21 June 2023
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“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]
Presbyterians Week Headlines
[3] An Open Letter by Bill Marsh to the ARP Church
Additional Articles of Interest
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In an article in the 18 June 2014 Presbyterians Week titled “[2] ARP Synod Votes for the Ecclesiastical Bureaucrat’s “Chameleon of Unctuous Etiquette” in Lieu of Matthew 18, the ARP Book of Discipline, and Parliamentary Procedure,” the editor described the Rev. Chuck Wilson and his ARPTalk Blog…as “a lone voice “crying out in the wilderness” against unbiblical practices within the ARP Synod, Erskine College and Theological Seminary, and several ARP presbyteries,” and described actions of the 2014 ARP Synod as an:
“attempt to silence Dr. Wilson through the church courts without the benefit of biblical precepts, the ARP Book of Discipline, nor parliamentary procedure.”
Fast forward to May 2023, an ad hoc tribunal of the ARP Synod Executive Committee succeeded in precipitating Chuck Wilson to leave the ARP Synod rather than face the tribunal’s questionable existence, lack of impartiality, and jurisdiction.
The following two articles are first, Chuck Wilson’s explanation of the events leading to his resignation as an ARP minister, and second, an open letter by ARP pastor the Rev. Bill Marsh explaining his views of the many irregularities surrounding the tribunal.
The editor concluded the 2014 article with the following admonition, which is as valid today as it was nine years ago:
“The editor’s level of contempt for the actions of those in the ARP who hatched this scheme and went along with it is best left undescribed at this time.
“To those teaching elders and ruling elders cooperating in this endeavor, I remind you that you will sooner than you think answer to God for your actions and motivations, and you will be held to a higher standard due to the godly responsibilities entrusted to you. I additionally commend to you the words of Joseph Welch in 1954:
“Have you no sense of decency?”
+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org
The most self-condemnatory question every asked was asked by Pilate when Jesus was brought before him. The questions is, “What is truth?” “What is truth?” The Moderator of General Synod sent out the following email today (May 22, 2023, see below). The purpose of this email is to offer an update on the recent activity of the Executive Board of the General Synod. On May 22, 2023, the former Reverend Charles (Chuck) Wilson appeared before the court in order to stand trial for charges made against him. I am saddened to report that before the trial commenced, Mr. Wilson read a statement in which he renounced the court’s jurisdiction and withdrew from Gospel ministry. According to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Book of Discipline chapter 8.1, “When a member or minister is under discipline and wishes to withdraw his membership rather than face the censure of the Church, the church court shall act by removing his name from the roll which is the theological equivalent of 1 excommunication without judicial process.” Sadly, Mr. Wilson has imposed the highest form of church discipline upon himself by excommunicating himself from the Church of Jesus Christ. Please pray for Mr. Wilson and all those involved in this sad situation.
Bill McKay, Moderator Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
“WHAT IS TRUTH?” One, McKay is correct that I refused to stand before the Inquisition court of McKay, Kyle Sims, Patrick Malphrus, David Lauten, and Ken Wingate. I am convinced that this so-called court is corrupt, and I am convinced it violates Scripture, the directives of the ARPChurch, and the Confession of Faith, XXV:4 (“The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. . .”). Conscience will not allow me to submit to something so unscrupulous and unprincipled. THIS IS THE TRUTH! Two, I have NOT “withdrawn from the Gospel ministry”; I withdrew from ministry in the ARPChurch. I am still the Reverend Doctor Charles W. Wilson. My credentials are elsewhere. McKay misuses the Book of Discipline, 8.1: “When a member or minister is under discipline and wishes to withdraw his membership rather than face the censure of the Church, the church court shall act by removing his name from the roll which is the theological equivalent of excommunication without judicial process.” (1) I have never been under “discipline” — that is, sanction. (2) I did not withdraw under “censure.” (3) Of my own choosing, I chose to withdraw from the ministry of the ARPChurch. (4) I have not chosen to excommunicate myself from the Church of the Lord Jesus or from the ordained Gospel ministry; rather, I have chosen a different venue from which to work. (5) I do not want to be a part of an ecclesiastical organization led by the likes of Bill McKay, Kyle Sims, Patrick Malphrus, David Lauten, and Ken Wingate. (6) According to 2 Revelation 18.4, I have chosen to come out of what I consider to be a modern-day Babylon. THIS IS THE TRUTH! Finally, who is Bill McKay? McKay seems confused as to his allegiances: when Synod’s then Moderator wrote to all pastors and congregations encouraging them, out of obedience to Holy Scripture, to continue meeting during the Covid pandemic, McKay, in a letter to the then Vice Moderator, sought to initiate charges against the Moderator at that time. McKay claimed that the Moderator’s letter spoke in opposition to “Her Majesty’s Government.” Apparently, McKay considers Her late Majesty’s Government to be a higher authority over the church than Holy Scripture. Needless to say, the Vice Moderator at that time wisely chose to disregard McKay’s request and no charges were initiated. As a result, the vast majority of Associate Reformed Presbyterian congregations continued to meet in faithfulness to Scripture. However, in the Canadian Presbytery, McKay made himself infamous. He informed the Canadian authorities that one of the Canadian congregations was meeting, and the results were the pastor was arrested, and both the pastor and the congregation left the ARPChurch. THIS IS THE TRUTH! For the record, below is a copy of my statement which I read before the Executive Board — a Board that I deem, at best, a Kangaroo Court, and, at worst, an Inquisition Court.
