In a letter to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Norris outlined dozens of alleged incidents connected with the youth group and the camp, including Aarum touching girls intimately, saying intimate things to them, and entering cabins while girls were changing clothes. Furthermore, Taddeo and Silvarole included what could be learned about how camp leaders dealt with complaints made about Aarum: "Circle C Ranch wouldultimately determinethe initial allegationswere false through its own internal investigation. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how thisinvestigation was conducted and who conducted it. 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. The Board will send a reply through the HOA Office after the meeting. 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. Wayne Aarum, pastor accused of abusing teens, sues Buffalo megachurch The Chapel for $2.5M. The Child Development Center of Circle C Ranch | Photos by JR Flores | Site by Sommers Marketing + Public Relations. 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. Like much of the world, they've been closely watching what's been unfolding in Afghanistan. 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. 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.. 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. Being a 15 year old girl, newly diagnosed with leukemia, your entire world is crazy. If you're on the Circle C website, the camp has seven new documents that outline why they say Aarum is innocent. She was saved as a teenager, went to Buffalo and became a Registered Nurse. 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. 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. I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive," Aarum said in an email to USA TODAY Network reporters on April 28, 2021. There really is no place like it. Litigator 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 The Chapel at Crosspoint, a megachurch in the Buffalo area. That was of the Lord. Now God would go to work and make this camp a reality. 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. 10109 Hibiscus Cove SOLD in 9 days! 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. At 18 years of age he was the lifeguard at Pine brook, a very unique teen camp in Pennsylvania whose founder was Percy Crawford. hb```, x ` 0rBJCYXCZZ})4 kaH@s@#@fg,@,c%C}Ip*6pkZGWGh94Hv `BPa6 2ut@2:2> B;X &s&6faffyLffIW'6 ``g`[pq!wMm|7Bu5fd``47%'X?BT1z ]_] At this age, he began to take care of his health. Besides doing the cooking, she became the office manager, the accountant, head of the medical dept, and a mother to their 2 sons, Wes & Wayne. These persons said they'dwitnessedAarumsactions, or heard aboutthemfrom staff or loved ones. "The camp programs, which ran primarily in the summer, complemented [T]he Chapels youth programs, which ran primarily during the school year. He also currently serves as pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of Arcade, New York. On each occasion, Wayne Aarum, as spokesperson for the board of directors, refused to sell or lease any portion of the land used by the Circle C Ranch for such purposes recognizing that the corporation was giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next decade, the lawsuit says. 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. 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. Judge Rules That Michigan Public University Violated the Rights of Christian Student Group, Citygate Network Seeks Greater Diversity in National Rescue Mission Leadership. Name* Email* CAPTCHA Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. We have repeatedly requested to know who the anonymous accusations are coming from and again, with the exception of one instance, they have refused. Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage $14,800. Water exercise is for everyone! Growth of Circle C Ranch . Marges love for the Lord led her, along with her other jobs, to be the teacher of a womens weekly Bible study. 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. Investigation: 16 women say this pastor and camp president abused them. 7008 Cusseta SOLD in 14 days! All rights reserved. ", "The USA TODAY NETWORK asked for comment from five individuals whosupport the Ranch and the Aarums. The one thing they do not have is a childrens ministry like that, said Dekalb. 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.. It all started in the heart of an evangelist named Wes Aarum. Aarum also said in a video posted to the Circle C Ranch website this summer that he never received complaints at the time the alleged abuse occurred about his behavior in either positions he's held at The Chapel or at Circle C Ranch. 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. That's a Christian camp for young people nearDelevan, New York, a village southeast of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester. 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.. %PDF-1.6 % 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. The owner of this property was George Peterson who was a board member of the Bible Conference Wes directed. A social worker can get anyone to say anything, Dekalb said. Attorney Steven Long of Williamsvillelaw firm Long & Paulo-Lee, PLLC, who represents Aarum, did not immediately return requests for comment. 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.. 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. (Both boys are college graduates and are now full time in the ministry working with college as well as public and high school students.) It finally became a reality when in 1968 he found the property where God wanted him to start that camp. The Circle C board goes on to accuse The Chapel of sponsoring anonymous claims from the alleged victims, even thought The Chapel says all information was unsolicited and the victims are not anonymous to The Chapel. Some things have changed but these three things will never change! 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. Pine brook was a great soul-winning camp and that summer hundreds of teens accepted Christ. They travelled over 100 miles one way every weekend until the job as done and then they donated all the fixtures as well. DELEVAN, N.Y. (WKBW) 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. Keller Williams Realty, Three Barton Skyway, 1221 S Mopac, Ste.120, Austin TX 78746 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. ContactSarahat STADDEO@Gannett.com or (585) 258-2774. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Living Waters Ministries says it takes allegations serious, and thats why the ranch says it conducted a thorough investigation of these circumstances assisted by professional experts.. Circle C Ranch opened in the late 1960s on a 315-acre wooded parcel in rural Cattaraugus County. Circle C stands for "Christ Centered" which is the p https://terrace-healthcare.com/news/generic-cialis.html. Bill wanted to make sure that every building was winterized so the camp could operate year round. 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. A few months later Wes realized he needed $10,000 more. 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. The camp cited state restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . 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, as well as be added to our email list. But Wesley Aarum Sr. did not respect or trust Mr. Gillis and his financial ambitions, the lawsuit adds. 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. Wes said he didnt know. That man was Mr. Ross Barker a businessman from Toronto. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". hbbd```b``"Idjd2d f;0>[Ha`bd` Ig[ '3 Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. 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. Although he considered this womans accusation to be criminal in nature, Mr. Camardo did not make a report to any law enforcement authority or encourage the woman to do so. Return to homepage. It was decided that he should be contacted and asked for a loan of $30,000. The Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Community Center. Nothing happened. All rights reserved. The Board of Directors meeting date and time is on the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Footer 2018 Community Report Contact Info 1179 0 obj <>stream 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. 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. The Aarum family has owned Circle C Ranch in Delevan for 54 years. Nothing happened. 0 That was of the Lord. 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 Have questions about what happened at your last Associations Board Meeting, well this folder has the answers. To email a Board member directly, click their email address below. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. A friend of Ross & Wes was a man named Bob Lowe who was a very successful businessman. The board - which consists of Wayne Aarum, his brother, Wes, and Daryl Dekalb - posted a 34-page report on the. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. 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. endstream endobj 1155 0 obj <. It's vital people describing trauma or harm be listened to with sensitivity and patience; coming forward is often an act of courage. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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.. Prior to becoming director of Circle C Ranch, Aarum worked as a youth pastor atBuffalo-area megachurch The Chapel in the 1990s. 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. More history on Circle C Ranch can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_C_Ranch. by Webmaster | Oct 20, 2014 | Board of Directors Meeting. 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.. Your support allows us to continue to produce quality journalism, week in and week out. I found each of the women to be credible, one attorney who investigated the reports of abusetold our two reporters. The camp was founded by Wayne Aarums father Wes Aarum Sr., and both Wayne and his brother, Wes Aarum Jr., serve on the board. They have been a team that Gdo brought together. Getzville in New York, from 1991 to 2000 before becoming director of Circle C Ranch. Aarum has denied the allegations and continues to serve on staff at the camp. He never asked for a representative on the board of directors of the Living Waters Ministries Inc. We have reporters standing by. Its a thrill to see what God has done over the years. The preschool and its programs are funded by tuition, fees and fundraising. 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. Got a story tip or comment? 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.

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