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. Last week, Aarum filed a civil lawsuit against The Chapel alleging defamatory statements. To make a donation,click here. Wayne Aarum, pastor accused of abusing teens, sues Buffalo megachurch The Chapel for $2.5M. 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. 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. 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. 10611 Ames Lane SOLD in 4 days! To reach young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they may know that they are born again. It's vital people describing trauma or harm be listened to with sensitivity and patience; coming forward is often an act of courage. What else might develop? The church continued to contribute financially to the camp each year and recommended it to families. The Aarum family has owned Circle C Ranch in Delevan for 54 years. This includes our remarkable Board of Directors and alumni. For thirty years, from 1968 to 1999, the close friendship between the Andrews family and the Aarum family was important for their organizations and their personal satisfaction with their work. by Webmaster | Oct 20, 2014 | Board of Directors Meeting. 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. Woman says she reported possible abuse at Circle C Ranch to police years ago. 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.. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. "Due to Covid Restrictions we have decided to pour all of our resources into our family camp weekends," the website reads. Return to homepage. 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. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. (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 matters in small towns. Families can register online to attend camp overnightwith their children at Circle C Ranch on either July 9-11 or August 6-8. 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. 7008 Cusseta SOLD in 14 days! 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. Oh, and if you have a good story tip, on any subject, please let us know. 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. 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. It matters in cities. 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. 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.. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". Aarum left his role at The Chapel in 2000. These persons said they'dwitnessedAarumsactions, or heard aboutthemfrom staff or loved ones. 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. When told it was for a youth camp, Bob wrote out a check for the amount needed. A few months later Wes realized he needed $10,000 more. The one thing they do not have is a childrens ministry like that, said Dekalb. The 2022-2023 CDC Board of Directors are: Warren Faulkner, President Melinda McKenna, Board Member David Wagner, Board Member Aaron Sotak, Board Member Randy Glenn, Board Member Sign-up for our newsletter! 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.. Homeowners are encourage to host their individual garage sales on 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. . This helps build confidence among readers inthe validity of the work. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial, according to the court filing. In late 2019, allegations of abuse against Aarum 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. In the interests of fairness, the two reporters pursued interviews with supporters of Aarum. Aarum and the Circle C board members did not respond when asked how this . The preschool and its programs are funded by tuition, fees and fundraising. At least 21 women reportedly told lawyers hired by The Chapel that they were inappropriately touched by Aarum who worked with the church as one of the directors of student youth groups from 1990 to 2000. Two other days, July 3 and 31, are designated as "Family Fun Days," according to the website. The board - which consists of Wayne Aarum, his brother, Wes, and Daryl Dekalb - posted a 34-page report on the. 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. They know Mr. Aarum personally, often for decades, and they know he would never intentionally harm anyone.. The Circle C HOA Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, January 27, at 6:30pm via ZOOM. That was of the Lord. . Holding a crusade in a town nearby Wes was introduced to a man named Bill Daily who worked construction and was also a master stone worker. Year Lots in the Association Lots paying full assessment . 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. In . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Minutes are generally posted a month following the meeting once they have been accepted. 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.. "Double H Ranch changed my life in more ways than one. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Name* Email* CAPTCHA Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Wes had been a youth pastor, pastor, evangelist, leader in Youth for Christ and director of a Bible Conference. 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set COVID-19 rules and restrictions for summer camps, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. , NY 12846. 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. Links to the ZOOM meetings and meeting agendas may be found on the website at www.
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