Paul's Passing Thoughts

Published with permission:

Paul,

I came across your blog today when doing a google search for Southwood Presbyterian. It is heartbreaking when the first link that pops up regarding your church is one (of like 23 posts) regarding the takeover of your church by “New Calvinism”. I’ve been a member of Southwood for [deleted by me] and right now we are being awakened. Southwood is in serious trouble. However, the larger battle (that of New Calvinism) and the integrity of the church is what is really at stake. I don’t know what you can do if anything, however, we are contacting anyone possible in an attempt for help. The governmental system of the Presbyterian church, designed to protect us, is now being used as a weapon. Our dissenting elders are being threatened with church discipline if they speak against Jean Lerroux and his order. This week a vote is being forced on the matter. The “Session” (I put that in quotes to reflect the fact that it is far from the full Session and primarily from the Lerroux order) sent out a biased letter to persuade the congregation to vote on keeping Lerroux. [unique verbal expression deleted by me] they’re even ordering the checking of photo IDs at the door. I know it’s not [unique verbal expression deleted by me], but I never in my life thought I’d be presenting my ID as I entered church. I’ve attached the letter for your review.

I fully believe it is too late for Southwood. This has our attention now though; we aren’t going to give up. But this cannot be allowed to spread. The Church of Christ and its integrity is preeminent. I don’t know who you are or who you know but maybe you can help. Do me a favor and scrub my email (ie don’t forward it). I’d like to keep the wolves off a few more days.

Dear Southwood member,

Unless Lerroux is sent packing, the wicked actions of these men will be a memorial on this blog for all of the days it appears. And then some via published PDFs.

Commented on PPT January 23, 2012:

Paul – Our elders are responsible for all that has happened. They had plans in place before JL was even known. Their pride and arrogance is beyond comprehension. They have restructured the diaconate so they all have responsibilities that fall under the over-site of staff – which are non-ordained in some cases and a clear violation of the Book of Church Order – but they only refer to the BCO when it supports their position. Power and control is the God they are embracing. They don’t even trust the diaconate enough to let them do their work as the bible and BCO direct. They don’t trust in what God has prescribed. They know how to promise correction to appease the congregation in heated moments but then never deliver on their promises. In this week’s hoopla of hooplas, they are pushing for a congregational vote without any of the truth getting out to the congregation, which gives them the best chance to survive and win the church. I suspect they will then leave our denomination and take a beautiful church facility with them. This way they will not have to answer to anyone else. But ….. they will answer to God. It is all in His hands. Thank you for bearing the constant burden of heralding such painful truths for others to read and discern for themselves.

“They had plans in place before JL was even known.” Right, a couple of New Calvinists got on the Session and then they went looking for a New Calvinist pastor. And of course, the other elders had no clue as to what New Calvinism is. After all, it didn’t even have a label until 2008. The “Sonship” label was mostly dropped in 2000 because Jay Adams and Van Dixhoorn shot it full of holes. When folks caught on to the fact that Sonship had gone underground, it was dubbed “Gospel Sanctification” in 2004.

This is like most New Calvinist hostile takeovers. In the situation I was in, the pastor presented himself as a traditional grammatical-historical guy, but the front doors of the church had barley hit the former pastor in the backside before his preaching became radically different. Many people left without having a clue as to what was going on—they just knew something wasn’t right. But what a shame to have to leave a church without knowing why! I at least wanted to know why. It was the only church my children ever knew and I was a former elder there. We were members there twenty years, and I was unwittingly instrumental in the pastor obtaining the pastor/teacher position.

Once he got in, he started bringing in acquaintances from other churches that shared this same doctrine (about five families from a particular church across town). They began to plan a takeover behind the scenes. Unknown to the rest of the congregation, sitting elders were being strong-armed. In fact, one fled the state. Another man who wasn’t an elder, but was a notable leader in the church, fled the state as well. You must understand this: to a Reformed Baptist, church discipline is death, and these were respected men.

Church discipline is a scarlet letter that follows you the rest of your life. Praise to our awesome God, they have done to me all that they can do. Out of the situation, I was able to salvage a relationship with my son that they also tried to take from me, slandering me to him and showering him with gifts; for example, a laptop. He now lives with Susan and me. Before I parted ways with that church, and after they realized I figured out what they were doing, they offered to pay for my fire system design degree. I knew what they were doing and declined. Shortly thereafter, they began to drive a wedge between my wife and me. In fact, they instructed her to give them personal files from my computer and report to them who I was associating with. They were particularly intimidated by my relationship with the elder that had fled the state. My wife was instructed to read our emails. I know this because my wife would print the documents, and write copious notes on them before she passed them on to the elders. I found document copies that she had retained for herself that were in draft stage and never completed, but with notes on them. Catch my drift?

So, without writing a book, let me say that New Calvinists have done everything to me they can do; therefore, my message to them is, “Bring it!”

paul