Get saved, baptized, join a church, sign a contract?

Life is complicated these days, ecclesiastically speaking. Used to be you trusted your pastor, your pastor trusted his church, members trusted the church leadership. OK, so  that's an idealized picture of church life which as we all know hasn't been all sweetness and light.

So sue me.

And that's the issue. Do we need legal contracts between pastor and church, church member and the church leadership or church legal entity?

Two of my fav blogs are Tom Rich's Jacksonville Watchdog and two ladies, Dee and Deb, Wartburg Watch. I have found that they do a much better job than I do on some matters that interest me, and church conflict interests me.

The links above will take you to articles on member covenant/contracts. The interest Rich and the Blog Queens (their self-description) have in this is the increasing number of examples of spiritual abuse in churches.

By that I mean churches and church leadership taking legal steps to silence critics (Rich has a long story here, ending in an apology from his church). Dee and Deb have similar stories, sans the lawsuit.

Join a church, a nurturing fellowship of followers of Christ? You bet. But, here, you must sign this membership covenant/contract. Follow the links above and read the harsh legalese.

Yeah, I know. There are anti-church and anti-pastor blogs and Facebook pages. Would Jesus say of these, "Turn the other cheek" or "Sue the miscreants"? (Most SBCers still don't cuss.) Or, is it now, "They will know you are Christians by your iron clad, air tight contracts"?


Then there are the pastors who insist on an employment contract. A bit more understandable but still...is this necessary?

Then there are the confidentiality agreements. Join the church. Sit in the pew. Give us your money. And shut up...or we will sue you.

I once invited a music guy to church. He sent me a contract that included a number of perquisites, like a chilled Diet Coke. I told him we would love to have him but maybe he could come as a brother in Christ with the goal of sharing worship not squeezing perks out of us.

First kill all the church lawyers. Shakespeare, I think. If he only knew.

Housing Allowance: Rick Warren giveth, will Ed Young taketh away?

My last post on the Minister's Housing Allowance, our Sacred Tax Loophole, was probably unwelcome with some of our Southern Baptist colleagues (Nope. You cannot use your housing allowance for a second home) because it shared the bad news that the more affluent clergy among us cannot expect Joe Sixpack to subsidize their second home at the beach or in the mountains.

Let's not get too upset about it because that first home that does qualify can be the Biltmore House and a high-income clergy person can pour as many hundreds of thousands of dollars into that as he can in order to maximize his or her tax break.

Makes sense in the same way that a lot of federal tax policy makes sense.

And, no, Rick Warren didn't originate the housing allowance but he was the catalyst for the federal law passed a decade ago that made it a bit smoother for us.

Ed Young? He has a pretty spiffy house in Houston that is or was on the market for over $2 million and Tom Rich of SBC Jax Watchdog puts a hefty figure on what his housing allowance comes to, a quarter million dollars or so. 

Rick Warren giveth...so how does Ed Young cause it to be taketh away?

Does anyone misunderstand that when clergy claim such exemptions to income by right and tax law that sooner or later folks will pay attention and say that something just isn't right here? Why should the government subsidize a mansion for clergy and not some hourly worker's hovel?

Why indeed?

There is some news here, rumblings on the horizon, because of a new legal challenge to the minister's housing allowance: Challenge to clergy tax break gets green light... My friend and CPA Peter J. Reilly has an interest in such things. The link is to his blog on Forbes. Read and learn.

The suit is being brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Peter Reilly explains it much better than I could.

The FFRF certainly has some material to work with, what with clergy  mansions like the one above, not to mention the clergy who are "qualified" for the housing allowance as ministers of loose basketballs, ministers of maintenance, ministers of fun overseas mission trips and other odd church staff positions.

I'm guessing that the FFRF lawyers know how to hit softballs out of the park.

The average SBC minister in my state has a compensation package (generally salary plus housing allowance, or rental value of a pastorium) of around $71,000 and the housing allowance probably translates into a savings of a thousand dollars annually or so. A thousand dollars is real money to most SBC clergy.

If asked, and I have been asked about this, I cannot say that we clergy deserve this tax break any more or less than any other group with some pull in D.C.

Is it unconstitutional? Guess we may see.

 

Blogging when there is a personal cost

There are hacker and plodder bloggers like me, folks who sometimes foolishly think everyone else might like to drink from their incredibly deep wells of wisdom, wit, and insight. Take these with a bit of skepticism and not always seriously.

Then there are a few bloggers who feel compelled to address what they see as genuine wrongs and serious issues in their churches or in denominational life and who do so at a considerable personal cost.

