I have never met Marybeth Arnold or Amanda Hodson, but I have followed their story since 2018 and admire them greatly. They have waged an arduous battle in an attempt to bring Ben Cole to justice for sexually abusing them and also to keep Cole from sexually abusing other young girls.
While both of their lives have been permanently impacted in many negative ways because of what Cole did to them when they were young teenagers, they had the satisfaction of seeing Cole convicted on Friday, February 11, 2022 and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Marybeth’s brother, Peter, was kind enough to inform me of the decision on Friday and said:
He [Ben Cole] got 4.5 years for each count and the judge has him serving them back to back, so 9 years, but he gets credit for 2 years he’s served awaiting trial. Technically this was only for what he did to Amanda even though Marybeth was a corroborating character reference. What he did to Marybeth was not as severe and would be harder to convict. The state is not pursuing her case and everyone feels that justice has been served!
Further details of the case can be read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in an article titled, “Man who sexually abused two teenage girls from Mansfield church sentenced to 9 years.”
What I want to briefly touch on is the unhealthy group of churches that have a well documented history of leadership covering up sexual abuse in their churches. I am speaking of ARBCA (The Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America). This Association once numbered over 80 churches, but saw their numbers decimated after they staunchly defended Tom Chantry and he was convicted in two trials of physical and sexual abuse of children. [Note from editor – Chantry’s conviction in his second trial was recently overturned on appeal and he will be facing a third trial.]
ARBCA now consists of a mere 13 churches. One of these is Heritage Baptist Church of Mansfield, TX. This is the church Ben Cole, Marybeth Arnold, and Amanda Hodson attended. (There were others Cole targeted.) Cole was a legal adult. The girls he abused were minors.
Peter Arnold wrote a concise review of Heritage Baptist Church nearly 4 years ago. (See below.) Larry Vincent is no longer the senior pastor. I have heard reports that his health is failing. Jarrett Downs, a former Police Officer, is now the senior pastor. Steve Garrick planted another ARBCA church and Matt Vincent, son of Larry, is a pastor there. Price Jones is the other pastor at Heritage. Jones is the son-in-law of Larry Vincent and is the man Peter refers to in his review.
Here is a statement Heritage Baptist Church sent to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2019.
This statement appears to be inaccurate. Read on.
“She [Amanda] said her father said he’d make some phone calls, which she now realizes was to the church’s elders. She and her dad were later brought before the three elders [Larry Vincent, Jarrett Downs, and Steve Garrick] in a closed-door meeting in the fall of 2005. She remembers the elders asking her questions about what she had done to encourage Cole’s actions.
“It was basically just all this counseling about why I should be ashamed for my part in it,” she added.
And they said, “Don’t talk to anybody about this. We will handle him. We will discipline him; that’s not up to you.’”
Amanda said what infuriates her now is knowing the pastors were aware that Cole had been involved with two other underage girls before her.
“The fact that they didn’t jump out of their chairs right then and pick up a phone and call police is what now just sickens me,“ she said.
Even more troubling, she said, is that one of the pastors, Jarrett Downs, was a police officer, working with the Burleson Police Department between July 2004 and June 2008.
Burleson Police Chief Billy Cordell said Downs had left the department in good standing to work full-time at Heritage.”
Source
Yesterday I sent an email to Paul Hodson, the father of Amanda. I have not received a reply and am doubtful I ever will. Should Paul decide to write me at some future date I will gladly post his response here. Below is a copy of the email I sent him.
I don’t pretend to know all that has transpired between Amanda and her parents, perhaps their relationship will never be restored. That said, I must question why, at the very least, Amanda’s parents still attend Heritage Baptist Church. In my opinion they have clearly lied in their statement to the press concerning Ben Cole.
[Note from editor 2/14/2022] I received the following update from Peter Arnold today. Unfortunately, I believe it provides a valuable insight into the character of Amanda Hodson’s parents. I can only hope their behavior isn’t reflective of all who attend Heritage Baptist Church because I find their behavior despicable:
“One thing to note about the Hodson parents is that they were in attendance [at the trial] scoffing and whispering when witnesses were testifying. After I left, the judge publicly admonished them. Here is how one person I know who was present described that moment:
“They were scoffing and making noises, obviously in disagreement with you and Marybeth. The judge sent the jury out and then publicly pointed at [Amanda’s] parents and yelled at them. He said it had come to his attention they were being distracting and trying to sway the jury and [intimidate the witnesses]. He told them he would charge them and lock them up today if he heard anything from them again and then he yelled at them, “if you can’t control yourself get out right now.””
