The Martin Family's Controversy with CRI:
An Inside
Perspective
by Cindee Martin Morgan and Rick Morgan
Excerpted from Elliot Miller's book, Breaking the Silence: A Response to Bill Alnor's Crusade Against CRI
“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:6
My husband, Rick, and I do not believe public attacks
on professing Christians are biblical. We believe the Lord ordained the
local churches to settle conflicts within the body of Christ, as Matthew
18 teaches. The Christian Research Institute has been dragged into a
perilous “courtroom” not governed by the protections the Lord has set in
place for those who love Him. For the sake of truth, and most
importantly our love for Christ, we are compelled to give our
“testimony” in this unjust “trial.” As my father, Dr. Walter Martin,
often said, "Controversy for the sake of controversy is sin. Controversy
for the sake of the truth is a divine command." We stand with CRI as one
by one we take the “witness stand” to “defend” the truth, trusting God
is with us. It is our prayer the Lord will use the “evidence” He has
provided to cause the light of truth to shine brightly.
An Unjust Charge: Stealing a Ministry
Hank Hanegraaff is not guilty of stealing CRI from a
grieving widow, as some claim. This false conspiracy theory reminds me
of the childhood story game "Telephone." For those unfamiliar with this
game, a group of children are told to sit in a circle. One of them
begins the story by whispering something in the ear of the person next
to them who in turn repeats what they heard to the person next to them
and so on until the last person to hear what was said repeats the
garbled tale. In a real sense, tales against our brother in Christ are being whispered in the
courtroom of the world. In this treacherous place, lies and distortions
have replaced truth. Unlike the game referred to above, the end result
is anything but funny; it is an effort to destroy a godly man's
reputation and ministry. Some assume that if Hank could deceive Walter
Martin's widow, in her time of need, he could be guilty of anything and
everything he is accused of.
It has been alleged that my stepmother, Darlene
Martin, was blindsided at my father’s public memorial service by an
on-the-spot demand to support Hank as the new President of CRI. We
respectfully disagree with her recollection of what took place. In the
days prior to the memorial
service, Darlene mentioned to us that CRI had asked her to say a few
words to support publicly
my father’s choice of Hank. She explained that
they had made this request because of how ministries often suffer
following their founder’s death. Darlene stated she did not know who my
father wanted to lead CRI, and
was unsure of what to do. It was not surprising for her to be uncertain
of what my father’s leadership plans were, having never been involved in
the ministry aspect of his life (nor were any of my father’s children at
the time of his death). Darlene willingly agreed to support Hank; this
was discussed at home and at the church. We witnessed Darlene’s strong
desire to stand by the men my father had positioned at CRI. The idea she
was taken advantage of is so far from the truth it is shocking. Everyone
around us, during that sad time, was gracious to our family. Darlene was
understandably nervous to speak about the leadership issue publicly, as
is evidenced by the strain in her voice as she delivers that part of her
speech during the service. She sought, however, to honor Walter Martin’s
wishes.
Dr. John Ankerberg, a trusted friend of my father’s,
announced that Walter Martin had chosen Hank Hanegraaff to lead CRI into
the future.
As the memorial video proves, Dr. Ankerberg openly recalled
having prayed with Hank, in October of 1988, about Hank’s decision to
accept the position of executive vice-president of CRI. It is compelling
to listen to the audio of Walter Martin in October of '88, at his
Newport-Mesa Christian Center Bible Class—in his own words—ask his class
to pray about the same position Dr. Ankerberg prayed with Hank about
during that same month and year. It is critical to note that Dr.
Ankerberg was “in the loop” in terms of what my father had planned for
CRI. He would hardly participate in, or overlook, a conspiracy to steal
a ministry.
As the video of Dr. Martin’s memorial service proves,
everyone my father positioned in leadership at CRI was present during
his service and supported his leadership decisions. Longtime CRI board
member Everett Jacobson, my father’s former brother-in-law (and my
uncle), who remained his best friend throughout his life, was the only
person involved with CRI that my father considered family. My father
loved him like a brother. When my uncle spoke at Walter Martin’s
service, he was so grieved he almost broke down during his tribute. To
this day, anyone can
tune in and hear about the love he had for his
"brother" and his devotion to Jesus Christ. Everett Jacobson also loved
Darlene; they were good friends. It is shameful he has been publicly
accused of helping Hank steal CRI. To suggest Everett Jacobson would
betray the Lord, Walter Martin, and his widow is nothing short of
slander.
At Darlene’s request, Hank planned a beautiful
memorial service for her husband. Immediately following my father’s
death, Darlene—for the first time——became involved in CRI. She was
welcomed to the board of directors with open arms, serving side by side
with Hank and Everett Jacobson for about six years. During Darlene’s
time on the board she spoke of how the Lord was using CRI and how
pleased she was with the ministry’s direction.
A Private Reproof
During the final year Darlene served on the board, she
had a falling out with Hank. It was later misreported that they had a
public rift. The incident between them occurred at a board meeting.
