This is rather unusual.
Sye Ten Bruggencate is a Canadian apologist best known for his support of Presuppositionalism, a branch of Christian apologetics that says everything in the Bible is divine revelation and therefore the basis for everything we know. Literally everything. In other words, forget reason and logic and evidence; the Bible must be everyone’s starting point. When asked if Christianity required him to be kind to other human beings, Bruggencate once responded, “I don’t know. You’d have to quote the verse.”
It’s also textbook circular reasoning: God exists because it’s true that God exists. Why do we know that? The Bible says so. It’s comically absurd.
I’m most familiar with him because of a public debate he did with Matt Dillahunty back in 2014:
Anyway, Bruggencate posted this cryptic message today explaining that he was stepping away from public ministry after committing some kind of “moral failure” that “disqualifies” him from doing his job.
It is with great sadness that I must inform you that I have been guilty of moral failure and will no longer be involved in public ministry. I have spoken with the elders of my church, and they have determined that my sin disqualifies me from the ministry. This means that I will no longer be involved in teaching, preaching, or apologetics. I am sorry for the shame my sin has brought upon the name of Christ and for the hurt I have caused. Please pray for me.
What did he do? Who knows. As tempting as it is to speculate, this kind of apology in conservative Christian circles tends to cover everything from affairs to abuse to homosexuality to voting for a Democrat.
Church elders have not yet responded to my request for more comment.
It may not be related, but the church in question — Faith Presbyterian Church in Tillsonburg, Ontario — has been in the news lately because its pastor has repeatedly denied local COVID restrictions by hosting in-person services.
(Featured screenshot via YouTube)
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