The issue of abuse also has particular resonance at Bethlehem. Is there a way to do any rebuke or admonishment when someone is hurting?, he asked. 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. *This article has been updated for accuracy. July 19, 2021 Source: Facebook In whats being called a major shake-up, four pastors have resigned from Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) in Minneapolis in the past 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. 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? Follow Receive an email notification when changes occur for Jason Meyer. 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. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. I feel terribly that I hurt you, and I own that and I regret it, and Im so sorry, he said. He also did not respond to The Roys Reports repeated requests for an interview. When he resigned, he came to an agreement of some kind where he committed to not interfering in the elders leadership or the direction of the church. Jason has been a dear friend and mentor since we met in his tiny closet of an office during my first year of seminary back in 2010. . 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). God has moved at FCC in amazing ways. 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. 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. 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. The departures most directly affect the downtown campus, where Stokes, Bethlehems pastor of church planting, has assumed some of Meyers duties in the short term. He wrote in an email to her that he believed the elders would be taking up the issue in the days ahead.. It is indeed worth noting the problematic environment of the school where Naselli chose to incubate himself. His writings are dreck, laughable to those who havent already decided to worship at his temple. The resignations and fractures in leadership at Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) extend to the congregation and have been simmering for years. He challenged his flock to consider their own experience in light of Meyers claims of drift toward neo-fundamentalism and unity culture.. And let us pray for Gods rescue and healing of those victimized by these wicked hired-men posing as undershepherds. Take Back Your Life. Even if the motions dont pass, at least the option is there to address major concerns with the entire church. ]. Rather, I believe our leadership culture has taken a turn in an unhealthy direction as we try to navigate conflict and division.. I have found abuse of power issues typical among conservative churches. 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.. 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. Couldnt agree more, Rebecca. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! 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. She requested that, prior to Rigney taking office, the elders make a statement to separate Rigneys views in the episode from the views and teachings of Bethlehem Baptist Church.. Freedom City Church (FCC) was born in a small art studio in Uptown Whittier, CA, and it has quickly expanded to the present facility Pastor Jason and his beautiful wife and co-pastor, Elizabeth, lead in Whittier, CA. She described how hard it was to leave a church theyd helped plant, even as disagreements about race and gender emerged. The news of official grievances against Naselli, one of the best-known professors at BCS, spread among its 400 or so graduates. We dont want that kind of escalation, inflation, and fragility in play. 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. This was baffling to me. But in contexts where believers already agree on the capital-T Truth, theres even more weight and fallout when they fail to see eye to eye on the lowercase-t truth of a situation. 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 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. 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. No one has leaned in to care for my soul more than him," he wrote. They were disappointed, too, that their pursuit of evidence and the truth became viewed as disbelieving victims or not showing compassion. Abigail Dodds, who attends the North Campus, said that most remain confident in the churchs leadershipnot as blind allegiance, but based on personal knowledge of their characterand that she has seen a renewed unity around Gods Word and deepening hope in Christ among our members in recent weeks. 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. Pastor, you have introduced the last three sermons that way. Disagreements in this area can feel like personal attacks or as doctrinal attacks, when they really are neither.. WebView Jason Meyers profile on LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional community. At the meeting, Steve Takata moved that the task forces unedited reports be released to Bethlehem members. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. The implications were clear: He would not be sugarcoating in this class. On April 20, the elders met again for what Pickering and Meyer likened to a tribunal. Pickering said that in that meeting, the elders accused Meyer and Tong of subordinating the gospel and embracing Marxism and Critical Race Theorya controversial approach to understanding systemic racism. (BBC has about 40 elders, but the congregation is considered the final authority and meets quarterly to vote on church matters.). May they work it out together in a godly manner. espaol, When the legitimate needs of the individual members of the family are expendable for the sake of the image of the family, this is a narcissistic family system. They did great for a week when they simply sat with Job in silence. 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. Pastor Jason Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. 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. Share Podcast Audio Download. Both Meyer and Tong spoke out against racism, Pickering said, but added that the charges were not true. Last year, Pickering and Meyer resigned from their teaching roles at BCS, with Pickering citing egregious student complaints against a professor-elder among his top reasons. . Hes brilliant, which is what makes him dangerous. Its the same individuals who are sitting in both places. But he also saw the debate as a proxy for the other issues stirring around Bethlehem. Naselli did not reply to CTs multiple requests to offer comment for this story. WebSince that time, his life has never been the same and the reach of his ministry has only grown. 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 4. "At Bethlehem . there's harm being done," Pickering said. It transitioned to a formal degree program that eventually became accredited in 2015. To unlock this article for your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. The Sunday after George Floyd was killed, he preached on racism and the call to sit in solidarity with those who are suffering. Im stumped over this direction. Wilson tells you very plainly what his show is about: his own male self aggrandizement. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. The others who have resigned include Bryan Pickering, former I used to wonder if I was too soft. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Sarah Brima and her husband were former members of Bethlehem and Rigneys Cities Church but left in part over his affiliation with Wilson. WebOur Legacy. [ This article is also available in Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bethlehem College and Seminary grew out of the church-run training center that dates back decades. At the same time, worries around secular thinking overriding biblical approaches to race have spiked, particularly over critical race theory. Image: Screengrab / Bethlehem Baptist Church. 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. Jason informed Bethlehem's Council of Elders of his resignation effective August 1, 2021," the statement read. 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. If you find over time that Johnathons perceptions are true, you will rightly seek out another place to study or work. Rigney acknowledges that a criticism of empathy sounds provocative, and hes made efforts to explain and defend his position online. Ive worked with victims for 26 years in the Christian Reformed Church. Two Bethlehem elders, Ken Currie and Chairman Kurt Elting-Ballard, responded that they are focusing our energy on the needs of our flock and had no other comment or statement to add.. After Christ Christian Center. Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church Transform Minnesota brings workshops, connection points and teaching across the state of Minnesota. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. 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. However, three pastors/elders voted against dismissing chargesPickering, Meyer, and Ming-Jinn Tong, former pastor of neighborhood outreach who also recently resigned. Today was the first time Ive ever heard of the controversy re: the concept of empathy as discussed by Doug Wilson and Joe Rigney, and also now the idea the some biblical counselors are also thinking similarly. a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution Jason Meyer He is well respected for his scholarship and rigor, earning two PhDs (from Bob Jones and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) before he turned 30. For twelve BBC students to submit allegations against N is not insignificant. 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. 720 13th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415 Looking back, Pickering, as a counselor, wishes the church had established an understanding of systemic abuse prior to its focus on domestic abuse back in 2015. Part of what I want to say is theres actually an answer to that question.. However, Takata said nothing ever came of her efforts. 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. It may be worth noting that Naselli graduated from Bob Jones University. Frankly, its because I graduated from our undergrad program that I have concerns. Rev Ernie Dorrell. He may have a point about detached wisdom in making hard decisions. The stakes continue to be raised, said Josh Panos, a BCS alumnus. They insisted he sinned against them by explaining and denying instead of seeking to understand. They resigned not long after. Part of whats happened, in the last five years plus especially, is emerging fault lines among people with sensibly shared theological commitments, Rigney said in an interview with CT. At the same time, Theres been an escalation of language and inflation of language such that when a certain issue rises to where it becomes the litmus test, where it becomes, Youre either with us or against usas opposed to simply a different instinct or tendency within a same shared theological commitmentthats when theres real problems, and its hard to work together.. 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. WebUrban Refuge Lead Pastor, Jason Meyer, has a deep and abiding passion to make much of Christ in all that he does. "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. 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.. In 1980, after only 5 years of ministry, the congregation took a huge step of faith and built a facility to hold 450 people. Meyer had stepped down from the BCS board of trustees as well. We are open and available if you need to talk Youre going to have people on opposite sides saying theyre making mountains out of molehills and then other people saying youre making molehills out of mountains. The congregation which has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city. Are there good reasons for why Pastors are leaving the church? God commands us to be compassionate. Ive blogged about that twice. Pastor Jason Meyer, Bethlehem Baptist Church Almost 1-1/2 years ago, I wrote an article about John Pipers former church, Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) I doubt CCEF itself is changing direction on that. She said the meeting did not go well, and Tomlinson told her that he supported Rigneys view. Concerning threats within the church, they have deep worries with the churchs drift towards liberalism and the ways secular ideologies are finding homes in the church. Having just come out of an abusive system where women arent believed, it was like, Yeah, this is exactly what Ive lived, Mekala said. 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. 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. 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. Now, Meyer is part of a growing exodus of leaders and members Id like to see his surgically precise definition of neo-fundamentalism or even fundamentalism for that matter. WebFor more information about enrolling in services, please contact Mary Ali at agencyintakes@esarc.org or 260.456.4534 ext. Zuleger noted Meyer's resignation was painful to him personally due to their years-long friendship. Jason refers to an article in his letter, which describes neo-fundamentalism as one of six groups into which evangelicals are fracturing. Heres a short definition offered there, but youd have to read the entire article for the more complete definition: Neo-Fundamentalist Evangelical Neo-fundamentalists are those who have deep concerns about both political and theological liberalism. I didnt start experiencing regular conflict until I started advocating for racial justice issues, Bowers told CT. He also opposed the selection of Rigney as president for how it complicates BCSs relationship with the church and for his Wilson affiliations. Ann Mekala and her husband, who was on the ethnic harmony task force, left the church a couple years ago. My Plans Discover Plans Sample Share Don't Lose Heart By Jason Meyer I wish the congregation the best in getting this all sorted out. Maybe this is normal for most people, but its mind-blowing to me. 