Comments on: The Great Stripping Away (or—how I lost some of my faith)

By: Christina Bickley

Christina Bickley — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 15:15:11 +0000

Brian,
Thank you for being so transparent, so real. It makes looking at a leader, or Pastor and know you are human. I’m sorry for the pain you endured as layers were removed. It helps me to see that God is calling us all back to the simplicity of our first love. We don’t need the extravagant, we just need Christ everyday, in our brokenness and our days of joy and celebration. And through our transparency, your transparency, others will come to know Christ. They will be able to relate to us. They will begin to feel the hope and know however bad it gets, They are not alone. I thank God for you and Sherry and your willingness to do God’s will, and to reach out to our hurting community.

By: Brian Dolleman

Brian Dolleman — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:01:44 +0000

Thank you Bryan for these kind words. And thank you for being a model of humility to me and the church.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 17:17:56 +0000

I’ve always been drawn to leaders who are humble enough to be vulnerable without giving up the mantle of leadership. It seems vulnerability is too often wrapped up in lack of vision, or something like that. Rarely have I seen a leader who has a clear vision who doesn’t feel the need to make sure his/her opinions are validated by those around them. Too many disagreements are viewed as tests of “loyalty”.
Not so with you, Brian. You have stayed constant in your pursuit of God’s vision for your life, and for NWLife, without letting ego derail your love for His people. I have been an observer of many of these “slings and arrows” that have come your way. Through them all, I have seen you maintain a heart to love God and to treat people, even the ones who have hurt you deeply, as the people God loves. You teach us how to extend grace in all of this – not merely with words, but with your example.
When you came to pastor us, I had in my mind a large church, influential in south King County – political clout, social significance, religious leadership, etc. Surprising to no one (I’m certain), God’s vision was much different than mine – at least in how it will play out. You have led us back to the basics of following Christ – engaging our community and meeting them where they are with simple love and true care with all agendas put away but His. No hype, no “look at me”, no preoccupation with your brand, just real love for the people Christ died to save.
Perhaps all of those things I saw are formulating, but on a much more truly Christlike foundation than what I imagined. Thanks for leading me on this great stripping away with you. It hasn’t been an easy transformation for an old guy – often quite uncomfortable – and I know I have quite a bit more to let go of, but it is refreshing to be a part of something that is making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
Looking forward to see where God is leading. Love you Pastor!

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:35:28 +0000

Love this. Any time I see someone embracing their celebrity, they start hiding the parts of themselves that don’t fit the brand, and it always seems to blow up on them later as you can only play a role so long. They don’t get help for problems when the problem is still little, because the can’t admit to not being perfect. Church should be about God and helping people know Him, not about celebrating the leaders and what they can do.