"If you are a Gothard survivor and have questions about legal matters, for example, if you should sue, what you can expect in the process, etc, I would like to invite you to contact me (spiritualsb@gmail.com). I will find answers for you or try to put you in touch with others who can."
IBLP
Last Friday we reported that the number of women suing Bill Gothard and the organization he founded, IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles), has doubled to ten. It looks like that number has now increased to fourteen.
Our friend Julie Anne Smith, who blogs over at Spiritual Sounding Board (SSB) has been in touch with the attorney representing the victims. Attorney David C. Gibbs III sent Julie Anne a note, which she published over at SSB. We are re-publishing that post below.
We will continue to follow this situation, and we want to encourage others hurt by Gothard to come forward. Julie Anne is a wonderful advocate for those who have been hurt by abusive ministries because of what she herself experienced several years ago when she was sued by her pastor for $500,000. Her crime – writing some negative internet reviews regarding her pastor, thereby challenging his hyper-authoritarianism. It was during this tumultuous time that Julie Anne reached out to us for support via e-mail. Dee was especially helpful and encouraging to a terribly distraught Julie Anne. Imagine being sued by your pastor for half a million dollars!
Praise God Julie Anne prevailed and immediately felt inspired to use her wonderful gifts through blogging. Dee and I so appreciate how she tirelessly works to focus on abusive ministries and other serious matters in Christendom.
We are praying that those who have been hurt by Bill Gothard (and others in IBLP) and have been suffering in silence will seek help. Some excellent resources are Recovering Grace, Spiritual Sounding Board, and our blog. We are definitely in your corner and want to help!
Bill Gothard and IBLP Sex Abuse Lawsuit Update (link)
Guest Post by Julie Anne Smith
Today, I received a note from David C. Gibbs III giving an update on the lawsuit. Gibbs is representing 14 survivors who claim Bill Gothard sexually groomed and/or abused them, and the Board of Institutes in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) failed to respond appropriately to the claims.
Today in DuPage County, Illinois, Attorney David Gibbs III appeared in Court before the Honorable Kenneth L. Popejoy representing the ten current Plaintiffs. Two different law firms appeared in the case on behalf of Defendants IBLP and Bill Gothard.
The Judge granted permission for the Plaintiffs to amend and expand their lawsuit to include at least four new victims (for a minimum total of 14). This current lawsuit will be closed to any new plaintiffs after February 17, 2016. If more abuse victims come forward after that date, they would need to file a new lawsuit.
The Defendants plan to file motions opposing the expanded lawsuit and the next status conference with the court will be April 4, 2016.
The Victims remain open to talking with the Defendants to avoid the necessity of a public jury trial. IBLP is not willing to meet with them at this time.
It is interesting to note that IBLP is not willing to meet with victims. For a Christian organization, I find that sad.
I am not certain of the exact number, but the Recovering Grace website has posted nearly 40 personal accounts of abuse and sexual grooming by Bill Gothard, so these 10 plaintiffs represent only a fraction of the total number who have come forward. Some survivors do not want to go to court because they do not want to rehash these painful memories. That is understandable. Some may have other reasons for not joining with Gibbs and the 14 plaintiffs. The timing may not be right. Just because Gibbs is representing 14 plaintiffs does not mean the rest of the survivors have missed their opportunity to file a lawsuit. I suspect there are other attorneys who might be willing to take the case pro bono and represent them.Note to Gothard survivors: If you are a Gothard survivor and have questions about legal matters, for example, if you should sue, what you can expect in the process, etc, I would like to invite you to contact me (spiritualsb@gmail.com). I will find answers for you or try to put you in touch with others who can. Sometimes when dealing with something monumental, it is daunting to even think about legalese and attorneys. You don’t have to walk this path alone. There are people I know who would be willing to help.
First?
Thank you Julie Anne for doing what you do. I don’t know how many other people could be so profoundly hurt by a church and respond by becoming a kind, compassionate source of comfort and aid to so many. Some days it must feel like you are holding back an avalanche with how badly large churches are behaving these days. But the kindness you show to those hurting is one of the surest ways for everyone to believe that the hands of Christ are at work here on earth. Please don’t give up. I know some days it must be difficult to be in the midst of so much hurt. You handle this all with so much grace. You are the hope in the middle of that pain for so many. You encourage all of us to be stronger. May God bless you and your family.
Yeah!! Sweet post! I for some strange reason do not know many people involved in Gothardism. I’ve often wondered why that is the case…
Fourteen. Fourteen! That is encouraging. Not that they were abused–of course not–but that so many (of the many that there are, allegedly) have been supported to the extent that they are able to press forward in the battle to expose predators and stop them. Let the light shine.
@ LT:
Dang…where is the like button?
Here’s what I got up tonight. It explores why evangelical Christians don’t repent or say I am sorry. From Mark Drisocll, to C.J. Mahaney to others many Christians don’t say they are sorry or work to resolve pain that they have caused others. Why? Is that another reason why the world doesn’t respect evangelical Christians?
https://wonderingeagle.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/how-mistakes-are-opportunities-why-dont-evangelical-christians-say-they-are-sorry-why-dont-evangelicals-repent-and-own-their-mistakes-today/#more-4502
Eagle, I have known many who were or are caught up in the Gothard adulation. Mr. Tree and I gave it a good go in our young adult years. It barely registered with him. He grasped some general principles that were fine and the rest rolled off. I “purposed in my heart” to give it my all. I made a good effort to keep my questions and doubts squelched. I certainly couldn’t voice them to anyone and have an honest give and take, listen and respond conversation. That would only have demonstrated my rebellion to authority. And we all knew that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”. So there you go.
Julie Anne,
I don’t usually comment on your blog, but I do check in and read your posts, as well as the comments. I believe that, not only are you helping people who have already been abused, but you are also giving courage to people who are currently being abused. …….. And, just maybe, your work is opening eyes and helping to prevent future abuse.
The DEEBS helped you, and now you are helping others – passing the torch, in a way. I hope that when enough torches are lit, people will see these abusive charlatans for what they are.
Seeing as institutions like IBLP (and all churches like them) are quick to suggest that victims meet with their abusers for “reconciliation”, I do wonder why they’re not following their own policies and meeting with THEIR victims.
Oh who am I kidding, it’s because Gothard and his lackeys believe that rules were made for other people, that’s why. Even if he’s the one that made them.
@ LT:
Excellent comment! Thanks for being such an encouragement to Julie Anne.
Nancy2 wrote:
I wholeheartedly agree! Those who have been hurt are being empowered like never before, thanks in part to the internet. 🙂
In my mind, this is the core issue. The lack of accountability and application of “rules” (ed.) on Church leaders/religious organization leaders, by church leaders, makes me ill…
IBLC was heavily pushed by an Evangelical Free Church I attended back ( after we left a IFBC) in th 70’s….. The “cult” like devotion to it gave me cause…. Now I know why…. Way to go, all you brave women that are willing to call them out!! It really sounds like the IBLC leadership are a bunch of Pharisees, or worse..
Anne wrote:
In my mind, this is the core issue. The lack of accountability and application of "rulers" on Church leaders/religious organization leaders, by church leaders, makes me ill… IBLC was heavily pushed by an Envangelical Free Church I attended back ( after we left a IFBC) in th 70's….. The "cult" like devotion to it gave me cause…. Now I know why…. Way to go, all you brave women that are willing to call them out!! It really sounds like the IBLC leadership are a bunch of Pharacies, or worse.. Anne wrote:
14…I wonder how many won’t come forward? Have moved on with their lives, don’t want the spotlight, whatever?
@ K.D.:
Since you used the word ‘spotlight’, I hope those hurt by Gothard and his ministry will go see the excellent movie Spotlight. They will definitely be inspired by those who at long last came forward to report pedophile priests.
I got stop using phone for these posts…. “Rules” not “rulers”
I have lost almost all my respect for any church leader these days…..
Jeffrey Chalmers wrote:
Recovering Grace has copies of the lawsuits and 2 Exhibits that are responses from BG. Interesting, if depressing, reading.
Eagle,
Regarding evangelicals who have trouble even admitting “mistakes were made”, aside from pride I’ve seen only one primary explanation. At a time when Christianity seems to be on the decline, its adherents appear to be very sensitive to anything that they think would harm the Church’s reputation and its ability to spread the gospel. Ironically, the reverse is true when it comes to acknowledging sin, which they are finding out the hard way.
NJ wrote:
I’d argue the church is in decline for two reasons: 1) it doesn’t have the political power to enforce itself on society as in the past and 2) it sits there and covers up crimes like this in the name of not harming the church’s reputation. If the church dealt forthrightly with crimes against children, it might not be in such a bad state.
