Matt Chandler - Adoption

Before we dive in, I have to give an update on the civil matter that was closed out this past week. I hate that I have to do this, as I want to talk about adoption and the beauty of the gospel, and I’ll explain why I feel compelled to address this topic. Before I begin, I want to start by saying that I know the things I have to discuss are very difficult, and for some of you, they will be more challenging than for others. I need to address a case of sexual abuse at a kids' camp from 2012. If you’re new here, this has been an ongoing issue since 2019.

Before we go any further, if you are a survivor and find yourself triggered at any point during our discussion, here’s what I suggest: pick up your phone, scroll through, grab a Bible, and try to ground yourself in the present; you can also get up and leave. It is completely up to you how you handle this. Just remember that your body will often signal before your mind does, so be mindful of your physical reactions as we navigate this together. You can choose to do whatever feels right for you; you can leave and return in a few minutes or take whatever time you need to regain your footing in this moment, rather than being pulled back into a place that is uncomfortable for you.

I hate that we’re having to do this, but I’m convinced it’s necessary. I want to discuss it, provide you with the reasons behind it, and then we need to pray. I’m going to stick to this because there is some legal language involved, and I don’t want to deviate from that. So let me walk through the update. If you’ve been here for some years, you’ll recall that in September 2018, we informed the congregation that an investigation was underway regarding a report of sexual abuse at the 2012 kids' camp we attended.

In January 2019, the family worked with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office to bring criminal charges against the accused, a former Village Church staff member named Matt Tony. They later brought civil claims against the Village Church in June. The original complaint included a laundry list of claims, but on April 30, 2021, they reduced their claims to negligence, gross negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that we did not lock the bunk room doors and did not assign an adult to stay awake throughout the night.

In August 2020, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the criminal charges against Matt Tony, stating, «The fact remains that the complainant cannot and has not positively identified Matt Tony as the person who committed the offense.» In late 2021, the charges were fully expunged from Matt Tony’s record.

On August 1st, this past Monday, the Village Church and the individual known as Jane Doe One came to a resolution, and the civil litigation case was dismissed from the Dallas County Court. Now, why do I feel it’s necessary to discuss this during our gathering this weekend? I can tell you what it’s not: it’s not just a PR damage control move. What it really is, is that over a thousand of you trust us weekly with the care of your children’s souls.

Many of you—I saw your faces when I was mingling before the service—are beginning a deep work of healing, restoration, and redemption from the kind of trauma we’re discussing today. I know that healing can be fragile, especially when we need to talk about difficult matters like this. The reason we are addressing this is that I want you to know that we take the care of your children and your souls very seriously.

After a thorough and lengthy legal investigation, we maintain and firmly believe that we committed no wrongdoing regarding child safety or mandatory reporting. It has been our practice to exceed the standard of care in relation to child safety. We believe we responded to the accusations with responsibility and care. Jane Doe One’s report was taken seriously, and we reported the abuse allegations to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, as well as fully and voluntarily cooperating with the lead detective on the case.

We sought the best ways to care for this family during their time at the campus they attended; we had five campuses back then, and they were at the Southlake campus. Throughout this legal process, we have maintained our hope for healing and justice, which still continues. We will continue to take all accusations or suspicions of abuse seriously. We provide training to all our staff, elders, deacons, and key lay leaders to increase awareness and ensure there is a clear understanding of the reporting process. The Village Church believes that all churches should mandatorily report any accusations. We are not detectives; we are not the police.