The Wilkersons

[Triplet3]

On Rebecca K!!!'s blog it's clear that Rachel Wilkerson is now living with them, particularly given Rebecca's latest blog post where she talks about wanting to see the metaphorical rainbow after the end of the storm and describes some of the reactions her family has had from friends/acquaintances re. taking in Rachel. In an earlier blog post Rebecca stated that she doesn't want readers to post on her blog regarding the whole business (other than messages of support/prayers etc), so I'm respecting that. I'm fond of Rebecca and certainly don't wish her, her family or Rachel any harm or hurt.

However, I'm interested to know more about this so did some googling..and look what I found. :( It's publically available information so as I'm not bringing any of this to Rebecca's blog, I think it's ok to share on FJ. http://www.reformtalk.net/2014/06/17/how-could-youhall-of-shame-sharon-wilkerson/. It appears that the Wilkerson parents were beating one of their adopted daughters (Rachel?) and a foster sister, and Mrs Wilkerson has been imprisoned for it. Here's a newspaper article about it: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-county-mom-pleads-guilty-to-beating-adopted-daughter-foster/article_c53b4da9-a845-5b38-8d55-1faf127e1271.html

If the adopted daughter concerned is Rachel, I hope her stay with the Rebecca's family is a healing process for her. I admire the family for taking her in - not least because it shows that they evidently don't follow the Pearls. Also, they clearly do actually follow the 'love thy neighbour as yourself' rule, unlike some fundies I could mention.

[Triplet3]

Actually, I wonder whether I should delete this as I notice the links I included don't name Rachel, so presumably she is supposed to be anonymous? Thoughts?

[salex]

Notice it mentions plumbing line. The Pearls must be so proud

[ILoveJellybeans]

That's horrible :( Poor kids. Im glad Rachel is now living with Rebecca's family, they seem quite nice, for fundies.

[Howl]

Well finally a judge & jury ready to lay down some whoop ass for someone disciplining beating her children.

She goes to prison for 120 days and the rest of her 7-year sentence is suspended (probation?). They put you in prison for four months to help you remember that you sure as hell don't want to go back in. Surely there will be mandatory counseling if there are still children in the home.

I also have to wonder where the father is in all of this--why isn't he on trial?

If I were a Missouri parent, I'd put away the paddles and plumbing line. I wonder if HSLDA was involved in the defense.

[Jana814]

That's horrible :( Poor kids. Im glad Rachel is now living with Rebecca's family, they seem quite nice, for fundies.

Agree w/ both!

[Full enough quiver]

Finally, a fundie family walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. Take note, fundies. This is what Jesus would do. This is what you do when you love your neighbor, when you believe children are blessings.

When people claim to be "pro life" I always want to ask them "How many needy children have you taken in? How many pregnant mothers have stayed in your guest room? How many young ladies have you loved and helped to love themselves?" Most of the time, the answer is none. So, I'm giving credit where credit is due. Way to walk the walk, Rebecca K family.

[WonderingInWA]

The daughter referred to in both articles is definitely Rachel. At one point there was a news story online about Rachel's disappearance walking the dog from their local news station. It's hard to say whether her disappearance that day had anything to do with a beating, but my guess is she was beaten for doing it.

And Sharon Wilkerson was charged with 29 counts? Wow. Convicted of 3. I just wonder what the other 26 were.

And, right around that same time, the Wilkersons were THISCLOSE to adopting another girl (don't remember her name) and they had even had an adoption party/ceremony for her at Rebecca's church. Then the adoption fell through. But that would explain the foster daughter that is mentioned in both articles. I'm guessing that's why the adoption didn't go through and that she was likely removed from the home at some point. The problem with Rachel and her 3 brothers is that they were adopted by the Wilkersons, so was probably much harder to remove them from the home in the name of "parental discipline".

I wonder what has happened to the boys?

I feel sorry for Rachel, but she's got a better life with the Eleventy family, for sure.

[WonderingInWA]

Actually, I wonder whether I should delete this as I notice the links I included don't name Rachel, so presumably she is supposed to be anonymous? Thoughts?

