Why Christian Missions Should Be Talking About New Tribes... And Others

Consider this your warning. We're going to talk about some difficult things. Specifically, I'm responding to this article about New Tribes. Click the link and read it. Please. Because these things do happen and people refuse to talk about them, and that is no longer an option. It should never have been an option. I'm serious about the warning. Don't read this if you want to remain naive.

I'm going to cover a lot of stuff in here. I anticipate the length of this blog post will be essay-like. But this article brought up a lot of thoughts and issues, some of which I have personal experience with and some of which I don't. I'm going to try to remain coherent, but I think you all know by now that I tend to go off on side rants and forget to string together my main points. Before I go through the article, I want to make some things clear. 

1. I was not a victim of sexual abuse as a child. 

2. I am horrified and appalled at the actions of New Tribes as an organization and at the actions of many of its employees.

3. I am not surprised by either the actions of the organization nor by the actions of its employees. 

I think those are important points to clarify, particularly the first. I don't have trauma of this type hidden in my past, so my commentary on it can only be that of an outsider. Also, I want to reassure you that this isn't going to be some accusatory post - I don't personally know any of these people, nor do I know of anyone who is abusing children (because if I did, they'd either be in jail or in the ground). 

I'm also going to try not to make this an indictment of evangelicals and missions in general. I am an evangelical Christian missionary, and as ludicrous as I find it sometimes to be all of those things (again, this shouldn't be shocking to you, but if it is, we can definitely have a conversation about it), I feel genuinely called by God to share my faith with others, and specifically, to do it through the particular organization with which I serve. 

Also, it's very easy to look at something in hindsight and condemn the 'obvious' problematic aspects of this particular case. But the premise is theoretically sound - keep your children safe and give them a good education by sending them to boarding school. It's been done for years, and ideally, it would produce well-educated, possibly mildly socially-inhibited children. But if you are not very careful, you end up with exactly the situation that New Tribes had, whether you're a Christian organization or not (though it tends to be worse in Christian organizations, the reasons for which we will hopefully explore later). 

Because people ignore a fundamental aspect of life: people are inclined toward evil. Everyone likes to think that people are naturally good. They are wrong. Because of the Fall, we are all born with the old nature. If we think we can get away with something (and even sometimes when we know we won't), we will try. And if we get away with it once (and again, even if we don't), we'll keep doing it until it's so entrenched in our lives that you need dynamite to get it out. 

(Jesus is the dynamite in this scenario, in case you were wondering.)

Now, when people become Christians, there's this assumption that they no longer have the old nature. They've started this new life with Christ and everything is hunky-dory. But I'm going to posit a theory that this assumption is wrong. The old nature is still there. We just don't have to be a slave to it. But this requires us to constantly seek after God's will. We have to be active followers of Jesus, meaning we do the work involved in a constant striving for perfection. Jesus told us to be perfect as he is perfect. Is it possible in this life? That's a debate for another time (and one I think I've had on here before). But I think we should assume it is. We should constantly be working to be better than we were yesterday. 

But that's not what happens. We get complacent. We hear "Jesus forgives you" and we think, "Cool. I'm set." We assume that we are immune to temptation. We lie to ourselves that we aren't really doing anything wrong or we'll just try something once and then repent or we're exempt from that particular commandment or we're just terrible people so what's the point of trying. And then we support each other in our lies - we hear 'avoid the appearance of evil' and think that means 'hide the evil that exists.' We tell each other that we have to sacrifice some things for the good of the mission, that standards can be lowered so numbers can be raised, that a few bad apples don't spoil the crate. 

And that's how you end up with New Tribes. 

(We're picking on them here because they were the ones who got caught and have had their dirty laundry aired publicly. But they are not the sole perpetrators of this, and I will in no way be surprised when stories start coming out about other organizations.)

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So here's the story. Back in the '80s and '90s (and I'm only limiting myself to that time frame because it's what was in the article and what has been investigated), some dorm parents at New Tribes boarding schools were sexually abusing the missionary kids who were under their care. Some of the abuse was reported right away. Most was not until much later. When it was reported, New Tribes invariably sided with the perpetrator while telling the victim to keep it quiet. There was no investigation until 2010 (and that was only one school). 

I'm going to start with the problematic elements that are glaring in retrospect and should have been apparent at the time. 

1. New Tribes deliberately separated children from their parents. In some cases, I can maybe make a case for this - serving in a security risk country or lack of educational options. But nine times out of ten, I don't see how separating parents and children benefits either of them. 

