Did Remnant Radio delete a video that put Michael Rowntree in a bad light, after he departed from Bridgeway Church in early 2024?
At the very end I explain why I write this post, even though I have never met the men named here. I rarely listen to their podcast nowadays, just occasionally. So why write this particular post?
Here is the Remnant Radio’s YouTube channel:
Here is their website:
Website for Wellspring Church:
Bridgeway Church’s website is here:
Joshua Lewis’s church:
Michael Miller’s church:
Michael Rowntree’s latest church:
Here is Convergence Church Network, led by Sam Storms, Michael Rowntree, Joshua Lewis, and Michael Miller.
Let’s begin with Bridgeway’s statement on why the elders and Rowntree went their separate ways. I inserted the spaces between the paragraphs for readability. The bold font has also been added.
February 2024
Most of the bold font is a quotation from Michael Rowntree. Call it his request or ultimatum.
The elders write:
“Dear Bridgeway Church Family,
It is with heavy hearts that we reach out to you today. Out of an abundance of love and affection for Christ and His Church, we want to share news with you that will understandably be hard to hear, surprising, and saddening for our church family, as it has been for the Church’s leadership. Yet, it is necessary in an effort to honor Christ and to love and shepherd you well. With the support of both governing and non-governing elders, we want to let you know that Michael Rowntree is no longer Lead Pastor of Preaching and Vision. It has come to our attention that there are theological differences that practically extend to pastoral ministry and church governance.
Starting on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, the elder board has been in prayerful receipt of an ultimatum, given by Michael stating, “If I am to continue as the Lead Pastor, I would need the other elders [all lay governing and staff elders] to step off the governing board, and I would want to appoint new ‘elders in training’ who would serve with me for the next year as part of their training.” Following this ultimatum, he shared a possible variance in which the current board would have to change the by-laws giving him the ability to override board decisions. Neither of these two requirements are acceptable to the board. In accordance with Holy Scripture and with our church bylaws, we unanimously declined to resign as elders or change the bylaws as he required. We do so with our own convictions and conscience intact. With respect to the actions we have seen recently from Michael and with the New Testament example of Paul and Barnabas in mind, we acknowledge that sometimes separation for the sake of the gospel is required. With sober-minded conviction, we believe that each local church should be governed by a plurality of elders and that no local church should be governed by a single elder or pastor, nor should the elders of the church be selected by one person.
Some of you know about a situation that arose this week related to our Inner Healing and Deliverance ministry. The elders chose to address some rightful concerns we have. All elders including Michael agreed with these concerns regarding IHD leadership. We had a unanimous decision by the board to act on these concerns. After acting, a disagreement of conscience arose between the majority of the board and Michael as to whether or not to continue to act on these concerns. Because we are a plurality, ultimately the majority view was taken. Unfortunately, this internal disagreement between the elders was inappropriately used to foster a false narrative as to our motives. Our motivation is to shepherd the flock with love and care with the ultimate intent for restoration.
In the days ahead, it is our heart to communicate with you and to offer comfort and support in any way we can. We are aware several people in the body have seen and/or heard things over the last several days, and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have. As the elders of Bridgeway Church, we commit to walk with you through this season, to pray with you and to express our deep love for you, Bridgeway Church. We encourage you to join us in prayer for God’s guidance and discernment in the days and weeks ahead.
We hope you will join us for a time of lament, prayer, and worship on Sunday morning during our regular service times. We also invite you to join us at 6:00 PM this Sunday evening, February 18, where all elders will address these recent events.
The Elders of Bridgeway Church
I had to find the statement at Fighting for the Faith on Facebook, posted by Brad Orchard, on May 28, 2024 (in the comments section). It used to be on the Bridgeway Church’s website, under Updates. I can no longer find the Updates page. Maybe it is in the Newsletter section, which does not go back to early 2024 for nonmembers.
But in early 2024, I did find the statement at the Bridgeway Church website and read it. I was struck by how it varies widely from Rowntree’s original (but missing) video. It also varies widely from Remnant Radio’s statement, next.
March 11, 2024
Remnant Radio published this statement:
Our desire is to always be transparent with our audience. As such, we want to advise that Michael Rowntree is no longer serving as Lead Pastor of Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church.
Michael concluded his tenure at Bridgeway Church due to a disagreement with leadership regarding the application of Matthew 18 procedures against a church member over a non-sin issue. The situation prompted Michael to feel that procedures were not implemented biblically, which led to bigger questions of church governance and application, and ultimately, a parting of ways.
