Wilson can easily be intellectually challenged, but he uses verbal and physical intimidation as a shield to avoid it. He writes for The Gospel Coalition and has served as D. A. Carsons longtime research assistant. Rather, I believe our leadership culture has taken a turn in an unhealthy direction as we try to navigate conflict and division.. He has previously served congregations in Lake Benton and Blaine, both in Minnesota. The others who have resigned include Bryan Pickering, former 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. In February 2021, the church released a statement on ethnic harmony that affirms Christians neighborly love across ethnic lines but denies that ethnic diversity should be an end in itself and rejects all systems of thought that view relationships primarily through the lens of powerthat is, those with more power are inherently oppressors, and those with less power are inherently oppressed.. a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution Jason Meyer Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. In other words, you lose contact with truth.. ), I believe in 2013. Feb. 06-Feb. 06. Even people whove left in frustration agree theres no single cause or person beneath the conflict. ), Boyum said it was because of her training at Bethlehem that she felt like she should raise concerns. On July 26, 2020, the congregation 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. Prior to ordination, Pastor Jason attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the University of Chicago. (The Roys Report was not able to obtain statistics for member resignations at Bethlehems two other campusesNorth and South.). Amid these accusations, I recommend trying G.R.A.C.E to investigate the matters facing Bethlehem. He also opposed the selection of Rigney as president for how it complicates BCSs relationship with the church and for his Wilson affiliations. 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. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! However, this past spring, several church members also brought allegations of sin and misconduct against Naselli. At its heart are questions over whether, when, and how Christians might challenge those who say they are hurtingand how they balance calls to show compassion, seek out truth, and repent of sin in such situations. "Pray for your leaders as we pray for you. In Meyers letter of resignation, which The Roys Report obtained, Meyer writes, Despite the charge that Bethlehem is drifting toward liberalism, I actually think we have lost some of our elasticity as the wind blows more in the direction of neo-fundamentalism., Meyer also wrote, I personally fear we are in danger of veering too much towards a unity culture. . Rigney acknowledges that a criticism of empathy sounds provocative, and hes made efforts to explain and defend his position online. And I want to speak against her motion. 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. It feels jarring.". A few Bethlehem elders responded positively to her letter, Mekala said. Last Week (July 2021) Jason Meyer announced his resignation from Bethlehem, following the resignation of several of fellow woke pastors, the agenda he Naselli did not resign. In September 2018, the church moved into its current South Campus facility in Lakeville. 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. But his take has also resonated. This idea has come up in the cultural conversation with more loaded and often less theological terms: the overly sensitive snowflake generation, the debate over trigger warnings, and the 2018 bestseller The Coddling of the American Mind. 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. What was described in this article is one of the clearest examples of a local church functioning as a narcissistic family system. From our humble beginnings in 1975, Faith Assembly of God began as a church serving 95 people from a small steel building. Piper should intervene to save what is left at Bethlehem. To donate, click here. 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.. Bethlehem was the plan until we were going to be in Jesus arms. 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. I used to wonder if I was too soft. The Christian conversation about racism has come a long way in the 10 years since Bloodlines, and has taken on more weight amid the recent string of high-profile police killingsthree in the Minneapolis area alone: Philando Castille, George Floyd, and Daunte Wright. If I just resign and pretend that I think everything at Bethlehem is fine, I would be dishonest, wrote Meyer, who left August 1. This was baffling to me. 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). And according to audio obtained by The Roys Report, Naselli responded to the motion by stating publicly: I am the pastor that Mrs. Takata just quoted. Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. Meyers exit last month followed two others at Bethlehems downtown campus. Id like to see his surgically precise definition of neo-fundamentalism or even fundamentalism for that matter. 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. It may be worth noting that Naselli graduated from Bob Jones University. ***, The pastor also reminded the South Campus members his letter was "just to state the reality of things and to give you space to lament.". However, Takata said nothing ever came of her efforts. . 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. Ming-Jinn Tong, pastor for neighborhood outreach, announced his resignation 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. 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. 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. Earlier this month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, addressed the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, whose, A century after the 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution gave American women the right to vote, a group of male leaders, Costi Hinn, nephew of Benny Hinn, has been called a progressive to mark and avoid for more than two years by Michael. I found it very helpful. there's harm being done," Pickering said. 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. 4. (Image credit: Bethlehem Baptist Church/Facebook), Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Former Elder, and BBC professor of Biblical Counseling Pickering, however, said he was not surprised by Nasellis response at the meeting. 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. My Plans Discover Plans Sample Share Don't Lose Heart By Jason Meyer This fall, the school will inaugurate its second president, 10 years after its first graduating class. He had the power to just wreck me. The congregation which has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city. 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.. I have found abuse of power issues typical among conservative churches. Sarah Brima and her husband were former members of Bethlehem and Rigneys Cities Church but left in part over his affiliation with Wilson. I doubt CCEF itself is changing direction on that. 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. What shocks me is that these men have not bothered to look at the clear examples in the New testament, including of sympathy and empathy in Hebrews. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Jesus Word speaks as loud today as it did then. 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. 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. https://julieroys.com/bethlehem-baptist-church-culture-fear-abuse 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.. 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. And though Naselli would later apologize for what he said, the Takatas said Naselli made disparaging statements about them in the months following to elders, BBC members, and staff at BCS. These tensions came to a head at a contentious BBC congregational meeting on January 31 in which two members, Steve and Janette Takata, submitted motions for the church to consider. In our next article on events at Bethlehem Baptist Church, well explore the allegations against Naselli, as well as the response by BCS administration and BBC elders. [ This article is also available in Brilliant people dont do that because they dont need to. 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 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. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. WebFor more information about enrolling in services, please contact Mary Ali at agencyintakes@esarc.org or 260.456.4534 ext. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. Having just come out of an abusive system where women arent believed, it was like, Yeah, this is exactly what Ive lived, Mekala said. The sensitivity over Black Lives Matter and differing approaches to contemporary racial issues hits particularly hard in the Bethlehem community. 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. Navigate conflict and division president for how it complicates BCSs relationship with the latest from CBN News delivered your! Efforts to explain and defend his position online has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in Bethlehem! Selection of Rigney as president for how it complicates BCSs relationship with the moved... 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