A 72-Hour Compilation of Testimonies Regarding the Decline of John Piper’s Religious Program

Editor’s Introduction

Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC) and Bethlehem College and Seminary in the Twin Cities, along with Desiring God Ministries, is fundamentalist evangelical religious program characterized by the leadership and thought of pastor and professor John Piper. The Church existed prior to his pastorate (1980-2013), while the College, Seminary (both BBC affiliates) and Desiring God Ministries were established under his direction. In addition to these local, national, and educational arms, he is known for his ethical and theological views (which are perpetuated in these institutions), such as “Christian hedonism,” unconditional marriage (and with it endurance of physical spousal abuse), female subordinationism (“complementarianism”), staunch Calvinism, and committed advocacy and admiration of American theologian and slave-holder Jonathan Edwards. Piper’s impact on (and support from) American evangelicalism in the last quarter century is immeasurable.

This past week (on August 20, 2021), Christianity Today published a lengthy article authored by journalist Kate Shellnut entitled “Bethlehem Baptist Leaders Clash Over ‘Coddling’ and ‘Cancel Culture’.” It follows on the heels of an earlier article (August 3) by the Roys Report entitled “Former Bethlehem Baptist Pastors Say Church’s Culture Breeds Fear, Tolerates Abuse.” Both articles covered various dimensions of conflict and abuse occurring at the church and college/seminary in the wake of three pastors resigning the previous month. Jason Meyer, Piper’s successor, was one of them.

Much concern has risen from the fact that a disciple of Christian cult leader Douglas Wilson, Joseph Rigney, is now the President of the Bethlehem Seminary. Wilson’s program is almost a duplicate of Pipers; he has his own church (Christ Church), denomination (CREC), school (Logos school), and college (New Saint Andrews) in Moscow, Idaho. However, Wilson’s fundamentalism is even more extreme (no time to here elaborate). Regardless, these two religious groups of northern North America (Piper’s world and Wilson’s world) have supported each other on various occasions. (If you’re interested in this subject of cults in the Idaho/Montana/South Dakota/Minnesota region, be sure to read this AAR conference presentation here.)

Many readers who (1) were either interviewed by Shellnut for the article, or (2) were first-hand participants at the church/seminary/ministry, were perturbed and/or angered particularly by the August 20 CT article’s treatment of them/others who were negatively affected by staff and activities at the church and seminary. Having no other voice, they took to Twitter (a public forum where anyone can say almost anything) to both shed light on what was really happening, and/or express their frustration. By the 26th of August, John Piper responded on Twitter (see below) to the entire ordeal in a way that shocked almost everyone.

These critical responses were helpfully compiled by Chloe on Twitter, who (with her family and spouse, a Bethlehem graduate) was directly and negatively affected by Piper’s program. This list of responses include the testimonies of other graduates, church members, and even professors from Bethlehem college/seminary. I’m recompiling these responses that were published within 72 hours of the article (to reduce editorial bias) for (1) convenience to readers (one document instead of countless sub-replies of 280 characters), (2) “for the record,” reducing the chances of losing the primary sources over time; (3) to make it more difficult to ignore (because of the sheer volume and nonsense of what is posted on Twitter, it is sometimes not easy for onlookers to recognize and appreciate authentic testimony; this was in fact, one of the primary ways in which Piper later dismissed the whole ordeal—by criticizing “Twitter”); (4) because, as Cornel West put it, it is the job of the intellectual to put the voices of the suffering on the agenda of those in power. Until the needless suffering and trauma ends, the voices cannot be too loud.

While I’m just compiling and editing sources, readers should also know that I’m not an impartial spectator to these events. While I was not a direct victim or a member of BBC or graduate of the seminary, I was inundated with Piper’s material throughout my career as a professor of Christian Studies and as a child of baptist, conservative evangelicalism. I was also an associate pastor of a baptist church whose senior pastor adored Piper and took me to the “Pastor’s Conference” at BBC in 2010. I never understood membership envy and comparisons, or the pastor celebrity culture (pastors would joke about getting “pixie-dust” walking past John Piper’s suit jacket). At any rate, I witnessed much of the spiritual abuse firsthand in the church where I served, including needless church discipline, sermon plagiarizing (from Piper’s books), misogyny, and domineering behaviors involving firings and resignations (eventually including my own).

