Dr. Michael Brown Accused of Inappropriate Relationship with Young Woman, Calls for Third Party Investigation
Author, apologist and The Line of Fire radio host Dr. Michael Brown has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a young woman who saw him as a father figure, according to new allegations by the Roys Report, which details grievances from incidents that occurred nearly 23 years ago.
In the article, author Rebecca Hopkins outlined a series of allegations from a woman named ‘Erin’ who claims that Brown, whom she called “dad,” would “frequently cross physical boundaries. He’d hold her hand, kiss her on the lips, and slap her bottom.”
The Roys Report also printed this allegation:
Erin said she would often leave short encouraging notes in Brown’s Bible, desk drawers, or coat pocket, and sometimes he’d write a note for her in return. So, she opened the drawer of his nightstand to hide a note for him when his handwriting on a yellow legal pad caught her eye. But she said Brown’s words described an inappropriate situation Brown had with a married woman associated with the Brownsville school.
The letter basically stated that they were having a talking relationship and how they would dream about having sexual relations with each other and what they wanted to do with each other, how she wanted to wrap her legs around him, how he played into it,” Erin said.
…In response, Erin said she confronted Brown about the letter. She said Brown told her that his wife was aware of the letter, and the matter between him and the other woman was over.
…TRR could not contact the woman, and her family declined to comment.”
Responding to Roys, Brown shared in a statement (posted in full below) that he was “shocked and horrified by the mix of accusations, allegations, false statements, and mischaracterizations” that have been levied his way and that he wholeheartedly supports his board’s “immediate decision to launch a thorough third-party investigation.”
“I can categorically state that in my 53 years in the Lord and more than 50 years with Nancy, I have never committed adultery or been sexually intimate with another woman, nor do the charges allege that.”
When we reached out to Brown, he reiterated his dismay that this was all being played out publicly, particularly because he’s been so eager and willing to reconcile with her directly after hearing her concern. He admits he related to her with the closeness, familiarity, and, at times, foolishness he would have a family member -even though she was not one, and he shouldn’t have done this. He offers in his statement:
“My interaction with her, although totally non-sexual in every way, reflected a definite lack of judgment on my part…(they were) certainly foolish and irresponsible – but neither sexual nor amorous in any way.”
Brown says that she confronted him in August 2002, after it occurred, and shared that it made her uncomfortable. Upon hearing this, he was mortified that she felt this way and pained by the discomfort he brought her. He apologized, they worked it out, and he truly believed it was water under the bridge.
“Nancy and I met with her immediately in the spirit of Matthew 18, I apologized to her from the heart, we talked things through together, after which, to our knowledge, everything was good between us. In the years that followed, at least through 2015, she contacted me sharing family updates, sending prayer requests, and checking in on Nancy and me.”
Brown was surprised to learn that she was still upset about it, which he learned after being reached out by Roys for a comment, and laments the fact that the claims are being released the way they are, saying:
“My highest priority, as well as Nancy’s, is to have the opportunity to meet together in a setting acceptable to her and bring healing, where I can take full responsibility for the things which apparently hurt her so deeply, things which I thought we addressed 23 years ago.
…If it’s true that for 23 years she has carried this pain and I am responsible for it, I am beyond mortified and would plead forgiveness and the opportunity to bring healing andrestoration. Her well being remains our priority.”
In recent weeks, very serious accusations have come to me and my board concerning events from
23 years ago. Upon receiving the news, both Nancy and I were shocked and horrified by the mix
of accusations, allegations, false statements, and mischaracterizations. That’s why we
wholeheartedly supported our board’s immediate decision to launch a thorough third-party
investigation.
I can categorically state that in my 53 years in the Lord and more than 50 years with Nancy, I
have never committed adultery or been sexually intimate with another woman, nor do the
charges allege that. Yet I must ask, in all humility and in the fear of the Lord, if an article on the
Roys Report is the best way to address these allegations and accusations. Does this glorify the
Lord, edify the Body, bring healing and restoration, or advance the cause of truth?
Nancy and I did have a relationship with the woman in question and considered her to be like a
family member, and she conducted herself as one who viewed our relationship the same way. But
she was not a family member, and aspects of my interaction with her, although totally non-sexual
in every way, reflected a definite lack of judgment on my part.
Before she relocated to another state in August 2002, she informed me that our interaction
months earlier had made her uncomfortable. And so Nancy and I met with her immediately in
the spirit of Matthew 18, I apologized to her from the heart, we talked things through together, after which, to our knowledge, everything was good between us. In the years that followed, at
least through 2015, she contacted me sharing family updates, sending prayer requests, and
checking in on Nancy and me. Naturally, we thought that everything was fine in every way. How
could we have known otherwise? As to allegations that I stifled those who questioned the nature
of our relationship, it is because they accused me of having an affair. Of course I rebutted those
ridiculous charges. At no time over the years did anyone approach me, asking me or my ministry
to conduct a third-party investigation.
