The Epic, Pt. 18

The Group deliberated long and thoughtfully about how best to use the letters from Elders Howard and Parmenter. The consensus was that we needed to present them in a way that caused minimal embarrassment to the pastoral staff, while still getting our points across. It was finally decided that a small delegation of Group members should request a meeting with Pastor DeSilva and our First Elder Joel Bullard to present them and ask that the vote to approve the change in governance be reconsidered in light of this new evidence. Accordingly, calls were placed to request the meeting. Elder Bullard responded that it should be a meeting of the entire Elders Board. Since not all of the Group members to be present were elders it was made a joint meeting between the elders and the Accountability Board, which then did encompass all of the selected Group members. This emergency meeting was called for April 23, 2008.

At the meeting the two letters were read and the request was made that the matter be reconsidered at the next business meeting of the church, which was scheduled for the following Sunday, April 27, 2008. Pastor DeSilva responded by attacking the authors of the letters, challenging their authority and their right to communicate with members of his congregation without his permission! A discussion sprung up among the elders about whether or not to approve the request which was cut short by a dictatorial pronouncement by Pastor DeSilva, “I will not allow this matter to be brought to the business meeting!” On that imperious note the meeting ended.

Friends, we remind you that just a few weeks before Pastor DeSilva had declared to the ministries board that any decision could be reconsidered at any time if new evidence came to light (see the Epic, Pt. 15). It is in light of the nonnegotiable declaration made in this subsequent meeting that we level against him the charge of having been lying. This is precisely the sort of scenario that was under discussion in the ministries board and he did exactly the opposite of what he had promised at that meeting.

The possibility that Pastor DeSilva might not be willing to listen to reason had occurred to the Group as it considered its options for using the letters. It had been decided in advance that if the good faith efforts at this meeting failed to produce the desired results that the Group would make its case to the entire congregation in a letter and include copies of the letters from Elders Howard and Parmenter. Such a letter had been prepared in advance in order to be ready for sending immediately after the meeting if the results of the meeting made it necessary. The intent of the timing was to ensure that the letter would arrive at the homes of all the church members before the upcoming business meeting. Having found our worst fears about Pastor DeSilva’s receptiveness realized, the Group proceeded to mail the congregational letter. The next chapter of the Epic will feature that letter in its entirety.

Next: The Letter


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