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Post by Admin on Jul 2, 2023 9:28:01 GMT -5
More info is in the thread on the closed board: professing.proboards.com/thread/32011/state-affairs-australia?page=1The Brave Truth Australia PO Box 829 NORTH LAKES QLD 4509 Email: support@thebravetruthaustralia.com 30 June 2023 Dear Australian Workers, It is with heavy hearts we have need to write this letter. As you are aware, a large number of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and Sexual Assault (SA) perpetrators, including numerous current and former workers, have been exposed in the past three months particularly in the USA and Canada. Over 400 perpetrators have been reported to an International Hotline set up on March 23rd, 2023, by PI Cynthia Illes, Lauren Rohs and Sheri VanDermyden Autrey. A significant number of these have been reported from Australia. We can no longer see alleged or convicted perpetrators meet in Fellowship Meetings, Gospel Meetings. Special Meetings or Conventions and say nothing. We can no longer tolerate adult victim-survivors and children suffering while perpetrators are protected. Some of these perpetrators are sitting with our relatives, and children we know. Every family deserves to know their children are safe when around Workers & Friends and sadly, currently, many are not. There is a tidal wave that has hit our shores, and action must be taken. We thought that the 60M program in 2019 may have resulted in significant change, but unfortunately it hasn't: Worker codes of conduct mean nothing unless they are signed and enforced; Authorities have advised that some workers do not have working with children checks; Some perpetrators on the sex offender register continue to attend meetings; There has been no attempt for the fellowship to join the National Redress Scheme; The child safety policy/code of conduct has not been rolled out consistently across all jurisdictions; Some Overseers do not respond to emails/letters from victims of historical abuse in the fellowship; In general, perpetrators are protected whilst victims are shunned, and their distress is minimalised; We are happy to work collaboratively with you, however, if that does not occur, we will press forward together with a good number of Friends who are supporting these much-needed changes. There is, quite simply, no place for any acceptance of this criminal behaviour. Fortunately, we all have access to accurate information at our fingertips of up-to-date convictions and reports of alleged abusers, which allows us to act and to keep children safe. We also want to let you know that we have now set up a public Facebook page called 'The Brave Truth Australia’. An Australian Hotline will be operational by early July 2023 and a website will also be launched. All calls to the Hotline will be completely confidential. The information provided is not committed to further action but stored for information-gathering purposes. We will take the caller's statement, vet the information with the authorities, and add the perpetrator’s name to the significant confidential list we already have. Victim-survivor information will never be shared without explicit permission. We will always assist them in finding support, resources to help and aid them with reporting a crime, should they wish to do so. If we are in the position of having three victim-survivors of the same alleged perpetrator, or court documents alleging CSA of one victim, we will write to the Overseer and Workers in the field to notify of the perpetrator and where they live, with current vetted details of allegations (as advised by the authorities). As mandated reporters, you may be required to immediately stop them from attending Fellowship Meetings, Gospel Meetings/Missions, Conventions & Special Meetings and any other church gatherings where children may be present. You should seek your own legal advice concerning your obligations under the relevant law in each state. As this will be a transparent process, we will advise online (via social media and planned Website) as appropriate, together with the Overseers response (if any) and encourage anyone who has information concerning named person, to contact the Hotline/Authorities that are working on the case. In the very unfortunate circumstance that the alleged perpetrator may be an active Worker or Overseer, they should be removed from the Work immediately and not be in a position where they are able to give public address or voice, or able to stay in any household where a child under the age of 18 resides or visits. When a Worker is removed from the Work, whoever they stay with should be notified of the seriousness of the allegations. To avoid potential legal liability, we would recommend to you that all alleged perpetrators (Workers, Elders & Friends) should not attend Fellowship Meetings, Gospel Meetings/Missions, Conventions & Special Meetings, or any other church gatherings, social or otherwise, where children may be present, until the allegations are deemed cleared or unfounded by the Police. A very strong stance of zero-tolerance needs to be taken towards Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse. Please feel free to contact us by return email. We would be pleased to communicate directly with any or all of you towards a common goal and our only motive, a child safe environment. Sincerely, [signatures removed] Vianne Hills Jillian Hishon Ross Bowden For and on behalf of many Friends, Parents & Grandparents.
