Pastor, Accuser Settle out of Court

Denton Record Chronicle ^ | 06.08.08 | Donna Fielder

[Coleus]

Two years after a woman filed a damage suit alleging Bolivar Baptist Church pastor Dale “Dickie” Amyx molested her as a 14-year-old and impregnated her when she was 18, the suit has been settled out of court. Debbie Vasquez, now 47, sued Amyx and the church in June 2006, alleging that he began having sex with her when he was 28 years old, married and the youth pastor of a now-defunct Lewisville church, Calvary Baptist. According to the court documents, he continued having sex with her after he was pastor of the Bolivar church by threatening her with guns and knives.

The Denton Record-Chronicle traditionally does not name victims of sexual assault, particularly children. But Vasquez requested that she be identified to shine a light on the issue of clergy sexual misconduct. Coming forward with the story, which she hid for many years until it was too late to press criminal charges, was part of her healing process, she said. She dropped the suit as part of a settlement agreement, she said, that included a written apology from Amyx and a cash payment.

“I made it clear in the beginning that I would sign no papers that limited me from talking or disclosing what happened. I had wanted this to go to court,” Vasquez said. “But my attorney told me to settle.” Vasquez said the suit had dragged on so long that a time deadline was looming, and she and her attorney agreed to the settlement before time ran out.

The settlement, according to a document provided to Vasquez by her attorney, included a $22,500 payment. The document showed $15,000 came from Amyx and $7,500 came from the church. After payment to the attorney and court costs, Vasquez realized $9,659.38. The suit was never was about money, Vasquez insists. It was the only venue left to illuminate a problem she believes is very prevalent among clergy — especially Baptists, who are not governed by a central church hierarchy.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas keeps a confidential list of clergy who have been found by their churches to have conducted themselves in an unethical way. But only a church can add to the list, and it is not made public. Vasquez said she asked the church to report Amyx to the general convention as part of the settlement but was refused. She provided a letter from Brian Cartwright, Bolivar Baptist Church’s attorney, that spoke of “non-monetary conditions” and Cartwright wrote that he could not advise his client, the church, to agree to them.

“It is my opinion that allowing a non-member to dictate church policy would be in violation of the church bylaws and its method of government,” the letter stated. Vasquez has joined a group called Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, which is trying to convince the convention to change that policy. “I tried to tell Sanger police about another young girl he was telling me about that I was afraid was going to be abused,” she said. “But I didn’t have a name, and they said there was nothing they could do.”

Amyx remains on paid leave from the church pulpit and said in a telephone interview he does not know what will happen next as far as his employment. “I’m just glad it’s over,” Amyx said. “It should have never happened.” The suit contended that the church “knew or should have known” about the pastor’s sexual relationship outside his marriage when he was hired. But in February, 367th District Judge Lee Gabriel separated the two defendants in the suit and signed a “summary judgment” that effectively dismissed the church from any wrongdoing.

Cartwright confirmed the outcome of the suit but declined comment on it and would not discuss Amyx’s relationship with the church now. “All I can say is, it’s been resolved,” Cartwright said. The Amyx family phone number is listed in the current Yellow Book as the church parsonage. No one answered the telephone at the church during repeated calls. Amyx’s wife, Melinda Amyx, said her husband was put on paid administrative leave in January 2007, a few weeks after a story appeared about the case in the Record-Chronicle. He has not preached a sermon at the church since then, she said, but he continues to be paid as pastor and they continue to be members. She teaches Sunday School and plays piano for the church.

“We’re just glad to have it resolved at last,” she said. Christa Brown, an Austin lawyer, is a clergy sexual abuse survivor and an activist for victims of Baptist clergy abuse. She took an interest in the Vasquez case. “The saddest thing about Debbie’s case is that, before she ever filed a lawsuit, she tried so hard to get help from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and no one would do anything,” she said via e-mail. “Now, here we are two years later, and Debbie has been dragged through hell in her efforts to try to expose the truth about this man and to protect others.”

The Baptist General Convention of Texas keeps the file confidential and will answer inquiries of other churches about whether a prospective pastor is on the list. “But most churches are like Bolivar,” Brown said. “When confronted with evidence about sexual abuse committed by a beloved pastor, they find ways to rationalize, excuse, minimize and deny, and they don’t report him,” she said. “So, despite the evidence — Amyx’s sworn deposition statements, Amyx’s apology letter, the paternity judgment, and Debbie’s own testimony — it does not appear that the Baptist General Convention of Texas will add Amyx’s name to its file of Baptist ministers who have committed sexual abuse. Why? Because the BGCT doesn’t accept abuse reports from mere victims, and because the church won’t report him. It’s a dysfunctional system that doesn’t work to protect others.”

[BlackVeil]

it does not appear that the Baptist General Convention of Texas will add Amyx’s name to its file of Baptist ministers who have committed sexual abuse

That is bad policy. I wonder why they have such an attitude, in this day and age.

[Gamecock]

Coleus: Thank you for you continued postings about the tares that have crept into the Christian church.

We are warned about the attacks that will be launched by Satan against God’s elect. Your efforts certainly help remind we Christians that wolves are at the door!

__________________________________________________

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

A reminder that Satan is prowling!

[Judith Anne]

The Baptist General Convention of Texas keeps the file confidential and will answer inquiries of other churches about whether a prospective pastor is on the list. “But most churches are like Bolivar,” Brown said. “When confronted with evidence about sexual abuse committed by a beloved pastor, they find ways to rationalize, excuse, minimize and deny, and they don’t report him,” she said. “So, despite the evidence — Amyx’s sworn deposition statements, Amyx’s apology letter, the paternity judgment, and Debbie’s own testimony — it does not appear that the Baptist General Convention of Texas will add Amyx’s name to its file of Baptist ministers who have committed sexual abuse. Why? Because the BGCT doesn’t accept abuse reports from mere victims, and because the church won’t report him. It’s a dysfunctional system that doesn’t work to protect others.”

Well, lupie, does THIS case fit your restrictive requirements for a ping? Looks like the Baptists are protecting, covering up, harboring, and paying out cash for victims from decades ago. Wonder how many more victims there are?

[John Leland 1789]

Yes, it is obvious that among those involved in any effort in Christian ministry, there will be the false and the perverted. There is a passage in 1 Corinthians 11:19.

“For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.”

Wherever you have the true, the false will accompany. It is planted there, just as “an enemy” planted the tares among the wheat.

Among the Apostles was “a devil.” (John 6:70) He had part of the SAME MINISTRY as the other eleven . . . and the Lord chose him.

We don't know who they all are, but they are there.

“Some men's sins are open beforehaand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” (1 Timothy 5:24)

One man said, “The closer you get to God, the closer you get to the devil.” He meant that the devil is not going to stand idly by and allow God's servants to be unhindered — Satan will move in for an attack. God's work will be attacked, as Satan will do everything he can to destroy the testimony of God's work in the world. He will place people among the true servants of God who are perverts, thieves, extortioners, and worse.

[Gamecock]

Well said.

[Quix]

True. True.

and particularly those given to haughty judgment . . . those standing tall . . . take heed . . . in humility . . . lest . . .

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Thank you, Coleus, for your recent postings of individual pastors' transgressions from among hundreds of thousands of Protestant pastors.

By God's grace, no Protestant makes the fatal error of believing any pastor is "infallible."

When any one Baptist church or Presbyterian presbytery or Methodist congregation is ordered to cough up $660 million in one day in one city to redress the sexual assaults of their pastors as the L.A. Archdiocese was last year, please let us know.

Until then, the RCC is so far ahead of any other Christian denomination by the sins of its aberrant priestcraft that this fact alone should be a cautionary reminder to any parent even considering sending their small children to a parochial school.

To teach your children that they are in the presence of "another Christ" is just asking for serious trouble.

Monasticism is not the God-ordered way of a man's life and thus it tends to draw men who prefer the darkness and the cloistered company of other men.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Amen.

And we know that the closer one is to God, the more strength they will receive to overcome him.

Yes, Satan tempts, but God prevails.

[VOA]

it does not appear that the Baptist General Convention of Texas will
add Amyx’s name to its file of Baptist ministers who have committed
sexual abuse. Why? Because the BGCT doesn’t accept abuse reports from
mere victims, and because the church won’t report him. It’s a dysfunctional
system that doesn’t work to protect others.”

Dysfunctional it is.

A registry like this should at least list Amyx with a notation
that he settled a civil suit, issued an apology and paid cash damages.
And even include notes from Amyx and his victim allowing them to
each explain their side of the story.

To list NOTHING at all is just awful.

[Quix]

I feel more than a little uncomfortable

pointing fingers and loudly proclaiming that

YOUR SIN IS LONGER THAN MY SIN

. . .

Nevertheless, you make good points.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

The suit contended that the church "knew or should have known" about the pastor's sexual relationship outside his marriage when he was hired...

[the court] dismissed the church from any wrongdoing.

This is the heart of the matter and the real difference between the two faiths.

In the Protestant church, when the church is made aware of the transgression, that transgression is made public, usually by the immediate dismissal of the errant pastor and his subsequent arrest. Thus the sin remains the pastor's sin and not something the church itself knowingly protected by preventing its disclosure.

However, what we have seen over and over in the RCC is that when the church hierarchy is made aware of the accusation of sexual abuse, immediate secrecy is invoked, feet are dragged, victims are ignored, assaults are denied, and years and years go by without any public accusations being made against the sinful priests.

Instead, if things get too hot, the deviant priest is shuffled off to another unsuspecting parish where the ugly cycle of abuse and denial begins all over again.

[Petronski]

In the Protestant church, when the church is made aware of the transgression, that transgression is made public, usually by the immediate dismissal of the errant pastor and his subsequent arrest.

Of course, in cases where that did not happen, we would never know.

Instead, if things get too hot, the deviant priest is shuffled off to another unsuspecting parish where the ugly cycle of abuse and denial begins all over again.

The SBC just announced it refuses to keep track.

Oh, and protestant churches have a higher percentage of offenders.

[Petronski]

It is planted there, just as “an enemy” planted the tares among the wheat.

Much in the same way that sola scriptura and sola fide were planted in Christianity, among the Truths of the Catholic Church.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

protestant churches have a higher percentage of offenders.

Just because you repeat the lie does not make it true.

There is at least four times the amount of reported sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic churches as there is among all Protestant denominations combined.

And as we've seen, Protestant abuse is dealt with in public, while the RCC's abuse remains hidden in secrecy for as long as possible.

Please stop following me from thread to thread. It's called STALKING and it's against the rules of FR.

[Petronski]

Just because you repeat the lie does not make it true.

I'm not repeating a lie, it is not true because I repeat it. It is true because it is true.

[Petronski]

There is at least four times the amount of reported sexual abuse by clergy in the Catholic churches as there is among all Protestant denominations combined.

Interesting proviso.

And as we've seen, Protestant abuse is dealt with in public...

All that we have seen is what has been dealt with in public. By definition, we have not seen anything that has not been dealt with in public.

...while the RCC's abuse remains hidden in secrecy for as long as possible.

Such is the claim.

Please stop following me from thread to thread. It's called STALKING and it's against the rules of FR.

Please stop falsely accusing me of stalking. It's called a personal attack and it's against the rules of FR.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Very true. We all sin every day of the week for our entire lives.

The difference between us is that some correctly believe Christ paid in full for our sins on the cross, while others wrongly believe they pay for their own sins by their good works and their partaking of the sacraments and their "acts of confession" and "acts of contrition" and "acts of penance."

One is of free, unmerited grace, and the other is of the law. We choose as we are called.

