This is deeply wrong: ACNA Bishops knew alleged victims had repeatedly sought their help long before going to WaPo, yet promulgated the false, slanderous claim that they’d gone to @ianshapira first. Worse, they refused to give their help. This is confirmed by one of the Bishops. 
So, at least 4 bishops:
1. Knew official ACNA communication, *including Wood’s own statement,* was false & defamatory
2. Not only repeated the slander but failed to retract & repent even when confronted
3. Refused to help the alleged victims or even read (!) their allegations.
1. Knew official ACNA communication, *including Wood’s own statement,* was false & defamatory
2. Not only repeated the slander but failed to retract & repent even when confronted
3. Refused to help the alleged victims or even read (!) their allegations.
This is such a betrayal & so deeply wrong. These Bishops need to publicly repent for failing to care for those who brought them claims of spiritual abuse & sexual harassment; lying & being complicity in lies about the complainants; & persisting even after being confronted.
All this is part of a deeply disturbing, dysfunctional pattern.
If there are ACNA Bishops who want to do what’s right, now is the time to speak up, clearly & decisively. The church is no place for an ethos that puts loyalty & self-advancement over truth, justice, & compassion.
If there are ACNA Bishops who want to do what’s right, now is the time to speak up, clearly & decisively. The church is no place for an ethos that puts loyalty & self-advancement over truth, justice, & compassion.
Speaking up does not mean prejudging the truth of allegations or compromising due process. It means acknowledging & repenting for the abject failure & betrayal that has left those who sought their aid so desperate as to have to turn to the media - only to be maligned for it.
It means acknowledging that the system is broken & the status quo is an unmitigated disaster. Real people are being actively wounded & driven from the church. And the damage & wrongs to the church & its witness are being exponentially compounded in real time.
The dysfunctional, abuse-enabling culture & systems coming to light are not limited to Bishops but seep into some dioceses & churches. As an outsider with dear friends in ACNA, I urge a radical, transformative shift, starting with the repentance real trust in God’s grace enables.
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