I did not really think they made those decisions. Those questions were mostly rhetorical, my thinking out loud. But not deciding to do anything is, in effect, a decision to kick the can down the road, hoping that it gets dealt with later or just goes away. I’m glad you still have negative feelings about it. At this point, I’ve grown weary and numb about a lot of these things and probably won’t be pestering the ethics committee much in the weeks and months ahead. It’s not that I think your work isn’t important. It is. But I feel it would be much better now for other people to step in and make the case for ethics and oversight. If the community as a whole doesn’t feel strongly about it, then so it must be.

Sounds a lot like “covering doctrine”. In real life, and common law, both the accessory and the principal are equally guilty. Covering doctrine says that you must just follow and obey your shepherd, then all your sins are covered.

“He also stated that this was an act of love to help and bless the Kim’s family.”

When you read Rebecca and James Kim’s testimony you understand how much they felt “blessed” by these and other acts done to their family.

The elders did not “decide” as you indicated, and to extent that the things you mention eventually happened it wasn’t due to anything the elders did or ignored.

But to put it simply, I am still disgusted and do not think this is a closed matter.

Would it be wrong, unspiritual, immature, ungodly for me to be upset and disgusted by this now?

Or might God want me to feel disgusted?

As you know, the EC was created in 2012. Since that time, we’ve been investigating and responding to formal inquiries about issues. We can do that now with such a request.

I am unware of any action taken by the elders, expect the non-action you mention of allowing some new changes initiated by Toledo leaders. There was also the action taken by Chicago to advise Toledo through some elders who came and said “it’s all inter-personal conflicts” and “just get back to one-to-one ministry”.

I know you sent me some private email with some information as you stated here. But I don’t consider that any “formal response” that Joe is referring to.

I would add something to #2 however. The director in question apologized to me for doing this. He then also claimed he is 100% responsible and that I was 0% responsible. He also stated that this was an act of love to help and bless the Kim’s family.

In my view, I am responsible for what I did back in 1990. I and my friends would have been the one’s that went to jail if the Kim’s had pressed charges (they could have but did not).

5. You (Brian) were not commended for bringing up this problem. On the contrary, you were villified for raising this issue and other problems. Your reputation and relationships with other people were undermined to the point where, for the well being of you and your family, you resigned your position and left UBF.

btw, Alan, almost all of my criticism of “UBF” excludes you, as it does for Ben and Joe and Westloop and Penn State and my friend Andy S/JWHY up in Canada. You are the “redeemed ubf” :)

1. In 2011, you acted as a whistleblower, confessing that you participated in criminal activity 20 years ago under the direct orders of a ubf chapter director. That activity caused significant harm to Rebekah Kim and the late James Kim.

2. The chapter director who ordered this has not disputed that he did it. All of the major facts (except the role of SL in this) are uncontested; all the elders believe that it happened.

3. After two years, as far as you know, nothing has been done about it. This story was part of the toxic stew that caused about half the members of Toledo UBF (most of the Americans) to leave the ministry.

4. The chapter director in question was not disciplined in any way that UBF members can discern. He stepped back from pastoring Toledo UBF, but as he did so, he was said to be “retiring” and was honored for 20+ years of faithful service. He retains his position on the North American senior staff. This year, he was given responsibility and authority over major aspects of the recent ISBC, including the messsages and interest groups. And after the ISBC, he played a highly visible role in Toledo, welcoming guests and acting as a titular head.

As you know, that was not my response to you at the time. I can tell you that the elders discussed it and were generally disgusted by it. It has also led to the support for the change in the Toledo ministry.

I am quite busy alright, but not too busy to deal with these types of things to the best of my ability.

Translation: “Honestly, I’m just too busy proclaiming the gospel, helping all those worldly people out there to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus, that I have no time or desire to help the leaders of my church to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus.”

Brian, has the body of elders taken any action or given any formal response to this issue that you brought before them two years ago?

“I am sorry, but change what? Admitting that we broke into a house 20 years ago and won’t do it again? Admitting all of our sins? Really, what will that do? You really want all my sins or just certain ones? Okay, we broke into a house illegally 20 years ago. I didn’t know about it, but I suppose it is true. Now what?

We really have to cover one another’s sins. This is love too, don’t you think? Do we have to let everyone know all the sins committed by all the members of UBF around the world? Where does it stop?

Honestly, I have too much to worry about in my daily life of trying to serve Jesus where I am to worry about that.”

——————————————————-
I resign from being a UBF director. Please remove Detroit UBF as a chapter in your lists.

In Christ,
Brian Karcher
former Detroit UBF director
——————————————————-

This immediate reply spoke volumes to me:

I am deeply saddened by the events that led to your resignation. It is truly a loss for the UBF church. Although I have not had a chance to get to know you more personally, I respect you and was encouraged by your honesty and courage when I read your article, “My Confession”, on the UBFriends website. I believe that you and Mary made a decision out of your commitment to follow the Lord Jesus, and He will surely honor it and bless your journeys together to follow Him more closely. May the Lord lead you to a healthy church community where you can find a genuine fellowship of love and grow deeper in your love for Him.

