According to sources, Wicker wanted a long period of transition to the new leadership, with even an overlap to help the transition process. We cant wait to meet you and get you connected! As managing editor of the former Florida Baptist Witness (state paper) I was witness to many of Hayes Wickers years of fruitful ministry. Did people voice concerns and questions about Marcus? This models anything but love and mocks justice. (I)t seems from social media posts that, with no investigation, some convention leaders have chosen to believe this narrative, Caudill wrote. SBC Elites cite distinguished lawyer and Southern Baptist Matthew Martens; however, Martens has written persuasively, Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), New intel points to Covid origin in a lab leak, remember when this was a, NAMB PR VP Mike Ebert emerges as key witness in McRaney v. NAMB What will, Briefing: What You Need to Know About the First Baptist Naples Crisis, Neo-Marxist Southern Baptists turn Stalinist after election defeat, Who Can Preach? In November, just weeks after the church excommunicated 18 members, John Garippa, a longtime FBC Naples member who led two popular Bible Studies at FBC Naples, left the church. I was shocked that they would make this immediate, Wicker said. {I realize, Im using the word black rather than African American. I personally do not care for the term African American, and there are black people who dislike it more than I do.} This sequence of events raised many questions for me and my wife, Caudill said. Yet Caudill said that instead of calling a special meeting in accordance with church bylaws, the leadership at FBC Naples excommunicated 18 of the Concerned Members, including Caudill. Masters of Divinity in Christian Apologetics, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Almost unbelievable saga of incompetence. Totally the act of Satan in this issue because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is peace. This sort of trashing of fine people is becoming commonplace is an SBC I was once very happy to be a part of. God has done great things among us and we believe that greater things are yet to come! We recall the old Church too. ", When asked during the Q&A session whether he considers himself a conservative, Hayes said he is "as conservative as they come.". Does my agreement with Dr. King and my deep concerns about intersectionality, et al, make me a racist? Certified Public Accountant, For nearly two weeks, Christian social media has been atwitter with commentary over whats being called The Asbury Revival at, Arizona Pastor Blows the Whistle on Andy Stanley, Robby Gallatys Glowsticks Are Not the Problem, Video: JD Reports on Critical Race Theory Tearing Apart SBC Megachurch, Southern Baptist Youth Pastor Fired for Questioning Near-Death Experience Teachings. The dissenters, and their surrogates, have done a good job (whether they realize it or not) of explaining why Hayes was rejected and much of it is deeply racially tinged, including: Hayes rejection of the notion of racial colorblindness, Hayes support of Eric Masons book Woke Church and intersectionality, Hayes support of slavery reparations for descendants of African American slaves, and Hayes alleged statements in support of more black leadership in SBC member organizations. If it can happen at FBC Naples, it can happen anywhere. Racism had Nothing to do with voting!It had to do with biblical principals that many questioned ( CRT, SJM, "Woke" Church). For 27 years Hayes Wicker and his family faithfully devoted their lives to Gods calling in ministry at FBCN. action has been taken to enact church discipline on the dissenters because of ", "While racial issues were brought into play, and horrifically there indeed were some who did not approve Rev. Wicker and his wife then returned a Chrysler minivan they had been given years before by a church member, and his church-leased vehicle was repossessed. This is nothing new. Only love. pastoral staff has publicly accused church members who did not approve of Marcus Stephens said neither she nor any member of her family wrote the e-mail, adding that none of the church staff ever reached out or spoke to me. She also said the detectives told her that no criminal actions had taken place.. With two young children at home, she dedicated her time to being a stay at home mom until 2007 when the Lord opened the door for her to be a preschool teacher at First Baptist Academy in Naples. Such a loving bunch, arent they?!). You would call Martin Luther King an Uncle Tom Im sure. When that man runs out of money before completion what is everyone going to say? Not lies. Find Best Western Hotels & Resorts nearby Sponsored. Two days after the meeting with Pastor Edie and Chairmen Boone and Collier, Wicker said he was told to vacate church premises immediately. So is my wife. concerned with factors other than racism, such as Marcus Hayes The 26-year-old guard, Jemel Roberson, was detaining a suspected gunman who opened fire at the bar where Roberson worked when the police officer fatally shot Roberson. SUNDAY, Dec 11 (4pm) NO RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE. We reached out to leaders at FBC Naples about a dozen times, seeking evidence for the racism charge, as well as comment on other issues at the church, but no one responded. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Love for Jesus, for my fellow brother/sister and love for the truth. And as of March 1, the churchs $14 million budget had a shortfall of $1.2 million. However, in May, Wicker said he agreed to videotape a short farewell message to members from a script both he and the personnel committee had approved. Concerned Members of FBCN says the petition received 800 signatures. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12); and our duty as ambassadors does not permit us to compromise or align ourselves with any kind of human philosophies, religious deceit, or any other kind of falsehood (Colossians 2:8). He hopes Church members are upset over the treatment of the retiring pastor who served 27 years at FBC Naples FBC Naples, Florida's longtime senior pastor Hayes Wicker announced his retirement from pastoring the church in January 2019. But with all due respect, be careful commenting on things you dont understand or have first hand knowledge of. However, no one even begins to acknowledge that this system is the product of Hayes ministry. Christianity Today (CT) reported in November that Neil Dorrill had claimed at a Q&A session that inappropriate emails had been sent to Hayess church in North Carolina, Biltmore Church. And we are soldierscharged with pulling down ideological strongholds and casting down the lies and deception spawned by the forces of evil (2 Corinthians 10:35; 2 Timothy 2:34). Im not sure where they are located now, nor what they are doing, but I feel confident God is using them in His way. The film makes note that Marcus Hayes was subsequently ramrodded in Crossroads Church Texas. Im too far away to comment on the specific allegations, but whatever the truth of each, its pretty clear that youve got at least two strong factions in church leadership, and possibly also the church as a whole, which need to have a come to Jesus moment in terms of this is how you do, and this is how you do not do, ministry., The utter disrespect shown previous Pastor Wicker is atrocious and unchristian to say the least. And this statement was made by an African American pastor on Moody Radio. Namely Hayes Wicker. It may not be sorted out down here but everyone has to give an account, and especially those in leadership positions of the Lords Church for whom He died. Hi, Carla. And before you go tagging me as a racist, I am in a biracial marriage myself. First Baptist Church Naples. The leadership structure for the past 500 years in pretty much all of our churches is just refurbished Roman Catholicism. Despite these red flags, leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have supported leaders at FBC Naples. (The video is now private and requires a password to view.). But I dont see how the spirit of God can move among those people, unless they are willing to understand what has happened and admit that what they have done is absolutely atrocious, ungodly, unjust, and even in violation of their own bylaws.. 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Member of the Evangelical Theological Society By Jessica Pigg Last updated Nov 2, 2021 NAPLES Since Alan Brumback's call as lead pastor and his arrival in mid-September, First Baptist Church in Naples has seen baptismal waters stirred every weekend, having celebrated 42 baptisms in October and already scheduling another 15 in November. So much for giving church members the benefit of the doubt. Ill never bother with a Church again, because this is always going to be an issue. Similarly, SBC president J.D. Our constitution and bylaws stated that a Senior Pastor must be affirmed by at least an 85% or higher vote. fell short of the 85% vote required to install him as a pastor. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. Naples, FL 34109 (239) 597-2233. Shopping. "To our knowledge, he has never handleda multi-million-dollar budget, building programs, fundraising and/or staffing issues as required by a Senior Pastor," the group wrote. For the church's leadership, "it exposed a sickness in what we characterize as a cancer within our fellowship," he continued in the letter, which also asked for forgiveness from Hayes and his wife and "any other person who has been offended, hurt, or damaged by the outcome" of the vote. ".for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." Isaiah 56:7 Need Prayer? Wade Burleson is also part of the smear campaign, too. 3000 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109, U.S. In June, Voices of FBCN sent an email to many in the church, criticizing the actions of church leadership. the group wrote. This group was engaged in an email campaign to inform church members about various concerns with Marcus Hayes. You may recall this line from his I have a dream speech: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I believe Dr. King was right. I voted no to Mr. Hayes for two reasons. The church staff alleged that racism was behind the rejection. We reached out to Phillips Harvey Group and FBC Naples to confirm, but they did not respond. ( I wonder what the Aramaic is for fad.). Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Dwight McKissic, a prominent African American SBC pastor in Arlington, Texas. Stop making everything about race. He didnt have the experience. THAT IS OK! Experienced first hand Church Bullying, Over blown egos, inability and refusal to be biblically teachabe. We've got a Bible & Life Group that's perfect for . Pastor Hayes is the Pastor. Your Connection Portal. It is not necessarily the opinion of any entity by which I am employed, any church at which I am a member, any church which I attend, or the educational institution at which I am enrolled. We must keep those objectives straight; we are not entitled to wage warfare against people or to enter into diplomatic relations with anti-Christian ideas. First, I didnt think it was fair to put a new pastor in the midst of such corruption and confusion. Jonathan Akin is also national director of young leaders for SBCs North American Mission Board. Clarified a few things I had heard through the SBC grape vine. Looking for past sermons? Voicemails left for Hayes this week were not returned, and Neil Dorrill, chairman of the pastoral search team, referred questions to Bonnett. In addition, those who have been excommunicated, as well as former Pastor Hayes Wicker, say they feel like their reputations have been sullied. To be blunt, it stinks and the whiff of corruption I detect is an autocratic sense of entitlement, with a touch of greed, perhaps, as well. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. It noted that Hayes had unfriended or blocked several people who had signed the petition on his social media accounts. If all things had been equal and fair, our story would not have reached as far and wide, and stoked the emotions that it has. emails from the accused church members reveal that dissenters were I just want to point out that when you say things like I am in a biracial marriage, it sounds a LOT like I have a black friend. Trust me, that gets you little more than eye-rolling. A portion of the 19% that voted against Marcus Hayes did so based on racial prejudices. When I look at Jesus and his disciples I do not see anything that looks as atrocious as this mess. This happened just three days after the church vote concerning Marcus Hayes. Instead he was charged with this amorphous set of wrongdoings that were later largely or totally shown to be untrue. ", Dorrill said there had been "a concerted campaign of misinformation filled with destructive and divisive content." Blake Crawford and former deacon, Mike Dolan, said they were also suspended around that time. Bunch of old white guys with too much time on their hands and too many books in their personal theology libraries. their sin. The actions described in this article, which by the way are just the tip of the iceberg, were unloving, ungodly, and unbecoming of pastors charged with shepherding Gods flock. Naples, FL 34109 (239) 597-2233. I also find it interesting that Dorrills past financial misdeeds didnt seem to be a problem for the dissenters until the Hayes vetting process. Sandra received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from our local college, Florida Gulfcoast University in 2001. Church leadership announced that a new senior pastor was not hired because the nominee failed to meet the 85% approval threshold. I attended the Saturday evening service with Dr.Marcus Hayes. Also concerning to the group was the fact that Marcus Hayes didnt respond to a letter Concerned Members of FBCN had sent him a week earlier, outlining their issues at the church. We know this because of the campaign that started just days before by a few disgruntled people in our church.. But a question and answer session with Hayes and his wife held by the church on Oct. 24 offers some glimpses into the opposition that built against the prospective new senior pastor and the apparent rift between church leadership and some in the congregation.

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