A group of Christian elders has rejected the findings of the private investigation by Firefly, which concluded that Line of Fire ministry founder and radio host Dr. Michael Brown had engaged in inappropriate behavior with two women. The report, released earlier this month, revealed that Brown had an inappropriate relationship with former Fire School of Ministry member Sarah Monk, whom he had previously said was like a daughter to him, as well as with a married woman who was part of his church but has since passed away.

Following the release of the report, a group called the Elder Accountability Team released a statement on Monday rejecting its findings. According to The Christian Post, members of the Elder Accountability Team include Jonathan Bernis, president and CEO of Jewish Voice Ministries International; Raleigh Washington, founder and pastor emeritus of Rock of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church in Chicago, Illinois; Leif Hetland, founder and president of Global Mission Awareness and Leif Hetland Ministries; and Mark and Nicki Pfeifer, lead pastors of Open Door Church in Chillicothe, Ohio.

"It is the position of the Elder Accountability Team that the LOF Board should have been officially contacted to seek a proper Matthew 18 process since these allegations resurfaced 5 years ago. Instead, these allegations, which could have been resolved with proper Biblical Due Process, were relitigated with accusations, judgment, and sentencing by a jury on social media," the elders stated.

"This process is unbiblical and has caused irreparable damage to Dr. Brown's credibility and ministry. We believe all who are responsible for this miscarriage of Biblical Due Process should search their hearts before God and pursue a biblical resolution to these unresolved issues."

Prior to the Firefly investigation, Brown, who initially denied the allegations, admitted he had exercised "a definite lack of judgment."

In reviewing the report, the Elder Accountability Team rejected its findings, arguing that Brown's actions were not necessarily "sexually abusive misconduct" but rather "moral indiscretions."

"We believe a more accurate and historically consistent characterization of what Dr. Brown did is Moral Indiscretions in the case of the Wife and Leadership Misconduct in the case with Sarah," the elders wrote.

Additionally, the team cleared Brown for public ministry with certain recommendations, including counseling and payment for counseling expenses for one of the women involved.

"Since Dr. Brown's sins were committed long ago without any repeated behavioral patterns of like conduct, considering that these issues were believed to have been dealt with using Biblical Due Process as they understood it in 2002, considering his recent confession and repentance of his sins, considering his willingness to step back from ministry until the completion of the FIREFLY Investigation, believing he is trustworthy, presuming the above recommendations will be followed," the group said, "the Elder Accountability Team recommends that Dr. Brown be released to public ministry with the hope that a new dimension of humility and strength of character may be added to his already broad field of Biblical knowledge, believing that the years ahead will be the most fruitful of all, marked by a greater humility and Christlikeness."

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