“And last, whenever the spirit of accusation takes center stage, preachers of the gospel need to be ready to respond with the only possible answer. . . Under the control of the accuser, the unbelieving world runs on condemnation, and loves trafficking in such accusations. Since this is the case, I want to finish with the only reply that can be made to such accusations.” Douglas Wilson

In the epigraph Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, employs the phrase “spirit of accusation” without defining it. These words do not appear in Scripture but a quick google search shows it’s popular with so-called deliverance ministries (think snake handlers) and we see it in a sermon by Mr. Wilson called The Spirit of Accusation. But even there he neglects to define it. Thankfully, he has not left us without witness, because he makes at least eight accusations in the Open Letter, amply demonstrating “the spirit of accusation.” Let’s consider each:

1. “All the difficult circumstances that have followed since that time — for the victims, for Steven’s family, and for our church community — are entirely the cascading result of Steven’s initial sins. This entire avalanche is his responsibility. This includes the difficulties created for his own family by his current legal circumstances.”

   Steven Sitler is absolutely responsible for his sins and for the harm he has wrought. No one disputes this. However, in this accusation Mr. Wilson blames Sitler for things far beyond his responsibility — in particular “All the difficult circumstances that have followed since that time . . . for our church community.”

   Mr. Wilson could have ended this pedophiliac freak show the moment he learned about Sitler. For if he had instructed the victims’ father to report Sitler immediately, instead of encouraging him to wait until the next day, “after lunch,” this public relations disaster likely would have had a much different result. Sitler would not have crossed state lines, and Mr. Wilson would have faced considerable barriers to block him from coordinating the stonewall of silence.

   More to point, Sitler is not responsible for Mr. Wilson’s letter to Judge Stegner, urging him to limit the serial pedophile’s sentence. Sitler is not responsible for Ed Iverson introducing him to Katie Travis, hoping the two would get married and have children. And Sitler is not responsible for Mr. Wilson presiding over his heinous union at the wedding ceremony. Mr. Wilson blames Sitler for these things, which are clearly Mr. Wilson’s responsibility.

   And do not forget that if Mr. Wilson had not done these things, he would have had no reason to write this open letter.

2. “Third, in Moscow, Idaho there are 38 registered sex offenders. The chances are good that the only one you have heard about is Steven Sitler. This is because he provides an easy way for enemies of our ministry to attack us.”

   We examined this accusation against unnamed “enemies” here. However, do not forget that while Mr. Wilson mentions “38 registered sex offenders,” the Kirk elders called only one of them “Mr. Right.”

3. “When we minister to people in this kind of desperate condition, there will be others in the grip of bile and bitterness who use the occasion to attack the hospital staff for ‘supporting and applauding’ the diseases the hospital staff is actually laboring to eradicate.”

   Mr. Wilson dips this accusation in “bile and bitterness,” representing himself as a hospital staffer trying to eradicate disease.

4. “That is, the church’s detractors are people who allege that we, the church, are protecting, covering, or advocating molestation of children. These false allegations are simply slander.”

   If Mr. Wilson does not want people to allege that he advocates child molestation, then he should not preside over public ceremonies where he, his elders, and his ministerial students pray for a convicted serial pedophile to sire a family of children (@8:25).

5. “Those who slanderously diagnose our pastoral competence from afar (without bothering to check their facts) do not know anything about how we have taught him, prayed with him, admonished him, rebuked him, checked on his stories, and held him accountable.”

   We considered this false charge of slander here.

6. “Katie and her family had all the facts when she agreed to marry Steven, which was important, but the decision to marry was the couple’s decision, not ours.”

   This accusation cuts deep and gives us a glimpse of Mr. Wilson’s heart. First he severs himself from his role in arranging the marriage between a graduate of New Saint Andrews College to a serial pedophile; then he twists the blade in Katie’s gut — she “had all the facts when she agreed to marry.” This poor young lady should run for her life from these horrible monsters.

7. “My hope is that the judge read the letter more carefully than others have since done.”

   We considered Mr. Wilson’s false accusation of others misreading his letter to Judge Stegner here. Mr. Wilson’s interpretation of his letter does not correspond with the actual words he used.

8. “And last, whenever the spirit of accusation takes center stage, preachers of the gospel need to be ready to respond with the only possible answer. . . Under the control of the accuser, the unbelieving world runs on condemnation, and loves trafficking in such accusations. Since this is the case, I want to finish with the only reply that can be made to such accusations.”

   This last accusation reaches a crescendo. Mr. Wilson invokes this undefined “spirit of accusation” and accuses his so-called accusers of being “under the control of the accuser” — presumably Satan, “the accuser of the brethren.” Then he postures himself as a preacher of the gospel ready to answer the accusations. It’s part strawman, part delusion — all false.

Mr. Wilson posted “An Open Letter from Christ Church on Steven Sitler” to his personal blog “on behalf of the elders of Christ Church,” in order “to make a public statement of where we have stood in this matter, and where we stand now.” He filled his statement with multiple untruths, several misrepresentations, and eight false accusations — delivering each accusation ex cathedra without any evidence to substantiate. And even though he has not explained the words “spirit of accusation” — readers now have an accurate picture of what this spirit looks like, for it inhabits Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow.