Daily Mail
May 11, 2011
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1385782/Insurance-company-tells-church-Dont-admit-abuse--youll-pay-compensation.html
A church embroiled in the aftermath of an abuse scandal has been warned by its insurance company to stop admitting liability or face loosing coverage.
Vienna Presbyterian Church in Virginia discovered five years ago student ministries director Eric DeVries had engaged in 'inappropriate, romantic' relationships with under-age female students.
And in March this year, the church's governing body - known as a 'Session' - began apologising to members of its congregation for 'failing' to protect them from the abuse
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| Right: The church has refused to follow legal edicts from its insurance company, and instead apologised to its members for the abuse |
According to the USA Today, insurers GuideOne responded swiftly with a letter, telling the church: 'Do not make any statements, orally, in writing or in any manner, to acknowledge, admit to or apologise for anything that may be evidence of or interpreted as (a suggestion that) the actions of Vienna Presbyterian Church … caused or contributed to any damages arising from the intentional acts/abuse/misconduct.'
The church ignored the request and the very next day sent a letter to its congregation saying: 'Members of Staff and of Session are profoundly sorry that VPC's response after the abuse was discovered was not always helpful to those entrusted to our care.'
This was followed up by a sermon the following Sunday, where Pastor Peter James told parishioners: 'We won't hide behind lawyers. … Jesus said the truth will set us free.'
According to the paper he then spoke directly to women who were abused in the audience, saying: 'Let me speak for a moment to our survivors.
He said: 'We, as church leaders, were part of the harm in failing to extend the compassion and mercy that you needed.
'Some of you felt uncared for, neglected and even blamed in this church. I am truly sorry … I regret the harm this neglect has caused you.'
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| Pastor Peter James told parishioners: 'We won't hide behind lawyers. ? Jesus said the truth will set us free.' |
DeVries resigned in September 2005 after it emerged he nurtured romantic 'relationships' with female students.
After the police were informed, DeVries was charged with taking indecent liberties with a minor.
He later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and received a 12-month suspended jail sentence.
Relations between the church and GuideOne deteriorated further after the Session agreed to do a story for The Washington Post on how they had 'failed' members of the church.
The church also refused to defend potential lawsuits by invoking the two-year statute of limitations or questioning the sexual backgrounds of potential litigants.
Peter Sparber, a church elder handling the case, said: 'The directions from the insurance company and its lawyer were clear and possibly correct from a legal perspective.'
'They did their job, but as elders, we had to do ours.
'We still have lots of work cleaning up the mess created by Eric DeVries, but not following their legal advice was a good start.'
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