David Wells a Notable Exception – “What a scandal. And to think that CJ is invited to Mark Dever’s Together for the Gospel conference.”
Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 12:10PM David Wells is an exemplary Christian and evangelical scholar concerned about biblical truth in our modern, and now, post-modern age. He is widely known for his books. Two stand out to me.
The first one is about evangelical truth. The second about evangelical courage. That sums it up. Dr. Wells is about truth and courage. That is true theologically. It is also true ethically.
Here is a fascinating article about his life, writings, and influence. Mark Dever and Kevin DeYoung were his students at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts. Here are a couple excerpts.
How a Former Radical Sparked the New Calvinist Movement (thegospelcoalition.org)
DECEMBER 1, 2020 | SARAH EEKHOFF ZYLSTRA
“He had a reputation for being tough but being a good lecturer, and he was both of those things,” said DeYoung, who went to Gordon-Conwell after reading Wells in college. “I took as many classes from him as I could.”
“He was one of the best professors I’ve ever heard,” Dever said. “His lectures were superb––precise and well-delivered. He was very good at giving annotated bibliographies—to think of other people and what they were writing. I was a big fan.”
David has often written me over the years to express his appreciation for my work and dismay over C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries.
In February 2013, I sent my first appeal to 77 national leaders regarding the sex abuse scandal. David was one of them. He was willing to examine the evidence. What a notable exception to Mark Dever, Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, Don Carson, Kevin DeYoung, Justin Taylor, John Piper, Wayne Grudem, and Mike Bullmore, to mention a few.
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 4:56 PM
To: National Leaders
Subject: An Appeal to National Leaders Regarding C.J. Mahaney
Gentlemen,
This letter is sent to you in the form of an appeal since you are familiar with C.J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries. I’ve held off on contacting national leaders in the past. Recent events, however, warrant your due consideration. I’ve attempted to be brief knowing the demands on your time. …
An Appeal to 77 National Leaders Regarding C.J. Mahaney
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 5:38PM
I received this response from David and wrote him a sincere note.
From: David Wells dwells@gordonconwell.edu
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 9:09 AM
To: Brent Detwiler abrentdetwiler@gmail.com
Subject: Re: An Appeal to National Leaders Regarding C.J. Mahaney
I am really quite shocked and dismayed.
David F. Wells
Distinguished Senior Research Professor
GORDON CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
130 ESSEX STREET, SOUTH HAMILTON, MA 01982
(978) 646-4094 | dwells@gcts.edu | www.gordonconwell.edu
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 11:59 AM
To: David Wells
Subject: RE: An Appeal to National Leaders Regarding C.J. Mahaney
It has been ever so disheartening.
Please know your writings have so benefitted me and the Body of Christ. Thanks for your many years of faithful service and hard work.
Here’s another example. I sent leaders an excellent article written by Jeremy Weber of Christianity Today. He is the Global Director for CT. Carson, DeYoung, and Taylor sought to discredited the article five days after it was published (see “Response 23” here). Not David Wells.
From: Brent Detwiler
Date: Mon, 19 May 2014 14:58:40 -0400
To: National Leaders
Subject: Excellent Article by CT
C. J. Mahaney, Joshua Harris Resign from Gospel Coalition ...... | News & Reporting | Christianity Today
(UPDATED) Trial of former youth leader revives debate over alleged abuse coverup at Sovereign Grace Ministries.
JEREMY WEBER / MAY 19, 2014 11:26 AM
From: David Wells
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 8:49 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Excellent Article by CT
What a mess and what a disgrace.
David F. Wells
Distinguished Senior Research Professor
GORDON CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
130 ESSEX STREET, SOUTH HAMILTON, MA 01982
(978) 646-4094 | dwells@gcts.edu | www.gordonconwell.edu
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 11:30 AM
To: David Wells
Subject: RE: Excellent Article by CT
Indeed! And so much more will come out over the next 1-2 years.
Thanks for the note David.