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Post by Admin on Jul 2, 2023 10:30:58 GMT -5
Australia/NZ Letter to the Church
1 July 2023 Dear Australian and New Zealand Co-workers, Elders and Friends, We remember you and appreciate you all, in your respective places, near and far. We are united in writing to you after a period of careful consideration. We have undertaken a process of meeting together, consultation with professionals, survivors, and brothers and sisters in our fellowship. Cases of child sexual abuse and sexual misconduct among workers and friends within the fellowship overseas have been recently highlighted. These allegations are being managed in each jurisdiction with a number of people removed from the work and meeting attendance. We are sharing this information with you because, over the years, some of these people have been visitors at Australian and New Zealand conventions and special meetings. We are also aware of many family connections with friends and workers overseas and people travelling internationally. We have not been formally notified of individuals with child sexual abuse allegations against them who have visited Australia and New Zealand in the past, although we will do our best to provide up to date information to you if you request it individually from us. Australian and New Zealand defamation laws and victim privacy considerations restrict us from publicly naming individuals with allegations against them.If there is anyone in Australia or New Zealand who has been affected by sexual abuse by anyone in our fellowship including workers, reporting to appropriate authorities is required by law and we are available to speak to any people with concerns. We have been working individually in each Australian State and in New Zealand to address these issues locally but have now come together as a group of overseers to discuss how we work across both countries in a united way, to improve the prevention of child sexual abuse and support survivors who have been harmed within our fellowship. We all have zero tolerance for the harming of children, young people or anyone within our fellowship. We know we have much work to do to listen to and support survivors of abuse and we are all committed to doing this. We will work together with the support of professionals and people with lived experience of abuse, to move to a standard policy and approach across all our areas. Our workers will continue to keep up to date with training on preventing child sexual abuse. In Australia, we will continue maintaining our Working with Children Checks and we will move to a similar approach in New Zealand. We will provide additional details for managing visiting workers and child safe guidelines for convention prior to conventions starting this year. We will regularly update you as we progress. There is no place for people who have harmed children in our meetings and conventions; we ask any individual with a history of causing harm, or with allegations, or convictions not to attend. This includes public gospel meetings. We have a shared responsibility across our fellowship for the safety of our children and are grateful for each one caring for young ones. We encourage parents, grandparents and any who have regular contact with children to inform themselves about child sexual abuse. The two videos below may be helpful in this regard, and we encourage parents and guardians to educate their children about keeping safe and aware. 2 The Office of the Children’s Guardian NSW has a 20-minute video on recognising abuse. ocg.nsw.gov.au/resources/induction-video-part-1-recognising-abuseMinistry Safe provides online information for parents Vimeo.com/577634014We draw your attention to specific legal requirements for certain groups of people to report any suspected child abuse and neglect to the authorities (known as mandatory reporters). This is in addition to anyone’s responsibility to report any crime to the police. Mandatory reporters include the following: ACT – workers NSW – workers and elders NT – any person SA – workers and elders TAS – workers VIC – workers and elders WA – workers QLD – all adults In New Zealand police officers and social workers only are mandatory reporters. aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/mandatory-reporting-child-abuse-and-neglectWe want to know and address any past or current concerns about misconduct or abuse of any kind, in our fellowship. We will listen to you, believe you, and will do all we can to support you. We support, encourage and stand by you to raise and report any issues. Criminal matters against children, by law, must be taken directly to the appropriate authorities. We encourage accessing professional help and support, from professional bodies such as these: Australia: Get support | National Office for Child Safety or 24/7 support on 1800 737 732 New Zealand: www.kidshealth.org.nz/listing-information-support-resources-child-abuse or 24/7 support on 0508 326 459 We acknowledge that these matters have not always been appropriately addressed in the past. We are truly sorry for any harm and immeasurable long-term damage to victims, and it is our firm objective to do better in future. The care and safety of children in our fellowship is paramount and we are available to help and support survivors as much as possible. Warm regards and encouragement, Malcolm Clapham, Graeme Dalton, Wayne Dean, Trevor Joll, Alan Mitchell and Alan Richardson.
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Post by jonathan on Jul 4, 2023 2:46:47 GMT -5
At the bottom, I miss the name of Max Goldsack o/s of Western Australia.
Any reason for it?
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Post by Admin on Jul 4, 2023 21:12:06 GMT -5
At the bottom, I miss the name of Max Goldsack o/s of Western Australia. Any reason for it? Where does Max Goldsack come from? Is he a local worker from Western Australia, or of some other nationality?
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Post by curlywurlysammagee on Jul 4, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5
At the bottom, I miss the name of Max Goldsack o/s of Western Australia. Any reason for it? Where does Max Goldsack come from? Is he a local worker from Western Australia, or of some other nationality? Max Goldsack was born in Taranaki, New Zealand. A year or two ago he went to Western Australia as head worker.
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Post by kenco69 on Jul 7, 2023 13:37:38 GMT -5
Is Graham Snow still an overseer in Australia I notice his name is missing from letters from overseers
Maybe he has returned to Europe
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Post by themaninthemirror on Jul 7, 2023 16:04:44 GMT -5
Is Graham Snow still an overseer in Australia I notice his name is missing from letters from overseers Maybe he has returned to Europe He jumped ship and is apparently getting married.
