NH Supreme Court Unanimously Rules to Deny Ernie Willis' Appeal

The NH Supreme Court handed down it's unanimous ruling today that Ernie Willis' conviction stands on ALL counts.

The Concord Monitor has it's own story: "Supreme Court upholds rape conviction, rejects religious privilege argument."

"The state Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the rape and sexual assault convictions against Ernest Willis who is serving a 15-to-30 year prison sentence for forcibly raping his teenage babysitter twice, whom he knew through Trinity Baptist Church in Concord, in 1997." 

AP picked up the story, so it is in the media nationwide. Here is the version published by the Washington Post:  "NH high court rejects church rapist’s appeal of conviction; victim, 15, forced to apologize."

 "Ernest Willis was convicted in May 2011 of raping the girl in 1997. His lawyer argued that statements he made to the pastor of the fundamentalist Trinity Baptist Church should not have been used against him. But prosecutors countered that Willis’ statements were not protected by religious privilege because they involved the sexual abuse of a child."

The ruling of the justices is interesting reading and includes some trial testimony excerpts. You can read it in its entirety here.

It is good to see justice stand. 

Why Would a Pastor Cover Up Abuse?

Ever since Tina's story first became public in May of 2010, I've had a dozen or more conversations with people that just can't wrap their minds around how Chuck Phelps could have made the decisions he did. Why did he call the police but not follow up by submitting a written report? Why did he decide to allow Ernie Willis to remain in the church, even serving as an usher and attending youth activities with his children while Tina was sent away? How could a pastor that professed to love people seem to have more concern for Ernie's family than a 15 year old girl that was raped? How could he have participated in a 15 year old girl being brought before a congregation full of people to apologize for her part in a "compromising position" (pregnant from a 38 or 39 year old man who admitted to the pastor he was the aggressor)?

For those that did not grow up in independent fundamentalist churches, the situation is beyond puzzling. It seems bizarre -- obscene even. How could the adults in the congregation not interrupt or intervene? I came across a video online that may help some asking those kind of "why" questions understand a little bit better. The video is of Bob Wood teaching a counseling class at Bob Jones University back in 1994. Bob Jones University is where Chuck Phelps got two degrees. Did he sit in this class I wonder? How many other graduates of Bob Jones University went on to teach similar classes to this at other schools in the BJU orbit? Did any of them teach at Hyles Anderson College? How many churches (along with their attached schools) and mission agencies (and attached schools) have been infected by this insidious, disgusting teaching?

Darrell over at Stuff Fundies Like posted the video with Bob Wood's teaching with his own comments.



Scriptural Principles for Counseling the... by EricITGuyatTHGC

I just can't help but wonder how many students sat under teaching like this at Bob Jones University and later applied the principles in the lives of children still suffering the damaging effects today. It is completely heartbreaking.

What does repentance look like?

Though repentance will surely look different depending on the situation, there are some standard aspects on which most Christians would agree: admission of wrong, seeking forgiveness, and making restitution.

I read with tears the most recent status report from G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) regarding the ABWE handling of the decades old child abuse by Don Ketcham in Bangladesh.

I think this is a good example of what repentance looks like from an organization. Here is an excerpt:

"In May 2011, ABWE entered into an agreement with the G.R.A.C.E. organization, asking it to investigate the tragic child abuse more than two decades ago by Donn Ketcham in Bangladesh. At the time, we wrote to tell you why it was so necessary for us to probe deeply into what happened in 1989 and its aftermath.

This May, we need to give you an update, to open our heart to you about how deeply we are grieved by the hurt caused by actions so wrong that they can only be described as indefensible. We need also to tell you about the changes we have already made.

The G.R.A.C.E. investigation is not complete, and we do not know how much longer it will take to complete it. However, we already know of things that need to be changed. Repentance does not wait.

The first step in repentance is to acknowledge one’s failure. We have acknowledged that people in leadership positions made decisions that were unwise and unacceptable. These include:" (to read more go HERE)

I don't know why there's been no visible evidence of repentance from those that wronged Tina. But I know it is never too late to say, "I'm sorry my actions hurt you. Will you forgive me?"

UGLY PAST, BEAUTIFUL FUTURE

Recently, on my way to work, I was listening through the book of Genesis and I heard the story of Joseph again. In Genesis 45, Joseph tells his brothers that,

7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God;

And then in Genesis 50, he tells them again,

19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

I started thinking about Tina’s life when she was a child compared to what it is now. I started comparing Joseph’s life with those who have gone through some terrible things in their life. Some things that are just too horrific to tell. I know there are things that have happened to Tina that she has never told me or anyone else.

Then I got to thinking, “who am I to compare people’s lives today to those in the Bible?” This thought crosses my mind of how special they are to be included in God’s Word. We hold them up as examples but I also understand that they are ordinary people, just like you and me, that God has included in His Book to give us people that we can relate to and feel connected to “His Story,” the story of those who believed and followed Him and knew that He is in control of it ALL.

Tina had a horrible, ugly past but she can now say that God brought me to a place, the here and now, and even though you did evil against me, God meant it for good. He is using it to bring good, not only in my life, but in the lives of others. Now Tina can say, I have a beautiful life and a beautiful future and now God can use me to “save many people” from abuse and to “bring about a great deliverance.”

We don’t know what the future holds but we’ve seen God work. We’ve heard how Tina’s ugly past is helping others find a beautiful future. We’ve personally been able to help deliver others from abusive pasts and prayerfully to beautiful futures. We plan to continue to be used by God to help rescue others from physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse and bring about a “great deliverance.”

CONTEMPLATIONS

A while back I wrote about people’s responses to Tina’s story and asked the question, “What is your response to an abscess?” The past year and a half has been an interesting journey to see how this story has been used to motivate others to make a difference in their circle of influence. How many stories do you know that impact so many different institutions and churches from all over the country? I doubt you know too many and probably none that bring to light the need to address the many forms of abuse that are happening in independent, fundamental, Baptist churches and schools.

It’s been almost two years since we received the phone call from the police asking about Tina’s rape at 15 and the events that surrounded that horrible situation. Little did we know how her story becoming public would change our lives. The police gave us a choice. Tina could come to NH and she could give her statement in person or she could write out her statement and send it to them. We reached out to numerous church leaders in at least three different states and asked for advice. The responses from all of them varied but the most surprising to me was the responses from my own church, the one I grew up in. I expected full support for Tina and my family. The advice, reactions, and the different things that happened behind the scenes helped open my eyes that there was a problem in fundamentalism.

I also started doing a lot of reading. I came across Stuff Fundies Like and Darrell Dow’s Blog. I would start at the beginning and read their journey in, through, and sometimes out of fundamentalism and I related to the struggles and confusion of what I had been taught compared to what I encountered in the “world.” Sometimes the comments are more enlightening than the actual post itself. I started coming across blogs that talked about abuse in the church, such as: Stop Baptist Predators, Blog on the Way, Elizabeth Esther, Emotional Abuse and your Faith, FBC Jax Watchdog, IFB Deception, and others. I don’t agree with everything that these people post but they helped me think about different issues and to view things from an angle and made me aware of some of the issues that people encounter when they go to church. I also came across blogs that shared the story of their lives and the abuse that they encountered, such as: Flotsam & Jetsam, Stitching up the Seams, HGC, and many others. Their stories gave me a bigger perspective on the lives of others outside of my family and the issues that they faced. As time went by, I noticed that more and more people were finding their voice, even if anonymously. More and more people were standing up to say, “That’s enough. I must stand up against abuse. I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore.” I saw more blogs pop up or I saw more posts by people who were already blogging but now they were addressing the issue of abuse in fundamental, Baptist churches. Blogs, such as: Chuckles Travels, Pensees, Desert Petrichor. There are also multiple blogs regarding BJU, such as: BJU Hurts, BJU Accreditation, Chance Rants, which in our circles, BJU has been a major influence in the IFB. I also came across a number of blogs that discussed issues and topics from the IFB viewpoint that only reinforced the decision I made for my family to leave the IFB “notwork.” I also started reading a lot on Sharper Iron and the very aptly named Fighting Fundamental Forums, which showed me and others their true colors towards those people who dared to disagree with them. Again, the comments were another confirmation to me that leaving the IFB was the best decision for my family.

