B.C. MB Conference responds to petition from Cedar Park Church members to drop charge of false teaching against former pastor Lee Kosa

 

Organizers of a petition signed by 189 former and current members of Cedar Park Church are feeling underwhelmed by the BCMB response to their request the Conference drop the charge of being a “false teacher” against their former pastor, Lee Kosa. 

Calling it both a “very serious charge that has implications for Lee’s well-being and future” and “not true,” the petition calls for it to be retracted. 

“He is not, nor has he been, a false teacher, nor did he promote false teaching,” the petition states, adding “we attest that we have never heard him preach against” the Confession of Faith. 

“A serious charge like this must present evidence and must call witnesses if it is to stand,” it added. 

In response, Simpson indicated there was a miscommunication around the false teacher accusation, which was made by Conference Minister Rob Thiessen and then repeated by Pastoral Ministries Committee member Eldon Fehr at an emotional April 3 CPC congregational meeting with BCMB leadership. 

The intent, she said, was to investigate Kosa’s “alignment with the MB Confession of Faith and not to label [him] as a false teacher. Conference Minister Rob Thiessen, apologizes for this miscommunication.” 

She did not, however, retract the accusation, going on to say “BCMB’s concerns have always been specific to Lee Kosa’s theological convictions as they relate to alignment with the MB Confession of Faith, in particular Articles 10 and 11.” (About sexuality and marriage.) 

As for Fehr’s pronouncement at the April 3 meeting, where he affirmed the charge of false teaching, that exchange “was unfortunate,” Simpson said, “and the view expressed was not intended as a declaration or assessment of Kosa’s years of teaching ministry at Cedar Park Church.” 

She went on to say Fehr’s remark was attributable to the meeting being “a highly emotional space” and to Kosa’s “continual and sustained pressure” on Fehr for a response. 

“Under that significant pressure,” Fehr gave an answer “related solely to Lee’s expression of his convictions with respect to human sexuality.” 

An offer to talk to Kosa about that exchange has so far not been accepted by Kosa, she said. 

The petition also asked BCMB to give Kosa the opportunity to surrender his credentials, not just have them taken by the Conference. 

Simpson responded by saying they were taken because “it was made clear by Lee that his convictions with respect to human sexuality no longer align with the MB Confession of Faith,” a process which was confidential but “fair and clearly outlined.” 

Organizers of the petition also took issue with how the letter from Simpson characterized the church as “being emotionally charged and deeply divided.” 

While it certainly is divided now, with the majority of members no longer associating with Cedar Park, for over 40 years the church faced many issues but “always found a way to navigate through these difficult discussions and have come out stronger at the end of the day,” they said—something it could have done again if left alone by BCMB “to figure this out among ourselves.” 

It was conference intervention that “drove a wedge in too deep for us to overcome,” they said, while acknowledging the issue would have been hard for some members. 

“But the majority would have come together. Today that is not possible,” they said. 

The organizers noted the petition was signed by those who stayed at the church and those who did not, adding “This was an action of unity. We felt that the Conference should have understood that and acknowledged it.” 

They acknowledged the response from Conference Moderator Sharon Simpson offered a conciliatory tone to the signers, and was better than some previous communications in the past. 

But their assessment is while the tone of the response is better than some previous communications from BCMB, “it just didn't go far enough.” 

Below find the petition to the Conference, and the response from BCMB. 

                                              *           *          *

April 14, 2022 

Dear BC MB Conference leaders,  

We, the undersigned of Cedar Park Church, come to you with two urgent requests. 

The first, and most important, request is that the accusation about Lee Kosa, our pastor of 9 years, being a false teacher, spoken at the congregational/conference meeting April 3, be retracted. Please do so in writing to Lee and to Cedar Park Church congregants. 

The second is that you withdraw the revocation of Lee Kosa’s credentials so he can surrender them as requested. 

The second is an obvious Christian courtesy that should be extended to his request. 

The first is a VERY serious charge that has implications for Lee’s well-being and future. The reason it is so serious, however, is that it is not true. He is not, nor has he been, a false teacher, nor did he promote false teaching. By biblical measure, his faith (see I John 4:1-3), the fruits of his ministry, and his character testify otherwise. Further, we offer our witness to this. (If the Confession of Faith is the measure, we attest that we have never heard him preach against it.) 

A serious charge like this must present evidence and must call witnesses if it is to stand. We ask you to resolve these two matters before the BC AGM at the end of the month. 

If you require further conversation or a meeting, please let us know asap. However, we are convinced this can be done quickly and without a great deal of back-and-forth, because it is the right and just and true thing to do.

