Columbus Junction, Iowa – In a shocking development, 88 children attending a Bible study camp were removed from a church in Iowa over the weekend as part of a large-scale human trafficking investigation, local police confirmed on Monday.
The children had been participating in the Shekinah Glory Camp, run by Kingdom Ministry of Rehab and Recreation, a non-profit organization founded in 2018.
After executing search warrants, deputies took the children into protective custody and transported them to the Wapello Methodist Church for meetings with child protection workers.
The Children’s Care and Temporary Foster Placement
The children were temporarily placed into foster care by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who are working to ensure they can be safely reunited with their parents or guardians, deputies said.
This operation was coordinated with the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Columbus Junction Police Department.
Allegations Denied by Ministry Leaders
The ministry running the camp, which was hosting its summer program from June 8 to 29, denied the allegations of abuse or trafficking.
Victor Bawi, whose parents run the ministry, told local reporters that the organization provides care for adults and children struggling with drug, alcohol, and nicotine addiction. Bawi emphasized that the children were separated from the adults and were never in any harm.
“We take care of them, we provide food for them,” Bawi stated. “The children we separate from the adults. We separate the boys and girls. We care for them, we provide for them.”
He also mentioned that a teenager from Texas had called authorities because he did not want to attend the camp, but denied any claims of harm, asserting that the camp had given the teen $400 worth of clothing and shoes.
The Investigation and Search Warrants
Authorities executed search warrants at two locations: the camp in Columbus Junction, and another church in Fredonia, located just under two miles away, where the ministry assists people with housing.
The investigation, still ongoing, is being closely monitored by several law enforcement agencies, including the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and local police.
The Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation is led by two Burma-born pastors from the Chin ethnic group, an ethnic minority in Myanmar. The Chin community is part of the Burmese refugee population that has been resettled in Iowa due to ongoing civil conflict in their home country.
Columbus Junction, Iowa, has a significant Burmese population, many of whom work in local industries, including the Tyson’s Food Inc. meatpacking plant, one of the largest employers in the area.
Cultural Context and Ongoing Concerns
Iowa is home to one of the largest Burmese populations in the Midwest, and the state’s refugee resettlement programs have provided safety to many who have fled Myanmar’s decades-long civil war. However, this investigation sheds light on deeper concerns about potential exploitation and human trafficking within vulnerable communities.
While the investigation is still ongoing, the authorities have emphasized that this operation is part of a broader effort to address human trafficking and exploitation in vulnerable communities. The Kingdom Ministry remains under scrutiny, and authorities continue to investigate the nature of the camp and its activities.
This case also comes in the wake of the U.S. State Department’s decision on June 16 to add Burma (Myanmar) to its controversial list of countries banned for entry to the U.S., further complicating the situation for many Burmese refugees in Iowa.