I’m sure by now you have all heard about Doug Phillip’s resignation and its surrounding circumstances. I appreciated David Murray’s thoughtful post on that subject last week. Yesterday, Vision Forum Ministries announced its closing as well.
There’s a lot whirling around the web right now regarding these developments. I certainly don’t have anything profound to add to the discussion, and I’m not an insider with, well, insights. However, I am a woman whose life took a turn for the better because of how God used this ministry.
While I don’t agree with everything they taught, there was much that was solid and helpful. They were able to cast long-term vision for many of us who were raising our families and needing encouragement along the way. They inspired me to find joy and purpose in my calling as a mother when the culture around me was telling me I was wasting my life.
God used Vision Forum as one of many tools in my life to grow me, change me, stretch my thinking, challenge me, and give me courage. Only eternity will show the multitudinous fruits of the work behind this organization. It will also reveal the rubbish and even deep scars that resulted because it was run by mere Wemmicks. Sinful Wemmicks. Like all good organizations.
I’m sad about what has happened, but I’m not shocked. It hasn’t rocked my world. Not even a little. I think that’s because I’ve seen so many good ministries start off – grow – falter in their adolescence – and then crumble. It’s a predictable cycle. So this post is really about perspective.
Life is a Vapor.
One hundred years from now even the best laid plans will be dead and gone. Life never goes the way we want. It goes the way God wants. And it goes in the time it takes to exhale. Life is a vapor, but the Word of God abides forever.
Wemmicks Fail. God Does Not.
What do we expect? If we put our hopes and dreams in a ministry or a man, we will be sorely disappointed. Hold loosely to these things. Hold tight to the Rock.
We are at War.
Do we think this is a frolic in the fields? Some act like it. But it isn’t. There will be casualties.
The Enemy Hopes…
To fill God’s children with despair, fear, shame, apathy, and pride.
The King Knows…
That His purposes will prevail. So let’s take our eyes off Vision Forum and fix them where they should always be anyway – on the Person of Jesus Christ. In Him all our joyful expectation can rest.
Kingdoms topple. The King triumphs. Period.
The only thing I’ve really known about VF is that I can’t afford it.
What happened with Doug Philips is tragic, just as any sin is. The real tragedy I’ve seen, though, is the hooting and hollering from mainstream folks who take his humility and confession as proof that he *isn’t* really a Christian. Because repentance and reconciliation is TOTALLY what a false gospel teacher does. God bless his family as they work this all out. And God bless his stumbling servants, of whom I am certainly one.
Yes, I’ve been a bit taken aback by the virulently hateful responses as well. Doesn’t seem Christian…
Natalie, This is such an excellent post….I love how you brought out the good things that a ministry can bring to the body and how important it is to keep our focus on the Lord. It seems that the Lord is at work to cleanse and topple the idols in His body. He is holy and wants us to be too…and I think what we are seeing in the hateful, un-Christian responses is the “dross” coming to the surface. I know that I’m seeing it in my own heart and in others around me. May we all grow more Christlike. I think what makes this so “upsetting” is that it points to the need to be holy on the inside, not just “clean” on the outside. Doug’s confession points to something Christlike, something that we can’t do on our own and in many cases we don’t want to do, period. Thanks so much, for sharing your thoughts, I so appreciate it.
Beautiful response that puts our focus back where it should be.
I admit I was a bit shook up, but only because I’ve always been a bit resentful of them because I could never afford their stuff. So silly. Perhaps other hateful responses also carry background baggage of some sort. After all, none of us is perfect.
Thanks for your wise words.
Thanks for posting something so positive about this sad happening. I too am saddened by a lot of the responses. We’ve used some of their materials too and have been blessed.
I’ve been very blessed by many of the materials vision forum sells. I hope that the company doesn’t go away during this time. We were not followers of VF but just enjoyed some of their excellent materials. You had a very wonderful response to this.
I have to correct something here. You drew attention to the fact that “He didn’t actually commit the act” and then went on to imply that his character is honorable somehow because he didn’t actually commit adultery in a physical sense and instead admitted it.
Doug himself doesn’t paint his sin so fairly. Here are his more honest words (emphasis mine):
“I engaged in a lengthy, inappropriate relationship with a woman. While we did not “know” each other in a Biblical sense, it was nevertheless inappropriately romantic and affectionate.”
Don’t gloss over that. Show consideration and compassion for Beall and the children. Even though her husband didn’t actually go to bed with another woman, he had romantic, affectionate feelings for a “lengthy” time. The relationship was “inappropriate.” Does that imply kissing? Hand holding? We don’t know. But we do know it was bad enough to cause his resignation and the shut down of an entire ministry organization. The fact that he held himself back from actually sleeping with the woman is not something we should be admiring as as sign of good character. You make it sound like he found himself in a “situation” and held himself back, noble man (unlike “most men”) that he was. Doug doesn’t view it that way, according to his confession. Neither should we.
God is about restoration, but that doesn’t mean we don’t suffer consequences for sin. Adultery, whether it is emotional or physical, destroys many innocent people. To admit emotional adultery is to take an honorable step in a better direction, but it doesn’t mean the person’s character is honorable or to be admired.
