Jason Meyer has resigned from his position as the lead pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, amid allegations of toxic and Janette and Steve Takata, who have attended and served at Bethlehem since 2003 and 1990, respectively, were concerned enough that Janette made a motion at the churchwide quarterly meeting in January. Why? Paul used this same verb in verse 19 (you gladly bear with fools), and now he repeats it once more in order to make plain some of the foolish stuff the Corinthians put up with. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. This dysfunctional mess is the logical outcome of John Piper and his theology and its methods. Jason Meyer, pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, preached on the pride-crushing power of the cross in Alumni She called what happened double abuse.. . Are the elders or board members abusive? As it should, he wrote. I had zero ill intent against you.. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. You can thank John Piper for that mess. In one class, Naselli argued with those who disagreed with him over whether evil was created, to the point that he clenched his fists, grunted, and called the opposing position almost a heresy. He accused a student of watering down the Bible with his understanding of evil and its existence, according to Brax Carvette. Thank you for this comment, Pastor Lamb. In terms of the leadership of the school, its the same guys. Another elder in the meeting said of Pastor Jason, of Pastor Ming-Jinn, and of me that when we preach or pray publicly, or publicly communicate to the congregation, we are subordinating the gospel to other things, Pickering told CT. Amid these accusations, I recommend trying G.R.A.C.E to investigate the matters facing Bethlehem. Feel the freedom to lament," he wrote. In his resignation letter, Meyer added, Ming-Jinn, Bryan, and I were called shame terms like coddlers, and Ming-Jinn was called Absalom.. To register contact Jason Meyer at wljm01@gmail.com. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. We cant even think about whats next, said Debby Pickering, whose family left when her husband, Bryan, resigned his position as pastor. examples (from Wilsons church). (An investigation by Wilsons denomination found several serious errors in Wilsons handling of sex abuse cases in his church, including shifting blame for sexual abuse from the perpetrator to the father of the victim. Its not bad to feel hurt., The BCS alumna said that he went on to say, We came from a generation where Nasellis teaching philosophyand Don Carsonsis completely normal. He said he felt a conviction that he couldnt in good conscience stay at BCS and by the end of 2020 his family left Bethlehem too. Halls was one of two official grievances filed against Naselli last year. WebJason Meyer | 2 Corinthians 11:16-21. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Interview with Jason Mayer | North County Campus Pastor by Dave Franco | August 15, 2014 How did you become a Christian? So, lets call this what it is, address it as the foul, malevolent, pernicious evil that it is, and stand against the manifold oppression and abuse that are not only forbidden by God, but condemned by Christ Himself. The Takatas, like the group of Nasellis former students, felt like they too had gone through a convoluted process of praying, reporting, documenting, scheduling, meeting, and working for resolution only to have the process end without feeling like their concerns were fully understood and that nothing would change as a result. No decent man, and no credible minister of Jesus, should enter the same room with such a craven and corrupt person as Wilson, much less appear on his radio show or promote his thinly-veiled sexual fantasies as credible theology. "With regret, a deep sense of loss, and praise to God for his mercy and grace even in trial, we announce the resignation of Pastor Jason Meyer from the position of Pastor for Preaching & Vision, Downtown Campus. They did great for a week when they simply sat with Job in silence. The Sunday after George Floyd was killed, he preached on racism and the call to sit in solidarity with those who are suffering. You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.. God is everywhereeven in the news. Most, though, come through the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement. laid out by The Gospel Coalitions Kevin DeYoung, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Grace Community Church Rejected Elders Calls to Do Justice in Abuse Case, The Kings College Faces Threat of Closure, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. The Roys Report reached out to Tomlinson for comment, but he did not respond. Lee at the North Campus told CT that his congregation, the largest Bethlehem location, has been encouraged by the frankness of the discussion and is ready to move forward. 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. In an emailed statement to CBN News on Wednesday, Ken Currie, Bethlehem Baptist's pastor for strategic implementation, said Meyer's resignation would be effective Aug. 1. Many brought up the untethered empathy concept as a factor that they believe shaped leaders responses when confronted with claims of bullying, institutional protection, and spiritual abuse. On the whole, I think you are correct that the majority (of those with power) at the very least appear to be carrying the same torch. Pickering, however, said he was not surprised by Nasellis response at the meeting. Rev Juan Dominguez. Piper should intervene to save what is left at Bethlehem. Many of us (myself included) were blessed by Johns teachings on Christian hedonism and we gave him a pass on certain teachings because of his warmth, enthusiasm, and geeky charm, but make no mistake, this is the house he built. 