A donor drives down Huntley Street
How should donors be viewing the recent news regarding the top Canadian Christian TV show, 100 Huntley Street? That’s one of the questions racing through my mind as I consider the announcement that Ron and Reynold Mainse have been asked to step aside as hosts for a period.
First, to clarify: Neither I, nor our foundation, financially support this ministry. To be honest, it’s the type of ministry that in my mind speaks to the choir … aka a certain segment of the Christian community, and thus doesn’t qualify as something of interest to our granting committee. To me, Huntley is an in-house conversation complete with jargon (bless you, sister), strange rituals (prayer lines, JIMBee music, tithing) and big hair. All of this may be meaningful to certain insiders, though it’s obscure and foreign to me. But when the show is transmitted in the public sphere, it sets up Christian faith for mockery, or at least bewilderment, by those who don’t share it. Which is the majority of the Canadian population. As a result, I find that the typical images, tone, and approach are frequently a barrier for effective communication of faith, not a help.
While I believe this, I have also taken time over the years to meet with people on the inside, including Ron Mainse. And truth be told, on a personal level, I like him a lot. I don’t believe he has a malicious bone in his body. I’ve also liked the direction I’ve been seeing over the past couple of years — attempts being made to be more inclusive of other theological positions and developing broader attitudes towards engaging with our culture as people of faith. I also like the multiple voices, perspectives and youth I’ve been seeing on the Full Circle couch on Fridays. So I see progress.
Which is why the recent news saddens me.
So what does a donor do when a difficult announcement like this comes?
- Don’t pull funding… yet. It might be a temptation to cut them off immediately based on your emotional reaction to the news. It will take time to bring resolution to this matter. If I were a monthly or regular giver to this ministry, I would continue giving through the confusing time. Patience is needed. Facts are not yet revealed. This is especially true with legal issues — if there are matters before the courts, there will be certain information that cannot be immediately forthcoming. So wait. It’s up to the board and leadership to ensure their faithful donors continue supporting, especially through the tougher summer months.
- Request clarity. Before I release funds, I would want to have a meaningful and transparent description of the events that have occurred, the rationale for any decisions taken by the board, and assurance of the effective use of my money towards any projects I may be interested in. This is true for the small donor as well as the major donor — in fact, in Huntley’s case, I would especially be interested in preserving the ongoing donations by smaller donors on which the majority of their ministry budget is based. If there are rumours going around, it’s up to the board and hosts to set the record straight, and I’m not sure they’ve done as good a job as they could have. The communications strategy (web, broadcast, social media, and in print) has seemed woefully inadequate (investigative blogger Bene Diction describes the confusing communications strategy here). So if you are a donor and still have questions, call Crossroads directly and ask for the clarification you need. Don’t give until you’re satisfied.
- Take the heat out of your giving decision. I am not a fan of emotional giving to operations of charities. Rather than making decisions about giving in the emotion of the moment, take some time each year to review your charitable contributions. The best, most meaningful decisions to generously invest in meaningful causes throughout the upcoming year are made in the cold, cool light of a January morning.
- Pray for the affected individuals. This scandal has revealed about 100 victims of a ponzi arrangement. Even if they were motivated by some get-rich-quick-scheme and naively taken for a ride, they are hurting by the loss of real money. Perhaps some have become indebted. As well, the nature of these inbred, closely-knit schemes means victims are now likely struggling with feelings of betrayal, anger, and deep hurt against those closest to them. This is a deeply humbling experience that has the potential to divide long time friendships. May each one learn and grow through this.
- Pray for the organization and its leaders. Ask for God’s mercy on them, just as you would want it shown to you. It should come as no surprise that no one is perfect, so why do we relish setting leaders up and then seeing them crash-and-burn?
Possible positive outcomes? If anything, I am hoping for an organization which is transparent, accessible, and though fallible, authentic. I want to hear the full story, the humbling story — not one coated with religious mumbo-jumbo where image is more valued than substance. That’s where this story began; it doesn’t need to end there.
