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Post by spiders on Feb 22, 2012 17:10:41 GMT -5
I am copying this thread from the main board as many unregistered people (especially in Vic/Tas) will have an interest in the guideleines. quote author=bescottross board=general thread=18882 post=453825 time=1329751113]As posted to the pinned thread. This is a thread for discussing the guidelines as sent out. The following is the email that was sent out to about 50 overseers and senior workers in the truth fellowship. Since then, several other workers have also been sent the guidelines as well. This was originally sent on Nov 7th 2011 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have been asked to send the following information to selected overseers and other workers:
After hearing news about several former workers being convicted on charges of sexually abusing children, some concerned members of the fellowship drafted a set of guidelines that we believe can help workers prevent crimes against children and respond properly when a fellow worker is accused or charged with abuse. When we heard last week that an overseer had been charged for failing to report an incident with a worker on his staff, we decided to make the guidelines available to overseers and workers. If all workers follow the guidelines, not one of them will ever be charged with the same crime an overseer has recently been charged with.
Victims of child sexual abuse can face lifelong emotional consequences. If you are approached with an allegation of abuse, understand that people who report the abuse are often trying to protect others from suffering the same abuse. Please don't inflict more pain by calling these people bitter. Rather, treat them with compassion and urge them to seek professional help. Know your own responsibilities when someone reports abuse to you, and strive to act in a manner that is above legal and ethical reproach.
We care deeply about the children who are the future of the kingdom. We care deeply about the workers. We want children to be safe, and we want workers to have the privilege to share the gospel message as they have in generations past. We believe these guidelines will help accomplish both.
Here is the website link where we have posted a copy of the guidelines. These guidelines were developed over several months with input from fellowship members around the world. www.csainfo.info
If you use an iPhone, iPad, or get an error message about Adobe Flash use this link: sites.google.com/site/csacodeofconduct/home
If you have comments or questions, contact the sender of this message. Or, if you prefer, seek the advice of a teacher, nurse, doctor, mental health professional, lawyer, or law enforcement officer who will have professional training in the subject.
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Respectfully,
Administrator
WINGS for Truth[/quote] |
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cooee
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Post by cooee on Feb 22, 2012 18:37:16 GMT -5
Hello Spiders,
Thank you very much for posting this here.
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Post by spiders on Feb 22, 2012 19:17:19 GMT -5
Hello Spiders, Thank you very much for posting this here. Thanks cooee.....it is important that as many people as posible get to see these. I would be interested in what you and others think about the guidelines. I would also be interested in what David Leitch thinks about them, as I understand that they were sent to him in Nov 2011. Has he discussed them with his staff? |
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cooee
Junior Member
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Post by cooee on Feb 23, 2012 0:13:04 GMT -5
Hello Spiders,
Guidelines of this sort are urgently needed given the prevalence of CSA offending within the fellowship.
In my opinion the guidelines are well reasoned, sensible and practical. That probably means that they will not be readily acceptable to a big chunk of the target audience.
What does David Leitch think of them? Who would really know? Has he distributed the guidelines to his staff and discussed with them their implimentation, again who would really know?
Given the history of overseers having abysmal communication skills and a tendency to keep things secret, especially from the OR’s, I seriously doubt that the guidelines have been distributed anywhere except to the round file.
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Post by emmarr75 on Feb 23, 2012 0:24:45 GMT -5
It's obvious that a lot of time and effort has gone into writing these guidelines! Thank you to the person(s) who have taken the task on.
Some thoughts:
Given the nature and style of organization that exists among the friends and workers- these guidelines should be provided to every elder as well as the workers.
Each elder should then hold a "special meeting" to discuss the implications of the document and provide some "safe meetings" training
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Post by catgirl on Feb 23, 2012 1:48:49 GMT -5
wonderful, informative guidelines!!
I think all elders, and families should have a copy.
If the Overseer does not do anything, can we, as a group distribute the booklet to families??
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Post by emy on Feb 23, 2012 12:59:48 GMT -5
It's obvious that a lot of time and effort has gone into writing these guidelines! Thank you to the person(s) who have taken the task on. Some thoughts: Given the nature and style of organization that exists among the friends and workers- these guidelines should be provided to every elder as well as the workers. Each elder should then hold a "special meeting" to discuss the implications of the document and provide some "safe meetings" training *Like I wonder what would happen if the guidelines went to elders with the provision that they should approach their overseer about them. I think there might be a greater number of overseers who would accept them if they knew the elders agreed they are necessary. |
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Post by spiders on Feb 23, 2012 16:07:40 GMT -5
Good ideas emmarr, catgirl and emy!
If the guidelines are going to have any chance of being implemented they need the support of overseers, workers, elders and friends.
I have heard that they are being resisted by some overseers as they sound too much like an "organization" (and of course the f&w pride themselves as not being like the organizations of other churches)
This view is completely wrong as the priority should be on protecting our children and not protecting the structure and reputation of the f&w fellowship.
