When Unconditional Forgiveness Is Used as a Weapon Against the Sexually Abused by the Likes of Dave Harvey and Andy Farmer

Recently, I heard from a survivor of sexual abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glenn Mills, PA.  I’ll call her Anne Sage.  She said in part that “God was a weapon used against me for compliance.  It was terrifying, specifically Matthew 18:22.”  

Dave Harvey was the senior pastor.  Andy Farmer was a staff pastor and Harvey’s close friend.  She was primarily referring to them.  This is not surprising given their history of covering up sexual abuse. 

Dave Harvey, Sr. Pastor, 1990-2009

Andy Farmer, Pastor, 1993-present

I wrote her back a couple of times to help her understand what the Bible actually teaches about forgiveness.  

Here is the first email. 

From: Brent Detwiler 
Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2026 at 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: Survivor of CF Glenn Mills PA
To: Anne Sage 

Greetings Anne, 

I’m sorry I didn’t realize you lived in [redacted] when I sent you the link to Diane Langberg.  Well, I hope you enjoyed a pleasant weekend and had some time off to recreate.  Here are some thoughts about forgiveness, God’s way, that I hope you find helpful. 

Someday I would like to write a book or booklet on the subject of forgiveness.  I might call it, “Must We Forgive Those Who Sin Against Us Without Condition?” or “To Forgive, Or Not to Forgive, That Is The Question!”  Anyway, you get the idea.  

I’ve often addressed the subject but never pulled it together in one place.  Your reference to Matthew 18:22 underscores how important it is to understand forgiveness properly.  The text must be interpreted in context. 

This passage immediately precedes the “seventy-seven times” passage. 

Matthew 18:15-20 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. [16] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. [18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [19] Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” 

This is the 4 step procedure Jesus lays out for what to do “if you brother sins against you.”  It culminates in treating an impervious sinner like an unrepentant “Gentile” or “tax collector.”  The goal is to win the sinner to righteousness but if they are unwilling there are serious consequences.  There is no “unconditional” forgiveness or let bygones be bygones.       

Verses 18-20 also underscore the seriousness.  If the person refuses to turn from their sin and be reconciled, they remain “bound” (or unforgiven) in their sin.  This is carried out through prayer.  To be “loosed” means to be forgiven by God and man. 

Then we come to Peter’s follow up question of Jesus regarding his teaching on forgiveness.  

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” [22] Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

Peter is wondering how many times he needs to follow Jesus’ teaching if a person returns to ask forgiveness more than once.  Seven?  No seventy times seven.  Jesus is not speaking literally.  He is using hyperbole to make a point.  If someone returns to ask our forgiveness more than once we must forgive him.  But Jesus isn’t teaching that a genuinely repentant person is going to sin against you 490 times.  No, true repentance results in change, not perpetual sin.  That is taught in many other place in the New Testament (e.g., Luke 3:7-14; 2 Cor. 7:9-11). 

This is followed by the “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” in verses 23-35.  The concluding two verses read, “And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” 

Here is what Jesus means.  If you come to God and confess your sin, he will graciously forgive your debt (a “talent” was a large amount of money not an aptitude).  Therefore, if you refuse to forgive a person who comes to ask your forgiveness, you are in trouble.  If God has forgiven you, you must forgive others when they repent and seek your forgiveness.  

More could be said about forgiveness but let me move on to another important point. 

Paul’s epistle to the Romans is the longest and most important of his 13 epistles.  In chapters 1-11, he lays out his doctrine of salvation or what God has done for us in his mercy by sending Jesus to die for our sins on the cross (see 3:21-26).  In chapter 12, he shifts to the doctrine of sanctification or how we respond to his saving grace and grow in godliness.  

At the end of the chapter, he talks about not retaliating against those who have harmed us.  In other words, we are not to take the law into our own hands and avenge ourselves.  In our personal relationships, we seek to “overcome evil with good.”  This does not mean we turn a blind eye to the evil we have experienced.  That is why he says, leave room for the wrath of God.  This is especially true when it comes to criminal acts like sexual abuse.  The offender must be punished. 

Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

The question is how does God punish the offender?  He can do it sovereignly in countless ways without the agency of man, but he has also ordained to punish evil doers through law enforcement and the justice system.  This is a vital function lest evil doers abound.  It is one of the reasons we pay taxes.  If we don’t punish the wicked, wickedness grows.  So does anarchy and lawlessness.  It would destroy our society. 

Romans 13: 1-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7] Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. 

Chapter divisions were not part of the original epistle.  They were added around A.D. 1205.  While helpful, they can separate the author’s flow of thought which is continuous.  Here’s what I mean.  We are not to avenge ourselves but God will take vengeance through the rulers he has ordained.  Vengeance is God’s holy and just punishment of evil doers.  So, what we are commanded not to do, the government is commanded to do.  “He does not bear the sword in vain.”  

We must also differentiate between forgiving a crime on the personal level versus the societal level.  For example, a murderer could sincerely ask forgiveness for killing a family member.  In that case, we must forgive.  That doesn’t mean they have paid their debt to society.  They should be punished and accept their punishment including being put to death if guilty of first degree murder (notice the reference to the “sword” in verse 4).     

Christians are often susceptible to being taken advantage of because they have been wrongly taught to “judge not.”  That phrase is found in Matthew 7:1.  The context, however, forbids sinful judging.  That is, judging hypocritically and self-righteously.  The Bible everywhere teaches us to judge righteously.  We must always discern between good and evil.  Furthermore, you know a tree by its fruits.  Bad fruit reveals evil roots.  

Christians are also misled when they confuse “vengeance” with the pursuit of justice.  It is right and proper to prosecute sex abusers to the full extent of the law.  That is not sinful.  That is honorable.  Nor is it necessarily an evidence of bitterness or resentment.  It is often an expression of righteous anger and sacrificial love that seeks to prevent future abuse.  Holding someone accountable to God’s law is a holy enterprise especially when serious crimes have been committed.  

Here is some correspondence with a lady [I’ll call her Betty Kuhns] who wrote me about forgiveness.  I think you will find it helpful.  She was part of a church that was part of the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA).  Tom Chantry was one of the pastors in the association.  He was a sexual sadist with multiple child victims.  I worked with the lead prosecutor and helped the victims for over three years. I wrote a 475 page document exposing everything but used aliases for the victims (see attached).  They were most grateful for my work.  Thankfully, Chantry was found guilty, the top leaders who covered up his crimes were exposed, and the association was forced to shut down.  Praise be to God.     

From: Betty Kuhns
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2019 10:03 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Forgiveness 

Dear Mr. Detwiler, 

I have been reading through your blog after my husband alerted me to a connection with the Tom Chantry case and Grace Covenant Church.  We attended GCC for a number of years, left during some difficulties, and we’re both eventually excommunicated. 

However, the reason for my email is to ask about a note you wrote in one of the letters on your blog which I’ve copied here: 

“In the future, I will write an article in this series on the how and when of forgiveness.  “Forgiving” people who have not repented is never commanded in Scripture.  It often leads to an unintended acceptance of sin rather than a biblical reproof of sin and godly accountability.  Predators look for families that will turn the other cheek, forgive, believe the best, remain silent, and not report them to law enforcement.” 

I have been looking for supportive Scripture on this very topic and thinking in the same vein on this subject as I speak with a friend who believes she must forgive someone who is unrepentant.  I’m sure you’ve heard the reasoning before, “forgiving someone for your own benefit.”  

If you have written anything further on the subject of forgiveness, I would be most appreciative to be pointed in the direction of your wisdom. 

Thank you and thank you for all you are doing to bring wickedness to light for God’s glory. 

In Christ,

Betty Kuhns 

P.S. We may know some of the same people.  Please do not share my name with others at this time. 

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, March 2, 2019 2:04 PM
To: Betty Kuhns
Subject: RE: Forgiveness 

Hi Betty, 

A lot of people are under the mistaken notion that they must forgive a person who has sinned against them even if that person is unrepentant.  The Lord’s Prayer says we are to forgive as the Lord forgives us.  The Lord forgives us when we ask forgiveness.  He doesn’t forgive anyone unless they repent.  This is clear in passages like Luke 17:3.  Jesus said, “Be on guard!  If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”  

We must always be willing to forgive.  We can’t allow hatred or bitterness to control our hearts when we are sinned against.  We hope and pray the transgressor repents.  In fact, we hold him/her accountable by correcting or rebuking them for their own good.  But being willing and ready to forgive is not the same thing as forgiving.  

