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No amount of carefully crafted books can cover the lives torn down and wrecked at the hands of Jim Cymbala. His pattern of behavior will reach a tipping point; and I believe it has. The years of abuse is now and will continue to be exposed. The Church God Blesses will not be the one where the senior pastor is molesting his congregants. No matter what it looks like on the outside.
The abuse continues at The Brooklyn Tabernacle. Zondervan, the publisher of this and many of Jim’s books will have to deal with these issues.
Adding to the quote above by @HealedbyHim … no appearance of humility, no amount of “speaking as a wise and godly mentor” will cover the malevolent and duplicitous acts of Jim Cymbala.
Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 5:
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
What in the world is happening at Brooklyn Tabernacle??
We have to discuss this. Another church leader who has committed himself to a sinful lifestyle. This has got to stop, church. I didn’t think Pastor Jim was capable of this, but these allegations of abuse span many years! There are so many stories I’m reading on here that break your heart. He does preach quite a bit on division in the church and social media and the internet. And now he’s writing a book?
Does he think that this is going to stop people from speaking out? If he didn’t want division, he shouldn’t have been divisive. If he doesn’t want stories of his abuse on social media, then he shouldn’t have done these things! This is on Jim Cymbala!
This person is correct to quote Paul in 1st Corinthians. The bible gives us clear instruction on how the church should handle those who commit wickedness. These are allegations of LITERALLY CRIMES!!
We keep seeing the fall of these leaders because the pastors and leaders of these churches do not handle the sin in their churches. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” Who was Paul talking to? Even if that person is the senior pastor, it falls on the pastors and leaders of that church to do the right thing. I know the pastors at Brooklyn Tabernacle. I have spoken with many of them. If the associate and executive pastors at Brooklyn Tabernacle won’t dealt with it, they are, quite frankly, either pleasing man and choosing to vacate their calling to protect and serve the members of Brooklyn Tabernacle or they are integral to the issues there. I fear both may be true. Position comes with responsibility. If they choose to wink at sinful behavior, they are complicit.
Trust God, my brothers. Do the right thing. This has got to stop.
It is so frustrating- when will the people wake up?
All the talk about pastors leaving churches. What about the congregation? The concern for the people?
Is there no great cry for the congregation? ( And dont assume they are all lost because they stop coming church).
And where is the great cry for repentance?
Where is the teaching on ” you must be born again”?
The Blood and the Cross.
The good oldfashioned gospel message.
“You must be born again” and not just ” come to Jesus”. Nickodemus came to see Jesus and thats what he was told.
The people in Brooklyn Tabernacle need to wake up. They are being deceived by a “feel good” message and feel good singing.
I meant Nicodemus.sorry about the spelling.
I want to say so much- I dont know where I would start. Also,I dont want to overwhelm myself and to put myself in a place where its hard to come back from-for healing.
So I will only say that reading what everyone has said and knowing your own experience is really heartbreaking. That a church and pastors you believed in and trusted is so deceptive,such a farce!!!
I can only say once more that I guess the best thing is saying ” thank you God” for opening my(our) eyes.
Because truth be told,in retrospect,there are so many things that add up now- that one see,had thoughts about,questions about,or were told- that all come together now.
It is better knowing despite the painful process than continuing being in blissful ignorance.
What you said about the ” humble image” is indeed the key to it,especially to other pastors. I was in fact told- warned- about that. It being the key to the “lucrative” endorsements.
So much- as I said- that can be said. But I have to save my heart from being poisoned by any anger. So for me,I want to make it enough that I have said enough that is necessary to make others wise. I believe your last paragraph says it well.
There is coming a day when lies will be exposed and justice done. Truth always win. “Right never loses,and wrong never wins”(though it may seem to). And God IS Truth. It is just a matter of time.
The bible is full of lament, so we are in good company @Speakingtruth. Healing is not the same as justice though they may feel interwoven.
There are so many friends of mine, a few of them who are still congregation members, whose eyes are being opened. It is up to us to help our brothers and sisters who feel that something isn’t right at Brooklyn Tabernacle to trust their instincts. Their instincts are truly God’s Spirit in them.
Sometimes the story of what happened to us needs to be spoken. Sometimes to a trusted friend, sometimes to a professional, and sometimes to a lawyer. This is especially true for stories of abuse. I’m grateful for the resources that this site has provided. It helped me to know we are not alone.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I will be praying for your healing.
I like your articulations.
“Healing is not the same as justice though they may feel interwoven.”
This is so true. Indeed, as simply saying “sorry” is not the same as repentance. There must be a change in behavior.Paul speaks on “godly sorrow”. John called to ” bear fruits worthy of repentance”.
“Sometimes the story of what happened to us needs to be spoken. Sometimes to a trusted friend, sometimes to a professional, and sometimes to a lawyer. This is especially true for stories of abuse”.
That is so very true also.The trauma may be too much to handle alone and also for some kind of justice to be done.
Perhaps, “and even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees”?
“I’m grateful for the resources that this site has provided. It helped me to know we are not alone“.
That I believe is perhaps the best purpose of this forum. There is strength and recovery in knowing its not all a figment of your imagination. And you are not alone.
That is a powerful thought/ word.
Ezekiel 33:12-20
I find it interesting that this comes before the chapter to ” irresponsible shepherds”.
Brooklyn Tab cannot say it wasnt warned.
I somehow have the feeling that Jim Cymbala,in his heart of hearts,knows he is wrong,and all that is wrong with BTab. I remember the times he has said,in reading abt the kings of old who started off good but ended badly,how that scared him. I often wondered- why would one be so fearful about that? Was he being prophetic about himself? If so,why continue on the same path? Is it that he has become so “stiff-necked” that his heart is very hardened,cant turn back? In his stubbornness,has the Lord allowed him to be like Pharoah?
I feel somewhat sad for him. Yet,what victims have suffered and what the name/ bride of Jesus will suffer cannot be overlooked.
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