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. He also currently serves as pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of Arcade, New York. 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. 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. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Circle C Ranch opened in the late 1960s on a 315-acre wooded parcel in rural Cattaraugus County. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? In one letter, the board accused the Chapels executive pastor, John Camardo, of defamation. 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. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Aarum is seeking $3.1 million in damages. 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. It was decided that he should be contacted and asked for a loan of $30,000. Got a story tip or comment? 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. 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. After Bible School, University and Seminary Wes went full time into the Lords work. Clergy are mandated. 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. 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. We have reporters standing by. He continues as First Baptist Church of Arcade pastor and Circle C Ranch director. . 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. In the interests of fairness, the two reporters pursued interviews with supporters of Aarum. 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.. Weve asked for any information they can give ustheyve given us nothing, Aarum said. It all started in the heart of an evangelist named Wes Aarum. To make a donation,click here. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The camp cited state restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change. Oh, and if you have a good story tip, on any subject, please let us know. information shared on its website on Monday. Sticht said she brought the complaints to Wes Aarum, the brother of Wayne Aarum who was also involved in ministry at the camp. According to a report . Keep reading with unlimited digital access. More: Christian camp Circle C announces changes to summer program after abuse allegations surface. read more Filed Under: Church 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. 10451 Ashcraft Rd Delevan, NY 14042 One of America's most exciting Christian Camps. Attorney Kimberlee Norris said she interviewed 21 women who alleged inappropriate touch by Aarum. Click here to read a copy of the MinistrySafe report submitted to state officials. Im not the type of person to spread things around just to ruin someone, she said. At 18 years of age he was the lifeguard at Pine brook, a very unique teen camp in Pennsylvania whose founder was Percy Crawford. 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. 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. He was born in Buffalo, NY into a godly family and at 17 years of age accepted Christ into his life. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) Three days after sexual misconduct allegations were raised about a Cattaraugus County youth camp director -- allegations the camp director denied -- additional women. We believe in the Divine Inspiration of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, the creation of man by the diret act of God, the Incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His vicarious atonement for the sin of mankind, His death, burial, resurection, and His coming again bodily to take His saints to be with Him forever. Now there was a need for the total of $40,000 to get things moving. 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? Two other days, July 3 and 31, are designated as "Family Fun Days," according to the website. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Circle C Ranch'sboard of trustees said they did their own investigation. 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. Sarah Taddeo is an enterprisereporter for USA Today Network's New York State Team. I dont want any more children to be affected. He was not available Wednesday to speak to The News, said Dekalb. 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. Two men face multiple charges following a chase and search Saturday night in the Town of Collins, Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia reported Tuesday. A Christian minister with ties to a Getzville megachurch and a popular Cattaraugus County youth camp stands accused of sexual misconduct with teen girls -- but he denies the allegations. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. There was documentation of people going to Wayne and saying, Hey listen, like, we love you, but you need to be careful of this.' Prior to becoming director of Circle C Ranch, Aarum worked as a youth pastor atBuffalo-area megachurch The Chapel in the 1990s. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage $14,800. Multiple women told the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team that Aarum would sometimes touch intimate areas and would grab their bra straps. In investigative journalism, it's vital reporters show their efforts to confirm facts and to reach people. 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.. 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. WAYNE AARUM. But Dekalb defended Aarum as a "true Christian" and said he had done nothing wrong. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". She also attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter. Follow heronTwitter @Sjtaddeo. And this started 20 years ago, said Fancher. Many of these people say he could not have possibly done what he is accused. Leaders at The Chapel said they, through MinistrySafe, also reported the allegations to law enforcement. 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 . Wes Aarum recently resigned from the Chapel after declining to step down from the Circle C Ranch board, according to a transcript of a meeting Camardo had with church members in January. The membership was advised that the independent investigation credibly confirmed a pattern of inappropriate interaction with young women involved in The Chapel's student ministry in the late 90s and also uncovered ongoing inappropriate interaction with young women not associated with The Chapel who had been involved in the previously referenced local youth camp over the last two decades, The Chapel said in its statement. Through all this, Aarum remains as the Circle C camp president today. Bill wanted to make sure that every building was winterized so the camp could operate year round. 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.. To more or less prime the pump?. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how thisinvestigation was conducted and who conducted it. At this age, he began to take care of his health. Campbell declined to comment further when contacted by The News. Aarum, in recent sermons, has compared the accusations to Jesus being crucified by people he helped, as reported by The Roys Report. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. Another woman wrote that the hugs were so bad that he proceeded to rub my back and hug me for an uncomfortably long time, and did not let go when I tried to pull away.. Wes said he didnt know. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. https://terrace-healthcare.com/news/generic-cialis.html. Your support allows us to continue to produce quality journalism, week in and week out. 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?. Wondering what your camper will need? 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. The 75-page transcript, which was posted online at the Circle C website, reveals rifts within the congregation, with members pressing Camardo for details about the investigation of Wayne Aarum and the resignation of Wes Aarum. What else might develop? Circle C Ranch has provided a written response on its website in response to these allegations. In addition, a contemporaneous writing provided evidence that the behaviors were previously reported to camp leadership. My byline has run in the Ithaca Journal, USA Today, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and the New York Times. 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. 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. They have been a team that Gdo brought together. DeKalb suggested that the allegations were part of a campaign by Chapel leaders to acquire the youth camp. 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. 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." There was over 100 acres of good haying land on this property so they had plenty of feed for the horses. Women allege WNY Christian camp director has abused teens since 1990s. That was of the Lord. Snell could not be reachedafterrepeated attempts, including a letter to his home, phone calls and an email to his wife.". Percy, as they wanted to call him, was considered by many to be the founder of the Christian Camp Ministry. It finally became a reality when in 1968 he found the property where God wanted him to start that camp. Few of the women who came forward during the investigation knew other; the behavior complained of spanned DECADES. I think she and other survivors felt responsible to bring it to light., The former employee said she never recognized Aarums interaction with girls as inappropriate while she worked there as a teen. "Wayne has ministered to thousands and thousands of kids over the years, and we never heard anything from anybody.". For many years, The Chapel, a popular nondenominational megachurch with several offshoot congregations, encouraged families to send their children to Circle C Ranch. Youth pastor, Christian camp director accused of inappropriately touching teen girls. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. For months, The Chapel facilitated conversations between women like McDonald, who say they were abused by Aarum,and the Circle C Ranch board of directors. 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