Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
2 Corinthians 5:20
 

A Very Sad Story

Dear Friends:

You may have been directed to this website because of having read on the Internet an attack against me (Pastor Fredrick Edward Fleming, the owner of this site), by Brian Schwertley.  If that is why you've arrived at this site, let me thank you for paying a visit, which I am sure is in order to discover the truth about a very sad situation that has afflicted us here in Wisconsin for several years.

In this reply, I don't intend to clutter the world wide web with a lot of documentation; if anyone doubts what I am saying, please contact me, and I will be happy to provide the supporting documents.  However, here are the important facts.

1. In 2004, Brian Schwertley accepted a call to a congregation in Manawa, Wisconsin.

2. Just over a year later, he undertook to try to withdraw his congregation from the presbytery of which it was a member.  In doing so, he and the other members of the Session attempted to circumvent the due process which was in place for any attempted withdrawal--rules which were designed to protect any significant minority in the congregation that did not want to sever the ecclesiastical tie.  Among other tactics, Brian and his elders conducted a congregational meeting without proper notice, conducted it in the home of Brian Schwertley (which allowed the meeting to be held in private rather than publicly), and excluded members of his congregation from participating in that meeting, so as to guarantee that the "vote" was in favor of withdrawal.

3. Meanwhile, Brian and his elders had exercised discipline, including excommunication, against church members, without trial, and even without notice!  One of those who was excommunicated was a man who had served as an elder in the congregation, who had moved away from the Manawa area.

4. The presbytery instructed Brian, et al., that any attempt to exclude people from voting in a congregational meeting, or to attempt to thwart free and open discussion of the matter among the members of the congregation, would render a vote to withdraw null and void.  This instruction was not an addition to the prescribed rules for withdrawal, but was intended to make clear that this sort of bullying and thuggery would invalidate any "vote" that might be taken.

5. Despite the fact that the presbytery instructed the Manawa Session that those who had been excommunicated (the aforementioned elder and his wife) were still in good standing pending notice and pending appeal to the presbytery, that elder was denied admission to the Lord's table.

6. Before the (illegal) meeting of the Manawa congregation, charges had been brought against Brian for his violation of church procedure.  Within a few weeks, he had helped to form the Westminster Presbyterian Church in the U.S., thereby attempting to remove himself from the jurisdiction of the presbytery to which he had been subject.

7. Though the WPCUS conducted an "investigation" of the charges against Brian, the committee that produced a report did so without ever having spoken with anyone from the original presbytery.  That WPCUS report contains numerous inaccuracies.

Brian's recent blast (January 2011) at his website against me and others contains some statements that are true.  However, there are other statements that either are not true, or are stated in a misleading way.  To cite just one example, I was never ordained by a "Universalist Church"; I was ordained by an independent Assembly of God congregation.  Here's another example: I was not ordained by Reformation Presbytery of the Midwest (RPM); rather, my previous ordination was accepted by RPM.  And here's another example: contrary to the assertions found on Brian's site, the original presbytery did regard the group that stayed with it as being the continuing Manawa congregation--at no point did the presbytery accede to the notion that the group led by Brian Schwertley had lawfully separated as a congregation from that presbytery.  Indeed, this is the key consideration, as Brian himself acknowledges--was the withdrawal a lawful one or not?  The presbytery that had jurisdiction never conceded the contention by Brian, et al., that there had been a lawful vote to withdraw (see point 2 above for the presbytery's rationale regarding this matter).

I know from speaking with Dr. Frank Smith that his desire in seeing charges brought against Brian was not in order to destroy him, but rather to help him to know that he needed to be brought to the place of being able to admit some of his pastoral failings.  It was also intended to serve as a warning, including to people in his own congregation, regarding Brian's blatant disregard for proper procedure, and therefore his lack of respect to those whom he had been called to shepherd.

As an example of a distortion on Brian's website, I would particularly note his attack on the ruling elder referenced above, in which Brian accused him of a variety of things,  including having a dysfunctional family.  Yet for months on end, during the time that Brian was ministering in Wisconsin in 2004 and before his house in Michigan was finally sold, he would stay with that elder and his family almost every weekend.  At one point, Brian even told that man that he was the best elder that he had known. And yet why now the attacks against this man and his family, calling the family dysfunctional and even saying that he wasn't fit to be an elder? One might question why for the many weekends that their home was graciously opened to him did he not question then this elder's fitness, and character, and demand his resignation then? One might even question why Brian would even except a call to a church when such leadership existed?  The fact of the matter is that this elder faithfully served and helped to lead the congregation (before Brian was even a thought) in worship for more than a year whenever the founding pastor had to be away.  Neither that pastor, the other elder, deacon, nor any member of the congregation had a problem with this elder's capabilities or his leadership.  In contrast to what Brian has suggested through his attack, that man and his wife are happily married, and have a stronger marriage than ever.

Lastly, please note that there were at least three attempts to reconcile with Brian by the three different families that he continues to attack even today. He claims that Matthew 18 was never used regarding him.  I would beg to differ with his assertion. I would also ask, when did he use Matthew 18 with anyone?  I can say that in my own personal situation, this site originally went up only after those attempts failed with him. And let me say one more thing regarding Matthew 18; does public sin on the part of a pastor require the Christian to use Matthew 18? Did Paul use Matthew 18 with Peter (Gal. 2: 11-21)? What about attacks made by Brian regarding other denominations such as the OPC, PCA and the RPCNA? Even when he was part of the CRPC, did he go to the elders and do Matthew 18?

There are many good things that Brian has written, and it is understandable why people who want to serve the Lord and submit to His word are attracted to his ministry.  However, in dealing with people, Brian has cut a wide swath of destruction across the Midwest, starting in Michigan and now continuing in Wisconsin.  He has caused severe turmoil in two congregations where he served, and the mission work he started in the Lansing, Michigan, area has long since dissolved.  Many people who have had to deal with him have found the experience quite painful--in some cases, so painful that they don't want to talk about it.  Numerous families have been hurt by his ministry and the counsel he has offered.  Again, this is not to say that all that Brian does is bad or wrong.  It is, however, to say that his ministry has produced seriously bad repercussions as a result of its manner and method.  As a matter of fact, there have been on-going, harmful ripple effects from what he has done, with regard to churches and ministries.  In particular, with regard to psalm singing, more than one person, having witnessed the way Brian deals with people and expresses himself, has wanted nothing to do with the doctrine of exclusive psalmody or purity of worship.  (This is a reminder to all of us that we can be so right about something, and yet, at the same time, so wrong.)

So, dear reader, let me thank you again for your time and attention to this sad tale.  Be sure to pray for Brian and his wife and family, that God would be pleased to bring sweetness out of bitterness, and joy out of sorrow.

Sincerely,
Pastor Fredrick Edward Fleming