Communicating Difficult News to Your Church, Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how Miles McPherson responded to some difficult news involving the Christian school associated with The Rock Church in San Diego, CA.
In Part 2, we are going to examine how ABWE, a mission agency in Pennsylvania responded to a growing crisis involving their response to accusations of child abuse by on of their missionaries.
In a nutshell, allegations of abuse first surfaced against missionary Donn Ketcham in July 1989. (Ketcham is a medical doctor who served in Bangladesh as an ABWE missionary from 1963-1989.) A 14-year old girl revealed to her pastor that she had been abused by Ketcham. After some initial investigation, the abuser (Ketcham) confessed to the crime and was sent home from the field by ABWE. In communicating about the incident to Ketcham's supporting church, no mention was made of the sexual abuse, simply that he has left the field after confessing a sin to his sending church's pastor. Moreover, the 14-year old girl was coerced into signing a confession of her own guilt in the adulterous affair!
Fast forward 12 years, and the young girls abused on the field by Ketcham are now young women, and they again approach ABWE leadership about the crimes Ketcham committed while on the field. Of even greater concern is that by keeping the matter silent in order to avoid bad publicity, ABWE in essence allowed Ketcham to return to the States and begin practicing medicine again.
Upon hearing the news of Ketcham's crimes, ABWE president, Michael Loftis, agreed to investigate. That was in 2002. Nothing happened until November 2009-10, when the victims mounted a coordinated effort to force ABWE into acknowledging the crimes Ketcham confessed to in 1989 and to deal with the problem.
Finally, realizing that ABWE was not going to publicly acknowledge the crimes of Donn Ketcham or their own roles in bungling the investigation, the victims put up a website detailing their accusations of abuse, their evidence, their communications with ABWE, and the lack of response from ABWE.
Michael Loftis and ABWE Respond
In April 2011, one month after the website went live, Michael Loftis responded with an email to ABWE supporting churches.
Dear Pastor, church member and friend,
I write to you today with a heavy heart. Our mission is estranged from some of our own family members, former Missionary Kids (MKs), and we long to be reconciled to them. I am writing to ask you to pray. Please pray that these MKs will experience healing in areas where currently there is only hurt and disappointment; that God will open the pathways of honest communication; that He will lead us to reconciliation; and that we will have wisdom and humility as we seek this reconciliation.
This estrangement has its roots in the sinful actions of Dr. Donn Ketcham, a former ABWE missionary who molested some of these women when they were children living with their missionary parents in Bangladesh. These women have also been hurt by ABWE’s response to that molestation back in 1989 and in subsequent years. We have discovered much about their pain and anger regarding these circumstances through a blog they recently created.
At the center of the grievances identified on the blog is a claim that ABWE has intentionally and knowingly perpetrated a cover-up of Dr. Ketcham’s crimes. I do not believe that charge is true. However, I do feel that the facts must be established by an independent investigation.
I have asked the ABWE Board to identify an organization, independent of both ABWE and the MKs, which has expertise in investigating child abuse. It is my hope that an investigative organization will be appointed and announced next week by our Board. I hope and pray that this investigation will find the truth; and based on that solid foundation, we will be able to seek reconciliation with these beloved MKs.
Thank you for being a faithful supporter of ABWE missionaries. In addition to your prayers, I also request your patience. I ask for prudence in judging our actions or motives—as I believe an investigation will bring clarity to this situation. We await the final report, so we can respond to the findings with appropriate actions. I ask for your grace as we also attempt to respond lovingly today, tomorrow, and until we have reconciled with our family. Please believe it is our heart’s cry when we say that our greatest concern is to help these MKs.
Under the guidance and in the spirit of Hebrews 10:19-24 we are trusting God to lead us through this time of trouble in a way that brings glory to His name and help to His people. Thank you for your prayers and support of our entire ABWE family.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
Grateful for your partnership in the gospel,
Michael G. Loftis
President
ABWE International, Inc.
PS: Please visit the ABWE website www.abwe.org for updates on this situation. If you have a specific question, please contact Dr. Tony Beckett, our Vice-President for Church Relations.
