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Soft hearts. Loud voices. Silent no more.

June 2, 2013, 7:16 pm
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A blog post by Matt B. Redmond:

What Kind of Hard Heart?

“His heart is hard as a stone,
hard as the lower millstone.” – Job 41:24
What kind of hard heart are we witnessing in the SGM abuse scandal?

What kind of hard heart sides easily with a wealthy pastor against those who suffered at the hands of sexual abusers under his watch and then does so in the name of the One Who had no place to lay his head?
What kind of hard heart winks at a pastor who demanded an accountability of pastors and then ran from it to a church outside of his network of churches?
What kind of hard heart says we must not believe the accuser against the sexual abuser till all the evidence is put forward?
What kind of hard heart publicly says a pastor has not even been accused of wrongdoing when the truth is the very opposite for all those who are curious enough to see?
What kind of hard heart wants the statute of limitations to be in effect and not hear the evidence from 11 plaintiffs presented?
What kind of hard heart needs it to happen to them or their own children before they speak out?

What kind of hard heart says, “we will not go to the civil authorities for the sake of the abused” and then is relieved when the civil authorities dismiss a case in favor of the alleged abuser?

What kind of hard heart goes and preaches in the pulpit of the accused and seeks no audience with the accusers?
What kind of hard heart refuses to listen and then says those who would cry out for justice and help are divisive and gossips?
What kind of hard heart could read the Second Amended Complaint and not think the leader of such an organization should step out of the limelight?
What kind of heart is so hardened it would publicly insult the blogs that have given a voice to the sexually abused while publicly embracing one who is accused of conspiring to cover up and silence the abused?
What kind of hard heart are we witnessing? 
ESPN- New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey sits down with Jeremy Schaap to discuss the sexual abuse Dickey endured as a child
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.
~ Martin  Niemöller



When the Church Prefers Perpetrators by Mary DeMuth
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See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil: The Southern Baptist Convention and child sexual abuse within

June 6, 2013, 9:56 pm
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6/9/13: See Updates at the end of this post.

the backlash when speaking up about abuse

Three Wise Monkeys by Menage a Moi
Three Wise Monkeys, a photo by Menage a Moi on Flickr.

A pastor at our church of almost 18 years, Houston's First Baptist Church, has told me and my husband this week that *it's for the best that we step down from serving there, teaching in the youth ministry, since we don't see what I'm doing is a problem, like he does: my efforts to shine the light of truth and spread awareness about the horrific problem of child sexual within Southern Baptist churches and the silence from SBC leaders. Up until this blog post, I have never mentioned our church or any of the HFBC pastors on my blog.

I have never talked to this pastor, Doug Bischoff before, not in person, not on the phone, not via email. Last Friday, he left me a message, but I was out of town. Then, Monday, I didn't get a chance to call him back, being my 18th wedding anniversary, etc...and he left me another message late that afternoon, in a little put-out sounding tone of voice, in my opinion, saying, "trying to reach you, don't know if you're out of town or what." So about 5:00 Monday evening I called him back and pointed out I had been out of town and about to go out to dinner for our anniversary, but wanted to see what he needed, and then he proceeds to, after saying he wouldn't take much of my time, take offense at my blog. He started out telling me he had called a friend of mine whom I teach with at church, to that which I was shocked, asking why he would call and discuss the issues he has regarding me and my blog with her BEFORE talking to me? He made the excuse that he couldn't reach me, so he called her. What was so urgent? This, apparently:
I saw your blog.
I'm confused. You don't see it as a problem? [speaking out about child sexual abuse by Baptist clergy, about Baptist churches that cover up such abuse, about silence from SBC leaders about this abuse, about the vocal support of another evangelical pastor C.J. Mahaney accused in a lawsuit by 11 plaintiffs of covering up child sex abuse, and planning an awareness event next week at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston]
What good is it going to do, you standing outside the SBC?
What good will it do if the SBC president did issue a statement on abuse?
We're not like the Methodists. [each Baptist church is locally autonomous] 
How can you say that? [that child sexual abuse within Baptist churches is a systemic problem]
You may be seen as fringe.
 No, I do not see what I am doing as a problem. Neither does my husband, and he told Doug this in no uncertain terms in a meeting with him in person the next day at the church.

*UPDATED 6/8/13* 
After almost an hour on the phone with Doug challenging me about my efforts to raise awareness about abuse within the SBC, I was in tears and finally said to him, "I'm going to save you the awkardness of having to ask me to step down and I will step down." His reply was "Let's take a few weeks..." The next day in a meeting with my husband Doug brought up the subject about us stepping down and Doug said, "I told Amy I would think about it, but I've thought about it overnight, and I think it's best that she step down."
My husband Matt questioned him about why he thought it was best that I step down. Matt says that Doug gave an explanation that he has to look out for the children in the church.
HFBC wants to make this an issue of whether or not they *asked* me to step down. That doesn't remove the elephant from the room that Doug was asked to call me, and he did so to challenge me about my blog, starting out by saying "I saw your blog. You don't see it as a problem?"
I could see the writing on the wall early into the call. I decided to save myself some dignity and resign instead of having to be "fired" from a volunteer position.
(See Bene Diction Blogs On: I Saw Your Blog)

How can I say it's systemic? Because I know the stats of the epidemic of child sexual abuse in the general population and I've talked to survivors. How can I say that? Because the SBC holds up pastors like Jack Graham as models of leadership, who is on record having fired a minister, John Langworthy for child sexual abuse, but broke the law by failing to report this abuse to the police. Jack Graham will be a featured panel speaker on leadership this Sunday at the SBC pastors conference in Houston. No one in the SBC has held him accountable. No one. Prestonwood still must go to the police. They have knowledge of child sex crimes that they have never reported as required by the TX mandatory reporting law.

What good will it do? If my presence outside the convention, holding a picture of a child, an actual survivor of child sexual abuse by clergy, gives even just one person some hope, some encouragement that they are not alone, that they are not to blame, that someone believes them, and maybe someone that day or one day has the courage to call the police, seek justice, get help, start healing and protect other kids, then it's worth it.

How did you find her blog? my husband asked. Doug Bischoff said that his boss, pastor Gregg Matte showed it to him and asked him to call me. Gregg Matte is the president of the SBC pastors' conference.

One of the excuses for not doing or saying anything about abuse is that "we're not like the Methodists." I told Doug that this is the same old, lame, tired, and cowardly excuse of "local church autonomy" given by Baptists for decades now as reasons to not address this issue. The irony is that the SBC will be convening in a national, annual meeting next week in Houston. There will be a range of speakers addressing the thousands of Southern Baptists in attendance. Thus, we are respectfully asking for an opportunity to address the full assembly and share our organization’s expertise on how church members and staff should respond when accusations of abuse arise. Our letter to SBC officials is embedded below.

We’ve distilled much of what we’ve learned about this subject over the past 25 years into a short pamphlet that’s posted on our SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) website: 
http://www.snapnetwork.org/links_homepage/when_priest_accused.htm

SNAP media statement
After the phone call from Doug and my husband's meeting with him*, this is our takeaway: they agree with us that child sexual abuse is bad, and they don't want me to stop what I'm doing, but the church doesn't support me raising awareness by pointing out the problem within SBC churches and pastors that cover abuse up by failing to report. It's not a problem for me to point out these issues with Catholic churches or Penn State, just don't point the finger at my own Southern Baptist Convention.

*some added details from my husband Matt about his with meeting with Doug Bischoff at HFBC on Tuesday:
About the last 10 minutes of their meeting was a discussion of us stepping down from teaching. Doug brought this subject up. He told Matt, “Amy told me yesterday that she is stepping down, and I told her we should think about it. But I have been thinking about it overnight, and I think it’s for the best that she step down.”

To that my husband asked “Why?” Doug said, “You don’t see it as a conflict?”
Doug never once told me or my husband that he wanted us to keep serving in the youth ministry.

That's not the way of the Jesus I know, love and serve. He called out sin, wrongdoing and corruption among his own followers.

Cover up that exalts the “ministry” or a ministry personality over the well being of one who has been sinned against does not represent the Jesus I follow.
Jesus looked for the outcasted. He dignified the marginalized.
The church does far better when it acknowledges its sin, living fearlessly and honestly, than when it prefers to show a pretty, unadulterated face to the world. Unfortunately, we have become so enamored with the ministries we have built, forgetting that God Himself builds His church (and thinking it weighs on our shoulders), that we have lived in depraved fear, preferring the words of perpetrators over the words of those abused. We wrongly believe that we are in the business of reputation management.
Of course, I am not in the midst of this recent scandal, and I am not at all walking in either crowd’s shoes, leaders or victims, but from the outside it feels a lot like covering up for the sake of keeping the ministry machine alive. 
Boz Tchividjian of G.R.A.C.E: Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment was interviewed on the Janet Mefferd show. Listen here. 
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. — DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
What Kind of Hard Heart? by Matt B. Redmond
What kind of heart is so hardened it would publicly insult the blogs that have given a voice to the sexually abused while publicly embracing one who is accused of conspiring to cover up and silence the abused?
What kind of hard heart are we witnessing?

