You should contact Mr. Detwiler for his further thoughts on the move. SGM's purported reasons for the move simply don't have the ring of truth.

As someone living in an area of Texas with a lower standard of living, I applaud any move by a theological school to a lower cost area. As the SGM Board stated in its letter, this move could bring the cost of the SGM Pastors College down by as much as 40%. When you're in a lower income area it's extremely difficult to train pastors and leaders because––especially if the school is in a high cost area like DC. Hopefully more seminaries and theology schools will take a cue from this move and continue to consider churches and students with limited budgets.

In my opinion this report displays typical media superficiality. It doesn't shed any light on the issues and only serves to stir up suspicions, (where there is smoke there is fire). Under the guise of being "fair and balanced" Ms. Feddes has over emphasized the conflict without either understanding the issues, or perhaps not reading the full report from AOR along with the vast amount of material posted by Mr. Detwiler. While the church must always be about reform, the response of SGM and especially C.J. Mahaney exemplify the best of Christian character in their humble response to the charges and work toward reconciliation.

Ms. Feddes probably did the best job she could, condensing a very complex church issue into a short, objective article. As one who has been a part of Sovereign Grace Ministries (formerly People of Destiny,International)since 1983, I can understand the history behind the issues, and attest to the strong opinions and emotions -both pro-SGM, and anti-SGM.

However, there would have been fewer problems if both SGM and C.J. Mahaney HAD responded humbly, as Mr. Wilson indicated above in his posting. After a 5 minute confession to his home church, Covenant Life Church,(CLC) Mr. Mahaney left, and never returned as a member. Soon after, two pastor son-in-laws left CLC. A few months after Mr. Mahaney's confession, at a Pastor's conference, he minimized his confession, saying he "overstated," and indicated that he believed his sin was "routine and common." The SGM panels found that Mr. Mahaney was a man of "fundamental integrity." What many of us are asking is, "According to whom?" Mr. Mahaney attempted to blackmail his former partner, Larry Tomczak, wrongly revealed a confidential confession to at least one individual, and publicly slandered Larry Tomczak to the CLC congregation. (I was there!) The public slander was so extreme, it had the effect of ruining Larry Tomczak's public reputation. Then, Mr. Mahaney said nothing publicly to recant this slander, until Brent Detweiler made the information public, FOURTEEN years later. How is this "routine and common" sin? Is this a humble response "to the charges?"?

