Two weeks ago WINGS reported on the December 2023 Zoom call with the Arkansas Missouri Oklahoma Task Force and Craig Winquist, where Craig announced that he felt that there should not be any formal Child Safety policy.
Now we have learned that the Washington, North Idaho, Alaska staff had a meeting on June 4, 2024, where they discussed significant reservations about their proposed guidelines.
See audio recording https://youtu.be/PthIdsztZ9E
and a lightly edited transcript
Some of the issues being discussed were:
- An amazing number of people in the fellowship have been victims and perpetrators in the past but some have moved on with God’s grace and should not be re-traumatised by having their cases re-opened.
- Other people are still traumatised and need help and support.
- Some of those people are still anonymous.
- The Grace Investigation is not seen as a positive outcome by some, and not seen as a good basis for all future cases. There is concern that funds donated by friends should not be used to pay for external investigations.
- George Peterson issued some guidelines based on selected scripture, characterising the fellowship as a family, rather than an organisation.
- There is a belief that guidelines/policies are only appropriate for corporates and formal organisations, not for the fellowship ‘family’.
- Issuing universal guidelines creates risk that the whole organisation might be sued and suffer financial cost, whereas regional guidelines with some differences may provide legal protection.
- Issuing policies Is likely to be divisive. Failing to issue policies is also likely to be divisive.
- Issuing guidelines based solely on scripture is less likely to be divisive, for those who believe in the truth and adequacy of scripture. It isn’t clear whether Old Testament scripture is as relevant as New Testament scripture, nor is it clear how various scripture references are to be interpreted and applied to specific CSA circumstances.
- There is clear agreement that all accusations should be reported to authorities, and that education is necessary for all – workers, families, etc.
- A lot is left to the discretion of workers and elders if there aren’t clear guidelines.
- Perpetrators should not be cut off from the help they need, IF they are willing to seek help.
- Issuing guidelines will help people understand that the fellowship is taking the matter seriously.
- Guidelines will promote fairness, to avoid advantaging the well-known and well-connected people and disadvantaging the less well-known. Even safety teams can be biased by family or friendship connections, and those conflicts should be resolved by open discussion (Matthew 18).
- Issuing guidelines will show to the authorities that the fellowship is taking it seriously and has accountability.
- The bible is relevant for spiritual matters but not for matters such as physical health.
- Issuing and talking about guidelines will help everyone recognise that the subject can be discussed/reported and should not be hidden.
- A safety team of elders and professionals can be of great help to ensure appropriate decisions and actions are taken, as it may not be clear to workers what action should be taken.
- The workers are not smarter than lay members, who may have better understanding of what’s going on in the world.
- Decisions about CSA policies may cause a major divide in the fellowship.
- Trying to please the majority is a political decision, not scriptural. Scripture teaches to seek and support the one lost sheep, rather than prioritising the majority.
- Guidelines are needed because there is a history of overseers making horrible, atrocious, mistake after mistake over the last century.
WINGS observes that:
- There is still widespread lack of knowledge of the enormous number of perpetrators and victims, with the likelihood that there will be many more reports, especially in other countries where there has been minimal publicity.
- Many people have left the fellowship because of CSA disclosures and concern about how they have been, or are being, handled.
- Some countries and regions have no guidelines/policies, and others have documents of varying quality/relevance.
- There is widespread belief by workers that actions should be guided by common sense and the Spirit, yet that has failed over the last century. Being spirit-led, i.e. doing what I feel is right, has resulted in rampant dishonesty, manipulation and harm to thousands of victims and has violated Christ’s principles, virtues, compassion, truth and even basic justice.
- There has been minimal progress in providing support for victims, such as funding for therapy, even though the fellowship is reported to have many millions of accumulated funds.
- The dynamics of this subject show tension between overseers as rulers of the fellowship, and experienced educated elders who observe the many bad decisions that have been made by overseers, and have therefore created guidelines to support victims and minimise the risk of harm to further vulnerable children.
- Minimising the risk of harm to children and supporting past victims should be the guiding objectives.
WINGS intends to post a series of questions, to allow anyone to contribute suggestions of what should be done better to reduce the risk and minimise the number of cases of harm to children, and to support victims of past abuse.
