Tag: child physical abuse

Overseer David Lane defends Kenion Coleman

US worker Kenion Coleman who has been on convention rounds in Ontario. Coleman has many reports of inappropriate behaviour with children, although WINGS is not aware of any allegations that cross the line of criminal Child Sexual Abuse. 

Investigator Cynthia Liles posted this on social media:

Two friends corresponded with Overseer David Lane, who defended Kenion Coleman and then attacked Cynthia (shoot the messenger), and subtly turned on the writer.

Friend 1:

Hi David: Hope your convention travels are going well. I have a question: are you comfortable having Kenion Coleman participating at the Iron Bridge convention. I understand he was also at Sea Grave. I understand he has serious allegations in regard to his involvement of children.

Best wishes to you.

David Lane:

Hi

To answer your question. Going by how the Lord used Kenion to feed our hearts and souls yesterday, I would say the Lord is very comfortable with Kenion. I accept what the Lord is blessing

Sincerely
Dave Lane

Friend 1:

I’m very disappointed in your response. Are you stating that Jesus our Lord and Savior is comfortable with someone with allegations to this extent is being used to provide Spiritual Counsel to His people?

Have you asked the victims whose lives he has ruined regarding this?

Who is more important in your sight, Kenion Coleman or suffering victims? I’m disappointed Dave.

(Friend 2 sees the exchange above and writes the following.)

Friend 2: 

I want to follow up on your response regarding Kenion Coleman being at Seagrave and Iron Bridge.

You said that because the Lord used Kenion to feed hearts and souls, you accept what the Lord is blessing. I’d like you to apply that same measuring stick to Dean Bruer, Ira Hobbs, and Leslie White. They were all considered gifted speakers too. People felt fed and blessed by their ministry. We know now what was happening behind it.

You probably assume I left because of sexual abuse and child sexual abuse. And honestly, that alone would be more than enough reason. But it goes deeper than that. It’s the lack of response to it. It’s the fruit I see this so-called ministry producing. Protecting Kenion Coleman while those children sat in those meetings is exactly that fruit.

Spiritual fruitfulness is not a child safety policy, Dave. It never has been.

David Lane:

Hi
I have read your text.

Dave L.

Then Friend 2 heard that David Lane was telling people the allegations against Kenion were false. So this was sent:

Friend 2

Thank you. I hope you will give it consideration.
There is a whole generation of children depending on you.

David Lane:

Good evening,

I have recieved your text. I feel you do need a reply. I am trusting that your motive is not about destroying workers.

I see the information you have passed on to me comes from Cynthia Liles. (I had expected that was the source. Thanks for clarifying it) In the past 2-3 years I have followed up on information Cynthia has shared on 3 workers that according to Cynthia had allegations that excited a number of folk here in Ontario. Who in turn felt these 3 individuals should not have a place in the work.

In my follow up I discovered that the allegations were not true. I haven’t had any confidence in anything she has to say since then.

I understand the FBI asked her to hand over her information awhile back and they found untrue things also. From the very beginning Cynthia made it clear she was making it her business to destroy the overseers and the ministry. She even went as far as to say, if I have to lie about I will.

I do think she has a following who back her up on all that thought. A couple lawyers who workers have asked for advise. The lawyers both say that what Cynthia is doing is defamation of character. If she really is an investigator she would know what she is doing is leaving herself open for a law suite. They feel she takes this liberty because she is quite confident that the  workers won’t fight back. They question that she is even an investigator. No real investigator does such things.

From what I have known of you [Friend 2] through the years, I have thought of you of  a much higher standard of character. Please be careful.

This is written to you and not to be shared with your network of people. I trust you. Please don’t break that trust. I trusted someone I never should of trusted because I found out later they shared my reply to them with many. It becomes clear the motive was different then what they implied. I felt betrayed.

Sincerely David

Friend 2:

David, I just tried to talk to you about my concerns about a worker that has many reports, and this is exactly what you just did to me:

The 3 Stages of DARVO

    •    Deny: The perpetrator vehemently denies that the wrongdoing or abuse ever happened. If the evidence is undeniable, they will minimize the event or twist the narrative to make it sound less severe.

https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/identifying-abuse/explaining-darvo-deny-attack-reverse-victim-amp-offender

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2020.1774695

    •    Attack: The abuser shifts focus away from their own actions by attacking the credibility, character, or sanity of the person confronting them. They may paint the victim as overly emotional, dishonest, or aggressive.

https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/identifying-abuse/explaining-darvo-deny-attack-reverse-victim-amp-offender

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eQlbaNTJHE

https://harbormentalhealth.com/2025/10/31/darvo-manipulation-how-to-spot-and-protect-yourself/

    •    Reverse Victim and Offender: The perpetrator flips the script, positioning themselves as the actual victim of the situation and portraying the original victim as the wrongdoer.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926771.2020.1774695

https://www.jjfreyd.com/darvo)

David Lane:

Fair enough.

WINGS Note: This post was edited June 26th to add this further response from David Lane:

Child Safety Notice re Loren Quick

As a grandmother, I feel a deep responsibility to speak when the safety of children may be involved. With the upcoming Special Meeting rounds approaching, I believe it’s important that you are aware of a recent matter concerning Loren Quick.

