Sadly, I can no longer do this. Following is an abridged version of a statement the elders of my church sent out to members about CM:
As most of you know, over the last few months there has been a difficult and grievous situation developing with Capitol Ministries and Ralph Drollinger, President of CM. Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA (John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher), where Ralph has been a member for many years and a sent-out missionary in his work with CM, recently issued a final statement regarding their relationship with Ralph and CM. With this final statement from GCC, and because of [our] long history and relationship with Ralph and CM, we believe it appropriate to pass this information on to you.
Our intent in sharing these things is three-fold:
1. To warn you, and encourage you to warn others, that Ralph Drollinger has been determined to be biblically disqualified for spiritual leadership by the elders of his home and sending church. Inasmuch as we agree with and support the determination of the GCC elders, we believe Ralph is not to be trusted or regarded as qualified to be in a place of spiritual leadership. Because Ralph is continuing in his role as President of CM, in spite of GCC’s determination, we believe he is a deceitful and divisive danger to the body of Christ (Rom. 16:17,18; Titus 1:10,11; 3:10,11). Therefore, neither Ralph nor any ministry endeavor he presently leads should be supported financially or otherwise.”
2. To encourage you to continue praying for God to be glorified in this situation, for God’s grace to be extended to Ralph in granting repentance, and for the Gospel to continue to go forward, particularly in capitols around the country and around the world. Likewise, please continue to pray for God’s sustaining grace to be provided for those directly and indirectly impacted by this situation...
3. To give you perspective and understanding regarding why Sean, Lynne, David, and Nora were compelled to resign from their full-time work with Capitol Ministries, why Pastor Greg resigned from the Board of Directors, and why we as a church no longer support or endorse Capitol Ministries.
GCC’s final statement follows some previous statements they had given concerning the situation. Here are GCC’s statements, which have been available to any who ask:
1. From July 17, 2009 –
“The elders of Grace Community Church have agreed to temporarily suspend our affirmation of Ralph Drollinger, pending the resolution of our inquiry into allegations made against him.”
2. From Sept. 24, 2009 –
“In the summer of 2009, five of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors resigned. These men are well known to us and we have no reason to question their wisdom, discernment, or integrity. One of those former board members, John Anderson, is a respected member of our church in good standing; the other, John Bates, is one of our elders. It is the estimation of these men that Ralph Drollinger is not biblically qualified for spiritual leadership.
“We, the Grace Community Church elders, stand behind the assessment of these former members of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors about Ralph’s disqualification from leadership in Christian ministry. The attacks Ralph has continued to make on the character and motives of these men, as well as our elders, regrettably affirms to us this determination.”
3. From Oct. 15, 2009 (this is GCC’s final statement) –
“After much observation of and interaction with Ralph Drollinger, we, the Grace Community Church Elders, maintain that he is not biblically qualified for Christian ministry. Consequently, we do not endorse Capitol Ministries under his leadership. Ralph Drollinger no longer has any relationship with Grace Community Church.”These statements from GCC follow a lengthy process over the last 7 months which has resulted in the following within CM:
- 4 full-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento have resigned;
- 2 part-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento were effectively terminated;
- 6 of 8 Board of Directors have resigned, leaving just Ralph and his father-in-law Dan Madison (Note: the 6 who resigned did not all do so at the same time, and 2 new members were added a few weeks ago);
- 17 of 21 full-time State Directors have resigned.
....
P.S. The majority of former CM State Directors who have resigned have formed a new organization called The Capitol Commission, through which they purpose to continue their ministry in state capitols. If you have previously been financially supporting CM, we encourage you to direct your gifts to this new ministry.
3 comments:
I am the Arizona Legislative Chaplain, and I just found out about the melt down of Capitol Ministries. As a female Chaplain of a legislative body, I can attest to the difficulty that I personally had with Ralph Drollinger and other who were with Capitol Ministries.
