HBC Troubles: Resignation Letter, given to Tom Leake

I spoke with Henry James, our small group leader, on Thursday, Oct 5th. He and his wife Thelma had been like surrogate parents, of a sort to us, and I didn't want him to find out about our intentions to depart from someone else. I sat with him, outlined our concerns, describing why we could not in good conscience remain at Hope Bible Church and be counted among those who, loudly or quietly, assented to the behavior of our elders. He appeared sympathetic, but unmoved. My concerns were trivial, mountains out of mole-hills. I produced the following letter the next day. Henry had asked to tell Tom Leake, but agreed to only say that Tom should talk to us. But he perhaps forgot so when the following Sunday Tom Leake sought me out, already knowing my intentions to leave. We chatted politely, perhaps kindly, he even hugged me and recommended a church nearer to us. Tom asked if I would be willing to talk about my concerns, and I said yes, and he said they would schedule something. And that was it. I handed my letter, and that was that.

(Later, after the below letter, and even after a much longer explanation was sent to Tom and Alan, I found out that to at least one respected brother who asked about where we had gone, Tom told him to his face that the Parkinsons didn't leave because of troubles at HBC, just a commute issue, and that we had even hugged when we left. I can't say whether he ever read any of my longer explanation, but hopefully from the letter below it should have been clear that we were not comfortable with where Hope was going. But perhaps I was too vague. If, as I suspect, Tom spoke about us after receiving the longer explanation then... well, I'm glad we're gone.

This was the end of a depressing affair. We were going to feel happy and liberated for a while. Then the loneliness and depression would come. But just to walk out of church free of the dark clouds that had consumed us since February and ruined all good opinion of this church, separated us from what seemed a family in Christ, and given us all manner of skepticism. We were happy the day I gave this and left.

David and Rebecca Parkinson

October 6^th, 2017

Thomas Leake, Pastor

Hope Bible Chuch

7185 Oakland Mills Road, Suite A

Columbia, MD 21046

Dear Pastor Leake,

Thank you for your kindness and teaching through these last seven years. Over the past year, Rebecca and I have come to acknowledge our inability by distance and provision of God to be a consistent and frequent part of the life of the church, and an inability to minister fully here according to the gifts which God has granted to us or as well to fill a compelling need within this community. Intending to first become part of a similarly-minded fellowship nearer our residence, we have further become concerned by and distanced from the perceived direction of Hope as of February of this year. After very much prayer and consultation with several trusted older brethren in the faith, a desire to honor God and our conscience prescribes that we withdraw from membership within Hope Bible Church at this present time. We will remember our moments with you fondly and continue to pray for our brethren there.

Sincerely,

David and Rebecca Parkinson