6Scene 3
116Scene 3
7Chapter Three, The Radical Idea.
117Vane was at his desk by 7am, reviewing the Millbrook data for the hundredth time. This was expected, but not this fast, not this openly. The phone rang at 8:02. The panic still evident in Drew’s voice. “What do I do? I got 4 phone calls yesterday afternoon. Everyone knows he was talking about me.”
8Scene 1
118Vane waited him out, almost forcing Drew’s compliance by sheer will. “How did you handle those calls?”
9Scene 2
119Drew recounted all 4 calls, mentioning that he likely said more than he should have to at least a few questions. But the last call, the last one the most detailed. It was Brad Fortner, and he called Drew only after talking to 3 other members that afternoon. “I think he made an impression on some of them and that could be a problem.”
10Chapter Four, The Gatekeeper's Warning.
120“Drew, this isn’t unusual,” Vane lied.
11Scene 1
121“I’ve never heard anyone getting called out in a sermon before, not even in that session at the workshop on how to deal with different legacy members. And there was a bunch of bad stories in that workshop.”
12Scene 2
122“Look, schedule a meeting with him. I’ll come up there and we’ll deal with this.”
13Scene 3
123Wednesday morning arrived quickly. Vane came alone, but Pastor Elias had asked Profar and Slovack to attend. Vane did not protest.
14Chapter Five, The Groundwork.
124“Pastor, we obviously need to deal with your outburst on Sunday morning,” Vane began.
15Scene 1
125“Outburst, you haven’t seen an outburst yet,” Pastor Elias said, with more venom than Profar or Slovack had ever seen from him.
16Scene 2
126“Pastor, it’s clear you have concerns. I just wish you had brought those concerns directly to us, instead of going to the church first,” Vane’s tone manufactured for projection. “We have always been open to discussing these things.”
17Scene 3
127“Julian, this isn’t a minor difference of opinion. Boy wonder here is preaching heresy and it’s having a negative effect in this church.”
18Scene 4
128“Did you approach him about it?”
19Chapter Six, The Vitality Project.
129“I did. I pointed it out, I have pointed out Biblical issues with the music, it’s fallen on deaf ears.”
20Scene 1
130Drew tried to defend himself, “I’ve tried to talk to you.”
21Scene 2
131Pastor Elias, becoming agitated more than he could ever remember in his adult life. “I have dedicated my adult life to ministry, to doing the right thing in the eyes of God, and I am not stopping now. But I have never felt righteous anger before, not like this. I came to you, you continued to push. We’ve had discussions in meetings, board meetings, council meetings. I am not sure what else I can do but take it to the church.”
22Scene 3
132“Well, we need to resolve this,” Vane said coldly. “We cannot have this type of dissension in the church. In addition, we also have the Vital Signs ScoreCard results. The church is not growing with him in the pulpit. Our data is clear 80% of churches who try revitalization with a legacy pastor fail. Millbrook has to move forward.” “What are you proposing, Mr. Vane,” Profar said, in his usual timing.
23Chapter Seven, The True Believers.
133“I think we need to have an emergency Board meeting tonight and discuss it.”
24Scene 1
134Pastor Elias pushed, but there was really no option. Slovack made the calls and the Board, with Colleen having to fill in for a vote again, convened after the Wednesday night prayer service. Slovack called the meeting to order and Vane began. The personality unchanged, confident, smooth.
25Scene 3
135Pastor Elias defended himself, taking support from Profar and an occasional agreement from Slovack. But the fight wasn’t over Biblical issues, it turned on something else.
26Scene 4
136“So, at this point, The CORPS will officially ask you to remove Pastor Elias from preaching duties. He can remain as Pastor and function in a support role, as long as he does not push these issues. But, going backward is not an option.”
27Chapter Eight, The Infiltration Begins.
137“What do you mean, not an option,” Profar asked.
28Scene 1
138“I mean, keeping Pastor Elias in this current role with the current duties is not something The CORPS can support.”
29Scene 2
139“So what? It’s not your church.”
30Chapter Nine, The Momentum's Blueprint
140“I appreciate that, Mr. Profar. But it isn’t that simple.”
31Scene 1
141“Of course it’s that simple. We make our own decisions here.”
32Scene 2
142“That’s not entirely true, Mr. Profar.”
