Author: wingsfortruth2

Wings for Truth Admin

Victor’s second letter to Ray Hoffmann

Ray,

I have elected to write you this follow up letter because I never want to appear to be purposely inaccurate or hurt any cause.

Since I sent you my letter, apparently there have been many phone calls between people discussing my sexual abuse as a child. I was not privy to a single one and those discussing my case were never present. I was asked to retract your and John’s name with association to it. I was also asked to retract the story about your own abuse and sharing with others. Extended family members feel these are inaccurate.

I will say that if they are, I am not above humbling myself and apologizing. I was a child. I was not present for any (if any) conversations that occurred after my abuse was brought to light. I had not heard your or John’s names (or any workers) associated with the event before the day my husband and I had been sitting at bedside with my father in December 2021. I will agree that Dad was heavily medicated at the time. He desperately wanted to speak to me about how sorry he was that he had not protected me back then. It was an extremely uncomfortable conversation. He once again asked me for deeper details. I think he sensed I was not telling him everything. Frankly, I just didn’t want to share everything at the time. I had placed that horrible time and the events that surrounded it in a vault and I just didn’t want to remove it. My husband and children were all that knew. (and later a therapist) He mentioned a few things that I have not discussed publicly to date about a couple of people I thought to be Clarence’s victims as well. (which Dad had spoken about) I have been told they were actually Clarence’s son in laws victims. Seems their family had a lot of issues. I have to trust I am being told the truth and with that being said then have to admit, Dad may have been getting people confused in his stories and comments.

I had been building some anger towards you stewing on this. I just didn’t know when or how to address it. It wasn’t until the Dean Bruer case that I decided to say my piece. I emailed you directly. I had nothing to be ashamed about or concerned that I was inaccurate at that time.

My extended family says there is no way you and John could have known because it was a “family issue.” I was in no way even remotely related to Clarence, so I don’t totally understand that blanket comment. I suppose my greatest anger, other than to Clarence, is to a family who clearly cared so little for others that they would cover for someone and allow them to harm others outside their family in the meetings. I find it especially upsetting that it was one of his very victims that made the comment. Which goes to show just how ill people are when it comes to child sexual abuse and even their response to it.

So for the sake of transparency and accuracy, I am apologizing and retracting my accusations. I, in no way, can offer any proof of anyone’s involvement. I have family who are greatly concerned about how they are being perceived within the meeting by my comments and their place within it. I am tired. I am tired of the ugliness and vitriol.

I am placing my story back in the vault, just as it had been for the past 43 years. I wish the subject had never even come up now. It seems to have just caused a big mess when all I wanted to do was get things off my chest once and for all and also help others along the way. I have made attempts to remove the story from any public or private domain.

I’m sorry for any trouble this has caused you. Feel free to share with whomever you wish.

Sincerely,

Theresa Chambers Hensley

WINGS Note: This letter replaces a letter previously posted with the author’s approval. See https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/06/20/victors-letter-to-ray-hoffman/

Craig Fulton – failure to report?

Dear all,

First and foremost, I want to warn every reader of the contents of this letter. The topic of child sexual abuse and sexual abuse, hereafter referred to as CSA and SA respectfully, will be covered. I feel that these topics are too important to ignore, however if you do not have the mental space for this right now, take a moment and look after yourself. Come back if you feel up to it at a later point, otherwise delete it.

I did not want to write this letter. I hoped that there would be no need for such a situation, however through the actions of the overseer, Craig Fulton, I feel that there is no other option. On 18/06/2023 at 20:39, I sent the following text to Craig Fulton. 

Dear Craig,

It has come to my attention that several serious issues are being ignored in Ireland within the truth. The most serious of these are your dealings with cases of sexual abuse and child sexual abuse.

As you will be aware, under the Children First Act 2015, you are a mandated reporter under section 2 and Schedule 2 paragraph 15(g): “member of the clergy (howsoever described) or pastoral care worker (howsoever described) of a church or other religious community”

The responsibility of a mandated reporter is as such:

“Mandated persons have two main legal obligations under the Children First Act 2015: 

To report harm of children, above a defined threshold, to Tusla;
To assist Tusla, if requested, in assessing a concern which has been the subject of a mandated report.” 

In Northern Ireland, under the Criminal Law Act 1967,
“Where a person has committed [a relevant offence], any other person who, knowing or believing him to be guilty of the offence or of some [other relevant offence], does without lawful authority or reasonable excuse any act with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution, shall be guilty of an offence.” 

