To be honest, I’ve been exhausted, sad, and angry since the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report was made public on August 14th. I’ve read the 887 page report. Every word of it. I’ve also had a growing number of messages from church members across the United States asking for help because their church leaders are covering up abuse. There have been nearly twenty different people from twenty different churches reach out to me since the release of the Grand Jury Report. All of these cases involve registered sex offenders who attend church with the full protection and blessing of the leaders.
Not only have these church leaders failed to inform their congregations, but in most cases, the registered sex offenders were volunteering at their churches. Some are teaching Bible classes and leading small groups. Others are leading the singing in worship. In a couple cases the abusers are volunteering with children. In every case, leaders were asked if they were aware that a registered sex offender was at their church. Not only did all of them know, but the members who brought it to their attention were lectured or threatened. Several of these members have since left their churches after these horrific exchanges with their leaders.
I personally contacted one congregation because I pulled up the offender’s record and quickly found out that he is a very dangerous predator of the worst degree. He doubled as a minister and youth minister and was raping 14-15 year old girls in his youth group. He molested five victims that police are aware of. He humiliated his victims and taunted them as he was raping them. His new church, which boasts a membership of over 1,000, intentionally continues to keep it quiet. The child rapist was recently released from prison and has made this large church his new home. I was assured that the elders are “keeping an eye on him.” Unfortunately, none of the parents of the hundreds of children in that church can help their elders keep an eye on this sexually violent predator because they don’t know that he is one.
What these churches are doing is reprehensible and is no different than what the Catholic church does when they pass pedophile abusers from parish to parish. Actually, what these churches are doing is worse! In the Grand Jury Report, none of the abusers had convictions since they were not reported to law enforcement. There were credible allegations, but no actual convictions where they were tried in a court of law. In the cases that came my way over the past few weeks, all of the offenders either pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a jury. In other words, we are positive that they are child sexual abusers. And the churches still can’t bring themselves to simply inform their congregants that they have registered sex offenders sitting in the pews and leading their Bible classes. I’ve read the correspondence between members and their leaders. The leaders believe it’s “unfair” to publicly call out someone’s sin that happened in the past. Much of the phrasing in the messages I receive are verbatim what was written by Bishops that can be found throughout the Grand Jury report.
The introduction to the PA Grand Jury Report states:
“We are going to name their (abusers’) names, and describe what they did – both the sex offenders and those who concealed them. We are going to shine a light on their conduct, because that is what the victims deserve.”
How is it that a group of 23 grand jurors gets it yet shepherds who are charged with protecting their flocks don’t? They’d rather see concerned members and their entire families leave their church than the molesters who’ve tortured their young victims. When these molesters are up front leading Bible studies, praying, leading worship, small groups, or even sitting in the pews, the leaders have given members every reason to believe that these men are trustworthy, upright, and safe people. Pedophiles, like the rest of us, make friends at church. Friends hang out in each others’ homes. It’s what we do. How in the world can these elders who are “keeping an eye” on the offenders possibly do so when the offenders are in and out of other members’ homes? It’s impossible.
If any church leaders are reading this, I beg you to take a different approach. Please, please pick up the phone and call an expert for help. Know that sexual predators almost never have just one victim. Spending time in prison does not make them stop. Making them sign a covenant doesn’t make them accountable. It only empowers them. Pedophiles are among the most sophisticated criminals. They are incredibly gifted at pulling the wool over our eyes. They are exceptional at hiding their abuse. Your failure to inform your church of known child predators makes you every bit as responsible as the Bishops who are named in the Grand Jury Report. I beg you to please inform your churches when you know you have a convicted sexual predator in your church. Parents can do what they want to protect their own children, but at least give them a fighting chance.
If you feel like I’m being over dramatic, I assure you that this is based on scriptures, experience, research, and conversations I’ve personally had with hundreds of survivors. I make my final plea by urging you to listen to the voices of survivors themselves. When I read the report, there was one abuser in particular who caught my attention and made me incredibly upset at what he had done. Five of his victims, who were written about in the report, chose to speak out publicly. My mother and I had the honor this week of meeting two of the five Fortney sisters. They are asking their friends to share the following video. Please listen to every word and reconsider when you think it’s “unfair” to inform your churches of child sexual abusers: