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Fundraising Project

We have come up with a creative way to help the orphanage with funding and also to entertain you with up close and personal accounts of Roatan and the rest of Honduras. Please join us every few days for new stories.

If you would like to know how you can help with our fundraising efforts please click the
Work at Home United button on the right. Yes, it is a business opportunity but, it can also be just a way to help your own personal health and wellness, both options raise funds for CSI. Go ahead, check it out! Request more information, or simply call or e-mail Pam (her info listed on that site). Please put CSI Info. in the subject line! It won't take long and it could change your life!!
Pam

Therefore, it is with heavy hearts that we, the board of the ministry of Child Sponsorship International, wish to apologize to you, our supporters, for the actions of our former on-site agent, Brad Warren. We are in the process of correcting the problems that have been hindering the Lord’s work in this much needed ministry. Our hearts go out to those of you that personally know Mr. Warren and especially those of you that just feel none of this can be true. We understand your position because when we joined as board members that was our position as well.



We find ourselves in a very uncomfortable position. It is not our intent to, nor does it give us any satisfaction, to publicly reprimand Mr. Warren, but, on the other hand, we feel it prudent and fair to at least allow you, an investor in this ministry and one we are accountable to, to know why we have concluded that he should not be allowed to continue in this (or for that matter any other) ministry. He has rejected us as board of the ministry and is non repentant. We have exhausted our efforts trying to work with him. You of course are free to support anyone you wish. We simply want to allow you to be as informed as possible as you make your choice. Our findings are not based on rumor or simply on a few disgruntled employees. All former full time employees and long term staff were interviewed and their reports were consistent with the exception of one who supported the Warrens. No rumors were considered, although there are many. We dealt only with first hand reports.





The facts behind the present conflict are this: Mr. Warren has broken relations with two of his hand picked governing Boards over the past two years. The Boards were totally independent of each other and yet each arrived at the same conclusion regarding Mr. Warren’s leadership. He is presently trying to put together a (3rd) third Board. Both of his former Boards found him chronically non-compliant, fiscally unaccountable, and misappropriating donor's funds. In fact, one of the comments made by the police officer conducting an independent inquiry of the Ministry last January was "does the Board not have an obligation to be informed of possible wrong doing and put a stop to it? Is 'we didn't know about that' a valid defense to abuses that take place in an organization under a Board".



The former Board and the present have now joined together to try to re-establish this ChristianMinistry along it's proper path. Please pray for this Ministry, the children, and this Board, during this difficult time. We can be reached through Board@csiroatan.org.

However, Mr. Warren has been battling us for ownership of the ministry website and our account is sometimes unavailable. We can also be reached through csiboardmembers@yahoo.com.



We have received much communication from supporters who would like specific information in regard to this decision. We are not attempting to hide anything and will be transparent as legally possible. Mr. Warren has repeatedly threatened us with legal action if we speak against him. After consulting with our attorney we have been advised that we can share what we truly believe to be true. It is only slander if it is a lie. We assure you that we are all Christians and our service to the highest authority, our Heavenly Father, is by far our greatest concern. We will not mislead anyone and we will not attempt to defend or protect the actions of Mr. Warren. We have chosen some specific statements to share with you in this letter. We hope this will help you to better understand the situation. Please understand that this is only a partial list. It would be impossible to share 5 ears worth of concerns in a single letter.



The board does not absolve ourselves from responsibility in this matter. We trusted too much, did not push hard enough, and allowed the situation to continue much longer than we should have. We have broken down some concerns under headings. This is not necessarily a chronological list.







Financial integrity

Mr. Warren has never provided a full accounting for the money donated to the ministry. He has refused to supply receipts or to keep an accurate and complete record of his use of funds. Currently, there is a very large amount of money that is missing. Mr. Warren has failed to provide any receipts or even a valid explanation to the governing board about this money. We are aware that people have given Mr. Warren thousands of dollars in cash donations. He did not record these donations, they were not reported to the IRS and he has no accounting for the funds.

