Youth pastor, Christian camp director accused of inappropriately touching teen girls. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In October 2020, they hired MinistrySafe founder Kimberlee Norris, who completed her investigation in December 2020. and we are celebrating 10 years of building community through these great events. The smart way to start your day. Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. Getzville in New York, from 1991 to 2000 before becoming director of Circle C Ranch. Read the original investigation: These women say a Western NY pastor, Christian camp president abused them as teenagers, Aarum sues The Chapel: Pastor accused of abusing teens sues Buffalo megachurch The Chapel for $2.5M. But the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team heard from multiple women who said they were not included in the MinistrySafe investigation, which examined claims stretching as far back as the 1990s, and who said their allegations stem from a time at Circle C Ranch between 2000 and 2016. God knew that Wes would need a man that would be a confidant, a prayer partner, on who could give wise counsel and one who had the same soul-winning burden and vision for the camp that he had. He also currently serves as pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of Arcade, New York. Carnahan had attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter, she said. Aarum is seeking $3.1 million in damages. One of America's most exciting Christian Camps. Judge Rules That Michigan Public University Violated the Rights of Christian Student Group, Citygate Network Seeks Greater Diversity in National Rescue Mission Leadership. This Summer we are looking to hire Staff to help facilitate our Summer Camp, Day Camp, and Family Camp programs! A Christian minister with ties to a Getzville megachurch and a popular Cattaraugus County youth camp stands accused of sexual misconduct with teen girls -- even though he denies the allegations. I can honestly say no.. I dont want any more children to be affected. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 1.) She said she reported her complaints to Camardoafter Aarums denials were posted online at the camp website. "Circle C Ranch would ultimately determine the initial allegations were false through its own internal investigation. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . Click here to read the full statement from The Chapel. Tight hugging. Reporters also tried to contactRonald Snell,a longtime friend of Wes Aarum Sr. andCircle C board member for a short period, whowas also present at the meeting. When the camp went to pay Bob back he made it a gift to the ministry. Aarums denials prompted Elle Campbell to post on Twitter that she was one of the 21+ victims and 27+ corroborators who were interviewed for Norris report. It matters in cities. The camps parent corporation, Living Waters Ministries, said in response: At the outset, a flat statement: Wayne Aarum, the Operations Director of the Circle C Ranch, never engaged in any of the conduct described in Ms. Norriss report.. Now God would go to work and make this camp a reality. The owner of this property was George Peterson who was a board member of the Bible Conference Wes directed. And this started 20 years ago, said Fancher. In investigative journalism, it's vital reporters show their efforts to confirm facts and to reach people. Victims come forward in Circle C sexual-misconduct case. The Chapel has thousands of members on its rolls and helped launched several other congregations in Western New York. Sticht said she brought the complaints to Wes Aarum, the brother of Wayne Aarum who was also involved in ministry at the camp. This was maybe 12 or so years ago. I pledge to you this:TheD&Cteam will do its best to serve Greater Rochester and each of our readers every single day. Yet the information reporters learn has to be vetted as well as it can be, too. At least 21 women have come forward to lawyers hired by The Chapel at Crosspoint to probe allegations of inappropriate touching and contact with girls by Wayne Aarum, a former employee of The Chapel who worked there in the 1990s. At one point in the meeting, Randy Fancher, a former trustee of the Circle C Ranch, said the camps board hired an attorney more than a year ago to investigate an allegation against Wayne Aarum. As Ross Barker said, without Marge we would have never made it. How true! Speaking the truth to a difficult situation can be met with hostility, fear, and a wide variety of other responses., The boards own investigative report also suggested that the unidentified women cited in Norris report may have misinterpreted Aarums gestures of good will because of a common type of trauma in their past that makes them ultra-sensitive to certain kinds of verbal Bible teaching or certain physical actions such as hugs that are entirely appropriate and not at all offensive to other women in the same circumstances.. After article publication, the law firm has been inundated with calls and emails from additional fact witnesses and victims. It finally became a reality when in 1968 he found the property where God wanted him to start that camp. Chelsea Carnahan told The News that Aarum stroked her back, hair and legs during one-on-one counseling sessions when she was a Pioneer High School student from 2006 to 2010. Some of the allegations date back to the 1990s, when Aarum ran a ministry program for high school students at The Chapel. WHAT TO BRING: WHAT NOT TO BRING: Weve asked for any information they can give ustheyve given us nothing, Aarum said. ", "I'm not sure who's saying it and what they're referring to," he said. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. https://terrace-healthcare.com/news/generic-cialis.html. For many years, The Chapel, a popular nondenominational megachurch with several offshoot congregations, encouraged families to send their children to Circle C Ranch. She also attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Carnahan described Aarums actions as grooming and sexual predation. She also accused Aarum of inflicting what she termed religious trauma on her. Few of the women who came forward during the investigation knew other; the behavior complained of spanned DECADES. The suit is seeking more than $2.5 million in damages for "harm to reputation, mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional injury," as well as an additional $625,000 in financial damages, according to court filings. Some things have changed but these three things will never change! ContactSarahat STADDEO@Gannett.com or (585) 258-2774. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) Three days after sexual misconduct allegations were raised about a Cattaraugus County youth camp director -- allegations the camp director denied -- additional women. Its common for women as they get along in lifeto see how their lives are not going well and when they sit down, like with a social workerand they start hearing stuff from a social worker that says to them, Well, have you ever had something in your life where maybe this is set off, the condition that youre in now?. Aarums lawsuit was filed by Amherst attorneys Steven K. Long and Olivia T. Paulo-Lee on Wednesday, the same day the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle published a detailed account quoting several other women who alleged inappropriate contact. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. 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Circle C Ranch, the Christian children's camp in western New York facingallegations that its director has inappropriately touched teenage girls, announced drastic changes to its summer plans this week. While holding a crusade in Erie, PA Wes met a man named George Mckinley who asked him who was doing the plumbing for the camp? I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. Shortly after her graduation they were married. I don't know, but one thing I am sure of is that Taddeo and Silvarole will be ready to write about it. OPTION 1: Bring your Youth Group. He met Margaret Stevenson who had been born on a farm in Pennsylvania (which would prepare her for life at the Ranch). Editor's note: There are descriptions of alleged sexual abuse and opinions about survivors of alleged abuse that may be triggering to abuse survivors. After hearing a report of abuse by a former staffer at the Circle C Ranch, The Chapel hired Ministry Safe to conduct an investigation. If I have offended you, I will apologize, he said during a church service in April. Two other days, July 3 and 31, are designated as "Family Fun Days," according to the website. There is absolutely no credibility to any of these things, Dekalb said. The leadership of New York Christian camp Circle C Ranch defended operations director Wayne Aarum against claims that he engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with multiple girls beginning decades ago, saying an internal investigation showed there was "no substantial credible evidence" of misconduct. I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. Aarum, in recent sermons, has compared the accusations to Jesus being crucified by people he helped, as reported by The Roys Report. Delaware North scores with billboard with Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka, well, you know Pastor accused of touching girls sues Amherst church over allegations, Watch now: Youth pastor, Christian camp director accused of inappropriately touching teen girls, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary, Citizens travel to Peru's capitol Lima to protest against Boluarte, Senators react to the end of emergency SNAP benefits, Russia accuses U.S. of intent to use chemical weapons in Ukraine. The USA TODAY Network New York found that concerns about Aarum's behavior with girls were reported to leadership at both The Chapel and Circle C Ranch, and also to Aarum himself, at least 20 times since 1997, according to excerpts from the employee personnel file and interviews with youth group members at The Chapel, Circle C staff and pastors in the Western New York area. The details, the word choices and the extra effort to confirm facts and reach difficult-to-reach people all matter greatly. ONE WEEK OF SUMMER CAMP Circle C Ranch 2023 Rate $345 WEEK 1: July 10th-15th (Monday - Saturday) WEEK 2: July 17th-22nd (Monday - Saturday) All meals included All lodging included All activities included REGISTER HERE FOR THE BEST WEEK EVER! Thursday, April 8, 2021. A youth pastor and Christian camp director who was accused of inappropriately touching 21 girls is suing the Amherst megachurch that hired a lawyer to investigate the allegations. The Chapel also hired MinistrySafe, an independent legal firm that looks into abuse allegations in Christian settings, to investigate allegations that abuse occurred at The Chapel in the 1990s. The camp was going to be a western town called Circle 'C' Ranch (Circle 'C' standing for Christ centered) and it would be legally owned by the . They have been a team that Gdo brought together. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. If you are not a subscriber, or if you want a friend or loved one to enjoy the D&C like you do, please share this link with them featuring special subscription offers:https://bit.ly/3zlqulC. Another woman wrote that the hugs were so bad that he proceeded to rub my back and hug me for an uncomfortably long time, and did not let go when I tried to pull away.. The board which consists of Wayne Aarum, his brother, Wes, and Daryl Dekalb posted a 34-page report on the camp's website, along with a response to Norris report and various statements objecting to the Chapels actions. For an overview of the site and a few ideas as to how it can help save you time and get you connected with your community, click About Our Website. If you are an abuse survivor, or you would like to share your experiences about the events described above, please send an email to Charlie.Specht@wkbw.com or Hannah.Buehler@wkbw.com. Powered by Kenny & Elle Campbell and friends of victims of abuse. Last week, Aarum filed a civil lawsuit against The Chapel alleging defamatory statements. Through all this, Aarum remains as the Circle C camp president today. "Wayne has ministered to thousands and thousands of kids over the years, and we never heard anything from anybody.". This website was created for residents in order to provide you with more convenience and opportunities to share ideas and information; get news and announcements; access an online resource center for important Aarum and his supporters have maintained that he is unable to properly address claims being brought against him because he doesnt know who has made them. Aarum also said in a video posted to the Circle C Ranch website this summer that he never received complaints at the time the alleged abuse occurred about his behavior in either positions he's held at The Chapel or at Circle C Ranch. Its common for women as they get along in lifeto see how their lives are not going well and when they sit down, like with a social workerand they start