Why The Slandering of My Character Gives Me So Much Joy
Really, I have much to do this morning but another correspondence came in, one of many this week (and the week is yet young), that goes something like this: “I was talking to someone who is warning me about you. What really happened at Clearcreek Chapel? Why did they bring you up on church discipline? Did you commit adultery or something like that? It’s alright if you did, just tell me so I will be ready when people discuss you.”
This is the game played by the Protestant Resurgent Church. Many of the congregants are not fully boiled yet so they can’t be told the elders have God’s very authority and can excommunicate someone for anything deemed sin by them—the cardinal one being; questioning their authority. So, they just excommunicate someone publically for say, not loving his wife like Christ loves the church, whisper: the standard is the perfection of the law, not love.
Therefore, EVERYONE under the condemnation of the law (see, “Protestant”) is guilty of everything under the law all of the time. This is why Mark Dever et al say that you are technically in the discipline batter’s box the day you join the church. You are fodder for discipline at all times, so keep your mouth shut and put your temple tax in the plate. Verily, ahhhhmen.
Hence, this actually makes the elders look gracious as the parishioners are left to their assumptions that the husband did something not even named among the Gentiles. Pretty slick: they look above the fray of gossip while avoiding the truth about the authority they claim and leaving the congregation to their own imaginations resulting in the ultimate character assassination. That’s a lot of heavy work accomplished in one sitting. Perhaps we should complement their efficiency.
But this is all good news for me, and I write this post full of joy. Please, if you have heard something bad about me, do share. I know that it goes on a lot behind closed doors, but how is one to be encouraged if you only talk of him secretly? Look, I know that your bundle of encouragement probably pales to what is out there, viz, I tried to murder the Clearcreek elders, I committed adultery, I moved to Indiana to hide from the IRS (this accusation was presented by an elder that owed the IRS over $100,000 and had his assets frozen), I am a drunkard, I abandoned my family, presumably with my mistress and left no forwarding address or money to live on, etc., etc., etc., but do tell anyway. Just ask the guy who shared last week by telephone how hard I was laughing.
The Bible states plainly that laughter is good for the bones. Why deprive me of such joy? When I began this ministry, it was founded on my first morsel of truth obtained as a recovering Protestant: the Spirit only uses truth, and eventually, the hammer of truth will start making a dent. Seek truth, truth, truth, and leave the results to the Spirit. This is what kept me going when only 20 people were coming to my blog per day. The standard was one, so 20 was pretty good to me. Since then, views range from 150 to 800, and we have hit 2000 on at least one day. We still haven’t figured out what the trends are, but the higher numbers used to be event-driven, but that is no longer the case. BUT…NOTHING spells e-f-f-e-c-t-i-v-e-n-e-s-s like slander. I will take the slander over numbers any day.
Nevertheless, let me make the vetting of these various and sundry accusations very simple. Several formidable evangelicals who know the Clearcreek Chapel elders personally not only fellowshipped with me after the fact, but invited me to participate in their ministries. Why? They know the discipline was totally bogus. One of these men, a former associate pastor at Clearcreek Chapel, even tried to get Peacemaker Ministries involved in the situation. In addition, and again, after the fact, some of these ministries shared very sensitive inside information with me concerning ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) that would be gut-wrenching if made public. That clearly speaks to trust.
So obviously, it doesn’t add up. But, I can go public with this stuff at any given time. However, again, this wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as the slander.
Slander is confirmation that truth is a big problem for them. Nothing is more satisfying than to see the wild animals of falsehood cornered with the truth and lashing out in desperation.
paul
Eric From Clearcreek Chapel Area Risks Church Discipline to Save Me from “Bitterness”
Eric,
So much ideology is packed into your often-used 5-word Reformed statement: “You are a bitter man.” Like the other Reformed 5-word bumper sticker, “Jesus died for our sins,” it encompasses a whole body of philosophy. The thrust of these statements follows: excluding what doesn’t exist according to the ideology. I am either bitter or not bitter. Why? Because the only cause of bitterness is a lie and doesn’t exist according Reformed ideology: oppression.
There is no such thing as oppression according to Reformed theology, only grace. Grace is defined by the reality of existence that never receives what it fully deserves; therefore, no matter what people do to you, it falls short of what you fully deserve, therefore, all abuse should be received with thankfulness.
Hence, the Reformed definition of a bitter man or woman: one who doesn’t understand grace.
So, what you are saying is that I don’t understand grace. People are either bitter or not bitter–they either understand grace or don’t understand grace. They either understand that the sum total of life is zero making justice a myth or they don’t.
Hence, to put value on life is synonymous with bitterness because justice puts a value on life. Justice restrains those who refuse to treat others as they would want to be treated. According to Reformed philosophy, grace and justice are mutually exclusive and Calvin/Luther both stated that explicitly.
This is fundamentality what put me at odds with the Clearcreek elders though I was a long way from knowing it at the time (by the way, I noticed that your IP address is from Springboro), which is why I am not bitter. I was so blinded by Reformed ideology that it took the full wrath of their fundamental wickedness to wake me from my slumber. I could still be there learning to disassociate myself from reality more and more.
