Thank you for posting this article. I would like to mention that the abuse did not only happen in the 80's, but up until the school closed down in '97.
More than 20 years later, we, the mk's from Fanda, are speaking out against this. You can find many of our stories on our blog at www.fandaeagles.com

This is just heart breaking. I really pray that the Lord will speak to the leadership at NTM and that they will follow through with the recommendations given by GRACE. Thanks for making people aware through this article.

Scott Moreau's comments hopefully were edited into something that sounds a little more jaded than I'd hope his original thoughts and comments were.

The more I think about this issue, the more I think we should be torches and pitchforks about even a hint of this kind of activity. Absolutely ruthless about rooting this out. There cannot be effective ministry while sin this egregious exists within a body. It is, like the sin of David, a compounding sin--the original travesty combined with the integrity-eroding cover-ups.

I mean it's not like there isn't a macro-version of this exact problem going on worldwide as we speak. The Roman Catholic Church may very well not survive the next 100 years in anything like the form we've seen it be in large part due to their self-inflicted wounds in protecting the exact wrong people in the transaction of molestation.

I've been in NTM since I was small and grew up in a boarding school that was loaded with the same abuse and coverups. Altho I was careful, my girls went to Fanda and experienced abuse. Because of two girls from Fanda and the creation of www.fandaeagles.com this story is finally out in the open. They have done a great job and we thank them for it and for your sharing the story. For more information you can go to fandaeagles and ask to speak with Kari or Bonnie

I appreciate your coverage of the abuse story coming out of the New
Tribes Mission school. I attended the Fanda school for many years and
was a victim of abuse there. I would like to point out one error in
your article - New Tribes never actually reported the incidents to the
US authorities as you said in your last paragraph. They called a
hotline, which GRACE notes in footnote 339 of their investigatory
report: "Calls to state hot lines are no substitute for documentable
reporting to the authorities. This is especially true in this case,
as the hotlines were called without disclosing the names of the perps
but simply to inquire if the reports would be taken - which they were
not."

This is an especially important point to those of us who want this
story told - New Tribes Mission did not act legally or responsibly in
light of many, many complaints, and even hid the issue for many years,
to the extent of destroying documents and offering the pedophiles
legal support. All this is clear in the 3rd party report GRACE
released last week.

The fact that some of these abusers are still employed by New Tribes Mission today is not only inexcusable, it is criminal. They are lucky they haven't been sued for millions of dollars yet. Makes me ill!

Excellent point joie: "we were told these weren't prosecutable." If this is verbatim, and I'm capturing the level of enthusiasm properly, I've seen people be more dogged in getting their health costs covered by their insurance or in pursuing a rebate from Best Buy than in reporting a gross criminal offense which would severely hamstring your effectiveness achieving at your stated goal as a Mission.

This was not just in the 80s and because of the coverup, which is documented, it has deeply affected all of us that were in Senegal. As for this being "uncommon" it is more common than you would think, it is just always being hushed and pushed under the rug. Thankfully, because of the Fanda Eagles, victims are being given a voice and they are starting to come forward. The Mks were told that there was really nothing that could be done since it was so long ago, but if you read the GRACE report there is a lot that could have and can be done. Please go to www.fandaeagles.com to read the stories of what really happened. This is not "regressed memories" just now coming out. The memories were always there, we are just now being given the chance to speak out.

While it is, um...generous of NTM to admit that the horrible physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual abuses were "not handled properly" when the many reports were first brought to them, their spokesperson makes no mention of New Tribes Mission's deceptive cover-up that lasted over 20 years, their deliberate destroying of documents to try to avoid the abuse being exposed, and the fact that many of the perpetrators named in the 3rd party report are still employees of New Tribes Mission to this day. This is unacceptable behavior for any organization, religious or otherwise!

@Disgusted, your lack of understanding of abuse, its effect on an individual, and even of the facts themselves in this case is stunning. If you read GRACE's report, you'll see attempts were made by the victims and families to report this to the mission in the 1990s, and again later.