2. In many cases, there was only one dorm parent for dozens of kids. If the Wiggles can figure out that they shouldn't be left alone with children and that their hands should be visible at all times, it should be apparent to everyone. (Google it.)

3. Dorm parents had access to the rooms of children of the opposite sex. And yes, I realize that same sex access is a problem as well. Basically, doing anything as a dorm parent without a team member with you is a problem. 

4. Missionary kids, by nature, are going to be more vulnerable. We call them TCKs - third culture kids. They don't necessarily fit into the culture of their parents, but they also don't fully fit into the culture of where they live. They create a third culture with elements from both. This can be incredibly confusing, and if kids are already inclined to internalize things, they will also keep quiet about something that they know is wrong, but don't know who to talk to or how to talk about it. 

5. The mission statement of New Tribes set the tone for risky behavior. They fostered an environment that encouraged people to keep quiet about anything that would damage their reputation or hinder them from achieving certain goals. 

6. Their policy (actual, supposedly debated policy) was to not report sexual abuse to the police, either in the field or to authorities in the United States. How you justify this, I don't know. 

There are probably other things, but honestly, this should be enough. One is enough. When you have all of them working in concert, you create an environment that leads exactly where it led. 

Which is why I can't say I'm surprised. As much as it's not an excuse, missions in the 20th century was like the Wild West. There was a huge surge in evangelistic efforts, and oftentimes, ideals and people fell through the cracks. Problems were papered over in the race to save souls. And we're suffering for it now. Some organizations have learned from their mistakes and created policies to guard against similar ones in the future. But I'm afraid that there are others who haven't learned anything from this. They believe it couldn't possibly happen to them. They're all Christians, after all. 

That is a foolish and naive attitude. 

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There is a lot about this article that makes me angry. But I want to highlight some specific elements that pushed me from angry to livid to screaming into a pillow in the studio. (I won't include descriptions of the abuse because that really was enough to make me throw up. These will be more attitudes and actions that contributed to the problem instead of helping to solve it.)

"I think high-risk offenders are drawn to that environment because these groups are often in desperate need of staff, there's minimal accountability and significant numbers of vulnerable people," Tchividjian said. "That's a perfect recipe for a sexual offender."

This is so true, and I can't emphasize that enough. Mission agencies are DESPERATE for staff. It's why the accountability problem is so difficult to solve. It's hard enough to find one person to serve in a particular ministry, let alone two. And yet instead of saying, "Well, we can't find the personnel, so we're just not going to do this," we just let it go on. We make excuses, figure it will be fine. We're all Christian, after all. Why do we do this? Why, if we know something won't be done properly and well, do we assume that it has to be done? Sometimes, you have to let things fail or end or fizzle out. IF it's something you feel God has called your organization to do, then don't you think God will also provide the means to get it done well? 

"By unflinching determination we hazard our lives and gamble all for Christ until we have reached the last tribe regardless of where that tribe might be," the group said in the May 1943 issue of its official magazine, "Brown Gold."

So I'm not even going to touch that magazine title. The colonial overtones of 20th century missions have always made my skin crawl. But I will address that mission statement. Because it sounds great, doesn't it? We do whatever it takes to reach as many people as possible for Jesus. But it's that phrase 'gamble all for Christ' that I have very specific problems with. There are very fundamental things required of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Love God (and much of that is obedience to what God commands) and love others (specifically as Jesus loved them, meaning you willingly lay your life down for them if necessary and you don't impede someone's journey to and with Jesus). When you say 'gamble all,' it implies that you are also gambling those fundamental things. You say 'gamble' and I hear 'be reckless and do whatever it takes.' (Don't get me started on "Reckless Love," okay? Just don't.) And once you start to have a mentality of anything goes, you've set yourself up for all kinds of problems.

For years, Mikitson dared not speak up. She and the other former students said they were taught reporting negative things could jeopardize their parents' work and strip the locals of the chance to have their souls saved.

THIS. I wish I could tell you that this attitude doesn't exist today, but boy howdy, does it ever. I see it in organizations, I see it in churches, I see it in specific ministries. DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO DISRUPT THE PRIMARY MISSION. IGNORE THE FACT THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT BY ALLOWING CERTAIN ACTIONS TO GO UNREMARKED UPON AND UNPUNISHED. Every time I encounter this, I understand why someone responds negatively to Christianity. Why would I want to be part of something that allows stuff like this to happen, that in fact actively encourages a coverup? We've only made it harder to share the Good News of Jesus by not practicing what we preach. And then I have to find a way to explain why the actions of others do not reflect the reality of a true Christian life. 

