Teen Mania Watch

Teen Mania Global Expeditions: The Ultimate Letdown

2012-10-20T02:08:00.002-04:00

I was just thinking about it, and I have to say, my Teen Mania missions trip was one of the most disappointing and damaging events in my life. I have never worked so hard to get something, and then been so let down...EVER.

I spent almost two grand on my Global Expedition. That was money that my parents didn't have, and I had to work very hard to raise it. It took almost a year of saving every penny, selling candy bars, begging everyone at my church for money, giving up my personal belongings for garage sales, etc., to be able to go on this trip. It really was a once in a lifetime experience as far as I was concerned.

Then I got to Venezuela, and the truth of the situation turned out to be very different than what I was sold by Teen Mania when I signed up for the missions trip. You can read my whole story here, but I can honestly say that what happened on that trip has haunted me well into my adult life (I can't believe I just turned 30 :-/).

The other day I was talking with my doctor during a routine visit, and she had to fill out a form for the insurance company listing all of my different diagnoses for various medical conditions. I was surprised to see "PTSD" listed--that's post-traumatic stress disorder. I asked her was that was about, and she said it was because of all the panic attacks and mood episodes I have related to Teen Mania. I have nightmares about my missions trip to this day. I can hear certain songs or see certain things that put me right back in that place I was at when I was 16 years old.

In hindsight, going on a Teen Mania Global Expedition was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. If I had it to do all over again, I definitely would have spent the time, effort, and money on something else...perhaps a missions trip with my local church, or something entirely different.

What do you think? Years (or even months) later, do you think going on your Teen Mania Ministries missions trip was a good decision?

Mind Over Mania: The Day After

2011-11-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

Well, things have certainly been eventful since MSNBC aired their "Mind Over Mania" documentary last night. The program, which chronicled the stories of many current and former Honor Academy interns, definitely didn't paint Teen Mania Ministries in the best light. In fact, the program raised such serious questions that it will probably dissuade many parents & teens from participating in Teen Mania activities.

Just before "Mind Over Mania" aired last night, Ron Luce sent an e-mail to Teen Mania's massive mailing list claiming that he and other senior leaders had been duped into participating in the documentary. He declared the program "negative" and "inflammatory" before he had even seen it. Not surprisingly, Teen Mania supporters are not happy about the information that was broadcast, and they are out in full force today. If you want some idea of what that looks like, check out the comments here and here.

Ron Luce included a link to the trailer of the MSNBC program in his mass e-mail, and current Honor Academy interns were shown a recording of the show this morning. This should not surprise anyone--MSNBC has a direct pipeline into 78 million homes, so this story was just too big for them to ignore. I expect Teen Mania to offer an official rebuttal to the program sometime in the near future, although I do not know of any specific plans or what form that rebuttal might take.

To those who were dismayed by what they saw in "Mind Over Mania" and want to do something about it: I think this is a key moment in time for our community, and the airing of this documentary presents some unique opportunities. For the first time, the plight of those hurt by Teen Mania has been covered by a well-respected, national news organization. That is HUGE!

Here are some ways we can use the airing of "Mind Over Mania" to help get the word out that Teen Mania is a dangerous place for young people:

Show the documentary to your friends and family! While the program only just started to scratch the surface of the many problems at Teen Mania, the presentation was compelling and succinct. Many times, I have found it difficult to really explain to people the nature or extent of the problems with Teen Mania. I personally feel like I can use "Mind Over Mania" as a tool to help people understand why I was hurt and why I want to take action.
Write about "Mind Over Mania" on the internet. Looking at my blog traffic, I can tell that lots and lots of people are searching for information regarding this documentary. A quick Google search will reveal that lots of people are buzzing about the show. If you can, take some time to write about your personal reaction to the show. Was your experience similar to those of the women who shared their stories on the show? Do you think Teen Mania is a good place for teens? Write about it and post it to your Facebook, Twitter, tumblr....whatever! If you want to remain anonymous, it only takes a few seconds to sign up for a new account. RIGHT NOW people are searching for information on Teen Mania, and we want to make sure that our voices are heard clearly among all the Teen Mania "party line" chatter.
Use "Mind Over Mania" to help reach out to the local and regional media in your area. The fact of the matter is, this IS a huge news story, and Teen Mania continues to hold live events all around the country almost every weekend. Chances are, at least one media outlet in your area would be willing to run a story about a Texas-based cult coming into town to recruit teenagers. So, if a live Teen Mania event is happening near you, call your local newspapers and television stations....ESPECIALLY the local NBC affiliate. Tell them about your concerns regarding Teen Mania, and let them know that MSNBC has already run a major story about the organization. Get a copy of "Mind Over Mania" into the hands of any reporter, editor, or producer that expresses even the slightest bit of interest. You'll save them some research, and they'll know it is a "safe" story to run from a legal standpoint--two things that will make it much more likely for them to run with your story idea!

Those are some of my initial thoughts....I'm sure I'll have more over time. If you need a copy of the documentary and are having trouble finding it online, please send me a private message at the e-mail address in the sidebar, and I will try to help you find it. And to my fellow former "manics"--please continue to speak up about your experiences and get the truth out there! That is what is going to make all the difference in the world.

Live-Blogging the MSNBC "Mind Over Mania" Documentary

2011-11-06T21:20:00.037-05:00

As many of you know, MSNBC is airing a 1 hour documentary about Teen Mania Ministries called "Mind Over Mania" this evening (November 6, 2011) at 10:00 PM Eastern Time. I'll be watching this with many of you as it airs, and have decided to live-blog my initial thoughts and reactions.

Before it even gets started, here is what I'm expecting:

Numerous former Honor Academy interns recounting personal stories of abuse, neglect, and general mistreatment.
Internationally-renowned experts stating that Teen Mania is absolutely a cult or a high-control group that should be avoided.
"Celebrities" from the ultra-conservative Christian movement stating that Teen Mania is a fabulous group to be involved with.
Teen Mania leadership admitting there "may" have been problems in the past, but that was years ago and they are "fixed" now.
Suggestions by Teen Mania that former interns who are now speaking out have some sort of a grudge or vendetta against them.
No definite conclusion either way, since MSNBC doesn't want to get sued.

We'll see what happens! Start refreshing this post at 10:00PM Eastern Time for the latest. Also, be sure you are following @TeenManiaWatch on Twitter.

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10:00 PM - The "Mind Over Mania" special on MSNBC is starting. Showing the same trailer that was posted on the MSNBC website earlier this week.

10:01 PM - A young woman named Raven is telling her story about how she got involved with Teen Mania. Seems similar to my own story....talks about having mystical experiences at live Teen Mania events.

10:02 PM - Dave Hasz gives a brief description of the Honor Academy and then ESOAL footage is shown.

10:03 PM - Former intern Raven recounts her experience of her mother visiting her 10 months after joining the Honor Academy and realizing that something was seriously wrong.

10:04 PM - Dave Hasz compares the Honor Academy LTEs ("Life Transforming Events") with "real life." Footage is then shown of Dave Hasz verbally tormenting an intern to the point of tears.

10:05 PM - Raven is describing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her Honor Academy experience. A licensed-counselor talks about how experiences like Raven's can lead to severe anxiety disorders.

10:07 PM - Raven will be attending a weekend-long retreat to discuss her Teen Mania experience.

10:10 PM - The show is back from commercial break. Raven arrives in Texas, and Mica is introduced, the Recovering Alumni blogger. Mica talks about her journey after Teen Mania and her need to work through the experience in therapy...sounds a lot like mine.

10:12 PM - Battle Cry footage is being shown and Ron Luce is screaming like CRAZY! If "whoever speaks up loudest shapes the culture" like Ron Luce says, Teen Mania better watch out!

10:13 PM - Ron Luce and current interns are talking about how Acquire the Fire brings teens to God--aka "the party line." All of this footage has been seen on the GodTV network and the "ATFtv" television show which airs on networks around the country.

