SCHISMS, SECTS, AND BREAKAWAY GROUPS

JUMP TO SECTION:

2022: South Grove Church fails to leave ⇣
2024: Isaiah Church "disassociates" from Network ⇣
2024: Vine Church becomes "independent, local church" ⇣
- Audio of lead pastor Casey Raymer ⇣
2024: North Pines Church "ends affiliation" ⇣
2024: Hosea Church "lovingly ends" association with "nameless network" ⇣
2024: Vida Springs Church "seeks to have relationships with other churches" ⇣
2024: Christland Church claims "not affiliated with any Network" ⇣

PUBLIC RECORD OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AND OFFSHOOTS

In response to rising public scrutiny, many churches have concealed their ties to The Network, fractured into smaller sects, and scrubbed their websites of references to their past affiliations. This page monitors these developments, documenting how these alleged breakaway groups have addressed abuse claims, responded to our Call to Action, or demonstrated—or failed to demonstrate—transparency.

We call on these groups to email [email protected] with updated bylaws and documents that offer unambiguous and explicit details of their present relationship with The Network, as well as policies which demonstrate their genuine efforts towards reform. To date, we have received no responses.

2022: SOUTH GROVE CHURCH FAILS TO LEAVE THE NETWORK AFTER LEAD PASTOR OVERRIDES BOARD MEMBERS

After Steve Morgan's 1987 arrest for Aggravated Criminal Sodomy became widely known, the elders of South Grove Church in Athens, Georgia, noted "what appeared to be troubling inconsistencies" between the internal story shared by Network leaders and reports emerging from court documents, former members, and Morgan's former overseers within the Vineyard association.

Lead Pastor Bobby Malicoat along with non-staff board members Jason R. and Gabe W. sent a letter to the Network Leadership Team urging an investigation over whether Morgan had shown a pattern of untruthfulness. Their request for an investigation was denied, and the non-staff board members believed South Grove would dissociate from The Network.

Malicoat reversed his stance after returning from a lead pastor's retreat which was presided over by Steve Morgan. South Grove Church remained in The Network, and all board members except for Malicoat resigned.

READ FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS AND OTHER LINKED DOCUMENTATION →

2024: ISAIAH CHURCH “DISASSOCIATES” FROM NETWORK

On August 31, 2024, the Board of Overseers at Isaiah Church in Madison, Wisconsin, posted a statement on their website announcing their decision to “formally disassociate” from The Network. The statement cited “concerns surrounding leadership theology, church governance, and past decisions with network leadership.”

Isaiah's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Lead Pastor Stephen Putbrese and Isaiah's board failed to acknowledge the ongoing patterns of concerning behavior reported by former members of their church and other Network churches. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of Network attendees, members, staff, and pastors. When contacted by The Roys Report for comment, Putbrese declined to respond.

READ ARTICLE ON THE ROYS REPORT →

FULL TEXT OF ISAIAH CHURCH'S STATEMENT

The Isaiah Church Board of Overseers has made the decision to formally disassociate from the network of churches we have previously belonged to. This decision has been made with as much prudence, patience, and prayer as possible. During the last two years, the Isaiah Church Board has made multiple attempts and efforts to address issues and resolve concerns surrounding leadership theology, church governance, and past decisions with network leadership. However, these conversations and formal attempts have not yielded the changes that would be necessary for us to move forward. It has come to the point that we believe we have exhausted all avenues and withdrawing from the network is the appropriate action for Isaiah Church due to our biblical convictions.

We have many dear friends and acquaintances in numerous network churches and do not believe the problems we’ve expressed are spread equally across each individual church. We are grateful for the many godly men and women who we know are in humble obedience to Jesus across the network, especially to Vine Church in Carbondale who sacrificed to plant Isaiah Church. We pray that all will seek biblical truth and wisdom as they move forward, and only wish the best for all.

2024: VINE CHURCH POSTS THAT IT WILL BE AN “INDEPENDENT, LOCAL CHURCH”

On September 8, 2024, Vine Church in Carbondale, Illinois, posted a statement to their website announcing they had ended their "affiliation" with The Network. The statement asserted that they had changed their "biblical convictions regarding the leadership and governance of the local church." Vine also erased information from their site, including Steve Morgan's pivotal role in founding and leading the church from 1996 - 2004, as well as details about the 13 churches Vine had planted while serving as the flagship of The Network.

North Pines Church in Kalamazoo (Portage), Michigan, simultaneously posted a comparable public statement.

