Author: wingsfortruth2

From: Craig Winquist
Date: Thur Jun 8. 2023 at 11:52 AM
Subject: Concerning the recent awareness about abuse in Kansas City

To Whom it may concern:

In the Interest of the safety of our children we have a zero tolerance policy. In the best interest of all, we need to make our friends aware whenever we know that there is a perpetrator who has been in our midst and is currently active in our fellowship. This helps us to be responsible to each other and especially to our children. When this is known they will not be allowed to attend any meetings in person. If they travel and spend time in different areas this suspension applies to any meeting anywhere not only their home area.

We are sad to learn and need to share that Rick Simpson has sexually abused two minors in the past. Because this has come to light we have asked him not to attend in person meetings anywhere. This restriction is effective immediately.

Currently we know of only two victims. We want to encourage any victims of sexual assault to come forward no matter who the abuser was. Please report it to the proper legal authorities. It would be good also to let your local workers know, so they can make necessary adjustments for the local meetings.

The Missouri Abuse Hotline is 1-800-392-3738. Another helpful source is to use the hot line (503-386-4634). This hot line will notify workers about the perpetrator and provide guidance tor therapy if needed. Another source the RAINN hotline (1-800-656-4673) and the suicide hotline (988) for anyone in crisis.

Sincerely yours,

Craig Winquist

We are in the midst of very trying times. Some suffer in silence and others have shown tremendous courage in speaking up. Most of us feel helpless when we see and hear about head workers, workers, elders and friends continuing to cover up abuse. 

The basis of many of the crimes and cover-ups can be attributed to the power imbalance of overseers. This power has been unlimited and without oversight and has resulted in rules that are not based on Jesus’s teachings. The tradition of having a certain acceptable outward appearance has been a way to control people and it needs to stop. 

Jesus dressed like a typical person of his day. We know this because there are several instances documented where he “disappeared into the crowd”. 

There are those amongst us who have felt the need to take a stand to show support for victims.  Going forward, you will see support in the form of wearing non-traditional attire, such as women wearing pants and less focus on conforming to an outward standard.  This will be at conventions and other gatherings. Abuse and ease of access is an unfortunate result of making women and girls wear skirts.  Thus, it seems there is more of an urgency to allow people to choose their clothing as appropriate.  We are not doing this to rebel against God, as garments and adornments are not a sin or a criminal act. We want to give a clear message that we no longer tolerate the embedded culture in the Ministry of bullying, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, misconduct and cover-up of such.

There are many man-made rules and traditions that have been elevated to doctrine and confused with righteousness. We love the fellowship and appreciate everyone who is trying to be honest and transparent during this time of turmoil. We do not want to cause offence in any way, but we take this stand to ensure that things are put right, so that fellowship can be preserved. This nonconformance to the outward standard is not a rebellion against God or our faith, but is a show of loving support for those of you – women, men and children who have suffered and are suffering. We support you.

All are welcome to join in and show support in your area as you feel comfortable. We are a family, and we are very thankful for the support and love we receive from each other.

The future of this fellowship will include all people of every race and culture freely wearing clothing, make-up or jewellery and hairstyles they are comfortable with.  We must not return to a time of manipulative and controlling rules that focus on outward compliance.  This only encourages predators of all kinds to enforce these rules with their abuses.  

We wish to turn our focus to Jesus’ teachings and our service to God, not man.

Your brothers and sisters in Christ.

I don’t want this posted with my name because I don’t want the “who” to have any impact on the message. I know this story could belong to many women on the truth. 

I would like to ask if anyone is talking about the subject of domestic abuse and child abuse that is not sexual within this fellowship.

I don’t live in California but I can only imagine that the Tenniswood promotion of Catholic doctrine regarding divorce would make the situation I’m about to describe much more prevalent on the west coast.

I was a child, sexually abused by an older child (who went to meeting and whose parents were good friends with my parents). I didn’t tell my parents because, of course, I was raised with the “sex before marriage is sin” rule and no one talked about the difference between consent and non-consent when I was a kid. It only happened once and after that I always stayed with the adults when that teenager was around. However, I carried my “secret sin” around with me for a long time. 

When I was a teen, I was very awkward and not very good at conversation, and was constantly aware that I was not a “good catch” because I had this “sin” in my background. I didn’t date and at one point thought I should probably just be a worker because I was not the kind of person anyone would want to marry.

