Do Not Make a Covenant

Do Not Make a Covenant with the Inhabitants of that Land that you are to enter; else they will become a snare among you. Exodus 34:12-18Mount Zion has 115 years of wonderful and biblically-inspired traditions. The ability to navigate change is the reason that a church continues to grow over 115. For forty of those years under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney, Mount Zion prospered with a growth in membership and fellowship that consistently challenged the seating and parking capacity of its location at 19th and Madison. Upon Dr. McKinney’s retirement, he had positioned Mount Zion for the future, with a sound financial history, a legacy of youth and scholarship programs, a legacy of community involvement both in giving and leadership, and a local and national reputation that everyone now can only have moments of reflections about. In 115 years Mount Zion has had a number of pastors. Some have been endeared by the congregation while others created strife and disruption. But, the Lord continues to show favor on Mount Zion even in times of strife by strengthening its members in formidable faith and the ability to determine GOD’s will from man’s will.The past five years under the leadership of Leslie David Braxton, Senior Pastor of Mount Zion, has been an era of discord and dissension in this 115 year legacy. The past five years has seen a decline in membership, a revolving door of office staff, disruption of long-term friendships and in some cases marriages. Unlike Matthew 17: 10 The Parable of the Lost Sheep, this pastor has done nothing to find those members who have gone astray. Instead, in some cases he has rejoiced over the leaving of the flock and encouraged their leaving. Mount Zion has seen a number of new records, but few that inspire prideful ownership. Here are just a few of them:* During the past four years and for the first time in Mount Zion’s history, spending has exceeded giving and contributions. * The church is no longer contributing actual dollars to the scholarship programs for its youth. The tutoring and ethnic school programs no longer exist. In 1999, the Ethnic School had purchased $8,000 in new computers, but today those computers can no longer be found.* Last month, the church made public the members giving records while protecting its own financial records. These records indicate that approximately 45% of the members, some who were active contributors in the past, are now contributing zero dollars. * Members are challenging the new direction of the church set by Rev. Braxton with concerns that he is leading with a cult mentality by asking for members to be silenced in meetings, while saying that the congregation has the final authority. * Rev. Braxton is requiring members and officers to sign a Covenant pledging their loyalty and support to the pastor. (See Below)* Rev. Braxton is asking members to give their tithes to operate a church where salaries and administration are increasing at a record pace and are now over 65% of the budget and community and charitable giving combined is less than 5% of the budget. * Rev. Braxton attempted to reduce the salaries and/or replace several senior staff members of the church without prior discussions, while giving himself an 8% salary increase. * Rev. Braxton brazenly disregards Mount Zion’s Constitution in a variety of ways.* In 2005, Rev. Braxton is obligating Mount Zion to more debt by sponsoring a ministers’ conference. The costs are expected to exceed $50,000.* There have been admissions from the pulpit that the church is split and the constitution not followed but little is being done to remedy or re-unify the church as one body in Christ as biblically dictated.The Concerned Members of Mount Zion have been making a number of these issues public. Our numbers have increased as members have seen for themselves the contradictions, contentiousness, and contriteness of this preacher. A number of members who have been pronounced terminally ill have risen from their sick beds to attend meetings at Mount Zion and voted against the new direction and initiatives of Rev. Braxton. In some cases, Rev. Braxton does not even take the time to visit those long-time members who have been given a terminal prognosis.Some churches in our area have requested their pastor to “Vacate the Pulpit” because the pastors were out of step with their long-standing and stable congregations. In Rick Warren’s Book “The Purpose Driven Church,” Warren indicates that not all churches are meant for every pastor and every pastor is not meant for every church. (Rev. Braxton used this book for one of the classes he taught at Mount Zion.) When pastors are out of step with their congregations, they should consider leaving and starting their own church vs. disrupting the traditions of a long and well-established church.The Concerned Members of Mount Zion have discovered that “Due diligence” by the Pulpit Search Committee was never done when considering Leslie David Braxton. Had a background check been properly conducted, it is very possible and plausible that the history and reputation of Leslie David Braxton in Buffalo would have made it impossible to recommend him to Mount Zion. His past lawsuits, financial history, and alleged personal improprieties would have taken him out of consideration to be pastor at Mount Zion. Even when this information was discovered and presented to some members of the Diaconate it was suppressed from the general membership. Because of this suppression, we now find ourselves in our current state of affairs: another age discrimination lawsuit totaling over $300,000 in cost since his arrival in Seattle, a divided congregation, and a pastor who is leading our congregation with an alleged questionable personal reputation in Seattle and unanswered questions in Buffalo. As some members have given in to become Braxton supporters because of the fear that they cannot win, be publicly ridiculed, or removed from office, others are becoming more resilient in their faith by questioning this man’s leadership with being out of step with GOD’s will and God’s way. GOD does test our faith and sometime even in the face of ridicule, unpopularity or death we are called on by Jesus to proclaim loudly our faith. During the massacre at Columbine High School, a gun was placed to the head of a young girl who was known for her Christian faith; she was asked by the shooters, “do you believe in GOD?” Knowing that her affirmative answer would certainly mean her death, the young lady proudly answered, YES, I Believe In GOD! As she was executed, her testament to her faith became a witness to others in that library who lay bleeding, hiding, and to our nation. Her testament to stand up for your beliefs bears witness for each us. During the past church business meetings, several individuals who have been outspoken proponents against the changes that Braxton was making, conceded their beliefs so as to remain popular. We should all remember the faith of a young girl at Columbine High School who was willing to stand up for what she believed and said, Yes I Believe In GOD and in doing so laid down her life for her belief. What if Jesus had chosen his popularity over his beliefs? Did not Jesus also become upset and straight-away went and cleaned out the temple of those who were defaming and defiling that space.It is time that the members of Mount Zion stand up and speak up for its belief in GOD and tell anyone who is willing to put their words above the cross of GOD that we will not support them. It is time to end this foolishness at Mount Zion and call to vacate the pulpit. This test is before us!References: Legal Documents: King County Superior Court – Case No. 00-2-20353-5 SEA Titled: Laverne Hall vs. Mount Zion Baptist Church and Leslie D. BraxtonDocuments the alleged behavior of Leslie D. Braxton both in Seattle and in Buffalo New YorkThe following is a brief excerpt from a 27 page letter received from Shiloh Baptist Church and forwarded to select members of Mount Zion after Braxton’s arrival. They who later were asked to destroy the document: “Brothers and sisters, I come in truth. There aren’t any lies in this letter. Leslie D. Braxton, your Pastor, physically, emotionally and spiritually raped my wife.” The Mount Zion Leadership Covenant: “To pray for, speak well of, and cooperatively work beside my Pastor and fellow members of the Church’s leadership team.”Cult Leaders: The Story of Rev. Jim Jones and People Temple in Jonestown, Guyana The Story of Rev. David Koresh and the Branch Davidian in Waco, Texas Scripture:James1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves,”James 2: 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith alone save him?Matthew 23 Denunciation of the Scribes and PhariseesMatthew 24: 4- 6 Jesus said to them, “See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying “I am the Messiah,” they will deceive many.8 – 13 Then they will hand over your persecution and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many and because of the increase of evil doing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who preserves to the end will be saved.