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Showing posts with label Sovereign Grace Ministries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sovereign Grace Ministries. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2015

LEADERSHIP OF JOSH DUGGAR'S TREATMENT CENTER ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN SEX ABUSE COVERUP~A LONG LINE OF INTERCONNECTED SEX SCANDALS & FAILURE TO REPORT TO AUTHORITIES

BIBLE MIXED WITH PSYCHOHERESY?
JOSH DUGGAR AT "REFORMERS UNANIMOUS"
(NO, NOT ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 
12 STEPS, OR REFORM SCHOOL)
WILL HE BE REDEEMED AGAIN? AND BY WHOM?
IT SEEMS THE MORE "REFORMED" & "FUNDAMENTAL", 
THE MORE APOSTATE 
PARALLELS SEX SCANDALS OF BOB JONES UNIVERSITY 
& SOVEREIGN GRACE MINISTRIES

SEE: http://northlove.org/ministries/local-reformers-unanimous/
SEE: http://rockfordru.org/
SEE: http://ruhomes.org/


LEADERSHIP OF JOSH DUGGAR'S TREATMENT CENTER ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED 
IN SEX ABUSE COVERUP
BY LIBBY ANNE

Earlier this week Josh Duggar checked into Reformers Unanimous (RU), a Christian residential addiction treatment program in Rockford, Illinois, run by North Love Baptist Church and co-founded by the church’s authoritarian Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) pastor, Paul Kingsbury. Over the past twenty-four-hours, I have spoken with a number of individuals involved with or affected by either North Love or Kingsbury. Of primary importance are allegations that Kingsbury is actively supporting an accused sex offender, Richard DeVall, who is serving as a missionary in Bolivia and is sponsored by North Love Baptist Church. If true, this would seem to disqualify Kingsbury from running a recovery program for individuals suffering from porn addiction and sex addiction*, but Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches seem to run by their own rules.
There are some striking similarities here. After Josh Duggar molested his younger sisters as a teenager, he was sent to one of Bill Gothard’s training centers to take part in a construction program while receiving Christian mentoring. A decade later, Bill Gothard resigned after several dozen women leveled accusations of sexual abuse against him. This time Josh has been sent to Reformers Unanimous, a program founded by a church that has a history of involvement in Gothard’s Institute for Basic Life Principles and which focuses on physical labor and Bible study. Paul Kingsbury, co-founder and chair of Reformers Unanimous, is alleged to be providing financial support through his church to an accused sex offender who has refused to return to the country to face charges. In other words, the Duggars appear to have sent Josh for round two of the same failed treatment.
In this article, I will lay out the case against Kingsbury in four sections. First I will examine Kingsbury’s relationship with Jack Schaap, who was convicted in 2013 of violating the Mann Act by transporting a minor across state lines for sex. Next I will look at Kingsbury’s alleged role in preventing accused sex offender Richard DeVall from coming to justice. Third, I will examine Kingsbury’s alleged history of failing to notify parishioners and others when a known sex offender is in their midst. Finally, I will look at the strict authoritarian manner in which Kingsbury allegedly runs North Love Baptist Church. I will finish by turning back to the Duggars and tying together some of the overarching themes running through this story.
Kingsbury’s Relationship with Convicted Abuser Jack Schaap
According to his bio on the North Love website, Kingsbury “surrendered to serve Christ with his life under the preaching ministry of Dr. Jack Hyles of Hammond, Indiana” and went on to graduate from Hyles-Anderson College. Jack Hyles spent the last decade of his life embroiled in controversy over a child sexual abuse coverup in his church. His son-in-law, Jack Schaap, who succeeded him as pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond after his death in 2001, is currently serving a twelve year prison sentence for violating the Mann Act in connection with a sexual relationship with 16- and 17-year-old parishioner. During the trial, it came to light that Schaap had groomed the minor during counseling sessions and had sex with her in his office. 
Kingsbury’s relationship with First Baptist Church of Hamnond and Hyles-Anderson is longstanding. Dan Parsons, who attended a Christian school run by North Love in the late 1970s and taught at the same school in the late 1980s, told me that students from the school were taken annually to youth conferences at Hyles-Anderson. Indeed, Kingsbury appears to maintain a relationship with First Baptist Church of Hammond and Hyles-Anderson to this day—he spoke at a Bible conference at First Baptist Church of Hammond only months after Schaap was sentenced.
Further, First Baptist Church of Hammond operates a chapter of Reformers Unanimous. This program was first brought to the church by now-imprisoned Jack Schaap. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that a sermon by Jack Schaap remains on a list of sermons Reformers Unanimous “recommends heartily” to RU students. According to Chicago magazine, Schaap was “part of what some call a deeply embedded culture of misogyny and sexual and physical abuse.” I was unable to find Kingsbury’s response to Schaap’s conviction, but I did findcomments by one of his parishioners condemning those who would condemn Schaap and invoking Kingsbury as her authority for doing so. Kingsbury’s relationship with Schaap—and Schaap’s relationship with Reformer’s Unanimous—raises concerning questions about the culture of Reformers Unanimous. 
Kingsbury’s Alleged Support for an Accused Sex Offender
Several years ago, Bob Jones University invited GRACE, an organization run by Billy Graham’s grandson and Liberty University professor Boz Tchividijian, to conduct an investigation of their handling of rape and sexual assault on campus. The final report released by GRACE detailed a situation in the early 1990s where BJU expelled and then readmitted a man accused of sexual assault. According to the GRACE report, “the alleged perpetrator minimized the extent of his crime, but he admitted to touching her inappropriately without her consent while he believed she was sleeping.” The perpetrator was readmitted to BJU after claiming that he had reconciled with his victim, but this was later revealed to be a lie.
This man, identified as Richard DeVall, is currently serving as a missionary in Bolivia. According to the GRACE report, his victim finally went to the authorities in 2012. Shortly after this she received a letter of apology from DeVall. Not satisfied, she contacted DuVall’s missionary agency, Baptist Pioneer Mission (BPM), asking them to remove him from the field “due to potential risks he could pose to others.” They refused, telling her that DeVall “had been repentant to the mission board by confessing his offense and writing a letter of apology.” When she asked whether BPM would encourage DeVall to return to the United States to face charges for his crime, the board responded that they would “use any legal means to protect” DeVall. In spite of claiming in his apology letter that he would “cooperate and work with all those who are involved in the issue,” DeVall insisted that the matter must be handled “in a Biblical way” and, according to GRACE, has refused to return to the United States to face criminal charges.
BMP’s listing of policies and procedures states that “To be eligible for appointment with BPM, the missionary applicant must be a member of and commissioned by his or her New Testament church.” According to my sources, North Love Baptist Church is DeVall’s sending church. Kingsbury, as pastor of North Love, promoted DeVall’s mission work on his blog in February 2012. The month before, in January 2012, DeVall gave a sermon at North Love. BJUGrace, a Facebook group dedicated to seeking “grace and truth, righteousness and peace in the abuse allegations at Bob Jones University,” recently posted regarding the connections between Kingsbury and DeVall as well. According to BPM’s website, “BPM will only serve individuals who are recognized and commissioned by their local church to engage in missionary work (church planting).” While BPM is DeVall’s sending agency, North Love plays a crucial role as his sending church, and as senior pastor, much of the responsibility for this falls on Kingsbury. 
One would think that accusations of sexual assault leveled against a missionary would lead a church to have second thoughts about sending them into the field, but it appears that this has not occurred in DeVall’s case in spite of the fact that both my sources and BJUGrace allege that Kingsbury was notified some time ago of the details of DeVall’s crime. Kingsbury may believe DeVall has repented of his past sin and reformed his ways. This would be in keeping with IFB theology and Gothard’s teachings, but it flies in the face of DeVall’s unwillingness to return to the U.S. where he faces the possibility of criminal charges. If it is true that North Love is continuing to sponsor DeVall even with Kingsbury’s knowledge of the allegations against him, and that they have sent him into the field and are keeping him there out of fear that he will face criminal charges if he returns to the U.S., these are serious charges indeed. What impact might such unwillingness to take sexual abuse seriously and such inattention to systems of accountability have on the culture and teachings of Reformers Unanimous? 
Kingsbury’s Alleged Failure To Warn Parishioners against Sex Offenders
Working alongside Kingsbury, Pastor Ray Borah served as the Academic Dean of North Love Baptist College, pastor at North Love Baptist Church, and counselor at Reformers Unanimous. Before coming to North Love, Borah was employed as a youth pastor at a church in Florida. While serving as youth pastor, Borah, who had been married for well over a decade, allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl and became sexually involved with two other teenagers in his youth group. It is not clear whether Kingsbury knew of these allegations when Borah joined North Love, though the recent GRACE investigation revealed that the allegations had been reported to Bob Jones University some time before Borah joined Kingsbury’s pastoral staff, but were not investigated. 
