GFI Response to GCC Elders

(Originally posted on GFI's website)

In Response To:

Grace Community Church "Statement" Regarding the Ezzos and Growing Families International -- Part Two (11/11/97)

The Grace Elders' "statement" was finalized by Phillip R. Johnson, Executive Director, Grace To You Ministries on 10/16/97. According to Mr. Johnson's correspondence with GFI, the entire statement was reviewed and approved by John MacArthur before it was presented to the elders at Grace Church. It then was subsequently approved for distribution by the Board of Elders on 10/16/97.

The Ezzo's ministry of helping parents to be faithful and true to God in their duty of raising their children started at Grace Community Church in 1985, and continued through the Spring of 1996. In June of 1996, the Ezzos left Grace Church quietly and as graciously as possible. Since that time they have been content to carry on their ministry while avoiding public criticism of any other ministry.

Now eighteen months later, the Grace elder board felt it necessary to release a statement of non endorsement concerning Growing Families International. The Ezzos were stunned to read the content and focus of Grace's statement. In the second paragraph Phil Johnson wrote: "We have delayed making a public statement as long as we held out hope that these concerns might be resolved privately. Unfortunately, that no longer appears possible."

This statement makes it sound as if the Grace elders were in active pursuit of the Ezzos and that the only reason they "went public" was because the Ezzos failed to respond to their concerns. At the end of the statement, Phil Johnson wrote that, "our efforts to address these concerns privately have been rebuffed or disregarded, . . ."

The veracity of that concern rises or falls on the question of whether or not the elders were actively pursuing Gary over their supposed concerns with his teaching resources. Consider this fact, which is undisputed, over the previous thirty months not one member of John's staff or elder board has pursued the Ezzos on any church-related issues, let alone a single concern found within the Grace statement. One only needs to ask Grace elders and pastors one obvious question to assess the validity of the entire document: "Have you personally made contact with the Ezzos in the last thirty months regarding any of the charges found in the Grace statement?"

If the answer is "no," then how can the "statement" assert that the Ezzos were "pursued" and that all attempts made were "rebuffed?" If there were no contacts, no meetings, no phone calls, or letters of concern, then on what exactly did the elders unanimously vote? (If any elder or staff pastor has a different recollection, then it would be the right thing for him to step forward with his documentation: letters, memos, phone records, dates, and time of meetings.)

Many have asked over the last few weeks: How could men who express that they have no greater concern than to bring honor to their Lord and His Word write and act in such a manner against a ministry partner? The Ezzos have no answer to that question. It is a question for which Grace leadership alone must respond to and stand accountable to the Lord. The Ezzos are certain, however, that leaders are held to a "stricter judgment," (Ja. 3.1) and that leaders must both teach and live truth (1 Tim. 4.16). Gary invites the wider community of Christianity to hold both GFI and Grace to a biblical standard in these matters.

If Grace's statement aligns with the facts, then why has no member of John's staff or any of his elders pursued the Ezzos according to Galatians 6:1? "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

There are two very good reasons why the Ezzos have not been pursued. First, according to John MacArthur, there was nothing to pursue. This fact is made clear by the number times John has gone on record over many months in statements he made to many people that he has "no problem with Gary's theology." That means that Grace's recent statement is not only a new position which they have not heretofore communicated to Gary and GFI, it is also a position which stands in stark contrast to what John has communicated to Gary and Anne Marie in the past. Consider for example, one letter which John wrote to the Ezzos on July 18, 1995:

1. "We all agree on the doctrinal statement of Grace Community Church. I know you are honestly committed to that statement as expressed in What We Teach so in my mind we're not dealing with issues of foundational doctrine. I don't question your theology."

2. "We're not dealing with an issue of motive. Everyone wants to serve the Lord as best they can and be as true to the Word as possible."

3. "What we're dealing with is a difference in understanding some applications of biblical truth, differences in terminology, a certain conflict over what is biblical and what is non biblical (preferential)."

Since there were no problems with Gary's theology or motives, John concluded the staff problems with the GFI materials were either issues of emphasis or matters of preference. (MacArthur letter attached -- 1.1.)

Second, the reason there was no pursuit of the Ezzos was because as it is clearly stated by John in his July 18, 1995 letter, he personally called a halt to all further correspondence regarding this matter. He stated that further writing would constitute an unfair burden on the Ezzos. His desire was to "put these things to rest." The acceptance of John's wishes is verified by the fact that Grace staff and elders made no contact with Gary from that time forward. That in turn is why the charge of "rebuffing and disregarding" is not merely untrue, it is impossible.

As a footnote, in the July 18, 1995 letter, John shared in a non-specific way, that he was grieved about unkind statements, innuendos, and sarcasm surrounding this issue. After reading that statement, Gary immediately sent a letter to Stuart Scott seeking forgiveness if any part of his letter sounded as John described. (Scott letter attached to MacArthur letter -- 1.2).

From that time on, the only other correspondence with Grace staff was the congenial conversations between Stuart Scott and Gary Ezzo over the wording of the Grace Church/ GFI response, approved by John MacArthur and the elders on 10/31/95, and made available to the public in November, 1995.

According to John and his staff, that first official statement put out by Grace Church was the final resolution of the entire matter. It was

entitled: Transition of Family Ministry at Grace Community Church and was
made available to any inquirer asking about Grace Church and GFI material. (Attachment 2.1, 2.2) A timeline of all meetings and correspondence from August, 1992, to October, 1997, is also attached. (Attachment 3)

If the elders were not pursuing Gary, then how could it now be true that they have "given up hope?" If John told Gary that he had no problem with Gary's theology, then how could it now be true that Gary should be charged with a lack of accountability in his teaching? If John wrote Gary that there were to be no further discussions or correspondence on the matter of Gary's life and ministry, then how could it now be true that Gary is guilty of "rebuffing and disregarding" Grace's leadership?

Does the doctrine of the local church afford Grace Church the biblical right to send out a statement of non-endorsement regarding another ministry? The Ezzos believe the answer is a resounding "Yes." But on the other hand, does that doctrine give Grace Church the freedom to accuse a person of wrong without first going to that person, or if not that person, at least making some effort to contact his or her spiritual leaders? Absolutely not. And yet that is exactly what was done with the Grace "statement." All readers of Grace's statement clearly see that it goes beyond the issue of endorsement and beyond the issue of making observations about the content of a small sampling of Gary's teaching resources.

If the statement stopped at those two things, most of the Body of Christ would have agreed that Grace is within their biblical bounds. However, by making public their concerns about Gary's character, Grace's elders ignored the compelling Scriptural process and the God-given authority of Gary's elders.

Gary wants nothing more than to honor the Lord by teaching and leading in ways which are completely faithful to the Bible. Gary is willing and ready to participate in any biblical, God honoring process to advance reconciliation and unity in the Body of Christ. Though the Grace elders have not up to this point taken those steps, (likely because John MacArthur has said to his staff and to Gary and his staff, that the matter "was put to rest"), Gary invites them to pursue a biblical course by doing what any group of elders should do if they are desirous of dealing with conflict in harmony to the Word of God.

God has a way of sorting these things out. The Ezzos will wait and see how He does it and meanwhile get on with their ministry.

The Ezzos realize that some of their readers would like more specifics about the Grace Statement. For those who need that information, attached is a fifteen point detailed response. Each paragraph in the "statement" has been numbered, starting with the first sentence: "This statement was unanimously affirmed . . ." The Ezzos will refer to each paragraph by number when quoting from it and then respond to each quoted statement.

STATEMENT REVIEW AND RESPONSE

The first one to plead his cause seems right. Until his neighbor comes and examines him. Proverbs 18:17

STATEMENT ONE (Paragraph One) "This statement was unanimously affirmed . . ."

RESPONSE Many will read that statement and assume that all Grace Church elders were present when the discussion and vote occurred. Accordingly, many will assume that all the elders had equal exposure and knowledge of the facts presented to the board. Having been on the Board of Elders at GCC for eleven years, Gary realizes that neither of those assumptions would be safe ones to make. The phrase, "unanimously affirmed" does not mean all the elders were in attendance nor does it mean consensus on the basis of similar levels of knowledge. These details are significant because one could easily interpret the phrase "unanimously affirmed" to mean something that it does not -- that all were in agreement.

STATEMENT TWO (Paragraph Two) "We have delayed making a public statement as long as we held out hope that these concerns might be resolved privately. Unfortunately, that no longer appears possible."

RESPONSE GCC had already released two public responses: The first was dated 10/30/95, the second was dated 4/17/97.

STATEMENT THREE (Paragraph Four) "At an elders' meeting in the Spring of 1993, the elders of Grace Church asked Gary Ezzo to be more accountable to them -- particularly with regard to the content of his teaching and the amount of time he was spending in GFI ministries beyond the purview of his responsibility as a pastor."

RESPONSE Indeed, the meeting of Spring, 1993, took place. However, at least two elders present distinctly remember that the meeting had nothing to do with the content of Gary's teaching resources. In addition, a concern of this magnitude would likely have shown up in the minutes of that elder meeting. It did not -- not the original minutes. It is true that a conversation regarding how much time GFI was requiring of Gary took place in that meeting. Later, that conversation provided the basis for his resignation, because Gary wanted to stay above reproach regarding his time and dual involvement with GCC and GFI.

STATEMENT FOUR (Paragraph Seven) "The pastoral staff began a review of Gary's published and taped material, and met as a group with Gary in mid-1995, to outline several concerns about the doctrinal and biblical content of GFI materials."

RESPONSE There were no meetings in mid-1995, Spring 1995, or Fall of 1995. Phil Johnson knew this before writing his statement, because he was given a detailed summary of all the events in a letter from Gary dated August 22, 1995. If meetings did occur, then Gary would love to see some verifying records. But they didn't occur. By midsummer 1995, the matter was officially "put at rest" by John MacArthur in his July 18, 1995 letter.

For the record, it is necessary to back up to Gary and John's first meeting on January 3, 1995. That is when John asked if Gary would make himself available to the staff to answer any questions they might have about his material. John wanted to get the matter settled and so did Gary. At John's request and GFI's expense, Gary provided every staff person with all GFI materials, including tapes.

On January 31, 1995, Gary met with John and his staff at 2:00 p.m. in room 271 at Grace Church. John led that meeting and opened it, noting that a few staff members had come to him about concerns with Gary's teaching resources. It was in that meeting that Gary expressed his disappointment that the staff went to John rather than coming to him. By the end of the hour, very few concerns over the material content were voiced, and none were voiced over any of the GFI curriculum used at Grace Church.

In that meeting, one pastor was concerned over the use of the word "moral" in the On Becoming Babywise book. Another was concerned that On Becoming Babywise was pre-evangelistic and "seeker sensitive," a method of evangelism that Grace does not endorse. A recently hired associate pastor thought it would be a good idea to add an appendix on child evangelism in the back of Growing Kids God's Way. (Gary thought that was a good idea for a future edition.)

Another associate pastor went through a checklist of his suggestions for the childbirth manual, Birth By Design. Gary asked that associate pastor to write down his suggestions and send them to him. Since Gary did not write the childbirth manual, nor interact at a deep level with its content, Gary was eager to see what the concerns were. That associate pastor agreed to do as Gary requested. However, rather than forwarding his suggestions to Gary, a couple months later the associate pastor sent twelve pages of suggested changes to the childbirth educators.

Out of the January 31, 1995, meeting came four letters from Grace staff pastors. One was a non-GFI related letter addressed to the childbirth ministry, dated March 16, 1995, mentioned in the paragraph above. Of the other three letters, only two required comprehensive responses. The first was from Associate Pastor Stuart Scott. It was received at the end of March, two months after the one-hour meeting in January. The second letter was received at the end of April from Associate Pastor Kent Keller who led the Junior High Ministry at that time.

Detailed responses were prepared by Gary for both letters and mailed in July, 1995. Following Gary's responses to those two associate pastors, came John MacArthur's July 18, 1995, letter. Gary would have preferred to have Associate Pastor Scott and Associate Pastor Keller answer the points of his response letter. For these were the matters left unresolved. However, out of a desire to follow John's wishes, Gary was willing to forego any further meetings, discussion, or correspondence. Gary felt that was the right thing to do given the fact that John had told Gary that the matter was over. As a result, communications ceased between Gary and Grace associate pastors on all matters. Never once from that point forward were any concerns ever brought to Gary until the Grace Church "statement" was released a couple of weeks ago.

STATEMENT FIVE (Paragraph Seven) "He explained and clarified several points, and promised to make changes in his material to alleviate everyone's concerns."

RESPONSE There were no promises made because, as noted above, there were no doctrinal concerns tied to the core GFI curriculum. The minor concerns discussed had to do with a childbirth manual and many of those changes were readied for the next printing.

STATEMENT SIX (Paragraph Eight) ". . . in the weeks immediately following the meeting, Gary wrote letters to some of the pastors who had raised criticisms."

RESPONSE This is not entirely accurate. The only letters written were the two response letters mentioned above. See attachment three to review the chronological order of events.

STATEMENT SEVEN (Paragraph Eight) ". . . Gary wrote letters to some of the pastors who had raised criticisms. He characterized their concerns as petty and personal, and indicated he believed the staff's criticism was driven by one or two people's personal agendas."

RESPONSE It is very difficult to know how to, or even whether to respond to hearsay. "Petty," "personal," and "agendas" are not words used in any of Ezzo's responses. Gary's detailed response to Associate Pastor Scott and Associate Pastor Keller demonstrated the seriousness in which he took their concerns.

Many of the examples used in the childbirth letter were lacking substance. Some examples included the use of the words "stress," "emotions," and "Postpartum blues." One of the associate pastors wrote: "There is nothing biblical to suggest that Christian women experience postpartum blues." He said "the Bible clearly speaks to these issues" (meaning any type of depression after birth is a sin issue not a chemical one). In relationship to labor, the childbirth educator's wrote, "knowledge of relaxation techniques and their proper use will be helpful." To this one associate pastor wrote, "These are not essential biblically-based principles. We must emphasize only those things that will help us to respond spiritually to what is occurring physically." In reference to a single mother offering her baby for adoption, the educators wrote: "Last minute regrets, fears and grief will be another hurdle to get over." They were told this was unacceptable secular language and needed to be changed.

STATEMENT EIGHT (Paragraph Nine) "The changes discussed in that meeting were never submitted to the pastoral staff. Instead, Gary resigned as an elder and withdrew from Grace Church completely."

RESPONSE It is true that Gary did not submit anything to the pastoral staff because: 1) nothing was requested; and 2) John ended the matter in his July 18, 1995, letter. The GCC statement said Gary resigned as an elder and withdrew from Grace Church completely. That was not the case. While Gary did resign from the elder board in July of 1995, he continued at Grace Church and under the leadership of Grace elders through the Spring of 1996. It would be easy for someone to read the above comment made by GCC elders and conclude that Gary resigned in protest or for purposes of self protection. Indeed, that is not true.

