MK forum

Les Emory's name is now a byword thanks to whom? No thanks to NTM, but to the Fanda Eagles and the brave victims who refuse to suffer in silence. Does this taint your image of your leadership? Does it taint your image of your leaders to know that some of those timid souls who "believed that the perpetrator ['Mr. Emory,' as they call him] would not face justice in the Philippines…" and so sent him back to the States are still in NTM? Perhaps the Executive Board is waiting to be told what to do about them.

Unbelievable, did you read the poignant post by XYZ over on the "Futile" thread?

Here, I will quote a bit of it for you: "This all just seems so futile. I rarely want to read fandaeagles anymore - what use is all this? Obviously, NTM is not going to budge an inch. ('To hell with all you whiny-pants MK's and your damned depression')."

Does it taint your view of your leadership to see how their foot dragging has affected victims? Or do see them as wise as serpents, if not quite as harmless as doves? Are they astute, or cruel, in refusing to "budge an inch"? Do they want victims to have hope, or despair?

How about your leaders' decision to contest the two (so far) civil suits for negligence, rather than settle? "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him..." Oh, wait, wrong dispensation. My bad.

Seems to me, Unbelievable, it is pretty easy for you to see how a person's image of God could be tainted, while at the very same time, it is pretty near impossible to taint your image of your leaders.

Unbelievable, you say that you wouldn't want cases of abuse to go unpunished. Would it taint your view of NTM leadership to learn that NTM counseled parents against reporting sexual abuse in PNG, since the potential penalties there were so drastic and "disproportionate"?

Does it bother you to know that NTM selectively obeys the laws of the lands in which it works, depending on how "fair" they deem the punishments and how obedience to those laws might affect the work of the mission? I am a firm believer in civil disobedience, as were, I am convinced, the Apostles. But, they disobeyed in the light of day, and were willing to suffer the consequences.

Why didn't you address some of these points when you wrote your letter of consolation and encouragement to "Another MK"? Was it because these are secondary issues, not as important as getting the Gospel out to the ends of the earth? Not as important in eternal terms as learning to trust in God, learning "to start by asking God Himself for help"?

Maybe, if these MKs could just learn to trust God for the help they need, NTM would not have to worry about the past and just focus on never letting this happen again. I wonder if that isn't the very same focus Joel Price now has regarding child pornography....

Joel Price, you remember, was the second NTM employee to be convicted and sentenced to prison. He was preceded in this distinction by George Golde, who is serving a fifty year term for child abuse. NTM investigated allegations against Dr. Golde and found "no cause for concern." I wonder if this taints your image of your leadership?

Ms. Zelenak said that [NTM is] "sorry for the damage that was done by those people that chose to abuse." Is it OK with you that NTM did not say they were sorry for the cover-up and destruction of evidence by those who chose to lie!

Why hasn't NTM apologized for their lie, through their spokesperson, about Joel Price's involvement with children on the field? Or has that point already been made? Let me guess: Ms. Zelenak started - and ended - by asking God himself for help.

Your point is well-taken.
LIKE!
Now what?
Speak up, folks!
We are not disposed to being worn down.
It's too serious.

Unbelievable, how many New Tribes missionaries know that Gene Long sued NTM in Thailand? Yet, how many knew, prior to the Fanda Eagles blog, the name of one single child abuser? Not the names of victims, Unbelievable, the names of perpetrators? You gotta hand it to NTM for their commitment to confidentiality! Failing that, you may find your image of leadership tainted.

I had an interesting conversation with Mum this morning. She mentioned that an NTM couple spoke at her church. They currently serve at NTBI (not sure which one – not important). She asked them about the child abuse issue. She said they were very satisfied at how the Board was handling the issue. The couple told Mum that the Board had forced out the ones that wanted to cover-up the issue and were complacent.

I explained to Mum that, although I was not privy to any details concerning dismissals, resignations or anything else the Board had done, the GRACE report had made recommendations along those lines. What I understood from Mum was that the couple is under the impression that the abusers had been fired years ago for child abuse. I explained that nowhere in the records at Sanford does it indicate that these men (and women) were dismissed for child abuse. It was sanitized.

Is anyone aware of dismissals or resignations related to the child abuse issue and not related to the GRACE recommendations?

It seems as though the sanitizing continues…

In addition, we conversed about the current cases in front of a Florida court. I explained that NTM’s concern for the victims of the “previous regime” would go a lot further if they would call for mediation in the Jane Doe cases instead of motioning for dismissal. Isn’t this known as talking out of both sides of your mouth?

Unbelievable, I hope you will carefully consider the point raised by Threewillows. I hope that at some level, in some way, your view of your leaders in NTM is tainted.