I was at the house the day Darlene returned from that meeting, the very
meeting that would set the stage for division between them. Darlene
explained to me that Hank had confronted her, in front of the board,
about privately speaking with disgruntled former employees who were
currently attacking CRI. Although I was sad to see her so distraught, I
came to realize that Darlene’s decision to do this was ill-advised. This
was Darlene’s first experience on a board overseeing a vast ministry. In
retrospect, I don’t think she was prepared for the level of spiritual
warfare Walter Martin dealt with on a daily basis. Having attended that
same board meeting, my uncle assured me that Hank had handled things
wisely. As I would later learn, some of the former employees Darlene was
privately speaking with had previously implicated her as well as the
other board members. Hank sought to protect CRI from people who were so
determined to effect a leadership change that they were prepared to use
whatever damaging allegations would serve their purpose—no matter how
false, unverified, or unfair—and had no qualms about the damage they
would do to CRI in the process.
A Rush to Judgment
Walter Martin died in 1989. It is critical to note the
accusation Hank stole CRI did not emerge until 1999,
a decade after my father’s death.
At Darlene’s request, my sister Jill conducted an investigation of the
accusations against Hank Hanegraaff. This investigation also led Jill to
question the integrity of Everett Jacobson and Elliot Miller. Jill did
not know any of these men personally with the exception of having known
our uncle when she was a child and a teen. She lived two thousand miles
away, in
For reasons perhaps known only to the Lord, Jill’s
“findings” are painfully inaccurate. After a three hour conversation
with Elliot Miller, Jill dismissed his recollection of events and the
first-hand “testimony” he freely offered. She essentially threw this
“evidence” and his testimony out of “court.” She ruled that Elliot
Miller, who had worked closely with Walter Martin for close to thirteen
years, was guilty of overlooking evil and was not to be trusted. Elliot,
and his wife Corinne, are two of our dearest friends. They are committed
to serving Jesus Christ. Rick and I understand why my father had high
regard and confidence in Elliot both personally and professionally. I
observed their relationship firsthand when I worked at CRI, back in
1981. Jill is publicly on record stating Everett Jacobson, another one
of CRI’s witnesses, never tried to speak with her about the accusations
against Hank. With great sadness my uncle confided in us that Jill had
never asked his side of the story as to what had taken place at CRI,
following my father’s death. After Uncle Everett’s son died
unexpectedly, he mentioned he’d received a sympathy card from Jill that
included words taking him to task for helping Hank steal CRI. My uncle,
a great man of God, went to his grave falsely accused of betraying the
Martin family. We believe it earned him another jewel in his crown. We
are certain Everett Jacobson heard the words, “Well done, good and
faithful servant….enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” Matt: 25:23
(KJV).
This tragic story begs the question: how could Darlene
Martin, more than a decade after her husband’s death, conclude Hank
stole CRI? After Darlene’s falling out with Hank at the board meeting,
we witnessed her struggle with the public accusations against him. The
fact she didn’t personally know who my father chose to lead CRI compounded the
problem. In our opinion, instead of believing the firsthand testimony of
the men Walter Martin trusted, Darlene was deceived by false
accusations. In light of the evidence Jill presented, she became
convinced her husband could not have chosen Hank. She, along with Jill,
assumed that the request to support Hank publicly must have been part of
a plan to steal the ministry. In our opinion, they made a rush to
judgment.
A Personal Agenda?
During the time Jill was conducting her investigation,
she and her husband, Kevin, began a ministry they named “Walter Martin’s
Religious Infonet.” They requested of CRI, and received, a large amount
of Walter Martin materials. CRI gave the Martin family permission to use
them for God's glory. The idea of publicly sharing more of my father’s
messages has always appealed us, as do all good ministry endeavors, but
not what appeared to be an effort to build a platform to destroy CRI. In
our opinion, Jill is seeking to transfer the legacy of Walter Martin to
her ministry based on false information. We believe CRI is Walter
Martin’s legacy and represents everything he labored to accomplish for
God’s Kingdom the thirty-plus years God used him there. For these
reasons, we asked Jill not to claim publicly that the entire Martin
family stood against CRI. Sadly, Jill was determined to show a united
front. The public perception became that the entire Martin family was
calling for Hank’s resignation. Disturbed by this, Rick and I privately
let Hank know we were not involved. We did not have a public platform
back in 2000 but wanted CRI, and those close to us, to know we loved
this ministry.
Jill did not learn that
someone in the Martin family
had spoken with Hank until months later. Outraged by this perceived
high-level security breach, she confronted me. Weary of this issue and
fearful of family division, I flatly refused to discuss the matter.
Convinced we had spoken with Hank, Jill insisted we were traitors,
stated she no longer wanted a relationship with our family, and later
convinced others in our extended family to break fellowship with us as
well.
Seeking Reconciliation
Rick and I eventually decided to contact Darlene’s
pastor in an effort to seek biblical reconciliation with her. We
arranged a meeting and flew to
Several months later I became ill and was
hospitalized. Although the pain medicine prescribed at the time made it
a challenge to hold onto conversations, I do recall my hospital phone
ringing off the hook as most of our estranged family reassured me of
their love. After this medical trial, they agreed to disagree on the
issue of CRI—for nearly seven years—although things were never the same
between us. Jill and Kevin continued to promote accusations against Hank
on their Website and although it was not discussed, they knew we opposed
their actions. This was the dead calm before the darkest storm we have
faced so far.
In February of 2009, a phone call between Jill and I
erased most of the progress everyone had made. Jill expressed concern
there were numerous clips of our father, on YouTube, posted by people
who were ignoring their requests to post a link to their
End-Time Views: His or Hers?
As the months passed, an important issue came to our attention. People were publicly expressing concern that Walter Martin’s eschatological views were being redefined by Jill in her recent book. It is Jill’s assertion that Dr. Martin condemned certain end-times interpretations held by many evangelical Christians as “aberrant theology” and evidence of satanic influence in the church. Her words alarmed us because this was not what my father believed and she was causing division in the body of Christ. These views, while not currently as popular as dispensational theology, are nonetheless held by many in the Reformed branch of Christianity and are deeply rooted in orthodox theology. Dr. Martin referred to the various end-times views as “peripheral theology.” He implored believers to love one another and to not divide over these types of disputes. The following is from Walter Martin’s tape, The Tribulation and the Church:
There have developed tremendous conflicts in the Body of Christ about
the subject of the Second Coming of our Lord. And I think that what we
ought to do is to have freedom to express ourselves without being
penalized for our positions. And unfortunately, that’s what’s going on
today….
Now I don’t know what frightens people so
much about different points of view.
The Apostle Paul says that, ‘There must need
be differences of opinions in your midst, so that the truth may be made
known.’ There is nothing wrong
with having different opinions. And ministers, not only myself, but
others, should not be penalized for taking, what is in the minds of
some, an unpopular position….
Love, according to 1 Corinthians 13, is supposed to govern the
activities and the function of the members of the body of Christ. And
when I see Christians fighting among themselves, about whether Jesus is
coming before the tribulation, the middle of the tribulation, or after
the tribulation; when I see books being published where statements are
made, ”We are the generation that will see the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ”; when I see this type of thing going on, and bitterness
developing, a root of bitterness developing among Christians,
then
I think it’s time for us to air our differences of opinions. I think
it’s time for us to give the other guy a break. If you don’t agree with
him, love him, or her, for Christ’s sake. But don’t make that a point of
division in the Body of Christ.
We must not be
divided about whether we sprinkle, pour or immerse, or whether we have
wine, grape juice, or Coca Cola at the Communion service—which is what
they do in
Even more problematic with Jill’s book is the fact
that Walter Martin’s name graces almost half of its front cover.
Although her book may contain helpful information, we do not believe my
father would want a work done in his name that he was unable to sign off
on. He never permitted this during his lifetime. We immediately
recognized our efforts to resolve this situation would undoubtedly be
hindered because of our support of Hank and CRI. Experiencing division
with Jill for the second time in nine years, Rick decided to participate
anonymously in a public discussion on this subject that was
already in progress on her
ministry’s Website. Everyone in the discussion remained anonymous, with
the exception of Jill. Although it troubled us to have to deal with
things this way, it gave Rick the opportunity to discuss our concerns in
a controlled environment. Over a period of several weeks, he
respectfully urged Jill to cite evidence to support her public
assertions that Walter Martin believed what she was claiming. Jill was
unable to do this and the discussion eventually ended with her claiming
Dr. Martin’s children knew best what he believed.
A Meeting with Jill and Kevin
Completely discouraged by my sister’s responses yet
relieved to have this discussion as evidence, we approached Darlene and
sought her help. She asked us to send her the exchange between them, and
we complied. Darlene appeared to share our concerns and even convinced
Kevin and Jill to meet with us. We briefly discussed our feelings with
them about CRI and the longstanding division between us. Jill’s response
to us was simply that Hank is a “tare.”(The use of this biblical
metaphor is significant beyond Jill’s understanding, for she has been
devoting her energy for over a decade to removing this “tare,” yet Jesus
instructed us not to remove
tares, since we do not know for certain who is a tare and we might
actually remove some “wheat.” We are therefore instructed to leave it to
God to remove the tares on Judgment Day [Matt. 13:24–30; 36–41].) Rick
addressed our concern that Jill has publicly misrepresented Walter
Martin’s theology. As they talked, she began to realize the two of them
may have already discussed this, at length, on her ministry board. Rick
openly admitted he had spoken anonymously with her. Although we sought
to help Jill understand why he felt compelled to do this, she was
offended. Rick sought her forgiveness, stressing we believed this was
the only way a civil discussion on this matter could take place. When
the meeting ended, we immediately phoned Darlene to let her know how it
had gone. She shared our disappointment and sadness that nothing had
been resolved.
In October of 2009, Hank invited Rick and me on the
Bible Answer Man program and featured our newest pro-life song,
“Who
Will Save the Little Ones?” He discussed the pro-life issue with us from
a biblical perspective. Hank did an outstanding job and the program was
powerful. We were thrilled to have this opportunity to speak out for
those who have no voice. It was especially memorable for us once again
to have the privilege of being interviewed on the program the Lord
raised up through my father. (We shared a pro-life song on the program
once before in the early ‘90s, at Darlene’s request.) It was
bittersweet, however, because we knew this would anger some relatives.
Darlene soon e-mailed to let us know that Kevin had phoned to inform her
of the disgrace we had been to the Martin family.
