Subscribers receive full access to the archives. WebUrban Refuge Lead Pastor, Jason Meyer, has a deep and abiding passion to make much of Christ in all that he does. ), Bryan Pickering also expressed concern about the Man Rampant episode to Takata. What a dysfunctional mess. The Takatas were jarred by the response. 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. A narcissistic family system can be a family, a local church, an organization, or any other group. One point of tension was a months-long process evaluating grievances made against a Bethlehem elder and a BCS professor, Andy Naselli, who was accused of failing to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, and thereby unfit for his positions, after his remarks at a church meeting. Theyre drawn to Reformed theology and Pipers Christian hedonism, which is reflected in the schools motto: Education in Serious Joy., In a classroom full of men who would give their lives for the gospel, to have somebody whos supposedly training you for ministry doubt your commitment to that gospel because youre not convinced hes right about everything is really hard to deal with, said Karl Grant, who studied under Naselli in the seminary, as the sole Lutheran in the program. 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.. It is on YouTube, Race and Culture (??? Jason Meyer has resigned from his position as the lead pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, amid allegations of toxic and BCS is a confessional school where professors teach from its 52-page affirmation of faith, but students from other traditions can attend. Among his concerns, the former assistant professor of theology and philosophy wrote that leaders used Scripture or Christian vocabulary to dismiss employee and student complaints, and that he felt pressured to tiptoe around addressing racial progress. Jason informed Bethlehem's Council of Elders of his resignation effective August 1, 2021," the statement read. The Bethlehem pastors reveal their own corruption by their alliance with Wilson, and church members are right to flee. Its the same individuals who are sitting in both places. Those allegations were dismissed by BCS last August. Dave Zuleger, the church's South campus pastor for preaching and vision also confirmed and addressed Meyer's resignation in a blog post on the church's website, writing "this is another painful and confusing moment for us. 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. Four students recalled intense debates in their 2019 undergrad course in Christian ethics and apologetics. Brilliant people dont do that because they dont need to. There is no one factor that has driven me away from this school. Tong led the churchs efforts to help the community in the unrest and grief in the aftermath of Floyds death, including setting up pop-up grocery stores. 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. He commands us to show sympathy, but people demand empathy, and they regard it as a kind of betrayal if you refuse to join them in their pain, in their grievance, he says in the series with Wilson. At the same time, worries around secular thinking overriding biblical approaches to race have spiked, particularly over critical race theory. Meyers exit last month followed two others at Bethlehems downtown campus. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. On July 26, 2020, the congregation That was a very heated conversation. And are people on either side pitting truth and grace against each other and distorting the way of Jesus? | 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. 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. The attitude undergirding the motion is too easily offended or hurt, and it turns that woundedness or offense into a crusade, Naselli wrote in an email to fellow elders in February, referring to the move as a form of cancel culture.. If I just resign and pretend that I think everything at Bethlehem is fine, I would be dishonest, wrote Meyer, who left August 1. They felt pressure for not going along with the rest of the elder council, to the point where some elders said they considered it untenable for Tong and Pickering to stay given their disagreement. 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. On March 16, the elders dismissed the grievances against Naselli. 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 Web1-31-2021 Worship Service Pastor Meyers retirement. Soon after he launched his academic These churches that are really heavy on theology, we hold our theology so high that when were leaving, it felt like were leaving orthodoxy by leaving our church, she told CT. If thats how you feel, theres probably a problem., Brima, who is white and whose husband is Black, said she saw the empathy as sin idea used as protection from critique and believes it can do unique harm to women and minorities, seemingly minimizing their feelings and experiences. This is another painful and confusing moment for us," Zuleger wrote. Sarah Brima and her husband were former members of Bethlehem and Rigneys Cities Church but left in part over his affiliation with Wilson. 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. 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. 