Wondering Eagle Exclusive: Fellowship Memphis Source Responds to J.D. Greear’s Letter About Bryan Loritts Allegedly Covering Up Illegal Activity of Rick Trotter

The Summit which is led by J.D. Greear hired Bryan Loritts. This is probably the biggest story inside the Southern Baptist Convention right now when you consider the sex abuse issue and Caring Well. Hiring Loritts, who was allegedly involved in the cover-up of his brother-in-law’s voyeurism at Fellowship Memphis is an incredibly bad move. One this blog’s sources from The Fellowship Memphis wrote a response to J.D. Greear and Bryan Loritts. He goes through Greear’s letter and responds to it. This blog is publishing his response to this disastrous decision made by The Summit.

“Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.”

Mark Twain

Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11 ESV

Fellowship Memphis with Bryan Loritts and John Bryson 

My blog exploded yesterday over the J.D. Greear’s The Summit hiring Bryan Loritts. You can read yesterday’s post in, “Bryan Loritts is Joining J.D. Greear’s The Summit Church on June 1, 2020. So Much For Caring About Sexual Misconduct and Sex Abuse Inside the Southern Baptist Convention.”  It almost seemed as if everyone in The Summit and other parts of the SBC were reading about Bryan Loritts on The Wondering Eagle.  The letter that The Summit put out was horrific. From my perspective it calls the entire Caring Well initiative into doubt. And the fact that this came from the church that has the President of the Southern Baptist Convention  makes me want to ask the following. Why would J.D. risk so much for a con-man like Bryan Loritts? Why doesn’t The Summit hire Jim Bakker instead? He has just as much talent as Bryan Loritts. 

As I said yesterday it was like my blog exploded. Some of the people most outraged were the victims from Fellowship Memphis. They are right to be livid. One of my sources wrote a response to J.D. Greear and picked apart his letter. To give you some background this source was very close to Bryan Loritts. This individual knew both Loritts and John Bryson well and had direct access to the information. This person was in the middle of the Rick Trotter scandal which sickened this individual. This source wrote a response to Bryan Loritts being hired by The Summit which you will see below. Also as you will read below Bryan Loritts brought onto Fellowship Memphis Pete Newman. Pete Newman remains probably the most infamous child sex abuser in the State of Missouri who abused people at Kanakuk Ministries. If you want to read more about Pete Newman in the press you can do so here, here, here and here. 

Finally this blog would like to congratulate J.D. Greear on something that he should be proud.  Greear did a stupid move in hiring Bryan Loritts. Overnight he created one of the biggest stories inside the Southern Baptist Convention and evangelicalism. I am looking forward to the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, other newspapers and Memphis media writing about how the head of the SBC hired someone who covered up voyeurism and child pornography at Fellowship Memphis. If it were any other church you could dismiss it. The fact that it happened in the church that is led by the President of the Southern Baptists says volumes. Now when a push comes to a shove and this blows up in J.D. Greear’s face and Bryan Loritts is fired can you request that he go back to Memphis, Tennessee and ask for forgiveness for running, covering up a deviant sex crime and more. Tell Bryan Loritts to actually grow a pair of balls and act like a man for the first time in his life. Its been ten years and this issue is not going away. With that said I will turn over the rest of the post to one of my Fellowship Memphis sources.

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Reading the ridiculous statement put out by JD Greear is sickening and blood-boiling for those who were victimized by Loritts’ depraved brother-in-law and again by Loritts’ own actions in the coverup.  The letter to the flock by Greear is so parsed as to make one believe that he knows that it is full of half-truths, inaccuracies, and outright lies.  If Greear really wants to clean up the Southern Baptist church family and protect from sexual predators, he needs to start with the removal of an unrepentant and a most uncontrite Loritts, whose wicked handling of the video voyeur on his staff and family was not only villainous, but illegal. There are so many lies and obfuscated statements in Greear’s letter designed to pull the wool over the eyes of the flock he has (apparently foolishly) been entrusted to shepherd.  Let me address a few of them by repeating his words and providing the real commentary he carefully ommitted…

From the letter from Greear (WITH MY COMMENTARY IN PARENTHESES TO CORRECT HIS MIS-STATEMENT OF FACTS) :

From 2003 to 2015, Pastor Bryan served as senior pastor of Fellowship Memphis Church in
Memphis, Tennessee. And we want to be completely upfront with you about his experience
there, particularly related to one grievous incident. In 2010, Fellowship Memphis discovered evidence that their director of worship, and Pastor Bryan’s brother-in-law, engaged in alleged criminal behavior: voyeurism.