Our Meeting with Darlene: Sharing the Miracle
At this point in time, the Lord moved our hearts to
share with Darlene something extraordinary the Lord had done for CRI. We
prayed it would help bring peace between everyone. We asked Darlene if
we could come and share it with her face to face. Distressed by Kevin’s
phone call, she was hesitant to let us visit. I convinced her to allow
us to come; a month later we were at her door. We visited for three days
and shared the miracle the Lord had done through a disgruntled former
CRI employee. We explained how he now openly denies Christ. We pointed
out how amazing it was he’d discovered me online, and sent me a massive
amount of stolen materials. I had only been visible for a brief time
whereas Jill had been promoting accusations against Hank for more than a
decade. It appeared God used for the good the intentionally cultivated
public perception that the entire Martin family stood against CRI to
blind this man’s eyes. He had no idea we supported Hank and was furious
when he later realized the material he sent us had been a help to a man
he hated.
Darlene seemed moved to hear how the Lord had
delivered Dr. Martin’s “testimony” to our doorstep. After more than
twenty years, Walter Martin was able to take the “witness stand” and
defend the ministry the Lord had raised up through him. He was once
again able to discuss publicly whom he chose to lead CRI and why. We
played for Darlene the audios of my father at his Newport-Mesa Christian
Center Bible Class where he defined his leadership plans for CRI. We
pointed out how the audios support
all first-hand witness accounts and clearly expose several false
accusations. These audios prove:
- Dr. Martin considered Hank Hanegraaff a “friend”
and a “joy.” He stated he is a “godly” man and has known Hank for
more than five years. This refutes the public accusation they were
never friends and barely knew each other. It also highlights Dr.
Martin’s personal knowledge of Hank’s integrity.
-
Dr. Martin researched Hank's work. It is alleged
that Hank had plagiarized Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas’s work and
Dr. Martin was unaware of this, but Dr. Martin not only was
acquainted with Lorayne and Lucas’s work, he could recite it! To
assert Hank fooled him is ridiculous, especially in light of Dr.
Martin's legendary photographic memory. These facts complement the
overwhelming evidence Elliot Miller presents that Hank is not
guilty of plagiarism.
- Six months prior to Dr.
Martin’s death, at his Newport-Mesa Christian Center class,
he
publicly presented Hank as CRI’s new
executive vice president, a
position he clearly described as the CEO position that he was
yielding to Hank, while remaining president of the board and
continuing to function as the public face of the ministry. This
discredits the claim that Hank was hired merely for “fundraising”
and was never positioned, by Dr. Martin, for the leadership of CRI.
Walter Martin defined the role he chose for Hank to have when he
stated, “He can run the entire
operation and is very, very good in the world of the cults and an
excellent and very successful man in his own right…”
- Walter Martin applauds Hank’s credentials to
assume leadership of CRI, stating that he is “the best on the
horizon.” He is impressed with what Hank can bring to CRI even
though Hank comes without a formal degree. This puts to shame those
would-be defenders of Walter Martin’s legacy who insist that he,
like them, would never recognize the calling of God on a man who
lacks the standard academic degrees.
It is clear Walter Martin made responsible
preparations for the ministry the Lord entrusted him with. Only a month
prior to his death, he told me one of his greatest sources of grief was
that he would not know his grandchildren in this life; they were all
quite young at that time. Contrary to what some have publicly claimed,
Dr. Martin had a strong sense the Lord may soon call him home.
We gently pointed out to Darlene that my father’s
words should be respected. She was visibly shaken but excited to hear my
father explaining what Hank’s role would be. She was stunned to hear him
describe Hank as the “number two” man in the structure of CRI; the new “executive
vice-president” of the Christian Research Institute. She appeared to
embrace wholeheartedly my father’s plans and with conviction stated, “We
need to support him! He chose Hank! It's a relief to know what he
wanted; we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Darlene was so moved to hear my father’s words that
she contacted my youngest sister and told her, “Dad chose Hank! Don’t
talk to Jill yet!” She nervously revealed that Jill had been repeatedly
calling that weekend but stated she was avoiding her. Darlene confessed
that Jill had expressed concern Rick and I would “brainwash” her. She
insisted that Jill would never accept that “Dad” chose Hank.
Darlene instructed Rick and I to
go back to
We had a wonderful time of fellowship with Darlene
that weekend. We laughed and we cried. On Saturday evening, we attended
church with her. Ironically, her pastor began his sermon saying
something like, “Has anyone ever been the victim of a rumor?” At this
point, Darlene laughed quietly and leaned into Rick whispering, “We
don’t know what that’s like do we?” Soon after, her pastor instructed
everyone to turn their Bibles to Jude 3. Darlene smiled broadly at us,
the three of us aware this was Walter Martin’s life verse.
We left Darlene’s house the following Sunday evening
with hope in our hearts and in earnest prayer the Lord would use this
miracle to put to rest the dispute over what Walter Martin wanted in
terms of CRI’s leadership. We were cautiously optimistic. We immediately
shared the details of our visit with close friends and our pastor, and
requested prayer for everyone involved.
It is our prayer the Lord will use this
behind-the-scenes account to shed more light on what is true for the
sake of those harmed by false accusations,
“…because truth matters.” We believe this is a spiritual battle. CRI
is the largest countercult apologetics ministry in the world. It is our
firmly held conviction that the enemy is seeking to extinguish a
threatening opponent in the battle for the lost. “For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Eph. 6:12 (NIV).
My father once told me the Christian Research
Institute was his life’s “dream.” It was a joy to witness his passion
and commitment to the ministry the Lord had called him to. Hank
Hanegraaff is equally devoted to CRI and is the man the Lord raised up
when He called my father home. CRI has flourished under his leadership.
