R.C. Sproul, Jr., Growing Up with R.C., Tullian Tchividjian, Ichthus Publishing, Unrepentant Leaders
R.C. Sproul, Jr. Publishes New Book wtih Ichthus Publications
R.C. Sproul, Jr. has a new book coming out, published by Ichthus Publications (what were they thinking???).
I suppose those who loved his late father, R.C. Sproul, Sr., might want to get a more personal glimpse into the man to whom many have looked for spiritual guidance and wisdom. He certainly has been respected for years, especially in Reformed church circles. I get that.
But R.C. Sproul, Jr., has done harm to many, including his own children. Valerie Jacobsen (updated 3/28: Valerie is not R.C. Sproul, Jr.,’s daughter) posted a listing of Sproul’s offenses and saved me some time:
Drunk driving with children. 0.175. Couldn’t even stand up. He’s on audio stating that when he went into court the next morning, he had no memory of the previous evening and didn’t even know if his boys were alive or dead.
This wasn’t “a little bit buzzed”. This was reckless endangerment. He’s a drunkard, by definition.
Ashley Madison and then lying, lying, and lying again, never telling the truth about it.
Raging at children, taunting them, and trying to erase their mother’s memory by destroying and withholding photographs and mementos.
Hyper-controlling, hyper-patriarchy, legalism. See Matt 23:4, not a light matter.
False teachings on grace and repentance.
Defrocked for abusing sheep and misusing funds.
Long history of contumacy, pugnacious, divisive.
All publicly, before many witnesses, with readily available documentation.
Leaving an email address at Ashley Madison is the FINAL step after listing all the kinds of hookups you want and all the perversions you are into. I verified this myself, at the site, at the time. Not sorry I did, either. Two or three witnesses principle. Check on a story that seems radically improbable.
[Update 3/27/19 10:00 pm: I had been getting questions on Twitter regarding R.C. Sproul, Jr. being a member of a Foursquare Pentecostal Church (from Valerie’s quoted comment above). I contacted one of his estranged adult children who told me the name of the church: Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne. After looking at the church website, I could find no indication that it was a Foursquare church; however, I did find this which has the same Pine Hills Church listed and has Foursquare shown at the top of the site. This may be the cause of the confusion. I have since removed the errant sentence from Valerie’s comment above. ~ja]
[Update 3/28/19 10:20 am: I have added a couple of tweets. One from RC Sproul, Jr., verifying where he currently attends church. The next tweet shows a message from Pine Hills Church when I inquired if their church is charismatic and asked about the denomination. The response speaks for itself. Although the church is not an official “Foursquare” church, it appears they are welcoming of the charismatic gifts.
If that wasn’t bad enough, look who wrote the book’s foreword:
Tullian Tchividjian – Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church’s ousted pastor who was caught in serial clergy sexual misconduct, and who has never repented to the victims he harmed! Unbelievable!
Using Cheap Grace for Personal Gain
This is not cool. Both Sproul and Tchividjian have used their personal accounts of grievous sin to gain credibility, visibility, and an income. For R.C. Sproul, Jr. to capitalize on his father’s recent death and pull the heartstrings of those who admired his father is inappropriate. Both men have left a trail of shattered relationships.
Everyone has a personal sin story and can relate to being separated from God at one time or another, but to take advantage of that personal sin account without repentance and restoration of important family/friend relationships makes God’s grace cheap. It is wrong.
Finally, I leave you with a quote from one of R.C. Sproul, Jr.’s adult children. I communicated directly with one of his children and received confirmed that this quote was from one of them (and also received permission to post it here).
UPDATE: Please note, I have removed and exchanged the original statement which was posted below by request of the author. The former statement had stronger language. ~ja
Myself and RC Jr’s other adult children are estranged from him. We do not support this book or his return to public ministry.”
- Related articles:
- R.C. Sproul, Jr. Steps Down from Ligonier Ministries and Reformation Bible College
- RC Sproul Jr Is Now a Convicted Felon Alcoholic and Is One Step Away From a Tragedy
- RC Sproul Jr. Avoids Prison, Takes Plea Deal for Driving Drunk With Kids
- https://relevantmagazine.com/god/rc-sproul-jr-suspended-ministry-after-admitting-visiting-ashley-madison/R.C. Sproul Jr. Suspended from Ministry after Admitting to ‘Visiting’ Ashley Madison
- Let’s Take a Breather With A Bizarre Story about R.C. Sproul Jr and the Pittsburgh Pirates. This Is NOT a Parody!
- Tullian Tchividjian and Fortress Press: Don’t Legitimate Second Chances Require a Real Track Record of Repentance First?
