Dear friends & family,
I have made the decision to step away from meetings in support of the victim/survivor’s of Child Sexual Abuse/Sexual Abuse & bullying within the ministry & church. An adult shouldn’t need to do a Ministry Safe course to know that raping & sexually abusing a young child is evil & of Satan.
In March 2023, Dean Bruer’s life was exposed to (some) in the church by email. Not for the good life he had lived but for the evil, deceitful life he had lived. Since then, approx. 700+ more abusers have been identified from 22 countries (100 of them in Australia) with silence about them from the ministry. Approx 40% of these abusers are workers/ex-workers. The rest are those who profess to serve God in the fellowship. These statistics from Advocates for the victim/survivors are shocking & a huge grief.
That means there are thousands of victims worldwide. The victim/survivors were ‘little meeting children’ when these crimes were done to them. Where is the deep sorrow, publicly proclaimed sincere apologies & repentance from the ministry for their cover-up of the abuse? The abuse of power, deceit, secrecy, betrayal & corruption at the highest level of the ministry & church has caused the abuse to continue to this day. Deceit breaks trust & when trust is broken respect & love dies. Matthew 7 v 15.
Where is their love for the souls of the abused children who have become broken & traumatized adults?
Child sexual abuse/sexual abuse is premeditated evil not a ‘mistake’ or a ‘weak moment’. It’s a crime.
I can no longer support, trust or have confidence in those in the ministry who do not support the injured & abused in the fellowship, glossing over the wrong doing, denying & covering up the evil deeds & re-locating the sexual predators & bullies in the ministry & church to other meetings, states or countries.
Crimes were known & crimes were covered up – again & again & again for decades. This is what betrayal looks like
But I do support & have confidence in the one true God – my God in whom I can & do trust. I am not stepping away from God I am stepping away from a religion. God does not deceive, manipulate or lie. It’s God’s approval I need—God is the one I will stand before on Judgement Day—those in the ministry & fellowship will not be judging me. I have read the stories & heard the cries of too many injured sheep—my heart hurts for the children/adults who are still being ignored.
Our children, grandchildren & future generations matter, they are at risk.
This is the huge problem the church is facing now worldwide—those turning a blind eye, enabling evil to continue, not willing to face the truth of what’s happening, talk about or confront these heinous crimes but are just going on with life as usual & ignoring the wounded & hurting survivors in the ditch. There are very few good Samaritans & many of them are being ex-communicated, traumatized & judged by overseers/workers & those in the fellowship for speaking out about the abuse in the church (as has happened in Qld in recent months).
There is little to no transparency, honesty or accountability from a ministry that claims to be ‘God’s only ordained ministers’ & ‘God’s only door to heaven’. They should be showing the fruits of the Spirit—not the marks of the flesh. Mathew 7 v 16-20.
Mark 9 v 42 – Clear consequences for those who would harm/offend one of God’s little ones.
I have loved this fellowship – I grew up in it. I love God & his way.
I never imagined I would need to stand against abuse & criminality being openly tolerated in this congregation & ministry.
I’ve felt betrayed, distressed & disillusioned over the last 9 months to learn the real truth about ‘the church’ I’ve trusted, believed & been sincerely a part of for nearly 50 years. Many people I’ve respected & looked up to are a facade (the pharisee nature). Their moral compass is broken & they are following evil. Matthew 23 v 27, 28.
The bible teaches us to separate ourselves from evil & that’s what God has called me to do. It is more important for me to obey God than man. God doesn’t dwell with deceit & evil. I can not unsee the things I have seen & can not unknow the things which have become known to me. And it was all hidden. Why was it all hidden? Was it to protect the image of a pure & celibate ministry? Was it to further entrench the image of the fellowship as the ‘Only Way to Heaven’?
Jesus is the only way.
Shame on the fellowship that there are people ‘outside’ the fellowship that care more for the survivors of sexual abuse & are doing more to help the survivors than people ‘inside’ the fellowship.
Some of you may find this a harsh letter but there are very very serious problems in the ministry & fellowship worldwide (that many won’t even acknowledge) that are too horrendous to ignore & I wanted you all to know the truth from me (& not from gossip behind my back) of why I’ve made this choice to step away from this religion.
I haven’t made this choice because of bitterness but because the Spirit & love of God isn’t showing in the words or actions of the ministry/church for the victim/survivors.
2 Corinthians 11 v 13-15.
My faith is in God not in a ‘religious system’ because God doesn’t save ‘religious systems’ he saves souls.
John 8 v 32. You shall know the truth & the truth shall make you free.
I made my choice to follow Jesus, I didn’t make my choice to follow the workers, (thank you to the one who was willing to tell the truth & speak the last sentence out loud in our meeting last year).
Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth & the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. That is a very clear statement. There is only ‘one way’ & ‘one truth’ & that is Jesus. Jesus didn’t come to earth to start a religion, he said ‘Follow Me’.
John 10 v 27, 28, 29.
With honesty & trust in God only,
Wendy Alcorn
Queensland, Australia
January 3, 2024