The Biblical Emphasis on Pastors and Their Authority: Where is It? Romans 15:14
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Welcome to Blogtalk Radio False Reformation this is your host Paul M. Dohse Sr. Tonight, “The Biblical Emphasis on Pastors and Their Authority: Where is It?” If you would like to add to our lesson or ask a question, call (347) 855-8317. Remember to turn your PC volume down to prevent feedback. Per the usual, we will check in with Susan towards the end of the show and listen to her perspective.
If you would like to comment on our subject tonight, you can also email me at paul@ttanc.com. That’s Tom, Tony, Alice, Nancy, cat, paul@ttanc.com. I have my email monitor right here and can add your thoughts to the lesson without need for you to call in.
We are going to begin tonight by surveying the present landscape. The church invests billions in the education and accreditation of pastors. Of course, this is all made possible by the working class laity. Pastorate authority is expressed in church polity, and they are seen as the gatekeepers of orthodoxy. Never before in history have so many willingly paid so much for the privilege of being subservient.
Let me just pull the rabbit out of the hat right now. Let me go ahead and reveal where I am going with all of this tonight, and then I will make my case. We know that America was the first idea in human history that rejected the marriage of faith and force, and the results speak for themselves. We also know why some people deny what America has done for the world because of their ancient presuppositions concerning mankind; i.e., if mankind is allowed to self-govern, chaos will ensue.
There is that crowd, then there is the crowd that thinks mankind is just outright evil, and the American idea emphasizes life and liberty, so America is the antitheses of this whole idea that mankind is evil. And remember, this is not just a religious idea. No, no, no. This is also very prevalent among secular ideas. Some environmentalists would be included among them.
In the minds of the framers of the American Constitution, the marriage of faith and force always leads to tyranny, and history would agree. It all starts with those who are specially gifted to know truth that the masses are not able to understand, and for their own good, the masses that is, or the “great unwashed” if you will, the great seers call on the state to enforce their wisdom for the good of mankind and its overall survival. It is a striving for social justice leading to utopia.
We know that this basic presupposition about man’s ability to self-govern always leads to tyranny, and it now begs the question: culturally, in the church, if truth is married with pastoral authority, is the same tyranny inevitable? We think the answer is “yes.” The marriage of faith and authority in the church will yield the same results as the marriage of faith and force among governments. The problem is the injunction of truth on the majority by the few.
Without getting into another body of study altogether, let me answer some anticipated objections. A couple of weeks ago while Charlie Rose was interviewing the president of Syria, here is a paraphrase of what he said: “Society in general doesn’t accept the use of chemical weapons.” Interesting. What was he in essence saying albeit probably unwittingly? Answer: Romans chapters one and two. The law of God is written on the hearts of every man and his God-given conscience passes judgement on his actions. Why do we need government? For people who are deficient in regard to their faculties of conscience—that’s why.
Let’s note something important moving forward. The behavior evidenced in the church in our present day is consistent across all religions and denominations. Why? Because they all have one thing in common: they marry faith and authority. This is just another institutional church elephant in the room; the question of pastoral authority. And how churches get around this is soooo smooth:
“As pastors, our only authority is in the word of God.”
Well, that’s just wonderful because the Bible covers every nuance of life. While that answer usually assumes the Bible is boss and pastors only point people to its authority, what is really being said is the Bible determines the parameters of their authority which is without bounds if determined by the Bible.
What does this across-the-board authority look like regardless of the particular breed of church? What does it mean when we say that pastors “have authority”? It all starts with a same presupposition concerning mankind. Basically, mankind in general is not able to properly understand reality in a way that brings about social justice resulting in utopia. Man needs to be ruled over for his own good, and those who believe man can self-govern must be neutralized for the good of the many.
This is why the line between churches and liberal leftwing politics is often blurred. Why did some church, I think in New York, recently sue Walmart to ban their gun sales? Because in their mind, you just can’t have people in general running around with guns. In their minds, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.
So, it starts with that philosophy. Now, how does it seek to implement this philosophy? What system dictates the application for the greater good? Again, in ALL religions and denominations it’s the same: mediation, authority, orthodoxy, progressive justification, polity, political collectivism, resulting in the EXACT same results and behavior. This is the technical definition of “the church.” Take note of how often you hear “the church” in the everyday white noise of churchianity.
Mediation. The Bible makes it clear that there is one mediator between God and man: Christ, period. All institutional churches have a concept of what Protestants call the “power of the keys.” This is the idea that the institution represents the body of Christ on earth. Hence, institutional membership is synonymous with salvation. The institution represents Christ’s mediation on earth by proxy. Whatever the church binds on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever the church looses on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Authority. Vested in the elders/pastors of the church regardless of the fact that Christ clearly stated that ALL authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. Pastors are men who have been preordained and specially gifted to know things that the common Christian does not know. Therefore, God has supposedly given them authority on earth for the collective good of mankind. Every institutional church has its own breed of popery.
“But Paul, I am a Southern Baptist and our churches are” …and this is so adorable… “independently autonomous.”
OK, now try to be a pastor of a Southern Baptist church without a degree from a Southern Baptist seminary. Good luck with that. If you are not credentialed, if you do not speak according to authority given you by the church, if your words do not carry authority by the aping of those credentialed, you are nothing but a little yapping mutt that will be ignored. If you tithe enough, people will put up with you and that’s about it.
For the time being, file this away: this is the exact same system Christ was up against when he came. How did He deal with it? Confirming miracles. Remember the paraplegic He healed so that people would know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth?
Orthodoxy. This is the extra-biblical authoritative body of teaching that is developed by those in authority. Since the great unwashed cannot understand truth, orthodoxy takes the higher knowledge of truth and puts it in story form for the spiritually adolescent masses. It’s exactly like story books written for children that explain reality via narratives that they can understand. In church culture, orthodoxy is synonymous with truth itself. This is why in seminary you are told straight up that the knowledge you are learning there is not anything you will be teaching at local churches—they can’t understand it. However, you will learn a lot about being a good spiritual cowboy who keeps the herd from being spooked resulting in a stampede. You will also be taught how to deal with those who think they can know truth, also known as Mad Cow disease.
Progressive justification. All religions and denominations have some form of progressive justification. This soteriology is the necessary gospel that must go hand in hand with mediation, authority, and orthodoxy. It is the teaching that salvation progresses from point A to point B, and the institutional church is the overseer of that progression. This is a hard-fast rule. The church cannot function or survive by propagating the true gospel—it’s impossible and we will look at why this is the case tonight. Why are there so many different religions and denominations? It’s all disagreement on how you get from point A to point B.
Polity. Or “church polity.” This is a soft term for “church government.” All churches have church government. It’s different levels of authority and an epistemological pecking order. In contrast, biblical contra church assemblies are based on fellowship with the Father and His Son—not authority. Historically, churches enforce polity by getting into bed with the government, but post America, the emphasis is control over your salvation.
In pre-American history, if you didn’t believe the church had the authority to take away your salvation, they would simply hang you, drown you, cut you in half, or burn you, not necessarily in that order. So, in our day, the heavy emphasis is authority and control over your eternal destiny. Why do people obey the outrageous notions that flow from the traditions of men? Because their eternal salvation depends on it, and “faith believes all things,” right? One of the favorite truisms vomited out by the clergy is this whole Lutheresque idea that “knowledge puffeth up” and makes people proud.
