While a former leader hopes for change, women who sought refuge in biblical counseling at John MacArthurs church say they feared discipline for seeking safety from their abusive marriages. When someone at the meeting asked Naselli to explain himself, he responded that what was happening in the roomhow some were taking sides without any judgmentwas exactly what Rigney and Wilson were protesting in their podcast. Last Week (July 2021) Jason Meyer announced his resignation from Bethlehem, following the resignation of several of fellow woke pastors, the agenda he Hes good at multi-syllabic word salads, but hes basically a fast-talking hyper-aggressive con artist who just happens to have chosen the church as the source of his narcissistic supply. But for others, the pastors focus on race and abuse issues reflected a differing philosophy of ministry. Calvins Misrepresentation of God) to see the outcome as we see here. This prompted many members of the task force to leave the church, according to Janice Perez Evans, a task force co-leader. It seems as though one issue is differing views regarding the churchs theological emphasis, while another issue is abusive leadership and a culture of fear. Five of our professors are elders; four of our trustees are elders, said Rigney. If yes leave the church. In his resignation letter, Meyer referenced the fracturing of evangelicalism described in a recent Mere Orthodoxy article, which details how certain groups will experience significant philosophy of ministry differences in how to contextualize the gospel in this cultural moment. While accusations swirled of liberal drift under his leadership, Meyer instead saw the congregation moving in the other direction and suggested a pastor in the neo-fundamentalist category would be a better fit. This is another painful and confusing moment for us," Zuleger wrote. Though the process was done with the approval of Bethlehem pastors and the elder chair, some wanted the church to do its own review of Naselli last year. Rigney acknowledges that a criticism of empathy sounds provocative, and hes made efforts to explain and defend his position online. Image: Screengrab / Bethlehem Baptist Church. This organization investigates any level or kind of abuse within the church, and founded by Boz Tchividijian, (an attorney) and his team has done excellent work to help churches navigate through this kind of thing. We will continue to entrust ourselves to him in every circumstance., Churches and evangelical institutions across the country are trying to navigate their own divisions, but the process can be painful. Kenny Stokes, a pastor and elder at Bethlehem and associate professor and trustee at BCS, told CT they are currently in discussion to clarify protocols and policies between the two institutions. May they work it out together in a godly manner. The congregation is the highest authority and there are systems in place which allow congregants to bring up concerns (motions) to the rest of the congregation. In the summer of 2019, the task force presented an 85-page report to the elders, which essentially died in committee. The issue of abuse also has particular resonance at Bethlehem. The stakes continue to be raised, said Josh Panos, a BCS alumnus. Meyer wrote in his letter, It is hard to avoid seeing (the charges) as retribution., The Roys Report reached out to several elders for comment. Its one of the things that meant I never took John Piper seriously, or trusted his exposition of Scripture. Rev Dr Jackie Dowdy. So far this year, about 200 peoplenearly 10% of the megachurchs total membershiphave resigned as members from Bethlehems Downtown campus, according to statistics provided to The Roys Report by former BBC members. In one class, Naselli argued with those who disagreed with him over whether evil was created, to the point that he clenched his fists, grunted, and called the opposing position almost a heresy. He accused a student of watering down the Bible with his understanding of evil and its existence, according to Brax Carvette. Some of the resignations were due to normal factors, like families moving out of the area. One of the things that gets brought up in the abuse conversation is that abusers and their communities gaslight and minimize what theyve done, said Rigney. Hes the one that featured Wilson repeatedly on the Desiring God website, and (to my knowledge) hes never once called Wilson out for his revolting rhetoric and his various public misdeeds. He is well respected for his scholarship and rigor, earning two PhDs (from Bob Jones and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) before he turned 30. laid out by The Gospel Coalitions Kevin DeYoung, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Grace Community Church Rejected Elders Calls to Do Justice in Abuse Case, The Kings College Faces Threat of Closure, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. Is there a way to do any rebuke or admonishment when someone is hurting?, he asked. WebThrough biblical truth and personal stories, author, pastor, and theologian Jason Meyer encourages the weary and anxious believer by shining light on the nature of reality, the nature of God, and the intersection of the two in our daily, rubber-meets-the-road lives. She referenced the six habits that shape BCS education: observing, understanding, evaluating, feeling, applying, and expressing. Jason Delgado served as lead pastor of Vibrant Church in Columbus, Mississippi, until he resigned in April 2021. We learned Augustine in doctrine class, Carvette said. WebThe New Hope leadership and staff is comprised of men and women