Courage:
This was my question to Sir Patrick Stewart at Comicpalooza 2013. I wanted to thank Patrick Stewart for his speech at Amnesty International it personally help me put a name to the abuse, sexual abuse in my case, I had experienced in the past. He responded very passionately and the last thing I thought I would get at was a heartfelt hug. 

When he embraced me he told me "You never have to go through that again, you're safe now". I just kept thanking him. 

I hope everyone who needs help in abusive or violent situations has the courage to do so. There are people willing and ready to help you. 



The Religious Leaders and the Least of These in the SGM Scandal

Pastor chastises abuse activist- Associated Baptist Press




Added 6/9/13:

New BBC Open Forum: You may be seen as fringe.
In closing, Doug, I would just like to say if Amy Smith is considered by the likes of men like you "fringe," then I'm proud to stand beside her and identify as "fringe," too! I believe Amy prefers "frilly fringe."

Thoughts on SGM and Our Church "Celebrity" Culture
I am angry and sad over the whole situation.

I am angry because I do not have what I believe are satisfactory answers to my questions above.  I am angry because, as a bivocational pastor and nurse in child psychiatry, I regularly encounter abused children and their perpetrators.  I am angry because I regularly see failures of the system to protect these children.  I am angry because I see perpetrators walk free with their children, only to further harm them and damage their precious little bodies and minds.  I am ANGRY!  The church is supposed to be different.  Christ's people are supposed to know that those who lead a child astray are better off having a millstone hung around their neck and being thrown into the sea (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42, Luke 17:2).  We are supposed to be better, or at the very least different from the world.
Stop Baptist Predators: Southern Baptist Leadership is Lacking 

Statement by Pam Palmer, mother of a plaintiff in the SGM abuse lawsuit:
I am planning on standing with Amy Smith and SNAP and linking arms with them at this Awareness Event outside of the SBC meeting. As the mother of one of the SGM survivors/plaintiffs, I want to publicly support Amy and SNAP as they seek to raise awareness about the problems of sex abuse cover-up, which has occurred allegedly within the SBC at Prestonwood Baptist. 


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What to do when your pastor, priest or a trusted person is accused of abuse

June 9, 2013, 11:06 pm
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In planning for our SNAP awareness event at the SBC annual meeting this week in Houston, we have put together a list of helpful tips on what to do when a pastor, priest, or trusted person is accused of abuse.

It is important to carefully consider our responses. The full, detailed list of tips is available on the SNAP website here.

1) Remain open-minded. 
The natural human instinct is to recoil from alleged horror, and to immediately assume that the allegations are false. But the overwhelming majority of abuse disclosures prove to be true.

2) Pray for all parties involved.
Every person involved deserves and needs prayerful support.

3) Let yourself feel whatever emotions arise.
You may feel angry, betrayed, confused, hurt, worried and sad. These are all natural, "typical" responses to an allegation of sexual abuse. None of these feelings are inappropriate or "bad."

4) Remember that abuse, sadly, is quite common.
It's far more widespread than any of us would like to believe. Experts estimate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be molested in their lifetimes.

5) Don't try to "guess" or figure out who the accuser is.
Abuse victims, like rape victims, need their privacy to recover from their trauma.

6) If you do know the victim(s), protect his/her confidentiality. 

7) Understand that abuse victims often have "troubled" backgrounds (i.e. drug or alcohol problems, criminal backgrounds, etc.)
Instead of undermining the credibility of accusers, these difficulties actually enhance their credibility.

8) Don't allow the mere passage of time to discredit the accusers.
Stress to your fellow parishioners that there are many good reasons why abuse victims disclose their victimization years after the crime.

9) Ask your family members and friends if they were victimized.
Many times, abuse victims will continue to "keep the secret" unless specifically invited to disclose their victimization by someone they love and trust.

10) Mention the accusation to former parishioners/students and parish/church/school staff now living elsewhere.
They may have information that could prove the guilt or innocence of the priest, pastor, teacher or coach facing allegations.

11) Contact the police or prosecutors.
It's your duty as a citizen to call the proper civil authorities if you have any information (even if it's "second hand" or vague) that might help prove the guilt or innocence of the accused. It's your duty as a Christian to help seek justice and protect others from harm.

12) Don't allow other parishioners to make disparaging comments about those making the allegation. Remember, the sexual abuse of children has terribly damaging effects. Tell your fellow parishioners that hurtful comments are inappropriate. Remind them that they can defend their priest, pastor or trusted person without attacking his or her accuser.

13) Educate yourself and your family about sexual abuse.
Check out the web site for clergy abuse victims: www.snapnetwork.org

14) Support the accused priest or pastor, teacher or coach PRIVATELY, if you must.
Calls, visits, letters, gifts, and prayers - all of these are appropriate ways to express your love and concern for the accused priest or pastor. Public displays of support, however, are not. They only intimidate others into keeping silent.

15) Don't be blinded by the pain you can see.
The trauma of the accused priest/pastor or trusted person and those who care about him, is obvious. You can usually see it in his/her face, posture, and actions. But please try to keep in mind the trauma of the accuser too. Because you rarely see his/her pain directly, it's important to try and imagine it. This helps you keep a balanced perspective.

16) Try to put yourself in the shoes of the alleged victim. 

17) Use this painful time as an opportunity to protect your own family.
Talk with your children about "safe touch," the private parts of their bodies, who is allowed to touch those parts, what to do if someone else tries, and who to tell. Urge your sons and daughters to have similar conversations with your grandchildren.

18) Turn your pain into helpful action.
In times of stress and trauma, doing something constructive can be very beneficial. Volunteer your time or donate your funds to organizations that help abused kids or work to stop molestation.

19) Keep in mind the fundamental choice you face.
On the one hand, at stake are the FEELINGS of a grown up. On the other hand, at stake is the PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL AND SEXUAL SAFETY of potentially many children. If one has to err in either direction, the prudent and moral choice is to always err on the side of protecting those who can't protect themselves: children.


20) Ask your pastor to bring in an outside expert or a therapist who can lead a balanced discussion about sexual abuse. 
G.R.A.C.E. is one example of an outside expert. GRACE is a non-profit organization made up of highly trained and experienced multi-disciplinary professionals who seek to educate and empower the Christian community to identify, confront and respond to the sin, crime of child abuse. 

Sandusky Victim 1 Steps Out of Shadows, Silent No More





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We are here to protect kids: Our awareness event at the 2013 SBC annual meeting

June 11, 2013, 6:29 pm
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Miguel Pratts and Pam Palmer

Pam being interviewed by Jeff Brumley of ABPnews


Did someone from the SBC or HFBC call the Houston police department days before our plans to host this awareness event at the SBC meeting? Listen here or click to play the audio below of the voicemail I received last Friday from an officer in the Houston police department criminal intelligence division.





KPRC: Southern Baptists attending convention in downtown Houston

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player




Pastor: SBC should support abuse victims

A Georgia pastor says SBC leaders who are coddling a minister accused of covering up sexual abuse send the public a message that all Southern Baptists are soft on clergy predators.

We talked to Associated Baptist Press, KPRC, Channel 39 and I was on my way home and got a call from the Houston Spanish news station Univision 45, story here. So I went back down there and called Pam Palmer and Miguel to come back too. That reporter Pedro Rojas was so gracious and gave us a lot of time to talk, and he expressed a lot of concern about this issue as he said he has little kids. Also, a husband/wife messengers and their young boys approached us as we were being filmed and asked why we were there. We ended up having a great, several minute long conversation and he expressed his concern to see the SBC take a stand to protect kids. They are from Rochester, NY. He asked to pray with us and for us by name. He prayed that there would be voices within the SBC to speak out on behalf of protecting kids. God is good. 

My prayer since I began speaking out to expose abuse within the SBC in August of 2010, when I made my first phone call to Mississippi to warn about Langworthy, former Prestonwood Baptist Church minister:
Lord Jesus, shine Your light of truth, move the mountains of silence, darkness, lies and deceit, heal the wounded, protect the vulnerable and set all the captives free.

 Statement by Pam Palmer, mother of Sovereign Grace abuse lawsuit plaintiff by watchkeep


Update 6/12/13:

Associated Baptist Press- Southern Baptists urge abuse reporting


Baptists adopt abuse resolution, SNAP responds

 Brave action, not vague resolutions, stops crimes against kids.



