A Majority of Park Street Church Members Vote Against Affirming Mark Booker as Senior Pastor. The Hot Potato Passes to the Stunned Elders. (2024)

THANK YOU, Dee!! You, and the tenacious PSC Petitioners and everyone else who co-labored and prayed for this most unlikely outcome.

Who knows what will happen next? This is what I think should happen:

1) Mark needs to go.

He’s lost the congregation. The elders need to put their personal feelings aside, and honor the congregation’s vote. They badly need to either step down themselves, or take radical and uncomfortable steps to earn or re-earn PSC’s trust.

The worst thing that could happen is that the elders just give Mark paid leave to rest, heal, learn & grow, or whatever. Mark isn’t the only problem here, but he poured gasoline on a problem and accelerated it terribly. While I do pray for Mark’s healing too, his redemptive path certainly should not ever be connected to any timetable or any particular platform in ministry. Also, there were warning signs of Mark’s behavior at Church of the Cross. Dr. Diane Langberg warns that patterns of behavior like these are often very deep-seated and resistant to genuine change (vs. the appearance of sincere change).

2) Get an interim pastor who is knowledgeable and really seasoned in spiritual abuse. Ask Christian abuse victim advocates for recommendations. This is far more important for PSC’s healing at this point than preaching gifts & memorable sermons.

3) Have GRACE do an Organizational Assessment.

If Mark resigns, you can skip the $$$$ and time that a truly independent investigation into spiritual abuse takes, and move on to the bigger question of, how did this ever happen???

Everyone knows how big & complex PSC is, and that leadership was dysfunctional before Mark came around. You need a painful and objective deep dive by experts to get a thorough diagnosis and recommendations. Also, their final report should be viewed by everyone in the congregation.

4) While you’re at it, have GRACE do the Safeguarding Initiative and write abuse policies. I don’t even think PSC has abuse policies, which is shockingly reckless for a church of that size & especially one that prides themselves on being so wicked smaht.

5) ALL current PSC leaders should educate themselves on spiritual abuse by reading Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger.

Kruger is President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC, so he’s writing from the concerned perspective of pastoral leadership, and gets why people’s first instinct is to defend their pastors. He explains what spiritual abuse is, walks readers through spiritual abuse in the OT & NT, explains why churches cover it up, and gives tips for how Search Committees can screen for spiritual abuse while looking for their next pastor.

6) Transparency with the congregation is KEY. Commit yourselves to radical transparency. Trust me, the congregation has already learned how to read right through your spin, anyway.

7) Acknowledge that NO ONE wanted to speak out against Mark Booker, but felt it was urgent to do so, for the health and flourishing of PSC. Realize that the Holy Spirit moves and works through the congregation.

Yes, be willing to meet in small groups with them – but not to tell them what you are going to do, but rather, to LISTEN and LEARN from THEM what you ought to be doing. Christian leadership ≠ might making right.

8) Be proactive in turning PSC from toxic to healthy by reading Pivot by Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer in community. And by community, I mean, humbling yourselves and reading it with the Park Streeters you’d least like to hear from, who will show you your actual blind spots.

9) Obvs, pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray without ceasing.

“I have believed that there was a church takeover”

And what would the agenda be for a takeover? To capture that historic church building and other assets from long-standing members? To change the theology and ecclesiology of the church? To establish a more rigid elder-rule system without any congregational input? What would be the primary mission of a takeover by these characters?

Oh, and I forgot!

10) Have a wise and compassionate, Christian trauma-informed counselor available to help heal the wounded.

The current leadership is too complicit (and possibly too ignorant about trauma & spiritual abuse) to offer pastoral care here. Besides which, I’d never trust the leaders not to breach confidentiality, since that was a common theme in Mark’s behavior.

Max: To capture that historic church building and other assets from long-standing members? To change the theology and ecclesiology of the church? To establish a more rigid elder-rule system without any congregational input?

You nailed it.

“The Hot Potato Passes to the Stunned Elders”

Well, one thing’s for sure … you don’t want any of the current elders on a pastor search committee if it comes to that!

Max:
“I have believed that there was a church takeover”

And what would the agenda be for a takeover?To capture that historic church building and other assets from long-standing members?To change the theology and ecclesiology of the church?To establish a more rigid elder-rule system without any congregational input?What would be the primary mission of a takeover by these characters?

To take a diverse congregation and put all of the power in one viewpoint (conservative, complementarian, traditional). Too bad, the congregation got in the way.

Elizabeth Klein: 9) Obvs, pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray pray without ceasing.

And (10) Ask those amazing pastors and elders who just resigned to withdraw their letters of resignation! We need some humble, truth-telling leaders with good institutional memory!! Quick let’s get them back, if they are open to it, before they get snatched up* for being such awesome and courageous and faithful siblings in Christ!

*So I know “snatched up” isn’t so nice to other lovely communities in Christ! I mean this slightly in jest… ultimately if the Holy Spirit has something else for these siblings, we do NOT want to delay them and their dear, dear families a single day! Buuuuut, oh, please, please can we keep them and walk into healing with them?

Well done, PSC members. You saw sin for sin and made your voice heard. There is still much work to be done. The church cannot be rebuilt under the same leadership that allowed and participated in this sin.

For Mark’s co-abusers, you should repent of your sins (wrath, manipulation, espionage, hatred) or resign immediately:

Jason Abraham
Geoff Rush
David Rix
Mike Ahearn
Nathan Skinner (who apologized to the congregation but needs to also ask individuals for forgiveness)

For Mark’s sycophants, opportunists, and other allies who have enabled this regime: you must also resign. You may also be victims in this, manipulated into believing that you need to follow this path to preserve the church. It should be evident at this point that you were wrong. Take time to grieve of your decisions, but do so outside of a position of leadership:

David Murgatroyd
Andrew Zeigler
Deb Gallagher
Margaret Sloat
Mary Harvey
Randall Weitzig

I hope that one day you can experience the grace of repentance for how you have damaged the staff, congregation, and image of the Gospel through your actions.

This can’t end with Mark. There is much work to be done.

Elizabeth Klein,

Good insights!

Observant Outsider,

Mwah Ha Ha Ha

Elizabeth Klein,

Such a thoughtful and wise list! I’ll make my post #11 on the list! :o)

(12) Tear up that stupid and abusive letter to Susan Lane and welcome her back onto the church property with open arms. Have its authors publicly ask her to forgive them for their abusive behavior and weaponized use of sacred scriptures and spiritual language and concepts.

(13) Tell the congregation which elders have been the co-authors on which abusive letters. Confess and repent of the “one voice policy” once and for all!

(14) Put safe guards in the bylaws against spiritual abuse. Get professional help and advice on the language to use.

(15) Require Jason Abraham to apologize for his harshness and cruelty towards anyone not openly supportive of and obsequious to Mark Booker. Then accept his heartfelt and genuine resignation and his commitment to “equal weights and measures” in all he does personally, professionally, and in community.

(16) Talk about, read about, sing about, PRAY about how people move through the stages of grief differently. Give time and more time for lament and mourning for all the abuse that has happened.

—> adding some goals for the distant-ish future time as people start to be ready for rebuilding trust and relationships <—

(17) Find some lovely things to celebrate! Have church potluck meals and rotate who is on the set up and clean up teams! At the potlucks, play some silly games together. Do that “get to know you” game where each person needs to find someone who has done X, or can play the Y instrument, or who was born in Z month… but be careful of those competitive types! :o) Get some team building board games and play them at the potluck meals. Sign up for a church ropes course at La Vida at Gordon College and do a challenge by choice day of activities. Have a deep clean day where the congregation dusts and scrubs everything that doesn’t move! (To be clear, the church is super well maintained…. I mention this because cleaning a place with your own hands changes how you steward that location.) And then send the cleaning crew / facilities maintenance team on a good vacation!

(18) Involve the next generations in the services! Have them stand on a step stool and read Scripture or make an announcement. Generally be thoughtful about “age segregation” and when it is not absolutely necessary, avoid it.

(19) Have someone who enjoys visiting small groups and fellowships, gather more fun ideas from each part of the community. Or start a “fun ideas bulletin board” where people can share ways to enjoy one another’s company.

Observant Outsider: To take a diverse congregation and put all of the power in one viewpoint (conservative, complementarian, traditional). Too bad, the congregation got in the way.

^^ this exactly. also Mark knows for longevity he needs to surround himself by yes men which Abraham is performing excellently. The number of people who collaborated with Mark in this mess (like David Rix) is how Mark keeps making messes. Unfortunately, because of Mark’s theological ideology I do not see him stepping down. Knowing and serving with him personally, I know that his narrow conservative ideology is such that he truly believes that he is the outstretched hand of God in the congregation because God put him in this leadership position and that is affirmation enough for him that what he does is what God wants. That is why he can say to people point blank that “its his gut” why a person should go. And he and Mandy can rationalize it and have for years! But the BoE will apparently let the congregation burn for some reformed complementarian theology. And Mark is so close to making the church reflect this sort of ideology… its only time! I shiver reading Perkins’ account.

Max,

By golly Max, I think you’re talking about a dictatorship.

What an amazing letter from Pastor Perkins. I’m going through a very difficult circ*mstances right now, wanting to just walk away from the Lord and the faith I’ve clung to so tightly for so long. It all seems rather hopeless. But Pastor Perkins’ opening paragraph has shone a light into the deep darkness invading my soul:

“I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who understands the burdens we bear and promises to deliver us from every tribulation. Through each and every hardship, we are refined. By clinging faithfully to him in long-suffering his glory is manifest in and through our lives. In humility, Christ himself bore the cross to complete the work given to him, and through suffering, God’s goodness has come to bear on generation after generation. He was delivered through death and lives in glorified life as we all shall when we take up our own crosses and follow him. One day we shall stand together in unity around his throne crowned with everlasting joy when sin is no more and the troubles of this world melt away.”