who love, care and pray for every single person in the church. A narcissistic family system can be a family, a local church, an organization, or any other group. Theyre trying to toughen you up. Meyer told his congregation to expect that race would continue to be addressed from the pulpit. https://julieroys.com/bethlehem-baptist-church-culture-fear-abuse Four students recalled intense debates in their 2019 undergrad course in Christian ethics and apologetics. Ahead of the commemorations, though, the community finds itself in the midst of what current leaders have called a confusing and challenging time and a hard and difficult season in the life of our church. Three pastors and a staff member resigned from the downtown campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in recent months, alongside dozens of lay members. He challenged his flock to consider their own experience in light of Meyers claims of drift toward neo-fundamentalism and unity culture.. One of them, Ann Mekala, wrote in a 2019 letter to several elders, There is an air of disdain and distrust towards women woven throughout the episode. She noted that Wilson and Rigney gave examples of women falsely accusing men in the podcast and encouraged listeners to be skeptical toward those who report abuse. Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota have resigned over what Pipers successor, Jason Meyer, calls an embrace of neo-fundamentalism and a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution. He described his reasons for leaving in a 3,100-word resignation letter that was recently leaked, nearly a month after the church announced his departure in a brief email. ***, The pastor also reminded the South Campus members his letter was "just to state the reality of things and to give you space to lament.". Im not convinced that I sinned against you. with Pastor Shedrick Clark. "At Bethlehem . When we talk about the six habits of heart and mind, [we need to] actually do that., Rigney said that as Christian hedonists, feel becomes an educational distinctive at BCS. The Takatas concerns quickly became about more than the motion, and they filed grievances challenging Nasellis qualifications as an elder. WebJason Meyer Lead Pastor, Urban Refuge Church Winfred Neely Vice President & Dean, Moody Theological Seminary Laurie Norris Dean of Faculty & Professor of Bible, Moody Bible Institute Douglas O'Donnell Co-Author, The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition Neal Presa Associate Professor of Preaching & Worship, New Brunswick Theological Up until this point, I thought he was a pretty cool guy and authoritative in his teaching.. Dave Zuleger, the church's South campus pastor for preaching and vision also confirmed and addressed Meyer's resignation in a blog post on the church's website, writing "this is another painful and confusing moment for us. As another biblical example, Im reminded of Jobs 3 friends. Follow Receive an email notification when changes occur for Jason Meyer. Like in many evangelical churches that are majority white, some members of the congregation believed the church was putting too little an effort into addressing ethnic harmony and justice, while others felt like it became too much of a focus. However, Takata said nothing ever came of her efforts. The threat effectively shut down discussion. After more than 30 years as senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the fiery preacher of hardline biblical values is retooling his priorities. I feel terribly that I hurt you, and I own that and I regret it, and Im so sorry, he said. Seriously? The Roys Report noted Meyer, the successor to founder John Piper, is the fourth pastor to resign from the megachurch in the past four months. Tabb, in an October 2020 email announcing Bowerss final days at BCS, described him as being beloved by students and colleagues for his excellent teaching, good humor, compassion for the marginalized, and faithful friendship.. One of the few evangelical colleges in New York City is in sudden financial crisis, and students are planning for a possible shutdown. The Takatas, like the group of Nasellis former students, felt like they too had gone through a convoluted process of praying, reporting, documenting, scheduling, meeting, and working for resolution only to have the process end without feeling like their concerns were fully understood and that nothing would change as a result. Outside the church, they are concerned by the cultures increasing hostility to Christianity, most prominently from mass media, social media, and the government., https://mereorthodoxy.com/six-way-fracturing-evangelicalism/, Ive been so concerned that a man who is widely known for thinking empathy is a sin is now the head of a seminary. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. I was pretty disappointed. Portugus, I enjoyed your article. Piper cant step in, from what I understand. WebRev David Dodge. The situation at Bethlehem highlights not only certain issues being debated but also the conflicting philosophies shaping Christians responses: Are we accommodating feelings so much that we are crying sin where there is no sin? Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. One point of tension was a months-long process evaluating grievances made against a Bethlehem elder and a BCS professor, Andy Naselli, who was accused of failing to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, and thereby unfit for his positions, after his remarks at a church meeting. Skip to main content. . He also expressed misgivings around the treatment of women, which he claimed was the result of attitudes that went beyond complementarian convictions, as well as around Rigneys ties to Wilson. To register contact Jason Meyer at wljm01@gmail.com. The departures most directly affect the downtown campus, where Stokes, Bethlehems pastor of church planting, has assumed some of Meyers duties in the short term. Its a simple case of the seeds of the founder coming to fruition. Meyer said, If you as a church dont like what I said today, you will have to get another pastor, because I believe this to the back of my teeth.. WebWhile details of what's actually going on at Bethlehem Baptist are sparse, the resignation of the church's head pastor and several is arguably newsworthy, so we're going to allow discussion on the topic.. A couple of reminders to everybody: John Piper hasn't been the pastor at BBC since 2012, and thus far there is zero indication that he's in any way If youve seen much of Doug Wilson or his church/school/publishing empire in Moscow, ID, and you have some understanding of narcissism, youll immediately recognize the warning flags. Now I wonder why he was so harsh.. When he resigned, he came to an agreement of some kind where he committed to not interfering in the elders leadership or the direction of the church. Bethlehem uses the phrase ethnic harmony, believing ethnicity is a better match for the the cultural categories described in the Bible than race, which is primarily biological or physical. 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Theyre drawn to Reformed theology and Pipers Christian hedonism, which is reflected in the schools motto: Education in Serious Joy., In a classroom full of men who would give their lives for the gospel, to have somebody whos supposedly training you for ministry doubt your commitment to that gospel because youre not convinced hes right about everything is really hard to deal with, said Karl Grant, who studied under Naselli in the seminary, as the sole Lutheran in the program. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. A year later, Rigney, who had taught theology and literature at BCS since 2007, was named the schools second president in an announcement by Piper as chancellor. God has moved at FCC in amazing ways. Piper should intervene to save what is left at Bethlehem. And though Naselli would later apologize for what he said, the Takatas said Naselli made disparaging statements about them in the months following to elders, BBC members, and staff at BCS. Those leaving and those staying recognize some of the issues that have divided Bethlehem, many of which are straining other conservative churches: racial justice and critical race theory (CRT); the #MeToo movement and the call to believe women; and the nature of trauma and abuse. "This news is fresh to the leadership at Bethlehem, and we are still processing the reasons for the departure, as well as next steps," the statement continued. Both Meyer and Tong spoke out against racism, Pickering said, but added that the charges were not true. WebNOW!!! At Bethlehem, the biggest source of frustration and disappointment, in many cases, came not from the grievances themselves but from the resistance and attitudes people said they faced when they tried to bring those grievances forward. The implications were clear: He would not be sugarcoating in this class. The downtown campus was the most diverse of the three, with people of color making up 21 percent of attendees. To donate, click here. Why anyone would align themselves with Doug Wilsonwhose latest in a string of anti-Christian behaviors is authoring an erotic novel about a sex robotis beyond me. She said the meeting did not go well, and Tomlinson told her that he supported Rigneys view. But it wasnt just the situation around Naselli. Are the Pastor(s) abusive? If I just resign and pretend that I think everything at Bethlehem is fine, I would be dishonest, wrote Meyer, who left August 1. He and Pickering, who read the names of the victims in prayer that week, received criticism from a fellow elder for bringing up race as a component in the incident. It's been a taxing year for everyone, and it's been a taxing year for ministry. Thank the Good Lord that Jesus Chris didnt consider empathy a sin. A debate over untethered empathy underscores how departing leaders, including John Pipers successor, approached hot-button issues like race and abuse. This was baffling to me. He writes for The Gospel Coalition and has served as D. A. Carsons longtime research assistant. January 31, 2021 Pastor : Jason Wallingsford, Pastor Paul Meyer. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Stokes said that even without charges of heresy or a false gospel, just differences in approach, the discussion can feel very personal. Prior to ordination, Pastor Jason attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the University of Chicago. . Looking back, Pickering, as a counselor, wishes the church had established an understanding of systemic abuse prior to its focus on domestic abuse back in 2015. Jason refers to an article in his letter, which describes neo-fundamentalism as one of six groups into which evangelicals are fracturing. Heres a short definition offered there, but youd have to read the entire article for the more complete definition: Neo-Fundamentalist Evangelical Neo-fundamentalists are those who have deep concerns about both political and theological liberalism. In 1980, after only 5 years of ministry, the congregation took a huge step of faith and built a facility to hold 450 people. But its more difficult to shift peoples thinking the other way, though more resourcesbooks like