When faced with accusations from the widower of a second alleged victim of his sexual misconduct, Messianic teacher and apologist Michael Brown yesterday afternoon posted a video online admitting to an “emotional” relationship with a woman.
“While I have never committed adultery in all our years of marriage, in late 2001, the beginning of 2002, I developed an emotional, not a physical, tie with another individual,” Brown said in the video. He added that he would have done this “days ago” but has been out of the country with his grandson.
Just two hours before Brown posted the video, The Roys Report (TRR) reached out to him to request comment on allegations he had sexual conversations with a woman about 20 years ago, with whom he was “obsessed.” After posting the video online, Brown responded that he’d have a statement to TRR by the evening after he conferred with his board. About an hour later, TRR emailed him about the video. Brown replied that the video would be his only statement, as per his board’s instruction.
The allegations came from the husband of a woman referred to in a previous TRR article on allegations against Brown. In the article, “Erin,” Brown’s alleged first victim, tells of finding a note in Brown’s handwriting that described sexual conversations Brown was having with another woman.
That second alleged victim died in 2021, and her husband, “Ray,” requested that we not use his or her name to protect his late wife’s identity. TRR has a policy of not naming alleged victims of adult clergy sexual abuse. But we confirmed the woman’s identity with former Brownsville School of Ministry student Amber Rhodes and Niels Prip, a former FIRE School of Ministry administrator and long-time friend of Ray and his wife.
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Ray claimed Brown pursued an “inappropriate” relationship with his wife about 20 years ago in 2001 to 2002 when she was 41 and Brown was 46. Ray said that he and his wife considered Brown, a prominent leader for the Brownsville revival in the 1990s and founder of FIRE School of Ministry, to be their spiritual leader.
“It is my view that he became infatuated and obsessed with her, learned over time some of her vulnerabilities, exploited that, and manipulated her into a place that she did not desire or intend,” Ray said. “In short, a victim to a man who postured and prided himself to be one of our spiritual leaders.”
Ray had previously declined to comment about what transpired between his wife and Brown. However, Ray objected to Brown’s characterization of Brown’s relationship with his wife, which we reported in our previous article.
Brown reportedly told former FIRE staff Kris Bennett that Ray’s wife had said something inappropriate to Brown, which Brown documented in the note Erin found. Ray said he interpreted this as blaming Ray’s wife for what happened, but Ray says Brown deserves the blame.
“I don’t want him to throw my wife under the bus,” Ray said. “She does not deserve that at all. . . . You can’t just leave it there without some context. Especially if Mike controls the narrative, he’s going to end up being a victim.”
According to Boz Tchividjian, an attorney specializing in sexual abuse cases, sexual contact between a religious leader and a person under the leader’s care is considered adult clergy sexual abuse due to the power differential.
According to Jason Martin, a secondary ACSA survivor and social science researcher, Ray would also be considered a considered a “secondary victim” of adult clergy sexual abuse. For both victim and spouse, the betrayer is the pastor who abused his position. And if that pastor is unrepentant, true healing is difficult.
“The impact is an injury that keeps on injuring,” Martin said. “A couple can do all the healing work in the world, and it will not mend, restore, or reconcile them to their former community. This results in survivors and survivor spouses living in a state of suspended exile where the only comfort and understanding they can find is through peer support.”
Yesterday afternoon, Brown claimed in the video that he was repentant in 2002 for his emotional relationship with another woman. However, Ray said that’s not true. He said Brown reluctantly admitted to the details when confronted with them, but “it was like pulling teeth.”
Yesterday afternoon, Brown also addressed what happened with his first alleged victim, Erin.
“Please forgive me for my actions which caused you so much pain,” he said in the video. “Had I more clearly understood the result of those actions in 2002 I would have responded very differently.”
Previously, Brown said his relationship with Erin was “nonsexual,” lacked judgment, and resulted from him treating her like family.
However, Erin told TRR Brown had a pattern of kissing her on the lips and slapping her butt.
