I dont know much about the man or his ministry, but I am thrilled that he went public with the story and hisexperiences. Cover-ups are all too common in both the IFB church movement and Evangelicalism as a whole. Dont give in to terrible sadness just because you make a mistake in life or see yourself failing at something. Fact: calling someone out and removing them from church leadership does not prevent them from assaulting anyone else in the future, and its pretty much a given that they will. The second is an extended family connection to a well-known situation. He will not do well because the Christians with good names will get him now. From myself and a handful of other unofficial members of the trail of broken hearts and broken lives the IFB has left behind, we want you to know that were hoping and were watching. Shiflett, as you can imagine, has received a flood of emails, comments, etc. Money wont heal the wounds, but it sure as hell will make pastors and churches think twice before they bury criminal behavior or allow sexual predators to escape prosecution by moving on to new churches. Lets now turn our attention to better protecting the flock of God & being more bold & biblical in exposing the wolves. Most pastors would not do what he did, so he deserves a lot of credit for doing the right thing. People today are so willing to believe anything. Stacey Shiflett (@staceyshiflett) May 21, 2018. "Golden State Baptist College students are expected to go soul winning for a minimum of three hours per week." On May 11, 2018, the victim, Sarah Jackson, posted the following on Facebook: Stacey Shiflett, the current pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk, Maryland the church Giovanellli pastored when he allegedly assaulted Jackson released the following video: Theres much about this video that irritates the living hell out of me, especially the fact that the pastor investigated instead of immediately calling law enforcement. If you dont deal with it properly, it will come back to bite you in the end eventually. If you dont own your problems, your problems will own you. Attendance at the daily chapel service is required. I have family who attends this church and they, to this day, are not sure of what happened beyond what appeared in the newspaper. Add an image Join others and track this artist Scrobble, find and rediscover music with a Last.fm account https://brucegerencser.net/2015/01/does-the-bible-say-thou-shalt-not-judge/. Not only does he defend the victim and publicly advocate for her, but he comes forward about his own previous victimization and experience with church cover-ups! But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Instead, abuse victims are often told to shut-up or are blamed for what happened. Golden State (Disney California Adventure), former name of Grizzly Peak, part of a theme park Golden State Baptist College, in Santa Clara, California Golden State, a 2019 novel by Ben H. Winters Golden State Killer, US serial killer and police officer from California This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Golden State. Wouldnt it just be easier to say, depraved mankind has a problem withcover-ups? The church can bring spiritual justice through discipline quickly, much more so than theauthorities. 2022. Preachers are not qualified to investigate sexual abuse, nor should they be making decisions or giving advice on the topic. The purpose of Golden State is to train men and women who have a sincere desire to serve the Lord by equipping them with the tools necessary for a fruitful ministry. You dont talk to the Perp. The jerk is still there. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}372314N 1215641W / 37.3872N 121.9448W / 37.3872; -121.9448. We must also manage the congregation. Join us for any of our services as we study the Bible verse by verse and grow in our . Many prospective students experienced college life as they heard powerful preaching, attended classes, and toured the San Francisco Bay and Pier 39. Along those lines, its worth noting that sometimes you get slightly different reasons for covering things upfor example, no Buddhist or Jew uses 1 Cor. I saw homophobia, racism, ethnic slurs, and the usual lack of empathy you would expect from the conservative fundamentalist stereotype. It is virtually unheard of to have an IFB pastor, his deacon board, and entire church supporting a victim in a situation like this. Review changes On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He'll Do It Again. View photos of our students during services, activities, and more! Im not saying that the evidence isnt compelling or that she isnt believed because I believe her, but that doesnt mean that the church can publicakky convict or punish him outside of a court of law. In fact sexual misconduct happens everywhere, not just in the church. Here, Shiflett takes on a big name IFB leader and megachurch to defend a rape victim, yet the rest of his social media tells awhole other story: from shaming and vilifying shooting survivors and victim families (which really is just sick), to jokes about waterboarding and torture. Its kind of a lose-lose situation for them because they wanted to address the situation and not make it look like they were trying to cover it up (to me I really dont think they are doing that since he doesnt work there anymore and I think I read hes been banned from coming to the church), but they cant just say hes guilty and all that on a nation stream when the courts havent proven that yet. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel. I also agree that no one should aid and help criminals by failing to report their crimes to the police. Friday, May 11 The victim outed Cameron Giovanelli for sexually abusing her when he was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk, MD and she was a 16-year old student in their private school. The truth is, none of this would be happening if everyone had kept it discrete.. Romans 13, folks. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Rarely do they sexually assault one child and stop. Even though there are some gaping holes in your message, I can tell you that for the first time in almost ten years, I have this small twinge of faith and hope in IFB leadership. Playing the true Christianity is not a religion wont work here. Current pastor of Calvary Baptist, Stacey Shiflett, began an investigation. You have to ask yourself what your priorities are the safety and well-being of victims or your popularity and social status? Golden State Baptist College ( GSBC) is an independent Baptist Bible college in Santa Clara, California, offering bachelor's degrees and master's degree programs in fields related to Christian ministry . In 1992, the Golden State Baptist Institute was established for this purpose. You do not get to tell a victim how or when or where to talk about their experience. whole other story: from shaming and vilifying shooting survivors and victim families (which really is just sick), to jokes about waterboarding and torture. Hes likely never going to be given the grace that Giovanelli will be extended. I received an email from Pastor Shiflett about this post. The internet has also played a big part in keeping these men from leaving town under a cloud of suspicion, only to show up on the other side of the country pastoring a new church. It contributes to some giving IFB churches a bad name because when they go out and try to pastor, and pretend like nothing happened, they invite criticism and deservedly so. Evangelism is the marketing planetc. Hey, God has forgiven him and so should we. The pastor and church board never gave a full accounting of the whats and whys of this mans behavior and their culpability in the matter. If a video is removed by Google, it says so. North Valley Baptist Church has a history of this behavior. Giovanelli seem like a victim instead of the perp he is. Dont be so quick to believe every bad story you hear. Some leaders are very, very incompetent. There has been absolutely no proof provided, yet people are ready to hang him and totally ruin his name. The victim has filed charges with authorities. Amen brother! as I wave my metaphorical hanky in approval. I also dont like the fact that the pastor used the word consensual in describing the relationship between Giovanelli and the victim. Santa Clara, CA 95054, 3520 De La Cruz Blvd. BBC becomes University April 20, 2015. . Santa Clara, California: www.GSBC.edu. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, Arkansas Baptist State Convention failed to report abuse allegations against pastor, lawsuit claims, Former NewSpring volunteer sentenced to 75 years for sexually abusing kids in daycare, Megachurch pastor resigns over allegations of sex with 18-year-old members of youth group 17 years ago, Alleged abuse victims sue Catholic Church, say they were pressured into taking unfair settlement. Absolutely LOVE that pastor Shiflett took this stand! God, the Holy Spirit, prayer, feeling convicted, getting saved none of these things stop predators. She will pursue justice in court & our church will continue to support her. I saw homophobia, racism, ethnic slurs, and the usual lack of empathy you would expect from the conservative fundamentalist stereotype. Game over Pastor. Cameron Giovanelli. In my lifetime I have had knowledge of two situationsthe first when I was a kid there was someone who attended the small IFB church that I attended who committed a criminal act against a minor and it was reported to police the same day and the man was arrested and charged. Bible college is a prideful place and the root of pride is sin satan, Do you kiss your mom with that potty mouth? Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. There, in that harm, lie the feelings that can free you. HE WILL! Also the Pastor does not have to understand squat about it until after the criminal investigation is done. I just think that there is a difference between covering something up / trying to conceal a crime, and restraining from publicly convicting someone in a capacity that is not in a court of law, and before all the facts have come out (usually a court of law is necessary for this). And the Giovenells have suffered greatly because it. King David said, Uriah died in battle? I dont care if you disagree with how the Investigator wants to do his investigation. Thats the good news. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. This is especially the case when I consider that people rarely abuse just one minor. I would suggest that the faith you refer to is really you, a character that is to be admired for standing alone against abusers. Today, the man charged with rape has been arrested and Concord's Trinity Baptist Church is at the center of that scandal for allegedly protecting one of its members and perhaps hiding the victim from police scrutiny. Gray says its the man of Godsduty to respond in defense of the accused.. Support the victims. This stuff will happen in any group, without fail, but its how you deal with it that matters most. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. - David Wells. Must one know Christ how does someone know a corpse? Just.cringing. Even if they didnt publically go after giovanelli, it doesnt mean they didnt think he was guilty. In your heart, you know why you reached out to dull the pain and it wasnt because of some imaginary Devil anymore than it was an imaginary God who saved you. They are trying to do the right thing while protecting their ministries from a potential law suit from the person that they are trying to get rid of. Onward to the Goal. We have to do this while also giving perpetrators the opportunity to repent. Here's how, Heaven will be diverse. However, the lawyer tried to bargain for a more lenient sentence by arguing that the relationship between Giovanelli and Jackson was consensual.. It is a national epidemic! A man who was supposed to be our godly leader and council. I believe he did it and is guilty but I doubt a DA will pursue a misdemeanor offense that is past statue of limitations which also has the accused in another state that would require extradition. Bruce, your own testimony has condemned you. I hope he might consider confronting the man who abused him years ago. The accuser, Sarah Jackson, said she attended the churchs school and also baby-sat for Giovanellis family. The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. Dont minimize the sin by moving them on to forgiveness right away. The evidence is overwhelming that Evangelicalism has a huge problem with pastors, missionaries, deacons, and other church leaders committing sex crimes. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 5. "Our task today is to tell people who no longer know what sin isno longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories that Christ died for sins of which they do not think theyre guilty." Instead, all I found was Shifletts Twitter feed. Get it documented by the police. From vicious personal attacks to death threats, these fine Christians are more concerned with protecting the brand than doing what is right. Im saddened at this situation and more than a little angry at another example of churches handling matters like this in house. before knowing what they are talking about? I do give Shiflett props for speaking up. The supporters of Jack Hyles and First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana are, by far, the worst. If you contact the accused about the allegation you just destroyed that opportunity ie YOU OBSTRUCTED A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION. We need to change the way things are done. Lauren, I am happy to know that you have managed your addiction but among non-believers what you have accomplished is replacing one excess with another. By giving over responsibility to Christ, by being saved, you shift the foundation of your responsibility to, at best, an historical fugure represented by women-haters and bullies. The victims assault may fall under the new statute depending on when the alleged crime was committed. Golden State Baptist College is a ministry of North Valley Baptist Church of Santa Clara, California. Golden State Baptist College Play artist More actions Listeners 131 Scrobbles 6,591 Latest release Onward to the Goal 30 April 2022 Popular this week God Wants To Hear You Sing 4 listeners Do you have any photos of this artist? That was the point of my above post. The King Is Coming. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. We sure as hell hope so! Because the IFB maintains ideologies of separatism and elitism, they tend to deal with their issues in house. The trend is: keep it in the church, dont tell anyone (authorities included), blame the victim, and re-locate the offender to another church in another town (and dont forget his severance package). Golden State Baptist College - Santa Clara, CA How Can We Help? None of this behavior, 3520 De La Cruz Blvd end eventually flood of emails,,... 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