Faulty forgiveness theology

A few days ago, Southern Baptist minister Bernie Johnson wrote to ask that I delete all information about him from the StopBaptistPredators site. I’ve posted his email, in its entirety, below.

Bernie Johnson’s email provides a classic example of how some Baptist ministers twist forgiveness theology into a tool for hiding ugly deeds.

And make no mistake about it -- Bernie Johnson’s deeds were quite ugly. He was captured on videotape, and so there wasn’t much room for dispute. In a series of articles, The Examiner reported on Johnson’s deeds, and I gave a condensed version in this posting: “Convicted minister continues.” Click on it only if your stomach feels strong.

The question isn’t about forgiveness. It’s about whether those deeds should disqualify Bernie Johnson from continuing in a position of high trust as a Baptist minister.

It’s also about whether he should be allowed the possibility of moving on to still more churches without people finding out about his deeds so that they might decide for themselves whether this person should be their minister.

Bernie Johnson was already given one chance to have his deeds kept quiet. As reported in The Examiner, the leadership of Johnson’s prior church allowed him to quietly resign and even agreed to pay for his counseling on the condition that he not seek employment in ministry until his "restoration" was complete.

Johnson resigned, but then he got a similar ministry job just 10 miles down the road at the First Baptist Church of Winnie, Texas.

In other words, Bernie decided to do what Bernie wanted and to heck with the condition set by his prior church.

That’s when the woman decided to go to the police. Thank God she did. Now we have a public record along with a newspaper’s reporting on the case.

No. I will not delete the information from the website.

Nor will I give any heed to self-serving sermons on forgiveness that are made by Baptist ministers such as Bernie Johnson.

Here is his email. (Incidentally, I can’t figure out how he comes up with “4 years” since my prior blog posting was in 2008.)

"Dear Christa

For nearly 7 years my family and I have been making attempts to put my mistakes into the past and moving forward in uprightness. For the past 4 years or more your blog as kept the pain ever so fresh. Regardless of any testimony – two people know the truth of all my past events; me and God.

My wife and I, along with our son have worked intimately together to create the wholesome and honorable home God expects us to have. She has forgiven me, my son has forgiven me, my family has, and so has my church family. The only forgiveness I have not received is from you, someone who had absolutely no part in my life or its events. You do not “know” any of the truth of my life or its events. Why do you punish the forgiven? By what authority do you boast of your judgment toward others in matters that are not yours.

I have studied the Bible for the better part of 35 years, I have yet to find anytime where Jesus continued to pass any judgment on someone after they had been forgiven. Not a single instance. Once they confessed, turned from their wicked ways, and followed the course of Christ by picking up their cross and following Him daily – the angels rejoiced, and the Father reestablished the child.

I can’t make you do anything. I can only ask that you delete all the material on me so that my family and I can move on without further pain to anyone. When will enough be enough? 7 years, 14 years, 50 years? I am most grateful to the Lord God Almighty that His grace is ever present, His mercy is rich and new every morning, and that He does have a place for me in ministry now and in heaven later.

Please consider this a most sincere request of mine to you.

Your Friend in Jesus,
Bernie Johnson"
_____________________________

Update 9/23/10: Bernie Johnson has emailed me twice more, on 9/21 and 9/22. Basically, he sermonizes me on GRACE and MERCY (in all caps), tells me "you ought to read the Bible," and rails against me to "see more clearly your sinfulness" . . . as if he had any moral authority on any of this, right? But here's the part that really got me. He denigrates and bad-mouths his victim -- i.e., the woman who reported him to the police -- and I have no intention of repeating what he said. He expresses contempt for his victim. And his words make plain that this is a man who feels no genuine remorse whatsoever.

Another email from Bernie Johnson on 11/9/10: He just doesn't seem to get the message that I'm not impressed with his self-serving sermonizing. In this most recent email, he seems to be claiming that he has turned from "wicked ways," and that this should be "celebrated" rather than having his past posted on a blog. But here's what I think: 1) Why should I believe Bernie has "turned" (and indeed why should anyone believe him?) when, less than two months ago, he was still bad-mouthing his victim? 2) Even if it's true that Bernie has turned from "wicked ways," good for him, but I still don't think he has any entitlement to hold a position of high trust as a minister.