All that follows is written as a friend, a brother, a Cross Encounters advisory board member, and a pastor. It is written out of love for Christ, His Gospel, His Church, and our brother, Tony Miano. My church and family have prayerfully and financially supported Tony for over four years. Beaverton Grace Bible Church (BGBC) has welcomed Tony to stand behind the pulpit many times. This would have been Tony’s 4th year as our keynote speaker at the Biblical Church Evangelism Conference. I’ve been blessed to spend hundreds of hours proclaiming Christ with Tony on the streets of Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Burbank, Hollywood, and Philadelphia. I’ve served on Tony’s advisory board for several years and this is my final act in that capacity. I am greatly pained by the necessity of writing this article, but Tony’s excellent and often given counsel regarding friendship evangelism has application outside of evangelism. I must love my friend more than I love our friendship. Above and beyond Tony’s counsel, God’s true and authoritative Word tells us:
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Prov. 27:6)
Tony Miano has written an emotionally charged article beginning with a scene he recently witnessed involving a six year old little boy being berated on a baseball field by an overbearing father with unrealistic, sinful expectations. The article then transitions to Tony’s childhood, the pain of relocation, the trauma of his parent’s divorce, and his own father’s sinful expectations that led to disappointment in him when he stopped playing sports in his teenage years. After that heart wrenching set up, Tony addresses his recent loss of friends who “decided to disassociate with” him over hearsay and secondary theological issues when he didn’t measure up to their sinful expectations. The title of the article, Sinful Expectations: Hurting the Ones We Say We Love, is consistent with the content. Here’s an excerpt:
Here are several examples of the sympathy seeking “posts on social media” that Tony refers to in his article. Bear in mind that some of the people responding to Tony have no idea what he’s really talking about:
GROSS & REPEATED PUBLIC MISREPRESENTATION REQUIRES PUBLIC CLARIFICATION
Tony’s highly sensational article and character disparaging (proud, self-loving, am god, Pharisee, Judas, etc.) social media posts do not correspond well with reality. Repeated public misrepresentation of the situation requires public clarification and explanation for the protection of all involved. Tony’s self-confessed attempts to garner sympathy via Facebook, Twitter, and now his article, are drawing much public attention to this situation and are no doubt generating many questions behind the scenes. Those giving sympathy to Tony and thinking he has been sorely victimized by rogue friends have no idea what is actually going on. Contrary to Tony’s assertions, the necessary and painful steps I and others have taken over the last few months have been an attempt to rescue our dear friend from the moral and theological beguiling and corrupting influence of Mike Reid (more on that below). What I have written here is the necessary response to Tony’s actions, his social media posts, and his recent blog post. Tony has sorely misrepresented the facts. It is not I, other pastors, and other ministers of the Gospel who have divided from Tony, it is Tony who has divided from us by taking a stand with Mike Reid on morally and theologically dangerous ground.
IT’S NOT JUST WHAT IS SAID, IT’S WHAT ISN’T SAID
When dealing with misrepresentation, it’s not just what is said, it’s what isn’t said. Emotionally charged, sympathy seeking, “you were never really my friend” accusations and character disparaging allusions to Judas are a smoke screen. What Tony has failed to mention in all of these social media posts and in his article is the name Mike Reid. For the last ten weeks serious discussions have taken place over Mike Reid’s many aberrant practices and teachings (see the summary at the bottom). The most alarming of those practices and teachings are what Mike calls his “shepherding” of women and the false doctrine that he defends it with. Tony would have the world to believe that some of his closest friends and ministry partners have mysteriously lost their minds, turned on him, and are now dividing with him over trivial secondary theological issues that aren’t even worth mentioning. That is a gross misrepresentation. Tony is not only misleading people by what he’s said, he’s misleading people by what he hasn’t said. Tony wrote an entire article and filled it with emotional stories about “sinful expectations” and friends painfully disassociating from him, but left out the last 10 weeks of contention over Mike Reid’s behavior and theology. It is Tony’s unrelenting and unconscionable defense of Mike Reid’s dangerous “shepherding” of women and dangerous doctrine that is the unmentioned critical issue at hand.