I feel I have, to the very best of my ability, over the past 18 years, finally completed all I can do with CJ from what Matthew 18 and 5 requires of us in resolving conflict with him. I don't know if I am Biblically accurate in this or not, but I feel I can now speak publicly about my situation with CJ, something I have not wanted to do until I completed all steps of Matthew 18 (and Matthew 5). I fear I may end up rambling and repeating myself here a bit. It is hard writing in this format, and I am doing this off the top of my head, as I accidentally ended up on this page while researching the Thomas Kinkade issue. Perhaps I should plan out what I say, but I don't think I will. Please bear with me, and try to believe me. This is the truth.
A question I asked the pastors who were present at my last meeting with them, was, "Have you read Ken Sande's Peacemaker book?," something we at Covenant Life Church were all told we had to complete and be practicing. Sadly, some admitted they'd only read parts. When I got to CJ, I was abruptly told by Bob Kauflin, I believe, not to ask him that question. CJ never did tell us whether he'd read any of the Peacemaker book. If he has read it, I strongly believe it is only since I asked him that question within the past couple of years, long after he insisted we have read it and we be practicing it, and long after he began speaking at Ken Sande's Peacemaker seminars, and was considered an expert it Peacemaking.
I will not claim that all I have written in this is exact quotes, but it is very close to what actually took place. I have many, many, many pages of phone transcripts, written down as best I could as the conversations took place, as well as letters and e-mails, mostly from the pastors involved, to prove what I am saying below, though I am not using them to write this.
From my personal experiences with CJ over the past 30 + years, I believe he is an extremely intelligent, very clever man, who should have rested and prospered in who he was in Christ, (if indeed he ever made a true commitment to Christ- which I had hoped he had, but am no longer sure of), who, I believe, has been living a lifestyle of major, major lying, for at least the last 18 years I have watched and experienced him, and covers up by good sounding Christian speech and writing, and by attaching himself to top name Christian leaders who have no idea who this man really is, and other much younger leaders, who feel it an honor to be asked to serve with him, but who are all too ready to cover his tracks, though I suspect it is unknowingly for many of them. From what I've seen, CJ seems to have started early on with Ken Sande, soon after (or maybe before???) CJ began leading Covenant Life Church in place of Larry Tomczak. He insisted his church all read Ken's excellent book, The Peacemaker. Then when church members tried to put it into practice, some were falsely accused and dismissed from the church with little or no say in the matter at all, while CJ proceeded to teach at Ken's Peacemaking seminars, all the while refusing to practice what he was teaching, and having his church listed as a Peacemaking church. We were trapped, as Covenant Life was the church Peacemaker's referred us to to get help resolving conflict, but when they heard my conflict was with a leader at CLC, they wouldn't believe it. I believe CJ knew who he would need on his side to do the evil he was doing, and he has gathered sooo many big name Christian leaders to his aide over the years. Sadly, unbeknownst to them, I suspect, their reputations are all being tainted badly, while those who have been in far closer connection to CJ and his churches watch in amazement at how well flattery and money can buy off even many of the top name Christian leaders we thought we could really trust. (How many of you leaders have been encouraged by CJ that you just had to write a book, or were flattered incredibly by CJ, and/or were given big donations of money because he supposedly thought so well of your ministry? If you talked with each other, you might be surprised that the tactics used on each of you were quite similar.) We stopped giving to Ken Sande's ministry long ago, when we saw Ken's great allegiance to CJ, and kept hearing of CJ's involvement with Peacemakers and Ken. We didn't join a seemingly very good church because we found out what fans they were of CJ, and found it necessary to have members read and study his books, not realizing what deep pain the suggestion alone could bring to some of us. Psalm 37:35, sadly always reminds me of CJ these days: "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree." The enemy has successfully deceived us all, I think, greatly weakening the church as so many of us were told that we were in deception, and found ourselves backing away from God, because we were told the relationship we had with Him was not truth. In reality, we are starting to wake up and to realize that we weren't the ones who were deceived, and that we weren't the only ones who had this happen to them, as I thought from 1994 until