Roy L Branson: Dear Preacher, Please Quit!, Church Split! & Dear Abner: Book Reviews

More Resources on Ecclesiology: The Doctrine of the Church

Quotations from Three Books by Roy L. Branson

Dear Preacher, Please Quit! & Church Split & Dear Abner: I Love You, Joab

Summary

 

The purpose of the quotations below is to demonstrate that Roy L. Branson’s teachings do not cohere with the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).  Mr. Branson, while (falsely) claiming to be an independent Baptist, advocates, in general:

• Blasphemous heresy—Christ did not complete the work of redemption on the cross, but needed to be tortured in hell
• Corruption of the gospel: the “carnal Christian” theory, confusion on Christ’s Lordship in relation to salvation
• Corruption of the gospel: One can give the gospel in twenty seconds to a minute—without quoting any verses of Scripture—and Branson has had over 1,000 “saved” in one service.
• Ruckmanism
• Rejection of Biblical Baptist polity on matters such as baptism adding one to the church and opposition to alien immersion
• Ecumenical fellowship with Lutherans (who teach baptismal regeneration), Pentecostals (who teach fanaticism and deny eternal security), and many other false religions
• Bizarre false teachings like that unregenerate people are not really married to each other and their children are illegitimate
• Fellowship with neo-evangelicals as part of the same universal, invisible body of Christ
• He would “not advis[e] anyone to leave their denomination because of problems within it”
• Support for Jack Hyles—credible accusations of his immorality should be ignored
• Support for Jack Hyles—the (no-repentance, 1-2-3 pray after me) “gospel” he preached must be appreciated and has brought about many good results
• Falsely claiming that calling people to the front of a church building at the end of a service is more important than the actual message preached; churches who do not tell people to walk to the front at the end of a message are an “abomination,” and pastors who do not tell people to walk to the front are “imposters”
• Downplaying the power of the Holy Spirit by claiming that people who cause trouble never change
• All kinds of weird nonsense, from the prodigal son’s elder brother in Luke 15 being one of “Scripture’s finest examples of unselfish service” to the idea that a good marriage does not involve work, to the idea that Christ only preached hell to his disciples, not to the lost

Mr. Branson also very strongly advocates a grossly unbiblical, Diotrephes-type of “pastoring” that includes / will result in:

• Rejecting Biblical, Baptist church polity
• Rejecting congregational church government
• Rejecting churches voting—elections are being like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
• Generating church splits
• Crushing sheep
• Confusing NT pastors with OT prophets
• Confusing regenerate churches of saints with congregations of lost sinners
• Claiming c. 75% of Baptist church members are lost, 90%+ of Christians in churches are carnal and wicked, and so 2.5% or less of church members are spiritually minded
• Filling pastors’ minds with paranoia and suspicion that their church members are like Dathan, Abiram, and Korah, and the congregation is full of their “bitter enemies”
• Falsely claiming 90%+ of fundamentalist pastors should quit
• Falsely claiming that if you meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 but have not had a “call” like certain Old Testament prophets you should quit from the ministry
• Falsely claiming that if you do not agree with the way Branson separates “preaching” and “teaching,” you should quit pastoring
• Falsely claiming that if you preach expositional messages through books of the Bible, you are an imposter and should quit pastoring
• Falsely claiming that preachers “must” stop calling on young men to surrender to preach
• Falsely claiming that we have too many preachers
• Falsely claiming that we have too many churches, and churches should shut down
• Falsely claiming pastors who commit adultery should not quit (in contrast to all of the above types of preachers who should quit), but stay in the ministry, as long as they have had an OT type of “call”
• Falsely claiming adulterous pastors should not quit, but cover up their sin—they can hide their sin from their families and churches and just keep pastoring
• Falsely claiming adulterous pastors should not have their sin exposed, because of “Touch not mine Anointed”
• Falsely claiming even preachers in wretched sin are “untouchable”
• Falsely claiming that “nothing is more important” than covering up the sins of pastors
• Falsely claiming that congregations who seek to remove unqualified pastors deserve to have the ground open up beneath them and be swallowed up alive into hell
• Redefining or erasing the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
• Redefining what Scripture teaches on divorce and the family to allow disqualified preachers to remain in the pastoral office
• Falsely claiming that what “Jesus said about divorce, marriage and remarriage has absolutely nothing to do with the question for today”
• Falsely claiming that if a pastor needs to choose either his wife or his ministry, he should forsake his wife
• Falsely claiming that over 90% of those who are against divorced pastors remaining in their office do so because their own marriages are miserable
• Falsely claiming that most preachers have miserable marriages
• Falsely claiming that it is a worse sin—gossip—to expose an adulterous pastor than to commit adultery
• Falsely claiming that Peter temporarily not eating with Gentiles (Galatians 2) is worse than adultery
• Turning the pastorate into a den of iniquity with all of the above
• Going far beyond the (Biblically due and clearly important) respect for the pastoral office to put a monarchial pastor into a separate class above the “laity,” separated from the priesthood of all believers
• Falsely claiming God only gives his program and plan to the head pastor (rather than the Spirit leading all believers)
• Falsely claiming that only a head pastor is really “pastor”
• Falsely claiming pastors should be “reserved,” and not be too trusting, to protect a “mystique” that will help the Dathans and Abirams that fill their congregations to be in dread
• Dictatorial authority, lording over God’s flock
• Filling pastors’ heads with very dangerous pride (1 Timothy 3:6) if they really believe the unbiblical foolishness Branson teaches about them
• Pastors can get rid of church members on their own authority, without following Matthew 18:15-17—while it is “absolutely necessary” to NOT follow Matthew 18:15-17 to remove sinning pastors. Only others in the prophet/pastor class can do anything about sinning pastors.
• The church is a monarchy run by a single pastor—the sole theocrat in a theocracy—not a democracy, and in order to establish or maintain monarchy the pastor should split the church if necessary
• Falsely claiming that it is better for a church to be destroyed and a preacher go on, rather than the pastor, as a good shepherd, giving his life for the sheep
• Falsely claiming that pastors have near absolute authority as God’s Anointed, like Moses had over Israel
• Wacky ideas, like that pastors who get in trouble with the IRS or other government agencies should be applauded because the IRS is “the cruelest, most anti-Christ organization in human history.”
• Falsely claiming that there is no real office of a deacon
• Falsely claiming that there were woman deacons in the New Testament
• Falsely claiming that civil government should not be a republic or democracy, but a dictatorship of preachers
• Falsely claiming that the “one word” to look for first in a church is not “Jesus”—nor “love,” “Bible teaching,” “truth,” “spirituality,” “fundamentalism,” etc. but “pastor.”

The list above is only a partial compilation of Mr. Branson’s false teachings and heresies.

 

Mr. Branson’s ideas are so outlandish and unbiblical that his book states the truth: “No book such as this one [Dear Preacher, Please Quit!] has ever been written.”

 

The rest of this study consists of direct quotations from three of Roy Branson’s books, interspersed with a few brief comments, a section with some additional topically-grouped comments, a concluding summary.

 

Roy L. Branson, Jr.’s book Dear Preacher, Please Quit!

(Bristol, TN: Landmark Publications, 1996)

 

Introduction

 

No book such as this one has ever been written. … He [Branson] suffered through a terrible church split[.] …

 

Chapter 1

DEAR PREACHER, PLEASE QUIT

 

If you are a preacher, you probably shouldn’t be.

            Your church is probably pastored by a man who ought to be doing something else.

            At least nine out of ten Bible-believing pastors ought to quit.

            At least nine out of ten Bible-believing churches are pastored by men who have no right to pastor or preach! [Note: All bold print and capitalization below is reproduced from the original.  Also, note that while Mr. Branson repeats the refrain that 90%+ of preachers should quit over and over again in his book, he believes that a pastor who commits adultery should stay in the ministry in the same church, as long as nobody finds out, and if people find out, he should keep pastoring, just somewhere else, because of his (misapplying and misinterpreting) “Touch not mine anointed.” So over 90% of Bible-believing pastors should quit—but not the adulterers.]

 

Chapter 2

THE DIVINE CALL, UNMISTAKEABLE AND UNFORGETTABLE

 

Preachers should stop appealing to young men to surrender to the ministry. … [N]ever, never appeal to men to go into the ministry.

 

Chapter 3

THE DIVINE MARK

 

When God calls a man, He puts a Divine mark on that man.  Often it is visible to others. … Balaam [is a] backslidden [preacher who] was called … of God. … The Divinely called preacher has upon him the mark of the gap. … Even the most spiritually minded layman cannot explain it except to say of the preacher, “He is God’s anointed.” … [It is] “The mark of loneliness” … God has marked you. There’s a gap between you and all other men. … The preacher walks in a place where no other can walk. … Thus, there is a loneliness. … It is a gap that cannot be and ought not to be bridged. … “I never felt that way,” someone may protest.  We can only reply with the kindliest intent, “You were never called of God. Please quit preaching.”

 

Chapter 4:

THE UNTOUCHABLE MAN

 

Psalm 105:15 says: “Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm.” Our pastors are untouchable men, and we must not forget it.

 

Some may say, “Well, I don’t think my pastor is called of the Lord.” That’s not for us to decide. Don’t take that chance. Preachers get out of the will of God, too. Leave the disciplining of God’s man to God. [The examples of Elijah burning people up with fire from heaven and Elisha having children killed by bears are then given, pages. 31-33.  The conclusion is drawn:] That’s what we mean—God’s preachers are untouchable.

 

Even when King Saul had rebelled against God and God had taken His hand off him, he was still untouchable. … We’re saying that if a man of God is out of the will of God, leave him to God to take care of; and believe it, God will take care of him. One may say, “Well, what if he’s tearing up our church?” Either live with it or go to another church, but don’t ever try to get rid of the preacher. You may be right and the preacher may be wrong, but, if he’s called of the Lord, that’s God’s man … [w]hen you try to do it, you put yourself in the position of Saul’s Amalekite.

Another example is found in Numbers 16.  Korah gathered a group to oppose Moses. His refrain was one that has been very familiar to preachers throughout history—He accused Moses of being a dictator. … [Portions of Numbers 16 are quoted.] … Moses [is] a dictator, they claimed … [t]hey were attempting to usurp a position and assume powers for which God had neither called nor qualified them.

Further, they openly challenged Moses’ program, attacked his character and reputation, and set at nought the work God had appointed him to do. … They openly disobeyed Moses. [Bold print in original.] … In other words, they levelled the same charges against Moses, and acted in the identical way as those who oppose the God-called preacher today, who leads as the Scriptures authorize.

What was Moses’ reaction? First, he was deeply hurt, but refused to back down.  Verses 4-5.  Second, he warned the people to not join the rebellion lest they suffer the consequences.  Verse 26.

God’s reaction? “The ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up … all the men that appertained unto Korah … They … went down alive into the pit … And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.” Verses 31-35. … He brought immediate judgment on the rebels to prove how terrible in His eyes is the sin of touching His anointed.

A final example from Genesis 20. [Underlining in original.]  Abraham … [for] a time … strayed from God’s will, deceived the king of Gerar … The restoration of the wife should have been done in any case, the fact that Abraham was a Divinely called man made it of immensely more importance.

IN SUMMARY, WE CAN SAY A PREACHER IS CONSIDERED BY GOD TO BE UNTOUCHABLE IN SEVEN DISTINCT AREAS: [Bold and all caps in original.]

1. His person
2. His reputation
3. His family
4. His message
5. His place
6. His program
7. His authority

During the invitation one night a young woman came weeping to the front and requested counselling after service.  The author had preached on our subject here.

“You know,” she sobbed, “You know!”

I did not know and told her I did not.

“But, I thought you were preaching at me!”

“That was the Holy Ghost speaking to you through the message. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?” I replied.

She then told me she was having an affair with a well known local pastor.

Many preachers secretly rejoice at getting such news and hasten to “expose the scoundrel.” However, that is the wrong attitude. …

What did the author do? He prayed with the young women and she sought and received God’s forgiveness.  He told no one, not even his wife, about the problem. Leave God’s man to God to straighten out.

By the way, the above affair was ended because the young lady got right with God and refused to continue it. [Note: the man continued to pastor as an unrepentant adulterer.]

Finally, let us be sure we understand that God put no qualifications, no “unless” or “if,” on the warning, “Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.”

[Note: This horribly unbiblical advice will turn the pastoral office into a den of iniquity.]

 

Chapter 5

DIVINE LEADERSHIP

 

God said to Moses [Exodus 3:10 and 4:12]. And so it has ever been that God calls His man to lead His people.  Through this man, and only through him, does God give his plan and program for the people. … God spoke to the people solely through Moses. … His plans for and the needs of the people were given to no other than Moses. Then, He led through Joshua, the judges, the prophets, the apostles, and the pastors. Always, the pattern has been the same, without variation.  [Note: What about copies of the Law?  God did not speak to the people in His written Word?] … NOT ONCE IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE DID GOD WORK THROUGH A BOARD OR COUNCIL. … “But,” someone will surely say, and has said, “What about the council of Acts 15?” That was a council of preachers. Verses six says, “And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.” [Note: that the whole church made the decision, not the elders and apostles only, is ignored:  “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men … And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren …”] … Moses selected these men.  They were not voted on by the congregation of Israel. … Some will accuse us of advocating a dictatorial attitude of lording it over the flock. …

 

Chapter 6

THE DIVINE STRENGTH

 

“[A] God appointed preacher … [ca] fire an unwilling church member, teacher, etc.” [Note: that is not what Matthew 18:15-17 says, but it is what 3 John 9-11 says Diotrephes did.]

 

Chapter 7

DIVINE INSIGHT

 

In the Scripture, Divinely called men are called prophets, priests, preachers, pastors, bishops, elders, ministers, [etc.] … It should be abundantly clear, then, to the unbiased observer that the man who is truly called of God is equipped with Divine insight to deal with any situation that arises in the affairs of an individual, a church, a community or a nation. … … [G]ood, Godly peole will often give good, Godly and sound advice … However, such people are far more likely to give faulty advice than the preacher. … Therefore, the pastor with his special knowledge, peculiar leadership of the Spirit … in every instance, is most qualified to give help in all of these areas. … [T]he pastor is the best one to help people in their problems. He is the expert. He, alone! Unless he is an imposter. … The preacher also has a Divine insight into the needs of the church. … We will find no place in Scripture where the people of God were taught other than that which the pastors (priests, elders, bishops, preachers, etc.) determined. No Sunday school teacher, no board of deacons or elders, not even the church voting in body, should be allowed to determine the teaching program administered to the church. … [T]he responsibility for the spiritual program of the church, in its entirety … [rests] solely on the shoulders of the pastor. … [T]he preacher, and the preacher alone, will give an account to God for what goes on in his church. [Note: The NT never says this.] … [I]t was His Sovereign will that preachers actually hold the reins of political power … everything that happened to Israel is an example for us today. … [This is still] God’s Sovereign will for a nation. … God gives the Divinely called preacher the insight to see into the needs of the nation.

 

[Note: This chapter is a repudiation of congregational church government, and even advocates that the Biblical model for civil government is a dictatorship of preachers!  This chapter is about as Baptist in its church polity as the Archbishop of Canterbury or as the Pope is Baptist.]

 

Chapter 9

THE PREACHER’S SHAME

 

[A]t least nine out of ten of those who are in the Bible-believing ministry are not really called of God. … [T]he huge majority of these men … [in] Fundamental Christianity … simply are not called of God! … The cowardly practice of refusing to “rule over” the church is a foremost reason for the decline in respect for the ministry. Hebrews 13:7, 17. … it is shameful, cowardly, and calls in to critical question the right of one who does it to be in the ministry. . . . God commands the pastor to rule. … “Rule over” is God’s terminology, not ours. … A DOMINANT PERSONALITY WILL ALWAYS COME TO THE FORE TO LEAD AND BECOME THE DECISION MAKER IN EVERY CHURCH. …

 

[Note: while Hebrews 13:7 characterizes all spiritual leaders—not “the preacher” only—as those who lead, guide, or rule, there is no imperative/command form, “rule over!” in either passage.]

 

Preacher, people must know … any sin, no matter how terrible – with complete assurance that no other will ever hear of it from your lips.

 

[Note: this includes a serial child abuser in the congregation, a mass-murderer, etc.]

 

[It is fine to stay in the ministry if you are] a pastor whose wife left him for a man in the church. … [E]very man who is remotely worthy of being called “Preacher,” expects and demands respect … for himself.

 

Chapter 10

PREACHER’S PITFALLS

 

WOMEN! … [E]very preacher, as he reads this, undoubtedly will think of a situation where he was severely tempted and, except for the grace of God, might have fallen into this pit [of Proverbs 5, 6:23-27, of adultery with the strange woman, mentioned earlier on this page] himself.  Many reading this have already fallen into the pit[.] … Let us be honest, preachers.  A greater number reading this have fallen to this temptation and have not been found out. …

 

[Note: It appears that the people in Branson’s circle are a den of iniquity.  Note, however, that these adulterers do not need to resign from the ministry—only the 90%+ of fundamental preachers need to quit who have not experienced his version of the “call” that does not exposit 1 Timothy 3 but takes OT Scriptures and imposes them on the NT pastor out of context to make him into the “Lord’s Anointed.”]

 

Private counselling should not be denied one simply because she is female. … Must, then, the preacher deny help to someone because she is a woman and because there is not a witness to accompany him? The answer, of course, is no. …To seek or demand a second party to every contact with any woman is both ridiculous and impossible. … [W]e emphatically reject the notion that the preacher’s wife should accompany him on all his visits. …

 

[Note: Branson’s advice here is setting people up for sexual sin, although he does give some precautions that I have not reproduced (and that I also view as insufficient).]

 

[A] preacher is more prone to be approached or seduced by women than a man in almost any other field. … What if a preacher falls into this trap by permitting himself to be enticed by a woman, and the obvious takes place? … First of all, if it does not become known. … Should he then make it public? … [I]n most instances, the answer is, No. Doing that will cause very deep hurt to his family and, secondarily, to his church. … One does not broadcast to the world every time he is angry, fails to witness when he could have, speaks unkindly or out of turn, or any number of other sins. …

 

[Note: If you commit adultery as a pastor, just keep it hidden and stay in the ministry, because you don’t tell everyone if you speak out of turn or fail to witness.]

 

Most of us know of many instances where this [sin of adultery] happened to preachers, the church forgave them, and they remained in the same church. … [But] it is almost always better that a pastor resign and go somewhere else to continue his ministry. … [It is] worst … [for] other preachers … [to] openly see[k] to end his ministry. …

 

[Note: If you commit adultery and get caught, just go to a different church. Other preachers are doing the worst possible thing if they try to get you to leave the ministry.  By the way, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are never referenced in this chapter.]

 

[When someone sought to expose] old newspaper accounts of alleged sexual misconduct … [as a] dirty adulterer … The pastor … replied, “No you’re not … if he’s got a problem, God will take care of him, not you or me. … keep your mouth shut[.] …

 

What if the men of the church are concerned about [if rumors are true that the pastor is an adulterer?] … [The preacher should say,] I’m telling you it’s not true and that should be enough for you. That’s all I have to say. …

 

[Note: This chapter is full of wretchedly wicked counsel that will fill God’s pastorate with adulterers.]

 

[Note: Back to more ultra-pastor stuff.]

 

The responsibility of who stands in his pulpit and what is said there rests solely on the shoulders of the pastor. … Beware of slick enemies. … [The Pastor is] “the Untouchable Man” … read again about Korah … Numbers 16 … such a nice, spiritual man just wouldn’t—couldn’t—do wrong, or have malicious intentions. … But, that nice, spiritual, loving, sweet man led a great number into hell alive. … Beware of slick enemies! …

 

[T]he preacher, and the preacher alone will give an account to God for what goes on in his church. … We are talking about the pitfall of using literature in the church that does not originate from the church and the pastor himself. … [A]void the use of outside literature. … LET THE PREACHER BEWARE THE PITFALLS.

 

Chapter 11

THE DIVINE MESSAGE

 

The one who stands in the pulpit claiming to be a preacher, who does not know the difference between teaching and preaching, ought to quit.  He is not called of God.  He is an imposter. …

 

[Note: the chapter has nothing like a careful language-based exegesis of the words translated “preach” and “teach,” but based on the superficial study in this chapter the person who cannot state the difference Branson comes to should quit as an imposter—something never, ever said for the filthy adulterous preachers in a previous chapter.]

 

THE INVITATION. THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT PART OF A MESSAGE. … [T]he invitation [is of] overwhelming importance. … Churches that do not give invitations … are disgraceful and an abomination in the nostrils of God. … Such preachers are imposters.

 

[Note: Since the invitation system originated in the 1800s, how did people come to Christ and grow in grace for the first 90% of church history? Were all churches an abomination?]

 

Chapter 12

PASTOR AND THE CHURCH

 

“In one word, what do you look for first in a church?” There is only one correct answer … incorrect ones [include] Jesus … love … unity … evangelism, Bible teaching, truth, Bible preaching … spirituality, fundamentalism, and many more. … However, the only correct answer is, “Pastor.” …

 

[I]f the man stands for right … he will have enemies within his church … recommendations [for a new pastor] from former church members should not be a significant consideration. … Churches and pulpit committees should not reject the candidacy of a man because he has split a church or been run off from a church … do not give much weight to trouble within a church while he was there. … [It is] absolutely necessary [that the] pulpit belongs exclusively to the pastor. … The preacher will have the sole responsibility for promoting and advertising the church … All the church staff … answer directly to him and to no one else. … There will be no regularly scheduled business meetings. … [To] address wrongs or alleged wrongs by the pastor … [t]he pastor … [may] meet with any individual or group …[or if] a petition signed by 20% of the voting members of the church in good standing [is received he] must call a business meeting. … “This makes a dictator of the preacher,” they will cry. … WE READILY ADMIT THAT THE MAJORITY OF PASTORS IN AMERICA ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO HANDLE SUCH FREEDOMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. …

 

[Note: It is “absolutely necessary” to NOT follow Matthew 18:15-17 in the case of alleged misconduct by a pastor.  Instead, something else must be done, and Matthew 18:15-17 is not even mentioned.  Allegations that this makes the preacher a dictator are to be rejected.]

 

[O]nly the preacher can preach.

 

Chapter 13

THE PREACHER’S WIFE

 

The first thing to establish in this discussion is that there are absolutely no instructions concerning the pastor’s wife in the entire Bible. … The Scripture gives no instruction concerning the preacher’s wife. … I will not permit the church to make any demands on her whatsoever. … [If] a rebellious wife … demands that he quit the ministry … [t]he only choice he can rightly make, then, is to be obedient to God … by such a demand of his wife there is nothing left in the marriage, anyway. … [We must not] grind under heel … the fellow preacher who has … made [the right] decision [to lose his wife and keep preaching].

 

[Note: Has he ever read the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1? Maybe not—at least, those portions of the pastoral epistles are not cited in his verse index—in hundreds of pages on preachers, only 1 Timothy 3:6 and Titus 1:3, 9 appear.]

 

Chapter 14

SUMMARY AND SOLUTIONS

 

The all important premise of this book is that at least ninety percent of preachers are not called, and ought to quit the ministry. …

 

[Note: Again, if you lose your wife; if you commit adultery; if you cause church splits; stay in the ministry—but if you preach expositional messages through books, you are an imposter and need to quit.]

 

Preachers MUST stop appealing to young men to “Surrender to Preach.” … We must ordain fewer men[.] … [We have] [t]oo many preachers equal[s] too many churches. … [Churches should, therefore, close their doors and shut down and] seek mergers. … Finally, and nothing is more important in God’s men, we must refuse to speak ill of fellow servants in the ministry … no matter what strengths or weaknesses we see each in the other. … [I]f just one honest soul would, through reading this book, realize that he is not Divinely called to preach and would quit, the author would consider his labors rewarded many times over.

 

Quotations from Roy L. Branson, Jr. Church Split, 2^nd ed. (Bristol, TN: Landmark Publications, 1992)

 

The cover of the book—Dathan and Abiram-type people splitting a church while the ground opens and swallows them up into hell:

 

Chapter One

ALL IN FAVOR OF FIRING THE PREACHER …

 

[A testimony of a pastor where a church split happened] my enemies called me a dictator. …

 

What kind of man was the ringleader? [in the church split]

 

Oh, he was an intelligent, likable fellow.  The type most people would trust.  In fact, I heard many people say, after the split, ‘I just don’t believe ___________ would have done that. He’s too good a man!’ He did it, though.

 

He was a fellow who never openly attacked a preacher, but he never fully committed himself to one, either. I learned later he had been that way with other pastors.  He seemed to feel he had to protect the people from the preacher. … To my knowledge he never openly advocated getting rid of the preacher. …

 

Tell us about the woman. …

 

She was always dissatisfied with something.  Over and over she saw problems no one else would have ever seen. … She … tried to get at me through my wife[.] … they would complain to my wife[.] …

 

I don’t harbor any animosity toward those who stood against me – except for one man and woman and I suppose I’ll never have any use for them. …

 

I felt so discouraged that it was hard to preach with the enthusiasm of old …

 

[O]ther pastors … [said] [t]hat I was a dictator …

 

Probably 90 percent of pastors are fired or leave a church under pressure during their ministries. Over half suffer one or more church splits. All are faced with severe church conflict many times.

 

[Note: A recurring theme in this book is, over and over again, the pastor having the same sort of authority as a dictator, resulting in the charge that the pastor is a dictator.  Also, an overly suspicious pastor could decide someone is the type of person specified here and come down harshly on that person.  Finally, Branson claims that “all” pastors “many” times face “severe” church conflict—could his statement here be a product of his unbiblical view of church government, combined with his other false teachings?  Maybe a church full of Dathans and Abirams is not a true church with a regenerate church membership, and maybe a church where a pastor thinks he is like Moses and his sheep are like Dathans and Abirams will result in a lot of harshness and church splits.]

 

Chapter Two

PROTOTYPE CHURCH SPLIT – THE BIBLE “HOW TO” COURSE

 

            The first recorded congregational split was identical to almost all that have followed.  Thus it is a prototype, furnishing an example of how to split a church, and the likely results for all involved.  Let us read about it in Numbers 16 [passage about Korah, Dathan, and Abiram quoted]. … Moses was a dictator, they claimed … they leveled the same charges against Moses and acted in the identical way as those who oppose the God called preacher today. … Moses reacted as most good, Godly men act now; he was shaken and hurt, but refused to back down, verses 4-5. Secondly, he warned the people to refrain from joining the rebellion lets they suffer the consequences of God’s disapproval, verse 26.

God’s reaction was swift and decisive, furnishing an eternal example of His view of any rebellion against His pastors. Numbers 16:31,  “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that (was) under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that (appertained) unto Korah, and all (their) goods. They, and all that (appertained) to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that (were) round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up (also).

Some people just will not learn, for “On the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD,” verse 41. … God did the killing.  From that day to this, however, those who do not like what God says and does condemn God’s messengers, unwilling to brand themselves so obviously rebels by condemning God. … Moses was accused of being a dictator, lording it over the congregation. … The issue was the pastor’s authority and program … their specific complaint involved finances … What has changed? Nothing. … The split of Numbers 16 involves a victimized, innocent pastor. … The first split was the prototype of all to follow.

 

[Note: Abuse of Numbers 16, turning an elder/bishop/pastor into Moses, in order to make this Old Testament passage in a different dispensation into a text about a church split, will cause serious trouble in churches.]

 

Chapter Three

WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS THE LEADER OF A SPLIT?

 

In the overwhelming majority of churches there are two kinds of congregational leaders other than the pastor.  The first is one who wants to be ruler.  He, or she, will bide his time until an opportunity is seen to wrest control from the pastor. … [This person] always is a major part of the problem and leader in splitting a church. Nearly all church splits involve certain members rebelling against the pastor. … There is always a leader … [Among] these leaders in contention … 72 percent are popular, friendly people with leadership ability! 67 percent are intelligent, attractive personalities! 84 percent are faithful in church attendance! 71 percent are regular tithers! … God[’s] … only admonition [to a congregation] is “Obey” [the pastor.] … Those who lead rebellions against the pastor always try to make it appear that they are “Doing what God has laid upon our hearts.” … “Who is going to run the show?” That is the real issue.  In nearly all church splits, that is what people are fighting for. … Underlying all of it is the determination to exercise control. … When the pastor resists [these evil people’s] control and insists upon leading as he should, they see their position of honor threatened.  To justify themselves they find fault with the pastor and trouble results. … To prove his own lack of blame, he accuses the pastor of error. … Troublemakers never change. … [An example is given of a troublemaking deacon who] began to weep and asked forgiveness. … [But] it [was not really] over [because] … people like that rarely change. … [It] won’t be long until he is back at it again. … Within a month that same deacon was holding secret meetings to gain support for “running off” the preacher. … [M]ost of those who cause trouble in churches, especially the leaders, are gossips and troublemakers by profession, and they never change.

 

[Note: there is practically no Scripture cited in all of the above, the idea that people cannot change is grossly unbiblical, and the tiny amount of Scripture cited does not prove Branson’s points.]

 

[N]o Bible teaching is louder, stronger, clearer, and more plainly put and illustrated than that of the authority of the pastor and the admonition to obey and follow him … as [the] ruler in the church. …

 

[Note: Branson’s view of church government is apparently more clear in Scripture than such teachings as monotheism or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]

 

One justifies himself by finding fault in his adversary. … “He ain’t nothin’ but a dictator!” … The[y] pain[t] an image of the pastor as a mean, cruel, self-seeking tyrant.  Thus they have a satisfying portrait of themselves, noble defenders of the name of Christ, sallying forth on a crusade to vanquish the dragon-preacher who would steal God’s glory for himself and destroy His flock. … They are deceptive. … They misuse words. “I love the pastor …” is a camouflage for the character assassinating remarks that immediately follow. They misquote the pastor, or apply wrong motives to right quotes. They apply wrong motives to everything the pastor does. … They will not accept teaching. Biblical teaching … they “tune it out,” or claim it is not correctly interpreted. … No matter how small the alleged pastoral slight is, they are ready to find monstrous implications and traumatic hurt in it. … The troublemaker feeds his own ego[.] … He recruits allies for the coming battle.

 

[Note: In terms of quotations of Scripture, this entire chapter only cites Hebrews 13:7, 17 and affirms that Matthew 7:1 is frequently taken out of context.]

 

Chapter Four

MISTAKES OF THE PASTOR

 

[The chapter begins:] Yes. The author has experienced a church split in his ministry. …

 

[Note: I am not surprised!]

 

Did I make mistakes? I certainly did. …

 

[Note: We are not told that the author committed any sins—only “mistakes.”]

 

In most church splits the pastor is the victim.  In some, the pastor is partially to blame.  In a few, he is almost entirely responsible. … [After a split, pastors’ self-criticisms include] …

 

• Should have been more reserved.
• Neglected maintaining mystique. …
• Talked resigning troublemaker into staying (Always fatal!)
• Not decisive in church discipline.
• Too trusting of people. …

 

LAYMEN’S CRITICISMS OF PASTORS … [The first listed is] DICTATOR … 83% … IMMORALITY OR WRONGDOING 5-10% EACH …

 

[Note: A pastor acting in the manner above will certainly be lording it over the flock.  Branson is giving terrible advice, and his book never exposits important passages about the role of the pastor.]

 

SEXUAL PROMISCUITY … of the 2100 Southern Baptist pastors fired or forced to resign in the preceding eighteen months, in more than one of eight cases the main cause was related to morality. … [T]he indisputable fact [is] that not one in ten who are promiscuous are ever discovered – not ever! Perhaps not one in fifty. … when one falls in such a way … the pastoral community should seek to restore him [to the ministry.] … it is a fact that this problem does exist on a scale that is major and widespread … [this author] recommends Dear Preacher, Please Quit! For advice on dealing with the “woman problem” in the ministry. …

 

[Note: As Branson said in Dear Preacher, Please Quit! if a preacher commits adultery and nobody finds out, he should keep preaching at the same church and cover it up.  If someone finds out, he should keep preaching, just at a different church.  Saying he should leave the ministry is “an entirely un-Biblical attitude,” as he says on pg. 38 of this book).]

 

Call him a dictator if you will, since God has given him nearly absolute authority, but he should not be dictatorial in attitude. …

 

[Note: The pastor is a dictator, but he should be a nice one.  When Branson compares the pastor to Moses he is not kidding.]

 

Maintain the mystique of the Divine Call. … The preacher walks in a place where no other can walk. … It is a gap that cannot be and ought not to be bridged.  It marks the preacher as being touched by God’s hand as no other man, called to stand where no other has a right to stand. … People will rebel against you only when that mystique has been destroyed or cloaked in their minds. … [Like] [i]n Numbers 16, Korah … As long as the mystique remains, there is a dread in the hearts of most would be rebels that prohibits them from lifting their hands against God’s anointed. … Thus, those who are in rebellion will hurl charges and accusations against the pastor that chip at that mystique. …

 

Chapter Five

DEACONS

 

Always in the Bible the command is to obey the Divinely called pastor or prophet. … IN FACT, NOT ONCE IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE DID GOD WORK THROUGH A BOARD OR COUNCIL OF ANY KIND! …

 

[Note: Commands in the Bible are always about obeying the pastor?  What about obeying God?  The kings in the Old Testament had no advisors?  What did the elders do who sat in the gate?  Why does every or almost every church in the NT have multiple elders?  Is Branson’s conclusion the result of a careful study of the nearly two hundred references to “counsel” in Scripture?  If so, I sure do not see any evidence of it.]

 

Moses selected these men [in Numbers 11].  They were not voted on by the congregation of Israel. …

 

[Note: References to congregational votes are uniformly negative in Branson.]

 

“What about the ‘council’ of Acts 15?”, someone is sure to ask.  That was a “council” of preachers. “And the apostles and elders came together for to consider this matter,” verse 6. …

 

[Note: As in his previous book, the fact that the whole church made the decision, not the elders and apostles only, is not refuted, but completely ignored:  “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men … And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren …”]

 

Everybody who performs any service in a church, or for a preacher, or in any Christian service is a deacon!  … The janitor is a deacon in the fullest sense of the word.  The Sunday School teacher is a deacon.  The pianist is a deacon.  The secretary is a deacon.  The one who mows the lawn is a deacon.  The ones who ladle the gravy over the biscuits are deacons. … Anyone who performs any task or ministry, great or small, is a deacon! Thus, there are women deacons, and THERE WERE WOMEN DEACONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT! … A woman is plainly called a deaconess in Romans 16:1 … This author knows of no one who has investigated the subject who does not agree that this is so. …

 

[Note:  This is a remarkable perversion of the office of the deacon for one who claims to be a Baptist.  That he does not know anyone who denies there are women deacons—in bold print and italics—says something about the level of study involved in the book, as many significant commentators on Romans deny exactly what he has never even heard of.  Then again, not one commentary is cited in Branson’s extremely short bibliography.]

 

God gives governing authority only to the preacher. … All who are selected to serve in any capacity of the church should either be selected by the pastor personally, or by those he delegates to make selections.  Those selections are then to be presented to him for his approval or rejection. … The whole idea and practice of “elections” for church office is foreign to Scripture.  In every case where someone wanted to hold such elections God rejected it.  Just read Numbers 16 and see what happened when some folks wanted to hold an election! … [A]uthority over all affairs and all people of the churches is given exclusively to the divinely called man. …

 

[Note: As Branson makes clear in many places in this book, he does not believe in congregational church government, but dictatorship by a single pastor.  He is not a Baptist, having rejected Biblical, Baptist church polity for a polity where the single head pastor is allegorized into Moses leading Israel in the wilderness.]

 

[In order to support his false teaching that everyone who does anything in the church, even putting gravy on biscuits, is a “deacon,” Branson changes the qualification in 1 Timothy 3 from “the husband of one wife” into] not bigamists … [it is just] a command excluding bigamists from deaconhood …  the qualifications are no more than should be expected of any good man or woman who has a position of service in the congregation. … [Also,] the office of deacon is not limited exclusively to the one who fits every description given in 1 Timothy. … [T]hese qualifications in no way exclude women from being deaconesses. …

 

[Note: Apparently some of the qualifications for the deacon in 1 Timothy 3 are optional.]

 

[T]he phrase, “husband of one wife,” does not eliminate women from being deacons … When starting a new church, have no deacons. … If someone comes into the church who wants to know where the deacons are, just tell them everyone who does anything is a deacon, but you do not and are not going to have that aberration of Scripture that most folks think of as a deacon. … We suggest the author’s book DEAR PREACHER, PLEASE QUIT for help and reference in understanding the pastor’s duties and authority[.]

 

[Note: This book certainly is not advocating Baptist polity.]

 

Chapter 6

ASSOCIATE PASTORS

 

Contrary to our “church on every  corner” philosophy of today, no New Testament city had more than one congregation. … Some of these churches probably had several hundred thousand members. … they had a pastor and several associate pastors, using today’s terminology …

 

[Note: I wonder where these churches of several hundred thousand would assemble in one place.  This fits with his idea of the pastor as Moses and the NT church as the very large congregation in the wilderness.]

 

WHY DO ASSOCIATE PASTORS CAUSE TROUBLE? … Numbers 12:1-2 [cited] … the age-old accusation of “dictator” against Moses. … As always, God directed His people solely through the solitary leader he had chosen to pastor His congregation. … [The associate] yearns for the day when he is pastor in his own right … [but he must] exalt the pastor and his divine position as the one leader of the church[.] … [It] is of the utmost importance, he ALWAYS exalted the pastor, deferring to him in all things! That is what an associate is supposed to be! … We advise pastors and churches not even to consider hiring an associate until the average attendance reaches at least 300. … [The associate’s] primary job is to visit the lost, NOT CHURCH MEMBERS.

 

[Note: Branson thinks that assistant pastors are not really pastors, although Scripture equally uses the words “elder/bishop/pastor” for all overseers. Also, every clear example in the NT presents churches with multiple elders.  The advice that the associate is not to actually have as his primary job to pastorally care for the flock is unbiblical.  There is far too much suspicion in Branson about everyone plotting to cause a split.]

 

Chapter 7

WOMEN’S MISSIONARY GROUPS

 

Chapter 8

CHURCH COUNCILS AND TRUSTEES

 

[A] church really should be – God’s congregation firmly, singularly, and lovingly led by the prophet of God. … God has never had but one governor for His congregation – A Preacher! …

 

Chapter Nine

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

 

[The choir director must be] absolutely subordinate to his pastor.

 

Chapter 10

SECRETARIES

 

In many churches, secretaries are hired by a vote of the deacons and/or the congregation. This is not only unscriptural, it is suicidal. … Her choice is not to be subject to vote or discussion by the deacons, church, or anyone else. She will work for and answer solely to the pastor. No one should be permitted to ask her to do anything, other than the pastor. … [I]n reality [she is] the pastor’s secretary, not the church’s secretary. …

 

[Note: It is not necessary for there to be a vote for a secretary, but it is hardly “unscriptural” and even “suicidal,” and it is unbiblical to claim that the church as a whole is not even permitted to “discus[s]” who it should be, and that she can’t help anyone else.]

 

[T]he pastor’s position [is] God’s sole leader in the congregation. … Every pastor has enemies if his church is more than a few people.  Often, even with only ten or fifteen he has bitter enemies.  A large part of every congregation is made up of gossipy people.

 

[Note: A pastor who thinks this way will easily get very paranoid.  How different Branson is from Christ’s instructions in John 10 about the good shepherd, or from the pastoral epistles!]

 

[I]t is impossible to avoid being in the church offices alone with a secretary. …

 

[Note: Why?]

 

Chapter 11

OTHERS WHO CAUSE CHURCH TROUBLE

 

Only the pastor has the overall vision to understand the best person for any office in the ministry. … The church was never meant to be a democracy or a republic.  It is part of the “Kingdom of God,” not the “People’s Republic of God,” or the “People’s Democratic Republic of God.”  A kingdom is a Monarchy.  Monarchs appoint governors to rule over their provinces.  The pastor is God’s governor appointed to rule over the church.  It is a constitutional monarchy, that is true, in that the people democratically elect a pastor, and may vote to remove him.  (Some denominations appoint pastors through ecclesiastical committees or bishops.) Once elected (or appointed), however, he is elected to rule. … “Dr. Branson, you are advocating dictatorship!”  Ah, yes, “Dictatorship.”  How that word is flung in the face of every preacher who has a backbone.  NO, we are not advocating dictatorship — we are advocating submission to God.  When we refuse to do things God’s clearly stated way, that is rebellion, not republicanism; sedition, not democracy. … [T]here are many in our churches that are spiritual incorrigibles. … They cannot, will not be placated. … With a clear conscience, we must face what comes and do what must be done.  If standing for right means a church split, so be it.

 

[Note: Baptist congregational church polity is a democracy.  Of course, democracies have leaders, but the church is a democracy.  Branson rejects Biblical church polity for a form of pastoral control not advocated in any Baptist confession of faith.  Note that he makes no warning even against the corrupt polity where pastors are appointed by a hierarchy without any congregational vote at all.]

 

Chapter Twelve

“GREAT AND FAMOUS” PREACHERS, FRIENDS, AND MENTORS

 

This author is an Independent Baptist preacher.

 

[Note: No, he is not a Baptist, because he rejects, opposes, and speaks against Baptist church polity.  What he advocates is as Baptist as Diotrephes was a Baptist.]

 

Chapter Thirteen

DENOMINATIONAL AND FELLOWSHIP INFLUENCES

 

Perhaps that Baptist pastor was in error …. [but still an advisor should have] cautioned the [congregants] to be subordinate to their pastor. …

 

Some will reply that the pastor’s office is no more than equal to others within the church. … [T]his is rank heresy[.] …

 

Chapter Fourteen

THE BIG THREE

1. Pastoral Authority
2. Preaching Godly Standards of Dress and Separation

III. Building Programs

 

Pastoral authority was far and away the number one issue that actually causes church splits … [i]t is easily the number one bone of contention in our churches.  Rebellion against pastoral authority is reflected [widely] … We would like to introduce those folks to preacher Moses. …  Almost all splits are rebellions against the pastor. Thus; his authority, personality, program and methods will usually be the real issues. Sometimes the people will rebel because they do not want an authoritative pastor. … [T]he number one issue [is] pastoral authority … the primary thing … the rebellious … reject the pastor’s authority. …

 

Finances is the number two issue likely to cause problems[.] …

 

Chapter Fifteen

THE NEXT THREE

1. Finances
2. Music

III. Evangelism and Growth

 

Finances are a major problem with Southern Baptist churches. This stems from congregational rule … in other churches it is left to the pastor or small committee.

 

WHAT IS TO BE DONE? 1. Eliminate church business meetings discussing spending. … If the pastor feels funds are needed … he directs the treasurer to make out the checks. … We are prepared for the protests that will be forthcoming because of the system of church government advocated in this book … monarchal pastoral authority … [but] no Biblical answers disproving pastoral authority in favor of congregational dictatorship have ever been offered. … [Q]uarterly business meetings are poison pots furnishing a forum for malcontents to stir up trouble. If such meetings were Scriptural, we would not object.  They are not, though, actually being anti-Scriptural. … A preferred alternative is that [the budget be made by the] pastor [who] may appoint some good men to help him … The budget may or may not then be submitted to the congregation … for information purposes only. … If any business meeting at all must beheld [sic] hold it once a year. …

 

[Note:  Branson clearly and unashamedly rejects Baptist polity.]

 

Associate pastors – A church does not need a paid associate until the attendance reaches at least 400. … Are you saying a church needs a secretary and a janitor more than an associate pastor or youth director?” Yes! …

 

[Note: the book of Acts does not say that each church had one elder and one janitor.]

 

[T]he music program must be totally subject to the pastor’s authority. … there should be no questioning of his decision [in music matters.] … [T]he pastor has a unique oversight of the whole program and understands better than anyone the needs at any given time. …

 

[The] standard, universal accusations against the pastor … never change … no exceptions. …

 

[N]owhere in Scripture is the pastor charged to visit the membership on either a regular or irregular basis. … Quite simply, pastors have no business spending a lot of time visiting members … [a] useless, wasteful tradition. … He should not make regular visiting rounds[.] …

 

Chapter Sixteen

THE DEADLY D’S

VII. Denominational Loyalty

VIII. Doctrinal Issues

1. Divorce

 

[T]he pasto[r] … is God’s supernaturally called man … he is more apt to be right than any member of the church. …

 

[Concerning] a pastor whose wife had left him … divorce does not disqualify you or anyone else from the ministry or any aspect of it. …

 

[W]e are told that God never recognizes divorce and that, somehow, even marriages between unbelievers are eternally sealed by God.  Nonsense!  God does not recognize marriages between unbelievers … God considers the offspring of the unsaved as ‘unclean,’ that is, born out of wedlock. … [W]ithout condition or possible other interpretation … a believer is under no obligation to try to prevent an unbelieving spouse from divorcing him. … He is free to marry again[.] … [T]he Bible clearly teaches that marriages between unsaved people are not ‘made in Heaven.” God does not ‘join together’ such unions. Neither did He join together the union between believer and unbeliever, as it is in direct disobedience to His command to be not unequally yoked. … [The qualifications in] Timothy and Titus refer to polygamy, not divorce and remarriage. …

 

[Note: This, of course, is crazy false teaching, contradicting Hebrews 13:4 and many other passages, flagrantly violating Scripture on divorce and remarriage, and making it so that a spouse who is married to someone who professes but does not possess Christ is not really joined to his or her spouse.  This is truly awful pastoral counsel.  Could it be connected to Branson’s Ruckmanism?]

 

[T]here are many men, both in and out of the ministry, who have children overseas that they do not even know exist.  That is because as young service men they did what young servicemen usually do, if they are not saved, especially.

 

[Note: Apparently even many saved young servicemen commit fornication and are the fathers of illegitimate children right and left—just at a somewhat lower rate than among the lost.]

 

Chapter Seventeen

THE FINAL THREE

1. Christian Schools
2. Bus Ministry

XII. Youth Ministry

 

[A] majority of Christian schools are started … to be a feather in the hat of the preacher, or the nest of the church.

 

Chapter 18

ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO HAVE HAD SPLITS TO THOSE FACING SPLITS

 

Chapter 19

THE PASTOR OR THE BOARD – WHO RUNS THE SHOW?

 

The church is a Theocracy and the pastor is the sole theocrat.  Although we have heard many condemn pastoral rule, we have never heard anyone refute it from the Bible, nor have we ever known anyone to present Biblical evidence supporting … congregational rule. …

 

First, the New Testament is only part of the Bible.  It is incorrect to dismiss the Old Testament as having no authority or instructions for the churches in the issue of church government[.] …

 

Consider four central Scripture passages.

 

1. The central channel for the church program.

Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

That is a remarkable statement, is it not?  Everything God does in this world is revealed to His preachers.  Not to … anyone else, but to His preachers!  We can be sure that God’s will for the church and the direction of its ministry is always channeled through the preacher.  Only to him is the wisdom granted to see and understand the overall need and proper direction for the church. … The central authority in the church. [Hebrews 13:7, 17 quoted—by far the most quoted passage in this book, while crucial passages on pastoring are entirely ignored.]  Preachers “who have spoken unto you the word of God” are to rule over the church. … [T]he pastors … are to exercise nearly absolute authority in the churches and all its programs.  Responsibility is given to the pastors alone, with no single exception. … Examples of the authority of the pastor abound in Scripture.  [Exodus 3:10; 4:12 quoted, where God is with Moses’ mouth and teaches him what to say, and this fact is transferred to the NT pastor.]  So it has ever been that God calls His man to lead His people.  Through this man, and only through him does God give His plan and program for His people. …. Always, the pattern has been without variation – God calls a man, gives that man His program, and the man is to lead the people. We must ask why, then, do most churches accept congregational … government, and why do so many pastors abdicate their place of decision[?] … Such is not only unfounded in the Bible, it is anti-Bible.  Not once in the entire Bible did God work through a … congregation.

“But,” someone will surely say, “What about the council of Acts 15?” That was a council of preachers.  Verse 6 says, “And the apostles and elders came together to consider of this matter.” [Once again, the fact that the whole church made the decision, not the elders and apostles only, is not refuted, but ignored:  “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men … And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren …”] … Moses personally selected [other leaders.]  They were not voted on by the congregation. … Paul always claimed absolute authority in the churches he founded. [Note:  of course, Paul was an Apostle, whose letters and preaching were actually infallible revelation.] … [T]he congregation is to obey their pastor because the pastor is the one who must give an account to God. … Some will accuse us of advocating a dictatorial attitude of lording it over the flock[.] … What if we give such authority to our pastor, and he abuses it, is dishonest, mean or unsound in doctrine?”

The following is excerpted from the author’s book Dear Preacher, Please Quit! As a suggested recourse for a church with a preacher who is intolerable. …

1. The pastor will make himself available to meet with any individual or group of church members if the request is reasonable.
2. The pastor must call a business meeting if presented with a petition signed by 20% of the voting members of the church in good standing … The above are workable suggestions. Some congregations and pastors will want to change the percentage or have other qualifications. Each church must work out a reasonable recourse for itself, one that will not infringe upon the pastors ability to govern the church[.]

 

[Note:  Matthew 18:15-17 is entirely ignored in relation to the question of what to do if a preacher is sinning intolerably.]

 

[Note: There are so many egregious violations of Scripture and Baptist polity in this chapter that it is useless to list them all.]

 

Chapter 20

THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN THIS BOOK

 

This is the most important chapter in this book because it contains the most important statement we shall make.

IT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE PREACHER TO SURVIVE THAN THE CHURCH! … [T]he reader [may] thro[w] up his hands in horror at such an unorthodox statement … contrary to all we hear and have been taught. … [We have heard:] “The church is the most important.” … While that is true of the universal body of Christ, it is not true of any particular local body.  If the choice must be made between the survival of a local church and the survival of a divinely called man of God, it is imperative that the man of God be salvaged. … That is the Bible model. Several times during the wilderness wanderings, God was prepared to destroy the nation [but] preserve Moses … Numbers 16[.] … God’s work depends upon God’s man … [I]f a church must close its doors, the people can find another.  They have lost little. … A good preacher will do God’s work with or without a certain group of local Christians. … In the Old Testament, Israel failed at Kadesh-barnea. All the adult congregation perished in the wilderness.  Moses went on … [i]f Moses had failed, the promised land would not have been reached and God’s chosen vessel would have perished altogether. … The Lord was determined that the man would survive even at the expense of the loss of the congregation. God saw the congregation as expendable; the man was not. … Thus, we see that the very life of every local congregation and of every work of God depends on the ministry of the man of God. … The pastor is the only one who suffers real tragedy. … Many will endure great remorse and sorrow … [o]thers in the church are hardly more than entertained by the trouble.  Only the preacher … [t]he fabric of his life is severely ruptured! … No infidel, no tyrant, no ruthless corporation, no scheming corporate ladder-climber is more cruel and heartless than most congregations that fire their pastors or pressure them into resigning. SAVE YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF, PASTOR! … [T]his writer encourages preachers to fight through the battle in their churches.  The proverb goes, “If you can’t do something with the church, clean it out so the next man can.” … The pastor should do whatever is necessary to salvage his ministry[.]

 

[Note: Of course, passages such as “the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11) are not cited in this chapter, nor anywhere in Branson’s corrupt book.]

 

Chapter Twenty-One

IF YOU FEEL DEPRESSED, WEAKENED OR DEFEATED, PLEASE LISTEN!

 

Chapter Twenty-Two

CONCLUSION – HOW TO AVOID A CHURCH SPLIT

 

[Note: Branson’s title is about how to avoid them, but in his chapter he says they cannot be avoided, just reduced in number or mitigated.  Supposedly even Jesus Christ had a church split!]

 

There have always been, and will always be church splits. … Church splits cannot be avoided. … Moses could not. The nation divided under David. … We can be sure that all the New Testament churches had divisions very early.  Even Jesus had a congregational split.  “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him,” John 6:66. …

 

[C]hurch splits will always be with us … [but] Many church splits and severe problems can be avoided. … [by a] [r]eturn to primitive practices … [such as being] governed by their pastors. There were no business meetings. … Church government was absolutely simple and unencumbered.  There was one rule, article, or statute – Hebrews 13:7 and 13. [Hebrews 13:7, 17 cited.] … [T]here is … a recognized, unquestioned governor … [then] the potential for contention is reduced[.] … Eliminate business meetings … Again, this is part of the first point, but so overwhelmingly vital that it cries out with an unceasing demand to be heard separately. … In those instances where [the congregation] gathered of their own accord and made demands, the wrath of God almost always fell upon them, as with the murmurings in the wilderness. Note especially Numbers 16, already discussed as the prototype of church splits. … Business and board meetings are a forum for contention. Get rid of them.  They can never serve ought but bad, because they are anti-Scriptural. … [God] has exalted preaching and the preacher He calls. We do not. The choice is not ours. … “How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”

Surrogates, rebels and “ministers” who are not called of God have waged a campaign to belittle preachers and preaching.  Do not listen to them.  “Everyone preaches and is a preacher when he talks to others about the Bible,” a denominational leader said to this author many years ago.  That is a falsehood! [Note: no exegesis of Scripture here.] … Further, only a preacher may preach!  [He alone has] the crackling voice of authority. … [Note: no exegesis of Scripture here.]

Why do churches need constitutions? … The doctrine of nearly absolute pastoral authority … is a hated doctrine by many; religious and political liberals, in particular, despise it with Satanic wrath and scorn.

 

[Note: This chapter is screaming out, “Diotrephes!”]

 

Chapter 23

GENERAL SURVEY AND RESEARCH INFORMATION

 

Over the past many years the author … has observed firsthand forty to fifty church splits or serious church problems, probably more, and made both written and mental notes.

 

[Note: this is a constant, steady stream of church splits.  If he is very elderly, that is one church split a year—if younger, even more, one every few months, observed firsthand, he says.  Yikes!] …

 

One … source … has supplied helpful information … the 1984, A Study of Forced Termination of Southern Baptist Ministers, by J. Clifford Tharp, Jr. of the Research Services Department of the Sunday School Board. …

 

[Note: This resource is actually properly cited as Tharp, Clifford J., “A Study of the Forced Termination of Southern Baptist Ministers.” The Quarterly Review 46 [1985], 50-56.  It is a six page article.  If someone cites it as coming from 1984 instead of from 1985, that shows the individual is dependent upon Branson, not upon the original source.  Branson cites this survey a number of times, always with the incorrect date of 1984.]

 

[Note: Branson’s book will contribute to vast numbers of church splits, rather than reducing their number.  Using John 6:66 to prove Christ Himself could not avoid a church split is a breathtaking abuse of that passage.  Apparently Hebrews 13:7, 17 are the only verses in Scripture on church government.]

 

Chapter Twenty-four

Survey Results

PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO CAUSE PROBLEMS

 

MOST LIKELY TO CAUSE PROBLEMS … surveys returned … Please note that PASTORS are not included in the tables below.  They were not numbered on the survey list for several reasons that need not be discussed here. However, space was included on the surveys to write in other problem people, and more than one in five laymen wrote in the pastor as the number one cause of church problems. Further, a significant number of pastors similarly accused their own kind. … [With pastors—especially those who follow Branson’s philosophy—having being excluded from the tabulation of possible causes of church splits, his conclusion is:] DEACONS ARE FAR AND AWAY THE GREATEST SOURCES OF TROUBLE IN CHURCHES. …

 

[Note: In other words, these survey results deliberately leave out the possibility that pastors are stirring up trouble and splitting the church, but people wrote them in frequently anyway as a problem. Pastors that follow Branson’s Diotrephes-type philosophy will be splitting churches right and left, so it may not be surprising that he did not give people an option to include the pastor as someone who could be a cause of a church split.]

 

[In his survey of] THOSE WHO ACTUALLLY CAUSED THE SPLIT, OR PROBLEMS [he lists] DEACONS … MUSIC DEPARTMENT … TREASURERS … [and other groups with a variety of percentages.  The head pastor is a cause of 0% of the splits, according to his tabulation, because he excluded that as an option and set aside all the people who wrote that in on the survey as the number one cause, although at least he was honest enough to make it clear that he set aside those who wrote in the option that he did not want to include.]

 

Chapter Twenty-Five

ISSUES MOST LIKELY TO CAUSE PROBLEMS

 

Independent Baptists …. PREACHING STANDARDS OF DRESS/SEPARATION … 94[%] … PASTORAL AUTHORITY … 91[%] …. FINANCES … 70[%] … [Many other reasons follow with a lower percentage.] … Southern Baptists  … PASTORAL AUTHORITY … 91[%] … FINANCES … 85[%] … [Many other reasons follow with a lower percentage.] … Other Churches  … PASTORAL AUTHORITY … 90[%] … BUILDING PROGRAMS … 83[%] … FINANCES … 82[%] … [Many other reasons follow with a lower percentage.] … Laymen … PASTORAL AUTHORITY … 89[%] … FINANCES … 88[%] … PREACHING STANDARDS OF DRESS/SEPARATION … 75[%] … [Many other reasons follow with a lower percentage.] … Pastoral Authority and message … In reality, the pastor, his authority, personality, methods and message will almost always be where the problem lies. … ISSUES THAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THE SPLIT OR PROBLEM … 1. PASTORAL AUTHORITY … 70-95% … 2. BUILDING PROGRAMS FINANCES … 35-60% … VARIOUS OTHERS [such as immorality or the preacher getting divorced] … 5-20% … DIVORCE – In most instances the pastor was accused of being too easy on divorced people. … In a minority of cases the problem was that the pastor was a divorcee.  The unscriptural and inhuman attitudes toward divorced people that so many Bible believers have do not originate from the Bible, but from old Roman Catholic dogma. … In another chapter we have given a brief summary of what the Bible really teaches about divorce and remarriage.  Meanwhile, it is gratifying to see that the old Roman Catholic prejudices against the divorced are being eroded among many Bible believers.

 

[A more accurate conclusion than the Branson draws from his data is that Diotrephes-type pastors—such as those who follow his advice in his books—are the primary cause for many church splits.]

