Ep. 430: Kanakuk, Climbing the “Benefits Cliff,” and Pastors and Planes

On today’s program, the lawsuit against Kanakuk Kamps brought by Logan Yandell has been dismissed. Yandell was a former camper who was sexually abused at the camp by leader Pete Newman. We’ll take a look. Also, in the next episode of our Generous Living series, a story about how $4 an hour changed the life trajectory of a young mom. And, Pastors and Planes—after tracking planes owned by more than 40 ministries, who was the biggest user of private aircraft…and how much did it cost donors? But first, an Ohio pastor has been found guilty of criminal charges for providing temporary shelter to homeless people in his community. Dad’s Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, has been battling with the city since last winter to provide shelter to homeless persons in the area. Now, the pastor, Chris Avell, has been found guilty in municipal court of a criminal charge related to a fire code violation, fined $200, and given a 60-day suspended sentence. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Elizabeth Coffee, Nathan Mayo, Tony Mator, Brittany Smith, Christina Darnell—and you, Warren. A special thanks to Echoes Magazine for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT:    FIRST SEGMENT Warren: Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado, and we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, the lawsuit against Kanakuk Kamps brought by Logan Yandell has been dismissed. Yandell was a former camper who was sexually abused at the camp by leader Pete Newman. We’ll take a look. Also, in the next episode of our Generous Living series, a story about how $4 an hour changed the life trajectory of a young mom. And, Pastors and Planes—after tracking planes owned by more than 40 ministries, who was the biggest user of private aircraft…and how much did it cost donors? Natasha: But first, an Ohio pastor has been found guilty of criminal charges for providing temporary shelter to homeless people in his community. Warren: Dad’s Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, has been battling with the city since last winter to provide shelter to homeless persons in the area. Now, the pastor, Chris Avell, has been found guilty in municipal court of a criminal charge related to a fire code violation, fined $200, and given a 60-day suspended sentence. The sentence is stayed pending an appeal by Avell, who is represented by First Liberty, a nonprofit law firm that defends religious liberty, and two other law firms. Natasha: What’s been the main issue for Dad’s place? Warren: According to First Liberty, the Bryan city officials are demanding that Dad’s Place install an expensive fire suppression system even though it does not place similar requirements on all of its motels, most of its apartment complexes, and even a senior living facility. Natasha: Next, the latest from  Kanakuk Kamps. Warren: The lawsuit brought by former camper Logan Yandell against Kanakuk Kamps has been dismissed. Missouri Judge Raymond Gross granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment because he said the claims were time-barred and because Yandell could not “establish actionable fraud or civil conspiracy against these defendants.” The judge dismissed all of Yandell’s claims for relief. Natasha: What’s the background to Yandell’s story? Warren: Yandell is a Kanakuk camp sexual abuse survivor who filed a lawsuit against the camp in 2022. He was sexually abused by former Kanakuk employee Peter Newman, who is currently serving two life prison sentences plus 30 years for his abuse convictions. Yandell reached a settlement agreement with Kanakuk in 2010, but he claimed in the lawsuit that the settlement was based on false and fraudulent representations by the Kanakuk defendants. In his order, Judge Gross wrote that a fraud claim must be brought within five years of the date it occurred. In this lawsuit, Yandell argued that he didn’t learn about the fraud until the investigative report was released in 2021. The judge dismissed the conspiracy claims because they could not survive without the underlying fraud claim. Natasha: Let’s look at one more story before we take a break -what do you have? Warren: As part of its effort to be transparent about abuse by former youth pastor Jackson Gatlin, the Duluth Vineyard church has published an extensive timeline of events with details and attachments. “Just like the abuse itself, ours and Vineyard USA’s response to the abuse needs to come out into the light,” reads the introduction to the timeline on the church’s website. It also links the investigation report produced by GRACE, an organization that helps churches investigate and respond to abuse. While the church values transparency, it says there are limitations on what it can say in order to protect victims. Natasha: What can you tell us about the timeline? Warren: The timeline begins in 2014 with reports of spiritual abuse and bullying by Michael Gatlin, former pastor of the Duluth Vineyard church, and a leader in Vineyard USA. While the church leadership undertook an investigation at the time, they now recognize that it was inadequate. The next entry is about the initial report against Jackson Gatlin on October 6, 2022, when he was accused of having sex with a high school student 10 years earlier while serving as a volunteer youth leader at the church. Within the next two months, Duluth Vineyard made a police report about Gatlin’s misconduct and made Jackson’s parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, aware of the report, telling them they must cooperate in the investigation. Michael Gatlin was the lead pastor of Duluth Vineyard at the time, and Brenda Gatlin was employed as a superregional leader by Vineyard USA. In December 2022, the church told the congregation about the abuse allegations and also announced its victim support through compassionate care and licensed therapy. Natasha: What happened to the Gatlin family? Warren: Michael and Brenda Gatlin resigned. In May 2023, Michael, Brenda, and Jackson Gatlin were placed under church discipline. The Gatlins’ ordination as pastors was revoked, and the steps for reconciliation and restoration were explained. According to the timeline, as of January 10, 2025, neither Michael, Brenda, nor Jackson Gatlin have expressed or demonstrated “a willingness to participate in the process of reconciliation and restoration the Special Committee described.” A post on the Vineyard USA website about the Guidepost report says it “is committed to acknowledging our past shortcomings, being transparent when issues arise, building a stronger culture of accountability among pastors and leaders at all levels, and implementing better systems to address concerns regarding leadership conduct when they arise.” Natasha: Warren, let’s take a quick break. When we return, how the so-called ‘benefits cliff’ makes rising out of poverty difficult for low-income families…and how one mom is helping other women overcome it. I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and we’ll have that story and much more, after this short break.   BREAK   SECOND SEGMENT Natasha: Welcome back.  I’m Natasha Cowden, along with my co-host Warren Smith, and you’re listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Next, the story we promised before the break. Warren: By the time Kayla Carter was 17, she thought her life was on track. She’d finished high school early. She was working and saving money for a move to college in Arlington. Just as she was set to make her move, Carter’s life changed forever. While working an office supply sales job, Carter was sexually assaulted by a coworker and became pregnant. After praying and seeking counsel, Carter decided her journey would mean keeping and raising this baby. That decision would prompt her to move back into her parents’ home. She had her daughter, Audrey, found a job waiting tables, and enrolled in UTSA. Natasha: But when her next job offer came, she some tough decisions to make Warren: At the time, Carter was using childcare assistance and WIC, a nutrition program for pregnant or breastfeeding women and families with children younger than five. While considering the offer for this new job, she learned that this higher hourly wage would disqualify her from the childcare assistance on which she had been reliant. Despite the pay raise, Carter would technically bring home less income every month than if she were to keep waiting tables. This dilemma is not uncommon. There's even a name for it: the benefits cliff. Natasha: What is the benefits cliff? Warren: People hit the benefits cliff when a small increase in income leads to a significant reduction or complete loss of certain government benefits or assistance programs. This reality can create a disincentive for individuals to increase their income or work more hours because the loss of benefits outweighs the financial gain from additional earnings. Natasha: But it turned out to be an incentive for Audrey. Warren: Carter was able to negotiate her salary for an additional $4 an hour, making enough to support her and Audrey. It also but Audrey on a path to help other women who were in her position – women who wanted to be self-sufficient, not depending on government subsidies. In addition to working and raising Audrey, Carter opened her home to old friends from high school and new friends from across the city—all of whom had stories of trauma impacting their financial and emotional stability....