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Josh Duggar Was Speaker At CCHO Hope Gala For Christian Foster Care, Spoke Of Abuse To Children

By Dawn Papple
Published on: 13:39 PST, May 28, 2015

Josh Duggar was the guest speaker at the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio’s second annual Hope Gala which was held April 11. CCHO is a decades-old nonprofit agency featuring a “children’s residential center, foster care, adoption and counseling programs” and operates 14 offices in northeast Ohio, according to the Mansfield News Journal.

Josh Duggar visited the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio in 2009. He said that visiting the children’s home was an eye-opening experience for him that made him realize what he was privileged to that the foster children were not.

“It reminds me of how good so many of us have it,” Duggar said.

Josh said that his own grandfather was raised in a children’s home.

“Had those people not been there for him… I would not be here today.”

As the guest speaker, Duggar stressed the importance of investing in working on behalf of abused, neglected, and suffering children. Josh Duggar quoted scripture while referencing his father and reality TV co-star, saying that Jim Bob Duggar spent his house savings on an unsuccessful political campaign. Josh pointed out that while the house savings was gone, the attention from his father’s campaign was ultimately responsible for the financial boost from the reality show. Josh Duggar told the crowd at the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio’s gala that in Romans 8:28, God says, “All things work together for good,” but clarified that the poor children the charity is said to help know well that not all things are good, according to The Daily Record, and Duggar specified the emphasis of the word “together” from the scripture passage. Josh then told the charity’s guests that “there is hope when we are willing to stand up and be bold and be courageous.”

Those words would soon follow him, because not long after his evening as guest speaker at the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio’s gala, Josh was publicly accused of molesting minor girls, including some of his sisters when he was 14. A statement, as Inquisitr reported on earlier, was issued and Josh called his past behavior inexcusable.

Before the news of the molestation from his youth came out, Josh Duggar told the crowd at the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio’s Hope Gala that evil done to children is one of its worst forms.

Now, Christian Children’s Home of Ohio has posted an announcement pertaining to their recent guest speaker.

“As many of you know, Josh Duggar was keynote speaker at Christian Children’s Home of Ohio’s Hope Gala on April 11. As an organization, we are disappointed with the news concerning Josh Duggar and his family. While we do not condone the actions reported so far, we believe there is healing available and we are praying for all those involved.”

While some are calling Josh hypocritical, many others are disturbed that the Duggar parents allegedly consider manual labor and prayer appropriate treatment for inappropriate sexual activity involving minors. The Inquisitr reported on the treatment facility Josh Duggar attended. According to People, Josh’s so-called therapy at Basic Life Principles Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been extensively criticized.

“The center claims to ‘strengthen individuals and families through sound Biblical teachings and character development opportunities and to demonstrate Christ’s love through serving,’ as posted on their official website. Jim Bob would later tell police Josh was in the program from March 17, 2003 to July 17, 2003.

“The methods employed by the institute have received numerous criticisms from alumni and online forums. John Krull, Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union has called the center ‘appalling’ and a ‘shadow world, where these kids almost disappear.'”

Incidentally, while Josh Duggar received prayer-centered therapy, Christian Children’s Home of Ohio also features what the organization calls Christ-centered therapy through its New Beginnings Christian Counselling ministry and in other programs within the CCHO’s ministries.


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