10:14 PM - Raven described live Teen Mania events as "fake" and "planned." She says the events lost their sense of honesty once she became an Honor Academy intern. Teen Mania's annual income in 2010 was revealed to be over $18 million.

10:16 PM - Wendy & Doug Duncan, internationally-renowned cult experts are introduced, and 5 former Honor Academy interns agree to participate in a discussion about their experiences with mind-control.

10:17 PM - One intern talks about how the Honor Academy was pitched as a way to find out God's calling for her life. Unfortunately, this is how it is pitched to everyone. How can Teen Mania telemarketers know God's plans?

10:18 PM - Mica brings up the fact that interns are frequently mislead as to what to expect at the Teen Mania Honor Academy.

10:21 PM - More verbal abuse of teens by Teen Mania leadership. Dave Hasz explains the ESOAL acronym, and Raven calls ESOAL the "beginning of the end" in her experience. Another intern recounts physical and verbal abuse at the hands of Teen Mania leaders, including Dave Hasz.

10:22 PM - According to Raven, Dave Hasz said "Stop shivering. You sound disgusting." REALLY?!? What an awful thing to say to someone.

10:23 PM - Teens are shown rolling down a hill covered with other people's vomit. Life transforming indeed. Ron says ESOAL brings about "eternal change" in the lives of participants.

10:24 PM - A former intern talks about how Heath Stoner, the director of the Teen Mania Honor Academy, told her to ignore a physical ailment and do ESOAL and "trust God to heal her." Numerous interns discuss the pressure not to ring out of ESOAL.

10:25 PM - Ron Luce shows Teen Mania's MASSIVE telemarketing operation. Without a steady flow of interns to work the phones, Teen Mania would go bankrupt. Numerous interns express the heavy pressure they felt to meet quotas on the phone...without any consideration for who God may or may not be calling to participate in Teen Mania.

10:27 PM - Interns talk about paying Teen Mania for the privilege of working 10 hour days. Interns had to ask permission to use the bathroom at work. One intern says that Teen Mania kept the office at 85 degrees, but when potential interns visited, the air conditioning would be turned on. The former intern says the organization essentially lies to potential recruits during Honor Academy Preview Weekends.

10:32 PM - Back from another commercial...Teen Mania staffers gush about how wonderful the organization is.

10:33 PM - Ron Luce is giving his typical spiel about rejecting "pop culture."

10:34 PM - Doug Duncan starts to talk to former Teen Mania interns about the Lifton criteria for thought reform. Former interns immediately recognize "milieu control" as part of their Honor Academy experience.

10:35 PM - "Mystical manipulation" is also identified by former interns as being practiced by Ron Luce and Dave Hasz.

10:36 PM - Teen Mania interns describe the demand for absolute "purity" and the continual pressure to be fasting--both from food and other activities. This is recognized in many cults and high control groups.

10:37 PM - Former Honor Academy interns discuss the demand for confession to other interns and leadership, which often resulted in intense guilt and condemnation.

10:42 PM - Honor Academy participants discuss the "Cross Walk," an event that has been discontinued by Teen Mania. Seems horribly unsafe and scary. It was essentially replaced by ESOAL. Now ESOAL has been discontinued. Should we really believe PEARL is different?

10:43 PM - Recent Teen Mania interns discuss other "life transforming events," which are equally disturbing and abusive. This "Unreached People Group LTE" sounds like the farthest thing from reality that you could get.

10:45 PM - Wendy and Doug Duncan unwaveringly state that Teen Mania is abusive and that events like the ones just described should never have happened.

10:46 PM - Ron Luce states that people who got hurt because they didn't want an "in-your-face challenge." Ron says that the Honor Academy is not for everyone, even though telemarketers are told to tell potential recruits that everyone IS called to Teen Mania.

10:47 PM - Former interns talk about how Teen Mania "loads the language," another classic sign of a cult.

10:48 PM - Former interns discuss how normal human emotion is painted as "worldly," and how the Honor Academy essentially robs participants of their humanity. Wendy discusses how dissent was handled and punished by Teen Mania leadership.

10:49 PM - Raven described Teen Mania's actions towards her as "soul murder."

10:50 PM - Raven discusses her life after the Honor Academy, and how she wasn't the same person when she got home and felt like she lost her individuality.

10:53 PM - The Duncans discuss how participants of thought-reform groups end up with anxiety, depression, and even being suicidal. Mica and other interns identify strongly with a list of symptoms commonly experienced by former cult members.

10:54 PM - One former intern talks about how she avoids even thinking about Teen Mania. That's something I've definitely experienced in my own life.

10:55 PM - Doug Duncan talks about how Teen Mania meets all 8 of Lifton's criteria for thought-reform. Whether you want to call them a cult or not, Teen Mania brainwashes teens.

10:56 PM - Ron Luce states again that the Honor Academy is not for everyone, a stark contrast from what Teen Mania marketing materials state.

10:57 PM - The Duncans begin to talk to the former Teen Mania interns about how to start to move-on from their hurtful experiences at the Honor Academy.

10:58 PM - Former interns talk about intense loneliness and isolation after the Honor Academy.

10:59 PM - Mica discusses her general thoughts about her weekend with the Duncans. The other interns who participated said the experience was freeing and healing. It is revealed that Ron Luce declined a follow-up interview for the program.

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Wow! That went by quick! I feel like they could have spent another whole hour talking about Teen Mania--MSNBC really did just scratch the surface. Overall, though, I am extremely pleased with how the show turned out, and I am hopeful that "Mind Over Mania" will be viewed by many parents and teens. I need to watch the documentary again and put together some more coherent thoughts to post here.

In the mean time, if you enjoyed tonight's program, use this feedback form to tell MSNBC "thank you" for doing such an awesome job reporting the truth about Teen Mania...and be sure to let them know if you would like to see more programs like "Mind Over Mania."

Bad Dreams About Teen Mania

2011-05-20T22:33:00.005-04:00

Here's a post from the heart.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately...on my life, where I've been, where I'm at now...things that normal almost-30-year-olds tend to think about.

I think about my relationship with God, and the church--and I just keep coming back to Teen Mania. So much of the way I see the world, faith, God, and even myself was instilled in me through my involvement with Teen Mania Ministries.

Because of all my reflecting, I've been having dreams about my experience in Venezuela on a short-term Teen Mania missions trip. The dreams aren't exactly "nightmares," but they certainly aren't pleasant. They usually involve me being "trapped" somehow in a foreign country and trying desperately to get home, but ultimately being unable too. I often wake up feeling extremely "shaken" from these dreams, and I certainly don't sleep well on the nights when I have these dreams. As many of my readers know, I am a participant in the Recovering Alumni forums, and many folks there who have been involved with Teen Mania are still having bad dreams about their experiences years (and even decades) after their participation in the group.

I was never an Honor Academy intern, so my direct involvement with Teen Mania only consisted of a handful of Acquire the Fire conferences and a month-long Global Expedition. I would imagine that bad dreams tend to plague Honor Academy participants, some of whom spent years of their life at Teen Mania, even more than they bother me.

From a purely "common sense" perspective, it would seem to me that if you have a ministry running multiple programs that many participants are having nightmares about years later, that should serve as a major warning sign of serious problems.

But I'd also like to point out the second diagnostic criterion for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

One or more of these must be present in the victim: flashback memories, recurring distressing dreams, subjective re-experiencing of the traumatic event(s), or intense negative psychological or physiological response to any objective or subjective reminder of the traumatic event(s).

This isn't sensationalism. I know of at least a few people who have received confirmed diagnoses of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) because of their experiences with Teen Mania Ministries.

