Statement on the Disqualification of JD Hall
The following statement is to announce the removal of pastor JD Hall from ministerial association with Protestia.
Update. The church has provided a statement. Please pray for wisdom for the church leadership as the continue to practice church discipline, as well as for all those hurt by Jordan’s actions.
Published June 27, 2022 by FBC Leadership
During the several days following an incident that took place Sunday June 5th, 2022, it came to the attention of church leadership of Fellowship Baptist Church of Sidney, MT that our lead pastor, Jordan Hall, had fallen into a dependency upon prescription alprazolam (Xanax), characterized by use that exceeded his prescribed dosage. As a result, Pastor Hall tendered his resignation from the pastorate shortly thereafter on June 8th, under the assumption that he had become disqualified from eldership as detailed in 1 Timothy 3.
In a subsequent business meeting, the church body voted to accept his resignation from his role as pastor and elder at Fellowship Baptist Church.
This resignation, however, was distinct from an earlier resignation that was tendered on May 14th, 2022, due to an incident in which Pastor Hall had been arrested and charged with a DUI after failing a field sobriety test during a routine traffic stop. Due to the testimony of Pastor Hall regarding a known vitamin deficiency that he insisted was to blame for his lack of coordination, the church had voted unanimously to reject his resignation, believing that the situation did not disqualify him from the pastorate.
The church decided, instead, to insist that Pastor Hall submit to a minimum 3-month sabbatical to address his physical health issues. The results of a toxicology screening requested by law enforcement were pending (the results of the screening are still outstanding at the time of this writing), and the church agreed to revisit his qualification if the report found problematic substances in his system, but no member vocalized any suspicion of drug abuse.If the church had been aware at that point of Mr. Hall’s prescription drug abuse, the decision regarding his tendered resignation would likely have been different. However, we believe that we acted appropriately given the information we had at the time.
Mr. Hall and his family are now being ministered to by church leadership. Through the application of church discipline as prescribed in Matthew 18, we are exhorting him to seek professional treatment and work toward the restoration of his mind and body, and the reconciliation of his relationships with God and family.
Your prayers for the Hall family along with wisdom regarding this situation as it unfolds, are coveted.
Signed,
Leadership of Fellowship Baptist Church, Sidney MT
Earlier this week, the team at Protestia received allegations of serious sin committed by our brother JD Hall. After correspondence with leadership at Fellowship Baptist Church, we learned that JD was determined by the church to have disqualified himself from pastoral ministry, had resigned from the pastorate, and submitted himself to a process of church discipline. Due to JD’s removal from pastoral ministry, we likewise have removed him from ministry with Protestia.
While the church’s decision to accept JD’s resignation from pastoral ministry leaves us no choice but to consider the allegations against him to be credible, we are unable to determine their truth with certainty and therefore cannot speak to all of the specifics of the accusations lest we be guilty of gossip.
As Protestia is a ministry comprised of believers from across North America, we rely on our local churches to exercise the biblical process of church discipline in the lives of our writers and team. We defer to the judgment of men God has placed in positions of local church authority, and a determination of disqualification from ministry for any of our team will result in removal from this ministry as well.
This is heartbreaking news for the Protestia team, and we pray for wisdom and courage for the leadership of FBC Sidney as they follow the process of church discipline with the goal of repentance, reconciliation, and restoration to fellowship for JD. Similarly, we are praying for his family during this trying time. In accordance with our commitment to transparency and impartiality, we will continue to stay apprised of further developments.
Effective immediately, the following changes will take place:
- Protestia will cease to be a ministry of Fellowship Baptist Church in Sidney, Montana. This decision was made both by the church and the team at Protestia, and not because of any disagreement between us and the church.
- JD Hall’s writings and work on this site will be removed, but archived and available if needed for reference.
- The Polemics Report podcast will cease but will be replaced soon with a companion podcast/video ministry.
Please pray for all involved as we seek clarity and endeavor to shepherd this important ministry going forward.
About Author
Imagine thinking him enabling suicide wasn’t bad enough. I’m guessing he either had sex with a man or had an abortion, but seen as he’s male… we’ll go with gay.
