Heresy Trial

They came back with a verdict in twenty minutes. I thought it would take hours. After all, I gave them thirty pages of testimony, or more, and an extensive, humble, and heartfelt explanation. How could I have been so naïve? So blind and gullible, not to have even seen it coming? But then, maybe there’s not much difference between naivety and innocent faith?

Never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever have thought I would be the center of a heresy trial, and be kicked out of a church. They called it a Prudence Committee. The denomination called in five or six men from around the state to hear the evidence, weigh it, and give a recommendation. I really was naïve not to understand how seldom a committee like this is ever called. And when it does occur it is to fire the pastor, not to weigh testimony.

I had been helping a girl in the youth group to be set free from demon possession. It had gone on for many months. All along the way I felt, in good faith, that we were on the right track, not misguided. I kept the pastor and a few board members informed. But there was not a lot of support, except from two board members, alone. An associate pastor ridiculed the entire effort. The senior pastor died of cancer in the process, adding to the confusion. The fear and oppression upon the remainder of the board was incredulous, but of course never understood.

At the heresy trial my poor wife, Carol, sat up in the balcony by herself, dreading the process and the verdict, and ashamed of the flood of accusations and confusion. After the verdict she came to talk to me, in tears, and only could say, “They used against you your most favorite scripture in all of the Bible.”

I was told to pack up all my books and ministry belongings and be out of the office in 24 hours. That’s when it hit me, it really is over. All over. I am out of ministry, out of a job. It was in 1984, and the economy was in shambles. We lost our house and years of savings and equity. No biggie, though. I prayed, “Lord, you called me to ministry. But my reputation is smeared irreparably, now. Will I ever again be in ministry?” To my surprise he answered me, “within six months, by April 1”. Like Mary, I kept that hope, that secret, hidden in my heart.

Out of the pain, the disgrace, the lowest point in my personal and professional life, there arose one of the most beautiful and blessed opportunities. A group of three men took me under their wings, supported us through the lean time, and began to pray with me for God’s leading. One of them had been kicked out of the church along with me, and the other two left out of sympathy. No spite, just matter of fact, “God we did what you asked, and here we are in the fiery furnace. What do we do now?” God led us to begin planning to start a new church. He led us in so many incredible and specific ways. We decided to start getting together on Friday evenings for home meetings while we waited upon God for leading. The very first home meeting was on March 30.

My favorite Scripture, found in Philippians 2, was probably an early church hymn. It encourages humility, submission, and yielding personal rights: “Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name… Jesus…. To the glory of God the Father.”