I should add one thing to this post. Why should any confrontations from friends count more than many encouragements from friends? I went to the 2002 Auburn Avenue Conference because Pastor John Butler invited me to come along with him. Otherwise, I would have stayed in Minco that week. As far as I was concerned, the conference laid out the parts of Reformed theology that had motivated me to enter the ministry in the PCA, and I thanked all the speakers for their encouragement.

And I am not the only one. Many pastors and even seminary professors in the PCA have appreciated Steve Wilkins recognizing him as a valuable member of the denomination. Think of all the people, including pastors and professors, who attended and thoroughly enjoyed N. T. Wright speaking at the 2005 Auburn Avenue Pastors Conference.

Besides all that, what about the encouragement that even the critics have given? I listened to the 2003 Auburn Avenue Pastors’ Conference, and I distinctly heard Morton Smith state that the FV attenders were very much in line with the Dutch Reformed tradition. That’s a far cry from an accusation of heresy, unless presbyterians are now all supposed to believe that the Dutch have compromised the Gospel.

And we have all seen proof that Steve Wilkins is widely acceptable in the membership of the so-called “study committee”.  If he was so deviant, it would not have required such a stacked committee to condemn him.  (And here again the verdict precedes the “trial.”  Not only does Steve not get invited to participate, but he is not even contacted even though the committee report straightforwardly condemns him.  And when anyone questions this, R. C. Sproul declares that the desire for someone like Steve on the committee is in effect asking the accused to be on the jury.  So again, Steve is on trial without any personal confrontation or cross examination allowed).
So how can any informal personal confrontations substitute for a real trial? This reasoning only works if you have already discounted vast numbers of Presbyters as worthless (even though they too are members in good standing) and believe it is self-evident that the Steve’s critics have all the authority.