Becky's Response to the Investigation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-3JaMqPYjk
Transcript (auto-generated)
Eric 0:51
In the beginning of August, Becky Earnhardt posted a video that alleged physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Austin Gardner. Austin Gardner at the time was the founder and director of vision Baptist missions. He has since stepped down from his position and there is an internal investigation happening right now at Vision Baptist missions. And at Bishop Baptist church there in Georgia. It has been a turbulent time since the video has been released. Some vision Baptist missionaries have resigned from their positions with the organization, while others have swarmed with overwhelming support for Austin Gardner. There's also been a video that's been posted by Austin Gardner himself denying the allegations. I wanted to sit down, find out why Becky is deciding to release this video at this time, what she's hoping will happen in the next couple of days. And really to give us an idea of the scope and scale of the abuses that are being alleged. It's a really great conversation. And I appreciate Becky taking the time to sit down with me and to discuss this important topic. Without any further introduction. This is my interview with Becky Earnhardt. All right, everybody. Welcome back to the preacher boys podcast. Becky, thank you so much for joining me on today's show. Thank you for having Yeah, your your statements released and I approached people in the introduction of this of this episode to go listen to that, because I think it gives a lot of good context for what we're talking about. But I think for a lot of people, you know, your statement released and it was a it was shocking, to say the least I think for a lot of people who, you know, were aware of vision Baptist missions and aware of Austin Gardner. Like I even think of myself. Vision Baptist missions produced my first documentary. So, you know, when I first became aware of it, it was it was a huge bombshell for me.
The biggest question that's floated around, it always floats around in these cases has been, you know, the why now question. And, you know, when we, when we discuss trauma or research trauma, and you know, study all of the pieces that go into that in processing these stories, it's often that there's a long period of time before these come out. But I wanted to kind of ask, you know, that questions float around social media when this video drop? Why now what's, what's the what's the goal of the statement? What's the goal of bringing this to light? And what are you hoping to see happen in light of this statement?
Becky 3:26
I appreciate you framing that question so graciously. What do I want to accomplish? I feel like when sin is committed, within a church, and it is only a religious or a biblical situation, that it's handled biblically through the church, I understand that the church has that authority. But in some cases, when a law is broken, are a crime is committed, that no longer falls under the jurisdiction of the church that falls under the jurisdiction of the government. And God so wisely put that in place for us. And I feel like that it's very important that we understand that justice, when it's when it should be left to the hands of the judicial system, then that's where it should go. And in my case, that was not done. And because it wasn't done in 2004, Austin Gardner was able to continue with his methods of abuse of authority, with his spiritual and emotional, physical, and even sexual improprieties that are not that are not right. No, he should have been stopped and he needs to be stopped. And as we've gone through this process, I have been absolutely astounded Estelle do that how many people knew of the allegations and just paid no attention to them? So they knowingly have covered for him? No.
So I would like for that to be exposed, I would like for that those people to be held accountable, because they by by covering for him, they've allowed him to continue this philosophy, they've allowed him to train other people who have gone on to hurt people. Right? Why now, because I'm not the only person that's been abused by him, or his sons, or those with whom he has had a responsibility of training and having influence. So that's why.
Eric 5:48
I think it's interesting. I mean, Philip, who's a former VBM, shared a lot of information from the internal conversation around this. And there's a lot of language about lies and attacks. And that verbiage is used quite a bit. And one of the things that stands out to me from you, and we've talked before, is, you know, your profile and accusation don't seem to mesh very well. You know, your, your husband's a pastor of a Baptist church, you've been in ministry, a very long time. And you expressed to me, you know, even trepidation coming on my show, like saying, I don't want to, I don't want to attack the church, and is that what's expected? Or you know, and it absolutely not like I, I allow people to share any perspective they might have, you know, but I think that that was kind of the forefront of your concern was, I want to make sure that this is not me attacking the church, or even a ministry, or the good people involved who are on the mission field, like this was very specific. And so it was funny having that, you know, that conversation you and I had in my head, and then reading the internal emails from all of the staff kind of characterizing as this attack or this desire to just do damage to the ministry itself. That that really stood out to me. You mentioned that a number of people who have been abused and have you know, privately come forward, I know you can't give their information. But do you have any kind of rough numbers as far as how many people have, have shared their stories or or expressed that some kind of abuse took place?
Becky 7:35
Well, if I have my numbers correctly, I believe that vision Baptist mission was presented with 24 letters, I believe, from missionaries, stating abuse of some type. And then within the survivors of Austin Gardner website, I believe there were at least 12 different submissions of specific situations or validating things that I said happened, they were able to validate that what I said was true, they had first hand knowledge or had seen some of the evidences of the things that I spoke about. And now you have to remember, his family has had a presence in Peru for a long time. And so what a lot of people in America don't understand is that while we are working on the American side, we're also working on the Peruvian side. And so we have there are a couple of lawyers that are already working on that side, handling things that are coming in from that side. Because that's outside of the American jurisdiction, which is one thing that we're finding, how recently
Eric 8:50
did you find out that there were other people? Because I know in your story in so many others, you tend to think, Oh, it's just me. When was the first time that you realized it wasn't just me? There's there's others involved and affected by this?
Becky 9:05
October of last year, wow. And sounds like they say, Oh, she just threw this together. Or, you know, she's just those internal emails we were. We were seeing those as well. And so there, according to Mark coffee, I'm just a bitter, angry person. God needs to do something in my heart, things like that. This wasn't a spur of the moment we've actually been talking with. I've been talking with a counselor for years, trying to trying to trying to find a way to keep my heart tender. Keep my focus on the Lord and truly believe that he is a sovereign God and that's not been easy. Within those emails within their emails as well You'll find that their first response to hearing about this in 2004, according to one witness was it's outside the statute of limitations. So from the very beginning, that was the what that was the attitude. And then within those emails when Chris Gardner said, Oh, hey, something might come out about me to mark coffees first response back was, but it's outside of the statute of limitations, right. So there's no, there's no concern for the victims. There's no concern for Did something happen is Oh, no, let's automatically let's cover and that's not okay. Right. Okay.
Eric 10:38
But yes, it was disturbing going through the emails. And, you know, it's a strange thing. Like I said, I mean, Vision Baptist missions, produced my first documentary. I didn't know Austin Gardner. I know Trent Cornwell. And you know, I messaged him when it first dropped and was like, did you know about this? Did you did you hear about this and, and I have a friend who's a missionary with Asian Baptist missions, and it was disturbing reading the emails that came out right when the video dropped and it was sorry to hear this. Sorry to hear this sorry for this junk. A lot of I love you. I stand with half a and our team one of the guys I used to go to school with was one of the machines in here. You know I love you have a sorry that you're going with this thanks for being a light in its it just showed the allegiance first to him. Instead of any honest call for investigation, there have been missionaries from Vision Baptist missions that have Have you have you heard from? Have you heard directly from any of the current vision Baptist missions missionaries? Have you? I'm sure you've been on the receiving end of some negative feedback? Have you heard any positive or encouraging or gotten any honest questions from anybody that's that's worked with them.
Becky 12:03
Um, if I look real quick, like here, the first communication was what we sent to Jeff Bush. And we knew Jeff and Mindy from the field. And so once once we dropped the video, we reached out to Jeff, and we just said that that this time that I just told him, I said, I wish I had the opportunity to look you in the eye and share my heart. My heart is not to just to destroy a ministry, it simply to expose. And we told him, we support your desire to train people for the Lord, and we're praying for you. And Mindy, as you lead vision to the next level. And his Jeff's response back to us was extremely gracious. You know, he's trying to figure this out. We've never done this before. I appreciate your your kind words, I want to do the right thing. And then, but so his only response to us has been through that short Facebook, messaging that we initiated on somebody from the church, one of the deacons from the church reached out to Jonathan, and he's had that communication back and forth. But I have to tell you this on to the credit of Trent Cornwell, I've never met him. No, I have heard a lot of people speak very highly of him. And I don't know who is helping him, but he has in the last six weeks, five weeks, done more than Macedonia ever did, ever. And for that I'm extremely, extremely grateful and extremely hopeful that they truly want to handle things the right way. I appreciate that. On the flip side, within the the mission, it seems like the directors are like you said, you know, even though Jason Holt said, we've all decided that that truth, Trump's loyalty, when you see the email thread saying, you know, have the intestinal fortitude to get out now, if you're not going to protect everybody, that that's just a mixed message. That's not truth over loyalty. That's not it at all.