Yesterday, Erin came out publicly on social media as Sarah Erin Monk, her maiden name. She accused Brown of lying when he said earlier that he and his wife met with Monk years ago to follow the method of reconciliation outlined in Matthew 18 and to apologize to her.
“Well, it NEVER happened,” Monk wrote in her statement yesterday. “The idea that he apologized to me in this meeting is a complete fabrication.”
Monk said the only meeting she had with Brown and his wife was when she confronted him about finding the letter about Ray’s wife, whom Monk said she now believes was a victim.
“He has lied, and I lied for him for two decades, protecting him and his ministry,” she wrote.
In yesterday’s statement, Brown said he didn’t want to confirm or deny specific allegations but would let a third-party investigation find the truth. Brown’s ministry, The Line of Fire, is reportedly in the process of hiring a third-party to investigate the allegations against him.
Messianic Jewish ministry Tikkun Global praised the decision to hire a third party in a public statement yesterday and urged due process.
“The question of ‘how was this handled/adjudicated’ can be just as important as the question of ‘what actually happened,’” the Tikkun Global statement said. “But we don’t agree with ‘cancelling’ or ‘trial by social media’ as a substitute for biblical process whereby witnesses are heard and the accused are allowed to respond.”
‘She knew the truth would bring down a minister’
Ray said he and his wife met Brown through the Brownsville revival. But Ray said in 2001 and 2002, Ray noticed his wife, who had young kids, spending more and more time in front of the computer reading the many emails Brown would send her.
Brown would also often call their house, talk to Ray for a few minutes, then ask to talk to Ray’s wife. Ray didn’t understand why Brown was spending so much time engaging Ray’s wife.
“I had a growing discomfort with something, and she was growing quieter,” Ray said. “The whole thing was, either something’s not right—or, am I just going crazy?”
Ray asked his wife what was going on, and she disclosed to Ray how Brown had turned their phone conversations inappropriate.
“She said that she wasn’t sure how it happened,” Ray said. “She just wanted to be friends with everyone and did not desire anything else. She tried to explain how he crossed a line in their phone conversations, and somehow she followed. She wasn’t sure why or how.”
Ray said his wife told him that Brown repeatedly requested she meet Brown alone, which she refused to do. She reportedly told Ray that Brown also instructed her to stop having sex with Ray, which she also refused. Ray said his wife also told him that one evening when both couples were in a car together on the way to a dinner—Brown driving, his wife Nancy in the seat beside him—Brown reached behind him and touched Ray’s wife’s leg.
Ray said his wife couldn’t figure out how to stop the inappropriate interactions and return things to how they used to be.
“She knew the truth would bring down a minister, and she did not want to be known as the woman who had a part in that,” Ray said.
So, Ray stepped in. In early 2002, Ray met with Brown and his wife, Nancy, to confront him, Ray said.
“I used the term . . . ‘Are you just having phone sex with my wife?’” Ray said.
Ray said Brown’s responses were confusing and not fully repentant, but that Brown admitted to the inappropriate dynamic.
“He admitted to everything I confronted him with, but it was just very reluctantly,” Ray said. “I kept having to pull him around. It was like pulling teeth a little bit. . . . It was admitted that he was doing something that had, or saying something, or perpetuating something, that had some sort of sexual flavor to it.”
Ray said Nancy asked Ray what he was going to do about the situation. Ray, who didn’t want to embarrass his wife, said he told them he and his wife just wanted quietly out of the situation.
“I just wanted him to know that I knew what kind of a person he was . . . and I just wanted to be done with them,” Ray said.
Ray said he and his wife didn’t tell anybody else about what happened with Brown.
“We never breathed a word of it,” Ray said.
The Line of Fire board member Cindy Panepinto previously told TRR that Brown recently told the board about an emotional connection with a second woman. But Panepinto said Brown had previously “repented of” it.
In yesterday’s statement, Brown said in early 2002, because his conscience was bothering him, he confessed the matter to a close friend, then to his wife, Nancy. Brown said he wanted to tell his leadership team, school, and church, but the two “offended spouses” didn’t want him to.
