Tullian Tchividjian, Restoration, Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Tullian Tchividjian is still doing his thang – leading many astray with his made-up story on his personal spiritual restoration. And he’s taking this gig on the road in speaking engagements around the country.
He’s doing podcasts like this one, about fallen leaders and restoration:
So, he’s making publicity stints about his own failures, claiming to have been restored. But he’s not restored, no matter what he says publicly.
How does one know what true restoration looks like? Ask his victims – the ones he harmed the most!!
When someone has been caught lying multiple times, it’s foolish to take them at their word until they have a proven track record. You must test what they say to see if it is true. If you want to be certain that a fallen leader is truly repentant and is restored, the first people you need to ask are the ones he harmed in the first place: his ex-wife, the women he took advantage of sexually while in the position of a pastor, the staff he harmed verbally and spiritually. Someone who is repentant will make things right with those he harmed, even if it means never being restored to a position of leadership again. In fact, one of the first signs of true repentance is leaving ministry, knowing that you have already harmed so many, you don’t want to risk the potential opportunity to do harm again. We haven’t seen any of that in Tullian Tchividjian.
Everybody wants to believe a transformation story. But you are believing a lie if you are allowing Tullian Tchividjian to convince you that he is transformed. I have done the due-diligence work to find out. I have asked the questions to his victims.
Case in point. Rachel – this Rachel — Survivor of Tullian Tchividjian’s Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse Goes Public with Her Story – Part 1 — texted me last Thursday.
Here is the important part of our conversation where Rachel reports that Tullian has not repented to her. It’s important to note that Tullian was a big part of the demise of Rachel’s marriage. (Btw, Rachel is not the only victim whose marriage failed after Tullian’s sexual misconduct.)
And here is new website announcing the new church starting up in fall:
Seeing the above posts on Instagram and Facebook, his busy speaking/teaching all around the country and on podcasts, and now a new website announcing a church, he is most definitely in ministry work.
As a reminder, the following statements have not been rescinded from GRACE and his former pastor, Kevin Labby:
Statement from Kevin Labby, on December 1, 2016:
We are deeply grieved by these latest allegations, and have profound gratitude for the courageous individuals who shared them, as well as those who worked tirelessly to chronicle their stories. I read their accounts multiple times through tears. My prayer is that they will receive the necessary care to move forward, and toward that end we continue to offer earnest prayers and full support.
We would also like to state in the clearest possible terms that we do not believe that Mr. Tchividjian should be in any form of public or vocational ministry. Rather, inasmuch as he is truly repentant and in accordance with his membership vows, we would urge him to immediately return to his church of membership, submit to its leadership, and pursue healing and renewal through repentance in the context of his local church to the glory of God and for the good of the broader Church and her witness to the world.
On behalf of the Session of Willow Creek Church,
Kevin Labby, Senior Pastor
Source
Willow Creek Church – Winter Springs, FL
And now a follow-up on a previous post. Almost exactly a year ago, Tullian Tchividjian and Fortress Publishing company announced that Fortress Publishing was reprinting his best-selling book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Publisher’s Weekly reported:
Three years after a sex scandal involving Billy Graham’s grandson Tullian Tchividjian, Fortress Press is bringing his book Jesus + Nothing = Everything back to print. Slated for publication in fall 2018, the reprinted book will feature a new cover, new endorsements, and an introduction by Tchividjian that addresses the past three years, including “how the message of God’s grace has sustained him,” according to the publisher.
Source
It’s been a year since the announcement. Fall 2018 came and went, and there’s no new book. I tried contacting Fortress Press, but did not receive a response. However, I did see an email dated July 2018 from an editor at Fortress Press which said that Fortress Press had decided not to re-publish the book “after careful deliberation.” While there was a good bit of fanfare announcing the re-publishing of the book, there has been dead silence from Fortress Press on making the decision to pull the plug on re-publishing. But it’s been a year, and there is no new book. And there you have it.