______________________________
We are here today because Matt Miller, with whom I have had significant disagreements and conflicts, decided to weaponize the then-private estrangements within my extended family for his own ends. Using the ire and jealousies of two alienated and malleable daughters, they have committed themselves to the notion that the home of Chuck and Erlene Wilson was a house of horrors. They have transmogrified me into a rage-a-holic who was either shouting and cursing or making sexual innuendos for their entire childhood, in a home in which Katie lived until she was 26 and Sara lived until she was 22. They have caricatured their mother as a scheming enabler unwilling to protect her children. On the other hand, the 3 other three children raised in our home have consistently told a very different story of love, laughter, faith, and safety. Well, Tanisha, Gayle, and Matt would have told the story of love, laughter, faith, and safety if the Investigators (and particularly the lead Investigator, Ken Wingate) had done their job as prescribed in the Book of Discipline and actually spoken to ALL the witnesses. Not only did the Investigators refuse to speak with Tanisha, Gayle, and Matt, they refused to speak with witnesses from the gym, even when given names and phone numbers. However, these witnesses would NOT have affirmed the Investigators’ preconceived narrative. Many of these allegations against Erlene and me involve alleged incidents which were supposed to have occurred more than 20 and even more than 40 years ago. Erlene and I take exception to all their allegations. Indeed, they did not happen! And we have two witnesses from the White Oak Church who will swear to our integrity: a long-time friend and our former babysitter. These women were constantly in and out of our home and knew the inner workings of our home. Furthermore, from Seneca, I have a neighbor, who with his wife and three daughters, lived in front of us, and none of them ever saw or heard anything like what our daughters allege. Nevertheless, there is a huge fissure in our family with Katie and Sara on one side, while Matt, Tanisha, Gayle, Erlene, and I are on the other. And this fissure arose because of differences, conflicts, and jealousies arising after 2000, when all children were grown-and-gone from our home. It is no secret I have a quick temper and sharp tongue. Many of the times I spoke too harshly were situations where I still believe I was right, but that was obscured by the way I expressed myself. Because of the necessity for and the devastation of harsh and wounding words, I will end this. If I were to cross-examine my daughters, I would shatter them with my words. Then the rupture is irreparable for Katie and Sara; Tanisha, Gayle, and 4 Matt; my wife and me. I cannot live with that. They are still my children. I am a realist. Humanly speaking, for my wife and I, there is little chance of reconciliation with our daughters, or between our daughters and the other three siblings. If I cross-examine them, there is no chance of reconciliation. If my cardiologists are correct, I don’t have long to live. I don’t want to end my life in a public squabble with my daughters. There can be no winner, just an unseemly spectacle. This fight, with the aid and manipulation of Matt Miller, they started. I’m ending it! I wish my daughters peace. As far as Charge #2 is concerned: If this trial were to proceed, I would show you that the Investigators have violated clear Scriptural requirements and the Book of Discipline by fashioning a charge on the basis of ONE witness. They spoke to ONE person and ran with her allegations.
- That ONE witness testified that I had run-ins with people at the gym where I have been a member for 30 years. She only mentioned ONE person specifically. That gentleman is a friend and is prepared to testify that he and I have NEVER been at odds; and, in fact, we have been friends for more than 15 years.
- I am prepared to bring the owner of the gym to tell you about my conduct there, and he and the former owners repeatedly renewed my membership for 30 years ? a strange thing to do if I were the menace described in charge #2. The owner is also prepared to tell you the first thing he did when he purchased the gym was this: “I fired Meredith, and it was the best first thing I did.”
- I have another half dozen gym members who are prepared to testify to my conduct and reputation in the gym. Included is a prominent retired Baptist pastor, a retired Clemson PhD in forestry, and a married couple who became members of the Oconee Presbyterian Church because of their friendship with me begun at the gym.
- This fired gym employee sold a cartoon version of Chuck Wilson and the Investigators bought it, too zealous to let the facts get in the way of such a good story, as they ran helter-skelter to a predetermined and prejudged conclusion.
This process has been tainted and corrupt at every juncture. You appointed Investigators, two of whom have been on very opposite sides of issues in the ARP Church and whose fairness to me could be reasonably questioned. They never should have been asked to serve in this matter. Once that mistake was made they should have refused to serve. This matter was declared an emergency by the Executive Board on October 24, 2022 ? two-hundred and eleven days ago! Thirty-five of those days were to accommodate my Advocate’s surgery and recovery, but how did the other 176 days constitute an “Emergency?” At the beginning of this process, I was skeptical that I could get a fair trial. Every step taken by the four men who constitute the Execute Committee of the Executive Board has only strengthened my belief. While I maintain that I am NOT guilty of the charges before you, I am 77 years old, and I am tired of playing games with you when the fix has been in from the beginning. With these words, I withdraw from and renounce the authority of Second Presbytery to oversee me as a minister called of God and by His Spirit — effective immediately. Under Christ’s Authority, I also denounce and withdraw from the jurisdiction of the Executive Board, and, asking God to judge between us, Erlene and I leave you to your own devices and your Kangaroo Court.