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.. Thanks Megan. "It's been more painful to me personally than corporately. I have never been a member in a church which allows a member to put forward a motion to the entire congregation designed to rebuke an elder. But he also saw the debate as a proxy for the other issues stirring around Bethlehem. Janette Takata also wrote emails to BBC elders in 2019 with concerns about the episode. Some current seminary students say they were satisfied with the outcome and have seen repentance from their professor following the investigation. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Pray for me, and I'll be praying for you. Last Sunday, Bethlehem campuses began to meet to discuss Meyers letter and the reasons for his resignation. Like in many evangelical churches that are majority white, some members of the congregation believed the church was putting too little an effort into addressing ethnic harmony and justice, while others felt like it became too much of a focus. She referenced the six habits that shape BCS education: observing, understanding, evaluating, feeling, applying, and expressing. To donate, How Big Christian Nationalism Has Come Courting in North Idaho, Doug Wilsons Disciples Question Womens Right to Vote, Did Costi Hinn Get Canceled? 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. Unlike other high-profile evangelical scandals and shakeups in the headlines, the story at Bethlehem is not so clear-cut. Follow Receive an email notification when changes occur for Jason Meyer. His experience in the class led him to hear from others who had been called out by Naselli, and he brought concerns from a dozen students to leaders at the church at BCS the following year. . 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. 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. 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. 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. He feels overjoyed in his calling to love and lead the flock at Urban Refuge in the strength that God supplies. Jesus Word speaks as loud today as it did then. 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 They did great for a week when they simply sat with Job in silence. Something that gives me hope that BBC will be able to navigate this very difficult time is that they seem to have a church government in place designed to serve the congregation. He currently lives in Crystal with his wife Ann, two children, and a dog. And when the truth and the truth-tellers are minimized, marginalized, and demonized, this is a narcissistic family systems. This is authoritarian house that says women shouldnt teach in seminary. They were disappointed, too, that their pursuit of evidence and the truth became viewed as disbelieving victims or not showing compassion. He writes for The Gospel Coalition and has served as D. A. Carsons longtime research assistant. Are there good reasons for why Pastors are leaving the church? The news of official grievances against Naselli, one of the best-known professors at BCS, spread among its 400 or so graduates. Up until this point, I thought he was a pretty cool guy and authoritative in his teaching.. 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. Meyer said, If you as a church dont like what I said today, you will have to get another pastor, because I believe this to the back of my teeth.. Please contact Pastor Jason if you are in need of financial suppor t or When someone at the meeting asked Naselli to explain himself, he responded that what was happening in the roomhow some were taking sides without any judgmentwas exactly what Rigney and Wilson were protesting in their podcast. Though the process was done with the approval of Bethlehem pastors and the elder chair, some wanted the church to do its own review of Naselli last year. Are there good reasons why members are leaving? 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. Even with the warning, there were moments where the tone and classroom demeanor intensified in contrast to others at BCS. However, this past spring, several church members also brought allegations of sin and misconduct against Naselli. . If the church would take seriously the scriptural qualifications for elders, it would protect the sheep from these narcissistic leaders. Is there a way to do any rebuke or admonishment when someone is hurting?, he asked. I found it very helpful. WebWe are excited to share that t he youth of UPC are heading to Duluth for their summer mis s ion trip June 11 th-16th. D. degrees. WebOur Legacy. He wrote in an email to her that he believed the elders would be taking up the issue in the days ahead.. I doubt CCEF itself is changing direction on that. Naselli, associate professor of theology and New Testament at BCS, spoke up to identify himself as the five-star reviewer and said that if the motion passed, hed quit. Ahead of the commemorations, though, the community finds itself in the midst of what current leaders have called a confusing and challenging time and a hard and difficult season in the life of our church. Three pastors and a staff member resigned from the downtown campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in recent months, alongside dozens of lay members. A Taiwanese American, Tong also wore traditional Chinese attire as he preached on the Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. Now, obviously Im a pastor at a separate church, but that church has the same doctrinal commitment as Bethlehem does., Rigney and Wilson discuss the sin of empathy.. We learned Augustine in doctrine class, Carvette said. He may have a point about detached wisdom in making hard decisions. Meyer told his congregation to expect that race would continue to be addressed from the pulpit. By now, you This dysfunctional mess is the logical outcome of John Piper and his theology and its methods. 