33Scene 3
143“What? You might need to explain it like I’m 5.”
34Chapter Ten, The Calvary Heights
144Vane paused, feigning pain, as though the next words were anything but what he’d been leading to all along, “The CORPS has expended a lot of money, time, and resources here. We have an interest, a beneficial interest, in this church.”
35Scene 2
145“You’ll have to be more specific than that,” Slovack pushed, recognizing that things had taken a turn.
36Scene 3
146“The documents you signed when you partnered with us, the covenant to partner with us, that’s binding, Biblically and legally.”
37Scene 4
147“Really?” Pastor Elias snorted. “And where in Acts can I find that, or is it in Romans?”
38Chapter Eleven, The Resistance at Calvary Heights
148“Pastor, I can appreciate the difficult position, but really, that’s just petty, isn’t it?” Vane challenged.
39Scene 1
149“Petty? Biblical discernment is petty to you? Not wanting heresy in the building, not wanting to turn this place into an entertainment venue? Petty?” his volume rising yet again.
40Chapter Twelve, The Dissolve and Acquire
150“I have legitimate, Biblical concerns about the style of music, the lack of Biblical support for the music, outright heresy in a sermon, that’s what you have, petty?”
41Scene 1
151“We apparently will have to agree to disagree on the Biblical matter, which is unfortunate. But the numbers are not up for debate,” Vane stated with the certainty of a doctor issuing a final diagnosis.
42Rosa Calder’s workspace remained as sterile and unchanging as the legal mechanisms she oversaw. The file in front of her today—Calvary Heights, Dissolution—were the color of bandages. Inside were the final template notices to the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
152“The CORPS has heavily subsidized this revitalization. If you choose to support a rogue pastor who publicly attacks the very program saving this church, you are in breach of our Partnership. We will immediately withdraw all funding, pull the Resonance Collective licenses, and report this to the regional directors for ecclesiastical non-compliance. You will be financially bankrupt and denominationally isolated within six months.”
43It had been over twenty months since she last looked at these files, but Vane’s email had arrived at 8:13 a.m., its subject line “Continuity Provisions — Virginia Pilot Sites,” the body a single sentence: “Invoke as discussed.”
153With that, Vane stood, both hands planted on the table, “I will leave you to it, but I would urge you to consider what I have said. The number clearly, unequivocally show that this church will be gone in a year if you fail at this effort. Don’t let pure, man-made tradition get in the way.”
44Rosa did not need to review the transfer instruments. Those had been finalized and filed nearly two years ago. For twenty-two months, the congregation had continued to meet, tithe, and sing, completely unaware that its sanctuary was already legally owned by Heights Community Holdings LLC.
154Board sat stunned for several minutes. Profar, unusually quiet. The fed looking feverishly at each page. A few stray commits after the silence had outlasted its usefulness.
45It was two hours later when the knock came at her door. Darren Kohl entered with a briefcase in one hand, his steps measured for efficiency.
155“I don’t like this at all,” Profar offered.
46“Virginia filings are scheduled for this week,” Kohl said, not bothering to sit. “Do you have the final notice for Calvary Heights?”
156“Nobody does,” Greer added.
47Rosa slid the manila envelopes toward him. “Everything is in sequence. The properties were legally severed and assigned to the holding companies twenty-two months ago. Once these notices are posted on their doors tomorrow morning, the reversion is absolute and the eviction is immediate.”
157“I don’t think that’s entirely true, Pastor,” Colleen pushed back. “He’s right about the numbers. We’ll be gone in a year.”
48Kohl nodded, peeling the clasp on the top envelope just enough to verify the signature line. He did not say thank you; neither did she. The interaction was transactional, the words a necessary residue to ensure the thing moved in the direction it must.
158Slovack attempted to bring the tense meeting to a close. “Well, do we have vote or not?”
49Kohl picked up his briefcase, now heavier by a few ounces, and left the room. Rosa heard his footsteps recede, leaving only the hum of the light, and the sound of her own pulse, louder than before.
159Profar spoke, “yes, let’s put this to bed right now.”
50Scene 2
160Colleen interrupted, “but there are a lot of people who are not happy with Pastor Elias right now. I have heard from 5 families that they won’t be back if Pastor Elias is not removed.” “What?” Slovack asked, “leave? Because our 15-year Pastor called them out?”