Forgiveness is contingent upon repentance.  Again, Jesus came to forgive our sins!  He took our punishment on the cross.  But he also came preaching “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47). 

I understand how some people need to set aside their focus on how they have been sinned against because it is so disturbing and traumatic.  But “forgiving” the person is not the way to do it.  In fact, it tends to wrongly bind their conscience to ever think about it or take future action. 

For instance, I have seen pastors require victims of abuse to forgive their abusers even though there has been no repentance.  They also tell the victims they should not prosecute their victims if they have truly forgiven.  Sometimes this is used by corrupt pastors to cover up crimes and avoid public discovery that would bring negative exposure. 

Some sins are minor and we look past them.  Others are serious.  In such cases, the person needs to be held accountable for their good.  This doesn’t mean that we badger them.  Or hate them.  It simply means we are honest and don’t pretend all is right.  

We must have the attitude of Christ who came into the world to save sinners.  Given all the sins we have been forgiven, we must be willing to forgive those who sin against us.  That’s why we pray the kindness of the Lord leads them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). 

Grace to you!
Brent   

You remain in my thoughts and prayers. 

Brent 

## 

Here is my second email. 

From: Brent Detwiler 
Date: Mon, Jul 13, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Subject: Forgiveness - Follow Up
To: Ann Sage 

Hello Ann, 

When I wrote you about forgiveness, I failed to address Jesus asking God the Father to forgive his executioners and Stephen asking Jesus to forgive those stoning him.  Both deeds were acts of great evil!  Both petitions were acts of great grace!  

The first thing you notice is these are prayers.  Jesus does not say on the cross, “I forgive you unconditionally.”  Nor does Stephen when stoned to death.  Rather, he prays that God not hold their sin against them which he enumerated in the strongest terms.  “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and ground their teeth at him” (7:54).  

This only happens when you turn to God and beseech his forgiveness through the substitutionary death of Christ.  Yet, these two prominent examples in Scripture are often used to teach unconditional forgiveness but that is not the case.  

Rather, these examples teach us that God was gracious to answer their prayers.  For example, Jesus’s executioners lamented their unjust execution and declared Christ to be altogether righteous and the unique Son of God. 

And no doubt some of the religious leaders, who approved the stoning and carried out the stoning, came to believe when they saw and heard Stephen say, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (7:65).  

In fact, God forgave Saul (later called Paul) when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus in Syria and granted him repentance (9:3-9).  Soon after he began to preach the gospel in Damascus (9:19-20).  This is the man before whom the witnesses of Stephen’s stoning “laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (7:58b) and the one who “approved of his execution” (8:1). 

Here is an email I wrote to a friend who was preparing to preach a sermon on forgiveness.  I wanted to highlight for him how Jesus’ and Stephen’s prayers were answered.  

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 11:33 AM
To: Kelly S.
Subject: RE: Forgiveness & grace link

Here are a couple thoughts on Luke 23.  When Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” he specifically had in mind the centurion and his team of executioners.  He could have been calling down judgment on them for torturing and killing him.  Instead, he was praying for their salvation. 

Luke 23:32-34 (ESV) [32] Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. [33] And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [34] And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  And they cast lots to divide his garments. 

Six hours later (and a few verses) we read. 

Luke 23:44-49 (ESV) [44] It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [45] while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. [46] Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. [47] Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” [48] And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.  

Three days later, Jesus was instructing his apostles “that repentance for the forgiveness of sins” should be preached by them throughout the known world. 

Luke 24:45-47 (ESV) [45] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, [46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 

Similarly, Stephen prayed for Paul (Acts 7:58-60).  

Acts 7:58-60 (ESV) [58] Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. [59] And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” [60] And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Two chapters later, Saul was converted by Christ and his sins forgiven. 

Amazing grace how sweet the sound! 

