Douglas Lay March 24, 2022
Steve Wingfield, pastor of First Christian Church of Florissant, the elders, and the entire congregation are being sued by a John Doe 2 in a civil lawsuit.
Several years before this civil suit, I publicly wrote about the crisis at FCCF, which I repost here:
The crisis at FCCF was birthed out of mismanagement, deception, cover-up, and denial--by the elders and Steve Wingfield at First Christian Church of Florissant--of allegations of sexual misconduct by Brandon Milburn towards 6 minors--an extremely serious situation since Brandon is a convicted child molester of two different victims!
So how have the elders dealt with the mismanagement, deception, cover-up and denial of the allegations?
These elders have sent the lead elder, Wingfield, the initiator of the mismanagement, deception, cover-up, and denial, on a six-month paid sabbatical;
these elders have refused to investigate the initial allegations by talking with the parent (Dawn Varvil) who brought the allegations to them;
these elders filed a lawsuit, asking for $25,000 and punitive damages against those of us (Douglas Lay, Titus and Kari Benton, Dawn Varvil) who simply told them about the allegations;
these elders then publicly posted on the FCCF church website that they never intended to seek financial penalties although the lead elder (Wingfield) signed his name on the lawsuit;
these elders dropped the lawsuit after pubic pressure from the press "without prejudice" 48 hours before the lawsuit would have been dropped "with prejudice";
these elders have continued to ban six people from the church property;
these elders posted two documents on the FCCF church website with numerous falsehoods along with the dropped lawsuit;
these elders attended the court hearing where the temporary restraining order was denied, yet continue to post the TRO on the church's web site;
these elders mailed out a document in June of 2015 containing multiple falsehoods that was refuted by Titus Benton;
these elders have not reached out personally to the two victims and their families;
these elders supported the decision to provide limited free counseling by requiring victims to contact a staff member (Dennis H.) at the very church that had employed their predator, that had covered-up the allegations of their abuse, and who sued the whistle blowers of the allegations;
these elders supported a staff member (Virgil B.) who offered to take custody of Brandon if he had been released on bail;
these elders supported the wife of a staff member (Barb B.) who testified at Brandon's sentencing saying, "I want you to please believe me, if I had any doubt that Brandon would harm any young person now or in the future...I wouldn't be standing on this side to speak for Brandon." and "I believe he is a very different man than the kid of years ago. I think he exhibits security, not fear, patience, not impulse, and wisdom..";
these elders promised to answer questions asked by me, Kari Benton, and numerous other individuals but who did not keep their promises;
these elders supported the church dropping mission support to Eric and Melisa Davis because he was part of the Restore FCCF group;
these elders oversee and support three staff members who are related to the lead elder who initiated the mismanagement, deception, cover-up, and denial of the original allegations of sexual misconduct by Brandon;
these elders, through a staff member (Dennis H.), are asking people, after all of this, to support their leadership, "The leaders need (I need) your grace and support. Trust is something earned so I don't ask blinding for that but I do ask for grace and support for men who are doing the best with what they have at this point;
The elders are like the youngest son--who after demanding his inheritance, squandering it in a distant land, and feeding pigs on a farm--are asking other people (Dennis H. and Joe M.) to write to his father, demanding the father to come to the distant land to help him feed pigs on the farm and asking the father to provide grace and support for the youngest son BEFORE he ever came to his senses and said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."
I am ready to celebrate with a feast as I wait for the son to return, but I will not be making a home delivery of a fattened calf to a distant land!
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