“At that time, in January 2002, I was eager to share all this with my leadership team as well as with our entire school and church community,” Brown said in his statement yesterday. “That was not my decision alone to make, and both offended spouses agreed that since we had not committed adultery, the matter would end there, sparing them further shame and dishonor. That’s the reason I’ve never discussed it with anyone else until recently. It was not to hide things. It was to honor my spouse whom I had hurt so deeply.”
TRR asked Brown the name of the close friend he confessed to, and whether he confessed to the friend before or after Ray confronted him. Brown declined to comment.
But Ray said he didn’t know about a confession Brown made to anyone else. He also believes Brown hasn’t repented.
“I wish that in 2002, he would have just repented and done whatever he needed to do, or talked to his staff and said, ‘Hey, I messed up,’” Ray said. “He’ll be 20 years down the road now and he just won’t do it.”
Ray also didn’t know that around the same time, Brown was crossing physical lines with a different woman—Erin—until this year.
“I left, hoping and expecting that he would fix his problem,” Ray said. “I did not realize he was preying upon Erin at or near the same time until many years later.”
Brown said in yesterday’s statement that in 2001 and 2002, he was going through a difficult time of ministry, sought help, and made changes.
“In the months that followed in 2002, I made radical changes to my schedule and lifestyle, received intensive counseling, and experienced the holy discipline of the Lord,” Brown said. “I am profoundly grateful that our Lord is a forgiving Lord, that he responds to deep heartfelt repentance, that he does not discard and cast off his children because of their failings when they turned back to him.”
Meanwhile, Ray said he’s still grieving the loss of his wife.
“She’s the most sincere, unpretentious, intentional person I’ve ever known,” Ray said. “When she passed, home seemed to leave with her. I have been torn between two worlds ever since.”
Ray said he had no desire to publicly criticize Brown, but Brown’s lack of repentance drove him to it.
“He just won’t do it,” Ray said. “When you refuse to do that over the window God gives you, it seems like it ends in humiliation instead of humbling.”
Michael Brown’s Statement—Dec. 17, 2024
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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41 Responses
It’s interesting that both wives thought what Mr. Brown did would end his ministry, but he doesn’t. The argument that God forgave him back then, so he should continue in ministry, is specious, because had he stepped down then for emotional adultery, even with God’s forgiveness, he would no longer be “above reproach,” therefore disqualified from ministry.
Sarah Erin Monk, thank you for your honesty, humility and transparency. Most importantly, thank you for removing yourself from an abusive situation.
Ray, thank you for not only protecting your wife those many years ago but for protecting her dignity now in death.
Those women and men who confronted Michael Brown many years ago and perhaps even more recently, thank you for walking in the truth and never backing down, especially when he lied, tried to gaslight and make you think that you were the wrong ones not him.
You all are golden, I support and stand with you.
Michael Brown, quit digging yourself into a deeper hole. Stop hurting people more by telling ugly lies and trying to cover yourself in glory. Confess your sins publicly and to all you have harmed. Humble yourself to the dust before God, that He might have mercy on you. Shut up your fake ministry, pay restitution to those who hurt and go live out the rest of your life in humble obscurity and repentance.
Nancy Brown, if your husband has been lying to you, shake off those lies and step into the light of truth. If you have been enabling him, repent and sin no more.
Dear Abba, please have mercy on our sinful souls and protect your flock from ravenous wolves like Michael Brown.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Phew, what a year!
Adultery is adultery, whether it’s physical or emotional. It is stepping outside the boundaries of a marriage to engage in activities with someone else who is not your spouse that a husband or wife should not do. I’m also reading a lot of “Chistianese” language that down plays the seriousness of all this. In my experience, most people who aren’t truly repentant try to use certain words or language to “soften the blow” so it comes across not as bad as what it truly is. That is not repentance. That is denial and brings more harm to the victims. Own your choices, good or bad and stop minimizing them.