Brent 

To follow is a letter I wrote to Bryce Thomas on October 20, 2012.  He was the facilitator for Ambassadors of Reconciliation who oversaw what was called the “Three Panel Review.”  Though a lawyer and Christian Conciliator, he did not understand the doctrine of forgiveness and used it to abuse, just like SGM leaders and pastors. 

The Original Complaint (i.e., lawsuit) against Sovereign Grace Ministries, C.J. Mahaney, and seven other pastors was filed on October 17, 2012 because they “failed to report known incidences of sexual predation to law enforcement, encouraged parents to refrain from reporting the assaults to law enforcement, and interposed themselves between the parents of the victims and law enforcement in order to mislead law enforcement into believing the parents had “forgiven” those who preyed on their children.” 

The original lawsuit was amended on January 11, 2013 and then again on May 14, 2013.  The number of victims/plaintiffs went from 3 to 8 to eleven.  Mark Prater called them all liars. 

Executive Director Mark Prater Effectively Calls Victims of Sexual Abuse Liars on Behalf of All Sovereign Grace Leaders
Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 10:00PM 

Like you, these victims of sexual abuse were coerced, silenced, and slandered while their abusers were enabled and protected.  Here is just one example from Factual Allegation 34 in the Second Amended Complain (the 46-page lawsuit).  I wrote about it in this article.  

Gary Ricucci & the Conspiracy Surrounding Convicted Felon, David Adams
Friday, August 2, 2013 at 8:11PM 

34.  From the date of this report to present, Defendant Loftness failed to inform Plaintiff Roberts’ parents of the molestation.  Nor did Defendant Loftness abide by his mandatory reporting obligations to report the molestation or take any steps whatsoever to prevent David Adams from having access to children for abusive purposes.  Instead, Defendant Loftness required Plaintiff Roberts, a child, to attend a meeting with himself and David Adams.  Plaintiff Roberts was directed by Defendant Loftness, the principal of his school, to “forgive” Adams for the molestation. 

Observations 

This allegation lays out the extent to which Loftness was determined to cover up the abuse of James Roberts.  Not only did he fail to report these alleged crimes to law enforcement, he failed to tell James’ parents, Jim and Ann Roberts, that their child had been molested.  If true, this unwillingness to involve the parents is wicked beyond belief and proves a sinister motivation.  How can Loftness as the school principal and a church pastor not tell parents about the sexual molestation of their child on church grounds?  

It gets worse.  Loftness “required” Roberts to attend a meeting with the alleged abuser, David Adams, and himself.  Roberts was 8-10 years old.  Loftness “directed” Roberts to “forgive” Adams for the alleged molestation.  This can only be understood as an evil attempt to contain the episode and silence the little boy.  

This meeting traumatized James Roberts according to Complaint 36 which deals with his subsequent abuse by Nathaniel Morales.  “Plaintiff Roberts escaped but did not initially report the molestation because he feared being forced to sit and ‘reconcile’ and ‘forgive’ Morales for the molestation.” 

“Forgiveness” was being used as a weapon to silence victims and persuade them and their parents from reporting to law enforcement.  It was also used to try and silence me.  

Here is the letter to Bryce Thomas.  I’ve added bold italics for emphasis. 

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 12:14 PM
To: Bryce Thomas
Cc: Warren Boettcher; Mark Prater; Ron Boomsma
Subject: Re: Theology of Forgiveness 

Bryce, 

I didn’t respond to your January 28 email because it was so bogus.  I didn’t think it worth the effort.  You totally twisted the facts of our conversation last December and the issue surrounding our “bet.”  

The only reason I’m responding now is because of the lawsuit filed against SGM.  The plaintiffs cite the same erroneous notion of forgiveness that you hold.  This faulty doctrine was used to abuse them.  You used it to abuse me at the Three Panel Review. 

As soon as I finished sharing about C.J.’s transgression against me, you confronted me and wanted to know if I had forgiven him.  After all I shared, you showed no compassion for me or concern for C.J.  You just wanted to know if I had forgiven him.  I told you I forgave him for the sins he confessed but not for those sins that remained unconfessed. 

I explained what is clearly taught in the NT.  Forgiveness is conditional.  It is predicated upon repentance and confession.  You argued with me on this point.  I pointed out your faulty theology.  You continued to argue your point.  I tried to point out your error again.  You remained adamant that I must forgive C.J. for sins he has yet to confess.  That is so wrong.  You were pressuring me to drop my concerns for C.J. and stop making an issue of them.  

