MK forum

Today is a big day!

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism has released, in its entirety, the 280-page report submitted by Professional Investigators International. This report is the result of an extensive investigation into sexual abuse committed by a missionary doctor in Bangladesh, and into decades of failed response and cover-up on the part of ABWE. My mind is staggered by the humility and transparency it took for this large mission organization to actually publish this incriminating report in full. I confess that right up to today, I did not believe they would actually allow the public to see how badly this situation had been handled. I salute them for their courage, and I hope this will not now make them a pariah among other groups who have not had the courage to address their own failures with such honesty.

The report can be read by going through the ABWE website:

http://www.abwe.org/protecting-our-children/report.html

Or it can be accessed and downloaded through PiiSafe's website:

http://piisafe.org/

I, for one, will hold them up as an example of how to come completely clean in a bad situation.

As I said on Facebook, "I've scanned through most of the report now. I hope that many Tribers are doing the same and realizing that getting _everything_ completely out in the open as soon as possible makes the whole situation so much simpler to deal with. The amount of additional pain and anguish that was heaped on so many because of the attempts to minimize and cover-up is staggering."

As I stated in the other thread on this topic, I really do hope that they will use this opportunity to make real and meaningful changes in their organization and culture that will prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.

NTM could learn a lot from this.

I have a lot more to say, when I have time.

But for now, here's one of my big take-aways:

Enough, enough already, with the claims that you cannot name abusers, New Tribes Mission!

This report clearly shows that to be a shamelessly bogus claim!

ABWE has attorneys too, and that mission clearly understands that not only can you allow child abusers to be specifically named in investigation reports, but you can also name people in positions of authority and leadership who were culpable!

I hope we can expose this bogus excuse for what it really is: a clear attempt to protect yourselves!

So stop it! No one believes you anymore!!

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"I think—I don't know—but I think I could be brave enough."

That statement was quite enough.

I commend ABWE for releasing this comprehensive report to the public.

It also puts a big question mark around the amount of documents released to GRACE or PII by ntm.
How many more are there? What would they show?

So you want to know if this is a game changer?

Not for NTM it won't be! And here is why.

Tribers have had it drummed into them that they are the best of the best. And it has suited them to believe it.

They come from the best country in the world. They are almost all the best skin color in the world. They were called from good churches to become the elite in tribal evangalism. They are the best of the best! They are answerable to only God and because they are at the cutting edge of evangalism they can be excused from any minor mishaps along the way, because they are going where everyone else fears to tred! NTM is the best of the missionary organisations, that is why their god blesses them with so many riches!

Reality is so different! Most tribers are not in a tribe, many have never even met a tribal person, they haven't even got out of the States, or they have done their short tour of duty and are spending the rest of their lives sucking up the accolades, while sitting on their asses collecting the cash for doing bugger all and a bit of deputation back home.
The average Triber won't be concerned by the ABWE report, what do you expect from an organisation that isn't as good as their elite NTM! Leadership will be doing a bit of damage control, but it won't be much, because this is a cult and the members will be loyal because it is in their best interest to be so.
God isn't in charge of NTM! Money and reputation are! Corrupt men are calling the shots and they are making a nice living out of doing so!

It's not going to be a game changer for NTM, because arrogance has been inbred!

You make a lot of sense, Deja do.

You and I both clearly understand NTM's culture and arrogance.

On most days, I too, feel there is no hope for getting any kind of Godly or morally responsible action out of NTM.

But today.... Today I am thinking that NTM and ABWE are quite similar in many aspects. Reading the Pii report I could practically imagine myself in the times and the places described, with the same insanity perpetuated by all-male leadership, imposing their ignorance on women and children.

What finally gave way in ABWE culture was a massive, top-down change. A change that brought people into high positions who had the courage to get rid of conniving, protective attorneys and replace them with people who would take the risk of giving Pii the materials and the access they needed to finally get to the bottom of the cesspool. New people in ABWE leadership who decided it was time to stop running and hiding, and instead, made the choice to bring humility and transparency into the picture, and trust God with the results.

I am sure that in ABWE today, there is a sense of pervasive shame. But along with that, I imagine there is a huge feeling of relief. Of cleansing. Of healing. Of hope.

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14

Can you imagine a day when NTM issued a statement like this?
http://www.abwe.org/protecting-our-children/

What a day of rejoicing that would be!

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"I think—I don't know—but I think I could be brave enough."