The LA Times broke the story last week. Christianity Today Millions of dollars were at stake - a bible college with satellite campuses - a damaged relationship between a famous minister and his son - radio stations - mismanagement. It’s so common for us to hear these stories we could colour in the lines.

But we can never forget that it is people that get hurt.

The women that have come forward with allegations of abuse, pastors fired for being sick.

Calvary Chapels are not small players in the evangelical landscape of the US. Founded by Chuck Smith, the group of independent churches grew from a few Californians in 1965 to a network of 1000 churches world wide.

The radio network is the main story:

Bolstered by $13 million from Smith’s Costa Mesa church, Calvary Satellite Network grew into a spectacular recruiting tool for the evangelical movement. In listening areas across the nation, Calvary Chapels proliferated.

But relations between the two pastors deteriorated. In 2003, Smith cut off funding for the radio network, precipitating a crisis that continues to roil Calvary’s leadership. It sparked a war for control of the network on terrain Smith had preached against for years: the earthly courts.

The two sides have hurled accusations of lust and greed, betrayal and embezzlement. As part of the battle, Smith funded a lawsuit against Kestler by a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader who said he had fired her from her radio job for rebuffing his sexual advances.

Now, after a year of hugely expensive legal sparring, the 79-year-old Smith is so eager to settle the case that he is willing to do so at a staggering loss.

He is about to surrender much of the radio empire to Kestler, a man he calls morally unfit for ministry. Smith says that by walking away, he is making a Christian gesture.

But it isn’t really. To me the story is people that have come forward with stories of abuse, and were not heard. Money, property, media and personalities were spiritualized and placed ahead of the needs of wounded people who have required and wanted the church to be the church. Repentance is secondary to the bottom line.

One Calvary Chapel blog that has stood out in it’s call for accountability is Phoenix Preacher. It’s been the go-to blog for the story behind the story, the posts pointing out the rot and calling for the right and proper heart of healthy leadership.
It’s what I call a hub-blog, a key blog that others in the tribe branch in and out of. It’s a blog without pretense, without gloss, without the bloggers worship of power, calling for leadership integrity.

There are hundreds of comments at Christianity Today and at the post about the LA Times story at Phoenix Preacher, people are needing to speak up.

There is a deep sickness in structural evangelicalism in North America.

(removed by request 03.03.07)