The real problem is that informed people are very difficult to control. Let me pull another rabbit out of the hat right now. I will make the case tonight that cultism goes hand in hand with elder authority. It is absolutely impossible to separate horizontal authority among God’s people and cultism. Religion plus horizontal authority ALWAYS equals cult. This is an unavoidable and hard-fast rule.
Political collectivism. Here is the dirty little secret: ultimate control is really in the hands of the populous. Why? It’s simple; they outnumber government. In China, if the people decide to rise up, the Chinese government is totally screwed. There are particular things common to people that the framers of the American constitution recognized such as those things that are “self-evident.” All in all, the church has merely stuck its nose in the debate over who owns truth: mankind in general or the state?
This necessarily demands a conversation about the church’s dominion theology. Is God’s kingdom presently on earth, or is it presently in heaven? If it is presently down here, then obviously the church has a dog in the fight. Therefore, since populous rule is the real power in the world, power is determined by how many people you have effectively brainwashed. The church cannot avoid being a political animal seeking to gain control by numbers and infrastructure because it believes it is a nation builder on earth.
This includes all of the trappings of doing good works to endear numbers, and formal education for the purposes of indoctrinating people. Most church hierarchies openly admit that their agenda is to take over every aspect of culture; i.e., education, the arts, etc, etc. The specific quotations abound and are not the least bit ambiguous.
Also, watch out for the “Oh my, missionaries are being persecuted for the gospel in this country, that country, or the other country.” No, many countries are more privy to the dominion aspirations of the church than their own missionaries. In many cases, it is feared that missionaries will incite an insurrection. A cursory observation of history confirms this as a valid concern. Traditionally, church missionaries not only want to get people saved, they want to quote, “transform the culture.” They say it all the time!
Let me stick this idea in here. Do you know how home fellowships could do world evangelism? We could find people gifted to be elders in other countries and bring them stateside to live for a while in the home fellowship network. They would live with a sponsoring family and learn/experience the New Testament model. As they learn and experience, they could be feeding the information back to their country of origin. This would be dirt cheap and very effective.
Do you know how expensive and ineffective world missions are in the institutional church? It’s horrific, and mostly predicated on Western arrogance. I have heard missionaries say it: “Without our academic wherewithal, effective ministry is impossible.” Behold the arrogance: after hundreds of years of trial and error and oceans of ink used in the pontification of orthodoxy, 1600 people a day leave the church and become Nones or Dones. 1500 pastors per month leave the ministry for good. But yet, the church continues to export this failed model overseas on the financial backs of the laity. It’s beyond insane.
Behavior. The results are all the same. Spiritual abuse in the church is just a symptom of the specific problem, church. Stuff happening in the church is not the problem—church is the problem. Thanks to the internet, we now know that the church produces the exact same behavior over and over and over again. We now know that the institutional church is nothing more or less than a super-cult.
Let’s begin to look at the evidence.
Yes, once again, Calvary Temple of Sterling, Va. is back in the news. Let’s listen to the recent news report by MRC TV titled “Sexual Abuse, Broken Families, and Race Cars: The Story Of An Alleged D.C.-Area Cult” dated 4/2/2015/. As you listen to this clip, make a list of the elements such as “authority,” “broken family relationships,” “control,” “divorce,” etc.
Listen, whether the HBO documentary I mentioned last week on Scientology, or my wife’s testimony in regard to her experience in the Baptist church, or what my son shared with me the other night about a Jehovah Witness that he works with and what that guy is going through with his church, or my own testimony, or myriads of testimonies that you can read via the internet discernment blogs, it is all the same basic elements in regard to behavioral outcomes.
Sure, John MacArthur Jr. isn’t going to marry a twenty-year-old and buy a dragster and a race car, he just oversees an in-house police station at Grace Community Church that will escort you out to your car if you ask too many questions in Sunday school. I know from firsthand testimony that MacArthur rules that church with an iron fist. I rubbed shoulders with some of his elders for years. In addition, accusations from relatively sound people that Grace Community Church is a cult abound. One such site is The Watchman Wakes .com / John MacArthur’s cult. Google that and the exact link should come up. Look, all one needs to know for purposes of confirming these allegations is MacArthur’s own words from last week’s sound bites; the inevitable result of the belief that elders have authority on earth is cultism.
Let’s also look at the obvious manifestation of well-behaved tyranny. Even though some church pastors would not engage in some of the more outrageous behavior, by and large, the well-behaved tyrants of the church turn a blind eye to the behavior and even cover for it. MacArthur is absolutely notorious for turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the institutional church. Why? The obvious answer is the church’s authority to forgive sins on earth. Without the institutional church, there is no means of salvation for anyone so the church must be saved at all cost. I am not sure what is more obvious.
Look, for example, Jack Hyles could have been shut down years ago. All it would have taken is twenty-five IFB pastors walking down the isle of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Ind. and rebuking the guy publically on a Sunday morning. Game over. Why doesn’t that ever happen even though it is the exact biblical prescription? Because the institution has to be preserved as God’s authority on earth by proxy—that’s why.
I am not going to rehearse the outrageous details of the ABWE scandal, but in reaction to ABWE refusing to deal with the situation, not one GARB church withdrew from the association in protest, and as far as I know, not one church withdrew support from ABWE. One GARB pastor that I know who was mortified by the scandal nevertheless allowed Michael Loftis, at that time the president of ABWE to speak at their church.
Why?!!!! because there is only one name under heaven by which man is saved—the institutional church and its authority on earth by proxy. This isn’t complicated. Support the church if you will, but also know that you are supporting the divine right of kings to rape, pillage and steel at will.
“But my pastor isn’t like that!” Yes he is—he turns a blind eye to it!
It’s all the same, and they all operate by the same principles; for example, let’s just take one, orthodoxy. For Baptists, what is it? The First and Second London Baptist Confessions. For Presbyterians, what is it? The Westminster Confession. For Jehovah Witnesses, what is it? The Watchtower. For Mormons, what is it? The Book of Mormon. For Islam, what is it? The Quran. It’s all the same stuff resulting in the same behavior. Read history for yourself—none of these religions acted any differently until America came along.
At any rate, the church invests billions in the education and accreditation of pastors. Their authority is expressed in church polity, and they are seen as the gatekeepers of orthodoxy. When one surveys the emphasis on pastors in the church, certainly we should expect to easily find abundant information about them in the Scriptures. A cursory observation of Scripture should reveal their purpose, scope of authority, and a description of their duties.
But in reality, the lack of biblical emphasis on pastors and elders is stunning when compared to the emphasis experienced in the institutional church. If a pastor has authority, where does that authority begin and end? While the idea of elder authority is common, any discussion of the parameters is extremely uncommon and such ambiguity can lead anywhere, and it does. Furthermore, their assumed authority is nowhere to be found in holy writ.
In regard to their importance in general, the specific gift of elder/pastor is mentioned a meager four times in Scripture.
In the most vital portions of Scripture where elders would be prevalent according to their assumed authority, they are not mentioned. In the corrective letters to Corinth where Christianity was completely off the reservation, elders are not mentioned once. In the book of Romans, the magnum opus of soteriology, again, elders are not written about.
In Paul and Peter’s mini-treatises regarding submission starting in the home, to the workplace, and society in general, again, no mention of elders (Eph 5:22-33, 1Pet 2:13-3:7).