This is no different than the Penn State issue where there was one there and nobody said a word about it and kept trying to push it under the rug.- Rev. Tim Rogers, Ebenezer Baptist Church
However, I believe it needs to be stronger. - Rev. Peter Lumpkins, Corner Stone Baptist Church
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In which the Chief of the Australian Army wins the internet: the standard you walk past is the standard you accept

June 14, 2013, 3:39 pm
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Lookin' at you SBC...and your resolution...where's your moral courage in action, not just words?

This is How a Real Leader Addresses Abuse



Stop Baptist Predators: Another year of Baptist do-nothingness on clergy sex abuse


Brave action, not vague resolutions, stops crimes against kids

Baptists adopt resolution, SNAP responds




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Vocal for victims

July 2, 2013, 11:53 am
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You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.

 ~ William Wilberforce

A Georgia pastor, Peter Lumpkins, authored a resolution on child abuse that was passed at the SBC annual meeting last month in Houston. A greater awareness of abuse is always a great start, but what are the practical implications of a non-binding resolution? Who will police it? Who will oversee accountability and action? What discipline will there be, if any, for churches and pastors who have failed or fail in the future to report abuse?

Does Lumpkins have a blind side when it comes to cases of recorded and documented sexual abuse of children within SBC churches, not just within evangelical organizations with which the SBC has close ties, like Sovereign Grace Ministries that prompted him to write and present the resolution?

While I appreciate the gravity of the SGM lawsuit that recently and rapidly captured his attention, where has Peter been in the last few years of documented cases of child sex abuse and coverup like happened at Prestonwood Baptist with Langworthy? Weeks ago when I first heard about his resolution, I tried a couple of  times to submit a comment on Peter's blog encouraging that the light of truth also shine on documented abuse and cover up WITHIN the SBC, like at Prestonwood, but he never would publish any of those comments. He doesn't seem to have had any hesitation speaking out on behalf of the SGM survivors and the lawsuit (and rightly so), so why not for survivors of abuse within his own SBC churches?

The SBC must be willing to demand accountability in reporting of abuse and cease using autonomy as an excuse not to discipline churches and pastors within the SBC who cover up abuse. According to the Associated Baptist Press, in 2010, "for the second year in a row, the Georgia Baptist Convention has withdrawn fellowship from one of its most historic member churches for calling a woman as pastor."  The SBC seems to be selective in the use of their autonomous polity. 























A response to the SBC abuse resolution sent to me by Becky Ianni, SNAP Virginia leader:
I am glad to see that the SBC is making better child protection policies but more important than creating new policies is enforcing them. Children will only be safe when perpetrators are exposed and brought to justice. I hope that the SBC will report every suspected case of child abuse, past and present, to authorities but it is still important for every citizen to report any suspected, witnessed or experienced sexual abuse to the proper authorities, As a mother of four and victim of childhood sexual abuse I never want another child to suffer what I did as a child and continue to deal with as an adult.
 I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And that which I can do, by the grace of God, I will do. ~ Dwight L. Moody 




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Add your voice

July 17, 2013, 2:07 pm
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This statement addresses the dire need for the Christian community to begin addressing the issue of sexual abuse in the Church.




A Public Statement Concerning Sexual Abuse in the Church of Jesus Christ


Recent allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up within a well known international ministry and subsequent public statements by several evangelical leaders have angered and distressed many, both inside and outside of the Church. These events expose the troubling reality that, far too often, the Church’s instincts are no different than from those of many other institutions, responding to such allegations by moving to protect her structures rather than her children. This is a longstanding problem in the Christian world, and we are deeply grieved by the failures of the American and global Church in responding to the issue of sexual abuse. We do not just believe we should do better; as those who claim the name of Jesus and the cause of the Gospel, we are convinced we must do better. In the hope that a time is coming when Christian leaders respond to all sexual abuse with outrage and courage, we offer this confession and declare the Good News of Jesus on behalf of the abused, ignored and forgotten. Through the media we have been confronted with perpetual reports of grievous sexual abuse and its cover-up. Institutions ranging from the Catholic Church, various Protestant churches and missionary organizations, Penn State, Yeshiva University High School, the Boy Scouts, and all branches of our military have been rocked by allegations of abuse and of complicity in silencing the victims. And while many evangelical leaders have eagerly responded with outrage to those public scandals, we must now acknowledge long-silenced victims who are speaking out about sexual abuse in evangelical Christian institutions: schools, mission fields and churches, large and small. And we must confess we have done far too little to hear and help them. Holocaust survivor and author, Elie Weisel, once said, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim…silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” When we choose willful ignorance, inaction or neutrality in the face of evil, we participate in the survival of that evil. When clergy, school administrations, boards of directors, or military commanders have been silent or have covered up abuse, they have joined with those who perpetrate crimes against the “little ones” – often children, but also others who are on the underside of power because of size, age, position or authority. It goes without saying that sexual abuse is criminal, but within the Church we also believe that it is the work of the enemy of our souls — evil, horrific sin perpetrated in dark and hidden places, forever altering lives and destroying the faith of the abused. How could such evil be present and overlooked in the body of Christ? Surely as his followers, we would do everything in our power to expose the deeds of darkness, opening the mouths of the mute, the afflicted and the needy. The Church must never hinder those who so desperately need to run to God and his people for safety, hope and truth, while also providing them protection from the great deceiver. But we have hindered the victims. By our silence and our efforts to protect our names and institutions and “missions,” we, the body of Christ, have often sided with an enemy whose sole purpose is and has always been to destroy the Lamb of God and his presence in this world. Our busyness and inattention have often resulted in complicity in allowing dark places that shelter abuse to fester and survive. We must face the truths of our own teachings: To be a shepherd in the body of Christ and blind to the knowledge that your sheep are being abused by wolves in your midst is to be an inattentive shepherd. To judge merely by outward appearances is a failure of righteousness. To fail to obey the laws of the land as Scripture commands by declining to report and expose abuse is to be a disobedient shepherd. To be told that wolves are devouring our lambs and fail to protect those lambs is to be a shepherd who sides with the wolves who hinder those same little ones from coming to Jesus. To fail to grasp the massive web of deception entangling an abuser and set him or her loose among the sheep is to be naïve about the very nature and power of sin. To be told a child is being or has been abused and to make excuses for failing to act is a diabolical misrepresentation of God. To know a woman is being raped or battered in hidden places and silence her or send her back is to align with those who live as enemies of our God. Protecting an institution or organization rather than a living, breathing lamb is to love ministry more than God and to value a human name or institution more than the peerless name of Jesus. Dear church of Jesus Christ, we must set aside every agenda but one: to gently lead every man, woman and child into the arms of our Good Shepherd, who gave his very life to rescue us from the clutches of our enemy and from sin and death — who rose from the dead and called us to the safety of his side. As we follow this Good Shepherd, we will “eliminate harmful beasts from the land, make places of blessing for the sheep, deliver them from their enslavers and make them secure in places where no one will make them afraid” (Ezekiel 34:25-28). Surely it is for such a time as this that the Church has been empowered to boldly and bravely embody the Good News to accusers and accused alike, and to forsake our own comfort and position to love the hurting with an illogical extravagance. To all who have been abused, broken, deceived and ignored, we have failed you and our God. We repent for looking nothing like our Lord when we have silenced you, ignored you or moved away from you and then acted as if you were the problem. You are not the problem; you are the voice of our God calling his church to repentance and humility. Thank you for having the courage to speak truth. May God have mercy on us all and oh may the day come when his church reflects the indescribable love and compassion of Jesus, even to the point of laying down our lives for his precious sheep.
Dated this 17th day of July, 2013.

Carol Ajamian – Retired Jim Arcieri Pastor of Community Bible Fellowship Church in Red Hill, PA

William S. Barker – Professor of Church History, Emeritus at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA)

Steve Brown – Professor, Emeritus of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry at Reformed Theological Seminary, President of Key Life Network, Inc., and Author

P. J. (“Flip”) Buys – Associate International Director of the World Reformed Fellowship, South Africa

Rebecca Campbell –  Member of the Board of Trustees at Biblical Theological Seminary

Alan Chambers – Founder, Speak.Love

Kelly Clark – Attorney with the law firm of O’Donnell Clark and Crew, LLP in Portland, OR

Julie Clinton – President of Extraordinary Women

Tim Clinton – President of the American Association of Christian Counselors and Professor of Counseling and Pastoral Care at Liberty University

Wentzel Coetzer – Professor of Theology at Northwest University (Potschefstroom, South Africa)

James Courtney – Ruling Elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Rye, NY

Margaret Courtney –  Co-Director of Family Ministries at Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Rye, NY

Glenn Davies – Bishop of North Sydney, Australia D. Clair Davis Chaplain at Redeemer Seminary

Chuck DeGroat – Associate Professor of Counseling and Pastoral Care at Western Theological 
Seminary and Senior Fellow at Newbigin House

Mary DeMuth – Author and Blogger

David G. Dunbar – Professor of Theology at Biblical Theological Seminary

Diana S. Durrill – Pastor’s wife and Sexual abuse survivor

Michael J. Durrill – Pastor of Valley Community Church in Louisville, CO

William Edgar – Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA)

Rob Edwards – Pastor of Mercy Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Forest, VA

Mr. Rinaldo Lotti Filho – Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Elyse Fitzpatrick – Counselor and Author

Ryan Ferguson – Pastor of Community Connection at North Hills Community Church in Taylors, SC

E. Robert Geehan – Pastor of The Reformed Church in Poughkeepsie, NY (RCA)

Shannon Geiger – Counselor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Dallas, TX

Douglas Green – Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA)

Fred Harrell – Senior Pastor of City Church in San Francisco, CA

Robert Heerdt – Chief Investment Officer at BenefitWorks, Inc.