I first was directed to the SGM survivors website and wept at so many other stories that sounded just like mine. Reading these is what motivated me to try again, and harder, to complete Matthew 18 regarding my situation with CJ. I wondered if more of us had stood up more firmly to try to complete Matthew 18 with CJ, if the harm and isolation he was causing might have stopped spreading to so many people and churches. Sadly, Brent's story and so many others on "the websites" sound too much like what I experienced. I believe every word Brent spoke, as I've experienced most of it myself, from CJ himself, but I was never more than an assistant Care Group leader. The men CJ has surrounded himself with have been great at protecting him from taking responsibility for what he's done, and, I believe, is still doing. (I began to notice that the SGM board kept changing, as had the pastors earlier at CLC. I used to wonder if they all could really have been in such sin to need to decide to step down, as so many seemed so very Godly. Or was someone else making them stand on stage, saying that they were in sin, and felt they needed to step down?Years later I mentioned this to someone at a memorial service, and they said that was exactly what had happened to them and someone else who had worked in one of the offices there. They had been forced to go on stage and lie about their feeling they were in sin and needing to step down. Sadly, I believe it is a bit like what happened with Hitler, and some other well known leaders who were later found to be quite evil, and allowed to go on way too long in their evil, because no one would stand up and demand that the evil stop until far, far too many people were hurt, and too much evil had been done, all in the name of honoring our authorities????which is Biblical. Hmmm. When I went through the Holocaust Museum, I couldn't stop crying, and a large part was because it sounded like too much of what I'd experienced at Covenant Life my last few years there, under CJ's leadership. How could this be happening in such a good, strong, Christian church?
The last time I personally spoke with CJ about what he did to me, (shortly before Brent's information came out) he straight out lied about what happened, as he had the time before that in front of Jeff Purswell and the office staff at SGM. This time, when he kept insisting he hadn't done what he'd done, I found myself (not at all planned) telling CJ he was lying, as he continued to state that he wasn't, and then I read him Scripture from Revelations about where liars go in the end. (I think we ought to be taking a much deeper look at God's perspective on lying, and maybe make this the issue to bring up in CJ's "courtroom".) I was told by one of the pastors that I didn't need to read Scripture (as I had been told before, as a 14 year member at Covenant Life Church, when trying to say why I was speaking truth, even though I was being accused of not), and I continued until I had finished the passage. CJ soon after implied that it was coming back to him, and acknowledged he actually had had a meeting with me, which he had denied repeatedly earlier in this meeting. He still denied having said any of the things he had said to me, including having "non-disciplinarily" dismissed me (is that Biblical and in keeping with Peacemakers???) from Covenant Life Church on March 6, 1994, a day I will probably never forget as I was in such shock at this CJ I had never seen before. He was not willing to hear my story, and said when I asked to talk with him after the last service I was at as a member, (after having been advised to do so by my unbelieving, but wise father), that "It will be brief" something I'd been shocked before at when I had some other seemingly Godly CLC leaders say to me earlier-had they learned this from CJ? CJ said he'd heard enough about my situation already from his "men" that he'd known, I believe he said, for 17 years. (These were his brothers-in-law, Gary and Grant). He included a long list of accusations about me that stunned me, and included telling me that he didn't want his men to waste their time on people like me. They had enough other people that really needed their care. When I tried to tell him I hadn't done what he was accusing me of, he stopped me and said something like, "You interrupted me. I don't interrupt you and I don't expect you to interrupt me. You interrupt all the guys. (Especially when I'm falsely accused.) Granted, interrupting is not polite, but I'm not sure God is as considered about interrupting as he is about false accusations, lying, pride, sowing discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 says the Lord hates them, that they are an abomination unto Him. I believe the Lord hates and finds abominable CJ's repeated lies, false accusations and sowing discord among the brethren. That's what I think needs to be tried in the SGM court for CJ. And I am convinced he is very, very guilty of all three. When I returned home after my non-disciplinary dismissal from CLC (I have this in writing also), in