In the protocol for solving conflict among believers in Matthew 18, the same. If a person finally refuses to repent of what he has done to a fellow brother, the passage doesn’t say to go tell the elders, it says to go tell the assembly. The process in Matthew 18 is commonly thought to be a process under the control and auspices of the elders, but if that’s the case, where are they?
Sure, when the Greek widows were treated unfairly as documented in Acts 6:1ff, the people appealed to the apostles, but who was given the responsibility to choose what I think were the first Deacons? Right, the saints in general. Not only that, notice that the solution offered by the apostles met the approval of the people. They did not go to the apostles for an edict—they sought their counsel and leadership in the situation, but it obviously needed the approval of the people.
In Philippians 4:2,3, Paul entreats the whole congregation to reconcile the two women who were in some kind of rift, and this is the same pattern found in Matthew 18 as well. Listen, we could go on and on and on and add Acts 17:11 as well, but is this sinking in? Where are the big bad elders? Where are they and their supposed authority? I do believe the apostles had authority, but clearly what they emphasized is the model that would follow after their departure; appeal to the one mind of Christ and not the dictation of authority.
Moreover, not only are elders conspicuously missing, the saints in general are told throughout the New Testament that they are qualified to do ministry that is normally attributed to elders exclusively. A good example is Romans 15:14.
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
Another one is 1John 2:27.
But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Clearly, when it gets right down to it, God’s people can do without elders. Eldership is a gift that is no more or less important to the body of Christ than any other gift. Yes, if God’s people are serious about furthering the testimony and deepening fellowship, they should seek out good elders. But eldership is not a horizontal authority granted by God. Eldership does not represent God’s authority on earth.
Indeed, the apostles did have some of God’s authority, and that’s why they will sit on twelve thrones judging Israel in the final days, but that authority was NOT passed on to the elders. This is why the apostles predominately appealed to the one mind of Christ and not authority.
So, what is in fact the biblical model? Let’s compare the biblical model point by point with the institutional model. Here we go.
Presuppositions concerning mankind. Simple, Romans chapters one and two. Man can know reality and is personally and individually accountable to God. Throughout history for the most part, society in general determines law and what is acceptable. But please do not underestimate the real debate underlying the more visible debates manifested in this question: does man understand the reality that he lives in. He most certainly does. Mankind does not need seers to rule over them who have special insight into a reality that the masses do not understand.
History is a vicious cycle of the masses buying into that philosophy resulting in revolts when the tyranny of it becomes more than they can bear. Life gets to the point where it is not worth living and there is an uprising. The framers of the American Constitution observed this vicious historical cycle of serfism, tyranny, war, freedom, serfism, tyranny, war, freedom, serfism, tyranny, war, freedom, and the lightbulb turned on. America is the greatest country ever because it is the first ever government by the people and for the people.
The Bible is clear, people stand before God at the judgement individually. Be sure of this: the church’s emphasis on pastors comes from the world’s debate on man’s ability to self-govern. According to the Bible, and more specifically 1John, God’s people are able to self-govern because all of them have the same anointing of the Holy Spirit. When it gets right down to it, we have no need for anyone to teach us.
Mediation. There is only one mediator between God and man—Christ. Clearly, the church posits elders as sub mediators. This does not pass biblical muster.
Orthodoxy. There isn’t any. God’s people do not need a dumbed down version of truth written by sub-mediators creating…watch it… here it is, “subordinate truth.” Really? This is absolutely nothing new and the very reason that the Bible is constantly drilling down on oneness: one truth, one mind, one mediator, one Spirit, one baptism, one anointing, one Lord, etc., etc., ect. There isn’t two minds, there is only one and one truth accordingly. And really? There is such a thing as a lesser truth? No, it is either true or it isn’t true.
Progressive justification. No institution or religious hierarchy is needed to get us from salvation point A to salvation point B. This is why we constantly hear, “We don’t believe the gospel and then move on to something else, we never leave the gospel.” “The gospel isn’t the ABCs of salvation, it’s the A-Z,” etc., etc., etc. If your salvation is finished, and you do move on to something else, guess who you no longer need?
The elements of the institutional church follow a logical progression: presuppositions concerning mankind; sub-mediation; orthodoxy or sub-truth; the gospel of progressive justification; church government (polity) because authority trumps fellowship; political activism because God’s kingdom is supposedly on earth (if it wasn’t authority would be absent), and the subsequent bad behavior ordinarily exhibited by the divine right of kings, mind control cults, and institutional ownership of truth.
Church polity (government). Christ’s assembly does not have a government structure. There is no church polity. There is a body made up of gifts that seeks to mature by “mutual edification” through fellowship under one head. There is no government, but rather organization. Here is the organization: gifted elders equip the saints for ministry, and deacons/deaconesses oversee need. There aren’t any bosses; it’s a cooperative striving for a common goal. It’s an organized body where every part is equally valued. It’s just this simple, and this is the exact same analogy seen throughout the New Testament: to the degree that your body is sound, you can accomplish work. Ephesians 4:1-16 spells it out point by point, and so does 1Corinthians chapter 12. That’s not a government—it’s an organized body.
Political collectivism. It is not the concern of Christ’s assembly to take over every aspect of culture. Our concern is to build up the body in love and let the world watch. And watch they will. Our kingdom is NOT on earth—it’s still up in heaven. That’s why we are called “ambassadors” in the Bible. What’s an “ambassador”? An ambassador doesn’t live in a country to…here it is, we hear this constantly…”take over the culture for Christ.” No, we are here to represent another kingdom that is not presently here.
Behavior. The goal is to think like our big brother Jesus Christ and do what He would do. And trust me, the world will take note.
Here are some references that you should read on your own: Matt 23:8, Psalm 133:1, Acts 4:32, Rom 12:16, Rom 14:19… Rom 15:5, 1Cor 1:10, 2Cor 13:11, Eph 4:3, Phil 1:27, Phil 2:2, Phil 3:16, 1Peter 3:8.
Elder authority, where is it? Where is the emphasis on body striving for unity in one mind? EVERYWHERE! Let’s now go to the phones.
With Permission: The David C. Bennett ABWE Expos’e
ABWE’S MUSICAL CHAIRS
MICHAEL LOFTIS
AND
THE GOOD OLE BOY’S CLUB
By
David C. Bennett, D. Min.
1Timothy 1:20 “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
2Timothy 2:17 “And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus”.
2Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…”
3John 1:9 “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.” 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth…”
God’s men named names as the Scriptures above declare. However, it is surprising to this editor how people defend organizations and men even when it is shown how corrupt they have been. Don’t name names; just get on with the job of preaching the Gospel is the cry of today. That may tickle the ears of some but it isn’t Biblical. So if you do not desire to know what scandalous cover-ups have taken place under the guise of “all for the sake of the Gospel” then you are advised not to read any further for the names of the offenders will be mentioned.
The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) is an organization composed of men who have done wrong! Two of these men, Russ Ebersole and Don Davis, are still living and still serving on staff with ABWE[1]. Russ Ebersole is promoted as a speaker for ABWE[2] and the other, Don Davis, has been given another position from what he had when the Donn Ketcham affair occurred[3]. The other man is Donn Ketcham who was with ABWE as a missionary doctor until he was dismissed in 1989. Ketcham just recently turned in his medical license in Michigan. The fourth man involved in the Donn Ketcham cover-up was Wendell Kempton, then president of ABWE but now deceased. The last is Russ Lloyd, who is a “Biblical” counselor[4][5] but was not on the ABWE staff. All of these men are guilty of covering up Donn Ketcham’s pedophilia!
