Hope Baptist Church

 

Comment of Hope Baptist Church Regarding the Anonymous Website Against Scott Brown and Jason Dohm


It has come to our attention that a website has been created telling a one-sided history of the events surrounding the split at Trinity Baptist Church and the planting of Hope. The following summarizes our objections:



*  It is completely anonymous. (Psalm 101:5)


  1. * It is divisive in nature and further separates brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19, Titus 3:10)


*  It is frequently inaccurate, and sometimes categorically false. (Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 19:5)


*  It is incomplete - there are many critical details completely absent. (Proverbs 18:17)



It is clear that the website in question has been posted anonymously so that the responsible party(s) cannot be confronted or challenged with regard to their own conduct. Such sources forfeit any credibility, and as members of the body of Christ we should resist any eagerness within ourselves to hear spiteful accusations, and should refuse information from sources who mask  themselves on the internet.  The Bible gives clear and sobering counsel both to "whoever secretly slanders his neighbor" (Psalm 101:5) and to whoever "listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue" (Proverbs 17:4). 


As a final clarification, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm have never been, and are not currently, under church discipline. The letter from Trinity Baptist which is posted on the website in question was presented to that congregation completely unknown to Scott and Jason, and was only made available to them several weeks after the fact upon specific request. This does not constitute Biblical church discipline, nor has the leadership of Trinity Baptist ever represented it to us as such.


Our desire is that we would all be quick to embrace Paul's exhortation in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things."



Steve Breagy, Scott Brown, Jason Dohm, and Dan Horn

Elders, Hope Baptist Church