Then I met the person who was to become my husband and oddly, it seemed he was not at all bothered by my report of the abuse I suffered as a child. The fact that he seemed grossly curious about it should have been a red flag but I was much too young to understand that. I also didn’t feel I could talk to my parents about any of this because I believed that anything short of going into the ministry was a huge disappointment to them. 

I jumped right into an ill-advised marriage with someone who was 6 years older than me when I was barely out of my childhood. 

My marriage was 25 years of continual physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse and gaslighting that turned me into a different person altogether. 

At one point, early on, I called law enforcement after he physically attacked me and that went badly. I didn’t recognize the signs of a narcissist at that time, but in hindsight, he was a text book example. His ability to charm and lie to the police and convince them I was just crazy from being postpartum got me charged with domestic violence and convinced me there was no help from the police for abused women. I went home at that time and my parents unknowingly perpetuated his abuse by telling me I needed to return home and work on my marriage and on controlling my temper because marriage is forever.

I know that over the years, many people suspected things were bad for me but I didn’t talk about it. I wanted to believe that maybe some day he would change and come back to the fellowship and I didn’t want him to have to overcome any judgement because I had gossiped about him. I learned to be a “peacemaker”. For me that meant that I learned how to take the abuse quietly and constantly walk on eggshells trying to avoid making him angry. 

Many times over the years, I contemplated leaving, but his threats kept me in line. He told me that the friends would look down on me. The workers would look down on me. I’d have to be alone the rest of my life because the friends don’t remarry. He even threatened to do whatever it took to keep me from having my kids if I left him, even going so far as threatening their lives. 

Even after he stopped going to meetings, he threatened me with going to talk to the workers, the friends, and my parents if I was “acting crazy”. He bullied me using the workers and scripture as his clubs. 

During this time, my parents had started to realize that the California stance on divorce was absolutely not from God, but I still didn’t share the details of my life. I did see them showing compassion to those who had been through divorce and I appreciated that. I was so pleased when my dad even said “it’s obvious people don’t get divorced just because. It’s a horrible experience and not something to be taken lightly.” They were beginning to have their eyes opened to the suffering of people who went through divorce. They acknowledged that the bullying perpetuated by those in the truth was an unnecessary and inappropriate response to someone who had been through what was almost always a very difficult personal experience. 

I had decided that as soon as my children were out of the house, I’d leave. I had established a career that would support me. I had started moving things he wouldn’t miss out of the house to storage. 

When my youngest son graduated from college, he moved out to live with his fiance because he couldn’t deal with his father’s abuse any longer. My ex husband became so enraged when he realized that the youngest had moved out that he threw me down the stairs and then when I wasn’t badly injured he shoved me down the other half of the flight and said he would kill me. The look in his eyes made me believe he would. 

He also contacted a family member of his who reported to the workers that my son was “living in sin”. What followed was an unfortunate contact to my son and his fiance to tell them that they were not welcome in meeting until they got married. It didn’t force them to get married sooner, just made them want to have nothing to do with truth. 

The next day, my abuser was gone for a few hours and I called a few amazing humans who showed up and helped me move a few things out of the house. I stayed with a dear work friend for a few days until I found a place to live. 

I am incredibly grateful that when my life crumbled apart that day, it was actually the start of an incredible journey of healing: physically, spiritually and mentally. 

Imagine my surprise when my family apologized for pressuring me to return. When my family admitted that the near “sainthood” we had bestowed on an aunt who endured decades with an abusive alcoholic and always kept a sweet spirit was not a healthy thing to hold before the girls in the family.

I was pleasantly surprised when the friends in my area were incredibly supportive and loving towards me even though I had left my husband. 

But fear of “breaking the rules” and being judged by my brothers and sisters in truth kept me imprisoned in my abusive marriage for a quarter of a century. Witnessing the abuse I lived with had an effect on my children that they are still working to heal from as adults. 

Also, my ex-husband was a pervert who exposed my children to pornography and a twisted view of sexuality by talking about how little girls were “going to be a real handful sexually”. He was raised in “Truth” by abusive parents and everyone knew his family was abusive but no one stepped up to report the abuse or help the kids. Cycles of abuse like this are everywhere in this fellowship. 