Jason, so agree with you. If we teach that marriage is where “the two become one” and to have a companion and that it involves the whole being, then we have to be consistent when we even claim it was just an emotional tie (which I think was mostly one sided). He obviously broke his wife’s trust and his marital vows. Additionally, he obviously broke being a one woman man as per the pastoral requirements (1 Tim 3:2).
Absolutely. Stop minimizing SIN with religious words!
Something tells me there’s a whole bunch of celebrity pastors who are getting very nervous right now. Their silence is deafening.
As far as Brown is concerned, who is he trying to deceive ? None , I pray.
Holy bible says if you even “look on a woman with lust, you have committed adultry. …AND if you break one Commandment, you are guilty of breaking ALL OF THEM. He is trying to make like its no big deal. To Father God it’s a big deal. There are thousands in hell because “no big deal “. God is not mocked. It all begins with FEAR & REVERENCE OF Almighty God. He brought you into this world and He can take you out.Has Eternal life have no meaning. ????
I find it very weird that Brown can’t admit to adultery when our Lord says that if you LOOK at a woman with lust in your heart… it is adultery. Give me a break.
From this sordid and completely disheartening saga, I am (re) learning a few things:
The heart of a man is inherently deceitful and desperately wicked. Dr. Brown initially denied that anything sexual happened between him and Erin. He claimed he simply used bad judgment. Even now, after the true nature of the relationship between him and the second woman is revealed, he is trots out the claim that he never committed adultery. Is he hearing himself? Is he that deceived? By whose standard has he not committed adultery? If this scholar, Bible teacher, author, pastor of pastors, elder, and revival leader does not believe that what he did was adulterous, he is not fit to run a tap, let alone a ministry. And I say this as someone who has been tremendously blessed by his gift.
The more he speaks, the deeper the hole he digs, and the more humiliation and dishonor he brings to the cause of Christ, himself, his family and his ministry. I hope that someone who knows and loves him can appeal to him: Enough already. Please. Just stop.
Now I understand the tone deaf way he dealt with the Mike Bickle scandal when he spoke at Forerunner Church/IHOPKC. I wonder if these men, to this day, have an awareness of the damage they have done to others. And themselves – and by this I don’t mean their humiliation and loss of reputation. I mean the corruption of conscience and the loss of the Kingdom of God (righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit, Romans 14:17) within one’s spirit.
Brown has been engaged in poor behavior for decades. He was a proponent of Todd Bentley’s in the beginning when it was clear that Bentley was a hack. He’s defended Bill Johnson’s false teaching for years. He tried hard to do damage control for Mike Bickle until the situation became so odious he had to distance himself from it. He despises the apologetic sites that point out the glaring problems with NAR doctrine and operation and he actively blocks people on Facebook or other social media sites who challenge him for his poor decision-making. So it isn’t surprising that he would stumble into adultery and then try to paint is as something that wasn’t adultery. news flash Mike: If Jesus says it’s adultery, then it is adultery.
I also find myself curious as to why Boz Tchividjian is injected in almost every one of these articles of someone who falls into sexual sin. He isn’t a abuse expert. He’s a lawyer.
Dr Michael Brown was never a proponent of Todd Bentley ‘s ministry. Are you thinking of Todd White perhaps?
Maybe Tchividjian gets brought up is because, though he is an attorney and not a psychologist/counselor, because he helped found GRACE, an organization that investigates abuse in church environments.
“Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone,” our Lord said. As human beings, we are susceptible to sin’s temptations, and we’re lying if we claim we are immune. The power differential dynamic is especially detrimental, I agree, and I sincerely pray that all involved will experience Forgiveness, Healing, and Restoration. I would hope and do believe that no one really wants these occurrences to be used by the forces of darkness to stain and destroy the good works that were done for the Lord. King David repented when the prophet Nathan confronted him, and he paid for his much more serious sins. But will we stop reading the Psalms or deny that he had a heart for God? That is what modern cancel culture would expect of us to do today. But that is contrary to the words of our Lord and His apostles who taught the ministry of repentance and holy Forgiveness. I believe the sincerity of Dr. Brown’s contrite statement. Moreover, I believe in the Gospel. I don’t desire to know “all the details” as a curious onlooker might, and I trust that the process all involved parties have agreed to is appropriate and that’s good enough for me, as a sister in the Lord. Yes, I have been very blessed by the ministry of Dr. Brown, through his books and podcasts. He is a human man touched by our Divine Saviour who has been instrumental in reaching an untold number of souls for Him. And it’s this same perfect Saviour whom I trust now, and implore us all to seek the wisdom of. May God bless, heal, and resolve as only HE can do…and may the enemy of all of our souls not be gratified.
what a fascinating passage to use, considering this is a man who was unfaithful at least twice, and has gotten away with it for decades- he’s the man who wasn’t brought out to Jesus, a part of the entrapment of the woman in the story.
Yes, we are all susceptable to sin, of course. But there are a few things to consider about this situation (and others found here on Roys)- the “sinner” brought out in this case, unlike the woman in the story, held all the power. He held the power to groom and control these women, he held the power to shut them down when confronted by it, and he held the power to keep it a secret for decades. He wielded his power for literal decades, and how many “stones” were thrown at the women for finally being able to bring this to light? AND he did all of this while self righteously preaching in Jesus’ name. He’s still fairly unrepentant even as it’s all coming to light and being proven true. He is not the victim in this situation.
Ruth, although a particular pastor has had good impact, it doesn’t alleviate them from a higher responsibility and judgement including legitimate cancellation. Illegitimate cancel culture is about removing one from sharing beliefs and opinions. Legitimate cancellation is when one has forfeited their high calling. The church has a right to judge the matter (James 3:1, 1 Peter 4:17, regarding casting of stones – they could not since they set the woman up or else how would they know where to find her). It is better he be judged now than when the Chief Shepherd appears.
Whenever I see comments like this, it makes me wonder just what the person defending the clearly indefensible is doing themselves. Greasy grace I think is the word. Defend sin and make claims that are the opposite of what the Word of God and the Words in Red clearly state. Jesus is not The Judge. He is not the Terrible One who will return and kill all the rebels with the sword out of his mouth: His Words. Jesus did not make John fall down as dead twice in Jesus’ Revelation. Jesus is not The Holy One. Jesus does not separate the Sheep and the Goats based on, to quote Keith Green, “WHAT THEY DID OR DID NOT DO!” Has Ruth done something similar? Something worse? The Jesus I worship and this Jesus is certainly not the same person. They have similar names but their natures are opposite. To sweep this under the carpet and to tell the whistle blowers to SHUT UP is what the Devil says to do, not The Risen Lord.
Now is the time to acknowledge the truth that patriarchy damages women and men whether in the church or society. Patriarchy breeds abuse, and abuse in all its insidious forms is about power and control. Clergy abuse is more egregious because spiritual leaders are expected to set an example with behaviors above reproach. These so called spiritual leaders are perpetrators who kill, steal, and destroy the faith of their victims. I’m not at all surprised to hear about the allegations against Dr. Michael Brown, Robert Morris, and Mike Bickle. For many years I was a member of a Tikkun affiliated Messianic Congregation and recall Robert Morris; IHOPKC leader, Mike Bickle; and Dr. Michael Brown. I attended services and conferences where these men were guest speakers. I left the Messianic Congregation several years ago when I could no longer tolerate nor accept the male dominance in leadership that subordinates and subjugates gifted, talented, and spiritually intuitive women. Patriarchy is the foundation of abuse — domestic violence, physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse. Any form of unwanted sexual contact (including sexting and phone sex) is a serious violation — as is spiritual manipulation, control, and gaslighting — whether it is in the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Church, or any other religious organization. It is an abuse of spiritual authority and should disqualify anyone from church leadership. It is the lowest level of consciousness. Unfortunately, the fall out from the scandals of Dr. Michael Brown, Mike Bickle, and Robert Morris will reverberate throughout the Body of Christ for years. Address the root cause of clergy abuse, which is patriarchy. Empower the women in all aspects of church leadership; embrace egalitarian leadership, which benefits men and women; teach children to respect boundaries; and break the cycle of abuse.
