UNITED STATES
The Mennonite
by Carolyn Holderread Heggen
The decision of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Elkhart, Ind., and Mennonite Church USA to revisit the legacy of our most influential 20th-century Mennonite theologian, John Howard Yoder, has resulted in articles and responses in our church periodicals and elsewhere.
More will surely appear in the months to come. Therefore, I would like to share several concerns. In common usage, “allegations” implies charges that are unsubstantiated and unproven. It is not appropriate to continue to use the term “allegations” in reference to Yoder’s sexual abuse and immoral relations with women.
A church-appointed task force heard eight women’s stories in February 1992, considered the evidence and determined that the charges were valid. I was one of those eight.
After we shared our stories, I went around the circle of church representatives and, calling them each by name, asked, “_____, do you believe us?”
Each responded, “Yes, I believe you.” Subsequently the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference released a statement that said: “From this work the task force concluded that the reports are true and that Yoder has violated sexual boundaries.”
In the June issue of The Mennonite, the article “The Decision to Disinvite John Howard Yoder to Speak” and the editor’s note that preceded it both refer to “allegations” or to “alleged victims.”
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