                                               *            *            *

 April 26, 2022 

To the 189 Cedar Park Church congregants who signed the letter to BCMB dated April 18, 2022, Thank you for reaching out to myself and the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Executive Board (BCMB EB) with concerns that you share with respect to your two requests. 

It is clear to all the members of the BCMB EB and the Pastoral Ministries Committee (PMC) that Lee Kosa is a dearly loved and cherished pastor who has shepherded and taught your congregation for 9 years. There is no dispute that he has greatly impacted lives through his ministry within your community of believers. Many members of the CPC congregation have shown us that they care deeply for Lee. Your love and concern for him in the writing of this signed letter is further evidence of this. 

BCMB’s concerns have always been specific to Lee Kosa’s theological convictions as they relate to alignment with the MB Confession of Faith, in particular Articles 10 and 11. The PMC expressed its concerns to Lee in a letter that was signed by all PMC members and all BCMB EB members, dated February 5, 2022. That letter outlined the unified thoughts of all members of these two groups. 

They have not used the label “false teacher” to express their concerns. 1 Timothy 5 and 6 were referenced in a communication with Lee to describe the process that BCMB was following – an accusation against an elder in contrast to the personal conflict process described in Matthew 18. 

The intended focus of that communication was to explain the process BCMB used to investigate Lee’s alignment with the MB Confession of Faith and not to label Lee as a false teacher. Conference Minister, Rob Thiessen, apologizes for this miscommunication. 

The phrase “false teacher” was used by Lee at the Special Congregational Meeting. As you know, that meeting was a highly emotional space. During the meeting, Lee put continual and sustained pressure on one PMC member, demanding a “yes or no” answer to the question of whether he is considered a “false teacher”. 

Under that significant pressure, the PMC member gave his response – a response related solely to Lee’s expression of his convictions with respect to human sexuality. This was immediately followed by his offer to sit down with Lee to talk about what he meant by this answer, which Lee has not accepted. 

This exchange was unfortunate, and the view expressed was not intended as a declaration or assessment of Lee Kosa’s years of teaching ministry at Cedar Park Church. 

As you may recall, Lee was asked during the meeting whether he would permit full disclosure of the dialogue and interactions between him and BCMB EB or PMC. Lee did not wish to do so, as is his right. 

As such, I will not reveal everything that was discussed during such exchanges and meetings. However, I can say with confidence that it was made clear by Lee that his convictions with respect to human sexuality no longer align with the MB Confession of Faith. This was the basis upon which Lee’s credentials were revoked. 

Our credentialed pastors need to align with the shared convictions of the Canadian Mennonite Brethren denomination as expressed in the MB Confession of Faith. While I am constrained as to how much information I can disclose without Lee’s consent, the process was fair and clearly outlined. 

BCMB did not make an announcement nor publicize the revoking of Lee’s credentials. He chose to make that public himself. There is also a concern about the timing of the release of the summary statement of a listening meeting that was held between Lee, Rob Thiessen (BCMB Conference Minister), and facilitated by Ken Esau (PMC Member). 

This was brought forward at the Special Congregational Meeting as a significant distress to Lee and failure on the part of BCMB. In examining the email thread, we can see how Lee was waiting on Rob Thiessen to release the summary while Rob Thiessen was assuming that Ken Esau's confirmation email sent on May 31, 2021 was the official go-ahead for Lee to share this summary with CPC. 

When the misunderstanding came to light and that Lee was waiting for another official email, apologies were offered by Rob to Lee via email on July 24, 2021. This was an unfortunate miscommunication that has been described as a critical turning point for Lee and one which BCMB is very sorry took place. 

The significant theological disagreement, along with beliefs and values that are now expressed among the members of the Cedar Park Church congregation have brought about what we witnessed as an emotionally charged and divided meeting. This division has caused much strife and grief. There are significant differences and both sides are proclaiming the love and grace of Jesus Christ. 

Our hope for the future of the Cedar Park Church congregants is that there will be a determination to move forward in a way that is gracious toward each other, with the understanding that some may choose to part ways with Cedar Park Church and the BCMB denomination of which it is a part. BCMB will continue to support those at Cedar Park Church who wish to remain aligned to our MB Confession of Faith and the Mennonite Brethren convictions of biblical marriage and sexuality. 

Respectfully on behalf of BCMB EB and PMC, Sharon Simpson, BCMB Moderator

American Mennonite Brethren church leaving U.S. MB conference over LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion

For Willow Avenue Mennonite Church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Fresno, Calif., the path to becoming an LGBTQ-affirming congregation began decades ago — and is now leading them out of the U.S. Mennonite Brethren conference. 

