Thursday, June 3, 2010
Trinity Baptist Victim's Brother Speaks Out On Pastor Chuck Phelps
Local Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN ran a story today about Chuck Phelps, the current pastor at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianpolis - and who is one of the central figures in the story of a raped 15-year old at his previous church, Trinity Baptist in Concorde, NH.
This latest news story by reporter Kim King contains excerpts from a phone interview with the victim's brother who says in no uncertain terms people in Indianapolis "should stay as far away as you can" from the church where Phelps is pastor.
I hope the local news folks stay on the case there in Indianapolis and in Concorde, New Hampshire. Here in Jacksonville, Jeannie Blaylock and other local reporters thoroughly covered the Bob Gray scandal and subsequent cover-up in depth at Trinity Baptist Church here in Jacksonville back in 2006 and 2007.
Here is a link to another story running today from ABC News on the Trinity Baptist (NH) scandal.
Thank God for freedom of the press. No Baptist resolutions will stop this "criticism". I suppose the news reporters, and the man quoted in this story, aren't getting the memo that to critize "elected leaders" in Baptist churches is sinful and should be ceased immediately.
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17 comments:
This story dismays me each time I see it. A pastor who covers this stuff up is a party to the crime. When will church leaders learn this? Glad the mainstream media is shedding light. Too bad the church has to leave it to them to do it.
The church is saying Willis was never a deacon...the girl's brother says he was.
My feeling on this is that the family was very dysfunctional...and what you are seeing here is two perspectives on the same event. In other words, the girl's mother asked for help...someone volunteered...Phelps sees it as helping the family but the girl sees it as being shipped off.
Evidently the proof exists that Trinity Baptist did contact the police and DCYF on more than one occasion.
The girl is a victim of a LOT of adults failing to protect her...(like the Concord Police)and I give her credit because it sounds like she is coming forward as gracefully as she can.
I still don't think Chuck Phelps is the monster he is being portrayed to be. And I dislike fundamental churches and the mindset too. I can speak as someone who has heard Chuck Phelps speak, and knows of several who have attended his Christian school and church.
That's why the facts need to come out.
By the way, all families are to some degree "dysfunctional". But this is the fundamentalist mindset: that family was so dysfunctional, it was not worth saving. Bad people. Horrible mother. The girl is bad, got pregnant, need to split family up. For Jesus.
However dysfunctional, if a woman is in church, and has her daughter at home, and she has been raped, how does a pastor believe it is in the best interests of the family and the mother and the girl for the daughter to be shipped out of town? Who teaches that sort of plan of action to ministers? Is that what is taught a Bob Jones University to pastors? I don't buy your theory that the pastor was "just helping". Knowing how controlling these churches are, it is not hard to believe they convinced the woman that it was "God's will" that it was best for the girl to go out of state, and the church then facilitated that process. No way would a pastor break up a family like this.
You say the girl is a victim of "lots" of adults. Come on. She was a victim of an adult who raped her. Then she was the victim of church leaders who reached into their bag of tricks and played the "send girl out of state to another church" card. I don't see how the police victimized her.
I don't know if Chuck Phelps is a monster.
But I can tell you that your experience of hearing Phelps speak means absolutely ZERO. Bob Gray in our city WAS a monster. And nobody suspected it because he was such a wonderful preacher.
I agree WD. Eloquest speaking means absolutely nothing. It appears to me that Phelps values the church and the good ole boy network more than he does the victim in this case. The girl was raped and she should have been helped rather than shamed. What in the world was Phelps doing?! And He's a Pastor?
Monster are everywhere
Be careful church!
I still don't think Chuck Phelps is the monster he is being portrayed to be.
Su, the 15 year old should have apologized for her behavior abd was shipped out but the Deacon gets to stay in the church?
He should have gone to jail! THAT is where Phelps is the monster. No one seems to think rape and/or seduction of young girls is a big deal. After all, just girls. That is what they are for, right anon? Why ruin a man's life over a bit of momentary pleasure. Natural, huh?
Now, in some states the laws are such that Phelps could be in huge trouble for not reporting what he knew. Thank God. Hopefully more states will change their laws. Seems the secular world knows more about right/wrong on this topic than most Christians.
Yes, thank God for the reporters and press!
I respectfully am thankful for blogs like the Watchdog - secrets can no longer be kept silent because of media and the press who are now doing research to find the truth and report it.
I've been in four churches in my lifetime where in all 4 the preachers did coverups when scandels broke out in their fellowship. And the congregation (including myself) kept my thoughts to myself believing as a new believer when told prayer was the only answer to solving the issues.
Resolutions like a former post is disgusting and example of a preacher who at any cost would hide the entire truth from their congregation. No wonder people are dropping out of church and no longer supporting the preachers living like rock stars. The church has changed - it's not working anymore.
Why fear a blog if it's speaking the truth - it's the preachers like this one who put together a Resolution that are responsible and disrupting their fellowship - they are the ones who need to repent!
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all Georgia Baptists respectfully request and expect that individuals that disrupt the fellowship through blogging repent and immediately cease this activity and no longer cause disharmony for the advancement of their own personal opinions and agendas; and
I am the first Anonymous you responded to. Again, I do think the situtation was handled poorly. And I can't imagine the pain this girl went through. I am just more familiar (though not an expert) with this church and this pastor and I do feel that he is telling the truth.
Do you understand the fundamental mindset? They thought they were helping the girl by having her apologize. I am not excusing that...but that in itself was not a crime. Her brother said the man was a deacon...the church said he was not. Her brother said the crime was not reported, the church said it was. Maybe we'll get to see the evidence.
I would never attend Trinity or a church like it. I know the weight of legalism because I grew up in it. But I think Chuck Phelps has character. He's not full of it like Ergun Caner or boastful and all that. Even men with character make mistakes.
The real criminal here is Willis, the man who raped her. And it's about time he gets held accountable.
It sounds to me like people are jumping to conclusions on Phelps because he's fundamental. With Caner we've seen the evidence...we know he's a liar. Let's just not having Phelps guilty of being a monster when we don't know the evidence.
Unbelievable. Thats all I can say.
"Do you understand the fundamental mindset? They thought they were helping the girl by having her apologize. I am not excusing that...but that in itself was not a crime. Her brother said the man was a deacon...the church said he was not. Her brother said the crime was not reported, the church said it was. Maybe we'll get to see the evidence."
I could care less about the fundamental mindset. I suppose they think they are above the law?
You must not understand the law. If it was reported, the girl does NOT have to press charges. A third party can report it and the state investigates when it is a minor.
The STATE MUST investigate all reports of sexual abuse to minors. So, did the state investigate?
If they did not investigate, the church is lying. Don't be so gullible. Seems to me they got her out of town fast. The problem of reporting it would be a concern. The last thing these guys want is bad publicity about the church.
"Even men with character make mistakes."
This was NOT a mistake. He was simply protecting his turf. The problem is that he LACKED not only character but compassion...and common sense.
Why are people so gullible? It is people like you that allow these men to operate so freely. You simply turn your head and make excuses.
"But I can tell you that your experience of hearing Phelps speak means absolutely ZERO. Bob Gray in our city WAS a monster. And nobody suspected it because he was such a wonderful preacher."
Lots of pew sitters buy into the stage persona of the pastor. They see him "on" at church and think he is wonderful. they have no clue. So, when stuff comes out, they choose not to believe it.
It is our cult of personality culture.
Phelps may or may not be a monster, but one thing is certain: he is not a "servant" of God. He is a servant of his own self-interest. With respect to covering-up the rape of a 15 year old girl, it appears he is a common criminal. The important questions here are: (1) did an adult male (Mr. Willis) in Phelps' congregation have sex with a 15 year old girl? That is rape. (2) Did Phelps know about the crime? (3) Did Phelps report the crime in a manner that minimized it and made it impossible to prosecute at that time? (4) Did Phelps force the girl to confess her "sin of immorality" publicly, before the church, yet make no requirement for the rapist to publicly confess his crime? (5) Did Phelps "encourage" the girl to leave New Hampshire and aid her in moving to the Colorado, to come under the care and influence of a church he previously pastored? (6) Did the pastor of that church (Matt Olson), in turn, abuse the child by forcing her to write a letter of apology to the wife of the rapist. Justice in this case will come when Mr. Willis is convicted and imprisoned for rape (statutory or forcible...the courts will decide) and Reverends Phelps and Olson are in prison for obstruction of justice and hindering prosecution of a felony. Additionally, the current pastor of Trinity, Brian Fuller, should not escape prosecution for his part in the ongoing cover-up, having instructed his congregation to "only talk of these matters to our Lord in prayer," regarding the rape of Ms. Anderson. Since she was taken beyond the state lines of New Hampshire, shouldn't this become a federal investigation?
