Thread by @hlgriffin

I emailed my rector last night and talked to him this morning.

He didn't know about @ladyjessicahaze & @StewartRuch 's mishandling of sexual abuse allegations in the @MidwestAnglican .

Talking to your local clergy & parishioners is the first step.

Don't assume they know.

https://twitter.com/scotmcknight/status/1411695827937079297

Here is why you should care about local awareness even if you are not a member of @MidwestAnglican:

@StewartRuch isn't a monster. He's someone that you would like. You wld trust him.

If he can bungle the handling of a sexual abuse allegation, so can your own bishop.

@MidwestAnglican @StewartRuch Being a sincere leader who loves Jesus & has good intentions is not enough.

This points to a broader institutional pronlem in which @The_ACNA either lacks protocols & standards that conform to readily available best practices for responding to sexual abuse allegations...

...or that these standards & protocols exist on paper, but are not being enforced by the hierarchy.

It also means that we can't count on the bishops to do the right thing just because they are good men who love Jesus, have good intentions, & who we like, respect, & trust.

Nobody meant for this to happen, but they also didn't mean for it not to.

Meaning for this not to happen demands more than sincere good intentions.

It means listening to survivors like @ladyjessicahaze, @R_Denhollander & many other people who share their stories at great cost

It means learning from what has gone wrong & leaning on the wisdom of people like @R_Denhollander, @BozT , and on established and reputable orgs like @netgrace_org .

After we listen and learn, it means that we act.

We act to make sure that other people also listen & learn so more people are pushing for accountability & reform.

We act to demand that our leaders formally adopt & uphold best practices for caring for victims, commissioning third-party investigations with orgs that are competent to provide support for victims & their families, & that leaders face consequences for breaking our trust.

We act to make sure that people whose livelihoods are bound up with the good reputation & maintenance of institutions don't place the advice of lawyers ahead of the needs of victims, survivors, & their families.

We act to make sure that when people who were given chance after chance to listen, learn, and respond appropriately, but still mishandle allegations, they are removed from positions of power.

We act to make churches safer places so that predators have fewer opportunities. We also recognize that predators are insidious & may still prey on our people. We make ourselves places where it is safe to report.

That means that we don't raise money for accused sexual predators so they can have a well-connected attorney, no matter how much you love the charming accused predator who has been in your community for decades.

It means that the feelings of victims, survivors, and their families take priority over those of leaders who are wounded that their mistakes have been brought to light & want everyone to honor their good intentions & how hard this situation has been for them.

It means that we prioritize the restoration of victims & their families over the reputations and restoration for the leaders that have failed them.

It means that we look at the institutional practices that allowed for miscarriages of justice to take place, such as having the bishop's family members on the bishop's council. Who will they identify with? Who will they protect?

It means guarding against basic conflicts of interest. Survivors asking for qualified, third-party assistance shouldn't have to explain to the hierarchy why it's not okay to have your bros & buddies advise you:

https://twitter.com/ladyjessicahaze/status/1408916610165862402?s=20