If I were a parent, I would never let my child attend an event (or year-long program) where there was a potential for him or her to walk away with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder! As a former Teen Mania participant, it bothers me that my experience with the group continues to haunt me to this day, and it makes me want to shout from the rooftops that "Teen Mania is dangerous for teens!"--and to encourage others to join me. Safe programs with solid reputations don't tend to inflict psychological trauma on those who attend. Cults and high-control groups do, though!

For now, the bad dreams continue. But hopefully not tonight. Sleep well everyone!

Teen Mania Watch Partners with Honor Academy to Sponsor ESOAL 2011

2011-04-01T12:39:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers,

As many of you may know, Teen Mania Watch has been among the most vocal critics of the annual ESOAL (Emotionally Stretching Opportunity of A Lifetime) event held by the Teen Mania Honor Academy each year. This blog, along with concerned citizens everywhere, has characterized ESOAL as being coercive, dangerous, and even downright abusive. However, after reading Teen Mania's internal training document about how Christians should "major in the majors," (see pages 19-21 of the Google document), along with Teen Mania's assurance that they are definitely not "hazing" anyone, we have had a change of heart.

Therefore, I am pleased to announce that Teen Mania Watch will be the proud sponsor of ESOAL 2011. Considering how much ESOAL "changes people's lives," Teen Mania Watch is officially offering the following promotional & financial consideration to Teen Mania Ministries:

1 Wooden Coffin, delivered free of charge, so ESOAL participants can endure the simulation of being buried alive in order to bring them closer to God.
10 Cans of Friskies, which would never, ever be fed to a Teen Mania intern during ESOAL.
2 Volunteers who will work 4 hours each to help clean up "vomit hill."
4 Bottles of Tylenol, the only medication needed for any injuries sustained while on the Teen Mania Ministries campus.
1 Live Giant Cockroach, to be placed on interns to terrorize them.
4 Bags of flour,to be thrown on interns before making them crawl through a drainage ditch.
No mental health professionals, since that's not needed!

In exchange for the aforementioned promotional consideration, Teen Mania Watch asks nothing more than that Honor Academy interns be allowed to view truthful and accurate information about the organization while on campus.

We've tweeted the Honor Academy and asked for a response, and we'll let you know when they get back to us.

Teen Mania Publishes Training Documents on Public Website

2011-03-24T13:20:00.008-04:00

One of our readers recently contacted Teen Mania Watch to let us know that while doing a Google search, they stumbled across a strange website from Teen Mania Ministries. I took a look at the link that was sent to me, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here were pages upon pages of documents used to train Honor Academy interns who work as telemarketers to sell tickets to Acquire the Fire and BattleCry events. I didn’t believe that all of this information was actually on a website that anyone could stumble across by doing a simple Google search.

So I tried it out....I entered the keywords “Teen Mania tax ID number” into the Google search box, something any major donor may want to find out, and sure enough the second link that appeared in the search results is from this mysterious Teen Mania Internet portal.

Obviously, I expect that this site will no longer be publicly accessible in the very near future. But Teen Mania Watch believes that knowledge is power, so we have archived the entire Acquire the Fire call center “knowledgebase” in the following 10 PDF documents:

Again, all of this information is available on a public website, that can be found by doing a Google search, as of 1:00PM ET on March 24, 2011. All Teen Mania Watch has done is archived this public information.

Teen Mania Watch will spend a lot of time highlighting the ins-and-outs of the Acquire the Fire marketing strategy, as outlined in these documents, in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, a couple of things jump out at me immediately.

First off, I’ve had several jobs as a telemarketer, including raising money for State Troopers, selling infomercial products, and hawking vacations to Disney World. I’ve had to read a lot of sales pitches to people on the phone, but I can honestly say I have never seen sales tactics so aggressive as what is being suggested in the Acquire the Fire call scripts. Honor Academy interns are basically trained to say whatever it takes to sell as many tickets as possible, and some of the lines that are being used are slicker and more deceptive than anything you’d hear from a used car salesman.

Second, it amazes me that Teen Mania instructs ATF callers to basically promise “encounters with God” and “life-changing experiences.” As if those things are something that you can buy with the $50+ cost of admission. Or guarantee will happen over the course of 27 hours, one weekend per year.

Stay tuned for more, folks....we’re just getting started!

Acquire the Fire: Where It All Begins

2011-03-24T01:32:00.002-04:00

In the past week, the controversy swirling around the Honor Academy's annual ESOAL event has increased significantly, thanks to a new set of videos released on the Recovering Alumni blog. These videos show interns in extreme mental duress being verbally and physically harassed by Teen Mania leadership, including Dave Hasz and Heath Stoner. The videos are absolutely heart-wrenching, and it makes you wonder how Teen Mania recruits hundreds of teens a year to pay for the "privilege" of working for the organization.

The answer, of course, is that Teen Mania relies heavily on their live events like Acquire the Fire to find new recruits for more expensive programs like Global Expeditions and the Honor Academy. In fact, it is extremely rare to find a Global Expeditions participant or an Honor Academy intern who wasn't first introduced to Teen Mania Ministries through an ATF event. Once youth arrive at Acquire the Fire, Teen Mania relentlessly and aggressively markets these expensive programs to everyone in attendance--some ATF attendees have even described the event as a "weekend-long infomercial" for Teen Mania. High pressure tactics are used to get kids to commit to go on a Global Expedition or sign up for the Honor Academy on the spot. If a teen won't make a firm commitment during the ATF event, their contact information is gathered so Teen Mania can continue their marketing via e-mail, direct mail, and phone calls for the next several months or even years.

In short: the journey from "average American teenager" to devoted follower of a high-control group many have described as a "cult" begins at Acquire the Fire.

Surely, though, Acquire the Fire must really be a great experience for teens....right? Why else would they come? Why would churches bring their youth groups to Teen Mania events year after year? Why would people spend the money on Acquire the Fire tickets if the event wasn't amazing?

The answer to those questions and more may shock you as Teen Mania Watch explores the ins-and-outs of Acquire the Fire marketing in our next several blog posts.

Surprise! Your Teen Mania Mission Trip Will Cost Hundreds of Dollars More Than Advertised!

2010-11-07T11:57:00.006-05:00

Teen Mania Ministries recently revamped their Global Expedition website, adding snazzy ~~marketing materials~~ downloads for teenagers, including this Missionary Step-by-Step Guide. In this guide, you'll find a chart on page 3 (see above) listing all the expenses that aren't covered in the advertised price of your Global Expedition.

Teen Mania recruits teens for their mission trips at Acquire the Fire events all over the country, so most teens who aren't from Texas will need to shell out at least a couple hundred dollars for a flight to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Of course, Teen Mania won't be picking you up from the airport for free, either....you'll need to pay them another $49 for that privilege. Oh, and if your mission trip involves you taking an international flight, Teen Mania might add "up to $350" to the cost of your trip--but you won't find out exactly how much until you've already given them half of the money due. If that extra $350 makes the total cost of your trip unaffordable, well, it sucks to be you....because the money you've already paid to Teen Mania is not refundable under any circumstances.

If you are kind enough to volunteer as an unpaid leader on a Global Expedition (without which the trips would not be possible), not only do you need to pay for your trip, you'll need to shell out $25 for a background check ($75 if you're late!) and an extra $89 for a leadership training session. Doesn't sound like many other "volunteer positions" I know of....

As I explored in the last post, Teen Mania missions trips are already grossly overpriced & represent a lot of "profit" for the ministry. Most other organizations offer mission trips for much less money. But as you can see from the fee chart above, most teens end up paying hundreds of dollars more for their trip than the prices Teen Mania prints in all of their slick-looking missions brochures.

The fact of the matter is, this "nickel-and-diming" is not a common practice for most organizations that take people on mission trips--especially local churches. When you go on a trip with a church in your town, there's no domestic airfare to pay for, no airport shuttle to deal with, and the advertised cost of the trip is almost always "all-inclusive." They won't be charging for leadership training, and you'll know about any "fuel surcharges" when you sign up for the trip.