LT and Nancy, thank you for your kind words. It’s been an amazing almost 4 years and I am truly grateful that because of a foolish and greedy pastor, many people have had a place to be heard, validated, supported. I have cried many tears when listening to the stories of people stuck in abuse, but I have also cried many happy tears when people let me know that it was because of stories on the blog that they had the strength to leave their “prison.” Those stories keep me going, because they show that there is hope after abuse. The Deebs and folks here have always been so wonderful to me. Thank you, all.
And also, thanks, Deb, for keeping the spotlight on the Gothard case. It’s not over. There are still many families using ATI program and Gothard’s teachings. Gothard published 6 or 7 books since leaving IBLP and he has a new program and his faithful followers are heeding every word of his. It’s so sad!
I appreciate what you have done as well. It is more than sad about people still following Gothard….. While no one is “perfect”, there is a clear structural problem ( dare I say perversion) in this whole situation…. I, for one, would not allow a serial molester to be around under age girls??? How could these “followers” still listen to him?
Julie Anne Smith wrote:
mirele wrote:
On #2. More and more people are not ” putting up” with stuff like they would in the past. They just leave now. Espcially the Millinials. The ” Nones” and ” Dones” will become more the norm. It’ll take a while for places like rural South, but even here, stuff is slowly changing.
Valid points, Mirele. I have to wonder how much of Gothard’s support base has fallen away so far, due to his exposure online. It’s certainly happening in the case of King Pin Yohannan and GFA, thanks in large part to Warren Throckmorton.
But the bottom line is that the kind of culture that results in this kind of abuse was strongly damned by Jesus and the apostles. It is called “worldliness”. It doesn’t matter if it is a church or any other seat of power. When it is worshipped, people get hurt. It’s just sad to see this in Christianity, because it is the opposite of the claimed holy text. Unfortunately, it is also as old as Christianity itself, rearing its head even in the very pages of the NT.
Julie Anne Smith wrote:
I thought the most profound line in the movie Spotlight was when Stanley Tucci, who was a lawyer struggling to help the victims, explained to Spotlight reporter Mark Ruffalo that “if it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to abuse a child”
I would like to add it also takes a village to pursue justice and healing. Those who want to shut the unpleasantness out and ignore it or even seek to silence critics and victims “for the good of the church” unwittingly help create an environment for the abuse to occur again. As a community we need to see this through and not tire. Predators count on good people tuning out abuse because it is uncomfortable. This allows for more victimization. When we all stand together the abusers cannot continue to operate in a flood of sanitizing light. Eagle is right, the bad guys don’t stop on their own.
Amen, and it applies to all abuse in the church, including the “shunning/etc” that occurs when honest questions are raised and leadership can not handle it….
b>LT wrote:
Speaking of court activities and their aftermath, Iran has freed Saeed Abedini and other Iranian Americans: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iran-releases-post-correspondent-jason-rezaian-iranian-reports-say/2016/01/16/e8ee7858-ba38-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html
On a totally irrelevant level, I do find it humorous that the judge presiding over this lawsuit is named “Popejoy” …. LOL. Besides that, there is nothing else humorous about this and wish the 14 well as they walk through this challenging process. And Julie Anne and Mr Gibbs, Esq. as well!
It’s telling that, if I recall correctly, Gothard claimed to have tried to talk to many victims, supposedly in keeping with Matthew 18, but only as long as the power balance was heavily in his favor. Now that there is a chance to talk and maybe settle short of a jury trial, when the power balance is much more even, IBLP isn’t talking.
This is exactly the kind of behavior I experienced in another Christian organization many years ago. They want to appropriate scripture out of context when it is in their favor, but don’t want to follow it when they really should. It’s all about power and control.
NJ wrote:
It’s interesting, because the Gospels as written, as well as the entirety of the Old Testament and the bulk of the Pauline epistles and various other letters written by Peter, James, John, etc. to the Church are almost uniform in their open admission of a wide range of sins committed by followers of the Lord, from merely stupid to horrific. The Bible is perhaps the most famous and strikingly blunt and forthright dirty laundry airing in world history. Everything in all its ugliness about the Lord’s people just laying there exposed. And yet somehow, the Gospel got spread.
So, my question is, when these people use the spreading of the Gospel as justification for obfuscation and lies, claiming they’re following the Spirit, one has to wonder what Spirit they’re following and if they even care one spit in the wind what the Bible says?
Jeffrey Chalmers wrote:
Because they have Accepted Got Hard as Their Personal LOORD And Savior.
Got Hard Is GAWD.
mirele wrote:
That’s what 200-year Outbeed-the-Heathen Quiverfull plans and Reconstructionism are for.
LT wrote:
Such a good comment, LT! Let’s keep doing this!