I highly doubt that… I mean, he is hated by the world and despised by a multitude of self professed “Christians”.
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“Due to JD’s removal from pastoral ministry, we likewise have removed him from ministry with Protestia.”
Apparently you believe the allegations to be credible enough to remove him from this website, but not credible enough to say why?!
Do you really think they need to tell you what’s going on. Don’t local churches have a right to handle these situations privately unless it warrants otherwise? Below is a great explanation of what Biblical discipline is and what it is to look like.
https://www.gracechurch.org/about/distinctives/church-discipline
The only problem I have with the whole situation is how Fellowship Baptist went public with it before fully investigating the situation and now that not only makes them look bad, but JD as well. If they really cared for JD, they would’ve kept their mouth shut until they had all the facts and then carefully crafted a statement as to their severing ties with him and then Protestia could’ve piggybacked off of that for their reasoning for severing ties with him as well. Not this half-baked reason that leaves the door open for more questions than answers. I feel for JD and his family, he is a wonderful brother who has done great things for sake of Christ and his elect. I pray that whatever is going on that Christ will be glorified and honored through it all.
The church also has not gone public with it yet. His church will be releasing a statement soon with more specifics, as part of the process of church discipline. As churchmen, we support them in airing it in a manner that is best for their body and in accordance with the scriptures. Out of conviction, we shared what we knew, as soon as we could, in conversation with the body. The church has just cause to remove JD, of that there is no doubt.
Keep digging.
His church will be releasing a statement soon with more specifics, as part of the process of church discipline. As churchmen, we support them in airing it in a manner that is best for their body and in accordance with the scriptures.
I just spewed beer all over my phone!
I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Smith. Regardless of what Protestia’s appetite for posting incredible accusations has been in the past, hopefully Protestia’s content will avoid the appearance of evil (to include gossip) going forward.
David, Could you, please, publish JD’s May arrest toxicology report, in full, as promised? Let’s deal with one crisis before moving on to another. Thank you.
We don’t have access to that, and as far as we know it has not been released.
A drunk and gay🥲
Seriously ? Why even post garbage like this ?
Thanks for clarifying this for us, Staff Writer. Fully understand and will be praying for all parties involved. God bless.
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I’ll admit I am not a fan of JD Hall. I come to Protestia to get a different take because it is wise to get out of our echo chamber. That said, it seems apparent that JD is going through something, I do not know what, and I don’t need to. He is, despite my issues with him, a brother in Christ, and needs our prayers at this time.
JD Hall and Reformation
Charlotte / Disntr can be a
bit legalistic and hypocritical
@ times especially when it comes to criticizing their beloved pet John Macarthur ..
who definitely does deserve
some criticism … ! !
they can also be hypercritical
which i think drives them to be
a bit overly legalistic which sometimes also drives them
into unnecessary conflict and strife which drives them into
complete burnout which is
what seems to hav happened
to JD Hall ..
but that said @ the end of the day they do way way more
good than harm and the watchman ministries are needed especially for people
who dont hav time to keep up
with all the daily LAODiCEAN
churchiANiTY insanity and deception ..
so we all hav shortcomings
and its truly easier to see
others more than our own
by the grace of God there
go i
so i choose to pray for JD Hall
his Pulpit & Pen website along with Reformation Charlottes
website although with their faults hav been a great
overall source of info and discernment for myself for
many years especially as we watch mainstream
LAODiCEAN churchiANiTY
slip into the abyss and stench
of satans worldly cesspool of
global culture
✌ & maranatha
Brilliant! God disciplines those whom He loves. Praying for JD and fam, and protestia. Stand firm brothers, judgement must begin in the house Of God, and judgement is beginning indeed!
Those evil Pentecostals don’t even get DUIs
Xanax dependency? That’s it. For crying out loud it was a prescription. Over-relying on a a medical chemotherapy for presumably sleep or nerve disorders is among one of the pettiest reason I could imagine accepting a resignation and worse yet, engaging in ecclesiastical discipline? Yeeesh.
