Wicker said he was shocked by the accusations, but instead of fighting, he tendered his resignation. Hayes Wicker announced his retirement in January with the intention of reaching a mutually agreed upon exit date with church leadership. Marcus Hayes based upon prejudice, our church loves all people of all colors equally," Stearns wrote. Theyve even released an open letter to the SBC with the same claim. Arkansas Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to 13 Counts of Sexual Assault, Churches Respond to Action of SBC Executive Committee, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. The so-called dissenters had issues with what the church was doing WELL BEFORE Marcus Hayes arrived. The Marcus Hayes vote was used to cry wolf. Our church voted by a percentage of 81 % to bring Marcus Hayes as our next Pastor. As managing editor of the former Florida Baptist Witness (state paper) I was witness to many of Hayes Wickers years of fruitful ministry. We met his wife and daughters. Also concerning to the group was the fact that Marcus Hayes didnt respond to a letter Concerned Members of FBCN had sent him a week earlier, outlining their issues at the church. and make way for younger leadership to carry the ministry forward. Wicker, a former President of the Florida Baptist Convention and the SBC Pastors' Conference, was such a high-profile leader and fundraiser for Baptist causes that his retirement was covered by Baptist Press, which reported the following on February 4th: He nevertheless urged them to contend earnestly for the faith against all falsehood, while doing everything possible to deliver souls from destruction: snatching them out of the fire . (Hey, and I know white people who love Woke Church!) Curious timing of raising those concerns. The process offers no protections for those suspected worthy of dismissal, so it invites rampant abuse. We believe all matters of life should be subjected to the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16). #JemelRoberson https://t.co/Y1dMXQY33N, But the Group of Concerned FBNC Members, citing the tweet, said Hayes should be questioned about his relationship with first responders, specifically police, "and his thoughts on such topics as Ferguson, police shootings involving people of color, etc. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Sylee Gibson, an excommunicated member who works in law enforcement, added that the man chairing the FBC Naples senior pastor search team is a Florida businessman with a checkered pastNeil Dorrill. ", CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support local journalism, More: Read the letter from First Baptist to church members regarding voting results, In a letter to church membersshortly after the failed vote, the church pointed the finger at groupscalled "Voices of FBCN" and"Group of Concerned FBCN Members.". @Michelle I believe you make valid points. Hotels. We were on cloud nine. Wicker said the church never responded to his letter. The search for a senior pastor continues, with Dorrill leading the search committee. However, Mancini added that the situation at FBC Naples was not typical but did not want to comment on the unique circumstances at the church. Instead of the transition period Wicker announced, the staff strong-armed Wicker out after over a quarter of a century of service to the people of FBC Naples, sources told the Capstone Report. announced his intention to transition gradually out of the churchs pastorate Jonathan Head November 26, 2011. You may recall this line from his I have a dream speech: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I believe Dr. King was right. 1-877-582-9246. . Wicker said in late October, when FBC Naples excommunicated the 18 members, it also stopped paying him his severance. SUNDAY, Dec 11 (7pm) "We know this because of the campaign that started just days before by a few disgruntled people in our church.". And if He wanted us all to be the same, He wouldve made us the same. Good Ole Fascist techniques of taking away 1A rights are even occurring within the church. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? I guess I missed this one. Church leaders at First Baptist Church Naples have blasted a faction of their congregation, alleging "racial prejudices" contributed to a failed vote late last month to name a black man the church's new senior pastor. If not please hold your comments. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. 