I watched the entire Heritage Baptist Church service this morning. Trust me, it was painful. I would estimate there were 50 people in attendance. I would guess Jarrett Downs and Price Jones were aware of the verdict in the Ben Cole case. Yet not a word was said about it. I am not surprised. From what I have seen, being a leader in an ARBCA church means never having to say you were wrong, nor do you ever need to publicly say you were sorry for publishing a false statement to the media. I did see Price Jones carry on for nearly 15 minutes in his pastoral prayer, most of it confessing we are all terrible sinners and worms in God’s sight, etc. But I would think his time would have been better spent first making a public apology. Then again, what do I know? Conduct your church service and your service to God as you see fit. Fortunately, in my opinion, there are only a handful of deluded people paying to listen to your hypocrisy.
On a final note, in considering “who is ARBCA” please remember that in the last days they (congregations) will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3). The corrupt men of ARBCA did not become who they are by themselves. The members of ARBCA churches allow these rogues to do whatever they please. Pray for the eyes of the members of ARBCA churches to be opened to the truth of this corruption.
Source: Awareness in Reformed Baptist Churches of America, “Who is ARBCA?”
“Often the leaders do not want their followers to even consider information. Attacking the motives and credibility of a critic is an effective way to accomplish this. When members are conditioned by leaders to believe that information is credible only if the source of that information is acceptable, it is unlikely followers will seriously consider anything said by those ridiculed by the leaders. These victims become putty in the hands of these leaders.”
-Mary Alice Chrnalogar, “Twisted Scriptures: Breaking Free from Churches That Abuse” page 144
5 stars for the music video.
And as always, excellent post, Todd.
I wholeheartedly agree!
Were the Elders holding rocks ready in their hands at the meeting?
(i.e. “WHORE! WHORE! WHORE!”)
WHERE HAVE WE SEEN THIS PATTERN BEFORE?
Always great to have a Pastor-loyal connection to the Cop side of the Code of Blue.
Like the Friends of that Bokor in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
Did they preach about The SIN of GOSSIP(TM)?
Five stars yes, I agree too.
Not your (generic your) usual constipated Christian music genre.
Good too, because women are finally breaking out of the old molds and showing that they too have skills with guitar electrification.
“… according to the women, church elders at Heritage Baptist Church knew that Cole was “involved” with multiple underage girls …” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Hopefully, some of those multiple others will come forward and keep Mr. Cole behind bars for years to come. Church elders who knew, but did not act to prevent this, should share his cell.
I’m not going to judge a guy for not responding to a random blogger right away, especially about something like this. But I cannot wrap my brain around the father’s 2018 statement that the pastor’s behavior wasn’t criminal, as though that should end the matter. Is “not criminal” the standard for pastors? For adult authority figures interacting with children in general? As a parent I don’t get that. My responsibility is to protect my kids, not make excuses for a grown-@$$ man engaging in “horseplay” with my adolescent child.
It seems these women battled even more than the typical inertia of the legal system to seek justice. They have great courage.
In my region of the Country (Southern Cal.), they would have gone down for complicity, and they’d be in the hoosegow right now.
No offense, but I think that in your region, they’re still too squeamish about jailing high profile Baptist churchmen.
It probably has a lot to do with Southern culture and mores.
I tried to comment a few hours ago and it seems to have vanished… if this winds up being a duplicate, mods please delete!
I don’t think I can blame a guy for not immediately responding to an email from a random blogger, especially about a subject like this.
What I can’t wrap my brain around is the statement from 2018. Is “not criminal” the bar for a pastor now? For any adult authority figure interacting with children? As a parent I cannot make sense of this response. My job is to protect my children, not to make excuses for a grown @$$ man with a prior report of inappropriate behavior towards an adolescent girl.
