20+ Vision Church Members

Vision Church Members (Past or Present)

• "I actually believe all the allegations. I really do. Call me gullible but she described his character way to perfectly to not believe it"

• "I also dont attend anymore for a lot of the reasons you stated in your resignation letter. "

• "Thank you for sharing your story and taking the time to carefully detail VBM’s response to allegations against Austin Gardner. It must have taken a lot of courage and time to write that. You put to words what so many people couldn’t quite express. ...

  As soon as the accusations came out about Austin Gardner last month, I didn’t have a hard time believing them. While I have never been witness to any sexual misconduct at VBC and VBM, the general character of AG and the culture he created at VBM seemed very much in line with what Becky Earnheart shared.

  I completely understand and agree with you. You correctly captured the culture of VBM—one of cover-ups and man-worshipping.

  You’re not crazy. My family and I sensed it too—something’s wrong. And someone has to call it out.

  Will they listen?"

• "I don't think any of it is quite right..."

• "I’m starting to realize that the toxic culture of Vision is more embedded than I thought it had been. **** and I have spoken at lengths about the abuse that she underwent at Vision and that has given me more pause to seriously believe the allegations than I think I would have naturally. I’m reaching out to you, one because you’re my friend, but also because after reading your resignation letter I can finally put a finger on some of the reservations I had to accepting the accusations. I won’t mince words, Vision Baptist missions is a toxic environment. I went in when I was young, unlearned, and inexperienced. They taught me the Bible and I loved it. They made me feel special. They gave me some of my best friends (some of whom are still my friends). But I cannot defend a culture and an environment demands unquestioned conformity, discourages alternate perspectives and mocks honest criticism."

• "We are former members of VBC and know you as Vision’s missionaries. Your recent statement about leaving VBM and resigning as a missionary is a very brave decision. Thank you for bringing to the light what was going on. You wrote about non-missionary members of VBC and it is very much correct."

• "We left Vision many years ago, partly due to the cultural issues you mentioned, so I had no idea of what's been happening there lately. If even some of what you say is true, it's very concerning, but given my own observations I'm certainly not inclined to doubt you."

• "Thank you for sharing this. Mainly, **** and I just wanted you all to know that not everyone will hate you for being forthright about what is and has been going on."

• "Everything you said was spot on, I’ve suspected for years about the sexual abuse, the church is way different from when we all started in that building, I felt so disconnected in church that if I wasn’t about the leadership ... I just felt so disconnected. So worthless that I had to walk away when I did. The hate continued when I left. ... I full back you on your statement. I felt like you hit everything on the head. I feel like him stepping down for "health issues" was a stepping stone for the allegations to come out or be less of a concern."

• I am so sorry for everything you all are going through. I think you for being brave and for standing up for it. I am terrible with words, but you articulated so well so many of the same thoughts I’ve had for years but just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  ...

  We left vision about # years ago for a lot of the reasons you described in your post. The first Sunday I was in our new church, I literally ugly cried through the whole worship service because I just felt God’s goodness and love, which I feel I had been missing for so long in my life. My soul felt free and for the first time in years, my heart began to heal and I fell in love with God all over again.

• "Thank you for being brave enough to be the voice of reason, the one to speak up.

  I am still processing everything that I went through down in Georgia, but it wasn't good and it wasn't right, and I kinda knew that even at the time. There are so many things that were said in Friday class that I keep going over in my mind, that I should've spoken up on...

  But heck, one time when I corrected him on something he said that was literally just completely factually false (he said that kids you have overseas will automatically be citizens of the country they're born in, which is true in Latin America but not all other parts of the world), I was scorned and mocked, even though I was literally factually and provably right. How could I then stand up to him on something where there are shades of gray, and where you can gaslight and reframe and dance around the truth?

  I wish I'd said something when he suggested in front of everyone that I was homosexual because I was... eating penne pasta.

  I wish I'd said something when he offered me a ministry position, I prayed about it and turned him down, and then heard him say in Friday class, "You know why I made Jimmy the Spanish church pastor? Nobody else I talked to said 'I'll do whatever you say'. " I wish I would've spoken up in that Friday class and said "With that attitude, how do you cultivate an attitude that following God is more important than following you?"

  I wish I'd have said something on the day I visited Vision for the first time, when - I kid you not - Austin brought up the situation in Cartersville when this woman - well, she was a girl then - was abused by a deacon... and Austin said how he just moved the deacon to another church. I was astonished that he didn't contact the police. I did say something that day - I should've said a whole lot more.

  Thank you for being the voice for those of us who were too distant, too weak, too hurt, too scared, or too removed from the inner circle to say anything. You actually HAVE something to lose - you have a LOT to lose - and you've spoken up anyway."

• "If I'm being honest, I thought there were more than a few weird, and blatantly contradictory, things about VBC and Brother Austin in particular, even during the short year I was there in 2011; though I didn't think it was my place to say or challenge anything."

• "Just wanted to reach out and tell you thank you for making that very public decision."

• "Praying for you as you transition out of VBM… super thankful for the many who have realized and actually done something about the ridiculousness there."