Anonymous Blogger Messes with Church… Church messes back…
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, April 13, 2009
- Viewed 331
- (26) comments so far
Here’s a bit more from an article in the Jacksonville paper:
The Rev. John Blount, executive pastor of administration, said he contacted Hinson directly regarding increased “vitriol” on the blog about the same time mail was stolen from the Brunson home and someone was surreptitiously photographing Brunson’s wife. Also, someone had contacted vendors lined up for the church’s annual pastors’ conference and made critical remarks about Brunson to them, Blount said.“We became concerned enough to ask law enforcement, ‘Is there the ability to find out where this is coming from?’ ” Blount said.
Police reports were not filed about the mail and photos, Blount said. The Sept. 29 police report launching the investigation quotes Blount telling police only about “an ongoing Internet incident that has possible criminal overtones.”At no time was the blogger accused of being behind the other incidents, Blount said.
Rich said he never stole mail, photographed Brunson’s wife or contacted vendors. Rich said he wonders if those issues were raised simply to obtain a subpoena to uncover the identity of a blogger critical of Brunson.
That was not the case, Blount said. In an age of church shootings and other violence, he said, they simply wanted to determine if any of the events were related.
Brunson said police have interviewed him about the photos and stolen mail. He refused to elaborate.
Rich said he launched his blog in August 2007 — more than a year after Brunson became the pastor — because he was alarmed by what he described as Brunson’s “abusive preaching,” especially during fund-raising campaigns.
The blog has included criticisms of Brunson’s $300,000 salary, his plan to open a church school, his construction of a “lavish” office suite, accepting a $307,000 land gift from church members for his home and putting his wife on the payroll.
Brunson declined to discuss his home and salary but maintained he is one of the lowest-paid mega-church pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention. He said people are welcome to criticize his preaching style and ministry goals, including the school, but usually do so openly, not anonymously.
Rich’s letter from the church cited his anonymity and sharp criticism as “a violation of Scripture” and church bylaws. He said the trespass warning came after he refused to appear before a discipline committee without a representative.
But Brunson said Rich’s persistent criticism over nearly two years indicates the writer has an “obsessive compulsive problem” and is “not very stable at all,” Brunson said.
“What you’re dealing with is a sociopath,” Brunson said.
“The imbalance is him refusing to address the concerns of his congregation,” Rich said of Brunson’s comments. Rich said his blog gets about 1,000 hits a day and that he regularly hears from people who agree with his criticisms but are afraid to come forward.
What do you think? How would you deal with an anonymous blogger dissing you?
It has all the makings of a soap opera. Mail is missing from the mega-church pastor's mailbox. Surreptitious pictures being taken of the pastor's wife. And calls to vendors of the church's annual conference being called to say bad things about the pastor. Add to that an anonymous blog that constantly attacks the pastor and his ministry. And the investigation of this blog by a sheriff's office investigator who attends the church, who finds the identity of the blogger and discloses it to the leadership. Finally, the pastor calls the blogger a 'sociopath' publically. All the while, the blogger says he just wrote a blog and didn't flash pics of the pastor's wife, make phone calls, or take the pastor's mail. It's all happening at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, and with popular SBC pastor Mac Brunson...
Comments
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JOB on Tue, April 14, 2009
The dude used a psuedonym, wrote some things about the church because he was afraid.
It’s the duty of our religious leaders to make themselves approachable and handle criticism with openness, honesty and grace.
Lawyer with a Gun on Wed, April 15, 2009
I just wanted to add my two cents here. Some have made blanket statements about anonymous bloggers when I’m not so sure that is the problem, at least in my opinion.
Disclosure (sort of): I am an anonymous blogger. I am an executive-level employee in a large church and also serve as its legal/public spokesperson. Anything I say or write is at risk of being misconstrued as official church position. This is a problem since some of my opinions do not reflect official church positions and may be considered controversial by some members. Rather than put my church or leadership in a position to have to deal with that, I keep my name and my church out of it. I don’t use my blog to criticize my church or its leaders. It wasn’t created for that purpose. I do, however, keep myself accountable by making sure that my pastor and a few friends know about my blog.
Going back to my original point, though, I don’t believe anonymous blogging is the problem. That’s just the voice. The problem is what we do with that voice. Sure, I would have handled this situation differently. But anonymity doesn’t make the blogger’s points any more or less valid.
Tom Dooley on Thu, April 16, 2009
First, the accusations about Dr. Brunson all are coming from an anomous source…now revealed of course. What he claims may not even be true and yet many are accepting the criticism of Dr. Brunson.