About three years ago, Borah committed another sexual offense, this one at North Love itself. What happened is unclear and has been subject to much rumor. While there is little definitive information, we do know that at this time Borah parted ways with North Love. According to sources I have spoken with, neither Kingsbury nor anyone else at North Love warned either parishioners or others who came in contact with Borah after he left North Love about Borah’s offense. This put additional individuals at risk. 
This is not the first time Kingsbury has been involved in a failure to notify parishioners or other relevant parties that they have a sex offender in their midst. According to Parsons, in the late 1970s, when Kingsbury was a youth pastor at North Love, the English teacher and basketball coach at the school attached to the church was “caught peeping into the girls’ locker room.” The man was forced to confess, but the confession was kept extremely vague—”I got away from the Lord”—and no one was notified what he had done. “That was all hush hush,” Parsons told me. “Nobody who knew was permitted to talk about it.” This man was let go from the school, but was not blacklisted in any fashion. As a result, he simply traveled to another state and found a job at a Christian school there.
While Kingsbury was not senior pastor during the situation involving the school’s English teacher and basketball coach, as youth pastor he presumably participated in keeping the matter quiet and learned by example how affairs of this sort should be handled. Indeed, Kingsbury, who became senior pastor in 1982, only a few years after this incident, describes the senior pastor at the time as his “mentor.” In allegedly failing to notify others when they have a sex offender in their midst, Kingsbury has put others at risk and has shown himself to be either unaware of or uncaring about best practices for handling sexual abuse. This does not bode well for the practices of Reformers Unanimous, which Kingsbury co-founded and which continues to operate under his direction as chairman. 
“The Authority To Do Whatever He Wanted”
In perhaps the most startling part of our conversation, Parsons described an alternative Halloween activity that Kingsbury put on during the late 1970s as an example of Kingsbury’s abusive and manipulative tactics. As Parsons explained, after the various activities at the alternative Halloween event had drawn to a close, the youth gathered in the gym, expecting to hear a short sermon. Instead, Kingsbury had the church deacons and other leaders enter the room and “stage a mass shooting with guns that shot blanks.” According to Parsons, the men “came in and scared everyone and shot into the crowd” in an effort to “scare all the kids into making a decision to accept Christ.” The experience clearly made a big impression on Parsons. “They’re very big on that fear, that kind of persuasion,” he told me.
Parsons also told me that Kingsbury rules North Love with an iron fist. Speaking of his experience at North Love in the 1970s and 1980s and his discussions with church members in the decades since, Parsons told me that Kingsbury teaches his congregation that the King James Version of the Bible is the only acceptable translation and relies heavily on “The Trail of Blood,” a 1931 pamphlet that purports to reveal that the Baptists are the true heirs of the early church. “That gave him the authority to do whatever he wanted,” Parsons said. “‘If you’re not listening to me, you’re not following the New Testament, period.’” Individual Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches frequently function as their own cults of personality, lacking an authority structure that provides accountability. The senior pastor at an IFB church—a position Kingsbury has held since 1982—often wields a great deal of authority over his parishioners, and in Kingsbury’s case, Parsons told me, that power extended to what church members wore and what Bible edition they used.
Parsons also described North Love as a Gothard church. During the 1970s and 1980s, he told me, teachers at North Love’s Christian school were required to attend Bill Gothard’s seminars annually. These conferences typically took place on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and were held in nearby Chicago. According to Parsons, the school would shut down on Friday so that the teachers could attend. After Gothard introduced his homeschool curriculum in the 1980s, some families took their children out of North Love’s Christian school to enroll them in Gothard’s program, with the support of the church. Kingsbury echoed Gothard’s teachings about women and gender, barring women from wearing pants (the school’s cheerleaders were required to sign a pledge that they wouldn’t wear pants even at home) and preaching against birth control. “Pastor Kingsbury preached from the pulpit that women were baby machines,” Parsons told me. Gothard resigned from his ministry last year as an increasing number of women accused him of sexually molesting them while they were working for him. While Parsons no longer has close friends at North Love, he told me that his friends who have retained the beliefs they were taught at North Love tend to defend Gothard. “They say that he didn’t do anything wrong,” Parsons noted.
Over the past few years, fundamentalist churches have suffered one sex abuse scandal after another. Fundamentalist colleges and missions agencies have taken a hit as well. Speaking in 2013, Boz Tchividjian shocked many when he stated that evangelicals are “worse” on sexual abuse than Catholics. Tchividjian argued that evangelicals’ individualism makes them wary of transparency and accountability, causing abuse to go unseen, ignored, or unreported. In addition, Tchividjian noted that evangelical pastors and missionaries who are ousted over abuse allegations often simply switch churches or missions agencies, leaving their sordid pasts behind them. Without an overarching hierarchy, a church may never be told of a new pastor or missionary’s past misdeeds. When churches promote strict modesty standards and portray women as temptresses, victim blaming becomes all too common, contributing to the collapse of any attempt at best practices. The cult of personality that frequently develops at IFB churches only exacerbates these problems. When one man holds all the power, that power is easy to abuse.
Conclusion
Kingsbury founded Reformers Unanimous as a ministry of North Love in 1996. Parsons described the early material used by RU as “pretty much just mindless filling in the blanks.” When I asked Parsons whether it would be accurate to say that RU seeks to cure sexual deviance in the church not by addressing the sexual ethics and power structures that so often contribute to it but rather by terming it an addiction and throwing the Bible at it, he laughed and agreed with my analysis. As others have reported already, Reformers Unanimous does not appear to have any licensed counselors on staff, and its residential program appears to be made up entirely of physical labor and Bible study. This is a path Josh Duggar has been down before, but it is the only path his parents seem able to envision. Questioning the beliefs and dynamics that lead to abuse is difficult; solving problems with a larger dose of Bible reading is the familiar default.
The Duggars have made a career out of bottling up their children’s sexual energies, keeping them set on zero until marriage and then unleashing them, but most of what they teach is common in fundamentalist churches. Women are expected to dress modestly so as not to give men the wrong idea, and sexual assault victims are asked what they did to lead their abuser on or cause their assault. When married men have affairs, their wives are blamed for not being sexually available enough to keep them at home. On top of all of this, wives are expected to submit to and obey their husbands (and children are expected to submit to and obey their parents). When taken together, these teachings can be a recipe for disaster. And there’s more, too. Once a man confesses and repents of his sexual offense, his victim must either forgive him or face charges of bitterness. A parent who is loathe to leave her children alone with a man who has molested children in the past may be accused of not believing in God’s capacity to change lives. None of this is conducive to a healthy sexual ethic, healing for abuse survivors, or safety for the community at large.
As of this week, Josh is at Reformers Unanimous, whose chairman and cofounder, Paul Kingsbury, had a longterm working relationship with convicted sexual predator Jack Schaap, is allegedly protecting an accused sex offender from justice, and allegedly has a habit of failing to notify people when a known sexual predator is in their midst. How an individual alleged to have such a troubled relationship with both legal accountability for sex offenses and established best practices for handling cases of sexual abuse can be expected to run an affective and above-board rehab program for individuals who come to him seeking help for addictions to porn or sex is perhaps question of the week.
* There is some disagreement over what porn addiction and sex addiction look like and whether they are properly labeled addictions. However, regardless of where one falls on the question, Reformers Unanimous is out of step with professional opinion in how it understands and approaches both conditions. This is transparently obvious in the simple fact that the RU website states that 50% of Christian men are addicted to pornography. RU appears to see “looks at pornography” as synonymous with “addicted to pornography,” which also calls into question the program’s ability to treat those individuals it admits.  
_______________________________________________________________
SEE ALSO:

A co-founder of Reformers Unanimous (RU), the Christian rehabilitation center in Rockford, Illinois, that Josh Duggar checked into following revelation that he had accounts with the adultery website Ashley Madison, is allegedly helping a sexual offender stay overseas on Christian mission to avoid prosecution in the United States.
According to a report by Patheos, Reformers Unanimous, co-founded in 1996 by North Love Baptist Church pastor Paul Kingsbury, as a ministry of the church, is sponsoring Richard DeVall, a missionary serving in Bolivia with the Baptist Pioneer Mission Agency. DeVall was accused of committing sexual assault on the campus of Bob Jones University (BJU) in the 1990s and was expelled from the university.
But DeVall was readmitted after he claimed he had sought forgiveness and reconciled with the victim.
GRACE, an organization run by Boz Tchividijian, professor at Liberty University and Billy Graham’s grandson, conducted an investigation of the handling of the case by BJU in 2013.
GRACE wrote, in a report released early in 2013, that “the alleged perpetrator [Richard Devall] minimized the extent of his crime, but he admitted to touching her [the victim] inappropriately without her consent while he believed she was sleeping.”
Kingsbury is allegedly providing financial support through his church to DeVall, who has refused to return to the U.S. to face charges of sexual assault after the victim reported to the authorities in 2012, and asked the Baptist Pioneer Mission (BPM) to allow DeVall return to the U.S. to face criminal charges.
BPM refused to grant the victim’s request, saying that DeVall had repented “to the mission board by confessing his offense and writing a letter of apology.”
BPM also refused to grant the request that DeVall be removed from his overseas post “due to potential risks he could pose to others.”
Although DeVall reportedly wrote a letter of apology to the victim asking for forgiveness, he has refused to return to the U.S. to face charges, saying that the matter should be handled by the church “in the Biblical way.”
When the victim asked whether BPM would support her effort to have DeVall return to the U.S. to face charges, the board allegedly responded that they “would use any legal means to protect” him.
According to Patheos, knowledgeable sources said that although Kingsbury has knowledge of the details of the allegations against DeVall, he has continued to provide support to his mission through his church. This, according to Patheos, leads to the reasonable conclusion that Kingsbury is helping to keep DeVall abroad so that he will not face criminal charges in the U.S.
Patheos also reports that Kingsbury had a relationship with Jack Schaap, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, currently serving a 12 year prison sentence after he was convicted of having sexual relations with an underage parishioner.
First Baptist Church also operates a chapter of Reformers Unanimous, introduced by Schaap.
According to the Chicago Magazine, Schaap was “part of what some call a deeply embedded culture of misogyny and sexual and physical abuse.”
“Kingsbury’s relationship with Schaap—and Schaap’s relationship with Reformer’s Unanimous—raises concerning questions about the culture of Reformers Unanimous,” Patheos adds.