Consider: NTM "says the organization shouldn't be held liable for the acts of an employee." Mind you, considering the multiple cases of child abuse, they should probably have said that "the organization shouldn't be held liable for multiple acts of numerous employees and the cover ups perpetrated by spiritual leaders both in foreign countries and in the US." But, most of us can see what they're getting at.

At the same time, "NTM USA continues to desire to help with needs arising from this abuse."

Why? Why, Unbelievable, would NTM USA desire to help with needs arising from this abuse? It was not their fault, and they should not be held liable. Are they just big hearted?

Let's compare their altruistic response to victims of child abuse, for which they claim they should not be held liable, and their treatment of adult missionaries, "scores" of them, to use NTM's own words, that were spiritually abused while in the employ of NTM, a deplorable state of affairs which NTM cannot shift onto "employees."

Spiritual abuse of adult missionaries was endemic to NTM and was perpetrated and perpetuated by the leaders themselves. They hounded good people out of the mission while retaining bullies. People who had given years of their lives in service for the Lord and to spread the Good News, people who had sold houses and land and businesses or forgone higher education and employment opportunities were told they were not qualified to serve in NTM, and dismissed, asked to resign or otherwise given the boot. NTM admits this. NTM admits that their leaders were at fault.

What have they done to rectify the situation? Well, they said they were sorry. They didn't dismiss any of the upper echelons of leaders, though they eased out some of the old guard in the training program. And, they did nothing to assist even one person who had been dumped without medical coverage, without marketable skills, without property…. Not much altruism at work there, Unbelievable, if you can believe it.

In contrast, for a situation that NTM denies any liability, "New Tribes Mission USA offered counseling and other help to the victims and their families."

Why, Unbelievable, why? Here is why: Because NTM knows that they ARE liable for the abuse and its lingering effects. NTM never does anything for anyone if they can avoid it. They may have a million dollars that they can put in a MK Abuse Fund, but if a New Testament in a tribal language needs to be printed, the missionary team can get on their knees and ask God; NTM is not in the business of answering prayers.

NTM has, by its own actions with respect to victims of child sexual abuse, already admitted that they accept liability for the abuse. Yet, with their words they deny it.

Threewilows asked, "Isn’t this known as talking out of both sides of your mouth?" What do you think, Unbelievable?

Well said, Gene.
What NTM leaders do not admit is that NTM adult missionaries are STILL being abused and run out of the org.
Is it because they are the exact men who are doing this?
They go to the MTC and say that all of that was "the old NTM."
Then they go to one field or another and keep on doing it.
We are hearing of cases of this up to the very present.
Who are these leaders accountable to anyway or are they a law unto themselves???
The "new NTM" is just as abusive as the old one.
They have said this is a new day of working closely with the local churches.
But they run over them, too, if necessary.
What do the young, new recruits think about all of this?
They believe what they are told by the nice men up front who leave on the next plane for Zululand and continue to abuse.

Unbelivable, I hope you won't be distracted by what you might with some justification perceive to be the "tone" of my postings on this thread. It could easily sound like I am yelling at you, or that I am angry and vengeful. That would be a mistake and a shame. A mistake, because it is not true. A shame, because it would allow you to ignore everything I say as coming from "the flesh." So, please try to evaluate what I have said (written) as dispassionately as you can.

And, of course, even though I have chosen you as the surrogate through whom to address my remarks, I mean nothing personal by any of it. I do not even know who you are, which is one reason I have been so frank in my remarks. I address you as the quintessential New Tribes missionary. I think that if I knew you, or even knew who you are, I would not feel the same liberty. As it is, we are both protected by your anonymity. In some respects, I regret not using a pseudonym myself. It's probably too late to change to "A different Gene Long, not the fool." I think people would still recognize it as me.

Although you are no doubt NOT alone in the convictions you expressed to "Another MK," you are the only one who took the time to do so. You wrote an eloquent and heartfelt message and I am trying to reply to it in an equally heartfelt, if not as eloquent, a manner.

At the same time, I do not flatter myself to think that anything I say here will change anyone's mind. Not yours, not the good folks from NTBI who are "very satisfied at how the Board is handling the issue" of child abuse and its cover-up. Not anyone who is in NTM or has loved ones or friends in NTM. Without that cloak of anonymity, it is too easy to let our love for people cloud our judgment. I suppose that on some levels, that is good.

Love, we know from God's Word, covers a multitude of sins. So, we are on pretty firm ground when we respond that way. Not, of course, that we are to let love cover every single sin, no matter how heinous and depraved. That would fly in the face of Scripture, to say nothing of common decency. So, when our love for the Lord, for tribal people, for our fellow missionaries or for our own flesh and blood cloud our judgment, it is appropriate that someone point out to us what the real issues are. That's what I'm trying to do.