Nichola Torbett has been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be safe and who gets to feel safe.

“I feel, as a white woman, a right to feel comfortable, because the world is kind of made and designed for white people,” Torbett said. “So when I don’t feel comfortable, I think oh my gosh, I’m not safe.”

Torbett is a lay leader at First Congregational Church of Oakland, a progressive church in California, that has made a decision to try to stop calling police, especially on people of color.

The church — which calls itself First Congo, for short — announced its decision around the same time as a wave of news stories broke about white people calling police on people of color. That included a now infamous incident at Oakland’s Lake Merritt, where a white woman called the cops on two black men who were barbecuing.

One of the men who was cooking out that day, Kenzie Smith, describes the moment when he realized police had been called on him as terrifying.

“In my mind I thought I was going to die,” he said.

“This is how it ends,” he said to himself, while he watched the woman on the phone with 911 dispatch for hours. Smith said as a large black man, having police called on him felt no different than putting a target on his back.

A sign, a shrine, and a conversation

First Congo has no formal pastor, instead they invite congregants to take turns at the pulpit. Their dialogue about turning away from dependence on law enforcement began several years ago, long before there were national headlines about police being called on a grad student for napping, or on Native American teens for attending a college tour, when white people got nervous, or felt they didn’t belong.

Church members were talking about putting up Black Lives Matter signs following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and other similar cases.

The church wanted to show solidarity with the movement. But Vanessa Riles spoke up, asking fellow congregants to consider what displaying that sign actually signified.

“As an intentionally intercultural congregation, and an intentionally interracial congregation,” she said, “we can’t just put up a sign like that, and not have it mean something.”

Church members began to talk about what it really meant for black lives to matter. For Torbett that meant also trying to understand how white people, like herself, can confuse safety with comfort.

“There are times we are called on to be uncomfortable, in the service of being in conversation with our neighbors, and that doesn’t mean we’re not safe,” she said.

A giant Black Lives Matter sign now hangs on the front of the church. Inside, in the chapel, lit by stained glass, stands a shrine to victims of police killings.

Some you may have heard of, such as Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old shot by police in Cleveland, in 2014. Or Oscar Grant, shot in 2009 by a BART police officer while restrained and lying on his stomach. The officer later claimed to have mistaken his gun for his taser.

Other faces and stories are less familiar, such as Demouria Hogg. Hogg was asleep in his car, when Oakland police officers tried to wake him. He was shot after an officer said she saw him reach towards a gun in the front seat. The city of Oakland paid $1.2 million in compensation to his family, but admitted no wrongdoing in his death.

Riles said that Black Lives Matter is, in large part, about confronting the deaths of black and brown people like these at the hands of police. So if the church was going to hang the signs, Riles asked, what else were they going to do?

“Because as a black person, if I see a church with a sign that says Black Lives Matter, the first question in my mind and in my heart, is what does that really mean?” she asked. “Are they just putting up a sign because it looks good, and it makes them look good as a congregation?”

Riles was raised in a once almost entirely black Oakland neighborhood where police were not welcomed as beacons of safety.

“I haven’t grown up feeling like the police are my heroes and they’re going to rescue me,” she said. “I’ve grown up feeling like the police don’t come when you call them, or they don’t really do anything, or someone calls them on you and your friends when you didn’t do anything.”

So First Congo congregants started to talk about when they had called police, and why. Although they didn’t call police often, they realized when they did, it often was on homeless black men.

You can read more here.

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On a recent episode of Wretched with Todd Friel, Todd discusses the social justice movement in the SBC and evangelicalism.

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The following article is the second of a three part testimony about my experience with the cult of Freemasonry at my former church, Rowland Spring Baptist Church.  Rowland Springs Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church in Cartersville, Georgia and is a part of the Georgia Baptist Convention and Bartow Baptist Association.

The 2017 Cartersville Masonic Lodge Officers, including RSBC Church member Alton Kay as Worshipful Master.  Also pictured are RSBC church members Freddie Gunn and Frankie James.  Not pictured is lodge Chaplain Jim Moore.

Defending the Faith

I knew bringing up the issue of Freemasonry at Rowland Springs wasn’t going to be easy.  Fortunately, I knew just when and where I could get some advice on how to do it.  Every January, the Institute of Christian Apologetics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) holds a week-long conference entitled “Defend the Faith.”  The conference features theologians from across the country, as well as local professors, who have expertise in contrasting Christianity with false religions.  Course credit is offered for students who attend.  I signed up for the 2017 conference in order to fulfill some of my last requirements for graduating from NOBTS with a Masters of Divinity in Christian Apologetics.  I determined to ask some of my professors about Masonry while there.  I knew that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) had investigated Freemasonry in years past and taken a somewhat lukewarm, if not politically influenced, position on the Lodge in its final report on the matter.  I trusted my professors more than denominational reports and determined to ask them some pointed questions about the Lodge.  If I was more concerned than I needed to be about Freemasonry, I figured they could back me down.  I left the Defend the Faith conference as determined as ever to confront the dangerous cult, not only at my church, but in my denomination as a whole.

Two of the speakers at the conference were counter-cult specialists James Walker and David Henke of the Watchman Fellowship, which is an independent Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult, and the New Age.  One of the staples of that ministry is its Profile Notebook. The publication, which is updated monthly, contains 4-page briefings on new religious movements, the occult, cults, New Age spirituality, and related doctrines and practices – everything from Acupuncture to Zen Buddhism.  The Profile Notebook, which was required reading for my “Cult Theology” course at NOBTS contains a profile on Freemasonry authored by Ron Rhodes.  It was that profile that first got me interested in studying Freemasonry and informed me about its dangerous and blasphemous theology.  During my week in New Orleans, I spent time eating lunch with James and David.  I told them about my situation, that I knew of a Freemason who was a member of my church.  I asked for their advice on how to approach him.  James suggested giving Jim the Freemasonry pages from the Profile Notebook and asking him to mark up anything that he didn’t think was accurate.  It sounded like a pretty good idea to me, so I planned on giving Jim the profile when I got back to Georgia.  James and David warned me, however, that dealing with Masonry at a local church was like dealing with a snake. “Never try to step on it unless you are sure you can crush the head without being bitten,” James told me.  I wouldn’t learn until later just how accurate James warning was.

Two of my professors are on the board of the Watchman Fellowship: Dr. Putman and Dr. Stewart.  They were also speaking at the conference.  When asked during a class session, Dr. Putman agreed with me that Masonry demonstrated tenants of Gnosticism.  Dr. Stewart was more hesitant to offer his opinion on the cult.  He did, however, offer a story from his younger days at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS).  While there, he had been tasked with writing articles for a denominationally published book on cults.  Naturally, the subject of Freemasonry came up during his research.  Knowing Baptist historian and chair of the SWBTS history department, H. Leon McBeth, to be a Mason, Dr. Stewart inquired with him about Masonic rituals.  When confronted about the activities of the lodge, McBeth confirmed the details of Stewart’s research but told the young Stewart, “we don’t really believe it.”  Dr. Stewart’s story, as lacking in details as it was, confirmed two things to me.  First, the activities of the Lodge are unbiblical.  Second, it can mean trouble to speak of them in Southern Baptist circles.

Freemasons have had a strong presence in the Southern Baptist Convention.  John T. Christian, a history professor after whom the NOBTS library is named, was a Freemason.   So, too, was William T. Hamilton, who served as NOBTS President (1927-1953), SBC President (1940-1942), and the Head of Evangelism for the Home Mission Board.  The first President of SWBTS, B.H. Carroll, was a Freemason.  In 1991, it was estimated that 14% of SBC pastors and 18% of SBC Deacons were Freemasons with 400-500k Freemasons in SBC membership.  Masonic influence is almost certainly the reason why the SBC’s 1993 statement on Freemasonry so weakly condemns Masonic practice.  Even the influential layperson, Dr. James L. Holly of Texas, who for years pressed the SBC to investigate the cult of Freemason was kicked out of his local church for bringing the matter of Freemasonry to light there.  The Masonic snake bites, and Southern Baptist Theologians tend to tread carefully when discussing the matter.  That’s why I was thankful for the strong, unequivocal condemnation of the Lodge I heard from Dr. Mike Miller, the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Texas.  Miller is a no-nonsense preaching professor at NOBTS.  During a pulpit polemics breakout session at the Defend The Faith conference, I asked Dr. Miller how he dealt with Freemasonry as a pastor.  “I tell them to leave the lodge or leave the church,” he said.  Miller’s strong biblical stance is befitting of a pastor.  Unfortunately, the timid Joe Ringwalt  is pastor of RSBC.  It was Ringwalt’s support that I would need to combat this evil when I got home.  I would not get it.

Stepping on the Snake

I returned home from the Defend the Faith conference on January 6^th ready to confront Freemasonry at RSBC head-on.  Shortly thereafter I was approached by the staff of RSBC about preaching at the church’s monthly Men’s Brotherhood Breakfast on the 15^th.  In accepting the invitation, I saw the perfect opportunity to subtly raise the pressing issue of Freemasonry before the men of the church.  I was told I could preach on “whatever I wanted.”  After my topic was determined, Pastor Ringwalt emailed the entire church to following statement

In the morning, we start with Brotherhood Breakfast at 8:30am. Seth Dunn will be bringing a challenging message to our boys and men about living a holy life before God.”

My message was grounded in three sections of scripture: Acts 17, Joshua 7, and 1 Corinthians 10.  Using Acts 17 as a backdrop, I challenged the men of our church to recognize the centers of idolatry all around our county: the LDS Church, the Kingdom Hall, the Islamic Center, and “certain fraternal orders.”  Like the men of Athens, we were surrounded by people who were very religious.  Like the Apostle Paul, we were responsible to evangelize the pagans around us with the gospel of Jesus Christ, contrasting Christianity with the false religions that had taken our neighbors captive.  Before, we could do so, we had to first look inwardly.  I told the story of Achan and the Israelites from Joshua 7 and explained how the entire body suffered defeat because of the secret sins of one man in the camp.  I then transitioned to Paul’s warnings from Israel’s history in 1 Corinthians 10.  We, as the local church, had to first hold ourselves accountable before we could effectively witness to the pagan world.  I distinctly remember looking up during my message, as I was making a point about holiness in the body, and seeing Joe Ringwalt nodding in agreement.

As I expected, Jim Moore attended the breakfast.  When it was over, I took James Walker’s advice and approached Jim.  I presented him with Watchman Fellowship’s Freemasonry profile and asked him if he could review it for me.  I told him that I had studied the Lodge in school but wanted his opinion as a man who had been a member of the lodge of fifty years.  Jim was quick to tell me, a fellow church member, that much of his knowledge of Masonry was secret and could not be revealed to me.  Nevertheless he agreed to look the document over and mark up what wasn’t accurate.  After that I attended Sunday School and the worship service.  On the way out the door, I was stopped by Frankie James.  Heretofore, I had never spoken to Frankie but had seen him around the church.  As is common in many churches, RSBC has a security team that keeps an eye on the parking lot and stands by the doors during the service.  Frankie is one of the men who volunteers to work security there.  Frankie told me that he, too, was a Mason and that it was nothing to worry about, that Masonry was okay.  Jim had obviously shown him the Watchman profile.  The snake was beginning to slither.

