OUTRAGE!!! Michael Loftis Appointed to Board of Trustees at Cedarville University
We live in days when sarcasm becomes reality. I have often commented that there are two classes of Christians in our day: the enlightened ones, and the totally depraved Christian peasantry. We must depend on the enlightened ones to lead us safely through the minefield of sanctification to insure our entry into heaven. Getting us safely home despite our wicked, silly selves is very messy business, so we shouldn’t expect the enlightened ones to be perfect. Collateral damage should be expected and accepted. After all, we need the enlightened ones, and the stolen innocence of our children is a small price to pay for the souls of the many.
There is a Jewish proverb that says a person who saves one life saves the world. The proverb tells the truth: if one life is expendable, so is the world. Jesus told the disciples that a true shepherd values the one lamb as much as the whole flock. Where are such shepherds in our day?
Dr. Michael Loftis was recently fired as president of ABWE. Though ABWE didn’t say specifically why he was fired, everybody assumed it was because of the scandal surrounding the Bangladesh missionary children. For years, ABWE covered up the fact that one of their missionaries molested missionary children in Bangladesh, and the missionary was also a GARB (General Association of Regular Baptists) icon. Those in the know about the situation have assured me that Michael Loftis’ role in the cover-up was “huge.”
Obviously, this doesn’t say anything about Loftis’ character to anybody running the show at Cedarville University. Character? Children? Pedophilia? Protecting other children? Justice? Stolen childhoods? What’s your point? He is one of the enlightened ones.
This will be “Missionary Kids Week” at PPT. My wife Susan, a 1973 Cedarville Alumnus, and contributing author here at PPT, will be the first to write a series of articles concerning this new development. PPT is a 20 minute drive from Cedarville University, so other responses are being considered as well. We invite others to post articles in contribution to this week of protest here at PPT.
paul
When Gospel Seperated From Law Becomes Bad News For Our Children
“….but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in your law.”
~ Psalm 119:69,70
Don’t mess with the world’s children. If you do, they don’t care who you are. Retribution and justice will be swift and severe. At Penn State University, they quickly dispensed of Joe Paterno, a Penn State icon/legend because he did the right thing, but didn’t follow-up. He reported a child rape to his superior that he did not witness and named the one who had reported it to him. But when his boss did nothing, Paterno didn’t call him on the carpet and threaten to go public. The university could have defended him based on the fact that he reported it, and then could have left the minority outcries to their eventual certain death. But instead, Paterno was unceremoniously fired and his long iconic life went down in flames. The university president was also fired for good measure. Once thought to be a leader’s leader, a reputation that took at least fifty years to earn, he was specifically fired for “failure of leadership.”
There is the secular world with the law of God written on their hearts, Christianity, and religion. Religion has always been a child’s worst nightmare—the monster in the closet going back to the days of Molech who burned children alive on the altar of bad theology. Nazism did the same to unproductive Jewish children while faithful Christians living in Germany never missed a Sunday. Discussions of rich worship and praise could be heard everywhere while Nazi atrocities were routinely published in the German press and presented as heroic.
The Penn State antithesis was projected in my mind as I sat in a church worship service two weeks ago. During a presentation by a ministry director, it was proudly announced that Dr. Michael Loftis would be the featured speaker at an upcoming conference sponsored by their ministry. Really? Loftis was recently let go by ABWE which is still dealing with the Donn Ketcham pedophile scandal. No formal reason was ever given for Loftis’ dismissal, but everybody knows the timing was no accident. This is different from Penn State who left nothing to the imagination and showed no pity. Paterno wasn’t asked to resign, they outright fired him. And if you put the secular persona scale next to the GARB persona scale—Loftis and Ketchum are no Joe Peternos. Not even close.
Loftis knew. He not only knew, he cooperated with the cover up. The results? Well, let me quote from the promotional material proudly issued by the ministry sponsoring the upcoming conference:
Speaker : Dr. Michael Loftis
Executive director of DNA Global Network & former director of The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.