One last thought: if Teen Mania Ministries actually included all of the fees associated with their mission trips in the base price they advertised, they know interest in their trips would drop dramatically, and they wouldn't be able to recruit as many teens. Maybe that's why the extra fees are buried in the back of a brochure most teens & parents won't see until after they've already paid to apply to go on a Global Expedition??

Why Does a Teen Mania Global Expedition to Panama Cost So Much?

2010-09-29T17:30:00.001-04:00

As I Tweeted the other night, I was looking at the Teen Mania mission trips available over the holidays, and I couldn't believe how much an 8 day trip to Panama cost: almost $1900 dollars!

I price hotels and flights fairly regularly....and I've been on a Teen Mania Global Expedition so I am somewhat familiar with what to expect in terms of food and accommodations. Just by looking at the price of the trip, I knew there was no way that TMM's actual expenses were anywhere close to what they were charging. But, in the interest of educating others, I decided to sit down and do the math--so everyone can see just how much profit Teen Mania is making off the backs of teens who decide to go on a Global Expedition.

Actual Expenses:

Round Trip Flight to Panama: $665

Food: $15/day x 8 days = $120

Lodging: $12.50/person/day x 8 days = $100

Ground Transportation: $100/person

Ministry Materials/Supplies/Misc = $75/person

Leadership Subsidies - $75/person

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TOTAL: $1135

COST OF TRIP THROUGH TEEN MANIA: $1874

DIFFERENCE (aka "profit margin"): $739 (39.4% of the trip price)

Now, since I'm sure there will be arguments about how I arrived at these figures, let me take a moment to explain.

Round Trip Flight to Panama: This is probably the biggest trip expense that Teen Mania has the least amount of control over. I looked up round-trip flights from Miami (where the trip starts) to Panama City for the trip dates on Expedia.com. I assumed that Teen Mania would pick the cheapest flight.

Food: As anyone who has ever been on a Global Expedition knows, the food on Teen Mania missions trips isn't the best. A lot of times, teens are served nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch or dinner. Local churches in host countries also often feed the teenage missionaries at no expense to Teen Mania. Restaurant meals are rare on Teen Mania missions trips. I alloted $15/day/person for food, although the actual expense to Teen Mania could be much lower depending on their reliance on local churches and/or PB&J.

Lodging: One of the better hotels I could find in Panama City was $50/night, and this is the price I used in my calculations. Many hotels in Panama City were only $20 or $30 per night, so Teen Mania could definitely find cheaper accommodations than the ones I used in my math. I also assumed that teens would only have to sleep 4 to a hotel room, although I know it is a regular occurrence for TMM to try to squeeze 6 or more people into a hotel room on missions trips. This also assumes Teen Mania even springs for a hotel room--on many trips, teens simply sleep on the floor of a local church (or even prison!) at zero expense to Teen Mania Ministries.

Ground Transportation: I allotted $100 for buses/vans to transport teens to ministry sites while in Panama, although this seems a bit high to me for a Central American country. I believe this figure represents the most Teen Mania could possibly spend transporting teen missionaries in Panama. I know that a lot of time local churches donate the use of their vehicles to TMM, so their actual ground transportation expenses per missionary could be much less.

Ministry Materials/Supplies/Misc.: In my experience, Teen Mania doesn't spend a whole lot of money on ministry supplies. On my missions trip, the only thing they "gave" us that would fall into this category was the costume for our drama--which we didn't get to keep, was poorly made, and obviously worth less than $10. But, I decided to give TMM the benefit of the doubt, and I used this category to account for expenses that might not to fall into any other category.

Leadership Subsidies: Finally, the project directors, team leaders, etc., that help TMM on their Global Expedition trips receive a discount on the cost of their trip. The discount isn't very much, and the leaders definitely still give Teen Mania money to go on the missions trip. But, in the interest of fairness, I allotted $75 per full price participant to help offset the cost to Teen Mania of providing this leadership discount.

I think this is definitely a very fair assessment of the actual cost to Teen Mania to send a teen to Panama for 8 days given the typical TMM level of accommodations. As you can see, Teen Mania Ministries stands to make a lot of money by recruiting the maximum number of participants for this missions trip. If they get just 100 teens to go on the trip, and make $739 on each one, that's almost $74,000 extra they have in the bank. That's not exactly chump change.

In fact, it's no secret that Teen Mania has built in a "profit margin" to their summer & holiday missions trips, and this extra money is what enables them to take a loss on expensive stadium events and the Honor Academy. Teen Mania leadership freely admits that this margin is what covers the "overhead" of the massive ministry.

So, when your kid asks you if he/she can go on a Teen Mania missions trip, keep in mind that you're not just paying for their travel expenses--you're also paying for a huge campus in Texas, flashy pyrotechnics at Acquire the Fire events, and extravagant salaries for Ron Luce, Dave Hasz, and other key Teen Mania employees. The fact of the matter is, just about any other organization that takes people on missions trips is going to charge less than Teen Mania. A quick Google search revealed that I could actually take a month long missions trip to Panama for $500 less than Teen Mania is charging to go for eight days. Plus, you can avoid dealing with an organization that many have labelled a "cult" and that is currently dealing with serious accusations of physical and spiritual abuse.

Short-term missions trips can definitely be a positive learning experience for Christian teens. But make the smart decision--skip the overpriced Teen Mania Global Expedition and find a more affordable trip with a local church or ministry.

Teen Mania & David Hasz Are NOT Being 'Persecuted'

2010-09-27T12:53:00.001-04:00

I've been following the comments on the recent KLTV news reports on ESOAL, as well as on David Hasz' Facebook page. One recurring theme I keep seeing over & over from pro-TMM commenters is that all the recent media attention Teen Mania Ministries has been getting is somehow "religious persecution." People talking about how David Hasz will get through this "persecution" just like God helped the Apostle Paul when he was persecuted.

Wikipedia defines religious persecution as "the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations."

Let's be clear. Teen Mania Ministries isn't being bashed because they are a Christian organization--it's because they run extremely dangerous & irresponsible events like ESOAL. David Hasz isn't coming under fire because he talks about Jesus--it's because he has repeatedly and unapologetically lied about numerous Honor Academy programs, only the latest of which is ESOAL. Dave would love to be able to spin all this negative publicity into people seeing him as a huge martyr, but the fact of the matter is that nothing is currently happening to Dave Hasz that he didn't bring on himself with his decision to be dishonest.

Unless the Teen Mania cheerleaders think Jesus was somehow "persecuting" the pharisees when he called them out on their nonsense in public, they ought to re-think their position on what's really going on with all this recent Teen Mania controversy.

Picture of the Week: Dave Hasz & His Friskies

2010-09-24T11:01:00.002-04:00

In an email Wednesday from Teen Mania to KLTV, ESOAL creator Dave Hasz says corrections have been made saying "most never throw up on the hill." For the first time, restrictions are in place for interns participating in the "hill roll." Starting this year, they are only allowed three rolls. Hasz's email also stated "cat food has never been served at ESOAL." -KLTV News Story (Do ESOAL activities go too far?) posted September 23, 2010

The David Hasz Cat Food Scandal!

2010-09-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

A lot has happened this week! After the story broke about Mark Lewandowski lying to the Recovering Alumni blogger, Teen Mania Ministries got even more bad press in the form of a three night exposé about ESOAL on the KLTV evening news in East Texas. The story definitely didn't paint Teen Mania in a very positive light, and echoed the same health & safety complaints regarding ESOAL that individuals following this story have know about for months.

I found it extremely interesting that David Hasz, the C.O.O. of Teen Mania and creator of ESOAL, cancelled his on-camera interview. An interview with Hasz had been scheduled, but at the last minute he told KLTV producers that he would only appear if he could be interviewed live instead of doing a pre-recorded interview. You'd think after seeing the first two nights of a story that would make many parents think twice about sending their kid to the Honor Academy, Dave would be clamoring to get the chance to tell his side of the story. It seems as if Teen Mania has nothing to hide, doing an interview with KLTV would have been a non-issue.