We have now entered 2012. The past year has been full of ups and downs. 20/20 aired six months after they told us it originally would air. The more they researched, the more information they uncovered. I was surprised that the show was only an hour. Of course, the firestorm of IFBdom hit and the hatred that spewed from various IFB sites toward Tina and others really surprised me. It made me realize a few things, which I wrote about here. While having to deal with the lies, character assassinations, twisting of facts, and people’s assumptions and their version of the “truth,” we (especially Tina) also had the stress of the looming trial of Ernie Willis.

That trial was probably the most stressful thing that Tina has gone through during our marriage, other than being married to me. That’s a whole new level of stress on her. Anyway, what a roller coaster of emotions that she went through with giving her testimony, hearing others testify, having people she knew and didn’t know show up to support her, intimidation tactics, legal maneuvers, etc. I can only imagine how she felt. I know I felt very anxious and tried to keep my mind on my job while also keeping up with the events of the trial. We thank all those who supported Tina during this time and this also includes the people from our church that came to take care of our three kids while I went to work during the day. The timing of the trial also caused Tina to miss our son’s kindergarten graduation. You can imagine Tina’s disappointment.

Blog activity regarding Tina’s story seemed to wind down by the end of summer. The sentencing of Tina’s rapist happened in September and the blogs started up again. Activity died down again and then the news that Chuck Phelps was on the BJU Board and things picked up again with the primary focus being on BJU, Chuck Phelps, with the use of Tina’s name again. What’s been amazing to watch is where Tina’s story has impacted lives. We knew it would be talked about but we didn’t realize how much. We hoped it would impact and inspire people to stand up for victims but we didn’t realize how polarizing it would become. It’s hard to take a hard look at yourself and realize that you have been doing things that are harmful to others and unscriptural but it’s much harder for a church or religious organization to do that. Human nature screams “defense, defense” instead of “be open, vulnerable, honest, and willing to change” when confronted with mistakes or sin.

After Chuck Phelps was not on the BJU Board any longer, things quieted down for the holidays. That’s been a blessing. Discussions are still going on in various places but hopefully the story continues to encourage victims of abuse to seek help, advocates to be supportive, pastors to examine their methodology and ways they may be condoning abuse, church members to stop defending or making excuses for abusers (whether pastor or layman) in their congregation, and colleges to evaluate their policies of reporting abuse and teach their students proper responses to abuse, such as: reporting, love and support, compassion, and acceptance instead of blame.

I know this is not the end of Tina’s story. It’s bound to pop up again in the public eye. I’m just wondering what will happen next. At the beginning, I told Tina that I’m going into Marine mode, hence “Tina’s Marine.” I’m here to support and defend her. Our prayer has always been for God to move in ways that only He can move. We’ve seen that happen. We’ve chosen to be used by Him for whatever His purpose. We have also tried not to be a hindrance to Him by seeking our own form of justice or manipulation of who’s impacted by Tina’s story. Our goal was to help see justice, which we’ve seen happen on a number of different levels. Only God knows what other justice God has planned. Our goal was to show others that they are not alone and to encourage others to speak up. Each day more and more are encouraged to speak up for themselves and others. It makes our journey worth it.

"God's grace and goodness towards us is so immeasurably great, that without great assaults and trials it cannot be understood" ~ Martin Luther

Chuck Phelps Removed Some Information From His Website

Under a recent blog post a reader asked a question:

"I can no longer find the reference on Pastor Phelps website saying Tina was lying or in a consensual, dating relationship with Willis. Do you think they changed it? Or maybe I'm just missing it. Thanks."

After a quick look at the website Chuck Phelps set up (drchuckphelps - DOT - com), I realized there were at least two documents missing -- both pertaining directly to the ABC 20/20 broadcast eventually aired on April 8, 2011 titled, "Shattered Faith." I have a pdf file of the documents on my computer, and there are images of the two documents saved on other websites. One document is a letter is dated July 22, 2010 and is addressed to Alan Goldberg at 20/20. The other document is a statement released on October 14, 2010 that Chuck Phelps put on his website.

Because I am glad Chuck Phelps no longer has those documents visible on his website, and I recently wrote that Phelps should remove documents stating Tina lied from his website, I do not wish to post them here. However, even though he removed them, there are a few problems, in my opinion:

1. He removed them from the website without a mention or an apology.
2. He kept other information on his website that STILL refers to Tina as dishonest, so the problem is still not fully resolved.

This image is taken directly from the page: "Specific Answers to some Difficult Questions"

Chuck Phelps says he stands by his answers to the reporter in the parking lot.  

What did Chuck Phelps say to that reporter? Following is a transcript of the conversation. You can go to this video clip online to watch for yourself. The time stamp is approximately 2:56 - 4:39. 

Reporter:  In 1997, did you report that Tina Anderson had been raped?
Phelps:  Absolutely.  Yes I did.
Reporter:  You called it a “dating relationship.”
Phelps:  No, I did not.  I did not call it that.
Reporter:  Why wasn’t it rape?
Phelps:  I called it...
Reporter:  In your statement to us you did call it a “dating relationship.”
Phelps:  Yes, I did call it that in my statement to you because it was an on-going relationship but I did not call it that to the police department at the time.
Phelps:  First, I didn’t know he had impregnated a 15 year-old girl…remember it was an accusation made.  An accusation is not a conviction.  …it’s not the responsibility of the church to close the doors to people who have real problems and issues no matter how heinous.  And so I think you’ll find the community historically has always allowed heinous people under careful guidelines to be part of churches.

BOB JONES UNIVERSITY, CHUCK PHELPS, AND FUNDAMENTALISM

When I was growing up, Bob Jones University (BJU) was the primary college of choice. Our pastor was a BJU grad and we had BJU ensembles and speakers come through our church all the time. I’ve heard Bob Jones, Jr. and Bob Jones III speak in our church and have had pictures taken of them and with them. I was one of those kids that would go to the preacher after the service and have them sign my Bible. I know I had their signatures and many, many others but unfortunately I lost that Bible at a hay ride youth activity at South Mountain when I was in high school.

While I was in high school, it seemed to me that if you were to go to college, you were supposed to go to a Christian college and the ones who did mostly went to BJU but a few went to Maranatha Baptist Bible College (MBBC) and even less went to Pensacola Christian College (PCC). These were the colleges that we grew up hearing about. Any other college that we may have heard of was considered too liberal or headed in that direction.

I would have followed everyone else’s footsteps but in my junior year of high school our church started its own college, International Baptist College (IBC). I decided to stay home and I did my first two years of college at IBC but joined the Marine Corps Reserves during my last semester and that summer disappeared into the military for about six months. When I came back, for a number of reasons, I did not go back to school at IBC.

Over the years, my siblings and I have gone to and graduated from four different Bible colleges. One sibling has a degree from MBBC and BJU. The other went to PCC but graduated from BJU. I went to PCC for two years but graduated from IBC and almost finished a master’s degree. A couple years later I went to MBBC and earned a second bachelor’s degree. Although I never took classes at BJU, I’ve been on their campus several times over the years.

My point is that my siblings and I grew up in a church that was and still is independent, fundamental, Baptist and the Christian school that was associated with it and we have been a part of four major colleges that heavily influence the IFB world as we know it.

This whole situation with BJU, Chuck Phelps, and the rest of the IFB, really hurts me deeply. It’s a huge betrayal of all that I was taught. I grew up hearing quotes like: “Do right until the stars fall” and “The greatest ability is dependability” and "Don't sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate" and many others. I grew up to admire these men, thinking they were men of God. What they said, we thought was “gospel” because they said it with authority and used Scripture to back up what they said.