3000 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109, U.S. It provides an identity for its most passionate acolytes. Click below to hear stories and testimonies of how the Lord has been working in and through our First Naples Family. Last fall, First Baptist Church (FBC) Naplesa prominent Southern Baptist megachurch in southwest Floridamade national headlines for rejecting an African American pastoral candidate because of some alleged racist members. The FBC Naples leaders vowed to deal with this sinful cancer and added that church discipline had already started. In addition to this ungodly action, a criminal investigation was instigated by church leadership over email addresses that were allegedly stolen from the church by an anonymous group calling itself Voices of FBCN. Takeaway: The problems here illustrate how important biblical models of church governance and judicial process are. The situation at FBC Naples should serve as a solemn reminder to church members everywhere to ensure that their by-laws provide church members biblical protections from rogue staff members who would seek to dominate their church. Christians should model justice and love to the world. Hayes did not suddenly abandon his faith in the few months between his announcement that he was stepping aside, as he was being felt led to do, to make room for younger leadership and his sudden dismissal by the FBCN leadership. Connect with the reporter at [email protected] or on Twitter @PatJRiley. In closing, I dont desire to argue with anyone; i have nothing to gain. Following worship services on December 7 and 8, receptions were held to honor Edies six years at the church. But more importantly, Ericksen said, members feel their voice isn't being heard by church leaders. "My heart goes out to his family," Hayes wrote. Instead, the group alleges that the racism charge was a ruse by men who had recently seized control of the church, expelled and maligned a beloved pastor of 27 years, and then fabricated a basis for excommunicating those who had objected. They arrived in Naples and gathered other Baptist families to meet with them in a small outbuilding behind the local grocery store, meeting for their first worship . On social media, too, some church members said race played no role in the failed vote. He and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their son. The experience with the church was so unnerving for the Wickers that in September, the extended familyincluding two adult children, their spouses, and six grandchildrenpulled up stakes from Naples and moved several states away. Last Stephens said neither she nor any member of her family wrote the e-mail, adding that none of the church staff ever reached out or spoke to me. She also said the detectives told her that no criminal actions had taken place.. He didnt rob a liquor store, assault some young person in his office, or do anything wrong that could be cited. Two days after the meeting with Pastor Edie and Chairmen Boone and Collier, Wicker said he was told to vacate church premises immediately. Budget Crisis at FBC Naples? You would call Martin Luther King an Uncle Tom Im sure. Jonathan Head November 26, 2011. I can tell you not a single thing mentioned above played a role in my vote. Terms of Service The shooting drew national headlines, outrage and questions about whether race factored into the officers decision to open fire. What a great and wise man of God he is? However, the email also expressed concerns about Hayes ability to reconcile the deeply divided church. In his quote-tweet, Hayes said Roberson was in his student ministry while he was a youth pastor in Chicago. I had the privilege of knowing this young man! The turmoil at FBC Naples began about a year ago, when longtime Senior Pastor Hayes Wicker announced to the church that he was stepping down to make way for younger fresher leadership.. Their considerations related to legitimate theological, moral, and political issues. And as of March 1, the churchs $14 million budget had a shortfall of $1.2 million. It may interest you to go over to TWW and read their article, as well as the comments from members of that church who state they were unfairly misrepresented in their vote against this new pastor. First, there are blacks who strenuously object to books like Woke Church, as well as intersectionality, and reparations for slavery. Allegedly he said he was happy to see some people in SBC membership moved to the bottom as others move to the top. Several"inappropriate emails" were sent to Hayes' home church in North Carolina, including to his ministry assistant and his boss, the senior pastor there, "sharing and establishing that certain groups will not vote for him this weekend without a private meeting in advance to have issues of theirs addressed," Dorrill said at the Oct. 24 event. Doesnt matter what denomination or race you are, all of this drama is toxic on a nuclear level for the body and spirit and surely the work of Satan himself. According to sources, Wicker wanted a long period of transition to the new leadership, with even an overlap to help the transition process. Its devastating to the proclamation of the Gospel. FBCNaples | Naples FL He shared some examples, including one from a woman who said the church had failed to check Hayes' Twitter account and called him a "radical leftist. In it, the group details questions it has about Hayes' qualifications, his tweets and beliefs. Jemel Roberson was in my student ministry while I was a youth pastor in Chicago. Thank you. At the same time, some members were concerned about some of his social media posts that might indicate