What beautiful, life-giving words. I’m going to print this letter up and re-read it over and over. The whole letter is a shining representation of all it means to be a pastor and care for the people as Christ does. Of what it means to be a Christian and the call we have to live in love and unity. I wish I were a member of his congregation. What a loss for PSC. What a blessing for Triangle Grace to be shepherded by such a man.

Dear Mark Booker, if you are awake at this hour or have been awake these past few hours, please know I am asking God to give you a dream or vision of what you should do going forward. You are in a small boat in a terrible storm. The good news and Good News is that Jesus comes walking on the water and calms storms. It’s his modus operandi and He loves to save folks from raging storms! His smile over you after He calms the storm will warm your heart and spread a calming sensation throughout your body… and throughout your life. Please look to Jesus in honesty and ask Him for help. He loves you and desperately wants to lead you beside still waters and into green pastures. Your dear wife and children will be blessed to see Jesus calm the storm and to find those green hills and that calm and refreshing water. You will never regret asking Jesus to calm this storm!

I’d email this to you, but I want to share it here so others can ask God for this for you and your family when they pray for you all by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Watcher:
Mark and his wolf pack have hurt a lot of people.It is time they humbly step down so that this beleaguered church can rebuild.But I predict they will not take that path.It leaves them a few key options:

1) Launch an “independent” investigation.
2) Put Mark on leave to rehabilitate
3) Affirm Mark and say that everyone else is mistaken.

They now know from Sunday that #3 will no longer work.SO Based on prior patterns of behavior, they will likely try a combo of 1 and 2.They will say, “In light of the unexpected perspectives that came to light last week, the board has hired an outside investigative team… blah blah blah.We are also concerned about the pain inflicted on Mark and his family, and we have agreed for Mark to go on a voluntary leave of absence for three months for spiritual reflection, healing, and discernment.We have hired an interim senior minister, X, who has experience working in situations such as ours. He is an excellent preacher and leader, and he will start on June 17.During this difficult time that has caused so much hurt to all, we will seek unity to heal and pray….” Blah, blah, blah…

Then the plan will be for Mark to return after Labor Day.He will come back, three months hiking in Colorado and rafting in the Rockies “a new man, healed, with a fresh perspective.”“The Lord has really met me in a profound way, and I’m ready to serve you in greater humility and deeper love… blah blah” The people who resigned will be long in the rear-view mirror (bye bye Damian, Julian, Ray, Leslie, Yannick; bye bye petitioners; it was swell knowing ya).Maybe Tim and Tammy gets to keep his job after all.A little opposition to toy with is fun for the cat to have at least one mouse to scare into a hole.Over the summer, the Interim senior minister calms everyone down, tells everyone in private meetings that they have legit concerns and deep hurts, tells everyone in public that we need to heal, we need to love, we need “radical forgiveness.”Mark comes back in soft tones.Adam is now his new saluting preaching associate, purchased with just a title; Andrew becomes the executive by January 2025.

The week before Thanksgiving, the investigation comes back with another highly controlled report, that Geoff Raux, David M, and Andrew Ziegler figured out how to appear independent but it will not be at all.Those guys have learned how to master the fix….Everyone goes away for Thanksgiving, and then we launch into Christmas Tide.Investigation is long gone.

Most of the petitioners will have already left b/c they knew it was not independent, but all the naive folk in the middle will continue to believe everything they are told without much question.“You can never satisfy those petitioners.” Some of the old timers who smell the rot, try to find the positive b/c they ain’t leaving no matter what.The independent investigation only affirms the vicinage and voca. “We have done our due diligence.We have turned over every rock.Mark is “a gem.”So by November, they exonerate Mark for the fourth time, and the diamond in the rough is sparkly in his flowing robes.

“Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiime is on our side, yes it is…”Pop the champagne.

… Dee, something like the above is what is going to happen, unless God intervenes. I’m still betting on God for this one.

Not to be Debbie Downer after Sunday’s miracle, but this scenario is entirely plausible.

From Cindy Cutlip’s testimony:

“Mark uses time to his advantage, and has said to me, ‘A wise mentor told me that in chaotic situations as a leader, time is your friend.’”

However, I pray that this will not be the case! I pray that Mark resigns.

Please allow Mark Street Church to go back to being Park Street Church, so PSC can begin the heavy-lifting, longtime work of healing.

The congregation made a big difference on Sunday. The congregation can also hold the elders’ feet to the fire on this.

So many Christians in abuse situations tie the concept of “mercy” to a seemingly redeemed abuser earning back a paid, ministry position. That’s not mercy. Worse, it may be enabling.

Mercy, rather, is reconciliation with God, a renewed relationship with Him, a further opening of the heart to become more Christlike. God’s mercy leads us back to Him, with our messy, real, non-curated selves begging for help. We cannot dictate a Holy Spirit timetable in another person’s life.

Abusers, in general, are very good at feigning sincere repentance – usually because they gain something in return. It’s like the “honeymoon” cycle for a violent spouse, who insists he’s sorry for beating her, cries, buys her flowers, promises to be a totally different and better human – but only to trap her in the relationship where he continues to abuse her.

The promise of a paid, ministry platform would motivate any abuser to do what it takes, to convince the congregation & elders of sincere heart change. Whereas, the only way to truly give Mark a real chance to change is to take that reward away. Moreover, it’s the loving thing to do, for someone who is addicted to power and control.

I do believe in being financially merciful. Mark has a wife and (4?) kids, so do give him a severance package.

But please let him go. And don’t write a glowing recommendation letter for another pastorate, making him some other church’s problem.

I do pray for Mark’s healing, and that he would find a compassionate and yet extremely clear-eyed counselor, who is seasoned in matters like spiritual abuse. Someone like Chuck DeGroat – who, by the way, says patterns like these can take 10 years of deep, hard hard work to change.

Observant Outsider,

I have been bothered by the change to divide the Christian formation hour by neighborhood and I couldn’t articulate why for a long time and your comment embodies my issue with it, which is that when there was an actual coffee hour you would have people from Andover interacting with people living on the streets in the city, when there were Christian formation classes not segregated by geographical area you were encouraging people to step out of their enclaves and interact with people who they otherwise might not encounter. I am all for neighborhood small groups, but it seems to me part of the point of drawing people from all over the area on Sunday is that you can interact with people with different life experiences and perspectives and that stopped happening. I know this is a minor side issue, but it was another example to me of the siloing of interaction and information that was happening at the church

Mark’s former co-laborer,

This could be true. There are some who call Mark “the Lord’s anointed one.” If Mark actually has a clinical narcissistic personality disorder then it will be very difficult for him to accept his own failings.

Elizabeth Klein: From Cindy Cutlip’s testimony:

“Mark uses time to his advantage, and has said to me, ‘A wise mentor told me that in chaotic situations as a leader, time is your friend.’”

Sounds more like advice for a corporate CEO than a pastor. “Wait it out and this too will pass” is not the heart of a pastor. In the meantime, Scripture tells us exactly what is going on when chaos hits a church: “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Too often, church leaders will point a finger at others as the source of confusion, while the rest of their fingers are pointing back at them. Everyone forgetting that another spirit has moved into the church which is not Holy.

Elizabeth Klein: Abusers, in general, are very good at feigning sincere repentance – usually because they gain something in return.

Crying without tears, weeping without remorse, sobbing to distract are not signs of true repentance. Church beware! God hates arrogance and pretense (Proverbs 16).

Elizabeth Klein: I do believe in being financially merciful … severance

Indeed. All those who have served PSC deserve some remuneration when they exit, for their family’s sake. Were those on the long list of staff fired or forced out by Mr. Booker given that consideration?

Muff Potter: I think you’re talking about a dictatorship

Dictator: “one holding complete autocratic control: a person with unlimited governmental power; one ruling in an absolute and often oppressive way”

Watcher: something like the above is what is going to happen, unless God intervenes

You have just nailed the playbook we’ve so many times on TWW regarding fallen pastors who were restored to ministry … it’s such a cruel game for the Body of Christ to be forced to play.

Max: Dictator: “one holding complete autocratic control: a person with unlimited governmental power; one ruling in an absolute and often oppressive way”

And Christians LOOOOOVE Dictatorship.
As long as the Dictator is one of their Anointed or (like RO Patriarch Kyril) THEY get to sit at the Dictator’s Right Hand as Court Pet.

Elizabeth Klein: Abusers, in general, are very good at feigning sincere repentance

IMO, genuine repentance is actually quite hard to fake in the sight of careful observers — it entails concrete visible life changes. What is much easier to fake is “sincere contrition”, because that can be communicated with affect and words. Good-hearted onlookers, who are not themselves skilled deceivers, interpret the visible display as an accurate representation of the person’s internal state, when it may actually merely be a ruse.

What would “genuine repentance” look like in this case? Perhaps it would include things like publicly acknowledging the validity of the valid charges made by people over whom MB has exercised power. By the end of that, it might be very difficult to argue that he ought to remain in office. Peaceful departure might be another visible mark of genuine repentance.

Elizabeth Klein,

Great synopsis. I am so grateful to be helping out some wonderful folks who have been part of PSC. It brings me back to the very start of my Christian life.

Friend of Park Street Church,

I do hope that those who were unjustly fired or, due to conscience, needed to resign may think about returning if things go in the right direction.

Worried and Anxious: Can you imagine what it was like for him to get raked over coals in front of 400+ people for 4 hours?

He’s a big boy. If he was properly trained, he should have been aware that this sort of thing happens frequently in churches. He is the one CALLED to be a shepherd and taking it on the chin is to be expected.

I’m wondering. You mentioned how Booker looked. You didn’t mention how all the people mistreated looked. Why?

