My observations, as I worked with Grace Community Church and Chris Riser, started me questioning what was going on at GCC. To remind our reader, I started going to GCC with my family in 2004 while Ken Taggart and Rick McClellan and their families were the driving force there.
At the time GCC was a beacon to the community, a jewel in the center of Maryville.
One of Ken’s visions was to create an outreach to Maryville College as we were situated between the Campus and the Library. The ministry was very outward focused, trying to reach the local community.
After Ken and Rick left, I started to notice little things that I easily excused to myself, at first. Taken individually, a reasonable explanation could be considered for each incident, but only to a point. However, a pattern would emerge over time that was undeniable.
Here is what I saw:
In order to teach a lesson in an evening service I had to present it in writing, in advance, to Chris Riser.
Sunday schools were expected to follow exegetical preaching only. Traditionally, this had been a time and place to discuss the verses and the implications of what was read and how should we then live in response.
There were not to be open discussions in Sunday school. Teaching should take up the entire period to prevent time for them.
I was admonished not to use any life applications in my teaching.
I was not to use illustrative personal stories--especially any from my time in the military.
I was not to use any personal style, it had to be taught the Chris Riser way.
I was eventually paired with a watchdog for teaching through 1st and 2nd Peter.
Chris would not allow retired pastors to teach. Many of them saw what was going on and left.
Eventually S.I. training classes were mandated before any man would be allowed to teach.
Conversations were monitored. Any that didn’t fit Chris’ own idea of joking around were labeled crass. In one specific occurrence, I had made a joking comment of, “I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.” while talking with another gentleman. It was a good-natured rib that left us both chuckling. I was called on the carpet to Chris’ office and admonished for being crass.
If I suggested an author to read during a men’s bible study that was not on the approved Chris Riser list, I was looked down upon even if it was a mainstream pastor’s book.
I was asked by Chris to counsel a woman with children who was seeking a divorce from her unfaithful husband. He asked me to encourage her to stay with the cheating husband by persuading her of the economic ruin she would be subject to if she left. I didn’t counsel her in this way. Instead, I let her know what the laws in the state of TN were to the best of my understanding, and what the law would entitle her to receive. I then helped her craft a budget so she could better understand what her options were. Chris never asked me to counsel with anybody again.
The Annex building was a bid purchase. The finance team authorized a certain amount that Chris could bid up to for the building. Chris and Steve Benedict attended the auction where Steve, at Chris’ request, acted as a proxy to place the bids. GCC won the bid but spent a substantially higher amount than what was authorized.
During several Deacon’s meetings I suggested for our building projects that a comptroller would be in order. A comptroller would ensure that monies collected matched what was spent and was done so appropriately. This was to ensure things were done in a good and decent manner, but the idea was dismissed out of hand.
Chris had to be the head of the board of every group within the church and would attend almost all meetings.
Chris requested to get a new copier under lease. Those leases are very expensive and were seen as beyond what we could afford. Instead, a perfectly good used copier was procured (owned outright). We even had members trained in copier service willing to keep it functional.
As with any copier of that time, they had to be installed correctly. Once installed they had to remain in that position. If they needed to be moved, they would have to be properly set and leveled all over again. In addition, being a used copier, there is always a shake down period where unperceived maintenance issues would surface. But for $500 dollars and a little time it was more cost effective than a lease of several hundred dollars a month. Because of this shake down period, the excuse was given that the used one wasn’t reliable, and Chris went ahead and leased 2 new copiers at significant expense to the church.
Security for church events became an issue around the country in 2008-9. Being a deacon, I felt it was my duty to present to the Elders a plan to protect the congregants from outside attacks, children from inside attack, and childcare/teachers from false accusations. A detailed security summary plan was presented to the Elders in March of 2009. The plan included security cameras in common areas and classrooms. Chris dismissed the idea. The idea was presented again by another qualified member a few years later and again it was dismissed. The protection of the congregation and our youth didn’t seem to be high on the priority list.
I will make this plan available upon request to anyone wishing to see it. You may email me at Apachecav@gmail.com
God created the family before the Church, and parents’ first mission field is their children. However, at a youth moving up event, Chris Riser told the kids during their “sermon” time that their spiritual family and the leaders at GCC took precedence over their parents. His teaching could force a child to choose between their parents and Chris.