The law is clear. You are legally obliged to assist the law in the protection of children. This means that the moment that you hear a report of child sexual abuse, whether you believe it to be true or not, you must report it to the authorities. That I have to spell this out to you disappoints me, however you have clearly shown that you feel that the law can be ignored. Therefore, if I do not hear of reasonable evidence that you have fulfilled your legal obligations within one (1) week, I will share this message al and the context behind it with the internet, with as many friends in Ireland as possible and with as many who have left as possible. This is not an empty threat. I will do this.

Yours sincerely,

LM and JV.

The week is now up. Craig has unfortunately not provided reasonable evidence that he has reported known evidence to the appropriate authorities, nor have I heard reports of his actions in attempting the aforementioned task. I will therefore be true to my word and give the context of this message to you.

To the best of my knowledge, Craig Fulton, having received from an alleged perpetrator a spoken declaration of guilt, declined to give a statement to the local authorities about said evidence and has allowed the alleged perpetrator to attend local missions and bible studies.

Having heard of a further alleged perpetrator, Craig did not fulfil his responsibility as a mandated reporter to bring this to local authorities. This alleged perpetrator has had no consequences and is still allowed to attend all gatherings.

When John Johnston was removed from the work due to at least two allegations of abuse, there was no communication surrounding the reasons why this happened. This has meant that some people supporting John may have been put at risk through a lack of open and honest communication from those in responsible positions. John is also, as an alleged perpetrator, still permitted to attend all gatherings.

John Gunn, accused of allegations of abuse in Spain and Chile, was turned away from Carrick convention last week when some friends heard of the allegations from those close to a victim and approached Craig to request that he not be allowed to attend the convention. Craig agreed, being in the presence of 5 other individuals and John Gunn was turned away. No communication surrounding his absences was provided during the rest of the convention. Further sources determined that there were plans to send John Gunn to Chile for special meetings earlier in the year, however those in Chile refused to allow John Gunn back. It is therefore likely that Craig has known about this situation for an extended period of time.

In general, Craig and other workers on the Island of Ireland have been allowing alleged perpetrators to continue their lives with little to no consequence. When alleged perpetrators have been discovered, there has been little to no communication surrounding the issues, at the most, the individual has just been removed without further comment. This is unacceptable. Hiding those accused of CSA and SA, is allowing those individuals to have access to the vulnerable, creating the potential for more abuse.

Yours sincerely,

LM and JV

Merlin Affleck apology to friends and workers

(Note: Revised apology below: June 23, 2023)

June 19, 2023

Dear friends and fellow workers,

I want to extend a personal apology to each along with this updated Child Safe Policy. A while ago I was encouraged to seek out some professional / professing help to address the Child Safe Abuse (CSA) issues that have come to light in recent times. Three couples were chosen to help, and their dedication and professionalism have taken a heavy load off me. Recently 13 couples representing all fields in BC attended a Zoom session to review and critique the CSA policy. Stemming from this meeting, further constructive edits were made. This document was then reviewed by a CSA legal specialist for accuracy and legal compliance. Now we would like each elder to distribute a copy of the Child Safe Policy to each member attending the church in their home.

In hindsight I realize more than ever that I was in over my head and floundering as I was trying to understand and get up to speed with CSA. I do want to apologize to victims amongst us for my lack of understanding and the additional pain that this has caused them. I truly am sorry. The Ministry Safe Course we all took in 2021 was an eye opener, but that was just the beginning. I want to say “thank you” to those who have constructively reached out to help myself and others in the ministry who are coming from a background of zero understanding of CSA to become more aware and educated regarding the damage abuse does to little lives and the long-lasting effects that result.

Moving forward I do feel we are in a much stronger position to deal with CSA appropriately. Some of the new tools at our disposal are:

  • Clearer guidelines, education, and awareness that past generations did not have. Recently, it was wonderful to see the response to an apology from the BC ministry to an older couple who felt betrayed in the past. She was able to die with peace in her heart and he is presently attending meetings again. We want to recognize and apologize for any other historical cases in BC.
  • We understand that good victim therapy is expensive. We’d like to encourage victims from CSA to seek this help and If the CSA came from the BC ministry we’d like to offer to help with these costs if possible. Please feel free to bring these concerns to us for consideration.
  • Our professing /professional advisory panel (similar to Acts 6) has kindly offered to help us navigate through CSA issues. I hope we all can appreciate their efforts and sacrifice helping us find a way through these issues in a more united way. We are aware that our enemy’s most effective tool is the wedge- creating divisiveness.
  • Communication will be better going forward. We need to accept the fact that most communication will end up on social media but despite this we will endeavor to send out little updates more regularly to keep us all on the same page regarding things relevant to BC.
  • Recently a person shared their story of coming ‘full circle,’ giving God the glory for a power beyond human strength to forgive and love those who at one time had been abusive. Isn’t this the power that our Master displayed at the cross as He was being abused sexually, verbally, physically, and emotionally, and then uttering the words “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. This allowed Him to slip into eternity with a free spirit. We don’t want to overlook this most powerful tool that is at the disposal of every true child of God. This victim also stated that convention memories were the 5 most wonderful days of each year free from abuse. Going forward with more awareness and better tools, conventions can be an even safer memory maker for our youth.

Thank you for your patience in these stormy waters and I hope I can regain your trust going forward. I do love this Kingdom and especially the youth in it and pledge to do whatever is best for the Kingdom.

Your brother in Christ,

Merlin

REVISED APOLOGY June 23,2023

June 23, 2023
Dear friends and fellow workers,
I want to extend a personal apology to each along with this Child Safe Policy. I have been becoming more aware and educated regarding the damage abuse does to little lives and the long-lasting effects that result.

In hindsight I realize more than ever that I was in over my head and floundering as I was trying to understand and get up to speed with CSA (Child Sexual Abuse). I do want to apologize to the victims amongst us for my lack of understanding and the additional pain that this has caused them. I truly am sorry. The Ministry Safe Course we all took in 2021 was an eye-opener, but that was just the beginning. I want to say “thank you” to those who have constructively reached out to help me and others in the ministry who are coming from a background of zero understanding of CSA.

Now we would like each elder to distribute a copy of the Child Safe Policy to each member attending the church in their home. To address the Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) issues that have come to light in recent times, I was encouraged to seek out some professional/professing help. Three couples (similar to Acts 6) were chosen to help us and their dedication and professionalism has taken a huge load off me. Recently 13 couples representing all fields in BC attended a Zoom session to review and critique the CSA policy. Stemming from this meeting, further constructive edits were made. The policy was then reviewed by 2 lawyers and a CSA professional to ensure the children are protected and our policy is in legal compliance.

Moving forward: we are in a much stronger position to deal with CSA appropriately with more awareness and better tools:

  • We want to recognize and apologize for historical cases in BC. Recently, it was wonderful to see the response to an apology from the BC ministry to an older couple who felt betrayed in the past. She was able to die with peace in her heart and he is presently attending meetings again.
  • Clearer guidelines, education, and awareness that past generations did not have. I hope we all can work together to find a way through these issues in a more united way. We are aware that our enemy’s most effective tool is wedge-creating divisiveness.
  • We understand that good victim therapy is expensive. We’d like to encourage victims from CSA to seek this help and if the CSA came from the BC ministry we’d like to offer to help with these costs if possible. Please feel free to bring these concerns to us for consideration.
  • To help us navigate through CSA issues, communication will be better going forward. We need to accept the fact that most communication will end up on social media but despite this, we will endeavour to send out little updates more regularly to keep us all on the same page regarding things relevant to BC.
  • Making conventions a safe memory maker for our youth. A victim stated that convention memories were the 5 most wonderful days of each year free from abuse.

This morning I read over the story of the man who was stripped and wounded and left half dead (Luke 10:30-35). Hopefully going forward I have learned a little more about compassion from victims who have shared their stories and instead of walking past without understanding I will have a toolbox with some oil (comfort) and wine (disinfectant for bitterness) and love to bind up wounds.

We are more thankful than ever for our innkeepers (elders & wives) who can offer rest and safety and a place of healing for the victims amongst us.

Thank you for your patience in these stormy waters and I hope I can regain your trust going forward. I do love this Kingdom and especially the youth in it and pledge to do whatever is best for the Kingdom.

Your brother in Christ,

Merlin

child-safe-policy-for-elders-friends-and-ministers-in-bc-adapted-bc-ca-az-hi-nv2023jun20.final_Download

Rob Newman letter to friends June 2023

20 June 2023 Update

Greetings–

We intended to get weekly updates posted here in this folder, so our apologies since this hasn’t always happened – we’ve just been fully occupied with travel, visits and communications.

Glad to say our friends who are psychologists, clinical social workers and professional counselors who have made themselves available to assist in finding help, now have their website up and active: https://dev.resourcesforhealing.org/home We appreciate the care and help represented by their efforts and sacrifice to reach out and make themselves available. We have also been reaching out to known victims to see if there are ways we can help them receive therapy, if needed. We invite any victims to be in touch.