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Post by curlywurlysammagee on Jul 7, 2023 16:31:56 GMT -5
Is Graham Snow still an overseer in Australia I notice his name is missing from letters from overseers Maybe he has returned to Europe He jumped ship and is apparently getting married. The girlfriends ex huisband conveniently died.
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Post by fixit on Jul 7, 2023 17:33:52 GMT -5
He jumped ship and is apparently getting married. The girlfriends ex huisband conveniently died. Graham Snow had a stroke while visiting Europe and as a result doesn't feel able for the work any more. He has known the girl friend since they were kids and she has lived alone most of her life. It would be quite legitimate for them to marry if they decide to.
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Post by kenco69 on Jul 7, 2023 17:42:58 GMT -5
I didn't know Graham had had a stroke as I would not have seen him for properly 25-30 years I had heard he had left Europe and gone to Australia
So he is getting married to a divorcee who is now a widow Is that correct
I wish him every happiness
When did he leave the work He must be in his 70's now 🤔
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Post by landdownunder on Jul 7, 2023 18:33:32 GMT -5
Is Graham Snow still an overseer in Australia I notice his name is missing from letters from overseers Maybe he has returned to Europe He jumped ship and is apparently getting married. 1 Corinthians 7:9 "But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion."
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Post by guest8 on Jul 7, 2023 18:39:52 GMT -5
The girlfriends ex huisband conveniently died. Graham Snow had a stroke while visiting Europe and as a result doesn't feel able for the work any more. He has known the girl friend since they were kids and she has lived alone most of her life. It would be quite legitimate for them to marry if they decide to. Good news. i wish them every bit of happiness they can have together.
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Post by landdownunder on Jul 7, 2023 18:40:23 GMT -5
I didn't know Graham had had a stroke as I would not have seen him for properly 25-30 years I had heard he had left Europe and gone to Australia So he is getting married to a divorcee who is now a widow Is that correct I wish him every happiness When did he leave the work He must be in his 70's now 🤔 He came to Australia as the head overseer before Covid, to clean up some mess in the eastern states. He hasn't "left the work", not as far as Australians know, he is still the Governor General Chief Overseer of all the friends in Australia.
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Post by landdownunder on Jul 7, 2023 18:48:28 GMT -5
The girlfriends ex huisband conveniently died. Graham Snow had a stroke while visiting Europe and as a result doesn't feel able for the work any more. He has known the girl friend since they were kids and she has lived alone most of her life. It would be quite legitimate for them to marry if they decide to. If he has left the work, most of us in Australia haven't been told. Is the girlfriend from NZ, Switzerland or Western Australia?
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Post by fixit on Jul 7, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5
Graham Snow had a stroke while visiting Europe and as a result doesn't feel able for the work any more. He has known the girl friend since they were kids and she has lived alone most of her life. It would be quite legitimate for them to marry if they decide to. If he has left the work, most of us in Australia haven't been told. Is the girlfriend from NZ, Switzerland or Western Australia? She is from New Zealand. You will notice Graham's name is not on the letter being distributed: wingsfortruth.info/2023/07/01/australia-nz-letter-to-the-church/
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Post by fixit on Jul 7, 2023 19:06:24 GMT -5
I didn't know Graham had had a stroke as I would not have seen him for properly 25-30 years I had heard he had left Europe and gone to Australia So he is getting married to a divorcee who is now a widow Is that correct I wish him every happiness When did he leave the work He must be in his 70's now 🤔 He is in his 80s.
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Post by landdownunder on Jul 7, 2023 19:31:23 GMT -5
Seems like the Graham Snow situation is being kept a secret from the average Australian friend, thanks for making us aware. Incidentally, he didn't do a good job fixing up the mess. As far as we can tell the mess is still there and the damage continues in certain of the eastern states (perhaps all?).
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angus
New Member
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Post by angus on Jul 7, 2023 22:47:18 GMT -5
I heard Graham was marrying a lady called Doreen Walker (an ex-worker from NZ).Not sure how true this is.
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Post by learner on Jul 7, 2023 23:01:39 GMT -5
I heard Graham was marrying a lady called Doreen Walker (an ex-worker from NZ).Not sure how true this is. It is not true. Stop passing on gossip, please.
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Post by curlywurlysammagee on Jul 7, 2023 23:03:55 GMT -5
I heard Graham was marrying a lady called Doreen Walker (an ex-worker from NZ).Not sure how true this is. It is not true. Stop passing on gossip, please. Would they have to dig her up for that to happen?
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Post by mrdobalina on Jul 8, 2023 2:05:20 GMT -5
I heard Graham was marrying a lady called Doreen Walker (an ex-worker from NZ).Not sure how true this is. It is not true. Stop passing on gossip, please. Who is he marrying?
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Post by Admin on Jul 17, 2023 0:12:02 GMT -5
Two Professing Women tell their StoriesJul 16 This is a combined letter. Two women in their 50’s, one from Australia, one from New Zealand. They are related by marriage and friends by choice, forever united due to csa in their past. Their stories should be rare, especially in an organisation where the whole purpose and ethos is centred around Godly things. Their stories should be rare even from just a human standpoint. Yet, as we all know by now, their stories have become familiar, they’re almost the norm these days. One of the children was about 12 years old when she jumped innocently into bed with her grandfather. It wasn’t long before his hands were inside her underwear. She froze then managed to escape the further harm that had been done to her cousins and perhaps her sisters. Like the other perpetrator, this man was much respected, an elder, he even had a child in the work. No one suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it. The other child was swimming in a public swimming pool with her family. The father of another family sat her on his knee and asked if she could feel “that”. She had no idea what “that” was but an instinct deep in her soul told her this was incredibly wrong. He caught up with her again some time later and tried to pull her underwear down. Again she escaped before further harm could be inflicted. This man was the elder of a church, he had a meeting in his home and he was revered by all. None suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it. One of these children experienced another trauma at the age of 18. She was touched inappropriately by a male worker. Maybe he doesn’t even remember this interaction but she does. She had buried it deep in her memory until it came crashing back to her when she read a recent account of this same man. He is now out of the work due to his extremely disgraceful behaviour in a foreign country. Through the years these women have tried to keep their experiences as children in perspective. They’ve told themselves that others were harmed worse, even by the men who harmed them. Yet those encounters have affected their entire lives. Choices they’ve made, the way they brought up their own children, their mental health and on and on. CSA continues to cause harm all throughout life. These women will not be silenced anymore. They both still attend meetings and they both are willing to do everything in their power to ensure that not one more child is harmed by powerful men within the church.
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Post by curlywurlysammagee on Jul 17, 2023 0:32:35 GMT -5
Two Professing Women tell their StoriesJul 16 This is a combined letter. Two women in their 50’s, one from Australia, one from New Zealand. They are related by marriage and friends by choice, forever united due to csa in their past. Their stories should be rare, especially in an organisation where the whole purpose and ethos is centred around Godly things. Their stories should be rare even from just a human standpoint. Yet, as we all know by now, their stories have become familiar, they’re almost the norm these days. One of the children was about 12 years old when she jumped innocently into bed with her grandfather. It wasn’t long before his hands were inside her underwear. She froze then managed to escape the further harm that had been done to her cousins and perhaps her sisters. Like the other perpetrator, this man was much respected, an elder, he even had a child in the work. No one suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it. The other child was swimming in a public swimming pool with her family. The father of another family sat her on his knee and asked if she could feel “that”. She had no idea what “that” was but an instinct deep in her soul told her this was incredibly wrong. He caught up with her again some time later and tried to pull her underwear down. Again she escaped before further harm could be inflicted. This man was the elder of a church, he had a meeting in his home and he was revered by all. None suspected what was going on and even if they had, they would not have said anything as that is the culture of the church. Ignore it. It is not happening if we ignore it. One of these children experienced another trauma at the age of 18. She was touched inappropriately by a male worker. Maybe he doesn’t even remember this interaction but she does. She had buried it deep in her memory until it came crashing back to her when she read a recent account of this same man. He is now out of the work due to his extremely disgraceful behaviour in a foreign country. Through the years these women have tried to keep their experiences as children in perspective. They’ve told themselves that others were harmed worse, even by the men who harmed them. Yet those encounters have affected their entire lives. Choices they’ve made, the way they brought up their own children, their mental health and on and on. CSA continues to cause harm all throughout life. These women will not be silenced anymore. They both still attend meetings and they both are willing to do everything in their power to ensure that not one more child is harmed by powerful men within the church. mrdobalina
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Post by Persona non grata on Sept 2, 2023 7:19:13 GMT -5
Letter from Concerned and Connected Friends to Aus/NZ overseers:
28th August, 2023
Dear Malcolm, Graeme, Wayne, Trevor, Alan Mitchell and Alan Richardson,
We would like to acknowledge your letter of the 18th August, 2023, communicating with the friends and workers in Australia and New Zealand, the work you are undertaking in response to the church’s concerns of prevention of child sexual abuse within our fellowship. In the interest of transparency, working openly and your invitation for all of us to support each other throughout this process, we write this letter in reply. We have drafted a letter to the friends and workers of Australia and New Zealand and will be attaching a copy of this letter for their viewing. We also welcome you to share this information widely. This will open up dialogue to ensure that the measures being put in place have input from all stakeholders and in accordance with standard two and three of the Child Safe Standards of the Royal Commission undertaken in Australia (Commonwealth of Australia, 2017).