When Chris started teaching on Romans 13 incorrectly, I could no longer remain part of leadership at GCC. I raised my concern with each of the elders, one at a time.
During my conversation with Chris as to my objection to this wrong teaching, we covered the issue of governing authorities. At this meeting he informed me of several of his beliefs.
One view in particular was that our country could not be subject to the founding documents, and that it could only be subject to a person, as that is what God designed. I reminded him that our founders’ rallying cry was “NO KING, BUT KING JESUS” and that the founding documents were in fact our governing authorities. We do not have rulers; we have the rule of law.
He went on to tell me that our Founding Fathers were in sin for rebelling against the King. To which I informed him that after 65 years of abuse, our founders chose to peacefully disband from England, and that it was only in an act of self-defense that they took up arms. I went on to state that the concept of self-defense is replete within the Bible and specifically at the command of Christ. (Lk 22:36).
Chris denied this.
As I questioned him further about personal defense, Chris informed me that he would take no action against someone that broke into his house intending to harm his family. He explained that it was so he could give the intruder another chance to hear the Gospel I asked even if it meant his wife and daughter would be brutally raped and murdered? He looked me dead in the eyes and said “Yes”. (Chris was later to state this view in a Sunday morning service)
I left that meeting aghast at what I had heard.
I talked with the other elders independently to ascertain if they were okay with this heretical view.
(Heresy is an opinion, doctrine or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards.)
I commented that the false doctrine being preached from the pulpit would have left us still under the rule of the Papacy by denying the reformation, confirming the Divine Right of Kings and branding Dietrich Bonhoeffer a traitor.
None of them would see it, and they all dismissed my concerns.
Sometime after this I was asked to attend a meeting at Chris Riser’s house, ostensibly to discuss my stepping down as a Deacon. I knew this was supposed to be a discussion with Chris and all the elders on this issue as that is what Chris called for.
What I found when I arrived, however, was Chris Riser seated in a chair with one hot seat for me facing him alone, the elders were seated to his left for a “gallery” view of the proceedings.
Before any conversation began, I was verbally accosted by Chris Riser for calling his teaching on Romans 13 heresy. I was AMBUSHED! If Chris wanted to talk to me about calling him a heretic then that should have been the stated reason for the meeting. Don’t LIE and say it was about my stepping down as deacon.
I was taken completely off guard. I apologized to Chris Riser stating that maybe I had gone too far by classifying his teaching that way. It didn’t take me long to realize that I shouldn’t have, as he again moved into false teaching.
After that, he settled into trying to convince me that my position was wrong and that his was right all along. He asked me to reconsider stepping down. I could not agree with what I knew was incorrect.
The conversation turned once again to self-defense, and this time to the preservation of the saints. Chris proclaimed that the Christians in Rome simply took what was thrown at them as Paul supposedly admonished them to do. I responded that Paul was teaching them what proper authorities are and that we have a responsibility to them. Rome, however, was an inappropriate government and that the Christians there didn’t just take it, they moved! Any that could do so did.
Chris denied the scattering of the saints.
At that point I looked at the rest of the Elders and proclaimed, “He is wrong, and you know it.” Their response was silence as they stared at their shoes.
The meeting ended with my agreeing to send to Chris a written statement that I was to give before the congregation. You can read that in my previous post titled “A Perspective From a Leader Who Left.”
Without any equivocation, I will state again that the teaching of Chris Riser in regard to Romans 13 is heretical, as is his teaching on the supremacy of the elders at GCC over the spiritual family, and in turn, over the husbands and wives, and the parents and children who make up the church. As he ignored the body of evidence contrary to his interpretation, it became evident to me that Chris Riser was setting himself up as the governing authority over the congregation.
His independent actions all point to a desire to control his domain. Again, taken individually they could be explained, but collectively they speak to a pattern of manipulation, lying, and coercion.
I chose to stay at GCC for personal reasons as long as I could stand it. I eventually left when I could no longer stand to hear such manipulation of scripture emanating from the pulpit.
While I was still there, there was one more event which happened that I feel compelled to detail in my next post
Scott Williams
Former GCC Deacon