While this is a national ministry and most people curious about what is occurring have a long distance plan, I actually don’t, which is why I’ve been emailing Crossroads. Email has not been an effective way for me to communicate, I don’t know that staff have the answers and we don’t know staffing levels, what they know and how they’ve been told to respond to those who write.
I am receiving emails, people do not want what they have to say public and I am honouring that. There is confusion and fear. There has been a bit of anger, and shame since investors have known for at least a few weeks before The Hamilton Spectator picked it up.
Thank you for your common sense advice, this is where you expert touch will be appreciated by 100 Huntley Street fans. I wouldn’t have known what to say to donors because the harm from affinity fraud does go far beyond economic loss for viewers. Right place, right time, thanks Mark.
Blog on!
Amen Mark.
Not one of us would want to be further ostracized by a larger community if we had made unwise choices or been victimized by something like a ponzi scheme. We need to be gracious, prayerful, and patient in our engagement. I appreciate the point about transparency. We should never underestimate the redemptive power of walking in the light with our greater communities, even in revealing our brokenness. These moments are opportunities for powerful transformative change through gentle critique and spirit led reflection. It is not a time for condemnation and further abuse.
Mark,
This is very well written. I haven’t heard anything about 100 Huntley but I found your article insightful and generous.
Ross
Thanks everyone for your feedback.
Doug Koop at Christian Week just put this editorial on his website:
http://www.christianweek.org/stories.php?id=574
Usually an evangelical ministry deserves the benefit of the doubt when there is a hint of a scandal! But the way Huntley street has been reacting including stonewalling and closing ranks there is something drastically wrong here and all donors must seriously consider the real possibility that we are seeing only a tip of the iceburg of a scandals.
The sons of Eli and Samuel were corrupt and I would not be surprised that the sons of David Mainse are also!
Brad, I hear you. But in this case I believe everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt and think we should not yet jump to conclusions.
In my experience, closing ranks happens also because of fear of outsiders’ perceptions and to send a unified message, not just because of guilt. When spirituality is performance-based, we fear others finding out our messiness as the illusion of perfection is busted.
True Christianity and faith has nothing to fear except fear itself. Jesus told us JN 18:20 “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
In my opinion you are being bias because where there is smoke there is fire! If Ron and Reynolds were true men of God and men of integrity would Jesus have lead them to have a relationship with a con man? No!
So something is drastically wrong here with the Mainse brothers! They are not what they pretend to be!
To Brad respectfully,
Regarding your personal analysis, and current conclusion that, “So something is drastically wrong here with the Mainse brothers! They are not what they pretend to be!”
Well… That is one approach to analyzing the situation.
Personal reaction: I’m not sure this approach is the most helpful. Sometimes simplified ‘black and white’ reactions aren’t the truth. I wander what assumptions are necessary to accept this analysis.
Would Jesus have led them into a relationship with a con man? I don’t expect so. I do know of other spiritual entities which may be currently attempting to lead me into dangerous relationships. I’d appreciate your prayers.
If the reality is that they were conned, it is certainly legitimate to question motivations and the decision making process that led to this unfortunate situation. The potential diagnosis of incompetence, corruption or compromise should not be assumed.
There are many out there who may sympathize/share a gut level feeling that something may be drastically wrong with the Mainse brothers. That doesn’t necessarily make it true. These feelings don’t materialize in a vacuum, and there are larger cultural disconnects that may naturally shape our framing assumptions (ie: The various collective critiques of Huntley’s culture as being ‘performance driven’ or ‘increasingly irrelevant’).
Does a performance driven faith culture affect one’s underlying assumptions about what an appropriate transparency model should be? Of course it does. Conversely, those who have critiqued the Huntley culture as being unhealthy must be careful to assess how this critique affects their perspective on and understanding of Huntley’s implicit or explicit transparency models. Mark’s recommendations happen to be helpful for removing such blinders.
In John 18:20 Jesus defends His personal integrity by inviting a collective audit of His transparency model. He appeal is unafraid, because of its foundation in His absolute integrity. His example sets a high bar!
