What is wrong with Christ Church, Moscow?
The short answer to this question is everything. A longer answer is that in 2001–2005 two child rapists freely preyed on Kirk children. Both men committed horrifying acts against their victims. Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, learned about the felonies in 2005 and urged the criminal courts to show leniency to the felons. The courts honored Mr. Wilson’s wishes and within a few years things began to unravel.

To learn more about the first criminal — Jamin Wight — please visit Natalie Rose Greenfield’s blog, starting with these posts:

• “No more tape over my mouth”
• “Looking back again. . .”
• “Perpetuating Abuse (warning:explicit language)”
• “When Doug Wrote To My Father”
• “Yes, We’re Still Talking About This.”
• “For The Sake Of Clarity — The Timeline”
• “The Last Meeting”

To learn about the about the second sex offender — Steven Sitler — you can start with the list of news stories and blog posts below.

The two stories naturally overlap because of they took place at similar times, they involved similar crimes, and Mr. Wilson’s response to them was identical: Cover up; advocate on behalf of the criminals; reintroduce the perps back into the Kirk; normalize the crimes.

In September 2015 Mr. Wilson and his co-author Randy Booth appointed a committee of CREC ministers to review the Kirk’s pastoral response to the two sex-abuse cases. The stated mission of this committee is strictly pastoral. It is not an investigation. At one point they called it an “inquiry,” but since then the downgraded it to a “review.”

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September 2, 2015

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Prosecutor: New disclosures of conduct by Moscow sex offender are ‘state’s worst fears’

A Latah County 2nd District Court judge ordered Tuesday that a convicted sex offender, Steven Sitler, must continue to have an approved chaperone present, within his direct line of sight, at all times he is around his infant child in the wake of new disclosures of “contact resulting in actual sexual stimulation.”. . . Thompson said the incidents in question occurred while Sitler was chaperoned.

“In some extent the state’s worst fears appeared to be realized by some of the recent disclosures in the polygraphs,” Thompson said.

“The actions that he has engaged in and disclosed are a compelling basis that he cannot have anything close to a normal parental relationship at this time with his child,” Thompson said. “Everybody would love for Mr. Sitler to become a normal person, but the fact is he is not. He is a serial child sexual abuser. . . .

September 5, 2015

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Our View: Evidence shows Sitler is a clear danger to his own child

Disturbing isn’t nearly an adequate word to describe what unfolded Tuesday in Latah County 2nd District Court.

Then again, there may not be any words that could appropriately paint that sickness.

Despite information showing a convicted sex offender had “contact resulting in actual sexual stimulation” with the infant child he fathered, a judge is allowing the Moscow man, 30-year-old Steven Sitler, to continue to live with the boy — in the same house — provided there is a chaperone present.

Trouble is, there was a chaperone present when that “actual sexual stimulation” occurred. That chaperone may very well have been his wife, who was disqualified during the past month as an approved chaperone for failure to report disclosures related directly to the infant, but she may be reinstated with more training. . . .

September 5, 2015

Blog and Mablog

An Open Letter from Christ Church on Steven Sitler

In light of the recent court proceedings involving Steven Sitler, and the resultant coverage of those proceedings in the media, we believe that it is necessary for the session of Christ Church to make a public statement of where we have stood in this matter, and where we stand now. . . .

September 7, 2015

MoscowID.net (site launch)

Steven Sitler’s Known Career in Pædophilia

 

September 7, 2015

Blog & Mablog

The High Mountain Air of Public Calumny

Those who believe themselves to be hep to my tricksy ways might have surmised that I orchestrated this entire recent flap about Steven Sitler because Randy Booth and I recently put out a book entitled A Justice Primer. But whether you are disposed to believe me or not, that was a total coincidence. In this book we address biblical principles for evaluating charges that are brought against someone, anyone. The book is, I believe, quite a necessary resource for good-hearted Christians everywhere — who regularly see defamatory information scrolling by in their Facebook feed. There is even a chapter entitled “Trial by Internet,” which concludes with this sage advice: “Never get into a braying contest with donkeys” (p. 160). . . .

September 9, 2015

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

CPS opening investigation into Sitler family

Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson said his office has been contacted by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Child Protection Services and was informed that it will be opening an investigation into the family of Steven Sitler.

Sitler, 30, of Moscow, pleaded guilty in September 2006 to lewd conduct with a child under 16. He was sentenced to life in prison, with retained jurisdiction, and was released on to probation after completing the retained jurisdiction programming and serving less than a year in Latah County Jail.

Since his release, Sitler has married and now has an infant son. On Sept. 1, Latah County 2nd District Court Judge John Stegner ordered that Sitler must continue to have an approved chaperone present, within his direct line of sight, at all times he is around his child. . . .

September 11, 2015

Vintage 73

Doug Wilson’s Failure to Safeguard Children

Doug Wilson’s leadership decisions directly led to the endangerment and alleged sexual abuse of a baby. In August, 2015, the baby’s father, a convicted sex offender and clinically diagnosed pedophile, Steven Sitler, failed a polygraph that revealed “heinous” violations of his probation with regard to his own infant child such that the Idaho Department of Correction ordered him to have no contact with the baby.

