Similarly, an article in The Grio asked, Did a Florida church not hire a pastor because he was Black? And Christianity Today stated, Black Pastor Candidate Withdraws After Controversial Vote at SBC Megachurch.. Edie, the church's executive pastor, however, called Hayes "one of the most qualified men in Southern Baptist life to be a Senior Pastor of any church in this country.". Privacy Policy Any copyrighted material displayed or referenced is done under the doctrine of fair use. If those sound like difficult assignments to keep in balance and maintain in proper perspective, it is because they are. I am not lesser or better, but different. Bob Caudill, a former deacon and spokesman for Concerned Members of FBCN, said that a month before the vote on Marcus Hayes, the group had circulated a petition requesting a special business meeting to discuss serious concerns at FBC Naples. Generally, at Southern Baptist churches incoming pastors are approved by a majority of the church body upon recommendation from an elected search committee and/or pastoral staff, Stearns wrote. ", "After reviewing a little deeper we find that "social justice" and racial inequality appear to be his priority as it pertains to the church and ministry!" 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. It does not suddenly make a point valid or invalid. close to Wicker, contacted Pulpit & Pen with disturbing details And because it promises rewards to individuals and organizations influence, students, platform it is both very hard to criticize and functionally unaccountable to any but its own. "First Baptist Church Naples is doing excellent work through disaster relief," said Wayne Briant, southwest regional catalyst for the Florida Baptist Convention. It was appalling and heartbreaking to witness. Give Online. Church leadership announced that a new senior pastor was not hired because the nominee failed to meet the 85% approval threshold. To donate, click here. I read about this over at The Wartburg Watch. Almost unbelievable saga of incompetence. @DooWopCokeFan Please try to understand something: NOT ALL BLACK PEOPLE THINK ALIKE. First, I didnt think it was fair to put a new pastor in the midst of such corruption and confusion. Such a loving bunch, arent they?!). When HE transitioned the church from Elders to committees the ground work was laid for unbiblical polity. You obviously didnt pay attention to everything in that article, only the points you chose to focus on on. Its no wonder why real born again, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are walking away from churches, not the body of our Lord Jesus, the Ekklesia, but from this mess we call church. It is time for the SBC to do what they should have done first, before concluding who was right: Shine the light, Brothers, shine the light in here. Greear, who had written a letter of recommendation for Marcus Hayes, called the open letter by FBC Naples leadership a bold, Gospel-faithful response of the leadership of FBC Naples. Greear added, Let us be united in lament that any vestige of this kind of sinful prejudice remains in our churches., Also, Danny Akin, president of SBC-affiliated Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), described the open letter as a strong and redemptive word from FBC Naples.. . I left the church. In June, Voices of FBCN sent an email to many in the church, criticizing the actions of church leadership. Of course, it is obvious you have a vested interest in attacking those putting out the facts. The so-called dissenters had issues with what the church was doing WELL BEFORE Marcus Hayes arrived. Just because no one blatantly used a racial slur or expressed overtly racist statements does not mean that racism was not expressed or used during the selection process. Gas. More Emails: FBC Naples Concerned Party Defends Itself Against Accusations of Racism, VIDEO: A look at the problems at FBC Naples, FBC Naples Insider Speaks Out About Alleged Racism and Unbiblical Excommunications at FBC Naples, Leaked Emails Show That FBC Naples Members Had Serious Concerns About Marcus Hayes Biblical Qualifications. Since the failed vote, other allegations have surfaced. Would highly recommended." - Tabitha C "Better prices than other sites." - Diana E. FirstNaples.org My Account Login The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. And thats shepherding many hundreds of people over many years., In its open letter to the SBC, FBC Naples lay leaders and staff wrote that they know racial prejudice contributed to Marcus Hayess failed vote because of the campaign that started just days before by a few disgruntled people in our church., Presumably, the campaign to which the letter is referring is an email that was sent from the Concerned Members to those who had signed the petition shortly before the Hayes vote, requesting a special business meeting. Wicker said the future for him and his wife is uncertain. ", Dorrill said there had been "a concerted campaign of misinformation filled with destructive and divisive content." First Baptist Naples is, ethnically, a predominantly white church but we are not a racist church.. We also contacted Marcus Hayes and Biltmore Church about the alleged emails but they declined to comment. Takeaway: Using children as political pawns is despicable. 