But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. According to a report released by Ministry Safe. Aarum, in recent sermons, has compared the accusations to Jesus being crucified by people he helped, as reported by The Roys Report. God knew that Wes would need a man that would be a confidant, a prayer partner, on who could give wise counsel and one who had the same soul-winning burden and vision for the camp that he had. 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. Wes Aarum preaches at Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake in 2012. Anne Stych is a writer in Charlotte, North Carolina. The owner of this property was George Peterson who was a board member of the Bible Conference Wes directed. You have permission to edit this article. Im not anonymous, she said. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In school, our teachers told us to "show our math," or how we worked out a problem. I found each of the women to be credible, one attorney who investigated the reports of abusetold our two reporters. Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer, and Jerry Gillis, lead pastor at The Chapel, discuss the allegations against Wayne Aarum. https://terrace-healthcare.com/news/generic-cialis.html. Clergy are mandated. Chapel leaders learned a few months later about additional allegations of inappropriate behavior by Aarum during his time as a church staff member from 1991 to 2000. But the allegations are from a small percentage of the young people Aarum has worked with over the years. Aarum has denied the allegations and continues to serve on staff at the camp. 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. Aarum, whose late father, Wes Aarum Sr., founded Circle C Ranch in 1968, previously worked as a youth pastor at Buffalo-area megachurch The Chapel in the 1990s. Shortly after her graduation they were married. He wanted to give his last years to the Lord and became the head man of the construction of the town. If you are an abuse survivor, or you would like to share your experiences about the events described above, please send an email to Charlie.Specht@wkbw.com or Hannah.Buehler@wkbw.com. Camps are also required to collect information about the vaccination status of each camper and staff member, and perform health screenings upon arrival. Daryl Dekalb, a Circle C board director, says that Aarum is a True Christian. Some church members objected to what they considered a lack of disclosure earlier about the allegations against Aarum, while others suggested the investigation was tilted against Aarum. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. It matters in small towns. According to a . Email:[emailprotected] Many say the former Chapel at Crosspoint minister and president of Circle C Ranch abused his spiritual authority over three decades -- and that the inappropriate contact with teen girls was the camps worst-kept secret. Bill wanted to make sure that every building was winterized so the camp could operate year round. He was an authority figure and an adult; they were teenagers. Investigation: 16 women say this pastor and camp president abused them. 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. 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. No, he said when asked whether he ever touched anyone inappropriately. "Due to Covid Restrictions we have decided to pour all of our resources into our family camp weekends," the website reads. 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. 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. Norris also wrote to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services with a list of dozens of inappropriate actions alleged against Aarum, including entering cabins without knocking or announcing himself, while girls were changing clothes; meeting alone with girls in his office after lights out; whispering intimate statements to girls, such as I love you and You are so beautiful; and giving back massages that included rubbing of girls buttocks. The accused, Wayne Aarum, is the director of Circle C Ranch camp in Delevan, New York. 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 Lord. The Chapel has thousands of members on its rolls and helped launched several other congregations in Western New York. I, myself, personally 20 years ago sat down with Mr. Wes (Wayne Aarums father) and said, I love Wayne with all my heart, but I saw him interact in a way that was just inappropriate. , Fancher said he also has heard firsthand accounts from women who are truly victims.. Email us at: info@circlecranch.org. 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. The investigation yielded an extraordinary amount of corroborating evidence from third party sources, most of whom were former staff members. Whether you are a loyal D&C reader or a new one, please know that stories like this are possible because of subscribers like you. 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. 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. 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. That always raises the risk that someone will find the teacher to be too close for comfort. Bob asked what it was for? 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.. During his tenure at The Chapel, pastors spoke to Aarum multiple times about his conduct with girls in the youth group, according to excerpts from Aarums employee personnel file at The Chapel. 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. Leaders at The Chapel said they, through MinistrySafe, also reported the allegations to law enforcement. Amherst Police officials did not respond to an inquiry by 7 Eyewitness News, but Daryl DeKalb, a board member at Circle C Ranch, said none of that is true and defended Aarum. 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. Your support allows us to continue to produce quality journalism, week in and week out. He was not available Wednesday to speak to The News, said Dekalb. She also attended First Baptist Church of Arcade, where Aarum is pastor, and volunteered at the Circle C Ranch in the winter. Access to MinistryWatch content is free. My youth group never went back to Circle C.. 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. Circle C Ranch has provided a written response on its website in response to these allegations. Prior to 2020, when COVID-19 preventedthe camp from operating in the summer, Circle C Ranch would host grade and high school-agedchildren without their parents, according to former camp staff. Little did he realize that 23 years later God would let him have the desire of his heart. I can honestly say no., Aarum added, Did someone contact them before MinistrySafe did? Circle C stands for "Christ Centered" which is the purpose and continues to be the. Victims come forward in Circle C sexual-misconduct case. 