Let’s Keep Some Things in Mind
“Thenceforth I began to love him, at first indeed not as a teacher of the truth but as a person kind towards myself.”
Augustine said these words in his Confessions. He was commenting on how Ambrose didn’t win him over with his preaching or rhetorical style. Augustine loved him because of his kindness.
I’m struck by this fact. Ambrose had a reputation for being a phenomenal preacher. I would have thought that that would be most impressive to Augustine. Maybe it’s because, in my ministry experience, there was great emphasis placed on sermon delivery and preparation.
Looking at the qualifications of a pastor, it’s almost shocking how little the ability to teach is mentioned. There’s no doubt that it’s mentioned. However, there is considerably more space devoted to the minister’s character.
Character is extremely important. Confessionally, I’m sure there’s not a single person reading this that wouldn’t agree. In other words, I know we would all say that but would our actions demonstrate that we believe character is important?
There’s a word that’s mentioned in both lists of qualifications that’s important to highlight for this letter. It’s a word that means “pugnacious” or even “bully.” It’s listed in 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7. And in a way, it’s alluded to in 1 Peter 5, where Peter exhorts elders not to domineer their people.
These words are powerful. They can either affirm a pastor in his ministry, or they can be called to witness against him. Whether or not you are committed to the truth will determine how these Scriptures play out in your lives. And because these are the very Words of God, these qualifications are God’s words telling us who we should or shouldn’t have as elders.
Why an Open Letter?
I fully anticipate many well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ questioning why I write this information publicly. It’s because there have been many attempts by me and others to handle this privately over the years, Tim especially, and there has been no change.
I’ve heard apologies but I’m convinced now that those were simply attempts to placate the real issue at hand rather than bring the issue to a meaningful point of resolution.
I think Matthew 18:15–16 is a precious passage of Scripture.
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
— (Matthew 18:15–16 ESV)
This is a powerful truth that I hate to see laying on the ground like a dead horse in this case because we’ve exceeded the number of mandated, credible witnesses. Things need to be spoken of publicly. Tim’s resignation and your communication are public and deserve to be responded to publicly.
Here’s Some Background
I met Shaan at Christ Community Fellowship a long time ago, when Shaan filled in to preach. When Paul Scozzafava and I were going through a very difficult situation in Santa Fe, Shaan and Rich drove up to help out. Shaan preached from the pulpit, Rich addressed the congregation, and these two brothers sought to help us through further difficulties that our eldership was having.
Shaan knows firsthand the experience that Paul and I had with a pugnacious elder. I don’t hold any bitterness, but you can imagine that I have a concern about unqualified men who exhibit pugnacious behavior attempting to pastor within the church.
I’ve witnessed first hand Shaan’s pugnacious rhetoric in his attempting to deal with me and my eschatology while I was at Heritage. I saw it at the Together for the Gospel conference, where not only did Shaan highly criticize me and attack me for my views but he even openly mocked my views with our waitress at dinner. During my reordination and subsequent years at Heritage, I received more pugnacious rhetoric. I heard my arguments and my position attacked from his Sunday school class on several occasions and the pulpit during his sermon series in Zechariah.
For various reasons, the eldership went from explicitly stating that I wasn’t going to be censored to Shaan pushing for it and me acquiescing just to resolve the conflict. Even after I agreed to be censored, I was called into the eldership by Shaan, accusing me that I would eventually split the church, and called me to reaffirm the same censored status that I already agreed to. It’s manipulative for me to agree to be censored when I was told that I wouldn’t be, only to be falsely accused in order to be censored in the exact same way again. There’s far more that I could say, but my focus in this letter is the way in which Tim’s departure was handled.
I know what I experienced, and I know what I heard and saw. There were general conflicts among the eldership. There were elders who did not respond in kind and gracious ways. But there was something particular about Shaan’s rhetoric. He would constantly call into question each of our beliefs in the Scriptures and our fidelity to the Word of God because we disagreed with Shaan’s interpretation on doctrinal disagreements. It was the particular spiritual ways in which Shaan would attack us.
This is the main impetus that got the ball rolling on me leaving Heritage. To be clear, the opportunity opened up for me to attend WTS. An opportunity that I couldn’t pass up and at the time was the reason why I left. However, I was resolved to leave two years into my ministry at Heritage because of the way I was treated by Shaan. And I’m sure Rich and Harry would assert that they stepped down and left because of the treatment they received from Shaan.
Tim’s Resignation
Tim put forth a resignation when I was still a pastor. I can assure you that Tim’s conscience had a major role in it. I can also inform you that Tim was seeking to leave Heritage at that time because of the way Shaan was treating him.
