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Brandywine Grace Church in Downingtown, PA (33 miles west of Philadelphia) was planted out of Dave Harvey’s church in September 2009. On Sunday, its senior pastor, Kenny Lynch, told the church they won’t be signing a “letter of intent” as required by Sovereign Grace Ministries in order to stay. The signing is due by May 3. This is a major development especially in the northeast where Kenny is well liked, known and respected.
Kenny was on staff for ten years at Covenant Fellowship Church with Dave, Mark Prater, Jared Mellinger, Jim Donohue, Andy Farmer, Marty Machowski, et al.. Men like Kenny or Mark Altrogge or Joshua Harris don’t leave SGM over a trifle. For them (or me), it is like growing up Catholic and then leaving Romanism. It is hard not to feel like an apostate and there’s pressure to stay.
For example, “How can you leave now? SGM is changing. Stay and help to make us even better.” Or, “You need SGM. What’s motivating you. to be an independent church? Pride and self-sufficiency?” Or, “Why are you still upset with C.J. and SGM? He has been so humble. Why haven’t you forgiven C.J. the way Christ has forgiven you?” Or, “Have you forgotten you are the worse sinner! Get the log out of your eye first. Stop finding fault.” Or “You must be bitter and offended. Why else would you leave? Have you been listening to slander instead of believing the best?” And on and on it goes
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