News

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

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

Most abuse disclosures this year have involved North American overseers, workers and friends.  However, many have shared their hope that growing transparency and engagement will spread to other continents. It is well-known that abuse is a global problem and no area is immune.

This developing transparency has largely been due to victims and survivors courageously providing details of their abuse (sometimes anonymously, and sometimes with their names). This has given strength to others to also disclose their experiences, and to break the silence and secrecy that have been imposed on victims.

This secrecy may have been common in general society many years ago, but is no longer acceptable. Victim-survivors continue living with trauma, and open acknowledgement of their experience is a crucial part of healing, as well as prevention of future abuse.   Secrecy surrounding previous cases allowed some perpetrators to continue their abuse, at times in an unsuspecting area when they were silently shifted to a new field, sometimes in another country.

WINGS has received reports of abuse in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australasia and Africa. 

This is the time for growing transparency, for friends and workers to share information no matter their geographic location. WINGS aims to collate and share information in an honest and victim-centric way, with the hope of leading to radical, victim-centric changes in the treatment of abuse cases:

• Sincere, individual apologies to all known victims
• Arrangements to fund therapy when required
• Revisiting past cases where perpetrators were protected and moved
• Open discussions and clear guidelines regarding perpetrator attendance in meetings, conventions
• Zero-tolerance policies toward abuse
• Regular training to identify and report abuse, undertaken by all workers and others with responsibility

WINGS advocates for past child victims, and protection of current/future children.  The prerogative for more general change in the fellowship lies with friends and workers.  WINGS has received communication from many expressing concern that the strict hierarchy in the fellowship limits accountability among those in positions of power.  In many cases, this has allowed immoral actions harming the most vulnerable among us, which might have been prevented or minimised if there were more involvement of elders, friends and women. 

Note: This post has consistently used the term ‘abuse’. It is intended to refer to both Child Sexual Abuse, and adult abuse, of all types.

---

Note: Edited June 18, 2023 to provide clarity. Content not changed significantly.

From: Richard Gasser <email redacted>
Date: 6/15/23
Subject: REVISED KS NE EMAIL

Dear KS NE Friends,

As we had said before, we had planned to send an email after our Scottsbluff Convention; Which we believe everyone who was there would agree, was very special and very timely! A very special soft spirit was there, and so much encouragement to raise our vision to Jesus the Rock, the One that will not be shaken. We heard what Jesus told Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat.” The Combine does a lot of shaking to separate the chaff from the wheat.  The kernel is saved: That’s where the life is. Maybe sometimes it’s pride that has to be shaken out; Maybe some of our own agenda has to be shaken out; or self righteousness; or self pity. He has prayed for us that our faith wouldn’t fail during the process. He wants us to make it through! Job said, “But He knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Since Marge Major’s passing, we are now short of 2 sister workers, with no one yet to fill the need; so it  looks like we now will be combining some of the fields. It seems best that Lincoln will now be a part of the Omaha field; Kearney and Broken Bow will be a part of the York – Grand Island field; and McCook and North Platte will be a part of the Kimball Bird City Field. Columbus will go back to the Valentine – Norfolk field Marleah will be with Julie in the Kimball North Platte, Bird City field, and Sarah with Darla in SE KS.

Sarah and Marleah are helping out at Elizabeth CO preps this week and will then be there for the first convention. Jon, Dale, Martha and Heidi are in Riverton this week; Julie, Christina and Lara are at Chugwater; Roy, Lyle Dena & Tanya will be at Hermosa for Conv. next week.

In July, Andy and Darla are to go to some of the conventions in Canada. Dale is going back to NM to help with the preps and Conv at Mountainair NM, so Jon will be with Richard during that time while Andy is gone.

Our whole staff did attend a child abuse seminar held in the Western Nebraska Community College and were made aware of some of the laws and services that are provided. We have appreciated the professional help from those who are familiar with, and deal with these matters everyday. Some of those resources will be printed below if any would like to look into them.

We also would suggest that elders, (or anyone else) would also take the online Ministry safe course. There are a lot of helpful tips there that can make us aware of how to deal with this problem. This is the same course we workers have been taking for the past 10 years or more.

Here is a link to that:
https://ministrysafe.com/training-saat/

We all have a fear of creating more policies to deal with these things;  I believe we all know these actions are so wrong already.  There are plenty of Bible verses written that can say it far better. For example: 1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the Will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication.”  In plain English, fornication is anything sexual outside of marriage. And then in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”  I believe we all just need integrity, integrity, integrity.

Romans 8:13-14 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

We do believe there should be no tolerance for CSA (Child Sexual Abuse) or Sexual assault in this Fellowship.  Matthew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” To me that use of ‘offend’ means to do something that would destroy their faith. I can understand totally if someone you trust to be a servant of God, would do something of that nature, it can easily destroy faith. If we don’t believe that verse we really shouldn’t be in this ministry. And Romans 12:19 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay sayeth the Lord.” It should be enough to make anyone behave.

We are very sorry that in the past, too often the victims were not believed and things were not taken care of as they should have been, I feel there a is different environment now and victims are being heard. We are glad laws are in place for all of this sort of thing in our country’s government. In Nebraska everyone is a mandatory reporter for abuse to a minor. In Kansas not everyone is mandatory, but anybody can.  We want to comply with the law in every way we can.  We have been told, and we know, we are not investigators; So please just take it to the Law. 

1 Timothy 1:9 “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine…”

Now, if it is just a boundary issue and not criminal,  Matthew 18:15 is the answer. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

Even if it is a worker, we should not be above taking correction from anyone; we are guests in your homes. Now some people have different boundaries than others; Please always feel very free to share them to anyone who is a guest at your house. It doesn’t matter who!

There are a number of you who have said you do not want to receive the emails that contain some of the recent allegations, however, some who have been victims do.  I don’t have a list of who wants to know and who doesn’t. I will just add this link to a page that contains them. If you wish to, you can click on it and it should take you to it; Or else you can just delete it. THANKS.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11_9EKjX-FJZA_XvrQRXu5VQlgbddOFTYShcr1ogdmxE/edit?usp=sharing

Sincerely and with care
The KS NE Staff

Nebraska Child Abuse/Neglect / Elder Abuse Hotline: 800-652-1999

Nebraska Family Helpline: 888-866-8660

Kansas Child Abuse/Neglect / Elder Abuse Hotline 800-922-5330

Kansas guide to reporting: http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/pps/documents/guidetoreportingabuseandneglect.pdf

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) Hotline: 800-656-4673

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

NetSmartz: resource developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to support healthy and safe boundaries and behavior with electronics/the internet https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home

Culture Reframed Parents’ Program: building resilience and resistance to hypersexualized media and pornography http://www.parents.culturereframed.org/tech-guide

Circle of Security parenting education and support http://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com

Contact information:
Shelley Thomas, Forensic Interviewer/MDT Coordinator at CAPstone Child Advocacy Center, Gering, Nebraska ptinterviewer@capstonenebraska.com

Detective Brandi Brunz bbrunz@scottsbluff.org

Children and Family Services Supervisor Caroline Teeple Caroline.Teeple@nebraska.gov

A resource from Darkness2Light: https://www.d2l.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/FINAL_D2L_5-STEPS-BOOKLET.pdf