Hello, friends.

Dr. Mickey Carter, Pastor of the Landmark Baptist Church in Haines City, Florida, recently published a book entitled “The Elephant in the Living Room -- The shadow of the RSV in the RV1960.” It is a defense of the 1909 edition of the Spanish Reina-Valera Bible as opposed to the 1960 version.

I am traveling almost constantly these days to meetings all over the country and have very little time, but from a recent hurried reading of the book, I believe it is helpful and presents many valid points that should be considered by those who use the Spanish Bible. I believe Pastor Carter and men associated with him looked into the matter of the Spanish Bible carefully and made a godly and sincere decision. It was a decision that has cost him dearly. The man in charge of the Spanish ministry at Landmark left him over this issue in an ungodly manner and has attempted to injure Pastor Carter’s reputation. Many lies have been spread about Pastor Carter and his decision in this matter. For further information, you can contact Landmark directly at LBCDOS@JUNO.COM or 863-422-6493.

On September 18, before I had seen Dr. Carter’s book, a man named Calvin George e-mailed me and said: “According to the information listed below, you are co-author of the new book ‘The Elephant in the Living Room.’”

I did not realize that Mr. George was planning an agenda to discredit Pastor Carter and his position, and I hurriedly replied to him as follows:

“I do not know anything about that book and was not told that my article would be a part of it. From the little I know of his position, I do agree with Dr. Carter on the Spanish Bible version issue in general, though. If you have a problem with Dr. Carter’s statements in the book, you can take that up with him. I will only defend my own writings.”

Since we returned to the States in early June, I have been traveling almost continually to meetings all across the country, and I have very little time to consider such things.

This month, I received another mailing from Calvin George. This one was a mass mailing that was apparently sent to many people. In it, I see that George is using my e-mail statement to him in his attempt to discredit Dr. Carter’s book.

I WANT TO STATE PUBLICLY THAT I WAS INCORRECT IN MY SEPTEMBER 18 REPLY TO CALVIN GEORGE. My pastor, Wilbert Unger, e-mailed me tonight and reminded me that last winter or spring they contacted me when I was in Asia starting a new Bible school and passed along a request from Dr. Phil Stringer, who works with Dr. Carter, for permission to use my article on the Spanish Bible. At the time I was incredibly busy with the work overseas as well as keeping things going in the States and I obviously gave the matter little no thought at the time, because I still don’t remember it. Thus when Calvin George contacted me in September, I mistakenly told him that I had not been contacted.

I have not had time to examine the various charges that Calvin George has brought against Dr. Carter’s book, but I do not want my name to be used any further in his attempt to discredit it.

In Christ,
David Cloud