Author Archives: Jim Wright

Justice and Redemption

January 12, 2018 By in Abusive Pastor, Jail, Justice, Repentance Leave a comment

Yesterday, I stood firm for justice on behalf of victims and their families in a criminal trial against an unrepentant youth pastor who molested children.

He was convicted and hauled away in restraints.

Today, I’ll go into the local jail to stand firm for redemption by encouraging and strengthening in the Lord a group of men who are repentant and not playing games …

Like using God and “church” to shield their guilt.

They are forgiven and finding freedom.

Those who think there is a contradiction between seeking justice and ministering redemption, understand neither …

Or my passion for both.

~ Jim Wright

See Related Stories:

Jury Convicts Manassas Megachurch Youth Leader of Sex Crimes, by Hannah Dellinger, Fauquier Times

Sexual Predation and Pedophilia at The Life Church in Manassas, Virginia, by Fulcrum Minisistries, Nathan’s Voice

Seeking Justice 

July 8, 2016 By in Redemption 1 Comment

Early in my legal career I volunteered to help, for free, some victims of white-on-black police brutality in inner city Baltimore.

Unfortunately, there were no smartphones back then to record such oppression and violence, and so in those days justice was seldom served.

It was a rude awakening for this naïve country boy who grew up knowing only good cops, and the oppression I witnessed deeply impacted me.

All this came rushing back watching recent events unfold.

If we feel no righteous rage over continued senseless violence against blacks by bad cops in bad departments …

If we feel no righteous rage over senseless violence against good cops in retaliation …

Then we are part of the problem.

Let’s be ministers of reconciliation, because we don’t advance the need for justice in one case …

By minimizing the need for justice in the other.

~ Jim Wright

Subscribe

Simple Organic Church and the Existential Fringe

January 1, 2016 By in Existentialism, Felicity Dale, Frank Viola, House Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 7 Comments

Haven’t the repeated failures by the existential fringe of the “organic” church movement – with authors like Felicity Dale, Frank Viola, Milt Rodriguez, Jon Zens, Keith Giles and their buddies – made it abundantly clear?

Without the plenary authority of Scripture, simple participatory churches don’t succeed.

Snake Oil SalesmenThese fringe authors dismiss the plenary authority and discipline of Scripture – and in some cases even deny that the Bible is His written word – to peddle a Jesus of their own perception.

Their false Christ – who is little more than a projection of their own “deeper life” angst, post-modern sensibilities and trans-Biblical agendas – inevitably leads to dysfunctional, insular and anemic “communities”.

Continue reading →

Elders

September 5, 2015 By in Bible, Discernment, Elder, Spiritual Disciplines 1 Comment

I get it: A confused generation of young millennials raised to believe they’re the center of the universe keep trying to create a Christ of their own perception by shunning the plenary authority of His written word.

What I don’t get are those who should be old enough to know better, but don’t.

It’s time for those who do know better to start acting like grown ups once again in the Body of Christ.

~ Jim Wright

Subscribe

Insane Church

August 14, 2015 By in Church, Culture, Great Commission 1 Comment

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Seriously, can anyone defend “church” as a carefully produced weekly “service” that feeds the need for affirmation through a staged “sermon” which mimics secular “motivational” speakers and staged “worship” which mimics intense pop concerts?

Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, not entertain the masses by catering to a culture which craves emotional affirmation and intensity – then calling it “God”.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

Let us return to the Lord, and His ways, once again.

~ Jim Wright

Subscribe

Non Sequiturs of a Postmodern Jesus

August 5, 2015 By in Bible, Existentialism, Postmodern, Sovereignty, Truth 2 Comments

Non sequiturs¹ Jesus never said …

(But are implicit among those who jettison scripture to create a postmodern² Jesus of their own perception):

Non Sequitur

Non Sequitur

“It’s about relationship …

So forget obedience.”

“All scripture points to me …

So your own perceptions of me trump any scripture that offends you.”

“I am the living word …

So you no longer need to submit to the authority and discipline of my written word.”

“‘Be holy as I am holy’…

Now means ‘I am postmodern as you are postmodern’.”

Continue reading →

Going to Church or Being the Church?

August 2, 2015 By in Church, Community, Gifts, Institutional Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 1 Comment

When you “go to church” these days, it seems that staged teachings and “worship” performances by the “anointed” few during Sunday “services” have become substitutes for the diverse gifts and “one another” imperatives of the New Testament.

When you truly “are the church”, however, shared teachings, songs and diverse gifts arise among us – each and every one – by encouraging and strengthening “one another” in the Lord as functional communities which gather together.

Continue reading →

The Power of the Gospel

July 8, 2015 By in Confession, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Jail, Redemption, Repentance 1 Comment

I went to the jail yesterday with another brother to be with one of the churches we helped establish there.

When we arrived, that other brother, John, felt the Lord’s prompting to ask if anyone was struggling with anything and wanted some one-on-one help. A young man raised his hand and I met with him alone while John remained with the larger group of about twenty inmates.

God and ManAs we talked, that young man was able to openly confess and release to the Lord years of hurts and regrets that he had suffered. The pain he carried from the wrongs he experienced as a boy contributed to addictions and emotional enslavement, which had been destroying his life. As he began to expose and gave them to the Lord, Jesus met him in a very personal way.

Then, without prompting, he started talking about all the stupid sins he had committed in reaction to the wrongs he had suffered at the hands of others. He began crying and asked how he could be free from the guilt and weight of his own wrongs.

I find that’s often the case: When we forgive others for their wrongs, we often clearly see for the first time the significance of our own sins and then are brought to a place of genuine conviction.

Continue reading →

Sound Doctrine and Snake Oil Theology

June 26, 2015 By in Church, Discernment, Doctrine, Elder Leave a comment

My prayer for the Church in this age of itchy ears and false teachers …

Lord, raise up true elders – “grown ups” among us who serve your people in their local communities – to teach sound doctrine and confront those who redefine:

Snake Oil SalesmenFaith as doubt;

Grace as excuse;

Love as license;

True as relative;

Real as subjective;

Moral as optional;

Community as conformity;

Church as unassembly;

Diverse gifts as distractions; and

Mission as introspection.

Continue reading →

Memorial Day

May 24, 2015 By in Gratitude 2 Comments

This video (despite the goofy background music!) brought back lots of memories of the time we lived in Newfoundland, Canada.

Robert Russell Wright

Quantico National Cemetery

In the 1960s, my dad, Robert Wright, was stationed there as a navy pilot in VW-13 (the sister squadron to the video’s VW-11, but same air base, planes and mission). Although I was in elementary school, I remember well many of the scenes shown in this video!

My dad’s mission was to fly Super Connies over the North Pole for early radar detection as part of the North American missile defense system. While there, he and my mom encountered Jesus (or maybe I should say that Jesus encountered them) and their lives became devoted to advancing His Kingdom while also serving our nation.

Later, he did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Naval aviator and squadron commander, where he saw combat and lost friends while also earning two Presidential Unit Citations and being awarded the Air Medal. He also was exposed to Agent Orange and suffered heart damage which eventually contributed to his service-related death decades later.

This Memorial Day, let’s not forget those who served with honor and gave their lives to defend others.

~ Jim Wright

Subscribe

Why Is Bart Breen Stalking My Wife?

February 28, 2015 By in Cult, Frank Viola, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse

I need your help to stop a stalker who has been harassing and threatening my wife.

Bart Breen - Stalker

Bart Breen – Stalker

For over a year now, an obscure blogger named Bart Breen has been acting on behalf of a cult that’s upset and trying to silence me (and others) for daring to warn folks about their history of sexual predation, abuse and cover up.

As more and more people learn the truth about that cult – centered on narcissistic “Beyond Evangelical” author Frank Viola and his mutual promotion network of self-proclaimed “apostolic workers” – they’ve become more and more shrill in a desperate attempt to hide their history of shame, failure and abuse.

As a result, Mr. Breen is now stalking my wife in a perverse bid to silence me. He’s even openly boasted about it on Facebook and in his various blogs.

Why? By harassing my wife and publicly boasting about it, Bart Breen and Frank Viola are sending their victims – and those who stand with them – the clear message that they too will be attacked if they don’t toe the line and remain silent about what has been going on within their “Beyond” Cult.

Continue reading →

Robert R. Wright (1933 – 2015)

February 26, 2015 By in Discipleship, Fellowship, Missions, Organic Church 5 Comments

Last month, on January 6, 2015, my dad died peacefully in his sleep after a seven year struggle with dementia. His was a life well lived, in service to the King of Kings and His Kingdom.

This is a blog I first wrote a couple of years ago about my parents. I am re-posting it as my tribute to him and the legacy he leaves behind.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Roots

The last several years have been a wonderful journey of seeing folks come to the Lord and fellowships emerge in highly improbable places. In my own life, the roots for this go back to my dad and mom, Bob and Mary Jane Wright.

tree_rootsIn the 1970s and 80’s, the Lord used them as pioneers in what we’d now call simple “organic” church – before that term became popular (even though today, unfortunately, it can mean nearly anything).

Forty years ago, they helped birth a regional network of open, participatory fellowships in Maryland, where people could find and express the vibrant life of Christ in dynamic gatherings as everyone ministered one to another – rather than having directed, scripted meetings.

Continue reading →

Local Church Leadership

February 19, 2015 By in Elder, Gifts, Ministry, Organic Church, Simple Church 2 Comments

Last evening some elders from among our fellowships took time to share a meal at a local pizza joint and talk – just talk, with no agenda.

body-of-christOur conversation turned to how the traditional model for church leadership is to inspire folks to “come” and be part of our own gift, calling or motivation – but that we don’t see this in Apostle Paul’s life.

Rather, Paul’s main approach was to unleash Christ within existing communities where God sent him. As Paul would “go”, he was secure enough to then let Christ be expressed through the wonderful diversity of the many unique gifts, callings and motivations He chose to bestow among His people in each church.