Your brother in Christ.

“Perceived intentions are a very poor indicator of the rightness of an action. It is so easy to deceive ourselves into thinking our intentions are noble when in reality they are not. A great example is found in 1 Samuel 15. Saul pretended that his disobedience was actually obedience and that his intentions were good. Only later, after his sin was uncovered, did he come out of denial and start to admit that he was acting out of pride and fear.”

However, I have come to the conclusion that we need to “let God be God”, as you wrote elsewhere. Sometimes we need to step back and let the inventions of man fall to the ground. If people and good works are indeed from God, then they will stand and once again glorify God. If not, God will be the judge.

I’ve also learned this: “When good men shine the light of God and seek truth, Satan gets furious.”

You said “God be with the Kims”…. well James Kim is with God already. He died some time ago. I was heartbroken to learn he had died and my dear friends in Toledo didn’t tell me or invite me to the funeral.

Brian and I intend to be more vigilant about our site’s security in the future and have set up extra security around the site. If anyone gets antivirus warnings or encounters strange behavior while navigating UBFriends, please let us know as soon as possible.

As a side note, some of the text on our site was temporarily scrambled during the virus clean-up process, so some apostrophes (‘), quotation marks (“) and other special characters may render as strange gibberish. We’re slowly converting these characters to their proper state. If you encounter any of these characters, please let us know via a comment or email. Thanks!

Just close the popup window and reboot your computer immediately and you shouldn’t be infected.

Mary J.  and I will be looking into this right away.

C.T. Studd: Cricketer and Pioneer by Norman Grubb ISBN 0-7188-3028-8

A little bit is described there in that wiki page: “In 1931, still labouring for the Lord at Ibambi at the age of seventy, Charles Studd died from untreated gallstones, but his vision for China, India and Africa was maintained by Norman Grubb, who took charge of WEC. His last years, however, were marked by controversy; some missionaries dissented from his methods and leadership style, and several either left or were dismissed. Studd’s use of morphine – including supplies which may not have been declared at customs – also scandalised some.”
I don’t remember how Norman Grubb commented the events in his book, but I remember well that he did not hide Studd’s weaknesses.   And at that time I thought I would write some history of Moscow UBF like that.   But I was young then, and I am still incapable now.

Yes, Joe, almost the exact same things said about you were also said about me: because I was never a staff, but a lay worker, thus Dr. Lee spoilt me, which accounts for my “present behavior,” whatever that is. My honest response is that I did not choose the way Dr. Lee treated me. That’s the sovereignty and providence of God, perhaps even the wisdom of God.

For sure, we need to reasses Dr. Lee’s life as objectively and honestly as possible, because I think the repercussions and influences of his life, especially his authoritarian style of leadership, is beginning to surface today, more and more. I cannot stress how often it is implicity stated by leaders the following:  “That is how Dr. Lee did it,” unusally in refernece to “training people,” or “giving direction,” and things that Dr. Lee used to say. Sorry, but my bratty response is, “But you are not Dr. Lee.”

The bottom line is really quite simple: repent.  Repentance makes many things so clear, so pure and so wonderful.

As Joe mentioned we need whole bible’s persepctive in studyin the Bible. And what we also need is studyin the Bible for what it says and not just to advance  our agenda, such as “decisions of faith”,  “disciple making”, and “world mission”. Earlier on this blog, I expressed my frustration about focussing on Daniel while studyin the book of Daniel for a conference. Recently I received a mail/update of a young friend who was in need of material to understand Daniel 11 &12 said those two chapters intrigued him. I can understand. It is so because in UBF we never go past the life of Daniel and into the message of Daniel. Now, in this age of world wide web, as leaders and shepherds, we must choose between: spiritual starvation, spiritual malnutrion, or getting past the copy-cat generation for the sake of those who God has entrusted to our care!

However I can testify that the sections concering their Kensington house are filled with facts, along with the emotion.

If you want the links directly, just email me:   brian (a) priestlynation (dot) com   or google for “James Kim UBF”.   But pray first, and guard your heart and mind from Satan’s deception.   The letters should not be taken as “gospel”, in my opinion, if that’s even the correct term.

Many seniors are afraid that when we become open with our failures and shame the ministry might collapse. But in reality it is exactly the opposite. And in fact it is unnecessary and dangerous and the very reason for a ministry at the verge of breaking apart. Is God unable to protect his work or ministry so we must do something about it, by any means and at any cost?  How long can we hide our failures and shame? I commend you for setting an example. With you brother!

“If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.”

