He later died in March 2020. 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. 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. 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. More:Christian camp Circle C announces changes to summer program after abuse allegations surface. The Circle C Child Development Center is a private, not-for-profit company with a volunteer board of directors. Water exercise is for everyone! 1.) Such stories cannot be rushed. 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. Group led Water Aerobics starts on Tuesday May 2nd! Especially about potency and trying to defeat erectile dysfunction. Thank you for your support. All fourdid not respond. CirCleC ranCh Krysten MeijaJaymes Willoughby 6013 York Bridge Circle SOLD in 7 days! He never asked for a quid pro quo of any kind for The Chapels contributions.. Instead, he used the allegation to begin a campaign to remove Wayne Aarum from his leadership at the Circle C Ranch, because he opposed the sale of camp land to a large wind project developer from Chicago. Toll free: (866) 364-9980, Kanakuk Petition Reaches 15,000 Signatures, Southern Baptist Conventions Lawyers to Cut Ties after Vote to Waive Privilege, Christian and Missionary Alliance to Leave Colorado Springs for Ohio, Arkansas Judge Dismisses Duggar Sisters Lawsuit, Christian Filmmaker Arrested Following Investigation of Child Sex Predators. 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. set COVID-19 rules and restrictions for summer camps, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Please consider becoming a digital subscriber. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. 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. Aarum has repeatedly denied any allegations of inappropriate conduct. hbbd```b``"Idjd2d f;0>[Ha`bd` Ig[ '3 A USA TODAY Network Investigation found thatAarum, 55,touchedat least 16teenage girls inappropriately, according to their firsthand accounts. Simply select the past meetings minutes you wish to view or you can view the DRAFT minutes which will be approved at the next board meeting. Minutes are generally posted a month following the meeting once they have been accepted. Being a 15 year old girl, newly diagnosed with leukemia, your entire world is crazy. The Circle C HOA Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, January 27, at 6:30pm via ZOOM. Website Terms & Conditions | CCHOA Privacy Policy| Social Media Policy | Feedback, Copyright 2015 2022 Circle C Ranch HOA | Design by Austin Web Design.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_C_Ranch. 10611 Ames Lane SOLD in 4 days! Throughout this entire time we have done our best in trying to resolve the issues they have put forth. Circle C stands for "Christ Centered" which is the p It matters in suburbs. The board - which consists of Wayne Aarum, his brother, Wes, and Daryl Dekalb - posted a 34-page report on the. Percy, as they wanted to call him, was considered by many to be the founder of the Christian Camp Ministry. In an exclusive interview with 7 Eyewitness News last month, Aarum and board member Daryl Dekalb made that same suggestion while strongly denying the allegations against him. The camp is veering from its traditional model this summer, insteadfocusing on "Family Camp Weekends" in July and August, according to information shared on its website on Monday. 7008 Cusseta SOLD in 14 days! The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. 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. How easy is it to make anonymous declarations?. 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. 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. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . He was an authority figure and an adult; they were teenagers. Keller Williams Realty, Three Barton Skyway, 1221 S Mopac, Ste.120, Austin TX 78746 My evaluation of credibility is based upon 30 years of past experience interacting with fact witnesses and abuse survivors., She goes on to say, The notion that the allegations were planted or suggested by counselors or social workers is patently absurd.. At this age, he began to take care of his health. We have repeatedly requested to know who the anonymous accusations are coming from and again, with the exception of one instance, they have refused. The Circle C board claims The Chapel at Crosspoint wants to take over the ranch and says it is spreading falsehoods about Aarum so members of The Chapel can take over the Circle C board., In documents on Circle Cs website, the board writes the campaign against Aarum was designed for the purpose of acquiring the camps property and business.. information shared on its website on Monday. But Wesley Aarum Sr. did not respect or trust Mr. Gillis and his financial ambitions, the lawsuit adds. Reach him at mkilian@gannett.com. Aarum has denied the allegations and continues to serve on staff at the camp. 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. The work poses many challenges. Attorney Steven Long of Williamsvillelaw firm Long & Paulo-Lee, PLLC, who represents Aarum, did not immediately return requests for comment. I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. Our Goal: "To reach young people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to encourage godliness in their lives, and to send them out as equipped witnesses for His kingdom." "Due to Covid Restrictions we have decided to pour all of our resources into our family camp weekends," the website reads. Women allege WNY Christian camp director has abused teens since 1990s. Dear Chapel family, 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. In investigative journalism, it's vital reporters show their efforts to confirm facts and to reach people. 