Its all lightweight stuff theyre bringing up anyway, Dekalb said. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Carnahan had attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter, she said. Carnahan said she was not among the 21 unidentified women cited in the investigative report. In her lawsuit, filed last month in Cattaraugus County under the state Child Victims Act, Snell claims Aarum, 55, touched her inappropriately between 2008 and 2015, when she was a minor, including touching her genitals, breasts and buttocks; rubbing her inner and upper thighs and pressing his pelvis into her back. Website Terms & Conditions | CCHOA Privacy Policy| Social Media Policy | Feedback, Copyright 2015 2022 Circle C Ranch HOA | Design by Austin Web Design.com, South West Austin Toastmasters Welcomes Circle C Residents, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_C_Ranch. Waynes brother, Wes, was highly regarded as a minister at the Chapel for many years, as well. It all started in the heart of an evangelist named Wes Aarum. 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. And this started 20 years ago, said Fancher. A USA TODAY Network Investigation found thatAarum, 55,touchedat least 16teenage girls inappropriately, according to their firsthand accounts. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. He has consistently denied all of the allegations against him. Pine brook was a great soul-winning camp and that summer hundreds of teens accepted Christ. No, he said when asked whether he ever touched anyone inappropriately. Missed chances:Woman says she reported possible abuse at Circle C Ranch to police years ago. We never saw anything even approaching this.. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". 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. 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. Last week's investigation by USA TODAY Network New York State Team reporters Sarah Taddeo and Georgie Silvarole is just such an example. When he gave Bob a call, he said I suppose the same terms as before and then he wrote out a check fo the amount. It finally became a reality when in 1968 he found the property where God wanted him to start that camp. 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. At one point in the meeting, Randy Fancher, a former trustee of the Circle C Ranch, said the camps board hired an attorney more than a year ago to investigate an allegation against Wayne Aarum. The Chapel in Amherst said it cut ties with the Circle C Ranch following an internal investigation by a Texas lawyer that found Wayne Aarum hadengaged in a pattern of inappropriate behaviors, such as stroking the legs and touching the clothed breasts and genital areas of young women and teenage girls. 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.. Drew Silleman. 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 Lord. Its common for women as they get along in lifeto see how their lives are not going well and when they sit down, like with a social workerand they start hearing stuff from a social worker that says to them, Well, have you ever had something in your life where maybe this is set off, the condition that youre in now?. Circle C Ranch has provided a written response on its website in response to these allegations. In a written response to the allegations posted on its website, Circle C leaders defended Aarum, saying he has been systematically denied the right of every person in the American systemto know and confront accusers, and alleged that The Chapels leadership turned to social media influencers and the pastors of other churches to help distribute its anonymous claims., The leaders said sponsoring anonymous claims is directly counter to the Bibles specific teachings., In another documentone of seven on the siteCircle C accused the Chapel, a megachurch with an enormous budget, well over $12 million annually, of trying to acquire the Ranchs property, a very choice 315 acres of rural land, by demanding a board restructuring to exclude members of the family that began the Ranch in 1968 and has run it ever since.. More history on Circle C Ranch can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_C_Ranch. Ministry Watch 2022 All rights reserved. Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. 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. He met Margaret Stevenson who had been born on a farm in Pennsylvania (which would prepare her for life at the Ranch). Judge Rules That Michigan Public University Violated the Rights of Christian Student Group, Citygate Network Seeks Greater Diversity in National Rescue Mission Leadership. information shared on its website on Monday. MinistrySafe, the Texas organization hired by The Chapel to investigate the claims, stated that 27 people came forward to corroborate some of the alleged behaviors, though Aarum denied the allegations. Leaders at The Chapel said they, through MinistrySafe, also reported the allegations to law enforcement. He previously has said that Chapel leaders were not seeking to take control of the Circle C Ranch board or the camp property. To honor, Glorify and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. It makes a difference to people of all backgrounds and life experiences. I pledge to you this:TheD&Cteam will do its best to serve Greater Rochester and each of our readers every single day. These persons said they'dwitnessedAarumsactions, or heard aboutthemfrom staff or loved ones. "I wish I had a more accurate way to respond to some of these things people are saying.". Click here to read the statement from Circle C Ranch. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Youth pastor, Christian camp director accused of inappropriately touching teen girls, 21 women who alleged Aarum touched them inappropriately, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone. 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. "Waynes work prevents teenage suicides, avoids teen pregnancies, postpones too-young marriages, helps confront bullying at school, teaches how to respond appropriately to parents and authority figures, how to survive peer pressure, and how to defend their faith in a kind, positive way, the board said. Email:[emailprotected] Chelsea Carnahan told The News that Aarum stroked her back, hair and legs during one-on-one counseling sessions when she was a Pioneer High School student from 2006 to 2010. Percy, as he wanted to be called, was considered by many as the founder of the Christian Camping Ministry. In its response to Norris report, the Circle C Ranch board suggests that the volume of complaints against Aarum was related to the work he did, often with troubled teenagers. In a written statement issued Friday, Circle C Ranch leadership also suggested that "false memories" could have been planted in accusers' minds. To make a donation,click here. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. 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. 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. Whether you are a loyal D&C reader or a new one, please know that stories like this are possible because of subscribers like you. 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. 1.) 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. 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. Reach him at mkilian@gannett.com. Wayne Aarum, pastor accused of abusing teens, sues Buffalo megachurch The Chapel for $2.5M. He said no one at the present and George said he would bring his crew up every weekend and do the job as a gift to the Lord. Click here to read a copy of the MinistrySafe report submitted to state officials. A friend of Ross & Wes was a man named Bob Lowe who was a very successful businessman. "Circle C Ranch would ultimately determine the initial allegations were false through its own internal investigation. Chapel leaders say they began hearing troubling allegations about Aarum in October 2019 and again in February 2020. Aarum, whose family has run the camp for decades and who is also listed as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Arcade, denied the allegations in an interview with 7 Eyewitness News. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He assured them they wouldnt see this behavior again, she said. I have never had any sexual interaction with anyone other than my wife. Weve asked for any information they can give ustheyve given us nothing, Aarum said. 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. 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. 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. 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.. She also attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter. They know Mr. Aarum personally, often for decades, and they know he would never intentionally harm anyone.. Last week, Aarum filed a civil lawsuit against The Chapel alleging defamatory statements. My evaluation of credibility is based upon 30 years of past experience interacting with fact witnesses and abuse survivors. Getzville in New York, from 1991 to 2000 before becoming director of Circle C Ranch. Finally, the notion that the allegations were planted or suggested by counselors or social workers is patently absurd.". The longtime director of a Christian youth camp in Delevan is refusing to step down despite complaints that he inappropriately touched young women and girls. 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. 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