I'm going to use screenshots this time, as IBLP's statement is more verbose.
If you read Jim Bob Duggar's statement, you will notice a similarity in structure and verbiage.
Both of them lead off with DARVO. IBLP is slightly more emphatic with it.
This is not only DARVO, but a backhanded TRANSCENDENCE.
How so?
By categorizing the documentary as "a reflection of today's culture", they are aligning the victims with the world and themselves with God.
So it would be fair to call this DARVO via TRANSCENDENCE. (@jdahlmd we have another "winner" here.)
Why is it DARVO? It's an implicit Denial of wrongdoing, a flagrant Attack on the victims' accounts, and it casts IBLP as victims, thus Reversing Victim and Offender.
Here is more ATTACKING.
This time, by calling the producers of the documentary "Media story makers", they are accusing them (and the victims by extension) of lying.
It doesn't get more DARVO than this.
More DARVO here. And note that they are imputing ulterior motives on their accusers.
Let's talk about that for a minute.
Yes, media outlets seek profit. So does IBLP. (Hey Bill, how much money have you made over the decades with IBLP?)
But when the media ran favorable coverage of your conventions in the 1970s, was that also for profit on their end? If you benefit from favorable coverage, then why complain at unfavorable coverage?
And if you have 30 accusers of sexual predation, I'd say that meets the "two or more witnesses" standard that Paul gave in the NT.
Don't blame THAT on the media.
Ok...moving right along.
In this one, we have MINIMIZATION via TRIANGULATION.
He is using faint praise for the victims, using their character against them by calling them "manipulated", WHEN HE'S THE ONE DOING THE MANIPULATION.
The end-result: more DARVO.
Here we have MINIMIZATION "IBLP is neither a church nor a religion...", as this implicitly attempts to shield IBLP from accountability to which church elders are Biblically subject.
But we also see TRANSCENDENCE: appealing to the Gospel, & IBLP as a "Christian ministry."
This paragraph is an example of BOLSTERING. What IBLP is doing here is elevating themselves by appealing to the "good" that they've done for decades. This helps minimize the perceived effect of their offenses.
Here we have BOLSTERING (appealing to the work of IBLP to help believers use the Bible as a guide). It is also TRANSCENDENCE in that by appealing to the Bible, they are taking the high road & casting their critics as being on the low road.
This paragraph is textbook MINIMIZATION via attempted INOCULATION by TRIANGULATION. By throwing Bill Gothard under the bus, IBLP is aiming to immunize themselves from further attack.
BUT IT'S GOTHARD'S CULTURE, GOTHARD'S BOOKS, GOTHARD'S STRUCTURE, that is also at issue.
Getting near the end, we have BOLSTERING via DARVO. They are clearly using a DARVO-style attack, while using it to BOLSTER their "ministry".
This is brazen on a large scale.
Finally, we have TRANSCENDENCE. This is an insidious form, as it is also wrapped in an ATTACK. The implicit message: the docuseries producers, and the victims of IBLP, are enemies of the Gospel.
In summary, this response by IBLP is a massive exercise in DARVO and gaslighting. Every other Image Repair tactic they use is in support of a DARVO and GASLIGHTING strategy to dismiss critics as agents of Satan, and present themselves as soldiers of the Gospel.
This is as evil as I've ever seen in a public scandal response. And that's saying something.
*NOTE: this is also an example of using TEMPORAL DISTANCING as a BOLSTERING tactic. In this case, they use it to highlight a long record of "good".
Usually, people use TD to MINIMIZE an abuse they committed "many years ago". But in this case, TD is a BOLSTERING tactic.
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🧵Image Repair Analysis, Joel Webbon's complete statement. For reference, here are the screen shots that @rightresponsem provided.
This first paragraph is an example of BOLSTERING. By appealing to the principle of integrity, he is giving you the idea that he is a man of integrity. And by invoking it the way he does, he is framing the issue of integrity in a way that is favorable to him. And by appealing to the work of Jesus, it is TRANSCENDENCE, which is a super-bolstering tactic.
Given the known facts, his first step should be one of humility and contrition. But that isn't what we are seeing here.
The second paragraph is pure MINIMIZATION via BOLSTERING via TRANSCENDENCE. He appeals to the Biblical standard of integrity. While that is good on its face, this is a MINIMIZATION tactic. Why? It deflects from the issue at hand: his own whopper of a failure of integrity that is arguably disqualifying. Why is it bolstering? By preaching it here, he is elevating himself by framing himself as a Man of God™️, when in fact the very issue is his qualification for the office he holds.
The backdrop: the entire "prophetic" wing of charismatic movement is under fire, particularly due to the scandals of Mike Bickle--and others at IHOPKC--and Robert Morris. The history of the "prophets" is rife with scandal and even false prophecy. And Vallotton, from what I've been able to ascertain, is one of the heavy-hitters in that movement.
(Fair disclosure: I don't know a whole lot about Vallotton, whom I will address as KV; I am focusing solely on his use of Image Repair techniques.)
"It’s sad to see how vicious Christians can be in their quest for truth. Some are convinced that wrong people don’t deserved to be loved or honored. If you want to loved you must be right and of course “right” means agree with our doctrine."
He begins by CASTING HIMSELF--and his camp--AS VICTIMS. This serves as a means to cast himself in a less-negative light.
Image Repair Analysis, Dr. Michael Brown's latest statement.
Here it is, for context:
He leads off with MINIMIZATION via TRIANGULATION: appealing to family as an excuse for why he hasn't made any statements sooner.
Why is it minimization?
(a) He has already made a statement; he made one in the wake of the @reachjulieroys article.
(b) He is clearly responding to Sarah Monk--the "Erin" who has gone on the record--and Kris Bennett. The latest accusations have merit, and Brown clearly has a problem.
Make no mistake, this is damage control.
Then, he moves to MINIMIZATION via TEMPORAL DISTANCING. He is reminding you that this happened 23 years ago. That passage of time is supposed to appeal to the "let's move on...this was a long time ago" mindset.
He also engages in BOLSTERING via TRANSCENDENCE. Why do I say this?
He appeals to his ministry and his responsibility, but he is using subtle minimization by saying it was a difficult time in ministry. By appealing to Jesus, he seems to be arrogating himself, as he is centering HIS perspective, not those of others impacted by his actions.
He asserts that he is "accountable to a holy God." This is a form of transcendence, as the implication is that he is not accountable to the larger Body.
Typically, when a revered minister goes down in a sex scandal, a block of followers--sometimes the minister himself--will appeal to King David as a case for restoration to office. After all, David was allowed to remain on the throne.
This is a very flawed approach. It also glosses over the consequences of David's sins, both to David and the larger kingdom of Israel.
For one thing, for a pastor to appeal to King David as a pretext to sidestep the Biblical requirements for eldership (1 Timothy 3) is an exegetical no-no.
The offices have different requirements, and completely different duties.
I attended an AoG church in those days: where I went to college , the AoG church ran a van to pick folks up who wanted a ride to church. And I had no car. So I attended the AoG church.
In addition, the Christian fellowship group at my college was dominated by AoG folks and adjacent charismatic types.
So I became very familiar with the culture, for both better--my experiences were mostly good --and worse.
For better: the charismatic world was very friendly and welcoming. Most of the AoG folks I knew were very devout, self-sacrificing types who really loved Jesus and loved people.
In fact, on that front, they were as solid as any Christian body I have been part of in my ~58 yrs
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Image Repair Analysis, Gateway Elders' Email to Members
Here we are, a week after @wartwatch and @watchkeep broke the story of Robert Morris and his 4-1/2 year stretch of sexual abuses of Cindy Clemishire from the time she was 12 until she was 16.
Since then,
(1) the elders circulated an internal communication to staffers on their Slack channel--in which they ran with a narrative of Morris repenting of an "inappropriate relationship with a young lady" 35 year ago. The blowback was disastrous. #SheWas12
(2) In the wake of that false narrative, they forced Morris to resign, claiming they did not know the details.
As Cindy Clemishire showed in statement through @BozT--as well as @UT_Grad_Amy and @watchkeep-- that narrative was also bovine ejectus.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media--from the Dallas Morning News to the New York Daily News, CNN, MSN--have been reporting the details.
But the elders had not given ANYTHING to the membership of Gateway. Members were learning everything from the news media and watchbloggers.
So FINALLY, a week later, in one of the worst public communication delays I can recall, the elders get around to sending an email to the members. Here it is, courtesy of @watchkeep. Let's give it a quick loo.