Three men responded, but one Gospel is truth
By Dwight and Dawn Lysne 

This commentary originally appeared in The Forum (Fargo, North Dakota) 03/18/2002.  Reproduced on AdvocateWeb.org with permission from the Authors.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the tragic story of King David’s lust for Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah to cover his deeds is revealed for what it was by the prophet Nathan. After being told a parable about a rich man, who despite having many sheep of his own, takes a poor man’s one and only lamb, David responds angrily, “He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Grasping this “abuse of power,” Nathan confronts David, “You are the man!”

Today, we have former Nazarene Pastor Mervin Kelley, former Lutheran Pastor Dale Trautman and former Catholic Priest Charles Fischer. Three men in positions of spiritual power who, like King David, have abused it and in the process have hurt people, churches, and the integrity of the Gospel message. Three men, one Evangelical, one Lutheran and one Catholic, representing the church and its historical splits, reminding us that no branch of the church is free of these abuses of power.

Three men, three denominations, three responses. One Gospel.

At the sentencing hearing of former Nazarene Pastor Kelley for his conviction of “criminal” sexual misconduct with a parishioner, an Evangelical Free pastor pleas for a reduced jail term for Kelley after hearing none of the victim’s testimony. Speaking about his pastoral counseling relationship with Kelley, he said, “It has not been the focus of our prayer, study of scripture, or discussions to evaluate the laws of the state of Minnesota. ... My relationship with [him] has nothing to do with legal matters.” (official transcript of sentencing hearing 6-18-2001 State of Minnesota vs. Kelley Otter Tail County Court File No. K2-00-1198)

At the same hearing, Judge Senyk said to Kelley, “By your written statement, you deny any wrongdoing, implying that the victim lied in her testimony. ... You are clearly sorry for your decision to ... cross that boundary. That is not remorse for your criminal conduct in injuring another human being.”

After the recent “civil” suit decision regarding former Lutheran Pastor Trautman, another Lutheran pastor is reported by the Forum (Feb. 10) as saying that he took some comfort in the jury’s decision because the church and synod did all they could do.

After former Catholic Priest Fischer’s confession brought to light two other priests suspected of child sexual abuse, another priest is quoted (Forum Feb. 19) as saying about one of them, “We told him, ‘Do not say anything to us.’” The Forum further reported that “Church leaders asked [the offending priest] not to respond to the allegations, mostly to protect themselves in court.” Still another priest said in response, “The church is doing a tremendous amount of good work and the actions of a few should not taint the immense good the church is doing in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Forum Feb. 21).

Three men, three denominations, three responses. One Gospel.

If there is anything more damaging to the Gospel than its messengers abusing power, it is the church’s collective response. From duplicity, to the expression of “any” comfort with institutional vindication, to a “no talk rule,” to rationalization, anything less than total acceptance of responsibility by the church for the “trauma” inflicted by these abuses of power occurring in its midst is another form of abusing power because it is merely the “voice of a mother enabling her powerful husband to molest her children in her home.”

And abusing power “either way” is the antithesis of the Gospel – the “Good News” for the oppressed.

The collective response we have heard tends to re-victimize those who instead need to distinguish between the power of abuse and the power of the Gospel. This difference needs to be made loud and clear, over and over again, so that they never confuse Jesus Christ with what has happened to them. They need the voice of a shepherd laying down his life for his sheep, not a voice that publicly (and subtly) defends its power in these ways.

For, “power” in the Gospel is like this, “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” From this position, it is impossible to abuse power. From any other position the possibility exists.

That clergy sexual abuse occurs across denomination lines with any frequency says something about power in the church. Has the power of the Holy Spirit been replaced by a power that corrupts?

We seem to be at a point in the world where to “risk” further abuse of women, children and the Gospel “in” the church is unthinkable. It undermines the Gospel’s credibility and the Church’s witness in the world.

The answer for abuse of power?

Give it up.
 

Dwight Lysne is a board certified adolescent and adult psychiatrist. He also is a senior seminary student at Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, nearing completion of a Masters of Divinity. Dawn Lysne is a board certified family physician. The Lysnes have six children and live in Fargo. They can be reached at Dhlysne@aol.com