MK forum

Most of us are not closely connected to the Bob Jones University situation. But I feel that what is happening between them and GRACE and the many alumni who courageously participated in GRACE's investigation is VERY relevant to our own situation, with NTM and IHART.

Therefore I am copying this open letter to BJU, written by Robert Peters. Much of what he has to say could be said by us, about what has been happening with the IHART investigations. This letter is well written, and so very applicable to our own concerns.

Underlining added by me.

An Open Letter to Stephen Jones and Bob Jones University
February 8, 2014 at 8:37am


Stephen Jones and Bob Jones University,

Your decision to terminate GRACE days before the final interview and weeks before their final report had an impact on survivors and advocates in ways you do not understand. Your message, unintended or not, was blatantly clear: We care more about our institutional “objectives” than institutional transparency. We care more about us than about survivors.

I begin with facts that no one disputes, that you, Dr. Jones, reiterated in your statement yesterday. You initiated the process. You have raised awareness about the issue of sexual abuse at BJU. This is very commendable. These are important steps that BJU would not have taken a decade ago.

It is also undisputed that GRACE has been compassionate, effective, and helpful throughout the process.

It is sadly also undisputed, by you, that you have not told GRACE about your concerns. You admitted this in your statement yesterday. You say that GRACE diverged from your objectives and you have had concerns for several months, but you openly admitted that you did not bring those concerns to GRACE prior to terminating them. To quote a supporter of BJU, you changed the rules of the game in the fourth quarter.

You also spent a lot of time on how GRACE has diverged from your “objectives,” but you won’t disclose those “objectives” or how GRACE has diverged from them because it’s between you and them. It is not. Hundreds of survivors and alumni have a right to know exactly what part of your “objectives” conflicted with the investigative goals of an objective third party firm. How did GRACE “go beyond the original outlined intent?” Did they uncover more than you expected? Was their investigation not narrow enough for your comfort? When you say “it had gone askew,” what do you mean? Do you mean they looked where you didn’t want them to? Was it too painful for BJU to face abuses when they were complicit?

Furthermore, why do you expect a third party investigation to align with your objectives? If GRACE followed your “objectives,” they would cease to be objective! This illustrates a fundamental flaw; the goal of the investigation should not be narrow, as your response implies (and if you’re honest, this is the goal of terminating GRACE’s agreement: gain contractual leverage, narrow the scope of the report). It should bring darkness to light, institutional and otherwise. (John 1:5) We are a City on a Hill, not a fortress of secrecy and intentional vagueness.

It is not GRACE’S job to “complete the review to achieve our [BJU’s] objectives.” GRACE’s role is to bring light to darkness, truth to secrecy, and hope to survivors, not to accomplish an institution’s narrow objectives.

Also, your reason for the termination was “so that we could sit down and get back on track.” You run a business. Explain to me how it is a professional business model to never bring your concerns to the party, and before working them out you fire them to get back on track. How does that create a good working relationship? You then complain that GRACE went public with it, when, by your own admission, you 1) had concerns for months, 2) never disclosed those concerns, 3) terminated without disclosing the reasons, and 4) still haven’t communicated your concerns to GRACE. And GRACE is being unprofessional?

Furthermore, this rationale is blatantly opposed to the reason you gave in the termination letter, where you said the change of leadership (and a shift in institutional focus?!) was the real reason.

I have no doubt that BJU will move forward with an independent third party. I have grave concerns that the full scope of the report will not be made public. That is, after all, the real reason for the termination. You can sugarcoat it all you want, but in your heart you know why you terminated.

I’m glad you’re “concerned about people that have been interviewed in this process.” Your response caused them incredible pain. I pray you resolve this with an honest, open, unfiltered report.

You say “nothing is being covered up” because BJU “wouldn’t have initiated” the process. Dr. Jones, initiating costs you NOTHING. It means NOTHING. It’s easy to point to a seminar, an awareness campaign, an initiation, to point to how you care for survivors. That is not what shows you care.

What shows you care is not initiating, but finishing.

Not finishing in accordance with your narrowly construed objectives, but in accordance with the light, openness, and transparency that is the Gospel.

I will get personal. Dr. Jones, in your time as President you made important, incremental reforms. I believe you are a good man. This will anger many, perhaps even you, but you are better than your predecessors. And you are certainly better than this.

Please, if you value the name of Christ, if you care at all for the survivors of abuse, let GRACE complete this investigation in full--not to accomplish BJU's "objectives," but to pursue justice, transparency, and restoration for all involved. The longer you wait, the more news outlets pick this up. And the more others see a flawed depiction of Christ that looks nothing like your Savior.

Robert Peters

NTM, BJU and ABWE all tried to impress their supporters by making a show of "Opening an Investigation" into abuse.

What all of them are failing to do is to FINISH the investigation with integrity.

This clearly shows what a sham these so-called investigations are. They are a ploy of self-preservation. A desperate attempt to look good to others and keep the institution afloat.

There has never been a true concern for the needs of abuse survivors. This is so obvious now. Obvious in the avoidance of actually finishing the job.

Finishing the job means openly and publicly admitting any wrongdoing, and going to any lengths needed to right those wrongs.

The report on the abuse at Fanda, produced by GRACE (and available IN FULL here on this very website) was specific and hard-hitting.

