The elders of Grace community church in Sun Valley, California, have responded to a story from Christianity Today (CT) accusing Pastor John MacArthur and the elders at GCC of abusive counseling that frequently sides with the abuser rather than the victim.
The story, which has disgraced journalist Julie Roys licking her chops at another opportunity to take a swing at the church leadership, recounts the actions taken by Hohn Cho, an elder at GCC, who resigned last year over actions taken by the church regarding reports on David and Eileen Gray. CT summarizes:
Last year, Hohn Cho concluded Grace Community Church had made a mistake.
The elders had publicly disciplined a woman for refusing to take back her husband. As it turned out, the woman’s fears proved true, and her husband went to prison for child molestation and abuse. The church never retracted its discipline or apologized in the 20 years since.
As a lawyer and one of four officers on the elder board at Grace Community Church (GCC), Cho was asked to study the case. He tried to convince the church’s leaders to reconsider and at least privately make it right. He said pastor John MacArthur told him to “forget it.” When Cho continued to call the elders to “do justice” on the woman’s behalf, he said he was asked to walk back his conclusions or resign.
The article goes on to recap Julie Roys’ frequently shoddy reporting, which we’ve responded to several times, but in particular:
Judge Julie: Accusing a Shepherd
Roys vs. MacArthur: Anatomy of a Smear
A Brief Example of How Julie Roys Mixes Good Facts with Bad Narrative to Create a Bad Story
The CT article concludes by alleging that eight other anonymous women also received questionable counseling, though none would come forward.
“(They) recounted how they and others at Grace Community Church had been counseled to avoid reporting their husbands and fathers to authorities, to accept their apologies, and to continue to submit to them…the victims were regularly quoted Scriptures on forgiveness, trust, love, and submission—and were told to reconcile and return home even in cases where they feared for their safety and their children’s safety.”
Christianity Today would surely recognize abuse, given that just last year it was uncovered that sexual harassment and abuse went unchecked at their company for over a decade, coming from the highest levels of management.
In response to the article, the elders at Grace Church continue their long-standing practice of not commenting on personal issues of counseling and church discipline, writing:
“Grace Church’s elders do not discuss details publicly arising from counseling and discipline cases on social media, nor do we litigate disputes about such matters in online forums. Grace Church deals with accusations personally and privately in accordance with biblical principles. We do not respond to attacks, lies, misrepresentations, and anonymous accusations. Our church’s history and congregation are the testimony. Myriads of Grace Church members who have sought counsel at our church will testify that the counsel they receive is biblical, charitable, supportive, and liberating.”