Examples:

1. One church gave Mr. Warren $19,000 for kitchen equipment. The governing board was not made aware of this donation until very recently. There is no record of this donation in the ministry records. The kitchen equipment was later donated by another ministry. We do not have an accounting for the $19,000



2. Mr. Warren was initially directed to raise $2,000 in monthly support, as is the common practice for missionaries serving in another country. The board was concerned that Mr. Warren might have a difficult time raising the full amount and agreed to supply the difference between what he raised and the $2000 a month. In other words, if Mr. Warren raised $1500 a month, the ministry would pay him the $500 deficit. While a $24,000 a year salary may not seem like a lot, it should be pointed out that all of Mr. Warren’s living expenses were also covered by the ministry. He has been living in an ocean view apartment, with air conditioning, top of the line furnishings and all his utilities, food, and vehicle expenses are paid by the ministry. With his benefit package, he was living a far better lifestyle than the average missionary and certainly much better than the average Honduran.



However, even with that agreement in place, Mr. Warren did not abide by it. During a CSI Board meeting in Honduras in March of 2005, Mr. Warren admitted that he had been taking “about $60,000 a year” from the ministry. He explained that he had been taking $24,000 for himself and another $24,000 for his wife and in addition he was keeping all of the support he was raising for himself. The board had never approved a salary for Debbie Warren and Mr. Warren had never asked the board for an increase in his salary. We are certain that Mr. Warren was clearly directed that his salary was not to exceed $24K.



3. A supporting church donated $60,000 to pay for the paving of the driveway. That money was given to Mr. Warren. The driveway was not paved until another organization paid $10,000 for the driveway paving. Mr. Warren then made the decision to add on to the width of the driveway, without consulting the board, which greatly increased the cost. The board is now working to raise the funds to cover the additional expense. Mr. Warren gave no accounting for the original funds that were raised.



4. A supporting church gave Mr. Warren $5,000 for a commercial refrigerator. Each time Mr. Warren was questioned about the appliance, he claimed it was “being shipped”. To this day that refrigerator is not there and the funds are not accounted for.



5 A missionary group planned a trip to Roatan and sent Mr. Warren $4000 to purchase supplies for their team. Upon learning that Mr. Warren was not in compliance with his board, they contacted him and asked for the money to be returned. Mr. Warren did not return the money and never supplied an accounting of these funds.



6. Mr. Warren negotiated deals with contractors on the island and then failed to provide any quotes or statements to the board. We were not given a copy of the final bill and we have no way of verifying the actual total. The board continually requested these documents and Mr. Warren did not provide them.



7. Mr. Warren is often given cash donations from cruise ship visitors. We have very few records of these donations. Mr. Warren did not supply an accounting of these funds. Any donation receipt for tax purposes must also be recorded in the ministry 990 form. Mr. Warren has consistently failed to provide the needed records so that all donations are properly recorded with the IRS. The board has no accounting for these funds.



8. When questioned about missing funds, Mr. Warren often suggested that he directed funds elsewhere. Mr. Warren does not have the authority to direct ministry funds without Board approval. The Board has worked with Mr. Warren to establish a budget and Mr. Warren repeatedly refused to follow the plan. While Mr. Warren claims there is a budget shortfall, he failed to communicate and work with the Board on this issue. Much of the shortfall was created through Mr. Warren’s independent financial decisions.



9. The ministry operated under another 501 c 3 “The Foundation” during the operating years 2002, 2003 and 2004. During these years we did not file a legal 990 form through the IRS. Brad Warren refused to supply the receipts needed to file these forms. We are allowed a 3 year window to report these funds. In 2005 we made a written demand to Gail Dimmick, the acting financial agent, to receive all records. Gail was directed by Mr. Warren not to comply with this request.







Child Sponsorship Program

Mr. Warren has been collecting funds through the child sponsorship program even after he stopped paying the school tuition. He made the decision to stop paying tuition and to remove the children from school without the board’s knowledge or approval. He failed to communicate with the children’s parents or with the supporters. Mr. Warren currently has received more than $7,000 in child sponsorship funds that have not been paid to the schools. Mr. Warren was given another $1700 to help with this program and it was not dispersed. The governing board has no accounting for these funds and is still investigating.