Now, this paper and all the above has been said because some months ago this editor wrote an article concerning “THE ONGOING SAGA OF ABWE”. Some weeks after that article was posted on the internet the following email was received. It said “I personally do not know nor have I ever been in a church that supported Don K. I have read all the articles where ABWE has apologized to everybody but Satan. I fall to see what your treatise does to honor God or further the Gospel of Christ. You have not shown any new light on any of this so I think you should stay out of it (emphasis added by the editor). I am just a layman committed to the furtherance of the gospel.”
Well, I am NOT going to stay out of it. Here are four points answering this email regarding ABWE and the Donn Ketcham cover up.
- How does an organization apologize for an individual’s sin? Donn Ketcham sinned against the poor fourteen year old girl and her family. Wendell Kempton, Russ Ebersole, Russ Lloyd and Don Davis also sinned against the abused girl and her family. Three of these four men are still living and breathing and should be brought to account!
- Are any of the men involved in the Donn Kethcam mishandling still living today? As stated in number one the answer is yes there are men still living who were involved in this tragic affair and they should publically apologize? Instead ABWE plays musical chairs with Russ Ebersole and Don Davis. There doesn’t seem to be any attempt by the ABWE leadership to hold Russ Ebersole and Don Davis accountable for their unconscionable actions taken in protecting Donn Ketcham!!!!
- Does covering the sins of Donn Ketchm for twenty years honour God and further the Gospel? Again consider John the Apostle’s words in 3John 1:9 – 11 “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
Should John have not mentioned Diotrephes simply for the sake of the Gospel? Also consider Paul who rebuked those who had sinned. According to the Bible there is to be no cover up other than the covering and cleansing that comes from confession, 1John 1: 9.
- Hopefully this “treatise” will shed some further light on the sordid cover-up and mishandling of the Donn Ketcham situation plus other aspects of the Good Ole Boy’s Club mentality that is so often promoted within fundamentalism and “new” evangelicalism. It is hard to imagine that if it was not a Good Ole Boy’s Club mentality that ABWE and these four men had at the time it must have then been either a cover-up (1) to protect the name of ABWE or perhaps (note the word perhaps) (2) to protect others involved in the same sort of sins. Harsh language BUT there are a lot of questions yet to be answered by ABWE and these men.
Many who are reading this already know most of the heartrending story behind ABWE’s lack of Biblical management in the Donn Ketcham saga so allow this editor to piece together a chronological diary of the unbelievable sequence of events. A much more detailed outline of events is given elsewhere.[6]
Let us begin with Russ Ebersole’s letter to Donn Ketcham’s supporting churches. Emphasis is added by this editor.
SEPTEMBER 18, 1989
This letter was written by Ebersole who had years earlier served in Bangladesh as a church planter. As a friend of Wendell Kempton’s, Ebersole was appointed as the ABWE Far East Administrator. So in that position he was responsible for the missionaries in Bangladesh.
“September 18, 1989
Dear Supporting Friends of Dr. & Mrs. Donn Ketcham:
Greetings from our office here in Cherry Hill.
Recently you have received word from Dr. Keteham and the pastor of his sending church, Rev. Michael Eleveld. I know that the information contained in those letters was grievous for you to read. Our hearts have been deeply saddened and burdened through this whole experience. Because of an immoral conduct which has disqualified him, the ABWE Board, with deep regret, is terminating the ministry of Dr. Donn Ketcham.
We cannot forget, and are grateful for, the many years of faithful service rendered by Dr. and Mrs. Ketcham at the Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh. And, we thank you for your important part in this ministry through prayer and financial support.
Our hearts and minds have been reminded of the pertinency of God’s Word in Galatians 6:1,2: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
A beloved brother has fallen! May God help us to biblically restore him and to help bear the deep burdens that he and his dear wife, Kitty, carry at this time. In consideration for Mrs. Ketcham, and at your discretion, we suggest that support be continued through November to allow this couple to become settled, find employment and begin counseling.”
Note:
- Not once did Ebersole mention pedophilia. In fact this was not the first immoral incident in the life of Donn Ketcham as a missionary!
- Note the words “immoral conduct” and “beloved brother has fallen”. Reading all the information on the MK’s web site[7] one begins to believe there was a conspiracy in the covering-up of this whole ungodly sordid affair.
- There is also the suggestion to the churches “that support be continued through November”. Information from other ABWE missionaries who have desired to leave ABWE on their own were not allowed such privileges. Are only the favoured given such consideration!
- Ebersole has compassion on the pedophile and his family in requesting church support to continue so Ketcham and family might settle in, find employment “and begin counseling”. As will be seen later this is not the first time Ketcham had to have counseling for immorality.[8] Also there have been others who have left ABWE over doctrinal concerns but they were not given such consideration as continued support. So MUST one be an adulterer/pedophile to receive such favours from the ABWE hierarchy, otherwise known as the Good Ole Boy’s Club.
- It is also worth noting that Russ Ebersole has not been dismissed over the handling or mishandling of this Donn Ketcham pedophile situation BUT he has been simply moved to another position! Musical chairs as one blogger put it!
Next in line is this email sent to the then ABWE lawyer, Don Davis. Not surprisingly Davis has been moved to another position within the ABWE hierarchy or better known as the Good Ole Boy’s Club. Again musical chairs! The emphasis in the email has been added by this editor.
THURSDAY, 27 AUSGUST, 2009
It is important to note that this is TWENTY years after Ketcham’s service was concluded.
“Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 8:21 AM
> To: Davis, Don
> Cc: JEWALSH2@cs.com
> Subject: Re: MK Abuse
>
> Aug 22, 2009”
Dr. Donn Ketcham’s “…misconduct was serious enough early on that he was required to undergo some kind of treatment or counseling for it before he returned to the field. Immediately before he molested , he had an affair for which he was not removed from the field. And the mission claims to have been betrayed? Who was betrayed? The mission or the family? would not have been molested if the mission had removed him from the field after his affair, as it did the woman involved, and would have removed any other missionary. If that wasn’t protecting him and his reputation, I don’t know what is! From what I know and have heard, the pattern of protecting him continued even after he was finally dismissed.”
How do others outside ABWE with a clear conscience just sweep this under the carpet? How many chances does a man get? How many opportunities do a missionary, a preacher get when caught in adultery? It does seem that if you are a medical doctor, a friend or a son of a well-known personality then you receive several chances.
MARCH, 2011
Now move forward to March, 2011and read what the then president, Michael Loftis, of ABWE and the ABWE Board did.
“On March 29, 2011, ABWE President Dr. Michael Loftis requested that the Board authorize an independent investigation of the sexual abuse of missionary children by Donn Ketcham, as well as the administration’s handling of the matter.
On Monday, April 4, the Board of ABWE Ministries, Inc. unanimously decided to appoint an independent, third-party investigator to fully investigate the sexual abuse of missionary children by Donn Ketcham as well as the response to that abuse by the ABWE administration.”[9]
What prompted Loftis to request the Board to have an independent investigation of sexual abuse by Donn Ketcham twenty years after the fact! That brings us to:
APRIL 29, 2011
Perhaps Loftis initiated the investigation due to a blog begun by some ABWE MKs! April 29, 2011 Jesse Eaton sent an email out for Michael Loftis.[10] Only a few paragraphs will be quoted. Again emphasis is added by the editor.