"They asked me to describe what had happened, and I told them," Kelly said. "And they told me to not say anything. It was my duty to protect my family, to protect my dad, and if I did say anything, if I did tell anybody anything, my dad would be thrown in a Filipino jail."

Within a week, Kelly said, her family was shipped out of the Philippines and flown to Missouri to attend therapy sessions with a mission counselor.

"After two weeks we were pronounced healed and whole," Kelly said. "Those were their words."

Emory was ordered to leave the mission, Kelly said, but the real reason for the family's sudden relocation was kept secret from all but a few in the organization.

"You try to do the right thing," Kelly said. "We got shushed and rushed out of the country. They made us all stay quiet. They silenced us."

This entire section illustrates the culture perfectly. Why are the kids the ones who are punished for the adults' actions? The kids are the only innocent parties in this. Telling them to be quiet about something like this just tells them that they are the ones at fault. And then the whole counseling thing - sure, yes, absolutely do that. But no one is 'healed' of the torment inflicted upon them by sexual abuse in two weeks. This is a classic example of an organization that could not ignore the issue, so they quietly made it go away. What Christian organization (or non-Christian one, for that matter) wants to admit that a predator walked among them? So they lie by omission about the reason for someone's departure. They use euphemisms (and if you haven't seen "Spotlight" about the Catholic abuse scandal in Boston, you really should. The lengths to which the Church went to disguise their problem are ridiculous.) and knowing looks. They cast doubt on the accuser and hide under the umbrella of grace. And they force people out of the calling that God placed on their lives. 

Mikitson's father, John, said he called New Tribes around 1989 to report Brooks, and the response left him stunned.

"You are going to ruin this man's ministry if you keep talking about this," he said he was told.

HIS MINISTRY IS ALREADY RUINED!!!! Just because 'no one else knows' about what he did, he's living a lie. Everything he does from that point on is tainted. Again, why would I become a Christian if he's your prime example of what being a Christian is?

"If it is a homosexual act with a child, the person will be dismissed immediately and may never be considered for membership in the mission again. If it is a heterosexual act the person will be dismissed immediately but could be considered for ministry again in the future depending on the case. If it occurs in the field, it is not necessary to report it to the Senegalese or U.S. authorities. It must be investigated as not doing so could be ruinous for the mission."

The double standard here is ridiculous. Yes, homosexuality is a sin. But guess what? So is sex outside of marriage, having an affair, and a number of other things that we now frown upon but allow with little comment. THERE IS NO HIERARCHY OF SIN!! Sin is sin is sin. (Try that one on for size, Lin-Manuel Miranda.) Preying on children of the opposite sex should not be more palatable than preying on children of the same sex. And the whole issue of allowing someone to be considered for ministry again... Look, as a Christian, I have to believe that everyone is capable of redemption. Everyone who repents of their sin (which means not only confessing it but also changing behavior!) and accepts Jesus as their Savior will go to Heaven. Everyone, from the guy who maybe shoplifted a few times and told a lie or two to the guy who molested children in a missionary school to the guy who ordered the murder of millions of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and whoever else he didn't like. It's a hard pill to swallow. But that does not mean that they are absolved of any consequences in this life. And there should be consequences. One of those might be that that person is not considered for ministry again - and if they are, I'd watch them like a hawk. Forgive, but DO NOT FORGET. That is biblical. I like this answer.  And finally, not reporting something just so you don't look bad is stupid. You look worse when it eventually comes out. And it will come out. Always. Take charge of the narrative, own up to the mistake, and do what you can to serve those who have been wronged.

New Tribes changed its name to Ethnos 360 in May 2017.

"You have an organization that had to deal with some press and people talking about it but in large part has moved on and continues to do their work around the world."

I mostly included that because I don't want it to get lost. They are still around. And again, I can't be the judge of whether or not that is a good thing or a bad thing. I've had no interaction with New Tribes or their latest iteration. But I don't know that I want to. (They actually do acknowledge the story on their website, which I have to give them credit for, but their response is not exactly satisfying.) If you're debating about joining a mission organization or donating to one, do your research! Figure out what your standards are and determine as best as you can whether that organization meets them. 

"I haven't lost my trust in God," [Joy Drake] said. "I lost my trust in people that claim to be godly."

