their supporters are able to read these posts. And I hope they are, to be honest!

    If any of you reading this post want to pray together beginning at 12:45 pm tomorrow, June 2nd, please join this private group chat on Signal. We can connect and plan where to meet. If you want to call in to the prayer meeting join the chat and we will figure out those details in the chat.

    https://signal.group/#CjQKIO3nw0qmt64-Odu6sSHoHRqcIYGCTxti0qCAh8KivNh1EhDgw1o3PqDdonfzcE40MVXE


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    Friend of Park Street Church: If any of you reading this post want to pray together beginning at 12:45 pm tomorrow, June 2nd, please join this private group chat on Signal. We can connect and plan where to meet. If you want to call in to the prayer meeting join the chat and we will figure out those details in the chat.
    https://signal.group/#CjQKIO3nw0qmt64-Odu6sSHoHRqcIYGCTxti0qCAh8KivNh1EhDgw1o3PqDdonfzcE40MVXE

    The group chat is not open, it requires admin permission to join. So there won’t be any anonymous members. Just to clarify.


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    NAAH:
    Friend of Park Street Church,

    To Dee and all branches of the True Vine
    Here is the heart-rending testimony of our sister Kimberley Morrison

    Kimberley Morrison – Testimony related to Mark Booker and Board of Elders of Park Street Church

    I report here on my experience as a minister at PSC with Mark Booker as my senior pastor. This testimony is related to my work on the Ministry Lead Team (MLT), Pastoral Vocation Group (PVG), Staff Team, and the many conversations I had with Mark in his role as Senior Pastor, in his office as well as correspondence on Teams or PSC emails. Until this point, I have consistently declined to make my testimony public, despite being asked in the following ways:

    1. When encouraged by individuals in the legal profession several times to bring legal action against PSC for libel and slander, or for breaking MA state employment law, etc. I have always refused. I believe scripture is clear about this and I did not want to bring dishonor to the name of Jesus.

    2. When Telios Law published their report, I prepared a lengthy response as part of my personal healing. I chose not to publish my response even though a report about me had been publicized. A response to that report would have been morally, ethically and biblically appropriate. I chose not to respond, and left my justification in the hands of Christ.

    3. When an editor from Christianity Today contacted me to provide background information, I refused to provide testimony.

    4. When asked by another Christian whistle-blower magazine to offer testimony – I again, refused to contribute.

    Why am I willing to offer testimony now?

    In general terms, I am willing to offer testimony because the destructive fallout of current leadership is tearing the lives of individuals and relationships between individuals at PSC apart. Covering up truth, or not facing into truth, will not be helpful if PSC is to be healed. I find 1 Thess 5:12-13 instructive in this moment: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” It is interesting that the basis for holding leaders in high regard is not in fact because of their words but because of their work. The word work in this context is the same Greek word – ergon -used by Jesus when he tells his followers “that they may see your good works” (Mt 5:16), and “so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Mt 23:3).

    A key biblical consideration in weighing the testimony offered by many is what do their words describe as related to the work that has been produced by current leadership at PSC? Put another way, what is the outcome of their way of life? (Heb 13:7). The lives of multiple ministers of the gospel have been dismantled and deconstructed under the leadership of Mark Booker. When Mark arrived at PSC it could be said that there was great tenuousness within the current ministerial staff as related to his role, as with the arrival of any new senior minister. Concerns, anxieties, and fears were present. The ministers of PSC had also been through a painful, disorienting and difficult three years. Mark’s primary task upon his arrival might have been bringing about healing, hope, help, nurture and love. This did not happen. Mark’s initial response to insecurity, disorientation and concerns on the part of the ministers was to begin an agenda of establishing his authority and control. Mark did not stoop down to make others great – the role of a good and gracious leader. On at least three occasions I personally told Mark that if he wanted to win over the ministers he needed to stoop down and serve them. I did not see this happen.

    It is with agonizing consideration and prayer that I am willing to share this information. I know very personally how a report filled with accusations of sin and misconduct that is made public to 1000+ people, and then spread by them to others around the country can cause trauma, despondency, depression and despair. I also know how such a report might affect one’s children – their view of the Church and their relationship to Jesus Christ. I am writing trusting that in the presence of God, while depending on the Holy Spirit’s insight, testimony will be heard, discernment granted, and appropriate action taken.

    In specific terms:

    1. Mark does not care for his ministers when they are being unjustly treated by other leaders. Long prior to Mark Booker bringing accusations against me, a member of the BoE said shameful things to me at a BoE meeting, publicly attacking and maligning me. Mark Booker was in that meeting and chose not to intervene on my behalf. Later he sent the following Teams message inviting me to another meeting and assuring me that I would be “defended” by the moderator. Why should a minister of PSC need to be defended while attending a BoE meeting?

    [1/2/2022 6:16 PM] Mark Booker

    “Merry Christmas day 8 and Happy New Year. I just got off a call with David Rix. Would it be possible for you to attend the BoE this Wed night and give an update on the refugee ministry? I know the Board would appreciate that. I realize Julian is away and I am also away and will not be at the elder’s meeting this Wednesday. But David did want me to communicate that he would defend and support you that night ! Let me know if this is possible. I would say a 10 minute update and then time to field some questions”

    2. Mark Booker does not have the leadership competencies that build capacity to shepherd, care for, or lead the staff at PSC. Mark arrived at PSC with an extremely limited history of leading staff. He was expected to lead 25+ staff – many of whom had more ministry experience, theological education, and experience with PSC culture. This put him in a vulnerable position, where a person might be plagued with insecurity. Mark’s insecurity often led him to see the other ministers as allies or enemies, not people he was nurturing and developing towards maturity in Christ.

    In every personal conversation with Mark, as senior pastor, in his office, Mark always sought personal information about other people and how they felt about him – seeking to know if they were allies or enemies. When in the office of the head of staff, one feels compelled due to the power differential to respond to questions that are being asked. Mark repeatedly pressured me to share things with him that were ethically inappropriate.

    3. I believe that due to Mark’s inexperience he makes decisions that represent an ignorance born of lack of training in leadership and team development. More concerning, however, is the pattern of behavior that is habituated once poor decisions are made. Mark will not back down from his course of action. Rather than changing a decision or backing away from a poor decision Mark has a pattern, in my experience, of using deception to cover outcomes from poor decisions.

    My personal experience of Mark

    On the first two occasions when I met Mark in-person after moving to Boston he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not the person he would have hired for the role of Minister of City Engagement. When he said this to me, he also stated that at some point he should see my resume. Mark, having never seen my resume and without explaining why I was not a good fit, or connecting his rejection of my worthiness to any performance concerns, simply put me in a position where I felt I did not measure up, and gave me no guidance on how I might change this opinion. Communicating, as head of staff, to a staff member that they are not the right person for the job, places that person in a place of insecurity and a constant sense of needing to prove themselves.

    Mark repeatedly asked me for personal information and disparaged people who disagreed with him

    As a first example: YYYY and her husband expressed concerns to the BoE around COVID-19 policies in the nursery, which angered Mark. In his office at PSC, in his role as senior minister, Mark then asked me for personal information about YYYY and her husband while disparaging them. Mark said of the husband “What is with him?” and indicated that he thought his voice was “effeminate” and that he was “overly emotional.” I was shocked by these comments. I left feeling deeply disoriented and sad.