While I appreciate a number of others, I can only think of two whom I would classify as the latter: David Montoya and Tom Rich.

David Montoya is a pastor and is (or was) the Spiritual Samurai, an odd name for a Baptist blogger in Texas. I've written about him in the past. His ire and indignation over wrongs in the Baptist General Convention of Texas led to the open knowledge of an appalling scandal with BGCT missions money and also led to his being sued. He says he is quitting. I hope not.

David hasn't always been right about things and sometimes says things he has to retract but if not for him I doubt the BGCT valleygate scandal would have been uncovered. I'm not so sure that many SBCers in my lifetime have successfully brought to light such an important matter.

I admire him.

Tom Rich is a layman, the FBCJax Watchdog, one of the early church/pastor critic blogs and to date the most well-known of this genre.

Tom got stirred up by a pastor change at his church and some of the things associated with it and started blogging about it. As is well known, the church played hardball with him and his family, law enforcement got involved, lawsuits were filed and, only recently, finally settled.

I don't buy all of his stuff but his bull-doggedness probably changed the way high profile pastors (those with an ounce of sense which would be most but not all of them) look at some of their church critics. I admire him for not shutting up and going away when his former church ratcheted up the pressure on him.

Any yahoo can belt out their opinions on stuff but there are a few people who do so at considerable personal cost.

Another strange silence from Baptist Press

Updated 11/3/11: LifeWay has added a Q & A page on Sammy Nuckolls. The page answers questions about LifeWay's relationship with Nuckolls, their policy concerning speakers, and directs any Fuge attendees who think they might have been victimized to call the police who are investigating. Nothing yet from Baptist Press.
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I don't expect Baptist Press to jump on every bit of salacious information that bubbles up around the Southern Baptist Convention but their credibility is eroded when they pass on stories that are pertinent to SBCers, to the SBC's entities, and to SBC churches.

Take for example the story of the arrest in Blytheville, Arkansas last week of evangelist Sammy Nuckolls for video voyeurism.

The local Arkansas paper reported the story last Thursday: Mississippi man accused of video voyeurism.

A prominent Baptist blogger, FBCJax Watchdog, reported the story this past Saturday: SBC Lifeway's 2011 Youth Camp Pastor Sammy Nuckolls Arrested for Filming Woman Showering in Her Own Home

Associated Baptist Press reported the story yesterday: Evangelist charged with video voyeurism .

There is a virtual flood of stories (many linked here ) from news outlets and bloggers yesterday with more to come today and this week.

Baptist Press reported...well...nothing so far.

Before one accuses ABP or the Baptist blogger of gratuitous journalistic voyeurism for delving into this, consider that the evangelist was one of LifeWay's FUGE, a big youth camp, pastors and had been involved in the camps for years. He was also popular with youth events and in churches. This makes it news of interest to SBC pastors, youth ministers, and anyone concerned about the SBC's handling of sexual offenses.

LifeWay was concerned enough to immediately scrub their online sites of the evangelist's presence.

Is not this something that Baptist Press needs to report? Other news outlets are reporting that more victims are coming forward.

I like Baptist Press. I read Baptist Press. But I don't trust Baptist Press to report all matters that are newsworthy.

In this case, I look for BP to eventually get around to reporting on this, dragged kicking and screaming to do what they should have done already.

Come on, BP, you can do better than this. We can handle bad news and may even learn from it.

Some Not-Too-Shabby Baptist Blogs and Bloggers

As a group, bloggers certainly score high on the scale of self-importance. I suppose it probably is so internalized that no blogger ever asks him/herself, “Why wouldn’t the whole galaxy want to know what I think about stuff, seeing that I am such a witty, insightful, and provocative guy?” Bloggers instead presume that the world awaits their next display of brilliance.

Indeed.

Plodder admits to a degree of that, the self-importance part, not the witty, brilliant, insightful part. OK, I own up to the provocative part.

Here are a few blogs that I enjoy reading and have found to be more than the usual tepid blogfare, annotated of course with my witty, brilliant, and provocative thoughts:

FBCJax Watchdog Tom Rich’s story about FBCJax, his banishment, lawsuit, and settlement was a prime example of how a church member, when denied any effective voice through proper church channels, can easily go public. Tom’s case just happened to be one of the more exaggerated examples of church conflict and a pastor and church’s inept response to it. Since then, Rich blogs about his version of abusive, manipulative, and misbehaving men-of-the-cloth. Sure, some may think it is just a pastor-hate site, but I encourage my colleagues to read it. They might learn something. I don’t buy all of his stuff but I read it all.

