Doug Cotton Restored By City Church To Aberdeen
This article at The Daily World outlines how the City Church is supporting a pastor ousted by the elders of his church for anger issues in accordance with Paul’s teaching:
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 1 Timothy 3:1-3
I find it interesting that you don’t need to follow the rules if you have the right friends with enough money and power.
I listened to the sermon by Doug Cotton at the City Church called “The God of Breakthrough“. I think if you are going to be an MFI pastor you must preach this exact sermon 100 times before you can plant a church. I can’t distinguish this sermon from most other ones I heard at TCC.
I am not surprised by the “Good ‘ol Boys” club planting a church in competition with the one Cotton left. It reminds me of how Tully’s would place their stores across the street from Starbucks to attract coffee drinkers…I guess MFI needs a revenue center in that area.
What does surprise me is how the “church” has a lawyer as a spokes person. Astounding to me.
See articles about this subject below, I think enough has been said at those locations:
An Inside Look at MFI (City Business Church)
Elders ask Popular Pastor to Resign over Anger Problem (The Daily World)
Lawyers make a bad situation worse (City Business Church)
From what I have read, it seems to me the local eldership had things under control by removing a pastor for biblical reasons. Wendell didn’t like the fact his friend of 30 years (see Daily World article) was getting canned so he sent in the big guns, didn’t get what he liked and now they are planting a competing church in the area.
I wonder if the tithers who are flipping the bill for this ousted pastor’s new church know the full story behind what happened there? Something tells me they are left in the dark.
Shameful.
<Hat Tip City Business Church>
Tags: Aberdeen, Doug Cotton
September 12th, 2007 at 11:51 am
[...] think having Doug preach such a sermon is ironic. If you don’t know why, see this article. The article will explain why Doug doesn’t talk much about the sin of the [...]
September 18th, 2007 at 12:14 am
This kind of behavior truely freaks me out! It seems so clear what is going on. This is a church, where the love of the Lord is meant to be taught using SCRIPTURE. There is so much money, politics and unhealthy subtlties that come with being a part of this church. So clearly, Mr. Cotton is not a man to recieve correction, and now Wendell supports that “rebellion” by coming alongside him with his lawyers? Don’t get me wrong, I honestly wish that this wasn’t real, yet it once again confirms why we left the chuch. It’s not about Christs love anymore, it’s other stuff. It really burdens my heart, and I need to pray more for these people…but it’s hard to not want it to all come to light, the ill motives and double standards. I don’t disagree with your creating this page Craig, in fact I think it’s wonderful and your faith in God and desire to have the hope of the world rightfully portraid is admirable. Still, it’s just hard to see what happens when the truth is confronted. It would be awesome if the offender was broken and cried for mercy, as we all must when confronted with our sin and need for forgiveness…but so often denile and power are more appealing, naturally, blaim the offended for not doing their part. Blaimshifting, we can all do it, but to what extent? The results are often more humiliating than if there was initial remorse. God and people seem forgiving when it comes to confession, it’s denile that is the danger zone. We all mess up, we all have sin, but as believers, we have to face that truth inorder for our lives to be a testimony of the amazing love of God and forgivenes in Christ. If you truely believe there are ways around humility and brokeness, SCARY! Especially if you use scripture to justify your position…to dig yourself in deeper if you will. Thank you for this page and being willing to accept feedback on your approach. It’s got your personal edge, but it’s the truth, and it’s important that it be made available. This is my personal opinon, and I have nothing to back me up, just a gut level sense that it’s right for what is being presented as truth to be challenged. God has always been big enough and good enough to allow me to wrestle with His word and ways…He is good.
September 18th, 2007 at 7:30 am
It also saddens me to see this type of stuff harming the people trying to follow Jesus Christ. My goal with this web site isn’t to antagonize those who still attend the city church, but to provide a biblical answer to those who sense something is wrong and want to know the biblical alternative to what is taught.
