The survivor described ReThink’s ongoing “third-party investigation” into Joiner as a “sequence of delayed responses, unanswered questions, gaslighting, and victim blaming.” She disclosed that someone told her that one of the investigators referred to her experience as “what happened at summer camp.” The survivor said:
I’m not sharing my experience out of a desire for vengeance or retribution. Because Reggie is a pastor, I’m aware of the significant number of people who are protective of his reputation. People don’t want anything to corrupt the good he has done. People want to see grace, forgiveness, and redemption for the man they put on a pedestal. I understand those sentiments. But truth comes before repentance, and repentance comes before forgiveness. And forgiveness comes before redemption. So, here’s one attempt to begin the process with truth.
The Survivor Claims Andy Stanley Knew Joiner Was a ‘Sexual Predator’
The survivor also accused North Point Community Church’s senior pastor, Andy Stanley, of ignoring Joiner’s abusive patterns while Joiner worked at the church. Joiner, along with Stanley, was one of the founders of North Point Community Church and served as its executive director of Family Ministry for 11 years.
“In 2006, I sat across from Andy in his private office at North Point Community Church,” the survivor recalled in her statement. “I was summoned there as a twenty-one-year-old ministry employee (on contract/not payroll) to give an account for Reggie Joiner’s cell phone record, which showed evidence of stalker-like behavior toward me.”
“Reggie’s phone records had been presented to leadership by a staff member who saw evidence of a problem,” the survivor said.
RELATED: Orange Founder Reggie Joiner and CEO Kristen Ivy Resign After ‘Inappropriate Relationship’
She continued, “During that interview, it was clear to me that those present knew I was a victim of his attention and not an aggressor.” The survivor claims that “Andy advised me to run as far as I could from the Joiner family, but he did not open an investigation or provide me with support that would make such an escape possible.”
“Instead,” she added, “he allowed Reggie to resign from North Point with honor and a public celebration. Without proper accountability, Reggie continued to abuse me during the time of his exit from North Point. Andy did not follow up then, and he has not followed up since evidence of Reggie’s abuse became public this past year.”
The survivor claimed that Stanley has “provided counsel to the ReThink board, spoken to the Orange staff, and made no attempt to name what he knows to be true: Reggie is and has been a sexual predator for decades.”
Andy Stanley and North Point Community Church Staff Respond to the Survivor’s Claims
A video given to Julie Roys by North Point shows Stanley, along with North Point’s Kendra Fleming (executive director of Family Ministries), and licensed counselor Debbie Causey (care director), addressing the survivor’s allegations during an online meeting with church staff on Monday (April 14). Fleming worked with Joiner as North Point’s director of pre-school and is the one who discovered Joiner’s questionable cell phone records. Causey regularly met with the survivor.
Stanley began by telling the staff that he “absolutely believes this woman’s story” and that, the day before, he and Causey met with the survivor at the survivor’s house for a couple hours. “It was a great conversation and she wanted me to let you know that Debbie and I had that conversation with her,” he said.
“Unfortunately,” Stanley told his staff, “Danielle Strickland did not give me, did not give you, and did not give us an opportunity to read the portion of the story that included our organization and my name.”