Eric 14:22
Yeah, we get a reading Phillips blog, he give a very great detailed blog and breakdown of all the communication and and I was relieved seeing that Trent, you know, seems to be handling it. You know, I emailed him last night to ask him for questions. And, you know, he seems to be handling it to the best. He knows how and and, you know, I was saying these cases, you know, I don't think that any ministry is responsible when they find out something happened. You know, I think that's where I think that's the difference. I think there are definitely people who even follow podcasts like mine or follow sites that talk about this and they're ready to light the torches for every ministry that has anything happened. But the reality is, you know, the ministry is not responsible until they know and choose how to respond to it. And like you said, and I think Philip said, and a couple of others I've seen have said is how they continue to respond to it is going to dictate the future, I think of vision Baptist missions. And I do want to get into Austin's response, because I think that was, that was also a bombshell because I did not expect, typically in these cases, there's no response. It's just let's keep plowing forward. He released a video, just the
Austin 15:41
"Just the other day, a video, a horrible video drops. And I'm called and told him to watch a video. I can't extract I cannot describe the hurt. Now it tours up. But I want you to know, the vision matters missions, has gotten an independent investigation, I stepped away so that they could investigate, I don't want to hurt the cause of Christ. I don't want to hurt the name of Jesus and world evangelism, invisible independent investigators investigating this situation to see if there is cooperating witnesses, testimony, anything. At the end of that time, I will be found innocent. And when I am, I intend to return to my father's business and to do what God called me to do."
Becky 16:35
At some point, you have to respond, he has a lot at stake. So I was not surprised that he responded. I'm not sure that he achieved what he had hoped to achieve.
Eric 16:51
I mean, the the biggest thing that his statement left me wondering, and one of the I don't remember his name, right, give it but one of the former missionaries from VBM mentioned he said the video fails to address like the biggest question, which is why, like, what benefit is there to these allegations coming out now? And, you know, there's, that's really the big question. I watched the video and I just thought this doesn't address any reasoning for why this would be happening. It doesn't address why there's a reason for attack, why there's even a feeling of if you want to say bitterness, like it doesn't address any of those things. What response would you want to see in a video like this if he was being truthful and honest, and what would you hope to that would be said in response to these these allegations?
Becky 17:44
Well, contrary to what Jason Holt has said, he was said he was imported our video and our behavior ads, and that we had no, I forget the wording he used. The idea was that he saw no desire for us to have restitution, I believe was the wording I can't remember exactly. But restitution means we sought restitution. That's what we sought for in 2004 weeks, we saw for acknowledging the wrong that had been done taking responsibility for it. And then putting yourself under the responsibility of whatever those consequences would be. If they're biblical, that falls within the church side. If they're legal, then that falls within the jurisdiction of the judicial system. And so submitting himself to whatever those consequences are, because, yes, he got to choose his actions. Yeah, he's chosen them for a lot of years. And according to these 20, something missionaries that have presented their grievances, this isn't something that has stopped. And so what would we like to see, I'd like to see him take responsibility. Sure. That's what we would like, we would like to see that instead of defending, and, and minimizing. Acknowledging that the choices I made hurt you, and they have continued to and not just me, but there's no way for him to reach everybody that has been affected by by his his abuse of authority, but that's what I would like that would be the first step, which is take responsibility. Just acknowledge that, but I don't know if I'll ever see that or hear that,
Eric 19:38
with so many people, at least aware of some issues, at least at the very least character flaws. You know, one always wonders like how does this stay silent for so long? Like when we see this in all these cases that question comes up? Why didn't nobody say something sooner? When you went in 2004 to Paul chapel to the Christian Law Association, bringing very seriously allegations, what was the response that they gave you? What was the what was the the reasoning that they gave you for why this shouldn't be pursued?