Loren has acknowledged an incident involving inappropriate physical interaction with a minor and has expressed regret.

The parents who witnessed the behavior were troubled enough to notify law enforcement.

They also notified Greg Harger, overseer.

A police report was subsequently filed, December 2025, and I understand the matter may still be under review.

I do not know whether Loren has received counseling or any professional evaluation.

However, Loren’s name currently appears on the Special Meeting list, and this may include visits to homes in Indiana or Michigan where children are present.

Speaking simply as a grandmother who treasures the safety and innocence of children, I strongly encourage that thoughtful precautions be taken during these rounds and that parents remain attentive and proactive regarding their children’s wellbeing.

My intention is not to pass judgment, but to ensure awareness and to encourage appropriate safeguarding.

The well-being of our children must always come first.

Sincerely, Sally VanSickle

WINGS Note:

The Police report is attached below. Key details include:

Statement of Facts

On the listed date and time, person number 1 had person number 2 in their home for a ministry program, where a minister stays in the home, joins them for dinner, then joins them for church on Sunday. Person 1 informed me on 12/12/2025 that during the period that person 2 had stayed in her home, he had been making strange advances to her 12 year old son. She advised that person number 2 had been essentially messing with her son by putting his arm around him numerous times, almost like a light choke hold. Her son told him to stop, and was tired of it, calling him a bully. Afterwards, person 2 was making for advances asking “Can I bully you?” numerous times. Person number 1 began feeling uncomfortable with the situation, and had her son stay in her and her husbands room for the night due to person number 2 staying over. The next day, 12/04/2025, person 1 had left for work, while her husband and son were at home with person 2. Her husband advised that he had also seen the incident occur, as well as other who came by  later for a get together and supper. She advised person 2 had left the following day, but had a strange feeling so she wanted to make an informational report for documentation purposes. She advised that she did not have any other identifiers for person 2 besides his first and last name, a possible address ([Redacted], Grand Blanc, MI, 48439) and a possible birth year (1964). I advised to consult an attorney and civil for the possibility of a restraining order, and advised to report if he did come back to their residence.

Loren Quick Police Report 2025-12-0267_redacted-names-removedDownload

New Zealand Royal Commission Report

In February 2018 the New Zealand Government established a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate what happened to children, young people and adults in State care and in the care of faith-based institutions in New Zealand between 1950 and 1999. On 25 June 2024 the Inquiry presented its Final Report “Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light” to the Governor-General.

The Commission was focused on institutions – places where people lived in care, including detention centres, special schools (e.g. deaf children), and also considered the impact on ethnic/demographic groups. The conclusions and recommendations are also applicable to non-residential-care situations, such as friends and workers meetings, conventions, social events etc.

The Commission found that the prevalence of abuse in faith-based care was worse than in state care. “As many as 42 percent of those in faith-based care…were abused.” Many more were exploited or neglected. And religious beliefs were often used to justify abusive actions and silence survivors.

The Summary Report on abuse and neglect in faith-based care provides a wealth of insights into the dynamics of abuse in faith-based institutions. Below are just a few excerpts, with paragraph numbers:

  • “Sexual abuse within a spiritual or religious context severely damaged survivors’ ability to find spiritual security anywhere with their spiritual and religious beliefs, and the concept of a loving God was radically altered, if not destroyed.” (¶ 14)
  • “Faith based care settings had some unique factors that contributed to abuse and neglect…and created barriers to disclosure. These factors included the misuse of religious power, the moral authority and status of faith leaders…sexism and negative perceptions of women…the interpretation of sexual abuse through the lens of sin and forgiveness.” (¶ 16)
  • “Oversight and monitoring of faith-based institutions providing care was lacking, both in terms of external oversight…and internal oversight by the faiths themselves. Most faith-based institutions were not held to account and few lessons were learned…” (¶ 18)
  • “In many instances, others were aware of, or even facilitated abuse and neglect… Children and young people who disclosed abuse were often disbelieved and punished. The status and perceived trustworthiness of clergy and religious leaders in society played a crucial role in people not believing survivors or intervening in abuse.” (¶ 68)
  • “Underpinning much of this abuse…was an abuse of religious and spiritual teaching and authority.” (¶ 69)
  • “Religious leaders were not only powerful but also trusted and respected… This enabled abuse to occur, and intensified barriers to reporting. This status, combined with the importance of obedience in faith-based care settings, often made it difficult for survivors to identify abuse or question the abusive behavior… Abusers used their status and ‘closeness to God’ as a means of silencing survivors.” (¶ 79)
  • “Many staff and carers who witnessed abuse and neglect, or were told about it, did nothing.” (¶ 149)
  • “Most faith-based institutions also failed to take accountability for abuse and neglect of children, young people and adults in their care.” (¶ 153)
  • “For many survivors, obedience to religious authority was so ingrained they complied with the orders of clergy or other religious leaders, even when it involved abuse or made them uncomfortable.” (¶ 158)
  • “Faith-based settings had unique barriers to reporting abuse or making complaints. There was a strong preference for secrecy and silence, which created additional barriers to making complaints, because survivors had little hope that any disclosure of abuse would be dealt with appropriately or lead to those responsible being held to account.” (¶ 165)
  • “These barriers to disclosure mean many survivors will never report their abuse, increasing the risk of further abuse being able to occur.” (¶ 167)
  • “The absence of an accessible complaints process and clarity on how their complaint would be responded to was a significant barrier to raising concerns or making a complaint about the abuse or neglect…” (¶ 168)
  • “Prescribed gender roles and the absolute authority of males within faith-based institutions contributes to the occurrence of abuse and failed responses.” (¶ 173)
  • “The misuse of religious teaching and scripture allowed abuse to occur, but it also prevented disclosures of abuse for fear of retribution by God himself.” (¶ 193)
  • “Most faith-based institutions failed to take accountability for abuse and neglect of children, young people and adults in their care.” (¶ 194)