Read my article about it on the Anabaptist World website.

Opinion: "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

 

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke

That line from the 1967 movie comes back to me when I think about what happened between Cedar Park Church (and Artisan Church) and the B.C. Mennonite Brethren Conference.

When it comes to the subject of LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion, members of those two churches saw it as a chance for conversation—to discuss what it might mean to welcome and include members of the LGBTQ+ community.

BCMB, on the other hand, appears to have seen it differently. Not as a chance for conversation, but as a cancer in the body that has to be killed as quickly as possible.

To continue the medical analogy, that means bringing out the big guns: Chemotherapy and radiation. Using poison to kill the poison in the body.

Sure, some healthy cells might be damaged or destroyed in the process. But it's worth the cost if the body can be saved.

The result is a failure to communicate. 

One side saw this topic as a chance to talk and explore what new thing God might be saying to the church today. 

The other side saw it as a dangerous, life-threatening cancer that had to be eliminated.

And so we get a meeting like happened at Cedar Park on April 3, with recriminations about false teaching being levelled at the church's former pastor, along with an upset and frustrated congregation—and maybe a frustrated and upset BCMB leadership, too.

Will we ever learn to communicate on this subject? 

Maybe. But it seems to me we first need to agree on how to talk about the topic of LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion.

Is it a chance for conversation, or a cancer to be killed?

Until that happens, as with Cool Hand Luke, communication will be a failure.

Cedar Park Church: “Our relationship with the Conference is badly broken”

Earlier this year, Cedar Park Church produced a timeline of its experience with BCMB leading up to the resignations of its three pastors. This is a shortened version of that timeline. It is the first of a three-part series about how that church came apart this year. Part two is about the meeting with BCMB leadership that produced that result; Part three is responses of members to that meeting.   

In September 2020, Cedar Park Church (CPC) embarked on a process of discerning which values were important to embrace and live by. By the time the process was completed in early 2021, it had become very clear that many people wanted to do a study into LGBTQ+ inclusion and welcome. 

A year later, all three CPC pastors have resigned and the congregation has been torn apart, its members wounded and grieving. 

The story started in April 2021 when the congregation indicated it wanted to talk about the topic of LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion. 

In preparation for the discussion, then-pastor Lee Kosa asked BCMB if it had “an inclusion ceiling that churches are required to adhere to”—if there were positions LGBTQ+ people couldn’t hold, like elder, worship leader or a musician in the band.   

In response, in May BCMB asked to meet with CPC leadership to talk about the subject. At the same time, Conference Minister Rob Thiessen started a covert investigation of Kosa’s preaching and theology—to see if he, and the church, were straying from the Confession of Faith. 

Also about that time, BCMB leaders began meeting secretly with members of the congregation who were concerned with the direction of the congregation. 

When Kosa learned about the secret review, he expressed his surprise and displeasure to BCMB; he wanted to know why it was happening without him or the church elders knowing about it. 

In response, BCMB sent a letter indicating it wanted to meet with Kosa about his understanding of the definition of biblical marriage. 

They also said they wanted to meet with the congregation to share the results of their meeting with Kosa, to talk about BCMB convictions related to sexuality, and to talk about how BCMB could support CPC in ways consistent with the Confession of Faith. 

In September, CPC’s Board of Elders responded to BCMB saying they would decline the invitation to meet until the Conference clarified why they had not disclosed the investigation of Kosa earlier. 

The Board also asked for about a promised Conference debrief about the departure of Artisan Church in April 2020—something BCMB had earlier said it would do. 

In October, Kosa himself sent a note to the CPC Board of Elders that said, in part: 

“I am not able to continue to pastor with the weight of the PMC’s unresolved investigation hanging over me. 

“As the credentialled pastor at CPC, this is a very important matter to me. 

“I had hoped that the Conference would have been willing to address some of their missteps in this process with us (and with Artisan) before heading into the face-to-face meeting, but I do not think that will happen. 

“I hope you can understand the burden this is for me and why I am unable to wait to address this.”  

In November, BCMB moderator Sharon Simpson and Ken Esau, the BCMB representative to the National Faith and Life Team of the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conference, met with a few CPC elders to talk about how to rebuild trust between BCMB leadership and CPC. 

At that meeting, on November 4, Simpson and Esau said they were unaware of the review of Kosa’s ministry. 

Also that month, BCMB sent a letter to all BCMB churches asking pastors and church leaders reaffirm the Confession of Faith, with a special reference to the articles on sexuality and marriage. 

