CAM Molestation Issue

[Josh]

So instead of criticizing every mistake they make and making sure everyone knows all about their mistakes, let's pray for them, and thank the Lord we are not in their shoes. Who of us haven't make mistakes and wrong moves in hard situations?

1. I haven’t “made mistakes” involving diverting funds for years to cover up a child molester. I suspect nobody else here has either.

2. Transparency is part of Christian living. I’ve always confessed my faults one to another and am not afraid for people to know them. I believe an organisation like CAM, and its board members, would also benefit from such transparency.

Could you provide proof that every last board member, every last person in the upper echelon of CAM knew about the abuse and all that transpired around that. Yes there were people on the field that knew, but did everyone on the top level of the organization know?

Of course not, and that’s a ridiculous standard to apply to me.

However, I’m not the one on trial here; CAM and its board will be. Being unaware your organisation is being used for extremely illegal purposes is a big problem. Ignorance is not an excuse.

I work in a compliance focused field. Businesses (including nonprofits) spend millions of dollars on my employers’ software, and my own services, in order to be more sure they are compliant with various security requirements. The risk of noncompliance could be financial losses (PCI) or even death (NERC CIP).

Such accountability is needed for this area too.

[mike]

The fact that they used lawyers to help make the statement is not shocking to me. In fact it was quite obvious and I really do not have a problem with it. What alarms me far more is that at least two men at the head of their organisation are still acting as spokesmen for the organisation before they themselves have given a statement that they were totally unaware of Jeriah's failings before he was sent to Haiti the first time. the second time or any other time.

Right now it is the board's duty to do at least two things before anymore steps are taken IMO.

Each of the board members must make a statement declaring that they were totally unaware of any of this. If they cannot do so they should step down immediately. At that point the ones remaining should meet with each of the executive staff and ask the same question of them. They must then determine that if any of them knew anything and would of had the power to either overrule or even question to authority and did not do so they must be asked to resign.

At that point I think they would then have the authority to take the next steps and I believe the majority of the public could be convinced that the really want to do the right thing for everyone including the organisation.

As I see it if they really cared about the organisation and all involved that is what must happen.

I agree completely with everything you're saying. I believe great damage has been done by the fact that there was no statement from CAM about this issue until the story was published by Trudy Metzger.

The Harold Herr recording tells us that some person or maybe several persons at CAM knew 7 or so years ago, but that is all it tells us. There is a great cloud of unknowns hanging over CAM at this point, and that may be reasonable for legal purposes, but it is severely damaging for reasons that may be more important than whether it gets CAM or individuals at CAM into legal trouble. What you say here would possibly be a good way to dissipate that cloud.

I do not believe all the motives of those demanding more information from CAM are commendable, and I will say again that none of us who are talking about it online are in a position to know everything that has happened, or to demand anything. However we are donors and volunteers and prayer supporters. I believe it is important for the decision-makers at CAM and other organizations to understand the far-reaching effects of the situation, and these public discussions are a way to help them do that. I am pretty sure they are listening. They are in my prayers.

[appleman2006]

I do not believe all the motives of those demanding more information from CAM are commendable, and I will say again that none of us who are talking about it online are in a position to know everything that has happened, or to demand anything. However we are donors and volunteers and prayer supporters. I believe it is important for the decision-makers at CAM and other organizations to understand the far-reaching effects of the situation, and these public discussions are a way to help them do that. I am pretty sure they are listening. They are in my prayers.

I agree Mike with this very much. And I want to make it clear that I in no way want to see CAM destroyed. I care about their work even though I have never had any direct involvement with the organisation.

My voicing my concern in this way is simply in the hopes that someone in a position to do the correct thing sees this and is given the courage needed to act. In the mean time I too commit to prayer for all concerned.

[joshuabgood]

The fact that they used lawyers to help make the statement is not shocking to me. In fact it was quite obvious and I really do not have a problem with it. What alarms me far more is that at least two men at the head of their organisation are still acting as spokesmen for the organisation before they themselves have given a statement that they were totally unaware of Jeriah's failings before he was sent to Haiti the first time. the second time or any other time.