In the last couple weeks we have worked at addressing some new CSA allegations that have been brought to our attention. All of these have been asked to not attend any meetings until risk is assessed and appropriate measures are taken:

  • Gilbert Smith, an allegation from when he was in the work about 20 years ago was sent to us, he is going through the professional risk evaluation process, as mentioned in the Child Safe Policy document (here in this folder, and sent out to everyone a few weeks ago).
  • Rodney Loera, several allegations from 30-40 years ago when he was in the work in Mexico and Central America have come to light, he also is beginning the risk evaluation process with a professional.
  • Manny Delacruz, there have been some behavioral questions and his testimony at Casa Grande convention raised alarms and precipitated a CSA report by a concerned person. Language and misunderstanding have been an added complication. All of his children (a daughter and three sons) are focusing on helping Manny strictly address issues while they await the CSA report outcome.
  • Joe Schoen, two allegations have recently surfaced from some 20 years ago when he was in the work, he is beginning the risk evaluation process.

Through the past little while we have felt His help and presence near and some scriptures have become more real and meaningful. Maybe we can share a couple here:

  • Nahum 1 – this whole chapter tells of God taking vengeance, even mentioning Him being furious. We know that nothing at all escapes His knowing, and everything is within His power: woe be us if we feel we can hide anything from Him. In His own time and way He does cleanse His kingdom, on many levels. Problems do happen, but an important test of our faith is whether we will follow Jesus in how we react and respond to problems. Nahum 1:3 “… the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and the storm”– it is amazing how God is working purposefully and carefully in what we may perceive as ‘chaos.’ May our faith make it possible for Him to include us in the solution that honors Him. Also Nahum 1:7 “… He knoweth them that trust in Him.” It’s wonderful when we honor Him by trusting His plan and timing.
    The resurrection belongs to Him– the power that does the glorious when there seems to be no hope.
  • 1Corinthians 1:19-31 – especially v23, God’s way is a stumblingblock and foolishness to the logic and reason of men– how Jesus got the victory through the crucifixion. As He said in Matthew 18, humility is crucial– we honor God by being quiet within, asking Him to show us His way, and allowing Him to give us the grace to walk with Him in His way– then, v31, the glory goes to the Lord where it belongs. As we cling to the Rock, the stability and peace of the Rock becomes ours and we reflect the same precious peace to the world around us.

In closing, we want to again thank all of you who have selflessly helped us with the current issues, decisions and needs. We also thank all of you for your care and prayers, knowing our Father is watching over all things.

With care,

Rob and helpers

Lack of transparency in BC

Dear Merlin,

This letter is also addressed to Reid, Paul and Joshua.

It has come to our attention that you are spreading the word that we are speaking to people to gather support for us having lost our Sunday meeting and asking them to speak up on our behalf. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We have NOT requested of ONE single person to reach out to any one of you with respect to our meeting being “taken away”. We encourage you to ask anyone that have written you about the removal of our meeting whether we had asked them to do so.

We continue with our Sunday meeting. Nothing to take away. We enjoy it when others attend our Sunday meeting on an ad-hoc basis to add to our number.

Note the following for the record:

  1. With respect to our Sunday meeting, we have not gone looking for support from any person whatsoever.
  2. Many people have however heard of the decision regarding our meeting and have reached out to US. Many of those people we have never even met before. Most of those people have shared with us their frustrations with the workers in BC and the mishandling of issues (see 3 below).
  3. We have communicated the following concerns to you (as have many others):
    • Handling of CSA issues and suppression of transparency. (Why is there still no general notification of current CSA investigations in BC in order that victims be made aware. Also there has been no notification of members stepping down from Merlin’s CSA committee, why not?);
    • The unacceptable treatment, silencing and bullying of sister workers;
    • Overseers and workers’ abuse of power;
    • Suggested changes to restore trust and a healthy foundation for our fellowship.
  4. We have communicated with friends regarding the manner in which you, as ministers in a position of trust have been conducting yourselves. One such issue is bold faced lying and below is a recent example:
    • Reid and Joshua, you have spoken to people this past week suggesting that you have been trying to arrange to meet with us and that we have not accepted this – HOW do you manage to lie so blatantly? You know that after Gospel meeting when we greeted you at the door that we INVITED you to come to our place. Specifically, you Joshua. We were genuinely pleased to see you when you took Paul’s place with Reid and we specifically said to you after your first Gospel meeting “thank you for a Gospel message today and please come and visit us anytime”. You know that we invited you directly more than once and you, Reid, know and heard that invitation after Gospel meeting. You have our cell phone numbers and email addresses and we have not received a single request to meet.
    • If anyone of you did send requests to meet with us and if we declined or if you did not receive a reply from us: please forward the time-stamped communication to us and everyone on this letter.

There have been meetings with concerned friends in BC where you are KNOWN to have LIED and be very clear: several people present in those meetings KNOW the truth. How do you expect the friends in our fellowship to have any trust in the ministry when you yourselves don’t follow the most basic Doctrine?

