The Record's View: a Disservice to a Man of Faith

Waterloo Region Record
September 10, 2015

http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/5835049-the-record-s-view-a-disservice-to-a-man-of-faith/

In the 21 years since Vernon Leis died in a car crash, his reputation as a wise and caring Mennonite pastor has stood as the shining monument to his life.

Now, in the space of a few days, vague allegations of sexual and moral wrongdoing publicly brought against this local clergyman threaten to bring that monument crashing down.

To see this disturbing and distasteful spectacle playing itself out is to feel the pain that must be felt by the family of a man who was a beloved senior church official as well as a respected public figure in Waterloo Region before his death at the age of 60. It is also to question why so few words that could cause so much harm would be spoken against a dead man who cannot defend himself.

The Kitchener-based Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada says it was all about transparency when it tersely announced it had received "an allegation of sexual and ethical misconduct" against Leis that was "compelling and credible." Pastors at three churches where Leis had served in Elmira, Kitchener and Tavistock repeated these accusations to congregants on Aug. 30.

To be fair to the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada, it acted after interviewing the female complainant, and argued it had gone public with the accusations "to confront a hidden truth and bring it into the light for healing." We have no doubt it is trying to do the right thing.

But instead of providing more specific information about Leis's alleged transgressions that would provide a necessary context to anyone trying to understand them, the church kept confidential all the other details on the mistaken assumption it was being considerate of those being impacted. Presumably, that meant Leis's family.

The church erred in its decision. Its restraint was misplaced. While it was trying to be circumspect, others unleashed attacks on social media far more damaging to the late pastor's reputation than the original allegations. The blog, Our Stories Untold, now calls Leis a "predator" and his accuser a "brave survivor" and "victim," then refers to a "holocaust of hidden anguish perpetrated against our own by our own." Meanwhile, the website SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) refers to Leis's "horrific misconduct."

The problem with this devastating portrait of Leis is the public doesn't know if it is true or what it is supposed to mean. Dead men cannot speak for themselves. Dead men cannot challenge their accusers or offer other versions of events so others can judge for themselves.

It appears the allegations against Leis involve one woman who claims she had a sexual relationship with the married pastor. We don't need to know where or when any of this took place or the woman's identity.

However, in the interests of fairness and basic justice, it is incumbent on the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada to answer these questions. Was the alleged relationship consensual? Was it legal? Was the woman one of Leis's congregants? How thorough was the investigation into the accusation? Has anyone else voiced similar complaints?

Perhaps the church believes Leis was involved in an adulterous relationship. If this were true, he would have disobeyed a basic Mennonite tenet but not Canadian law. Perhaps the church thinks Leis abused the authority he held as pastor. If this were true, he would have violated a position of trust but, again, not the law.

For years, true and terrible reports of priests and other clergy sexually abusing young people have been a media staple in Europe and North America. Consequently a mere hint of scandal can unleash a barrage of rumours, innuendoes and false assumptions that can destroy a person's life or reputation.

Obviously, this matter deeply touches the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada, which Leis served as moderator. But Leis was a leader and voice of reason in Waterloo Region, too. Now that this ugly spectre of suspicion hovers over his good name, the people of this community deserve to know far more about what he is supposed to have done wrong.