Right now it is the board's duty to do at least two things before anymore steps are taken IMO.

Each of the board members must make a statement declaring that they were totally unaware of any of this. If they cannot do so they should step down immediately. At that point the ones remaining should meet with each of the executive staff and ask the same question of them. They must then determine that if any of them knew anything and would of had the power to either overrule or even question to authority and did not do so they must be asked to resign.

At that point I think they would then have the authority to take the next steps and I believe the majority of the public could be convinced that the really want to do the right thing for everyone including the organisation.

As I see it if they really cared about the organisation and all involved that is what must happen.

Absolutely on target. Anybody who knew should by themselves resign (or be dismissed). And probably the direct supervisors of people who knew.

[temporal1]

The fact that they used lawyers to help make the statement is not shocking to me. In fact it was quite obvious and I really do not have a problem with it.

.. What alarms me far more is that at least two men at the head of their organisation are still acting as spokesmen for the organisation before they themselves have given a statement that they were totally unaware of Jeriah's failings before he was sent to Haiti the first time. the second time or any other time.

Right now it is the board's duty to do at least two things before anymore steps are taken IMO.

.. Each of the board members must make a statement declaring that they were totally unaware of any of this. If they cannot do so they should step down immediately.

.. At that point the ones remaining should meet with each of the executive staff and ask the same question of them.

.. They must then determine that if any of them knew anything and would of had the power to either overrule or even question to authority and did not do so they must be asked to resign.

At that point I think they would then have the authority to take the next steps and I believe the majority of the public could be convinced that the really want to do the right thing for everyone including the organisation.

As I see it if they really cared about the organisation and all involved that is what must happen.

i imagine this would be frightening to all involved, board members, and community.
it would almost first require new, vetted leadership to pull it off. (i’m asking, trying to imagine.)

is it possible any did not know on some level? (again, trying to imagine.)

in the world, instead of the former, “the buck stops here,” style of responsible leadership, many leaders now have the philosophy, “do not tell me” (i do not want the liability). then, when big problems blow up, the leaders are protected, they allow board members to “take the fall,” then they carry on from there.

i don’t like this, at all, it makes me think of gangsters and godfathers, but, i see this going on.

i first noticed it when our local big state university president (was eventually fired). in the process he tried to blame board members, at last, when he failed, he actually composed a letter to his colleagues, other college presidents, advising them, as top leaders, to “know nothing,” to protect themselves, their careers.

it was eye-popping at the time, but, since, i see it all through government, esp during obama’s years, he was so protected. i can’t help but make that Chicago gangster mentality connection (to all of it).

i’m not suggesting a similarity here.
i am wondering-out-loud, what is the path that leads to that very bad result? - when top leaders care most about themselves rather than the greater good.

CAM has legal counsel. i wonder what their legal counsel would advise regarding your vision?
esp., would this set them all up for liability?

imho, fear of potential litigation is ‘way overly controlling in our times. it seriously interferes with basic human morality, certainly authentic Christian response.

[joshuabgood]

Righteous CAM donors must boycott donations to CAM until they remove from power all who knew in 2012 that Jeriah committed sexual abuse and yet allowed him to go back to the mission field under CAM. It is up to CAM to separate the culpable from the innocent within their own organization: purge those responsible for having enabled 7 more years of Jeriah's abuse through their failure to hold him accountable and allowing him to be around children as their representative. Witholding donations until CAM repents and does the right thing in this regard is the ONLY way we as donors can hold the perpetrators/enablers at CAM responsible. Continuing to donate before they repent and do the right thing is supporting enablement of abuse.
The choice on whether to "create a new line of victims" lies solely with CAM leadership and whether they do the right thing or not.

A word from our founder, Hans Mast.

