Pastor Bob Snyder and Pastor Matt Wiley of Rice Road Community Church.
In the summer of 2009, I found myself in search of a new place to worship after leaving Wellspring Community Church amidst betrayal and turmoil. Mark Garner, who had also experienced the fallout from Marc Brulé and Andrew Thompson’s actions, invited me to Rice Road Community Church. Mark had started attending two weeks prior and already had a connection with Pastor Bob Snyder, the senior pastor there.
I also met Pastor Matt Wiley, the youth pastor at the time. Both Pastor Bob and Pastor Matt were excited to welcome two new families to their church. I hoped Rice Road could be a place of healing for my wife and me, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Pushed Too Soon
Two weeks after we started attending, Pastor Bob called me in for a meeting. I assumed he wanted to support us as we recovered from the betrayal we’d faced at Wellspring. Instead, he asked me to lead worship. Still in shock and not emotionally ready for such responsibility, I declined. I offered to contribute by singing or playing guitar but made it clear I wasn’t prepared to lead a team.
Shortly after, Pastor Bob and his wife invited Mark Garner and his family, along with my wife and me, for dinner. It was a lovely evening, and we genuinely connected with the couple. Pastor Bob came across as a kind man, though somewhat unaware of the emotional needs of his congregation. My wife felt particularly comfortable with Pastor Bob’s wife, and for a brief time, we started to enjoy being part of Rice Road Community Church.
Building the Church’s Website
Around this time, Pastor Bob approached me about designing a website for the church. As a website designer, I was happy to help. Understanding their limited budget, I gave them a significant discount and structured a five-year contract for $60 a month, which included a new website, hosting, training, and ongoing support. Pastor Bob handled the arrangement professionally, respecting that this was my business.
A New Pastor, Familiar Problems
Before we could make a decision, Pastor Matt Wiley–now the new senior pastor–reached out to meet with us. He assured us that he would lead the church differently and restore integrity to its leadership. We decided to stay, hoping for a fresh start.
However, during his first week as pastor, Matt received a call from Marc Brulé. By the end of their meeting, Matt, Marc, and Andrew Thompson had become fast friends. Pastor Matt couldn’t wait to share this with me, completely unaware of how painful it was to hear him praise the two individuals whose actions had caused such betrayal to Mark Garner and me.
Nevertheless, we continued to until shortly after we had witnessed Mark Garner catching the church leadership lying to the congregation about why pastor Bob Snyder had been fired. Mark left the church immediately, and my wife and I followed a week later and in-fact; there would be an exodus of people over the next couple of weeks that would follow.
Broken Commitments
Before leaving, my company’s five-year contract with Rice Road Community Church was still active. After a few months of associating with Marc and Andrew, Pastor Matt decided to cancel the contract, claiming one of the youth would build a new website instead. This breach of agreement cost my company several thousand dollars.
Beyond the financial loss, it was disheartening to realize that the tithes we had given to the church would not be used to honor God but rather to support broken promises.
A Question of Integrity
This experience left me questioning the state of the church today. How can liars and cheaters lead the flock when integrity is supposed to be foundational to Christian leadership?
When leaders prioritize their agendas over truth and transparency, they undermine the very faith they claim to represent.
Sincerely,
Don