RSBC members Randy Reese (a known Mason), Larry Vaughan, and Jeff Baker (a deacon) at a Masonic golf tournament.  The picture was taken by Baptist Mason Tony Ross.

Frankie’s smiling assurances gave me no comfort.  To the contrary, I began to become uneasy about just how many Masons were present at RSBC.  Adam had told me Jim Moore was the only one of which he knew and the only other one I knew of, Fred Gunn Jr, had died the month before.  When I got home, I more closely perused the Cartersville Lodge #63 website.  I clicked on a link entitled “lodge officers” which I had not examined before.  To my great dismay, I saw more than one familiar face.  Not only was Jim Moore listed as Lodge Chaplain but three other church members, Frankie James, Freddie Gunn (Fred’s son), and Alton Kay, were pictured with the Lodge officers was well.  Alton Kay was the current Worshipful Master of the Lodge.  Rowland Springs was a haven, a stronghold of Freemasonry.  The problem was much bigger than one kindly old man.

The next Sunday, I walked into my Sunday School classroom and found the Freemasonry profile I had given Jim on my lectern.  It was nearly completely highlighted.  He left no other markups or notes so I assumed the highlights Jim had made were to indicate what was inaccurate in the profile.  After Sunday School, I found Jim standing near my usual pew in the sanctuary.  When I asked him about his markups, he referred to the profile as “garbage.”  I tried to ask some follow up questions but he insisted that he could not divulge his secret information, he would only repeat his claim that the profile was “garbage.”  The profile included some citations from the work of Albert Mackey, one of the best known Masonic authors of all time.  Mackey is cited authoritatively in Akin’s Lodge Manual with the Georgia Masonic Code.  Jim, a 50-year Mason and Chaplain of a Georgia Masonic Lodge claimed to have never heard of Mackey.  The profile indicated that prayer in the name of Jesus was discouraged in Masonic lodges.  Jim insisted that he did in fact teach about and pray in the name of Jesus in the Lodge.  He made some strange comments about the ordinances of the church and how pastors unjustly restrained the communion to church service and ended our conversation by aggressively telling me that “I needed to drop this cult stuff.”  There was anger in his face.  This was out of character for the man I had heretofore known.  The congenial ambassador of Rowland Springs Baptist had turned cold and aloof.  After that day, Jim would no longer approach my pew to say hello to me and my wife as he had done before; I knew why.  I had touched his idol and he was upset.  I also knew that Jim had lied to me about his assessment of the Watchman Profile.  I also approached a former Masonic Worshipful Master from Wisconsin named Larry Herzog about the accuracy of the profile.  Larry, who had left the Lodge out of Christian conviction, confirmed to me its accuracy.  Jim denied it and became unapproachable.

Chic-fil-A and the Church Basement

Ninety-one days after first approaching Jim about his involvement with Freemasonry, I taught my last Sunday School class at RSBC, on Easter Sunday 2017.  In that short time, I had gone from being someone who was tapped to preach for the men’s ministry and tasked with teaching the church’s doctrinal Sunday School class to being forcibly removed as Sunday School teacher and encouraged to leave the church.  The snake had bitten.  Not long after my conversation with Jim, I was asked by Joe Ringwalt and Adam Burrell to meet them at Chic-Fil-A.  For the first time since I began attending Rowland Springs Joe and Adam expressed their dissatisfaction with me.  According to them, certain unnamed deacons had brought my name up during the last deacons’ meeting.  They expressed concern with my being a Sunday school teacher at RSBC and how it reflected on the church in the community.  This was out of left field.  Only one of the deacons had ever attended my class and none had ever come to me in person with a problem.  I asked why these deacons hadn’t first come to me personally before bringing my name up in a meeting.  Joe agreed with me that the deacons should have come to me first individually but said that since he had heard what they had to say that he felt it was necessary to address their concerns with me.  I was told that my social media activities, blogs and Facebook posts, were embarrassing to the church.  Well before coming to RSBC, I had been a well-known Baptist blogger.  Yet, no one at RSBC, in the months leading up to my joining the church and becoming a Sunday School teacher, had ever expressed a problem with my writing.  Neither did anyone express a problem with my writing, much of which addressed Freemasonry, after I joined the church and became a Sunday School teacher.  Joe and Adam were well aware of my past church involvement and the reason that I was searching for a new fellowship when I came to RSBC.  They were also aware of my opposition to certain denominational causes (such as NAMB) and the Masonic Lodge.  When they were seeking me as a “prospect” to join the church, these stances of mine were not a problem.  Notably, I was voted in as a Sunday School teacher at church conference almost immediately after joining the body.  Now, though, Joe and Adam were very worried about what I might say or write.  Something seemed off to me.  To alleviate their concerns and those of the deacons, I agreed with Joe and Adam that I would write a blog post to all the Christians in our county explaining my motivation for my various blogs and social media posts.

Before lunch was over I told Joe that a bigger concern in our church should be Freemasonry.  I told him about what I had discovered on the Lodge website.  Rather than expressing concern and lament that a cult has so deeply infiltrated a church in his shepherding care, Joe spoke about his employment situation.  Upon hearing what I had to say, Joe’s posture changed.  He leaned down over the table and quietly said, “If I go against Freemasonry, I’ll get fired.”  I knew right then and there that Joe was compromised on the issue and I would get no support from him in standing against the demonic cult that pervaded RSBC.  Joe was a hireling, more concerned with retaining his job than the spiritual health of his church.  Everything about our conversation that day indicated that Joe was more worried about himself than he was with shepherding the church.  Months before, when Joe had visited my house to talk about my joining the church, he acted like he was strongly opposed to the Lodge.  Now, when addressed with a specific and pervasive problem in RSBC, he seemed fearful.  I think Joe was under the impression that I would drop the matter after our conversation, knowing that it was something he wasn’t willing to address.  There was simply no chance of that happening.  Without the support of the pastor, and up against a new and strangely timed opposition from the staff and the deacons, I considered what my next steps would be concerning Jim and the rest of the Masons.

I determined, by the dictates of Holy Scripture, that I would approach the masons of RSBC myself.  In Matthew’s 18:15, Jesus instructs church members to approach those fellow members of their local church who are sin directly and encourage them to repent.  This is not a suggestion, it is a command, one which is reiterated by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:11.  Freemasonry is a demonic cult which requires its members to sin against the Lord by the very requirements of its initiation rite.  If a man is in the Lodge, he is sin.  Every time he invites another man to join the Lodge, he encourages another to sin.  Freemasons lead men away from Christ, not towards him.  I could do nothing less than approach each Freemason at my local church and live within the will of the Lord.  From a church discipline standpoint this was a complicated and difficult situation.  Because Freemasonry is a secret society full of respected, service-minded men, many Christians are under the false impression that the Lodge is an innocent, benevolent, and even good social organization.  Few, like me, study the ins and outs of cults.  If the Masons refused to repent, choosing instead to strike like James Walker’s metaphorical snake, I could not depend on the staff and deacons at RSBC to go with me as “two or three witnesses.”  Nor, if the Masons were to be brought before the body, could I depend on the general knowledge of a church that had tolerated their presence for so long.  As a Sunday School teacher, I could educate people in my class about the Lodge but speaking to a specific matter outside of my curriculum would almost certainly draw the ire of the already suspicious pastor and deacons.  Plus, my Sunday School class constituted a minuscule percentage of the church.  I wasn’t sure how to educate the church or who could go with me as “two or three” but I knew I had a responsibility to urgently call the Masons to repent.

I decided to draft a letter to each individual Mason from RSBC that I had found on the Cartersville #63 website.  While I was planning my letter, the staff and deacons at Rowland Springs were planning to oust me from my teaching position.  There was another lunch meeting at Chic-Fil-A with Joe and Adam.  I was berated for being publicly critical of Southern Baptist causes like NAMB and the Georgia Baptist Convention.  It didn’t seem to matter to Joe than NAMB was currently being sued by a former Baptist state executive and NOBTS professor or that the Georgia Baptist Convention had constructed a sinfully opulent $45M headquarters.  Joe plainly didn’t want the word to get out on these matters of controversy.  It became very apparent to me how Joe had retained his position of RSBC pastor for twenty years when the average tenure of an SBC pastor was nine years.  Joe didn’t make waves.  Joe avoided controversy.  I was reminded of the words of friend and former Rowland Springs church member who warned me about Joe when I first started visiting RSBC:

I grew up at Rowland Springs.  Joe Ringwalt was a very much, don’t step on toes, kind of preacher…Rowland Springs had a lot of “old money” and he worried about making them upset.  There isn’t much discipline that I ever saw, and Joe will rarely step on anyone’s toes with a sermon.

Joe did his best to deal with me quietly.  He asked me to step down from teaching Sunday School.  I told him, “You’ll have to fire me.”  I hated being put in the position to defend myself as a Sunday School teacher.  The members of my class were effusive when describing how I taught.  It was by their suggestion that I was considered the former teacher’s replacement when he moved.  One man even suggested that Joe should have me fill the pulpit upon his first visit to my class.  I had been training in seminary to teach doctrine for years.  Yet Joe and Adam were asking me to quit.  I told them that it didn’t make sense that they would fire their “best Sunday School teacher.”  It was, plainly, dirty politics.  I wasn’t about to let Joe Ringwalt make me a quiet quitter in a Chic-Fil-A booth 30 miles from the church.  The church had voted me in, the church was going to have to vote me out.  At the end of the lunch I asked Joe and Adam if I was in sin.  I told them that I wanted to repent if I was.  Neither of them expressed to me that I was sinning.  They just didn’t like how I was handling myself online.  Again, there was no accusation of sin.

Not long after our second lunch meeting I mailed out my letters to the various RSBC Freemasons.  The letters were similarly worded but tailored to each man.  My letter to Jim, mailed out on April 10^th, read as follows:

 Dear Jim,

As you will recall, I recently shared a document on Freemasonry with you.  I passed this document on to you at the suggestion of James Walker.  Mr. Walker is the President of Watchman Fellowship, which is a Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.  Watchman Fellowship published the document on Freemasonry which I shared with you.  It was part of the assigned reading for my recent Cult Theology class at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  The document piqued my interest in researching Freemasonry.  I have come to conclude, along with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and a number of other Christian denominations, that Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity.  I was disappointed to see that you, a member of Rowland Springs Baptist Church, have been a Mason for over fifty years.