People who have done their vetting work, who have talked to his victims, know the real story. Tullian Tchividjian is a scam artist who is still unfit for ministry despite his claims otherwise.
UPDATE: I added the image to the church website after posting. ~ja
Spiritual Sounding Board 
This is such a text-book move for abusive ‘church leaders’. You stay quiet for a few months for the sake of appearances. Then you announce you’ve seen the error of your ways and you are “truly repentant”. Finally you talk big about God’s forgiveness and grace as you start a new church or ministry. (Any victims who raise objections can easily be dismissed: they have simply “failed to move on”, and are just “bitter and unforgiving”.)
Of course, you’ve learned your lesson and you know that being in charge of your own church is absolutely crucial. The last thing you want is to be held accountable again as you continue to use and abuse others…
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It’s so predictable, LIVINGLIMINAL. We all knew it would happen with TT. The writing was on the wall.
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Personally I’m all for comebacks and I’m sure Tullian can have a great one in sales or mismanagement consulting. He just can’t be trusted in any leadership position within ministry as scripturally he doesn’t meet the qualifications.
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One thing good about starting your own church is that you get to make your own rules. If you don’t want any oversight, you don’t have to have oversight. It’s a fallen preacher’s dream come true. And if you’re charismatic and say the right stuff, people will come . . . . and give you $$.
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Is he back on the prowl for women?
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Wolves will never give up trying to devour God’s flock. The church is a source of plentiful, innocent “meat” for predators. They may be thwarted temporarily, but will retreat and reconnoiter until a more favorable opportunity arises, then circle back to the prey.
What’s horrid about TT’s “comeback” is that it wouldn’t be possible without a bunch of irresponsible, negligent enablers who call themselves Christians. Pastors who are willing to endorse and invite TT to speak at their churches, without having any qualms about the entrenched, disqualifying, victimizing behavior of TT. My sad opinion.
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My response is to shrug and go “So what else is new?”
I expected this from the moment his scandal broke.
Lay low until the heat blows over, then hit the Jesus Racket Comeback Trail.
How many of you out there expected the same?
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Or Pyramid/Ponzi Schemes.
Or Four-One-Nine.
Or $800 Magick Crystals.
Or Sure Cures for Cancer.
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SCOTT1253
Yes…
“He just can’t be trusted
in any leadership position within ministry
as scripturally he doesn’t meet the qualifications.”
Seems TT, NEVER did meet those tough qualifications.
Most congregations do NOT know, or use the qualifications.
Has anyone ever checked, or asked, their “pastor/lelder/overseer?
If they meet the 17+, very, very, tuff Qualifications?
Has anyone ever met a “pastor/leader/elder/overseer?” Who does meet the 17+, very, very, tuff Qualifications, for elders who desire to be overseers? Given by Paul to Timothy and Titus? In 1 Tim 3, and Titus?
In my experience, “most” who call themselves “pastor/elder/overseer/reverend,” tend to “Ignore,” or “Twist,” the 17+, tuff Qualifications in 1 Tim 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-8. They are more interested in maintaining their “Titles,” or gaining that “Title,”pastor/leader/reverend, that comes with Power, Profit, Prestige, Honor, Glory, Reputation.
xxxxxxx
And other sheep I have, which are NOT of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall “Hear My Voice; “
and there shall be “ONE” fold, and “ONE” shepherd.
John 10:16
If not now? – When?
One Voice – One Fold – One Shepherd – One Leader
{{{{{{ Jesus }}}}}}
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Oh, and the pic of Tee Tee at the top?
In the words of the prophet Right Said Fred:
All that’s missing is the bare-chest polyester leisure suit and the cocaine spoon hanging in the dyed chest hair.
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And just like that – Tullian blocked his victim, Rachel on Twitter. So much for repentance.
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Tullian wrote the foreword for his partner-in-fake-repentence R.C. Sproul Jr.’s new book. Neither of them seem to grasp that “I said I was sorry” is a pretty low bar for making amends.
