Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9
In January 2014, an investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division uncovered multiple allegations of sexual abuse against boys and girls at Sankey Samaritan children’s home, Lucena, Philippines. Sworn statements from Sankey youth detailed abuses such as girls paid to give the director massages, forced kisses, and multiple allegations of rape. The director and his son, both Filipino nationals, were arrested and criminally charged with sexual abuse and rape. Two former workers, not present at the time of arrest, were also named in sworn statements as perpetrators of sexual abuse.
The children’s home was funded through World Harvest Ministries, a nonprofit organization started by American missionary Tom Randall. Randall, who had been informed of the initial abuse allegations in November 2013, was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice.
World Harvest Ministries folded into Christ Community Chapel in Hudson, OH, where Randall was employed from 2013 to 2019.
Immediately following the arrest, Christ Community Chapel lead pastor Joe Coffey took action. He defended Randall and the two accused workers on social media, in the news, and from the pulpit, calling the missionary who had informed Randall of the abuse allegations a “friend gone bad.” He appealed to political connections for help, which resulted in Ohio Senator Rob Portman’s office contacting Filipino Ambassador Cuisia. Coffey said the ministry paid legal fees for Randall and the two accused workers.
Randall was released without charges. The two charged workers were released on bail. The former workers implicated in sworn statements were never investigated. After over two years of legal appeals and delays, the alleged victims exited the court process.
For five years, despite the alleged victims who stood by their statements during that time, Coffey and Randall publicly acknowledged only one girl alleging a kiss and later retracting her allegation.
In March 2019, Christ Community Chapel revealed that an internal review conducted by church member Suzanne Lewis-Johnson had been initiated six months previously. When approached, Lewis-Johnson declined to investigate the allegations against Randall, who had himself been accused of behaving inappropriately with underage girls and of molesting a teenage girl in the Philippines.
Nonetheless, the investigation report, released on August 4, 2019, concluded that the record “affirmed probable cause that abuse happened at Sankey” and stated that Tom Randall had been asked to resign in June 2019 for falsifying an email.
Tom Randall continues to work in ministry. In an August 2019 email, Randall told supporters he had resigned “to become completely independent again“ and would be starting a new organization soon. In December 2019, his new Board of Directors wrote asking for prayer against “attacks of Satan” and for “generosity in prayer and giving.” The letter denied the allegations against both Tom and the orphanage staff. “We are encouraging Tom to continue his ministry in the Philippines,” the Board, which includes megachurch pastor Steve Clifford of WestGate Church, wrote.
Conscience and integrity demand that all allegations of abuse are given a fair hearing. CCC has approached Sankey advocates to suggest a conciliation process under a non-disclosure agreement, but because of the number of open questions and allegations left unaddressed by the Lewis-Johnson review, we believe that a thorough and fully independent investigation is needed first. We continue to request a third-party investigation by a team with expertise in child sexual abuse. Our desire is for past victims to receive the support and counseling they need to heal, and for perpetrators and enablers of abuse to be prevented from creating more victims.
Hello, this is {VICTIM 3}. I came at Sankey when I was eight years old because my mother had died. A year after, stroke attacked my father so he cannot take care of us. My father had a cousin working at sankey and she told it to my dad. He then decided just to send me at the orphanage since no one would take care us properly. I had relatives that wants to take us but my dad wouldnt let that happen. My father had dreams for us to finish our studies so we can have a better future. That was his reason for sending us at sankey cause he couldnt afford us to put in school as well as my other relatives.
At first, it was nice to live inside. Staff are kind and friendly. It went well for several years. As I grow up, things are starting to change. I was abused first by the director’s eldest son, It happened only once. Then followed by my long time caregiver and cook, they did it for a couple of times in a year during night time when everyone’s on a deep sleep. I was only 13 years old at that time. I want to talk about it, but no one would listen. They will think that its only a made up story of mine to accused the staff. I kept it a secret for years until they kicked me out. Because I was already causing trouble because I want to rebel of what had happened. I even stole money from the office and other stuffs like chocolate. There were nice presents for us kids in the stockrooms that came from other people. They were already opened and holds it there. It never reached the kids that has birthdays. Most of them are from supporters that visits sankey. There were no cameras installed in the compound. I was sent to one of my stepsisters that my father told to look after us while in staying at sankey and just passed me to my oldest stepsister ending up to her. She was mean and doesnt like me. So I forced myself to work part time so that I can earn and finish my highschool.
I am willing to tell everything because I want justice done to those who had abused me sexually. To make things clear, I just want only justice and not revenge. Ending this message, I want to let everyone to know that the abused actually happened. It’s not an imaginative story that I’m just making and no one bribe me to write it down. It’s the truth even other people wouldnt accept it. Its up to them to believe it or not. God knows what happened and the truth. No one can stop me from speaking the truth.
Thank you and God Bless,
{VICTIM 3}😊
Statement from Victim 1 (May 2, 2014)