What does that look like? It can be defined by two sons who lost their fathers. When I lost my father whom I led to the Lord one day before his death, I cried out to God in mourning that cannot be described with words proclaiming, “You will take care of him now, you will take care of him now!” By the way, I was informed by elder Devon Berry before I left Clearcreek Chapel that God using me to lead my dad to the Lord, as well as everything else I had done at Clearcreek Chapel for 20 years was “walking in darkness.” Why? Because my worldview does not profess “Perplexity” in knowing anything other than “Christ and Him crucified,” viz, ALL wisdom is hidden in suffering (Luther).
Now let’s compare my worldview with the stoic public testimony of Pastor Rick Wilson’s son at Rick’s funeral: “My dad was a wicked sinner.”
Eric, Eric, Eric, do you really think I am bitter because I can longer hang with you guys? Really? What is the fundamental difference between you and ISIS? Nothing, because the fundamental worldview is exactly the same. In both cases, horizontal justice is a metaphysical concept rejected as true reality. How scary is that?
Eric, I am not bitter towards the Clearcreek caliphate, I am terrified that others will become members there. My duty to warn others about you is a joy, not a bitterness by any means.
But I understand what you are saying: grace and horizontal justice are mutually exclusive making justice a myth. Well, I’m sorry, I disagree, but you seem a little bitter about my bitterness.
And Eric, just a heads up, you could be brought up on church discipline for coming to my blog per the Clearcreek elders, but I won’t tell.
paul
Clearcreek Chapel Gone Wild: Jesus Keeps the Clearcreek Covenant for You
Originally posted November 18, 2013
My, my, how different Clearcreek Chapel of Springboro, Ohio is since a pack of New Calvinist wolves took it over shortly after the departure of the founding pastor. The victorious pack, led by Chad Bresson (who for some reason recently left the KoolAid paradise that he built at his former chapel with a creepy adoration for his supposed theological prowess) began infiltrating the flock a couple of weeks before Dr. John Street’s departure.
The undomesticated canine delegation he brought with him from a Baptist church in Dayton, Ohio seemed to be frustrated with their inability to devour at that location. Really old sheep produce a mutton that is tough to chew, and invariably leaves a bad aftertaste.
As far as the “friends” I knew back in that day and their susceptibility to believe Bresson’s outrageous mythology, I never saw it coming.
Apparently, just about any place a thinking person pokes the Chapel these days produces something utterly bizarre. I say this because of what I accidently stumbled onto today. In a recent sermon by Chapel elder Devon Berry, who is a mental healthcare professional (yikes!), he stated that Jesus keeps the Chapel covenant for the “beloved” members. Let me share an excerpt:
Is the Chapel covenant a call to a certain kind of living in the Church? Yes, it is. But beloved, it is a call to much, much, much more than that and it can never be only that. It is a call to the living Christ, our righteousness, our sin-bearer, our life. When you read the Chapel Covenant, reflect on Christ first for it is meant to point us to him – not to ourselves and our own efforts. Then rejoice. He has obeyed for us. He has suffered and died for us. And, he has also enabled us by grace – something we’ve talked around this morning but not mentioned directly.
Let me close by contradicting myself. Earlier I said that you could not keep the Chapel Covenant. I will end by saying that you can keep the Chapel Covenant. Grace, the enabling power given by God because we are at peace with him through the work of the cross, provides all that we need to obey and overcome sin. Hence, the Chapel Covenant is a call to live in the reality of who we are as believers. There is no better place you could live, no more joyful place you could abide, no more beautiful place you could dwell than in the life-transforming reality of the gospel. Believer, be who you are for Christ has given you all that you need.
Clearly, Berry is putting the Chapel covenant on par with the Scriptures. He states that it is more than a standard, it is a “call to the living Christ.” And, the ability to keep the covenant requires the enabling grace of Christ? This is beyond creepy. Moreover, if 2+2=4, Berry makes living by the Chapel covenant via the grace of Christ synonymous with dwelling in the “life-transforming reality of the gospel.” And according to Berry, there is not a place in the world where they could have more joy.
Sorry I am missing all the fun.
paul
Advice to Clearcreek Chapel Members Being Held Against Their Will: Don’t Slip John Street a Note
Regardless of unresolved conflict with many Christians and documented outrageous behavior by the leadership of Clearcreek Chapel in Springboro, Ohio, the Professor and Chair of the graduate program in biblical counseling at The Master’s College and Seminary, John Street, will conduct the Chapel’s annual “Family Enrichment Weekend” (1/23, 24/2015).
I would equate that to chickens having a celebration of life conference at a KFC processing plant. The Clearcreek Chapel leadership has devastated many families, and the idea of a “family enrichment conference” hosted by them is an absurd mockery. Regardless, the biblical counseling community insists on sending troubled people to their counseling center and endorsing them overall.
