The CAM scandal links and assorted other topics thread

[cmbl]

Now in the Lancaster news
https://lancasteronline.com/features/oh ... f2e18.html

[Josh]

Jazman,

To the contrary, many people (including us conservative Mennonites) did speak up, and were ignored, silenced, or marginalised. I have learned I was not the only one. Many others spoke up and asked questions years ago, and many more did recently.

We really are better than this. A few cling to the old ways. I really don’t think much is going to make it past this round.

A number of us have been fed up for a while and aren’t going to back down. I became a Christian because I desperately wanted out of a life of materialism, fornication, drunkenness, and emptiness. Christ showed me a new path. I will not stand idly by to watch people raised in a good church succumb to sexual sin, lying, cover ups, and hypocrisy. Repentance is on offer along with a changed life.

Josh,

If you knew about Jeriah’s misdeeds why didn’t you go to the law and report him? Wouldn’t that make you responsible as well?

I only knew rumours, and had no firsthand or secondhand knowledge of anything. I decided to instead speak to people who would be much closer to the situation and ask them to get to the bottom of it. I received what seemed to me to be credible assurances they would.

I rather resent the accusations on this forum (two of them now in the last week) that I somehow did not report this properly.

I would also like some of you to consider the perspective of a new seeker to Anabaptism who is six months in, and who is continuously told to submit to things and to stop asking questions. And ask yourself how you’d feel about me if I was brand new to Christianity and your church and then started going to the police with every third hand rumour I heard.

[Hats Off]

Jazman,

To the contrary, many people (including us conservative Mennonites) did speak up, and were ignored, silenced, or marginalised. I have learned I was not the only one. Many others spoke up and asked questions years ago, and many more did recently.

We really are better than this. A few cling to the old ways. I really don’t think much is going to make it past this round.

A number of us have been fed up for a while and aren’t going to back down. I became a Christian because I desperately wanted out of a life of materialism, fornication, drunkenness, and emptiness. Christ showed me a new path. I will not stand idly by to watch people raised in a good church succumb to sexual sin, lying, cover ups, and hypocrisy. Repentance is on offer along with a changed life.

Josh,

If you knew about Jeriah’s misdeeds why didn’t you go to the law and report him? Wouldn’t that make you responsible as well?

I only knew rumours, and had no firsthand or secondhand knowledge of anything. I decided to instead speak to people who would be much closer to the situation and ask them to get to the bottom of it. I received what seemed to me to be credible assurances they would.

I rather resent the accusations on this forum (two of them now in the last week) that I somehow did not report this properly.

I would also like some of you to consider the perspective of a new seeker to Anabaptism who is six months in, and who is continuously told to submit to things and to stop asking questions. And ask yourself how you’d feel about me if I was brand new to Christianity and your church and then started going to the police with every third hand rumour I heard.

I keep repeating; if we are a little less personal or speak a little gentler, there is less reason or need for anyone to become offended.

[hillperson]

Jazman,

To the contrary, many people (including us conservative Mennonites) did speak up, and were ignored, silenced, or marginalised. I have learned I was not the only one. Many others spoke up and asked questions years ago, and many more did recently.

We really are better than this. A few cling to the old ways. I really don’t think much is going to make it past this round.

A number of us have been fed up for a while and aren’t going to back down. I became a Christian because I desperately wanted out of a life of materialism, fornication, drunkenness, and emptiness. Christ showed me a new path. I will not stand idly by to watch people raised in a good church succumb to sexual sin, lying, cover ups, and hypocrisy. Repentance is on offer along with a changed life.

Josh,

If you knew about Jeriah’s misdeeds why didn’t you go to the law and report him? Wouldn’t that make you responsible as well?

I only knew rumours, and had no firsthand or secondhand knowledge of anything. I decided to instead speak to people who would be much closer to the situation and ask them to get to the bottom of it. I received what seemed to me to be credible assurances they would.

I rather resent the accusations on this forum (two of them now in the last week) that I somehow did not report this properly.