Discover more from WINGS for Truth
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
WINGS for Truth 
The true answer is; get rid of all so called overseers! Let those who are the lest of all the true believers be the judges of the matters of the whole rotten corrupted mess! How does that sound, isn’t that what Jesus said? So why are they all hem hawing how to deal with this horrid wicked mess? I can tell you why, they’re still trying to cover up for the violators! That is the whole problem with the way they are trying to deal with the matter.
It should be noted that Washington has ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION of returning to ‘business as usual’ even though that is how many other overseers might try to interpret it. They are simply exploring a different flavour of guidelines, they acknowledge guidelines as being necessary due to many mistakes having been made and the fact that we are all biased
@edemberswanews Debating over which flavor to put in the coffee while the house is burning down isn’t a good plan. This is definitely headed in the wrong direction. The experts know what they are doing, stick with them. The “family plan” or the “biblical plan” will make matters worse.
Put it another way. You don’t use the biblical plan for health and safety guidelines at convention. You follow the experts who require you to construct buildings structurally safe, and the experts who guide you on how to have safe food preparation in the kitchens. Child safety is exponentially more important and you want to drop expert guidelines? There needs to be some moral clarity arise among the Friends and Workers everywhere in the world as it is sorely lacking right now.
If this fellowship is indeed like a family, it is like a patriarchal family of old, and not like anything our society would recognize today. This fellowship has taken organizational names since its inception, as suited it for various needs, and that is a fact, not an opinion. The fruits of our organizational structure are everywhere to be seen; the unwillingness to recognize that we are an organization in every aspect of the definition of the word is astounding. That refusal is like being in denial. Merely wishing something to be untrue does not make it so. A family? No, it’s not as simple as that.
I’ve listened to the recording 2 or 3 times. I’m not sure if the intent was to have it recorded but if so at least we are hearing some unfiltered thoughts from the workers. Maybe it will open the eyes of those still thinking that The Truth is the only way to heaven.
The unfortunate reality is, no matter how sincere the workers may be in their words and actions, they live in a bubble or still fighting to stay living in a bubble. The congregation does not live in one and the workers need to acknowledge that and figure out a way to change if they want to keep the support of their members.
“Issuing policies Is likely to be divisive. Failing to issue policies is also likely to be divisive”. This whole sexual abuse scandal is a huge mess and those in a position of power to be able to fix it have opposing view points. It’s like they are attempting to build the tower of Babel. One says, ” let’s go this way ” and another says, “no — let’s go this way”. It’s like tug of war with a rope that has been soaped up. Everyone is pulling the way they want and nothing is happening.
The answer is in the line: “Issuing universal guidelines creates risk that the whole organisation might be sued and suffer financial cost, whereas regional guidelines with some differences may provide legal protection”. It always comes down to the money. If to want to find the agenda of most motivation, follow the money. It’s no different here. The money talks. Lawsuits are going to be filed and leadership knows that. Keep the ” truth church ” a bunch of little “truth churches” and then the whole organization would not get hit at once. Don’t have a single belief. Keep the organization split up so the parts don’t belong together.
It’s a ploy like, “yes, you caught that hand in the cookie jar but look, this other hand is totally innocent. You can only punish the one part of the body. Leave the other hand alone”. The FBI, the experienced plaintiff lawyers and other sexual abuse advocates see right through the cups and balls game church leadership is playing. Their hide the ball game is coming to a close. Some will go to prison. Others will be fined.
It would be good if the elders who wrote on this site that Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers was a clear case of CSA, mocking not only child sex abuse, but the Bible, would be shut down. People who use God’s word for their own agenda and their own good are evil. These people prey on the unsuspecting. These people operate in the shadows and darkness. It’s great that the light of righteousness is shining in the direction of these people. It is causing them to run scared and not know what to do or which way to go because they are not anchored in God. Leadership is anchored to self interest and money. That can be followed and it ends with them. Their evil needs to be exposed and hopefully will be exposed soon.
@money. Thank you for the complement of saying I was evil. Great perception on your part. When I mentioned Joseph being a case of CSA on the Bible I did not seek to mock CSA or the Bible as you suggest. Perhaps it would have been better if I had simply said example of child abuse. Depending on how soon after Joseph was sold into Potaphars house and when his wife started trying to get Joseph to have sex with her, than it may fave led to a case of CSA? But people like you have much greater understanding of these things than me, so I will leave it to you.
