Demonstrations
Conclusion
Trent Cornwell, the deacons, and Vision Baptist Church still have the opportunity to meaningfully renounce these practices and separate themselves from any association with an unrepentant Austin Gardner and Vision Baptist Missions. I believe they see, at least to some degree, these things as wrong. I publicly call on them to respond in a godly way for the cause of Christ and his Church. Most are also aware of the pseudo-apologies of the past, false confessions, and deceptive demonstrations of piety that have been used to excuse and ultimately continue in this behavior. With this knowledge, it cannot be allowed to happen again.
As long as the leadership of VBM is Jeff Bush, Jason Holt, Mark Tolson, Mark Coffey, Robert Canfield, Travis Snode, and Brendon Wung, I do not have much hope for Vision Baptist Missions. These men have been the most complicit perpetrators of this culture. They defend and downplay these actions when confronted and teach and practice them in their leadership.
Footnote: Some Advice on Discerning Deceptive Behavior
This is new to all of us. so we need some education on the subject.
There are likely certain things that I have interpreted as deceptive that were just imperfect communication, but the consistency of questionable communication confirmed by the resistance to opening up to a truly impartial investigation is extremely concerning.
“Demonstrations” from “Something’s Not Right“
QUOTES FROM CHAPTER 8 — DEMONSTRATIONS
“Once an abuse is brought to light, an abusive person or organization will offer concessions and then demonstrations to reassure others that the abuse is in the past. These demonstrations can be dangerous if they are insincere and are employed merely as a way to protect an abuser’s image or to keep an abuser in power. Demonstrations come in various forms: statements, distancing, and rehabilitation. Demonstrations seek to repair an image rather than engage in genuine change.”
“Their focus remains solely on what this latest exposure would do to them rather than what the abuse and deception had done to the victims ”
“When organizations devote greater urgency to demonstrating change than to pursuing an understanding of the problems, they sacrifice truth.”
“If you’ve been the victim of church hurt or spiritual abuse, it’s likely that the above scene feels uncannily familiar. The abuse you endured was finally brought to light, but instead of an authentic apology, it felt like you got the opposite: an insincere concession followed by a barrage of displays and reassurances that the church was still good and thriving.”
“By drawing attention to successes, the good done since the exposure, or the positive influence on the community, the abusive person or organization demonstrates to a watching world that they deserve to possess what they want. What they want, of course, is continued control and reputation. By drowning a negative event in a sea of positivity, the organization manipulates its stakeholders into overlooking or justifying wrongs. It’s terribly effective because the people ultimately conclude, “Let’s not be concerned about one drop of bad in a sea of good.”
“It’s true: we should be discerning and supportive of good-faith efforts. But it’s equally important not to blindly accept the mirage they offer. Whenever an organization apologizes for its unethical behavior but then goes on to promote its values, successes, and contributions to society, you can be sure it is more interested in repairing its image for its own benefit than it is in making amends for the good of the wronged.”
The Danger of Demonstrations
“Because these demonstrations are based on deception and designed to protect the abuser’s image, they present a dangerous false hope that can do great damage to a person’s religious faith, trust in others, and hope for justice. ”
“This is the tragedy of demonstrations of change without regard for truth. They lead to a superficial treatment of people’s brokenness.”
“At best, this allows blind spots in the organization to remain. At worst, the “change” is a form of stagecraft used to maintain favor with an audience. To borrow a biblical phrase, the community claims, “Peace!” when there is no peace. They desire to be seen as good without having to meet the demands of goodness. They want to be granted trust without having to earn it. They want to be seen as agents of healing without repairing any wounds. They want to collect a following without stopping to serve those they’ve trampled over.”
“Victims, pushed to the margins, are left to watch the victory of hypocrisy. At this point, there is nothing left for them to do. They’ve done what they could, and it wasn’t enough.”
“It is very difficult to discern these final acts of deception.”
“Demonstrations are used to win your favor, and because they appear good, you naturally want to believe they are free of hidden agendas. ”
“I want to encourage you to remain discerning and willing to confront abuse so you do not fall for the final ploy.”
“You can choose not to celebrate a demonstration of change if an actual change hasn’t followed truth telling. You can choose to voice your concern and call the powerful to do the right thing. You can dissent, even if it might seem as if everyone else is ready to applaud the demonstrations.”
Decoding Demonstrations
“Demonstrations are deceptions that divert attention from the negativity of the harm and toward the positivity of well-sounding statements and philanthropic actions.”
Statements
“it is common for an organization or individual to respond with a demonstration that includes a plethora of prosocial statements that align with societal values. These statements condemn abusive behavior and highlight best practices, renewed commitments, and future potential.”
Distancing
“The exposed person who emphasizes how long ago the abuse was is attempting to create distance between who they were then and who they are now. We tend to care more about recent harm. By highlighting a gap in time, the offender implies that the actions are in the distant past.”
Telltale Signs
“narrow-mindedness, arrogance, and an insistence on leading are telltale signs the demonstration of change is only for the sake of repairing an image, not a genuine change. They will do only what is needed to survive the scandal instead of doing all they must to make amends. They will be unwilling to consider all the factors that might have contributed to their abusive behavior when pushed. They alone will determine what is up for discussion and what is not.”
Exactly what I have seen in the past
“The overconfident will shun outside help from experts because they believe they already know what they need to know—how could someone from the outside be more of an expert? Concerned only about appearances, they refuse to engage with outsiders who might inform their initiatives and expose any blind spots. They stay far away from those who might reveal their limitations. Trusting in their own ability to investigate claims and to render judgment, they go on their own fact-finding missions and refuse to hire outside, nonbiased investigators. At the same time, they avoid giving any credibility to the power of public opinion—to those who have exposed them. Such acknowledgment would give the perception that they do not know what they are doing, an admission they perceive to be fatal and one that would simultaneously give credit to the effectiveness of the public outcry, which they fear would empower their critics even more. They have now entered into a cycle of impression management as they feel they must defend their legitimacy at every turn so as to quell the growing concerns.”
“What happens when the organization’s quest to positively influence public perception does not end with the success they had hoped for? They turn their attention to managing the impressions others are forming of the critics, labeling them as malicious, hateful, and arrogant. The deceived who support the organization’s efforts then condemn those they are led to believe are worse than they really are. Sadly, the very people who were repeatedly ignored are now publicly scorned. The quest to qualify themselves has now become a quest to disqualify others. ”
This is me now, and everyone else who has spoken up in the past.
What Can I Do?
“Because demonstrations seek to distract, a practical way to counter that effort is to keep pointing back to the unresolved issues. For example, you could say, ““While I can understand your desire to show me how you are changing, I still don’t believe you have looked at everything that went wrong. I’m concerned you have not done the work needed to understand your responsibility for the hurt you caused.””
“This is why you must use the above information to be extremely discerning whenever you’re faced with a demonstrative response that promises that everything will be different. Because here’s the unfortunate truth: no amount of patience will produce change in an abusive community that isn’t willing to surrender its legitimacy and pursue the entire truth. No amount of faith will be rewarded when the object of that faith is a falsehood. ”
Notes From: Mullen, Wade. “Something’s Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse–and Freeing Yourself from Its Power.”
“The vast majority are set up in a way that is biased toward the offender” “they have become farces. Do we want one? Yes. But there are so few 3rd party investigations that are truly independent “