shock, and in many, many tears, and trembling (which continued for many months and years; We're to tremble at God's word, not at CJ Mahaney. Why do so many of us still tremble when we hear CJ's name, or get close to Covenant Life Church, or maybe other SGM churches? Is that how God designed his shepherds to affect their flock?), I wrote down what CJ had said to me when he dismissed me, as I was still trying to seek God on my deception, and felt I needed to write it down to remember what I was being accused of so that I could pray through it and see if God would be gracious to show me the truth of the deception I was being accused of and apparently was blind to, as deception usually has it. Four years after my dismissal, after having lived in incredible condemnation and loneliness, having lost many wonderful church friendships developed over my 14 years at CLC (the single's pastor apparently visited my Care Group to tell them why I was no longer a member of the church or Care Group), two of the pastors involved admitted that they had made a mistake, that they had been presumptuous in my situation, that things had been exactly as I'd told them it was when I was accused of being presumptuous. So I hadn't been in deception after all? One said he didn't see why I couldn't return to fellowship with them. However, CJ would never admit he'd dismissed me, so he couldn't invite me back. All he could say, only 4 years later, was "I can't recall," even though I have copies of a letter he sent to a former member of CLC, discussing my situation, only shortly before he told me he "couldn't recall" (something another well known leader said in almost exactly the same time period.) However, 17 years later, CJ finally "recalled" a little more. I had gradually been able to follow through on each step of Matt. 18, (all of which was fought quite strongly over the years by CJ and the CLC leaders.) Regarding trying to arrange my most recent meeting (where I was told there was no need or use for any more meetings when I was told the meeting was over and I asked if we could meet again. I had felt we were finally making progress in CJ's eventually having admitted tiny bits of truth for the first time in 17 years, admitting he had met with me, and as I sensed he was perhaps soooo longing for someone to love him enough to help him end his lying, evil lifestyle), I was told that, because of CJ's position in the organization, his writing of many books, and his many speaking engagements, that he made it a practice of not meeting with people he had offended, but I could meet with other pastors (Is that another Biblical/Peacemaker principle?). I was stunned initially, and then realized it fit in with my previous experiences over the years before and after my dismissal. The person who told me this said they would see CJ the next day and double check on this. When I called back 3 weeks later, after not having heard back from this person as I thought I'd been led to believe I would, they confirmed having asked CJ if this was still true, and that he had said it was. I repeated all three of the above reasonings for his not meeting with people he had offended, and asked if that was what he had said again. This person again said it was. I had never experienced this particular person lying before, and have a strong feeling they were telling me the truth. However, when I decided I'd better hear it from CJ myself, I e-mailed him, where he denied it, and had the person e-mail me and apologize for misleading me. CJ added, "Nevertheless, the case is closed" (indicating there was no need for further discussion). I first, early on, in 1994, tried to go in private to CJ, but I was told my sin was far too serious to even consider discussing with them, then tried to get a conciliator to help me (Ron Zabel), but CLC refused to allow him to meet with us. I eventually went with my daughter and husband, only after, unbeknownst to me, Ken Sande had just spoken at CLC and encouraged leaders to be willing to meet with those who had felt offended by them. After months of being promised they'd call me back, and hearing nothing, I finally received a phone call wanting to set up an appointment. It was at this meeting when the two pastors admitted they'd made a mistake, , though CJ could only say he "couldn't recall." I finally went to the church, where I asked Josh Harris to be present, and when he said he couldn't, I tried to convince him that he might want to hear what I had to say. Initally he said he wouldn't be able to, as he was busy writing a book (sound familiar?).
My husband and I were then advised by a local pastor (a fan of CJ's , whose church we'd been attending and had hoped to join until we started hearing more and more about CJ and having free CJ books delivered from the pulpit during the service), to just go up to the church to see if we could catch CJ, even though he'd told us he wouldn't meet with us. We were told to go the next day, and we did. God was amazing in arranging what happened next.
