Dr. Chuck Phelps is quite the paragon of virtue.
In 1997, Pastor Chuck Phelps was at that time the Senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Concord New Hampshire. Pastor Phelps was notified that a 15 year old member of his flock was pregnant. Pastor Phelps was also notified that the father of this fifteen year old was a 38 year old man. The man Ernie Willis was also a member of Trinity Baptist Church. Pastor Phelps was notified that Ernie Willis had raped, then fifteen year old Tina Anderson twice resulting in her pregnancy.
Tina Anderson recalls that she was told by her pastor Chuck Phelps that Ernie Willis may have been 99% responsible for what happened, but Tina should be thankful that she did not live in Old Testament times when she would have been stoned to death because of her 1% culpability. In Phelps idea of mercy, Pastor Phelps decided making a 15 year old rape victim stand before the congregation to apologize for being pregnant was kindness. According to Tina, Pastor Chuck Phelps wife, Linda while helping write the letter that would be read during Tina’s “church discipline,” asked Tina, “Did you enjoy it?”
Her mother and Pastor Phelps agreed to send Tina thousands of miles away to Colorado to live with another Baptist family.
The man who payed for Tina’s air fare to Colorado? Ernie Willis, her rapist .
In Colorado, she reportedly was homeschooled and barred from seeing others her age until she gave her child up for adoption.
In February 2010, Concord Police Department finally were able to contact Tina Anderson. Willis’ trial is scheduled to begin May 23, 2011 in Concord, New Hampshire.
On April 8, 2011 ABC News Magazine, 20/20 did a program outlining Tina Anderson’s and others abuse in the Independent Baptist Fundamentalist Church Movement
Pastor Chuck Phelps details of how Phelps handled Tina’s situation has changed quite a few times. More on that later.
chucklestravels 