The culture of this religious world was notably particular. When I was hired, the first question was “are you reformed?” When I had applied at another church in eastern South Dakota, the first question was “Are you a complementarian?” (Not, “so do you think you really love people?” or “What exactly do you want to accomplish?”) These doctrinal dogmas were not ornamental, but litmus tests of orthodoxy. I would later witness, in countless ways, how they were also weapons in the hands of white American men insecure about their grip on power (whether over their families or over their congregations). I documented many of these in my book Deconstructing Evangelicalism. At any rate, I’m glad it only lasted a few months instead of years like as it did with others. (I still have a letter from members of the congregation who apologized for the way I was treated at the church by the pastor; though, I highly doubt I was treated as bad as others. Yes, my larger journey was bad, but I have it good.)

It should be mentioned that eye-witness testimony is also the most important and reliable source for any human experience—precisely because it simply is human experience, interpreted and disseminated for others to understand. And all testimony must be interpreted in light of others’ testimonies, just as we piece together a mosaic or puzzle to get a bigger image that’s more clear. I think there will be many people who refuse to even read this material, because it’s all just “complaining,” and “angry hot air,” or whatever. “Everyone sins,” after all. “No church is perfect,” etc.

On the contrary, what you’re about to read is an avalanche of direct, personal, eye-witness testimony that has negatively shaped people’s lives so profoundly that most of this material was disclosed for the first time—all within a 72 hour period. It is clear that the discourse and conversation about abuse within Piper’s world gave permission to those who were previously suppressed, or were in too much fear to reveal the truth. In other words, if there is any kind of voice and testimony that cannot and should not be ignored, it is this kind. 

Final editorial notes:

1. Any changes or significant restructuring of texts of these posts are indicated, though I usually removed post index markers (like “(1/3)” etc.).
2. I did not fix typos or touch texts except to format and reorganize.
3. When explanatory notes about text order and sequence of events are necessary, these are clearly indicated as well.
4. I have also had to be selective in sorting through what are sometimes masses of unending material that sprawl beyond the initial responses. It is impossible to be exhaustive, so what you get is merely a snapshot.
5. Paragraph breaks are also my choice, but no single tweet was (to my knowledge) split into a paragraph break.
6. I apologize in advance for any errors in arranging. I will correct major errors if there are any. (August 28 Update: I somehow failed to include Nirmal Mekala’s comments from August 20, so I’ve added them below)

Thanks again to Chloe for her labors in copying/pasting so much heart-breaking material. In reading all of this stuff myself (not infrequently having to pause from a sick stomach or grief), it’s all the more evident just how important it is in not just listening, but in understanding the mechanics of the evangelical-industrial complex, and the corrupting influence of “divinely authorized” structures of power.

Nirmal Mekala (@NirmalMekala)

August 20

It’s ironic to me that this article paints leadership that ignored an 85 page report from its minorities and dismissed ~350 pages of evidence re: abuse as concerned about preserving truth.

Doesn’t that kind of painstaking documentation reflect a high regard for truth? And doesn’t hastily dismissing it seem emotionally driven?

Couple more things:

“In the end, seven of the 17 original members of the task force ended up leaving Bethlehem, which some elders saw as confirmation that their misgivings about the group were justified.”

Right, but 4/5 lay minorities left.

Also… that awkward moment when you find out in the newspaper that you left your church and all your pastors said, “good riddance.” Woozy face

I’d recommend @reachjulieroys coverage. Her articles outline the two large reports I mentioned and many more vital details about what’s happening at BBC.

Lydia Arant

August 20

In light of the recent article on Bethlehem Baptist Church by @CTmagazine, I’ve decided to share my own story to support the victims of spiritual abuse whose stories CT sorely misused.

Over the course of the eight years that I attended Bethlehem Baptist Church (almost five of which I was employed there) I began to hear stories of pain, spiritual abuse, and neglect. I became increasingly aware of the oppression that BIPOC and women saints have experienced there. After attending the elder meeting in which the justice initiative group proposed a Task Force with the purpose of considering the eldership pipeline’s process and why the church leadership was so white when the downtown neighborhood it resides in is so diverse, I became incredibly disenchanted with Bethlehem. I sat there and heard my leaders say words that were crushing. I watched as some of the leaders who I thought were justice minded remain silent while louder opposing voices spoke freely. The Task Force was allowed to move forward, but had to edit the representees that were being proposed to the elders to also include elders themselves.

Over the course of intense research the findings were finally brought forward and ultimately dismissed. It was due to how this group was treated that I could no longer stay at Bethlehem in good conscience. However, these Task Force sisters and brothers stories and the stories of so many who have left Bethlehem are not mine to tell. What I can share is only my own experience.