I would also like some of you to consider the perspective of a new seeker to Anabaptism who is six months in, and who is continuously told to submit to things and to stop asking questions. And ask yourself how you’d feel about me if I was brand new to Christianity and your church and then started going to the police with every third hand rumour I heard.

Reporting can be done anonymously. So never let anyone no matter how holy intimidate you.

I thought you indicated you were closer to the situation.

[Aurien]

Jazman,

To the contrary, many people (including us conservative Mennonites) did speak up, and were ignored, silenced, or marginalised. I have learned I was not the only one. Many others spoke up and asked questions years ago, and many more did recently.

We really are better than this. A few cling to the old ways. I really don’t think much is going to make it past this round.

A number of us have been fed up for a while and aren’t going to back down. I became a Christian because I desperately wanted out of a life of materialism, fornication, drunkenness, and emptiness. Christ showed me a new path. I will not stand idly by to watch people raised in a good church succumb to sexual sin, lying, cover ups, and hypocrisy. Repentance is on offer along with a changed life.

Josh,

If you knew about Jeriah’s misdeeds why didn’t you go to the law and report him? Wouldn’t that make you responsible as well?

I only knew rumours, and had no firsthand or secondhand knowledge of anything. I decided to instead speak to people who would be much closer to the situation and ask them to get to the bottom of it. I received what seemed to me to be credible assurances they would.

I rather resent the accusations on this forum (two of them now in the last week) that I somehow did not report this properly.

I would also like some of you to consider the perspective of a new seeker to Anabaptism who is six months in, and who is continuously told to submit to things and to stop asking questions. And ask yourself how you’d feel about me if I was brand new to Christianity and your church and then started going to the police with every third hand rumour I heard.

I think I can sort of understand where you're coming from Josh. After i learned about my father's sexual abuse of a sibling I contacted our church's lead and assistant ministers. They wanted to wait until after their church anniversary weekend to have a meeting about what they should do. I stupidly thought that the good Christian thing to do would be to wait and see what the church ministry decided before going to the police. Thankfully there were friends of my brother who did not feel the same way and encouraged him to talk to a police investigator. Looking back now I can't believe how naive I was. Knowing what I do now about people who sexually abuse minors I would immediately go to the police.

[Hats Off]

Going to the church, especially in a situation like yours, should have been the right thing to do. Unfortunately, that does not always work. In our plain churches where men are ordained by lot, without any training, they do not always have all the gifts a leader should have.

[Josh]

Reporting can be done anonymously. So never let anyone no matter how holy intimidate you.

I thought you indicated you were closer to the situation.

I became aware J.M. had rumours he had abused young boys in Ohio in his late teens, “repented”, and then went and got married. It is very difficult to verify a rumour like that.

I then confirmed he definitely did work for CAM in Haiti and seemed (based on his blog and newsletters) to be around a lot of young people. Those are inferences that aren’t something you go and report to the police. They are things it is appropriate to go to someone you personally know at CAM and say “I think this needs looked at seriously,” which I did do.

[temporal1]

Going to the church, especially in a situation like yours, should have been the right thing to do. Unfortunately, that does not always work. In our plain churches where men are ordained by lot, without any training, they do not always have all the gifts a leader should have.

sadly, abundant evidence is, “ordained” is not a guarantee.

i mostly pray for inspired leadership.
none of the Apostles were ordained. they were inspired.

[temporal1]

Page 4

I still cannot wrap my head around him being able to get away with this for years...

This is the perfectly lucid response a healthy person would have.
Clarity is needed to stop downward cycles, to clean it up and begin again. To be able to establish boundaries and respect them.

“Go and sin no more.” Not, “Go and continue in sin.”

[blackfriar]

It appears this story is starting to go mainstream.

https://christiannews.net/2019/06/14/us ... lA1B71bDMY

The details in this story about the abuse are completely jarring, and just speak to the depth of the depravity here. God be with those who had to endure this monster.