"John"

To the leaders at Vision Baptist Church.

I thank you for taking the time to read through this letter as well as others that have been sent in. May God grant wisdom and discernment in this difficult time.

My name is "John", and I moved to Georgia to begin the process of becoming a missionary through VBM in 2014. My family and I recently left in May of 2021.

Several of my friends, Matt Smith, Aaron Bashore, and Brendon Wung had all encouraged me to pursue training at Vision after I had graduated college. When I arrived, I remember several things that quickly stood out to me.

1. Loyalty to AG is paramount.
2. Any teacher or theological position AG didn’t like was not welcomed for discussion.
3. If you didn’t like how things are done, then your panties are in a wad.
4. AG’s uncharitable spirit.

I believe it is also important to note that most of my observations are from the perspective of a VBM missionary who was never a part of the inner circle. I remember stating multiple times to missionaries and TC students that I wanted to learn from Austin Gardner (AG) but that I would never become a Gardnerite like many of the others there. Because of that, my friendship with men like Aaron B, and my previous schooling I was never very close to AG.

1) Loyalty to AG is paramount.

I noticed from the beginning and discussed with friends and family back home that everybody seemed to worship AG and would bend over backwards to get his approval. I had never been anywhere like Vision where every answer seemed to be, “What does AG think.” I was told by multiple TC students and Leaders at Vision that I really needed to be spending as much time with AG as possible. At face value this might not seem like a problem. Spending time with an older experienced minister isn’t a bad thing. The issue was that the goal was to be in complete submission to the will and thoughts of AG. I witnessed numerous grown men asking questions like, “How many hours a week should I spend with my family?” “Should I only talk to my wife in the foreign language when we move?” To be a part of the inner circle and in the good graces of AG you had to continually be begging him to tell you what to do with every aspect of your life. The culture of VBM and the Training Center is to be in as much submission to AG as possible if you want success.

2) Any teacher or theological position AG didn’t like was not welcomed for discussion.

Coming from Northland International University, we had been taught to respect and engage with other Christians who held various theological positions. Both in class and in the dorm there would be various theological views given and hours spent discussing them. When I arrived at Vision, I quickly found out that the only position that mattered was what AG said. I remember sitting in Brendon Wung’s apartment and being told that “We don’t really discuss some of these theological things because Bro Austin doesn’t like it.” That didn’t seem like a good reason to not be able to discuss topics such as Bible versions, soteriology, end times, etc. I also was told “I was going to get it” by other TC students because I had brought books with me by authors such as John Piper and Tim Keller who AG did not approve of. I heard godly men, who had deeply impacted my own Christian walk, repeatedly mocked with language reminiscent of high school. I lost count of the many times Piper was called “Pooper” because his theological views were not in line with AG. I have no problem with brothers in Christ disagreeing on important doctrinal points, but the constant belittling and childish names used to drag down Christian brothers was not how any follower of Christ should act. Especially someone like AG that many other people looked up to and gladly imitated. The theology of VBM and the TC is whatever AG says it is. I remember asking other missionaries theological questions wanting their viewpoint, and they would typically respond with, “Whatever Bro Austin says.” This type of culture that depends so much on a man is not healthy nor sustainable.

3) If you don’t like how things are done, then your panties are in a wad.