I will now step down from the “witness stand”. It
is my husband Rick’s turn to take my place, as he finishes
presenting the truth as we have lived it.
Walter Martin's Leadership Plans
“Did your dad pick Hank Hanegraaff to lead CRI as his
successor?” is a question Cindee and I have heard often since Dr. Martin
went home to be with the Lord in 1989. This was a question that we were
unable to answer from any firsthand knowledge. Dad had never spoken with
us about this issue. He often spoke about his vision for CRI and
developments that were exciting to him, but the issue of his eventual
“home going” and who would take over for him were left unspoken.
Walter Martin lived and breathed CRI. We know that Dad
made provisions for his loved ones: family and CRI. As a loving husband
and father, he made certain to address the needs of his family. As the
founder and president of CRI, he made certain to address the needs of
this ministry he loved with a passion. He was confident that CRI would
“outlive” him, and he wanted to make sure that it was well equipped to
thrive in its future. He was very aware how easy it was for a ministry
to “die” with its founder's passing. He made mention of this to his
Newport-Mesa Christian Center Bible class in December of 1988, just a
little over 6 months before his death. To his class, he boldly
exclaimed, "I have not made that mistake!" And indeed he did not.
Here we are, twenty-one years into the future, and CRI
is still the largest and most prestigious countercult apologetics
ministry in the world. That is good news! We are proud of the
contributions Hank and the staff of CRI have made, and continue to make,
to the Christian community at large. You would think that this news
would be exciting to everyone who hears it, yet, that is not the case.
There are those who have sought for years to undo Walter Martin's
choices, not realizing, or not caring, that their actions were a threat
to CRI itself.
Walter Martin on Hank Hanegraaff: His Own Words
Cindee has already told you of the events that led up
to our visit with Darlene. I will now relate what has transpired
subsequent to that time of fellowship. Before I proceed, I need to make
an important point. Cindee and I had been prepared to make Walter
Martin's comments about Hank Hanegraaff public for quite some time, but
believed that out of respect for Darlene, we should make her aware of
them first. Thinking it improper to do this over the phone, we believed
God would make a way for us to meet with her face-to-face, and indeed He
did this in November 2009. We have been convinced all along that God was
directing us to make these comments public, so our reason for planning
time with Darlene was never about permission. We were convinced that God
was offering her an opportunity to consider her part in all of this, and
to decide how to respond to this miracle. We openly shared with Darlene
that we were bound by our conscience before the Lord to make Dad's words
available to the public. Once she heard his comments, she was convinced
that Dad had indeed chosen Hank. I asked Darlene what she would have
done, had these tapes come to her instead of to us. She replied, “I
would have made them public." Darlene's only request of us was that we
delay making them public until
Jill and her husband Kevin had an opportunity to hear them. Out of
respect for her, we agreed to wait until we met with them to release
Dad’s comments publicly.
An About-Face
After leaving Darlene's home on Sunday, November 15,
we drove to
Although we were grieved by this “about-face” on
Darlene's part, we were not surprised. Her words to us, long before this
situation arose, were to the effect that she could be easily convinced
by whoever was speaking at the moment. By her own admission, she is a
person easily swayed. We were now witnesses to that harsh reality. It’s
important to remember that CRI is
not, and has never been, a family-owned business or ministry. Walter
Martin always insisted that the Christian Research Institute belonged to
the Lord and was maintained by the donations and support of His people.
Accusations of Copyright Infringement
Having anticipated a
challenge of this very nature, we had long before sought the permission
of CRI, the stated copyright owner on the materials that were sent to
us. In the same way that CRI had previously granted other members of the
Martin family permission to use CRI's Walter Martin material, they now
extended that same permission to us and to this material as well. Having
their permission to use this material added to the rights that we
already possessed as American citizens: the right of "Fair Use" of
copyrighted works. This right to "Fair Use" is contained in Title 17,
Section 107 of U.S. Copyright Codes. These U.S. Copyright Codes can be
found at
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.pdf.
We have used this material completely lawfully on several levels. In
addition to this fact, Cindee is Walter Martin's daughter. Imagine being
told you are forbidden to use your own father's words publicly. I would
imagine that those words would be as warmly received by you as Darlene's
words were by us.
Due to this turn of events,
I immediately 'flipped the switch' and made Walter Martin's comments
about Hank Hanegraaff available to the public at
www.WalterMartinJude3.com
and on our YouTube channel,
www.YouTube.com/WalterMartinJude3.
Once Darlene's letter came expressing her change of mind, we were no
longer bound by our agreement to wait until Jill and Kevin had heard the
comments. She changed the agreement when she changed her mind. In
Darlene's letter, she wrote, "If this situation is not resolved to my
satisfaction, there will be consequences which I pray I will never have
to implement." In answer to this, all we can say is that we agree with
Peter and John when they said, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right
in God's sight to obey you rather than God" Acts 4:19 (NIV). In short
order, Darlene began to make good on those words and through her
“agents” Kevin and Jill Rische, began filing Copyright Infringement
claims against us at YouTube and at our web hosting service for
WalterMartinJude3. Every clip that we have posted that has
anyone saying
anything good about
Hank Hanegraaff, has been
attacked. If that isn't egregious enough, they even had the temerity to
file a copyright infringement claim against a video clip of
me eulogizing my father-in-law,
Walter Martin, at his memorial service! Beginning on November 27,
2009, we filed counter-claims to these infringement claims and each time
the videos and audio clips were restored. This changed in part on April
1, 2010. More on that below.
