FBC Jax Watchdogs

Yet Another "Man of God" - This Time a Calvinist - Secretly Video Taping Christian Women in the Church Bathroom

2012-05-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Well, up in the corn fields of Indiana, we have yet another "Man of God" arrested for his video voyeurism.

Readers, meet Robert Lyzinga, a reformed/Calvinist pastor of the Sunrise Christian Reformed Church in Lafayette, Indiana (their website is down as of this writing). Robert's church is part of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, a Calvinist denomination of about 1100 churches. You can see Robert's church's entry here in the CRCNA church database.

Robert's arrest has been nationwide news; here is one of the more complete news stories.

What is it with these pastors getting their jollies from videotaping women - women in their own churches that God has supposedly "appointed" them to have pastoral authority over?

First we had Tom Neal - a KJV-fundamentalist Baptist - accused of videotaping women undressing in his office. He was stupid enough to actually video tape himself turning on and turning off the device.

Then last fall we had Sammy Nuckolls - a Southern Baptist Evangelist - arrested for using a spycam to secretly videotape women - even the wife of his best friend. He was brazen enough to set up his spy pen in the bathroom of a woman's house he was staying with - and he got caught. By the way, if you haven't seen this recent news report of one of Nuckolls' victims speaking out, watch this report to see just how sick Nuckolls truly is.

So we have A KJV-fundamentalist Baptist, an SBC Evangelist, and now in Robert Lyzinga we have a reformed Calvinist! Yes, Robert came up with the bright idea of hiding cameras in phony air-freshener installed right smack dab on the bathroom stall doors to film the women in his church going to the bathroom! He too was caught red-handed when the phony air freshener fell off, the camera was exposed, and investigators saw footage of Robert's office and desk filmed on the camera. Robert obviously was not a reader of the Watchdog, else he would have seen the mistake that Tom Neal made and would have avoided capturing incriminating footage of his own desk as he set up the cameras.

So church members, watch out. One thing I've noticed over the years is churches attract a lot of weirdos who might be doing similar things as these pastors, but who are much too smart to get caught. If we have three pastors that have been caught red-handed video taping their own church members, how many other pastors and other nuts in churches are doing the same thing with these tiny, inexpensive cameras? How many were caught and NOT reported? How many have yet to be caught?

Finally, I leave you with this quote from the news report of Lyzinga's arrest:

"Clevenger [church deacon] called Lyzenga’s arrest a shame, but noted that the pastor was once a great leader for the congregation.

'Pastor Bob did a lot of good while in service to this church,” he said. “He was a good pastor and a good man.' "

Such fond memories they will have of "Pastor Bob" and all the "good" he did. What is sad is this is the same thing I heard a former member of Trinity Baptist say about child molester Bob Gray after his arrest: that people were too quick to overlook all the good that Pastor Gray accomplished before he was arrested.

Yes, people do tend to forget all the good that the "men of God" do when they turn out to be perverts molesting boys and girls or secretly video taping nude women.

People except the church members and deacons who were under the pastor's spell for so long, of course.

Perry Noble is Latest to Offer "90-Day Money Back Guarantee" on the Tithe

2012-05-22T08:55:00.001-04:00

Perry Noble is the latest pastor to issue a formal "money back guarantee" to his church members as a gimmick to get a revenue boost at the church.

Ed Young, Jr. has tried this money-back guarantee gimmick. Also, Robert Morris has tried the gimmick at his church and he has pushed it in churches around the country including Celebration Church in my own city of Jacksonville, Florida when Morris preached earlier this year for Stovall Weems.

Below is the video of Perry Noble issuing the challenge. Here is a link at the church website to a form one must fill out to let the church know you are taking the challenge. I guess to qualify you need to let God, er, I mean NewSpring, know you are taking the challenge? When do you think NewSpring will post a redemption link for people to request their tithe back?

If a discerning Christian watches Perry's video and listens very closely, they will see how absolutely ridiculous this "guarantee" is, and why members at Perry's church should absolutely reject this idea as the money-grubbing marketing scheme that it is.

Let me give some commentary on Perry's guarantee to help you see why members of Perry's church should be offended and disgusted at such a challenge:

"Here's what we believe here at Newspring Church: you cannot out-give God."

I hate this statement. I've heard it for years, and you have too, probably. Of course God is God, so who really could "out-give" God? Who said you can? I hate this statement because of how the preachers like Perry who utter it want to use it to motivate gullible people to fork over more money to their church.

The implication of this phrase "you cannot out give God" is that the more money you give to the church, the more blessings you will receive. This statement implies that your material blessings are tied to how much money you give. More money, more blessings. Less money or no money, no blessings, only curses.

The phrase "you cannot out give God" implies that by giving to Perry's church you are "giving to God" (which is not true), and it implies that you cannot give too much to Perry's church because God will make sure he has your back no matter how much you give. You CAN give too much money to Perry's church, if you cannot afford it and if it means you can't properly care for your family. God makes no promise to Christians to subsidize foolish donations made to a 501(c)3 religious organization.

And we're just getting started. Here's the next phrase from Perry worth examining:

"And the very first way we that we put God first in the area of our finances is the tithe: 10% of our gross income."

Oh yes. If you are truly committed to Jesus, you will show it by giving 10% of your income. Not 10% of your "net" income. It has to be the "gross", the before-tax amount, of course.

This sentence is the shortest and softest way to sell to his church members - as the piano gently plays in the background - the false claim that unless you put God first in your finances by tithing, you are subject to a curse on all of your finances and you subject yourself to all sorts of calamity at the hands of God. Perry has said so before.

And one minor detail: the "tithe" in the Old Testament was not "10% of our gross income". As documented over and over on this blog, the Old Testament tithe was 23 1/3%, not 10%. But preachers know you can't give THAT much, so they round it off to an tidy 10%. When preachers like Perry can't be completely truthful about even the percentage of the tithe from the Old Testament, what makes anyone think they are being truthful of how the verse applies to the Christian?

"And we believe that what the bible says in Malachi chapter 3, verse 10, is true, that if we will put God first with the tithe, then He will bless us."

Yep, "if...then"....if you give 10% of your income, then God will bless you. And as Perry has said before, there is another "if...then" that he believes: if you do NOT give 10%, then God CANNOT bless you. In fact you are under a curse.

But that is all pure poppycock. It is fiction. It is a preacher using the Old Testament verses in Malachi that were really spoken to the religious leaders of the day who were robbing the resources given to them by the people. These verses applied to those living under the Old Covenant. Those verses have no more application to the Christian's life than to the Old Testament verses on circumcision.

Perry doesn't give any New Testament verses that deal directly with how Christians should give (generously, consistently, and cheerfully), as those verses don't suit his purposes. They might actually lead to a church member believing they are obeying God at a level less than 10%, and Perry can't have that. Instead, it is more profitable to him to use Malachi 3 to make you think that the pathway to blessings is to give minimum of 10% of your income to his church.

And next, we see the kicker...that Perry and NewSpring actually do NOT believe Malachi 3:10:

"We believe it [the principle of the tithe] to the point that we are challenging you to take our 90-day tithe challenge. And in 90 days if you don't like feel God has blessed you...we will refund every dime you gave..."

This is my favorite part of the money-back guarantee, because it proves the preacher doesn't actually believe what he preaches concerning the tithe. The entire premise of the "tithe" is that it belongs to God, and if you don't bring your 10% to church, you are stealing because that portion of your income doesn't belong to you, it belongs to God (and to give it to God, you have to of course deliver it in a pre-printed envelope, with the check made not to "God" but to "NewSpring Church".)

So get this: if it belongs to God and not you, and if Perry Noble and NewSpring church leaders actually believed that....then how on earth would they think it OK to take what was not yours to begin with (your tithe), and give it back to you just because you want it back? Wouldn't that mean THEY are robbing God by taking what you gave to God and then giving the money, which is God's money, back to you? Wouldn't Perry and NewSpring now be under a curse? Where in scripture did the priests have the right to give back from the storehouse anything that was already given?

This proves that either Perry doesn't believe what he teaches about the tithe, or maybe a scarier proposition: perhaps Perry believes he and NewSpring Church ARE God. Or maybe it really is a hoax, they know it, and they just think you're too stupid to carefully consider the implications of their guarantee.

Here's one that I can't believe they didn't edit out or do a retake on:

"If you don't feel like God has blessed you, if you don't feel like God has done what his word has said, if you believe God's a liar, then's here's what we'll do: we'll refund every dime you gave during that 90-day period, no questions asked. We're not sending anybody to your house, nothing weird."

When you watch the video, you'll see Perry give a chuckle or snicker as he says "if you believe God's a liar"....because here is the catch: if you actually make a claim to have your money refunded, this will be interpreted by your church to mean you believe God is a liar. Perry says they won't send anybody to your house. Maybe not, but you will be singled out as a heretic, a money-grubber, someone who is hurting the church.

There you have it...the "90-Day Challenge" from Perry Noble and NewSpring Church.

Next post: Watchdog will issue his own "Challenge" to members of Newspring Church, so stay tuned!!

An Analysis of Chuck O'Neal's Press Release - He is Digging an Even Deeper Hole for Himself and His Church

2012-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I guess Chuck O'Neal and Beaverton Grace Bible Church (BGBC) are worried that the parking lot at their church this Sunday might look like the picture at left, after the avalanche of bad publicity they have received over their recent defamation lawsuit against Julie Ann Smith and four other former church members.

So, Chuck and BGBC decided to help their case by issuing a "press release" yesterday. A press release might be in order, given all the negative press - maybe a brief statement that Chuck stands by his allegations, a call for people to not rush to judgment, asking people to let the justice system do what it is supposed to do once all the facts are put to a jury.

The only problem is, this isn't a "press release" like that. It is a press release that dwarfs even Chuck's amended complaint. It is a 5500-word, 18 page long essay in which Chuck makes another accusation against the defendants, he states how his lawsuit is not just to defend him but to actually defend God and Christ, and then defends the theology of a Christian suing another Christian. None of this helps his case, and none of it helps his public image.

First, let's look at this paragraph from the "press release":

"....a member of this group called the police and the DHS to deliver a false report accusing Pastor O’Neal of physically abusing his own children and allowing pornography to be distributed to adolescents in the church. He, his family, and the church were subsequently investigated by the authorities and the case was dismissed as unfounded."

With an important hearing before the judge in just a few days, Chuck decides to add another charge against Julie Anne and the co-defendants. A few things to point out about the statement above:

By including this new allegation that is NOT in the lawsuit, in a press release explaining the charges of defamation, is to insinuate that the defendants maliciously, knowingly, filed a FALSE police report as a part of their alleged defamation. After all, there is nothing wrong, in fact to the contrary it is noble and brave (and in most cases required by law) when a church member has the courage to report facts or even rumors of abuse by a minister or church members....UNLESS, the person maliciously, knowingly, files a false police report to harass someone. That seems to be what Chuck is saying by putting this information in his press release. In my view, Chuck is treading dangerously close to defamation himself, stating as fact that the people he is suing filed a false police report - which is to commit a crime - about him in order to defame him.