In the classroom, I was taught Greek, Hebrew, Hermeneutics, Bible doctrine, Theology, Bible, and all the classes pertaining to becoming a preacher. I sat under preaching during chapel and church services that espoused everything that you would expect to hear while a college student at a Bible college. I learned a lot and took it to heart, especially when it talked about what it took to be a man of God, a good husband and father, and other sermons and lessons regarding the character a person of God should possess. When I prepared sermons, I did what they taught me and I looked at context, studied the Greek, and applied what I was taught in my various classes. It never occurred to me to take a verse and use it as a jumping off place to preach what I wanted it to mean. I didn’t realize how many preachers did this because I was moved by their stories and enthusiasm and I wished I had that talent.

I’m disappointed with Chuck Phelps because he is the opposite of what I’ve always been taught that a man of God should be. Confidence is one thing but pride and arrogance are another. Authority is one thing but abusing that authority is another. Honesty and integrity is one thing but twisting or rewording the truth to make yourself look better is another. Guidance and counsel is one thing but manipulation is another. If you made a mistake, own up to it. Ask for forgiveness. Do your part in righting a wrong instead of compounding it by trying to hide what you know to be the truth so that you can “save face” in front others.

I’m disappointed with Bob Jones University because, even though I didn’t go there, I thought they stood up for what was right. If someone was on their board or a teacher in their school that did not hold the values that they taught, I would have expected them to make some changes. Instead, they refused to listen to those with legitimate concerns and just blew them off with an attitude of pride and self-righteousness. This is not the first time this has happened but it’s the most current and maybe the most obvious example of the superiority mindset of the school. It makes me concerned that the students coming out of there are picking up the same mindset which influences the churches and schools where they minister.

What bothers me most is their extra-Biblical teaching. Their views have been modified based on the changing of the times, bad press from the media, social activism, and many other reasons. But, If racism is wrong, it’s always wrong. If mixed marriages are wrong, they’re always wrong. If accreditation is wrong, it’s always wrong. If it’s a preference or an opinion, say so and say why but don’t condemn others because they disagree with you.

They, and many others like them, have taught and preached about things using Scripture but they were misusing Scripture and then their students come out doing the same thing. When I look back on myself, I did the very same thing. I was taught certain things and thought it was based on Scripture, only to realize later that it’s really a preference or another man’s opinion. I accepted and adopted philosophies as my own because those I thought that those with more experience knew what they were talking about.

I’m disappointed in fundamentalist Baptists as a whole. There are exceptions but over the past year and a half my eyes have been opened by their lack of compassion, their lack of integrity, their lack of standing up for the abused. They’d rather protect their image than to protect their character. They’re afraid of how people will look at them on the outside and not how God looks at them on the inside. The things I’ve learned over the past year about the movement that I grew up in has made me realize that I never want to be an independent, fundamental, Baptist again. I believe in the fundamentals of the faith as taught through Scripture but I found out that Baptists do not have the market cornered on Bible truths.

I’m also disappointed in myself. I realized years ago that there are different churches for different kinds of people but I had it in my mind, due to my training and background, that if churches and people didn’t do things like I did then they were less spiritual and as they grew spiritually, they would look more like me and my church. It wasn’t until we made a decision that we couldn’t stay at our current church that I was forced to decide where to go, which also caused me to evaluate what I believed and what I had been taught. I realized that your music doesn’t indicate your level of spirituality. A church’s worship team was not an indication of apostasy. A person's appearance is not a manifestation of a person's heart towards God. The “world” is not the things you do, such as: clothes, food, drink, music, movies, tattoos, etc. but the mentality of your heart, such as: greed, lust, hate, pride, and many more.

When I looked at Scripture I thought I was the tax collector praying “be merciful to me a sinner” but I came to realize that I was the Pharisee saying “I am not like…(other sinners)..” Then I felt like I became like the Pharisee who came to Jesus at night and had to learn what Scripture really said and not what I thought and taught it was saying. Eventually, just like that Pharisee, I left. I had to leave. I lost a lot with that move but I gained so much more.

I’m not saying that all IFB church members and pastors are Pharisees but looking back on myself, I was and I didn’t even realize it. Maybe you are too. I’m far from perfect and I still wear a mask at times to others but in my new surroundings I can be more honest and open about who I am because I don’t have to worry about looking perfect. I can be more honest about my faults and learn from others who might have the same weaknesses and struggles that I have. It’s been very enlightening and encouraging.

This is my question, “Is it more important what people think about you by the way you act and dress OR what you really are on the inside, the person that God sees?”

Statement to the Concord Police

This statement has been saved as jpg images to prevent the alteration of any words. It is posted here exactly as it was submitted to Detective DeAngelis.


Tina Anderson Statement to Concord Police

I am not angry

I wasn't in chapel today at Bob Jones University. I only have the reactions of those that were there to go by at this point. I just want to offer a few words of clarification about my intent in keeping up with this blog.


I'm not angry or bitter. I'm sad. Grieved. Torn. Disappointed. A child went through unbelievable trauma and the pastor that contributed to it hasn't been humble enough to repent and seek forgiveness. Where is the Gospel in that?

Child abuse, rape, molestation -- it has touched me -- my family -- loved ones close to me -- personally and deeply. I speak because I love God's work.

I think sometimes strongly controlling organizations get into message management when they are trying to do damage control. I can't assign that motive to BJU, but based on what has been done so far, I want to say that I  believe there is more harm in limiting the information students get on campus about this matter. I think there's more harm to only promoting one side, to shutting down conversation, to defining the "opposition" by deflection, projecting, name calling or maligning intent by labeling emotions. The real harm comes from hiding sin. The real harm comes from failing to admit that the church at large has had a problem with covering up child abuse. It is not just the Catholic church, it's a problem within fundamentalism too.

Until those that have erred -- even with good intent -- confess their wrong, ask forgiveness and are willing to talk about it openly, this topic in general will continue to be very difficult. There will continue to be hurts. Bob Jones University is teaching students that will go out into the workplace and churches and communities that will have to deal with this issue. Many of those graduates will become mandatory reporters. If they do not see an example before them where these things are openly addressed, it hurts them. It hurts the Gospel. It hurts the name of Christ.

Oh, and for the record, with regard to the trial notes section of this blog:

• Every effort was made to carefully write down as much as possible--almost a full notebook.
• Where there was a question about something, every effort was made to compare with the three reporters that did live blogging and other attendees that took copious notes.
• If there was EVER one single area where something was doubtful because of incomplete notes, it was LEFT OUT of the notes transcribed for this blog.
• The heart and motives of the people taking notes was pure--seeking only to convey the truth. There is no bitterness, wrath or malice from this person toward Chuck Phelps or the Lord's work. 

I do have a suggestion:  if Bob Jones University is truly committed to pursuing love and truth in this matter, how about they seek the full support of Chuck Phelps to contact G.R.A.C.E. (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) and ask them to consider the facts and give counsel. GRACE "provides individual assistance and counsel to churches and Christian organizations who are in the midst of addressing abuse issues within their respective bodies."

Petition Update

Thank you to everyone that has signed and/or passed the word on to friends! As of this moment there are 822 posts. One quick note about the petition: once you sign the petition, you will be taken to a page that says your signature is accepted. Then you will be taken to a page where the petition site asks for a donation. You DO NOT have to donate to sign the petition. The petition site provides the ability for anyone to create and/or signn petitions for free. Obviously the site owners get revenue somehow to provide a free service. It's a combination of donations and advertising.

Please continue to spread the word!

Sign the petition to ask Bob Jones University to remove Charles "Chuck" Phelps from their board.

Is Chris Leaf Credible?

One of the questions I have seen frequently is, "What about Tina's mom? Chuck Phelps said she is the one that made all the decisions." The question may be worded a bit differently, or it may just be a statement given in support of Charles "Chuck" Phelps.