Before I joined RSBC, I asked Joe very directly if there were any Masons in positions of leadership at RSBC.  This question was intended to assess the health the local body. Joe assured me that there were no Masons in leadership.  As I understand it, both you and Alton Kay (your Worshipful Master) are ushers. Although it’s a very visible position, I don’t suppose usher is a position of “leadership.” Nonetheless you and Alton are my fellow church members.  Thus, I am obligated by scripture to take the uncomfortable step of showing you, Jim, your sin.  I ask that you repent of the sin of being involved in Freemasonry and immediately renounce your membership in Lodge #63.

As a faithful Christian, I can do no other thing.  The Lord Jesus said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”  This is what I hope to do with this letter.  I do not seek to “sharply rebuke an older man,” but rather I appeal to you as a younger man.  Think of your witness and the way you influence others.  I understand that you may be taken aback by my actions.  Perhaps no other church member has ever approached you asking you to renounce Freemasonry.  It could be the case that the other members of our church are, as I was for many years, ignorant of the unbiblical nature of Freemasonry. Having researched the matter myself, I can no longer say that I am unaware.  The Apostle James wrote, “to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  I am in the position of knowing about the nature of Freemasonry. So are you.  Thus, we both must do the right thing.  There is a sentiment among some that many Freemasons simply see the craft as a harmless fraternal organization and have not fully considered its spiritual claims ramifications.  Though I do not share this sentiment, given that you are the lodge chaplain and a fifty year Mason, I cannot assume that such is the case with you.

As you know, Freemasonry requires that oaths be taken to be initiated into the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees.  These oaths are fairly described as barbaric and involve binding oneself under the penalty of having one’s throat cut “ear to ear” and having one’s “tongue torn out by its roots”.  These oaths violate the command of the Lord Jesus who stated:

“make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

To even enter the most basic degrees of Freemasonry, one must disobey Christ.  As a fifty year Mason, you have no doubt taken part in many initiation ceremonies.  This is not an acceptable action for a member of the body of Christ.  It is sin.  This oath swearing in itself puts Masonry at odds with Christianity.  That’s to say nothing of the extrabiblical story of the death and resurrection of Hiram Abiff.

The secrecy of Freemasonry is inherently antithetical to Christianity.  The Lord Jesus told his followers that they are “the light of the world.”  Jesus said, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Freemasons claims to have the “light” of Masonry, yet they keep it secret from outsiders, even members of their own churches.

Freemasonry claims that it “makes good men better.”  This can’t be so.  Scripture teaches that there are no good men.  Jesus Christ said: “There is only One who is good; No one is good except God alone.” Scripture, through the Apostle Paul and the prophet Isaiah, teaches that “there is none righteous, not even one.”  The website of the Cartersville lodge states that “no particular religion or faith is required or excluded” from Freemasonry.  Thus, Freemasonry as an institution teaches lost people that they are good and can get better through Masonry (and outside of faith in Christ).  This both denies the effects of the Edenic fall and the power of the gospel.

If there is any remaining doubt the Freemasonry denies the scripture then consider the words from Akin’s own manual, which was published here in Cartersville, GA:

“As you are now introduced into the first principles of Masonry, I congratulate you on being accepted into this ancient an honorable Order: ancient, as having subsisted from time immemorial; and honorable, as tending in every particular, so to render all men who will conformable to its precepts.  No institution was ever raised on a better principle, or more solid foundation.  Nor were ever more excellent rules and useful maxims laid down that are inculcated in the several Masonic lectures. The greatest and best of man, in all ages, have been encouragers and promoters of the art, and have never deemed it derogatory to their dignity to level themselves with the fraternity, extend their privileges, and patronize their assemblies.”

The Church of Jesus Christ was raised on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ.  He is the chief cornerstone of the church.  This is the most solid foundation of any institution.  The Bible is God’s Holy word and contains better maxims than any man-based teachings. The statement above from Akin’s manual is antithetical to Christianity and no Christian should be able to say it good conscience.  None should believe it. No prophet or apostle has ever been a Freemason (from time immemorial).  Nor was the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not true, then, that “the greatest and best of man, in all ages” have encouraged and promoted Freemasonry.

Akin’s manual also implies, through its funeral service language, that non-Christians can make it to Heaven through their virtuous living.  This is denial of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

It is also a denial of the clear words of Jesus, no one gets to the Father except through Him.

You said the document that I shared with you was “garbage.”  I do not believe you are correct. I shared it with a former Chaplain and Worshipful Master from Wisconsin named Larry Herzog.  He told me that the document contained truth. (Larry left Freemasonry after coming to Christ.)  I have consulted a number of resources about Masonry, including pastors, seminary professors, former masons, and cult experts.  The verdict is clear.  The Craft is antithetical to Christianity and an affront to both the church universal and local. Jesus Christ said, “nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”  The secret things of Masonry have been brought to light.

Please renounce Freemasonry and repent of your sin.

Sincerely,

G. Seth Dunn

My letters did not go over well with the Masons.  Rather than respond to me personally, the Masons went straight to Joe and the deacons.  I soon received an angry call from Joe informing me that the deacons were taking action to remove me as a Sunday School teacher that week.  He also told me that there were 7-8 Masons at RSBC, double the number I had assumed from reading the Lodge website.  Joe refused to tell me their names other than one, a member of the choir named Randy Reese who was, according to Joe, no longer active.   Adam Burrell, who had once remarked to me that “at least 1/3 to 1/4 sitting in church on any given Sunday morning are likely not true believers” was terribly unconcerned about the number of cult members in the church at which he was employed as “Minister of Students and Families”.

I was summoned to a midweek evening meeting with the deacons in the church basement.  Only two of the deacons showed up.  I arrived early and was already waiting for them in the church library (a pitiful place, full of books by Don Piper, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, John Hagee, and Beth Moore) as they were walking in.

The two men, Ken Nix and Pat Malin, both mature in age, were joking with one another about how they needed their side arms for the meeting.  Before they walked into the room, it was clear to me that they viewed me not as a brother who needed to be loved but a problem to be dealt with.  When Joe and Adam arrived they handed me a letter which accused me of being prideful and divisive, using my defense of being the best “Sunday School” teacher against me as evidence that I was arrogant.  The letter, signed by every deacon (none of whom had communicated with me personally beforehand) stated that I was to be relieved of teaching Sunday School.  My class was to be broken up and reformed as a new class with Adam as its teacher.  Joe, Adam, and the Deacon Board flouted Matthew 18 and together accused me of sin without one man first coming to privately to do so.  During the meeting, Pat suggested that I leave the church quietly since it didn’t agree with my stance.  Ken, the man who joked about needing a gun to meet with me not thirty minutes before, said I wasn’t loving.  Adam said Freemasonry was a matter of conscience like “meat sacrificed to idols”and that I was doubting the salvation of  “good” men.  Joe proclaimed that Freemasonry wasn’t “a hill to die on”.   When I reminded him of his words at Chick-fil-A, that he said “he would get fired” for going against Masonry, Joe adamantly denied saying it.  Adam, the only other party who had been present at the lunch, reminded Joe that he did indeed make that remark.  Joe, who had moments before denied making the comments at all, then insisted that he was just joking when he said that.  Joe insisted that I apologize to the Masons for my letter and warned me that I could be brought before the church and expelled over the matter.  Since the church body as a whole had voted me to the position of Sunday School teacher, I did not believe that the deacons had the authority to remove me from my class.  At the same time, I could see the unholy writing on the wall.  The church, not being educated on the matter, would be quicker to listen to their pastor of twenty years than they would to me.  They had respected and known the Masonic men for years.  I was relatively new to the church and the deacons were all against me.  Complicating matters was that I was two classes away from graduating seminary and had a three-month-old baby.  I barely had time to prepare my lessons each week as it was and I certainly didn’t want to explain to my seminary, after working seven years towards graduating, that I had been excommunicated and no longer had the endorsement of a local church.

I accepted the actions of the deacons and quietly focused on my two remaining seminary classes.  I had fulfilled my obligation under Matthew 18 to go privately to the Masons.  My conscience was clean and Fred Gunn Jr’s tragic obituary burned less brightly in mind.  Both Joe and I knew, however, that I wasn’t done with Freemasonry.  I was bound and determined to find a way to educate the church about the wickedness of the Lodge.  I had the next eight months to finish my final seminary classes and figure out how.

Part Three of this article is forthcoming…

*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.

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Steven Anderson is the Tempe, Arizona pastor, the one with a colorful personality and infamous YouTube presence best known for sermons about Jesus wearing britches, urinating against the wall, and praying imprecatory prayers against the POTUS. Anderson has been on Alex Jones’ Info Wars, and even more famously, was tased on camera by U.S. Border Patrol (and was subsequently vindicated of any wrong-doing). Anderson pastors Faithful Word Baptist Church, which I visited and wrote about here. Anderson is – love him or hate him – one of the more interesting figures among evangelical celebrities in the Internet age. Anderson has also been busy battling Modalist heretics at his Tempe church.

A video has begun to circulate in social media claiming that Anderson has lost lots of church members to what – they claim – is Anderson’s “bizarre, newly developed views” on the Holy Trinity. Many evangelicals, especially those in the Reformed or Calvinist segment who have a bone to pick with the hotly anti-Calvinist preacher, have posted the video with a certain degree of glee that Anderson’s influence might be waning. While many people may bristle at Anderson’s brand of independent fundamentalism (and other aspects of his theology), on this particular issue, Anderson seems to be upholding orthodoxy against Monarchians, Sabellians, Modalists and Oneness Pentecostals.

You can watch the video below (it is entertaining on several counts).

Pulpit & Pen reached out to Anderson, who explained that the man who approached him during his sermon and was eventually thrown out was a first-time attendee and probably a person suffering from mental illness (he claimed to be Michael the Archangel after being tossed from the facility). It actually had nothing to do with the topic of ant-Trinitarianism.

According to Anderson, the Oneness heresy had been infiltrating his church for some time.

“We had one guy show up ten years ago,” Anderson explained, “and started talking about it on his first night. He wanted to start a Bible study, and in talking to him, it became clear he was a Oneness Pentecostal…I don’t know why this has begun to take a foothold, other than this might be an end-time heresy.”

Since that time, growing numbers of people have come to Faithful Word Baptist Church, increasingly intent on spreading the doctrine of anti-Trinitarianism. Anderson, on the other hand, holds what he calls, “the traditional, orthodox and standard view of the Trinity.”

“When it comes to what they’re saying, they’re teaching a hard-core Oneness doctrine and just call it ‘Trinity.’ which is way more dangerous than what the Oneness Pentecostals are doing. At least they have the guts to say they’re denying the Trinity,” Anderson said.

Anderson told Pulpit & Pen that he has had to remove seven families from the church for teaching against the Holy Trinity. However, the church just broke an all-time attendance record of 384, after the families were removed. The YouTube video above might paint the picture that a large percentage of the Tempe church has left or been kicked out, but that hasn’t been the case.

Anderson continued, “It’s not hard to prove they deny the Trinity. They say that they deny ‘three persons,’ and that’s what the Trinity is. Secondly, they do a Jesus-only baptism, which is the smoking gun of the Oneness Pentecost Movement going back to 1913.”

