Oakwood Baptist Church - Donald Foose - sexual abuse

[quiversR4hunting]

I saw some old posts (2013) about a Oakwood church. Not sure if it was the same one. 

It is SBC, in Camp Hill, PA about 100 members. He was convicted in 2000 and jailed for molesting an underage relative. From the article: 

Quote

He resigned from his role as principal of a Christian school, and Pennsylvania’s Department of Education stripped him of his teaching license, deeming him “a danger to the health, safety and welfare of students.” Under state law, Foose can’t even drive a school bus, and were he convicted after 2012 he would have been required by law to register as a sex offender.

He became a member of Oakwood in 2001 and pastor in 2006 and superintendent of the Oakwood Baptist Day School.

The former pastor and the other leaders knew that Foose would not pass a background check. 

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/02/13/southern-baptist-sex-abuse-pastors-history-divided-church/4586698002/ 

[quiversR4hunting]

The article and the blind eye gets worse. And let me bet all of these "leaders" all spoke badly at one point about the Catholic Church abuse and said how righteous they were in their SBC world. Any takers to my bet? 

(my bolding) 

Quote

Oakwood later added three more pastors, who led the church with the support of a lay-member board of deacons. Conrad revealed in his letter that other church leaders learned of Foose’s criminal record. But like him, they trusted in a man who they had prayed beside for years. Conrad said that Cliff Karlsen, a deacon who worked as an officer with a nearby police department, said he had checked into Foose’s past and had no problem with Foose staying in ministry. Foose took on greater leadership at Oakwood and occasionally preached at other churches in the area.

That is an officer with very bad judgment! What police officer thinks a molestation charge is "not a problem"? 

Quote

Conrad, in his letter, said Foose started by helping at the school when it was short on money and staff and needed additional adults in the classroom.

“Once that door was opened it became impossible for me to shut it,” Conrad wrote. He said he asked Foose to keep his distance from the school’s children but that Foose ignored him.

Quote

Conrad said a small group that included Karlsen, Foose, and a member of the congregation who was an attorney reviewed the new legislation and noted that ‘Pastor’ was not listed among the professions requiring background checks. He said the men discussed finding Foose a new office outside of the church, then decided it wasn’t necessary, instead telling Foose that he shouldn’t be involved in any of the church’s children’s programs.

continually ignoring all red flags. 

[Xan]

It appears that they didn't care since it was women and children.  I bet if Foose had grabbed one of their asses, he'd have been out on his head.

(Thanks for posting this.  It's an interesting but maddening read.)

Edited February 13, 2020 by Xan

[RosyDaisy]

Wow.  He was supposed to sneak in and out without kids even knowing.  That's insane!  That's the perfect way to stalk the next victim.

Edited February 13, 2020 by RosyDaisy

[hoipolloi]

I'd like to say this is all unbelievable but, sadly, we know it's the tip of an extremely large & filthy ice berg.

Looks like the main qualifications for being a "pastor" at Oakwood SBC are being a dickwad and enabling sexual predators.