Despite this show of support, Eternal Church informed the congregation in an email on Wednesday that Logan had been fired, effective immediately.
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“Our decision to release Don was made with much prayer and discernment around the biblical qualifications for overseers of the church set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7,” the elders wrote. “Retaining Don as our pastor is not consistent with the truth, wisdom, and practicality in this text.”
“The Elders failed to see how Don’s conviction would adversely affect him, his family, the victim, members, attenders, and most importantly the church’s witness within the community by not bringing the conviction into the light years ago,” the letter went on to say. “For that, we repent and seek forgiveness from those who have been hurt. Moving forward, we commit to make amends and take steps to bring healing through the blood of Jesus Christ.”
“We recognize our congregation is in a real place of pain and hurt, and that for some, trust has been broken,” the email said. “The Elders acknowledge their responsibility regarding the broken trust and will continue to seek God’s guidance on how to best restore that trust within the church body and broader community.”
The elders acknowledged that “there are brothers and sisters among us who will be hurt, upset and unsettled by the Elders’ decision to release Don from ministry at Eternal. We pray the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
“As Christians, our mission is to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we consider the state of our church, our mission of witness within the community at-large has eroded,” the elders said. “It remains our desire to fully restore this mission to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
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ChurchLeaders has reached out to Eternal Church for comment and will update this article in the event of a response.
