Times Union Headline: "Oops! State Attorney's Office inadvertently destroys subpoenas related to First Baptist blogger"

I don't normally comment here on my blog about the ongoing litigation and discovery process in the First Amendment lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville, but in today's Florida Time's Union there is an article about a tiny portion of what has been determined through the discovery process that I thought I'd share with my readers, especially those who might not read the Times Union.

As a part of the discovery process in this lawsuit, my lawyer has deposed State Attorney Angela Corey, scheduled for next week, and apparently a motion was filed on her behalf recently in an attempt to keep her from having to give her testimony. The information about the "inadvertant destruction" of documents in this case was revealed when Stephen Seigel was deposed in May, and apparently this information was revealed in my lawyer's response to Corey's motion. Thus, it's in the paper this morning.

Here's the article:

Headline and link: "OOPS!! State Attorney's Office inadvertently destroys subpoenas related to First Baptist blogger."

The article from the newspaper:

"The State Attorney's Office disclosed it inadvertently destroyed investigative subpoena requests and copies of subpoenas related to a formerly anonymous blogger who was critical of leadership at Jacksonville's First Baptist Church.

According to a federal court motion filed on behalf of State Attorney Angela Corey, the files were inadvertently destroyed during an office relocation, along with similar documents in other cases from October to December 2008.

The motion, seeking to keep Corey from being deposed, was filed in a lawsuit filed by Tom Rich, who sued authorities and the church after an investigation revealed his identity. A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detective who attends First Baptist used subpoenas signed by an assistant state attorney to discern Rich's identity in 2008.

The documents were destroyed when Corey, who took office in 2009, moved the special prosecution division from the Eddie Farah Building on Adams Street into the State Attorney's Office on Bay Street as a cost-saving measure.

Corey was unavailable for comment this afternoon, and Chief Assistant State Attorney Dan McCarthy said he was unaware of the inadvertent destruction. He said he hasn't been directly involved in the Rich litigation.

"There's been no issue that I'm aware of that's arisen out of inadequate files being transferred over from special prosecution," McCarthy said.

Rich's attorney, Mike Roberts, noted in a response filed this afternoon that Assistant State Attorney Stephen Siegel told jacksonville.com after Rich's lawsuit was filed last year that the supoena requests had been destroyed after 90 days according to office policy. Siegel was the prosecutor who signed the supoena requests. Roberts said the detective's files also have been destroyed.

"These are central documents that just don't exist anymore," Roberts said. He said he is contemplating a motion for sanctions for intentional destruction of evidence.

Robert said he was told the filed were being moved and were inadvertently placed in a group of documents that were to be destroyed. "

I have sat in on every deposition given thus far in the case over the past 2 months (over 20), and there are more scheduled. The discovery process is still on-going, and probably will continue through July.

I am assuming the judge in this case will very soon issue a ruling on the motion to keep Corey from testifying, as Corey's deposition is scheduled for next week. I'll update with any additional news that is put in the newspaper.

Mac Brunson Sermon: Setting the Record Straight on Youth at FBC Jax

At the 2010 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando, the FBC Jax combined youth choirs and orchestra did a magnificent job at the convention. They sung and played very well - the music was top notch, not overly contemporary like some of the music at the convention. Jonathan Welch and the new guy did great in leading the youth.

After they sang and played, their pastor Mac Brunson made the following statement about the youth at the beginning of his sermon, complimenting them on their ability to share their faith:

"That high school group is going to be in Argentina - about 150 of 'em - middle school is going to be in the inner-city of Atlanta working with a church plant we have going there - I just love them - and I want to tell you something - that group of young people there, they know how to witness. Now listen, they can tell you about Jesus Christ, and I'll tell you how they do that.

Because of the leadership of Homer Lindsay and Jerry Vines - not because of Mac Brunson - but pastors before me, the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. And because those pastors saw to it, we have a generation of young people that will knock on doors and tell people about Jesus."

Well, I understand the desire to drop names like Jerry Vines and Homer Lindsay at the convention, but really, I think the credit for the training of those young people doesn't go to Vines or Lindsay.

No way. It to goes to an entirely different set of folks, folks that Mac might have given credit to if he had more time to speak - so I'll take the opportunity here.