    As a second example, on multiple occasions Mark asked those who lived in or visited my home to give him information about my husband Bill.

    Mark repeatedly breaks confidentiality while slandering others falsely for supposed breaches of confidentiality

    In 2021 during a regularly scheduled meeting with John Knight, the elder who oversaw me, John stated that some changes in leadership might be coming. In no way did John indicate that Kris Perkins was involved. I later asked Mark if he knew about these changes out of concern for him, thinking that he might be unaware. Mark indicated that he was aware and at my very specific request for confidentiality, he assured me that he would keep the conversation confidential.

    Mark broke his word. In response to John’s innocent remark, Mark accuses John of breaking confidentiality. Mark then sends this Teams message to me:

    [6/10/2021 12:37 AM] Mark Booker

    I want you to know that your name was used at the beginning of the BoE tonight about someone telling you that a massive leadership change that was coming. The elder was not mentioned but John K will know it was him (no one else will know who it was) and will know that you asked me about this (which, of course, was the right thing to do). If this causes you further trouble with him, I’m sorry! I will stand with you, of course.

    In this message Mark seeks to split John and I, by suggesting John may respond negatively to me, while diverting attention from the fact that he broke confidentiality regarding what I shared in his office as senior minister of PSC.

    Moreover, in presenting this information to the BoE Mark casts a slur on John’s character and infers sin where there is none. An innocent comment becomes a nefarious breach of confidentiality. This is deceitful and hypocritical considering that in the process of reporting John’s supposed breach of confidentiality to the BoEs, Mark is in fact breaking a confidence with me. I would find that breaching confidentiality became a pattern with Mark, making it all the more distressing that John Knight was removed from the BoE as a disciplinary for allegedly sharing confidences. This is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of PSC leadership – accusations of others, for things that may be a one-time error, or things that were no error at all, are made by persons for whom the very behavior they accuse others is habituated as a pattern.

    Mark displayed outbursts of anger with ministers, expressed to ministers, or in the presence of ministers,

    1. Kris Perkins was given the opportunity to share his resignation with staff members. Mark became furious, expressing to me later that Kris had disobeyed an agreement to only read the script that Mark had vetted. Terms of agreements with departing staff should be confidential. More troubling than breaking this confidence, the level of anger against Kris was extremely harsh. Mark displayed absolutely no empathy for how difficult this day was for Kris. But because Kris did not say the exact things Mark asked him to, in the way Mark proscribed, Mark was outraged.

    2. August 2021: In an MLT meeting Mark angrily asked me why there was still funding coming into the Emergency Relief Fund. I explained that I had asked finance to shut down the ERF, that I had not recruited funds for it, but that people in the church just wanted to continue giving to this fund. Mark then looked at Julian, pointed his finger at him and raised his voice saying words to the effect, “you were supposed to make sure this was taken care of and that the ERF was shut down.” The anger and disrespect in this meeting, expressed against Julian and I, in the presence of all the other ministers, was extremely hurtful and disparaging. Julian and I had no power over funds coming into accounts that were not closed by the finance department. Mark did not apologize.

    3. February 2022: In a PVG (Pastoral Vocation Group) meeting in early February, Mark became irate with Julian Linnel and myself. He publicly rebuked us, before all the members of the PVG for answering an email from a congregant. A troubled, discouraged and deeply wounded member of the congregation wrote a letter to the ministers of the church speaking of her distress and suggesting that she was not being heard by leadership at the church. When I received this letter, I immediately replied letting this person know I’d be happy to meet and hear her concern. Unbeknownst to me, Julian had replied in a similar way. Mark was extremely angry that we had done so and began the meeting with a harsh rebuke, telling us to never do such a thing again, and asking why we thought we had the right to do such a thing. Mark explained that since the letter was sent to the “ministers of the church” that it was up to him to decide how to respond and that he would then let ministers know if and whether they should respond at all. All PVG members witnessed this humiliating exchange.

    Mark has a pattern of providing half-truths to skew understanding of what happened in a given situation. He will at times outright lie.

    Example 1: In a meeting in Mark’s office he told me that the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) – which funded all the City Engagement work with the warming center for unhoused people, food banks, trauma care, etc. was being shut down. He stated words to this effect: “The Board of Elders voted to shut down the ERF and I did not stop them,” giving the impression that the BoE initiated this action. This was not true. An elder later told me that Mark initiated the ERF shutdown and the BoE agreed. Mark consistently gives partial truths to mislead and give a different impression than what actually occurred.

    In this same meeting Mark told me that he did not want to hear about the Refugee Relief proposal that was being tabled with the Mission Department. He told me that he was unwilling to read the proposal. He stated words to this effect: “I have too many targets on my back and I can no longer support your initiatives.” This was the senior minister stating that he would not support the work I was doing in my role as Minister of City Engagement, and refused to support the work of the gospels, for the aliens are always on God’s heart.

    Example 2: In a meeting in front of a Personnel subcommittee, Mark alleged I had been disrespectful to a colleague in an MLT meeting. I asked if that person would agree with Mark’s characterization of my behavior, to which Mark responded, “yes he would because he had a discussion with me about your comments and about his concerns with them.” Mark was lying. I had already talked privately to this person who assured me my comments were not offensive in any way, just the typical repartee of colleagues. After this meeting, I called this colleague and without sharing anything about the subcommittee meeting, I asked if he remembered that MLT incident and my subsequent meeting with him. He remembered both and emphatically stated he had never discussed the incident with Mark. Nor would there have been a reason to, since he did not feel offended by my comments. This affirmed my knowledge that Mark was making this statement up to provide evidence to his false accusations.

    Example 3: When I told the personnel committee that I had been disallowed by Mark to address a complainant’s offenses and reconcile with her, Mark stated “I thought you had already sat down with her and discussed these things.” This was deception. Mark had repeatedly forbidden me from contacting this person (who was a close personal friend of Mark’s for 20 years) to understand her complaint (which had never been explained to me) or to reconcile. I have Teams messages and witnesses who can corroborate that Mark repeatedly disallowed me to speak to her, and was aware I had never spoken to her about the matter.

    Moreover, Mark had escalated the issue with this person by pressuring me in his office to disclose personal information about them including details of our relationship, and comments they had made about Mark and Mandy. He then broke confidence by relaying this information back to the complainant who became even angrier with me.

    Mark does not demonstrate pastoral care for ministers

    In addition to the disturbing lack of care and compassion for Kris Perkins, Mark failed to show care for me and Bill and other staff.

    The official PSC announcement of my departure reported to the congregation that leadership was doing all they could to love Bill and Kimberley Morrison. At no time did Mark reach out to Bill, a faithful member who spent 1000’s of hours volunteering at PSC. While Mark publicly claimed Bill was being loved – nobody ever even spoke to him, emailed him, texted him, or wrote to him.

    Andrew Swenson was also let go from PSC staff, we had meals with him, helped him move, and Bill called or met with him weekly after he was removed. When I told Mark that Andrew was having some difficult and overwhelming responses to being let-go without cause, Mark was dismissive. The congregation was led to believe that the 5 PSC employees who were laid off of work were being “loved” – this was another misdirection, at least as related to Andrew.