 

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHARGES AGAINST THE PASTOR

 

[N]inety-three of a hundred, or 93% charged the independent Baptist pastor with a dictatorship. … Independent Baptist Churches … 1. DICTATOR … 93% … IMMORALITY OR WRONGDOING … 10% … Southern Baptists … 1 DICTATOR … 88% … IMMORAITY OR WRONGDOING … 15% … [Many other reasons are listed between “DICTATOR” as the top reason and far less common things, allegedly, like “IMMORALITY.” Nevertheless, Branson concludes:] That sexual misconduct is a significant problem in our churches is obvious … [but] the charge of being a dictator is the leading one in all [groups surveyed]. … Independent Baptist pastors are far more likely [than others surveyed] to deserve the charge of being dictatorial. … Independent Baptist pastors, on the other hand, are more predisposed to be the leader God commands His men to be … [which will] lead to the dictator accusation being leveled at the pastor [very often]. … The charge of heresy is made against one third of the independent Baptists, hardly at all against the other pastors. …

 

Chapter Twenty-seven

ATTENDANCE AND BAPTISMS IN RELATION TO SPLITS

 

Chapter Twenty-eight

KINDS OF SPLITS, FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE AND RELATED DATA

 

99% of all pastors reported severe division of one sort or another during their ministries.  The true figure is probably 100% or within a small fraction thereof. 67%, approximately, have had two or more splits or near splits. 53% indicated three or more.  A large number indicated four or more splits or near splits. Independent Baptists … 89% … have had at least one outright split … This figure would be nearer 99% for all groups if pastors stayed longer. … Troublemakers rarely change, but bide their time until another opportunity comes to draw attention to themselves and parade their egos by becoming the center of storm. … On the average, the splits occurred in between the third and fourth year of the pastor’s ministry in the church. … Sometimes … [the split] is needful and spares the church a long term, crippling period of bickering. … [Yet] the church is not likely to recover for many years.

 

Chapter Twenty-nine

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EFFECTS UPON THE PASTOR AND HIS FAMILY

 

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PASTOR AND HIS WIFE AS A RESULT OF CHURCH SPLIT OR PROBLEMS … 9% … Divorced or separated following a split.  On the average, pastors in our surveys personally knew of 7-8 preachers who had divorced or had severe family problems as a direct result of church problems!

 

[Note: Who are these people?]

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

[Note: The bibliography contains two history books, four articles in a total of two encyclopedias, and two articles.  A grand total of six sources were consulted—according to Branson’s bibliography—for a 285 page book!  Also, of course, many passages of Scripture that are crucial for pastoring are totally ignored.]

 

Quotations from Roy L. Branson, Jr., Dear Abner: I Love You, Joab, 2^nd ed. (Bristol, TN: Landmark Publications, 1996)

 

The cover of Dear Abner: I Love You, Joab … pictures a sword dripping with blood:

 

 

Before page 1:  “DEAR PREACHER, PLEASE QUIT” [is called] Perhaps the most important book in a hundred years. … CHURCH SPLIT (You will be amazed) You probably will never encounter a problem not covered. …

 

Chapter Two

The Hyles-Sumer Affair — Part I

THE CHARGES AGAINST JACK HYLES

 

Billy Graham has won more souls than any hundred other preachers in America.  Yes, fundamentalist friend, you are reading right. … The accusation [of adultery by Hyles] should be ignored; Jack Hyles should be treated as if it had never occurred.

 

Chapter Three

Hyles-Sumner — Part II

PROBLEMS WITH THE LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY OF HYLES AND OTHERS

 

It is well known, and many have heard [Hyles] state that of the several kinds of Christians, the kind he wants are those who will believe what he says, whether or not they can see it in the Bible for themselves! … The author’s view of pastoral authority and leadership is well known to all who have read his books, but never is the pastor’s authority meant to usurp the individual’s understanding of the written Word of God. …

 

[Note: Branson is to be commended for recognizing that Hyles was wrong here.  It would have been nice to see this in his Dear Preacher, Please Quit!.  I am not sure how to reconcile this statement with his view that the preacher, as God’s Anointed, has a special position that enables him by virtue of it to understand the Bible and have guidance above all others on earth.]

 

No one can doubt that [Hyles’] ministry has produced great numbers won to Christ on his local field. … [we must be] appreciating the gospel Jack Hyles preaches and the many good results and admirable things he does and preaches[.]

 

[Note: Never in these chapters is Hyles’ heretical rejection of Biblical repentance condemned, or even mentioned in any way, nor is the fact explained of even mentioned that 99%+ of those who repeat the sinner’s prayer in Hyles’ ministry never joined his church and followed God even mentioned.  Branson lists concerns about Hyles on pg. 77, but not one syllable of warning is present about Hyles’ corrupt gospel.]

 

Hyles has often reached out a lifting, restoring hand to those who have fallen. …

 

[Note: Branson means by this that Hyles has restored immoral preachers to the ministry, where, sadly, many of them have gone on to prey on more victims.]

 

This controversy [over Hyles] has been a Joab’s knife hacking, hewing and cleaving at the body of Christ, at least a significant portion of that body.

 

[Note: We should, it seems, maintain unity with Hyles and his crowd so that the universal, invisible body of Christ can have its unity protected.]

 

Chapter Four

THE JOHN MACARTHUR—BOB JONES CONTROVERSY

 

Charge 3: MacArthur teaches Lordship Salvation

 

What is Lordship salvation? Opponents … claim that proponents of Lordship salvation teach that when one is saved he must not only trust Jesus to save him, but commit himself to permit Jesus to rule—be the Lord—of his life.  Thus, one is saved on the condition that he will work, be obedient, to Christ after he is saved.  There are many who teach exactly that, whether or not they call it Lordship Salvation.  Such a teaching is absolutely wrong. …

 

[Note: On pg. 183 of DA Branson appears to make a statement that is more pro-Lordship/a true gospel than this quotation appears to indicate.  On pgs. 295, 298 he first condemns “LORDSHIP SALVATION … [as an “invented doctrine”] … it is wrong,” but then goes on to say “Lordship salvation, so called, is simply a term for what most Bible believers have always taught.”  So what Branson says appears to be contradictory and confusing.]

 

Chapter Five

KILLING THE WOUNDED

PART 1

THE “FALLEN” MAN

 

            A widespread survey taken by the author for his book CHURCH SPLIT revealed that approximately 90% of preachers personally know of another who has been sexually promiscuous.  Over 60% know of two or more such men.  Nearly 40% know four or more, and 17% know ten or more. … the list of prominent Baptists similarly charged continues to grow.  Likewise with all Bible believing groups. … [To teach that an adulterous or immoral pastor can be forgiven but] can never be restored to the ministry [is to] slide Joab’s knife smoothly beneath the fifth rib … to kill the casualties. … [A] preacher [can] fall into sin … [be] restored and [be] able to go on in a productive ministry … [without even] telling the man’s church and family. … In the great majority of circumstances, one should not spread it abroad even in the Christian community. … Jim Bakker sinned, and admitted it.  Far worse was the sin of those who galloped about the news networks[.] … [Branson referenced positively chapter 4 in his book Dear Preacher, Please Quit! where he spoke about restoring an adulterer to the ministry without telling anyone, even the adulterous pastor’s wife, or the church where he pastored, and reaffirmed that he was right not] to broadcast it to the world, breaking the heart of an innocent wife[.] [One who disagreed with Branson wrote,] “It has been this practice (what you advise) that has resulted in wholesale adulterous affairs by preachers in our day.” [But Branson disagreed, arguing that we must] not be intimidated by those who insist the sword is first and only recourse when a brother falls. … [In fact,] the unforgiving heralds are the kind that are far more likely to have hidden immorality in their own lives. … Many, probably most, of those who now demand the eternal banishment of fallen men were promiscuous before they were saved.  A great number have children in other countries of whom they know nothing[.] …. The logic of lingering reproach would ban every human on earth from Christian service. … The “blameless” qualification does not refer primarily to promiscuity. … [T]he ministry abounds with careless, inhospitable, etc. men … no one is calling for the eternal banishment from service of those men. …

 

[Note: A pastor can be an adulterer and be restored to the ministry without even his family or church finding out about it, and it is “far worse” to tell others publicly about what happened than to commit adultery, engage in multiple homosexual relationships, be an imprisoned felon, etc. like Mr. Bakker, according to Branson; furthermore, those who want adulterers out of the pastorate are “far more likely” to be covering their own immorality than actually caring about the flock.  Since a pastor who is not hospitable is not removed from the ministry, an adulterous pastor should be allowed to stay as well.]

 

[Exposing adulterous pastors is wrong, because it is] a willingness to speak evil of dignities.  Divinely called men are God’s dignities on this earth … a single tryst … [is] a temporary aberration. … [N]ext to unbelief, no sin in the Bible is so condemned as gossip. … To “restore” the fallen means to put him back as he was[.] … The truly repentant one should be restored to his former position. …

 

[Note: Branson references 2 Peter 2:10-11 as proof we should cover up the sin of adulterous pastors.  After all, what is adultery to gossip?  That standard lexica say that the “dignities” are actually angelic beings in this passage is ignored, not refuted, and no positive exegetical case for identifying the “dignities” with immoral pastors is presented.]

 

Some go so far as to suggest the Old Testament prophet, the preacher in the New Testament, and the preacher of today are all different, holding different offices.  While it is true that the preacher of today is given no new revelation, the office is identical.  All are God’s divinely called men, leading His people in His ways.  The idea that the offices are different is so insupportable that one must wonder if the primary reason for trying to make them different is to furnish justification for mistreating our preachers. … Laymen should be wary of … rebuking a preacher … [or] publicly rebuk[ing] the promiscuous … in view of Psalms 105:15, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” … One may wish to place limitations upon that command, “Do my prophets no harm,” but … [t]here are no limits given, in reality … [for] men who are genuinely called of God.

 

[Note: Branson’s view of allowing an adulterer to continue to pastor is tied into his ultra-hyper pastoral authority view.]

 

[I]f genuine prophets – preachers … are known to habitually practice sin … [they] may be disciplined or rebuked by other Divinely called preachers … [like] Balaam [with] Moses …

 

[Note: Branson regularly appeals to Balaam as a genuine prophet from God.  He says not a word about following Matthew 18:15-17 with an adulterous pastor; instead another preacher from some other church can rebuke him—but that is only if he commits a lot of adultery and is caught a lot.  If it is only one affair, that is different. In any case:] Adultery is a matter for the local church or ministry. … Peter’s sin [in Galatians of not eating with Gentiles] … was more serious than promiscuity. … Peter repented and continued in his position! He continued in his ministry as before[.] … Restoration, not destruction, is always God’s first choice.  And, restoration means to restore fully to the previous condition before the fall. …

 

[Note: Peter’s temporarily not eating with Gentiles is worse than committing adultery, according to Branson, since what Peter did attacks the gospel.  Since Peter continued in the apostolic office after not eating with Gentiles for a while, it is fine to leave adulterers in the ministry, as long as it is not habitual adultery, but just one time or just once in a while.]

 

Chapter Six

KILLING THE WOUNDED

PART II

THE DIVORCED

 

Jesus did not speak about marriage and divorce as it related to Gentiles or the New Testament Church. … In any event, what Jesus said about divorce, marriage and remarriage has absolutely nothing to do with the question for today, since New Testament Christians are not governed by the law of Moses. … [1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are] never invoked as a disqualifying factor against the preacher who is not divorced, but whose household is unruly and undisciplined!  … In fact, a multitude of men who so rule their homes provoke divorce by the very fact that they are Godly rulers. A larger multitude do not have the courage to rule well because they know a divorce will be the inevitable result! … Such statements are contrary to everything most Christians have ever heard. … God does not recognize marriage between unbelievers. … God considers the offspring of the unsaved as “unclean,” that is, born out of wedlock. … Referring to 1 Timothy and Titus again, the admonition for the bishop to be the husband of one wife refers to polygamy, not divorce and remarriage.  When one is legally divorced, he is no longer married, though he may have done wrong in the divorce.  Thus, if he marries again, he has only one wife. … [E]ven Rome has never insisted that every marriage is joined together by God. … When one becomes privy to the home life of preachers and others who wish to ban divorced people from church offices, especially the pulpit, he finds that over ninety percent of such men have unhappy, miserable marriages.

 

[Note: We must give those accused of adultery the utmost benefit of the doubt and restore them to the pastorate, but without any evidence we can assume and condemn those who disagree as people who were probably immoral themselves, and state that over 90% of those who think adulterers should not pastor are unhappy and miserable in their marriages, while we come up with bizarre ideas like that marriages by those who are not born again are not real marriages.]

 

Chapter Seven

KILLING THE WOUNDED

PART III

THE OTHERS

 

In the Bible, David, Peter, and the Prodigal son’s elder brother are examples of those unfairly attacked and whose reputations are tarnished to this day. … David is unjustly accused of not being allowed to build the temple because he had killed in battle, or because of the Uriah and Bathsheba affair. … [But David] was “A man of blood” because he was a warrior.  It was a compliment … Peter had the courage to step out of the boat … The prodigal’s elder brother … [is not] a hypocritical Pharisee, [but] the elder brother is one of Scripture’s finest example of unselfish service. …

 

[Note: Really weird.]

 

Christians, and all Americans, must come to realize that the IRS is the cruelest, most anti-Christ organization in human history. … Every American, whether Christian or not, should be regarded as heroic if they run afoul of the IRS. … [So pastors are fine] who have had trouble with the IRS and other government agencies.

 

[Note: The IRS is worse than, say, the Inquisition, Al Qaeda, the Nazis, or Stalin’s communists.  Therefore, without any discussion of Romans 13, pastors who have trouble with the IRS should be acclaimed as heroes—and the same goes for pastors who run afoul of other government agencies.]

 

Chapter Eight

HEALING THE WOUNDED

 

The author did a “word study” of the word “restore.” It did not take much, just a good English dictionary.  Here is how the dictionary defines the word in relation to a person’s position:  “To put (a person) back in a former position, place, rank or condition.” … For those who simply must examine the Greek, they will find no way to question this meaning. … [M]ost certainly, the one who has suffered through the sin or rebellion of a wife or church should not be banned from any place of service or fellowship, whether as pastor, teacher, deacon, etc. … Surely if David was restored, those whose failings are less should be.

 

[Note: It appears that Branson’s Ruckmanism is tied into his weakness on divorced and adulterous pastors.  Since David committed adultery and then murder to cover up the immorality, but he was allowed to remain as a king, therefore Baptist churches should allow pastors who commit adultery and then murder someone to cover it up should be allowed to remain in the pulpit, as long as they are sorry afterwards when they are caught.  Note also that none of the three books of his examined give any evidence that he knows how to do an original language word study.  As he explains in Dear Preacher, Please Quit! over 90% of all fundamental pastors should resign—but not the pastor who commits adultery and then murders the adulteress’ husband as part of a coverup.  Pastor on, murderous adulterer!]

 

PETER … [was] teaching one must be a Jew to be saved[.] … Peter’s sin was worse than those about which we have been speaking in these chapters.  However, God forgave completely, and restored fully.

 

[Note: Scripture never says Peter taught this heresy anywhere.  Peter stopped eating with Gentile believers for a short while.  This fact supposedly means that adulterers can be in Baptist pulpits.]

 

Leave the man of God to God … one had best leave God’s man to God. Moses is an example.  It was not up to Joshua, Caleb, or anyone else to put a limit on Moses, though his sin was worse than most of those of which we have spoken. …

 

[Note: Because the preacher is the Lord’s Anointed, if he is a vile adulterer, instead of following Matthew 18:15-17, he should be allowed to stay in the pulpit.  Why?  Moses hit a rock twice. QED.]

 

HOW SHALL WE HEAL THE WOUNDED? … This would include the adulterer … Point out from the Bible why it is sinful … Show them love and compassion. … When they repent … [w]elcome them back to position and office.  Welcome them back without reservation. … Do not punish them by seeking to remove them from any office or position, including that of pastor.  Do not punish them by seeking to prohibit to them any position of office, including that of pastor.  Do rally to them … Do defend them when others eek to make their wound a reason for denying them office, position or proper respect or esteem. …

 

Chapter Nine

The Wounded – Part V

PREVENTING THE WOUNDS

 

Neither is the adulterer or adulteress to be publicly flogged before an unsaved public; nor is he or she, in most cases … banned forever from the pulpit or other positions. We have also noted that divorce is as rampant among Bible believers as among the unsaved. … CAUSES OF IMMORALITY AND DIVORCE … 1. Most Preachers Have Unhappy Marriages!  … Most preachers’ have a mediocre married life.  Many, perhaps more than one half, are truly miserable in their marriages. … [W]hy so many preachers’ marriages are ending in divorce. … Shocking, but true.  Few will admit it even to their closest friends, but an astounding number of preachers or their wives, or both, would not marry the same person if they had it to do again, and as many fervently wish there was a way out. … [F]ew people know or even suspect the anger, malice, resentment, jealousy, and sometimes hatred that exists between many preachers and their wives. … [The preacher’s] private life is [often] a wicked, slovenly mockery of what he preaches and professes to the congregation. … Most of the time … preachers’ marriages … grind upon the unhappy couple day after day … leav[ing] both uneasy, unhappy, and unfulfilled. … An unhappy home often leads to divorce. … An unhappy home means wandering eyes. … Where preachers are concerned … it is happening so often that it seems near epidemic … adultery often is the result. … Preachers’ wives are also being promiscuous in epidemic numbers! … The greatest safeguard against immorality is a Godly marriage!  However, most preachers do not have such marriages! … [Such marriages] must be in the will of God. … Unfortunately, few Christian couples give that priority[.] … [M]ore and more preachers’ wives are being promiscuous.  The majority are unhappy in their marriages. … There are no instructions concerning the pastor’s wife in the entire Bible.  … You need NOT work at a good marriage … [T]his [needs] more emphasis … it rebukes the most common falsehood. … A good marriage just flows. … NO! One does not work at a good marriage. … [T]he majority of preachers do not have a happy marriage. … The author’s books, DEAR PREACHER, PLEASE QUIT, and CHURCH SPLIT … [can be] refer[red] to … for more thoughts.

 

[Note: There are two options here. 1.) What Branson says is true about the circles he runs in, in which case his circles are full of unqualified preachers and are an absolute madhouse, full of perversion and wickedness, full of pastors who—contrary to his advice—should immediately resign and get their houses in order.  In his Preacher, Please Quit! he says that over 90% of fundamental pastors should quit because they do not have the type of “call” that he thinks NT preachers need to have, one like OT prophets—but pastors with these sorts of awful home lives should just stay in the ministry.  2.) Branson is making this up—somehow very few people know this or will admit it to anyone, but he knows about it.

Also, whatever the case, those who follow Branson’s advice will very strongly tend toward paranoia and suspicion, and are much more likely to destroy their marriages, just like they will destroy their churches.  Furthermore, in Dear Abner we can see Branson is still on board with the wretched garbage in his earlier books.]

 

Chapter Twelve

SECONDARY SEPARATION

and tertiary, and quaternary, and quinary, and…. [sic]

 

Secondary separation is a term that means one should be separated in all respects from those who may be fundamental and sound in every way, but who cooperate in some way with someone who is not considered sound … the “secondary separation” philosophy is wrong. … It really is impossible to be consistent in the practice and teaching of secondary separation. … Paul preached in the synagogues of wicked, apostate Jewry.  Jesus did the same.  Were they guilty of not being properly separated? … On an individual level, there was the young liberal who blasted the old fundamentalist during a debate at a pastor’s meeting … [t]he older man … could have ruined the young liberal if he had so chosen.  Instead, he spoke gently to him, bought him dinner and began to show him the error of his ways.  The old pastor took him along with other conservatives gathered, introducing him and making a place for him.  In due time, the young pastor saw the fallacy of his liberal views. … Now, if the old pastor had followed the insistent demands of the second degree separationist, he would have had nothing to do with the young man … [o]f all doctrines invented by the minds of men, secondary separation is one of the worst. .. It is an awful doctrine.

 

[Note: Separating from those who think one should not take a liberal along with you and introduce and make way for him is one of the worst doctrines every devised by men—right up there with Molech worship, Gnosticism, Islam, Catholicism, etc.]

 

Chapter Thirteen

INVENTED DOCTRINES

 

[Opposing] ALIEN IMMERSION … is basically an invented doctrine. … There is enough to fuss about without brawling with a fellow who accepts a … Pentecostal believer without baptizing them again[.] … NO BAPTISM WITHOUT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP … This is a beauty, and an invention crafted solely in the minds of idle men. … The argument goes, “One cannot be baptized unless he is baptized by the authority of a local church, and simultaneously becomes a member of that church when he is baptized.”  What nonsense! … Where does the Bible say baptism must be authorized by a local church? … DIVERS DRESS DEMANDS … An example, the one most often mentioned, would be the way many fundamentalists rage against women wearing slacks. …

 

[Note: The above are allegedly “invented doctrines.”  But what is a true doctrine?]

 

Did Jesus suffer in hell? … [M]any think Jesus did actually suffer in Hell. … [H]e must have suffered the judgment, the debt of sin – Hell. … The problem is that the aforementioned fundamentalist publication called heresy the teaching that Jesus actually went to Hell to pay the sin debt. … Spiritual cannibalism.  That is what it is.

 

[So if you separate from someone who denies Christ completed the work of redemption on the cross, but instead thinks the cross was not enough and Jesus was tortured in Hell—a heresy Branson believes—you are a spiritual cannibal, according to Branson.]

 

Chapter Fourteen

INDEPENDENTS VERSUS SOUTHERN BAPTISTS

 

The author … cannot agree with the many Independent Baptists who continually hammer those good Bible loving men who remain in the Southern Baptist house. … Once again we find Joab’s knife crudely wielded by his spiritual heirs, cutting and slashing away at the body of Christ, dividing, maiming, diluting, weakening and making it more vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. … [as with the] Joabian issue of “secondary separation” … [there are] REASONS WHY IT IS NOT RIGHT TO INSIST CONSERVATIVES LEAVE THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION … [even though] [o]ne of the critical errors being made as this book is written in 1991 and 1992, is the failure to fire outright the liberals and “moderates” in the colleges and seminaries. … Instead, it seems that conservatives are taking the route of replacing liberals “through attrition” – that is, waiting until they retire, quit, or die.  This strategy could be fatal. … [A] substantial portion of another two generations of young preachers, missionaries and laymen will be ruined by these liberals. … Secondly, by permitting the liberals to continue training these young people, conservatives are permitting the liberals to raise up, in house, the opposition with which to undo all that has been accomplished. … [I]n 1991 the author was asked to speak to a meeting of Southern Baptist pastors. … [O]ne hopes … that the coming decades will see [Independent and Southern Baptists] working together and in unison for the common cause of Christ Jesus.

 

 Chapter Fifteen

PENTECOSTALS VS BAPTISTS AND OTHER WARS

 

The fact is, just as many Pentecostal folks are saved and genuinely love the Word as Baptists.  Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say that not one in four members of Baptist churches are really saved.  That may very well be true.  Regardless, whatever the percentage of lost people on Baptist church rolls, we think the same approximate number of unsaved would be found among Pentecostal church members.

 

[Note: No wonder Branson is against congregational church government—he thinks 75% of church members are not saved, and of those who are saved, 90% are “carnal Christians” who are wicked.  That leaves 2.5% of Baptist church members whom he thinks are not either lost or carnal and wicked, just like the world.  He is also perfectly fine with Pentecostal “churches” that he fully expects to be full of lost church members.]

 

But, let us speak of more than just Pentecostals and Baptists.  Dotted here and there around the world are old-time Methodists, Presbyterians … Lutherans, non-denominational churches, and others; they believe in salvation [and other fundamentals] …

 

[Note: Branson gives no warnings about damnable heresies like the Lutheran doctrine of baptismal regeneration.  Rejecting eternal security is no barrier to cooperation, nor is demonic wickedness like Pentecostal so-called “tongues.”]