I believe we asked if we could speak with CJ, and were told he wasn't in. My daughter and I went to the restroom, and as we were returning, CJ and Jeff Purswell entered the building. My husband stood up and went up to CJ and told him that his wife would like to speak to him. CJ came over to me in very friendly fashion (he hadn't seen me in close to 10 years, so I strongly suspect he didn't recognize me as the one he'd been getting messages from and had been e-mailing). I introduced myself. (Keep in mind he had just been e-mailing with me about this shortly before our visit.) When I told him that I wanted to discuss his dismissal of me from CLC in 1994, he said very "sweetly", "Joyce I never dimissed you. I would never do anything like that. (I do have witnesses and letters, that he did dismiss me, if anyone would like to see them, which, so far, everyone has refused.) I told him that he had dismissed me, which he kept denying, as my daughter stood there with tears rolling down her cheeks. When I asked her later why she was crying, she said, "Because I knew he was lying." This is a child who knew very little about the situation, but, I believe, discerned in her spirit that CJ was lying. The office staff was present. CJ left, other pastors came to talk with us. We decided to go to try to speak with Josh Harris in the CLC office side of the building, where the SGM office staff told us he was when we asked for him. When we asked at the CLC desk for Josh, the office manager, ?Corey?, hemmed and hawed a bit (I think they may have been warned we were coming??) and went to the back, and returned and then said, as I believe Josh was walking out right beside us, "Josh isn't here. He's at the SGM office for a finance meeting." We were surprised and told him that we'd been told he was not in the SGM part of the building, but was in the CLC part of the building. I also couldn't believe he was telling me he wasn't there, as what I am almost positive was Josh, walked by. (We think there may be some "secret passageways" between the two sections, so that they can play the seeming "cat and mouse game" they appeared to be playing this day. ) We went back down to the SGM office and asked for Josh, were told again he wasn't there. We told them we'd been told at CLC that he was there for a finance meeting. They didn't seem to know anything about a finance meeting either. The office staff said they were going to check, and came back and said he wasn't there, but that he was in the CLC office. We went back to the CLC office again and were told that Josh had had an emergency and had to go home to his wife, that he would not be back in the building for the rest of the day, that we were welcome to call him another time. After the continual refusals to meet with me, I was eventually allowed to come for my requested meeting with CJ and Gary and Josh, though they wouldn't let Grant, my singles' pastor who had been directly over me, and a part of all of this, come. I was told that Bob Kauflin, who had never met me (but apparently was being told their story about me) would be there. I had to go through a preliminary long phone call with Bob where he tried to get me to speak about CJ without CJ being present. I told them I wanted no part of this, as they had done it to me repeatedly earlier on in my situation, pitting different ones of us against the other, but refusing to allow us to be together to hear what we were being told from the CLC leaders they were saying about us. My Care Group leader said to me once earlier on, "Isn't this something? They're all talking about us, but no one will talk to us, and we're the only ones that were involved to know what really happened." Almost all I was told during this time, if not all, before I was dismissed, was lies, and I was pretty convinced that those the leaders were claiming had said these things about me, would never say them in front of me as they knew they weren't true. I have my doubts that most if any of what I was told was ever said by the ones they said were saying it. The leaders kept refusing to allow me to meet with the ones they claimed were saying these things. They wouldn't even let me call them by phone in the leaders' presence. They did say they'd ask so and so, or so and so, just not the one they said was saying it, and I think I know why.
Before my last allowed meeting, in a very recent year, I was told by Bob Kauflin that if I brought any witnesses, they would cancel the meeting (I have that in writing also- is this another Bible/Peacemaker principle? If they'd been right in what they'd done to me, why would they have had such a fear of my bringing witnesses?). This was told to me repeatedly. I was allowed only to bring my family. I again, was not allowed to bring Ron Zabel, conciliator. (I think he would also be willing to attest to these two times they wouldn't allow him to meet with us, unless he feels threatened in some way???) When I finally arrived for the meeting, and shared some of my story, Josh, (seemingly possibly well trained by CJ, as he used some of the same techniques of quick accusation, so unlike the