If anyone is going to be commended for helping to produce the quality of youth at FBC Jax, it goes to the youth ministers at FBC Jax: starting with Bob Barton and Calvin Carr whose service started way back in the 80s. These two guys poured their lives into the youth at FBC Jax for several decades, and established a youth ministry of excellence - emphasizing personal evangelism, teaching the kids how to share their testimony and the gospel. The successors of Barton and Carr - Dan Elkins and Chris Eppling seem to have done a solid job as well carring on their work.

It also goes to the hundreds of dedicated lay leaders and workers who work tirelessly with the youth. They teach Sunday School, go on camps, work in the youth music ministry Sunday and Wednesday nights - not getting a paycheck or wanting a paycheck and taking vacation time to serve - but doing it out of love for the kids and the Lord.

I'll never forget the two people at FBC Jax who I admire the most and served under for 7 years: Walt and Maggie Bowden, who have been 6th grade Sunday School directors for close to four decades. While the mega church pastors get the big pay checks and all the accolades and standing ovations, people like the Bowdens and others at FBC Jax will be the ones getting the applause of heaven when they arrive for their steadfast service and sacrifice all these years. Sure, no wealthy FBCJ donors are lining up to give them a land gift or free beach condo rent, and maybe they didn't get to sail down the Danube or go on any Holy Land trips...but they took different trips: their trips to Lake Yale and Hilliard ministering to youth the past 40 years surpass anything that a FBC Jax mega church pastor has done or will do for the kingdom.

Credit also goes to the hard-working parents who saw to it to get their kids in a top-notch ministry. Anyone who knows what it is to attend a downtown mega church, knows it is a committment to haul everyone down there 2 or 3 times a week, sometimes more, for all the special ministries the kids are involved in.

So I just wanted to set the record straight...and I think Jerry Vines would agree, and Homer would too if here were still here...don't pat them on the back for what the youth have accomplished or will accomplish for the Lord in Argentina...thank the unsung heros, the past and current youth ministers and dedicated lay workers and parents who have toiled for years in the youth ministry at FBC Jax.

Mega church pastors might not notice, but Jesus sure does.

And Now a Word from an Ergun Caner Defender, Liberty Grad

A few days ago, a poster by the name of "Craig" posted the comment below back on my "Ergun Caner is Coming to Jacksonville" post. It was such a good defense of Caner, I thought it a shame to have it buried in the comments. This Craig made an appearance on Debbie Kaufman's blog a few weeks back with his "vitriol".

I am deeply offended by Craig's words. Not because he used words to describe me like: vain, stooge, oozing, sowing discord, vicious, needing "friggin help", Kool-Aid drinker, pathetic loser, and breaking Christ's heart...I can take that, and I've been called worse on the blog and in depositions...but to call the Watchdog a FEMALE CAT-IN-THE HAT...them's is fighting words Craiger! I am deeply offended.

Besides, is not the Cat-in-the-Hat male? This is a slam on the integrity of the beloved character we all have grown up with.

So it is not FBC Jax Cat-in-the-Hat to you sir, it is FBC Jax Watchdog.

I have now registered http://www.fbcjaxcatinthehat.blogspot.com/ just in case you get any funny ideas, Craig.

Anyway, here is our message from "Craig" (which I did break up into paragraphs for easier reading, but the message is intact, in its entirety, unedited):

Hmmmm I wonder what the bible and the early church patriarchs would have to say about The Cat in the Hat here posting Caner's speaking schedule and then bullying the people in those church's...and those pastors...into "voicing their displeasure"? Could it be Mrs. Cat in the Hat, that you do not, in fact, know EVERY DAMN THING? Could it be that your opinion really doesn't matter to everyone in the world? I would ask you who the hell you think you are...but the answer would likely take endless paragraphs and I ain't got all day.

Face the facts...your vain attempt at derailing a man, his family, and his ministry have failed. You have been exposed as a stooge for a third rate nobody like James White who goes to bed each night with a mouthguard in place because he grinds his teeth at the mere thoughts of Ergun Caner being liked and accepted. What does it say about someone who virtually oozes her desire for approval from a man as clearly unbalanced as White?

You speak of Godliness and post parodies or an ordained minister. Like it or not, Ergun Caner is one of God's men and you MOCK him. You went beyond a call for "repentance" a long time ago. You want him gone so the object of your affection can rise to fill the void. The fact is James White is considered such a loon that no matter what happens to Caner or anyone else James White will NEVER EVER step into the mainstream. he is a fringe dweller. PERIOD. His followers are all just as fringe oriented.

