Tag Archives: Sexual Abuse

Jack Schaap and First Baptist of Hammond Sued By Girl Schaap Victimized

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This entry is part 16 of 17 in the seriesJack Hyles and Jack Schaap

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The Chicago Heights Patch reports:

A former megachurch preacher from Crete who carried on a sexual relationship with a teenage member of his congregation was sued in Will County court.

Jack Schaap, 55, sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in March after pleading guilty to a single count of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, is in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

The lawsuit against Schaap was filed by the parents of the teen he had carried on with sexually in June and July. The lawsuit identifies the parents as “John Doe and Mary Doe,” and the teen as “Jane Doe.” The suit gives Jane Doe’s date of birth as June 27, 1995.

Schaap, the former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, in northwest Indiana, first met the girl when she was referred to him for behavior problems in April 2012 the suit said. The girl was a 16-year-old student at Hammond Baptist High School, and the administrator there informed Schaap she was troubled but had a “very tender heart” and was still “very teachable and moldable” and “willing to trust her leaders,” the suit said.

The girl continued her studies at Schaap’s offices and was required to undergo counseling with him “for her so-called problems,” the suit said. The suit accuses Schaap of “preying on the vulnerability of Jane Doe” during counseling sessions, and devising “means and methods to spend more time with” her, as well as “encouraging her to view him not just as her pastor, but also her friend, and eventually, as a love-interest.”

In June, the suit said, Schaap allegedly had his secretary, Jean McCollam, drive the teen to a forest preserve in Will County for an “intense counseling session,” during which he had sex with her. Schaap then took the teen from the forest preserve to his home in Crete, where he again had sex with her, the suit said.

Less than a month later, the teen, McCollam and her teenage daughter allegedly traveled to Michigan for a “girls’ time out.” But Schaap met them at the border and took Jane Doe to his Michigan cabin, the suit said, where they again had sex.

Schaap also “repeatedly” had sex with Jane Doe in his church office during a three-day youth conference, the suit said.

The lawsuit also names the First Baptist Church of Hammond as a defendant.

Besides having sex with the girl, Schaap gave her a card on her 17th birthday, the lawsuit said. Schaap allegedly wrote in the card:

“I can’t get you out of mind. I keep thinking about how much I enjoy talking with you, how great you look when you smile, and how much I like your laugh. I daydream about you off and on all day, replaying pieces of our conversation … laughing again about funny things you said or did. I’ve memorized your face and the way you look at me … it melts my heart every time I think about it. And I catch myself smiling when I imagine what will happen the next time we’re together. You must be really special, because I can’t remember the last time I felt so strongly about someone. Even though neither of us knows what the future holds, I know one thing for sure—you’re one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time.”

Calls to the law firm representing the teen’s parents went unreturned. The spokesman for the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Eddie Wilson, also failed to return calls for comment.

No commentary from me. Since I have written a good bit on this story, I thought readers would want to know about the lawsuit. Personally, I hope the girl sues the ass off of Schaap and the church. Like with the Catholic Church, the only was to teach the IFB church movement a lesson is to imprison the abusers and perverts and financially penalize the churches for allowing a culture that is conducive to abuse and manipulation.

The Sovereign Grace Ministries Scandal Continues

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From the Wartburg Watch:

…”Character assassination.” That is what one megachurch pastor accused us of 2 years ago when we wrote and begged him to talk to his friend, CJ Mahaney. Deb and I had been reading SGM Survivors and SGM Refuge blogs for several years and had become deeply concerned about the numerous reports on those blogs surrounding the response of leadership to reports of child sexual abuse. We had never been a part of SGM but the numbers of stories, which seemed to constantly escalate, indicated to us that there appeared to be a serious problem. You can link to some of these stories on our home page.

Pastor after pastor, along with NeoCalvinist groups have defended and supported CJ Mahaney and SGM despite these allegations. In the meantime, we, at TWW, were roundly condemned for our expressions of concern about this group. Once our readers see these allegations we hope that they might question the discernment of those who accused us, and others, of character assassination.

Today, the 2nd Amendment to the lawsuit has been released. If you think the last one was bad, you are forewarned. What is included in this released suit will turn your stomach…

…Many will ask why we feel it necessary to post these difficult accusations. We do so because some people do not understand the depth of depravity involved in child sexual abuse. Many prefer to believe in a common caricature of a pedophile as an unkempt old man wearing a dark trench coat who quickly exposes himself to someone or looks under a little girls dress while she swings and then runs away. That is not what we are talking about here.

This past week, I had the opportunity to talk with a group of Christian health professionals. Most of them believe that the problem of pedophilia is found in the Catholic church because priests can’t marry. As you will see, marriage does not cure pedophilia. We have far too many incidents within the Protestant tradition to be casting stones at our Catholic brothers and sisters.

For the attorneys: Everything from this point forward is “alleged.”

1. Five of the alleged victims have, to use a Star Trek term, uncloaked. TWW recognizes their particular courage while at the same time applauding all who have joined this lawsuit.

2.(32-39) James Roberts was molested by David Adams on CLC property. Roberts, @ 8 yrs old, reported this to John Loftness who was the principal of the church’s school, later pastor at CLC, recent member of the SGM Board and current pastor of SGM’s Solid Rock Church. He asked the child to reenact the molestation for him. He did not report this to the boy’s parents and forced the child to meet and forgive Dave Adams.

Adams, along with Loftness who covered up his actions, would go on to molest other children, including his own daughter. Roberts would go onto be molested again by Nate Morales, who was arrested in Las Vegas recently for this. Apparently, some other teens disclosed to Roberts that they, too, were bothered by Morales at school. Grant Layman was alerted to this discussion and did not report it.

Today, Loftness issued a statement denying any participation in child sexual abuse at this link.

3.(42-46) A daughter of David Adams wife, Peggy, reported that her father molested her from the ages of 11-14. This was reported by her sister Dara Sutherland. The unnamed daughter remains psychologically disabled.Peggy, the mom, reported these assaults to church leader Dave Mays who reported this to John Loftness and Gary Ricucci. Peggy was not informed of the previous molestation of Plaintiff Roberts by Adams.

Ricucci claimed that Adams was not a pedophile because Adams was not attracted to his 11 year old daughter but to the “woman she was becoming.” Apparently the defendants then hired an attorney for Adams instead of helping the victims.The defendants even suggested to Peggy that she send her daughter away so that she could bring Adams home as the “head of the household.” …

Please see my October 2012 post on this scandal.

The Wartburg Watch has also provided a pdf link to the lawsuit.

I have long said, based on my intimate knowledge of Evangelicalism and its secret, ugly underbelly, that Evangelicalism, has just as big of a problem with sex crimes, pedophilia, and child abuse as the Roman Catholic Church.

As more and more victims come forward, I suspect we will see a horror just as great as those found in the Catholic Church. Evangelicals love to point to the debauchery in the Catholic Church, ignoring that they have their own debauchery. The disconnectedness of Evangelicalism has allowed vile behaviors to go undetected.  Thanks to brave victims speaking out and the power of the internet, Evangelical predators and their enablers can no longer hide.

Thanks to the Wartburg Watch for shining a light on the evil that is done in darkness by men and women professing to be followers of Jesus, the Christ.

Thanks to Twitter follower Fendrel for sending me a link to the Wartburg Watch article.

BTW,  I was a big supporter of Sovereign Grace Ministries in my Calvinistic pastoring days.

Link to Sovereign Grace Ministries website.

Sovereign Grace Ministries statement on the amended lawsuit:

With a heavy heart, we write to update you on the civil lawsuit filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM).

The suit has been amended a second time. It claims that several members of Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax were the victims of egregious sexual abuse by a number of alleged perpetrators at various times and places. It further alleges that a number of pastors from those churches conspired to cover up the alleged abuse.

Named among these alleged perpetrators is pastor John Loftness, former Chairman of the SGM Board of Directors. John Loftness has denied the allegations and has offered a statement which is available at http://solidrockchurch.net/.

The charges in this amended complaint are serious, grievous, and difficult to read. The thought of such alleged abuse is extremely disturbing. Because of our resolve to see truth and justice prevail, we continue to work closely with legal counsel.

Our careful review of the allegations to date has not produced any evidence of any cover-up or conspiracy. If we discover otherwise, our Board will immediately report it to the authorities and see that it is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Without minimizing the serious nature of these allegations nor the grievous harm individuals may have experienced, we understand that it is possible for people to be wrongly accused. We thank God for the judicial system where these allegations can be brought, a defense made, and a verdict rendered through a fair and just process.

Thank you for your patience as these legal proceedings take place. Please continue to pray for God’s will to be done and for SGM to work through these challenging circumstances in a manner that honors him and that demonstrates that our hope and trust are in him.

Jack Schaap Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

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This entry is part 15 of 17 in the seriesJack Hyles and Jack Schaap

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The Jack Schaap story came to an ignominious end today as Schaap was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The NW Times reports:

Former Hammond megachurch pastor Jack Schaap was sentenced to 12 years, in prison today for his sexual relationship with a 17-year-old parish girl.

The allegations against Schaap came to light in July when he was fired from First Baptist Church of Hammond after church leaders learned of the relationship.

U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano told Schaap at the sentencing hearing the crime was very serious.

“We are dealing with the treasures that are most important to us – our children,” Lozano said.

Schaap was counseling the girl when the relationship began, and he had arranged for the girl to be dropped off twice in Illinois and once in Michigan over the summer, according to court records.

In Illinois, the girl was taken to a forest preserve where Schaap had told staff he went “to spend time with God walking and praying,” according to court records.

During the Michigan trip, Schaap had the girl dropped off just across the state line where he then took her to his cabin in Cadillac, Mich.

Jack Schaap Told Girl Jesus Wanted Her to Have Sex With Him

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This entry is part 13 of 17 in the seriesJack Hyles and Jack Schaap

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And as Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story. I hope this news report finally puts an end to the asinine attempts by people to justify Schaap’s behavior or their suggestions that his misconduct should be weighed against all the “good” he did.

It is clear that Schaap is a sexual predator who used his place of authority and his perverse misuse of the Bible to coerce this girl into having sex with him.

The Chicago Sun Time reports:

Former First Baptist Church of Hammond pastor Jack Schaap’s affair with a 17-year-old girl last summer not only wasn’t wrong but was desired by Jesus Christ.

That’s what he claimed in one of several letters he wrote to the victim during his crime, couching the sexual relationship as part of her personal salvation and something Jesus Christ wanted.

“In our ‘fantasy talk,’ you have affectionately spoken of being ‘my wife,’ ” Schaap wrote in one letter. “That is exactly what Christ desires for us. He wants to marry us + become eternal lovers!”

Federal prosecutors included the letters in the government’s sentencing memorandum for Schaap, which was filed Wednesday evening in U.S. District Court in Hammond.

Schaap has pleaded guilty to causing the girl to be transported to Illinois and Michigan last year for a sexual relationship. Schaap resigned from the megachurch, one of the largest in the country, last summer after church members discovered his relationship with the girl and reported it to local law enforcement.

In his letters to the girl, Schaap often discusses how he helped save her from self-destruction, helping to put her on a “better path of living — that’s what we call Righteousness.”

In another letter, he talks about how he wanted their time together for three days — which appears to reference their time in Michigan — to show her how much she matters to Jesus Christ.

The girl and her family are still dealing with the ramifications of the relationship, according to letters they wrote to the court.

The girl wrote about how she spent her entire life in the church, listening to Schaap preach three times a week and being taught that he was a messenger of God.

“He told me to confide in him, to trust him, and he made me feel safe and comfortable around him as a man of God,” she wrote. “(Schaap) preyed on that trust and my vulnerability.”

In another letter written to Schaap, she says she was shocked when he first kissed her. When she asked if it was wrong, Schaap told her it was OK.

“You told me that I was sent to you from God, I was his gift to you,” the letter says.

She admits that by the time they were discovered, she thought she was in love with him and at first didn’t admit he had victimized her.

Now she’s had to transfer schools, and her family was told it wasn’t safe for them to return to the church, according to letters from her parents. The girl writes that although she still struggles every day, she is determined to “get through this and grow from it.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster says in the sentencing memorandum that Schaap started grooming the victim in April 2012, after an administrator at the girl’s high school, run by the church, emailed Schaap about how she was “frightened, confused and emotionally traumatized” and in need of guidance.

The administrator wrote that he told the girl to let other people guide her life for now and to trust her leaders.

Schaap encouraged her to talk to him about a past romantic relationship and to view him as a friend. The two called and texted each other frequently, including 662 times in one month, before he was discovered. Phone records show he instigated contact in all but five of those days.

The government’s filing says he duped church employees into helping transport the girl across state lines, telling them the girl was “in an extremely vulnerable state” and that he needed prolonged time alone with her to help her.

However, he really took her to his personal property in Crete, Ill., and to his cabin in Cadillac, Mich., once spending 36 hours alone with her. When the employees grew concerned about the girl’s continued absence and texted Schaap, he claimed the girl had fallen asleep on his couch.

He also engaged in sexual behavior with her in his office at the church during a youth conference, according to the government’s filing.

Schaap later lied to his staff when they grew concerned about the amount of time he spent with the girl by claiming the girl was on her period and was just resting on his couch. A staff member found photos of the two a few days later, which led to the federal investigation.

Koster disputes claims in Schaap’s own sentencing memorandum that he was stressed from the church’s decreasing finances and having to work 100 hours a week to make up for fewer staff members.

“The only way (Schaap) could have been working 100-hour weeks during the time period investigated by the government is if he’s counting the many hours he dedicated to grooming and sexually abusing the victim,” Koster says in the filing.

She defends the government’s agreement to recommend a 10-year sentence for Schaap, noting he agreed to plead guilty even before he was charged.

The victim has also decided to drop her request for restitution as her doctors still cannot estimate how much help she will need.

Does Jack Schaap Deserve to Go to Jail?

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If you are unfamiliar with the Jack Schaap story, please read these posts.

In a few weeks, we will all learn exactly how long Jack Schaap, disgraced Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, will be behind bars.  Some people think Schaap should be castrated and locked up for life. Others  think  Schaap is a good man  who did one bad thing and shouldn’t receive a long prison sentence.  A few people think that the good Schaap did outweighs his one bad act and he should not be imprisoned at all.

I am quite indifferent to the question of what punishment Jack Schaap should receive.  Schaap broke the law and he should be sentenced according to what the law prescribes for such and offense.  Schaap  should not receive better or worse treatment because of who he is.

I want to give my opinion on several issues that continue to swirl around Jack Schaap, the girl he had sex with, the ethical requirements for professionals that deal with  public, and the legal process as a whole.

First, I don’t believe that Jack Schaap’s  behavior is an isolated event. I don’t think for one moment  Jack Schaap got up one morning and said, I think this is a good day to have sex with a seventeen year old girl in the church I pastor.   In cases like this, there are almost always other illicit acts and behaviors that led up to the person doing what they did.

Second,  Jack Schaap is old enough to be the girl’s father or grandfather.  The girl is a young woman but not a grown woman. She  attended First Baptist Church in Hammond and went to the Christian school.  We do not know how wise she was to the things of the world. Knowing what I know about Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches and their schools, it is quite possible this girl was naïve about sex and the fact that when men old enough to be your father or grandfather start sniffing around you, you should run.

Third, to suggest the girl “seduced” Schaap is ludicrous.   Jack Schaap is a grown man and he could have kept this from happening.  The fact that he didn’t proves the old adage, a stiff prick has no conscience.  (This reminds me of the Tina Anderson case)

Fourth, Schaap could have had an affair with a woman that was not a minor or he he could have sought out the services of a prostitute.  If he had done this he would have broken no laws.  Being caught doing this would have been embarrassing,  and like Ted Haggard he would have been disgraced, but he would not have faced criminal charges.

Fifth, in most states, when a doctor/pastor/counselor/teacher/professor or any other person in a place of authority has  a professional relationship with a person they can not use that relationship to take advantage of the person.

While these laws are often ignored or misapplied, they do exist to protect people from being manipulated into doing things they wouldn’t normally do.  Schaap, as a pastor who counseled countless people, knew the ethical rules that govern the relationship between the counselor and counselee and he ignored them.

Illinois law states that professionals are forbidden from having sexual relationships with their clients:

The commission of any act of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse or sexual relations with one’s client, patient, student supervisee or ex-client within 24 months after termination of treatment;

Indiana law states something similar in detailing impermissible sexual conduct between the professional and their client:

Sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct  or any fondling  or touching intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the individual performing the fondling or touching or the individual being fondled or touched.

These statutes forbid any sexual contact regardless of age, Granted these are not criminal statutes that could result in an offender going to jail. A professional found guilty of violating these statutes would likely be reprimanded, suspended, or have their license revoked.

Here’s the problem in most states; pastors are exempt from licensing requirements. Pastors are free to counsel church members on anything they want and don’t have to be licensed to do so.  In most states, pastors are required to report sexual or physical abuse but, even then, they often hide behind the notion that the relationship between a pastor and a church member is sacrosanct and any discussion between them is privileged.

Personally, I think pastors should be licensed in order to counsel church members on ANYTHING other than spiritual matters.  Unfortunately, in the IFB church movement, pastors are treated as demigods who are endued with knowledge on every subject known to man.

I can’t tell you the times I gave advice on matters I had no business giving advice on.  It was expected of me…I was God’s chosen man, and armed with an infallible Bible and powered by the Holy Ghost, I dispensed advice on everything from sex to running a business.

I am shocked by how  the devoted followers of Jack Schaap still try to defend or justify his behavior.  They have drunk the IFB Kool-Aid that Schaap’s father-in-law Jack Hyles started serving 50 years ago.  They can not see that the men they revere are anything but gods and that there is no difference between Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggart, Jack Hyles, David Hyles, Bob Gray, or Jack Schaap.

And these kind of things will continue to happen in the IFB church movement because of their core belief system that promotes an unhealthy form of Christianity.   Manipulation and emotional and mental abuse will continue to happen as long as people willingly submit themselves to men who think they are God’s right hand man.

If there is one piece of advice I could give to people who are members of IFB churches it would be this: RUN!! There are healthier forms of Christianity that you could be a part of.  See a professional counselor and get some help. Long term exposure to the IFB does cause emotional and mental damage.  You may not see this…but your counselor will. (and don’t seek out a Biblical counselor. They will only reinforce the belief system you are trying to leave)

When men like Schaap spend decades being treated like a demigod, it is easy to see how their morals and ethics get twisted. They begin to really think they are God’s man and that they can do no wrong. It is not too hard then for them to justify having sex with a young girl they have a professional relationship with.

Does One Bad Act Undo a Lifetime of Good?

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The Freeh Report is out. It is clear that Joe Paterno, former legendry coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions , was complicit in the covering up of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of young boys.

The Paterno family is asking the American public to not let this one bad act undo a lifetime of good Joe Paterno did. Surely, Paterno should be judged on the accumulated good he did rather than this one bad act. Surely, Paterno’s good far outweighs his bad.

In many instances  I would agree with this line of argument. Generally, we should not judge people by the last thing they did. We should judge them on their accumulated work. We all fail, we all make mistakes, we all, at some time or the other, have done something that would be considered bad. We don’t deserve to have our lives judged by that one bad act.

However, there are some bad acts that so taint a person’s legacy that it is impossible to see the person in a good light. What Joe Paterno did is no run of the mill bad act. His actions concealed the fact that there was a sexual predator in their midst. Worse yet, his actions protected a man who was sexually molesting and raping young boys.

Some people want to give Jo Pa a pass by suggesting he was a product of his age, an age where such things were hidden rather than reported. Perhaps this is so, though I highly question whether it really is, nonetheless, Jerry Sandusky was preying on children. Let’s make sure we not, in the midst of all the Jo Pa justifying, forget that Sandusky was preying on CHILDREN!

Years ago I saw a sign on the wall in a gas station. It said something like this:

One aw-shit wipes out fifty atta-boys.

And this is exactly what has happened to Joe Paterno and his legacy.  The shit of his actions has so fouled his life that we can no longer see the good that he did. Perhaps in the future we will view Jo Pa in a better light. But, for now, I see him in the same light as I see the pastors and denominational leaders who protected their own at the expense of the children they molested. There is not enough good acts that can be done to cleanse the stain of such evil acts.

What About Deacon Bob?

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Or Sunday School Teacher Bob? Or Bus Worker Bob? Or Youth Worker Bob? Or Grandpa Bob? Or just plain old Bob?

Every Church has one.

They are a hugger. They love to get up and close to people, especially young girls and women.

They are considered the “friendly” type.

Over the years I have pastored a few Bob’s and I have observed numerous others in churches I visited.

Are these Bob’s just kind, overtly friendly men, harmless, and anyone who suggests otherwise has a dirty mind?

Perhaps.

I am quite the cynic these days. That’s what happens when you hear story after story about Bob’s, wonderful, love Jesus Bob’s, who are suspected of or caught abusing a young girl or woman.

Church members are quite naïve. Surely Deacon Bob would NEVER do anything inappropriate. Sunday School Bob has taught the Junior class for 25 years. Bus Worker Bob spends hours every Saturday visiting the kids on his bus route. He LOVES his kids.  Youth Worker Bob has been helping with the Youth for, well, it seems like forever. Grandpa Bob has grandkids. Surely, any man with grandkids can be trusted, right?

Perhaps a hug is just a hug. But, perhaps it is not. How can you tell the difference? Must we stand around and watch the Bob’s carefully to see if they are sexually aroused? What if they have learned to control their arousal in public?

All I am saying is this….when a man in the church, who is not the person’s blood relative, starts hugging on them and acting overtly friendly, at the very least, someone should be paying attention. Misplaced trust can have tragic consequences.

Personally, I think a handshake greeting among people who are not related is quite enough. In times of sorrow and grief I suppose hugging might be in order. Granted, I am not a big hugger. Outside of my family and a few close friends, I don’t do much hugging and I don’t like to be hugged, so I am well aware of the danger of projecting my personal preference on this post.

How about you? Have you had any experience with a hugging Bob? Or maybe a hugging Sally? (a much rarer species)

Sexual Abuse in The Evangelical Church

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This entry is part 6 of 10 in the seriesChurches That Abuse

It seems that sexual abuse is rampant in the Evangelical church. Whether this perception is reality is unknown. Perhaps the internet, where reports of sexual abuse are widely and quickly disseminated, gives us a false perception of the depth and scope of the problem. Since there is no government or religious body that collect data on sexual abuse in churches there is no way to how big the problem actually is.

Evangelicals, when confronted with horrific stories of sexual abuse within their ranks, are quick to say that the abusers are outliers and their actions, while regrettable, are not reflective of Evangelicalism as a whole. Simply put, Evangelicals want the public to believe that when sexual abuse occurs in their churches it is perpetrated by rogue individuals and not a systemic problem.

In this post I will contend that sexual abuse in the Evangelical church is a systemic problem.  What Evangelicals believe and how those beliefs are put into practice make Evangelical churches havens for sexual predators. Unless fundamental changes take place, predators will continue to roam the halls of America’s Evangelical churches.

Inerrancy and Bible literalism

Most Evangelicals believe the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God. Most Evangelicals, to some degree or another, are literalists.

This is an important point to understand. It is the foundation of Evangelicalism. The Evangelical mantra, God said it, I believe it, and that settles it for me, is not a meaningless catchphrase. Evangelicals sincerely believe this. They pride themselves in being people of the book.

Evangelicals are taught from an early age that God requires obedience. A person can not be a good Christian (or perhaps a Christian at all) unless they obey the teachings of the Bible.

Church Government structure

Almost all Evangelical churches have a congregational form of church government. Congregational government, in theory at least, grants the congregation the power to make church decisions. I say in theory because in most churches the day to day decision making  is done by the pastor and/or a church board or elder board. The congregation trusts their leaders to act on their behalf.

In many Evangelical churches, business meetings are rarely, if ever held. One large church I attended while in college didn’t have one congregational business meeting in the three years I attended the church. Yet, as a Baptist church, they proudly stated they had a congregational form of government. Evidently, the congregation consisted of only the pastor and a few church leaders.

Authority

Most Evangelicals believe the Bible teaches a hierarchal form of authority. In the church, the pastor is the God’s spokesman. He leads, guides, and directs the church. He teaches the  church what God wants them to know. He is the de facto head of the church, the CEO. (under God, led by the Holy Spirit)

This model of authority is found throughout the church. Assistant pastors, youth pastors, principals, and teachers all have authority over their respective ministry.

In the Evangelical home, the husband is the head of the home. The father and mother are the head of the children, and the children, well…….they are head over no one expect the family dog.

Teachings on obeying those in authority are prominent in Evangelical churches. Church members are reminded of authority God has given the pastor. (obey those that have the rule over you)  Wives are reminded that they are to obey their husbands. Children are taught from an early age that they are to obey their parents (and other adults) without question.

According to the Bible, God takes great pleasure in the Evangelical’s obedience. To obey is better than sacrifice, the Bible says. As the old song goes, Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to Trust and Obey.

It is this notion of Trust and Obey that enables sexual abuse to take place.

Naïve Trust and Forgiveness

The Evangelical gospel is all about having new life in Christ, old things pass away and all things become new.  No matter how vile a person is, Jesus can forgive them, cleanse them from sin, and give the repentant sinner a clean slate, a new start.

Evangelicals are trusting people. When a person testifies that Jesus has changed their life they tend to believe them. When someone new comes into the church and tells them about how Jesus changed their life they rarely doubt the person’s testimony. People are taken at face value.

One former pastor friend of mine believed that his church should not do criminal background checks on church leaders and teachers. After all, what is in the past has been forgiven by Jesus. It is under the blood, my friend said.

Many of us are shocked when we see church congregations supporting members, pastors, or church leaders who have been accused of sexual abuse or other criminal behaviors. Can’t they SEE what is clear for all to see?  Sadly, they can’t. Their heightened trust of their fellow Evangelicals and their willingness to quickly forgive causes them to ignore or dismiss even the most vile of behaviors.

Protect the Ministry at All Costs

Sadly, many Evangelicals churches are willing to sacrifice individual church members for the sake of the perpetuity of the church. The church MUST be protected at all costs. After all, if the church is closed who will be a witness for Jesus in their community? God surely, for the sake of lost souls, wants the doors of the church to remain open.

Since Evangelical churches tend to be Independent churches, even if they are part of a denomination, the members have a vested interest in keeping THEIR church open. When confronted with matters that could hurt the church, Evangelicals tend to circle the wagons to protect the church from attack.

What about the individual? What about the young boy abused by his Sunday School teacher? What about the teen girl seduced by the youth pastor? While most every Evangelical would say these are terrible acts, they don’t think the ministry of the church should be destroyed because of the actions of one person. Rarely, does an Evangelical congregation consider their own culpability in the abuse.

I am of the opinion, based on what I know about the Evangelical church, that parents should NOT entrust their children and teenagers to  Church leaders, pastors, and teachers. The potential for abuse is too great. Even church nurseries are fertile grounds for abuse.

Evangelical churches, due to their commitment to what the Bible teaches, are not prone to change. They often are monuments to arrogant intractability. That said, there are some things I think Evangelical churches can do to lessen the risk of sexual abuse.

Background Checks

Everyone that has ANY contact with the children and youth must have an ANNUAL background check. This includes nursery workers.

Background checks are not a cure-all. Many predators do not have a criminal record. Bob Gray, former pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, was a sexual predator for 50 years before he got caught. Aaron Thompson, of Grace Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was a sexual predator for years before he was caught. Neither of these perverts had a criminal record at the time of their arrest.

Adherence to the law

Most states require complaints of sexual abuse be reported to the police or child protective services. Evangelical churches routinely ignore this legal requirement. Surely, our pastor would NEVER do THAT! Again, church members can be quite naïve.

Often suspected abuse is reported to the pastor or a leader in the church. These reports MUST be immediately turned over to authorities. Let the authorities, trained in investigating these matters, determine the validity of the complaint. Church leaders who do not report abuse should be criminally prosecuted. The pastor of Grace Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma should be in the same cell as Aaron Thompson.  If more pastors ended up in prison for failure to report then maybe, just maybe, pastors will be more willing to report sexual abuse. (or abuse of any kind)

New Church Members

Sexual predators KNOW that churches are fertile grounds for them to ply their seductions. Way too many Evangelical churches give new church members quick and easy access to the church’s children and youth. Volunteers are hard to come by and predators know that. So they join a church, wait a few months, and then volunteer to work with the youth. All the church knows is that the secret predator is a Christian who is “called” to work with youth.

Evangelical churches should institute a waiting period for all new members. At least a year. During this time the new member should be carefully observed. Church leaders should make multiple visits to their home. Maybe, an unannounced visit or two. Church leaders MUST know the person who may be working with the children or youth some day.

Youth Programs and Groups

I think youth groups should be abolished. The opportunities for abuse and temptation are too great. Teen girls often become infatuated with the youth pastor and this infatuation can have terrible consequences. Parents, seemingly ignorant of teenage hormones, trust their daughters and sons with the good looking, personable, sold out for Christ, youth pastor. Sadly, more than a few teens end up being taken advantage of. (and regardless of the infatuation, people in places of authority are ALWAYS responsible for what happens)

Any program that gives adults intimate access to the children and youth of the church should be stopped. These programs are a modern invention. Children used to sit in church with their parents. It is not uncommon these days for children to NEVER be in church with their parents. They have their own classes, their own programs. Personally, I think this is an abdication of the responsibility parents have for their children.

Pastors

Pastors have too much power, control, and authority in the Evangelical church. I realize things are the way they are because churches think the Bible teaches pastors are the head of the church. (and it does, depending on how you interpret the Bible) It is almost impossible for Evangelicals to ignore what the Bible teaches, but, in this case, they must. They must tell the Apostle Paul to take a hike.

I am not sure what kind of government structure is best for the church. The Catholic church with its Episcopal form of government has its own sex abuse scandal. If leaders are moral, ethical people then it doesn’t matter what form of government a church has. Good people will do the right thing.

Evangelical pastors should be stripped of their autocratic, CEO power. Pastors are supposed to be preachers and teachers and care for the general welfare of the church body. Let a church board, comprised of a cross-section of the church, govern the day to day affairs of the church. This board should hold regular church-wide business meetings. Everything MUST be made public. No secrets. Not like the one church I pastored, where my fellow pastor said, How much does the church need to know? My reply then and now is EVERYTHING. Light dispels darkness AND exposes cockroaches.

Pastors will surely fight this loss of power but for the sake of the church this must happen. When only the pastor knows of a claim of abuse he can easily ignore or bury the claim. However, when a large number of people know it is not so easy to bury abuse complaints.

Pastors and churches who refuse to do right by sexual abuse victims should face criminal prosecution. Of course this why churches incorporate. To avoid personal liability churches incorporate. This makes the corporation responsible rather than the individual. Fortunately, in many states individuals can,in some cases, be criminally prosecuted and if individuals in a church hide, dismiss, or fail to report sexual abuse they should be criminally prosecuted.

On a personal note, I had many faults as a pastor but when it came to matters of abuse, I reported every claim of abuse that I knew about. I felt I owed it to the children of the church to protect them from abuse. (even though I now know my teaching on corporeal punishment helped promote abuse) 

I have always been a cynical person, not very trusting. I have always thought that true change is not easy. Just because someone got saved didn’t mean they were instantly a good person. Bad behaviors before Christ often remain bad behaviors after Christ. I know Evangelicals want to think otherwise but, after pastoring thousands of people, I know better. Evangelicals are not special or different from the rest of humanity. They have the potential to do very bad things just like the rest of us.

I am quite cynical that the Evangelical church will do what is necessary to combat sexual abuse. I suspect criminal prosecutions and million dollar lawsuits will do more good than anything else. But, even then, look at the Catholic church. Has there really been much change in the church when it comes to matters of sexual abuse? Church leaders continue to stymie police investigations and deny the pervasiveness (and the reasons for it) of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. Leaders remain in power and life goes on.

Here is what I know for sure. Children and teenagers deserve to be protected from abuse.  I feel a personal obligation to speak on behalf of those who most often have no voice at all.

A Tragic Tale of Abuse in Broken Arrow Oklahoma

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This entry is part 10 of 10 in the seriesChurches That Abuse

The abuser, Aaron Thompson

A friend of mine sent me a link to a tragic, all too common, story of abuse at an Evangelical Christian school in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Kiera Feldman, in a feature story for This Land, wrote:

No more sleepovers. No more babysitting, or car rides home. No more being alone with children or “lingering hugs given to students (especially using your hands to stroke or fondle).” Aaron Thompson—Coach Thompson to his PE students—sat in the principal’s office at Grace Fellowship Christian School as his bosses went through the four-page Corrective Action Plan point by point. It was October of 2001, the same month Aaron added “Teacher of the Week” to his resume.

Grace’s leader, Bob Yandian—“Pastor Bob” as everyone calls him—wasn’t there: no need, he had people for this kind of thing. Pastor Bob’s time was better spent sequestered in his study, writing books and radio broadcasts. His lieutenant, Associate Pastor Chip Olin, was a hardnosed guy, “ornery as heck,” people said. Olin brought a USA Today article on the characteristics of child molesters to the meeting. At age 24, Olin explained, Aaron was acting immature and unprofessional, and someone might get the wrong idea.

The first two recommendations of what became known as the “do not fondle” agreement were prayer and “building relationships with young men and women of your age group in Sunday School and Singles group activities” at Grace Church, which ran the school. “Leaders in the kingdom are judged not so much by what they accomplish as by the character they reveal—who they are before what they do,” the document continued (pages 1, 2, 3, & 4). Aaron was to “live a lifestyle above reproach”—to act such that no one would question his character.

Associate Pastor Olin let head administrator John Dunlavey, Aaron’s other boss, do much of the talking. Olin had only just read the Corrective Action Plan for the first time as he walked down the hall en route to the meeting. He was mostly there as an observer. It was Dunlavey’s brainchild, after all.

Dunlavey didn’t mean that kind of “fondle.” He tacked it on, thinking it best described the overly affectionate hug-plus-hand-stroking he saw Aaron give a boy one day at lunch. With his big, square glasses and brow that furrowed in concentration, Dunlavey was more the earnest science teacher he once was than the administrator he’d become. He looked up “fondle” in the dictionary, and it seemed the most precise. Science guys love precision.

Dunlavey didn’t think babysitting and all the rest were problems, just symptoms: Aaron had become too close to Grace families. Misplaced loyalties. That was the real issue.

Young boys were leaving Grace over the past few years, and no one knew why. One boy moved a full 1200 miles away. He still skateboarded with friends and did normal kid stuff, but he was having horrible nightmares and failing classes, unable to contain his inexplicable fury at teachers. At one point, he told his mother he couldn’t stand how he felt and no longer wished to live. But Grace’s leaders would not know or would not admit such things about their flock until much later….

….Aaron Thompson was the teacher all the girls had crushes on and all the boys idolized. The younger kids mobbed him around campus and clamored for hugs. His smile was radiant, his Believer’s pedigree sterling. Aaron had grown up at Grace Church. In high school, he was senior class president and a star basketball player, before heading to nearby Oral Roberts University. Parents frequently had Aaron over for dinner, asked him to babysit, or hoped he could stay with the kids for a week while they went on vacation. Aaron fielded invites for family outings big and small, from camping trips to ice cream at Braum’s after church. Parents were delighted to have a young man like Aaron in their children’s lives. He was the golden boy of Grace Church.

And yet, in August of 2001, prior to the signing of the “do not fondle” agreement, Grace received an unsigned letter. It read:

“This is a matter of life or death for a child or children. People have been known to commit suicide for this very reason … everything you need to know will be revealed if you will monitor the boy’s locker room and private hallways or areas when no one is around, especially before and after the PE classes. Watch your staff when they are alone with young boys, even for two minutes. Ask yourself, ‘Why have certain boys left Grace?’ and ‘Why are some boys tardy often?’ ”

Olin didn’t think the letter was about Aaron to begin with; Dunlavey came to agree as the meeting with Aaron wore on. Yet still, Dunlavey thought, perhaps Aaron’s behavior was being misconstrued somehow, and so he read the letter aloud.

“Aaron, is this you?” Dunlavey asked. “Are you doing anything that might cause somebody to write this kind of a letter?” Aaron assured them he was doing no wrong. He was repentant, open to correction. Olin had high hopes for Aaron. Everyone did. For the remainder of the school year, Aaron was on probation. Violation of the agreement would mean termination. Olin, Dunlavey, and Pastor Bob would discuss Aaron’s progress during their weekly meetings.

Aaron left Grace and headed to Cheddar’s, a nearby restaurant, to meet with the teachers on his unit. They were the Specials Teachers, the “Special Ts,” they called themselves, a tight-knit crew that taught subjects like PE, music, and Spanish—all women except for Aaron. Aaron plopped down in the booth, late and very upset. “What’s wrong?” asked Laura Prochaska, the computers teacher. “We’re your sisters. Talk to us.”

Aaron swore them to secrecy, then confided that Grace made him sign papers saying he could never take kids to the movies or babysit or hug them. “I can’t be their big brother,” he lamented.

“Just don’t do anything questionable that they could get you for,” Prochaska advised. “They must not think it’s such a big deal, but they want to protect themselves by having you sign this contract.”

“Maybe you should think about quitting,” another teacher added, encouraging him to take the protest route.

“No, no. I’m not a quitter,” Aaron told them. “I’m going to see this through.”

The “Special Ts” didn’t know he’d already been molesting children at Grace for years. From that day in October until his arrest on March 25, 2002, Aaron Thompson would sexually abuse four more boys. One of them was the son of a teacher sitting there in the restaurant booth…

This is but a small portion of the story. PLEASE make sure read the entire story.

First, let me commend Kiera Feldman for her bulldog investigative reporting. This piece is through and I can only imagine how much time she invested into putting this story together. This piece deserves a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism.

My friend, a former Evangelical Christian, posted this story to her Facebook timeline. A Christian friend commented:

I really hope that you don’t believe that all Christians are like this.. this was very wrong and unfortunate and should have been handled a lot better! Just because I have a relationship with Christ and believe His love and attributes, and that he gave us grace through his death so that we can be forgiven, does not mean that I believe someone should ever get away with this whether they claim to be a Christian or are in a Christian school or church. Please realize this as I feel like you have a blanket feeling about all believers when unfortunately things like this happen, as they do in the regular secular world ALL The time.. No one is perfect, we are all sinners and even Christians still sin because we live in a fallen world, though this does not mean that those that do these things should not have justice brought, and I hate that Anyone is a victim of any of these crimes. The reality is that unless we realize that there is sin, and how horrific it is to an Almighty and just God then we will never understand why we even need saving, making the cross pointless to us.. but once we do, and we can see how much Christ loves us, and that through that love we see forgiveness and grace then its a heart change that its greater than you could even imagine! Its a hope and a love.. its not about the Bible being some horrible law we have to follow, but something we desire to read, learn from and follow out of love for Jesus and I really believe that it is a true change when you have relationship with Christ. I don’t know what you were taught you growing up but you have mentioned a few things and it sounds like it was very legalistic, and that your parents didn’t want you to make the same mistakes they did, but there was a lack of the love and grace of God, and the relationship where you make mistakes on your own and grow in that.. maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know why you seem to be so angry about Christians, but it breaks my heart, and it is really hard for me to read some of the posts you put. You put very hateful things against Christians that do not apply to everyone, though unfortunately there are those whose sins are magnified 100 fold and you take them, post them and then ridicule those that do believe. So then I ask you where is the grace in that… (personal identifiers and text removed)

A couple of points on the friend’s response to the abuse story.

First, notice how little she actually talks about the story itself. It seems she is saying that yes, there are Christians who do bad things but not ALL Christians do bad things. (and my friend would never suggest otherwise)

Second, this person uses the bulk of her response to PREACH at my friend. Now this has happened to her countless times, but it seems Evangelicals just can’t help themselves, like a man addicted to porn who can’t stop going to porn sites, they just have to get a word in for Jesus.

Third, this person is most upset that my friend’s posts to her timeline upset other Christians. Well, they SHOULD be upset. Grace Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma should have thousands of Evangelicals standing in their front yard picketing and condemning what took place there.

But Evangelicals don’t do that. They make excuses. They cover over the sins of their fellow Christians. After all everyone is a sinner, yes? Bullshit. Not everyone does what this pervert did. Not everyone turns a blind eye to abuse like the church leadership did.

Grace Church should be bankrupt and out of business but they are not. Why?

Bob Yandian should have been fired. Why wasn’t he? Why does he still have a “ministry?”

Enough of the justifications. Enough of the ass-covering.

Fourth, this person wants my friend to know not ALL Christians do things like those mentioned in the story. No one would dispute this, however, the abuse stories seem to be quite common these days. (previous post,previous post) When do we reach a point where the stories are a big enough mass that we say there is something rotten at the core? I think we have reached a point where it is prudent to advise parents that Evangelical churches and Christian schools are dangerous places for children and they should think twice about entrusting their children to Evangelical pastors, deacons, teachers, and leaders.

My friend responded to the Facebook comment. She wrote:

Please know that there is no hate in my heart toward anyone, regardless of the religion they choose. That’s a very personal decision. Just as I can’t minimize another person’s choice of faith to “what happened when you grew up”, please don’t minimize my choices with that sort of assumption. The decision to leave the Christian faith was personal, yes, but also based on intellectual reasons. I don’t “hate” anyone for not choosing as I have, and in fact have devoted my life and career to helping people, myself included, learn ways of coping with life’s tough times; as we know, many of the toughest times are due to relationships that aren’t what they could or should be due to differences and/or a lack of respect for self or others.

Everyone is free to make judgments about ANY idea or thought we encounter. In fact, we must. It is irresponsible not to understand the scope and consequences of our beliefs-religious or otherwise- and see how they affect our behavior upon the world we live in and are part of. My postings regarding anything having to do with religion aren’t attacks against believers, but the dangerous signing away of our responsibility to weigh the results of beliefs with reason instead of fearing authority, no matter how high that authority goes. (Or just going along with the flow.) As a parent, I’d be absolutely wrong, I believe, if I taught my kids to accept the word of any person as truth, just because that person or source is “always truth”. This is dangerous and absurd. But not an attack on a believer, although I’ve come to realize that somehow the two become one as the person loses identity in the belief system, or like me and lots of others, never had the freedom to form an identity based on my own conclusions.

Nevertheless, individual people are responsible for what they believe and for the direct affect of their behavior on others. In stating the harm and absurdity of a thought/belief, I would hope that someone, as intended, would shift the focus to whether or not the statement is reasonable or true at all, not taking it as a personal attack. In posting about Grace Church, there’s no excuse for NOT drawing attention to an institution that fails to protect children, and even covers it up. This isn’t hatred for believers, but for what you would call SIN. And if believers in the know aren’t doing their job, be sure that someone else will.

I’ve taken to saying “Love the believer, hate the belief”, usually in jest, because I don’t really hate anyone’s beliefs. To judge an idea, a “truth” based on its outcome and its affect on human behavior is just the thing we are meant to do, no emotional reaction required. We won’t always arrive at the same conclusion, but again, as someone who loves life and love and truth, that’s not necessary for me to be able to love and live with many, many trusted friends and family who don’t see eye-to-eye with me. (Personal identifiers and text removed)

It is time for Evangelicals to quit whining about being persecuted or offended when the dark, dirty secrets of their fellow Evangelicals are revealed. Their time would be better spent policing their own ranks and making sure that stories like this one NEVER happen again. Instead of being upset that they are being made to LOOK bad, how about doing what is necessary to make sure they DON’T look bad.