Later in the press release Chuck says:

"Families cannot continue to be threatened by false allegations of abuse. "

There you have it. Part of his reason for filing the suit is because families are continuing to be threatened by "false allegations of abuse." Families are never threatened by allegations of abuse - even if an investigation is conducted and no charges are filed. No, Chuck, families are protected by people who report allegations of abuse. UNLESS, people are running around committing the crime of making false, baseless, malicious allegations to defame and harass, which must be what Chuck is saying here else he would not have brought it up in the context of this lawsuit!

If Chuck knows for a fact that the defendants made a false child abuse claim against him, why is THAT not listed as an offense in his lawsuit? Did he file a report with the authorities so they could investigate whether someone made a false police report? If the allegation is important enough to put in a press release justifying his lawsuit, why not put it in the lawsuit as a statement of fact? A quote of calling the church "creepy" IS in the lawsuit, but a false police report alleging abuse is NOT?

Sadly, I don't think Chuck even realizes the harm he is doing by making a public statement such as this. The biggest obstacle in getting church members to report abuse in their churches is the fear of retribution for making accusations against the "man of God". It is the fear that they will not be believed, and that the minister and his peers will vilify those that make the report, or even the victim himself/herself. Chuck's accusations of malicious false claims of abuse in a public forum against former church members only makes it less likely someone in the future will ever dare to report abuse at his church should it ever occur. Another reason for the BGBC church parking lot to look like the above photo.

And doesn't this sound familiar? A minister doesn't like what a critic is saying about them publicly, doesn't appreciate harsh criticism, so the minister and those defending him at the church decide to make public statements insinuating that the critics are criminals. "Yep, you all just don't know the real story about these critics (wink-wink)". Chuck, you have learned well from your peers on what NOT to do in response to your critics.

Next, Chuck decides to dig himself into a bigger hole by stating the theological implications of his lawsuit, that really it is not just about him being defamed. He is not just defending himself, but he is defending God, too. Yes, God is sovereign, but he still needs Chuck to intervene in our courts to defend God's character.

Says Chuck:

"For three and a half years this group has been engaged in a public, church to church, and World Wide Web defamation, showing their willingness to discredit God, harm the church, harm wives, harm children, and harm the testimony of Christ's Gospel. It is BGBC's firm conviction that this cannot continue. The ministry of the local church and the Gospel cannot continue to be hindered."

Courts absolutely do not want to involve themselves in theological squabbles. Chuck views this lawsuit as a means to stop his gospel from being hindered. This is the same old story - to criticize the pastor publicly for his spiritual abuse, for personnel decisions he has made, or how the money is spent, or any number of other things, is to "discredit God", it is to "harm the church", and by golly you're even harming "the testimony of Christ's Gospel", and it is to "hinder" the ministry of the local church. Yes, pastors everywhere, Chuck is filing this lawsuit for YOU so that "the local church" (that is you!) will not continue to be hindered by these evil bloggers!

Seminaries are teaching these men that they are God's modern day prophets, the 501(c)3 religious organizations that employ them are the Holy of Holies, and criticism of either is to defame God and Jesus himself.

When preachers act like Chuck, their church just might become the "Holy of Holies" - the inner sanctuary where no man but the high priest himself enters.

"Tithe or You're Dead" - A Satire Piece on Steve Gaines' Sermon Comparing Non-Tithers to Ananias and Sapphira

2012-05-15T23:37:00.000-04:00

Below is a satire post by Matt Mundke at the "Steam Tunnel Pilot" blog that was posted today. It points to the absolute absurdity of Steve Gaines' March 2012 sermon in which he claims non-tithers might be killed by God, claiming "everytime a Christian refuses to tithe, they are just like Ananias and Sapphira".

I asked the blog owners for permission to post it on my blog in its entirety, and I heard back from Sergius Martin-george via email giving me his blessing to post all of it, graphics included! Thank you, Sergius!

Readers, don't miss the last paragraph - Matt quotes yours truly from my March 14, 2012 blog post - go to my blog post to see for yourself Steve Gaines in action, telling Christians they might be killed by God if they don't tithe.

Be sure to add the "Steam Tunnel Pilot" to your Google reader or Favorites list!

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Tithe or You're Dead

Though evangelicals generally eschew the euphemistic notion of a departed believer “spinning in his grave,” it’s hard not to imagine the posthumous subterranean pirouettes currently being executed by one Adrian Pierce Rogers, who went to his reward in 2005. The twice-elected president of the Southern Baptist convention, known to most American evangelicals through his TV and radio ministries, served as senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in suburban Memphis, Tennessee, for more than three decades. And while he was no stranger to theological controversy, Pastor Rogers has been spectacularly eclipsed in that department by his successor, 54-year-old Steve Gaines, whose latest pronouncement on Christian giving has raised a few eyebrows—though apparently, not nearly enough.

Pastor Steve Gaines of Bellevue Baptist Church
may need to call another press conference to explain
why his parishioners have been dropping dead

During Bellevue’s annual “Prove the Tithe Sunday” service, Pastor Gaines preached from Acts 5, a text containing one of the most dramatic incidents of the New Testament church: the judgment and sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. In a feat of eisegesis worthy of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, however, Steve Gaines, who holds a Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, declared this passage to be about tithing:

“As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell on the floor dead. God killed him....Every time a Christian refuses to tithe, they're just like Ananias and Sapphira. They're lying to God and they're stealing from God. If God treated us this morning in this room like He treated them in that day, how many people would be wrapped up in blankets and taken out the back door [dead]. Think about it. Think about it.”

Thus, completing a sermon series called “Live Life,” Gaines placed the emphasis on sudden death. It was only the beginning.

NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, posing under the
famous crosses overlooking Interstate 40 on
the campus of Bellevue Baptist Church.

Gaines made these comments on February, 5 but like the Trayvon Martin case, a very long incubation period has preceded their media saturation. Two factors are responsible for bringing this situation to the fore: attention from Christian bloggers such as Tom Rich of FBCJax Watchdog; and the fact that dozens of Gaines’s parishioners have been dropping dead.

In his February sermon, Gaines graciously exempted visitors from tithing that day, all of whom left the church service alive. But in the ensuing months, 108 of Bellevue’s 30,000 members have been considerably less fortunate. More than half of those have died on the premises. Post-mortem investigations by forensic accountants have demonstrated that nearly all of the deceased failed to contribute a minimum of 10 percent of their yearly gross income to the church.

In recent weeks, vehicles from Kingdom
Ushers Funeral Services have taken Tim
Tebow's place

“Having people drop dead during the service can be distracting,” said Gaines in a rare interview. “But on the plus side, it’s gotten folks really excited about tithing!” Gaines reported that the first few weeks after Prove the Tithe Sunday were the most difficult, with 27 deaths occuring during the February 12 service. “Our ushering crew really had a tough time. The men in Acts 5 who carried out Ananias and Sapphira really knew what they were doing,” he said. “But you’re only talking about two people. What do you when dozens of people go down—during a service? It can be very unruly.”

Help came from a very unlikely source, however, when the Benny Hinn Evangelistic Association offered the services of trained, professional “catchers,” those men you see during healing crusades whose responsibility it is to stand behind those “slain in the Spirit” by Benny Hinn, and catch them. Brother Hinn flew a team of twenty catchers to Memphis free of charge in order to conduct training sessions on catching and “striking” felled believers from the premises.

“It’s a little more challenging with the dead weight—if you’ll excuse that expression,” said Marty Nystrom, head usher at Bellevue. But the Benny Hinn guys have been great. They’ve been doing this for a long time and they really know what they’re doing.”

The death wave has proved a boon to local Funeral Home directors, most notably Les Apt, 57, of nearby Garden Meadows, Tennessee. The church has placed Apt on a retainer, a rare luxury in the undertaking industry. In fact, so many parishioners have been dropping dead that the arrangement has become a “win-win” for all involved. A fleet of hearses sits outside the church during all services, a commission which has enabled Apt to found a spin-off business, “Kingdom Ushers,” which is dedicated specifically to Bellevue’s departed non-tithers. It has also led to terrific discount rates for the families of the victims.

At first blush, the campus of Bellevue looks like
that of any other megachurch. A closer look at
the campus directory, however, reveals something
you don't see every day.

“I guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” Apt told us via Skype™. “And yes, if you’re wondering, I do tithe.” Apt reports that once Bellevue installed an on-site morgue (see photo), operations have become so efficient that he estimates they will soon be able to handle one hundred bodies in a single service, “Just in case.”

But while some are marveling over the glory of God’s righteous judgment and the Church’s efficient response, others are perplexed at Pastor Steve Gaines’s atrocious pastoral theology.

Funeral director Les Apt is making a killing off of non-
tithers. Graciously, though, he passes the savings
right on to their families.

“I believe Gaines knows full well what he is saying is a total fabrication and stretch of scripture,” writes Tom Rich of the FBCJax Watchdog blog. “No credible theologian teaches that there is a connection between the Old Testament tithe and the story of Acts 5. Most scholars interpret this story as a warning against hypocrites in the church who deceive people with phony piety, who present themselves to the church as being super-spiritual to gain the favor and applause of men. To extrapolate that occurrence to the modern church, and to connect Ananias’ and Sapphira’s death to believers today who don’t practice the law of tithing, is spiritual abuse perpetrated by Steve Gaines on the believers at Bellevue Baptist Church.”

Mother and Daughter Being Sued by Their Former Pastor - Pastor Claims He Was Told to Sue by John MacArthur's Church

2012-05-13T06:02:00.001-04:00

The man at left is Chuck O'Neal, pastor of Beaverton Grace Bible Church.

Why is Chuck's picture here on the Watchdog blog? Well, as reported by Portland TV station KATU, Chuck is suing one of his former church members.

What did this former church member, Julie Anne Smith, do in order to receive the wrath of Chuck and his lawyer? Well, Julie Anne started a blog about her church and her pastor to document the spiritual abuse that she says she endured at the hands of the good pastor and his church.

Chuck wants $500,000 in damages from Julie Anne, Julie Anne's daughter, and a few other blog commenters that have criticized Chuck for what Julie claims is spiritual abuse she has endured after being kicked out of Chuck's church.

No good pastor would sue a church member without invoking some sort of biblical justification, right? Chuck compares his situation to that of the Apostle Paul, who appealed to Caesar when he was accused of crimes. Read what Chuck posted on Julie Anne's review site explaining why he filed his defamation lawsuit:

"After seeking counsel from a pastor on staff with Grace Community Church (under Pastor John MacArthur) and reading him several excerpts from JulieAnne's endless defamation, he recommended that we FILE A LAWSUIT in an appeal to Caesar as the Apostle Paul did when falsely accused of crimes against God and the state."

Of course! Chuck justifies his lawsuit against Julie and her daughter by claiming he is only doing what the Apostle Paul did in Acts 25! Forget that Paul was being pursued by powerful religious leaders who wanted to kill him, and that Julie Anne is, well, a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom who is writing about her former church and pastor that she believes has spiritually abused her family and other families.

Chuck has it completely backwards. In this saga, he and his church represent the Jewish leaders seeking Paul's (Julie Anne's) head because they don't like what Julie Anne is saying, while Julie Anne is more like the Apostle Paul who is merely doing what her faith calls her to do: to call out and expose what she perceives to be a false teacher and a spiritual abuser. Chuck, you're the religious zealot who is trying to silence a Christian, Julie Anne is the Apostle Paul doing what Christ has commanded her to do.

Julie Anne says that when she and her family left the church, her friends were told to end all contact with her. Yep, good old-fashioned "church discipline" once again, perpetrated against the evil-doer who dares to criticize the pastor. Julie says in the KATU news report below:

"If I went to Costco or any place in town, if I ran into somebody, they would turn their heads and walk the other way....All we did was asked questions. We just raised concerns. There's no sin in that."

As Julie is finding out, just as I found out 3 1/2 years ago, in today's modern evangelical church one of THE biggest sins is asking questions and raising concerns in your church, especially if you do it in a way that is not approved by the holy men of God. And God help you if you publicly criticize your pastor; that will get you shown the exit faster than if you are an embezzler or child molester.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this case is Chuck "the Apostle Paul" O'Neal claiming that filing a defamation lawsuit was a course of action recommended to him by John MacArthur's church, Grace Community Church. I hope as the press continues to cover this story that they follow-up with John MacArthur. I don't believe for a second that John MacArthur or any of his staff members would stand by Chuck O'Neal's decision to sue a mother and her daughter. I hope Julie's lawyer raises this as an issue in Chuck's deposition and interrogatories, and finds out just who at Grace Community Church was advising Chuck, and I hope they depose that minister to find out if perhaps Chuck "the Apostle Paul" O'Neal defamed Julie in the process.

I think Chuck O'Neal is showing himself to be a coward here. Why on earth would O'Neal consult with John MacArthur's church in this matter? How could John MacArthur's church staff possibly know all of the facts of Julie's experience and her claims of spiritual abuse at the hands of Chuck and his church that she chronicles on her blog and at her Google review site? Does Chuck need the approval and blessing of John MacArthur to sue one of his members?

And lastly, let me just say this, and perhaps this will get me added to Chuck's defamation complaint filed with the court: Chuck O'Neal is a hypocrite. If you click here, you can read some of Chuck's complaint filed against Julie. Julie was merely expressing her views of Chuck and Beaverton Grace Bible Church; she is doing what she as a Christian is supposed to do. She is calling out what she believes to be a false teacher. In fact, Julie is just doing what Chuck himself does in his sermons. He calls out people by name who he thinks are false teachers and who are harming Christians.

If you go back and listen to one of Chuck's sermons entitled "Emergent Church Apostasy - Wolves in Our Midst" - Chuck goes after emergent church leaders Doug Pagitt, Brian Mclaron, and Rob Bell for their false teachings. Chuck says that Brian Mclaron "serves the devil", he claims all three men are "wolves in sheep's clothing", he calls them "false prophets", and says Rob Bell is a "dangerous man". It is a very scathing sermon and he attacks these men's motives and their character and their ministries. And no doubt Chuck will say that he is doing it because he is called by God to call out and expose what he perceives to be false teachers.

For Chuck to file a lawsuit against Julie Anne for criticizing religious leaders, while Chuck himself uses his pulpit to criticize harshly religious leaders, makes Chuck a hypocrite. And we know what Jesus thinks about religious hypocrites. Chuck, whether you like it or not, Julie Anne Smith is just as called of God as you are to expose what she believes to be false and harmful teachers.

Finally, Julie Anne, Happy Mother's Day to you, and thank you for not caving in to the pressure and cult tactics employed by your church, and for standing strong and daring to write about your experience at the hands of your church and pastor. The best thing you can do is to not be silent, to speak of what has been done to you and your family and to speak the truth even if your former pastor and church hate you for it.

You are doing God's work

Let's Love Our Wives, Daughters, and Granddaughters Enough to Examine the Wrong Teaching of "Male Authority" in Church

2012-05-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

Readers - for this Mother's Day weekend, below I am re-posting my article from last year on Mother's Day. Much has been written about the doctrine of "complementarianism" in the past 12 months at the Wartburg Watch, and I have learned so much from Dee and Deb's research on this doctrine that has solidified my own beliefs on what the bible teaches on women and their role in the church. Wade Burleson also has written some very helpful articles on the biblical role of the equality of women.

My blog over the past 4 1/2 years really has been sharing my journey of my eyes being opened to the reality of what is going on in institutional churches in America. It started with my church and my new pastor at the time as I was having my eyes opened - but after a year or so I began to realize concerns I had at my church were really larger, more far-reaching systemic problems in modern evangelicalism.

This journey of my blog has been in some ways an attempt to get other people to realize that they should stop believing doctrines and teachings simply because a preacher has been preaching it, or because a cackle of preachers in their convention all sing the same tune.

One of those doctrines is the doctrine of "male authority" in Christianity. The idea that the Paul's writings in 1 Timothy must be interpreted in the most narrow sense preventing women from being able to fully and equally function in the church is seriously flawed. But it is a doctrine that "good Christians" in the SBC must abide by, else they are subject to being excommunicated. It is taught in the SBC churches and seminaries with such force and certainty, that church members just accept it as "truth". It is not biblical truth, it is biblical error, and error that has caused and will continue to cause great harm to our churches and to our women.

So I ask readers again this Mother's Day: as a gift to your wives, mothers, daughters, nieces, and granddaughters - just at least consider the idea that you might believe wrongly and that you may have been taught wrongly in this area. Dare to expose yourself to the ideas of men like Wade Burleson and Jon Zens, and women like Dee and Deb of the Wartburg Watch.

Here is my article from last year that has some helpful links.

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Happy Mother's Day to all of you WD-reading Mothers! I hope your day is filled with love and joy!

I want to take this Mother's Day as an opportunity to encourage all men who read this blog - for the good of your mothers, wives, daughters, and granddaughters - to consider that you just might be wrong about what the scriptures say about women and their subordinate role they must play in the church.

I know that the prevailing thought based on scriptures such as 1 Timothy 2 and the account of the fall in Genesis 3 is that women should be subservient to men, and that men should have authority over women, and that women are forbidden from teaching men, or holding certain offices in church.

I know, because I was taught that in Southern Baptist Churches my entire Christian life. I've been taught it by people in my family and by my baptist pastors for over two decades. It was when I heard of the firing of Dr. Sheri Klouda by Paige Patterson that I first considered that perhaps this doctrine that led to this tragic action taken by Patterson was wrong. I read a good portion of Patterson's deposition in the Klouda case a couple of years ago, and the absurdity of statements made by Patterson under questioning of Klouda's lawyer, Gary Richardson, further led me to believe that this doctrine of male authority in the church is counter to scripture and the will of God and required my further investigation.

And I have to say one of the turning points that caused me to dig even deeper, is last year when I came across Ergun Caner's "joke" at the 2007 Ohio Free Will Baptists Men's Retreat when he said that he believed women should be behind the pulpit...how else could they get back there to vacuum....and his jokes about "mutant granddaughters" barking like dogs. It made me sick that this sort of thing came from one of the most popular baptist preaching-circuit personalities.

So after much reading and research I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong, that in fact the bible does NOT teach that God's plan is for men to have authority over women, and that the Bible does NOT teach women are exempted from having leadership positions over men in the church. I may explore this topic in future posts as to the particular arguments for what I believe, but I want to in this post simply implore men to consider an alternative view by a conservative teacher that can be trusted in this area. His name is Jon Zens.

Jon Zens is a preacher and author that has spoken around the world, but mostly outside the institutional church which is why many Southern Baptists have not heard of him. He is a pastor of a church, but does not draw a salary. He has taught and lived out for years a different model of pastor, not of a pastor having authority over people, but of serving and being amongst the congregation as a servant. You can read Jon's bio here. Jon is a good friend of author Frank Viola ("Pagan Christianity"), and also of Cal Thomas who uses Jon as a reviewer and editor of his work. Jon and his wife Dottie are sweet Christians who in recent years have been involved in traveling to the Philippines to help women and children get out of the sex-slave trade.

I had the privilege of meeting Jon for lunch last September (2010) when he was in Jacksonville to do some teaching at a home church group here in Jacksonville, after which he traveled down to Gainesville to meet his friend Frank Viola and minister in that city. We talked over lunch about my family's experience at First Baptist, the journey I have traveled through my blog, and my views on tithing which Jon has written about for quite some time. Jon graciously shared with me a bag full of books and other materials related to topics I was writing about on my blog that he had written about.

What I would recommend for men (and women!) who are willing to just possibly consider they have been taught wrongly what the bible say about women is to listen to Jon Zens' 8-part teaching series he delivered at Wade Burleson's church last September. Click here to go to Emmanuel Baptist Church's video archive, and scroll down to September 2010 to see this teaching series. Also, Jon has written a book entitled "What's With Paul and Women", and another one out this year entitled "No Will of My Own - How Patriarchy Smothers Female Dignity and Personhood". Read Wade Burleson's forward to this latest book here at Wade's blog.

Let me give you a quote from Wade Burleson's foreward he wrote for Jon's book "What's With Paul and Women":

"The viper known as 'the doctrine of male authority' has bitten the church. the toxin emitted by this errant teaching affects the females within our assemblies. It debilitates their God-given gifts, denigrates their Spirit-led ministry, and downplays their role as new Covenant priests. Those of us who have seen the church bitten need assistance, and help has arrived. This book will help you suck out the venom of male-only authority within the church. It will do so by helping you be able to articulate Jesus' view of the equality of women and then revealing for you how Paul's words in 1 Timothy 2 are consistent with Jesus' own teaching and ministry. You will be able to point out to others how the modern institutional church has misconstrued and misinterpreted Paul's writings on the subject, while at the same time ignoring Jesus' words and life on the same subject."

So I hope this Mother's Day you will commit to at least consider the possibility that you have learned wrongly what the Bible says about women, and do further investigation starting with Jon Zens' bible teachings in this area. I believe this is so very, very important. I believe this wrong teaching that has infected our churches for so long is why we are reading about so much sexual abuse and cover-ups in our churches as Christa Brown has chronicled for years. I also firmly believe that the absence of women from any serious positions of leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention or in our churches is why there is no movement at all toward reaching out at a denominational level to victims of pastoral abuse or establishing a database of credibly accused ministers to keep predator pastors from freely moving from church to church. Many of the problems we see in the SBC, I believe, are related to having women on the outside of the leadership circle.

So Happy Mother's Day...and please, men....as a gift to the women in your life, be open to what God might speak to you in this important area.

Charles Stanley's Advice to Christian Wife Whose Hubby Won't Tithe: Read Him Malachi 3, Assume He is Living in Sin

2012-05-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more painful to watch than a TV preacher actually attempt to take one of their false doctrines and try to apply it to an everyday life situation. It is then that often the absurdity of their teaching becomes most visible and real - and you can see their real motives in teaching nonsensical doctrines.

In the video below Charles Stanley takes an email question from "Yvonne", who asks what should be done when a spouse believes the family should tithe, but the other spouse does not.

Stanley starts off by helping Yvonne see she needs to diagnose the deeper spiritual problem that her mate has for not wanting to tithe:

"Here is what I've discovered. If a person is living in sin, they don't want to tithe. If a person is, for example, being unfaithful to them, they don't want to tithe. If a person is just selfish, normally they don't want to tithe. If a person does not really and truly trust God they don't want to tithe. You can just go right down the list of the reasons people do not want to tithe."

Here's what I've discovered: pastors give terrible financial advice, and divorced pastors like Stanley give terrible marital advice involving finances. Charles Stanley puts forth the idea that Yvonne's non-tithing hubby is "living in sin". In fact he puts forth the idea that he might be an unfaithful spouse, maybe he's an adulterer. Or maybe Yvonne's husband might actually just not be a true Christian at all. Nice marital advice there for a Christian wife, Chuck.

