Written by Pastor Brandon Myers

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
(2 Corinthians 6:14) 

Please note: the specific matters below will not the focus of this event. Rather this event will offer biblical wisdom on understanding the times and how to be honor the Lord today. How can and should God-fearing Christians seek to be faithful to the whole counsel of God’s Word humbly under the Lord Jesus Christ in our sexually fallen, idolatrous and deeply confused world? Join us!

In the first Christian Emergency League (CEL) video interview, details were shared defining the issue of how longstanding Orchard Evangelical Free Church (EFC) member Mayor of Arlington Heights Thomas Hayes publicly celebrated multiple abominable sins three years in a row with his Pride Proclamations (and has encouraged everyone to join him in this).

A second CEL video interview with Dr. Lucas O’Neill briefly yet definitively answers the question from Scripture: Is this other churches’ business?

Then in a third CEL video interview, Brandon Myers, a former associate pastor of The Orchard EFC, (who left in 2020 prior to these events in 2021) describes his interactions as he reached out to Orchard EFC member Tom Hayes directly back in 2021. While Tom admitted he knew what a biblical stand was and considered taking it he did not but rather claimed “after much prayer and thought” he decided standing on God’s truth would cause more harm than good to the community. Yet as a pastor of another generation Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) once put it:

“The Spirit never loosens where the Word binds; the Spirit never justifies where the Word condemns; the Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves; the Spirit never blesses where the Word curses.”

Tom’s position to publicly support and encourage sinners in their enslaving sins amount to (at best) a cowardly complicity with the spirit of the age, and (at worst) the endorsement of indefensible idolatries. The Lord tells us “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). And He–the worthy Creator God also speaks of those who give “hearty approval of those who practice things they know are worthy of death” (Romans 1:32). Christians are not to fear men but God (Matthew 10:26-28).

Brandon was not the only one who reached out to Orchard EFC member Mayor Thomas Hayes in 2021 when he issued his first Pride Proclamation nor were the group of Chicagoland pastors in 2022 and 2023 the first to reach out to Orchard EFC leaders out of concern.

The forth interview highlights an insider’s view– the story of former Orchard EFC member Trevor Myers. Specifically, Trevor shares how he–a previously committed Orchard EFC member with no intention of he and his family leaving the church eventually did leave. Trevor was well known and well loved by many at The Orchard EFC and here he describes how he went about prayerfully and respectfully addressing these grave matter while an Orchard EFC member.

Trevor served as a pastoral intern, was then promoted to serve on the Orchard EFC’s ministry staff where he was entrusted with teaching Orchard students weekly. He summarizes in the interview how he had taught the Orchard EFC students the opposite what Tom did and to stand strong without shame on God’s truth under Christ.

When God led Trevor away from vocational ministry at the Orchard, Trevor was still on good terms with his home church (the Orchard EFC) and he continued to be a committed member serving as a LIFE Group leader. Trevor shares a few of The Orchard EFC pastor’s responses to their fellow member Tom Hayes’ Pride Proclamation and then details the Orchard EFC leader’s responses to him. In a very detailed letter to Orchard EFC leaders you can access here, Trevor humbly raised questions and concerns from the Scripture.

Specifically, he raised concerns about his church’s claim to believe in the supremacy and sufficiency of Scripture but not to live it out in practice. Rather than appreciating this member’s desire to see the church be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) and not to see the church partner with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14) Trevor was the one who was marginalized and even penalized by some Orchard leaders (see the video for more). Rather than call Orchard EFC member Mayor Tom Hayes to repent for his very obvious encouragement of very harmful and deceptive sins, in what amounts to pastoral malpractice, some Orchard pastors defended Tom and dismissed Trevor and his concerns.

The toleration of any egregious public sins and compromise with darkness is a matter of grave concern. Puritan Christian Henry Smith (1560-1591) once aptly put it:

“A sin is two sins when it is defended.”

Sin begets sins begets sin. When sins are unrepented of, tolerated, redefined or explained away it confuses and misleads people.

Let us be very clear: justifying another Christian’s support of vile sins which undermine and destroy God’s good design for individuals, families, communities, churches and even nations is inexcusable. The defense of any sins but especially those that have caused, are causing and will cause our neighbors to be shut out of God’s kingdom if practiced is woefully wrong (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). We are called to do all things to God’s glory and to love the truth.

Promoting any kind of sin, but especially sin that lead to such great earthly and eternal destruction is biblically indefensible. The Lord gives a clear warning in His Holy Word that in ancient times He vomited out pagan peoples of the land—who were not even his covenant people—and why did He do this? Because these people practiced similar wicked abominations (Leviticus 18:20-30)—abominations  that Orchard EFC member Mayor Hayes has urged all citizens Christians and non-Christians for the last three years to celebrate, value, promote and accept without any Orchard EFC leaders calling him to repent. Watch this former Orchard member’s interview for more.

Praise God the Lord gives us such clear guidance on how Christians bought by Christ’s blood and saved by the grace of God in Christ ought to live and relate to our unbelieving neighbors:

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure,
or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them;
for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
(Ephesians 5:5-12)