Barbara Anderson
May 19, 2002
ATTENTION: THE MANCHESTER, TN CONGREGATION, BODY OF ELDERS – JUDICIAL COMMITTEE
Re: Barbara Anderson’s second judicial hearing
On May 10, 2002, during the judicial hearing convened to discuss certain then unknown charges against me, I repeated my attorney’s request for specific charges in writing and a list of witnesses who would be speaking against me. This was not forthcoming, although the verbal charges stated by L at that time were, “Submitting an article to an apostate journal and causing division among the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” which I categorically denied doing. Apparently, since there was no proof presented by the Manchester judicial committee of my guilt, now new charges have been raised. These charges should have been given to me in writing, as well as a list of witnesses against me, the same request made by my attorney the first time around, but instead, the charges were verbally transmitted to me on the phone May 18, 2002 by L with D listening in. These charges are:
1. Disrupting the unity of the congregation.
2. Undermining confidence in Jehovah’s arrangement.
Let it hereby be made known that I thoroughly object to being charged and tried again in another judicial hearing. As far as I’m concerned there is nothing else to talk about because I stand by my original statements made during the first meeting. In addition, because protocol and certain requests from my attorney have again not been complied with, consequently, I’ll not be attending your second judicial hearing scheduled for 3:00 p.m., Sunday, May 19, 2002.
It all boils down to this: the action taken by the Watchtower Society through the Manchester Congregation elders to hold a second judicial meeting charging me with still other supposed infractions is really about my going public with accusations made against the Watchtower Society, that their sexual abuse policies protect pedophiles. Charging me with silly so-called “spiritual violations” as mentioned in the New York Post is just a ruse, and you all know it. If I didn’t speak to Dateline about the sex abuse cover-up within the organization, you would never have convened a judicial hearing on order of Watchtower because you all know I’ve never committed any “serious sins.” Now, probably because of going to the press last week, another judicial hearing is being convened. I suppose this is how I’m “disrupting the unity of the congregation” because Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tennessee are questioning the organization whether my accusations are true.
Your actions are not only farcical, but highly improper before God and man. I, as well as my attorney, are dumbfounded by this violation of my right to free speech in the public interest. Molesters with Bibles in hand going door to door and children unprotected from predatory people are issues that are in the public interest. It is completely out of the “freedom of religion” domain.
Amazingly, all Watchtower protocol has been abandoned, apparently to get rid of me. I doubt if I’ve ever heard before of anything like what I’m being subjected to. It’s obvious I’ve not committed any sins against God or the Bible. The truth is that I’m only trying to protect Jehovah’s Witnesses’ children and grandchildren by going public because there is no other way to force Watchtower to change their sexual abuse policies. Ask yourself, why doesn’t the Watchtower organization turn the organization upside down to protect its members, especially its children? They firmly say to the press that they protect children, but the reality speaks for itself—tens of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ abuse victims, many of whom are now speaking out. Why aren’t the congregation members informed that due to confidentiality policies, there are molesters and even murderers within the congregations? If the truth undermines confidence in the organization, than something is wrong with the organization. Do you feel any less unified as an organization regarding Watchtower theology since I’ve gone public with my story? I doubt it. You need to look into your hearts and see that this is about children; that Watchtower leaders are more interested in protecting a corporate or religious image than they are about protecting children.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:6 that “…whoever stumbles one of these little ones [children] who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.” The Watchtower has allowed, through its terrible sexual policies, e.g., the requirement for “two witnesses” to each accusation of molestation, to stumble thousands of children. Now it’s time for victims to tell the world what they endured while under the hard-fisted and sometimes roaming hands of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ elders. I hope each of you has a clear conscience in this matter of not supporting Watchtower’s pedophile protection policies. It is my hope that you have protected children, aided victims, and obeyed the child abuse reporting laws of the “Superior Authorities” in Tennessee. Sadly, though, we do know of cases in the Manchester Congregation where, in the past, elders have not called the authorities when molestation was reported to them and discouraged parents from doing so.
Shortly, you will see Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are victims of child molestation, stepping out from the shadows everywhere to tell their stories. It has already started here in Middle Tennessee due to newspaper stories about my judicial hearing last week. To date, seven victims have come forward because of reading the articles about me in the newspapers, five in one congregation alone. One of those seven victims is from Manchester and another from Shelbyville. I personally know of others who are still yet too afraid to speak out. It behooves you all to back up and take a broader look at this issue. Why won’t you believe what I said to you when we met in the judicial hearing last week? You didn’t walk in my shoes at headquarters in the Writing Department. You don’t know what evidence I have as a basis for my allegations, so why are you trying to make me endure two judicial hearings before you have heard the evidence on Dateline. If I’m right, you will be swept up in one of the biggest messes to have hit a religious organization in many a year. In as much as I’ve known most of the Manchester elders for years, I feel for you all in this dilemma.
In conclusion, from hence forward, you are not to contact me again. Please notify my attorney in writing as to the outcome of your investigation into my purported “sins.” If, in the future, contact has to be made with me, please do so through my attorney. Do not discuss me with my husband, Joe Anderson.
Jerre Michael Hood
Attorney At Law
For your information, I’m enclosing an experience of a Jehovah’s Witness family who just recently observed a serial molester being protected by congregation elders. This contrary to what Watchtower spokesman, J. R. Brown, is telling the press that most cases of improper handling of molestation cases are old, that they happened before new policies were put into place. This is just not true.
I’m attaching to this letter a copy of my attorney’s letter, dated May 16, 2002, which was faxed to the Watchtower’s Legal Department, May 17, 2002. Also, please note the fax cover sheet where my attorney wrote the Watchtower a message regarding the second judicial hearing scheduled for May 19, 2002, which he strongly objected to.
Very truly yours,
Barbara Anderson