Like Isaiah Church's previous announcement, Vine's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Lead Pastor Casey Raymer and Vine's board failed to acknowledge the ongoing patterns of concerning behavior reported by former members of their church and other Network churches. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of Network attendees, members, staff, and pastors. When contacted by The Roys Report for comment, Raymer declined to respond.

READ ARTICLE ON THE ROYS REPORT →

FULL TEXT OF VINE CHURCH'S STATEMENT

Vine Church is now an independent, local church led by a plurality of elders under the authority of God’s word. We were previously part of a network of churches, however, our biblical convictions regarding the leadership and governance of the local church have changed in such a way that our elders unanimously agree no longer allows us continue our affiliation.

AUDIO OF LEAD PASTOR CASEY RAYMER ANNOUNCING THE DECISION

"THERE IS NO HUMAN AUTHORITY OVER THE LOCAL CHURCH." - CASEY RAYMER, VINE CHURCH

At an internal meeting on September 8, 2024, lead pastor Casey Raymer announced that Vine Church was exiting The Network, explaining that internal Bible studies led him and his pastoral staff to conclude the church must operate without external authority (50m 40s, line 626), guided by a “plurality of elders” comprised of Vine's pastors who would be “somehow selected by God” (30m, line 366). He claimed the move reaffirmed Vine's longstanding practice (30m 15s, line 376), but later contradicted himself by labeling it a “significant departure” from their current governance model (1h 0m 25s, line 739).

While Raymer does not name Steve Morgan directly, his lengthy repudiation of the Apostle’s role in modern times seems aimed at Morgan, whom other Network pastors have endorsed for his “Apostolic” authority. Raymer’s other remarks on leadership reiterate familiar Network teachings, such as his statement that following leaders is “joy for the leader and an advantage to the follower” (57m 12s, line 698), an idea echoed in Steve Morgan’s 2011 teaching, which describes it as "delightful” when “leaders are leading and followers are following.” Raymer also suggests that congregants who are “confused about what it actually means to follow their leader” could cause pastors to overstep (55m 52s, line 686).

Raymer did not repudiate his 2022 defense of Morgan, which included misinformation about Morgan’s 1987 arrest and praise for the “culture of transparency” that Morgan fostered, nor did he address the letter distributed on his behalf which dismissed allegations of spiritual abuse as “unbiblical, unproductive, and harmful to Jesus' church.”

EXPAND TO READ MORE

Consider the following examples from this teaching:

No external authority should interfere with the male pastors who lead Vine church. God has chosen these men to lead:

The Network broke away from the Vineyard Association in 2006 to restrict the role of pastoral leadership to men
- (3m 35s, line 54) - “In 2006, Vine Church and a small handful of other churches, most of which were planted by Vine, left the Vineyard Association of Churches over a disagreement pertaining to church leadership. The debate was over whether or not the office of overseer in the local church was reserved for men or was also open to women.”
The pastors at Vine Church determine church policy through internal Bible studies where they determine then enforce “what God says about everything.”
- (5m 20s, line 76) - “And we started asking this question — and the guys can tell you this. I said, “We have to know what God says about everything.” And so what we would do is, on Thursdays, for a couple of hours every week, we would go in there and we would say, “What does God say about ___?” and whatever it is that we needed to figure out, we wanted to know what God said about it. And that became sort of our process for leading the church.”
- (6m 15s, line 88) - It eventually turned into an opportunity to study the Bible on the subject of pastoral ministry. We asked questions, like … “What is the nature and extent of authority in the church?” “What does it mean for us to lead and for people to follow us? … And we began to nail down our convictions on church governance and on church leadership”
- (6m 30s, line 91) “…we believe the authority over the local church is not located in the trans-local church organization, but in the local church ‘plurality of overseers’.”
The pastors of Vine Church are given their authority of the local church directly by the Bible and their supernatural calling from God. Raymer does not explain how this supernatural "calling" will be identified, or by whom.
- (30m, line 366) - "...it's important to conclude: There's no human authority over the local church."
- (6m 50s, line 95) - “…we believe the authority of the local church plurality of overseers is not located in the men, but in the bible. Okay? Does that distinction make sense? Not in the men, but in the bible?”
- (55m, line 677) - "...the authority is in the word and not in the men. The local church plurality of overseers has a derivative authority from Jesus in as much as their reading quote “to his word.” So, what this suggests is that there is no human authority beyond the scope of the bible. It's important. No human authority beyond the scope of the Bible."
- (30m, line 366) - “I use that phrase the ‘plurality of elders or overseers’ as the ones who are to lead the church. … They are somehow selected by God and that identification has to be made known to the others.”
The board of elders who control the operations of Vine Church will consist entirely of pastors. All other board members will be removed.
- (30m 15s, line 372) - “So, the members of the church don't have a leader. But they have leaders, plural.”
- (8m 40s, line 116) - “…we don't see a 501c3 organization board of overseers as a Biblical category. Uh, we just see elders, overseer, shepherds, pastors, whatever you want to call them.
- (8m 52s, line 118) - “…we have ten — elder, overseer, shepherd, pastors. I'll call them elders or overseers throughout our time tonight. That would be:”
  - “Greg Darling”
  - “Mike Staff”
  - “Mike Stevens”
  - “Noble Staley”
  - “Josh Franklin”
  - “Brent Woosley”
  - “Peter Waring”
  - “Michael Andre”
  - “JT Weber”
  - “and myself” [Casey Raymer]