“Standard 2 – Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
a) Children are able to express their views and are provided opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives. b) The importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, helping children feel safe and be less isolated. c) Children can access sexual abuse prevention programs and information. d) Staff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children to communicate and raise their concerns.
Standard 3 – Families and communities are informed and involved.
a) Families have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their child and participate in decisions affecting their child. b) The institution engages in open, two-way communication with families and communities about its child safety approach and relevant information is accessible. c) Families and communities have a say in the institution’s policies and practices. d) Families and communities are informed about the institution’s operations and governance.”
At a recent meeting of concerned friends, a discussion was held regarding your letter of the 18th August, 2023, and we would like to present you with some feedback to help inform the advisory group. We hope they will be able to address some of our concerns and that our questions will help them in future decisions. In the absence of a direct contact on the advisory board, we are communicating in this way in the hope that everyone is informed. For future communication, we request a direct email to the advisory group. It has been noted that some survivors do not feel comfortable to go to workers due to past traumatic experiences and would not feel comfortable with information being filtered through senior workers.
While your focus is the protection of children and victim-survivors, it seems that we cannot ignore other members in our fellowship that will take on a significant amount of risk due to the roles they have. Risk assessments for these contexts need to be worked on transparently, as a matter of urgency. For example, our convention owners and families who have fellowship meetings in their home. How can we assure them that they are protected from risk? How will they be involved in this process? Are there contingencies in place such as appropriate insurance cover? Will visiting workers from overseas hold the relevant child safety checks that are equivalent to our Working With Children Checks (WWCC)? There is a duty to consider this aspect of our fellowship. It raises the question if conventions and fellowship meetings should continue in the immediate future until appropriate safeguards have been put in place.
Further concerns and questions have been raised and we would like to summarise them for you:
1. Your letter expresses a desire to be open and transparent and highlights that the members of the advisory committee wish to remain anonymous. While we understand the need for victim- survivors to be respected in this process, these two points appear to contradict each other. Also, you mention that the group will need support of each one of us as they progress. How can we offer this support throughout the process if there is no direct line of communication?
2. In relation to your point of ‘consultation and engagement will be needed from time to time’ – there is a view that this consultation should occur right from the start. How does the advisory group confidently report on the effect of CSA in the fellowship if they do not ask for survivor stories from the beginning? How can they quantify the effect without substantial knowledge?
3. Further to quantifying ‘effect’, how is that measured? Are they measuring the mental trauma or the financial cost of after care? Are they counting families or individuals? Are they counting historical cases where the predator/perpetrator has died?
4. What is their scope when completing risk assessments? Given the complexity, it would be advisable that these risk assessments be conducted by a third party to avoid any conflict of interest or legal ramifications.
5. Who formed this group, when was it formed and who decided who should be part of this advisory group? Was there a transparent, democratic process in its development?
6. If the advisory group members do not offer the facility to engage with the wider community, how can stakeholders have input in the process if they are only communicated with when the advisory group deems it necessary? You may view it as avoiding external pressures or distraction but from our perspective, it is in contradiction with the Child Safe Standards - ‘families and communities have a say in the institution’s policies and practices.’ What process will be provided for collaboration?
7. Thank you for providing us with the breakdown of the group. We would also like clarification of demographics of the group. For example, how many are from New Zealand and each state of Australia? Are all contexts being taken into consideration? It would be advantageous to have a separate advisory group for New Zealand that is in communication with the Australian advisory group, considering there would be a possible difference in laws. It also establishes local support for victims and accountability of the ministry in this region.
8. Will there be accommodation within future planning to ensure these groups are victim centred and will there be opportunity for listening groups/collaboration with the wider community?
9. You highlight that all members of the advisory group have relevant clearances and training. However, these clearances do not assure other victim-survivors that the current members have not covered up abuse within the fellowship in the past. With this lack of transparency, it is difficult to develop trust in the process.
10. How long a term are members of the advisory group volunteering for? Will there be a rotation of people on the group to share the load long term? An advisory group will be needed indefinitely considering the scope of abuse and there is a need for it to include elements of advocacy. It would seem that it is not a ‘one and done’ scenario.
11. The advisory board is to advise the ministry and has expressed a desire to act impartially. How can this process be impartial if there are workers on an advisory group that are advising the workers? This appears to be a conflict of interest. Also, as overseers, you have knowledge of who these members are but the community you serve does not. You have an advantage of being able to communicate with them that we do not have. This does not promote impartiality.
