I hope there is an investigative journalist who would be willing to do a podcast on this in the future, of course if the Daughters even want that. It’s a great way to get their story out there. Love and support to you all.
Why did the case go dormant in the first place? What did the police need that they didn’t get to bring charges and make arrests? I fully support the victims here, I am just very confused why nothing was done and why there wasn’t enough evidence. Can someone explain? From what I have been reading about the atrocities that were allegedly committed, it seems like enough to me, but what do I know? If someone could clarify that would be helpful.
What evidence could a sexually abused toddler present in their defense if the abuser is their parent, their teacher, and their pastor all at once? Would that parent willingly take the child to police to report themselves?
Physical evidence of sexual abuse relies on being collected and tested immediately following the assault; why would the abuser offer that up?
And the abuse doesn’t always stop as the victim grows older, which is the case here. So now, the perpetrators have years if not decades of abuse, coercion, gaslighting, manipulating, etc. invested into their victims. It’s not so easy for a scared child or teen to seek outside help, if it’s even possible for them at all.
It hurts my heart that anyone could default to thinking a child would just make this up.
I understand it does happen, but it is absolutely not the norm or the vast majority. And there is plenty of data to back that up.
Beyond that, this is not only about legal justice for the victims in this situation.
This is about forcing the church to confront the FACT that evil and/or illegal things were done there by leadership, covered up and insulated from exposure by leadership, and that we believe we can establish and demonstrate to the public, a pattern of ungodly behavior spanning 3 decades and 2 generations of leadership.
The church has sins to atone for, and because they were not transparent in the handling of the investigation, those victims opened the door for support.
What has come from that is a growing number of people reaching out, sharing stories, and some are publicly joining the mission.
The goal was just for them to be honest about the details, and to remove Mark from leadership. Over the course of the last 7 years, they have opted to only remove Mark when convenient for them, and to label Mark’s daughters as “enemies of God” from the pulpit.
This is and will always be about justice for Mark’s daughters, but it is equally about healing. Rebuilding bridges burned by them for us, reconnecting with people we thought had stopped caring about us, creating safe spaces and means for other victims to speak as little or as much as they’d like about what they experienced.
We are evolving to better serve the community, something one might even say ought to be the mission of the church.
These claims require evidence for police to actually bring a criminal case against the perpetrator. The claims were over a decade old at the time of reporting to MLPD so getting evidence was a really difficult ask.
You all are making noise still after the accusations were all proven by Mt Laurel Police and Prosecutors to be false ,, but yet continue to want to hurt hurt and hurt more so so sad !
The investigation can and will be reopened pending new leads, which may or may not come. A case going dormant or being shelved due to lack of evidence DOES NOT EQUAL INNOCENCE FOR THE ACCUSED.
Secondly, and this shouldn't need pointing out to a literal group of people supposedly being guided by the Holy Spirit, the church leadership has refused to be transparent with the congregation, as is commanded in the Bible.
WE do not wish to hurt anyone. We are now running parallel goals with our efforts, and unfortunately for the church, people "hurt hurt and hurt more" by FCC(FBC) are finding their voices.
Had they handled these accusations with actual Biblical insight and basic moral decency, perhaps we would not have needed to form a team, which might not have opened the door for other victims of their abuse to begin speaking up.
No one involved in this movement is here to hurt the church; we are the hurt, the discarded, the abused and thrown away, the erased legacy of Fellowship Community (formerly Baptist) Church.
We ARE the church, and if they don't like the stories we tell, perhaps they ought to have behaved differently.
Harry, Do you base your faith and moral compass solely on the legal system?If you have thoroughly read and researched all of the information that has been presented and still choose to support the accused without seriously considering the concerns being raised, then I believe you’re missing the larger issue. The point is not simply whether a legal standard for prosecution was met. The point is whether the allegations, testimonies, patterns of behavior, and surrounding facts warrant honest reflection, accountability, and concern.
Respectfully, if we dismiss credible accusations and the voices of those who have come forward simply because a legal conviction was not obtained, we risk contributing to the very culture that allows these situations to persist. The individuals of FCC and all churches need to uphold the true Christian standard, the one of Jesus of the Bible.
Respectfully,
Lex Cortes
P.S - Sending love and prayers for all the victims. You have our family’s full love and support
I have not read anything other than adolescent children trying to explain how they remember being disciplined as a child. There as I was told other children in the family . Why have they not spoken about what supposedly happened in the house growing up ? To many it sounds and looks like are disgruntled adults now trying to ruin an other wise good man’s reputation. The Me 2 craze that happened a few years ago found men guilty before any investigation or court hearing was done. I am not willing to go down that rabbit hole.
If something had happened worse than what has been written on social media it should have been brought to the authorities long before 25 years later when memories fade and than one starts to believe themselves of the lies they have made up. Lex if I’m to believe all the lies people spread bearing false witness to events that truly never happened because some child has a ax to grind then am I being fair to the one being accused of the event. It’s sad that so many want to jump on Social Media making all kinds of statements but not brave enough to disclose who they are, so we all know who is making such accusations do not hide that makes me even further doubt what is being said of the accused. They so fast to put the Pastors name and church in the remarks. But hiding who they are. Wrong wrong wrong especially when one can make this statement about others not be forthcoming ( Board and Deacons ) about disclosing all of this to the community. It has always I’m sure been in the police file where any citizen could look into, at anytime.
Harry, this is the "making it sides" polarization that is so sad and avoidable! This is not what the daughters of fellowship want in any way. The goal should be the healing and creation of a place that keeps transparency and protection of the vulnerable as it's core principles.
Ask yourself:
Why would the church have never reached out to talk to Mark's daughters named as witnesses and victims in 2019?
Why would the church not offer opportunities for congregants to come forward with their concerns and provide pathways to hearing them, helping them, protecting them?
Why would the church not put in their statement that the accusations were made by his children?
Why would the church downgrade the accusations from child rape to 'sexual misconduct'?
The standard of who the church board puts in front of their congregation to tell others how to behave should be far higher than 'not a criminal in the eyes of the law'.
You speak about truth being a priority- how bout you help work together to make the church a safe place for everyone?
To avoid going back and forth, I don’t believe we’re going to find common ground on this issue. I disagree with both your sentiment and your approach. In my view, it does not withstand moral or biblical scrutiny. I also believe your comments are divisive and dismissive of those who have come forward.
I understand that you have your beliefs, but it is important to recognize that those beliefs are not shared by many who have reviewed the information available. Mark Willey officiated my wedding, dedicated my children, and preached many sermons that contributed to my growth as a Christian. However, he is not God. He is a flawed man, like all of us. But, flaws of a person shouldn’t be interjected on the vulnerable. More importantly, the documented behavior that has been presented paints a deeply troubling picture of someone who appeared far more concerned with control and self-preservation than Christlike leadership. Furthermore, those flaws should be brought to light in order for growth and repentance. None of which are apparent. You seem to have overlooked some of the letters and testimony that were released. I would encourage you to revisit the accounts detailing Mark’s alleged manipulative behavior during the investigation while his children were already adults, as well as the allegations involving one daughter that reportedly extended into her young adult years. Those claims challenge the characterization that this is simply a matter of “children disagreeing with how they were raised.” At this point, Mark and the Board of Directors should either address these matters directly, transparently, and truthfully, or remain silent and allow that silence to speak for itself. There is no need to launch a crusade on behalf of a fully capable grown man. More importantly, I believe the way this situation was handled by the the board was wrong. I see the director of the board Jon Sharp has deleted his Facebook , the irony of someone using spiritual warfare against the face of those who were in hiding - now goes into hiding himself. This is not the example of transparency, accountability, humility, and care that Jesus Christ modeled—and that is what matters most.
Well Christy that’s not true everyone that supposedly they are trying to let know do not know there names. So there you go again, making a false statement to get your narrative across and it’s sad. As far as who you are I believe your dad was a pastor there a long long time and your mother worked in the front office . I’m sure they both could speak of the Pastor’s character, knowing your father he is not one that would have stood by a man for so long knowing what is being said , nor your Grandparents.
With all possible respect, you are not accomplishing anything by making these comments here.
You say we are too vague, yet we have identified ourselves to you. You have no right to ask us for any names. We protect those whose the Bible commands us to protect here.
If you are so confident that you know more than the daughters of MULTIPLE legacy families of the church, feel free to identify yourself and we can continue this debate elsewhere.
If you truly think you are defending that church by trolling here, you are not driven by the Spirit.
We are not going to waste time on bad faith arguments.
We give everyone the freedom to speak their minds, but at the end of the day, we don't need validation from those determined to misunderstand us.
I hope there is an investigative journalist who would be willing to do a podcast on this in the future, of course if the Daughters even want that. It’s a great way to get their story out there. Love and support to you all.