Where is the shame? In the Penn State incident, those who knew and didn’t speak up are facing criminal charges. Ok, so the fact that Loftis has an executive position is one thing, but mentioning that he was formally the director of ABWE clearly shows that the GARB church in general lacks remorse in this affair. Why in the world would this be added to his credentials? Obviously, his tenure there is not seen as tarnished in any way. But you might say: “Yes Paul, but he accomplished many good things there.” Right, and likewise, Paterno accomplished many good things. Bottom line: he didn’t mess with the ones who were messing with the children, and the secular world found that to be completely unacceptable. Loftis also knew of how ABWE reframed one of the incidents as an extra marital affair and invoked a confession from the fourteen year old victim. This is because the sex was supposedly consensual. Therefore, Ketcham was suspended from the mission field for misconduct rather than pedophilia. And, the proper authorities were not contacted in Michigan to boot.
What would the world say about that? Come now, must I recite all of the news accounts of public school teachers who have had truly consensual sex with under-aged students? They are in prison for rape. And they are done, they will never teach again. In fact, they will be forever on a national list that prevents them from coming within a thousand feet of a school that teaches children. My wife works with a secular company that supplies services for disabled children. If she fails to report abuse—it’s a criminal act, that is constantly made clear to those who are in her profession.
Clearly, worldly standards, not only for protecting children, but in general, are becoming higher than the bar set by Christians. Why is that? Basically, as Jesus and the apostles predicted, the last days will bring a focused devaluing of God’s law. Most lost people see law as a good thing (the apostle Paul said the law of God is written on the hearts of every living being and utilized by the conscience). But theologies that place law in another realm, and separate from God’s power imparted to us are becoming more and more prevalent in our day. Some of today’s premier evangelical teachers constantly advocate the supposed necessity of “separating law and gospel.” Yes, more and more, Christians are learning to “live by grace alone apart from the law.” Or, as the mantra so goes: “living by the gospel.” And on the other hand, the law is separate from the gospel. Is this a good thing?
I had a wonderful lunch with an author last week who I consider to be an authority on Reformation history. I posed a question to him: “If the works of the law are written on the hearts of all, can humanity really be “totally depraved.” His reply: “That’s a good question, isn’t it?” (I thought it was, but I am probably biased). I understand that we are not saved by the law, but in salvation, it would seem to me that the law of God that is already there should be set on fire and greatly expanded. We won’t keep it perfectly, but it will certainly be the direction of our changed heart and the standard for our lives. We are declared righteous apart from the law, but only truth sanctifies. The law is not only that which was written on tablets of stone, but “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
If the law is devalued among Christians for living life, it only makes sense that eventually the world will have more law than we do. And in the Bible, especially Psalms 119:70, lack of attention to the law leads to cold-heartedness. And that’s when the world has more compassion than us, and uses the law to protect the focus of that compassion. It is a day when the lost world has more law than we do.
And I contend that this is not “good news” for our children.
paul
Former Abused Missionary Children Are Loving ABWE God’s Way
“Sometimes, confronting rather than forgiving is the most loving thing you can do.”
If you haven’t been vacationing on another planet, you have probably heard about the group that published a website in order to publicly confront ABWE for covering up the following: http://bangladeshmksspeak.com/
This bold move conjures up all kinds of opinions, but let me begin with the opinions that instigated this post (my second on the subject). My missionary son-in-law posted a 20/20 expose on his FB page about children who were sexually abused in IFB churches: http://www.hulu.com/watch/231215/abc-2020-fri-apr-8-2011?c
I watched the clip, and was struck by how one of the abused children who sought help was counseled by a pastor: “Real Christians forgive and forget, and move on with their lives.” Then, the other day, I visited the aforementioned site and observed this comment on another posted link regarding the Bangladesh children: “Donn Ketcham DID confess his sins a long time ago. Christ has forgiven him, so it’s time the rest of you did likewise!…Mark 11:25-26 states that if we do not forgive then neither will our Heavenly Father forgive US. There is an echo in my mind…’Get over it!’”