(IT IS NOT “ALLEGED” TROTTER ADMITTED TO IT, AND LORITTS HAS SEEN THE VIDEO
EVIDENCE; HENCE, HE KNEW HIS BABY SISTER WAS UNWITTINGLY ON THESE GROSS,
FELONIOUS, AND PERVERTED VIDEOS.  LORITTS’;  BROTHER-IN-LAW HAD BEEN
TAKING VIDEOS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN A CHURCH BATHROOM STALL AND IN
THE BATHROOM IN HIS OWN HOME–WHERE YOUNG WOMEN IN THE CHURCH YOUTH MINISTRY BABYSAT TROTTER’S CHILDREN.  WHILE LORITTS WOULD CLAIM HE DIDN’T KNOW THERE WERE CHILDREN ON THE VIDEOS, HE LIED–AS HAS BEEN DETAILED IN THIS BLOG, WARTBURG WATCH, AMY SMITH’S TWITTER ACCOUNT–LORITTS CLAIMED THE VIDEO FOOTAGE FOUND ON THE CELL PHONE TROTTER HAD CAREFULLY PLACED TO RECORD UNKNOWING UNDRESSED AND VULNERABLE VICTIMS HAD NO CHILDREN CAPTURED AND EXPLOITED, BUT HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT HE HAD FILED A REPORT WITH THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF MEMPHIS…WHY WOULD HE FILE A REPORT IF THERE WERE NO CHILDREN ON THE VIDEOS?  THERE WERE, IN FACT, CHILDREN VICTIMIZED.  CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES HAS NO RECORD OF THE REPORT THAT LORITTS FALSELY CLAIMS HE MADE.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT REPORTING SEXUAL CRIMES IS AN ABSOLUTE LEGAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND MANDATE FOR THOSE IN MINISTRY.  LORITTS BROKE THE LAW
AND LIED ABOUT IT.)

As is always the case, this conduct devastated its victims, their families, and the church. Sexual abuse is a pervasive problem in our society, which is why we have tried to take swift and strong actions to prevent sexual abuse in our church, as well as follow best practices for reporting and the care of victims.

(HIRING SOMEONE WHO COVERED UP SEXUAL CRIMES IN HIS CHURCH CAN HARDLY
BE CONSIDERED “BEST PRACTICES”  J.D….  WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL?!?)

Additionally, as SBC president, I have, in conjunction with the ERLC and Executive Committee, established the Caring Well initiative, a resource designed to challenge churches to do everything possible to prevent sexual abuse within their congregations. My prayer has been that through these efforts our churches will become safe sanctuaries for the vulnerable, where they can hear, understand, trust, and feel the safety of the gospel.

(ASK THE VICTIMS OF LORITTS’ COVER-UP AND HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW’S WICKED
DEEDS IF THEY FEEL THEY CAN TRUST THE SAFETY OF THE GOSPEL IN ANY CHURCH
LORITTS IS INVOLVED IN)

So through this lens, and as we do with any key Summit hire, the directional elders and
members of our leadership team thoroughly familiarized themselves with Pastor Bryan’s past, including this incident. 

(IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT “THOROUGHLY FAMILIARIZING” YOURSELF WITH
BRYAN’S PAST JUST MIGHT INCLUDE CONTACTING THE VICTIMS HE TERRORIZED?!?  I
KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU DID NOT…IT IS FUNNY THAT WHEN COVERING THIS UP,
THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS LORITTS AND FELLOWSHIP HIRED TO HARASS AND
INTIMIDATE VICTIMS TO SILENCE FIND IT EASY TO CONTACT THOSE FOLKS…SOUTHERN BAPTIST LEADERS JUST TAKE LORITTS AT HIS WORTHLESS
WORD.  BTW….WHEN INTERVIEWING CRIMINALS, THEY WILL ALWAYS TELL YOU THEY
WERE INNOCENT…IT HELPS TO ASK OTHERS INVOLVED, IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ANY
INTEREST IN INVESTIGATING THE TRUTH.  MORONS!)

Our goal was and is to ensure that his prior conduct aligns with our missional values and
beliefs. 