    Mark slandered and gossiped about me in his office at PSC as senior minister

    When I resigned and planned to leave the city, Mark discouraged me from saying goodbye to PSC friends by telling me to leave quietly, and warning me that I must report any farewell conversations/meetings to him. He moreover suggested I could say my goodbyes as I was finishing my planned 3 months of remote work (which he later disallowed). I knew that anyone I reported meeting with would be branded an “enemy,” so I avoided making my farewells.

    A PSC member and friend went to see Mark Booker to ask what had happened and why I had resigned. While in his office, as senior minister, Mark Booker explained to this friend that I was being influenced by Satan. Rather than referencing the reasons for my leaving as those stated in my public resignation – Mark slandered my character and spoke evil against me.

    Slandering me in private became a regular practice of Mark Booker. Meanwhile all of the 01/2022 – 09/2022 meetings and the reports generated in those meetings were kept under heavy secrecy, with the reported excuse “to protect Kimberley.” Mark at no time protected me or my reputation from harm – in fact he repeatedly received false accusations against me – actually solicited for these, slandered me and told details of employment processes that were confidential to people who had no legal or ecclesial right to be present.

    Telios Law

    After being paid over $100K for their report – the BoE and Mark Booker chose to publish a partial report created by Telios Law that was filled with unsupported allegations and half-truths meant to mislead. My purpose here is not to defend myself against that document, but to reference the report only as related to information that Mark absolutely knew was blatantly false and either provided to Telios Law or chose to allow to be published knowing it was false.

    The partial Telios report stated, “Investigators substantiated some complaints against the Minister but not others.”

    What did Mark do about all of the false complaints made against Kimberley, and presented by Mark, the Personnel Committee, and to the BoE as being true? The scriptures make it clear that there is to be a response to false accusations being made against a person. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness: (Ex 23:1).

    As Senior Minister Mark has not addressed the lies that were made about me – many of these were shared throughout the congregation. Mark and the sub-committee knowingly joined hands with people of poor character to make accusations against me. For example, one complainant texted my son with vile emojis of things like “golden showers” (somebody urinating on another person) to mock me and laugh at my investigation. These messages were shown to the entire personnel sub-committee, who continued to accept his word as truthful. Mark then directed this complainant to delete these texts and images from his phone and from the text record. My lawyer had thankfully saved this evidence already. Despite this malice and egregious behavior, Mark and the subcommittee allowed this complainant’s testimony and included it in a public document without acknowledging the terrible abuse my family and I experienced.

    Mark and Telios Law also knew that another of my accusers had recently been fired from a previous job for making false accusations against her immediate employer. Despite this fact, Mark and Telios Law continued to pursue her testimony. Moreover, Mark justified his actions by saying we should not be looking into the character or reliability of people making accusations against me. This is in direct contradiction to Deuteronomy 19:16-20.

    Mark even actively solicited an individual to provide a complaint to Telios, knowing that the situation was questionable and long-since resolved. That individual, who was dealing with significant mental health issues, pepper sprayed an unhoused guest while volunteering at the PSC Saturday Warming Center in 2021. Because this is considered assault, I reported the incident to the BPD which angered this individual and he later complained to Mark. Although Mark would not explain the nature of the complaint to me, I relayed relevant facts as well as his mental health challenges. I remained in contact with this individual and later accessed the Deacon’s Fund to provide counseling. He later apologized to me for his behavior in an email I forwarded to Mark:

    From: BBBB
    Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 3:50 PM
    To: Kimberley Morrison
    Subject: repentance

    Mrs. Morrison,

    i apologize for the hurt caused to the man i maced, to you and to your ministry.
    someone reminded me yesterday that “actions have consequences”.
    thank you for always loving me.
    BBBB

    Nevertheless, despite this resolution and Mark’s knowledge of this individual’s mental health problems, I later learned that Mark asked this individual to be part of the complaints being made against me to Telios. The individual refused.

    Mark manipulated the 360 review and misled Telios and others to believe he was using it to promote fairness. Speaking about Mark’s choice to use the 360 Review, Telios report states “it would allow the Committee to receive positive feedback as well on her leadership and to make sure all sides were heard”

    Mark knew this to be untrue. Mark chose 8 people to review my work. These were placed in 2 categories: Fellow Leaders and Subordinates.Mark chose my reviewers. Among the “subordinates” category, he selected the 3 individuals who had made complaints about me to participate in my 360 review and no others, despite having worked with 30 other key volunteers and 270 other volunteers he could have selected. Mark did not choose subordinates based upon how long or closely they had worked with me, but based solely on whether they had lodged complaints against me. Moreover, the report prepared by the Personnel Sub-Committee under the supervision of Mark Booker, based on the my 360 Review is dominated by information from the complainants with a 5:2 ratio. For every two quotations by someone who had not complained, five quotations were offered from those who had lodged complaints. A “leader” who filled out the report told me that a negative comment attributed to her was completely taken out of context. Even supportive comments were reported in prejudicially harmful ways. The 360 Review displayed extreme prejudice – both based on who was chosen and on how the report was written.

    CONCLUSION

    This is my personal testimony of how I experienced Mark Booker as head of staff and minister of PSC. I invite you to closely consider Mark’s works among you through the testimony of those who worked most closely with him – his ministers. When I was part of the MLT there were 7 of us there: Adam, Michael, Ray, Julian, Damian, Kimberley, and Kris. Six of seven of these ministers describe harmful interactions with Mark as the head of staff as well as documented cases of sinful behaviors including breaking one’s word (confidentiality breaches again and again), slandering ministers who work for him, and a pattern of deception. This is a deeply troubling record of wounding, abusing, and harming the ministers of PSC and by proxy their families. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.

    Hi Friend of PSC
    I posted KM’s testimony on TWW around 4pm— it is very long. Maybe Dee does not have time to screen it yet. Anyway it is very sad. The PSC leadership (before MB) knew and treasured her faithful work experience in Canada,but had to wait for her immigrant visa. Thus she actually started working for PSC remotely for some time before she could move to Boston. Before she came, we already exchanged emails and became friends—because I am very supportive of City Engagement. After she came, she was very busy but promised to meet ASAP. Then suddenly before we could meet, it was announced she resigned. I was shocked — different people told me different stories. She did not even leave her email address for me
    Today someone sent me her testimony (intend to present in 6/2 meeting) She suffered more grievously than all the other ministers because she was a new immigrant, new employee, and not yet acquainted w/ the congregation. It was plain cruelty for the SM and BoE to falsely accuse her (using $ 100,000 of our endowment) and kick her (and family) back to Canada. She exhibited amazing grace and endurance to refuse to defend herself, not even make any comment to curious reporters. But now she finds it necessary to speak up only because she loves PSC and wants to SAVE PSC FROM IMMINENT COLLAPSE!

    If the post is still missing tomorrow, I will re-post it for you. Meanwhile, please pray for her and her family.

    Friend of Park Street Church: … and we have already seen the MANY examples of his abusive behavior from the various testimony shared recently.


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    Friend of Park Street Church: Excellent!It will be so good to pray with you!

    I’m aware that Mark Booker and Jason Abraham and their supporters are able to read these posts.And I hope they are, to be honest!

