One of the benefits of living within the United States of America is our justice system (at least before politics sought to weaponize it). Not only is a man innocent until proven guilty, but Just Cause must be established before any of his actions may be placed under the judicial radar.
There are thresholds of integrity all along the way that place the burden of proof on the accuser/prosecutor while providing the greatest possible deference to the accused. Thus, not only must the process begin with Just Cause, but it must continue along a path of Beyond Reproach. This should be the standard for any institutional cause taken up against an accused. That if the Cause is Just, the process absolutely must be Beyond Reproach.
Does our endtime remnant Church work to painstakingly pursue their disciplinary actions with not simply the optics of fairness, but a process of integrity that is Beyond Reproach? Clearly the example God provides with Satan, and Jesus with Judas presents a picture that all effort must be made to give deference to the accused. Is that our SDA model, to take all measures of fairness possible, or are administrators and committees so certain of the Justness in the Cause that the process is a formality?
I would argue that the Biblical and even secular examples we have been given are; if the Cause is Just, the process must be Beyond Reproach. For the opposite is inevitably true, that if the process is not Beyond Reproach, the Cause was never Just.
During the recent series of events between the Michigan Conference of SDA (MISDA) and Pastor Ron Kelly of the Village Seventh Day Adventist Church (VSDA), which concluded with Pastor Kelly being placed on Administrative Leave, I often had a front row seat and witnessed much of what transpired over the final 3 weeks leading to Kelly’s removal.
The Charge
Much of the allegations of insubordination and bullying represent events and time spans when I was not engaged with VSDA nor was I a witness to. And though I believe these are interpersonal challenges between a mission leader and conference administrators, I don’t believe they rise to justify the series of actions and process I will later describe. Of the three accusations made against Pastor Kelly, the only one I feel I can directly address is Fomenting Dissent among the VSDA Membership.
Admittedly, I do not know the root source of this accusation, however, it was recently added to the series of indictments made against Pastor Kelly. It is my opinion, that the premise for that charge is due to the meeting between two MISDA ministerial directors and the VSDA collective leadership on Wednesday November 20th. This meeting was the outcome of a prior meeting held on Thursday, November 14, between a MISDA delegation and a small VSDA leadership team, convened to address MISDA’s unwillingness to provide Professional Liability insurance to the Medical Ministry Clinic. This restriction, as verbalized, was to stay in place until both Pastor Kelly personally and the VSDA Congregation, clarified their position on Conrad Vine and the actions of his independent ministry.
The meeting of November 14th, that ran for 6 hours, made exceedingly clear to the VSDA delegation present, that MISDA conference officials wanted Conrad Vine to be removed from roles of leadership and ministry (Religious Liberty Leader) at VSDA. It was because of this November 14th meeting questioning the position of the VSDA congregation that the November 20th meeting (MISDA Ministerial Directors) was held. This afforded the MISDA leaders to directly query the VSDA leadership as a whole, on if and why, Conrad Vine was supported at VSDA. During this meeting, very frank conversations occurred between VSDA leadership and MISDA ministerial directors. And for several hours approximately 60 VSDA leaders spoke in almost complete unanimity regarding VSDA’s stance of affirming Conrad Vine. Fast forward 11 days from that meeting, Pastor Ron Kelly is indicted, arraigned, convicted, and fired over the course of 4 days.
Before we unpack the MISDA “Judiciary” process I want to conclude my analysis of Fomenting Dissention. I strongly believe this charge came as a result of that November 20th meeting. How could there be so many like minded VSDA individuals that saw a set of facts conversely and in direct opposition to those of MISDA? If it was not for the likely actions of Ron Kelly to Foment Dissention, that behavior would not have been manifested (this was the charge).
I point to that meeting because, one, Fomenting Dissention was a “charge” added late in the accelerated proceedings (a week after that meeting), and Two, in my weekly, transparent, and strategic conversations with Pastor Ron Kelly, I have never heard him utter a single word of opposition to MISDA, nor has anyone come forward to substantiate the charge. Quite the contrary, many VSDA members and leaders have stated to MISDA officers that Ron Kelly never made any negative comments against MISDA. They were told that Ron Kelly protected MISDA in all communications with the Church and no knowledge of any discord was ever shared by Pastor Kelly to the Church or its leadership. And lastly, I believe it may have been due to the November 20th meeting because, that is the only interaction between MISDA members and the VSDA congregation that I have witnessed or know of in recent years.
When I suggested to Pastor Kelly that we should consider bringing forth our parallel ministries under an independent 501c3, it was Pastor Kelly that affirmed our positive relationship with MISDA and their support of our efforts. Despite the MISDA actions against Conrad Vine, there was never a hesitation from his perspective that we could work through the present challenges. If there is a witness to Ron Kelly having said anything negative towards MISDA, or to have incited discontent against MISDA, I say step forward and be heard. I believe there is no witness, for such an act has never occurred, and that this charge is merely the surmisings of confounded MISDA Ministerial Directors. Furthermore, I humbly submit, that if the November 20th meeting is the basis for leveling that charge, and the only witnesses of this claim are the MISDA Ministerial Leadership; I ask my brothers and sisters serving on the MISDA Executive Committee to consider that you likely have defamed a servant of God. And as our head elder stated, there is an Investigative Judgment underway, and no one is immune.