According to Anderson, he has received many emails from fundamental baptists claiming that anti-Trinitarianism is growing and many Oneness teachers have invaded IFB churches.

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Thabiti Anyabwile, a popular writer at the Gospel Coalition and politically-focused Black Nationalist agitator, recently claimed in an op-ed in the Washington Post that ending Roe v Wade is not worth having to work with Donald Trump. In other words, Anyabwile argued that evangelical Christians should actively seek to oust the current president, even if it means we might otherwise end the atrocity of abortion.

Thabiti Anyabwile is the name chosen by Ron Burns to identify himself with the Black Nationalist movement. Burns has captured the heart of New Calvinists, having been promoted heavily by 9Marks founder and pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., Mark Dever. With the support of evangelicalism’s most prolific Calvinist preachers and teachers, who were eager to have an articulate African American in their ranks, Burns’ Marxism caught many off guard. Although the Evangelical Intelligentsia leaders who were already left-of-center (like Tim Keller and Russell Moore) would rejoice in Burns’ growing revelations of personal progressivism, others were concerned with Burns’ trajectory, but were largely too afraid to address the problem with Burns, who wears his ethnicity as badge and is quick (like all Critical Race Theorists) to play the victim. Only Phil Johnson was bold enough to accuse Burns of “mission drift,” who would prove Johnson right by his repeated race-baiting language and political endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president. Predictably, Burns accused Johnson of “racist undertones.”

Burns, who had endorsed Bernie Sanders as the “best candidate” for black Americans in the Democratic primary, insinuated that abortion was a low priority for believers. We wrote about that in SBC Pastor, Thabiti Anyabwile, Suggests Unborn Babies Aren’t a Top Priority. We were told at the time that we’ve just misunderstood Burns. His op-ed today removes all doubt, however, that the Black Nationalist and Marxist leader is willing to sacrifice the lives of the unborn for the sake of his political philosophy.

Although he refers to himself as “pro-life” in the first paragraph of his post, Anyabwile makes clear that Christians should – in his opinion – oppose the current POTUS even if POTUS is trying to end abortion.

Burns writes:

With news Wednesday of the summer retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, now 81, those Christian voters who opted for Trump with the hope of conservative Supreme Court appointments seem vindicated by their vote. At least that’s how some Christians who once pronounced the 2016 election “God’s judgment on America” seem to read providence now. Their “compromise” in voting for Trump appears to bring Christian America one step closer to a country without Roe.

But it does not bring us a step closer to a country without woe.

Burns’ point is presupposed upon the idea that a vote for Donald Trump in the general election was by necessity a “compromise” (voting for Clinton was not a compromise in his view). Burns used his op-ed in the WaPo to lash out at Christians who voted for Trump and who feel vindicated in the wisdom of their vote, given the impending nomination of Trump’s second likely pro-life Supreme Court justice.

Burns then began his politically-flooded liberal treatise against the unborn by writing about a group of pastors with whom he meets, one of which is of Venezuelan descent, and who lamented Trump’s policy of following immigration law. Of this, Burns writes:

Of course, the travel ban’s core aim is to exclude potential visitors and immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, an intent at odds with Christian views of religious freedom.

It should not surprise us that Burns – a Marxist and globalist – characterizes a common sense immigration policy designed for national security as “at odds with Christian views of religious freedom.” This claim is absurd for several reasons, including that (1) Obama had implemented a harsher policy than Trump’s, to no criticism from the left (2) these countries only represent 8% of the world’s Muslims, but instead, represent terrorist nations. Furthermore, national borders and boundaries were invented by God Himself, and not juxtaposed against the Holy Scripture. Finally, whether or not a citizen of the United States has the liberty to worship whatever god they choose has nothing to do with whether or not those of other religions (or countries) are somehow entitled to come as immigrants from nations that regularly support acts of terror against our republic.

The insanity of Burns’ facts-deaf leftism aside (and yes, he mentions “Russian collusion” in his article, I kid you not), his overall point is that the Trump administration is capable of great evils that are even more wicked than the grievous sin of abortion. Burns’ argument is that abortion is bad, but racism is worse than abortion. Furthermore, Burns makes the thought-leap that Trump (and Republicans and conservatives et al) is racist.

The potential nomination of a potential pro-life judge does not, in my opinion, alleviate the concerns I have about the racial injustices this same administration seems to multiply each day. What many evangelicals don’t seem to understand is they’re turning blind eyes to their brethren suffering at the hands of this administration for the long-held hope of overturning Roe. I’m for overturning Roe, but I’m also for protecting black and brown lives from racism and the kind of criminalization that swells our prisons and devastates communities or separates families at the borders.

Burns makes the rather humanitarian policy not to incarcerate children with their criminal parents the moral equivalent – nay, morally worse – than murdering children. Trump, Burns argues, is advancing racism against “black and brown lives” and this must take priority above ending the murder of millions of black and brown babies who are disproportionately slaughtered in the womb.

Some Christians appear to have made a Faustian bargain for the mere price of a Supreme Court nominee. The Devil gets the better end of that deal!

Again, Burns lashes out at Christians celebrating the opportunity to nominate another conservative to the courts who will be more likely to overturn Roe v Wade. To Burns, the inherently racist policies of Donald Trump and the Republican Party are not worth ending the greatest evil the world has ever known. And if that’s what it means to be “pro-life,” we need less of it.

Russell Moore and the rest of the “woke” Social Justice movement in evangelicalism have convinced many that their movement is trans-political, or perhaps even apolitical. These are Gospel-centered men who just happen to think that the Bible approves of illegal immigration and is kind of chill with abortion. In reality, what Burns demonstrates, is that the movement is as political as the Moral Majority ever was; they’re just on the other side.

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Brannon Howse seems to hold a grudge. This is shocking, I know.

During the Interfaith Dialogue (IFD) Kefuffle of 2017, in which James White took part in an IFD, I kept mostly silent. I went on record at the Judge Not Conference during a Q&A, in which I disagreed with White and with the entire premise of IFD, along with the ill-advised use of the word, “fellowship,” to describe such a thing. I also spoke with Howse and Steve Camp (who was also on the war-path regarding the subject) for hours on the phone regarding the issue. However, I took exception with Howse’s bizarre demand of his podcast associates to unilaterally condemn James White. Howse grossly mistreated broadcasters like Justin Peters and Mike Abendroth who wouldn’t jump into Howse’s lynch mob, and I specified that my disagreement with White didn’t amount to anathematization. For Howse, that’s enough to earn said anathematization. Nonetheless, I’ve refused to be at war with someone else just because someone else is at war with me, and have from time to time complimented Howse when he gets things right (which is not uncommon).

However, I did take stronger exception with “Jeff the GK,” who was chosen as a replacement for the broadcasters who Howse booted (and those who left of their own accord in disgust). I once broadcasted with Howse (doing a podcast was Howse’s idea, actually), but left quietly after his gross and unethical treatment of Dr. John MacArthur (I did go on record with Brannon privately in regard to the reason for my departure).

Jeff Dornik (who I have written about here) was a more obnoxious pesterer of Howse’s enemies than most, and he repeatedly took shots at men who – like myself – didn’t wholeheartedly agree with White but weren’t willing to cast him off to hell. And so, I took Jeff down a peg or two from time to time over the course of 2017 (and maybe 2018, I don’t recall).

And so, demonstrating that there will always be ceaseless civil unrest among evangelicals and there’s no faction so small it can’t be fractured by pointless infighting, Jeff “the Gatekeeper” posted an invective against me on Howse’s website. The subject matter of that article is a few seconds of a cellphone video taken at Gay Pride Atlanta as I was there preaching in the Fall of 2017.

After the regular resuscitation of years-old controversies (which have had books written about them already), absent any opposing views or context, Jeff the GK got to the complaint:

Recently, JD was out performing street evangelism. As happens with many self-promoting street evangelists, he had someone filming his preaching. During this “Gospel proclamation,” he spent his time talking down to his audience. This is the kind of attitude that comes across as “I’m better than you.” But even this isn’t my main critique.

By “recently, “Jeff means, “about a year ago.” He probably confused that particular clip with my recent preaching at Big Sky Pride in Montana, just a few weeks ago. Bless his heart, but due diligence in research is not for everybody, I suppose.

Regarding his accusation of being a “self-promoting street evangelist,” I’d just like to point out that the vast majority of my open-air evangelism you’ll never hear about. I’ve often said, “If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? And if an open-air preacher preaches without putting it on YouTube, did it really happen?” Putting every encounter online is obnoxious, and I’ve never done it. I do have a few clips I’ve been meaning to get up for learning opportunities, but I digress. That particular video was posted by Reformation Charlotte, who created it.

Next, I’ll address his use of scare quotes around “Gospel presentation.” I would encourage anyone with a thimble-worth of personal integrity and intellectual honesty to listen to the whole or bulk of that video. What I presented with stone-cold Gospel, with no “scare quotes” necessary. I preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (explicitly) as God’s means of salvation for sinners, after proclaiming God’s law (which I specified was designed to teach us our duty and make clear our need of salvation), prior to proclaiming the proper response to the Gospel in faith, which is repentance. In fact, I consider the use of “scare quotes” around “Gospel presentation” to be the most offensive part of this fellow’s trite post.

Regarding “talking down to my audience,” I literally was…in a sense. What you couldn’t see is about a thousand or so homosexuals in front of me, down in the line near the famous Coca-Cola museum, waiting to get into the venue. They were literally down from us, which was of necessity because we had to remain on public property. However, I think what Jeff is referring to is the preaching of God’s law. Again, I would encourage anyone who is seriously interested (all three of you) to listen to the full clip. It only makes sense that someone using “scare quotes” around “Gospel presentation” would confuse preaching God’s perfect law with “talking down” to someone or the attitude of “I’m better than you.” I think you’ll see that I included myself repeatedly in the swath of humanity fallen in Adam. But again, facts seem too far and away for Jeff the GK or Brannon Howse to grasp.

My main critique is when he told someone in the audience that on judgment day, “God will lift His middle finger to you.” Here’s that clip (Scroll ahead to about the 6 minute mark for the lead up the actual statement):

Yes, yes. Someone walked by and gave me the bird. What I said in response is what I said. Regarding that comment, which was made after a full day of being surrounded by God-hating BDSM-dressed, thong-wearing homosexuals, I did look at the guys I was with afterward and said, “I probably shouldn’t have said that” (which they can attest to). Providentially, I happened to mention this at a church Bible study at some point in the last month or so. I used this particular incident to demonstrate how easy it is to get caught up in responses that are instinctual rather than thoughtful. It is certainly beneficial for an open-air evangelist to take time for a breather every few hours before the darkness overwhelms your thinking capacity and you begin to operate on auto-pilot. To be clear, I regret having said it, and I said that at the time and since then.

