Dave Harvey’s Deceitful Leadership Covered Up and Left Uninvestigated - Exposed Tonight at Covenant Fellowship Church

Dave Harvey’s deceit has concerned me for a long time.  His integrity quickly deteriorated after he decided to “Join the Culture of Accommodation” (see “A Final Appeal,” pp. 90-97) surrounding C.J.  He decided to put his selfish desires ahead of God’s holy interests.  Moral decline was quick to follow.  Dave has also been covering up serious issues in his family for a long time.  These clearly disqualify him from Christian ministry (1 Tim 3:4-5; Titus 1:6).    

Tonight people will find out that Dave’s sins have been covered up just like with C.J., Steve Shank, Mickey Connolly and Gene Emerson.  I’ve repeatedly asked that these men be formally investigated.  No one has listened and no one has taken action.  Every pastor and leader in SGM is to blame. 

Corruption is strangling Sovereign Grace Ministries and tonight the death grip will tighten.  All of this was avoidable but men hardened their hearts and chose the way of deception in order to protect their reputations, positions and pocketbooks.  It began in earnest in August 2004 when C.J. abusively and deceitfully took control of his own disciplinary process.  He silenced, manipulated, and intimidated people around him in order to conceal his own sins. 

Dave, Steve, Mickey and Gene are no different.  In each case, the SGM Board and local pastors enabled these men to continue in their sin and helped covered up their sin.  For instance, Mark Prater has done this with Dave Harvey just like Bob Kauflin with C.J. (see “A Final Appeal,” pp. 97-109, 120-123).  Bob also did this for Dave. 

I’ve sought to document Dave’s deceit on my blog over the last eight months hoping something would be done.  Here are some examples. 

• Promises Were Meant to be Broken (08.26.11)
• The Right of Tyrants (10.13.11)
• The Mona Lisa of Spin (10.20.11)
• The Five Resolutions – July 13, 2011 (01.13.12)
• Trust – The One Thing that Changes Everything (01.15.12)
• Whitewashed Tombs (01.28.12)
• My Appeal for Ted Kober to Expose Dave Harvey (02.28.12) 

I also wrote the following in “Another Illustration of Dave Harvey’s Deceit” on January 24, 2012

“Is anyone addressing Dave Harvey’s deceit?  C.J.’s deceit?  Mickey’s deceit?  The SGM Board’s deceit?  I don’t know but I sure hope so!  If not, Sovereign Grace Ministries will continue to meet with God’s opposition.     

“This must be priority number one for Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Peacemakers, the CLC pastors, the SGM pastors, the SGM administrative staff, and the nine men who served on the three panels back in December.  Dave needs to be held accountable for his blatant and repeated lying, deceit, manipulation and spin.  His actions can’t be ignored.  Those who really care about the future of SGM will address him head on and call for a thorough investigation.

“I am concerned for the SGM Board with respect to many issues.  For example, their heavy handed leadership, self-appointment as Board Members (i.e., picked by C.J. and Dave), secretive control of the present process, hypocrisy, excessive devotion to C.J. and absence of accountability beyond themselves.  But my greatest concern is for the fundamental lack of integrity they have demonstrated time and again.  This is especially under Dave’s interim leadership.  Anyone who allows him to continue in this role shows himself to be a fool.

“I told Warren [Boettcher], Ron [Boomsma], Mark [Prater], and Bryce [Thomas] at my panel hearing that we should not be talking about, “Did C.J. Mahaney wrongly influence the dismissal of Brent Detwiler from his church in Mooresville, NC?”  I said we should be talking about C.J.’s lying, deceit and hypocrisy.  Dave’s too.

“I’ve repeatedly asked for an evaluation of Dave over the last 2½ years.  I was promised the opportunity to present evidence against Dave and others.  Instead, Dave killed the adjudication hearing during which this was supposed to happen.  Here is what I told him and the SGM Board on October 5.

