Church blogger watchdog may be put to sleep for sniffing around

Wall Watchers, if any one post on the Wall gets up your dander, this should be it.

There are several of us who are passionate about exposing the surreptitious flaws, duplicitous spirituality and malicious intent of so many in the pulpit who should be doing so… none of that.

Most of us folk seen as “Another Bricks in the Wall” are libidinous, and it shows through our words, our thoughts and our dexterity.

Well, thanks to some Orwellian actions in Jacksonville, Fla., and this story from the Times-Union, we can subtract one from the list.

A blogger critical of First Baptist Church Pastor Mac Brunson wants to know why his Web site was investigated by a police detective who is also a member of the minister’s security detail.

I’m sorry?! What?! Listen here, I’m over anonymity in the blogosphere. I – like apparently the alleged mastermind behind FBC JAX – have no choice, but the reason I have no choice [COUGH… legal action… COUGH… non-disclosure agreement… GAG!] is the very inspiration behind my words.

I have witnessed hypocrisy in action. I have felt the vitriol from parishioners because of the actions of some ne’er-do-wells in the church. I have seen longtime church members stabbed flat in the back by the very church elders who espouse love for them. I have experienced the highs of listening to a man of God, and the lows of knowing him become a “Mand of Gawd.”

Evidently, so has FBC JAX, or thanks to Rev. Mac Brunson and his wielding stick of power, Mr. Thomas A. Rich.

So, as the story, Pastor Mac got his feelers hurt and called one of his security guards – also one of Jacksonville’s finest – for a hook-up. And now, because Rich attempted to unveil some misgivings inside the church, he gets a big, stinking peace out for his trouble:

Rich also wants to know why Hinson [said cop] revealed his name to the church despite finding no wrongdoing [on the blog, FBC JAX]. Hinson obtained a subpoena from the State Attorney’s Office requiring Google Inc. to reveal the author of the blog. Rich’s unmasking led to an eventual trespass warning banning the longtime member and his wife from First Baptist, despite the fact that Brunson and a top church administrator conceded the blog never threatened violence.

Violence?! No really. Some tool was going to Pastor Mac’s house, stealing his mail and taking voyeuristic pictures of his wife. And Thomas here got pinged for that because he wrote on a blog. Stay classy, Mac.

However, the pastor somehow forgets to discuss the rationale behind FBC JAX, which is:

Rich said he launched his blog in August 2007 — more than a year after Brunson became the pastor — because he was alarmed by what he described as Brunson’s “abusive preaching,”   especially during fund-raising campaigns. The blog has included criticisms of Brunson’s $300,000 salary, his plan to open a church school, his construction of a “lavish” office suite, accepting a $307,000 land gift from church members for his home and putting his wife on the payroll.

When megachurch pastors care enough to "send the very best"

Quite naturally, Pastor Mac didn’t have a comment to much of this, except to say that “he is one of the lowest-paid mega-church pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention.” Here, here. Get him a cookie.

I wonder if it ever dawned on a PASTOR that here sits one man who attends a church, has strong relationships, maybe have children who have friends and oh yeah, somehow stay in touch with God.

But because he has the unmitigated gall to not come to you personally, you ban his family from your hallowed church for life. Now, that’s the ubiquitous answer to “WWJD!”

Is that what a shepherd is supposed to do? What about that parable about the lost sheep? Apparently, Thomas is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, so that makes this heinous action okee doke.

Maybe Thomas was right about Pastor Mac, whom – full disclosure – I actually have really been blessed by a few of his messages.

Maybe Thomas would like to climb on the Wall and give his own point of view to us (Hint… Hint).

Maybe Thomas was off-base. Regardless, after this blog post, maybe there needs to be a movement for that First Amendment thingy.

Seeing how it’s so easy and user-friendly to walk right up to a megachurch PASTOR’s office and speak your mind freely. Sure, go ahead, line up everyone. The sheep’s costume are on the left.