WINGS Note: Advocates For The Truth is a small group that has been working extremely hard to support victim-survivors and prevent further abuse, working with law enforcement, friends, workers, former members, and nonmembers to address this massive crisis. WINGS applauds the work they have done, and has pasted below a recent news update from their website.
As today marks the five month mark of when the investigation was started by Cynthia Liles, we thought we would give you the highlights of what we’ve been working on.
August 23, 2023, is five months to the day since Lauren, Cynthia, and I met with Doyle Smith for over three hours discussing Dean Bruer and the issues of child sex abuse and sex assault within The Truth. We knew it had been a poorly handled issue in the past. Little did we know the enormity and depth of destruction we were about to expose.
The following day, we activated our hotline (503-386-4634) which opened the floodgates of victim/survivors coming forward. Our intake has not stopped, and it appears it will not stop anytime in the foreseeable future.
We have been working relentlessly, boldly in the public eye, as well as behind the scenes. As a result, we have not had the time or bandwidth to provide the updates to the general public as we would have liked. Throughout the next couple of weeks we will be providing several updates.
For now, here are some of the things we have accomplished as a direct result of our mission statement:
- We are currently conducting a comprehensive investigation run by Cynthia Liles, a licensed private investigator who specializes in investigations of child sex abuse within institutions of trust.
- 550+ perpetrators with allegations of child sex abuse and sex assault have been reported to the hotline.
- We launched the AFTT website.
- We have had 70,000 visitors to our website at http://www.advocatesforthetruth.com.
- We have had approximately 110,000 public Facebook visits per month.
- We registered as a C-Corp.
- We registered with the IRS and became a legally registered non-profit 501c3.
- Countless workers have been removed with allegations.
- We partnered with two nonprofit organizations offering therapy resources to survivors.
- We created and financed an all-men’s equine therapy retreat which will take place in September 2023.
- We created and financed an all-women’s equine therapy retreat which will take place in October 2023.
- We are offering therapy resources both in the US and internationally.
- First major fundraiser resulted in $28,007 donated to AFTT.
- Total donations YTD of $201,720.
- Through exposure of perpetrators, we have protected countless lives.
- We have given voice to thousands of victim/survivors.
In the works:
- Volunteer Team of Victim Advocates.
- Matching Donation Drive.
- John Hopkins funded research study for survivors.
We will have many more updates to follow!
Sheri + The Advocates Team
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Approximately how many workers have been removed?
Thanks, Michael, I had the same question. I think AFTT’s work is highly valuable and necessary, but when any of us makes vague and hyperbolic statements like “Countless workers have been removed with allegations” it raises doubts about our sincerity. It just gives ammunition to people who already say that our concerns about abuse in our fellowship are overblown.
More precise and accurate messages could help convince doubters.
Thank you so much ladies for your awesome work and your dedication. It is so appreciated. Much love and care to all 3 of you. 💗💗💗
Kudos to Sheri, Lauren and Cynthia for all that they have done to expose CSA/SA and other evil within the group and for helping the many victims. Doyle deserves credit also for being forthcoming with these three regarding Bruer. May God bless them all.
Wondering if Wings could post a link to access Advocates For The Truth fundraising/donation location?
https://www.advocatesforthetruth.com/donate
Thank you. Thank you very much.
I think a poll of how many cases of CSA occurred at convention and preps would be useful. Just numbers and no names needed.
Thanks so much to the AFTT team and Cynthia Liles especially for your dedication, integrity and charity on behalf of survivors. Your fully committed efforts and experience has been so incredibly necessary. May your work of love for others in need never be forgotten as long as we all (current and former members) shall live.
I am grateful beyond words for your dedication to expose and deal with the sin and depravity that seems to be rampant at the very core of this way, and has been, unknowingly to many of us, for decades. May God continue to be with you and bless you! Thank You!!!
Thank you so very much for all you’re doing !!
Be accountable and explain “Countless workers have been removed with allegations.”
You know the names of most, so you can state it. The intentions are becoming clearer…
To “Clarify” – I’m also interested in more specific details when reading generalized statements like “countless allegations” but the thing is…. If some someone is willing to share information and it’s not in the format you’d like, then you can politely ask for clarification. And if further explanation is not given, that is not a reason to not believe them, you just have to hold it in your mind that you don’t know.
To “Observer” – You say you have doubts about sincerity and concerns that issues may be overblown. That’s really ignorant if that’s your take-away, because there is lots of supporting evidence to the contrary. Belittle and disparage all you like but THAT’S ON YOU!
Also concerned, if you re-read my comment carefully (and other comments I have made here), you’ll see that I don’t have doubts at all. I know and believe that we have a big problem with abuse, and I’m trying to help to address this in my own area. I’m referring to others who are still doubting.
I agree. Then they state 550+ perp allegations. You really can’t be a perp until these are no longer allegations but true facts.
Is that 550+ number being padded my allegations post Bruer Blow Up?
Thank you for being a light in a very dark time. For years many of us have tried to help the ministry see the light. We have been mocked, ridiculed, shunned and told God did not speak to us. Many left because of the darkness and spiritual abuse within the ministry. Our love for God and his son never stopped, many of those within the fellowship are precious to us.
Our prayers are with you as you reveal truth. May God and his angels guide and protect your lives and work.
I am uncertain what my URL is
I agree with some of the calls for more details in the comments above. Definitely great that they had the fortitude to kick the hornets’ nest, so no criticism there! Even better would be to list off a few stats to help us understand where best to focus our energy and time, and gauge progress.
For example:
* How many reported perpetrators were/are workers vs. elders vs. congregants?
* How many are now dead?
* How many have been reported in the US vs. other countries?
* How many perpetrators have a single allegation vs. multiple?
* How many people are directly asking for assistance (financial, or other) in their healing process?
Again, a very needed work – I believe more details would help motivate people who want to help, but are unclear where and how to do so.
This link will answer a few of your questions: https://www.dailydot.com/news/underground-church-two-by-twos/
The article states that approximately 20% of the reported abused occurred at conventions as per Cynthia Liles.
Thanks for that link, “In Prayer”, an interesting article and an indication that some media might start to pick this up.
I am very grateful for the work being done by the AFTT team, WINGS, and other real advocates. It is so desperately needed and every update on progress comes as a breath of fresh air.
But I’m concerned about some misreporting and unfactual statements in writings like the Daily Dot article. (For example: That the fellowship isn’t registered as a nonprofit – it has been for many decades, in many countries including the US, Canada, etc. That musical instruments aren’t allowed – of course they are, we have all seen pianos in many professing homes and attended gospel meetings where hymns are accompanied by keyboards. That men wear suits even in the blazing heat – maybe in the 1960s when this was the norm in wider society too, but I don’t know anywhere this is the case nowadays.)
Anyone who is even a little bit familiar with our fellowship would recognize that these statements aren’t true. And when people see untrue statements, even on relatively unimportant details like these, they question the accuracy of the other information presented, too.
This sexual abuse crisis is such a serious threat, and the resistance to addressing it (from doubters in our fellowship) is so strong. Doubters will seize on any inaccurate statements to discredit all our efforts to address the abuse in an open and productive way. We need to ensure our statements and reporting are accurate and fact-based.
Very good article in the Daily Dot today regarding the CSA/SA stats in the group – really need to give Cynthia Liles a ton of credit for the work she is doing along with Sheri and Lauren.
Cynthia is “working on numerous criminal cases with a number of law enforcement agencies, including local, state, federal, and international. Due to the ongoing investigations, she declined to identify any of the alleged perpetrators.”
Obviously, many details cannot be shared because of legal issues. Yes, we all want answers. Be patient. These brave women have only been working on this crisis for 5 short months. It will take time.
The 20% of sexual abuses occurring at conventions is a warning to all attendees. Please keep your children safe.
I know that it is a lot to take in. We need to let AFTT pursue the legal route. It will take time, be patient. The abuses have been going on for decades and overseers have been covering the evil.
I recently had a visit from two brother workers and I thought that I would address the elephant in the room as (there is no room under my carpet). I was dismayed by their reactions ! One didn’t need to know what was on a computer and the other just kept shrugging and saying “we are only human” !!
Their visit has upset me more than I can explain !! To treat something so terrible so lightly ! I feel so heartbroken !
These are the kind of people that come into our homes and we treat them like royalty , believing they are Gods servants.
No words.
Lauren, Cynthia and Sheri, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done and still are doing for the vulnerable and innocent in this fellowship despite oposition, adequate compensation ect. Your selflessness is a testimony for many🌷
May God bless you richly.
These 3 ladies (outsiders) have done more in 5 months than the (insiders) have done in a120+ years. I’ll put my money on these 3 wonderful ladies. Our male led fellowship has done basically nothing until these 3 (female outsiders) forced them too.
I ask that we all support there efforts and give them the patience they deserve!
I agree Skip! Well said🌷
First a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Lauren, Cynthia and Sheri for their tireless effort to expose, and hopefully stop, the decades of CSA and other abuse perpetrated by this ministry. And to those who would seek to minimize or otherwise characterize their efforts as a ‘power trip’, I would encourage them to read, then re-read the stories of each of these courageous women.
When I read the AFTT 5 month update post to my wife yesterday, she immediately said “I’m sending them a donation”, and proceeded to initiate a significant contribution. We will continue to support them.
My wife and I are both from extensive professing families. We both have/had workers in our extended families. We’re the ‘outsiders’, ‘living in darkness’, as we’ve been told. Both our professing families have generously supported this ministry for decades, and continue to do so. None want to hear the truth about the beginning of their religion and doctrine, and the misbehavior within their ministry. Virtually none express any sympathy for the hundreds of victims, only support for the workers.
And therein lies this tragic irony; while the ‘outsiders’ try in some small way to support the victims (many still in the ‘way’) and expose the perps/pedos, the insiders bemoan the loss of workers and this ‘attack’ on the ministry and double down on their support.
Yes, AFTT can’t do everything, and there will always be new perps/pedos coming along, but these three ladies and their website shining a light on them have made it much more difficult for them to worm their way into a position of unwarranted trust and power. And hopefully the intimidation that has been used to keep victims and parents silent for decades will gradually disappear as professing people learn that their salvation is not in the hands of workers.
Keep up the good work ladies. God bless you.
Appreciated what you said!
Stand for truth (small t)
Thank you all for a tremendous effort!