“Perhaps you are aware of reports about past incidents related to a former ABWE missionary, which I would like to address. On March 15, I was informed by our staff of a blog authored by an ABWE adult MK telling of her abuse by a former ABWE missionary doctor in Bangladesh, Dr. Donn Ketcham. Other MKs have joined the blog to share their own stories of abuse or suspected abuse by the same individual. The pain of these young women and their families is heart wrenching.”
HOWEVER, from his own admission Loftis knew about this sexual abuse by Donn Ketcham in 2002 from the lips of MK’s. He wrote “In 2002, at an MK retreat, Jo Beth and I were approached by several young women who shared their suspicions of abuse by Donn Ketcham. ABWE immediately offered to help these women, including providing financial assistance for counseling and other personal needs. I also made a request for an investigation into the matter. While nothing can wipe away what happened to these women, some women from the 2002 retreat have recently shared that they appreciated the counseling they received, funded by ABWE, and as a result have experienced healing in their lives.”
In the April 29, 2011 email Loftis continued by stating that on the plus side “The sins of one man and their shameful consequences are horrendous. Yet, they do not negate the decades of sacrifice and faithful gospel ministry of thousands of missionaries, churches, and local partners serving Christ around the world (Emphasis added).”
This is the new evangelical cry of the hour, “For the sake of the Gospel”! For the sake of the Gospel?! With this in mind should John have overlooked Diotrephes? For the sake of the Gospel should Paul have not mentioned Hymenaeus and Philetus?
WHAT WAS LOFTIS DOING BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE, 2011?
What was Loftis considering from April 29, 2011 to June, 2011! Was his mind on the MK’s or his career? The question is only being asked for this editor certainly doesn’t know BUT it is interesting that in June of 2011 Loftis’ tenure as ABWE’s president comes to a close.
JUNE 22, 2011 – ABWE MUSICAL CHAIRS
In June, not quite one month after Loftis’ 29th of April email ABWE announces some leadership changes. The line that the ABWE leadership put out said “…we want to make you aware that Dr. Michael Loftis concluded his faithful service as president of The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism as of June 7, 2011. The Board of ABWE Ministries, Inc., has expressed their appreciation to Dr. Loftis and his wife, Jo Beth, for their 13 years as missionaries in Eastern Europe and 10 years in leading our mission with unquestioned moral and financial integrity (emphasis added).”
“During those 10 years, Dr. Loftis brought great passion and giftedness to the cause of Christ worldwide. However, in view of the present needs of the mission and the board’s concern that a change of leadership was necessary, there was a unanimous decision that it would be best to seek a new president. These decisions have been some of the most difficult we have faced as a board. We want to assure you that these decisions were not rushed or due to any outside pressure. They were made after much prayer, deep discussion, careful analysis, and interviews with ABWE leadership. Our unanimous conclusion was affirmed by Dr. Loftis; all are in agreement that God has led us in this decision. The response of Dr. Loftis has been Christ-like, humble, and affirming (emphasis added).”[11]
WHAT TRANSPIRED IN ABWE LAND THAT ITS NEEDS CHANGED?
Exactly what brought on this new view of ABWE’s that their present NEEDS are now different than they were one or two months earlier! Was it the mishandling of the Donn Ketcham affair?! Was Loftis’ the scapegoat, for Ebersole, Kempton and Russ Lloyd’s incompetence or something worse? This editor is just wondering how all this came about so quickly for it does seem strange a man who was not directly involved in the situation resigns and the two staff members, Russ Ebersole and Don Davis, who were involved, only PLAY MUSICAL CHAIRS!
MAY 3, 2012
My words are in brackets in the following. On the 3rd of May, 2012; ABWE stated that as an organization their “…first step in repentance is to acknowledge one’s failure. We have acknowledged that people in leadership positions made decisions that were unwise and unacceptable (and those who held those leadership positions should now be held accountable). These include:
- the signing of a confession by the first known victim; (A confession was forced out of this 14 year old girl! This fourteen year old girl was kept from her parents during the time of signing this confession! What were Ebersole and Russ Lloyd thinking? Where are they being held accountable now by ABWE or the churches?)
- the insistence the victim ask forgiveness of the perpetrator; (A 14 year old girl was forced to seek the forgiveness of her abuser! How does ABWE continue and how do people still defend them? Some have even suggested this 14 year old girl was as guilty as the doctor!)
- the failure to investigate fully the first reported incident to determine if there were other victims; (Why would this not have occurred? Did Ebersole, Lloyd and Kempton have something to hide themselves? How did these men continue in leadership having made such terrible decisions in this Donn Ketcham affair?)
- the failure to fully inform the sending and supporting churches of the specific nature of Donn Ketcham’s sin; (Why was this not done? Was Ketcham continuing to receive special treatment from the hierarchy (Good Ole Boy’s Club) of ABWE?)
- the failure to fully investigate when MKs informed ABWE of additional victims; (Was this the real reason Loftis’ positon as President was concluded? Was Loftis the scapegoat? Was Loftis promised another position (ministry) elsewhere if he would just quietly leave? Was this just another Good Ole Boy’s Club Way of playing the game of Musical Chairs to keep the heat out of the kitchen and perhaps the heat would eventually die down?)
- lack of notification of all appropriate authorities; (Were the proper authorities not notified in Michigan so Ketcham could continue to practice medicine and support his family? Was this just another we will watch out for one of our own! All of this smacks of protecting the guilty.)
- by using the phrase moral failure, we failed to clearly identify the sin as child abuse (this lack of using appropriate words to describe the sin and crime that Donn Ketcham committed makes it look like there was a cover up for several reasons that only those in leadership know); and
- the inadequate response to those MKs who sought help from ABWE (Ah, is this the real reason for Loftis concluding his “faithful service as president”?).”[12]
Here again is ABWE, an organization, repenting of the sins of those who are still alive. However, to this editor the words of ABWE come across as HOLLOW! Where is the personal admission and repentance of Ebersole, Davis and Lloyd? Kempton is dead but Ebersole, Davis and Lloyd are not!
The MK’s who began all this are waiting on the report by G.R.A.C.E. It took these females to get the attention of ABWE that all was not right in ABWE land. Before going too far ahead it should be pointed out that Donn Ketcham relinquishing his medical license is not a POINT scored for ABWE! NOTE, Ketcham would still be practicing medicine if it had not been for the tenacity of these former MK females!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHERE HAS MICHAEL LOFTIS GONE?
Well, Michael Loftis has been gone from ABWE for some time now but where has he gone? Was his departure from ABWE really of his own free choice or was he perhaps asked to leave? Only those in the know; know. But again the question is asked where has Loftis gone?
Well, in the Good Ole Boy’s Club there is always a job (ministry) waiting! It always pays to know someone who knows someone, or so it seems. Well, Loftis knows a lot of people and these are people of influence in “new” evangelical circles. Being on the board of schools or mission agencies is always a help as Michael Loftis knows for he “…serves on the board of Cedarville University and is a trusted advisor to ministry leaders and organizations in the USA and around the world.”[13]
According to Paul Dixon, Chancellor of Cedarville University, Michael Loftis has been “a trustee at Cedarville University for the past 8 years.”[14] This editor doesn’t know what other boards Loftis is a part of but be assured Loftis didn’t stand in the unemployment line long. In October, 2011[15] he came on board as the Executive Director of the DNA Global Network in Lewisberry, PA.[16] Loftis’ relationship to the DNA Global Network also identifies him as a co-speaker with another who is a “…popular national speaker at men’s events such as…Promise Keepers.”[17] But there again this will not cause a stir in most churches today.
