Jamin Wight, Kirk Missionary

A Corruption of Justice Primer

Here is an email from the pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (which is Christ Church lite) to the membership regarding Kirk missionary Jamin Wight. It’s dated 3 ½ years after his release from North Idaho Correctional Institution and 3 ½ years before his conviction for battery & perjury.

CORRECTION: A reader points out that the state ordered an early release for Mr. Wight from probation, which means he was not on probation when the Kirk sent him. Apologies for the error.

  • 10/13/2006 Probation Ordered (I18-1501(1) {F} Children-injury To Child) Probation term: 4 years. (Supervised)
  • 05/14/2009 Order for Early Release from Probation

Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, blame-shifted responsibility for Jamin Wight’s serial rape onto the victim’s parents and consequently neither he nor anyone else in the Kirk ever took Jamin Wight’s crimes seriously. Mr. Wilson protected the predator; rehabilitated his public image; and sent him on a missionary trip. It’s a culture of death. He cultivates it and he exports it. As I wrote here, the words “CREC PASTOR” fit Jamin Wight just fine.

From: Trinity Reformed Church
Date: Thu, May 13, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Subject: Prayer for Jamin Wight in Haiti
To: TRC

Trinity Saints,

Just wanted to let you know that after a several months of investigating, we are finally using the funds that we raised for relief efforts in Haiti. Jamin Wight is leaving tomorrow (Friday, 5/14) to go down to Haiti for a week. The special offerings that we took up during January and February amounted to around $3000. We are using these funds for Jamin’s travel, lodging, and food needs, but then he will be working with a construction crew through Mission to North America, a ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America. Jamin will be purchasing a number of tools and supplies both here and down in Haiti to use while he is there and then to leave there for future use by other crews. This particular team is working on building churches which can also be used as shelters for the thousands who are still living in tents. With rainy season coming on and hurricane season to follow, this is a pressing need that we are excited to be part of. Jamin will also be leaving leaving a portion of the funds raised with local church leaders to be dispersed to Haitian families in need.

Please pray for traveling mercies, that Jamin would stay healthy, and be protected from all harm. Pray that there would enough organization in place on the ground that he would be able to use his skills effectively and efficiently. And pray that the Haitian Christians would be encouraged and blessed by his time down there. Of course keep [redacted], [redacted], and baby #2 in your prayers as well while Jamin is away.

Thanks,
Toby Sumpter

__
Toby Jacob Sumpter
Trinity Reformed Church
www.trinitykirk.com
www.havingtwolegs.blogspot.com
Phone: 208.310.0898
Email: tjsumpter@gmail.com

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Melissa Dow
Trinity Reformed Church Secretary
502 S. Jefferson Street
PO Box 9029
Moscow, Idaho 83843
208-882-2300
TrinityReformedChurch@gmail.com

13 Comments

  1. I wonder while they were asking prayer that no harm would come to him that someone had the sense to pray that he would DO no harm. What were these people thinking? I have heard of many of these type of perverts being sent on missions trips. What is wrong with Christians . My daughter went on a missions trip to an isolated Island in America and she told us the people don’t trust God and think He is less powerful then the devil because for years missionaries have come in, sexually abused the young and robbed from the natives. Is that all we have to offer for missionaries are church rejects? I have quit giving to missions and have found faithful lay people who are known for holiness, good works and great personal sacrifice to give my support to. I think the church in America as we know it has sold out to pride and greed and the real church has gone underground sort of speak. God help us !

    2. Exactly! How could Toby, Doug and the Elders could think that sending someone with a history of violent sexual abuse on a missionary trip? Do you suppose they properly notified the organization he was to be working with, and if they did, why would THEY take them.

      I completely understand the hopes and wishes that someone has truly repented, reformed and changed, but some things are just not worth the risk.

    4. “I have quit giving to missions and have found faithful lay people who are known for holiness, good works and great personal sacrifice to give my support to. ”

      Donna, this is a very interesting approach. I give away substantial sums and am dismayed at the prospect of giving to organizations that I later find out to be abusive and/or fiscally irresponsible. Are these people you find in your daily life/local area?

    5. The Lord has lead us to a few people simply from sending my adult kids out to share the Gospel. If you’d like to contact me personally, the moderator has my permission to give you my email and Id be glad to tell you about a wonderful old women in Alaska that is doing it all for Christs sake.

  2. “We have often wondered what the blind who have been led into a ditch by the blind do after they get there. Now we know.”

    —From Credenda Agenda, Volume 4, Number 7

  3. Sad to see my own denomination doing such an inadequate job vetting candidates for missionary service.

    1. Dave,

      To “vet” means to do a thorough background check, to see if there are any red flags.

      The problem here is that Doug Wilson and Toby Sumpter already knew about Jamin Wight. They knew about his prolonged sexual abuse of Natalie Greenfield. And they sent him anyway.

      Ask yourself why? Better yet, ask them.

  4. Peter Leithart apologized for trusting Jamin too much (and this is case in point that he trust Jamin way, way too much). Fun trivia, though: At the CC Head of Household Meeting, Doug stated, ““it would be disingenuous for me to apologize for having trusted [Jamin] when I didn’t.” (possibly in reference to the Leithart apology??) http://kbotkin.com/2015/11/12/fact-checking-what-doug-told-the-church/

    Now, obviously, TRC was Leithart and Sumpter’s church and they are responsible for sending Jamin on a mission trip (!!), but are we to believe that a) Doug had no knowledge they were sending Jamin or the b) he knew and objected and Sumpter and Leithart sent Jamin anyway? I think that is implausible.

    Doug trusted Jamin Wight.

    1. What people don’t know about TRC: Wilson planted it in 2003 to diffuse the possibility of a church split at the Kirk. He was neck deep in scandal and more than one kirker was getting sick of his BS. So he planted an outlet for them to attend on Sundays and still keep them in his universe. He planted it. He appointed Peter pastor, and he designated the elders (it was a lateral move since they all came from Christ Church). Every elder there is beholden to Wilson, which is why they’re there. They answer to him; they report to him; they watch for him. Nothing happens at TRC without Wilson’s knowledge and approval. Wilson runs TRC.

    2. I’m with you there, but I’d like to note that even the most innocent construction (the two churches are sisters, closely united in ministry) implicates Doug in this. There’s no way he lacked knowledge of this or lacked ability to influence the leaders of TRC.

  5. My fiance was in Youth With a Mission. He said they received training about missionaries going to third-world countries to exploit women. They provided this training even though they had no known sexual predators in their midst.

    This is a very real concern in the missions world. TRC actually sent a known sexual offender as a missionary. How can this be justified?

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