MK forum

I talked with Pat Hendrix yesterday. She asked me if I had any questions or suggestions for her. She said that she is working on a statement to post out here. I said that I thought that would help establish communication. I called her back last night to suggest that some of those who will be interviewed are posting out here. She said that she was reading out here when I called. So she is aware of what we are posting and I hope she will post soon.

Me too.

Seems strange that their statements have to be prepared. Sounds litigious already. I love that the greater portion of the posts here are completely from the heart and unprepared.

Yes, spontaneous and heartfelt speaks to my soul.
Cautious, planned, prepared and delayed comes across so cold and insincere, and it fails to ease the ache that goes on and on and on.

Pat is still working on her statement. She got really sick the last couple of days. It is coming soon!!

Posted with permission

Debra –


When we spoke earlier this week I promised you an e-mail. Here is what I want to say at this time;


“I hope you have seen the communication from NTM about me that went out earlier this month. I understand there has been some anxiety and confusion with the e-mail and servers. For me, it seemed like a good thing as there was back-up available if anything ever happened to this lap top. I had the same arrangement with the PCUSA and the understanding that these communications were confidential and unavailable except through me. I, too, apologize for the confusion.


Let me just say that I have never been involved with New Tribes Mission until this endeavor. I have never attended any training conducted by a NTM person. I have been in Louisville, KY attending seminary (graduated in 2000) and then working at the headquarters of the PCUSA until May, 2010.


Investigations will be conducted by trained personnel. Those that we have vetted, so far, are police officers, former FBI, and counselors who have experience in abuse cases. So far, we have six investigators ready to go. I hope to have at least one investigation up and running very shortly. The number of investigations that are being conducted concurrently will depend on the availability of investigators that we have and others as they are added to the mix.


So that you know, any and all allegations will be investigated. No one is exempt from investigation if an allegation is made against him or her.


Communication with you all will be limited. There will be information that I have that cannot be shared due to confidentiality. When there is communication from me regarding investigations it will be short and sweet, sharing what I can. This is for Legal and confidential reasons, not to keep you in the dark, those days are over.


If you have any questions please feel free to contact me either by phone or e-mail. This is a very difficult phase we are entering and I ask for your prayers as you all will be in my prayers.”


Shalom,



Pat

Pat Hendrix

Coordinator Independent Historical

Office – 812-282-4689

Cell – 407-304-8476

pat.mkguardian@gmail.com

I just want to take a moment and thank all the hurting MKs out there that are banding together to make one strong unit. We are strength, power and a voice to be heard. We as MKs need to keep moving forward and help Pat as much as we can and to keep our communications open and helpful. In our numbers we are a strong group wanting to see change and safety to all new MKs AND to remove those still in the mission that have done such terrible harm within a group reaching out to those that have never heard of God's Salvation.

We do not need discruntled missionaries with anger and hatred in their hearts trying to help those of us now in our 50s. Search your hearts and see what your motives are,,,,are they Christ like? I mean the REAL God of Love and not what we watched as Children. Find your Hope in Him and in others that have gone through the same as you. Lift up your heads, redemtion drawth nigh. There are too many advises and they are not MKs and don't have the same crying heart as us. We are no longer children and I am glad that we Pat, Andy and Tibby. Since they have never done anything personally against us, look at their heart. Are they for real??? I believe so.

I love all you MKs and I cry a lot lately for my own hurts, my families and my girls. Just because I don't respond to your entries, does not mean that I don't feel them. I am busy with a lot of 'behind the scenes' things. To feel better, turn and help another MK beside you. We will win the protection and love for other little ones. The protection and love that we never had. That says volumns.

Hmmm...

I can't speak for others, but I'll certainly speak for myself. Technically, I don't fall into the "disgruntled missionary" category, but I couldn't help but feel a bit on the receiving end of that one.

I know that for myself, there have been times that I've addressed Andy or Tibby directly in my posts recently. My reason for this is that they've presented themselves as representing the interests of NTM. For me, then, when I address either of them, I'm addressing NTM as a whole.

I have no doubt that Andy and Tibby are absolutely wonderful people. Many members of NTM are. However, GRACE made it clear, and many, many, many people's experience has confirmed, that NTM's organizational structure, their "top-down" culture, the ideology that a few should exert control over the many in all areas, crossing and violating every professional and personal boundary known to humanity is the very thing that not only causes the cover-up of abuse, but also aids and enables predators. There is no forum to question anything! In fact, if you do, the very essence of your ethical being is called into question. Until NTM's culture and organizational structure changes, there will be no solution to the pervasive problem of abuse of all kinds within NTM, it doesn't matter who does the investigation. The scandal will be dealt with, but many will still be robbed of power only to have it given to a few who will abuse it.

My take: Power corrupts. To diffuse corruption, you must diffuse power.

Anyway, I have no idea if I actually even talked about anything that you were talking about dbarney, but that's what went through my mind, anyway!

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think dbarney's larger point is that, to the extent there are motives that are inconsistent with helping MKs solve the relevant problems at hand, then actions consistent with those motives may interfere with the assistance the MKs may be receiving.

The point is not that there are not other problems that need solving. Rather, that actions taken to solve those problems should not interfere with the actions being taken to solve the MK related problems - both sets of actions should be compatible and synergistic.

It's okay to sniff the hand that feeds you...but let's just not just bite it off as a matter of course.

Okay, beat me up now.

Wow. Just Wow.

I was reading a number of past posts when it was first announced that GRACE was going to conduct the investigations into the abuse in Senegal. It was interesting to see how many people were convinced that Grace would do a poor job. They thought that Grace should at some level reveal more than they were willing to share with the general public. Now look at how people view Grace. Everyone wants Grace to conduct the investigations into the abuse on their field. They are convinced that no other party will do as thorough a job as Grace did. What does this mean?

It would indicate to me that people, mks and disgruntled missionaries, needed to have proof that the mission would actually do something different than they have done for decades, cover up the truth. They, NTO, made a serious mistake. They actually set a very high standard for future investigations into abuse. Now people are worried that things are going backwards. There is good cause to worry.

Grace is an organization which employees a tried and true staff who have worked together on numerous cases over an extended period of time. That is not the case with the new staff. This new staff will need a fair amount of time to meld the way Grace already has. The new group has no track record of success as a group. They are using NTO facilities which Grace did not do. This should create doubt about the confidentiality of the interviews and documentation for the next investigation. Is there a reason the mks from Brazil, the Philippines, and elsewhere should not expect the same high standards that were set by Grace?

It maybe that the work done by this new group will be of a similar quality as the work done by Grace, but there is nothing at this point to indicate that outcome. So people have fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It is quite natural and, dare I say it, healthy especially if you come from Missouri. In a case like this victims of all forms of abuse need to be shown before they trust. I personally would be concerned with a survivor who gives their trust before they have some proof that they are safe with this new team.

Now let me get a little pissy. I wonder what would happen if the disgruntled missionaries walked away from the table and left the mks on their own? All people who are angry and have never been sexually abused leave the room now. What do you think would be the consequences of that action? I'll be back after there are some responses to that question. If no one takes it up, I'll just leave it stand as if I am simply a pissy and disgruntled voyeur.

Thai MK your point is a valid one. People who are active on the forums take action which they would want others to take on their behalf. If those actions are not meeting the needs of the survivors then they need to take a leadership role and tell us what they want us to do to best support them. Without such leadership, we do what we would do for ourselves or our families.