The fact is that my actions towards her were certainly foolish and irresponsible – but neither
sexual nor amorous in any way– and my highest priority, as well as Nancy’s, is to have the
opportunity to meet together in a setting acceptable to her and bring healing, where I can take
full responsibility for the things which apparently hurt her so deeply, things which I thought we
addressed 23 years ago. Unfortunately, when Nancy and I learned through the Roys Report that
there was an offense towards me in this woman’s heart, we were not allowed to follow the
mandate of Jesus in Matthew 5:23-26, but only given the option of offering a response to an
article that would be released online. What happened to biblical process?
That being said, if it’s true that for 23 years she has carried this pain and I am responsible for it, I
am beyond mortified and would plead forgiveness and the opportunity to bring healing and
restoration. Her wellbeing remains our priority.
About Author
Men in the church who abuse young women (or young men or in any sexual sin) should be professionally destroyed. Likewise All good men need to be more reserved, more aware, and more self-protective, especially pastors. Satan gets a lot of mileage out of women who want attention and/or are willing to harm the body of Christ for attention or even for pay.
Many men don’t seem to be in touch with how offensive even slightly sexual innuendos are to women. I was having dinner with an old friend who was recently widowed, and he made a totally inappropriate comment to the young waitress. Yet he appeared oblivious when I addressed it. We need to do better at training what is appropriate interaction between men and women in the church…and everywhere as Christians.
1) Brown admits that his actions were “foolish and irresponsible”, which proves he did some things that he’s admitting were exceedingly inappropriate. You don’t call accidentally bumping into someone, or erroneously referencing them with the wrong name, foolish or irresponsible. SOMETHING untoward was going on there, Brown’s innocent-sounding labels notwithstanding.
2) Brown complains vociferously about the manner in which this was brought to the attention of the public. That is a separate issue, and has nothing to do with the accusations themselves. It is an obvious complaint that he is being accused, and a dishonest attempt to derail a discussion of the charges. The term “red herring” springs to mind.
3) Brown keeps bring up the Matthew passage as if that means this should have all been kept under wrap. All that passage teaches is that victims should go directly to the offender; that accusations should start at the lowest level. It says or implies nothing about any requirement to keep it from law enforcement or from the church as a whole. Christians caught in sin often do want and need things like this to be handled privately and then quickly put to rest, and they are not above misinterpreting and misapplying scripture to pressure accusers to do that.
4) Brown continually mentions that this happened two decades ago, as if that somehow changes the seriousness of the things he’s accused of. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything here. There is no statute of limitations on sin. If he does what he has tacitly admitted, it matters not if it was 23 years ago or 23 minutes ago.
5) If Brown did even half of what she insists he did, it is a sicken betrayal by a father figure, a clear moral failure on his part, and a shocking abuse by the part of a respected Christian leader, all of his frail and embarrassing excuses to the contrary. If the charges (notes of a sexual nature passed back and forth, kisses, swats across the behind, secrecy, etc.) are found true, Brown should no longer be in ministry.
6) This is no small matter, regardless of Brown’s attempts to make it so. We are called to a higher moral standard. This is no small example of a repeated and wrong moral choice. There is zero excuse for that kind of behavior, whether or not it constituted a full-blown sexual affair, or just foolish and irresponsible behavior on his part that went on for years. Responsible leaders cannot look the other way here.
7) Something immoral and possibly illegal was going on in private between the two. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Worse, where there is one offense of this sort, there is likely many more.
8) God weeps. His church suffers. His kingdom is damaged.
I agree agree that this would likely disqualify him from ministry. Though if it weren’t for the fact that he is a church leader in the ministry, I’d say she would be wrong to have brought up something from the past that was repented of, forgiven, and should’ve long been forgotten rather than sinfully holding a grudge. But that is not the case here because of the fact that he is in the ministry, and had been in the ministry for thirty years at that time. The Bible is clear on the qualifications for elders, and this would indeed be disqualifying. Though she certainly shouldn’t have waited twenty years to make it known. Withholding such disqualifying information would also be sinful.
If I understand the reports correctly, I believe the notes of a sexual nature are a separate allegation involving another woman. And that the young woman in question allegedly found those notes. Since Brown has not admitted that particular sin, then proving it would require two or three witnesses and diligent inquiry, according to Duet. 19. As would any other accusations or suspicions have to be proved according to scripture. While it may be true that where there’s smoke there is fire, that is not in scripture and scripture demands allegations be proved. Secondly, while time may not be a factor and there is indeed no statute of limitations on sin, if there was repentance, and a significant amount of time has passed without continuance in the sin, it is a good indication that the repentance was genuine. It’s good fruit, if true, and should be judged as such.
God will forgive a person’s sins if they repent, turn away from their sins and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, for such a person to continue as a pastor while willfully engaging in such behavior is not appropriate.