This post is a request for information for future posts about Fairfax Community Church (FCC). Today sums up the ongoing issues at FCC which are systematic and is looking for stories to tell that highlight the problems that are ongoing. From having a violent sex offender as the Care Group Director, to a questionable church growth campaign to an epic fail to a massacre in FCC’s backyard of Washington, D.C. this church has deep issues. Also happy belated birthday to Rod Stafford!
“Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.”
Mitt Romney
“You can preach a better sermon with your life than your lips.”
Oliver Goldsmith
My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray
and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way
and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.
Jeremiah 50:6 NLT
This blog – The Wondering Eagle – is going to write, report and document issues in evangelical churches in the Washington, D.C. area. The goal of doing this is to protect Christians, keep them out of harmful places, and to get knowledge into their hands so that they can make educated decisions. This blog was born out of trauma and its my goal that the trauma I experienced does not happen to others.
One of the churches that this blog is dedicated to following and reporting about is Fairfax Community Church which is led by Rod Stafford. I have written extensively about Fairfax Community Church (FCC) and there is a lot more to write. I will do a recap of a number of published articles below. But before I get into that let me tell you of a an update. John Falke has left FCC. When I heard that I was honestly surprised and I would love to know the reasons why this has happened. If anyone knows the reasons why I would love to write a post about his departure. I didn’t think that would happen as I always associated John Falke with FCC. This blog has interacted with some of the leadership of the Evangelical Free Church of America and given the systemic and systematic issues playing out at FCC its my goal to raise these issues with the Church of God in Anderson, Indiana. But before I get into the purpose of this post let me highlight some of the posts I have written here at The Wondering Eagle about Fairfax Community Church.
- In this post called “A Tale of Two Churches: Fairfax Community Church and the Problem of Evil” I explore how FCC responded to two tragedies. One is the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and the second is the Navy Yard shooting that happened in FCC’s own backyard. One was the church shining, and the other was one of the epic fails I have ever seen in Christianity. Despite the pain and misery that transpired in an office building at the Navy Yard FCC’s response is that the evangelical circus must continue like nothing has happened.
- The second post I did about FCC explored the evangelical idol of church growth. FCC has people falling through the cracks. People can’t be ministered to and despite that Rod Stafford wants to grow. This also explores how Rod Stafford twisted scripture to support a building campaign. In this case Rod bastardized the book of Nehemiah. This is about “A Better $tory” and a church plant in Clarksburg that was done without input from members or attenders. This is about a church that Lords over people. And for the record…no I am not a Sanballat. The title of this post is called “Fairfax Community Church and the Evangelical Idol of “Church Growth”
- This next post described an awkward situation that I stumbled into. The title of this post is called, “Why Does Fairfax Community Church have a Care Director on the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Sex Offender Registry?” FCC had placed Eric Nickle as the Care Group Director and then concealed information from the congregation that he is on the Virginia Sex Offender registry. Now I have no problems with sex offenders attending church, but Eric Nickle in his current position is risky and flirting with problems. In addition concealing that information from the congregation is horrific. I remember when this information fell into my lap, I was disgusted that Rod Stafford’s irresponsibility fell into other people’s hands. I realized that FCC was going to be the fourth situation in evangelicalism that dealt with either child sex abuse or a church struggling with how to deal with a sex offender. In this situation in the course of time I contacted Amy Smith of SNAP and reported the situation. If someone would have been hurt I could not live knowing that could have been prevented. The number one reason why churches are sued is due to child sex abuse, you can read about that here. I am also wondering if this is getting into negligence and if this could affect FCC’s church insurance policy.
- This next post is called “Eric Nickle, Rod Stafford, Fairfax Community Church and an Interrupted Mancation in Kenya (Sorry Rod…)” This explains how a crisis interrupted a mancation in Kenya that involved Rod Stafford and Andy Gingrich. Plus Pam Palmer who was the public face of the Sovereign Grace lawsuit which dealt with the largest cover up of child sex abuse commented on this situation at FCC and pointed out the issues in play.
- In an “Open Letter to My Former Senior Pastor Rod Stafford” I wrote a letter in which I addressed his lack of leadership and the scandal and how it played out. This is a letter I wrote to a pastor who baptized me. I did my homework on FCC but still I was stunned to realize how corrupt the place is as a church.