Raymer invalidates the role of “Apostle” in the modern church at length (17m 12s - 30m 30s, lines 216 - 376). While Raymer does not name Steve Morgan directly, his lengthy repudiation of the Apostle’s role in modern times seems aimed at Morgan.

(33m 45s, line 414) - “…it is a wonderful thing to not be led by any individual, but a group of called and qualified men…”
(26m 30s, line 330) - “You'll note that throughout the New Testament, there are no qualifications or job descriptions for the office of Apostle, only elders, overseers, and deacons. There's no appointment of any Apostles in the churches, only elders or overseers and deacons. Okay?”
- “Therefore, Paul's role in the churches in the New Testament, is not prescriptive for now, but descriptive of then. Okay. Prescriptive for now, meaning “what should happen now.” Not prescriptive for now, not what should happen now; but descriptive of then, what did happen then. Okay?”
- “We don't understand there to be Apostles, Capital-A-Apostles or Apostolic teams that oversee churches. But [rather] the local church plurality of elders, just like the ones in Ephesus who were commended to God in the word of his grace.”
(30m 15s, line 372) - “So, the members of the church don't have a leader. But they have leaders, plural.”

Raymer implies his role as lead pastor is to be “first among equals” and should be considered worthy of a “double honor,” including extra monetary compensation:

(31m 45s, line 391) - Some people have said, the lead pastor could be considered first among equals. Maybe that's true. First Timothy chapter 5 verse 17 says … “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching “— it is labor — “and those who rule well in the labor of preaching and teaching, he says, be worthy of double honor.” I think he's talking in the context about compensation. He's talking about not muzzling an ox when it treads out the grain.
“This idea of receiving honor is something that should be bestowed upon those who rule well, who labor in preaching and teaching, so long as they're preaching and teaching is according to sound doctrine, right?”

2024: NORTH PINES CHURCH POSTS THAT IT WILL “END AFFILIATION” WITH THE NETWORK

On September 8, 2024, North Pines Church in Kalamazoo (Portage), Michigan, posted a statement on their website announcing they had ended their "affiliation" with The Network. The statement cited "oversight and leadership of the local church" as their reasons for disaffiliation. Vine Church in Carbondale, Illinois simultaneously posted a comparable statement.

Like Isaiah Church and Vine Church's announcements, North Pine's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Lead Pastor Nick Sellers and North Pine's board failed to acknowledge the ongoing patterns of concerning behavior reported by former members of their church and other Network churches. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of North Pines attendees, members, staff, and pastors. When contacted by The Roys Report for comment, Sellers declined to respond.

READ ARTICLE ON THE ROYS REPORT →

FULL TEXT OF NORTH PINE CHURCH'S STATEMENT

Our Board of Overseers has unanimously decided to end our affiliation with our prior church network.

As we’ve been in process internally, we’ve consulted with external theologians and pastors, and this has put us on an increasingly divergent path regarding oversight and leadership of the local church, as well as the applications that follow.

Going forward, we are operating as an independent local church governed by a plurality of overseers under the authority of the Bible.

2024: HOSEA CHURCH “LOVINGLY ENDS” ASSOCIATION WITH “NAMELESS NETWORK”

On September 16, 2024, Hosea Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, posted a statement on their website announcing they "lovingly ended [their] official association" with a "nameless network." The statement cited "differing theological positions regarding leadership and local church governance" as their reasons for disaffiliation. They also stated the church would "pursue additional relationships with churches as Jesus leads, both locally and abroad, for mutual upbuilding and missional support."

