wfn.org | Presbyterians suggest United Methodists probe abuse reports

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Oct. 3, 2002  News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-21-31-71B{447}

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom and Tim Tanton*

A Presbyterian committee that investigated charges of sexual abuse of
missionary children between 1945 and 1978 in the Congo is recommending the
United Methodist Church conduct a similar investigation.

The 173-page report of the "Independent Committee of Inquiry," established
in 2000 by the General Assembly Council Executive Committee, Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), was publicly released Oct. 1.

After a year and a half of research and interviews, the committee concluded
that sexual and physical abuse did occur during that period in the Congo at
two locations. The first was the Central School, a boarding school for
Presbyterian missionaries' children in Lubondai run by the American
Presbyterian Congo Mission from 1945 until its closing in 1968. The second
was the Methodist-Presbyterian Hostel in Kinshasa, which began operation in
1968 but has since closed. The hostel, where children lived while attending
the American School of Kinshasa, was administered by adults from both the
Methodist and Presbyterian mission community.

In a background statement, the committee's report notes that the
investigation began after eight women alleged in 1998 that the late Rev.
William Pruitt, a former Presbyterian missionary, had sexually abused them
when they were missionary children. The names of the alleged offenders	-
including that of Pruitt, who died in 1999  - were not disclosed in the
general report. Those names and specific details about incidents of abuse
are contained in a confidential "Need-to-Know" supplement.

However, Presbyterian media reports identify Pruitt as the man that the
committee named in 48 specific incidents of abuse involving 22 girls, with
the actual count presumed to be higher. Speakers at an Oct. 1 press
conference said Pruitt would have had access to Methodist children at the
hostel in Kinshasa and that Methodist women are part of a survivors group.
Pruitt denied the accusations before he died, according to the news reports.

An adult male Methodist missionary is cited in the report as having abused
female Presbyterian missionary children attending the American School of
Kinshasa between 1968 and 1970. Those abuses included "inappropriate sexual
contact" with younger female children during story-time periods, according
to the report. 

He also "endangered a Presbyterian missionary child by driving at a high
rate of speed, such that the child fell out of the van and suffered serious
physical injury," the committee said. "He returned her to the hostel and
left her in the care of other students. Several hours passed before another
adult arrived and transported her for necessary medical attention."

The report includes a brief account of sexual molestation charges by an
adolescent female student against the man, who was serving as a house parent
at the hostel.	"In its April 13-15, 1970 minutes, the hostel board censured
the house parent for his 'lack of judgment' in the incident, though it saw
'no intent of impropriety' in his conduct," the report said. The Methodist
African bishop, who wasn't named, allowed the male missionary and his wife
to stay at the hostel until the end of the school year, according to the
committee.

The Presbyterian panel noted that it had not received the cooperation it had
wanted from United Methodist agencies. "The General Board of Global
Ministries of the United Methodist Church declined our request to review
some of its mission personnel records. The Methodist Board of Pensions
similarly refused to help us locate Methodist families whose children had
lived at the Methodist-Presbyterian Hostel and who might have been victims
of one of the perpetrators being investigated. On the other hand, most
retired Methodist missionaries whom we contacted for information were
extremely helpful."

Officials with both United Methodist agencies disagreed with the report's
characterization of their response and expressed concern about the
situation.

 "We feel deep compassion if there were any children that were abused in any
way," said the Rev. Randolph Nugent, top staff executive of the Board of
Global Ministries in New York.	"We would think that justice needs to be
done. We would be very cooperative in that regard.

"The Presbyterians did not ask us to participate in the study," he said.
"They only asked us for a list of Methodist missionaries in Africa whose
children were staying at the hostel, and they wanted information from the
files about the specific people." In keeping with the board's personnel
policies, that confidential information could not be released, he explained.
"I want to be very clear that it's not a matter of noncooperation."

He said the agency would want to talk to the people involved in the cases.
"We have no persons who have come forward to us with concerns about abuse,"
he said. 

Records that the board has reviewed so far "do not show anything with
reference to that matter," he said. The identity of the African bishop
referred to in the committee's report is also unclear.

"I'm going to be in touch with the Presbyterians about any data they have
that might be helpful to us," Nugent said. He will report on the matter to
the board's governing directors, meeting later in October. 

The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits had no records to
review, a spokesman said.

 "We care deeply about issues of misconduct or abuse and will help to
address problems identified by the denomination," said Michael Lee, with the
churchwide benefits agency in Evanston, Ill. "We do not have or keep
information on missionaries."

The agency  "did not deny the inquiry's access to records," he said. "We had
no records to access."

The investigative committee recommended the Presbyterian General Assembly
Council Executive Committee share the report with the United Methodist
Church "with the request that it convene a similar inquiry and express a
commitment to cooperate with such an endeavor."

It explained that it was "hindered in our ability to pursue certain reports
of perpetration," including acts against Methodist children by a
Presbyterian and acts committed by Methodist personnel against Presbyterian
children, because of what it described as the lack of cooperation from
United Methodist agencies.

According to the report, committee members also "received significant
reports of abusive behaviors by Methodist missionaries toward Methodist
children," but noted that those allegations were beyond the scope of the
Presbyterian investigation. 

"A similar inquiry by another denomination that was significantly involved
in mission in the Congo/Zaire would further the purpose of the truth of harm
against children being known and promote the possibility of healing, justice
and education within that community of faith," the report stated.

The Independent Committee of Inquiry, which was not charged with taking
disciplinary action or reaching conclusions about civil legal liability,
made 30 recommendations for other types of response in its report to the
Presbyterian Church. According to a news report by The Presbyterian Outlook,
the executive committee of the church's General Assembly Council has voted
to send a letter of apology to the victims of abuse.

# # #

*Bloom is New York news director and Tanton is news editor for United
Methodist News Service.

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United Methodist News Service
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