Could Sarah Berger Know Who Killed Grant Solomon?

My personal speculations about the woman on Aaron’s 911 call

Steve and Sarah Berger, from their website steveberger.org

Nearly eleven years before Grant Solomon died in what was first described as a single vehicle car accident, Grace Chapel lost another first-born son.

Josiah Berger, the eighteen-year-old son of Pastor Steve and Sarah Berger, crashed his car into a tree and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on August 11, 2009. Very little was reported about Josiah’s actual accident or his injuries, but a few days later on his 19th birthday, his parents presumably decided to take him off life support.

According to Steve and Sarah, Josiah kissed Sarah on the cheek and left for a hamburger joint to meet a friend. He was excited to go away to college. Later that evening, the Bergers received a call from Vanderbilt to say there'd been a tragic accident.

Virtually all other coverage about their son's death has revolved around the so-called miracles and their own “successful suffering.” Steve and Sarah talked about the 911 call dispatcher recognizing Josiah’s name and immediately beginning to pray.

They've talked about nurses and EMTs getting special knowledge from God.

A year after their son's death, Steve and Sarah published a book called Have Heart: Bridging the Gulf Between Heaven and Earth. In it, they talk about communicating directly to Josiah in heaven.

They also write that they know very little about the accident itself, but mention how Josiah’s body was perfectly in tact, aside from his serious brain injury.

Much has been said over the years how Josiah chose to donate his organs—how this was a surprise to the Bergers that saved so many other lives. They've talked a lot about how much good came from Josiah’s death, and how so many people became followers of Christ, all because their son left this earth.

They've also honored his legacy with an orphanage.

Over the years, Steve and Sarah have received criticism for the book—particularly from Christians who felt the Bergers were cashing in on their son's tragedy, and for teaching fellow believers to use necromancy.

It's also not lost on people how much the Bergers courted people in power… even back then.

In their media appearances for the book, people often bring up the senators and other high-profile folks who have called Josiah a hero. Steve and Sarah also maintain that everyone close to this incident wound up in a better place spiritually, after Josiah’s death.

In the book, Steve and Sarah say that Josiah was given a choice to stay on earth or go to heaven. That's why they say they pulled the plug.

While we were crying out to God in prayer, while we were asking God for a Lazarus miracle, our son was reasoning with his heavenly Father. Would it be best to return to his earthly body or to begin a new adventure in the heavenly realm? There was a battle going on in that hospital room, and we believe Josiah heard his dad’s voice saying, “Siah, make right decisions and manage them well. Honor Christ and honor others.” I (Sarah), when bedside, continually whispered through tears, “Do what the Father says, Siah. We love you. Do what He says. He knows best.” We know Siah heard Jesus saying, “Come, follow Me.”

We believe with all our hearts that Jesus laid out the entire plan to our son. “You can go back to your family and friends, or you can come with Me. I’ll take care of your folks, and I’ll use you for great things.” We believe Jesus prepared our son’s heart for Heaven—prepared him to say good-bye here on earth so that he would be ready for heavenly life. Jesus promised Josiah that He would take care of his family and friends, and He promised to take care of the seventy-seven people whose lives would be changed by having Josiah’s organs.

They also talk a lot about how Vanderbilt University Medical Center said they'd never seen anything like it, referring to the outpouring of love from the Franklin and surrounding community. The parents say they filled the third floor of the hospital while Josiah was there.

They talk a lot about how much Josiah’s memorial service meant to other people, too.

It was incredible to see over two thousand people at Josiah’s memorial service. We filled the sanctuary plus six overflow rooms. There were so many cars that we had to use the front lawn, a rather large, open section, for auxiliary parking. There were people watching from all over the world via the Internet. People as far away as Egypt and Sri Lanka, as well as people from all around the United States, were a part of this service, and hundreds received Christ as a result of Josiah’s legacy. The celebration was a wake-up call.

Finally, Sarah describes how she first begged for permission to speak to Josiah regularly and keep him a part of their daily lives.

Siah, I want to know what you are doing. I need to be involved with your life even now, even in Heaven. I know that you are doing kingdom work, and I want to be involved in what you are doing. Father, I know that You know what is best for me to know, and so because of Your great mercy, I am asking You this question: “What is Josiah doing now?” I believe that, after nineteen years with my child, You wouldn’t say, “No, Sarah, you may not know.” That is not who I have known You to be all these twenty-five years. And so, I am asking.

Throughout the book, it often seems to be Sarah who's speaking the most about their unconventional arrangement after Josiah’sdeath.

From day one, we have communicated to our three kids on earth that Josiah is still a vital part of our family and, as God allows, still aware of things that go on in our home. We want all of us to continue to have relationship with Siah right up until the day that we are face-to-face in Heaven with him. We’re not saying that Siah is appointed to be with us every moment, but when he is, we know that he delights in the fact that we share our hearts with him. Proving again that Siah is aware of things going on here on earth, we received the following God Nod: I (Sarah) remember a day a few months ago when our sixteen-year-old son, Cody, asked Steve if he could go mudding in the Jeep. The Jeep was previously Josiah’s, and it was always said that when Siah went to college, the Jeep would then become Cody’s. The bog that Cody went to mud in is located within a short distance from our house, so I watched as he ventured off for the first time, four-wheel drive activated and ready to conquer. As I watched Cody drive away, I could hear Siah saying in my spirit, “Cody was always better at those things than me. I am proud of him.” We can’t really explain it, but it was so quick and so random, I just knew it was Siah. The Lord once again knew what would touch Cody’s heart—an encouraging word from his older brother. Later that day as Cody and I visited in Josiah’s room, I shared what I had experienced as I watched him track through the mud. It brought a tear to his eye and joy to his heart. We have explained to the kids that Siah cannot read our minds; only the Lord can do that. But it must make Siah so happy to see that we get it. We know he can see us, hear us, and even be involved, not only in our lives but also in the lives of his friends. We are continually hearing of Siah coming to friends in dreams (and we’ve shared a few in this book). The dreams are incredibly profound and always prove God’s Word, point to the glory of God, and compel us to get closer to Jesus. Be on the lookout for God Nods in your own life.

In all of the writing that I do about Steve Berger and his part in allowing Aaron Solomon's abuse to continue, I would be remiss to not mention his wife Sarah or their son Josiah.

It's my belief that Sarah is much more active behind the scenes of Steve's work than many people realize. I don't think it's any coincidence that she was the one to speak so boldly before Grace Chapel in August 2021 when she stated that they could no longer be a part of that ministry they founded when people in the church had labeled her husband a Christian extremist.

When Sarah Berger made that announcement, it was hardly eight months after the announcement of his three-year transition out of Grace Chapel. After that interrupted service where Sarah accused Steve's successor of working against them, it was soon announced that Steve had stepped down from the elder board.

Was most of that for show? Or was that drama real?

Steve stated, "I stand by my wife, Sarah, who bravely shared a fraction of the truths around the treatment our family has experienced at the hands of the current leadership team." He also said they would both focus on Ambassador Services International, their nonprofit discipleship program in Washington, D.C.

The program was designed for elected officials.

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Everything I've read and seen from the Bergers indicates that they are highly calculating individuals who seek to turn every big thing in their lives into a compelling and persuasive story.

In other words, I suspect that much of everything they say or do is for show.

If you're familiar with Robert Jay Lifton's Criteria for Thought Reform, I'm guessing that both Steve and Sarah's language about Josiah’s death may ring some similar alarm bells.

Their language also rings alarm bells when I look at Grant's death, and Aaron Solomon's words at his son's memorial.

Both Steve and Aaron described their son's deaths more like cult leaders than grieving fathers. They're almost giddy talking about everyone who cares about their dead sons.

It's also interesting to note that Angie was repeatedly and almost immediately urged to speak to Sarah Berger and get under her wing as soon as Grant died. Before Angie even had a chance to process what was happening, and before she ever suspected Aaron, certain women in the church told Angie that Sarah could make her understand. That Sarah knew how to explain it, and how to make it all make sense.

Perhaps they had all good intentions. Perhaps they only thought that Sarah could understand because of the way she lost Josiah. It remains peculiar, however, because the day after Grant died, Angie was getting messages from Katrina Gill, explaining that her husband, a real estate attorney, had seen all of the hospital records, so he knew that Grant's death made sense.

Such statements only confused Angie further. Why was a real estate attorney getting access to her son's medical records before her? Aaron must have granted him permission, but why? And why were these people so fixated on convincing Angie that Grant's organs had been smashed flat in the accident? Aaron initially told Angie that, but she later felt like an idiot for repeating it when she saw it wasn’t true.

Angie had seen Grant's body shortly after his passing. She knew he wasn't injured in the way these church people insisted.

How on earth could Sarah Berger say anything to somehow make it all make sense?

Angie didn't want anything to do with Steve or Sarah. Steve had already protected Aaron for years at the children’s expense. GCA's assistant, Patti Tremblay had tried to take Angie under her wing, too. All any of those people seemed to care about, however, was money and influence.

They didn't give a damn about stopping child abuse.

As far as Angie was concerned, Steve Berger didn't need to say a word at Grant's service. No one needed him milking Grant's death for his own purposes.

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Last week, someone asked on Instagram asked what Josiah knew about Steve and his abusive buddies.

I had to admit that as awful as it is to suggest such a thing, I often wonder about that too.

Other people, especially former attendees of Grace Chapel have asked me to look into the unusual deaths of other boys in the church.

Before I publish too much information about ten more rabbit holes, suffice it to say that I do believe Sarah Berger is the top contender when we talk about the unknown woman in the background of Aaron’s 911 call.

If any one woman has long been privy to the misdeeds of influential men (and a few women) within Grace Chapel and Williamson County, it's Sarah Berger. The fact that she and Steve are currently focused on recruiting more politicians says much about her position, too.

For now, three names make the most sense to me when we talk about what woman might have been there at the scene of Grant's incident:

1. Sarah Berger

2. Pam Stephens

3. Patti Tremblay

My best guess at the moment rests with Sarah Berger, but there's still so much work to be done, and we are still urging for a proper investigation into Grant's death.