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Reporting the Truth.
Restoring the Church.

EXCLUSIVE: John MacArthur’s Church Supported Convicted Child Abuser & Pedophile, Records Show

By Julie Roys
David Gray John MacArthur Grace Community Church

On February 20, 2004, David Gray, a former teacher at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (GCC), was charged with multiple counts of sexual and physical abuse of children.

Five days later, Carey Hardy—an associate pastor at Grace Community Church (GCC) and personal assistant to John MacArthur—emailed a letter to the church, which reportedly was posted at GCC’s website.

In the letter, Hardy defends David Gray and challenges the credibility of Gray’s wife, Eileen Gray, whom GCC had shamed and excommunicated just 18 months earlier for separating from David. Eileen also had reported Gray’s abuse to the Los Angeles Police Department in June 2003.

“I’m sure you know by now that one of our own, David Gray, has been arrested,” Hardy stated in the letter. “The accusations being brought against him have to do with child abuse. Most likely, these accusations come from his estranged wife, Eileen.”

Hardy wrote that the church was first made aware of the allegations two to three years ago. But he added that after “a time of counseling,” the church became “very concerned with the integrity of Eileen’s statements” and had to “disfellowship” her.

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Hardy’s letter is no longer available online. But The Roys Report (TRR) has obtained a copy of the letter that retired L.A.P.D. Detective Nancy Nelson confirmed she downloaded in 2004 from GCC’s website.

In his letter, Hardy did not mention that just three months earlier, David had filed for divorce. Hardy also claimed in the letter that David did not admit “any guilt” regarding abuse of his children.

David Gray Grace Community Church
David Gray’s 1998 GCC photo

However, as documented in TRR’s previous report, Eileen stated in sworn court testimony that David Gray confessed he repeatedly kicked and even tried to suffocate one of his children in 2001—not just to Hardy but to GCC staff pastor Bill Shannon. Within weeks of that confession—in July 2001—GCC decided not to renew David’s teaching contract.

David also submitted a handwritten confession of abuse to Hardy during a 2001 counseling session, Eileen testified. And, in a sworn declaration, a pastor who heard tape recordings of Hardy’s 2001 counseling sessions with Eileen and David stated Eileen was being told to submit to David despite “his admitted abuse of her and her children.”

Yet Hardy disclosed none of this in his 2004 letter.

Instead, he wrote: “Many of you have interacted with David on a personal level. And, like those of us on staff who know him, you have great difficulty believing the accusations that have been brought. It ends up being an issue of character—whether or not David has demonstrated the type of character that fits these accusations or not. . . . (W)e can still strongly say that the accusations do not fit with what we know of David.”

Hardy then detailed an effort to raise $20,000 cash for David’s bail, $250,000 in collateral “to complete the bail amount,” and $20,000 for lawyer’s fees.

Hardy writes that he “cannot and am not asking anyone to contribute,” but then asks the reader to “pray about” and “consider what you . . . might do according to your conscience.”

Today, David Gray is serving 21 years to life for aggravated child molestation, corporal injury to a child, and child abuse.

Just last Friday, the California Board of Parole denied Gray parole for 10 years.

The transcript of that hearing is not yet available. But according to retired detective Nelson, who participated in Gray’s parole hearing via zoom, commissioners described Gray’s crimes as atrocious and said the evidence against him was overwhelming. Commissioners added that Gray weaponized religion and used the church to gain trust, Nelson said.

Yet neither the evidence presented at Gray’s trial, nor his conviction in 2005, appears to have dampened GCC’s support for him.

Instead, TRR has obtained evidence that GCC leaders helped start and sustain a ministry Gray launched from prison.

A 2012 newsletter for Gray’s ministry, called “Grace Prison Fellowship,” even contains an alleged endorsement from John MacArthur. And on Gray’s Facebook page, which was active until earlier this week, GCC staff and church members repeatedly affirmed Gray and his ministry in posts as recent as 2018.

TRR reached out to John MacArthur, Carey Hardy, and several other pastors at GCC repeatedly to explain their apparent support for Gray. None of them responded.

Carey Hardy
Former GCC Pastor Carey Hardy, now senior pastor of Twin City Bible Church in Winston-Salem, NC

Meanwhile, Eileen told TRR that John MacArthur and Grace Community Church have continued to shun her.

