Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Date: September 20, 2018 07:08AM
I had some sexual assault experiences pre-walk. I remember vividly the details of each attack and situationally where I was but if I had to put dates and times to the events, that would be difficult. These traumatic events occurred during the wild 60's and I was an adult before I could look objectively at what happened and recognize that I was not complicit in my own attack -- if that makes sense. One of the events was by a close friend and I only spoke of it for the first time in the last year. So I waited almost 50 years before talking about it.
I saw a couple of red flags in the walk - they were tiny, definitely not overt, and as others have done, I quickly dismissed my own internal warning bells. Both red flags had to do with JRS.
I once spoke to my mom and my sister and each of us could relate experiences of attempted rape in our lives. I don't know about younger generations but at least to the generation of women born in 1950 and before (Mom was born in 1919) there was an assumption that men could take whatever they wanted, including women.
I am deeply alarmed by actions that took place in TLWF of sexual abuse (including assault and seduction). Abuse of power is so ugly. The abuse of that power within the context of a church where people deposit their trust for their leaders to such a depth - that is more than ugly. That is diseased at the core.
There are many ways all of us had our trust violated. I hope we can all speak up, be heard, and cause change.
I think I exposed my identity several months ago when I posted about my cousin Bob McClane. But if it is any additional comfort to people, my name is Mary L. Wyatt and I am a walk survivor.
I like my Onion nickname and will continue to write on this forum under that name. I may even get a tattoo. ;-)