Letter to the Board of Directors of Ambassadors of Reconciliation

This is the letter I wrote the AoR Board of Directors last Tuesday regarding Ted Kober, Ed Keinath, and Bryce Thomas.  To date I've not received a response from them.

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From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 3:55 PM
To: AoR Board of Directors [mail@hisaor.org]
Cc: Ted Kober; Edgar Keinath; Bryce Thomas
Subject: An Appeal to the AoR Board oof Directors

To the Board of Directors: Rev. Dr. Richard L. Thompson, Chairman (Billings, MT); David Schlachter, Secretary (Billings, MT); Rev. Dr. Rick Marrs (St. Louis, MO); Edith Block (Watertown, WI); Francis Taman (Calgary, Alberta- Canada); Richard D. Peters (Amery, WI); Bryce Thomas (Hickory, NC)

I greet you in the grace, love, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Recently, Ted Kober and Ed Keinath submitted and posted their Report to the Board of Directors of Sovereign Grace Ministries.  There was much in the report that concerned me.  As a result, I made every effort to “go and show him [Ted] his fault, just between the two of you.” 

When Ted refused all such efforts, I involved other key people in my appeal to him.  I endeavored to “take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’”  He refused to meet with Jim Pappadeas, Bob Dixon, Larry Tomczak and myself. 

It is now necessary to publicly rebuke Ted.  I genuinely wish this was not necessary.  I am confident Ambassadors of Reconciliation has provided a great service to many individuals and groups in the cause of reconciliation.  Unfortunately, the organization has been a disservice to Sovereign Grace Ministries and contributed to greater division among us and the Body of Christ at large. 

What is true of Ted and Ed is also true of Bryce Thomas, who serves as one of your Board Members.   In conjunction with the Sovereign Grace Board of Directors, Bryce designed a Three Panel Review process to hear my charges against C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries.  It was a terribly unjust arrangement and produced inaccurate and libelous findings.  I wrote him about this and asked to meet with him.  He steadfastly refused.  

From: Brent Detwiler  
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 12:45 PM
To: Bryce Thomas
Cc: Learn from Your Mistakes

The three panel approach you helped devise and approved was a grave disservice.  Don’t ever use such an approach in the future.  It destroys people and justice.  Please learn from your mistakes.  

From: Bryce Thomas  
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2012 6:16 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: What Does My Website Have in Common with Pornography? Ask Jared Mellinger!

Brent,

Would you take me off your emailing list?

Thanks,

Bryce 

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2012 7:12 PM
To: Bryce Thomas
Subject: Re: What Does My Website Have in Common with Pornography? Ask Jared Mellinger!

Not yet.  You need to deal with reality.  Not avoid it.  You are part of the problem and I still hope you will be part of the solution.  I’ll also be writing you directly.  The three panel approach was most unjust.  If you attempted to do the same in a civil court you would be disbarred in the State of NC. 

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 8:10 AM
To: Bryce Thomas
Subject: Set Up Time to Meet

Bryce,

You have grievously sinned against me.  I would like to meet with you in private as soon as possible so I can tell you your sins and appeal for your repentance.  Please let me know where and when we can meet in person.

Thank you,

Brent  

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 4:44 PM
To: Bryce Thomas
Subject: Please Call Immediately

Bryce,

Please call me as soon as possible.  I am serious about this request.  We must meet in obedience to God’s word.  The three panel review you helped design, and the manner in which you carried it out, was most unjust and partial.  It produced inaccurate findings and abusive statements in a public report.  This must be corrected.  Please meet with me. 

Sincerely,

Brent

I wrote this parody to underscore the grave injustice of such an approach.  I sent it to Bryce, Ted and Ed.  All these things actually happened to me in reverse except for step 12.  What I experienced was partial and prejudicial on every account.    

I also pleaded with Ted during a phone conversation on January 25, 2012 to cite the Three Panel Review as abusive.  Inexplicably, he brought no correction to the SGM Board of Directors, Bryce Thomas or any of the nine Panelists.  This amounts to a cover-up of vital information germane to his report.  It demonstrates Ted’s and Ed’s bias in reporting their findings.  Such a miscarriage of justice and open repudiation of due process should have been exposed prominently in their report.  Instead the abuse went unreported.              

I sincerely hope Ted and Bryce have been forwarding you all my appeals to them throughout this nine month process and not kept you in the dark by withholding any vital information from you. 

Bryce also benefitted financially because of his close relationship to Ted.  Though Bryce did not act as an employee of AoR, or in his capacity as a Board Member, he profited greatly from his transaction with Sovereign Grace Ministries.  I estimate he was paid at least $25,000 for his services. 

Please understand that Bryce was recommended to the Sovereign Grace Board by Ted in his official position as President of AoR.  I question the integrity of such an arrangement.  It lends itself to ethical and financial conflicts of interest.  For example, it is obvious Bryce benefitted from his relationship with Ted.  The Sovereign Grace Board would not have hired Bryce if not for Ted’s recommendation.  Therefore, Ted shares responsibility for Bryce’s unprofessional counsel and unethical conduct.  Furthermore, Ted should have reproved Bryce in private and exposed his approach to the Three Panel Review in his Report to the Board of Directors of Sovereign Grace Ministries.  This absence constitutes a great dereliction of duty and reveals the presence of favoritism toward Bryce and Sovereign Grace Ministries.

As the Board of Directors for AoR you have a biblical, ethical and legal obligation to rebuke these men and direct them to make amends with haste.  Such an undertaking must include private confession and public restitution.  I hope you proceed expeditiously. 

In short, these men have failed to live by the Standard of Conduct for Christian Conciliation.  Their personal and professional errors need to be cited by you in a public report so the same mistakes are not repeated in the future.  I recommend some disciplinary action be taken against them by your unanimous consent. 

I have written in order to help Ambassadors of Reconciliation, not harm it.  I desire the greater good of Ted, Ed and Bryce.  That is why I bring these matters to your attention.  You are welcome to keep me abreast of the corrective actions you take so I can communicate those actions on my blog in order to see people’s confidence restored in your organization.       

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Regards,

Brent Detwiler