Is this true? Are Christians, even those who have been sexually abused, biblically obligated to “forgive and forget”? Before I make my case, let me answer the question and qualify it. The answer is NO; but, that doesn’t mean revenge is in order either. Not forgiving doesn’t equal: revenge is ok. See Romans chapter 12 on that. We are to love those whom we are un-reconciled to (i.e., enemies), and we are to do good to them and bless them. And by the way, speaking from personal experience—that’s really easy to do if you don’t have to forgive them. I can’t explain that, but it’s probably due to the fact that God knows what He’s talking about. Hence, the Bangladesh children (now grown-up) do well: they are not partaking in unbiblcal forgiveness and they are loving those who have wronged them. Huh? That’s right. Sometimes, confronting rather than forgiving is the most loving thing you can do.
Now I’d better make my case. Let’s look at Matthew 18:15-17
“If your brother sins against you,go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Does ABWE qualify as “brother”? What about Ketcham? Of course they do. And by the way, Jesus doesn’t say “your brother in the local assembly.” A case for a strictly local application cannot be made here. Also note that Jesus says IF he listens to you (repents: see Luke 17:3), “you have won your brother over.” That’s “IF” he repents. If he doesn’t repent, other people are to be involved. If he still doesn’t repent, the church at large is to be told. If he still doesn’t listen: “treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Jesus didn’t say, “forgive him anyway.” And, “treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” doesn’t sound like forgiveness to me.
Furthermore, Jesus had another opportunity to discuss no-fault forgiveness when His teaching prompted this question by the disciples: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” This is further elaborated on in Luke 17:3,4; “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” In the parable that immediately follows in Matthew’s account, a warning to those who refuse to forgive those who have asked for forgiveness is the issue. In fact, Bible verses that fall under this category (where a seeking to be forgiven is assumed) are usually the ones people cite to make a case for “forgive and forget” whether reconciliation has been sought or not. Notice how Christ emphasizes the necessity of repentance: “If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” It would seem that this would be a better opportunity for Christ to teach no-fault forgiveness even if somebody sins against you seven times in one day. To the contrary, He seems to use the seven times to illustrate the need for reconciliation / repentance instead, and the obligation to forgive accordingly.
Granted, petty offences should be covered with love (1Peter 4:8). And in the Matthew 18 process, if the offended party is being petty—the two witnesses should tell him—that’s the beauty of how the Holy Spirit designed the process (it’s doubtful that He didn’t see some kind of circumstance that isn’t covered). However, forgiving and forgetting serious offences, and thereby leaving the offender in a bad situation with God—is not how we love people. Matthew 5:23,24 states the following: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” I realize there are many verses like Mark 11:25 that seem to call for blanket forgiveness, but I think these verses assume reconciliation has been sought, and there is also a sense in which we can not allow ourselves to dwell on offences that are un-reconciled (Philippians 4:8,9) which could lead to bitterness. But in all of this, the specific and clear language of Matthew 18 and Luke 17 must be considered.
The Gospel
Though I hesitate to use the gospel for a prism to interpret, one might consider that Ephesians 4:32 says to forgive others the way God has forgiven us, but we must remember that God doesn’t forgive us unless we repent (Acts 2:38). We must be “reconciled” to God (2Corinthians 5:18-21). Let me put this in some real-life context. I have an unsaved relative who has offended me on many occasions, but I have chosen to cover the incidents in love. However, he recently went too far. Though I have had the opportunity to help him after the fact and have done so, I am also making it clear to him that until he acknowledges his sin and commits to not repeating it—our relationship is hindered. “And by the way, God will not forgive you until you reconcile with him as well.” The incident offers more opportunity to present the gospel to him than in past memory. It begs the question: should we forgive in anyway unlike God forgives? Should we forgive in a way that God wouldn’t? Even in regard to Christians, if we do not ask for forgiveness, we are open to be chastised by God (1John 1:9).
What is Forgiveness?
Like the motivation for forgiveness, love, forgiveness is not a feeling. Forgiveness is first a declaration (Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34). If forgiveness was just a feeling experienced by the forgiver—we wouldn’t know that we were forgiven. Forgiveness is also active. Jay Adams wrote the following in regard to Isa. 43:25 and Jer. 31:34;
“Obviously, the omniscient God who created and sustains the universe does not forget, but He can not remember. You see, forgetting is passive and is something that we human beings, not being omniscient, do. Not remembering is active; it is a promise whereby one person (in this case, God) determines not to remember the sins of another against him. To not remember is simply a graphic way of saying, I will not bring up these matters to you or others in the future. I will bury them and not exhume the bones to beat you over the head with them. I will never use these sins against you.”
