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. Several"inappropriate emails" were sent to Hayes' home church in North Carolina, including to his ministry assistant and his boss, the senior pastor there, "sharing and establishing that certain groups will not vote for him this weekend without a private meeting in advance to have issues of theirs addressed," Dorrill said at the Oct. 24 event. Would you believe that not a single member of the church has reached out to me in love and asked to hear my side of the events. We know this because of the campaign that started just days before by a few disgruntled people in our church.. The judge in the case withheld a conviction but gave Dorrill a $10,000 fine and three years probation. SUNDAY, Dec 11 (7pm) Instead, Wicker was quickly forced out. 3000 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109, U.S. "Marcus Hayes, a highly respected and a well-qualified pastor, remains the man that we believe God has called to be our next pastor," Dorrill said to a standing ovation from the congregation. Love for Jesus, for my fellow brother/sister and love for the truth. Wicker said several weeks later, the church emailed him, stating that Wicker had facilitated and cooperated with a rival faction in the church, which voided his exit agreement. Even Jesus said so much when he talked a man who started building a tower without counting the cost. I dont think you mean ill will, but just want to make you aware of how poorly comments like that tend to land. What they did to Rev Wicker and his Godly family is nothing but sinful. Wicker also was pastor for 20 years to evangelical author and founder of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson. Numerous now-former church members have been purged from the church membership roll. However, he stated, In the 22 years I was there (FBC Naples), I never heard a racist commentever. Member of the Evangelical Theological Society Wade Burleson is also part of the smear campaign, too. announced his intention to transition gradually out of the churchs pastorate We reached out to Phillips Harvey Group and FBC Naples to confirm, but they did not respond. Our mission as soldiers is to overthrow false ideas. From the reporting in this article, it seems clear that more light needs to be shed on events. Of course they did. This is why I dont attend a church and work on my relationship with God on a daily basis. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Jude certainly understood this. Dorrill also serves on FBC Naples finance committee. Jemel Roberson was in my student ministry while I was a youth pastor in Chicago. Wicker said the future for him and his wife is uncertain. Just like there are women who are pro-Gloria Steinem feminists, and there are women who are not fans of Gloria, black people are capable of holding differing opinions too. the group wrote. Instead, Ericksen said Hayes has no experience as a head pastor and said that his political views wouldn't go along with a conservative church. It noted that Hayes had unfriended or blocked several people who had signed the petition on his social media accounts. First Naples glorifies God by being a multigenerational, multiethnic, multiplying church. I was shocked that they would make this immediate, Wicker said. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? And thats ok. God created me too. 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. In 2016, under the leadership of its former pastor, the church changed its bylaws to adopt the85%approval rule, instead of a simple or super-majority, Stearns continued. Only love. 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. Giving. Food. Where in the N.T. Other parts of the email laid out concerns the group had with Hayes' tweets about books that deal with race and religion and questioned whether he had the necessary experience to take the post as senior pastor. Leading the Q&A session, Dorrill alluded to the past year for the church, which saw its longtime senior pastor, Hayes Wicker, leave amid dissatisfaction by some church members over the circumstances of his departure. Now, everything I just said is my opinion. SBC Elites cite distinguished lawyer and Southern Baptist Matthew Martens; however, Martens has written persuasively, Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), New intel points to Covid origin in a lab leak, remember when this was a, NAMB PR VP Mike Ebert emerges as key witness in McRaney v. NAMB What will, Briefing: What You Need to Know About the First Baptist Naples Crisis, Neo-Marxist Southern Baptists turn Stalinist after election defeat, Who Can Preach? ", Two members of the counting committee, he said, have admitted to leaking confidential early voting results from Saturday night to a lay leader in the church "who then used that information, we believe, to compromise the process.". To be blunt, it stinks and the whiff of corruption I detect is an autocratic sense of entitlement, with a touch of greed, perhaps, as well. FBA@FBALions.org. So sick of this hate and evil which is exactly what this all is. Sadly, friction in the pastoral transition at FBC Naples has been present from the outset. 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. And they said, Surely, you will not die. Marcus Hayes based upon prejudice, our church loves all people of all colors equally," Stearns wrote. FBC Naples also sent several cease and desist letters from prominent law firm, Holland & Knight, to several church members suspected of having involvement with the Voices of FBCN email. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. The actions described in this article, which by the way are just the tip of the iceberg, were unloving, ungodly, and unbecoming of pastors charged with shepherding Gods flock. (Hayes this month took his first senior pastor position at a church in Texas.). Church leaders at First Baptist Church Naples have blasted a faction of their congregation, alleging "racial prejudices" contributed to a failed vote late last month to name a black man. If this were a Calvary Chapel organization, or any other offshoot of Chuck Smiths piracy, no one would be surprised. Bunch of old white guys with too much time on their hands and too many books in their personal theology libraries. It does not suddenly make a point valid or invalid. Havent hurt enough yet. However, Mancini added that the situation at FBC Naples was not typical but did not want to comment on the unique circumstances at the church. I dont think that it was right how they treated him. This happened just three days after the church vote concerning Marcus Hayes. If I had known that, there would have been no resignation whatsoever.. Im too far away to comment on the specific allegations, but whatever the truth of each, its pretty clear that youve got at least two strong factions in church leadership, and possibly also the church as a whole, which need to have a come to Jesus moment in terms of this is how you do, and this is how you do not do, ministry., The utter disrespect shown previous Pastor Wicker is atrocious and unchristian to say the least. We have read so many of our traditions back into the New Testament, and tried to make them fit. Quite the contrary the creedal history of the church was arguably constructed to exclude precisely the kind of views that were being espoused. Have attended a lot of Southern Baptist Churches. So we are ambassador-soldiers, reaching out to sinners with the truth even as we make every effort to destroy the lies and other forms of evil that hold them in deadly bondage. Catholic Idolaters Claim to Find St. Peters BonesAgain. What a great and wise man of God he is? 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.. Marcus D. Hayes, a pastor from Hendersonville, North Carolina, was brought before the church congregation on the weekend of Oct. 26 and 27 by the church'spastor search committee to affirm him as the next senior pastor. Now with COVID-19 churches this size are facing a very quick death. Wicker said the church never responded to his letter. We are frankly disappointed that no resolution is making it impossible as at now for all the lovely folks within Naples to move forward. More about this ministry: Welcome to First Naples! Totally the act of Satan in this issue because where the Spirit of the Lord is there is peace. Give Online Mission Trips Serve at First Naples Connect With Us Need Prayer? Following worship services on December 7 and 8, receptions were held to honor Edies six years at the church. Wicker said that during the meeting, the men confronted him with an anonymous letter that accused Wicker of financial impropriety, such as not tracking his miles on a church-leased vehicle. Garippa, who was never part of Concerned Members of FBCN, declined to comment on why he left FBC Naples. Such a loving bunch, arent they?!). But with all due respect, be careful commenting on things you dont understand or have first hand knowledge of. More than 450 emails in support of Hayes were received by the church in the past four days, Dorrill said during the Nov. 2 service. ", "While racial issues were brought into play, and horrifically there indeed were some who did not approve Rev. Theyve even released an open letter to the SBC with the same claim. The church staff alleged that racism was behind the rejection. For the church's leadership, "it exposed a sickness in what we characterize as a cancer within our fellowship," he continued in the letter, which also asked for forgiveness from Hayes and his wife and "any other person who has been offended, hurt, or damaged by the outcome" of the vote. What would Jesus make of Wokeness intersectionality, and indeed, the movement for resegregation by some of those who are of the Prominent Woke, in light of Galatians 3:28? Am I not allowed as a deacon and 15+ year member of the church to ask questions about leaders who in my opinion have lied and deceived the church for political gain? The biggest reason most did not vote yes, had to do with the fact that people didnt think it was fair to ask Marcus to uproot his family and relocate to a church that was in COMPLETE turmoil and had a leadership that was REFUSING to acknowledge it. "We know this because of the campaign that started just days before by a few disgruntled people in our church.". 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. The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. Until this happens FBCN will be a former great ministry. Well-sourced. The petition for a special business meeting was never even ACKNOWLEDGED by the leadership is a Violation of the bylaws. 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. 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. Regardless of who is at fault for what, this is NOT what Church should be. Caudill added that Dorrill advised Caudill that any pastoral candidates suggested by Wicker would be dead on arrival., In the months leading up to Wickers resignation, the church hired Auxano, a church consulting company, to advise the church on the pastoral transition process. I guess I missed this one. No, Again. If I had known that, there would have been no resignation whatsoever., I was shocked that they would make this immediate. And as for Neil Dorrill, that was also brought up well before the arrival of Marcus. This is a warning to all Southern Baptists. {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.