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| The Circuit Pastor has a legal duty to report, but not the permission of the State of Alaska to decide the issue, which is a conflict of interest. |
"In which case within the US, most any adult in any form of supervisory capacity must report to the authorities allegations of child abuse that come to their attention, or else can be made subject to prosecution for failures to do so."
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| The District President has a legal duty to report, but not the permission of the State of Alaska to decide the issue, which is a conflict of interest. |
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| The Synod President has a legal duty to report, but not the permission of the State of Alaska to decide the issue, which is a conflict of interest. |
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WELS Has a New System for Covering Up, Hiding, and Denying Abuse - Did They Report Joel Hochmuth after
Counseling Him about Gay Child Porn Swapping?
Freedom for the Captives
By Sheryl Cowling, LCSW, BCPCC, BCETS of WLCFS—Christian Family Counseling
The issue of child abuse is one that impacts so many of God’s people. Too often those who love God know the pain caused by childhood neglect and abuse—whether that abuse is physical, emotional, sexual, or some combination of these. Sadly, statistics from multiple sources reinforce that about one in ten children are neglected and are emotionally abused, about one in four are physically abused, and about one of every six boys and one of every four girls are sexually abused. Just look around the next time you are worshiping in church at the faces of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and know that many of them carry much pain, often hidden from others due to the toxic shame that such mistreatment often causes.
In response to the needs that result from child maltreatment, the WELS Commission on Special Ministries developed a team of pastors, seminary professors, mental health providers, and a legal expert with the goal of developing a website that could provide valuable information to pastors, teachers, survivors, and their loved ones. The result is freedomforcaptives.com.
This website contains valuable information about child abuse and neglect and offers many resources to those who want to reach out with love and compassion to those who are hurting. The website contains links to Bible passages that offer hope and healing. It has information about how to find a counselor with special training in working with survivors. It includes reviews of books written by Christian authors. There are also links to other websites and online resources, plus much more.
Please take a few minutes to check out the website at freedomforcaptives.com and share it with family and friends, pastors and teachers. Please encourage those who may want additional information or support to get in touch with us through the “Contact Us” page on the website.
Together we can share God’s healing power as we “proclaim freedom for the captives” (Isaiah 61:1).
Sheryl is a psychotherapist who specializes in Christian counseling for survivors of abuse and other trauma. She is a member of Crown of Life Lutheran in Hubertus, Wis.