Leah Jacobs: I’m going to print this letter up and re-read it over and over. The whole letter is a shining representation of all it means to be a pastor and care for the people as Christ does. Of what it means to be a Christian and the call we have to live in love and unity. I wish I were a member of his congregation. What a loss for PSC. What a blessing for Triangle Grace to be shepherded by such a man.

What a thoughtful thing to say!

dee: You mentioned how Booker looked. You didn’t mention how all the people mistreated looked. Why?

The congregation at this point needs to be careful that they strike the right balance of sympathy vs. empathy in this sad situation.

dee,

Because practically speaking everyone on this board is against Mark and the PSC leadership (including me, I am a petitioner). I don’t need to tell anyone here to have compassion for our mistreated junior ministers and resigned elders.

Just because he needed to take it on the chin doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Jesus had compassion for sinners, and so shouldn’t we? It doesn’t mean letting crimes slide without consequence, it just means acknowledging they’re hurt, hoping they will heal, and not taking delight in their humiliation.

If nothing else, we are all sinners and I’m willing to bet many of us put in the same circ*mstances would produce equally terrible actions. It’s just that the grace of God has saved us from having the power to do as much damage as Mark and Jason has. Hence, the need for compassion; we’re not “better” than the people we condemn.

Townsend: This comment is for all pastors, not just Mark that put themselves before the church.

Shouldn’t you say that he put himself before the children of god he is supposed to serve.

And would someone tell Booker to post his confounded diplomas/degrees?

Preferably not in crayon on toilet paper.

Worried and Anxious: Mark possibly had the worst day of his career yesterday. I wish he could have been spared that, that would have been torture for anyone.

Pat Chen
Andrew Swenson
Emma Nyquist
Robyn Bunch
Dan Verrengia
Kris Perkins
Kimberley Morrison
John Knight
Cindy Cutlip
Shannon Jacobs
Michael Balboni
Nick Dedeke
Yannick Assogba
Damian Long
Julian Linell
Pay Park
Tammy McLeod(?)
Tim Leary(?)

Worried and Anxious:
dee,

Because practically speaking everyone on this board is against Mark and the PSC leadership (including me, I am a petitioner). I don’t need to tell anyone here to have compassion for our mistreated junior ministers and resigned elders.

Just because he needed to take it on the chin doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Jesus had compassion for sinners, and so shouldn’t we? It doesn’t mean letting crimes slide without consequence, it just means acknowledging they’re hurt, hoping they will heal, and not taking delight in their humiliation.

If nothing else, we are all sinners and I’m willing to bet many of us put in the same circ*mstances would produce equally terrible actions. It’s just that the grace of God has saved us from having the power to do as much damage as Mark and Jason has. Hence, the need for compassion; we’re not “better” than the people we condemn.

Beautiful, compassionate words. Thank you.

It was also his birthday…as well as his wife’s, Tim Leary’s AND Tim’s wife!

Worried and Anxious:”I observed him during the special meeting, and I could not recall the last time I saw a man looking so miserable and isolated.”

++++++++++++++

It’s simply cause and effect. He was warned there would be consequences for how he was conducting himself.

And rightly so. In no context should autocracy, cruel or not, be received with passive compliance. The longer it is accommodated the more lives are damaged.

If that matters.

If human lives are more important than some doctrinal concept.

Samuel Conner: genuine repentance … entails concrete visible life changes

Yes, this. “Bear fruit that befits repentance,” Jesus said. The most obvious fruit of repentance for being an abusive and destructive leader would be to get out of leadership, for which you are obviously and harmfully unsuited.

Elastigirl: In no context should autocracy, cruel or not, be received with passive compliance. The longer it is accommodated the more lives are damaged.

That’s really the bottom-line for PSC membership to reflect on. In some respects, many churches need to be preached empty … but this is not the way to do it.

Worried and Anxious,

That is a very kind thought.

Townsend: By causing discord and disharmony in the local church for the outside world to see

I have to disagree with this. The leaders should be more concerned about their personal Christian life and what God thinks, than what the ‘outside world’ sees. When they worry about what others think is when they hide, lie, and cause trouble for the Church.

Okay, I’m getting Worried and Anxious about something else now.

Are there people on this board who are actually happy that Mark had a terrible time? Got what’s coming to him? That’s understandable if you were a direct victim of Mark or the Board of Elders, but for the rest of us that is distinctly un-Christ-like behavior. I hope we’re here for mutual support, not to indulge in feelings of moral superiority.

I’m not espousing some sort of radical new theology here. Can’t we feel for Mark’s victims and for Mark at the same time?

Also, Dan Verrengia is an unequivocal supporter of Mark. He is also a beloved, long-time pastor and counselor of PSC who got dismissed by leadership. We live in a weird world and things are not always as they seem.

Worried and Anxious,

The Word also says we should grieve our sins. Could this humiliation be a necessary part of his journey? I can’t say for sure. Sometimes good things are hard. I feel sorry for him but all of this could have been avoided if he make different choices along the way. This IS the most compassionate path, because when people have attempted to resolve their differences privately he has been unrelenting.

And I do care about Mark, because digging his heels and remaining at PSC will continue to reveal his actions, put attention on him from the media, and put his family through more pain (which he loves to talk about how hard all of this is on his family).

TEDS: Beautiful, compassionate words. Thank you.

It was also his birthday…as well as his wife’s, Tim Leary’s AND Tim’s wife!

TEDS: Beautiful, compassionate words. Thank you.

/blockquote>

WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE ?
WHO ARE WE TO DENY FOREGIVENESS LIKE JONAH DID @ NINEVEH

Resolve to be cheerful and helpful. People will repay you in kind.

Avoid angry, abrasive persons. They are generally vengeful.

Avoid zealots. They are generally humorless.

Resolve to listen more and talk less. No one ever learned anything by talking.

Be wary of giving advice – wise men don’t need it, and fools won’t heed it.

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged,
sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong.
Sometime in life you will have been all of these.

JOB 40:3-5
I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
Twice, but I will say no more

When the Park Street Five met with the VC, each had another Park Street pastor by their side supporting them. So, there are 11 current and former pastors advocating for Mark’s resignation. And there are three other former pastors who have made it clear that they agree with the 11. The people who understand Park Street the best, and those who know Mark as an employer the most are nearly unanimous. He is the wrong man for this job. He was promoted far beyond his competence and character. The argument that most of the staff approve of him doesn’t hold water because abusers tend to hide their true character from those who are not close to them. They affirm him because they don’t know him. Abusers normally only clash with apparent threats they can’t control. (Like better educated employees).

And now a majority of the congregation has an accurate understanding of the situation. And they have made their wishes obvious. How can the elders possibly justify defending him? How can he remain with a clear conscience when he knows that the vast majority of his senior staff and two of his elders would rather resign than continue to work with him. How can he possibly lead a congregation when most of them have publicly voted “no confidence” in his character? No competent and ethical board of directors would even consider moving forward with this leadership. No CEO who cared about the future of his organization would even think of continuing under these circ*mstances. Resignation is the only responsible option.

BTA: When the Park Street Five met with the VC, each had another Park Street pastor by their side supporting them. So, there are 11 current and former pastors advocating for Mark’s resignation.

That should speak volumes to (1) Mr. Booker, (2) the Board of Elders, and (3) the congregation. It’s unbelievable that things at PSC have reached this stage! Talking about a leadership failure!

Worried and Anxious: Can’t we feel for Mark’s victims and for Mark at the same time?

No one is delighting in this situation or what Mark went through. However your earlier comments come dangerously close to portraying Mark as a victim, when he is the abuser. Mark and the Board have engaged in DARVO (deny attack reverse victim offender), trying to brainwash the congregation into feeling bad for him (“this is so hard for me and my family”). Look at the list of resigned or fired ministers, resigned elders, and consider their families. The Sunday meeting is a direct consequence of Mark’s choices and the first time he’s faced any accountability. I’m not happy that he’s in this situation and I will pray for him. But does being loving require feeling sorry for him, when he is reaping what he sowed?

Also, Dan Verrengia retired. He had been planning to retire. He was not dismissed by leadership.

Sardis: Mark and the Board have engaged in DARVO (deny attack reverse victim offender), trying to brainwash the congregation into feeling bad for him (“this is so hard for me and my family”).

So many of us old “Wartburgers” saw that at the very beginning of this mess. All the flags were there. So sorry that the PSC staff and congregation had to go through this and hope that the BoE puts an end to it soon.

Worried and Anxious,

I don’t perceive anyone being happy or feeling any moral superiority about any of this. Perhaps a modicum of relief that something more just is happening.

this is simply being expressed in an unvarnished way, without embroidery.

My view is the whole of creation sighs with relief when forms of justice happen. There is no reason for sentient beings to shut off this very intuitive reflex.

It is unwarranted and a mistake to spiritualize this away.

and the irony of corporately pining for something just, and then when a modicum of it happens and people breath a sigh of relief they are guilted for it is…. psychologically problematic.

Everyone intimately involved this PSC mess can allow himself or herself the space to feel how they feel about Mark.

In general, I think a lot of times in Christian communities, we can feel pressured to bury negative feelings, instead of being real about who we are with God and with one another. Also, beautiful Christian concepts like forgiveness and reconciliation can be badly distorted by being hurried, pressured, or even weaponized against survivors. I don’t think that that’s how God brings about genuine healing.

Yes, we are to pray for Mark. But I agree that Mark is not the victim here.

I wasn’t at Sunday’s Special Meeting, but I don’t think that people were raking him over the coals, so much as they were testifying to what they had seen and heard and observed about him. And much of what they had experienced of Mark was highly disturbing.