51The morning air in Reston was bitter, but it was the piece of paper taped to the glass doors of Calvary Heights that made Marcus Webb stop breathing.
161“It’s the temperament. The outburst, right in Sunday service. That wasn’t well received by many people. Focusing on the negative, finding fault. Vane’s not wrong. All the progress we’ve made under this program, has been so positive, so supportive. Then, complain about it.”
52The bold, black letters were inescapable: Notice of Dissolution. Effective Immediately.
162Colleen received lukewarm support from another member who rarely, if ever, talked in a meeting. Jack Schneider was an accountant by trade, but a man of few words. “I’ve had a few complaints too. But more so, people just seem to like the tone Drew has when he preaches. There’s a hope in it, people feel good when they leave. They haven’t felt that with Pastor Greer preaching in a long time.”
53The heavy iron handles of the doors wouldn't budge. The locks had already been changed.
163“So, that’s it, they feel good?” Profar poked. “Okay, maybe I need to rethink my whole life. I guess I need to make decisions by . . just . . . whatever feels good. That’ll work.”
54Marcus didn’t call Paul Strett. He didn’t call his ousted board members. He got back in his car and drove straight to the municipal building. The property records room was in the basement, down a flight of stairs that smelled of old heat and wet cement.
164Colleen recoiled from the rebuke. “That’s not what they mean, let’s be real.” “Then what is it, Colleen? Is Pastor Elias wrong? Did Drew preach heresy or not?”
55The clerk behind the glass wore glasses so thick they looked like the bottoms of baby food jars. Marcus gave his name and the property address for Calvary Heights. The clerk typed with two fingers, the keys making a sound like breaking crab shells, then left for the stacks.
165“Why does there have to be this fight over something like that? We can’t withstand going backward. You know Drew’s heart. He’s here every time the doors are open. He just loves people, and they are responding to it. That has to count for something here.”
56Marcus waited at the counter. The clerk returned with a manila folder, thicker than expected, the edges soft with handling. Marcus took the folder to a table under a single, unshaded bulb. The bulb buzzed audibly, a sound that crowded out any other thought.
166“And Pastor Elias, how does he stack up on that scale?” Profar snapped back. “You know his heart too. But you’ll hold him to a different standard?”
57He opened the file. The top page was the notice of dissolution on CORPS letterhead. Below that was the executed asset transfer: grantor, grantee, legal description. Calvary Heights had been legally severed and transferred to a shell company named Heights Community Holdings LLC.
167Schneider, still reluctant, but seeing Colleen’s fear, provided the support, “Pastor Elias is one of us. When he does that, and does it in front of the whole church, visitors included, it reflects on us. It reflects badly on us. It’s like he stood there and proclaimed things for us, on our behalf, that not all of us agree with. Drew is here to help. Vane and his group are here, helping us, investing us. And to treat them that way, was just a bit over the top.”
58But it was the date next to the notary’s stamp that made the blood drain from Marcus’s face. The transfer had been executed twenty-two months ago—exactly eleven days after his board had signed the Covenant of Partnership. Marcus stared at the document, the air in the basement records room suddenly too thin to breathe. He had spent nearly two years fighting over worship songs, budgets, and board seats, completely unaware that he was fighting for a building his church no longer owned. The war had been over on Day 11.
168Colleen quietly nodded in agreement.
59He approached the clerk's window, sliding the paper under the glass. "This holding company," Marcus said, his voice hollow. "It's registered to an address on Charlotte Avenue in Nashville. Are there others registered to this exact same address?"
169Schneider finished the thought, “Pastor Elias has to change with this, not fight against it. Drew and The CORPS will be gone soon enough and this fight won’t matter. What will matter is whether the changes have been made so we can survive here, with numbers just starting to show positive signs, giving up for the first time in 5 years, attendance showing marked progress. If Pastor Elias is going to stand in the way, we have make a hard choice.”
60The clerk sighed, tapping the keys with two thick fingers. A list populated on the green-lit screen.
170Vote followed shortly after. As with the previous vote, Slovack walked with Pastor Elias back to the office to deliver the news.
61"Dozens of them," the clerk said. " Liberty City Holdings. Cornerstone Asheville Holdings. Grace Covenant Holdings..."
