July 2, 2023
We’ve debated for quite some time on how public to go with our story. While we can’t share all the details because it involves minors, we feel like it is important for the friends and the workers to know the damage that has been done to our child, but more importantly, the lack of response from the ministry.
We are hopeful that our letter will encourage elders especially to make a stand against what seems to be a dictatorship within the ministry. Because of that, we have overseers who are not taking any accountability because they don’t have too.
Our child was a victim of CSA. ———‘s abuser took it farther and suffocated our child, leading to brain damage. Our child will never recover from what happened. This has affected our family in ways no one could possibly understand. It’s not just the therapies and counseling that is needed. It has taken a mental and emotional toll on our entire family.
We’ve heard multiple times about those that feel for the workers or even those that feel some abusers have changed so they should be allowed in meetings.
We are here to say that there MUST be a ZERO tolerance policy put in place.
Most of this can be laid at the worker’s feet. Many besides us, have come forward over the years about abuse and they were silenced, ignored or threatened.
For those that read this, make no mistake there are abusers in your meetings. Your overseers know.
We’d like to share the letter that we wrote to Scott Rausher, the overseer of Montana and Wyoming. At the end of the letter we will list the workers that knew about our situation. You will see which ones responded.
Scott,
I’m sure you’ll notice that this email is also being sent to Barb. There are a couple of reasons for that. The main reason is so we can be assured that you received this email even if you choose not to respond. We’ve learned that by getting no response from Dean.
We are going to say what many are thinking. The truth has become a safe haven for pedophiles and rapists.
We, like many others, have sat on the sidelines and watched the waves of “immoral” behavior come to light in recent weeks. That word should not be used at all when referring to CSA or SA. It’s CRIMINAL what has been happening.
Our child ——— is a victim of CSA. Several years ago, we came forward about the abuse to the workers, Dean Bruer was one of them. It was completely shut down. Now that we all know what Dean truly was, we know why he did what he did.
It will be different this time around. Doing nothing will no longer be an option. Here is why. You did know about ———.
Just over a year ago, you came for supper to ———and ———‘s house with Cole Larson. You both wanted to know why ——— was there. ——— told you an abbreviated story of ———’s and ———’s abuse, even mentioning that there was a restraining order against ——— for his children. You asked her again who the restraining order was against, and she clarified: for ——— .
You had a call made to you on May 19 of this year. Your response to it was, “Wow, what a story,” and that you knew nothing of what happened. That response is unacceptable. One thing ——— and ———‘s aren’t, is liars. You can say you forgot but had you reached out to us when you were first informed, it would’ve been harder to forget.
——— is not just a victim of CSA but assault as well. ——— took a step farther and suffocated her several times. This led to brain damage that caused stroke-like symptoms. One side of her body is weaker than the other. Her speech is also affected. This has been confirmed by an MRI.
Let us explain to you briefly what that has done. ———has been in trauma-based occupational therapy. ———is in physical therapy and counseling. This didn’t just start. This has been since the summer of 2016. ———will need continued therapy for several more years. This is not something we can get in ——— One of us (usually ———) drives either to ———, ——— or ——— for these services weekly.
Most children ——— age are sleeping through the night and have been for many years. That is not the case for her. ——— is up multiple times. These aren’t 5 minute wake up. They last 2-3 hours. This especially takes a toll on ——— during the school year.
While other parents are dealing with some fighting here and there, we are dealing with a child who has violent outbursts and takes it out on ——— younger siblings.
While other parents get to witness their child play sports, ——— is unable to do any of them due to ———left side being weaker and both sides unable to work together.
This is just a brief bit of what we have gone through for nine years. This started before the abuse was disclosed, and we had no idea why.
In one of your emails that was recently sent out, you said this of Robert. “We sure appreciate him greatly.
He has a wonderful humble/ contrite spirit.”
There’s not one mention of his victims. He may be those things, but he is a criminal and a pedophile and to suggest anything less is beyond hurtful to his victims. We are here to tell you as a parents of a victim, you minimize what happened to them by saying what you said.
Much of this criminal behavior can be put at the workers’ feet. Many situations have been brought forward to workers such as yourself and many on your staff. How many cries were made and met with silence? We are not the only ones. At least ten workers knew about ——— from us, not to mention family, and we were met with silence. Not even a phone call to ask how you could help.
——— spoke with Joy Vandenberg about the situation regarding the ———‘s , about what happened to four of ——— grandchildren and the abuse that they suffered at the hands of ———
When Joy tried to talk to Tom Hinkle, he almost immediately shut her down. Because “he knew ——— and his family, and he wasn’t capable of those things”. Has the Dean Bruer situation taught anyone anything? Everyone held Dean in high regard, and he had a completely secret life.
The statistics of child sexual abuse being reported is at a all time high of 38%. Less than 20% of sexual assaults cases are even reported. Those are facts. The fact that victims are even willing to come forward takes more courage than most of us could even comprehend.
There has been nothing sent out or mentioned to any of the friends in our area about what your plans are to help make meetings a safe place. Nothing.
Here is some more facts. ——— is an abuser. Dean was made fully aware of that. It is in court papers that he cannot be left alone with his own grandchildren. He beat ——— more then once leaving him bruised all over. ——— had a relationship with a minor who was 16 years old at the time. ——— and ———, ———and ——— helped cover up that relationship when they found out about it. The icing on the cake is that he was still married to ——— at the time.
You cannot continue to ignore the problems in front of you. You cannot continue to undermine the hurt and pain that many victims are going through right now. You can not continue to make light of what these abusers have done and to suggest that they are anything but criminals is wrong. (Referring back to what you said about Robert. He is a criminal and a pedophile.) We are asking you to address the situation with the ———. If you don’t believe anything about them, there are two boxes of documentation at ———’s house that you may read. If you feel like you are unable to do so then you need to step down. And someone else that feels like they can, needs to deal with these issues.
One thing that is very evident in the teachings of Jesus was that he held children in high regard. We all should do the same.
Matt 21:12-17, Jesus threw out the money changers that were in the temple. They didn’t belong. They were dealt with. The same thing needs to be done within the truth. In this day and age, when people can call in over the phone, there’s no reason for any sort of predators to be in meeting. You can care for somebody’s soul at a distance and over the phone.
This letter was also forwarded to Loran Coleman and there was no response.
Scott did call after he was informed by Barb Hofer that I sent the email. The call was what was to be expected. Not much said from him and what was said was not honest with some “sorry’s” thrown in.
Our point in writing this letter is to help others see that without accountability nothing will change. While we cannot speak to what is happening in other states, MT/WY are not making much progress.
One other we will mention is that man that beat his own grandchild more than once is an elder. That is a despicable testimony for an elder to have.
Dean Bruer
Julia Brist – We did recently receive a heartfelt apology after she received our letter.
Orlinda Williams
Sandy Phiefer
Jewel Gamma
Teri Foster
Scott Rauscher
Cole Larson
Joy Vandenberg -attempted to help, was shut down by Tom.
Barb Hofer- has been helpful.
Tom Hinkle
Heidi Bryant
Laura Brist
Possibly Shawna Major
You’ll notice some were younger workers at the time and were following the example of the older workers.
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This is absolutely horrific and despicable – Rauscher and all the rest on this list are lower than a snakes belly if the facts in this letter are true. If the facts are not true, all 12 collectively need to come forward refuting them ASAP. More than likely there will be silence and these 12 will go about their business of “spreading the gospel”. One question for them: if they cannot take a stand against CSA/SA and stand up for the victims, how in the world do they think they can uphold God before others? What a bunch of fraudsters. This CSA/SA cancer is so embedded in the group, there may be no cure.
how is it that the person who did this is not sitting in jail for attempted murder?? How is it (I presume) he is walking free???
if my kids were still kids I would be wondering who was safe to be in my home???? Young parents need to be very wary of letting ANY of the workers in their home. In BC there is a female worker with two charges against her. Unbelievable. I know her as I was in the work when she started out. WHO do you trust?????? anyone can make it look good, cant they???
This perp was not a worker.
For Rauscher and the other 11 “workers” listed, it is now apparent that the facts of this horrible account of CSA are true. They have had plenty of time to refute them, but all have been silent. What a den of snakes these people are – not standing up for the little kids that was abused and allowing the perps and peds to run free. These 12 need to be held accountable and locked up, if convicted.
Maybe the overseers aren’t doing anything because they know that no one knows who these perpetrators are, because it seems that the victims are not allowed to name them. The perps get to remain anonymous. As traumatizing as it is, unless the victims start pressing charges and testifying, their abusers get to remain in the shadows, unknown to the rest of us.