(PRIOR TO LORITT’S BROTHER-IN-LAW’S ACTIONS AND COVERUP, LORITTS WAS
INVOLVED IN BRINGING TO MEMPHIS A PEDOPHILE, PETE NEWMAN, WHO HAS BEEN
LABELED BY PROSECUTORS AS “THE MOST PROLIFIC CHILD MOLESTER IN MISSOURI
HISTORY.”  AT THE TIME, NEWMAN HAD ADMITTED HIS ACTIONS IN A LETTER TO HIS
EMPLOYER, KANAKUK KAMPS, AND WAS OUT ON BAIL AWAITING TRIAL.  LORITTS AND HIS COHORTS BROUGHT THEIR BUDDY, NEWMAN, TO MEMPHIS, GAVE HIM WORK WRITING MINISTRY CURRICULUM AND PROVIDED HOUSING FOR HIM.  THEY ALSO SET HIM UP WITH AN AFFILIATED MINISTRY, DOWNLINE MINISTRIES.  NEWMAN HAD UNFETTERED ACCESS TO THE CHURCH GROUNDS AND CHILDREN.  NO WARNINGS WERE GIVEN TO THE CONGREGATION AND NO SUPERVISION WAS GIVEN TO NEWMAN.  NEWMAN LEFT THE CHURCH WHEN HE WAS RE-ARRESTED FOR
PEDOPHILE SEXUAL CRIMES IN OTHER STATES, AS WELL.  HE IS CURRENTLY
SERVING 2 LIFE SENTENCES IN MISSOURI PRISON. WHEN CONFRONTED, LORITTS SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW NEWMAN WAS A PEDOPHILE AND JUST THOUGHT HE’D BEEN FIRED FOR SKINNY DIPPING WITH YOUNG BOYS IN HIS PREVIOUS MINISTRY.  ANYBODY AS WILLFULLY STUPID AS TO THINK THAT INCIDENT WAS NOTHING OR TO NOT HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS HAS NO BUSINESS IN PROFESSIONAL MINISTRY!! IF THIS ALIGNS WITH THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST MISSIONAL VALUES, THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO BURN!)

As part of the interview process, Pastor Bryan freely disclosed all information regarding this painful chapter of both his ministry and family life. 

(HE EITHER DID NOT FREELY DISCLOSE, OR HE LIED.  DID YOU GUYS HAVE THE
SPIRITUAL WISDOM OF A WALNUT AND ASK FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS?)

Pastor Bryan recalled that once he discovered evidence of this individual’s actions, he
immediately reported this information to the church elders and terminated the individual less than two hours later. Pastor Bryan confirmed that he had no prior knowledge or hint of suspicion that this individual had engaged in any such behavior before the moment he discovered evidence of this conduct. 

(LORITTS DID KNOW THAT HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW HAD PRIOR ARRESTS FOR OTHER
THINGS AND STATED “I’VE ALWAYS HATED THAT GUY!” HOWEVER, HIS OTHER
WAYWARD–AS PER BRYAN’S  FATHER, CRAWFORD– SISTER NEEDED A WAY TO EARN
A LIVING FOR THE FAMILY, AND MINISTRY IS THE FAMILY BUSINESS, AFTER ALL. 
HOWEVER, CONTRARY TO WHAT LORITTS BELIEVES, THE CHURCH IS NOT ACTUALLY
DESIGNED TO BE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HAPLESS LORITTS FAMILY
MEMBERS)

The church sought to notify the victims immediately, and soon after, church leaders had also engaged legal counsel. 

(THEY DID NOT SEEK TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE VICTIMS.  THEY SELECTIVELY NOTIFIED
A COUPLE WHO THEY THOUGHT MIGHT BE WILLING TO LET PREDATORY “BYGONES
BE BYGONES”  AFTER ALL, THEY WERE ON THE CHURCH PAYROLL.  THE CHURCH
LEADERSHIP –UNDER LORITTS’ DIRECTION– HAD TO BE PRESSURED INTO
ULTIMATELY LETTING A FEW MORE PEOPLE KNOW.  AS ASST PASTOR, BEN
PARKINSON SAID AT THE TIME, “WE DON’T HAVE THE COUNSELING CAPACITY TO
HANDLE ALL OF THE DEMAND IF WE TELL EVERYONE.”  SMH. THE LEGAL COUNSEL HIRED WAS TO MINIMIZE THEIR LIABILITY, NOT TO HELP THE VICTIMS OR PROTECT ANYONE.  IN FACT, ACCORDING TO LORITTS, THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL TOLD THEM TO THROW THE EVIDENCE IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER! GREEARS HAS WILLFULLY TRIED TO MAKE IT LOOK AS IF THINGS WERE DONE LEGALLY, WHEN THEY WERE NOT.  SHAME ON HIM!)

Pastor Bryan instructed his team to contact the authorities.

