MK forum

Bemused, I can vouch for the fact that these kinds of abuse issues were kept to a very limited and closed circle. Tambo staff would be told that an action was taken, but not why, and specifically told not to ask about, talk about it, or try to find out.

For example, the above was told to staff when Rich Hines was dismissed. No explanation. It gradually became known to some through the grapevine. Several staff members found out only because their children heard about it from children of field committee members.

The leadership circle was unhealthy and did not put the safety of the children first. There were a number of amazing and wonderful staff members who had lifelong positive impact on my life and many other students' lives who were kept out of that loop and uninformed.

In the Vianopolis section, on Dec. 12, Ironman wrote, "The culture of spiritual abuse was the father of all other abuses."

This culture is what you are describing, Bruised and Broken. The cultish atmosphere that was cultivated from the moment I stepped through the doors of New Tribes Bible School makes your explanation of life at Tambo believable to me. In order to advance to the next level, and the next level, so that one could proceed to the sacred rank of full NTM membership, you truly had to accept and swallow "the control and manipulation that leadership held over those of us who were independent thinkers".

Bemused, I also understand that it is hard for MKs to accept the explanation of the majority of NTM adults, that they were not aware of the abuse of children that was going on on their field, maybe on their own school base, or -- God help us -- possibly even in their own home. But I was one of those adults, who now, years later, is grappling with my own feelings of guilt and failure, and my shame at having allowed myself to be so controlled and manipulated.

I am also one of those MKs, who spent my entire childhood in the mission. Children being raised in an unhealthy environment accept things they should probably be questioning, even rebelling against, but this is how children survive. I remember sensing things, seeing things, that were not right, and I didn't know till I was an adult that my own parents did not pick up on some of the signs I saw, which should have disqualified some of their fellow missionaries. Those men continued to "serve", undetected and unpunished. They got away with their evil deeds, and the control and manipulation was allowed to continue.

The dynamics of all of this is just staggering to me now. Something was very, very wrong.

I sit outside the fortress walls, in my sackcloth and ashes, weeping and praying.[/quote]

Thank you for your words of wisdom, I do appreciate being able to compare notes. Your experience in this matter is more vast than mine.
I know in the PNG field, the one perpetrator under current discussion (Jim Given), was known because I told my father what he was up to. He didn't even bother making it a secret, bragging about his exploits with young girls. Now if I knew, others must have also heard his nonsense including his family as they were there when these exploits were bragged about.
Of course I wasn't in other countries, so I can only work on my personal experience and it is beginning to look like Jim Given was operating under different M.O. than most perverts, he actually told people what he was up to! Which makes it even more unpalatable.
The only way to get to the bottom of who knew what is to ask each individual involved. New Zealand has jailed one of its (and probably only) sex offender and there is a possibility some of this offending was going on in our house, so I have a close connection (and I felt sick when I found out, which given what I have seen in my career is saying something). If NTM ever has the courage to ask each and every dorm parent, teacher and adult what they knew and what they did about it, I will applaude the move. And the first one they can start with is my father, maybe just maybe he won't lie to NTM leadership, like he has a habit of doing to his own family!
Yes, my own father! A man who grew up in the school of hard knocks, made something of himself despite of it. Then joined NTM and was soon singing the same tune as all his contempories and manipulating innocent minds to satisfy his own goals and believe me is still doing it. But he can't use the excuse he didn't know about the abuse, because he did/does, but still denies it and until he comes clean about it, I am ashamed to be known as his son. So if you have room for one more outside the fortress, I'll wander by sometime, we can shed a tear together and then I've got some nice party clothes which I'm happy to share and can I humbly suggest that we try them on and see if we can make the best of the journey left for us.

Oh, I am so looking forward to that party, Bemused!

I just hope I'm not too old to dance, when that time finally arrives!!

Stick with me, I'm a bit old and decrepit myself, so we can just shake our zimmerframes together.
One day though, there will be a party, just my palace or yours?

So reading between the lines. The field committee moved to make sure their own kids were safe, but didn't think the safety of others was important? And my speculation that the news leaked because gossip is juicy and fun, was probably right?
This is starting to smell more like Nazi Germany than a christian missionary organisation. The similarities are chilling, I don't think I need to spell them out.

I do feel like the overall pattern of leadership was not healthy. There was a little bit too much of a few having all authority and an attitude of questioning that authority or decisions by that authority being treated as rebellious, trouble making, or being out of God's will.

I think that pattern was strengthened in that many of the missionaries' only training was NTM Bible's school and boot camp, which reinforced it. The fact that my dad had decades of experience as a pastor, and a decade of further education in Bible school and seminary other than NTM was actually treated as a liability and a negative - we were told on a few occasions that that was a weakness, etc. As though it was dangerous to have had other voices outside of NTM training to prepare for ministry. I tend to have an opposite view now; if an organization is only staffed and led by individuals only trained by that organization, that's a severe weakness. It allows damaging ideas to continue and be treated as okay through tradition rather than the healthy influx of new ideas, better practices, etc.