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Defeating Human Trafficking is a great moral calling of our time –Condoleezza Rice
As one of the women who has doggedly pursued justice in this situation said to me: “This is like peeling back the layers of an onion.” I agree and would add that many tears have been shed in doing so. The heroes of this story are the victims, the women who will not let it go, Joe Mauk, Michael Newnham, aka The Phoenix Preacher, and Medium all of whom are doing a bang up job in exposing the many stories surrounding this saga. See Ben Sledge’s recent expose on CJ Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries.
I plan to write a number of stories on this situation over the next few weeks- interspersed with articles on the quickly changing evangelical/SBC abuse landscape. Today I’m going to stand on the shoulders of those who’ve already written about the subject so I can get us caught up to what is going on today.
In 2014, Sankey orphanage/school in the Phillipines is raided and its leaders are accused of participating in sex trafficking.
Michael Newnham wrote Whistleblower Under Fire in Philippines Child Abuse Case in January 2014,
In Lucena City an orphanage, the Sankey Samaritan Mission for poor children and youth, was raided by the NBI (ed: Philippine government agency )and an American, Tom Randall and orphanage manager Toto Luchavez and his son Jake Luchavez were arrested and are charged with trafficking and child abuse based on strong testimony of some of the
31(3/3/19)victims.
This raid occurred because of the bravery of Joe Mauk, an American missionary, and his daughter, Miriam Bogolan, who reported their concerns to law enforcement.
As this story progresses, Mauk will be vilified. I, along with many others, believe he is a hero. However, he is living proof of the saying “No good deed goes unpunished.” Newnham quotes from Joe Mauk’s Facebook page.
A year or so ago one of my church members was asked to be principal of the Christian school that operates on the same compound as the children’s institution. This past year she recruited one of our young people, a newly certified teacher, to join the faculty. She was assigned living space in the dorm of the girls. Some of the girls confided in her of the abuse they were experiencing by the administrator. She told my daughter Miriam Bongolan who is trained in detecting child abuse by the head start program in the US and has worked in missions involving anti-abuse and child trafficking. She brought the news to me. I asked if there was anything I could send to the foreign funder to verify this. Two girls from the institution, at great personal risk, smuggled out letters to the teacher who gave them to Miriam who gave them to me. I immediately scanned them and emailed them to the foreign funder. His response was that he knew about one of the girls, that she was emotionally disturbed and told stories and that he had probably received a dozen such letters from her. He said he didn’t know about the other girl but would handle it himself as he was due to visit in 6 weeks.
As a service to the institution, I had been providing security guards from the agency that provides security for our conference center. In anticipation of the foreign funder’s visit to handle things, upon legal advice, I moved to increase security there. This attempt was met with furious opposition by the administrator and the funder. Within a week my increased security was replaced with a new agency who hired the old guards. Realizing there was nothing more I could do to help and realizing the responsibility to report to authorities reports received of abuse, I turned all information I had over to my legal counsel and to a pastoral crisis intervention team to report the matter to authorities.
Charges against Randall were eventually dropped. Was this due to a campaign started by Joe Coffey, his close friend and pastor of Christ Community Chapel where Randall is now a pastor?
What Happened at Sankey by Truth Seeker linked to Joe Coffey’s 2014 defense of his friend, Tom Randall.
He went to the Philippines a month ago to spend time with the children of his orphanage and take some men from the States on a basketball trip they will be talking about for the rest of their lives.
Before Tom left he started to receive calls from the Philippines from a missionary he has known for 30 years. It started small and began to morph into something unrecognizable. All the accusations were coming from the same source so it is very suspicious that the accusations would change. The accusations resulted in a full blow investigation from the Philippine version of Child Services and the FBI. After 2 weeks of exhausting interviews Tom and the staff of the orphanage were completely exonerated. Tom called me to rejoice and then left on the basketball trip.
Truth Seeker documents that Joe Coffey claimed the charges were unwarranted since all that happened is Toto Luchavez kissed a 15 year old girl. Medium summarized the essential points.
The essential points:
- There were only one or possibly two girls accusing one orphanage worker of an unwanted kiss.
- The girl(s) made up the allegations because they were angry about being disciplined. They recanted by January 14, 2014.
- There was never actually any abuse at Sankey.
- Somebody — a missionary — escalated gossip and slander resulting in the unjust arrests.
It’s all just gossip and slander.
Please note the charges by Coffey Tom Randall (3/3/19)of slander and gossip. Randall Joe Coffey should know that these two words, gossip and slander, always lead me to believe that something really bad happened and they are covering it up with Christian lingo. Sometimes a video clip more accurately expresses what I’m feeling now about this situation.
I bet it will not surprise folks to learn that Tom Randall’s recounting of events seem at odds with the evidence obtained by Michael Newnham and Medium.
1. It appears that one girl did not recant
Listen to her testimony obtained by Michael Newnham starting at the 15:30 mark.