Merlin, we understand that communication was sent to elders recently regarding baptism arrangements. While we had heard of it, we never received any details. We then contacted Reid by text to ask if there were recent communications and were told there was communication about baptism, but without any details. We still have not received details from Reid or anyone else. This does beg the question whether you, Merlin, Paul, Joshua and Reid consider our children as unworthy of baptism? Interestingly, our text to Reid was recent and further evidence of how there has been ample opportunity for Reid and Joshua to make contact to meet with us.

Kind regards

Jeremy and Leonie Tomlinson

WINGS Note: See more at

https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/05/11/suggestions-to-address-serious-concerns-about-the-ministry/

https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/04/26/letter-from-friends-to-overseer-merlin-affleck-and-vancouver-workers/

Letter from BC worker Edward Emberton

June 2023

It has become clear that questions are being asked about how I, Edward Emberton, came to be in the work in Canada.

First, I would like to make it clear that I was not transferred to Canada from England, as is often the case when immoral or illegal behavior has come to light. There has never been any suggestion of anything like this in my case.

As many of you already know, I spent 5 years in the work in England, and was asked to go to Switzerland as a temporary exchange for Rheinhard Wicks. This was intended to be for 1 year but became 2, and was a transformative part of my experience. I began to love my place in the work while I was in Switzerland, and a part of my heart is still there. Unfortunately, during my time there, I became ill with Lyme disease, having been bitten by a tick a few months before going. I returned to England early, and it was soon clear that I must take a break from the work, and I’m grateful to this day for one of the friends who told me about Lyme disease, which made it possible to get treatment. It was 4½ years before my health was back to a point that I could think about the work again.

I was very aware when I arrived in Canada that speaking openly about the following few years would create judgements toward me, and create more questions and division, rather than encouraging unity. It seemed best that we would speak openly about my experience if it would be beneficial to the fellowship, and otherwise not. I feel the time has come to speak openly, and I hope no one feels mislead by this approach. I have been grateful to be judged not by my past but by my present amongst you. Very few know my full story. I have never said anything untrue but we have felt it better to not include all details until now.

After 4½ years I reached the point that I felt strong enough to be in the work again, and was grateful to be given the chance of this in England. This was a very positive time, and confirmed to me that my calling was to the work. During the next 18 months I became aware of a case of Child Sexual Abuse in my field, and when the victim, aged 18, confided in me and confirmed what one of the friends had suggested to me and my co-worker, it was clear to me that she was speaking the truth. I approached my overseer and explained what I had seen and heard, and asked for his advice on how to proceed. I was very disappointed to be told “We have experience with this girl, and she is a liar” which we have since heard is a common response. I was told to cut off all contact with her as it was inappropriate that I, a single male, would be in communication with a young female on such matters. I relied that I would be very happy to cut off all contact, as soon as he would arrange someone more appropriate than myself to give her the help and support that she needed, and that I had promised to give her. He refused to do this, and two weeks later it was clear that he would ask me to step back from the work. I was very grateful for the offer of Shaun Buckley to intercede for me, as we had been co-workers for a short time before this, but I knew that no one was able to help me now. Two weeks later I was dismissed form the work, and the victim was cut off from fellowship, leaving her father to be in full fellowship. He was made an elder in due course, but got offended and died outside of fellowship.

The opportunity soon arose for me to go and work as an electrician in Switzerland, and I was happy to accept this, partly because I felt it would be helpful for both sides to have some distance. I worked there for about 7 years before I felt the door was closing. During this time I was determined to find a solution, and not just ‘run away’ as others had done in the past, and so returned to England for conventions and Special Meetings when I had the opportunity. Twice I begged the overseer for a solution, but he refused. The third request for a visit was refused, and so I wrote a few times, which only made him angry. I understood at that point there could never be resolution during his lifetime, and found this is a very dark place, when all hope is lost.

I came to Canada for my brother’s wedding and met with Shaun en route for a few days. We had a good visit and I shared my feelings that Switzerland was closing down for me, and that it was time to move on, although I was unsure where to. BC felt right to me, and Shaun encouraged me to explore the options. After the wedding, I returned to convention in Switzerland where the message was repeated many times, “Lift up your eyes and move on” like Abraham did. I felt this was a very clear message to me, and so started exploring the options. I soon found that a job offer would be needed, although this proved difficult, but then I flew over for Shaun’s funeral, and returned with two job offers. The rest is history, as they say!

