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. In the interests of fairness, the two reporters pursued interviews with supporters of Aarum. 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. 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. According to a report released by Ministry Safe. Instead, Chapel leaders offered to share information gathered in the course of the investigation IF Circle C undertook an independent investigation in good faith. In October 2020, they hired MinistrySafe founder Kimberlee Norris, who completed her investigation in December 2020. 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. 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 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. 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. They know Mr. Aarum personally, often for decades, and they know he would never intentionally harm anyone.. It matters in suburbs. I found each of the women to be credible, one attorney who investigated the reports of abusetold our two reporters. Click here to read the statement from Circle C Ranch. He continues as First Baptist Church of Arcade pastor and Circle C Ranch director. Theyspoke to 19 other individuals including persons who worked at the camp, relatives and local pastors. The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. 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. Clergy are mandated. I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. Miracle after Miracle, God has provided for Circle C Ranch and as long as God continues to provide, we will continue to serve Him! Im not the type of person to spread things around just to ruin someone, she said. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Fancher said the camp had documented instances in which other camp leaders had approached Aarum about his actions. Pastor accused of touching girls sues Amherst church over allegations. Percy, as they wanted to call him, was considered by many to be the founder of the Christian Camp Ministry. 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. No, he said when asked whether he ever touched anyone inappropriately. It finally became a reality when in 1968 he found the property where God wanted him to start that camp. They have been a team that Gdo brought together. The board also claims that the Chapel is attempting to use the womens claims to generate controversy and take over the 315-acre rural camp that has been in the Aarum family since 1968. 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. If you are not a subscriber, or if you want a friend or loved one to enjoy the D&C like you do, please share this link with them featuring special subscription offers:https://bit.ly/3zlqulC. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. According to a . A USA TODAY Network Investigation found thatAarum, 55,touchedat least 16teenage girls inappropriately, according to their firsthand accounts. A copy of the report, which was obtained by 7 Eyewitness News, stated: In the course of the MinistrySafe investigation, these behaviors were communicated: -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", The report stated that 27 people came forward to corroborate some of the alleged behaviors, including hand rubbing inside of thighfailing to honor preference NOT to be touched and meeting 1/1 with girls late into the night.. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. But now that she is an adult, she said she would describe the interactions with girls as intimate and a form of grooming.. ONE WEEK OF SUMMER CAMP Circle C Ranch 2023 Rate $345 WEEK 1: July 10th-15th (Monday - Saturday) WEEK 2: July 17th-22nd (Monday - Saturday) All meals included All lodging included All activities included REGISTER HERE FOR THE BEST WEEK EVER! 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. "I wish I had a more accurate way to respond to some of these things people are saying.". Little did he realize that 23 years later God would let him have the desire of his heart. You have permission to edit this article. Wes had been a youth pastor, pastor, evangelist, leader in Youth for Christ and director of a Bible Conference. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? The church hired Norris last October to investigate. My byline has run in the Ithaca Journal, USA Today, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and the New York Times. . Camps are also required to collect information about the vaccination status of each camper and staff member, and perform health screenings upon arrival. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Yet for decades this alleged abuse continuedeven though leadership at both The Chapel and Circle C Ranch were confronted about Aarum's conduct at least 20 times in the past 24 years. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. He wanted to give his last years to the Lord and became the head man of the construction of the town. 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. 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. It would have board-walks, hitching rails, a Sheriffs office with two cells, an old country store, a dining hall, a chapel, cabins that could accommodate 192 campers plus 32 counselors, a swimming hole (pond) and a corral that contained a herd of horses. He has consistently denied all of the allegations against him. She also attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter. Got a story tip or comment? These persons said they'dwitnessedAarumsactions, or heard aboutthemfrom staff or loved ones. 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. All fourdid not respond. As Ross Barker said, without Marge we would have never made it. How true! Families can register online to attend camp overnightwith their children at Circle C Ranch on either July 9-11 or August 6-8. 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. Reporters also tried to contactRonald Snell,a longtime friend of Wes Aarum Sr. andCircle C board member for a short period, whowas also present at the meeting. 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. Wayne Aarum, a former senior high minister at The Chapel at Crosspoint in Getzville, New York, current pastor of First Baptist Church in Arcade, 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. Wayne Aarum, a former senior high minister at, in Getzville, New York, current pastor of. Earlier this week, Circle C Ranch staff members said the camp is open to house Afghan refugees arriving on U.S. soil after fleeing the Talibans takeover in the country, according to the story from WIVB in Buffalo. I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. Drew Silleman. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. That can be the case in the busiest of news years (ahem, 2020) or on the slowest of news days. Click here to read the internal investigation report provided by Circle C Ranch. 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. 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. OPTION 2: Form your OWN GROUP (Adult supervisors will be responsible for the students they bring) TO REGISTER OR ASK QUESTIONS: Click Here! 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. As an evangelist eh spoke at many youth camps during the summer and that desire to starta a camp grew even stronger. The Chapel also hired MinistrySafe, an independent legal firm that looks into abuse allegations in Christian settings, to investigate allegations that abuse occurred at The Chapel in the 1990s. We never saw anything even approaching this.. Many of these people say he could not have possibly done what he is accused. If you are new to the Web site, be sure to complete the Sign Up information to receive a password to the private and secured portions of the site. 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 Wayne Aarum, a former employee of The Chapel who worked there in the 1990s. But in 2020, something changed. 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. and we are celebrating 10 years of building community through these great events. Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer, and Jerry Gillis, lead pastor at The Chapel, discuss the allegations against Wayne Aarum. It was 50 miles south of Buffalo, NY on a 315 acre piece of land that had been a farm. "Circle C Ranch would ultimately determine the initial allegations were false through its own internal investigation. She was saved as a teenager, went to Buffalo and became a Registered Nurse. Email us at: info@circlecranch.org. Camardo did not respond Friday to a voicemail and email seeking comment. 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. When told it was for a youth camp, Bob wrote out a check for the amount needed. But she said that it is important that parents be aware of the allegations when making decisions about their kids. He also currently serves as pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of Arcade, New York. Circle C Ranch Director Wayne Aarum filed a $2.5M lawsuit against The Chapel the same day the USA Today Network reported abuse allegations by former camp staffers. To more or less prime the pump?. Two other days, July 3 and 31, are designated as "Family Fun Days," according to the website. Editor's note: There are descriptions of alleged sexual abuse and opinions about survivors of alleged abuse that may be triggering to abuse survivors. My byline has run in the Ithaca Journal, USA Today, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and the New York Times. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. I think she is in a place in her life where shes ready to come forward, the former employee said. There is absolutely no credibility to any of these things, Dekalb said. 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. Michael Kilian is executive editor of the Democrat and Chronicle. When the camp went to pay Bob back he made it a gift to the ministry. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. 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. 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. 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. (Both boys are college graduates and are now full time in the ministry working with college as well as public and high school students.) The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. Aarum has denied any wrongdoing, and he told his congregation in April that he never intended to offend anyone with his remarks or actions. Aarum is seeking $3.1 million in damages. The camp cited state restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change. 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.. "Circle C Ranch is aware of allegations raised against our President. {{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. In investigative journalism, it's vital reporters show their efforts to confirm facts and to reach people. In school, our teachers told us to "show our math," or how we worked out a problem. Hannah Buehler reports. I have never had any sexual interaction with anyone other than my wife. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Daryl Dekalb, a Circle C board director, says that Aarum is a True Christian. 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. Little id any of us realize what a blessing that would be, as the Winter Snow Camps have brought in thousands of campers with hundreds of them accepting Christ.. We have TWO options for bringing campers to Snow Camp. Sticht said she brought the complaints to Wes Aarum, the brother of Wayne Aarum who was also involved in ministry at the camp. 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 all lightweight stuff theyre bringing up anyway, Dekalb said. 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. Other alleged inappropriate behaviors are mentioned in the report. Multiple women told the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team that Aarum would sometimes touch intimate areas and would grab their bra straps. They spoke to Aarum, who denied any wrongdoing, according to the Chapel's statement. The smart way to start your day. Click here to read the full statement from The Chapel. 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. Nothing happened. Youth pastor, Christian camp director accused of inappropriately touching teen girls. Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. 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