Medical professionals are much, much kinder and understanding when one of their own falls victim to such human frailties.
What JD needs isn’t His resignation being excepted nor him being dismissed and worse ecclesiastical discipline (for which there is no cause right now) rather, further medical treatment.
I was expecting some significant issue of moral lapse but this? No x10.
The Shepherd isn’t invincible and the Bible never expects us to demand this from Pastors. Moral failings are one thing but medical issues and drug therapy dependency and overuse are actually anticipated side-effects that also have treatment.
This is a nothing burger.
I disagree. Long-term use of a short-term medication with a high potential for abuse is an issue. I trust that the elders are privy to some information that we are not, as well. His church leadership supported him when many other leaders in other churches would’ve abandoned JD. I for one trust their judgment.
How do we know what length the prescription was for? Like I said, dependency is a medical side-effect. This is a medical issue.
And what a shame that if true, most congregations would have abandoned a pastor even before this point. So far, still a nothing burger. He should have been placed on a year sabbatical, six months minimum.
This sounds an awful lot like the response of church leaders when it comes to sexual abuse. The Catholic Church had the same problem. Cover for abusers as long as you can, until the truth is undeniable. Then cover for the Church as long as you can. I’m not saying JD Hall is a sexual abuser, I’m just saying the situation of cover-up until you can’t is similar. Although, with the recent revelations of the SBC covering up sexual abuse, there is a parallel. Institutions with power, especially religious power, will protect themselves at all costs, including costs to victims. Institutions promoting some moral authority are often guilty of hiding moral failings of members, in favor of retaining power and influence.
Your specious comparison of this situation to the abuses of the Catholic Church displays both your malintent and lack of intellectual honesty. We await more complete information
I guess I’m confused. I thought church discipline was for unrepentant sin? Is he in unrepentant sin, wanting to continue taking the drugs and that’s why he is in church discipline?
Unless we aren’t being told the whole story, I think being stripped of pastoral duties and disciplined for getting hooked on a prescription drug is a little of an overreaction. I’m not asking for the rest of the story, but it just seems a bit excessive to fire someone because they can’t stop taking a prescription medicine that is proven to be highly addicting.
Imagine- comparing the use of some discretion regarding a known prescription drug side effect (dependency) to covering up sex abuse.
Some of you need a psych evaluation.
Fighting For The Faith/Chris Rosebrough has an excellent YouTube interview with Justin Peters and Phil Johnson that is worth a listen on this topic.
This is complete travesty and joke. What JD did is not act of evil, but an act of weakness. He should step down and get right, but to disqualify person completely and for lifetime, because he has fallen into abuse of legally prescribed drugs is just stupid nonsense. The statement from church is self-righteous, self-justifying piece of art. Not mentioning baptist unbiblical church government. But they should know what he is going through, they should know that he has problems with depression – it seems there was kind of separation between him and church. It is also fall of the church. Where people were, when he was down and needed medical help? Where they were? And what do they mean by reconciliation of his relationships with God” – did he lose his salvation or something? JD had bigger problem with his ungodly behavior. I would leave that church and found actual biblical one, that is not just trying to replicate churchianity and call it being biblical. Why did Protestia erase JD – is protestia church? Does protestia do discipline? What and complete failures you are. You should go to JD and help him, not kick him out of boat. Protestia is NOT church and it is not even proper ministry. It is more like christian magazine. You guys are just stupid. I would not want to be under your leadership. When person needs you, you leave him… Shame.
Really? I couldn’t find it on Chris’s website.
There are a lot of assumptions being made here, and judgments based upon them. There was a cover up but not by the church. The church leaders trusted their pastor’s words and believed and acted on what he told them. For this they are being maligned. For a group of believers that have never ever imagined they would be put into such a position, they have done the best they knew to do. Their pastor taught them all about church discipline… more than many pastors teach their congregation. There is good reason for them to implement it, but they have been met with much resistance and mental gymnastics. They feel crushed, defeated, and so disillusioned and heartbroken. There was deception, but as I said, the coverup was not performed by the church. Their trust was shattered.