For all that FCCF did wrong in their handling of abuse, I wanted an opposing example of a church that slogged through similar circumstances and did it the right way. I found it in a book written by Pastor Jimmy Hinton, The Devil Inside. I created a parable format to compare and contrast the two stories, hoping to highlight a better church solution. I am thankful to the author for writing his case history, and thankful to him and his publisher for permission to use it in my story.
From the book:
“Case #2
Allow me to introduce the main characters in this case: John Wayne (JW) Hinton, his son, Jimmy Hinton, and Somerset Church of Christ. JW was the senior pastor at Somerset Church of Christ, Somerset, PA, for about twenty-seven years. Somerset was a small church of perhaps sixty-five members. Jimmy went into the ministry as a young adult and eventually ended up as senior pastor at the same church he attended during his childhood. The time frames for the two churches coincide in the years between 2009 and 2011.
Jimmy had been the pastor at Somerset since June 2009. In July 2011, his sister disclosed an event from years before in which JW sexually abused her and a friend. She backed it up with an email between her and her friend. Feeling the intense weight she had borne all those years, Jimmy admired her bravery in revealing the secret. When Jimmy discussed it with his mother, they decided to go to the police with the information. Consumed by the dread of the coming revelation to authorities, Jimmy struggled through the rhythms of scheduled events and responsibilities. He and his mother went together to speak with a detective. Their report was made anonymously but not without great anguish at the difficulty of doing the right thing.” (Taylor, Joy S., A View from the Pews — The Inside Story of a Broken Church, 2022, Lily of the Valley Publishing, Santa Claus IN, p. 134.)
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A View from the Pews is available on Amazon in print and ebook format, along with being available to read through the Kindle Unlimited program. Choose your preferred method and read the rest of the story. This project is for the victims. The first payment to Safe Connections has gone out. Every book sold and every page read helps support this worthy organization. Please join me in the cause for victims of abuse.