WINGS has been created by victims/survivors who have suffered Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) within the fellowship of friends and workers, together with individuals who have been both directly and indirectly impacted by CSA.
Our objective is to provide information, support and guidance on every aspect of CSA and to support victims of CSA. Our ultimate hope is to encourage change within the fellowship in order to protect others from the devastation that occurs through CSA, especially when its impact is trivialized or ignored. Read more about us here.
Although WINGS has been advocating for more than 15 years, in 2023 there has been a flurry of publicity and numerous reports about overseers, workers and friends involved in Child Sexual Abuse and also inappropriate adult relationships and abuse. Unfortunately this shows that overseers and workers have participated in Child Sexual Abuse and have failed to act appropriately on allegations. See Timeline of some key actions over the last ten years
Another website Breaking the Silence provides a message forum for:
- People who have been sexually abused as children
- People supporting those who have been abused
- People seeking to rid the church of abuse
Private sections of the forum are restricted to those who have suffered sexual abuse as children.
Although the Wings web site is focused on prevention and treatment of Child Sexual Abuse, we also recognise that physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect are also wrong and incredibly damaging to children. We support every effort to stop all child abuse.
Survivors
If you have been abused, or if you know someone else who has been abused, then you are empowered by the law, attitudes of society and by members of the fellowship to ‘break the silence.’ Speak out for your own healing and so other victims can be supported, perpetrators can be held accountable, and potential future cases prevented.
Your first steps can include confiding in a trusted friend or family member, contacting police, and lodging a confidential report on the Confidential Submission page.
This site provides some resources to help your journey of healing, but it is recognized that professional support and counselling may be required in many cases.
More than 20 stories from survivors have been posted on the Breaking the Silence forum.
Workers
A court case in Michigan USA illustrates the importance of complying with legal requirements and notifying the authorities of any instances of suspected abuse. The Michigan Child Protection Law was amended in 2002, effective 2003, to require mandatory reporting by clergy but this was not widely known. In 2011, the overseer for the area, Jerome Frandle, was arrested and charged that he “did knowingly fail to report suspected child abuse or neglect.”
Jerome’s attorney filed a ”motion to dismiss.” During that hearing the Court found that “Mr Frandle is a member of the clergy as defined by the statute.” The State of Michigan initially dropped the substantive case but during a further hearing on May 2013 Mr Frandle pleaded no contest to a charge of failing to report abuse and was sentenced to 4 days jail, a fine of $733 and 100 hours of community service. Court documents are available here and the final newspaper report here.
Read the CSA Code of Conduct – First Issued by WINGS March 2013 and discuss it with your fellow workers. It has been developed with the support of workers and members of the fellowship to
- Reduce the potential for child sexual abuse (CSA);
- Establish accepted processes to follow when there are allegations of child sexual abuse;
- Reduce the potential for false CSA allegations against workers; and
- Promote cooperative relationships with, and attitudes toward, law enforcement agencies, including the criminal justice and child protection systems.
It was not known if this Code has been approved or adopted by any overseer, when WINGS published the Code. We understand that guidelines have been issued in South Australia / Northern Territory and by Dale Schulz and Alan Richardson in their fields. In the absence of any statement from other overseers, this Code exists as a guide to good practice for all friends and workers.
You should consider undertaking the Ministry Safe training course which has been implemented by several overseers.
Please also read the meeting notes from Auckland Special Meetings 2012 where the proper course for dealing with CSA was discussed, and the letters from workers.
Friends
This site may help you understand the terrible personal damage caused by CSA and what needs to be done to rid the fellowship of this curse. Read the CSA Code of Conduct and discuss it with your local workers. Voice your commitment to ridding the ministry and fellowship of CSA and to helping victims on the path to healing. Teach your children to say NO to inappropriate behavior and to report it to you. Learn how to respond to CSA disclosures from a child or adult.
Parents
Use links on the Resources page to ensure your children are educated to say NO and to talk to you if they are exposed to a potentially harmful situation.
We urge you to read through this website so YOU may have the knowledge to do the right thing
WINGS for Truth 
I wish I had this help 33 years ago. I dealt and still deal with the vicious repercussions of the 17 years of abuse of my father. It totally distorted and robbed me of my childhood and the true understanding of truth. Aug 2011 I made my choice with the true and beautiful understanding ….so glad this is here.
Very recent years 2x (Workers}jailed in Victoria Australia,one 12 known victims,other the gossip have him down as over 30, Police had a long list of victims,”but with the help of local 2×2 Elder they had his sentence suspended, Wendy Northy the Barrister used costs $thousands a day,She is also often used by our horrid underworld figures.Then again is their crimes any worse than to be molested by an antinomian Gospel preacher? Magpie (exvictim of more than “ONE”preacher}..Sadly if you needed help no go,as they being an unbiblical preacher only ministry,as they don’t agree with “Jesus gift to the church” as in Ephesians 4 v 11/12,there was no one to turn to,and the blinded adults would scoff “who put that in that boys head?”=XXXXis one of God’s chosen servants. So you were left out in the cold and alone.
I will like to know more please..suesan
I haven’t read anything about the issue of the young sister workers being sexually and mentally abused by the older sister workers. Is this going to be addressed too? There are many cases I know of and none of them have come out
I 100% agree it needs to have a light shown on it. Huge problem! The mental abuse is HORRIBLE
Hi! How do new names get posted? There is someone who should be on here but I don’t see his name…He committed CSA against children in Hawaii while living there. Hodgie Holgersen. He is currently in VA. he was arrested recently in Chesapeake, VA.
Do you have a newspaper article or a court record to substantiate this? WINGS volunteers would be grateful if you did as convictions don’t get posted without documentation. WINGS relies on participants like yourself to bring these forward.
Please see my last post.
Yes, I agree, his name should be documented with his court case number.
Here is Hodgie Holgersen’s charge information, as found on Virginia’s Judicial System website:
CR23000293-00
Offense date: 10/02/22
Charge: Indecent Liberties with Child <15 years old
Hearing: 12/11/23
CR23000293-01
Offense date: 10/02/22
Charge: Aggravated Sexual Battery: Victim <13 years old
Hearing: 12/11/23
Was this man actively going to meetings?
I live in western part of Virginia.
There is absolutely nothing edifying about this wicked website. I’m reminded of Hymn 278. A wise worker wrote that, and one verse speaks about how he had to deal with many similar situations. “Oh for the peace of a perfect trust, that looks away from all.” I pray you can learn to look away from the sins and shortcomings of others and stop turning so many hearts against the Truth and sending them to hell.
I suspect this is a parody post.
If not, please be advised that in most jurisdictions, covering up crimes is considered a criminal act.
Also note. To edify is “instruct or improve (someone) morally or intellectually.” At its core, that is what this “wicked” site exercises.
I most certainly did not advocate for anyone to cover up crimes and you know it. You are the one running the extrajudicial gossip and slander channel. Making and allowing unproven and inaccurate accusations that are ruining people’s lives. Posting emails that are clearly marked private. Stirring up new outrage about cases that were decided in court years and decades ago. And worst of all, defying those who have spiritual authority over you.
Not okay to let this continue. This is horrifying. By attitudes like yours, the entire situation has been allowed to grow to enormous crimes. This is not what real truth is about.
I have worked out who you are. I am horrified by your comments. I am a professing friend and this website is doing far more to help victims than wrong. So much evil behavior by Workers, this deplorable behavior has been going well documented for over 20 years. Evil prospers when good men do nothing.
You as a worker need to read and think about what I have written below. Enough is enough. We are disgusted when we see men who are not Christian’s sexually abusing. These are supposed to be our spiritual shepherds. Pure evil hypocrisy.
NZ has one ex worker that has multiple victims all over the country and has never faced prison as he should. Ruined young lives.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
To those who abuse: the sin is yours, the crime is yours, and the shame is yours. To those who protect the perpetrators: blaming the victims only masks the evil within, making you as guilty as those who abuse.
Stand up for the innocent or go down with the rest.
In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.
This is an excellent post. You are absolutely right: if anyone has knowledge of a sex offense occurring, and they do not confront it directly, they are complicit, period. This gives the perpetrator(s) the green light to continue with their nefarious behaviors.
I completely agree with all you said. Thank you
In spite of this site being managed by professing people, it is fellowship-neutral (ie will not denigrate nor promote) and child/survivor centric. That policy was set almost 15 years ago and remains a firm policy.
Turn away? Friends have trusted the workers to deal with things for over 40 years that I’m aware. The period of grace has gone. I notice you have little to say about the fact that each perpetrator has usually multiple victims. Each one of those children will have as a teenager and adult a life time of physiological trauma to battle with. Forgiveness and restoration comes after honesty, remorse, repentance and a consequence paid for there action. THEN and only then can restoration happen. Workers do not have spiritual authority over us – God has, with the guiding power of the Holy Spirit. Workers are Shepherds of the sheep and preachers of the message of Christ to bring salvation to the broken hearted. The lowliest of men, who are filled with humility and grateful for open homes and the care that is offered. Tending to the flock but caring for the wounded individual. Care – the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance and protection of someone.
I suspect your a worker, concerned about your spiritual authority being challenged and power over others. Very sad shameful post.
I appreciate your post. There are many good workers amongst us who are doing the right thing and living the right life. Unfortunately, there have also been some who have perceived it as a position of power and felt entitled. Bad things have happened at upper levels in the kingdom … but there are not supposed to be levels in the kingdom. Maybe God is bringing down false structure. Even calling a worker a shepherd is something we’ve heard over the years, but is it biblical or is it a tradition we’ve become accustomed to uttering without thinking about what we’re saying?. Once Jesus came, He was THE shepherd, not one of the shepherds. He sent his apostles out as labourers, and as sheep in the midst of wolves, lambs among wolves. I can’t find anywhere in the New Testament that talks about the apostles as shepherds, or even under-shepherds. I truly believe that all of this is being exposed by God, to restore his kingdom.
Suzanne, thank you for your courage to speak up. I am half a world away, we do have a lot of wonderful workers in New Zealand that are greatly valued.
You make a very good point about the the one and only true Shepherd. I agree with you totally.
I believe we need to go back to scripture, where Paul appoints Stephen and other Elders to administer and deal with church affairs.
The Workers need to turn their focus outward into the world – stop sitting back waiting for the friends to bring people along. Go on public transport, drive into cities and walk the streets with warmth and kindness speaking with the lost and broken hearted. Walk the highway and byways. Paul didn’t want to sit around in the safety of the new church. He truly labored for lost souls.
Suzanne, good laborer’s are urgently required to rise up. These overbearing men need to be removed. The damage they have done and are doing is enormous.
So many workers I seem to witness now throw their “authority” if that’s what they like to think they have, around. Condemning friends for things they consider as sin that you can see yet they have hidden so much. Some think they are superior and above us, not servants. Instead they tell us what they want to eat, where they want to sleep, sometimes take our cars and are unreachable. They are jetsetters with the friends money and love to talk about their “tours” as if they are celebrity world travelers. This is nothing like what I read of Christ teachings.
Now some are confessing their sexual escapades but will they be told they no longer can have a part? Like they have chosen to impose their judgement on some? Of course not. They will still get up and tell us how we should dress, how we should raise our children, what we can have in our homes., advise us on marriage. I feel so disappointed, and mislead.
I so appreciate your post. I remember asking a worker one time. What does that verse mean. “Obey those who have the authority over you. ” Her reply was, the Workers. My reply to her was, I am only obedient to GOD, not, you or anyone else. She didn’t like that, and then things went downhill from there. Another worker was in my home and was abusive, verbally. Angie Long! I quit going to meetings after my experience with her. I was a single woman at the time and taken advantage of by them. God knows my heart. I don’t need anyone to rule over me. He rules
I’m sorry, did I just read ‘have spiritual authority over you’? 🤯😬🥴⚡️
I am not accusing you of being mentally unstable, but you are speaking as though you are
Then why say what you did if not accusing
Several have referred to a worker as Thingy Middleton. Can anyone tell me why?
Could you please tell me where (which posts) you have seen Middleton referred to?
Thank you.
I don’t remember. But at least 3 posts or letters. I haven’t figured out how to maneuver to get back to anything but will try to find it.
In survivor’s stories, a Sheri uses thingy Middleton at least twice.
