The ARP Church — A Church About Nothing

I was late getting home, and I was hungry. When I walked in the house, in the living room, parked around the television, were my five teenage children, my mother, my wife, and our dog, Rennie. I went into the kitchen and got a bite to eat. Walking back into the living room, the conversations were about some crazy thing Phoebe had done and her horrible singing about a smelly cat. They were watching the new series, Friends.

I was intrigued. What kind of program was Friends that it brought all the members of my family together and seized their attention for 30 minutes?

I was told that Friends wasn’t about anything. It was the story about a group of friends who got together to “hangout” and talk and talk and talk and talk about inane things. In other words, Friends was a show about nothing. And, amazingly, for ten years, Friends, a show about nothing, dominated TV ratings. Americans were fascinated by people talking about nothing!

All Presbyterian denominations today are in decline, but, the one that is the most like Friends is the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPChurch). When asked, “What is the ARPChurch about?” Nothing seems to be the answer.

Recent Goings-on at Erskine

(1)

Erskine is still embroiled in the charter schools fiasco which cost the college a million dollars. This matter is still in litigation and how much this will cost in lawyer fees is uncertain. However, some monies have been found with the help of the Federal Government. It appears Erskine received more than $200,000 in USAID monies. Also, a couple of donors had the good sense to die and leave the college with a couple of million dollars. As I understand it, that’s how Erskine was able to get off probation with SACS.

However, the matter of Charter schools is still a gnawing problem. Erskine blundered into the affairs of Florida, and I understand the matter is now in Federal Court. (See Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, article in March .) Once again, how does one spell legal fees?

With the closing of Limestone University, Gaffney, SC, Erskine no longer has a partner in the charter school business. With thousands of students involved in the Charter school program that Erskine oversees, one has to ask, “Is the tail wagging the dog?”

(2)

On May 8, did you receive an email from the Erskine Alumni Association asking alums (and others) to come to the campus on June 9-13 to paint, clean, and pull weeds? A few weeks ago the Erskine President was bragging that Erskine was in good financial condition. Well, why can’t they afford yard care?

(3)

Once known as the college of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, it is now nearly impossible to find an ARP student in Due West. Once known as a Christian college where Christ was held preeminent and the Christian faith was clearly and categorically affirmed, that, according to a number of life-long Due Westers, is not the condition today. (The last chaplain was a Charismatic who was into the Health and Wealth Gospel; and Erskine no longer has a chaplain.) Once known as a bright star of academic achievement, Erskine is now a college of sports programs for those who can’t make it in Division 1 schools. Today, there are more athletes on the campus than there are people!!

Like Friends, Erskine has devolved into a show about nothing.

Something to ponder: with the recent closing of Limestone University and St. Andrews University, Laurinburg, North Carolina, can Erskine be far behind?

Chuck Wilson Derangement Syndrome Grows

(1)

In the documents for the meeting of General Synod is a paper written by Rev. R. Garison Taylor, Pastor, Frostproof ARPC, Frostproof, Florida (weekly worship attendance, 45) ; Rev. Gil Martin, Pastor, Sharon ARPC, Sharon, SC (weekly worship attendance, 20); and Rev. Phillip Mayberry, Pastor, Covenant Reformed Church, West Jefferson, NC, (weekly worship attendance, 51). The paper is entitled “Index 11, Special Committee to Investigate Allegations against Tom Shoger.”

The paper is the report of a special committee appointed to deal with allegations filed by Brion Holzberger, John Calvin Grier, John Cook, RJ Gore (members of the Minister and His Work Committee), and Seth Yi (former Moderator of Second Presbytery) against Tom Shoger, alleging, “Shoger prejudiced the truth, prejudiced the good names of the undersigned” when he accused the Minister and His Work Committee of Second Presbytery of bias in dealing with matters regarding Chuck Wilson.

In the course of the work of the special committee, Brion Holzberger (layman), John Calvin Grier (layman), and Seth Yi left the jurisdiction of the ARPChurch when their congregations withdrew from the ARPChurch. It is alleged “they fled.” No, they withdrew from the persecution of unjust judges.

As expected, the special committee exonerated Tom Shoger. What was not expected is the manner in which the members of the committee did it. The special committee launched into a diatribe, in a fit of Chuck Wilson disarrangement, writing, that since the Minister and His Work Committee did not hang Chuck Wilson, anything Tom Shoger said or did was appropriate and excusable.

(2)

I know a little something about Taylor, Martin, and Mayberry. An important task was handed over to Little Leaguers.