Chuck Phelps has a website with some documents defending his decisions as a pastor purportedly provided by Chris Leaf (Tina's mother -- though I don't personally believe she deserves the title since she so frequently chose her own desires -- like keeping her convicted child abusing, registered child molester pervert of a husband who wasn't the biological father of her children in her life and house). The thing is -- the documents on Chuck Phelps' website were prepared for Chris by her attorney, David Gibbs III -- the same attorney that represented Phelps at the trial of Tina's rapist (the letter purported to be from Chris is on the letterhead of David Gibbs III). At the very least, it is safe to assume that the attorney had an interest in also protecting his client Chuck Phelps, and at the trial, Chris Leaf never would say on the stand who paid for David Gibbs III to represent her. Neither Chuck Phelps or Chris Leaf testified if the documents prepared for them by their attorney were prepared in collusion with each other.

In the interest of shedding more light on Chris Leaf, I am posting below, with her permission, a guest post from Beth Murschell.

Laurie Moody

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2011

Tina's Mom and Credibility    By: Beth Murschell

I've wanted to address this issue, and a Facebook comment (reprinted with permission) covers most of the bases so I'm posting it here (with the caveat from the poster that it is "speaking from my recollection and not from a side-by-side comparison of facts and testimony" and open to correction):

Tina's "mother" has a lot of credibility issues. 

She is married to a man she knew was abusing her young children physically, a man who also sexually molested Tina. 

This man is now a convicted sex offender for having molested another little girl. 

Tina's mother even sent her children to live with their aunt for a time before Daniel Leaf, her husband, went to prison, because she was afraid of losing custody if child welfare authorities investigated their home life. There are others who testified to the fact that Tina and her brother were not properly cared for in their home as children (dirty clothes, untidy appearance), as well. 

So to take the word of this woman, who has a degree in criminal justice, by the way, over her daughter's sworn testimony and not to question either her veracity or her motives is, how to put it delicately, foolish. Her judgment is highly questionable. 

Furthermore, it doesn't matter whose "idea" it was to ship Tina to Colorado to have her baby - yes, long ago, this was the way things were done to avoid family shame - the facts are that Mr. Phelps, Mrs. Leaf and Mr. Willis conspired, collaborated if you'd rather, to send Tina far away from the police who were investigating the case. This was quite probably illegal, since it prevented the ongoing police investigation. In some states, at least, it amounts to sex trafficking, since Tina was shipped away for the explicit reason to bring her child to term. 

Mr. Phelps's public statements before the trial stand in direct conflict with key parts of his testimony at the trial. That he was involved very deeply in covering up this crime and attempting to intimidate the victim into silence last year in the months leading up to the trial by repeatedly and very publicly calling her a "liar" and characterizing the situation (against his sworn testimony) as an "on-going dating relationship with an older man" is beyond the pale. This is not just poor judgment. It is lying and obstruction of justice. 

Since Mr. Phelps fought so very hard to prevent his notes, which had been turned over to the prosecutor without his knowledge, from being admitted into evidence, I firmly believe that he had intended to give false testimony on the stand until he was forced to testify from his notes. There is no veracity left to his claims when you read the reports from the trial. The trial transcript will be available shortly, and we will have the full evidence plainly available for all to see.

 By the way, Phelps's testimony revealed that he knew that Tina was raped twice and that the first incident occurred when she was fifteen.

My own impressions of Ms. Leaf (based on observing that week at the trial and at the hotel where all of us stayed--quite bizarre, really and another whole story):

• She seems both weak-minded and stubborn. Whiny and inconsistent and very dependent on the approval of authority figures. She chose Phelps and her child-abusing/molesting husband over her children. Completely lacked any coherence as a witness. Nauseating to even watch on the stand. Toxic and unloving.
• I pity her, but I cannot excuse her. And I cannot let BJU throw her words around as if they meant something. Because her actions speak WAYYYYY louder than her words.
• I think some people believe her words as recorded by Phelps' website because on the movie screen of their minds they're picturing, I don't know, a regular mom?  The kind who gives out hugs and exudes acceptance and warmth and would do anything to protect her child?

Lose that image immediately.

As for Tina, my heart shattered as I listened to this woman utter her outrageous statements in court. I wish I had words powerful enough to convey the horror.

I love you, Tina. I hope you can sense the love of a mother as you are with your kids, feeling their love. And from God himself, who holds you close in the way you never received when you SHOULD HAVE. 

Bob Jones III Gives Tacit Approval of Chuck Phelps

In his chapel message on Tuesday, November 15, Bob Jones III addressed the difficulty some pastors are facing around the country, exhorting students to pray for their pastors. He then went on to address the situation at Penn State regarding Joe Paterno's bare minimum compliance with reporting policies of a young boy by one of his longtime friends, Jerry Sandusky. This is the point at which Bob Jones III decided to give a tacit endorsement of Chuck Phelps and his actions towards Tina Anderson in 1997 and then again when her story became public up through the rape trial of Ernie Willis.

Quotes from the message (within first 11 minutes):

"...I’ve been away a great deal this fall in church, after church, after church -- literally from coast to coast. An impression has accumulated on me in the process that is - that faithful, Bible preaching men of God have never been under such assault -- satanic assault -- as they are today..."

"And then there are the efforts of angry and bitter people who would not endure sound doctrine, who instead of turning the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon themselves when the word of God is preached, they turn it outward upon the messenger. They go on their blogs and Facebooks and they start defaming and ridiculing and even some times slandering their pastors, accusing them of all kinds of unjust things. And in the process of that it weighs heavily on you. You know, in all of that there is only one thing to do about any of that, is ignore it and not to read it -- you can’t do anything about it. It’s one of the curses of technology. There are some good parts of it but there are some curses too, and that is one of them. You just don’t pay any attention to them -- you go about your business. You know you are doing right in the eyes of God and that’s all that matters ..."

"I share that with you because I think it is indicative of the growing venom and hatred against Christians whose testimony is bright for the Lord and unashamed, and you are going to face that as these days come nearer to the coming of the Lord. We are warned of those days. We were told about those days in Paul’s epistles and we shouldn’t be surprised that these days have come upon us. These days when people will hire preachers who will tell them what they want to hear and tickle their ears. They don’t want the truth -- they want to be flattered. They want to hear what they want to hear and if they don’t hear that they will find another preacher somewhere. There is always another preacher in any community who will tell them what they want to hear. It’s just that way in the end times, and it goes on and on until the Lord returns. But this is not unusual -- Peter told us not to be surprised when these things happen. The Lord said when you are ridiculed as the prophets were, rejoice and be exceeding glad. They were persecuted ahead of you and you will be persecuted if you have a testimony for Christ..."

"Before I come to the message I would just like to say one more thing because I think that in times like these it’s necessary for the university to be on record. You have probably heard the last week about the scandal at Penn State. Joe Paterno, their venerable coach, has been involved in it. I saw a little blurb yesterday that said it is possible that he might even face criminal charges in this. One of their people in the athletic department years ago molested -- he was a sexual pervert -- he was accused of being a sexual pervert and molesting some boys. The charges are that the president of the university and the vice president, I think, and the athletic department including Joe Paterno knew about this and swept it under the rug and did nothing about it. If that is true, it is shameful and there should be some criminal actions taken against those -- not only the man who did those things -- but the person who covered them.

I just want to tell you for your own peace of mind that Bob Jones University doesn’t do that. There’s an elementary school here, a high school here, a university here, a graduate school here. Physical molestation -- sexual molestation -- it will not be swept under the rug. It never has been -- it’s not the way we operate. It’s always reported to the authorities. There are some very clear guidelines written for anybody employed here, including student workers who work with children about what will happen -- what we will do -- about what this institution will do if we hear of such activity as that. Nothing is swept under the rug. Nobody would be kept here who did despicable deeds like that. Nobody would be kept on the board or on the faculty or staff who did such things as that or swept things like that under the rug. It’s just not the way we do things. And so I just want you to know that because this was another educational institution and it’s been much talked about. I want you to know that you can just tell anybody that might say anything to you, that by the grace of God the institution I attend does not function that way. It never has. And I know that I speak for the president and all the officers of this institution that it never will..." [punctuation is my own, as best I could tell from his speaking]

 Dr. Bob III doesn't really elaborate on what he means by "sweeping something under the rug." There is an excellent response to what Dr. Bob III had to say in chapel by Darrell here:

"The two topics are addressed in conjunction because they are not unrelated. They're seeing the online backlash against their support of Phelps and questions concerning his placement on the board. They see this as "persecution" of both Phelps and themselves. 