It should be obvious to all that this is not, and has
never been, about copyright infringement. This has been, and continues
to be, an attempt to silence any support of Hank Hanegraaff that comes
from the lips of Walter Martin. Just to be specific, we are talking
about eight audio clips that total twelve minutes and two seconds. The
longest audio clip is two minutes and fifty-seven seconds. The video
clips from Walter Martin's Memorial Service which lasted about two
hours, total twelve minutes and sixteen seconds, and another ten minutes
if you include John Ankerberg's closing comments and prayer, and
finally, another seven minutes and twenty-one second if you include
my own comments. So, we are talking about thirty or so minutes of
material that contains kind and supportive words about Hank Hanegraaff.
This is out of the thousands and
thousands of hours of Walter Martin material in existence: material
by Cindee’s own father. Instead of having the opportunity to grieve my
own father's recent death, we were grieved to be fighting for Walter
Martin’s right to be heard.
A Flawed Investigation
We are so thankful that these audios and videos have
become available to the public, and believe those who love truth will be
thankful as well. The only ones who oppose us are those who stand to be
corrected by their release. For example, on Jill's “ministry” Website,
the following statement by Jill can currently be found:
What we did not find out until years later was that
Hank Hanegraaff had a "closed door" meeting with a CRI Board Member
within days of my father's death—and without the presence or knowledge
of the entire board. The result of that meeting (according to a CRI
Board member at the time) was the naming of Hank Hanegraaff as CEO of
Christian Research Institute.
That is an interesting statement to make, especially "after an intensive two year investigation into the situation at CRI."
Why is this so interesting? A simple review of the "Walter Martin
Memorial Service" video tape from June 29, 1989 will show John Ankerberg
and Everett Jacobson speaking openly about the board meeting held that
very morning, in which Hank was elected president of CRI by a
unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. During those portions of
the video, Stanley Tonnesen, a CRI Board Member, can be seen sitting on
the elevated platform smiling. All the board members were present that
morning at the board meeting, and all the board members were present
that evening at the memorial service when thanks was being given to God
for the wonderful events of that day. These videos clips have been the
repeated subject of "copyright infringement" claims by the "Martin
Estate".
CRI Board Member,
I want to close by saying that when we had the board
meeting, that everything went just wonderful today, because the Lord was
there and Walter was there. More than that, God has orchestrated all of
the events of this week. Walter was home, with his wife Darlene, when he
went to be with the Lord. Hank was here in
John Ankerberg included
these comments in his remarks:
People all across this country of ours, and around the
world, after they hear about Walter’s ”home-going,” are saying, ”What’s
going to happen to CRI? Who’s going to take over? Who could ever step
into the shoes of Walter Martin?” And tonight I’d like to introduce to
you, the man that Walter believed that God had picked out, and that
Walter wanted to succeed him.
I can remember coming and speaking at the banquet last
October, and I met Hank, who was a Board member before that. And Walter
had talked with Hank, and Hank asked me to pray with him about that
decision. And I said, ”Just be frank with Walter and tell him what you
are thinking,“ and they did. They had great discussions. And tonight, we
never thought that it would come this soon, but I know this is the way
that Walter wanted it. And the board has unanimously voted that Mr. Hank
Hanegraaff would be the new president of CRI, and also the chairman of
the board."
Interestingly, these words by Jacobson and Ankerberg
are missing on Jill's Website.
Another statement that is currently available on
Jill's Website:
The following is Darlene's full statement [partially
quoted here] taken from the Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2000:
After reading your article "Casting Stones" (April
15), I am writing to clarify several issues.
First, my husband, Walter Martin, never "handpicked"
anyone to succeed him at Christian Research Institute and "The Bible
Answer Man" radio program.
This claim was handed to me by someone I thought I
could trust as I approached the lectern at my husband's memorial
service…" [Darlene’s statement continues]
Again, a brief review of the memorial service tape
will reveal that Darlene Martin was not handed
anything by
anyone as she "approached the
lectern" that evening. This comment was revised by Jill on her Website
after it was pointed out that
these comments were not supported by the Memorial Service video. Once
again, we are thankful for the video clips that provide irrefutable
evidence.
From Jill's Website:
*(ed. note - Darlene Martin's speech was "edited"
while she was in the library of the church—before she left to take part
in the Memorial Service. It was done out of range of the video camera
taping the service.)
The following statements were added to the end of Darlene's address:
"Walt and I talked often about who would take over for
him at CRI if the Lord were to ever take him home. Since last October,
Walter asked Hank Hanegraaff to work with him and to be that man. Little
did we know that it would come this soon. But Hank is the man that
Walter wanted to lead CRI, and I am eternally grateful for this man, for
the uplifting that he has done for me in these past few days. He is a
godsend, and I am grateful for him and his family.
I
know that the Lord is going to bless CRI and that the ministry is going
to flourish under Hank's direction. I thank the Lord for him and for CRI
and for all the staff who are going to carry on, even in the midst of
Walt's absence. And I just praise the Lord for it. Thank you again."