I don’t take these doctrines lightly, but unfortunately so many do even though Paul told Timothy to guard his doctrine because it will save his soul and those who listen to him. He also taught a little leaven will leaven a whole lump, and unfortunately we can see this happening before our very eyes to the point where a non-believer is brought in to teach the church how they can be rich. At that point, I would ask who they are serving…God or mammon.
Sorry for the rant, but I just pray people will open their eyes and see the false teachings for what they are…destructive.
July 17th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
SINCE WHEN ARE BIBLE BELIEVING, JESUS FOLLOWING CHURCHES CONSIDERED COMPETITION???? ARE WE NOT ALL SUPPOSED TO BE PREACHING THE GOSPEL, LOVING OTHERS AND EXTENDING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? THIS IS RIDICULOUS, SPITEFUL AND SINFUL GOSSIP. I FEEL AS THOUGH I HAVE SQUANDERED THE GIFT OF TIME THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN ME BY READING WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN. I LOVE PASTOR DOUG AND COMPLETELY TRUST HE AND LOIS. I NOT ONLY FIND THEM TO BE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE BUT HAVE WITNESSED PASTOR DOUGS VERY PUBLIC APOLOGIES AND SEEN HIS HEART REGARDING HIS BEHAVIOR AND HIS ROAD TO RECOVERY. PEOPLE WHO TALK ABOUT HIM DONT REALIZE THAT HE WENT TO OVER 1000 HOURS OF COUNSELING. I DONT KNOW VERY MANY PEOPLE OR PASTORS WHO HAVE GONE TO THOSE LENGTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE REALLY CHANGED AND ARE READY TO DO ALL THAT GOD HAS CALLED THEM TO DO.
AND WHAT REALLY AMAZES ME IS THAT PASTOR DOUG AND LOIS HAVE CONTINUALLY TAKEN THE HIGH ROAD. THEY HAVE MADE SINCERE APOLOGIES WHEN NEEDED AND NEVER HELD A GRUDGE OR COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE HURT THEM DURING THE PROCESS. THEY CONTINUE TO LOVE CLF AND THEY CONTINUE TO PRAY THAT CLF WILL GROW AND BE BLESSED AS WELL AS PRAY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY HEAR ARE SICK OR GOING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES THERE. WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LOVING AND FAITHFUL.
I SINCERELY THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY PRAYERFUL AND CAREFUL WITH WHAT WE SAY ABOUT OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT GOD APPOINTS AS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY OVER US. I REALLY DONT BELIEVE THAT OUR LORD TAKES ANY OF THIS LIGHTLY, DO YOU?
AND JUST TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT… I AM A FAITHFUL MEMBER OF HARBOR CITY CHURCH AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD A NON BELIEVER COME IN TO TEACH ABOUT MONEY. AND I NEVER LISTEN TO A PASTOR WITHOUT FOLLOWING IT UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHING LINES UP WITH SCRIPTURE. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT PASTOR DOUG CONTINUES TO PREACH THE TRUE WORD OF GOD WITH ALMOST 300 PEOPLE BEING BLESSED BY IT WEEKLY. IF HIS PREACHING DIDN’T LINE UP I WOULD THINK THAT A FEW OF THOSE 300 WOULD BE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT.
July 17th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Hello Cyndie,
Next time you write on a blog and want someone to take you seriously…don’t use all CAPS. Its hard to read.
Cyndie, his own elders removed him for biblical reasons…and then he opens shop in the same town with the full support of the City Church? That seems more like ego than love. Seems suspect of trying to get a following after yourself rather than persuing reconciliation in humility. From my understanding he caused quite a bit of harm to the church before he was kicked out. Not only that, he threatened legal action using the City Church on staff lawyer. You can tell a tree by its fruit.
If he is given to fits of rage…take a deacon position or get a job in the marketplace and take the time to show you have healed and have the biblical charactaristics of a pastor. You don’t have to be head pastor to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.
If you want to follow him, that’s your choice.