I mentioned when I wrote this that I was disappointed Doug Phillips and Vision Forum had not responded to the allegations that had been brought forth by numerous people. In the interest of being fair, I did want to provide a link to a statement they released recently in which they (sort of) address the situations.
I have only three things to say about this because, again, I’m not getting drawn into this controversy on my blog.
1. The only way you can find this statement is if you have a direct link to it. It is not possible to go to the Vision Forum site and navigate to this statement. When I told David that they had put up a response, he went to the site to find it and read it. It is impossible to do so. You have to have the URL or a link. While I can put myself in their shoes and understand why they would do it that way, as someone who is concerned about the seriousness of the allegations and related matters I find it very troubling that they are not being forthcoming in addressing these issues but are burying the statement in a generally inaccessible part of their website.
2. Anyone who has even a basic knowledge of Vision Forum products and relationships knows that Matt and Jennie Chancey are “loosely associated” with VF. I have no problem with that. They are free to associate with anyone they choose. What I find hard to believe is that Doug Phillips and Vision Forum would call the special website Matt Chancey put up an “Independent Investigative Report”. Independent? How is it “independent” to have someone associated with the ministry doing the investigating? Again, if they want Matt Chancey to do investigating, fine. But please at least be honest about the fact that he is hardly an independent and disinterested party.
3. Hardly anyone has blogged about this whole controversy. I’ve got my thoughts about why that is, but I’m not going there. However, thanks to Kim I discovered that Barbara Curtis at MommyLife has written an extensive post about this situation. Barbara and her husband have suffered through spiritual abuse so she has much helpful insight to offer. Her post is long, but a helpful read whether you are interested in the VF controversy or not. No one is immune from ending up in a similar situation.
Updated to add that Barbara has added a Part 2 that is also excellent.
A Clarification Regarding Vision Forum
The only way you can find this statement is if you have a direct link to it.
Huh. I had no idea. I wonder how Mr./Ms. Anonymous who posted it on my blog got it and WHO they were (!!). That just plain old stinks. I tell ya, he’s (DP) looking worse by the minute.
This was my first thought exactly-they are very close friends. Independent my eye!!
I second that, I thought “Independent?” Come on. While there are some things I have found worthwhile out of the Vision Forum family of products/writings/etc., in general the more I read/see, the more I feel unsettled. I have found Matt Chancey’s writings to be quite hateful and angry, so I have always been completely turned off by him. The “Mrs. Binoculars” site seemed so ridiculous to me, I just couldn’t believe VF linked to it. Glad to know I’m not the only one. What I find so interesting is how many people have commented in numerous blogs regarding pre-Epstein feelings that something just isn’t right with Doug Phillips’ teachings. Why did it take a scandel like this to bring that out in the open?
Sallie,
I emailed them with the exact same two concerns as your points #1 and #2. (In separate emails). I received a personal reply when I inquired about those points. Here is why they said they buried the link in their blog when I told them I found it through another website last week,
Thank you for your kind words and your reasonable request. Vision Forum did send a letter and link to the people we knew who were specifically contacted regarding this issue by the anonymous hucksters behind the scheme to defame our president and his wife, our ministry, and other precious and innocent people within our community. It is not our intention to encourage those people who have not been exposed to this untruthful and unbiblical gossip to waste their time in a debate between known Christian men and women with godly reputations, and anonymous hit men. On the other hand it was important to respond to those individuals who had been contacted with the defamatory material. With respect to the link that you mentioned, we have not been in personal contact with the author of the website you referenced. However, the link and articles referenced are available to the broader public audience through the following URL: http://www.visionforum.com/about/issues/al/. As I’m sure you have noticed, these articles are hosted the Vision Forum site and available for all to review.
I think they believe that this is just a small circle of “slanderers” who are seeking the demise of their ministry. I hope they begin to realize that there are those of us who have invested our resources into their ministry who are also concerned about the issues being raised. I want to believe the best, but as a supporter of their ministry, accountability and Truth are also important aspects to my continued support.
And in regards to point #2 about Mr. Chancey’s independence they said,
While each of the documents address a specific issue against the broader context of an internet campaign to slander, we retained each of our comments in one centralized area.
They really never addressed why they called it an “independent investigation” which I felt was a disingenuous representation of the relationship between Mr. Chancey and Vision Forum. Their reply to my question was disappointing, he never answered why they called it “independent” when ANYONE who has been around knows there is a tight connection between the Phillips and Chancey’s including Mr. Chancey serving in several capacities of Persecution Project which is directed by Doug’s brother.
I like some of the Vision Forum products and dismissed others. We have purchased quite a bit over the last six years. I won’t be buying anymore in the near future. As I said to the gentleman from Vision Forum in my reply,
While the links provided on the Vision Forum site provide some explanation about the video, I am also watching the manner in which this is all handled. To me, “how this is handled speaks to the credibility of the organization as much as a letter of reference from the attorneys involved.”
We are making that decision to purchase further materials NOT out of spite or malice toward the Phillips but as wise stewards of the resources we are entrusted with by our Lord. A ministry must be accountable. Doug Phillips has my support in the past (He even won my Best Homeschool Dad blog award). Dismissing the concerns and legitimate inquiries of previous customers is not prudent in business or in ministry.
Okay, maybe because I’ve dismissed VF as too crazily fundamentalist in the past is a good reason to pose these questions…
What exactly is the issue? What is going on?? Would someone be willing to englighten me?
I don’t understand…I’m so confused (blame it on the morning sickness!)
Thanks!
Andrea
I just received their sale flier in the mail today.
I find this all so disturbingly sad.
Why is it SO hard to just admit “I was wrong” and make amends?
I thank God that I remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I realized that I could have a happy life and still admit that I was wrong. I hate to be wrong. Who doesn’t? But the freedom in Christ to be forgiven is too good to miss.
Sadly, many ministries use incidents like this to prove to their supporters that they are ‘true’ and are just under attack by Satan.
Glad to find out I wasn’t the only one who found the “independent” thing totally unbelievable and the Mrs. Binoculars site less than praiseworthy.
Spunky – Thanks for sharing the information you had re: your correspondance. I am in complete agreement with you that the “how this has been handled” is just as important in some ways as whether or not the allegations are true. So far I’ve seen nothing in the way this has been handled to encourage me to think anything other than the fact that the allegations probably are by and large true.
Andrea – I made the decision not to link specifically to any of this stuff. Just do a Google search and you’ll find plenty to keep you busy.
Judy – I received the same postcard today (even though we emailed VF a few weeks ago and asked to be removed from their mailing list).
Sallie, everyone:
I am saddened beyond belief over what I read on the Epstein’s blog regarding Vision Forum. I am glad I followed my ‘gut’ reaction about their website from the get-go.
One thing I feel that I’ve worked through though, is the concept of biblical womanhood. I’ve struggled for months, reading stay at home wife/mother blogs feeling guilty and like a bad wife for choosing to work (school debts just don’t disappear!), for getting a masters’ degree, etc. I’ve realized that unfortunately, Satan uses even the most seemingly holy goals to entrap and ensare us. That would be the day (and this is said with a bit of cynicism) that a man other than my husband tells me I can’t address him, speak in church, come to the communion table, etc. It only helped to cement our family’s faith in Christ, and what we feel is what God is calling us to do. Thanks for sharing this! I pray that God continues to use situations such as this to strengthen his body of believers. 🙂
Wow. This is getting ridiculously silly. Why would someone spend all that time and energy trying to figure out the who Mrs. Binoculars is?
This is long after the fact, but I want to include these links for future reference.
http://www.homemakerscorner.com/doug-phillips-resignation.html
http://www.homemakerscorner.com/doug-phillips-statmenet-of-resignation.html
https://jensgems.wordpress.com