I recently received comments on JTO that were derogatory and demeaning character assassination attempts directed toward Carole Stephens, the mother in Rape and the Holy Man (see Parts One through Four). I refused to post them; I did post a JTO Editor comment encouraging the commenter not to use ad hominems. The anonymous commenter then turned his/her ad hominems on me, suggesting that I was a biased and poor journalist and a coward for refusing to post comments with which I didn't agree. When that verbal cudgel and manipulation didn't work, the commenter left it with "your gay LOL", and "I know this story firsthand, you do not."
The
argument from authority that this commenter presents, is a logical fallacy. A journalist, investigator, interrogator, or Blog Editor, and the like, certainly do not have to have "been there" to find the facts and come to reliable conclusions. I do not present the matters of the current issue of sexual impropriety of Matthew Williams or the utter failure of ROCOR to advocate for the innocent, from a platform of authority.
I approach my JTO posts on all matters from the perspective of
I believe I present a balance and understanding of the difference between the five while always preferring to provide factual documentation when it is available as it is the most powerful ingredient of any argument.
That being said, the platform from which I speak about this current issue, was initiated from my "firsthand" experience which may not account for much in the eyes of some but should at least give the reader some perspective.
Here is my firsthand account and the platform from which I speak regarding Father Matthew Williams and ROCOR:
My wife and I served with Father Gregory Williams (Matthew's Williams' father). The church, Holy Annunciation, is in Liberty, TN. My wife, who worked with and was mentored by the Arkansas Chef of the Year, organized and planned the Sunday meals. We both acted as chanters for every service, often being joined by two of our five daughters. I eventually assisted Father Gregory at the altar. We also gave financially and regularly.
Although I was willing and made the offer, Father Gregory refused to allow me to assist him in his publishing house, St John of Kronstadt Press. He also refused my offer to travel with him and assist him on his Haiti mission trips. His refusals seemed odd and cryptic, especially since he certainly needed the help with both. After being there a while, I became aware of his practice of nude baptisms (both male and female) and his practice of kissing female parishioners on the lips in public. I was surprised at his wife's candor one day when she told me, "He loves women." He would go on periodic "walking trips", as his wife called them, to an undisclosed destination.
We left the church as Father Gregory became increasingly controlling, demanding and manipulative of our time, even when my wife was recovering from injuries from a fall. His attempt to sell us one of his houses was a red flag. Another parishioner had already bought a house from him, which the church still used as its own. Carole (mother), of Rape and the Holy Man also lived in one of Father Gregory's houses and made payments for years toward purchasing it, only to have it, according to her, snatched out from under her by Father Gregory. When we left, we were contacted by a parishioner who said we were just another few in the long line of good folks Father Gregory had "run off."
Father Gregory had many children. A man cannot be held responsible for all of the conduct of his various children, but there was much talk of sexual impropriety, partying and ruckus conduct by the boys. One of the sons, Matthew's brother, had been arrested for drug related crimes and reportedly admitted to his sexual escapades with female parishioners. When I walked the property, I discovered piles of discarded beer cans and bottles behind an abandoned barn on the property and other evidence of it being the local meeting place for wanton conduct and drunkenness. Another abandoned house was strewn with furniture, clothes, boxes of books and other household goods and a mattress or two on the floor.
I also investigated a couple of cabins on the property. Apparently, they had housed former parishioners and also were used by at least one of Father Gregory's sons. The cabin contained old furniture, various trash and numerous photos scattered about on the floor and table. The photos were of the son and "friends" partying, wrestling half-clad. Along with the beer cans, the houses, the drug-related crimes and the photos, it was obvious to me the nature of the environment in which the Williams children, including Matthew, were raised on that large piece of mountainous property. The less-than-wholesome environment was confirmed by Carole Stephen's experience as expressed in a letter she sent to Father Gregory.
Carole Stephens, our fellow Holy Annunciation parishioner, sent this letter to Father Gregory Williams, after later discovering that the then deacon Matthew Williams had allegedly sexually abused her 15-year-old daughter: Excerpt:
"I will need to speak to you.. and it should be with some representation. It is grossly unfair how I have been used and played by not only my husband, but also what was supposed to be my church. I thought of the church as being a refuge for many years. Had I known about the abuse behind the scenes of my precious daughter, I would have not invested so many years of dedicated suffering and hard-earned money. Nothing is worth the price of supplying cheap little whores for sons who are unseemly. I can only say that at least John was upfront about his misdeed, with his wild parties and proclamations of not loving his wife as he solicited the teenage and young women of the parish... he was easy to avoid. But my [daughter]? As a silent victim? I am in a vice and being held very accountable by the Stephens for this unspeakable crime against a once pious promising [school omitted] student, whose spiritual life was sabotaged by none other than God parents of my family. And when I was trying so hard to have a win."
It was in this environment that Carol Stephens lived with her many children, sons and daughters. Her house was not on Holy Annunciation's 400-acre plot of property but was close enough for the family to walk. Her children basically grew up there, being homeschooled and attending services. The dispute over the sale of Father Gregory's house to Carole occurred after Carole's husband became estranged from the family, leaving her the sole provider. The house was in desperate shape with holes in the floor and leaks here and there. I drove Carole home one day but could not drive all the way up to the house because a deep hole in the dirt driveway made it impassable.
At some point, Matthew and Elizabeth Williams became Godparents to some of Carole's children. One of the daughters at age 15 would later babysit for her Godparents and on one such overnight job would allegedly be raped by Matthew Williams. "I knew I shouldn't have left him alone with her", Elizabeth would allegedly tell Carole later.
I recall one of the after-service meals where Carole arrived late, but Father Gregory would not allow her to eat or stay. I was told the reason for this rejection was because she had missed services. I remember feeling that that decision was quite cruel and a punishment of sorts. Carole says the reason for the rejection was because she had recently brought up the accusation of Matthew Williams' sexual assault to her priest, Father Gregory Williams.
...And the persecution and effort to silence Carole began. Father Gregory sent a letter to Carole in answer to the appeal letter sent out to him and others. It included:
"The incident to which you refer (of which neither Matushka Anastasia nor I knew anything till about a year and a half ago) occurred many years ago. The son in question (also unidentified) was an adult, living away from home. The partner/victim was a minor, but has never contacted us in any way; all we "know" even now is exceedingly vague and mostly 3rd or 4th party hearsay... I can only assume that your purpose in broadcasting this letter (I can only identify about 2/3 of the recipients, most of whom have nothing whatever to do with these issues) is to inflict harm on our family and the Church community..."
After Father Gregory Williams was found dead in an outdoor hot tub on the Holy Annunciation property, his son in law, Father Christopher Stanton, moved to the property with his wife, Matthew's Williams' sister, to become priest of the parish. From there, Father Christopher issued a letter to Carole which included the warning not to "slander" Matthew Williams, thus continuing their family's effort to diminish her.
The persecution of Carole Stephens continues to this day by various clergy, in particular the clergy of ROCOR... and, of course, attackers like our "your gay LOL" anonymous commenter.
