Pensees: On Behalf of Grace

On Behalf of Grace

To Bob Bixby and the Readers of Pensées:

(NOTE: This response was composed on Tuesday, December 6. It was not posted until now due to the technical difficulties on this site. Two additional updates are included at the bottom of this post.)

Regarding the current discussion [about the individual in question from our church]…

1. The leadership of Grace Church was not previously aware of this situation.

This whole matter is one of the many difficult issues we deal with here at Grace Community Church. The individual in question is one of several hundred people who make up our music department (from soloists, to choir members, to instrumentalists). And his CD is one of the thousands of products we sell through Grace Books International. With 8 to 10 thousand regular attendees at our church, issues like this sometimes slip through the cracks. This, of course, is not an excuse for sloppiness on our part. But it is an appeal for some understanding as to why our elders were not previously aware of this matter.

2. The leadership of Grace Church is thankful to have been made aware of the situation, because now we will have the opportunity to specifically shepherd our sheep.

3. We agree that the situation is serious—bringing reproach not only on our ministry but, more importantly, on the glorious name of Jesus Christ. Thus, we are in the process of taking immediate steps to address the situation appropriately.

4. We are disappointed that the matter became one of public scandal before it could be handled as a matter of private shepherding. The public discussion of the situation has greatly complicated our ability to shepherd it effectively.

5. We are hopeful that the situation will produce a greater concern for holiness within our people, especially as we continue to minister to those who work in the music and entertainment industries (and who, therefore, have an immense need for biblical wisdom and discernment).

6. We reiterate our commitment to holiness as a church, recognizing that, as believers, we are called to walk in the light and to be holy as God Himself is holy. We also rest in the fact that we are ultimately responsible to the Chief Shepherd, and not to any human court of opinion.

7. We would appreciate your prayers for us and for our church. Like any church, we have weaknesses. But we trust that, by God’s grace and through the teaching of His Word, both our elders and our congregation will continue to daily grow in Christ.

For the Chief Shepherd,

Nathan Busenitz
Personal Assistant to John MacArthur
nbusenitz@gracechurch.org

UPDATES (added Wednesday, December 7):

A. We are very appreciative of the public apology that was issued on this site, recognizing that such takes a great deal of both courage and humility.

The leadership of our ministry is not angry or embittered toward anyone as a result of this discussion. In fact, quite the opposite. We continue to thank the Lord for the ministry of Morning Star Baptist Church and her pastor. In our minds, Bob Bixby is a friend of our church, and we look forward to seeing him in person next March.

B. We also recognize that Bob’s apology does not excuse us of our responsibility in this matter.

In that regard, we have already met with the individual in question from our church. His response was very encouraging. He was very sorry to have caused the confusion he did, and is eager to do whatever is necessary to make things right. (In fact, he has already taken steps in that regard.) More importantly, he reiterated his desire to grow in Christlikeness as a holy man of God—indicating to us that his response was not merely superficial, but truly heartfelt.

In all of this, please continue to pray for us—that God would give our elders and staff great wisdom as we seek to faithfully lead the flock He has entrusted to us.