Christian Leadership

Mr. Warren has experienced many problems retaining staff for the ministry. We have collected more than 20 statements from former staff and volunteers. Almost every one of these statements reveals severe problems with Mr. Warren’s ability to serve as a Christian leader. According to the verbal and written statements we received:

Mr. Warren has been observed consuming alcohol
Mr. Warren has been observed in an intoxicated state
Mr. Warren was observed viewing pornography on the ministry computer
Mr. Warren made inappropriate jokes of a sexual nature
Mr. Warren suggested that a female staff member share a hotel room with him
Mr. Warren offered (in jest) to give a female staff member a gynecological exam
Mr. Warren physically assaulted a child on more than one occasion
Mr. Warren is prone to extreme outbursts of anger
Mr. Warren has little contact with the children unless there are visitors in the home.
Mr. Warren has (at times) refused to distribute donated items to needy islanders, even when he had the needed item readily available to him
Mr. Warren is not liked or trusted by many islanders, the very people we are trying to minister to




Land Ownership

Mark Whittaker is the sole financial contributor that purchased the land where the orphanage is located. He supplied in excess of $300,000 for this project and the orphanage was named The Greenfield Children’s Home, in honor of Mark’s grandmother, May Greenfield. Brad Warren did not contribute to this purchase.

Honduran law limits the amount of land that a single American can own. For this reason, Brad and Debbie Warren’s names were placed on the land deed and they agreed to act as on-site agents. It was Mr. Whittaker’s intention that the deed would eventually be fully transferred to the ministry and no person would own the land. Mr. Warren initially told the second governing board that he paid for a share of the land and then later admitted that Mark Whittaker paid for all of it. He attempted to remove Mark Whittaker’s name from the deed through a Honduran law loophole. The second board did not allow him to remove Mr. Whittaker’s name and insisted that he sign over the property so that they could begin the process of placing the deed into the ministry’s name. The Warren’s names were legally taken off the land deed. Once CSI is fully established as a legal Honduran charity, the land transfer will be complete.

We have irrefutable proof that Mr. Warren is currently working with a local realtor and an attorney to find a loophole so that he may regain ownership of the property. He told his pastor that he would “leave it in the hands of the judge.” The original land owner spoke with a board member and conveyed that Brad was attempting to gain her cooperation so that he might nullify the transfer and regain ownership.

No one on the board is seeking to own property that they all believe belongs to the ministry. The only person seeking to own this property is Brad Warren. Mark Whittaker is fully supportive of the eventual transfer to the ministry.



Environmental Destruction

Mr. Warren arranged for the removal of many mature trees and the excavation of the land in front of the orphanage. The board did not approve this decision. The ensuing situation was the creation of large amounts clay run-off which caused enormous destruction to the reef below. Mr. Warren is completely responsible for this damage.

Additionally, this decision created a need for a retaining wall to protect the orphanage. Hundred’s of thousands of dollars were spent to properly build this wall. Mr. Warren’s reckless actions cost the ministry a large amount of money and created great damage to the island of Roatan. We have written reports from several islanders who are very upset with Mr. Warren over this matter.



Abuse

Mr. Warren has admitted to the board that he sometimes struck a developmentally disabled child that formerly lived in the home. We also have a written statement from a former staff member that states she saw Mr. Warren strike the disabled child on more than one occasion. Additionally, this child sustained a serious head injury which was not reported to the governing board for four months. It is against Honduran law to strike any child, especially one living in an orphanage.



Eviction from the property

Brad Warren was directed to take a one year furlough so that he could receive spiritual counseling and restoration. He refused and has chosen to resign. We have directed him to leave the ministry property by June 1, 2007 and he has refused to comply. We are forced to enter a legal eviction process so that we may place new house parents in the ministry. We are evicting the Warrens, not the children. We are fully prepared to care for the children financially, emotionally and spiritually.



Personal Integrity

Mr. Warren has often behaved in a manner that indicates deceit. We have many examples of this but will only share a few here.

