Many say the former Chapel at Crosspoint minister and president of Circle C Ranch abused his spiritual authority over three decades -- and that the inappropriate contact with teen girls was the camps worst-kept secret. In May, New York set COVID-19 rules and restrictions for summer camps to operate after sleep-away camps were forced to close last year. 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. Mr. Barker became the Vice-president and chairman fo the Circle C Ranch Board adn has worked with Wes in that capacity up to this very day. 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. Aarum, 55,remains in his position as director of Circle C Ranch. Bob asked when he would pay it back? Getzville in New York, from 1991 to 2000 before becoming director of Circle C Ranch. The camp cited state restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change. Circle C Ranch has provided a written response on its website in response to these allegations. My byline has run in the Ithaca Journal, USA Today, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and the New York Times. Read the full story from News Staff Reporter Jay Tokasz. 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.. The Chapel first hired MinistrySafe in 2019 to improve its policies after unrelated sexual abuse allegations at its Lockport worship site were reported by The Buffalo News in 2019. I, myself, personally 20 years ago sat down with Mr. Wes (Wayne Aarums father) and said, I love Wayne with all my heart, but I saw him interact in a way that was just inappropriate. , Fancher said he also has heard firsthand accounts from women who are truly victims.. He assured them they wouldnt see this behavior again, she said. I dont want any more children to be affected. They have been a team that Gdo brought together. Nothing happened. The Ranch owed (Snell) a heightened, fiduciary duty of care because they held themselves out as being able to provide a safe and secure environment for children, the lawsuit read. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. A Chicago developer has been eyeing the 315-acre Circle C Ranch camp property for a proposed $500 million windmill project, but the camps board has refused to sell or lease the land, according to court papers. Delaware North scores with billboard with Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka, well, you know Police release names of victims in Millersport Highway crash in Amherst, Man accused of fatally shooting co-worker arraigned on second-degree murder charge, Buffalo Police with search warrant seize drugs, guns, arrest four, 5 years after Buffalo Diocese sex abuse scandal erupted, victims still waiting for compensation, Two men arrested in the Southtowns after chase and search, 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. Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer, and Jerry Gillis, lead pastor at The Chapel, discuss the allegations against Wayne Aarum. "Circle C Ranch is aware of allegations raised against our President. We have TWO options for bringing campers to Snow Camp. The inappropriate behavior included stroking legs and touching clothed breasts and genital areas, according to a letter Norris sent to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. 3,832 were here. I can honestly say no.. 1.) investigation by USA TODAY Network New York State Team reporters Sarah Taddeo and Georgie Silvarole, These women say a Western NY pastor, Christian camp president abused them as teenagers, How emotional, spiritual abuse creates lasting trauma, Woman says she reported possible abuse at Circle C Ranch to police years ago, the camp announced a change for how it will operate this summer, Christian camp Circle C announces changes to summer program after abuse allegations surface, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bill wanted to make sure that every building was winterized so the camp could operate year round. Aarum also said that neither he nor campers or staffers who supported him were contacted by MinistrySafe, a Texas-based company that conducts investigations for multiple Christian denominations. Officials at the Chapel said they were first made aware in 2019 of allegations about Aarums inappropriate behavior at the camp and took that information to the Circle C Ranch board, according to a statement provided to The News and posted on the Chapel's website. More: Christian camp Circle C announces changes to summer program after abuse allegations surface. Campbell declined to comment further when contacted by The News. Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. An email to Wayne Aurum, and a call to attorney's in Williamsville who are representing Aurum in the defamation lawsuit were not returned Monday. Investigation: 16 women say this pastor and camp president abused them. Neither I nor MinistrySafe (or any representative of the law firm) have ever offered information for payment to Circle C or Living Waters Ministries. Its all lightweight stuff theyre bringing up anyway, Dekalb said. That can be the case in the busiest of news years (ahem, 2020) or on the slowest of news days. Oh, and if you have a good story tip, on any subject, please let us know. None agreed to interviews on the recordfor this story, and they didnot provide additional sources who would be willing to comment on the record.". Aarum recently tested positive for Covid-19 and was seriously ill. ORIGINAL STORY:. I found each of the women to be credible; patterns of predatory behavior emerged and grew more egregious as time passed. Litigator Kimberlee Norris, the co-founder of Ministry Safe, a Christian sexual misconduct investigative and prevention service, said 21 women told her in interviews Aarum had touched them inappropriately, with incidents dating back to when he was a youth minister at The Chapel at Crosspoint, a megachurch in the Buffalo area. 