In a preamble, the letter mentioned the departure of Artisan Church, which had left the conference the previous April over its decision to be welcoming to LGBTQ+ people. 

BCMB said it was “deeply grieved to learn that one of our churches had adopted a position on marriage and sexuality in conflict with what we believe the Scriptures teach.” 

On November 7, 2021, CPC held a congregational meeting. At the meeting, Kosa told the congregation that, in response to concerns expressed by some members of the church, his work was under review by the Conference. 

Kosa also told them he was open to an interview so he could be examined for adequate affirmation of the Confession of Faith. 

According to those who were there, the emotional distress experienced by Kosa, due to the investigation and the secret meetings with disgruntled anonymous members, along with a badly fractured relationship with Conference Minister Rob Thiessen, was clear and evident. 

He told the congregation the level of scrutiny and suspicion, combined with knowing he had been accused of theological errancy and pastoral malpractice by some members, was taking a toll on his and the other staff members’ mental health. 

Following the congregational meeting, Kosa initiated a meeting with the BCMB Personnel Committee. A CPC member attended as a witness. At the meeting he said his experience with the Conference was unprofessional and damaging. 

He also shared his grievances with the review process and with the actions and communication with BCMB Conference Minister Rob Thiessen. Kosa said a response from the Committee was vital to him for deciding if the BCMB was a healthy enough organization for him to continue working in. 

On February 5, Kosa and a member of the Elder’s Board met Sharon Simpson and Eldon Fehr of the Pastoral Ministries Committee (PMC) via Zoom. Simpson and Fehr presented him with a report drafted by the PMC in conjunction with the BCMB Board. 

In their opinion, they said, BCMB felt Kosa had been “moving away from an unqualified affirmation” of the Confession of Faith. 

He was given until March 30 to prove his “unequivocal commitment to the Confession of Faith,” especially to articles 10 and 11 about sexuality and marriage, and to demonstrate his “unequivocal commitment to the Confession” in order to maintain his credentials with the BCMB. 

Failure to demonstrate “unequivocal commitment” will result in “the removal” of his credentials, he was told. 

"A lack of clarity" in his beliefs and commitment to the COF would be understood by the PMC to mean that he does not support Articles 10 and 11 of the COF as the MB path of faithful discipleship." 

On February 11, the CPC board received a letter from Simpson requesting a meeting with the Elder Board to determine how “CPC leadership is aligned with the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith." 

In the letter, Simpson said BCMB had received verbal and written concerns from members of CPC concerned about movement away from the Confession. 

The Elder Board was surprised to hear the conference was still directly receiving and responding to individual congregant concerns, when it had repeatedly requested they direct congregants back to CPC leadership. 

The Elder Board indicated it wanted the Conference to acknowledge this misstep and cease meeting privately with some CPC members before meeting again—that would be the first step in rebuilding trust with the Conference. 

In their letter to Simpson, the Board made some observations about its relationship with BCMB over the previous year. 

“We have observed that the conference has never answered the question that we and many of our congregation have asked regarding why the CPC elder board was not informed,formally or otherwise, that a review of Pastor Lee’s work had been instigated. 

“We have observed that, despite the CPC moderator and an elder being told by the BCMB moderator that the conference does not respond to letters from individual congregants, theconference has in fact, responded to individual congregants from CPC. 

“We have observed that the BCMB conference has selectively listened and responded to certain voices from CPC, but has not responded to or acknowledged other voices who have questioned their process and/or the accountability of the conference minister. 

“We have observed a continuation of triangulated communication among the conference and some CPC congregants who express their concerns to BCMB. We have already expressed alarm over this type of communication, but our concerns have been disregarded, as evidenced by the BCMB continuing to let us know they are entertaining complaints from CPC congregants and not directing those complainants to speak to CPC leadership directly.

 “We have observed that the conference has ignored or minimized the continuously  emphasized strain on the mental well-being of our lead pastor and of many in our congregation. This has been seen in the length of time it took to complete the review, the refusal to provide a timeline for the review and the misleading description of a meeting with the PMC as a time to discern, when instead it was a time of interrogation. We believe it is unethical for the BCMB conference to not be more informed as to the consequences of ignoring mental health concerns.

"We have observed that CPC’s many written complaints regarding the behaviour of the conference minister have been disregarded. The complaints have not been taken seriously, as evidenced by the postponement of any discussion about these concerns being relegated to a vague time in the spring and by no immediate action being taken. The CPC moderator has noted that her own written concerns regarding the conference minister’s interference in peacemaking at CPC required two emails to obtain a response. The follow through she was promised in January has not occurred.