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 Over time, for a variety of reason, the members of the narcissistic family system are trained, conditioned, molded, shaped, and manipulated into becoming co-conspirators in the idolatry of The Image., And they are coerced into being temple prostitutes at the temple of The Image.. In other words, you lose contact with truth.. According to the website, Meyer's resignation was announced last week in an email to the congregation by Elder Council Chairman Dr. Kurt Elting-Ballard and Bethlehem Pastor for Strategic Implementation Ken Currie. https://julieroys.com/bethlehem-baptist-church-culture-fear-abuse Rev Ernie Dorrell. 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. Jason Meyer has resigned from his position as the lead pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, amid allegations of toxic and abusive behavior among the church's leadership. His worries center on what he sees as contemporary expectations that people join others who are hurting in their pain. . From there he went on to study at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky where he earned M. Div. It has been multiple factors in concert over time, he wrote in a resignation letter last year. The stakes continue to be raised, said Josh Panos, a BCS alumnus. Tabb and fellow leaders at BCS conducted the investigation of the former students complaints, which concluded last August. She said the meeting did not go well, and Tomlinson told her that he supported Rigneys view. Help is Here a new sermon series; Upcoming Events. According to Pickering, Naselli had been the focus of an internal investigation at BCS due to allegations of bullying and spiritual abuse brought by about 12 former and current BCS students. 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. A year later, Rigney, who had taught theology and literature at BCS since 2007, was named the schools second president in an announcement by Piper as chancellor. Piper has hosted and defended pastor and author Doug Wilson over the years, even as hes become an increasingly contentious figure in evangelicalism for his teachings on slavery, women, and other issues. Hes the one that featured Wilson repeatedly on the Desiring God website, and (to my knowledge) hes never once called Wilson out for his revolting rhetoric and his various public misdeeds. Ive always been mystified by Pipers attraction to him. He and Pickering, who read the names of the victims in prayer that week, received criticism from a fellow elder for bringing up race as a component in the incident. When the image of the family is more important than the individual members of the family, this is a narcissistic family system. Students saw the effects too, where professors were becoming less willing to find merit in concepts that have become associated with CRT, such as institutional bias. Those allegations were dismissed by BCS last August. Meyer wrote in his letter, It is hard to avoid seeing (the charges) as retribution., The Roys Report reached out to several elders for comment. He also expressed misgivings around the treatment of women, which he claimed was the result of attitudes that went beyond complementarian convictions, as well as around Rigneys ties to Wilson. Speaking as a 18 yr attender at BBC (currently planning on leaving) the closest Piper ever got to decrying Wilson was during a interview with Joe Rigney. But it wasnt just the situation around Naselli. Worship Service 1/24/2021 Pastor Jason Wallingsford, Pastor William Knippa, June 20, 2021 Most Recent Blog Post. There's domineering. It may be worth noting that Naselli graduated from Bob Jones University. Feb. 06-Feb. 06. Meyer, whose involvement at Bethlehem dates back to 1999, returned from his sabbatical with what he says was a clear calling that it was time for him to go too. . Im sure that systems like this may be corrupted (or at least those whose ideas arent accepted may think the system is corrupted), but at least it allows the collective will of the people to be expressed and it allows individuals to speak openly. He may have a point about detached wisdom in making hard decisions. WebThrough biblical truth and personal stories, author, pastor, and theologian Jason Meyer encourages the weary and anxious believer by shining light on the nature of reality, the nature of God, and the intersection of the two in our daily, rubber-meets-the-road lives. | Screenshot/YouTube/Fellowship Church Church of the Highlands and ARC officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit when contacted by The Christian Post on Tuesday. The Takatas concerns quickly became about more than the motion, and they filed grievances challenging Nasellis qualifications as an elder. A debate over untethered empathy underscores how departing leaders, including John Pipers successor, approached hot-button issues like race and abuse. Rigney has a degree from New Saint Andrews College, founded by Wilsons Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and has maintained ties with him. For twelve BBC students to submit allegations against N is not insignificant. There are still a few spots open; which we hope will be filled. Disagreements in this area can feel like personal attacks or as doctrinal attacks, when they really are neither.. In the years after Piper stepped down in 2013, Bethlehem had its own reckoning on domestic abuse in complementarian marriages. However, Takata said nothing ever came of her efforts. The implications were clear: He would not be sugarcoating in this class. I still believe we should have done the investigation, but I was able to get to the point where I regarded the March 16 process as incomplete, not immoral.. Jesus Word speaks as loud today as it did then. All three had conflicted at times with Bethlehems 