It is time that institutions that educate those that desire to go into ministry to educate not only on the scriptures, but the challenges in the world today along with the techniques that predators use to exploit churches so that they may hunt. Our congregations need “Men of Issachar” those who know the times and know what to do. I Chronicles 12:32. The ignorance on display is creating a situation where those who wish to serve others are as effective as those who passed by in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Recently two news articles involving the Denton Bible Church in Denton, TX highlight the need. After reading the articles with the first one stating what had happened involving the activities of the congregation after it was disclosed that a youth pastor had abused 14 girls between two churches. The second article stating when that the offender was nearing his release which is another subject involving our government and the need for longer sentences for sexual predators.

Having reviewed these news articles and the letter to the congregation published by Denton Bible Church after an investigation was completed, there are still some questions that remain for the leadership and head pastor Tommy Nelson.

In this forum there have been multiple articles written about the two types of watchmen as described in Ezekiel 33:2-6. The two types of watchmen consist of those who will sound the alarm if things appear suspicious and the watchman that won’t sound the alarm even when danger is imminent. Covered previously is also the topic of the “flying monkey”. There are two types of those as well. There are the flying monkeys who will defend an offender and no matter how serious the accusation, evidence, or complete knowledge of what the offender is doing. Those will never believe that the offender could ever do anything wrong as they stubbornly side with one who is doing harm. The other type of flying monkey is one that will defend an offender through being just out of touch enough that they inadvertently defend. These flying monkeys are the useful idiots used by an offender to increase the size of the crowd defending them in the event of an accusation.

Tommy Nelson was warned of Robert Shiflet and his pattern of finding himself alone with young girls by youth workers. In 1999 a youth intern stated that they were uncomfortable with the way Shiflet treated young girls. Shiflet was denied a promotion due to his propensity to be found alone with girls. Due to being denied the promotion, Robert Shiflet sought employment as a youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Arkansas. Although he was denied a promotion due to how he had a way of ending up alone with young girls, Nelson did not share any concerns with Shiflet’s employer in Arkansas. At this point it appears that Tommy Nelson was involved in passing a predator around much like what was found to be happening in many of the Catholic Diocese investigations in the same period.

While in Arkansas, Shiflet abused at least three girls at Fellowship Bible Church in Arkansas. Shiflet left Arkansas to move back to Denton where he again attended Denton Bible until 2005 when one of his victims shared her abuse to a counselor who got the wheels of justice moving.

In a statement to Denton Bible Church Nelson claimed he did not know of any abuse until 2015 when the father of one of the victims came to him. Although Nelson was made aware of the abuse by the father of one of the victims, authorities were not notified even though he was a mandated reporter.

When confronted with the question of a cover up, Nelson denied this strongly stating that the times had changed during his time in ministry stating that from 1974 – 2005 he had never heard the word “pedophile” or know what it meant. Based on many of the crimes involving children in DFW in the late 1990s that is a statement that is difficult to believe. Nelson may not have known what a pedophile was at that time, but according to the youth worker, youth intern, and a promotion withheld, Nelson knew what a pedophiles behavior was. At the time that Shiflet’s promotion was withheld, the reason why should have been clear. In this it appears that there was a willing lack of curiosity, the out of touch flying monkey.


Based on his behaviors Nelson, and the leadership at Denton Bible Church behaved as the bad watchman described in Ezekiel 33. They were told of trouble with Shiflet on multiple occasions. For whatever reason nobody stopped to examine things much like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:31,32 that passed on the other side of the road. To do this would not have been a huge inconvenience. It would have taken a phone call. Nelson remained just out of touch enough that he became the kind of flying monkey that he would defend Shiflet because he never made the effort to be curious.


https://www.fox4news.com/news/fox-4-investigates-14-girls-sexually-abused-by-north-texas-youth-pastor-the-red-flags-the-church-ignored?taid=633cec3be9289400014c1ff1

https://www.fox4news.com/news/denton-bible-church-youth-pastor-abuse-rob-shiflet?taid=63b53219d1c013000105d1cd