By Kim Roberts - Posted at MinistryWatch:
At a time when momentum is growing in state legislatures to pass laws prohibiting the use of nondisclosure agreements in cases involving child sexual abuse, three seminaries and one Christian college are partnering with a discipleship and leadership program with connections to Kanakuk Kamps.The Kanakuk Institute is an 8-month program designed for graduate-level students to be equipped with “biblical skills for a lifetime of ministry.” The campus, located in the mountains of Branson, Mo., sits on the shores of Lake Taneycomo. Its website says its staff will “guide young men and women as they devote time to study God’s Word, establish a foundation of beliefs, work through their broken past, and create a vision for their future.”
Upon graduation, students receive a Certificate of Leadership and Biblical Studies with up to 24 credits that can be transferred to partner seminaries or colleges.
But some critics are concerned that by partnering with Kanakuk, these seminaries and colleges are sending the wrong message by potentially glossing over Kanakuk Kamps’ checkered past.
One of those critics is Trey Carlock’s sister, Elizabeth Phillips. Phillips is working tirelessly in honor of her brother, who took his own life after suffering sexual abuse at the hands of Peter Newman at Kanakuk Kamps. Newman, a camp counselor and leader, was sentenced to three life terms in 2010.
The history of sexual abuse allegations against Kanakuk Kamps, along with claims that its leaders were warned about Newman’s abuse but failed to act, causes Kanakuk advocates and survivors deep concern about the discipleship program and its partnership with seminaries.
Advocates and survivors have “received allegations of abuse related to Kanakuk Institute, and are particularly troubled by the fact that its students are often encouraged to spend one-on-one time with children, including staying overnight in host families’ homes, despite the organization’s history of abuse occurring in exactly those settings,” Allison Bradley, communications director for Phillips Enterprises, said on behalf of Phillips. More information about these concerns can be found on the Facts about Kanakuk website.
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