At David’s 2005 trial, Eileen testified, “They (GCC) rejected me. Every single person rejected me.”

After David’s conviction, Eileen said she called John MacArthur at his office, which is recounted in a 2007 email to a friend that Eileen shared with TRR.

Eileen wrote that MacArthur’s secretary “immediately knew who I was” and put Eileen on hold for five minutes. Then MacArthur’s secretary returned and said she would give Eileen’s number to MacArthur.

“I told her that people were asking me if he had apologized to me yet and I wanted to make it easy for him to call and apologize,” Eileen wrote in the email to her friend.

Eileen told The Roys Report MacArthur never called back.

Grace Prison Fellowship

“Dear friends, I wish to relate to you what the Lord has done by His grace through this ministry so that He may receive the glory,” wrote David Gray in a December 2012 newsletter to supporters of his Chains for Christ Ministry. “Over the past seven years, He has seen fit to use me, an unworthy servant, to share the Gospel of Christ to many inmates . . .”

Gray adds that he has started a “leadership group using John MacArthur’s book on leadership and expository preaching,” which has become the core of an additional ministry called “Grace Prison Fellowship” (GPF).

Gray also mentions that GPF has been blessed “with the support of Grace Community church (sic) supplying Bibles, CDs and commentaries.” Gray ends his newsletter with “testimonies of others,” including one allegedly by John MacArthur: 

Dear David . . . Your steadfast faithfulness in the midst of such a difficult trial is truly a monument to the grace of God in your life . . . It is such an encouragement to my spirit to hear of your work on the Lord’s behalf there at Corcoran. I am moved to hear of your steadfast faithfulness to the truth of Scripture in the face of much prevalent error . . . for now, however, you are our missionary to Corcoran State Prison, and we pray that the Lord will give your (sic) tremendous strength, overwhelming grace, and great patience to fulfill your mission.

john macarthur david gray grace community church
Excerpt from David G. Gray’s “Chains For Christ Ministries” newsletter – Dec. 2012

Gray’s 2012 newsletter was posted on Gray’s Facebook page for years, where Gray, with the help of then-GCC member David Johns, would periodically post from prison.

TRR reached out to Johns via email for comment. Johns replied, “GCC did not believe some of Eileen’s accusations as credible, but the justice system did. That should NOT have happened—but it did. . . . Both the justice system AND GCC should have come to the same conclusion.”

This week, Gray’s Facebook account vanished.

Earlier, TRR had reached out to several GCC staff, asking about their apparent involvement with Gray, which was mentioned on Gray’s Facebook page. TRR also sent MacArthur and pastors at GCC a copy of Gray’s 2012 newsletter, asking if Gray’s claims of support were accurate. No one responded.

Screenshots of posts and comments on Gray’s Facebook page reveal a very supportive relationship between GCC and David in 2012 and beyond.

On August 27, 2015, David posted that he thanked God “for this prison trial,” adding that God “has ordained sorrows, pain and loss.”

In the post, David also announces the first publication of a new newsletter for Grace Prison Fellowship and thanks several people for “all their help,” including GCC Pastor Mike Riccardi.

On the comment thread for the post, GCC Minister of Music Bill Brandenstein writes, “I can’t imagine what it is like walking this path the Lord has given you, but His grace (obviously!) is sufficient. May that sustaining grace and the power of God’s Word continue to be abundantly evident through your life.”

TRR reached out to both Riccardi and Brandenstein, asking specifically about the nature of GCC’s help for Gray and any personal support, but neither responded.

David Gray Grace Community Church Bill Brandenstein Mike Riccardi
(Screenshot via Facebook)

On December 22, 2017, David announced on Facebook that he was teaching Greek and biblical counseling classes to prison inmates and starting a “School of Ministry and Discipleship.”

In response, Dave Costanzo, a career development specialist at The Master’s University where MacArthur served as president (now chancellor), wrote, “(W)hat an encouragement this is to my heart brother! We all would have written a different chapter in your life man but what others meant for evil God meant for good. . . .”

TRR reached out to Costanzo for comment, but he did not respond.