Sowing discord within other churches is a sin against the Holy Spirit, Mrs. Cat in the Hat. Repent! I call on you to repent. And for God's sake will you please vacuum around that James' pulpit some more...or doesn't the cord reach all the way down the stairs into his mom's basement? I shall now enjoy the fact that you will pull random segments of this response out of context and stitch together a threat...you will send me vicious emails demanding my repentance...(which will make me laugh)...and tighty Whitey will probably blog about it in endless paragraphs...maybe even a small book.

You all need friggin help. Have a nice day on the compound mixing the kool aid...bunch of pathetic losers. Keep breaking Christ's heart...that'll win the lost.

Regards...

Trinity Rape Update: Fuller Continues To Do the Right Thing

I wanted to give an update on the Trinity Baptist Church (Concorde, NH) rape case involving a church member raping a then 15-year old babysitter. I have written several articles on this case previously, the most recent one here.

Today the alleged rapist, Ernie Willis, was arraigned in court, charged with two counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault. The judge refused to grant him a public defender, so he will have to spend his own dough and hire an attorney.

But the more interesting aspect of this story to me is how the current pastor, Reverend Brian Fuller, is doing the right thing and NOT remaining silent about what occured at his church years before he arrived. As events unfold, he appears NOT to be interested in covering in any way for the previous pastor's actions, or remaining a tomb and not speaking out about what happened at his church 13 years ago.

WMUR News in New Hampshire ran a story today on Willis' arraignment (video report is included at that hyperlink), and the reporter was granted an interview with Pastor Brian Fuller (seen below). This is amazing to me, as most pastors dealing with a sex scandal in their church are in damage control mode and will NOT speak to reporters. Fuller has already said more publicly about this scandal in one month than, say, another well known independent Baptist minister whose church was involved in a much deeper sex scandal over the past 15 years.

Fuller so far is taking a different tact. HE is speaking to the media. He isn't sending his lawyers to speak, or his trustees or deacons, or having his PR firm release a written statement.

And he is telling it like it is, going on the camera. He expressed alarm how the alleged perpetrator was allowed to stay a member of the church "for years" after the rape was reported. According to the reporter, Fuller acknowledges that the rape "was kept under wraps", and the survivor was forced to "apologize" to the congregation for getting pregnant, and was then flown to Colorado.

The news reporter says the rape survivor sent her a copy of the written statement she provided to the police. A direct quote from the survivor's statement:

"[previous Pastor Chuck Phelps] told me that I should be happy that I didn't live in Old Testament times because I would have been stoned because I didn't cry out and tell people sooner."

Church discipline from a caring pastor: Just be glad you got raped NOW and not THEN, else we would have killed you. Sick. The only thing she didn't get was a trespass order filed with the Concorde police for "church misconduct".

Well, as I blogged several weeks ago, I remain hopeful that Fuller will continue to be open and forthright about what occured at the church, and that he will be honest and transparent about what changes he is going to make at his church in their governance and discipline process to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. He promised he would do this in his May 30, 2010 sermon.

Speaking out about this is one way that Fuller can communicate to those people in his community he seeks to minister to, that he and his church are interested in loving people as Christ commanded them and will stand with those who are wronged and will call for justice when the weak are abused by the powerful. Silence might help lawyers minimize your financial damages, but the community gets the message that you're more about your precious church's reputation and financial resources than you are about standing for what is right.

And hey, who knows...if Fuller determines that Chuck Phelps acted inappropriately in exercising his pastoral duties, perhaps he will call on Phelps' current church to exercise church discipline on HIM, and force HIM to stand in front of his congregation to apologize.

And thank goodness for the "bloggers"...as the WMUR reporter says at the end of her piece, it was a blogger who got the investigation started again after 13 years.

10 Reasons Why I Like Bryant Wright

Tuesday June 15th was quite in interesting day at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. There were fireworks, arguments, passion, a few ugly name callings - and even a claim of "bullying" against the leadership. It was fun to tune in over the Internet while working yesterday.

But today I want to express why I am very pleased to have Bryant Wright elected as the new president of the SBC. I don't know much about Wright yet, but my first look tells me that he is a good selection, maybe the best of all four.

