Of all possibilities for a pastor/minister to step up and shepherd his flock, this was it for FCCF. It didn’t happen. The senior minister caved under the weight of his image and the desire for numbers of congregants. He could have opted for facilitating healing for the victims. My research pointed out one contact with one of the victims’ families at their initiation. Some were members of FCCF, some were not. Even so, he could have become a beacon for the victims and their families, a source or a buoy to navigate the deep waters engulfing them. He could have led his church as a hospital for the wounded. A superficial plan was announced by the elders, but in the end nothing came of it on behalf of the victims. The Family Life Minister was terminated at the re-installation of the senior minister after his 6-month sabbatical. He became a victim of church policies and procedures at that point and required extensive healing in his own right. Did the senior minister lead a hospital for the wounded? Did he instead end up wounding his own congregation and staff? I’m just asking.
From the book:
“My personal opinion from having gone through this experience is multidimensional. Steve Wingfield failed:
• The victims, which is perhaps the most egregious failure of all.”
(Taylor, Joy S., A View from the Pews — The Inside Story of a Broken Church, 2022, Lily of the Valley Publishing, Santa Claus IN, pp. 161,162.)
#aviewfromthepews #forthevictims
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