You totally misrepresent the facts.  I don’t know if that is due to deceit, or incompetence, or a combination of the two; but it is most certainly the case.  This is a predictable pattern for you.  It has happened time and time again over the last two years.  You make claims, assertions, or charges but you never provide any evidence to back them up.  You constantly distort the truth.  As a part of the evaluation promised me, I want to present a large body of material regarding you to a fair and impartial group of evaluators.  You must be assessed.  Your fitness for ministry must be reviewed.  There is a mountain of evidence that must be evaluated because I have found you extremely manipulative and repeatedly deceitful.

##

Tonight Covenant Fellowship Church in Glenn Mills, PA will gather.  They will hear news about Dave and their pastors that is extremely painful, disappointing, and disillusioning.  The entire SGM family of churches will be shocked. 

One of the issues to be addressed concerns Dave’s abusive treatment of former CFC pastors, Don Shorey and Joe McMullin.  Two years ago, I asked Bob Kauflin, Phil Sasser, and Wayne Brooks to make sure Dave was investigated by the SGM Board for his handling of these men and others in the church.  Unsurprisingly, nothing was done.  It was unimportant to them.  Here is the history.

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Thursday, Marhc 25, 2010 9:35 AM
To: Bob Kauflin
Subject: Follow Up with Dave

Bob,

Did C.J., Josh, or Jeff ever talk to Don [Shorey] and Joe [McMullin] to hear their concerns for Dave? 

Thanks

Brent

##

From: Bob Kauflin  
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:29 AM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Follow Up with Dave

Hey Brent,

Jeff said he had talked to Don before they left about the reasons Don was leaving and the concerns revolved around theology, the way decisions were made, and Dave’s family.  Jeff followed up with him after that to discuss his departure, but Don didn’t want to talk and said he would follow up later, which he never did.

Is that helpful? 

##

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 4:58 PM
To: Bob Kauflin
Subject: Re: Follow Up with Dave

Not really.  First, Jeff didn’t inform the apostolic team of Don’s concerns for Dave.  I knew nothing about them.  Second, Don and Joe left over two years ago.  Someone should have talked to them recently in light of my concerns for Dave.  In other words, if Jeff went to them now and said concerns have been raised for Dave by Brent, would you please described your experience with Dave without fear of manipulation, they may have been willing to meet. 

Let me give you a little history.  On March 1, 2008, I met with Dave at Starbucks here in Charlotte.  He told me it was “the most difficult time ever” in his life “because of all the departures from the church.”  That included his best friend [Kent Simon] who decided to go with Don and Joe.  He also said “Don and Joe are not willing to meet” with him “due to manipulation” (that was their charge against Dave in Dave’s words).  In fact, Don and Joe were only willing to meet with Andy Farmer, and even then, they were only willing to talk about the future, not the present or past.  Dave told me half the church (around 750 people) knew about things with Don and Joe, a quarter of the church (around 375 people) were concerned about how they were handled, and 70 people left.  That’s serious.

I also heard from Joel Shorey (Don’s nephew I believe) at the Pastors College that Dave was being accused of authoritarianism and being too sin focused.  Here is what I wrote Dave at the time.

From: Brent Detwiler  
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:11 AM
To: Dave Harvey
Subject: FW: confidential

Joel [Shorey] told me at the PC you are being accused by Don and Joe of being authoritarian (or a one man team) in addition to the charge of being focused on sin.  Sorry to hear this my friend.  I am praying for you and them.  Hope things are going better… 

Given my recent experience with Dave (though he was badly served by Gene), I recommended someone talk to Don and Joe.  I wrote you the following but I did not hear back from you.  It is evident no one followed up but did you even pass on this recommendation to C.J., Josh, Jeff and Pat?

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:36 AM
To: Bob Kauflin; Phil Sasser; Wayne Brooks
Subject: RE: Sin Focus

Will you be also noting [in your report to the SGM Board] my recommendation that someone on the leadership team [the SGM Board] talk with Don and Joe regarding Dave?

I also asked you to include my evaluation of Dave in your “Recommendations for Grace Community Church” (see below).  I never heard back from you and he was not included in the report.  Why did you leave him out?

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 10:26 PM
To: Bob Kauflin; Phil Sasser; Wayne Brooks
Subject: Dave Harvey

On numerous occasions I have brought up issues related to Dave.  Did you include him in your evaluation of apostolic oversight and will he be added to your final recommendations?