Walter Henegar – Senior Pastor of Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Atlanta, GA

Craig Higgins – Senior Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Westchester County, NY and North American Regional Coordinator for the World Reformed Fellowship

Justin Holcomb – Author and Adjunct Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary

Lindsey Holcomb – Author and former case manager for sexual assault crisis center

Peter Hubbard – Pastor of Teaching at North Hills Community Church in Taylors, SC

Carolyn James – President of WhitbyForum

Frank James – President of Biblical Theological Seminary

Karen Jansson – Board member of the World Reformed Fellowship Board Member and Treasurer of the Russian Orphan Opportunity Fund, USA

Kathy Koch – President and Founder of Celebrate Kids

Matthew Lacey – Development Director for GRACE

David Lamb – Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary

Diane Langberg  - Clinical Psychologist and Author

Daniel N. LaValla – Director of Library Services and Development Associate at Biblical Theological Seminary

Samuel Logan – International Director of the World Reformed Fellowship, President Emeritus of Westminster Theological Seminary (PA), and Special Counsel to the President at Biblical Theological Seminary

Tremper Longman – Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College

Kin Yip Louie – Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at China Graduate School of Theology

Fergus Macdonald – Past President of the United Bible Societies (Scotland)

Todd Mangum – Academic Dean and Professor of Theology at Biblical Theological Seminary

Dan McCartney – Professor of New Testament at Redeemer Seminary

Scot McKnight – Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and Author

Jonathan Merritt – Faith and Culture writer

Pat Millen – Member of the Board of Trustees at Biblical Seminary

Philip Monroe – Professor of Counseling and Psychology at Biblical Theological Seminary

Amy Norvell – Director of Classical Conversations in Bryan/College Station, TX, Pastor’s wife, and Sexual abuse survivor

Thad Norvell  -Pastor at Community Church in Bryan/College Station, TX 

K. Eric Perrin – Senior Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Cherry Hill, NJ

Michael Reagan – President of the Reagan Legacy Foundation

Matthew Redmond – Author

Nathan Rice – Director of Middle School Ministries at First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Bellevue, WA

Tamara Rice – Freelance Writer and Editor

Adam L Saenz – Clinical Psychologist and Author

Karen L. Sawyer – Vice Chair and Chair Elect of the Board of Trustees, Biblical Theological Seminary and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Arcadia University
Scotty Smith – Founding Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN

Ron Scates – Preaching Pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Dallas, Texas

Andrew J. Schmutzer – Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute

Chris Seay – Pastor at Ecclesia in Houston, TX

Mike Sloan – Associate Pastor at Old Peachtree Presbyterian Church in DuLuth, GA

Basyle J. Tchividjian – Executive Director, GRACE and Associate Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law

Laura Thien – LMHC and Board Chairperson of the Julie Valentine Center in Greenville, SC

Jessica Thompson – Author

Rick Tyson – Senior Pastor at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Willow Grove, PA

John Williams – Ruling Elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Washington Island, WI

John Wilson – Pastor in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, Australia

William Paul Young – Author
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Not to be blind. Not to be silent.

September 3, 2013, 8:46 am
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"Powerful talk that can be applied to abuses in the Church & those that speak out." - Boz Tchividjian



Freedom doesn't exist if you don't use it.
I found myself in this cause, and I'll never be the same.
These are people of immense persistence, an absolute determination not to be blind, not to be silent. 
The really important thing about Gayla is she's ordinary. She's like you, and she's like me. She had freedom, and she was ready to use it. 





In my own personal experience of speaking up about child sex abuse in the Baptist church, beginning with Prestonwood Baptist Church and the abuse by my former minister John Langworthy, I have encountered both silence and shunning by those in positions of leadership there and among the SBC, even a personal  rejection by my parents who stated they do not want me in their lives. A few months ago, I encountered a disturbing tone of "willful blindness" in a phone call from a pastor, Doug Bischoff, at our then church, Houston's First Baptist. This pastor called to chastise me about my blog and efforts to shine the light of truth about child sex abuse within Southern Baptist churches, saying, "I'm confused. You don't see it as a problem?" This call took place just days ahead of the annual SBC meeting in Houston.

Not Marked.
This had slowed the healing down because it had caused the crime to remain in darkness. It had enabled the shame to get an ugly foot hold.
As ugly and painful as it is to have had my eyes fully open to these crimes done in darkness and covered up by those who should be shining the brightest light, I have found the freedom to speak up. No longer blind. No longer silent.

You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know. - William Wilberforce





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Sacrificing of Souls for the Sake of the Institution

October 23, 2013, 3:29 pm
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Boz Tchividjian recently joined Janet Mefferd on her show to discuss sexual abuse in the evangelical church.

Evangelical Sex Abuse Record 'Worse' Than Catholic, Says Billy Graham's Grandson Boz Tchividijian


Last week the Associated Baptist Press reported on Paige Patterson's remarks to seminary students:
There’s no room in the church for whistleblowers, a Southern Baptist seminary president said in a chapel sermon Oct. 15.
Patterson goes on to say:
Patterson said the reason grievances between church members wind up in court or the media is: “If I appeal to the church elders, if I appeal to the church congregation as a whole in the matter where I have been offended, where I’ve been misused and abused and misrepresented, if I appeal to them they may not get it right. What do I do if the church makes a mistake?”
“But even if it’s the saved of the Lord Jesus, we still live in mortal bodies; we still can make mistakes,” he said. “The church of the Living God may very well make a mistake, and Paul anticipates it and says: ‘You don’t understand. You still don’t go to the court. Why don’t you learn to just accept wrong, just to accept injustice?’”
Just accept wrong? Just to accept injustice?

This is so typical of their mindset. I've learned this firsthand. Southern Baptist leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand, silencing the wounded, enabling the perpetrators of abuse and endangering kids in their churches. Like my dad told my husband in a phone call, "You and Amy are going to pay a big price for what has been done here." He was referring to my interview on WFAA, embedded below. That seems to be the Prestonwood and SBC way, bully into silence.

                  


Thanks to this report by Brett Shipp and WFAA, the story then began airing in Jackson, MS in Aug. 2011. That next week, one of Langworthy’s victims (abused from age 9-13) went to the police. The press reported that and then 4 more victims had the courage to come forward. Langworthy pled guilty in Jan. 2013. 
Paige Patterson must really think that NBC Charlotte is evil for this report on Steven Furtick's 16,000 square foot "not that great" house. 
Many churches believe at least elders or deacons should set the pastor's salary. But at Elevation, it’s a closely guarded secret. Wednesday night at 6 p.m., the I-Team reports on the men who set Steven Furtick's salary. None of them are members of Elevation Church. 
Part 2: Pastor's salary set by board, not congregation

According to the Charlotte Observer, one of these men on the board who sets Furtick's salary and serves as his "mentor" is pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church.
Corbett would not divulge Furtick’s salary, which is set not by a group of lay members of the church, but by a board of five out-of-town pastors. Furtick is also on the board, but doesn’t vote on his salary, Corbett said. These out-of-town board members are friends and mentors to Furtick and, like him, lead growing megachurches. They include Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in Anderson, S.C., and Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist in Plano, Texas.