Shortly after posting their statement, Lead Pastor David Bieraugel led a retreat for Vida Springs Church, another Network-affiliated congregation. This continued association calls into question Hosea Church's claimed independence and its affiliations with The Network and other breakaway churches.

Like the other churches which made similar statements of disaffiliation, Hosea's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Lead Pastor Bieraugel and Hosea's board failed to acknowledge the ongoing patterns of concerning behavior reported by former members of their church and other Network churches. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of Hosea attendees, members, staff, and pastors. When contacted by The Roys Report for comment, Bieraugel declined to respond.

READ ARTICLE ON THE ROYS REPORT →

FULL TEXT OF HOSEA CHURCH'S STATEMENT

Hosea Church is an independent, local church, led by a plurality of elders (overseer/pastors) under the authority of Jesus and his instruction given to us in the Bible.

Hosea was planted out of a nameless network of churches and remained a part of that network for just over 5 years. In September 2024 we lovingly ended our official association with that network due to differing theological positions regarding leadership and local church governance. Although our affiliation has changed, we maintain our shared faith in Christ and look forward with hope. We remain deeply grateful to the many wonderful people who have helped us along the way, the lifelong friendships established, and the invaluable support given.

Hosea Church will continue to pursue additional relationships with churches as Jesus leads, both locally and abroad, for mutual upbuilding and missional support.

2024: VIDA SPRINGS CHURCH “SEEKS TO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER CHURCHES”

On September 16, 2024, Vida Springs Church, located in Gainesville, Florida, posted an update stating they were "seek[ing] relationships with other churches" and were "not affiliated with any formal network." This statement raises questions about their current standing in The Network, which has long claimed to be "not a denomination, but like-minded in doctrine and style." It remains unclear whether Vida Springs has cut ties with The Network or if they are referencing the group's informal structure. It is also unclear whether Lead Pastor Tony Ranvestel remains a member of the Network Leadership Team, the governing board of The Network.

Shortly after posting their statement, Vida Springs held a retreat led by David Bieraugel, pastor of Hosea Church, another Network-affiliated congregation. This continued association further calls into question Vida Springs’ claimed independence and its affiliations with The Network and other breakaway churches.

Vida Springs Church's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Ranvestel and Vida Springs' board failed to acknowledge the patterns of concerning behavior reported by former members of their church and other Network churches. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of Vida Springs Church attendees, members, staff, and pastors. When contacted by The Roys Report for comment, Ranvestel declined to respond.

READ ARTICLE ON THE ROYS REPORT →

FULL TEXT OF VIDA SPRINGS CHURCH'S STATEMENT

Vida Springs Church is now an independent, non-denominational church governed by a local team of overseers under the authority of the Bible. We are not affiliated with any formal network, but seek to have relationships with other churches for mutual help, support, and encouragement.

2024: CHRISTLAND CHURCH CLAIMS “NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY NETWORK”

On November 21, 2024, Christland Church in College Station, Texas, declared they were “not affiliated with any network or group of churches” and deleted a page that had previously highlighted their ties to a “close-knit family” of church-planting congregations, united by the mission “Jesus has called [them] to in unity.” The ongoing status of Lead Pastor Sándor Paull, who has served as Vice President of the Network Leadership Team—the governing board of The Network—since at least 2018, likewise remains unclear. Paull had previously championed Steve Morgan as leader of The Network, co-authoring a letter to its churches that defended Morgan and describing him as possessing “apostolic” gifting for leadership.

Christland Church's statement did not address any of the allegations that had surfaced over the previous three years. It made no mention of supporting the Call to Action signed by 19 former Network leaders and hundreds of others. Furthermore, Paull and Christland’s board have failed to address the ongoing reports of concerning behavior from former members of their church and other Network churches, nor have they repudiated Paull’s 2018 teaching, which instructed Network followers to obey their leaders in all matters—even when the leader is wrong. No specific actions or policies were proposed to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of Christland Church attendees, members, staff, and pastors.

FULL TEXT OF CHRISTLAND CHURCH'S STATEMENT

Christland Church is an independent, non-denominational church. We are not affiliated with any network or group of churches. We value relationships with other Gospel centered churches to expand the Kingdom of God. We are grateful for the support, friendship, and collaboration with local churches in our community.