"Jonah"

My dear friends,

I miss some of you brothers and sisters very much, and I lament the distance that has grown between us over the past decade. Of course, that distance is due to the deterioration of my relationship with your former pastor. I have never been an official member of Vision Baptist Church, but I do like to think I’ve been a close friend in times past.

There are those who think that the only way a disciple of Austin Gardner can complain against him is by forgetting all his past kindnesses. So let me state clearly the size of my debt to him. Brother Gardner provided me a path that led me...

• out of dangerous false teaching
• into missions service
• to meet and marry my wife

God could have done these things by other means, but he chose to use your pastor to bless me in these ways. How can I not be grateful?

But there seems to be great confusion about this truth: an act of kindness does not expunge an act of sin. A person may do a great amount of good for others and also be responsible for sowing new sins. It’s also possible to be a very kind man to some people while being a very unkind man to others. As a certain man has put it himself, the BE level is the foundation—take it away and you have nothing. You may preach to others and be a castaway yourself. Unless a man is known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, he is not even qualified to wait on tables in the church. Full, that is, of the Holy Spirit that produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Doubtless, some of you have observed these things in his life, but he is known to a rapidly growing number of people to not display this fruit in large and important areas of his life.

Independent Baptist congregations have always consulted with other Baptist ministers about the qualifications of one of their members to serve in gospel ministry. My desire is to provide such a consult as an outside Baptist minister who yet has had ample opportunity to observe your former pastor. And Brother Gardner is unqualified to serve as a minister of Christ’s gospel regardless of whether or not Becky Earnhart’s allegations are true.

I certainly understand that people’s issues with Brother Gardner are often the result of a personality or even cultural clash. Perhaps some people do get their feelings hurt too easily. Maybe terms like “spiritual abuse” are thrown around too casually. My feelings have certainly been hurt many times, but I don’t have any interest in talking about those things. I just want to talk about sin. “No one is perfect”—but some redeemed sinners are qualified to be examples to the flock, and others are not.

It is not even a secret that Brother Gardner is a man of ungracious speech. When you are with him behind closed doors, there is no one that is safe from his unkind words, especially those who are not present. And there is no secret confided in him that he will not bare to others. I am ashamed to admit that I know things about my friends that I have no business knowing whatsoever, because Brother Gardner divulged them to me. Some of the very people that have risen to defend his honor in this recent crisis appear to be unaware of the times that Austin Gardner has mocked them as idiots behind their backs. Every young man who has worked with him knows the quiet thrill that fills the room when he gets started betraying people’s confidences and belittling pastors, missionaries, and his own church members. And we have relished it, to our shame.

Is there any missionary who doesn’t know that Brother Gardner’s ego has to be continually stroked? Anyone who has worked with him knows his well-worn habit of deferring honors or speaking in a self-deprecating way, which then elicits a chorus of praise and insistence that he takes the honors that he deserves. For as long as I’ve known him, he has been surrounded by men that are deeply impressed with him and think that he is far more important than he is. He might say that he can’t help what honor the missionaries give him. This is not true. A humble man would not allow young men around him to say the kinds of things about him that these young men say about him constantly. To accept such honors is a sin against God.

I know very few Christians who more clearly display “confidence in the flesh” than Brother Gardner. We were together in another country once when he said emphatically, “I know I could build a ministry here.” This kind of attitude—this confidence in technique and power—should be shocking to any Christian. Brother Gardner openly speaks of his statistical successes in Peru as if they are owing to his own ideas and abilities. While many, myself included, have gleaned much from Brother Gardner’s frank discussions about ministry, it has also made plain that he has complete confidence in his own philosophy. Quite apart from whether or not it is a good idea to plant churches and train leaders, it is a sin against God to pretend that we can guarantee certain results from our gospel preaching. Can anyone pretend that this confidence is not a major factor in Brother Gardner’s recruitment, training, and ongoing direction for missionaries? Will anyone deny that this confidence in his philosophy of ministry makes him (and his young followers) dismiss and belittle anyone who has not studied with him personally?

Brother Gardner is many things, but he is not a man whose mind is renewed by the gospel. This means his teaching ministry has dangerous aberrations that should not be ignored. Such a weight is placed upon evangelizing the nations that missions becomes the principal measure of sanctification and church health. And a hundred scriptures have to be bent backwards to support this idea. His counsel to married couples, to parents, to struggling missionaries, and others is often unwise, overbearing, vindictive, and unbiblical. It affects his approach to Christian unity. He (and his young men) feel comfortable discussing Christian brothers as if they were enemies. Again, will anyone pretend that Brother Gardner’s teaching ministry is biblically balanced, theologically rich, or gospel centered?

All of these are issues that ought to prevent the ordination of a young man to gospel ministry. How much more do they disqualify a man of Brother Gardner’s age and experience? He often responds to complaints by saying that he doesn’t know what it is that he’s done wrong. This hardly makes things better! Is a man who acts in these ways and fails to see what is wrong with it fit to be a minister of the gospel?

Issues Beyond Austin Gardner

Unfortunately, the issues at Vision Baptist Missions do not stop with Brother Gardner. I urge you, church, for righteousness’s sake, to recognize your responsibilities here. A great many of these young men and women are members of your church, your “staff missionaries.” What these men do across the country and around the world, they do in the name of Christ and in your name. Many of those staff missionaries who have left your church and your board in recent years told me repeatedly that in spite of all their reservations about the board, they loved your church and believed it was good and healthy. They were finally forced to reevaluate. VBM is a ministry of your church, and it has been used as a convenient front for missionaries to act in unprincipled ways.