SOMETHING WRONG IN IOWA
Tony is a member of one of the finest and most theologically sound churches on the planet. Tony travels the United States and overseas extensively, visiting many churches in his evangelistic travels. He has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in Christianity. In November of 2015, Tony visited one of his supporting churches in Davenport, Iowa. Despite his extensive exposure to a broad spectrum of churches, this one was very different. Upon his return, Tony explained in a newsletter/blog that at first he and his wife didn’t know if what they were experiencing under Mike Reid’s shepherding in Iowa was legalism or a deeper level of holiness. Tony quickly came to believe it was a pursuit of holiness to a level that they had never experienced. He then went on to say that his wife was not as quick to come to that conclusion and had a significant crisis of faith as a result of her time under Mike Reid’s pastoral care. That was when my concern regarding Mike Reid’s “shepherding” practices and doctrines first began. Concern compelled me to asked Tony what exactly it was that they had experienced. Tony’s answers were ambiguous. I’ll let Tony explain what took place on that visit to Mike Reid’s home and church. The following is an excerpt from Tony’s Nov. 8th, 2015, Cross Encounters newsletter:
“While legalism is alive and well in Christendom, some of what American Evangelicals refer to as ‘legalism’ might actually be a pursuit of holiness. Mahria and I returned home last night from an eight-day trip to the Quad Cities area of Iowa. We were in Iowa as the guests of one of our supporting churches–Grace Fellowship Church of Davenport. We stayed in the home of Pastor Mike and Emily Reid…Throughout the week, Mahria and I were individually challenged by aspects of “body life” in the GFC family. I believe I recognized early in our visit what I was seeing. Mahria, however, struggled to discern what she was seeing.
During one evening of fellowship in the Reid Home, Pastor Mike asked me what I would take away from my time with the GFC family. He wasn’t looking for an ‘attaboy’ or a pat on the back. I explained to Pastor Mike that the overwhelming sense I had about the GFC family, from the elders to the newest member, was a genuine, Christ-seeking pursuit of holiness.
One of the church family members asked if I was embarrassed by what I observed. My response: ‘No. I’m not embarrassed by it. Embarrassment isn’t the word. Ashamed is the word I’m looking for. While I like to think I live a life pursuing holiness, my time with Grace Fellowship Church has shown me that I’m nowhere near where I should be in that pursuit.’
Mahria’s reaction to our time with the GFC family was more intense. Mahria struggled with thoughts about Grace Fellowship Church, which included thoughts of legalism. While she was blessed each day with the fellowship she had with the women and children of the church, Mahria struggled with thoughts that something was wrong. Something just wasn’t right in the church. I asked Mahria if what she thought was legalism could actually be a pursuit of holiness to a level she has never experienced. She allowed for the possibility.
…I believe Mahria’s confession was brought about by a week of being confronted by holiness. Mahria is now examining herself anew. She is testing herself to see if she is in the faith. She is struggling with a lack of assurance of salvation…Whether Mahria is not yet born-again or she is saved and struggling with besetting sin, my plea to Mahria is the same: ‘repent and believe the gospel.’ I thank God for the time Mahria and I spent with the Grace Fellowship Church family, in Iowa. I thank God that both of us were confronted by holiness.”
It has been ten months since they returned from that visit. It is now very clear that what they experienced in Iowa was not a deeper level of holiness. It is also now very clear that Tony’s understanding of what constitutes holiness is not what it once was.