2. More than one orphanage worker was accused of some serious charges.
Medium documented the following:
And more than one orphanage worker was accused of sexual misconduct, and some of it was much more serious than a kiss. In the August 29, 2014 hearing transcript, you can see the charges against two orphanage workers. Against Mark Jayrold A. Luchavez, alias “Jake” (Tom’s godson):
- Violation of Article III, Section 5(b) of Republic Act 7610
- Violation of Article 266-A par. 2 in relation to Article 266-B of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Republic Act 8353
That’s lascivious acts against a minor and rape. And against Perfecto Luchavez, Jr, alias “Toto” (Tom’s good friend and administrator of the orphanage):
- Violation of Article III, Sec. 5(b) of Republic Act 7610 (lascivious acts against a minor)
3. According to Medium, 4 Sankey children were presented as witnesses.
Gossip and slander according to Coffey Randall (3/3/19)? Ummm, my Wartburg tingle tells me otherwise.
A full court press in the US resulted in Tom Randall being freed by Filipino authorities.
Another post by Truth Seeker at Medium The Tom Randall Orphanage Case: What happened in court? fills us in on the *what happened with the arrests. ” It’s not pretty. The Facebook page has since been removed but there is a Vimeo showing that such an effort occurred.
Senator Rob Portman participated in this effort. I hope to speak with his office in the near future.
During the next three weeks, members of Tom Randall’s Ohio church started a Facebook page supporting him and the Luchavez men. They received tens of thousands of “likes” from supporters. These supporters were asked to send messages to the Philippine NBI (like the American FBI) and the US Embassy petitioning for Tom’s release. Ohio Senator Rob Portman reached out to the Philippine ambassador about the case. Tom Randall’s ministry paid all attorney fees for him, Toto, and Jake.
Tom Randall was released with all charges dropped. However, he made a curious statement which was documented by Michael Newnham. Is this another *nothing to see here*statement? Is this some other folks being thrown under the bus?
Randall explained in the affidavit that even though he founded Sankey to “help orphans and give them a better chance at life,” he does not own, lease or sublease any of Sankey’s property or facilities nor is he an incorporator, director or officer of the orphanage.
The local pastor, who is former chaplain for the PGA Champions Tour, stated that he is based in the United States and spends about one month annually, during December and January, in the Philippines.
“However, I remained in constant touch with Sankey as an adviser, and always helped out in securing funds for the operations of Sankey. I would always make myself available should Sankey need my guidance. In fact, since the formation of Sankey, I would ensure that I come to the Philippines during the months of December or January to spend Christmas and New Year with the children and to assist in managing its affairs,” Randall stated.
So what happened to the other two men?
I don’t know.
Have you ever read explanations over and over again and still not be able to comprehend what’s going on? That is me at this moment. From what I can tell, the trial of the other two men continues to be delayed. Tom Randall and friends keep claiming that it is over. I can’t find one bit of evidence that the possible trial has been officially shut down except by statements of Randall and Coffey and we know how that should be interpreted…
Where are the documents, one way or another?
Medium gives one explanation coming from Joe Mauck.
But from what the whistleblowers’ write, Tom Randall’s money was successful in staving off justice. Joe Mauk wrote in July 2016 that the victims went through two-and-a-half years of court appearances, delays, and obfuscation, and were looking at least another two years to reach a verdict — followed by an appeal, which could easily take another five years. He says the victims chose to move on with their lives and gave up on receiving justice in the court system.
An independent third party investigation must happen.
The time is right for an independent third party investigation by experienced groups like GRACE (Boz Tchividjian.) I have received word that Joe Coffey doesn’t believe that GRACE is capable of conducting such an investigation. Is this true? That’s one explanation that I would love to hear.
We are left with the testimonies of kids who were allegedly abused. Is everyone at Coffey’s Christ Community Chapel comfortable with this?
If these allegation are proven to be true, and I believe that there appears to be reason to consider their accusations since few victims of sexual abuse, especially children, lie about it, then the truth must be told. The victims would deserve justice.
What’s the deal about threats being received by those who are concerned about what happened at Sankey? Seriously?
First, let me say this loud and clear. If I receive any threats on this matter, they will be turned over to law enforcement. It’s amazing what I can track down and I’m getting really good at it.
According to Michael Newnham in Death Threats Alleged for Philippine Whistle Blowers.
Joe Mauk reported this on Feb 7th; (ed: 2014)
“Yesterday the principal of the school on the Sankey compound received death threats. She is moving to a safe area today. This morning the teacher, who first informed my daughter of the reports she heard from two of the girls, received a death threat also. We will do our best to aid in her protection. In the meantime high end attorneys arranged by Tom Randall and World Harvest Ministries are trying their best to get the perpetrators released on bail. People have been blaming the problems on a third world country’s propensity towards corruption. Yes but they have it backwards. It is not the ones reporting abuse who have money or influence. There was a network of deceit built up over years around the orphanage operation. I myself was clueless until four months ago, it was so well disguised. Employment is a treasured possession here and many will go along with all kinds of anomalies to keep their employment secure. Even so, there was an exodus of long-term staff from the orphanage in the last three years, some of whom admitted privately they just could not do it any more. Local officials, military, police and social services live on very limited budgets and a few favors, financial and otherwise, sprinkled around have a great effect and can turn aside the view of the ones supposed to be monitoring your activity. By God’s enablement my daughter and her teacher friend who is now being threatened were able to reach the highest levels of law enforcement on these types of cases. This is being handled by them quite professionally but high dollar lawyers do make things more complicated.”
Newnham also stated that he had been informed privately of other death threats. Do these creeps rally think that God will take kindly to this?
I want to end this post in Newnham’s words.
(Statements made against those seeking the truth)
The people claiming abuse are emotionally and spiritually unstable and have been manipulated by evil doers.
The accused are great servants of God and He will avenge them against the accusers.
Bloggers and the media…well, the devout already know about those devils.
(Newnham speaking)
Now facts are hard to come by in this case, but here is one undeniable fact I will testify to.
Not one of the people I’ve corresponded with has expressed anything other than a deep admiration and love for Tom Randall.
Let me speak clearly…the fact that this story is following the pattern of every other ecclesiastical cover up of abuse we’ve covered, does not necessarily mean that the same thing is happening in this situation.
It means that because of the lack of transparency and open dialog that questions and doubts remain unanswered and the name and reputation of Chris and his church are again sullied.
No one wants to see innocent people accused or God forbid, convicted.
We should want to show the world that when these issues arise that the church is the first to investigate them openly and honestly in the fear and reverence of God.
Do you have questions?
I am going to be writing more on this subject. For now, I have given an extremely rough overview of the issues surrounding this case.
As many of you know, I have a medical/dental ministry that brings quality health care to victims of human trafficking. It breaks my heart to imagine children in the Philippines being harmed in such a manner. Pray for a third party independent investigation. The innocent have nothing to fear, Those who alleged gossip and slander may be attempting to conceal something using old, worn out, silly and ineffective tactics. If all was *wonderful* why do questions keep being raised?
Please ask questions about this story and I will do my best to get answers for you.
1 Battaboom
1st?
drstevj comes through again. Now to read.
As much as I follow this website and comment at times, the continual competition to see who is the first person to post is taking away credibility from what is discussed here.
Really lucky….
5 + 6 by the way
I have to admit I’m not fond of it either. I think it detracts from the message of the post.
Thanks for posting this info. Have been watching this story for some time and hoping the underlying truth would come out. Christian orgs are too quick to circle the wagons rather than evaluating the facts, especially when it comes to sexual abuse. If there is nothing to hide, then the church (CCC) should allow an external investigation. But the fact that they continue to vilify anyone asking hard questions outside of the church is a big red flag.
Dee:
What is the name of your ministry?
drstevej is really Quick Draw McGraw (of Hanna-Barbera fame).
I would be hardpressed to list all of the ‘rumors’ I have stumbled upon of child abuse and trafficking via orphanages and major aid organizations. Including some that most christians hold in quite high regard. And in these suffering, poverty stricken countries, it is so easy to buy silence. Gossip? Slander? Maybe. But something strikes me as a bit odd that these accusations keep popping up, again and again, yet rarely lead to prosecution or shutdown of corrupt agencies posing as helping hands.
Like Justaguy, who posted on another thread, I once viewed human trafficking as an overblown issue. I mean seriously? Or organ trafficking? I now suspect that such things are far, far worse than we could ever imagine. Dear God, please put an end to all of this.
TS00,
Should read ‘stumbled on reports’
Extremely concerning, not one bit surprising. Foreign funded orphanages abroad are ripe for sexual abuse. A friend of mine worked at one ten years ago in north Thailand was sure something was being covered up. I periodically hear similar stories from Cambodia. Friends, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT give money to any foreign orphanage. Just don’t. Local people hired to run them are never screened nor trained to identify/handle sexual abuse. Americans pastors funding these places don’t live there. When they visit they have no way to grasp what’s really going on because they don’t speak the local language let alone understand the culture. Local staff who see things can’t speak up because of power differential issues- ie the men leading these places hold the power over “day staff”- who fear to lose their jobs, or know the men in charge will discount their testimonies. On top of it, unless there has been a recent war, children at these so called orphanages aren’t even real orphans, but children whose living parents have given them up to be cared for because it takes the financial burden off them as parents. I could go on but I won’t because I might just work myself up in to a fit. I’ll say it again. Don’t support orphanages. If you must, support ministries that develop communities to support themselves and thereby care for children at home within the extended family.
When I first found this blog the 1st stuff really troubled me, so I understand how it can put people off. It seemed as if people were trivializing the serious and tragic stories being told. Someone, Muff or HUG? mentioned that it was just a harmless breaking of the tension, as these things really can take a toll on one’s mind. Sorta like Nick commenting on cricket. Sometimes, it helps to share a laugh. Just a thought.
Thank you for writing this amd bringing it to the attention of more people. As someone who grew up as a child of missionaries in the Philippines, I can personally attest that getting justice in a Filipino court can be terribly difficult and a long, painful, drawn-out process. It is also true that many people won’t speak up over things like this because they are afraid of losing their jobs and/or having it ripple to their friends and family. People with money and connections can cause more trouble for a “less important” person and everyone they know so easily, most people in developed countries couldn’t conceive of the extent of the problem. This situation isn’t gone, it wasn’t solved, and the attitude of the church involved is frustrating and heartbreaking. Pastor Coffey, take a hard look at this and do what is right. Get GRACE involved. If Tom Randall and the orphanage administrators are exonerated, then I will personally write him a letter of apology. If not, as the shepherd of your flock, you have a responsibility before God to address the situation and ensure that help is given to the victims, as well as to publicly apologize to those that you have vilified. I pray for all involved in this situation to follow the leading of the Spirit in humility and openness.
