Breaking Clergy Confidence

Guest

confidenceBy David M. Gower. Posted with permission from Baptist Bulletin May/June 2012. All rights reserved.

People expect a lot from a pastor—including standing up for justice and helping those in need. But they also expect him to provide confidential spiritual guidance. So what happens when these expectations collide? What happens when a pastor learns that someone he is counseling has committed a crime? To whom does the pastor owe his loyalty: the person being counseled, or the victim of the crime? These questions are at the center of a rape case now pending in a Michigan court of appeals that will set precedent in Michigan and could have ramifications nationwide.

People of Michigan v. Samuel Bragg

John Vaprezsan is the pastor of Metro Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church in Belleville, Mich. In 2009, reports USA Today, a woman in the church told Vaprezsan that her daughter had been raped by Samuel Bragg, a teenager who also attended Metro Baptist. The girl was just 9 years old at the time of the assault.

After hearing this disturbing news, Vaprezsan asked Bragg and his mother to meet him at the church. Vaprezsan claims that at the meeting Bragg confessed to sexually assaulting the girl. Later Vaprezsan gave a statement to police and Bragg was charged with first-degree criminal sexual assault. But Bragg and his mother deny making any confession.

Knowing that his testimony would be vital to the case, Vaprezsan agreed to testify in court about the details of Bragg’s confession. However, the trial judge ruled that Vaprezsan’s testimony was inadmissible because it would violate Michigan’s clergy privilege statute, which states,

No minister of the gospel, or priest of any denomination whatsoever, or duly accredited Christian Science practitioner, shall be allowed to disclose any confessions made to him in his professional character, in the course of discipline enjoined by the rules or practice of such denomination.1

The prosecutor appealed the trial judge’s decision to the Michigan court of appeals, which has not issued its ruling as of this writing.2

Discussion

Christopher Peterman, founder of Do Right BJU, expelled 9 days before his BJU graduation.

ChrisPeterman
My name is Christopher Peterman and I was asked to share my story on SI. Since my expulsion on April 24, 2012 my story has been all of the world so this is basically just a rehash of everything you have probably already read.

One of my goals in sharing my stories is that I hope it can help BJU see the problems there and the overwhelming need for the grace of God to permeate that place. There is no grace at BJU. There is no love.

Discussion

Are Professional Teacher/Preachers/Theologians/Writers causing more harm than good?

christian cerna
I was just thinking about this the other night.

Has the increase of Christian media(i.e. TV, radio, books, conferences, etc.) affected how Churches in America function? Or more specifically, has the rise of Christian celebrities (i.e. Teachers, Preachers, Book Writers, Theologians) actually caused more harm than good?

Discussion

An Elder/Pastor's Salary.

christian cerna
Why is it that Pastors/Elders always use 1 Timothy 5:17 to defend their right to get paid a good salary. But they never mention that “worthy of double honor” means that they are worthy to receive double the honor that the widow receives.

When was the last time that you ever heard of a widow in the church receiving a salary from the church???

Discussion

Candidate chosen to replace John Piper as Pastor of Preaching and Vision

sifilings

The Bethlehem elders are announcing to the congregation their candidate for Associate Pastor for Preaching and Vision and, God willing, John Piper’s eventual successor as the church’s senior pastor. Jason Meyer, 36-year-old Assistant Professor of New Testament for Bethlehem College and Seminary, is the elders’ recommendation for congregational consideration and vote at a special May 20 all-church meeting.

Discussion