New Tribes Mission Abuse

Child Abuse by the NTM Fanda Field Committee?

moderator note: initials are chosen randomly and do not reflect actual names

When A,  B and I were in the little dorm at Fanda in the same room,  B was touched by the dorm dad. In that year  A told her mom that  B and I were doing stuff to each others boobs and asked her mom if that was OK. ( I only found out about this next bit a few weeks ago). Her mom went to the Fanda FC and told them about it and said that this was not normal developmental behavior and she thought that either  B or I were being sexually abused (The mother of  A had been abused as a child).

Instead of investigating abuse they interrogated  A and asked her what else B and I had done together, she said “nothing”. Then they called mine and B’s parents to Fanda, telling them what A said we had done but nothing about possible abuse. They sat B myself and our parents and all the FC men in a room and I don’t remember exactly what they said but they said that we had done something REALLY BAD. They humiliated us and told us to tell them what we had done together. We just cried. This went on for a few days while they told us how sinful these things were (they never actually told us what we had been accused of doing) .

Our parents went home after those first few days then (my mom only found out about this the other day) it got worse. They brought the dorm parents into it ( the dorm dad was B’s abuser) and they told us quite descriptively what we could have done which was nothing that  A ever told them we did and told us it was wrong and we need to confess it to them. We cried a lot. We were forbidden to have any contact with each other. We were questioned together and apart.

I think the dorm parents may have initiated the continued investigation. I can’t understand why they were even involved. When we still confessed to nothing they got us individually in a room with a FC members wife and the dorm mom who hated us because I think she may have had some idea of what her husband was doing. This had gone on for around a week all up by now. We finally both admitted to doing stuff with each others boobs and insisted that there was NOTHING else.
After we told them this they dropped it and it was never brought up again. We always thought that A had told them a bunch of lies and I only found out that she didn’t A FEW WEEKS AGO when I finally found the courage to actually talk about it to her. I also thought that her mom must have told the FC because she thought we were dirty rotten kids. My parents thought that the bit that they were involved in was an overreaction.

All of this destroyed my relationship with my mom. She didn’t stand up for me. And I thought that she believed A’s lies ( which turned out not to be lies) and supported the FC. I told her after this that I didn’t want her to hug me anymore and I decided I was on my own in the world. I hated and didn’t trust any adult. I feel SO sorry for my Mom. She had no idea what actually went on! I love her SO MUCH now and have a very good relationship with her, but this change in our relationship only started to happen after I turned 18.

So… instead of investigating if there could have been any abuse they ATTACKED the abused in front of the abuser. Us children were abused by the FC. I would go as far as to say that it was sexual abuse by them at times. This happened in the 1990′s.

Stories

Hello Former Fanda MKs,

We are in the process of forming a committee to respond to NTM’s choice of third party investigative organization. We are not yet certain that we can agree to mediate through GRACE but in the event that we decide we can we want to be prepared.

If you would like to join the committee please email us. My primary goal is for the protection of the MKs during the investigative process. Email me to find out more or just to let me know your thoughts. This is all of our decision and the committee is being formed for all of our protection, since NTM chose the third party without any input from any of us.

Kari

eagles@peregrinebynature.com

Stories

We are moved by what God is doing through this blog. Please keep praying for God to thoroughly expose the depravity.
A brief summary of our story follows.

In June 1988, just prior to our June 18 scheduled return from furlough to Senegal, we had several phone conversations with Frank S, field chairman in Senegal. We taped one of our phone calls during which we resigned from the field. Then, with urgings from the Executive Committee and a meeting with them in Jackson Michigan, they assured us that they would work with the Senegal committee and the field committee would hear our hearts and be sympathetic with the direction God was leading us in not sending our girls away to boarding school. They encouraged us to return to the field.

In July 1988 we returned to Senegal.   We were met with disdain and accusations from our field committee. We were mocked, ridiculed and scorned. The confrontational meetings sometimes lasted up to 5 hours at a time.   We were told that the blood of the Budiks was on our hands if we didn’t return to Chobo. We were told that we were making our children into gods.  At one meeting a FC leader said to John, “We are four, you are one, God can’t lead you by yourself. “   At that point John told them “Well, if that is your doctrine, then I don’t see how I can submit to that kind of leadership.” That enraged one of the leaders (Bob A) so much he got within inches of John’s face and raged at John that he was in sin.
Read more…

Stories

If you are with NTM you probably recently received this email from us:

Dear New Tribes Missionary,

It is with a heavy heart that we come before you to humbly inform you
of what happened to us as MKs in NTM boarding schools around the
world. We ask you to read the documentation that proves that New
Tribes knew for 20 years about what happened to us yet did nothing to
act on that information. Some of the child molesters are still with
New Tribes to this day, and NTM will no longer communicate with us
about these events.

All documentation can be read here:

http://fandaeagles.com/category/docs/

Please stand up for us and ask your leadership to stop ignoring these
horrible crimes, and to do the right thing, repent and turn from this
sin. We don’t want any more children to be harmed because of the
unconfessed sin on the part of NTM leadership. We know much good is
being done around the world by good missionaries such as yourselves,
and we hope that your work will be fruitful, and that your mission
will take a stand with us against these abuses.