[Petronski]

To teach your children that they are in the presence of "another Christ" is just asking for serious trouble.

The Catholic doctrine of alter Christus does not teach that each priest is some fresh Messiah, such that there would be half a million Christs walking the earth.

It is often portrayed as such, but falsely.

[Petronski]

Until then, the RCC is so far ahead of any other Christian denomination by the sins of its aberrant priestcraft that this fact alone should be a cautionary reminder to any parent even considering sending their small children to a parochial school.

And there is the seemingly-requisite slander of half a million good Christian men based on the offenses of 2% of their group...the very definition of bigotry.

[Quix]

True. True.

[Petronski]

...while others wrongly believe they pay for their own sins by their good works and their partaking of the sacraments and their "acts of confession" and "acts of contrition" and "acts of penance."

Good thing Catholicism doesn't teach that.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

All that we have seen is what has been dealt with in public. By definition, we have not seen anything that has not been dealt with in public.

lol. With that kind of logic, then we can assume the RCC is guilty of 10,000 times more abuse than has been made public.

Who's to say otherwise if we base our reasoning on what we haven't seen?

And like so much else in this world, proof is what we can illustrate by example.

Therefore, regarding "stalking" the evidence illustrates that you follow me from thread to thread; not the other way around.

Please stop trailing me, following me, stalking me from thread to thread.

[Petronski]

Who's to say otherwise if we base our reasoning on what we haven't seen?

That reasoning was your choice.

Therefore, regarding "stalking" the evidence illustrates that you follow me from thread to thread; not the other way around.

I never accused you of stalking me. I do point out the (common) fallacy of your logic: post hoc ergo propter hoc.

Please stop trailing me, following me, stalking me from thread to thread.

I am not trailing you, following you or stalking you from thread to thread. Please stop the false accusations.

[wmfights]

[the court] dismissed the church from any wrongdoing.

That caught my eye as well. How were they supposed to know he would do this? Was he a convicted sex offender prior to this?

However, I did notice he is still associated with the church. The decentralized structure of Baptist churches is both a strength and weakness at times. It's a strength in that it is very hard for heresy to become dogma, but it's a weakness when the elders hesitate to exercise church discipline.

[lupie]

No, it isn't even close, and I think that you know it because I have posted the criteria 4 times. I will post it here for the fifth time. The article says that the BGCT does alloow all the churches to check the list when they are interviewing candidates. I don't know much about the BGCT, but I do not believe they have the power to defrock a pastor. From what little I know, (which could be very wrong), I would think they could do something more to warn other congretations.

And as far as making the list public, I am not sure that is necessary because if you read the article, it was a list of pastors that conduct themselves in an unethical way. That is very broad, and if they truly confessed and repented, then they are to be forgiven. I have been in churches or perosnally knew of some where unethical practices could be where a married pastor or associate pastor had unclean thoughts (no actions) toward another woman, or one realized they were on their way toward an alcohol problem or pain medications, but they confessed publicly from the pulpit. Some remained as pastors, some did not. Now, I personally feel that scripture says they can no longer be in the pulpit, but last I checked, no one gave me that authority! :) Anyway, those were all unethical practices. Although all are sins and equal in God's eyes, still it is not in the same class as child abusers.

Still, it is a long way from some individual congregations not reporting unethical conduct to the high authorities deliberately moving a child molester from one congregation to another unsuspecting one, time and again with multiple dozens of abusers in order to protect the church systmen hierarchy and not have the concern of the flock first and foremost, knowing that the sexual molester will continue to molest in the new congregation. And if that happens to many times, they are still not defrocked, but places somewhere "safe" in another part of the world. That is where the real outrage comes from - against the RCC system of protecting the child predators at the expense of other innocent children without any real addressing of that issue.