Teri your claim that “Patriarchy is the foundation of abuse — domestic violence, physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse” is feminist garbage! Men suffer abuse (both physical and emotional) at similar rates that women do. This is not to deny or minimize the abuse that women suffer but to pin the blame of abuse solely on men is just a (destructive) lie! Both men and women suffer from abuse but men are less likely to receive help when abused and are more likely to be not believed, scorned, and even arrested when reporting abuse
Marcus, while both men and women experience abuse, women are more likely to experience abuse and more likely to be subjected to coercive and controlling behaviors. You are correct, men are less likely to receive help when abused, and this is unfortunate. Any form of abuse of both genders is a crime (and sin) and the victims needs to be heard, believed, and supported. This does not negate the fact that patriarchal structures and beliefs about women’s roles in the church breed abuse of all kinds.
Sigh. Something always seemed just a wee bit off. He has done so many great things. But as I work in mental health, my alarms were always close to the surface. Now I know why. Statistically, I doubt this is all. So far it is two women he obsessed over. This sin also explains why he has been soft on the Benny Hinns of the world. And hiring a son-in-law fired for sexual misconduct? Fits all too well. Sadness for the body. And Michael, this is NOT Satan attacking. You should have manned up years ago. Oh well, these are the last days, after all. I treat too many victims. Goodbye Dr. Brown.
What is being revealed about Brown is even more troubling. If he had had a one night stand with someone, where it was simply heat of the moment passion, and then both parties walked away, that would be one thing. But reports from both cases are consistent that he used his “spiritual power” and position over a long period of time to control and manipulate these women. The reported level of manipulation with the married woman was insidious.
This indicates a deliberate pattern of behavior, not momentary lapses in judgment. This is more serious than arguments of whether adultery is emotional vs. physical.
Yes! Exactly. This is predatory behavior and it is perverse. This is biblical hypocrisy- which is playing a ROLE but being a different person in private. I wrote a book on healing – under my maiden name- April Selenskikh and I am honestly triggered and grieving from this situation.
He is unrepentant, continues to lie, and showing zero empathy. These are wolf traits- not traits of just a person who fell into passion.
The fact that even today, he still won’t confess that he’s committed adultery, proves a hardened & unrepentant heart. Just because he didn’t get into bed with the women, doesn’t mean adultery wasn’t committed. Scripture says, the act is committed in the heart. And kissing or slapping another woman is most definitely adultery. If you’re emotionally involved with another woman, that is adultery. How can a minister of his age & credentials not know this?
I am only seeing a pattern of lie, deny and accusing others which indicates intentional sin and intentional deception.
He is FIGHTING against the truth and not partnering with truth.
He is giving us a public face- which is what actors (Greek: Hypocrites) do.
I recommend two books: Wolves in Sheeps’ Clothing by Dr. George Simon and Hypocricy Exposed: When Evil pretends to be Good by Jake Kail.
We, in the Church, struggle with identifying a normal sinner vs a person who is intentionally manipulative and fights against truth in order to prop of the Kingdom of self.
Teaching an entire ministry school to adhere to high standards of moral purity- that you yourself knowing violate indicates a seared conscience at best, but most likely a wolf in sheeps clothing. A wolf attacks and eats the sheep. It consumes sheep for it’s own survival.
I see many victims here: Nancy Brown, MB’s victim(s), students and missionaries under his ministry.
I see a callous disregard for all that is symptomatic of not only narcissism but worse. There is a perversion here as MB would even presume the role of helping other pastors in sin while he himself was.
It boggles the mind, but hypocrisy works this way.
This is a form of mind control and it’s healing to identify truth versus lies.
Thank you Roys Report and especially Sarah and Ray for your courage! May everything stole from your heart be restored!