Also, I think one of the beautiful things to come out of Sunday’s Special Meeting is that people who have been traumatized by Mark’s behavior now finally feel seen, acknowledged, and understood. And they are not alone. That could be very important in their healing process.

Mark is experiencing the consequences of his actions. I don’t doubt that that is extremely painful. But given time – a long, long time – this painful exposure could actually be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Chuck DeGroat is a seasoned, Christian counselor for abusive pastors. True compassion sometimes means asking tough questions. Here’s an excerpt from one of his blogposts:

*********

“As I sat with the pastor, he had many reasons for his actions – many years without a sabbatical, burnout, lack of emotional support from his wife, a ‘weak’ elder board. He was quick to say, ‘I failed.’ But he never got specific.

In one session, I asked him for permission to say something hard to him. He agreed. I offered this to him: ‘What would it be like to say this to your wife: For years, I emotionally abused you by mocking your effort, your appearance, your faithfulness. I played the part of obedient pastor, but in secret I abused and tormented you. When p*rnography was not enough to anesthetize away my shame, I intentionally and meticulously groomed women who adored me for back-rubs, blowj*bs, and sex in my office, on the floor right next to my desk and our family picture.’

He sat silently, head down, as if it was the first time he’d considered something other than a narrative that would preserve his shiny veneer. I suspect he was weighing his options, as he always did, so very fearful of an ultimate confrontation with himself.

He looked up at me, steel-eyed: ‘Chuck, can I say something to you? What would it look like for you to take the Gospel seriously, to help me gain my esteem back and to help my wife forgive me?’

I’ve had some version of this same story play out about a dozen times with pastors and/or ministry leaders of some kind.

This man needed the grace of wilderness. He wanted deliverance from Egypt and a quick flight over the wilderness to the promised land. He ultimately chose the latter. And he used his story as a real, live grace story.

When we treat grace like a bandaid rather than the major surgery it often demands, we trivialize it. Real transformation is a slow-cook process, especially for narcissists and abusers so hidden from their true selves and so prone to re-configure the masks for the sake of a new narrative and to avoid the pain of self-confrontation.

The wilderness of grace is the place where the narcissist’s false self is dismantled, but it’s also the place where the systems and structures that buttressed and supported it are confronted and dismantled…”

https://www.chuckdegroat.net/chuck-degroat-blog/2018/08/15/grace-and-the-abuse-of-grace-for-narcissists-and-abusers

*************

I pray for the confrontation and dismantling that will heal Mark and all that ails Park Street Church.

elastigirl: It is unwarranted and a mistake to spiritualize this away.

It really is.
I get so sick-and-tired of ‘spiritual this’ and spiritual that’.
It’s another thing in evangelicalism that gives me eye-roll every time.

The vote:
42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
0.01% or 6 abstentions
434 total votes cast

This is a remarkable and unexpected outcome. I thought things were sealed after the first meeting.

Elizabeth Klein: From Cindy Cutlip’s testimony:

“Mark uses time to his advantage, and has said to me, ‘A wise mentor told me that in chaotic situations as a leader, time is your friend.’”

His mentor was right. If a leader can hang on through the initial push-back, he will usually end up staying in place. That is unfortunate. It means a leader with less ability to feel guilt and shame, and who doesn’t care as much about the well-being of the church, is more likely to stay in place than a leader who resigns for the sake of the church, even if he believes himself innocent of charges.

So any strategy of delay helps the wrong kind of leader ride it out.

The vote:
42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
0.01% or 6 abstentions
434 total votes cast

This is hopeful.

Chapel Hill Bible Church is set to vote tomorrow on proposed changes in bylaws that are likely to permanently gut the power of the congregation and enshrine rule by a small number of men. May the members take their role seriously and carefully evaluate what is proposed. I doubt if they’ll have a chance in the future if the proposed bylaws pass.

Worried and Anxious: As much as Mark Booker needed to be rebuked, please also remember he is brother is Christ needing compassion. I observed him during the special meeting, and I could not recall the last time I saw a man looking so miserable and isolated. Can you imagine what it was like for him to get raked over coals in front of 400+ people for 4 hours? Jesus calls us to love our enemies, and Mark possibly had the worst day of his career yesterday. I wish he could have been spared that, that would have been torture for anyone. Pray for him as well.

Compassion is a good trait, but what I think what people are reacting to is the difference between someone suffering for other reasons and someone facing discipline because they’ve been stubborn.

I am not associated with PSC, but from what I’ve read, he had multiple opportunities to avoid this. He is still inexplicably withholding information about his degrees, for instance. It is such a small thing that he could do to bring peace. Even if his credentials are less than what the congregation would have expected, it’s the hiding of them that is the big issue. And that pales in comparison to the multiple reports describing what people say they experienced as abuse of power and spiritual abuse.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Heb. 12:11
The key is whether someone is trained by it.
“Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. ” Prov. 29:1 To me, compassion is that hearing what he heard at the meeting will break through before there is no remedy. A person can sear his conscience by continually sloughing off feedback they don’t want to hear. Self-deceit is a heckuva narcotic.

This doesn’t sound true of you, but I think what people may be reacting to here is from experience where they saw the pastor suddenly become a victim. Often this is prompted by his own bemoaning, or of allies bemoaning how difficult this “season” has been for him and his family. And nearly 100% of the time, that “compassion” results in the pastor being let off the hook and further encased in sinful patterns.

From afar, I think compassionate prayer for him would focus on him not hardening his heart in response to the pain, but being able to see himself clearly (which might prove even more painful) and repenting in truth.

Repentance would certainly include resignation for he sake of the church, because the church cannot heal while he is there at this point.

If he doesn’t leave, the elders can expect an acceleration of the decline of PSC.

Eyewitness: Chapel Hill Bible Church is set to vote tomorrow on proposed changes in bylaws that are likely to permanently gut the power of the congregation and enshrine rule by a small number of men.

= Elder Rule at its best (worst) … very typical of New Calvinist churches, Mark Dever’s theological flavor

The CHBC congregation in the future will only get to vote on things like color of the carpet and when to have potluck dinners (if they even get that chance!). All staff additions, pay scale, mission focus of the church, etc. will be in the hands of the Inner Ring (Mr. Dever and his band of hand-picked yes-men elders).

Eyewitness: Chapel Hill Bible Church is set to vote tomorrow on proposed changes in bylaws that are likely to permanently gut the power of the congregation and enshrine rule by a small number of men.

My guess is that Park Street Church is (was?) headed in this direction under Mr. Booker and the BoE.

SRH:
Observant Outsider,

I have been bothered by the change to divide the Christian formation hour by neighborhood and I couldn’t articulate why for a long time and your comment embodies my issue with it, which is that when there was an actual coffee hour you would have people from Andover interacting with people living on the streets in the city, when there were Christian formation classes not segregated by geographical area you were encouraging people to step out of their enclaves and interact with people who they otherwise might not encounter. I am all for neighborhood small groups, but it seems to me part of the point of drawing people from all over the area on Sunday is that you can interact with people with different life experiences and perspectives and that stopped happening. I know this is a minor side issue, but it was another example to me of the siloing of interaction and information that was happening at the church

Yes! This. Thank you for this insight.

SRH:
Observant Outsider,

I have been bothered by the change to divide the Christian formation hour by neighborhood and I couldn’t articulate why for a long time and your comment embodies my issue with it, which is that when there was an actual coffee hour you would have people from Andover interacting with people living on the streets in the city, when there were Christian formation classes not segregated by geographical area you were encouraging people to step out of their enclaves and interact with people who they otherwise might not encounter. I am all for neighborhood small groups, but it seems to me part of the point of drawing people from all over the area on Sunday is that you can interact with people with different life experiences and perspectives and that stopped happening. I know this is a minor side issue, but it was another example to me of the siloing of interaction and information that was happening at the church

Linn: People just got tired of the drama and the mess, especially when there were other good churches they could attend.

And we wonder why there are millions of Christians “church-shopping” in America. Perhaps the largest growing Christian segment in the nation are the “Dones” (done with church, but not done with Jesus) … too much darm drama … too much “My way or the highway” … too much flesh and not enough Spirit.

Eyewitness: Even if his credentials are less than what the congregation would have expected, it’s the hiding of them that is the big issue. And that pales in comparison to the multiple reports describing what people say they experienced as abuse of power and spiritual abuse.

I think too many PSC members got caught up on the former (ain’t no big deal about his credentials) vs. the latter more serious issue of spiritual abuse. Characters in the pulpit with no character is a BIG deal!

Worried and Anxious,

Dan retired. And came back to part time when psc was desperate for a pastoral counselor
He left that part time position on his own. I need some help during this time.

Whistleblower:
The fix is in. Mark is meeting with the staff tomorrow (without the rebels, of course) to try to explain away everything he’s done and talk about moving forward. Pray that at least one person in that meeting will call him out and challenge his “truth.”

I don’t see Mark’s loyalists calling him out.

But if they just tell him, “Sorry, Mark, it’s just not working for you here & you gotta go,” that’s fine by me.

Will pray that that happens tomorrow. PSC has a LOT of hard, healing work ahead without being sucked into the Mark drama all over again.

Whistleblower:
The fix is in. Mark is meeting with the staff tomorrow (without the rebels, of course) to try to explain away everything he’s done and talk about moving forward. Pray that at least one person in that meeting will call him out and challenge his “truth.”

Tim Leary said on Sunday it’s probably the last time he’d be talking to any of us again, but I don’t think he said he would resign. I could have missed something as it was a bit difficult to hear. I took it as he assumed he’d be fired. Hopefully he’s still speaking out as plainly and clearly as he did on Sunday.

Observant Outsider:
The PSC website has been updated already to remove Leslie Liu and Yannick Assogba from the list of elders. Didn’t waste much time to do that!

Wow! Strange they haven’t removed the ministers, though… hmmm ….