(LORITTS CLAIMS A REPORT WAS MADE TO THE POLICE.  THE MEMPHIS NEWSPAPER
OF RECORD, THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL, FOUND THAT NO SUCH REPORT WAS FILED. 
AGAIN, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR A PASTOR TO NOT REPORT SEXUAL CRIMES…IS THIS IN
KEEPING WITH YOUR VALUES, SOUTHERN BAPTISTS?  MOREOVER, I WOULD LIKE TO
THINK THAT IT IS NOT IN YOUR VALUES TO LIE ABOUT SUCH MATTERS, EITHER,
RIGHT?)

Due to his familial relationship with the individual, the elders of Fellowship Memphis removed Pastor Bryan from any further involvement on the matter roughly two weeks after he notified them of this individual’s conduct. They did this to protect the victims by preventing the appearance of any bias (because the incident involved Pastor Bryan’s family).

(NOT TRUE.  THERE WAS NO CHINESE WALL.  LORITTS WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED, BUT
THE ELDERS TRIED TO GIVE HIM SOME PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY.  IN FACT, LORITTS
WAS ALSO ACTIVELY SEEKING ADVICE FOR HOW TO CONTINUE TO PAY RICK AFTER
HE’D BEEN FIRED–SO HIS SISTER AND HE WOULD HAVE MORE INCOME–WITHOUT
MAKING IT “LOOK” LIKE HE WAS PAYING A SEXUAL PREDATOR AND IN ORDER TO
DODGE THE GARNISHMENTS THAT THE CHURCH FINANCE GUY, BILL GARNER, HAD
DOUBTLESS BEEN NOTIFIED WERE PENDING AGAINST LORITTS’  BROTHER-IN-LAW
AND SISTER FOR GROSSLY OVERDUE SCHOOL LOAN PAYMENTS PRIOR TO TROTTER’S BEING CAUGHT IN PERVERSION.  SUCH FINANCIAL ACTIONS BY A PASTOR, LIKE LORITTS,  ARE DISHONEST AND ILLEGAL.  LORITTS AND HIS FAMILY HAVE A GENERATIONAL HABIT OF ENRICHING THEMSELVES ON THE CHURCH MEMBERSHIPS’ DIMES.)

Pastor Bryan confirmed that he wholeheartedly supported the prosecution of the individual, if the victims so desired, and on more than one occasion, he encouraged it.

(FALSE!!!  THE MEMPHIS NEWSPAPER DETAILS HOW VICTIMS WERE INTIMIDATED AND DISCOURAGED FROM PROSECUTING TROTTER, LEST IT “RUIN” HIS AND HIS FAMILY’S LIVES)

After being terminated from Fellowship Memphis and going through three months of counseling, the individual appeared before the Fellowship Memphis congregation, confessing to sexual addiction and improprieties of a sexual nature.

(LORITTS AND THE LEADERSHIP AT FELLOWSHIP HAD TO BE FORCED–BY THREAT OF
UNVARNISHED PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THEIR WICKED COVERUP– TO TELL THE
CONGREGATION.  THE STATEMENT RICK TROTTER READ LED NO LISTENER TO
UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAD BEEN VIDEOTAPING WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN VARIOUS VULNERABLE STATES OF UNDRESS IN THE CHURCH BATHROOM AND IN HIS HOME. HIS STATEMENT WAS EVEN MORE MISLEADING, WATERED DOWN, AND PARSED THAN THIS LETTER ISSUED AS CYA BY GREEAR.  I BELIEVE THAT LETTER HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN PUBLISHED AND RIGHTLY RIDICULED FOR ITS OBFUSCATION IN THIS BLOG).

INSERTED NOTE BY BLOG WRITER. RICK TROTTER’S CONFESSION CAN BE READ IN THE FOLLOWING POST. “Rick Trotter’s Alleged Confession of his Illegal Acts Before Fellowship Memphis.” 