You need to reread the article however, it is not Baptist in general, but individual congregations that may decide not to press the issue. I am looking for you to prove your claim that the Protestant church systems/governments are as guilty and widespread as the RCC is in the scandal of the predator priests and their bishops and archbishop protectors. Once again, this just goes to prove what I readily admitted - that there is sin and unbelievers even among those who call themselves shepherds of God's flock as long as we live in this fallen world. But God has provided a way to deal with them. Moving them to innocent and unsuspecting congregation is NOT His way to deal with them. You have said that Protestant churches do the same as the RCC did. Again, I ask you to prove it"

Can you please give facts, FR links and article links that show the widespread, all the way up the corporate level church system that covers up and protects the abusers for years and years and years, knowing what the abusers continue to do, and even moving them to new congregations, knowing that they will likely repeat the abuse, knowing that they are protecting the sinners and not the innocent flock? And can you provide that same information for those church systems that only acted to remove the abusers from the presence of children because they were "found out" and the masses starting getting upset? If you can show that on a widespread basis, as is clearly what happened in the RCC, THEN, and only THEN, can you rightly accuse the protties of doing the same thing.

I challenge you to just give 12 articles of 12 different incidents of WIDESPREAD coverup of abusers which protect the child predator and not God's flock. Do you understand what I mean by widespread?

And for the third time, I will request that you do not ping me on individual congregations or molesters, as this article and the last one you pinged.

[Titanites]

Hush-it-up and Cover-it-up:
Reports Show Baptist Pattern

• Pastor Steve Gaines knew at Bellevue and kept quiet.

• Minister Tom Messer knew at Trinity and kept quiet.

• Pastor Larry Reynolds paid "hush money" in child molestation case with BGCT as a party.

• Minister James Crittenden urged newspaper not to run Southmont story.

• Senior Pastor Mike Roy "allowed Davies to continue working around the church's children" despite the allegations against him - and 2 more boys were molested.

• Minister James A. Moore knew for decades at FBC-Farmers Branch and kept quiet, and then made the same mistake a second time.

• Pastor Sam Underwood's church threatened suit against child molestation victim who made report.

• Baptist General Convention of Texas keeps secret file of ministers reported for child molestation.

• Baptist General Convention of Texas ignored victim's attempt to report pastor at Bolivar Baptist.

• Long-time BGCT attorney sought secrecy contract from still another child molestation victim.

• Journalist lost job at Illinois Baptist newspaper for covering story of minister who pled guilty to sexual assaults on teens.

• Deacon leaders at First Baptist Church of Atlanta were twice informed about their prior children's minister who sexually abused a kid in Dallas, and about the written apology of the Dallas church. Yet, when SNAP members attempted to pass out flyers informing church members, they were run off the property.
  
  

• Charles Wade, BGCT executive director, remained quiet after receiving a substantiated report about Baptist clergy child molester.
  
  
• 18 Blind Baptist Leaders in four states, including former SBC president Bobby Welch, received a substantiated report about a minister's sexual abuse of a kid - and kept quiet.
  
  

[Titanites]

Once again, the Southern Baptist Convention’s ministerial registry is revealed as including men who have been convicted or charged with sex crimes involving children.

As reported in the Tennessean, “Southern Baptist Convention leaders are railing against sexual predators, calling upon local churches to drive out anyone accused of sex crimes against children, but a quick internet search shows the organization has not cleansed its own web site.”

So here’s the picture. Executive Committee president Morris Chapman stood there telling the convention crowd that “our denomination…must condemn publicly this vile act.” But even as he spoke, child-molesting ministers remained on the SBC’s own registry in Nashville.

That doesn’t exactly constitute public condemnation, does it?

And this isn’t the first time these guys have been caught with harboring child-molesting ministers on their registry.

Take a look at the documented history.

1. On October 11, 2006, EthicsDaily published the fact that convicted child molester John O. McKay was still on the SBC’s registry of ministers. Nothing happened.
   
   
2. On March 28, 2007, EthicsDaily published the fact that Timothy Byars was on the SBC’s registry of ministers despite having been charged with child sex crimes, and it again pointed out that convicted perpetrator John O. McKay was also still there. Nothing happened.
   
