Local pastors call out Falls Creek and its lack of responsibility to camper safety

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – It began with a Twitter thread from Mayflower Congregational Minister Lori Walke following an investigation into Southern Baptist Conference (SBC) revealed not less than twenty years of intercourse abuse allegations from its members by clergy and different employees that went unheard and unaddressed.

Walke mentioned Tuesday, Could 24, that native church buildings are those left to carry out background checks on the employees they create with them to the largest camp within the state.

“When abuse occurs, Falls Creek factors its finger again on the native church, regardless of many years of expertise concerning background verify compliance by native church buildings,” mentioned Walke on Twitter.

She inspired dad and mom to give up sending their kids to the summer season camp, or every other camps run by the Southern Baptist Conference.

Falls Creek is run by the Baptist Basic Conference of Oklahoma, now generally known as Oklahoma Baptists. The Baptists didn’t return KFOR’s request for an in-person interview, however in a press release they mentioned:

“In recent times, Falls Creek has made much more vital strides in enhancing the security protocols that have been already in place for campers.”

Nonetheless, the assertion didn’t point out how they have been making enhanced security protocols.

“If you recognize that there’s a problem, then, you recognize, make some adjustments to the oversight, chaperoning or no matter,” mentioned Todd Littleton, Pastor at Snow Hill Baptist Church.

The Falls Creek 2021 Cabin House owners Handbook states: “Personal Caretakers should ensure that Cabin House owners have secured background checks on all third-party contractors.”

Additionally stating that contracts between cabin house owners and leasees, “on no account implies Falls Creek or the Oklahoma Baptists conference as a celebration of the cabin lease settlement.”

Walke was referring to that contract language as a means for the Oklahoma Baptists to deflect duty.

For Littleton, he noticed a management breakdown 20 years in the past. That was when he stopped taking his church to the camp.

“From our standpoint, on the management aspect, there have been some issues,” mentioned Littleton.

Walke’s tweets come the day after the Guidepost Report calling out the SBC for hiding sexual abuse instances and negligence in taking motion.

Six years in the past at Falls Creek, a 13-year-old was raped by 35-year-old Benjamin Petty.

Petty was a cook dinner for one of many church teams on the camp. He spent days with the 13 yr outdated earlier than the rape.

Court docket paperwork state that at no level did camp leaders elevate questions throughout Petty’s “three-and-a-half day grooming course of.”

Littleton mentioned he agreed with Walke’s statements concerning Falls Creek. He additionally mentioned all the denomination must do higher.

“We’re most likely going to must work tougher if we would like the belief. We’re going to must be extra proactive to say ‘here’s what we’re doing’ relatively than ‘simply belief us’,” mentioned Littleton.