INCONSISTENT MORALITY
To his credit, Tony has long been a proponent of J.C. Ryle’s book, Holiness. Out of a personal pursuit of holiness and a love of his brethren, Tony has led many men through a study of Ryle’s wise Biblical counsel. In typical fashion, J.C. Ryle has provided us succinct, powerful, and timeless Biblical counsel on the topic of fleeing from sexual immorality and adultery:
“Young men, ‘Flee from sexual immorality’ (1 Corinthians 6:18) if you love life. ‘Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient’ (Ephesians 5:6). Flee from the opportunity of it–from the company of those who might draw you into it–from the places where you might be tempted to do it.”
When it comes to Tony’s own life, marriage, and ministry, he has long understood the Biblical necessity of fleeing sexual immorality and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts (1 Cor. 6:18 & Rom. 13:14). Every email Tony sends out reflects his Biblical position and longstanding wisdom in this area. To guard his life, his marriage, his ministry, and the hearts of others from impropriety, from temptation, from any sense of intimate communication that would become the first spark of adulterous passion, and to guard even from the appearance of evil…every email Tony sends has this exemplary notice at the bottom:
NOTICE: Due to the nature of my ministry and the vital importance of protecting my marriage, any and all communications with members of the opposite sex are subject to the review and response of my wife.
That is Biblical. That is commendable. That is above reproach. That is the friend and brother I know and love. However, in a manner entirely inconsistent with his own standard of life, conduct, and former stand for holiness, Tony is now defending the indefensible. Tony is now defending what his commendable email notice condemns. To be consistent, Tony should now remove his email notice. Under what I can only describe as a beguiling influence, Tony is now unwilling to apply J.C. Ryle’s Biblical counsel, his own historic Biblical convictions, and the plain truth of 1 Cor. 6:18, Rom. 13:14, and 2 Tim. 2:22 to Mike Reid’s “shepherding” of women:
“Flee sexual immorality.” (1 Cor. 6:18)
“Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:12)
“Flee also youthful lusts.” (2 Tim. 2:22)
NECESSARY WARNING
Mike Reid’s history, practice, and doctrine set off at least four moral and theological alarms. I don’t look down upon Mike Reid. I am no better than Mike Reid. Any sin that is not in my past and will not be in my future is only not there by God’s restraining grace. However, for the protection of Christ’s Church and many faithful Gospel ministries, the following WARNING must be given. Mike Reid holds the singular distinction of being the only pastor I know of who has a 3 ½ year history of adulterous affairs and divorce in his background (Mike has very publicly confessed his past adulteries on Sermon Audio). Mike also holds the singular distinction of being the only pastor I know of who has designed his “shepherding” ministry to include systematically meeting alone with the married women, single women, and teenage girls of his church on a regularly scheduled basis for private pastoral instruction. Mike holds yet another singular distinction of being the only pastor I know of who holds to a false doctrine, that he calls his “boast in Christ,” whereby he claims he and other genuine believers cannot fall in adultery. Mike Reid holds one further singular and alarming distinction of being the only pastor I know of that claims men who have “repented” of molesting children can be pastors and can meet alone with children. Those four distinctions necessitate a word of WARNING.
After meeting Mike Reid through our mutual friend, Tony Miano, I commended Mike’s ministry from the pulpit and on the World Wide Web on many occasions. I have preached the Gospel on the streets with Mike. I have welcomed members of Mike’s church into fellowship at Beaverton Grace Bible Church. To some extent, I have yoked myself, my ministry, and the sheep of the Lord’s fold entrusted to my pastoral care to him. I have introduced men and women from BGBC to “pastor” Mike and some have fallen under his influence. I even encouraged my extended family in Iowa to attend Mike’s church (after four visits they had serious concerns and attended no more). That was all before I knew his history, his methodology of “shepherding” women, the false doctrine he defends it with, and the full extent of his many other aberrant doctrines (see the list at the bottom). Now that I am aware of Mike Reid’s dangerous practice and the dangerous false doctrine he defends it with, I’m duty bound to WARN others.