I’ve been scolded at a Wyoming convention for not praying hard enough for my husband because scripture says they can be saved because their spouse prays. I’ve been told I should be praying for him so we can be reconciled. I’ve been told, when visiting Arizona, that as long as I wasn’t planning to remarry it was ok for me to take part in meeting. 

These comments make me incredibly sad because it is a pattern of abuse among friends and workers that is considered ok but it’s not! Abuse in a marriage and abuse of children physically and mentally should be no more accepted than CSA. I know we have a long ways to go in purging CSA from the fellowship and that is where all the focus is right now. However, I hope this can be the start of a no tolerance policy towards abuse of all kinds. 

Just one of many abused and bullied spouses. 

WINGS Note – Background: Howard was convicted in 1969 of raping a 19 year-old girl who was waiting to go into the work. He served time in prison. After his release, he was promoted to Elder with meeting in his home. When the workers became aware he was abusing a child, no appropriate legal or moral actions were taken. Years later, when it was discovered he was abusing yet another child, he was no longer allowed to take part. Again, no appropriate legal or moral actions were taken. In fact, quite the opposite as the following letter clearly shows. While this was playing out between the workers and the perpetrator, the victims were silenced, shunned, victim blamed, and their salvation was weaponized.

This letter shows alarming issues.

The worker was aware of his legal obligation to report, yet was waiting for the perpetrator to voluntarily report the repeat abuse to a counselor, who would then make the mandatory report.

After completing a prison sentence the perpetrator had previously been made an elder, with a meeting in his home, and the overseer was now keen to restore him to taking part in the meeting.

The worker expressed love and appreciation for the perpetrator but no obvious concern for the victims.

Token presence of a worker at a counselling session was suggested “just to establish that the ministry has been involved in your rehabilitation“.

2463 [redacted] CT. NE

KEIZER OR 97303

February 25, 2005

Dear Howard and …

Far too much time has passed since I should have written you both, and I want to begin this letter with a sincere apology for having been so negligent in my dealings with you. I did especially appreciate our last little chat after the gospel meeting in Tucson before I left Arizona, Howard, and felt that there was truly a difference in your spirit and attitude toward at that time that boded well for the hope of reconciliation in the future. Nearly all of the reports that I have had since then from both the workers and the friends have also been very positive.

Paul’s words to the Corinthians in II Cor. 5:18 have been special to me the last year or so, where he reminded them that God had entrusted to his servants the ministry of reconciliation. The hope of our ministry is that those who hear our message will be reconciled to God, and that is often through the avenue of being reconciled to our brethren. We’re glad that we have the confidence that you do have a real desire to be reconciled with __________, and I am convinced that the letter that you wrote is a wonderful first step towards making that happen.

I did want to hold the letter a while before sending it on to __________, to be sure in my own mind that the Arizona workers and friends were comfortable with the progress that you were making there. However, I don’t justify in any way the length of time that I held it – that was inexcusable negligence, and again I freely apologize for it. My hope is that you will forgive me and that my negligence will have not affected the progress of your reconciliation with               .

It’s very likely that you may be feeling frustrated because of still being restricted from taking part, but that is really one of the less important issues in this situation. We well understand that the liberty to take part neither saves us nor deprives us of salvation. Jesus made so clear in John 17:3 that salvation is being born again and developing a living relationship with our heavenly Father. Nevertheless there are times when we, as the ministry, must ask people to refrain from taking part. These situations usually fall into one of the following categories: (1) Their present actions or way of life are clearly placing their salvation in jeopardy. (2) There is still a question as to whether some serious habits or actions in the past have been completely left behind. (3) Their present way of life is such that it brings blight on the testimony of our fellowship and/or ministry, and we feel that to preserve the testimony of our fellowship and/or ministry we must express our disapproval of their deeds.

Your situation would fall into the second class and that is why we asked you to refrain from taking part. As I mentioned to you in our very first visit, we didn’t hold against you the fact that you had served time in prison. That was in the past: However, when evidence of the same pattern of behavior reappeared then the mistakes of the past became a real concern to us, because it was evidence that the underlying problem had not been taken care of. And, our own experience and professional studies of this type of problem indicate that, while this may not be true in your case, most often what comes to light initially is only a small part of what has actually transpired. It is very common in sexual abuse cases that the whole scope of the problem is never known. One man in our fellowship, when he finally confessed to having a problem with child molestation, was asked how many children he had molested. His answer was that there had been so many that he himself didn’t know how many he’d molested.