Are we prepared to fully air out our imperfections in the embrace of His grace? Some more than others. Let’s grow in this! As the body of Christ we can model transparency in a truly redemptive way. Our prophetic call to transparency should not become a comparison game, or an attack on another’s personal integrity. That isn’t the purpose of our call. It is a call to grace.
I don’t know the character of Ron and Reynold… But grace is prophetic.
I do believe that we should request clarification, voicing our concerns and critiques. A larger community intentionally engaging constructively can help to identify and confront corruption and compromise. Nonetheless, we must guard against an incomplete analysis reinforcing cultural assumptions. This may shortcut the process of due diligence, and thus circumvent its output.
I don’t know the character of Ron and Reynold… But grace is prophetic.
MT 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
JMS 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
“But grace is prophetic.” What is this a new religion or doctrine that you can be stupid or a crook and grace will cover it all?
You have things all wrong! There are real consequences in life for being stupid. Go through a red light at a busy intersection and tell me then that grace is prophetic and talk about redemption? The Mainse brothers went through a red light and ignore the signs that gambling on the stock exchanges was still gambling and that you choose any partners in life wisely including in a Ponzi schemes!
While you don’t know about the character of Ron or Reynolds I do! They were foolish and didn’t heed the scriptures:
PROV 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
PROV 114:11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
14:13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14:14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
14:15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
14:16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
Wow Brad,
Sure hope you’re not on the selection committee when I get to the pearly gates! But since I still have a few good years left here(hopefully) please teach me more. I really want to get to the point where I am arrogant enough to call someone else a fool.
Dear Mike
Only fools support fools! The word of God has much to say about fools including Ron and Reynolds Mainse who definitely showed no wisdom in their selfishnessd and greed pursing the mighty dollar instead of trusting God to provide and hurting innocent people along the way.
So as fools they are reaping what they have sowed according to the word of God:
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
7:22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
7:23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
7:25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
7:26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
7:27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
1TM 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The bible has much to say about fools including:
Proverbs 26:1 As snow in summer and rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.
28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them.
Looks like this thread has deviated from the main point of this conversation, and has settled on the topic of foolishness.
I think all of us are capable to do a word search for ‘fool’ on biblegateway.com, so we don’t need to continue with the cut-and-paste in this thread.
Let’s return to the point at hand. If comments can’t focus on the topic at hand, I will shut down comments for this post.
Thanks all.
Mark, If you cannot stand the heat you must leave the kitchen?
But it doesn’t change the reality 100 Huntley Street and the Mainses with their Ponzi scheme promotion are in trouble and their so called good name is becoming mud!
And the good news is that truth can never be silenced especially as the cat is out of the bag!
Dear Mark:
I really think that threatening to shut down comments because someone is of a different opinion from you is not right! There are other people with various opinions and they all should be respected, not threatened!!! ‘if you don’t think like me, I’m cutting you off’ IS THAT RIGHT????
Mensch…
You are right, it is wrong to cut off different opinions and I welcome a diversity of opinion here. I welcome your continued participation, as well as that of other readers and contributors.
What I am requesting is that the conversation thread to be consistent with the topic of the post. The last few posts were about ‘foolishness’, but were descending into namecalling between contributors. There was also another comment that I chose to delete as it was clearly slanderous.
I would like to maintain a level of civility here. To allow a thread to be hijacked by another topic or introduce a tone that is not constructive does not serve the readers of this blog well.
Since I am the host of this blog, I have both the right and the responsibility to monitor, and if necessary, shut down comments that aren’t in line with this thinking.
’shut down comments that aren’t in line with THIS THINKING!!!!’ hhmmm… I am a christian that lives in the ‘world’ with others of different opinions. What would Jesus do, shut down comments that are not in line with His thinking? I actually don’t live in the ‘christian bubble’ and that kind of thinking is dangerous.
As far as the folks at Huntley are concerned, I just consider the stock market gambling!!! that tells me volumes about their values. I just can’t get beyond this one point… I’m sorry, it is what it is! no excuses!
Maybe David Mainse should not have groomed his sons to take over and just maybe should have let God/Holy Spirt provided others that may have been just, or more appropriate. Should Ren/Kathy not have gone into business instead? I think being a christian business person is very valuable. What I have a huge issue with is, getting up and crying for money for missions and then living in a huge house. Those two things don’t go together. Making money outside the ministry is wonderful, just think of all things one can do with tithing that 10%. Would Kathy & Ren have been happier in that position?
The other thing is, how on earth does one get their kids to be so obedient and funnel them into the ministry? Are they just ‘walking puppets’? with no opinion? I think that David Mainse is a great man of God and he was truly meant to start that ministry. For over twenty years, I have always wondered how he was able to get all of his kids/grandkids/wife/brother-in-law… involved. Now, with this horrible turn of events, I wonder if it was God’s plan or man’s plan for Ronald and Ren to be involved at Huntley? Just a thought!
Sometimes doing the ‘God thing’ is not easy!!!! This whole situation needs to come out in the open and it needs to finally be dealt with. No matter what, or who, is embarrassed. The Mainse, Ruttledge & Stacey clan need to finally understand it it God’s ministry and let it go for God to find His people to do His work. If it includes them, that’s okay too. And let’s face it, as christians, we will all know if it’s the right thing for Ren and Ron to be back in the show! don’t you just feel it someplace inside??? The fact that it has come out at all, tells me that God is on the ‘move’. Healing needs to take place, both inside Crossroads and also the people that have been hurt by them outside their closed circle. Think of all of the amazing Ministers and others who could have come along side this ministry over the past twenty or so years and got pushed away over and over again. Why?
So now, it may just be out of ‘mans’ hands and back into God’s hands and I like it that way!
Thanks Mensch for your comments, and for getting us back on track with the topic.
I’m a firm believer that organizations need to hire the best people for the job. I’m not familiar enough with the situation at Huntley to know who is/is not capable, but believe hiring family members is not usually the best strategy for organizational growth and healthiness.
That said, I am an example of the opposite scenario. In my own case, I am the son of the founder of the organization I work for. But I took the shell of an organization that was started, and built it into something meaningful. So in that sense I created the ethos, platform and agenda for our organization.
So it does work both ways.
In general, though, I think Huntley seems to have an overabundance of the same family represented on its staff.
Sorry for going off topic, I just thought the whole Huntley st. story is the topic.
As for my 10% tithing, I will think twice, before I send anything off to Huntley st. at this moment. I would like some honest answers first. Not answers covered with secrecy. It would be nice to see this ministry make some progress to a place where I would feel comfortable send my hard earned dollars.
I like your blog, keep up the good work
)
Gosh!!! that would be ’sending’ not send!!! I need glasses!!!
Thanks Mensch.
You’ve returned exactly to where I started this post … the idea that we should not fall into the trap of giving or not giving in an emotional way.
Some long-time, regular givers to Huntley might feel very disillusioned and believe they should stop giving because of this recent news. I think they should keep giving … for now. They shouldn’t make an emotional decision to pull funding. My rationale is that at present we have some rumours, legal accusations and unsubstantiated blog posts. These folks should wait for the dust to settle, and then prayerfully and rationally make a judgment call on whether to continue investing in this organization.
Then there are those – like yourself, apparently, and myself – who are not givers to Huntley. Now would not be the time to start giving, until we are all clear about what is transpiring there.
I wish I checked back here sooner! This convo has taken some rather exciting twists & turns. Thanks Mark for clarifying our purpose.
~ Back to the Kitchen
Just thought it might be good to explain what I meant by the phrase ‘grace is prophetic’ (I think it was misunderstood).
The term “grace” here is not about letting people off the hook, nor is it about defending Huntley Street. It is about the donor community engaging Huntley St. constructively.
In a context where our knowledge of the truth is limited (by lots of smoke and mirrors), emotion driven responses simply kick at the dust that’s already in the air.
For those feeling disillusioned, grace empowers us to respond proactively in seeking the truth.
As an environment of honest engagement is created around Huntley Street itself, the donor community can help Huntley St.’s leadership to face themselves with authenticity.
So, I’m simply suggesting that an environment of grace has the natural effect of revealing the truth.