Unfortunately, I do not have a video clip to point you
to for this claim. As Jill's revised comments above indicate, there was
no video camera present when this event occurred. But, as it turns out,
Darlene's speech itself has been made available. A photocopy of
Darlene's speech from that night shows the following words hand printed
at the bottom of the page
Walter and I talked about who would take over for him
at CRI if the Lord ever took him home. Since last October, Walter asked
Hank Hanegraaff to work with him and be that man. Little did we know it
would come this soon—but Hank is the man Walter wanted to lead CRI.
The "Martin Estate" had this evidence in hand since
the night of the memorial service, but they still did not get it right.
To emphasize the point, I will include Jill’s Website version below with
the photocopy words in
bold italics.
Only the words in
bold italics are
handwritten at the bottom of Darlene’s speech:
"Walt
and I talked often
about who would take over for him
at CRI if the Lord were to
ever take
[took] him home.
Since last October, Walter asked
Hank Hanegraaff to work with him
and to
be that man.
Little did we know that it would come this soon.
[—] But Hank is the man
that
Walter wanted to lead CRI,
and I am eternally grateful for this man, for the uplifting that he has
done for me in these past few days. He is a godsend, and I am grateful
for him and his family.
I know that the Lord is going to bless CRI and that
the ministry is going to flourish under Hank's direction. I thank the
Lord for him and for CRI and for all the staff who are going to carry
on, even in the midst of Walt's absence. And I just praise the Lord for
it. Thank you again.
Assuming that the photocopy of Darlene’s speech is
genuine, what can we conclude about the words that were actually hand
printed at the bottom? For one, they concur with statements made by both
John Ankerberg and Walter Martin; Ankerberg on the memorial service
video quoted above, and Martin to his Newport-Mesa Christian Center
Bible Class:
Martin, October 2, 1988:
“I’ve asked the Lord for a new member of our staff. I need a
Vice-President to be ‘Mr. Inside’ while I’m ‘Mr. Outside’ ‘cause I can’t
be both places at the same time! And, there’s a man right now who is
considering this and we’re praying about that. We don’t have the money
to pay him a salary, but I’m praying about that."
Martin, October 23, 1988:
"I’ve been praying for one man for two years, that God would put it on
his heart, and God did put it on his heart, and he said, ‘I think I’ll
be able to come.’ And if he is able to come, I can’t afford him. I want
you to know that going in. We can’t afford him, even at a greatly
reduced salary, but, he can run the entire operation and is very, very
good in the world of the cults and is an excellent and very successful
man in his own right. So, I’d ask you to pray, for this person who’d be
the number two person in our structure at CRI."
Ankerberg, June 28, 1989:
"I can remember coming and speaking at the banquet
last October [emphasis added], and I met Hank who was a board member
before that. And Walter had talked with Hank, and Hank asked me to pray
with him about that decision. And I said, ‘Just be frank with Walter,
and tell him what you are thinking,’ and they did. They had great
discussions."
Martin, Dec 4, 1988:
"So I want to praise and thank God for that, and for the man who is
helping us at CRI get something that’s very important done. I’ve needed
for many years, someone who could fill the role of a special assistant,
or of an executive vice-president, to help at CRI, someone with the
credentials and the abilities, somebody that could teach, somebody that
could preach, somebody that had the capacities to manage and has been
very successful in his own operations for some time. He’s going to tell
you about what the Lord has done for him. He’s going to be working very
closely with me, particularly when he moves to
Given the fact that the handwritten words comport so
well with Martin's and Ankerberg's words, there is really nothing to be
contested. Cindee has already mentioned that prior to the memorial
service, Darlene was concerned because she did not know what to say, but
wanted to support CRI. It is completely reasonable therefore to consider
the possibility that she simply asked someone to help her with “what to
say” in support of CRI. What has been spun, by some, as a sinister ’arm
twisting’ of a grieving widow was most likely a helpful suggestion of
words that were true. We have no idea who added these words. What we do
know is that Darlene of her own accord spoke them in front of the people
gathered to honor Dad, and that they closely echo what Walter Martin
himself has been shown to have said.
Silencing the Defense
This book is about answering the “charges” leveled
against Hank through the years by those seeking to remove him from CRI:
the “Martin Estate” and others. Tragically, even after an intensive
two-year investigation, Jill made significant errors in the case she
presented against Hank. Having a flawed prosecution, the “Martin Estate”
now has chosen to attempt to silence the defense.
The attacks and attempts to silence us have not been
limited to YouTube and our WalterMartinJude3 Website. In addition to
these venues, I added a few brief comments to an existing section of a
Wikipedia article on Walter Martin, in the “Controversies” section. I
added the following bolded italicized words to
a sentence: "This controversy is between
certain members of
Martin's family on one side, and Dutch-born fund-raiser turned apologist
Hank Hanegraaff,
along with other members of Martin's family on the other."
Please note that I did not delete a single word of the existing text. By
merely adding ten words, I corrected the longstanding public error that
the entire Martin family stood
against Hank Hanegraaff. I also added the following new text to make the
public aware of Walter Martin's comments, available on our Website:
In November 2009,
new evidence became available that sheds light on this controversy.
Audio tapes from Walter Martin’s bible class at
Rick Morgan and Cindee Martin Morgan created Walter
Martin Jude 3 to help shed light on the ongoing controversy surrounding
Hank Hanegraaff and his position at CRI. Hearing Dr. Martin in his own
words allows interested persons to consider critical additional
information, while developing an informed opinion in these matters.
