Steps Toward ASI Panel Review Negotiations: #4
A Church Leader Calls
Gailon was driving over the mountains when a high-level Seventh-day Adventist church leader
gave him a call. That leader recommended that another course be pursued instead of taking the whole
scandal to the media. The church should be given a chance to work it out first.
In the days that followed, Gailon wrote about his conversations with this leader:
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-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| Subject: |
RE: MAP |
| Date: |
Tue, 19 Sep 2006 22:10:44 +0000 |
|
...
I spent nearly two hours with [the high-ranking 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 divisive 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.
...
Gailon A Joy
|
3ABN Board Chairman Informed
And that high-level church leader contacted 3ABN as well, for 3ABN board chairman Dr. Walt
Thompson was in the loop:
|
-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
Walt Thompson |
| To: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| Subject: |
Re: Still More 3ABN Info |
| Date: |
Wed, 20 Sep 2006 16:35:11 -0500 |
|
Dear Gailon,
I received a call from [the church leader] this AM and he told me
about his conversation with you. He said that you would be willing
to speak with us further. I am sorry that we have not spoken
previously. As I have gone back and looked at our last e mails
I note that you offered to receive a phone call from me. Either
I overlooked that comment or forgot about it. I don't find a
phone number by which to reach you. My cell phone number is *** *** ****.
I would appreciate a call.
Thanks,
Walt Thompson MD
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Which Issues? How to Proceed
Things progressed rapidly at this point. Just four days later, Gailon wrote an Adventist chaplain
named Gregory Matthews.
Roughly two years previous, Danny's obsession in running down his ex-wife Linda, even
when the questions being asked of him had nothing at all to do with Linda,
convinced Gregory that Linda had to be innocent. On September 21, Gregory sent Gailon around 600 pages
of correspondence between he and Danny, Linda, 3ABN board chairman Walt Thompson, and Illinois Conference
president Ken Denslow. Obviously, Gregory had been more than a little involved for quite some time.
The Priority Mail package of documents weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces, and arrived on the 23rd.
On September 24, Gailon wrote Chaplain Matthews, and CC'ed Linda Shelton as well as the high-level church leader
that had negotiated ASI's investigation. This email gives us a glimpse of the broad range of allegations
Gailon and that leader had talked about on the 19th, and it also gives us a glimpse of the type of investigative
process that Gailon anticipated ASI would use in order to ensure that their work was done thoroughly and fairly.
|
-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| To: |
Gregory Matthews |
| CC: |
Linda Shelton, ****** |
| Subject: |
Re: Linda Shelton & ecclesiastical authority |
| Date: |
Sun, 24 Sep 2006 23:00:36 -0400 |
|
...
Since the current clear allegation from Alyssa has hit the
streets, 3ABN directors have expressed they would like proof
that Alyssa was the source of the allegation and then, if she
is the source, they would like to ask her to meet and discuss
the allegations.
Since these are no longer the only allegations on the table
for discussion, I am proposing that we accommodate the entire
series of allegations by empanelling a panel to look at the Alyssa
allegations; the Pastor Dryden allegations against Tommy Shelton;
the allegations that Linda had an inappropriate relationship
with Arild Abrahamsen; the issue that prior to, during and after
the Linda/Arild allegations that Danny was clearly being observed
having multiple inappropriate relationships; and other inappropriate
financial allegations; that there have been several open and
notorious inappropriate inter-staff relationships, some by allegation
and some of which were clearly "caught" or "confessed"; all of
which the local church has failed to discipline or the institution
has failed to equally apply due process or any process at all
due to clear and obvious conflicts.
The panel should be given all the powers of a tribunal/arbitration
panel with appropriate counsel for both sides present to conduct
direct and cross-examination of the witnesses, with the tribunal
to have authority to make direct inquiry of the witnesses, with
as broad a rule of evidence as the tribunal feels is necessary
to find the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Provision needs to be made to allow the introduction of witnesses
in executive session such that not only are witnesses protected
from the peering eyes of various leadership, but can give open
and honest and unimpeded testimony as Witness x, y, z et siq.
I am proposing that the original parties, the 3ABN board and
Linda/Alyssa each be allowed to have two observers sworn to
protect the witnesses from retaliation by Leadership and others
to observe the proceedings and to be able to certify the process
as fair and appropriate.
...
Gailon Arthur Joy
|
The Board Has Agreed
It was clear that at this point in time, a number of people understood that the 3ABN board had agreed
to ask ASI to put together an investigative committee that would look at all the evidence Gailon Joy had
uncovered. For example, on September 26 Gailon wrote the following:
|
-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
G. Arthur Joy |
| To: |
Bob |
| Subject: |
Re: Hal Steenson & the tape |
| Date: |
Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:21:36 -0400 |
|
...
By the way, the 3 ABN board has agreed to allow an impartial
panel to look at the 3ABN issues. Although, they feel strongly
it should be under the auspices of ASI.
I have expressed that I believe that a properly constituted
panel would most probably be acceptable, however, it must
be completely impartial and have no taint of conflict. I have
expressed strong feelings regarding the McNeilus family's
participation.
The board has agreed to deal with the results, regardless
of the outcome.
How do you feel about this process as a properly constituted
ecclesiastical authority?
Gailon Arthur Joy
|
And Gailon was definitely not the only one with this understanding. Another high-level church official
had spoken with the church leader who had negotiated ASI's involvement, and wrote the following
on September 28 about what that leader had said. This communication clearly indicates that the Tommy
Shelton child molestation allegations were to be on the agenda, according to the understanding
of the very one who got the process going to begin with:
|
-------- Original Message --------
| From: |
****** |
| To: |
Linda Shelton |
| Subject: |
today |
| Date: |
Thu, September 28, 2006 8:26 pm |
|
...
He also talked to me about the ASI committee that is being set up to
evaluate 3ABN, Tommy, Danny, etc. He hopes that you will not reject this
committee, because since 3ABN is an ASI affiliate, that should be the
governing body to decide on discipline, action, etc., rather than the GC,
since the GC really doesn't have any authority over 3ABN. He thinks you will
have more credibility with ASI if you accept this committee. I told him it
will be important that the persons on the committee are neutral ....
...
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Subterfuge and Secrecy
Little did any of these individuals realize that already on September 24 the 3ABN board had voted
to restrict the investigation to just the issue of Danny Shelton's divorce and remarriage, a relatively
minor issue considering the extremely serious nature of some of the rest of the allegations.
That vote would be kept a secret until December 3, ten weeks later, and the date of the vote
would continue to be a secret until Harold Lance's statement was issued on January 24, 2007.
And yet Lance's statement would also make the audacious claim that the failure of the ASI effort
was due to a lack of communication on the part of Linda Shelton.
Then again, whether that vote really took place on September 24, or instead took place
during the regularly scheduled board meeting of October 1, 2006, is anyone's guess, for the dates
and information contained in Lance's statement are unreliable, and the date of September 24 appears
to have been inserted into a later 3ABN board action as an afterthought.
Seventh-day Adventists have taken a rather dim view over the years of secret societies such as Freemasonry,
and that makes the secrecy attending the dealings of the 3ABN board and ASI all the more peculiar. Why
was the 3ABN board decision kept quiet for so long? What were the individuals involved trying to hide?
But one thing was certain. A second period of limbo had begun.
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