ioe An alt Joe Deer Riek, Zam Poe sad fo be writing this fetter. You and 5: have Shown Se mek kindness [eee a Yo Tom and Fo our family ovte Tha past fire years. These memes a make cr possibly te kepe phat ~ Tetter will Contri bite fo an eadarstanding) on FEE Te och fad te Tom's resigmactios ane My pudarstanding Of fhe sipuation (from Tom) 15 rhe following ¢ Tom Committed very specips and concrete. wets |ashich art pwoould oll Cad/ Jadiserttions Zt Wes right for Fhe welders FO Com front him on These wets whin Hay Come yo 7% att ations Fem confessed to youlelders) gud fo Phe appended partras phat fee acts were Sins and he pacluded o% Ae Ce mpessiin phat provi Feerghts nd 7 Phe offenses | ashen it became. Hemown fo & lange nom bee gf fomileds on fee emanation That Phase pheidents hed occurred 4 7% was decided 1 discuss 7h matters of TH Jndiscre trons) and of Jom rep raion Tham oe TE pach family F Hoa. Congregation. curd Paroug hed His Pees: | Jost eseek tad Tom Pereetved & shigt > 7H discussion . Through our comments to) Tomy (F nw opprered fo him thet beth you and other ret bers of ja congregation Were Longer speek s’s gM wept wert Speer eee te ciberssien Spread dshim on Sercsus Som time fer ehh he hed apelegtzed. ms “ ” red fo be op erry sapect “> his befe eat pf ‘ ; Montag nigit 7 attempted te AMINE haw Hee dislevssemm ped changed) Ye° silenced hem with o sheng re oe. Ti jy) on Madepinite Ha 6th you requind F poblic miblatiy» 2) & 6e snvited te Anpress Their ope ee minister ot Milles Valley = gegpesad ly Pig wevid tactade 7% “aualvasing op his Spride” 9.) Phe erm reget OL be facited te watch Tom closely for 30 ckys aap pan which Pha comyreg atv wevld aealente ihe Sincerity F hes) def ent once” On Mendey Suspension from pn ehech aff ould be nd kis ability Fe ble Congreyatyenal mechly tang wboet a)Be metered : face Jem etna ai aOR eg Crecerved Phrovg Tom's | ayes amd care) my batten 18 woretian sm He spit G hehe 3 “rg ier ea against you rebuke him" Siten pol are a louriy fa tim of Yhree Children y yrw will vadietend bow we are deeply grind atl spfaied ip we parcerne Phat ovr chi fdren have been misstated, ZL Can Say hat Z hae ro ene eet Prats your sens and daughter ar yer hove Puated Tom 7 This matter. hen you allowed the discussion po fern (and ee aed : | discossitn) from Phe origtsally spreipid snipel sete to Te Vagverite of Sprida sa gameral y That eves O Sin eget if Tom, plan yeu pripeced he Sperigee measwres of Men (iia you recom mended The satellemble. You were Proper’ dia Procecduns regularly enepleye d Seen caleae intention f breaking a person Pix the lag ically, Groep er Com munity Crifierim wlong with group or Commeunity judgment p Tre Steearity ” ap ones shaping -op 15 very des Prrepin. Zt ss eseally Sudered jlo ovte sigves Ika humility j lore, Riadness , slacerity. These Ane Suppiciimtly jl defined ov subj eetise reali tits Phat| meme Com cove Say he fs bem BR aansegh 1 Inviig emengh » Screane leno ugh. have is “no Thtg Cmerete, yer Fhe charges foveh ow Sel Com deomrta tiny werent 4 Aare areas, These searerses do We ome any frat we reed spre net lead fo hemsility bet % hem Natron. Z bape cet your childrin to community er ticity evaluate ly with Ke Meevesin framed pm | men — | attengs fo subj end jedyment ) especial! emerete atti tedes gp heart a | Apter you bad Conprmted Tim the compres d hit sik and renounced fupre repetiqon F sash Specified behavior y IF joo ae necassary for Tee alder fo sroleate wvhetin My oF Fa ergrgetion Could Row accapht Tom as pasty. Some tices siditere hing Conrpasced, afelg ried fry end pt ame7 Jeave pega snrety ender ave | Jeadirghip . Elders must evelvate elettar #7 Bs wide for hey memishy fo Continve at Miller Volley or whe Ther Tia offouses oudanceraed Fhe frost pp Tee Cmgmyation - Zp te Jotler jvdged fo be wove) Hen fhe elders may mgk a ministe Fe TI" Bot ry mer not porn fo Phe marsh formes Fong rygetrimalin amd mvash| Feel hands ge eldrstip Pespon si bili Hoe, | | (2) | |phe im hee Ju 2 Lata ae Coypuesed Fo all Hat he has Pisa he hae rneade, Mosel setremely velraratle. That ts why yo keke 173) om bord Jastreett dame diite With Fea rsacerts you propered Tam fost ll Sofisiat rere, Thus Potions tie as his pal GS Wo, PT hen had met beer SEAT : tet BE OW can sen, em cn TH cireoms Ponce Aa po hy eta with goed faclinge tn Te part fT oF he garents. Under 9 Qircuns fonen, 17 vould hare bean wilh anes acd regret Gt might hare Come wth me teal respect -exprecsed- | Aim A Sr reercly y Alb babsNovember 21, 2000 Dear Walt, ‘Your sadness at the events that took place in Prescott on November 8 is our sadness as well. It was never our intent to see this matter come to the conclusion that it i. Inesponse to the Jeter you wrote tous prior to speaking with us, we must carect you on what you heard from Tom, who apparently hes misread or misheard the things we told him at our meeting on November 6: | 1) We were retuming him to his full duties and responsibilities as Pastor effective the following Sunday. 