And, may I point out, DID NOT IN ANY WAY IDENTIFY VICTIMS WHO WISHED THEIR IDENTITIES TO BE KEPT PRIVATE.

NTM is trying to convince us that a big concern of theirs is to protect the privacy of survivors.

Hogwash. There is absolutely no merit in this explanation as a reason for not making the findings of an investigation public.

The reason NTM wants to keep the reports secret is NOT to protect the victims, it is to protect themselves!!

ABWE and BJU both aborted the process they were in just before GRACE was about to finish and produce a report, which would have been open to the public. And this is something neither organization was willing to allow.

It is horrific, in my opinion, the way that these organizations revictimize survivors with their tactics. First they groom the survivors to put their trust in the process, with nice promises about how helpful and healing this is going to be. Then they drag them into the interrogation room, which is some cases has been debilitatingly terrifying. Sometimes it has taken survivors months to work up the courage to tell someone about the traumas they suffered, which have resulted in a lifetime of PTSD. The interviewers are kind, gentle and professional. They are very affirming, and in most cases, survivors have come away from their interviews with very positive and hopeful feelings.

Then comes the wait. The wait for validation, vindication, justice.

And next is the huge let-down. The gigantic disappointment. You told your story. You were so vulnerable it hurt. You trusted. Now we will tell you that WE are still in charge. YOU have no say in what happens next. You opened yourself up, and now we will shut you down. Go back in your corner, sit down and shut up. It doesn't matter how much you invested. We get the final say. And what we say is, you don't matter. We matter. End of story.

Sorry, but I am very worked up about this travesty. It doesn't make me feel better, to know that we NTM MKs are not the only ones this is happening to. It makes me feel worse. Abuse survivors who have been dragged through this process only to end up with NOTHING are absolutely devastated. They are re-broken. And their pain fills me with such anguish I can hardly bear it.

The commonality I see here is the fundamentalist Christian environment. And that too brings me indescribably grief. NTM, ABWE, BJU ... all great sacred bastions of The True Religion. No one else could get it right. That's what we were taught. Everyone else's doctrine was off base. But us. We were perfect.

Perfectly stinkin' awful. Rotten to the core. I am overwhelmed by this pain.

Dear God, give me strength.

For those who think that GRACE can still make their findings public: it is my understanding that they will not be able to do this, because of the nature of their agreements with ABWE and BJU.

By aborting the process, these organizations have avoided having the findings of GRACE be able to be used against them in any way.

GRACE has too much integrity to break their word.

Others do not have that level of integrity. That much class.

Ugh.

Dear Raz, there is another way around this, allow me to put my solution.

GRACE now has two organisations that have seemingly have obtained classified statements of victims of abuse by offenders who served with them, by ending prematurely investigations.
This has probably not been lost on NTM, in respect to the IHART investigation and they may well be taking advice to do a similar stunt.
Therefore NTM should be approached to issue a written statement that they will not do this. If they are unwilling to provide the statement, then IHART should be informed and the matter put into the public arena for scrutiny. If NTM are generous enough to issue a statement that they will allow IHART to complete their investigation without interference, then go back on their word, the statement issued would then be admissible as evidence in any civil or criminal cases taken against NTM for lack of due care and negligence of MKs.

I rest my case and leave it to my learned friend to reply with her considerable expertise, or any other learned friend who may wish to contribute to this matter.

Dear Raz,
We need to figure out where this rant should be posted for others to see..... should definitely not be re-posted somewhere.
One of the things that struck me was your line:First they groom the survivors to put their trust in the process. And so many of us are susceptible to being groomed because that is what our perpetrators did! It truly is appalling.
Beverly


It is horrific, in my opinion, the way that these organizations revictimize survivors with their tactics. First they groom the survivors to put their trust in the process, with nice promises about how helpful and healing this is going to be. Then they drag them into the interrogation room, which is some cases has been debilitatingly terrifying. Sometimes it has taken survivors months to work up the courage to tell someone about the traumas they suffered, which have resulted in a lifetime of PTSD. The interviewers are kind, gentle and professional. They are very affirming, and in most cases, survivors have come away from their interviews with very positive and hopeful feelings.

Then comes the wait. The wait for validation, vindication, justice.

And next is the huge let-down. The gigantic disappointment. You told your story. You were so vulnerable it hurt. You trusted. Now we will tell you that WE are still in charge. YOU have no say in what happens next. You opened yourself up, and now we will shut you down. Go back in your corner, sit down and shut up. It doesn't matter how much you invested. We get the final say. And what we say is, you don't matter. We matter. End of story.

Hi Bemused,
If anyone knows the victims who have been interviewed by IHART, it would indeed be good for them to know what the current strategy of mission agencies is.
Anyone know how to proceed with suggesting this to them?
Beverly

Who got this quote, about Scott Kennel raping in his "independent time" was it in a newspaper?
And I totally agree, IHART is absolutely not independent from NTM.
Beverly

Like Scott Kennell according to NTM was raping in his "independent time", he was only doing "missionary work" in NTM time.
And if anyone believes that rubbish and that IHART is independent, they need their head read or are still stuck in NTM think mode.
Good God this is so pathetically bad!!!!!!!!!