grace CJ preached about publicly) asked my husband if he didn't think I was quite bitter. My husband very graciously stated that he thought we might all have a bit of bitterness in us, but that he thought CJ and I really needed to work this out. When I read the Scripture passage about liars, CJ finally admitted he had met with me, but denied all else he did. Gary Ricucci shared more of what had actually happened in my situation, and I believe, spoke total truth now. Thank you, Gary. The truth really does set men free, and lies have put very, very many of us into chaos and bondage, and I believe has very greatly weakened far too many very Godly believers in the SGM churches. I strongly suspect this may well continue if CJ doesn't come out and start acknowledging the truth of what so many of us are claiming we have been through as a result of him. I am not at all surprised that SGM is moving far from the DC area, as the truth has started to be shared a lot at CLC and in the DC area, and I believe CJ knows it would be quite hard to start a church here where people are starting to hear about what he's really been doing. I suspect CJ feels trapped, maybe even longing for help to get out of the mess he has created. I don't think he has any idea how to get out of the huge lying mess he's made with the big reputation he's built. I would love to suggest to him to try total truth and very deep, sincere (and I mean really sincere, not what I have too often seen and heard from him that appears to be sincere) sorrow and true repentance, -major, major repentance, that probably could not any longer involve any Christian leadership, as having a big reputation as a leader has seemed to me to have been his stumbling block, something he may have felt too pressured to have been perfect in??? Maybe a whole lot of things and many, many people may appear to totally crash if he finally speaks the truth about what he's been doing to so many people for so many years, and what he's been training other leaders to do. But, if he really does confess and truly repents, and doesn't take it back, in the end, God will be glorified, and many who have been put into bondage by the enemy, through CJ, will be set free and at least receive some degree of healing, the unity of the church will be helped greatly, as will, I believe, her effectiveness for the gospel (How ironic-Together for the Gospel, except for all of those CJ has falsely accused, lied about, and excluded from the gospel-sorry, that just came to me now) and by God's grace, no others will allowed to be put into bondage by CJ's lies and deceptive techniques again. Truth will again be called truth, and evil, evil. The righteous will truly be able to rejoice again, not just pretend that things are wonderful with SGM/CLC, etc. (We were taught really well not to gossip, which I believe has greatly helped to protect the evil going on in SGM and CLC, etc. , as many of us felt we could not tell anyone what had happened to us, so we lived with it basically in silence and alone for way too many years, while the evil proceeded to person after person, with no one else knowing what was going on. I'd love to know how many of those affected in this way may have developed cancer, heart disease, other major diseases, even died, or committed suicide, how many families became dysfuntional as its loved ones tried to resolve conflicts that weren't allowed to be resolved, and started believing the lies that were pronounced about them, as they were isolated from their support systems and sometimes even family systems, and were living alone with false accusations, and lies and hypocrisy, and scared to trust any other church again, let alone God, since they were often told they were in deception, so couldn't even trust themselves to hear from God and discern His truth. Until you leaders, SGM, CLC, and top name Christian leaders from Together for the Gospel, the Louisville Baptist Seminary, even Family Life. and any others CJ has tried to link himself with, Ken Sande, Jerry Bridges, etc., start believing the truth that you've been hearing from those who have been badly harmed by CJ, you are contributing to the continuation of all CJ has been doing, and I believe is going to continue to do (and I don't think we've heard the half of it yet), and worse yet, all I believe that satan has been trying to do for decades now to greatly weaken the church, through CJ and the SGM movement. How in the world can we stand up in unity as believers in Christ, if we are so busy falsely accusing them, and separating them from the body of Christ, and are forcing them to be left alone and unheard and unbelieved. If only we could all see what God is seeing. Pray, pray, pray that God's truth will be fully known, and soon. The Jerry Sandusky story hits too close to home in too many ways. Is this our own version of it, with spiritual rather than sexual abuse? I'm afraid so, and I fear its magnitude is far, far greater and maybe even far, far more deadly to the church and the believers.God, please help us. You are our only hope.

