Townsend’s Letter to Friends
We are writing to you with broken hearts. This letter is our response to the devastating news and events that have unfolded since last spring when we learned of the horrific abuse of our dear fellowship children and friends. We also discovered that members of our trusted ministry actually covered up these criminal acts and allowed the abuse to continue. We knew that we must do our part to protect and support victim-survivors. We are shocked and devastated to learn that our ministry does not feel the same.
Since this ministry has chosen not to support or protect its flock, we will no longer be supporting the ministry in any way.
The priorities of the ministry were made clear to us when Craig [Winquist] visited with us on August 8, shortly after the Overseers Meeting in Seneca, IL. When we asked him if the Overseers would pass a universal policy for creating a safer fellowship, he shared with us what their real concern was.
Here is a transcript of him describing the Overseers’ consensus, during that conversation with us:
“One of the issues, and this is another way of looking at it… When we’re not looked at as a monolithic* Fellowship, in other words, we don’t have one identity in a sense, then our region is in legal protection.
Otherwise, you can get sued as a whole group. But because we aren’t a monolithic* work in the sense and we are Regional, then that is a protection in a way.
So, there’s that thought that we don’t want to become identified as one universal fellowship even though we have a lot in common; there is room for regional differences.
It’s one of the reasons we haven’t been sued in the sense because there’s no Central money, and so there’s no way to identify some kind of incentive.”
We never considered there was “another way of looking at” protecting our fellowship from abuse. Yet Craig’s statements demonstrate that the Overseers are more concerned with protecting their finances and shielding themselves from the law than they are with keeping us safe. They seem willing to distort their view in order to protect worldly goods rather than the people they claim to be a shepherd of.
When we asked Craig to share with us some of what our leadership discussed at the Overseer’s Meeting, he said that Barry Barkley started the meeting by saying:
“Perhaps this is the Lord’s way of disciplining His ministry or, as he called it, ‘Chastising’ His ministry.”
As parents, we know that it is heartbreaking to discipline those we love, but it is necessary for our children’s safety. And that discipline must result in change. Why has our leadership chosen earthly comforts over God’s correction?
In our meeting with the Task Force on Dec. 10, Craig and his staff mentioned that the workers are confident in how they are currently handling allegations. However, their method of “handling” allegations is no different than it was before this chastisement. They rely on deceitful and dishonest perpetrators to stay within boundaries that they’ve crossed before. We know of a few recent examples in our region where this system has already failed.
- Jennifer Horton gave an example of how well they believe they’ve handled a specific CSA predator in Oklahoma. However, several months back, this same predator showed up at our home with two of his children. We had no idea there were serious allegations against him and feel violated that the ministry hid information about his past from us and did not give us the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to allow him into our home.
- After sharing our draft Convention Safety Policy, we received information a man who raped a 15-year-old girl has not only been attending our conventions for years, but also hosts a meeting in his home. The ministry was aware of his actions in 2019, and claims to have “handled it” appropriately. We don’t know whether or not Craig had this information when he came to our area, but we do know that he has been aware of it since August 17, 2023 when we shared it with him. There is still a meeting in the predator’s home, and he showed up at an event two weeks ago where many workers and friends were present.
In that same meeting, the workers said their concern about a policy is that it would cause the ministry to rely on man-made rules rather than spirit-led decisions. The scourge of evil within this church has proven that the ministry requires a policy in order to establish the bare minimum of care for our flock. What is spirit-led should be far and beyond what is in a policy. Perhaps 5, 10, or 15 years from now a policy may fade into the background as people are made aware and we work together to form a culture that cares for victim-survivors and protects our fellowship from predators. But before that can happen, there must be a unified understanding of the evil in our midst. Until then, the ministry will continue to create division by refusing to be honest about these atrocities.
We had hopes that we could work with Craig on resolving these issues, but the leadership’s stance has made that impossible. Since they have chosen not to make the necessary changes, we are heartbroken to have to tell you that we have no intention of hosting another Special Meeting or Convention on our property.
At this time we desire to continue to follow the heart of Jesus and look at the safety of our children and most vulnerable in the fellowship. We CANNOT look at it any other way. We CANNOT choose earthly comfort over the righteous path that God has revealed to us. We believe that every penny that this ministry is trying to protect should go toward support for victim-survivors. We will no longer be financially supporting this ministry in any way. We will continue to have fellowship with all of you in accordance with safety guidelines, our conscience, and the word of God.
Lecil and Gaby Townsend
December 12, 2023
* Monolithic definition. Something consisting of a single, solid piece. Used to describe large, powerful, unchangeable, indivisible and uniform organizations or systems.