Accountability and rebuttal
Omroep Gelderland spoke to several parents whose children went to the care farm in Wekerom. They told the same story separately. Elinde can also be seen in images of the church services. There are also several photos and audio recordings, seen by Omroep Gelderlandwhich contribute to the credibility of the story.
The owner of United Souls care farm states in a written response that she has never taken children to healing and deliverance services. She also says that the children were never told that they would be cured of their disability or disorder. She does know of an incident where someone had a physical reaction to prayer: “We also understood that from the children and guided them away from that circumstance and went home.”
Regarding the poor care, they say that they do not recognize themselves in the picture painted. The owner did not want to respond to the parents’ other accusations. The woman says she regrets the situation. “We are open to discussions with the parents of the children to reach closure in another way.”
Tom de Wal responded on behalf of Frontrunners Ministries responds briefly to our written questions. He indicates that he does not know the owner of the care farm. He also advises parents not to take young children to liberation services.
The Institute for Agrarian Law – which is investigating the complaints – does not want to respond until their investigation is completed.
We made this story in collaboration with Broadcasting Brabant. They have a podcast series about Tom de Wal and the organization Frontrunners. In this series, journalists dive into… Broadcasting Brabant in the world of the religious organization Frontrunners Ministries, which is led by Tom de Wal from Werkendam. Listen to their series here.
