Nathan James Norman
  • Blog
  • Writer
  • Pastor
  • Bookshelf
  • Links
  • Contact

Nathan James Norman

Husband. Father. Pastor.
Storyteller. Reader. Comic Fan.
Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First Baptist Church of Tarrytown

An Open Letter to Frank S. Page

3/28/2018

25 Comments

 
Dear Dr. Frank S. Page,
 
I am writing this letter for a number of reasons. First, it is to express my deep disappointment in your moral failing. Second, it is for the benefit of the church I serve, that they might follow Christ more closely. Finally, it is for the benefit of my friends and family who do not know Jesus.
 
I am a Millennial pastor serving in a small church in Northern Michigan. I was not raised in the SBC but having been serving in Southern Baptist churches for the last twelve years.
 
I can only assume from your follow-up statement to your first resignation that you mean adultery when you say “personal failing” and “personal indiscretion”. If this is the case, please clarify your sin. We live in a culture that uses language to minimize sin. Adultery is not an affair, a fling, or a personal indiscretion. When we minimize sin, we minimize our need for the Savior.
 
Because you have used terms that our entire culture will interpret as adultery, I am responding to your resignation with that assumption.
 
At the very least, I call on you to prorate any monies and benefits you received from the SBC (including travel, meals, conferences, etc.) from the time this relationship began. Please return these funds to the Cooperative Program. Both of the SBC churches I have served in have given faithfully and sacrificially to the CP. My current church is in desperate need of a larger sanctuary. We are growing in leaps and bounds. It is difficult for us to see our massive need to serve more people with the gospel, then look at our giving over the years and see that some of those funds have been used to enable you to lead us while committing grievous sin.
 
Please return the funds.
 
More importantly, if indeed you have committed adultery, your sin goes far beyond adultery. Because of your power, authority, and influence, it is sexual abuse. Perhaps it is not sexual abuse that is illegal but remember that the law is the absolute bottom of morality, not the top. Just because something is legal, does not mean it is moral or acceptable in God’s eyes.
 
King David sexually abused Bathsheba. He used his power to have sex with Bathsheba. When Nathan the Prophet confronted the king, Nathan said the rich man devoured the lamb. While we are not given insight into how David and Bathsheba’s sexual encounter played out in the bed chambers, God – speaking through the prophet – was very clear. What David did in taking the lamb and devouring it was abuse. In a very real way, David destroyed Bathsheba.
 
I found it ironic that on the same Sunday, a popular pastor in America described his sexual abuse of a teenager as a “sexual encounter” our small church was wrestling through 2 Samuel 13 – the rape of Tamar.
 
As we discussed this difficult topic, I communicated to the church that we would not sweep sexual abuse claims under the rug like so many organizations and churches have done. Instead we would immediately separate the accused, contact authorities, and communicate what was happening with the church congregation.
 
Part of my hope with this letter is to bring to light sin so that the congregation I serve does not have to fear that I, or other leaders in the church, will ignore or minimize sexual abuse.
 
While I pray for you and your family’s well-being and healing, I hope the public consequences of your sin are severe. So severe that generations of pastors understand that sin is not worth it. God told David, “You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight” (2 Samuel 12:12). While there is forgiveness to be found in Christ – there are consequences in this life. It is the entire point of 2 Samuel 12. Forgiveness with consequences.
 
Other than answering and repenting of your sin, please do not enter again into public ministry. You can serve the Church in many wonderful ways, behind the scenes.
 
On a final and personal note, you know that pastoral ministry is hard. It is becoming increasingly hard. You have made it harder for all of the SBC churches you were supposed to be serving. Your sin terrifies me. Not because it is so foreign and unthinkable, but because it is very near to me. While I have never committed physical adultery or fornication, I know that I very well could do so. I know that sexual sin frequently comes knocking on the door of my heart.
 
So, I too need to repent. I repent in the hopes that I will rely on the strength of God the Holy Spirit and not myself. I repent, trusting that the sacrifice of Christ is not only enough to forgive me of my sins, but to keep me from falling.
 