In his personal testimony he often shares that he “sold everything except his wedding ring and an old Mustang” and then moved to Roatan. However, Mr. Warren actually shipped 7 pallets of possessions to Roatan when he moved. We don’t begrudge him his possessions, but we do find his repeated testimony to be misleading.
Mr. Warren told the Board that he was taking a ministry trip to Africa and that it was “fully paid for by a donor.” Later it became clear that this was not true and Mr. Warren charged the trip on his personal credit card and expected the ministry to pay the bill.
Mr. Warren often eludes that he helped pay for the purchase of the property in SandyBay when he did not contribute a single dime.
Mr. Warren talks at great length about the “family” in the orphanage. We have testimony from several staff members who say that Mr. Warren only appeared “when the cruisers were there” and then they did not see him again until new visitors came.
In his personal testimony Mr. Warren admits to being a former drug and alcohol user. One volunteer witnessed Mr. Warren obtain a large glass of gin from the restaurant bar and take it into the bathroom. Several minutes later he reappeared with an empty glass and then proceeded to drive the van that the team was riding in. While the volunteer did not see him drink it, he strongly believes that he did.
Mr. Warren has consistently been evasive about his use of ministry funds. He has also been known to change his reply based on who he is speaking with.




Conclusion

Mr. Warren has open access to the board through his ministry telephone and email and kept in constant contact with board members, sometimes calling several times a day. Yet he failed to keep the board notified of major events and developments within the ministry He has refused to inform the board or seek proper approval before making major decisions. He made large financial commitments with no approval and then expected the board to raise the funds to cover the expense. He is unwilling to work with us to ensure that ministry funds are properly applied. He will not provide proper financial records that are needed for IRS reporting. His leadership is lacking and this caused a problem with staff retention. His behaviors are not in-line with the expectations of a Christian leader and we do not feel he represents our Lord or the ministry well. After many meetings and conversations with Mr. Warren over the past several years, we have found that he is unwilling to submit to the authority of any board. His decision to find a 3rd board and start a new ministry is indicative of his unwillingness to submit to authority or adopt the humility needed to be a Christian leader. His current efforts to take the property from the ministry are especially troubling.



We wish to bring glory to God through ministering to the people of Roatan. We are all volunteers and none of us will ever receive compensation for our efforts. Two separate boards came to an identical conclusion about Mr. Warren, even though they did not know each other previously. An independent investigator spent some time on the island and his findings verified the conclusions of both boards. The evidence is overwhelming and we must make the decision that most benefit the ministry. We must install new house parents and on-site agents who will work in harmony with the board, adhere to financial guidelines and represent the Christ-like qualities needed to be successful in ministry.



We ask that you prayerfully review the evidence we have presented and feel free to ask questions via our email address: board@csiroatan.org. There are many more pieces to this puzzle but we hope the carefully chosen examples will demonstrate the issues in this situation. The board admits that we are guilty of extending far too much mercy and trust to Mr. Warren. We are the fiscal agents that are charged with ensuring the proper use of the public funds that are entrusted to us. We are deeply sorry for the waste and misuse of these funds through the leadership of Brad Warren. Our hope is that you might extend your mercy to us and consider offering us another opportunity to prove that we are indeed a trustworthy group. We assure you that every dime donated from this day forward will be used to care for the people of Roatan, most especially the children. We are working to rectify and pay any outstanding bills left by Brad Warren. Most importantly, we are working to become a better example of Christ to the people of Roatan. Your prayers are deeply coveted during this time of transition.

In Christ's guidance and love we put our trust.

Sincerely,

CSI Board of Directors,





Charles Arocha, president

Mark Whittaker, vice-president

Jen Peterson, treasurer

Dale Peterson, secretary

Jennifer D' Alessandro, member

Laura Smythe Howe, member

Don Shire, member

To Whom It May Concern:

The following document is a letter of reference for Brad and Debbie Warren and their CSI (Child Sponsorship International) Children’s Home ministry in Roatan, Honduras. As a missionary at the church the Warrens attend in Roatan, I have had the wonderful opportunity of becoming well-acquainted with them and also have been blessed to serve with them occasionally at the Children’s Home. I feel truly privileged to know these people and to share in the blessings of their ministry.

Brad and Debbie are Christ-followers with an incredible gift of compassion; it is evident that they sincerely love the Lord and the people they serve. Brad is a great leader that loves and knows the Word of God well. Debbie is kind and wise, and complements Brad in leadership. Both of them are achievers and carry a weight of responsibility with confidence and capability. Having such attentive and diligent personalities, Brad and Debbie run the Children’s Home with impeccable order. From preparing chore and meal schedules to establishing a thorough system of costs and rewards for the children’s behavior, the Warrens have structured every aspect of the ministry with remarkable detail. The efficiency and ease with which life at the Children’s Home seems to function is clearly not accidental.

