CAM Molestation Issue

[Aurien]

I was going to edit this post but I'm unable to do that so I'm replying to my own post here.
Jeriah Mast to my knowledge has not admitted to raping the boys so I shouldn't have said, "Saying he sodomized them is not a gory detail." He did admit to sexually molesting them in some way but I don't know if that includes rape. I also didn't make it clear that my statement of he "put (redacted) in (redacted)" was not aimed at specifically at Jeriah Mast but was intended as a general statement of what is not a "gory detail" but is also not something that would have to be said publicly.

about legal language,
i believe, the word, “rape” of children/minors does NOT require penetration.
i’m glad they do this, but it makes it difficult/impossible to know details of what happened.
others here probably know more about how this works in courtrooms.
i believe the point is to protect victims, and i appreciate it.

i see, Ken has responded. i agree.

You may be right. I don't know exactly what the laws say in either Ohio or Haiti regarding the legal definition of rape. By rape I was referring to actual penetration and so thought it best to clarify my statement so as to not be accused of spreading false information.

[Ernie]

And one final point, the online publicity and broadcasting has consumed extra resources and energy from CAM staff. If people were really interested in helping CAM and the victims, they could have shared their findings with those who are part of the solution. I assume they felt that airing their thoughts and findings publicly was part of the solution, but I think it was a big mistake. I don't think they realize how much more difficult they made the situation. And I don't think they realize how much additional help they were to the Kingdom of Darkness.
For the record, I'm talking specifically about the publicity. I'm very much in favor of transparency and of exposing the works of darkness to those who need to know.

Would this have been swept under the rug if it was not for the publicity....I am now convinced absolutely it would have.

J.M.

J.M., Are you still of this persuasion?

[Ernie]

Ernie what was being done privately to expose these evil deeds/crimes and help those Jeriah abused?

1. Was Jeriah intending to go to the FBI and report himself for international crimes? Did he only go to the police in Ohio because he had talked to the victims in the US and and found out that they weren't going to press charges? Was he planning to tell the police about his crimes in Haiti as well? Was he prepared to accept the consequences for his actions without enlisting the help of people to draw up a "Restoration Plan" that was intended to try to keep him out of prison?
2. Were people at Jeriah's church, CAM, and Life Literature who knew about the abuse for years (or found out at the beginning of May) telling Jeriah that he needed to confess his crimes in Haiti and the US to the authorities and accept the consequences for his crimes? Were they telling him that if he was truly repentant he needed to make every effort possible to make restitution to his victims?
3. If several people had not contacted the FBI about Jeriah going to the local police would anyone in Jeriah's church, CAM or Life Literature who had known about the abuse for years have gone to the authorities to report the crimes in Haiti?
4. Were those in CAM, Jeriah's church, and Life Literature who knew about the abuse for years broken with sorrow over keeping quiet about it? Were they actively reaching out to the victims in the US and Haiti to say how sorry they were that Jeriah had done this to them and how sorry they were for their part in enabling him to continue abusing boys? Were they committed to helping the victims no matter the cost to their finances or reputations?

These are fair questions, and I don't know the answers. I expect we will get answers at some point.

I have confidence that what was (in certain places at CAM), is not what presently is.

After a couple weeks of anger, bewilderment, sadness, and grief, at this point I am personally most interested in knowing what will happen in the future.
Will church leaders and organizational leaders all across the Old Order and Conservative Anabaptist spectrum learn a lesson from this? I expect that many will. I hope that the majority will.
Something that came to mind to me today is that prevention is always more costly up front, but less costly in the long run. Too many "go getters" neglect important pieces of the pie in their zeal to get things done quicker.
I hope that many abusers out there will be shocked by this and take the initiative to get help.
This is also a lesson in humanity. We might not want to ask our friends hard questions about how they are doing because we want them to believe that we trust them.

I have a friend who was with the International Churches of Christ for decades until fairly recently. He tells me that among his friends, when they meet each other and have had a few words of greeting, it is not uncommon for one to ask the other, "Have you struggled with porn recently?" The other will generally reply, "No, but thanks for asking."
This is indeed a rare environment/culture. The closest thing I ever experienced to this was when I worked at Fresh Start.

[joshuabgood]

And one final point, the online publicity and broadcasting has consumed extra resources and energy from CAM staff. If people were really interested in helping CAM and the victims, they could have shared their findings with those who are part of the solution. I assume they felt that airing their thoughts and findings publicly was part of the solution, but I think it was a big mistake. I don't think they realize how much more difficult they made the situation. And I don't think they realize how much additional help they were to the Kingdom of Darkness.
For the record, I'm talking specifically about the publicity. I'm very much in favor of transparency and of exposing the works of darkness to those who need to know.