Those who have known me for many years may be wondering about my own hypocrisy in leveling charges like these. Wasn’t I just as sinful and proud in my twenties as the young men I’m criticizing? Yes, I was. God have mercy! But growing out of that immature state is not automatic, and I’m concerned that the pressures on these men to not grow have historically been very great indeed. I know that, toward the end of my own association with Vision, most growth of grace in my life came in the face of mockery, anger, and opposition from Brother Gardner. Simply put, as long as someone is walking in lockstep with Austin Gardner, they are not becoming more like Christ. And this recent crisis has certainly demonstrated just how committed many of your staff missionaries are to defend Brother Gardner at all costs.

Many of these young men are being thrust into the ministry with a woefully inadequate knowledge of God’s word and his gospel. Nor does there appear to be any need to demonstrate that they are qualified to serve as mature examples for other believers. Does admissions to and promotion within VBM ranks favor men of godliness, prayer, and fullness of the Holy Spirit? Or are they mostly remarkable for their bluster, their efficiency, and their loyalty? What is the opinion of your church’s members of some of these staff members?

Their attitudes about non-missionaries, other churches, other missionaries, and other denominations are generally appalling. For example, because I happen to believe what Charles Spurgeon believed about the sovereignty of God, I am considered an unteachable idiot. Young men that I once counted friends avoid me like a devil and talk about me like a fool.

Many of your missionaries are unprincipled in attaining and using funds. They regularly raise twice as much money as other missionaries on their field. It would be one thing if they were up front with churches that this is what they were doing. But they are taking advantage of the fact that the vast majority of pastors do not ask about support level. Doubtless, they all have more money to spend on the ministry than most missionaries. But it is equally apparent that they spend much more on their lifestyle than most missionaries. Austin Gardner is clearly responsible for many of these practices, as there is nearly no guidance for dealing with money problems besides “raise more.” The attitude is: there’s money out there for the getting, and it might as well be our guys who get it. This is a sinful attitude that has no place in the kingdom of God. Is there any VBM missionary who would feel comfortable making their financial statements available to their supporting churches?

Let me give a particularly egregious example—the one I know most about. I have had the great misfortune to be tangled up in the affairs of Mark and Natasha Tolson since their first arrival on the field. I worked with them in ____ for two years. I have had good friends and family members who have worked with them over the years in Dalian. Both the English and the Chinese aspects of their ministry have been on my radar all along.

I will try to outline these sinful behaviors briefly. I am, of course, available to talk to anyone who wants more information about these problems, as I’m sure are the Johnsons and the _.

• The Tolsons can be shockingly inconsiderate. The words that they say and the ways that they treat people can take your breath away. This leads to an endless chain of strained relationships. Mark confronts people over what he perceives as personal slights.
• The Tolsons can be brashly authoritarian. It is an understatement to say that Mark has been overbearing in his oversight of the missionaries that have been sent by Vision to work with them. Apparently, no demand is unreasonable or excessive.
• The Tolsons’ marriage can be very unhappy. This, of course, is a very sad situation. But it used to be widely known on the team (I can’t speak for recent years) and acknowledged by the Tolsons. While I hope that things are better than they used to be, it appears that they still subject people to witnessing their marital unpleasantness.
• The Tolsons’ use of money can be very excessive. They bring in a very large amount of support, for needs that I certainly don’t see. Mark has, for example, counseled other young missionaries to set aside a thousand dollars a month for retirement.
• The Tolsons’ updates can be misleading. They tend to portray their ministry as if it is larger and healthier than it really is.

I say “can be” in all these charges because no one would say that the Tolsons act in these ways constantly. But it is unacceptable for a minister of the gospel to ever be these things.

Frankly, sinful behavior like Mark and Natasha’s would get them disciplined or fired in most missions organizations. They are members of your church and your staff. They are not being accused by nameless internet accounts. They are accused by four of your former members and two of your former friends.

_ and __ and __ and __ are hardly “problem people.” They are very agreeable and gracious brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider how provoking the Tolsons must be if both of these couples describe their years in Dalian as a bitter trial. The fact that someone else has endured it without complaint doesn’t change anything. The Tolsons do not abuse equally, and some people are sadly conditioned to withstand greater amounts of abuse. Is there anyone around the board who will pretend to not know these things are true of the Tolsons? Does anyone honestly believe that the ___ and the _ were the problem?

Has their behavior led to any consequences for them? No. Instead, those they have hurt have been forced to apologize to them, and the Tolsons have been vindicated to the team. Mark has been promoted to be a director and honored because he has planted more than one church. Mark and Natasha are honored as leaders worthy of emulation.

I am aware that one of the defenses commonly employed in the Tolsons’ defense is that they worked with __ and I for two years in ___ without a problem. Anyone who hears such a thing is welcome to contact me to learn the truth. First, the Tolsons were in a technically subordinate role in Harbin. The issue today is what they have done when they were in authority. Second, though Mark was my friend and a help to me, it was very difficult to endure their conduct. I have no doubt that the Tolsons would have complaints from the same period about _ and me. We were all young and foolish. But it is very wrong to point to the Tolsons’ career in _ as a success story. Austin Gardner and I had multiple conversations during that time about their struggles. And Mark and Natasha have acknowledged in a letter to me before that their behavior in Harbin was inexcusable. I was hopeful after that apology to hear better news coming from Dalian. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come.

I appreciate that maturity takes time and change takes time. But I would hope that the most egregious of these cases would be met by your church with strong correction and admonition, while an earnest long-term plan would be enacted to ensure that these brothers will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. I long to hear news that Vision Baptist Church is showing the same zeal to clear their name in this matter as the Corinthians: “What earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter” (2 Cor. 7:11).

In Christ,

"Jonah"