______________________________
Finally, I want to remind Mr. McKay of something he may have forgotten ; Martin Luther was condemned by an ecclesiastical tribunal at the Diet of Worms. Both Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine were condemned by their presbytery in Scotland, and J. Gresham Machen was suspended from the ministry by his presbytery. Thank you for putting me in such good company.
These are my thoughts,
Charles W. Wilson
+ ARPTalk Blog, 864-882-6337, wilson6114@bellsouth.net
+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729
[3] An Open Letter by Bill Marsh to the ARP Church
Welcome to the 170th issue of ARTalk. Below is an OPEN LETTER by Rev. Bill Marsh to the readers of ARPTalk, but particularly to those who are members of the ARPChurch.
________________________________________
June 6, 2023
Dear Chuck,
You have been an ARP for more than twice as long as I have, so I write you with you a question. I was struck this afternoon by the apparently-terrifying fear of sunlight shown by the Executive Board in the matter of my complaint. As you recall, I complained in March to the Executive Board that they had no business taking up your complaint as an emergency given the pace at which they handled the matter (at least until the end!). I further complained that they were proscribed by the Manual of Authorities & Duties from acting on any presbytery matters. Finally, I complained about the actions of the investigators and the particular men selected to both investigate and prosecute you. Rather than addressing the allegations I made in the complaint, the response of the Executive Board was to put forth a proxy (former parliamentarian Andy Putnam) to argue that the complaint was out of order since it partially complained against actions take in October by the EB. However, it also argued against March actions of the EB in a complaint also filed in March. Since I am long past caring enough about the terminal patient that is the ARP’s denominational agencies and boards to travel to its third-rate campground, I was not present on Tuesday to ask a question. I pose it to you here:
Rather than hide behind the calendar’s apron strings, how do the members of the Executive Board respond to the specific allegations I made in the complaint? That they put up a former parliamentarian to reprise his old role of moving the court with his self-asserted apodictic certainty, and that they asked a former Moderator of Synod to temporarily take the chair who is now an employee of a General Synod agency (and would thus wisely toe the party line), suggests that they would rather do anything than have to defend their actions in the sad matter that was your judicial case. One could fairly ask: Do our leaders take their work seriously? Or just themselves? What am I missing?
Questions to which the Executive Board owe answers to the ARP Church:
- How was your handling of this matter consistent with an emergency? 211 days from referral by a presbytery to trial. Remind me of “two weeks to stop the spread”!
- Do our Synod’s officers believe that the Executive Board is a court of the church?
- How do they reconcile their taking up Second Presbytery’s referral to the Synod with the Manual of Authorities & Duties’ specific directive from the Synod that the Executive Board not act on any presbytery matters? If the discipline of a minister is not a core presbytery function, what exactly is a core presbytery function?
- Do they believe that they appointed investigators who could be reasonably viewed as impartial to Rev. Charles Wilson in light of his — and their — past actions and statements?
- Why did the Investigators not speak to any witnesses except those with animus against Rev. Wilson? Why did they only speak to the two daughters making accusations but not the other three children raised in Rev. Wilson’s home?
- Do they believe that the second charge made against Rev. Wilson was adequately supported by witness testimony? Since the Investigators advanced a charge on the testimony of one person, do the officers of Synod believe that it met Biblical criteria?
- Are the officers of Synod proud of the vulgarities and profanities the Investigators used in the charges? Do they believe that those statements were necessary to be included in the language of the charges rather than as supporting evidence? Do the officers of Synod believe that the ARP Church into posterity has been edified by such language?
- Do the officers of Synod believe that, having accepted the allegations of the Investigators, that they were powerless to vacate their prior approval of the charges and accept new charges as part of a resolution that might bring healing to the Wilson family?
- In what ways have the ministers and elders of the Executive Board worked toward reconciliation and any kind of redemptive outcome for this family? Is any member of the Wilson family better off because of the efforts of the (now) former Moderator, (now) former Vice Moderator, Principal Clerk, or the Parliamentarian of the General Synod?
- Can every member of the Executive Board state -ex animo- that he knows every action taken in his name and that he approves of the actions of the leaders of the Executive Board?
- Do the officers of the Executive Board claim that they afforded every opportunity to the defense that they accorded the prosecution?
- How much of Synod’s funds did the Executive Board spend on its investigation of Rev. Wilson?
- Did the Executive Board believe that a 77-year-old blind man constituted such a physical threat that Synod’s funds should be expended for two Greenville County deputies for multiple days? Sadly, I do not expect answers to these questions.
Sincerely,
Rev. William C. Marsh
Retired Minister Grace Presbytery
+ ARPTalk Blog, 864-882-6337, wilson6114@bellsouth.net
+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729
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