THE THIRD DISPENSATION ALSO KNOWN AS THE DISPENSATION OF WE REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME (EVEN MORE THAN WE REALLY MEANT IT BEFORE)
Popular Name: The Newest New Tribes Mission (some early manuscripts say, The Very New New Tribes Mission, but we follow the Majority Text here)
Time Frame: From 2009 to the present
Characterized by: 1. The Fanda Eagles 2. Divinely chosen spiritual leadership with power to fire the sheep 3. New Executive Board who profess to have no power over anybody, anywhere 3.1 There is a certain nostalgia for the Old New Tribes Mission, when things could get done. Somewhat tempered by the realization of what all got done before, of course. 3.2 CEO starts working hours commensurate with what other top executives work 3.3 No members of the Executive Board who are not full time employees of the mission; Chapel in Sanford Headquarters, named after the last one, has water damage to floors after marathon prayer meetings 3.4 Executive Board membership is for life 4. Rampant abuse of children in boarding schools becomes visible, at long last ("How did we ever miss it?" is the frequently heard lament. "I don't know, but let me help you burn those papers," is the frequently heard reply.)
Motto: We really changed in 1997, honest
Battle Cry: Planting tribal churches
Apologies: The leadership of the Newest New Tribes Mission apologized for the sexual and other abuse of children and its cover-up that occurred under the Old New Tribes Mission. Offers assurances that this is NOT a current problem. "Have you heard of any abuse occurring since we took over?" they ask. No one answers by saying, "We never heard any reports before, either." Fingers remain crossed. In faith, of course.
NTM's spokesperson does not apologize for past deflections from the truth; she is now living in victory over it and is skulking around the Fanda Eagles forums under a screen name. Reports that she is really "Gene Long" are dismissed as not credible. Chances that she is a Monitor are rated higher.
When she assures the world, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Standard, that NTM "just want[s] to do what's right," no eyebrows are raised. If Ted Haggard had credibility like that, he'd still be in charge of the National Association of Evangelicals. Feminists are heartened that there are still a few advantages to being a woman in NTM.
NTM still does not apologize to the plaintiffs in the criminal libel suit from Thailand; ignores repeated requests for a confidentiality agreement. Prays for healing of bitter spirits. No tears, though. Not on this one. They had it coming; we don't have to be sorry. Not without binding arbitration.
Executive Board member who couldn't figure out what to do about perpetrators of child abuse who were still in the mission does not apologize. He is not fired, either, but the abusers finally are. See further under "Milestones"
Milestones: Bookies in Sanford are giving odds that sexual abuse of children occurred under the New New Tribes Mission Dispensation, too; everyone knows that cover-ups continue to the present hour, but they are too polite to say so. Plus, NTM is working full time on it; that should be enough.
GRACE investigates abuse of children in Fanda, Senegal. It is worse than initially reported. Those few perpetrators who are still in the mission are fired. Never really liked them anyway.
NTM also agrees to fire Executive Board member Chester Plimpton, who resigns instead. No one notices. Or cares. "Chet who?" asks the NTM house-counsel, in exile in Idaho.
Indelicately titled Child Abuse Manual replaced with the more felicitously christened Child Protection Manual. Neither one requires in unequivocal language that child abuse be reported to the appropriate authorities in the country in which it is committed. Nice flow charts, though.
After a couple of false starts, deadlines are set to determine when new deadlines should be set to start deciding what to do about other reports of abuse that are surfacing. As evidence of how badly this has been handled under previous Dispensations, this is actually seen as a positive step.
Finally, in its new spirit of openness, NTM remains mum regarding Les Emory, leaving stand an earlier statement that he . . . (ahem). . . "served" . . .(cough, cough) in the Philippines for ten years. Other sources report Les Emory now lives two blocks from a church. He has a nice house and enjoys going out for fast food, long walks in the evenings and attending school functions. Suspicion is rife that he is still . . . (ahem) . . . "serving" . . . (cough, cough).
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