The reporters and unbelievers are not the problem. Evangelicals themselves are their own worst enemy. If they want a good testimony in the world I suggest they do what is necessary to have a good testimony. Until this happens, all I hear is flapping lips.

Links:

Grace Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

This Land

Bob Yandian, pastor of Grace Church

Bob Yandian Facebook page

Aaron Thompson record, Oklahoma Department of Corrections

A Tulsa World report from 2009:

A new round of civil action has commenced in Tulsa County District Court related to the case of a former teacher who is in prison for molesting students.

A lawsuit was filed recently against Grace Fellowship Church, Grace Christian School and related entities, alleging that they were negligent in failing to prevent or stop abuse by Aaron Thompson when he was a teacher at the school.

Thompson, now 32, pleaded guilty in 2003 to 16 counts of lewd molestation and two counts of sexually abusing a child. In a plea deal, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison plus 15 years of probation.

The criminal counts involved nine boys and covered a time frame from 1997 to March 2002. The boys ranged in age from 7 to 13 or 14 when they were molested, a prosecutor said previously.

Thompson is at Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington, the Department of Corrections’ Web site shows.

A recent lawsuit filed on behalf of a woman and her teenage son alleges that Thompson sexually abused the son, who was a student at Grace, 9610 S. Garnett Road.

The lawsuit refers to the parent under the pseudonym of Mary Roe and lists her son as John Doe.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $10,000.

In addition to Grace entities, five people who have held church or school leadership roles are named as defendants — Grace Pastor Bob Yandian, John Dunlavey, Mary Ellen Hood, Dee Ann McKay and Chip Olin.

Newspaper records indicate that Olin, an associate pastor at Grace, died in 2007.
Attorney James Frasier, representing the plaintiffs, said John Doe was 17 when the case was filed June 26.

Lawyers indicated that as statutes apply to minors, John Doe had until his 19th birthday to initiate a lawsuit.

The consequences of “these horrible acts” are lifelong, and he had an “absolute right” to wait until now to pursue a suit, Frasier said.

He would not say whether his client was one of the victims involved in the criminal charges against Thompson, who is not listed as a defendant in the new civil suit.
Michael King, an attorney for Grace Church, said Thursday that he needed more information — including the identity of John Doe — before he could address the merits of the suit.

“I certainly believe in the people at Grace,” King said. “They do a lot of good things out there.”

In 2004, on the verge of the end of a seven-week trial, a confidential settlement was reached to resolve all issues in a suit by five boys who were molested by Thompson. The claims of two more boys who had been involved in that civil case were settled before that 2004 trial.

In 2005, another confidential settlement was reached to resolve another suit on behalf of another of Thompson’s molestation victims.

Plaintiffs in the previous cases were also given pseudonyms in court documents.

A victim of Aaron Thompson left the following comment on the Tulsa World article (spelling corrected):

I was molested by Aaron Thompson and I also sued Grace. During the trail, they were absolutely ruthless against us. They accused us of seducing Aaron and treated us like we were nothing more than numbers on page. Honestly, the painful memories of my molestation pale in comparison to the memories of how Grace treated us during that trial.

They knew something was going on with Aaron. Parents were coming forward about him for nearly a year before he was arrested. How many boys do you think he molested in that years time? How many boys they could have spared by taking Aaron off the school grounds while they did the investigation?

They cared more about protecting their money and reputation than they did us kids who had our innocence stolen on their watch. Yandian is fooling anyone who believes he’s a godly man. It’s not just his lawyers who were ruthless…he himself was. He himself quoted scriptures to me condemning me for suing his organization. He himself told me none of us deserved anything for what happened to us. So how dare any of you pass judgement on those boys. It’s the very opposite of what I’ve always known to be Christianity. Grace right now is shaping the way those boys view the church and god and Christianity. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to trust a church again.

Jesus wouldn’t just flip the tables within Grace Fellowship over. He’d burn the whole place down.

Independent Fundamentalist Baptists and The Secrets They Keep

19 Replies
This entry is part 8 of 10 in the seriesChurches That Abuse

(Note: I use words like sin in this article for the benefit of readers who are Christians. Sin is a religious construct that I  reject. There are good and bad behaviors and  good or bad is determined by how the behavior affects others. I want to ensure this article is widely read so I use some words that in normal circumstances I would not use. I hope my non-Christian readers will understand my intent)

Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB) pride themselves in being bold proclaimers of the truth.  IFB preachers are known for their fire and brimstone sermons, sermons that name names and call sin sin.

As a long time IFB pastor, I know the movement well. I know its outward persona and I know its secrets. In mob-style fashion, I know where there bodies are buried.

The IFB church movement is built upon the personalities of preachers and fundamentalist colleges. IFB preachers and their churches gravitate towards certain colleges and certain preachers of notoriety. Preachers who have arrived, arrived meaning have a big church or college, are revered as gods. Go to any IFB conference and listen to the speaker introductions. If you didn’t know any better you would think one of the most famous, most renowned speakers in the world, was going to speak. Remember this is a movement where its preachers think becoming President of the United States would be a step down for them.

Outwardly, IFB preachers and their churches, give the appearance of letting it all hang out. Let the chips fall where they may. IFB preachers are known for their fearless, stepping on toes preaching. Yet, when it comes to the sins of its leaders or sins that could hurt the ministry of the church or educational institution, all of a sudden these same fearless preachers become mute. All of a sudden calling out sin and naming names is considered causing division and strife and condemned as a sin against God. It is one thing to call out the sexual sin of Joe-Blow Church member but altogether something different to call out sin of the IFB superstars.

IFB churches are generally ruled by one man, the pastor. Some churches have a plurality of elders, but even then one elder is THE head elder, teaching pastor, etc. Some IFB churches have a deacon board, but in most cases the pastor is the head of the board and has the final say on matters.

When power is consolidated in one man or a few men (note women have NO power in the IFB church outside of the nursery or kitchen) it is inevitable that abuse will occur.  I am not suggesting that that these men are deliberately abusive but the ecclesiastical structure of IFB churches lends itself to abuse.

A hallmark of success in the IFB church is longevity. IFB colleges encourage young preachers to go to a church and never leave. It is not uncommon for pastors to have long tenures, stretching 30-50 years. I know numerous pastors who have been at their church for over 25 years. My wife’s uncle, James Dennis, has been pastor of the Newark Baptist Temple for over 40 years. Pastor Dennis had a good role model to follow. The chancellor of the college he attended, Midwestern Baptist College, pastored Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan for over 50 years. There are numerous Midwestern graduates that have spent their entire adult life pastoring one church.

With longevity comes increased power.  Over time the pastor gains the respect of the congregation. If he happened to start the church he even has more power. He is the alpha of the church, the beginning of all things. With good intentions, long tenured pastors exercise the power they have, but over time arrogance and corruption seeps in, and the church, instead of being a New Testament body of believers worshipping Jesus, becomes Pastor So and So’s church.

This corruption of the church becomes entrenched further when the long-tenured pastor retires or dies and his son or son-in-law is made pastor. Like the English throne, the power is passed on and the control continues. Some IFB churches have been around long enough that we are now seeing grandsons following in Father and Grandfather Preacher’s steps. (Bob Jones University is case in point)

Now to the point of all that I have shared so far.