It is not Sheri using that, it is the program making the automatic switch for what it sees as vulgar language. “thingy” = Dick
Thank you.
Thank you!
Because he was Dick Middleton. Perhaps someone was worried the first name was offensive.
Are you willing to offer up names of those who run this site for the sake of transparency? If this is for the help of others it would be good to be aware of those who contribute and those who regulate. Anonymous sources and writers can be considered shady.
What would you like to know?
Thank you. I received a quick response and a link to some names which is much appreciated. We are all wanting a clean ministry and glad God has moved in his time to make this so, and with education and awareness we hope it will bring a stronger trust to those who are truly faithful and true in their call to be servants of God.
I appreciate the brave souls that have come forward and have brought this out in the open. https://www.advocatesforthetruth.com/about-us
Same here. It takes real courage to raise issues that many people would avoid because of the horrifying and gruesome nature of.
I appreciate the work done here. Transparency protects us all. Myself, my mother and siblings, all suffered emotional abuse from my father. We kept it a secret. My grandfather, an elder with Wednesday night meeting in his home began sexually abusing us children , after Sunday morning meeting, when we were invited to lunch, and my mother was at work. In an effort to protect my siblings, I told my mother. She told me that I wouldn’t be believed, and ” to stay away from him”.
Last year, my sisters told me that my grandfather moved on to them, and they were also abused.
It was bad enough that those our father destroyed our confidence in men. Our grandfather could have been stopped.
In the list below make sure to add Peter mousseau
To Overseers, Workers and Concerned People.
The Abuser’s have only, when confronted with Sexual Abuse and Child Sex Abuse actions confessed under duress. Not through remorse, regret or from a stricken conscience. They have continued for years, leaving multiple victims with a lifetime of physical and physiological consequences.
So how do they behave when caught and what should we expect from a remorseful, repentant heart. What attitude should we expect from them and identify as evidence of repentance.
An Abusers 3 Reactions:
1. In order to escape accountability for their crimes, the perpetrator does everything in their power to promote forgetting.
2. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of the victim.
3. If they cannot silence the victim absolutely, they try to make sure no one listens.
ABUSER: the sin is yours, the crime is yours, and the shame is yours. YOU should only be shown kind consideration when you show the fruits of repentance. YOU need to do whatever it takes to make things right and to demonstrate you have changed.
1. YOU name your sin as sin and do not spin it or excuse it.
2. YOU demonstrate “godly sorrow,” which is to say, a grief chiefly about the sin itself, not just a grief about being caught or having to deal with the consequences of sin.
3. If found out, YOU confess immediately or very soon after and “come clean,” rather than having to have the full truth pulled from you. Real repentance is typically accompanied by transparency.
4. YOU have a willingness and eagerness to make amends. YOU will do whatever it takes to make things right and to demonstrate you have changed.
5. YOU do not contact the victim. If they wish to meet, it’s on their terms and YOU are patient with those you’ve hurt or victimized, spending as much time as is required listening to them without jumping to defend yourself. YOU don’t pressure them or “guilt” them into forgiving you.
6. YOU are willing to confess your sin and reveal other victims even in the face of serious consequences (including undergoing church discipline or having to go to jail)
7. YOU may grieve the consequences of your sin but you do not bristle under or resent the consequence. YOU understand that sometimes your sin causes great damage to others, that is not healed in the short term or perhaps ever.
8. If your sin involves addiction or a pattern of behavior, YOU do not neglect to seek help with a counselor, a solid program, or even a rehabilitation center.
9. YOU don’t resent accountability, pastoral rebuke, or church discipline.
10. YOU seek your comfort in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, not simply in being free of the consequences of our sin.
11. YOU are humble and teachable.
If you are sincere in repentance your life will show it.
I am new online.
I have read pleadings on this website for over 20 years that are reflected exactly in the current uprising call for action over the last couple of months. Righteous indignation driven by contempt, because of disgust at something perceived to be morally incorrect. However, it’s falling on the deaf ears of the Overseers. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. They are doing the bare minimum waiting for it to all die down and go away.
Evil prospers, when good people remain silent and neutral. If you don’t stand up for something, you’ll fall for anything….. Stand up for the innocent, or go down with the rest.
