For about two months now, my wife and I have been attending Grace Church in Laguna Niguel. It is an excellent church with solid, biblical teaching. Our first day at Grace Church, my wife and I were confronted with a situation that we did not expect, but understood that the Lord is sovereign over all events in our lives and that His will is perfect in all things.
To make a long story short, Clark Gallagher, Mike Robirds, and their families attend Grace Church along with other brothers and sisters from a church we attended in the past. There had been a series of church splits. Brothers and sisters departed from the church and as a result, we did not speak with them again. As to the details and reasons why the splits happen, the Lord is the ultimate judge of those circumstances. I was not there to hear what happened with the parties involved. However, we were in agreement that the Lord led us to stay at FCC.
Being a writer here on biblicalthought.com, I backed and agreed with articles and posts written by my former pastor where he called those that left FCC apostates and heretics. Recently, Mike Robirds, Clark Gallagher, my wife, and I met with Pastor James Wenger. Clark and Mike had issues against me for the things I wrote in the past concerning those who had left the church. Clark communicated to me that I had committed gross sins against him by agreeing that he was an apostate and a heretic, Mike Robirds was in agreement.
In the office with Pastor James Wenger, I made it known to all that were present that my desire is to glorify God. I want to forget those things which are behind, and press on in God’s calling upon our lives. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, His person and His work, there is reconciliation between sinful man and a Holy God. I take back what I wrote, whether directly or indirectly, about those who had left FCC. I repent for writing harshly about circumstances involving people I did not have full knowledge of. For writings they hold against me, I do seek forgiveness and reconciliation, to the glory of God. What my wife and I see is that Clark Gallagher, Mike Robirds and their families are serving God and attending a sound, biblical church.
Church splits are difficult experiences. Brothers and sisters in Christ are torn apart and forced to make difficult decisions. As difficult as they are, they are needful experiences and do not happen by chance, but are divinely appointed by the Lord to cause us to grow and trust Him more. Speaking to my wife about the entire situation, we thought, “should we be surprised at what the Lord brings to pass?” We had not ceased in lifting those who had left the church in prayer. More than being confronted by Clark Gallagher and Mike Robirds, I was confronted by the Lord to examine myself and my response to the situation. I look forward to what the Lord will do.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Amen
This is probably the best post I have read on this sight (in my opinion).
Love you guys
Hello Mario:
At the day of judgment I believe we all will be ashamed for things weve said and done.
But I dont believe we will ever be ashamed at asking forgiveness, confession of errors, repentance, reconciliation with those who have wronged us and humility of heart.
yea and amen to your acts with your new pastor and the beginning of
new things for you and your wife.
Gods grace to you
John
Thank God Almighty for His providence in this situation Mario. Forgiveness and reconciliation should have always been the highest importance to reach those affected.
Ephesians 4:25-32
This is good news, Mario. I’m glad to hear whatever issues you had with those guys (or vice versa) won’t be issues any longer, especially since it’s in the context of your new local church.
Proud of you Mario. Praying for you. More so, I do hope that God’s work will extend to this and other situations from the past.
Glory to God, my brothers!
Mario, thanks for your post. Yes, church splits are painful, and I hope never to experience another one. Your statements show that you desire both reconciliation and righteousness. That’s commendable.
Frank,
The Lord is faithful. I do thank God for having gone through the experience. So often we believe that if we are in Christ, we’ll experience nothing but bliss, however, there are hardships that try us. We will suffer as believers in many respects. In the end, we will all give an account to the Lord according to Hebrews 4:12-13.
While we remain here, we must press on together contending earnestly for the faith to the glory of God!
Grace and peace to the glory of God!
Fusion, you still owe me a beer!
I’ll buy you a beer..we have much to discuss!! My husband will be there too of course
God’s grace my brother.
Dear Mario,
I am very proud of you, Clark and Mike. I thank God for the opportunity for reconciliation and repentance. Church splits are very painful, just like a divorce. Your heart is torn in two. The body of a church is one body. Your heart is wrenched when people you love and fellowship with are hurt, removed or leave especially in anger. What an awesome God we serve that would put you guys together again and bring peace. All three of you were willing vessels for Him. In the end, what counts is how we serve Him. We do our best to glorify His kingdom and walk in integrity. We pray heartily for His strength and ask Him to help us remember that the end (that we are working toward), never justifies the means. I am seeing so many good things that are coming from the workings of our Sovereign Lord. I have shed many a tear and many prayers over the years for those that were hurt and are still hurting. This was good news!
“When to the sessions of sweet silent thought, I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, and with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste.” I so love Shakespeare, just have to read his wisdom with Spurgeon at hand to fill in the Sovereignty.
My love to you and Jen,
Grace and Peace,
Cindy
As an outsider looking in, I was disturbed greatly by the split and by the subsequent behaviour of many of the parties. I’m happy to hear that there is a possibility of reconciliation and fellowship (you did not mention if they accepted your apology).
Mario:
As you said, Morey (falsely) labeled those who left his “church” as apostates and heretics. You’re now saying your support of that conclusion was false (i.e., Clark, Mark, et al. are not actually heretics/apostates) and sinful (i.e., you sinned by parroting Morey’s false/sinful assertions). In other words, your parroting of Morey was wrong *because* the statements themselves were slanderous. Therefore, Morey was acting sinfully in proclaiming those falsehoods – correct?
Based on your retraction, I take it you’re now in agreement with those who left. I.e., that Morey was a pastor caught in known sin which he refused to repent of.
So, this statement is actually false: “As to the details and reasons why the splits happen, the Lord is the ultimate judge of those circumstances. I was not there to hear what happened with the parties involved.”
Hal,
What are you seeking with your comment?
Reconcialition has taken place by the grace of God in our situation, and we press on to glorify God in this life until the Lord returns.
May the grace of the Lord be with you.
Sir Aaron, my brother, I can say that Clark was gracious in our reconciliaton. He gave me a call. Those issues are behind us! We have been blessed to be a part of Grace Church in Laguna Niguel!
Mario:
I’m ecstatic to hear it.
Hal:
Our brothers in Christ have reconciled. Peace ensues. But now you persist in trying to use the reconciliation as a way to stir up dissension. Fortunately, Mario wisely deflected your post.
Sir Aaron:
What a strange comment. Where do you come off telling me what my motives are? Do you have access to my private desires?
And no, I was obviously not attempting to stir up dissension. All I did was point out a troubling inconsistency in Mario’s letter. Do you have an actual argument against what I’ve said or are you going to stick to your “appeal to motive” line of reasoning?
Mario:
I merely asked because you seemed to say two conflicting things. What I am seeking is clarity and consistency and nothing more.
On the one hand you state that you do not know why the controversies erupted (because you were not there, etc.). And, on the other hand, you said that you’ve sinned in parroting Morey’s condemnations. If Morey’s condemnations were sinful to parrot, then it is because they were false (i.e., sinful) to begin with. If this is so, then those who spoke out against Morey were right. Because of this, you actually *do* in fact know why the church splits occurred.