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. Agendas will be posted in the Board Meeting Agenda folder under the Resource tab on the Wednesday prior to the meeting. 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. That was of the Lord. Some things have changed but these three things will never change! A few months later Wes realized he needed $10,000 more. 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. The lawsuit stated that the Chapels leadership was aware of the increasing value of the property and embarked on a campaign to remove Aarum from the board of Living Waters Ministries Inc., to create a more favorable board of directors to control the Circle C Ranch Camp and the use and disposition of its land.. That investigation found more than 20 women who said Wayne Aarum touched them inappropriately or fostered inappropriate and abusive relationships with them, both at The Chapel in the 1990s and later at Circle C Ranch, according to a report prepared by MinistrySafe investigator Kimberlee Norris. That can be the case in the busiest of news years (ahem, 2020) or on the slowest of news days. A social worker can get anyone to say anything, Dekalb said. Wes had been a youth pastor, pastor, evangelist, leader in Youth for Christ and director of a Bible Conference. Aarum, whose late father, Wes Aarum Sr., founded Circle C Ranch in 1968, previously worked as a youth pastor at Buffalo-area megachurch The Chapel in the 1990s. While this is not the path we had ever hoped for, we simply refuse to allow this unjust activity to continue any longer for the sake of the camp, our families, and the lives of so many we pray are yet to be impacted for good by the ministry God birthed over 53 years ago in the heart of Mr. Wes.. 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In school, our teachers told us to "show our math," or how we worked out a problem. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. 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. Theyspoke to 19 other individuals including persons who worked at the camp, relatives and local pastors. Time and again, even as the local news industry has been buffeted for a quarter-century by change, reporting by trained professionals continues tobe a catalyst for positive change in our communities. Follow heronTwitter @Sjtaddeo. And at its best, local journalism reveals truths that leaders and institutions of importance would much prefer remain hidden. 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. 0 Last week's investigation by USA TODAY Network New York State Team reporters Sarah Taddeo and Georgie Silvarole is just such an example. After meeting Wes and both of them realizing that someday they would be a team she went to Bible School to be better prepared to be the wife of a preacher. When told it was for a youth camp, Bob wrote out a check for the amount needed. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Name* Email* CAPTCHA Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. The Chapel recommended the camp to members of its congregation and contributed funds to help expand the camps facilities and enable the camp to operate on a basis that was affordable to campers from Christian church youth groups and families at all income levels," the suit continues. A former camper and staff member at Circle C Ranch,a Christian camp in Cattaraugus County, has filed a lawsuit against the camp and its president, Wayne Aarum, accusing Aarum of grooming and sexually victimizing her between the ages of 9 and 16. We have requested to meet with them several times and each time they have refused, a statement on the camps website said, explaining the reason for the lawsuit. For over one and a half years The Chapel has been leading an aggressive campaign against Circle C Ranch, our family, and the ministry legacy of Mr. Wes. 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. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Through all this, Aarum remains as the Circle C camp president today. In . The Aarum family has owned Circle C Ranch in Delevan for 54 years. The Christian Post reached out to Aarums lawyer as well as The Chapel about the allegations Tuesday but neither party was available to immediately respond. Circle C is the best summer camp Program Director, Counselor, Maintenance (Former Employee) - Delevan, NY - September 12, 2018 Circle C ranch is the best summer camp for young kids to work at. 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. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. It's vital people describing trauma or harm be listened to with sensitivity and patience; coming forward is often an act of courage. This testy relationship allegedly led one of Camardos staffers to recommend that he take up the cause of a woman who claimed Wayne Aarum had sexually harassed her while she was employed as a counselor at the Circle C Ranch camp in 2006, 13 years earlier.. Got a story tip or comment? To reach young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they may know that they are born again. 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. INVESTIGATION: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, More:Woman says she reported possible abuse at Circle C Ranch to police years ago. He also currently serves as pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of Arcade, New York. At least 21 women have come forward to lawyers hired by The Chapel at Crosspoint where Aarum once served as a pastor to accuse him of inappropriate conduct decades ago when they were teens. Now there was a need for the total of $40,000 to get things moving. 