STATEMENT NINE (Paragraph 11 - 12) Confusion between biblical standards and matters of personal preference . . . Portraying schedule feeding as the true biblical practice . . . we would caution young mothers not to adopt any system of parenting that is so rigid that it requires them to quell the God-given maternal impulse (cf. Isa. 66:10-12) . . . GFI parents are taught that sling-type baby carriers are too child centered . . . and that a mother should not sleep next to their babies . . . Matthew 27:46 is used to justify the teaching that mothers should refuse to attend to crying infants who have already been fed, changed and had their basic needs met. Gary Ezzo writes "Praise God that the Father did not intervene when His son cried out on the cross."

RESPONSE There are a several points to be made pertaining to this section:

One: Anyone familiar with the Ezzo's teaching knows they make the argument
that the Bible is silent on infant feeding and that any decision on the practical side of infant nurturing is a matter of preference. What they do teach is that God has instilled His creation with design and order.

Two: Regarding Grace's new theological position on maternal impulse. Again,
the real issue is not one of mere terminology but rather divinely created order. Whether one chooses to use the word "impulse," "instinct," or "will," the Scriptures clearly indicate that fallen man is still in man (see Gen. 9.6). Therefore, though fallen man still must acknowledge and respond to his creaturely needs, he must make moral decisions. Because of sin, man does those things in separation from a relationship with his Creator.

The Ezzos believe as Oswald Chambers does on this subject. He says: "There is nothing either of the nature of impulse or of cold-bloodedness about our Lord, but only a calm strength that never got into panic. Most of us develop our Christianity along the line of our temperament, not along the line of God. Impulse is a trait in natural life, but our Lord always ignored it, because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple . . . Impulse is all right in a child, but it is disastrous in a man or woman. . . . Impulse has to be trained into intuition by discipline. (My Utmost For His Highest, pg. 295)

Three: The citation of Isa. 66:10-13 seems to bring no helpful light to
this issue. Those verses fall within a section of Scripture which speaks to the fact that the LORD will bring about the realization of the restoration of the Kingdom for Israel (with a place for Gentiles) after they repent [58:1-66:24].

Isaiah 66:10-13 reads, "Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her all you who mourn over her, That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom. For thus says the Lord, Behold I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you shall be nursed you shall be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts so I will comfort you."(NASB)

Clearly, the prophet is not intending to teach about "maternal impulse" nor is he attempting to establish some normative principle for methods of feeding and comforting a baby. (A variety of ways to comfort a baby is listed in Preparation for Parenting, Chapter 9). Isaiah is prophesying about a nation who will be blessed in provisions of a divine sort. This text is a poetic and prophetic reference about the barren daughter of Zion, Jerusalem, who will one day give birth again as demonstrated by the fact that from her breast she will supply her children with nourishment.

Four: Regarding slings and the Grace statement. In Preparation for
Parenting, page 175, it states: "There is a time and place for backpacks, snuggles, and slings, such as when mom, dad, and baby are out shopping, hiking, or taking a walk. But slinging your baby by your side all day long is an artificial way to parent."

Five: Regarding mothers and bedsharing. The Ezzos have always recognized
the dangers of this practice. Apparently, the American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. The AAP, in collaboration with an NICHD subcommittee, (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), concluded there was no evidence that shared sleep reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and indeed, it may increase the risk by endangerment (Pediatrics, August, 1997). Emphasis added.

One of the most recent cautions against co-sleeping comes from Dr. Clifford Nelson, a Multnomah County, Oregon, deputy medical examiner. In an article posted on the Internet, September, 1996, titled "Co-Sleeping Deaths," he notes, "The following unfortunate story is reported hundreds of times in the United States each year." In Madison County, Il, authorities are warning people not to let infants sleep with their mothers. In the first eight months of this year in Madison County, five infants have already died from parental overlay. The advocacy of shared sleep by Grace is not medically sound or supportable. (1 Kings 3:19).

Six: Regarding Matthew 27:46, the "statement" claims the Ezzos use this
verse to justify letting a baby cry. But when one reads that section in Preparation for Parenting, he finds the text referring to demand feeding and not schedule feeding. The point the Ezzos clearly make is that God is not a celestial genie who responds on demand to us, nor is it correct to assume that God's very character prevents Him from letting a baby cry. For His greater purpose, the Father did not intervene in the crucifixion.

STATEMENT TEN (Paragraph 14-18) ". . . GFI materials tend to be unclear on the issues of original sin and human depravity."

RESPONSE The Ezzos are thankful that the statement acknowledges that they do not deny depravity because indeed, they do not. Gary's position on depravity is exactly the same as John MacArthur's, and is clearly stated in GFI's resources. Opinions will always differ as to the amount of attention one should or should not give to any given theological topic.

STATEMENT ELEVEN (Paragraph 19) "Insufficient attention to the child's need for regeneration. "

RESPONSE If one turned to page 16 in Growing Kids God's Way, he would find under the "Foundations" section the first foundational truth that Gary expands on -- the child's need for salvation. Again, this is not communicated by GCC elders as a biblical matter, but rather in their opinion, there is "insufficient attention" given to this topic. The Ezzos are always grateful for constructive opinions.

STATEMENT TWELVE (Paragraph 20) "Gary himself once reported in an elder's meeting that GFI material has found a warm reception among Mormons and other non-evangelicals."

RESPONSE What was shared at the elders' meeting and other times, is that Growing Kids God's Way has proven to be an effective tool of evangelism of Mormons. They come to the classes for their felt need--parenting, and find their real need -- salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Ezzos are confused as to the elders' intention behind this statement. John has often noted that his sermons and books are used in many secular settings by non-Christians. It is our understanding that staff members of Brigham Young University recently visited Grace to talk with John about making some of his books required text at the university. That shouldn't be surprising. Any message which speaks to the issue of God's created order will find warm reception even among unbelievers. According to John, many unbelievers have used his messages on leadership. In the same manner, many unbelievers find the Ezzo's teaching on parenting helpful.

STATEMENT THIRTEEN (Paragraphs 21-27) Please read.

RESPONSE Anecdotal evidence has a limited usefulness in the pursuit of truth. Selectively chosen anecdotal statements have virtually no value to a truth-seeking process. Perry Mason never used that tactic because it was so full of holes!

STATEMENT FOURTEEN (Paragraph 27) "In several instances, Gary Ezzo has declined to listen to concerns from essentially friendly critics -- including fellow elders, pastors, and even co-workers in the GFI ministries." RESPONSE Declining to listen or hear someone on a biblical matter is clearly a moral concern. On the other hand, not agreeing with an opinion is not a moral matter. Gary and Anne Marie are characterized by listening to everyone who comes with a concern, thought, or opinion. But, as all teachers and leaders know, personal opinions and suggestions are not the same thing as facts in need of attention. The important thing to remember in all this language is that Gary listened to his pastor and did what his pastor requested of him.

STATEMENT FIFTEEN (Paragraph 28) ". . . just before he withdrew permanently from Grace Church, Gary sent an e-mail message to a Grace to You donor in the Midwest. In the message, Gary claimed that several staff members of the church had 'gone amillennial in their eschatology'; that attendance at the church had dwindled so that church services were largely empty; and that Lance Quinn (Senior Associate Pastor) had 'walked out' on John MacArthur -- implying that Lance had left the church staff under less than positive circumstances."

RESPONSE This charge is one of the more disconcerting elements of the entire "statement." Grace is known as a church that is serious about the study of Scripture and faithful obedience to the Word of God. John wrote Gary concerning that e-mail message. Gary responded immediately by calling John to seek forgiveness and followed up their conversation with an apologetic letter to John and to the donor (September 17, 1996). After receiving forgiveness, the issue was fully resolved. Furthermore, after their initial conversation, John never wrote or called Gary to discuss this issue again. This incident was a private matter dealt with in private. Gary was dumbfounded when he read about the incident in Grace's "statement." There is no bibl

continued

I got cut off. The rest:

For the record, Gary knew the donor because he was a Growing Kids God's Way father who had been corresponding with him for months. While it may be true that he may have given some donations to Grace To You in the past, GKGW was the basis of their relationship. Gary did not say that the church services during the summer of 1996, were largely empty but that there were plenty of seats. There is a difference. Gary's error was not in the veracity of the facts shared, but in the amount of information communicated. Gary appreciated the fact that John came with his concern. It received immediate attention, but it should have never been made public.

STATEMENT SIXTEEN (Paragraph 29) "Our choice would have been to deal with all these things privately. . . but our efforts to address these concerns privately have been rebuffed or disregarded, sadly that has made this formal statement necessary."

RESPONSE The Ezzos have not, and indeed could not, "rebuff and disregard" something if it did not exist. John spoke affirmingly of their theology and character, and said that any discussion concerning these two issues should cease. Given that discussions were not continuing -- there would be no way for the Ezzos to deflect them. Clearly, one cannot ignore something that does not exist.

One further note on this issue of "rebuffing and disregarding": If Grace elders truly were concerned about Gary's lack of response to them, and if they genuinely wished to pursue a biblical resolution to these matters, then why did they not make any effort to make contact with the elders in the church where the Ezzos hold their membership? "Giving up hope" implies that one has exhausted all resources. The elders in Gary's home church would seem to be one resource available to Grace elders and a resource that would hold biblical endorsement. Yet, Grace elders chose not to pursue that avenue.

Summary The Ezzos are deeply disappointed by Grace's decision to put forth such a "statement." Biblical resolution will not occur unless it is sought in "harmony to the Word of God." God-honoring resolution must include a willingness by all parties to acknowledge sin wherever it is found, confess that sin, and undo any unjust damage sin caused. No one is above the biblical process.

This statement was submitted to, reviewed, and approved for distribution by the elders of Living Hope Evangelical Fellowship. (November 11, 1997)

(Attachment 1.1) [Image] -- This is an image of a letter from John MacArthur to Gary Ezzo. I'll type in the text. All typos are mine.

July 18, 1995

Mr. Gary Ezzo
GROWING FAMILIES INTERNATIONAL
9259 Eton Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Dear Gary,

I think I'm up on all the correspondence you have had with
Stuart Scott and I'm sure the give and take has been helpful
to some degree. At least I hope it has. Stuart is a marvelous
guy, genuinely devoted to the Lord and to the truth and I have
great confidence in him as he leads our Family Ministries in
the future. In a sense, I'm sorry he's gotten caught up in all
these seemingly endless discussions.

I think any material scrutinized in as much detail as yours
would come up short of absolute perfection so I undrestand
something of your frustration with some of the minute issues.
At the same time, I appreciate the due diligence of wanting to
sort out everything and be as precise as we can with the truth.
At this point, I think the best approach to take for the sake
of unity and to decrease the workload of every embroiled in
this constant dialog is to put these things to rest. I don't
feel it's productive to debate over terminology but I do think
we have to recognize what are the issues at hand. Let me
summarize them:

1. We all agree on the doctrinal statement of Grace
Community Churhc. I know you are honestly committed to that
statement as expressed in "What We Teach" so in my mind we're
not dealing with issues of foundational doctrine. I don't
question your theology.

2. We're not dealing with an issue of motive. Everyone
wants to serve the Lord as best they can and be as true to
the Word as possible.

What we are dealing with is differences in understanding
some applications of biblical truth, differences in
terminology, a certain conflict over what is biblical and
what is non-biblical (preferential). What is most important
is that submission, love, forgiveness, humility, kindness
and support prevail, and I haven't always seen that on your
part. Though the issues here are certainly between brothers
who hold the same sound doctrine, it's really an old story,
Gary. I'm still grieved about unkind statements, innuendos
and sarcasm. All each of us can do is be certain our own
heart is right before the Lord and all the rest will work
out even w ith those with whom we have some disagreement.

You and Anne Marie have been a blessing to so many. Your
teaching and material has so much to commend it and I
trust with careful attention will become better so that it
has even a greater impact. There's no desire on our part
to be anything other than precise with the Scripture and
thus to honor the Lord.

Regarding what we sell at the Book Shack, I'm quite confident
that if all the books were subject to this level of scrutiny
and held to the standard of what is required of pastoral
staff members and elders of Grace, our shelves would
contain fewer volumes. But we understand that there's
good to be gained in these books with which we do not agree
on every point. But when someone is an elder at Grace or
a staff member and there is some disagreement, that creates
a different issue. I think that's what we have been trying
to deal with.

Also, the whole transition to Stuart Scott's leadership
from what was a strong profile as you've had is a difficult
transition and when you add the whole [obscured] scenario
and other related difficulties in which it appears that
you and all people in your ministry were pitted against the
church staff, it compounds the issue.

I received your resignation with a measure of regret, but
believe it is the right alternative. Let me encourage you
to be continually supportive of our leadership, as you
now place yourself under the authority of the men the Lord
has shepherding the flock here at Grace.

I love you, brother, and thank the Lord for you and Anne
Marie. I know you have a great vision and opporunity to
help families. I want to see it be everything it can be
and I don't want to burden you unnecessarily continually.
At this point, I think any further dialog might construe
unfair burdening. Cary on and expect that our staff will
use whatever they feel is most beneficial. I want you to
know that my mind is involved in this issue and I've
sorted through these things with the same kind of analysis
as I do any issue but it has not affected my heart in regard
to you personally.

Thanks for the years of labor together.

Yours for the Master

John MacArthur
Pastor-Teacher

(Attachment 1.2)

[Image] - Another letter, this one from Gary Ezzo to Stuart Scott.

Monday, July 24, 1995

Stuart Scott
Grace Community Church
13248 Roscoe Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA 91352

Dear Stuart,

I trust all is going well with your plans for the fall
classes. Stuart, today I received a very gracious letter
from John MmacArthur. In that letter he mentioned my
response to your letter had some innuendos, sarcasm and
unkind statements. I went back through my letter with
that description in mind but did not sesnse, at least
from the writers perspective, those adjectives. But, if
it came across to John that way it could have sounded the
same to you. If that was the case, please forgive me
for nott being more selective in my terms. I did not mean
to inject any sarcasm or innuendos or be unkind in any
statement, but I did sincerely desire to answer and ask
honest questions in response to your letter. In matters
such as this I amm very academic.

Again, I want to affirm my support for you and trust you
have many years of successful ministry at Grace Church.

In Him,

Gary Ezzo

(Attachment 2.1) [Image] A faxed memo from Stuart Scott to Gary Ezzo. At the top it says "2nd draft corrected and approved by John MacArthur". I don't kwow who wrote that.

To: Gary Ezzo
From: Stuart Scott
Date: October 31, 1995
Re: Revised Transition Statement

Gary,

John was in this morning and I was able to run the Transition
Statement by him. After receiving his input we have revised
it to reflect his suggestions and are faxing a copy to you.

We are still asking your permission to use some of the
statements from your February 10, 1995 letter to John MacArthur
in order to help people see this as a unified transition.

I will be presenting this statement to the elders at the
elders' retreat this weekend (November 3-4, 1995). If we do
not hear from you by noon on Thursday, November 2, 1995 we
will assume that it is okay to use these quotes.

Thank you.

