This fall, the school will inaugurate its second president, 10 years after its first graduating class. Meyers exit last month followed two others at Bethlehems downtown campus. The congregation is the highest authority and there are systems in place which allow congregants to bring up concerns (motions) to the rest of the congregation. (BBC has about 40 elders, but the congregation is considered the final authority and meets quarterly to vote on church matters.). Hes the one that featured Wilson repeatedly on the Desiring God website, and (to my knowledge) hes never once called Wilson out for his revolting rhetoric and his various public misdeeds. D. degrees. On March 16, the elders dismissed the grievances against Naselli. In September 2018, the church moved into its current South Campus facility in Lakeville. I never met Jason Meyer but I know an oblong blur generality, when I read one. Rigneys sin of empathy interview in Wilsons series, called Man Rampant, released in October 2019 as the debut episode. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Now I wonder why he was so harsh.. I have been majorly burdened for our church for the past several years regarding how we approach ethnic harmony and related issues in our culture, including partisan politics, Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, Black Lives Matter, etc. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. The key thing in a lot of waysmaybe Im feeling this one more directly nowis the way that our emotional responses to reality need to be in accordance with reality.. Last Week (July 2021) Jason Meyer announced his resignation from Bethlehem, following the resignation of several of fellow woke pastors, the agenda he It feels jarring.". God is everywhereeven in the news. Five of our professors are elders; four of our trustees are elders, said Rigney. God has moved at FCC in amazing ways. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. We cant even think about whats next, said Debby Pickering, whose family left when her husband, Bryan, resigned his position as pastor. . Last year, as BCS academic dean Brian Tabb reviewed the students grievances against Naselli, the school also underwent a separate investigation in response to a group of current and former employees who raised broad concerns about leadership and workplace culture, including the position of women and minorities at the school. The investigation found that BCS policies did not violate workplace law. I fully believed that living for myself and chasing my desires of money, women, and partying would lead me to joy and happiness. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. . Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. And in such a case, the school will rightly wither and die. there's harm being done," Pickering said. In his resignation letter, Meyer referenced the fracturing of evangelicalism described in a recent Mere Orthodoxy article, which details how certain groups will experience significant philosophy of ministry differences in how to contextualize the gospel in this cultural moment. While accusations swirled of liberal drift under his leadership, Meyer instead saw the congregation moving in the other direction and suggested a pastor in the neo-fundamentalist category would be a better fit. To register contact Jason Meyer at wljm01@gmail.com. An outside investigation TEAM is objective, trained, experienced, know what they are looking for, knows how to speak to the church about what they see, and love Jesus Christ. Join now Sign in Jason Meyer Jason Meyer Executive Pastor at Sierra Vista Church. At the same time, worries around secular thinking overriding biblical approaches to race have spiked, particularly over critical race theory. I observed leadership patterns that sought to help hurting people but left those same people even more frustrated and disappointed.. A year later, Rigney, who had taught theology and literature at BCS since 2007, was named the schools second president in an announcement by Piper as chancellor. In the podcast Mr. Rigney basically said, show compassion but dont have empathy.. WebRev David Dodge. Hurt feelings arent always a sign that someone has been sinned against. One of the things that gets brought up in the abuse conversation is that abusers and their communities gaslight and minimize what theyve done, said Rigney. Piper has hosted and defended pastor and author Doug Wilson over the years, even as hes become an increasingly contentious figure in evangelicalism for his teachings on slavery, women, and other issues. Naselli, associate professor of theology and New Testament at BCS, spoke up to identify himself as the five-star reviewer and said that if the motion passed, hed quit. He commands us to show sympathy, but people demand empathy, and they regard it as a kind of betrayal if you refuse to join them in their pain, in their grievance, he says in the series with Wilson. "I'm convinced that we live in a culture (Christian culture) that is constantly angry and shaking its fists because we've lost the place for and the healthy rhythm of grief-filled lament that the world is broken, sinful, and not as it should be. WebWe are excited to share that t he youth of UPC are heading to Duluth for their summer mis s ion trip June 11 th-16th. There's bullying. Whew! And according to audio obtained by The Roys Report, Naselli responded to the motion by stating publicly: I am the pastor that Mrs. Takata just quoted. "At Bethlehem . The congregation which has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city. More than 25 people spoke to CT at length about their experiences navigating conflict at Bethlehem for this article. 