12. Further to the topic of impartiality, there is a concern that an advisory group, while coming from a range of professions and experiences, cannot remain unbiased due to their connection with the fellowship.
13. We were made aware that the advisory group is going to use publicly accessible material to inform their risk assessments and guidelines. Will an independent lawyer be engaged to ensure that they are sound and rigorous enough to align with current Australian and New Zealand legal standards? Once again, the engagement of a third-party is needed.
14. How is ‘zero tolerance’ of harming of children defined by your ministry? We are aware of a number of people still in our fellowship meetings that have allegations and convictions. When will your ‘zero tolerance’ be followed through?
15. How will our fellowship be made aware of the advice given by the advisory group? What accountability procedures will be put in place? How will we know that the advice being given has been informed by the law and stakeholders and implemented to fidelity by the ministry?
16. You have acknowledged in your letter that the scope of work to be completed is large and there has been a prioritisation of tasks to be undertaken. Can we please be provided with an indication of areas deemed the highest risk that will be addressed first?
17. In relation to accountability of the appointed overseers, what provisions will be in place there? Would there be a procedure where grievances could be communicated and acted upon?
Important concerns raised that require an urgent response are repeated below:
• Due to the imminent preparations and conventions in Australia and New Zealand, further clarification is sought on the progress of risk assessments and safety procedures for these gatherings. This needs to be done in a timely and collaborative manner to ensure all measures can be in place.
• Provision of an email address to communicate directly with the advisory group to ensure a transparent, collaborative approach throughout the process.
Once again, thank you for being proactive in beginning the process for change. We hope that this feedback will help you as this important work continues. As mentioned, we will share this letter with the friends and workers of Australia and New Zealand as an attachment to their letter so that they are aware of the concerns raised, avoiding a duplication of questions inundating the advisory group. We look forward to a formal published and shared response to these concerns being addressed, in the interests of transparency.
Yours in gratitude,
Concerned and Connected Friends of Australia and New Zealand
Thank you for taking the time to read our response. We have shared this letter through the limited distribution channels available to us to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to view and sign. The signatures primarily consist of concerned friends of Australia and New Zealand who concurred with the feedback contained within this communication. Some additional signatures have been received from connections to friends of Australia and New Zealand that also have an interest in ensuring our fellowship continues to prioritise the safety of our children. We are grateful for your careful and prayerful consideration in these matters and look forward to working together in a collaborative way.
David & Wendy McNab, NSW; Roz Buckman; Janean Gay; Robyn Miller; Andrew & Sharlene Mahaffey, WA; Josiah Higgs; Belinda Young, QLD; Annette Jackson; Nikki Olds; Sharon Craig; Joyce Jarrell; Karol Lawry; Rhonda Gordon; Deborah Kent; Jenny Appel; F Hoffman; Phil Hoffman; Lorelle & Don Hall; Clarissa Briggs; Beth & Stan Roberts; Julie Speight; Rachel Taylor; Joy Bell; Darren Bell; Greg Hancock; Wendy Alcorn; C. Crowden; Karlene Munday; Samantha Bonfield (Briggs); Jan King; Ruth; Jillian Hishon; S Clarke; Barbara Kemp; Ellen Pearce; Campbell Mattson; Lydia Horton; Tenae Earnshaw; Charlie Blundell; YB; Rochelle Tidman; Des Thompson; Angela Major; Don Major; Keri Sullivan; Lorinda Billing; J Hobbs; Lyndal Davis; Delisa Earl; W. Harding; Dee Watkins; Peter and Patti; Jen Barndon; Vianne Hills; Judy and John Collins; Col Watkins; Ross Bowden; Tim and Olivia Eldridge; Rosie Rasmussen; Marion Lobegeier; Lynette Speight; Denise Bennett; Neville & Leonie Oliver; Roselyn Tubman; Lyndall Hamling; Graham and Carol Young, QLD; Trish Robertson; TJ Brown; Shona Brennan; David and Carol Chenery; Tess Lawry; Dan and Jen Collins; Ruth Mackay; Rell Oliver-Braddock; Clare Oliver; Jason Walker; L Wilson; Glenis Blackley; Jane McKinnon; JH; Meredith McIntyre; John Bowman; Max Burrows; Kay Burrows; Max and Colleen Hamblin; Mac Baartz; Stewart and Heather Garlick; Daniel Hoffman; Graham & Cheryl Hart; Shelley Nicholls; Mark Burrell; Gareth Easton; Doreen Leven; R K Sloman; Laura McConnell; Hannah J; Linda Young; Darren Johnson; Coral Coleman; Rod Coleman; David Fairey; Ian Leven; Doreen Leven; Brett Wilson; A & R Oxenbridge; Cherie Kropp; Chester Ehrig; Merilyn Chisholm; Julie King; Monique Lucas; Jo Giltrap; Felicity Quirk; Mervyn Long; Carolyn Brown -West Australia; Trevor & Evol Thompson; Kelvin Horton; Alaina Morrison; Suzie Alcorn; Philip Alcorn; Rebecca Kitto; Alan Syverson; M. Morrell; Kelvin Wolff; Russell Gibbs; Rod Coleman; RDP; Elaine Williams; Kaye Ohlsen; Alana Robson; Bronwyn Bird; CCH; E. Martin; Lauren Bird; Danita Clark; Leah Bell; M Eriksen; Leann Kaizer; Kathy Flippo; Conne Jean Paulson; Betty Weigman; Eileen Medina; Jon O'Reilly; M. Campbell; Craig McNab; M Nixon; Col Watkins; Sandra Lomas; Alison Dixon; Anndella Bond.
