A Perspective From a Leader Who Left

I was a Deacon at Grace Community Church from 2006 to 2013 and below is the resignation letter I intended to read as to why I was stepping down from that position.

 In April of 2013, nobody got to hear it; I am presenting this to you now along with a preface to explain why nobody got to hear it then.

My family, like many other people, were negatively affected by Chris Riser, the controlling Elder of Grace Community Church.  This is only one incident in a series I intend to detail.

This incident was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. However, there were a number of incidents that led up to this. We will look at those later. For now, let’s dive into this one.

I informed Chris Riser and the elders of Grace that I was stepping down as a Deacon because I could no longer in good conscience remain one while what was being taught from the pulpit on Romans Chapter 13 was purposely skewed.

Below, you will see, in my email, the statement Chris Riser asked that I prepare and deliver to him so he would know what I was going to say.

First, he asked me to write up the statement I would read to the congregation. He pushed hard for it to be done by a certain date. I later came to understand why he was being so insistent.

After getting my statement in writing, he changed the announcement setting from my reading it to the congregation, to he only wanted to get my thoughts down so that he could give the statement himself. (Control as to what was going to be said). In his words, and I quote:

“Although we may have miscommunicated, our intent is for me to read a short statement as to why you are stepping down.”

There was no miscommunication. I stated that I would be reading this; he agreed, but then after getting what I was going to say in writing, he changed that agreement.

He even went so far as to reply with a statement he created that would supposedly provide the essence of why I was stepping down. He was careful to remove the word “tyrant” from what I had written.

In the long run, though, none of that mattered because he didn’t use any of it.

He already had other ideas.

He pushed for the deadline -I was to learn on that Sunday morning- so he could control the narrative for that day.

You see, in that same Sunday Service, he proclaimed church discipline against a member of the congregation. With his next breath, he announced I would no longer be a Deacon at Grace Community Church.

He obfuscated whether or not I was also being removed for a disciplinary action. As evidence, several people approached my family and friends asking what it was I had done wrong.

Had I known what he was up to I would have refused to step down that day opting for another. In hindsight, I should have emailed this to every member of the church. I apologize for any harm I inadvertently caused by not doing so and ask for your forgiveness.

Please read the exchange below carefully.

Thank you,

Scott Williams

P.S. At the time I wrote my resignation speech, I believed that there were good people (some still there today)

who were providing solid teaching to their charges. There was a period of time at Grace Community Church when the efforts and positive effects of founders Ken Taggart and Rick McClellan still infused the structure and attitude of worship.

After Ken and Rick left, that influence diminished as Chris Riser’s leadership exerted its own nature onto the congregation. I had not yet realized the extent that degradation had already taken place in many areas of leadership.

In hindsight, my praise was based on the culture created under Ken and Rick’s stewardship.

I had hopes that my actions would cause others to take a critical look at what was happening around them. Instead, Chris Riser did not allow me to present my letter, which negated any effect toward that end.

For Chris Riser dissent of any kind can never be tolerated. The event was orchestrated in such a way that it called into question my integrity and reputation within the church body.

I will tell my story in another post of what led up to this action I felt so compelled to take.

The E-mail Exchange

Sent April 2nd 2013

Chris, Andy, Paul and Ron... here is my prepared statement for your preview... 

Dear brother and Sisters in Christ,

I have stepped down as Deacon of Grace Community Church. I do not take this action lightly but I must do as my conscience dictates.

I want to tell you why as succinctly as I can.

I take issue with the current teaching on submission to governing authorities.

To be clear there is much that I am in agreement with. We need to follow the laws set out by our government. Paying taxes for provisions for necessary services, and infrastructures such as roadways, fire departments and police departments are good and proper for governments.

There are few who can say that they have followed their government as much as I, or fewer yet who like me carry the injuries as daily reminders of what that obedience cost. This is a burden I gladly suffer to sustain the gift of freedom and liberty we have inherited.

Where I depart from current teaching is to the extent of that obedience, and it is a significant difference. I see Romans 13.1-7 in a different light. I do not believe Paul was writing about the Roman Government so much as he was writing about government in general. As such, Paul articulated a social compact of what form good and proper government should take. If we are to have no fear of government because we simply do good then that government cannot be one of despotism. A tyrant is not good and proper Government and a minister to God, and should be opposed with all of our being.