DNA Global Network is a new one to this editor but consider this, if a man is known by the company he keeps perhaps he is also known by the company that endorses him.
LOFTIS’ ENDORSEMENTS[18]
DR. JOSEPH STOWELL III, PRESIDENT OF CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Joseph M. Stowell III, is President of Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI. Joseph Stowell III comes from a General Association of Regular Baptists Churches (GARBC) pedigree. His deceased father was once the National Representative for the GARBC and a long time ABWE Board member. Therefore the Stowell name is a very familiar one in the GARBC circle.
Joe the III however didn’t follow in the steps of his father, for young Joe parted company with the GARBC some years ago. Joe’s bio says he “…serves on the Board of The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Wheaton College. He is a graduate of Cedarville University and Dallas Theological Seminary and was honored with a doctor of divinity degree from The Master’s College in 1987.”[19]
Oh, how times have changed; or rather is it the men have changed!? However, sometimes this editor wonders if all the talk about separation in days gone by was more personality rather than conviction drawn from the Word of God? Whatever, here is a once GARBC approved school (formerly known as Grand Rapids Baptist College) led by the son of a former GARBC National Representative serving on the Board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Board at Wheaton! Who has changed or really has anything changed?
THE MASTER’S COLLEGE
Then there is Joe the III’s honorary doctorate from the Master’s College. The Master’s College was once an approved school of the GARBC known as the Los Angeles Baptist College. When this change took place there was a mighty ruckus within the GARBC. Nevertheless, the dust has now settled and it seems like all is forgotten. What has changed?
THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION
Then there is the matter of Joseph Stowell III being a signatory to the Manhattan Declaration.[20] It seems to be a part of human nature, howbeit the fallen nature; that man desires to be a part of something no matter what that something may be.
For Joe Stowell III the Manhattan Declaration says a lot about him and the other signatories. This ecumenical Declaration says in part that “We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered…to make the following declaration, which we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities.”[21] Does signing this as an individual rather than for their organization make it alright?
SADLY SOME WILL NOT BE BOTHERED BY ANY OF THIS!
Oh, again we ask, have the times changed or have the men? Sadly it will not be troublesome to some who read this that the former president of ABWE, Michael Loftis, is now endorsed by a man who serves on the Board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Wheaton College, and personally signed the Manhattan Declaration along with Roman Catholics!
Then there is:
Dr. Paul Dixon, Chancellor, Cedarville University
Dixon is a product of Tennessee Temple University and spent many years as an evangelist. However, “Dixon…began holding evangelistic meetings in Southern Baptist churches years before he became Cedarville’s president…”[22] Dixon “often says, ‘God is not honored by a narrow view of the Kingdom.’ He lived out that perspective as he sought to create and solidify relationships with conservative elements of many groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).”[23]
It is amazing that with all this getting together and the nothing really matters attitude, why do any of these groups; (SBC, GARBC, BBF, ABWE, etc.) still exist? Is there any difference? Not surprisingly, the Cedarville University Trustee Board now has both Southern Baptists and GARBC men on it. They are:
Dr. Jack Kwok
Executive Director and Treasurer State Convention of Baptists in Ohio
Dr. Dave Warren
State Representative for Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches
Cedarville, Ohio[24]
Is this editor missing something here? A school that was once an approved school of the GARBC now has a GARBC and SBC man on the Trustee Board! Is or has there ever been a difference doctrinally between these two groups? There must not be enough difference now or these two men could not work together on the same board. Or perhaps there are differences but those differences are set aside all for the sake of the Gospel!
After several years of viewing this cross-over it has been very hard for this editor to understand why any man would pastor a church in the GARBC when he could pastor a church in the much larger and more influential SBC, especially, if there is no real doctrinal distinction between the two!
Larry M. Brown, Chairman/CEO NTM USA – New Tribes Mission[25]
Just as ABWE has a lot to answer for in the appalling abuse of MK’s by Donn Ketcham it almost pales into significance to what has taken place at New Tribes Mission (NTM).[26] After reading about the abuse of New Tribes MKs one would think no one would seek the endorsement of anyone associated with New Tribes Mission! For instance “Investigators claim to have found more than 6,000 pictures and 250 video clips of child pornography on the computer of NTM Member Joel Price.”[27] But if you were the Chief of an organization like ABWE which also was composed of Indians that overlooked sin as NTM did, why not?
Yes, the Good Ole Boy’s Club has long arms for none other than the CEO of NTM, Larry M. Brown, gives a glowing endorsement for Michael Loftis. Believe it or not!!!! One wonders why the people in the pew are not speaking out against these organisations and the men responsible for the cover-up and protection of adulterers and child molesters over the years!
Reading the tragic stories of those abused by New Tribes Missionaries it comes down to this, the Chiefs and Indians simply overlook the abuse of MK’s all for the SAKE OF THE GOSPEL!!!! The Good Ole Boy’s Club is alive and well.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Psalm 55:14 “We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”
These were men that others trusted. These were men that others believed would make right decisions for were they not ministers, men of God. Weren’t these men that we went to church with? Were these not men that spoke from our pulpits and proclaimed the Word of God? Did we not trust them as we met together? Their counsel was to be trusted, was it not?
Psalm 55:12 “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him.”
These men (Russ Ebersole and Russ Lloyd) were not an enemy so thought the poor fourteen year old girl who had reported her abuse by Donn Ketcham to her pastor. Now at fourteen years old she found herself alone on a plane sitting between Russ Ebersole and Russ Lloyd, flying back to Bangladesh.
These men were not thought to be the enemy when the fourteen year old girl was coerced to sign a declaration of guilt for participation in Donn Ketcham’s sin. These men were not thought to be the enemy when they coerced the fourteen year old girl to seek forgiveness from her abuser! These men, Russ Ebersole and Russ Lloyd, were not believed to be the enemy but how wrong that belief was!
Psalm 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”
The enemy uses smooth words! Cream rises to the top so it is said and most of these men supposedly are the cream of the crop! They rose from the ranks to positions of leadership and trust. They knew how and when to use “smooth” words. They were not negative but positive.
Sadly, Ebersole continues to be an advertised speaker for ABWE[28]. Why? Is it because his words are smooth? But the Psalmist says there were not only smooth buttery words but WAR in the heart. What Ebersole says in the churches is opposite to what he did to that fourteen year old girl.
Ebersole declared WAR on her as he sought to protect his friend, Donn Ketcham. Ebersole declared WAR on the fourteen year old, her family and anyone who opposed his friend, Donn Ketcham. Harsh words but that seems to be the evidence revealed in this SAD SAGA!
Ah, there is so much that could be said but the GOOD OLE BOY’S CLUB whether in the fundamentalist or the new evangelical circle is alive and well! But here is a QUESTION to ponder, now that Loftis is gone what should happen to ABWE?
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO ABWE NOW?
It is most certainly not going to happen, but and if ABWE really does desire to do right, as they say they do, ABWE should sell its assets and close its doors! That is what should happen.
However, ABWE will not do this so then what? Here are a few suggestions.
FIRSTLY, Russ Ebersole and Don Davis as ABWE staff should make a public confession of their sins of cover up and protection of this adulterer/paedophile, Donn Ketcham! Surely these two men realize by now that they did wrong to the fourteen year old girl, her family and others!