David calls it “a mess and what a disgrace.” In contrast, Carson, DeYoung, and Taylor defended Mahaney against the article and put him forth as “an object of libel” (see “Response 9” here).
A few months later, Nathaniel Morales was convicted. Mahaney and other staff pastors knew about his crimes but covered them up. I wrote national leaders. David was one of the leaders reading the evidence.
From: Brent Detwiler
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:50:19 -0400
To: National Leaders
Subject: Sex Abuser Nathaniel Morales Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
Sex Abuser Nathaniel Morales Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 11:04AM
Nathaniel Morales abused a great number of boys in the New Testament Church, Montgomery County Covenant Academy and Covenant Life Church in Maryland from 1980 until 1992.
He was investigated starting in October 2009, arrested in October 2012, tried and found guilty on seven of eight counts of sexual abuse and offense against four boys in May 2014, and sentenced today to 40 years in prison.
C.J. Mahaney, John Loftness, Gary Ricucci, Grant Layman and other pastors at Covenant Life Church knew about these crimes but conspired to cover them up. They agreed not to report a known sexual predator to law enforcement officials. As a result of their criminal dereliction, Morales went on to abuse an even greater number of boys in multiple cities in different parts of the United States over the next 20 years.
Morales left Covenant Life Church in 1992 and married Marcia Jo Griffeth in 1994. She had no idea he was predatory sex abuser. Marcia had five boys from a previous marriage. Morales sexually abused two of them. She only discovered the extent of his crimes after he was arrested. She divorced him in December 2013. None of the pastors from CLC have ever contacted her to ask forgiveness or make restitution.
Nathaniel Morales received justice today. He is 56 years old and will never see the light of day, which was the goal of prosecutors. The conspirators who protected Morales have not yet received justice for their crimes.
The victims of Morales heinous crimes are glad to see this day but the harms against them can never be forgotten. Morales is typical of sex abusers in church settings. The Church and its pastors need to be educated by experts in the field. All suspected child abuse must be immediately reported to the police.
Thank you Jeremy Cook, Sam Bates, Brian Wolohan, and David Tapia for courageously testifying against your abuser. Thank you Marcia Jo Griffeth for being willing to testify against your former husband. Thanks to everyone else who supplied supporting testimony and to the other victims who were willing to testify, namely Daniel Bates and James Roberts. Nate will never harm another child because of your efforts.
Layman resigned from pastoral ministry at Covenant Life Church after 23 years in April 2014. Sovereign Grace Ministries continues to highly commend Mahaney, Loftness, and Ricucci and taken no action against them.
The same is true of well-known evangelical leaders like Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan from Together for the Gospel and D.A. Carson, Kevin DeYoung, Justin Taylor from The Gospel Coalition. Both groups posted letters on their respective websites in May 2013 defending Mahaney against all charges found in the civil lawsuit against him. They have never retracted those statements.
Much more needs to be said about the cover up of sex crimes in Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries. I plan to say it a few weeks from now.
From: David Wells
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 10:06 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Sex Abuser Nathaniel Morales Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
Thank you. I very much appreciate having this information, ghastly as it is.
David F. Wells
Distinguished Senior Research Professor
GORDON CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
130 ESSEX STREET, SOUTH HAMILTON, MA 01982
(978) 646-4094 | dwells@gcts.edu | www.gordonconwell.edu
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 9:47 AM
To: David Wells
Subject: RE: Sex Abuser Nathaniel Morales Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
And I very much appreciate your note! Thank you.
What a refreshing difference! Unlike Together for the Gospel and The Gospel Coalition, David Wells greatly appreciated the information I was sending him though it was horrifying.
Next example. In March of 2016, Washingtonian magazine published a lengthy article about Mahaney and the rise and fall of SGM. I worked with the author Tiffany Stanley and her editors for ten months. Here’s the backstory if interested.
