Part 1: Sexual Sadist Tom Chantry Persecuted Like Jesus, Tested Like Job, & Betrayed Like Joseph According to ARBCA Leaders & Enablers

This is the first in a series of articles about Thomas J. Chantry and the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA). 

On August 21, 2018, Tom Chantry was found guilty on two counts of aggravated assault upon two children.  At his trial, he absolutely and categorically denied the assaults.  Twelve jurors believed he was lying based on the evidence and found him guilty.  He awaits sentencing on October 19. 

In addition, two more trials (one if combined) are forthcoming to prosecute him on 8 counts of sexual molestation, 4 counts of aggravated assault, and 1 count of child abuse.

I wrote about Chantry in five different articles from December 2016 to October 2017.  I have excerpted them below as an introduction to this new series of comprehensive articles.

Tom Chantry, Well Known Reformed Baptist Pastor, Charged on Multiple Counts of Child Molestation & Aggravated Assault with Serious Injury
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 3:51PM 

Tom Chantry is a nationally recognized Reformed Baptist pastor and one of the men who has publicly opposed me and attacked me for exposing the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children in Sovereign Grace Ministries, etc. 

The story of his arrest for child molestation broke on November 26 [2016] and it was republished yesterday by The Daily Courier in Prescott, Arizona where he used to pastor and committed the alleged crimes.  He now pastors at Christ Reformed Baptist Church in Hales Corners, Wisconsin in Milwaukee County.  I am not surprised by his arrest based upon my interactions with him. …  

These charges concern alleged crimes committed in 1995, 1996, and 1998 to 2000 with multiple children according to the newspaper.  Here is the account of one alleged victim taken from a police report.  

“One alleged victim, now an adult, came forward to Prescott Police [in Arizona] and, according to a police report, when Chantry became a pastor at Miller Valley Baptist Church, Chantry told his parents that he wanted to tutor the victim, then ‘approximately 9 or 10 years old,’ privately in his church office. 

“The parents consented, and the victim claims that, during his twice-weekly hourly meetings, Chantry would spank him, ‘grope him, rub him, and make him sit on his lap,’ the report said. 

“The victim said that during a Christmas break during which he stayed at Chantry’s house, Chantry ‘began fondling him,’ the report said, touching his private areas, and saying ‘he was making them feel better.’ 

“This went on for a period of six to seven months, the report said, and Chantry allegedly told the boy not to tell anyone ‘about his special lessons because he would not be able to teach everyone.’” 

This account has all the earmarks of a serial sexual predator.  It is reminiscent of Nathaniel Morales and how he molested numerous boys in Covenant Life Church while C.J. Mahaney was the senior pastor.  Multiple pastors in the church knew about his crimes in the 1980’s and early 1990’s but never reported them to law enforcement.  

As a result, Morales went on to molest boys around the country including two of his step sons.  He was finally arrested in 2012, no thanks to the Covenant Life pastors who covered up his crimes, and sentenced to 40 years in prison.    

Four days, later I wrote a second article about Chantry. 

Did Reformed Baptist Leaders Cover Up Tom Chantry’s Alleged Sex Crimes & Serious Physical Injury of Children?
Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 4:06PM 

Tom Chantry was investigated for a year and then arrested and jailed on July 25, 2016. … The story of his arrest was first reported on November 26 by The Daily Courier in Arizona.  It was republished on Monday, December 5.  That is when Todd Wilhelm at Thou Art the Man brought it to my attention.  He wrote about it the same day and I wrote about it the next day.  The news went viral in evangelical and Reformed circles having been concealed for the past four months.  

The Daily Courier said, “Repeated calls and emails to the Christ Reformed Baptist Church were not returned.  A representative for Chantry’s attorney, John Sears, said neither Chantry nor Sears would have any comment on the case.”  That implies guilt.  Innocent men are not silent men especially when you are accused of sexual abuse.  Furthermore, multiple families have come forward.  This is not an isolated incident according to the pastor, Chris J. Marley, law enforcement and newspaper accounts. … 

These charges against Chantry by law enforcement raise obvious questions if true.  Was Chantry abused growing up?  That is often the case with serial predators.  If not, where or from whom did he learn this supposed behavior?  Further, did he abuse other children before this alleged one in 1995?  And most importantly, has he abused children since he left Miller Valley Baptist Church in 2000? …  

Below, is Chantry’s biography as it appears on the church website for now.  I’ve added information in brackets. 

Christ Reformed Baptist Church
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” - Romans 11:36
Tom Chantry

Mr. Chantry is currently on a leave of absence from the church. [added 12/6/16]

Tom was born [in 1970] in [Carlisle] Pennsylvania and had the blessing of growing up in a Christian home [his father is noted author, magazine editor and pastor, Walter J. Chantry].  He was converted in childhood and began to consider the call to the ministry while still in high school.  He attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California.  

