"In this damning episode, we sit down with Natalie Lewis, one of three mothers who confronted Dr. Michael Brown and Globe Missions about the abuse their children endured at a Haitian orphanage. For the first time, Natalie responds directly to Michael Brown’s recent public statement, and we read powerful written responses from the other two whistleblower moms, Milissa McGavin and Kjersti Johnson.Dr. Michael Brown helped remove missionary Keith Lashbrook from his ministry school in 2008 due to clergy sexual misconduct. But instead of reporting Lashbrook to Globe Missions—or warning others about what happened—Brown allegedly allowed him to continue working with vulnerable children in Haiti. The results were catastrophic.This episode is not just about exposing the cover-up. It’s about what could have been prevented, and the voices of the mothers who lived through it."
Roys Article on Haiti Orphanage: https://julieroys.com/michael-brown-failed-warn-missions-group-known-predator-lashbrook-resulting-abuse-parents-victims-say/
Brown Statement: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:0eccf5f3-a3a3-4335-9855-c18ac86d27be
STATEMENT BY DR. MICHAEL BROWN
Due to the serious nature of these allegations, I have drawn up this detailed statement. It must be posted in full, in unedited form, to ensure that there are no distortions. Here is my statement: I am writing to respond to this latest accusation with a sense of disbelief at how baseless and increasingly vile these accusations against me are becoming. I am profoundly disappointed in the Roys Report giving an indiscriminate voice to every complaint, real or imagined, without caring about the profound and irreparable harm that comes through the mere repetition of falsehoods. I regard the latest “accusations” about covering up abuse in Haiti with something like disbelief; as if I fell into a rabbit hole. I will state the facts only briefly, without any expectation that it will satisfy those determined to find evil everywhere. Contrary to the accusations, I and my team at FIRE functioned as whistleblowers, bringing the very serious concerns of two mothers, both grads from our ministry school, to Globe, which was an independent missionary organization with which we had no affiliation. Keith Lashbrook was kicked off our previous campus, but this took place years earlier and was handled by our leadership team. I have no further details of that event. When we heard about the allegations of abuse by Globe missionaries in Haiti in 2010, Tom Barry, who was one of FIRE’s pastoral care leaders, reached out to Globe, raising our concerns, as noted in the emails presented by Natalie and Mlissa. Because of our concern about the seriousness of the allegations, Bob Gladstone, one of our FIRE team leaders, and I called Globe leadership to confront them more fully on these charges, once we had learned more about the allegations. We were representing those mothers and the orphans, speaking to Globe leaders as FIRE leaders as advocates of the mothers. The mothers were not involved in the phone call since they had already confronted Globe and now we were following through on their behalf. It is a despicable falsehood and libel to say we told the mothers not to go to the authorities, as some are alleging on social media. They had already gone to the police, and ultimately, the charged were reviewed by the FBI and ICE. Our leadership suggested to the mothers that they wait on private legal action against Globe until the investigation was done and criminal charges clarified in order to have a better idea of what happened and how Globe would respond. And we continued to give spiritual and moral support to them in the months that followed. We also encouraged them to delay posting on social media for the moment, since Globe was conducting their own investigation and the police were already involved. This is standard counsel to anyone who understands how investigations work. This advice came from Bob Gladstone and myself on behalf of our leadership team. It simply reflected our counsel to the mothers at that moment, and it was out of concern for them and a desire to see appropriate consequences in the proper time. Natalie even referred social services to me in the months that followed as a witness on her behalf. I was an advocate for these families, and never anything but that. Twisting this, as is currently happening all over social media, to say we discouraged or hindered police investigations is vile beyond comprehension. Apparently, the forces driving indiscriminate attacks and distortions have no regard for truth. I am profoundly disenchanted with Roys for giving this even the slightest credibility.
—- END —-
In view of all that has transpired recently, and also in light of the newly released Firefly report, I felt compelled to make a statement. I have wanted to do this for months, but have been constrained by others. I am now free to speak truth to all those who are willing to hear.
For the record, I am an extremely private person and endeavoring to make this very public statement is truly beyond what I’m comfortable with. No one has asked me to make it, but for the sake of truth and honesty, I feel I must.
For those who know me, I am a no nonsense person who tells it like it is. Truth and justice are very important to me. And suffice it to say that I am not one of those wives you’ll find sitting at her husband’s feet looking up adoringly at him thinking he can do no wrong. I am, and have always been, Mike’s worst critic. I know who he is inside and out (we’ve been married almost 50 years), and throughout our marriage I have spoken plainly (and openly) about his shortcomings and faults (to him as well as to others).
In recent days Mike has been accused of some of the most vile things, and the way he has been portrayed on social media is absolutely sickening (to put it very mildly)…and it is a complete fantasy. Add to that accusations of hiding sin and attempting to keep things concealed….nothing could be further from the truth. He is an open book and transparent to a fault. He has always been one who is quick to admit wrong and ask for forgiveness. He is not an operator or slick or sly and is one who has done his best to walk honorably….even during the events of almost twenty four years ago.
I must state here categorically and in no uncertain terms; Mike is not, and has never been a sexual predator, groomer, or deviant nor has he EVER exploited a single human being for his own personal gain or ego whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. That is not who he is and never who he was. This is fantasy. He has never attempted to overpower or manipulate ANY female or force himself on them for sexual or emotional or physical gratification nor has he used them to stroke his ego or to get something from them. NEVER.
As Mike has previously stated, during the immediate aftermath of the split at Brownsville (which was an extremely dark time), the pressures on all sides were almost insurmountable (spiritual, emotional, financial….in fact, we lost our home and actually went bankrupt due to the effects of the split). The responsibility on his shoulders at that time was a burden of almost unbearable weight. He carried (and still carries) such a deep, deep love and sense of responsibility for all of the students as well as the staff and faculty who were part of BRSM and FIRE years ago. But there were times when we sat alone and I watched him weep because of the weight of that burden. And he expressed to me many times, he was unable and ill equipped to carry it…..and couldnot carry it. It was during that very short period of time he formed an emotional tie with another person (the wife of a couple we were extremely close friends with). And to reiterate here, this was not a physical relationship, but an emotional tie, but sin nonetheless. And to state things very clearly and plainly, he did not get “caught”, but came, of his own accord, to confess everything to a close friend/ leader at FIRE (and then to myself), going over all the details of everything that had transpired. In his integrity, he could not conceal or hide and then secretly repent. He had to come clean and be the one to initiate confession for his own conscience sake. And this he did. This fact is important (at least to me) and reveals the essence of his true character. And remember, we are not talking here of physical adultery or years of struggle, but an extremely short period of time when he was going through the most painful and pressure filled time of his life. This is not to make ANY kind of excuse, as each one of us is enticed by our own evil desires (James 1:14), but it is simply to give a background to what had transpired.
To now hear that he is being accused of never truly repenting (in addition to the accusations of him manipulating and using his position in abhorrent and diabolical ways) is stunning…I have no words. I am witness to the fact that this accusation is completelyand utterly false. Not to get too graphic, but for the weeks that followed his confession, I watched a man writhe on the floor in agonizing repentance. He was devastated by his own failure before me, before others, and before God. What do we do with that kind of repentance? Smite the person? Punish them? Humiliate them or abandon them? Do we broadcast their sin to the entire world? Or do we treat them the way the Lord has treated us? These are the very real questions I personally had to face and come to grips with. I will say that forgiveness is a process and we don’t get there overnight, but as we look to God and we get a glimpse of the beauty of His character, we begin to see and understand His nature and the essence of who He is, and see His overwhelming goodness (which is what He showed Moses when Moses asked for God to show him his glory). It was the Lord’s goodness He chose to reveal. And forgiveness and redemption are a major part of the essence of God’s goodness. It’s the very foundation of the gospel we preach. To be clear, God does not wink at sin and we must be careful to walk a fine line as we deal with sin, forgiveness, and restoration. But God is infinitely gracious and so forgiving that it’s sometimes very difficult to accept it. And many times we don’t even like the idea that God is so gracious…it goes against our very idea of human justice.
We often quote this scripture, but many times it is quoted out of context:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD”.
But if we read the verses before it, we find that God is referring to His forgiveness:
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,and to our Godfor he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
I know that I have struggled with this concept of forgiveness in the past. But an individual’s true repentance requires forgiveness on our part, and part of God’s justice is to forgive (because of the blood of Jesus). God’s forgiveness is actually His justice in action. There is no justice if there is no forgiveness for our deeply repented sins.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
I cannot fully express how painful to me the events of 23 years ago were. And now, to have to watch Mike rehash and articulate sins of the past that had been fully repented of and put under the blood decades ago, has been absolutely gut wrenching and worse than what I had to endure 23 years ago. He has become a sinner all over again and has been forced to carry the weight and burden of sin that had been forgiven and removed by God himself. And to have others publicly uproot, scrutinize, and dissect all of this before the masses is nothing I believe God is behind or asks us to do….let alone in front of the entire world.
Some of you will undoubtedly understand the sorrow, the humiliation, the feelings of betrayal….and the shame that I personally experienced. And it was in that context that Mike very reluctantly agreed to keep things between the one close friend at FIRE, the other couple, and ourselves. In order for Mike to honor and protect me from even more pain, and because of the one and only covenant that God had instituted among His children (which is the marriage covenant), Mike consented to keep things between the five of us (even though he expressed the desire to shout it to the world). It was for me he did this, and not to save himself or hide. So, if there is blame to be cast for not revealing things to more and more people, then I am the one to accuse and blame. Not Mike. And even more importantly, we also left the final decision of what was revealed in the hands of the husband….how we proceeded was left in his lap entirely, and it was his ultimate choice to keep things between us. Neither Mike nor myself dictated anything. This fact is extremely important because he has been accused of hiding sin and being deceptive by not telling others of this situation decades later. It is important to understand that Mike gave his word that things would be left there, not only to me, but to the other couple involved. And through the years Mike endeavored to do his best to keep that word and not bring additional shame on the other individual by revealing details that would have certainly painted them in a bad light. Additionally, there was complete admission and repentance by both parties. I sat with the wife for several hours as she confessed to me and asked for forgiveness, and Mike did the same with the husband in my presence. Then the four of us met and there was repentance as well as heartfelt forgiveness all around. We even met on several other occasions for a meal, and there was even a request by the couple to consider renewal of our former friendship. This we declined as we felt it was unwise. And that was the end of that for the next 22 years….until 2024.
As far as the other very damning accusations and the ugliness of what has been portrayed and the picture that has been painted on social media, and now, in addition to the unsubstantiated claims in the Firefly report…I can only say that so many of these accusations and accounts are categorically untrue, yet the publishing of them has succeeded in conveying a completely false narrative…completely. There has been a relentless pursuit and orchestration to smear and then not only rewrite history, but create new history, which has no basis in truth or fact….resulting in innocent things of the past and present being weaved together to make them not only appear sinister, unseemly, and diabolical but also believable. And most of this actual history I was witness to. I have my own observations as to why truth and facts have been so twisted, but there is no benefit in stating these things as all it does it add to the swirl. And although Mike’s interaction with Sarah was certainly foolish and irresponsible, his intentions were completely innocent with absolutely no malintent. He viewed her as a father to a daughter. Unfortunately, he has been made to look like a diabolical deviant and predator and nothing could be further from the truth. That is not Mike Brown. That’s not who he was and not who he is. And although he is eager to admit his fault and take responsibility for the things he did do, and to ask for forgiveness (without justification or even explanation), I cannot sit idly by while he takes the hit for things that never transpiredand for the way his character has been portrayed.
And just for the record, although it has been stated that Mike never apologized for this, that is simply not true. I was present when he did, and the relationship between us continued unchanged when Sarah left the ministry for Texas. She left a beautiful heartfelt note for Mike on his desk (which we still have), and for the next thirteen years continued to initiate correspondence through email sharing family updates, prayer requests, and general news.
Sadly, because of the online firestorm of accusations, my family has been impacted in ways unimaginable. No daughter should ever have to hear her father go over the details of ugly sins from DECADES ago….(sins that were fully repented of, under the blood, and forgiven by God). And now my children and grandchildren have been forced to decipher fact from fiction and decide whether or not their father/grandfather is a sexual predator, abuser, and deviant “groomer”. And accounts and accusations such as these are 100% fiction.
Because there are those who have decided that this should be litigated on social media, they have attempted to ruin Mike’s reputation, publicly judged his character and motives, and shouted from the rooftops so many outright lies, that they will be difficult, if not impossible to dispel. And all of this without actually knowing the facts or even making a genuine attempt to get to the truth. They simply believe what they have heard and read. Add to the fact the damage done to those in my family who are completely innocent…it is honestly a burden of unbearable weight.
There’s so much more I could say, but I’ll simply end this statement by expressing my fervent hope that God’s truth would come to light and the Lord would somehow sort all this out on behalf of His people – and for the sake of GENUINE justice.
—Nancy Brown
—- END —-
—- END —-
Bob Gladstone posted this note with link to Ron Cantor’s response on Facebook:
Ron's analysis of the Accountability Team's recommendations is important. The team made changes to the investigation's terminology and, in my opinion, presented a different scenario than what actually happened on several key points.
—- END—-
PART 1
http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/04/michael-brown-and-mike-bickle-exposing.html
PART 2
http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/04/michael-brown-and-mike-bickle-exposing_23.html
PART 3
http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/04/michael-brown-and-mike-bickel-exposing.html
PART 4
http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/04/michael-brown-and-mike-bickel-exposing_29.html
PART 5
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/05/michael-brown-and-mike-bickel-exposing.html
PART 6
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/05/michael-brown-and-mike-bickel-exposing_4.html
PART 7
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/05/michael-brown-needs-to-step-down.html
PART 8
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/05/michael-brown-and-haiti-exposing-lies.html
PART 9
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/05/dr-michael-brown-exposed.html
PART 10
https://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2025/06/rick-joyner-and-mike-bickle-exposing.html
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