You were entirely unmoved by anything I said.  You had one concern.  Had I forgiven C.J.  You sinfully judge me in assuming that my case against C.J. was rooted in unforgiveness.  That is so abusive. 

I also made it perfectly clear that I could not wait to forgive C.J.  That I was very willing and happy to forgive C.J.  I wasn’t withholding forgiveness because I was bitter or resentment which is what you thought about me.  I was withholding forgiveness because he had not acknowledged his transgression.  You did not adjust your sinful judgment.  Presenting my concerns for C.J. was equated with unforgiveness in my heart.  

Our Lord and Savior forgives sins when we confess sins (Luke 24:46-47).  The same applies in personal relationships (Luke 17:3-4).  Not forgiving the unrepentant does not keep a person “held hostage in a state (prison) of unforgiveness” [quoting Thomas].  That is an unbiblical conclusion.  A person is “held hostage” if he refuses to forgive when sins are confessed.  

I argued before Mark Prater, Warren Boettcher, Ron Boomsma, and you that a person cannot forgive until sin is confessed though he must forgive when transgressions are confessed.  You argued, and continue to argue, that a person must forgive even though no wrong doing is acknowledged. 

Furthermore, your explanation below is also a piece of revisionist history.  You were not asking me to have “an attitude of forgiveness,” you were telling me to forgive C.J.  I was the one, not you, who talked about the difference between “forgiving” and being “willing to forgive.”  You were hostile to my position.  Now you make it sound like you differentiated between the two.  You did not.  In your response, you are making my point about willingness to forgive as though it was your point.  That is deceptive.  You were pressing home the demand that I actually forgive, not be willing to forgive, even though no repentance was present.  

Lastly, you remain confused.  On the one hand you say, “you did not have to wait until the offender asked for forgiveness to forgive them.”  On the other hand you say, “If they do ask for forgiveness, then you can, with all joy, grant them your personal forgiveness.”  Here is what the Bible teaches.  You must be willing to forgive but you cannot actually forgive until the transgressors asks forgiveness.  There are many reasons for this clearly articulated doctrine in Scripture.  Your false doctrine results in injustice, injury, cover-up, and abuse. 

Bottom line.  You need to get your theology of forgiveness straight so you don’t use it to harm the innocent and protect the guilty.  Your whole approach to the Three Panel Review was faulty - the epitome of injustice.  One day, I hope you take responsibility and confess your partiality, favoritism, and corruption in helping to design such a one sided process.  When you do, I can’t wait to forgive you.  

Once again, I’ve taken the time to write in order to help you as a lawyer and Christian Conciliator.  Please don’t continue in your misguided understanding of forgiveness.  More importantly, please stop imposing your faulty understanding upon others when they seek to hold perpetrators accountable for their sinful actions.  And please stop confronting individuals for being unforgiving when they are pursuing biblical justice.  

Here is one more piece of correspondence.  First, a little background.   Peter Smith wrote an article about C.J. moving to Louisville, KY to start a church.  He interviewed me for the article.  Peter was a journalist for The Courier-Journal which is the largest newspaper in Louisville (he now a journalist for the Global Religion team with the Associated Press).  

Sovereign Grace Church brings history, controversy to new Louisville launch
Peter Smith
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 7:43AM 

I posted the article on my blog and sent it out to all former and current pastors in SGM.  That included Doug Hayes who was/is a pastor in Covenant Fellowship Church.  He wrote me a snide note about forgiving me even though I didn’t ask forgiveness for “filling up” his “In Box with all these e-mails.”  I wrote him back and copied all the SGM pastors in PA, OH, and WV.   