A few years later, (IT WAS NOT “A FEW YEARS LATER” –IT WAS A MATTER OF MONTHS!)
the individual sought employment with Downtown Church Memphis. In evaluating this person’s candidacy for employment, Downtown Church asked to speak with Pastor Bryan about this person’s past. Pastor Bryan reported that he was fully forthcoming (BULLFEATHERS!!  I SPOKE WITH THEIR PASTOR, RICHARD RIEVES,  MYSELF, AND DISCLOSED THE THINGS LORITTS DARN WELL KNEW, BUT DID NOT ACTUALLY DISCLOSE) with Downtown Church about the individual’s past, disclosing everything of which he was aware regarding the voyeurism the individual committed at Fellowship Memphis. According to a joint statement issued by Fellowship Memphis and Downtown Church, as a condition to obtaining full-time employment status with Downtown Church, the individual was required to make a statement of full disclosure before the members of Downtown Church, in which he admitted to past sexual predatory behavior, specifically his history of voyeurism.  (IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT TROTTER HAD ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING AT DOWNTOWN CHURCH FOR YEARS AT THAT POINT–AS A “CONTRACTOR.” THEY ARE SPLITTING HAIRS AND INTENTIONALLY MISDIRECTING, BUT HE WAS LISTED AND PICTURED ON THEIR WEBSITE AS THEIR WORSHIP LEADER.  THE CONGREGATION HAD NOT BEEN WARNED AT ALL! TROTTER WAS ALSO WORKING AT CHICK-FIL-A, WHERE HE WAS ALSO TAKING VOYEURISTIC VIDEOS OF UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS IN THE BATHROOM.  WHY WOULD CHICK-FIL-A AND DOWNTOWN CHURCH HIRE A GUY THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN FIRED FROM HIS LAST JOB FOR TAKING ILLICIT VIDEOS ON WORK GROUNDS?….WELL, HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, PASTOR CRAWFORD LORITTS, SERVED CLOSELY ON A BOARD WITH PASTOR SANDY WILLSON OF 2ND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN MEMPHIS, WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE PARENT CHURCH OF THE DOWNTOWN CHURCH PLANT…OH, YEAH, CRAWFORD ALSO SAT ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CHICK- FIL-A.)

Tragically, several years later, the individual repeated his crime of voyeurism, this time at
Downtown Church. .

(IRONICALLY AND SADLY, ONE OF THE VICTIMS IN THE GROUPS OF VIDEOS TROTTER
WAS TAKING AND POSTING ONLINE WAS PASTOR RICHARD RIEVES OWN DAUGHTER! 
SHE SHOULD SLAP HER FATHER SO HARD THAT HIS GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN WILL
FEEL IT)

The individual was prosecuted and spent 60 days in jail as part of a plea deal.

(INTERESTINGLY…AND YOU CAN SEE THE STORY IN THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
NEWSPAPER…THE POLICE ULTIMATELY “LOST” THE EVIDENCE THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN
TO THEM.  THE WICKEDNESS OF THE COVERUPS INVOLVED HERE KNOWS NO
BOUNDS.)

 Although wholly forthcoming with Downtown Church about this individual’s past misconduct (AGAIN…NOT!  YOU USE THE WORD “WHOLLY”  TO QUOTE THE PRINCESS BRIDE, AND  DO NOT THINK YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WORD MEANS”), Pastor Bryan was saddened by the harm this individual’s subsequent acts caused to more innocent victims and their families at Downtown Church. (THEN WHY DID HE PASS HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW OVER TO THEM FOR EMPLOYMENT, LIKE A HOT POTATO HE WAS SO SADDENED THAT HE SENT A KNOWN SEXUAL PREDATOR TO A NEW MINISTRY POSITION WORKING FOR HIS FRIENDS, SO THAT HIS SISTER COULD HAVE A
CONTINUING INCOME AND THE “PRESTIGE” OF CONTINUING IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS.  PLEASE!!!!  HE HAD NO CONCERN AT ALL FOR THE CONGREGATION AT DOWNTOWN CHURCH.  EVEN KNUCKLEHEAD FELLOW ELDER, HAMP HOLCOMB, ADMITTED THAT TROTTER HAD A BETTER CHANCE OF KICKING A COCAINE HABIT THAT BEATING THIS PARAPHILIA.  HOLCOMB SAID HE DIDN’T FEEL IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT PASS TROTTER ON TO ANOTHER CHURCH, EITHER.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE LEADERSHIP IN TODAY’S CHURCHES?!?!?  AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD WHO SPENT THE FIRST 7 YEARS OF HIS LIFE LICKING LEAD PAINT WOULD MAKE
WISER DECISIONS!)

This is why we believe pastors demonstrating predatory behavior should never again have the opportunity to serve in vocational church leadership again. 

(IT IS PREDATORY FOR PASTORS TO IMMORALLY AND ILLEGALLY COVER THIS STUFF
UP, AS LORITTS DID.  NOT ONLY DID HE ILLEGALLY DISPOSE OF EVIDENCE –BY HIS
ADMISSION– BUT HE ERRONEOUSLY THREATENED “CHURCH DISCIPLINE” ON A
CONGREGANT IF HE WARNED OTHERS OF HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW’S PREDATORY
BEHAVIOR.  

