NewSpring Church removes Perry Noble due to alcohol

The Rev. Perry Noble, who started NewSpring Church nearly 20 years ago, is no longer its senior pastor.

Early in Sunday’s 9:15 a.m. service, Executive Pastor Shane Duffey announced that Noble had been removed as pastor on July 1, after the NewSpring board of directors had “made a difficult and painful decision” to make a change. Duffey said the termination by the state’s largest and richest church came after Noble “had made unfortunate choices,” and that the board members had confronted Noble on numerous occasions regarding his use of alcohol.

The announcement came three days after a closed-door, unscheduled meeting of church officials that fueled rumors throughout the community that the 45-year-old Noble was at odds with church hierarchy. Noble, in a statement read by Duffey, said “I wish this were a joke, and part of a sermon illustration, but it is true.” He also confirmed an “overuse of alcohol,” in the statement, adding that he has “come to depend on alcohol instead of Jesus.” He also said that there was no infidelity or abuse in his marriage. “No one is more disappointment in me than I am in myself,” said Noble, the only senior pastor in the 16-year history of the church.

Is It OK For A Christian To Drink Alcohol? August 3, 2008 by Perry Noble

What does the Bible say about alcohol? In this message, Perry answers the question, “Is it ok for a Christian to drink alcohol?”

https://newspring.cc/sermons/you-asked-for-it/is-it-ok-for-a-christian-to-drink-alcohol

• For those who want to hear the message you can download it on itunes…or you can go to our website here at NewSpring Church and watch it.
• For those who want the cliff notes…I taught today that Scripture is very clear that it not wrong for a person to drink…it is wrong for a person to get drunk.
• I know some disagree with that…and that’s fine.  There are godly people on both sides of the argument who I greatly admire and respect; however, I arrived at this conclusion after about three and a half years of trying to figure out what I personally believe.

Today’s message had a lot of tension points…the main ones were…

• When I mentioned that alcohol deaths in America are around 100,000 per year…but obesity related deaths are around 300,000 and climbing…WHY ISN’T THE CHURCH TALKING ABOUT THAT?
• (The church is the only place in America where a glutton can look at a drunkard and somehow feel more righteous than them!)
• When I used the illustration with the beer can and the set of silverware.  (You’ll have to go watch it.)
• When I said to the pastors who would watch by internet, “I know some of you are pastors and are going to email me and tell me I’m a liberal and that I’m going to hell because I say it is ok to drink alcohol in moderation.  BUT…before you do…please look down and make sure you can see your toes!  Because if you can’t…you writing me would be sort of like you trying to remove a speck in my eye with a plank in yours!”
• I also mentioned that the SBC passed a resolution several years ago about drinking alcohol…what I’m wondering is when they are going to pass one against abusing buffets!
• Oh yeah, that won’t be happening anytime soon…I read this week that 76% of pastors are either overweight or obese!  Uh…that’s a sin…just as much as being a drunk!
• Pastors—the hypocrisy MUST be stopped.  How dare we call those who are using alcohol to get to the grave to repentance and ignore those who are digging their way there with a fork and a spoon!

https://perrynoble.com/blog/sunday-night-reflections-63