So, when it came to light that you had molested __________ and behaved very improperly toward __________ (especially as you had been entrusted with the responsibility of eldership and a meeting in your home) we felt that we had to ask you not to take part in meetings until your testimony was completely clear. Unfortunately, as you have found these past couple of years, some things are hard to make clear. When some came to John the Baptist to be baptized, he told them to “bring forth fruits meet for repentance.” That was because there was still a question in his mind, and likely in the mind of others, that their testimony was clear. John felt that it would be best that they wait to be baptized until the fruit (or evidence) of their repentance could make abundantly dear that there had been a definite change in their life.

When Rob, Jeff, and I visited with you we suggested that there were two things that would go further toward clearing your testimony than anything else: (1) Being reconciled with __________. (2) Seeking out professional counseling. At that time we put those two things as the conditions for you to be able to begin to take part again. Since then all three of us brothers have left Arizona and none of us are responsible for the decisions that are made there at this time. Larry is your overseer and Joe is the older worker in your field. I don’t have the authority to continue to restrict you from taking part, but when they have asked my advice I have told them that I still feel that those two things are essential so that the workers and friends in the area where you live can see that you have truly put the past behind you.

I am sorry that I didn’t make clear from the beginning that one of the reasons that we were so insistent that you see a professional counselor was that we, as ministers of our fellowship, have a legal responsibility to report any cases of sexual abuse that we are aware of. If we do not we can be prosecuted for failure to report a sexual crime. You can understand that we love our people very much and don’t want to report their misdeeds to the authorities, so the way we have usually complied with the law is by asking the offender to see a professional counselor. Then the counselor is required by law to report the incident, and we have fulfilled our legal responsibility by having insisted that the person get counseling. I know that I did not make this fact clear to you in our visits, and am sorry for any confusion that this may have caused. We did cover it obliquely, though, as there were several times that you mentioned that if you saw a counselor it would mean that you would go back to prison, and my reply each time was, that if that was the price to be right then I felt that you needed to be willing for that. I appreciate that you did seek out counseling, and I think that I made a comment to you in the visit that Larry, Joe, and I had with you, that it was a good step. I’m still not sure, though, that you ever saw a professional, accredited, counselor that would have gone through the process of reporting your case to the legal authorities. Until that is taken care of, and the local workers have clear proof that the legal requirements have been fulfilled, I can’t feel that the second condition that we put on your taking part has been fulfilled. Maybe I could suggest that the best way to make this step clear to all concerned would be for you to ask Larry to accompany you to a few sessions with the counselor just to establish that the ministry has been involved in your rehabilitation. I suggest Larry because Joe will likely be returning to Washington after your conventions and it would be better to have someone with you that will be able to remain in the state for a while longer. Again, I apologize for not having made this more clear right from the start.

Your relationship with __________ is likely still the most difficult problem that you face in clearing your testimony.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:19 “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.’’ What that tells us is that, once a person is offended, every defense comes up, and it becomes extremely difficult even to get through to the person to talk of peace. Some have felt that it is asking too much of you to make your reconciliation with __________, a condition of your being free to take part, and maybe that is true. The reason that I did ask that, though, is that I don’t feel that there is anyone else that will know as well as __________ when you have fully repented and made things right. And, conversely, when it is evident that there is complete reconciliation between you and __________, no one will be able to dispute that there has truly been ‘the fruit of repentance’ in your life.

So I will let this do for today, Howard. Please understand that I am not against either one of you. I still love you, appreciate you, and want the very best for you. Maybe it’s best expressed in our hymn that says:

“And though I do not grasp it now,
I’ll better know when life is done,
Why Thou didst point the hardest path,
Asked me the straitest course to run.”

With love in Christ,

Ed Alexander

Cc Larry Greenaway
Joe Schoen

To our fellow brethren, Elders, their wives, and our workers,

We feel the need to write this anonymously because we don’t want whoever wrote this to have any influence on the interpretation of this letter. Rather, we want wholeheartedly to help point to the scriptures and Christ alone.

