Former Prairie Bible Institute grad Mark Archibald was sentenced to house arrest for a year on Friday after pleading guilty to indecent sexual assault. Six months concurrent, the last 6 of 18 months will be a court imposed curfew. The Calgary Herald tells the story of two of his victims Archibald had power and authority over.
Jake and Thomas, who have since reconnected because of the court case, sat down for an extensive interview with the Herald. They hope people learn from their story.
Thomas’s decision to come forward with his allegations was made out of necessity.
Sitting in his family’s living room on a day in 1997, the family conversation turned to the subject of a popular figure in the local church community, Mark Archibald.
The local church was looking at hiring him.
Thomas hadn’t told his family about the sexual abuse he suffered at Archibald’s hands when he was a young teen, so the idea of seeing Archibald regularly made him uneasy.
The hiring could never hap-pen, he decided.
Within days, Thomas came forward to another pastor and said that he had been sexually assaulted by Archibald.
When word of the accusation reached Archibald, Thomas said Archibald called to apologize and ask forgiveness.
The call was so unsettling, “my wife says I shook for two days,” says Thomas.
No one who was told about the assaults reported Archibald to the police. There was a blanket refusal to do so from the Christian leaders who knew. Not about Jake, not about Thomas, not about the other known victim.
After Archibald left, Thomas says he got a phone call from a lawyer representing the church.
“He told me very specifically, it was a Sunday morning before church, and he said: ‘If you want to pursue this in the courts, we’ll make a victim of you all over again.’ Right from the church lawyer,” says Thomas.
This is what the former director of Camp Silversides** of the Canadian Sunday School Mission said:
“Mark, as I understand it, offered apologies to the family and to the young people, to these young men several times. There was forgiveness asked and apparently forgiveness given, but I’m not sure exactly how and why it gets to criminal charges getting laid, but obviously it’s something that some folks have not been able to get over or work around,” says Hand.
Hand said what Archibald did was “inappropriate” and “hurt some young people,” but repeatedly said the case should be seen as a chance for forgiveness.
“I think part of what is missed here is the ability that we have to offer grace, forgiveness and the ability to let people change; to, in fact, become better as we go through life and we learn. I believe that some of the ability to forgive and to grow in that forgiveness is somehow missing in this particular instance.”
Hand said he thinks Archibald made a mistake and has paid for it for too long.
“Again, we all can make mistakes. When we make mistakes, that we apologize sincerely for those mistakes and we offer to make restitution or to do what we can do to make amends. Sometimes those things just aren’t good enough for the people that are out there. I believe that Mr. Archibald, Mark, did offer several times to the families of the people that he wronged restitution of one type or another. Again, there seems to be an unwillingness to forgive and to grow and to move on from where people are at. I think that’s why it comes back so many years later. I don’t understand the role of the victim in this instance.”
Hand said in his opinion, Archibald did not reoffend and he believes there are no other victims.
“I can only speak for what I know and in terms of Mark’s life, I see a very responsible individual. I see a man who loves his family, who has worked in his community and in his church very diligently over a substantial number of years. I also see an individual that’s lost two or three job positions of employment because of these recurring allegations.
“I agree that Mark did something that was inappropriate, he hurt some young people, yes, but you can also see that this man has endured a great deal of public shame and humiliation through all of these events, as well.
“I guess I come away asking: When is enough enough, when we shouldn’t just forgive and move on?”
When the charges became public in 2011, 41 people wrote letters of support for Archibald. More justification, this time from the current national director of The Canadian Sunday School Mission.
“My understanding is when the victim has become an adult, then the obligation is on the part of the victim,” said Collins.
But asked if it’s a moral ob-ligation, Collins said: “Um, I guess in some situations there would be. Um, I think it would be better if there was just one person talking to you on this from our perspective.”
