Capital Editorial

That's Life November 23, 2011

Wednesday, 23 November 2011 07:45 Timothy J. Shearlaw

If you've been reading the Calgary Herald, the Calgary Sun or any other major newspaper across Canada, as well as watching any television network news or listening to any radio station, you would have picked up on the news of allegations being made about sexual abuse at Prairie Bible Institute. Let's not overlook Facebook.

This electronic, techno-gossip column, filled with anti-social networking is a loaded gun that is capable of destroying anyone or anything in its sites.

This particular case involves a former Prairie student by the name of Linda Fossen. She is alleged to have been sexually abused by her father back in the 1960's. Fossen is now 53 years old but only recently has she come out to pin Prairie with some kind of blame for what is clearly a domestic case.

It has been reported that her father, Charles Phelps, was a student at Prairie Bible Institute from 1966 to 1969, that is correct. It is also reported that Phelps was a part-time employee of the college. That is not correct. If Phelps worked at all during his stay it was gratis work done on campus alongside every other student. That's the way it was on Prairie Campus 45 years ago.

It is also reported that Fossen was also sexually abused by her father at the family farm in Minnesota. The Phelps family denies any truth related to the allegations. Allegations made by a daughter who has not spoken to them for about 10 years. What I mean by them is father Charles, mom Fran, sister Kathy Teeter and three other siblings.

It's interesting to note that Linda (Phelps) married a convicted murderer by the name of Gary Bruce Fossen. On February 25, 1976 Fossen walked through the family home and slaughtered his sister, mother and father with a shotgun.

Chuck Phelps was a Prison Pastor and visited with Fossen. That led to Fossen wooing Linda and she finally married him while he was behind bars. They wed on January 24, 1981 and he was finally released in February 1995 after serving a 20-year sentence.

Linda Fossen is the author of a book entitled "Out Of The Miry Clay: Freedom From Childhood Sexual Abuse". The book was published three years ago but again, allegations of Prairie involvement have only surfaced in the last week.

If you visit Linda's website at LindaFossen.com you will be able to preview her book, check reviews, make donations, go to her e-store to purchase her books "Straight From The Donkey's Mouth" and "Out Of The Miry Clay: Freedom From Childhood Sexual Abuse". There is a nifty blog talk radio interview and even a brochure for GRACE.

GRACE (Godly Response To Abuse in the Christian Environment) is a U.S.-based non-profit organization. Fossen has demanded that Prairie Bible Institute contract GRACE to conduct "and independent investigation of the school". Yet, she openly promotes GRACE on her personal website. Independent, I think not.

I support Prairie President Mark Maxwell and Prairie's Board of Directors in stepping forward and opening their past to the RCMP should the RCMP find it necessary to launch any form of investigation. At present, there is no probe, there is no investigation. Just allegations. One in particular.

Mark Maxwell's open approach to honesty and transparency has the national media spinning. Even the police are wondering what's up with this guy?

Hey, he's Mark. What can I say? If there is truth to allegations that come forward, he wants those responsible found and dealt with. He wants those who have been hurt to be healed and cared for. But what if there is no truth to these allegations? Will those responsible for dragging Prairie Bible Institute and the Town of Three Hills and its citizens through the mud be dealt with through legal action? Well, I guess we'll have to just wait and see.

By the way, you can also hire Linda as a motivational speaker and TV interview videos are also available.

I sincerely hope that Linda and her family find peace and harmony in the coming years. I hope that she finds healing if her allegations about her father are true. But please Linda, think about the abuse that you are responsible for by doing everything in your power to bring the oldest and one of the most respected Bible Schools in the world to its knees, along with the Town of Three Hills that is proud to be Prairie's home since 1922.

That's Life.