Anchor Academy for Boys in Havre, Montana.

[Anonymous]

I have recently talked to Mr. Spencer who is the man in charge and have asked him to come to this forum and at least read these things and be ready to answer them.  It is not just me that is accountable it is all the groups, churches or individuals that support Anchor Academy.  We want to be right and do right.  If Roloff ministries were abusive, then those who supported them should have been more aware and done something.  My position is that we would never support abuse.  Who is defining abuse.  Is correcting or not letting a person/child/adult do what they want abuse.  Is obeying the rules abuse.  You have to be careful here for we move from the subline the ridiculus.  Making a child wash dishes to some is abuse.  I don't know the majority of you who are writing these things so definitiions are in order.  My big concern here is that you don't ruin a good ministry by slander or connection, but give it a chance to defend itself.  I know of people who are slandered and accused and are innocent of the wrong they have been accused of, but because someone wanted to "destroy" them, they set out, doing just that.  Thanks for listening. s/ Pastor Seidel

[OverLordd]

Well we have emotional and physical abuse. Emotional abuse would be things like.
Forced disclosure.
Embarassment.
No privacy
Trying to change a persons state of mind
Yelling (also verbal abuse)
Reinforcing the idea that they are crap without the program.
Anything that harms a persons mental state and that they cannot combat against. (ex. a parent calling a kid a waste of space. Or useless)
I would also call forced conversions a form of emotinal abuse.

Physical abuse would be things like.
Beatings.
Mal-noursment.
Standing long periods.
Being restrained.
Forced into a uncomfortable position for long periods.
Not allowed to use the bathroom.
Forced march.

Things like that, im sure this does not cover the bases and im sure others can add to this.

Moving on, making them wash dishes is not abuse, its pointless busy work that should be done by someone being paid. It drags the kids down to the level of slaves.

And please pastor... do not call this a good ministry, call it a program, call it a orginistation, but please, do not call it a ministry. God would never ever have this done, nor does it better the kingdom in anyway.

[Anonymous]

Pastor:

Abuse is yelling, calling names, monitoring calls to the family, denying the boys the right to communicate with their families, denying the boys food as punishment, censoring the boy's mail.
Physical abuse: hitting, restaining, excessive exercise as punishment, sleep deprivation, spitting on them, sitting on top of them, twisting their arms.
Emotional, psychological abuse: telling the boys they are worthless, telling them their parents don't want them, making fun of them in group sessions, making the boys "confess" in open meetings, making the boy's confidential information "public" to the other boys.

You are a grown man, Pastor: you know that washing dishes is NOT ABUSE.
Surely you, in your wisdom know what physical, psychological, emotional, sexual abuse is.
Surely as a pastor you have counseled people in your flock who have come to you as "victims of abuse."  Please do not present yourself as a person who does not understand the term "abuse."

And these boys do have RIGHTS, and they must be protected.

[OverLordd]

Told you things could be added.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-10-03 18:23:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Pastor:



Abuse is yelling, calling names, monitoring calls to the family, denying the boys the right to communicate with their families, denying the boys food as punishment, censoring the boy's mail.

Physical abuse: hitting, restaining, excessive exercise as punishment, sleep deprivation, spitting on them, sitting on top of them, twisting their arms.

Emotional, psychological abuse: telling the boys they are worthless, telling them their parents don't want them, making fun of them in group sessions, making the boys "confess" in open meetings, making the boy's confidential information "public" to the other boys.



You are a grown man, Pastor: you know that washing dishes is NOT ABUSE.

Surely you, in your wisdom know what physical, psychological, emotional, sexual abuse is.

Surely as a pastor you have counseled people in your flock who have come to you as "victims of abuse."  Please do not present yourself as a person who does not understand the term "abuse."



And these boys do have RIGHTS, and they must be protected.

"

Don't patronize me, I don't need it, nor do I respect you when you do it.  You are doing just what you claim is abuse, pouring a type of verbal/written scathing to me.   I am saying that your definition of abuse and someone else's definition of abuse is definitely different.  

Sure I know what abuse is, both verbal and physical.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-10-03 15:06:00, OverLordd wrote:

"Well we have emotional and physical abuse. Emotional abuse would be things like.

Forced disclosure.

Embarassment.

No privacy

Trying to change a persons state of mind

Yelling (also verbal abuse)

Reinforcing the idea that they are crap without the program.

Anything that harms a persons mental state and that they cannot combat against. (ex. a parent calling a kid a waste of space. Or useless)

I would also call forced conversions a form of emotinal abuse.



Physical abuse would be things like.