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 Bethlehem College and Seminary (BCS)which grew from the churchs lay training institute to an accredited programalso has reason to celebrate. "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. The others who have resigned include Bryan Pickering, former Maybe this is normal for most people, but its mind-blowing to me. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. A better way to describe this is rigid and controlling. She asked how the message, with Rigney and Wilson discussing examples of women using emotional manipulation or falsely claiming abuse, would square with the churchs own ministry to care for victims. During the difficult moments over the past few months, hes reminded himself of James 3:17 (ESV): But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. As the downtown campus grieves the loss of longtime leaders and friends, Stokes said he continues to answer questions, but he gets the sense that nearly all the remaining members are committed to stay. In arguing for the motion, Takata expressed that it was disheartening to her that an elder who calls himself a pastor had given the Man Rampant episode a 5-star rating. Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in 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. They resigned not long after. (The Roys Report was not able to obtain statistics for member resignations at Bethlehems two other campusesNorth and South.). No one should be surprised by these revelations of spiritual abuse -especially against women- in the Bethlehem ecosystem. For twelve BBC students to submit allegations against N is not insignificant. 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. So, at the January 31, 2021, meetingjust months before Joe Rigney was installed as president of BCSTakata moved that the elders make a public statement separating the views expressed by Rigney in Man Rampant from the views and teaching of BBC. 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. Bowers had been a professor who looked forward to the first day of school every year and loved interacting with studentsand it showed. Part of what I want to say is theres actually an answer to that question.. I have found abuse of power issues typical among conservative churches. He has previously served congregations in Lake Benton and Blaine, both in Minnesota. But many were due to tensions resulting from racial and womens issues, ties to controversial pastor Doug Wilson, and the elders handling of allegations of misconduct by Andy Naselli. Portugus, Jason Meyer, the successor to pastor and Desiring God founder John Piper, has resigned from his role as pastor for preaching & vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church We dont want that kind of escalation, inflation, and fragility in play. Disagreements in this area can feel like personal attacks or as doctrinal attacks, when they really are neither.. Image: Screengrab / Bethlehem Baptist Church. "Jason Meyer's resignation is not due to impropriety or moral failure, and we thank God for Jason's ministry among us for the past nine years, first as Pastor for Preaching & Vision for Bethlehem's three campuses, and then since last summer as Pastor for Preaching & Vision at the Downtown Campus," the statement concluded. Tabb and fellow leaders at BCS conducted the investigation of the former students complaints, which concluded last August. WebRev David Dodge. One motion concerned the Racial Harmony Task Force, a group formed in early 2019 to address the lack of minority representation on BBCs Elder Council. ,and "This news is fresh to the leadership at Bethlehem, and we are still processing the reasons for the departure, as well as next steps," the statement continued. God has moved at FCC in amazing ways. Rev Greg Doss. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 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. Id like to see his surgically precise definition of neo-fundamentalism or even fundamentalism for that matter. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. 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. I feel terribly that I hurt you, and I own that and I regret it, and Im so sorry, he said. Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church Transform Minnesota brings workshops, connection points and teaching across the state of Minnesota. We should not be surprised then that this is the house that disregards the voices of the abused and protects the abuser. 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. In their minds, claims of inappropriate behavior or abuse wont always be justified. The Roys Report reached out to Tomlinson for comment, but he did not respond. Are the elders or board members abusive? Those leaving and those staying recognize some of the issues that have divided Bethlehem, many of which are straining other conservative churches: racial justice and critical race theory (CRT); the #MeToo movement and the call to believe women; and the nature of trauma and abuse. Halls was one of two official grievances filed against Naselli last year. ), I believe in 2013. I used to wonder if I was too soft. If yes leave the church. . WebPastor Jason serves as Pastor of Holy Nativity. 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. 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