171Chapter Fifteen, Lila Mercer's Church
62Marcus closed his eyes. The trap hadn't just snapped shut on Calvary Heights. A guillotine was dropping across the entire denomination, and he had no way to warn them.
172Scene 1
63Scene 3
173Scene 2
64Scene 4
174Scene 3
65Chapter Thirteen, The Music of Compliance
175Chapter Fifteen, The Frequency Leak
66Scene 1
176Scene 1
67Scene 2
177Scene 2
68Chapter Fourteen, Millbrook
178Scene 3
69Scene 1
179Scene 4
70Drew Anderson completed his presentation to the board, four men from the congregation and Pastor Elias. The floor was open for discussion.
180Scene 5
71“I’m obviously a little surprised by the recommendation,” Pastor Elias stated immediately after being blindsided with Drew’s proposal.
181Scene 6
72Drew started, “This is slightly different than what we had been discussing, but the Vitality Project has been refined, based on new metrics.
182Chapter Sixteen, The Scandal Architecture
73Julian Vane took the opening. “Pastor, I fully understand. Making a change to Sunday preaching in churches where a current senior pastor is still on staff isn’t a regular step in the process, but our most recent data, particularly over the last few months, is leading this way. The Momentum Initiative is the new name for the project and it is current best practices that the CCA is encouraging. We look at the metrics, we see what works and we build on it. We have to change the things that are holding you back.”
183Scene 1
74Todd Slovack, the chair of the Board and a foreman at the local mill, offered his own take. “I understand that numbers say something, but moving Pastor Elias out of the senior pastor role isn’t what we were expecting.”
184Scene 2
75“No, please don’t misunderstand,” Vane explained. “We are not saying Pastor Elias is going anywhere. He’s not, we aren’t suggesting that.”
185Scene 3
76“What are you suggesting? Saying he’s not preaching every Sunday, that sure sounds like a demotion to me,” Slovack continued.
186Scene 4
77“I understand the sentiment, but he’s still going to be the leader of the church, he’s still be the minister you need to feed the flock. This is just rearranging the specific duties. It’s like a fresh coat of paint on your barn, Todd.” Vane played into the scene as quickly as he could. “The barn is still the barn. Same bones, same purpose. Just with an update that makes the barn a little more attractive.”
187Chapter Seventeen, Nathan Polis Begins His Archive
78Pastor Elias spoke softly, almost to himself, “we aren’t here to be attractive.”
188Scene 1
79“No, no you’re not,” Vane steered. “But once you have people in the door because it’s attractive, you can do what you are so good at. Loving on these people. That’s your gift. That’s what all the data we’ve collected says.”
189Chapter Eighteen, The President and the Policy Arm
80Drew’s job had involved interviewing every family in the church, or as many as would sit through it, and ask all kinds of questions that, in theory, would find out what direction the church needed to take. This data had been, for the last 2 months, the source of debate within the Board and the Church Council. The Board was somewhat reluctant to make any decisions from the data, but the Church Council was another matter altogether. The Council was a group of each committee chair and every ministry leader. The group numbers 11 and only 2 of the Board were on the Council. But the Council was increasingly supportive of Drew’s recommendations, voting 8-3 during the last meeting to recommend more changes in the worship service sequence. The Council had no real power, but it certainly functioned as a thermometer of the church’s temperature, and things were apparently lending toward more changes, more of what Drew and Julian were pushing.
190Scene 1
81“Pastor, you are universally loved here. Not a bad word to say about you, and honestly, that is very unusual. Even the best we see have their detractors. But not you,” Vane played to Elias’s vanity hard. “But the numbers on Sunday tell us we have to make a change, we have to be more open to people who want a different experience on Sunday.”
191Scene 2
82Drew finally took Vane’s cue to get back in and do his job. “Pastor, you’ve seen all the data I’ve received. We’ve talked about the different ways we can utilize that information to make a difference here. The pantry numbers are growing 20-30% a month with our news coverage and social media promotions. We are doing similar promotions of Sunday worship and we just don’t get the views.”
192Scene 3
83Pastor Elias finally defending himself, “but we are losing as many as we are gaining with those changes. I’ve had 3 families leave, including Ms. Betty,” referring to the pianist who had played at Millbrook for 35 years until she was completely phased out a few months ago. “Every change we make, we are just rearranging the deck chairs.”