I remember watching many other people who AG thought might be questioning his ideas get mocked and ridiculed in front of the entire Friday Class. Even if the question wasn’t critical, if he perceived it was, then the person would be shot down sometimes without any answer at all. In the beginning I would ask genuine questions, but would normally always be answered with, “You just think your smart because you went to college.” Then my question would either be ignored, or a quick answer given and then he would move on. I was always confused because I wasn’t trying to prove anything except to ask a sincere question. I would even privately say to AG that I am not trying to attack him but just asking sincere questions. Eventually I quit trying to ask serious questions because of the snide responses. Lastly, I remember asking my wife after living in Georgia for several months why she didn’t like coming to Friday Classes. She responded by saying, “All we ever talk about is sex and poop.” Of course, there was much more talked about, but these two things were constantly referenced. Whenever I would hear someone mention the crude talk, they would immediately get shut down by AG or others. If you voiced your dislike of AG’s crudeness you were called “gay” or told “your panties are in a wad.” Locker room talk is not the discussion here, but a room full of young men and women coming to learn and study God’s word and how to do ministry continually hearing crude language and jokes. The last time I was around Vision in 2020, I heard a joke from AG where he said, in front of the father of a girl soon to be married that, “Her little chest would get split by the guy the first time they have sex.” Many guys standing around in the room laughed, but I was horrified. Horrified for the father who shook his head and continued to type away on his computer and horrified by the supposed role model we were all told to emulate. Lastly, it was often the case when someone left VBM that they would be criticized by the AG and others. Often, we would hear how most other missionaries apart from VBM have “Poop for brains,” and don’t know what they are doing. Often those who left VBM were relegated to the same rank, even if they continued in the ministry with another board. Good friends of mine who were still faithfully serving Jesus would be talked about as losers for leaving by AG and others. The culture at VBM has been this insulated way since I first joined.

4) AG’s uncharitable spirit.

I was never comfortable hearing from AG that he didn’t really care much for being with the members of his church. He would often say the only thing he really wants to do is train men and the church was just something he had to do to achieve his goal. For a pastor and leader to repeatedly make statements that he doesn’t really care about spending time with his church members because they aren’t really doing anything with their lives for God except giving money for missions is not a characteristic of a loving and biblically qualified pastor in my opinion. Furthermore, when discussing missions, the statement that, “You don’t want to work with poor people” was made numerous times. Unfortunately, it was taught by AG that missions was essentially a numbers game. It all boiled down to being in the right part of town reaching the right demographic that had a proper amount of money. This is a good business model, but hardly the model of Jesus displayed in the Scriptures. A deacon from my home church (Westwood Heights Baptist Church) voiced some concern to me when he visited VBC in 2014. He told me that he had asked AG why he started a church in Alpharetta and said that AG’s response was “Money”. Lastly, to my own shame, I learned to talk out of both sides of my mouth very well while at Vision. There were many Friday Classes where we were taught how to answer pastors when they asked questions about how much money we were supposed to raise or on theological beliefs. Instead of being instructed to give straightforward answers about how we are not required to only use a certain version of the Bible in our private devotions at VBM, we were taught how to obfuscate the point and answer it in a way that would pacify the questioner. Instead of being told to just give a straight answer about music, Bible versions, money, and a host of other things, we were instructed to play the politician and answer the question we wanted to answer. All of these things do not seem to come from a heart of a loving and biblically minded pastor and leader.

I had discussed with my wife and some close friends about leaving VBM since 2016. The concerns mentioned were in our mind as well as some theological differences with the board. We witnessed many other missionaries leave but were typically told they were bitter or just couldn’t hack it as missionaries. Of the few missionaries that we were personally close to, we knew this was simply not true. When we decided to leave in 2021, I was asked by Jeff Bush and Mark Coffey to leave quietly and not to make a big deal about anything or throw mud like others had done. Unfortunately, I believe that what are legitimate concerns given by other missionaries about the leadership of VBM were merely chalked up to bitterness and mud throwing and not taken seriously. I was also told by friends that had left VBM that saying anything about my problems with leadership would go unheard and that I would be mocked. Therefore, when we left, I did not bring up any of these issues we had had for many years.

In conclusion, it is important to note that not everything done by AG is being called into question. There were many times when he spoke truth and gave helpful advice. The purpose of this letter is to shed some light on the reality of how the culture of VBM and the TC are not healthy according to biblical standards. Without a doubt AG is the one that everyone looks up to and desires to be like at VBM and TC. The question is, is that a good thing considering the numerous accounts of sin and disqualifying pastoral conduct given by many who have been under his ministry.