There are 138 detailed recommendations. Extracts of some that are especially pertinent to the friends and workers are:

[3] Public acknowledgments and apologies for historical abuse and neglect in the care of the State (both direct and indirectly provided care) and faith-based institutions should be made to survivors, their whanau (family) and support networks by the most senior leaders of all faith-based institutions …

[8] The government should take all practicable steps, including incentives and, if necessary, compulsion, to ensure that faith-based institutions and indirect care providers join the puretumu torowhānui (holistic redress) system and scheme once it is established.

[22] The Solicitor-General should amend the suite of prosecution guidelines to

a. include a requirement that those making decisions about whether to prosecute, and which charges to file, act consistently with New Zealand’s international human rights obligations and other relevant international law obligations (including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People)

b. include, in relation to the evidential test for prosecution, a requirement that those making assessments on the credibility and quality of a complainant’s evidence recognise the potential for their own bias, obtain relevant expert advice where necessary, and provide appropriate accommodations where necessary

[54] The senior leaders of all State and faith-based entities providing care directly or indirectly to children, young people and adults should take active steps to create a positive safeguarding culture, including by:

a. designating a safeguarding lead with sufficient seniority

b. supporting the prevention, identification and disclosure of abuse and neglect

c. ensuring the entity providing care directly or indirectly complies with its health and safety obligations

d. protecting whistleblowers and those who make good-faith notifications

e. ensuring accountability for those who fail to comply with safeguarding obligations

f. prioritising and supporting training and professional development in safeguarding and in abuse and neglect in care including the topics set out in Recommendation 63

g. actively promoting a culture that values all children, young people and adults in care and addresses all forms of discrimination

h. ensuring there are sufficient resources for safeguarding

i. identifying and correcting harmful attitudes and beliefs, such as the disbelief or mistrust of complainants or racist or ableist actions and beliefs

j. ensuring there is adequate data collection and information on abuse and neglect in care, including relevant data on ethnicity and disability, to allow analysis and reporting

k. learning from any incidents and allegations

l. publicly reporting on the matters including any issues arising in relevant annual reports.

[65] All State and faith-based entities providing care directly or indirectly to children, young people and adults in care and relevant professional registration bodies should ensure they have appropriate policies and procedures in place to respond in a proportionate way to complaints, disclosures or incidents of abuse and neglect,…..

Recommendations 89-110 are relevant to all faith-based entities providing care. Particularly relevant are:

[89] All faith-based entities that provide activities or services of any kind, under the auspices of a particular religious denomination or faith, through which adults have contact with children, young people or adults in care, should comply with the Care Safety Principles (Recommendation 39), the National Care Safety Strategy (Recommendation 40) and all statutory requirements under the Care Safety Act (Recommendation 45), including care standards, accreditation and vetting.

[94] All faith-based entities should ensure that religious leaders are accountable to an appropriate authority or body, such as a board of management or council, for the decisions they make with respect to preventing and responding to abuse and neglect in care.

Standard of Proof for Claims

Note: This section relates to financial claims. A different standard may be appropriate for initially responding to credible allegations and deciding how to deal with an accused perpetrator.

The Commission considered what standards of proof to apply when making a decision on a claim. The legal concept of ‘standard of proof’ means the degree to which a survivor must prove their claim for the scheme to accept it. The three options considered were:

  • balance of probabilities: a claim is more likely than not to be true (the standard of proof applied in civil litigation)
  • reasonable likelihood: a claim is not fanciful or remote and is more than merely plausible
  • plausibility: a claim is apparently reasonable or probable without necessarily being so.

In the Commission’s view, the scheme’s starting point for assessing any standard or brief claim should be belief in the survivor. If nothing is raised during the claims process to give reason to doubt the survivor’s account, whether about the abuse, the harm suffered or the link between the two, the scheme should accept the survivor’s claim.

Poem by survivor Ms MC

NZ Ministry Fails to Alert Members after US Abuser Visit

US minister revealed as sexual abuser attended sect’s NZ gatherings

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350268108/us-minister-revealed-sexual-abuser-attended-sects-nz-gatherings

Amy Williams of RNZ May 05, 2024, • 01:22pm

The sects annual gatherings are held on rural properties around the country over four days.

