Gailon Arthur Joy Unknown? Not True!
An Email "Smoking Gun"
The following email was forwarded to the webmaster by a Seventh-day Adventist pastor who had received a copy
of it on September 19, 2006. This email is important in understanding how someone within top ASI leadership
allegedly conspired with Danny Shelton to thwart from the very beginning the investigation into the Tommy Shelton
child molestation allegations, and the Danny Shelton sexual assault and inappropriate relationship allegations.
The email below was sent by Mr. Joy to a former high-ranking 3ABNer, a 3ABNer who personally thinks that Linda
has a share in the blame for her dismissal from 3ABN. So this individual's interest in what is unfolding in the
Danny Shelton Corruption Scandal is not motivated by a desire to exonerate Linda.
Mr. Joy's email carries a subject of "RE: MAP." This is because this former high-ranking 3ABNer was
concerned over how Danny hijacked airtime during the Most Amazing Prophecies Seminar in order to
promote himself and his brother Tommy, and thus deflect the sexual misconduct allegations against both him and Tommy.
Implications
What we have here in this email is a "paper trail" establishing several facts:
- Gailon Arthur Joy spoke at great lengths with a high-ranking Seventh-day Adventist Church leader.
- That leader agreed to negotiate a process that would "review all the evidence."
- The Alyssa letter that alleges sexual assault by Danny is explicitly mentioned as being part of that evidence.
- Mr. Joy is very clearly involved in the panel review process idea five days prior to the 3ABN board's alleged request on September 24.
The Email from Mr. Joy
|
-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| Subject: |
RE: MAP |
| Date: |
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:11 PM |
|
Greetings, ******,
I spent nearly two hours with [a high-ranking Adventist church leader] today and he has
agreed to work to develop a mixed forum to review all the evidence.
This process is very preliminary, however, it is yet another
step in the right direction. I continue to pray and trust that
the Lord will open the way for the Board at 3ABN to see the
light and implement appropriate reforms before we reach a point
of no return.
I have this gut-wrenching feeling that the process could be
the most devisive the Church has dealt with since John Harvey
Kellogg. The difficulty here is that Danny purports to represent
a theology that is clearly conservative, while living as though
he bought into the theology of Ford, et al.
There is some comfort in the numbers I recently received that
seemed to indicate that they have a rock solid support base of
approximately 5000 that give systematically and monthly, and about
another 100,000 +/- that contribute annually, primarily project-based
giving. However, I keep receiving information that not
only the 100k are cracking, but a significant number of the
5000 are beginning to wonder and turn their backs. Several regular
campmeeting goers have indicated they are not going this fall.
Although the curiosity factor could result in a lot of new attendance.
I will transcribe my notes and try to finish interviews with
another three that I never have had time to get back to. My notes
indicate that only Dryden, the church secretary, the mother
of one victim, and two male victims indicated he had been defrocked.
I will check with what I recall as the United Churches of God.
I will contact the church secretary to determine affiliation
and will get someone to confirm the defrocking.
For your information, the Alyssa letter elicited a response
from Walt in the form of a direct question to Alyssa regarding
whether or not the letter was signed by Alyssa. If it was signed
by Alyssa then they were asking her to meet with a 3ABN panel
to answer questions regarding the allegations. Alyssa did not
pick up the letter (mailed requesting a certified receipt). I
am going to see if we can elicit a response from Alyssa, however,
and see if we can get her to agree to meet a much more neutral
panel. What are your thoughts on this?
I have an engagement and must run. Thank you for your e-mail.
Gailon A Joy
|
Church Leaders
This should give comfort to Seventh-day Adventists everywhere that some of their church leaders have worked
behind the scenes to deal with this crisis. Yet consider the challenge:
- The denomination has no direct control over Danny Shelton and 3ABN.
- Armed with cameras and microphones, Danny Shelton has a damage control operation second to none in capacity, if not quality.
- He has charmed his way into the hearts of many, many people.
- The allegations are so bizarre, so twisted, so wild-eyed, it is difficult for anyone to consider that they just might be true.
Thus in this crisis likened by Mr. Joy above to the "alpha of apostasy" in the days of Kellogg, it is no
wonder that Seventh-day Adventist leaders haven't been exactly sure what to do. Dealing with this crisis is like
riding an elephant through a mine field.
