Sam Childers

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Sam Childers
Sam Childers 2009.jpg
Sam Childers arriving at a book signing of
Another Man's War
Born1963 (age 60–61)
Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
NationalityAmerican
Notable works Another Man's War
Notable awards Mother Teresa Awards
Children2

Sam Childers (born 1963), also known as the Machine Gun Preacher, is an American motorcyclist, author, and humanitarian. A member of the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club, Childers became well known after Dateline NBC broadcast a profile of him by Keith Morrison and Tim Sandler that documented his interactions with Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army in 2005. Childers subsequently dedicated his life and resources to rescuing children in the war zone of South Sudan. Childers and his wife Lynn founded and operate Angels of East Africa, the Children's Village Orphanage in Nimule, South Sudan, where they currently have around 185 children in their care. Childers also has orphanages and homes in Uganda and Ethiopia with another 160 children in his organisation's care.

Contents

In 2013, Childers received the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice. [1] [2]

Early life

Childers was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the son of Paul Childers, an ironworker and former Marine. [3] Childers had two older brothers, Paul Jr. and George. He also had a sister, Donna, who died of a heart problem before she was a year old. While he was growing up, his parents moved the family from place to place, following construction projects.[ citation needed ]

In the spring of 1974, shortly before Childers turned 12, his family moved to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Going into seventh grade he discovered cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol and heroin, which led to many years of drug addiction, drug dealing, and alcoholism. Childers also developed a love for motorcycles and the lifestyle that led him to become a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Childers married a woman named Lynn before converting to Christianity, and had a daughter (Paige) and a son.[ citation needed ]

Career

Childers converted to Christianity in mid-1992, with the help of his 1st wife, during a revival meeting at an Assembly of God church. That same evening Childers' pastor allegedly prophesied that he would go to Africa. At the end of 1997, Childers made his first trip to Sudan. In that first trip and the many that followed, he was exposed to the acts of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), [8] which he described as atrocious.

Not long after his first trip to Sudan, Childers and his then wife Lynn founded the Angels of East Africa, the Children's Village in Southern Sudan. [9] The Children’s Village currently houses and educates over 180 (figures update 2021) orphans, [10] with over a thousand children rescued since its conception. [11] The staff at the Children's Village are primarily Sudanese orphans and widows themselves.

Childers details the events of his life and his experiences in Africa in his book Another Man's War . [12] The book bears the endorsement from South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit: "The Reverend Sam Childers has been a very close friend to the government of South Sudan for many years and is a trusted friend." [13]

In November 2009, Childers appeared on Debra Peppers' television show Outreach Connection in Quincy, Illinois. He revealed that he also rescues children abducted in northern Uganda.[ citation needed ]

In 2011, Relativity Media released a biopic about Childers entitled Machine Gun Preacher , which was based on Childers' book Another Man's War. The film was written by Jason Keller and directed by Marc Forster. The cast featured Gerard Butler in the title role, Michelle Monaghan as Childers' wife Lynn, and Michael Shannon as his best friend Donnie.

In 2014, a documentary with the same title was produced by Angels of East Africa, and filmed/edited by Australians Kevin Evans and Zac Simpson. It was released globally by Heritage Films in Australia and in North America by Vision Films (US).

Childers did a speaking tour of UK churches, organisations, businesses, rehab centers, and prisons in 2018. He was interviewed on video in Tamworth, UK. [14]

Criticisms

Childers has faced criticism over his actions and representation of himself. Foreign Policy cast doubt on Childers' stories of rescue, stating that "[i]t would take a miracle for all of Childers’s claims to be completely true." It also asserted that the operations of other aid workers are imperiled by Childers' actions. Additionally, the SPLA distanced itself from Childers, stating via a spokesman that "The SPLA does not know Sam Childers." [15]

In 2014, Childers' home and ministry properties were the subjects of a raid by the FBI and the IRS. [16] [17] In 2019, Childers was cleared of all charges by the FBI and the IRS.