Thus, it was never about Paul inspiring people to come gather around his own gift, calling or motivation. Likewise, there is no example in the entire New Testament of any single “pastor”, one-man ministry or other person serving as a primary focal point “over” any local church.

Continue reading →

Predatory Pastors: Victim Blaming

January 29, 2015 By in Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse Leave a comment

Here’s a much-needed blog from PredatoryPastors.com – a locally-based (but unaffiliated) ministry near us – about the victim blaming that often occurs when a beloved or otherwise respected church leader is outed as a sexual predator.

www.PredatoryPastors.com

I have been involved in many church abuse cases over the years, both as an attorney (now retired) and as local elder who has been asked to intervene on behalf of victims in other churches.

In my experience, victim blaming – and even outright trying to destroy the victim – always happens in cases involving an abusive but otherwise inspiring church leader.

Continue reading →

Stories of Redemption

January 21, 2015 By in Church Planting, Great Commission, Jail, Kingdom of God 2 Comments

Yesterday, after a seven month hiatus to care for my dad and deal with some of my own health issues, another local elder and I visited the jail to check on a church I previously had been helping.

taking-up-your-crossThe first thing I noticed was around twenty new men were now in that fellowship, with only two of the original brothers still around (the others, as is normal in a jail environment, had been released or transferred).

The church, I was thrilled to see, had not only survived but thrived during my absence – with them showing a wonderful continuity of life from when I last saw them.

As I then listened to them openly share their hopes and struggles in the Lord with each other, and watched them encourage one another to love and good works (Heb. 10), I cried silent tears of joy.

Continue reading →

I Love Church!

January 12, 2015 By in Institutional Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 2 Comments

Participatory church? I do that.

I sit and stand when the worship leader tells me to and sometimes even sing along, do the happy clap or raise my arms with my eyes closed when prompted;

pew

Yup, I love church!

I shake hands with the guy in the pew ahead of me when the associate pastor says to greet one another;

On occasion I say “amen” when the senior pastor asks us to say “amen” during his sermon;

I put money in the plate when its passed down my row by the ushers; and

I even bow my head when told to do so during the invitation for folks to raise their hands and receive Jesus.

So yes, I participate when I go to church, thank you very much!

Continue reading →

Presuppositions

January 11, 2015 By in Absolutes, Existentialism, Relativism, Truth Tags: Leave a comment

Getting down to basics…

Without external revelation on what is truly true, really real and rightly right – by one with the authority to define all because He created all – you are trapped in the meaningless absurdity of circular logic and self-referential perception.

Some ask if God has validity apart from their own logic and perceptions. The more relevant question, however, is if logic and perceptions can ever have validity apart from God? This is the question existentialists and atheists cannont answer. ~ www.CrossroadJunction.com

The Great Divide: Biblical Absolutes and Relativism
http://www.crossroadjunction.com/2010/11/12/the-great-divide/

Men With Chests

January 10, 2015 By in Courage, Truth, Tyranny, Virtue Leave a comment

C.S. Lewis bemoaned, in The Abolition of Man, that the West was becoming a culture of men without chests – meaning we have either lost the courage of our God-given convictions or in many cases denied those virtues altogether.

moneychangers

Offending the Offensive

This is amply illustrated by relativistic “tolerance”, which has been used for too long as a counterfeit “virtue” to attack what is true, beautiful and moral.

Lately, however, those who rationalize Jihadist atrocities in the name of “tolerance” – and who then protest that we must not “offend” Islam – are causing more and more people to reject the moral bankruptcy of their squishy relativism.

Continue reading →

House2House: RIP

December 29, 2014 By in Abuse, Cult, Felicity Dale, House Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 1 Comment

snake-oil-salesmanIt looks like House2House Ministries and Magazine have closed shop once again.

What an unfortunate, checkered history of organic/simple church failure after failure.

How many times will it take before Felicity Dale and gang finally figure out that you can’t start and sustain healthy local churches – simple, organic or otherwise – by promoting phony self-appointed “apostles”:

– Who ain’t livin’ what their sellin’, with private lives that don’t match up with their finely-honed public persona;

– Who have no consistent history of successfully forming, maintaining or being part of sustainable local churches that look anything like what they promote in their books, blogs and conferences;

– Who deny that the Great Commission has general relevance today;

– Who proclaim that scripture is not the written word of God and that those who affirm scripture are committing “treason against Christ”;

Continue reading →

My Stunning Prophetic Predictions for 2015

December 10, 2014 By in Fakes, Prophetic 5 Comments

Man of GodMy stunning predictions for 2014 proved to be the ONLY 100% accurate prophecies by anyone anywhere last year.

So, not wanting to let all the prophets of fame, name and gain dominate yet another year with their headline-chasing rubbish, I’ve decided to once again put myself on the line by publishing my stunning new prophetic predictions for 2015.

This way, the world can see once more who is the true prophet among us!

So (drum roll…) here is what’s gonna happen in 2015, raw and unvarnished:
Continue reading →