WINGS Note: A reader received the following email from Doug Morse and felt compelled to respond. Her reply follows below.
Doug’s letter was posted at Letter from Doug Morse
On Sat, 25 Jan 2025 at 19:53, Douglas Morse [email redacted]> wrote:
Hello [names redacted],
I did not here back from you last week, and I was too sad … ashamed … to try again. But this weekend I am sending out a letter to folks who I feel I must contact. You are on this list of course. One day we will chat again, I’m sure.
You can’t imagine how humbled to the dust I feel in writing this awkward communication to people I deeply care for. However, I am wanting to communicate to folks, and feel the responsibility to do so, on a personal level. I feel compelled to express my feelings to you directly.
First, and foremost … you have not been betrayed my friends. This is a great test, not just for myself but all who have known me. I’d ask you to please not be hasty in judging me solely on the man who failed miserably sometime in the 80’s. That is not the man you have come to trust in and care for. We believe in the power of God to transform and recreate. I hope and believe you have seen and felt this over the years you have known me. What I have represented to you in recent decades as far as conviction and character is genuine.
I will attach the letter I have put together. In the next day or so this will be sent individually to a number of people as I want to do it on a personal level. I do not wish to have it broadcast over the grapevine or internet. However if someone I have not sent this to would like clarification you may read it to them with discretion.
I am very sorry on behalf of the man that has disappointed many people because of his past. I find peace in being able to assure you that man is not the one you know now.
respectively, in God’s mercy …. Doug
From: [name and email redacted]
Date: Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 11:30 p.m.
Subject: Re: from me, to you
To: Douglas Morse
Hello Doug
I feel compelled to answer your email as honestly as possible, and the most effective way for me to do that, I think, is to address a few things you said, starting with:
“First, and foremost … you have not been betrayed my friends.”
I beg to differ. You have spent the better part of two years having heart-to-heart conversations with folks like myself who are openly advocating for CSA survivors. You have listened to us pouring out our grief over having our trust shattered by the ministry that we have respected so highly, and you have even asked for our input on documents relating to this crisis. You have had over thirty years to come clean, and these past two years, you have been confronted time and again with opportunities to do so, and you have chosen not to. So, yes, we have been betrayed once again, but it feels worse this time because we allowed you into our vulnerable space.
“I am very sorry on behalf of the man that has disappointed many people because of his past. I find peace in being able to assure you that man is not the one you know now.”
I find it odd that you have referred to yourself in the third person here, I wonder if it’s because you’re trying to disassociate yourself from the reality that you, Doug Morse, committed CSA against a minor.
That feeling carried through when I read your “accountability” document.
You refer to the Child Sexual Assault you committed as: “an incident of misconduct “; “inappropriate” and even “a brief event”
I am amazed, and heartsick that, after all we’ve gone through in this Fellowship, and after all you yourself have expressed about it, that you would minimize the crime of sexual assault in this way.
“I took ownership on the accusation as I did then.” How Doug? What did “taking ownership” look like for you? Did you admit what you had done to anyone – the boy’s parents? Did you turn yourself into the law, seek help to control your urges, step down from a place of trust and authority? No, you didn’t – you did the following: “When it happened the two of us addressed the situation immediately whereby I took full responsibility and expressed remorse. We agreed that it was satisfactorily resolved.” This was one of the most alarming parts of your accountability document – which part of being abused does the victim need to “address”? Did you feel “the situation” was something he was partly responsible for? Again, I’m struggling to understand how you could possibly feel that you “took full responsibility” for the crime you committed against this minor.
“we have remained friends” – CSA has profound and lasting impacts on a person, I’m sure this young man carries scars from this “brief event” even if, from your perspective, you see him as your friend.
“I do not know why it has been brought forward recently after all this time.” And yet you’ve witnessed historical CSA cases coming out of the woodwork these past two years and even expressed that it was good these things are being exposed. Why would it be any different in this case?
“I will continue to practice what I have implemented the past 35 years but with an even greater diligence.” What practices have you implemented? I, along with many other moms, have hosted many young people’s evenings when you’ve been in town because you’ve been the worker who packs the games; you’ve been the worker who takes the teenage boys to squash games, hiking etc etc – you’ve surrounded yourself with kids all through the decades. I’m not sure I’d call that being careful.
Doug, I’m trying to come to terms with the shock and heartbreak that the news of your CSA has brought to our family and many others ….. it’s not a matter of unforgiveness or a lack of mercy, but as you yourself expressed in a previous document you asked for my input on, and I quote:
“Child abuse is a sin and a crime, and as a crime, it is a societal problem. We must understand that forgiveness does not mean a lack of accountability or punishment for the evildoer.
The act of justice actually demonstrates the biblical love of neighbor. In fact, reporting sexual abuse is an act of love. In condemning an abuser’s actions, society vindicates survivors as being wronged by their offenders.
Reporting a crime can also be an act of love for the broader community because it prevents the abuser from harming others. And it can be an act of love toward the abuser, as it holds him or her accountable and invites repentance.
True reconciliation, when it is possible, requires fully acknowledging the evil of the abuse and the harm it causes, displaying active repentance of the evil done, and offering restitution to the victim. These actions do not impede reconciliation; they are prerequisites for it. If offenders refuse to be confronted with their abuse, it suggests they have not fully come to terms with their victims’ dignity, the evil they have done, and the pain they have caused.”