'I Prayed in the Name of Jesus, and He Answered': Heroes Rescue 17,000 While 'Saving Aziz' in Afghanistan, 'It's a Crisis': Historic Staffing Shortages Lead Police Departments Nationwide to Get Creative, 'An Existential Struggle': Congress Points to Escalating Global Threats from China, Advisor to Israel's President Finds Rare 2,500-Year-Old Inscription with Name of Persian King Darius, After Asbury Shutters Revival Services, Outpouring Moved to Lexington Arena: See Full Video Here. To unlock this article for your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. Many of us (myself included) were blessed by Johns teachings on Christian hedonism and we gave him a pass on certain teachings because of his warmth, enthusiasm, and geeky charm, but make no mistake, this is the house he built. "It's confusing and painful corporately because Jason took the mantle from Pastor John Piper and helped lead us to this point of campus-specific preaching. BCS is a confessional school where professors teach from its 52-page affirmation of faith, but students from other traditions can attend. When someone at the meeting asked Naselli to explain himself, he responded that what was happening in the roomhow some were taking sides without any judgmentwas exactly what Rigney and Wilson were protesting in their podcast. a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution Jason Meyer Seriously? But he loses people when he says empathy is a sin. But in contexts where believers already agree on the capital-T Truth, theres even more weight and fallout when they fail to see eye to eye on the lowercase-t truth of a situation. Part of what I want to say is theres actually an answer to that question.. 4. His experience in the class led him to hear from others who had been called out by Naselli, and he brought concerns from a dozen students to leaders at the church at BCS the following year. The Takatas concerns quickly became about more than the motion, and they filed grievances challenging Nasellis qualifications as an elder. Some of the faces that appear in the compilation video of 150 Gods Grace at Bethlehem no longer belong to the multisite Twin Cities churchmost prominently Jason Meyer, Pipers successor and Bethlehems pastor for preaching and vision. WebThe New Hope leadership and staff is comprised of men and women who love, care and pray for every single person in the church. The Sunday after George Floyd was killed, he preached on racism and the call to sit in solidarity with those who are suffering. Couldnt agree more, Rebecca. Bethlehem is in Gods hands, she said. For some, these three pastors willingness to listen to and advocate for congregants, their teachings on race and abuse, and their leadership at the downtown campus were particular assets to Bethlehem. Jason Delgado served as lead pastor of Vibrant Church in Columbus, Mississippi, until he resigned in April 2021. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. WebJason Meyer | 2 Corinthians 11:16-21. And if the elders were to move for that motion, I would resign out of principle.. WebView Jason Meyers profile on LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional community. When he resigned, he came to an agreement of some kind where he committed to not interfering in the elders leadership or the direction of the church. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But many were due to tensions resulting from racial and womens issues, ties to controversial pastor Doug Wilson, and the elders handling of allegations of misconduct by Andy Naselli. No one should be surprised by these revelations of spiritual abuse -especially against women- in the Bethlehem ecosystem. Kenny Stokes, a pastor and elder at Bethlehem and associate professor and trustee at BCS, told CT they are currently in discussion to clarify protocols and policies between the two institutions. I had a growing concern that compassion that lacks discernment would ultimately and subtly undermine sound doctrine. In a letter that Pickering presented to Naselli in February, and the churchs Elder Council in March, Pickering accused Naselli of displaying a pattern of controlling and egregious sin against God and people., I do not think you are presently qualified for the office of elder, Pickering wrote, and urged Naselli to resign to spare the church, and the elder council, grief upon grief.. Two Bethlehem elders, Ken Currie and Chairman Kurt Elting-Ballard, responded that they are focusing our energy on the needs of our flock and had no other comment or statement to add.. There are things that professors would admit in classroom settings when I began that they wouldnt be willing to admit now.. Those allegations were dismissed by BCS last August. Here is a checklist to determine if someone should leave a church: 1. Janette Takata pointed out that Rigney was identified as being from Bethlehem in the video and that a BCS professor and Bethlehem elder posted a five-star review of the episode. You'll hear sermons, worship, life-changing help, and prayer. Prior to ordination, Pastor Jason attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the University of Chicago. With Rigney slated to lead the college and seminary, some worried that his theological views and his affiliations would become conflated with Bethlehemsspecifically his concerns on empathy discussed in the hour-long Wilson interview (which is now on YouTube). Worship Service 1/24/2021 Pastor Jason Wallingsford, Pastor William Knippa, June 20, 2021 Most Recent Blog Post. [ This article is also available in Over time, for a variety of reason, the members of the narcissistic family system are trained, conditioned, molded, shaped, and manipulated into becoming co-conspirators in the idolatry of The Image., And they are coerced into being temple prostitutes at the temple of The Image.. Having just come out of an abusive system where women arent believed, it was like, Yeah, this is exactly what Ive lived, Mekala said. And when the truth and the truth-tellers are minimized, marginalized, and demonized, this is a narcissistic family systems. I believe that the issue isnt whether or not we should show compassion (we should), but whether our compassion will be rooted in the gospeldeployed with discernment and with a willingness to provide correction or rebuke (Titus 1:13), Steven Lee, pastor of Bethlehems North Campus, wrote in a response to Meyers resignation letter. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. Unlike other high-profile evangelical scandals and shakeups in the headlines, the story at Bethlehem is not so clear-cut. Im stumped over this direction. Ming-Jinn Tong, pastor for neighborhood outreach, announced his resignation To donate, How Big Christian Nationalism Has Come Courting in North Idaho, Doug Wilsons Disciples Question Womens Right to Vote, Did Costi Hinn Get Canceled? A Taiwanese American, Tong also wore traditional Chinese attire as he preached on the Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. This dysfunctional mess is the logical outcome of John Piper and his theology and its methods. But its more difficult to shift peoples thinking the other way, though more resourcesbooks like Somethings Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuseand Freeing Yourself from Its Power by Wade Mullen and A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Laura Barringer and Scot McKnightare changing how people see abuse within the church. ), Boyum said it was because of her training at Bethlehem that she felt like she should raise concerns. Rather, I believe our leadership culture has taken a turn in an unhealthy direction as we try to navigate conflict and division.. May they work it out together in a godly manner. And if Im saying its no longer a place to be able to say those things publicly and remain safe, theyre thinking, Thats not a place for us then either.. At the meeting, Steve Takata moved that the task forces unedited reports be released to Bethlehem members. When Pastors leave a church due to a fear culture there is a massive problem with that church. 3. His worries center on what he sees as contemporary expectations that people join others who are hurting in their pain. Now, Meyer is part of a growing exodus of leaders and members Piper should intervene to save what is left at Bethlehem. Part of whats happened, in the last five years plus especially, is emerging fault lines among people with sensibly shared theological commitments, Rigney said in an interview with CT. At the same time, Theres been an escalation of language and inflation of language such that when a certain issue rises to where it becomes the litmus test, where it becomes, Youre either with us or against usas opposed to simply a different instinct or tendency within a same shared theological commitmentthats when theres real problems, and its hard to work together.. Beneath this constellation of hot topics, though, theres also a deeper philosophical disagreement over how to approach the various conflicts themselves. ***, The pastor also reminded the South Campus members his letter was "just to state the reality of things and to give you space to lament.". I was pretty disappointed. Those leaving and those staying recognize some of the issues that have divided Bethlehem, many of which are straining other conservative churches: racial justice and critical race theory (CRT); the #MeToo movement and the call to believe women; and the nature of trauma and abuse. Pray for me, and I'll be praying for you. (Image credit: Bethlehem Baptist Church/Facebook), Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. At Bethlehem, the biggest source of frustration and disappointment, in many cases, came not from the grievances themselves but from the resistance and attitudes people said they faced when they tried to bring those grievances forward. Mekala, who says she was emotionally and spiritually abused for eight years while serving in a campus ministry overseen by Bethlehem, told The Roys Report that listening to the podcast was traumatizing. Concerning threats within the church, they have deep worries with the churchs drift towards liberalism and the ways secular ideologies are finding homes in the church. ++++++++++. In February 2021, the church released a statement on ethnic harmony that affirms Christians neighborly love across ethnic lines but denies that ethnic diversity should be an end in itself and rejects all systems of thought that view relationships primarily through the lens of powerthat is, those with more power are inherently oppressors, and those with less power are inherently oppressed.. Let's re-learn to lament together," he noted. We learned Augustine in doctrine class, Carvette said. WebKnown Addresses for Jason Meyer 1801 Norwood Dr Hurst, TX 76054 Advertisements Source Texas Secretary of State Data last refreshed on Monday, January 23, 2023 What next? And I want to speak against her motion. WebNOW!!! Meyer said, If you as a church dont like what I said today, you will have to get another pastor, because I believe this to the back of my teeth.. I say all of that to let you know that it's okay to feel sad and confused," Zuleger continued. . They were disappointed, too, that their pursuit of evidence and the truth became viewed as disbelieving victims or not showing compassion. This prompted many members of the task force to leave the church, according to Janice Perez Evans, a task force co-leader. ]. In the summer of 2019, the task force presented an 85-page report to the elders, which essentially died in committee. Its been accelerated by political polarization, racial reckoning, and pandemic stress. Amid these accusations, I recommend trying G.R.A.C.E to investigate the matters facing Bethlehem. To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. Steve and Janette Takata told