   
3. Around March 30, 2007, ABC 20/20’s correspondent Jim Avila told SBC president Frank Page face-to-face about the fact that there were convicted child molesters whose names were on the Southern Baptist Convention's ministerial registry. Despite the stunned look on Frank Page’s face, nothing happened.
   
   
4. On April 13, 2007, ABC 20/20 aired publicly with a program called “Preacher Predators,” showing that there were convicted child molesters on the Southern Baptist Convention’s ministerial registry. Nothing happened. (To the contrary, SBC official Augie Boto publicly justified and defended KEEPING the names of convicted perpetrators on the SBC’s ministerial registry.)
   
   
5. On April 16, 2007, EthicsDaily published the names of 6 convicted child molesters who were still listed on the SBC’s ministerial registry. Nothing happened.
   
   
6. On April 18, 2007, SNAP made a wide-scale press release with the names of 6 convicted child molesters who were still listed on the SBC’s ministerial registry. Finally, something happened. As reported by the Religion News Service, the 6 published perpetrators were removed from the SBC’s registry either late on April 18th or early on April 19th.

Now here we are again, on June 24, 2008, with 10 more convicted or charged sex offenders reported as being on the SBC’s own ministerial registry.

SBC “leaders” just don’t learn, do they? Either that, or they just don’t care.

One thing for sure: It doesn’t look much like “moral outrage.”

One of the ministers now disclosed by the Tennessean is Timothy Byars. This is the same minister whom EthicsDaily first pointed out over a year ago on March 28, 2007. (See #2 above.) Yet, Byars was still there on the SBC’s ministerial registry.

So why should anyone actually believe Morris Chapman when he talks about how this denomination condemns this vile act? It’s just talk.

The reality of their deeds tell a very different story. These so-called “leaders” keep child-molesting ministers on their own registry there at Nashville headquarters. They’ve been repeatedly and publicly told about it. And it keeps on happening.

In fact, according to the Tennessean, the SBC hasn’t even assigned a single staff person to monitor the ministerial registry.

The national organization of the Southern Baptist Convention is a $200 million per year organization. If you count all the annual offerings in Southern Baptist churches and the funds going to statewide denominational offices, it’s a $10.4 billion per year organization.

Yet, this powerful, mega-monied, tentacular organization can’t come up with the funds for assigning even a single employee to keep clergy child-molesters off the ministerial registry.

And still they think we should believe them when they say they care about this.

Actions speak louder than words.

[Marysecretary]

satan has absolutely no power over us unless we open the door to him.

[Jaded]

So it really is license to sin.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

No "license to sin."

What is sanctification but the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in a man's life, leading him away from sin and toward God?

If God has given a man the gift of the Holy Spirit, that man will no longer be a slave to sin, but a slave to righteousness. Although all men sin every day of their lives because no man is perfect but Christ, the man of God will want to sin less and less because he has been given new eyes with which not only to see his own sinful acts, but to know those sinful acts have been paid for by Christ on the cross.

What greater impetus is there for a Godly life than to know that God loves us with such free mercy that He has given Himself as payment for every one of those sins?

The RCC still struggles under the curse of the law when Christ has graciously redeemed us from its bondage.

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." -- Hebrews 10:10-18

[sitetest]

“The Baptist General Convention of Texas keeps a confidential list of clergy who have been found by their churches to have conducted themselves in an unethical way. But only a church can add to the list, and it is not made public. Vasquez said she asked the church to report Amyx to the general convention as part of the settlement but was refused.”

Very interesting.

It appears that the Baptist General Convention of Texas covers up its molestors. The Church took a real beating for keeping its own molestors confidential. We learned our lesson the hard way. Too bad this group of Baptists couldn’t learn from our painful experience.

As well, it appears that this Protestant pastor has legally admitted to being a molestor, yet that isn’t sufficient for the Baptists to add him to their secret cover-up list.