I don't think you need to delete it. We know enough of her history to piece together that it is indeed her. As I said in a previous post, there was a local news station story on her disappearance with the dog and an interview with the father after her return. It was online at the time, but I'm sure I wouldn't be able to find it now.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

People need to STOP adopting kids to SAVE SOULS. I am a mom through adoption and it is very difficult with some children even with excellent REAL counselors, special education at school, extended family for relief. Note I said with SOME, not all children. The whole idea of taking a kid who doesn't trust and beating them--yikes! But, I had a counselor (before I sought secular counseling) who recommended it to me. These families also need to stop worrying about with a counselor prays with them and instead focus on their experience with abandoned and abused kids. Kid Collecting for Jesus is not a good thing. That said, there are countless devoted adoptive families out there who are right wing and conservative Christians, but who have EDUCATED themselves on what the needs of such children are and how to get them the very real help they need. The vast majority of kids do not encounter such abuse so it is important not to brand all families as potentially abusive just because they are Christians. But when a family adopts to save souls and not to welcome a new child into a truly forever family there are problems.

[Jana814]

Thanks for the links to the articles. That poor girl.

[WonderingInWA]

Here is the link to the news story when she disappeared with the dog. There is a video clip as well.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/10-year- ... 82219.html

[FloraDoraDolly]

Heartbreaking!

I wonder what happened to Rachel's brothers? I hope they are in a safe place.

[OzzyGirl]

People need to STOP adopting kids to SAVE SOULS. I am a mom through adoption and it is very difficult with some children even with excellent REAL counselors, special education at school, extended family for relief. Note I said with SOME, not all children. The whole idea of taking a kid who doesn't trust and beating them--yikes! But, I had a counselor (before I sought secular counseling) who recommended it to me. These families also need to stop worrying about with a counselor prays with them and instead focus on their experience with abandoned and abused kids. Kid Collecting for Jesus is not a good thing. That said, there are countless devoted adoptive families out there who are right wing and conservative Christians, but who have EDUCATED themselves on what the needs of such children are and how to get them the very real help they need. The vast majority of kids do not encounter such abuse so it is important not to brand all families as potentially abusive just because they are Christians. But when a family adopts to save souls and not to welcome a new child into a truly forever family there are problems.

It's amazing how many of these kids are put up for "re-adoption". If you are adopting children for the right reasons you wouldn't feel the need to give them up so fast. Sometimes I think that they adopt the kids for $$$ which I know can be involved with adopting older/harder to place children from the state. Their only education is reading books written by other fundies, mainly about how the childs behaviour effects them. Its pretty disturbing, I feel really bad for these kids.

[FloraDoraDolly]

It's amazing how many of these kids are put up for "re-adoption". If you are adopting children for the right reasons you wouldn't feel the need to give them up so fast. Sometimes I think that they adopt the kids for $$$ which I know can be involved with adopting older/harder to place children from the state. Their only education is reading books written by other fundies, mainly about how the childs behaviour effects them. Its pretty disturbing, I feel really bad for these kids.

I feel bad for those kids, too. But we don't know if the Wilkerson kids were adopted because the parents wanted to save their souls; the family didn't have a blog or anything like that where they expressed such views. At any rate, it disturbs me that some social service agency apparently placed these children in a home where the parents saw nothing wrong in using the Pearls' methods. (Yes, I realize we also don't know for sure if the Wilkersons ever read "To Train Up A Child" but from the news articles, I think it's safer to make that assumption, just as it's safe to assume that Putin's thugs shot down that Malaysian airplane.) Did the social workers not screen the Wilkersons carefully? Or did they look the other way because it's too hard to find anyone willing to take a sibling group of school-aged children who have fetal alcohol syndrome? Then at some point, there was another little girl placed in their home, the one they were planning to adopt but who was removed suddenly. I wonder if there were other foster kids besides these? IIRC, they have at least one grown daughter who has children of her own and who was also friendly with Rebecca's family.

[Grimalkin]

This makes me respect Rebecca and her family. She clearly cares for Racheal!