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. Some former staff said Aarum typically targeted specific girls who were pretty, slim, emotionally fragile or those who had father issues and that girls complained to staff asking for help in avoiding [Aarum]., In a March statement, The Chapels board and pastoral leadership said both their leadership and MinistrySafe have found the allegations to be credible.. as part of a USA TODAY Network New York investigation, These women say a Western NY pastor, Christian camp president abused them as teenagers, Pastor accused of abusing teens sues Buffalo megachurch The Chapel for $2.5M, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. by Webmaster | Oct 20, 2014 | Board of Directors Meeting. Those allegations outlined in a report from The Chapel and Ministry Safes Kimberlee Norris say the abuse happened during the 90s, during a time Aarum was involved with The Chapel and when the Chapel says it had partnered with Circle C Ranch. Without a transmission line to transport the electricity generated by the windmills in an economically feasible fashion, the windmill projects economic value diminishes substantially, the lawsuit said. That's a Christian camp for young people nearDelevan, New York, a village southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester. "I'm just completely. As a result of her abuse, Snell experienced mental and psychological effects, including fear and anxiety that have required professional treatment, the lawsuit alleges. He never asked for a representative on the board of directors of the Living Waters Ministries Inc. 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. ContactSarahat STADDEO@Gannett.com or (585) 258-2774. A number of women former high school youth group members under Aarums leadership brought allegations of sexual and emotional abuse against Aarum from that time period earlier this year. As you've read, Taddeo and Silvarole spent months speaking to 16 women who described inappropriate and uncomfortable encounters with the man who hasbeen camp director or president for many years at Circle C Ranch. Website Terms & Conditions | CCHOA Privacy Policy| Social Media Policy | Feedback, Copyright 2015 2022 Circle C Ranch HOA | Design by Austin Web Design.com, The Board of Directors meeting date and time is on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. If you're on the Circle C website, the camp has seven new documents that outline why they say Aarum is innocent. A MinistrySafe investigation cited by WKBW alleged that Aarums inappropriate touching of the girls included: "stroking legs (outside clothing and on bare skin); stroking genital area outside clothing; touching vaginal area outside clothing (in shorts or jeans); touching, rubbing and stroking breasts, outside clothing; stroking labia, outside clothing; stroking from hips to breasts, clothed, on the side of the body; touching legs and knees; hand placed on upper thigh; pressing penis into back of girl (hugging from behind); rubbing penis repeatedly in a girls presence and the extended hug of a partially dressed girl.". 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? Weeks after a Delevan minister and local camp director Wayne Aarum was accused of sexual misconduct by 21 former campers and staffers, the Circle C camp director has not stepped down. 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. A spokesperson for The Chapel says it has absolutely no interest in acquiring Circle C Ranch., But the Circle C board says thats simply not true, and claims The Chapel has put forth a campaign to destroy Wayne Aarums reputation., Everything thats been presented to us is anonymous, said Dekalb about the accusations. Percy, as he wanted to be called, was considered by many as the founder of the Christian Camping Ministry. Jerry Gillis was appointed as lead pastor of the church in 2002 and Camardo joined the staff as executive pastor in 2010. endstream endobj 1155 0 obj <. You can also join via video conferencing (Zoom), the Zoom link can be found under the Resource tab and meetings are open to the community. Main Office: 518-696-5676 Development Office: 518-696-5921. As Ross Barker said, without Marge we would have never made it. How true! Aarum and the Living Waters Ministries Inc., according to the lawsuit, had maintained a peaceful, cooperative, and mutually supportive relationship with The Chapel for more than 30 years due to the founding of the two organizations by two close friends, James Andrews at The Chapel in 1961 and Wesley Aarum Sr. at the Circle C Ranch in 1968. To reach the Ranch Association Executive Director Michele Brethower, click here. 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. It makes a difference to people of all backgrounds and life experiences. 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. 10109 Hibiscus Cove SOLD in 9 days! 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 The board of Circle Cs parent corporation, The Living Waters Ministries and people who are close to Aarum say he is innocent of the sexual harassment claims against him. To email a Board member directly, click their email address below. 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. Growth of Circle C Ranch . However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts.
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