It wasn’t because of general conflict that every eldership experiences. It wasn’t because of the known pressures and difficulties that come with being an elder. It wasn’t because Tim constantly didn’t get his way. Brothers, some of you have in your email the main reasons that Tim mentioned why he was leaving then in 2018. I wonder if you shared that with the many people you’ve spoken to privately?
When people have asked you what are the issues that have bothered Tim’s conscience and when you respond that Tim has wanted to leave for a while, do you also mention that in 2018 Tim wanted to leave due to the way Shaan has treated Tim?
Do you tell people that Tim confessed that his physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being were impacted by Shaan’s habitual assault of false accusations? Of Shaan’s anger, pride, and frustration?
There was a ray of hope when Tim confessed that. Shaan asked for forgiveness. Tim granted it. It was even my understanding that Shaan was under the scrutiny of the eldership that we would need to hold him accountable if he got out of line again. It’s also my understanding that you brothers made a similar commitment when Tim brought up issues about how Shaan has treated Tim and members of Tim’s family.
One begins to wonder, Shaan, why do fellow elders need to keep holding you accountable for one of your qualifications? And why is that not producing change?
It’s not just the eldership…
As I mentioned above, Tim eventually brought to the surface the manner in which Shaan has treated other members of Tim’s family. It kept happening. The apologizing and grants of forgiveness seemed irrelevant if the issues just kept happening.
Why would this keep happening?
I tried to communicate to Shaan that his rhetoric is harmful and harsh. I tried to inform him that, especially when he addresses matters of eschatology that he uses pugnacious rhetoric on multiple occasions.
That came to a head when Shaan taught on eschatology again after I’ve confronted him about his rhetoric numerous times after Tim agreed to stay on.
What’s shocking to me is that I know of people who were hurt and offended by that. Who expressed to me that they now understood what I went through.
I received a phone call from Jeff. He explained how Terry informed him of some of the things I went through. It’s shocking to see you two brothers acknowledge my history but actively support the very things that I went through now with Tim’s resignation.
More and more people have expressed how Shaan has treated them. I’m curious what it will take for you brothers to admit that the way Shaan treats people is unacceptable? It’s unacceptable to the point that he shouldn’t continue in ministry according to the Scriptures.
We’ve already achieved two or three witnesses to confirm this fact. My heart is shattered as I find out now about more and more people that he has hurt. People he has counseled pugnaciously. To my shame, I’ve witnessed him cursing out and attacking people who were under discipline and said and did nothing about it at that time. In no way do I condone the actions of the people who were being disciplined, but elders should control their speech, their anger, and respond appropriately.
I recall Shaan chewing the eldership out whenever someone laid an accusation against Shaan. Whenever someone would tell Shaan that he hurt them or that Shaan handled a situation wrongly, Shaan would criticize us elders for not defending him.
We defended him constantly. I argued with some of my own family, who rightly pointed out issues with Shaan. Tim defended Shaan constantly. We did this to our own hurt. We enabled the continuing of Shaan’s ministry. We allowed for more opportunities for Shaan to hurt people. Shame on us.
Brothers, it’s not worth your own reputation being sacrificed on the altar of Shaan’s insecurity. It’s not worth your reputation in exchange for Shaan’s. It’s not worth it to follow down the path of the mistakes of us, previous elders. Handle this situation Biblically. Paul confronted Peter in everyone’s presence (Galatians 2:11), and we are commanded that those elders who continue in sin are to be rebuked in the presence of all (1 Timothy 5:20). Are you brothers prepared to do what is necessary, Biblically?
Tim Resigned For Good
Tim resigned and, out of his graciousness, listed a bothered conscience as the reason. You brothers took Tim’s grace as a license to sin. You’ve assigned to Tim’s conscience issues that paint Tim in a negative light. You’ve continued to violate his conscience with how you’ve handled his departure. Tim desired to be rid of conflict, especially with Shaan, and you brothers gave him more conflict.
You brothers painted Tim as the problem. You tried to show that Tim’s conscience is bothered because Tim goes against the majority. The reality is that the majority is against Tim. The majority is assigning Tim’s reasons for leaving to Tim’s statement. You brothers are putting words into Tim’s mouth and then accusing Tim of going against the majority. Furthermore, I’ve known of several occasions where the eldership has made decisions that Shaan fought against after the fact. We put decisions into place constantly that Shaan argued against and on many occasions, we changed our already agreed upon decision because Shaan objected.