Eventhough by law anyone is required to report certain things they find out or is said to them, I don't feel the whole church has to know about certain issue. Does discipline need to happen, yes. I use to be all about get it all out in the open until I saw the effect it has on children and spouses and those who have been hurt and feel ashamed because something bad has happen to them. The right authorities can know and be informed but also remember you are protecting those who have been hurt and sometimes they want to stay unknown. Victims are not at fault. Recaping, because someone is going to think I am standing up for Phelps and I am not, discretion and following your responsibility to legal mandates is a good policy. Airing dirty laundry hurts the victims.
"Eventhough by law anyone is required to report certain things they find out or is said to them, I don't feel the whole church has to know about certain issue. Does discipline need to happen, yes. I use to be all about get it all out in the open until I saw the effect it has on children and spouses and those who have been hurt and feel ashamed because something bad has happen to them. The right authorities can know and be informed but also remember you are protecting those who have been hurt and sometimes they want to stay unknown. Victims are not at fault. Recaping, because someone is going to think I am standing up for Phelps and I am not, discretion and following your responsibility to legal mandates is a good policy. Airing dirty laundry hurts the victims.
June 4, 2010 6:24 PM
There are two schools of thought on this. YOurs and another that says the predator's behavior must be publicly condemned or else the victims are easy targets. We see this behavior more common. It needs to be seen as 0 tolerance for sexual predators. And victims need to know if they tell, they will be taken seriously. Most are not in our churches. The predator is usually believed.
The amount of false reporting is so low it is almost negligible. The bigger problem is NOT reporting it right away and protecting future victims.
How the leadership responds sends a message to other victims and to the potential perps: We will not even tolerate a hint of sexual perversion here. Or, the message is: We most likely will not believe the victim and perps are safe here.
If you feel the whole churh does not need to know, you had better hope the perp is kicked out. Perhaps you do not have children?
One church tried what you suggest by dealing with it private and the perp refused to leave and maintained his innocence from fondling little girls. So, they felt forced to announce it from the pulpit. He tried to sue but got no where.
There are going to be a few problems prosecuting this crime. She was raped twice, the second time in her home, where she opened the door to admit the rapist. I think that's what Phelps meant by 'allowing herself to get into a compromising situation,' or however he phrased it. He cannot understand why she opened the door to a man she knew to be dangerous. 99% of the church members who heard her confession probably thought the 'compromising situation' was getting pregnant. So that was grossly unfair: they should have said, 'this young lady is pregnant as a result of rape (it was statutory rape if nothing else); please lift her up in prayer.' But she never broke off contact with the rapist, and I'm sure Phelps could not fathom that. When she suspected she was pregnant, who did she call? The rapist. I would guess she was moved to Colorado to break off contact with this man, because she never broke off contact with him. I don't think Phelps understood that. She has a family history of abuse at the hands of her step-father (?) apparently, according to coverage in the Concord paper, which helps to explain her behavior. I think this is just two worlds colliding; Phelps cannot understand why a rape victim would behave the way this young lady did. He expects a rape victim to avoid the rapist and display fear and aversion toward him. So I think it probably got communicated to her that the church folk did not hold her in high regard, unfortunately.
Here is my own youtube video on 'Pastor' Chuck Phelps who should be tried as a criminal co conspirator
in covering up the rape of a 15 year old girl along with the other Pastor in Colorado and forcing Tina Anderson to
give up this child
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeORxkRjcQ0
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