I was living a life apart from God. I never met Jason Meyer but I know an oblong blur generality, when I read one. with Pastor Shedrick Clark. The news of official grievances against Naselli, one of the best-known professors at BCS, spread among its 400 or so graduates. Rigney recognizes spiritual abuse as something that does happen in Christian contexts, but he also challenged what he saw as the possibility for criticism or correction from a position of authority to get inflated as abuse. Notifications include: New company roles Change in active status Location updates New Unlike other high-profile evangelical scandals and shakeups in the headlines, the story at Bethlehem is not so clear-cut. Bethlehem Baptist Church, Pastor Jason Meyer, Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, Spiritual Abuse Almost 1-1/2 years ago, I wrote an article about John Piper's former church, Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) regarding domestic violence, Encouraging Shift from Bethlehem Baptist Church Regarding Domestic Abuse and Care The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Patrick, I believe Doug Wilson and Joe Rigney are NOT associated with CCEF, so hopefully that helps. Now, Meyer is part of a growing exodus of leaders and members Instead, he said it confirmed the pattern he already suspected after speaking with nearly all 12 former BCS students who in 2020 submitted allegations against Naselli to BCS administration. The church formed an ethnic harmony task force in 2019 to review issues such as representation and diversity within the church and leadership. This response, of course, is labeled as immature, manipulative, and reactive.. We cant even think about whats next, said Debby Pickering, whose family left when her husband, Bryan, resigned his position as pastor. This is authoritarian house that says women shouldnt teach in seminary. One of them, Ann Mekala, wrote in a 2019 letter to several elders, There is an air of disdain and distrust towards women woven throughout the episode. She noted that Wilson and Rigney gave examples of women falsely accusing men in the podcast and encouraged listeners to be skeptical toward those who report abuse. The leader of the narcissistic family system is always, always ALWAYS a narcissist themselves, and they are adept at manipulation and emotional coercion to maintain the status quo and silence any naysayers (Nasellis ultimatum in public, no less is a classic example). Then they got themselves in trouble (ultimately with God) when they opened their mouths and spoke words without knowledge in their attempt to fix Job. 4. The elder council concluded in April that the charges against Naselli were not true, but the pastors were three of four elders who dissented in hopes that further investigation could take place. Piper responded to Bowerss account in an email to the campus community, saying that his characterization did not line up with his own as chancellor. For some, these three pastors willingness to listen to and advocate for congregants, their teachings on race and abuse, and their leadership at the downtown campus were particular assets to Bethlehem. In the years after Piper stepped down in 2013, Bethlehem had its own reckoning on domestic abuse in complementarian marriages. Its been accelerated by political polarization, racial reckoning, and pandemic stress. And when the truth and the truth-tellers are minimized, marginalized, and demonized, this is a narcissistic family systems. By After Christ Christian Center. And in such a case, the school will rightly wither and die. Doug Wilsons carnality is so blatant that a sincerely devoted follower of Christ would be unable to be around him for long, and certainly would not repeatedly seek him out. The school also hired its only female faculty professor, Betsy Howard, this year. But the vote said the opposite. There are still a few spots open; which we hope will be filled. [ This article is also available in A Taiwanese American, Tong also wore traditional Chinese attire as he preached on the Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. With Rigney slated to lead the college and seminary, some worried that his theological views and his affiliations would become conflated with Bethlehemsspecifically his concerns on empathy discussed in the hour-long Wilson interview (which is now on YouTube). Man Rampant? Naselli did not reply to CTs multiple requests to offer comment for this story. The downtown campus was the most diverse of the three, with people of color making up 21 percent of attendees. This is the hyper complementarian house that says a woman cant divorce even an abusive, philandering husband. Brian Tabb, a BBC elder and dean at BCS, told Takata in an email that he could understand her concerns. We have room to grow, yet I know that my fellow North elders have sought to shepherd not under compulsion but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, and not domineering over others but serving as examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:23), Lee wrote by email. Piper should intervene to save what is left at Bethlehem. A few Bethlehem elders responded positively to her letter, Mekala said. I wish the congregation the best in getting this all sorted out. Ive always been mystified by claims that Doug Wilson is brilliant. No one has influenced how I love my wife or my family more than him. I was pretty disappointed. Couldnt agree more, Rebecca. In a letter emailed to his congregation, the pastor of one of the three Bethlehem campuses referenced nuanced and complex issues at play in Meyers resignation last month. A narcissistic family system can be a family, a local church, an organization, or any other group. But what I noticed, underlying the meaningful time I worshiped at Bethlehem, was rigidity and control among leadership. She called what happened double abuse.. . The others who have resigned include Bryan Pickering, former It transitioned to a formal degree program that eventually became accredited in 2015. In an interview with The Roys Report, Bryan Pickering, the former pastor for care and counseling at the church, said he resigned over a pattern of abusive conduct by Bethlehem's leaders that he not only witnessed but experienced. It feels jarring.". It's been a taxing year for everyone, and it's been a taxing year for ministry. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! The motion passed on a voice vote and Takata told The Roys Report that three of the task forces five reports were eventually released to church members with redactions. Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota have resigned over what Pipers successor, Jason Meyer, calls an embrace of neo-fundamentalism and a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution. There's bullying. The situation at Bethlehem highlights not only certain issues being debated but also the conflicting philosophies shaping Christians responses: Are we accommodating feelings so much that we are crying sin where there is no sin? Id like to see his surgically precise definition of neo-fundamentalism or even fundamentalism for that matter. But when urged to make a public statement that BBC did not endorse Rigneys view, one elder instead directed Mekala to meet with Tim Tomlinson, who was then president of BCS. I have been majorly burdened for our church for the past several years regarding how we approach ethnic harmony and related issues in our culture, including partisan politics, Critical Theory, Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, Black Lives Matter, etc. The successor to John Piper at Bethlehem Baptist Church this week resigned in what appears to be a major shake-up at the church amid allegations of toxic Having just come out of an abusive system where women arent believed, it was like, Yeah, this is exactly what Ive lived, Mekala said. I feel terribly that I hurt you, and I own that and I regret it, and Im so sorry, he said. The Sunday after George Floyd was killed, he preached on racism and the call to sit in solidarity with those who are suffering. The first, Your Empathy is a SIn: a Response to Desiring God is here: https://heresthejoy.com/2019/06/your-empathy-is-a-sin-a-response-to-desiring-god/. They said he falsely accused us of insubordination to a pastor and acting in a manner that is intentionally divisive., But Naselli, according to the Takatas transcripts, spoke up about the difference between intent and impact and ultimately did not see his response as sinful. God commands us to be compassionate. 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It is indeed worth noting the problematic environment of the school where Naselli chose to incubate himself. The church went on to revise its stance on divorce and start a ministry response team to care for victims. He also did not respond to The Roys Reports repeated requests for an interview. I didnt start experiencing regular conflict until I started advocating for racial justice issues, Bowers told CT. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. He later apologized for not being quick to listen in the moment and in later discussions of the incident, though in April the elders considered the grievances against him unfounded. ), I believe in 2013. Frankly, its because I graduated from our undergrad program that I have concerns. Brilliant people dont do that because they dont need to. Their dispute stirred underlying issues and philosophical differences, including over the subject of Rigneys remarks themselves. There is no one factor that has driven me away from this school. The group faced pushback from elders and pastors, who were worried that their approach focused only on where Bethlehem was not doing enough on matters of race. Former Elder, and BBC professor of Biblical Counseling Pickering, however, said he was not surprised by Nasellis response at the meeting. A motion was brought at a July 25 QSM for such an investigation. Such sensitivities, he fears, can threaten Christians relationship with the truth. A debate over untethered empathy underscores how departing leaders, including John Pipers successor, approached hot-button issues like race and abuse. Even before Rigneys selection and the Naselli investigation at BCS, church leaders had begun to rethink what it means for the college and seminary to be a church-based school when the church now has three campuses instead of one. Disagreements in this area can feel like personal attacks or as doctrinal attacks, when they really are neither.. Rigney at BCS lamented the challenge of responding if a harsh word immediately becomes abuse. Lee at the North Campus worried that even tenderhearted, gentle pushback is at risk of being dismissed. Worship Service 1/24/2021 Pastor Jason Wallingsford, Pastor William Knippa, June 20, 2021 Most Recent Blog Post. And if Im saying its no longer a place to be able to say those things publicly and remain safe, theyre thinking, Thats not a place for us then either.. According to the church's website, the Bethlehem elders have called for an all-church meeting to be held on Sunday, July 25 regarding Meyer's resignation. Calvins Misrepresentation of God) to see the outcome as we see here. Last Sunday, Bethlehem campuses began to meet to discuss Meyers letter and the reasons for his resignation. No one should be surprised by these revelations of spiritual abuse -especially against women- in the Bethlehem ecosystem. I used to wonder if I was too soft. They leave behind a sizable community2,400 members, spread across three campuseswhose leaders are also disappointed and grieved, enough that the church decided to postpone its 150th anniversary event scheduled for this weekend to November. Just wanted to insert that my wife and I have been taking biblical counseling classes through CCEF and they have a strong emphasis on the need to grow in empathy. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. He has previously served congregations in Lake Benton and Blaine, both in Minnesota. The congregation which has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city. "At Bethlehem . This was baffling to me. I observed leadership patterns that sought to help hurting people but left those same people even more frustrated and disappointed.. By now, you One of the things that gets brought up in the abuse conversation is that abusers and their communities gaslight and minimize what theyve done, said Rigney. Another pastor who resigned is accusing a Bethlehem elder of spiritual abuse and calling on him to resign. Meyer preached in 2015 against the dangers of hyper-headship and made the case that doing nothing when faced with abuse is taking the side of the abuser. Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church Transform Minnesota brings workshops, connection points and teaching across the state of Minnesota. Amid these accusations, I recommend trying G.R.A.C.E to investigate the matters facing Bethlehem. 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