Becky 20:09 I just want to make sure that this is super, super clear. So we were in a mission conference out at Lancaster Baptist Church. And David Gibbs, Jr, was one of the speakers. And so after the service, when we were just having a chance to talk, we expressed to him what was going on what had happened, why I was coming forward at that time. And so he said, let's have a conference meet. Let's just have a meeting during one of the breaks and we met with him and we met with Pastor chapel. So pastor Chapel was he was a sending pastor. He was not, he was the pastor of one of our sending churches. So he was not, you know, if you think about somebody who has direct spiritual authority in our lives wasn't like that. So I don't hold him responsible. I, you know, should they have said something more? He maybe he should have? I'm not really for sure. But so that pushed us to CLA. CLA, then we had the meeting in Florida, where we did our we did our I don't know if it's a deposition. I don't I don't know the words that you use anyway. But so we did that. So the response we got from them, the idea was that if we came forward, because of who he was, he probably would drag our family through the mud were the words, and that we probably were outside of the statute of limitations. And that we could put a formal complaint on file so that if something were to come up in the future, we would have that at least noted that we had come forward. And then they they advised us to go to the Mission Board and to the sending pastor, which was Wayne Cofield. And so we followed what they recommended we do,
Eric 22:04
or there was some of that mentioned that, that you did go to the Mission Board or to vision. Okay, so when was that was that prior to no vision
Becky 22:14
was not even in existence. Then at that point, Austin Gardner was the field director for Macedonia.
Eric 22:22
Was it was it master? So it was Chris Gardner that mentioned as he said, I want you to know that I've been there and was part of the whole experience for she accused that offer Turner has been a platform to share it with pastors, and they denied to do this.
Becky 22:33
That is not true. Okay. And Chris Gardner was not in that meeting. And Mark Coffey, as well says that he was involved the most involved team member from the very beginning. Right. So those are, those are not true statements. I'm sorry, those are not true. And when I went to live with the gardener's Chris was kindergarten or first grade,
Eric 22:58 right? He's young, he's younger.
Becky 23:02
Right. And so for him to be able to say, you know, Macedonia called him in and said, Hey, is this true? Truthfully, I don't know that Chris would have been cognizant enough to know whether or not what was happening because he was young, right there speaking to him now as an adult. But obviously, that this was a long time ago when he was a lot younger. But um, there was not. They did have a meeting. Yes. A lot of all the premium pastors that he was responsible for inadequate. Yes, they did have a meeting, but no, we were not invited. We had no idea that a meeting was even going on until Henry super hookah, who was one of the national pastors that we had started the church with. He was the one who told us and so yeah, that's how we found out so our support our friendships, our My husband was doing a quarter needle acquire with all of the churches. We have 120 people in the choir, a lot of friendships, a lot of pastors. And after that meeting, yeah. Yeah, they were gone. So there was a meeting, yes, but we weren't invited to it.
Eric 24:20
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Becky 26:29
No, not from us? No, I can't say that at all. I think I think actually, the opposite has happened. Because there have been a lot of people, especially within this personality in this family in this ministry, there have been a lot of people who have said I'm glad you said something because I've wanted to say something I just didn't know how I didn't have the courage or I tried and they wouldn't listen or whatever. So it's been um you know, but you have to remember now I am not I am protecting my heart. I am not allowing myself to go to any information thread that would be negative or that would you know, I I have a husband that is very, very good at keeping me safe. And so he has I have not, I haven't followed the survivors page. I haven't followed any of that I've tried really hard to because I don't want to be bitter. I do want my heart to stay tender. Um, but I there's been a lot of Hey, me, too. Yeah. Me to see, because what people I don't think understand. And I guess this is something that really concerns me within the church is when you have missionaries, there has to be some type of accountability. Yeah, and there's really not because you are so far away. And a pastor can come down. I mean, we've seen it happen, we saw it. And now to keep up. An American pastor would come down, and you can pay or you can offer a meal or you can pay for everybody's bus, right? So everybody comes in. So that visiting pastor comes in and sees this show for two or three days. And and they think, Oh, well, things are going great. This is really, really going well. And because you don't speak the language, you can't talk to find out what's really happening. So there's no accountability. So the repercussions of this type of abuse of authority has its fingers in so so so many places. So we have a lot of hurt people who have said me too, this has happened and this and because of that this and and because he trained this pastor, that Pastor acted like this and no cover are so deep. Yeah. So no, we haven't gotten the negative backlash. No, not yet. I'm sure we might. I mean, we've had some things okay, we've had some things happen. We've had some we've had some false accusations come up. And it's like, okay, word. All we can do is trust you that truth will come out.