Questions for Ron Christman and Harold Lance
At any rate, it should be a given that the high-ranking church leader Mr. Joy spoke with and who negotiated
the ASI review process to begin with, it should be a given that he must have communicated both Mr. Joy's concerns and
Mr. Joy's name to Ron Christman, ASI Secretary/Treasurer. We therefore
call Mr. Christman as well as Harold Lance to account for the following as soon as possible:
- Why does the ASI statement issued by Harold Lance in blatant
violation of his own confidentiality agreement say that Mr. Joy
was unknown prior to October 3, when he was the very individual
the whole process was put into motion for to begin with, and that
fact can be documented back to September 19?
- Why does the ASI statement accuse "Linda's team" with trying
to drag other issues into process when in reality it was Danny
Shelton, 3ABN, and Harold Lance who were trying to remove from
discussion the very allegations the process was initiated for
to begin with, and why does 3ABN's altered version call the problem an "unexpected barrier"?
- If the 3ABN board really did vote to cover up all the other
allegations on September 24, 2006, by limiting their request
to just Danny/Linda, why wasn't "Linda's team" explicitly informed
of this fact until December 3, ten weeks later?
- Why, from the very beginning, was there an apparent conspiracy to remove from
discussion the very issues and the very person the whole process was
started for, and why were falsehoods and distortions inserted into Harold Lance's
statement to cover up these facts?
The Two Statements
Compare Harold Lance's original, unilateral ASI statement with the altered version that appears on 3ABN's website.
(An archived copy saved on January 28, 2007, can be viewed here.)
| Statement as Sent Out by H. Lance on Jan. 24, 2007 |
Statement as Altered and Posted on 3ABN's Website by Jan. 26, 2007 |
|
Here were the barriers:
...
* Linda's team -
...
- insisted on including issues involving allegations of management and corporate misconduct at 3ABN
|
Unexpected Barriers
...
Linda's team:
...
Insisted on including issues involving
allegations of mismanagement and corporate misconduct at 3ABN
| |
As ASI leadership was considering 3ABN's request an email
message dated 10 3 06, was received by the ASI President from
G. Arthur Joy, saying in part:
"...Dr. Thompson has informed
me that ASI has agreed to be the appropriate platform upon which
to hear allegations regarding 3ABN. While I agree that in theory,
ASI is the appropriate platform and clearly has some jurisdiction
here, and by voluntary assent would have full jurisdiction to
hear the allegations and make appropriate findings, I also recognize
there are some clear and serious conflicts that need to be clarified".
The memo from Joy included messages from other unknown/unidentified
people seriously questioning whether ASI was an appropriate organization
to be involved. Joy was unknown to ASI leadership. It was not
known what his interest was in the matter. That question was
clarified by Linda when she identified Joy as her representative.
Joy introduced Bob Pickle and Greg Matthews as also on Linda's
team. The three have been included in all correspondence sent
to Linda.
|
Attempts to Establish the Commission Panel
As ASI leadership was considering 3ABN's request, an e-mail
message dated, October 3, 2006, was received by ASI's president
from Joy, hitherto unknown to ASI, saying in part:
". . . Dr. Thompson [Walter Thompson, 3ABN Board Chair] has
informed me that ASI has agreed to be the appropriate platform
upon which to hear allegations regarding 3ABN. While I agree
to that in theory, ASI is the appropriate platform and clearly
has some jurisdiction here, and by voluntary assent would have
full jurisdiction to hear the allegations and make appropriate
findings, I also recognize there are some clear and serious conflicts
that need to be clarified."
Joy's memo included messages from others (unknown and unidentified
to us) who seriously questioning whether ASI was an appropriate
organization to be involved. As stated above, Joy himself was
unknown to ASI leadership at that time. It was not known what
his interest was in the matter until Linda later identified Joy
as her representative. Joy then introduced Pickle and Matthews
as part of Linda's team. Since that time Joy, Pickle and Matthews
always were included in any correspondence sent to Linda.
|
Appeal
Again, we call for a full and clear explanation from both Harold Lance and Ron Christman for why we have here an
appearance of deceit and conspiracy, all for the apparent purpose of covering up child molestation and sexual
assault allegations. And we call for that explanation immediately.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in keeping the Ten Commandments, and we believe that keeping the Ten Commandments
is a sign of God's last-day people. And that includes the ninth commandment as well as the fourth. May we always
practice what we preach, by the grace and to the glory of God.
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