What’s at Stake: protecting and preserving the innocence of children

UPDATE 9/22/13: I mentioned in the original post that Eddie Struble is living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area now. He is attending and assisting in a leadership position in the worship ministry at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, according to the information on their website here. The SBC has a long history of completely ignoring credible allegations of child sex abuse by their own clergy and volunteers, and in this case of credible allegations of abuse by Eddie Struble, there are police reports. The SBC has a long history of protecting and enabling the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against children in their churches by continuing to elevate and place them in public positions of leadership and trust. Predators are master manipulators and use these positions of trust, particularly spiritual trust, to groom kids and gain the trust of parents, preying upon the vulnerable.

5th Sunday Hymn Sing

September 29 at 6:00pm

You are invited to be part of this 

nostalgic and encouraging night of 

worship. Join in singing your favorite 

hymns of praise from our hymnal on 

Sunday evening September 29.

Joining Bro Philip in leading this time 

of worship will be Phil Jones, Phillip 

Smith, Eddie Struble, and Martin Critz

Open Your Eyes

Unfortunately the church is not necessarily known as a safe place for those who have been hurt by this crime. Rather than leading the charge the church is scandalized by reports of abuse within her ranks. Instead of seeking justice and providing safe, healing environments for survivors and their families, the church has become known for its cover ups and lack of competence and compassion when caring for those hurt by sexual abuse.

In a recent article in the Associated Baptist Press, Bob Allen, writes, “A victims’ advocate says autonomous Baptist churches are ill-equipped to deal with the problem of sexual abuse by clergy because they lack the objectivity to respond appropriately to allegations against a trusted minister.” This lack of objectivity clouds the better judgement of those in places of authority charged with protecting the most vulnerable in their congregations, children.

Christa Brown’s story will likely make you mad. As a naive 16-year-old growing up in a North Texas Baptist church in the 1960s, she was pressured into having a sexual relationship with her youth minister. The married pastor told Brown it was God’s will and justified his marital infidelity by citing Bible verses about concubines — then excoriated her as a satanic temptress when his wife found out.

When Brown reported the abuse to another church leader, the minister, like so many Catholic priests we’ve since heard about, was transferred to another congregation. No police investigation. No announcement to the congregation.

…

 What happened to children at the hands of Catholic priests and bishops was so beyond the pale that no policy could ever make it right.

I see that now because I know what it means to want to protect someone so fiercely. I know what innocence is and the importance of preserving it as long as possible. Molesters don’t just ruin childhood, they set their victims up for an adulthood fraught with anxiety and anger, failed relationships and self-loathing — nothing any mother would wish for her child.
I always felt sorry for abuse victims. But as I held my baby and imagined all the wonder and joy that awaited her, I began to understand more clearly what Brown and so many others had stolen from them.

 …

Like her Catholic friends who tried to effect institutional change, Brown said she encountered hurdles and denial and indifference among Baptist leaders in the national and state conventions. Her abuser, who finally left the ministry after serving different churches, never faced charges. And Baptist leaders have yet to create a national database of abusers or a central reporting point for victims.

But “This Little Light” should stir Baptist leaders to action. And it should help all of us understand just exactly what’s at stake.
  

*We all have the responsibility to protect  children from harm. If you suspect the abuse or neglect of a child, it is your duty to report it immediately. Call 911. In TX that would apply to any child under the age of 18 when the abuse took place. Per the Office of the Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott:

Anyone having cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect MUST report the case immediately to a state or local law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

DFPS has a toll-free, 24-hour Hotline: 1-800-252-5400 or www.txabusehotline.org

 

If you suspect abuse:

DON’T try to investigate. DON’T confront the abuser. DO report your reasonable suspicions.

It is not up you to determine whether your suspicions are true. A trained investigator will evaluate the child’s situation. Even if your report does not bring decisive action, it may help establish a pattern that will eventually be clear enough to help the child.

Please, if you saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes, please contact the police or local law enforcement agency, no matter how long ago or how recent the abuse occurred. Children’s Advocacy Centers are also available across the country to support victims and their families. National Children’s Alliance is a professional membership organization dedicated to helping local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient and put the needs of child victims first. The mission of Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas is to restore the lives of abused children by supporting children’s advocacy centers in partnership with local communities and agencies investigating and prosecuting child abuse. To find a local center in TX, go here and you can search by county.

The light of knowledge and truth is our most important tool in protecting kids.

Please contact me at spacecitysnap@gmail.com if I can be of any assistance.

Amy Smith
Houston SNAP 

Update: In light of the events involving Penn State, SNAP urges the new Penn State coach to come clean.

We also call on interim coach Tom Bradley to release a statement to disclose what he knew or suspected and when regarding Sandusky’s crimes. Bradley was also there while this cover up took place, so it is hard to believe that Bradley was completely unaware of the situation. We hope that Bradley comes forward to tell the police and the public exactly what he knew, and when he found out.

May the watchers become warriors in protecting kids.