193Chapter Nineteen, Rosa Calder's Unease
84Anderson chimed in with the energy of the youngest in the room, “but the new changes will build more than we are losing. That’s not the only recommendation.”
194Scene 1
85“Yes, we know,” Pastor Elias retorted.
195Scene 2
86“The new music will help. The Resonance Collective audio system has been a big hit, our online views are trending up 20% since we starting weaving it in.”
196Chapter Twenty, The Documentation Circle Convenes
87“And it’s driving some of our older members out,” Slovack pushed back.
197Scene 1
88“But it’s working. Add that to a change in Sunday sermons and we are going to see a real revival,” Drew’s optimism far exceeding the environment in the room.
198Scene 2
89Al Profar, the second oldest of the men, determined that it was time to add his input, which was normally only to argue with someone. “If all we are doing is changing out long-standing members for new members, and we aren’t growing, why make these changes?”
199Scene 3
90Sensing the gravity, Vane took control of the room again, “yes, we know results matter, but you have to give changes an opportunity to get results. Their not overnight. We’ve kept data on dozens of churches that are going through this same thing now. All that data points to the same thing. There will naturally be some loss early due to the reluctance to make necessary changes. When those changes are made, some people will just move on. We know that hurts, but sometimes the cure isn’t always pleasant. Cancer treatment is awful, but necessary to help the body heel.”
200Chapter Twenty-One, Grace Pennington's Choice
91Profar pushed back, “that assumes the cure is the right cure. We don’t know that yet.”
201Scene 1
92“Well, I agree you might not see what we see. But that’s part of why these changes need to be part of a partnership like this one. Bringing in fresh ideas, with data to support the ‘why’ is the difference here. We have the data. We can show you what these changes do if given sufficient time and attention.”
202Scene 2
93Vane continued the practiced lecture, almost mimicking Professor Carrow, “This is exactly why the convention initially voted to approve the Project and why the executive board has approved funding for the first 5 years. We have been working on this for a few years now, modified it into the Momentum Initiative, and we can prove it works, with the right changes and sufficient time.”
203Scene 3
94Drew found his footing again after Vane took the first real barb. “Mr. Profar, Julian has provided all the data The CORPS has, but even more. The data here says we need to keep making changes. The data from here says they want Pastor Elias to change some of this style on Sundays. I’ll just step in 2 Sundays a week to preach and we’ll then start tracking it right here. People are asking for it. They love Pastor Elias, but even your own congregation is ready to make these changes.”
204Chapter Twenty-Two, Thorne's Countermeasures
95The dissent did not yield immediately and the discussion continued for another hour, no further along than when they started. Slovack finally, after everyone appeared exhausted, even Vane, called final discussion. Pastor Elias, had to recuse himself, which left a 4-person board. Slovack had discussed this with the church’s unofficial parliamentarian and they agreed the church’s bylaws required Elias be replaced for this one vote by a person appointed by the Church Council. The Council’s representative was Colleen, an almost sure vote for change.
205Scene 1
96The door closed as Drew, Julian and Pastor Elias walked toward the vestibule. The conversation was almost non-existence and the agony was mercifully cut short 15 minutes later. Slovack came out, walked Pastor Elias back to his office, and delivered the news.
206Scene 2
97Scene 2
207Scene 3
98The following Sunday was the first of Drew’s regular Sunday messages. A stark contrast from Pastor Elias’s straight forward style, Drew intertwined a video with what could only be described as a motivational speech. He used all the buzz words, talked about sin, talked about love, and talked about service to others. Sprinkled in, the random Scripture reference, rarely spoken within context, but used as support for a predetermined outcome.
208Chapter Twenty-Three, The 2020 Convention
99The music included only Resonance Collective songs. Pastor Elias, unaccustomed to his current seat on the far left first pew, refused the urge turn and watch the congregation’s response. But the sound around him vibrated through his bones. The echo of the congregation, following just a tick behind, suggested acceptance, if nothing else.
209Scene 1
100Pastor Elias still made his closing remarks and then, as always, and as suggested by Vane, walked to the back door and held court as the congregation departed.
210Scene 3
101The following Sunday, Pastor Elias preached but the music remained. It did not match the tone or substance of his message, but did anyone but him notice.
