MK forum

December 15, 2010

NTM has designated two people to serve as communications links between the mission and former students and their families. GRACE and representatives of the former students have accepted them.

does anyone else have more info? who are the communications links? who are the former students/families who have accepted them?

MrsM, here is more information from the NTM website. It appears to me that these communicators are appointed specifically for the Fanda MKs. So I would guess that the MKs and families who approved these appointees have NTM-Senegal background.
I am very pleased to see that GRACE is continuing to be involved with NTM and the Fanda students. I hope to see the process continued to a very positive and healing conclusion.
It also looks to me like the focus is still on Fanda.
I think it will be a long time before NTM is ready to address abuse that has been exposed at other schools around the world.
A very slow process, it looks like.
But incremental movement forward is better than no movement at all, don't you think?


Here's what I copied from the website:

"COMMUNICATIONS LINK FOR FORMER STUDENTS

December 15, 2010


New Tribes Mission is providing a communications channel for former students of NTM’s Fanda school.(emphasis mine)

GRACE’s report on the abuse that took place at the school in Senegal in the 1980s and 1990s recommended, among other things, that NTM establish a communications channel for the former students.

New Tribes Mission identified two people it believes will serve well in this role and submitted them for the approval of GRACE and representatives of the former students. One worked with missionary children in Papua New Guinea for 21 years. The other has more than 25 years of experience with NTM. He currently works in the mission’s training program, where he has numerous opportunities to interact with students who have grown up on the mission field and their peers.

The two people have now been approved. They have been freed from some of their former responsibilities and are committed to help bridge the gap between New Tribes Mission and former students and their families."


As far as who these two people are, I hope to see some communication from NTM with real names of real people.
We've been waiting in the dark for far too long, NTM.
No more secrets.
Turn the light on, so the cockroaches will scatter.
Please.

From what I understand, they will use other qualified organizations as well, as there is too much for Grace alone.

Hi, guys. The two that NTM picked are Tibby Westcott and Andy Kline. I don't know who of the mk's approved them, but it's apparent that someone did.

i was really hoping some of the people chosen were going to be outside of ntm, as well.

what's the big secret with not announcing the names publicly, ntm?? are they not currently taking 'communitcations'? i just don't get this non-disclosure. things are announced in a way that seems they are important to the process, but too often key details are left out.

Questions:

Yes, WHO were the MKs who approved these people? There are MKs in training who are thrilled to be there and to be learning all about the "new" NTM. Are they the ones?

Andy Kline--qualifications:
How many years of field experience does he have? Or is he purely in the theory mode ie: living comfortably in the U.S.?
Has he personally wrestled thru sending his kids to a boarding situation?
Does he have daughters?
Are his children grown and making reasonable choices as adults?
How many years of experience on U.S. bases or in leadership anywhere? Where is he on the GroupThink continuum?

Andy Kline--qualifications:
How many years of field experience does he have? Or is he purely in the theory mode ie: living comfortably in the U.S.?
Has he personally wrestled thru sending his kids to a boarding situation?
Does he have daughters?
Are his children grown and making reasonable choices as adults?
How many years of experience on U.S. bases or in leadership anywhere? Where is he on the GroupThink continuum?

I can answer some of these. Field experience: I think zero, but to be honest, maybe that isn't a terrible thing. I don't believe he has wrestled with sending his kids away...however, maybe that played in to why he did not go to the field...so in a way, maybe he did wrestle with it. He has a couple daughters. His kids are outstanding, responsible people from what I have seen and heard. He has many years at various leadership posts (which could be good or bad), and to be quite frank, became to "go to" leader in many cases when people had problems with the typical NTM leader mentality. Andy has been an element of change within NTM, but in many cases is just one man against the wind.

Out of all the people I know in NTM, Andy is one for whom I have the most respect. After not hearing from or seeing Andy for over a decade, I recently wrote him a friendly hello message on Facebook just for the heck of it. He wrote me back and asked whether I had heard anything about the Fanda situation (i.e., HE brought it up, not me). I wrote him back and told him that I had and gave him some recommendations in case he had any influence at all on future decisions/policy. He wrote me back, and I was amazed at what he said. I do not have the liberty to repost what he told me in confidence. However, it was quite the opposite of saving NTM or its reputation. When I say quite the opposite, I mean quite the opposite in a very very strong way. That gives me some measure of confidence (or at least hope) that Andy was as good a choice as could be found. His message to me definitely conveyed that he was far more concerned for the victims than he was for NTM. In addition, he welcomed my suggestions and asked if he could share them with the relevant decision makers.

Having said that, whether or not outside persons should have been chosen is another matter.

Andy Kline--qualifications:
How many years of field experience does he have? Or is he purely in the theory mode ie: living comfortably in the U.S.?
Has he personally wrestled thru sending his kids to a boarding situation?
Does he have daughters?
Are his children grown and making reasonable choices as adults?
How many years of experience on U.S. bases or in leadership anywhere? Where is he on the GroupThink continuum?

I can answer some of these. Field experience: I think zero, but to be honest, maybe that isn't a terrible thing. I don't believe he has wrestled with sending his kids away...however, maybe that played in to why he did not go to the field...so in a way, maybe he did wrestle with it. He has a couple daughters. His kids are outstanding, responsible people from what I have seen and heard. He has many years at various leadership posts (which could be good or bad), and to be quite frank, became to "go to" leader in many cases when people had problems with the typical NTM leader mentality. Andy has been an element of change within NTM, but in many cases is just one man against the wind.

Out of all the people I know in NTM, Andy is one for whom I have the most respect. After not hearing from or seeing Andy for over a decade, I recently wrote him a friendly hello message on Facebook just for the heck of it. He wrote me back and asked whether I had heard anything about the Fanda situation (i.e., HE brought it up, not me). I wrote him back and told him that I had and gave him some recommendations in case he had any influence at all on future decisions/policy. He wrote me back, and I was amazed at what he said. I do not have the liberty to repost what he told me in confidence. However, it was quite the opposite of saving NTM or its reputation. When I say quite the opposite, I mean quite the opposite in a very very strong way. That gives me some measure of confidence (or at least hope) that Andy was as good a choice as could be found. His message to me definitely conveyed that he was far more concerned for the victims than he was for NTM. In addition, he welcomed my suggestions and asked if he could share them with the relevant decision makers.

Having said that, whether or not outside persons should have been chosen is another matter.