If this organization repeatedly ignores the abuse going on right under its nose, few strategies are left to prevent New Tribes from allowing more kids to be abused in the future. Making the story public is one of them. Silence on the victims' part--on the part of all of us--will only create new victims, while speaking out might actually save lives.

I would choose my words, and my opinions, more carefully if I were you.

Scott Moreau, I wish your statements were accurate. I have been an advocate for survivors of missionary boarding schools for 20 years. I have not heard of one boarding school that has not had a culture of child abuse similar to the Fanda school. You do not hear the stories because survivors of these schools are reluctant to tell their stories. As well, the mission agencies whose policies sent their children to boarding schools refuse to initiate independent investigations of each of their boarding schools, thus inviting the alumni to come forward to speak of their abuses. The investigation of Fanda School happened because we are in the era of the internet. The internet gives new hope for former missionary kids whose lives were decimated by profound abuse at these religious schools - hope that they will have a place to tell their stories; hope that justice will occur for them and healing will happen; hope that mission agencies can no longer hide from the world the culture of abuse that exists within their institutions. From a board member of MK Safety Net, Inc

As horrible as this abuse is, the GRACE report was not only inaccuate on many counts, but they spread slander about innocent people all over the web. They should be sued! Many of the people that were alleged offenders had no idea of any complants against them and were never contacted by GRACE to hear their side of the story. That is not a 'Godly Response' to anything!!! I am so upset for the many hurt by this report. As sorry as I am for the abuse victims, the gross inaccuacy of this report was appalling to someone who knows everyone mentioned and who lived at Fanda during this time. If you all want the truth to be told, do a proper investigation next time and stop twisting the truth to make things look worse then they were. And if you end up with your hands out for money, your motives are loud and clear!

@Where's the TRUTH?

How amusing that you admit that the abuse happened and then accuse GRACE of slander in the same sentence. First of all, they cannot be sued for printing documents that were given to them by New Tribes Mission - perhaps you should want to sue NTM instead for not checking their facts before they gave the documents to the 3rd party investigator they hired? Your comment speaks of a gut-reaction defense of people you know and care about, and I feel for you. It's a terrible situation for so many. However, GRACE can at least back up the things they say in their report with documentation and you cannot. So you are technically slandering GRACE.

Wow, that Scott Moreau seems like a nice chap, doesn't he? A huge splash, but not common. That's his reaction to this story of abuse in a missionary school and such deceit in the extensive burial of the facts for so long? Then again, it's probably in his best interest to stay out of such things, getting people into missions bringing in his paycheck and all.

That said, I am appalled by the horrific nature of this report. There are no words. I find it commendable that no victim has requested money, even though it seems the report left it open for it, with their 'arbitration' recommendations. Most of all, I find it immensely sad that the Christian world still falls so far behind the secular in dealing with abuse within its organizations. What a slap in the face of Jesus.

@ Where's the Truth

I too lived there and I too know the people mentioned and I'm not as shocked as you seem to be. I was saddened at some of the names because I know them as good people. But they did do what they have been accused of doing and just like anyone else they have to face the consequences.

Notice that GRACE didn't recommend action against everyone accused. This is because they weren't able to substantiate all of the accusations. The ones they recommended action against were substantiated.

I am shocked by Wheaton professor Scott Moreau's statement that "it feels to me like roughly once a decade or so ...so it's not common." We have regularly heard from MKs from many denominations/Mission agencies since we started the MK Safety Net website in the late 1990s. As a matter of fact, we heard from MKs from over 40 denominations/agencies who sought our support in dealing with their abuse at the boarding schools.On behalf of the MK Safety net I wrote letters to about 40 Mission agencies and denominations and asked them to provide us with their documents about how they protected their MKs -very few responded and they are posted.Sad you don't know!