These women seem to have overcome even more than the usual inertia of the legal system to seek justice here. They have great courage.
MOD: You got caught being cute with “wordy dirds” and thus moderated. GBTC
“TOUCH NOT MINE ANOINTED!”
I think I can.
Parent is more loyal to Pastor then to his own daughter.
Possibly due to the Threat of Eternal Hell as a motivator.
Or circling the wagons against all those Heathens out there. In Total War with the Enemy everywhere, you cannot do anything that even hints at Disloyalty.
CMT,
Oh, my bad! Thanks for the explanation. Will avoid doing that in the future.
CMT,
Thanks for your comment. I didn’t mean to sound like I was judging Paul Hodson for not responding to my email immediately. I needed to get the article published and actually didn’t expect him to reply in such a short period of time. Truth be told though, I doubt he will ever respond.
I agree with your analysis of Paul Hodson’s handling of the matter.
I received the information below a few hours ago and added it to this post, but I know some readers that have already read the article may not see it, so I wanted to add it to the comments:
[Note from editor 2/14/2022] I received the following update from Peter Arnold today. Unfortunately, I believe it provides a valuable insight into the character of Amanda Hodson’s parents. I can only hope their behavior isn’t reflective of all who attend Heritage Baptist Church because I find their behavior despicable:
“One thing to note about the Hodson parents is that they were in attendance [at the trial] scoffing and whispering when witnesses were testifying. After I left, the judge publicly admonished them. Here is how one person I know who was present described that moment:
“They were scoffing and making noises, obviously in disagreement with you and Marybeth. The judge sent the jury out and then publicly pointed at [Amanda’s] parents and yelled at them. He said it had come to his attention they were being distracting and trying to sway the jury and [intimidate the witnesses]. He told them he would charge them and lock them up today if he heard anything from them again and then he yelled at them, “if you can’t control yourself get out right now.””
Ava Aaronsonand Victorious,
Thanks for your kind words and glad you like the song.
From the Internet Archive, ‘Founders’ conference was held at this church in 2000. Check out who was featured:
https://web.archive.org/web/20001109115700/http://www.founders.org:80/conferences/sbfc_sw.html
“Speakers
Dr. Tom Ascol, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Cape Coral, FL
Rev. Bill Ascol, Pastor of Heritage Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA
Dr. Fred Malone, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Clinton, LA
Rev. Tom Chantry, Pastor of Miller Valley Baptist Church, Prescott, AZ
Rev. Bob Selph, National Coordinator Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America”
Todd Wilhelm,
Wow. Most people don’t dare act up in courtrooms… and that’s leaving out the reasons behind the bad behavior. Good for the judge.
Todd Wilhelm,
That is all kinds of disturbing and, yes, I would agree, despicable.
How painful for Amanda Hodson. I pray she and the other young women harmed find healing after the betrayals they experienced.
In a cult, family is expendable. Blood may be thicker than water, but apparently not kool-aid.
“Banished: Surviving my Years in Westboro Baptist Church” was an stomach-churning but eye-opening read. When Lauren Drain, the author, escaped the cult, it was involuntarily; her parents, members of the church, disowned her and kicked her out because church leadership (allegedly) told them to.
In a weird way, the things cult members do are imminently logical. If it was blatantly crazy, no one would join. But too many of their basic paradigms are off.
It’s kinda like the practice of medicine before the advent of germ theory, when it was thought that diseases were caused by imbalances of the four bodily humors. Medical treatments back in the day (like leeches and cupping) made complete sense in the context of the four humors; when put in the context of germ theory, they were revealed as misguided, at best, and dangerous, at worst.
Sin theory vs 3 pillars of cults: power, vice, money.
We need purpose not power, fellowship not transactional vice, and needs met not greed fulfilled. Cults turn lowlife cravings into needs then reel in the takers.
Sin exposes bully power, vice, and greed for what it is.
Jesus’ redirect brings us new life in following Him where we seek Him for needs met, purpose, and fellowship in lieu of the lowlife that is a Good Look but destroys the soul.
Just from an old book written in 16th century :
For, as the more sincere doctors, especially Galen in his book of the Sects, have well remarked, all those who, leaving reason and truth, devote themselves and apply their affection to some preceptors holding erroneous opinions, are so subjugated that they would more easily bear the loss of their temporal goods, their country, their parents and even their children, than the destruction or ruin of their teachers, and of the sect to which they have devoted themselves.
