Heretics and Politics by Thomas A. Fudge

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Originally Posted by Sabby

Jerry got himself into trouble with Phil Dugas my freshman year. He was the advisor for the senior class. The school had an outing and each class had a skit to do. The senior class did a parody of the bus ministry and the some of the methods that had been used to get kids on the S.S. bus. At the time, PD had four buses and the largest (UPC) bus ministry in PDX. During the senior's skit one of the choruses they sang went something like, "Numbers, numbers, numbers is the name of the game. Just keep them coming through the doors no matter why they came". Bubble gum Sunday took a hit! It didn't matter why they got on the bus, just as long as they GOT on the bus. Coincidentally, there were times that kids were offered things like bubble gum, etc, to attend PD's Sunday school. I think Phil had good motives. He wanted as many kids to learn about Jesus as possible. I think Jerry Dillon had good motives. He was striking out at the obsession with numbers that comes at the expense of true evangelism and discipleship.
Needless to say, PD was furious and personally told me that he considered it an attack on him and his church.
My best friend was a member of the senior class and attending Evangel (Phil Dugas') church. He began to teach home bible studies in his home. He had about 4 months to go to graduate. One of the requirements students of the school had with the Portland area pastors was that they had to select a single church in which they would attend during the school year (usually had a couple of weeks at the beginning of the year to decide which one) and they were forbidden to church hop. It created some problems for those who disagreed with the style or methods or personality of church...they would just have to tough it out for the rest of the year, and they were considered "church members" where they attended. It was actually just free S.S. staffing.
Back to my friend's situation. He was called in to Phil's office and told that he was to cease and desist teaching any more home bible studies. If he continued, Phil threatened to kick him out of the church and he would be unable to graduate as a result. My friend told me that if he wanted to graduate (which he did want to do) he had no choice but to discontinue teaching home bible studies. Phil knew that my friend was a senior and that Jerry Dillon was his advisor. I'm sure that what transpired was in some way connected to Phil's antipathy towards Jerry and secondarily the school

If your friend was teaching home bible studies in lieu of attending one of the area churches as the rules called for then he was clearly violating the rules. If he was conducting home bible studies in addition to attending a local church then it would all come down to what his motives were and what he was teaching. If his motive was to undermine a local pastor or to teach that pastors saints things contrary to the pastors teachings then he was dead wrong. Needed to wait until he graduated then start his own church!