I love to see the support and growth. Hang in there.
Why did the case go dormant in the first place? What did the police need that they didn’t get to bring charges and make arrests? I fully support the victims here, I am just very confused why nothing was done and why there wasn’t enough evidence. Can someone explain? From what I have been reading about the atrocities that were allegedly committed, it seems like enough to me, but what do I know? If someone could clarify that would be helpful.
This is sadly very common in this type of case.
What evidence could a sexually abused toddler present in their defense if the abuser is their parent, their teacher, and their pastor all at once? Would that parent willingly take the child to police to report themselves?
Physical evidence of sexual abuse relies on being collected and tested immediately following the assault; why would the abuser offer that up?
And the abuse doesn’t always stop as the victim grows older, which is the case here. So now, the perpetrators have years if not decades of abuse, coercion, gaslighting, manipulating, etc. invested into their victims. It’s not so easy for a scared child or teen to seek outside help, if it’s even possible for them at all.
It hurts my heart that anyone could default to thinking a child would just make this up.
I understand it does happen, but it is absolutely not the norm or the vast majority. And there is plenty of data to back that up.
Beyond that, this is not only about legal justice for the victims in this situation.
This is about forcing the church to confront the FACT that evil and/or illegal things were done there by leadership, covered up and insulated from exposure by leadership, and that we believe we can establish and demonstrate to the public, a pattern of ungodly behavior spanning 3 decades and 2 generations of leadership.
The church has sins to atone for, and because they were not transparent in the handling of the investigation, those victims opened the door for support.
What has come from that is a growing number of people reaching out, sharing stories, and some are publicly joining the mission.
The goal was just for them to be honest about the details, and to remove Mark from leadership. Over the course of the last 7 years, they have opted to only remove Mark when convenient for them, and to label Mark’s daughters as “enemies of God” from the pulpit.
This is and will always be about justice for Mark’s daughters, but it is equally about healing. Rebuilding bridges burned by them for us, reconnecting with people we thought had stopped caring about us, creating safe spaces and means for other victims to speak as little or as much as they’d like about what they experienced.
We are evolving to better serve the community, something one might even say ought to be the mission of the church.
These claims require evidence for police to actually bring a criminal case against the perpetrator. The claims were over a decade old at the time of reporting to MLPD so getting evidence was a really difficult ask.
You all are making noise still after the accusations were all proven by Mt Laurel Police and Prosecutors to be false ,, but yet continue to want to hurt hurt and hurt more so so sad !
That is simply not true, Harry.
The investigation can and will be reopened pending new leads, which may or may not come. A case going dormant or being shelved due to lack of evidence DOES NOT EQUAL INNOCENCE FOR THE ACCUSED.
Secondly, and this shouldn't need pointing out to a literal group of people supposedly being guided by the Holy Spirit, the church leadership has refused to be transparent with the congregation, as is commanded in the Bible.
WE do not wish to hurt anyone. We are now running parallel goals with our efforts, and unfortunately for the church, people "hurt hurt and hurt more" by FCC(FBC) are finding their voices.
Had they handled these accusations with actual Biblical insight and basic moral decency, perhaps we would not have needed to form a team, which might not have opened the door for other victims of their abuse to begin speaking up.
No one involved in this movement is here to hurt the church; we are the hurt, the discarded, the abused and thrown away, the erased legacy of Fellowship Community (formerly Baptist) Church.
We ARE the church, and if they don't like the stories we tell, perhaps they ought to have behaved differently.
I’ll take the bait here:
Harry, Do you base your faith and moral compass solely on the legal system?If you have thoroughly read and researched all of the information that has been presented and still choose to support the accused without seriously considering the concerns being raised, then I believe you’re missing the larger issue. The point is not simply whether a legal standard for prosecution was met. The point is whether the allegations, testimonies, patterns of behavior, and surrounding facts warrant honest reflection, accountability, and concern.
Respectfully, if we dismiss credible accusations and the voices of those who have come forward simply because a legal conviction was not obtained, we risk contributing to the very culture that allows these situations to persist. The individuals of FCC and all churches need to uphold the true Christian standard, the one of Jesus of the Bible.
Respectfully,
Lex Cortes
P.S - Sending love and prayers for all the victims. You have our family’s full love and support
I have not read anything other than adolescent children trying to explain how they remember being disciplined as a child. There as I was told other children in the family . Why have they not spoken about what supposedly happened in the house growing up ? To many it sounds and looks like are disgruntled adults now trying to ruin an other wise good man’s reputation. The Me 2 craze that happened a few years ago found men guilty before any investigation or court hearing was done. I am not willing to go down that rabbit hole.