Eric 29:23
Yeah. I talked about this with I talked about this with somebody the other day, and they were just like, Yeah, I'm just taking a break. You know, I appreciate what you're doing. But I just, you know, I don't want to be in the threads and like just see, and don't want to soak in all the stories 24 sounds like I'm with you. Like there's times I don't even follow my own comment threads. You know, like I put out my content and take a break you know, and I think there's wisdom in not soaking in the trauma because it is it's it's difficult, you know, even beyond just being angry, which it's easy to get angry when you see these stories, but Uh, even beyond that just mentally living in that space, you know, for me, the I had three year, I think three interviews this week, that's good, like, I've hit my hit my quota for how much I want to think about, you know, a lot of these topics and that takes the time they'd go through and reread statements and, and all those sorts of things. And it's, I think it's, there's wisdom in that. And I think also too, I get it, it keeps you being able to speak to it in a in a really fresh way, and be able to just share exactly what you're feeling without having to feel like you have to address something that's being said, or, you know, constantly be going back and forth defending yourself, because that's a, that's a nasty cycle. So I really, really respect that. And I think to, again, this just is what I wanted people to really hear when I was when I watched Austin's video, because after you put out your statement, I told you beforehand, I was just like, she said her story, like I don't need to ask her to come on, I don't need to, she said it in the way she wants to say it. That's great. And then I watched his video, and I was just like, how she's being described in these emails. And this video is not who I talked to a few weeks before your statement released, you know, like, you were you were grilling me about, you know, do I have to, you know, I'm not bitter, we still you know, we still work at a church and I was like, that's fine. That's 100%. Okay.
Becky 31:28
If I'm angry, you know why I'd be angry. I'm angry that they have gotten away with hurting so many people for so long. And we're talking with somebody right now, who was a victim in Peru. And they, they want nothing to do with God. That and I'm like, I'm like, Lord, where are you? Why would you let somebody influence another life? That would eventually turn away from God? And I've had all those same questions. Where's God? Where was God? Where is he now? When is he going to show up? When will we see justice? When will these other people see justice. So all of those emotions are very true. And they're real. But I know that if I let myself go down that road, then then I let a man become more important than God. And God didn't hurt me. God didn't abuse me. There was a man. There was a man. And I can still trust in God. And not my whole family's not there. My whole family's not there. But that's where I want to be.
Eric 32:50
I mean, that's one of the devastating parts of it, you know, and that's where I spoke with somebody. Just recently, we were talking and, and I've said this a couple times over the last couple of months, but really, in the last month, I was just watching so many responses from pastors, and in seeing in your story, you know, one of my former pastors, there was a scandal around him the same month, about a week before. And then just the general barrage of negative, you know, feedback and things in and I just keep going back to like the biggest, you know, at the, I mean, by the end of last month, I was like, Man, I can't take any more of these hits, like I feel, you know, I don't I sit down across from you, or Rachel peach or Serge I am just like, I don't know how you do it, like I because I, I'm sitting here dealing with much lesser versions of these situations. I'm sitting here dealing with, I'm just looking like, I have a 10,000 foot view, watching how pastors respond. And then I've said over and over again, like growing up, I was taught the biggest attacks on your faith are going to come from like Hollywood, rock music, you know, all this stuff. It has been the things that have made me question everything have been watching pastors respond to victims of abuse. And, and for the last, you know, I had a pastor just the other day that reached out to me, and, you know, just, he just blew up on me about a bunch of different stuff. And I just any and he, he was upset because there were some people, my group that were upset and they had, they'd used language and things like that, and was just like, their emotions are raw, they've been hurt by the church. And he said something along the lines of, you know, a lot of people who are hurt by the church become atheists who hate and want to attack churches. And I wanted to responses like, this is why like, you realize this treatment is why like, this is what makes me not want to go to your church, you know, like, this is the kind of stuff and you know, it's been eye opening though. Just last year, so and I developed a lot of empathy for people who, you know, because I just sit there I'm like, Man for when I started the show, like, I mean, I would have been like, I'm a hardcore, you know, I still believe all the things that I believe in, then I think I'm like, man, if I'm getting treated like this, and I'm saying, Hey, I'm still on the same team, you know, what are people who've left the church being treated? Like, what are the victims who are coming forward with abuses? Who are now atheist or now? It's, it's really disturbing and scary? To me.
