UUA President Bill Sinkford's Alleged Clergy Sexual Misconduct - The Veiled InU*Uendo And The Readily Verifiable Facts. . .
The inU*Uendo. . .
"Current clergy guidelines and attitudes protect sleezy (but non-criminal) clergy with a veil of silence and fog of frustration."
"There seems to also be a double standard: the more conspicuous or famous a minister, the more “liberty” is given."
Courtesy of "Christian" U*U minister Rev. Scott Wells from his so-called, self-titled 'Clergy Sexual Misconduct Roll Call' blog post that is anything but a true roll call. . .
"Are ya kidding me? How about the good ole ministers (see, I’m not even saying what GENDER they are!) who commit serial adultery and still get the plummiest pulpits?
Of course all is forgiven if you marry your fling, no matter how you met. That’s what I’ve been told, anyway. And I mean verbatim."
Courtesy of Peacebang aka Rev. Victoria Weinstein
"All I have heard is rumors, mostly. That, of course, doesn’t mean these rumors aren’t true! Some, in fact, are well substanitated. (sic)"
Courtesy of Rev. Adam Tierney-Eliot
"Roman Catholic bishops are not alone in sweeping sexual misconduct under the rug."
Courtesy of Derek (no family name provided)
"I just read over these comments, and I cannot BELIEVE it. Well, I guess I can believe the part about sexual inappropriateness, but I can´t believe no one would say anything? What, exactly, is the problem?"
Courtesy of Hafidha Sophia
"I’d say the *rules* — which are broad and vague — and the political power and influence some more prominent ministers wield are a problem."
Rev. Scott Well's response to Hafidha Sophia's comment above.
"All of the creepy ministers I have known of are baby-boomers."
Courtesy of Hank (no family name provided)
"Misconducting ministers that I know of have three qualities in addition to their tendency to sexually misconduct themselves: they are highly charismatic, they know how to manipulate people/congregations to their advantage, and they give off the impression (to those they fool) that they (the ministers) are THE church. I think that all three of these are tied to the reasons that our democratic churches sometimes let misconductors stay in their positions after ethical boundaries have clearly been crossed. Congregants think, “Oh, if we lose Rev. X, our church just won’t be our church anymore!” People have *a lot* invested in their image of church. And you can bet Rev. X uses that to his (or her but usually his) advantage. He’s got a manipulative personality. That’s how he managed to cross the lines in the first place and that’s how he intends to stay in his position when his misconduct comes to light. He wines and dines the board, explains “his side” of the story, maybe cries a little in public, and does his work to discredit those who dare to call him on his actions. He does sermons – without any specific reference to himself – about how we are all “only human” and how we “must forgive.” Oh, and yes, as peacebang (sic) pointed out if he “makes right” by getting married much of the congregation is all too eager to forgive him."
Courtesy of Sarah (no family name provided)
The readily verifiable facts -
Calling Maria Sinkford to the stage of the 2005 UUA GA in Fort Worth, Texas, UUA President William G. Sinkford announced that he had married Maria Sinkford on April 23, 2005, in Boston. Interestingly enough President Bill Sinkford most ironically went on to say, "(We) know where we come from, but we will need to discover where we are going. . ."
According to his official UUA biography, which was last updated on Thursday, September 18, 2008, and makes no mention whatsoever of any previous marriage, UUA President Bill Sinkford is the father of two children: Billy, 26 and Danielle, 23. It seems highly improbable that these two children of Rev. William G. Sinkford are the product of a relationship with Mrs. Maria Sinkford doesn't it?
UUA President Bill Sinkford aka the Rev. William G. Sinkford was born in San Francisco early in the post-World War II "Baby Boom" and thus qualifies as a "Baby Boomer" U*U minister. I leave it up to U*Us to decide whether or not UUA President Bill Sinkford is a "sleezy" (sic) and/or "creepy" "Baby Boomer" Unitarian*Universalist minister.
I cordially invite U*Us U*U World-wide to enter into a free and responsible search for the truth and meaning of how well the inU*Uendo posted publicly on the so-called, self-titled 'Clergy Sexual Misconduct Roll Call' blog post on Rev. Scott Wells' 'Boy In The Bands' blog aligns with these and other readily verifiable facts about UUA President Bill Sinkford.
"Current clergy guidelines and attitudes protect sleezy (but non-criminal) clergy with a veil of silence and fog of frustration."
"There seems to also be a double standard: the more conspicuous or famous a minister, the more “liberty” is given."
Courtesy of "Christian" U*U minister Rev. Scott Wells from his so-called, self-titled 'Clergy Sexual Misconduct Roll Call' blog post that is anything but a true roll call. . .
"Are ya kidding me? How about the good ole ministers (see, I’m not even saying what GENDER they are!) who commit serial adultery and still get the plummiest pulpits?
