No publicly documented lawsuit has been filed against Teen Missions International, the Merritt Island, Florida–based Christian nonprofit that runs the “Lord’s Boot Camp” and sends teenagers on short-term mission trips overseas. According to MinistryWatch, as of March 2026 the organization has been “free of any lawsuits or administrative actions filed against it by employees, clients, board members, vendors, donors, or other related parties for the past five years.”1MinistryWatch. Teen Missions International Ministry Profile That absence of litigation sits alongside decades of abuse allegations from former participants, collected in blog posts, news coverage, and online testimonials.
What Former Participants Have Alleged
The most detailed public accounting appeared in a 2018 series on the blog Bare Marriage by Sheila Wray Gregoire, who participated in a 1986 TMI trip to the Philippines. Gregoire gathered accounts from dozens of former participants spanning the 1980s through 2016, and those accounts describe a consistent pattern of authoritarian control, harsh conditions, and punitive discipline.2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse
“Special Blessings” Discipline
A recurring element is a disciplinary practice called “Special Blessings,” or SBs: forced labor assignments such as digging holes, hauling wood, picking up garbage, or cleaning facilities, imposed for infractions that former participants described as minor or arbitrary. Failing the obstacle course quickly enough, having a messy living area, or questioning a leader could trigger them.2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse One former participant recalled that during a visit by founder Bob Bland, he “handed out SBTs like candy,” leaving the team “completely demoralized.”3Phil Monroe. Teen Missions Intl Feature in Christianity Today
Medical Neglect
Several accounts allege staff refused to seek or provide proper medical care. One parent reported that her daughter nearly died of malaria because staff failed to administer medication the family had already paid for. Another described a daughter who broke her arm when a climbing wall collapsed, after which the organization mishandled pain medication and dismissed parental concerns. Other accounts describe untreated knee injuries, broken bones left unset for extended periods, and cases of “jungle rot” that went unaddressed.2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse One former participant reported losing approximately 25 pounds during a program due to food shortages.3Phil Monroe. Teen Missions Intl Feature in Christianity Today
Emotional Control and Handling of Sexual Abuse Disclosures
Former participants across multiple decades described intense psychological control. Gregoire recounted being singled out during a debriefing after her 1986 trip and told by Bland that she had a “rebellious spirit” and that “God was not happy” with her, a judgment she says was prompted by her asking questions about the organization’s rules.4Bare Marriage. How I Was Once Labelled Rebellious on a Teen Missions Trip Letters home were read by leaders before being sent, and complaints resulted in reprimands. Gregoire said she resorted to writing in code. Participants also reported being pressured to donate personal spending money to TMI.2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse
Among the more serious allegations is that leaders mishandled sexual abuse disclosures. A participant from 1991 reported telling a female leader about sexual abuse occurring at home and being told the abuse was her own fault for not being “submissive” or “modest” enough. In Gregoire’s account of her 1986 trip, female participants who disclosed histories of sexual abuse were not offered counseling. Instead, they were reportedly confined to their rooms and denied social interaction, told they needed to pray.4Bare Marriage. How I Was Once Labelled Rebellious on a Teen Missions Trip2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse
Why the Allegations Have Not Produced Litigation
A few structural factors help explain the gap between the public accounts and any court record. The IRS designates TMI as a church, so it is not required to file Form 990 tax returns, which limits the financial information publicly available about the organization.5ProPublica. Teen Missions International Inc MinistryWatch has flagged governance concerns, noting that the board chair is not considered independent and that the board does not meet its criteria for having a majority of independent members.1MinistryWatch. Teen Missions International Ministry Profile
Former participants who tried to post critical reviews online have reported receiving legal threats and experiencing cyberbullying from the organization’s supporters, according to accounts compiled by Bare Marriage.2Bare Marriage. Teen Missions International Abuse MinistryWatch also reported no public accusations of misdeeds against the organization’s leadership during the five-year window it reviewed.1MinistryWatch. Teen Missions International Ministry Profile
The 2014 Climbing Net Collapse
The one documented on-site injury incident occurred in June 2014, when a rope climbing net between 20 and 30 feet high collapsed during a group photo at the Merritt Island camp, injuring 13 people. Eleven were transported to Cape Canaveral Hospital and one adult was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Camp Director Robert Bland attributed the collapse to a concrete anchor that pulled out of the ground.6Click Orlando. 13 Hurt in Net Collapse at Brevard County Mission Camp The research file records no lawsuit arising from that incident.
Current Leadership and Operations
Bob Bland died on April 2, 2021, at 92, after several years of declining health.7Florida Today. Founder of Merritt Island-Based Teen Missions International Dies at 92 Steve Petersen became president in June 2022. Petersen first participated in a TMI team in 1979 at age 15, joined the staff in 1984 after graduating from Christ for the Nations Institute, served in overseas boot camps in eight countries, and previously held the position of Vice President of Operations.8Teen Missions International. Leadership
Gregoire noted in her 2018 posts that the leader of her 1986 Philippines team, whom she described as having a “crushing” leadership style, had since been promoted to Director of the entire organization.4Bare Marriage. How I Was Once Labelled Rebellious on a Teen Missions Trip The available research does not confirm whether that individual is Petersen or another leader. TMI remains fully operational and continues to promote mission trips for 2026 and 2027 from its Merritt Island headquarters.9Teen Missions International. Home