HBC Troubles: My Last to Alan

Of course, I was angry, disgusted by Alan's response. I don't suppose I expected any differently. Personally, I like him. I liked traveling with him. Well meaning or not, I've never considered him much of a people person, he seems very stoic, pragmatic, emotionless, but I figure him for a generally honest and decent fellow. And truth be told, any good Rebecca and I have done is likely eclipsed by his works. I'm not sure Tom doesn't understand what he's doing perfectly. Maybe Alan doesn't. But he's also wrong and I didn't want to equivocate in a response.

HBC Troubles: Alan Responds

Three days later, after I sent my explanation, Alan responded. I have no idea if Tom Leak read it, or (probably) just handed it off to Alan as I believe he, right or wrong, does with a number of different administrative items.

Much of it boils down to that we are considered cowards that we didn't, in good faith, go talk to the elders.

Of course, while I had mentioned this in earlier drafts of the explanation, and Rebecca removed it so as not to incriminate others, I had already debriefed several different people who had spoken with Tom and Alan (and David was usually there).

HBC Troubles: Detailed Concerns, sent to Tom and Alan

We had left the church some months earlier, having presented a formal resignation letter to the pastor, Tom Leake, which while brief, mentioned that this was a decision of conscience pertaining to the direction of the church. Although Tom Leake asked if it would be possible to speak about this in detail later, and that his secretary would set it up, the elders at Hope did not reach out to me thereafter, and I deduced that they had no further interest in my own reasons. I wasn't surprised. A good part of me was consumed with anxiety and adrenaline at the thought of confronting my pastor. Rebecca and I debated how quietly we ought to go, in light of the injustices that we believed we had seen and we struggled with Matt 18 and whether it was right to simply bow out without some a detail and confrontation over the sin. Were we ignoring a Biblical obligation to go to our brother(s) if we believed they had sinned? Were we adding our own sins to theirs? Was this unloving?