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." In May, New York set COVID-19 rules and restrictions for summer camps to operate after sleep-away camps were forced to close last year. Carolyn McDonald, a former Circle C Ranch staffer, and Jerry Gillis, lead pastor at The Chapel, discuss the allegations against Wayne Aarum. Its all lightweight stuff theyre bringing up anyway, Dekalb said. 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 The camp cited state restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the change. The details, the word choices and the extra effort to confirm facts and reach difficult-to-reach people all matter greatly. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I have been a staff reporter at The Buffalo News since 2002 and currently am part of the watchdog team. 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. Aarum, who was a youth pastor at The Chapel, a large Buffalo-area church, and later the camp president at Circle C Ranch, a Christian camp in rural Cattaraugus County, was a well-known. A friend of Ross & Wes was a man named Bob Lowe who was a very successful businessman. As Ross Barker said, without Marge we would have never made it. How true! Click here to read the full statement from The Chapel. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Circle C Ranch'sboard of trustees said they did their own investigation. Some of the allegations date back to the 1990s, when Aarum ran a ministry program for high school students at The Chapel. 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. Such stories cannot be rushed. Officials at the Chapel said they were first made aware in 2019 of allegations about Aarum's inappropriate behavior at the camp and took that information to the Circle C Ranch board, according . It takes courage to stand up to The Chapels leadership and demand that they stop spending large amounts of the members money pursuing a broad attack on Wayne Aarum that they believe is factually unsupportable, the statement said. The Circle C Homeowners Association is a non-profit corporation governed by a seven member Board of Directors. And of course if you have any questions please email us or call the office at info@circlecranch.org or (716) 492-3687. It is very difficult to do this kind of work successfully from across the room. 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. 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. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? youth camp in Delevan, New York, stands accused of sexually assaulting at least twenty-one girls spanning decades. To reach young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they may know that they are born again. Aarum, 54, denied the allegations and has refused to step down as camp president. 3,832 were here. 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. Former Chapel minister, Circle C youth camp director denies sexual misconduct Report stated 21 women have made allegations A Christian minister with ties to a Getzville megachurch and a popular. There was documentation of people going to Wayne and saying, Hey listen, like, we love you, but you need to be careful of this.' Circle C Ranch opened in the late 1960s on a 315-acre wooded parcel in rural Cattaraugus County. The work poses many challenges. For his part, Aarum denies the claimsand defends his conduct, saying in an email, "I have never touched anyone with any inappropriate motive.". 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 spanning decades. 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. But the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team heard from multiple women who said they were not included in the MinistrySafe investigation, which examined claims stretching as far back as the 1990s, and who said their allegations stem from a time at Circle C Ranch between 2000 and 2016. 1.) It would have all the mystique of the Old West and it would look like a town in the 1800s. Camardo also told the congregation there was no truth to the rumor that the Chapel was attempting to take over operation of the camp. Less than a week after the USA TODAY Network New Yorkpublished its investigation into the allegations against Aarum in June, Circle C Ranch announced it would pivot its typical summer camp schedule for 2021 to family weekends, which would include parents as well as children. Women allege WNY Christian camp director has abused teens since 1990s. The longtime director of a Christian youth camp in Delevan is refusing to step down despite complaints that he inappropriately touched young women and girls at the camp and when he was a youth pastor in the 1990s at one of the areas largest churches. Attorney Kimberlee Norris said she interviewed 21 women who alleged inappropriate touch by Aarum. 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. 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. 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. That man was Mr. Ross Barker a businessman from Toronto. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, 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. But Dekalb defended Aarum as a "true Christian" and said he had done nothing wrong. 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'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. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Mr. Petereson was willing to sell the land for the price of the mortgage - $14,800. 'Overworked and underpaid': University at Buffalo resident doctors and fellows launch union campaign, Owner of Buffalo CPA firm denies claims of financial, workplace wrongdoing, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching, Sabres acquire defenseman Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Jemal's firm forced to redo improper work on historic Fruit Belt house, Democrats explore blue-collar struggles as brand is 'damaged', 14 police agencies break up fights outside Boulevard Mall, Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane on salary cap, Gabe Davis expectations, Damar Hamlin update and more, Observations: In OT thriller, Sabres get the final answer over Lightning on Ilya Lyubushkin's goal, Sabres trade deadline primer: How GM Kevyn Adams can add to his contending roster. Bob asked when he would pay it back? She said she reported her complaints to Camardoafter Aarums denials were posted online at the camp website. In response to that written statement, Kimberly Norris, one of the founders of MinistrySafe, and the attorney who did The Chapel investigation provided the following information: "Neither the Circle C board (or its parent corporation, Living Waters Ministries) has ever contacted me, MinistrySafe or the law firm of Love & Norris. Woman says she reported possible abuse at Circle C Ranch to police years ago. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Judge Rules That Michigan Public University Violated the Rights of Christian Student Group, Citygate Network Seeks Greater Diversity in National Rescue Mission Leadership. 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