What amazes me about the comments here is how people like to quote scriptures out of context to emphasis their point while condemning Dr. Brown. First, Jesus said many things in hyperbole. An example is – the one some have quote here. ” if you look at a women… you are guilty of adultery! How do I know this is hyperbole. well, common sense but a few verses earlier Jesus again uses hyperbole to say your are not just in danger of Judgement(human judgement is the context) if you murder someone but if you are anger and insult someone. Is being angry and insulting someone the same as murder? Of course not! That’s absurd! Should we be angry and insult people like it’s no big deal? “Well, I didn’t murder the person, so, what’s the problem.” NO! that’s absurd! Jesus is saying the law(the 10 commandments) was meant to be applied to the heart, not just outward behavior and God see’s your most inward thoughts. By the logic of some in the comments. People should be stoned to death if thought lustful thoughts about another person who wasn’t their spouse. If that was the case – every person here would be stoned to death. What Dr. Brown did was wrong and he should step down but thinking about someone lustfully isn’t the same as adultery! Are both sin? of course!
Jesus still speaks to our religious leaders today just as clearly as He did some 2,000 years ago. This is what Jesus said, says to those like Brown:
Matt. 23:”29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.”
The real Jesus Christ cares very much about what men who make themselves great in power do in His Holy Name. Leveraging authority over others in order to Lord it over them and abuse them is clearly one of the greatest sins. One that leads to the unforgivable sin which is attributing a work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. This is exactly what Brown has done.
Someone needs to read Matthew 5:28 again unless they wish to do what the devil did in the garden (has God said).
The KJV says adultery. Not sure how to interpret this different.
Someone speaking sense – this is refreshing in a thread full of mentalists 😊🤣
I suspect these incidents are not the only ones in Brown’s past, Over the years, he has fanatical devotion to him and his ideas. One only has to watch his hyper-emotionalism at Brownville to see this. People who act this way are very vulnerable to manipulation. It wouldn’t surprise me if he used that vulnerability in his past students and other people to have uncalled for intimacies with them.
Michael talks about others dredging up and it was all 23 years ago and others offence at him and his shedding tears.
Little awareness of possible patterns of behaviour that could groom others, not simply court sinful opportunities. Little awareness how such things can so easily harm & not just cause offence in another person.
I do hope this time provides a full restoration for him. Being understanding as to how his alleged possible grooming characteristics, unspotted by him, yet by a number of others, may not make restoration with those offended by him, a viable or wise route for him to narrate & plan out.
I’m sorry! This is so silly! How in the world could a fully grown man allow another fully grown man to do this to HIS WIFE!? If I’m ‘RAY’ in that car, Dr. Brown would be operating the vehicle with a busted right hand and ringing in his ear from the smacks to his head. These people are intent on learning “the hard way”. Some of us are willing to bring the “hard”!
He’s in the “Deflect, Defend, lie” stage. First stage is Deny. Then Acting Innocent stage, blaming someone else. Then it is Deflect the accusations by relabeling them, Defend themselves as abused, or misunderstood, or burned out, Deny any actual blame.” Its the next stage that reveals. There is probably more tha is going to come out. Then once all the cards are on the table, he will either disappear or repent. In many cases, they just dissappear for a while then re-appear, many times starting another ministry, saying they were mentored, counseled, restored, etc. (Think Johnny Hunt) Think Mark Driscoll. Think Tullian Tchividjian. Think R.C. Sproul Jr. Think Ted Haggard. Think Jim Bakker. Jimmy Swaggart. And Julie has her own list. The ones who disappear and never re-appear, they are probably the ones who repent and try to save their marriages and families. RW Glenn of TGC for example. He has totally disappeared from any online presence (Other than the website of the law firm he works for) and left the state.
Here is a link to Ray’s full statement as posted on Ron Cantor’s website: I copied it into a Google Doc.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-2ZjyXB2IvQZ35wvnfTgCG6Q8Y3i84aTu8eMYmwXjPI/edit?usp=sharing
Bringing something up after 20+ years and especially AFTER the death of person involved makes it almost impossible to objectively investigate. Now we have two narratives only.
