ABWE Fires GRACE: GARB Can No Longer Be Taken Seriously as a Denomination
ABWE, which in my book is run by unregenerate individuals, has fired GRACE six weeks before their long awaited report on the sexual abuse of ABWE missionary children. Though I am skeptical of GRACE and their “Gospel centered” (ie, Luther’s theology of the cross in my opinion) approach to these situations, their response is both impressive and scathing. However, I sat dumbfounded as I read that GRACE will not issue a report. I am sure there is a good reason for that, but I am still grieved nevertheless.
ABWE jokingly claims to be a biblical organization, but refused to address “concerns” with GRACE according to Matthew 18. That’s because everybody knows their concerns are bogus.
There are no words to describe this travesty of justice that would not even be named among unbelievers. There is something seriously wrong with any pastor or any parishioner who will now identify with the GARB denomination. Susan and I live in GARB country; regardless, we now see the very name of this denomination as anathema. Christ didn’t say to focus on the good that has been done; He said that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.
By the way, don’t miss the strong connection that GARB now has with the New Calvinists in the SBC, especially Mark Dever, and the cover that they are supplying for SGM in regard to sexual abuse in that camp. SGM has even moved there operation to Louisville, Kentucky. Does ABWE and GARB figure that they can overcome losses by networking with the SBC? That would be my bet.
The relevant link to the MK and Grace response is here: http://bangladeshmksspeak.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/abwe-fires-grace-grace-responds/
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Like you, I am greatly concerned with ABWE’s action of firing GRACE. But I am not sure what this has to do with the GARBC. I don’t know how well you know the GARBC or are current with it at the present, but ABWE has not been considered an approved agency of the GARBC for several years. And it has never been controlled by the GARBC. GARBC churches have taken on ABWE missionaries to support financially, along with missionaries from other missionary agencies – but ABWE is not a part of the GARBC. As a GARBC pastor for many years, and hopefully as your brother in Christ, I thought I should inform you of this. You are in error if you think that the GARBC condones any religious organization that has been linked to ungodly immoral actions, and has not repented of and corrected any sinful wrongdoing (or coverup of any wrongdoing) in a Biblical and legal way. Why would you think it is wrong to be associated with a loosely organized fellowship of Churches that believe in and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus? Also, I am not aware of any networking going on between the GARBC and SGM. Where are you getting your misinformation from?
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John,
Without GARB support, ABWE is dead. Furthermore, the perpetrators were GARB members. Why did ABWE send letters to almost all GARB churches? If this is some kind of claim that GARB is guiltless in the ABWE affair–its’ lame.
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ABWE has connections with many other kinds of churches besides GARBC churches. ABWE sent letters to alot of GARBC churches because alot of GARBC churches support individual ABWE missionaries. Following your reasoning, anyone who has dropped a dollar in an offering plate to help support an ABWE missionary shares in the guilt of ABWE’s sins. As to the perpetrators being members of a GARBC church, I’m not certain that this is totally the case. ABWE personnel are members of a variety of churches – there is no mandatory rule that an ABWE missionary or administrator belong to a GARBC church, and I am not certain that it even has to be a baptist church. There may be ABWE personnel who are members of the church group that you are affiliated with. It sounds to me like you are not that familiar with the GARBC, or have gotten your information second-hand, which makes me wonder why you would have the freedom of conscience before God to call a fellowship (not denomination) of churches that God has blessed anathema.
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John,
They are guilty if they keep putting their money in the plate, and they are. If a church is supporting ABWE in any way, YES, they share in the sin–absolutely!
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And by the way John, your assumption that my information is “second-hand” is presumptuous.
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You are right Paul, I don’t want to be presumptuous about any of this. I really don’t know who you are or any direct connection you may have. But I do know this – that I cannot immediately drop financial support to any individual ABWE missionary who has absolutely no connection or previous knowledge of this scandal. For example, I believe an ABWE missionary serving the Lord faithfully in the Phillipines for many years who knew nothing about the sinful actions that happened in Bangladesh should not be suddenly without financial support, and the decades of Christ-honoring work be allowed to suddenly come to an end. When Paul learned of the presence of unconfessed sexual sin in the Corinthian church, he did not urge the members to close down the church, but to clean up the church, and “deliver over to Satan” those who had sinned. 2 Corinthians 7 shows that the full repentance of the sin and the spiritual wholeness of the church was what motivated Paul. 2 Corinthians 7:12 tells us that Paul wanted this church (that had honestly dealt with the presence of that sexual sin and disciplined those who committed it) to survive. ABWE needs to fully repent and come clean of any sinful past. But I would like to see the work of those who were innocent and faithful to survive, if that is God’s will.
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John,
Here is where the rubber meets the road. You should absolutely cut off all funds to any ABWE missionary you support. Clearly, the Bible teaches guilt by association. The key to your Corinthians example is that the leadership did the right thing. In regard to churches who will not do what’s right, see, “remove candlestick from stand” and “I will spew you out of my mouth.” Sorry, but any missionary who will remain connected with ABWE at this point has no integrity. They are either remaining willfully uninformed because they don’t want to know, or other things are more important. Either way, you should inform them that you will gladly support them as faith based or under the auspices of another missionary organization, but not under those who harbor child rapists and then try to cover for them. If more would take this kind of stand, the situation would have been resolved years ago. But ten years later, it is even making the Catholics blush.
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Having had the horror of knowing Larry Green personally and suffering, I can honestly say that he is an abusive, narcissistic, egomaniac who will stop at nothing to preserve his own reputation. He has pastored churches in Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey and single handedly destroyed each and every one of them yet he continues to secure positions of leadership in the “GARB” community and is allowed to continue his path of destruction. I can assure you that GRACE found something that ABWE didn’t want made public. I believe there is a special place in hell for people like this.
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Jeanie,
Geez, Larry Green? Never heard of him. Has the time come where the word in regard to the formal church is, “come out from among them” ?
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The Pastor here should be encouraged to send a letter to all ABWE missionaries getting financial support that they will be dropping ABWE missionaries as of a certain date and that as missionaries they will have to decide whether to remain with ABWE or be dropped. There does need to be a transition, but not a sticking to ABWE just cause we support good missionaries. Encourage the good missionaries to get out of the bad agency! My preference now is local churches and financial clearing houses hired by the local churches instead of agencies that grow too large to be under control of those who are sending the missionary. It is the churches responsibility! Agencies hired to help tend to think they are in control, when in reality they should never be!
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DG,
Fabulous point!!!!!!!!
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