I never met Jason Meyer but I know an oblong blur generality, when I read one. He and Pickering, who read the names of the victims in prayer that week, received criticism from a fellow elder for bringing up race as a component in the incident. Meyer preached in 2015 against the dangers of hyper-headship and made the case that doing nothing when faced with abuse is taking the side of the abuser. (Image credit: Bethlehem Baptist Church/Facebook), Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Even if the motions dont pass, at least the option is there to address major concerns with the entire church. We cant even think about whats next, said Debby Pickering, whose family left when her husband, Bryan, resigned his position as pastor. Ive worked with victims for 26 years in the Christian Reformed Church. The school also hired its only female faculty professor, Betsy Howard, this year. The elder council concluded in April that the charges against Naselli were not true, but the pastors were three of four elders who dissented in hopes that further investigation could take place. His writings are dreck, laughable to those who havent already decided to worship at his temple. Bethlehem College and Seminary grew out of the church-run training center that dates back decades. Piper has hosted and defended pastor and author Doug Wilson over the years, even as hes become an increasingly contentious figure in evangelicalism for his teachings on slavery, women, and other issues. Such sensitivities, he fears, can threaten Christians relationship with the truth. In the podcast Mr. Rigney basically said, show compassion but dont have empathy.. Notifications include: New company roles Change in active status Location updates New The attitude undergirding the motion is too easily offended or hurt, and it turns that woundedness or offense into a crusade, Naselli wrote in an email to fellow elders in February, referring to the move as a form of cancel culture.. Are there good reasons why members are leaving? If yes leave the church. Rev Ernie Dorrell. Part of whats happened, in the last five years plus especially, is emerging fault lines among people with sensibly shared theological commitments, Rigney said in an interview with CT. At the same time, Theres been an escalation of language and inflation of language such that when a certain issue rises to where it becomes the litmus test, where it becomes, Youre either with us or against usas opposed to simply a different instinct or tendency within a same shared theological commitmentthats when theres real problems, and its hard to work together.. The threat effectively shut down discussion. Jason Meyer, John Pipers successor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, has stepped down from his position as pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehems there's harm being done," Pickering said. But he loses people when he says empathy is a sin. Earlier this month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican, addressed the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, whose, A century after the 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution gave American women the right to vote, a group of male leaders, Costi Hinn, nephew of Benny Hinn, has been called a progressive to mark and avoid for more than two years by Michael. To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. If not leave that church. Now I wonder why he was so harsh.. It feels jarring.". Elders and ministers at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota have resigned over what Pipers successor, Jason Meyer, calls an embrace of neo-fundamentalism and a unity culture that breeds fear and seeks to protect the institution. By now, you have received notification of the resignation of Pastor Jason Meyer. Rev Greg Doss. In Meyers letter of resignation, which The Roys Report obtained, Meyer writes, Despite the charge that Bethlehem is drifting toward liberalism, I actually think we have lost some of our elasticity as the wind blows more in the direction of neo-fundamentalism., Meyer also wrote, I personally fear we are in danger of veering too much towards a unity culture. It would have been easier, he said, to move from understanding abuse within institutions and systems, as can be the case with spiritual abuse and racism, to the ways abuse manifests in marriage relationships. God commands us to be compassionate. WebBethlehem Baptist Church. He doesnt need us, but by his grace and through his Son, we belong to him. Some of the resignations were due to normal factors, like families moving out of the area. He kept saying dont get sucked in which is quite a different thing than having empathy. Id like to see his surgically precise definition of neo-fundamentalism or even fundamentalism for that matter. By now, you Pastor Jason Meyer, Bethlehem Baptist Church Almost 1-1/2 years ago, I wrote an article about John Pipers former church, Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) It transitioned to a formal degree program that eventually became accredited in 2015. At the meeting, Steve Takata moved that the task forces unedited reports be released to Bethlehem members. ++++++++++. Join now Sign in Jason Meyer Jason Meyer Executive Pastor at Sierra Vista Church. Thank the Good Lord that Jesus Chris didnt consider empathy a sin. Doug Wilsons carnality is so blatant that a sincerely devoted follower of Christ would be unable to be around him for long, and certainly would not repeatedly seek him out. Like in many evangelical churches that are majority white, some members of the congregation believed the church was putting too little an effort into addressing ethnic harmony and justice, while others felt like it became too much of a focus. Abigail Dodds, who attends the North Campus, said that most remain confident in the churchs leadershipnot as blind allegiance, but based on personal knowledge of their characterand that she has seen a renewed unity around Gods Word and deepening hope in Christ among our members in recent weeks. Soon after he launched his academic In our next article on events at Bethlehem Baptist Church, well explore the allegations against Naselli, as well as the response by BCS administration and BBC elders. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. Both sides in a conflict want to get at what really happened; as Christians, they rightly set out to work toward justice and reconciliation where they can. According to the website, Meyer's resignation was announced last week in an email to the congregation by Elder Council Chairman Dr. Kurt Elting-Ballard and Bethlehem Pastor for Strategic Implementation Ken Currie. Former Elder, and BBC professor of Biblical Counseling Pickering, however, said he was not surprised by Nasellis response at the meeting. The congregation which has a membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city. A Taiwanese American, Tong also wore traditional Chinese attire as he preached on the Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Outside the church, they are concerned by the cultures increasing hostility to Christianity, most prominently from mass media, social media, and the government., https://mereorthodoxy.com/six-way-fracturing-evangelicalism/, Ive been so concerned that a man who is widely known for thinking empathy is a sin is now the head of a seminary. https://julieroys.com/bethlehem-baptist-church-culture-fear-abuse BCS is a confessional school where professors teach from its 52-page affirmation of faith, but students from other traditions can attend. Up until this point, I thought he was a pretty cool guy and authoritative in his teaching.. Tabb, in an October 2020 email announcing Bowerss final days at BCS, described him as being beloved by students and colleagues for his excellent teaching, good humor, compassion for the marginalized, and faithful friendship.. I used to wonder if I was too soft. WebJason Meyer | 2 Corinthians 11:16-21. Take Back Your Life. ", "We also have troubles that have played out at Bethlehem over the past year. In a letter that Pickering presented to Naselli in February, and the churchs Elder Council in March, Pickering accused Naselli of displaying a pattern of controlling and egregious sin against God and people., I do not think you are presently qualified for the office of elder, Pickering wrote, and urged Naselli to resign to spare the church, and the elder council, grief upon grief.. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Part of what I want to say is theres actually an answer to that question.. Meyers exit last month followed two others at Bethlehems downtown campus. The group faced pushback from elders and pastors, who were worried that their approach focused only on where Bethlehem was not doing enough on matters of race. It may be worth noting that Naselli graduated from Bob Jones University. *This article has been updated for accuracy. 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WebKnown Addresses for Jason Meyer 1801 Norwood Dr Hurst, TX 76054 Advertisements Source Texas Secretary of State Data last refreshed on Monday, January 23, 2023 What next? I doubt CCEF itself is changing direction on that. Couldnt agree more, Rebecca. I think hes unnecessarily connected the two. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. If youve seen much of Doug Wilson or his church/school/publishing empire in Moscow, ID, and you have some understanding of narcissism, youll immediately recognize the warning flags. If the church would take seriously the scriptural qualifications for elders, it would protect the sheep from these narcissistic leaders. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. Im not convinced that I sinned against you. Dave Zuleger, the church's South campus pastor for preaching and vision also confirmed and addressed Meyer's resignation in a blog post on the church's website, writing "this is another painful and confusing moment for us. Though the process was done with the approval of Bethlehem pastors and the elder chair, some wanted the church to do its own review of Naselli last year. ***, The pastor also reminded the South Campus members his letter was "just to state the reality of things and to give you space to lament.". He added that Wilsons church has received a great deal of scrutiny about its poor handling of abuse cases in the past, so I cringed when I heard (Wilson) bring up . She called what happened double abuse.. The situation at Bethlehem highlights not only certain issues being debated but also the conflicting philosophies shaping Christians responses: Are we accommodating feelings so much that we are crying sin where there is no sin? But if you see what I see, and if you experience this community (leadership, faculty, and students) as loving, and supportive and fair, and if you share my excitement about the future with Joe Rigneys leadership and under Gods merciful providence, then I believe we will together walk in truth and love, and have a great impact for the glory of Christ.. Co-author of the entry on fundamentalism in the Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2006), Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees (preachers and teachers,) you hypocrites! For twelve BBC students to submit allegations against N is not insignificant. Prior to ordination, Pastor Jason attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and the University of Chicago. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. In the following weeks, as the church attempted to make peace between them and Naselli, the couple felt maligned in the process, as the professor went on to characterize their motion as divisive and disrespectful. And in such a case, the school will rightly wither and die. I feel like we have encountered wave after wave after wave, and that in a good-faith effort to keep the peace and maintain some form of unity, we have not spoken with sufficient clarity about what is true and what is false and instead have attempted to appease left-leaning folks who are virtually unappeasable , By the time the Takatas eventually met with Naselli and church leaders, they saw that there are more dividing lines being formed here than we expected, Janette told CT. We have room to grow, yet I know that my fellow North elders have sought to shepherd not under compulsion but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, and not domineering over others but serving as examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:23), Lee wrote by email. 720 13th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415 Commentators have tried to parse the fault lines, and evangelicals themselvesincluding CTs president and editor in chief Tim Dalrymplehave generated their own categories for how people of common faith can find themselves at odds. I didnt start experiencing regular conflict until I started advocating for racial justice issues, Bowers told CT. . "At Bethlehem . Sadly, this teaching is gaining ground in the biblical counseling circles I move in as well. When the image of the family is more important than the individual members of the family, this is a narcissistic family system. I dont see how there can be any interpretation other than empathy for the Romans 12:15 instruction to Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. But many were due to tensions resulting from racial and womens issues, ties to controversial pastor Doug Wilson, and the elders handling of allegations of misconduct by Andy Naselli. Disagreements in this area can feel like personal attacks or as doctrinal attacks, when they really are neither.. I had a growing concern that compassion that lacks discernment would ultimately and subtly undermine sound doctrine. Now, obviously Im a pastor at a separate church, but that church has the same doctrinal commitment as Bethlehem does., Rigney and Wilson discuss the sin of empathy.. Having just come out of an abusive system where women arent believed, it was like, Yeah, this is exactly what Ive lived, Mekala said. When someone at the meeting asked Naselli to explain himself, he responded that what was happening in the roomhow some were taking sides without any judgmentwas exactly what Rigney and Wilson were protesting in their podcast. Rigneys sin of empathy interview in Wilsons series, called Man Rampant, released in October 2019 as the debut episode. WebUrban Refuge Lead Pastor, Jason Meyer, has a deep and abiding passion to make much of Christ in all that he does. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Share Podcast Audio Download. However, Takata said nothing ever came of her efforts. Those leaving and those staying recognize some of the issues that have divided Bethlehem, many of which are straining other conservative churches: racial justice and critical race theory (CRT); the #MeToo movement and the call to believe women; and the nature of trauma and abuse. I believe that the issue isnt whether or not we should show compassion (we should), but whether our compassion will be rooted in the gospeldeployed with discernment and with a willingness to provide correction or rebuke (Titus 1:13), Steven Lee, pastor of Bethlehems North Campus, wrote in a response to Meyers resignation letter. While a former leader hopes for change, women who sought refuge in biblical counseling at John MacArthurs church say they feared discipline for seeking safety from their abusive marriages. The church where John Piper pastored for 33 years is arguably facing one of its greatest crises in 150 years. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? (BBC has about 40 elders, but the congregation is considered the final authority and meets quarterly to vote on church matters.). WebJason Meyer Lead Pastor, Urban Refuge Church Winfred Neely Vice President & Dean, Moody Theological Seminary Laurie Norris Dean of Faculty & Professor of Bible, Moody Bible Institute Douglas O'Donnell Co-Author, The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition Neal Presa Associate Professor of Preaching & Worship, New Brunswick Theological . The Bethlehem pastors reveal their own corruption by their alliance with Wilson, and church members are right to flee. The resignations and fractures in leadership at Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) extend to the congregation and have been simmering for years. More than 25 people spoke to CT at length about their experiences navigating conflict at Bethlehem for this article. A membership of around 4,600 operates three campuses in the city center that dates back decades area. I read one Vista church Sunday following the Atlanta massage parlor shootings belong to him also hired its only faculty... 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