Beatings.

Mal-noursment.

Standing long periods.

Being restrained.

Forced into a uncomfortable position for long periods.

Not allowed to use the bathroom.

Forced march.



Things like that, im sure this does not cover the bases and im sure others can add to this.



Moving on, making them wash dishes is not abuse, its pointless busy work that should be done by someone being paid. It drags the kids down to the level of slaves.



And please pastor... do not call this a good ministry, call it a program, call it a orginistation, but please, do not call it a ministry. God would never ever have this done, nor does it better the kingdom in anyway."

Okay, program.  I will give you that.  I don't disagree with you on most of your list of abuse.  In any program it does not hurt anyone/someone to join in and help the program...see, I am using the word.  That is not abuse, it is understanding responsibility.  In a school program we have too many kids who are waited upon and they treat the facilities and the equiptment with no respect, thus it/they are soon destroyed or lost.  So, pickup and take care of equiptment.  If you don't you lose the privilge of having them.  

I do understand some of your concerns but feel you are jumping to a conclusion based on no facts in evidence.

[Anonymous]

To Pastor Seidel, I do hope that you will check into the history of the Roloff schools, Rebekah School, and its history of abuse. It is documented that Dennis McElwath worked with the Roloff ministries. The concerns expressed here are sincere. I do not have anything personally to gain by this request--I do not have a child at Anchor Academy, and have no personal vendetta against this school.  But I am gravely concerned. Since your church and people you know support this school, I ask that you personally find a way to investigate this situation. Thank you.

[Pastor]

On 2005-10-03 21:53:00, Anonymous wrote:

"To Pastor Seidel, I do hope that you will check into the history of the Roloff schools, Rebekah School, and its history of abuse. It is documented that Dennis McElwath worked with the Roloff ministries. The concerns expressed here are sincere. I do not have anything personally to gain by this request--I do not have a child at Anchor Academy, and have no personal vendetta against this school.  But I am gravely concerned. Since your church and people you know support this school, I ask that you personally find a way to investigate this situation. Thank you. "

I will do this.  I am already doing my homework on Anchor Academy.  It makes it impossible to be fair and honest when there are so many accusations leveled against Anchor Academy with no proof.  The one "student" who is mentioned earlier, and his sister makes some accusations that are not just as it was described to me.  So, you have one side and it seems there is another.  The parents seem satisfied but the sister wants to get her brother "out."  I would challenge her to go see her brother if she is so concerned.  Don't hide in a forum and stir people up when she really might not have the facts.  When and if she goes, and finds things as she thinks and presents them,  then evidence can be shown. If on the other hand, she finds that her brother is safe and well cared for, I would hope she would have the honesty to report such findings to this forum.

What I see here in this forum is also a negativity toward anything that might smack of God or Christ, or "religion."  True Christianity is not abusive and is not violent.  Many of you have seen the opposite and I am sorry for that.  I truely believe that there are some good programs out there and they are doing a good work to help.

[OverLordd]

In a school program we have too many kids who are waited upon and they treat the facilities and the equiptment with no respect, thus it/they are soon destroyed or lost. So, pickup and take care of equiptment.

I can agree with this, but not because of the resons you are thinking. Not to get into side notes. But I think its because the youth have no stake in what is in the public schools. You know what I mean? The schools are federally funded, so the kids dont have to pay for it. Its like communism, they dont have a stake in it and it can be replaced in their mind so they just dont care about it. Thats my view anyway.

I would challenge her to go see her brother if she is so concerned.

Pastor, some times, in some programs people who are not supportive of the program are not allowed on campus, that is pretty common, families have been broken up over this.

[Anonymous]

Does Anchor Academy have an "open door policy?" Are ALL family members allowed to visit the students there?

[Pastor]

I don't know if Anchor does have an open door policy or not.  I am sure that you can contact Mr. Spencer and ask.  In the case where there is concerns, I would think that it would be possible.  I will ask and report back.

[OverLordd]

Thank you very much pastor.

[Anonymous]

Pastor: please read under the topic " need advice..." it is by Desperate Dad who is considering placing his son at Achor Academy. He spoke with a newpaper in Havre: and it appears that an employee at Anchor was fired for inappropriately touching one of the boy students at Anchor. Seems there have been "problems" at Anchor! Why would anyone take such a CHANCE by placing their child at this facility, or LEAVING their child there?

[OverLordd]

bump, where are you pastor?

[Pastor]

I am here, I answered over on the other thread.  I am in contact with Anchor and am planning to go visit them soon.  They are very cooperative and willing for visitors.