MK forum

I wonder if rumors I've heard over the years are true. Only those that witnessed or experienced the acts can confirm them - and if no one can, then I have (sadly) misjudged people who've been incriminated. This could be an opportunity for someone to be exonerated, or it could a chance for someone to step up and help the investigative process.

Were children really forced to kneel on uncooked rice as a form of punishment? Were they really beaten with garden hoses?

People keep posting they've heard rumors of this and that. That helps nobody & only impedes healing. Anyone want to clear up a rumor or verify a truth?

Oh how sad, by that one comment you have just implied that people who have suffered for all these years because of that type of physical abuse have nothing to talk about because they were not sexualy abused. I think that this is a very good topic. It was even opened by saying that by posting rumers that you have heard might give someone a chance to find their voice and speak about the abuse they had to endure. Will they be so willing to open up now that it is considered just a small thing compared to what others went through? Again, I say, how sad.

Denise,
You echo the frustration of my own heart. After reading the above response, I was ready to throw in the towel & say "To hell with this forum crap, if I'm being told what is important and what is not." I've had enough of that my whole life.

Every single instance of wrongly wielded power over a child's life is forever significant and permanent.

To ornery -- do you feel guilty or like you have no right to hurt because your sister was so horribly violated? If you say (or imagine yourself saying) I was abused, I was harmed, I was unjustly hurt and I deserve apology and need someone to love me..., (and other stuff like that), do you feel shame?

What right do I have to hurt or complain? I wasn't sexually abused. I feel ashamed when you express your sorrow for what happened to me. Give your sorrow to the one who deserves it, the one who was truly abused. What happened to me wasn't so bad.

I'm not speaking for you. The words just above are the words I say to myself about my situation. -- I am sharing them with you because maybe you are doing the same thing as I am. You are minimizing what happened to you.

Yes, what happened to your sister is horrible. I think..., although I'm obviously not convinced..., acknowledging what happened to me is bad doesn't take away from her/his/their deserved sorrow.

The Truth........It's hard to admit how hard it has been to even write this post! I have been in the position before where I spoke up and told the truth. The outcome-no real discipline of the predator, Pressure to forgive, family ostracized, shame and confusion, questioned on how I could possibly think of hurting people in that way.........
In 1993 I spoke out at Via and told the board about the abuse I had suffered at the hands of Frank Parker over the period of 2 years. Although he was immediately removed from the little dorm, he was given safe refuge within New Tribes. He was not asked to leave New Tribes so consequently, I had to see him every time he came on to the land. Abuse can mean so many different things. In my situation I was touched inapropriately on a regular basis. He would make me sit in the TV room with him under the guise that he needed to address some issues with me. Not only was I touched in private, but he became very brazen in that every meal I was required to sit by him while he kept his hand on my thigh. I will not go in to all the details, but some of the most painful memories were the constant fear that I lived in. Every time I spoke to my brother, sister, or adult in leadership, I was questioned extensively as to what I had said. Someone else posted the fear she had about getting dressed. because he would walk in. I became a master at getting dressed in as little time as possible. Frank always came in to our rooms at night at bed time. I have no memories of Joann coming in to say good night to us girls. Where was she when he would make me spend time with him behind closed doors in the TV room? I could go on and on about what happened, but the TRUTH is I was abused!!!!

Fast forward to the summer of 1994 in Missouri at MK camp when my best friend informed Member Care that her friend had suffered abuse at Via. What a surprise, that this was the first mention they had heard of any abuse at Via. I was then contacted by Scott Ross and Member Care. So all I can assume is that Via had never communicated with the top dogs in Sanford about Frank. That summer my parents sent me to a Christian counselor. I can honestly say that God began to heal my broken heart and I started to process and understand what had actually happened. From that point on I knew I had the choice to forgive and move on or I could live a life crippled by fear. Does my experience still effect me? Absolutely!!! Did NTM act in a Godly way and deal justly with sin? Absolutely NOT!!!! Ironically my little sister had just been expelled from Via for kissing a boy. From that point on she was treated like a criminal. She was not allowed to step foot on the land without the escort of one of my parent's beside her. Meanwhile the actual pedophile was given safe refuge and became the victim in the whole situation.

I know that other girls suffered abuse by Frank, but honestly I don't know how much they have shared. My case is on file with NTM. My counselor wrote a full report confirming the abuse and that is also on file.

Recently someone that I love dearly has displayed righteous anger on my behalf. You have no idea how therapeutic that has been. How healing would it be if NTM took on the same attitude. Why are we not seeing outrage towards sin?????