In Charles Stanley's world, it is not even remotely possible that a family might not be able to afford to tithe. It is not possible for a family to be generous at some other level of giving or to be giving to some other cause. Maybe a family should give NOTHING to their church, because they need the help of the church!

Until modern day Christians wake up and realize that they have been taught a completely skewed view of what "church" is, charlatans will continue preying on people to get them to fork over large sums of money to support their "ministries". If you haven't already, go to the Wartburg Watch's e-church service for May 6th to listen to Wade Burleson's sermon on what "church" is and what it is not.

You just have to chuckle when Chuck delivers this zinger; it sounds like a line from a Saturday Night Live skit parodying pastors who insist on their followers giving 10% of their income:

"And often times it [not-tithing] is pure unbelief. They just cannot fathom how you can take 1/10th out of their income and still buy as much, purchase as much, do as much, with 9/10ths. But that's the awesome miracle of God."

Perhaps Obama needs to try this. Maybe if Obama would push the idea of a new tithe tax, this would finally convince evangelicals that Obama is indeed a Christian and not a Muslim. Who but a true, bonafide evangelical would dare to preach that God requires a tithe? Obama needs to take a page from the playbook of conservative evangelical storehouse tithing preachers, and start preaching that people are obligated to give just 10% more to the government, that God will bless them, and they will still be able to "buy as much, purchase as much, as with 9/10ths - it is a miracle of God." After all, the tithe in the Old Testament was a tax - so why not institute a new "tithe tax" here in the U.S.?

Finally, if there really was an "Yvonne" who sent this email to Charles Stanley, here is Watchdog's message to you: I am sorry that this man who is one of the most respected Baptist bible teachers in the world, couldn't give you an honest answer to your question. But your mistake was asking Charles Stanley anything about your finances, or anything related to marriage. Here is the answer you needed to hear; it is biblical, and it is honest, and it is obvious:

"Yvonne, a husband and wife should decide between themselves what they are to do with their money. Don't let the doctrine you've been taught in church known as the "storehouse tithe" cause even an ounce, not one single millisecond of friction in your marriage. That a supposed "man of God" would give you advice contrary to scripture that might cause you strife and conflict in your marriage is beyond belief.

There is no prescribed percentage that your family needs to give to a church or any religious organization in order to receive God's blessing. That idea is pure poppycock. It is legalism. It is greed on the part of the pastor and religious holy men who have taught this idea in order to maximize revenue for their religious organizations.

Listen to what your husband says. His not wanting to give 10% to your church is very likely NOT because he is living in sin or an indication he is not a Christian. To the contrary he is probably trying to be a wise steward of your family's finances - his primary job as a Christian husband is to provide for you and the children and for your futures. It is not to fork over large sums of your family's finances to support a 501(c)3 religious organization. Your husband has wisdom. Listen to him and his reasoning.

The New Testament is clear: every person (and family or couple) should determine in their heart what to give. And this applies to you and your husband. The two of you should decide what to give, and where to give. Put your family first. Meet the needs of your children, put money away for their future and their education. Support your church financially, yes, but don't let anyone guilt you or scare you into thinking it must be a certain percentage else you and your kids are cursed by God. The process used in determining what you and your husband give to your church or to any worthwhile cause that you choose, should be one of joy and thanksgiving. It is preachers like Charles Stanley that are trying to put a burden on you and your husband. Don't let them."

Beware of Pastors and Churches Who Threaten You With Death For Daring to Oppose Them or Their Ministry Visions

2012-05-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

In the very early days of this blog, I received an email from a fellow church member who in so many words said that I was in danger of dying of a heart attack for daring to blog about my church and pastor, and that I should immediately shut down my blog. As I recall, the person based their warning on another person they knew who had died suddenly after opposing or speaking against a pastor.

Since that time, the man who sent me that email has apologized, and I think he too has left our former church. I don't know if he still believes a blogger like myself might be struck dead by God at any moment for their disobedience - but in the 5 years since receiving that email I have noticed a trend in "men of God" and their followers in proclaiming holy death warnings on those who oppose a man of God, or those who dare to stand in opposition to a ministry vision of the man of God, or even those who don't deliver 10% of their gross income to the church offering plates.

We saw Steve Gaines do this just recently, misusing scripture by insinuating that the fate of Ananias and Saphira described in Acts 5 might befall members of Bellevue Baptist Church who don't tithe. I've heard ministers here in my own city stand in the pulpit and insinuate that church members who don't support the pastor's expansion plans might have to soon be buried. These warnings often go something like this: "I knew some men who dared to oppose me [or my vision or my church or my TV station], and I buried them soon after. You can interpret that anyway you like..."

Below is a classic example: Paul Crouch issues a death warning to those who might bring harm to Trinity Broadcasting Network. Crouch and his son in the video below call TBN "God's plan and purpose" and anyone who might "get in the way" may suffer an untimely death. Crouch says "I've attended the funeral of at least two people who have tried [to harm TBN]."

Readers, beware of pastors who try scare tactics couched in scripture and claims of spiritual authority. Actually when a pastor tries this, you know they really are not a "pastor" but a charleton. This is spiritual abuse, plain and simple. David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen in their excellent book "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse", point out these "scare tactics" as evidence of misplaced loyalty that abusive religious systems will demand from their members. Johnson and Van Vonderen devote an entire chapter to how scripture is misused to abuse people in the church. They start out quoting Titus 1:9-11:

"Hold fast the faithful word...for there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain." (Titus 1:9-11)

Johnson and Van Vonderen describe this sort of abusive leader:

"Instead of using the Word as a sword to pierce through to the thoughts and motives of their own hearts, many spiritual leaders have used it as a stick to drive others, for a variety of reasons: to keep others from holding them accountable; to protect their image; to keep funds coming in; to build religious kingdoms in order to bolster their own spiritual self-esteem. In other words, it's possible that some leaders teach the Word for personal gain, not to heal and to free."

So readers, beware when your pastor tries the scare tactics to gain support for their ministry vision - whether it be for starting a new satellite church, or a new vision for the church, or for a building program - by declaring that their vision is directly from God, and that it is God's own vision that members are obligated to support.

And if your minister points to some experience in the past where they performed the funerals of church members who opposed their ministry vision - run for the exits while you hold on to your wallet. If your pastor portrays himself as a God-appointed prophet sent to deliver you from your spiritual ignorance, take that as a sign that God wants to "deliver you" by moving you to another church.

Find a church where the pastor and staff are humble and where they respect the priesthood of the believer and congregational rule in determining God's will for the church. These churches and ministers are out there, but you have to look hard and be discerning.

When you find one, you will wonder what took you so long to break free from the mega church, rock star-preacher mentality.

Standing Up to the Fundamentalist Bullies - Social Media Has Evened the Field - A Few Thoughts for Chris Peterman from the Watchdog

2012-04-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

Readers, here is another post on the Chris Peterman, Bob Jones University, Chuck Phelps story. The old FBC Jax Watchdog - who has been through a few dog fights himself - has a few things to say to Chris, and about how social media has helped expose the tactics of the fundamentalist bullies - and about how it has leveled the playing field.

- I know this entire episode has to be incredibly painful, Chris. Not only did you not get your degree, not only do you have to figure out now where to go that you have been kicked out of your college, but you likely now are coming to grips now with how ugly religious fundamentalism actually is. I don't know your circumstances, Chris, but perhaps you were a religious fundamentalist and now are coming to grips that you WERE part of that system that through your recent circumstances you are beginning to understand how ugly and anti-Christian it actually is. A person who incurs the wrath and the lies and the scorn from powerful religious leaders that he/she once trusted - simply because they stood for what they believed was right and wouldn't shut up - causes a myriad of conflicting emotions that takes years to process. I know. The good news is there is incredible freedom at the end of the process.

- But do get ready, Chris, for the lies. I'm sure you've experienced it already since this story broke 5 months ago. You know, the whispers. The accusations that powerful religious men will make about you and your family and friends, comments that their underlings will take and repeat to others about you. People who you thought were your friends who won't call you, or who avoid making eye contact at the store. You might even have religious relatives in your own family that will tell you that you were wrong and should have shut up. Some will accuse you of hurting the cause of Christ and hampering BJU's ability to do God's work. Nope. You are helping the cause of Christ, you are doing the will of God, and you are actually doing BJU a huge favor but those in power right now can't see that. But know that you did the right thing, the Christian thing, and hold your head up high.

- People will say you got what you deserved. I've heard that for years. This is part of the zaniness of religious fundamentalism: the pronouncements by the pious holy men that the lowly abused somehow get what they had coming to them - you know, that God is sovereign so just take your lumps like a good soldier. In fact, how ironic is it that people on my blog and elsewhere are saying that you deserved this abuse from BJU, when part of your protest over Chuck Phelps being put on the BJU board was how as pastor he made Tina Anderson feel that she was somehow to blame for being raped. This is how the twisted minds of religious zealots operate: Tina was made to feel that she was to blame for her abuse, and now you are made to feel that you are to blame for the abuse perpetrated by BJU. This is religious fundamentalism at its worse: damn the individual who is abused if it means protection for the religious leaders and the religious institution.

- You are the enemy now, Chris, of the powerful religious zealots at BJU and those that love BJU, so there is probably more dirt and mud coming your way. You have helped to expose what has been there all along at BJU, and you have and will continue to incur their wrath. There likely will be no true reconciliation in the matter, as religious zealots can't compromise with the devil, and you, in their eyes, are forever the devil. And the zealots must defeat the devil.

- But the good news for you, Chris: your struggle has done much good for Christianity and will continue to do so. Stick with it, Chris. Keep shining the light. Sometimes just enduring the scorn of religious zealots, and then daring to turn the tables on the zealots by using social media to expose their abuses and lies in REAL TIME is the best response to stop the abuses in the future.

- Chris, I hope you have sought out legal advice, and that if you believe you have been wronged, or that your rights have been violated by these zealots, that you will fully consider your legal options and see it through. Oh, they won't like it, and BJU supporters will say you are "lawyering up" and claim you are out to make money. But make no mistake, the pious and religious men you're dealing with understand two things: money and power. BJU did what they did because they believed you were the little guy, someone with no power at all. And you were only the next in line of a long list of people who they have successfully bullied. They thought they could bring you harm with little or no ramifications, because they've done it before. You were a pest they thought they could just brush aside, a coward that if a little pressure were applied to, would cave in to their demands. But the beauty of our legal system is that the little guy like yourself, with little money and almost no power at all in their eyes, can stand toe-to-toe with the powerful and hold the powerful accountable if you have a lawyer standing with you who believes in you.

Lastly: how sweet is the irony that they viewed you, Chris, as someone they could bully, someone with no power or voice - yet it is precisely their own actions that has helped give you the voice that you now have on these issues. This is one of the amazing aspects of social media. For so long the bullies just squished whoever they wanted. Consider what started this entire fiasco fifteen years ago. When Chuck Phelps at Trinity Baptist made Tina Anderson confess to her "sin" of being raped and then shipped her out of state, while the perpetrator was protected - the zealots got what they wanted: the pastor and the religious institution was spared the embarrassment of scandal and police involvement.