What do we learn about communicating difficult situations from this email:
The email begins by acknowledging the victims (good), but then proceeds to place blame on the victims who are "estranged" and do not seek reconciliation.
Loftis leads readers to believe that ABWE was unaware of any pain on the part of the victims until their blog appeared in March 2011, less than a month prior to this email.
No where does ABWE acknowledge any wrong-doing in their almost 25-year involvement with both Ketcham and the victims following the 1989 accusation and confession.
The email is flowing with flowering requests for prayer and petitions for healing, yet no where does the email speak with of ABWE's efforts to provide help or counseling to the victims and their families.
ABWE Board Chairman Communicates Dismissal of Loftis
Two months after sending this email, Michael Loftis was asked to resign as president of ABWE. Here is how this news was communicated to supporters:
Dear ABWE Family,
We are writing to you today to let you know that Dr. Michael Loftis has concluded his role as president of ABWE as of June 7, 2011.
The Board of ABWE Ministries, Inc. wishes to express our appreciation to Dr. Loftis and his wife, Jo Beth, for their 13 years as missionaries in Eastern Europe and 10 years in leading our mission, for their unquestioned moral and financial integrity, giftedness, and great passion for the cause of Christ worldwide.
In view of the present needs of the mission and after lengthy prayer and deliberation by the board and interviews with ABWE leadership, the board unanimously decided it would be best to seek a new president. We want to assure you that these decisions were not spontaneous or rushed. They were made after much prayer, deep discussion, careful analysis and a unanimous conclusion that was affirmed by Dr. Loftis, with full support and confidence in the board. These decisions have been some of the most difficult we have faced as a board. The response of Dr. Loftis has been Christ-like, humble, and affirming. We are all confident that God has led us in this decision.
Dr. Al Cockrell has stepped down from the ABWE board and has been appointed the Interim Executive Administrator of ABWE. The board is presently assembling a Strategic Transition Team to assess the needs of the administration, formulate a presidential profile, and initiate a search process for a new president. We anticipate that the process to find our next president could take 18 months, or longer.
We would request your continued, fervent prayers for Michael and Jo Beth, the extended Loftis family, the worldwide ABWE family, the board and the administration as we seek God’s leading and guidance in the days ahead. With deepest gratitude for you and your continual investment in the life and work of Christ through ABWE.
Your servant in Christ,
Ron Berrus
Chair, ABWE Ministries, Inc.
(717) 614-5118
From the ABWE board chairman, this email covers all the legal basis, yet really doesn't acknowledge anything beyond the fact that the board has asked Loftis to step down.
Here are the important conclusions I draw from the ABWE experience:
Communicating difficult news is never easy, but trying to avoid communications invites disaster. No matter how bad the news is, an organization needs to recognize its responsibility to communicate to their constituency and the public in a timely and forthright manner.
While cooperating with law enforcement may take the ball out of a church's court, it is the right thing to do. ABWE could have weathered the storm in 1989 if they had reported Ketcham to law enforcement and let law enforcement do their job.
Communicating difficult news that involves many moving stories and people requires careful coordination. The organization needs to appoint one voice during the crisis and let that person handle all communication on behalf of the organization.
Recognize the power of the Internet and social media. While ABWE may have kept a lid on this 10 or 15 years ago, it is almost impossible in this day of easy access to information technology. It wasn't the concern for the victims that forced ABWE to go public, it was the blog with its documented history of the event.
Don't -- repeat do not -- minimize the pain and agony of the victims in order to cover your own tail What has happened to these families is of no fault of their own. They are not to blame. It is not their responsibility to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. If they do, great, but don't spiritualize the situation by making it sound like they are resisting God by failing to "work through proper channels."
Sadly, if you perform a Google search on the letters ABWE, the search results are not about all of the wonderful missionaries and ministries ABWE has supported over the past decades, but instead it is filled with sites describing the scandal and the abuse by ABWE Missionary, etc. What could have been avoided in 1989 has now become the legacy of this organization for a generation or more.
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