Devastation
The breadth and depth of devastation for the family and those falsely accused of serious sexual misconduct with a child who are then denied the right to a considered defence for 18 months.
Part 1
By Pippa
This is the first in a series of articles that reflect on some of the consequences for my family because of the actions of Mr Bryant and Mr Barnett, PSU Directors of the Anglican Church, NSW in failing to apply the Discipline Ordinance in my husband’s case and the continuing avoidance and cover ups of the diocesan hierarchy of the Anglican Church, Sydney concerning Mr Bryant’s self- confessed error.[1]
Introduction
It is not possible to truly understand the challenges faced by a parent, until you have been through the experience yourself. It is not possible to know the depth of pain and grief when a loved one is lost or a life threatening disease is contracted until the experience is your own. So too, the breadth and depth of devastation caused by our situation cannot be grasped by many, perhaps most.
It is extremely important that those in the position of Director PSU have an understanding of the impact of their actions when they operate upon their own “discretion” and fail to follow the directives that have been placed in the Discipline Ordinance for good reason.
It is extremely important to us that people understand why we have resorted to handing our story over to Louise Greentree. Part of the story was told in “To our friends …” on the website. We also recognised that our story supported Louise’s quest to convince the PSU of the need for more ethical processes. Louise considers herself an intelligent observer and a “watchman” of the PSU, Anglican Church Sydney diocese. I would go so far as to say that like the prophets of the Old Testament whose job it was to call the kings of Israel and Judah back to the Lord, so too Louise’s constant plea to the PSU is “Follow the Lord”.
In this article I want to assure my readers that we remain strong in the Lord. In the following articles I will provide further clarification as to why we continue this quest and begin to disclose the bare facts of the nightmare into which we have been thrown. We do not seek revenge. We simply seek the justice that, according to God’s law, all people are to be given and which the PSU denied Drew for eighteen months.
Strong in the Lord
I want to firstly assure my readers that I daily praise and thank our powerful creator God, my heavenly Father, Saviour and Lord, for the many blessings that we enjoy as we walk through this refining fire. Our faith and characters are being refined in a way that would not be possible otherwise and ultimately this is what our hearts’ desire, for the glory of God. But like all fires and the process of refining, it has been painful, often overwhelmingly difficult and this is when I have clung to some of my favourite words from the Bible (NIV).
Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Emphasis added)
Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
Philippians 4: 4-7 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1Corinthians10:13 “13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Ephesians 6:10-
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Exodus 34:6-7
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
So …
When I have to take captive my thoughts, which have wandered for the twentieth time in one day back the “situation” (even 2 years on), I remind myself of God’s faithfulness and his promises and then I can deal with the emotional triggers that have been set off once again. For as with every grieving process and every process awaiting an outcome, there is a gamut of emotions that will be felt.
Standing firm
I have included two songs in these articles that reflect the depth of my desire to stand firm in the Lord and bring glory to Him through obedience and faith. In this article is “The Potter’s Hand” and in a later article is “Even if You Don’t.”
The Potter’s Hand (by Darlene Zschech)
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure all of my days are
Held in your hand, crafted into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence
Guiding me by your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord,
To live all of my life, through your eyes
I’m captured by your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you’re drawing
Me to yourself, lead me Lord I pray
Take me, mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter’s hand
You call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter’s hand …. I’m in your hand
© 1997 Darlene Zschech Hillsongs Australia
[1] In an email from his solicitor to ours, Mr Bryant confirmed through his solicitor, that his view in 2012 that the Discipline Ordinance did not strictly apply to Drew was erroneous.