Whistleblower,

Narcissists never give up. It’s up to others to do the right thing.

Max:
Whistleblower,

Narcissists never give up.It’s up to others to do the right thing.

This. It’s an illness. Pride comes before the fall..

dee: I do hope that those who were unjustly fired or, due to conscience, needed to resign may think about returning if things go in the right direction.

Eyewitness: To me, compassion is that hearing what he heard at the meeting will break through before there is no remedy. A person can sear his conscience by continually sloughing off feedback they don’t want to hear.

Have just heard Mark is still planning to let Damian, Julian, and Ray resign, as if the meeting and vote never happened. Perhaps to no one’s surprise, the Board is letting this happen. Business as usual for Mark on his first day back on the job. Is there no remedy??

During the special meeting, which I attended, the “affirm” side used a variety of implicit/explicit reminders like (please bear with me):

* not affirming will only prolong the unnecessary conflict (and turn the church into “Gaza”)
* When Ockenga comes he would be also rejected (call for a special meeting) like the current senior minister, the petitioners should feel shameful
* not affirming would in effect disqualify the senior minister not only from PSC but from any possibility of ministering in the US – so not affirming would be a grave mistake (who would judge?)
* The BoE would only “consider again” even when the motion is not affirmed – the vote is not a re-affirmation vote on the senior minister
* The vote should only consider whether with the information that the BoE had *then* (not now!) whether they acted faithfully
* they do not see anything (even after the release of various testimonials) that would change their view – Several ministers that were on MLT spoke out during the meeting, and this speech I remember came even after those (together with the “Gaza” comment)
* The congregation has no authority by bylaws to have a say on employment matters (the sole purview of the senior minister), so re-instating fired/resigned ministers is off the table
* The staff culture was already toxic under Huggenberger, so the current senior minister has no responsibility for creating this mess
* from “watching his face at that time”, Kris seemed to be disappointed when the search committee announced the current senior minister coming in (so implied that he might have his grievances expressed in the recent testimony) – it was clearly stated at the beginning of the meeting that any attacks to other members will not be tolerated by the moderator, but the testimony went on under the justification that it is a “personal perspective germane to the motion at hand”
* Michael made false accusations in his pages regarding annual report changes
* One testimony that it was very difficult under Kimberly and after her departure he was so happy under Julian(!) and Mark, so the decision was rightful
* they would rather let all the resigned ministers plus Tim go and not see them again (this was when Tim was asking the congregation whether the congregation would wish to not see so many ministers anymore, where some people shouted “Yes”)
* The “not affirm” side often started by invoking their repentance, whereas several who spoke from the leadership said that although it is human nature to find someone to blame and behind with nefarious motives, it is just the complicated situation and differing perspectives that were not perfectly(?)/properly(?) handled

The moderator even tried to let the vote be counted by simple stand/sit count until the motion to use a paper ballot was essentially unanimously affirmed by the congregation.

For outsiders, the final tally might appear indeed surprising, but just sitting and hearing the two sides during the meeting was anything but “fair/balanced” and would have affected some of the “moderates”. But because of the speeches I left the building without much hope whether the special meeting’s result could be handled properly by the BoE that lost another two by resignations last week. I pray but I cannot foresee any good path forward.

A sneaky and subtly abusive email from Pastor Randall Wetzig who is one of Mark Booker’s obsequious loyalists.

From: Randall Wetzig
Date: June 4, 2024 at 5:05:55 PM GMT-4
Subject: Reaching out

Hi [name withheld],

Greetings in the name of our good Lord, Jesus. Thank you for all you’ve been doing to serve him by shepherding your small group during this time of confusion, questions, and frustration.

In light of Damian resigning, I just want you (and the rest of the small group leaders) to know I am praying for you and that I would love to connect with you. If you’d be open, I would be happy to listen to how you are doing after this very difficult week, to talk about your small group if you’d like, and to offer whatever support I can. (I’m not taking over small group leadership at this point, I’m just reaching out as one of the pastors.)

I am praying for you, and praying for our church with you.

Randall

Observant Outsider: I hope that one day you can experience the grace of repentance for how you have damaged the staff, congregation, and image of the Gospel through your actions.
This can’t end with Mark. There is much work to be done.

Such wise and courageous words, Observant Outsider! You chose your username accurately and I sense the Holy Spirit speaking through your words.
Also, thank you for naming those who are abusing others! The time for hiding behind the names of committees, boards, and groups is over.

Friend of Park Street Church:
A sneaky and subtly abusive email from Pastor Randall Wetzig who is one of Mark Booker’s obsequious loyalists.

From: Randall Wetzig
Date: June 4, 2024 at 5:05:55 PM GMT-4
Subject: Reaching out

Hi [name withheld],

Greetings in the name of our good Lord, Jesus. Thank you for all you’ve been doing to serve him by shepherding your small group during this time of confusion, questions, and frustration.

In light of Damian resigning, I just want you (and the rest of the small group leaders) to know I am praying for you and that I would love to connect with you. If you’d be open, I would be happy to listen to how you are doing after this very difficult week, to talk about your small group if you’d like, and to offer whatever support I can. (I’m not taking over small group leadership at this point, I’m just reaching out as one of the pastors.)

I am praying for you, and praying for our church with you.

Randall

This is what mark does. He engages in a series of one on one’s. Doing this in the past in a smaller church he had meetings with each of the small groups. Again to alleviate their concerns and pitch his narrative. Now he has to employ his collaborators to do this. It suggests Mark is only going to double down until all the problematic people (242 at this point) leave and he can rebuild PSC to be his people. The thing is, PSC won’t survive after Mark destroys it. I think Mark and his male minions don’t understand the financial gravity of their situation. It’s hard seeing this email. It suggests to me the Mark train of destruction of the church continues full speed ahead… and it’s not a good omen. These men would never operate this way in their business dealings or careers. It’s funny how all that goes out the window here. Politics is funny like that.

But yes, this email is a tactic mark is familiar with. If he can do enough of these one on ones, get his minions to do it now bc the church is vastly larger, then he can try and recontrol the narrative. The problem is this isn’t a small church and he cannot control everyone’s opinion of him. Most of marks actions, especially how he treated his colleagues, is symptomatic of someone who is fundamentally insecure. He gossips for information because he needs to know who is for/against him because he cannot stand anyone possibly not being 100% for him without that threatening his sense of self. There’s alot of anxiety there from the insecurity. It’s why you go on rampages firing people like this without considering the larger impacts this may have. I have no doubt that Mark will run park street to the ground (aided by Abraham, etc) because he’s thoroughly soiled its reputation at this point.

A member of the community asked this, and has reported that there has been no response.

Does anyone know if the results of the vote have been officially announced yet? Perhaps Robot’s Rules of Order or the Bylaws address when a vote is taken how long the Board of Elders* has to announce it?

Date: June 3, 2024 at 8:44:39 PM GMT-4
To: Clerk
Cc: Julian Linnell , Damian Long , Randall Wetzig
Subject: Re: Response Needed: Membership at Park Street Church

Hi, Debbie.

As the clerk, will you be announcing the results of the vote? Or have you already done that to the members on file via email?

Just checking for an announcement.

[…]

Thanks!

[name withheld]

+++++++++++++++++

[Again tagging the Board of Elders here for the record. From the Park Street Church website as of June 5, 2024]

JASON ABRAHAM
Moderator
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

DEBORAH GALLAGHER
Clerk
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

JULIE HALVORSEN
Elder
TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

GREGG HANSEN
Assistant Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

MARY HARVEY
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

LINDA HERMAN
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

RICHARD IBEKWE
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

GABRIEL LING
Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

DAVID MURGATROYD
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

GEOFFREY RAUX
Moderator-Elect
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

KIRSTIN PELTZ
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

DANIEL VOGELZANG
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

JOSHUA WANG
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

STEVE WEIBLEY
Elder
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

JULIANNE WHITE
Missions Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

ANDREW ZIEGLER
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

Mark’s former co-laborer: Knowing and serving with him personally, I know that his narrow conservative ideology is such that he truly believes that he is the outstretched hand of God in the congregation because God put him in this leadership position and that is affirmation enough for him that what he does is what God wants. That is why he can say to people point blank that “its his gut” why a person should go.

Thank you for sharing this here! It really helps to hear from you.

This description reminds me of the grandiosity that is characteristic of those with narcissistic personality disorder.

Let’s all keep praying for Mark…. So many signs point to this as a root cause.

A necessary church-wide read:
When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse https://a.co/d/3RtFxSE

All I can say is this the worst church advertisem*nt I’ve ever seen. Can’t see the membership rolls expanding as this drama plays out.

If I was Christian, I’d avoid this church.

Mark’s former co-laborer: the BoE will apparently let the congregation burn for some reformed complementarian theology

There is a mean spirit behind the proliferation of New Calvinism in the American church. TWW has posted several pieces on ministers and ministries in this movement and impacts on congregations snared by shifting belief and practice in their churches. The only way to stop it is to protect congregational governance by pushing back on elder-rule polity. Pastors, elders and deacons are called to be servants in the Body of Christ, not overlords.

TEDS:
The more I’m thinking of it, the more I realize just telling it is that PSC’s website page for the elders was updated and not the page for the ministers. Does this mean that the person in charge of web maintenance thought to themselves -why change the minister page now, I might as well wait until later this week when I can update all of them? Or was somebody so motivated to make sure the elders were removed and not on the same page as them that they didn’t even consider making any other changes to the site while they’re at it?

It tells you that those collaborating with mark have not been moved. That mark and his ilk are full steam ahead to destroying the church in the hopes of rebuilding it in their image. Mark did the same thing when he fired Ben. Took him off the page so as to erase him immediately. What’s alarming to me is that it shows Mark doesn’t care that 242 people voted to reject him and that his intention is to keep trucking along. It’s not a good sign.

