Essential Truth

Unfortunately, Don Green appears to have used the book "Bully Pulpit" by Michael Kruger to be the playbook for how he runs things at Truth Community Church. This review is written as a loving warning to any who may want to visit TCC.

Being a gifted speaker is not the only qualification to be a pastor/teacher, and sadly Pastor Green is not biblically qualified. Being surrounded by yes-men, and lacking true accountability because of how TCC church governance is set up, Pastor Green uses his pulpit to intimidate with heavy-handed shepherding and an authoritarian ministry.
There are many warnings in Scripture against this:
1 Peter 5:2-3 "Shepherd the flock of God...not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
2 Timothy 2:24 "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to all."
1 Timothy 3:2-7- "...not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome....Moreover he must be thought of well by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into the snare of the devil."

Many members of TCC have quietly gone to the elders over issues and are forced to leave or silenced. There is not a healthy relationship between leadership and church-goers. This is a consistent pattern. The "relational debris field" as Mr. Kruger's book puts it, is quite obvious in the case of Pastor Green and TCC elders. When someone is forced out, immediate damage control begins. "They couldn't handle the truth" or "They were never really of us" or "The Lord is separating the wheat from the tares." Those who leave are often called divisive, or wolves, which is the ultimate effort to silence any discussion within the church body. A "coalition of defenders" is readily available to defend the narrative that leaders disperse, and many are unknowingly giving leadership protection against accountability for what they are perpetuating against beloved children of God.

This should give everyone pause to consider. Have you heard both sides to every story or do you blindly trust the leaders? The common denominator is Pastor Green and his heavy handed controlling leadership.

Another red flag mentioned in Kruger's book is the fact that abusive leaders will often tout their own accomplishments and character, and often align themselves with who they know. We see this at TCC because of the seemingly close connections between Pastor Green and John MacArthur, but this creates "cognitive dissonance" and is an effort to "flip the switch." Kruger says "Character references are not determining factors in whether a pastor is abusive."

In conclusion, reader, be wise and discerning. May God protect you from spiritual abuse, and may you be on the lookout for it to protect yourself, your family, and your loved ones.

Sincerely,
Ezekiel Hopkins