I realize these are not all the best reasons, but they are the after-the-fact reasons from my recalicitrant blogging heart as to why I think I like Wright:

1. He is NOT a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. From what I can tell Wright seems to have no strong connection or allegiance to Paige Patterson or the CR bunch. He did attend Southern Seminary, and earned an MDiv. I haven't heard of him - so apparently he is not a regular on the SBC preaching circuit. As I understand it, he was not the choice of Hunt, Brunson, Patterson, or the other SBC heavies, after all he is not a "Dawctor". Praise the Lord for that. Let's have a clean break from this Pattersonite bunch for a while.

2. He is not a PhD. He has an MDiv, according to his bio. He is not the grand and glorious "Doctor Bryant Wright". Let's get real. Can we drop the "Doctor" crap from these haughty pastors' titles? (Did I just say that? You better believe I did). I'm sick of mega church pastors who think they're intellectual heavy weights and demand to be called "Doctor". I'll take a pastor who goes by "Brother Roy" or "Brother Keith" over some "Doctor Bigwig". If I get sick, I'll go see my "Doctor". If I need my pastor, I'll call "Brother Bill" or "Brother Bob". By the way, I liked how Kevin Ezell and Jimmy Scroggins did not use the "Doctor" titles when referring to men on the platform of the Pastor's Conference this year. Come on, why can't Dr. Ergun Caner be "Brother Mike"? Is he REALLY the intellectual heavyweight that he portrays himself as?

3. He has an honory doctorate, but doesn't call himself "Doctor" . Bryant did not rush out and get a diploma mill doctorate so he could call himself Doctor, either. I think one of the silliest things I've seen is people at the FBC Jax Pastor's Conference calling Junior Hill "Doctor Hill". Are you kidding me? "Doctor Hill"? The guy is "Junior Hill". I'm happy he got an honorary doctorate from somewhere, but to change "Junior Hill" to "Doctor Hill" is absolutely ridiculous, and I'm quite sure Junior prefers to be called "Junior" and not "Dawctor". Give me good 'ole "Junior" over "Doctor".

4. He graduated from an SEC school. He's a Gamecock, graduated from University of South Carolina. Probably likes Steve Spurrier. OK, this has no spiritual significance whatsoever. But I'm an SEC fan, and I like Spurrier. :)

5. He's been at his church for almost 30 years. He didn't get promoted up the chain, wasn't fast-tracked to be a new mega church pastor - therefore he doesn't take orders from Patterson or Hunt. And I have great respect for guys with lots of tenure at one church, who became a mega church pastor through pastoring and not appointment.

6. He didn't start out seeking a position as a "Pastor". He graduated from USC and worked for a chemical company for a few years, then felt a call to go to full time ministry. I like that. And he doesn't have a bio "handle" - it's not "From the Chemical House to the Church House". No apparent embellishments. Just a guy with a regular bio who has served as pastor at one location for three decades.

7. He doesn't seem to be the favorite of Tim Rogers and the SBC Today Bunch. Jimmy Jackson was their choice, so I like Wright just a little more now. I have to believe Ted Traylor was the choice of the Johnny Hunt crowd. Nothing against Traylor or Jackson.

8. Peter Lumpkins wanted Jimmy Jackson. Now I know I REALLY like Wright. The trifecta would be to know Joe Blackmon didn't vote for Wright; then we're really getting somewhere....but Blackmon is not a Southern Baptist, is he? Could it be that Brother Mike (Ergun Caner) didn't vote for Brother Bryant?

9. Has plenty of women on staff, some have title of "Ministers" . Doubt they ordain women, but he has several women on staff that have the title of "Minister". Is there anyone else out there besides me who is a recovering SBC mega church fundy who is beginning to see through the "men only can be leaders" doctrine? I think our churches will be served very well to start allowing women to serve in positions of leadership and ordained ministry. Hey, it was a woman who called out Hunt and Floyd yesterday on the GCR verbiage change to make sure it was what the body wanted, and not what Floyd wanted. More women leaders, please.

10. His church doesn't seem to be caught up in the church marketing craze. Look at his website and their latest video blast. Pretty regular stuff, nothing fancy.

Good to have "Brother Bryant" as the president.

And oh yeah: there won't be any controversy over where he was born and raised. He was "raised in Georgia" - the state, not the country. :)