My Departure from the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship
My Departure from the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship
Why I will not and CAN NOT associate with the SGBF
Galatians 1:8-9
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
My association and involvement with the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship (SGBF) began in 2009 with my acceptance of the call from Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Anniston, Alabama to minister as the church’s pastor. Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Anniston was a member church of the SGBF since the Fellowship’s founding in 2001; therefore, as pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, I was grandfathered into the SGBF due to my church membership and ministry call. I served as pastor of the church in Anniston from January 2009 to April 2018, leaving Alabama upon my acceptance of the call to minister as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Ninilchik, Alaska.
During my tenure as pastor of SGBC in Anniston, I served the SGBF for two terms as vice-chairman and two terms as chairman. Immediately after arriving in Ninilchik, Alaska, I formally sent a letter to the SGBF requesting to continue as an associate, non-voting member. In 2022, I was granted “associate member” status, my name appearing in the Fall 2022 issue of the SGBF publication, The Sovereign Grace Messenger (SGM). That delay was not a big deal to me, since the priority of my ministerial duties in Alaska prevented direct involvement or interaction with the SGBF. Moreover, except for the SGM publication, which I received approximately three times per year, an occasional email exchange with Curtis Knapp, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, KS, and phone and email correspondence with Timothy Gallagher, pastor of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Anniston, AL, I had little to no communication with the SGBF or its member churches.
In the late summer of 2023, my 86-year-old-mother was struck with stage four peritoneal cancer. My wife flew to California to care for my mother on September 8, 2023. I followed on November 15, 2023. After my mother’s passing into glory on February 1, 2024, and after settling her estate and other affairs, my wife and I returned home to Ninilchik, Alaska on March 20, 2024.
It took nearly a month to filter through the accumulated mail. One of the last things opened was the 2023 Fall/Winter edition of the SGM. Immediately noticing the absence of Curtis Knapp from his position as editor of the SGM, I reached out to Curtis on April 16, 2024; stating that it was “none of my business” but added that his “absence from the list prompted me to get in touch” with him. In kind response, and after his introduction and other pleasantries, Brother Curtis replied:
“Yes, I am no longer in the Fellowship and no longer doing the SGM. Very long story. The extreme short version is that Larry Dean (a long-time close friend of mine) was preaching heretical things, denying substitutionary atonement and teaching a whole host of strange doctrines. I was shocked to find it out. It's all on his YouTube channel, especially if you search for sermons on the atonement or on justification. He also has a sermon he links to on his website that sums it up pretty well.
“None of us knew he was teaching these things. Ryan Butler stumbled across it and told me and several others....”
I searched for Bridgetown Baptist Church online. On the Bridgetown Baptist Church website, under the menu subheading “Pastor’s Note,” was a link at the bottom of the page to an audio message preached (or at least uploaded) on March 17, 2017. About this sermon, Larry Dean writes:
“Here is the link to a message that probably sums up my understanding of the Work of Christ as well as any single message I have preached: Justification Through Union With Christ” (online reference; emphasis in original)
You can listen to the sermon by clicking here.
I was grieved just from listening to that sermon alone; but also, after a perusal through some of Larry Dean’s sermons on the Bridgetown Baptist Church YouTube channel, I was much more sorrowful, as I had considered Larry, not only a brother in Christ, but also a friend. What Larry Dean preached, preaches, and will continue to preach (as I understand it) is heresy. It is another gospel (Gal 1:8-9).
While there is much more to his false doctrine than what I will describe in this short paragraph, its foundation is simply this: the atoning work of Christ’s penal substitution must include the unbeliever’s union with Christ upon the cross. Based upon his interpretation of Ezekiel 18:4, 20, the soul of the unbeliever must have mystically been joined in union with Christ, and by that union at Christ’s death upon the cross, the unbeliever must die for his own sins with Christ. Larry Dean also posits Galatians 2:20 as a supporting verse for his conclusions.
Contacting Brother Curtis Knapp again with my concerns over this heretical teaching of Larry Dean, he sent me a copy of a critique written by Ryan Butler, pastor of Grace Church of Bull Shoals in Bull Shoals, Arkansas. This critique, with its concerns, had been sent out to several of the members of the SGBF. When the issue was addressed with the SGBF, I believe Ryan may have been serving as vice-chairman of the Fellowship (this was Ryan’s second separate occasion in serving as vice-chair, the first time was when I served as chairman some ten years ago; Ryan then served as chairman following my terms in service).
Since my initial communication with Curtis Knapp, I had also spoken with Ryan Butler via phone conversation. He has given me permission to include his critique of Larry Dean’s teaching on justification. You can download a PDF copy of his critique by clicking here.
Ryan Butler provided a link to a YouTube page that has an audio recording of the minutes of the SGBF Annual Meeting held on September 13, 2023 with regard to this issue of Larry Dean’s teaching on justification in man’s salvation. You can hear that meeting by clicking here.
I have enhanced the audio of the meeting, amplifying only the portions of the meeting when those other than Ryan were speaking. Otherwise, the audio was not edited or doctored in any other way. You can listen to the discussion of the enhanced audio below…
Although I am no longer a voting member of the SGBF, it does concern me that an issue of this magnitude was not communicated to all the members of the SGBF, both voting members and non-voting associates alike.
The issue, it seems, presented before several of the ministers of that meeting was that they take, at simple face value, his word from the meeting that he believes in substitutionary atonement. Nevertheless, he still holds to his understanding and interpretation of what he preaches; that it requires the actual death of the sinner, an “actual participation”[i] of that person, albeit in Christ, to be justified before God for the sins he or she has committed against God.
The question is not whether Larry Dean says he believes in substitutionary atonement. The question is this:
“Is a sinner justified by Christ’s imputed righteousness alone?”
The historically orthodox answer according to Scripture is… YES.
The answer cannot be, “Yes… but the sinner must also…”
“Yes... but…” violates four of the five solas of the Reformation: sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria, the last two being the most insidious violations of them all.
The only thing that makes a sinner qualified for salvation is that he is a sinner… PERIOD. Paul wrote to Timothy,
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15, ESV
My death, even passive and somehow mystically united to Christ (according to Larry Dean), denigrates the preeminence of Christ in salvation because it implies that Christ’s righteous life and sacrifice was insufficient all by itself. It says that Christ’s sinless life was an insufficient substitution because it still required the death of the sinner.
Our justification is by Christ’s imputed righteousness alone.
That’s why Jesus came. He lived the righteous life that you and I can’t possibly live. While Jesus, by His incarnation was fully God, being fully Man, perfect, sinless, righteous, holy, blameless, etc., He fulfilled ALL righteousness. He, who need not repent, repented for our sakes at the Jordan River to fulfill all righteousness on our behalf (Matt 3:15). His perfect praise and prayers have gone before us (and continue even now since He is our heavenly Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor). He withstood every temptation as perfect Man all the way to the cross. And then, upon the cross, He paid the debt He did not owe, for a debt we owe and cannot possibly pay. He was mutilated beyond human recognition (Isa 50:6; 52:14; 53:5) by sinful men, so that when He suffered the eternal and infinite wrath of God (Psa 22:1; Isa 53:5, 10; Matt 27:46; Mk 15:34), Jesus was at His weakest point physically. In this way, no one can say that His payment was insufficient, for Jesus suffered, not only as no other person has ever suffered, His sufferings surpassed the sufferings of the collective torment of all gospel-rejecters in their eternal judgment in the lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels. At the height of Christ’s sufferings He did what Adam did not do— He committed His spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46). Then, at the end of His torment, as the Almighty God, He declared the penalty to be paid in full when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). This is because, since it was God our Creator whom we offended, it can only be God our Savior who can declare the offense paid and pardoned.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s incarnation and crucifixion was not a vehicle in order for sinful descendants of Adam to die for our sins. His righteous life and death alone required no help from anyone or any other thing because Jesus Messiah alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
Trusting upon Christ’s perfect, sinless, and righteous life and sacrifice alone (faith alone in Christ alone because of God’s grace alone) is the only good news for wretched sinners.
Larry Dean’s view on justification is not a simple disagreement causing factions among believers entertaining carnal notions, as it was in Corinth (1 Cor 1:10-17). This issue is worse than a mere heretical teaching. It invariably belittles Christ and blasphemes His natures as fully God and fully Man. Because of Christ Jesus, we are justified by His imputed righteousness alone for He, Jesus of Nazareth, is the foundation of the biblical gospel. Salvation is all of grace because it is ALL OF CHRIST!
I am deeply saddened to have to address this about Larry Dean’s teaching. I, too, considered Larry Dean a friend.
What also saddens me is that I know this issue is going to place several missionaries and itinerant preachers in a difficult position as I know of many who are receiving support from churches in the SGBF. Nevertheless, I am confident, that as our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus have provided time and again for me and mine as I served in the mission field, our Triune God will also provide for them who stand upon His holy truth.
The recorded minutes of the 2023 SGBF Annual Meeting above present a majority vote by the members, finding Larry Dean not guilty of heresy.
Both Curtis Knapp and Ryan Butler have stood as two witnesses of Larry Dean’s false gospel, meeting the biblical standard of 1 Timothy 5:19-22 and Titus 3:10-11. I myself have also listened to the messages in question. I will not, and because of the biblical gospel of Christ I CAN NOT, associate with the SGBF. I must resign any association or affiliation with the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship immediately. As ministers of Christ’s gospel we cannot choose friendship, fellowship, or unity over faithfulness to gospel integrity.
My letter of resignation was written as follows:
May 17, 2024
To the Officers and Messengers of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship:
Gentlemen,
It is with a heavy heart that I must resign from the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship as an associate member. Please remove my name from your future publications.
The reason for my departure from the fellowship is due to the teaching of Larry Dean, pastor of Bridgetown Baptist Church. Larry Dean’s teachings on justification denigrate and dishonor the orthodox doctrine of Christ’s justification by His imputed righteousness alone.
My simple resignation should suffice; however, if you are at all interested in a few more details concerning my decision, you can find them at length in an article I had written by clicking on this link.
Sincerely,
Jon Cardwell
pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
Ninilchik, AlaskaCc: SGBF Associate Members
SGBF Missionaries
SGM Editors
My prayer is that Larry Dean, and the men who stood with him, will repent and stand upon the sure Rock of the Lord Jesus Christ, and upon His righteousness and substitutionary atonement alone.
[i] Sermon, “Justification Through Union with Christ”; timestamp 32:01-30; moreover, at timestamp 32:06-12, Larry Dean says, “…an actual participation, although ours was passive, we were there…”