With love,
The Fanda Eagles

–
www.fandaeagles.com

An hour later NTM sent out this memo to members:

New Tribes Mission has been informed that at least one and possibly several former Missionary Kids (“MKs”) connected with New Tribes Mission have recently made statements to the media alleging that they were victims of excessive physical discipline or otherwise suffered abuse at some overseas NTM schools in the 1980s or early 1990s and that NTM has failed to satisfactorily respond to the alleged abuse.

If you are approached in regard to this matter by media and any other outside party other than current and former NTM members and MKs, please refer them to the NTM media spokesperson, Kelly Oliver at (703) 307-9404.

If friends, supporters or others approach you, you can verbally share with them the information that we have shared with you in this document.  We urge you to refrain from saying anything that may be taken as negative toward the MKs who are making these statements.  We value every MK and their families and are committed to seeking the truth. If you as a member have information related to this subject, please contact the Child Protection Committee at: cpc_hq@ntm.org

Stories

Dear Kari and Bonnie,

On behalf of the NTM Executive Board I would like to request the note below be posted to the Fandaeagles blog.  Thank you.

Gratefully,

Britt Hemphill

Announcement from the New Tribes Mission Executive Board

In recent months, a number of MK’s have come forward to express anger, frustration, and hurt as a result of abuse which occurred in the NTM Senegal field during the 1980’s & ‘90’s.   Though NTM has taken some steps in the past to address some of these complaints, the responses were too little, too late.  NTM acknowledges its failure to satisfactorily respond to the disclosures of this awful abuse.  The current leadership of NTM has unanimously determined that this issue must finally be addressed in a comprehensive manner which serves those who were abused and ultimately serves our Lord and Savior.
Though NTM desires to demonstrate authentic repentance and service to those who have been affected by this grave sin, it needs much guidance and counsel in how this is to be best accomplished.    Therefore, NTM has sought the guidance of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) to insure that it painstakingly responds to this matter with truth, compassion, and completeness.   GRACE is an organization whose sole purpose is to train and equip the Christian community in how to respond to disclosures of child sexual abuse in a manner which serves and honors those who have been abused.   The GRACE board of directors has over 100 years of combined experience advocating for the protection of children.    You can learn more about GRACE and its work at www.netgrace.org <http://www.netgrace.org> .
It is the prayerful desire of NTM that GRACE will be able to work with all parties to bring about authentic healing, restoration, and change.

___________________________________________________________

Tibby on behalf of the CPC

Stories

April 2, 1998

NTM Counselling Centre:

I must admit I was really surprised to receive your letter about the sexual abuse.

My oldest daughter, Krista, is now 19.  She was in the little dorm in the late 1980’s.  It does trouble me that such a great time span has passed before an investigation was started.  I do know that the executive committee knew about this long before 1997.

We first found out about this when Krista was 13 or 14.  We were on staff at Durham and were having a lot of difficulty in our family.  Many factors came into play, one being the sexual abuse in the dorm.  We found a note Krista wrote talking about how useless her life was and all she wanted to do was end it.  It referred to the abuse from “Uncle Dave”.  I can’t remember all that she wrote but needless to say it was upsetting.

We took this note to Chet Plimpton to get his advice.  We were in counseling with him at that time and it seemed like the way to deal with it.

Chet told us of other reports of abuse in the dorm and how one family was taking Dave Brooks to court.  He told us other families were not told about this happening because of the seriousness of it and it was felt better to keep it as quiet as possible.  The only families who were notified were ones who Dave said he assaulted.  Dave never named Krista as one of his “girls” so we were not told.  Looking back I cannot understand why a child abuser would be trusted to tell all the truth and I think all the families with children in the dorm should have been notified.  It was wrong on the part of the leadership to decide what they did.

My husband even called Dave to confront him and Dave assured him that he never touched Krista.

I don’t believe that Dave Brooks never assaulted her, I never did.  All those involved at the time felt he was sincere about it and was remorseful for what he did.  I never found out what happened with his court case, the man should be in jail for what he did to those girls.  Yes, I am bitter towards him and for the way the mission handled the whole situation.  There was more concern about what effect it would have on the mission than that of Krista.  I know there was concern from Chet and those at Durham who knew, but the right actions were never taken.  We were left to try and figure it out and we never had the expertise to handle it.

I also know that Senegal is not the only field where this kind of abuse has gone on.  I only hope there is now better education of all those involved to detect this kind of thing.

Always in the back of my mind was the fact that my girls were going to the dorm and would live among people who loved the Lord and would nurture my children.  All my married life I lived in fear of my husband and believed that the time my girls spent in the dorm would be a time of love and spiritual growth for them.  For Krista it was the opposite, she was one of “Uncle Dave” favourites.  I do hope she writes you, she has a lot of unresolved things to face.  As far as I know my other daughter wasn’t involved.  She remembers nothing about any of it.

I am assuming your letter was sent out to all parents and children who were there at that time.  I hope you keep us involved and informed.  There has been too much secrecy about this.  If there is any further court action I would want to be a part if needed.  I don’t know of anyone else to contact.  I hope this is finally resolved and stopped from happening again

Jill Rowe

Stories

Parents, to distance yourself physically from your kids is not enough. To give them the best you can you must also distance yourself emotionally. July ’91

Why do they sound so reluctant to have to do something about child molesters? Maybe being molested is also good for children. Oct ’93

Stories