Further I believe in the laws of Nature and Nature’s God and inalienable rights by virtue of our position in Christ. We are made in God’s image, and much like suicide is sinful, allowing harm to come to ourselves for the mantra of obedience to government is just as sinful. Our right of self-defense, self-preservation if you will, was codified in Luke 22:36, and in 1st Timothy 5:8. ( providing life, liberty and property)

Additionally loving our neighbor as ourselves does not begin only after our neighbor is dragged into the street and forced to watch as his family is executed before him.

Ultimately I believe as our founding fathers did, that there comes a time when we must defend ourselves, their cry and mine is disobedience to tyrants IS obedience to God, and no King BUT King Jesus.

As you can tell this differs greatly from what is being taught.

I cannot continue as an officer of the church seeming to lend weight and credence to what I do not believe. I do not want my remaining silent to appear as a voice accepting something I find objectionable.

I have included as an appendix a short but well written (in my estimation) assertion as to why I believe what I do and as to how I see churches interacting in society. Had they continued to do so, much of the degradation we see today would not be.

Now having said all this, I will tell you that I and my family will NOT be leaving Grace Community Church at this time.

Although I have voiced a disagreement with one aspect of Grace there are some things you should know.

I still consider all who profess faith in Christ to be my brothers and sisters, and I do not see this as an issue to break fellowship over. Great biblical scholars have had deep debates over certain areas of the bible yet remained committed to their brothers and sisters. I do not claim the moniker of a great biblical scholar, but I certainly can learn from them how to react to disagreements. Unfortunately, in today’s society we have come to believe that “I disagree with you” = “I hate you” when that couldn't be further from the truth.

I also see many great things that Grace Community Church does, and many solid areas that it teaches in a strong and faithful way.

When Mary and I moved to Maryville we did not want our children involved in a “youth” program because most of them were more about party and entertainment and contained self-absorbed clicks who routinely exclude other children. What we found at Grace however was the opposite. Sure groups of friends talk with each other but there is always a careful eye out to draw in other youth who might be quiet or shy.

The youth display an outward view on the community by evidence of things like teens parking further away so our handicapped and elderly folks can park out front, by several times a year going into the community at large and evangelizing, or simply helping an elderly couple by volunteering to preform yard maintenance for them, or working in the Baptist food kitchen.

When not engaged in these activates our youth are taught strong meaty biblical doctrine. Even the youth trips which are exhausting-ly fun (used as a reward for the hard work throughout the year), are mentally demanding as they dive deep into scripture.

The younger children in the kingdom’s kids program get solid teaching and not just nice Bible stories. The Sunday schools are coordinated thru the different grades which helps larger families like mine with a dispersion of children in nearly all of the classes. As we discuss the day’s teachings each child can follow along with the conversation because of that coordination.

Grace is very family friendly, it does not seek to divide the family once they walk thru the doors. There is no “junior church” as families sit together for worship service. It does not seek to keep the calendar so full of activates that there is no family time either.

The spirit in Grace is different too, unlike other Christian Churches and the Soviet Union we don’t shoot our wounded. Once recovered we restore them fully as useful members of the body once again, you can say we have well, Grace.

The elders at Grace truly care for those who attend the church, they desire to teach true and right doctrine and spend many hours a week in preparation and prayer before presenting their teachings to us. Like any institution given power by God they are not perfect and unlike many they don’t pretend to be either.

In closing there is much I respect about Grace and much I find unique in our own local area, my prayer is that you do as well.

In Christ Jesus

Scott P. Williams                     

 Chris’s response

From: Chris Riser <riserc@bellsouth.net>To: Scott Williams aircav@bellsouth.net (edited note this no longer my email it is now Apachecav@gmail.com)Sent: Saturday, April 6, 2013 9:15 PMSubject: Statement

Edited foot note: I had intended to provide a resource as a handout for properly understanding Romans 13 but it is too lengthy for this post. I will make that available to anyone who wishes to see it.