There are different personas that different churches take on in how they deal with abuse. The persona that a congregation will put on display is often directly related to the style that one to a handful of leaders adopt themselves. Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California has adopted the persona of Truth Silencer. Truth Silencers suppress the truth of a situation if they perceive it to damage their reputation. This selfish persona works to silence those who speak truth about what happened to them and genuinely believe that their actions are godly. In addition, this stance will prevent an self-reflection therefore preventing any change that will prevent future abuse within the organization.

The events that occurred at Grace Community Church happened in 2002 when Eileen Gray had refused to lift a restraining order against her husband because of his past abuse. Gray had been directed to return to her husband who had abused her and her children. When Eileen Gray refused to return to her husband, McArthur publicly shamed and excommunicated Gray from the pulpit at Grace Community Church in 2004.

McArthur stated that, “This is what the Lord wants. He wants discipline… to be put out of the church, to be publicly shamed, to be put away from fellowship. In this case it applies to Eileen Gray”

This is how Eileen Gray was treated after informing church leadership that her children and herself had been abused by her husband. She was told by associate pastor Carey Hardy that she needed to “suffer for Jesus”. When the church refused to act, Gray went to the police which lead to David Gray’s conviction of aggravated child molestation and child abuse for 21 years. Carey Hardy was charged with failing to report the abuse to authorities. Rather than apologize and repent for the way that Eileen Gray had been treated, Grace Community Church defended David Gray rather than rallying around those who had suffered harm at David Gray’s hands. The hands that Grace Community Church had not reported to authorities.

This was what was done in the early 2000s. Fast forward to 2022 when Hohn Cho and three other officers on the elder board were asked to review the case of Eileen Gray. Cho after reviewing the case had determined a horrible mistake was made. Upon recognition of the mistake Hohn Cho recommended that at a minimum to privately make things right with Eileen Gray. In the face of Cho’s recommendation, John McArthur told Cho to, “forget it”. Cho would not let go of the conclusion that an injustice had occurred and continued to ask the elder board to “do justice” on Gray’s behalf. After much persistence, Cho was asked to either walk his conclusion back or resign. Cho has since left Grace Community Church.

After leaving Cho began to hear from other women from Grace Community Church who had been doubted and dismissed. Women who were seeking help from an abusive situation but rather than receive help, were threatened. Cho began to become more concerned about what the biblical counseling that was coming from Grace Community Church was doing. It was at this point that Cho wrote a 20-page memo pleading with the church to course correct and to make things right.

These incidents are concerning. They are also indicative of the persona of a church or individual who will not allow the truth to get out. They are the truth silencer persona. In a congregation, family, or other abusive situation where the truth is not allowed to be told, this is a persona that is in use within that situation. Congregations, organizations and individuals that are truth silencers are often very self-involved and are incapable of admitting fault.

Often in these situations, God’s will, is thrown around to manipulate. Scripture is leveraged to get a desired outcome while scripture opposing the actions to be taken is disregarded. The key element to a truth silencer is a grandiose view of self, and a significant number of followers to blindly do the bidding of those who want an issue silenced. In the case of John McArthur, he had the influence, he just needed to guide others in the direction he wanted them to go with little chance of anyone calling him out on it. Regarding the case of Eileen Gray and of others who brought allegations of abuse to the Grace Community Church where McArthur is the pastor, McArthur stood a very good chance of being believed over Gray and the others. Even today the elders at that congregation with knowledge of what Cho found are hiding rather than exposing what had happened.

What are the biblical reasons behind why this is wrong? Ephesians 5:11 not only tells believers not to participate in darkness, but to expose it. Cho made the decision to expose the wrong that had been done. Romans 13:1 calls on believers to be submissive to the authorities. Failing to report abuse is a violation of the law in many states. In all states anyone may report child abuse if you suspect it. In Gray’s case, under California law when clergy is made aware of abuse, they are mandated to report it. If Grace Community Church was following Rom 13:1 in the case, why was Carey Hardy charged with failure to report? There are many other verses about deception and dishonesty that could also be covered with this case but a simple search in a Bible app will provide you with results, allow you to study, and come to your own conclusion about the behaviors of Grace Community Church and John McArthur.

The Truth Silencer persona is popular and preferred because it is designed to prevent the truth from surfacing about how a church, organization, or family really treat their own. It also gives a platform for the ones perpetuating the lies while those harmed are marginalized at best or harmed further at worst.

What should you do if you find yourself where you are being asked to silence the truth? In Isaiah 1:17 when Israel is being told how to purify themselves, “learning to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor” are things Israel is told to do to purify themselves. When we are in a situation being pressured to silence the truth, we should seek justice. It may lead us to follow the road that Hohn Cho had to and leave our church home, organization, or change our family dynamics, but the silence on the issue will only harm more people in the future.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/02/grace-community-church-elder-biblical-counseling-abuse/

https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/church/report-john-macarthurs-church-defended-and-supported-a-convicted-child-abuser-and-pedophile/

https://churchleaders.com/news/444567-documented-evidence-grace-community-church-christianity-today-lies.html