hearing stuff from a social worker that says to them, Well, have you ever had something in your life where maybe this is set off, the condition that youre in now? I mean, none of these women had any complaints at all until they were contacted by this group and suggestions were made to them.. The allegations also were referred to the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating, according to Sgt. It is a credit to Taddeo's and Silvarole's reporting that they did everything humanly possible to find out more about what has occurred over the years at Circle C. Ranch. To honor, Glorify and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. We have TWO options for bringing campers to Snow Camp. It takes courage to stand up to The Chapels leadership and demand that they stop spending large amounts of the members money pursuing a broad attack on Wayne Aarum that they believe is factually unsupportable, the statement said. Snells lawsuit alleges that Circle C Ranch failed to investigate claims against Aarum in a timely fashion and report findings about his conduct, and failed to terminate him in light of his inappropriate and predatory actions and behaviors with minors, according to the paperwork. Dekalb appeared to place blame on the women who have come forward, even though leaders at The Chapel have described them as credible and courageous. Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Sex Abuse Survivors Call for System-Wide Audit of Southern Baptist Convention, Church Hires GRACE to Investigate Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Musician Chris Rice, Facing Trial, Brian Houston Steps Aside as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong, Mercy Corps Rocked by Sexual Abuse Claims Against Founder, Alabama Church Leader Charged with Sexually Abusing Member of Her Youth Group. Two men face multiple charges following a chase and search Saturday night in the Town of Collins, Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia reported Tuesday. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Wes said none its for the Lord. $10- ages 10+ $5- ages under 10 But now that she is an adult, she said she would describe the interactions with girls as intimate and a form of grooming.. The church hired Norris last October to investigate. The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. But in 2020, something changed. This helps build confidence among readers inthe validity of the work. Whether you are a loyal D&C reader or a new one, please know that stories like this are possible because of subscribers like you. I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. The accounts of the women, describing incidents involving Wayne Aarum that took place when they were Circle C Ranch campers, are troubling and concerning. Campbell declined to comment further when contacted by The News. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. According to a report released by Ministry Safe. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). A USA TODAY Network Investigation found thatAarum, 55,touchedat least 16teenage girls inappropriately, according to their firsthand accounts. That can be the case in the busiest of news years (ahem, 2020) or on the slowest of news days. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Girls, now women, who participated in the investigation said that the behaviors became so normalized that they assumed others, including parents and ministry leaders, knew and approved, Norris wrote in her letter to the state office. Sticht, who said she worked at the summer camp from 2000 to 2003, said she witnessed Aarum hug a girl in a way that his fingers would be touching the underwire of her bra., Id see Wayne touching these girls, exactly the ones we knew he would, at the rock climbing wall, Stitch said. And at its best, local journalism reveals truths that leaders and institutions of importance would much prefer remain hidden. Aarum filed a lawsuit against The Chapel on June 2, 2021, accusing the churchs executive pastor, John Camardo, of defamation, saying statements related to the allegations against him were used to damage his reputation and his ability to do business, according to Aarums filing. In a written statement issued Friday, Circle C Ranch leadership also suggested that "false memories" could have been planted in accusers' minds. It matters in small towns. In a letter to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Norris outlined dozens of alleged incidents connected with the youth group and the camp, including Aarum touching girls intimately, saying intimate things to them, and entering cabins while girls were changing clothes. He was born in Buffalo, NY into a godly family and at 17 years of age accepted Christ into his life. Last week, 7 Eyewitness News reported that at least 21 women have come forward to lawyers hired by The Chapel at Crosspoint to probe allegations of inappropriate touching and contact with girls by Aarum, a former employee of The Chapel who worked there in the 1990s. Now there was a need for the total of $40,000 to get things moving. It's particularly true, though, when enterprising reporters receivea good story tip and stay with it until they get to the heart of an important story that otherwise would never have been told. Wes had been a youth pastor, pastor, evangelist, leader in Youth for Christ and director of a Bible Conference. I dont want anyone else to have to go through what I went through. Report stated 21 women have made allegations. Aarum denies the allegations against him and continues to operate the Circle C Ranch. Wayne Aarum and his wife, Julie, in an interview with WKBW-TV about allegations that Wayne Aarum inappropriately touched girls and young women while a youth minister at The Chapel and at Circle C Ranch, a Christian camp he runs in Delevan. Prior to becoming director of Circle C Ranch, Aarum worked as a youth pastor atBuffalo-area megachurch The Chapel in the 1990s. . DeKalb suggested that the allegations were part of a campaign by Chapel leaders to acquire the youth camp. No, he said when asked whether he ever touched anyone inappropriately. Daryl Dekalb, a Circle C board director, says that Aarum is a True Christian. We all knew starting on Monday -- when the campers arrived -- we all could pick out which of our girls were going to receive the most attention, be the favorite and the ones we would keep an eye on, Heather Sticht, a former employee of the camp, said in an interview with 7 Eyewitness News. 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