Other criticism includes allegations that orphanages started by Childers have been poorly run, and that Childers has not made a visit in years. [18] [19] A Vanity Fair profile compared Childers' demeanor toward some villagers as "bullying." [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord's Resistance Army insurgency</span> Ongoing insurgency in central Africa

The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is a conflict involving the Lord's Resistance Army against the government of Uganda. Following the Ugandan Civil War, militant Joseph Kony formed the Lord's Resistance Army and launched an insurgency against the newly installed President Yoweri Museveni. The stated goal was to establish a Christian state based on the Ten Commandments. Currently, there is low-level LRA activity in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Kony proclaims himself the 'spokesperson' of God and a spirit medium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orphanage</span> Residential institution devoted to the care of orphans

An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusive. There may be substance abuse or mental illness in the biological home, or the parent may simply be unwilling to care for the child. The legal responsibility for the support of abandoned children differs from country to country, and within countries. Government-run orphanages have been phased out in most developed countries during the latter half of the 20th century but continue to operate in many other regions internationally. It is now generally accepted that orphanages are detrimental to the emotional wellbeing of children, and government support goes instead towards supporting the family unit.

Joseph Rao Kony is a Ugandan militant and warlord who founded the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Peacekeepers, the European Union, and various other governments including the United Kingdom and United States of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Sudanese Civil War</span> Conflict from 1983 to 2005 for South Sudanese independence

The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and the Blue Nile. It lasted for almost 22 years and is one of the longest civil wars on record. The war resulted in the independence of South Sudan 6 years after the war ended.

Barry W. Lynn is an American activist who was the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State from 1992 to November 2017, when he retired. He was ordained as a minister in the United Church of Christ and a prominent leader of the religious left in the United States. Lynn was formerly a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association. He has been known as a strong advocate of separation of church and state.

Vincent Otti was a Ugandan militant who served as deputy-leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel guerrilla army operating mainly in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. He was one of the five persons for whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its first arrest warrants on 8 July 2005 in its investigation in Uganda. Rumours of his death began to circulate in October 2007 and strengthened in January 2008. On 17 November 2023, the ICC terminated proceedings against him.

<i>Invisible Children</i> 2006 American film

Invisible Children is a 2006 American documentary film which depicts the human rights abuses by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord's Resistance Army</span> Christian terrorist multinational organization

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a Christian extremist organization operating in Central Africa and East Africa. Its origins were in the Ugandan insurgency (1986–1994) against President Yoweri Museveni during which Joseph Rao Kony founded the LRA in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Rey Jesús</span> Church in Florida, United States

Ministerio Internacional El Rey Jesús, anglicized as King Jesus International Ministry, is a non-denominational Christian church located in Miami, Florida. While the church is best known as El Rey Jesús, the anglicized name of King Jesus Ministry has recently seen more usage alongside attempts to reach out to non-Hispanics in the Miami area. Its senior pastor is currently Apostle Guillermo Maldonado.

Peter Dalglish is the Canadian founder of the Street Kids International charity and a convicted child sex offender. Until 2015, he was the Country Representative for UN-Habitat in Afghanistan. He is currently serving an 8 year prison term in Nepal after being convicted of raping two young boys.

<i>Machine Gun Preacher</i> 2011 American film

Machine Gun Preacher is a 2011 American biographical action drama film directed by Marc Forster and starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, and Michael Shannon. It tells the story of Sam Childers, a former gang biker turned preacher, and his efforts to protect, in collaboration with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the children of South Sudan from the atrocities of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The screenplay by Jason Keller was adapted from Childers' book Another Man's War and Ian Urbina's Vanity Fair article "Get Kony".

The Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act was a 2010 US act of Congress promoted by the Obama administration that makes it American policy to kill or capture Joseph Kony and to crush his Lord's Resistance Army rebellion. According to President Obama "the legislation crystallizes the commitment of the United States to help bring an end to the brutality and destruction that have been a hallmark of the LRA across several countries for two decades, and to pursue a future of greater security and hope for the people of central Africa".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invisible Children, Inc.</span> Organization concerning the Lords Resistance Army in Africa

Invisible Children, Inc., founded in 2004, is an organization to increase awareness of the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Central Africa, and its leader, Joseph Kony. Specifically, the group seeks to put an end to the practices of the LRA, which include abductions and abuse of children, and forcing them to serve as soldiers. To this end, Invisible Children urges the United States government to take military action in the central region of Africa. Invisible Children also operates as a charitable organization, soliciting donations and selling merchandise to raise money for its cause. The organization promotes its cause by dispensing films on the internet and presenting in high schools and colleges around the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile</span> 2011–2020 insurgency in southern Sudan

The Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile was an armed conflict in the Sudanese states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), a northern affiliate of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in South Sudan. After some years of relative calm following the 2005 agreement which ended the second Sudanese civil war between the Sudanese government and SPLM rebels, fighting broke out again in the lead-up to South Sudan independence on 9 July 2011, starting in South Kordofan on 5 June and spreading to the neighboring Blue Nile state in September. SPLM-N, splitting from newly independent SPLM, took up arms against the inclusion of the two southern states in Sudan with no popular consultation and against the lack of democratic elections. The conflict is intertwined with the War in Darfur, since in November 2011 SPLM-N established a loose alliance with Darfuri rebels, called Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF).