Would this have been swept under the rug if it was not for the publicity....I am now convinced absolutely it would have.

J.M.

J.M., Are you still of this persuasion?

I'm not JM. But I am of this persuasion.

The timeline I think makes it clear. These events blew up in early May. No statements were made, no apologies issues, no personnel placed on leave for six weeks. It wasn't until Trudy reported it that any statement at all was released regarding what is obviously a bombshell situation. Further it doesn't take six weeks of internal investigating to find out who knew. The day it was discovered that JM absconded Haiti to dodge sexual molestation charges, the most honorable thing for anybody who knew about this and didn't report would have been to offer the resignations...and they should have been immediately placed on leave. Even if they hadn't offered, them, for a bombshell situation like this, the Board Chair should have immediately (in 24 hours) phoned the direct supervisor and asked him if he knew about this (he did). Further, in another two or three phone calls, in the chain of command ask the same question. They did. Everyone that knew should have been placed on leave. In 48-72 hours the board announces what happened, announces an ongoing investigation, and the personnel suspensions.

The most it should have taken is a week. The bottom line is...didn't get there until 6 weeks later and that only a week after intense public pressure. I think a reasonable conclusion is that that absent public pressure we wouldn't be where we are today.

I do give CAM credit for listening and bending to public pressure. As they said, "We have come to mutually realize..."

[steve-in-kville]

I'm not JM. But I am of this persuasion.

You can ad me to this list as well. And it wasn't just the pressure from the internet. There were some very large sponsors of CAM that made it clear they needed to respond or they would loose large chunks of funding. So there's the money side. But inevitably, it all started with the internet.

[Sienna]

And one final point, the online publicity and broadcasting has consumed extra resources and energy from CAM staff. If people were really interested in helping CAM and the victims, they could have shared their findings with those who are part of the solution. I assume they felt that airing their thoughts and findings publicly was part of the solution, but I think it was a big mistake. I don't think they realize how much more difficult they made the situation. And I don't think they realize how much additional help they were to the Kingdom of Darkness.
For the record, I'm talking specifically about the publicity. I'm very much in favor of transparency and of exposing the works of darkness to those who need to know.

Would this have been swept under the rug if it was not for the publicity....I am now convinced absolutely it would have.

J.M.

J.M., Are you still of this persuasion?

Ernie, Perhaps this is being hushed by the Menno community because so many Menno jobs are at stake seeing as CAM is the employer of how many Mennos (I think I read 900 somewhere)? Perhaps the true test of American Mennonite Christianity is when their job is at stake?

[steve-in-kville]

Ernie, Perhaps this is being hushed by the Menno community because so many Menno jobs are at stake seeing as CAM is the employer of how many Mennos (I think I read 900 somewhere)? Perhaps the true test of American Mennonite Christianity is when their job is at stake?

Or simply money in general. Take the money away from the Mennonites and they will dissolve in five years.

[mike]

Ernie, Perhaps this is being hushed by the Menno community because so many Menno jobs are at stake seeing as CAM is the employer of how many Mennos (I think I read 900 somewhere)? Perhaps the true test of American Mennonite Christianity is when their job is at stake?

I don't like speculating like this about people's motivations. People who don't like Mennonites already will of course believe these kinds of characterizations, when CAM likely responded in a very human if imperfect way. Any of us, Menno or not, may have made the same mistakes. And yes the mistakes must be amended and acknowledged. One could likewise question the motives of those who seize on scandals, speculate about conspiracies, and appear to enjoy seeing terrible things brought to light, but I don't think that is a profitable exercise either.

[joshuabgood]

Yeah...I really don't think it is jobs or money.

[MaxPC]

Ernie, Perhaps this is being hushed by the Menno community because so many Menno jobs are at stake seeing as CAM is the employer of how many Mennos (I think I read 900 somewhere)? Perhaps the true test of American Mennonite Christianity is when their job is at stake?

I don't like speculating like this about people's motivations. People who don't like Mennonites already will of course believe these kinds of characterizations, when CAM likely responded in a very human if imperfect way. Any of us, Menno or not, may have made the same mistakes. And yes the mistakes must be amended and acknowledged. One could likewise question the motives of those who seize on scandals, speculate about conspiracies, and appear to enjoy seeing terrible things brought to light, but I don't think that is a profitable exercise either.

Amen and amen.