The Roys Report they were shocked by Nasellis ultimatum. Image: Screengrab / Bethlehem Baptist Church. One of them, Ann Mekala, wrote in a 2019 letter to several elders, There is an air of disdain and distrust towards women woven throughout the episode. She noted that Wilson and Rigney gave examples of women falsely accusing men in the podcast and encouraged listeners to be skeptical toward those who report abuse. According to the website, Meyer's resignation was announced last week in an email to the congregation by Elder Council Chairman Dr. Kurt Elting-Ballard and Bethlehem Pastor for Strategic Implementation Ken Currie. Dave Zuleger, the church's South campus pastor for preaching and vision also confirmed and addressed Meyer's resignation in a blog post on the church's website, writing "this is another painful and confusing moment for us. Doug Wilsons carnality is so blatant that a sincerely devoted follower of Christ would be unable to be around him for long, and certainly would not repeatedly seek him out. Rev Ernie Dorrell. Earlier this month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, addressed the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, whose, A century after the 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution gave American women the right to vote, a group of male leaders, Costi Hinn, nephew of Benny Hinn, has been called a progressive to mark and avoid for more than two years by Michael. In a climate of suspicion, compassion can look like coddling, Meyer wrote. WebWhile details of what's actually going on at Bethlehem Baptist are sparse, the resignation of the church's head pastor and several is arguably newsworthy, so we're going to allow discussion on the topic.. A couple of reminders to everybody: John Piper hasn't been the pastor at BBC since 2012, and thus far there is zero indication that he's in any way Rev Patricia Downes. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. What a dysfunctional mess. The Roys Report reached out to Tomlinson for comment, but he did not respond. *This article has been updated for accuracy. Ive always been mystified by Pipers attraction to him. Share Podcast Audio Download. Meyers exit last month followed two others at Bethlehems downtown campus. WebFor more information about enrolling in services, please contact Mary Ali at agencyintakes@esarc.org or 260.456.4534 ext. One need only look at the life of John Calvin, father of Reformed theology (deformed is more like it) and how his followers minimize his past (as Piper himself does; this is referenced in Dave Hunts book What Love is This? Today was the first time Ive ever heard of the controversy re: the concept of empathy as discussed by Doug Wilson and Joe Rigney, and also now the idea the some biblical counselors are also thinking similarly. While Meyer was on sabbatical in May, Pickering and Tong were removed from the Sunday prayer and preaching schedule. Piper responded to Bowerss account in an email to the campus community, saying that his characterization did not line up with his own as chancellor. The Takatas, like the group of Nasellis former students, felt like they too had gone through a convoluted process of praying, reporting, documenting, scheduling, meeting, and working for resolution only to have the process end without feeling like their concerns were fully understood and that nothing would change as a result. with Pastor Shedrick Clark. Im sure that systems like this may be corrupted (or at least those whose ideas arent accepted may think the system is corrupted), but at least it allows the collective will of the people to be expressed and it allows individuals to speak openly. Feel the freedom to lament," he wrote. It is indeed worth noting the problematic environment of the school where Naselli chose to incubate himself. If you find over time that Johnathons perceptions are true, you will rightly seek out another place to study or work. It may be worth noting that Naselli graduated from Bob Jones University. Nothing in seminary wife class prepares you for this.. (The Roys Report was not able to obtain statistics for member resignations at Bethlehems two other campusesNorth and South.). Even if the motions dont pass, at least the option is there to address major concerns with the entire church. Even before Rigneys selection and the Naselli investigation at BCS, church leaders had begun to rethink what it means for the college and seminary to be a church-based school when the church now has three campuses instead of one. Soon after he launched his academic If the church would take seriously the scriptural qualifications for elders, it would protect the sheep from these narcissistic leaders. I still believe we should have done the investigation, but I was able to get to the point where I regarded the March 16 process as incomplete, not immoral.. But if you see what I see, and if you experience this community (leadership, faculty, and students) as loving, and supportive and fair, and if you share my excitement about the future with Joe Rigneys leadership and under Gods merciful providence, then I believe we will together walk in truth and love, and have a great impact for the glory of Christ.. Feb. 06-Feb. 06. Yesterday I saw a Video from John Piper asking for prayer during his upcoming 7 week writing sabbatical. Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in "It's been more painful to me personally than corporately. Pastor Jason He also expressed misgivings around the treatment of women, which he claimed was the result of attitudes that went beyond complementarian convictions, as well as around Rigneys ties to Wilson. The downtown campus was the most diverse of the three, with people of color making up 21 percent of attendees. "Pray for your leaders as we pray for you. I think hes unnecessarily connected the two.