Interesting that Tom Randall’s ministries paid the attorney fees for himself . So why would Tom Randall’s ministries pay attorney fees with ministry money when Randall states “to help orphans give them a better chance at life” by paying for the accused attorney fees? Especially if he, according to that sworn affidavit, is not an incorporator, director or officer of the orphanage?
At the risk of “jumping the shark”, but hopefully related enough. Does *anyone* understand this push for late term abortion? I feel like that has come out of the blue — why? What is NOT discussed is that late term abortion, unless a mother is literally dying (rare auto-immune conditions gone nuts, metastatic cancer, pre-eclampsia, massive trauma) the risk of uterine injury, etc with late term abortion is likely to outweigh the so called benefits. In most states, there is already a means to do a later term abortion when mother’s health is truly at risk (in the state of TX, it is already on the books but several physicians have to agree to the necessity). Remember Gosnell….now everyone was horrified but now the state of NY has legalized Gosnell’s activities and everyone is celebrating wearing pink. I honestly didn’t understand the push for late term abortion, but then this comment re: organ trafficking……does anyone want to guess how long it will be before the “POC’s” (product’s of conception rather than murdered infants) will become useable for resale? Paint me cynical or paint me prophetical?
Celeste: Does *anyone* understand this push for late term abortion?
I’m nowhere near convinced there is an actual push for late term abortion, rather than an effort not to criminalise those who may end up terminating a very wanted pregnancy at a later stage due to tragic circumstances. I ended up doing a bunch of reading on this recently, in terms of the stories of those who have had ‘late term abortions’, & they were resoundingly heartrending. Here’s one of the twitter threads that I followed, particularly as this Gynaecologist has herself been in one of these tragic scenarios: https://twitter.com/drjengunter/status/1092981770503344128?lang=en
One of my impressions is that, somehow, physical existence is being prioritised above all else, & what some see as ‘life-preserving’ is actually ‘death-lengthening’, & that very rare exceptions are being held up as possible for all.
It’s possible this issue is being used as a hot button/dog whistle political tactic to ensure an unthinking tide of emotion against one political stance. The use of abortion as a political tool is exceptionally interesting from a sociological perspective.
TS00,
The “Faster than a cheetah chasing pizza!”-type responses from the Blog Masters are always fun.
Fisher,
Thanks Fisher for your comments on orphanages. I think you’ve got it exactly right.
I’m very skeptical of church “missions”, especially those overseas.
If I’m reading this right, the person “on legal advice” Mr. Mauk increased security (I’m assuming for the victims safety) in anticipation of the foreign funders visit. The question was asked if there was evidence that could be presented to the foreign funder. Where were the authorities? Could they not be trusted? I’ve been to the Philippines many times and certainly corruption is an issue but I also know there are some social services that have been instrumental with police assistance in shutting down illegal brothels – often involving the abuse of minors. Per the post, the victims were at risk.
It looks like this was going to be dealt with “in house” and was only blown when the foreign funder would do nothing. There’s something that doesn’t add up here.
I agree with this statement. These days I tend to give to local charities where I can see the work being done (and yes some of them are Christian – though not church associated).
What I don’t understand is how the church has done nothing, even with all this information. Anybody can google it or message/call the various witnesses in this story. There’s literally an interview with one of the girls’ story on record. How can the church say nothing to see here? How can so many other churches — including Chip Ingram’s church in California — keep giving this guy a platform to throw he girls under the bus and say he did nothing wrong? Are pastors and congregants so bad at Google?
Beakerj,
Children sacrificed for the physical existence of adults, be it an abortion to continue the single life or getting pleasure out of raping a child, you’re exactly right. The conservative pundit Milo, previously molested by a Catholic priest, described his grooming into the homosexual lifestyle at age 15 by an adult male. Against abortion, you’re against women’s rights. Against grooming of teenage boys, you’re homophobic. Milo defended the practice, saying the boys aren’t prepubescent.
Beakerj,
Bad info. The question is whether the baby can survive outside the womb that fully developed. The people you are reading do not want to discuss that. Here is more information on the exact procedure if you are interested. the governor of Virginia even discussed the baby being born and the mother and Dr deciding at that point, making the baby comfortable of course, whether it would be executed or not.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/42652/watch-heres-what-late-term-abortion-procedure-amanda-prestigiacomo
I am constantly surprised by the level of barbarianism that is passed off as compassion. It’s true– compassion can kill the most vulnerable.
Can you explain what you mean by trafficking? I can see child abuse in the descriptions in the post, but how does trafficking fit in? (Perhaps explained in the linked to stories but not in the excerpts on this post?). Thank you.
There is a lot of shady stuff going on in Haiti as well. It is really tragic to think that these countries are devastated sometimes by storms, sometimes by war, then the ‘help’ arrives and makes sure they don’t let a good crisis go to waste. Lots of talk of trafficking, brothels, drug running and even arms running. There is some really ugly stuff going on out there. And international and missions aids agency are often in the thick of it. (Not that all of the people involved know what the elite above them are up to.)
See this definition: https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking
srs,
I’m not sure to whom your question is addressed, but trafficking involves sending usually children or young girls to other countries with promises of a job, school or something positive. Then when they arrive, their ID and green cards are taken and they are put into the sex trade or other low or unpaid work. It is a complicated situation, but these people are often helpless. This article provides some helpful insight in the stories it shares of trafficked individuals:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-hypocrisy-of-trumps-anti-trafficking-argument-for-a-border-wall
These are the most up to date figures concerning the Philippines from UNODC. You have to scroll through the document.
https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2018/GLOTIP_2018_EAST_ASIA_AND_THE_PACIFIC.pdf
As far as I’m concerned we see the same thing happening in developed countries, and I agree it must be far worse when people from the developed countries take advantage of those in underdeveloped countries. It’s sickening! Even more so when God is used as the cover.
Not cynical at all, just realistic.
Whenever and wherever there’s a buck to be made, there will always be an enterprising business man who gets it done. Ethics and morality have nothing to do with it.
TS00,
Yeah, that’s pretty much the definition I use. I was confused because although indications of sexual abuse were presented in this article I could not find any mention of the victims being transported anywhere so was unclear about the trafficking allegation.
srs,
I am not sure if there are any trafficking charges involved in this case. Just pointing out that trafficking is an evil lurking behind many so-called foreign run orphanages, as they must have a cover for their illegal deeds. So easy to explain why you are transporting groups of children, some who do not speak English, if you can claim it is for adoption purposes.
Trafficking does not require transportation. Trafficking is the act of buying or selling goods illegally, irrespective of means or distance of transport. A person can be trafficked in their home town.
That just makes it Ehebephilia instead of Pedophilia.
I think the word trafficking still fits whether or not there is proof of “customers” on the premises or if the victim travels to their abuse. An employee of an institution that houses his or her’s potential victims is a trafficker in my opinion.
I am just to the point….Just how much of this is going on, and we’ll never learn about it? ( I am afraid more than we can even imagine. )
TS00,
Thank you TS00, Ken, and Patti for clarifying for me
KD,
I agree with you. It is my suspicion, upon much research and reflection, that these are the things being hidden behind the circus we call politics, and many of the big events that are pushed in our faces on the mass media day after day. Many serious persons seeking for truth, (not the guys pushing alien abductions) have come to this conclusion. Many disillusioned military personnel have become convinced that our many wars are about such things, as well as drugs and other covert agendas. Of course, all are encouraged to ignore and scoff at such persons as conspiracy theorists, but now that conspiracy is permissible in the highest echelons, it presumably has more respectability. I pray nearly every day that this is the day it will all come to an end.
War, and supplying combatants with the tools of the trade is one of the most lucrative enterprises a shrewd businessman can be into.
TS00,
This is the UN definition. Simple and to the point.
“Trafficking in persons is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them”
TS00,
HAITI. Another sinkhole of American donor money where the outcome is perpetual dependency on foreign funds. A close friend was involved with a nationally known leader there for years. Thought he was building into the Haitian and his ministry only to learn the pastor and his wife were seriously skimming funds. When my friend brought it to the attention of the board the Haitian “brother” fired most of them and got himself a new board of “yes men” who “empowered him” with a million dollars. I know the people involved, this really happened.
For those of you saw the recent news this week on GFA’s 37 million dollar settlement (http://julieroys.com/soft-media-coverage-gospel-asias-37-million-settlement-shows-need-hard-hitting-blogs/) it’s just more of the same: Men preying on the kindness and guilibility of American church goers to raise money for their own empires.
Give your donor money to people you know, who can answer hard questions face to face about how it was spent overseas.
In the first “whistleblower” link Joe makes the following comment: “After this the two girls, knowing no true investigation was going to take place, persevered and by a miraculous contact was put in touch with the national Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking. This is the group who did preliminary investigation and determined the need to rescue the young people. It has all been in their hands ever since but the children have been turned over to Social Services for counseling and assessment.”
It sounds like the national investigators handled it as a trafficking incident.
Explain please.
srs,
If children were knowingly brought to the orphanage to be sexually abused by orphanage staff, I think it would count as trafficking.
Anyone who personally knows long-time missionary Joe Mauk, knows that he would not pursue this unless there is adequate evidence that still needs to be solved. It is sad and wrong that he has been vilified by Tom Randall or his church. Also the victims have been further victimized by the long delays. Why has there never been a fair third party investigation done in five years? Why did Tom Randall not believe his long time friend, Joe Mauk, when first told that abuse was going on by the orphanage administrator? Why did he choose to believe and cover for the Filipino administrator being accused, rather than his long time trusted partner in missionary ministry? It seems there is more to be uncovered as to why Randall is covering for Toto L. It is high time for a real investigation. That’s all that has been wanted all along.