David Gray Grace Community Church
(Screenshot via Facebook)

Last Sunday, TRR downloaded the friends page on David’s Facebook account. At the time, Gray had 250 friends, including Bill Brandenstein and GCC Pastors Mike Riccardi, Tom Patton, Bill Shannon and Shannon’s son-in-law, Jesse Johnson, a former GCC outreach pastor who’s now lead teaching pastor at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia.

TRR reached out to all these men, asking why they were Facebook friends with Gray. Only Johnson responded.

“I’ve never met David Gray, I’ve never talked to him, and don’t know him,” Johnson said. “After receiving your email I looked into it and realized we are connected on Facebook, but we’ve never interacted there or elsewhere.”

Open support

Yet according to two former GCC members who spoke with TRR, GCC leaders were very open about their support of David Gray.

Christine Kent, who attended GCC from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2007—2014, said she heard about David Gray in GCC’s Sojourners fellowship group, which included several hundred people.

Kent said the church portrayed David Gray as a victim who was wrongly convicted and Eileen Gray as a wicked woman who had falsely accused her husband. Kent said she believed everything GCC said at the time and would regularly write David Gray in prison and send him Bibles for inmates.

Similarly, former GCC member Sheri Evans said she learned of David Gray and his ministry from the Sojourners group, as well.

Both Kent and Evans said David Johns would routinely visit Gray in prison and give updates on Gray in front of the entire Sojourners group.

A post on Gray’s Facebook account on February 12, 2014, states: “I am going to visit David Gray on February 22nd. If you would like to pass on any greetings to him, write a comment below (or message him) and I will pass the messages on to him. David Johns”

David Gray Grace Community Church
(Screenshot via Facebook)

Evans wrote a weekly prayer letter for Sojourners from 2000 to 2010 and said she would always include a reminder to pray for David Gray.

Evans said she believed GCC’s narrative about Gray, as well. And even after leaving GCC for what she described as “spiritual abuse,” Evans continued sending the prayer letter to family and friends. Less than two weeks ago, Evans sent a prayer letter urging recipients to pray for David Gray’s upcoming parole hearing.

David Gray Grace
(Image via Facebook)

After reading TRR’s first article about David and Eileen Gray, Evans says she’s removing anything about David from further communications.

“I was misled,” Evans said. “I wish I had known the truth because I wouldn’t have been doing it (promoting Gray) all these years. They (GCC) kept saying he’s innocent. He’s innocent. He’s innocent.”

Evans added that she wanted to reach out to Eileen and tell her how sorry she is for what Eileen endured.

Kent similarly said she was stunned by TRR’s article.

“I just feel so stupid, like, ‘What in the world?’,” she said. “Until your report, I was still a full-on supporter and that really bothers me . . . I sided with the abuser and not with the wife and children.”

TRR also reached out to William Varner and Bob King, who used to co-lead the Sojourners group.

Varner, who left GCC in 2021 but remains a Bible professor at The Master’s University, told TRR he doesn’t recall anything about David Gray.

King, a former GCC elder who left the church three years ago, stated in a text that Eileen Gray’s case “was handled by staff and I knew little about it at all. Discipline issues are presented to the board of elders by the pastor in charge of the case. He presents the ‘facts’ and a vote is taken.”

King added, “Seems typical of how marriage problems are handled at GCC. Wife is at fault and should repent.”

Defending Carey Hardy

Not only has GCC rallied around David Gray. They also enlisted the support of Dr. Albert Mohler after Los Angeles police charged Carey Hardy in June 2004 with failing to report David Gray’s abuse and intimidating a witness—Eileen Gray.

Mohler is the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention. And in March 2004—less than two weeks after David Gray was arrested—Mohler was a keynote speaker at GCC’s annual Shepherd’s Conference.

Al Mohler
Albert Mohler (Photo Credit: Albert Mohler.com)

In a recent interview with TRR, Mohler said that after Hardy was charged, a GCC elder, whose identity he couldn’t recall, asked him to write a paper in Hardy’s defense.

Mohler said the elder presented the case as a religious liberty issue.

California has an exemption to its mandated reporter law for clergy who hear about abuse within the context of the confessional. Mohler said the elder claimed that since Gray’s abuse was divulged within the context of biblical counseling, the exemption should apply.

Mohler said that’s essentially what he argued, though Mohler doesn’t have a copy of his paper anymore. He added that he no longer believes there should be any exemption for clergy when it comes to reporting child abuse.