support for a pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ Democrat presidential candidate, his endorsement of the problematic book Woke Church, his blocking some FBCN members on his social media platforms, and other theological, political, and administrative issues. The Asbury Revival Is Over. On the surface, Marcus Hayes is a highly recommended pastor who is seemingly qualified for the role. According to the inside source, soon after his employment at FBC Naples ended, Wicker was banned from the church campus. Of course, it is obvious you have a vested interest in attacking those putting out the facts. ADMISSIONS ATHLETICS BLOG CALENDAR CONTACT EMPLOYMENT FIRST NAPLES CHURCH GIVE . He and his wife and his children love God and Gods people. On May 28, Caudill said the church placed him on disciplinary suspension from the deacon board and the senior pastor search team. This remains an elephant in the room at every worship service at that church. No, Again. this approach to transition can become a helpful model for other churches.. He friended, then de-friended and blocked my wife on social media. Yet despite all thats happened, Wicker said, I pray people would not use this to come against megachurches or seeing all committees as bad.. So sick of this hate and evil which is exactly what this all is. Items. ", Two members of the counting committee, he said, have admitted to leaking confidential early voting results from Saturday night to a lay leader in the church "who then used that information, we believe, to compromise the process.". Have attended a lot of Southern Baptist Churches. Now with COVID-19 churches this size are facing a very quick death. Wicker said several weeks later, the church emailed him, stating that Wicker had facilitated and cooperated with a rival faction in the church, which voided his exit agreement. Of course they did. I am Caucasian from Eastern Europe. Why abide with a corrupt individual being in a leadership position at the church? Its no wonder why real born again, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are walking away from churches, not the body of our Lord Jesus, the Ekklesia, but from this mess we call church. A movement, to direct and shape the policies and testimony of the church is quite a thing. Regardless of who is at fault for what, this is NOT what Church should be. The church did not hold a reception to honor Wickers decades of ministry, nor was Wicker permitted to address the congregation. Pastor John David Edie, who wrote the open letter to the SBC on behalf of leaders at FBC Naples, alleging racism, resigned in early December. Similarly, an article in The Grio asked, Did a Florida church not hire a pastor because he was Black? And Christianity Today stated, Black Pastor Candidate Withdraws After Controversial Vote at SBC Megachurch.. The Story Of First Baptist Church Naples is disturbing and alarming, but it is meant to be an inspiration. The church also launched a schoolFirst Baptist Academy. However, leaked To donate, click here. Like when my colorblind friends didnt understand my discomfort when we chose to stop on a road trip in a small town with confederate flags waiving everywhere. Our Vision. But while we cannot know the heart of another, this doesnt sound like a case of hearts poisoned intolerance, of minds clouded by prejudice. But with all due respect, be careful commenting on things you dont understand or have first hand knowledge of. Bonnett told the Daily News in an email Wednesday no revote has been scheduled. A portion of the 19% that voted against Marcus Hayes did so based on racial prejudices. I also find it interesting that Dorrills past financial misdeeds didnt seem to be a problem for the dissenters until the Hayes vetting process. into an embarrassing public debacle. Isnt that how we should judge any one persons claims, by how it squares with Scripture on a case-by-case basis? All of the events need to be understood in the context of the overriding event and the church governance that permitted this to happen. And thats ok. God created me too. If those sound like difficult assignments to keep in balance and maintain in proper perspective, it is because they are. However, at some point the church leadership became hostile to the longtime pastor, according to church members. Get directions, reviews and information for First Baptist Church - Naples in Naples, FL. However, no one even begins to acknowledge that this system is the product of Hayes ministry. Dorrill did not elaborate on how the process was compromised, and Bonnett did not answer emailed questions about the matter. emails from the accused church members reveal that dissenters were Greear, SEBTS President Danny Akin, and Rev. to affirm of Wickers intended replacement, Marcs Hayes. Specialties: First Baptist Church Naples is a church family that is unified on several basic theological understandings, which are based in our understanding of God's Word. Well Hello!!! After years of delay, Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms in 2022 aimed