    If any of you reading this post want to pray together beginning at 12:45 pm tomorrow, June 2nd, please join this private group chat on Signal. We can connect and plan where to meet. If you want to call in to the prayer meeting join the chat and we will figure out those details in the chat.

    https://signal.group/#CjQKIO3nw0qmt64-Odu6sSHoHRqcIYGCTxti0qCAh8KivNh1EhDgw1o3PqDdonfzcE40MVXE

    Dear siblings in Christ:
    I am one of several long term PSC members who have been earnestly praying for our SM to gracefully RESIGN BEFORE 1 pm Sunday June 2. Please join us right now whoever is still awake at this hour, wherever you may be. TWW can become our ZOOM website anytime anywhere with the Holy Spirit as our ZOOM Master, pleading for us with unspeakable groans:
    LORD HAVE MERCY CHRIST HAVE MERCY FORGIVE US ALL INCLUDING MARK AND JASON
    AMEN


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    Here is Kimberly Morrison‘s testimony, folks, our former Director of City Engagement, Park Street ministry to the poor in the city of Boston. This will be multiple posts because it is quite long:

    Kimberley Morrison – Testimony related to Mark Booker and Board of Elders of Park Street Church

    I report here on my experience as a minister at PSC with Mark Booker as my senior pastor. This testimony is related to my work on the Ministry Lead Team (MLT), Pastoral Vocation Group (PVG), Staff Team, and the many conversations I had with Mark in his role as Senior Pastor, in his office as well as correspondence on Teams or PSC emails. Until this point, I have consistently declined to make my testimony public, despite being asked in the following ways:

    1. When encouraged by individuals in the legal profession several times to bring legal action against PSC for libel and slander, or for breaking MA state employment law, etc. I have always refused. I believe scripture is clear about this and I did not want to bring dishonor to the name of Jesus.
    2. When Telios Law published their report, I prepared a lengthy response as part of my personal healing. I chose not to publish my response even though a report about me had been publicized. A response to that report would have been morally, ethically and biblically appropriate. I chose not to respond, and left my justification in the hands of Christ.
    3. When an editor from Christianity Today contacted me to provide background information, I refused to provide testimony.
    4. When asked by another Christian whistle-blower magazine to offer testimony – I again, refused to contribute.

    Why am I willing to offer testimony now?

    In general terms, I am willing to offer testimony because the destructive fallout of current leadership is tearing the lives of individuals and relationships between individuals at PSC apart. Covering up truth, or not facing into truth, will not be helpful if PSC is to be healed. I find 1 Thess 5:12-13 instructive in this moment: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” It is interesting that the basis for holding leaders in high regard is not in fact because of their words but because of their work. The word work in this context is the same Greek word – ergon -used by Jesus when he tells his followers “that they may see your good works” (Mt 5:16), and “so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” (Mt 23:3).

    A key biblical consideration in weighing the testimony offered by many is what do their words describe as related to the work that has been produced by current leadership at PSC? Put another way, what is the outcome of their way of life? (Heb 13:7). The lives of multiple ministers of the gospel have been dismantled and deconstructed under the leadership of Mark Booker. When Mark arrived at PSC it could be said that there was great tenuousness within the current ministerial staff as related to his role, as with the arrival of any new senior minister. Concerns, anxieties, and fears were present. The ministers of PSC had also been through a painful, disorienting and difficult three years. Mark’s primary task upon his arrival might have been bringing about healing, hope, help, nurture and love. This did not happen. Mark’s initial response to insecurity, disorientation and concerns on the part of the ministers was to begin an agenda of establishing his authority and control. Mark did not stoop down to make others great – the role of a good and gracious leader. On at least three occasions I personally told Mark that if he wanted to win over the ministers he needed to stoop down and serve them. I did not see this happen.

    It is with agonizing consideration and prayer that I am willing to share this information. I know very personally how a report filled with accusations of sin and misconduct that is made public to 1000+ people, and then spread by them to others around the country can cause trauma, despondency, depression and despair. I also know how such a report might affect one’s children – their view of the Church and their relationship to Jesus Christ. I am writing trusting that in the presence of God, while depending on the Holy Spirit’s insight, testimony will be heard, discernment granted, and appropriate action taken.

    In specific terms:

    1. Mark does not care for his ministers when they are being unjustly treated by other leaders. Long prior to Mark Booker bringing accusations against me, a member of the BoE said shameful things to me at a BoE meeting, publicly attacking and maligning me. Mark Booker was in that meeting and chose not to intervene on my behalf. Later he sent the following Teams message inviting me to another meeting and assuring me that I would be “defended” by the moderator. Why should a minister of PSC need to be defended while attending a BoE meeting?

    [1/2/2022 6:16 PM] Mark Booker

    “Merry Christmas day 8 and Happy New Year. I just got off a call with David Rix. Would it be possible for you to attend the BoE this Wed night and give an update on the refugee ministry? I know the Board would appreciate that. I realize Julian is away and I am also away and will not be at the elder’s meeting this Wednesday. But David did want me to communicate that he would defend and support you that night ! Let me know if this is possible. I would say a 10 minute update and then time to field some questions”

    2. Mark Booker does not have the leadership competencies that build capacity to shepherd, care for, or lead the staff at PSC. Mark arrived at PSC with an extremely limited history of leading staff. He was expected to lead 25+ staff – many of whom had more ministry experience, theological education, and experience with PSC culture. This put him in a vulnerable position, where a person might be plagued with insecurity. Mark’s insecurity often led him to see the other ministers as allies or enemies, not people he was nurturing and developing towards maturity in Christ.

    In every personal conversation with Mark, as senior pastor, in his office, Mark always sought personal information about other people and how they felt about him – seeking to know if they were allies or enemies. When in the office of the head of staff, one feels compelled due to the power differential to respond to questions that are being asked. Mark repeatedly pressured me to share things with him that were ethically inappropriate.

    3. I believe that due to Mark’s inexperience he makes decisions that represent an ignorance born of lack of training in leadership and team development. More concerning, however, is the pattern of behavior that is habituated once poor decisions are made. Mark will not back down from his course of action. Rather than changing a decision or backing away from a poor decision Mark has a pattern, in my experience, of using deception to cover outcomes from poor decisions.

    My personal experience of Mark
    On the first two occasions when I met Mark in-person after moving to Boston he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not the person he would have hired for the role of Minister of City Engagement. When he said this to me, he also stated that at some point he should see my resume. Mark, having never seen my resume and without explaining why I was not a good fit, or connecting his rejection of my worthiness to any performance concerns, simply put me in a position where I felt I did not measure up, and gave me no guidance on how I might change this opinion. Communicating, as head of staff, to a staff member that they are not the right person for the job, places that person in a place of insecurity and a constant sense of needing to prove themselves.

    Mark repeatedly asked me for personal information and disparaged people who disagreed with him

    As a first example: YYYY and her husband expressed concerns to the BoE around COVID-19 policies in the nursery, which angered Mark. In his office at PSC, in his role as senior minister, Mark then asked me for personal information about YYYY and her husband while disparaging them. Mark said of the husband “What is with him?” and indicated that he thought his voice was “effeminate” and that he was “overly emotional.” I was shocked by these comments. I left feeling deeply disoriented and sad.

    As a second example, on multiple occasions Mark asked those who lived in or visited my home to give him information about my husband Bill.