Anyone who personally knows long-time missionary Joe Mauk, knows that he would not pursue this and put himself in this position unless there is adequate evidence that still needs to be dealt with. Joe Mauk lives and ministers full time in the Philippines for decades, while Tom Randall only visits the Philippines. It is sad and wrong that Rev. Mauk has been vilified by Tom Randall or his church. Also the victims have been further victimized by the long manipulated delays and obstructions to a real investigation. Why has there never been a fair third party investigation done in five years? Why did Tom Randall not believe his long time friend, Joe Mauk, when first told that abuse has been going on by the orphanage administrator? Why did he choose to believe and cover for the Filipino administrator being accused, rather than his long time trusted partner in missionary ministry? Why would Randall turn on his long time close friend (Mauk) and call him a gossip and slanderer for wanting to protect the children? It seems there is more to be uncovered as to why Randall is covering for Toto L. It is high time for a true investigation. That’s all that has been wanted all along. Meanwhile the victims are now young adults and still no justice for them, only seeing how the church is good at covering up.
Pedophilia technically refers to sexual attraction to PRE-Pubescent children.
Ehebephilia is sexual attraction to POST-Pubescent but legally underage adolescents. (AKA “Jail Bait”.)
Lowlandseer,
Thanks. Good definition.
Fisher,
Came across this older post, which talks about MacDonald’s & Driscoll’s new ‘charity’ Churches Helping Churches. The info, and he links to videos in the comments are extremely telling.
http://thewartburgwatch.com/2012/10/15/james-macdonaldmark-driscoll-sacrificial-servants-or-serving-it-up/
MacDonald comments that they had raised 3 million already, and were going to be asking 35 churches for offerings for Haiti. Thy flew to Haiti in a private jet for a 30 minute photo op, then made these promotional videos so they could shill for money. Wonder how much they raised? Wonder where it all went? Don’t think the charity exists any longer.
Fisher,
The Salem Radio network promoted his charity in the past. I read part of his book then threw it away. He came across hypocritical in it.
Brian,
Brian I’m not sure exactly how that’s pertinent to what I said. Late -term pregnancy tragedies are not about parental convenience, & working in safeguarding I can absolutely speak out against those other situations (& do) without any of those labels being attached to me. I actually run a young person’s LGBTQ+ support group so safeguarding against grooming & abuse is part of my weekly work. I often also have to protect them from ‘Christians’ who like to tell them how disgusting & sinful they are, & all they should be doing is trying to fundamentally rewire themselves, due to the massive risk of self-harm & suicide that comes with that kind of blanket rejection.
As for the Filipino Orphanage: if you’re getting a whiff of it, it’s there.
Folks:
As many know, I’m pro-life. However, I don’t want this comment thread to become a discussion of recent news on late term abortions. This post is a story that needs to be understood and discussed.
Beakerj,
In the context of harming youth/children, the adult is preying on previously molested youth, grooming them further. Destroying inside or outside the womb, physically/mentally, no difference.
dee,
Thank you, Dee.
And how it will be spent. Donors should demand financial transparency, and should also research whether it’s better to send money, materials, experts, volunteers, or a combination. People in other countries know their needs better than I do.
I have to wonder how much of the mess in the church can be laid at the foot of this “repentance-less” version of Christianity?
The kind where whatever I want to do I can explain away as “not sin” and therefore all I must do is believe facts about Jesus and I am good to go to heaven.
What if we gave no credence to confessing the faith and more credence to living it?
All of it, IMO. Christianity Lite has invaded the American landscape with a cheap grace message. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance … grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
Beautiful.
In reading the comments and thinking about the subject-matter of this particular blog, i’m not convinced that the problem is cheap grace, lack of repentance, confession or any particular theological scheme or system. It appears to me – in my humble opinion – that the crimes against the vulnerable are committed by those whose heart’s intentions are “evil continually” (Gen. 6).
No doubt about it! And they find an easy place to hide in Christianity Lite churches, where a cheap grace message allows them to wiggle in undetected.
TS00,
Churches Helping Churches…. very shady arrangement, there. It just very quietly disappeared from the scene. Yes, indeed, what happened to all the money?
I agree. The evil are chameleons, they can fit into any system. They will thunder and pound the pulpit about law or take advantage of grace- either way they will take what they want under cover of a false self. ‘Evil men and imposters shall proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived’ ‘hidden reefs in your love feasts’ ‘there is no fear of God before their eyes’ – but they will take advantage of yours.
Yet this thread references the abuse and monetization of traffickers in youth, organs, etc., which is a proven priority of subsidized aborters who profit off of the extraction process in sales of fetal organs and tissues. As that’s a big part of the lobby and the $$$$, don’t leave that out of the equation.
?
I’ve seen what the oversight committee posted at the .gov site.
If an independent investigation by the highest law enforcement bureau in the world finds Tom innocent of ALL charges, will you post a follow up to your Blog since you claim to be seeking after truth? Just wondering if the Wartburg is only interested in bringing those in the ministry down.
1. First, answer this question for me. Do you believe that OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony are innocent since they were acquitted at trial? I don’t. I think they are guilty and I bet you do as well.
2. Of course I will post any major breakthroughs. I usually do in cases that interest me. It is obvious that you are a one trick pony and do not know anything about this blog.Take some time and scan my 10 years pf writing.For example- see my extensive coverage of SGM/CJ Mahaney.
3. Could you please tell me what the highest law enforcement agency in the world is? For example, if it is the FBI, they rarely *acquit* people. They usually say there is not enough evidence to convict. Being found “not guilty” does not mean a blanket *not guilty.* It means there was not enough evidence to convict.
Remember the famous line in the OG Simpson trial? “If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.” That does not mean *proven innocent.”