MOD: Please stop changing your name. It makes you get moderated and also maybe, just maybe, look a bit nefarious. GBTC
Whew, some bad-boys indeed! … including Chantry and others who covered up his abuse while giving him a stage. And these represent the best that the ole boy Baptist Calvinists have to offer?!! It’s time for these groups and churches affiliated with them to vaporize and I pray that in Jesus’ name! God help the innumerable who have been victimized in their “ministries” and God bless those who have the courage to point fingers at them.
Never underestimate the Arrogance of God’s Special Pets.
It’s literally impossible.
And check YouTube for CourtTV clips on the subject. I think “Karens in Court” should bring a few of them up.
Or DEMONS and WITCHES.
Interesting.
In our house we call them “god’s Pet Kids”. Same idea. Guess we aren’t the only ones with this observation. “church” and the “gospel” seem to make spoiled brats out of some people.
Jesus Himself did so much, so many fantastic things for so many people… healing the incurable, feeding thousands, etc. Yet nothing bratty about it ‘cuz then He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No chance for brattiness or special pets in that command.
Jerome,
Seems to be a manel*.
*panel of men (only), so flying on one wing, and doesn’t fly.
(“manel” as mentioned in the Amy Brand documentary: “Picture a Scientist ” about the BU David Marchant case.)
“She remembers the elders asking her questions about what she had done to encourage Cole’s actions.”
she was just a kid and these ‘elders’ ALSO abused her in this way!
heart-breaking
Thank you, I just went back through the Internet Archive, and Heritage Baptist was host to that Founders conference year after year. Tom Chantry[!] was there as a speaker in 1999 and 2000.
Tom Ascol a perennial speaker.
James White several times in later years, even Tom Chantry’s father Walt Chantry.
I suspect that Al Mohler was a speaker there in times past … he was closely associated with Tom Ascol and the “Old” Calvinists of the Founders Ministries for years, until he launched SBC’s “New” Calvinist revolution.
Whew! Theologians don’t come any more mean-spirited than James White! Everyone who sits under such teaching eventually goes spiritually crazy after a while. I bet those were fun conferences … not.
Mean-spirited theologian who worships a mean-spirited God?
Tell me about it.
The “such teaching” I got was Hal Lindsay crossed with Jack Chick.
Now THAT’s a combination!
40+ years later and the damage is still there.
Like Frodo after The Ring, where there could be no complete healing this side of the Undying Lands.
It’s amazing what you (generic you) can fabricate from the pages of Scripture.
I am truly sorry that you experienced this, HUG. There are perhaps millions in America who suffer from PTCD (Post Traumatic Church Disorder). There are corners of the “church” which are a real mess, with aberrant teaching from leaders who should not have a stage. As I’ve said before, a touch of charisma, a gift of gab, and a bag of gimmicks can propel anyone to a successful “ministry” in America.
“Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30)
New Calvinism is the most recent example.
I’m definitely one of them.
New Calvinism is only ONE of them.
You’ve got the Hyper-Charismatics getting a new Private Revelation every 30 seconds, you’ve got the Spiritual Warfare LARPers like the NAR and Bethel Redding, you’ve got the Hyper-Politicized Christian Nationalist/Reconstructionist types…
(LARP = Live Action Role-Playing (Game), but they won’t admit to it.)
Headless Unicorn Guy,
And you can tunnel-vision into only one of those to the point you ignore the others.
You can hyperfocus on fighting one to the point all the others breeze right through, like Golden Compass during the Harry Potter Satanic Panic.
I know I definitely do, but then I’ve never been wrapped all that tight in the first place (part of the Compulsive Creative package).
And the Russo-Ukrainian War that just kicked off has pushed it back to the surface. After all, Hal Lindsay’s “plain reading” was that all the plagues of Revelation were “plainly” descriptions Global Thermonuclear War. To the point I coined the phrase “Christians for Nuclear War” to describe that specific type of Grinning Apocalyptism. (Expect a revival of it from the Russo-Ukranian War.)