We would also like to acknowledge an additional 18 people that communicated their support to the contents of this letter but did not provide us with their names.
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Post by Persona non grata on Sept 2, 2023 7:34:12 GMT -5
Responses from overseers (note: they have addressed responses to Sharlene Mahaffey who sent the letter on behalf of all the signatories.):
Dear Sharlene,
Thank you for passing on your letter and its associated questions and feedback. We appreciate your understanding of the situation at hand, and we are glad for the good progress made thus far, and the helpful advice from various quarters that keeps child safety in the fellowship moving forward. Kind regards, Graeme Dalton
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Dear Sharlene,
We thank you for your letter of Aug 28th 2023 and the shared deep concern for child safety and survivor support in our fellowship. Thank you for the time and effort that has gone into your response to our letter of Aug 18th in support of us, in the enormous task we have before us. We certainly will be taking the time to consider all the feedback that you have shared with us.
With Kind Regards, Alan Richardson & Wayne Dean
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Dear Sharlene,
Thank you for your care and sharing with us all that you have done/are doing to help in these desperately needed areas. We are very grateful for and to this advisory group whom we can leave with giving us and others professional advice that we in this ministry are not authorised to do. All is a work in progress that we need to get right. We appreciate every help.
Kind regards, Mal
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Dear Sharlene,
Thanks for your email and your concerns, expressed, and for your time given to put it al together. We are working on a number of issues and will seek to abide by the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Kind greetings for now. Trevor Joll
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Dear Sharlene,
Thank you for your effort in the preparation of the attached letter that was sent to me August 28, 2023. Child safety is a matter of concern for everyone of us. We all have a duty of care to the protection of children. I am pleased to be here in Western Australia and look forward to meeting you when I am in your area. As you would know I have just arrived in Western Australia on Wednesday and have yet to grasp the situation here. Should you have any specific concerns regarding any local issues and or wish to simply meet and have a chat please let me know. This is a big task and we are attempting to address the issue carefully. I appreciate your bringing this to my attention. I will be considering the document and will be working with the advisory group to do all I am able to protect children and assist the healing of survivors.
Many thanks, Steve Thorpe
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Post by landdownunder on Sept 3, 2023 0:18:50 GMT -5
Responses from overseers (note: they have addressed responses to Sharlene Mahaffey who sent the letter on behalf of all the signatories.): The two responses from NZ and Stephen Thorpe in WA seemed the most genuine and caring, for the victims and church as a whole. So Stephen is now the new WA overseer. A wise choice!