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    Kimberly Morrison’s testimony, Post 2:

    Mark repeatedly breaks confidentiality while slandering others falsely for supposed breaches of confidentiality

    In 2021 during a regularly scheduled meeting with John Knight, the elder who oversaw me, John stated that some changes in leadership might be coming. In no way did John indicate that Kris Perkins was involved. I later asked Mark if he knew about these changes out of concern for him, thinking that he might be unaware. Mark indicated that he was aware and at my very specific request for confidentiality, he assured me that he would keep the conversation confidential.

    Mark broke his word. In response to John’s innocent remark, Mark accuses John of breaking confidentiality. Mark then sends this Teams message to me:

    [6/10/2021 12:37 AM] Mark Booker

    I want you to know that your name was used at the beginning of the BoE tonight about someone telling you that a massive leadership change that was coming. The elder was not mentioned but John K will know it was him (no one else will know who it was) and will know that you asked me about this (which, of course, was the right thing to do). If this causes you further trouble with him, I’m sorry! I will stand with you, of course.
    In this message Mark seeks to split John and I, by suggesting John may respond negatively to me, while diverting attention from the fact that he broke confidentiality regarding what I shared in his office as senior minister of PSC.

    Moreover, in presenting this information to the BoE Mark casts a slur on John’s character and infers sin where there is none. An innocent comment becomes a nefarious breach of confidentiality. This is deceitful and hypocritical considering that in the process of reporting John’s supposed breach of confidentiality to the BoEs, Mark is in fact breaking a confidence with me. I would find that breaching confidentiality became a pattern with Mark, making it all the more distressing that John Knight was removed from the BoE as a disciplinary for allegedly sharing confidences. This is one of the most heartbreaking aspects of PSC leadership – accusations of others, for things that may be a one-time error, or things that were no error at all, are made by persons for whom the very behavior they accuse others is habituated as a pattern.

    Mark displayed outbursts of anger with ministers, expressed to ministers, or in the presence of ministers,

    1. Kris Perkins was given the opportunity to share his resignation with staff members. Mark became furious, expressing to me later that Kris had disobeyed an agreement to only read the script that Mark had vetted. Terms of agreements with departing staff should be confidential. More troubling than breaking this confidence, the level of anger against Kris was extremely harsh. Mark displayed absolutely no empathy for how difficult this day was for Kris. But because Kris did not say the exact things Mark asked him to, in the way Mark proscribed, Mark was outraged.
    2. August 2021: In an MLT meeting Mark angrily asked me why there was still funding coming into the Emergency Relief Fund. I explained that I had asked finance to shut down the ERF, that I had not recruited funds for it, but that people in the church just wanted to continue giving to this fund. Mark then looked at Julian, pointed his finger at him and raised his voice saying words to the effect, “you were supposed to make sure this was taken care of and that the ERF was shut down.” The anger and disrespect in this meeting, expressed against Julian and I, in the presence of all the other ministers, was extremely hurtful and disparaging. Julian and I had no power over funds coming into accounts that were not closed by the finance department. Mark did not apologize.
    3. February 2022: In a PVG (Pastoral Vocation Group) meeting in early February, Mark became irate with Julian Linnel and myself. He publicly rebuked us, before all the members of the PVG for answering an email from a congregant. A troubled, discouraged and deeply wounded member of the congregation wrote a letter to the ministers of the church speaking of her distress and suggesting that she was not being heard by leadership at the church. When I received this letter, I immediately replied letting this person know I’d be happy to meet and hear her concern. Unbeknownst to me, Julian had replied in a similar way. Mark was extremely angry that we had done so and began the meeting with a harsh rebuke, telling us to never do such a thing again, and asking why we thought we had the right to do such a thing. Mark explained that since the letter was sent to the “ministers of the church” that it was up to him to decide how to respond and that he would then let ministers know if and whether they should respond at all. All PVG members witnessed this humiliating exchange.


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    Kimberly Morrison’s Testimony, Post 3:
    Mark has a pattern of providing half-truths to skew understanding of what happened in a given situation. He will at times outright lie.

    Example 1: In a meeting in Mark’s office he told me that the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) – which funded all the City Engagement work with the warming center for unhoused people, food banks, trauma care, etc. was being shut down. He stated words to this effect: “The Board of Elders voted to shut down the ERF and I did not stop them,” giving the impression that the BoE initiated this action. This was not true. An elder later told me that Mark initiated the ERF shutdown and the BoE agreed. Mark consistently gives partial truths to mislead and give a different impression than what actually occurred.

    In this same meeting Mark told me that he did not want to hear about the Refugee Relief proposal that was being tabled with the Mission Department. He told me that he was unwilling to read the proposal. He stated words to this effect: “I have too many targets on my back and I can no longer support your initiatives.” This was the senior minister stating that he would not support the work I was doing in my role as Minister of City Engagement, and refused to support the work of the gospels, for the aliens are always on God’s heart.

    Example 2: In a meeting in front of a Personnel subcommittee, Mark alleged I had been disrespectful to a colleague in an MLT meeting. I asked if that person would agree with Mark’s characterization of my behavior, to which Mark responded, “yes he would because he had a discussion with me about your comments and about his concerns with them.” Mark was lying. I had already talked privately to this person who assured me my comments were not offensive in any way, just the typical repartee of colleagues. After this meeting, I called this colleague and without sharing anything about the subcommittee meeting, I asked if he remembered that MLT incident and my subsequent meeting with him. He remembered both and emphatically stated he had never discussed the incident with Mark. Nor would there have been a reason to, since he did not feel offended by my comments. This affirmed my knowledge that Mark was making this statement up to provide evidence to his false accusations.

    Example 3: When I told the personnel committee that I had been disallowed by Mark to address a complainant’s offenses and reconcile with her, Mark stated “I thought you had already sat down with her and discussed these things.” This was deception. Mark had repeatedly forbidden me from contacting this person (who was a close personal friend of Mark’s for 20 years) to understand her complaint (which had never been explained to me) or to reconcile. I have Teams messages and witnesses who can corroborate that Mark repeatedly disallowed me to speak to her, and was aware I had never spoken to her about the matter.

    Moreover, Mark had escalated the issue with this person by pressuring me in his office to disclose personal information about them including details of our relationship, and comments they had made about Mark and Mandy. He then broke confidence by relaying this information back to the complainant who became even angrier with me.

    Mark does not demonstrate pastoral care for ministers

    In addition to the disturbing lack of care and compassion for Kris Perkins, Mark failed to show care for me and Bill and other staff.

    The official PSC announcement of my departure reported to the congregation that leadership was doing all they could to love Bill and Kimberley Morrison. At no time did Mark reach out to Bill, a faithful member who spent 1000’s of hours volunteering at PSC. While Mark publicly claimed Bill was being loved – nobody ever even spoke to him, emailed him, texted him, or wrote to him.

    Andrew Swenson was also let go from PSC staff, we had meals with him, helped him move, and Bill called or met with him weekly after he was removed. When I told Mark that Andrew was having some difficult and overwhelming responses to being let-go without cause, Mark was dismissive. The congregation was led to believe that the 5 PSC employees who were laid off of work were being “loved” – this was another misdirection, at least as related to Andrew.


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    Kimberly Morrison testimony, Post 4:
    Mark slandered and gossiped about me in his office at PSC as senior minister

    When I resigned and planned to leave the city, Mark discouraged me from saying goodbye to PSC friends by telling me to leave quietly, and warning me that I must report any farewell conversations/meetings to him. He moreover suggested I could say my goodbyes as I was finishing my planned 3 months of remote work (which he later disallowed). I knew that anyone I reported meeting with would be branded an “enemy,” so I avoided making my farewells.