But fifteen years had to pass until the technology would be available to set things in motion for justice to be served.

You see, when Tina was made to stand and apologize for being raped, there was no Twitter, there was no YouTube or "blogs" or Facebook. What prompted Tina to come forward more than a decade later to seek justice was information shared in an online discussion group! Then, when Tina's story came to light, blogs like this one and Christa Brown picked up on it, and people knew about it, and you found out about it and decided to stand against Chuck Phelps being placed on the board at your college.

Social media helped bring about justice in Tina Anderson's case, and it is social media helping to expose the actions BJU has taken to harm you for you standing against the pastor involved in Tina Anderson's case.

So Chris, I hope you continue to use social media to tell your story, whatever the next chapters might be. When you do it, you will be doing God's will in taking a stand against the abusive religious leaders of your day....just as Jesus did.

Bob Jones University Student Receives Demerits for Watching "Glee" - Retaliation for Speaking "Against My Authority"

2012-04-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Readers - I don't ordinarily make two posts in one day, but wanted to get this video up on my blog this morning. [Don't overlook my post below on WFAA and Brett Shipp and Ed Young].

Below is a 10-minute video of Christopher Peterman, senior at Bob Jones University, telling how just days before he was to graduate he was expelled from school.

This video, and the events leading up to it at Bob Jones University, demonstrate just how powerful a force social media, including blogs and Facebook and YouTube, have become in exposing fundamentalist abuse and just plain old nonsensical actions of religious leaders of our day.

Chris Peterman is a hero. He has been kicked out of school days before graduation for daring to speak against his "leadership" and calling on them to do the right thing.

Chris is the student who started the Facebook page "DoRightBJU" late in 2011 in response to pastor Chuck Phelps being nominated for the board of trustees at Bob Jones University. Who is Chuck Phelps? He was the pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Concorde, New Hamphsire when Tina Anderson was raped by a member of the church. Read about it on the Watchdog here, here, here, and here.

The interviewer asks Chris how the BJU responded to Chris when he came back to school for the current semester after all the media exposure over the holidays regarding Chuck Phelps and Chris' public statements against Phelps as a trustee:

Chris: "When I cam back, I began having weekly meetings with the Dean of Men, I was required to attend these meetings."

Interviewer: "What was their reason?"

Chris: "That I needed spiritual help because I was not a good Christian. I had talked against my authority and I had brought shame to Bob Jones."

Interviewer: "What were they wanting to accomplish with these meetings?"

Chris: "They were hoping to accomplish a change in me. They wanted me to become exactly like them and to not speak out and to not have a voice. They wanted me to have their beliefs."

Chris goes on to explain how BJU put a resident assistant in his dorm to monitor his every action. He received demerits for watching the TV show Glee because of its "morally reprehensible" content.

Chris was called into a final meeting with the "Dean of Men", and while they deliberated the fate of Chris' appeal, Chris decided to contact several news agencies and the Department of Education and the national accrediting agency for BJU.

While BJU thinks they are doing the will of God, the very work of Jesus in taking these actions against Chris, they don't even realize the mockery of their own faith that they are producing.

Below is a quote from Bob Felton's "Civil Commotion" website on this matter of Chris being expelled in part for watching Glee. - Bob is a skeptic of the Christian faith who regularly comments on nonsense he sees in churches that confirms his distaste for organized religion:

"I’m not kidding y’all: You really can’t make up how stupid and vicious fundamentalists actually are. They look just like everybody else, and are usually well-groomed and -mannered — but they are not part of the decent, educated world."

This is why powerful Christian leaders today can't stand blogs and other social media - it exposes to the people they are trying to market - er, I mean reach for Jesus - of how nutty they can be. Sure, they love to use social media to promote themselves and their churches and their personal brands, but when it is used to express dissent and to criticize their ministries, they try to use their power to punish those who speak out.

Thank you, Chris, for standing strong. You stood for right in the Chuck Phelps matter, and when they tried to bully you and silence you, you didn't back down. I'm sure you have a bright future, and consider it a blessing that BJU decided not to grant you a degree.

H/T: Bob Felton and Jeri Massey

Brett Shipp and WFAA Expose Abuse at Waco Church - And Watchdog's View of Shipp's Work Versus Ed Young's View

2012-04-27T05:10:00.000-04:00

Brett Shipp of WFAA in Dallas has spent months investigating a church compound just outside of Waco, TX, known as "Homestead Heritage". He has documented the physical and sexual abuse of people at the church, including the sexual abuse of children that was not reported to authorities in a timely manner as required by law. Last night the first of a two-part series on Heritage aired on WFAA:

As you watch this video, you will see the common threads that are observed over and over again in abusive Christian environments: authoritarian pastors and church leaders who tell their church members that they are appointed and anointed as messengers from God, church covenants prohibiting believers from having disputes settled outside of the church, labeling of church members who challenge leaders as being bitter, and a failure to adequately protect children and putting the concern of adult male members as being a primary concern.

Readers, as you watch this video, look for similar abusive traits in your own church. Does your church display these traits, or have a history of any of these traits? If they have had abuse problems in the past, have adequate corrective steps been taken AND has the church leadership been open and honest with members about past problems and explained the steps taken to correct it? Or do the current church leaders deny or downplay the severity of the past problems?

An expose like this is not just important in warning others about that particular abusive system in the story. It is important to getting people to awaken to the possibility that they're current church might be capable of the same acts. Brett makes the point early in the video that Homestead Heritage portrays itself as a bastion of old-fashioned, wholesome values, while behind the scenes they are actually worse than the outside world they rail against. Church members beware - especially if you are part of a church system that has had an authoritarian leader in the past and where sexual sins have been covered up in the past yet leaders to this day are still denying or downplaying the severity of past sins.We have several of these kinds of churches right here in Jacksonville, Florida that have been featured on this blog.

Lastly, I want to say a word about Brett Shipp and WFAA. This expose reminds me so much of the work that Jeannie Blaylock of WTLV-Jacksonville did back in 2005 and 2006 in exposing the deeds of Bob Gray and the cover-up at Trinity Baptist Church here in Jacksonville. It takes guts for reporters and news agencies to tear off the pious masks of churches in their own communities and expose the ugliness of churches and pastors that are revered by the faithful. Today it is mostly up to bloggers like the Wartburg Watch and Christa Brown who are shining a bright spotlight on abusive pastors and church systems, but Brett Shipp is one member of the media who is not afraid to do the dirty work in Christianity.

Brett Shipp is the most courageous news reporter I know in this regard. He and WFAA were not afraid of taking on Ed Young and Fellowship Church to expose the lavish spending and fund raising tactics of Ed Young. Brett even dared to do an expose on Ergun Caner last year when Caner moved to Arlington Baptist College from Liberty University. Brett's piece on the "Caner Mystique" as he called it, was absolutely the finest work done by a prominent news outlet in concisely showing the truth about Ergun Caner's decade of deception.

Sadly, while Brett is doing God's work in exposing the ugliness in modern Christianity, there are those people like Ed Young who actually portray WFAA and Brett Shipp as being "haters", as trying to thwart the work of God and being anti-church. In a recent video posted by Ed Young, Young blasted WFAA by saying the following:

"When you're doing great, people hate...there's always some [in the news media] who are negative. And I think about WFAA - a station here in Dallas that CONTINUES to attack the local church, and CONTINUES to be negative...WFAA continues to exaggerate, to falsify, to deal in fiction rather than fact....it's time for the church to stand and say 'you know what, we're not going to take it anymore, you guys aren't telling the truth'.."

Sorry, Ed. You can rail all you want against WFAA, but they are doing God's work in exposing corruption and abuse in the modern church. How ironic that Young claims WFAA deals in "fiction rather than fact" when Young is the one who stands up and misuses scripture to get people to fork over 10% of their income to his church. Shipp deals with facts and eyewitness accounts to warn people of abusive churches - while Young deals with fiction and fairy tales to get people to fork over large sums of money.

Way to go Brett Shipp and WFAA. Keep standing for the truth, keep doing the work of God even in the face of angry, bitter pastors who can't stand to have a light shone on their church and ministries.

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." Eph 4:25

Ed Young Warns of the Heretical "Poverty Vibe" in Christianity - While Mary Ann the Camel Takes a Big Ol' Dump Right on Cue

2012-04-23T02:00:00.000-04:00

Ed Young rides in on camel for 4/22/12 sermon.

God definitely has a sense of humor. This Sunday Ed Young started his sermon by riding in on the animal prop of the day, Mary Ann the Camel. But Mary Ann the Camel stole the show, taking a big ol' dump on the stage at the precise moment that Ed himself was using the Bible to justify his own wealth, and mock poverty and sacrifice.

Way to go, Mary Ann! You have given us all a fitting visual image of what happens most Sundays when Ed Young teaches on finances; poop comes forth and is strewn all over the Fellowship Church stage.


Camel lifts tail, takes dump at 11:59 mark.

At the moment Mary Ann the Camel let loose of her bowels, at the 11:59 mark of the video below, Ed was mocking what he called the "poverty vibe" in modern Christianity. Here is what Ed was saying as Mary Ann defecated on cue:

"God's blessed us, we hold it [money] loosely, he's going to give us more and more and more. We have it tightly grasped, we're not going to have as much.

There's a whole vibe out there these days in Christianity, it's been around for a long, long time. It goes back to the Catholic Church, it goes back to self-deprecation [cue Mary Ann the Camel, now taking a big ole dump], there's this whole 'poverty vibe' out there. A lot of books have been written about it, it sounds so sexy and cool and biblical. Fact: they're not biblical. Fact: they're heretical. No where in the Bible does it tell me as a follower of Christ I'm to take an oath to poverty. Where's that in the Bible? Where's that in the Bible that I should feel guilty if I'm blessed of God? You cannot make that argument. Think about the patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith, many of these men and women were LOADED financially."

What is he talking about? A "poverty vibe" in Christianity? Who out there is calling for vows of poverty in modern Christianity? No, the only "poverty vibe" out there is the vibe from mega church pastors misusing scripture to guilt even the very poorest of Christians into forking over 1/10th of their income to the church which pays the pastor a six-figure salary. No one is calling for vows of poverty - although some recalcitrant bloggers are calling for a little transparency on how the money is spent in churches like Ed's, and for mega church preachers to stop using their churches as ATM's and marketing machines for their own personal brands.

In my view Ed's jab at a "poverty vibe" and "books" written about it, is Ed taking a shot at David Platt's views in the book "Radical", and perhaps even Francis Chan's recent lifestyle conversion. Platt is troubled by the materialism of most Christians while the gospel is not going forth to the nations and while many people are starving.

I suppose for Ed Young to disavow his own materialism and live a more modest lifestyle closer to that of the average pew sitter - for him that would be taking a vow of poverty, relatively speaking.

Ed asks if he should be guilty if he is "blessed of God". Yes, Ed, you should, especially given your propensity to beat people up to give more and more money to your church as you did on October 10, 2010. You should feel guilty, Ed, about the lack of financial transparency at your church while you demand allegiance from your followers to the tune of 10% of their income.

At least this time Ed didn't pull the "get out your checkbook and give me your account and routing number" routine....but at the conclusion of the service Ed did give a text number for people who prayed to receive Jesus - or more importantly, who decided to start giving money to the church - should send a text message to.

