Pastor David Whitney Speaks Out About EFCA Persecution

David Whitney is a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church in America in a process that initially began because he never shut down his church in 2020. This innocent comment in a regional Evangelical Free zoom called led to a fishing expedition against Whitney for holding orthodox views church gathering, sexuality, abortion, and the civil magistrate.

David Whitney describes his relationship with the Evangelical Free Church in America. His affinity for the denomination is due to their adherence to the essentials of Christianity while creating a big tent for secondary doctrines, even more than other big tent denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention.

Whitney explained that for defying lockdowns in 2020, under the orders of Governor Larry Hogan, the Board of Ministry Standing was coming after him. David Whitney is the pastor of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church of Bowie, Maryland. He explained that his church met in a 7th Day Adventist church, but when that church decided to lock down, they insisted on continuing to meet, as the Bible commands. He explains that during a regional meeting, his report of not locking down invited scrutiny. EFCA east is the woke district of the denomination. They went after Jeff Kliewer, a New Jersey pastor, and now Whitney.

The charges brought against Whitney include: not having a congregational meeting in 2021; Christian Nationalism; accused of not having elders in violation of the church constitution; refusing to provide congregant PII/contact information to the Board of Ministerial Standing.

Whitney explains that its true that they did not have a congregational meeting in 2021 because of quorum laws. He also notes that this is not a sin issue. On Christian Nationalism, which Jeff Kliewer was also charged and even acquitted, Whitney explains that his accusers lack a substantiation to the charge. He claims he’s a Biblicist who applies the Bible to everything, including government. On the charge on violating the church constitution by not having elders, Whitney explains that this is a false charge because he is an elder and his church’s constitution does not require a plurality of elders. I asked and he explained that an elder stepped down from the role which was not quickly refilled as that would be unwise. Because of the mounting inquisition, the EFCA demanded that he turn over contact information, bank records, meeting notes etc. Whitney refused to provide the documents in conjunction with the wishes of his church and congregation. The request was unrelated to the accusations made against him, as though they had an additional charge waiting for him. Whitney, noting his church’s proximity to DC, explains that people in his congregation do not want their personal information in the wrong hands, particularly those who would weaponize it against them and their job security.

Whitney explains that the districts have superintendents who are meant to be the shepherds of shepherds. But the investigation into Whitney circumvented the hierarchy and the superintendent of the east acquiesced to the insistence of the woke pastors who did not have the authority to investigate a fellow pastor. 

At the meeting in Minneapolis which occurred last month, he described a grim meeting tribunal. His request to have the meeting recorded was denied. Whitney decided to continue the meeting anyway to be a testimony, believing this to be an opportunity for testimony (Luke 12:11).

He testified to the history of the EFCA, a denomination born of Scandinavian immigrants who opposed state run churches and detailed how the government became de facto head of the church during lockdowns, and going against that violated the “free” in “Evangelical Free Church” which always denoted a refusal to be ruled by government.

Ultimately, the Board of Ministerial Standing is set to discipline Whitney for refusing to provide documents for their fishing expedition and not a reproach.

The future looks grim for Whitney’s ministerial credentials in the EFCA. After the defrocking of Jeff Kliewer, the EFCA removed the ability to appeal before the EFCA messengers.

However, the EFCA cannot remove him from the local church, only consider him a rogue pastor.