Just before Christmas, I told you about a story that, in a nutshell, sums up the mentality of rampant victim blaming and victim shaming that has long been SOP in the fundie world. More than a quarter-century ago, John Longaker, a teacher at an independent fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) school north of Philadelphia, began counseling one of his students, Kelly Haines. However, Longaker’s idea of “counseling” soon crossed the line into sexual intercourse. Kelly finally blew the whistle on Longaker after she graduated. Longaker, who by this time was working in Massachusetts and living in New Hampshire, confessed. He was arrested and bundled back to Pennsylvania for trial.
However, it soon became apparent that Kelly was too traumatized for a trial. Additionally, Kelly told me that despite dozens of people giving depositions detailing accusations of past debauchery on Longaker’s part, no one else was willing to testify—no doubt because in the IFB world, if you speak up about sexual assault, you could be held responsible for the abuser going to hell. As a result, prosecutors offered Longaker the deal of a lifetime. Instead of the 20 years minimum that he would have faced if convicted, he was allowed to plead guilty to reduced charges that called for two years in prison, the last of which was spent on probation. He also avoided having to register as a sex offender.
Fast forward to 2014, when Kelly discovered that Longaker had become pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Castleton, Vermont, near Rutland. Even worse, it doesn’t appear they checked his background. She’s tried to knock the scales off his flock’s eyes to no avail, and has spent the last four-plus years trying to turn the hot lights on him.
As hideous as this is, a bombshell report from the Burlington Free Press reveals just how hideous it is. It turns out that, with few exceptions, his church is circling the wagons around him.
Since they were told in 2014 of Longaker's criminal convictions, church leaders have continued to stand by their pastor. They say they believe Longaker pleaded guilty to crimes he did not commit.
"The Lord has appointed him as pastor, and the Lord will remove him. Not anyone else," said Don Wood, an elder at the church, in a telephone interview. Wood said he has known Longaker for 12 years and has never witnessed or been told of any impropriety.
As it turns out, the first that anyone at Fellowship Bible Church heard about this case was when Kelly contacted them. The elders spoke with Longaker and ultimately concluded that these were—wait for it—“unfounded allegations.” Indeed, they didn’t see fit to tell the congregation about it. Even more staggering, Wood said that even if he’d known about the convictions, he would have still supported hiring Longaker. Apparently they only saw the guy who’d been teaching Sunday school there since 2003 before taking the pulpit in 2010.
The notion that these were just “unfounded allegations” is news to the man who prosecuted the case, Terence Houck. When Houck, a veteran sex-crimes prosecutor, found out that Longaker had somehow wormed his way into a pulpit, he said that he would be “worried as hell” for any small children in that church. Why?
"This type of behavior is in you," Houck said. He added, regarding Longaker, "There's no middle ground with someone like him."
In a colossal understatement, Houck, who is now a prosecutor in the Lehigh Valley, said that failing to disclose criminal charges of this nature is a sign of “lack of rehabilitation.”
As harsh as this is, he’d probably be even more outraged if he heard that Longaker now denies having ever confessed, and claims that he is innocent. Does that mean this confession is a lie, John?
Boz Tchividjian of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) was equally dumbfounded. Tchividjian, who is a former prosecutor himself, said that background checks are “absolutely critical” for vetting a potential pastor. In a book he co-authored about the steps to take when considering a candidate for the pulpit, Tchividjian said—in a classic understatement—that background checks are “a basic minimum precaution.” This is backed up by the CDC’s child sexual abuse prevention guide, which recommends close vetting even for those you know well.
The fact that Fellowship Bible Church didn’t even bother to do such vetting is alarming, to say the least. If you’ll recall, Longaker was initially charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, child endangerment, indecent assault and corruption of minors—some of the very same charges for which Jerry Sandusky was racked up years later. Even if the charges had been pleaded down, a quick Google search would have turned up the story in the (Allentown) Morning Call detailing the original charges. You would think that it would have been a bridge too far for any church, even an IFB one—especially in the wake of the Tina Anderson and Josh Duggar sagas. Apparently not.
Even more outrageous is the fact that this church and what passes for leadership there is still standing by him. If I read this right, these gentlemen—a term that, in this case, must be used in its loosest possible sense—would have still hired Longaker even if they knew about the charges. I’d wondered how Chuck Phelps was able to get away with slut-shaming Tina, and how Jim Bob and Michelle were able to get away with slow-walking Josh’s molestation of his sisters and other girls. Now I have my answer.
Past experience led me to expect Fellowship Bible Church to circle the wagons. But to say, publicly and loudly, that they really don’t care if their pastor is a confessed sexual abuser? Houck is right to be afraid for anyone with small children over there.
Keep this story filed away. If any sort of abuse happens at that church, whether it involves Longaker or not, this story should be Exhibit A in any lawsuit—if not against the church, then against Wood and the other elders. Let this church have it via the their contact form, or via email at castletonfbc at comcast dot net.