That is the question I was asked recently by a notable blogger. This was my reply. I’ve added notes in brackets [ ].
From: Brent Detwiler
Date: April 13, 2019 at 7:51:43 PM MST
To: SBC Explainer
Subject: Where Does Bob Kauflin Fit In To All I Write About?
In 1983, I was sent to Fairfax Covenant Church (FCC) to “revitalize” (using current jargon) the church. Bob was a member. In 1991, Bob and I were sent out to plant a church in Charlotte, NC. I brought him on staff from the beginning. The Kauflin’s lived across the street from us. We and our families were friends.
As an aside, FCC [now Redeeming Grace Church] was one of the churches in the lawsuit. Sexual abuse occurred in the years after I left and it was covered up by C.J. and his lieutenants. One pastor [at the church] was removed because his teenage son was abusing younger children. C.J. moved them to the Sovereign Grace church in Orlando. I was never told. I would have reported it to law enforcement.
In 1997, we sent Bob from Charlotte to Covenant Life Church (CLC) in Gaithersburg, MD where C.J. was sr. pastor. Sovereign Grace Ministries (aka Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc.) was also based there. It was a big sacrifice. We did it so Bob could start Sovereign Grace Music and lead worship at CLC – the flagship church. He and C.J. became friends.
In August 2004, I led a meeting of the top leaders from SGM and CLC to correct C.J. on long term patterns of serious sin. Bob was present. He took the official minutes. You can read about this crucial intervention in one of my major documents, Response Regarding Friendship and Doctrine. See pages 16-28. I’ve attached it for your convenience. You can also find it and other important documents at http://abrentdetwiler.squarespace.com/the-documents/
I know Bob well. His strengths and weaknesses. While in Charlotte he had a “breakdown.” This is public knowledge [because Bob spoke about it in public]. I helped him through it. Bob tends to man-pleasing and he made pleasing C.J. his top aspiration. He also rode C.J.’s coattails to “fame and fortune” in the Reformed/evangelical world. For example, at Together for the Gospel 2006. Sovereign Grace Music and related enterprises have made him wealthy. He would have lost all of it had he remained faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and dealt with C.J. in proper biblical fashion.
By the way, I served on the Board of Directors for SGM from its inception in 1982. I resigned in 2007 as a matter of conscience. I left SGM in 2009. I sent out The Documents in July 2011. I began to expose the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children in October 2012. I alerted national leaders in January 2013 and asked them to take action.
There are many examples I could share of Bob enabling and covering up for C.J. Two will suffice. The first one is paradigmatic. It demonstrates Bob’s abusive behavior at C.J.’s direction. It is a classic.
The Lesser to Greater Argument: A Classic Example of C.J. Mahaney’s Abusive Leadership
Friday, April 17, 2015 at 4:56PM
The second concerns Bob’s condemnation of Rachael Denhollander as a false witness and his condemnation of multiple victims of sexual abuse as liars. Bob is on the Leadership Team for Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc. along with six other men. They put out this despicable statement.
A Response to Allegations Against Sovereign Grace Churches
Mark Prater, Mickey Connolly, Tommy Hill, Bob Kauflin, Ian McConnell, Jeff Purswell, Rich Richardson
February 13, 2018
Rachael obliterated their pretensions of innocence with overwhelming evidence. The victims are not liars.
Response to Sovereign Grace Churches
Rachael Denhollander
Thursday, March 1, 2018
You asked, “Where does Bob Kauflin fit into all the things you write about?” He is a central figure. Few have done more to cover up for C.J. or carry out his machinations from 2004 to the present. You may or may know, Bob is also on C.J.’s staff at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (SGCL). If C.J. goes down, he goes down. That has always been the case.
I could give many examples of Bob’s cunning, deceit, and abusive behavior. He has injured thousands in conjunction with C.J. Over half the people in Sovereign Grace churches left. Many of those have badly stumbled. They saw what was happening. They read the evidence. They were rightly appalled by C.J.’s hypocrisy, etc. Not so C.J.’s friends in high places (Mohler, Dever, Duncan, et al.). They refused to study the evidence. They refused to listen. Instead, they joined a campaign to justify C.J. and condemn those presenting the documented evidence.
Bob is a gifted worship leader. As a result, people assume he is godly. Just like they do with a good Bible teacher. But Bob is an “idolater.” He has put self-interests before the interests of Jesus Christ. I hope my friend repents but there is no sign of that happening. C.J. should have been removed from ministry long ago. Bob is one of the main reasons that did not happened.
C.J. still has no authentic accountability. He has surrounded himself with pastoral enablers at SGCL [Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville]. One of the pastors [Gary Ricucci] is his brother-in-law (and accused of aiding and abetting child abuse in the lawsuit). Two other pastors [Brian Chesemore & Steve Whitacre] are sons-in-law. A fourth is Jeff Purswell. He like Bob. The last is a young, new hire.
Well, I could say much more but I have endeavored to be brief. You are welcome to share this correspondence with others as you see fit.
Thank you for your work. Your postings explaining what is happening in the Southern Baptist Convention are most helpful.
Grace to you!
Brent