Upon concluding his studies [1995], Tom moved to Arizona and worked in full-time ministry [at Miller Valley Baptist Church] for five years [1995-2000].  Subsequently he has been a member of Reformed Baptist churches in [Tacoma] Washington [Providence Reformed Baptist Church, 2000-2001, Tom Lyon & Mark McCormick - pastors] and Illinois [Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Rockford, IL, 2001-2006, Dale Smith & Al Huber - pastors] and has spent four years [2001-2005] teaching at a Christian school [Christian Liberty Academy] in the Chicago area [Arlington Heights, IL]  Tom began preaching regularly at Christ Reformed Baptist Church [Hales Corner, WI] in the summer of 2005.  One year later [2006] he moved to the Milwaukee area [Waukesha, WI] to begin preaching full time [at CRBC].  

All of these institutions should make a concerted effort to contact all the people who had contact with Chantry and inform them of his arrest and encourage them to report any information regarding alleged crimes to law enforcement.  Parents in these settings should also talk to their children as appropriate. … 

This committee of association leaders [i.e., the Informal Council comprised of Tedd Tripp, Mike McKnight, & Rich Jensen] did not report the multiple allegations of physical abuse to law enforcement.  Instead they told the parents about “their options” per the elder [Eric Owens] which must have included not reporting.  Of course, not reporting the physical and sexual abuse of children is against the law.  Therefore, it is not an option.  

The Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America must do an objective and thorough investigation and publicly confess their faults and make restitution to victims that may have been silenced, mislead or mistreated.  This may result in the discipline of committee members or pastors who covered up suspected crimes by not reporting them.  If they don’t take responsibility, I expect a civil trial for damages will follow the criminal trial.  That is right and just. 

Criminal guilt is proven in the courts.  Ethical guilt is proven in the church based on the testimony of two or three credible witnesses.  Tom Chantry should be going through church discipline.  

Moreover, those that may have protected him should be under investigation.  For instance, when Chantry left Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Tacoma, Washington to teach elementary children at Christian Liberty Academy in Illinois, did officials from ARBCA, or lead pastor Tom Lyon, inform the school administration of the allegations against him.  I doubt it.  Why?  I can’t imagine a Christian school hiring someone who has been accused of physically abusing children by multiple victims over a six-year period [1995-2000].   

Similarly, I wonder if Christ Reformed Baptist Church was told about the allegations when they called him to pastor in 2006.  Was the congregation informed?  Did his parents know about the allegations in 1995 or following?  Did they inform church authorities?  What’s the point?  People who knew about these alleged crimes should have reported to the police and church authorities.  

I decided to send the two articles to the top pastors in ARBCA with an encouragement to investigate.  I wrote about it in a third article on my blog.  Here are some excerpts.  

My Letters to All Lead Pastors in ARBCA to Investigate the Past Cover Up of Tom Chantry’s Sins & Alleged Crimes
Friday, December 30, 2016 at 4:12PM 

I recently wrote two letters to all the lead pastors in the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America (ARBCA) encouraging them to pursue the truth without bias or partiality regarding the cover up of Tom Chantry’s past sins and alleged crimes.   

In response to my first letter, I received a caustic denunciation from one of the pastors [Chuck Rennie] emphatically stating “There is nothing here for you to ‘expose.’”  That prompted me to write my second letter and share more of the information in my possession regarding the cover up.  Here are the letters.

December 12, 2016

Dear Brothers,

I write in hopes the frowning providence of God becomes the smiling providence of God and mercy breaks in blessing upon your head. …

Tom Chantry has now been credibly charged with crimes by multiple [five] witnesses (victims) and law enforcement officials after a year-long investigation.  It is therefore right and necessary for the state to act in keeping with the law and Romans 13:1-5.  This action by the state, however, does not absolve you from also acting in keeping with Scripture. …

This is a time of testing for you as leaders and as an association.  Not only must you deal with Mr. Chantry’s sins, you must deal with the sins of leaders who covered up his sins.  I therefore submit these documents to you hoping you act in keeping with Scripture for the greater glory of God with no thought of self-serving preservation.  The reputation of Christ, not men, should be your only concern.  After that, I hope you will do all in your power to care for those who have been abused and victimized.  

Tom Chantry, Well Known Reformed Baptist Pastor, Charged on Multiple Counts of Child Molestation & Aggravated Assault with Serious Injury (Dec. 6, 2016) 

Did Reformed Baptist Leaders Cover Up Tom Chantry’s Alleged Sex Crimes & Serious Physical Injury of Children  (Dec. 10, 2016)

Sincerely,
Brent Detwiler 

##  

December 19, 2016

Dear Brothers,

Given the response of Chuck Rennie to my December 12 correspondence, I felt it necessary to follow up with you.  I fear he may be representative of those who hold power in the association.  If so, I have no confidence an open, impartial and fearless investigation will be done and then reported upon to the churches.  Mr. Rennie should be reproved.

Nor do I have confidence, sinning elders will be publicly rebuked and removed from positions where required.  Overseers must be above reproach.  They must also be trustworthy.  All the facts in my possession indicate the top leaders in ARCBA covered up severe physical violence done to children by Tom Chantry.  They did not impose discipline and they did not report it to police in keeping with the law.  Further, they allowed him to teach in an elementary school and then enter into pastoral ministry again.

Therefore, I provide the following information to all of you so all of you are better positioned to pursue the truth and hold accountable those who are guilty of corruptly covering up Tom’s egregious sins and not reporting his alleged crimes to law enforcement. 

The first allegation of child sex abuse was filed by a victim in July 2015.  The Prescott Police Department did a one-year investigation before arresting Tom in July 2016.  You need to get the police offense reports and read them.  These should be made available to all the lead pastors.  They are not gossip or slander.  They are the testimony of multiple victims and witnesses.

ARBCA put together a mediating council [i.e., the Informal Council of Tedd Tripp, Mike McKnight, & Rich Jensen] to investigate the physical abuse of children at Miller Valley Baptist Church.  They produced a written report in 2001 [Dec. 2000].  You need to get it and read it.  You also need to interview Chris Marley, the current pastor at MVBC. …

What I have presented is a broad outline.  I have more details in my possession.  For the sake of Christ and the good of his church, you need to take courageous action in addressing all of the above in an open, honest and transparent fashion.

These matters and much more will come out in the trial.  I don’t mention that to leverage you.  Repentance can’t be imposed.  It’s must come from the heart because the heart has been convicted by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and conscience.  Please practice what we all preach – soli Deo gloria.  This might involve a fight for truth and righteousness.  If so, don’t be deterred by those who seek to silence you or marginalize you.

Lastly, you must make certain that the various interviews and investigations are done by men of integrity that will not be partial or show favoritism to anyone. 

You remain in my prayers.  Have a blessed holiday celebrating the incarnation of God in Christ.

Brent Detwiler 

I posted a fourth article on BrentDetwiler.com three months after I sent the email letters to the ARBCA pastors.  Chantry’s lawyer, John Sears, was doing all in his power to delay the trial.  Here’s an excerpt.

Tom Chantry Could Have Been Out of Jail this Week for Child Abuse Charges if He Showed Up for Trial
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 5:17PM 

Here’s the irony of it all.  Chantry and leaders in the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America (ARBCA) like his father-in-law, Al Huber, have been declaring his innocent since he was arrested and indicted last July on five counts of child molestation and three counts of aggravated assault with serious physical injury.  In fact, ARBCA leaders have put Chantry forth as a persecuted, suffering servant like Jesus Christ that has been falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned.  I am not exaggerating.

Here’s the obvious question.  Why does an innocent man appeal for a special hearing to get out of jail when he could be in court today proving he is innocent.  This appeal only delays his trial.  That makes no sense if you have a strong defense to offer a jury.  I think he has a weak case and the alleged victims have a strong case based on the police offense reports I have studied.  Therefore, Chantry is doing all he can to get out of jail now and delay the trial as long as possible knowing a day is likely coming when he will be found guilty and sentenced. …

If Chantry pleads guilty or is found guilty, all the ARBCA leaders who have insisted he is innocent will need to repent.  Why?  Because they were ignorant?   No, because they knew he was guilty and covered up for him.  That too will come out in the trial. 

Six months later, I posted my fifth article after all the police reports were published online.

More Evidence Against Alleged Sexual Sadist Tom Chantry & the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America
Friday, October 20, 2017 at 5:20PM 

Tom Chantry was indicted on five counts of sexual molestation and three counts of aggravated assault concerning five victims on July 27, 2016. 

He was jailed and denied bond after a hearing by The Honorable Bradley H. Astrowsky.  The Judge withheld bail based upon this statute.  

“A person charged with a felony may be held without bail if, after a hearing, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the proof is evident or the presumption great that the person committed the offense, that the person poses a substantial danger to another person or the community or engaged in conduct consisting a violent offense, and that no condition or combination of conditions of release may be imposed that will reasonably assure the safety of the other person or the community.”