“Reformers Unanimous does not appear to have any licensed counselors on staff…”

Patheos notes that the latest move by Duggar follows a previous pattern. After Duggar was accused of molesting five girls — including his sisters — as a teenager, he was sent to the Institute for Basic Life Principles, a Christian rehab run by the Christian minister Bill Gothard. The rehab relied exclusively on a combination of Bible study and physical labor for religious mentoring and rehabilitation.
But Gothard was finally forced to resign after several women accused him of sexual abuse.
Duggar has been sent to a Christian rehabilitation program that has a history of close association with Gothard’s “institute,” and a history of protecting people accused of sexual misconduct.
As Patheos concludes, “This is a path Josh Duggar has been down before, but it is the only path his parents seem able to envision. Questioning the beliefs and dynamics that lead to abuse is difficult; solving problems with a larger dose of Bible reading is the familiar default.”
________________________________________________________________

Josh Duggar's Reported Christian Rehab Center: 'We Love the Duggar Family'


 PAUL KINGSBURY 

SEE: http://paulkingsbury.com/about-2;
EXCERPT: 

Dr. Paul Kingsbury – Pastor of North Love Baptist Church and Co-Founder/Chairman Reformers Unanimous

Dr. Paul Kingsbury was raised in a Christian home and came to know the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior at five years of age. At sixteen he surrendered to serve Christ with his life under the preaching ministry of Dr. Jack Hyles of Hammond, Indiana. He began preaching in jails, nursing homes and rescue missions. He attended Maranatha Baptist Bible College and graduated from Hyles-Anderson College in 1976.

Dr. Kingsbury Testimony of RU The Beginning

_______________________________________________________________
SEE RELEVANT ARTICLES:
WAY OF LIFE HAS 42 ARTICLES RELATED TO SCHAAP:
_________________________________________________________________________
LINDA HYLES MURPHREY, DAUGHTER OF PASTOR HYLES; 
EX HYLES/SCHAAP CHURCH CULT MEMBER

Official Statement from FBC Hammond on the Firing of Dr. Jack Schaap For
"Improper Relationship With a Minor"

RICHARD DEVALL, MISSIONARY IN BOLIVIA
SEE: http://www.bpmission.org/z_devall.html









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Sunday, August 23, 2015

SOVEREIGN GRACE PASTOR FOUND GUILTY OF SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION

ANOTHER SOVEREIGN GRACE CHURCH SCANDAL
"SIGNIFICANT LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT" 
THE GNOSTIC WAY OF CIRCUMVENTING ACTUALLY CALLING IT SIN
"Last month, Gene was found guilty in Chesterfield County Court of soliciting a prostitute. To this day, he continues to maintain that he is innocent of any illicit activity, though he has humbly acknowledged a significant lapse in judgement regarding his conduct throughout the situation."
https://twitter.com/GeneEmerson
GENE EMERSON, DISGRACED SENIOR PASTOR WON'T ADMIT SIN
"very much in need of an extended sabbatical from 
the normal work of pastoral ministry."
"We don't hide stuff." 
Kings Way Community Churchwww.KingsWay.cc
14111 Sovereign Grace Drive
Midlothian, VA 23114
(804) 379-2551
BY BRENT DETWILER
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:



Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 9:06AM





Gene Emerson, former regional leader in SGM and senior pastor of KingsWay Community Church in Midlothian, VA, was arrested on May 29 for the solicitation of prostitution in Chesterfield County, VA.    He was arraigned on June 9.  He was found guilty and sentenced on July 9.  He is a close friend of C.J. Mahaney’s and known for carrying out vengeful assignments given him by Mahaney. 



From the time of his arrest to the present, Emerson has sought to deceive everyone around him, including his dear wife and family, with a myriad of lies.  That is not surprising.  He has a history of deceit well known to former and current Sovereign Grace leaders like Mahaney, Dave Harvey, Bob Kauflin and Mickey Connolly who have actively covered up for him since 2007.  These men and others share responsibility for Emerson’s further apostasy because they were not willing to deal with his abusive and corrupt character in the past.  This is a simple case of sowing and reaping for Emerson and leaders in SGM.   



Now everything is crashing down around Emerson because the evidence is coming out.  For 3½ months he has sought to deceive people by claiming he stumbled upon a prostitute in his pursuit of a massage because he was under stress from work.  That is nothing but a wretched excuse and cover.  He has also insisted he is innocent of all legal wrong doing and blamed the police for setting him up and making an unlawful arrest.  



Emerson was intent on having sex with a prostitute and there is reason to believe this was not the first time he sought out a prostitute.  The evidence suggests he was familiar with how to set up an appointment and follow through with his intentions in my opinion.  More will come out in the days to come. 



Over the past two weeks, I have been in contact with the Chesterfield County Police Department.  If Gene comes to repentance, he will return to them and ask forgiveness for maligning their methods, which were entirely in keeping with the law.  The undercover operation was carried out with skilled professionalism. 



I planned to finish a thorough post on this whole matter for the weekend.  That won’t be possible now.  Things have come up.  I will resume my work next week.  In the meantime, however, I’ve included remarks I posted over the past week. 



Brent Detwiler says:
August 17, 2015 at 12:58 pm



Gene Emerson’s claim that he is innocent is a lie.  That should not surprise anyone.  I hope to post this weekend.  Please remember Jenny in your prayers.  Thanks! 



Brent Detwiler says:
August 20, 2015 at 6:09 pm 



Over the past week and a half, I have interacted with Detective N. Necolettos and his supervising officer over Vice and Narcotics, Lieutenant J. Profita, regarding Gene Emerson’s deceitful misrepresentation to Kingsway Community Church that he was purportedly entrapped by the vice squad for the solicitation of prostitution.  Nothing could be further from the truth as is clear from this arrest report and other evidence including a video of his words and actions.  Emerson was intent on having sex with a prostitute that was an undercover police woman.  The operation was carried out with the highest legal integrity.  The Chesterfield County Police Department is not a hole in the wall operation.  It employs over 600 men and women.  It is a first rate force.



Emerson has now fabricated a story that he stumbled onto this operation in pursuit of a simple massage.  He attempted to use this lie with Detective Necolettos and he is doing the same with the people of Kingsway Community Church. 



Last Sunday, Matthew Williams, interim sr. pastor, told the church, “And in light of his claim of innocence, we support his [Gene’s] right to consider taking further legal action.”  I can assure you, the Chesterfield County Police Department does not fear a lawsuit from Mr. Emerson.  Gene is not innocent and he will not be taking any further legal action.  In my opinion, this is all part of his attempt to deceive and cover up.  It is an empty boast. 



On Monday, I posted here: “Gene Emerson’s claim that he is innocent is a lie.  That should not surprise anyone.”  It should not surprise anyone because there is a history of deceit and treachery by Gene clearly laid in my documents [e.g. in The Untold Story] and other writings.  Matthew Williams claims Gene is a man of integrity but he knows better.  I have provided him all the evidence in the past. 



The people of Kingsway Community Church have been misled for many years.  Sovereign Grace Ministries is verifiably corrupt now.  I hope my old friends in the church will finally take action, demand all evidence from Gene and his lawyer, talk to the police, have the church attorney file a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] for the video and/or audio, publicly rebuke Gene (1 Tim 5:20) for his continuing and audacious deceit, deal with Gene’s sins against others in the past, find new pastors, and leave Sovereign Grace Ministries.  In other words, put Jesus Christ first and return to him as you first love before he entirely shuts down the church in righteous judgement.  This is a merciful appeal. 



Brent Detwiler says:
August 21, 2015 at 8:33 am 



Five months ago, I posted “Hush Fund Set Up by Top SGM Leaders to Meet the Demands of a SGM Pastor Whose Son Was Sexually Abused.”




Here is the introduction. 



“Two years ago a “hush fund” masquerading as a benevolence fund was deceptively set up by Mark Prater (Executive Director for SGM), Paul Buckley (Chairman of the SGM Board), and Tommy Hill (Director of Finance & Administration for SGM) in order to surreptitiously meet the demands of a SGM pastor whose son was sexually abused by the son of another SGM pastor in the same church. 



“The fund came about because the father of the victim was thinking about joining the sex abuse lawsuit against SGM if SGM did not agree to reforms and if he did not receive restitution monies from SGM for harms done. Insurance lawyers told SGM leaders they would lose their liability coverage if payouts were made thereby arguably admitting fault. Instead, SGM lawyer Chip Grange suggested a plan whereby monies be raised for the victim’s family as “a collection and private gift to help him avoid eviction.” This plan was approved by C.J. Mahaney and the SGM Board of Directors and implemented by Mark Prater. 



“As a result many SGM pastors who knew the pastor and father of the victim were contacted and asked to give benevolence to the family. Prater, Buckley, Hill and the Board deceived these pastors into giving personal and church monies to a benevolence fund that effectively functioned as a hush fund. The pastors had no idea what was really going on behind the scenes. They were intentionally deceived in the matter. 