40-plus-member elder council, and they eventually saw their own ministries and the focus of the church going in different directions. He described his reasons for leaving in a 3,100-word resignation letter that was recently leaked, nearly a month after the church announced his departure in a brief email. Bethlehem College and Seminary (BCS)which grew from the churchs lay training institute to an accredited programalso has reason to celebrate. If I just resign and pretend that I think everything at Bethlehem is fine, I would be dishonest, wrote Meyer, who left August 1. Bethlehem uses the phrase ethnic harmony, believing ethnicity is a better match for the the cultural categories described in the Bible than race, which is primarily biological or physical. A unity or one voice culture puts a lot of focus on institutional protection. Meyer adds that while unity is a great goal, the problem comes when unity moves from a desired goal to a demanded outcome.. When Christina Boyum, a graduate of the college, discussed what happened in Nasellis class with a fellow church member at Bethlehem, she was told, A student feeling hurt does not mean that the student has been sinned against. "It's confusing and painful corporately because Jason took the mantle from Pastor John Piper and helped lead us to this point of campus-specific preaching. The church where John Piper pastored for 33 years is arguably facing one of its greatest crises in 150 years. A motion was brought at a July 25 QSM for such an investigation. The Bethlehem pastors reveal their own corruption by their alliance with Wilson, and church members are right to flee. When met with issues that strike at the core of ones identity, its natural to have visceral responses, she tweeted. (Image credit: Bethlehem Baptist Church/Facebook), Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Hes good at multi-syllabic word salads, but hes basically a fast-talking hyper-aggressive con artist who just happens to have chosen the church as the source of his narcissistic supply. If yes leave the church. Janette Takata pointed out that Rigney was identified as being from Bethlehem in the video and that a BCS professor and Bethlehem elder posted a five-star review of the episode. Four other congregations with female pastors were also determined to be not in friendly cooperation with the SBC, as well as one removed over its abuse response. "Pray for your leaders as we pray for you. Beneath this constellation of hot topics, though, theres also a deeper philosophical disagreement over how to approach the various conflicts themselves. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. Bethlehem was the plan until we were going to be in Jesus arms. A lay member, who attended Bethlehem for over a decade and asked not to be named to preserve ministry relationships, told CT it made sense that Meyer, Pickering, and Tong were the ones to go since they were seen as the empathetic ones. Hes brilliant, which is what makes him dangerous. 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. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! At Bethlehem, the biggest source of frustration and disappointment, in many cases, came not from the grievances themselves but from the resistance and attitudes people said they faced when they tried to bring those grievances forward. The episode was titled The Sin of Empathy, and featured guest Joe Rigney, who at the time of the January meeting had been appointed president of Bethlehem College and Seminary (BCS) but had not yet assumed office. [ This article is also available in
I was living a life apart from God. Both sides in a conflict want to get at what really happened; as Christians, they rightly set out to work toward justice and reconciliation where they can. We learned Augustine in doctrine class, Carvette said. Hurt feelings arent always a sign that someone has been sinned against. Theyre trying to toughen you up. "It's been more painful to me personally than corporately. Wilson tells you very plainly what his show is about: his own male self aggrandizement. Learn more about Urban Refuge Church Tong preaches to the downtown campus in March. WebFor more information about enrolling in services, please contact Mary Ali at agencyintakes@esarc.org or 260.456.4534 ext. In 1980, after only 5 years of ministry, the congregation took a huge step of faith and built a facility to hold 450 people. He says the accusations against him were (1) that I have subordinated the gospel, (2) that I empowered victims (coddler), and (3) that I allowed compassion for others to steer and dictate my leadership direction.. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. This moment is hard. To my knowledge, and I have researched it, that is the only time Piper got even close to creating distance. Even if the motions dont pass, at least the option is there to address major concerns with the entire church. I feel like we have encountered wave after wave after wave, and that in a good-faith effort to keep the peace and maintain some form of unity, we have not spoken with sufficient clarity about what is true and what is false and instead have attempted to appease left-leaning folks who are virtually unappeasable , By the time the Takatas eventually met with Naselli and church leaders, they saw that there are more dividing lines being formed here than we expected, Janette told CT. 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. Rigneys sin of empathy interview in Wilsons series, called Man Rampant, released in October 2019 as the debut episode. Encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes which is what makes him dangerous still a few open. Bethlehem pastors reveal their own corruption by their alliance with Wilson, and they grievances... 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