Becky 35:33
I have a front row seat. Yeah, right. My heart, my heart breaks, my heart breaks for so many. And I don't know what the answer is outside of, we have to be different. I have to be different. There has to be whether either God's grace works, or it doesn't. Either God is sovereign, or he isn't. And, and I choose to believe he is. And I choose to believe that. Somehow, if I will give him all of these pieces, he can do something. I don't know what he can do. Because honestly, I feel like, I feel like my, my influence is over. I feel like I would have been better to just be quiet, I would have been. I don't know. I feel like I feel like I had a lot to lose, being quiet. But I feel like if I had been quiet, I feel like that because I was quiet. A lot of people continue to get hurt. And I truly Pray that they can find help, and not have to walk the journey of healing. But I'm telling you, the journey of healing is so painful. And it's so painful.
Eric 37:16
I know you said your influences now done. But I think in a lot of ways, this might sound cliche, but I think a lot of ways you're influenced is kind of just begun, because you've started this, this ball moving and people sharing their stories in. It doesn't stop with Austin Gardner. And I think that's where, you know, I think that's where I think if you look at it in a limited scope, that's what it is, like, what's going to happen with him, I think what this is doing is for this stack of emails from missionaries who are okay with a certain type of thing, or this stack of people who have accepted a type of leadership, you know, and I don't even blame every, every missionary who sent these emails, like, a lot of them, like, the spiritual abuse trips off the responses of some of the things, you know, I saw things comparing about, you know, drill sergeants and like falling in line and all those sorts of things like, that's that too is, is there's people there who need to understand there's a better way to operate, there's a better way to treat other human beings. And I think, I hope that with this case, it's not limited to just this report and this person, this man, but also how do these systems happen? How do we improve accountability overseas? How do we improve the way that we investigate these cases for vision Baptist missions? Like, yes, this is their first time dealing with these will they handle it the right way? And then the next time have a clear procedure and system? You know,
Becky 38:50
Leslie was the fact that the way the way the mission wanted to handle it, I don't think I don't think anything would have happened if Trent had not stepped in honestly, honest opinion. And something we went back and forth with was okay, so you're gonna let the directors of vision who have been mentored under him? Yeah. And they've never been able to stand up to him before and now all of a sudden, they're going to challenge him, that's not going to happen. That's not going to happen. So that's why I said I we are extremely grateful for the leadership that Trent has shown. And you know, sometimes when you're thrown into a situation like this, God gives you wisdom beyond your years when your heart truly is to grow and to know and to have an accountability level. That is I think, as a church we should be much higher than what's even expected. That was That was interesting. Within those emails, and Chris volunteers Oh, hey, I told my job that you know, something's coming out about me and the end the war Roll the secular workplace said, Well, you know, we'll have to investigate. But But inside the church, we don't say that. Yeah, that was really interesting to me. But well, I'd have to change.
Eric 40:13
Yeah, well, and I definitely want to want to end on that on like, Where? Where do we go from here? But first, I do want to ask you just really quickly. I mean, you have a lot of experience on the mission field, obviously. I think actually, the church I grew up in supported you because I recognize your names when we were Yeah, so it was, I know, you guys have been at this for a long time. And I guess, just quickly, I mean, what do you think we can do better as churches when it comes to missions giving accountability to the mission field? Because this, this isn't the first story like this? I know, it's not the last? How can churches better monitor what's happening overseas? And do you have any suggestions for pastors who are, you know, thinking about? Like, how do we do better in making sure that people are not just safe in our churches, but in the international church that we're supporting?
