Abusive Elder

[Mike (DDTFA)]

I just saw this posted to a Facebook group that I'm on:

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I was in Ron Weinland's group for most of my adolescent and adult life, and in 2008, he appointed a bunch of people as elders who were longstanding baptized members; it was to handle the growth of the church, basically, because he was too busy. Anyway, one of these creepy old white men hit on me in 2009; he's married, of course, and tried to take advantage of his position. To make things worse, he's my sister's father-in-law; I told her what happened, and of course she said that I was making it up. He knew that no one would believe me, so I never brought it up again; he made me feel very unsafe, telling me that he knew how to pleasure a woman, and to "keep it between you, me, and the fence post." I was living with my sister at the time, and I was expected to help with things like gardening and other chores, which was fine, but I was put in a vulnerable position; I was using their computer trying to find a job when he started rubbing my neck and shoulders. I froze, I didn't know how to react; I knew this man for a long time, he's married, he's my sister's father-in-law, he's an elder, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, right? He lifted the back of my shirt and tried to rub my breasts, and I stood up and said that was enough; I said that I felt uncomfortable, and he stopped. I got lucky, I guess, but another time he had helped me carry in groceries that I had bought after work and kissed my cheek during an unwanted hug; I'm so glad that I never have to see him again.

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Unlike Ron's idol, I'm not aware of any allegations of sexual shenanigans on the part of Weinland himself.

My question is whether he would have intervened on behalf of this abused person had he been made aware of the situation?

[martin]

Very sad to hear of such wicked behavior.