Ep. 99 - Buzzword Salad: The Courtney Retort

Growing Up Christian

Last week, we aired an interview with Jeremy Courtney, who along with his wife Jessica, founded the charitable organization Preemptive Love. We had a lot to say about the controversy surrounding the Courtney’s dismissal from the charity that they had spent well over a decade building, but we thought it best to let people hear from Jeremy, first. This week, we got together with Jeremiah to discuss the accusations made against them, the tone and inflection of the articles written by two former employees, the preemptive critiques of Humanite (a new project that has only just launched and is already under assault), and final thoughts on what this mess says about the people involved, both directly and indirectly. This conversation might ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be had. The callous, enthusiastic way in which we discard imperfect people who have done so much good is infuriating. The Courtneys aren’t perfect, but they’ve been in the field helping save lives and build communities for a long time. We think they deserved better than they got. Here are the articles we discuss:

“Preemptive Love: What Happens When a Charity Runs More Like a Cult” by Ben Irwin

“Jeremy and Jessica Courtney’s misconduct at Preemptive Love, documented” by Ben Irwin

“A Donor’s Guide to Preemptive Love’s Financial Statements” by Ben Irwin

“What you should know about Humanite, Jeremy and Jessica Courtney’s new organization” by Ben Irwin

“An Open Letter to Preemptive Love” by Courtney Christenson

The Board of Directors’ Statements & Timeline of Events