“People inside and outside of SGM must come to grips with the corruption that characterizes the leadership of SGM starting with C.J. Mahaney. He was the President of SGM when this hush fund was set up. No one should be supporting or following any of these men. As I’ve demonstrated countless times, you cannot believe anything they tell you. 



“What follows is a presentation of hard evidence starting with the initial letter from the pastor who was the father of the victim (henceforth referred to as Pastor-Father of Victim) to Tommy Hill requesting reform and asking for $35,000 in restitution from SGM.” 



Please read the entire post and send it to anyone you know in SGM or Kingsway Community Church.  It serves as yet another poignant example of the systemic corruption that exists among former and current top SGM leaders (i.e. C.J. Mahaney, Dave Harvey, Mickey Connolly, Mark Prater, Paul Buckley, Tommy Hill).



By the way, I’ve always sent my posts to former and current pastors in SGM since July 2011 when I sent them the original documents.  That includes this one about the hush fund.  Matthew Williams knows SGM is corrupt and yet he has chosen to remain and be a staunch defender.  He cannot claim ignorance when it comes to all the abuse, hypocrisy, lying, and deceit that exists in the denomination.  Like all remaining pastors, he has intentionally set aside thousands of pages of evidence.  Kingsway should have left SGM long ago.  Instead, they have promoted it.



And let’ not forget the victims of sexual abuse.  Keep in mind top leaders at Covenant Life Church and SGM conspired to cover up the abuse of children.  The Nathaniel Morales trial in May 2014 provided definitive proof.  It doesn’t get any worse.  But further, these same leaders (e.g. Mark Mitchell and Mark Prater) told CLC and SGM respectively that all the victims and some family members were liars.  That absolutely nothing they said about the conspiracy to cover up crimes was true and much that they said about being sexual abused was made up.  I will cover this in the months to come.



This has become standard operating procedure.  Slander those who call SGM to account (including law enforcement), cover up the evidence and refuse to allow for a truly independent investigation.  It is like Gene Emerson blaming the Chesterfield County police for his sex crime.



The day Gene Emerson was arrested for solicitation, Mickey Connolly (Regional Leader over Kingsway and Board of Director for SGM) and Matthew Williams should have required he step down and take a leave of absence until they and others could thoroughly investigate.  That means telling the church and setting up a meeting with the police as soon as possible especially since Gene claimed he was innocent and the police were guilty of wrong doing.  That is so basic!  You don’t accept as true the version of events put forward by someone who has just been arrested!



Furthermore, Mickey and Matthew should have required Gene to hand over all evidence and documentation that came into the possession of his lawyer at the time it came into possession.  That is so basic!  If he refused, they should have gone to the courthouse and obtained a copy of the arrest report.  That is so basic.  Then they should have filed a FOIA request via the church lawyer for the video/audio of his arrest.  That is so basic.



Instead, Matthew put the police in a bad light and Gene in a good light before the entire church.  And keep in mind, Mickey Connolly was managing everything that was said and done from the time he became aware of Gene’s arrest.  Matthew was not acting independently.  He was following Mickey’s lead and direction.  As a result, Matthew (and Mickey) put Gene forward as a man of humility and integrity who was now suffering affliction like Christ and needed to be comforted and accepted, not judged.



Last Sunday [Aug 16], Matthew also highly commended Gene for not leaving the church.  I thought to myself, when the truth comes out Matthew will be forced to confront Gene in no uncertain terms.  That means holding Gene accountable to come before the entire church and confess not only his intent to solicit but also all the associated lies he has been telling the past three months.  I doubt that will happen but maybe he will be the first.  I hope so.



Since the landmark confrontation of C.J. Mahaney in August 2004 (see Response Regarding Friendship & Doctrine), no one has been holding SGM leaders accountable.  The last 11 years they have been free to sin with impunity.  No one has obeyed 1 Timothy 5:19-21.  No one has been held to the qualifications of 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.  Not C.J. Mahaney, Dave Harvey, Mark Prater, Paul Buckley, Mickey Connolly or Gene Emerson to mention a few.  All of these men would have been removed from ministry if they were submitted to the authority of Scripture.  In SGM, you are free to lie, be a hypocrite, abuse others, cover-up your sin and remain in ministry.  This apostasy from Christ and his Word is ever so great!



Of course, the Lord is not indifferent to this kind of corruption and pride.  His opposition continues.  The exposing of Gene Emerson is just one more example of his sovereign power.



Brent Detwiler says:
August 21, 2015 at 12:34 pm 



The video [of Gene’s solicitation of the undercover police woman] is far worse than the [partial summary] report [by the police]. 



Brent Detwiler says:
August 21, 2015 at 12:47 pm 



There is a Lieutenant from the VA State Patrol who is an usher and member in Kingsway Community Church.   He has been encouraged by other law enforcement personnel to file a FOIA request for the video. 



In addition, I was told by law enforcement that the lawyer for the church should be asked by the church, who has a vested interest, to file a FOIA. 



The video will have to be edited from what I understand in order to protect the identity of the undercover officer.  Most, if not all of the audio, should be available. 



Brent Detwiler says:
August 21, 2015 at 1:44 pm 



I have not seen it [the video of Gene’s arrest] but have knowledge of it [from the police].  I can’t verify all the details above.  I hope it becomes public soon.  I hope those that view it will comment.  Of course, this is exactly what Mickey Connolly and Matthew Williams should do.  Get the video.  Report on the video.  But since they can’t be trusted – members must do it for them or demand it of them.  Mickey and Matthew should also press Gene for the truth.  But again, they can’t be trusted to be open, honest and transparent if Gene is open, honest and transparent with them.  That’s why the video/audio is important. It doesn’t lie.  Neither does the arrest report we already possess. 



