If you haven't read Wade Mullen's book Something's not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse -- and Freeing Yourself from its Power, it's definitely worth the read. I plan to dig deeper into the book and how it demonstrates some of the abusive tactics in the RPCNA, but for now, I want to highlight some pieces that are sure to come to light as more is revealed in West Lafayette. (It's similar to what I was saying about "country bumpkins")
A common excuse of ability that organizations use is the suggestion that those in positions to respond were not prepared through education and training ... Once an organization assumes the responsibility that comes with being in charge, they assume the obligation to make sure they are adequately equipped to exercise their authority. Insufficient training or lack of foresight is not an acceptable excuse for leaders charged with the duty to protect the organization's members (page 109)For example, when a mandatory reporter of child abuse fails to report suspected abuse and then claims, "I didn't know what the law was," that excuse can be challenged by saying, "You had an obligation to be familiar with the laws when you accepted the duty to care for children." In this case, the excuse of ability is not legitimate. (page 122)
When I read this, my eyes were completely opened to time after time RP leaders who completely bungled investigations and cases and then either they excused it or the higher courts excused it. The sorts of excuses we see are things like "intricate" "complex" "deceptive", etc., when the truth is that these men have no qualifications and they refuse to learn.
I can't tell you how many times I was in a situation with leadership where I proposed an option, was shut down saying the option was ill-advised, stupid, wrong or whatever, only to find with a couple of searches that I was right in the first place. These men refuse to learn and they use claims of spiritual superiority and giftedness as an excuse to refuse any attempts at correction or the need to gain wisdom.
For those still in the RP church, there is an extraordinary amount of wisdom about how abusive systems are created and maintained and how people can get sucked into those abusive systems and end up knowingly defending abusers.
[Hit post a bit prematurely] The point that rings clear here that I didn't get earlier is that being an elder or pastor in the RP church or any other church is not just about being a smart, nice guy who cares for people. Those are essentials, yes, but it's also about training and work. Just like a teacher or doctor, the elders need to commit to life long training. They need to commit to deep understanding of policies, why they are in place, and when contradictory truth is uncovered, like spiritual abuse and conflicts of interest, the policies need to be updated so that the sheep are protected. Even the policies, though, do not protect the sheep when the leadership are stuck in an abusive system. They simply ignore them.
Someone pointed out that Immanuel was founded with elders in their mid-20's. Probably nice guys who cared for people, but didn't have the wisdom and discernment to protect the flock from abusive pastors and a seasoned retired abusive pastor/elder.