DAVE MILLER & BROWN TRAIL EXPOSED
(The contents of this page are from the CD made available by Contending For The Faith)
At the start of 1989, Brown Trail had 8 elders. Four of those elders were sound while the other 4 elders were liberal (click here to view Brown Trail material). During that year, one of the sound elders (Graham Cain) had to resign because of health reasons. This resignation left a 4 to 3 split in the eldership (liberals to sound men). With this came a power shift within the eldership which forced Eddie Whitten to resign as an elder in early November 1989. When the remaining elders met without Ed Clark and decided how to inform the congregation of Eddie Whitten's resignation, they called brother Clark and told him what they decided. Upon learning of the meeting and decision which had been made without consulting him, Ed Clark then resigned (still in early Nov. 1989). This left 5 elders of the Brown Trail congregation. Because of the unrest in the congregation, on Nov. 21, 1989 a men's congregational meeting was held (click here to listen to the meeting). Shortly after this meeting, many members left the Brown Trail congregation and went to another congregation nearby.
This led to the decision of the remaining 5 elders to institute the reevaluation of the present 5 elders and install new elders. Dave Miller preached the sermon advocating this practice on April 8, 1990 (click here to listen to the sermon). The forms used by the Brown Trail elders including their rationale, the announcement from the screening committee, their procedure, and the form to evaluate each elder can be seen by clicking here.
During this process, Bill Clayton (then a member of the Brown Trail congregation) wrote an article titled "Doctrinal Differences or Personality Problems" which dealt with some of the things which the liberal elders at Brown Trail were doing without mentioning either Brown Trail or her elders. This article appeared in the April 1990 issue of Shield Of Faith. The publication was received by the members at Brown Trail on Thursday, April, 26,1990. On Sunday, April 29,1990, Dave Miller preached his sermon titled, "McCarthyism" (click here to listen to the sermon).
After the sermon by Johnny Ramsey on May 6, 1990, titled, "Attitude" (click here to listen to sermon), Johnny Ramsey announced the results of the reevaluation of the elders (to hear just the announcement along with the resignation of Bob Lauderdale, one of the elders not reconfirmed, click here). Of the 5 elders when they began the process, only 2 were reconfirmed. They also announced the intent to install one other man as an elder (also a part of Johnny Ramsey's announcement).
You can also read the May 1990 issue and the June 1990 issue of Waymarks which is the monthly bulletin of Brown Trail and the comments Johnny Ramsey made about the process they were undertaking and his commending the 3 former elders who had not been reconfirmed.
Because of this situation, along with others who had practiced (and advocated) this doctrine of reevaluating/reaffirming elders, Dub McClish was asked to write (and speak) on this subject for the 1997 Bellview Lectureship on Leadership (click here to read this chapter from that book).
In 2000, Dave Miller appeared on a question and answer session in which he set forth his views concerning the intent of marriage (dealing specifically with one situation at Brown Trail). There are two excepts from the open forum from June 21, 2000. You can listen to the first of these by clicking here, and click here to hear the second. Two weeks later (July 5, 2000) Dave Miller answered questions again concerning this subject. You can hear the first
by clicking here and the second by clicking here. Then on August 20, 2000, he again answered the question which you may listen to by clicking here. You may read a review of this position in editorial of the May 2003 issue of Defender.
Because of the controversy surrounding Dave Miller, he issued a statement dated September 23, 2005, which you can read by clicking here.
Likewise included here you can read the issues dealing with this situation from both Defender and Contending For The Faith. Defender issues dealing with this are: August 2005, September 2005, and October 2005. Contending For The Faith issues are: August 2005, September 2005, October 2005, and the combined issue of November-December 2005.
The following is material published by the Northside congregation in Calhoun, GA:
(1) Material dealing with Dave Miller's open letter
(2) The continuing controversy
(3) The exchange between the elders at Northside and the elders at Highland in Dalton, GA concerning "Apologetics Press," Dave Miller, along with giving and receiving as it relates to Biblical fellowship
(4) The withdrawal letter of the Highland congregation from Northside and Northside's response.
This led to the decision of the remaining 5 elders to institute the reevaluation of the present 5 elders and install new elders. Dave Miller preached the sermon advocating this practice on April 8, 1990 (click here to listen to the sermon). The forms used by the Brown Trail elders including their rationale, the announcement from the screening committee, their procedure, and the form to evaluate each elder can be seen by clicking here.
During this process, Bill Clayton (then a member of the Brown Trail congregation) wrote an article titled "Doctrinal Differences or Personality Problems" which dealt with some of the things which the liberal elders at Brown Trail were doing without mentioning either Brown Trail or her elders. This article appeared in the April 1990 issue of Shield Of Faith. The publication was received by the members at Brown Trail on Thursday, April, 26,1990. On Sunday, April 29,1990, Dave Miller preached his sermon titled, "McCarthyism" (click here to listen to the sermon).
After the sermon by Johnny Ramsey on May 6, 1990, titled, "Attitude" (click here to listen to sermon), Johnny Ramsey announced the results of the reevaluation of the elders (to hear just the announcement along with the resignation of Bob Lauderdale, one of the elders not reconfirmed, click here). Of the 5 elders when they began the process, only 2 were reconfirmed. They also announced the intent to install one other man as an elder (also a part of Johnny Ramsey's announcement).
You can also read the May 1990 issue and the June 1990 issue of Waymarks which is the monthly bulletin of Brown Trail and the comments Johnny Ramsey made about the process they were undertaking and his commending the 3 former elders who had not been reconfirmed.
Because of this situation, along with others who had practiced (and advocated) this doctrine of reevaluating/reaffirming elders, Dub McClish was asked to write (and speak) on this subject for the 1997 Bellview Lectureship on Leadership (click here to read this chapter from that book).
In 2000, Dave Miller appeared on a question and answer session in which he set forth his views concerning the intent of marriage (dealing specifically with one situation at Brown Trail). There are two excepts from the open forum from June 21, 2000. You can listen to the first of these by clicking here, and click here to hear the second. Two weeks later (July 5, 2000) Dave Miller answered questions again concerning this subject. You can hear the first
by clicking here and the second by clicking here. Then on August 20, 2000, he again answered the question which you may listen to by clicking here. You may read a review of this position in editorial of the May 2003 issue of Defender.
Because of the controversy surrounding Dave Miller, he issued a statement dated September 23, 2005, which you can read by clicking here.
Likewise included here you can read the issues dealing with this situation from both Defender and Contending For The Faith. Defender issues dealing with this are: August 2005, September 2005, and October 2005. Contending For The Faith issues are: August 2005, September 2005, October 2005, and the combined issue of November-December 2005.
The following is material published by the Northside congregation in Calhoun, GA:
(1) Material dealing with Dave Miller's open letter
(2) The continuing controversy
(3) The exchange between the elders at Northside and the elders at Highland in Dalton, GA concerning "Apologetics Press," Dave Miller, along with giving and receiving as it relates to Biblical fellowship
(4) The withdrawal letter of the Highland congregation from Northside and Northside's response.