Will the Church Never Learn?

February 12, 2010 by PattiM
Filed under: Out of the Shadows

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I’ve let this article sit in my browser for a few days now while I have pondered if my initial reaction stands up to my attempts to rationalise the actions of those involved. I can’t find it in my heart to justify them.

The article is about an Anglican church in Tsawwassen, British Columbia continuing to pay a reduced salary to their youth pastor who has been convicted of molesting a young Mexican boy in Mexico in 2004. At this point the parish is paying Brad Firth at least until his appeals are exhausted. Their reasoning seems to be since he has faced the courts in Mexico and they are different than ours, then his conviction doesn’t carry the same weight.

I was almost able to sway my thinking to some level of compassion and understanding that maybe, just maybe the conviction was bogus and good for the parish for standing by him. Then I found the part of the article that tells me once Firth does return to Canada, the police will be waiting for him. They have outstanding charges of possessing and accessing child pornography.

This man serves in a ministry which provides access to young vulnerable children. The fact he has been convicted anywhere in the world and faces additional charges here at home is more than enough reason for the parish to terminate any financial payments to him immediately.

If there are other victims of this man amongst the young people he has ministered to, does the congregation not realize the powerful message they are sending them through their continued financial support to Firth? It’s fine to suggest that IF there are further victims they would motivate the parish to stop their financial support by coming forward.

The fact is when a person in authority abuses a young person, that person doesn’t just have their body violated, the very core of their being is shaken, if not fractured. The parish choosing to continue financial support even though Firth has been convicted sends the message to any still silent victim to stay silent, that the pastor is going to be believed and not the victim.

I hope there are no other victims of this man. While the parish is busy rallying around this convicted pedophile, they may have already walked all over the walking wounded in their midst. I know what a struggle it is to keep a church going. That money being paid out to Firth could be put to a lot of good ministry in that church in Tsawwassen or any other church.

Will the church never learn?

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