Sunday, May 19, 2019 was a dramatic day at Palmetto Baptist Church. Pastor and BJU Bible Faculty Member, Jason Ormiston prepped the congregation — members or proto-members only — to hear recently-arrested Kurt Stephens deliver his confession.
Stephens was to be shuttled in the back door of the sanctuary, according to Ormiston, as if he were Elvis entering the building.
Stephens’ statement was not recorded, but Ormiston’s pedantic set-up was recorded at length.
The clearest and most biblical part of Ormiston’s statement is that Stephens is completely disqualified from the pastorate (23:25+):
Restoration in his case means restoration as a believer in a member of our church. It does not mean restoration of a pastor at our church. Because of his sinful actions, he is permanently disqualified from serving as a pastor or a deacon in our church or, in my opinion, any other Church.
But that’s about it. Ormiston’s purpose is clear: he wants to instruct his congregation “how to process the news” in order to “forgive Stephens.” He dismisses any doubts or questions (17:54+):
I can't tell you how many times I've heard people ask me, “Did he confess or was he caught? Because … if he confessed, I'll buy it; I'll forgive him. But if he was caught, I'm gonna be skeptical.” Okay, now I understand that. I do. And there is some natural part of saying if you're caught in something, then I don't know if I can trust you because I would rather that you had come forward and tell me in advance. Here's the reality: if you're hiding out right now and it's very possible someone still is in this church. I want to challenge you that it is so much easier to stop sowing to the flesh which reaps corruption and start sowing to the spirit which reap life everlasting. And get honest and confess and not wait to be caught. I/t just complicates things when you're caught. It just does.”
That’s pretty slick. Did you see how he did that? He brings up the most common and just concern: that the only reason we know about Stephens’ alleged crime is because he was caught in a major prostitution sting. It’s not like he confessed to the elders and his wife before getting caught. He got caught. None of us would know about this if he hadn’t gotten caught in a pretty elaborate police operation.
But after setting up this concern, Ormiston just democratizes the crime as any run-of-the-mill sin. He never answers the original question he heard from “people” “many times” (19:07+).
Any transgression caught which could mean that you are trying really, really hard to kick this sin to fight the sin, but you haven't been faithful or effective in it, and it catches up to you that's what [Galatians 6 is] talking about.
Any transgression, sin, not being faithful . . . As for the nature of Stephen’s actions, Ormiston never once mentions the word, “criminal” or “crime.” He does mention “trafficking” in general terms indirectly related the situation at hand (24:44+). Ormiston makes it sound like Stephens was only unfaithful to his wife. He starts by setting the stage for the church’s interpretation of Stephens’ alleged crime (00:47+):
All of us -- that we are all only one poor decision away from falling into temptation, one wrong action from destroying our own reputations, and one failure away from damaging the reputation of the church.
Decision, action, failure. Falling into temptation, destroying our personal reputation, damaging the reputation of the church. Reputation is paramount. It’s the highest virtue in Klandamentalism. Justice is never mentioned. Never.
We all have transgressions or faults that we struggle with tendencies to stop walking in the spirit to start walking in the flesh (27:32+).
Just faults. Just transgressions. Just tendencies. Just walking in the flesh. Nothing to see here.
And if the congregants don’t forgive, Ormiston is quick to point fingers (41:21+):
You are going to have to give an account to God for whether or not you are willing to offer forgiveness to one who's asking it.
Sure, he says later that “[You have to] make your own decision about genuineness,” but that first comes with the ominous judgment of God hanging over the congregants’ heads like Damocles Sword.
The most egregious stunt Ormiston pulls is when he plays on the sympathy of his congregation to protect the church leaders. Yes, Stephens is no longer a pastor, but still they are to protect Stephen as a leader (43:41+).
Okay, I'm just speaking the truth from God's Word and Paul says one of the burdens that all believers are supposed to bear is when God gives them spiritual leaders who are qualified according to 1st Timothy 3, and they're communicating the Word, you need to care for them. . . .you want good teaching, preaching, guidance? Then take care of your leaders.”
Again, Stephens has been defrocked, but the congregation must “care for” him as they would a leader. It’s an abusive bait-and-switch.
And how? Ormiston really emphasizes this. How should Stephens be cared for (21:43+)?
Restore. [We] should restore him in a spirit of gentleness….the very first thing we need to do is we need to restore him with gentleness…. Because of the gospel we don't turn our back on someone who is asking for forgiveness in a spirit of gentleness. I want to encourage you that what we need to do is be gentle….So we do this in a spirit of gentleness … Let's be gentle about this.”
In sum, BJU’s Jason Ormiston bends over backwards and expends so much energy on an alleged criminal and his comfort and could not care less about justice or those who have been sinned against.
It’s all about protecting the powerful man no matter what he does. That man gets the grace. The rest of you get harassed out the front door and are served with a trespassing notice.
This is Bob Jones University. Every listing in the Proof is in the Product series is another example.