Wilson has come under criticism as he provided pastoral care for Sitler who is a member of Wilson’s church. Why should Wilson suffer criticism when Sitler is the offender? The criticism has merit because abuse happens through the actions of abusers as well as through the negligent actions of adults who do not properly safeguard children.

In three critical arenas, Doug Wilson acted irresponsibly, and his actions allowed a serial pedophile access to a vulnerable baby. This access led to preventable endangerment. . . .

September 14, 2015

Michael Reagan

Doug Wilson’s Failure to Safeguard Children http://t.co/DthAUqabJx

— Michael Reagan (@ReaganWorld) September 14, 2015

September 14, 2015

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

Background

On September 14, 2015, the immediate past Presiding Minister of the CREC Council (2008–2014), Rev. Jack Phelps, sent a letter to the Session of Christ Church, Moscow, suggesting that a review of the church’s handling of these two cases and of the recent public discussion of them on social media would be in order. Shortly thereafter, Christ Church requested the formation of an ad hoc Committee of Council to perform a thorough review. A few days later, Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, also requested such a review on a related matter. . . .

September 29, 2015

The American Conservative

Scandal in Moscow

. . . The state is investigating whether or not the baby boy born to the pedophile and the woman that Wilson married has been molested by his father . . . and Doug Wilson thinks this is a matter to be laughed at, while raising a glass of Scotch to spite the critics? That is insane. . . .

October 3, 2015

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

Inquiry into the Pastoral Ministry of Christ Church (Moscow, Idaho)

The CREC began a process a couple of weeks ago aimed at addressing the legitimate questions and concerns regarding some of the past actions and practices of two cases of sexual abuse. We take these matters seriously and seek to address them fully. In keeping with the CREC Constitution and our regular church order, the session of Christ Church, Moscow, ID, has invited the presiding ministers of each presbytery to inquire into the pastoral care and counseling ministry of Christ Church, with particular regard to their handling of sexual abuse cases, not excluding the two cases that have been the subject of some recent controversy. . . .

October 5, 2015

Blog and Mablog

An Olive Branch for Rod Dreher

. . . So suppose Rod were simply to say that he continues to differ strongly with what I did in marrying Sitler, and he would never do that kind of thing himself, but that he judged too hastily in saying that this was scandalous and “insane.” I would be happy with that level of disagreement, would shake hands with Rod, and would do my best to buy the beer.

October 10, 2015

Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Assessing risk in sex offender cases

A look at sentencing, treatment, recidivism through Steven Sitler case

Steven Sitler was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2005 on one count of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16.

Roughly eight months later he was back in Latah County, released on probation and ordered to serve a little less than a year in the county jail, with release to attend treatment. . . . Sitler recently returned to court after he and his wife gave birth to their first child. . . .

October 31, 2015

Blog & Mablog

Defense, Not Defensiveness

. . . Jesus tells us that when we are struck on one cheek, we are to turn the other. The apostle Paul teaches us to punch back twice as hard. Furthermore, there is no contradiction. If there is apparent contradiction, we are not to try to resolve it through ignoring half of the evidence. . . .

November 7, 2015

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

CREC Review Committee Mission Statement

On October 3, 2015, the CREC publically announced the formation of a Review Committee to look into “legitimate questions and concerns regarding some of the past actions and practices in two cases of sexual abuse” that occurred in Moscow, Idaho, approximately 10 years ago. . . .

November 23, 2015, 1:30 pm

Jezebel.com

Meet the Shock-Jock Theologian Offering Grace to a Small Town’s Abusers, Forgiveness to the Abused

Doug Wilson is trying to save civilization. The pastor at Christ Church Moscow, a college town on Idaho’s border with Washington, doesn’t think things are going very well in America these days. He wouldn’t mind a return to Old Testament law, as he wrote in his book Fidelity: How to Be a One-Woman Man: “[W]hen we are dealing with young children who are abused by adults (pederasty, child porn, etc.) the penalty for those guilty of the crime should be death.” Wilson is a provocateur — witty and, if not urbane, urbane-adjacent. For a certain type of Christian, Doug Wilson is a patriarchy-espousing, straight-shooting, feminist-bashing folk hero. . . .

November 23, 2015, 11:34 pm

Blog and Mablog

Jezehellsbells

. . . Linking to these videos is not retaliation, and it is not provocative. It is not gasoline on the fire. This is the kind of thing I have been laboring to prevent, not for my own sake but for the sake of others. . . .

December 10, 2015

A Daughter of the Reformation

Justice, Character, and Plagiarism

In the process of writing my review of A Justice Primer, I ran across a sentence that seemed familiar. I searched and discovered that it was one of those quotes that has a million versions and no one knows where exactly it originated. While searching, I ran several excerpts from the book in a plagiarism checker and had unexpected results. I expected that many quotes would have links to Doug Wilson’s or Randy Booth’s websites, and they did, However, some quotes had links to other sites. . . .

December 10, 2015

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches: Randy Booth resigns.

December 11, 2015

Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches

Announcement from the CREC Review Committee

As of yesterday, Thursday, December 10, 2015, Rev. Randy Booth has tendered his resignation from the CREC Review Committee, formed in early October to review the actions of two CREC churches in Moscow, Idaho, involving cases of sexual abuse which occurred within their congregations 10 years ago. . . .