NOTE: When Tony called me and told me that he was moving to Iowa to place his ministry beneath Mike Reid’s pastoral authority, it was incumbent upon me to do my due diligence as Tony’s friend and a Cross Encounters advisory board member. It was during the due diligence process that the term “one on one time with the pastor” came to light as a phrase endearingly used by a woman to describe her regularly scheduled meetings with Mike for private pastoral instruction. I asked Mike directly if he engaged in “one on one time” with the women of his church. He took offense to the term, said that I was attempting to shine a negative light on his practice, and insisted that it was his “pastoral shepherding of women.” I refuse to elevate Mike’s practice and denigrate Biblical pastoral shepherding, so shepherding will be in quotes for the remainder of this article.
SYSTEMATIC TEMPTATION BY DESIGN
No pastor desiring to heed the excellent counsel of J.C. Ryle and the clear instruction of Scripture would ever design a “shepherding” ministry in which he systematically meets with the married women, single women, and teenage girls of the church alone for private pastoral instruction on a regularly scheduled basis…but that is exactly what Mike Reid has done. Mike has literally designed systematic temptation into his ministry. Generally speaking the Word of God exhorts us to stand firm against sin and the Devil, with sexual sin we are consistently told to flee. Mike Reid has designed a “shepherding” ministry where he tramples the counsel to flee beneath his feet by systematically going in the opposite direction and moving toward the temptation. He has designed a “shepherding” ministry where he regularly meets alone with men’s wives and daughters for private pastoral instruction that no husband or father should ever consent to. He has designed a “shepherding” ministry that would undoubtedly unleash scandal upon Christ’s Church around the globe if it were universally adopted. Mike’s “shepherding” of women systematically opens the door to temptation, to affairs of the heart, and to full scale affairs of the flesh. Mike’s “shepherding” methodology systematically defies the warnings of Scripture and thus has a fatal design flaw that puts him, the women, and the teenage girls of his church at risk.
NOTE: Mike’s “shepherding” design is so far outside the pale of what is normal or safe, I’ve found that some have a hard time getting a clear picture. To be clear, Mike’s private meetings with the women of his church are not the result of women requesting pastoral counsel at some point of crisis in their life or for their marriage at a particular point and time. The meetings are essentially an ongoing private Bible study with the pastor. That said, Mike is certainly open to meeting alone with women for crisis counseling as well.
BIBLICAL REPENTANCE DEFINED
This dangerous “shepherding” practice is not above reproach and does not evidence genuine repentance. Mike Reid willfully defies the Biblical safeguards for male and female interaction, putting himself, the women of his church, and the testimony of Christ in his community at great and unnecessary risk. I take no pleasure in speaking about Mike’s history of adultery, but his practice and the doctrine he defends it with, makes his history entirely relevant. Mike Reid’s history, practice, and doctrine must be considered in the light of the Biblical definition of genuine repentance:
“For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” (2 Cor. 7:8-11 )
In short, a man who has repented of a 3 ½ year history of adulterous affairs does not and would not systematically meet alone with married women, single women, and teenage girls for private pastoral instruction. A repentant man who lived through and knows the intimate details of the devastation that his adulterous affairs unleashed upon his marriage, his wife, his children, other women, other wives, other husbands, and other people’s children…would never design a ministry in which he systematically meets alone with women and girls. Period. Taken point for point, 2 Cor. 7:8-11 reveals that this behavior in no way meets the Biblical definition of repentance. A man who has repented of adultery diligently steers clear of any hint of impropriety. A man who has repented of adultery diligently steers clear of any and every opportunity to start down the path to adultery (Proverbs has much to say about this). Designing “one on one time” with the women of the church into your “shepherding” ministry is not diligently steering clear of any hint of impropriety, or any and every opportunity to start down the path to adultery, it is exactly the opposite. A man who has repented of adultery makes sure he is clear of any behavior that would be associated with adultery or the path to adultery. A man who has repented of adultery has indignation (a holy hatred) for adultery and for anything that opens the door to the possibility of adultery, like systematically being alone with other men’s wives, single women, and teenage girls. A man who has repented of adultery has a healthy deep seated fear of adultery, temptation, and anything that would open the door to that which he fears. A man who has repented of adultery has a vehement desire and zeal against adultery and against every path to adultery that proves him to be vindicated and clear in this matter. This is not higher Biblical moral physics, it’s easy Biblical moral math. This is obvious and basic truth, not over the top puritanical legalism. This is truth that even many non-Christians understand without chapter, verse, or complex argument.