“We have observed that there has been no response to Pastor Lee’s request for a reconciliation process to take place in his relationship with the conference minister.  

“Our relationship with the conference is badly broken and we believe we cannot have respectful and helpful dialogue unless it is healed. The integrity of our Board and of our church does not allow us to be open to a power-abusing relationship and we believe that the boundaries that we set in our relationship with the conference are the closest we can get to loving both our own congregation and the conference at the same time.

 “There are some things the CPC elder board would need to see happen before we would consider our relationship with the conference restored:

“We would need to receive an explanation as to why our CPC elder board was not informed immediately that a review of Pastor Lee’s work was being undertaken.

“We would need to see action taken regarding the concerns our board and congregation have expressed regarding the role and behaviour of the conference minister.

“If our lead pastor is expected to continue to interact with the conference minister, we would like to see a third party, with experience in reconciliation process, mediate in the relationship between Pastor Lee and the conference minister.

“We would want to see some evidence that the conference board and minister are educating themselves regarding issues of mental health in the workplace.

“We would need to witness a cessation of the triangulated communication occurring between BCMB and some CPC congregants and have evidence that congregants are being directed back to our elder board to express their concerns. We would need to be given the names and complaints of those congregants so that their concerns could be addressed.

“We would need to see that the BCMB executive and conference minister are responding equally to all communications from CPC congregants, if their policy is now that they are responding to individual concerns. We would need to see that BCMB is not subject to confirmation bias in their processing of CPC congregant’s concerns.

"Our desire, as well as yours, is to bear witness to Christ in how we behave and in what we say. Our desire is to have restoration in our relationship with the conference. We believe that BCMB has relied heavily on power and authority, but has not managed to maintain a balance with loving relationship. Without a relationship of mutual love and accountability, there can be no connection. Without connection, there can be no dialogue.”

 On Feb. 27, Kosa and associate pastors Darren DeMelo and Megan Simpson submitted their resignations.

 The reasons “were manifold,” said Kosa, but included the challenging and broken relations with BCMB over the previous year, along with disagreement over the nature of the Confession, especially as it applied to sexuality and marriage.

Following the resignations, Sharon Simpson sent a letter to the church calling for a Special Meeting of the members on Sunday, March 6 at 7pm.

“Members of the BCMB Executive Board and Pastoral Ministries Committee members plan to attend to be at Cedar Park Church at 6:45 p.m.,” it said. “Please arrange to meet us there to provide access to the building in order to hold this meeting.”

In calling for the special meeting, Simpson referenced BCMB bylaws giving it permission to do so.

The Board of Elders declined to meet at such short notice. Another date was selected: April 3. Read about that meeting here. 

Read responses from CPC members to the special meeting. Read why these and other stories are being posted on this blog.  

B.C. Mennonite Brethren Conference meeting with Cedar Park Church: “I’m done.”

This report is based on notes taken by a Cedar Park Church member at the April 3 special meeting with BCMB. A request was made to BCMB for comment on the meeting. No reply has been received. Two members of the congregation who had concerns about the direction of the church were also contacted. One did not reply and the other declined to comment. 

The meeting began with Sharon Simpson introducing herself and seven BCMB Executive members who came to the meeting. 

She made it very clear all members of the BCMB Executive and Pastoral Ministries committees are on the same page with regards to Cedar Park Church (CPC). 

She issued a stern warning against video or audio recordings of the meeting, asking if any journalists were present. 

Three observers at the meeting, Dan Unrau, former pastor of Fraserview MB Church, and James Toews, former pastor of Neighbourhood MB Church, together with his wife Janet, were instructed not to speak. 

Simpson then spent 45 minutes of the two-hour meeting talking about how the BCMB conference is organized and how it exists to “give assistance” to its 97 member churches. 

She then read Articles 10 and 11 of the Confession of Faith about sexuality and marriage, explaining it has been agreed upon by all MB churches across Canada. 

That was followed by Simpson reading e-mails of questions she had received. 

Why did BCMB not respond in a more timely manner to queries for more information from the congregation? These things take time, Simpson replied. 

Why was Kosa not informed about the investigation into his ministry? Simpson said Rob Thiessen’s job is to review sermons preached by pastors, and that is always ongoing. He began to listen to Kosa’s sermons after receiving concerns. 

Why wasn’t CPC allowed to come to their own conclusion about LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion? Simpson said the Conference became involved when concerns were raised about the theological direction of the church. 