Becky 41:08
I think one of the things that we talked about, we had to come back to the field, our youngest is struggling with her health. And so that's what brought us back. But coming back, then, you know, you have a different view. But I wish one of the things that we had had was one church that had no financial attachment to us whatsoever, but was a church where we could speak openly and have nothing to lose. You know, you could you could talk to a supporting church, but if they thought, you know, you were complaining or criticizing the authority, you could lose your support. And so a lot of people don't say anything. Yeah. So we I wish we had had one church that had no financial ties to us, but they were our sounding lockups a safe place to talk. And unfortunately, through Macedonia, we found that it wasn't the board. So we needed somebody outside of that. And I think that that missionaries need that they need somebody that they can talk to and say, Hey, this is what's happening on the field. I'm not sure anybody else knows. I think also that pastors need to visit, you need to visit and you need to be able to have a chance to talk to the nationals when you're able to even ask them question questions. Are there any concerns? Even asking, you know, I'm not saying isolating? Because I am not for that. But asking the children asking the wife, asking the husband, how are things going? Is there anything that you would like to share offering them counseling, when they come back? There's, you know, we we do a debriefing for our military when they come back from a war zone, but we do nothing for the missionaries. Yeah. So I think there are multiple things like that. But But the bottom line is, is a person has to have a desire to please God more than anything else. Anything else? And when it turns into this as my kingdom? Yeah, I can go to this field, I can raise all this money and do practically nothing. Yeah. Let me just tell you, we have seen, we have seen a lot. But ultimately, that person is responsible to God. And those other missionaries having a safe place to have somewhere where they can tell. And share, I think is huge. Yeah. Thank you is huge. Our church, we support fewer missionaries for a higher dollar amount. Yeah, but we communicate with our missionaries. And it's, it's got to be that way, you've got to know, you've got to know you're willing to ask the tough questions.
Eric 43:48
Yeah, that true partnership is important. You know, and I worked with admissions agency for for a few years. And that was one of the things we always pushes, we got to step away from Hundreds of pastors supporting it $100 A month and move to 2010 churches supporting like they would a member of their own church going out. And, you know, because there needs to be that accountability that needs to be and there needs to be that real support. Like it's not worth the gas money to go to a church to get the $100 a month. You know, it's it's a we put people in a very difficult position. And, you know, I think there's a lot that's a whole area I could go off on for a long time because I and I know it's it's extremely difficult the way it's structured right now for for missionaries. Just just kind of closing out and I appreciate you giving me so much of your time today. You know, what are the next steps and you said you shared your story, you feel like you've I mean, you shared in I think great detail, you know your story. What are you hoping to happen next? Do you have any idea what's happening next over the next couple of days, weeks months? Or is it a lot of unknown kind of moving forward?
Becky 44:58
Well, there's some known and there So a lot of unknown, we spoke with a lawyer that is working with vision Baptist Church. And so I know that that investigation is ongoing. We also are meeting with another lawyer to see if there's another angle that we can pursue on top of what we're already doing. We are working with the authorities in Peru where all of those things will lead and what those timeframes are. We don't know. In 2004, what we expected was, hey, this is what you did. Would you just acknowledge it? No. This time, I assumed we were taught we would be talking just with him. And it might eventually lead to, you know, pulling in these other people that we know have done things that are wrong. Sure. We had no idea that all these missionaries would also be experiencing things. So this has gotten way bigger than we ever anticipated. I had no idea. So I don't know where all of that is going to go. Yeah. But we're extremely grateful that Trent and the church have taken it seriously. We appreciate that. And I think that's the first step. Any church, you have to take it seriously, you have to listen? No, you have to listen.
Eric 46:19
Right? Well, like I said, I hope this leads to, you know, even people watching this from the outside of their pastors, this is a higher profile person. So I'm hoping that pastors who are watching this from the side are taking note of, you know, what could we do to handle these situations differently. And like I said, I think the impact of what you've said, has only just really begun. And I'm interested to see where it moves forward and the other stories that come forward. But thank you so much for forgiving me so much of your time. Like I said, it really means a lot to me. And I think it's gonna be really helpful for people who are seeing all of this come out and are trying to trying to find some context and try to figure out how to think about all of it. So thank you very much.
Becky 47:03
You're welcome. Thank you and take care of yourself. Because this is a lot when you're washing dirty laundry all day, essentially. So we're praying for you I want you to know that