DANGEROUS FALSE DOCTRINE
Mike Reid’s dangerous practice, has dangerous doctrinal roots. Mike defends his “shepherding” methodology of meeting alone with the women and girls of the church for private counsel and instruction with false doctrine whereby he claims (in writing and conversation on multiple occasions) that 100% of pastors who commit adultery with women after counseling them alone are “not even believers.” When I found out Mike met with the women of his church alone, I reminded him that 99.9% of pastors who fall in adultery do so by meeting alone with women in their congregation. His answer was shocking, he said, “and 100% of those are not pastors, not even believers.” That is false doctrine. It is an indefensible claim that all pastors who fall prey to the lusts of the flesh and commit adultery…did so because they were not actually Christians. It is an indefensible claim that genuine Christians cannot fall in adultery and other sexual sins. It is an indefensible claim of moral invincibility. When King David was put forth as an example of a man after God’s own heart who fell to adultery and murder after being alone with another man’s wife (2 Sam. 11), Mike responded in a manner consistent with his false doctrine, by saying, “Was David even saved?” When further pressed, Mike claimed that he cannot fall in adultery because 1 Cor. 6:9-11 assures him that he can’t. He went on to explain that his boast is not in his flesh, but in Christ, saying repeatedly, “My boast is in Christ!” Mike’s false doctrine enables him to blatantly and systematically defy a multitude of Scriptures that directly or indirectly compel men to flee from temptation and the opportunity to commit sexual immorality. This is a terrible example for the men of the church. If it’s true for the pastor, it’s true for all other genuine Christians too. Mike’s history, dangerous practice, and the false doctrine he uses to defend it, simply cannot be ignored, swept under a rug, mitigated, obfuscated, or nuanced away.
CONSISTENT MORAL MADNESS
Mike Reid’s dangerous false doctrine, consistently applied to other sexual sins, turns into moral madness. I tested how far Mike was willing to go in defense of his false doctrine by asking him whether he would support a similar “shepherding” ministry involving a man professing to be a “repentant” child molester who now meets alone with children. I expected him to pull back his false doctrine, to at least attempt to keep it out of the realm of moral madness. He did not. Mike Reid is alarmingly morally and theologically consistent. The same dangerous false doctrine that Mike uses to defend his practice of systematically meeting alone with women, compels him to say that a “repentant” child molester can be a pastor and can meet alone with children. When directly asked, two different times, if a man who has “repented” of child molestation could be a pastor who meets alone with children…and if that would be in keeping with Biblical repentance…Mike Reid said, “Yes!” and “Yes!” That is unconscionable moral madness, madness entirely consistent with his own practice and doctrine, but madness never-the-less. My pastoral hands were already tied with Mike’s history, dangerous practice, and the dangerous false doctrine he defends it with. When Mike extended his false doctrine to pedophiles, claiming they can be pastors and that they can meet alone with children, my hands were chained, locked, and weighted down. Mike’s moral madness cannot be ignored, swept under a rug, mitigated, obfuscated, or nuanced away. Tony Miano may be angry about the necessary stand that I and others have taken, but he surely is not shocked. What is shocking is that Tony is defending Mike Reid instead of defending Biblical morality, sound doctrine, and Christ’s Church.
DOGMATIC MORAL AND DOCTRINAL CLARITY
Men who have molested children are not and will never be qualified for pastoral ministry. Men who have molested children should never be alone with children. Men who profess to have repented of child molestation and position themselves to be alone with children are not repentant…they are dangerous. No exceptions. Pedophiles can truly repent, truly believe upon Christ unto salvation, truly be forgiven, truly be born again, truly be washed in the blood, and truly be new creatures in Christ by amazing grace…and that doesn’t change anything written before this sentence. No exceptions.
PASTORAL DUTY
The substantial danger that Mike Reid’s practice and doctrine poses requires a PUBLIC WARNING. Having exercised pastoral influence and lent credibility where it does not belong, it is my pastoral duty to warn people away from a man and ministry that I once recommended in ignorance. Tony should be warning people away from Mike’s ministry much like he has done with other churches engaged in dangerous practices and teaching dangerous doctrines. Instead, even though he’s still at Grace Community Church, Tony has already declared Mike Reid to be his pastor, and has declared himself, his family, and his ministry to be beneath Mike’s pastoral authority. Tony is making steady preparations to move his family 2,000 miles to become a member of Mike Reid’s church in Davenport, Iowa. Tony is also actively and very publicly commending Mike Reid and his ministry to all of his Cross Encounters ministry partners and the Christian world at large with blog articles, Facebook posts, and through Twitter. The individuals, families, churches, and ministries that Tony is actively seeking to yoke to Mike Reid and his teaching MUST BE WARNED.
For the last 10 weeks Tony has employed mitigation, obfuscation, nuance and claims of misrepresentation in defense of Mike Reid’s practice and doctrine. Everything written here is well substantiated on the following 16 minute audio recording of a group conversation with Mike Reid where all parties were fully informed that we were recording for the purpose of establishing the facts and bringing supposed misunderstanding and/or misrepresentation of Mike’s practice and doctrine to an end. The first minute of the recording verifies that everyone knew we were recording. Both Tony and Bobby McCreery recorded the conversation, as did I. The second minute verifies that it was made manifestly clear at the outset of the conversation that my pastoral goal was the protection of the saints at Beaverton Grace Bible Church, the saints in Davenport, Iowa, and the Church at large. The rest of the recording confirms the necessity of warning men, women, and ministries to steer clear of Mike Reid and his “shepherding” ministry. Nothing is left to hearsay. In order to facilitate repentance and to protect men, women, and ministries from harm, it is necessary to release the audio recording. At the end of the recording, Tony takes a shockingly strong and divisive stand with Mike Reid and his scandalous practice and doctrine. This article and the release of the audio recording are the necessary response, explanation, warning, and expression of love for Tony, his family, the sound churches Tony would yoke to dangerous practice and doctrine, the many faithful ministers of the Gospel that Tony would yoke to dangerous practice and doctrine, the Church at large, the church Mike Reid “shepherds,” and Mike Reid himself. Churches, ministries, and individuals who support Tony have a right to know where he’s moving, what pastor he’s placing his ministry under, the dangerous practice and false doctrine he’s defending, and the stack of unhealthy practices and doctrines that come with it (see the summary below).
We have not divided from Tony, he has divided from us. Our hands are chained. Beaverton Grace Bible Church must withdraw support and recommendation from a man and a ministry that we love. May our gracious God soon renew Tony’s mind and bring him back to the Biblical morality and sound doctrine he has long championed. We prayerfully look forward to that day.
May God grant Tony truly Biblical friends who know, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful,” and who speak, write, and act accordingly (Prov. 27:6). This is not a call for an unholy social media war, it is call to love with action and truth. If you have an axe to grind with Tony, I counsel you not to use this as an opportunity to further hone the edge on your personal vendetta. Those of you who genuinely love Christ, His Gospel, and Tony Miano…please do not allow mitigation, obfuscation, nuance, cries for war, or cries for peace at all costs to override basic Biblical, theological, and moral clarity. The gross impropriety and real danger of Mike Reid’s “shepherding” methodology and theological defense are undeniable. The great pile of unusual and unhealthy doctrines and practices that Mike Reid propagates and employs is undeniable (see the summary below). May amazing grace, Biblical doctrine, Biblical morality, and true brotherly love win the day. May the purity of the Gospel and Christ’s Church be protected by stalwart men of God who love Christ, His Gospel, and His Church with action and truth. May Mike Reid be granted genuine repentance and bear the fruits of repentance in his life. May we all take heed, lest we fall. May all God’s men hold fast to J.C. Ryle’s sound admonition and warning:
“Young men, ‘Flee from sexual immorality’ (1 Corinthians 6:18) if you love life. ‘Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient’ (Ephesians 5:6). Flee from the opportunity of it–from the company of those who might draw you into it–from the places where you might be tempted to do it.”