    A PSC member and friend went to see Mark Booker to ask what had happened and why I had resigned. While in his office, as senior minister, Mark Booker explained to this friend that I was being influenced by Satan. Rather than referencing the reasons for my leaving as those stated in my public resignation – Mark slandered my character and spoke evil against me.

    Slandering me in private became a regular practice of Mark Booker. Meanwhile all of the 01/2022 – 09/2022 meetings and the reports generated in those meetings were kept under heavy secrecy, with the reported excuse “to protect Kimberley.” Mark at no time protected me or my reputation from harm – in fact he repeatedly received false accusations against me – actually solicited for these, slandered me and told details of employment processes that were confidential to people who had no legal or ecclesial right to be present.

    Telios Law
    After being paid over $100K for their report – the BoE and Mark Booker chose to publish a partial report created by Telios Law that was filled with unsupported allegations and half-truths meant to mislead. My purpose here is not to defend myself against that document, but to reference the report only as related to information that Mark absolutely knew was blatantly false and either provided to Telios Law or chose to allow to be published knowing it was false.

    The partial Telios report stated, “Investigators substantiated some complaints against the Minister but not others.”

    What did Mark do about all of the false complaints made against Kimberley, and presented by Mark, the Personnel Committee, and to the BoE as being true? The scriptures make it clear that there is to be a response to false accusations being made against a person. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness: (Ex 23:1).

    As Senior Minister Mark has not addressed the lies that were made about me – many of these were shared throughout the congregation. Mark and the sub-committee knowingly joined hands with people of poor character to make accusations against me. For example, one complainant texted my son with vile emojis of things like “golden showers” (somebody urinating on another person) to mock me and laugh at my investigation. These messages were shown to the entire personnel sub-committee, who continued to accept his word as truthful. Mark then directed this complainant to delete these texts and images from his phone and from the text record. My lawyer had thankfully saved this evidence already. Despite this malice and egregious behavior, Mark and the subcommittee allowed this complainant’s testimony and included it in a public document without acknowledging the terrible abuse my family and I experienced.

    Mark and Telios Law also knew that another of my accusers had recently been fired from a previous job for making false accusations against her immediate employer. Despite this fact, Mark and Telios Law continued to pursue her testimony. Moreover, Mark justified his actions by saying we should not be looking into the character or reliability of people making accusations against me. This is in direct contradiction to Deuteronomy 19:16-20.

    Mark even actively solicited an individual to provide a complaint to Telios, knowing that the situation was questionable and long-since resolved. That individual, who was dealing with significant mental health issues, pepper sprayed an unhoused guest while volunteering at the PSC Saturday Warming Center in 2021. Because this is considered assault, I reported the incident to the BPD which angered this individual and he later complained to Mark. Although Mark would not explain the nature of the complaint to me, I relayed relevant facts as well as his mental health challenges. I remained in contact with this individual and later accessed the Deacon’s Fund to provide counseling. He later apologized to me for his behavior in an email I forwarded to Mark:

    From: BBBB
    Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 3:50 PM
    To: Kimberley Morrison
    Subject: repentance

    Mrs. Morrison,
    i apologize for the hurt caused to the man i maced, to you and to your ministry.
    someone reminded me yesterday that “actions have consequences”.
    thank you for always loving me.
    BBBB
    Nevertheless, despite this resolution and Mark’s knowledge of this individual’s mental health problems, I later learned that Mark asked this individual to be part of the complaints being made against me to Telios. The individual refused.


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    Kimberly Morrison testimony, 5th (and last) post:
    Mark manipulated the 360 review and misled Telios and others to believe he was using it to promote fairness. Speaking about Mark’s choice to use the 360 Review, Telios report states “it would allow the Committee to receive positive feedback as well on her leadership and to make sure all sides were heard”

    Mark knew this to be untrue. Mark chose 8 people to review my work. These were placed in 2 categories: Fellow Leaders and Subordinates.Mark chose my reviewers. Among the “subordinates” category, he selected the 3 individuals who had made complaints about me to participate in my 360 review and no others, despite having worked with 30 other key volunteers and 270 other volunteers he could have selected. Mark did not choose subordinates based upon how long or closely they had worked with me, but based solely on whether they had lodged complaints against me. Moreover, the report prepared by the Personnel Sub-Committee under the supervision of Mark Booker, based on the my 360 Review is dominated by information from the complainants with a 5:2 ratio. For every two quotations by someone who had not complained, five quotations were offered from those who had lodged complaints. A “leader” who filled out the report told me that a negative comment attributed to her was completely taken out of context. Even supportive comments were reported in prejudicially harmful ways. The 360 Review displayed extreme prejudice – both based on who was chosen and on how the report was written.

    CONCLUSION

    This is my personal testimony of how I experienced Mark Booker as head of staff and minister of PSC. I invite you to closely consider Mark’s works among you through the testimony of those who worked most closely with him – his ministers. When I was part of the MLT there were 7 of us there: Adam, Michael, Ray, Julian, Damian, Kimberley, and Kris. Six of seven of these ministers describe harmful interactions with Mark as the head of staff as well as documented cases of sinful behaviors including breaking one’s word (confidentiality breaches again and again), slandering ministers who work for him, and a pattern of deception. This is a deeply troubling record of wounding, abusing, and harming the ministers of PSC and by proxy their families. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.


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    Susan Lane: Mark asked those who lived in or visited my home to give him information about my husband Bill

    This guy is sick.


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    Gang, someone had posted that they were aware of Mark having some specific contacts at the Telos law firm, one in particular they called a “ski buddy.” I’ve searched through all three blogs on Park Street and haven’t found the comment again so I don’t have a name of the commentator. Does anyone have more information to share on that and can confirm that? Please respond ASAP. Thanks!


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    Be brave everyone attending the special session today at Park Street at 1 PM! I did ask to attend, but was told that if I didn’t meet with a couple elders and apologize for everything I’ve done then I still won’t be allowed on the premises.

    Don’t be put off by the elders when they say they’ve already seen this information from the ministers and elders who have put their testimonies in writing. The point is that you the congregation have now seen it, and now you have a greater handle on the truth that’s been kept from you. as a congregation, we have a right to push back against decisions that the elder board makes when information like this comes to light. We are not blind children to be led by the paternal elder board. The difficulty they’re facing right now is because of their lack of transparency, and downright misrepresenting truth in some cases. It is totally within our rights to hold them accountable, and even to demand that Pastor Booker be asked to step down.

    The fact is that the math is on our side. We have a multitude of ministers and elders who are giving us examples in writing of a pattern of behavior by Mark that is unhealthy, unbiblical, and abusive, and we’ve known these ministers and Elders much longer than we’ve known Mark. We’ve built more trust with those ministers and Elders than we have Mark. The evidence really speaks for itself, and frankly we’ve seen that we can’t take Mark by his word. Don’t back down.


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    I submitted two different comments June 1, 2024 that might(?) have accidentally gotten sent to the Spam folder because they each had quite a few links. I’m combining the basic information from each of those two comments into this one comment so that anyone who is interested can look up the information. 🙂

    I’m submitting this comment with just the basic information because I’m not sure when comments on this post will be closed 🙂 ….comments are usually closed on TWW posts after about two weeks.

