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MY STORY
I was one of the four men that began Sovereign Grace Ministries (now Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc.) 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 12,000 people in SGM churches over the next three years. Despite this reality, the leadership of SGM never acknowledged any of the sinful wrongdoing brought to its attention by me or 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. As a result, the allegations of fact in the lawsuit were never argued in a civil court.
Though the civil lawsuit failed, criminal cases did not. Five of the abusers in the lawsuit are convicted felons. Many other criminal acts occurred that are not included in the lawsuit. Several were tried and resulted in multiple convictions. In two cases brought to my attention, I instructed the senior pastor to exercise church discipline and report the sex crimes to law enforcement. Both cases resulted in long sentences.
In addition, a score of victims did not prosecute their abusers due to shame or the trauma involved or because there was insufficient evidence to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of 12 peers.
Major leaders throughout the Body of Christ have asked Sovereign Grace Churches to do an independent investigation but C.J. Mahaney and the Leadership Team have adamantly refused. As a result, relationships have been severed and four prominent SG churches published letters in 2019 reproving the Leadership Team for their refusal and arrogance.
In 2019-2020, 11 more churches left SGC as a result and started a new denomination. Today, scores of major leaders who once supported C.J. have pulled away from him. There is little support for Sovereign Grace Churches around the nation. This article is my most helpful and interesting overview in that regard. Together for the Gospel No More – A Photo History With Commentary
I was a church planter, pastor, and teacher for 30 years. I gave up those wonderful callings in 2009 in order to address the growing corruption in Sovereign Grace Ministries and elsewhere in the Body of Christ that has harmed the gospel and injured many souls.
I am a conservative evangelical. I want to see the Church prosper but that cannot happen unless her leaders are above reproach and held to that standard. It is not enough to teach sound doctrine. It must be backed up by sound living.
Therefore, I continue to hold Sovereign Grace Churches 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 and rape.
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 since 2011 in thousands of pages. As stated in my tagline, I’ve been helping Christians to judge righteously, think biblically, and live courageously.
In July 2021, I wrote a commemorative article that gives a short summary of my labors. They have not been easy as the title indicates. Yet the Lord God has been good to keep me by his grace.
Marking the 10th Anniversary of Sending Out The Documents – Struck Down (But) Still Not Destroyed
Saturday, July 10, 2021 at 1:57PM
In October 2021, I returned to preaching, teaching, and leadership training. In my remaining years, I want to do all I can to advance the good news of Jesus Christ. That begins with a right understanding of the gospel. So many in our day preach a false gospel or confused gospel. Let me illustrate. I've asked hundreds, if not thousands of professed Christians, "What is the gospel?" Inevitably, they cannot tell me.
In this message, GETTING THE GOSPEL RIGHT - YouTube, I explain what it is and what it isn't. It will help you understand the greatest and most important news in all the world! You can also read my testimony at God Almighty, Billy Graham & My Conversion to Christ - BrentDetwiler.com - (squarespace.com).
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