More than simply structuring and operating an organization, Brad and Debbie adore the children who live with them and pour themselves into every one of their lives. Each day they spend many hours home-schooling and just caring for them. During their evening family devotional time, as well as throughout the day, the kids are taught about Christ and are able to share and pray together. Rather than being just an orphanage that cares only for the basic needs of the children, the CSI Children’s Home is truly a home and a family. Through the way the children respond to Brad and Debbie it is evident that the kids deeply love and respect them.

All of the children who live at the Children’s Home have suffered some kind of loss or abuse in their homes. It is amazing to behold how quickly the behaviour of the children who come there changes from that of victims to that of kids. I have seen children completely transformed through God’s mercy and this ministry. The Children’s Home is a place of joy, healing, and security for the kids. I just love the comfort the kids seem to feel in that place. Recently I have been having a weekly Bible Study with the teenage girls, and am delighted by the depth of character and spiritual understanding that they have developed during their time living with Brad and Debbie at the Children’s Home.

From what I have observed and the experiences I have had with Brad and Debbie, I am certain that they seek to honor God in all that they do. He has, in turn, blessed them very richly. Life, of course, is not perfect for them. During the time that I have known them, the Warrens have faced some extremely difficult hardships in their ministry as well as in their personal lives. I have seen them handle all things, including very painful and hurtful things, with Godly grace and wisdom. Assuredly they need our prayers as it is apparent that the enemy intends to damage their ministry, but it is so encouraging to see how God has honoured their faithfulness to Him and has sustained them.

In closing, I recommend the Children’s Home as a place for missionaries to serve, and I give my full support and acclamation for Brad and Debbie as well. I deeply respect both of them and hold their ministry in very high esteem. Above all, I love them and am extremely blessed to be a part of their faith community. I pray that your support and involvement in this ministry leads you to discover these truths for yourself.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Poschwatta, Son Rise Calvary Christian Fellowship and Missionary Inn

Due to the fact that I am no longer living in Roatan nor working at the SonRise Calvary Christian Fellowship and Missionary Inn, I feel that it is necessary to state that I do not speak on behalf of SonRise or its missionaries. In light of recent developments with Brad and Debbie Warren, it is my concern that my reference letter (posted above) is being used in a dispute which I do not feel inclined to fight. Frankly, as a former volunteer, the issues of this situation are far too serious for me to participate in the argument. It was not my intention for my reference letter to be posted here.
Having said this, however, I would like to say that in my year of living at SonRise and volunteering at the orphanage, I never personally witnessed any behavior that would indicate wrongdoing. I don't claim to know everything that transpired at the orphanage or in Brad and Debbie's personal life; the letter above was written according to my best knowledge of the situation.
I do continue to love Brad and Debbie Warren, and hope the best for them in the future.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Poschwatta

To All Concerned,

Today many Christians who are doing the Lord's work are being persecuted just as Mr. & Mrs. Warren are. This is nothing new in the furtherance of God's kingdom. Matthew 5:11 The letter that is posted here on this site and came from the CSI board not only is persecution in its most ugly form but it is totally being misconstrued in every way.

Just to show you how things are turned around I will tell you with all truth, so help me God,about the one incident that I personally do know about and then you can decide for yourself if all the others have been exaggerated and misconstrued in the same way.

In Example #9 of the board's letter about myself, Gail Dimmick, the example states and the board writes, "The ministry operated under another 501 c 3 , The Foundation, during the operating years 2002, 2003, and 2004." I have written proof that "The Foundation" was not a 501 c 3 exempt foundation. We were told by Mr. Whittaker from the beginning that CSI was covered under The Foundation's 501 c 3 when, in truth, we were not. I have it in an official document from the IRS stating that The Foundation c/o Mark Whittaker is a "private foundation within the meaning of section 509 (a) of the Code." When we found out that Mr. Whittaker, indeed, did not have a 501 c 3, we immediately, with the help on an attorney, retained our own 501 c 3 retroactive to the beginning of our CSI ministry.

Also, in Example #9 of the board's letter about myself, Gail Dimmick, I have written proof that I had been asked by Mr. Whittaker to send not only records and receipts, but computer and all the equipment to Mark Whittaker, the owner of "The Foundation", and with the demand for Mr. Whittaker to receive it in four days from the day that he wrote me the letter, which was totally impractical.

