It isn’t very often that I have a reason to post something wonderful. Last week a couple of survivors who grew up in Calvary Gospel Church finally received some justice. Rebecca Martin Byrd, who previously told her story here, was able to bring her abuser into court. We all celebrated with her and Dena, another of Glen Uselmann’s victims, as he was found guilty of all 5 counts brought against him!
The whole week was bittersweet. At times it was filled with pain and tears and the fear that comes with facing the demons of the past. The sweetness came from watching all of these brave women band together to gain justice for one of their friends. No, most of us will never see justice in our own cases but I think we all took a piece of this victory for ourselves. In joining together we showed them that they have not beaten us. Those little girls who were despised and abandoned in their pain were replaced by strong women forged in the furnace of adversity. Individually these women are amazing and when we work together we are an unstoppable force. I am proud to call them my friends and they are some of the only good things that came out of my time at Calvary Gospel.
More cases are on the horizon for the Wisconsin UPC district. I can only hope that justice will continue to be handed out to those who have caused harm. I know that some at Calvary Gospel see this as the church being under attack and some have even accused us of chasing older men when we were children. As if an 11-year-old girl would want a 29/30-year-old man. My hope for the church is that someday they will see that when they say, “God will judge” that maybe just maybe he already has. Maybe this is God’s judgment and not an attack on them from the children of their past. I know that all I wanted from them when I was a child was love and acceptance. Now I want nothing from them and I do not seek to hurt them. I only seek justice for all the wounded children created within their walls.
Debbie McNulty 
Reblogged this on The Uncomfortable Confessions Of a Preacher’s Kid.
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This is a great blog shedding light on abuse inside the UPC that has been covered up to great lengths over the years. The fact that a girl of 11 or 12 years of age would chase a man in his late twenties or early thirties is immaterial. It’s the man’s and the leaders of the church around them responsibly to put a definite stop to that period. The church can cry wolf all they want but this happened on their watch and they need to face the consequences for not respecting the laws and reporting this when it happened.
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Thank you for your support
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