<i>Kony 2012</i> 2012 film

Kony 2012 is a 2012 American short documentary film produced by Invisible Children, Inc. The film's purpose was to make Ugandan cult leader, war criminal, and ICC fugitive Joseph Kony globally known so as to have him arrested by the end of 2012. The film was released on March 5, 2012, and spread virally, and the campaign was initially supported by various celebrities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Russell</span> American actor and activist

Jason Russell is an American film and theater director, choreographer, and activist who co-founded Invisible Children, Inc. He is the director of Kony 2012, a short documentary film that went viral in the beginning of March 2012. In the first two weeks following its release, the documentary gained more than 83 million views on YouTube and became the subject of media scrutiny and criticism. Its subject is the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, his alleged war crimes, and the movement to bring him to the International Criminal Court.

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The Regional Cooperation Initiative for the elimination of the LRA (RCI-LRA) with its military arm, the African Union Regional Task Force was a multi-national operation to counter the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). On 22 November 2011 the AU Peace and Security Council authorized the RCI-LRA with the mandate to "strengthen the operational capabilities of the countries affected by the atrocities of the LRA, create an environment conducive to the stabilization of the affected areas, free of LRA atrocities, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas." The United Nations provided logistical support, the European Union and African Union contributed additional funding, and the United States provided non-combat military and strategic support.

<i>Another Mans War</i>

Another Man's War is a 2009 book written by Sam Childers about his life as a former gang biker turned preacher and defender of South Sudanese orphans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Cohen Biden</span> South African-American filmmaker (born 1986)

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References

  1. ↑ "Harmony Foundation to host Mother Teresa awards on Nov 9". dna. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mother Teresa Awards given to promoters of social justice". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Machine Gun Preacher - About Sam". machinegunpreacher.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  4. ↑ Morrison, Keith (2006-09-26). "In war-torn Uganda, kids only emerge at night – Dateline NBC – NBC News". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  5. ↑ 'Machine Gun Preacher' Sam Childers tours Australia SBS World News (August 19, 2017)
  6. ↑ “Machine Gun Preacher” to visit Faith Community Fellowship Church in Aiken Anthony Scannella, The Post and Courier (November 7, 2018)
  7. ↑ “Machine Gun Preacher” to visit Faith Community Fellowship Church in Aiken Anthony Scannella, Associated Press (November 9, 2018)
  8. ↑ "World Missions New Sudan". Boyerspond.com. 2009-06-27. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  9. ↑ "Angels of East Africa". Angels of East Africa. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  10. ↑ "Missionary Fights for Children of East Africa – Christian World News – CBN News – Christian News 24-7". CBN.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  11. ↑ "Angels of East Africa". Angels of East Africa. Archived from the original on 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  12. ↑ "Another Man's War | Book Videos, Interviews & Podcasts from B&N Studio". Media.barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  13. ↑ Childers, Sam (2011). Another Man's War: The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan. Thomas Nelson. ISBN   9781418573492.
  14. ↑ Video Interview with Sam Childers by ,JAMedia-UK (2019-07-24), Sam Childers The Machine Gun Preacher, archived from the original on 2021-12-20, retrieved 2019-07-24
  15. ↑ Keller, Brett (22 September 2011). "Machine Gun Menace". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  16. ↑ Steffan, Melissa (11 February 2014). "FBI, IRS Investigate Machine Gun Preacher's Property". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  17. ↑ "FBI Raids 'Machine Gun' Preacher's Home". CBN News. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  18. ↑ "The Machine Gun Preacher: Saint or Scoundrel?". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  19. ↑ "Machine Gun Preacher Under Fire". News & Reporting. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  20. ↑ Urbina, Ian (27 April 2010). "Get Kony". The Hive. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
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