Chicago Presbytery case needs a public resolution
By James Tony, pastor, Palos Park Presbyterian Church,Presbytery of Chicago, May 22, 2002
Sexual misconduct among the clergy has been much in the news lately. Sexual misconduct is never to be condoned, excused or tolerated. That must be said at the outset. And sexual misconduct with minors in the care of clergy is especially intolerable. Polls show upwards of 70 percent of the American population favors a zero tolerance policy when it comes to protecting our children. I have come to agree.
The trust that is supposed to exist between a person dedicated to the service of God is heinously violated when anyone in ministry – ordained or not – uses a child or youth for her or his own personal gratification. And such danger is not limited to one particular denomination or church. It is not even limited to the church setting. But it is particularly intolerable in a church setting.
Churches of all kinds are especially vulnerable to the possibility of enabling repeated misconduct. The church is vulnerable because we are supposed to be the agency of forgiveness, redemption and reclamation. So when someone has been found to have done even such a heinous wrong, the church often finds a way to cover for the perpetrator and “settle” with the victim. And then the perpetrator gets another job.
The problem is that secrecy in these matters actually precludes redemption. And the other problem is that research show that adults who prey on children repeat their offense despite treatment. What little possibility of recovery exists is almost completely foreclosed by the propensity of church authority to hide the facts and hope the perpetrator will be able to stop this behavior. That’s the reason zero tolerance makes sense. Besides, whom should the church put at risk? The adult minister or leader? Or our own children? The choice is difficult, but clear.
Recently, the Presbytery of Chicago has come into the news because of serious sexual misconduct accusations against one its former staff members, Douglas R. Mason. Our executive presbyter, Robert Reynolds, wrote a letter to all the churches to explain that the Presbytery of Chicago has been cooperating with the appropriate state and local authorities in this matter since it came to light. His letter states that the Presbytery of Chicago had no knowledge of any misconduct prior to Mr. Mason’s departure from the position he held at San Marcos Youth Ministry. For unknown reasons the criminal prosecutors decided not to bring this case to court.
That’s when the victims filed a civil court suit naming the Presbytery of Chicago. The claim is that the presbytery should have known about the alleged misconduct of its employee. Whether or not that is true will be the subject of examination in the courts. Let me be clear: Mr. Mason is accused, but not proven guilty of the charges. He steadfastly insists on his innocence, according to Mr. Reynolds’ letter. Various trials, including one to be held in the church court, will assess the truth of the findings of the investigations that have been ongoing. The verdict is still out.
Here is where the matter gets very complex. That’s because to defend itself in court, the presbytery’s insurer will have to spend a huge wad of money. The inclination is to enter into some monetary settlement agreement to avoid the hassle and the expense of a court proceeding. And then that agreement may get sealed and the truth buried under court orders. If the settlement does not produce a finding about the truth of the accusations against Mr. Mason that can be made public, then we put children further at risk. That is not acceptable in today’s world. It ought not be in the church either. That’s what has gotten the Boston Archdiocese in such trouble. I hope we can avoid similar difficulty in this case and in all other such cases – both for the protection of our children and for the possibility of genuine repentance and reclamation for those who are guilty of harming them.