May we all take Tony’s email notice to heart and apply it consistently to our actual lives, ministries, and interactions with the opposite sex:
NOTICE: Due to the nature of my ministry and the vital importance of protecting my marriage, any and all communications with members of the opposite sex are subject to the review and response of my wife.
PASTORAL EXPECTATIONS
Tony titled his article Sinful Expectations. I do have a few basic pastoral expectations for the men and ministries that I support:
1. I have a basic and firm expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly bring themselves and their ministry beneath a pastor with multiple adulterous affairs and divorce in their background while they presently carry on a “shepherding” ministry in which they regularly meet alone with married women, single women, and a teenage girl for private pastoral instruction.
2. I have a basic and resolute expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly bring themselves and their ministry beneath a pastor who blatantly defies the clear warnings of Scripture designed to protect men from sexual immorality and then defends his behavior with an undeniably false and dangerous doctrine whereby he claims he and other genuine believers cannot fall in adultery.
3. I have a basic and vehement expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly bring themselves and their ministry beneath a pastor who holds his false doctrine so dearly and consistently that he extends it to pedophiles, claiming that a “repentant” pedophile can become a pastor and can meet alone with children.
4. I have a basic expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly accept support or commendation from churches, ministries, or men that do not know that they are failing to keep the first three expectations on this list.
5. I have a basic expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly yoke unknowing churches, ministries, or men to themselves while they support and defend the pastor, the dangerous practice, and the dangerous doctrine listed in the first three expectations above.
6. I have a basic expectation that ministers of the Gospel not knowingly yoke unknowing churches, ministries, or men directly to the pastor, the dangerous practice, and the dangerous doctrine listed in the first three expectations above.
7. I have a basic expectation that ministers of the Gospel not defend moral and theological madness with mitigation, obfuscation, nuance, and emotionally charged, sympathy seeking, blatant omissions and misrepresentations of the truth on Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere.
8. I have a basic expectation that ministers of the Gospel not accuse pastors, churches, ministries, other ministers of the Gospel, and individual Christians on Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere of being proud, self-loving, Pharisaical, Judas’s if they decide that they cannot be yoked to dangerous practice and doctrine.
SUMMARY OF DANGEROUS & ABERRANT PRACTICES & DOCTRINES
Unpacking all of Mike Reid’s aberrant and dangerous practices and doctrines would require a fair sized book, not a lengthy blog post. Some are unconscionable. Some are dangerous. Some are unhealthy. Some are simply aberrant. Here’s a quick list:
-Unheard of and morally dangerous systematic defiance of Biblical safeguards for male and female interaction (1 Cor. 6:18 & Rom. 13:14) via meeting alone with married women, single women, and teenage girls for “shepherding” through regularly scheduled private pastoral instruction meetings
-Unheard of and dangerous doctrinal defense of willful defiance of Biblical safeguards for male and female interaction…100% of pastors who commit adultery after meeting with congregants alone were not saved…1 Cor. 6:9-11 assures me I can’t fall…My boast is Christ!…King David fell because he wasn’t saved…etc.
