TIMELINE

Jeff Taylor is a youth leader at Winnetka Bible Church, IL.
It is not known if any abuse allegations occurred there.

Taylor becomes the youth minister at The Falls Church Episcopal (TFCE) under Rector John Yates. That summer, the name Cornerstone is chosen for the youth group.

Taylor joins the Atlanta megachurch Church of the Apostles (COTA) to lead the Student to Student (STS) youth ministry, under COTA rector Michael Youssef. Youssef also leads a television and radio ministry, Leading the Way, which broadcasts to millions globally.

A COTA family complains to COTA saying that Taylor spoke to their son about topics that they found inappropriate, primarily masturbation.

COTA Assistant Minister Jonathan Adams tells COTA Rector Michael Youssef that Taylor is collecting computer disks from a boy that contain pornography. Taylor explains to Adams that the boy is giving the disks to him so Taylor can monitor and wean him off his habit.

COTA tells Taylor they are investigating if he violated church rules unrelated to sexual misconduct, as well as whether Taylor viewed pornography on his home computer, which he also used for work.

A former Cornerstone youth group member, now working for Taylor at COTA, learns of allegations that Taylor acted inappropriately with boys. When she asks Taylor, he denies the allegations. Conflicted, she goes to seek Yates’ counsel, and asks if there is anything she should know about Taylor.  She recalls Yates said “no,” and inferred that she had his blessing to keep supporting Taylor. (Although the IslerDare Addendum does not state the date when this conversation occurred, it likely occurred after the COTA family complained in Fall 2003, and before Taylor resigned on April 13, 2004.)

During Taylor’s hiring process with Christ Church of Atlanta (Anglican), they contact Yates, and he provides a positive reference. When COTA is asked for a reference, they do not share reports of Jeff’s alleged inappropriate behavior or the pornography.

With the pornography allegations still under review, Taylor voluntarily resigns from COTA on April 13, 2004, to be effective May 1, 2004.

Taylor leads the youth ministry at Christ Church.

Taylor asks Yates to preach at Taylor’s ordination at Christ Church.

Yates preaches at Taylor’s ordination at Christ Church even though someone who Yates knew who had interacted with Taylor at COTA strongly urges him not to. 

TFCE leaves the Episcopal church and affiliates with what later becomes a new denomination, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). TFCE is renamed The Falls Church Anglican (TFCA), and to reduce confusion, we’ll refer to Jeff’s years there as TFCA.

TFCA abuse Survivor discloses their abuse to Yates. The Survivor recalls his telling Yates as “evidence that I wanted him to do something.” Yates recalls that the Survivor was not interested in formal action. The TFCA vestry, congregation, and Bishop are not informed. No investigation occurs.

Yates confronts Taylor, who denies the allegations but admits to poor judgment with the abuse Survivor. Yates contacts Christ Church to inform them about the disclosure. Taylor is removed from youth ministry but remains on staff as Christ Church decides there is not enough evidence to fire him since they were not able to speak to the Survivor. The Bishop also issues a directive telling him to stay away from youth.

When Taylor disobeys the directive, an investigation is opened. Taylor is forced to resign from Christ Church and is defrocked by the Anglican church. He is no longer an ordained priest.

Taylor is Director of the Red Cross chapter in Athens, GA. The Red Cross fails to call Christ Church to check his references. It is unknown if any abuse allegations surface in Athens.

TFCA abuse survivors make abuse disclosures to Yates and press him on why there had never been an investigation. The vestry, congregation, and Bishop are not informed. No investigation occurs.

Taylor works in development at the University of Cincinnati Foundation.
It is unknown if any abuse allegations surfaced in Cincinnati.

TFCA Rector John Yates retires and is succeeded by Rector Sam Ferguson.

Two former TFCA parents write John Yates regarding the death of their son, an abuse Survivor, from alcohol abuse, and Yates meets with them. They ask whether TFCA will conduct an investigation, if it had not done so already in 2007 [it had not]. Through Yates, they ask if TFCA could connect with those who had been in youth ministry when Taylor was present and send a mass mailing. Yates mentions a 2007 sermon where he encouraged anyone who felt like they had been abused by the church to come forward. The parents asked for a copy of the sermon and Yates refers them to the Chancellor, Scott Ward.

The TFCA Executive Committee (ExCom) meets, comprised of the Senior and Junior Wardens, Sam Ferguson, the Senior Associate Rector, and Chancellor Scott Ward. Yates shares the parents’ concerns, including their request for TFCA to conduct mass outreach to former students. The Chancellor promises to find the 2007 sermon to send to the parents. Although there is discussion, no decision is made to do any type of announcement, investigation, or outreach, and no next steps are identified, except that Yates will continue meeting with the family.

