Need help with church cover-up

[mom4melody]

I hoping someone in Freepland can help me. If I have posted this in the wrong forum, I apologize, I usually lurk and read only. This is the situation...In 1998 a new pastor came to our church from out of state. The search committee chairman told us he had been fired twice but explained it away that "he brought the wrong kind of people to the churches." My husband and I thought he meant street people or minorities and being old 70's Jesus freaks, we thought that was great! Shortly after he came we started catching him in lies, not big stuff, but a lie is a lie, and then the lies started to cover the first lie. We confronted a board member (who we thought were some of our best friends) and were rudely rebuffed. Short story...we left the church. Fast forward to now...a younger couple who became personal friends with this pastor and his family abruptly left the church. She had been counseling with the pastor for bulimia and molestation from her childhood. In a nut shell, they abruptly left the church. The husband found: They had been meeting in parking lots, he found an RX for Oxy-codine hidden in her medicine cabinet that belonged to the pastor, and other minor details that would lead to speculation of innapropriate counseling behavior. I contacted two churches that the pastor had left to see if they had similar issues with him. Both churches had experienced dishonesty, money issues (one church used the term embezzelment) and one church told me of two instances of innapropriate touching of teenage girls. I promptly called the state headquaters for the demonation by phone and sent a letter with names and phone numbers of the church elders I spoke with. The husband had contacted the local police about the drug and had filed a report with the county attorney. The ver next day the church brass from the state called a meeting at the local church and demanded that me and the husband be there. When I arrived, we were told the husband had been arrested for molesting the pastors son! At the meeting the brass flatly refused to contact the local churches I had spoken to. The wife was at the meeting and flatly denied all the things previouly mentioned. If the charges against the husband are true, I hope he gets what he deserves, but I believe they are trumped up to deflect the charges against the pastor. Does anyone know what civil agencies can investigate the charges from the other churches...it't can't be the local police, this was from another state. The demonation is not going to do anything...in fact one church said they turned in a large documented report and they felt is was covered up. They were very upset that this man had gone on to another church. Also, the local board at the church will not contact the other churches either. Any suggustions?

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Please freepmail me with what denomination this particular congregation is, perhaps a solution can then be discussed.

[EvaClement]

Hi Mom4Melody,

Congrats on pursuing this. I know Charisma magazine has done investigations/exposés in the past. Try contacting them.

That stinks that the guy blowing the whistle suddenly is accused of molesting the proven liar's son. I agree that's implausible; though, if it's true, then it must be dealt with.

Thanks again for taking a stand. Let us know how it goes. E.C.

[Jeff Chandler]

This sounds like the plot of a Lifetime Channel movie.

[Jack Armstrong]

This should be a splash of ice cold water on your face!
We as Christians are supposed to be wise as serpents and gentle as lambs.
There may come a point when it will be best for you to get off the log and stop trying to have a discussion with the tar baby!
Remember Brear Rabbit and Brear Bear? That was a wise story 50 years ago when Disney produced it for Uncle Reamus...and it is just as appropriate now, for you . From what you have said , I advise cutting your losses and getting out. We will never be able to change the world, this appears more worldly than spiritual. Do you need to keep going back to the trash? Is it God's intention that you force yourself to "fellowship" with scum? Better to gather at your home and open the Bible than to be associated with obvious corruption. After you find out if these accusations are true or false ...then what? What will it change? We are obliged to be responsible for our own salvation, and our own lives. Will you also send the moral police out to investigate all the Catholic priest allegations of pedophilia? Jesus told the rich man to let the dead burry the dead! Seek His Wisdom & seek a faithful congeregation of true christians. Even rats flee the sinking ship!

[EvaClement]

'Short story...we left the church.'

J.A., did you miss the part where she said they [ALREADY] left the church?

[mom4melody]

We left the church 3 years ago. My concern is for potential victims...if this a school or business he would have been fired long ago. I keep remembering the statement bout what happens when good men do nothing...evil prevails. As far as the church elders and the state brass, they can rot. I have to agree with this statement I found on the web:

"When good men do nothing, evil triumphs. Evil, sin and sinful men must be opposed. God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it.

Christians are to not only to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but (also) reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). Those who do nothing about sin and evil, help the sin and evil to prevail. One who is silent when there are those around him in sin becomes a partaker with them (Eph. 5:7)".

[gcruse]

"I think I've found the problem right here, ma'am."

I promptly called the state headquarters for the demonation

It was clogging up all your paragraph breaks, too. ;)

[mom4melody]

Geez, what would Freud say?

[dsc]

Presuming you're not rich as Croesus, I think what you need to do is start trying to interest the police, the media, state legislators, and anybody else you can in the issue.

The more hard facts you have, the better you have them arranged, and the calmer and more credible your presentation, the better chance you will have of doing this.

[Warlord David]

In these uncertain times justice does not always prevail.

Remember that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In such cases the best you can do is WARN the congregation by presenting the facts and evidents you have. Period.

The rest is up to the congregation to decide. It not your decision after that. All you can do is walk away.

The duty of ever Christian: Ezekiel 33:1-6. For every Christian is a watchman and is brothers keeper.

[mom4melody]

WOW!

Thanks, I needed to read that!