While we thank God that in the cross of Jesus is forgiveness for all sins, we believe predatory behavior should disqualify one from leadership in vocational ministry for life.

(AGAIN, LORITTS SHOULD, THEN, NOT HAVE PASSED HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW ONTO
ANOTHER CHURCH FULL OF UNSUSPECTING CONGREGANTS, IF YOU SHARE THE
SAME VALUES YOU PROFESS.  MOREOVER, HIS OWN UNLAWFUL, THREATENING, AND
UNBIBLICAL ACTIONS WOULD CERTAINLY DISQUALIFIY HIM FROM VOCATIONAL
MINISTRY, “FOR LIFE” BY YOUR RECKONING.)

We grieve the situations at Fellowship Memphis and Downtown Church, but we are grateful for the convictions that have guided Pastor Bryan throughout this process. 

(HE HAS NO MORAL CONVICTIONS!  ALTHOUGH, HE SHOULD HAVE HAD CRIMINAL
CONVICTIONS STEMMING FROM HIS WILLFUL MISHANDLING OF THE TRUTH AND
PROPER PROTOCOL.  HE HAS CONTINUALLY LIED ABOUT THE FACTS AND
THREATENED PEOPLE WHO MIGHT EXPOSE THE TRUTH.  NOT TOO LONG AGO, HE
CALLED A VERY KIND FORMER MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH WHEN SHE LAMENTED ON
FACEBOOK THE GENERAL EROSION OF THE MORAL AUTHORITY OF THE
CHURCH…SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WHY THE DETAILS OF HIS BROTHER-IN-
LAW’S WICKEDNESS HAD BEEN HIDDEN AND WHY POTENTIAL VICTIMS WERE NOT NOTIFIED…LORITTS WAS INDIGNANT ON THE PHONE, CLAIMED HE HADN’T SEEN THE VIDEOS TAKEN, AND EXCLAIMED IN WILLIAM SHATNER-ESQUE OVERACTING
STYLE…”MY…BABY…SISTER…WAS..ON..THOSE…VIDEOS!” WHEN ASKED WHERE THAT VIDEO EVIDENCE IS NOW, LORITTS CLAIMED TO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. SO, WAIT, YOU ARE BESIDE YOURSELF THAT YOUR SISTER WAS SURREPTITIOUSLY FILMED IN PERVERTED VIDEOS, BUT YOU DIDN’T BOTHER TO FOLLOW UP ON  WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM?!?!?  QUIT LYING, BRYAN, GET RIGHT WITH GOD, AND HAVE THE DIGNITY TO TAKE AN UNPAID LEAVE FROM MINISTRY UNTIL  YOU REPENT AND HAVE A FEW YEARS TO REFLECT ON THE DAMAGE YOU’VE  DONE!)  Pastor Bryan is a gifted pastor (CORRECTION: HE IS A GIFTED “SPEAKER” …AS ARE MOST TELEVANGELISTS…HE IS HARDLY A PASTOR.  HE WAS TOO BUSY EARNING EXTRA MONEY ON THE LECTURE CIRCUIT TO ACTUALLY MINISTER TO VICTIMS IN HIS FLOCK) and church leader (AS LEADERSHIP GOES, THERE ARE FEW AT AN EXECUTIVE LEVEL WHO WOULD DARE MAKE THE CLAIM THAT BRYAN IS A GOOD –MUCH LESS, “GIFTED” LEADER) who has a great love for God’s people (UNLESS THEY CALL HIM OUT FOR HIS OBVIOUS SIN) and for God’s purposes. (HE IS, THOUGH, A SKILLED MONEY-CHANGER, AS HIS MILLION $ HOMES WOULD INDICATE).  He has been a leader in the movement of churches seeking to reflect the gospel through multiethnic reconciliation, a true reconciliation that demonstrates the power of the gospel to bring people together as one.

