Sister publication The Wartburg Watch goes offline due to hackers

The Wartburg Watch, a sister publication of Anglican Watch, has been knocked offline, apparently by hackers. Operated by a dear friend of ours, Dee Parsons, the publication covers a wide-ranging array of abuse, with an emphasis on evangelical churches. Dee’s efforts, along with those of Amy Smith, Julie Smith, Jules Woodson, and others, have been featured in The Washington Post and a subsequent book by Sarah Stankorb.

We believe the disruption to the Wartburg Watch site may be in retaliation for Dee’s recent coverage of a specific incident of misconduct. We are not identifying specifics at this time, in the hope that law enforcement will pursue criminal charges against the hackers.

Dee got her start as a blogger after discovering a pedophile at a previous church where she was a member. But instead of addressing the matter with integrity, the church tried to sleaze its way out of things.

Anglican Watch particularly appreciates the fact that, unlike many other publications, The Wartburg Watch addresses both sexual and non-sexual abuse in faith communities. Far too often, church officials treat sexual abuse as the only actionable offense, despite the fact that spiritual and other forms of abuse can be equally devastating, while engendering even less of a response from judicatories.

We also are deeply grateful for The Wartburg Watch’s coverage of the appalling situation in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, in which “Fred,” (a pseudonym) was sexually assaulted by three gay church members, including a priest. Yet when Fred complained, the diocese and his church engaged in a smear campaign involving defamation per se. They also banned him from all churches and activities in the Diocese. Look for this situation to go big in the coming days, including coverage from a major news network—even as the priest who engaged in sexual assault remains in ministry.

The hacking of The Wartburg Watch site underscores the profoundly un-Christian behavior bloggers, journalists, and other truth-tellers experience when they shine a light on misconduct within the church.

This behavior runs the gamut, from character assassination to claims of mental illness to claims of being a ‘domestic terrorist.’ Additionally, churches, particularly in the Episcopal Church, will often seek bogus protective orders or otherwise act to impede free speech. (Full disclosure: The Wartburg Watch has covered Anglican Watch editor Eric Bonetti’s experiences with the Episcopal Church, and sometimes runs content developed by him.)

In response to the incident, Anglican Watch has offered technical support, suggestions for improved security, and backup space on our servers.

We stand with Dee and other bloggers as they confront evil, abuse and misconduct within the church.