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. The petition for a special business meeting was never even ACKNOWLEDGED by the leadership is a Violation of the bylaws. First Naples glorifies God by being a multigenerational, multiethnic, multiplying church, that raises up the next generation of disciple makers, church planters, missionaries, and world changers, to reach Naples to the Nations. ", CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support local journalism, More: Read the letter from First Baptist to church members regarding voting results, In a letter to church membersshortly after the failed vote, the church pointed the finger at groupscalled "Voices of FBCN" and"Group of Concerned FBCN Members.". In it, the group details questions it has about Hayes' qualifications, his tweets and beliefs. I was shocked that they would make this immediate, Wicker said. The separation was hardly amicable. (Auxanos founder, Will Mancini, also serves as director of consulting for Lifeway, the publishing division of the SBC.). to be clear. emails from the accused church members reveal that dissenters were Visit: firstnaples.org/media. church as large as FBC Naples. He didnt have the experience. Sylee Gibson, an excommunicated member who works in law enforcement, added that the man chairing the FBC Naples senior pastor search team is a Florida businessman with a checkered pastNeil Dorrill. Coffee. Takeaway: One could reject the concerns of the church members and not label them racist. "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. Garippa said The Naples Gathering has 350 to 400 people attending, 85-percent of whom are former FBC Naples members. The church leadership released a statement explaining how the church membership wasnt supposed to vote their conscience, but rather rubberstamp the search committees recommendation: As most of you know, in Southern Baptist life,when a Senior Pastor comes in view of a call by the recommendation of a Search Committee, the actual vote is most always viewed as a ceremonial and celebratory affirmation of the Spirits leading within the hearts and minds of the Search Committee that has extended the call. First Naples || Livestream - Streaming live from Naples, FL. We are ambassadorswith a message of good news for people who walk in a land of darkness and dwell in the land of the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2). And this statement was made by an African American pastor on Moody Radio. Member of the Evangelical Theological Society Dorrill near the end of a Nov. 2 service told the congregation that "the integrity of our election last weekend was compromised. So much for giving church members the benefit of the doubt. It stinks to me of Greed. Hayes pastoral appointment of doing so out of racial prejudice and announced that What Bible verse says that it is a good idea to borrow money to make your church building bigger and more fancy? Namely Hayes Wicker. This is a demonstration of holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. And Paul goes on to say So, Turn away from these, also. First Baptist Church Naples. Proverbs 18:17. DWCF. We believe all matters of life should be subjected to the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). FBA is a discipleship school dedicated to preparing the next generation to serve in God's Kingdom. I guess I missed this one. "We all realize that the year of 2019 has been very difficult in the life of our church," Dorrill said. Church leadership responded in an email to members, calling the Voices of FBCNs email inaccurate and slanderous and claiming that a security breach of the churchs email list had occurred. Connect with the reporter at patrick.riley@naplesnews.com or on Twitter @PatJRiley. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. He said the church was hopeful that Hayes would allow his name to be reconsidered as the church's next senior pastor or interim pastor. We live in UK now as did Naples Baptist 1st Associate Minisiter but come to Naples Baptist every Dec/Jan. Wicker called the allegations appalling., We reached out to Boone, specifically asking about the allegations mentioned in the video, but he did not respond. . 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). Garippa, who was never part of Concerned Members of FBCN, declined to comment on why he left FBC Naples. Honestly, the system that ousted him is the machine he created. Dwight McKissic, a prominent African American SBC pastor in Arlington, Texas. I guess the good news is that we are all free to move to a different church whenever we like. 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. about the pastoral transition process at the church, a process which has descended First Naples glorifies God by being a multigenerational, multiethnic, multiplying church, that raises up the next generation of disciple makers, . Grateful that FBCN is moving toward amputating the racists, tweeted Rev. Instead, the group alleges that the racism charge was a ruse by men who had recently seized control of the church, expelled and maligned a beloved pastor of 27 years, and then fabricated a basis for excommunicating those who had objected. But, then again, with such an unmistakable history of racism behind it, predicting which way the SBC would jump in response to a charge of racism would be too easy. Specialties: First Baptist Church Naples is a church family that is unified on several basic theological understandings, which are based in our understanding of God's Word. 