The Epic, Pt. 28

The Group lost no time composing a message to respond to Elder Miller’s unwarranted accusations and formalize a request to appear before the Executive Committee. Elder Miller’s letter had stated that conference administration must be contacted about the dispute before a request could be made to appear before the Executive Committee, but to our minds that requirement had already been fulfilled by the meeting with Elder Miller and Dr. Pichette which had occurred back in December of 2007. We figured, therefore, that we were well within the parameters Elder Miller had set forth to ask for the promised meeting with the Executive Committee. This letter was dated June 26, but not actually mailed until July 1.

“June 26, 2008

“Dear Elder Miller:

“In the first part of this letter, I am personally responding to your letter dated June 17, 2008, and in the second part the “we” response is made and signed by those who have had and continue to make contributions to the correspondence which have appeared since the beginning of the deviations of the Takoma Park Church from adherence to the Church Manual. I signed because of the difficulty in obtaining many signatures of individuals not living in close proximity to one another.

“I begin by quoting a sentence from your letter: “As I have had two “unofficial” discussions with you and a group of 10, the information you chose to highlight in your letter, in my understanding, is inaccurate and misleading.” In this sentence there are three words to which I take exception: “unofficial,” “inaccurate,” and “misleading.”

“I recall two separate times during which I had any type of conversation with you. The first was a requested meeting with a delegation of concerned individuals. You agreed, provided there would be no more than eight persons in the delegation. Present with you was Dr. Raymond Pichette, Assistant to the President. In our minds, this was an official meeting, as it was duly requested through your secretary, planned, and time and place agreed upon. The second meeting took place in the home of Pastor Halverson. This was not a planned meeting, rather an unexpected encounter when I came to his home. I simply took the opportunity to express again to you my concerns about the Takoma Park Church. It was very brief, and, I agree with you, “unofficial.” However, the first meeting was a deliberately planned meeting which I and certain of the Takoma Park delegation understood to have been “official.” This meeting was for the express purpose of seeking help, guidance and verification of a statement repeatedly made by Pastor DeSilva that the “staff-led structure” (Paul D. Borden Report) was recommended by the Potomac Conference Administration. Following our appeal for conference administrative assistance regarding the then recent action by the church, approving the “staff-led church,” your response was that you would not oppose the action taken by the Takoma Park Church in its Business Meeting. When I and the others displayed our dismay and said to the effect that there was every possibility of losing many members, you replied, “I’ve seen where a church has gone down to twenty members before turning around.” We were appalled by what we heard. We felt betrayed. Process had been aborted. Whether the meeting was “official” or “unofficial” your statement to us barred the way to resolution. It also gave Pastor DeSilva free reign to move ahead. In addition, we departed from our meeting without your response as to whether the “Paul D. Borden Report” (staff-led church) was or was not recommended by the Potomac Conference Administration. We perceived that we had to resolve this issue ourselves, and we felt we had no one to help us.

“The words “inaccurate” and “misleading” grieved me greatly. I am baffled by your observation for it is so broad and far-reaching that I respectfully request that you pinpoint the inaccuracies and misleading statements that I or the group may have made. I and the others are not aware of any inaccurate or misleading statements. If there are, I am willing to communicate to all concerned a correction of the “inaccurate” and “misleading” statements.

“Part II

“Our grievance and that of many members (close to 40%) in the Takoma Park Church is the disregard of the authority of the Church Manual. The Takoma Park Church, in an unusual business meeting, voted to approve the “Paul D. Borden Report” of which the “staff-led structure” was an integral component and that component is totally contrary to the Church Manual. We are enclosing a copy of the “Paul D. Borden Report.” On the last page we have circled the offending Paragraph 3. This is the principle issue before us. Please note the last sentence of this paragraph strongly suggests that the “staff-led structure” is promoted by the Potomac Conference. At the bottom of the page are the names of Paul D. Borden, a Baptist Consultant, and the names of two Potomac Conference personnel, Ray Pichette, Assistant to the President and Glen Altermatt, Development. This also seems to suggest that Conference Administration is actively promoting change in the local church structure contrary to the Church Manual. The first two pages promote evangelism which we support wholeheartedly; however, is not paragraph 3 an integral part of the whole? Does not the new evangelism emphasis depend on a “staff-led structure?” We have difficulty believing that the Potomac Conference is promoting activity contrary to the Church Manual. Yet, published materials strongly suggest this is the case. (See enclosed Borden Report.)

“However, we need to be clear. As of this date, Takoma Park Church has not implemented a “staff-led structure.” Rather Pastor DeSilva, under pretext of the above action and without any additional authorization, implemented a different structure which has been characterized and announced publicly to the church by certain leading members, in the presence of Pastor DeSilva, as a “Pastor/CEO-led church” and is functioning as we write. This structure is as wrong as the “staff-led structure.” The present situation is (1) The Takoma Park Church approved a “staff-led structure.” (2) Pastor DeSilva introduced and is presently operating a “Pastor/CEO-led structure.” Thus we have a compounding of the original wrong with a second one—the assuming of authority by the pastor to change and operate a church governance structure on his own—both contrary to the Church Manual. The above points may be succinctly described: There is no duly elected representative church board functioning in the Takoma Park Church as stipulated in the Church Manual. We ask the question to ourselves and respectfully to you: Do we follow the Church Manual or follow any whim of governance we wish?

“Pastor DeSilva had repeatedly stated that the new form of staff-led church governance came from the Potomac Conference Administration. Later, when he introduced an organizational paper with a Ministries and Accountability Boards concept, he stated that the North American Division Policies supported this new structure. Furthermore, he announced that it was forbidden for any member of these new boards to discuss the issue of structure with any other church member. He was adamant that there be no discussion or gatherings to discuss the issues. We, then, sent the documents to the NAD secretary for verification. (These issues were clearly delineated in letters and documents you have already received.) Unfortunately, Pastor DeSilva refused to place this issue on any agenda and has declared that it has been voted and thus final.

“Soon thereafter we received letters from Elders Bediako, Parmenter, and Howard. All have clearly indicated that the action taken by the church is contrary to the Church Manual. Thus we again ask: “Where does the Potomac Conference Administration stand?”

“Referring to paragraph four of your letter, you stated you understood that we made a request to the board of elders on April 23, to refer this back to the church in business session and it was denied. Not so. What took place on April 23 was a private meeting with Pastor DeSilva. Previously, our group had discussed how to communicate the letters received from NAD and the GC in order to be in harmony with Matthew 18. Many had been the times we talked to Pastor DeSilva in regard to the new governance structure, but because of this new information, we decided to present the letters to him alone, rather than at a public meeting and embarrass him. So following Matthew 18, a few of us, including the head elder, met with Pastor DeSilva on April 23, 2008. However, the head elder insisted that all the elders attend. It was done. We read the letters received from the GC and NAD to Pastor DeSilva and then distributed copies to all present. After a brief discussion, Pastor DeSilva unilaterally refused our request to have this issue placed on the agenda of the next business meeting to be held April 27, 2008. We then concluded that we had the Scriptural authority to inform the church.

“Because Pastor DeSilva is receiving a copy of this letter, he thus has “full knowledge” of the group’s request as put forth in the following paragraph. If by “full knowledge of the pastor and board of elders” as stated in your letter were to infer that we should obtain their permission in order to make our appeal (which is not stipulated in the Church Manual), it is tantamount to requiring the chickens to request permission from the fox to tell the farmer that there is a problem in the chicken coup.

“We hereby request to appear before the Potomac Conference Executive Committee to resolve this issue. In your response to this letter, signed by you as President of the Potomac Conference, please state whether the Potomac Conference approves or disapproves of the Takoma Park Church, led by Pastor DeSilva, of not having a church board as defined by the Church Manual.

“We love our church and want to see if fulfill its grand mission. Let us do it in a manner as sanctioned by the World Church in its General Session and published in the Church Manual.

“Yours for unity in the church,

“[Elder B and 18 other signatures]”

Next: Elephants in the Room

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