And I repent in the hopes that God will somehow use this fallout for His glory, for your good, and that many sons and daughters will enter into the Kingdom of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Nathan J. Norman
 
njn (at) nathanjamesnorman.com
25 Comments
Amy Rountree Legutko
3/28/2018 01:31:07 pm

Well said, Nathan. In November 2015, my brother in law was accused of rape of one of his middle school students. It was later established that for almost 2 years, he had a sexual relationship with this child. Sexual misconduct? Yes. Sexual affair? Yes. Sexual abuse? YES! Sin? YES YES YES!!! During this time, he was also one of the worship leaders of our church. Needless to say, many were shocked and hurt by this. Because of the family relationships, although I knew the other family, I do not know how they have managed to cope. But our family? Our family is CONSTANTLY battling grief and pain, and even shame. Max Lucado said that these sins create ripples. My brother in law's sin, the pebble thrown into the lake, the ripples caused by it continue to ripple in our lives. My young children miss him. They ask about him. As someone that we all admired and looked up to, we question our judgment in people. And, since the Bible says that forgiveness is MANDATORY, I struggle with sinning because sometimes I am able to forgive him and sometimes I fail and feel such hate towards him. So I repent that. I know that one sin is not more or less than another, but I see the hurt caused within my family. I see my sister in law question herself. I see my nieces withdraw or become promiscuous. I see my husband and his parents struggle with hatred. I saw members of my church question the church itself and the leadership within it.

Sexual misconduct, whatever it is called. You're right. It is SIN!!! And I pray that we do NOT become desensitized to the fact that God is demanding our repentance. And, in the same turn, he is demanding our forgiveness.

Reply
Berni Law
3/28/2018 05:04:19 pm

No, it's called rape. Stop minimizing it.

This Catholic church hides & protects pedophiles raping children in 100% of cases to please their lord, but it's rape, and Jesus said it's unforgivable in Matt 18:6-14.

Reply
Nathan J. Norman link
3/29/2018 08:02:31 am

Berni,
I'm not sure what you're concerned that I'm minimizing here.

Grace
3/29/2018 07:19:01 pm

Yes, this was wrong. No question about it. But at least get your facts straight before publicly accusing someone of rape. That’s quite an assumption. Not all extramarital relations are non-consensual.

Nathan J. Norman link
3/29/2018 08:01:01 am

Amy, thank you for sharing all of that. It sounds like this has been incredibly hard.
And thank you for highlighting the other side of earnest repentance: forgiveness.
During Holy Week, my hope and prayer is that we can see sin for all of its ugliness, and experience the sweetness of forgiveness we can only find in Christ.

Reply
Nathan J. Norman link
3/29/2018 07:52:10 pm

Hi Grace,
I have asked Dr. Page to clarify his sin and not minimize it by using colloquial terms.
I am not sure if you are commenting on my article, or a previous comment by another user.

If you are commenting on my article, the point I made was this: If indeed Dr. Page is describing adultery, then it has broader implications because he is a Christian leader.

Christian leaders are held to a high standard in Scripture because they have been entrusted with much. If a Christian leader has a sexual relationship with someone who is not his or her spouse, I would argue that it is abusive even if it is consensual.

The Christian leader is an under-shepherd of Christ. The Christian leader wields enormous power, authority, and influence. The Christian leader's job is to guard, lead, and feed the flock. To use that power, authority, and influence to enter into a consensual sexual relationship is to abuse one's position. It is not guarding, it is taking. It is not leading toward Christ, it is leading toward man. It is not feeding, it is devouring.
While there is certainly a spectrum of types of sexual abuse - when a Christian leader commits adultery it will always carry an element of abuse with it.

Reply
Clergy sexual abuse survivor
3/30/2018 10:07:29 pm

Thank you for having the courage to make this statement. YOU are a spiritual leader. You recognize both the responsibility and the power of your position, but remain humble and recognize your potential to abuse your authority and trust which could harm others, the integrity of ministry, and the gospel of Christ. May God greatly bless your ministry, Pastor Norman

Reply
jonathan
3/31/2018 01:21:40 am

wait what
just because there is a power differential is is abuse?!!!

sorry but if both parties agreed, it is not abuse.

enabling female sinners as well to get away from their active participation in sin because they were in a junior role is not really loving those women like Christ....

his sin is adultery, abuse if it was forced
if a lower ranked position female agreed , it is not abuse.

Reply
Sam
3/31/2018 03:15:17 am

Jonathan, I respectfully disagree. Power differential = abuse. Always.

Even if a congregant walks into a pastor's office and strips naked in front of him/her, he/she is responsible to maintain the pastor/congregant relationship and protect the congregant from harm. To act on the 'offer' is abuse - in spite of the congregant's apparent willingness and consent.

This website has a lot of info:
http://www.thehopeofsurvivors.com/4_major_imbalances.php

Reply
Dale
3/31/2018 07:10:15 am

Pastor Norman, thank you for speaking the truth. Sexual abuse is destroying our churches like a cancer.