To report or not to report:

I heard about this one guy in NTM that was reported to the local authorities for looking down on NTM, disobeying NTM, and not respecting NTM! Supposedly they ignored the guy’s offer to resolve the matter until it went to court. Then suddenly they corrected the matter and gave him a cash settlement! Now if NTM reports people for looking down on them, disobeying them, and not respecting them why wouldn’t they report child abuse????? I’d like to see NTM comment on this. Thank you!!

From Page 66 of 67 on GRACE's official report

"GRACE is also grateful to the current leadership of New Tribes Mission for
seeking an independent assessment of abuse at the Fanda boarding school. GRACE
took this assignment only on the condition that we would be completely
independent, and that our report and recommendations would be issued
simultaneously to the MKs and NTM. In accepting these conditions, NTM has
exposed itself to enormous vulnerability. As difficult as that decision was, the
decisions before NTM are no less difficult, with much more at stake."

NTM approached GRACE to do this investigation. The only way most of you are able to comment on this matter is by way of the NTM itself. Think about it.

My heart aches for our many former co-workers in NTM who have been accused and face the recommendations set forth in the final report by GRACE. But that ache joins the 25 years of complete sorrow we have endured dealing with the guilt of having put our children in the New Tribes Missionary School in Senegal, believing we were following God's will for our lives and for the lives of our children. Throughout the NTM training and over and over again during our eighteen years with the Mission we were told, "Just trust God, the school is the best place for your children. You will be freed up to do your ministry in the Tribe." Has anyone wondered why the Church in Senegal is not growing? Its been some 65 years since they entered the country.

"[GRACE] recommends that the organization terminate membership for those still affiliated with New Tribes."

This statement is not entirely accurate. For many of these people, GRACE only recommends that "active membership" be terminated. Presumably, those so terminated will retain some formal affiliation with NTM, since 10% of the donations made to their ministry will be deducted for the MK Fund. See page 80 of the GRACE report for an example.

Gigi, NTM would nto have not have hired GRACE if it werent for preasure from Fanda MK's.

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Scott Moreau is correct that when the reality of abuse in MK schools and communities has come out in the past, it has made "a huge splash". I hope this time it has initiated a tsunami that won't be contained until the abuse that has occurred in many MK schools and communities has been investigated and the mission culture changes.

MK's from many denominations, mission agencies and schools have reported being abused to MkSafetynet (www.mksafetynet.net). Most of those MK's also want their reports of abuse to be professionally investigated by an organization like GRACE, and to know that their perpetrators will no longer have access to children.

Two gifted, courageous women, Kari and Bonnie, have an understanding of social networking which was key in making the investigation into Fanda and New Tribes Mission a reality. They are showing us how to make this more than just a "huge splash", after which missions continue to treat abuse like sin, rather than crime, as it actually is. Scott Moreau, you will not have to wait for 10 years before the next story breaks.

Beverly Shellrude Thompson
MKSafetyNet

@ haha who "knows two MKs who attend Wheaton right now".
Please ask them to considder telling there story at the http://fandaeagles.com/ website in the forums section, or to contact the creators of the sight at eagles@peregrinebynature.com.

I am glad this report and this news is getting out. My hope is that through the work of the Fanda Eagles many children in Christian organisations around the world will be protected from such atrocities.

New Tribes Mission posted this on their website: "Individuals in our organization abused children. People in leadership at the time were culpable through inadequate screening and training, creating an atmosphere of legalism and autocracy, and not addressing the abuse properly. This means that we as an organization are responsible and have sinned against these students."

I agree that the organization is responsible. NTM was responsible when the abuse occurred, it was responsible when it was covered up and it was responsible when leaders continued to pressure missionaries around the world to put their children in the boarding schools, knowing full well that these were not the safe havens they pretended them to be. NTM was responsible to report criminal behavior to local authorities, something it has never done. There is certainly a lot of responsibility on NTM. However, NTM's statement goes both too far and not far enough...