About 10 yrs. ago Capitol Ministries showed up at the Arizona State Capitol and tried to bully me into leaving. At the time I was serving as an unofficial chaplain, and they tried everything to move me out. I finally had some godly men in the faith community write a letter to Ralph Drollinger and ask him to cease trying to implement a hostile takeover of a ministry that was already in place. They balked but backed down, as the letter was signed by some 11 local pastors.
Last year they surfaced once again a placed a nice young man in the position as a Bible study leader. I met with him a couple of times, and found him to be a charming, Biblical sound believer, but still being pushed by Capitol Ministries. It really came to be a problem when some hand outs were generated that were quite inflammatory. Titles that said "There are Liars at the Arizona State Legislature," and "There are Antichrists at the Arizona State Legislature." I don't think the young Bible study teacher came up with those titles for the teachings, I think that was straight from Capitol Ministries.
Long story short, I had to do some major soul soothing over that and implemented policy that would prohibit any material of a spiritual matter to be given to legislators or their staff. I was given an official appointment about 4 yrs. ago, have an office and operate as a non profit organization. I have been at the Arizona State Capitol for 12 yrs. now, and my heart is to bless and love all my legislators and their staff through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. There are lobbyists, political activists, and others who are called to harangue our elected officials. My calling is to bless them and build safe relationships. It is the Holy Spirit's job to draw them to Christ, and if they choose to, then I am blessed beyond measure. I do not judge them, I pray for them and love them unconditionally.
I appreciate your blog, and for being able to leave this comment for you. Bless you for your ministry, and I pray that the Lord increase your efforts for the kingdom.
God bless,
Donna Kafer
Arizona State Legislative Chaplain
dkafer1@cox.net
(602) 435=5144
http://www.lcarizona.org
Chaplain Kafer,
Please do not use the spiritual failures of any one man to categorically discredit all of Capitol Ministries’ past efforts to proclaim God’s Word to the political leaders of Arizona and other states.
You describe a certain new Arizona Bible study leader as a “nice young man” and a “charming, Biblical sound believer.” Yet then you label his handouts “inflammatory,” suggesting he is little more than a pawn of Capitol Ministries. That doesn’t seem fair to me.
If a Bible study leader is biblical, then his affiliations, handouts, and methodology should be biblical as well. There is nothing unbiblical about the Bible study titles you describe. Unless, of course, you believe that there are no liars or antichrists in the Arizona Capitol.
God’s Word is clear on this matter: “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son” (I John 2:22, cf. 1 John 2:18, 4:3, 2 John 1:7).
If we know anything from Scripture, we know that the truth is often “inflammatory” to those who oppose it. Many of Christ’s teachings, as well as those of the apostles, were inflammatory to those who heard them. The gospel is foolishness to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 1:18), and Christ promises that his followers will be persecuted (John 15:20).
You write that you “implemented policy that would prohibit any material of a spiritual matter to be given to legislators or their staff.” It is troubling that you would attempt to block Christians from sharing the gospel with their elected officials.
It is good and right to love your legislators. But part of loving people is telling them the truth. Do you call your legislators to repentance from sin? Do you share the gospel with them? If so, what gospel do you share?
My prayer is that you will know the truth of God in all its fullness and seek to share it with love and boldness to all those you seek to bless.
Thank you for your consideration of these matters.
David
Chaplain Donna Kafer,
I agree wholeheartedly with what David said above, and I feel compelled to also remind you that it is not biblical for women to have positions of biblical authority, particularly over men (Ephesians 5:22-24 ...wives should submit to their husbands etc.
1 Timothy 2:11-15 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent etc.
1 Corinthians 14:33-35 ...women should remain silent in the churches (and following).
1 Corinthians 11:3-16 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man (and following).
Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Peter 3:1-6 Wives in the same way be submissive to your husbands (and following).
Titus 2: 4-5 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God.
This is a highly unpopular and politically incorrect sentiment in our present day, but it is The Word of God and that has been true, is true, and always will be true. I am certain your motives are nothing but the best, but as a woman in an official position of biblical authority, you are clearly violating Scripture.
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