I feel that my time in BC has been a time of healing for the hurt caused in England, which I am grateful for. I felt confident that CSA would be dealt with very differently than in England, and was very happy to hear it spoke on during our virtual convention in 2021. Ī welcomed the training we did, and would welcome more. Unfortunately, this ha snot brought a change of attitude here, and I have been very distressed to find a similar approach to the one I saw in England. I have asked for updates to the cases here in BC but it hasn’t happened, all our information on local cases comes from hearsay, which has weighed heavily on me recently, but I am encouraged to hear of some places where this is no longer the case. I yearn for the day that survivors in BC get the recognition and help that they deserve.

I believe that the cleansing that is now beginning will be positive for our fellowship despite being painful, and hope for a brighter future. I also understand that releasing this account of my experiences will cause some to view me in a negative light, and this could mean that it is best for me to step back from the work completely. If it seems appropriate, I would very much like to be active again one day, my intention has always been to be a blessing as a servant to the lambs and the sheep of His fold, and I hope I can continue to be this, in whatever capacity. My choice would have been to leave the past behind, but recent events and rumours force us to be more transparent. Our recent study in Proverbs 21:3 states “To do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” which seems very relevant – my sacrifice in the work means nothing if it is facilitating abuse of whatever kind.

I am grateful for the help of my Heavenly Father through each stage of my experiences, and feel this has forced me to grow and mature in ways that could not have been possible otherwise. I am also grateful for those I have grown close to in each place where I have labored. I hope this growth can be put to good use.

WINGS Note: Edward is currently on the “Care of health” list by choice

To the workers advocating for change

WINGS Note: This is a letter from an online network of friends who are encouraging workers to start and continue taking action for a safer fellowship.

From the authoring group: “This letter, published on June 17, was written by a young woman in our group to express our support and encouragement for workers advocating for change within the fellowship. The bullet points in the letter were formulated using input from members of the Connected and Concerned Friends group, our worldwide group of 1500+ members concerned about the prevalence of child sexual abuse and sexual abuse within the fellowship. We created our platform on June 4th, 2023 as a way to keep people updated, connected, having important conversations, and working toward positive change. In all of this, the goal is to uphold Jesus, and support the healthy examination of traditions.”

Connected and Concerned Friends https://connected-and-concerned-friends.mn.co/

We see you. We appreciate you. We care for you. We are so thankful for your continuous effort to restore trust and to create a safer community.

We can’t imagine how tremendously difficult it is for you right now. You’re hearing the desperate cries just as we are. You’re processing the layers of betrayal and distrust just as we are. You’re realizing how you’ve contributed to a silent and unsafe community, just as we are.

You’re receiving pressure to stand up, both from the crying souls around you and from within. There seems to be an expectation for you to suddenly get everything perfectly right without proper training. While you’re still hurting. Sometimes your heartfelt, best-intentioned words are attacked, your intentions misinterpreted. We understand how much that must hurt. We see you trying, and for that we are so thankful. We want to encourage you to keep fighting, keep working for justice, for safety, for the victim-survivors, for the women, children, and men in the fellowship. It’s ok if it’s not perfect from the first try. We often learn best from the act of trying. We promise to do our best to be gracious and understanding with our feedback.

While all of this is going on, you’re expected to maintain your position and routine in the ministry – continuing to visit homes, continuing gospel meetings and conventions, continuing to “be there” for everyone around you – while you’re struggling to process everything yourself. The ministry you’ve given your life to has betrayed you. Your companions, your overseers, those you’ve looked to for guidance, those you’ve confided in. And yet, you continue to have a love for the ministry, a love for souls. And that’s why you keep fighting. You know God is still reigning, that God is righteous in His judgment and cares so deeply for the victim-survivors you’re fighting for.

We see you facilitating the difficult conversations with the workers around you. We see you listening to the stories of the victim-survivors. We see you, all hours of the day, holding space and time for the needs of the people around you. We see you taking action and implementing change.

You’re not sure how much longer your boss is going to be in his position. And yet you feel compelled to continue under his direction. There are so many conflicting commands surrounding you: from the concerned, from the victim-survivors, from the young workers, from the head workers, from those asking you to be silent. We encourage you to continue to listen to the voice that matters the most: our Heavenly Father’s. And while we long to be an encouragement and support to you, we know that He is the greatest source of comfort, hope, and support for you, as well as us.

These are a few of the things we’ve been sharing in the “Encouraging Thoughts” portion of our group:

  • “There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven” (hymn #54)
  • Something good and pure will come from this. God will not be mocked. Stand true and faithful.
  • Samuel listened to God. He heard the hard things and then he ACTED with the support of God. He stayed true during the hard times and God gave the victory.
  • I’m thankful God can give us comfort even while we fight the battle. We may not have peace yet but God can keep us in the fight.
  • The church is the plant, and God is the gardener, and He is using His loppers right now. This is what we must be willing for if we desire to remain His church.
  • 2 Corinthians 1 gives such a beautiful illustration of what a healthy relationship between the church and our workers ought to be.
  • I Peter 1:3-9
  • Hymn #6 (When I survey the wondrous cross)
  • Hymn #69 (To whom, Lord, shall we go?)
  • Jesus is the only way, only truth, only light, only Son of God, only hope, only Word and only Redeemer! A church isn’t the basis of Salvation. Rules aren’t the basis of Salvation. Only Jesus is!
  • A study of God using women: Rahab, Deborah & Jael, Miriam, Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla
  • God sees you. God knows exactly where you are. You may feel lost, but God has found you. He is already all around you.
  • Psalms 147:3
  • “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.”
  • The children of Israel trembled before Goliath, with none willing to go before him. It took a lad, with a sling and a stone to bring down a giant. David’s brother was angry, questioning his motive in coming to the battle. Saul was willing to give David armor, but unwilling to face the giant himself.
  • 2 Corinthians 4:16
  • 2 Timothy 3
  • Psalms 46:10
  • “If He brought you to it, He’ll bring you through it.”
  • “And though my lot be cast today, somewhere I would not choose, help me to know that in thy will, I shall but gain not lose” (hymn #259)
  • Luke 16:10-11

And here are some words of encouragement that folks from our group (a group of nearly 1400 friends supporting you) have written specifically for you:

  • Perfect love casts out fear.
  • God is working with us ❤️ thank you
  • Truth sets us free. Any delay in removing predators implies guilt or complicity. Survivors have waited decades, years to feel safe in fellowship. Thank you for ensuring meetings are a refuge, not a torture chamber.
  • Seek Jesus alone. Step out in faith with him.
  • Jesus doesn’t change, but we must. For all of these years, we have not. Seems like we’ve focused more on Paul than on Jesus (more on appearance than the weightier matters). We completely support all of your efforts to be more like Jesus. We are trying to do the same.
  • “In the warfare we are waging For the truth and for the right, When the conflict fierce is raging With the powers of the night, God needs workers brave and true; May He, then, depend on you?” (hymn #372) Thank you for being among “The Brave and the True.”

We are here, “waiting in the wings” to help with anything we possibly can. To support you, to work with you, to facilitate the needed changes within our fellowship. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with anything we can do to be of help for the greater work currently happening.

Finally, if you are not ok, that is ok. There is support available, and it is ok to seek out that support.

With a unified purpose for truth, honesty, and God’s will to be done,

Connected & Concerned Friends

Victor’s letter to Ray Hoffmann

WINGS Note: Sent to Ray Hoffmann in reference to his recent ‘letter of apology’ to the friends:

https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/06/19/jim-holt-and-ray-hoffman-letters-of-apology/

This letter was posted on June 20, 2023, with the author’s approval.

However the author faced significant adverse comment and has now asked that the letter be removed and replaced with a new letter. See https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/06/28/victors-second-letter-to-ray-hoffman/

The Power Dynamics of Sexual Abuse

My name is Loyd R Heimbruch.  Some people on Wings know me, others may know who I am.  Some people may not know my name, but they may know me as “Andrew’s Dad”.

Andrew was born with a disability.  He has Down Syndrome and Autism.  He is mostly non-verbal, but he does understand when spoken to, and he can read. He can speak two to four word simple sentences if he is motivated to do so.

When Andrew was in elementary school, he was open enrolled to a neighboring school district for their special education program.  His transportation was on the school’s van for children with disabilities.

One day when Andrew was in 5th grade, he was dropped off later than usual.  He immediately went to the back yard, took off all of his clothes, and sat on his swing set.  He had never done anything like this before (and he hasn’t done it since).  So Priscilla and I talked about it, and we were suspicious.  Andrew could not tell us why he took off his clothes, could not tell us why the van was late, and could not tell us what happened that day.  So the next day we took him to a pediatrician we knew that specialized in CSA cases.  The exam was inconclusive.  We talked to the school and arrangements were made immediately for him to ride the regular school bus with the other children. This was an appropriate modification to accommodate the situation.

Andrew is now 27 years old.  Since he was a young child, he would stay with me in the men’s dorms at conventions.  When he needed an afternoon nap I couldn’t leave him unattended in the men’s dorm, because of DTA (Don’t Trust Anybody).  So Priscilla would take him to the women’s dorm to sleep where he could safely be left unattended and checked on occasionally.  Or she could stay with him, as there was a speaker in there.  There wasn’t a speaker in the men’s dorms.