Then they protest their innocence (and Phelps' innocence) by saying that they always report crimes to the police. Ergo, since Phelps reported Tina's rape to the police he therefore fulfilled his obligation and is innocent of any wrongdoing.

That would be all fine and good if it weren't for the pesky fact that Phelps stood in his church while a man confessed to "adultery" instead of "rape" and allowed that lie to stand. He then introduced Tina's confession as a completely unrelated matter. That was a cover-up. That was sweeping it under the rug. And Phelps is guilty of it in a moral if not a legal sense. 

Not that I ever expect BJU to admit this. But it's documented from multiple witnesses that this is, in fact, what happened. This makes Bob Jones III either 1) willfully ignorant or 2) a liar."

I'm astounded that Dr. Bob III is taking this path by defending someone who is not above reproach -- who has not shown evidence of repentance for his incorrect statements issued before the trial that were stated differently on the stand as a witness at the rape trial of Ernie Willis. Charles "Chuck" Phelps has never apologized to Tina or even made a statement at all to her since the conclusion of the trial. Regardless of his reasons for doing so, he should not be held in high regard and added to the board of Bob Jones University. If BJU will "separate" from other Christians over such issues as music, Billy Graham crusades/services, or any other "standard," then surely the way Chuck Phelps handled Tina Anderson should qualify for their discernment when considering him for their board.

Campaign To Remove Chuck Phelps From BJU Board

Specific actions supporters and friends of Tina Anderson can do to help in the Campaign to Remove Chuck Phelps from the Bob Jones University Board.

1. Sign the petition:  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/chuckphelps/

2. Write a letter asking Bob Jones University Administration to remove Chuck Phelps from the board.

• Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd, Greenville, SC 29614
• See a list of administrators and other board members to write here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/71215504/Bob-Jones-University-2011-2012-Board-Members
• Thanks to this blog, I know we need to adjust the plan for contacts at BJU.

• The Articles that control how the boards work at BJU are set up so that a limited number of people really have any control: "In short, the chancellor and chairman of the board and his most trusted cronies are the ones with all the power. They decided they loved Chuck enough to bring him back in the middle of a scandalous trial that exposed Chuck's penchant for equivocation and self-contradictory statements, and they're the ones who would have to decide whether or not to chuck him out now. Applying pressure on BJU's employees and administration is good, but what about the old white guys who really matter?"
• Here is a list of men that really control this decision. Please contact them:

•  Mr. Bob Jones III, chancellor@bju.edu
• Mr. Larry Jackson, larry.jackson@jacksonmg.com His bio is here: http://www.jacksonmg.com/services/bios/larry-jackson/
• Dr. Walter Kirk, walterkirk1@netzero.net or baptisthomemissions@juno.com Walter Kirk is also on the board of directors for the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International (FBFI) and pastors Trinity Baptist Church (705 Crane Creek Road, Salisbury NC 28146, Phone: 704-639-1436, IFB church)
• Dr. John Lewis, wjlewis2@charter.net or faithdav@juno.com pastors Faith Baptist Church in Davidson, MI (7306 E. Atherton Road, Davison, Michigan 48423, Phone: 810-653-3573, IFB church with an attached Christian school). I find this name particularly interesting because John Lewis was the pastor back in the 70's, 80's and part of the 90's at Harvest Baptist Church and Harvest Christian Academy on Guam. I attended that church and school my last two years of high school. I witnessed abuse there. Family members experienced abuse there. I still have contact with former students that experienced abuse there. There was a lawsuit at some point that required Harvest to stop "spanking" students. It doesn't surprise me in the least, given my own personal experience with John Lewis, that he would agree to have Chuck Phelps on the BJU board. John Lewis shouldn't be on the board either, in my opinion.
• Dr. John McLario, jmclario@wi.rr.com Now retired, he started a law firm  in Wisconsin. McLario has ties to Bill Gothard and was part of a 1970's controversy involving members of the Bob Jones University board that were Masons. Dr. Roland Rasmussen who later had a falling out with Bob Jones, confronted McLario on whether or not he was a freemason. 
• Mr. Ralph Matthews, ralphmatt37@gmail.com CEO of Matthews Industries in Decatur, AL (Phone: 256-353-0271)

PLEASE still contact the administration, other board members and pastors you know that will be concerned about this, but also urge them to contact the men that control the final outcome of the decision. 

3. Write a letter to churches that you know support Bob Jones University and ask those pastors to speak out against this travesty. (List of supporting churches coming soon)

4. Call Bob Jones University to express your disapproval of this action.

• 864-242-5100

5. Use social media

• Twitter

• Bob Jones University Alumni Association is on twitter so you can tweet from your own account with a link to the petition and tag BJU by adding @BJUAlumni to your tweet. When you use Twitter, use the hashtag #RemoveChuckPhelps (with no spaces or other punctuation than the # symbol)

• ABC 20/20 is on Twitter. Post the petition link and add @ABC2020 and   #RemoveChuckPhelps to the tweet

• Elizabeth Vargas is on Twitter. Post the petition link and add @EVargasABC and  #RemoveChuckPhelps to the tweet

• Comment on Bob Jones University's Facebook wall  
• Comment on Elizabeth Vargas' Facebook page where she did the last update of Tina Anderson's story -- when Ernie Willis was found guilty of rape.
• Comment on ABC 20/20's Facebook page either on the discussion board or on the last update post 20/20 put up after Willis' sentencing.

6. You can comment on Elizabeth Vargas' web page - She is the journalist that did the interview of Tina Anderson and other survivors from IFB churches in Shattered Faith.

7. Contact Media Outlets

• Media Outlets in Indianapolis, IN

• Indy Star Contacts
  or   Indy Star on Facebook  

• WTHR NBC
Channel 13   or   WTHR on Facebook 

• WRTV ABC
Channel 6   or   WRTV on Facebook 

• WXIN FOX
Channel 59   or  WXIN on Facebook 

• WNDY
Channel 23   or   WNDY on Facebook 

• WFYI 90.1
FM   or  WFYI on Facebook 

• WIBC 93.1
FM   or  WIBC on Facebook 

• Media Outlets in Greenville, SC

• WYFF NBC
Channel 4   or   WYFF on Facebook 

• WSPA CBS
Channel 7   or   WSPA on Facebook 

• FOX
Carolina   or   FOX Carolina on Facebook 

• WLOS ABC
Channel 13   or   WLOS on Facebook 

• Greenville News:  Letter to the Editor    or   Greenville News on Facebook 

Note: Back-ups for articles can be found on Scribd if they disappear from the internet.

URGENT: Please share and sign!!

Important action needed for all supporters of Tina Anderson:

Chuck Phelps was the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church when a 15 year old girl in the congregation was raped. He gave comfort to the rapist, a man who confessed to the pastor that he was the aggressor, made the young girl apologize for her part in getting raped, sent her away with her mother's help to another IFB church in Colorado where she would have her baby and give it up for adoption away from friends and family, and allowed the rapist to remain in the church.

In spite of his failure to protect a child and make sure a rapist was brought to justice, even allowing the rapist to attend youth activities with his children after Tina Anderson was sent away, Bob Jones University has added him BACK onto their board. He was on the board for a few years and stepped down when he took the presidency at Maranatha Baptist Bible College.

Please add your signature in support of asking Bob Jones University to remove Chuck Phelps from the board. Bob Jones University preaches the need for repentance. Chuck Phelps has not demonstrated repentance for the way he treated Tina Anderson.

Sign petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/chuckphelps/

What does "aggressor" mean?

During the testimony of Chuck Phelps there was a brief point where the question, "What does aggressor mean?" was addressed.