TRR tried to obtain court documents for Hardy’s case but was told by a Los Angeles Superior Court that records for misdemeanor cases are destroyed after five years. An online summary of the case says it was “dismissed or not prosecuted.”

Hardy’s case may have been dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired. Eileen reported David’s abuse to L.A.P.D. in 2003, but Hardy’s crimes allegedly occurred in 2001.

TRR spoke with Attorney David Gibbs III, president and general counsel for the National Center for Life and Liberty. Gibbs confirmed that the statute of limitations in California for most misdemeanors is one year.

He added that California’s clergy-penitent privileges would not apply to Hardy’s situation. The exemption applies only to one-on-one confession, he said, not to counseling where others, like a spouse, are present.  

Redeeming the pain

Today, Eileen Gray is safe, as are her grown children, though scars remain.

“I’m not bitter,” she told TRR. “Was I wounded beyond belief? Did I go through anger? Absolutely. I went through everything—every painful emotion. But I did it before the Lord, asking Him to bring healing.”

Eileen said she was devastated by GCC’s rejection of her, the shock of learning David had molested her children, and the turmoil of his trial. So were her children.

“I cried a lot. . . . I cried and I cried to God,” she said. “And I said, ‘I don’t know what good could come out of this? How you could ever bring glory to yourself?”

But, she added, “I know the Lord. And I know Jesus isn’t anything like them (GCC). . . . And I can’t blame what they’re doing, or what David did, on the Lord.”

For years, Eileen concentrated her energy on her kids’ and her own healing. But she said she also asked the Lord to help her find hurting women she could help.

At first, Eileen volunteered in a nursing home. But then, someone invited her to minister to women in the local jail, where she flourished.

Today, Eileen serves as a local missionary in the jail, leading Bible studies and church services and helping women to overcome addictions. She also has a free hotline for inmates installed in her home, where they can reach her anytime, day or night.

Eileen’s also received training in trauma care and critical incident debriefing and serves as a law enforcement chaplain for a local sheriff’s department.

Looking back, Eileen says David’s abuse and the ordeal at GCC was “horribly hard,” but said, “God drew me closer to himself and deepened my faith through the whole thing.”

She added, “I saw God turn it to good, years later. . . . He gave me a heart for hurting women, a deep heart. And after a time of healing, of course not total healing, but healing . . . I was saying to the Lord, ‘Okay, Lord, You’ve been comforting me, strengthening me. Where are the hurting women? Show me. I want them to know you like I’ve come to know you.’”

This article has been updated. 

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121 Responses

  1. If Gray is serving a 21-year sentence, after having been convicted in 2005, how could he have been denied bail for another 10 years? Wouldn’t his sentence have been served as of 2026?

  2. I would like to meet Eileen Gray, and I guess one day that will be possible in heaven. She seems like a woman of very deep faith, and the Lord has made her “trials turn to gold,” as a Keith Green song lyric says.

  3. When worldly governments and authorities have more compassion, mercy, charity and concern towards the abused women and children than the church – it really speaks volumes on how wicked and Pharisee like they have become. Cold people void of the Spirit of God.

      1. They don’t have to say anything. Their orbiters (JD Hall, BWTN, Justin Peters) will do it for them.

  4. I was at Grace then. I know most of the people mentioned. My child had David Gray as a music teacher. Every allegation is true and they all know what he did. Yes I knew people who helped him get bail and who paid his legal fees. Martha Patterson

  5. I’m not surprised at this. For GCC, the alternative would have been to admit they were wrong and maybe even to apologize for the harm they had done. Anyone familiar with the culture of MacArthur and his followers knows that just was not going to happen. Probably never will, not only on this matter, but on pretty much anything.

  6. Nobody believes that this website is hosted by theologically sound conservative Christians unless they don’t know what one is.

    1. Hmmm … what does the theological stance of the website’s operators have to do with anything? This is not on the face of it a matter of theology but of integrity and facts. If the claims on this website are factually incorrect, debunk them. If you think that even though factual they should be disregarded for theological reasons then it is your theology that is suspect.

    2. Freddy, do you really mean to say that conservative theologically sound Christians should not expose sin?

    3. “Nobody believes that this website is hosted by theologically sound conservative Christians unless they don’t know what one is.”

      Is JMD not getting enough press again?

    4. Julie, Freddy is right. Before we consider the merits of this article, we need to know- Are you Pre-Mil or Post-Mil?

      1. Greg. This pre vs post has nothing to do with facts and nothing to do with salvation and nothing to do with anything other than selling fear and confusion and books. Christians debate this theme as if it matters. Poof. We’re all gone. Poof it’s after the tribulation. It doesn’t matter at all. Because let’s pretend it post tribulation. Will the post tribbers now run around saying “I told you so I told you so”. Mind numbing nonsense.

    5. Well Freddy go take your thirty pieces of silver and be happy. The mega church evangelical industrial complex looks more like the Catholic Church at the height of its disgusting practice of protecting the pedophiles. And even now our schools seem to be a place of danger for our children in that the administration who do not fire or have arrested those who push kids into gender fluid worlds are the true menace to society.

    6. Freddy Win, this website has reported quite efficiently on a matter. It has cited witnesses, provided documents and reached out to all parties for a statement. If a muslim told you that the sky was blue, would you have doubts?

    7. Ad hominem is pretty much never a valid argument. It is obvious that you never bothered to read ANY of the abundant primary source documents cited in the article, including Church letters and court filings. If you are going to make an argument at least try to inform yourself a little.

  7. It’s either complete lack of discernment or deliberate rejection of the truth. Why would anyone want to support a pedophile, an abuser who acts like he’s the apostle Paul suffering innocently ?They’re deceived and that church is sounding more and more like a cult

    1. Anne, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse the vilest of sinners from “all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). Hurting kids is the worst, as prison justice proves, but the Gospel is for every kind of sinner as none of us are any closer to God without Christ. Granted under the circumstances this man should never be alone with children again and it would be right for him to gladly accept any kind of strong and high fences to protect others and himself from this ever happening again by any church if he ever is released. The Pharisee in Luke 9 thought himself superior to the tax collector, but the tax collecting sinner humbly sought forgiveness by God and went home justified (saved) because God had forgiven him. Since you brought him up, I am very positive in my opinion that the Apostle Paul would surely have dealings with such a man…(caveat) if such a man or woman showed true signs of outward repentance.

      1. Freddy, that all sounded very profound, but you’re missing one thing: There is no repentance. David Gray and GCC still claim his innocence.

        1. Thank you, Kevin Benedict, for stating the obvious.

          If David Gray were actually repentant, he would have confessed his sins to the entire church, publicly exonerated his wife, and agreed that a long prison sentence was just in his case.

        2. @Kevin – you are absolutely correct. Jesus doesn’t forgive us either unless there is repentance. So far we just have the attempt to cover sin – a point in which the Scriptures speak very strongly.

  8. I am so proud of Eileen after all she’s been through. We love you and your family. You are not alone, we stand by you!

  9. Eileen Gray, I have such deep respect for you. Not only did you and your precious children endure these vicious wolves at that time, but even now you’re standing up and speaking (through TRR), when you could have remained quiet and gone about your life relatively free of drama. You are speaking up for the sake of other children and other protective mothers, and for the sake of those from Grace Community Church whose eyes were blinded by loyalty.

    Thank you, thank you. The many who believe they are still unable to speak salute you.

  10. Great report, thank you. It is chilling to imagine what more might’ve happened to the children if Eileen had given in to Pastor MacArthur’s pressure to stay with her husband. Truly it was the Holy Spirit protecting them from the church.

  11. I find it especially interesting to read MacArthur’s commentary on the NT book of Romans. Most specifically what MacArthur says that Paul meant relative to what he taught the Church at Rome in 13:1-4. MacArthur says that Paul says that God ordained the institution of the State to be “an avenger of wrath on one who does evil” (13:4). So how can MacArthur turn around and totally reject the verdict of the State relative to someone whom the State found guilty? It appears MacArthur really only believes what he says Romans 13:1-4 teaches so long as it doesn’t tarnish his own reputation. This is SHEER HYPOCRISY!