2) A congregational meeting was scheduled for the evening of Novembet 8 with the intent that the Elders would let the congregation know what we were doing in this matter and how we desired them to respond in the next 30/days. We were to exhort them to continue to love him, care for him, talk to him, and listen to him during this probationary period. Walt, how could we expect the body to observe the change they desired to see in his ministry if he were not ministering? We were not seeking input from the body at this time. | 3) On December 6, we were calling for a day of prayer and fast and to convene a congregational meeting in the evening. At this meeting, we were to hear from. the body. Had they seen sufficient change, not over just the specific sin {ssue, which most had already forgiven him for, but had they seen a heart. change of attitude in his relationship to his flock? We beg to elaborate, | The sin thatthe Elders brought before Tom was one of inappropriate discipline of church family’s child. Tom was spanking a young boy he was tutoring after school with various objects (boat oar, whiffle-ball bat, ruler, hand) on numerous occasions, incliding ‘one bare bottom spanking that left welts and bruises on the child’s rear end and Teg. This hhad been going on for one year before the Elders were made aware of it. Two other | | families have also revealed to the Elders that their children have received corporal Punishment. In all, Tom has inappropriately disciplined three boys and one girl, all tinder the age of 13, and all in a tutorial setting at the parsonage. Why? Missed math Problems...putting a drink on the table...forgetting a missed word in reciting a catechism| problem! We are hard-pressed to fathom all of this. The Elders and the parents involved are in the process of documenting all of these reports in writing. We would be glad to provide them to you upon request. Also, the family visitations with The Elders and Tom allowed families t@ express their concems over matters that have surfaced in the past five years, none of these concems which were new to Tom, They had been dealt with in discussions between Tom and the Elders and at times, with individual church ‘members. These issues include behaviors by Tom that involved rudeness, anger, a quick temper, an unwillingness to listen and general, and lack of care, compassion and love forthe flock. Specific examples include public scolding and rebuke of teenagers over the simple desire to give a stray dog water after a particular service. A myriad of other examples can be ‘provided In spite of this type of behavior, we have been blessed as a body by Tom’ teaching and preaching. We have grown much as a body in the past five years and thank God for His work of sanctification in Tom, the Elders and the body at large, But the latest ‘revelation of sin mentioned eatlier in this letter ‘tipped the scales for Miller Valley Baptist Church. Our people have loved Tom. The Elders have attempted to work with Tom in certain behaviors as they have surfaced, and in some cases resurfaced. Forgiveness was given, but Walt, actions have consequences. Our body wanted change. To a person, they were looking forward to having Tom retura to his ministry on November 12. But it was clear to the Elders thatthe people wanted change. They did not want to go back told Patterns, old behaviors. You were correct in your assessment that we were beginning to lose confidence in our Pastor, but there was still time to work this through. Thus, the Elders united in the decision made, presented our plans to Tom on November 6 we were anxious to share this decision with the body on the 8. ‘Needless-to-say, that | opportunity never happened. | 18s the opinion ofthe Elders that Tom has done much damage tothe church and to himself by resigning in such fashion. He was encouraged by us not to do this andto place his trust in how the Lord was leading us in this matter. Have we been perfect in the way we have dealt with this matter? Far from it. We've. erred on not holding our Pastor more accountable in areas where he has offended others. We had hoped that some of these traits would be overcome with age and maturity, We desired to hold him in highestesteem according to what we have been commanded to do in Scripture. We have shade excuses for his behavior, citing his youth, his singleness, and his pessimism, in hopes of softening some of the rough edges. Never have we endured such a trial as this. | We have the utmost respect for you and we know that this is a most difficult trial for your family and the church in Catlisle, But the tral here has been real. It has been painful. Several of our children have been “mistreated”, Its still incomprehensible to us as to how these actions by Tom were justified. Legally, what Tom did would be considered child abuse and could be subject to prosecution. We hope someday to get answers. It is still a great concem of ours that Tom does not fully understand the gravity of this matter. In conclusion, we the Elders of Miller Valley Baptist Church are going to requesting from Pastor David Dykstra, Chairman of the ARBCA Membership | Committee, a council from the Association to help us bring this matter to resolution. We have seen in countless times and ways how God has been and continues to be faithful to His church. [tis our eamest prayer that He will again manifest such gras these days ahead, to all of us. In His service, a Richard Howe a Eric Owens cet Poe Sele,