A Christian leader, charged with any credible, serious, and direct wrongdoing, would usually be well advised to step down from public ministry. No such accusation of direct wrongdoing was ever made against C. J. Mahaney. Instead, he was charged with founding a ministry and for teaching doctrines and principles that are held to be true by vast millions of American evangelicals.
The above quote is included in the support letter of CJ Mahaney after parts of a lawsuit were dropped against Mahaney and his church due to the Statue of Limitations. Translation? According to the law they waited to long to file.
Many states are changing these laws, because adult survivors should have their day in court against the person that harmed them. Some states have already changed the timeline. I think the movement to change it is growing in other states to thankfully.
Sadly, what should have been a moment of transparency turned into a spiritual version of ‘Not Guilty’ for CJ Mahaney by his many Celebrity Pastor Friends. What I never did understand is they KNEW that parts of the lawsuit was going forward, and if they couldn’t see the bias in the above statement? Their discernments skills are WAY off.
To me it showed the habitual snarky attitude they tend to use when people question their belief systems, personal values, etc. They preach about humility, benevolent leadership and authority. I do question how people can’t see the hypocrisy at times.
You don’t use a political spin when transparency is clearly needed. This is why many question their sense of ‘biblical authority’, and all that jazz. They are supposed to be ‘mature believers’, and in their rush to say SOMETHING? They basically put their foot in their mouths instead.
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Sovereign Grace Ministries Scandal and Conviction
This week: Nathaniel Morales, 56, who most recently served as a pastor in Las Vegas, was convicted of three counts of sexual abuse of a minor and two counts of sexual offense by a jury in Montgomery County, Md. He will be sentenced Aug. 14 and faces up to 85 years in prison.
Nate Morales is going to trial soon stemming from additional accusations from others as well.
Just to fill in a little history…..
Sovereign Grace Ministries has been described as a family of churches, and Covenant Life was the Flagship Church until 2012. In layman’s terms? The Corporate Headquarters. Shortly after the lawsuit surfaced - if I remember correctly - Covenant Life voted to remove themselves from Sovereign Grace Ministries family of churches. They were not the only church either.
Nathaniel Morales used to be part of this Covenant Life church before he moved to Las Vegas, and was part of the lawsuit that the Brotherhood of Celebrity Pastors SPOKE against.
This week Covenant Life’s longtime executive pastor Grant Layman testified that he should have reported alleged abuse to police but did not. Grant just happens to be CJ Mahaney’s brother in law, and worked with CJ Mahaney in leadership at this church during the time the abuse happened. Grant recently left his position at the church, and now works in some sort of paint business.
Nate Morales was part of CJ Mahaney’s church (Covenant Life), and he and his church were accused of knowing about the attacks towards children there. They basically dealt with it internally – as in did nothing about it. You can read they felt it was their Constitutional right to do it that way as well in the document I have uploaded.
Keep in mind I uploaded the ‘revised’ statement. They felt that the lawsuit harmed their ‘confidentially’ with their members. I guess despite KNOWING its their lawful responsibility as a mandated reporter to also contact law enforcement.
The new statement on the ministry website said allowing the courts to second-guess a church’s pastoral guidance “would represent a blow to the First Amendment that would hinder, not help, families seeking spiritual direction among other resources in dealing with the trauma related to any sin including child sexual abuse.”
“Child sexual abuse is reprehensible in any circumstance, and a violation of fundamental human dignity,” the statement said. “We grieve deeply for any child who has been a victim of abuse. SGM encourages pastors from its associated churches to minister the love, grace and healing of God to any who have suffered this horrific act.”
Spiritual Slang for, “I shouldn’t have to report we are handling it just fine in house!’
Keep in mind it was noted in court that they claimed they would ‘take care of it’ (ie the predator), and yet the habitual sexual abuse by Nate Morales continued. I suppose your not to question their ‘spiritual direction’ there huh?
You have to wonder now if Grant Layman – along with others will be charged with NOT reporting this to the police. My prediction? They will throw him under the bus as far as blame goes. WELL until more evidence surfaces, and the story will change again.
If you remember back a couple of years we spoke about the Tina Anderson trial, and how her pastor Chuck Phelps did call the police…but then basically blew them off when they wanted to do an interview with him over his ‘mandatory’ report.
So, he followed the law legally but his actions MORALLY? Not so much. Chuck Phelps actually blamed the police, because he claims he didn’t receive any follow up. They showed in court that they did, but you know how that goes…..
The spirit of WHY this law was enacted is lost on them. Makes you question their pastoral ‘wisdom’ doesn’t it? This is what happens when they feel their biblical authority trumps what they don’t wish to face.
Now, we have a church that had to admit IN COURT they didn’t even bother calling the police at all.
Grant Layman was sworn in next. Under oath he told the jury he did not report the crimes told him by Scott and Charlene Bates in 1992 that were committed by Morales against their son, Samuel Bates. He also stated that within one year, he learned of the sexual abuse of Brian Wolohan and did not report it to the police either.
Under cross examination by the Defense Attorney Drew (which was surprising), he was asked “Did you have a responsibility to report to police” the crimes committed against Samuel Bates and Brian Wolohan. To this Layman said, “I believe so.” Drew responded, “Did you report to police?” Layman answered, “I didn’t do it.”
It should be interesting to watch HOW the group of celebrity pastor’s explain how their friend and head pastor of the church in question STILL had no clue about this. How the lawsuit was over his teaching and doctrine. Please.
1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
No Comment From The Together for Mahaney Crowd?
I find it curious that Al Mohler, John Piper, and the rest of the celebrity Pastor group has not released one statement since the conviction this week. They sure did RUSH to judgment when parts of the lawsuit were denied due to the Statue of Limitations.
In other news: The Southern Baptist Task Force released their report about declining membership and baptism numbers this week. Many are claiming this downward spiral is the fruit of ‘our spiritual lukewarmness’.
What is sadder is what happened this week (conviction of Nate Morales), and the often the insensitivity and callousness of their responses. Does that even enter their minds?
Hmmm…
- This not the nasty way they deal with abuse within the church.
- Its not the ugly names they call people that don’t believe as they do.
- Its not the attacks on so called, ‘feminists’ who are more likely a group that disagrees with their role theory.
- Its not the awful approach to homosexuality…
..NOPE its just lukewarmness. I guess they feel their nastiness isn’t nasty enough.
Who would wish to enter their churches, be baptized by their pastors, and be encouraged to follow their band of celebrity pastors who allows one of their ‘friends’ to enable a child predator.
In reality is their coldness towards humanity. Their indifference towards the reality of some families life’s. Their stuffy attitude towards those they feel aren’t the ‘chosen’ ones. Its their empty words and actions that I call spiritual pixie dust.
They wouldn’t know how to reach the world if their life’s depended on it.
Yep, and I did I mention they call that ‘love’.
Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
Additional Resources:
GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment)
Brief History of Sovereign Grace Ministries
Copy of Lawsuit in Question
Why Sovereign Grace Ministries Doesn’t Like Victims
An Example of the Anatomy and Physiology of Spiritual Abuse: Mahaney, T4G and the Gospel Coalition
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