For example, God has much to say about unintentional sin:

Leviticus 4:13,14,22 (NIV)    13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt 14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting.”

22 “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, when he realizes his guilt 23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.”

Perceived intentions are a very poor indicator of the rightness of an action. It is so easy to deceive ourselves into thinking our intentions are noble when in reality  they are not. A great example is found in 1 Samuel 15. Saul pretended that his disobedience was actually obedience and that his intentions were good. Only later, after his sin was uncovered, did he come out of denial and start to admit that he was acting out of pride and fear.

Can actions that are wrong  spring from intentions that are truly good? Can clean water flow from a polluted spring? Can grapes grow from thornbushes? The answer, of course, is no. If something done was wrong, then the motivations were corrupt, whether or not anyone knew it at the time.

Again, some will say, “There’s no need to dredge up these unpleasant things. That was 20 years ago. Let’s put the past behind us and live a new life in Christ!”  I want to address that very carefully.

As we grow and mature in faith, the Holy Spirit transforms our minds, jogs our memories and pricks our consciences. We realize that things we did in the past, things that we thought were okay at the time, were wrong. What should we do? Should we bury these things and  act as though  they never happened?   That kind of dishonesty grieves the Holy Spirit. Unconfessed sin eats away at individuals and communities from the inside. It saps our strength and rots our bones.

The biblical pattern for dealing with sin, even if it was unintentional at the time, is  described in Leviticus chapter 4. The sin must be brought out into the open and acknowledged before the community, starting with the leaders.  Evidence of repentance must be displayed and a  sin offering must be made for the sin of the leaders and the community.  Jesus is our sin offering. The cleansing blood of Jesus  must  be intentionally applied to specific sins. If people were hurt, then apologies must be offered and restitution  should be made (Lev 5,6). Until that happens, the matter has not been settled.

I echo Joe’s sentiment almost to the T. I commend Brian’s honesty. I’m personally sorry before God and man for standing idly by and for doing nothing when I heard and saw things that were done that pricked and bothered my conscience. I wanted to be supportive of my church and my church leaders. I didn’t want to discourage others. I tried to keep “spiritual order,” as I then understood it. I wanted to “just obey” like all other UBF members.

But I’ve been gradually  realizing that truth will ultimately prevail, because God is Truth. Anyone who is complicit with wrong doing, is standing on the side of deceit and evil. I also pray for myself that God may protect me from deadly self-righteousness as we address these highly sensitive, painful and shameful issues, that many have long tried their hardest to keep buried and hidden and unaddressed.

On the one hand, I am very proud of Brian for sticking his neck out and doing something very courageous and godly. Brian, thank you for your honesty.

On the other hand, I am deeply ashamed. I am ashamed of myself for not honestly facing the darker side of our ministry’s past. Yes, great things were done in UBF. We all know that. At the same time, shameful things happened. Every longtime member of UBF knows that. But so many of us have refused to face it. When I heard of things like this happening, I shut my ears and didn’t want to listen. I kept myself in a state of denial. I am ashamed of myself for not having the courage of conviction and conscience to stand up and object when things were being done that were clearly wrong. And of my unwillingness to demand that our leaders come clean and speak with honesty about the facts and stop protecting and apologizing for those who did wrong. Like so many others, I just fell into line and maintained the “code of silence” not because it was right, but because I wanted to avoid conflict and enjoy others’ approval rather than be ostracized for asking the tough questions that needed to be asked.

Actually, I did bring this up with ministry leaders on at least one occasion and asked them what happened. The response? “James Kim was heartbroken about the tragedies in his life.” Yes, okay. But  attempting to diagnose  this person’s  emotional state  is evading the question of what was actually done to him and his family. The other response that I heard is, “Whatever was done, was done out of love, with the best of intentions.” Please, let’s allow God to be the judge of intentions.  Let’s focus on the  facts. I suggest that we put aside  any discussion of “why” (which is very easy to spin) until the  “what” is fully known. Let’s look at the facts with a spirit of truth and impartiality — not to spin, defend and justify ourselves to protect our reputation, but to understand what actually happened and seek to make it right before God and man. The gospel demands no less.

Of course, there are some who will say, “Don’t dredge up the past. What happened 20 years ago is irrelevant.” It is not irrelevant. The story of Joseph in Genesis clearly teaches that sins of the past need to be dealt with.  The more you try to bury sin, the worse it becomes. As David wrote in Psalm 32:3-5:

    When I kept silent,
          my bones wasted away
          through my groaning all day long.
    For day and night
          your hand was heavy on me;
          my strength was sapped
          as in the heat of summer.  
   Then I acknowledged my sin to you
         and did not cover up my iniquity.
    I said, “I will confess
         my transgressions to the LORD.”
          And you forgave
          the guilt of my sin.

Brian, may God bless you with the grace of forgiveness and with peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. To the family of the late James Kim: I am truly sorry about this.