>>What do you make of the news about Mahaney and SGM?

I don't think much. After all, they are men just like anyone else. The Bible says to pray for those in leadership. My heart goes out to those have been hurt and pray for conviction, healing, and restoration.

Sadly I think it's an oft repeated experience in the Church. We are hell bent on having a King and we'll build them up and then tear them down. A sick system will produce sick people. We really are meant to be different than this.

If one wants to see various thoughts on this debacle you can take a look at the following blogs:

www.sgmsurvivors.com
www.sgmrefuge.com
www.thewartburgwatch.com

If you take a look at documents that Brent Detwiler submitted to the SGM Board including Mahaney that someone posted on the internet it shows that Mahaney tried to blackmail Larry Tomczak who was the cofounder of the group now called Sovereign Grace Ministries. That alone is a serious allegation if true as Mahaney has even himself said (called it coercion) then he is diqualified as a pastor.

There is also email correspondence in these documents that show Mahaney didn't practice what he required of other pastors in his group. Again, if this is proven true, Mahaney is disqualified as a pastor.

Sadly it doesn't look like the SGM Board is taking serious these allegations.

From the article:"Is this something unique to the Neo-Reformed movement, or is it broader than that?"

While it would be oversimplifying to state that it is unique to the neo-reformed movement, it's not surprising that there a pattern here. In my experience, calvinists spend more time arguing theology with other believers than trying to fulfill the great commission.

This has nothing to do with being a Calvinist. It has to do with Mahaney and his pastors covering up sexual abuses cases over a period of several years in different parts of the country. Not that pride wasn't an issue but their concern with preserving their image instead of dealing justly with victims as well is essentially what may cost them in the end.

I think it's funny/sad that in Mahaney's statement about his reasons for stepping down, he maintains that it's not for reasons of financial mismanagement or "immorality." Of course he means sexual immorality. But is this semantics, or is it evidence that people in this kind of position/ministry don't actually think pride and it's fruits are "immoral" at least not worthy to be called immorality? Sounds like doublespeak in an attempt to take the edge off what actually happened.

I don't think it's anything unique to the neo-reformed. It may have something to do with "big, awesome pastor-dudes" though. the way people idolize guys like Mahaney makes it easy for the man and everyone around him to ignore whatever major sins that they feel like ignoring. For instance, anything that isn't sexual immorality or embezzling.

Url,
If it talks like a human, walks like a human, and acts like a human...it's a human.

The best any organization of human beings can hope to achieve is to minimize the "being human" part.

While SGM claims that no immorality was involved, the most shocking aspect of the story is the degree to which SGM's leadership team has been shoving documented (as in the sexual predator confessed to a pastor and the parents of the affected child called the police) instances of blatant sexual abuse under the table.

One story here relates how both C.J. Mahaney and one of his son-in-laws appear to have done virtually nothing to protect the parishioners from a predator at one of the Virginia SGM churches.

http://sgmrefuge.com/2011/04/12/sovereign-grace-church-fairfax/

very very very sad.
but not unexpected or surprising.

I've said this before on other blogs. Before we blame the John Calvin club for producing prideful leaders, consider this: At least they are operating in an environment with sufficiently high ideals that these types of sins are actually exposed and dealt with. Don't kid yourself, the sins of Piper and Mahaney are by no means unique to their tradition. But in so many other evangelical megachurch situations, unless the pastor is sleeping with his secretary, nobody would dare "lay a hand on the Lord's anointed" by giving him some tough love over an issue like pride. For pete's sake, the lack of accountability is one of the reasons so many big time pastors fall into sins of sexual immorality. I'll take the weakness of the John Calvin club any day, especially if we are at least sufficiently humble enough to admit them and attempt to deal with in community as best we know how.

Great point Nathan. especially this -"But in so many other evangelical megachurch situations, unless the pastor is sleeping with his secretary, nobody would dare "lay a hand on the Lord's anointed" by giving him some tough love over an issue like pride." I think the church growth movement - big entertainment center churches and church-as-business systems will all experience this kind of 'demise'/bad publicity someday - it's inherent to the model...where unintentionally or not, the church becomes 'famous' via its bigness, its programs, its personalities, etc. This pedestal's foundation is pride and ambition. It is doomed to struggle with pride long before its leaders might admit it. I commend the SGM people for being maybe the first to admit it to an extent, albeit somewhat late. Your point that most wouldn't dream of it is so correct...question any fan of the mega-church model and you find out very quickly that any self-examination or discernment or questioning of that model of church life is totally off-limits - in-fact its un-christian and "how dare you question the great ways God is using such and such..." Maybe Josh Harris is right...maybe God's fed up with american evangelical penchant for pride, ambition, celebrity, cultural 'relevance', dominion, etc. Maybe he's tired of churches reflecting american dream/corporate/entertainment culture rather than the Person they should be reflecting...Jesus Christ.

The SGM ministries have a severe polity problem. They are elder-ruled rather than elder-led, which means that the congregation's Scriptural authority to identify, appoint, reprove, or remove elders/pastors is not recognized (I am basing this comment on Christ's teaching about church discipline in Matthew 18, where the congregation is the final court in discipline matters; and I timothy 5, where Paul says that elders can be publicly reproved as long as just procedure is followed). SGM's top leadership even called themselves apostles at one time. It isn't just heart attitudes. Their governmental polity encourages and supports the abuse of authority.