So again, thank you, Mary Ann the Camel, for putting your dung right there on the stage to provide the stench that surely Ed's money sermons are to the nostrils of God.

Yes, God can use even a jackass to get his message across.

This time God used a camel to trump the jackass.

William Thornton: "Blogging When There is a Personal Cost"

2012-04-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

Readers - enjoying some down time from blogging this week, and thought as I rest a bit I would provide an article from William Thornton about myself and another blogger named David Montoya.

William Thornton is an SBC pastor, recently retired, who blogs as the "SBC Plodder". I became acquainted with William during the early days of my blogging when I was a regular reader of the Baptist Life forums, where William moderated the SBC News and Trends forum at Baptist Life. In the early days of my blogging, it was at the BL Forums, along with the New BBC Open Forum blog and Wade Burleson's blog, where I for the first time saw Christians engaging in honest discussions of problems in the SBC and evangelicalism.

I enjoy William's blog and recommend it to my readers. William is a conservative, but he doesn't worry about parroting the CR party-line on SBC matters. Behind Wade, William is my favorite SBC-pastor blogger.

I will resume my regular schedule of posting very soon, with an important announcement just around the corner. As I move beyond the legal battles of the last three years, I have quite a bit more to share of my experiences that will be of great interest to my readers. The Watchdog will be joining forces with another prominent SBC blogger, helping to ensure the FBC Jax Watchdog keeps going strong in being a watchdog of the powerful mega church pastors and their churches. Sorry, pastors, the FBC Jax Watchdog is about to go plural.

Below is William's article from his blog. He is right about the personal cost. I don't blog about that, but those close to me know the personal cost I and my family have paid in me not backing down when the screws were applied in 2008 and 2009. I am proud of what has been accomplished through this blog, and intend on it being an even greater force in the future.

Blogging When There is a Personal Cost, by William Thornton

There are hacker and plodder bloggers like me, folks who sometimes foolishly think everyone else might like to drink from their incredibly deep wells of wisdom, wit, and insight. Take these with a bit of skepticism and not always seriously.

Then there are a few bloggers who feel compelled to address what they see as genuine wrongs and serious issues in their churches or in denominational life and who do so at a considerable personal cost.

While I appreciate a number of others, I can only think of two whom I would classify as the latter: David Montoya and Tom Rich.

David Montoya is a pastor and is (or was) the Spiritual Samurai, an odd name for a Baptist blogger in Texas. I've written about him in the past. His ire and indignation over wrongs in the Baptist General Convention of Texas led to the open knowledge of an appalling scandal with BGCT missions money and also led to his being sued. He says he is quitting. I hope not.

David hasn't always been right about things and sometimes says things he has to retract but if not for him I doubt the BGCT valleygate scandal would have been uncovered. I'm not so sure that many SBCers in my lifetime have successfully brought to light such an important matter.

I admire him.

Tom Rich is a layman, the FBCJax Watchdog, one of the early church/pastor critic blogs and to date the most well-known of this genre.

Tom got stirred up by a pastor change at his church and some of the things associated with it and started blogging about it. As is well known, the church played hardball with him and his family, law enforcement got involved, lawsuits were filed and, only recently, finally settled.

I don't buy all of his stuff but his bull-doggedness probably changed the way high profile pastors (those with an ounce of sense which would be most but not all of them) look at some of their church critics. I admire him for not shutting up and going away when his former church ratcheted up the pressure on him.

Any yahoo can belt out their opinions on stuff but there are a few people who do so at considerable personal cost.

Richard Land Stereotypes Black Men As More Dangerous Than White Men...Speaking of Stereotypes....

2012-04-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

Richard Land, the head of the SBC "Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission", is speaking out on the Trayvon Martin case.

After Land takes on Obama, Jackson, and Sharpton, he then decides to let everyone know that a black men is "statistically more likely to do you harm than a white man."

If Land wants to talk about stereotypes of black men, then maybe we should turn the stereotype flashlight on Baptist preachers like himself.

- experts say that Baptist church goers are more at risk from clergy sexual misconduct than those at other denominations because of the lack of oversight at autonomous Baptist churches.

- The Journal of Pastoral Care reports that 14% of Southern Baptist senior pastors have engaged in "sexual behavior inappropriate for a minister".

- "Megachurches in particular can attract the 'charismatic, predator-type' minister who repeatedly takes advantage of the power he has over congregants, especially emotionally vulnerable women" (according to Steve Trull in this article). Can you say "Darrell Gilyard"?

- Darrell Gilyard, arguably the most notorious serial adulterer and sexual abusing pastor, did his damage at multiple Baptist churches. He attended a Baptist seminary. Prominent Southern Baptists were his mentors. Even after his release from prison, he is preaching at a Baptist church.

- Bob Gray at Trinity was 100% "Baptist". Those who covered up for his sins, and accused the victims and gave Bob Gray a standing ovation as he lied to the congregation - all 100% Baptist.

OK, Richard, so you say black men are more dangerous than white men.

Maybe we should say that a Baptist preacher-man is "statistically more likely to do you harm than a non-preacher-man."

How does it feel to have stereotypes cast on preachers?

Liberty University Tries to Bully Peter Lumpkins, Ed Young Lashes Out at WFAA for Criticizing His Animal Sermon Props

2012-04-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

I guess religious institutions and powerful preachers aren't learning their lessons very well.

They still think the best tactic to take against people who write or report what they don't like is to try to bully them, to scare them into silence so they won't write or report what they don't like.

This week Ed Young actually posted a video slamming TV station WFAA because they aired a story that was critical of Fellowship Church's use of live animals during Ed's current sermon series. Ed lashes out at WFAA as some sort of enemy of the gospel that is working to thwart the will of God, that must be overcome for God's name sake. Lighten up, Ed. You brought in a lion from California as a prop for your sermon. You're going to be criticized for that, and those who criticize you aren't of Satan.

Many of you have probably read how Liberty University is now trying to bully blogger Peter Lumpkins over his blog post claiming the LU trustees voted unanimously that Mark Driscoll is not welcomed at Liberty University despite his invitation to speak at LU chapel on April 20th. LU attorney David M. Correy fired off a "cease and desist" email (yes, an email) to Lumpkins demanding he take down his post, and they posted a statement on their blog to embarrass Lumpkins and refute his blog post.

Kudos to Lumpkins, as he did what any blogger should do when they try to share information and/or opinion to inform their readers, and they are bullied by a powerful institution that doesn't like what they write: BEGIN WRITING ABOUT THE BULLYING TACTICS. I did it in 2009 when a well-known preacher threatened me with a lawsuit because I referred to his shady land deal as a "shady land deal" because it was a shady land deal.

But I can't help but point out all the bullying that went on by Peter Lumpkins himself and the team of Ergun Caner supporters in 2010 against bloggers who were busy exposing the lies of Ergun Caner spoken from the pulpit for nine years. Lumpkins in particular was ruthless in his personal attacks against James White. How ironic is it that Lumpkins - a huge LU and Caner supporter in the past - is now being bullied by Liberty. What makes this even more interesting is that Lumpkins was not at all trying to embarrass the LU trustees with his Driscoll post- his post on the Driscoll visit was to commend them for voting correctly!

Lumpkins experience here reminds me of my post I put up last summer in which I wrote about a source, a Liberty University trustee, who claimed that Ergun Caner was forced out of his position as LU seminary president in 2010 when some trustees and faculty members said it was either Caner or them who had to leave, and the trustees decided it was Caner. LU apparently didn't like that I wrote this, and LU trustee Tim Lee came to my blog to say I had it all wrong. I still stand by my story, and if I were to tell you the name of the trustee who was my source, you'd fall on the floor laughing.

So go get 'em Peter. Stand your ground. Speak the truth. Don't let LU bully you. But I hope bloggers who might be supporting Driscoll and Liberty University in this matter won't be as ruthless as you were toward the bloggers who spoke the truth about Ergun Caner back in 2010.

Pat Robertson to Man Who Wants to Tithe But Wife Thinks They Can't Afford It: "Man Up" and "Big Man, You are the Boss"

2012-04-10T10:00:00.005-04:00

Pat Robertson on the 700 Club recently answered an email question from a man who expressed frustration over his wife's objection to him tithing their income. The man says that his wife doesn't see how they can tithe when they can't make ends meet at the house.

What does Pat tell this guy? "Man up" he says and "You know 'big man', you are the boss". Pat basically tells this guy that he needs to be a leader, the "high priest" of his home and tithe anyways. I wonder if as the "high priest" he is going to be doing any animal sacrifices in the fireplace this weekend.

Excellent example of why Churchianity is headed in a downward spiral. Pat does not address even the remote possibility that the wife is expressing wisdom to the husband. Perhaps her husband was in one of the many churches last year at which Robert Morris' spoke about the requirement to fork over 10% of their income to prevent the "devourer" from bringing harm to his family. Maybe he worships at Bellevue Baptist Church and hears Steve Gaines accuse him of being a thief, or that God might kill them if they don't tithe.

Or could it be this family needs help from the church, and actually cannot afford to give 10% of their income to their church. Maybe the wife is right and the husband is a Kool Aid drinker. Pat doesn't consider this a possibility - no, the Golden Rule is "everyone must tithe to your church".

In Pat's comments you see the merging of two teachings in the modern church that are abused over and over again: above all else families must tithe to their church, no exceptions, no questions asked....and the man is to exert his leadership and domination over his wife, that he must "man up" and be the "high priest" - without the thought that his wife might be expressing wisdom on a particular issue.

Wives, if your preacher starts telling your husband that he must fork over 10% or more to keep the devourer away, or your preacher accuses you and your husband of being thieves for failing to give 10%, perhaps it is time for YOU to take the spiritual leadership in your house and start looking for another church home.

Remind him that while there were "high priests" in the Old Testament, there were also female prophetesses. Let him know you are the prophetess of your house, and you are "womaning up".

And then lead your family in a bible study about Deborah, the Judge from the Old Testament. She is described in Judges 4:4-5 as a "leader" (over men and women), and she was a prophetess who judged disputes fairly.

Lifeway Introduces New Bible Translation, the RSTB: The Revised Storehouse Tithing Bible (RE-POST)

2012-04-05T08:30:00.000-04:00

In all the hullabaloo on April 1st, I feel somewhat slighted that events overshadowed my excellent April Fool's spoof post, so I am re-posting it again today.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, my spoof is not as cutting edge as I originally thought, as commenter "Mark" pointed out that there actually IS such a Bible here sold at Amazon; although it is on the topic of "stewardship" and not specifically storehouse tithing - but the groundwork has been laid for a follow-up Bible version on tithing!
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Today Lifeway is introducing a new bible translation to help preachers and churchmen teach the important first-fruits storehouse tithing doctrine to their church members.

The translation is called the "Revised Storehouse Tithing Bible", or RSTB for short.

"We have sought input from some of the best fundraising pastors in modern evangelicalism to provide this valuable resource to pastors as they teach the sheep the absolute necessity of forking over a minimum of 10% to their local church", said a Lifeway spokesman.

Contributors to the RSTB include Steve Gaines, Ed Young, Frank Page, and also John Hagee. Robert Morris, best-selling author of The Blessed Life and storehouse tithing teacher, was the editor of the project.

"Tapestry of Green" on Every Page of the Bible

Lifeway says the RSTB will help church members see that tithing really is a common theme found throughout the Bible.

