Dan Ziegler - A Way Forward for CAM and all of us...

[hillperson]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the-da ... -SVEfAgq8g

[temporal1]

That case is eerily close and the timing of this settlement announcement today is quite timely. One thing I noted was that the abuse in that case was documented in 2008 and charges brought in 2010 and now in 2019 civil suits are being finalized. So this whole ordeal with CAM could potentially take 8-10 years to be resolved.
The holding pattern that you speak of is likely to be the reality for a long time with CAM.

I think the bigger question will be whether it stops with CAM.
Or are there larger church organizations involved in the management of CAM that could be found in any way to be liable or negligent.

You can be absolutely certain that lawyers will be pulling every one of those strings.
The law can be quirky in cases like this.
Organizations that think they have built legal firewalls may find the hard way that they actually didn't.

(i hope) this case will be a small fraction of the complexity of the Catholic Church cases.
(i doubt) CAM would have legal complications of any description to compare with the RCC.
(i would guess) CAM would be less complex than even Bernie Madoff. not that Madoff’s case was “simple.”

[MaxPC]

Hi All, - I don't want Dan Z,s thoughtful and wise post to be lost in a thread. So I am posting it here as well.

A Way Forward
My scope of understanding is quite limited, but these three core facts appear to be true:

1) Jeriah Mast systematically sexually abused perhaps dozens of boys over a 20-year period in both the United States (as a member of a conservative Anabaptist church community) and Haiti (while a missionary for CAM & Life Literature). [Many victims have come forth, and Jeriah has allegedly confessed to these things].

2) While the bulk of the activity came out in May in a confession to a pastor in Haiti, some of Jeriah's previous pedophilic actions were known to those in leadership for years - including American and Haitian pastors, CAM & Life Literature leaders, and presumably leaders in his church community and some family members. [For example, Harold Herr's testimony says CAM & Life leadership knew for at least six or seven years, and apparently even some leaders in both the Haitian and Mennonite church communities may have known longer].

3) Despite multiple episodes of "repentance" over the years (up until recently), Jeriah showed no ability to overcome his darkest impulses, and his action showed no meaningful understanding of the damage he was inflicting on the lives of his victims, their families, and the cause of Christ.

These tragic and far-reaching facts have rocked the Conservative Anabaptist and Mission worlds...including mine - we are part of this community and have served in Haiti in a conservative Anabaptist mission a total of five years, in part during the time while Jeriah was actively victimizing Haitian boys. We personally know many of those involved in this tragedy - both Haitians and Missionaries alike. Our hearts are broken and, with so many others, we are both angered and grieved! So - the question is, in the face of such a great wrong, "What should happen now? How do we, as a community of faith, move forward from here?" We know that evil must not triumph where the cause of Christ is concerned.

As Christians we look to the values of Justice and Grace for our answers - and while these values are sometimes found in tension with each other, we recognize that God is a God of both, and we must be a people of both. Where Justice and Grace find harmony is in the example of Christ, who calls us to a higher plane of justice. Instead of retributive justice (an eye for an eye) we are to strive for restorative justice (grace-filled justice that brings new life). In fact we rely on it for our salvation - "for while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." So, what does restorative justice demand in this situation?

First, and most importantly, for the victims and their families, justice demands that Jeriah face the international legal consequences for his crimes against children. Restoration demands that these boys and their families be cared for spiritually, psychologically, and materially by the community that Jeriah was a part of - family, churches and institutions must sacrificially join forces in this effort - in the hopes of restoring their dignity and helping them heal as dearly loved children of God.

Second, "of whom much is given much is required." Justice demands that those in church and mission leadership who previously (before May) knew of Jeriah's wrongs, especially those who could have hindered his access to the children of Haiti, admit their failure to adequately protect the "least of these," apologize for their negligence, and publicly recognize the severe harm to individuals and their institutions that their lapse in judgement has brought about. Trust has been broken, and those who could have stopped Jeriah's reappointment to Haiti (including board members) need to step aside in order to help their missions regain trust and rebuild the work for Christ they have been called to do. I don't say this lightly- many of these brothers have honorably given their lives to mission work, and many are my friends. Restoration requires that we in the Conservative Anabaptist Mission and Church community repent of the prideful and self-preserving culture that has allowed this evil to go unchecked in our midst in this situation and elsewhere, and together build a system of transparency, accountability, and procedural integrity to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again! Restoration also demands that those leaders (and their families) who have been shamed and broken by this calamity find forgiveness, healing, and care in family of God, and also that those institutions that have been tainted be given the opportunity to meet their legal and moral obligations, and with whatever solvency remains, re-earn their constituents trust and with the community's oversight and God's help fully give themselves once again to the work of Jesus.

Third, justice requires that Jeriah, once broken and repentant, pay the price for his crimes of violence, vulgarity, and selfish power against these innocents, and never be given unsupervised access to children again as long as he lives (even his own children). This price will doubtless include confession, specific and personal apologies, a lengthy prison sentence, and restitution to victims. Restoration requires that Jeriah's life be spared, and ultimately that he too find forgiveness, treatment, and the opportunity for restoration into the community of faith as a redeemed child of God. Restoration also requires that his family, who are also his victims, be cared for and nurtured by the community. [I am not convinced that his life, as a pedophile-missionary who preyed on Haitian children, will be spared in the bedlam of a Haitian prison. Might he serve his Haitian time in an American prison?]

