Dear Friends and Supporters:
Lord willing, I will write a book in my lifetime titled No Time for Silence. It will be a condensed version of the story I have told over the past seven years in thousands of pages that has been followed by tens of thousands of people. As stated in my tagline, I’ve been helping Christians to judge righteously, think biblically and live courageously.
Before I start the book, I must finish up the documentation. That is what I hope to do in the coming months. Over the past two years, I’ve worked on many important posts but I’ve not been able to complete them due to Jenny’s treatment for breast cancer and orthopedic surgeries on my feet over the past ten months. Jenny is doing okay with no reoccurrence but she heroically faces multiple challenges on a daily basis by the grace of God. The doctor tells me I should be able to stand and walk in a normal manner without pain by January.
Over the past year, I have also discovered serious corruption and heavy handed leadership in some of the nation’s most powerful and best known ministries. This grieves my heart to no end. In each case, I have genuinely sought to bring about reform through personal appeals, extensive correspondence and the careful presentation of facts.
Tragically, these powerful men and ministries have sought to cover up their transgressions like Sovereign Grace Ministries. I will be writing about these developments in the coming weeks and months. Please help to make that possible by supporting me financially. This undertaking is done with no malice. It is done for Christ who commands us to seek first his rule and his righteousness.
This work is not pleasant and it is not easy but it is so necessary. Leaders have to be held accountable without partiality and favoritism. That rarely happens in our day. If they remain unrepentant, donors and followers must be informed. Otherwise, abuse and corruption increases and no one fears sinning.
1 Timothy 5:20-21 Those [leaders] who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.
I am not an entrepreneur, business man or marking guru. I don’t have a fancy website or a slick campaign for raising funds. In fact, this is the first time I’ve written a fund raising letter. All I can do is faithfully follow the Lord as best I know how and ask for your help. We have little and we live on little. That is fine. I am only asking for financial support in order to meet basic needs and continue the work. Our situation is exacerbated by costly medical expenses.
There are still important topics about which I must write as a matter of conscience. That includes finishing up a book on the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children in Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries. The cover up and corruption that continues today is unimaginable. Jesus words certainly apply, “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt 23:28).
The Lord has exposed so many men and ministries in recent years because they have not walked in integrity. This is in keeping with his Word. Proverbs 10:9 says, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” Pastors should be the most trustworthy people in the world. When they lie, deceive and abuse others, they meet with the Lord’s opposition.
I’ve always believed the desire to be great is the root cause that gives rise to other sins like deceit, pretense and cowardice. Those who want to be recognized and applauded should not be pastors. They always end up compromised.
Over four decades, I’ve often been asked, “What is the key to being successful in ministry.” That is easy to answer. First love for Jesus Christ! Not, first love for self or the ministry. Jesus makes this clear in Revelation 2:4 when addressing the church in Ephesus. “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
When a pastor, church or ministry forsakes Jesus as their first love, Jesus comes in judgement and removes the lampstand of his presence. Darkness then replaces the light of truth and integrity. Corruption follows.
There is no formula for ministry success because ministry success is always based upon a first love relationship with Jesus Christ that is real. When that fails, all else fails. That’s what happened to Sovereign Grace Ministries. They became more concerned about their reputation than the reputation of Jesus Christ. That led to widespread corruption. They decided to cover up their sins rather than confess their sins because self-glorification, not God’s glorification, came to rule in their hearts. It was not always that way.
HISTORY
I was one of the four men who began Sovereign Grace Ministries in 1982. I served on its Board of Directors for next 25 years. I left SGM as a matter of conscience in 2009 having spent ten years trying to bring about internal reform of an ethical nature. Soon after my departure, I began to write a set of documents for C.J. Mahaney that I hoped would bring about godly change. That effort failed.
As a result, it was necessary to send those documents to the SGM pastors in July 2011. Though never my goal, the hard evidence contained in those documents contributed to the departure of approximately 40 churches, 100 pastors and half of all the people in SGM churches. Despite this reality, the leadership of SGM has never acknowledged any of the sinful wrongdoing brought to its attention by this vast array of pastors and former members.
In October 2012, a civil lawsuit was brought against SGM and other parties alleging a conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children. It was expanded in January 2013 and again in May 2013. Unfortunately, the lawsuit was dismissed by a Maryland judge on technicalities but not on its merits. The allegations of fact in the lawsuit have never been argued in a civil court or tried in a criminal court. I hope that changes. In fact, a new lawsuit will be filed in Virginia in the coming year according to Susan Burke, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
I am currently working on a book that exposes important parts of the cover up. When completed it can be used as an effective tool in Christ’s church in order to protect against the abuse of children.
I continue to hold SGM accountable, write about lessons to be learned, work for criminal justice, seek reform in the Body of Christ, inform the national press of newsworthy stories, and care for those who have been harmed including victims of child abuse. These endeavors have been my full time work.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT MY EFFORTS
You can assist these efforts by financially supporting me via PayPal or by a check made out to me and sent to my home address.
Brent Detwiler
117 Tilton Drive
Mooresville, NC 28115
I am also developing Aletheia Ministries – a 501(c)3 non-profit organization constituted for “freely preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and establishing and training believers in the grace of God.” I’m available for preaching, seminars or retreats on a wide array of topics including how to recognize, prevent and respond to child abuse in your church community. Please contact me regarding speaking engagements at abrentdetwiler@gmail.com.
You can support this ministry by making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal or by check made out to Aletheia Ministries and sent to my home address.
Aletheia Ministries
117 Tilton Drive
Mooresville, NC 28115
Your support is deeply appreciated however small or great. Whether one time or on-going. All gifts and contributions are kept strictly confidential.
Sincerely,
Brent Detwiler