Here’s R.C. in an interview about the book:
“I wanted to be able to go to all those people out there whose sin they know and no one else knows and to be able to say to them: As our sin gets exposed and we repent of it, it is covered and gone,” he says.
“One of the hardships is that everybody who knew me before and knows that this all happened, they all felt like they have stock in me and that they were owed a personal apology, and they want that personal apology to be as intense as it might have been the day after. I repented a long time ago, and God forgave me, and I am not carrying that burden around anymore.”
http://www.journalgazette.net/features/20190613/his-fathers-forgiveness
He thinks it’s a pointless hardship to be expected to apologize personally and/or sincerely but perfectly reasonable to go back to giving advice on how to live .
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Oooh. Men like this don’t change just because they got caught…
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“I repented a long time ago, and God forgave me, and I am not carrying that burden around anymore.”
Because it’s all about ME!!! And to hell with anyone I harmed, because they simply don’t matter! What a narcissistic weasel. (BTW, I heard almost exactly the same thing from the ‘church leader’ who abused me.)
And the worst part is that there are so many of these creeps running around in churches – devastating the lives of others by “giving advice” on how to serve their hugely inflated egos.
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Julie Anne and other SSB moderators:
Your old troll, who you blocked under 2, 3 screen names may be back – on my blog.
So he may come here to yours, under the name “skanky53,” and he has a blog called “Men Are Better.”
Please see _this post on SSB on the older thread_ for more information.
I’m not 100% sure it’s the same guy, but the M.O. is the same. I think it’s him.
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The apocryphal stories about cockroaches being flushed down commodes are true.
They’re somehow able to make their way back up the pipe bend to the bowl rim, dry off their wings, take flight and setup shop elsewhere.
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Isn’t it odd how people become counsellors and experts in their field, only after they’ve been caught doing those things themselves? Somehow, you are a commentator on “fallen Christian leaders” only because you yourself abused people? Does anyone believe that this guy would be writing about “fallen Christian leaders” if he hadn’t done the things he did and got caught?
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Amos! Thank-for that precious and perfect Scripture as I read it today!
What an encourager you are to reference all of those who are believers, yet do not find their authority in people who have rule over them; for their “authority” rests in Jesus! Matthew 28:18-20
It appears that Tullian, perhaps is in desperate need of a new narcissistic supply of glory, money, power, and prestige, as he is “working” to build his own religious kingdom, not unlike his g’pa Billy’s religious dynasty. I may receive some harsh kickback from those words which are to be expected as people have worshiped the elder Graham for years and years and years. There is much money and power to be personally gained by using the LORD’S Name “God” and “Jesus” in vain.
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Good point, Robert! Welcome to Spiritual Sounding Board, btw. 😊
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No proof yet, but I don’t see why not. After all, he never suffered any real consequences for his predations in the past. And now he has no pesky presbytery to stop him.
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I am a physician, and the world of medicine parallels Christianity in many ways (there is a person responsible for nurturing a group of people; through that relationship, there is a power dynamic that can develop). Physicians are licensed in the states in which they practice. Yes, just as in organized Christianity, there are horrible cases of abuse/malpractice that seem to have gone on for far too long, but medicine does it a little better. The actions do vary by state. Texas publishes a list of all practitioners receiving disciplinary action. The bulletin is published quarterly — there is always at least one case (usually more) of discipline for some form of sexual misconduct among licensees (MDs DOs, PAs, and some ancillary staff like radiology techs).
While looking for the Texas bulletin, I found another interesting document:
https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/policies/grpol_sexual-boundaries.pdf Although some of the situations/issues are not applicable to the church, I think a document like this would be a great place for the church to start. Of course, state medical boards have always had a process for permanently revoking the license to practice medicine.
Medicine recognizes that the physician patient relationship creates a power dynamic and that introducing sex is NEVER therapeutic. Now, obviously physicians have affairs and that is not disciplined UNLESS it is an affair with a patient because of that power dynamic. Don’t get me wrong: I know that there are instances of affairs between physician and patient in medicine that go unreported. Medicine has as many (or more) narcissists than the group of leaders in Christianity.