Secondly Russ Ebersole and Don Davis should be unceremoniously dismissed without any financial payout. Oh, by the way, how much do you think ABWE paid Loftis before his departure for his years of good and “faithful” service? Good luck if you can find out!
Thirdly the money that has been given by churches and individuals for the Wendell Kempton Hospital should be given back to the donors OR the name of the hospital be changed. This name change should be given over to the girls who were the impetus in getting ABWE to admit there was sin in the camp! The name for the hospital would be whatever these former MK girls decide upon.
Hear the outcry?
There are some who will read this and will be literally incensed at such a suggestion. Nevertheless, consider why the hospital in Africa should not be named after Wendell Kempton.
Firstly the hospital should not bear the name of THE man who was THE CHIEF and in charge of the mission INDIANS when this sordid Donn Ketcham sexual abuse of a fourteen year old girl was mishandled through cover up, lies and deceit.
It cannot be emphasized enough that Wendell Kempton as Chief of these Indians (Russ Ebersole, Don Davis) knew exactly what was going on and that Kempton MUST have approved the whole cover-up/protection of this adulterer/paedophile. Be assured; NOTHING in ABWE LAND happened without Wendell Kempton knowing it was happening! He was the Big Man at Cherry Hill during the time of Ketcham’s adultery/paedophilia cover up and therefore a multi-million dollar hospital should not bear his name.
Thirdly, some years before Donn Ketcham began abusing the 12 year old girl, Ketcham was committing adultery. Ketcham’s adultery would have certainly been known by Kempton! Instead of doing what was right and Biblical, the Chief (Kempton) and the Indian (Russ Ebersole) just relocated Ketcham and family for a time while the nurse he had the adulterous affair with was sent home![29] Figure that! If all this doesn’t get one’s blood boiling nothing will!!!!
WAIT AND SEE
Nevertheless the reality is; it is a wait and see situation as to what the final G.R.A.C.E. report says. For as G.R.A.C.E recently said “an investigation of this magnitude, spanning over 20 years and involving dozens of individuals, is not one that can be completed in as short a time as most would wish.”[30]
What a sad state of affairs that this cover-up/protection spanned OVER TWENTY YEARS! A BIG THANK YOU to those courageous girls for their resolve and steadfastness during this whole ordeal. THANK YOU!
It is with great anticipation that the final G.R.A.C.E. report will not go lightly on ABWE and those responsible for the cover-up/protection of Donn Ketcham. Hopefully, the G.R.A.C.E. investigation and final report will demand each one involved in this reprehensible deed be dealt with appropriately and there will be closure (if possible) to this sad saga for the girl, her family and those others who were affected.
[10] http://bangladeshmksspeak.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/dr-loftis-letter-to-abwe-missionaries.pdf
[23] Ibid.
Cedarville University Alumnus Susan Dohse: Ashamed of CU
“It grieves my heart to write this next statement. But, friends, I am ashamed to be called a graduate of Cedarville College/ University.”
“For several years the University has knowingly and willingly allowed a man to be on the Board of Trustees that was, and still is part of a terrible, sinful situation that no one wants to address.”
~Susan D. Dohse MEd.
I am a 1973 graduate of Cedarville College, now Cedarville University. I remember so clearly traveling from Louisville, Kentucky with my parents to this unknown to us destination in Cedarville, Ohio. This was before GPS, or Map Quest, so my Dad located Cedarville on a map and off we went. My mother, bless her heart, exclaimed, after we had been traveling for a while on country roads, “Lordy, Lordy, Susan, is this place in the middle of a cornfield?” Well, back in the day, the answer was “Almost.”
Maddox was the new dormitory and I was privileged to be in one of the units. After unloading and settling into my room, my parents were to attend a parent’s only meeting with Cedarville’s president, Dr. James Jeremiah. I waited out by our car, taking in the college atmosphere, nervous, excited, and a little fearful. I had just turned 17 and now was attending college out of state. When the meeting was over my Dad stood before me and said, “I like that man. He is not going to put up with any shenanigans.” That was back in the day.
Back in the day when I attended Cedarville, the college was ever so careful who was on the Board, who was permitted to preach/teach in Chapel, and even what Christian groups would be allowed to come and minister in music to us students. The standard was to be not associated knowingly with any person or group that compromised the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those words taken from the book of Revelation was the mission statement of Cedarville College, back in the day.
Unfortunately, not so today. It grieves my heart to write this next statement. But, friends, I am ashamed to be called a graduate of Cedarville College/ University. For several years the University has knowingly and willingly allowed a man to be on the Board of Trustees that was, and still is part of a terrible, sinful situation that no one wants to address. Dr. Loftis, once head of ABWE, was involved in the cover-up of criminal acts committed by Dr. Ketcham, missionary doctor to Bangladesh. Now Loftis is on the Board of Trustees, a sought after conference speaker, and speaks at retreats held at Baptist camps.
Where is the practice of Matthew 18? Where are the men, godly men, who should be confronting Dr. Loftis, breaking fellowship with him, separating from associating with him until he repents, and reconciles with those he had horribly offended? Instead, he is rewarded with a position as trustee, offered speaking engagements, and allowed to continue serving in the Christian community as though nothing is wrong. To Dr. Loftis, and to Cedarville University, I ask that you either live by the Word of God, and protect the testimony of Jesus Christ, or take down these words that are displayed on campus. Don’t display words that you do not plan on living by.
Back in the day, Dr. Jeremiah would not have tolerated these shenanigans, but, unfortunately, we are faced with today.
Susan
“Patricia” Speaks Out on the “Separation” Issue
Reposted comment with permission:
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” As a child and through the years, I remember hearing so many sermons on this subject. As I have read these blogs for over a year now, I have finally realized the issue that has been tugging at my heart. TIME! If only we could go back in time, if only different men had been in leadership and these girls could have back their childhood and the pain they have gone through all these years, but what I have just realized is the issue that tugs at my heart now is still TIME as in THIS IS THE TIME TO ACT!
How much more TIME has to be added to their pain, why won’t God’s people act now!
The days are evil! This blog would not even be necessary if that were not true. I realize the only reason ABWE still exists is because there are still God loving and God honoring missionaries, and possibly even staff members that love the Lord still associated with the org. And maybe, although knowing what they now know, I kind of am doubtful, but maybe even a board member or two that truly does love the Lord and hates sin, and realizes the importance of “redeeming the time.”
God wants no part of sin, you can not serve two masters, you either hate sin or you hate God.
This is a call to action to all those associated on any level with ABWE.
I am going to ask a very shocking question: HOW MUCH MORE TIME HAS TO PASS BEFORE YOU CUT ALL TIES WITH THIS ORGANIZATION? If you are a missionary, then you well know some of your support goes to ABWE. If you are a staff member than in some part you are part of this problem, every day you stand up and walk through the door of that building you are standing with evil, and certainly if you are a board member you have written the time that has passed. The org. you support on any level, continues to drain TIME etched in pain, from the lives of these brave ladies of the blog. Why won’t YOU take a stand!
REDEEM THE TIME! DEPART FROM EVIL! COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM!
If every God fearing missionary, staff member, and board member, walked away from this org.,/ ABWE today, TIME WOULD STAND STILL and SOMETHING would happen IMMEDIATELY!
Can you imagine a press release like this: Missionaries and Staff leave ABWE in support of victims! Do you know how many AMENS and PTL’s would be voiced around this nation!
Maybe you should choose to do it because it is the right thing to do. Read Psalms 1
It would speak volumes to GRACE! What are you waiting for, what is holding you back, you sing songs like “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold” I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause, and “He’s all I need, He’s all I need, Jesus is all I need, really, or are those just words?
If the people that are carrying the water for this org. took a stand, and walked away, something would happen, and something would happen NOW!
There is work to do, souls need to be saved, the days are evil, but our loving Heavenly Father also knows that victims need to be healed, stop aiding the delay.
By your fruits ye shall know them, redeem the time!
Examine the alter call in your hearts, you have enabled this org., to take more TIME from these ladies lives by your lack of action. Redeem the time, the days are evil, and you either are part of the solution or part of the problem!
The TIME to act is NOW!
Some Hope in GRACE, and ABWE’s Position on the MKs via the Michael Loftis Letter
GRACE (Godly Response To Abuse In The Christian Environment), the organization investigating the “actions” of GARB (General Association of Regular Baptists) missionary Donn Ketcham issued an update (circa) yesterday. Ketcham was a missionary under the Association of Baptist for World Evangelism (ABWE) which is primarily sponsored by GARB. All in all, I found the report reasonable and hopeful. Though I am uncomfortable with GRACE’s softball language, I suppose I understand that they need to be brutally neutral in the situation. Sometimes the only hope we have is the hope of others in the situation, and that was the hope I was functioning on until this report.
I went to school to become a police officer, but even at a very young age, I faced up to the fact that I didn’t have the temperament for it and bailed. While attending Law Enforcement classes at Sinclair in the 70’s, I used to ask myself if I thought a child molester would make it to the police station while in my custody without some unfortunate accident occurring. Probably not, so I went into sales instead. You may preface this article with that information in tow. As Clint Eastwood used to say while portraying the character, Dirty Harry: “A man has to know his limitations.” Dirty Harry also exemplified the kind of righteous indignation that pastors used to have.
However, even with the softball language, GRACE revealed some information that adds oil to the lamp shining light on ABWE’s sleaziness. Sorry, good works, and even good people, does not fix sleaze—only genuine repentance or separation does. Christ said a little leaven leavens the whole lump; ABWE can’t have their sleaze and their good works both. And I may not know much, but even a child can see that ABWE’s responses thus far are full of our good works outweigh these “unfortunate circumstances” (i.e., the ABWE “flagpoles” press release).
Apparently, ABWE wanted to meet with various MKs prior to the final report by GRACE—GRACE deemed this idea “premature.” Ya, no kidding. GRACE also pointed out in the report that such meetings would be unwise because, in my interpretation of the lingo, the meetings would not be based on full disclosure. Some kind of supposed reconciliation based on partial information; that’s definitely not a good idea. Add the fact that GRACE somewhat committed to a timeline for wrapping up their investigation (18 months which I think is very reasonable compared to my 30 minute trip on the way to the police station), and hope is rising. Also, the fact that ABWE heeded GRACE’s “encourage[d]ment” to postpone such visits may indicate that the GRACE organization has some teeth in this matter.
The apostle Paul said, in essence, that our actions are a letter describing our lives and hearts. ABWE’s heart in this matter is evident via the Dr. Michael Loftis letter. Shortly after becoming president of ABWE, Loftis and other ABWE leaders were confronted at a reunion with information about the pedophilia that took place on the ABWE mission field in Bangladesh:
Early 2002 – At “The Return” ABWE MK reunion at Messiah College a group of MKs, now grown women, tell Michael Loftis and ABWE employee Jess Eaton about the abuse they suffered from Donn Ketcham while children on the mission field–these specific women are promised an investigation (which did not happen until GRACE was hired in 2011); these specific women are promised payment for counseling (which did not happen until 2010, after a sibling insisted ABWE begin helping)–note: only a fraction of Donn Ketcham’s MK victims were even present at “The Return”
Loftis knew. And apparently, didn’t keep his word to the victims for a light starter. Nothing could be more obvious than the fact that zip was going to be done until the victims published their infosite on the internet in 2011, roughly nine years after informing Loftis. Nevertheless, when the gig was up, he wrote syrupy letters to supporting churches and ABWE missionaries that described his languishing and pining away at the fact that these precious missionary children were “estranged” from the ABWE Waltonesque family located in spiritual Mayberry RFD. And for the most part, the GARB flock of penguins bought into the motif hook, line, and sinker. As more and more information has surfaced, a denial mentality has reached biblical proportions in GARB circles. The looming GRACE report must now look like a horse dinosaur pill that is not going to be easily swallowed. I have come to believe, though grudgingly, that GRACE is not going to sugarcoat this thing.
Loftis knew, Loftis didn’t keep his word, and Loftis was disingenuous. And his actions may have also been criminal. Consider this recent news report:
Staffers at a charter school in La Marque are accused of taking almost three weeks to inform authorities that one of their students reported being sexually assaulted, Texas City police officials confirmed Monday.
The three employees at Mainland Preparatory Academy were each charged last week with failure to report child abuse. Police said the girl, 10, told the school officials that she had been assaulted in mid-December by a man identified by authorities as Derrick Wayne Reed, 29.
“It was not reported to (Child Protective Services) or a law enforcement agency until Jan. 4,” said Capt. Brian Goetschius.
State law mandates that school workers are required to report allegations of child abuse to the proper authorities within 48 hours.
Goetschius said the three school workers were questioned about what happened. Texas City police identified them as Diane Merchant, 58, Wilma Green, 67, and Rayshandra Ashthon, 29. They have since been released on bail and could not be reached for comment.
Notice that at least in Texas, it is the “allegation” that must be reported within 48 hours—nothing about when or where the allegation occurred. But even if Loftis’ response was not criminal, it is certain that other events surrounding what was reported to him were. It is what it is. At the very least, his actions were so egregious that it even prompted ABWE to deem him the most worthy of escape goats to be thrown under the bus. Even with that, ABWE made no mention of why there was a mutual agreement between him and the board that it was a good time to end his stellar service as president of ABWE. But everyone knew the timing was no accident.
But Loftis now serves as a letter that clearly shows the heart of ABWE and GARB in particular. Loftis is presently in high demand as a speaker/leader in GARB circles, and has been on the Board of Trustees at Cedarville University throughout the ABWE scandal, pre and post. Cedarville University is to GARB what Westminster Theological Seminary is to the Presbyterians. My wife Susan, an alumnus of Cedarville, is still working on her article that concerns Loftis’ position as Trustee at Cedarville.
As far as we know, Loftis has not made his 9-year boo-boo right with the MKs. Because apparently, he thinks like ABWE: our good works outweigh our boo-boos, even the big ones like pedophilia. But in all of this, there is hope in ABWE’s buffoonery: they fear GRACE more than they fear the counsel of the apostle Paul who said that he beat his body into subjection so that he wouldn’t be disqualified from preaching the gospel. Behold the arrogance of ABWE/Loftis: the apostle Paul could have been disqualified, but not them. Too many good works. And apparently, the apostle Paul was afraid that he couldn’t generate the good works that the spiritual behemoths of our day like Loftis can produce.
I know what you’re thinking: “They ought to beat the GRACE report to the punch. Have a no holds barred coming to Jesus blood bath. Let GRACE mediate it—they would come out of this looking like what everybody wants to believe about them.”
They aren’t that smart. Their utter stupidity and spiritual blindness adorned with Doctorate degrees precedes them.
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Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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