Having looked through the leaked documents, the sense I get is that Josh Harris has exhibited a pattern of loyalty to Mahaney. Now that that's untenable, he's tarring the whole leadership, even those who unsuccessfully tried to hold Mahaney to account in the past. I also get the sense that, like Jack Brooks said, the SGM has in practice had an episcopalian system of governance that appeared to be a presbyterian one. That system makes churches extremely vulnerable because it only takes one bad leader to do serious damage to everyone below him.

If even half the accusations and evidence proffered are to be believed, this is about much more than just pride. It's about the abuse of power to the point that other people have been hurt or damaged by it. This is just as serious as any sexual sin or outright thievery, possibly more so, but sadly it's not often viewed this way by evangelicals.

It's certainly worth asking if the church polity and/or theological leanings made this kind of behavior more likely by taking away certain checks and balances and accountability measures. We are all human and need those checks and balances and accountability, especially when we are entrusted with much. We delude ourselves if we think some chosen leaders don't need this.

The whole thing just makes me thankful that I am obscure and free from the temptations that fame and bigness would give me. I wrestle with pride and power issues enough and I only have 150 people, the evangelization of a community of around 100,000 and a few extra-curricular ministries to worry about. Several things have happened in the last year or two to make me very happy to have finally learned that God has not been mistreating me by leaving me out of the limelight. If I write a note to a grieving member, it does not need to be posted on our website for others to benefit from. My messages do not need to be broadcast and our successes do not need to be packaged up for others to buy. I am thankful that when I stand to give account for the souls in my care, it will not be millions of souls I have influenced - for good or ill.

This is nothing specific to the SGM. In my opinion, this has been a long time coming. The braggadocio of Piper and others from this group has left me with a sour taste for SGM for a long time.

Someone needed to teach them a lesson. If it's the Lord, then it's the best thing. But this should serve as a reminder to all of us. The Lord is a respecter of attitudes. If you get cocky, you are going to be taken down a notch and that would be well-deserved. It's either humble yourself or the Lord will do it and it's going to be quite a butt-kicking. Yes, that's what I said. And if you don't think God doesn't kick butts, you haven't been reading the prophets. The Lord kicks butts to get us back on the right path. But alas, we think God tolerates our poopy attitudes. More is coming and not just from the SGM.

God wins every time and we need to get it through our hard hearts and thick skulls that God does not and needs not grant any special favors to the self-serving, prideful and arrogant among us. IMHO, I am happy this happened.

Pride, the original sin and the one most hated by God. God rules, we drool. And that is as it is. Praise be the name of the Lord. I am thankful that God still admonished those He loves.

I disagree that the form of eldership that SGM claimed to be exercising is the problem here. I don't see anything in the passages mentioned by Jack Brooks that is incompatible with such an eldership polity. The problem is when one elder is elevated above the others and becomes unaccountable to his fellow elders. The superstar syndrome so prevalent in the church today exacerbates the problem. If SGM's eldership had been operating biblically, this problem could have been caught and dealt with right away.

After taking the time to read this and plenty of other blogs/articles, I have come to the conclusion that the American church has an unhealthy love for gossip. Technology can destroy the church. Leaking these documents over the internet is uncalled for. That was not the biblical way to handle it. Loving God means loving the body more than yourself. Even this article above questions 2 godly men. These men have been used by God and openly declare that Jesus is their Lord. We are spending all this time thinking we understand every email and assume we can connect the dots. Stop it!! Our view towards a brother in Christ needs to change. Instead of talking about them, Pray for them. Pray for Mahaney, Harris and Detwiler. Pray for their leadership. Write them a note of encouragement. This goes beyond denomination lines, Calvinistic thoughts and church structure. Let's act like the body and live for our Lord. Please pray. Grace, peace and love to you.

Just a prayer for SGM... Dear Lord, may your will be done in SGM churches and leadership. Please prepare and open the hearts of the leadership to deal with any sins and issues You are concerned with that may injure Your sheep. I pray You would move in each leader's heart to come in openness before You to draw close to You in fellowship and worship--to return to their first love with You, where need be. Please give each leader the heart of a Shepherd who longs to care for and serve each of the sheep in his flock, that they would not go astray or be led astray. And where there are wolves in sheep's clothing, I pray You would expose them and deal with them. I pray that the SGM leaders and members would bring You glory, love one another, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their friends and neighbors who do not yet know You. Amen.

"...Calvinista"? Perhaps the author here might want to consider whether pejoratives are really helpful. At least some of us are weary of the ongoing agenda here.

I didn't know a thing about this (and we used to attend and SGM church for many years). The way I first found out was from Challies blogger. He seems to be the first to share the dirt on people and seems to enjoy putting it out there. He has a huge readership I hear - millions go there I think.
Just because it's news doesn't mean your blog has to further it along.

Oh how we love to eat and devour each other in the Christain community. I'm tired.

What I see here is what happens when people are told no. Too many were happy to elevate CJ to kingly status when it suited them and their preferences. As soon as they disagreed, he became "the enemy". I read some of the "refuge" blogs out there, and believe me, if someone started a blog like that about my co-elders or me, it would be flush with former congregants telling one side of the story. Public opinion is mostly worthless. When Jesus rode into the city, the people cried hosannah. The next cry we see is "crucify Him!". This is what always happens when sinners dont get their way. Whatever CJ and co did or didn't do, the church is as culpable as he is. Too many Christians want a King besides Jesus. God have mercy on us.