Dear Premier Christianity Magazine, what are you thinking?!
Launching a podcast to interview complainants regarding Mike Pilavachi’s
conduct before the independent review is published?!
What happened to ‘innocent until proved guilty’? What
happened to the thought that as Christians we should not be promoting gossip
and slander?
Even if the eventual report finds Soul Survivor leader Pilavachi guilty of ‘a
form of emotional and psychological abuse’ as identified in the internal church
review, is it really good Christian journalism to promote this via a podcast
series?
This tastes bad. Interviewing and broadcasting people who
have or claim to have been emotionally abused whilst they are still coming to
terms with their own response and healing cannot be right.
You are not alone of course. Christianity Today Magazine in
the States did the same thing with Mark Driscoll and his ‘abrasive management
style’. They stretched it to 26 episodes! Driscoll refused to appear on it nor
to respond to the public allegations on the podcast from those affected by his
management style. And quite right too. How can it be best Christian practice to
publicly broadcast people’s hurt and anger when they are still going through it?
How can it be right to promote the failings of a leader in this way?
Pilavachi may have fallen below the standards required of a
leader. He may have been involved in emotional abuse. We don’t know for sure
until the report arrives. And even then…. Podcasts interviewing the aggrieved? Surely
not.
Shame on you Premier Christianity Magazine. You can do better
than this.
