On holding leaders accountable, and the organizations and institutions that front them.
"What are the lessons we can learn? Some are obvious. When family members of founders occupy the controlling heights of an organization, they are placed under immense strain and face an obvious conflict of interest when their father is accused of misconduct.
Rigorous, independent investigations should be mandatory when accusers come forward. Compliance with reasonable investigatory requests (such as turning over phones and other communications equipment) must be required. Governing boards should be powerful, independent, and transparent.
.. Do not trust instincts over evidence. Never say, “I know this man, and he would never do anything like this.” The goal of any organization facing claims of abuse should be discerning truth, not discrediting accusers. All accusers should be treated immediately — publicly and privately — with dignity and respect.
Christian ministries are populated by leadership teams who derive not just their paychecks but also their own public reputations from their affiliation with the famous founder. They’re admired in part because the founder is admired. They have influence in part because the founder has influence. When the founder fails, they lose more than a paycheck. There is powerful personal incentive to circle the wagons and to defend the ministry, even when that defense destroys lives." ~David French
https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/...-from-complete
"The fall of Zacharias is a perfect example of why it is so difficult to cover independent, non-denominational parachurch ministries (and independent congregations, as well).
Nine times out of 10, radically independent religious organizations are only as honest as their charismatic, gifted, rainmaker founders allow them to be. This is true whether we're talking yoga or the prosperity anti-gospel. It was true long ago when I worked with skilled investigative reporters trying to probe the hidden scandals of PTL’s Jim Bakker. Alas, this remains true today." ~Terry Mattingly
https://www.getreligion.org/getrelig...to-investigate
The reason we're having this discussion here is because nobody had this discussion when Jane Anderson came forward, when Max Rapoport came forward, when John Ingalls came forward, when Al Knoch and Bill Mallon came forward, when Don Rutledge came forward, when Steve Isitt spoke up, when Lily Hsu came forward, when Greg and Jo Casteel wrote their open letter. Instead, it's always been: obfuscate, mischaracterize, deny, impugn the witnesses. That worked for a while, but it only delayed the inevitable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana
John Ingalls is charged with suggesting that the manager of Living Stream should be fired, as if this was an attack and not a legitimate suggestion. The LSM manager was responsible for immoral behavior and for division in the churches, which Brother Lee was well aware of before he released FPR. Yet he indicts John Ingalls for suggesting that his son, Philip Lee, should be fired!
Paul Kerr, a promising younger brother in Anaheim during the turmoil, wrote: “In the real business world, where I operate, Philip Lee would have been fired, legally charged by the abused plaintiff, forced to settle for millions of dollars and he and the LSM would have been reported to the California labor board”. Brothers like John Ingalls and Paul Kerr should be commended for their integrity when there was none in the political handling of Philip Lee by others during the late eighties turmoil.
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www.lordsrecovery.us/UncoveringFermentation.pdf