I have constantly strived to be above coarseness or crassness, especially in any public venue and especially when the fairer sex is present, in keeping with Biblical admonitions against crassness (Ephesians 5:4). Of course, these were not preschoolers or ladies (in the conventional sense) present, but sodomites simulating cunnilingus and fellatio, making obscene gestures (I did not return the favor, by the way), and calling Jesus a “fag.” Nonetheless, I’d take it back if I could. For the record, however, I’m losing zero sleep over it. Preaching in Sodom isn’t easy, but forgiveness is.

My point was simple; you’re telling God “go to hell” today. And he will tell you “go to hell” tomorrow. I recognize there’s another interpretation of what the middle finger means, which is significantly more crass than just sentencing someone to eternal perdition. But in yeoman’s terms, we typically mean it to say, “forget you” or “away with you.” The origin of the middle finger gesture, by the way, goes back to 1415AD, in which the French army would cut the middle finger off of English prisoners of war, rendering them unable as archers, should they ever be released. When seeing their French opponents, the English would display their middle finger as a way of saying, “You haven’t captured us yet.” Again, I digress.

This is utterly blasphemous! The fact that this came out of the mouth of a pastor that many within the Reformed camp looks up to and are friends with us even more shocking. Not only is this factually untrue, but this is slanderous to God and an attack on the character of God.

First of all, God is a spirit. So if we are going to get technical with it, God will not physically life [sic] His middle finger.

To which I say, “No kidding.” God the Father is Spirit. Clearly, I wasn’t making an ontological argument. The Bible often speaks of God anthropomorphically, without being self-blasphemous. Crass, my comment was. An argument of ontology, my comment was not.

Secondly, and more importantly, God is not a God of vulgarity.  Raising your middle finger towards someone is a sexually explicit insult which, literally means “f*** you.” I’m sorry that I had to even write that bleeped out, but it’s important that you understand the definition in order to see why this made me so upset to hear this coming from a pastor. Why would a pastor believe that God would ever say that to someone? That is not only vulgar, but it is sexually explicit vulgarity that has no place coming from a Christian and will never come from God.

I think Jeff must have redefined “sexually explicit” and neglected to tell anyone. Something that is “sexually explicit” is sexually explicit (those words define themselves). Saying the word, “middle finger” is not sexual and neither is it explicit. He also redefined the word “literally,” an annoying but not uncommon thing. A gesture “literally” means nothing “literally.”

Here’s the thing; I really have little regard for the accusations of some random podcast host whose article appears on a website with an Alexa rank of 220k. Neither do I take seriously any call to “step down from ministry” from a man whose chief theological credential is operating a podcast on a network run by a man who – he himself – is not a member of a local church. The fact is, far more people will see this now that I have written about it than would otherwise. Furthermore, I also weigh into consideration that the point of the article, which I will not link lest it moves up to 219k on Alexa, is designed to take potshots at others who happen to have been declared enemies by Brannon Howse. However, as I said at the time and afterward, I wish I wouldn’t have given that remark, should not have given that remark, and (hopefully) wouldn’t do it again. 

What do you want, blood? Give me a break (or don’t, I don’t care).

One of the reasons I don’t ordinarily post my open air videos (the videos themselves are for protection against false accusations and potential litigation because homosexuals will make all sorts of false complaints against Gospel preachers) is because it lifts you to the scorn of men who wouldn’t know evangelism from E-Harmony. I’ve often watched (and by God’s grace, have never taken part) men ridicule open-air evangelists for their perceived lack of articulation (you try preaching ‘from the hip’ to a hostile audience for 48 hours straight), a phrase they fumbled, words they’ve gotten backwards, or their instinctual response to getting literally hit over the head. I saw abolitionists get skewered for not being “loving” enough when a man accosted them, beat them, and pounded their Go-Pro into dust outside the abortion clinic. My thoughts were, and remain, “you try it.”

I’m writing this to demonstrate how you handle accusations of wrong. You acknowledge them, even if you think the accuser is a random moron who happens to have a podcast. Then, if there’s a degree of truth in their accusation, you acknowledge that, too. If you happened to have been wrong, say so. And then, move along.

In the meantime, there’s a whole lost world out there who is marching in leather thongs and waving rainbow-colored flags. They’re marching to hell and don’t know it. What strikes you when you do open-air evangelism at such events is that you’re (most of the time) the only ones doing it. Where are all of the other Christians? I don’t know, but if they have to worry about other Christians playing armchair quarterback, I totally get why they don’t.

When we gathered recently at Big Sky Pride, we gathered in prayer after the first evening and reminded ourselves that we don’t do this to make people mad, but to show them God’s love. I reminded them that our words should be direct and clear, but that we shouldn’t neglect the Good News along with the bad. I reminded them that our hearts should be right before the Lord. And so, correction to where it is due and when it is due.

In the meantime, even if I wanted to critique videos of Jeff the GK sharing the Gospel, I couldn’t…because there aren’t any.

– JD

[Editor’s note: The video has since been removed by Facebook, probably for anti-gay “hate speech,” which is now their default position for all open-air preaching to homosexuals. It was not removed by Reformation Charlotte]

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A.D. Robles reviews Ron Burns’ (Thabiti Anyabwile) article at WaPo that suggests working with Trump to end abortion is compromising your “wokeness” and Trump should be opposed.

A.D. Robles YouTube channel can be followed here.

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Victimology is the invention of Critical Race Theorists and Cultural Marxists, designed to oppress minority groups by making them identify with victimhood, which only results in stifling their innate genius, resolve, and ambition to better their own condition. By identifying as victims, even when there is no real victimhood, the division between identity groups grows and cultural dissension is increased, accomplishing the ultimate goal of Marxism, which is civil unrest.

As Anthony B. Bradley, PhD, writes at the Acton Institute:

Black liberation theology actually encourages a victim mentality among blacks. John McWhorters’ book Losing the Race, will be helpful here. Victimology, says McWhorter, is the adoption of victimhood as the core of one’s identity – for example, like one who suffers through living in “a country and who lived in a culture controlled by rich white people.” It is a subconscious, culturally inherited affirmation that life for blacks in America has been in the past and will be in the future a life of being victimized by the oppression of whites. In today’s terms, it is the conviction that, 40 years after the Civil Rights Act, conditions for blacks have not substantially changed. As Wright intimates, for example, scores of black men regularly get passed over by cab drivers.

Victimology serves three main purposes for Marxism, as defined in the aforementioned work at Acton:

First, victimology condones weakness in failure. Victimology tacitly stamps approval on failure, lack of effort, and criminality. Behaviors and patterns that are self-destructive are often approved of as cultural or presented as unpreventable consequences from previous systemic patterns. Black Liberation theologians are clear on this point: “People are poor because they are victims of others,” says Dr. Dwight Hopkins, a black liberation theologian teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Second, victimology hampers progress because, from the outset, it focuses attention on obstacles. For example, in Black liberation Theology, the focus is on the impediment of black freedom in light of the Goliath of white racism.

Third, victimology keeps racism alive because many whites are constantly painted as racist with no evidence provided. Racism charges create a context for backlash and resentment, fueling new attitudes among whites not previously held or articulated, and creates “separatism” – a suspension of moral judgment in the name of racial solidarity. Does Jeremiah Wright foster separatism or racial unity and reconciliation?

As a case-in-point regarding the incessant victimology that is leaking from Black Nationalist evangelicals like Dwight McKissic and Thabiti Anyabwile, we’ll turn to one of their proteges, Southern Seminary student, Kyle J. Howard. Howard sat at the head table with Russell Moore, Beth Moore, and Phillip and Jasmine Holmes at the MLK veneration conference, MLK50. He made news originally for claiming that he would be “afraid” to be in a room with James White, insinuating that White was racist and might even go so far as to do physical harm to Howard. In reality, Howard is an extremely privileged one-percenter who was raised by two attorneys in an affluent Atlanta suburb. Additionally, one of Howard’s parents is fully Caucasian, a lineage Howard neglects to mention when identifying himself as a victim of systemic racism. Howard has given an absurd personal testimony of having been in the ruthless crips gang as a teenager, even though he admits that neither his girlfriend (and current wife) or parents knew about his secret involvement in the gang (neither is there any other person on the face of the planet who can substantiate this claim). In reality, Howard played competitive chess and debate in high school. Nonetheless, Howard now is a “racial trauma counselor” and speaks out against “white privilege.”

Howard made the following claim in social media on Wednesday…

Howard was referring to Maxine Water’s encouragement to Democrats and leftists to follow and harass Trump administration officials, quite possibly in violation of U.S. House of Representatives ethics rules.

Of course, Trump has not “incited way more violence” than Maxine Waters. Such a claim is, in itself, absent any actual facts. Waters literally called for Trump officials to be targeted at stores, restaurants and gas stations by opponents and denied service and to be run out under protest. Trump has done no such thing. And then there’s another issue, that the greatest acts of violence in America are done to the unborn, and that’s the fault entirely of Kyle J. Howard’s political party, which includes Maxine Waters.

But the real insanity of Howard’s tweet is his claim (this is at least the second time he has made it) that his wife “didn’t feel safe” at the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In a previous tweet several weeks ago, Howard said his wife “could not go on campus” because of her fear of attack. According to Howard, the unsafe environment at SBTS was caused by “Trump’s rhetoric” and the “hate it caused in seminarians.”

Let’s think about this for a moment. Is anyone seriously believing that SBTS – one of the nicest, most pristine, safest and most prestigious seminaries on the planet – was “unsafe” for a woman of color? There have been no race-based acts of violence at SBTS. Heck, there haven’t been any notable acts of violence of any kind at SBTS. Let’s look at those statistics.

Thankfully, the Michael Minger Act is a Kentucky state law that requires public colleges and universities (also at private institutions licensed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education) to report campus crimes to their employees, students, and the public. It was passed in 2000 and revised in 2004. This is the report for crime at SBTS, as made available on their website in compliance to the Michael Minger Act.

Yeah, that seems like a really unsafe place. It seems that the worst (and only) crime to happen (or even be reported) is about 10 thefts per year of personal property (we presume from local residents coming onto campus we hope). You might notice that the reported incidents of ethnic bias were at zero.

You can find other years’ reports at SBTS here. And guess what? Similarly, there are no reported incidents of ethnic bias or systemic violence toward anyone. But that doesn’t stop Howard from making the claim that because of Donald Trump (somehow), his wife was afraid to go onto the campus of SBTS.

But, there’s something else here that’s crazy. This is Mrs. Kyle J. Howard.

With a maiden name that is Vietnamese in origin, and with an appearance that is, well…not black…one wonders why an Asian American is afraid to go onto a perfectly safe seminary campus. Is there an epidemic of random, racially-motivated violence against Asian Americans caused by the Trump administration? Is that a thing?