Of course all is forgiven if you marry your fling, no matter how you met. That’s what I’ve been told, anyway. And I mean verbatim."
Courtesy of Peacebang aka Rev. Victoria Weinstein
"All I have heard is rumors, mostly. That, of course, doesn’t mean these rumors aren’t true! Some, in fact, are well substanitated. (sic)"
Courtesy of Rev. Adam Tierney-Eliot
"Roman Catholic bishops are not alone in sweeping sexual misconduct under the rug."
Courtesy of Derek (no family name provided)
"I just read over these comments, and I cannot BELIEVE it. Well, I guess I can believe the part about sexual inappropriateness, but I can´t believe no one would say anything? What, exactly, is the problem?"
Courtesy of Hafidha Sophia
"I’d say the *rules* — which are broad and vague — and the political power and influence some more prominent ministers wield are a problem."
Rev. Scott Well's response to Hafidha Sophia's comment above.
"All of the creepy ministers I have known of are baby-boomers."
Courtesy of Hank (no family name provided)
"Misconducting ministers that I know of have three qualities in addition to their tendency to sexually misconduct themselves: they are highly charismatic, they know how to manipulate people/congregations to their advantage, and they give off the impression (to those they fool) that they (the ministers) are THE church. I think that all three of these are tied to the reasons that our democratic churches sometimes let misconductors stay in their positions after ethical boundaries have clearly been crossed. Congregants think, “Oh, if we lose Rev. X, our church just won’t be our church anymore!” People have *a lot* invested in their image of church. And you can bet Rev. X uses that to his (or her but usually his) advantage. He’s got a manipulative personality. That’s how he managed to cross the lines in the first place and that’s how he intends to stay in his position when his misconduct comes to light. He wines and dines the board, explains “his side” of the story, maybe cries a little in public, and does his work to discredit those who dare to call him on his actions. He does sermons – without any specific reference to himself – about how we are all “only human” and how we “must forgive.” Oh, and yes, as peacebang (sic) pointed out if he “makes right” by getting married much of the congregation is all too eager to forgive him."
Courtesy of Sarah (no family name provided)
The readily verifiable facts -
Calling Maria Sinkford to the stage of the 2005 UUA GA in Fort Worth, Texas, UUA President William G. Sinkford announced that he had married Maria Sinkford on April 23, 2005, in Boston. Interestingly enough President Bill Sinkford most ironically went on to say, "(We) know where we come from, but we will need to discover where we are going. . ."
According to his official UUA biography, which was last updated on Thursday, September 18, 2008, and makes no mention whatsoever of any previous marriage, UUA President Bill Sinkford is the father of two children: Billy, 26 and Danielle, 23. It seems highly improbable that these two children of Rev. William G. Sinkford are the product of a relationship with Mrs. Maria Sinkford doesn't it?
UUA President Bill Sinkford aka the Rev. William G. Sinkford was born in San Francisco early in the post-World War II "Baby Boom" and thus qualifies as a "Baby Boomer" U*U minister. I leave it up to U*Us to decide whether or not UUA President Bill Sinkford is a "sleezy" (sic) and/or "creepy" "Baby Boomer" Unitarian*Universalist minister.
I cordially invite U*Us U*U World-wide to enter into a free and responsible search for the truth and meaning of how well the inU*Uendo posted publicly on the so-called, self-titled 'Clergy Sexual Misconduct Roll Call' blog post on Rev. Scott Wells' 'Boy In The Bands' blog aligns with these and other readily verifiable facts about UUA President Bill Sinkford.
Comments
May I suggest that you and other Unitarian*Universalists enter into a free and responsible search for the truth and meaning that inspired this particular Emerson Avenger blog post? I suppose that it could not hurt to inquire directly with the UUA's department of ministry and/or its ever so aptly named Ministerial *Fellowship* Committee and ask then straight out if Rev. William G. Sinkford has ever had a clergy sexual misconduct complaint brought against him but I do not know what kind of response you would get if any. . . Even if they were to refuse to answer or outright deny that Rev. Bill Sinkford had ever had a clergy sexual misconduct complaint brought against him you would be well advised to do some of your own detective work based on the well documented facts about UUA President Bill Sinkford that I have presented in this blog post. Here is some more pertinent information straight from the horse's U*U -
Of course, in my life, these past four years have not been all about work. In Cleveland, four years ago, I was in the early stages of a new personal relationship. Many of you have had the opportunity to meet this extraordinary woman. She's traveled with me often (Maria comes to the podium). In this year of celebrating anniversaries, there is one more to add to the list. On April 23, in the Chapel at 25 Beacon St., Maria and I were married. Let me introduce you to my partner of four years and now my wife, Maria Sinkford. Maria Sinkford... I like that name.
(Most ironically) Bill sings: "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?"
Source - UUA President's Report
The Rev. William G. Sinkford
General Assembly – Fort Worth , TX
June 25, 2005
So that brings U*Us back to Cleveland, Ohio in 2001 or so.
Seek and U*Us shall find. . .
I have just provided *some* proof in terms of publicly available information, including some proof in the form of UUA President William G. Sinkford's very own well-documented words, that the UUA's very own "Slick Willy" aka "Slick Willie" very much fits the "profile" of the kind of "sleezy" aka "creepy" "conspicuous or famous" "Baby Boomer" U*U ministers (please note the use of the plural here) who commit adultery (serial adultery or otherwise) and "still get the plummiest pulpits" in the whole wide U*U World because "all is forgiven" if they marry their "fling", no matter how they met. . . N'est-ce pas? So you are quite mistaken in asserting that you "didn't think" that I had "any proof" because I very obviously have *some* proof of *certain* things.
So please be so kind as to specify what specifically you do not think I have "any proof" of oh so Anonymous Presumed U*U. Be assured that I know a little bit more about UUA President Bill Sinkford's alleged if not actual clergy sexual misconduct than I am letting on here at the moment. Do you really believe that I can be involved in exposing and denouncing U*U clergy misconduct and diverse other U*U injustices, abuses, and hypocrisy for well over a decade now and not have been made aware of some "less than famous" cases of alleged or actual U*U clergy sexual misconduct in spite of DIM Thinking U*U attitudes that "protect sleezy (but non-criminal) clergy with a veil of silence and fog of frustration"?
BTW Oh so Anonymous Presumed U*U, did you pay any attention at all to the following notice when you posted your comments here?
Please provide your real name, or a pen-name that is publicly associated with your real name, when posting comments. The Emerson Avenger reserves the right to "out" anonymous or pseudonymous commenters who post BS at his discretion.
I do not see your real name, nor do I even see a pen-name aka pseudonym that is closely related to your real name, and pronouncing that I do not have *any* proof qualifies as U*U BS in my books. . . You are skating on very thin corpse-cold U*Unitarian ice Anonymous Presumed U*U. Come to think of it. Joel Monka recently suggested that the lack of comments here was a sign of lack of readership of, and/or interest in, The Emerson Avenger blog. It seems to me however that I have reasonable grounds to believe that the lack of comments in recent months might have a lot more to do with my clearly stated commenting policy repeated above and U*Us or even non-U*Us who are too afraid to post comments here under their real name, and even lack the guts to post comments under a pseudonym that is closely associated with their real name. What do you think oh so Anonymous Presumed U*U?
Interestingly enough the WVC for this comment is anicarst.
U*U figure it out. . .
I do expect you to come back here and answer the questions that I posed to you here and to do so using your real name and/or a pseudonym that is closely associated with your real name. In fact I expect you to explain why you posted anonymousely in spite of the fact that you have been clearly warned that doing so is "less than wise". . . Just why did you post your U*U BS anonymously, and not for the first time by any means, Anonymouse when you not only have a real name but also have a blogging pseudonym that is very well known within the U*U blogosphere? Prey tell. . .
"Do you have any proof?"
Is a perfectly reasonable question for someone to ask and I would not "out" an anonymous commenter simply for asking a perfectly reasonable question. As a rule the only kind of anonymous commenter I would "out" would be someone who insulted me, defamed me, otherwise attacked me, or sought to discredit me with bullshit aka BS, U*U BS or otherwise, under the cowardly cover of anonymity.
"Didn't think you had any proof."
Meets that criteria AFA*I*AC. This brazen assertion of ChaliceChick is clearly an attempt to discredit me, one that presupposes that my blog post about UUA President Bill Sinkford's *alleged*, repeat *alleged*, clergy sexual misconduct is not supported by any evidence whatsoever. ChaliceChick being at least peripherally involved in the legal profession, if not seeking to become a lawyer of some sort, ought to know that one does not need any proof whatsoever to say that a person has been *alleged* aka *accused* of wrongdoing of any kind. All that one needs to know is that they have in fact been *alleged* or *accused* of wrongdoing, in this case clergy sexual misconduct. I was informed years ago of Rev. Bill Sinkford's alleged clergy sexual misconduct and have received that so-called "unsubstantiated rumor" from several different sources, not just one, all of whom a very well informed about U*U clergy sexual misconduct and are thus credible and reliable sources in my informed opinion.
I will not "out" ChaliceChick at this point in time but I will announce that her anonymous attempts to discredit me here were the last straw and I reserve the right to "out" her well and proper at my discretion any time in the future. If ChaliceChick does get around to coming back here and offering a *credible* explanation as to why she posted anonymously rather than under her pseudonym that will decrease the likelihood of my "outing" her unless of course she foolishly says something less than credible aka disingenuous.