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How did we get here? It all started with a meeting with the lead pastor at Radiant Jackson in December 2023.
Below you’ll find a summary of each letter or communication. We have provided redacted copies here. We want to protect our sources, aka the victims, hence personal identifying information has been redacted.
Letter 1
Summary:
From Kyle and Laura Drake in August 2024 to Radiant Church Jackson.
Sent the evening before a scheduled meeting between Kyle, senior pastor and executive pastor of Radiant Church Jackson.
List of concerns, and explanations, for the staff of Radiant Church Jackson
Letter 4
Summary:
Letter from the Board of Radiant Church Jackson to the Drakes on Sept 6, 2024.
The Board states that an internal investigation was done with staff, leadership and church attendees and say they have found no evidence to support our claims.
The letter ends, “Given your departure from the church, we believe it best to discontinue further engagement on these specific matters with you.”
View Letter
Letter 6
Summary:
Released here publicly, along with all other letters for the first time.
The Drakes write formal accusations and request for removal of specific Radiant Church Jackson pastors, overseers and board members with details on why they are no longer fit for ministry.
Especially includes many details and Bible verses to support these claims.
View Letter
Meeting 1
Summary, according to the Drakes, as this 2 hour meeting was not recorded
Instead of meeting with senior pastor and executive pastor as expected, Kyle met with executive pastor John, associate pastor Jeff, and overseer and pastor of Radiant Ludington, Jerry Theis.
Kyle says, “from my perspective, Jerry was there to intimidate me and to attempt to keep me from going public… Jeff spent the meeting trying to get me to name names. I came with sources, as those to whom I had spoken did not want their identities known to the church leadership. Jeff spent the meeting trying to get me to disclose those sources.” And, “I thought John seemed genuinely concerned that there could be a problem.”
You can find more information about this meeting in Letter 6, page 2.
Public Post 2a and Response 2b
Summary:
A public Facebook post made by Jeremiah Johnson was shared by a Radiant Jackson pastor on his own page near the end of August 2024.
In the post Johnson speaks of the “accuser of the brethren”
A friend of the Drakes and fellow pastor reached out to the Radiant pastor. You can see the response, titled Response 2b, from Aug 29, 2024.
Letter 5
Summary:
Requesting a release of Kyle’s CPA Client Confidentiality, to which Radiant Jackson never responded.
There are matters which Kyle cannot talk about because, as a former contractor, he is still bound by his client confidentiality agreement. Letter 6 gives more information on why this matters.
View Letter
Correspondence 3
Summary:
Email chain between Radiant Jackson overseers, board members and pastors of their own Radiant Network churches, Jerry Theis and Jeremy Brown.
Kyle addresses 2 rumors and the Facebook post made by a Radiant Jackson pastor (see 2a and 2b).
Rumors
1) That we and another family left because of finances at Radiant Richland.
2)That Person A was the one behind our departure. Person A was not involved until this point. The email expounds on the abuse they suffered based on rumor alone.
The response given was Letter 4
View Email Chain 1
