In the quiet corners of the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church (OALC), a dark secret has festered for generations. Two sisters, Lynn and Katherine, have bravely stepped forward to expose the cycle of abuse that has haunted their family and countless others within the church community.
Their story is one of pain, silence, and a desperate quest for healing. Raised in a large family that moved between Washington state and South Dakota, Lynn and Katherine experienced trauma that came not from outsiders, but from within their own family.
The Silent Suffering of Childhood
Lynn recalls her abuse beginning when she was still in diapers, perpetrated by an older brother. Her sisters witnessed the abuse and informed their mother, but no action was taken. The abuse continued until Lynn was 10 years old. Years later, Lynn’s sisters revealed a devastating truth: they believed their brother had also been a victim of abuse, by a neighbor.
Katherine, the family’s second-youngest child, shared a similar story. She was about 2 years old when the abuse began for her, at the hands of a different brother. This brother, too, had been abused by an older cousin. The sisters, now 55 and 43 years old, are still grappling with the aftermath of these traumatic events.
A Pattern of Abuse and Silence
The sisters’ experiences are not isolated incidents. Over the past year, ProPublica and the Minnesota Star Tribune investigated child sexual abuse within the OALC, interviewing 20 former members who said they were sexually abused. The investigation revealed a culture where abuse was normalized and often went unreported.
Children who were victims of sexual misconduct often repeated the behavior. Women from opposite sides of the country described being touched inappropriately by older relatives or acquaintances and then repeating the sexual conduct with their peers. This blurring of the line between victim and perpetrator is a common theme in cultures where child sexual abuse is prevalent and often ignored.
Victor Vieth, a former prosecutor who now trains child-abuse investigators, explained that a culture of child sexual abuse and turning a blind eye can contribute to sexual behavior problems in children. The doctrine of forgiveness without accountability within the church likely exacerbates the issue, according to Sandy Stevens, executive director of North East Wyoming Advocacy Resource Center.
Seeking Justice and Healing
Lynn and Katherine left the church 20 years ago and have since sought therapy to address their trauma. They have chosen to raise their children outside the faith, hoping to break the cycle of abuse and protect their children from repeating the same pattern.
“I can’t have my girls thinking that this kind of behavior is OK,” Lynn said. The sisters have struggled with unresolved anger and the guilt of potentially extending the cycle of abuse. Lynn has tried to warn people about her older brother, who she says is still teaching Sunday school at an OALC congregation.
In a desperate attempt to force an intervention, Lynn wrote a letter to the sheriff’s department and two OALC churches, detailing the abuse she suffered and the abuse of another family member. However, the investigation stalled, and Lynn has not heard anything since. She remains determined to acknowledge the past and support her younger brother if he ever wants to talk about what happened.
“Forgiveness wasn’t what I had come for,” Lynn said. “I wanted to acknowledge what had happened and say that if he ever wanted to talk about it, I would support him. I don’t think we should forget. That’s part of the problem. Forgetting is perpetuating the cycle.”