The fact is that Tim’s conscience is still bothered by the way that Shaan has treated people. And sadly, the damage is already done. However, to complicate the matters, you brothers pulled the plug on Tim’s last sermon. Tim’s last day was supposed to be this Sunday with one last sermon. You brothers dictated the passage and dictated what Tim was allowed to say.
Your public email announcing Tim’s sudden removal doesn’t address the real reason. Why wouldn’t you tell people? Why not tell people it’s because you attempted to restrict Tim. Why not tell people you attempted to censor him? And you pulled the plug because Tim indicated that he was going to publicly apologize for the way you all have treated those of us elders who’ve left. In other words, Tim was going to publicly announce something that runs counter to your narrative. You elders “unanimously” decided to “receive” Tim’s resignation sooner to control the narrative. There’s no Biblical precedent for doing so, only your man-made rule that elders need to leave quietly. When there’s no conflict, that rule seems wonderful. Otherwise, it’s just the typical pattern of censorship that attempts to hide the ongoing issues.
My Concern
I’m sure at this point. People have already picked sides. I doubt that my letter will have the effect that it needs to have, that Shaan would step down from ministry.
Thus, my ultimate concern is for every person who has been sinned against by Shaan; to see a public statement that addresses these issues and provides an alternative to the narrative that you elders are providing. Maybe some of you have sought to correctly inform people privately. In which case, I commend you. However, you need to step up and address this issue publicly. You need to address this issue and give reassurance to the people of God that you’re doing something about this. And you need to do something about this before more people get hurt.
I don’t harbor any bitterness. I have forgiven and continue to forgive. This is my effort to minister to those who are hurting.
And a word to anyone who is confused by these revelations of Shaan’s behavior because you haven’t experienced it. I would first simply thank God that you have not experienced it. And it’s my prayer that you never experience it. When I wasn’t in conflict with Shaan, he had my back. He watched out for me. But when I was in conflict, and I didn’t back down, I experienced his rhetoric that I, too, hadn’t experienced before. And it took a while and continual subjection to it for me to realize what was happening.
Brothers, Shaan needs ministry. This is a ministry issue. Shaan can’t find the peace, comfort, and correction that he needs by staying in ministry. I don’t know the toll that his experience has taken on him or on you brothers. I only know the toll that it’s taken on my father-in-law and on me and on previous elders and deacons. But that’s all the more reason why there needs to be changed. Shaan needs ministry; his family needs ministry, who among you can provide this?
Tim needed to have been shepherded. Tim needed ministry. Tim needed love and kindness. Tim’s family needed ministry. Many of us needed ministry. He needed gentleness. He didn’t get it.
Brothers, don’t take this as a debate challenge. I’m not here to engage in arguments with you. I’m not opening up a fight. People are hurting, and they need ministry. Are you brothers willing to respond to minister in truth with qualified men who serve the grace and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who would never damage a bruised reed?
I’m reaching out because I love you guys, and I love God’s people. I’m not an enemy, those who are hurt are not enemies. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. It’s an enemy that tries to appeal to people with kisses (Proverbs 27:6). We can’t just pretend that real issues aren’t there anymore; that’s not loving.
Ambrose won Augustine with kindness. It’s not the rhetoric that will help people. It's your character and how honest you need to be. I remember Jay Adams saying that honesty is not the best policy for Christians. It’s the only policy.
The Gospel is so much more important than writing a narrative that tries to minimize who will leave and who will stay in our fellowships. It’s more than our own reputations, which should be firmly rooted in Christ. The reputation of a local congregation is far more important. The reputations of Christians who leave churches, whom Christ has bought with his blood, are more important. Don’t shame people. Don’t try to hide your failures.
And You Also
I want to anticipate another response to this letter. Before anyone attempts to point out my failures and my sins (don’t worry, I’m worse than you think) or the sins and failures of others, I want to point something out. None of that changes what happened. None of that changes the fact that Shaan’s sin needs to be resolved. None of that changes the fact that the elders of Heritage need to be honest.
The hallmark of someone who does not come to light is the fact that they don’t because they don’t want their deeds exposed (John 3:20). The word “exposed” is also translated elsewhere as “reprove, correct.” The hallmark of someone who does what is true is that they come to light so that their deeds may be clearly seen as having been done in God (John 3:21).
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”
— (Galatians 5:14–15) ESV
I pray that you think carefully about these things. And I pray that those who have been hurt can feel the freedom to join their voice to this letter.
A helpful resource for those who are interested is a recent article by Dr. Michael J. Kruger.
You can find that article here