Matthew should tell the church this Sunday that he is going to get the video and show the video to any member who is interested.  Those who don’t want to see it (which I understand) can be provided a report that contains details.  This will vindicate the police who have been maligned and serve as a witness against Gene’s sins.  Most importantly, this reverences the holiness of God and the righteousness of Christ which we are to seek first (Matt 6:33). 



I hope Gene is restored but his repeated “Lord almighty please forgive me” and “Jesus please forgive me” mentioned in the arrest record are not expressions of godly sorrow.  They reflect worldly sorrow in religious speech (2 Cor 7:8-11).  If Gene was truly repentant, he would not have sought to cover up his crime at the time of his arrest nor his sin for the last three months. 



Gene was once a dear friend.  Foremost, I hope he is restored to Christ.  That is his fundamental problem.  Then to Liz, his children, Kingsway, all the churches he oversaw in SGM like Living Faith Church, and those he abused, mistreated and slandered over the years.  That can’t happen unless he humbles himself.  Gene’s primary problem, like C.J.’s, has been the love of reputation.  That has been taken away.  Now, I hope he is left with Jesus.  He can still enjoy the rest of his days serving the Lord with family and friend though never in ministry as a pastor. 



_____________________________________________________________



KingsWay Pastor Convicted 



of Solicitation of Prostitution



SEE: http://www.sgmsurvivors.com/2015/08/12/kingsway-pastor-convicted-of-solicitation-of-prostitution/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:





Awhile back, it was announced that Gene Emerson, senior pastor at KingsWay Community Church in Midlothian, Virginia, would be taking a sabbatical due to burnout. More recently, Matthew Williams explained that Mr. Emerson would actually be stepping down due to the fact that he had been convicted of soliciting a prostitute. Mr. Williams made the following remarks about the situation:





Last month, Gene was found guilty in Chesterfield County Court of soliciting a prostitute. To this day, he continues to maintain that he is innocent of any illicit activity, though he has humbly acknowledged a significant lapse in judgement regarding his conduct throughout the situation. While we respect the courts as an authority established by God, we know they are not perfect. And in light of his claim of innocence, we support his right to consider taking further legal action.



______________________________________________________________



 Gene's Resignation



(If Troubled, Have Coffee With Another Pastor To "Process" All This)








SEE: http://www.kingsway.cc/genes-resignation; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:



This morning we made the difficult announcement that Gene Emerson has chosen to resign his position as senior pastor of Kingsway Community Church. The following contains a portion of what Matthew Williams shared today by way of explanation. An audio recording of Matthew's entire message is available here. 







Gene has faithfully shepherded our church for over 26 years. I grew up under his pastoral leadership and for the last 8 years have had the privilege of laboring alongside him as a member of our pastoral team. During that time, I have known him to be a trustworthy man who loves God, loves people, and walks with integrity in his public and private life. He is one of my closest friends and what I’m about to share has not changed my affection and gratitude for him in the slightest bit.







Last month, Gene was found guilty in Chesterfield County Court of soliciting a prostitute. To this day, he continues to maintain that he is innocent of any illicit activity, though he has humbly acknowledged a significant lapse in judgement regarding his conduct throughout the situation. While we respect the courts as an authority established by God, we know they are not perfect. And in light of his claim of innocence, we support his right to consider taking further legal action.



However, God’s Word is clear in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 that the elders of local church must be “above reproach” and “well thought of by outsiders.” Regardless of whether he should or should not have been be found guilty, the court’s current decision has damaged his public reputation to the point where he is no longer qualified to serve as a pastor. For the good of the church, he has agreed to resign.



Our entire eldership, including Gene, is convinced that this is the right thing to do. And as we have talked with other leaders both inside and outside our church, they too have confirmed that this is the right thing to do. Upholding the glory of God by protecting the reputation of the gospel and the reputation of our church is simply too important to do otherwise.



My heart is grieving for my friend. I never dreamed that I would have walk through a situation like this with Gene. I love this man. He has been a father in the faith to me as I know he has for many of you. So let me make two things very clear. First, as a church, we are not going to stop loving this man. We don’t love one another because we’re perfect. We love one another because we’re brothers and sisters in Christ. Second, we are not going to shame him or avoid him even as his public role changes. He remains a member in good standing and both Gene and his wife Liz have communicated that there is nowhere they would rather be than at Kingsway.



Situations like this are among the most difficult a church can ever face. It’s difficult to hear news like this without having your trust shaken. All I ask is that you give us an opportunity to prove ourselves trustworthy in the way we handle this process, especially if you’re new to Kingsway.



Every church, if you stay long enough, goes through hard times. What matters is not whether hard times come, but whether a church walks through them with integrity, humility, and a tenacious trust in the Lord that never abandons our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the gospel. That’s what Gene has faithfully done here for the last 26 years of his ministry and that's exactly what Josh, Chris, and I are going to continue to do.



I also want to invite you, whether you're a member, a regular attender, or a first-time visitor to sign up for what we’re calling “Coffee With A Pastor.” We’ve set aside several evenings over the next few weeks where you can join a group of no more than 10 other people to ask questions, express concerns, and understand how we’re processing the situation. We don’t have answers to every question, but we’ll tell you as much as we know. We are committed to leading with humility and transparency. 



