Thursday, May 24, 2012

WE OFFER OUR LOVE, COMPASSION AND SUPPORT TO THE CHILDREN IN HAITI WHO WERE SEXUALLY ABUSED BY LUTHERAN PASTOR, REV. LARRY BOLLINGER

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VICTIMS/SURVIVORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE STAND SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE COURAGEOUS AND FRIGHTENED CHILDREN IN HAITI WHO ARE TESTIFYING AGAINST U.S.CITIZEN, REV. LARRY BOLLINGER.

WE WANT THE VICTIMS IN HAITI TO KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

Prosecutors say that four child sexual abuse victims were identified, but Rev. Bollinger, an ECLA pastor,  was charged with sexually abusing two girls, ages 11 and 12.

Prosecutors said Rev. Bollinger met the victims, who were from Port-au-Prince, when they came to the Village of Hope, a sub-ministry of The Lazarus Project. A mostly Lutheran ministry, the Lazarus Project runs a vocational school and medical clinic. The Village of Hope school is for preschoolers through 11th-graders, 30 minutes outside of Port Au Prince.

Rev. Bollinger served as Executive Director of the Village of Hope from January 2004 to decemner 2009. It is horrifying to realize that this dangerous child molester had unlimited access to poor, orphaned and vulnerable, Haitan children for six years.

Experience tells us that many more children were sexually abused by Rev. Bollinger in both Haiti and in the United States.

When credible allegations of child sexual abuse were first made known to the Board of Directors of the Lazarus Project, board members did the right thing. Rev. Bollinger was removed immediately from his position with the school.

SECRETS DON"T PROTECT CHILDREN - Unfortunately, the Lazarus Project's board members kept the real reason for Rev. Bollinger's removal a secret.

Rev. Bollinger's bosses at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also kept the child sexual abuse allegations a secret.

Neither party warned communities in Haiti and the United States that Rev. Bollinger was removed from his position in Haiti due to credible and substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse.

It's been almost two and one-half years between Rev. Bollinger's dismissal from the Village of Hope and his arrest by U.S. investigators on two counts of child sexual abuse.

Where has Rev. Bollinger been during this time?

Have innocent children been warned and protected?

And now, ELCA priests like Rev. Nancy Kraft and members of  the Trinity Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC are doing everything in their power to defend and protect the child molester and are all but outright calling the litlle girls liars who have reported their sexual been sexual abuse by Rev. Bollinger.

Check out Rev. Kraft's Blog. Click here.

URGENT - What can you do to help? Click here.

Here's The Lazarus Project's announcement that Rev. Bollinger will no longer be serving as Executive Director of Village of Hope:

Leadership Changes

The Lazarus Board of Directors regrets to make the following announcement: Larry Bollinger will no longer be serving as Director of Village of Hope. The Board has taken initial steps to begin the process of hiringa new director. In the meantime Debbie Berquist, who serves at Village of Hope as our Medical Director,has been named Interim Director of Haiti operations.

She will work closely with the Lazarus Project Board of Directors to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly during this transition period. Debbie, the staff and the board will need your prayers and support during this diffi cult time.

Because we believe Jesus Christ is the ultimate director of our work in Haiti, we are confident the many challenges and opportunities that lie along the path of those involved in spreading the Good News through service and offerings can be met and dealt with successfully. We now face an unexpected challenge, but with everyone’s prayers andcommitment we will continue the work with the enthusiasm and support needed to meet the every dayneeds and goals of the Lazarus Project.

Much has been done by many people over the past 14 years to solidify and expand the efforts of the growing number of American Christians who want to help make God’s presence felt among Haiti’s poverty-stricken masses. Leadership comes and goes, but we move on in the confi dence that God will provide for our every need in this ministry effort which, as has often been noted, is “not our ministry but His.”


1 comment:

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