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Post by landdownunder on Sept 3, 2023 0:32:40 GMT -5
Letter from Concerned and Connected Friends to Aus/NZ overseers: 28th August, 2023 Dear Malcolm, Graeme, Wayne, Trevor, Alan Mitchell and Alan Richardson, We would like to acknowledge your letter of the 18th August, 2023, communicating with the friends and workers in Australia and New Zealand, the work you are undertaking in response to the church’s concerns of prevention of child sexual abuse within our fellowship. In the interest of transparency, working openly and your invitation for all of us to support each other throughout this process, we write this letter in reply. We have drafted a letter to the friends and workers of Australia and New Zealand and will be attaching a copy of this letter for their viewing. We also welcome you to share this information widely. This will open up dialogue to ensure that the measures being put in place have input from all stakeholders and in accordance with standard two and three of the Child Safe Standards of the Royal Commission undertaken in Australia (Commonwealth of Australia, 2017). ... Further concerns and questions have been raised and we would like to summarise them for you: 1. Your letter expresses a desire to be open and transparent and highlights that the members of the advisory committee wish to remain anonymous. While we understand the need for victim- survivors to be respected in this process, these two points appear to contradict each other. Also, you mention that the group will need support of each one of us as they progress. How can we offer this support throughout the process if there is no direct line of communication? 2. In relation to your point of ‘consultation and engagement will be needed from time to time’ – there is a view that this consultation should occur right from the start. How does the advisory group confidently report on the effect of CSA in the fellowship if they do not ask for survivor stories from the beginning? How can they quantify the effect without substantial knowledge? 3. Further to quantifying ‘effect’, how is that measured? Are they measuring the mental trauma or the financial cost of after care? Are they counting families or individuals? Are they counting historical cases where the predator/perpetrator has died? 4. What is their scope when completing risk assessments? Given the complexity, it would be advisable that these risk assessments be conducted by a third party to avoid any conflict of interest or legal ramifications. 5. Who formed this group, when was it formed and who decided who should be part of this advisory group? Was there a transparent, democratic process in its development? 6. If the advisory group members do not offer the facility to engage with the wider community, how can stakeholders have input in the process if they are only communicated with when the advisory group deems it necessary? You may view it as avoiding external pressures or distraction but from our perspective, it is in contradiction with the Child Safe Standards - ‘families and communities have a say in the institution’s policies and practices.’ What process will be provided for collaboration? 7. Thank you for providing us with the breakdown of the group. We would also like clarification of demographics of the group. For example, how many are from New Zealand and each state of Australia? Are all contexts being taken into consideration? It would be advantageous to have a separate advisory group for New Zealand that is in communication with the Australian advisory group, considering there would be a possible difference in laws. It also establishes local support for victims and accountability of the ministry in this region. 8. Will there be accommodation within future planning to ensure these groups are victim centred and will there be opportunity for listening groups/collaboration with the wider community? 9. You highlight that all members of the advisory group have relevant clearances and training. However, these clearances do not assure other victim-survivors that the current members have not covered up abuse within the fellowship in the past. With this lack of transparency, it is difficult to develop trust in the process. 10. How long a term are members of the advisory group volunteering for? Will there be a rotation of people on the group to share the load long term? An advisory group will be needed indefinitely considering the scope of abuse and there is a need for it to include elements of advocacy. It would seem that it is not a ‘one and done’ scenario. 11. The advisory board is to advise the ministry and has expressed a desire to act impartially. How can this process be impartial if there are workers on an advisory group that are advising the workers? This appears to be a conflict of interest. Also, as overseers, you have knowledge of who these members are but the community you serve does not. You have an advantage of being able to communicate with them that we do not have. This does not promote impartiality. 12. Further to the topic of impartiality, there is a concern that an advisory group, while coming from a range of professions and experiences, cannot remain unbiased due to their connection with the fellowship. 13. We were made aware that the advisory group is going to use publicly accessible material to inform their risk assessments and guidelines. Will an independent lawyer be engaged to ensure that they are sound and rigorous enough to align with current Australian and New Zealand legal standards? Once again, the engagement of a third-party is needed. 14. How is ‘zero tolerance’ of harming of children defined by your ministry? We are aware of a number of people still in our fellowship meetings that have allegations and convictions. When will your ‘zero tolerance’ be followed through? 15. How will our fellowship be made aware of the advice given by the advisory group? What accountability procedures will be put in place? How will we know that the advice being given has been informed by the law and stakeholders and implemented to fidelity by the ministry? 16. You have acknowledged in your letter that the scope of work to be completed is large and there has been a prioritisation of tasks to be undertaken. Can we please be provided with an indication of areas deemed the highest risk that will be addressed first? 17. In relation to accountability of the appointed overseers, what provisions will be in place there? Would there be a procedure where grievances could be communicated and acted upon? Important concerns raised that require an urgent response are repeated below:
• Due to the imminent preparations and conventions in Australia and New Zealand, further clarification is sought on the progress of risk assessments and safety procedures for these gatherings. This needs to be done in a timely and collaborative manner to ensure all measures can be in place.
• Provision of an email address to communicate directly with the advisory group to ensure a transparent, collaborative approach throughout the process.In relation to all the "Dear Sharlene" responses from the overseers (presumably acting on the "wise counsel" of the G16), have any of the above 17 points been addressed by the worker hierarchy in NZ or Australia? And has a contact email address been provided, as requested, to communicate directly with the advisory group to ensure a transparent, collaborative approach throughout the process? Or are the "Dear Sharlene" responses simply lip service?
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Post by ForeverFree on Sept 3, 2023 0:42:58 GMT -5
I wonder how Australians and New Zealanders would react if they knew that Jim Atcheson was headed their way for conventions. His knowledge of abusive workers and his assistance in keeping them secret and brushing off accusations of them could be concerning.
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