Thank you again for taking my call and allowing me to express so boldly my deep concern for the

actions of the GC elders.

It is certainly appropriate for the elders to act on their concerns over the events surrounding of the
Tom Chantry. May God grant you success in finding ways to protect your children. However, the
actions of GC elders appear to have more in common with a police investigation or internal review
than biblical pastoral oversight. Your actions appear to be defined by a bureau's manual and not
God's Word. If you really want the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, you must follow His Word not the
dictates of man.

Let me briefly restate my concerns.

First, you asked your congregation to engage in a sinful action. I Timothy 5:19 directs us thus, "Do not
receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses."

Announcing to the congregation that Pastor John is on administrative level and is being investigated
for possible wrong doing is to make an accusation. It accuses him of possibly of not being above
reproach and unfit to continue his pastoral responsibilities.

Where are your witnesses that Scripture requires? Where are those who can verify John has actually
done something wrong? On the phone you said several men "believe" Pastor John may have done
something wrong. "Belief" does not rise to the level God requires. On the phone I tried to illustrate the
difference between "believing" and "witnessing". "I believe ___ is a drunk" vs. "I saw ___ drunk at the
bar". Multiplying the number of people holding the opinion does not in itself make "believing" into
reality. Example, "I know 5 people who think ___ is a drunk" is still not the same thing as, "2 people
witnessing ___ drunk at the bar."

To expose GC congregation to a request that at best opens the door to unscriptural behavior is
indefensible. Only the most undiscerning of elders would engage is such spiritual irresponsibility.
There is nothing about the Chantry case the requires the GC elders to go beyond the scope of God’s
word.

The elders should have waited two weeks or until after their “investigation” was concluded to before
addressing the congregation. You can excuse your action by claiming it’s not accusatory. However,
you have already decided that Pastor John is not fit to continue his pastoral duties until your
investigation clears him. Call it what you will, but telling the congregation John is not permitted to
function in his pastoral office is to accuse him of being unfit. Such a violation will make it very difficult
for there to be the level of trust between the Pastor and other elders and the congregation and the
elders to do the work of ministry. Trust is easily destroyed and much more difficult to build.

Why wouldn’t you wait a couple days for the jury to return its verdict? The whole point of the jury trial
is to determine if Tom did something criminal or simply cosmically stupid. If the jury finds that Tom did
nothing criminal, then John could not have done anything wrong. Are the elders able to discern the
mind of the jury before the jury has? To conclude you know the outcome of the jury decision before
they make it is call prejudice, or pre-justice. Wisdom says wait for the jury and until your own
investigation is complete.

Second, Scripture requires the elders to be "…diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace" (Eph. 4:3 NAS95).

1
Your actions will very likely scatter the sheep. Some will find your actions of secrecy and pre-judgment
of their Pastor offensive and chose to leave. Others will be mad that some find your actions offensive.
Since you have no proof, only supposition, that John did something wrong, you have created
unnecessary division into the body. Some members will be bold enough to express their concerns.
Other will not. Some will silently leave. Others will sit and become bitter. This could have easily been
avoided or at least minimize by the elders exhibiting patience by waiting for the jury and their own
investigation to be finalized.

I’m told that the elders have expressed the possibility of a civil suit against John. If true, this too is a
violation of Scripture. See I Corinthians 6:1-8.

Finally, this whole situation is a local church problem, and has been so from the beginning. The Miller
Valley elders had 5 years (1995-2000) to discover what Tom did to the children. They had 5 years to
call the police. Why didn’t they? They had an additional 15 years to discover the truth of what happen
to their own children. They still don’t know. This is complete incompetence on their part. They didn’t
need a council to find out what happened. The just needed to do their job or find competent
counselors to help them.

If the MV elders weren’t satisfied with the council's report they could have hired investigators, or taken
the children to counselors to help discern exactly what happened. But they did not. Why? Do you
know?

The MV elders signed a report that stated, "That there still remain serious factual differences between
Thomas Chantry and the four children he disciplined during his ministry at Miller Valley." Why in the
world would they sign a document and treat a case as closed with that sort of statement of unresolved
differences? Would you? I wouldn’t!

You told me they were forced to sign the report By whom? With what force? For heaven's sake, what
possible duress could possibly be placed upon the MV elders (one who was a parent of an involved
child) that would "force" them to sign? Biblical elders would have demanded resolution before signing.
Resolution either provided by the investigative council or through other private means should have
been realized before signing anything. These elders/parent failed to protect their sheep/children.
That’s a local church failure not an associational failure.

This whole Tom Chantry affair is a result of the action and lack of action by the Miller Valley elders.
Yes, most everyone involved since has made a bad situation worse. Yet, that does not change the
fact the failure of the elders of Miller Valley is the genesis, or first cause of this whole mess.
Everything since has only been a reaction to the MV elders failure to protect their children over a 5
year window and beyond.

They had 5 years to call the police. Why didn’t they? Do you know? They had 5 years to stop Tom.
They didn’t. Why? They had 5 years to speak with their own children but failed to discover what
actually Tom did. Why? Twenty years later and the MV elders still are acting like they are victims
rather than leaders and protectors. Were they just ignorant men? Cowards? Weak men not gifted to
be elders but wrongly put into a position they were unfit to fulfill? Or, did they conclude there was no
crime? I don’t know. Do you? What do the minutes of their meetings say? Have asked for their
minutes? If not why? Why do you presume the innocence of the MV elders while doubting the integrity
of Pastor John and criticizing most everyone else involved?

2
The most important question in all of this is, what did MV elders know and when did they know it?
There are only a limit number of possibilities.

1. The MV elders knew there was sexual or physical abuse before the church council and chose not
deal with it effectively or legally.

2. The MV elders deemed nothing criminal happened no matter how wrong Tom's actions were.

3. Something criminal happened but the children weren’t able to express it in a manner that the adults
understood.

If 2 or 3 are true ARBCA hid nothing. If 1 is true the MV elders are guilty os sinning against their own
congregation and family members. If 1 is true, GC elders are investigating the wrong people.

What did MV elders know and when did they know it? This is the real question, yet you cast suspicion
on Pastor John who had nothing to do with the original situation, the writing of council's report or
enforcing any of the obligations placed upon Tom Chantry.

Additionally, the MV elders had it in their power to speak up at the GA in which Tom Chantry and his
new church were voted into ARBCA. If the ARBCA process was flawed, or failed, the MV elders had
every right and the responsibility to speak out and make known that which they knew. This is first and
foremost a story on the failure of a local church. Therefore, your vitriol against ARBCA is misguided.

Also, the manner of your withdrawal from ARBCA is inappropriate. A Pastor or elder board can’t join
ARBCA, only a congregation can join after the congregation has voted to do so. Therefore,
technically, only a congregation can choose to leave an association. The GC elders unilaterally
declaring GC’s departure from ARBCA is an example of unbiblically lording over the congregation.
You have exercised your authority telling the congregation with what other congregations they may
have formal association. The Apostle Peter writes to elders of the local church, “...nor yet as lording it
over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3).

In closing, I believe the elders of GC owe Pastor John and the congregation a public apology and
admission of poor pastoral judgment even if you are proven correct. Biblically, the ends do not justify
the means. If it were up to me, I would require all of the elder who supported this action, secret
meetings, and covert emails to step down immediately from the elders for violating their pastoral office
of elder. Additionally, they not be permitted to do the work of ministry as elders until the have
demonstrated Holy Spirit gifting as pastoral shepherds.

I’ve been in the ministry for over 30 years. I’ve witnessed this sort of situation repeatedly in other
churches. Some of us are tired of watching well intended laymen destroy the ministry of called and
ordained men who are faithfully serving our Savior. It’s possible for you to be sincere and yet sincerely
wrong. Until you can objectively demonstrate Pastor John did something that violates his call to the
ministry he should be permitted to fulfill his office and you should have continued rendering him the
double honor the Lord Jesus Christ requires of you. “The elders who rule well are to be considered
worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching (1 Tim. 5:17).

It’s been a long time since I was made aware of an entire elder board acting with such little biblical
discernment and pastoral understanding. Please repent before more damage is done.

I will continue to pray for you and the other elders.

3