I was at Taylor’s examination for ministry. He didn’t do so well. I have had conversations with Mayberry, and he came across as the self-righteous, reject from the PCA he is. I have never met or spoken with Martin, but one thing is for sure: in his pastoral leadership, like Taylor and Mayberry, he has lead his congregation to a time of extraordinary shrinkage. The combined weekly worship attendance of the three congregations is less than 130.

I can only ask these men one question: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME? How is it you have time to serve on a special committee when your congregations are dying? Churchy, pietistic, Puritan jargon does not justify a failed pastorate for a man who calls himself “pastor.”!

(3)

I don’t have a problem when people attack me. After 17 years, I have become accustomed to it.

However, I’m still agitated when detractors revert to half- truths, obfuscation, and mis-statements arising because of faulty research.

For example:

1. The following is alleged: “The repeated emphasis on money led us to the discovery that Chuck Wilson used Cardinal Commercial Properties, LLC, which is owned by Robert Brissie, who is married to Chuck’s daughter, Tanisha, who is listed as one of the two selling agents at the company. This arrangement monetarily benefited Mr. Wilson’s family members, who testified in favor of him before 2nd Presbytery’s M&HWC (see Exhibit A). Meanwhile, members of Second Presbytery, whom we have interviewed, were unaware of this family/business connection.”

How wrong is this?!? Well, let me count the ways.

(1) Rob Brissie is NOT my son-in-law. Tanisha is NOT my daughter. Tanisha is my niece, and she is married to Rob. (2) I engaged Cardinal Realty to be Second Presbytery’s agent at the behest of the Stewardship Committee: they knew who Rob is, they gave me permission to act, and they directed me to engage Cardinal Realty. (3) For 20 years, the mantra was that the people who were overseeing the buildings and properties of collapsed congregations couldn’t sell them, and an ode of woe was chanted, bemoaning the taxes and upkeep which were sinking the presbytery financially. Cardinal Realty was chosen because it is one of the most successful real estate businesses in the Upstate. And, as expected, the properties were sold. (4) Over a 6 year period, in written and verbal reports to Second Presbytery, the relationship I have with Rob Brissie was clearly stated time and time again. No one challenged it. There was no coverup. The actions of the Stewardship Committee could not have been more transparent. The work of the Stewardship Committee in selling the properties was lauded many times. (5) Flatly, the members of the special committee didn’t do their homework. And, yes, of course, Cardinal Realty collected a commission. I didn’t receive a penny. And Cardinal Realty wasn’t enriched. It was just another commission along with many others in a highly successful business. (6) If Harper Price was not aware of what was taking place, it was because he rarely attended meetings, didn’t read the minutes of presbytery, and had his head under a rock where he usually keeps it. And the same can be said of anyone else who said they were unaware. The members of the Special Committee didn’t do their work. In a frenzy of pique against Chuck Wilson, they were too busy stabbing themselves in the eyes and couldn’t see what was in front of them.

The ARPChurch, as long as I can remember has been dirt poor. Chuck Wilson raised $7,000,000 for the ARPChurch. There is still over $6,000,000 in the Second Presbytery Fund. The final payment of $1,000,000 on the Faith property in Austell, GA, was recently paid to General Synod. You would think someone would think to say, “Thank you, Chuck! We have never had $7,000,000 in undesignated funds before!” Well, is there envy on the part of the members of the special committee? If they worked in the business world, they wouldn’t have jobs.

2. The duplicitous manner in which the committee dealt with John Cook and RJ Gore is shameful. The committee writes, (1) “We wish to state that we do not believe Rev. Cook was malicious or misleading in any way”; and (2) “As with Mr. Cook, our committee does not believe that R.J. Gore was malicious, or knowingly engaged in a coverup or in protecting Chuck Wilson.” Then they proceeded to do the opposite: twisting, molding, and taking out of context much of what Cook and Gore said. This is a form of gaslighting. It’s also called lying. Actually, Cook and Gore were beat on and disrespected by the committee.

3. It’s a small thing, but it is humorous. If you don’t know, I am blind and disabled. The members of the special committee make much of the fact that Scott Cook drove me to Synod a number of times. They failed to mention that Patrick Malphrus also did this, as did others. The person I usually rode with to meetings of presbytery was Eric Skaar, who lives nearby. Well, one can’t expect these smart guys to be bothered with details!

4. I’m surprised the three wisemen didn’t say more about Scott Cook, the man who was the chairman of the Minister and His Work Committee. They didn’t mention that Scott and the Oconee Presbyterian Church withdrew to the PCA.

In the past, it has been insinuated that Scott fled to the PCA to avoid the jurisdiction of the ARPChurch. No, he didn’t. He left the ARPChurch because he was done with the injustice of unjust judges, and he was weary of dealing with men of small or no vision for the church.

Neither did they mention the loss of the Oconee Presbyterian Church as tragic — a congregation with a weekly attendance of 250 for worship and 100 for the evening service. For Easter, the attendance was 300. I wonder how many ARP congregations had an attendance of 300 for Easter! Also add a building program of $5,000,000 for a new sanctuary. And, no, I do not attend worship there.

Nor did they mention that Dr. Cook asked his PCA presbytery to investigate the matters in which he was embroiled. After two years, an impartial committee, having examined ALL the documentation, found that Dr. Cook did not act improperly.

5. Taylor, Martin, and Mayberry attempted to bring my son, Matt Wilson into this matter. As far as the allegations by members of the Minister and His Work Committee of Second Presbytery against Tom Shoger, Matt had nothing to do with that. Actually, in attacking John Cook, the claim that Matt rejoined the White Oak Presbyterian Church is false. He did not. He has no interest in affiliating with an ARP congregation. Matt no longer lives in Senoia, GA. He now lives in Alpharetta, GA. That’s a long drive to Senoia.

6. There is much more to note; however, I’m not going to do it. I’m weary of this. I know people are going to believe what they want to believe, regardless. And let me tell you how I know this: in two years, no one in the ARPChurch has called me asking me to give my side.

The work of Taylor, Martin, and Mayberry as unjust judges is a disappointment. I’m reminded of the old maxim: “Ignorance can be fixed, but stupid is forever.” These are “forever” men. And, on the basis of the work they do as pastors, I’m willing to say, if they were farmers, they could not grow weeds. The ARPChurch is not the place where the brightest and best go to shine and achieve; rather, it is the place where the dullest and dumbest go to fade and fail!

This special committee is a new episode of Friends, and it’s about nothing. Let it go, boys! I’m in your rearview mirror. Is anything in your front window other than the sign reading, “Welcome to Mediocrity”?

You Can’t Make This Up!

At the last meeting of Second Presbytery, Pope Kyle Sims, His Fatness, Blessed be his name forever, and Stated Clerk of General Synod, brought allegations against Seth Yi, Peter Waid, Anthony Locke, and Jonathan Cook. Simply put, he wrote emails, saying, “I bring allegations against you.”

Yi, Waid, Locke, and Cook wanted to know what the specifications of the allegations were. So, in turn, they brought an allegation against Pope Kyle Sims, His Fatness, Blessed be his name forever, and Principal Clerk of General Synod, for failing to provide specifications.

After the dissolution of Second Presbytery by General Synod, Yi, Waid, Locke, Cook, and others withdrew from the ARPChurch and formed the Veritas Presbytery.

Weeks later, Yi, Waid, Locke, and Cook received emails from Buzzy Elder and Gil Martin who were appointed by Moderator John Barron of Catawba Presbytery to investigate the matter of the actions by Pope Kyle Sims, His Fatness, Blessed be his name forever, the Principal Clerk of General Synod.

Yi, Waid, Locke, and Cook no longer have standing in the ARPChurch or Catawba Presbytery. Why would a committee in Catawba ask these men for interviews? They have no standing. Is there an underlying agenda?

As a courtesy, they met with Elder and Martin. Yi, Waid, Locke, and Cook were unaware they were dealing with “snakes-in-the-grass.”

The findings by Elder and Martin were two: (1) Pope Kyle Sims, His Fatness, Blessed be his name forever, Principal Clerk of General Synod, can do anything he pleases when he is acting ex cathedra on behalf of the ARPChurch; and (2) Yi, Waid, Locke, and Cook are terrible, bad, awful, mean, ungodly, horrible, schismatic people for leaving the ARPChurch.

The following is precious. When Pope Kyle Sims, His Fatness, Blessed be this name forever, Principal Clerk of General Synod, met with Elder and Martin he had with him an advocate, the Parliamentarian of General Synod, Patrick Malphrus, and they are hunting, fishing, and travel buddies. They are also the two-headed braintrust of the ARPChurch. Wow! the braintrust was out in force!

This reminds me of a scene in Alice in in Wonderland where the Queen of Hearts calls for her “fat boys,” Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. They are as dumb as rocks and incompetent beyond help. Can you identify which is Sims and which is Malphrus?

Like the three wisemen who make up the Special Committee, the great braintrust of the ARPChurch is made-up of two men who have never accomplished anything as pastors.

Once again, here is another episode of Friends, a story about nothing — Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

World Witness Is About Nothing!