For clarification on Michael’s position about church governance, please watch Remnant’s recent episode on the topic. Please keep Michael, his family and the Bridgeway Church body in your prayers. Thank you.
(Source)
February 28, 2024
Note their desire: “to always be transparent.” Were they?
The link embedded in their statement goes back to a Remnant Radio’s YouTube video on the topic of Charismatic Church Governance posted on February 28, 2024. At around minute 52:00 Rowntree discusses how he worked hard at talking Jack Deere into permanently stepping away from his church called Wellspring Church (so named by Jack Deere in 2004). Rowntree persuaded him. Deere left. It was a difficult and mature thing for Jack to do, Rowntree said.
Rowntree admitted he was young and in his twenties, yet he took over the lead pastorate. Michael Miller says that he was there for 80% of the process but had left before the tough conversations began.
I listened to the whole video, and the section on Deere was sugarcoated. And it says nothing about Rowntree’s departure from Bridgeway. Yet the whole purpose of RR’s statement and link to the video was “to always be transparent” and clarify his view on church governance, implying that Bridgeway’s statement was misleading or not the whole story.
For the record, I believe Bridgeway’s statement, since it quotes Rowntree. His new and improved version of church leadership in the Charismatic Church Governance video looks like hurry-up damage control of his image.
Missing Video?
I can no longer find a video that I saw with my own eyes, at the Remnant Radio channel on YouTube, very shortly after Rowntree left Bridgeway, before RR’s statement and the linked video. In the missing video he went into more details than he did in the linked video on Charismatic Church Governance.
Here’s what I presently remember of the missing video from two years ago:
Rowntree was disciplining (or discipling?) a twenty-year-old young woman, or I may have misremembered her age, but it was around twenty. This somewhat matches RR’s vague statement on March 11 about Matthew 18 and church discipline, but not Bridgeway’s statement, unless it is discreetly hidden in the paragraph on Inner Healing and Deliverance. What was Rowntree doing disciplining or discipling a twenty-year old woman? More information needs to be offered.
In the missing video Rowntree did not mention requesting or giving an ultimatum to the elders to rewrite the bylaws and then resign so that he had veto power over new, handpicked board. I noticed the discrepancy at the time because immediately after watching the (now) missing video, I searched Bridgeway Church and read its statement at its website (see it above).
Nor does the RR statement mention this strange request or ultimatum, and with good reason. It makes Rowntree look controlling and power hungry.
In the Charismatic Church Governance video, Rowntree does not even bring up the Bridgeway statement and why he left. Instead, the video was about Rowntree’s (heroic) efforts to save Dr. Deere from himself. Someone in the chat asked the RR guys to bring up the departure from Bridgeway, but they never did. I did a word search in the transcript and could not find “Bridgeway” in the discussion.
Next, I recall from the missing video that it took about seven to nine months to persuade Jack Deere to leave. He did not want to. In the missing video Rowntree said he has a big vision for the church. He implied that Jack Deere leaving was the first stage in his big plan. He also implied that his ability to persuade Jack Deere was a sign that the Bridgeway elders should have listened to him. As it happens, it seems (to me) Wellspring was just a steppingstone in his vision. Was Dr. Deere getting in Rowntree’s way? It looks like it.
Honestly, I had the impression that he badgered Dr. Deere, who finally and reluctantly gave in. But Rowntree’s tone is open to interpretation. But why didn’t Rowntree offer Deere a year-long Sabbatical, if he was going through a tough time? But who took over the church? Rowntree.
(I role-play this out in my own mind, putting myself in Rowntree’s place in my twenties. I don’t think I would try to replace Dr. Jack Deere. He is a former seminary professor, very knowledgeable in Hebrew and Greek, mentee of John Wimber, and victor over personal, earthly hell.)
In the Charismatic Church Governance video, Rowntree said his takeover (my word) was a tough transition, but Wellspring became a thriving, prosperous, vibrant church under his leadership. Of course it did. Or did it?
Yet I recall in another video, which I could in no way find because Lewis’s comment was only in passing. He ribbed Rowntree that when Lewis spoke at Wellspring, the Sunday evening service was full, even to the balcony. (Lewis often ribs him.) Lewis jokingly implied that he was a bigger draw than the lead pastor Rowntree was! On Sunday evening! Maybe Rowntree did not lead the church as well as he thinks.