I’m looking forward to the arguments that will be coming my way. You folks have quite a reputation. This attempt is a *fail.* Let’s ratchet up the level of debate.
I have recently realised that I’m “pro-complexity”. I don’t think that’s a Thing, but it should be; I mean that I believe that particular issue, among others like it, is complex. One can be meaningfully pro- (insert favoured selection from
lifeandchoice) without believing that the issue is so black and white that no exceptions are possible.A more salient question might be if he’s convicted of a crime, will you follow up here and post an acknowledgment that you were wrong, since I assume you claim to be seeking after truth?
One comment not approved due to continuing to discuss abortion. This comment thread is about Sankey.
Mark Neumann,
Have you not been here long? Dee & Debs have apologised in the past for anything they later found out was wrong. So that answer is yes.
Just a note here Brian that being gay, bi, trans etc is not a result of previous grooming, in a vast majority of cases. The ’causes’ of being gay or queer, or having gender differences are at this point looking to be mainly biological & hormonal (nature), with a secondary layer of nurture.
dee,
Why is it that when a tough question is asked, the reply is always a question? Your reply is an obvious avoidance of my original question. How does someone prove that they are innocent? Disprove a negative?That is why our system is based on the burden of proof is on the accuser not the accused. Prove that Tom did what you are saying he did. Yes, OJ was not proven to be guilty in a court of law. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do the crime. I am saying, why don’t you stop accusing people of wrong doing UNTIL you have PROOF. It is not a cover up to desire to see the evidence/proof first, but a desire not to drag everyone you feel is guilty through the perverbial mud until the facts are out. And you don’t own your own set of facts. If you want to do some digging, then why don’t you look into what was the underlying motivation for Joe Mauch to make such an absurd accusation at someone who has been repeatedly defended by everyone else who knows him. Was it financial? Hmmm! Do your investigative work. And don’t tell me you are part of the Me Too Movement where every victim is telling the truth and every accused is guilty in the court of public opinion. Even Kavanaugh’s accuser couldn’t even get her friends to back her absurd story. You are not guilty until you prove your innocence, you are innocent until you are proven guilty. I’ll be waiting to see your follow up story when all this plays out, but my guess is that nothing can change your mind. I have known Tom my whole entire adult life and met him when he first came to the PI in 1977, when I was 17 (37 years ago) and this is not within his character.
Law Prof,
Yes, I will follow up if I am proven wrong. Abolutely!
But when all you have is a Hammer…
Mark – if you followed this blog for long, you would know that The Wartburg Watch is not interested in “bringing down” those in the ministry. Most of those who post and comment here are Christians who are deeply concerned about the condition of the American church. This watchblog and others like it exist to inform and warn the Body of Christ about wayward ministers and ministries and the various forms of abuse of believers at their hands. The Church at large would be better off if unfaithful church leaders and any religious institution built on aberrant faith and greed are brought down.
Re: Tom Randall, I found his website mentioning the Sankey orphanage:
http://tkrandall.squarespace.com/orphanages/
There is also a tab to link to videos, which I did not explore.
Not sure how current the site is, but one page was updated in January 2017.
I do?
dee,
I could not resist.
No- you are presumed innocent by a court of law. That does not mean you are innocent.
Sadly, this is why abuse is rampant in churches. No, you do not know Tom Randall, you just think you do. You are not with him 24/7. You remind me of people on news casts when confronted with the fact that their neighbor was holding women in captivity in his basement for years. “He was so nice. He shoveled my driveway.” “He held the neighborhood barbecue ever year.”
The reason people who are abusive succeed is because they are charming and know that people in the church are trusting and rather naive. Most people who abuse children are never discovered. They are the often loved by those who know them. Take Sandusky. Everyone knew him. His wife said he was innocent. She knew he was because she lived with him…except he wasn’t.
Your reasoning show profound gullibility when it comes to the issue of sex abuse and human trafficking. In fact, that makes me even more concerned for those involved in this situation. Naive-that’s the word I was attempting to remember.
Mark,
> I am saying, why don’t you stop accusing people of wrong doing UNTIL you have PROOF.
You don’t know what proof Dee has. What makes you think she hasn’t been digging? The whole point of this blog is to present the facts. Have you investigated this yourself?
> I have known Tom my whole entire adult life and met him when he first came to the PI in 1977, when I was 17 (37 years ago) and this is not within his character.
I’m sorry in advance for your loss. It is hard to learn that you have been deceived.
I belong to a conservative church which knows about this blog. They know that I’m not trying to bring down ministries. I’m trying to expose predators ad teach people how to better figure out abuse when it is happening under their noses.
And you are as biased in a certain direction as anyone else might be in another 😉
Don’t congratualte yourself. It wasn’t a particularly tough question, it wasn’t all that incisive. Dee’s trying to see where you’re coming from. I an think of someone else, long ago, who often answered questions with questions. Maybe you’ve heard of him.
I’d submit that unless you’ve seen someone at their absolute screaming, selfish worst, unless you know them behind closed doors, as their closest family knows them, you don’t know someone and don’t know their character. I’d also submit that anyone who thinks otherwise is a darned ignorant 54 year old man.
Mark,
Methinks thou doth protest too much.