As he became an adolescent, and then a young adult, we continued to use the same procedures because this was safest for him.  He is a vulnerable adult, and we cannot place him in a situation where he could be harmed.  Most of the ladies at convention understood this.  Andrew understands that his “equipment” is just like his Dad’s, but he has no clue why.  He understands that men and women are different, but he has no idea why.  The ladies pretty much understood this (because it was obvious).  One year someone complained.  However, we couldn’t do it any differently, so we began preparing to leave convention.  Just before we were going to start packing, Priscilla was informed that if he stayed in a particular area away from others she could have him in the Women’s dorms.  So it worked out, but it was an unsettling experience for us.

Well, the thing is that a vulnerable adult has the exact same issues regarding SA as a child has regarding CSA.  For all practical purposes, he has an adult body with a child’s brain, and very limited communication skills.

The core of the issue is that any relationship that Andrew has with anyone is a relationship where one person has the advantage.  And it isn’t him.  It is not possible for him to have a relationship with others that is a balanced, equal relationship.  The person on the other side has the power.  If something inappropriate happens, it most certainly is not his fault.  He cannot prevent it.  It is completely and entirely on the other party.  He wouldn’t be able to talk about it.  He wouldn’t feel guilty.  But he would feel violated.  This is only one example of an unequal relationship. Other unequal relationships are:

  • Adult – Child
  • Older Experienced Adult – Young Naive Adult
  • Adult – Vulnerable Adult
  • Supervisor – Employee
  • Male in the Work – Female in the Work
  • Male Overseer – Any Other Worker
  • Any Worker – Any Non-Worker in the Fellowship
  • And others that I’m not going to get into here.

The key here is who has the power.  If one person is perceived as having more power (whether they actually have it or not), then anything that occurs of a sexual behavior is entirely the responsibility of the one who has the power.  The victim is blameless and guiltless, just like my son Andrew.

I do not for a moment believe that there can be a consensual relationship between a brother and sister worker.  There is no such thing.  The men have the authority and all of the power.  The power imbalance is so great that it is impossible to consider them as equals.  Having an inappropriate relationship with a sister worker is an abuse of power, unless they both leave the work and get married.

Even if the woman initiates it, it is still all on him.  Because he has the power.  If this happens where the man is CEO of a corporation, he’s gone.  Even if the woman initiated it, because he is the one in authority.  He stands to lose everything.  His job, his marriage, his family, and worst of all his integrity.  It may be very difficult to resume his career in a similar position.  A person needs to keep their body under subjection (I Corinthians 9:27).  Otherwise, he should become a castaway.  That’s what it says.  Do people just check in their brain at the door when opportunity is there?  Much better to use the brain that the Lord gave us and use the door as a way of escape.

I was mentioning to Mrs. Wonderful the other day about some of my experiences when various women tried to initiate something.  Some before we were married, some after.  It is absolutely necessary to keep my integrity.

This is even more important for clergy, as they have the additional responsibility of being in a position of trust.  They are the shepherds of souls, that are thought of as being willing to lay down their lives for the sheep.  If they harm the sheep instead of protecting them, there will be a heavy price to pay.  The Good Shepherd is simply not going to put up with it.

Speak the Truth in Love, with temperance.  Be ye angry, and sin not.  The truth will overcome.

Love in Christ

Loyd R Heimbruch

Don Reynolds dismissed from ministry

Dear friends in western PA field:

I want to make contact with you and inform you of my current situation. I regret to have to write to you that as of Tuesday of this week that I am dismissed from the work due to an imprudent move that I made 40 yrs. ago now. It was with a 15 yr old minor, and was a CSA offense.

I am very sorry for this. And I have sought to live uprightly since. I regret that it has led to me being dismissed from the work. But I realize any history of this sort is not acceptable.

I ask for your prayers and help and mercy.

At present I am able to stay with relatives that are in Ohio, for which I am very thankful.

Now to conclude – heartfelt Thanks for listening attentively to our messages in the gospel mtgs. and for your kind hospitality to us in your homes.

With sincere love of Christ and your brother in the faith,

Don Reynolds

WINGS Note: Don went in the work in the 1960s He is now in his 80s, and would have been in his 40s at the time of his offense against a 15-year-old minor. Don has labored in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Peru, and Bolivia.

Update: On June 19 WINGS was advised by people who attend Reynolds’ usual meeting that he has been told by the workers that he is not permitted to attend any meetings of any type. See https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/06/19/don-reynolds-dismissed-from-ministry/#comment-24379
WINGS has not seen any official notification from workers.