I would question the competence of any Christian leader who would say that an organization has sinned. Organizations can do a lot: as "juristic entities," organizations can enter into contracts, own real estate, hire people and even commit crimes. But, they cannot sin. Sin, as salvation, is a personal issue. Organizations, by their very nature, cannot pray, cannot repent, cannot get saved, cannot walk with the Lord, cannot be filled with the Spirit and cannot sin. Does the statement on their website really reflect the theology of NTM leadership? Missionaries? What are they teaching tribal people around the world?

I would also question the honesty of omitting to mention, specifically and clearly, that the sins and crimes were covered up. This is no time for euphemisms. Trying to hide a cover up under the general heading of "inadequate training" and "not addressing the abuse properly" is disingenuous and shameful. A moment's reflection would have told any unbiased human being that a dorm mother who forced children to eat their own vomit should have been fired, never mind a dorm father who molested young girls in his care. How much training would that take?

In my previous post, I made a mistake. The MK Safety Net sent questionnaires to about 25 Mission agencies (not 40) asking them to respond to questions about their polices to prevent abuse and deal with justice with those adults who were abused when MKs in boarding schools. About 1/3 of them responded. Scott Moreau's statement that the abuse is "not common" should be changed to state that the investigation of abuse of MKs by a Mission agencies is "not common". At this time I only know of 4 Mission agencies who have had independent investigations. I think every Mission agency that wants the truth needs to have an independent investigation. I wish every person who chooses to have children and also be a missionary could be warned of the probability of their children being abuse if they send them to a Mission boarding school, especially at a young age. I was a missionary parent 55 years ago and "if I had only known" but I didn't. I only know that the pain of my not knowing about Mamou and the abuse of the Alliance will never stop. It is an indelible part of life.

Question have you quoted Scott Moreau correctly did he actually say "it makes a huge splash." Is that the whole of his comments. If so it is no wonder that missions and churches think that abusing children is of little importance. I communicates that this is just being done to get attention. I was abused at Mamou Guinea a Christian and Missionary Alliance school. It takes years before a MK will even tell their story of abuse, none of the MKS I know want it to be splashed in the media but it seems to be the only way to encourage churches and missions to act in a godly manner.

Hopefully Wheaton and other Christian Colleges will begin to train their future leaders about how to react to the sin of child abuse in a legal and Christian way. Do we really have the right way of dealing with sin? Are we more correct than other religions? Our actions seem to say if you cover up your sins God wont notice.

While I attended an MK school in the 90s, there was a small incident (at least that was what we were told) that was dealt with immediately in which the RA who was accused of inappropriate contact was sent back to the States in short order. While I do not know exactly what happened (nor should I), this particular MK school appeared to do a good job in handling issues of abuse.

However, I have heard many stories of other MK boarding schools where a large percentage of students ended up as drug addicts, alcoholics, or in jail. From the stories I was told, very few (if any) survived board school unscathed and their lives were ruined. Thank you CT for bringing up the plight of the abused MK. In the future, a broader conversation needs to be had about the overall effects of MK boarding schools, legalism, bunker mentality among missionary families, and cross-cultural upbringing of MKs. Again thank you CT for your efforts. Finally, may the Word go forth to the nations and may only more people hear the call to share the good news as a new day dawns where missionaries know better how to raise their children in other cultures.

As of today, many of the perpetrators mentioned in GRACE's report are still members in good standing of New Tribes Mission. How can they pat themselves on the back for taking the word of God to the nations while they have these people as employees. I stand in awe, and not in a good way.

Well, New Tribes may have said in the above article that they started implementing GRACE's recommendations, but they have not only not terminated the folks mentioned, it appears they are still allowing them to "serve" and have active involvement in business dealings. According to a comment on the fandaeagles.com blog, the Senegal field prayer letter was sent out this week.

"This letter is compiled and and published and sent out to a mailing list. The person who sends this out is Frank Stottlemyer, the man who was the Field Chairman at the height of all of the sexual abuse in Fanda. We find it very odd that there was only one mention regarding this situation, and credit is to be given to one family who said that while they are here in the States on furlough, they had read the GRACE report and asked for prayers. One would think that somewhere in the newsletter Frank Stottlemyer would at least mention the situation and the seriousness of it, and share some sort of brokenness and ask for prayer, especially since a prayer/newsletter such as this goes to pretty much all missionaries and/or supporters who have an interest in the particular field they represent, in this case, Senegal."

Frank Stottlemyer is named in GRACE's report as one of the people who not only knew of the abuse and did nothing, but destroyed documentation in efforts to cover the whole thing up. He is recommended to be retroactively terminated, yet this week he sends out the prayer letter. New Tribes Mission does NOT seem to be taking this seriously at all!

@ An Opinion

NTM retracted their spin on the "fact" that they hired GRACE all on their own, and that it was their idea. You will find on NTM's website, this: “We’re thankful to those former Fanda students who were persistent in their efforts to encourage us to seek an outside review of the abuse.”

Also on NTM's site:
“We also need to correct an error in previous public statements. These have referred to abuse that took place at Fanda in the 1980s, but the report includes abuse that took place in the 1990s as well. We apologize for the error.”

Thank you, Christianity Today, for creating the "splashes" about MK abuse that get everyone's attention. You broke the story about Mamou in 1994, you covered the retreat sponsored by the C&MA for those abused there, you reviewed the documentary All God's Children and, more recently, Wess Stafford's story was on your cover.

However, it distresses me that the Missions Department at Wheaton, the flagship school of the evangelical world, has seen only a few splashes and has not bothered to research and address the underlying theological reasons for what has occured. I have said it often: Evangelical organizations know how to go to the heathen and teach them about repentance and how to live for Christ. Don't expect them to apply those same principles to themselves.

Dianne Couts, Mamou alumni, participant in the documentary All God's Children

God bless "fandaeagles", please persevere for the sake of all MK's. Praise the Lord for internet. I vaguely hearing of some preachers who called it an instrument of the devil but God has used it for good. Jesus certainly taught that children were far more important than adults because if you cause one to stumble a millstone should be hung around the neck and dropped into the sea. And, what is done in secret should be SHOUTED from the rooftops. Every leader & board member of all the agencies where these crimes have occured should publicly and in written letter ask forgiveness from each one of these present and former students and that these letters and names of the guilty should be published in their own publications and also in magazines like Christianity Today and posted by the agency on the internet. Besides financial settlement there needs to be a complete "cleaning of house" in order for the agency to have a clean slate. As a grandmother of MK's I am grateful that their parents demanded accountability from the adults and openess from the students. A dorm parent should be a calling with extensive training and be taken seriously by a mission board and certainly not a couple pulled out of their "work" to serve as a dorm parent which causes them to become resentful. Homeschooling until 9th grade seems to be the most logical solution then move near the academy for the high schooling which is intended for the MK to immerse into the western culture to prepare for college. Thank you CT for bringing this out in the open and please continue your vigilance in this horendous matter.

In my communication with Scott Moreau, professor of missions at Wheaton College I got the feeling this is considered not of great importance. They do teach options for schooling children. And I guess talk about it in Spiritual Conflict and Issues and Trends in Missions. But in the two emails I received from Mr Moreau the child abuse of children did not seem to be of great importance.

What about the many MKs who go to Wheaton who have been abused do they brush them off also.