The Maxwell's would probley not even associate with this family.

[Jana814]

This makes me respect Rebecca and her family. She clearly cares for Racheal!

Same here!

[Pretzel]

Same here!

Rebecca K's family is fundie, but they don't deserve ever to be mentioned in one sentence with other fundies. It's often the unpretentious families, the ones other fundies secretly laugh at or deem below them, who REALLY care about others and are able to show real love towards their neighbors.

Who else has taken in someone in need and welcomed them with open arms?

Duggars?

Kellers (fundie fraction)?

Bateses?

Maxwells?

Peepee and Zucchini?

And I'm pretty sure any of these would think of themselves as more than above the K!!11 family at any times.

K. family, you've got my full respect.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Rebecca K's family is fundie, but they don't deserve ever to be mentioned in one sentence with other fundies. It's often the unpretentious families, the ones other fundies secretly laugh at or deem below them, who REALLY care about others and are able to show real love towards their neighbors.

Who else has taken in someone in need and welcomed them with open arms?

Duggars?

Kellers (fundie fraction)?

Bateses?

Maxwells?

Peepee and Zucchini?

And I'm pretty sure any of these would think of themselves as more than above the K!!11 family at any times.

K. family, you've got my full respect.

I can see the Bateses taking in an older child in need, especially if the situation were similar to the K family's where they already knew the child and she would otherwise be placed in foster care. And doesn't Kelly Bates have siblings who were adopted?

Jim Bob and Michelle would take in a bay-beeee. They're already "praying about adoption." And it would boost their ratings, especially if the child comes from a foreign orphanage. I do think they would allow an older girl to live in their home and do the work of the J-slaves who have left to get married. But the girl would have to be problem-free, more like a foreign exchange student (a la the Hartono siblings) or an ATI kid who is staying in that part of the country for whatever reason. The girl would be there to take care of Duggars, the Duggars would not be taking care of her.

[Jasmar]

None of the ATI families would take in a foster child, IMO, because of that evil old goat's teachings on adoption. He teaches that children bring "generational sins" into any family that might take them in, and counsels heavily against it. I don't have the link, but it's not hard to find the information at Recovering a Grace.

[OzzyGirl]

None of the ATI families would take in a foster child, IMO, because of that evil old goat's teachings on adoption. He teaches that children bring "generational sins" into any family that might take them in, and counsels heavily against it. I don't have the link, but it's not hard to find the information at Recovering a Grace.

Its true!!! The child will have the sins of the parents. Makes me laugh though.... a group that wants to make birth control and abortion illegal don't believe in adoption!!!! :roll:

Poor Rachel and her brothers!!!

[nausicaa]

None of the ATI families would take in a foster child, IMO, because of that evil old goat's teachings on adoption. He teaches that children bring "generational sins" into any family that might take them in, and counsels heavily against it. I don't have the link, but it's not hard to find the information at Recovering a Grace.

I have to defend Kelly Bates on this one. She has two siblings who are adopted and it has never seemed to me as if she views them as any less of sisters than her biological ones. Also, I thought she handled questions about Whitney's family with a lot of tact when she said that Whitney was not blood related to her adopted parents, she was "born in their heart."

[FloraDoraDolly]

I was just reading the thread about the Stanley children being removed from their home. It made me wonder about the Wilkerson kids. As far as I can see from Rebecca K's blog, it doesn't look as if Rachel is staying with them anymore. (Rebecca's family has a new foster child.) The Wilkerson mom has probably served out her sentence by now. But even if she got counseling and took parenting classes, I wonder if social services would let her have her kids back? And what was the husband's role in all this?

I don't expect anyone to have answers here. I am just thinking out loud and hoping those kids are safe.

[WonderingInWA]

I would like to know the status of the Wilkerson family as well. It won't come from Rebecca, though. She's unfortunately stopped blogging for the most part. I'm surprised her family has become a foster family. I am sure that has meant Rebecca has had to shack up with her adult sister Annah to share a bedroom -- that must be fun.

[Jana814]

What happened to the Wilerson's mom. She went to jail?