} "Unfortunately our church familys business has become fodder for spotlight-seeking bloggers and others who are commenting about Christians whom they do not know personally, and slandering a church that they know little about," Sonya Stearns, a member of the church, said in an email to the Daily News. Of course, it is obvious you have a vested interest in attacking those putting out the facts. The removal of the original pastor and his ENTIRE family, the threats to members from a law firm, and the mere fact that they were not abiding by their own by-laws are just a few of the issues going on. Visit: firstnaples.org/media. All of the events need to be understood in the context of the overriding event and the church governance that permitted this to happen. In the email, the group warned that Hayes had endorsed Woke Church, a book that the email claimed was promoting cultural Marxism., The email also objected to Hayes reportedly saying that he rejects the concept that a person can look at a person of color and see no color. The authors wrote, Paul is clear to us in Philippians 3:2-10 that we are to have no confidence in the flesh of our ethnicity.. JUST STOP THE HATE. How about Luke 16:11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Men who run a church into so much debt that it is soon bankrupt with one plague of pestilence, why do we believe Jesus gave such man any true riches or wisdom at all? A movement, to direct and shape the policies and testimony of the church is quite a thing. ", "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!" I am sickened by the way he was treated and am grateful for this exposure. But am I not allowed to vote based on my opinion without being called a racist? We live in UK now as did Naples Baptist 1st Associate Minisiter but come to Naples Baptist every Dec/Jan. And second, Mr. Hayes did nothing to convince me that he would embrace me as a disgraced member of the church. It may not be sorted out down here but everyone has to give an account, and especially those in leadership positions of the Lords Church for whom He died. However, no one even begins to acknowledge that this system is the product of Hayes ministry. There is no room in our Gospel for racism, none whatsoever. Church leadership announced that a new senior pastor was not hired because the nominee failed to meet the 85% approval threshold. Namely Hayes Wicker. Hayes pastoral appointment of doing so out of racial prejudice and announced that Wicker said in late October, when FBC Naples excommunicated the 18 members, it also stopped paying him his severance. It isnt white people who have turned on the evil and hate. Naples, FL 34109 (239) 597-2233. 1-877-582-9246. . I am Caucasian from Eastern Europe. We cant wait to meet you and get you connected! Garippa said The Naples Gathering has 350 to 400 people attending, 85-percent of whom are former FBC Naples members. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Upvote 1 Downvote. I am not lesser or better, but different. "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. At the same time, some members were concerned about some of his social media posts that might indicate support for a pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ Democrat presidential candidate, his endorsement of the problematic book Woke Church, his blocking some FBCN members on his social media platforms, and other theological, political, and administrative issues. I believe Hayes was rejected because of racism. close to Wicker, contacted Pulpit & Pen with disturbing details I was preparing to speak before the largest crowd we would ever have, he said. They make me want to Puke profusely second only to Calvary Chapel. Your Connection Portal. It also appears that the SBC concluded too soon who was in the right. We also contacted Marcus Hayes and Biltmore Church about the alleged emails but they declined to comment. weekend the congregation failed However, CT said it was not able to confirm whether Biltmore Church received such communications. Find a local church Explore; Giving; App; Sign In; Find a Church; Florida; Naples, FL Connect with the reporter at patrick.riley@naplesnews.com or on Twitter @PatJRiley. emails from the accused church members reveal that dissenters were 11,847 were here. Kenneth Bonnett, pastor of communications for the church, declined to offer specifics about the church's allegations, saying "it would not be proper for us to share that content openly.". The shooting drew national headlines, outrage and questions about whether race factored into the officers decision to open fire. 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. Greear, SEBTS President Danny Akin, and Rev. 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). This remains an elephant in the room at every worship service at that church. For these crimes, he was wrongly treated, humiliated, and denied even basic due process, and most certainly treated anything but Christ like. I can tell you not a single thing mentioned above played a role in my vote. Wicker, a former President of the Florida Baptist Convention and the SBC Pastors' Conference, was such a high-profile leader and fundraiser for Baptist causes that his retirement was covered by Baptist Press, which reported the following on February 4th: Let us pray for you. Curious timing of raising those concerns. Click on the link below to see how you can use your gifts and talents for the Kingdom, from Naples to the nations! I certainly agree with you wholeheartedly, Grant. You may recall this line from his I have a dream speech: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I believe Dr. King was right. hating even the garment polluted by the flesh (Jude 23). Naples Christmas Celebration. The congregation must find a way to publicly be able to bring Hayes Wicker and his family back into this fellowship as loved and former members. Akins son, Jonathan Akin, is currently serving as interim pastor at FBC Naples. Interesting. But we are not merely ambassadors. In November, just weeks after the church excommunicated 18 members, John Garippa, a longtime FBC Naples member who led two popular Bible Studies at FBC Naples, left the church. Hundreds of members have left the church. We reached out to Dorrill, but he refused to answer any questions. their sin. Wickers hopes for a smooth transition have been dashed. So is my wife. To make matters worse, FBC Naples is implementing church discipline procedures which are in direct violation to those set forth by Jesus in Matthew 18. 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. We are grateful to the Lord for His continued blessing upon the school ministry of First Baptist Church Naples. 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. For sales or technical support please click here. 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