February 4, 2024

Dear Reach Family,

It is with heavy a heart that I would like to share some difficult news regarding one of our recently appointed elders, Jeff Price.

Earlier this week, Jeff confessed to a series of extramarital activity outside of our church that have disqualified him from serving as an elder inside our church. While these actions were not criminal and did not involve anyone at Reach or children, Jeff fell short of meeting the standards outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Specifically, he did not uphold the requirements of living above reproach, being sober-minded, and maintaining self-control. These decisions require Jeff to step down from his role as an elder within our leadership team. Russ and I affirm that decision.

I (Sean) have been working tirelessly this week to navigate various complexities of this situation and am grateful for God's grace towards us, the support of Russ and our staff, and the Holy Spirit bringing such matters into the light.

Admittedly, this is a painful moment for our community, and we are doing everything we can to care for everyone connected, especially our church. We understand that this revelation may bring up various emotions for many of you. If you find yourself struggling, we would encourage you to direct your questions and concerns to the Lord. Seek His guidance and comfort in these moments. He is our ultimate shepherd, even in moments like these.

We’re sure there might be a number of questions around this issue, so we’ve done a few things we’d like to alert you to, effective immediately.

1. Below, you will find a series of FAQs we hope we can answer to help ease your curiosity. The goal is not to disclose more than necessary, rather share tools that would be helpful to our community as we process together.
2. We’ve also put together a long-desired pastoral advisory council consisting of seasoned, outside pastors that we trust who have come alongside us to serve as council and support during this crisis and ongoing. They are not elders at Reach, but rather men I have been personally connected to for years (leaders many of you will recognize) who love our church and have proven faithful for years in their own communities. You'll get an introduction to them below.
3. Lastly, we have two new ministry initiatives that we'd like to introduce to you. These environments were already "in motion" beforehand but now feel all the more timely in light of current events. 

The reality is that sin and its consequences are never far off from any one of us, so it's imperative that we not only address it in our own lives, but hold our brothers and sisters accountable when they fall, while simultaneously extending grace and compassion to those who choose the path of repentance. In times like these, we lean wholly on Jesus, who remains the Lord of our church. We trust that He will guide us through these challenging moments and bring healing to our community.

Thank you for reading, and I am praying for God's peace to envelop you as you process this information.

Blessings,
Sean Gasperetti
Lead Pastor

Q: What steps were taken to mitigate this situation? Was this handled biblically and carefully?
A: Without a doubt, yes. To be clear on timeline, as soon as Jeff confessed to his sin, our elders (Sean, Russ, and Jeff) held a meeting and acted immediately to address his status as an elder, but also to minister to he and his family. Following Matthew 18:15-17 and Galatians 6:1, Jeff was communicated with swiftly and directly by relevant leaders, and after confession, was handled with a spirit of gentleness. Outside counsel was sought and processed as well to help navigate the initial impact as well as moments leading up to now.

Q: Was the sin committed inside our church or did it involve anyone at Reach?
A: No. What took place happened outside our community and did not involve anyone at Reach.

Q: Did Sean or anyone else know about any incriminating activity before, during, or after our elder installation in September?
A: No. Our elder candidates went through a vetting process for about 3 years, during which time they were both interviewed and given ample opportunity to disclose any potential landmines. We were not made aware of any issues that might be problematic during that process. Additionally, the events that took place were relatively recent, so there was no indication that we were about to face any issues. We are just as taken aback as anyone would be by this news.

Q: Why can't we have more detail?
A: Out of respect for Jeff and his family, we've chosen not to disclose further details about the situation. We ask for your understanding and respect for their privacy during this challenging time. We have chosen to share as much as we feel necessary to qualify Jeff's departure from leadership but do not intend to drag his family through further turmoil by belaboring the details.

Q: Are his wife and family being cared for?
A: For sure. These situations require a “team” of sorts, of which our Reach leadership team (elders and staff) are absolutely a part of. Pastor Sean and Kara have been in touch regularly with Ronda, as well as a couple of their children. The effected family’s well-being is of utmost concern for us. 

Q: I got hurt in a previous church/was let down by a leader prior, so this really triggers me. How can I trust our leaders or move forward? 
A: Our hearts grieve with you over such hurts, and no doubt, we hurt today, too. Believe it or not, this is more than a leadership issue; it's a people issue. Often times, people will look at situations like these and say, "See, this is the problem with church leadership." The reality is, leader or not, no one is immune to temptation, and we must all be on guard against sin. Additionally, even those of us who lead feel hurt by situations like these. In fact, everyone in leadership at Reach has a story of being let down too, so we fully understand. It's in these moments we look to Jesus - the author and perfector of our faith (Heb . 12:2) - to sustain and comfort us. We pray you can take steps in that direction, as your remaining leaders are doing the same.

Q: How should we treat leaders who make a mistake? 
A: With Gospel clarity and yet with compassion. I am reminded of the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Remember, her accusers brought her to Jesus, ready to execute her for her sins. What does Jesus do? Two things: 1) Reminds her accusers that if they are without sin, they may cast the first stone (a call to self-reflection), and 2) met the woman with grace AND truth ("Neither do I condemn you...go and sin no more"). The reality is, no one is immune to the devastating effects of sin. That's why we must both safeguard our own lives and point each other to the gospel regularly. When a leader falls at Reach (or anyone for that matter), we desire to point them to truth, call them to repent, and extend the redemptive grace that Jesus modeled for us. However, this does not assume a return to a leadership position is in the imminent future.

Q: Will this hurt our church?
A: Of course it hurts. Will it ruin us? Absolutely not! Do you think the enemy of our souls should take the win on this one? By no means! We can get through this. Jesus is Lord, and Reach is healthy in so many ways. This hurts, no doubt, and we are all reeling, yet we are also learning from this. Let's stay the course and stay faithful to our King as we weather this together.

Q: Will Pastor Sean still be taking his sabbatical this summer?
A: Yes. Pastor Sean, Russ, and our staff are working in concert to ensure that our church is well-supported and prepared for his departure. We have no concerns with proceeding forward with Pastor Sean's sabbatical. For more info on that, visit reacheverett.cc/sabbatical.

Q: Is there a plan to add more elders?
A: Absolutely. We are certainly open to considering further candidates, and now with a vacancy, would hope to begin preliminary conversations. If you know of someone who meets the biblical qualifications and might be worth connecting with, please let Pastor Sean know. To learn more about our elder process, click here. 

Q: What can I do to help, if anything?
A: Pray for our church's health and healing - for our pastor, leaders, staff, and community at large. Pray for the Price family, for God's peace and restorative power to envelop them. For each of us, let's commit ourselves to being people of integrity, abiding in Christ, and practicing repentance in our own lives. 

In light of what has happened, we grateful to announce our newly appointed Advisory Council. They are not elders at Reach, rather a team of seasoned, local pastors who will come alongside our church by providing wise counsel, accountability, care, and encouragement for our Elders and Staff. Collectively, this team brings decades of faithful service to the body of Christ in our region. We consider the installation of this team timely, both for the situation at hand, as well as ongoing.

Please email elderteam@reacheverett.cc and we will get back to you as soon as we're able.