Leadership and Character Failures at Beach
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Beach Church of 557 George Bishop Parkway, Myrtle Beach was founded in the early 1990's under the name Myrtle Beach Community Church as a church plant from the leadership and by members of Ocean View Baptist Church. The church is still legally Myrtle Beach Community Church to this day, but operates as Beach Church.
Scott & Pamela Pyle Craig Cheney
Before we begin with the testimony from a congregation that once had over 1,600 active members, it is imperative that we first give the foundation concerning the central players in this drama.
Craig Cheney, hired in October 2006 as Administrative Pastor. Currently holds the title of Executive Pastor.
Scott Pyle, Partner in Raymond James Pyle Cunningham Wealth Management. A high profile, Myrtle Beach area business man. A key elder at Beach Church during the period surrounding these church issues.
Pamela Pyle, * Scott's wife and a Myrtle Beach area doctor.
Damon Adcock, Worship leader at Beach Church
Dan Grider, 2006-2010, a very popular head pastor at the church among the congregation.
Being a Baptist plant, and as a member recognized by the Baptist Association, Beach Church was responsible for adhering to the bylaws of the Baptist faith when appointing new elders. Two key New Testament passages (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1:5-9) provide us with the essential qualifications that such men must demonstrate in order to be qualified to serve in that capacity.
In laying the foundation for this drama it is essential to open the word of God as it relates to what we feel were the central leadership and character failures that lead to this church split. Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an elder desires a noble task. 2 Now the elder is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
1 Timothy 3: 8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
Great discernment is required by any church when considering such an appointment as an Elder/Deacon. Leaders must follow the warning the prophet Jeremiah gave to Baruch in Jeremiah 45:5, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them.” Pursuit of this role is an ambition that has been cleansed of self-seeking, one that seeks only the glory of God and the well being of others. In church faith, it is an ambition that seeks not position, praise, power, prestige, or popularity, but service to God and ministry to men. The church is encouraged to seek out a person who is concerned with the Exaltation of God, the Edification of the body of Christ, and the Evangelization of the lost.
Now that we have laid the primary foundation, we can begin the narrative of what happened.
Approximately, one year after the head pastor, Dan Grider, was brought on board at Beach Church, he suffered a mild stroke. This was during a period when the church was going through great transition. From a group of over eight, only 2 church elders remained in that position at that time. Leadership decided to set up a point team of 3 elders and the 3 pastors that included Dan Grider, Craig Cheney, and Damon Adcock. As was customary and required by church leadership, the appointment was to be presented to the entire church body for approval. As there were already two elders in the position, Beach Church pastors quietly began the process of deciding who the 3rd appointment would be.
It was only after the head pastor's recovery, that members of the church discovered that leadership had quietly chosen Scott Pyle to be the 3rd appointed elder on the point team. As Scott Pyle was, at that time, embroiled in a public and controversial lawsuit and his wife, Pamela Pyle, was currently having her medical license *sanctioned and facing federal indictment, several key leaders met with Craig Cheney and requested that Scott be put before the church, as required, for approval.
Craig informed several leaders that the former elders had entirely approved of Scott's appointment. He also stated that Scott had been made only a "Point Team Member." During this extended period, however, Scott was also being introduced at small group sessions as an Elder of the Church by Craig and others. Scott began making executive decisions as was related to the church. Church leaders again approached Cheney indicating that Scott needed to be put before the church body as the bylaws required.
Not only did Craig Cheney, the Administrative pastor, ignore these requests, but later it was discovered that Craig, himself, as well as the Worship leader, Damon Adcock, decided to partner with Pamela Pyle in a business venture called Soulo Sport. Below is an advertorial piece produced for Soulo Sport at the time. Oddly, Cheney is quoted in the article as saying, "We didn't imagine ourselves leaving the ministry to do something with Soulo."
Scott was quietly made one of only 3 elders in the church and never put before the congregation as the bylaws of the church required.
From this central backdrop, in future articles, we will now begin providing testimony of how this all played out in the leadership and the body of the church and the consequences that resulted.
9/8/11 *Editor's note: Before and during this series of reporting, our staff reporter, Tammy Currey, made 8 phone calls each into Pastor Craig Cheney's office as well as into the office of Soulo Sport, a venture owned by Cheney, Pyle, and Adcock. We offered this team ample opportunity to provide their side of this story. We received voice mail on every occassion and no calls were ever returned.
On September 2nd, Scott Pyle's attorney sent a request for corrections stating that Pam Pyle's license was sanctioned and not revoked. We have since made those corrections.