(Attachment 2.2)

Transition of Family Ministries at Grace Community Church

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your inquiry about the transition between Grace Community Church and Growing Families International. We think it might be best to begin by helping you understand a brief history of the more recent transition.

For eight years (1985-1993) Gary Ezzo was one of the Family Ministries pastors at Grace Community Church. While on staff he and his wife Anne Marie developed a number of parenting curriculums used by our church body and eventually in a number of other churches around the country. The growth of that ministry necessitated the start-up of a separate entity that became known as Growing Families International (1988). It was in 1993 that Gary resigned his pastoral position to give full-time leadership to GFI. Due to ministry time constraints he resigned his position as an elder in 1995. Gary and Anne Marie are still members of our Grace Church family.

In July, 1994, Grace Community Church called Stuart Scott to serve on the pastoral staff as the new Family Ministries/Counseling pastor. Since Stuart's arrival, Gary has realized the need for change within Family Ministries and has met with both John MacArthur and Stuart to implement the necessary transition. In conversations with both John and Stuart, he has recognized the perception that the church has two Family Ministries, GFI and Grace Church. In February 1995, Gary stated his belief that this is not healthy for either ministry and initiated lessening the dominant presence of GFI at Grace. In a letter to John, Gary expressed his own concern over this unique situation:

"As a result of my presence as a staff member at Grace, the GFI ministry became synonymous with Grace Family Ministries. . .practically speaking there are two Family Ministries -- GFI and Grace Church. This is not healthy -- we believe that the dominant presence of GFI has to be lessened considerably -- the only way we can see this happening is to begin the process of pulling back on the number of GFI associated classes hosted by the church."

In view of these things, GFI will no longer have GCC as its base of operation but will instead, for the present time, view Grace as one of its many hosting churches. The classes that GFI currently offers through Grace Church are now more low-profile than in the past.

These changes are allowing Grace to develop its own Family Ministries working in conjunction with the other departments (i.e. Children's, Jr. High, Sr. High, etc.). As we build, Family Ministries is charting a new direction that will be broader and more defined theologically. We are genuinely excited about our present material and are confident in Stuart Scott's leadership and vision for our families of GCC.

With any ministry transition, tension and a bit of awkwardness could be the result. However, we continue to look for mutual cooperation with Family Ministries and GFI in helping this transition be as smooth as possible. We hope this explanation of the history of the transition will answer your questions regarding the relationship between Grace Community Church and Growing Families International.

If you have any specific questions regarding our material please contact Family Ministries at (818) 909-5537. Any questions about the Ezzo's material can be directed to GFI at (800) 474-6264.

The Elders Council to Family Ministries and Counseling Grace Community Church 10/31/95

(Attachment 3)

Time line of events and key correspondence between Gary Ezzo and Grace Community Church

The following time line is based on actual meetings and correspondence between Grace personnel and the Ezzos. It is offered here to help any reader compare the accusations with actual events.

August 1992 Questions regarding time away from Grace Church were brought to Gary's attention. Upon request, Gary prepared an historical review of his time away from the church. This time included vacation days, travels days with John MacArthur, Master's Fellowship conferences, and non-Grace related parenting conferences. This report was submitted to John MacArthur's office and the lay elders on August 13, 1992, for the elders meeting that night. The report revealed that over a four year period, and out of a possible 208 Joint Heir Sunday classes, Gary missed 34, including vacation time and Grace Church related business.

Fall 1992 John MacArthur called a meeting to set up a committee to review three of the GFI resources. However, the committee never met.

June 1993 Gary officially left his Grace Church staff position as the Pastor of Family Ministries, but continued in his service as a lay elder.

January 3, 1995 Gary attended a 1:30 pm meeting with John MacArthur to discuss rumors he had been hearing from the staff about GFI and some of the Ezzo's curriculum. Since John had no first hand knowledge of any doctrinal problems, both he and Gary agreed to meet with the entire staff to openly discuss any areas of concern they might have with the Ezzo's material. Up to that point in time, no concerns had ever been related to Gary.

January 6, 1995 Nick Carter, GFI Vice President of Operations, received a phone call from Pat Rotisky, John MacArthur's secretary. She requested GFI to send all our curriculum to the church so the staff can review it. GFI delivered a complimentary set of all the Ezzos curriculum tapes and books to every pastor by the end of that week.

January 31, 1995 Gary met with staff at 2:00 pm, to discuss their concerns. Before the meeting began, it was noted that none of the staff present for this meeting had ever come to Gary personally with a concern about his material. During the meeting, very few concerns were mentioned and there was no request to change anything in the material with the exception of a few items contained in the childbirth material. John MacArthur ended this portion of the meeting by stating to the staff that if he were Judge Ito, he would dismiss this case for a lack of evidence. Gary left at 3:15 pm while the staff continued to meet with John.

(Two staff members present noted that they had come to Gary earlier regarding issues that were unrelated to his material and ministry.)

February 1, 1995 Gary received a letter from Bill Shannon, Pastor of Children's Ministry, offering some of his personal thoughts and observations about some of the Ezzo's materials.

February 10, 1995 Completely unrelated to the meeting above, Gary sent John MacArthur a letter suggesting how he could assist Stuart Scott, Grace's new Pastor of Family Ministries, to develop his ministry at the church.