[Grace]

Righteous CAM donors must boycott donations to CAM until they remove from power all who knew in 2012 that Jeriah committed sexual abuse and yet allowed him to go back to the mission field under CAM. It is up to CAM to separate the culpable from the innocent within their own organization: purge those responsible for having enabled 7 more years of Jeriah's abuse through their failure to hold him accountable and allowing him to be around children as their representative. Witholding donations until CAM repents and does the right thing in this regard is the ONLY way we as donors can hold the perpetrators/enablers at CAM responsible. Continuing to donate before they repent and do the right thing is supporting enablement of abuse.
The choice on whether to "create a new line of victims" lies solely with CAM leadership and whether they do the right thing or not.

A word from our founder, Hans Mast.

Where is the mercy and grace? The organization probably is reeling at this point, and they need to rework their organization from the top down. And yes there needs to be repentance and removal of those who knew about the abuse. But give them time to sort this all out.

Boycotting a major relief organization will not hurt Hans, it will not hurt us American Christians, but it will hurt the poorest of poor, it will hurt those stuck by natural disasters and are devastated. It will hurt thousands of children, their mothers and fathers who barely have food and clothing. To boycott the relief work CAM does and all the well meaning innocent people who work for them, doesn't seem Christlike.

[MaxPC]

What common denominator do the Catholic Church, Southern Baptists, and Conservative Mennonites all share?

I think the common denominator is power. In any organization with hierarchical power structures you have an environment where abuse can happen -- and then when it's discovered emphasis is put on saving the organization and those in power vs dealing with the abuse that has happened.

I agree with Blackfriar. It is not the gender that creates these cesspools. Rather the sins of ambition, greed, pride, refusal to address the besetting sins because of laziness and fear: these are the reasons the cesspools of abuse form. In my 85 years I have seen abusive situations with women in leadership roles too, mostly in the secular settings but still the same reasons exist for the abuse.

The reason the various fellowships and churches have male leadership is because of various Scripture verses consigning the leadership roles to men. In Catholic World we share that same viewpoint. For decades and even centuries those fellowships/churches functioned well.

Yet it seems the folly and failure of the human condition that any group/fellowship/church undergoes a major crisis/crises approximately every 500 years; a crisis/es that mandates and instigates major reforms that rectify and clean the house of the group/fellowship/church. Two years ago was the 500th anniversary for the Reformation so the crises are right on time so to speak.
Sad, but the pattern seems to be there. Constant vigilance instead of laziness; humility instead of pride; accountability and servitude instead of nonrepentance and ambition: these are the building blocks of renewal and reform.

[gracefortoday]

Does anyone know what the other missions who were represented at the meeting (notes that Trudy posted) are thinking?

[joshuabgood]

Righteous CAM donors must boycott donations to CAM until they remove from power all who knew in 2012 that Jeriah committed sexual abuse and yet allowed him to go back to the mission field under CAM. It is up to CAM to separate the culpable from the innocent within their own organization: purge those responsible for having enabled 7 more years of Jeriah's abuse through their failure to hold him accountable and allowing him to be around children as their representative. Witholding donations until CAM repents and does the right thing in this regard is the ONLY way we as donors can hold the perpetrators/enablers at CAM responsible. Continuing to donate before they repent and do the right thing is supporting enablement of abuse.
The choice on whether to "create a new line of victims" lies solely with CAM leadership and whether they do the right thing or not.

A word from our founder, Hans Mast.

Where is the mercy and grace? The organization probably is reeling at this point, and they need to rework their organization from the top down. And yes there needs to be repentance and removal of those who knew about the abuse. But give them time to sort this all out.

Boycotting a major relief organization will not hurt Hans, it will not hurt us American Christians, but it will hurt the poorest of poor, it will hurt those stuck by natural disasters and are devastated. It will hurt thousands of children, their mothers and fathers who barely have food and clothing. To boycott the relief work CAM does and all the well meaning innocent people who work for them, doesn't seem Christlike.

There now also needs to be repenting for releasing a document that mischaracterizes what actually happened.