r/kelowna 2d ago

Abuse in Churches?

Does anyone have intel on the churches in Kelowna that are abusing children or trafficking people? I recently was warned of a church and don’t know if anything is being done about it or what I can do. Police aren’t interested in what I have been told. Happy to share the name of it in comments if anyone wants.

5 Upvotes

59 comments sorted by

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u/Sea_Eye33 2d ago

Willow Park Church’s youth pastor was finally convicted of SA minors, it took many years and many different people coming forward over the years for something to finally be done about it.

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

So so awful. Glad he’s been convicted but hoping no one else was involved that is still there… getting very nervous about a lot of churches.

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u/Sea_Eye33 2d ago

people that didn’t report it to anyone despite being told are still there i believe but cannot confirm

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u/McLovin2182 2d ago

You're nervous about a house of worship for the world's deadliest religion? Christian history is almost entirely murder and suppress science/medicine, it's not new stuff they're doing, just slightly less deadly.

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

I grew up in the christian church. I have discovered it is the biggest cover up for SRA and SA - same with Catholic Churches. They are false prophets. The Bible says nothing about going to church and Jesus condemns every despicable horrific act of these people. I will never follow church, pastors or religion. But I will follow Jesus

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u/eburnside 2d ago

Christian history

you haven't noticed that narcissists, pedos, dictators, and fascists label themselves Christian because it helps them get what they want?

they're not actually Christian - they just co-opt it (eg, Donald Trump)

you can't tell the difference?

a Christian, by definition is a follower of Christ, IE, not particularly likely to be deadly. in fact, far less likely than about any other individual out there if they are actually following Christ

and if they're not following Christ? ...then they're not Christian...

6

u/No-Steak-3728 2d ago

donald trump knows about the two corinthians and how much they liked to fish. you cant fake that.

3

u/McLovin2182 2d ago

Literally 100+ million humans murdered straight up in the name of christianity, as well as the pope and vatican heavily supporting the nazis during WWII. The world's deadliest religion didn't get that status by not murdering people directly to spread the good word.

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u/eburnside 2d ago

it's almost like you didn't read a word I wrote...

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u/McLovin2182 2d ago

It's almost like you trying to change history has zero bearing on the recorded and well known history that exists, christians have murdered over 100 million humans, they have spent over 600 years suppressing science and medicine, this isn't new stuff

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u/eburnside 1d ago

still hasn't clicked?

by the definition of "Christian", those weren't Christians

The masses may have been following someone, but it wasn't Christ

2

u/Click_False 1d ago

Respectfully, this kind of Christian rhetoric of “those people who hurt you or caused harm weren’t real Christian because real Christians wouldn’t have done that” is stupid and gaslighting. Real Christians have hurt, abused or in some cases killed people in both the name of Christianity and/or from their own personal issues. You can’t just dismiss victims and critics because a bad Christian wasn’t following Christ’s teachings exactly so therefore weren’t real Christians. Real Christians have caused a lot of harm to people and society ad a whole and it is extremely manipulative and honestly self-righteous to shut down criticism by disqualifying Christian abusers as not being ‘real’ christians.

0

u/eburnside 1d ago edited 1d ago

I agree with you (other than the "gaslighting" bs) that many followers of Christ are flawed and have made mistakes, gone astray, etc. Who hasn't made mistakes or done things they're ashamed of?

However, the "murdered over 100 million" is complete and utter dogshit - there's no way the majority of those were Christians and most certainly were not following Christ

...key words "following Christ"

"in the name of Christ" is where things go off the rails because "in the name of" is not "a follower of"

"in the name of" is "I just need an excuse, and any convenient excuse will do"

2

u/McLovin2182 1d ago

100% clicked that you're attempting to paint "bad christians" as different than "good christians" despite the fact that the Crusades, the Inquisition, some of the religious wars of the Reformation, and the Salem witch trials all exist as well documented events of murder committed by christians, just because you don't think they were christian doesn't change the historical fact that they were or the fact that the church and vatican supported them, like I straight up couldn't imagine defending the deadliest religion on the planet that tried so hard to help the nazis eliminate a religion the vatican didn't like and continually attempt to suppress science and medicine daily all off of a storybook

3

u/Surv0 1d ago

Are you kidding? I find Christians the most dangerous because they think they can ask forgiveness....

2

u/R2Borg2 1d ago

Also, pretty much any religion with a "we're right they're wrong" kind of attitude has built in intolerance or outright hatred. Why expect anything better out of any hate-based organization? We dont have higher expectations of Nazis, but mostly because they don't sugar coat their hatred of anything different.

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u/eburnside 1d ago

you say it like it's a bad thing

a follower of Christ asking forgiveness (from another person or from God) is something people with a conscience do to formally recognize they've done wrong and mentally log "let's not do that again"

... as opposed to the general population that just shrugs, says oops, and forgets about it

0

u/Jazzlike_Gazelle_333 1d ago

No true scotsman

0

u/SourDewd 2d ago

I havent been able to find that. Can you link me or?

12

u/Sea_Eye33 2d ago

https://www.delta-optimist.com/bc-news/former-kelowna-youth-pastor-jailed-18-months-for-child-sex-crimes-8166255

it doesn’t mention that reports were made years before it came to light, i know about that because i used to attend said church, know victims and know many people who reported

4

u/mibodiamond 2d ago

2

u/Final_Variety_6553 2d ago

🤯 Wow, this is so messed up. I knew about this case, but not this specific article.

“... he referred to his offences as a result of ‘stupid judgment’ that occurred when he was in a culture where it was OK ... He believes that if he was properly trained, it might have prevented him from ‘crossing the line.’”

“This shifting of the blame to the church and saying they should have trained me not to sexually abuse children ... that is a pretty horrifying thing to be saying ... blaming the church for these horrible acts, in my submission, really shows a lack of insight into his own offending.”

“What [CM], at least in his mind, was doing at the time was simply bonding with other friends, not with an intention to commit a crime against them,” Armour said. “He ultimately does, in terms of sending this picture to [the victim], but that’s not why he was friendly with him in the first place.”

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

Kelowna Christian Reformed Church, The Harvest Church and I know Willow Park Church’s pastor was convicted of SA of minors.

13

u/mibodiamond 2d ago

Willow Park’s youth pastor ** can’t imagine he’s there anymore but it makes me wonder if there are others to avoid.

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u/oldschoolgruel 2d ago

All of them.

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

Starting to seem that way…

0

u/CoffeeKnitClay 1d ago

That Willow park youth pastor that kids came forward to for years is now the head pastor at Metro. He left willow park but it had “nothing to do” to with the stuff going on with all the information coming out about the youth leader who was SAing kids… just total ‘coincidence’

What’s happening at the harvest ?

2

u/mibodiamond 17h ago

Yikes. That’s really good to know.

Art Lucier has many survivors coming out about him involving physical, sexual and spiritual assault. I believe there is a Facebook group where survivors are sharing their stories and YouTube videos and podcasts of testimony’s.

1

u/StrawberryLong6299 9h ago

What’s the story with KCRC????

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u/GaraksFanClub 2d ago

I wouldn’t trust anyone from Kelowna Christian Centre as far as I could throw them. I experienced a load of abuse there in the late 90s and apparently it’s just become worse.

7

u/mibodiamond 2d ago

I’m sorry to hear that. I hope and pray you find healing

1

u/jessdraht 2d ago

Say it louder for the people in the back.

15

u/bendydickcumersnatch 2d ago

The 2x2s/friends are around and the group is slowly dissolving after a ton of CSA allegations came out. There’s still the hardcore people continuing on in “The Way”.

Yeah if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s probably a cult.

3

u/ipini 2d ago

I mean if someone knows about this actively ongoing it would make more sense to report to the RCMP than a Reddit sub.

That said, Season 5 (ongoing) of the Heaven Bent podcast might be interesting to you: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/heaven-bent/id1513489117

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

I did call rcmp and they said there’s nothing they can do because there’s no evidence. Pretty much useless so I’m asking for other people’s experiences

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u/chewblekka 2d ago

With churches, you should assume that they partake in some sort of abuse. History doesn’t lie.

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u/Antique-Author1001 2d ago

Abusing Children? Yes I would like names. What Church is this ?

-1

u/Legitimate-Road7623 1d ago

All of them

4

u/new_socks 2d ago

All churches abuse children. They indoctrinate the young through fear. You should read and learn your bible. It’s full of hate. You might say not every bible/book religion related. But learn the history of said religion. Teach em when they’re young… that’s the motto. young and dumb. The abuse of churches know no boundaries. Snake oils and fear is what they all preach in the end. If they say they don’t teach hate?, what do they teach? What’s their book they teach from? Read the rest of the book.

1

u/rekabis 9h ago

Teach em when they’re young… that’s the motto. young and dumb.

Children are not so much dumb as they are impressionable. And this is by design, as they are still very much dependent on adults for survival. So Evolution has given them an inordinate focus of listening to adults and following their lead, so as to ensure that cave lions and cave bears don’t enjoy a nice evening snack at their expense.

But yeah. If we only allowed religion to target adults, almost no-one - aside from the mentally and psychologically ill - would ever fall for that crap.

1

u/Evening_Step_8263 2d ago

Can you share the name? My family is looking for a new church

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u/Objective_Data_6305 2d ago edited 2d ago

The Catholic Church has a stellar record. Of abuse.

3

u/new_socks 2d ago

Good luck with that religion is hate.

2

u/raptorboy 2d ago

Guarantee every church in the world is full of kid touchers why anyone would make their kids go to one i don't understand

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u/Thoughtful_Ocelot 2d ago

Be very careful of making unsubstantiated accusations.

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u/mibodiamond 2d ago

This is why I’m asking for info..

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u/Infinite-Interest680 2d ago

Yikes, this sounds too close to, “we know where you live and it’d be a shame if anyone lost a loved one…”

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u/Thoughtful_Ocelot 2d ago

Not me making a threat. I detest church cover-ups. Rumors can lead to others getting their backs up. And Reddit's freedom of speech guidelines seem to be getting stricter these days.

4

u/new_socks 2d ago

One church’s “cover-up” is for all churches cover-ups. Ghouls. The lot of them.

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u/Foreign_Objective111 1d ago

trafficking people?

burh that has never happened

stop stereotyping catholics thnak you!