Reply
Tina link
3/31/2018 07:55:31 pm

Thank you for writing this. Your words brought me to tears. I wish more pastors would speak up about the abuse happening within the church like this.

Reply
JJ Lewis link
4/3/2018 07:01:59 pm

It is assured you are angered over the issue. Even more so, it is a tremendous failure to him and his family. Yet, allow a time of balance and some application of Galatians 6:1.

Reply
Nathan J. Norman link
4/3/2018 07:56:58 pm

Thank you for sharing Gal 6:1.
I am not angry. I am grieved.

Reply
Formerly Pastored by Dr. Frank Page
4/9/2018 07:14:21 pm

Over time, assumptions have caused irreparable damage to the lives of many. Many times the assumer is befooled. That is why it is better not to assume.
Nathan James Norman writes, “sexual sin frequently comes knocking on the door of my heart”. Matthew 5:28 KJV says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Why are Christians the first to shoot their wounded?

Reply
Nathan J. Norman link
4/9/2018 07:48:28 pm

Hi Formerly,
I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you. I will certainly say a prayer for you. I know firsthand how devastating it was for me when a man I loved, and mentored me fell into egregious sin. I am so sorry for the turmoil you are going through.

I understand what you mean by making unfounded assumptions. That was why I was careful in my letter to: 1. Call Dr. Page to repent of sin (instead of making a vague statement). Compare Dr. Page's statement to David's repentance in Psalm 51. This kind of repentance is what points people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 2. To point out that Dr. Page's choice of vague language was the colloquial language our culture uses for adultery. I did write "if" it was indeed adultery - then spelled out the gravity for a pastor to commit such a sin.

I linked to the text in Matthew you quoted from, and publically confessed and repented of this sin in my letter.

Finally, I do not want to "shoot the wounded". If I wanted that to happen, I would have written a vulgarity filled letter. But I am writing in the spirit of 1 Timothy 5:20, and with the hopes that Dr. Page does publically repent of sin. And in doing so, it might be his most powerful presentation of the forgiveness found only in the Blood of Jesus, Dr. Page has ever made.

Reply
Ashamed
2/11/2019 09:20:51 pm

I just came across this thread and I’m in shock. You are extremely judgmental and passive aggressive. He made a mistake that I believe is between Mr. Page and God. You should not be judging him and telling home what he needs to do. If I were a member of your church I would be looking elsewhere for a godly influence.

Nathan J. Norman link
2/11/2019 10:10:03 pm

Hi "Ashamed",
Please point out an instance where I was passive aggressive in this open letter.

I want to point out that whatever Dr. Page did, it was not a "mistake," it was a sin. There is a difference, and we as Christians must not minimize sin, because in doing so it minimizes the need for a saviour.

Furthermore, it was not a sin between him and God. In his own statement he acknowledged another person, his wife, his family, and his denomination.

The world is watching us. We can be so harsh to those "sinners" outside of the church, and yet dismissive of the sin within the midst of the church - often even more so with leaders. Christian leadership carries with it a massive and public responsibility (as James points out.) When a Christian leader falls it must be met with repentance that bears fruit - not vague statements and closed meetings. As hard as this kind of public repentance is, it shows the gospel of full display: the magnitude of sin, and the great forgiveness of Jesus.

I truly hope the best for Dr. Page.
I believe God can work through this sin, and use it for His glory. And I believe Dr. Page can and must still be involved in ministry. Every Christian is called to make disciples. We don't need a title or public platform to do so.

If you were a member of my church, I would invite you to sit down and have a conversation about this, with a Bible opened between us. We might not end up agreeing, but at least you could see where I was coming from.

Finally, as I wrote in my original open letter - this terrifies me. (1 Tim 5:20). I am not beyond the possibility of committing adultery, or any number of egregious sins.

If you need to dialogue about this out of the public sphere, feel free to drop me a note.

Gimme Abreak
1/18/2019 10:30:06 pm

Nathan James Norman is a self serving, uninformed DORK!

Reply
Nathan Norman
1/18/2019 11:34:07 pm

You are probably right. I am a terrible sinner in constant need of the great savior.

Reply
william h Pace
4/6/2019 02:58:29 pm

Mr Norman, your sin is far greater than the sin of Frank Page. You did not mention the word GRACE OR FORGIVENESS. You sound just like the Pharisees. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle James, clearly states, “If you keep the whole LAW, yet break one of them, then you are guilty of breaking all of them. THEREFORE MR NORMAN, YOU STAND GUILTY. you should resign from your Church and learn the meaning of GRACE AND FORGIVENESS.

