Tight hugging. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Aarum served at The Chapel, located in the suburb of Getzville in New York, from 1991 to 2000 before becoming director of Circle C Ranch. Laura Snell, 22, of Alexandria, Virginia, previously spoke about her allegations against Aarum as part of a USA TODAY Network New York investigation in June, which detailed claims of sexual and emotional abuse against Aarum from 16 women over two decades. 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 never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. The change comes less than a week after publication of aUSA TODAY Networkinvestigation, which found that the camp's director, WayneAarum, fostered improper relationships and touchedat least 16teenage girls inappropriately, some on multiple occasions, according to their firsthand accounts. Teenagers have also historically made up the majority of employees at the camp, working as counselors, in the kitchen or in maintenance roles throughout the summers. According to a report released by Ministry Safe. 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. Its a thrill to see what God has done over the years. The letter says 27 individuals offered corroborating evidence for the 21 victims, including former Circle C employees, church leaders, and volunteers who witnessed inappropriate behaviors. Bob asked how much interest? Specifically, in a portion of the story about Circle C's legal counsel having recommended at a meeting that Aarum resign, they took these steps: "The USA TODAY NETWORKreached out to Wayne Aarum, his son Josh Aarum, andboard members Daryl Dekalb and Wes Aarum Jr.for comment specifictothis matter. 3,832 were here. Fancher said the camp had documented instances in which other camp leaders had approached Aarum about his actions. 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 . 1.) Aarum is seeking $3.1 million in damages. No, he said when asked whether he ever touched anyone inappropriately. Former Chapel minister, Circle C youth camp director denies sexual misconduct 3,079 views Mar 26, 2021 A Christian minister with ties to a Getzville megachurch and a popular Cattaraugus. 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. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. ", "The USA TODAY NETWORK asked for comment from five individuals whosupport the Ranch and the Aarums. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. 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. We never saw anything even approaching this.. 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. 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. Keeping his hands on their bodies way too long when it wasnt necessary at all.. One of America's most exciting Christian Camps. He previously has said that Chapel leaders were not seeking to take control of the Circle C Ranch board or the camp property. The case has cracked a small window into the inner workings of the Chapel, one of the areas largest and most influential nondenominational Christian churches. 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. Check the lists below! 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. Aarum recently tested positive for Covid-19 and was seriously ill. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial, according to the court filing. In one letter, the board accused the Chapels executive pastor, John Camardo, of defamation. 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. On week ends there would be scores of men donating their time to help build the camp and Wes wife Marge was kept very busy feeding all these volunteers. Camardo did not respond Friday to a voicemail and email seeking comment. Reach him at mkilian@gannett.com. According to a report released by Ministry Safe, Wayne Aarum engaged in the following illicit activities: -stroking legs (outside clothing and on bare skin), -touching vaginal area- outside clothing (in shorts or jeans), -touching, rubbing and stroking breasts, outside clothing, -stroking from hips to breasts, clothed, on the side of the body, -pressing penis into back of girl (hugging from behind), -rubbing penis repeatedly in a girls presence, -extended hug of a partially dressed girl. 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. 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. There was over 100 acres of good haying land on this property so they had plenty of feed for the horses. In a March 26 interview with Buffalo TV station WKBWs 7 Eyewitness News Aarum said he had not been given the opportunity to defend himself by MinistrySafe and that witnesses who supported him had not been interviewed. Aarum denied such behavior last week, saying, I can tell you right now I never did thatand I would love an opportunity to talk to them.. Camardo also told the congregation there was no truth to the rumor that the Chapel was attempting to take over operation of the camp. 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. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Some Chapel members expressed anger and frustration over how leadership handled the investigation of Aarum, who was popular with many people connected to the church. Wayne Aarum, a former senior high minister at, in Getzville, New York, current pastor of. Circle C Ranch was started in 1968 by Aarums father, Wesley Aarum Sr. Wayne Aarum, 55, ran a ministry program at The Chapel for high school students in the 1990s, before taking over operation of the ranch in 2001 and becoming pastor of First Baptist Church of Arcade in 2002. ContactSarahat STADDEO@Gannett.com or (585) 258-2774. The lawsuit alleges The Chapel's executive pastor, John Camardo, used the abuse allegations against Aarum as a way to damage Aarum'sreputation and ability to conduct business, according to the filings. 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. But 7 Eyewitness News spoke with a former employee at the youth camp who said she has spoken with one of the alleged survivors. They travelled over 100 miles one way every weekend until the job as done and then they donated all the fixtures as well. At 18 years of age he was the lifeguard at Pine brook, a very unique teen camp in Pennsylvania whose founder was Percy Crawford. Circle C stands for "Christ Centered" which is the purpose and continues to be the. Wayne S. Aarum claimed in a defamation lawsuit that The Chapel and its executive pastor, John Camardo, engaged in a sustained campaign of . 