Deeply Saddened

I am intentionally not posting the link to the website and the blog to which I here refer. There is a website and a blog site that are all about the pastoral mistakes, and problems that are happening at Bellevue Baptist Church since Steve Gaines came on as their senior pastor.

My wife reads the blog, I do not. She does read some of the "better" postings to me, the "eyuu"'s, the "ahh"'s, and the "ah ha"'s, and I think that is cathartic for her.

Communications are not occurring. Repentance is not occurring. Forgiveness is not occurring. Self-glorification is occurring, humility is not occurring. Self-agrandizement and hagiography (leader worship) are common. There is an air of "gottcha," and an attitude of "you-can't-touch-God's-anointed." I cannot tell you how sad and distressed this entire situation makes me.

Isaiah 52:5
"Now therefore, what do I have here," declares the LORD, "seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?" Again the LORD declares, "Those who rule over them howl, and My name is continually blasphemed all day long."

Romans 2:24
For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.

The short and the long of this is: the entire situation at Bellevue Baptist Church is negatively impacting the work of soul-winners, missions work overseas, and it is destroying the fellowship at Bellevue itself; people are leaving that church. It may yet destroy the relationship between Bellevue and Mid America Baptist Seminary. It appears to this lover of Jesus, and Baptist non-Bellevue preacher, that things are going Satan's way fast.

Please pray for repentance, restitution, and fellowship at Bellevue Baptist Church; that the Kingdom of God be increased and Bellevue Baptist Church be restored to her former glory. There is much to be done for this to occur.