Nathan J. Norman link
5/27/2019 06:10:26 am

Hi William H. Pace,
I freely confessed in my letter that I am a sinner in need for forgiveness. I often confess the same to my congregation.
And true, we are all sinners in need of forgiveness.
And more than that, whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life!


In this life, sin has consequences. I am sure there is some sin for you, Mr. Pace, that would disqualify a person from Christian leadership. Your threshold might be different than mine - but there is certainly some sin that can and should disqualify a person from Christian leadership.

There are qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 that serve as a good starting point.

Leon
5/24/2019 07:23:15 pm

Reading the original letter and some of the responses fills me with hopelessness. It makes me wonder if there really is no "good news" in the Gospel. When the Prodigal Son confessed and repented, the father didn't say "I forgive you, but you can't live here anymore," of "I forgive you, but you can only stay here as a hired servant," or "I forgive you, but things between us have changed forever." I see good news in that parable, but when I read the letter and some of the comments above, it makes me wonder if even though there is eternal salvation for believers, there is "earthly damnation" for believers who sin, or who at least, commit the "wrong" kind of sin. If we knew of a family where they were nice to outsiders, but were forever angry and turned away family members, we call that family dysfunctional. Is that what the church is...dysfunctional. Do we proclaim Grace that covers all sins for unbelievers who repent, but doom believers who sin (or, again, commit certain sins) to the back alley of the faith/church? Again, I feel hopeless and filled with "bad news." Yes, I am terrified, too, because I could sin like Mr. Page. But, what kind of comment is that? So, I can commit certain sins that are acceptable not be terrified, and others sins that should make me terrified? Should not all of them terrify me? It kinda sounds like what Mr. Page's greatest mistake was that he committed the "right" kind of sin, but instead committed the "wrong" kind. This entire stream of conversation has left me confused about the true nature of the Gospel, and the blood...i.e., I thought the blood of Jesus covered ALL sins for those who believe. I had thought that if God's incomparable grace through Jesus was good enough for the Lord, that it would be good enough for His people. I guess I assumed wrongly.

Reply
Nathan J. Norman link
5/27/2019 05:57:04 am

Hi Leon,
We're talking about different things.
First repentance requires repentance, not the minimization of sin.
Second, we're not talking about salvation we're talking about leadership. Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land for his sin. The prophet Nathan told King David he was forgiven, but the sword would never leave his house. Jesus rebuke Peter. Paul rebuked the Corinthians. And Jesus pronounces harsh consequences for several churches in Revelation.

Praise God, Jesus covers all of our sin past, present, and future!
We see throughout the history of Scripture temporal consequences for our earthly actions.


As I've written before, this situation makes me heartbroken. It would have been good for Dr. Page to give us an image of true repentance along with a true Gospel message before he retired from the public eye.

Reply
Norine
12/19/2020 03:55:28 pm

Absolutely spot on! He was our pastor for years and was noted to “minister effectively “ to those that could do something for him. The wealthy and affluent. Always. We always felt sorry for his subdued wife because of her meekness and seemingly controlled by him. He frequented “events” few others were invited to attend. He also began running with an attractive married affluent woman. My sister noticed he always made reference to his clothes...or physique....knowing people would say “oh you’re not fat...you look great.” It’s sad but not at all unexpected.

Reply
Nathan J Norman link
2/23/2021 01:27:10 pm

Hi Norine. My apologies for taking so long to respond.
I have no context to comment on your experiences, but that must have been a difficult time of following Jesus for you.
I am praying that you are currently in a healthy church that has healthy leadership, where you can participate in the work Christ has called you to.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Adoption
    Art
    Axiom
    Beowulf
    Christmas
    Comics
    Drabble
    Flash Fiction
    Foster Care
    Good Friday
    Humor
    Infertility
    Interviews
    Memes
    Music
    Politics
    Practical
    Prayer
    Preaching
    Reviews
    Speculative
    Theology
    Tragedy
    Trinity Watch
    Untold Podcast
    Video
    Writing

    Blog Roll

    Breakpoint
    Christian Humanist
    Christian Geek Central
    Critical Press Media
    David N. Alderman
    Doug Geivett

    Good Book Blog
    Living With Cogan
    Open Biola
    Project Rooftop
    Reasonable Faith
    Running Slowly w/ Kids
    Spirit Blade Underground
    Strangers and Aliens
    The Table Podcast
    This Old Farmhouse

    Archives

    November 2023
    August 2023
    February 2023
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012