Lack of leadership
Ex-elder who criticized church over sex abuse stood up by elders at excommunication hearing
By The Associated Press
May 26, 2002
DRAFFENVILLE, Ky. - An excommunication hearing for a former Jehovah's Witnesses elder didn't occur as scheduled Friday night because the three elders assigned to hear his case failed to appear.
Bill Bowen, 44, of Draffenville, faces expulsion from the church for speaking out against its handling of sex abuse allegations. He claims child-abuse allegations are not typically reported to authorities by the Jehovah's Witnesses because of the church's policy of handling problems internally.
Bowen and about 50 allies - some of whom came from as far away as California and Florida - gathered in front of the Draffenville Kingdom Hall before his scheduled 7:30 p.m. hearing. Some of them were victims of child abuse at the hands of other church members, Bowen said.
But the panel of elders never arrived, he said.
"I'm quite perplexed," Bowen said. "They gave me the time, the address and the location in writing. There was no misunderstanding on my part where I was supposed to be."
Bowen resigned his elder position in December 2000 to protest the church's policy.
Church leaders have denied wrongdoing.
Bowen could've been disfellowshipped - or excommunicated - from the church for sowing discord in the faith by speaking out against the church's handling of allegations of child molestation.
Bowen was disappointed and angered that the hearing didn't happen.
"I had several witnesses to testify on my behalf, and there was a considerable expense to get them all here," Bowen said. "If they ask for another hearing, I'm going to ask them to either dismiss the charges of pay the expenses for all the witnesses to come back, because they inconvenienced them.
"Facing an excommunication hearing is a very stressful thing. I've had this hanging over my head," Bowen said. "When I finally have a moment to get it over with and testify and find out what their charges are against me, for them not to show up, creates even more anxiety.
"It's very unkind, and very unprofessional."
Three others who have spoken out against the church's policies have been disfellowshipped in recent weeks. They are Barbara Anderson, of Normandy, Tenn., and Carl and Barbara Pandelo, of Belmar, N.J.
"Something is wrong," Bowen said. "Victims should not be punished."