Because we love Christ and Christ loved the church; we are writing this out of love for our fellowship with brethren who love Christ and point us toward him. Eph 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” We want to allow Christ to shine his light on us and the Church to see these matters in truth and to turn to the scriptures and the leading of the Holy Spirit for our answers. We are sending this out with the hope that the elders and workers will start meeting together to make decisions in the church, along with giving the responsibility back to the elders in each field to take care of the matters amongst the church. This will allow the workers to be able to share the gospel more freely just as Paul in Acts has showed us how to do.

With current issues coming forward it has been in our hearts to go back to the scriptures for even clearer revelation from God on how decision making was made in the church, and how oversight was given. Reading again in Acts 15:2 “there was no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” Verse 6: “And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.” Verse 22: “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas” These verses have brought clarity that decisions made must include not just the workers; but the elders, and input from the church in unity. By making these decisions together it helps us to share accountability and not give sole responsibility to any certain group, which leads to authority.

Another example of making decisions together is in Acts 6 when the apostles wanted to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry instead of worrying about the daily distributions. Verse 2-3: “then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, it is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables, therefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” The apostles didn’t choose these men. The multitude of brethren did because they knew their spirits. When we walk alongside our brethren and are being guided by the Holy Spirit and see it in others, we too as a church can choose wisely. Many times throughout Acts the apostles and elders made decisions together and they welcomed any input from other brethren. We feel this should happen now; whether that be if someone is apt for the work after they feel their need and offer, or if there is to be a new Sunday or Wednesday elder, or to make any adjustments to meetings or the fields. Then on the other hand, when any concerns come forward like we have had in recent days, we can come together in unity of spirit and heed to these warnings that Paul gave us of false brethren, or the evil that can come amongst our fellowship. We want to strive together to make our fellowship as edifying and pure as we can while we are on this earth. Making decisions together prevents any authority or hierarchy; we are witnesses for each other and as Proverbs 24:6 says, “in multitude of counselors there is safety.”

We understand how weak we are in ourselves and with authority given we easily allow human nature to creep in and pride and power to make decisions. Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are in this world and live in the flesh ourselves so we are not immune to these same evils that can overtake us where power can reside. In Acts 10:25-26 Peter showed the spirit of true humility when Cornelius came to him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him. His response was to say, “Stand up; I myself also am a man.” We must walk in true humility in our place in order for God to always have the glory.

We understand that it seems practical to have overseers to help make decisions, and until this time it hasn’t seemed to have been questioned. As this position holds a high responsibility, which leads to authority and power, it is a concerning position to keep. It not only puts a lot of pressure and stress on those in that place but has allowed a lot of evil to transpire as we are now seeing the truth come forward. Paul warned us in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 “But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”  We must be careful to watch for these things. Anyone who has not taken unlawful acts to the law has been deceitful and not stood for truth or followed the scriptures. I Peter 2:13-16 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

This has brought us to Acts 20 when Paul called the elders of the church in Ephesus together to speak to them and in the 28^th verse he said, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Again in I Peter 5:1-3 “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” It seems that scriptures have pointed to the elders to take on overseeing the fields in their area, being an example, making decisions together with the whole church, and remembering that they are not Lords, but ensamples to God’s heritage, that he would still receive the glory. In doing this it would allow the workers to continue unhindered by these great responsibilities to just teach the Gospel story and share the love of Christ that we love to hear.

Regarding the new CSA info, Code of Conduct, and Child Policies we are thankful for the effort that is being made to help make a safer place of fellowship for the future of the kingdom. We are thankful for the sake of victims and potential future victims that there has been some removal of the evil that has resided amongst us. Research has shown that abuse is most likely to happen in the places we feel safest, such as our own homes and churches. We know how God feels about these sins, which also happen to be crimes, and how important it is to protect the spirit of a child. Therefore, we must go back to the scriptures about how to handle these matters in our fellowship. Having paperwork for legal purposes is helpful, but we know the Bible is our real Code of Conduct that we must abide by when we are seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 5 explains all we need to be doing very clearly. Paul was coming to them saying it was commonly reported about fornication (sexual immorality) amongst them. Verse 2 “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.” This is a warning that we must take this out of our fellowship. Verses 6-8 explain that “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” and to purge it out so there would be a new lump. Just as Christ sacrificed, we can too in order to keep the feast with sincerity and truth. These verses emphasize again that we must be humble to judge righteousness vs. unrighteousness and not be a respector of persons in judgement (Prov 24:23) when removing these sins from amongst us.