I must say that I haven't often felt the need to post on websites. The moderators of this site, the readers of this site, and the people I love will not be helped by my two cents. However, after days of crying, talking with my family and friends, I feel the strange need to share my story.
I was in the girl's dorm when several dorm sister came to me concerned about my little sister...they described the hell they lived through in the little dorm (I had escaped Frank Parker because we were on furlough.) I began to see more and more warning signs of abuse...my sister had to sit by Frank...his hand was always on her thigh. I could only sit with her at breakfast every morning. As the year progressed I was cut off from talking to her, seeing her, hugging her. She was not allowed to visit me. One time when she was sick I went to the little dorm to visit her...Frank was visibly upset that she was talking to me and took her to his bedroom for almost an hour...alone. She came out tearful. I never went back afraid to cause her anymore "one on ones" with Frank. Every evening during bath time I know where Joane was. She was at my dorm having coffee and visiting with my dormmother. Really? Dorm fathers should run the bath time dance? Everyone was so impressed that Frank was the one who helped bath the one girl who had a cast. What a loving, caring, dorm father. (Please note the sarcasm.) On Christmas break I went to my parents and tried to express in my very naive way way that I felt there was something desperately wrong. My parents went to Frank who accused me of being a "fresh," rebellious child and I was promptly punished at his behest.
The trauma of that event left deep scars that have played out in my life again and again. The deep sorrow that I could not protect my own sibling, the fractured relationship with my parents...the people who were supposed to protect us, and the reality that I could do nothing to help my dormsisters who were still suffering the effects of being abused.
My story is not unique, but I feel like my family has been tortured long enough because we chose not to shout loud and clear that there were evil people in our midst, and the evil people did not deserve the victim's role. We chose to suffer silently, praying and asking God to help us forgive.
I choose to forgive, because I have been forgiven much. But the Fanda report has given me a new sense of clarity. We were raised in a twisted environment. Leadership was fallible. They should be held accountable. And for goodness sake, would all the people who have scorned my parents and sister, treated them like villians, and shunned us, personally apologize for making my sister a victim twice!

Recently someone that I love dearly has displayed righteous anger on my behalf. You have no idea how therapeutic that has been. How healing would it be if NTM took on the same attitude. Why are we not seeing outrage towards sin?????

Yes! Why??!!

I don't understand. I really don't understand. It is so confusing to me. I don't understand how someone who is truly a believer and truly loves God can ignore such things. How can someone who is a believer and loves God NOT BE ANGRY about this! Are they actually wolves?

Maybe some people are in denial because they don't want to face the same confusion I feel. So, maybe not wolves, but scared sheep. Nevertheless, as leaders, they are responsible to not offend the little ones. The pedophiles are obvious offenders. Those who looked the other way and those who continue to look the other way are also offenders. Those who taught and teach the mentality that encourages spiritual bondage or confusion are offenders.

I just checked out the verses of little ones and millstones and some commentaries because I thought I remembered that those verses apply to even more than chronological age children. They do. God is talking about all His children. Woe to the one who offends the believers under his care.* Even we adults are the little ones. The pastors of churches who shepherd their flock astray or beat them are offending little ones. Leaders of missions or field leaders who put the missionaries under the burden of spiritual legalism are offending the little ones. -- Please realize, that saying adults are also little ones doesn't diminish the offense against little children.

*James 3:1,2a: Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. (No wonder we are told this! Leadership is a great responsibility!)

Many horrible things are done to little children, both in and outside of Christianity. The majority of persons in "The World" recognize the offense of child abuse!! How, How, How can any Christian not respond with outrage! What does our apathy tell "The World" about Christianity? No wonder there are so many who say they don't want to have anything to do with Christianity! No wonder they say they don't want anything to do with our God! I don't want anything to do with that God either!

The REAL GOD is not that God! How can I show this to those who have only seen the grotesque and think that is God? Woe to those who cause any of the little ones to stumble. Woe, whether they offend through sexual, physical, emotional or spiritual abuse, or false teaching. Woe whether their offense is to children, to adolescents, to young adults, middle adults or the elderly. Woe, whether the offense is to those who already know the true God or those God is bringing to the fold.


Recently someone that I love dearly has displayed righteous anger on my behalf. You have no idea how therapeutic that has been. How healing would it be if NTM took on the same attitude. Why are we not seeing outrage towards sin?????

YES! GOD expresses His anger!

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. Mark 9:42

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:1,2

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.'"" Ezekiel 34:9,10