Spiritual Samurai David Montoya is the little Latino pit bull whose persistent small voice exposed one of the SBC’s largest scandals. Give a little guy with a high level of indignation a big bullhorn and see what might happen. There could be nothing better for the SBC at every level than an understanding that, ‘No, you’re not going to get away with untoward behavior and decisions, even if all the people who “count” busy back slapping, glad handing, and looking the other way.’ I don't get the samurai stuff.

SBC Voices is a group thing (six guys without a life, perhaps? Don’t they know that six is a bad number?) where a bunch of people contribute, including moi, occasionally. The blogs they feature have introduced me to a few interesting subjects and writers. The pieces written for SBCV are a mixed offering. As in the OT, I wave on a few, burn a few, and consume a few, and scratch my head over a few. I am told this is a Calvinist site but am awaiting divine judgment about that. Until then, I don't hold it against them. One of the calvinists there even has a sense of humor. Quite rare.

The Big Daddy Weave/ comes from Aaron Weaver who is a few light years to my left and a few decades below me in age. He writes well, is quite informed on church/state stuff, and hasn’t learned to trash mouth everyone who disagrees with him. He is a Georgia Bulldawg, which always helps. I don't get the Big Daddy stuff.

SBC Tomorrow. I like Peter Lumpkins. He has the finest hair in the SBC for one thing; however, he seems to generate some ire amongst the brethren. I confess to not quite understanding why. He is zeroed in on Calvinism and such things as ACTS29, et al. He writes well and thinks deeply about SBC stuff. I appreciate his stuff.

From Law to Grace is Howell Scott's blog, former lawyer, something he reminds us of about once a day, so I try and toss in a few ex post factos, certioraris, and a posterioris for him. Howell is far from being a posterior and writes widely on interesting things and I like his stuff.

I'd list other blogs I read but someone might get the idea that I don't have a life.

FBCJax and FBCJax Watchdog

Tom Rich blogs as FBCJax Watchdog, a blog that arose as his channel of complaint about his former church, FBC Jacksonville and their new pastor, Mac Brunson.

You know the story. Rich was critical of various things about the church, blogged anonymously about it, and angered the church leaders. The church played hardball with him, filing complaints with the Sheriff’s department, though Rich’s identity was still not known.

Let Jonathan Turley a nationally known lawyer who is frequently seen on national media outlets describe it:

We have discussed the situation regarding the anonymous blogger who complained about the salary and perks of Pastor Mac Brunson, here. Detective Robert Hinson of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office got a subpoena and forced Google to reveal the blogger’s identity. Hinson also worked for the church as part of the pastor’s security detail.
The anonymous blogger, identified as Thomas A. Rich, filed a federal law suit claiming the government violated church-state separation and his free speech rights. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office wisely decided to settle the case. Rich will get $50,000.

The Sheriff’s department has settled with Rich, paid him a modest sum of money, and agreed to meet to discuss their policies and what might be done to avoid future problems. Rich comments

I can't tell you how extremely satisfying it is to know that the end result of a very painful process such as this lawsuit and the long, arduous discovery process will ultimately result in positive changes to improve the ethics and conflict of interest policies at JSO. We have full confidence that Sheriff Rutherford is committed to making these changes, and as I said I will provide updates in the future as things move forward.

I ask, what are the chances that FBCJax will respond positively as well and meet with Rich to discuss how such things can be avoided in the future. I’d say that the chances are about the same as pigs flying. Rich still has a lawsuit active against the church.

I ask again, what would have been the outcome of all this if Brunson and FBCJax had said, early on, “Come on in, Tom, and ask any questions you wish. I’ll answer as best I can. FBCJax is your church. You may not like my answers but you have a right to ask and I’ll respond. If we don't agree and you feel strongly about it, you may be happier in another church. We will wish you well. But, I'd at least like to have a chance to see your questions answered so you can make a decision.”

FBCJax would have avoided a lawsuit, avoided looking so inept, ham-handed, and harsh in this thing. But then, they would have had to have been open and transparent, not an easy thing for a megachurch to do.

They made their choice. Others can judge if it was wise, prudent, or Christian.

I have never met Tom Rich but have communicated with him a good bit. I don't buy all of his stuff. I don't agree with some of his actions. I don't share some of his views with respect to church life. But I think he had a right to ask and have his questions answered by his own church and I don't think he deserved the treatment he got at the hands of his Christian brethren at FBC Jax.