Also- in case no one noticed, the number of women in leadership is vastly decreasing as the year progresses. Mark doesn’t believe in women elders and moving to a congregation church isn’t going to change that core ideological belief in mark. It’s also how other elders feel as well so the theological diversity is moving toward more conservatism which is what many who voted for mark want.

Here’s the other thing: mark wants people to resign. Mark wants people to leave. That’s why he feels time is on his side and why he feels no pressure to resign. He can ride this out with his complementarian cronies. But it won’t be long because financially that won’t bring people in because he won’t bring the kind of numbers necessary to salvage his destruction. So he really will kill the church because this isn’t and wasn’t financially sustainable.

Friend of Park Street Church: Thank you for sharing this here!It really helps to hear from you.

This description reminds me of the grandiosity that is characteristic of those with narcissistic personality disorder.

Let’s all keep praying for Mark…. So many signs point to this as a root cause.

A necessary church-wide read:
When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse https://a.co/d/3RtFxSE

Jack,

TEDS,

Hello— TEDS, Friend of PSC and Jack:
Here is a leaked video from Screwtape.org (command room of the Prince of this World): The Chief was showing a Google map with location and membership-stats of all churches on the planet, for assignment to a bunch of rookie devils bustling to jump off: ‘I’ll take Timbuktu’ ‘I want this antique church in Beijing’ ‘ this one in Salt Lake City is cool’.
SCREWTAPE: ” Quiet! Stupid Lazy Caspers! Your productivity score will be highest in churches so crowded w/ true Christians that you cannot even find room to land in the parking lot.”

Jesus is the Good Shepherd: He knows EVERY sheep by name, and loves it so much He will risk everything, even Death, to find and save anyone who lost its way.

BTW: Thank you Dee! for opening this platform for free-speech and mutual edification of fellow pilgrims (epentant sinners) running with our eyes fixed on Jesus our Savior.

niemand:
During the special meeting, which I attended, the “affirm” side used a variety of implicit/explicit reminders like…

* not affirming will only prolong the unnecessary conflict (and turn the church into “Gaza”)

* not affirming would in effect disqualify the senior minister not only from PSC but from any possibility of ministering in the US – so not affirming would be a grave mistake (who would judge?)

* The BoE would only “consider again” even when the motion is not affirmed – the vote is not a re-affirmation vote on the senior minister

* they do not see anything (even after the release of various testimonials) that would change their view

… I pray but I cannot foresee any good path forward.

These “affirm” comments are downright bizarre.

* It’s holding onto Mark that’s unnecessarily prolonging the conflict. The church is ALREADY “Gaza”!

* If Mark is disqualified at PSC, then why shouldn’t he also be disqualified at any other church? Maybe he is not really called by God to ministry. There are other lines of work. Mark has done some of them.

* So… whatever happened to the elders’ claim that Mark was humbly holding his call to PSC with wide-open hands, waiting to see what the congregation thought? That only applied to the Annual Meeting in Feb, but it’s now ok to ignore the conscience of the congregation?

* It’s amazing what the elders and the Vicinage Council are willing to overlook. Nevertheless, the congregation isn’t, and ultimately, the senior minister is there to SERVE. The elders have to be willing to put their own personal feelings and loyalties aside here – and they also need to be realistic. They are not doing Mark any favors by hanging onto him. PSC is not about Mark.

In regards to why ministers are still on the website: their resignations are effective after a few weeks. They are staying on to help oversee the transition of their ministries and are still serving. I’m guessing Tim will be fired so watch out for that.

John Knight, an experienced psychologist, suggested Mark undergo an assessment for narcissistic personality disorder based on his behavior. I want to be careful about speculating about an illness that only a professional can diagnose, but I think this could be true. Accounts of Mark remind me of my father, who is very narcissistic and maybe clinically so. In particular, they both hyper-focus on how hard things are for them (even when others are the ones actually suffering). Mark does this even more so in private. I can’t remember where, but in the comments/article someone testified that they were off-put by Mark because he reminded them of their narcissistic/problematic family members. If this is true, Mark’s disordered behavior is being enabled by the Board instead of getting him the help he needs to avoid these destructive patterns.

Elizabeth Klein: That only applied to the Annual Meeting in Feb, but it’s now ok to ignore the conscience of the congregation?

“Ours is a High and Lonely Destiny, Digory.”

Observant Outsider: If this is true, Mark’s disordered behavior is being enabled by the Board instead of getting him the help he needs to avoid these destructive patterns.

To a lot of Christians these days, NPD is Next to Godliness.

Friend of Park Street Church,

Sh*t like this is what made me allergic to Christianese.

Whistleblower:
The fix is in. Mark is meeting with the staff tomorrow (without the rebels, of course) to try to explain away everything he’s done and talk about moving forward. Pray that at least one person in that meeting will call him out and challenge his “truth.”

Get With The Progeam – the Standing Ovation has already been scheduled.

For those offended by my request for compassion for Mark, was there a way could I have phrased it differently? Or do you fundamentally disagree with my request?

Compassion is not the same as leniency. I want Mark to resign and apologize to all whom he has hurt, and I have put in substantial time and resources towards this as a petitioner. I am not some sort of sleeper agent trying to influence public opinion to get him off the hook. But I am also a human being who saw another human in great distress, however unrepentant he may be, and I firmly believe Jesus’ response would be compassion as well. I don’t understand how this could be portrayed as over-spiritualizing.

To Sardis and janiceg, thank you for clarifying that Dan Verrengia retired. That’s makes it much easier to understand why he supports Mark.

Worried and Anxious,

Nice/valid question….. This some of the “tension” of Christianity..

Friend of Park Street Church: (I’m not taking over small group leadership at this point, I’m just reaching out as one of the pastors.)

Which is code for “I’m coming to spy on you for Mr. Booker.”

niemand: not affirming will only prolong the unnecessary conflict … not affirming would in effect disqualify the senior minister not only from PSC but from any possibility of ministering in the US – so not affirming would be a grave mistake

Manipulation, intimidation, and domination are not fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Observant Outsider:
In regards to why ministers are still on the website: their resignations are effective after a few weeks. They are staying on to help oversee the transition of their ministries and are still serving. I’m guessing Tim will be fired so watch out for that.

John Knight, an experienced psychologist, suggested Mark undergo an assessment for narcissistic personality disorder based on his behavior. I want to be careful about speculating about an illness that only a professional can diagnose, but I think this could be true. Accounts of Mark remind me of my father, who is very narcissistic and maybe clinically so. In particular, they both hyper-focus on how hard things are for them (even when others are the ones actually suffering). Mark does this even more so in private. I can’t remember where, but in the comments/article someone testified that they were off-put by Mark because he reminded them of their narcissistic/problematic family members. If this is true, Mark’s disordered behavior is being enabled by the Board instead of getting him the help he needs to avoid these destructive patterns.

That makes perfect sense. I guess I don’t know much about elder resignations. I didn’t realize their resignations were immediate. I assumed they also had some kind of notice. I’m also very tired. I didn’t realize how much emotional toll this would take on me!

Dan Verrengia’s support of Booker is probably why people feel comfortable dismissing Knight’s concern about Booker having NPD.

I’m wondering what concerns people ought to have about Hamilton, given his attitude that senior ministers should get to say “my way or the highway”, and completely clear out previous staff at theit discretion.

I wonder if he’s ever been involved in a situation before, where a minister had a physician wife (like Michael and Tracy Balboni), and therefore more economic freedom to speak out, when abusively treated.

I was so grateful to find PSC decades ago, and see that Hugenberger didn’t seem to have any problems working with people who were on staff before he got there. I was impressed that he and Daniel Harrell worked together for so long, especially.

What are people saying they consider toxic about Hugenberger’s leadership of the staff?

I was close with a few people on staff during Hugenberger’s time, and it was not a total picnic, just like true ministry never is… but at least, from what I could see, it wasn’t authoritarian. It felt like Hugenberger took being a team player that respected all gifts on the team, extremely seriously.

A lot of evangelical churches in both Texas and Colorado are highly authoritarian, and people just accept it bc so many people come from authoritarian families with strong military roots.

Remember there are a lot of military bases out that way, plus the Air Force Academy. Murgatroyd (from Texas) and Booker (from Colorado) may genuinely have believed that a heavy wielding of power and a very, very loose interpretation of the Park Street bylaws was what Jesus wanted… maybe kept telling each other the old military saying, that it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. It’s no excuse, but it’s unsurprising to me.

Thank you Dee, for speaking up about all this, and giving people room to share important information in the comments.

And thank you Susan Lane, Kris Perkins, Michael Balboni, Cindy Cutlip, John Knight, Ray Kam, Tim Leary, Julian Linnell, Damian Long, and the especially amazing Tammy McLeod… if any of you ever see this.

Worried and Anxious:
For those offended by my request for compassion for Mark, was there a way could I have phrased it differently? Or do you fundamentally disagree with my request?

Compassion is not the same as leniency. I want Mark to resign and apologize to all whom he has hurt, and I have put in substantial time and resources towards this as a petitioner. I am not some sort of sleeper agent trying to influence public opinion to get him off the hook. But I am also a human being who saw another human in great distress, however unrepentant he may be, and I firmly believe Jesus’ response would be compassion as well. I don’t understand how this could be portrayed as over-spiritualizing.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in how you feel about Mark Booker.

I just think it’s important to also give others the same space and freedom to feel the way that they do in this situation.

I think that trauma erases one’s voice and agency, and takes away relationships and even a sense of self, and that there are some Park Streeters here who are genuinely traumatized.

So a traumatized person even having the freedom to state, “I feel this way,” is important in regaining a sense of self. We have to bring our real selves before God, and one another.

A lot of comments here (mine included) aren’t so much about how you feel and where you’re coming from, as much as they are observations about evangelical culture in general (such as cheap grace, toxic positivity, etc.).

Max: Which is code for “I’m coming to spy on you for Mr. Booker.”

The next Hero of The Party.

Mark’s former colaborer,

“These men would never operate this way in their business dealings or careers. It’s funny how all that goes out the window here. Politics is funny like that.”
++++++++++++++++++

i’d say it’s stupid faith.

faith in some concept, minus the ethics of it, the wisdom of it, let alone the logic and intelligence of it.

…which really just turns it in to magic.

ridiculous.

Elizabeth Klein: there are some Park Streeters here who are genuinely traumatized

Several frequent commenters on TWW suffer from PTCD (Post Traumatic Church Disorder). They speak here to inform and warn others when they see red flags popping up based on their personal experience. What is happening at PSC is more common than you might think. New Calvinism, particularly, has brought in a wave of these problems with authoritarian pastors and elders who back them up until the potato becomes too hot to handle.

TEDS: I didn’t realize how much emotional toll this would take on me!

I’m sorry you are going through this. Church should not be so miserable and exhausting … it’s supposed to be a place of refreshing in the presence of the Lord. Then men come along and mess it up.

Mark’s former colaborer,

Mark’s reputation alone makes him disqualified:

“Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

1 Timothy 3:7

Mark’s former colaborer: the theological diversity is moving toward more conservatism

In this case, “conservatism” appears to be New Calvinism … is that Mr. Booker’s theological persuasion?

Mark’s former colaborer: Mark doesn’t believe in women elders

The women elders who frequent this blog most likely don’t believe in Mark!

Worried and Anxious,

not sure if this applies to me. i’m not offended.

i feel some caution. in christian church culture, i observe many problems with the application of the concept of ‘grace’.

it is a powerful tool and weapon in the hands of a narcissist to manipulate others get his/her own way

-creating in-groups and out-groups
-using a person’s faith against them (tricking them)

for those with more benign intentions:

-a mindless application at the expense of accountability
-a tool for superiority / inferiority
-a subconscious means for self-congratulations & looking down on others
-one that favors the perpetrator and disappearing the person/people harmed

my impression is that none of these apply to you.

due to my own experience with entitled narcissistic pastors (& the damage that leaves indelible deep scar tissue), i prefer a matter of fact response in these situations.

in addition, i was expressing my view that all forms of justice are worthy of not only intellectual affirmation but a good feeling.

it is the only reasonable response.

Observant Outsider: John Knight, an experienced psychologist, suggested Mark undergo an assessment for narcissistic personality disorder based on his behavior. I want to be careful about speculating about an illness that only a professional can diagnose

One helpful aspect of Chuck Degroat’s book is his perspective that narcissism exists on a continuum. So I think it’s fair to label behaviors as “narcissistic.” If there is a consistent pattern of those behaviors, I think it’s also fair to say someone is “narcissistic,” as a description of their character, not a personality disorder.

Eyewitness: I think it’s also fair to say someone is “narcissistic,” as a description of their character, not a personality disorder

Yes, one can have a personality quirk without having a disease. Both the American pulpit and pew are replete with such characters.

Roys Report Podcast: Bullies in the Pulpit

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-roys-report/id1470242499?i=1000541368812

Friend of Park Street Church,

My first grand baby is on the way which means I’ll be spending a lot of time in Boston. We will have a meet, greet and hug in the near future, Lord willing.

Worried and Anxious: Hence, the need for compassion; we’re not “better” than the people we condemn.

Well said!

Eyewitness,

I am so sorry for CHBC. Another formerly great church…

Eyewitness,

Good comment.

PSC member: Just want to mention that there is a small math error here. It’s 1.38% abstentions, not 0.01% abstentions.

Thanks so much!

TEDS: Strange they haven’t removed the ministers, though… hmmm ….

They are still there… they just submitted their resignation letters. The actual effective date is in the future… June 21st? They just gave their notice. I still hope, hope, hope that there will be a miracle and they will be able to stay.

dee: My first grand baby is on the way which means I’ll be spending a lot of time in Boston. We will have a meet, greet and hug in the near future, Lord willing.

Congratulations to your whole family! How wonderful!

And glad to hear that you will visit Boston again!

Anyone get an official announcement of these results? Is withholding this information in compliance with the bylaws? What voting community (town, state, congregational church, etc.) needs to wait 3+ days to get the results of the ballot? I’d understand if there were 1.1 billion people voting and it took days to tabulate the votes…. but I had expected an email at least to members since the count was done on Sunday.

Corrected % for abstentions:

42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
1.38% or 6 abstentions
434 total votes cast

dee,

Congratulations !
If possible, would love to meet you and your grandbaby. Hope you will be available in July, after our vacation in June. If by that time ‘you-know-who’ has left, maybe can arrange infant baptism at PSC !

love and prayer from NAAH

Friend of Park Street Church,

My husbands family are all members of PSC and the only reason they know the result is because I have been following all your comments and updating them (unfortunately they could not attend the vote due to health issues), Given that there were a lot of members who did not attend the meeting you would at least expect that they would send a communication saying this is the result and we will send further communications once meetings etc have taken place. You can be sure if the vote had gone the BOE way a communication would have been sent out straight away on Sunday (they may already have had a draft written)!

Flying piggy,

Thank you for sharing this. IMHO the survivors at PSC would do well to consider encouraging Ray Kam to apply to be the senior minister. I know it would take a lot of encouragement, but IMHO it would be worth a shot.

I really don’t understand the resistance there has been at PSC, to hiring from within. There’s something to be said for long term experience with a congregation and its surrounding community.

And it’s strange that PSC has not yet taken diversity seriously enough, to seek out a person of color to apply to be senior minister. There are many highly qualified possible candidates.

Worried and Anxious,

I agree with you actually. This is a bittersweet victory and we should watch that we don’t get too arrogant in our celebration. I know that the right thing happened at that special meeting, but it’s not a nice thing to have to do. But Mark spent years evading the truth, and years controlling people from getting the truth out. If he had been transparent and truly contrite when he was first called out on his poor then this could’ve been taken care of earlier and much less painlessly. He truly did bring this on himself, although the elder board did not help by protecting him.

Yet, Dee has a point also that many people were incredibly hurt by his actions, including Kimberly Morrison who very quietly left the church when charges were launched against her, and she never had the opportunity to defend herself. Meanwhile, Mark stands up in the pulpit so sanctimonious, pretending that he’s this perfect bastian of righteousness and truth. Honestly, I stopped going to PSC because once I caught him in a couple lies, I couldn’t watch him preach anymore. Every time I looked at him I just thought, “you lying hypocrite.“ Also, be careful because what I’ve noticed about him, and what many have commented on, is that he’s a very g
skilled emotional manipulator. Think about the fact that at the annual meeting, he sat upfront, looking like a victim, but never responded to the questions about his actions. Rather, he lets his wife get up and Give the sugary sweet speech about how wonderful he is That was one of the most manipulative moves I’ve ever seen. He used her to distract everyone from the facts and to make us feel guilty for questioning his leadership. I do agree with you that we have to stay humble, and recognize that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but be careful about feeling too sorry for him, lest you put yourself in a position to be deceived again.

janiceg,

Worried and Anxious, God‘s comfort to you. Please remember that God is in control, and it is God who changes hearts, so while our efforts are important, and getting our frustrations out here on this blog is helpful to us, it is God who truly knows the inner workings of Mark Booker’s heart and the Boards’. They can’t pull the wool over our eyes as easily anymore, and I hope that the congregation truly will put the pressure on to make Mark resign, but in terms of him and the elder board having a change of heart and being brought to a place of true repentance so that they can grow from this, that’s really only something God can do.

I don’t know if anyone has actually heard Dan‘s official opinion, but several people have told me that Dan is now working as a counselor at Grace Church in Lexington. So he didn’t just need to retire, IMO he indeed wanted to leave Park Street Church.

Susan Lane: I don’t know if anyone has actually heard Dan‘s official opinion, but several people have told me that Dan is now working as a counselor at Grace Church in Lexington. So he didn’t just need to retire, IMO he indeed wanted to leave Park Street Church.

Verrengia’s name is number 31 on the open letter of February 7th, as a current PSC attendee in support of continuing under Booker’s leadership. Although I have no idea if he might feel differently, given the facts that have come out since then, especially the letter from Kris Perkins.

Eyewitness,

I encourage people to be careful about labeling people with psychiatric diagnoses. To say someone has the characteristics of (blank) is very different from saying “this person is a(blank.)” Even if you have an MD/PhD, if you are not that person’s doctor, then you cannot truly make an accurate diagnosis of that person because you don’t have a full picture of what’s going on. I have a bachelors degree in psychology, and one of my professors made the astute point that, “The most dangerous people out there are ‘armchair psychologists’ who have an ounce of information about psychology but are out there diagnosing everyone and trying to treat people with no clinical degree.” I have been in the position several times where I have had to request an intervention for friends or family members of mine, and it was because their health had so deteriorated and they became so unable to take care of themselves, that there was no question that something was wrong, but I never launched a diagnosis at or about them because I’m not qualified to do so. It’s truly an awful experience, and not something where someone should be lording a diagnosis over someone just to seem intelligent.

I know people love talking about narcissism today, honestly because narcissists tend to be fascinating creatures since they tend to be in the limelight and have a great deal of charisma and a commanding presence. Yet, as often as I’ve heard this term thrown around, it is not statistically possible for everyone that I’ve heard labeled a narcissist to be a narcissist. There are hundreds of diagnoses on the books, but right now the only thing you hear about is narcissism. It’s trendy right now.

Lastly, a good clinician submits to psychiatric analysis themselves so they can be aware of their own glitches before they begin identifying that of others. I guarantee that the armchair psychologists out there do not do so, because they are more interested in how intelligent they seem in analyzing someone else’s behavior, which really is a tool to deflect analysis away from them. Most of the armchair psychologists I’ve met have plenty of underlying issues of their own. It harkens to what Jesus said about caring for the plank in your own eye before helping someone with the splinter in theirs. Just a word of caution about applying labels. Stay humble. Suspecting that someone’s behavior is in line with a diagnosis is very different than distinctly stating, “This person is an X.” In one case, you’re behaving out of concern for that person and others, but in the other case you’re just being a judgmental gossip.

N,

Thank you N!

Jack,

Jack, I’m a bit more optimistic. I didn’t think we’d see the change in numbers that we did from the annual meeting to our latest special meeting. In the annual meeting only 33% would not affirm Mark. In the latest special meeting 55% not only don’t affirm him moving forward, but think that he’s biblically disqualified to minister based on the evidence. That’s huge. And the folks who attended the annual meeting are only a portion of the full membership.

For a time the congregation was asleep amidst a crisis. Most people just want to come to church, sing a few songs, listen to a good sermon and go home. This situation took a great investment, emotionally, intellectually, and in terms of time spent reviewing the issues. I think the average member just didn’t want to invest that, but now so many ministers’ and elders’ testimonies are finally coming out that confronting the issues can’t be avoided anymore.

I have confidence that now that the congregation has been made aware they understand the value of their involvement in the governance of this church. I can’t tell you how slow or fast change will happen, but I believe now that the congregation has had the wool removed from its eyes, change is already underway.

If Mark doesn’t resign on his own nor the elder board demand that he step down, there will be a huge backlash against them. If they insist on keeping him, the church will atrophy, because he’s already had the opportunity to correct his behavior when Michael called him out on his actions, and he did not. We have no reason to believe that he will change, and we have no assurance that he will not create strife and division even if he’s given a new team. He’s had more than three years to prove himself with a staff of gifted ministers, and we see that he destroyed that. There’s no question that his inability to collaborate and his poor leadership skills were at play.

If he does leave, and we’re able to exact some change within our elder board, this church will be able to refresh. There needs to be a reshuffling on the elder board because they stated themselves, they were aware of the situations going on with the various ministers whose written to testimonies we received last week, and now we know they did not take their complaints seriously enough. Hopefully, we can have at least some of our ministers that we lost return, and people who have left the church due to their frustrations with the church will return as well with the promise of a new beginning. We can reinvest in making the 4 PM service, the vivacious, spirited contemporary service that it was, and endeavor to do both the traditional and contemporary services well, casting a wide net to seekers in the interest of forwarding the great commission to the best of our ability, not to serve our own music preferences. We can endeavor to respect each other, in spite of our differences in styles of worship and political views. We can work to create diversity within our leadership staff, our nominating committee, our elder board and our ministry leaders, and yes, we will have to work intentionally to do so. God loves diversity, He created it, and He rejoices in seeing all of His people using their gifts and talents to serve Him, not just in a way that makes some comfortable, but in the way that God relegated those gifts. We are a church that respects that God‘s daughters have gifts to share with the church (as do people of other ethnicities and persons with disabilities) including gifts of leadership and sound Biblical wisdom. I know the church is not ready to accept a female senior minister at this time, but we do embrace women at all other levels: ministry leaders, deacons, elders, nominating committee, and even on the search committee for the senior minister itself. Mark’s biggest folly was that he was intent on exacting his agenda for our church based on who he is, and not caring who the congregation is, except for an influential few who like to throw their weight (and money) around. My hope is that those influential few are now running scared because they realize that the congregation has been awakened. This is no one person‘s church. This is God‘s church, and God caused this great shake up for a reason. It was a reckoning that was long overdue. I have faith that Park Street can rise from the ashes a stronger church, if they don’t settle back into their old ways and repeat the patterns that caused us to break in the first place.

N: Verrengia’s name is number 31 on the open letter of February 7th, as a current PSC attendee in support of continuing under Booker’s leadership. Although I have no idea if he might feel differently, given the facts that have come out since then, especially the letter from Kris Perkins.

I would hope so. I was really surprised and disappointed to see Dan Verrengia’s name on the open letter supporting Mark & current leadership – ESPECIALLY since he is a pastoral counselor!!

He of all people should know how easy it is to disguise and cover up abuse, and to support abusers in Christian communities (sadly, this is the norm, not the exception).

He should have been one of the first to note how serious the allegations were, and instead of taking the word of Mark-loyal elders, to push for an objective, thorough, independent investigation by trauma-informed experts.

Susan Lane: I encourage people to be careful about labeling people with psychiatric diagnoses. To say someone has the characteristics of (blank) is very different from saying “this person is a(blank.)”

We agree. NPD or Narcissistic Personality Disorder is the psychiatric diagnosis and can only be diagnosed by the professional.

“Narcissistic” or “Narcissism” or “Narcissist” are words commonly used in the culture to describe certain patterns of behavior.

Friend of Park Street Church:
Anyone get an official announcement of these results?Is withholding this information in compliance with the bylaws? What voting community (town, state, congregational church, etc.) needs to wait 4+ days to get the results of the ballot? I’d understand if there were 1.1 billion people voting and it took days to tabulate the votes…. but I had expected an email at least to members since the count was done on Sunday.

Corrected % for abstentions:

42.85% or 186 votes for Mark Booker
55.76 % or 242 votes against Mark Booker
1.38% or 6 abstentions
434 total votes cast

So Park Street Church needs “processing sessions” now? The latest spin / abuse in writing from the weekly newsletter:

Processing Sessions with Elders and Senior Minister
The Board of Elders and Mark invite you to join them for times of processing, for the congregation to share with them as we walk through these challenging months. They’ll be available the following times in the Granary Room:

Fri, Jun 7 | 6:15 PM
(preceding All-Church Prayer at 7:30 PM in the Welcome Center)
Sat, Jun 15 | 9:30 AM
(feel free to come at 8:30 AM to begin with 1 hour of All-Church Prayer on Zoom)
Thur, Jun 20 | 7 PM
Tue, Jun 25 | 7 PM

[Again tagging the Board of Elders here for the record as they are individually and legally responsible for this continuing abuse. The list is from the Park Street Church website as of June 5, 2024]

JASON ABRAHAM
Moderator
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

DEBORAH GALLAGHER
Clerk
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

JULIE HALVORSEN
Elder
TERM: 2 YEARS (2026)

GREGG HANSEN
Assistant Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

MARY HARVEY
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

LINDA HERMAN
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

RICHARD IBEKWE
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

GABRIEL LING
Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

DAVID MURGATROYD
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2025)

GEOFFREY RAUX
Moderator-Elect
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

KIRSTIN PELTZ
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

DANIEL VOGELZANG
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

JOSHUA WANG
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2027)

STEVE WEIBLEY
Elder
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

JULIANNE WHITE
Missions Treasurer
TERM: 1 YEAR (2025)

ANDREW ZIEGLER
Elder
TERM: 3 YEARS (2026)

Eyewitness,

Codependency ought to be recognised by everybody. If your religion bosses are codependent, make sure you’re not (and leave that religion). Simple.

The Ahab & Jezebel problem was codependency. I bet the APA (and the virtue signalling arm of the evangelical publishing industry) have never heard of codependency.

Friend of Park Street Church: Processing Sessions with Elders and Senior Minister
The Board of Elders and Mark invite you to join them for times of processing, for the congregation to share with them as we walk through these challenging months.

I am quite concerned about these “processing” sessions. I do not recommend that anyone attend these unless surrounded by some simpatico friends. In other churches, these are “let’s lean on the members.” Be careful. I doubt these will be pleasant gatherings.

dee: I am quite concerned about these “processing” sessions. I do not recommend that anyone attend these unless surrounded by some simpatico friends. In other churches, these are “let’s lean on the members.”Be careful. I doubt these will be pleasant gatherings.

Hi Dee
Thank you sincerely for prompt advice about these ‘invitations to be ‘processed’ with the risk of getting ‘brainwashed’ by strange spirit(s). I will follow your advice to ignore the EVITE. I will look forward to meet you when you come to Boston to celebrate your first grand BUNDLE-OF-JOY.
love and prayer from NAAH

dee,

These “processing sessions” have been going on for months with the staff. The strategy is very simple. “We pretend to listen to you, hoping that we can convince you that we care about what you think.” But the real goal is to show how you are being influenced by demonic brothers and sisters and that you too need to repent and kiss the ring.

Headless Unicorn Guy: Sh*t like this is what made me allergic to Christianese.

As we all should be! This is like the doublespeak of a dystopian society… and a “forked tongue” in ancient literature.

Elizabeth Klein: So the only thing PSC leaders are doing in response to the Special Meeting vote is holding “processing sessions” for the congregation to meet with Mark & the elders on June 7, 15, 20 & 25?

Good Lord! Is this thing ever going to end?! The congregation has already had two lengthy sessions to deal with the matter. What is left to “process” at this point? The majority of the congregation has spoken. Why prolong this agony for all parties concerned? Perhaps the congregation should consider getting outside assistance to rescue ‘their’ church from its leadership.

dee: I am quite concerned about these “processing” sessions. I do not recommend that anyone attend these unless surrounded by some simpatico friends. In other churches, these are “let’s lean on the members.” Be careful. I doubt these will be pleasant gatherings.

I’m reminded of more double meanings and doublespeak. “Yes, we WILL process… we will process YOU into a compliant widget who dutifully brings their money to us!” <— fill in with the ‘abuse du jour’ and that’s pretty much what is going on.

Processing sessions = assimilation to my ways and views.

Or

A welcome session to explain their alternative universe where you are further abused for the good of the group.