Somethings Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuseand Freeing Yourself from Its Power by Wade Mullen and A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Laura Barringer and Scot McKnightare changing how people see abuse within the church. Share Podcast Audio Download. A lay member, who attended Bethlehem for over a decade and asked not to be named to preserve ministry relationships, told CT it made sense that Meyer, Pickering, and Tong were the ones to go since they were seen as the empathetic ones. So, lets call this what it is, address it as the foul, malevolent, pernicious evil that it is, and stand against the manifold oppression and abuse that are not only forbidden by God, but condemned by Christ Himself. A motion was brought at a July 25 QSM for such an investigation. During the difficult moments over the past few months, hes reminded himself of James 3:17 (ESV): But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. As the downtown campus grieves the loss of longtime leaders and friends, Stokes said he continues to answer questions, but he gets the sense that nearly all the remaining members are committed to stay. Ive always been mystified by Pipers attraction to him. No decent man, and no credible minister of Jesus, should enter the same room with such a craven and corrupt person as Wilson, much less appear on his radio show or promote his thinly-veiled sexual fantasies as credible theology. While Meyer was on sabbatical in May, Pickering and Tong were removed from the Sunday prayer and preaching schedule. The other, and far more contentious, motion concerned an October 1, 2019, episode of Man Rampant, a podcast on Christianity, leadership, and masculinity hosted by Doug Wilson. Unlike other high-profile evangelical scandals and shakeups in the headlines, the story at Bethlehem is not so clear-cut. Pipers successor, Jason Meyer, is the fourth pastor to resign from Bethlehem in the past four months. Both sides in a conflict want to get at what really happened; as Christians, they rightly set out to work toward justice and reconciliation where they can. 720 13th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415 Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. She requested that, prior to Rigney taking office, the elders make a statement to separate Rigneys views in the episode from the views and teachings of Bethlehem Baptist Church.. Jason has been a dear friend and mentor since we met in his tiny closet of an office during my first year of seminary back in 2010. He added that Wilsons church has received a great deal of scrutiny about its poor handling of abuse cases in the past, so I cringed when I heard (Wilson) bring up . We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. I found it very helpful. WebUrban Refuge Lead Pastor, Jason Meyer, has a deep and abiding passion to make much of Christ in all that he does. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Jason Meyer, the successor to pastor and Desiring God founder John Piper, has resigned from his role as pastor for preaching & vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church Instead, he said it confirmed the pattern he already suspected after speaking with nearly all 12 former BCS students who in 2020 submitted allegations against Naselli to BCS administration. "It's confusing and painful corporately because Jason took the mantle from Pastor John Piper and helped lead us to this point of campus-specific preaching. Those allegations were dismissed by BCS last August. Janette Takata pointed out that Rigney was identified as being from Bethlehem in the video and that a BCS professor and Bethlehem elder posted a five-star review of the episode. In February 2021, the church released a statement on ethnic harmony that affirms Christians neighborly love across ethnic lines but denies that ethnic diversity should be an end in itself and rejects all systems of thought that view relationships primarily through the lens of powerthat is, those with more power are inherently oppressors, and those with less power are inherently oppressed.. Co-author of the entry on fundamentalism in the Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2006), Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees (preachers and teachers,) you hypocrites! When Christina Boyum, a graduate of the college, discussed what happened in Nasellis class with a fellow church member at Bethlehem, she was told, A student feeling hurt does not mean that the student has been sinned against. Zuleger also asked church members to pray for their leaders. This generationyoung peopleare not being prepared to survive in the world they are going to find themselves in.. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? He doesnt need us, but by his grace and through his Son, we belong to him. Naselli, associate professor of theology and New Testament at BCS, spoke up to identify himself as the five-star reviewer and said that if the motion passed, hed quit. He said he felt a conviction that he couldnt in good conscience stay at BCS and by the end of 2020 his family left Bethlehem too. God is everywhereeven in the news. Four other congregations with female pastors were also determined to be not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, as well as one removed over its abuse response. What a dysfunctional mess. One need only look at the life of John Calvin, father of Reformed theology (deformed is more like it) and how his followers minimize his past (as Piper himself does; this is referenced in Dave Hunts book What Love is This? 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