  12. Thank you for your detailed and apparently we’ll researched article. It deeply concerns me that these high profile church leaders seem to see themselves as beyond any accountability. They never reply. I noted the MacArthur broke regarding covid restrictions. I emailed Ligonier asking why they were still promoting his talks. No reply even though their help desk said they had passed it to the leadership team. I emailed Justin Peters who criticises others for not responding, again no response. They seem to see themselves as beyond reproach. Nonetheless it does seem that God is shaking these ministries through groups such as yourselves

    1. “Lionier…No reply even though their help desk said they had passed it to the leadership team. I emailed Justin Peters who criticises others for not responding, again no response. They seem to see themselves as beyond reproach.”
      +++++++++++++

      Quite simply, there is too much for them to lose to do the honest, transparent thing, ethical thing.

      Too much revenue and power wrapped up in professional ministry to do the right thing, much less model oneself after Jesus.

      The irony is intolerable.

  13. If GCC was prepared to move out David and even endorsed him to a public school until the law caught up with David, why is there so much support by JM for this man who used to teach music to children in the church. Why albeit is there a twisted insistence that he is innocent even if a jury of his peers have found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Is appeasing David meant to silence him ? Perhaps he has knowledge of the other abuses happening in the church by other staffs and leaders ? Is it simply JM have to affirm David’s innocence because he was on GCC staff (before they could ship him out) and it would tarnish John’s reputation when it becomes public knowledge that he is a coddler of a sexually and physically abusive husband/father/music teacher ? It was afterall all about public relations for JM.

    Eileen and children the victims of domestic abuse became an even more victim of cult, pastoral abuse.

    Since PJ claims he wasn’t an elder then and has no direct knowledge of the issue then why is he doing all the answering when it should be John. Thank you JR for an excellent follow through investigation.

  14. John boldly calls out the falsehood of false teachers, boldly calls out false teachings. John, would you like to boldly affirm your decision that the church discipline done on Eileen was biblical and sound ? Or would like to boldly apologize for the error and harm you caused Eileen? There is no persecution or vendetta, the devil is not behind it nor is Julie. Its your own demon of your own creation that is haunting you. Julie didn’t make up the facts John, it was you, Carey and Bill who did. The courts as agents of God’s wrath have performed their duty and sent David to 21 years to life. Will you now John boldly call evil evil or still call evil good ?

    Book publishers who continue to publish John’s books are simply condoning child and sexual abuse.

  15. I’m thankful that we serve a God of justice! Someday John MacArthur and the elder board at GCC will stand before an almighty God who knows all and sees all. Everything hidden will be exposed and their abusive tactics won’t work on God. God can’t be gaslit! God will see their silence as a lack of repentance and without repentance Jesus sacrifice will not apply. I would not want to be any of them on that day. Oh, the pride of men. Their pride will not save them on that day.
    Good reminder to let the Holy Spirit convict us of our sin as well. We also will have to stand before that same Holy God and answer for anyway we might have lacked courage to stand with victims because our fear of those in power. May these articles help us examine our lives and strengthen us to be a braver embolden church who stands against injustice even when it comes from our own or even ourselves. Let these horrific stories give us all sober minded reflection and cry out to Jesus to help us be a true reflection of him. The mercy seat is there for a purpose. God help us!

  16. Ruth Magnusson Davis has a very interesting article on Malachi, about men and women. Who is crying, and who is to give a cover. Worth reading.
    https://baruchhousepublishing.com/altars-covered-in-tears-malachi/
    Years ago, I came across John Mac Arthur in What Constance thinks, in a commentary, asking us to see with whom he would work and this led me to this accounting of the summer camp. A few picture tell it all !
    https://watch.pairsite.com/macarthur-7-druid-festival.html#festival

    somewhere in watch.pairsite, I read it twice but do not have the references, Mme Blavatski, founder of the Theosophical Society, that in the future the to men in the church were going to be theirs. Proof ? well every day proves it to us.
    Somebody told me that in a prayer meeting in Dubaï, one man said that it was good for the women to be submitted, but to love his wife, as Christ loved the church, this was impossible !