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I can think of two statements by prominent Anglicans:
William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury – ‘the church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members’.
David Watson on church leadership – ‘status seekers keep out’!
TT fails on both counts – he seems to think the church is there to supply him with an opportunity for ‘ministry’.
Even for the sake of argument he were really repentant and genuinely contrite, it is debatable whether he could ever have a ministry again. It might at first sight appear to deny the forgiveness of God, but there are some things you do as a Christian that mean you can be forgiven, but never go back to a condition as though the offence had never been committed when it comes to role or responsibility. There are arguments about just what offences might permanently disqualify Christian leaders, but TT has messed up in his family life, and cannot by any conceivable logic be well thought of by outsiders. That disqualifies him from pastoral ministry.
I would have thought if he is taking the whole bible seriously (again?) and not just the parts about grace and forgiveness, he would avoid ministry of his own accord. He would avoid getting into a situation similar to that that led to his downfall in the first place. He might actually have to do a real job of work, like the rest of us, and not always scintilatingly interesting, to support himself!
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Wow, I have rarely seen a more judgemental an unforgiving bunch of comments. I seem to recall Paul complaining about similar treatment. (He was an apostle. Called himself ‘chief of sinners’, you know.)
Listen, when a grown woman enters into a relationship with a married man, she knows exactly what she is doing. That is not in any way blame, because I’ve some spectacularly foolish things in my life. But I just don’t accept the “I’ve been abused” cover-up story. It takes two to tango, and they were no doubt delighted to dance.
As for Mr. Tchividjian, I applaud him for getting back into a business with such poisonous vipers – he had to have known it’d be like this. I wish him all the best. Because if he isn’t against us…
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Old Bill Scout,
So you don’t think pastors should be held to a higher standard than their flock?
You think their standard should be the same or that they should be able to get away with more than the average Joe or Jolene Christian? Or that it’s not a huge problem that he outrageously took advantage of his position of authority?
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Hi OLD BILL SCOUT
Thanks for joining the discussion.
You write…
“Wow, I have rarely seen
a more judgemental an unforgiving
bunch of comments.”
Well…
Try reading your own comment again. 🙂
You probably did NOT notice…
But, your comment is very judgemental…
Wanna try again?
I’m willing to forgive you… 🙂
Rom 2:1
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judgest:
for wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself;
for thou that judgest doest the same things.
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“But I just don’t accept the “I’ve been abused” cover-up story.”
Whether or not you accept that, he had an affair while he was still married. A qualification for elder is a “one woman man”. Tullian clearly is not a one woman man and is disqualified from leadership. His own denomination, the PCA, removed his ministerial credentials for that reason.
Here is what the PCA said: “The South Florida Presbytery met for its regular stated meeting on August 11, 2015 and acted on a case concerning TE Tullian Tchvidjian. While Pastor Tullian Tchividjian was deposed of his pastoral credentials, the South Florida Presbytery is committed to continuing to offer him pastoral care. Our goal in doing this is to both protect the integrity of the Church from which his credentials were given while, at the same time, wrapping Tullian in the grace offered by Jesus Christ to all those who confess sin, pursue repentance and desire restoration.”
Deposed of pastoral credentials means that the church believes he should never be a pastor again.
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Unless he’s lying to her, which they often do.
Not saying that applies to this case (although I have no doubt there was a lot of lying going on). None of that is actually relevant to whether Tullian should be in ministry any longer, which he quite clearly should not. Heavens!
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I work in health care as well and have often thought the church should look at some of the licensure processes and disciplinary processes the industry uses. It’s not perfect, but there are clear systems for revoking a license so someone can never work in that profession again, and making data about disciplinary actions and lawsuits available to everyone who might need that information including patients and employers.