If something had happened worse than what has been written on social media it should have been brought to the authorities long before 25 years later when memories fade and than one starts to believe themselves of the lies they have made up. Lex if I’m to believe all the lies people spread bearing false witness to events that truly never happened because some child has a ax to grind then am I being fair to the one being accused of the event. It’s sad that so many want to jump on Social Media making all kinds of statements but not brave enough to disclose who they are, so we all know who is making such accusations do not hide that makes me even further doubt what is being said of the accused. They so fast to put the Pastors name and church in the remarks. But hiding who they are. Wrong wrong wrong especially when one can make this statement about others not be forthcoming ( Board and Deacons ) about disclosing all of this to the community. It has always I’m sure been in the police file where any citizen could look into, at anytime.
Harry, this is the "making it sides" polarization that is so sad and avoidable! This is not what the daughters of fellowship want in any way. The goal should be the healing and creation of a place that keeps transparency and protection of the vulnerable as it's core principles.
Ask yourself:
Why would the church have never reached out to talk to Mark's daughters named as witnesses and victims in 2019?
Why would the church not offer opportunities for congregants to come forward with their concerns and provide pathways to hearing them, helping them, protecting them?
Why would the church not put in their statement that the accusations were made by his children?
Why would the church downgrade the accusations from child rape to 'sexual misconduct'?
The standard of who the church board puts in front of their congregation to tell others how to behave should be far higher than 'not a criminal in the eyes of the law'.
You speak about truth being a priority- how bout you help work together to make the church a safe place for everyone?
Harry,
To avoid going back and forth, I don’t believe we’re going to find common ground on this issue. I disagree with both your sentiment and your approach. In my view, it does not withstand moral or biblical scrutiny. I also believe your comments are divisive and dismissive of those who have come forward.
I understand that you have your beliefs, but it is important to recognize that those beliefs are not shared by many who have reviewed the information available. Mark Willey officiated my wedding, dedicated my children, and preached many sermons that contributed to my growth as a Christian. However, he is not God. He is a flawed man, like all of us. But, flaws of a person shouldn’t be interjected on the vulnerable. More importantly, the documented behavior that has been presented paints a deeply troubling picture of someone who appeared far more concerned with control and self-preservation than Christlike leadership. Furthermore, those flaws should be brought to light in order for growth and repentance. None of which are apparent. You seem to have overlooked some of the letters and testimony that were released. I would encourage you to revisit the accounts detailing Mark’s alleged manipulative behavior during the investigation while his children were already adults, as well as the allegations involving one daughter that reportedly extended into her young adult years. Those claims challenge the characterization that this is simply a matter of “children disagreeing with how they were raised.” At this point, Mark and the Board of Directors should either address these matters directly, transparently, and truthfully, or remain silent and allow that silence to speak for itself. There is no need to launch a crusade on behalf of a fully capable grown man. More importantly, I believe the way this situation was handled by the the board was wrong. I see the director of the board Jon Sharp has deleted his Facebook , the irony of someone using spiritual warfare against the face of those who were in hiding - now goes into hiding himself. This is not the example of transparency, accountability, humility, and care that Jesus Christ modeled—and that is what matters most.
Blessings to you.
My name is Lex Cortes and I’m not hard to find
Well Christy that’s not true everyone that supposedly they are trying to let know do not know there names. So there you go again, making a false statement to get your narrative across and it’s sad. As far as who you are I believe your dad was a pastor there a long long time and your mother worked in the front office . I’m sure they both could speak of the Pastor’s character, knowing your father he is not one that would have stood by a man for so long knowing what is being said , nor your Grandparents.
With all possible respect, you are not accomplishing anything by making these comments here.
You say we are too vague, yet we have identified ourselves to you. You have no right to ask us for any names. We protect those whose the Bible commands us to protect here.
If you are so confident that you know more than the daughters of MULTIPLE legacy families of the church, feel free to identify yourself and we can continue this debate elsewhere.
If you truly think you are defending that church by trolling here, you are not driven by the Spirit.
We are not going to waste time on bad faith arguments.
We give everyone the freedom to speak their minds, but at the end of the day, we don't need validation from those determined to misunderstand us.
That I don’t see your right