Many of you in the ARPChurch think I’m opposed to missionaries and world missions. Well, I’m not.

When I entered the ARPChurch in the summer of 1972, the ARPChurch had a footprint in Mexico and Pakistan, and the Board of Foreign Missions was in the beginning stages of developing a footprint in Ethiopia. At that time, Dr. Cy Gettys was the director of Foreign Missions. In May of 1976, Dr. Gettys charged me at my ordination. I would not have used him and he would not have participated if I were against foreign missions.

To this day, I am baffled as to why ARPs are unwilling or ashamed to have a footprint in other countries.

This issue was the spark that actually ignited the present conflict in the ARPChurch.

For a number of years, Alex Pettit, the Executive Director of World Witness, desired ordination by Second Presbytery.

The reason I opposed his ordination was not because he did so poorly on his examination: for example, identifying the pronoun for the Holy Spirit as “it” and “she” instead of “He”.

I have witnessed many exams that were poor, and I have held my nose and voted to sustain the examinations and said little or nothing.

So why was I opposed? For two reason: (1) His position as Director of World Witness; and (2) It was because of a couple of conversations I had with him regarding missions.

I asked, “Why are you opposed to developing an ARP footprint in other countries?”

His answer went in this manner: (1) attempting to plant an ARP footprint in another country is a form of cultural and religious imperialism; (2) it is attempting to impose American values on other people as superior; (3) it is a disregard for the culture and history of another country; (4) it is a religious form of colonialism; (5) it is a failure to work with or recognize indigenous efforts; and (6) it is a reduplication of what others are doing on the mission field.

Does this sound like religious wokeism? Does it ooze a bit of Liberation Theology?

Well, I wonder, is planting a new ARP congregation in Greenville an unnecessary reduplication of resources? I wonder: how many ARP ministers are willing to say such a thing? Are you neo- Puritans willing to say that planting an ARP congregation across from a Methodist congregation is a reduplication of resources? No! You’re not willing to say that, are you? So, how come you’re willing to say it when it comes to foreign missions?

By the way, many of the old European Reformed denominations capitulated to Barthianism and liberalism long ago. There is nothing to work with. It’s like the PCUSA in the US. There is nothing to work with. The foundations have been destroyed. The patient is not sick; the patient is dead!

So, how does World Witness minister today?

According to a recent email from World Witness, a couple is returning home after a two year term of service. And what did they do? They attended to regular church duties, they volunteered to work with asylum seekers, they attended and participated in poetry events, they performed in prison concerts, attended musical events in churches, and they also performed in secular folk events.

Is that what the founders of Foreign Missions spent their lives for — some being martyred? I’m sorry, but this doesn’t sound like mission ministry. It sounds like a two year vacation paid by others. Would this be tolerated by ONA? And, if this is what the folks in the ARPChurch want as world ministry, welcome to it! But, please, have the integrity to call it what it is: let’s go vacationing and play!

This sounds a lot like Pearl Buck in the old northern Presbyterian Church. It is the sort of thing that has lead to the recent closing of the foreign missions agency of the PCUSA. The imperative of the Great Commission is now optional (or, maybe, it is fulfilled!) as far as the PCUSA is concerned.

Like Friends, this is a story about nothing!

Fare Thee Well!

I’m 79 and entering my 80th year of life. I am blind. I have beat cancer once. I am a diabetic. I have survived a heart attack. Four years ago, my cardiologist informed me I had two years to live — but I just won’t die. Presently, I am crippled with spinal issues, and it looks like I’m going to get to know a neuro- orthopedist better than I want to know him. I’m tired.

After more than 50 years, I’m particularly tired of the ARPChurch. I’m tired of wallowing in a septic field with fools, stupid people, and lazy men who define piety as sloth. (And, no matter the winner, everyone is left dirty and stinking!) In 50 years, I have seen the ARPChurch trade liberal theology and its prioritizing human knowledge, science and ethics over Biblical authority for a form of neo-puritanism which is legalistic, sanctimonious, LAZY, and a self-aggrandizing quest that sees individuals running to-and-fro polishing their piety rocks.

An old friend gave me some good advice. He reminded me of the words of W. C. Fields who said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again, and then give up. There is no use beating your brains out on a concrete wall!”

Well, I am tired of looking in the rearview mirror. My future is not in the ARPChurch. If invited to return to the ARPChurch, I wouldn’t do it.

At this point, I do not expect to use ARPTalk as a polemic tool to engage ignoble people who make a life of blithering over nothing and accomplishing nothing. I have no regard for such people. It’s time to see what is in the front window. A church about nothing is an episode of Friends. It’s a waste of time about nothing!