They should be glad that these guidelines have been produced and embrace them as they will help both the friends and workers to interact with each other is a more open and honest way.
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fif81
New Member
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Post by fif81 on Feb 23, 2012 18:56:26 GMT -5
I think we should call it UNITY in how to avoid, handle and respond to CSA....instead of thinking "Looks like an organization"...we'd be stupid to not adopt these guidelines simply for that small reason/excuse.
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Post by perry mason on Feb 23, 2012 23:07:21 GMT -5
Well now these are out and about on the internet, lawyers and law enforcement agencies can discover them. It won't do any workers charged with non-reporting cases of CSA on their beat, to try and explain away why they ignored them. A defence of "But we're not like just any old organisation" would be amusing to watch if it floats  |
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Post by Sherlock on Feb 24, 2012 4:47:48 GMT -5
Well now these are out and about on the internet, lawyers and law enforcement agencies can discover them. It won't do any workers charged with non-reporting cases of CSA on their beat, to try and explain away why they ignored them. A defence of "But we're not like just any old organisation" would be amusing to watch if it floats You and I could form a formidable team perry! I think there might be lots of money to be made as prosecutors over the next few years ;D |
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cooee
Junior Member
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Post by cooee on Feb 24, 2012 18:17:05 GMT -5
So the workers are resisting adopting and applying the CSA guidelines because they smack of “organisation”? And the F&W is not an organisation? What an astonishing excuse for a failure to act.
The F&W is a global organisation. It is a highly organised, tightly controlled and micro managed global organisation.
The organisation has a strictly enforced hierarchical structure.
The various states, provinces, counties, regions or territories of any country has an overseer who completely dominates and controls all the workers in that particular geographical area, the workers assigned to various fields demarked in the geographical area exercise dominance and control of the church elders in the locality. The church elders dominate and control the believers who gather in his home.
The regional overseers answer to a country overseer who completely dominates and controls the individual state or territory overseers. The country overseers answer to a continental overseer who completely dominates and controls the country overseers. At the top of the apex is a world council to whom the continental overseers report.
One would hope that God is at the apex of the organisation. On the available evidence it is difficult to percieve that anyone at the top of the organisation answers to God.
The organisation intrudes into every aspect of a believer’s life.
The organisation dictates and controls who may be accepted as a believer into the fellowship.
The organisation dictates and controls who may participate in the benefits of fellowship, having an active part in worship services and accepting the sacraments. Believers in good standing, with full fellowship benefits, may be suspended from active worship for trivial reasons. No one may accept the sacraments until they have been baptised. Believers are denied baptism until they prove themselves to be regular at attending worship services and until their testimony in those services has a ring of truth about it!!
The organisation dictates and controls how scripture is to be understood. The workers interpretation is the only true interpretation of scripture. These teachings must be accepted in their entirety.
The organisation dictates and controls the appearance of the believers.
The organisation dictates and controls the leisure activities of believers.
The organisation dictates and controls what appliances are acceptable in homes of believers.
The organisation dictates and controls the language used by believers in worship services. Believers must use “thee” and “thou” etc when audibly addressing God. Believers cannot use “you” or “your” as this language is not honorific enough.
The organisation dictates and controls the version of the bible to be used when believers read aloud in worship services. Believers must use the KJV version only.
The organisation quickly excommunicates anyone who contravenes any of the myriad of unwritten rules, disobeys any worker commands, asks searching questions, attends any worship services other than the worker sanctioned home services or has marriage difficulties.
Yes, the F&W certainly is an organisation, but in this matter as with so many other things, the organisation is in systemic denial.
Lack of proactive response to the guidelines may result in children in the fellowship remaining at risk becoming victims of CSA.
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oppressed and abused
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Post by oppressed and abused on Feb 24, 2012 19:54:16 GMT -5
The organisation intrudes into every aspect of a believer’s life. The organisation dictates and controls the appearance of the WOMEN[/size][/b] believers. [/quote] We are the opressed and abused by this organization of misogynists. Can you pick the professing man in a crowd? No it's the women who have to look odd. ** fixed the html for you  |
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Post by just a comment on Feb 24, 2012 20:21:02 GMT -5
How much of the recent situation in MI is at the heart of the workers "we don't have an organization" approach? Maybe it's time for the friends to become organized |
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cooee
Junior Member
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Post by cooee on Feb 24, 2012 20:53:35 GMT -5
To the poster "oppressed and abused",
I readily concede that the burden of compliance to the appearance requirements for the F&W organisation falls most heavily on the women.
With the greatest of respect, I think the organisation does dictate and control the appearance of men as well. Have you ever noticed any professing men sporting long hair such as mullett haircuts, wearing ear studs, neck chains or bracelets? Ever seen professing men wearing short pants to meetings?
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The following is the email that was sent out to about 50 overseers and senior workers in the truth fellowship. Since then, several other workers have also been sent the guidelines as well.