The Independent Fundamentalist Baptist church movement has a lot of secrets. While IFB preachers love to rail on the Catholic Church and its abuse scandal, the IFB church has its own scandals. As I have said many times, Catholic priests seem to like boys,young men. IFB preachers seem to like young girls and married women. Different strokes for different perverts.

The level of sexual scandal and infidelity within the IFB church and its preachers  is astounding. Child abuse, spousal abuse, perversion, theft, and misappropriation of funds is widespread. Take at look at the Freedom From Religion Foundation Black Collar Crime feature in their monthly newsletter, the Stop Baptist Predators website, Christa Brown’s blog, or the Conservative Babylon blog, and you will quickly see that abhorrent behavior is quite widespread.

Add to this the plethora of organizations, blogs, and groups devoted to the survivors of IFB group homes, camps, and ranches and there is no other conclusion that one can come to other than that there is a huge stench coming from the putrefying bowels of the IFB church movement. (please see my collection of posts under Churches that Abuse)

Some days I think their days are numbered. Thanks to the internet, activist bloggers, and investigative reporters, their evil works of darkness are being brought to the light of day, and in some cases brought to the light of the  State and Federal Judicial system.

And then I will get an email from a person who has been abused. Or I will get an email from someone asking for advice about what do about this or that scandal that is going on in their church. I often weep as I read their emails. Such pain….

I try to help people as much as I can. As I told one dear person the other day when asked if I knew of a church they could attend, I would look for the most liberal church I could stand and attend there. I would NOT attend any church where power and control is held my one man or a small group of men.

Of course I could evangelize for atheism but that is not my goal. I genuinely want to help people and I know that anything I can do to help people see that fundamentalism is THE problem, is a huge step in the right direction. I know that most people will have some form or the other of belief in God. The best way to help them to encourage them to seek of  religious groups or beliefs that are not abusive and controlling.

I want to be clear here…….I don’t think that most IFB pastors or the churches they pastor are evil. I know some people want, even demand, the narrow, defined, certainty that IFB churches offer. However, due to their ecclesiastical structure and Bible literalism the probability of abuse, misuse and control is quite high. Unless these churches are willing to make systemic changes I can not recommend that ANYONE become a member of an IFB church. (and I certainly wouldn’t recommend sending someone to an IFB college like Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College, Hyles Anderson College, and the like)

IFB pastors and churches have secrets because they believe that the most important thing is to protect the testimony (reputation) of the church. They will often say they are protecting the name of Jesus but make no mistake about it, the name being protected in the pastor’s name and the church’s name.

Instead of naming names and calling sin sin, they become quite pragmatic. Instead of doing what is best for everyone involved they do what will best preserve the institution and its name in the community.

Result? Terrible sins are hidden, swept under the rug.  Sometimes, theology gets in the way of proper action. Since Jesus forgives us of our sin, we should forgive others. Since the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, every sin, no matter the act, should be forgiven and the sinner given a clean slate.

I know of more than a few pastors who oppose criminal background checks for people who work with children in the church. They oppose this on the grounds of what is in the past is in the past and the blood of Jesus covers past sins. Never mind the fact that some sins and behaviors are so entrenched that all the Jesus blood in the world won’t deliver the person from their proclivities. Sexual predators, child molesters, pedophiles, and the like aren’t cured or delivered. They will have these dispositions throughout their life and it is naïve to ignore this.

It is one thing to allow a sinner saved by grace to sit in the pew and worship God. It is another thing to grant them access to the children and teenagers of the church. Why are IFB pastors and churches so blind to this? Imagine the church treasurer being caught stealing money. It is all well and good to forgive the person, but would it be prudent to allow the person to be the church treasurer again? Of course not. Why is it then, when it comes to sins that carry a greater social, physical, and mental price, sins like child abuse, sexual abuse, and pedophilia, do IFB pastors and churches think that, with time, all is forgiven and the offender should be given unrestricted access to the children and teens of the church?

I know of one case where a man was caught in a sexually compromising position with a male youth on one of the church’s bus routes.  The whole matter was quietly dealt with and no one was the wiser. Over time the offender was allowed back into “ministry” and 20 years after the first incident was caught sodomizing a teenage boy. This time the pastor couldn’t sweep the incident under the rug and the man was arrested and prosecuted. He and and his family were banned from the church and were put under the care of another area IFB church.

The pastor bears the burden of these acts because he acted irresponsibly when the first act was committed. Such actions should never be hidden or kept from the church body. Full disclosure is absolutely required, even if it means ruining the ministry of the church and its name in the community.

Over the years I have watched church after church where sinful acts by pastors, evangelists, missionaries, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and Christian school leaders and teachers, are hidden from the light of day. Sometimes, the offender quietly moves on to another “ministry” or church, taking their proclivities with them. (in the case of David Hyles we know how disastrous such an approach is)

I know of a number of pastors, evangelists and missionaries who have benefitted from the “protecting the ministry” notion. Instead of facing the consequences of their behavior they resign and go to another church. Since the IFB is an amalgamation of loosely affiliated churches, as is the Southern Baptist Convention, child abusers, pedophiles, perverts, adulterers, fornicators, and abusers and misusers people, are free to slink out of town in the dark of night only to set up shop again 5 states away. (fortunately the internet is making this practice much harder to pull off)

I am often asked how much do I think church members should be told about this or that. One word! EVERYTHING! Full disclosure. There is no place for secrecy in the church. Pastors and church boards need to stop deciding what information church members should be given. Adult church members have a right to know what is going on in their church.

Of course, the problem here is that in the IFB church movement the church is the PASTORS rather than the membership. The pastor is the one person who decides what will be revealed and what will be buried. I know of several churches where when pastors are asked about this or that rumor or scandal they tell the church member, You need to trust me. It is better if I don’t tell you anything. This, of course, is the problem. Like Ronald Reagan’s approach to Russia, I think the right approach is, trust but verify. Yes, in most cases pastors should be trusted, but that trust is only merited when matters of importance are not secreted away or buried.

The IFB church movement has over the years shoved so many things under the rug that the rug is exploding above the roof of the church. It’s time for a complete and full disclosure of the secret sins that have long been buried under the guise of protecting the ministry. People have a right to know. Parents have a right to know whether or not their child is safe in the nursery, Sunday school, or youth group. Criminal background checks must be an annual requirement. Churches have a right to know about the pastor’s past, what he did at his last church, or five churches ago. No pastor should be able to slink out of town with the assurance that his sin will never be revealed. Once a predator, always a predator, and it is unconscionable to allow a pastor to go down the road to a new church and prey on unknowing church members.

Let me finish with this. I know a some fine IFB pastors and churches. As an atheist, I have no love for their beliefs. That said, many of these men are good, honorable men. They have a genuine love for people. They sincerely believe what they believe and they want to help others spiritually. Some IFB churches are free from the things I mention in this post. Good for them. I hope they will consider what I write here and make changes in their ecclesiastical structure. The only way to correct the abuse is to take the power and control out of the hands of the pastor or a small group of men. I know this means disobeying what you think is a clear teaching of the Bible. Ask yourself, what’s more important? Your interpretation of the Bible or the welfare of the church body?

To the serial abusers I know, those men who have screwed their away across America, I hope your days are few. I hope you get caught and I hope some church will not let you continue your pernicious behavior. To those men who are strangling the life out of their church by asserting their kingly right of pastoral authority, I hope your power is ripped from you and, like Nebuchadnezzar I hope you will learn you are but, a frail, feeble human.