Most abuse disclosures this year have involved North American overseers, workers and friends. However, many have shared their hope that growing transparency and engagement will spread to other continents. It is well-known that abuse is a global problem and no area is immune.
This developing transparency has largely been due to victims and survivors courageously providing details of their abuse (sometimes anonymously, and sometimes with their names). This has given strength to others to also disclose their experiences, and to break the silence and secrecy that have been imposed on victims.
This secrecy may have been common in general society many years ago, but is no longer acceptable. Victim-survivors continue living with trauma, and open acknowledgement of their experience is a crucial part of healing, as well as prevention of future abuse. Secrecy surrounding previous cases allowed some perpetrators to continue their abuse, at times in an unsuspecting area when they were silently shifted to a new field, sometimes in another country.
WINGS has received reports of abuse in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australasia and Africa.
This is the time for growing transparency, for friends and workers to share information no matter their geographic location. WINGS aims to collate and share information in an honest and victim-centric way, with the hope of leading to radical, victim-centric changes in the treatment of abuse cases:
- Sincere, individual apologies to all known victims
- Arrangements to fund therapy when required
- Revisiting past cases where perpetrators were protected and moved
- Open discussions and clear guidelines regarding perpetrator attendance in meetings, conventions
- Zero-tolerance policies toward abuse
- Regular training to identify and report abuse, undertaken by all workers and others with responsibility
WINGS advocates for past child victims, and protection of current/future children. The prerogative for more general change in the fellowship lies with friends and workers. WINGS has received communication from many expressing concern that the strict hierarchy in the fellowship limits accountability among those in positions of power. In many cases, this has allowed immoral actions harming the most vulnerable among us, which might have been prevented or minimised if there were more involvement of elders, friends and women.
Note: This post has consistently used the term ‘abuse’. It is intended to refer to both Child Sexual Abuse, and adult abuse, of all types.
Note: Edited June 18, 2023 to provide clarity. Content not changed significantly.
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Thank you Wings. Yes it’s definitely time for these things to be brought to light internationally. There is just as much going on here in Australasia as in the US and Canada.
Sadly Many countries outside of North America have been the dumping grounds for perpetrators. It is sickening.
I wonder if the realization that children who were abused grow to be adults who must cope with the effect on their brains caused by child abuse is beginning to be revealed to those who have not been aware of the nature of this issue in the fellowship.
Our brains are marvelous adaptable organs. Abuse causes damage to that organ. Physical damage. Operation will never be the same. So while survivors can learn appropriate coping strategies with a lot of help and support, they will be subject to the effect of triggers for the rest of their lives. Please let that sink in. For the rest of their lives.
Identifying, naming, and removing from the fellowship the perpetrators of abuse is zero tolerance. That is what zero tolerance looks like. Those who have not reported offenders to the police and failed to notify other jurisdictions of these crimes are also liable under the law and should also be identified in any zero tolerance policy.
This is not naming to shame. It is a way to hold safe space for survivors. On- going triggers of trauma response are caused by the knowledge that the perpetrators are able to access the same fellowship venues. We do not know about all of the survivors. There are many who have never been able to disclose their abuse. Perpetrators participating in the fellowship in any way will continue to cause damage to known and unknown survivors.
The nature of the fellowship is that it is a world wide fellowship. It seems imperative that there be a world wide mechanism for all friends and workers to communicate about the known perpetrators. Wings for Truth has a history of care and would be a suitable venue for reporting.
One report on the result of childhood trauma/abuse: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/991452
I thought that a Servants main quality would be humility. Certainly for Gods servants I would expect it. Sadly there doesn’t seem to be much in our most senior of Gods Servants. With humility you would have thought that they would offer to step down, if they felt they had done wrong.
Of course then there is the problem of a hardened or seared conscience and pride. Which means they will be entrenched until the bitter end.
The very sad thing is that any belief we had in the integrity of the fellowship we trusted in will be shattered. The media will be in full swing and
we out in our communities will suffer scorn and cry’s of hypocrisy and the culprits of this travesty will hide away.
Yes, humility being the key word. I thought for sure at least some of the overseers would be humble enough to step down by now. Even unrelated to Cynthia’s demand, it just makes sense.
Stepping aside would help to heal wounds, signal an honest and fresh start and help with unity. With a scandal or mishandling of affairs like this in any company or organization, there would be a sincere apology, and leadership would be shaken up. A good leader knows when to pass the torch.
There are probably many explanations that could be had, but that’s not what we need right now. I didn’t think of these things myself, but I am listening, and hearing from lots of people that we need 1. Apology 2. Clean house from within the workers’ circle instead of just waiting for victims to come forward (this will be painful but we need to rip the bandaid off instead of the slow drip) 3. Make leadership changes to signal sincerity, and an honest and fresh start.
Overseers are human (like any of us), so be human and humble, which means admitting when mistakes are made. Publicly and unequivocally. In many things, we give the workers grace because we know they’re human just like us. We know overseers are human too. We know these are difficult problems and many/(all?) organizations fall prey to this at some point. We get it. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be held accountable. Be human and humble.
The only reason I can imagine why it’s taking so long is if they’re also trying to reform the traditional overseer structure and have some ideas to see it through before the changes are made.
Seeing that abuse is a global problem, in the past, many friends were told and made them believe that cell phones, laptops etc. was from the devil and were advise not to join social media platforms. How will this letter reach those people. Will it be okey to forward this letter??
The overseers and workers have shown themselves to be willing to cover up terrible crimes. It is up to us to share this information with as many people as possible, to try to prevent as much future abuse as possible. Shining a light into the dark is the best way to uncover things.
Also Aletta, many of the workers are on Facebook themselves so they can’t really justify telling people not to be on it!