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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#624190
Full disclosure up front: I provide crisis communications support to another major chain of Christian camps. I also have ZERO patience with Christian organizations who cover up sexual abuse for "the good of the ministry".

David French and his wife Nancy have released an investigative story today on a serial predator who was a star in the Kanakuk universe before eventually heading to prison. It should be noted that the primary issues happened several years ago but those in charge accused of looking the other way remain in senior leadership. Since I know that many LU folks have connections to Kanakuk with Joe White a regular on campus, I share this story and look forward to your thoughts:
The French Press wrote: ‘They Aren’t Who You Think They Are’
The inside story of how Kanakuk—one of America’s largest Christian camps—enabled horrific abuse.

David French and Nancy French

Image
A cross at Kanakuk Kamp near Branson, Missouri. (Kanakuk Kamps/Facebook.)

The first thing you need to know about Pete Newman is that people loved him. He has olive skin, dark hair, and thick eyebrows that generated good-natured “unibrow” teasing. Girls wanted to date him, guys wanted to be him, and children wanted to follow him.

He was a camp director at Kanakuk Kamps, one of the largest Christian camps in the world. Kanakuk is an immense operation. Since its founding in 1926, it claims to have served more than 450,000 campers. Its main campus is located outside of Branson, Missouri, but it has international reach. Every summer approximately 20,000 kids pass through its gates, and the institution is particularly prominent with the Evangelical elite.
Click Here for Full Story
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By flameshaw
Registration Days Posts
#624193
I know this is written with a broad brush, but after being a part of a pastors family for almost 50 years, and my wife taught school for 30 years, this is my experience and thoughts on the subject:
1. I would never be a member of, or associated with an organization that does not have strong leadership/accountability models. This includes IFB churches, camp grounds, homes for troubled yewts, Christian skools (especially those run by IFB churches, or have very small enrollments).
2. I automatically question and keep very close eyes on any males who work with children under high school age, especially for any length of time.
3. ANYONE is capable of abusing kids and one should never completely trust people in these positions. This is one area where people should be considered guilty, (at minimum highly suspect) until proven innocent.
4. Most times, the offender is the last person someone would suspect.
5. Almost every time the church, school, ect. will blame the person who was violated, make them feel less than human and provide no help for them of any kind. Lots of other thoughts, but frankly too tired. 8) 8)
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By prototype
Registration Days Posts
#624196
WOW!! I worked a K-Kountry in 1995 and this is shocking!! What a dirt bag. He should rot in prison every day for the rest of his life - in general pop.
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#624199
I think there is universal acknowledgment that Newman is a horrendous person. My issue centers around the use of NDAs and settlements to protect the ministry. How could the camp work so hard fundraising while knowing millions of dollars of that goodwill from camping parents was going to provide hush money to cover for a guy they enabled and defended for nearly a decade and a half? And to be clear, that is why you hadn't heard about this up until this point, Proto.

Christian ministries have operated like this for far too long. Camps have long been predator magnets. Keeping them out is really tough. But the fatal optimism of ministries looking the other way because they don't want to know what they already suspect has to stop.

All of this said, Kanakuk has done and continues to do amazing things in the lives of kids and families. But this issue is bigger than just Kanakuk. It is something we as Evangelicals need to eradicate from our standard ioprating procdures as ministries.
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By TH Spangler
Registration Days Posts
#624204
Sly Fox wrote: March 29th, 2021, 9:14 am I think there is universal acknowledgment that Newman is a horrendous person. My issue centers around the use of NDAs and settlements to protect the ministry. How could the camp work so hard fundraising while knowing millions of dollars of that goodwill from camping parents was going to provide hush money to cover for a guy they enabled and defended for nearly a decade and a half? And to be clear, that is why you hadn't heard about this up until this point, Proto.

Christian ministries have operated like this for far too long. Camps have long been predator magnets. Keeping them out is really tough. But the fatal optimism of ministries looking the other way because they don't want to know what they already suspect has to stop.

All of this said, Kanakuk has done and continues to do amazing things in the lives of kids and families. But this issue is bigger than just Kanakuk. It is something we as Evangelicals need to eradicate from our standard ioprating procdures as ministries.
I agree Sly ..... Settlements aren't always about covering something up though, but almost always about the amount of money to be paid out.
By stokesjokes
Registration Days Posts
#624206
I think something at play here as well is a warped, human view of success and almost what you might call “idolatry of mission.”

We have long quantified ministry success by numbers- financial, attendance, even altar-call decisions. Sometimes those involved in these ministries become so enamored with those numbers that they begin to become more important than the actual faithfulness that would have protected these kids. We are seeing this is all kinds of arenas, most recently the Ravi scandal comes to mind- the initial investigation was a joke because they didn’t want to jeopardize the ministry.

It reminds me of the Mother Theresa quote: “God didn’t call me to be successful, He called me to be faithful.”
Sly Fox, ATrain, ElmersTwin and 2 others liked this
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By flameshaw
Registration Days Posts
#624227
stokesjokes wrote: March 29th, 2021, 10:20 am I think something at play here as well is a warped, human view of success and almost what you might call “idolatry of mission.”

We have long quantified ministry success by numbers- financial, attendance, even altar-call decisions. Sometimes those involved in these ministries become so enamored with those numbers that they begin to become more important than the actual faithfulness that would have protected these kids. We are seeing this is all kinds of arenas, most recently the Ravi scandal comes to mind- the initial investigation was a joke because they didn’t want to jeopardize the ministry.

It reminds me of the Mother Theresa quote: “God didn’t call me to be successful, He called me to be faithful.”
In my experience, there is no better example of this than First Baptist Hammond IN. aka jack hyles playground. Almost every scandal, sexual abuse (of which there are many), are always accompanied by the excuse of "well he was such a great soul-winner" or "he had the biggest bus route" or "he did so many good things" etc. etc.
To me, this is the great danger of believing that man has ANYTHING to do with salvation. No amount of good works (or perceived good works), can offset even the smallest sin. Man-worship is a key ingredient of this type of abuse........... sickens me.
stokesjokes, TH Spangler, olldflame and 3 others liked this
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