I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote here, I hope you read through these words you put together, and find the willingness to take them to heart, and put them into practice. I wish you well in this effort and I do hope you can find your way forward with honesty.
Yours in His mercy
[Name redacted]
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Doug is still trying to excuse/minimize his actions. His words do not show any true fruits of repentance at all. I greatly appreciate the answers that were written to what he wrote, it is very appropriate and true.
Hello all, I’m sorry I don’t have time to figure out how to start my own thread. I have a busy 45-hr a week job and disabled husband so my free time is naught. From what I’ve read no one has been brave enough to turn Doug in to the authorities? I’m sorry if I’m wrong- again, I don’t have time to read everything. My purpose in this post is, reading these posts brought back memories of when I babysat for a couple across the street from my parents’ home; I’m in my early 60’s. But when I was about 15, the wife’s father was dying so she was spending all of her time at the hospital with her dying father. So, the husband, came home from work, the kids were in bed and he charmed me into my first alcoholic drink and took advantage of me, oral sex, no penetration. I ran home afterwards feeling dirty, sinful, all that you can think of. I was raised in the truth; professed at 13 after pressure from my parents but had stopped giving my testimony in mtgs out of rebellion, I guess. After this happened, I felt like it was a punishment from God, in a way; because I wasn’t spiritually ‘professing’ like I should’ve been. I guess my main point is, why isn’t Doug in prison? Why do SO many religious groups protect their elders, priests, pastors or whatever you call them, from the authorities? You all or we all can post and post and post our feelings but where is the justice and the retribution? You can judge me, saying at 15, I was old enough to know better but I had never had alcohol before and in a large family, I thought he was just giving me attention, which I never got at home. I think molestation of children and sexual assault are 2 of the most overlooked crimes in this world.
You make many good points. As far as Doug or any other alleged offender goes, the legal process effectively requires a victim witness for a conviction. What is important right now is raised awareness.
So sorry for your awful experience. Your abuser is a criminal.
BMG, thank you. Any kindness makes a difference to a victim of abuse or violence.
Dear Amphisbaena, thanks for your good points, and to repeat, the person who abused you when you were 15 is a criminal and is fully responsible for his own terrible behavior. I am so sorry for you and every young person who has had such experiences.
As you and BGM have said, posting and talking can be cathartic and can raise awareness, both of which are very important. The one thing I wanted to add is that there is some progress toward “justice and retribution” for abusers in this church:
You might not have time to read all these (it’s a lot!) but it might still be helpful to know that there is some earthly “justice and retribution” happening, even if it’s just partial and slower than we’d like.
The bad news of this type just seem unending.
“… prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
– Jeremiah 6:13-14 and again in 8:10-11
An elder of the church that sexual assault many children denied that he is a pedophile. He denied in the presence of the workers that he didn’t commit such a crime and of course the workers believe him . He is a criminal that the workers protected for years and years just to keep the image of the kingdom that there is not crisis as Mike ( Miguel in Spanish) Hassett said . Such a hypocrisy words and statement. Actually Mike Hassett cover up for this elder . I wonder why Mike dare to say that there isn’t crisis in the kingdom ? Yes , Mike it is a BIG CRISIS WORLD WIDE of child sexual abuse . Don’t you see it ?
Mike support pedophiles and cover up for them. It is a shame that he was chosen to be an overseer in Canada .
Those workers didn’t want to believe it. It’s easier to believe a lie as long as they don’t have to do anything but just move on, after turning a blind eye or worse, blaming the victims. I work with a woman in her 50s whose mother still doesn’t talk to her, saying the daughter had an affair and had sex with the woman’s husband. Um, when the daughter is underage and the stepfather comes into her room secretly at night and forces himself on her and threatens her not to tell, that is not a consensual affair; that is sexual assault and molestation. But the mother chose her husband over her own daughter. To me, that’s just unreal. Sickening.
All these workers that are involved with CSA/SA need to be brought to justice and spent time in prison and the one’s that been covering it up by shifting them to other states or other countries need to be çhaged to
I just unsubscribed to this group because nothing will ever happen to these workers who ruined self-esteem of my parents their entire lives and my siblings and me. A lot of adults who were raised in the (what a joke of a name) truth – have committed suicide or feel suicidal a lot and NOTHING WILL EVER BE DONE TO THE PREDATORS. Until they die and face God BUT – BUT- they deserve to be in PRISON in this life and they never will be. It makes me sick.
amphisbaenasparkly – I just gave up my lifetime subscription also. The spiritual Vogue will anti-miss my subscribing. I kind of had this weird thought that the vogue would would get up-to-date on a certain enlightenment that has entered the world – but have resigned myself to accepting each needs to chose what they interpret as light. To me, turning more and more inward to the faith group must mean turning more and more away from something else. But I could be all so so wrong. But following the spirit wheresoever it would lead…doing it vicariously through my subscription seemed a widdle bit flaky to me. I am content to be a lone unsubscriber, rather than following the scribers wheresoever they would lead. “Lead me on, oh lead me on…” is a hymn in the hymnal that I find a bit suspect now in the writer’s meaning.
👍
Mark S, I agree. 100%. Thanks.
I understand why some people believe there’s little hope of earthly justice, but there’s also good reason for some optimism.
Please see my message above from Feb 3, 2025, with links to resources that are tracking legal investigations, prosecutions, court cases, and imprisonments.
A few examples just from recent weeks:
Bestiality!? Now THERE’S a charge I haven’t seen brought against a perp for a while, if ever!