WINGS Note: These comments were circulated in a newsletter to WA N ID AK friends.
WINGS notes some important comments:
- The difficulties we are facing are more serious and far-reaching than I could have ever imagined.
- One important resource has been the friends who have engaged us in point-blank, constructive dialogue.
- All of us want change now.
A few weeks ago. I was in a remote village in Asia when I received the first email regarding allegations against Mark. Immediately I was torn. Do I stay or do I volunteer to return? When I prayed about it, the answer was very clear: I needed to offer to return, at least temporarily. Since that time, Wayne, Brian and I have been working as a team. A new overseer for WA, N ID & AK hasn’t been chosen yet.
Since coming home, most of my time has been spent in conversations where workers and friends have been pouring out their hearts. The difficulties we are facing are more serious and far-reaching than I could have ever imagined. I’m simultaneously trying to understand the problem and envision a solution. One important resource has been the friends who have engaged us in point-blank, constructive dialogue. Some solutions are especially elusive. For instance, what is the best way for us to report a concern if we witness inappropriate behavior? Of course, if we are aware of child abuse, we immediately call a hotline or police, but what about other things? We are spending a lot of time and thought on this matter.
Usually when we have a crisis, it only involves a few people — maybe a person, a family, a church, or a field. This crisis involves all of us. Everyone needs help at the same time. Many people are envisioning a different solution at the same time. All of us want change now. That’s one thing that makes our present distress so overwhelming.
One of the workers recently asked the friends in her field, “What do you need from us?” One of the replies was, “We need to see the fruit of the Spirit.” I don’t have the answers for some things, I don’t have the strength for some things, I don’t have the ability’ for some things, but I can have the fruit of the Spirit in every situation. The fruit of the Spirit is a benefit to everyone at the same time, both to us and to everyone around us. “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance’ (Gal 5:22-23).
Thanks for welcoming me home and holding me accountable. I pray desperately that I will be true to the responsibility I am given in the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us. – Darryl Doland
WINGS for Truth 
Why is Darryl Doland the only worker in leadership that sees the friends as valuable in this journey and willing to have hard conversations???? All the other overseers either run and hide and refuse to talk or they justify why they should have meetings with only their elite society of workers?!
Trust has been broken with the overseers making horrible decisions regarding sexual predators, therefore if they truly mean any of what they are saying, they should be like Darryl, offer humility, sincerity, total transparency and above all HONESTY to the friends. Allow the friends to offer help and input to help them be accountable, after all it is the friends that are the cogs and the grease that even make this ministry possible, if you have no friends opening homes and wallets you will have no ministry.
We don’t want overseers, we want the Holy Spirit to lead us. Much safer!