Movie and Panel Discussion – Nefarious: Merchant of Souls

When you think of slavery, what kinds of images come to mind? A cotton plantation in the 1800s? Forced labor somewhere overseas? How about the year 2013 and forced sexual servitude in Cary, North Carolina, or a child prostitution ring in Orlando, Florida? The institution of slavery has not disappeared with our past. It has only changed forms, and is now more prevalent in the world than ever.

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Please join us on April 26th for a screening of the film “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls”. This film delves into the underground world of human trafficking, and exposes the horrors faced by its estimated 27 million victims world-wide. In the face of such an atrocity it might be more comfortable to remain ignorant or turn a blind eye, but as God’s hands and feet we have a duty to understand and respond to our brothers and sisters in bondage.

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The sale of women constitutes the third largest criminal industry in the world, second only to the drug and arms trades. It can be hard to understand how something so inhuman and degrading can be forced on one human being by another. How do the victims become involved? What kinds of people create the demand that drives this industry? How can we even begin to tackle something that is already so widespread?

Nefarious exposes the sex trade in various parts of the world, and reveals what life is like for those who are trapped in this lifestyle. You will learn about the scenarios under which individuals become victimized, and discover that the needs exploited by the traffickers are not so different from the needs you seek to fulfill in your own life. You will discover that the individuals creating the demand for forced sexual servitude range in all ages, and are not the obviously shady characters you would expect. In the aforementioned Orlando, Florida case, the men arrested for soliciting sex from a child ranged in age from 19 to 60, and included a college student, an interpreter for the deaf at an elementary school and a high school English teacher.

After the movie, we’ll spend time processing the film, discussing with experts how what we’ve seen in the film is happening today in our own communities. We will also present you with ways you can get involved in the fight against this tragedy.

The following organizations will be present, in addition to having these specific representatives on the panel:

Brad Hambrick, Pastor of Counseling, Summit Church
Brad has an extensive background in counseling rooted in scripture

Greg Hill, Licensed Professional Counselor
Greg is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in working with sexual addiction and couples

Sandra Johnson, President and Founder, Triad Ladder of Hope
Sandra founded Triad Ladder of Hope in 2005.  The organization offers physical, emotional and spiritual assistance to human trafficking victims in Winston-Salem, High Point and Greensboro.

Randy Wiersma, Board Member, Tiny Hands International 
Randy is the vice chairman of Tiny Hands International, a Christian non-profit that seeks to serve orphans, street children, and victims of the sex-trafficking industry.

Detective Matt Pearson, Cary Police Department
Detective Pearson has been at the forefront of Cary’s human trafficking investigations.  He was the 5th recipient of the George Almond Officer of the Year Award, and is a valued member of the Cary Police Department.