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I don’t think Trueman could have said it better:
https://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/on_the_restoration_of_fallen_pastors
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“she knows exactly what she is doing”
I think this is actually a half-truth. There is something called the “Florence Nightingale Effect” for caregivers, and ethical guidelines for virtually all care professions recognize the impact of the authority/knowledge/care/trust imbalance and disallow personal relationships between caregivers and their clients.
So, the question is whether pastors fall under those guidelines. The very role of pastor suggests all three – an authority imbalance, a knowledge imbalance, and a relationship of caring. Many pastors counsel members as part of their ministry. As such, romantic relationships between pastors and members generally fall under the umbrella of “clergy sexual abuse” rather than “mutual”. A pastor can abuse the trust given them by the church and its members and modify his advice to fit what he wants to happen rather than what is the right thing. For example, a single pastor who is counseling a married woman he is attracted to may abuse the trust to guide her towards divorcing her husband, when the best path may be reconciliation. He may then use things she’s confided with him to manipulate her into a relationship.
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I must agree with Spiritual Sounding Board that a fruit of repentance must be percieve on one’s truthfully repentance. But I also must concieve that we cannot say that true repentance means that (in some cases) dismiss from position must o occour in a way that the person never ever again could be on that position again (as I would ephasize again: in some cases. And those cases must be leave for the Elder to judge).
I say those things because we trully see in the Bible people that have such a horrendous behaviour stay keep on the same position after repentance, both on OT and NT. And before some one think that I would quote David”s adultery and plan murder, let me remember the case of King Manasses, that was not killed or dismissed by God from the position of King of Israel, but actually restored by God to that same position after he had gived his on sons in idolatry sacrifices and há made Israel sin even worst than the people who lived on the land before Israel. And in the NT we have the brother of 1 Corinthians 5, which was indeed excomunicated for a sexual sin which the apostle Paul had described by “even worst than the gentiles” but after repentance was restored to the fellowship. Even if not for a leadership position, imagine now stigmatize him like “Hey! Did you know that this brother was having sex with his fathers wife?”…like forever? Is that the mercy we suppose to give someone after we knew the debt we had been delivered from?
By saying that, I am not advocating that Tchividjian must be leave like this. I also and trully miss some sort of fruit of repentance like for instance if he had seek his formar church and formar leaders for confession and forgiveness and also tryied with some assistance from them reach those people that he had hurt asking forgiveness and to say to them about his fault…anyway. Even if what is done is done, I miss any kind of report of him trying to reach those people. And I don’t know if he had indeed tried to.
But I would like to emphasize that, even admiting that “Yes” in some cases I believe that the person should not be reinstaed for a leadership position (in my opinion specially when it was a situation related to vulnerables like kids, for instance), I cannot say, looking for biblical exemples that in all cases, after true repentance, the person should not be given a new opportunity.
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Looks like his book was picked up by FaithHappenings Publishing in January, 2020. Any info about whether he’s publicly and privately repented and whether GRACE or Pastor Kevin Labby have rescinded their statements?
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He has not repented to any of his victims. I have been in touch with Rachel and ask her from time to time. GRACE nor Labby have rescinded their statements to my knowledge.
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Tiago, I think one of the things to keep in mind is that it’s rare for people to completely escape from that pattern of sin. For example, David repented of adultery and murder, but he continued to amass wives and concubines. So, essentially he couldn’t control his sexual desire and that led to adultery, and the adultery led to murder. Wives and concubines were still not God’s original plan, but it was still legal because Israel as a whole shared that evil.
That said, we have to understand that Tullian has a long history of manipulation and control – both for his own power and prestige, but also using that power and prestige to sexually prey on women.
What would true repentance look like? Let me suggest it would NOT look like throwing your wife under the bus, then waiting for things to blow over and planting a church in a new denomination while still having your credentials suspended in the former denomination.
Is God so miserly with his gifts that there aren’t scores of people who qualify for eldership? I don’t think we (Western church) have the faintest clue what an elder ACTUALLY looks like. We’re too busy worshiping narcissistic authoritarians who want to devour sheep to discern the shepherds.
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