This board bases Furtick’s salary, Corbett said, on a “compensation study formulated by an attorney’s office” that’s not tied to the church.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/23/4407782/elevation-church-pastor-building.html#.UmhLffmsjLQ#storylink=cpy

This One Time, I Refused to Stop Talking About Abuse by Tamara Rice
Can I be honest with you? I’m angry today. I’m sick to death of people equating exposing sin in the Church with slandering Christ’s bride. I’m sick to death of people equating exposing sin in the Church with hindering the gospel. I’m sick to death of people equating exposing sin in the Church with tarnishing our “witness” in the world.
...
Because my God despises hypocrisy and hidden sins. My God despises pride. My God despises the harming of those who are vulnerable. He showed us over and over and over again in the Old Testament—in ways that are so vivid they make some cringe and look the other way when these stories are told in church—that He does not abide these things in His people.
He does not abide these things in His people.
So I will not be silenced. I will not be belittled as bitter or marginalized as divisive. I will not be quiet so that you don’t have to feel uncomfortable when you scroll through your Twitter feed. I will not be told to watch my tone with you, the patriarchy of fundamentalist evangelical Christendom, because too many of you are failing miserably at your self-proclaimed calling and it is time you listened to people who are not on your payroll. I will not stop talking, even though so few—so few—in the church will take the time to listen.
A few months ago, I wrote about being chastised as an abuse advocate by a pastor at our church at the time, Houston's First Baptist Church.  Someone at Houston's First Baptist, Prestonwood Baptist, or the executive staff of the SBC called the Houston police about our plans to hold an awareness event outside the 2013 annual meeting at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston. After this, my husband requested a meeting at HFBC with head pastor Gregg Matte. They were joined by Doug Bischoff, the pastor that called to chastise me, and a deacon. Before that meeting, Gregg Matte told my husband that he didn't want anything said in the meeting "to end up on a blog." My husband told them all in that meeting, that they should have no problem having cameras there recording every word. Why the secrecy? Why would they not want the whole world to know that they will not stand for child sexual abuse being covered up? Or do they want the darkness and silence surrounding child sex abuse in the church to continue, like Paige Patterson encourages by his comments?

I never received a phone call or email from Gregg Matte. I only have my impressions of his meeting with my husband to go on. While Gregg Matte did express outrage over child sexual abuse, it seems there was a lot of outrage over protecting the image of Houston's First Baptist after this story appeared in the Associated Baptist Press.

Coming out of the shunning and rejection by my own parents and the Baptist institution, I am finding strength of heart, and clarity, like I’m coming out of a fog I didn’t know I was in, even a few years into speaking out about Langworthy and the abuse covered up at Prestonwood for decades.
As I've been thinking about the hurtful words and attitude by Paige Patterson and other leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention, how depressing it is that he’s imparting this completely un-Christ-like mindset to the next leaders of SBC churches, I realized that the reporters and bloggers that I’ve had the pleasure of communicating with have done more to help the wounded heal and protect kids than these pastors. In fact, in the many cases of child sexual abuse that I know of, it’s pastors and churches who have perpetuated the evil of abuse by covering it up.
Matthew 18:6 If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

World Magazine: The high cost of negligence

Something's terribly wrong when ESPN is calling for the truth, but the church remains silent.

Only the Truth will Save Us

So maybe it's a further truth to say that the culture of male entitlement and institutional spinelessness isn't exclusive to football. Or even to sports. Or America. After all, the only Stop Snitchin' culture tighter than that of a football team might be a street gang. Or the cops. Or the mob. Or the military. Or the BBC. Or the Catholic Church. Every one of these cases is shot through with Bronze Age sexism and bureaucratic self-preservation. Choosing sides can only be a fool's game. Rape culture is rape culture, and it doesn't matter who had how much to drink. Or who wore a surplice or a captain's bars. Rape is a rape is a rape.
The answer to which is the same in every case at every level, from the Vatican to the service academies to every jerkwater high school in America. Aptly or ironically it comes from the Executive Summary of last May's Pentagon report  on the Pentagon's own failure to address the sharp rise in sexual assault in the military.
Nothing will change until we make the reporting of rape easier and safer for victims. Until we de-stigmatize victims and stigmatize offenders, no matter how popular and no matter how far they can throw a football. Nothing will change until we hold institutions and individuals completely accountable for what they do. And for what they cover up.
These are your sons and these are your daughters and these are your sisters and brothers. We've known what to do for a long time. We've known how to stop it. Our ongoing failure, yours and mine, in football and out of it, is our cowardice.











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Numbers, not souls: a culture ripe for abuse

November 6, 2013, 11:41 am
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An investigative reporter at NBC Charlotte, Stuart Watson, has done a series on the Southern Baptist megachurch, Elevation Church, and its pastor, Steven Furtick's 16,000 square foot home currently being built in North Carolina. In the most recent report, the NBC Charlotte I-team obtained a confidential Elevation report:

                  
Elevation is the largest megachurch in North Carolina, and one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States. The church has kept its finances secret even from donors, asking staff and some volunteers to sign a confidentiality agreement which threatens to sue them if they disclose internal numbers. 

Elevation’s founding principles called “The Code” state “we are all about the numbers”, and emphasize a reliance on numbers as metrics for growth and success. In one promotional film for Elevation, congregation members identify themselves by the “number” of the order in which they joined the church. 




One of the megachurch leaders that serves on the Elevation Church board of elders is Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. Graham is accused of covering up child sex abuse by a former staff minister, John Langworthy, now a convicted child sex offender in Mississippi. According to this story in the Christian Post, Graham, along with 4 other megachurch pastors on the elder board, helps decide Furtick's salary and influences his ministry.

What kind of influence is Jack Graham passing along to Steven Furtick? From what I have personally experienced in speaking out about abuse at Prestonwood, the message seems to be that people are numbers, not souls. And the more numbers these megachurch pastors have to brag about, the less value each individual has. The perceived greater good of protecting the image of the institution becomes paramount.

In any large organization that amasses wealth and power from its constituents, where there is no transparency and accountability, the environment is ripe for abuse and the cover-up of abuse. When the souls of those constituents become numbers that lack individual value, should they decide to leave, they are easily replaced by others eager to take their number among the masses. Numbers are impersonal and lack moral relevance.

When confronted with crimes against children in a church like Prestonwood, do the leaders see the souls of those children harmed? Do they see the souls of the children who will be preyed upon when the accused minister is pushed away to a new, unsuspecting church and community? Several years after the failure to report Langworthy to the police, Jack Graham was again confronted about allegations of child sex abuse by another youth minister on his staff. Again, no report was made to the police about this minister and according to a church member at the time, Graham said that he has to sacrifice the few for the good of the many.

It is so difficult to be immersed in these abusive cultures and speak out. From my personal experience and hearing from victims, there are people, acting on behalf of churches where abuse has occurred and covered up like at Prestonwood, who intimidate and threaten those who muster the courage to break the silence.

In the summer of 2011, while we were still members of Second Baptist, a megachurch in Houston, I tried to seek information about the allegations of child sex abuse by former music minister Eddie Struble. I had been contacted by some concerned parents. I have since found police reports and spoken with the parent of a victim. In seeking information, I emailed several Second Baptist staff members. I received a voicemail from David Dixon, executive pastor who said he found it "somewhat insulting" that I would insinuate that if they had knowledge of abuse they would not report it. David also emailed me to tell me that he was aware of my emails to other staff members and for me to contact him directly and "not anyone else."

I've written about being estranged from my parents, because they are very angry at me for speaking out publicly about the abuse that occurred at Prestonwood. I have heard from one of Langworthy's victims and his parents who have told me that my dad called, as a deacon of Prestonwood, and told them to leave Langworthy alone, back in 1989. My dad also warned me and my husband in August 2011 after my interview aired on WFAA:
You and Amy are going to pay a big price for what has been done here. I'm telling you. You don't go on witch hunts from 22 years ago. You don't.




What Joe Paterno taught me: it's time to stop keeping secrets by J.C. Derrick

 I received an email earlier this year from a brave survivor after she read about Langworthy's conviction in the Clarion Ledger. Here is an excerpt used with permission:
Reading Langworthy's story has brought back so many of the painful feelings and memories I've experienced related to my own abuse at the hands of my grandfather. For whatever reason, I just really wanted to write you and let you know a little about me.

Reading about your parents turning against you broke my heart for you. It's so hard to be brave. Please just know that you have probably prevented many others from being harmed, and your efforts have not been in vain. I pray that your parents will have their hearts softened, and their eyes opened to the truth.

Whew, I feel like I've talked in circles with this letter. Again, I want to say thank you for standing up for victims and for taking a hard, brave stand against evil. The pain never really completely goes away, and healing is a process. I'm always surprised when something triggers the sadness. Reading this story surely did, but that's okay. The cycle of abuse can only be broken when the truth is told.






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Ripples

November 15, 2013, 8:06 am
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I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. 

We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something. 

- Mother Teresa

Speak up. Tell your story. Cast your stone across the waters. Do for one what  you wish you could do for all.
And you're never ever, you're never ever going to stop, no matter what all this group [SNAP] is trying to do - the church staff involvement with kids, teachers' involvement with kids - you're never going to stop all of that - no matter what kind of crusade you go on. It's there. It's part of life.
No. No it's not. It's a crime.

Stories at Child Help

SNAP Mission Statement



Our most powerful tool is the light of truth.
Through our actions, we bring healing, prevention and justice


Silent No More
 



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Those pesky, blogging "watchdoggers": woof. Who let them out?

December 15, 2013, 3:00 pm
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Jack Graham Tells the Church to Get "As Far Away As Possible" from Those Who Criticize the Church from FBCJax Watchdog on Vimeo.

Jack Graham Explains How to Have Your Best Christmas: Shun Church Critics, Especially Those "Watchdoggers"

But why would Jack Graham want to use his pulpit to tell his church members to not read blogs, to basically shun all people who criticize the church or pastors? Because it was a blogger who helped begin the process of calling Graham's church to explain why they failed to report pedophile John Langworthy to police, resulting in the pedophile moving to Mississippi where he molested more children.

Amy Smith is probably one of the "bloggers" that Graham would tell people to shun and stay away from.

Associated Baptist Press:
World Magazine mentioned Prestonwood’s handling of the Langworthy affair in a cover story titled “the high cost of negligence” related to the reporting sexual abuse in churches.
The article quoted Mike Buster, an executive pastor at Prestonwood who told a local news station in 2011 that Langworthy was dismissed for acting inappropriately with a teenage student. Buster didn’t say whether church officials filed a police report and replied to World’s request for further comment in an e-mail saying nothing had changed from the church’s original statement.
“Something's terribly wrong when ESPN is calling for the truth, but the church remains silent,” Smith said in her blog.
We know there are other victims of Langworthy suffering in silence from Prestonwood Baptist Church and also more victims since Langworthy returned to Mississippi after his firing from Prestonwood in 1989. He is a serial, child sexual predator. Though he is a convicted sex offender, he is not in jail. Kids are safest when predators are in jail.

If anyone has seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Langworthy, please come forward, contact law enforcement, begin the road to healing, and protect other kids. You are not alone. It is not your fault. There is hope for healing and justice.

The light of truth and knowledge is our greatest tool to protect kids.

Clergy abuse was there from the beginning at Prestonwood.

D Magazine July 1989:
And contrary to the way he has represented the affairs to his supporters-claiming that he was seduced, and that the affairs lasted only a short time-Weber apparently was the aggressor. He picked out women in the church who were very attractive (and almost always blonde) and offered to counsel them or gave them tasks to do in the church. He spent time discovering their personal problems, and then used those against them. And he wrapped their relationship in a cloak of spirituality, convincing each she was special, different, one of the few who could help him serve God.
 The pattern of adultery points to a man who came to believe that the rules no longer applied to him, that what he was preaching on Sunday was meant for those in the pews, not the man in the pulpit. With the benefit of hindsight, some church leaders are beginning to see how they were used. Answerable to no one, Weber built a world of wealth and power where he hobnobbed with celebrities like Mavericks owner Don Carter, and prayed at Mary Kay Ash’s cosmetics conventions. 

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Southern Baptists, the ERLC and the "devil-haunted universe"

January 10, 2014, 12:25 pm
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Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation. Albert Schweitzer 



We held a SNAP media event yesterday outside Second Baptist Church in Houston in support of the victims of two former ministers there.

SNAP is worried about more possible victims of these two former Second Baptist ministers, both accused of crimes.

The first is Chad Foster, a young minister who was sentenced in April to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to raping a 16-year-old girl in 2011 and soliciting another teen online.
The second is Eddie Struble, a music minister who faces no civil or criminal charges but is the subject of a Spring Valley police report accusing him of stalking a boy in 2009.
SNAP says that Struble abused a boy (roughly from ages 14-17) who Struble met at the church.
Struble now helps lead worship at Birchman Baptist church in Fort Worth, TX. He has also taught private voice lessons and worked as a vocal coach at Hits Theatre in Houston http://www.hitstheatre.org/
After leaving Second Baptist Church, Struble worked at Humble Area First Baptist Church http://www.hafbc.com/ where he was reportedly asked to leave.
See my original post on concerns about Eddie Struble:   http://watchkeep.blogspot.com/2011/10/whats-at-stake-protecting-and.html
Struble plays an active role in Southern Baptist Convention events. He was the worship leader for the NACBA (National Association of Church Business Administration) National Conference Planning Team in Houston in 2012. http://www.nacba.net/documents/annual%20report.pdf page 10
Last July, he led a session on “saving ministry dollars” at NACBA conference in Charlotte. http://www.nacba.net/Documents/2013_Conf_Brochure.pdf
SNAP believes that church officials have a moral and civic duty, when confronted with proof or credible allegations of wrongdoing, to aggressively seek out victims, witnesses and whistleblowers and beg them to call police and prosecuted so that those who commit or conceal crimes – especially against children – will be charged, convicted and jailed which prevents future crimes and cover ups.

 KUHF News
Members of a child abuse victim support group gathered outside a mega church in Houston today to highlight recent abuse cases involving ministers. The group urges victims of sexual abuse at churches to come forward. 



Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston


Stop Baptists Predators updated: Will changing of the guard bring any change on clergy sex abuse?
Update 1/10/2014: Now we have yet another indication of how unlikely it is that Moore's leadership will bring any positive change in the SBC's denominational do-nothingness on clergy sex abuse. The ERLC has announced the formation of a "Leadership Network" to join with the ERLC in applying "the gospel of the kingdom to the major cultural issues of our day." Named to the "Leadership Council" for this new network is pastor Greg Belser of Morrison Heights Baptist Church -- a pastor who has been widely reported as having a role in one of the SBC's biggest clergy sex abuse cover-up scandals to date. In Belser's short bio on the ERLC's "Leadership Council" site, he talks about how the ERLC helps him in "resourcing our church for speaking courageously in the culture." In my opinion, Belser could show himself to be a great deal more courageous if he would submit hisown conduct to the review of an independent organization such as GRACE and let that organization speak to the truth of what happened in the Prestonwood/Morrison Heights scandal. In any event, Belser's appointment to the ERLC's "Leadership Council" doesn't bode well for anticipating any improvement in the SBC's blind-eyed nonresponsiveness on clergy sex abuse.

Newly Formed SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Initiative Is 'About Ministering in the Midst of a Devil-Haunted Universe'

"As we come alongside one another, we'll talk about crucial ethical issues confronting churches and how we can engage the culture with a Gospel-focus. We'll think through issues that aren't yet confronting churches, but will, and how we can best go through the difficulties of life and local church ministry with a joyful warrior kingdom expectancy-marching toward Zion on the triumphant side of history."
How about start with the crucial issues already confronting churches? What about the "devil-haunted universe" of child sex crimes committed by their own Baptist ministers? Or are we really looking at a case of the ERLC picking and choosing "crucial ethical issues" based on selective moral outrage? I can't think of any issue more pressing and damaging to churches and kids within churches today than the ravaging of souls by child sex offenders.

Startling Statistics: Child sexual abuse and what the church can begin doing about it

SNAP urges Baptists to speak out on abuse







John Langworthy's public confession at Morrison Heights Baptist Church

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Prevention of Abuse vs. Damage Control

January 17, 2014, 8:54 pm
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Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston
The church says there is no excuse for such violation of children, but victims groups say it's only a first step.
Amy Smith, of the Houston chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says, "It's not numbers and statistics that will protect kids: It's the decisive action that would entail not just releasing statistics but the names and whereabouts of those accused predator priests."
SNAP- Defrocking is more defense strategy than child protection
Here's the number Catholics should remember: zero. That's how many Catholic supervisors have been punished, worldwide, for enabling and hiding horrific clergy sex crimes. The Pope must start defrocking clerics who cover up sex crimes, not just clerics who commit them. Until that happens, little will change.
KPRC- Pope defrocked 400 priests in 2 years


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"It wasn't a relationship. It was a crime."

January 21, 2014, 7:45 am
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"It wasn't a relationship. It was a predator situation. It was a crime." - Janet Mefferd




Caught on Tape: 5 Self-Serving Responses by Sex Offenders in the Church
Do you notice how each response keeps the focus and attention on the offender?  These responses clearly demonstrate that most child sexual offenders are extremely self-serving and dangerously manipulative.  It is critical for faith communities to recognize these characteristics and how they influence the way offenders think, act, and respond to abuse.
A better understanding of these vital truths may have propelled this church to focus on loving and serving a 14-year-old rape victim, not posting a re-traumatizing video it tragically celebrates as being the work of God.

Alicia Gray, Former Math Teacher, Releases Video Apology After Pleading Guilty To Sex With Student

Lake jury awards molested boy $12.5 million in verdict against Florida Baptist Convention

"The real truth of the verdict is that it's reaffirming," Weil said. "There's a great sense of vindication and justice. They should have protected him.

Lawyer: Abuse verdict possible game-changer

“Cases such as this are what it will take for kids to eventually gain better protection against preacher-predators in the Southern Baptist Convention,” Brown said. “And I believe it is only a matter of time before courts will recognize that, in the context of clergy sex abuse, Southern Baptists are distorting their doctrine of local church autonomy so as to make it function as a legal strategy for minimizing the risk of liability rather than as a true religious doctrine.”
 "She needs to be stopped."



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Culture of abuse: victims blamed, perpetrators protected, voices silenced

February 20, 2014, 8:49 am
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Rape culture and evangelical culture collide at "God's Harvard"

Listening to Sarah from across her desk, the dean was as polite as ever. But she didn’t seem to believe Sarah’s story at all. “If you were telling the truth about this,” Sarah remembers Corbitt saying, “God would have kept you conscious to bear witness to the abuse against you.” [...]
 Corbitt summoned Sarah for several rounds of questioning. “It’s my job to poke holes in your story,” Sarah remembers Dean Corbitt saying. “I have to make sure that you’re not lying to me. … I don’t think you’re wholly innocent in this situation.”
The problems of rape culture are not unique to Patrick Henry College, but the confluence of its evangelical Christian worldview — which penalizes sex outside of marriage, strictly regulates women’s behavior and lauds men as God’s representatives on earth — and the broader institutional and cultural forces that silence victims and punish those who speak out has produced a devastating result for its female students. One that has not only compromised their physical safety at the school, but also the core tenets of their faith and their place in the Christian community.
Sexual Assault at God's Harvard: Patrick Henry College was supposed to be a safe place. For these young women it wasn't.

My church in 1989 was supposed to be a safe place too. But it wasn't for several of my friends, both boys and girls. My eyes began to slightly peer open into this culture of abuse at Prestonwood Baptist Church in the summer of 1989 when our youth music minister, John Langworthy, was accused by several boys of sexual abuse and fired by Jack Graham but not reported to the police. I never did shake the sinking feeling over the next 22 years that what happened then and how it was handled internally just wasn't right. I used to have nightmares in which Langworthy would show up at my church in Houston, and I'd try to speak out about what I knew, yet no sound would come out.

I don't have that nightmare any more, since I broke my silence about the culture of abuse I experienced at Prestonwood. I know now what to call it.

Since the exposure of the abuse by Langworthy and cover up by Prestonwood, I've had other abuse survivors from Prestonwood contact me and share their stories. Some of these were my friends in the youth group. Some I suspected had been abused. Others I had no idea about. One of these survivors was raped by another boy in the youth group. She went to our youth minister at the time, Neal Jeffrey, who blamed her for the rape. Neal never called the police. He even forced the victim to forgive her rapist and seek reconciliation with him.

Another survivor was raped by an assistant youth minister who was attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She also told Neal Jeffrey who blamed her and never called the police. This child rapist is still out there.

I have shared my story here before about my parents' anger at me for exposing Langworthy's child sex crimes. He was convicted last year in Mississippi where he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 5 boys ages 6-13 from 1980-84, just before his job at Prestonwood Baptist. He is a serial child predator. He is not in jail, though he received a 50 year prison sentence. We know there are more victims. We hope anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Langworthy will come forward to the police, begin to heal and protect other kids.

My parents have said repeatedly that they never want to see me again. A few months ago, my dad left a message at our home stating that "Amy's hurt too many people for too long." I'm going on the offensive."

The light of truth and knowledge is our greatest tool to protect kids. Share it. Speak it. Know you are not alone. Though the pain is awful, healing comes from rising up and shining the light of truth.





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Prestonwood Baptist Church and the Cone of Silence

March 4, 2014, 9:26 am
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After 22 years as the worship pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, Todd Bell apparently resigned suddenly last week, or so I've heard from a few sources. He has been removed from the staff listing on the church website. *From what I've been told in an email (see below), Jack Graham spoke at the end of the service last Sunday, apparently after the cameras stopped rolling, about Todd Bell's resignation or firing. I'm not clear on which it is exactly.

If Jack did speak openly and transparently that Todd "disqualified himself, " why has he never spoken about how Prestonwood minister John Langworthy disqualified himself too when he suddenly left Prestonwood in June 1989 after allegations surfaced that he was sexually abusing boys in the church? Why has Jack never mentioned Langworthy from the pulpit? Don't all members and parents deserve to know why a minister would leave suddenly because he was accused of child sex crimes?

*UPDATE 3/5/14: I received the following email today with more information.
I was in both services on Sunday at Prestonwood and Jack Graham spent a good 10 to 15 minutes very transparently sharing his grief and sadness over the resignation and the exact reasons for it which he specifically stated verbatim were unfaithfulness to his wife and to the church and his ministry.  It was heartfelt, sincere, transparent and anything but brief as your comments state.  I even taped it for my daughter to hear and we listened to it more than once....not brief and not any trace of an attempt at hiding the truth.
 *Why has he never done the same from the pulpit about John Langworthy's alleged child sex abuse at Prestonwood that resulted in Jack firing him? Where's the truth and transparency there? Why has Jack not even spent one minute sharing grief and sadness for the children harmed by Langworthy?

*Does it bother anyone else that Jack can devote time from the pulpit to address his "grief and sadness" about Todd Bell but not answer the plea from a grieving mother of a Langworthy victim?



Truth and transparency should be the standard in all matters in a church, be it matters of consensual affairs resulting in a resignation or illegal sex crimes resulting in the same or a firing. He publicly addressed the arrest and firing of former Prestonwood minister Joe Barron, so why the silence on Langworthy?

Document:"Yes, they tried to handle it discretely as any church tries to do." - a former Prestonwood Baptist Church deacon on child sex offender John Langworthy

A Tale of Two Jacks

Jack Graham and Prestonwood have never reported to the police the known abuse by Langworthy which is required by the Texas mandatory reporting law passed in 1971. Langworthy was allowed to return to his home state of Mississippi where he soon began working as a music minister and a music teacher in public schools, elementary through high school ages, in Clinton, MS for the next 22 years, until he was exposed as a predator when he confessed publicly from the pulpit at Morrison Heights Baptist Church.

We know there are more victims suffering in silence. We hope that anyone who saw, suspected or suffered wrongdoing by Langworthy or any other perpetrators from Prestonwood Baptist or other churches and institutions will have the courage to break their silence, come forward to law enforcement and protect other kids.
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live.



I found my voice. I hope you can find yours too.

Amy Smith's Persistence Brings Justice in John Langworthy Abuse Case

Justice Quest Begins with Phone Call, Ends with Conviction

Jack Graham Explains How to Have Your Best Christmas: Shun Church Critics, Especially Those "Watchdoggers"





It's responses like this that silence and shame victims into silence and enable perpetrators:
















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TX: a state in which it is a crime for clergy to have sexual relations with a congregant

March 24, 2014, 9:10 am
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In my last post, I discussed the recent departure of longtime Prestonwood Baptist music minister Todd Bell due to what several sources say is an affair with a choir member.

Christa Brown of Stop Baptist Predators left this comment on that post:
Hi Amy. Just want to share a bit of Texas law with you. Under the Texas Penal Code, section 22.011, a sexual assault is considered to be “without the consent of the other person if… the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman's professional character as spiritual adviser…” I have no clue what happened with Todd Bell and his reported “unfaithfulness” to wife, church and ministry… and from the reported statements here, it is impossible to know. But I do know that, if a minister engages in sexual “unfaithfulness” with an adult congregant, it is sometimes more properly viewed under the law as a “sexual assault” rather than as a “consensual” relationship. But of course, given how often we have seen Baptist leaders minimize the horrific abuse of kids as mere “moral failure,” it’s not surprising that, often, they are also quick to minimize the sexual abuse of adult congregants as “affairs” or “unfaithfulness.” Whether or not that is what happened here is something I don’t know. 




