Joseph McCarthy was a United States senator (1947-1957) from Wisconsin who became notorious by making largely unfounded allegations that communist spies from the Soviet Union had infiltrated the highest levels of the United States federal government. He even accused members of President Eisenhower‘s cabinet of being communist sympathizers. Because of fears stirred by the Cold War, he found a receptive audience among many Americans. He utilized a campaign known today as McCarthyism – making reckless and unsubstantiated accusations, and publicly attacking the character of one’s political opponents. In the end, McCarthy was proved to be nothing more than a demagogue and was censured by the United States Senate.
We’ve seen this practice recently in the Church of God. It started a few years ago with a Facebook post. We were told that it was just a matter of time before the Church of God General Assembly would affirm same-sex marriage. Therefore, it was suggested that principled leaders should begin thinking about an exit strategy. I said then, and I repeat now – That is a totally unfounded allegation that insults the integrity of the General Council. In my judgement, every credentialed minister in the Church of God believes in the inspiration and veracity of the Bible. The Church of God has consistently stood for a biblical sexual ethic that humanity is created male and female, as a monogamous heterosexual couple. Even so, with that post the toxic seeds of suspicion were planted and began to bear fruit. The accusations continued to build.
The narrative being promoted is that Church of God institutions are conspiring to undermine the biblical foundations of the Church and that many leaders and educators are closet liberals. They produced bits and pieces of information, which taken out of context, seemed to support their accusations. It mattered not at all that accused leaders continue to affirm the Church of God Declaration of Faith and the Practical Commitments. With the political and cultural upheavals current in the United States, many Christians began to fear for the future and allowed fear to cloud their judgment. Conspiracy theories always find a safe home in such an environment.
To my knowledge, not one formal charge of doctrinal infidelity has been sustained during this time. But reckless and unsubstantiated accusations have damaged reputations and divided the church. As these attacks were being launched against our institutions, institutional leaders have made every effort to answer the charges. Even so, their integrity was challenged at every turn. Some institutional leaders who were trying to faithfully negotiate the dangerous currents of the present culture were charged with capitulation. Christian grace, which should be common among our fellowship, has given way to self-righteous legalism in which ministerial colleagues are accused, tried, and found guilty based on a little more than Internet rumors. Guilt by association is the rule of the day. The Church of God McCarthyites are like the Pharisees who accused Jesus of being a sinner because he dared dine with them.
I favor accountability. Every credentialed Church of God minister is accountable to the Church of God General Assembly, denominational leaders, and to each other. Likewise, our educational institutions should maintain fidelity to the teaching of the church. The Church of God has effective protocols in place to deal with doctrinal infidelity or moral failure. These protocols require that accusations be substantiated. I have said this publicly and privately: “If a colleague is guilty of doctrinal infidelity, then the proper way of dealing with the offense is by filing formal charges and offering substantial proof.” According to the Minutes of the General Assembly, this is the only prescribed method of removing an errant minister from ministry. But this is never enough for a demagogue.
The Church of God is my spiritual mother, and my mother is sick. I will stand by my mother in her sickness. But I am deeply grieved because of the warfare in which we are engaged, brothers and sisters hurling stones at one another. The Church is wounded. Look what we have done to ourselves. Perfect love casts away all fear (1 John 4:18). The Church of God suffers because we fail to love perfectly.