The Backstory to “The Sex-Abuse Scandal That Devasted a Suburban Megachurch” by Washingtonian Magazine
Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 6:54PM
I sent the Washingtonian story, and details pertaining to the story, to leaders around the nation. This was one month before Together for the Gospel 2016. David writes back and calls the coverup of abuse a “scandal” and cannot fathom how his friend, Mark Dever, can invite C.J. to the conference.
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, March 2, 2016 3:29 PM
To: National Leaders
Subject: Washingtonian Magazine and TIME Magazine Articles on Mahaney & Sexual Abuse of Children
Below you will find links to articles recently done by Washingtonian magazine and TIME magazine about C.J. Mahaney and the sexual abuse of children. I’ve also supplied links to two articles I recently wrote on the subject.
Washingtonian magazine (online edition):
The Sex Scandal That Devastated a Suburban Megachurch
Inside the rise and fall of Sovereign Grace Ministries
By Tiffany Stanley on February 14, 2016
TIME magazine (online article):
Inside the Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse at Sovereign Grace Ministries
How one reporter investigated child sex abuse at a major evangelical church
By Elizabeth Dias on February 16, 2016
http://time.com/4226444/child-sex-abuse-evangelical-church/
Long Story by Washingtonian Magazine about C.J. Mahaney, Covenant Life Church, & Sovereign Grace Ministries Hits Newsstands Tomorrow
Detailed evidence and analysis documenting the conspiracy to cover up child sex abuse.
By Brent Detwiler on January 20, 2016
A More In-Depth Look at “The Sex Scandal That Devastated a Suburban Megachurch” by Washingtonian Magazine and TIME Magazine
Important information regarding victims’ stories not included in articles and commentary on new lawsuit and C.J. Mahaney’s silence.
By Brent Detwiler on February 18, 2016
From: David Wells
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2016 8:43 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Washingtonian Magazine and TIME Magazine Articles on Mahaney & Sexual Abuse of Children
What a scandal. And to think that CJ is invited to Mark Dever’s Together for the Gospel conference.
David F. Wells
Distinguished Senior Research Professor
GORDON CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
130 ESSEX STREET, SOUTH HAMILTON, MA 01982
(978) 646-4094 | dwells@gcts.edu | www.gordonconwell.edu
From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Thursday, March 3, 2016 9:16 AM
To: David Wells
Subject: RE: Washingtonian Magazine and TIME Magazine Articles on Mahaney & Sexual Abuse of Children
You are so correct. No one should be supporting C.J. The clear teaching of Scripture has been set aside in his case and yet they will proclaim what great Protestants they are at T4G this year. They have not protested C.J.’s abusive behavior and corruption, they have enabled it. They have acted like 16th century Papists covering up the corruption that existed then.
I have repeatedly asked Mark (and others like Al and Ligon) to talk to me or meet with me. They refuse. I’ve sent them all the evidence and yet they cover up for C.J. It is a scandal on top of a scandal. These men would church discipline any member or fire any employee that did a tenth of what C.J. has done. It is pure hypocrisy.
There are so many scandals and cover-ups. I continue to appeal to men and ministries to do right and come clean but to date now have been willing to do so. It is so grievous. They will do anything necessary to protect their self-interest. Soli Deo gloria is on their lips but not in their hearts.
I appreciate your note.
Thank you.
Brent
Not only did Mark Dever invite C.J. to Together for the Gospel 2016, he made Sovereign Grace Churches the center of attention. Seriously! C.J. was a featured speaker and panelist, Bob Kauflin led worship and recorded a live album, and Mark Prater, Ian McConnell, and Jeff Purswell from the SGC Leadership Team did break out sessions promoting church planting with SGC and coming to the Pastors College.
Whereas, David Wells was appalled because he studied the evidence; Mark Dever was enthralled by SGC because he did not read the evidence. Instead, he accepted all the disinformation supplied him by Mahaney and passed it on to other leaders as though it were the gospel truth.
With Mark Dever, there has been no place for truth and no courage to be “Protestant” in relation to C.J. Mahaney.