Chantry’s lawyer appealed the ruling on technical grounds and prevailed on May 5, 2017.  Chantry was released from jail on a $250,000 secured bond under the following conditions as reported by Maz Efrein in The Daily Courier.   

“He may not have contact with children except for his own – and even that contact must be supervised by another adult.  He is not to come within 100 feet of where children are.  He must surrender his passport and check in with pre-trial services in Yavapai County [in Arizona] once a week.”

These are very strict requirements because Judge Astrowsky believed Chantry posed a “substantial danger.”  Therefore, he did his best under the circumstances to “assure the safety of the other person or the community.”  That is, potential victims of Chantry.

Chantry is not allowed to have contact with children or be within 100 feet of children except his own and then only if he is supervised by an adult.  Practically, that means he is confined to his home.  He had to surrender his passport so he could not flee the country.  He also checks in with court officials on a weekly basis that monitor his compliance and whereabouts. …

On the other hand, Tom Chantry’s wife, Karen; members from his and her family at large, and top officials in the Association of Reformed Baptist Church in America (ARBCA) have claimed Chantry is innocent of all charges, the alleged victims are lying, and the police are making something out of nothing.  They have embraced the abusive tactic of discrediting everyone while they extol Chantry as a paragon of virtue.     

For example, Karen Chantry and her father, Al Huber (an influential pastor in ARBCA) have claimed Tom is being persecuted like Jesus Christ, suffering a great trial like righteous Job and being mistreated like Joseph by his brothers.  Moreover, pastors throughout ARBCA are claiming Chantry is innocent of all charges and passing on this reckless assessment to their church members despite the testimony of multiple victims and witnesses, the work of numerous detectives that led to his arrest and incarceration, and the ruling of the Judge who denied him bail.  Of course, none of these people know what they are talking about or doing according to Chantry supporters! 

They have also set up a Legal Defense Fund for Chantry and asked people to give money based upon his innocence.  Furthermore, I have read ARBCA documents, interacted with ARBBA pastors, and listened to messages by ARBCA leaders regarding Chantry.  In all I have read or heard, no one has expressed care or concern for the well-being of the alleged victims of physical and sexual abuse.

I’ve had most of the 14 police reports for a long time but never posted them.  Instead, I typed up some of the charges for past articles about Chantry.  Anyway, Anthony Battaglia has provided clean copies of all the reports which amounts to 48 pages.  You can find them here.  Remember, according to family, top officials, pastors, and elders throughout ARBCA, none of what you read in the police reports is true!  Yikes.  This is one diabolical conspiracy to cover up the physical and sexual abuse of children - IMO! … 

Furthermore, if Chantry is sentenced and sent off to prison, I suspect they will continue to say what they have been saying since his arrest 15 months ago - he is suffering like Jesus – a man falsely accused and unjustly sentenced.  I don’t see their story changing. …

Anthony Battaglia is paying a price for asking hard questions about Tom Chantry and ARBCA leaders.  So are other men and women in the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America.  These are the true heroes of the faith.  They are the ones who have suffered for the cause of justice, not Tom Chantry. 

I hope more and more church members in ARBCA study the evidence and challenge the official line that Chantry is innocent of physically and sexually abusing children. 

The sociopathic lying of Tom Chantry reached its apex at his July-August 2018 trial when he categorically rejected as untrue the incriminating testimony of 20 witnesses.  He was cheered on by his wife, Karen; pastor and father-in-law, Al Huber; ARBCA employee and sister, Judy Rogers; and ARBCA heavy weights, pastors Don Lindblad and Dave Dykstra.     

The lying continues as I write.  Thomas Chantry has nothing in common with Jesus Christ, Job, or Joseph.  In the words of Susan Eazer, the Yavapai County Deputy Attorney, he is a “sick, twisted pedophile.”    

This is Part 1 in a series of articles I will be publishing in the coming weeks.  Here are links to my past articles for those interested in reading them in entirety. 

Tom Chantry, Well Known Reformed Baptist Pastor, Charged on Multiple Counts of Child Molestation & Aggravated Assault with Serious Injury 
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 3:51 PM
 
Did Reformed Baptist Leaders Cover Up Tom Chantry’s Alleged Sex Crimes & Serious Physical Injury of Children?
Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 4:06 PM
 
My Letters to All Lead Pastors in ARBCA to Investigate the Past Cover Up of Tom Chantry’s Sins & Alleged Crimes
Friday, December 30, 2016 at 4:12 PM
 
Tom Chantry Could Have Been Out of Jail this Week for Child Abuse Charges if He Showed Up for Trial 
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 5:17 PM
 
More Evidence Against Alleged Sexual Sadist Tom Chantry & the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America
Friday, October 20, 2017 at 5:20 PM