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.. In early 2021, The Chapel held a members-only meeting to share some of the findings and to announce the church was suspending all activities and financial ties to Circle C Ranch. "I wish I had a more accurate way to respond to some of these things people are saying.". We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. And this started 20 years ago, said Fancher. This helps build confidence among readers inthe validity of the work. These women say a Western NY pastor, Christian camp president abused them as teenagers, He was my identity: How emotional, spiritual abuse creates lasting trauma. I worked in the ministry, my wife and I have worked in this ministry, all of those same years that theyre talking about. Report stated 21 women have made allegations. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. 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 association documents and forms; join discussion forums; utilize the member directory; and much more. Are you looking for a friendly forum where you can practice and develop your 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 under the Home button. Besides doing the cooking, she became the office manager, the accountant, head of the medical dept, and a mother to their 2 sons, Wes & Wayne. ", "I'm not sure who's saying it and what they're referring to," he said. In late 2019, allegations of abuse began picking up momentum when Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer who worked there in 2006, shared her story with leadership at The Chapel. The attorney advised that Aarum step down as president and camp director, but the board didnt follow through on that advice, said Fancher, who no longer is on the camps board. Chapel leaders say they began hearing troubling allegations about Aarum in October 2019 and again in February 2020. More history on Circle C Ranch can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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. The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. A friend of Ross & Wes was a man named Bob Lowe who was a very successful businessman. Pastor accused of touching girls sues Amherst church over allegations. When you are a leader of a church and somebody comes to you and says somebody on your staff abused kids while he was on your staff, what would you expect him to do? the speaker said. In her lawsuit, Snell accused Circle C Ranch and its parent organization, Living Waters Ministries, of negligently retaining Aarum on staff and thus allowing him unfettered and unsupervised access to minors on the campgrounds and during other activities, according to the court filing. Im not anonymous, she said. Former Circle C Ranch staffer discusses effects of abuse. Aarum said that he met a year ago with John Camardo, executive pastor at The Chapel, and Camardo told him that he was accused of abuse of spiritual authority and inappropriate interactions but refused to more clearly define those charges. After hearing a report of abuse by a former staffer at the Circle C Ranch, The Chapel hired Ministry Safe to conduct an investigation. 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. Aarum said in his lawsuit that the relationship between the church and the camp began to cool after the death of church founder James Andrews in 1999 and the start of a more expansionist and financially oriented management of the church under new Lead Pastor Jerry Gillis. There was a problem saving your notification. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Many of the allegations, which have been reported by Chapel leadership to the State Office of Children and Family Services, deal with alleged conduct occurring at the Circle C Ranch youth camp in Delevan, where Aarum serves as president. A few months later Wes realized he needed $10,000 more. Circle "C" Ranch is a christian youth camp about an hour south of Buffalo New York, the setting is very unique in the fact that it is themed in the 18 See more Circle C Ranch, the Christian children's camp in western New York facing allegations that its director has inappropriately touched teenage girls, announced drastic changes to its summer. "This is why we're suspicious of these charges. But now that she is an adult, she said she would describe the interactions with girls as intimate and a form of grooming.. Editor's note: There are descriptions of alleged sexual abuse and opinions about survivors of alleged abuse that may be triggering to abuse survivors. The details, the word choices and the extra effort to confirm facts and reach difficult-to-reach people all matter greatly. READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION:These women say a Western NY pastor, Christian camp president abused them as teenagers, Lasting trauma:He was my identity: How emotional, spiritual abuse creates lasting trauma. That's a Christian camp for young people nearDelevan, New York, a village southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester. It isan investigative journalist's role to examine possible abuses of power or allegations of misfeasance or malfeasancethoroughly,keeping fairness and accuracy front and center in their work. 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. Less than a week after the USA TODAY Network New Yorkpublished its investigation into the allegations against Aarum in June, Circle C Ranch announced it would pivot its typical summer camp schedule for 2021 to family weekends, which would include parents as well as children. Your support allows us to continue to produce quality journalism, week in and week out. Few of the women who came forward during the investigation knew other; the behavior complained of spanned DECADES. Aarum, in recent sermons, has compared the accusations to Jesus being crucified by people he helped, as reported by The Roys Report. Such stories cannot be rushed. (Both boys are college graduates and are now full time in the ministry working with college as well as public and high school students.) Sarah Taddeo is an enterprisereporter for USA Today Network's New York State Team. 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. Effort to confirm facts and reach difficult-to-reach people all matter greatly seriously ill from. Comment further when contacted by the news to give you a concise, look... 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