PLEASE DON’T “Suffer the Children”

It seems there are an abundance of abuse stories in the church  today. While all abuse is wrong, no matter who is doing the abuse, one kind of abuse stands out, child abuse and neglect. Don’t take this as a disclaimer, because it’s not, I’ve no issue with the Fundamentalist Church. they can believe what they desire, as long as those beliefs do not abuse others. In their infallible, literal understanding of the Collective Narrative [the Bible] they seem to take the words “suffer the children” literally.

I would hope we are past the time in our faith journey where we have to hide the fact that too many children suffer at the hands of the these churches, and their church leaders. They’ve created an environment where the church leaders, mainly the Pastors, of these Fundamentalist Churches are seen as “untouchable” and can do no wrong. While this post will not address the Duggar Family specifically, I would be remiss if I did not mention them, or their supporters, as being examples of this issue. But the issue goes beyond them; they are, if you will, just the tip of a monstrous iceberg.

Did you know that 93% of sex offenders describe themselves as religious; that’s right, they see themselves as fundamentally religious. How about this, did you know that in a church of 200 members (100 women and 100 men) will have at least 41 child sexual abuse survivors…20.5%?  You might not like to hear that, but come on – you have to know it’s a reality.

When people think of child abuse, they are quick to point at the Roman Catholic Church [rightly so], and many of my Fundamental Pastoral friends are quick to point their fingers in that direction; never once acknowledging that many in their own denominations, or other churches, cause abuse to children in staggering numbers.

By just doing a simple Google search, I was able to find hundreds of examples of Pastors and Church Leaders crossing the line with children on a regular basis. In fact, there were so many, I started to feel dirty reading them; I had to stop. Here is a short list, and it saddens me to say, a very short list, of Pastors who have been charged with causing suffering upon children in just the past few years:

Billy Howard Guy: An Ash County, NC Pastor who was charged with six counts of sexual crimes including molesting mentally-disabled woman in his care

Joseph Hall: A Gaston County, NC Pastor who was charged with 14 counts of sex crimes against kids as young as 12 years old

Trevon Boone: A 39-year old Portsmouth, VA minister arrested for rape of a minor

Jerome Anthony Clay: The Perris CA Pastor at, of all place, Compassion Church in Perris was charged with raping a minor, under the age of 16.

Paul Endrei: the Senior pastor of a Westlake OH church, Church on the Rise, was charged with two counts of sexual battery and gross sexual imposition.

Forest Gibson: Youth pastor charged with sexual abuse of a minor

Please keep in mind that this is a very, very, very short list and it does not include churches and Pastors who have been arrested, or sued, for not reporting those in leadership who have abused or neglected children. The idea is not to say which church or denomination is worse, this is not a contest. The truth is, while we all fall short at times, we honestly and openly need to address the issues coming to us from the Fundamentalist Churches.