Warning: This story discusses details of sexual abuse

An American minister of a secretive global sect who was outed as a paedophile and sexual predator after his death visited New Zealand multiple times to attend the religious group’s annual gatherings.

The FBI is working with international law enforcement partners to investigate abuse within the group known as the Two by Twos or The Truth, and police here are investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse.

The sect said it was not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand but it had received one historical sexual abuse complaint arising from its annual gatherings.

The closed sect has many unspoken rules, no official name or church buildings, and its itinerant ministers are volunteers who are celibate and stay in members’ homes.

The sect’s faithful gather in their hundreds on rural properties across the country where rows of canvas tents are set up for the annual conventions, usually held over four days.

Elliot* recently left the sect but attended the conventions every year – often listening to ministers who had come from overseas.

“The point of concern that’s become apparent is that there’s been people who visited here that now there’s allegations against… It’s not clear that there’s ever been any kind of vetting or the country of origin letting us know.”

Those who had faced allegations included an American minister, Dean Bruer, whose sexual abuse of children and young people was revealed after he died in 2022 – and was the catalyst for hundreds of victims disclosing abuse at his and others’ hands.

“Some people call it Bruer-gate. I would say that most people in the group know that there was an issue with Dean Bruer who passed away and that has started this whole situation,” Elliot said.

After Bruer died, an internal letter by his successor in the sect leadership was leaked on social media. The letter stated that Bruer was a “sexual predator” whose actions included “rape and abuse of underage victims”.

Two women set up a hotline just over a year ago, and the floodgates opened – their February update said more than 1500 victims had come forward from around the world.

The sect, founded in Ireland in 1897, is believed to have 100,000 members worldwide, including 2500 in New Zealand.

The sect’s New Zealand spokesperson Wayne Dean responded to RNZ’s questions by email.

He confirmed Bruer had visited conventions here in the 1970s before becoming a minister, and again as a speaker in 2007 and 2016.

Elliot said that was a concern.

“Everyone eats together, some people are in caravans, some in sleeping quarters which are communal, separated men and women but communal, there’s showers and toilets but you all eat together in the dining shed.”

The conventions were held each summer on members’ rural properties in Auckland’s Pukekohe, Ngaere in Taranaki, Masterton, and Winchester in South Canterbury.

People attending the conventions sleep in tents and caravans, or in communal bunk rooms segregated by gender.

Dean said the sect was not aware of any victims of the American minister in New Zealand.

“To the best of my knowledge, the ministry has not been made aware of any victims of Dean Bruer in New Zealand.”

The sect was aware, however, of one instance of historical sexual abuse at its conventions and the person accused had been removed from the fellowship.

It had zero tolerance for any child being harmed and in recent years the rules for who slept in communal areas had changed, he said.

“Convention facilities are similar to public camping grounds, with accommodation options including caravan/campervan, tents or dormitories.

“Families are encouraged to use ‘family only’ accommodation areas – however, people can choose to use the on-site dormitory or tents in segregated areas. Children are required to be in accommodation with their parent/s.”

The current procedure for ministers visiting from overseas was to check with the “home region” to “ensure they have no current allegations or concerns regarding child sexual abuse or misconduct”, Dean said.

Visiting ministers also completed MinistrySafe training and signed a code of conduct, as did its local ministers.

Other safeguards and health and safety steps had been taken to ensure the safety of children, he added.

Australasian victim advocate Jillian Hishon runs the confidential hotline The Brave Truth, which had received more calls from New Zealand victims since RNZ broke the story.

She had heard from Australian victims who were abused at these conventions and said the communal sleeping areas were a problem.

“Sometimes that … can be a really awesome place for kids and they grow and meet new friends and all the rest of it – but other times it was places where children got abused.”

FBI update

The FBI confirmed it had launched a global investigation into the sect known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth.

“The FBI, in coordination with our Legal Attaché Offices around the world, routinely shares information and intelligence with our international law enforcement partners in an effort to identify and mitigate a variety of threats,” a spokesperson from its national press office said.

Its legal attaché offices, also known as legats and sub-offices, are located in key cities around the globe and provide coverage for more than 180 countries, territories, and islands.

About 250 special agents and support personnel are stationed in FBI legats worldwide.

The FBI has a sub-office at the American Embassy in Wellington.

“This international collaboration is always done with the consent of the host country and in cooperation with the Department of Justice and the US Department of State.”

The FBI said it encouraged reporting from anyone who thought that they may have been a victim.

“Because the FBI Omaha field office is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims, I can confirm an investigation,” the spokesperson said.

“In order to preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, I cannot share any details of the ongoing process. We encourage anyone with information to provide it through its website.”

The FBI declined to comment on whether it had alerted police in New Zealand to its investigation of the 2x2s sect, launched in February.

Its Omaha field office said it was seeking the public’s help in identifying victims or individuals with knowledge of abuse and/or criminal behaviour that had occurred within a religious group that traditionally has not had a name.

“The group has often been referred to by others outside of the group as “2×2,” “The Way,” “The Truth,” and “The Church With No Name,” among others,” the FBI said.

“While it is natural for parents to want to gain a better understanding of the potential exploitation of their child, further questioning of the child may lead to inaccurate statements and increased emotional trauma.”

* Names have been changed

MinistrySafe: Is it Sufficient?

MinistrySafe has been recommended by many churches and has been used by ours for a number of years to show that a worker has been educated on child abuse issues. While MinistrySafe provides good content, it does not offer complete CSA training per se; dealing with allegations and caring for victims is not where they have expertise and where more work needs to be done within the church.

Their website states:

MinistrySafe was founded by legal professionals and sexual abuse experts, Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris. Through their litigation practice representing victims of child sexual abuse, they recognized a vital need to equip churches and ministry programs to better protect children from sexual abuse. 

With over 60 years combined experience in sexual abuse litigation, consultation and crisis management, Love & Norris understand the risk of sexual abuse and how it unfolds in ministry programs. 

There are a number of articles written that share concerns about MinistrySafe. Here’s some examples:

https://thewartburgwatch.com/2019/07/22/ministry-safe-video-they-claimed-to-be-victim-centric-but-would-never-sue-a-church-because-they-dont-tear-down-churches

https://thewartburgwatch.com/2019/06/10/attorneys-boz-tchividjian-and-mitch-little-help-a-sex-abuse-victim-in-her-quest-to-hold-matt-chandler-and-the-village-church-accountable

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/august/village-church-matt-chandler-baptist-abuse-settlement.html

(NYT link gifted for 30 days; after that a NYT subscription will be required)

Extracts from NYT Article:

The firm, which advertises a “victim-centric” approach, offers training on child safety and sex-abuse prevention to churches that are eager to show they are up to date on how to protect their congregations. Many church members trust that if their congregation uses MinistrySafe, it must be to benefit victims.

… Ms. Norris and her husband are lawyers, and they have an associated legal practice to manage crises and minimize risk for clients. MinistrySafe’s website offers legal consultation, and those services are provided through Ms. Norris’s law firm, Love & Norris.

Some survivor advocates have raised concerns about how churches employ MinistrySafe services after abuse has been reported.

MinistrySafe may address legal risks for churches, but it does not help promote greater transparency as part of its response to abuse, said David Pittman, a survivor.

WINGS has had numerous resources listed for more than 10 years. See Resources
Some might not be available now, but we haven’t had time to review them all.

Some well-known sites are:
RAINN: Rape, Abuse & Incest Network ~ Largest US anti-sexual assault organization
STOP IT NOW! [USA] and STOP IT NOW! [UK; Available in 27 languages]

At WINGS we are grateful for readers who critique our work, so please send us your thoughts on MinistrySafe and any suggestions you may have for CSA training courses.
Email wingsfortruth@googlegroups.com or leave a comment below.

In the meantime, here are two additional CSA courses that we have heard good things about:

1. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jimmyhinto5/extras

2. https://www.netgrace.org/online-training

Bonner’s Ferry ID Convention Shut Down

March 15, 2024

To Our Dear Friends,

Many prayers, tears, and copious consideration have gone into our decision not to have convention at Bonners Ferry, Idaho, this year. We have been made aware of the depth of our crisis as many criminal acts (especially in relation to child sexual abuse and sexual abuse) have been committed and we feel that one criminal act is too many.

We now understand that allowing access to our personal property could provide unfettered access for abuses to occur. We simply cannot stand by and ignore the pain or contribute to the pain of any victim of abuse. If we are to move forward and have convention in the future, we must prioritize working together toward a safe path of transparency. We feel that there is currently discord on how and where information is provided regarding convicted perpetrators and those with allegations. In some cases, there is a refusal to acknowledge or accept responsibility for these actions that protect perpetrators rather than the victims.

Due to our geographic location, we have a somewhat unique situation where we have many international attendees. With the current lack of communication between the countries and states, there are too many possibilities for perpetrators to come onto our property and we cannot move forward blindly. We will need to have transparent communication internationally to feel that all attendees would remain safe.

Transparency is the path forward.

Eric and Eileen Madson

Judy Scheller leaves the work

WINGS Note: Judy, from BC Canada, has been a friend of CSA survivors since at least the 1980’s and is a widely beloved senior sister worker.

We have deleted the story about the alleged recent meeting in Vancouver as we have received sufficient confirmation that it does not relate to a recent meeting. We apologize for any inconvenience or concerns arising from this. Thank you all for your kind responses and for those who have gone the extra mile to confirm this. We endeavour to be accurate, but this time, we were not. Our readers here are so awesome to get on top of this….thanks so much!

My dear brothers and sisters,
After much prayer and letting the Spirit of God search my heart and motives, sadly, I feel I must step aside from my place in the Ministry. I cannot be a part of a ministry that supports the pedophiles and continually ignores the victims of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse. I am not stepping aside from God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or His people or the victims of abuse, but just the Ministry.
My health is good, and my years in the Ministry have been dear to my heart. I have been very glad to labour among you on the South Island these past two years.
With many thanks for all you have been to me.
Judy

Irish Workers Release Child Safeguarding Policy

Child Safeguarding                                                                                 January 2024

Dear Friends,

For some time now we have felt that it is important that we write to you all about the matter of child safeguarding.

