Attached below is a copy of the note I sent to Kevin Richardson, Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Conference, Churches of God, General Conference on the day after he sent me the list of the seven causes for the ERC Standing Committee's action to recommend that I be defrocked.
Read it over. If God is willing, I will make comments at a later time. And, if God is willing, I will respond, in time, to each of the charges leveled against me.
For now, let me contribute this: I am intrigued by Kevin's choice of the verb "discussed" that I quote in my note and, along with that, the fact that it took him six days to reply to my request for the cause of the Ad Council's action.
One other note: Kevin has not yet responded to the note copied below, which I sent four weeks ago today. Therefore, this is the end of the conversation to this point.
Blessings and love to you all,
bill
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Kevin,
Thank you for sending me the list "causes as discussed by the Standing Committee."
I must say that, in my opinion, in several instances, they misrepresent the truth as I understand it and that they also indicate interpretations of Scripture with which I disagree and which, more to the point, have no authority whatsoever in teachings and practices embraced in We Believe or in any other authoritative CGGC document. Because our polity is presbyterial, even you, the Standing Committee and the Administrative Council are bound to submit to the authority of those documents.
I am deeply grieved that you passed judgment on me without engaging me in conversation before you took these actions. I wish you had allowed me to defend myself and to explain my personal beliefs and actions according to our teachings and practices and polity before you led actions that, inevitably, will lead to further grief for all parties involved.
Because I was not approached and given opportunity to explain and defend myself--or even to repent of what you see as my sins--the actions of the Standing Committee and the Administrative Council, in themselves, seem to me to be disobedient to the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus and His early followers.
Oh, if you had only offered me the opportunity to repent! How could you not have done that!
I must to admit that I am confused because it seems to me that some of the biblical causes for the action taken against me by the Standing Committee actually condemn the Standing Committee and the Administrative Council which unanimously accepted its recommendation.
Because these actions have already been taken, I can only note that, as I recall the ordination vows I took many years ago, I vowed to surrender my ordination if the Conference called for it. To this point, the Conference has not taken that action.
I hope you understand how significant and life-altering the action taken by you, the Standing Committee and the Administrative Council is for me and for my family as well as for the Churches of God congregation with which I gather.
Sadly, it seems to me that, based on what I see as the Standing Committee's and Administrative Council's unbiblical attacks on my integrity and ministry, it appears now to be too late to have conversation about these matters. Rest assured, however, that I believe it is necessary for me to defend myself and my ministry by all the means that remain available to me.
I am more deeply grieved than I can tell you that I have been put in the position I am in. It is my hope that God's Kingdom will not be damaged as we resolve this difference. In fact, it is my hope that, by His miraculous and gracious power, He will use our differences to advance His Kingdom when all is said and done. I hope that the Conference and you will act in the future with the same goal in mind.
I continue to pray for Ruth and for you.
Blessings,
bill
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