MK forum

Thanks Thai MK. I know Andy and would say the same.

I think the NTM announcement about two being named to communicate with the MKs wasn't very clear and some confusion resulted. Maybe it wasn't clear that Andy and Tibby aren't doing the investigations, and there are going to be very qualified "outside" people involved in that, from what I understand. Andy and Tibby are the ones who are communicating with the MKs for NTM, but I would guess that there will be contact from the outside sources who are investigating cases (?).

I also don't understand why it was communicated that they were chosen to communicate with the Fanda MKs (as if it's only the Fanda MKs). From my experience, they are not only communicating with the Fanda MKs!

It appears to me that NTM is only working through the GRACE Report recommendations in regards to Fanda at this time, which is probably why it's worded the way it is. It seems to make sense that as they move forward with the other schools that Andy and Tibby would continue to fill that role. I'm going to contact them both for clarification.

NTM needs to work on the quality and effectiveness of its announcements. I think most of us would be in agreement about that.

I am one of those who approved both of these personnel for Fanda MKs. I hope other schools will have their own say in who they interface with in NTM. As I understand it these NTM employees will not be involved with any kind of investigation but are serving as liaisons between NTM and the MKs to reimburse counseling costs and answer questions.

Happy New Year, everybody!

It is also my understanding that GRACE will not be the investigating party for other schools. As someone who was initially skeptical but has come to trust GRACE implicitly, I cannot conceive of a more appropriate investigator. I'm sorry that NTM and other missions do not seem to value the work of GRACE, and probably will never understand the number of lawsuits that were prevented by hiring this team. As I understand it, not one lawsuit from a Fanda MK has been filed as of date. The GRACE report is a living work of art and has been instrumental in starting so many of us on our path to healing. That the GRACE team who serves and loves Christ has validated the extreme spiritual abuse I and you all suffered is something to marvel at.

I'm trying not to get sucked down into sadness, disappointment and frustration at this word that NTM may not be using GRACE to investigate abuse in other schools. I have been on such an emotional roller coaster these past months, with getting my hopes up and then feeling them plummet again.
Trying hard to hold onto hope, but it's not easy .....

Maybe I have understood wrong - I understood that although Grace might not be doing the initial investigations themselves, they will be involved in a group (combined with a group of MKs and others) who will be going over the results of the investigations and advising NTM on what happened and what should be done, after the initial investigations are done. I was glad to hear Grace could be involved in all of the school investigations in that way. But maybe I misunderstood this?

Some of us from other schools would rather have other very qualified outside investigators involved, if having Grace (only) investigate all the schools means waiting 10 years until our school is investigated! But hoping and praying for the same quality and wisdom and insight that Grace provided.

GRACE has not been asked to do any other investigations. It is not that they are the only team who could investigate, but that they already have gone through the process and produced such a stunning and honest report and are now not being asked to investigate another school is telling. If you are worried about timing look at this report from Presbyterian mission school abuses that took six years. That is what I am worried about.

"Over the past six years, the Independent Abuse Review Panel – chartered by the General Assembly Mission Council Executive Committee – received "disturbing stories of harms to children.
The panel conducted extensive investigations into the 85 allegations and concluded that abuse did occur in 30 instances on eight mission fields, including Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and Thailand. With respect to the other 46 reports, most could not be substantiated due to incomplete information."

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101015/pcusa-grieves-over-abuse-on-mission-fields/

Thanks for that Kari. I didn't realize that GRACE wasn't going to be involved in the investigation process at all. I'm really sorry to hear that.

Kari

Are you sure that GRACE will not be involved at all in future investigations? Has GRACE been told that they will not be involved in future investigations? Has GRACE declined to be involved in future investigations? Or are you just saying to date they have not been asked to be involved?