- 2. An Infographic on Tullian Tchividjian’s Pursuit of Women and a Public/Publication Platform
- GRACE Releases Statement Regarding Tullian Tchividjian – Supports Victims, Challenges Churches with Constructive Changes
- 1. Third Woman Victim of Tullian Tchividjian’s Seduction Gives Details; She Reportedly Extends Timeline of His Adulteries Back into 2013
- Survivor of Tullian Tchividjian’s Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Goes Public with Her Story – Part 1
- Survivor of Tullian Tchividjian’s Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Goes Public with Her Story – Part 2
- Survivor of Tullian Tchividjian’s Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Goes Public with Her Story – Part 3
- Survivor of Tullian Tchividjian’s Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Goes Public with Her Story – Part 4
- Tullian Tchividjian – Partial Timeline of Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse and Spiritual Abuse
- Pastors Tullian Tchividjian + Bob Coy + Sexual Sin + Church Leaders Who Protect Immoral Pastors = A Broken Church
- Tullian Tchividjian Stripped of Pastor Credentials; Continues Speaking Behind the Pulpits of Twitter and Facebook
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Somehow George Jones’ song He Stopped Loving Her Today comes to mind. Not that grief for the lost of his first wife and his father ought to allow him to misbehave while remaining in pastoral ministry, and it certainly doesn’t excuse him from a good hard look at things he did while Denise was still living (especially when she hadn’t been diagnosed as terminal), but what he’s doing is classic signs of grief gone metastatic. The question is whether anyone close to him (a) loves him enough to do the confrontation and (b) understands enough to do it well.
Given that the Foursquare church doctrine differs strongly in many ways from Sproul’s Reformed heritage–tongues, prophecy, perseverance of the saints, etc..–and that Sproul is apparently teaching in that movement without anybody apparently checking on what he believes–I’m not optimistic. I am guessing that since took the Pirates job, that money was an issue for him, and my nickel bet is that’s behind this book.
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I would not call this grief. I would call this sin gone amok. He has made some very poor choices, many of which have directly harmed his family.
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Gracious hostess, no doubt that it’s sin gone amok. It’s just that the timeline suggests grief at the loss of his wife has something to do with why he started sinning that way.
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Bike Bubba, wasn’t he having problems before his first wife passed away? It seems like I had read he was a wife abuser? Correct me if I’m wrong!
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Bike Bubba, If you look at his personal history (Google has tons), you will see chronic and persistent sin throughout his adulthood. Grief also doesn’t usually show hatred towards the deceased spouse. I’ve seen examples of that, too.
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I am not sure why this is found so disgusting. People do terrible things. All people do. Putting your own estimation of the weight of those actions simply show that you have a misperception of God’s holiness by thinking the bar of the law is set so low that your sins aren’t as repugnant as someone else’s. Leave these people alone and repent.
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Back in 1973 I received Christ as my Savior after several different people shared Christ with me, as well as my own reading of the Bible. Mine was a “quiet” conversion-I thought a lot about what I was hearing and reading, and through God’s kindness to me and the prompting of the Spirit, came to faith. I had typical teen issues, and was so thankful (and still am) to find forgiveness through Christ. However, I would get nervous during youth group meetings where real “sinners”: drug users, violent criminals, former gang members-were brought to share their testimonies. I actually began to think that maybe I hadn’t been “bad” enough to need a Savior. Thankfully, the truth of Scripture (“all have sinned”) helped me to realize that there is only even ground at the foot of the Cross.
Unfortunately, some still glorify the sinning more than the Savior. That would include RC Junior and Tchividjian. It’s almost as if their sinful exploits give them more street cred, and justify their continued sin. I think they have missed the entire point of Rom. 6:1-4:
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
I think that the Father weeps over some of His children, if indeed they are His.
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It is ASTOUNDING to me that Christians make excuses for a TWICE DEFROCKED PASTOR. A man with enough of a track record to be REJECTED by the Presbyterian Church in America when he sought to have his ordination accepted there as a Teaching Elder and opted to go the micro denom route.
His scandals go back approximately two decades. This isn’t NEW behavior, this is the same old thing playing out with slightly different circumstances.
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You are correct, Craig. He has had serious chronic abusive and unruly behavior for decades.
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Excellent comment, Linn. They abuse the gift of grace, and on top of that, they model that abusive behavior to people who lack discernment. They are false teachers without a flock, but with a following. This is so dangerous.
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And “Precious’s” Reality Show continues…
@CraigFrench:
Not astounding to me.
“ALL LIES.
ALL FAKE NEWS.
TOUCH NOT MINE ANOINTED!”
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@Scout:
To paraphrase a 1950s interview with a trailer-trash Ku Kluxer:
“If I can’t be Better than Them, Who do I Got to Be Better Than?”
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Would jr. R.C. write such a tribute about his wife and marriage?
Crickets. Actually, their chirping is far more natural and more beautiful than the cash register at the book store.
The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want……….jr.’s book.
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Earlier, I posted this comment on a FB page discussing this mess. RC Sproul, Jr. was interacting with people, so I joined in. So far no response.
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Scout, “Putting your own estimation of the weight of those actions simply show that you have a misperception of God’s holiness by thinking the bar of the law is set so low that your sins aren’t as repugnant as someone else’s. Leave these people alone and repent.”
Intriguing. Doesn’t calling us to repent mean that you are, by your own reasoning, admitting to your own misperception of God’s holiness?
I think it’s valid to point out that both these men were defrocked by their churches, and that we should be concerned about what they subsequently say and do in Jesus’s name.
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Reblogged this on Cosmic Geography.
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Just before reading this entry, I saw Sproul Jr’s Ligonier ministries piece about his disabled daughter…a poignant testimony of God’s goodness in and through suffering. To read about the extent of his sins and abuses is so depressing. Who is even real and genuine in the body of Christ? Is it only Christ?
I get that we all sin…but this is different…
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I just learned of Sproul Jr. Today. I honestly never looked into RC’s children. I have been following RC’s teaching for some time. My heart aches for what RC must have had to deal with and for what Vesta and Jr’s children still deal with today.
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