SHAME ON MISSION AGENCIES AND MISSIONARIES!!!! WAKE UP, PEOPLE! STOP SENDING YOUR CHILDREN AWAY!! It's called HOMESCHOOLING!!! Ever heard of it??!! Especially to the mothers...God gave you your children, a gift from God, to raise, nurture, PROTECT, and raise YOURSELF!! They are your FIRST mission field, your FIRST ministry! If you can't raise your children unto the Lord and protect them, you have NO BUSINESS being a missionary to the lost world. How are you being an example as a Godly family to the world if you THROW OUT your children like TRASH for someone else to take care of. I am a homeschooler and my husband and I have been called to missions overseas. We have been preparing for this for some time now. I will homeschool my children and reach out to the women and children in my community with the love of Christ. My husband will "work" full-time. MISSION AGENCIES: STOP PROMOTING THE SENDING AWAY OF MKS.!!
These sad stories are unfortunately predictable, expected and common. Even Wess Stafford of Compassion Int.talks of extreme abuse in the boarding school he grew up in years ago!

“The new man in charge at New Tribes”?!

As heard on WESH 2 Orlando, Breaking News TV (See Media Page on fandaeagles.com)

Ashamedly, we are members of this organization who are planning to leave on the basis of this new info. In our history of a couple of decades, we have observed cronyism. In reality, “this new man” reflects this concept. His parents went to Brazil under NTM in the late 1960’s. He himself served some years at Headquarters on the maintenance team. Eventually he worked up to a leadership position in Papua New Guinea. He has been around the mission for a long time! He is not “new.” We found this statement contrary to what the facts tell us.

The broadcast also noted that NTM admitted to having a “culture of harshness” 20 years ago which they regret and refuse to repeat. It should say “as recently as 20 weeks ago” because we have reports from several fields that this IS still going on. Let’s not be deceived by the media. They want to create their own reality.*

The Orlando Sentinental Article on Sept. 2 quotes comments regarding NTM made by the director of GRACE. All were quite favorable to NTM. That is curious because we remember that while the GRACE report did contain some positive comments about NTM, the majority of the summary statements were just the opposite. Was the reporting balanced?

Even though the GRACE Report is on other blogs and websites, as well as being quoted in the news and on TV, NTM is still not allowing its members to share it with “outsiders.” It has been labelled ‘confidential’ and is not on their public website as yet.

God has a good social commentary on actions such as this. In I Kings 14:21ff the rulers substituted nice bronze shields for the gold ones that had been carried off. God further comments on this deception----that they kept their idols on the high places and under every spreading tree. What was noticeably absent in the reporting about NTM in the media is that there was no plea for a vigorous plan to pursue and investigate all the other NTM fields: boarding schools and leadership. Neither has NTM mentioned doing this. Not even one high place is acceptable.

*We include 2 recent posts from NTM Implementing Recommendations (fandaeagles.com)
How long ago did these take place?

9/6: I am still an NTM member and have many friends who are doing wonderful work in tribal locations. I specifically chose a field to work on that had a progressive caring leadership. Unfortunately through international pressure and other issues the caring leaders have been forced to resign because they did not fit the NTM cookie cutter and since has (sic) been replaced with an autonomous leadership that resembles the leadership traits mentioned in the GRACE report. How gross.

9/7: It has already been said by someone that for the EC (Executive Committee) to simply make a “new policy” that implements a more grace-filled leadership style is just not enough. That person went on to say that even though such a policy did actually come out in the 90s, the style of leadership on the foreign field did not change at all. Things simply continued on.

I am not an MK, I am not a survivor of abuse. Kari, your perseverance has paid off. I am so proud of you and every other MK who has been courageous enough to share their stories. Because of my involvement with MK Safety Net, I have seen the results of abuse of MKs at Mamou & other schools by Christian & Missionary Alliance personnel. As I read the GRACE Report, I found it quite easy to substitute CMA for NTM. If you are a member of a local church, especially the CMA, go to mksafetynet.net and educate yourself.

We have grave concerns for MMKs and their parents who have experienced traumatic events while in the Lord's work. Recently we have published a book to help victims of trauma: Recovering from
Traumatic Stress: A Guide for Missionaries. It is available through William Carey Library at www.missionbooks.org and gives world-wide resources for those who need assistance with the resulting symptoms of trauma.