This blog post does an excellent job of addressing the question:

Term of the Day: Aggressor

Reminds me of a question I read on the Stuff Fundies Like Forum from Mommy2Kids:

So does Chuck Phelps have a problem answering direct questions or does he just have a problem telling the truth?

It's pretty much incomprehensible to me that someone will intentionally obfuscate the meaning of the word "aggressor" (or that anyone will believe it!), but people will do desperate things when they are trying to cover up the ugly truth.

Notes from the Trial Part FIVE: Chuck Phelps testifies

***In this section of the trial notes, Bethany puts any of her own thoughts inside parentheses.

2:05pm: Chuck Phelps is on the stand. THE JURY IS NOT PRESENT.

(Micah Shaw is in the back. He went to Northland Baptist Bible College with Rachel Griffith. He currently attends Trinity Baptist Church. Several other members of Trinity Baptist Church are here, to support Chuck Phelps. There are still more supporters for Tina. About 30 some people here for Tina. Less than 10 people are here for Chuck Phelps).

Wayne Coull asks Chuck Phelps what he does as a pastor.

Phelps: I’ve done pretty comprehensive things. My charge was very straightforward. I baptize, give the sacraments, and preach God’s word. I live under congregational governance. Back in 1997, Trinity Baptist Church had about 600-700 members.

Wayne: Back in 1997, did you receive a call from Sue Cappucci?

Phelps: I received a call in October. I don’t recall what home I went to. My wife and I went there. Tina was 16.

Wayne: Did you know Tina was younger than 16 at the time of conception?

(Not sure what Phelps said.)

Phelps: I called Ernie and told him I had heard some news about him. I was investigating some things that certain church members had done. My wife and Ernie’s wife got together to meet. We set the meeting up. We, as in Ernie and I, I called the police to let them know that illegal activity had gone on. Ernie had broken his marriage vows.

Phelps: I set up ChuckPhelps.com to rebut as well as to protect my family. People have sent me hate mail and our church has been vandalized. The news media is telling a lot of inaccuracies.

(Chuck holds up a few letters to “prove” he has had hate mail sent to him.)

Wayne: You took notes in your journal back in 1997.

Phelps: Yes.

*Defense Attorney Donna Brown talks to Phelps, 2:18pm.

Phelps: (something about 5th amendment rights). Brian Fuller turned over my notebook to the police, and I did not give Fuller the permission to do so. I guarded my tongue with everything that Ernie Willis told me. Those notes were confidential. It was an ongoing, sexual relationship between Ernie and Tina.

(Chuck Phelps is arguing that he does not have to answer Wayne Coull if Wayne asks him a question about the notes in his notebook. Chuck is saying that as a pastor, he has counseling privileges, and that the notes he took were confidential, between him and Ernie).

*The judge is talking about voir dire, which is a preliminary examination of a witness by a judge or counsel. So that is why the jury was absent. The judge is choosing to put Chuck Phelps on the stand, with the jury present. The judge said that Chuck Phelps has no privilege, and he must answer all the questions that the attorney and DA ask him.

(Chuck was banking on that to help him. He was hoping to not have to read the notebook and he was hoping to not have to answer Wayne’s questions. He was also hoping to not have the jury present. Now Chuck has to tell the whole truth and nothing BUT the truth. Whatever is in that notebook, it is most likely going to refute anything Chuck has said so far).

*Jury enters, Chuck Phelps takes the stand.

Phelps: I had the privilege of pasturing at Trinity Baptist Church (Concord, NH) for 18 years. About 600 people were members in 1997. We had about 150-170 students enrolled in Trinity Christian School. Joel Montgomery was the youth pastor. Our church was ruled by congregational rule. Decisions get made by many people, not just me. I give guidance, not dictatorship. (Quotes a verse from Matthew 8). Someone has done something crassly violating scriptural command. Then when they don’t change, and they want to persist in that sin, we bring it before the church.

Wayne: Brought before the church to be judged and looked down on?

Phelps: No. That’s wrong. We are all sinners, including the senior pastor. (quotes a verse from Hebrews). Shunning is not the spirit of conduct at our church.

Wayne: Did your school have a handbook?

Phelps: The school had a handbook. Most schools have a handbook of sorts. Boys wore neckties, we had a dress code. Boys and girls were not allowed to date at school.

Wayne: Would you allow a girl who had gotten pregnant to come to your school?

Phelps: Our school was not equipped to deal with that kind of thing. There was a no physical contact rule at school. No kissing, no hugging, no holding hands.

(Phelps seems very comfortable. He is doing a good job articulating and expressing himself. A very polished speaker.)

Wayne: When did you first meet Tina?

Phelps: I remember the first time my wife and I went over to her house. Tina was six or seven years old and made tacos for us, they were very good.

Wayne: Were you aware that Dan Leaf had abused the children?

Phelps: I knew that Dan was incarcerated for crimes against minors. Tina never told me her dad sexually abused her. It was evident that Tina did not have a good relationship with her stepfather. She seemed to be very angry at him. Her lack of affection towards him was very apparent.

Wayne: You knew that Dan Leaf was a child molester, and that Tina did not like him. And you never stopped to ask if Tina had ever been abused by Dan?

(A brief recess right now. David Gibbs is talking with Chuck. They both just keep staring over here at Rachel. It’s really creepy. They just keep staring, not saying anything or nodding at her, just staring).

(I forgot to mention that earlier today, David Gibbs and his kid came in early and Gibbs had his son dress in a teal shirt, then made his kid who is maybe 11, sit right in the spot where Tina would be sitting. David Gibbs was sitting beside him. These are things that you would not know if you were not sitting in the courtroom. The cameras are not on, and the secretary only writes down what is said. Jocelyn Zichterman came in and went to sit in the place she had been sitting at with Tina Anderson earlier and stood toe to toe with David Gibbs and said he wasn’t going to sit there. Wayne Coull came over and had David Gibbs move. So Gibbs had his son flash the color teal, the color of abuse victims, in front of Tina and her supporters. I am not sure what the Christian lawyer was trying to prove by dressing his 11 year old kid up in teal and making him sit next to Tina’s spot. Though David Gibbs moved, his son did not. When Laurie Moody came up to the row with Tina Anderson, she indicated that Gibbs’ son needed to move away too.)

*3:08pm, Chuck is back on the stand after the break

Phelps: There was a lot of pain that day we talked to Tina. A lot of tears. Chris was there with several others. We prayed. (Chuck turns and faces the jury as he speaks). We told them, Ernie and Tina, that we’d love them and stand by them. I don’t remember who told us first that Tina was pregnant. Ernie Willis was wrong. He is roughly my age. I contacted Ernie the next day, as soon as I could. I thought that Ernie would be arrested. My first thought was for Ernie’s family. What would they do without their dad. A week ago, Mr. Sweat, a friend of ours, committed suicide. (Phelps starts crying). His little kids were left alone. I remember standing there next to his kids and his widow as they buried their father. My first thought was that Ernie would commit suicide.

Wayne: And you never thought Tina might have suicidal thoughts?

Phelps: That is unfair to say. Ernie was the first one I had thought for. I thought he would kill himself and leave his family.

(In rape cases, it is usually the VICTIM who has suicidal thoughts, NOT the perpetrator.)

Wayne tried to say something, and Chuck Phelps cut him off 3 times. He is upset at Wayne for asking him that question.

Phelps: As a pastor, every moment, every day, we have a responsibility to look out for one another. (His voice is raised, and he keeps interrupting Wayne).

Wayne: Mr. Phelps, I simply asked you a yes/no question. Please answer “yes” or “no.”

Phelps: In that context, yes.

Wayne: Were standards of good behavior violated? (Wayne asks Phelps to open up his notebook and refer to what Ernie told him the day after Tina told them she was pregnant. Wayne has asked Phelps s few times to open up to a certain page number, and read certain things).

Phelps: Ernie told me he was the aggressor. Ernie used the word “aggressor” himself. My notes say “Ernie was the aggressor, and Tina was the victim in this situation.” Ernie also told me it happened twice.

(BINGO!!! Case closed! Chuck Phelps just admitted that Ernie was the aggressor. Aggression means “forceful and overly assertive pursuit of one's aims and interests.” Chuck Phelps lied. This proves that. For everyone that says Chuck Phelps has been above board and not lying, I hope this proves to you that he blatantly lied! Chuck has claimed this whole time that it was a “consensual, dating relationship” and yet Chuck wrote in his journal that Ernie was the aggressor, and Tina was the victim. This is why Chuck did not want his notes read in court. Also, this whole time the defense attorney has been trying to say that Ernie only raped Tina once. This proves he did it twice, since he told Chuck it was twice).

Phelps: Many things here have been broadcasted inaccurately. It is tragic and sad! Before I had time to react, the Concord Monitor came out with an article that misconstrued my words and had false allegations. October 8 was when I called the police. Tina was scared. (Chuck Phelps is crying again). The biggest fear is the fear of defamation. For Ernie, it would be bad getting something wrong said about him.

Wayne: How many days did Tina stay at your house before she was sent to Colorado?

Phelps: 16 days.

Wayne: Is it true Tina was expelled from school after being raped?

Phelps: Expelled is a harsh word. We are not equipped to deal with pregnant teens at our Christian school. And Tina never used the word “rape.”

Wayne: Ok, let me give you a hypothetical. Let’s say that a 14-year-old girl who goes to your school gets kidnapped by a guy who rapes her then beats her up and leaves her out in the woods. She comes to you and tells she is pregnant. Would you expel her from your school?

Phelps: It would depend on the situation. I don’t know.

(After Phelps said this, the jury and many of the people in the courtroom shook their heads or stared at him in shock.)

(Several times, Wayne Coull has had to ask Phelps to stick to the question, because Phelps keeps going off topic, and talking instead of straight up answering the question. At one point, Wayne said, “Mr. Phelps, I am wondering, how long have you been rehearsing your answers for?” Wayne is not the only one getting frustrated with Phelps. The judge will put his hand over his face, and the jury will shake their head or stare at him with a dumb-founded look on their faces.)

Phelps: I took a risk sending Tina off to Colorado to be homeschooled. Let me take a little time to tell you about the Landrys, the family Tina stayed with. They are a great family! In fact, Mr. Landry has a rocket ship named after him.

(Umm…what does this have to do with the case at hand???? Why are we talking about space ships?)

Wayne: So you decided to send Tina off with complete strangers? Why not with her grandparents or other relatives that she knew?

Phelps: I didn’t know the Kingbury’s and I didn’t know Tina had grandparents in Texas. I didn’t go looking for their family tree. I trusted Chris to have the capacity to make good decisions. (Phelps’s face is red and he is visibly upset).

Wayne: Who paid for Tina’s plane ticket?

Phelps: Ernie Willis paid for Tina’s plane ticket to Colorado. I called the police and told them.

Wayne asks another question

Phelps: I save every calendar I have ever bought. In 30 years of ministry as pastor, I have NEVER forgotten any case of abuse that was brought to me. I have absolutely been thrown under the bus for this! The news media has attacked me at every point! I got a call 10 hours before this story was released in the local newspaper!

Wayne: Um, do you remember my question, Mr. Phelps?

Phelps: Yes.

Wayne: You never called the police after Tina was sent away? You don’t think the police might want to know that the only witness of a crime is going out of state?

Phelps: Did Tina ever apply to come back to school? Maybe that’s why she never returned to school. There was no need for her to return to school, anyways. I think she had already graduated from school.

(That is not true. Tina was not allowed to go back to school after being pregnant and she still had a year of high school to finish. One of the teachers at Trinity said the student rulebook was changed after Tina left school. The rule book made a rule that no students who became pregnant during the summer or school year would be allowed to return to school and finish their schooling).

Wayne: So why the public confession? Why did you make Tina “confess?”

Phelps: For help. So that the church family would know how to help and assist Tina during this difficult time.

Wayne: What was Tina’s reaction during the confession?

Phelps: well, my wife Linda actually said that Tina was smiling while she was up there reading the letter.

*4pm, Judge says we will stop for today and reconvene on Wednesday.

*May 25, Wednesday, 10:21am

Chuck Phelps walks in and smiles really big at Ernie Willis. Then he takes the stand again, and Wayne Coull resumes questioning him.

Wayne: Tell me about that service where Ernie and Tina were made to “confess.” What did you say specifically to the congregation?

Phelps: It was an unusual time; this happened outside of the church. The people involved were church goers, but this happened aside from TBC. We didn’t want the media to give false information. My notes say, “This is not easy; refer to verses, give public apology, forgiveness, love, prayer. Don’t judge. Forgive. 5-10 minutes long. Silence the accuser, their desire is forgiveness. This is not to shame them. This is restoration. Not judgment.”

Wayne: Did you lead the congregation to believe these were two separate instances?

Phelps: Yes. Well. They were presented separately, because Ernie was seeking forgiveness for breaking marital vows, and Tina was seeking forgiveness for allowing herself to be in a compromising relationship.

Wayne: Read page ? and tell us what Ernie said during that service.

Phelps: “Ernie Willis: I come with shame and sorrow in my heart. Psalms 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. I want to confess my sins……….I pray that the testimony of this church, Trinity Baptist Church, will be restored. I am thankful for the love and support Pastor Chuck Phelps has shown me. Psalms 51:2-3, ‘Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions.’ Thank you for your love and concern.

*Judge calls for a recess, it is 10:35am.

(The attorneys approach the bench, and are talking with the Judge. Debating some kind of legal rule. Something about a “mistrial” and wanting to reconvene with no jury).

*Break is over, court is back in session. 524 people are watching the live feed on the blog.

Judge Smukler says that now Chuck Phelps does not have to answer certain things and not have that seen as guilt.

Wayne: Read on page ? of your notes Tina Anderson’s letter that she read.

Phelps: She was not made to read it. I read it to the congregation for her. “Psalms 138:6, ‘Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect for the lowly.’ With a heavy heart, I seek your forgiveness. I have acted dishonorably towards God. I pray I will have your forgiveness just as God has forgiven me for allowing myself to be put in these compromising situations.”

Wayne: “Situations?”

Phelps: Yes. Plural.

Wayne: Earlier, yesterday in your testimony, you said that Tina stayed with you for a few days, you said, 16 days. You told Detective DeAngelis that Tina was with you a few days. But in your notes you say she was only with you for a day.

Phelps: I forgot how many days it was. My daughter, Sharon, she has a mind like a steel trap! And she told me Tina stayed with us for one night.

Wayne: So you never thought it would be important to go back and correct that with Detective DeAngelis?

Phelps: There is…..

Wayne: Please just answer my question with a “yes” or “no.”

Phelps: Do you want me to read the notes?

Wayne: NO. I just want you to answer my question!

Phelps: My wife was under the impression that Tina stayed with us for some time.

Wayne: Ernie Willis maintained that is was two times of sex.

Phelps: Yes.

Wayne: Tina didn’t understand and know why she had to go before the congregation.

Phelps: Tina knew the purpose of this discipline service. She carefully crafted a letter with help from someone else.

Wayne: Is it true that you read a verse in the Old Testament to Tina, a verse that said she would be stoned for being raped?

Phelps: I read her a verse in Deuteronomy, and this verse can be taken in context or out of context.

Wayne: Read the verse.

Phelps: I don’t have a bible with me.

Wayne: (grabs a bible from his briefcase, and walks towards Phelps). I have a bible. Here. Find the verse and read it to us.

Phelps: (fumbles around to find the verse).

Wayne: I bookmarked the reference so you could find the verse it easier. Just flip open to the purple bookmark.

Phelps: Deuteronomy 22:23-24, “If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.”

Wayne: Did you tell Tina she is lucky that she did not live in those days because she would have been stoned?

Phelps: We are ALL lucky to not live in those days. But I did not tell Tina that. I told her from this verse, it says if the damsel cries out…I told Tina, ‘Tina, we are here to help you…you can scream. We will help you. But she did not call out.

