On Friday, December 2, @ChurchRez Dean Steve Williamson responded to @ACNAtoo's post about convicted pedophile John Hays with an email to Rez congregants entitled: "A note regarding a publicly named parishioner."
twitter.com/treebeard55/status/1599546301514801152?s=46&t=hQHSabkyRtYNNthTadI0MA
While @Treebeard55 does an excellent job highlighting Rez's pattern of disclosure timing, I would argue that @ChurchRez isn't even honest when forced to be. Let's look at this email.
Let's start with the subject line. "Publicly named parishioner." Standard usage of "parishioner" in Anglican tradition indicates that John Hays is a member and has gone through membership classes. @ChurchRez, is John Hays a member?
"Yesterday information was released publicly."
@ChurchRez has consistently warned their congregants not to read @ACNAtoo's posts, which means they can't say where the information was released. That must be so galling for them.
"It is not our policy to publicly inform the congregation of a parishioner’s past criminal actions."
What *is* your policy, @ChurchRez? Does "not our policy" mean "we don't have one"? Or is it "we have an internal policy but we won't share it with our congregation"?
"At @ChurchRez we remain fully and deeply committed to two crucial gospel values and practices."
I'm gonna argue that exposing vulnerable children to a sex predator is NOT a crucial gospel value or practice.
"...we are also committed to being a place where sinners, even notorious sinners, can belong and encounter Jesus (with appropriate safeguards in place)."
Chaperones are not appropriate safeguards. See Chris Lapeyre, et. al.
twitter.com/LuhmannAudrey/status/1586080814281854976?s=20&t=eh5qOvJmlaYyjCxQAT-8Zw
"At a meeting he requested with our pastors, John disclosed his past and asked our permission to attend."
"Disclosed his past" means nothing here. When the first known victim came forward, John did not disclose other victims. The second known victim came forward on his own.
Hays has a history of lying about the extent of his abuse. How can @ChurchRez leadership claim that Hays has disclosed his past (his whole past?!) and committed to living a restored life when it has already been demonstrated that he lies about his abusive behavior?
"In consultation with churches that have RSO policies, local ex-offender ministry leaders, therapists specializing in sexual addiction, legal experts in this area of law, and John’s personal therapist who specializes in RSO rehabilitation, we created strict guidelines..."
I want names. Clearly these experts didn't include @DianeLangberg because she says this: "When churches have asked what I recommend when dealing with someone whose has sexually abused children my response is – do not allow him/her to attend church."
dianelangberg.com/2020/01/how-should-the-church-respond-to-abusers/
Are these therapists specializing in sexual addiction qualified to consult on pedophiles? Because pedophilia isn't the same thing as a sex addiction and it's extremely dangerous to treat it as such.
Are these legal experts named Charlie Philbrick? Because I think we've already established that he's probably not the guy who should be offering legal advice about sex offenders.
twitter.com/ladyjessicahaze/status/1590779698329460736?s=46&t=TwuFb59-P9MjrbmLquY5Ag
What are these churches with RSO policies? I want to see their policies.
So here are the strict guidelines that @ChurchRez created for Hays. I'd give failing grades to all of them.
Designated chaperone: F
Chaperones actually serve to make an offender look trustworthy in the eyes of folks who don't know his crimes. Why? Because they're always sitting with prominent, respected parishioners.
Restricted to santuary & narthex: F
Are there never children in the santuary & narthex? Abusers thrive on abusing in public.
Not allowed to attend events with children: D+
Children are at church on Sunday. Abusers don't need children-only events.
Pastors & staff are aware of his identity & crimes: C-
Even if staff are aware (wording indicates that only pastors & staff who work with kids know), what is to prevent him from accessing vulnerable children OUTSIDE of church?
(Also, @ChurchRez parents--ask your childcare workers if they knew about John Hays and *when* they found out. Did they just find out last week when @ACNAtoo published that text message?)
"Any breach will result in his [sic] no longer being welcome to attend."
How will you know if John breaches these guidelines? He could be hanging out with children at their houses right now and you'd never know, @ChurchRez.
Also, this is a red herring: "Our church’s most important means of fulfilling that commitment is through the ongoing implementation of our Child & Youth Protection Policy." This policy says *nothing* about sex offenders attending @ChurchRez.
churchrez.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rez-Child-Protection-Policy-2022-FINAL.docx-3.pdf
If John Hays could secretly abuse as a pastor, father of five, and respected community leader, he is not safe for any community with children. There are other ways to bring church to such a person.
The research is clear: sex offenders will almost certainly struggle with the temptation to sexually abuse children for the rest of their lives.
Yes, God can work miracles. But because sexual abuse of children is almost always secret and underreported, there is no way to know with certainty that Hays has not relapsed. Therefore, he must not be near children at all.
Oh, btw Steve: