Zero Tolerance

January 8, 2013 By in Church, Justice, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse 4 Comments
Sexually exploitive church "leaders" are not unique to any one type of church - hierarchical, congregational, organic, whatever. Don't be naive, they count on your silence. Only zero tolerance and exposing them will protect others. Scripture commands it. Confronting Abusive Pastors: A Mandatory Public Reprimand

Sexually exploitive church “leaders” are not unique to any one type of church – hierarchical, congregational, organic, whatever. Don’t be naïve, they count on your silence. Only zero tolerance and exposing them will protect others. Scripture commands it.
Confronting Abusive Pastors: A Mandatory Public Reprimand

4 responses

  1. Sadly, I received a threatening email the other day from an organic church author regarding my ongoing research into the history of that movement. I stumbled upon significant hidden sin in his “tribe” involving sexual exploitation by one of their “apostles” – even though I didn’t go looking for those skeletons – and I’m now a threat.

    So be it – but be careful about threatening an attorney and someone who has taken on other sexually exploitive church “leaders”. Truth is always an absolute defense, and I don’t intimidate easily.

    This only draws attention to what they have sought to hide, and is a really, really stupid move on their part.

    Nonetheless, the blog I link to in this e-card provides the framework for dealing with and publicly exposing abusive church leaders. We would do well to heed Paul’s command to Timothy on such matters, so that their exploitation of others does not get swept under the rug and thus harm of others.

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  2. Jim,
    I used to be a pastor. Never thought I was “abusive” (nor do I believe that charge could be laid against me), but I do know what the pressure of church building programs, antagonists in the pews, debt, worship wars, and unresolved conflict within the body can lead to: Burnout.

    This burnout can lead to all kind of other issues including depression, moral compromise, substance abuse, even abandonment of the faith and thoughts of suicide. Often pastors are islands to themselves and suffer in needless silence. Many of us leave the pulpit never to return to full time ministry. We start out as pastors and end up statistics.

    It is far to easy to point to the sin/failures and fail to understand there is a soul at stake. I welcome your work within the body of Christ and feel it is much needed; i do hope your research/work also reaches further than the “symptoms” but addresses the disease as well. I

    Rick Puckett,
    Greensboro, NC

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