In Critical Race Theory, being “black” has nothing to do with biology or ethnicity. It is, instead, about identifying with victimhood. To acknowledge yourself as “black” is really to identify with victimhood. Therefore, it is possible to be “black” even without really being black. We recognize this makes no sense, but we didn’t make this up; James Cone did. This is what Critical Race Theorists, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, write about in their book, Critical Race Theory, as the theory’s third theme. Also known as the “social construction thesis,” they argue that race and relations are detached from biology altogether (Critical Race Theory, Second Edition, page 8). If you see yourself as a victim, you are “black.” If you do not see yourself as a victim, you are not black (which is why so many Marxists treat conservative black Americans with such contempt, referring to them as “fake blacks,” “Uncle Toms,” or “sell-outs.”) When they speak of “black Christians” as a homogenous, single-minded group, it’s simply because they don’t view black antagonists to their Marxist victimology, like Darrell B. Harrison, as truly being black – regardless their ethnicity.

Any Asian woman who is afraid to go on the campus of SBTS because of Donald Trump (or their Caucasian-black husband who makes such a claim) is being asinine. No one believes that. No one believes that because it is absurd. And this is where you’ll get into another aspect of Critical Race Theory, which is the preeminence of one’s personal “experience” or “story,” which is to elevated above all facts and reason.

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The eventuality of President Donald Trump nominating a second Supreme Court Justice in the first year-and-a-half of his presidency has liberals in a tizzy (the previous two presidents were only able to nominate two justices over the two full four-year terms). Likewise, social conservatives are elated with the possibility of a second pro-life appointee to the highest court by President Trump. Many evangelical voters have felt vindicated for voting for Trump, even in spite of his personal wretchedness, with the possibility of overturning Roe v Wade closer than at any time in history. And many evangelical leftists are sore losers, angry that conservative evangelicals aren’t laden with guilt and clothed in sackcloth over their decision to vote for Trump. In the last several days, leftist Christians like Ron Burns (Thabiti Anyabwile) have made the argument that even if abortion is criminalized, the lives saved won’t be worth the “compromise” necessary to work with Trump. Rachel Held Evans has now made the same argument.

We presume the reader is familiar with Held Evans, the progressive-leftist who officially abandoned evangelicalism several years ago for not being open enough to sodomy. If not, you can peruse our links about Held Evans, here.

Held Evans issued the following tweet.

Uh, yes. Yes, we realize that the abortion industry targets minority populations for brutal extinction. Apparently, Held Evans also realizes that, according to her tweet. What’s bizarre is that she doesn’t seem to get the irony of it.

While she puts “millions of lives” in “scare quotes,” as though 1.2 million dead babies per year aren’t really “lives,” she does acknowledge that a significant percentage of these lives are in “communities of color.”

One would think that if you truly think the Trump administration is actively oppressing communities of color that they would rejoice that he’s taking a great first step in protecting them by nominating a pro-life Supreme Court justice. While it remains unclear how POTUS is actively oppressing minority groups (unemployment in the black community is at an all-time low and their income is at an all-time high), with no single action taken by POTUS that liberals can point to as “oppressive,” it is good that Held Evans recognizes abortion affects blacks more than whites. It’s not good that she doesn’t think ending abortion is worth celebrating.

Matt Walsh and other social media savvy conservatives quickly took Held Evans to task on Twitter, pointing out the callousness of her position and coldness toward the unborn.  They also pointed out her apparent cognitive dissonance; her reasoning that protecting lives of minorities is somehow at odds with helping minorities. Held Evans was so bombarded with tweets that she deleted the original thread and said she was going to “sign off” for a while. She was back at it, however, defending her comments, in a short period of time.

Please note that Held Evans says that she is “pro-life” in her convictions, but doesn’t necessarily think abortion should be illegal (hint: that’s not being pro-life). Then, Held Evans engaged in victimology, claiming that she had received “disturbing responses and threats.” However, NO such disturbing responses OR threats were seen in the ensuing thread.

Finally, “systemic injustices” don’t “contribute to abortion.” Abortion IS the systemic injustice. Oh, and by the way, people who commit abortions are, indeed, baby killers.

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Watch this important clip from Wretched Radio. Friel has it figured out. He discusses Critical Race Theory and how it’s being advanced by The Gospel Coalition.

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A letter released by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary donors reveal the full story and makes a very plausible argument that trustees made the wrong decision in both the May 23 demotion and May 30 firing of Paige Patterson.

We know that a large part of Patterson’s firing at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) was due to the toxic public relations environment created by the furthest-left component of the Social Gospel coalition in the SBC; of that, there is zero doubt. When trustee, Bart Barber, issued a misleading and vague statement about their reasoning for ousting the seasoned Southern Baptist leader, it left the impression the trustees made that decision in a vacuum, based upon a pile of (still unseen and unreported) evidence of severe wrongdoing. In reality, Barber was influenced by a broad public relations coup d’etat manufactured by leftist, feminist, and gay evangelicals. Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer (who are both fully “woke”) took unprecedented potshots at the elder SBC statesman (Stetzer left SBC employment last year, but admitted in an op-ed that he had a score to settle with Patterson) in the vein of the #MeToo movement. Karen Swallow Prior, the radical animal rights activist, full-blown egalitarian, and gay-friendly Revoice promoter (and ERLC research fellow), started a petition to get Patterson fired, which was signed mostly by bra-burning, hairy-armed Rachel Held Evans-type feminists. Russell Moore’s staunch ally in the press, homosexual Jonathan Meritt, and other closely associated journalists who regularly work with Moore led the charge against Patterson from day 1.

Love him or hate him, Patterson was taken out by leftists and by progressive Southern Baptists who wanted him out of the way and by trustees who felt the public pressure created by those who are trying (and succeeding) at getting evangelicals to switch sides in the culture war. Any impartial, fair-minded survey of the situation should recognize that Patterson would still be the president of SWBTS if it weren’t for a coalition of progressives and a gaggle of hysterical trustees, terrified by the panicked, politically-correct zeitgeist of the age.

The other fact that must eventually be addressed is that the method of Patterson’s firing was shady as could possibly be. The legalities of what transpired were stretched to the limits; the ethical boundaries that surpass mere legalities were egregiously breached. Even those who are happy to see Patterson gone should be able to admit that no institutional process should work itself out like what we saw at SWBTS. It was not only irresponsible and embarrassing, it was possibly illegal and – without a doubt – unethical. The trustee’s behavior also opened up SWBTS to a rightful civil suit that has a good probability of winning.

The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. – Proverbs 18:17

In the #MeToo frenzy that took over for the rational thinking processes of SWBTS trustees, important facts were overlooked, and others not considered at all. The other side has now presented their case, and it seems that there is a very good reason to doubt the trustees made the right decision. Gary Loveless, a donor and longtime supporter of SWBTS, wrote a letter to Kevin Ueckert, chair of the Executive Committee of the SWBTS trustee board. Loveless wrote his letter on behalf of 16 regular large donors to the seminary.

A brief summary of the accusations from the donors to the board are as follows:

• The manner in which Patterson was fired was not only unethical but was “illegal.”
• The charges against Patterson were vague and non-specific.
• Patterson and his staff were not permitted to see the “evidence” against him.
• Bart Barber’s statement at the SBC was “false and slanderous.”
• The May 30 meeting happened while Patterson was in Germany, and was hurriedly scheduled contrary to bylaws, to happen without his presence (again, this is contrary to SWBTS bylaws).
• Their flagrant violation of bylaws and ethical standards will result in the accrediting agency and the Texas Attorney General getting involved.
• Ueckert said new information made it seem as though Patterson lied about something, but absolutely no one knows what Ueckert is talking about; no one has said it publicly and no one as told Patterson privately.
• When Patterson’s staff released correspondence between he and the alleged “victim” who he allegedly did not handle with enough care (which would have exhonerated him of the bulk of trustee accusations), Ueckert insanely called the release, “unethical.” The donors rightly called out this idiocy.
• In reality, Patterson had called the police within SIX MINUTES of the young woman’s allegations.
• Regardless of what the now-infamous term “break her down” meant, the fact was, is and remains that the woman’s rape allegations were indeed false.

The Pattersons seem to be signaling that they will sue SWBTS, and possibly, trustees themselves who were individually involved in his firing. Regarding this particular case, it certainly seems as if the Pattersons do have legal legs to stand on. There was immense pressure from outside the trustee board to do what was politically expedient, rather than to judge rightly. They failed. The evidence is actually against them…strongly. Now, it looks like there will be a large financial price to pay, not only in an inevitable lawsuit by Patterson but in the loss of big donors to SWBTS.

Something tells me that Karen Swallow Prior isn’t going to make up the difference.

You can read the letter to the SWBTS trustee board here.

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When allegations first surfaced of Bill Hybel’s sexual sin at the Willow Creek megachurch, church leaders insinuated that the women and their testimonies were untrustworthy. An internal investigation was launched by Willow Creek into Hybels’ behavior, initially with just one woman known to cooperate with the investigatory committee. According to the Chicago Tribune, which spearheaded the press’ inquiry, several women declined to speak to the church’s investigatory committee, some because they feared the investigation lacked integrity and others because Hybels had been so instrumental in promoting their personal ministry. After further investigation and new revelations, Willow Creek leaders have come to the conclusion that Hybels was guilty of at least some sexual sins and furthermore, that they themselves did not act properly in response to the accusations.

Heather Larsen – the new (female) lead pastor of Willow Creek – and the new teaching pastor, Steve Carter, issued the statement of apology and regret. Larsen, who also serves as church “CEO,” wrote the following:

It was stated that the allegations are all lies, and I do not believe that. I should have jumped in and declared that personally right away when that statement was made. I believe the stories that Bill had interactions that were hurtful to these women. That is wrong, and I hope and pray that someday this can be made right.

I ask for forgiveness that I did not personally declare that sooner.

The women showed courage in coming forward. In full transparency of what was going on in me, one of the hardest parts for me was that I did not agree with how the information came out in the media, and I allowed that to get in the way of focusing on the pain of these women. I am sorry. I should have listened more to why the women felt like they were forced to take that path.

It was wrong to host those first family meetings and to release those initial posted statements in the way we did. We should have started by listening. As I walked out on stage that first night, I realized that the humility and tone were not right, and I have deep regrets about even holding those meetings. I said things that hurt people, and I am deeply sorry.

Steve Carter, who is responsible for much of the teaching at Willow Creek, also said:

Specifically, I do not think it should have been said that the women were lying or that they were colluding against Bill and the church. I believe the women and applaud their courage.

I have personally reached out to and connected with several of the victims and listened to their experiences. I have made private apologies to several of the women and their families for the way they have been treated. I thank God for the opportunity to seek grace and forgiveness from these individuals.

I recognize that I am not blameless in this. I take full responsibility for my actions that contributed to the injustice that was done to these women. I should not have been on stage for any of the family meetings, to pray or lead any part of those nights. I believe now that what our church needed initially was to practice transparency and repentance, to grieve, and to reflect on what Jesus was inviting us into and to listen to the Holy Spirit.

It is unknown if Willow Creek church leaders will evaluate the role of women in ministry, and how it played a role in the sexual abuse or sin in the congregation. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, stonewalling the process of the investigation were many women who had advanced in ministry positions throughout the organization due to Hybels’ influence, and he used his ability to promote women throughout the ministry ranks in exchange for carnal affection.

While Hybels is first and foremost responsible for his sin, along with any willing participants, a serious discussion needs to be had in regards to how women being in ministry so extensively at Willow Creek led to the toxic environment that made such predation possible among co-workers.

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Dr. Arturo G. Azurdia III, the brilliant expositor and homiletics master at Trinity Church in Portland has fallen into sexual immorality and been released from his position as pastor. The statement of Art Azurdia’s fall was made on the church’s website by Thomas Terry, one of Trinity Church’s remaining elders.

On Sunday, June 24, the elders of Trinity Church of Portland received an accusation that Art Azurdia has been in a sexually immoral relationship with a woman from outside of Trinity Church. The elders of Trinity Church, after an initial investigation, confronted Art with the accusation. Art admitted to the immorality. He also admitted to a previous sexually immoral relationship. Based on these facts and the biblical qualifications required of an elder (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1), the elders have removed Art Azurdia as Senior Minister of Word and Worship at Trinity Church, as an elder, and from all pastoral ministry at Trinity Church. We grieve the shame this brings to the Gospel and the sorrow it brings to God’s people.

Many thousands have been blessed by the preaching of Art Azurdia, especially in circles that are considered to be more theologically sound. Along with his role of pastor at the church he planted, Trinity Church, Azurdia also served as a professor of theology at Western Seminary and taught homiletics.

Azurdia is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and attended California State University where he got a degree in music. He received his M. Div. from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley , California and his Doctorate in Ministry from Westminster Seminary in California. Prior to planting Trinity Church, he had served another congregation for nearly twenty years.  Azurdia founded the Spurgeon Fellowship at Western Seminary. His preaching became very popular around 2007-2008 and many know him from clips played on Wretched Radio and elsewhere.

By every account so far, it seems that Trinity Church in Portland has acted quickly, decisively and with integrity regarding this matter.

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall – 1 Corinthians 10:12

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Priest, Michael Briese

An entire family was kicked out of a funeral and the corpse removed from St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, last Tuesday. Agnes Hicks was being celebrated at the funeral with a Mass when an attendee at the funeral accidentally bumped into and knocked over the chalice, or sacred cup used for priestcraft rituals.

People quickly took out their cellphones to record the priest screaming at the family and kicking them – and the corpse – out. The priest, Michael Briese, can be heard shouting:

There will be no funeral, there will be no mass, no repass, everyone get the hell out of my church.

He then referred to the corpse of Agnes Hicks as “the thing” and said, “Get this thing out of my church!”

Knocking over the sacred cup was an accident, caused by someone going in to give the bereaved a hug. But for the priest, who ascribes spiritual power and influence to created things (which is the very nature of idolatry), that was an unforgivable offense. After screaming at the family, the priest called the police. Upon arrival, the police took the side of the family and arranged for a different setting for the funeral – a funeral home nearby – and a different pastor did the funeral.

One of the daughters of Agnes Hicks, Renetta Baker, said, “Bad enough we had to bury our own mother yesterday but for you to say she’s a ‘thing’ and there will be no funeral. You’re not a preacher. You’re not a pastor. You’re not a father of the Lord. You’re not any of that. You’re the devil.”

The Archdiocese of Washington issued an apology later in the day for the behavior of this particular church and its priest.

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USA! USA! USA!

That’s basically the Gospel preached by Joshua Feuerstein. The downside of the information age and unfiltered communication is that any shlub in a tracksuit can gain Internet fandom by sounding like he knows what he’s talking about. He doesn’t actually have to know what he’s talking about; he just needs to sound like it. Feuerstein has mastered this niche market of social media ministry; he’s a man with little to no real theological training, an infinitesimally small grasp of the Bible, and suffers from an indomitable confusion between American nationalism and the Gospel.

And to be clear, the problem is not that Feuerstein is all for ‘Murica.’ God bless ‘Murica.’ I mean, we could live in some forsaken, terrible place (like Canada, eh). The problem is that Feuerstein is a grossly unqualified, undereducated, and spiritually bereft leader of a cyber-cult who doesn’t know the Bible from the Book of Mormon.

Yesterday, Feuerstein posted the following to his Facebook account, which is the equivalent of an actual pastor preaching something from behind the pulpit.

The Scripture Feuerstein posted says, “Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.”

Feuerstein then added, “God’s message to America!”

Here’s the problem, though. That’s not from the Bible. That’s from the Book of Mormon. In particular, that’s from Ether 2:12. It is supposedly the record of the Jaredites, taken from the twenty-four plates found by the people of Limhi in the days of King Mosiah. It’s just as likely that it was taken from the firey dungeons of Mordor.

While the Americanism of Mormonism might be appealing (it is a religion founded in America, fabricated in America, for Americans), it is not Biblical. We can assure you that God’s message to America will not be found in a book made up in the head of a serial adulterer, polygamist, liar and thief, Joseph Smith.

It’s also not going to be found in Joshua Feuerstein.

While seminary or Bible college isn’t (and probably shouldn’t be) a prerequisite for Christian ministry, that someone with the theological acumen (or lack thereof) of Joshua Feuerstein has a teaching platform makes the idea of some kind of mandatory instruction appealing. In the meantime, it’s unclear if Feuerstein has been ordained for ministry by any kind of local church – it’s highly doubtful – but if so, they might want to consider revoking it.

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The following story is the product of interviews with and submissions from numerous sources local to Middle Tennessee.  The truth of the reporting here is dependent on the accuracy of the information reported by those sources.  Pulpit & Pen is confident in the accuracy of the information provided. Anyone with first-hand information about Pastor Greg Locke, his actions toward Global Vision Bible Church and or his wife, is encouraged to contact Pulpit & Pen at talkback@pulpitandpen.org.

Tai Cowan, church secretary, sat in one of the front pews of Global Vision Bible Church.  Her mother sat behind her, rubbing her shoulders.  The church’s pastor, Greg Locke, stood in the pulpit and addressed the congregation.  He professed his love for Tai and the congregation clapped and cheered.  It would be a perfect love story if not for the sordid and sinful details.

Greg Locke is the famous internet “pastor” of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.  On June 10^th, Pulpit & Pen published an article entitled “Greg Locke Jumps the Gun” which included pictures of Locke’s minivan parked outside of his church secretary’s house during the night and before his divorce from his estranged wife Melissa.  The very day the article was published, Locke called this writer and threatened a lawsuit.  Soon after, the secretary, a woman named Tai, was removed from the Global Vision Bible Church staff webpage.  This weekend, Greg Locke called a special meeting at Global Vision Bible Church and announced that he was romantically involved with Tai.  Locke claimed that he developed his amorous feelings for Tai after he filed for divorce from his wife of twenty years.  All the recent media scrutiny, Greg claimed, had pushed them together.  To say the least, it is interesting that Locke announced his feelings for Tai after photographic evidence was released showing him at her house during the night.  Even if Locke’s claim about when he developed romantic affection for his secretary is to be believed, his actions disqualify him for the pastorate.  Locke’s divorce is biblically unjustified.  To make matters worse, Locke’s romantic advances are towards an employee of his church and the husband of another man.  It is not yet clear to Pulpit & Pen if Tai’s marriage to her former husband, Chris, has been legally ended.  What is clear is that the clergyman  who officiated that marriage was none other than Greg Locke himself.

Greg Locke prays over Tai Cowan’s estranged husband.

What kind of pastor, what kind of man, performs the marriage of a woman, gives her a job, and then divorces his own wife and begins a romantic relationship with her?  The answer is “Pastor” Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.  Locke, presenting himself as a social conservative, has used political videos and online sermons to develop a Facebook following of nearly 1.5 million.  Global Vision Bible Church even boasts “internet members” who stream worship services online and donate money from all over the country.  Amazingly, Greg Locke continues to garner both a local and internet following even after reports of divorce, demonstrable lies, and spousal abuse have surfaced. Not only has Greg Locke’s moral character come into question, the financial operations of Global Vision Bible Church have also been a matter of concern to former members.  People are wondering if the church paid $10,000 for Greg’s ex-wife to have weight loss surgery.  People are wondering if the church paid for Greg and his executive pastor to get new cars.  It is now being disseminated by sources in Mt. Juliet that Global Vision Bible Church Executive Pastor Jarrod Almond has left the organization.  With the departure of Almond, will more financial concerns come to light?

Greg Locke has filed for bankruptcy. Is he mismanaging the finances of GVBC? The church elders quit over financial accountability.

Greg Locke has run into financial problems before; a background check revealed that he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2009.  A background check on Tai revealed that she was in criminal trouble with the state of Tennessee for “Obtaining Control Substance by Fraud” in 2008.  Locke himself was a delinquent in his youth.  Given the behavior of Greg and Tai, should anyone believe that they are changed people who bear fruit in keeping with repentance?  Should anyone trust them to steward the resources of Christ’s church, especially given their marital records.  As for Greg’s claim that he only began to have feelings for Tai after filing for divorce, his ex-wife Melissa went on the record with Pulpit & Pen in early March claiming that Greg told her:

As soon as the divorce is final, (Tai and I) are getting together.  We see each other at work, at church, and most evening for dinner.  You know Melissa I hope somebody else loves you because it will never be me.

According to Melissa, Tai even asked Melissa if she’d want her to raise her kids for her if she died.  Greg and Tai may just be a perfect, yet unholy match.

What kind of people remain at Global Vision Bible Church defending these two?  Greg Locke, and whatever congregants remain at his church, demonstrate the worst of the visible church.  To be certain, no one who fears God should fear Greg Locke.  The more people local to GVBC keep silent about Greg Locke and his many pastoral abuses, the more people may be spiritually damaged under his care.  People with knowledge of the situation are encouraged to speak out.  Greg, Tai, and those who condone their behavior are a kingdom embarrassment.

Nevertheless, both Greg and Tai could find salvation in Christ if they were to turn from their sins and put their faith in the risen Jesus.  All who call upon the name will be saved, so says the Bible.  That includes readers of this article, whomever they may be.

*Please note that the preceding is my personal opinion. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use.

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Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis has placed a nativity set of Mary, Joseph, and the Christ-child in a cage on the front lawn of the meeting house. Their purpose is to protest American immigration law, which they believe to be unbiblical and unloving.

The caged nativity set at Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral, which also calls itself, “Little Church on the Circle,” is one of the oldest churches in the Indianapolis area and today has an outreach primarily to Hispanic individuals. The website asserts that the church is “open,” “welcoming,” and values creativity. The website claims that it is “an advocate for the Hispanic and LGBT community.” Currently, Christ Church Cathedral is the pro-cathedral (the temporary headquarters) of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

According to church leadership, the congregation is protesting President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Steven Carlson, the church’s “pastor,” says that the church is aghast that the POTUS is enforcing U.S. immigration law, and that it is unbiblical.

