Church withdrawing from scandal-ridden camp

NASHVILLE (BP and local reports) – A pastor says his Missouri Baptist Convention church will no longer partner with a popular independent camp due to a lack of transparency amid sex abuse allegations, according to a letter to parents released May 2 by the church.

Pastor John King cited recent information that has “been made clear” to First Church, West Plains, Mo., that leadership of Kanakuk Kamps, based in Branson, Mo., hasn’t been forthcoming in their knowledge of credible accusations made against a former staff member.

First Church had previously hosted a Kanakuk day camp called Kampout! in the church parking lot. The disaffiliation with Kanakuk will continue until “the truth of their knowledge about what happened with [Peter] Newman is openly confessed,” the letter stated.

Newman was a highly-regarded camp counselor who was eventually promoted to camp director before he pled guilty in June 2010 to seven counts of sexually abusing boys. He is serving two life sentences plus 30 years at the Jefferson City (Mo.) Correctional Center.

At least two multi-million-dollar civil lawsuits are pending, one of which alleges there may have been as many as 57 victims of Newman both inside and outside the Kanakuk organization.

“Those young men are still reeling from these consequences while Kanakuk tells the world that they didn’t know [about abuse] until 2009 while, in reality, they knew in 1999,” King’s church letter said.

Kanakuk Kamps is not a Southern Baptist nor state convention entity, though well known in the area and associated with hosting children of high-profile musicians, athletes, and other figures.

An informal survey by The Baptist Record did not turn up any Mississippi Baptist Convention churches that may have used Kanakuk Kamps.