Eight members of the Green Pastures Church Executive Team announced their resignation this week after a disagreement, focussed on the continued leadership of Pastor Jeff Wright.
Love Ballymena understands a investigative process was initiated within the ministry that centred on the pastor, but over the last week Mr Wright signalled his intention to return to leadership and not follow internal ministry process.
Love Ballymena received an unconfirmed report on April 12 that Mr Wright had been suspended pending investigation, and we sought clarification and a statement from Green Pastures.
Although a spokesperson for the ministry said that they would provide a statement to our query, to date no comment has been forthcoming.
The Pastor has been missing from the pulpit over the last number of weeks.
Today an email has emerged on social media that was sent to the congregation on Monday 25 April 2022, and signed by eight members of the Green Pastures Executive Team.
The eight members of the leadership team deny they are involved in a 'plot to overthrow our lead pastor and immediately install someone else that has been lined up as as his replacement.'
The email states:
“Below is a message from the following
members of the 'Executive Team':
Jason Kennedy
Barry Weir
Karen Weir
Philip Dickey
Timmy Farmer
Olga Mullarkey
Jacqui McGladdery
Karen Kernohan
“We want to begin this message not just with an apology, but to come to you in repentance.
“For what you have gone through in the last number of weeks, for how you have had to be communicated to and for our silence, we are sorry.
”Our silence was first motivated by a desire to honour our Lead Pastor and protect our church.
“Unfortunately we are also now in a position where we cannot speak freely because of potential legal consequences for each of us personally.
“What we feel we are safe to say is that each of us were and are in full support of the Board, Spiritual oversight and accountability structures that our Lead Pastor appointed and the process that they sought to put in place.
“In our view the Board has sought to act with integrity and in good faith at all times as it has navigated this challenging and complex situation.
“We also want to address one of the rumours that we have heard - that this is all the result of a plot to overthrow our Lead Pastor and immediately install someone else that has been lined up as his replacement. This is simply nonsense and has NO basis in reality.
“It is our understanding that the Lead Pastor has formally informed the Board & Spiritual Oversight that he intends to disregard the process they put in place and that he will be returning to his duties tomorrow (Tuesday 26th April).
“In good conscience we can no longer sustain, endorse or prolong this situation.
“It is therefore, with the heaviest and most sorrowful of hearts, that each of us intend to tender our resignations to the Board from our duties and employment with Green Pastures Church.
“We recognise that reading this will have come as a tremendous shock to each of you. We cannot express how much we are sorry for this, and for the pain this will cause you.
“In this moment as the Lead Pastor resumes leadership and pastoral responsibilities for the church, our final words to you are these: keep your eyes on Jesus, and don't let the failures of any of us humans hamper or damage your covenant relationship with Him or your love and commitment to His bride the Church.
“We are praying for you, we love you and God bless you all.”
A married father-of-three, Pastor Jeff Wright founded Green Pastures in the town back in 2007. The evangelical church's website describes him as its "lead pastor, founder and visionary".
The church recently moved from its Galgorm base to the new multi-million pound building and Gateway Project near Pennybridge in Ballymena.