'You Guys Are Brothers in Christ’: Megachurch Pastor's Powerful Grace-Filled Response After Being Fired by Elders

Former Crossroads Christian Church lead pastor Patrick Garcia publicly responded to the news of his firing on Sunday, but instead of lashing out in anger, he's taken different approach.

Garcia became the source of controversy when church elders accused him of wanting "complete control" and disrespecting their leadership.

Despite the conflict, Garcia thanked the elders for allowing him to serve as long as he did. 

"Thank you for taking a chance on me 2.5 years ago when you called me to this role. Like I said in our meeting last week, serving Crossroads as the Lead Pastor has been one of the biggest honors of my life. While we may disagree on some things, you guys are brothers in Christ," he wrote in a Facebook post.

"I'll be praying that the Lord fills each of you with discernment, wisdom, and vision for the kind of church Crossroads can be. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of playing a small part in the Crossroads story," he continued.

Garcia also went on to thank church staff, the congregation, and his wife.

According to The Christian Post, one of the elders spoke to the congregation on Sunday about the reason for Garcia's firing.

"Patrick has indicated an ongoing desire for complete control without input from the elders up to and including the hiring and termination of staff without review," Matt Volkman said. "He's asked for complete financial authority. He's recommended the removal of multiple layers of accountability and has been resistant to coaching and has been resistant to counsel despite very, very, direct feedback.

"He's been non-responsive to requests for accountability on performance metrics. In addition, Patrick has demonstrated failures in judgment and leadership. He demonstrates a lack of humility. He demonstrates a lack of maturity, he demonstrates a divisive nature with our elder board," Volkman added.

Another church staff member, teaching pastor Rick Kyle was also recently fired by the elders.

Not everyone agrees with the two pastors' firing. So far, hundreds have signed a petition calling for an official vote over their removal.

"The elders have spoken and still we do not have clear answers. The congregation at Crossroads has a right to voice their opinions/concerns since we are the church," the petition reads.

Two other pastors, Darryl Marin and David Bowersox, protested Garcia's firing by resigning. They released a joint statement Sunday saying in part:

"We would like to thank our Elders at Crossroads Christian Church for allowing us to speak to this unfortunate situation. After extensive conversation with the elders reviewing the facts regarding this matter, we find that we respectfully disagree with their decision to terminate Pastor Patrick Garcia and in good faith are unable support it."