David Hasz did however respond to an e-mail he received from KLTV producers, and one of the things he said to them (as reported in the news segment) was that cat food had never been served at ESOAL. This surprised me, because I know I have personally heard stories from several former Teen Mania interns about the cat food served during ESOAL. Sure enough, within an hour of the KLTV story airing, video footage of Dave Hasz himself holding a can of Friskies cat food during an ESOAL event was posted on the Recovering Alumni blog.

Hasz claims that refried beans were placed in an old cat food tin during ESOAL. The video shows him holding a sealed can of cat food--and reports from former interns that the "refried beans" tasted like fish and contained bones (along with the video footage of an intern eating the cat food) make this claim from David Hasz even more dubious.

It's not just cat food Dave Hasz & Teen Mania are lying about--there's a whole slew of dishonest statements you can see and verify for yourself in today's Recovering Alumni blog post.

Teen Mania supporters might be asking, "What's the big deal about cat food?" It's not even so much about the cat food (although it is unsafe for humans to eat pet food), it's the fact that David Hasz decided to lie about it. Rather than own up to what has happened in the past, Hasz chooses to deny it and minimize it in order to save face. That's a real problem coming from a man whose job it is to teach young adults how to be "honorable."

Oh....and how in the world is eating cat food supposed to make you a better Christian?!

Why Did Teen Mania & Mark Lewandowski Lie?

2010-09-22T13:12:00.002-04:00

Over the past couple of days, some very interesting things have been happening over on the Recovering Alumni blog. On Monday, a recording of a phone call between Mark Lewandowski and the author of the Recovering Alumni blog was released. Mark Lewandowski is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Teen Mania Ministries, and he was the man appointed by Teen Mania to reach out to the Recovering Alumni community and solicit stories for the board of directors to read.

The phone call was recorded about a month before Teen Mania launched their RecoveringAlumniResponse.com website. The RA blogger asked Mark several specific questions about how the Board of Directors' investigation would go, and Mark was pretty forthcoming with his communication. Let's go point-by-point and look at what Mark Lewandowski said compared with what actually happened:

Mark Lewandowski said: "...the decision is that we didn’t get into this situation overnight so we’re not going to try to rush to get out of this situation."

What actually happened: Teen Mania threw together a shoddy website, riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, and posted it on the internet late on a Friday afternoon just before Memorial Day weekend. It looks like they didn't look any farther than Dave Hasz' Rolodex to find "experts" for their review panel, and after a single conference call with hundreds of hurting alumni, they were ready to declare the entire situation over and done with.

Mark Lewandowski said: "So I feel very confident that there is going to be real, detailed discovery and that is much better than a cursory, 'Hey we looked into this and everything is going great, we’ve taken care of it, have a good day.'"

What actually happened: Teen Mania Ministries created a website and held a conference call that basically said "All these problems happened in the past, everything's going great now." The leaders at Teen Mania Ministries offered no specific details about what problems they discovered, what steps they were taking to address those problems, or how they were going to change things to prevent those problems going forward. I don't see any evidence whatsoever that the Teen Mania Board of Directors made any attempt at a "real, detailed discovery."

Mark Lewandowski said: "Yeah, we’ve been wanting to use for sure a clinical counselor or clinical psychologist; someone from fitness like a medical professional …people with deep, solid theological experience…..a physician that will be able to speak to the fitness complaints….trying to find the right people to help us assess the situation from a clinical, counseling, physical, spiritual and not just use the Board and not just use inside experts from Teen Mania."

What actually happened: From the information that Teen Mania has posted, it looks like there are only two people that could possibly be considered "experts" that were involved in the investigation, and they both had deep ties to Teen Mania. I didn't see anyone "from fitness" commenting on the physical aspects of the program...I didn't see many actual comments on specific aspects of the program at all. Just a cheerleading session from a couple of people with a definite vested interest in making a potential scandal go away.

___________________________

There were other lies in the phone call, but you get the gist. So I guess the big question is the one posed in the headline of this post: Why did Teen Mania & Mark Lewandowski tell such bold-faced lies, and why in the world did they think they would get away with it? My guess is that Mark didn't count on having that conversation recorded and published for the entire world to hear.

Even Google Knows It...

2010-09-17T19:47:00.003-04:00

I was searching for some information about the Teen Mania Honor Academy earlier this evening, and one of the suggested searches (seen in the screen shot above) made me chuckle. Seems like even Google knows the truth about Teen Mania Ministries--if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and acts like a duck...it's probably a duck.

ESOAL 2010 In-Progress

2010-09-17T11:00:00.003-04:00

ESOAL, the "we'll-make-you-cry-and-puke-until-you're-a-better-Christian" Life Transforming Event (LTE) held by the Teen Mania Honor Academy each year, started in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. Last year, ESOAL lasted 90+ hours....interns have been told that this year's event will last even longer.

This is also the first year that Dave Hasz will be going through ESOAL as a participant. I don't imagine this will change his mind about ESOAL being a good idea, because he won't experience the same kind of emotional distress that the Honor Academy interns to. Why? Because:

a) Dave Hasz isn't 17-20 years old.

b) Dave Hasz isn't away from home for a year for the first time in his life.

c) Dave Hasz knows in the end that he's in charge, and everyone else knows it too.

d) Dave Hasz has been through many ESOAL events, so although some minor details may be changed, he basically knows what to expect.

I could add to the list, but that's a good start. Dave just can't experience ESOAL in the same way that young interns do....he's at a completely different place in his life than they are. He won't experience the same fear, the same feelings while being abused, or the same uncertainty. Because of this, I have no expectations that he'll see the need to make any major changes to the event.

With all that said....I truly hope the best for the interns going through this year's ESOAL. I hope that there are no serious injuries, and that the teens are able to discern what is true Biblical teaching and what is not.

Picture of the Week: Teen Mania's Soon-To-Be-Dead Cat

2010-09-15T11:26:00.002-04:00

One of our readers had the chance to visit the Teen Mania Ministries campus in Garden Valley, Texas recently, and snapped this picture of a stray cat she saw walking around. Very pretty cat....cute collar and everything. :)

Unfortunately, if this cat sticks around too long, he/she will most likely be killed with a shotgun since, as Dave Hasz said on Teen Mania's recent conference call, that is how stray cats are dealt with on campus.

Former Honor Academy participants have also reported witnessing other interns drowning kittens and otherwise torturing stray animals that happen to have the misfortune of wandering onto the Teen Mania campus. These are mostly former pets, not feral animals, which makes the reports of animal abuse even more disturbing. No animal deserves to live the last moments of their life in sheer terror, but so far Teen Mania has refused to look into more compassionate solutions to their stray animal problem.

Conference Call Follow-Up

2010-09-15T08:25:00.000-04:00

On June 28, 2010, Teen Mania Ministries held a conference call to publicly respond to the many questions raised by former program participants that had a horrible experience at the Honor Academy. The call lasted for more than two and a half hours, and a lot of serious issues were addressed by Dave Hasz, the director of Teen Mania's Honor Academy. Interested parties can find a downloadable recording of the call on the Recovering Alumni Response website.

We'll be looking at some of the specific content of the conference call in future posts. But my general reaction is that the call was a completely inadequate response to the abuse allegations that have been raised by Honor Academy participants, and was basically just a desperate P.R. stunt instead of a real attempt at honest dialog and lasting change.

If you do a Google search for "Teen Mania Ministries" or "Honor Academy," you'll notice that there are lots of links to negative information on the first few pages of search results. Information about Teen Mania's cult-like atmosphere. Stories of emotional, spiritual, and even physical abuse at the Honor Academy. Today's teens are internet-savvy--of course they are Googling these things before they make serious commitments to an organization they aren't familiar with. The word on the street is that this negative information is starting to seriously hurt recruiting efforts for the Honor Academy, and as everyone knows, Teen Mania can't do much without free labor.