Why did BCMB meet with members of the anonymous group? Simpson said some raised their concerns with CPC leaders, but others were not comfortable doing so. 

During the open mic time that followed, Kosa asked who he could go to to hold BCMB accountable for Thiessen’s conduct related to him and the church. 

Simpson replied that a review of Thiessen’s work happens annually, and not before. 

A member noted the biblical principle of Matthew 18 was ignored, and wondered why he didn’t receive a reply to his e-mail to BCMB. The Conference, he said, listened to dissenters but didn’t respond to him. He asked for an apology. 

Another member called for an investigation into Rob Thiessen’s behaviour, citing abuse of power, lack of policy and procedure, lack of professional conduct. 

Simpson replied they had consulted their lawyer and were advised that the allegations against Thiessen did not warrant prompt action. Kosa responded that it seemed the BCMB follows the words of their lawyer more than the words of Jesus. In so doing, he referred to Jesus’ teaching on conflict resolution and peacemaking which is also upheld in the Confession of Faith.

A member said CPC was called for being offside of the Confession on sexuality, but other MB churches have openly embraced the Gospel Coalition and its statement of faith without consequence. Simpson replied the concerns about CPC were theological and well founded. 

When a member said what was happening was an abuse of power, Simpson replied that BCMB’s actions were governed by its bylaws. 

When Kosa asked Pastoral Ministries Committee member Eldon Fehr directly: “Do you agree with Rob (Thiessen) that I am a false teacher?” Fehr replied: “Yes.” Later, Thiessen seemed to deny that he had insinuated that Kosa promoted false teaching. This denial made Fehr’s comments confusing. (To date, the PMC has not provided any evidence that Kosa has taught contrary to the Confession of Faith.) 

Only one member who had met with BCMB spoke. He said he did it because he was not going in the same direction as CPC. 

Following up, a member asked if it was true that Rob Thiessen met with dissenters. The answer was yes, and that Simpson did, too. 

Kosa then spoke again, very emotionally, sharing how dark his days have been over this. He then left the room in a high level of agitation saying loudly. “I’m done. I’m done.” 

After that, CPC was told that, in order to remain an MB church, new elders needed to be elected or the church will cease to exist and that other churches are offering to help CPC if needed. Those who wish to remain at CPC must make themselves known, they were told. 

Click here to read responses to the meeting from some who were there. Click here to read a timeline of how this meeting came to be. Click here to read why these articles are being posted on this blog. 

Postscript: The future of the church is undetermined at this time. Some members are planning to hold informal meetings/services, and a Facebook group has been started to help people stay connected.

Cedar Park Church members respond to April 3 special meeting with B.C. Mennonite Brethren Conference

In response to the April 3 special meeting, a few members offered comments about what transpired. One asked to be anonymous. 

Former lead pastor Lee Kosa. 

“It would have gone a long way to have simply heard BCMB leadership say something like, ‘Given that we have not experienced a situation like this before, we didn’t respond as well as we should have. We do not have a dedicated policy or tools for dealing with church-related concerns and conflict and thus were not prepared. We are sorry for the confusion and pain our actions have contributed to. We are committed to doing better for Cedar Park and all BCMB member churches as we seek to follow our Lord together.’ 

“Instead, the Conference's words seemed to indicate that they are completely without fault in their interactions with Cedar Park, despite the meticulously documented evidence to the contrary. 

“Given the glaring inconsistencies in their comments, obvious avoidance of directly answering many questions, and unwavering posture of defensiveness, people in attendance wondered if they were given legal counsel to not admit any fault in order to protect themselves.” 

"When it comes to conversation about LGBTQ+ inclusion, policing the Confession of Faith, and biblical conflict resolution, it seems that BCMB cares more about their own legal liability than the needs of real vulnerable people. This revelation was profoundly disturbing to witness."  

Member Ted Andres. 

“The meeting was an embarrassment. CPC members came wanting answers but didn’t get them. It was clear the Conference had mistreated our pastor, but they seemed to be under legal advice not to say anything about that. 

“We didn’t get an answer as to why it was wrong for us to want to have a discussion about LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion, but MB churches in B.C. who don’t support the peace statement get a pass. Why is there a line in the sand for this issue, but not the other? 

“We didn’t get an answer as to why our pastor was being investigated, or why his credentials were removed, or why he was deemed to be out of step with the Confession. 

“It was jarring to hear Eldon Fehr of the Pastoral Ministries Committee say our pastor is a false teacher. That is a very serious allegation. 