The Canadian Sunday School Mission. The Evangelical Free Church of Canada. Read the organizations excuses, rationalizations and justifications. It took a provincial court to listen to Archibalds victims. At 46, Jake was fighting guilt, violence and shame because what Archibald did to him at age 14.
You know what? This isn’t just about me, there’s other people involved and there could be other people involved. These people had no idea what happens when one incident, two incidents, three incidents happen to a person and the effect that it has on their lives. And not just their lives, but it’s a ripple effect,” said Jake.
“I never really thought of it criminally because I didn’t really look at it that way. I looked at it more humanly. Somebody robs you, that’s a crime. Somebody steals your car, whatever, you understand that. But when something like this happens to you, I think a lot of times for the victim, you don’ think of it as a crime because it’s more personal than that. They take a little bit of your soul. I don’t want to sound cliched, but it’s true.”
The Canadian Sunday School Mission runs 40 camps and 17 churches, with an operating budge of about 4.2 million dollars. The Evangelical Free Church of Canada has about 150 congregations across the country.
Local coverage Lacombe Globe
Archibald graduated from PBI in 1976. The assaults occurred in 1978-79.
Update: The former camp director John Hand appears to be working in the Innisfail area (about 55 minutes away from the camp) in the Alberta education system.
John Hand is listed as an elder at the Innisfail Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, and as the Principal of Innisfail Junior-Senior High School in the Chinook’s Edge School Division.
He is also listed as a teacher at Innisfail Middle School. The Middle School website appears to be the one which is up to date. That having been said, Mr. Hands comments in the Calgary Herald should give any parent serious pause.
Update: The crown is appealing Archibald’s sentence.
“Hand said he thinks Archibald made a mistake and has paid for it for too long.”
‘Indecent Assault’ and the word ‘mistake’ are not synonyms.
Making a mistake implies poor reasoning or something done accidentally. Indecent assault cannot be enacted ‘by mistake’. By it’s very nature it must be done very deliberately and with the making of a nasty choice.
So why are we pretending it was somehow an ‘accident’? Mr Archibald made a deliberated choice, or decision to get his jollies by molesting little boys under his care. This can in no way be considered ‘a mistake’.
Of course he was sorry; he got caught! Had none of his victims stepped forward would he have publically repented?
The ‘religious world’ of churches and para church organizations has little idea of the psychology behind men who abuse little boys. If they don’t educate themselves and take proper precautions, children in their care will always be at risk.
And just for the record, should anyone care, since Jesus said ‘anyone who harm one of the least of these my children should have a millstone placed around his neck and be thrown into the sea, ‘ Archibald should have at least served time and been put on the sexual predators list- now before he somehow ‘accidentally’ makes a ‘mistake’ again!
Apparently the lord of the Sometimes Day Sch-fool made some incredible statements and since god has not struck anyone with lightening, it is safe to assume that he is dead. This time he is not evening walking, traveling or listening to his God-pod, he is dead. Please mourn with me that god died. All these good people helped to kill him, and only the abused boys survived their unspeakable atrocity, and the offender has also death in his humanity, since who knows there are more out there not able to speak about it?
Please mourn with me and say the kaddish for this god.
O my god, you are so frail, and so small and so weak, that any indecent assaults have killed you! You when you are alive could not protect the boys, and in your untimely death cannot strike the perpetrators. You are dead, and so rest in peace. In my own very name, Amen. Thus the Lord Ben Chung mourns the death of this evangelical-moffia styled god. Come, people, mourn with me, the injustice killed this god………
another attempt at this:
O my god, o my god. god of Absalom, o my god of Absalom!
It never ceases to amaze me how far religious organizations will go to silence abuse victims. This lawyer should be ashamed of himself, as should the Canadian Sunday School Mission and The Evangelical Free Church of Canada. They all failed these victims. I honor these men who had the courage to come forward and I share their concern that there may be other victims. I am outraged at the lenient sentence that did not impose any jail time.
It is pathetic how out of touch the religious community is on the issue of sexual abuse and its life-long effects of victims. This insistence on forgiveness and cheap grace does not mean that there should be no accountability. Archibald and his supporters should get a clue and accept the fact that he is going to have to deal with the consequences of what he has done for the rest of his life, as his victims do. Quit belly-aching about how this is affecting the perp – this is so NOT about him, but about the men he damaged for life. How dare Christians slap the faces of these men by calling their demand for justice, evil and vindictive. It is not evil to seek justice. How dare Mr. Hand tell these men to basically just “get over it”. This man needs to educate himself because he really doesn’t get it.
I honor these men who came forward and encourage them to continue to press forward to find other victims. Your cause is righteous and it is just. Don’t let anyone silence you back into shame and guilt. I would love to stand with you and help you…just google my name and get in touch with me. So very proud of you guys!
“The ‘religious world’ of churches and para church organizations has little idea of the psychology behind men who abuse little boys.” i think they have little interest in the broader discipline at all because of the pervasive and varied forms of anti-christ’s “organized church”, from the traditional catholic presentation of “you are too broke to fix; here, i will change your bandages (in the form of the eucharist and absolution) to the “if you are broke, come to jesus and he will fix you” emergent view (thanks, bgea) of the gospel.
the idea that there exists a kingdom not of this world ['s values or form] where broken citizens –that’s us, folks–put clean band aids on fellow citizens is not trumpeted. (i think of a headline in today’s news of at naked 12 year old found digging through a dumpster in temecula, ca; when was the last time any of you “saved, baptized and sanctified holy citizens” gave $20 to a low life at a dumpster?–on, no man, that would be misuse of the valuable asset of money that god has given us.)
when god has to do his own witnessing–hey, 7 mountaineers, did you help god script the whitney houston affair; did you help kevin costner write his presentation of the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens in his eulogy; did you buy the bandwidth for the presentation??? (hey, bethel, redding, ca charges a monthly subscription of bandwidth; and i am a free subscriber because bill johnson’s gifting as a pastor/teacher ministers to me)–then we know the stewards of the kingdom have gone so far off that he has to directly intervene: hebrews 1:1, ff.
My friend, Highrpm, I cannot help but admire you. Perhaps you have been raised one of these fundamentalists, but giod failedyou, as he failed these boys? I thank you humbly for the courage to hold the concept of world evangelism accountable when god’s churches failed to do the right thing. Money is better spent giving to the homeless than to church or missionary organizations that proselytize so many and in the due time abuse and help to cover up. O mygod, o god of Absalom. So David the adulterer mourned. What a shame you are , though a god, yet like mortals you shall die! So says the Psalmist of old.
Abuse of trust, power and authority is not a ‘mistake or merely inappropriate.’
It was sexual assault. It is abuse. It is a crime.
Hand is perpetrator centric, not victim centric.
Hand blames the victims for ‘not forgiving, or for ‘amends not being good enough.’ He fails to see Archibald’s victims came to the realization they needed to speak up, so that no child or teen is harmed in the organization he represented again.
So Archibald ‘endured’ public shame and humiliation, lost a couple of employment positions, does a year of house arrest and six months of curfew.
And what have Archibald’s victims endured Mr. Hand?
If Jake or Thomas had been your son, when would ‘enough have been enough?’
You “get over” a cold or the flu, you do not “get over” an abuse that was done to you. This whole story makes me sick. Far too often, the world leads the church in “doing justice” and this should never happen. If we are to become relevant again to the world, or if we are to be “salt and light”, then we have got to stop pretending that sin is a “mistake” and that there are no consequences to our actions as long as we say we are sorry. Ichabod!!
I wonder where Mark Archibald’s repentance was when he allowed a situation to unfold where a victim and his extended family were forced to leave their church. Oh sure, they could have stayed and worshiped with the man who abused their loved one. But really?? Who in their right mind would do that?