I Corinthians 5: 9-13: “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to accompany fornicators (sexually immoral): yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator (sexually immoral), or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore, put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” These verses explain that while we are in this world we will always be amongst these things in and out of our fellowship. If we are judging it outside of our fellowship, we must judge it within and remove it from us. This means we cannot allow those who have committed sexually immoral crimes back among us for the safety of past victims and possible future ones. We know we are all sinners, and each have a chance to repent and seek God’s mercy with a pure and honest heart. We are all very humbled by this and so thankful for it. So this means we still care for the souls of men who have done these wicked things and we pray for them in love. To love them also means to do as Romans 14:13 “Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” Verse 21: “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” Just as an alcoholic is told to never put themselves in front of a drink which could tempt them again, we must do the same for the sexually immoral. By allowing them amongst their temptations it is putting a stumbling block or weakness before them.

Our salvation comes from our personal relationship from God. Romans 11:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If we can have fellowship alone with God, we can know his spirit and know his mercy. We are thankful for this opportunity God gives to all souls. We can see that Jesus was abused in many ways as our Savior and Lamb. Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Those who have known abuse have understood in a greater measure the sufferings of our Savior. We must love the wounded lambs among us and care for them as we care for Jesus. Bringing back the wolves who have harmed them is bringing more harm to them by not providing a safe place for them to have fellowship.

Before bringing this all together please read this situation that occurred recently that teaches us many things:

See: https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/05/31/robert-corfield-circumstances/

and https://wingsfortruth.info/2023/05/17/robert-corfield-removed-from-work/

Here was a situation where someone had an issue with pedophilia, had therapy, the workers knew of his tendencies, and he was still in the work until elders who did have training on investigating came to remove him themselves. This is a special situation since they had training to qualify them to investigate, which we are not to do unless we are trained. But it gives us an example of elders overseeing the flock and taking care of the sheep. It also proves that even after therapy for a pedophile that the weakness will ALWAYS be there. They are typically very manipulative and charismatic people. So, we hope his reaction was in honesty. If so, he showed relief from being removed from his weakness. That is how we love our brethren; by understanding we must remove the evil amongst us to protect the pure and innocent. Also, to protect the souls who have tried to repent of their evil deeds by keeping them from their weakness. It should not be an option for them to come to ANY fellowship where children could be present. Fellowship is not our salvation, Jesus is. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

So, what we take from these lessons from scripture and experience is that we must be willing to come together as the workers, elders and the whole church to make decisions in unity of spirit. Proverbs 24:6 “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” We cannot any longer leave these responsibilities to just the workers. We want to have a church who is willing to judge unrighteousness together without partiality so we can all be held accountable together, and no ability for authority or power is given. Many lambs have been wounded by abuse because it has been protected by those who were given authority. In order to keep this out we must come together as elders and the whole church and bring the responsibilities back to us in weeding out any unrighteousness. We do this because of what the scriptures have made clear and because we want to protect his flock. This is written in love and desire to strengthen our unity in understanding the teachings of Christ and his truths. We hope this can evoke discussions about these situations for the desire of unified change and the hope of the kingdom.

With love and care in Christ,

Anyonymous

WINGS Note: The CSA crisis has led many people to search scripture and reconsider foundational traditions of the fellowship.  Some proposed paths forward include more open communication between friends and workers via newsletters and forum discussions, and involvement of younger workers, sister workers, and friends in all levels of decision making in the church.  Advocates for the Truth, a group formed in March 2023 by former members and survivors of abuse and a private investigator, has been collecting details of accused CSA perpetrators.  Advocates for the Truth has issued the following letter calling for current overseers to step down.  

WINGS does not take any position on general issues that have been raised recently regarding doctrine, rules, except to the extent that they foster or hide CSA. 

Jun 2

To All Overseers Worldwide,

On March 24, 2023, we established a hotline on behalf of Dean Bruer victims. In just ten weeks, our hotline has revealed over 400 perpetrators in the Truth: Overseers, Workers, Elders and Friends. We continue to receive new allegations each day. The volume is utterly shocking to us. However, the allegations should not be shocking to you and many of the Workers. You are already well aware – and in most instances have been aware for decades – of the pedophiles and perpetrators in your midst. Almost ALL of the pedophiles and perpetrators brought to our attention are already known to you. For ten weeks, we have reached out and communicated the massive crisis and path of destruction in your community. We have been met with silence, complicity, stonewalling, gaslighting, and outright refusal to listen to the pleas of decades of survivors.

