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I hadn't planned on updating this page. But today we learned of questions concerning the church discipline process Joy and I experienced. We have only a limited understanding of what happened ourselves. If any member of the previous elder board would like to tell the other side of the story, we are open to hearing it.
The timeline from our perspective:
- June 9, 2022: At the invitation of one of the elders, Joy and I met in the family room with four elders. In that meeting we were informed, for the first time, that we were under church discipline. The document explaining our sin was not available for us to read, but the elders had it on their phones. They promised to email it to us.
- June 10, 2022: In an email, I asked to see the document.
- June 15, 2022: We were emailed a document explaining the process: Jon and Joy Ericson (draft) Addressing sin.pdf.
- June 23, 2022: The elders sent us a document lifting the discipline: EC Elder LT Ericsons 6.23.2022.docx.
Dear members of our local church,
In light of the congregational meeting on August 28 and our experiences over the last few years, Joy and I have decided to vote no on all 4 nominees for the elder board. This isn't a decision we take lightly and we have three reasons. Each one would be sufficient on its own.
The first is a practical reason. When a team has a few losing seasons, the coaching staff goes under scrutiny. It doesn't matter if there are good excuses (a star player injured, for instance), the coaches are held responsible for failure. Our church has had a few losing seasons. While pastor changes and pandemics have challenged us, at some point leaders must be held responsible for their results.
We were discouraged to learn there are no new candidates because men who were approached did not wish to join the current board. It reminds me of when Jesus said, "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made." Placing new men onto the existing elder board seems like a recipe for a worse tear.
The second reason is personal. Joy and I have disagreed with the elders many times this year and we've tried to resolve differences with individual elders. Eventually we were told that the elders valued their unified voice. I don't believe that approach is healthy for a governing body and it was destructive for our church. If we can't resolve our differences with elders individually, we have little choice but vote on the merits of the board as a whole.
We love each of these men and if the vote were whether to be their friend, I'd gladly vote "yes" every time. But that's not what this vote is about. This is a vote about whether this elder board is fit to lead our church for the coming year. And I can't agree to that. Our "no" vote holds this board, as a group, accountable for the harm caused to people at our church.
My third reason is spiritual. Psalm 25:14 says:
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
I don't know what will happen if we don't approve the candidates. It's natural to fear the unknown. But if the church really is Christ's Bride, we know that He will restore her to radiant glory. We've trusted our own strength long enough. Now would be a good time to fear God and Him alone.
Our church has been blessed with so many good things. I wonder if part of the reason God has withdrawn His blessing is because we have idolized His gifts. Join us in stepping out in faith to discover a deeper friendship with Jesus.
Waiting on the Lord,
Jon and Joy Ericson
Note: This page is not linked to from anywhere else on the internet and I have hidden it from Google and other search engines. If you are not a member of my church, please disregard as this is a family matter. If you have any questions at all, please send me an email at jon@jlericson.com.