Greg Swenson letter - worth a read
Oct 29, 2023 6:34:05 GMT -5
BobWilliston, snow, and 4 more like this
Post by Admin on Oct 29, 2023 6:34:05 GMT -5
Subject: A month of visits
Dear workers and friends,
Some of you have been wondering how my travels have gone since leaving my field a month ago. During this time I’ve had more than thirty in-person visits with people who are concerned about the state of our fellowship. Every day there are additional phone communications from concerned people. I would like to share with you some of what I have learned.
Many, many people are still hurting. This hurt comes from numerous places—abuse, grief, betrayal, broken trust—the list goes on. I don’t claim to understand all the root causes. What I do know is this is not a time to say, “It’s not my problem” or “There’s nothing I can do.” We don’t have to be a therapist to reach out to people, sit together with them, listen with heart and learn from their experiences. Justifying, defending, or rationalizing to others how they “should” feel negates any benefit.
Compassionate listening can be accompanied by a willingness to help. A survivor friend recently said, “I wish they would just ask–What can I do to help?” This is the fruit Jesus said would mark a true prophet, the works James told us would prove our faith is not dead.
Along the way I’ve also had opportunity to visit with people who have other concerns. They fear that people are talking too much about negative things, or that doctrine is changing, or that people are losing their salvation. These are times to ask ourselves, “What am I afraid of?” Is the great God who we have put our trust in not able to preserve what is truly of him? Could he, in fact, be helping us see some ways in which we didn’t get it right?
Isaiah’s plea rings clear again, “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell my people their transgression.” We need to acknowledge and turn from evil and complicity to evil. After seven months, it seems we still have not come to this place of collective repentance. It’s not for us to tell people to ‘move on’ after two months, or five months, or any number of months, because they and God alone will decide when that time is.
Ones who step away or take a pause from meetings are frequently labeled as ‘the falling away.’ I have personally met with many of these friends, and I encourage you to do the same. The reality is that many people have left or have been driven out over the years for doing and saying what is right. Our operations have not been acceptably safe for women and children, despite leadership being previously warned of certain sexual predators. As someone recently wrote, “Stepping away from taking direction from someone who is showing questionable integrity is not the same thing as turning your back on God.”
For many, confidence in the ministry is still non-existent. Hearing words like, “Trust us, we are Spirit-led” doesn’t work, because those were the same words spoken before when wolves roamed freely in the sheep pen. I invite you to show humility and call together your ‘adversaries’ to know their concerns and how God’s Spirit is speaking through them. It helps greatly to listen introspectively and with self-reflection. Communicate regularly so that others know where you stand and what you are learning.
As a final note, it is unfortunately a pattern in these times of crisis for a church to discredit the character of victim-survivors and those who advocate for change. We are being presented with difficult information that challenges our perceived beliefs, and this may reflect poorly on our previous decision-making. I’ll share a few additional thoughts here in response to questions that have been asked:
1. My coworker and I made it clear in many conversations this year that we don’t desire to be ‘overseer.’ The alarming number of ‘bad apples’ who have been found in the overseer position through decades should cause all of us to stop and question the nature of a role that can foster poor behavior and unchecked spiritual authority. As it says in 2 Corinthians 1:24, ministers are not to have dominion over your faith, but are to be “helpers of your joy.” Many are asking how we can move in the direction of sharing burdens with others, as we read of in the book of Acts, so there can be better safety, accountability, and addressing of needs.
2. Listening to victims-survivors and having conversations about scripture-based changes to reverse a culture of abuse is not ‘making a following.’ I’ve seen peers also accused of creating a following simply for being a listening ear. Is this not a work for many to be doing? Jesus made it clear that the shepherd’s heart would be moved to leave the ninety-nine and go after the one. There are many ‘ones’ right now. There’s no need to bring an agenda, just a love for fellow humans, like Jesus. We will find that this kind of openness fosters good relations, and causes us to come away feeling that we received more than we gave.
3. Jesus said, “Whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Paul wrote, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” I firmly believe in and have taught this foundation of Christ. We know the storm will wash away what is sand, and the fire will burn up what is wood, hay or stubble. If anything of our own words and actions has been such, we should invite God’s cleansing, that only what is firm and secure will remain.
Your brother,
Greg Swenson
630-[redacted]
greg.swens@[redacted]