The son of a minister who oversees an Iowa church camp is denying reports of child abuse and endangerment at the property.
Authorities have opened a human trafficking investigation following the removal of over 88 children from a church camp tied to the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation in Fredonia due to reports of child abuse and endangerment.
Victor Bawi, the son of a minister at Kingdom Ministry, said none of the camp leaders have been arrested, according to a local news station KWQC. He also confirmed to the outlet that the authorities had opened a human trafficking investigation.
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Bawi said that a 15-year-old boy from Texas called the police because he didn’t want to be at the Shekinah Glory Camp run by the church, which welcomes Christian teenagers from all over the country.
“We never harmed that child. We loved him,” he said. “We bought him like $400 shoes, clothing, everything.”
Bawi denied the allegation that the children who attended the camp were abused or placed in any danger. The camp was supposed to run June 8-29 in Columbus Junction before the authorities arrived to conduct a search of the camp on June 12-13.
“Of course I’m upset … hopefully this can be resolved soon,” Bawi said about the investigation.
The Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation did not respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.
In a Monday press release, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said that it collaborated with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Columbus Junction Police Department to conduct a child safety operation last week.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that law enforcement had taken 88 children into protective custody and removed them from the camp. Authorities brought the children to the Wapello Methodist Church to have them meet with Child Protection Workers.
Deputies said that the children were placed in temporary foster care until they could be returned safely to their parents or guardians.
“All agencies were assisted by the Wapello Methodist church, Wapello Community Ambulance, Wapello Community School/Food Pantry as well as multiple local volunteers,” the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office stated.
The sheriff’s office also confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
According to KWQC, the pastor at Wapello opened the doors to the children after the sheriff’s office called and said that the children needed a safe space. The pastor recalled between 80 to 88 arriving at the church, but he said that they did not spend the night.
A promotion for the Shekinah Glory Camp on the church’s website advertised Christian preacher Saya Rual Cung as a speaker. The fee to register for the camp was $500.
According to the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation website, the church was founded in 2018. The church states that its mission is “Assisting individuals in breaking free from addiction through God’s Word, offering food and shelter to those in need, and supporting individuals during fasting and prayer.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
