LLU University Church Bulletin:Walter Thompson is a retired surgeon, missionary,
and former board chairman of3ABN TV, Lake Geneva, WI [emphasis by writer]
(Additional participants are noted in the “Church Life” section of the bulletin)
An ardent supporter of the "annointed one" and even accused pedophile and Church of God Pastor, Tommy Ray Shelton, and a vicious attacker and determined detractor of Linda Sue Shelton, Dr. Walter Thompson, is said to have resigned as Chairman of 3ABN Board of Directors. His status as a Director is unknown. Thompson has also been an ardent defender of 3ABN’s independence from any form of SDA Church oversight or control.
The 3ABN Board self-perpetuates itself as there is no “membership” to which they are accountable. They each serve three year staggered terms and are limited by constitution to no more than 15 in number.
Thompson has served as Chairman through every major scandal to hit 3ABN in the past twenty years and has been a major ally of Danny Lee Shelton in his bid for control of 3ABN and it’s assets. In his role Thompson perpetually did what he had to do to give 3ABN and Danny Lee Shelton credibility despite a wave of allegations, and repeatedly refused to give any allegation against the anointed one any serious consideration. It was Thompson’s guiding hand that prevented Linda Sue Shelton from having anything close to a fair hearing and wrote a pre-emptive notice of severance with an ultimatum to take the offer to go into exile with only 24 hours to respond to the demand so she could get her severance. The timing of the demand, which would conveniently put her far from the campus during a critical hearing by the special committee created to investigate, and then a pending board of directors meeting which would dismiss her based upon the heavy support of Thompson.
Whenever Danny found himself in a corner he would turn to Thompson to bail him out. When I first began an exchange with DLS via e-mail and was undeterred by his ridiculous threats to file suit, he quickly turned over the communication to Thompson. The results were multiple inconsistencies that could not be explained and eventually resulted in a closing of communications and a refusal to answer any questions.
When Danny Lee Shelton flew to Minnesota to meet with Seigel Brill lawfirm, he stopped to pick up the Chairman, Walter Thompson. Thompson played the keystone roll of answering e-mail questions from contributors and others for the entire litigation process.
As Chairman, he would have been included as a defendant in a pending action by victims of Tommy Lee Shelton’s admitted pedophilia. It is not clear if Thompson was aware of the alleged insubordination of Danny Lee Shelton that followed 3ABN board action that terminated Tommy, but was secretly supporting Tommy with funding and a vehicle to solicit cable systems. We cannot confirm that Thompson knew or endorsed the funding to support a Church of God TV broadcast, including the sending of 3ABN producer/director Brad Walker to assist Tommy in his programming pursuits for the Dun Loring Church of God.
We do know that following Tommy’s resignation from Dun Loring Church of God, Thompson was clearly aware that Tommy had been rehired to work on the film library and to play piano for Kid’s Time with Brenda Walsh. And we also know that he supported moving Tommy into a large part of Linda Sue Shelton’s job as program director.
In summary, Thompson allowed an accused pedophile and non-SDA take a key position as program Director and caste aside Linda Sue Shelton without any due process. And to try and quash the investigation that was turning up more problems than even 3ABN could handle, he clearly authorized and endorsed 3ABN vs Joy, a lawsuit they could not win and he eventually dismissed and is currently in appeal.
We sincerely look forward to a day when the entire Shelton/Thompson influence and the 3ABN board are all retired or forced out and 3ABN is safely in the hands of the “stockholders in the pews”.
Gailon Arthur Joy, AUReporter