Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: April 15, 2007
WILL THE PROPOSAL BE ACCEPTED?
Ben Justice
On June 15-16 2006, the West Kentucky Bible Lectures took place. The theme of
the lectureship was “The Holy Spirit.” Speakers on the lectureship were Curtis
Cates, Keith Mosher, B.J. Clarke, Charles Leonard, Gary Colley, Glenn Colley,
and Robert Taylor. This lectureship also had an open forum with Gary Colley
serving as the moderator. The first question asked was, “Brother Cates,
although this has somewhat been answered previously, I think it would be well
for you to give your statement. In view of all that has been written over the last
year in widely distributed brotherhood publications, would Brothers Cates and
Mosher please clarify whether the leadership of the Memphis School of
Preaching (hereafter, MSOP — BJ) supports Dave Miller as director of Apologetics
Press?” First, Brother Cates responded. After Brother Cates was finished,
Brother Colley said, “Thank you, Brother Cates.” Then, Keith Mosher addressed
the question. Although what Brother Cates had to say was absolutely pathetic
in that it does not address or answer the overwhelming evidence, I want to state
what Brother Mosher had to say in his answer.
MOSHER: This statement is typed, which means the brother or sister had it
made up before they got here. I call those set up questions, and I’m speaking for
myself, not the MSOP.
MY RESPONSE: Brother Mosher makes a big deal about it being typed out before
hand and that such is a “set-up” question. What difference does it make? How
come a person can’t type up a question at home that he/she would like to have
addressed in the open forum? To say it is a “set-up” question is to question the
person’s motives.
MOSHER’S CONTINUED ANSWER: I teach logic and this is the kind of question
that says, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” It doesn’t matter what we say,
somebody is going to write about us. I have been preaching 42 years brethren,
and I stand right where I stood 42 years ago, and my friends will believe that and
my enemies won’t. But, these people are a vile group, and I do mean vile as I
have ever read after in my life. I have never seen the kind of attitude they have.
They want to destroy about 9 good works in the brotherhood just to prove a
point. And, I want to tell you all in public, this isn’t about Dave Miller. This is
not about Dave Miller. . .
MOSHER FURTHER SAYS: . . . Just call him, and see where he stands. If you’
re going to believe some of these publications, you’re going to have the problem,
because those brethren are lying to you.
MY RESPONSE: Brother Mosher referred to those who have exposed Dave Miller
and MSOP’s fellowshipping of him as “a vile group, and I do mean vile.” Just
look up the word “vile” in the dictionary and you will read something like this:
“Hateful, disgusting, miserably poor, wretched, very unpleasant, morally low.” Is
this what Brother Mosher believes? He accuses those of us who have exposed
Miller and MSOP as lying. Therefore, liars. Nowhere in Mosher’s answer did he
give any evidence that we are vile and lying. Prove it.
After Mosher finished speaking, Brother Colley returned to the microphone and
made a few statements of his own. Notice his words:
COLLEY’S REMARKS: When I mentioned this to Brother Cates and also Brother
Keith, they said maybe we shouldn’t get into that. I said, “Let’s do, because
these things need to be known.” There is a lot that is being said that hadn’t
been answered and the reason being, it takes two to fight and these men aren’t
wanting to fight. But, it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. And, I believe I can
recommend the MSOP as well as what these men are doing unqualified. And, I
think truly if you will check out your stories you’ll decide the same thing . . .”
MY RESPONSE: Do these men not know how to produce evidence that proves
we are wrong about Miller? Those of us who have exposed Miller have evidence
as high as a mountain. Miller’s own oral sermon and his words we all have.
What do they have? Not a speck. All they can say is that we are vile and lying.
When Brother Colley says, “But, it doesn’t mean they’re wrong,” it implies that
they are right. Okay, prove it. Prove that those who have exposed Dave Miller
are all wrong. Produce the evidence.
After Colley finished with his remarks, Brother Cates wanted to add a few
additional remarks. After Brother Cates finished, Brother Charles Leonard came
to the microphone and added his two cents.
LEONARD: “. . . And I maintain this, that when you have difficulty among
brethren and brethren have something, say two brothers here and one has a
problem against the other and said, “Now, we need to meet and work this out.”
Well now, if there is no meeting, there won’t be any working out. And, I have
known of brethren across the years that would say, “I’m not about to meet.”
How can you solve problems when brethren are unwilling to sit down and to
meet? . . . Now, the only way to solve problems is to get brethren together and
when brethren won’t get together and they won’t meet, you can’t solve any
problems. We’ve got some brethren in the brotherhood that won’t meet and they
‘re not about to solve any problems.”
MY RESPONSE: They don’t at all believe this. How do I know? Because their
actions prove it. All of these fellows had an open invitation to sit down and meet
together to discuss these issues and problems at the 2006 open forum in Spring,
Texas. Not a single one showed. Why not? Brother Leonard was right when he
said, “We’ve got some brethren in the brotherhood that won’t meet . . .” He didn’
t know but he was on the same forum with them. But alas, another attempt has
been made. Brother Lynn Parker wrote an open letter to Brother’s Cates and
Mosher. The letter reads as follows:
Brethren:
During an Open Forum, you made a charge that brethren opposing you were “vile” and lying. You
defended Dave Miller. You rejected the opportunity offered you at the Spring, Texas Open Forum.
By way of this email, I am proposing that the two of you, on behalf of FH (Forest Hill Church of
Christ — BJ) and MSOP, appear on a forum of your design at the Forest Hill building or some other
mutually agreeable location. I offer to be one of two or more speakers representing opposition to
your practices (especially regarding fellowship) and claims. If I am not acceptable to you, please
name the man or men who would be. I would stipulate that the forum be (1) public and (2) video
or tape-recorded with copies available to anyone who requests one.
The purpose of this forum would be to present the truth, expose error, and inform the
brotherhood. Details of the discussion topics, dates, and times can be arranged mutually but we
still would say that we are asking you to begin arrangements since our proposals have not been
acceptable to you.
Surely you believe that truth has nothing to fear from exposure (1 Thess. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:15). “The
ball is in your court.”
For the brotherhood and the truth, Lynn Parker
Brethren, I can’t think of any fairer proposal than the one Brother Parker has set
forth. The question is, “Will the proposal be accepted?” We shall wait and see.
As of now, there has been no response. They are truly showing their true colors.
[To listen to the open forum answers in its entirety,
visit: www.thedemaslist.org]