Community Announcement from the Senior Minister

Beloved of Old South,

On August 26th Old South staff were informed of disturbing reports about former Associate Organist George Sargeant. In late June of this year in Cleveland, Ohio George was caught up in a vigilante sting, footage of which was later uploaded to Facebook. In that video, George is alleged to be attempting to meet with a 15-year-old boy at 3am at a gas station liquor store for sex. The contents of the half hour of footage are very troubling. I want to be clear that George has not been charged with a crime, and as of this time, we do not know anything beyond what is in the video.

I write to inform you of three immediate actions the church is undertaking regarding this situation. First, we are engaging an experienced investigator to conduct an independent, transparent investigation as to whether during George’s tenure here at Old South, he ever acted inappropriately with any of our children or youth. George has been informed that at least until the end of the investigation, he is not allowed on church premises. Second, we are obtaining an external expert review of our child protection policies to ensure our policies and practices are the strongest possible. Third, we will offer care and support to any members of the church who are impacted by this disturbing news. We are aware, of course, of potential concerns among the Old South Preschool community and the parents of those students. We will be communicating separately with them as a group.

Independent Investigation

For our independent investigation, we have contracted with Sarah Worley, an experienced independent investigator with 36 years of experience. There is one question that matters most to me: have any of Old South’s children been harmed? That is why Ms. Worley will be a truly independent investigator. Her report will be developed and written without interference and will be released in full and unedited to the church. Her investigation process will be confidential and anyone sharing their experience may keep their identity completely confidential. I am making these promises to you, the members of the church, for a simple reason. They will allow the investigation to be thorough, complete, and truthful. Because again, there is one question that matters most to me: have any of Old South’s children been harmed?

Ms. Worley has worked extensively with churches and faith communities as well as schools. If you or your children or your loved ones ever had any inappropriate experiences with George, please contact Sarah either by email or telephone. Perhaps you had an experience that, upon reflection, now seems unusual, or which now appears in a different light knowing what you do now. Please reach out and share those experiences as well.

   Sarah Worley
   Phone: 617-419-1900
   Email: sarah@worleyconflictresolution.com

Child Protection Policy Review

Old South takes children’s safety extremely seriously. We have a document called a “Child Protection Policy”. It details policies and practices that we follow in order to keep our children safe. These include crucial safeguards such as background checks for all staff, as well as background checks for volunteers working with children. When children are present, there must always be two adults in the room so that there is never a time when a child is alone with an adult. We also have training and workshops that make sure these policies are carefully practiced. This has been our practice here at Old South for decades, including during the entirety of George’s tenure. I am proud of the Child Protection work that Kate Nintcheu does - she oversees our children’s safety with exceptional zeal. Because we are committed to our safe church policies being exceptionally strong, we have begun a policy audit with Praesidium, a national leader in abuse prevention. That work is already underway, and we will release in full the report and recommendations that Praesidium develops.

Caring for and Supporting our Members

This is, I know, a distressing email to read. No one wants to have even the specter of possible child abuse hang over their church. And I also know that for some in the congregation, this will remind you of old wounds, bad memories, or experiences you want to leave behind forever. That is how trauma works in the body and in the memory. Ashley, Rachel, and I are making ourselves available for one-to-one conversations with anyone for whom this subject raises difficult memories or trauma.

In closing, I know that every week you entrust Old South with your children. This is a trust that I hold in the highest priority. Throughout this, I promise I will do my best to lead us in a way that is deserving of that trust.

Rev. John Edgerton
Senior Minister
Old South Church in Boston