My prediction is that eventually this will destroy all that we hold precious within another 20 years.
When you stand before CHRIST will your call for justice, for the vulnerable and victimized have been heard?
Source Black Eyed Peas song lyrics (We can learn from, and feel corrected by others. Flee from self-righteousness, coldness, and lack of compassion. Donate at advocatesforTHEtruth.com):
“What’s wrong with the world, mama?
People livin’ like they ain’t got no mamas
I think the whole world’s addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that’ll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we tryna stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin’
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate, then you’re bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y’all, y’all
People killin’, people dyin’
Children hurt, hear them cryin’
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’
Where is the love (love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?
It just ain’t the same, old ways have changed
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace are so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don’t belong?
Nations droppin’ bombs
Chemical gasses fillin’ lungs of little ones
With ongoin’ sufferin’ as the youth die young
So ask yourself, is the lovin’ really gone?
So I could ask myself really what is goin’ wrong
In this world that we livin’ in people keep on givin’ in
Makin’ wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin’ each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin’ on but the reason’s undercover
The truth is kept secret, it’s swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where’s the love, y’all, come on? (I don’t know)
Where’s the truth, y’all, come on? (I don’t know)
Where’s the love, y’all?
People killin’, people dyin’
Children hurt, hear them cryin’
Can you practice what you preach
Or would you turn the other cheek?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’
Where is the love (love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love? (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin’
Selfishness got us followin’ the wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema, yo’
Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality?
Instead of spreading love we’re spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down
There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
Gotta keep my faith alive ’til love is found
Now ask yourself
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’
Where is the love?
Sing with me y’all (one world, one world)
We only got (one world, one world)
That’s all we got (one world, one world)
And something’s wrong with it (yeah)
Something’s wrong with it (yeah)
Something’s wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got (one world, one world)
That’s all we got (one world, one world)”
Wow – powerful lyrics. Very, very true.
Ray Hoffman, Barry Barkley and other big cheeses have remained silent. Could it be that they have retained attorneys who have told them to stay quiet and not incriminate themselves?
That’s a chilling thought. I hope not, but I think we probably can’t rule it out, sad to say.
I remember growing up during the Jerry Falwell scandal, the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker scandals and wondering how can people not see through them and leave that church. Well here I am asking the same question of myself. I pray to get an answer. I can forgive but the continued coverup and lack of transparency is discouraging. Also not being honest about how “Truth” started doesn’t help. I know of one worker who has been honest about how it started. Most people are willing to forgive maybe a good start would be letting everyone know the History.
Well, it turns out that going public isn’t the best idea. There is a lot of backlash. To all those out there who read my post. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone by speaking up.
Pamela, I feel badly that you’re apologizing for what you wrote before. I don’t think you should have to. It took a lot of courage. why is it that we all feel we have to keep silent for the sake of other people?
You were not wrong to speak out.
I speak out a lot, and get a bit of backlash. My daughter expressed concern about that to me. I said ” when I am confident I am standing up for what is right and just, no amount of backlash has any effect.” And it doesn’t. Yes, if you speak the truth it will hurt some people, but never apologize for it. Just try to speak it in a way that it will be heard.
Pamela, I’m so sorry about that. I don’t think I read your initial comment as I found this site later. But I can tell you feel really bad for hurting others that you care about in the process of having the courage to speak out. Abuse is such a terrible beast – we all know the victim is traumatized. But it’s traumatic for so many others in so many different ways, especially the family of the abuser, shame and betrayal. Please find comfort in knowing others care and understand – maybe we cannot exactly 100%, but based on our own experiences.
Report to someone, but don’t tell anyone your name.
It is appalling that there has been a backlash against you because of what you have shared here of your lived experience. You did not reveal any names but your own so most of us will not know who they or you are. Those lashing out at you are holding a huge red flag over their own heads, and sadly this is so typical of family and fellowship dysfunction, showing cruelty and contempt but also stunning cowardice. Stand strong dear sister, this site (Wings) and many of us who read here will support and protect you to the best of our ability.
WingsForTruth states that their objective is “to provide information, support and guidance on every aspect of CSA and to support victims of CSA.”