Even if you don’t agree with anything written here, Adams’ clarification above will aid you greatly, for if you believe in no-fault, blanket forgiveness, and you tell the offender accordingly, a vow is still a vow which God takes seriously (Psalm 15:4). It’s safe to assume that many Christians say they forgive others and then hope the right feeling of forgiveness will just happen somehow. Truly “forgetting” will certainly never happen if you talk about it. But let me inject another example at this point. Recently, I saw an interview with a missionary whose husband had been brutally murdered in another country. However, the missionaries belonged to what was a cult by anybody’s standard. I watched as she calmly spoke of how she had completely forgiven her husband’s murderers. Something made me very uneasy about the testimony and I truly doubt the world was impressed by it. Her forgiveness for the murderers may have been her own, but it certainly wasn’t God’s.
Should sexually abused children really “forgive and forget,” and thereby pave the way for (among many, many, other issues) a Christian organization to cover-up criminal activity?
Not only do I doubt that, I would contend that their confrontation is the most formable act of love perpetrated on ABWE and Donn Ketcham in the past thirty years.
paul
Too Bad About the “Kids,” But Like GM, ABWE is Just Too Big to Fail
Too many haven’t heard about the tragic scandal concerning ABWE (Association Of Baptist For World Evangelism). On a much, much larger scale, it reveals what I already knew about ABWE—they don’t care about the truth; specifically, biblical truth. In June of 2010, I wrote ABWE regarding one of their missionaries and false doctrine; a copy of the letter can be obtained by request: pmd@inbox.com . My letter was first ignored by the missionary in question, then totally ignored by Loftis and the ABWE board. In regard to a family that the particular doctrine harmed, a prominent leader within ABWE offered to get involved until he discovered that the sending church of the missionary was at fault—he then disassociated himself with the situation. This is the way the game is played at ABWE.
The victims of the scandal (not to be confused with my concerns in June of 2010) had to construct a website / blog to confront what ABWE has covered up for years. Trust me, Al Gore didn’t invent the World Wide Web, God did, and we thank Him for it. Here is a copy of the press release:
Press release concerning ABWE’s mishandling Abuse by Mission Doctor in Bangladesh
Does your church support a mission’s organization that protects a known pedophile? It just might…
Put yourself in her 14-year-old shoes. A 59-year-old physician and missionary, whom you trusted, emotionally manipulated you, then sexually abused you repeatedly. This man serves alongside your parents on the mission field in a remote jungle in Bangladesh. He controlled you, used you and abused you and has been doing so since you were 12. Once you finally found the courage to speak up, those you confided in, those from whom you sought help, isolated you and kept you away from your parents. Then, those two grown men –one a counselor and the other in a position of authority over you and your parents – forced you to sign a confession. You sought their help and now, humiliated and filled with shame, they force you to accept that pain as a sign of your guilt.
http://bangladeshmksspeak.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/victimminorconfession1.pdf
These are not the words of a 14-year-old-girl. These are the words of someone forced to bear the blame of her abuser’s sins.
Today, 22 years after the signing of that document, ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism), continues to handle the situation inappropriately.
ABWE still refuses to fully acknowledge their role in allowing Dr. Donn Ketcham, former Bangladesh missionary and known pedophile, to return to work in Allendale, Michigan as a family physician. Since returning he has seen countless patients, all unaware of the danger they were placed in.
What’s worse is this 14-year-old-girl was not the only girl abused by Dr. Donn Ketcham. This blog was created by another one of Ketcham’s victims. Yet her own story is held in comparison with the story of the unnamed 14-year-old-girl.
http://bangladeshmksspeak.com/
While ABWE has publicly responded to the blog, they have yet to fully assume responsibility for their gross mishandling and subsequent cover up. They admit to decades of awareness and complacency, yet continue to hide behind closed doors and a wall of anonymity after confessing decades of sexual abuse suffered by young daughters of missionaries in Bangladesh.
http://www.abwe.org/news/article/abwe-board-decision-regarding-independent-investigation/
As an ABWE supporting church, we urge you to contact ABWE and demand a deadline be given. The MKs involved have not been given the names of those on the commission or a deadline for the commission’s decision, continuing ABWE’s history of secrecy. For all they know, the commission is made up of the same individuals who contributed to the cover up over the years. Ask them to let the moderators of the blog choose who will be the MKs on this “commission.” ABWE must be transparent in this matter!
Ask ABWE to hire GRACE. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) GRACE has been contacted by ABWE but has still not been retained. GRACE has offered multiple times to be this third party for ABWE, but as of yet ABWE has not taken them up on this offer.
http://www.netgrace.org/index.asp?str_string=About%20Us~The%20Need%20for%20GRACE~none
The victims, their families, and fellow missionaries want more than a confession. The enormity of the situation calls for a more thorough investigation.
ABWE must be held accountable for the knowledge of sexual abuse dating as far back as 1975 and the secrecy and cover up that continues to this day. Many innocent girls have been victimized and ABWE has repeatedly turned a deaf ear to their cries for help.
Write: board@abwe.org and address it to the ABWE Board of Directors [End of press release].
_______________________________________________________________________________
Of course, there is much need to focus on the victims here, but this all begins with ABWE’s indifference towards biblical truth / wisdom. In addition, all of the scrambling about regarding damage control is also unbiblical. The Scriptures are very clear; when such an act is substantiated (and it certainly was because of the written statement by the 14 year-old girl), God’s people are to gather in His name and excommunicate the individual:
“ 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you’” (2Cor 5:1-12).
To begin with, ABWE’s effort to love the perpetrator was totally misguided and unbiblical. In demanding that his sending church join them in following 2Cor 5:1-12, they could have accomplished the following: “….hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful naturemay be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” Also, they obviously don’t believe what Christ said about millstones and those who cause children to stumble.
Furthermore, this story now remains viable fodder for the likes of 20/20 and others to drag the name of Christ through the mud. But, “Oh ya, him: we excommunicated his sorry %@#& and reported him to the proper authorities whom God has not given the sword in vain,” is not much of a story—unless 20/20 wants to make the church look good.
Also, with all of the discussion concerning “prevention,” they could have taken 1Tim 5:19,20 seriously:
“Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.”
How many children wouldn’t have been molested if ABWE had constructed a website / blog instead of the victims? How many sexual predators are going to signup with your organization if they know they could become the topic of a page on the WWW or a nationally publicized newsletter? Contrast that with having a reputation for covering up such behavior to supposedly salvage the reputation of the organization for monetary reasons.
And what shall we say of God’s people? For whatever reasons, we love these organizations way more than we love our children. Somehow, it is unthinkable that an organization like ABWE would be allowed to crash and burn even though the directors thereof think they’re smarter than the Holy Spirit. Why? Again, this is not biblical thinking. Even the apostle Paul recognized that he could disqualify himself from ministry because of misdeeds:
”No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1Cor 9:27).
Apparently, like GM, ABWE is just too big to fail; I protest, if the apostle Paul was not too big to fail, you can be sure ABWE isn’t either. And besides, I bet a whole bunch of missionary boards take a hard look in the mirror if ABWE burns. That’s a good thing. No, that’s a VERY good thing. But what about those 400 other “innocent” missionaries connected with ABWE who “didn’t know.”? Are we not past praying for the victims and saving the organizations? Let’s take care of the victims this time. And oh, those 400 missionaries? Well, let’s pray for them. At any rate, in their next association with a mission board, I would bet anything that this time around they will make it their business to know.
This isn’t rocket science. The unrepentant board members and Loftin need to resign. Their correspondence with the public and the victims refer to the child victims as “MK’s” (missionary KIDS). Last time I checked, that’s slang. Can’t you just hear Jesus referring to the “little children” as kids ? Where is the fear of God that really believes that their angels stand before God daily? Yes, they all need to resign so the others may fear.
I know, I know, the victims. But let us not forget that the victims are a symptom of unbelief on the part of the leaders that they trusted, and no thinking Christian should contribute one red penny to anybody who thinks they are smarter than God. If they do—they partake in their sin.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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