March 16, 1995 The GFI childbirth ministry received a letter from Pastors Lance Quinn, Stuart Scott, and Carey Hardy, sharing some concerns about some of the terminology in the Birth by Design manual. Their message was contradictory to a letter received by the Childbirth Ministry from John MacArthur. After reading the same book, he stated "I read the whole thing and found it to be very interesting and very well written. . . I was encouraged to see your emphasis," (April 19, 1994).

March 23, 1995 After the January meeting, Gary received a letter from Stuart Scott, who gave his thoughts on some issues after having gone through Growing Kids God's Way. Because Gary was told on repeated occasions that each staff member was going to write, he delayed his response to Stuart for two months as he waited to hear from everyone.

April 25, 1995 Gary received a letter of concern from Kent Keller, Grace's Jr. High Pastor.

June and mid-July Gary prepared comprehensive theological responses for Pastors Scott and Keller. These were mailed in July.

July 10, 1995 Gary resigned from the Grace Elder Board.

July 18, 1995 John MacArthur wrote a letter to Gary expressing his desire to bring any unresolved issues to a close. He affirmed his love for the Ezzos and the fact that he did not question the Ezzos theology, and/or motive in this matter. He stated that there may be differences in opinion as to what is biblical or preferential. He felt the issue of the GFI controversy was closed and expressed his desire to stop all letter inquiries because they placed an undue burden on the Ezzos. Gary's responses and questions to Pastors Scott and Keller remained unanswered.

July 18, 1995- Present (27 months) From this point forward, except for one unrelated letter, not a single pastor or elder ever approached Gary personally, called, or wrote him regarding a single concern about any issue of doctrine or application. There was no request for changes by any elder, pastor, or other leader at Grace Church regarding the Ezzo's material once John MacArthur stated there were no theological problems.

October 31, 1995 On October 30, 1995, an official statement for public release regarding Grace Church and GFI was approved by John MacArthur, and the Grace Church Elders Council to Family Ministries and Counseling. This was the first official public statement of it's kind.

May 1996 Gary and Anne Marie left Grace Church and began attending Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, CA.

June-September 1996 Gary hears of respected theologian, Dr. John Frame's, Westminster Seminary (West), exposure to Growing Kids God's Way. Once Gary was informed of that, he contacted Dr. Frame and asked him to do a thorough theological critique of the GKGW material. On August 19, 1996, they met in San Diego for lunch to hear Dr. Frame's evaluation. He had found no theological problems in the material, but did suggest a dozen minor technical changes, all of which were incorporated in the Fall 1996 printing of GKGW. He told Gary that he found GKGW to be very helpful both personally and professionally.

October 13, 1996 John MacArthur addressed Joint Heirs Sunday School class to discuss the recent transition in class leadership and to resolve any lingering confusion in people's minds regarding Grace Church and GFI. He reiterated that he had "no problems with Gary's theology, " and issue is a matter of preference.

October 16, 1996 Gary and John MacArthur met for the last time. John assured Gary that he had no problems with Gary's theology and that there were to be no further meetings to be held about that matter. Both agreed to move forward as independent ministries serving the Lord.

March 1997 Negative reports begin to circulate out from Grace Church staff to other churches about Gary Ezzo and the theology of his material. Gary called Stuart Scott and asked him to investigate. A week later in a follow-up call, Stuart informs Gary that the rumors were just misunderstandings. He explained that new tensions exist which are in John MacArthur's opinion aggravating the situation. Tensions are in reference to the start up of a new church.

April 17, 1997 Stuart Scott sent a fax to Gary regarding Grace Church's latest position statement about GFI. This new statement was written by Steve Rein, with certain editorial clarifications made by Stuart Scott. Steve Rein is a professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University and has no connection to Grace Church. In his fax, Stuart wrote "Here is our new position, and it is on the internet. If you have any questions let us know." Stuart informed Gary that John MacArthur and Jerry Wragg, John MacArthur's assistant, approved the use of Steve Rein's comments for Grace Community Church. (This was Grace's second publicly distributed statement on GFI)

October 16, 1997 At the monthly elder's meeting, the elders at Grace Church voted unanimously to approve a statement about Gary Ezzo and GFI. This statement was written by Phil Johnson, Executive Director of Grace to You, and was adopted as the official public statement of Grace Community Church.

October 17, 1997 Grace Church released their third and most current statement regarding GFI and the Ezzos, citing accusations already dismissed in 1995-96.

October 21, 1997 The charges from Grace Church are turned over to the elders of Living Hope Evangelical Fellowship, where Gary and Anne Marie attend and hold membership.

Summary There are more events that could be added to this timeline. In review, the record will show that we have done everything the elders of Grace Community Church asked of us and more. We attended every meeting requested, responded to every letter, and returned every phone call. To be sure, we do not agree on all the matters that have been discussed. But be that as it may, there is no basis for the accusations that we refused to meet, would not receive criticism, or clear up any point of confusion in our material. When wrong was done, forgiveness was sought swiftly and fully. We pray for the same God-honoring resolution in this case.

Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo