I live in Maryland and am familiar with C. J. Mahaney and Covenant Life Church. I went with some friends to hear him speak one evening in the 70s. I heard bits and pieces about the ministry thriving but I didn’t have any more contact until Mahaney embraced Reformed theology. I listened to some of his messages after he became involved in Together for the Gospel and laughed as he and Ligon Duncan wrote back on forth about the NCAA tournament. I also downloaded materials from Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). I recently visited Covenant Life Church to see one of my students in a play their youth group produced. I do know people who attend Covenant and love it. I reviewed Mahaney’s booklet Don’t Waste Your Sports on this website and stated that I saw Mahaney when I attended a Maryland Basketball game that my brother invited me to attend. I know about him but I do not know the man personally.
It was still with concern however that I read Why I’m Taking a Leave of Absence on his blog, C. J. ‘s View from the Cheap Seats. He is stepping down to deal with sin in his life. “Over the last few years some former pastors and leaders in Sovereign Grace Ministries have made charges against me and informed me about offenses they have with me as well as other leaders in Sovereign Grace. These charges are serious and they have been very grieving to read. These charges are not related to any immorality or financial impropriety, but this doesn’t minimize their serious nature, which include various expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy.”
He asked for pray as he with others’ input, including an independent panel, help him work through these issues. On his site he also had a link to a letter from the SGM board affirming the same thing.
At first, when I saw ‘leave of absence’ I thought C. J. Mahaney was doing what John Piper did but as a read I saw there was more. I ask that we pray for this man, his family, his church and those who are counseling him.
Thankfully, this is not immorality or financial issues. I have seen first hand, with friends in the ministry and with churches I have been involved with, how that can destroy people and hinder the gospel. Even as I say that, though, I have certainly seen other sin also destroy churches.
As I write this entry more things are now available online with what has been going on at SGM: issues of hyper-authoritarianism, of being heavy-handed with people and not dealing with this when confronted. Some feel that part of it has been how the SGM is organized, with one man at the top. There is a reason Christians need accountability and those in leadership need that, not just personally but also in their churches and organizations. We need to be above reproach, to make sure we have boards, elders, etc. who will ask the tough questions and hold us accountable. Online there are pages of documentation from one individual and upon investigation there are some anti SGM groups who have been saying same things. It saddens me as I read these. In this age of technology anyone can present their point of view but if there are problems they need to be addressed. People need to be fair to Mahaney and let the process work.
Some will say it is none of our business, however, I disagree. He is a Christian who is not just involved in Covenant Life or SGM. He has written books, spoken at numerous conferences, and blogged. Other Christian leaders have supported him. He has become one of those Celebrity Pastors that a fellow Reformed blogger recently wrote about. He has opened himself up to scrutiny. I do not know C. J. Mahaney personally but I have read his materials and listened to his tapes and paid money for some of these things. I have appreciated his insights. I pray that those Christian leaders who know the man will be honest with him and that he will make any wrongs right. Let’s not let the outside world take the initiative, but let us in the body speak the hard truth in love to each other and hold each other accountable. I pray this will be used by God to bring about growth and healing in him and in the body of Christ.
Who holds you accountable?
