This e-mail, sent from Ethnos360 to the pastors of supporting churches, is being shared extensively on Facebook.
So in case you missed it, here it is:
February 9, 2019
Dear Pastor,
Though this letter is difficult to write, we value your partnership and want you to know of the journey that we have been on since 2009. You may have received previous letters of this nature from us. However, some of you who partner with us may be new, so we want you to be informed.
On February 7th, 2019, NBC’s Today Show and NBC Nightly News reported on allegations of sexual abuse within our organization in Senegal and the Philippines. These allegations were from the 1980s and early 1990s. It was gut wrenching to see the five women share their experiences. This abuse has been investigated several times. Nevertheless, it is always heartbreaking to hear their stories. We continue to pray for our MKs who experienced abuse.
Here is a bit of background. I was appointed Chairman of the NTM USA Board in 2006. Three years later, two women (adult missionary children from Senegal) came forward sharing their stories of alleged abuse in the 1980s. Their stories had previously been investigated, and action was taken in 1990 and reinvestigated in 1997. However, there were still questions regarding how comprehensive and independent those investigations were. The NTM USA Board then decided to commission GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) to conduct an independent investigation of the school in Senegal, Africa. GRACE conducted interviews with many former MKs from that school. On August 23rd, 2010, GRACE released a report recommending how we should deal with former or present NTM USA personnel. This included those whom GRACE found had either committed abuse or exercised deficient leadership.
GRACE then issued an amended report on September 8, 2010; an evaluation of our Child Protection Manual on November 11, 2010, which they said was very well done; and a final supplemental report on January 4, 2011.
Once the reports were complete, the NTM USA Board:
• implemented disciplinary actions recommended in the GRACE report(s).
• opened up a mediation process with the former MKs at the Senegal school.
• contracted a Christian organizational leadership professor to help us assess our
organizational leadership climate, starting in the USA.
• established a communication link accessible to any MKs who wished to ask specific
questions or make contact with Ethnos360.
• established a perpetual fund to assist with MK counseling expenses.
• adjusted our Child Protection Policies and Procedures to reflect GRACE’s
recommendations.
• implemented mandatory, recurring child safety training for all members.
We continue with third-party investigations of other ministry fields. We contracted a highly qualified and respected attorney, Theresa Sidebotham of Telios Law, to oversee these investigations. Information on that progress is at
http://www.ihart.care.
With respect to the NBC story, we feel it’s necessary to communicate some other points that we believe were missed in the news reports. These cases were investigated, and we took action on the abuse in Africa starting in 1990 and in the Philippines in 1993. The men were dismissed and were reported to the authorities multiple times over the years. The news report stated that law enforcement did not find record of our reports. In 2010, I personally, along with another member of our Executive Board, traveled to Williamson, Georgia, to report David Brooks again. We reported him to his pastor and to the sheriff’s department. These men were both reported to abuse hotlines and Homeland Security. In addition, the Philippines case was reported to the FBI.
We want to assure you that we remain determined to walk in integrity. We trust the Lord for wisdom to do what is right. This has been our desire since the first investigations into these situations. We have not taken the posture of defensiveness or self-preservation. We believe the sins of the past should be addressed, and we applaud the bravery of these women to stand up for justice. We too desire to see perpetrators behind bars and have worked to that end. We share in their frustration that prosecution has not happened.
Please join with us as we pray for our MKs. We covet your prayers for our leadership team also. If you have any questions, we welcome you to contact us at
personnel-usa@ntm.org. More information on our current child safety policies is available at
www.ethnos360.org/about/child- safety.
In closing, thank you so much for your ministry and for allowing us to partner with you and your missionaries in taking the Gospel to unreached people groups.
Respectfully,
Larry M Brown
CEO
Ethnos360
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