I even asked Dave if you had done this (see below).  I wanted to see what, if any, recommendations were passed on by you to the leadership team [the SGM Board].  Dave never responded and it appears you never made any recommendations.  If you did, please send me a copy.

From: Brent Detwiler 
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 10:20 AM
To: Dave Harvey; Gene Emerson
Subject: Confidential _ Confess and Reconciliation

…I provided an evaluation of you to the Assessment Team [Bob Kauflin, Phil Sasser, Wayne Brooks].  They were supposed to pass it on to you and the SGM leadership team.  Did you and the team receive it? 

Phil even contacted me to confirm my concerns (see below) and I responded in the affirmative.  This was four days before you completed the “Recommendations for Grace Community Church.”  You included recommendations for Gene but Dave does not appear in the document.  He should not have been left out.

From: Phil Sasser
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 10:40 PM
To: Brent Detwiler; Bob Kauflin; Wayne Brooks
Subject: RE: Dave Harvey

Brent,

Just to be clear on what I think I heard you say, let me list what I have.  Please comment on these so that I’m sure I’ve got it right on your issues with Dave.

Anything else?

Phil

It appears to me that Dave’s actions have been covered up rather than addressed.  I’ve had no contact with Don or Joe.  I don’t know the validity of their observations.  I do know they parallel some of my own.  I think Dave has gotten a pass much like Gene and others.

##

From: Phil Sasser
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 5:22 PM
To: Brent Detwiler; Bob Kauflin
Subject: RE: Follow Up with Dave

Dear Brent,

I am very sorry that we did not give a fuller report of all your concerns about Dave.  I am personally responsible for this failure and am working hard to correct it.  I also ask for your forgiveness on this matter.  I think we did cover pretty thoroughly your concerns about Gene.

Phil

##

Phil claims he was “working hard to correct it” but Dave was never investigated.  No one followed up with Don and Joe.  No one looked into why 70 people left the church.  My formal appeals were totally ignored.  C.J., Bob Kauflin, and Jeff Purswell took no action.  They covered up Dave’s sins and provided no accountability.  What Dave did for C.J., C.J. did for Dave.  They protected each other.  This has happened time and again over the last 8 years among the inner circle of C.J.’s friends. 

Six months after Phil’s promise to work hard at correcting the omission to Dave, I sent “A Final Appeal” to C.J.  I brought up Dave again.  No one ever responded. 

“One more thing regarding Dave.  I asked him if he received the evaluation I provided Bob, Phil and Wayne regarding his conduct.  Here again is what I said, “I provided an evaluation of you [Dave] to the Assessment Team.  They were supposed to pass it on to you and the SGM leadership team.  Did you and the team receive it?”  Dave never answered the question.  He never got back to me.  This had become par for the course.  These were the types of questions he was unwilling to answer.  

 “To make matters worse, Bob never passed on my evaluation to Dave, you, Josh, Jeff or Pat.  He forgot.  During my assessment, I provided Bob all the information above and much more regarding Dave.  We talked about Dave’s attitudes and actions on several occasions.  He was aware of my “banning,” etc.  Yet none of it was forwarded to anyone and none of it was put in any written reports which I also requested.  Oh my, how can this be forgotten?  In my experience, I tend to forget the things I consider unimportant.  Dave’s behavior was barely on Bob’s radar screen.  If I did what Dave did, most certainly, Bob would not have forgotten to pass it onto to you!” (AFA, p. 132)   

Closing thought.  I released my documents on July 6, 2011.  That was only 7 months ago.  God’s discipline of SGM has steadily increased since then because there has been no repentance, confession or restitution.  C.J. is on the run.  Dave will be removed from ministry.  Pastors will be exposed and people are leaving SGM churches by the hundreds.  Contributions are drying up.  What’s left of Sovereign Grace Ministries will move to Louisville, KY.  Relations with Covenant Life Church will be severed.

It is a time for righteous indignation!  People should be holy angry with C.J. and Dave.  It is a time for mercy!  God have pity on Covenant Fellowship Church.  It is a time for justice!  May SGM start over with integrity or be shut down.