From: Doug Hayes
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 1:52 PM
To: Brent Detwiler; Paul Michaels
Cc: Kenny Lynch; David Sharp; C.B. Eder; Ben Ross; Jared Mellinger; Raymond Cournoyer; Jim Donohue; Andy Farmer; Rob Flood; Marty Machowski; Mark Prater; Joel Shorey; Joseph Stigora; Brian Vander Weide; Peter Privitera; Bill Haughery; Steve Heitland; Doug Plank; Kurt Weaver; Ian McConnell; Danny Adams; Rob Chisholm; Walt Grummt; Tom Horton; Jeremy Bell; Ed O’Mara; Blake Stehr; Ken Mellinger; Paul Michaels; Mike Pierson; Mark Altrogge; Stephen Altrogge; Joe Ryer; Tom Kurtz; Bill Ihde; Darren Lander; Jonathan Putnam; Roman Bibyk; Bob Digney; Brian Reebel; Keith Schifano; John Butler; Steve Teter; Josh Blount; Brad Mitchell
Subject: RE: Sovereign Grace Church brings history, controversy to new Louisville launch 

Hi Brent, 

Just want to let you know that I forgive you for filling up my In Box with all these e-mails, even though you’ve never asked for my forgiveness.  Jesus has forgiven me of much more.  

In brotherly love, 

Doug Hayes 

Of course, I include this correspondence because Hayes is just like Dave Harvey and Andy Farmer in their use of forgiveness to cover up evil. 

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 3:51 PM
To: Doug Hayes; Paul Michaels; Dave Harvey; Jared Mellinger
Cc: Kenny Lynch; David Sharp; C.B. Eder; Ben Ross; Jared Mellinger; Raymond Cournoyer; Jim Donohue; Andy Farmer; Rob Flood; Marty Machowski; Mark Prater; Joel Shorey; Joseph Stigora; Brian Vander Weide; Peter Privitera; Bill Haughery; Steve Heitland; Doug Plank; Kurt Weaver; Ian McConnell; Danny Adams; Rob Chisholm; Walt Grummt; Tom Horton; Jeremy Bell; Ed O’Mara; Blake Stehr; Ken Mellinger; Paul Michaels; Mike Pierson; Mark Altrogge; Stephen Altrogge; Joe Ryer; Tom Kurtz; Bill Ihde; Darren Lander; Jonathan Putnam; Roman Bibyk; Bob Digney; Brian Reebel; Keith Schifano; John Butler; Steve Teter; Josh Blount; Brad Mitchell
Subject: RE: Sovereign Grace Church brings history, controversy to new Louisville launch 

Doug, 

I didn’t know you were a Universalist (i.e., God granting forgiveness without repentance).  That is the theological implication of your statement.  To be honest, I am bit surprised by your ignorance.  Nowhere does the Bible teach us to forgive others for unconfessed sins.  The Bible commands us to forgive when repentance is forthcoming.  If we don’t we are sternly warned of dire consequences.  Therefore, we must always be ready and willing to forgive but the transaction of forgiveness cannot occur unless wrong doing is acknowledged.  The Bible is clear on the matter.  People who remain unrepentant remain bound in their sins.  That is the teaching of Matthew 18:15-18.  That is the meaning of binding (not forgiving) and loosing (forgiving) in context.  Jesus taught the same in John 20:23. 

I’d encourage you to go back and study Scripture to correct your errant view.  For example, Luke 17:3-4.  So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”  Or Luke 24:46-47.  And He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” 

Holding C.J. accountable is an expression of love.  Showing him favoritism is an expression of hate.  Making it clear he remains unforgiven is not an expression of bitterness or resentment.  It is an expression of friendship.  I can’t wait to forgive him and others but that is not possible until forgiveness is sought.  That is the clear teaching of Scripture and for good reason.  It is also the way to reconciliation.  That is why none has taken place.  C.J. retracted his confessions from July 2011.  He has confessed no wrong doing.  Furthermore, at no time has any member of any Board asked forgiveness for anything with the exception of Joshua Harris.  This underscores the issue of pride and hypocrisy.  

Doug, I hope you will appeal to C.J., Dave [Harvey], Mark [Prater] and Jared [Mellinger] to repent of these things and also their manifest deceit and be a true friend.  Don’t “forgive them” and brush it under the rug when there has been no repentance, confession, reconciliation, or restitution.  Confront them on the Three Panel Review which was a horrific expression of lording and manipulation.  I want to see SGM prosper but every day the opposition of the Lord increases because his discipline has been taken ever so lightly.  

Brent