David Seamands and Philip Yancey, though I never met either, were heroes of the faith in Jesus to me. I am assuming you don’t know who David Seamands is, but I am sure if you have been around Christian circles for any length of time, you have probably seen Philip Yancey’s books.
I was introduced to David Seamands’ books when I was a freshman in college at Liberty University in 1990. He was a Methodist minister who taught at Asbury College. Seamands had published books like “Healing for Damaged Emotions”, “Healing for Damaged Memories”, and my favourite book of his, “Living With Your Dreams.”
In 1992 my now wife of almost 33 years, Tosha, was asked by her parents to break up with me. They did not want her to marry a man like me who was going to become a pastor. We honoured their request and broke up. That’s when Professor Seamands’ book, “Living With Your Dreams” came into my life - and changed my life. I still have that book on my shelf in my pastoral office these 34 years later.
God used David Seamands and his books to change my life when I was a student at Liberty University in the early 1990s.
Many years later, I was sharing this story with my Vanguard Church pastoral leadership team at a retreat in Breckenridge, Colorado around 2018. For some reason, I chose to google Professor Seamands’ name and immediately an article came up that talked about his moral failure. I was stunned. He had lived a double life for decades, having a wife and a mistress for years.
In 2005 he confessed to his moral failure from 1964 and was placed on discipline by the Methodist church in 2006. During this time of discipline, Professor Seamands died.
Still to this day, these books that God used to change my life sit on my shelf in my church pastoral office. I still cherish how God used those books to change the course and trajectory of my life.
Why am I telling you this? What does this have to do with Philip Yancey’s recent admission of an eight-year moral failure?
A 2005 piece in Christianity Today reported that David Seamands was a longtime friend of the US magazine, where he had long served as a consulting editor [editor's note: Christianity Today magazine has no affiliation with ChristianToday.com].
Here is what the article said:
"David Seamands is a longtime friend of Christianity Today, where he has long served as a consulting editor, so it is with sadness that we note his admission of a 'breach of trust and moral failure.' The 83-year-old retired pastor of Wilmore (Ky.) United Methodist Church served as professor emeritus of pastoral ministries and counselor in residence at Asbury Theological Seminary, and is the author of several influential books, including Healing for Damaged Emotions. He has also been a key figure in United Methodist Church debates on the integrity and sanctity of marriage.
“'One of the roots of my sin has been the sin of pride,' Seamands told Wilmore United Methodist Church on Sunday. 'In response to a complaint filed against me of sexual misconduct with an adult female occurring over a number of years, I admit that I have broken my covenantal relationships and have abused the trust of those I have harmed.'
"As a part of the Methodist disciplinary process, overseen by Kentucky Bishop James King, Seamands will take a one-year leave from all ministerial functions.
"Seamands died in July of 2006, shortly after his confession."
Philip Yancey was a consulting editor for Christianity Today when the news of his eight-year affair was revealed. The CT article said this: "Yancey started his writing career in 1971 at Campus Life magazine, which became a part of CT a few years later. He wrote for CT for decades, reporting and later becoming a regular columnist and editor at large. His books, including "What’s So Amazing About Grace?", have sold more than 15 million copies. He often wrote about faith in the face of pain and suffering."
Twenty years to the year, Philip Yancey admitted an eight-year affair similar to David Seamands. The grief of this for me and many pastors, ministry leaders, and Christians across the world is deep and confusing.
Yet, I recall in 1999 God used Yancey’s book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, in my life to spare me from the moral failure I was tempted to contemplate in my heart and in my mind. Yancey’s book was used by God to prompt me to reach out to my good friend, Vance Brown, whom God used to radically free me from this deep abiding temptation to self-destruct in ministry too.
Just like David Seamands, God used Philip Yancey to spare me from massive heart ache and to point me in the direction I should go to honour my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Why do I tell you this?
Because Seamands’ and Yancey’s personal choices do not change the truth of what they wrote. I will not remove their books from my shelf simply because they fell themselves. Their books are a monument that remind me of how God saved me in those two seasons of my life and I will continue to display them and even refer to them as I continue to minister to the people of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs.
Matter of fact, this year I have a book coming out called, “Leaving Your Spaces of Shittim: From Bondage to Blessing.” Published by Wipf and Stock Publishing out of Eugene, Oregon, it tells the story of Israel at Shittim, the last place they camped before crossing the Jordan and entering the Promise Land. King Balak wanted the prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. But God told him, “No!” The prophet Balaam told King Barak, I can’t curse them, but you can get them to curse themselves. So, Barak got women to tempt the men to adultery and idolatry with Baal Peor at Shittim.
Like David Seamands and Philip Yancey, they chose to curse themselves and engage in immorality and idolatry. This is not a statement of condemnation but simply a fact.
As a child of King Jesus, the enemy can’t curse you, but you can curse yourself. Leaving your places of Shittim begins with full disclosure about who you really are. Begin the journey from bondage to blessing, today. You won’t regret it. I haven’t.