"Just as the tapestry of red, Christ's redemption, is found throughout scripture pointing us to Jesus Christ, so on every page of the Bible we find the first-fruits storehouse tithing principle, the blessed 'tapestry of green', that points Christians to securing God's blessings and avoiding God's curses through giving the first 10% of our income", said one of the RSTB editors.

The RSTB has several unique features: it is color coded - verses having to do with storehouse tithing are highlighted in bright money-green. Also, unique tithing icons are used throughout, such as those highlighted verses that refer to Christians getting blessings for their tithe are marked in the margin with "$" symbols, while those that speak of God's curses for not tithing are marked with either an icon of a purse with holes in it or a devil's pitchfork.

To help Christians fully understand how important it is to tithe to avoid the wrath of God, the RSTB includes modern-day translations of verses dealing with first-fruits tithing principles that have been uncovered in scripture by the today's evangelical tithing experts.

For instance, when Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt 6:33, KJV)

has been translated with the help of Perry Noble to read:

"Tithe ye first to your storehouse, and money, clothes, and food shall be delivered unto you." (Matt 6:33, RSTB)

Another great example of interpreting Jesus' words in the context of modern day storehouse tithing doctrines, is Matthew 23:23:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matt 23:23, NIV)

which has been shortened through translation, with the help of Frank Page, to read:

"Woe to you, you non-tithing Christians, you hypocrites! I've paid for your sins and delivered you from hell, now PONY UP!!!" (Matt 23:23, RSTB)

Steve Gaines has been on the forefront of the storehouse tithing interpretation in the New Testament, and helped correctly interpret the Acts 5 account of Ananias and Sapphira. Some of the translated verses include:

"But a certain man, named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and did not tithe on it....and Peter said 'Why hast thou conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lived in a stolen house and driven a stolen car belonging to men, but thou hast sent thou offspring to school with the tithe belonging to God.'....and Ananias, hearing these words, and Sapphira with her stolen jewelry, fell down and gave up the ghost and the tithe." (Acts 5:1-5, RSTB)

Old Testament verses have been interpreted to aid Christians in seeing that the modern day church is the temple, and that their pastors are the modern day equivalent to the Old Testament priests.

For instance:

"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." (Lev 27:30, NIV)

is translated as:

"A tithe of everything in your paycheck, whether it be your salary from work, or the hourly pay at your second job, belongs to the church, it is holy to the church." (Lev 27:30, RSTB)

Lifeway acknowledges that the RSTB will have its critics, but that these are mostly recalcitrant bloggers who don't tithe anyways.

One such critic, FBC Jax Watchdog, says he offered the RSTB translation team a helpful modern day translation of Malachi 3, saying that it is the most misused verse in the bible on storehouse tithing.

"They weren't too interested in receiving a modern-day translation of Malachi 3 that reflects how God would apply it today to the church", said the Watchdog. "You see, what the storehouse tithing preachers don't want you to know is that the book of Malachi was directed at priests of Israel and the sons of Levi. So in Malachi 3 God is upset that the priests, not the people, are misusing the tithe and thus robbing God."

The editors instead went with the Perry Noble translation of Malachi 3:10:

"Fork ye over all the tithes to the church, that there may be large budgets in mine house, and prove Pastor now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the bank account of heaven, and pour you out money to pay your bills, so much that there shall not be room enough to store it and thus you'll have to give even more to the church." (Mal 3:10, RSTB)

Blaine Gabbert Shows He is an Equal to Tim Tebow in at Least One Area: His Maturity and Ability to Handle Harsh Criticism

2012-04-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

After reading the latest article by Times Union sports writer Gene Frenette, I am now a Blaine Gabbert fan. Blaine is showing that while he might not be able to match Tim Tebow's football skills (not YET anyways), he is showing that he has something that not everyone in his position has:

Blaine has the maturity to handle intense criticism and not be bitter or resentful, and to choose to stay positive.

Blaine Gabbert is the 22-year old quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars who last year had probably the worst year of any rookie NFL quarterback who was a starter for their team.

In his first year in the NFL Gabbert had the cards stacked against him. He was 21 years old, had a shortened rookie season training camp due to the NFL lockout, and then went from being a third stringer who was supposed to spend the 2011 season behind two veterans learning how to be an NFL quarterback, to suddenly finding himself as the Jaguars starting quarterback in week 3 of the 2011 season. And he probably had the worse set of receivers ever to be assembled on an NFL roster. To make matters worse, Gabbert was playing for a dysfunctional coaching staff, whose head coach would be fired before the season was over.

All of this resulted in the worst of seasons for Gabbert. He played terribly. The fans (myself included!) and the media were merciless. He was ridiculed in every way imaginable. Jokes every Monday at work in Jacksonville were made about his throwing motion, his inability to stay in the pocket. His appearance was ridiculed. His apparent lack of leadership on the field was critiqued. He was called a coward, couldn't stand up to the rush, fans booed him. The Jags GM, Gene Smith, has been criticized for selecting Gabbert in the 2011 draft, and is still criticized by fans for being optimistic about Gabbert's abilities heading into the 2012 season.

I wrote last year about Tim Tebow's ability to handle the criticism he receives and what pastors might learn from Tim in this regard. I'm glad to see that Blaine Gabbert is showing the same maturity - who knows, maybe he has watched and learned from Tim Tebow.

Some quotes from Gabbert in the article:

"I didn't really listen to all the criticism. Some of it was necessary, some of it probably unnecessary. Everybody is going to have their opinions. Controversy sells. You watch the news. Every day there's some type of controversy going on in this country. People watch it for that. It's kind of sickening, but that's what people like to see and hear."

Gabbert says he didn't pay attention to all of the criticism. Oh, he heard it. And it had to hurt. He knows he deserved some of it and he understands the fans that pay his salary have a right to criticize and demand that he play better. But he did not complain. He did not blame others or the many factors outside of his control. He did not demand that people cut him slack just because he was the Jags first-round pick, or based on his accomplishments at the college level.

Then Gabbert shows that he understands in his position he will get the darts, that it goes with the territory:

"There's guys that get criticized a lot worse than I do, but it's part of the game, part of the position I play. You're the most scrutinized person on the field. The NFL brand is No. 1 in the world. Being a starting quarterback on an NFL team, you're going to get scrutinized every move you make. That should be in the contract, 'You're going to get criticized on every play.' But that's what makes it fun, makes it competitive."

Gabbert has a right to be ticked off over all the factors outside of his control that led to his terrible season. He might even have a right to lash out at some of the local media personalities who have been most critical. He was a number one draft pick, after all, and he really didn't get a honeymoon.

But he knows it is part of his position, that every move he makes is up for criticism whether he likes it or not. It is part and parcel of the job description of an NFL quarterback - you will be criticized.

Gabbert instead chooses to look forward and knows that he can win people over by just being himself and working hard to improve at his job. He can't gain supporters by demanding that they love him or give him a fair chance - he will win them over through staying positive, working hard, and letting the critics be the critics.

I predict much success for Gabbert this season. He has gone through the fire, and by coming through it without being bitter or resentful and not demanding respect but instead working to earn it, I think he is poised to do great things in 2012.

FBC Jax Case Settled, Reverend Mac Brunson Issues Apology to Mr. Tom Rich and Family, and to FBC Jax

2012-04-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

The case has been settled under confidential terms. Here is Reverend Mac Brunson's statement:

"In April of 2009, I was quoted in a Times Union article regarding an Internet blog which concerned this Church.

The article stated that I had labeled the author of the blog "obsessive compulsive" and a "sociopath". I did use those words and those conditions to describe Mr. Tom Rich, the author of the blog. These are serious and debilitating conditions.

These statements have resulted in protracted litigation for myself and this Church.

Mr. Rich and his family were longtime members of this Church. Mr. Rich is not obsessive compulsive and is not a sociopath. I regret making those statements. I want to apologize to Mr. Rich and his family. I also want to apologize to you and the Church." Mac Brunson

Lifeway Introduces New Bible Translation, the RSTB: The Revised Storehouse Tithing Bible

2012-04-01T01:00:00.004-04:00

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt 6:33, KJV)

has been translated with the help of Perry Noble to read:

"Tithe ye first to your storehouse, and money, clothes, and food shall be delivered unto you." (Matt 6:33, RSTB)

Another great example of interpreting Jesus' words in the context of modern day storehouse tithing doctrines, is Matthew 23:23:

which has been shortened through translation, with the help of Frank Page, to read:

"Woe to you, you non-tithing Christians, you hypocrites! I've paid for your sins and delivered you from hell, now PONY UP!!!" (Matt 23:23, RSTB)

"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." (Lev 27:30, NIV)

is translated as:

"A tithe of everything in your paycheck, whether it be your salary from work, or the hourly pay at your second job, belongs to the church, it is holy to the church." (Lev 27:30, RSTB)

Frank Page at SWBTS: Jesus Expects Christians to Give MORE Than a Tithe, So He Says: PONY UP!!

2012-03-27T09:30:00.002-04:00

"If Jesus required the tithe of those who lived in the darkness before the cross, what do you think he expects of those who live in the blinding light after the cross? So, OK, it's Old Testament; New Testament calls for a lot more. PONY UP!" Frank Page preaching at SWBTS 3/21/12
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Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel last week, Dr. Frank Page - the head of the SBC Executive Committee and arguably the most powerful man in the SBC - declared that Jesus himself expects Christians to give MORE than a tithe since they are under grace, and he summed up Jesus' expectation in two words:

"PONY UP!!"

Where in scripture did Page find Jesus' expectation of Christians to "pony up"? Well, Page used Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23, and he uses that to extend the Old Testament requirement to tithe to an "expectation" of Jesus!!

Page conveniently left out of his quote of Matthew 23:23 the important part that Jesus was speaking directly to the Pharisees, not to his followers! To interpret Jesus' remarks to the Pharisees who were, and wanted to live under the law, as a statement of his expectations for Christians, is just flat out a misuse of scripture. For an excellent layman's discussion on how Mat 23:23 is commonly misused by preachers today to say that Jesus commanded tithing, read this excellent article by the writer at the Church Stewardship and Tithing Report website.

This term "Pony Up" is interesting...it is slang for "fork it over", sometimes used as slang to tell someone to begrudgingly hand over money that is owed, to hand over one's fair share of what they are obligated to pay based on services rendered. Hardly an expression to be used to tell Christians that they should give freely and generously and not under compulsion.

Perhaps this implication that Jesus wants us to "pony up" is really not the most disgusting part of the Page sermon.

Page's sermon was not on tithing or on Matthew 23:23. Instead, Page was preaching about the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. In that passage, Jesus tells the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee praying in the temple. Jesus draws a contrast between the prideful Pharisee who prays about how he gives a tenth of his income, while the tax collector was crying out to God for mercy. About them, Jesus says: "I tell you that this man [the tax collector], rather than the other [the Pharisee], went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

So what does Page do? After he tells Christians to "pony up", he then declares how he himself is a tither, "and more". Like the Pharisee in the temple from Page's own sermon, Page beats his chest in the SWBTS temple of how generous HE is because he tithes! Jesus had to get a hearty chuckle in the irony of this. And I wonder if Page's standard is the partial OT tithe of 10%, or the full tithe of 23 1/3%. If Jesus expected 23 1/3% in the Old Testament, wouldn't he want Page to pony up more than 23 1/3%?