(Hang on-Tina was being raped in an empty parking lot in the back of a car. Who would have heard her? And who could hear her scream when it was only her and Ernie at the house? At this point, Rachel left the courtroom, very upset, and crying. I left shortly afterwards, too. I needed to get some air and clear my head. This made me very, very angry. I cannot fathom that a “Christian pastor” who of all people should be the one a scared girl can expect to get help from, treating Tina this way. Tina and Aunt Laurie are downstairs, as are several other people who did not want to be in the court room. There are a lot of emotions right now).

Phelps: Ernie Willis had more to lose than Tina Anderson. That is why I naturally assumed Tina was lying to me. I did not understand why Tina would go out to eat with Ernie, if he had just raped her. She was being dishonest. When I told her that, Tina turned and looked at me with anything but love on her face. The Bedford Inn is not MacDonalds. They both went to the Bedford Inn for Tina’s birthday. Tina was very angry with me. So it was obvious this was consensual.

Wayne: Did your wife, Linda, ask Tina at one point if she “enjoyed it?”

Phelps: That is a lie! (starts crying). That is so outside the character of my loving wife! It was not a discipline service. I wanted to prepare the church for the news, and I knew the media would get ahold of this story, and I wanted to prepare our church family with how to deal with the false media reports. I wanted Trinity Baptist Church to know so they could embrace Tina and Ernie. If I am not a compassionate person, I am not fit for ministry.

I would never have someone involuntarily come before the church. Tina Anderson’s success as a person, her success in life, success as a mother, wife, teacher and citizen of America is all attributed to the loving church family she had here at Trinity Baptist Church. Some people have the inability to make good choices in life. This time of confession might have been interpreted as “painful” by Tina. The news media definitely made her story look painful. I can’t say this any stronger. I never said “forgive and forget.”

Wayne: Did you make Tina go and apologize to her stepfather while he was in jail? Did you make her ask forgiveness for his molesting her?

Phelps: If the social workers are telling Tina to work with her stepfather, and rebuild their relationship, then she should listen to them.

*Wayne steps down, Ernie’s attorney Donna Brown steps up to question Phelps

Donna Brown: You said Ernie told you force was used?

Phelps: This is illegal, obviously, because he was 39, and she was 15. But I doubt I told the police force was used, because Tina did not say “rape,” so I did not say “rape” either.

Donna Brown: Ernie told you he was the aggressor?

Phelps: Yes, Ernie said he was aggressive and it was consensual.

* Donna Brown steps down, and Wayne gets up for a few more questions

Wayne: You have no degree in counseling, and no training in this area. Yet you kept Tina at your house and questioned her for hours?

Phelps: I am a moral pastor, so I deal with moral issues, not legal issues.

Wayne: You have no legal training, no training in counseling, and you question a victim of crime?

Phelps: I am a minister of the gospel, not a social worker.

Wayne: Do you at least acknowledge that you would never do this again? That you would not have Tina stand before 500 people and “confess?”

Phelps: With great sorrow, I regret this, because the press and the newspapers have called me anything but an honorable man! That is the case here! The case is that they have blamed me. They have spun me as a rapist just because I asked a lying girl some questions! I regret that.

*It is about 12pm now. Chuck Phelps is done being on the stand.





Edited to clarify: Chuck Phelps' attorney is David C. Gibbs III

Tim Anderson's response to Ed Nelson's support of Chuck Phelps on June 14, 2011 at the FBFI Conference

My response regarding Dr Ed Nelson supporting Chuck Phelps on June 14, 2011 at the FBFI Conference

by Tim Anderson on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 12:29am

“The only way you get publicity is to have somebody hate you, as brother Chuck Phelps has had, and they come up with evil reports [about you,] then you get in the papers. And by the way, thank God he [Chuck Phelps] stood right all the way through all of this and we ought to stand with him and encourage him, but I don’t suppose newspapers here in Indianapolis write a whole lot of articles about Crosspointe.” ~Dr Ed Nelson June 14, 2011 FBFI Conference http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.as...1911223180

I've been thinking about this all day. I was not expecting the FBFI to remove Chuck Phelps from leadership. They have a lot to lose if they admit mistakes were made and that a major contributor to fundamentalism made some serious errors in judgment, to put it mildly.

Darrell (http://www.stufffundieslike.com/news/?p=39) & Chuckles Travels (http://chucklestravels.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/was-the-fbfi-a-preachers-conference-wolfs-lair/) have written about it very well and so I won't go into all of that. I encourage you to read their posts.

I grew up being taught in an IFB church, Christian school, Christian college for over 30 years (For those of you who know I'm over 30, there was a few years when I didn't attend church). I have two bachelor degrees from two different IFB colleges. I'm not tooting my own horn. I just want to point out that the IFB way of life is about all I knew about church and education.

Growing up, I always admired the leaders in the IFB. I'd like to believe that the pastor I grew up under, Pastor James Singleton, a major force in the IFB, if he were alive, he'd be addressing these things. I'd like to believe that he's turning over in his grave right now with all that is going on in FBFI.

I grew up being taught that a person of character will admit when he/she has made a mistake, no matter the consequences. I was taught that a man of God should be above reproach. Over this past year, I've been having a hard time grasping the mentality of the leaders in the IFB. It's not what I was taught. It now looks like, "Do what I say, not what I do."

I don't understand Dr. Ed Nelson and his comments. I would have understood it better if he had just not said anything but to say that Chuck Phelps has "stood right through all of this" is beyond comprehension. I guess you could say that if you're looking at the situation through rose colored glasses or an IFB prism that distorts your perspective.

His comments make me realize that my wife and I made the right decision over a year ago.

Before Tina's story was made public last May, we decided to leave our IFB church, which is part of the FBFI. We were never asked to leave. We didn't make a fuss or try to cause any problems. We knew there would be enough of that when Tina's story became public. We decided to leave quietly. She gave her letter of resignation to the IFB college where she taught voice and we walked out the door.

My sisters, although they don't agree with us for leaving our church and are currently in their own IFB churches, still love and support us. Fortunately, blood is thicker than church affiliation. I know this is not always the case and I'm extremely thankful to God for that. My sister asked me if we'd ever go back to a Baptist church. Although I had not really thought about it, I told her "I doubt it." After watching everything going on in IFB land, and after watching Tina finally being vindicated through the conviction of one of her rapists, and still no admittance of wrong from the leaders inside the FBFI, I would now answer my sister and say, "No, I'll never be a member of another IFB church." Would I visit? Yes. In fact, I have friends who are pastors of IFB churches. I'm going to visit one of them this Sunday. I have not seen him for about a year and so I'm looking forward to my visit.

Ed Nelson says that the only way to get publicity is to have somebody hate you. If hate is the only way for fundamental baptist to get publicity, I feel very sorry for them. If hate is the only way that you are getting publicity, then you need to examine what you are doing. What you saw was public outrage (hate) at the injustice that was done to a 15 year old. What you saw was hate that a man who claims to serve God kept spinning the truth to try and make himself not look so bad. The only people that worked on are the people who don't want to face the fact that Chuck Phelps did wrong and has not been able to admit it.

What we, my wife and I, saw was hate from the people who claim to love God but were more concerned about their image than doing what was right. What we saw was hate from people who slandered, created false scenarios, assumed false motivations, and downright called Tina a liar and manipulator for finally standing up for herself. This is the kind of publicity that we would have chosen to avoid. In fact, publicity was one thing we never wanted. We never realized how big of a story this would turn out to be when the police asked Tina to tell them her story and what happened 14 years ago.

Hate was never our motivating factor, justice was. It was justice against Ernie Willis, the man who raped Tina twice when she was 15. We finally saw justice this past May.

Tina and I do not hate Chuck Phelps. We don't hate Ernie Willis. We don't hate the IFB or the FBFI or anyone else associated with this whole situation.

What are our feelings? We'd like to go back to living a quiet, peaceful life serving God, raising our kids, and growing old together. We'll see what God has planned for us. I'm excited about our future and looking forward to the journey that God has set before us.