If someone had done this to my child they would not be walking free. In fact, they would not be walking at all.
Where minors are involved, such as this case, the parents shouldn’t and haven’t given their own name as that would obliterate the children’s privacy. Also, they have pressed charges and have done all the things they should have done. Zero doubt that they’ve done everything they can in this terrible situation and good for them for writing this letter and posting it publicly.
TW: CSA, suffocation, brain damage
I was asked to help clarify the letter to Scott Rauscher by the victim’s family.
Yes, there are a lot of blanks/redacted names in the account, but it might not help that much if it was re-done with fake names, as some names would only be mentioned 1x without context. The workers know all of the names, so it would make sense to them.
Basically, there are 4 children’s names redacted. All have the same sexual abuser. The other abuser mentioned (the grandparent) is a physical abuser. The abuser’s names have been redacted, not to protect the abusers obviously, but so justice can’t be obstructed.
One of the children, our child, has brain damage as a result of the CSA crimes.
(Side note about suffocation/brain damage: Sexual perpetrators are often someone trusted…which means they are welcome in the home or even live there. Thus, if the rest of the family is in the home at the time of the crime, the perpetrator might cover the child’s mouth to prevent their cries of fear/pain from being heard. This can lead to anoxia (absence of oxygen), which resulted in stroke-like symptoms for this child.)
Dean was the overseer of MT/WY at the time of the first CSA crimes. He was informed by the family but did not respond (for reasons which became obvious after his death). Scott Rauscher is the current overseer.
The abusers are *not* workers. However, the workers were involved because the abusers both attend(ed) meetings. One has since stopped attending meetings, and the other is an elder. The workers strongly encouraged/persuaded helpful witnesses not to report. Thus, at this time, both abusers are still allowed access to 1 of the child victim/survivors.
It HAS been reported to law enforcement. However, there is some corruption there as well…a testament to how hard it is to convict perpetrators.
Please what about the elder, surely the overseer is not still allowing that.😳
Notify all friends to put pressure on the overseer, then it seems like he needs to go.
Just sayin.
WINGS Note: After writing this comment, the author realized that it could be perceived as victim-shaming. That was definitely not the intention.
—————————
My dear friends: without commenting on this horrific case specifically—please quit delegating these CSA situations to the workers. This list of workers now silently speaks for itself. Report violations to the justice system. Press charges. There is only so much we can do by wringing our hands.
We are in the United States and this is 2023. Our justice system is not perfect, but it is still the envy of the world. Our laws protect perpetrators against false accusations, while providing justice for the victims. Let’s use it without any more hesitation.
Please.
Paul Svendsen
Bend Oregon USA
I believe they tried going through the courts but didn’t get any justice.
Trying to wrap my brain around this Montana mess on a Monday Moaning. Recall Bruer was overseer and maybe the worst CSA/SA perp on record in the group. Corfield was senior worker and maybe the worst CSA ped on record in the group. Both spent years in Montana and Wyoming. Then Dutton stepped out for bad behavior. Now 13 more workers of all levels of seniority being accused of absolutely horrible CSA coverup. What is going on in these two beautiful states that God created?
13? I haven’t seen that.wha did I miss?
Thirteen or 14 workers are listed at the bottom of this post. ONE tried to help but was shut down. Do not have Montana Staff assignment list in front of me, but it appears that the majority of them are CSA cover experts.
The most prolific Child Abuser of our Faith – from his neice Jerilyn Johnson (Robert Leon Schober: “In the early 1980s, authorities suspected that he had 100-200 victims.” THIS COULD’VE BEEN STOPPED IN THE 1960s, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! According to the timeline: 4/24/2023 – Richard Shober, an ex-worker and professing man in Alaska, has been removed from attending meetings and convention. He was convicted and served time in WA state in the 1980s for CSA. At the time, Washington state estimated he was the most prolific pedophile in the state.) Because of the timeline of his abuse, he is not listed as a child sexual offender. He is currently living in Alaska.
I encourage people to be sure to document all that has been said and done. This might mean that certified, return receipt signature required letters need to be sent as proof which an attorney can use to prove lying. I’m heart broken reading of all this and wonder what may have happened in my home when I was still a part of the fellowship. 😦
To my fellow elders: we are not obligated to allow perpetrators into our homes. I don’t know how I could read 1 Corinthians 5 and conclude anything different.
As a further example, California’s Child Safe Policy states the following:
“Elders and convention hosts have the right to consider and make safety decisions regarding their own meetings and premises.”
The Love of God will help us do our part. In case my words stir the human emotions of people in power, please acknowledge that it is not an act of rebellion to carefully, lovingly, safely care for the flock.
Since March when Doyle Smith’s letter was published, there has not been one overseer who has come out, at least in my orbit, and supported the acceptance of perpetrators into meetings with the backup of scripture. I am open to any communication from any overseer in the world about this. If it is difficult to start the dialogue, please obtain a copy of the book Crucial Conversations and look for some tips on how to get started. We actually need your help. Thank you.
You are on the right path, Paul and we appreciate Elders like you. We do have to forgive them, but we don’t have to have fellowship. I remember Syndey Holt told us (there was a big hub-bub where we were living about a young man who had sexually assaulted an 8 yo – he was convicted). “The church has the right to demand an apology and to see repentance before he’s allowed to return to Gospel Meetings.” I don’t know if that’s ever happened, we certainly never saw it while he live in our town of Walla Walla. We moved to North Carolina, and I understand he moved to another part of Washington. His name was John Walser. Now we know more about abusers than we ever wanted to know, and also understand that we are not required to ever allow them into our homes or to have fellowship.
My comment is to the workers listed at the end of this letter (post) who did nothing.
This is one of the most heartbreaking letters of child sexual abuse that I have ever read. A beautiful young child being sexually assaulted by a man she knew and trusted and her cries of help literally suffocated until she suffers brain damage. It is beyond the description of words.
Equally appalling is your lack of care for this child and her family.
I ask each one of you…where is your soul?
“You cannot continue to ignore the problems in front of you”. No character, no boundaries and no true North, or guidance from God is the problem. It would take a very seared conscience to not instinctively do the right thing to protect the child and deal with the predator! All despicable acts such as lying, cheating, and dishonesty are disgusting and should not be tolerated but the abuse of children, and then the cover up — that’s simply of the devil.
If everyone was united through true love of Christ and got rid of the false humility, the bad actors would put out (or locked up) and not glorified. The lack of focusing on Christ and what He did, AND the culture of false humility being so entrenched in the religion by way of appearance and words only, dishonesty abounds, and therefore everything from deceitful actions to even family members, to the horrific abuse of children is going to abound.
“The (truth) has become a safe haven for pedophiles and rapists” and the safe haven is made possible by these people and more: Dean Bruer, Julia Brist, Orlinda Williams, Sandy Phiefer, Jewel Gamma, Teri Foster, Scott Rauscher, Cole Larson, Joy Vandenberg, Barb Hofer, Tom Hinkle, Heidi Bryant, Laura Brist and possibly Shawna Major. Dean is now dead and can no longer preach to anyone, which is good. Also, the “preaching” by the rest of these people would not be anything that is going to benefit anyone, given what these people are for — supporting child sex abuse. Unless you’re going to support child sex abuse, too.
I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face…and complete shock that not one adult who knew about this (other than the family) called in the local authorities. This man’s name should be blasted across the nation and around the world!! He’s a psychopath. What on earth is a meeting doing in his home? He doesn’t even fit the description!!! Why are people even attending meetings at HIS house? Just go elsewhere, and let the workers know you are NOT attending a meeting in the home of an abuser. If they say, “too bad”, call the police and report them. It’s against the law for a minister to force someone to be in fellowship with a known abuser (because they are essentially offering up new victims). Oh, how my heart aches for you as a mother, your daughter who has endured such horrific behavior from someone she should have been able to trust, and to the rest of your family, and his other victims and their families.
Scott, I hope you read this…..what would your mother say today with your news? I know that she would be ashamed as I am of you, i knew her she appeared to be a lady. Yet these days who can we believe? The words that came out the mouth. The last time I saw you, I didn’t speak to you because you were arrogant in all your mannerism! If I were to take your advise I would be Silent right????
However God has given me courage to question you amoung Many others…..Shame on all of you for speaking with your tongue as it differed from you walk…..yes you need to study what you have preached, and blend into the dark where your spirit would appear to be!
TWO CENTS….are you from California?