211Scene 3
102The third Sunday, Drew found his stride. Weaving in a physical illustration, using a bucket and rice. It seemed to hit home and a few newcomers made their way to Drew after the service to offer words of support.
212Chapter Twenty-Four, The Costs
103The process continued for the next month, every other Sunday. By Drew’s fourth Sunday preaching, there were at least 3 new families and at least two families who had left the church years earlier attending most Sundays. But Pastor Elias’s concerns grew. Drew had already misquoted Scripture several times and even made an overt misstatement on the previous Sunday. But it was the conversation with a legacy couple in their early thirties that convinced him of his next steps. Julie and Brad Fortner had both grown up in this church. Julie’s parents and grandparents had been members, although each had passed and her mother, just last year at age 72. But Julie and Brad were as dedicated as anyone in the church, serving on committees, volunteering at every youth event, working most pantry days. It was Brad’s comment that worried Pastor Elias the most. He restated Drew’s Biblical error from the previous Sunday, convinced Drew had hit on some new revelation. Brad had always seemed Biblically lite
213Scene 1
104Pastor Elias approached the pulpit that Sunday determined to make a difference, whatever the costs. As soon as the music stopped, he was at the lecture with Bible open. He talked quickly, knowing that the sermon was now down to a maximum of 15 minutes with the 6-song set Drew had instituted a month ago. He skipped his normal Scripture reading, getting right to his point. His research had uncovered a new of concerns about the hypnotic effects of contemporary worship music, with the Resonance Collective referred often as the prime example. But he knew scientific jargon, most of which he didn’t understand himself, would never convince his congregation, Drew, or Vane. It was more fundamental. What is worship? Is it a feeling? Is it attention on God? Is it a conversation with God? Is it having a good time? Where does Scripture fit in there, because there wasn’t much Scripture in the music or Drew’s preaching.
214Scene 2
105“We have to start and end with Scripture. It is the source of truth we have against which everything else must be tested. It is God-breathed, profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training . . .” He paused for emphasis, then continued, “reproof, correction, we don’t talk about those much anymore. According to the dictionary, reproof means ‘an expression of blame, criticism, or disapproval given in response to someone’s fault or bad behavior. We must be ready in season and out of season to reprove, rebuke, and exhort.”
215Scene 3
106The crowd was slightly smaller than the previous Sunday’s, but the difference in style, both from Drew's style and even Pastor Elias's normal style, was having some effect on at least some of the regulars. The eyes were fixed, focused, but unfortunately, probably too few of them. But, he continued. Ten minutes of bouncing from one text to the next, time after time pointing to correction as a central theme in the early Church. With just a couple of minutes left, and his voice rising as he spoke, he almost shouted the last words, banging on the lecture so hard that it shook. The sound, foreign to this place since probably their last “hellfire and brimstone” pastor more than 30 years ago. But he hoped it resonated.
216Scene 4
107“This is the basis on which I close today. That Biblically, reproof, correction and training is needed . . . it is needed now . . . it is needed here.”
217Scene 5
108The words hung in the sanctuary, as the silence threatened to burst the walls. If the banging on the lecture hadn’t gotten their attention, this last statement certainly had. Every eye was fixed on him and he knew it.
218Scene 6
109“Brothers and sisters, I do not say this lightly. I do not say this to be defensive or self-serving. I say this from love. I say it from a Biblical understanding that we’ve spent all morning reviewing. It is not without support.”
219Chapter 25: The Map
110A long, deep breathe seemed to last an hour, then with a calm, clinical voice, like Clint Westwood saying “go ahead, make my day,” he delivered the punchline. “We are heading down the wrong road. We have read those passages as though they applied only outside this building. Those passages are all pointed inside the church and I am applying here. I am responsible for starting a process that I now believe is a mistake. This church, if it continues down its current path, will cease to be the church we have known for more than 70 years. Our music no longer teaches Biblical truth, it entertains. Our messages do not teach, they pat us on the back. We are not looking for a savior, we are looking for good advice, how to live a better life, not a holy life. I fear we have fallen for the oldest trick in the book. We have traded spiritual discernment for our own comfort and we will become like the churches of Revelation, rebuked for being spiritually dead, or worse, tolerating false doctrine. I b
220Scene 1