“We didn’t get an answer as to why the Conference didn’t follow Matthew 18 and tell members who were concerned about the direction of the church to speak directly to leadership, or to other members.

“The thing that is amazing about all of this is we didn’t actually even meet to discuss welcome and inclusion. We just wanted to talk about it. We just asked about the rules around it when we did. It seems that the main lesson BCMB learned from the Artisan situation is to come down hard and fast on any church that shows any interest in the subject, to cut it off quickly. 

“At the meeting, Sharon Simpson kept talking about the Confession of Faith. But that’s not what concerned us. We were concerned about the process, and how BCMB had treated our church. All through that process it was like the Conference kept pouring fuel on the fire. 

“I don’t blame the small number of people who were concerned about the direction of the church from going to the Conference as they perceived their church was changing and they were fearful. But the Conference should have sent them back to the church to talk with us, not held secret meetings. BCMB mishandled that. 

“When someone said things had become so bad that our pastor contemplated taking his own life, there was no reaction from the BCMB leaders at the front of the room. None. They said nothing. 

“Being told at the end of the meeting the church could be reinstated only for those willing to adhere to the Confession of Faith was a pretty curt statement. The implication was if you can’t do that, you might as well leave.” 

An anonymous member. 

“As I listened, it was apparent to me the BCMB leaders at the meeting were under legal instruction not to say anything or answer any questions directly. Their responses to our questions all felt like legalese. There was no humanity in them. 

“When asked directly if they had met with individual members, Simpson said yes. Yet e-mails from other members of the congregation supporting our pastors went unanswered. 

“What touched and saddened me was Kosa’s brokenness. The Conference broke a good person. What was said at the meeting seemed to pierce his heart. 

“To me, if BCMB learned anything from the Artisan experience it was to come down hard and fast on any church or pastor open to talking about LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion. That included coming down hard on our pastor. It seemed like they needed to make an example of him, to keep the others in line. 

“When Lee was called a false teacher, the first thing that came to mind for me was what happened to the early Anabaptists who were accused of the same thing. They were executed. This felt like a symbolic execution of our pastor. 

“I understand some people have concerns about this conversation about LGBTQ+ welcome. But it would have been better if we could have talked. It’s unfortunate BCMB didn’t tell them to do that, and then protected them during this whole thing. 

“You know how many families in CPC have gay children, siblings or relatives? Twelve. It’s a big issue for us. 

“I suspect the Conference feels, by acting this way, that it has taken care of things. But it hasn’t. This issue will come up again and again. They will be reduced to playing whack-a-mole.” 

Riley Merrell, a now-former CPC attender. 

“What happened on Sunday night was abusive and absent of even a hint of restorative justice or peacemaking. I am willing to bet BCMB had legal counsel before entering the meeting. This was evident by the request that no journalists be present, as well as the repetitiveness of non-answers.  

“I would personally like to call for the resignation of Eldon Fehr, Chair of Pastoral Ministries Committee) who publicly declared pastor Lee a false teacher in front of his family, colleagues, and a church full of people who adore him. 

“Additionally, Rob Thiessen offended a community member by asking what Jesus they served, insinuating that their Jesus was not his Jesus nor the ‘right’ Jesus, nor the Jesus the Conference believes in. 

“For over an hour community members took to the mic to share their heartbreaking stories of how they've watched the conference tear this church apart. Stories from people who built CPC, from people who've attended for 40+ years, from teachers, counsellors, and industry professionals who criticized the conference's shortcomings with regard to due process, accountability, and communication. Time and time again, the moderator responded with non-answers using various bylaws and the confession of faith as a shield, disregarding the desperate pleas and heartfelt concerns. 

“BCMB has tripped on power and landed flat on their faces, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. For the sake of what? The Kingdom? What Kingdom is that? Perhaps the kingdom of the BCMBC, a kingdom that I have no interest in ever being a part of again. 

“I pray the Lord has mercy on them and softens their hearts to a place of repentance leading them to seek forgiveness from our pastors, Lee, Megan, and Darren who, along with their spouses and 10 children between them, embark on a season of healing and unemployment.

“As for the discussion of LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion, Artisan was granted nearly four years of healthy dialogue, listening, and discernment before the axe came down. CPC barely got 10 minutes. 

“Consider what happened to CPC a warning to the next BC Mennonite Brethren Church hoping to hold a safe place for dialogue around faith and human sexuality. You should also know that the moderator used you ("97 churches") as a defense mechanism—leading congregants of CPC to believe that we were all alone in this. 