In light of Gene’s resignation, I have agreed to serve as an interim lead pastor. We don't want to rush the process of identifying Gene's replacement and are going to take the next 6 months to prayerfully determine who should assume his position. I never wanted to step into his role under these circumstances, but I know that God has called me and empowered me for such a time as this. I love you and because I love you I am not going to stop leading you. There is no where else I would rather be than here, as painful as it is. You’re my family.



And when times get tough, a family pulls together. If you’re a dad, if you’re a pastor, if you’re a leader, you don’t run. You don’t take the easy road. You link arms, you look to Jesus, and you keep on loving people. That’s what I’m going to do. And for the glory of God and the good of this church, I challenge every one of you to do that with me. 



God isn't done with us, Kingsway. Our Father is merciful, our hope is certain, and our mission is clear. He’s going to comfort us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.



Posted by Matthew (interim senior pastor)



____________________________________________________________



Another Day, Another SGM Sex Scandal – KingsWay Pastor Resigns Due to ‘Lapse in Judgment’




EXCERPT: 



Below you will find two screen shots of the court document for Gene Emerson's case.  As you can see, the charge was Solicitation of Prostitution, and the final disposition was Guilty.  The offense date and the arrest date was May 29, 2015, with Emerson being arraigned on June 9, 2015.  He was found guilty one month later and received a sixty days suspended sentence, along with a fine and court costs.  There is some question as to whether the complaintant is male or female.



pdf file - Chesterfield Coounty



Pdf file - Chesterfield County



The KingsWay congregation appears to have been kept totally in the dark until the shocking announcement last Sunday. 



Matthew (interim senior pastor) emphasized that when it comes to Gene Emerson, he will NOT:





– Avoid him



– Judge or shame him





This clearly shows the double standard that exists in churches affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries.  How many horror stories have we heard where SGMers have been both shamed and shunned?  

_______________________________________________________







SEE: http://www.brentdetwiler.com/brentdetwilercom/gene-emersons-summons-sentence-court-order-for-hiv-testing.html; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:





Saturday, August 29, 2015 at 3:44PM





The Virginia Uniform Summons given to Gene Emerson at the time of his arrest for soliciting a prostitute can be found here.  The Judge’s order to be tested for HIV and hepatitis C can be found here.  These documents are available to the public as a matter of record.  I have blacked out Emerson’s social security number. 



Below are some additional links and explanations. 



Detective N. Necolettos of the Chesterfield County Police Department arrested Emerson on May 29, advised him of his Miranda rights, and gave him a summons to appear in court for a hearing on June 9.  



Necolettos is also referred to as the Complainant in the online case information.  He is male.  He was not the undercover agent (i.e. decoy) propositioned by Emerson.   



Emerson’s online case information can be found here.  Enter Chesterfield General District Court under Court.  Enter Eugene D. Emerson under Traffic/Criminal and Name Search. 



The arrest occurred at 3 pm on Friday, May 29 in Room 505 of the La Quinta Motel on 1301 Huguenot Road in Midlothian, VA. 



He was arraigned on June 9 but his trial was “continued” (postponed) until July 9.  On that day, he appeared before Judge Keith Nelson Hurley with his prostitution-solicitation attorney, Debra D. Corcoran.  Her website is here and says in part:   



“It is not uncommon for law enforcement to use undercover officers to pose as prostitutes in order to catch potential solicitors, or “johns.”  There is much controversy surrounding these practices as they may be considered entrapment based on circumstances.  With a seasoned Richmond solicitation attorney from our firm, you can stand up for yourself in court with decisive evidence and a strong case representing your rights.” 



In the left hand column of the summons, you will notice the Judge marked “guilty” under “the accused pleaded.”  You will also notice that Detective Necolettos added a note, “Alford.”  That stands for an Alford plea.  See here.  It means Emerson did not admit guilt but he did admit the court had enough evidence to find him guilty for the solicitation of prostitution.  



Emerson did not come clean before Judge Hurley.  He lied.  He also used this legal tactic so he could tell Kingsway Community Church on August 8 that he was innocent of all criminal wrong doing while accusing the police of wrong doing.      



Matthew Williams, interim lead pastor, reinforced Emerson’s deception.  He put out this written statement on August 9.  He added the word “illegal” in his verbal announcement to the church on the same day.    



“Last month, Gene was found guilty in Chesterfield County Court of soliciting a prostitute.  To this day, he continues to maintain that he is innocent of any [illegal or] illicit activity, though he has humbly acknowledged a significant lapse in judgement regarding his conduct throughout the situation.  While we respect the courts as an authority established by God, we know they are not perfect.  And in light of his claim of innocence, we support his right to consider taking further legal action.” 



The “Alford plea” meant nothing to the Judge because the evidence was overwhelming.  He found Emerson “guilty as charged” and then imposed the following sentence.  Emerson could have been fined $2,500 and jailed for 12 months if given the maximum sentence.



1.  A fine of $150.00 



2.  A “jail sentence of 60 days with 60 days suspended conditioned upon being of good behavior and keeping the peace.”  That means if Emerson is rearrested and found guilty for solicitation or other crimes while on probation, the suspended 60 days in jail can be imposed upon him retroactively.  Additional sentences would also follow.  



3.  Probation for 3 years.  The online case information says there is no probation but that information is incorrect according to a Clerk of the Court.  This summons, signed by the Judge Hurley, is the official document of record.  Emerson does not have a probation officer.  He was released on his own recognizance. 



4.  HIV and hepatitis C testing for obvious reasons.   



Emerson was also fingerprinted and paid $121.57 in court fees.  



You will also noticed a reference to “Appeal Bond $” of “500- P/R” on the bottom center of the page.  If Emerson had appealed his sentence, which he did not, and then failed to show up for the appeal since he was released on his own recognizance, he would have been charged $500.  P/R stands for personal recognizance.  






































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