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. This is why I dont attend a church and work on my relationship with God on a daily basis. However, CT said it was not able to confirm whether Biltmore Church received such communications. I will say this with as much humility as I can muster at this time.The letter from FBCN was a lie! One Denomination that claims to hold the Christian faith to avoid is the Southern Baptist Churces and their affiliations. We have read so many of our traditions back into the New Testament, and tried to make them fit. My heart goes out to his family. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Of course they did. Regardless of who is at fault for what, this is NOT what Church should be. Nothing new in this article. SUNDAY, Dec 11 (4pm) NO RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. ", Church officials, however, have been largely mum on the details of the alleged campaign and racism. However, at some point the church leadership became hostile to the longtime pastor, according to church members. The final vote was 81 percent in favor and 19 percent against. "It seems all cops ever see is black," the attorney continued. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. @Bernie Lutchman you are so correct. Last fall, First Baptist Church (FBC) Naplesa prominent Southern Baptist megachurch in southwest Floridamade national headlines for rejecting an African American pastoral candidate because of some alleged racist members. Racism had Nothing to do with voting!It had to do with biblical principals that many questioned ( CRT, SJM, "Woke" Church). *I use scare quotes because the Woke phenom is only relevant in a certain context: it is very Americentric (talking like all white people are the same, for example), and not culturally or ethnically sensitive at all when on looks at the ethnic makeup of the church IN OTHER COUNTRIES. The churchs This happened just three days after the church vote concerning Marcus Hayes. @Michelle I believe you make valid points. Terms of Service FBA@FBALions.org. 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.. This is a warning to all Southern Baptists. 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. into an embarrassing public debacle. And if He wanted us all to be the same, He wouldve made us the same. Instead of the transition period Wicker announced, the staff strong-armed Wicker out after over a quarter of a century of service to the people of FBC Naples, sources told the Capstone Report. and make way for younger leadership to carry the ministry forward. 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. Let us pray for you. But while we cannot know the heart of another, this doesnt sound like a case of hearts poisoned intolerance, of minds clouded by prejudice. Last I am sickened by the way he was treated and am grateful for this exposure. 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. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! The following Tuesday, April 23, Wicker met with FBC Naples leaders including Dorrill, Chairman of the Personnel Committee Troy Boone, Chairman of the Finance Committee Don Collier, and Chairman of Deacons Terry Cole. Voicemails left for Hayes this week were not returned, and Neil Dorrill, chairman of the pastoral search team, referred questions to Bonnett. "Misinformation, fear, and ignorance of social media platforms played a role in the voting, and we, as a church family, are dealing with those issues.". Where in the N.T. 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. If this were a Calvary Chapel organization, or any other offshoot of Chuck Smiths piracy, no one would be surprised. I can tell you I am not a racist. I actually want you to see me as a black woman, because that has shaped my experiences in life how people have reacted to me, treated me, etc. Jemel Roberson was in my student ministry while I was a youth pastor in Chicago. The deacons vote on it, and, if they approve the recommendation, the individual then is informed. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. In November, Caudill sent a letter to several prominent SBC leaders, including President Greear and SEBTS President Danny Akin, urging them to retract their statements supporting the racism narrative offered by FBC Naples. It noted that Hayes had unfriended or blocked several people who had signed the petition on his social media accounts. Like when my colorblind friends didnt understand my discomfort when we chose to stop on a road trip in a small town with confederate flags waiving everywhere. {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.} Instead, Wicker was quickly forced out. The turmoil at FBC Naples began about a year ago, when longtime Senior Pastor Hayes Wicker announced to the church that he was stepping down to make way for younger fresher leadership.. And in 2006, Wicker served as head of the SBC Pastors Conference. A racist, leftist marxist movement and which claims blacks were muzzled for 150 years now its whites turn to be face the same treatment. (The church publishes an annual directory with member email addresses.). To that point, no group had met with Hayes or the committee privately, Dorrill continued, before adding to applause from those gathered at the Q&A session: "This will continue to be a transparent search. Regardless of what specific concerns were held, its important to know that 1) no evidence of genuine racism on the part of those holding them has surfaced, and 2) the efforts these members made to ask questions and express reservations were not taken seriously. Marcus Hayes based upon prejudice, our church loves all people of all colors equally," Stearns wrote. 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. 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