Ep. 443: Ligonier Ministries, Elevation Church, Liberty University, and Church Planting in the Pacific Northwest

On today’s program, Dr. Burk Parsons of Ligonier Ministries has been suspended from pastoral duties at St. Andrew’s Chapelwhere he is senior pastor. He is now under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery. We’ll have details. And, Elevation Church has fired its youth pastor amid allegations of sexual misconduct from a decade ago. We’ll take a look. Also, after 16 months of wrangling and civil suits, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania has officially left the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But first, a former Liberty University employee is suing the school for discrimination and retaliation. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Bethany Starin, Jessica Eturralde, Yonat Shimron, Aaron Earls, Brittany Smith, and Christina Darnell. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren:  Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you this week from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren:  On today’s program, Dr. Burk Parsons of Ligonier Ministries has been suspended from pastoral duties at St. Andrew’s Chapel, where he is senior pastor. He is now under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery. We’ll have details. And, Elevation Church has fired its youth pastor amid allegations of sexual misconduct from a decade ago. We’ll take a look. Also, after 16 months of wrangling and civil suits, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania has officially left the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Natasha: But first, a former Liberty University employee is suing the school for discrimination and retaliation. Warren: A former professor and investigator at Liberty University has filed a federal lawsuit against the school and its leaders for discrimination and retaliation under Title IX, the Uniformed Services Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law. Peter Brake is a Liberty graduate and an attorney who served for over 20 years as a U.S. Army Judge Advocate. He was employed in 2019 as a full-time Civil Rights Investigator in Liberty’s Office of Equity and Compliance/Title IX and as an adjunct professor. While employed at Liberty, Brake took a 3½-year leave of absence starting in January 2020 to serve active duty with the U.S. Army. He had moved to reserve military duty at this point. Natasha: What happened? Warren: According to the lawsuit, Brake’s absence was referred to by Liberty administrators as a “problem” because they were required to hold his position while he served in the U.S. Army. Upon his return in October 2023, Brake claims he suffered discrimination in violation of the USERRA. Brake also claims he was fired after making “good faith reports” about violations of Title IX and the Clery Act at Liberty. Natasha: In November 2023, Brake claims he told Liberty President Dondi Costin about the Title IX office ignoring grievance procedure requirements, noting that some cases had been sitting idle for a year without resolution. Warren: In an email exchange with Costin, Costin allegedly assured Brake that “your leadership understands that retaliation is not allowed around here, so don’t give that possibility another thought.” After Liberty reached a settlement agreement of $14 million for Clery Act violations, Brake said he reported more violations. He was then allegedly subjected to a “humiliating and unusual interrogation” by Liberty’s human resources department and other harassment. In May, Brake filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education against Liberty and filed a Title IX complaint. Brake was fired in June. Brake is seeking damages to his physical well-being, and his reputation, loss of career opportunities, lost wages and benefits, plus attorney’s costs and fees. Natasha: Next, St. Andrew’s Chapel has suspended its pastor Warren: Dr. Burk Parsons, senior pastor at St. Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, and a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries, has been indicted by a commission of the Central Florida Presbytery and is currently suspended from his duties at St. Andrew’s as he awaits the resolution of the case. Natasha: In January, MinistryWatch reported that Parsons was under investigation by the Central Florida Presbytery for potential violations of two ordination vows. Warren: Now, the commission has informed Parsons that he was indicted in relation to the two vows. The presbytery commission also suspended Parsons from his duties of teaching, preaching, and administering the sacraments as a teaching elder at St. Andrew’s Chapel, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In an email to the congregation, the board of elders, known as a session, of St. Andrew’s said it is supporting Parsons through the trial process. The email did not provide any details about what actions prompted the indictment or when the trial will take place. Natasha: Next, news from Elevation church. Warren: The Charlotte-based megachurch Elevation Church fired its youth pastor, Tim Somers, in late February for alleged sexual misconduct. Somers’ accused misconduct is with students in the youth ministry of Oaks Church in Red Oaks, Texas, where he served more than 10 years ago. A spokesperson for Elevation Church told The Christian Post that, “As soon as Elevation learned about these allegations, we reached out to local Texas authorities and immediately placed Tim on leave. “No charges have been filed.” It is still an open investigation, local police are still sifting through the case and are not releasing any information. Natasha: Next, a prominent Durham, North Carolina, megachurch is suing its local government after county commissioners rejected its rezoning request to build a new regional campus in a rural area. Warren: The Summit Church, led by former Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear, claims Chatham County’s decision violates federal law by discriminating against a religious organization. In the federal complaint, which spans more than 700 pages including exhibits, The Summit Church alleges the county breached the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by denying its plan to construct an 82,000-square-foot facility on a 100-acre parcel once approved for a retirement community. The proposal included a 1,200-seat auditorium, 500-plus parking spaces, a sports court, a children’s play area, and a large grass field. Natasha: Why were they denied? Warren: County commissioners and some community members opposed the development, describing The Summit Church as a “megachurch” that clashed with the rural character outlined in Plan Chatham, the county’s official land-use guide. Natasha: The documents add that other segments designated by the plan do not mention churches as a desired land use. The church contends the county unfairly relied on these guidelines to reject its rezoning applications, imposing what it calls a “substantial burden” on its mission to place a thriving evangelical church within fifteen minutes of every resident in the Triangle area. Warren: The Triad Business Journal reported that Chatham County Attorney Bob Hagemann has denied any hostility toward religious institutions, saying the county will respond to the legal complaint “through normal legal processes.” The county has until March 7 to answer The Summit Church’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which asks a judge to compel approval of the rezoning and site plan. Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, after a lengthy battle, a Pennsylvania church splits from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: After 16 months and two civil lawsuits, a church in western Pennsylvania has officially split from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church began its effort to disaffiliate from the EPC in October 2023 with a congregational meeting. It held its final vote on January 26, 2025, with 88% of members voting in favor of disaffiliation. However, the church had to wait until the February presbytery meeting to see if the EPC would acknowledge their removal. The Presbytery of the Alleghenies, the division of the EPC that had jurisdiction over Beverly Heights, met on Saturday, February 15. It voted to “acknowledge the departure” of Beverly Heights from the EPC once it received confirmation that the civil suits and complaints to the EPC’s general assembly had been withdrawn. Natasha: Why was this process so messy? Warren: Roger Rumer, chair of the presbytery’s administrative commission involved in the Beverly Heights dispute, called the interactions with the church “very unusual” and said the presbytery found the leaders’ actions to be improper and unconstitutional. Because the presbytery believes Beverly Heights did not follow the proper process for dismissal, the EPC acknowledged their departure but did not “dismiss” them. Beverly Heights pastor Nate Devlin told MinistryWatch, “We are grieved over this separation, but we believe it was necessary due to the rapid theological and progressive drift of the denomination. More than that, we are appalled that it took two years and two civ