The parents send two emails to the Chancellor asking for a copy of the 2007 sermon referencing abuse. They do not receive a response to either email. When asked about this during the 2023-2024 Isler Dare investigation, the Chancellor says apologetically that it had simply “fallen off his radar.”

At the ExCom meeting, there is discussion on whether it would help people to receive healing and assistance if events that occurred 30 years ago were dredged up. As in the May meeting, no decision is made. Yates suggests starting a survivors’ counseling fund and remarks that he wants the congregation to know this was a serious problem and that the Church had done everything they could to prevent it. However, the congregation would not be told of Taylor’s alleged abuse until Fall 2023, and the counseling fund would not be established until April 2024. For the remainder of 2021, there is no record of ExCom discussion about the matter, and the vestry is not told about the discussions.

Another parent meets with Yates. This parent is in touch with the parents who met with Yates in April 2021 about their late son’s abuse. The parent urges him to outreach to other victims and to those whose faith suffered as the result of TFCA not being more open after the 2007 disclosure. A few months later, Yates tells the parent that it they knew of any victims, victims could reach out to him and he would be glad to meet with them.

The parents share their story with the Bishop Chris Warner of the Anglican Diocese of the Mid Atlantic (DOMA), of which TFCA is part. The Bishop tells TFCA to investigate.

TFCA hires employment lawyer Eddie Isler of the Isler Dare law firm to investigate Taylor’s years at TFCA, and to some extent, Atlanta. It is never explained why Eddie Isler was chosen. It is later revealed that TFCA Chancellor Scott Ward’s law firm Gammon & Grange rents office space from Eddie Isler’s firm IslerDare, in McLean, VA.

TFCA’s Isler Dare report is released along with Exhibits. An Addendum is released in August 2024.

TFCA encourages anyone with information to contact the FBI to contribute to their active investigation.

TFCA hosts two congregational meetings to discuss the report. The April 25th meeting is preceded by a service of lament. TFCA shares that they are establishing a counseling fund for abuse Survivors, a suggestion that Yates made in 2021 to the ExCom but was never implemented.

Episcopal priest Porter Taylor, Taylor’s eldest son, releases a petition asking COTA Rector Michael Youssef to investigate if his father perpetrated sexual abuse while employed at COTA. If evidence of abuse is found, the petition also calls for counseling resources for Survivors, full cooperation with law enforcement, and a review of COTA child protection policies.

At a TFCA congregational meeting, TFCA announces with no explanation that Scott Ward has resigned from his role as Chancellor, the church’s chief attorney. For years prior, Ward had been Chancellor for ACNA, DOMA, and TFCA simultaneously, which some found to be a triple conflict of interest.

At a TFCA congregational meeting, an audience member reveals that in the past, TFCA has used NDAs as part of separation agreements for several former staff members.

On June 18, 2024, TFCA sends a letter to their email list saying the church does not use NDAs but has incorporated “Confidentiality Clauses” into many of its employment contracts and severance agreements as a means of “protecting the privacy of parishioners”.  They also issue a letter releasing staff to contact FBI with any information.  This letter is posted on the TFCA website and sent to their email list, but it is never sent to former staff, particularly staff from 1990-2002, when Jeff Taylor was employed. TFCA has not fully nullified these agreements, despite calls to do so.

After a contentious June 2 congregational meeting where many tough questions were asked, TFCA stops holding live congregational meetings on the investigation. After holding a total of three congregational meetings, communication becomes limited to quarterly letters.

TFCA establishes a Care Team to “walk alongside current and former parishioners who are struggling…with the impact of Jeff Taylor’s actions or the findings of the investigative report.”

Bishop Chris Warner releases a comprehensive pastoral response to the TFCA investigation. He reveals that he issued John Yates and Sam Ferguson formal Letters of Godly Admonition, given their mistakes in handling the abuse allegations. A Letter of Godly Admonition “is a pastoral rather than disciplinary directive from a Bishop to a Priest and is intended for constructive and formational reasons for the Priest. However, if not followed, an admonition can lead to severe discipline.” He also reveals that Scott Ward is no longer Chancellor, i.e., attorney, for DOMA.

After a nine month investigation, Ian Shapira of The Washington Post publishes a 5,300 word story on Taylor’s alleged abuse and the churches’ responses.