This is completely unacceptable to us, the members of your community, and society as a whole. We ask you to do the right thing and step down from your places of authority and leadership.

There is no hiding or turning back from what we now know. The system that you, the Overseers, have been using for decades to mitigate criminal child sex abuse and sex crime cases is deceitful, complicit, illegal, and autocratic. For generations upon generations, countless lives have been ravaged emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically by the failure of your system and your lack of leadership and integrity. Trust in your authority has been completely broken. This is not hyperbole; this is real, this is palpable. This is the outcry we are hearing from survivors, families, and Friends in the Truth.

Each of you has participated in coverups, minimized crimes, or committed criminal acts yourself. Many of you are legally culpable. Your behavior has harmed survivors and continues to put children and adults in the fellowship in the presence of sexual criminals to this day. For years, your system has coddled, enabled, and promoted perpetrators while repeatedly victim shaming and victim blaming. The perpetrators and pedophiles have received therapy paid for by you, the Overseers, and you have done nothing for the countless survivors of those perpetrators. To this day, you are not exercising a system to hold child sex abusers and sex criminals accountable in the Truth. We have learned in the last ten weeks that the devastation of child sex abuse and sex crimes in the Truth is worldwide and systemic – a fact that each of you have obviously been aware of.

Instead, offending Workers and Friends are shielded by your leadership. Workers with allegations have been sent to other geographical areas, enabling them to continue their behavior at will. Many of the Friends who have committed sex crimes have been given the privilege and status of Eldership with meetings in their homes. Notably, the offenses of predators and perpetrators have been described by the Overseers as “immoral” instead of “criminal.”

Some Friends and Workers that have spoken out about abuse—their own or that of others—have, as a result, been sent to other countries, asked to leave the Work, or even put out of the Fellowship . This corrupt and neglectful response that has been sanctioned by each of you for so many years has never been acceptable and will no longer be tolerated by uncompromising Workers, Friends, concerned citizens and law enforcement. Your complicity, deceit, and behavior for the past ten weeks has shown you are either unable or unwilling to change. It is vital for the safety and rebuilding of the community for each and every one of you to step down.

Matthew 16:6 states: “Beware of the leaven of the pharisees.” You, as the Overseers, have preached virtues, high morals, and honesty while practicing the opposite and asking for the community’s utter and complete trust in return. That trust has been irreparably broken.

As perpetrators and their victims have been uncovered, the sheer numbers of which have been a deluge on our community, you’ve each been given the opportunity to take accountability for your actions and your contribution to such suffering. Instead, we have seen letter after letter skirting responsibility, sweeping the pain of those whose trust you’ve conscripted under the rug. You’ve repeatedly asked for patience from a community you continue to betray and deceive. We fully expect more of the same after the publication of this letter.

Consider the enormity of the consequences of your abuse and complicity:

• Religious and psychological trauma by asking the survivor to be re-traumatized by the perpetrator at Meetings and Conventions.
• Loss of family for the survivor by taking a stand and not having community or family support.
• Monetary loss due to financial hardship from c-PTSD.
• Life in a mental health facility
• Comorbidity in conjunction to diminishing mental health.
• Social isolation
• Psychological disturbances
• Nightmares
• Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Hyperarousal
• Hypoarousal
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Addiction
• Eating disorders
• Relationship loss
• Intergenerational trauma
• Suicide

It is our belief that no recourse could adequately restore the community’s trust in you. Each of you, as is evident by your past and present actions and abuse of power, have proven that you are unfit to be Overseers.

In the past ten weeks, countless cases of child sex abuse have been reported to law enforcement in multiple countries. Those reports include numerous instances of you, as mandatory reporters, failing to report sex crimes against children.

Thus, at this time, we formally ask that you publicly submit your resignation to all of the Workers, Elders and Friends across your respective area, with first and last name, by June 8, 2023.

In Transparency,

Cynthia Liles, Sheri Autrey, and Lauren Rohs

(503) 386-4634 in the US/+1 (503) 334-6866 internationally advocatesforthetruth@gmail.com

Advocatesforthetruth.com