Ed Rosenberry and the CGGC First National Bank

Gang,

A few years ago, in calmer days, I told Ed Rosenberry that I read what he writes as carefully as I read the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah, of those of Peter, Paul and John and of my greatest heroes of the history of the Christian movement.

He replied by saying, "I wish you wouldn't."

In the last two months Ed has written items in his CGGC eNews that absolutely infuriate me as he details the brazen and light-hearted manor in which he defies the highest CGGC written authorities: The CGGC Mission Statement, We Believe and the 2013 CGGC Statement of Faith, all of which he had a significant hand in framing.

His January 17, 2014 eNews angered me so intensely that I couldn't read it through from beginning to end.  I had to stop reading and wait two days before I could be calm enough to start over and get from the beginning  to the end of it.  Even now, my heart is pounding.

Here's a summary of his words:

Tuesday this week Linda and I participated in the Global Leadership Summit gathering at Winebrenner Seminary.  The main event happened last August. . .but since then the Seminary has been hosting a quarterly luncheon for participants in the area to focus upon various aspects of leadership culture. . ..

Later on in the article, what Ed says begins to border on outright defiance of the CGGC written authorities to which he, as the Executive Director of the CGGC General Eldership, must submit.  He says (with my emphasis),

At the luncheon on Tuesday when the panel was asked as leaders how to implement change in a pre-existing institution like the Church, the University, or business they offered some key insights  It boiled down to genuinely caring for people (listening) and patiently presenting the need and the benefit of the proposed changes. . ..

That Ed would so enthusiastically accept the contention that the church is an institution at all indicates that what Ed believes rejects the Mission Statement, We Believe and the 2013 CGGC Statement of Faith. 

At least as disturbing to me is his (very shepherdy) assertion that implementing change in the church boils down to "caring for people."  This is theologically corrupt.  According to Jesus, everything among those who follow Him "boils down to," as Jesus says it, doing "the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mt. 7:21)

Ed's is dangerous theology at the most destructive level.  It is theology that, according to Jesus can result in people hearing Him confess, "I never knew you.  Away from me you evildoers." (Mt. 7:23)

Most importantly, and most offensively, is the way Ed begins his concluding paragraph (again the emphasis is mine):

I cite these few observations to highlight the merits of the whole. Linda and I sat at a table of bankers and it was quite interesting to learn that the leadership challenges in banking are not that much different than those in the Church.

I have no comment on this, only two questions:

1. Can the people of the CGGC think carefully about that remark based on what Jesus teaches regarding what it means to live in community as His disciples? 
2. Can anyone (with the apparent exception of Ed) imagine the Book of Acts being the story of the founding of a bank?