BishopAccountability.org
	Allegations Continue to Unfold in Christian Gospel Temple Saga By Shantele Kempvanee and John Ferguson White House Watch May 28, 2008 http://www.checkyourwatch.com/wordpress/2008/05/28/allegations-continue-to-unfold-in-christian-gospel-temple-saga/ According to Katie Burns, a former member of Christian Gospel Temple unrelated to the current lawsuits, the scandalous information circulating in the public arena is only the tip of the iceberg. "There are 45 victims that I know of that I can attach names to in the past 60 years," said Katie Burns, who says she was raped at the age of six by a teenager at the church. "For every one that comes forward, there is typically three or four that don't," said Burns, who was allegedly raped on three separate occasions by George Wainscott, who, according to Burns, threatened to stab her family to death if she revealed the rape. When Cornelius Mears was told of the rapes, Wainscott's mother was confronted and according to Burns and her mother, the response was "boys will be boys." Authorities were not notified, and Burns said the issue was dropped. A year later Burns was molested by her grandfather, who had been part of the CGT congregation for over 20 years and was later convicted of child molestation with the help of her mother, Janice Linder. His written confession revealed several victims within CGT, according to Linder, who recognized friends in her own age group. "I want to error on the side of mercy and caution," said Katie Burns on speaking of the current scandal, "I want to expose the problem, not get revenge." Burns left the church when she turned 18, but says she did return for one service where Cornelius Mears made the announcement that $44,000 of church funds were used to bail her alleged rapist, George Wainscott from jail, where he had been charged with attempted murder. "Of all services for me to attend . . ." mused Burns, "I knew I didn't need to be there anymore." Pastor Steve Farmer pointed out that Cornelius Mears admitted to sending the funds, but had no realization that anything was amiss - in his mind, he was simply responding to a mother in need. According to a statement released by CGT, when Farmer told Mears about the past incident, the elder pastor had no recollection of the events or any conversations regarding Burns or Wainscott. Mears said that he felt very bad if that were true, if he had hurt anybody by what he had done. "As a church, we are embarrassed about how this happened," wrote Farmer, "but there were things connected with his (Mears') Alzheimers that we had to deal with the best we could." Abuse allegations run deep Many allegations surrounding the claims of abuse stem from a July 1, 2004 meeting, where attendees were invited to declare that they were molested or abused. According to Farmer, 14 people stood and claimed to be abused, but former members who claim to have attended the meeting have placed that number higher. During that meeting, Jennifer Meier- Beita said she heard Becky Farmer reveal that she had been molested by Paul Mears when she was a child. Beita is joined by multiple independent recollections of that revelation from former members of the congregation; however, Becky Farmer said that she did not step forward in that meeting. "It was already known that my uncle (Paul Mears) had touched me inappropriately," Farmer said. Becky said that the incident in question occurred over 50 years ago, when she was 11 years old, and that Mears "tried to kiss me and touch my blouse." "I don't want people to think of me as a victim - I'm a survivor," Becky said, pointing to years of separation from family, and raising a handicapped child as proof of a life lived victoriously. Becky told her father Cornelius about the incident at the time it happened, and later revealed the incident to family members when new allegations concerning Paul Mears surfaced sometime around 1997. In response to claims by Farmer at last week's public meeting that each of the litigants were contacted encouraged and prayed with, Beita said, "They never called to check on our well being. There has been no support for victims." A cycle continued "This has happened in every generation and has been covered up," said one former member, now in her 40's. "I know of at least 5 friends in my own generation that were victims." Steve Farmer pointed out that when Paul Mears returned to the congregation in 1999, he (Farmer) preached repeatedly and pointedly about abuse. "Paul approached me and asked, 'Are you preaching at me?' I said yes," Farmer said. "Paul said that it was none of his business, and left the church." Farmer added that if anyone wants to check the recordings available on the church's web site, they'll find a clear stance by the pastor against sexual abuse of any nature. "I teach about total dignity and equality of men and women," Farmer stated. "You can ask any of our members about that." "Molestation breeds molesters," said Katie Burns, who said that because the problem was not recognized and called out, it has been allowed to continue in a cycle over the generations. "I am who I am today because of the past," said Katie, who is not bitter about her childhood and is exuberant about her spiritual life. "I appreciate what I have now," Burns said of her faith and the life she leads currently, "God turned something horrific into something beautiful."
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