You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run-The Gambler
Kenny Rogers
Earl Blackburn, Pastor, past Chairman of the ARBCA Administrative Council and one of the chief men involved in covering up the crimes of former ARBCA Pastor Tom Chantry has retired. ARBCA leaders James Renihan and Steve Martin spoke at Blackburn’s final service. Blackburn will be moving back to North Carolina, the state he was born and raised in. Corey Smith will be replacing Blackburn.
Below is a short section from Steve Martin’s speech.
I classify Blackburn’s retirement as a good start. There are several other corrupt ARBCA leaders that need to follow suit if ARBCA intends to survive. (See Anthony Battaglia’s blog article “Who is ARBCA?” for some hints.)
John Giarrizzo and Earl Blackburn, 2 of Tom Chantry’s top advocates.
As my final tribute to Earl Blackburn, I will leave you with this example of his hypocrisy and bias towards Tom Chantry.
“The Informal Council members consider this pattern of behavior to be very serious. Taken in its entirety, the question must be raised, did Thomas Chantry use this method of punishment for his own pleasure.”
-Confidential Report and Recommendations of the Informal Council of the Reformed Baptist Churches of America
December 13, 2000, to December 16, 2000
“Since you, Don Lindblad and Tom Chantry all thought that matters had not been properly handled, you should have called for a formal council. It is my belief that had that been done, Tom Chantry would have been found guilty and formal legal charges would have been filed by the parents of some of the abused children. There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Chantry would have been found guilty in a legal proceeding and may even be in jail today… You should have insisted on a formal council. If you had I do not believe that Tom Chantry would be teaching children today or teaching an Adult Sunday School in an Association church.”
Pastor Tedd Tripp’s Response to Earl Blackburn’s letter.
August 26, 2002
“By that I meant, as I explained, that you sought to be generous and kind to Thomas Chantry by giving him an opportunity to deal with matters and, hopefully, in time reenter the ministry. For that I was and am thankful.”
Letter from Earl Blackburn, Pastor & Chairman of the ARBCA Administrative Council to Pastors Rich Jensen and Tedd Tripp and Elder Mike McKnight.
April 18, 2002
Three months after Pastor & Chairman of the ARBCA Administrative Council, Earl Blackburn had written a letter to the members of the ARBCA Informal Council thanking them for giving pedophile Tom Chantry an opportunity to return to the ministry, Blackburn was lamenting the fact that a preacher who had an affair with his mother was back in the pulpit within one year with no consequences for his sin!
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