Let;s consider the main accusations. His salary… if it is true his salary is $300,000 that isn’t outrageous when you think of the churches budget or income. The church I pastor spends almost 50 percent of it’s income on me… I would imagine the percentage for Dr. Brunson is quite small in comparison. Also, the deal with his wife’s employment… the updated office space ect… if that was agreed upon when he was hired then I don’t see the problem. As far as the land goes and the home he had built. If I were in Dr. Bruson’s shoes… addressing some of the controversial issues he must address ... and doing so on TV twice a week in Jacksonville… and in other cities across the nation… I would want a place where I knew that my families safety would not be an issue. If I were in his shoes a gated community would diffinitely be a consideration. As a pastor of smaller churches I have had to face times when some nut threatened not me but members of my family. When that happened I moved. I felt compelled to protect my family.
Previous pastors at First Jax had it pretty good too. Dr. Vines drove a Lexus… I saw it many times… a nice silver one. Remember also that for over 20 years First Jax supported two pastors. Dr. Vines and Dr. Lindsey. Both good men. Men that shared the load and responsibilities. Why should not Dr. Brunson be compensated as they were? He is doing twice the work!
I know I am biased toward pastors because I am one, but if I must err I will err on giving Dr. Brunson and the leadership of First Baptist Church the benifit of doubt. Every pastor has critics. If he doesn’t he;s not doing something right. Most pastors have had annonomous attackers as well..Mr. Rich joined a long line of cowards in my book.
Jan on Sat, April 18, 2009
What about using scripture as our basis for this situation?
Whether or not this anonymous blogger has a valid concern or is fearful, he is not following Matt. 18.
If he doesn’t have the guts to go to the person he has the concern with, then he should be disregarded.
1 Timothy 5:19
Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
Yvonne W. on Tue, April 21, 2009
Hello,
I would like to respond to the post by Aaron L. regarding Mosaic.
Dear Aaron,
I am a contributing writer to the Mosaic of Pain blog and I write my own called Solid Foods.
Mosaic’s executive pastor DID NOT go to the home of the ex-member you mentioned in your post to “try to make amends.”
This is what REALLY happened . . .
Mosaic threatened to take legal action against the the ex-member(a young man) and his father (a former pastor of Mosaic!) regarding the damage that the “original” Mosaic of Pain website (a MySpace page) was causing to their reputation so the younger man reluctantly AGREED to take down the site.
Before doing so however, as a last act of protest, this young man installed a reverse counter on the site (to count down the days until the site would be dismantled) and embedded a video clip from the movie, “X-Men 2” which showed the scene where Mystique sacrifices her mutant abilities to save Magneto only to be dismissed by him with the cruel words, “Sorry, you’re not one of us.”
Mosaic responded to this by sending 3 of their leaders, UNANNOUNCED and AT NIGHT to the home of this family for an alleged “meeting.”
The father was not at home at the time and since there were younger siblings present, the leaders were denied access.
THE VERY NEXT MORNING, the local police arrived at the family’s home to investigate an alleged “threat” against Mosaic that had been phoned in by the leadership of Mosaic!
The police concluded their investigation and found no basis for such an allegation.
I believe this action by Mosaic was a deliberate attempt to intimidate a critic into silence.
The “original” Mosaic of Pain MySpace page was deleted but the name and site content was picked up by OTHER former members of Mosaic with similar stories to tell. The new writers at the Mosaic of Pain website are not so easily cowed.
If you will do a more careful reading of the many posts made at Mosaicofpain.com you will discover that the majority of the “anonymous” posts made there were created by SUPPORTERS OF MOSAIC.
To this day, Mosaic has failed to respond to the many, well documented and at times serious, criticisms aimed against it by it’s own former members and former leaders.
NOT an “anonymous” poster,
Yvonne W.
Solid Foods Blogspot
lesson plans for sunday school on Fri, April 24, 2009
sunday school lessons
Sunday school teachers should plan lessons in fear of God and seeking words in prayer and in humble and love the word of God should be thought or preached to the people or any kind of sheep - Pauli
Chris on Mon, April 27, 2009
Just a thought…so what if he makes a salary and adds his wife to the church payroll…if she is qualified to be a secretary who cares…secondly, Christian school are still legal…give me a break…
Bob on Fri, May 29, 2009
Tom Dooley - Vines did NOT drive a Lexus. Silver or any other color. He drove a cream colored Lincoln Town car, just like Dr. Lindsey did. Vine’s wife drove a Lincoln also, it was not a Town Car, but perhaps a Mark IV.
Why are you lying about seeing him drive a Lexus? Many times? And silver?
Tom Dooley on Tue, June 02, 2009
Bob,
Where are you. Are off somewhere calling someelse a liar?
Tom Dooley
John-Musca on Sat, September 05, 2009
Hello,
Need help resetting my password.
Thank you,
<a >John Musca</a>
Tom Dooley on Wed, September 09, 2009
Bob and others,
I did not lie about Dr. Vines having a Lexas. Read for yourself and article from the Jax news ... http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/012806/met_vines.shtml check it out. I forgive you for your slander.
Have a nice day Bob!!!!
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