Lastly, I can't help but point out the last bit of irony in Page's comments on tithing. In the video you'll see that Page brags about how his tithing records are open for inspection by his church members, and he makes a point that giving records should NOT be confidential.

How ironic that Frank Page, the head of the SBC Executive Committee, is advocating for the transparency of tithing records of pastors, but the SBC can't even advocate for the establishment of a database to provide transparency on convicted sexual offenders amongst the ranks of SBC pastors?

Seems to me Frank Page is more concerned about transparency of the non-tithing SBC pastors than being transparent about the sexual predator pastors in the ranks of the SBC.

Ergun Caner at Truett McConnell Chapel Service: Makes Another Racial Stereotype Joking About "Gay Haitian at a Bloodbank"

2012-03-25T17:00:00.005-04:00

Ergun Caner preached the chapel service at Truett-McConnell College on March 21, 2012. Ergun's brother Emir is the president of TMC.

Caner's sermon was another one in which he rails about the evils of people who criticize pastors. Caner allegorizes the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, making it a story about how men of God are to respond to church critics.

Above is a very brief video clip of Caner making a reference to a "gay Haitian at a blood bank" near the end of his sermon. Caner has made racial slurs or used racial stereotypes regarding Hispanics over the years (here and here and here), this is just another example.

How sad that Ergun Caner chooses to utter these kinds of racial stereotypes in his sermons anywhere, much less at a chapel service in front of aspiring pastors. Caner is a poor example for young preachers or young Christians at all, but his friends and family still allow Caner access to the eyes and ears of young people at chapels and even at high school camps.

Next we'll take a look at just how evil are those who dare to criticize the men of God who are doing great things - according to Ergun Caner.

Perry Noble Actually DOES Have Much to Teach on How to Increase Fund Raising!

2012-03-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

In the last post I wrote about Perry Noble and friends speaking at a seminar to teach pastors how to "fund their vision", and how to "talk to banks", how to "engage high capacity donors".

At the seminar pastors will also learn how to "increase operational giving by 30% or more".

Well, as shown at left, Perry Noble's church saw a 30% increase in revenue in 2011. Perry's church raked in $24.6 million last year, up from the nearly $19 million in 2010.

The chart comes from the NewSpring Church "Annual Report" that highlights the ministry accomplishments of the church for the prior year.

So while NewSpring members praise God for the increase in giving and the generosity of the members, their pastor will participate in a seminar next month to teach pastors how they too can get their congregations to increase their giving by "30% or more" too!

This is why we see more and more preachers beating people over tithing - Perry Noble's church is an example that IT WORKS! The fundraising tactic of telling people they are sinning, that God will not bless them, that their finances must be "redeemed" by the tithe, that to protect themselves from the wrath of God they MUST give large gifts to their church - has worked at NewSpring Church!

This also explains the popularity of Robert Morris as a guest speaker at churches all over the country in 2011. Perry Noble brought in Robert Morris for two consecutive Sundays in May to preach his "Principles of Multiplication" and "Principle of the First" sermons. These are classic examples of this new "First Fruits" tithing teaching.

Even here in Jacksonville, Robert Morris was brought in last year to teach at the rapidly growing Celebration Church to teach his First Fruits message, and the church used Morris' book "The Blessed Life" for an entire sermon series and church-wide small group bible study.

So that really is the lesson, pastors - try teaching the "First Fruits" message - that God commands the very first 10% off the top of your income, to your church, and in so doing you have secured God's blessings and you will remove the curse of God over your finances.

It works.

Perry Noble and Friends to Teach Pastors How to "Fund Their Vision" and "Engage High Capacity Donors"

2012-03-17T00:01:00.009-04:00

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Sometimes my spoofs of pastors get out-spoofed by the pastors themselves.

Case in point: a friend emailed me this past week with a link to a "Funded and Free" seminar to teach pastors how to "fund their vision", that I thought for sure must be some sort of April Fool's spoof making fun of the fund-raising practices of preachers Perry Noble, Clayton King, and a few others.

This seminar bears a striking resemblance to my 2011 April Fool's spoof, "Al Mohler's Save Them From Their Ignorance Retreat for Pastors".

But this seminar next month is real. Perry and friends - along with a group called "Injoy Stewardship Solutions" - will be holding a one-day seminar at a church in Charlotte, NC that will teach pastors how to "fully fund" their vision.

What will Perry and friends be teaching your pastor if he attends this seminar? Some very important topics that all holy men of God need to know:

- how to increase operational giving by 30% or more
- how to talk to banks
- leading and developing those with the gift of giving
- best practices for engaging "high capacity donors"

Yep, just what a pastor needs to know. Talking to banks? (Maybe like "Hi, Bank, I'm the man of God.."?) Engaging "high capacity donors"? As I blogged one year ago, another church marketing consultant brazenly explained to pastors how they can tap into "high capacity" donors within their church.

That Perry Noble would use his face and name to sell this sort of nonsense tells you what he really thinks of what he preaches. He tells people that they must trust God with their finances by blindly forking over 10% to receive God's blessings. Yet when it comes to pastors, they need to go to a seminar so THEY CAN LEARN how they can "fully fund" their vision?

Where is THEIR faith in trusting God to provide resources? Answer? There is no faith. Instead there are tips, tricks, and best practices to get trusting, gullible people to separate from their money.

Look at what the conference leaders say at their website to pastors:

"Dear Church Leader,

Are you frustrated that despite your efforts, you can't seem to increase your giving?

Does all the latest "generosity lingo" seem to be getting lost in translation?

Does it often feel impossible to take the next step in your God-given visions, because of money?

These are some very common issues we see church leaders struggling with all the time. You have a strong desire to fulfill your God-given vision for growth in your ministry, but you get discouraged at how difficult it can often be to raise the necessary funds."

Look at the terminology: "your God-given vision"..."frustrated by your efforts"....this explains why they mercilessly beat the sheep to fork over 10%. Because the pew sitter has the money in their pocket that can help the preacher fulfill the "vision" God has given directly to them. What is this vision? Look at what they say next:

"Perhaps your vision includes one of the following...

• Building Project
• Pay Down Debt
• Hire More Staff
• Increase General Fund
• Do More Ministry"

Yes, the pastor's God-given vision might be to "hire more staff"....and the catch-all "do more ministry".

Here is the line-up of speakers:

We all know about Perry Noble. But who is Clayton King? He is the friend of Perry Noble, and is on staff at Nobles' church, and more shockingly, he is the "Campus Pastor" at Liberty University. The preacher to the students at Liberty is participating in a seminar on how to tap into rich donors, how to talk to banks, and how to fund visions from God.

So there you have it, friends. This is what your pastor can learn in Charlotte, North Carolina at this "free" seminar. Free in that there is no registration cost, but this in and of itself is a marketing ploy to help a church consultant possibly gain access to your church through your pastor. So it ain't free, and church members, don't pay for your pastor's travel expenses to this seminar.

And if your "man of God" does attend, watch out for the sales pitch coming from the church marketers, as they will want to help you raise your revenues at your church; and their services ain't free.

Now off to sulk over being out-spoofed by Perry Noble himself.....and to figure out what in the world I am going to do for the 2012 April Fool's Post.

This is getting tougher and tougher each year!

Misusing Scripture to Scare Christians: Gaines Suggests Non-Tithers Could Be Killed by God Just as Ananias and Sapphira

2012-03-14T20:40:00.005-04:00

"As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell on the floor dead. God killed him....Every time a Christian refuses to tithe, they're just like Ananias and Sapphira. They're lying to God and they're stealing from God. If God treated us this morning in this room like He treated them in that day, how many people would be wrapped up in blankets and taken out the back door [dead]. Think about it. Think about it." Steve Gaines shamelessly misusing scripture to scare the sheep at Bellevue Baptist.
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How low does a "man of God" have to stoop to misuse his own holy scriptures to threaten his congregation with death if they don't tithe 10% of their income to his church each week? How spiritually blind must a preacher be to suggest that non-tithers might be killed by God for their stealing from and lying to God?

Last month Steve Gaines completely took the story of God killing Ananias and Sapphira out of context in Acts 5 and dared to tell his congregation that those who don't fork over 10% of their income to his church "are just like Ananias and Sapphira". He then poses the question of "how many people would be wrapped up in blankets and taken out the back door" if God dealt with his own sheep the same way that God dealt with Ananias and Sapphira.

The sick part of this is I really think really Steve is engaging in wishful thinking....he HOPES that God would strike at least a few non-tithers dead, as this might help prompt non-tithing recalcitrants to start forking over the prescribed 10%. In Gaines' view, if you don't tithe you're darned lucky God doesn't just strike you dead in the pew.

A couple of things that we as Christians must learn about these supposed holy men seminarians like Steve Gaines who again has misused scripture to get at our pocketbooks through guilt and fear and intimidation:

- this is a sign of desperation. Gaines is determined to use whatever means necessary to get his own sheep to fork over 1/10 of their income to his church. He every few months has accused them of being thieves, bankrobbers, and dealing in stolen goods. He has said God will make the children sick of those who don't tithe. He has even said soloists who don't tithe should not be singing in church.

- I believe Gaines knows full well what he is saying is a total fabrication and stretch of scripture. He is a Ph.D. graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. No credible theologian teaches that there is a connection between the Old Testament tithe and the story of Acts 5. To extrapolate that occurrence to the modern church, and to connect Ananias' and Sapphira's death to believers today who don't practice the law of tithing, is spiritual abuse perpetrated by Steve Gaines on the believers at Bellevue Baptist Church.

- Not only does the story of Ananias and Sapphira have nothing to do with tithing, but in 2000 years of church history there is no evidence to suggest that God still deals with his church in such a swift and drastic manner as killing people for their sin in church. Most scholars interpret this story as a warning against hypocrites in the church who deceive people with phony piety, who present themselves to the church as being super-spiritual to gain the favor and applause of men. Hmmm, so who REALLY might be subject to God's judgment in like manner as Ananias and Sapphira - non tithers or deceptive preachers?

- one of the most disturbing parts of Gaines' statements on this passage is when he says that he believes that Ananias and Sapphira were true believers! Of course! This is Gaines' way of again connecting their sin and death to his congregants. Even though you're under the blood of Jesus Christ, if you don't give 10% to your church, God might just strike you dead. This is how these first-fruits tithing preachers view the people who don't tithe: you are robbing God, you're not as devoted to God as they are, and you're worthy of a death sentence by God for your sin of not forking over 10% to their church.

- Steve Gaines should immediately apologize to his congregation. Other Christian leaders who watch this video should contact Gaines and ask him to publicly retract his remarks and apologize to believers everywhere. He won't do it, as these "holy men" will not publicly apologize. But at least his fellow seminarians should call him out for his abuse of scripture.

Steve Gaines' abuse of scripture, his attempts at painting himself as the pious tither and deceiving his congregants about what this scripture means, makes him more like Ananias and Sapphire than anyone else in his entire congregation. As he jabs his index finger at his congregation, three stubby fingers are pointing right back at him.

Repent, Steve Gaines, of your bible twisting and deception. Stop spiritually abusing the sheep at Bellevue Baptist Church over the Old Testament tithe. Trust God to move in the hearts of people to give generously, and stop the not-so-veiled threats of death and destruction directed toward God's people.