The Process
As I mentioned before, from whence MISDA engaged Ron Kelly, regarding his employment being under review. It was a matter of four days from the initial communication to the “dismissal.” It is not simply the duration of the events as is the process itself I wish to address.
The Indictment
The sequence began with a phone call from MISDA President Jim Micheff to Ron Kelly on Sunday, December 1st around 3:30 pm. The essence of the call was that he was being summoned to attend a meeting at the MISDA offices on Monday December 2nd at 11:00 am. It was regarding his employment, and he was invited to bring his wife. Prior to that phone call, no communications had been made verbally or in writing to Pastor Kelly that his employment was at risk.
The Arraignment
On Monday December 2nd, I drove Pastor Kelly to the MISDA offices where he met with MISDA executive officers and Ministerial leaders. During his meeting with MISDA leaders he was informed that it was their intent the following day, Tuesday December 3rd, at the MISDA Executive Committee to bring forth charges of Insubordination and Bullying (no mention of Fomenting Dissention) and to seek a ministerial move from pastoring VSDA. Ron Kelly was further instructed to be present at 3:00pm the following day to address the Executive Committee.
The Trial & Conviction
On Tuesday December 3rd, a small delegation from VSDA accompanied Pastor Kelly and his wife from VSDA to MISDA headquarters. Upon arrival we were ushered into a conference room while we awaited further instructions. Within several minutes we were visited by MISDA officers and informed that Pastor Kelly would be afforded 30 minutes to speak in his defense, and that 3 of us in the VSDA delegation could also speak for 5 minutes each. Pastor Kelly and the MISDA officers left our conference room and made their way to the Executive Committee. Just prior to entering the committee room, Pastor Kelly was informed that he may also wish to address Fomenting Dissention in his defense. This was the first mention of this accusation, and it was brought to his attention as he was walking in to present his one and only defense argument.
The MISDA Executive Committee is comprised of 17 voting members and 3 ex officio non-voting members. It is a MISDA administrative committee whose members are entrusted to address high level MISDA undertakings. The 3 MISDA executive officers are included in the 17 voting members. In the action against Pastor Ron Kelly, the MISDA officers and leadership team would serve as the both prosecution and the prosecutorial witnesses. The executive committee would serve as the jury, ultimately deciding if Kelly was guilty of the allegations made against him.
When Pastor Kelly entered the committee room to address the Executive Committee they had already been in session for two hours. The MISDA Conference, acting both as prosecutors and as corroborating witnesses, made their allegations directly to the balance of the Executive Committee, without the Defendant’s involvement or knowledge of evidence. Pastor Kelly knew only of the charges, not of the evidence or how it would be used to substantiate the allegations.
At the conclusion of Ron Kelly’s 38-minute defense, the VSDA delegation entered the committee room and were afforded the ability to briefly address the attendees. Though the committee is comprised of 17 plus 3, the committee room that day must have had nearly 35 individuals from conference employees to Union members and others. For an action to be decided by 17 individuals, the room was full of many non-executive committee members. We made our presentation and then left. I am not privy to who stayed during the approximately 4 hours of deliberations resulting in a 11 to 4 vote to support the MISDA action.
However, I have to assume that all the attendees remained to counter what had been stated in support of Pastor Kelly. If that is true, then the prosecutor, and the prosecutorial witnesses, was sequestered with the jury for 4 hours. If a friend was to describe a series of judicial events, like what I have laid out, you would assume it had occurred in a 3rd world corrupt justice system.
To my brothers and sisters on the MISDA Executive Committee (EC). I don’t know you all by name, but we have met as I have come before you for various MISDA building projects. Though we live in a world where we are often divided among ideological lines, I must beseech you, how does the sequence of events I have described seem fair to you? I would not wish it upon a pastor engaged in full apostacy, let alone a 35-year veteran who is deeply loved and admired for his service to his congregation, the Church and to God.
In this “Trial” the defense was afforded an hour to rebut charges they were not present to hear.
There were witness statements they could not dispute.
Contrast this to the multiple hours the prosecution was afforded including being able to rebut the defense’s direct testimony. A rebuttal that likely occurred in concurrence of your deliberations.
Just the optics of as many non-executive committee members, if not more, present in the committee room is a miscarriage of justice.
There is a reason in the US Judicial system that the defense must be made aware of all prosecutorial evidence (full disclosure) and that equal time is afforded the prosecution as well as the defense to make their cases.
And lastly but most importantly, the jury is sequestered away from any outside influence, and it is in the internal deliberation of the jury (no one else) where consensus is found, not from the presence and ongoing arguments of the prosecution during the deliberations.
Summary
In closing, I simply state that integrity is one of the few things people cannot give or take away from us. It is the internal compass from whence the Holy Spirit speaks directly to us. Set aside your preconceived opinions regarding VSDA and Pastor Kelly. Simply ponder: if the Cause is Just, the process must be Beyond Reproach. For the opposite is inevitably true, that if the process is not Beyond Reproach, the Cause was never Just.
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Daniel Bacchiocchi is an architect and president of Bacchiocchi Construction Services, Inc. He lives with his wife Michelle in Berrien Springs, MI.