If they made a mutual decision to forgive Brown’s conduct and not make it public, then, after twenty years this is not justice but destructive intent.
I’m sad, listening to Michael say that he did not commit adultery, focusing on physical acts, when Christ is clear that adultery in the heart is the standard. While only God knows how deeply the repentance goes, it is clear that equating the standard of adultery with Christ’s standard is missing. Why does his story and Erin’s story differ so much? Why do he ask for forgiveness for his actions that harmed Erin, while also being committed to denying that what he did was sexual harm? How could Michael truly love his “Fire” community/missionaries at the expense of everything, while he was clearly “lusting” and creating inappropriate words, actions and bonding with these women? Why does the other victim’s husband believe Michael is throwing her under the bus?
For Michael to even BEGIN restoring his credibility, he needs to begin with Christ’s standards for adultery, that he meets the Matthew 5:27-28 standard of adultery, along with defaming both victims by minimzing the fact that he thought it was resolved…especially when the other victim’s husband was the one who addressed the issue, NOT Michael, and that Michael was having phone sex with his wife, Michael was wanting to meet her alone without her husband etc. etc. This is intentional behavior to get victims alone, to cross healthy, normal physical and verbal boundaries, and then say, “I was treating her like my daughter” etc. I never slap my daughter’s bottom. I never have any kind of conversations with my daughter that would cross any lines… So for me – this is where Michael needs to begin, instead of waiting for a 3rd party investigation. Michael waited on the 2nd victim until the husband confronted him. Michael felt the situation with Erin was resolved, but it was not – and how could it have been when Michael is denying reality today? Denying and minimizing his attitude, actions and decisions doesn’t help Michael, it doesn’t help Erin, it doesn’t help the 2nd victim’s husband after she passed away and it doesn’t help Michael’s marriage or ministry. In fact, failing to name the reality of the damage, minimizing the situations to a legalistic definition of physical adultery, does more damage to the women, to Michael’s reputation, to his wife and his ministry… With prayers that Michael will NOT wait for the 3rd party report to quote Christ’s words as the standard, so he can begin healing and invest in the healing process for these women.
Is there a pattern in Michael’s “repentance” when: [1] He throws Christ’s words about adultery in the HEART, (Matthew 5:27-28) – “UNDER the bus,” AND [2] He throws Erin’s experience of no meeting other than Erin finding the notes from the 2nd victim UNDER the buss so she denies he ever met with her and his wife, AND [3] The 2nd victim and her husband UNDER the bus, because the 2nd victim’s husband is the one who confronted Michael, AND [4] The 2nd victim’s husband is upset that Michael threw his wife’s character/story UNDER the bus, twisting the truth to make Michael the victim? Is there a consistent pattern here with Michael throwing UNDER the bus, Christ’s truth, Erin’s truth, the 2nd victims truth and the 2nd victim’s husband? To the degree this is true – what does this pattern tell us about Michael’s level of repentance, and his level of open, honest, transparent communication?
Just like criminals who live with life-long consequences, so should all ministers who do disgusting things like this. They should never ever be entrusted in leadership ever again. They can serve as a door holder, a greeter, a helper, someone who serves coffee at church or someone who completes administrative tasks, etc… but never again to lead, speak, or minister even after repenting. This is my opinion.
This is just utterly dissapointing.
God, clean your Church. Make your Bride a holy one for you.
This man Ray… What an astonishingly wonderful human being! Man that guy has touched my heart. Dr Brown is as slippy as an eel, and displays true narcissistic behaviour.. I just wish he would actually talk directly and with clarity instead of only uttering the words direct and clarity! He is still a man that knows nothing of grace and for that I feel deeply sorry for him! Truly I do. The measure we use with others is measured against us and here it is Dr B… if you truly understood the word, you’d be a much more personable man instead of a rhetoric driven robot.
Erin and Ray aswel as this report ought to be massively commended. Thanks to you all X,