bgwilkinson, you may be a little too free with the use of the word, "we". It sounds as if you are speaking for the corporate body of the church, as if we all have one unified opinion / approach. This is not the case. You might be speaking for yourself and a mate and a group of friends, but you are not speaking for me.
I am not so quick as you to pronounce the past over and a new era begun. I do notice the positives you note. But I notice other things, as well.
You might be done with and ashamed of the Hyles / Schaap era, but just two weeks ago in my adult Sunday School class, the teacher used Jack Schaap in an illustration. (In a positive way) The teacher of this class regularly (as in, not a lesson goes by without plenty of) references Jack Hyles, Bob Gray, Dr. Evans -- I've pegged the guy as a hero worshipper, and the Jack Schaap reference really caused me to boil inside. I almost spoke up to him about it but let it slide, since I've already pegged him as a hero worshipper. He wasn't here during the whole JS pastorate/ scandal. He only knew JS as a visiting speaker at conferences and from when he would come here for Pastor's School. That does give a different perspective, I admit. If he had my perspective, he would NOT be touting him as a great example / illustration. In fact, if he had my perspective, he wouldn't have even seen the incident used as a positive example in the first place!
There are plenty of hard-core for Hyles members of the church, still. In fact I don't know of anyone who would openly admit to not still adoring him, despite your claims to the contrary. I fall into that category in that I am too afraid to openly voice my true opinion. Knowing in retrospect what I know now, it's hard to respect the man even though I will also admit that not everything he ever did or said was tainted. There was just enough important taint to seriously compromise my good opinion, forever. But would I ever come out and say that out loud? No. Perhaps I, too, am neutered! (ha ha!)
Not long ago my adult SS teacher was absent and asked a class member to teach the class that day. The class member chose to make it into a day of honoring Brother Hyles. He went around the room and we each had to tell a special memory or sermon or principal of Brother Hyles'. I was very uncomfortable, but I participated. Against my internal instincts. HOW IS THIS A SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON? ugh.
Yes at our recent conference we had guest speakers who were stuck in the MOG mind set. But I believe our pastor feels somewhat that way himself. He did introduce Rick Martin as "perhaps the greatest Christian alive." Does anyone really need or want that said about themselves? But we fall into the superlatives and comparisons so easily around here.
You see, our new pastor IS very humble. But he very humbly toes the old party line to the t. We are not used to constantly being thanked for listening to the sermons, being praised for entering the building and being there. He is very good to constantly thank us, praise us. Some are able to let their guard down when they are treated in this fashion. I don't believe he is being disingenuous, but the flattery actually affects me in the opposite manner - it causes me to keep my guard up. I've always been suspicious of too much flattering praise, and I hate to say it but I've always been right to be so.
It feels like a gentle indoctrination to me, the constant soothing flattering tone, the gently cajoling platitudes (an example: from the marriage conference, "If you are not working on your marriage, your marriage probably is not working."), the little choruses written by Pastor that we sing at handshaking time and at dismissal -- all seems designed to manipulate, but in the nicest and gentlest way possible.
So I see a lot of people who are happily being lulled into a sense of, "We are all okay now. We have a nice pastor!"
But, I am not as quick as bgwilkinson and others to give the "all is well now at last" decree.
I had a small role in the missions conference, and due to that I had to receive official memos with regards to scheduling, procedures, etc. It was urged on one of these memos that we all be in our place every time Preacher plans something for us, like this wonderful conference, and one day the entire world will be grateful to us for our faithfulness. (This was not from Pastor W himself, but from a staff member. It serves to exemplify that there is still the mindset that the fate of the entire world rests on our very shoulders...)
On more than one occasion, I have heard Pastor Wilkerson, in his attempts to persuade us to do more for Jesus, say how happy we will be at the judgment seat if we managed to live our lives being completely faithful. He has said we will be high-fiving each other for having been found faithful.
Is it just me? I cringe at the idea of being faithful in this life so that I can gloat about it in front of Jesus and everyone else at the judgment seat...
I find there is a slight tinge of misogynist thinking in the mindset of the new pastor. He calls us "girls" and "gals" and lets certain remarks come out off the cuff that belie his views. On the other hand, I have learned that there will be a speaker at the upcoming Designed To Shine ladies' conference that will address the issues of married & working moms. That might be a first...
But I very much sit and ponder in my heart everything I see / hear / observe.
I have decided it is not my job to hold anyone's feet to the flames. Yes I still am of the opinion (with Timotheus) that it would be best if ELapina were to 'step off'. But...I am not his God. And it seems God wants him there. And ELapina himself said defiantly not all that long ago, "This is my church and I am never leaving." (I figure by now, God agrees with this, since nothing seems to be nudging ELapina away) So, I don't see that situation ever changing. I DO scratch my head and wonder whether Pastor W is naïve to the situation, willfully overlooks the situation, or totally believes in the idea of restoring people slowly & gradually with exposure to correct behaviors / attitudes / methods. Problem is if some people are not aware they are in need of restoration...they think they are fine and have always been fine and never will be anything but fine...
I totally agree that Rick Martin's message, "What I learned from my people" was not a Biblical sermon. What one came away with was that sometimes we think we are going in to give life-changing truths to people, not realizing that in the process they will also have life-changing truths to give us. That's not a bad thing. But I felt a little unmoved by his stories. We each have a sphere of influence, and if we are a walking, talking, loving, moving Christian -- we touch the lives of others and are in turn touched by the lives of others.
Rick Martin is a conundrum to me. He obviously loved Brother Hyles, referenced him quite a bit along with his love for FBCHammond. He strikes me as someone who is intentionally and blissfully unaware of any negativity. He made me wonder -- am I better off for intentionally searching out the DH situation, the JS situation? Other people intentionally keep their heads in the sand. Is their approach correct? Is mine? I would not want to be blissfully unaware. I want to know the truth of things. I don't want to live in an air castle.
Finally, what timotheus said about the toxic Christianity of the FBC schools, youth group. I agree. I have wondered about Pastor W getting his kids all wrapped up in that, too. Yet he could hardly not...so again, is he naïve? Or unaware? Or thinking again that time, correct attitudes and doctrine will seep in and fix things gradually???
He has mentioned that as the overseer of his children, he has seen a few disturbing attitudes creeping in to a couple of them. He notices, and addresses. I assume kids can develop attitude problems no matter where they live or go to church. I know parents must have to be on guard against that at all times. I just wonder if he will realize the source of attitude problems present at HB, and have the wisdom to address? So in a way, it's good his kids are involved. He will get a real taste of it.
Except...there are some who sail through everything here and never seem to be anything other than perfectly blessed. It always makes me wonder. It does seem some people are supernaturally blessed to always experience a good, blissful, perfect side of things while others are supernaturally cursed to experience the unfair, shoddy, unchristian and dark side of things. You could never convince the blessed person to believe there is anything imperfect about life here, and you could never convince the cursed person to believe there is perfection here. They are both correct, since they are going by their own very valid life experiences.
eh. rambling!
And yes, we had to put our names on our ballots when we voted on the constitution and for the new pastor. Hated that, as well. Ostensibly, it was to keep any non-members from voting.
He used different words, but the same effect.