David Seamands and Philip Yancey, though I never met either, were heroes of the religion in Jesus to me. I’m assuming you don’t know who David Seamands is, but I’m sure if you may have been around Christian circles for any length of time, you may have probably seen Philip Yancey’s books.
I used to be introduced to David Seamands’ books after I was a freshman in college at Liberty University in 1990. He was a Methodist minister who taught at Asbury College. Seamands had published books like “Healing for Damaged Emotions”, “Healing for Damaged Memories”, and my favourite book of his, “Living With Your Dreams.”
In 1992 my now wife of just about 33 years, Tosha, was asked by her parents to interrupt up with me. They didn’t want her to marry a person like me who was going to turn out to be a pastor. We honoured their request and broke up. That’s when Professor Seamands’ book, “Living With Your Dreams” got here into my life – and altered my life. I still have that book on my shelf in my pastoral office these 34 years later.
God used David Seamands and his books to vary my life after I was a student at Liberty University within the early Nineties.
Many years later, I used to be sharing this story with my Vanguard Church pastoral leadership team at a retreat in Breckenridge, Colorado around 2018. For some reason, I selected to google Professor Seamands’ name and immediately an article got here up that talked about his moral failure. I used to be stunned. He had lived a double life for a long time, having a wife and a mistress for years.
In 2005 he confessed to his moral failure from 1964 and was placed on discipline by the Methodist church in 2006. During this time of discipline, Professor Seamands died.
Still to today, these books that God used to vary my life sit on my shelf in my church pastoral office. I still cherish how God used those books to vary the course and trajectory of my life.
Why am I telling you this? What does this need to do with Philip Yancey’s recent admission of an eight-year moral failure?
A 2005 piece in Christianity Today reported that David Seamands was a longtime friend of the US magazine, where he had long served as a consulting editor [editor’s note: Christianity Today magazine has no affiliation with ChristianToday.com].
Here is what the article said:
“David Seamands is a longtime friend of Christianity Today, where he has long served as a consulting editor, so it’s with sadness that we note his admission of a ‘breach of trust and moral failure.’ The 83-year-old retired pastor of Wilmore (Ky.) United Methodist Church served as professor emeritus of pastoral ministries and counselor in residence at Asbury Theological Seminary, and is the writer of several influential books, including Healing for Damaged Emotions. He has also been a key figure in United Methodist Church debates on the integrity and sanctity of marriage.
“’One of the roots of my sin has been the sin of pride,’ Seamands told Wilmore United Methodist Church on Sunday. ‘In response to a grievance filed against me of sexual misconduct with an adult female occurring over a variety of years, I admit that I even have broken my covenantal relationships and have abused the trust of those I even have harmed.’
“As an element of the Methodist disciplinary process, overseen by Kentucky Bishop James King, Seamands will take a one-year leave from all ministerial functions.
“Seamands died in July of 2006, shortly after his confession.”
Philip Yancey was a consulting editor for Christianity Today when the news of his eight-year affair was revealed. The CT article said this: “Yancey began his writing profession in 1971 at Campus Life magazine, which became an element of CT a number of years later. He wrote for CT for a long time, reporting and later becoming an everyday columnist and editor at large. His books, including “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”, have sold greater than 15 million copies. He often wrote about faith within the face of pain and suffering.”
Twenty years to the 12 months, Philip Yancey admitted an eight-year affair just like David Seamands. The grief of this for me and lots of pastors, ministry leaders, and Christians the world over is deep and confusing.
Yet, I recall in 1999 God used Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, in my life to spare me from the moral failure I used to be tempted to contemplate in my heart and in my mind. Yancey’s book was utilized by God to prompt me to achieve out to my good friend, Vance Brown, whom God used to radically free me from this deep abiding temptation to self-destruct in ministry too.
Just like David Seamands, God used Philip Yancey to spare me from massive heart ache and to point me within the direction I should go to honour my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Why do I inform you this?
Because Seamands’ and Yancey’s personal selections don’t change the reality of what they wrote. I is not going to remove their books from my shelf just because they fell themselves. Their books are a monument that remind me of how God saved me in those two seasons of my life and I’ll proceed to display them and even seek advice from them as I proceed to minister to the people of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs.
Matter of fact, this 12 months I even have a book coming out called, “Leaving Your Spaces of Shittim: From Bondage to Blessing.” Published by Wipf and Stock Publishing out of Eugene, Oregon, it tells the story of Israel at Shittim, the last place they camped before crossing the Jordan and entering the Promise Land. King Balak wanted the prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. But God told him, “No!” The prophet Balaam told King Barak, I can’t curse them, but you’ll be able to get them to curse themselves. So, Barak got women to tempt the boys to adultery and idolatry with Baal Peor at Shittim.
Like David Seamands and Philip Yancey, they selected to curse themselves and have interaction in immorality and idolatry. This is just not a press release of condemnation but simply a fact.
As a baby of King Jesus, the enemy can’t curse you, but you’ll be able to curse yourself. Leaving your places of Shittim begins with full disclosure about who you actually are. Begin the journey from bondage to blessing, today. You won’t regret it. I haven’t.