In the Charismatic Church Governance video Rowntree criticized the elders at Wellspring as “elders in name only.” They did not attend or even hold elder meetings. The elders were failing. So does this mean that he dismissed them and found his own, handpicked elders when he took over Wellspring? Did he have veto power over them? If so, this would match Bridgeway’s statement that he requested or gave an ultimatum to the board of elders to rewrite the bylaws and resign; he would handpick his new ones, they would serve with him for a year as trainees, and he could override their decisions.
In the missing video, I recall that Rowntree asked his close friend Michael Miller if he remembered the discussions between Deere and Rowntree. Miller replied with a curt attitude and tone, something like: “Oh, I had nothing to do with that.” I got the impression that Miller didn’t like what Rowntree did. Yet in the Charismatic Church Governance video, Miller seemed so sympathetic about Rowntree’s plan to replace Dr. Deere.
I recall that the whole tone of the missing video was contempt for Bridgeway’s decision. How dare the elders disagree with Rowntree’s vision for the larger church!
Yet another video: I could in no way find it because it appears to have been recorded up in Kansas City, where Dr. Sam Storms was telling the RR guys how awesome Kansas City Fellowship (maybe Forerunner Church by then) and Mike Bickle were. Rowntree told Storms that Rowntree would become the lead pastor of some kind at Bridgeway in July or August (2022?). Storms said somewhat firmly he was not ready to leave just yet. As I see things from the outside looking in, this fits Rowntree’s vision for the larger church, and it looks like Bridgeway became another steppingstone to the fulfillment of his vision, after Wellspring, because Dr. Storms did step aside and let Rowntree lead. Did Dr. Storms stand in his way too? It looks like it.
I’m sure RR deleted the KC video and the whole series, after the terrible scandal broke about Bickle. RR has deleted many videos over the years.
Conclusion
All in all, I am compelled to conclude that the RR guys are covering up something about Michael Rowntree. They deleted a video that put him in a bad light–actually he put himself in a bad light.
Further, Rowntree has become a “takeover specialist.” He takes over larger churches others have built. That’s my (honest) assessment, from the outside looking in. Lewis and Rowntree are very strident to begin with, but Lewis is still likeable in his own way. I’m not enamored with Rowntree, as Lewis, Miller, Storms, and Deere seem to be. I’m more objective. Yet I’m sure others on the outside or even on the inside see the same thing as I do. Do they say anything?
Maybe the elders at Bridgeway would step forward and answer some questions. Was Rowntree disciplining or discipling a twenty-year-old woman? If so, was this appropriate for a man to do? Would she come forward too, if something went wrong?
Will one of the RR guys tell us where the missing video is? (I doubt it.) I viewed it and was surprised at how arrogant Rowntree was.
Or, if they placed the video behind their Patreon paywall, then they misread the content. It was awful. Why attach their statement on Rowntree’s departure from Bridgeway to a benign video about church governance? Why not pull the old video out from behind the paywall or storage or the archives? It should clarify matters. But I believe they deleted it because it makes their ministry associate and good friend look bad.
It was presumptuous to request or give an ultimatum to the eldership team to rewrite the bylaws and then resign, so he could take over and override the decisions of his new, handpicked board. It was a serious business to get voted against unanimously in this context. Why make the request or give the ultimatum in the first place?
The elders were right to refuse. They must have discerned how unreasonable and arrogant his request or ultimatum was. They must have been protecting the flock from him. Better still, they were protecting him from himself. God humbled him, finally.
In any case, back to the video. If RR did delete it, they have engaged in a form of a coverup to protect their close friend’s image from his miscalculations. Yet they (rightly) denounce coverups in other ministries.
So their desire “to always be transparent” has fallen short. It missed the mark.
In my post reviewing Dr. Sam Storm’s book ‘The Rise and Fall of the Kansas City Prophets’ (see the first link, below), I believe God led me to write a hard-hitting review, to wake people up about an old, obsolete, degraded movement and certain leaders over it. Towards the end of the review, I said I would not join the Convergence Church Network or Storms’ and Rowntree’s new church. After this post here, that assessment is now clearer and stronger. No.
Finally,
So why did I write this post when I’m an outsider to the whole thing? Simple. For several months I wrestled with God, but he would not let me drop it. I tried and tried, but it kept churning in me. (I even cut back on listening to their podcast.) I have to conclude that he was directing me.
And it is a warning, a living, real-life morality-ministry tale, to all leaders in the church, including me. We should never confuse our personal ambition with God’s calling. When we get ahead of God and our true capacity at various stages in our lives, he will humble us. It’s his mercy on us.
There. I’ve written it. I feel peace. Now I leave it in God’s hands.
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