Speaking of the caged nativity set, Carlson said, “People forget what that scene means. That was a homeless couple who weren’t welcome anywhere, who took refuge in the barn, and it was to that couple that the Christ child was born.”

He continued, “What we take away from these stories is the same thing we take away from our teachings and religious ethics. The heart of God is always with those who are on the margins, who are vulnerable and have no voice.”

Recently, the church took part in the Families Belong Together rally at the Indiana Statehouse to protest immigration policy. The church also made the news in 2014 when it began to marry same-sex couples when the state’s gay marriage ban was overturned as unconstitutional.

There are no plans to take the nativity set down, and Carlson says he does not know how long they will keep it up.

Russell Moore, president of the ERLC, made similar claims in 2013. Moore called Jesus an “illegal immigrant,” and continued to claim Jesus’ law-breaking status even after he was questioned by conservative evangelicals. It is not historically tenable, however, to assert that Joseph and Mary broke Egyptian immigration law in their flight from Herod.

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Dr. John MacArthur

In this era of terrorism, poverty, oppression and a few less-distinct enemies, waves of patriotism occasionally revive the slogan “God Bless America.” Sadly, though, the sentiment long ago became a cliché to which people rarely give serious thought. The phrase is even seen, ironically, on bumper stickers adjacent to other bumper stickers expressing humanistic and atheistic sentiments. One assumes that even those who don’t believe in God want His blessing on our nation.

Anti-God philosophies and worldviews now clearly dominate most of Western society. God has been removed from public discourse; prayer has been virtually banned from the public arena; agnosticism and humanism dominate public policy. So it is remarkable that the slogan “God Bless America” is still in vogue. We have to wonder what most people have in mind when they repeat it.

Originally, “God bless America” was a prayer for divine blessing. In its current form, it sometimes seems nothing more than a patriotic battle cry — usually intoned without much serious reflection. Perhaps it is sometimes recited with the superstitious belief that merely invoking God’s name can garner His blessing. One thing is clear: while Americans universally want God’s favor, as a whole, they do not want God.

Some apparently believe that America enjoys God’s blessing by divine right. After all, God has blessed America throughout history to a remarkable degree. But His blessings are not measured — as most people believe — by material affluence, power, and world dominance. The greatest blessings God has graciously given America have been spiritual blessings — freedom for the gospel to be propagated, sweeping revivals like those of the Great Awakenings, and growth and spiritual prosperity for the church in our nation. The sad truth is that all those blessings were in serious jeopardy long before the terrorist strikes reminded us that our freedom and material prosperity hang by a fragile thread.

Does our nation really desire God’s blessing? Do Americans truly long for the spiritual awakening that would be the necessary condition for true blessing, or would the policy-makers and media moguls in our society be as hostile to such a revival as they are to the threat of terrorism?

And what are the means by which the people of God should seek to have God’s blessing on our nation? Can we help position modern society to receive God’s blessing merely by influencing public policy through politics and protest, or is something more needed to fulfill the conditions under which God will bless our nation? Can external moral reform alone make America fit for God’s blessing, or is something even deeper needed in the lives of most Americans?

To ask such questions is to answer them. Scripture is clear that a wholesale spiritual renewal, brought about through the preaching of the gospel, is the true pathway to divine blessing. What is needed is not merely moral reform but spiritual regeneration. And unless this occurs on a widespread scale that deeply impacts all of society, we will continue to forfeit the true blessings of God for our nation. Merely reciting the slogan “God bless America” will do nothing for us until it becomes a heartfelt prayer for spiritual renewal and regeneration.

The remedy to our nation’s moral and spiritual woes must begin at the house of God. The process starts with personal repentance. If Christians truly want to see God’s blessing on our society, we ought to be models of genuine contrition and humility rather than merely pointing fingers of blame at the evils of secular society.

The church today is in a serious state of spiritual decline. Many churches are apparently more willing to imitate the world’s fashions and opinions than to confront them with biblical truth. Meanwhile, Christians concerned about the moral evils of society often opt for all the wrong remedies — as if the only thing needed to cure the spiritual malaise of our nation were some kind of federal legislation against abortion, sexual promiscuity, pornography, or other forms of corruption.

I am by no means opposed to legislative efforts to outlaw abortion, drug abuse, and similar abominations. But political remedies to our nation’s moral ills are no cure for the underlying spiritual problems. Of all people, Christians ought to know that, and the preponderance of our efforts ought to be focused on proclaiming the truth that can genuinely set people free. In other words, the majority of our energies ought to be invested in preaching the gospel and living the kind of life that gives testimony to the redeeming power of Christ.

Lives, not just laws, need to be transformed before America will be in a position to ask for and expect God’s blessing. The blessings of God cannot be acquired by any legislative process. Law cannot make people righteous. Scripture is clear on this. No one is justified by works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16). And saving faith is an individual matter; it cannot be imposed by legislative force.

In other words, society as a whole cannot be delivered from moral bankruptcy unless individual lives are transformed by the power of Christ. If that conviction does not frame the priorities of the people of God and drive the activities of the church on earth, we can forget about God’s blessing on our nation.

[Editor’s Note: Taken from Can God Bless America by John MacArthur, Nashville: Nelson, 2002]

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Austin, Texas – A committee in the Episcopal Church has officially begun hearing arguments from LGBT and feminist activists to remove masculine pronouns for God in their Book of Common Prayer. The legislative committee of the Episcopal Church was tasked with overseeing the proposed revisions, with special instructions to do what is possible to come to an amenable agreement and necessary compromises on the subject of God’s gender. The process began with the successful passing of Resolution A169, which called for the liturgical guide to be expunged of explicitly male language to refer to either God or human beings and also to add environmental and “creation care” language to the church’s liturgy.  The meeting of the  Committee to Receive the Report of Resolution A169  began on July 4 and is continuing.

Resolution A169 reads:

Resolved, That the 78th General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) to prepare a plan for the comprehensive revision of the current Book of Common Prayer and present that plan to the 79th General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That such a plan for revision utilize the riches of our Church’s liturgical, cultural, racial, generational, linguistic, gender and ethnic diversity in order to share common worship; and be it further

Resolved, That the plan for revision take into consideration the use of current technologies which provide access to a broad range of liturgical resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $30,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

The resolution was passed in 2015 during the annual convention in Salt Lake City and its wording authorizes the committee to replace or revise the current Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, which was published in 1979. There were also two additional resolutions to be dealt with, A068 and A069. Resolution A068 recommends completely dismantling the old 1979 Prayer Book and start over (to be completed by 2030), and Resolution A069 recommends just revising the Prayer Book to make it more palatable to 21st Century sensitivities.

So far, the Committee to Receive the Report Resolution A169 has formed a sub-committee of six members to help craft a way through the various bureaucratic hurdles and various resolutions. The committee is also considering the implications of another resolution, entitled Resolution D036. It reads:

The Book of Common Prayer is in need of a breadth of diverse language reflecting the diversity of human identities and expressions of those identities and to demonstrate in the language and liturgies of the church that all persons are reflected in the divine image. The biblical text provides a wealth of imagery describing the divine that has yet to be plumbed. The Church has neglected feminine imagery in particular, and has not as yet begun to explore language that transcends binary understandings of the human person. The need is urgent and pastoral and ultimately evangelical.

According to DO36, the Episcopal Church has a history of de-masculizing its worship and liturgical material, beginning in 1928 and carrying on through 1994, in which a committee report encouraged “more expansive liturgical language” in order to appreciate “the deeper mysteries of God.”

The committee received testimony from two Episcopal clergy members who suffer from the sin of gender confusion, who claimed that gender-specific language in reference to God was debilitating and alienating. Rev. Ian Stanford of the Diocese of Oregon and the Rev. Cameron Partridge of the Diocese of California (their real and given names are unknown), described how use of gender-specific language in the prayer book is keeping them from being effective to the disaffected. Stanford said that if (s)he can get young people to visit an Episcopal Church that they will be off-put by the use of male pronouns.

Another gender confused clergy member, Rowan Pantalena – a postulant from the Diocese of Connecticut – told the committee, “as a nonbinary trans person, I am not your brother or your sister. I am your sibling.”

Some clergy members opposed the revisions, but not based upon theology. Ruth Myers and Timothy Nunez both argued that the expense of revising the prayer books (up to 9 million dollars) was too high, or that technology would render the publication of paper books unnecessary by 2030.

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Chattanooga, Tennessee – In the Old Testament, witches and wizards were condemned under the penalty of death (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:6, 27). In the New Testament, witches and wizardry are again reiterated as grievous evils (Galatians 5:20, Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8). In the 21st Century, Christian churches think witchcraft and wizardry are cute Vacation Bible School themes (may consider witchcraft and wizardry to be harmless because the best-selling children’s tale is fiction, one might argue that studio-produced hardcore porn storylines are “fiction,” but God still hates it). East Brainerd Church of Christ, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is one such church that is using Harry Potter as the theme for their VBS.

The church boasts the upcoming Harry Potter VBS on their website.

Likewise, the Church of the Holy Comforter is hosting a “Hogwarts Vacation Bible School” (Hogwarts is the magic academy that is the setting for the Harry Potter book series). Two weeks ago, Grace Church in Gainsville, Florida, hosted a VBS named, “Wizards and Wonders: A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” Beginning July 16, the Church of the Ascension will join The Fountains Methodist Church to host a VBS entitled, “Harry Potter and the Light of the World.”

Children are dressed up as wizards during their VBS graduation ceremony.

Tosha Williams, of Vanguard Church, created “The Potter Project,” a curriculum designed for children to teach ostensibly Christian themes. She told Christianity Today way back in 2005 that she doesn’t listen to the critics who think fictional witchcraft shouldn’t be used in conjunction with Christian teaching.

Williams said, “We have tried to respond graciously. Although our methods are different than other Christians’, our goal is the same—to see people come to Christ. We were simply doing what we believe God was calling us to do. Obviously the people who burned the books felt they were doing God’s will also. How God reconciles it all I don’t know, but we did not want to be divisive.”

Jared Moore, the previous Second Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention wrote a Harry Potter Bible Study and lauds the wizard as an avenue to bring people to Christ to this very day.

In spite of the last Harry Potter movie being released way back in 2011, churches continue to use Harry Potter to attract children, even though Kindergarteners and First Graders weren’t even alive when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was released.

In the meantime, churches should be reminded that using Harry Potter as their VBS theme and representing the character’s or storyline’s likeness without the explicit written consent of Warner Bros is copyright infringement and opens the church to both criminal and civil liability. It is, for lack of a better word, intellectual piracy and grift.

However, the good news is that there is a completely free resource with tons and tons of relatable stories and illustrations that can help convey the Gospel’s truths and are relatable to children. That resource can be downloaded for free in dozens of different formats and in hundreds of different languages.

It’s called the Bible.

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