I don't know that I've related to a statement more than this one. Look, I often joke that I don't particularly like people. I get that it's a weird thing to say, especially for a missionary. But this is a struggle for me. People are capable of the worst kinds of evil, and to know that and still tell them about the love of Jesus and the wonders of Heaven feels like an oxymoron sometimes. But there's the other side of that coin. People are capable of the worst kinds of evil, but Jesus loves us anyway. He wants us anyway. He made a home for us anyway. He sends his followers anyway. There's a reason my blog is titled Because His Love Compels Us. I don't do what I do because I'm such a good person. I wouldn't be doing this if I was the one determining my journey in life. That's just a fact. I do what I do because it's what God wants me to do. I love people because Jesus loves them. I get angry when people who are supposed to be doing the same thing for the same reason screw up. And yes, people fail. This life is a battle. It's not easy to obey God's commands. I fail often. But own up to it! Seek forgiveness and make reparations. Don't shove it under a rug or in a dark corner or in the back of a closet. Don't normalize it. And please please please, if you've been a victim of this or something else, understand that God is not the one who has failed you. The people who did it to you and the people who knew about it and did nothing are the ones who failed you. This is why we don't put our faith in people or things. We put our faith in God. 

Several missionary groups, not just New Tribes, have been battling to keep a lid on their own ugly pasts, according to Tchividjian. He said he's "lost count" of the number of people who have reached out to him with stories of physical and sexual abuse within various mission organizations.

It is still happening. Why? Because evil persists. There are things we can do to guard against it, but we live in a fallen world. We're surrounded by people who are struggling against these evil desires, and quite often, they lose. But we can't lose hope. We still have to do what we can to guard our own hearts and lives and those of people around us. Because as a Christian organization, we have to live by different standards.

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So what does OMS do to guard against this happening here? And do I trust that it won't happen in our organization?

Here are a few things we do, in no particular order: 

1. Missionaries have to raise their own support. This might seem like an odd thing to put on this list, but it does provide some measure of reassurance. Because they aren't wrong - this environment attracts a specific type of person. And if you can deter a few by making them raise their own support, absolutely do it. (There are other reasons to raise support, and there are reasons not to, but for the purposes of this list, I think it does make the ones who are already predators think twice.)

2. OMS has a child safety team that is specifically trained to investigate abuse allegations. They were carefully selected from our current missionary members, and I trust them to be thorough and vocal in their investigations. (To my knowledge, we have not yet had to make use of their services, thank God. But the fact that we all know they exist is a step further than some.)

3. OMS conducts background checks on all missionary candidates. We have a comprehensive application process (which, yes, I complain about sometimes, but it serves an important purpose) that includes online and in-person wellness interviews. We do panel interviews instead of one-on-one. Any red flags are pursued.

4. Remember when I talked about avoiding the appearance of evil? This is actually a good thing when you do it the right way. We don't want to do anything that makes people raise an eyebrow or question what is really going on. 

There are probably others, but this is getting quite long, and I can't think of anything else right now. 

As for my second question, can I state categorically that this particular situation won't ever happen at OMS? No, I can't. I can't even say it hasn't happened in the past. To my direct knowledge, it has not happened on an organizational level. But I've heard enough stories and read between enough lines to know that some Very Bad Things have happened in our history. We're not perfect, we don't have a foolproof plan, and we still live in a fallen world. I do my best to be on the lookout for it now, though. I don't want to assume it can't happen, because it absolutely can. There are a lot of things that can happen. I never want us to be so consumed by our reputation that we start hiding things from ourselves and the world. And I don't want to get so caught up in the Job that I forget about the people around me. Because I believe in the Great Commission. I believe in the mission of OMS. And I don't want that to be ruined because we forgot the fundamentals.

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A few years ago, I attended the Christian Leadership Alliance conference in Florida. Francis Chan was the speaker, and his last message was this: some of you are engaging in acts that will permanently damage your organizations when the story comes out. And the story WILL come out. So come forward now. Resign. Repent. Be honest with yourselves and your constituents and with God. Because THAT is more Christian than covering it up.  

One of my coworkers that was also attending leaned over. "I'm guessing we'll hear about some resignations soon."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I agreed. We would hear about resignations. But it would take months. And we would only hear about them in the context of the scandal that came in its wake. 

This was a long one. But I think it needed to be. I probably overlooked some things. I probably missed a few points. But I think we need to create a culture that takes responsibility for its mistakes, deliberate or otherwise. We need a culture that listens to accusations and actually investigates them instead of assuming that they couldn't be true. We need a culture that works to rehabilitate offenders while still giving appropriate punishments. We need a culture that acknowledges the hurt we've done to people we're trying to help, and we need to work with them to help them heal. We need a culture that practices discipline and humility. We need to be in constant communication with God and with our fellow believers about how we can be better today than we were yesterday. 

Quite frankly, we need Heaven on Earth. But until we get to that point, we need constant vigilance. 

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. 

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, 

seeking someone to devour." 

1 Peter 5:8