Tô me this goes back to the old saying, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance. Baffle them with Bull Shit, however they forgot if that was in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Good thing it’s spiritually lead!
Interesting times for sure.
Looks like we can see now where the majority vote lies and what seems is swinging that vote – this will likely be the inertia of North and South America. The No Policy Policy. Kinda catchy catch phrase, no?
Interesting the two different answers of peace coming to different people. One answer of peace within themselves is to help the victims and prevent further abuse by organization leaders. These people believe this showing of care and creating a policy will bring unity in the family.
The other answer of peace seems to be that unity will come only without a policy, though there is some mention of care for the victims.
Well, I do believe there are two different ears listening to our prayer. Either will oblige the way we want them to. Personally there is no peace in me hearing the cries. But if the cries become wearisome, I know I can pray for a pillow or two so I can get some peace and rest – and I have every confidence and assurance I would be led to that pillow or two.
I know I cannot cast a stone at any individual. Any! But this Goliath of a cluster f$@k in the church has put my teeth on edge.
That parable of Jesus came to me in the middle of the night just now. But notice he did not say in the parable “keep occupied until I come”. But maybe there is another parable about keeping the people occupied. I am sure there is likely something in there I can interpret in this way. Keeping the majority of the people happy and occupied will be key to the success of the franchise. Then there will be peace. So much peace. It will be a Beautiful peace.
…..and now that I got out of bed for the day and anointed my head (kinda means for me is that I took a shower and woke my head up fully), I see in my writing that it maybe portrays I think my brothers and sisters on the task force having peace right now. I should say they likely know where their peace will be if they do what the voice within is asking them to do.
But there are two disparate voices within the people – and Craig and Darryl seem to have a different voice within of what is bringing, or what will bring peace to them and others.
And from watching the videos, I see in my brothers and sisters on the task force a willingness to compromise, though I can see and hear the discouragement in them. But on the leaders part, I have watched the spirit slide from one of ‘we need to do something’ to ‘we should think about it some more’ to now being a flat out ‘no – not going there’.
But I hold out hope for the likes of men like Craig and Darryl. I feel they also are serious men. I sense their pain, and I sense Craig’s frustration. But I ask them as a friend; discard the thought about what religious enterprise teaches about only getting on your knees to pray. This limits a person’s insight. I encourage you to strap on your prayer and meditation boots and walk 24/7 in the boots of a struggling soul. A soul that has been abused, a soul that has been discarded. A soul that has been forsaken. A soul that has an addiction. A soul that is weeping. A soul in pain. A soul that has been left behind. A soul with open wounds unattended. A soul that for some reason cannot help themselves. A soul that has no boots.
And I plead with you Craig and Darryl! What really do you think the payback of the majority vote within the franchise of religious enterprise is going to provide you one day. Pleasing the majority of the people may come at great cost. Be honest with yourselves please. Might you be playing a game with the people and you know it? I am going to go out on a limb here – look down and check. You might be wearing gold coloured sneakers.
None of this transpiring of events actually shocks me. Bruergate did not shock me. Surprised or amazed in a sense. Surprised and amazed that I may have been witnessing with my eyes, in my generation the ripening of prophecy.
And those friends on the task force? I would be glad to call them my friends and my brothers and sisters. Some serious mettle in those hearts, minds, and souls. As an Aussie might say, these people are ‘switched on’. Whether they would call me a true brother or not, I do not know. My boots are a bit ratty – with some bare patches in the soles.
And I do not know any of those people on the task force personally, but I know I love them. And if Selkie does not pull at your heartstrings, I am guessing nothing will. And often I say what Kenny said – “I will shut up now”. At end of the day in my weariness from carrying the burden that has been laid on my shoulders and walking in my old ratty boots, I say to myself ‘Just shut up Mark’. My family would likely appreciate that. But I get up in the morning and the voice within says, I have given you strength to bear the burden. Pick it up again please. What can I do? I told him I was willing to bear that burden. I told him I would die for that burden. What can I do? …but pick up my cross and carry it a bit further. He gave me a brain, he gave me ears, he gave me eyes, he gave me a voice…and he gave me feet that I can put my old ratty boots on – all for a reason it seems. What can a man do? Thankful for my old ratty boots. Some people don’t even have any feet to put boots on.