In the Name of “Mission Work” book about CAM/Mast

[Ernie]

How much do you think would have changed and with what level of urgency if the JM episode had stayed secret and unknown to most people inside and outside of CAM?

This is a question I have wondered as well. Some changes were already happening before the JM episode became public, so I think some changes would have been made, but I'm not sure to what extent and at what pace.

[Biodegradableglitter]

[quote=

And why should Amish / Beachys conform to the rest of society? The rest of society’s track record is much worse in these areas.

It’s also laughable to claim the rest of society actually adheres to written policies and practices. Most the rest of society pays lip service to written policies whilst flagrantly violating them. A case in point is rolling stop signs and speeding.
[/quote]

Hi, I’m new here, and while I visit this page from time to time, I joined out of interest in this particular subject.

I agree that pointing to Amish/Beachy culture as a cause for the breakdown in this case fails to recognize the tribal aspect of human nature. We as Anabaptists are human, and it is human to protect the institutions that we cherish as part of our identity…they give us meaning and value as a people group. It’s hard to be self aware enough to hold ourselves and our institutions accountable. Much, much more instinctive to compare (“We’re not as bad as other groups,”) or deflect, (“It’s mostly due to Amish influence,”) or deny, (“The victim has an ax to grind, or isn’t appreciative of all the good we did, or is being influenced by others with an ax to grind.”)

Accountability and self awareness mean that we see these human tendencies in ourselves and deliberately “repent,” to put it into biblical terms. That means we see failure as an opportunity to change. I hope this case, and this book, can serve as a catalyst for that kind of repentance. I hope we can decide that an outcome in which the sexual abuse of children in our missions, followed by a response that traumatized those children further, isn’t an acceptable outcome. I hope we can consult with people with expertise in this specific area that we as a culture lack - the area of abuse prevention and the proper response to abuse in our institutions. We can do both: we can deeply love our culture AND seek to improve where it’s needed. I argue that is actually an outflow of loving our people - wanting us to be our best.

[Biodegradableglitter]

Clearly I haven’t figured out the quoting protocols yet.

[Josh]

Accountability and self awareness mean that we see these human tendencies in ourselves and deliberately “repent,” to put it into biblical terms. That means we see failure as an opportunity to change. I hope this case, and this book, can serve as a catalyst for that kind of repentance. I hope we can decide that an outcome in which the sexual abuse of children in our missions, followed by a response that traumatized those children further, isn’t an acceptable outcome. I hope we can consult with people with expertise in this specific area that we as a culture lack - the area of abuse prevention and the proper response to abuse in our institutions. We can do both: we can deeply love our culture AND seek to improve where it’s needed. I argue that is actually an outflow of loving our people - wanting us to be our best.

Written policies and procedures do exactly zero to prevent these problems, and repentance doesn’t mean having written policies and procedures.

The problem here was a very simple one: a homosexual repeat offender who was well known to prey on young boys in Holmes County was not held to proper church discipline nor held to a lifestyle of repentance when he supposedly repented. Written policies and procedures won’t change this.

I view CAM and CAM’s donors as also victims in this situation. This person was a slick, smooth sociopath who found a few enablers, and then used that to take advantage of anything he could - whether donor money, various organisations, or various people in both Ohio and Haiti. That is the root problem here.

Fundamentally, Christianity requires proper, effective church discipline.

[Biodegradableglitter]

Accountability and self awareness mean that we see these human tendencies in ourselves and deliberately “repent,” to put it into biblical terms. That means we see failure as an opportunity to change. I hope this case, and this book, can serve as a catalyst for that kind of repentance. I hope we can decide that an outcome in which the sexual abuse of children in our missions, followed by a response that traumatized those children further, isn’t an acceptable outcome. I hope we can consult with people with expertise in this specific area that we as a culture lack - the area of abuse prevention and the proper response to abuse in our institutions. We can do both: we can deeply love our culture AND seek to improve where it’s needed. I argue that is actually an outflow of loving our people - wanting us to be our best.

Written policies and procedures do exactly zero to prevent these problems, and repentance doesn’t mean having written policies and procedures.

The problem here was a very simple one: a homosexual repeat offender who was well known to prey on young boys in Holmes County was not held to proper church discipline nor held to a lifestyle of repentance when he supposedly repented. Written policies and procedures won’t change this.

I view CAM and CAM’s donors as also victims in this situation. This person was a slick, smooth sociopath who found a few enablers, and then used that to take advantage of anything he could - whether donor money, various organisations, or various people in both Ohio and Haiti. That is the root problem here.

Fundamentally, Christianity requires proper, effective church discipline.

Except we use policies and procedures in every organization in which we participate. I agree more than a written policy is needed - the response of the leaders in this case demonstrates a need for education and accountability as well as a policy. Policy + ongoing training + character in the senior leadership builds a culture in which sociopaths get less mileage within an institution.

[Josh]

Policies and procedures are favourite tools of the sociopath, who learn them well and use them to evade accountability.

Likewise, “training” will not prevent a problem like this. As I’ve said over and over, this was a basic church discipline problem of ignoring what the Bible teaches about false teachers and the sexually immoral. No special “training” needed.

Lots of big organisations (like Hollywood movie studios) have lots of training, policies, and procedures, yet have had all these same kinds of problems.