I think a healthier response would be to demonstrate compassion and forgiveness for the repentant sinner, compassion for the innocent people he has destroyed, and an honest view of the situation, recognizing and accepting that there will be fall out.
Thank you for your post Natalie! My husband and I saw Doug speak at a homeschooling convention, and the Lord used his words to awaken something in the both of us (not something we were expecting to come away with from a homeschool convention). This lead to us discovering Vision Forum and family integrated church, and many other resources that have been a MAJOR blessing to our family. The reason I say all this is because I know that the Lord uses sinners like me, you, and Doug, to reach others with the truth in spite of our grievous sins (not to make light of sin, but God is greater and His power isn’t found in our “goodness”). No credit can be given to any one of us because of good that comes from our words and deeds, because the Lord is author of it all. And, on the flip side, we cannot condemn or judge this situation as defeat either. it’s sin and a grievous thing! But, in fact, we know for certain that it is not defeat. God is faithful to save and sanctify each of us who are His, and sometimes that is rather painful and always humbling! My first response to this personally, was sadness and feeling humbled. I look at people like Doug and his family, and people like you and yours, who are willing to share God’s truth with love and without watering it down, leaving themselves exposed in a way, and think of you all as something better than myself because I’m not where you are (hope this makes sense?). Anyway, I was humbled to see that in fact, all my calculations of what makes someone more faithful or “good” than the next are really useless. There is no way to quantify the value of God’s grace to us in all things (in our apparent sins and successes), and the devastation that could be upon us without His sovereign grace. Who knows how many times He’s delivered us from temptations that would’ve lead to such things? And, then there are the moments of devastation in each of our lives when we, or a loved one, have been betrayed or the betrayer, in our sin. So humbling. So painful. But Christ’s blood pays for it all, and His faithfulness will bring us all to completeness in Him. We can, by His grace and power, even be thankful for trials because we know the good that He is faithful to produce in them. What a God we are so blessed to serve! Let’s keep on encouraging each other, and praying for this family. By His mighty power, let’s put on our armor and fight against the enemy, who rejoices at times like this when he can so easily cause division and strife amongst God’s people. I’m pressed to think of anything so damaging to the Gospel, as you also noted, than when we fight amongst each other and sling mud in times like these. Also, let’s pray for restoration. God is not done yet! This is the God we serve, that He would be merciful and faithful to take sinners in the midst of seemingly impossible and hopeless situations, and bring salvation and restoration. He does this on all scales and in various ways. Let’s continue to hold fast to what is good, and look to Him for our hope. Sorry to ramble on so much, but I have been thinking a lot about this the past few days, too
I love this:
“There is no way to quantify the value of God’s grace to us in all things (in our apparent sins and successes), and the devastation that could be upon us without His sovereign grace. Who knows how many times He’s delivered us from temptations that would’ve lead to such things? And, then there are the moments of devastation in each of our lives when we, or a loved one, have been betrayed or the betrayer, in our sin. So humbling. So painful. But Christ’s blood pays for it all, and His faithfulness will bring us all to completeness in Him.”
Well said. Thank you for commenting Megan.
Wow! This ought to be a blog post. Thank you for commenting here!
I’m not a “follower” of VF/Doug Phillips, for the simple reason that I purposefully try not to be a follower of any person or thing other than Jesus Christ/the Bible. I do agree with pretty much all that I’ve heard about his ‘platform’, and never seen anything among his materials that gave me pause. Sin kills and destroys. It is sad to me that, although it seems he has taken steps to repent of sin, obviously there is fallout and hurt and misery.
But reading the blogosphere as this has unfolded has been very sad to me, too. I’m disturbed by the number of people I see who appear to be either devastated/shocked that “something like this can happen to someone like Doug Phillips”, OR those who appear to be feeling a little relieved that the convictions of the “Vision Forum movement” –that they didn’t appear to share–have still resulted in this. We need to be rooted and grounded enough in God’s Word that IF we see someone advocating convictions that are based in, but not specifically stated by, Scripture, we can respond Scripturally. I’m at a point in my own life where, I would rather wrestle with some challenging convictions and maybe, personally, fall a little on the too-conservative side than leave chunks of my life and lifestyle unexamined and not be honoring God in those areas. It’s not about what saves me, because none of that does. It’s about honoring The One who paid a price for me with everything I have. Let’s grow up; if somebody else’s convictions upset you, measure them against scripture. If you don’t feel prompted, then leave them be and don’t feel the need to defend yourself. But if you DO feel prompted, be courageous enough to examine the possibility that you may need to do some changing.
Hello a while back I read your book called visionarywomanhood groups.
I thought the idea was wonderful. In many circumstances God has not allowed me to build such a group…..for reasons of family obligation and such.
The Vision forum resources are also available through bluebehemoth.com for a lower digital price. Issues like this make me sad and I continue to support homeeducation, non-abortion lifestyle.
However, I am more in favor of charityministries.org, thefaithoncedelivered.info/, nogreaterjoy.org and other such things that encourage repentance and truth in faith.
Blessings and have a great day
PS. I highly recommend theeducationalfreedomcoalition.org to help eliminate common core education……