Beware Jeff Bush
"I am writing this to you as a personal note, not publicly or for public distribution. After going back and forth on whether I should say anything, I decided that out of care and concern for your family I would write you. Even though Jeff has previously threatened me multiple times, I am not afraid of Jeff doing anything to my family now.
As your brother in Christ and as a former VBM missionary under the leadership of both Austin Gardner and Jeff Bush who both served as presidents of VBM during my tenure, please be careful of Jeff.
I believe God can work in people's lives and without His grace, Word, and Spirit I would also be unable to grow as a Christian into more Christ-likeness.
With that being said, I think you should know that I echo other missionaries who have left before and tried to bring to Jeff's attention the error of his ways.
Jeff is very likable and charismatic, however, I have numerous personal experiences and also retain an audio recording of Jeff lying and gas-lighting me shortly after he installed himself as president, absorbed the OGTC, and removed me after I questioned the morality and expressed my concern regarding leadership decisions. He was very angry that I had recorded evidence of him...
He tends to present one side and discourage discourse with others who may reveal negative things or paint him in a bad light.
Just so that you are aware, I have observed Jeff:
- Manipulating and gas-lighting
- Being a scorner and brutish (hating reproof, blame-shifting)
- Silencing dissent and discouraging questions
- Ad hominem arguments being used against people's character to purposefully invalidate legitimate claims, observations, and concerns regarding sinful tendencies and behaviors
- Deceiving and being dishonest with VBM missionaries and staff regarding why/how missionaries previously left including Austin Gardner (and 10+ other missionaries who left during my tenure) and issues of sin (eg. hiding, covering up, minimizing sinful behavior)
- Caring more about eye-service, man-pleaser (opinions, reputation, money, and optics more important than doing what is right)
One of the last phone calls I had with Jeff was 2 hours long. As I tried to express my concerns about his sinful and dangerous behavior, he started out cordial but ended angrily and did not want to hear anymore once he realized his tactics were not working. He refused to talk more without deacons present. In that same phone call he lied multiple times, threatened me, made himself "the victim," and then angrily and abruptly ended our discussion because he didn't want to hear anymore about the sin problems he had. He assumed and pressured me to declare my resignation prior to my expressing it. I had called about addressing his sin issues, not to resign when I called him.
The deacons are aware of my concerns about Jeff and how other missionaries had also expressed their concerns in letters and Andrew Pearson has heard more specifics of how badly my call with Jeff went.
The deacons asked if I wanted to pursue Matthew 18 with Jeff and even though I could have, I decided to not pursue that course of action deciding it wasn't worth more risk for my family as we were under enough emotional and mental stress already.
The day after my last phone call with Jeff, Trent told me on the phone that Jeff and VBM basically told me I had to resign that day or they would remove me and cut off my support immediately the next day (even though I had no moral failure, did not change doctrinally, and was still under the oversight of VBC as our home/ sending church), so I sent my resignation letter that day on March 3.
I've attached a document that includes what Ben shared with the deacons of VBC as well as other resignation letters from previous VBM missionaries who left prior to August 3, 2021. After reading these, I was so shocked that I had to call Jeff because I could not believe that he had received the previous letters and done nothing except speak badly about the missionaries discouraging me from talking to them, including doing the exact thing that Tyler had asked him not to, thereby lying about why Tyler (and others) had left...
You will find by reading these resignation letters and if you speak to those who left VBM as I have called and spoken with them) that Jeff was very aware of the accusations against Austin and Jeff previously. And he has deceived others regarding why previous missionaries have left, thereby keeping people in the dark.
The actions throughout the investigation and the months leading up to our resignation and in the months since our resignation, I believe that the problems in VBM leadership continue and grow increasingly worse.
I understand the concerns regarding support and finances for the ministry, but thought if I were in the same position that I would want to make the best and most informed decision for the well-being of my family.
May God continue to bless you and protect your family.
Please be careful with Jeff Bush.
Your friend, "Bradley"