While I was employed as the librarian at Bethlehem I, with the help of fellow church members, founded the Library Advisory Board and started our Ethnic Harmony book clubs. I worked with people who would eventually serve on the Task Force and together, we created the Race 101 book club. In the two years that followed, I witnessed just how much Bethlehem’s leaders demand control. We had some pastoral turnout for the first summer’s book club, but the second was the most confusing. Pastor Jason sponsored it and we continued to invite pastors and elders to come join us – even taking notes so that what we discussed was public knowledge for anyone who would like to participate/process with us and couldn’t be there – something we also sent to leadership. The four book club leaders at the downtown campus were all on the Task Force.

For the entire summer, not a single pastor or elder attended any of the second year’s downtown book club meetings. From what we heard, the book club was regarded with concern, yet not a single elder or pastor came to check in. After the book club ended, the book club leaders had a meeting with Pastor Jason and Ming-Jinn. It was at this meeting that I learned that Pastor Jason was concerned about the book we had chosen (Many Colors by Soong-Chan Rah), and was frustrated that he was not consulted about it before we listed his name as sponsoring pastor.

This was confusing as he chose to call-in to our planning meeting where he voiced support, gave us the book club name and asked to be the supporting pastor. He was in contact with one of the attending Task Force members the whole evening and there was no way that I could have known that the book choice wasn’t communicated to him. When I asked why I wasn’t contacted with this concern, the response was that there was miscommunication. I was unsatisfied with this response, as no one had ever contacted me with regard to the book club. I would have hoped that if he and the other pastors and elders had been concerned, they would have reached out to me just once. The book club ended with this single meeting, even though the pastors and elders never came to see why we loved it and why BIPOC and women attendees gave it good reviews and said that it was a really healing and helpful space. All the work we had done was completely disregarded, and no one seemed to register that I, as the librarian, was the go-to person for any questions or concerns about the book club. I was cut out of the process for something I planned, scheduled into our church database and frequently sent emails to pastors and staff in regards to. In one of our preceding staff meetings, Pastor Ming-Jinn voiced frustration over our congregation’s lack of initiative and leadership, expressing his wish that they would grow in those things. I sat in that meeting and thought of the Task Force and the Book Club initiatives and how they had been initiatives congregants had dreamed up and acted upon that ultimately were discouraged, shut down and disbanded.

Another time that I was completely disconnected from my direct work was when I was trying to evaluate our library’s section on “Biblical Manhood and Womanhood”. It was recommended to me that I send an email to all of our pastors and staff for help before making any decisions, which I did. I mentioned in the email that I wanted to reevaluate this part of the collection and take out outdated material. I was hoping to take out authors like Doug Wilson, and also hoping for some input on some healing and loving potential additions.

Pastor Sam Crabtree responded to this email with frustration and not only assumed that I was questioning Bethlehem’s views on Complementarity, but he cut me out of the conversation entirely, only addressing the pastors in his response. When I spoke to my supervisor, Joby Morgan – who is also head of HR, about this, she told me that he was probably just having a bad day, to which I responded that his unprofessional behavior shouldn’t be excused by a bad day. She responded to my push-back by asking how long I’d been friends with Stephanie Denzer, another staff member. This really hurt, not only because Stephanie is a dear friend and someone who had been addressing issues at Bethlehem, but it communicated to me yet again that my intellect was of no value and that I couldn’t think for myself or be addressed as an individual.

She directed me to go to the North Campus and talk with Pastor Sam alone. I did so and the conversation ended with him allowing me to take Doug Wilson’s books out of the collection, and then he remarked that if I ever had questions again to “simply ask” – which had been the intent of my original email. I’ve also had many experiences of sexist treatment from the congregation while working alone at my library tables in their commons. One such experience was being asked if the only good I was worth was to sit there and look pretty. Another time a man asked me how old I was, if I was married and — upon hearing that I was not —to tell him “honestly” if my parents were ashamed of me. After I received this particular comment at one of the church locations, I asked a friend of mine who attends that site if she’s ever heard such comments. She told me she hears them all the time and has just learned to tune them out. In my experience at Bethlehem I’ve found that misogyny is thriving, and yet I never heard it addressed or named. I never saw any training on it, either as a congregant or an employee.

In my resignation letter I requested that an external party review and train Bethlehem on misogyny and all of its nuances, just as they had GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christan Environment) and Kyle Howard come to address other issues of power abuse.

I knew, however, that this request wouldn’t be taken seriously not only because of how I had never been taken seriously, but by how GRACE, Kyle Howard, the Task Force and any other group, organization or individuals who attempted to hold Bethlehem accountable was eventually dismissed by the leadership.

Steven Takata (@steve_takata)

August 21