at addressing abuse in the nations largest Protestant, A former youth pastor at First Baptist Church (FBC) of Bentonville, Arkansas, has accepted a plea deal for his victimization of children, Several churches deemed not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have responded to action taken by the SBC Executive. Sad state of affairs. What Bible verse says that it is a good idea to borrow money to make your church building bigger and more fancy? Wicker responded with a 16-page letter refuting the charges against him. Rather than bringing members who are accused of sin before the church body for examination, members are being removed from the church rolls through actions taken directly by deacons and pastoral staff without a vote of the church body. Greear, who had written a letter of recommendation for Marcus Hayes, called the open letter by FBC Naples leadership a bold, Gospel-faithful response of the leadership of FBC Naples. Greear added, Let us be united in lament that any vestige of this kind of sinful prejudice remains in our churches., Also, Danny Akin, president of SBC-affiliated Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), described the open letter as a strong and redemptive word from FBC Naples.. It noted that Hayes had unfriended or blocked several people who had signed the petition on his social media accounts. Southern Baptist Faith & Message Explained, Woke Purges, Show Trials: What First Baptist Church Naples reveals about the future - Capstone Report, BREAKING: FBC Naples sics lawyers on dissenting church members - Capstone Report, SBC Elites defend credibly accused standard to ruin lives, Bart Barber flipflops on pledge to bring vote to ban Women Pastors in SBC, Evangelical Elites lied you to about the origins of Covid, Woke SBC Elites Delete History To Hide Their Schemes. Sources close to the church administration have said they fear raising any issues that might bring adverse consequences to them, their children, or their grandchildren. Honestly, the system that ousted him is the machine he created. It is a populist movement of tremendous influence and minimal accountability. Been here 25+ times. And it is must never be carried out with retribution in mind, but always with the hope of restoration. Instead, Ericksen said Hayes has no experience as a head pastor and said that his political views wouldn't go along with a conservative church. The campaign, he said in an email to the Daily News, consisted of social media, texting, phone calls and a series of emails. Trust me, I have been guilty of that very same thing myself and Ive learned the hard way being on the other side. FBC Napless accusations and treatment of Pastor Wicker upset dozens of church members. Melisa do you attend First Baptist ? "It seems all cops ever see is black," the attorney continued. Grocery. It isnt white people who have turned on the evil and hate. From the reporting in this article, it seems clear that more light needs to be shed on events. This is a demonstration of holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. And Paul goes on to say So, Turn away from these, also. (I)t seems from social media posts that, with no investigation, some convention leaders have chosen to believe this narrative, Caudill wrote. The deacons vote on it, and, if they approve the recommendation, the individual then is informed. Most church experiences, when it comes to a new Senior Pastor, are just that, a celebration and a time of looking forward with hope and optimism to what God has for the future. Thats why its so harmful to the church; its born of and encourages the myopic tendencies of American evangelicalism. The biggest reason most did not vote yes, had to do with the fact that people didnt think it was fair to ask Marcus to uproot his family and relocate to a church that was in COMPLETE turmoil and had a leadership that was REFUSING to acknowledge it. "First Baptist Naples is, ethnically, a predominantly white church but we are not a racist church." Caudill said no one replied to his letter. Former deacon, Blake Crawford, said Wicker was later exonerated of the charges in the anonymous letter by church accounting firm, Phillips Harvey Group. First Baptist Church Naples. Sadly, that did not come to fruition. They released a statement to the church family blaming racism for the rejection of Marcus Hayes. Coffee. Looking for past sermons? Kenneth Bonnett, pastor of communications for the church, declined to offer specifics about the church's allegations, saying "it would not be proper for us to share that content openly.". Im too far away to comment on the specific allegations, but whatever the truth of each, its pretty clear that youve got at least two strong factions in church leadership, and possibly also the church as a whole, which need to have a come to Jesus moment in terms of this is how you do, and this is how you do not do, ministry., The utter disrespect shown previous Pastor Wicker is atrocious and unchristian to say the least. 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