Monday, April 8, 2019

The Case for Removing Matt Harrison as LCMS President

 Darwin Schauer was given parish responsibilities after being convicted as an offender.

 Joshua Scheer erased all the evidence on Steadfast Lutherans, as ordered by Matt  Harrison.



We need a LCMS President that makes Child Safety and Proactive Sexual Abuse Prevention a priority.

Some have called my work inside the LCMS to increase child safety including a Proactive Sexual Abuse Prevention Program political. It makes me chuckle because I could care less whom is the LCMS President but… I do want a LCMS President that will increase child safety which includes Promoting a Proactive Sexual Abuse Prevention program.

Pastor Harrison allowed the 14-member task force to take nearly 10 years to complete (formed in response to Resolution 6-06 of the 2007 LCMS convention which was charged with identifying and creating resources and training opportunities to help the church address domestic violence, child abuse, and clergy sexual misconduct) under his leadership. What does this say about Pastor Harrison priorities in helping create resources and training opportunities to help churches?

I have been critical of the dangerous recommendation of internal investigation and I have been addressing it since around 2015 with the National LCMS. As I communicated with a member of the task force, this person said the recommendation was supposed to be “report out to civil authorities” – which would be correct.

With my daughters Sexual Abuse her former Catholic school’s administration and some teacher’s handling of her Sexual Abuse made my families horrible situation miserable. I address the Green Bay Diocese’s poor record of background checks and needs of training of administration and staff of how to appropriately respond to a Sexual Abuse crisis. When a new Director of Safe Environment was hired the needed changes really came about. As Dr. Joe Bound Director of Education later described it “Jayne saw her work as a mission, and everyone worked with Jayne”.

My local school and church Pilgrim has put forward an Overature, which is like a suggestion, for the 2019 National Convention Pilgrim's Overature Link that calls for hiring a National Sexual Abuse Expert. The Catholics have 80 or more Safe Environment Departments and Directors.

My first priority is that we reduce or stop Sexual Abuse to LCMS children. We know 9.6% of children experience some sort of Sexual Misconduct before the finish high school and around 8% of Sexual Abuses take place at a school.

Since we are a bottom up organization, I have been asking LCMS Pastor Harrison to promote a Proactive Sexual Abuse Prevention program like Pilgrim’s Safe Initiative that is finishing up it’s 3 year. To my knowledge, Pilgrim is the Safest LCMS church/school. Visitors from other LCMS schools or church have repeatedly said “it feels different here” as we take child safety seriously and it is visible and substantial.

My second priority is supporting a victim of Sexual Abuse and their loved ones.

I have heard back from alleged survivors of LCMS Sexual Abuse survivors or their loved ones. The handling of their alleged Sexual Abuse situation made their horrible situation miserable too. If you think the LCMS does not have coverups and scandal just read about Darwin Schauer.



Pastor Harrison has communicated with me the following “We take the matter seriously. We have a zero tolerance policy which has been followed for decades. If I do become aware of any case that requires ecclesiastical discipline, I will see that it happens immediately”. Pastor Harrison's email exchange with me link. Of 1000 rapes only 6 perpetrator's link will be incarcerated. How does zero tolerance Proactively deal the 994 rapes that are not incarcerated?

Where is Pastor Harrison’s zero tolerance and transparency regarding Darwin Schauer?

What about alleged Sexual Abuse at Dallas Lutheran high school’s by Jessica Krueger? How did Jessica go from Dallas Lutheran to Milwaukee Lutheran High school and eventually resigned at a Wisconsin public school? Where was or is Pastor Harrison’s ecclesiastical discipline? It is commonly referred to as “ Passing the Trash” when a school releases an alleged person of Sexual Abuse and gives that person a good review. Did Dallas or Milwaukee Lutheran High School “Pass the Trash”?

Most important is that the victim and the victim’s loved one’s be supported? I have seen it over and over victim blaming or blaming the victims loved one, instead of support, as was our case too.

What about this alleged Sexual Abuse? Ecclesiastical Discipline needed link

Did you know there is a National Lutheran Sexual Abuse support group that has monthly conference calls to support victims/survivor of Lutheran Sexual Abuse. Most of the conversations, that I have heard are about the lack of support, coverups, mishandling or their Sexual Abuse by Lutheran Institutions.

My third priority is that we respond appropriately to a Sexual Abuse crisis. I asked Pilgrim’s Senior Pastor what resources you had from your organization - District and Nationally. He said and I quote, “we were initially told there were resources but there really wasn’t resources, we were finally told we were on our own”. This is why, a Sexual Abuse Expert is need too.

Folks, we are not Proactively Preventing, supporting victims and their loved ones and responding to Sexual Abuse in are LCMS schools and churches correctly. We need a systematic Proactive approach like at Pilgrim with Pilgrim’s Safe Initiative. Our schools, churches and Districts need a National Sexual Abuse Expert to:

  1. Proactively reduce or stop Sexual Abuse
  2. Support victims and their loved ones of Sexual Abuse
  3. Help a school or church appropriately respond to a Sexual Abuse crisis
  4. Provide Sexual Abuse Awareness, Education and Mandatory reporting training
  5. By doing steps 1-5 in that order, thus protecting LCMS institutions and Districts


I have asked Pastor Harrison to pray for victims and loved ones of Sexual Abuse several times as LCMS President and all I have heard is silence!

I have been praying for a new LCMS President. The 14th LCMS President who will increasing LCMS safety, including a Proactive Sexual Abuse program, for LCMS children.

Which one of the two LCMS Presidential nominees are willing to run on increase LCMS child safety that includes a Proactive Sexual Abuse Prevention Program?

What if we had “safety improvement summer” like we did at Pilgrim in 2016 where all the work has been done and there eager to share! How many LCMS schools and churches could increase child safety with a new LCMS President that promotes LCMS child safety?? 

To put this in context:

All organizations that I have seen and read about have been reluctant to put in a formal Proactive Sexual Abuse Program. All organizations that put in such a program would never want to go back to there “old ways” when they “see the light” in doing the right thing. I know we a certainly EXTREMELY proud of Pilgrim’s Safe Initiative as it keeps children safe now and, in the future, too.



Take Care



Derek Schmid

920/606-2194

Lcmschildren.org

Pray to God but Continue Rowing to Shore