Another day and there is another story about a beloved minister doing the unthinkable. Daniel,* an associate pastor at a historic church in North Carolina, had been on staff for over a decade. He began his work as a youth minister, but over time the congregation recognized the quality of his work and when there was an opportunity, he became the associate pastor and many thought he had the potential to be the pastor. At 33 years old, this was quite impressive. What the congregation did not know was that he was under investigation by the local police and the FBI for attempting to get a teenager to create a pornographic video. When the news broke, the congregation was stunned and heartbroken.
Stories like this seem to occur regularly. We read of teachers preying on their students and executives preying on their employees. Although sexual abuse happens in virtually every area of society, it is particularly out of place in the church. Sexual abuse of any sort is antithetical to the Gospel.
So why then does it appear in the Church at all? Unfortunately, not all people who claim to be followers of Christ are what they seem. In many cases of abuse, we do not witness a good person who became something else. We see people were predators from the beginning. In many cases, the worst kinds of abuse could have been prevented by simple background checks. It really does boggle the mind that a congregation would not do a background check. Search committees are often content to make three phone calls for reference checks and be content with what they hear. Considering that the reputation of the Gospel and the Church, and the safety and well being of children is at stake, criminal background checks for every church employee and everyone who works with children are absolutely essential.
Abuse also happens because people change. Sometimes good people become something else. My father taught me a lesson when I was a teenager. He would ask, “What is the purpose of a lock?” His answer, “To keep an honest man honest.” His point was that determined criminals could not be stopped with a mere lock, but a lock could have the effect of keeping an honest person from falling prey to his or her worst motives. There are some steps that could be taken to keep more “honest men honest.” Peer accountability groups could lead more pastors out of the isolation that breeds depression and sexual acting out. Better oversight of congregational computers could become the norm. One small step that would be very helpful is the reduction of unobservable space. One of the first things I did as the pastor of Rosemary Baptist Church was to have a window installed in my office door. The window protects both me and those who would enter my office. Further, I seldom close the door of my office. That way people can know what I am doing in there. I treat my office as a public space as much as possible. Congregational leaders can be taught the importance of boundaries with members in their care. These kinds of steps can help prevent some of the abuse we have seen.
In response to the sexual abuse of women and children in Baptist life that has been revealed in the last several months, some good work has been done. Congregations are working on their abuse policies, they are doing a better job on background checks, and congregations who tolerate abusers on staff are being removed from fellowship. These are good steps, but more needs to be done.
When it comes to the victims of sexual abuse, we have not even scratched the surface of what needs to happen. They need our monetary, spiritual, and emotional support. They need to be able to go to professional counseling without worrying about the cost. They need to be able to believe that the Church is on their side, and they need to be able to find in the Church people who will be with them until healing finally comes.
They also need justice. They need to know that those who have harmed them have been reported to the authorities. They need to know that while harm has come to them in the Church, the Church will be their advocate. We have a long way to go in that regard.
It should be the case that the Church is safe. It should be that when the Church gathers nobody has a reason for concern. I am afraid, however, that there are two reasons that congregations will always need to be vigilant. First, there are people who are predators who use the church as a way to gain access to victims. We must always be on guard against them. Secondly, there are some people who, for whatever reason, become corrupted over time. Because these are two consistent threats, we must always watch out for the people of the Church.
*I am only using Daniel’s first name here to prevent the innocent people around him, particularly the victim, from suffering more from the publicity about this case. His full name and the church involved can easily be found with a google search.
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