(AGAIN, I’D SUGGEST THAT HE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT DIVIDER, DESPITE HIS SERMONS TO THE CONTRARY).  He is also a pastor and leader who has been matured (NOPE.  STILL LYING ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP MEMPHIS DEBACLE AND COVERUP) by experience and demonstrates the humility( BWAHAHAHA…HUMILITY IS NOT A WORD THAT FOLKS USE WHEN DESCRIBING BRYAN.  THIS IS LUDICROUS AND STRAINING CREDULITY!)  that we all need to continue to grow in grace. Pastor Bryan feels God calling him to be here, at The Summit Church. He and his family look forward to making this their church family. I am thankful for his friendship and look forward to him serving on our team. Please pray for him and pray for The Summit Church as we continue to seek to make Christ known through a movement of disciple-making disciples and recommit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to reach all people.
_______________________________________________________ 
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY:
J.D. is either a complete fool or is completely dishonest (perhaps, entirely both).  I’d implore him to wise up before this blows up in his face.  He owes that to the good congregants of the Southern Baptist churches.  Like the lies told in the  Andy Savage case (also involving a Memphis pastor–in this case, one who had sexually taken advantage of an underage youth when he was her youth pastor), this will come to light (and unfortunately, that Savage case was another black eye on the presidency of the Southern Baptist convention, as Memphis’ own Pastor Steve Gaines was the acting president at that time and chose turn a blind eye to malfeasance in a local Southern Baptist church under his pervue).  Of course, the case gave momentum to the #churchtoo movement and was highlighted in the New York Times and CBS Evening News. It is a shame that mainstream media must expose and humiliate the church into change, and I’m afraid that will be the case here.  Understand, the leadership of these organizations do not cover up to protect God and His name (He is unchanged and incapable of being diminished by man nor “bad”  press); the leadership protect themselves, their falsely-earned reputations, and their
high-dollar earnings.  They are small and weak and are dependent upon unthinking sheep to do their bidding (and pay for their golf outings).  Do not be fooled.  You do not need them; the curtain has been torn (Matt. 27:51), and you have direct access to God without the need of a spiritual guru/celebritytard pastor in this world to intercede on your behalf.
You have the power to do Jesus’ work and overturn the tables of the lying money-changers in the temple.  Pharisees are real and among us.  Withhold your presence and money until honest reform and transparency happens.  Don’t let the church leadership spend another dime on fancy vacations and extra-moonlighting visiting pastors.  It is a con.  Instead, spend your money and time actually ministering to real people.  Buy a homeless person lunch, and share the Gospel.  Help a single mother out with a car repair to give her a tangible sign that God really loves her and has her back.  As it is, we are supporting criminals, charlatans, and whimps and propping up their excessive and immoral lifestyles.
And, yes, this is going on everywhere.  Either your pastor is actively participating, or he/she is silently letting it happen in all likelihood.  Nobody wants to stand up and take the arrows or not be invited to sit at the "cool kids" table in spiritual commerce.  I am tired of it, though.  I tried to let it go, but the wickedness and dishonesty of these guys keeps dragging me in; I have worked in ministry, but I saw too much from the inside, and it now seems that God has made defending the flock from the sexual predator wolves and the wolf pastors who cover for them my personal Ninevah. So be it.  Maybe it is yours, too.
It is beyond time to halt the madness.  Popular Pastor Bill Hybels has been caught
inappropriately coming on to and touching women on his ministry team and while traveling on his private plane.  Pastor James MacDonald was caught threatening his detractors by suggesting he and/or his stooges plant child pornography on the reporter’s  computer; MacDonald should’ve been hit in the head with a shovel for that wicked nonsense!  Pastor Matt Chandler at the Village Church (another Southern Baptist church) allegedly threatened a woman with church discipline for not abiding by her husband and his child pornography addiction.  Joe White, owner of Kanakuk Christian Kamps promoted Pete Newman AFTER he’d been caught running around naked with little boys on the kamp grounds and also allegedly pressured a woman to take back her husband who had pedophilia issues, but happened to be the pilot of White’s  private jet (what is it with these ministry folks and private jets, by the way?  And the pedophilia?  For crying out loud!).  It goes on and on.

