That’s the opinion of pastor Michael Newnham aka “Phoenix Preacher” of my labor in Lord here at Apprising Ministries. However, the one who needs to repent of his shame would appear to be pastor Newnham himself who says of me:

Ken Silva has responded from behind the safety of his no comments allowed blog... Here we see the character and integrity of Ken Silva…or the complete lack of both. (Online source)

Pastor Newnham really has no way to know why it is that there are no comments allowed at Apprising Ministries; does he. So how would this possibly shed light on a supposed lack of “character and integrity of Ken Silva”? Answer: It doesn’t. So is pastor Newnham going to move beyond his ad hominem attack upon me and now also say that every blog which doesn’t have a comments section will suddenly mean that the host of said blog hasn’t character or integrity and/or is fearfully hiding? Somehow I doubt that.

He shares his opinion that I didn’t interact with a statement from Leonard Sweet so that I could instead present my “evidence” of nothing but “out of context quotes on another ODM blog” here “in front of [my] readers.” Well how convenient; pastor Newnham doesn’t even have to bother with actually checking the evidence from Leonard Sweet Quotes by Sandy Simpson because, precisely as I said in Emergent Church Leaders And ODMS—Online Discernment Ministries, once the slur ODM is attached to someone they are then considered no more informed than a country bumpkin ala Jethro Bodine of the old Beverly Hillbillies.

So who’s that lacking character and integrity again? Pastor Newnham continues his rant with the following concerning me personally:

Instead of interacting with us here, he stays safely behind his blog and shoots off his bile filled posts. Instead of dealing with the real issue,which is accusing the brethren and dividing the church, he wants to discern between slander and libel. (Online source)

He again brings up A Response to Recent Misunderstandings by Sweet and says I won’t link to it “for the same reason he won’t interact with anyone.” Another peculiar statement; because it’s linked right there, and I’m reacting to him again here, in order to set the record straight. Pastor Newnham goes on to speculate:

If he did he would be exposed as both a coward and a bully…people might find out that the accusations had been answered and a brothers name had been smeared. This is sin…it’s gross sin and Silva needs to repent.

As a brother in Christ, Sweet has a Christian right to be dealt with in love and with charity. Sound doctrine begins with the great commandments…love your God and your neighbor as yourself. I discern a problem with Silva’s doctrine… (Online source)

Well, I don’t know about you but I certainly don’t feel I’m being treated with “love and with charity” while pastor Newnham tells the world that I’m a coward and a bully; and further, I supposedly also have no character and integrity because I’m nothing a sub-Christian evil ODM. So, who is it that’s in sin and needs to repent again?

See also:

Phoenix Preacher and How We Treat Bullies