    First comment of mine, minus the links — you’ll need to go to Observant Outsider’s original comment (below) to find the original non-Internet Archive links.

    Observant Outsider: While you cannot access the annual reports through searching, the reports are still uploaded to the PSC website and can access them through direct links:….[Annual Report links deleted]….Each report has the names of each member of every committee except for the Nominating Committee. They only represent the members of the committees by the time of the report and may be different than particular points in time in the previous year.

    Observant Outsider

    Thank you for the links to the three Annual Reports. 🙂 And for anyone interested in the people who are members of the different committees, those lists are found on the last few pages of the reports. 🙂

    I made Internet Archive links for each Annual Report June 1, 2024. 🙂

    I’m also including the basic information for a link to a report titled Annual Report 2021 Supplement. Although I’ve neither read it nor skimmed it, I thought I’d include it anyway, as it might be important. 🙂 I also made an Internet Archive of this report on June 1, 2024. 🙂

    The basic non-Internet Archive link information for the Part Street Church report titled Annual Report 2021 Supplement is:

    www DOT parkstreet DOT org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ann-Rep-2021_supplement_electronic.pdf

    Second comment of mine, minus the links:

    For posterity….

    Below is the basic information for links to non-Internet Archive copies of the Staff, Elders & Leaders, and Deacons pages for Park Street Church, made June 1, 2024. You’ll find the copies I made in the Internet Archive. 🙂

    Staff
    www DOT parkstreet DOT org/about-us/staff/

    Elders & Leaders
    www DOT parkstreet DOT org/about-us/elders/

    Deacons
    www DOT parkstreet DOT org/about-us/deacons/

    For anyone who’s interested in past information about Park Street Church, a TON of information can be found in the Internet Archive. 🙂 It likely isn’t complete — it depends on whether or not someone has made an Internet Archive copy of a specific page. And I don’t know how much Park Street Church might’ve re-organized their website over the years.

    If you like playing in the Internet Archive as some of us like to do — and it can often take quite a bit of playing 🙂 — you can find things you thought no one had ever made Internet Archive copies of. And there are many people who are WAY better at using (playing with 🙂 ) the Internet Archive than I am. 🙂

    The basic information for Park Street Church is:

    www DOT parkstreet DOT org


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    I was at Park Street Church between 12:45 and 1:10. The front door was shut. I saw people leaving PSC, but none going in. What happened?


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    A Former Member of PSC,

    They are meeting…there is a group of us an prayer


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    Elizabeth Klein: I just read the latest letter from the PSC Board of Elders (Sat June 1 at 3:05 PM).

    I’m not tech-savvy enough to link it, but it was just as expected:

    Elizabeth Klein,

    No insult or offense to you intended 🙂 ….I don’t know if you re-typed the information from the latest letter / message from the PSC Board of Elders (Sat June 1 at 3:05 PM) into your comment, or if you copied-and-pasted it from, what I’m assuming, is your email. 🙂 And I’m not sure how you submit your comments to TWW. 🙂 And I don’t know if you’re using a desktop computer, a laptop, or a cell phone 🙂 ….I don’t know how “tech savvy” you are. 🙂

    Out of curiosity, I searched the Park Street Church website for messages from the Board of Elders, etc…..not the kind that are in the church announcements, but the kind that are sent out by email — like the one from May 30, 2024 — and that many churches also post on their website.

    Park Street Church seems to only send them out by email.

    If you have the time 🙂 , perhaps you might try one of the following options:

    Copy-and-paste the contents of the letter / message from the Park Street Church Board of Elders dated Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 3:05 PM into a comment and post it the way you usually do. If that comment is too long, your comment mightn’t get posted immediately. 🙂

    If you’re receiving the letter / message by email, there might(?) be an option that says something like “View this email in your browser”. If it’s a link, click on the link to open the email in your browser.

    You can than either copy-and-paste that URL into your TWW comment, re-type the URL into you comment, or — if you don’t want to risk losing the information and having to repeat the process 🙂 — write the URL down on a piece of paper, then type the URL into your comment.

    Note: If you leave the URL unchanged, there might be a delay in your comment being posted. 🙂 To increase the likelihood of your comment being posted immediately, type in the URL, omitting the very beginning of the URL, and substituting the word DOT for the period. For example, the May 30, 2024 email that was sent out by MailChimp could be typed into your comment as follows:

    mailchi DOT mp/parkstreet.org/message-from-the-board-of-elders-may-30

    Anyone wanting to use the URL you provided would then type the URL — there are other options, but I don’t want my comment to get too long 🙂 — replacing the word DOT with a period, ensuring there aren’t any spaces before or after the period.

    And my apologies if I’ve unintentionally omitted something…. 🙂


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    The votes are in….

    42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
    55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
    0.01% or 6 abstentions

    434 total votes cast


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    numbers 186 for Mark
    numbers 242 for ministers/michael

    6 abstentions


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    I attended the meeting. It is not for or against the senior minister. It is whether to affirm the BoE decision last year (on rejecting Michaels position) or not. It will return to the board apparently (can possibly decided again without change). After the vote, there was a motion to discuss reinstating the ministers but motion to adjourn was overwhelmingly voted. So back to ground zero and more pain to come.

    For me it was pretty clear from the two sides talks (10 minutes for/against, alternating) early on it would be difficult to affirm last year’s BoE’s decision. Some (resigned) Senior ministers took the mic to inform the congregation.


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    Friend of Park Street Church:
    The votes are in….

    42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
    55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
    0.01% or 6 abstentions

    434 total votes cast

    WOW.

    Is the vote binding?

    What happens next?


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    Elizabeth Klein: WOW.

    Is the vote binding?

    What happens next?

    Technically, the congregation only voted to make the Elders revisit their decision on Mark’s disqualification. The Elders may decide to ignore the congregation, start a new investigation with pre-determined results, or put Mark through some sort of training.

    However, practically speaking, the congregation has made it clear Mark has no place leading PSC. To remain at the church would not only destroy it but would also cause Mark and his family unnecessary suffering. The next step is to also remove those who have been the most complicit in this abusive leadership:

    Jason Abraham
    Geoff Rush
    Mike Ahearn
    Nathan Skinner

    I think the entire board should resign and the church rebuild, but I wanted to call out these people specifically because there are many testimonies about their very problematic behavior. The church cannot be rebuild in Christ’s image if these people remain in power or they repent to the church and those who they have sinned against.

    Very proud that the congregation showed up and said enough is enough!


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    The entire board and Randall Wetzig should resign. They are ALL complicit


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    Observant Outsider: Technically, the congregation only voted to make the Elders revisit their decision on Mark’s disqualification. The Elders may decide to ignore the congregation, start a new investigation with pre-determined results, or put Mark through some sort of training.

    In the meantime, PSC membership is being slowly whittled away. The BoE should have done the right thing months ago. No congregation should have to go through this agony. Training?! A pastor should already know not to be abusive to church staff.


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    Andrew Z


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    Observant Outsider:

    Jason Abraham
    Geoff Rush
    Mike Ahearn
    Nathan Skinner

    I think the entire board should resign and the church rebuild, but I wanted to call out these people specifically because there are many testimonies about their very problematic behavior. The church cannot be rebuild in Christ’s image if these people remain in power or they repent to the church and those who they have sinned against.