In regards to who told me not to comply, here again, I have written proof from our attorney that Mr. Whittaker did not have the legal ability to control the activities and operations of CSI. Moreoever, our attorney stated that Mr. Whittaker was not the owner of CSI assets and controlling interest of our organization and that Mr. Whittaker's,(per written quote), "indications were dubious and potentially criminal if his intentions were to take something that did not belong to him and/or to defame CSI and the Warren's in regards to donor interest in our organization." Our attorney in this matter, at that time, was very familiar with non profit law and has actively worked with other Christian organizations such as author, Gary Smalley.

Please, prayerfully consider what I have just told you and then realize that the rest of the accusations of the CSI board's letter most likely has been misconstrued in the same way.

If you would like to have copies of these documents as proof of the way this letter from the CSI board is writtn for you to get the wrong idea about Mr. Warren, you can receive them by emailing me at sponsorship@cccoroatan.org and give me your name and address and I will be more than happy to mail copies to you.

Sincerely and in God's service by His grace alone,
Gail Dimmick
Child Sponsorship Coordinator
State-side Office Manager

Is Mr. Whitaker willing to make the documents HE holds, available to the public? The CSI board of directors have made some very serious accusations here, and should back up every single word they have said. The term "Innocent until proven guilty" obviously does not exist within this organization.The Warren family has every right to defend themselves BEFORE these accusations are thrown out there. This truly saddens me. I can see ahead of time how this will play out. This sounds more like a corporate takeover than people serving our Heavenly Father...

Sincerely,
Laurianne Shimamoto

my name is bob nay i stayed at csi roatan in 2004 for 1 week on brad and debbies couch in the office.i saw brad and debbie give great unconditional love to everyone 24 7 i never heard brad complain that he had to keep raising funds before the rainy season so the whole orphanage would not wash away.i never heard brad or debbie complain about living in a 4 hundred dollar apartment in a 3rd world country while they found land to build and orphanage after doing it before in the freezing lands of war torn serbia.i never heard them complain that they had to eat dinner on furniture carved out of local trees since they had no furniture. i never heard them complain about the armed security guards on the property every night 1 actually took my dirty clothes bag and brad jumped on his chinese 500 hundred dollar motorcycle at 7 am and retrieved it. i never heard brad complain that he did not own the land or that he was on watch 24 7 with constant work and people coming to his meager apartment with a distant ocean view over and old house and a 2 lane road not maui.plus the stifling heat a little ac just to not die from heat.plus the ministery and the internet cafe and the stress of the money and the first ladies surprise visits with all paperwork being in order.plus all the many board members with their own agendas.plus the workers and the kings cafe and don and his volunteers etc.plus mario and sara and the kids at the school. the ministry to the inmates in the local jail saving beddoes brothers life in a riot at the hospital on mainland honduras for 2 days.without brad and debbie there would be no csi in roatan honduras please contact rosa daniela hernandez there in person she will confirm this.i notice don shire trumpet man on the board currently and i know he was on board in 2004 conflicting statement on brad getting 2 different boards was don on both?i know what i saw and i was there with the local people and employees and mario and sara no complaints.i sent mark 2000 from brad and called mark on phone no complaints from him other then his paper millions on internet companies stock were all gone.people need to see 3 sides of story their side brad and debbies side and the truth hearsay and this person saw this and that where are police where are arrest records where are the lawsuits?this deal was put together by people with no experience but gods love so be greatful and forgive and forget.

tio bob

bob again i also wanted to back in california open a buisness to raise funds for csi roatan,i talk to brad warren and he said great i could get the standard 10 percent fee for this.he never once asked me for 1 penny personally on this even though it did not workout he said for the kids.i see pastors in my area of newport beach ca. with million dollar estates yachts mercedes complaining that debbie got a salary is crazy.i saw that women care for kids parent them run the show when brad was away not personally but with family contacts this sounds like people are very attacking i think brad and debbie should be reinstated at csi please feel free to e mail me at diverbobnayjr

@yahoo.com

tio bob

Brad Warren is a deceptive person. Watch out for this man as he will rip you off and leave you pennyless.

The bible talks about phonys like him, run from this man. Run very fast.

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