Embattled Kanakuk Kamps CEO to Retire
Camp’s sex abuse scandal inspired Trey’s Law
Joe White, the leader of one of the largest Christian camps in the U.S., will retire as CEO and chairman of the board of Kanakuk Kamps effective August 31, 2026. His retirement follows years of litigation and public scrutiny.
Joe White in 2020 / Video screenshot @Kanakuk Kamps
In a letter to the “Kanakuk Family,” White said he was “super sad to write these words today,” but added, “as Ecclesiastes 3:1 aptly says, ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.'”
Earlier this spring he relinquished the reins of K-2, the teen camp component of the ministry located in Lampe, Missouri, that has been in operation for nearly 50 years. White did not specify how much control he was relinquishing or when, but he gave two reasons for the decision: declining health and negative media attention over the camp’s handling of sexual abuse incidents.
“I’m 77 years old and have a new infection in my left leg. I will be doing I.V. antibiotics and hyperbaric treatments for weeks into the unforeseeable future,” White wrote at the time. “I’m also mindful of the increasing volume of fallacious attacks in the media, and that my presence at K-2 this summer has the potential to draw focus away from the incredible work and ministry that happens there each summer.”
For years, Kanakuk Kamps has been dogged by claims it swept sex abuse claims under the rug and silenced victims with non-disclosure agreements. Lawsuits brought by former campers have resulted in millions of dollars in damages, including a nearly $20 million judgment in favor of a victim of former camp employee Peter Newman, who is serving a life sentence for his crimes.
When White stepped back from K-2, Nancy French, an outspoken critic of Joe White and Kanakuk Kamps, said the announcement did not go far enough to right the ministry’s wrongs.
“Under his leadership at Kanakuk, hundreds of children were abused,” French wrote on social media. “This isn’t the end of an era — a new start requires institutional acknowledgement of wrongdoings and actual repentance. He’s still currently CEO of this camp.”
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Elizabeth Phillips, who founded the advocacy organization No More Victims after her brother, Trey Carlock, was victimized by Newman and committed suicide, sent MinistryWatch a response statement to White’s retirement announcement.
“Joe White covered up known child sexual abuse for years and lied to families about covering it up. He continued to allow a known child abuser access to children, well after multiple families reported the abuse. He should have retired years ago, and most likely spent time in prison.”
Elizabeth Phillips / Photo via social media
Phillips has been a key proponent of Trey’s Law, which aims to protect child sex abuse victims and witnesses from being silenced by NDAs. She claims her brother’s legal settlement with Kanakuk Kamps included an NDA that prevented him from speaking out and ultimately led to his suicide.
Recently, Kanakuk Kamps released a rebuttal claiming it “has never used Non-Disclosure Agreements to prevent victims from reporting abuse to police” or “telling their story.” The statement included an endorsement of Trey’s Law and, while admitting to past errors, highlighted how the ministry has implemented reforms and has even taken on a leadership role in promoting its child protection plan to other Christian ministries.
In announcing his retirement, White said after extensive medical issues that included leukemia, the loss of his legs, and 35 surgeries, “it’s time to pass the baton on to the next very capable generation. He indicated he has been “training layers of magnificent future leaders in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60s for the past 30 years to ensure that Kanakuk continues to improve and give more and more kids ‘Best Summer Ever’ into the foreseeable future.”
Kanakuk Ministries, White’s umbrella organization that runs all six Kanakuk camps and affiliated programs, currently has a MinistryWatch Donor Confidence Score of 57 out of 100—an “Exercise Caution” designation—and a D grade for transparency.
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