Clearcreek Chapel, referred to by many in the area as “Cloudy Creek Chapel” and “Clearcreek Cult,” has a storied past of bazaar teachings from the pulpit and outright creepy behavior by the elders. They also hold a suffocating control over parishioners and their instances of church discipline matches that of churches several times their size. The Chapel has brought people up on discipline for insufficient tithing, nonattendance, and asking too many questions. Congregants have also been disciplined for vacating membership without the approval of Chapel elders. Members can also be disciplined for visiting websites that are unapproved by the elders; e.g., it was announced that visiting any website authored by moi is “sin.”
Devon Berry, one of the present elders, preached a sermon that propagated the following idea: spiritual growth can only come from the word of God if heard coming from an elder. In another sermon, Berry promised the congregation that Jesus would keep the Chapel by-laws for them. He also stated that the Chapel membership covenant has equal authority to the Bible.
A former elder who recently left the Chapel for undisclosed reasons used to lead a yearly pilgrimage to the gravesite of Geerhardus Vos, a Reformed mystic who died in 1949. In the last known Pilgrimage, said elder read from one of Vos’ books graveside while weeping. You can’t make this stuff up.
However, the hallmark of Chapel leadership is holding people hostage there under some kind of threat; usually, loss of reputation through church discipline. In fact, counseling, formal or informal, is considered the first step of church discipline by default. The counselees are rarely aware of this. The Chapel then uses information gathered in counseling to control people. Though Street is clearly aware of all of this along with the counseling organizations that support the Chapel, they continue to robustly endorse the Chapel with no hesitation. Basically, they are referring hurting people to a classic cult.
I am not sure when these types of endorsements became closure for me, but they are. The topic Street will be delivering is an example of this: The Gospel-Centered Marriage. So, John Street is going to the Chapel with New Calvinism’s Christocentric calling card. He is officially New Calvinist. In regard to no one in the Reformed camp that I was a part of for 20 years holding the Chapel accountable, I am totally ok with it because none of them were ever my friends. I was never a New Calvinist, but apparently, all of my “friends” were.
Nevertheless, I can give some advice to those being held hostage there by some means. I know what you are thinking: when Congressman Leo Ryan visited Jonestown, some of the members slipped him a note asking for help. I strongly advise against that when Street arrives. He is one of them, and he won’t help you.
In addition, neither can his Christocentric progressive justification help you. Gee, sorry you have to go, but I am sure it is required since you are under “heavy counseling.”
paul
Clearcreek Chapel Gone Wild: Jesus Keeps the Clearcreek Covenant for You
My, my, how different Clearcreek Chapel of Springboro, Ohio is since a pack of New Calvinist wolves took it over shortly after the departure of the founding pastor. The victorious pack, led by Chad Bresson (who for some reason recently left the KoolAid paradise that he built at his former chapel with a creepy adoration for his supposed theological prowess), began infiltrating the flock a couple of weeks before Dr. John Street’s departure.
The undomesticated canine delegation he brought with him from a Baptist church in Dayton, Ohio seemed to be frustrated with their inability to devour at that location. Really old sheep produce a mutton that is tough to chew, and invariably leaves a bad aftertaste.
As far as the “friends” I knew back in that day, and their susceptibility to believe Bresson’s outrageous mythology, I never saw it coming.
Apparently, just about any place a thinking person pokes the Chapel these days produces something utterly bizarre. I say this because of what I accidently stumbled onto today. In a recent sermon by Chapel elder Devon Berry, who is a mental healthcare professional (yikes!), he stated that Jesus keeps the Chapel covenant for the “beloved” members. Let me share an excerpt:
Is the Chapel covenant a call to a certain kind of living in the Church? Yes, it is. But beloved, it is a call to much, much, much more than that and it can never be only that. It is a call to the living Christ, our righteousness, our sin-bearer, our life. When you read the Chapel Covenant, reflect on Christ first for it is meant to point us to him – not to ourselves and our own efforts. Then rejoice. He has obeyed for us. He has suffered and died for us. And, he has also enabled us by grace – something we’ve talked around this morning but not mentioned directly.
Let me close by contradicting myself. Earlier I said that you could not keep the Chapel Covenant. I will end by saying that you can keep the Chapel Covenant. Grace, the enabling power given by God because we are at peace with him through the work of the cross, provides all that we need to obey and overcome sin. Hence, the Chapel Covenant is a call to live in the reality of who we are as believers. There is no better place you could live, no more joyful place you could abide, no more beautiful place you could dwell than in the life-transforming reality of the gospel. Believer, be who you are for Christ has given you all that you need.
Clearly, Berry is putting the Chapel covenant on par with the Scriptures. He states that it is more than a standard; it is a “call to the living Christ.” And, the ability to keep the covenant requires the enabling grace of Christ? This is beyond creepy. Moreover, if 2+2=4, Berry makes living by the Chapel covenant via the grace of Christ synonymous with dwelling in the “life-transforming reality of the gospel.” And according to Berry, there is not a place in the world where they could have more joy.
Sorry I am missing all the fun.
paul
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