MO- Victims want Presbyterians to do "outreach"
For immediate release: Thursday, July 24, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
In a heart-breaking new lawsuit, a Presbyterian minister is suing the Presbyterian church because of child sex crimes by another Presbyterian minister and cover ups by Presbyterian officials.
While all child molesters must be considered dangerous, this one is especially dangerous. He admitted in a Boone County court that he severed a man's genitals in an illegal gender reassignment surgery. He also admitted possessing child porn. And now he is being sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a boy from Sedalia.
He is the now-imprisoned Jack Wayne Rogers, formerly of Fulton, Missouri. Rogers has also been publicly named as a suspect in the disappearance of a northwest Missouri boy who went missing months after Rogers allegedly assaulted Rev. Kris Schondelmeyer.
Rev. Schondelmeyer has filed a civil lawsuit charging that Rogers sexually violated him at a nationally sponsored youth conference in Maryland in 2000. At the time, Rogers was a Presbyterian lay pastor for the Jefferson City-based Missouri Union Presbytery serving at Bellflower Presbyterian Church.
This is heartbreaking on so many levels. First, Schondelmeyer's pain is heartbreaking, especially because it could have been prevented. Second, the other crimes by Rogers are heartbreaking. Third, it's heartbreaking that Schondelmeyer feels compelled to file a lawsuit because Presbyterian officials refuse to reach out to others Rogers may have hurt. And fourth, it's heartbreaking to think about others who were likely assaulted by Rogers and who are still struggling today, mired in shame, confusion, and self-blame.
We desperately hope that those who are in pain because of Rogers find the strength to step forward, get help and start healing.
And we call on mid-Missouri Presbyterian officials – at the headquarters in Jefferson City and in churches across the region – to use their church websites and pulpit announcements to aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered Rogers' crimes.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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