The Unacknowledged Crisis in the Evangelical Church

In the past year, as a former employee at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, I’ve learned more about church abuse than I ever wanted to know.

And I’ve come to see that my blind spot was part of the problem.

So today I want to share some of the hard-won lessons that I’ve learned through this journey. If you aren’t informed about the evangelical abuse crisis, this article is for you.

Think about it. If there's a gas leak in your home, the most dangerous thing you can do is not know about it and go to sleep. Carbon monoxide — silent, invisible, and odorless — can build up in the house and become fatal. What we don’t know can kill us.

Even stranger, though, would be to notice that our house is on fire… and still go to bed! News reports, documentaries, and social media are amplifying numerous stories of abuse, but are we paying attention?

At some point, the problem is so obvious that it becomes inexcusable if we can’t see it.

In The Return of the King, Tolkein describes a clever warning system built by the kingdom of Gondor. When an attack was imminent, a series of beacons would be lit on fire, enabling news of danger to travel at nearly the speed of light from one end of the kingdom to another.

So let’s look at ten beacons on fire that show the scale and the scope of the crisis we face.

1 — In May of 2020, at the funeral for Ravi Zacharias, Vice President Mike Pence said, "In Ravi Zacharias, God gave us the greatest Christian apologist of this century. He was the C.S. Lewis of our day." By September of 2020, thanks to Julie Roys, Christianity Today, and WORLD magazine, the world knew that Ravi was a sexual predator. And by January of 2021, it was known that RZIM was a toxic organization. We could have known these stories much earlier if we had listened to and believed Steve Baughman and Lori Anne Thompson!

2 — Liberty University's website boasts an enrollment of over 100,000 — it is perhaps one of the most recognizable Christian universities in the United States. Yet its former President, Jerry Falwell Jr., and his wife Becki sexually preyed on students. And, as Karen Swallow Prior states, known sexual predators continue to be employed there! 

3 — This March, David and Nancy French published an expose on how "Kanakuk—one of America's largest Christian camps—enabled horrific abuse." 

4 — Christianity Today's retrospective podcast series, "The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill," documents the spiritual abuse and misogyny within the formerly influential Mars Hill movement and its discredited pastor, Mark Driscoll. 

5 — In 2016, Washingtonian published a similarly-titled article: "The Sex-Abuse Scandal That Devastated a Suburban Megachurch: Inside the rise and fall of Sovereign Grace Ministries." It details how survivors of sexual abuse had to band together to hold the church leaders accountable for covering up their abuse. Meanwhile, the lead pastor, C.J. Mahaney, received steadfast support from evangelical leaders at The Gospel Coalition and Together for the Gospel. 

6 — Right now, the Southern Baptist Convention is investigating how the denomination's Executive Committee mishandled or harmed sexual abuse survivors. 

7 — We could also mention Bill Hybels, the former senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and the founder of the Global Leadership Summit. His sexual misconduct devastated that church and network.

8 — And there's James MacDonald, former senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, which was one of the hundred largest churches in America. His story includes bullying, misappropriating church funds, and sexual harassment. 

9 —This month, Business Insider reported that YoungLife has failed to properly handle reports of sexual abuse.

10 — It isn’t just the roof that’s on fire, but the basement too. The author and speaker Sheila Gregoire has explained how the evangelical movement’s favorite books on marriage and sex are harming millions of men and women.

And we have not even considered the ways Christian leaders have promoted the health and wealth gospel, conflated their faith with their politics, or run Ponzi schemes! Nor have I mentioned the scandals with Dave Ramsey, Franklin Graham, the Anglican Church (ACNA), or John MacArthur!

Is every person in all of these movements to blame? No, of course not. Still, the total damage of these scandals is impossible to calculate. I know that my heart is heavy and weary, and I feel a new tenderness towards those harmed by the church.

Does it need to be said? Abuse contradicts the message of Jesus!

Is it a surprise that pastors and churches are less trusted by their communities?

Is it any wonder that more and more Americans would prefer to search for spiritual fulfillment on their own? 

So what can we do?

One option is to feel bad about this rotten mess and wallow in shame. But of course, that's an unsatisfactory outcome.

First, the Christian life starts and continues with repentance. That's at the heart of the gospel announcement, and it is the path to maturity. Of all people, we have the theological basis for owning our sin and lamenting it.

So if we publicly celebrated these leaders for their ministry gifts, then the least we can do is publicly rebuke them for their egregious character failures.

If you see a fire, it's irresponsible not to alert people to the danger. 

This criticism doesn't mean we are joining the cancel culture movement. Instead, it means we are learning to speak the same language as those abused. We're saying: “We see you, you matter to us, and we're with you. What happened to you was wrong — and we're not afraid to say so.”

Our prayer is for abusive leaders to repent of their sin now, to stop hurting people in the name of Jesus, to make restitution, and to be reconciled to God.

Second, we can see if these leaders harmed anyone we know. Instead of leaving survivors to cope with the pain on their own, we can journey with them. We know how to bring food to sick people; let's be just as intentional to listen to and care for those who were traumatized.

Third, after significant earthquakes, building codes get updated to prevent more buildings from collapsing. That’s just common sense.

Likewise, we can respond to this crisis by taking steps to make our churches and organizations resilient and healthy. Consider reading Something’s Not Right by Wade Mullen or A Church Called Tov by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer.

Fourth, remember that we have a biblical basis for taking action. The Apostle Paul set a similar example for the church leaders of his day. We read his words in Acts 20,

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

We never should have fallen asleep to abuse in the church. But we did. And now we know that millions suffered because of it. So we need to stand with those who are hurting. And starting immediately, we must remain alert for savage wolves — and point them out.

(If you think this article could help a friend take action, I encourage you to forward it onto them).