tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post2245378647364048071..comments2024-03-17T16:21:14.907-05:00Comments on Stop Baptist Predators: To the people of FBC-OrlandoChrista Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-1649831717970556892014-05-28T15:43:20.092-05:002014-05-28T15:43:20.092-05:00Dear Anon 5/16/2014: I am greatly grieved to learn...Dear Anon 5/16/2014: I am greatly grieved to learn that you too were victimized by Tommy Gilmore. From what you say, I am guessing that his abuse of you probably occurred while he was a minister at FBC-Atlanta? Is this correct? Is this why he left FBC-Atlanta and moved to Florida? In any event, his abuse of you happened after his abuse of me, which means that the ministers at my childhood church who knew about him were complicit in his abuse of you. They allowed him to move on to another church even while knowing that he had abused a kid . . . and so you were greatly harmed as a result. And I imagine that many more were harmed as well. Please email me: christa@stopbaptistpredators.org Christa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-35706910005619942552014-05-16T11:23:30.716-05:002014-05-16T11:23:30.716-05:00I was a victim of Tommy Gilmore too, after you. I...I was a victim of Tommy Gilmore too, after you. It has caused me considerable grief and suffering. I called him a number of years ago (after he left 1st Baptist Atlanta) to confront him, and he was remorseful and apologized. I agree that he should not be in a leadership role and that Baptist leadership did nothing to stop this when they knew about it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-6423745609260016352011-01-12T17:54:12.656-06:002011-01-12T17:54:12.656-06:00He is a monster.He is a monster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-35644121350367302112011-01-10T09:18:37.106-06:002011-01-10T09:18:37.106-06:00Thank-you, David. I too feel enormous sorrow for a...Thank-you, David. I too feel enormous sorrow for all that has been done to so many of us, and for the faith community's constant refusal to see.<br /><br />The article David is talking about, with numerous "rage-hate" comments at the bottom is <a href="http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4142&Itemid=53" rel="nofollow">here.</a> And of course, David is exactly right. Their own words show them for who they are and demonstrate why there must be trained outsiders to assess clergy abuse allegations. I wrote more about it here: <a href="http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2009/06/harsh-words-make-my-point.html" rel="nofollow">"Harsh words make my point."</a>Christa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-50823009252246778052011-01-10T03:00:49.880-06:002011-01-10T03:00:49.880-06:00Ug. I read the first article you linked to, which ...Ug. I read the first article you linked to, which seemed reasonable, and then I got to the comments, which were a rage-hate against you by psychotic, frothing at the month, hateful "true believers". Their response to a story about a young girl being raped validates every thing you have said. Reading the comments with their defense of pedophilia ("there's nothing we can do!"), and their blaming of the innocent victim, made me so sick, I had to close the browser and lie down.<br /><br />I am so sorry for what happened to you, and to my family, and to all of us that have been through this or known someone who has.Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-55390599854759506082011-01-08T11:41:39.366-06:002011-01-08T11:41:39.366-06:00Anonymous, I'm so sorry that happened to you. ...Anonymous, I'm so sorry that happened to you. Church leaders often twist and pervert scripture to meet their own agenda. If they believed you, they didn't need another "witness". The pastor clearly wasn't "above reproach"!Wendynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-5909539675445985992011-01-07T13:01:22.598-06:002011-01-07T13:01:22.598-06:00I was sexually abused by a pastor as a child and a...I was sexually abused by a pastor as a child and as an adult. When I told on the pastor as an adult, the church officials told me I they believed me but I could not get him dismissed unless I had another victim. Fortunately, I did. But the fact that they needed that was disturbing and they said that was Biblical.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-25203026637275540362011-01-03T19:36:49.484-06:002011-01-03T19:36:49.484-06:00Makes me sick and does not surprise me at all. Ju...Makes me sick and does not surprise me at all. Just another reason not to trust those in AUTHORITY in the SBC church. He ought to come to Memphis and go to Bellevue. I'm sure Steve Gaines would welcome him with open arms.PGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-1704363351215800182011-01-03T15:40:04.052-06:002011-01-03T15:40:04.052-06:00I am posting this on my facebook page.
I know the...I am posting this on my facebook page. <br />I know there are many who would prefer not to hear about the ongoing problem of Baptist clergy abuse again but if it protects one person that's something. We can stop the cover ups and secrets with our web presence. This isn't a case of speculation...this man finally admitted his crime of sexual abuse while a minister. <br />I wish more people would read your well written and documented book about this predators crime and the years of cover up by other ministers.Valarienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-4203990969212131382011-01-02T17:23:25.219-06:002011-01-02T17:23:25.219-06:00What makes Southern Baptist officials so callous a...What makes Southern Baptist officials so callous and heartless? WHY would they lie? WHY would they allow a monster who hurts children to hold ministerial positions in prominent Baptist churches?Wendynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-12926313234904223962011-01-02T16:57:49.524-06:002011-01-02T16:57:49.524-06:00"I have no reason to think..."
Actually...<i>"I have no reason to think..."</i><br /><br />Actually . . . history provides a reason. Even if Southern Baptist officials were to flat-out put it in a letter that Gilmore was not working in ministry in any church, I would still have reason to believe that he still is . . . because that's exactly what happened before. The Southern Baptist Convention wrote to me that they had no record he was working in ministry in any Southern Baptist church . . . and in fact he was . . . and furthermore, he had been all along, and he had been at very prominent churches. So, when I finally put together the pieces, it was mighty hard for me to believe that no one knew he was a minister.Christa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-5408765159733868542011-01-02T16:08:52.238-06:002011-01-02T16:08:52.238-06:00This makes me heartsick. I grieve for the childho...This makes me heartsick. I grieve for the childhood innocence that Christa lost when she was physically, psychologically, and spiritually raped and molested by this monster, Gilmore. I grieve for other children and teens who have been under his leadership. Research shows that predators don't stop, so it is highly probable that other kids were hurt during the many years Gilmore served in ministry. Gilmore's ability to move easily among prominent Southern Baptist churches is evidence that they don't care. If the church truly cared for their children, Gilmore wouldn't be allowed on their premises, much less PAID staff.Wendynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-90778467343164713892011-01-02T14:51:08.931-06:002011-01-02T14:51:08.931-06:00I have no reason to think that FBC-Orlando has act...I have no reason to think that FBC-Orlando has actually hired Gilmore. But what would stop them? What would stop some other Baptist church from hiring him? He didn't have any problem getting hired at Charles Stanley's megachurch in Atlanta, despite the fact that Baptist ministers in Texas knew about him.<br /><br />With Baptists, if a man isn't sitting in prison, he can probably find a pulpit to stand in. No matter how many in-house reports of abuse he may have, there is no denominational system that will stop him, or that will even warn people in the pews.<br /><br /><i>"What does that tell us?"</i><br />That Baptist clergy-predators believe they are safe in Baptist churches.Christa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04560409585720043015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-7569412406597535622011-01-02T12:22:20.904-06:002011-01-02T12:22:20.904-06:00Well, here is proof that FBCOrlando cares little a...Well, here is proof that FBCOrlando cares little about their teens. They have NO problem hiring a sexual predator minister.<br /><br />One wonders why a sexual predator never publicly repented and got out of ministry? What does that tell us?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874123597623259718.post-71045974267039630192011-01-02T12:20:41.620-06:002011-01-02T12:20:41.620-06:00What on earth would be the purpose for hiring this...What on earth would be the purpose for hiring this guy? How could they NOT know about him? What are they smoking down there?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com