- In the crisis that transpired FCC released a very dishonest statement. When I read the statement I was shocked and disgusted with how much deceit FCC practiced. The name of this post is called, “Analysis of Fairfax Community Church’s Second Statement on Eric Nickle Given to Amy Smith of SNAP” Honestly can’t a church be transparent? Is that too much to ask for?
- The next post is addressed to the Campus Pastor of Clarksburg, Maryland which is David Bullock. Here is what happened…Dee Parsons at The Wartburg Watch wrote about the situation at FCC and then a person with an IP address not far from Clarksburg, and named “Shocked” attacked Dee Parsons. The extremely vicious nature of the attacks stunned her. You have to consider this is a person who wrote so much about Mark Driscoll that the Seattle media has quoted her. She broke the scandal involving The Village Church in Texas, but Matt Chandler never attacked her. She also wrote about all the issues in Sovereign Grace but C.J. Mahaney never went after her. So who should attack Dee Parsons allegedly? It is believed to be Dave Bullock who by the way never repented, or owned up to Dee Parsons. And this guy is a pastor? Good God! Why did this have to happen from a church I was once involved? No wonder why Christianity in the United States is screwed up. The name of this post is called “Hello Clarksburg! Did Pastor Dave Bullock Attack and go for Dee Parson’s Jugular on The Wartburg Watch?”
- My next post looked at the ongoing issues with FCC and asked the question, why can’t FCC practice conflict resolution? Didn’t Jesus say “Blessed are the peacemakers?” Where are the peacemakers at FCC? The name of this post is “Why Are Evangelical Christians Terrible at Conflict Resolution? Thoughts about Redeemer Arlington and Fairfax Community Church”
- Then there is this post I wrote called “An Overview of the Situation at Fairfax Community Church; What Rod Stafford Should have Told the Congregation Before October 14’s Night of Worship.” This looks at what FCC needs to do to resolve the situation and gives them a way forward. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of the situation.
Wanted: Stories About Fairfax Community Church
If you notice at the top of this blog is a tab about Fairfax Community Church. I wanted to make it even easier to put all the resources about FCC into the hands of people. It will be one of the first things people look at when they look over the homepage for The Wondering Eagle. I am looking for any of the following situations or stories to write about at this blog. I will give you a platform and allow you to tell your story. FCC’s issues are deep, systematic and systemic. That is part of the problem here…the issues run to its core and they need to be properly dealt with. Since the potential remains for people to get hurt, or to have the system come down on them, these are the stories that I am looking to write, this is the information I am looking for future posts.
- If there are control issues that take place in the small group program I would very much love to author a post about it.
- I have considered doing an open letter to Andy Gingrich to discuss his authoritarianism issues. Andy’s roots as I understand it are in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist I believe. (Andy if I am wrong, you can always email me and I’ll go on the record and correct it.) If people run into authoritarian issues with Andy Gingrich or control issues I would write about it and let someone explain their story.
- Leadership style issues related to Rod Stafford. Rod Stafford is engaged in the global area and travels a lot abroad, but one core issue is that he’s neglected his own backyard. You can’t effectively pastor and be gone so much. Heck can I be honest…you can’t pastor a mega church the size works against it! If there are additional issues or problems in teaching and theology of the Senior Pastor I will write about it. His building campaign is built on flawed theology as it stands.
- Eric Nickle is still on staff in the same position. If there are issues that come out in time or laws are not being followed I will write and report on that development as well.
- If there are sexual offender issues or child sex abuse issues this blog will report and reveal them. If that happens please grab my attention.
- I would like to do a follow up eventually to “A Better $tory.” As the program moves along I would like to write about how it exacerbates the problems at FCC which will be an inevitable outcome. This is bound to happen in so many ways.
- Any types of spiritual abuse, or manipulation by the leadership at FCC also deserves to be reported. If people encounter issues and are leaving this is something that I will gladly explore. FCC has a high turnover rate and can’t retain a lot of people. Plus there are many people who are leaving frustrated, upset, and at times alienated. I know I hear about it.
If you are involved in FCC or were a former member and attender this blog will give you a voice. You can email me at wonderingeagle261@gmail.com. This blog will give you a platform to share your experience. It’s my goal to go to bat for those sitting in the pews. Okay that’s it for the day, take care! Oh and this is coming on ten days late but wish Rod Stafford a happy birthday, his birthday was April 19.
Wondering Eagle 