So Mark Archibald stood his ground, and a family that was already in so much pain had to walk away from their church home at a time when it was needed most. If Mark Archibald were truly repentant he would have been the one to walk away and never put that family through the additional pain.
So that folks is how Mark Archibald demonstrated repentance. Tells a whole lot about the man and how he really viewed his actions. Personally speaking, I hope those victims sue the sucker for everything he has. It won’t take away the loss of those years and their pain, but it will help compensate for some of their suffering.
Fresh words of crucified small town teacher:
Eli Eli lama sabaqthani. Lama sabaqthani.
Perhaps there is an opportunity here for all religious organizations.
It would be helpful if each tax exempt religious organization would in clear concise language publish a list of the various laws where they recommend ‘Forgiveness’ as opposed to pursuing criminal charges. If these organizations have an internal policy board that arbitrarily decides which of our laws are appropriate to enforce they at a least should make this known.
Prospective employees would then know that they could perhaps rob the organizational treasury knowing that as long as they sought forgiveness, they could expect to be forgiven. Surely robbing the organizational ‘bank’ would be less serious than destroying the life of a child!
Does the sentencing fit the crime…..
It takes years for most survivors of child sexual abuse to come forward, and then something like this happens.
Evangelical Free Church , John Hand , Canadian Sunday School Mission….all these people in these “trusted” institutions failed to remotely live out what they stand for. Mark himself was in a position of power, and continued to be for many years. I agree with Jake that , undoubtably, there are more victims. Familiar to Graham James, to Scouts Canada, to Penn State University. Why is society not standing up for victims of sexual abuse?
Why do people support and accept these perpetrators? Why do victims continue to be re-victimized ?
Those 41 people that provided letters of support for this man are proof that he manipulates. Unless 41 supporters are openly supporting a man to has sexually abused children, if that is the case then our society is crumbling right before our eyes. What if one of those children were theirs? What if it was their brother, or cousin? Mark has sought sympathy for his “sins” from his church, family and friends. He is not remorseful for his actions, and I believe he is somewhat relieved. Undoubtably there are more victims that will hopefully come forward. You dont “decide” to start abusing 3 boys in your 20′s , it was not an “isolated incident”. That does not “just happen”. It takes a sick and twisted person to prey on children. In my opinion.
Child abuse is a society problem. The ripple affects continue on for years….
“These people, the rapists and their defenders alike, need to take notice that victims, survivors and victors of sexual assault will stand together and we are going to change the world.” Theoren Fleury (National Post December 2011)
The true extent of child sexual abuse in Canada has only come to light in recent decades. The Badgley Report, a cross-Canada study on the abuse of children, revealed horrifying statistics about how prevalent these crimes are in Canada. The report found that one in two girls and one in three boys were the victims of unwanted sexual advances before the age of eighteen; three out of five of these victims were threatened or physically coerced. These numbers are startling. The Badgley report stated, “Child sexual abuse is a largely hidden yet pervasive tragedy that has damaged the lives of tens of thousands of Canadian children and youths. For most of them, their needs remain unexpressed and unmet…”. Historically, testimony by children was given little weight, especially in sexual abuse cases; there was a hesitation to convict on a child’s testimony alone. People believed that child sexual abuse simply did not happen. John Wigmore, whose writings on the law are still accepted today, warned about accepting the complaints of women and children regarding sexual offences. However, the Badgley report showed that sexual abuse of children was prevalent in Canada. The laws were improved in 1988, but there is still progress to be made concerning attitudes toward sexual abuse of children.
-Victims of Violence Website
For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.
Simon Wiesenthal
As a pastor my heart grieves for a church system that lets people down like this. It just makes me sick. And for people to call it a mistake really upsets me. It’s a sin. Every church who claims Christ as their Savior should have policies in place to protect our children and teenagers. It’s time to stop this abuse in our churches.
The Crown prosecutor has indicated that he would like to see an appeal of the sentence in this case. That decision lies in the hands of the Alberta Department of Justice and Attorney General. This is the criteria that is used to determine whether an appeal of the sentence will be pursued. Time is of the essence here. The 30 day clock started running on Friday afternoon. So we need to make our voices heard soonest before a decision is made that can’t get over turned. This is the criteria the province has laid down with respect to sentence appeals. Any submissions we make should address those where applicable.
“Sentence Appeals
The Crown can appeal sentence with leave of the Court of Appeal or a judge thereof: see s. 676(1)(d) C.C. Having regard to the governing principle and established case law, an appeal against sentence will not be launched unless:
it relates to a serious offence, or it relates to an offender who constitutes a serious threat to the community, or it is otherwise in the public interest; and
one of the following conditions exist:
- the sentence is illegal;
-the sentence is clearly unreasonable; or,
- there are exceptional circumstances that require the guidance or direction of the Court of Appeal”
This is the contact info for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
Honourable Verlyn Olson, QC (PC)
Honourable Verlyn Olson, QC (PC)
Constituency Office
4870 – 51 Street
Camrose, AB
Canada T4V 1S1
Phone: (780) 672-0000
Fax: (780) 672-6945
wetaskiwin.camrose@assembly.ab.ca
Legislature Office
403 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-2339
Fax: (780) 422-6621
I have written a letter to the Chinook’s Edge School Board in Innisfail, AB who employ John Hand as a school principal. I have also sent copies to the Innisfail Province Newspaper, and the Innisfail Alliance Church where John Hand is on the board.
I share this letter here with Bene’s readership.
February 26, 2012
Chinook’s Edge School Division
Innisfail, AB
Email: division.office@chinooksedge.ab.ca
Attention: Chairman of the Board
I believe John Hand, former Chairman of the Board of Camp Silversides, is now employed by Chinook’s Edge School Division. He recently made statements regarding the sentencing of Mark Archibald for the indecent sexual assault of several children who are now adults.
I believe that parents of children attending school in the Chinook’s Edge School Division should be made aware of Mr. Hand’s view of sexual offences against children and youth, since one would expect that an educator in John Hand’s position in your school would view these offences in the same manner as a parent would.
I quote Mr. Hand from the Calgary Herald, “What Archibald did was “inappropriate” and “hurt some young people,” but repeatedly said the case should be seen as a chance for forgiveness.”
You can read the entire Calgary Herald article here online:
http://www2.canada.com/story.html?id=6174168&p=2
Since when is the indecent sexual assault of children considered as merely “inappropiate”? And referring to the destruction of those young lives simply as having “hurt some young people” serves only to revictimize the victims once again.
Mr. Hand further stated, “I think part of what is missed here is the ability that we have to offer grace, forgiveness and the ability to let people change; to, in fact, become better as we go through life and we learn. I believe that some of the ability to forgive and to grow in that forgiveness is somehow missing in this particular instance.”
Mr. Hand is suggesting the victims are at fault for coming forward. When is this ever an acceptable position for an educator?
Read more:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Former+pastor+sentenced+assaults+youths/6174168/story.html#ixzz1mxdMqb00
I would urge you to discuss Mr. Hand’s public statements with him, and if he remains adamant in his position, to take whatever further action you deem appropriate in order to protect the students in your care.
Sincerely,
Hank Hamm
Trochu, AB
c.c. Innisfail Alliance Church
25, 4804 42 Ave
Innisfail, Alberta T4G 1T4
Attention: Rev Andrew Rilling
Email : innisfailalliance@telus.net
c.c. Innisfail Province
Letters to the Editor
Innisfail, AB
c.c. Bene Diction Blogs On
As a wife, sister, friend, aunt, mother, grandmother, and a part of society I find the comments by John Hand in regards to the recent Archibald Abuse case disturbing. Not only do I play a role in others lives, I am a sexual abuse survivor. I became aware of these indecent and vile acts that happened to me 30+ years ago in 2008 yet the damaging effects have haunted me throughout my life and still continue to plague me. I have lived a life without the memory yet I have found that my thoughts, feelings, and actions over these many years mirror those who have grown up with their memories of sexual abuse intact. What that has done for me was let me know that I am not alone and that the disgusting acts of another are far reaching and cause not only damage to the abused but to those they come into contact with. This is not an issue for just the individuals abused, it is an issue society needs to take immediate care and action against.
There is more and more statistics and research showing clearly how deeply this issue ingrains itself into our, so-called normal daily lives and I say “enough is enough”.
When someone violates the very being of who you are and at a time that you have yet to discover your personal and true identity, they hand you a life sentence. Why do we as a society accept an 18 month conditional sentence for those who abuse as reasonable? There will never be enough that the offender can do to replace or pay retribution for what they have taken but can the scales of justice be better balanced than this?
I have come to accept that I will have to deal with this assault on my soul. That I will see and experience, along with those closest to me, the effects of another’s choices for the rest of my life. Yet if we do nothing and find the sentencing of those who choose a lifestyle that preys on the young and innocent acceptable how do we hope for a better life for future generations to come? Yes we should seek forgiveness for ourselves and for those who have violated us and have trespassed where no one should ever travel, yet forgiveness alone does not change nor deter those individuals seeking to feed on the vulnerable, those requiring safety and care, a basic human right.
We as an intelligent and compassionate society can both forgive and forge a safe passage protecting those we are given charge to, our children, our youth, our future. Let us stand up against those who take that which was never theirs to take, ever. Enough is enough.
Lydia, I’m so sorry to hear of all that you lost in life to an abuser. I respect you for your courage in speaking through your pain, and perhaps giving encouragement to other victims whose voice might be heard as a result.
Lydia, thank you, and I wish you all the best.
Thanks to all of you for speaking up – and for directing us to what we can do.
This is the understandable response of Archibald’s victims.
http://tinyurl.com/74wxafo
We as victims can and will be strong thru the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach! I pray strength, mercy, grace and rest for these brothers and that they will stay strong, know who they are in Christ and know that thru him they are Overcomers and Victorious!!!
Hank, thank you for acknowledging this issue. I have come to realize that “Those that have nothing to hide, hide nothing”. While I have not had my memories for many years these past few have been nothing short of a walk in ‘Hell’ yet I now know that this despicable secret isn’t mine to hide, it is my abusers. Therefore my voice, my experiences, my perspective, my soul, although it is damaged can be a tool used for the good of others…….if I can but stop one person from doing these unspeakable acts unto another my voice holds power. If we collectively speak about these secrets that aren’t ours to keep hided, think of how many lives we can protect by deterring someone from making a grave mistake such as sexual abuse. No one goes untouched in one way or another, we all know someone (whether we realize it or not) who has been given a life sentence altering their life so drastically. With this knowledge I have to ask why do we not all stand up and say “Enough is enough”.
I have nothing to hide nor do any sexual abuse victims……..the secret isn’t ours to keep!!!
Hi Lydia, and thank you once again for allowing your voice to be heard. I admire you for your courage and sense of purpose in helping expose and prevent sexual abuse.
I wish you all the best.
Who has the power now, who is being silenced for stupid opinions. name everyone but not me.
I would not trust ANY church organization to properly investigate or act cases of sexual abuse.
Church leaders first priority is to protect themselves and their respective organizations. They do by using words like forgiveness, biblical healing, etc. etc. This is nothing but a smokescreen designed to delay or eliminate prosectution.
The ONLY way to deal with abuse is by bringing it immediately to the attention of the authorities and by providing professional and independent counselling for the abused.
This church organization failed miserably in thier duty of care to their members. The Executive of this organization should be ashamed of their actions.
The only way to stop this is to prosectute those who cover these crimes up as vigorously as we would like the abusers prosecuted. They are the enablers that allow this crime to continue unabated.
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