Rudenborg left Christianity after high school and was not part of the church plant in Big Rock. She was, however, the godchild of the church’s priest, the Rev. Rand York, and lived in Big Rock for a number of years, where she knew Rivera as a neighbor.
In November 2020, Rudenborg reported to leaders at the church plant that Rivera had raped her once in February 2018, and then again in March 2020 while he was out on bond after being arrested in connection with Cherin’s daughter’s allegations. Rudenborg filed a criminal complaint against Rivera with Kane County a month later.
She told RNS that, if she got the chance today, she would ask the Christ Our Light Anglican community to genuinely apologize and seek forgiveness. “I love you, you’ve been deceived by Mark, and you still owe a monumental apology to Cherin’s family and every other victim you brushed aside in favor of believing and supporting a sexual predator. There is forgiveness available for enablers, as I know from being one myself. But you have to own what you did and fully comprehend the harm it caused. There’s no way out but to face the shame and walk through it.”
This article originally appeared here.