None of these folks have the humility required to lead (nor the honesty).  It is one thing to make mistakes; it is another to wickedly continue in them and drag others down.  They behave like Lance Armstrong when confronted with his cheating in the Tour de France–they try to take down their accusers, rather than deal with their own sin.  When the Fellowship stuff with Trotter and his getting passed onto the 2nd Pres church plant began, I was warned by the Christian insurance agent who issues policies to the majority of churches in the area to run from these guys; they would stop at nothing to try to hurt me or my family–he said that he had personally witnessed an insurance company pay $100K for someone to lie on the witness stand on behalf of a church.  My response?  Why do we go to these places?  They are quasi-criminal mafioso operations that probably need to be shut down under RICO statutes. So I am prepared for the inevitable personal attacks.  Blah, blah, blah. It will be a sign that those involved are worried that the truth is being told, so the narrative will need to shift–oldest trick in the book (and so beneath those in the church with even a shred of real faith).  Someone on leadership at one of the churches involved (wisely) suggested that I store my evidence redundantly in various locations, as he believed if the churches knew what I had, they’d try to break in my house to get it.  Our (supposedly) Christian churches have become indistinguishable from the Church of Scientology.  If you can’t deny the truth, attack the messenger.  As a strategy, I get it, but I am over it.  I have had now at least 2 occasions when these cowardly church “leaders” tried to unleash private investigators to shut me up—if it happens a third time, I’m gonna introduce said leaders to a whooping like they’ve never seen.  I told Loritts years ago( when he tried to silence the truth about Trotter’s sexual predations and was going to have me unknowingly host the predator for a stay in my home with my wife and child) that if he ever wittingly put a sexual predator in my home without giving me a heads-up, the question was whose arse I was going to kick first–his or the predators?  I meant it, and he
knows that I mean business and can back it up.   Of course, the irony is that these “big-time” christian figures don’t have the guts to face fair criticism or questions head-on, themselves; it is far easier to get the confederacy of blind dunces to do their work for them.  Keeps their soft hands “clean”;  They’ll spin fanciful tales and assume their flocks are too unquestioning to ask about the obvious inconsistencies. The flock needs to tell these idiot leaders to do their own dirty work; a dunce is no closer to God for interceding (whether online or in person) on behalf of a false leader.

How do you know I’m telling the truth?  I would be happy to have a 1 to 3 hour debate about the facts with Loritts on the issue–broadcast unedited on YouTube.  He won’t  because he knows the facts are on my side, and like Lyle Alzado sacking the quarterback and beating him with his own helmet, God will humilate him.  Plus, he’s not only dishonest, he’s just not very smart.  Nor are the people propping him up. But isn’t Loritts a super-Christian?  After all, he is famous in those circles and his family has profited greatly from the pulpit.  Well, there are a couple of easy ways to tell who is the real deal:

1.  Ask yourself  which one of us ministers to people for free,  and which one of the 2 of us tells you that God told him you’re supposed to give him 10% of your earnings in order for him to minister?
2.  If Loritts called me in the middle of the night and needed a tow out of a ditch, I’d show up (now, I’d give him an earful of truth on the way home, but I’d be there)  You think there is the slightest chance in the world he’d be there for me, if I needed help?  Nuff said. So, J.D. and the gang at The Summit and Southern Baptist Convention, what are going to do? 
Are you going to actually try to put your Caring Well platitudes to work?  The essence integrity is integral-ality—your deeds need to match your words.  You can’t keep a man who continues to lie about his role in covering up sexual crimes at his church on the pulpit and live your supposed values.

Lest it be called into question, my goal is not to see anyone get hurt.  I want to see church
leadership restored fully; right now, it has less moral currency than a Venezuelan bank note and less spine than a school of jellyfish.  Are you going to do something about that, J.D., or are you going to just fake your way through another “Authentic Manhood” course?  I want to see the church body protected from the wolves.  Prove you want to do the same, or may God smote you.

P.S.  When halfwit Loritts tells you he knows who wrote this, you should immediately realize that the facts contained are validated by his acknowledgement.  Then, you should suggest he try to reconcile.  Again, I’ll be happy to do it via YouTube 2-way discussion or take a true, real, and tearful apology from him on the phone–but he’s gonna have to repeat it to a number of other victims of his and actually be sincere (which may include a willingness to accept consequences).

P.S.S.  If you do know that you are lying (and not simply naive), you should really refrain from writing explicit letters that are easily refutable.  Pastor John Bryson at Fellowship Memphis is no Einstein, but he looks like one in this case relative to his peers, as he took the Hogan’s Heroes Sgt. Schultz defense:  “I know nothing!  Nothing!”  Sure, he’s lying, but he’s  not hoisting himself with his own petard.  Playing stupid is not a stretch for some of you guys, but if you are going to be dishonest, I suggest dummy-ing up and remaining silent!

P.S.S. 🙂  I’m sure there are those who will think I should have peppered this detailing of the
facts with more scripture, but I’ll leave that to the scoundrels in ministry who are trying to twist their way out of sin.  The facts are almost too elementary to need additional scriptural
references.  For those a little slow on the draw, here is the Cliff Notes version for the cerebrally and morally-challenged in ministry:

1.  Don’t cover for sexual predators.
2.  Don’t lie about it.

3.  Pedophiles are bad
4. Churches shouldn’t hire people who intentionally hire pedophiles and sexual predators