“If you're reading this and you are a part of one of the 97 Mennonite Brethren churches across B.C., and you are someone who desires to have healthy dialogue within your community on the topic of human sexuality, then make some noise and show the conference how misled they are. The time to be silent and comfortable is over. 

“The love of Jesus cannot be contained to the limited vision of the BCMB. They have no accountability unless the churches within the conference come together. If not, your community could be the next they tear apart. 

“How privileged am I to have never questioned God’s love for me. No wonder; I’m a white heterosexual man who has spent most of his life in MB churches. I was born to thrive there. Replace any one of those three identifiers and, depending on the point in history, I’d be facing some sort of hurdle. Non-white? Where do I start. Woman? Well 60 years ago and I’d barely be allowed to teach Sunday school. LGBTQ+? Not welcome or included. 

“We’ve come a long way on diversity and gender roles in the world today, two mountains the religious folk have died on before. Here’s hoping they find a way to traverse back down this third mountain of LGBTQ+ welcome and inclusion. They may be surprised to find Jesus there comforting all the people they’ve left behind.” 

Carol Johnson, former moderator and someone who identifies now as Queer or LGBTQ+. 

“I stepped aside my position when I came out in order to not be a distraction to the congregation. It was important for me that the focus not be on me as the gay moderator but the focus instead be on the greater conversation of what can inclusion and welcome look like at CPC for folk who identify as queer. The Elder Board accepted my stepping aside. 

“Lee was an incredible pastor. Many people relied on him for support. He lovingly walked me and my family through my husband’s death from cancer in 2019. He journeyed alongside us and supported us as a family. So to witness Lee leave the meeting shaking and crying uncontrollably was extremely heartbreaking. 

“To tell you how emotional the meeting was, one of CPC’s founding members, a quiet man, shouted to the BCMB leaders at the front as Lee left: “This meeting is over! You’ve broken a good man. Other people also broke down crying. 

“All through this BCMB wasn’t transparent with us. My e-mails expressing concerns about their heavy handedness and threatening behaviour weren’t responded to by them. Others said the same thing. 

“At the meeting, there was a lot of hedging and hiding behind the bylaws. That was so frustrating. And so devoid of compassion and love. 

“I didn’t grow up Mennonite, but I have come to appreciate Anabaptism. The way CPC was treated is so far from Anabaptism, from the idea of sitting down and talking together.  As an Anabaptist church, our intention was to discern together what the Spirit was saying to our community. It is wildly confusing to wonder why BCMB resorted to treating us and our pastors in such reprehensible ways. 

“What is shocking to me is we didn’t get to facilitate a fair, resourced and open conversation about LGBTQ+ welcome. Artisan had four or five years of discussion. We asked a simple question: what the ceiling was for LGBTQ+ involvement in the church? Be a member? Be a worship leader? Lead a small group? Be an elder? We just asked the question and then—boom the hammer of authority came down. This is a serious abuse of power and gatekeeping as to who is in and who is out. The table belongs to Christ, not BCMB. Christ’s invitation is for all to come. 

Dan Unrau, former Mennonite Brethren pastor in Manitoba and B.C. who was an observer at the meeting. 

"I was invited to be a witness at BC MB’s called meeting with the people of Cedar Park Church on April 3, 2022.  It was a meeting I will recall as among the saddest I have witnessed in my life—at almost every conceivable level. No one left the meeting untouched, unharmed. 

“That night, I had this raw read of the meeting. 

“Pastor Lee Kosa and the people of Cedar Park Church are broken and devastated and, in my view. exhibited the signs of being abuse victims. 

“The official BCMB position, as articulated by the representatives of BCMB leadership themselves, is that it chose to walk without grace, mercy, and compassion towards those in pain. But it was unable to see and accept and be accountable for the damage it was told it had done and was still doing. The posture it held to was that of a cold, heartless, legalistic, self-righteous, misguided parent. 

“A week after the meeting, I had these thoughts. 

“Whatever might be said about the history and the issues at play in this story, and add a plethora of unhappy clashing dynamics roiling the meeting, central to it for me was that Lee Kosa and the people of CPC were broken and bleeding by the roadside last Sunday night.  

“It felt like a window in on the story of the Good Samaritan, with the priests and Levites of BCMB walking by on the other side extending no compassion, no hand to help. In fact, some said, even a pouring of salt on the wounds of the wounded throughout the evening.  

“And what even increased the tragedy of the wounded? By their account it was those very same priests and Levites who had thrown them to the curb in the first place. I wept as I listened and felt and saw." 

Read about the special meeting. Read a timeline from Cedar Park Church. Read why these reports are appearing on this blog.