The inability to apologize is not some tough guy sign of strength, rather it is the consummate act of weakness.
It has been 36 shameful days since the false charges against RE Phil Dudt brought by Midway Presbyterian Church Senior Pastor David Hall, failed prosecutor RE Scott Keesee, and the remaining unsuspended members of the Session were overturned by the PCA’s highest court. During the past 36 days, the prideful and recalcitrant pastors at Midway have led their Session in the most pathetic and dishonorable exercise of responsibility dodging in the church’s history.
• How can a Senior Pastor of a church of Midway’s stature fail so fantastically to apply the Scriptures that they wrongfully convict one of their own elders of a manmade offense that was not a sin with no evidence? How is this not the very abuse of spiritual authority the PCA recently outlined in its report? This is who David Hall apparently is.
• How can an Associate Pastor of a church of Midway’s stature believe it was acceptable to fabricate witness testimony after a trial to add to the record of a case against a man who the court had already found “guilty?” This is who Marc Harrington apparently is.
• How can a prosecutor be so undiscerning that he could not identify motive and had to build a case around falsely assigning motive? This is who RE Scott Keesee apparently is.
• How can a group of ordained men elected to serve and shepherd Christ’s church fall prey to wicked scheming in an attempt to ruin the reputation of one of their own fellow elders? How can these same men indict three additional elders upon the same false pretenses? This is who apparently makes up the Session at Midway Presbyterian Church.
• How can a Presbytery fail so fantastically to identify these errors (and many others) and vote to uphold such a conviction with biased evidence and conclude that the charges were Scripturally based when they never were? This is apparently who makes up the Northwest Georgia Presbytery.
The answer is deception.
Perhaps more shameful than the aforementioned sin committed against RE Phil Dudt, is the aforementioned men’s complete and total inability to apologize to him and the congregation at Midway whom they have sinned against. Instead they pretend as if nothing has happened and don’t even disclose the court’s findings of their behavior to their membership.
How can Senior Pastor David Hall have any credibility? One can only conclude that apologizing must be psychologically damaging. Perhaps issuing an apology owed and leading the church toward restoration is too difficult for David Hall because his ego is too fragile to handle the consequences of admitting wrongdoing — even if his congregation were to forgive him. In this way, the inability to apologize is not some tough guy sign of strength, rather it is the consummate act of weakness.
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say”
Martin Luther
The Editorial Board of the Midway Guardian calls once again its sizable readership to prayer. Specifically for repentance and the softening of hearts in the leadership of Midway Presbyterian Church. In particular, pray for David Hall, that he would lead his followers on the Session in disclosing the highest court of the PCA’s ruling against them for bringing false charges and apologize to RE Dudt and the church at large.
If David Hall were to do this – members of his church would sigh in relief and rejoice at the repentance. Healing could begin. This act would be an act of strength. But that would take courage. How many more days will the Senior Pastor make the people wait? Their patience for sin this egregious and public in their leadership may be running short…