    Praise God!

    To the list of people/structures that need to go or face accountabilityI would add the Personnel Committee, in particular David Murgatroyd, David Rix and others (Martha Neu) who have enabled and enforced a lot of terrible decisions.


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    WOW. I am so heartened and pleasantly surprised by today’s outcome!

    Not just the vote, but the fact that it was so much more calm and respectful than the awful Annual Meeting. I heard an account just now from a friend of mine who was there. She said singing hymns at the end actually felt like worship. AMEN!!

    I am so immensely grateful to:

    – Michael Balboni, the first lone voice to fall on his sword for the good of PSC, who had the courage to stand up and say that Mark’s behavior is not at all ok for pastoral ministry

    – the petitioners, who have labored, wept, prayed, fasted, had sleepless nights, for MONTHS, who are so exhausted, and have given their all for truth to shine at PSC. They have literally hungered for righteousness’ sake.

    – Cindy Cutlip and John Knight, for their courage on the elder board. Cindy is such a wise and beautiful soul, who I am so glad to have met these past few months. I haven’t met John Knight, but I heard his children’s message at a prayer & worship meeting yesterday. He’s been praying for a miracle at PSC for 4 years. John, I feel like you are starting to see your miracle.

    – Elders who remained on the board, but who saw what was desperately wrong, and care about the congregation and the departing pastors: Leslie Liu and Yannick Assogba.

    – All those who supported the petitioners by organizing worship & prayer sessions, by organizing testimonies, by laboring and praying and losing sleep and much else. Thinking here of Andrea Enzinger, who I’ve had the joy to get to know recently. But there are many of you.

    – All the whistleblowers this week, who went WAY out of their comfort zone, and gave compelling and disturbing testimonies that the congregation just had to hear this week: Cindy Cutlip, John Knight, a Missions Committee member, Kris Perkins and Kimberley Morrison (am I missing anybody?).

    Also, I am so grateful that Kimberley Morrison was publicly vindicated this week. That was another answer to prayer.

    – The ministries of Damian Long, Ray Kam, and Julian Linnell. Your gracious and yet honest, heart-filled resignations made clear what was going on.

    – The ministries of Tammy McLeod and Tim Leary, who also had the guts to speak up.

    – All members of the congregation who were exhausted – some even traumatized – but who made the effort to go to the Special Meeting today. I am especially grateful to those who were pro-Mark, but who read the testimonies anyway, and were willing to change their minds. That was big of you.

    – “Friend of Park Street” here on TWW, who saved space for prayer warriors onsite at PSC during the Special Meeting today. Those prayers were felt.

    – Any other beautiful souls I’ve gotten to meet or reconnect with, all during this painful mess, such as Sarah Dedeke and Janice G. Aimee Byrd says that Jesus is in the underground. I have seen Jesus in many of you, in the PSC underground.

    – Dee Parsons, who labors to bring the truth to light for survivors of all kinds of abuse, who loves & prays for PSC, and worked so hard, blogging about PSC since January with (8?) posts here on TWW.

    – Nathan Skinner, who apologized to the congregation for reading from the confidential VOCA report at the Annual Meeting. That was big of him. No one (to my knowledge) in leadership has ever said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong,” with any degree of specificity. More of this, please.

    – God, who is at work here – even though I have no doubt that the waters at PSC will be choppy ahead, for quite some time.


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    Max: Training?! A pastor should already know not to be abusive to church staff.

    Well, his pastoral training may have taken a different position.


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    I attended the meeting and posted one message that is still under moderation.

    The most astonishing comment during the meeting (my personal impression) was referring the current status if the church to Gaza. From someone responsible for many of the decisions. Let that think in.


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    Today was a hard one victory, but one that is bittersweet. The sometimes long process of confronting one person or an organization about its own sin is a painful one and it’s not something one goes about lightly it must be done with the humility in knowing that we too have sinned, even perhaps when we were in a place of power.

    I do think the congregation did the right thing today, and I hope the elder board honors it, but I would not have wished this upon Mark and his family. I think we made some mistakes in choosing a minister who did not have congregational experience, and I think we made mistakes in preparing him adequately for the role because he was given the wrong impression about how we do business as a congregational church. Having a directorial mindset and not a collaborative one will not work in this church, and this experience has made that clear. I sincerely hope that Mark will take this reckoning and let God use it to make him better in his next role. Sometimes God begins at rock bottom.


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    *hard-won victory
    Siri shows no mercy to voice texters


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    Elizabeth Klein: I am so immensely grateful to:
    …
    – Nathan Skinner, who apologized to the congregation for reading from the confidential VOCA report at the Annual Meeting. That was big of him. No one (to my knowledge) in leadership has ever said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong,” with any degree of specificity. More of this, please.

    It has been hard for me to hear Nathan’s name connected to enabling abuse, because in my experience he is princpled and well-intentioned. I can only hope that Nathan was fooled like so many others, and lately realizes as much.


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    niemand: www DOT parkstreet DOT org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ann-Rep-2021_supplement_electronic.pdf

    American Christians love overstating their “persecution” and have no idea what it’s like for people who are persecuted for their faith in other parts of the world.

    Also ironic because Mark has censored his staff from speaking on the current Israel-Palestine conflict in ways that could upset pro-Israel/zionist congregants. He does know how to play to his base though.


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    Observant Outsider,

    Somehow, the wrong comment was linked to in my above post.


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    I apologize for the closing of comments. We have programmed the site to close posts after 30 days since it is usually difficult to follow so many comments.

    We have reopened the comment section. I will post it tonight; everyone should begin commenting on that blog post. As soon as the link is up, I’ll post it here.

    I am pleased that PSC members use this blog to communicate. It makes me feel like I am a part of the church, which meant so much to me many years ago.


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    Observant Outsider: American Christians love overstating their “persecution” and have no idea what it’s like for people who are persecuted for their faith in other parts of the world.

    Also ironic because Mark has censored his staff from speaking on the current Israel-Palestine conflict in ways that could upset pro-Israel/zionist congregants. He does know how to play to his base though.

    I dont think it was meant that one side is persecuted, but rather that with strong stance the current conflict would destroy everything (trying to rationalize). But I found the analogy not convincing at all and rather disturbing/tone deaf.


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    SNB alum: I can only hope that Nathan was fooled like so many others, and lately realizes as much.

    The problem with deception is that you don’t know you are deceived because you are deceived. There’s something in the spirit of church folks who want to trust and think the best of church leaders … you simply can’t afford to do that in the 21st century church. A new breed of leaders have come in the back door … with a touch of charisma, a gift of gab, and a bag of gimmicks, they have fooled the best of us.


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    Please begin commenting on the latest PSC post. Commenting will not be available on this post after a couple of days.

    A Majority of Park Street Church Members Vote Against Affirming Mark Booker as Senior Pastor. The Hot Potato Passes to the Stunned Elders.

    https://thewartburgwatch.com/2024/06/03/a-majority-of-park-street-church-members-vote-against-affirming-mark-booker-as-senior-pastor-the-hot-potato-passes-to-the-stunned-elders/


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    prayer for a great teacher/preacher & decent administrator to come to the church to continue in PSC’s long line of leaders.


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    One comment removed by request of the author.