  17. God knows and will judge: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” — 2 Cor 5:10 ESV

  18. As a conservative, natural law, bible believing kind of gal here…… I am utterly disappointed at the behavior of church leaders. Not shocked. Rather disappointed at people who you would think would know better. Accountability has been missing. My deepest respect for this mother who protected her young ones as a cackle of flying birds followed her out the door. I have thought much this week of the scripture where they ask Jesus, did I not prophecy in your name, and he says, “I never knew you”…. I’m going to say something shocking (how could it ever be more shocking than assault on children and a ministry then celebrating over him?)…. Jesus. does. not. have. to. forgive. anyone. He is not bound by your word, your proclamation. Please hear me out…. The cross is a gift for all those who would follow Him, would repent and believe….. though there are many pharasees who will tell you that Jesus has to forgive them. They will do all sorts of selfish things…. and they will tell people “you have to forgive me, Jesus did”. Can we imagine a bankrobber that looks at the teller and says, “I’m robbing the bank but you have to forgive me”. Or you call someone to curse them out and you say, “hello, I am going to curse you out, but first you must acknowledge its your job to forgive me”?…… Jesus is not your butler. We may be surprised in the end how this all works out…. I say this to myself as well. The Lord will judge rightly….. “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” Mark 9:42

  19. It’s very hard to read what this dear woman had to endure not only at the hands of her husband, but also at the hands of a group of people who for all practical purposes lack any semblance of sound judgment, wisdom, and discernment, and of all things,call themselves Christians. The over spiritualized command of “wives submit to your husbands” does not and never has meant, “wives you must allow your husbands to abuse you and your children in any way he chooses because he rules and reigns over you just as Jesus rules and reigns over his church”. Any body of church governance who believes that sits at the table of fools.

  20. Stage 1- These are all lies to bring down a good man of God!
    Stage 2- Maybe it’s true. But the church didn’t know.
    Stage 3- Maybe his elders didn’t handle this the best
    Stage 4- If Pastor MacArthur knew, he would have never supported Gray

    I think we are in Stage 5- If John MacArthur knowingly disgraced and humiliated a female abuse victim (and her children) while elevating their abuser, then he must be a _____________.

  21. This is why I left the institutional religious system and follow my Lord apart from it. I seen too many even small churches that Lord over God’s heritage, and abuse the ones who should be defended and defend the abusers. This is very common in the SBC as well as the apostate catholic religion, and even cults like the Jehovah Witnesses.
    Just Google my last church Morningside Baptist Wayne Robertson Liar Plagiarism to see a guy that hurt and split an entire congregation, families and still has yet to resign from his “job”.

  22. How many times have we seen this type of slander and shaming of a victim rather than the support and care they deserve? GCC did not believe or support Eileen because it was far easier and self-serving for them (still apparently is) to rally around “one of their own” David at the expense of Eileen and her children. Shame on them for failing to seek the truth. Thank you Julie Roys for evidence based reporting. Many followers of Christ support you. I certainly do.

  23. I’ve read both reports and there is so little to recommend anything the church, its leaders or its members did or have done since. The kindest spin I can think of is that in the conflicting accounts of a he said/she said they sided with the staff member they worked with.

    What I don’t understand is how Pastor MacArthur can publicly shame, discipline and disfellowship Eileen Gray without meeting with her. There are Biblical passages calling for church discipline but I fail to understand the justification for how it was carried out here. Maybe it’s a function of megachurches? but it seems far removed from Christ.

    The other thing I don’t understand is the aftermath. Although David Gray confessed and was convicted based on evidence, why does the church leadership still treat him as innocent? God can redeem anyone who’s heart is set on Christ and is cleansed and I hope that his testimony of his past life and how God can change you bears fruit in other’s lives. But it would have been better if some or any of the leader’s messages of support to him had been said to Eileen.

    In view of the whole story being known, the silence of the church leaders today and their willful refusal to address what are valid concerns is both stunning and convicting. One mistake does not cancel out a lifetime of ministry, but one mistake embraced over decades is a reminder that theological understanding, however brilliant, is no guarantee against spiritual blindness.

  24. What other evidence does anyone require about the true “viper” nature of the men who supported a child molester? Yet we love our strongmen who talk like Jesus but act like Satan himself. There is a judgment and it will not go well for these men.

    1. “There is a Judgment” — Uh-huh.

      These guys have to face consequences in the here-and-now, NOT just the Hereafter. Even if it’s just exposing them for what they are (and shouting the warnings from the rooftops). Otherwise, all we’re doing is sitting quietly with folded hands mouthing Pious Platitudes.

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