[danfreed]

I’m reading the book In the Name of “Mission Work” by Doeurldy Cadet. He was one of the earlier victims of Jeriah Mast. He later worked for CAM and I think his insights into the organization are really important.

Starting the thread for any discussion on the book and it’s contents.

I have not yet read the book, (this kind of subject is hard for me), but maybe in 2023, I will have the opportunity.

An Amazon reader's review, on Cadet's book, by Richard Schwartz is powerful...

"This makes me hurt

I feel that the author does a credible job of exposing the spiritual abuse in his growing up years in a Haitian church that had a pastor or two who acted authoritative and controlling. It must have been very difficult. Then, when the missionaries are introduced into his life, the one missionary abuses him, and later the author discovers there have been 30+ boys abused by this missionary. That abuse by this "missionary" and the mind-numbing lack of inaction or accountability on the part of the organization (CAM) is tragic. It mostly invoked anger in me at first, but then a just deep sadness and almost a feeling of helplessness. Even Haitian pastors who must have known about this and did nothing about it until a lawsuit was brought need to search their hearts.

As an Anabaptist myself, as I read this book I resonate with Daniel 9, where Daniel says "Lord, WE have sinned. We do not pray because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Please, hear and act. Please forgive." I visited Haiti years ago, but never lived there. So on one hand I could say that I wash my hands of this matter. But I have good Haitian friends, brothers and sisters in the church. I can't "wash my hands." And then I need to ask God to search my heart. How is my heart towards people who are different than me? What about my sense of superiority that I sometimes detect inside my heart? Am I able to come towards God and say "Thank you for saving me, someone who is no better than the drunk man who vomits on my street. You have granted mercy when I do not deserve mercy." Our service and our care for others must be motivated by a deep sense of humble gratefulness to the God of the Universe for saving us and for giving us life. May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.

I hurt for the victims and I pray that they will be able to receive the grace and love of the Father. May God have mercy on us all."



Amen!

Thank you Pastor Richard, for this review, and your prayer for the victims. (I assume the reviewer is Brother Richard, an inspirational church planter/pastor from NYC).
Thank you Prophet Daniel, for leading us in this prayer of repentance (Daniel 9 in the Bible).
Thank you, Brother Doeurldy Cadet for speaking out, and Andrew Weaver, for editing the story.

Thank you Heavenly Father God, for for coming to dwell with us by sending your Son, Jesus, into this sin-cursed world; Jesus, the virgin-born God-Man, Savior, who understands, and is full of grace and truth for all of us. Grace that saves, and truth that sets us free. (John 1:1-14 in the Bible)

[temporal1]

flyingnorm quote above:
In this case, the Amish / Beachy style that is built around being a part of “our people” rather than being built around the concept of adherence to written mission, values, policies and practices like much of the rest of society.

And why should Amish / Beachys conform to the rest of society? The rest of society’s track record is much worse in these areas.

It’s also laughable to claim the rest of society actually adheres to written policies and practices.
Most the rest of society pays lip service to written policies whilst flagrantly violating them.
A case in point is rolling stop signs and speeding.

SIN is a “great equalizer” - not caring where it lands. SIN is not of God.
Whether it lands in Amish or Mennonite communities, BSA/GSA Scouts of America, public schools, high government, Catholic or Protestant churches, SIN is the common denominator. SIN seduces egos.

It’s crazy how routine, even predictable, SIN works, then, the response to it (often, leads to multiplication of sins)!

THE SNAKE IN THE GARDEN


Somehow, i imagine THE SNAKE wants intense myopia.
He’s been successful all this time. Cunning, using and reusing the same tactics no matter where he goes.

[Joy]

Obviously this whole type of mess is not an Anabaptist problem--it's a problem of God's people all over, that needs to be repented of and rooted out. It brings shame to the name of the Lord Jesus whom we claim love and serve.

I think the book does a pretty proficient job of making this point.

[Biodegradableglitter]

Policies and procedures are favourite tools of the sociopath, who learn them well and use them to evade accountability.

Likewise, “training” will not prevent a problem like this. As I’ve said over and over, this was a basic church discipline problem of ignoring what the Bible teaches about false teachers and the sexually immoral. No special “training” needed.

Lots of big organisations (like Hollywood movie studios) have lots of training, policies, and procedures, yet have had all these same kinds of problems.

Yes, policies break down in the absence of accountability and/or character within leadership.

CAM is a parachurch organization. They do not have a church discipline prerogative. They are responsible for what happens within their organization. Even within a church, discipline is a policy.

As a leader in an organization myself (not a church), I am responsible and accountable in the following ways:

1. I am responsible for helping to draft the policy.

2. I am responsible for implementing and following the policy myself first.

3. I’m responsible to educate everyone in my care of the policy. I’m responsible for their level of awareness of how the policy affects their job.( or lack of awareness)

4. I’m responsible to follow up by holding those in my care accountable for their abiding by or failing to abide by the policy, and for corrective training/action.

5. I am accountable to those above me in the organization, as well as the patrons, for all of the above.

Based on my knowledge, experience, or character, any of the above can break down. If I completely ditched the policy altogether, things would deteriorate far more rapidly.

CAM already implements a similar strategy in multiple areas of their operations, or they could not function. It would be wise for them to add abuse prevention/response to their existing operations, and perhaps they’ve begun that process. What’s still deficient is accountability/ transparency to their donors.

Great discussion. Feel free to reply. I’ll be tied up the rest of the day.