Group Holds Conference This Weekend in Chicagoland

By David Clohessy
SNAP
April 15, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/il_group_holds_conference_this_weekend_in_chicagoland

A leading advocacy organization will this weekend (April 19-21) hold a conference that will address the prevention and awareness of the past and present abuse of missionary children.

Missionary Kids Safety Net (MK Safety Net) has been raising the issue of abuse of missionary children by evangelical missionaries for the past 20 years. This weekend, they will hold their first national conference in Rolling Meadows to address the state of the crisis and focus on solutions. Speakers include William Paul Young (author of the best-selling novel The Shack), David Clohessy (Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), and Dr. Andrew Schmutzer (Professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute).

"This is a current, cutting edge issue in the North American evangelical mission community,” said Rev. Rich Darr, a Board Member of MK Safety Net and Lead Pastor at First UMC in Park Ridge, IL.

The conference will take place at the Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows-Schaumburg at 3405 Algonquin Rd in Rolling Meadows, IL (847-259-6600), and will run from noon on Friday, April 19 to noon on Sunday, April 21. Beyond the plenary speakers, items on the agenda include sessions on topics like how to report abuse to authorities, and screenings of documentary films like “All God’s Children.”

“We’re excited about this conference and the topics being discussed,” said Clohessy. “This is an important and on-going problem that needs to be exposed and stopped.”

Contacts:

Rich Darr: MKSN Board Member, Missionary Kid survivor, Lead Pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge IL. (815-370-4703, rsdarr@earthlink.net)

Bev Shellrude-Thompson: President of MKSN, Missionary Kid survivor. 224-203 3087 bevandernie@cogeco.ca

Linda Tripp: MKSN Board member, Vice President in the World Vision Global Partnership (retired): linda.tripp125@gmail.com

Rachel Steffan: MK Survivor of Fanda Boarding School, Senegal, W Africa. rsteffen51@yahoo.com