~ ~ Yesterday, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) recently had CJ Mahaney speak at a conference they held yesterday. Here is a tweet that SEBT sent out yesterday quoting CJ: If the mainstream media knows about the story of CJ Mahaney and the lawsuit, you can be sure that SEBTS was very aware of… Continue reading Studying the Words and Life of CJ Mahaney and SGM Image Control
Category: Sovereign Grace Ministries
Is There a Pattern for Church Leaders Who Disregard Church Abuses?
* * * This is classic. The mainstream media seems to get it before common church leaders get it. No wonder Christians look like such fools before the world. Read this teaser headline: A pastor whose family was murdered in New Mexico belonged to a large… Continue reading Is There a Pattern for Church Leaders Who Disregard Church Abuses?
Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Caleigh’s Story, “Cross Obsession”
This is Spiritual Abuse Awareness month and I wanted to share a story by Caleigh, a friend and blogger at The Profligate Truth who attended a church from CJ Mahaney's family of churches, Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). Her church was Covenant Life Church (CLC) in Maryland which recently voted to sever ties with SGM amidst a current… Continue reading Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Caleigh’s Story, “Cross Obsession”
Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit, Patriarchy, and Spanking of Adult Children
Does it seem like I'm picking on Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM)? Is Sovereign Grace Ministries the problem? It's just a problem with those particular leaders in SGM, right? They are mostly located on the East Coast, so they have no effect on me and my church, right? This is where I say a resounding: NO!… Continue reading Sovereign Grace Ministries Lawsuit, Patriarchy, and Spanking of Adult Children
Listing of Articles Related to Amended Sovereign Grace Lawsuit
There are so many new articles coming out on the amended Sovereign Grace lawsuit, I decided to compile them in order to help whomever wants to start making complete documentation of the goings on of this abusive church system. These are listed in no particular order. If you see any that I've missed, please feel… Continue reading Listing of Articles Related to Amended Sovereign Grace Lawsuit
Sovereign Grace Ministries Amended Lawsuit – Leaders: Show Me the Proof!
I went to the Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) website to see if they had released a statement about the newly filed amendment which was filed on Friday (new details in this excellent article). I could find no statement, but found an article on the front page by Stephen Altrogge: A Step-by-Step Guide for Killing Your Church,… Continue reading Sovereign Grace Ministries Amended Lawsuit – Leaders: Show Me the Proof!
Sovereign Grace Amended Lawsuit Has Reportedly Been Filed
The Wartburg Watch ladies and I are waiting for official word that we can report on this case. The rumors aren't pretty. Here's the deal - - Susan Burke is a very reputable attorney. She is not going to amend the civil lawsuit unless there is justification to do so. I have been reading the… Continue reading Sovereign Grace Amended Lawsuit Has Reportedly Been Filed
Owen Strachan Accepts New Appointment to CBMW and Biblical Roles of Men and Women
I noticed a Twitter lovefest this morning. A lot of tweets were coming from Christian leaders and pastors regarding Owen Strachan accepting the position of Executive Director at the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). If you are unfamiliar with the CBMW, let me fill you in. Here is the Council on Biblical Manhood and… Continue reading Owen Strachan Accepts New Appointment to CBMW and Biblical Roles of Men and Women
John Piper and the Church on Domestic Violence
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8-9 In an earlier post, Domestic Violence: Do Pastors Know Best?, I posted a video of a question and answer… Continue reading John Piper and the Church on Domestic Violence
SGM Flagship Church Covenant Life Church to Cut Ties with Sovereign Grace Ministries
Reports are just coming in from SGMSurvivors.com that members of Covenant Life Church under head pastor, Josh Harris, have voted to sever ties with their parent, Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). This is a very big decision. Joshua Harris was mentored by SGM's president, C.J. Mahaney for several years before C.J. turned the reigns over to Josh… Continue reading SGM Flagship Church Covenant Life Church to Cut Ties with Sovereign Grace Ministries
Complementarians Speak out about Violence Against Women
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”Dietrich Bonhoeffer Today, Novermber 25, was the day designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women:"Millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten,… Continue reading Complementarians Speak out about Violence Against Women
Judge Refuses to Drop Charges in Oklahoma Failure to Report Case
One of my big pet peeves is pastors or church leaders who fail to report cases of suspected abuse to civil authorities. I found an update on a case mentioned earlier in this post: Mandatory Reporting Laws for Clergy: Loopholes for AbuseHere is the new update:Okla. Judge Refuses to Drop Child Abuse Charges Against Victory… Continue reading Judge Refuses to Drop Charges in Oklahoma Failure to Report Case
Courtship: The Background and Negative Outcomes
Soon I will begin posting personal courtship stories, so it might be helpful to get a little background of the history of courtship. The courtship model is unquestionably a part of the culture of many conservative churches, conservative Christian groups, and promoted by leaders in the homeschooling community. Some groups who have embraced the courtship… Continue reading Courtship: The Background and Negative Outcomes
C.J. Mahaney’s Philosophy on Friends: Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You
"For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring… Continue reading C.J. Mahaney’s Philosophy on Friends: Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You
Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part Two
Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part Two © Brad Sargent (brad/futuristguy), November 2012 5. Individual and Crowd-Sourced Snapshots for a Viable Video In Part One, I explained why I felt it was worth spending a day analyzing a Covenant Life Church (CLC) Members Meeting, despite my being an outsider to… Continue reading Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part Two
Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part One
Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part One © Brad Sargent (brad/futuristguy), November 2012 After I wrote my analysis piece on Sovereign Grace Ministries in the previous post, I was asked two questions and invited to share more detail on: Why evaluating a Members Meeting that happened at Covenant Life Church (CLC) over a year… Continue reading Detailing Events and Discerning the Times: Part One
Sovereign Grace Ministries Updated Statement on Lawsuit – Nov. 14, 2012
Sovereign Grace Ministries released yet another new press release today, November 14, 2012, regarding the civil lawsuit filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries. This is their third response. When we dig below the surface of the words, we can see their heart of their agenda. What is the purpose of a press release? It is to… Continue reading Sovereign Grace Ministries Updated Statement on Lawsuit – Nov. 14, 2012
A Word of Encouragement to Abuse Victims Who Use Civil Litigation
My heart really goes out to victims and their families in abuse cases (domestic violence, child abuse, and sex abuse) and I have a huge amount of respect for those who, when realizing that the problem is much bigger than their own personal situation, risk so much by taking it to a new level by… Continue reading A Word of Encouragement to Abuse Victims Who Use Civil Litigation
Sovereign Grace Ministries: Analysis of CLC Members Meeting
Analysis of CLC Members Meeting of August 17, 2011INTRODUCTIONThe following analysis was produced by Brad Sargent. He is more known by his online handle of “brad/futuristguy,” and he often writes about recovery from spiritual abuse and how to prevent toxic organizations. For this article, Brad used a transcript of the Covenant Life Church (CLC) members’ meeting of August… Continue reading Sovereign Grace Ministries: Analysis of CLC Members Meeting
Pastors Who Fail to Report Abuse: Conspiracy of Silence
“This was not a mistake, this was not an oversight,” Kelly said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “This was a conspiracy of silence by top officials.” As much as the Penn State grieves my heart because of so many victims and the pain that they endured, I believe this case is going to be… Continue reading Pastors Who Fail to Report Abuse: Conspiracy of Silence
Spiritual Sounding Board 