I posted these comments on November 27, 2009. On
November 29, the "Martin Estate" began a Wiki-War by repeatedly changing
or deleting my comments. Between November 29 and December 4, my text was
either completely deleted or revised by the "Martin Estate"
fourteen
times. Fourteen times in six days! This continued until I reported their
activity as vandalism to the Wikipedia staff. During this time, the
"Martin Estate" composed, posted, and continuously revised text that is
critical of Cindee and me, and our WalterMartinJude3 Website. At no time
did we attempt to remove or revise their critical statements.
For twelve years, Hank Hanegraaff has been condemned
by members of Walter Martin's family. For twelve years, they have been
calling for his resignation. For twelve years, they have been falsely
accusing Hank of conspiring with Everett Jacobson to take advantage of a
grieving widow and “steal” CRI in the days following Walter Martin's
death. When evidence arises that controverts their historical record of
accusations against Hank, they immediately and persistently try to
silence it. When the evidence that arises out of Walter Martin's own
lips corroborates the testimony of Dr. John Ankerberg, Everett Jacobson,
and Lowell Jones at Walter Martin’s memorial service, they try to remove
it from public view. On Wikipedia, Jill claims that "the audios the Morgans (graftedin73) claim are ’new‘ have long
been a part of the Walter Martin Resource Library." If this is in fact
true, and if they knew of the contents of these tapes, it would seem
that they are guilty of suppressing this evidence, not just in the past
few months, but for the past decade or two.
Bringing Hidden Things to Light–Job 28:11
Cindee and I recently went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls
exhibit at the
Just as the Dead Sea Scrolls lay buried in a desert
cave for over twenty centuries, these audio tapes with Walter Martin's
words were buried, by accident or design, for over twenty years. Those
who miss the miracle of this are to be pitied.
Regardless of what a person may think of Walter
Martin's comments, they deserve to be heard publicly and considered.
This is all we have tried to do. This is not about Cindee and me. This
is not about copyright issues. This is about bringing into the light
information that speaks to the issue of Hank's credibility. To throw
these comments by Walter Martin back into the darkness of oblivion would
be like trying to rebury the Dead Sea Scrolls. Truth is truth; words are
words; regardless of the relative importance of the issue.
I guarantee you, Hank's credibility and reputation are
far more important to Hank's kids, than the Dead Sea Scrolls. They have
a right to see evidence that supports their father accessible on the
Internet, just as the accusations have been so accessible.
A Lawsuit Filed
While we were at the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, Hank
and CRI were given a copy of the lawsuit that has been filed against
them, and against us, by Darlene Martin and the “Martin Family Trust.”
While we were at the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, our videos at YouTube
were once again attacked. I waited until we got home to tell my wife. It
was our daughter's birthday and we were there celebrating at her
request. I did not want this attack to mar that wonderful time we were
having. The next day, we were sent our “courtesy copy” of the lawsuit by
Darlene's attorney. Ten years ago, extended family members accused us of
being traitors to the Martin family for daring to speak
privately to Hank Hanegraaff.
Their mindset has now come full circle. We see this lawsuit as an
attempt to punish us for supreme disloyalty to the family by going
public with our support of Hank Hanegraaff. The saddest part of this is
that our support has primarily been in our airing Walter Martin’s own
words about Hank. Walter Martin would be the last person to condone or
promote family loyalty over truth and conscience before the Lord.
Due to the pending lawsuit, several clips of Walter
Martin speaking about his plans for Hank are currently unavailable on
our YouTube channel. These clips remain available on our
www.WalterMartinJude3.com Website.
Ironically, within days of the lawsuit being served on
us, the words that have been suppressed on our YouTube channel suddenly
appeared on the Risches' YouTube channel, buried within larger clips of
Walter Martin addressing his Bible class.
Please be in prayer for Hank, for CRI, and for us.
This is not a carnal battle about copyrights: this is a spiritual battle
against a man and an institution that have been used mightily by God for
His purposes. Please pray that our extended family will be reconciled
with us, and with Hank. "With men it is impossible, but not with God:
for with God all things are possible" Mark 10:27 (NIV).
The lawsuit filed against us and CRI has been
dismissed! Cindee and I want to thank each of you who have
prayed for us during this time. Thanks for helping us to
carry this heavy burden (Gal 6:2). The Lord bless you!
A Ministry of Integrity
John MacArthur—Shepherds' Conference 2010—General Session 3
The following sermon was a strong encouragement to us when we were writing this chapter for Elliot Miller’s book, Breaking The Silence. It is one of the best sermons we have heard on the subject of defending your ministry when it is oppressed by serious false accusations. In this clip, John MacArthur concisely explains why doing so is Biblical and why it is an essential part of running the race the Lord has set before us. This timely message lends great comfort to those who are, or have ever been, falsely accused in the courtroom of the world. Be blessed to listen to our brother in Jesus, John MacArthur, encourage Christian leaders to be courageous—quick to defend their ministries—as they wear the breastplate of righteousness, carry the shield of faith and unapologetically wield the sword of truth on the battlefield God has called them to.
You can download the entire sermon from Grace Community Church.
Copyright © 2010 Walter Martin Jude 3. All Rights Reserved