-Unheard of moral madness displayed in an alarming consistency of position and doctrine whereby Mike Reid claims “repentant” child molesters can be pastors and meet with children alone
-Unheard of regular calling of church attenders out from the pulpit, by name, while they are sitting in the pew, during the church service, and pointing out their unsaved condition and/or some level of their sin issues…and then it is subsequently placed on Sermon Audio for the world to hear
-Unheard of regular public congregational confession of sin during the corporate gatherings of the church where too much information is given…and then it is subsequently placed on Sermon Audio for the world to hear
-Unheard of “holy” kissing: Mike Reid practices the “holy” kiss of 2 Cor. 13:12 without warning or permission on men. The first time I met Mike he leaned in and kissed my cheek (he may also practice this with women as it would be consistent with his other practice and doctrine).
-Extreme personal pacifism teaching that it is wrong to defend self, wrong to defend family, and wrong to defend neighbor from rape, murder, etc., and that owning a gun for defensive purposes is premeditated murder. “Why do you own a gun? You have premeditated murder.” http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=617141523135
-Extreme personal pacifism: “When you start talking about guns for self defense you have no Biblical backing…what does a Christian need a gun for? What are you going to do with a gun Christian?…Christian, what do you need a gun for?…For some it’s idolatry…I think it is…Christian, what do you need a gun for? You put yourself in a position to murder someone…I’m not going to own a gun premeditatedly knowing that I might murder someone…” http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=531161424276
-Extreme medical pacifism: No giving to or raising money to fight disease…because we’re all dying and“trying to cure any kind of disease is misguided effort”http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=9214108381
-Extreme pacifism: It’s wrong to be a soldier or police officer.“Can a Christian become a police officer? I don’t see how. Can a Christian become a soldier? I don’t see how.” (7:30-11:30, especially 11-11:30)http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=121414194268
-Extreme pacifism: No military service for Christians.“Can a Christian become a soldier? I don’t see how.” “No just war.”http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=1219141841290
-Extreme pacifism: “No such thing as a just war.”http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10201492285
-Extreme pacifism in view of ISIS attack in Paris…negating evil of Islam…negating victim status of those who died in Paris at the hands of terrorists because all are sinners, God is just, and God is sovereign http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1128151053267
-Extreme political pacifism “I am to be involved in the political process none. That’s what my Bible would teach me about the political process.” “I won’t even cast a vote.” “Who has the most Christian beliefs? It doesn’t matter to me…who cares…I really mean that.” “Who cares the who wins the presidential election in 2016.” http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10615159419-Extreme political pacifism (8:30-16:40 min mark) “The form of government that we practice in America is not Biblical…Where’s Romans 17, where Paul addresses how we interact with a democracy? How we interact with government is right here…Should we be involved in making those laws? Who cares…Who cares…it’s a waste of time, I’m going to preach the Gospel…I’m not going to waste 5 minutes of my time trying to keep the right to preach against homosexuality…I’ll just go preach in jail…Show me in Scripture where we’re supposed to care about those things…” http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=113014202161
–Extreme political pacifism from Rom. 13parts 1-3 & review 1-3 (this whole series is full of significant extreme pacifism problems & reveals that this is a major worldview issue for Mike and the church)
Part 1http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1130141314186
Part 1 Review http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=113014202161
Part 2 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12714138443
Part 2 Review http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=127141945461
Part 3 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1214141313433
Part 3 Review http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=121414194268
-Extreme political pacifism: Why Would You Vote?! Is Voting Sinful? Part 1of 2 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=91612146106
-Extreme political pacifism: Why Would You Vote?! Is Voting Sinful? Part 2of 2 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=91612146368
-Don’t celebrate Easter or Christmashttp://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10291421420
-Don’t celebrate Christmas 2012ahttp://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=121121129332
-Don’t celebrate Christmas 2012bhttp://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=121121137525
-Don’t celebrate Christmas 2013http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1211132110240
-Don’t celebrate Christimas 2014 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1224142053436
-Don’t celebrate Christmas 2015 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12215204968
-Don’t celebrate Christmas 2016 http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1191694180