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. And this started 20 years ago, said Fancher. What else might develop? She also said Aarum on occasion grabbed her from behind and pulled his pelvis tight to her body. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. New York, and the operator of Circle C Ranch youth camp in Delevan, New York, stands accused of sexually assaulting at least twenty-one girls in the 1990s. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He has consistently denied all of the allegations against him. It matters in cities. Both of the local jurisdictions that were contacted in this investigation had determined that, given the passage of time (in some cases) or the nature of non-criminal allegations (in others), the allegations are not believed to be subject to criminal prosecution, they stated on The Chapel website. Sometimes he would grab her from behind and pull his pelvis tight to her body, she said. I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. According to a . I dont want any more children to be affected. Other inappropriate behaviors allegedly occurred during his time as Circle C Ranch director, since 2000, although none of the complaints related to behavior within the past five years. The Chapel has thousands of members on its rolls and helped launched several other congregations in Western New York. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. While at that camp Wes got to thinking that maybe someday he would be able to start a camp where young people could come to know Christ. Snell could not be reachedafterrepeated attempts, including a letter to his home, phone calls and an email to his wife.". The conduct was at times private and at other times out in the open when other camp staffers would be able to witness it, according to Snells lawsuit. He bought drugs on this website https://terrace-healthcare.com/news/generic-cialis.html. But Dekalb defended Aarum as a "true Christian" and said he had done nothing wrong. "This is why we're suspicious of these charges. Little did he realize that 23 years later God would let him have the desire of his heart. Such stories cannot be rushed. That's a Christian camp for young people nearDelevan, New York, a village southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester. This Summer we are looking to hire Staff to help facilitate our Summer Camp, Day Camp, and Family Camp programs! Other inappropriate behaviors allegedly occurred during his time as Circle C Ranch director, since 2000, although none of the complaints related to behavior within the past five years. I have zero recollection of that. ", "I'm not sure who's saying it and what they're referring to," he said. Other alleged inappropriate behaviors are mentioned in the report. It was decided that he should be contacted and asked for a loan of $30,000. Daryl Dekalb, a Circle C board director, says that Aarum is a True Christian. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. As Ross Barker said, without Marge we would have never made it. How true! The state's rules allow for the camps to operate with different restrictions for the vaccinated and unvaccinated, with campers over the age of five required to wear masks and maintain social distancing in most situations. Amherst Police officials did not respond to an inquiry by 7 Eyewitness News, but Daryl DeKalb, a board member at Circle C Ranch, said none of that is true and defended Aarum. Over the last year, we have shared several updates regarding our response to the allegations brought to us of inappropriate behavior of Wayne Aarum, a former employee of The Chapel, current President of Circle C Ranch (a youth camp in the Western New York region) and Pastor at First Baptist Church of Arcade. Wayne S. Aarum, who runs the Circle C Ranch in Delevan, claimed in a defamation lawsuit filed this week that The Chapel and its executive pastor, John Camardo, engaged in a sustained campaign of false and malicious accusations against Aarum that hurt his reputation. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . 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. Marges love for the Lord led her, along with her other jobs, to be the teacher of a womens weekly Bible study. Ross had been a board member of Canadian Youth for Christ when Wes had been the President and was such a blessing to that ministry. Does public speaking or speaking in a group make you nervous? Its all lightweight stuff theyre bringing up anyway, Dekalb said. The accounts of the women, describing incidents involving Wayne Aarum that took place when they were Circle C Ranch campers, are troubling and concerning. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. 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. 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. 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. We've seen nothing, heard nothing, and they're operating from an anonymous standpoint with everybody, and we believe they have an agenda to take over the ranch," Dekalb added. Last week's investigation by USA TODAY Network New York State Team reporters Sarah Taddeo and Georgie Silvarole is just such an example. He met Margaret Stevenson who had been born on a farm in Pennsylvania (which would prepare her for life at the Ranch). Chelsea Carnahan, 28, recounted how Aarum would stroke her back and hair, hold her hand and touch her legs during one-on-one counseling sessions and talks when she was a Pioneer High School student from 2006 to 2010. 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. Finally, the notion that the allegations were planted or suggested by counselors or social workers is patently absurd.". Campbell declined to comment further when contacted by The News. He was not available Wednesday to speak to The News, said Dekalb. Click here to read a copy of the MinistrySafe report submitted to state officials. We have reporters standing by. 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