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. Former Elder, and BBC professor of Biblical Counseling Pickering, however, said he was not surprised by Nasellis response at the meeting. Hurt feelings arent always a sign that someone has been sinned against. The church formed an ethnic harmony task force in 2019 to review issues such as representation and diversity within the church and leadership. A motion was brought at a July 25 QSM for such an investigation. A Taiwanese American, Tong also wore traditional Chinese attire as he preached on the Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. 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. . 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. Similarly, Lee at Bethlehems North Campus referred to the spiritual abuse accusations against Naselli as the result of concept creep, suggesting that conceptions of abuse and victimhood are being expanded too far. 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. I attended Bethlehem for nearly 3 years, belonged to one of the small groups. 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. 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. By now, you have received notification of the resignation of Pastor Jason Meyer. At Bethlehem, Rigney said, we want to un-coddle the American mind, or at least the Christian mind. Nothing in seminary wife class prepares you for this.. It would have been easier, he said, to move from understanding abuse within institutions and systems, as can be the case with spiritual abuse and racism, to the ways abuse manifests in marriage relationships. Jason Meyer has resigned from his position as the lead pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, amid allegations of toxic and 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. WebPastor Jason serves as Pastor of Holy Nativity. The three departing pastors from Bethlehem were based just a few miles from where George Floyd died in 2020. (The Roys Report was not able to obtain statistics for member resignations at Bethlehems two other campusesNorth and South.). Are the elders or board members abusive? Some of the resignations were due to normal factors, like families moving out of the area. I say all of that to let you know that it's okay to feel sad and confused," Zuleger continued. 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. Mekala, her husband, and another BBC elder met with Tomlinson in December 2019, Mekala said. 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. When the image of the family is more important than the individual members of the family, this is a narcissistic family system. But what I noticed, underlying the meaningful time I worshiped at Bethlehem, was rigidity and control among leadership. Interview with Jason Mayer | North County Campus Pastor by Dave Franco | August 15, 2014 How did you become a Christian? The downtown campus was the most diverse of the three, with people of color making up 21 percent of attendees. This moment is hard. According to Pickering, Tong called the elders process and decision to dismiss the allegations against Naselli unethical., In Meyers resignation letter, Meyer writes:(I)t seemed that a committee of non-staff elders from each campus would be the best group to be able to take the allegations and sift them. The other, and far more contentious, motion concerned an October 1, 2019, episode of Man Rampant, a podcast on Christianity, leadership, and masculinity hosted by Doug Wilson. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 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. But his take has also resonated. What was described in this article is one of the clearest examples of a local church functioning as a narcissistic family system. 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. Naselli did not resign. And in such a case, the school will rightly wither and die. 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. To donate, click here. Particularly since Donald Trumps presidency, theres been a deepening of divisions among American evangelicals, exposing disagreements not in theology per se but in how they as Christians see their greatest priorities and fears in society. In other words, you lose contact with truth.. You can thank John Piper for that mess. I fully believed that living for myself and chasing my desires of money, women, and partying would lead me to joy and happiness. It has been multiple factors in concert over time, he wrote in a resignation letter last year. You'll hear sermons, worship, life-changing help, and prayer. Another four faculty and staff left the college and seminary in the past year. In his resignation letter, Meyer referenced the fracturing of evangelicalism described in a recent Mere Orthodoxy article, which details how certain groups will experience significant philosophy of ministry differences in how to contextualize the gospel in this cultural moment. While accusations swirled of liberal drift under his leadership, Meyer instead saw the congregation moving in the other direction and suggested a pastor in the neo-fundamentalist category would be a better fit. This prompted many members of the task force to leave the church, according to Janice Perez Evans, a task force co-leader. I observed leadership patterns that sought to help hurting people but left those same people even more frustrated and disappointed.. While Meyer was on sabbatical in May, Pickering and Tong were removed from the Sunday prayer and preaching schedule. 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.. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. WebNOW!!! James Lutzweiler WebPastor Jason Meyer. 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. Thats actually kind of incredible. This response, of course, is labeled as immature, manipulative, and reactive.. In this context of untethered empathy, he argues, you lose the ability to actually make an independent judgment about anything that theyre saying or doing. 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