Christ Church Pedophile Controversy: 'The Arranged Marriage'

Posted at The Truth About Moscow:

“Mr. Right” found
“. . . much has been made of the fact that Christ Church approved of Steven’s wedding to Katie through the fact that I officiated at the wedding. First, it should be noted that in our community, weddings are not arranged or determined by the church.” - DOUGLAS WILSON

Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, posted “An Open Letter from Christ Church on Steven Sitler” to his personal website, on behalf of the Kirk elders, to address community concern over a serial pedophile who sired a child with whom he subsequently had “contact resulting in actual sexual stimulation.” The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported the story with this headline: “Prosecutor: New disclosures of conduct by Moscow sex offender are ‘state’s worst fears’”; and the Daily News followed it up with an editorial wherein the lede stated: “Disturbing isn’t nearly an adequate word to describe what unfolded Tuesday in Latah County 2nd District Court.”

Mr. Wilson, however, could have avoided this day in court, as well as the headline, the editorial, and the Open Letter, if he had demonstrated a little pastoral foresight five years ago, when he and another Kirk elder set in motion the chain of events that culminated with a Kirk infant living in the same home as a Level III serial pedophile.

Meet Ed Iverson
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Iverson, Christ Church, Moscow, ID

In 2010, a gentleman named Ed Iverson sat on the board of elders for Christ Church, Moscow, as he still does. At that time he served as Head Librarian at New Saint Andrews College (NSA) and at one point he held the office of Interim Provost at New St. Andrews. Before moving to Moscow, he lived in Fallon, Nevada, which was Katie Travis’ (now Katie Sitler) hometown. Miss Travis fondly recalls:
“I’ve known the Iverson’s for a very long time, and you could say they are a bit like adopted grandparents to me. They pretty much started not only our church here in Fallon, but also the wonderful Christian school that I teach at now. When I went to college, they were behind my decision to go to NSA. I boarded at their house, learned a ton about planting trees (ha ha), learned a ton about being a better person, and met my two very best friends in the world there. And in retrospect, with all the good things that happened there I really should have seen the whole courting thing coming.” (“The Meeting”)

Ed Iverson planted a CREC church; he started an ACCS school; and he operated a boarding house in the Christ Church network of illegal boarding houses. He was the consummate team player for Mr. Wilson.1 But Katie Travis thought of him as an adopted grandparent.

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