We are all deeply saddened and upset by incidents of abuse that have recently come to light. We want to support those who have been victims, and we want to apologise for any cases that weren’t dealt with correctly in the past. We feel for these victims who still suffer from these cases. We want to learn from this and our purpose is to do all we can to protect children and to help those that have been affected. We want to ask all of you, and parents in particular, to be vigilant.

We also feel it is important that you are made aware of our child safeguarding statement/policy, procedures and practice.

The protection and welfare of children is of the utmost importance, and we want to do everything possible to ensure that no children come to any harm while involved with our fellowship. To this end, a child protection policy was put in place in 2018 with professional legal help to ensure it complied with regulations in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (Nl). It sets out what we as a fellowship are doing to protect children and how we deal with any incidents that are notified.

Since 2018, a Designated Liaison Person (for ROI)/Designated Officer (for Nl) and two deputies have been appointed to provide information and advice on safeguarding children within the fellowship. They are responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures are followed correctly and promptly. Their names and contact details are listed overleaf. If you have any concerns or questions at any time, please contact any of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers or any worker.

We now want to make sure the policy is available to all. Anyone who wishes can get an electronic or paper copy of the policy by requesting it from any of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers or a worker. Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers are also in a position to answer queries or to put you in contact with someone else who can do so.

In ROI, workers are mandated persons’ who are legally required to report allegations of child abuse to the authorities in ROI. In order to help workers to fully understand their responsibilities a meeting for workers was held in January which was dedicated to enhanced training with the overall aim of improving our child protection practice.

Guidance in ROI and Nl makes it clear that the safety and welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Accordingly, anyone who has been a victim or has reasonable grounds for concern about child abuse should either report this directly to the appropriate authorities or contact a Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer for advice.

Where an allegation against a worker or a friend is disclosed to a worker, or a Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer we will immediately report this to the relevant authorities in accordance with the requirements of the law. The senior workers and the Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer in consultation with workers, and friends as considered appropriate, and any professional advice, will decide on actions required to safeguard against further instances of potential abuse.

In general, a person who is subject to an allegation will not be allowed to attend fellowship meetings until the allegation has been thoroughly addressed.

The words from James 3,17 – “easy to be intreated” – has been in our thoughts. This is what we are striving for, along with the other qualities in this verse:

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

We want to emphasise that we are here for you all and that we care.

With kindest regards,

Craig Fulton & John Conley

Child Safeguarding Information

E-Learning Programme

An e-learning programme is available to support people of all backgrounds and experience in recognising concerns about children and reporting such concerns if they arise. Please access the programme via this link:
https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/children-first-e-learning-programme

Child Safeguarding Statement

The Fellowship’s Child Safeguarding Statement is available to all and can be obtained in electronic or paper form by requesting it from any of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers or from a worker.

Reporting Concerns

If you have reasonable grounds for concern about child abuse, please make contact with one of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers listed below who will be able to offer advice on what you should do. If you do not wish to make contact with a Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer, you can also make contact directly with the authorities.

If a child is in immediate danger, you should contact the authorities immediately or telephone the PSNI/An Garda Siochana.

Tusia

www.tusla.ie  à Child Protection and Welfare à Reporting Concerns or Contact a Social Worker

An Garda Siochana

www.garda.ie à  Search Stations (or 999/112 in emergency)

Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts

www.nidirect.gov.uk/Dublications/gateway-service-teams-contact-details

Police Service of Northern Ireland

www.psni.police.uk/ à Search Report (or 999 emergency/101 non-emergency)

Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer

Adrian Landen / +353 (0)87 824 9157

Deputy Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer

Janice Irvine / +44 (0)7470 061020

Deputy Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer

Laura Griffin / +353 (0)86 822 3322

BBC News Publishes Report on Corfield Abuse

Ex-minister of secretive sect admits to child sex abuse

(L-R) Lauren Rohs, Sheri Autrey and Michael Havet – pictured here as children

By George Wright

BBC News

Robert Corfield, a man who abused a boy in a secretive Christian church in the 1980s, has spoken publicly about what happened for the first time.

He was confronted by the BBC as part of a wider look into claims of child sexual abuse spanning decades within the church, known as The Truth.

His name is one of more than 700 given by people to a hotline set up to report sexual abuse within the church.

The sect says it addresses all abuse allegations.

The church, which has no official name but is often referred to as The Truth or The Way, is believed to have up to 100,000 members worldwide, with the majority in North America.

The potential scale of the abuse has been captured through a hotline – set-up last year by two women who say they were also sexually abused by a church leader when they were children. People have phoned in claiming they too were abused, with testimonies stretching back decades through to present day.

The highly secretive and insular nature of the church has helped abuse to thrive, say former and current insiders who spoke to the BBC. It has many unwritten rules, including that followers must marry within the group and keep mixing with outsiders to a minimum.

The church was founded in Ireland by a Scottish evangelist in 1897 and is built around ministers spreading New Testament teachings through word-of-mouth.

One of its hallmarks is that ministers give up their possessions and must be taken in by church members as they travel around, spreading the gospel. This makes children living in the homes they visit vulnerable to abuse, the insiders said.

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsetting

Robert Corfield (L) told the BBC he sexually abused Michael (R) for six years.

Former church member Michael Havet, 54, told the BBC he was abused by Robert Corfield in the 1980s, from the age of 12.

“People called me ‘Bob’s little companion’ – I just felt dirty and still do,” says Mr Havet, speaking from his home in Ottawa.

After abusing him, Mr Havet says Mr Corfield would force him to kneel beside him and pray.

“I had to work hard to get past that and find my prayer life again,” he says.

When confronted about the child abuse allegations by the BBC, Mr Corfield admitted that they had taken place for about six years in the 1980s.

“I have to acknowledge that’s true,” he said.

Mr Corfield was a minister – known within the sect as a “worker” – in Saskatchewan, Canada, at the time of the abuse.

This is the first time he has publicly admitted to child abuse, though he has previously been confronted by church members and wrote two private letters to Mr Havet in 2004 and 2005 which asked for forgiveness and said he was seeing a therapist. In one letter, Mr Corfield said he was “making a list of victims”.

“We don’t want to miss anyone who has been a victim of my actions,” he wrote.

However, when asked about this by the BBC, Mr Corfield said that there were no other victims “in the same sense that Michael was”, and that he had given two or three other teenagers massages.

Abuser given ‘fresh start’

Mr Havet is among a dozen people who have told the BBC that widespread abuse has been ignored or covered up in The Truth for decades – with some of the accused remaining in powerful positions for years.

The way his own case was dealt with by the church is a prime example, believes Mr Havet.

He reported his abuse in 1993 to Dale Shultz, Saskatchewan’s most senior church leader – known as an “overseer”. Overseers are the most senior members of the church and there is one for each US state and Canadian province where there is an active following.

But Mr Shultz didn’t go to the police – and, says Mr Havet, violently assaulted him a few weeks later because he thought he had told others of the abuse claims.

“He grabbed my shoulders yelling at me, slamming my head against a concrete pillar,” says Mr Havet, “splitting it open and causing it to bleed.”

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, visit the BBC Action Line.

Mr Havet says Mr Shultz then “encouraged” him to leave the church – while his childhood abuser, Robert Corfield, was just moved to be a minister across the border, in the US state of Montana.

Mr Corfield told the BBC that he believed it was Mr Shultz’s decision to send him to Montana, where he remained in post for 25 years.

“It was suggested it would give me a fresh beginning and probably also put space between me and the victim,” he said.

Mr Corfield was removed as minister last year after being confronted about Michael’s abuse by another congregation member, according to internal church emails seen by the BBC. One email also suggested “it is possible there may be additional victims”.

The ex-minister told the BBC that he “voluntarily stepped down when the accusations of Michael were presented” against him, and that he had “not been informed of any allegations beyond that.”

When contacted by the BBC, Dale Shultz said via email that “much of the information that you have received concerning me is distorted and inaccurate”. However he declined to go into any further detail.

A global crisis

Mr Havet is one of more than 1,000 current and former members of the sect to have contacted a hotline set up by campaign group, Advocates for The Truth.

The group was founded last year by Americans Cynthia Liles, Lauren Rohs and Sheri Autrey.

They say they have been given the names of more than 700 alleged perpetrators in 21 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia and Russia. They plan to build cases against those on the list and take them to the police.

All the women used to belong to The Truth and Lauren Rohs and Sheri Autrey say they were abused by the same man.

That man was Ms Rohs’ father, a senior minister called Steve Rohs.

Lauren Rohs traced Ms Autrey after reading her anonymous online account of childhood sexual abuse, in 2019.

In the post, Ms Autrey described how her abuser would sing Maneater by 80s pop duo Hall & Oates to her when she was in his bedroom at night.

Ms Rohs knew immediately that the man being described as the perpetrator was her own father, as it was the same song she remembers him singing to her as a child.

“I sat there stunned,” says the 35 year-old. “It disoriented me beyond belief.”

She says that her father subjected her to years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse from as early as she can remember.

Meanwhile, Ms Autrey says Steve Rohs stayed at her family home in Tulare County, California, for two months in 1982 – when she was turning 14 – and molested her daily.

He would sing Maneater because “a part of his manipulation was that I was this wild seductress”, the 54-year-old says.

Sheri Autrey, seen here as a child

There is a 20-year age gap between the two women. By the time his daughter was born, Mr Rohs had given up his role as a worker and started a family in San Diego, California. They later moved to Washington state, Idaho and Colorado.

Lauren Rohs says her father gave various reasons for their constant moving, including that “God needs us in a new place”.

The BBC put all the allegations to Mr Rohs in emails and social media messages, but he did not respond.

Abuse culture persists

Ms Rohs says during her time in the church in the 1990s and 2000s, workers were like “demigods” and never questioned, and that callers to the abuse hotline confirm that this culture persists today.

Like Mr Havet, Ms Autrey says she spoke out about her abuser – and he was protected.

In 1986, she confided in her mother about being abused by Steve Rohs.

“I felt scared, dirty, ashamed, embarrassed, and guilty,” says Ms Autrey, who was 17 at the time and believed she would be in “big trouble”.

But her mother believed her right away and reported the man to the California state overseer, who has since died.

In a letter dated 11 May 1986, written by Mr Rohs and seen by the BBC, he admits to the overseer that he and the teenager “did kiss and touch each other intimately” and that he had “begged for forgiveness” ever since.

Mr Rohs was later brought to Ms Autrey’s home by workers where he verbally apologised to her.

“I responded that he was not sorry for what he had done or he would have apologised long before,” Ms Autrey recalls.

Steve Rohs, pictured in the 1980s

Despite admitting to child abuse, Mr Rohs remained a respected and influential member of the church. His daughter says he was even promoted in 1994 to being a church elder – a person of seniority who holds meetings in their own home.

The BBC understands he now lives in Minnesota with Ms Rohs’ mother – their daughter is estranged from them both. He works as an insurance agent and was an active member of The Truth until April last year, after his daughter and Ms Autrey brought their allegations to the state’s overseer and he was removed from meetings.

The floodgates open

The catalyst for the hotline was the death of Oregon’s overseer, Dean Bruer, in 2022.

He was one of The Truth’s most respected leaders and had worked for the group for 46 years, across six US states.

An internal letter was written by his successor which stated Mr Bruer had a history of abuse including “rape and abuse of underage victims”.

It is not clear what the motivation behind writing the letter was but it leaked and soon found its way onto Facebook and TikTok.

Then more people started coming forward to tell their own stories of abuse.

“I think we thought the hotline was solely for Dean Bruer victims but what the hotline did was just open the floodgates,” Ms Rohs says.

The friends say they now want the kind of justice they didn’t manage to get for themselves.

“When I found Sheri it was a really rather rare and massive healing,” says Ms Rohs.

“It has been distressing as survivors to go back and hear the amount of filth and evil,” Ms Autrey says.

“Ours was bad enough but to see other people in such terrible situations – it’s beyond angering. It’s been ugly but also very rewarding.”

Ms Autrey stepped down from the Advocates in December.

Michael Havet, 54, continues to be affected by the sexual abuse he experienced as a child

Because The Truth has no official leader, the BBC instead put the allegations to more than 20 overseers in North America, via email.

The only one to respond was Rob Newman, the overseer for California.

“We actively address all abuse allegations involving participants in our fellowship,” he wrote in an email, before Mr Corfield’s confession.

“Our paramount concern is that victims receive the professional help that they need. We take all allegations of abuse seriously, strongly recommend mandated reporter training to all, and encourage everyone to report issues to the proper legal authorities.”

Ms Autrey believes change will not happen before any culpable overseers are jailed.

“It’s an extremely well-oiled machine for criminals,” she says.

“It’s a perfected system that has gone on for 12 decades.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66449988

Download pdf:

bbc-news-20240128-re-corfieldDownload

Previous WINGS posts relating to Corfield:

Robert Corfield circumstances

Robert Corfield removed from work

Scott Rauscher letter to Montana and Wyoming Friends

Two Professing Women Share their Stories

This is a combined letter. Two women in their 50’s, one from Australia, one from New Zealand. They are related by marriage and friends by choice, forever united due to csa in their past. Their stories should be rare, especially in an organisation where the whole purpose and ethos is centred around Godly things. Their stories should be rare even from just a human standpoint. Yet, as we all know by now, their stories have become familiar, they’re almost the norm these days.

One of the children was about 12 years old when she jumped innocently into bed with her grandfather. It wasn’t long before his hands were inside her underwear. She froze then managed to escape the further harm that had been done to her cousins and perhaps her sisters. Like the other perpetrator, this man was much respected, an elder, he even had a child in the work. No one suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it.

The other child was swimming in a public swimming pool with her family. The father of another family sat her on his knee and asked if she could feel “that”. She had no idea what “that” was but an instinct deep in her soul told her this was incredibly wrong. He caught up with her again some time later and tried to pull her underwear down. Again she escaped before further harm could be inflicted. This man was the elder of a church, he had a meeting in his home and he was revered by all. None suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it.

One of these children experienced another trauma at the age of 18. She was touched inappropriately by a male worker. Maybe he doesn’t even remember this interaction but she does. She had buried it deep in her memory until it came crashing back to her when she read a recent account of this same man. He is now out of the work due to his extremely disgraceful behaviour in a foreign country.

Through the years these women have tried to keep their experiences as children in perspective. They’ve told themselves that others were harmed worse, even by the men who harmed them. Yet those encounters have affected their entire lives. Choices they’ve made, the way they brought up their own children, their mental health and on and on. CSA continues to cause harm all throughout life. These women will not be silenced anymore. They both still attend meetings and they both are willing to do everything in their power to ensure that not one more child is harmed by powerful men within the church.