So Teen Mania is in crisis mode....trying to make the stories on the internet go away....dismissing them as "things that happened in the past." But unfortunately for Ron Luce & company, the crisis isn't going away as more and more young adults start to step forward and talk about the hurt they experienced at Teen Mania Ministries.

We're Back...

2010-09-15T08:10:00.006-04:00

Hello readers! It's been a while since I've had a chance to post....there's been work issues, family issues, and health problems to deal with, and the Teen Mania Watch blog had to take a backseat for awhile. But I'm pleased to announce that we're back, and posts should be more regular from here on out.

I'm going to be trying some shorter format posts, and some new stuff with the blog in general. I hope you like it. And now, back to the show...

Live Updates from the Teen Mania Ministries Conference Call

2010-06-28T19:05:00.036-04:00

Tonight Teen Mania Ministries is hosting a conference call to publicly address the abuse allegations detailed on the Recovering Alumni website. Teen Mania Watch, of course, will be listening in on the call, and will be providing live updates on this blog throughout the evening as the call progresses. Check back here for updates starting at approximately 8:45PM Eastern Time (7:45PM Central Time). You may need to hit the "refresh" button on your browser periodically to make sure you are reading the latest postings. So, if you can't be on the call for whatever reason, or just want to read some intelligent commentary on what's being said by Teen Mania leaders on the call, check back here for the latest real-time updates.

_______________________________________

(Note: All times listed are Eastern Time)

8:52 PM - Just dialed in. 28 callers already on the line. I received a message that said "Line Muted" as soon as I joined the conference call....I'm assuming all participants except for TMM leaders will be muted for most, if not all of the call.

9:01 PM - Dave Hasz opens the call, introducing himself and offering a brief prayer for the conference call.

9:03 PM - Dave Hasz says that over 80 participants are currently on the call. Says TMM has "technology in place" to allow people to ask questions....hoping that it works out. Says uncertainty about technology is what prompted the request to e-mail questions ahead of time.

9:07 PM - Dave Hasz offers brief background of why they are having a conference calls. Talks about how he became aware of the RecoveringAlumni.com website, and the board of directors investigation. Then Dave reads the letter he's already posted on Teen Mania's response website.

9:11 PM - Dave finishes reading letter....says the goal of the call is to bring real changes to the Honor Academy...says "if you are here for something other than that, you're probably going to be frustrated.

9:12 PM - Dave starts talking about how changes have already been made at the Honor Academy....talks about changes in ATF/LTE driving policy. Also talking about how HA leadership is now seeking more feedback from interns via weekly meetings and other regular evaluations. Mentions existence of "whistleblower" number available for current interns to anonymously report problems at the Honor Academy.

9:15 PM - Dave is talking about how discipline policy at the Honor Academy has changed over the years....says the discipline policy has gone from a "zero-tolerance" policy of immediate dismissal to a more lenient system that involves probation before dismissal.

9:17 PM - Dave Hasz is still speaking. Talking about how the Pike's Peek LTE has changed...now participants have to do a qualifying test before actually participating in the event. Also saying that ESOAL has changed "dramatically"....only changes mentioned right now seem to be smaller, tighter platoon leadership structure.

9:19 PM - Dave Hasz is now talking about maximum number of work hours for interns....says there will now be a system of "over/under weeks" based on the department that the intern works in. Says work hours will be limited to "a reasonable number of hours," but doesn't mention what that number is. Also, says that interns will have no more than 4 weeks per year where they have to work an "over" week with required overtime.

9:22 PM - Dave starts addressing e-mailed questions. Starts off with a question about whether or not the Honor Ring system is biblical. Dave doesn't seem to have any problems with it....compares it to a wedding ring....rings "remind you of the commitment you've made to live an honorable lifestlye." Says that a person's value isn't determined by an Honor Ring.

9:24 PM - Dave Hasz reports that the conference call is limited to 100 people...says the "technology company did not inform Teen Mania of the limitation."

9:25 PM - Dave Hasz starts addressing some of Teen Mania Watch's questions. Says that the practice of opening shower curtains is not specifically condoned by TMM leadership (seems afraid to say the word "masturbating" on the call, replacing it with "involved in sexual activity"). Addresses vegetarian question...says that vegetarian interns have plenty of accommodations available to them. Vegetarians/vegans may be forced to eat meat on mission trips.

9:27 PM - Dave Hasz now answeing questions in rapid-fire succession. Says that he doesn't see why ESOAL isn't scriptural.

9:32 PM - Dave Hasz addressing the "yes, man" atmosphere at Teen Mania. Saying the issues have been addressed, interns can now provide feedback.

9:33 PM - Dave announces that an overflow number is available for people who couldn't get on the call. If you're still trying to call in, try this new number: (218)936-6581 and use PIN: 14601.

9:35 PM - Dave says that medics are available 24/7 during ESOAL. Says, "interestingly, this year, there were no interns that needed ambulatory care." Seems like it shouldn't be "interesting" that no one needed an ambulance. Says that mental health professionals are NOT available during ESOAL....but "life coaches" are.

9:40 PM - Someone asked about what third parties have oversight over the Honor Academy? Dave claims not to know what the participant was asking...says that TMM is accountable to the ECFA, the IRS, and the Board of Directors. Dave says he personally is accountable to parents and intern. Says there is "no legal third-party oversight of the Teen Mania Honor Academy."

9:42 PM - Dave addresses our question about sleep. Says there is no minimum number of hours interns are guaranteed for sleep. Says that often sleep deprivation is the result of interns signing up for "extra-curricular activities" like Potter's Desire, and because "who wants to sleep when stuff is going on".

9:45 PM - Dave addresses questions of pay cuts. Says that leadership did take pay cuts, won't specifically say how much.

9:46 PM - Dave addresses question of stray animals on campus. Says that Teen Mania does indeed shoot and kill stray animals on campus. Says that a "trained marksmen" is responsible for this. Just sent a few follow-up questions on this...will see if he responds.

9:48 PM - Dave talks about "aura of a statesman" issue. Says that the standards only apply "sometimes"....seems to be saying interns have taken his teachings out of context.

9:50 PM - Question of reparations is raised by a former intern. Dave apologizes extensively for the hurt that Teen Mania caused...admits that people have been hurt by Teen Mania...but makes no mention of paying for anyone's counseling or any other reparations by hurt interns.

9:54 PM - Dave addresses the relationship between Teen Mania and his rental property. Says there is an "extensive process" that Teen Mania goes through to avoid conflict of interest. Says he is responsible financially for major repairs on his rental properties. Categorically states that no interns, paid or unpaid, were involved in building his house.

9:58 PM - A participant asked a question about why donations can't be returned if interns decide to leave. Dave Hasz claims that they have tried to work with the IRS to be able to return donations, but there is "just no way." Teen Mania Watch will be researching this claim further this week.

10:03 PM - Dave answers real estate questions...seems irritated that people were looking into his land records. Very condescending...admits to being "flippant" because there was "absolutely nothing improper" going on. Says no TMM money was used to pay off his properties.

10:04 PM - Dave Hasz clearly states that the Honor Academy is NOT for everyone...despite the fact that HA callers are encouraged to tell pretty much everyone they speak with that "God is calling them" to the Honor Academy.

10:07 PM - Dave Hasz briefly touches on ATF driving again...again states that policies have been changed and there are no problems anymore.

10:10 PM - Dave claims he doesn't make anywhere near $80k in rental income from Teen Mania...even though IRS records clearly indicate he collects over $78k in rental income each year. Teen Mania Watch will be posting further documentation of this in the near future.

10:14 PM - Dave claims that medical and psychological professionals have observed and approved of ESOAL, but he "isn't going to make those names public." He also says "There comes a point in time where you either trust the Honor Academy, or you don't." Sorry Dave...we don't. :(

10:16 PM - Dave seems to be mocking the question of "Has a medical professional looked at corporate exercise and determined the expectations are reasonable and safe?" Says that no, he has not...and again, you just need to "trust the Honor Academy." Dave seems to be getting snippier and more defensive as the call goes on.

10:18 PM - Dave denies that interns who are sick or injured are made to feel like "lesser questions." Says that he doesn't know where the allegations that people are treated like lesser Christians because they are sick are coming from.

10:20 PM - Dave says he had said "beat your body and make it your slave" just once over the past year. Says he makes it clear that physical fitness does NOT equal spiritual fitness. Says he doesn't know where these allegations come from.

10:22 PM - Dave says he has never counseled an intern to not go to a doctor or not take medication. Says that the allegations are false. Also says that prayer is encouraged in addition to seeking medical attention.

10:23 PM - Dave is talking about how a clinic shuttle runs Monday-Friday for interns to seek medical care.

10:24 PM - "Why do you tell interns that you can sleep when you're dead?" Says that he has on occasion said that, but basically says "that's not what I really meant," and he also claims he now encourages interns to sleep.

10:26 PM - "Who exactly is the Honor Academy for?" It's for people who want to be challenged or pushed, not for people who are already "psychologically broken" or for people who "need rehabilitation." Dave says "we are not equipped to help those people."

10:29 PM - Dave talking about how the Honor Council is biblical....says it is "merciful." :-/

10:31 PM - Dave specifically says that Teen Mania doesn't tell teens that it is "God's will" for them to be in the Honor Academy. Will post specific proof of the falsehood of these claims soon.

10:34 PM - Dave answering questions about "orange block."

10:36 PM - Dave finishes answering e-mailed questions, announces one minute break....live Q&A to follow.

Unfortunately, the call is still going and it looks like it will be for quite some time. This blogger has family obligations and has to discontinue live-blogging at this point....but not to worry. In the next 24 hours, we'll be posting a recording of the call, along with a complete "fact check" and analysis of what Dave Hasz has said. If you haven't already, subscribe to Teen Mania Watch's RSS feed for the latest updates and information.

List of Questions for Teen Mania Ministries

2010-06-28T18:16:00.003-04:00

Since Dave Hasz has indicated that he will "stay on the call until [he] has given an answer for all of the questions that are emailed in," I decided to compose a list of some of my most burning questions. Here is the e-mail that I sent to Teen Mania about an hour ago--word-for-word and in its entirety. Let's see if Dave Hasz and company specifically responds to each and every question on my list.

Have a question of your own? Send it to Teen Mania at the e-mail address below, and feel free to post a comment with your question here so there is a public record of it before the call!

_____________________________________

Subject: List of Questions for Tonight's Conference Call

From: Teen Mania Watch

To: confcall@recoveringalumniresponse.com

Sent 6/28/2010 at 5:03PM EST

Here is a list of questions I would like to see addressed during this call. I am particularly interested in the animal control issue, ESOAL, and whether or not interns are making repairs to Dave's rental properties without Dave compensating Teen Mania for their services. Looking forward to the call and getting some answers to the very important questions that have been raised.

Thanks,

Robbie

Teen Mania Watch Blogger

1) Lack of sleep is a recurring theme in numerous blogs and Tweets by current and former interns. In some cases, this sleep deprivation has lead to physical and emotional problems. Is there a minimum amount of time that interns are guaranteed to have free between their last activity at night and first activity in the morning (i.e. 9 hours between the last planned activity at night and corporate exercise in the morning)? Does this minimum apply during summer missions? While on the road for Acquire the Fire?

2) Former interns have reported that stray cats that were found on campus were sometimes shot & killed. There are even reports that interns have tortured cats before killing them. How are stray cats and other animals that are found on campus dealt with? Are interns responsible for getting rid of the animals? Is there any supervision by an animal care expert during this process, or any adult supervision whatsoever?

3) Most organizations that plan physically and/or emotionally demanding events plan to have an ample number trained medical professionals available to participants at all times throughout the event. Is a trained and licensed paramedic or other medical professional on hand at all times during ESOAL, 24 hours per day? Are there licensed mental health professionals that participants can speak with at any time during ESOAL?

4) Male interns have reported having their privacy invaded by other interns and "leadership" in the name of "accountability"--specifically, shower curtains are opened by ACAs (and others) to make sure the male intern isn't masturbating. Is this a condoned practice? Has Dave or Heath specifically forbidden this practice among male interns?

5) Many former interns have told stories of long drives to ATFs in distant cities. Is there an adult staff member present with groups of travelling teens at all times? Do teens have to drive through the night, or do they get to stop somewhere for the night to sleep? Are there repercussions if a teen chooses to drive while sleep deprived, putting his/her peers in danger?

6) Dave Hasz teaches that leaders should be "ethical and above reproach." In addition to Dave's salary of around $80,000 per year, he collects $80,000 in rental income from Teen Mania on approximately $400,000 worth of property. A reasonable rent is approximately 1% of market value, or $48,000 per year ($4,000/month). Why the discrepancy? Is this "ethical and above reproach?" Does this "avoid the appearance of evil?"

7) According to publicly-available land records, on April 6, 2010, Dave Hasz paid off his current home in the amount of $378,750, after just a few years of ownership. How was this possible given his income? These same land records indicate several of the other rental properties seem to be paid off in full as well. Did Dave pay off these loans with his own money, or did Teen Mania help him pay down the loans?

8) Do interns from the grounds crew, maintenance, or any other department provide services to or make repairs on Dave Hasz’s rental properties using Teen Mania's resources? Did interns help build Dave’s house without being paid?

9) Did Dave Hasz, Ron Luce, or any other senior staff take pay cuts during Teen Mania’s recent financial crisis? If so, what was the percentage of cuts?

10) What accommodations are available for vegetarian or vegan interns? Are vegetarian options available at all meals? During ESOAL? Do vegetarian/vegan interns have to strictly follow the "eat what you are served" rule on their missions trip, even if it means they have to compromise their values and eat meat?

Dave Hasz Can't Make Up His Mind About Tonight's Call

2010-06-28T17:26:00.004-04:00

From the time Teen Mania Ministries announced tonight's conference call, members of the Recovering Alumni community have been expecting to be able to ask questions and interact with Teen Mania leadership live on the conference call. Dave Hasz even made this Facebook post, which says "I will be answering live questions throughout the evening," and definitely makes it seem as if providing your question to Teen Mania in advance via e-mail is completely optional.

However, after posting this note on his Facebook page, controversy erupted, lots of comments ensued, and Dave Hasz appears to have quickly changed his tune--leaving this comment on the very same note:

Did it just suddenly dawn on Dave Hasz that there might be a lot of people on this call? Or could it be that Dave Hasz and the other Teen Mania staff members are afraid they'll be caught off guard, and want to have time to prepare some "canned" answers to tough questions before the call? We may never know....but it appears like if you want your question answered on tonight's call, you'll need to e-mail it to confcall@recoveringalumniresponse.com beforehand.

Teen Mania Ministries to Address Abuse Allegations via Public Conference Call

2010-06-28T14:06:00.004-04:00

Teen Mania Ministries has recently announced on their RecoveringAlumniResponse.com website that they will be hosting a conference call to address the serious accusations of physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual abuse at the Honor Academy recently made by former interns on the Recovering Alumni blog. Dave Hasz (Director of Teen Mania's Honor Academy) and Heath Stoner (Teen Mania's Director of Operations, Men's Program) will be on the call, along with other Teen Mania staff members. Teen Mania has already announced they will be recording the call and posting the recording on their website.

The conference call is taking place tonight, Monday, June 28, 2010 at 9:00pm Eastern time...8:00pm Central time. The call is scheduled to be just 90 minutes, but time may be added as necessary. Here's the dial-in information, as posted on Teen Mania's website:

Phone Number: (214) 377-1252

Public PIN: 14601

It's always interesting when large, Christian, para-church organizations like Teen Mania are under so much pressure that they actually take the time to publicly address the controversy swirling around them. If you have the time, I would highly encourage you to dial in and participate in the call. Keep and eye on this blog and our Twitter page throughout today and the rest of the week for news updates, analysis, and follow-up coverage of Teen Mania's ongoing crisis management efforts.

Who Was on Teen Mania's Honor Academy Review Committee?

2010-05-31T17:09:00.003-04:00

"I can assure you that a committee was established and several experts were asked to weigh into the items listed above as well as the items identified in the letters." -Statement from Teen Mania Ministries on May 28, 2010 via the RecoveringAlumniResponse.com website.

It wasn't long ago that alumni of Teen Mania's programs began to form a community online, and realize that they weren't alone in the fact that they had been hurt or abused by this organization. As discussions ensued, members of this community decided they really wanted to see Teen Mania make real changes to their programs, and many Teen Mania alumni submitted very personal stories of their hurts to the Teen Mania Board of Directors. A member of the board told the community that a panel of experts was going to be assembled to really investigate the Honor Academy, and the alumni community was genuinely excited and thought this might be the first step to really changing things at Teen Mania.

Exactly four weeks after making this promise to the community, Teen Mania launched their response website, which unfortunately just leaves many more questions than actual answers. The letter from the Teen Mania Ministries Board of Directors alludes to a "committee" of "experts" being formed, but they fail to mention who was on this investigative committee, or even how many people were on the committee. Were the "experts" completely unbiased? Do they get a paycheck from Teen Mania Ministries? Were any current or former teenage interns on the review committee? We just don't know...because Teen Mania doesn't tell us. We're just asked to rely on their "assurance," as demonstrated by the quote at the top of this blog post. We can't even tell who said "I can assure you..." since the letter is simply signed by "Teen Mania Board of Directors." That's not very assuring if you ask me.

The only two possible "experts" who were willing to put their name on anything written on Teen Mania's response website were Jack Hayford and a psychologist named Douglas N. Neal. Jack Hayford sat on the board of directors of Teen Mania for many years and is personal friends with C.E.O. Ron Luce, and Douglas N. Neal had two kids who went to the Honor Academy--neither of these experts are unbiased, and neither person is qualified to make a neutral and honest assessment of Teen Mania's programs.

Without knowing who was on the Honor Academy review committee, or how their investigation was conducted, it is difficult to just take Teen Mania's word that things are fine and that any problems that existed have been fixed. The U.S. government relied on BP's assessments that their offshore oil rig was safe and that any accidents would be minor....and that's not exactly the way things have turned out. If Teen Mania expects people to believe that the Honor Academy isn't a dangerous place for kids, they need to be a lot more transparent about things than they have been on their website so far.

Teen Mania Ministries Issues Public Response to Abuse Allegations

2010-05-31T13:22:00.004-04:00

As most readers already know, Teen Mania Ministries has issued a public response to the allegations of abuse and mistreatment at the Honor Academy chronicled on the RecoveringAlumni.com website. Late Friday night, an anonymous commenter on the Recovering Alumni blog left a link to a new Teen Mania website, RecoveringAlumniResponse.com. Unfortunately, it wasn't much of a "response," and was more like a bunch of hastily thrown together excuses, with some character assassination of the creator of the Recovering Alumni blog thrown in for good measure. Teen Mania Ministries' response website lacked comprehensive answers to the serious questions that have been raised about the Honor Academy program, and the letters they posted contain grammatical errors that make it seem like they were lazily written.

The fact that Teen Mania chose to launch this site at 8:00PM on a Friday night, on Memorial Day weekend nonetheless, was just "salt in the wounds" of those who have been hurt by Teen Mania Ministries and were hoping that the Board of Directors would listen to their heartfelt stories and take them seriously. The RecoveringAlumniResponse.com website is just insulting, and the way Teen Mania launched the website shows a complete lack of care and compassion to the "lost sheep" who were abused at the hands of their ministry. Stay tuned for more analysis & commentary about Teen Mania's response (or lack thereof) to serious allegations of abuse & neglect.

Food & Sleep During Acquire The Fire Weekends

2010-05-20T11:35:00.002-04:00

Let's face it: your body NEEDS sleep--and when you haven't had much sleep, your mind & body simply are not at their best. When you're tired, it is easy to feel like you can't concentrate, to act more emotional than you usually would, and to make rash decisions without clearly thinking things through. Your mental defenses are weakened when you haven't slept, and because of this, sleep deprivation is a commonly-used mind control technique employed by many modern-day cults & oppressive government regimes. I also believe that Teen Mania Ministries inappropriately uses teens' lack of sleep during an Acquire The Fire weekend to their advantage.

I went to several Acquire The Fire conventions during my teenage years, and I can tell you that they were some of the most physically & mentally exhausting weekends I have ever had. Because the events are held in large arenas is big cities, many rural teens have to drive very long distances to get to the event--it is not uncommon for church youth groups to drive to an Acquire The Fire that is several hours away. The Friday night session ends late and the Saturday morning session starts early, so most youth groups elect to have the kids spend the night together somewhere. Usually this means either on the floor of a church, or in over-crowded hotel rooms. Neither environment lends itself particularly well to getting much sleep, and when youth groups spend the night together, sleep is rarely on the minds of the teens (staying up all night goofing off is why "lock-ins" used to be so fun!). I remember getting just a couple of hours of sleep on Friday nights before needing to be back at the arena around 7:30am the next morning. Saturday's schedule is grueling, with long sessions scheduled until late at night with just a couple of short breaks. Then, when Acquire The Fire is over, teens must make the often long drive back to their homes before waking up early for church the next morning.

The food situation isn't much better. Friday night's Acquire The Fire session begins pretty much right at dinner time, and in order to reduce the cost of the weekend, most churches tell the teens to "eat dinner before they come." In my experience, this rarely actually happened and "dinner" usually consisted of a few slices of pizza ordered at midnight after the session was over and everyone was starving. For most ATF participants, Saturday's breakfast consists of a donut or a bagel eaten in a church van, and they are left to completely fend for themselves for lunch and dinner. Most teens don't have much spending money, and food in & around the arena is typically expensive, so lunch might be a slice of pizza and dinner might be an order of nachos. I know for a fact that several kids in my youth group had to skip one or both of these meals on Saturday because their parent's hadn't given them money....or they had already spent the money they were given on Acquire The Fire merchandise sold during the event. Because of the way the weekend is set up, many kids at Acquire The Fire end up feeling hungry for a large portion of the weekend and don't really get a decent meal until Sunday.

These sleep & food situations might be okay for a primarily recreational activity, like a music festival or a comic-book convention. But teens are being asked to make life-altering decisions at Acquire The Fire conventions--throw away all your secular music, commit to abstinence until marriage, give up dating altogether, become militantly pro-life, spend $3000 on a summer missions trip, give up a year (or more) of your life and raise $7400 (or more) for Teen Mania. These are all big decisions with lots of consequences, and it's not fair to "hard-sell" these ideas to kids when they are sleep-deprived and starving. But, teens get excited more easily and don't ask as many critical questions when they are tired & hungry, which makes it easier to pedal Teen Mania's political agenda & income-generating programs. I'd say that's one of the main reasons why Teen Mania Ministries pushes so hard to have kids fill out applications for Global Expeditions & the Honor Academy while they are at the arena and before they've had a chance to discuss it with their parents. Discriminating minds can often see through slick marketing tactics, so Teen Mania needs to do as much of their marketing as they can inside the arena while teens' mental defenses are at their lowest.