Virginia,

My heart breaks for you and others who have been abused by purported Christian leaders. I am a pastor and a preacher's kid who has seen a lot of good and bad in the church over the years. Much of what I read about this situation involving C.J. is reminiscent of the "Shepherding" movement of the 70s. As a matter of fact, C.J. spoke at events attended by the leaders of this earlier version of what we now have. That movement left a lot of disallusioned and wounded people by the roadside.

The similarities start with a very powerful leader or leaders whom you do not question. You do not question them because God anointed and ordained them to be in their position (They are attempting to invoke for themselves what Paul gave as a reason for his apostleship). They expect people to believe that God has given them some new or fresh revelation and as such, they are in the best position to lead in any way they deem necessary. They expect sacrificial giving of time, talent and money from the followers so that they can live in the manner that is fitting for people of their standing. They expect grace to be liberally applied in every instance in which they err (or more accurately when people think they might have erred) yet they practice heavy-handed discipline, relying on fearful informants and enforcers to keep people in line.

Make no mistake about it. This type of thinking and practice is anti-God. It is a form of idolatry and rebellion because it puts someone other than Christ in the role of mediator. Because this is real mind-control and long-term abuse, the wound and scars may be present for a long time. I and our chuch group will be praying for all who have been hurt by these self-serving, self-proclaimed prophets.

My ony advice (because I try not to give much of it) is to "hold fast to what is true." You KNOW what that is. It is deep down under all fo the scar tissue. Ask the Good Shepherd to lead you. The Bible reads that we "will know His voice." Religious leaders over the millennia have demanded that we listen to them. Jesus warned us about them. Remember that Jesus said "Come. Follow me" but he really wasn;t demanding. He wasn't self-seeking. he was a servant. Don't involve yourself with any leader who is not trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

May God again bring you from what C.S. Lewis referred to as "the shadowlands" back to the mountaintops and may you be used in "binding up (bandaging and nursing) the wounded."

Keep the Faith!
Jonathan

Beautiful post, Jonathan. I think God will use it to help many. God bless you for taking the time to write it.

-BJ

To Jonathan, in response to Virginia. I am only now reading your note after my long letter July 12, 2012, re: CLC/SGM/CJ Mahaney. Thank you for your sensitivity and encouragement. It was greatly appreciated. Thank you also for your prayers. There are many of us that probably still need them.
VA

How sad to read Virginia's account of trying to work through a situation with brothers in the Lord who happen to be pastors, as well. Oh, that this was only a rare glitch in the SGM history but it appears not so. Because of Brent Detwiler, good or bad, we learn so many others have been wounded and left bleeding by the side of the road. Whether one believes Detwiler or not (and SGM does not dispute him), the floodgates have opened and the secrets have gushed out. There are walking wounded among us and there are some who have left the faith. Leaders will be called to account one day for their actions.

I have heard over the years to "keep the main thing the main thing." And what is that main thing? The gospel! But who's gospel? I am only interested in the gospel of Jesus Christ! I believe for reconciliation to really be accomplished there must be repentance. Not remorse, repentance. Not "I got caught. Oops." But, "I am so sorry. I have sinned against you and I have sinned against God. Will you please forgive me?" Until then, nothing really is accomplished.

And, unfortunately, we are not hearing from the SGM pastors and leaders (Board and Leadership Team) any meaningful confessions, taking of responsibility, admissions of failure or guilt, any real engagement in meaningful dialogue, or expression of sorrow over this whole debacle. Instead, the status quo remains: let's push on and act as if this never happened. It's a page from the old Clinton/Gore playbook: "How can we fool them today?" Are we not instructed to even "avoid the appearance of evil?" Do we not, as the SGM family, understand that we are holding up our part of the kingdom of God to derision for the all the world to see?

How sad, how embarassing, how destructive, how non-gospel of Jesus Christ.

Can we all agree that the internet is a horrible way to carry out Matthew 18? Can we all agree that until we have heard both sides of a story, that we haven't heard the full story? Can we all agree that much of what is happening in the blogosphere re: SGM is what God calls "sowing discord among the brethren" (a practice that he hates as much as any other sin)? Can we all agree that our "right" to counsel, opine, and offer "perspective" should be tempered with full knowledge of the situation (which very few of us have, including myself) and deep wisdom from God? Can we all agree that more prayer and less blogging will be more spiritually productive regarding the outcome of these issues?

Whether you can agree with these statements or not, I strongly commend the following article for your consideration: http://www.challies.com/articles/thinking-biblically-about-cj-mahaney-and-sovereign-grace-ministries

Finally, can we agree that God's Word is true and has bearing upon our responses? Consider Proverbs 18:17, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” We would all do well to withhold judgement until 'the other comes and examines him'. On second thought, we would all do best to not judge at all (Matthew 7:1-2).