I think ALL missionary boarding schools should be shut down.

If you are a missionary parent, your child's place is in the field WITH YOU. Nowhere else.

If you think your particular mission field is too dangerous for your kids, maybe God is not calling you to that field after all.

There are millions of people in American cities who will die and go to the devil's hell if no one shares the gospel with them. Maybe that's where God would have you--and your children--make an eternal difference.

I may be an outsider but trust me, I know a few things. First of all, I would caution people to be very sure of their facts before accusing someone who may be innocent. This can easily become a witch hunt and end up harming thousands of innocent, God-loving people who have sacrificed their own lives to serve Him. Careful. Do you want that on your hands?? Some of the past leaders at NTM did not do the right thing by these mk's, but to disparage the current leadership is a shame and a sin. I know for a fact that the current leadership, once it came to light, acted upon this immediately and openly. What they did NOT do was rashly jump in and accuse anyone publicly without gathering all the facts. This was done in the interest of protecting innocent people. It is an absolute fact that some of the accusations are unfounded and have been proven false. To put this out to the public before all the facts were in would have destroyed the lives of these innocent people. To say that "the new man in charge" isn't unbiased only proves that you don't know a darn thing about him or what he has done for these Fanda MK's. This man has put hours upon hours, day after day, month after month, of his undivided attention to this matter. He has been as broken over this and has suffered over this just the same as if it happened to him or one of his own children. He suffered immeasurable grief learning the details. This "new man" is reponsible for NTM leadership finally listening and believing in the Fanda mk's, so to disparage him in any way is a shame. You will never, ever know the suffering he and his family have gone through in handling this situation. This "new man" cares more than most people will ever realize. He and the current leadership have done all they possibly can in their power to be fair and open while still protecting innocent people. A handful of horrible people did horrible things 30 years ago and it is being addresses. However, there are thousands of good Christian people giving of their lives and doing God's work that need to be recognized. So, please, before you go spouting off with ugly accusations be sure you have your story right. If you haven't met the new leadership, go visit. They will welcome you with open arms and openess!

The abuse, which took 13 months to investigate, is detailed in a 68-report released to the media in Orlando on Wednesday.

"Our job was to investigate, very carefully the allegations and claims and records and all the data and information we could get, and determine if and how New Tribes failed in its dealings with child abuse at Fanda and its response to it," said Tchividjian, a former Central Florida prosecutor.

New Tribes previous handling of the allegations, he said, was disappointing.

But today, New Tribes, which invited GRACE to investigate, appears to be taking responsibility, said Tchividjian, who teaches law at Liberty University in Virginia.

"They are taking this very, very seriously. I have personally been in the room where the leadership, more than one, has been in tears over this. Not in tears as in, we got caught, but tears because of the pain it has caused," he said.

On Thursday, New Tribes CEO Larry Brown said his organization will follow the recommendations GRACE made in its report and continue to seek the group's advice.

Interesting that comments in support of the current NTM leadership are being deleted. Tells me all I need to know about YOUR organization and fairness and honesty in reporting. Shame on you. Keep propragating this witch hunt and you'll burn in hell for your sins against God and the people doing His work.

I'm an MK and I did just fine, thank you very much. To lump all the MK schools together with this one is ridiculous. I and my siblings treasure all the wonderful memories and amazing experiences we had and made many, many frienships that to this day are like family members. While we were separated from our parents while they did God's work, we became such a close family that to this day (30 +years later) we are as close as ever. None of us harbors ill feelings towards our parents for not "home schooling" us and we led balanced, educational and exciting lives. So, don't insult the majority of the MK's from New Tribes by saying that all the schools should be shut down. That's ridiculous and ignorant. I wouldn't change a thing about my experience growing up in NTM, and no, I'm not a current member. Just a happy, well adjusted person. Oh by the way, I WAS sexually abused a child. But, I kept it a secret and do to this day. I got over it and didn't feel the need to dump it on the heads of my entire family. It's done and done and I've led a well-adjusted and happy life regardless of the fact that some creep that was a family frend (NO, not a NTM missionary!) took advantage of me. This happened before we even entered the mission!!! It's over now and I decided long long ago that it was OVER. Enough already. YOU choose how to live your life. I did and life is good. I never felt the need to trash everyone in my path because I was a victim. I'm so sorry for the victims of the very few bad people in NTM. But, I don't believe a life time of bitterness and resentment is going to make you well. Only you can make the decision that the past is past. I did and I'm a happy and productive human being that isn't living in the past. Other than getting the culprits who are still within NTM out, which is now done, the rest is up to you. Life is short. Only you can decide how to spend yours.

Word has come in the last couple days that New Tribes Mission intends to self investigate abuse at other schools and not use an independent investigator. This is unacceptable. No one except New Tribes trusts New Tribes. Their history of coverups extends far beyond Fanda. At school after school children were abused even after NTM knew of the abusers. One day, the abusers and their enablers, will face a just and holy God and be forced to account for their deeds and the souls of the MKs who they turned away from Him.

I find it so difficult to believe that NTM did nothing over the many years of abuse. I dont believe for one second that someone in leadership did not have an inkling of what was going on. I was in training with NTM from 1979-1984. I was basically accused homosexuality twice in this time. Once for having a small childrens program at their bible school. The other was for hugging a staff members daughter too much. If I was brought before leadership harsly on these two benign issues, what the hell has happened to leadership supposedly not knowing anything over the many years of abuse in the mk school. MTM was the worst thing that could of happened to me. I still have regular nightmares about them. Its been over 25 years since I made the decision to leave them and they truly broke my heart and worst yet my spirit.

The rport can't be accurate because they did not contact everyone involved. The report by GRACE states it contacted or tried to contact all MK's and former MK's from Fanda. I know of at least 8 that were never contacted. Me being one. It's not like it's hard to find me either. Facebook, myspace, news articles..... They didn't try very hard. Others that were not contacted wouldn't have been hard to find either. They are still with NTM. GRACE is a joke. Fro being investigators they didn't investigate very well. They also need to figure out what true grace (GOD's GRACE) is. I am very sad for the true victims of the abuse. The last thing I ever want to see is a child hurt. It is time for the real offenders to step forward. GRACE just created more innocent victims with their "report".

NTM is a wonderful Mission org. We need not trash them in this information pathway where all people can read. The devil will be happy because that's what he wants, to get them out of their objective. It has to be expected that frontline Mission orgs will face similar attack but we all Mission Orgs need to stay together and hold one another up. This weakness in NTM may destroy all their history of Good works so we need to be more constructive in our contribution. On the other hand, there needs to a clear system of screening for all Mission orgs about their new candidates. Those who violate this area of Child Trust MUST be taken to task, allow the Law to take its course and remove them from the Orgs for the sake of the Gospel and for others. And commenting on one of the comments above...well people are different, some are strong enough to handle themselves and move on while others need a helping hand to get them past their memory misery...So I am asking NTM as a fellow missionary to get those people know and get them out...and I ask all other Mission Orgs to interceed on behalf of NTM...

I agree 100% with MALO, very well said.

New Tribes Mission has a page dedicated to sex abuse investigations and their progress in responding to it. It is a good resource for finding out how serious this organization is about responding properly to allegations and preventing future child abuse.

I am a survivor of abuse at Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta. Over the last 5 years we have seen over 80 individuals come forward who were abused while at PBI. Several months ago I raised the issue and survivors have much opposition. We asked that the school bring in an independent third party familiar with handling abuse cases within faith communities to investigate. The blog I am attaching outlines what we have been dealing with since the story broke.

http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2012/03/17/prairie-bible-institute-survivor-fund-project-begs-for-more-money-where-did-funds-go-and-who-gave-them/