More from Julie Anne on this TX law:
One important note: This illicit relationship occurred in Texas, and Texas is a state in which it is a crime for clergy to have sexual relations with a congregant. The relevant section of the Texas Penal Code are below (emphasis added).
Texas Penal Code Chapter 5. (22.011)
Title 5. Offenses against the person.
Chapter 22. Assaultive Offenses.
Sec. 22.011. Sexual assault.
(b) A sexual assault [...] is without the consent of the other person if: [...] 10) the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person’s emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman’s professional character as spiritual adviser …
Texas Penal Code 22.011(b)(9): “by exploiting [the patient or former patient's] .  .  . emotional dependency”; and (b)(10) “by exploiting the other person’s emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman’s professional character as spiritual advisor”
So, while Victim said her involvement with Doug Phillips was consensual, by law, it was not consensual in that Doug Phillips, acting as clergy, was in a position of trust to “do no harm,” but he violated this position of trust over her.
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Bill Gothard and Bob Jones University Abuse Scandal Connections: protecting leadership, silencing victims

March 31, 2014, 4:31 pm
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The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests held a media event last week at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina urging BJU officials to release the identities of all sex offenders (proven, admitted and credibly accused) who have worked at or attended the university and post them permanently on the school's web page. This would help prevent future crimes.
We are urging Bob Jones University officials to
–launch an independent investigation into alleged cover-ups of child sex crimes and/or sexual harassment accusations that have surfaced recently against a nationally-known minister, and
–permanently post the names of proven, admitted and credibly accused sex offenders who are or have been at the university on the school's website.   
Earlier this month, a prominent Illinois-based Protestant minister, Rev. Bill Gothard, was put on administrative leave after as many as 34 women said that he sexually harassed them. At least four women said that he molested them as youngsters. And Gothard also allegedly hid sexual harassment by his brother, along with Bob Jones officials, according to a recent Washington Post article.
According to bloggers at Recovering Grace, “In 1980, two BJU officials (only one is named, a Rev. Van Gelderen) were summoned by Gothard to help him downplay a scandal that was about to overwhelm his multi-million dollar ministry. The two BJU men were used by Gothard in his attempt to hush up accusations of sexual harassment against Gothard’s brother.”
We want BJU to hire an outside firm to investigate the charges that two university staffers may have hidden alleged sexual crimes, misdeeds or other wrongdoing by Rev. Gothard or his brother.
Rev. Gothard headed the Institute In Basic Life Principles (IBLP). In the 1970s, Rev. Gothard regularly filled auditoriums across the US with attendance figures as large as ten thousand and more, according to Wikipedia. 
As best we can tell, there are no pending civil lawsuits or criminal investigations against Rev. Gothard. But SNAP notes that his own IBLP board asked him to step down in light of the dozens of allegations against him, some of which go back decades. Many of these reports surfaced first on Recovering Grace.
In an email to our leaders last month, BJU spokesman Randy Page ignored our request, claiming only that “All known perpetrators of child sexual abuse have been reported to law enforcement.”
Page also told us “We know of no current student, faculty or staff member who has been convicted of child sexual abuse or sexual assault.” That means that school officials know of former staff and students who ARE convicted offenders. “For the safety of others – both adults and kids,” we believe those names should be put on the BJU website. Religious institutions, “especially those who are accused of concealing crimes,” should be held to a higher disclosure standard than other organizations.
We can imagine some at BJU may be surprised at our requests. Some will question the propriety of our requests. Here are some likely questions and our responses:
Some might ask "These Gothard allegations date back to the 1980s and appear on a blog but largely nowhere else. So why should BJU officials take them seriously?"
Because it's a blog that many people find credible, including mainstream media sources. Because it's best to err on the side of protecting the vulnerable and wounded, not the accused and the powerful.
Some might ask "Why students? Why not just staff?"
Listing any perpetrator is better than listing none. But why make arbitrary distinctions? The more offenders they list, the more vulnerable people they protect.
Some might ask "Does the University have an obligation to list these offenders?” 
Legally, no, but we believe that morally, yes. We believe there's every reason to do so and no reason to NOT do so. This action will safeguard those at risk. Why wouldn't BJU officials want to do this?
Some might ask "Could the University be sued for doing this, for listing these names?”
Anything's possible but we don't think so. The last thing a sex offender wants is more publicity. Roughly 30 US bishops have posted offender lists. None of them, as best we can tell, have been sued. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm
Some might ask "Aren't folks in US considered innocent until proven guilty?”
That's the standard we use when considering depriving a person of his or her physical liberty. We agree with this practice. But we also know that most sex offenders are never caught or convicted. People are safest when predators are jailed. But when that can't happen, the next best alternative is to alert the public about them. That's what we're asking BJU to do.
Finally, we also want to stress that sexual crimes should be reported to law enforcement by anyone who sees, suspects or suffers them. To most victims this is a frightening prospect, but if innocent kids and vulnerable adults are to be protected, victims must somehow find the strength, courage and wisdom to call secular officials, not religious officials.

A Thread Called Grace: How I came to stop hiding and face the biggest secret of my early life by Jonathan Merritt:
"Shame keeps us from telling our own stories and prevents us from listening to others tell their stories," says Brené Brown. "We silence our voices and keep our secrets out of the fear of disconnection." In the end, shame steals the very thing it promises: meaningful, authentic connections with others. Pursuing a life of honesty means to reveal who I truly am and assert that my story too belongs at the table.
More from Jonathan Merritt:
Owning one’s story can be costly, but it is not nearly as expensive as spending one’s life running from it.
The New York Times:
For sure, sexual maltreatment of children and cover-up are not Catholic monopolies. Charges have been brought against predatory rabbis in New York and elsewhere. In the Hasidic world, a code of silence governs much of life in this regard. Those who break it, by taking allegations to the civil authorities, find themselves ostracized. The existence of a website like StopBaptistPredators.org points to problems in other denominations. As for secular institutions, who could be unaware of abuses within the Boy Scouts of America and at Penn State?
Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP, featured in a New York Times video today on the front page:




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Morrison Heights Baptist Church's sex abuse awareness conference irony

April 17, 2014, 10:31 am
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Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi is hosting a Sexual Abuse Awareness Training Conference on April 29, 2014.
Today we are partnering with the Christian Action Commission of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and Morrison Heights Baptist Church to provide Sexual Abuse Awareness Training for pastors, church staff and lay leaders.  Our goal is to equip church leaders with the skills and resources they need to keep children safe.
However, with just 12 days away from this conference that Morrison Heights is hosting at their church as a conference partner, there is no mention on their church website anywhere about this conference. Why?

Washington Times story on this upcoming conference: Program for all churches to avert child sex abuse
CLINTON, Miss. (AP) - A church where a former music minister admitted sexual abuse will host a program for all denominations to learn how to keep their ministries free of child molestation.
About 2 weeks ago, I addressed this omission to Morrison Heights, pastor Greg Belser, and the Baptist Children's Village on twitter where the BCV has been promoting the conference:




I received this response from the BCV:





I know a few community leaders who are planning to attend this conference that have expressed to me confusion over this omission from the Morrison Heights website, and questioning if this conference is really taking place. So I called Morrison Heights church this morning and spoke at first with a receptionist. She confirmed that the conference is still on 4/29 and mentioned that they had recently had a staff meeting about it.

Hmm, a staff meeting about an event that isn't mentioned on the church website? The receptionist kindly offered to transfer me to someone who knew more about the conference. I then spoke with Sharon Prather, Administrative Office Manager, asking why there is no mention of the abuse awareness conference on their website, where they do promote several other events taking place at their church and also promote events for organizations outside the church, such as Compassion International (a great organization which our family supports). There is also a banner in fact on the church's home page for One Cry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. Sharon said, "We are looking into it."

I asked Sharon if anyone had questions about the conference could they call Morrison Heights? Sharon said, no, only the Baptist Children's Village could answer questions about the conference as they are "handling all publicity."

Greg Belser, pastor of Morrison Heights, was willing to give his pulpit to John Langworthy to confess his child sex crimes, the former MH minister, and now convicted child sex offender, on a Sunday morning in August 2011. Greg then dedicated the sermon that morning to praising and supporting John Langworthy and his wife Kathy who remains on the church music staff. Belser even took shots in his "sermon" at those of us who worked to expose the truth about Langworthy.  Belser then invited the congregation that Sunday morning to publicly surround the Langworthys, and hugging, crying and praying ensued. How painful it must have been to be a victim of Langworthy or any other offender that day.

Langworthy's confession

To this day, there has never been a moment of mention from the pulpit of the victims: no crying, no support, no praying for them. There has never been a plea from Morrison Heights for anyone else who may been harmed by Langworthy to contact the police, to seek justice, begin to heal and to protect other kids. Langworthy pleaded guilty in January 2013 to 5 counts of sex abuse of 5 boys ages 6-13 from 1980-84. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but all of it was suspended, so he didn't spend a day in prison and was immediately allowed to return home from court the day of his conviction and sentencing. Children are safest when predators are in jail.

In a phone conversation with Greg Belser in February 2011, he told me and Sherry LeFils that he wanted to "save John." That was his priority then, and it seems to still be his priority 3 years later with no public indication otherwise. Will he speak at the conference at his church? Will he mention support for the victims? Will he urge others to come forward to the police? Whether he wants it to be addressed or not, Langworthy is the elephant in the room. 

And now with a Sexual Abuse AWARENESS Training Conference being held at his church, Greg Belser isn't even willing to give this important conference a mention on his church's website or calender of events.


This is how a real leader addresses abuse, without hesitation and unequivocally:
Show moral courage and take a stand against it.



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