It is so hard for people to wrap their brains around that fact that good people can still fall into sin. No one doubts that Tom is well-loved by his friends, family and community. No one doubts the mountain of good deeds he has stored up. But people seem to doubt that he is capable of stumbling into sin. People seem to doubt his humanity. According to tons of Bible stories, the heroes of our faith do fall into sin. They do disappoint us. That’s why we all need Jesus. It’s dangerous to follow any human (pastor or church leaders) above the total surrender to Jesus. What made David a man after God’s own heart, was not the absence of sin, but an attitude of repentance. Tom is a man of a great God. And, Tom is covering up abuse at the Sankey mission home. Tom is negligent with the power entrusted to him. He used his position and power (connections and money) to protect himself and his friends rather than defend children who tried so hard to tell him their sorrow. Perhaps he thought he was acting for the “greater good” by protecting his mission, church and personal reputation. None of this changes his good deeds from the past or his present charm. I could write a book about the good Tom has done. I’m deeply disappointed in his choices. It’s taught me to trust God alone and not man. All humans will disappoint us eventually. Only Jesus will never fail. If you’re thinking “But not Tom!” I did too. I still don’t know why he does it. I’ve laid awake at night wondering and may never know the answer to ‘why’. I still hope to wake up and find out that this was all a bad dream. I wish it weren’t true but the evidence and personal testimonies keep piling up against him and now, those he is taking down with him.
Do we want to “take down” church leaders? of course not. That’s a terrible motivation and over simplification. Do we want to be silent while church leaders cover up child abuse? No. Church leaders who abuse children, or cover for those who do, need to be taken out of leadership. Do we want to take down church leaders who use church money, power, the pulpit and connections to cover up child abuse overseas?” Yes. I believe I do.
dee,
I was in Los Angeles during the trial and knew the father of the woman that OJ supposedly did not kill. He walked in my company still working so he could pay the bills but the distress on his face I will never forget – knowing what had happened and watching it play out. The day of the verdict – our entire company went to the cafeteria and watched in horror on the screen and cried. It was a tragic day; however I believe they won the civil suit. Many drive by that house in Brentwood to this day to pay tribute to the victim. A stupid glove is all it took AND a boatload of money. But let’s see the evidence in this and let’s hear the voices of the victims and let’s finally do the right thing by these children, more time has been spent doing damage control from the start vs. actually taking pause at the onset to do the right thing, these investigations lay outside of chirch’s Ability which is why organizations like Grace exist. By the way- independent means the church stays completely ‘hands off’.
How about ‘pro-consistency’?
I find it difficult to imagine a person being able to snuff out the life of the innocent unborn, but honestly, how many of the same people who stand in line and hold placards protest the thousands of innocent lives – already born – taken year after year after year in the name of ‘freedom’? Freedom has become a parody, a twisted, terrible belief that ‘I have the ‘freedom’ to take another life if I consider it a possible threat to my way of life’. Tragic. I thought we who call ourselves believers were to be willing to suffer and die, rather than defend our capitalistic American Nightmare, er, Dream.
You only know his Angel of Light mask.
A lot of these MenaGAWD don’t need any help.
They’re just fine when it comes to bringing down their own ministries.
“You Dishonor Me!”
“No — You have Dishonored yourself.”
— Game of Thrones, S6E6 “Blood of My Blood”
“JUST BEACAUSE YOU DID IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE GUILTY”
— Billboard for a criminal defense attorney that went viral a couple years ago
I can add a little to that, I think.
I’m a regular here for several reasons, none of them directly connected to the reason I found TWW in the first place. (I was researching an unpleasant character from the north-western USA who had acquired fame and fortune in christian circles; but enough about him.) They revolve around the sense of community that exists here. Such that – and I’m sure Dee won’t mind my observing this – when she and I met up in Edinburgh last summer, it felt the same as it did catching up with some of my old university friends that same month, in the same city.
Most of us here have had significant negative experiences of church. But that’s not the only thing that defines us. We share many other characteristics of being alive. The in-jokes, banter (UK term) and irreverencies are part of what makes this site what it is.
I Hope This Is Helpful (IHTIH, if you will).
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Nick Bulbeck,
I am new here, and Sankey is our story, but I can really sense what you’re saying. This is a special place and the support is overwhelming me with relief that we are not alone. Thank you
Actually Tom’s charges were dismissed (by the NBI-AHTRAD–not thinking that’s the highest law enforcement body in the world but I could be corrected) but there was strong political pressure from the U.S. and we need to know if that affected things–I can’t imagine why the church would call a Senator if they didn’t think he would help Tom! And the worker/administrator charges stood– we hear from Tom that they were finally dismissed in 2016, and we hear from orphan advocates that it did not continue because the orphans decided not to pursue the many-year process to bring a conviction and fight appeal. But, if it was indeed dismissed it had nothing to do with the substantive claims. There was no trial.
TS00,
Slightly off-topic, but have you ever seen the Driscoll talk (not a sermon, but a talk to the church staff) on spiritual warfare, where he talks about running his car right at a guy in the street one night because he was convinced the guy was a demon? The guy “disappeared” right before he hit him, Driscoll claims. Either the story is crap (likely), or he’s confessed to a hit and run.
Ambien