As shock has turned to anger in our community, I hear strong words of condemnation, with some folks calling for harsh and far-reaching punishment, and/or for withholding of funds from CAM or even for its dissolution. Bitterness and cynicism are on the rise within our ranks. I have children of my own, and I have served much of my life in ministry and mission leadership - I understand this anger. Others are silent, defensive, or advocate for "circling the wagons" to limit the damage. I understand this preservation instinct as well.

However, there comes a point, hopefully sooner rather than later, when with God's help this cascade of events turns from destructive to constructive. I don't believe we are there yet - and some important things have to be set in motion before this occurs. But we need to pray fervently together, that out of the ruins of the brokenness of this tragedy might emerge something true and God-breathed.

VERY WELL SAID, DAN.

[MaxPC]

Haven't read all that has been posted regarding this topic but I believe the common denominator to hiding sins by a Christian and Christian organizations is the root sin of pride. The need to appear to be more right living than we really are. God hates pride; resists the proud but gives His grace to the humble. Sexual sins of sorts keep showing up in all the Christian organizations. Many come to mind and hypocrisy is quite common until caught.

It is dangerous to think our group would never be caught in certain sinning. Scripture tells us - 1 Cor 10:12 - 'Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.' I personally have experienced this in my own life. Looked at certain failings of others and said 'not me Lord'. Quite like Peter - 'not me Lord'. But it happened. My confidence in my own resolve was not adequate.

We all need God's enabling grace, every moment of the day, to resist evil and deny our prideful selves.

Moving forward one reminder for all who trust in Christ is to keep our eyes fixed on the only sinless one, Jesus. Any of us can be a failing Peter but through the grace God gives to the humble, God can produce a dynamic Peter. God is not stymied by our failures. He will build His Church.

Amen and amen.

[mike]

I think the bigger question will be whether it stops with CAM. Or are there larger church organizations involved in the management of CAM that could be found in any way to be liable or negligent. You can be absolutely certain that lawyers will be pulling every one of those strings. The law can be quirky in cases like this. Organizations that think they have built legal firewalls may find the hard way that they actually didn't.

If you look at organizations other than CAM, Jeriah Mast's church in Ohio as well as the church he was excommunicated from in Haiti in 2012(?) would have known about the problem years ago. If CAM is responsible for knowing, these churches also bear some responsibility for knowing past problems and not reporting to authorities and allowing him to return to Haiti as a missionary.

[Josh]

I think the bigger question will be whether it stops with CAM. Or are there larger church organizations involved in the management of CAM that could be found in any way to be liable or negligent. You can be absolutely certain that lawyers will be pulling every one of those strings. The law can be quirky in cases like this. Organizations that think they have built legal firewalls may find the hard way that they actually didn't.

If you look at organizations other than CAM, Jeriah Mast's church in Ohio as well as the church he was excommunicated from in Haiti in 2012(?) would have known about the problem years ago. If CAM is responsible for knowing, these churches also bear some responsibility for knowing past problems and not reporting to authorities and allowing him to return to Haiti as a missionary.

They absolutely do. The difference is that an independent Charity-esque church isn’t very accountable to very many people.

I mean, they sure aren’t going to care what I think or say.

[Bootstrap]

I really like what Dan said, and would like to emphasize this last part:

However, there comes a point, hopefully sooner rather than later, when with God's help this cascade of events turns from destructive to constructive. I don't believe we are there yet - and some important things have to be set in motion before this occurs. But we need to pray fervently together, that out of the ruins of the brokenness of this tragedy might emerge something true and God-breathed.

Fervent prayer is important. Let's pray more fervently than we opine. God is still good and trustworthy and faithful.

I would add one thing: I would want to see a plan in place for dealing with anything like this in the future. Something along the lines discussed in this thread.

[hansmast]

Thanks, Dan, for the great post! And thanks Josh for highlighting it.

Here are a few of my further thoughts along with something I wrote in 2017 warning about this exact scenario.

[Dan Z]

Hans - glad you dropped in to share your thoughts. We miss you areound here.

You are coming about this constructively and helping move this forward. We are all hoping that the CAM board's statement is the beginning of a turn toward healing and restoration - but there is still a lot of pain ahead I'm sure as well

[Szdfan]

Dan, I affirm a lot of what you wrote and I appreciate your attempt to carefully make sense of a difficult situation that tries to balance the call of the church to follow Christ and simultaneously acknowledges and takes seriously the damage that Mast has done.

The one area that raises some concern with me is your section on restoration. I’m concerned not because of anything you have specifically said or not said, but rather due to my own observation and experiences in the ways that Christian narratives of forgiveness and restoration often protects predators and enables them to continue to victimize.

What do you understand as “restoration?” What does it mean for Mast to be restored to his community? What are the limits to this restoration? What kind of safe guards does his community need to put into place?

I am not opposed to sexual offenders attending church and participating in Christian community. I’ve seen how society treats them as lepers and I question whether pushing them to the outer margins (outer darkness) is effective or appropriate. Jesus loves them too. I’ve know offenders who I believe are now following Christ the best they can and I’ve known offenders who I think continue to be dangerous and frankly scare me.

I also believe that providing space for predators to participate in a faith community is in itself a full-time ministry that requires clear boundaries, dedication and intentionality. As I’ve said elsewhere, I have no confidence in the ability of most churches and church institutions to do this appropriately. I think most of us are well-intentioned, but naive. I would like to be proven wrong.

Anyway, I’d like to hear your thoughts on what you envision restoration looks like,