17 years ago, a Southern Baptist church told two just graduated 18 year old girls to be quiet about abuse they experienced from their youth pastor.
Today, another SBC Pastor Search Chairman from https://t.co/ziYSAom4ff called the women “adversaries.”https://t.co/k7Zab1nW6r— Joe Donahue (@PastorJDonahue) November 4, 2019
Wes Feltner is a Southern Baptist pastor currently at Berean Baptist Church in Minnesota where he has been since 2014. He is lead pastor of Preaching and Vision.
I became aware of alleged sexual abuse by Wes Feltner yesterday upon reading the stories of two women who have come forward to tell their stories. Their abuse took place while Feltner was their youth pastor at First Southern Baptist Church in Evansville, Indiana.
Megan’s story
JoAnna’s story
I — the victim of sexual abuse by my youth pastor, alongside another youth at the same time — apparently am the adversary of the church…. #churchtoo #metoo #AllSurvivorsDay #BeBetter #RottenFruit @wartwatch
https://t.co/7TDQlZODDF https://t.co/UWQ2dclFcN— Meg Frey (@mrsdafrey83) November 4, 2019
4/4 So much wrong with Paul Batson’s message to the church @FBCT_Voice this morning. This kind of justification is why abusive pastors remain behind the pulpit. #metoo #churchtoo #allsurvivorsday #pastoralabuse #SBCtoo pic.twitter.com/1nIkae51nv— Meg Frey (@mrsdafrey83) November 3, 2019
This was my story. I trusted and believed my spiritual abuser.https://t.co/AAO1BlbBk1 https://t.co/mf7ZO9WV8W— Jo Anna (@Truthinlight84) November 3, 2019
Brought To The Light was created by two abuse survivors for victims and survivors, as well as a support tool for their friends and family navigating the aftermath of abuse. After 17 years of guilt, anxiety, shame and blaming themselves, these two brave women have stepped up to share their stories with the intent to ‘bring darkness to the light’ and spread awareness of the abuse that sometimes happens inside the walls of churches, homes and workplaces, how to recognize it, find a voice and begin healing…
From Megan and JoAnna on why they are coming forward now…
WHY COME FORWARD NOW?
… At the core, it is important that you control your information. Don’t let anyone, not me and not these others, coax you to share this beyond what you and your husband decide to do. You have more to lose than any of the rest of us. In this search process, which is similar to a corporate hiring process, we scour the Internet for details. You don’t likely want this situation to be what your kids and your future employers find at the top of the search about you, and I fear that Joe’s further publication of it would do just that. In modern day HR, and in society in general, people take sides in stories and there may be as many that point an accusing finger at you, even as inappropriate as that may be.Again, I am sorry that through this search process we brought up this topic into your life.
2002: First Southern Baptist Church, Evansville, IN: After the winter youth retreat, Pastor Don Moore met with the families of the victims—they were told they had “been duped” and that in order to “protect the church” they should not speak about what had happened. Feltner “resigned” but was allowed to move on to another church without any known hinderances from the church.2003: Oak Park Baptist Church, Jeffersonville, IN: Families and the wife of the Head of Deacons from First Southern Baptist Church in Evansville called to inform the church of the events that took place and that Oak Park should not hire Feltner; the church did not listen and he served there for over four years.Around 2014: Berean Baptist Church, Burnsville, MN: Former Youth under Wes Feltner at First Southern Baptist Church spoke with the Executive Pastor at the time—it is unknown if any investigation was performed.
Paul Batson is president of TSW Automation in Nashville, Tennessee.
In my experience, the reason a pastor leaves a growing church for a small church is that they’ve been caught, or know they are about to be caught. Some have been on the verge of being arrested for their sex crimes. I’ll pray his reign of terror is over!— Carolyn Deevers (@chocolateorelse) November 5, 2019
Audio: @albertmohler introduction of @cjmahaney at @T4Gorg 2016: Mohler joked and the crowd laughed https://t.co/ypRak5mPck #churchtoo #sbc20 #caringwell— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) November 5, 2019
Sexual abuse by pastors and spiritual leaders in Southern Baptist and evangelical churches is absolutely a systemic epidemic. #churchtoo https://t.co/JjZUvZPwwW— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) November 5, 2019
Why two Indiana women are speaking up about alleged pastoral abuse 17 years later
One line tells you all you need to know that this church is not safe: “Also, please realize that there are conflicting views of events and circumstances.” #churchtoo #caringwell #sbctoo @wesfeltner https://t.co/srnAvPhPGb— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) November 6, 2019
Minnesota is a state that criminalizes clergy sexual relations with congregants, even adults. Berean Baptist Church needs to make a report to police. It’s not their role to investigate sex abuse crimes. This is a very serious situation unfolding in the SBC. Will Wes Feltner still be preaching while he’s under investigation?
It’s important to point out that Berean Baptist Church’s statement about doing an investigation into Wes Feltner seems to pertain to abuse accounts from Meg and JoAnna from Indiana. An important question to ask is, does this also pertain to any new allegations? Are they aware of further allegations? If so, this needs to be reported to law enforcement. Again I ask, is this why Feltner has been planning to leave his church in Minnesota and go to First Baptist Church Clarksville in Tennessee?
I've been keeping up with the #churchtoo movement. Let me share mine. When I was a YOUNG girl(`7years old), I went to a church-sponsored gathering and bible study in the country while staying with some relatives in upstate Mississippi. I had been invited by a young friend and was curious. We rode in a bus and were mainly all girls around the same age attended by older males in the late teens and early twenties. They engaged in behavior I found disturbing: holding the hands of the girls, pulling them into their laps, and kissing them. One approached me and was persistent, so I did what my father has instructed me to in such cases: I yelled (loudly) GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! (My father was not Christian, and indeed would have been horrified to learn of my presence on this trip.) All activity immediately ceased and everyone gathered around me to pray the demons out me. As I had never witnessed anything like this before, I thought WTF? When we got to the encampment, I spent the entire time sitting with my back against a tree and wary, b/c the same type of activity was taking place. I never told any adults about this. This was the early 60s. You just didn't think to tell adults things back then. In an addendum to this, I was recounting this story to my now best friend whom I met in college. She got quiet then asked if it was this particular church (can't recall the name, I have memory problems, sorry). But she knew exactly the church. She had been molested by the youth minister of that chuch.