 

PROPER AND IMPROPER RELATIONS BETWEEN PENTECOSTALS, BAPTISTS AND OTHERS … Cooperation does not imply amalgamation. … In Free China the author was asked to preach in a Pentecostal church. … Again, in Korea, he preached to several thousand Presbyterians in one of the great churches there … he spoke to a group of … many different denominations … [the way that] Billy Sunday, Dwight Moody and others used to have city wide crusades and every Bible believing church would support them. … [W]e know a Baptist pastor and a Pentecostal evangelist who are close friends.  The evangelist has an open invitation to stay in the pastor’s home and preach in his church anytime he is in the area, usually once a year[,] [although they differ on] the issues of tongues and eternal security. … They preach the essentials together, and neither undermines in any way the ministry of the other … [t]he right course … Baptists and Pentecostals [should] cooperate in various efforts [and] preach in one another’s churches … mutual differences not involving cardinal doctrine will not be made an issue. … Horror!  That is the reaction of some reading this. “A Baptist letting a Pentecostal preach in his pulpit?”, or, “A Baptist preaching for a Pentecostal?” … The disgrace!  Never!  Never should such sacrilege happen!” Come now.  Chapter and verse?  Come on. … Would you separate over … coffee drinking?  Some folks do consider it sinful, you know. … Dr. Richard Wurmbrand  [a famous Lutheran minister] … spoke in the author’s church in the early 1970’s … Baptists, Pentecostals, and all born again Christians are glad [in various situations] to have common prayer meetings[.] … THE ENEMY IS TAKING THE CAMP WHILE WE SNIPE AT OUR BROTHERS!

 

Chapter Sixteen

Summary and Conclusion

STAR WARS!

Who Shall Be Captain Of The Host?

 

[It is to] unsheathe Joab’s knife to … dismiss all who are not of one’s own denomination.  Thus, Baptists eliminate all Pentecostals, etc., and Pentecostals eliminate all Baptists. …

 

HERESIES, HERESIES, HERESIES!  HERESIES FOR EVERYONE! … Did Jesus Go To Hell? And what did He do there? … Two of the several “horrible heresies, vile and wicked blasphemies,” was [sic] that Christ actually went to Hell between His death and resurrection, and that the cross alone did not finish the work of redemption.  However, there are many good Bible believers that think Christ actually went to Hell … This author … arrive[ed] at the same conclusion. … As far as WHEN the Atonement was completed … [it was] after His death, and, we think most agree, after the Resurrection … another preacher is [falsely] called a heretic because he preached the atonement was not finished on the cross. … the preacher was called a heretic because he said Christ suffered for our sins in Hell. … [But the] wages of sin, hellfire, were yet to be suffered [and the completion of atonement] yet to be performed. … [T]hat is this writer’s view. … RESIST UNNECESARY DIVISION[.]

 

Some Bonus (Faux) Gems on Various Pages:

 

Loose evangelism:

 

Over a thousand have been “saved” in a single service Branson has conducted. (iii, DPPQ)

This writer favors church busses and promotions. (5, DPPQ)

 

[C]arnal Christians [are] the majority of the membership of all churches today[.] (pg. 180, DPPQ)

[C]arnal Christians [are] well over 90 percent of all church members. (103, CS.)

Do not let carnal Christians rule the church, even at the cost of a split. (192, CS)

There are many in our churches that are spiritual incorrigibles. They cannot, will not be placated. (118, CS)

Carnal Christians; the majority of every church except for a few very small ones, perhaps[.] … Carnal Christians … God and His Word has little place in their lives.  Material things are supreme, and the welfare of their children is second to money … The carnal Christian … carnal, wicked Christians … d[o] what wicked people have always done – seeks to justify himself by unjustly finding fault with that which condemns his sin. (188-190, CS)

This generation of Christians is the most wicked, carnal, week, rebellious, and unseparated in history. (148, CS)

 

The fact is, just as many Pentecostal folks are saved and genuinely love the Word as Baptists.  Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say that not one in four members of Baptist churches are really saved.  That may very well be true.  Regardless, whatever the percentage of lost people on Baptist church rolls, we think the same approximate number of unsaved would be found among Pentecostal church members. (333, DA)

 

[Note: No wonder Branson is against congregational church government—he thinks 75% of church members are not saved, and of those who are saved, 90% are “carnal Christians” who are wicked.  That leaves 2.5%, or less, of Baptist church members whom he thinks are not either lost or carnal and wicked, just like the world.  He is also perfectly fine with Pentecostal “churches” that he fully expects to be full of lost church members.  With just 2.5%, or less, of church members who are not lost or carnal and wicked, Branson’s rejection of congregational church polity becomes comprehensible.  His regular comparison of the NT assembly to the Israelites in the wilderness—most of whom were not saved—also makes much more sense on his “carnal Christian” assumptions.  Of course, what he says here is all unscriptural garbage.]

 

Here is a simple, five-part plan of salvation that can be given in any invitation in twenty seconds to a minute, depending on whether or not the pastor chooses to quote the Scripture verses that follow.

 

1. No one is good enough to go to heaven. Romans 3:10
2. Everybody is a sinner. Romans 3:23
3. There is a terrible penalty for sin. Romans 6:23, with Revelation 20:14.
4. Jesus paid the penalty in our place and rose again from the grave. Romans 6:23 and John 3:16.
5. If one believes that and asks Him to, Jesus will forgive his sins and taken him to heaven. John 3:16 or any of numerous Scriptures. (pg. 194, DPPQ)

 

[Note: You don’t even need to quote the verses, you can leave out the Trinity, leave out repentance (as long as you include the “sinner’s prayer”), and rattle this plan off in twenty seconds to a minute, but if you don’t do this at the end of your sermon you are an “abomination” and preachers who don’t do this are “imposters.”]

 

[At an invitation:] We do not recommend that the pastor do the counseling himself. He needs to carry on the invitation and no one else will be as effective in it as he. (pg. 195, DPPQ)

 

[Note: Whether you personally speak to lost sinners who need help is not as important as standing at the front and telling people to “come to the altar.”  That is more important than actually talking to individual seeking sinners after a message.]

 

[When looking for a new pastor,] [c]arefully question him as to his doctrinal beliefs. … [pages of questions follow.  Not one is about the doctrine of repentance or about how many false professions he makes in evangelism, or anything about carefulness in evangelism.] (pgs. 220-228, DPPQ)

 

Minced oaths, pgs. 89, 217, DPPQ, pg. 156, CS, pg. 93, 142, 213, 295, DA

 

People Don’t Change:

 

Those who lack good character and integrity are not likely ever to attain them. (Pg. 116, CS)

 

[Note: This is contrary to the whole NT doctrine of sanctification and casts doubt on the power of the Holy Spirit, but encourages pastors to just cast out and reject some of their sheep.  Other quotes of this kind have been cited above already.]

 

Miscellaneous False Teachings:

 

Close Communion, no baptism without church membership, and so on, are Scripturally unsupportable [.] (pg. 137, DPPQ)

 

[There are] many wonderful Christians … [who are] Pentecostal brother[s] (yes, brother). (pg. 138, DPPQ)  [Note: Someone can be truly born again despite the confusion and fanaticism of Pentecostalism, but such statements need serious qualification and warning attached to them.]

 

[T]he author was a Southern Baptist for many years and is naturally familiar with the SBC. … we are not opposed to denominations, by no means[.] [W]e have great hopes that the SBC will be the first major denomination in history to turn back to Biblical Christianity after falling into liberalism. (132-133, 135, CS)

 

[I]f one simply begins at a particular passage of Scripture and expounds, verse by verse, he will find over a period of time that he is deteriorating into nothing more than a teacher.  Christians raised on this type of so-called preaching are without doubt the most uninformed, unenthusiastic, unproductive Christians imaginable. … [This is] homiletical garbage. (pgs. 196-197, DPPQ)

 

When Jesus preached on hell-fire, He always preached it to His disciples. (pg. 198, DPPQ)

[W]hen Jesus preached about hellfire He always preached it to His disciples. (pg. 172, CS)

 

We are not advising anyone to leave their denomination because of problems within it. (178, CS)

 

Branson had a famous Lutheran minister preach at his church (pg. 222, CS).  (Lutheran confessions unabashedly teach baptismal regeneration, of course.)

 

Branson lists schools from Ashland Theological Seminary to Hyles-Anderson to Moody to Southwest Baptist and a great number of other neo-evangelical and fundamentalist schools together and concludes:  “The majority [of graduates from these schools who responded to his survey] are unquestionably fundamentalists in the noblest sense of the word.” (243-244, CS)

 

Ignorant Arguments for Ruckmanism:

 

Since … 1611 … only typographical errors have been corrected … [in the] KJV. (pg. 242, DA.  Note: That simply is false, as any number of scholarly sources have documented, or as one can see by a simple comparison of the 1611 and 1769 KJV.)

 

Westcott and Hort … all English Translations other than the KJV 1611 are based on their translations. (pg. 243, DA.  By far most are, but not all.)

 

Except in rare instances, whenever anyone … refers to the “original language” … they are using texts based on Westcott’s and Hort’s translations of the two Alexandrian texts. (pg. 243, DA.  Branson seems to think that Westcott and Hort “translated” Vaticanus and Sinaiticus into … Greek?  This is simply weird.)

 

Based on the Alexandrian texts and the work of Westcott and Hort, the modern versions delete the virgin birth of Christ … [in] Isaiah 7:14[.] (pgs. 243-244, DA.  Of course, Isaiah 7:14 is in the Hebrew Old Testament, and the mistranslation in some modern versions in Isaiah 7:14 has nothing to do with Westcott, Hort, or Alexandrian Greek NT MSS.  There is no textual variant in the Old Testament text in this passage.)

 

 

Ruckmanism Affirmed:

 

“Greek and Hebrew … [are] harmful to the Christian and should be repudiated as a tool in the preaching of the man of God. … Greek and Hebrew caus[e] confusion among the flock. … [U]se of the Greek or Hebrew is a self-serving thing. … [W]e have yet to hear any preacher, nationally renowned or not, that has ever added any understanding to any Scripture passage by the use of Greek or Hebrew … [the] Greek rendering actually takes away from the meaning of the Scripture and dilutes it. … The so-called rendering of the Greek never adds to the understanding of Scripture. … [W]hen one goes into his Hebrew and Greek routine, he is doing the same thing that is done in that so called paraphrase of the Bible … “Good News for Modern Man.” … Hebrew and Greek [are] sowing the seeds of confusion and distrust concerning the Word of God … ego pleasing … motivates the use of the Hebrew and Greek. (pgs. 202-212, DPPQ)

 

[T]he majority of Christians [wrongly] do not trust their King James Bible, or feel they must have a Hebrew or Greek text to check their Bibles[.] (Pg. 244, DA)

 

“This author believes the King James Bible to be the word of God.  It cannot be improved upon in any instance, he believes, and any supposed improvement through “the rendering of the original language,” cannot but result in rending, rather than rendering.” (pg. 55, CS)

 

FOR THE KING JAMES 1611 BIBLE … Dr. Peter Ruckman … one of our most brilliant minds. … While respecting and agreeing with many of Dr. Ruckman’s views, and conceding that he well may be one of the few true scholars in New Testament Greek – certainly among the most skillful of all Bible believers in that area – we think some of his attitudes, methods and words are not needed, nor are they proper. … The author … does not believe anyone has ever improved upon the wording of the KJV in any instance, nor that it can be improved upon. … Peter Ruckman … it is questionable if the Bible believing camp of the 1990’s has a man that is more of a bona fide scholar in Biblical languages and manuscripts. … By the way, this is a good place to pause and say that too much is made of so-called “manuscript evidence.” … [C]ontinual referrals to the  ’original [sic] languages’ … called into question the veracity of every verse of Scripture. … From the KIV the Bible had been translated into a multitude of other languages … I am grateful for … Edward Hill [sic] and others whose books give the full story of the manuscript evidence. (pgs. 246, 258, DA)

 

[Note: In conclusion, Branson’s books are garbage.  They are not Biblical; they are not Baptist; they are not scholarly; they are not accurate.  They are a great place to get horrible, unbiblical, Satanic advice that will deny the sufficiency of Christ and His complete redemption on the cross, confuse the gospel, crush sheep, destroy churches, and fill pastors with unbiblical pride.  I would not recommend them to anyone, and anyone who thinks they are a great place to learn how to pastor has a shocking lack of spiritual discernment.]

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